Greatest Battle Ever Fought #1

Battleground: the Mind

October 11, 1987

	Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we want to say we’re grateful to you
for giving us the health and the strength, Lord, to be here today, but
above all, the desire to know what Your Word says concerning us at this
time—to know what we have from you, Lord, what we can yet to expect
from you, and what you desire from us. And we pray we might, by Your
Spirit, be one with each other, so that, mutually we will have that
which we are supposed to have, and in the best degree, Lord, too, so
that we shine in the light that you have given us to this day. 

 	So, we pray, Lord, you’ll anoint our hearts and our minds to be one
with You and to be very, very suppressed in ourselves, to learn to get
out of the way, to learn to let You have Your way, to know what it is to
be dead with Christ, and yet alive with Christ. These things, Lord, are
part of our heritage, and should be a part of our experience, day by
day. We pray that it shall be so. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen. 

	You may be seated.

1.	Now, I was going to answer a question, which has been brought to my
attention, (But really there’s too much material to go into it.) and
then, start on the message of Bro. Braham’s, which has to do with the
“Greatest Battle Ever Fought”. So, we’re just going to leave the
question, which has to do with what authority a minister really has—a
pastor over the people, how far does it go, and though I’ll just leave
that, I’ll answer it in more detail with many, many Scriptures, so
you’ll know exactly where we stand, because I think that is so vital
in these days when the spot light is on the minister’s and the
ministry, and they’re getting scorched by their own fire. Interesting.
So, back to the topic we have in mind, which is “The Greatest
Battle”. And it falls right in line with what we were dealing with in
“Faith in the Mind”. And you’ll see how that Bro. Branham brings
that out to us. 

2.	Now, the Scripture reading… He starts in 1 Pet 5:8-10, and he
reads: 

 (8) 	Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, as a
roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour:   

 (9) 	Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same
afflictions are   accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 

(10) 	But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal
glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, makes you
perfect, stablish you, strengthen you, …settle you.

	Now, before we read the next portion of Scripture, I had not actually
read this as Bro. Branham had read It. I just knew it was there. But I
was thinking today and this morning without even having conjured up this
Scripture, that you will notice, and you cannot help but notice… Now,
mark carefully what I am saying, because this is a tremendous benefit to
you. No Christian can ever love God unless he suffers. Now, that’s
going to blow your mind, but I’m sorry for you. If it blows your mind,
you’re going to have to change your mind. We’re going to talk about
that. 

3.	This is what I brought out in the articles I read in Romans 5, where
you start with hope, and you go on to the trial of your faith, which
deepens you in patience and ripeness of character. And then, It says,
“The Love of God is shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Ghost.” 

	I have never met a person yet, who really loved the Lord, but has
suffered. Now, that’s the truth. I’m sorry about it. I’d like to
say everything is charismatic, “hip-hoorah, hallelujah, nobody is to
suffer; we’ve got a promise, bless God.” I got news for you:
That’s a lie from the pit of hell; that’s distorting the Scripture;
it is putting Scripture against Scripture, because the joy that comes in
the morning, after darkness, the Bible is speaking of. We all must
suffer. If we will reign with Him, we will suffer with Him. There is no
reigning down on this earth here unless we suffer, and suffering is
necessary. God has ordained it. And if God ordains it, then it must be
right, because God cannot do anything wrong.

	Sometime I’m going to bring you dozens of Scripture if I feel it
necessary to show you that God is a good God. [See Bro. Vayle’s
message entitled “God Is a Good God”.] And we haven’t thoroughly
oriented our minds with the goodness of God. We have oriented our minds
with the goodness of American, fast, leisurely living, where everybody
gets paid for by the government and “hallelujah.” Well,
“hallelujah nonsense,” brother/sister. That’s why America’s
dying.

4.	Every generation the kids get weaker and weaker and rottener and
rottener citizens of this earth and the kingdom of God for one reason:
we’ve tried to keep our children from suffering. If I could roll the
clock back and believe me, before God, I would love to do it, I would
raise our kids on a piece of turnip, an apple box, and a beautiful
sunset, and all the things of God. And the rest could drop dead. 

	You say, “Well, that would make them suffer.” 

	You bet. They’d suffer anyway, brother/sister. There’s nobody can
take your suffering away from you and the children, but you’ve got to
have understanding. That’s what we’re looking at. 

5.	So, this Scripture here is very important here. When we’re going to
talk about the greatest battle, it’s going to entail suffering, it’s
going to entail things laid down by God, and you’re just going to have
to be hit with it…blooey!! I’m sorry. It’s just like, you know,
you’re walking down the street, and you’re not noticing because
you…something…you’ve got a paper and you walk smack-dab into a
telephone post, and whop! Just like that. I’m sorry, but that’s how
it goes.

	Everybody wants a dear, old, sneak-up approach. The soft pedal, you
know, just…(Bro. Vayle makes sneak-up noise saying ‘insinuate
in’). Oh, brother/sister, it don’t work. 

	Like kids say, “Why?” 

	Parents says, “Cause why? I said so!” 

	So now, parents should never be that way. Well, then, why don’t you
tangle with God? He’s the great parent. There’s lots of things He
hasn’t exposed to us. I don’t care how philosophical I wax and you
wax, and William Branham, prophet of God, waxed. I’m going to tell you
flat: there are things we don’t understand right now, and there is
nobody has ever explained them. And you and I will never know till the
end of the trail—if He wants to tell us then. 

6.	All right. He reads some more. Ephesians 6: 

 (10) 	Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of
his might. (Like I said we must memorize this as a true saying,
“Greater is he that is in me than I in myself.”) 

	Never mind what’s in the world, brother/sister. I don’t care two
bits what’s in the world. I only care what’s in Lee Vayle, because
the trouble is not with the world and you people and with anybody else.
It’s with me—all these complexes and things we get. It’s a lot of
hogwash. Greater is he that is in us than we ourselves. 

7.	(11) 	Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil.

(12) 	For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of
this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

 	 That’s a nasty situation. See, God created the devil. He allows all
these things. And He tells you and me through the apostle Paul, “Put
on the whole armor of God, and let’s go out there and have a good
fight in the name of the Lord.” And he warns you: you’re not
wrestling against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against
spiritual wickedness in high places. He’s telling you right there, it
is a spiritual battle.

	 Now, remember; the mind is a part of the spirit. Right? The mind is a
part of the spirit. Right? Okay. So, spiritual battles will be what kind
of battles? Mental battles. Mental battles. Right. I’m going to be
honest with you: there are times I want to take my hat off, and I
don’t have a hat on. That happens many times. And I’m not actually
fighting too desperately. [Bro. Vayle chuckles.]

8.	(13) 	Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be
able to stand in the evil day, and having done all, just stand.

(14) 	Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and
having on the breastplate of righteousness;

(15) 	And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

(16) 	Above all things, taking the shield of faith, (That means above
like an umbrella over everything else.) wherewith you…be able to
quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 

	Now, he tells you right here it’s on the top of your head, because
that’s above all. Right? The heads above everything, right? Okay. So
therefore, there is something you put on top of your head. Now, what
good is the top of your head physically, when you’re battling
spiritual things? No good, period. Because the devils don’t come and
whop you over the head with a brick, and they don’t give you a
four-knuckle treat. No, it’s inside, where the thoughts are going on,
you know, whirling around.

	So, “above all…” (That’s over the whole thing.) “you take
that shield of faith, and thereby, you’re able to quench all the fiery
darts” that come…from what? Wrestling against, not flesh and blood;
it’s not your brother, your sister, your mother, your father, the
preacher, the deacon, this and that…no. It’s against rulers, against
principalities, (In other words, that’s literal kingdoms and forces in
an unseen area, but they’re spiritual.) against powers, and
authorities, rulers of darkness, spiritual wickedness in high places.

	Now, you realize, of course, because satanic oppression is increasing
because he knows his days are short, you’re going to have a lot of
problems just mentally with spiritual things come into your life.
They’re going to be rough on you.

9.	Now, in the Book of Daniel: [Dan 12:1-9]

(1)	And at that time Michael stood up or shall, stand up, the great
prince which standeth for the children of thy people ; (Michael there
for Israel,) and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was
since there was a nation even to that same time: …at that time thy
people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the
book…(and that’s nice…see ?)

(2)	And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

(3)	And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the
firmament; and they that turn away many to righteousness as the stars
for ever and ever (The soul winners are right in there). And they that
are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; (We read that.
Okay.)

(4)	But thou, O Daniel, shut up the book even to the time of the end:
many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

(5)	Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, one on
this side the river, one the other side beside the river.

(6)	And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters
of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?

(7)	And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of
the river, when he held up his right hand and he raised up his left hand
unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever that it
shall be just for a time (That is, time and an half.)—a time, time and
half time (That’s three and a half years.) And when he had
accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, these things shall
be finished. (And he said)... I believe I’ll stop right there.

10.	Now I’m going to continue on page 13, and these are not numbered
in paragraph form. So, Bro. Branham, from what he has read here, says:

[13-1]	The great first battle, the great battle; the first one that was
ever fought began in heaven when Michael and his angels fought against
Lucifer and his angels. 

 	Now, the ideas here, is to acquaint you with the fact that there was a
war in heaven before there was ever a war on earth and so therefore the
kingdom of God, the authority of God, no matter where it is, and under
what conditions and in what way, it is going to be violated, if
possible, by Satan. So, you are predestinated to a warfare. Whether you
would like it or not, you are predestinated to it. And you must be
engaged in it, whether you like it or not.

11.	Now, as to this war in heaven. We’ll just look a little bit at it,
because we want to be very familiar with everything Bro. Branham says,
and we find over here in Lk 10:17.

(17) 	And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the
devils are subject unto us through thy name. (And he said, I’m going
to tell you about that from the beginning.)

(18) 	...he said…, I (saw) Satan (fall) as lightning from heaven. 

 	In other words, he is letting you know that back there in the form of
Michael, taking on the theophonic expression of Michael, he kicked Satan
out of heaven. He was engaged in the battle back there, and He was
engaged with the battle in Satan, Matthew 4, and of course other gospels
where Satan actually came to him and tested him on the authority of who
He was. And Bro. Branham said the same thing withstands with us. You
must have the authority of who you are. And he stood right against
Jesus, and Jesus rebuked him.

12.	Okay. Let’s go back and see Isa 14:12-14, and you’ll see some
more of Lucifer’s history.

(12) 	How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!
how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!    

(13) 	For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I
will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the
mount of the    congregation, in the sides of the north:

(14) 	I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the
most High.

(15) 	(He said) thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the
pit.

	Now you’re engaged by the enemy to join him in his battle against
God.

13.	All right. Let’s read in Heb 9:21-23; we’ll see some more.

(21) 	Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the 
 vessels of the ministry. (That’s Moses now.)

(22)	And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without
the    shedding of blood (there’s) no remission.

(23)	It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the
heavens    should be purified with these; (That’s blood of bulls and
goats, and so    on.) but the heavenly things themselves with better
sacrifices than these.

(24)	For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands,
which     are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to
appear in the     presence of God for us.

	So therefore, the heaven itself was violated, the very presence of God
was violated, and now It says the blood of the sprinkling, which was by
bulls’ and goats’ blood, could do something fine for down here, but
it couldn’t take care of the problem in heaven. So, all right.

 	We have this original battle that started in heaven, and God took
steps immediately to rectify the situation, which situation would be
rectified, as It says in Isaiah, “When they looked merrily upon Satan
cast down into the pit,” where he belongs. Okay. It was started in
heaven. The first battle was in heaven. So, sin did not originate on
earth. Now, that’s true. Remember; It says Satan said; “I’m going
to exalt myself above the most high; I’m going to take over; I’m
going to run things”.

	In other words, you find here that God does not look with tolerance or
leniency upon anybody who attempts to formulate any opinion outside the
opinions that God gave him concerning God’s Own Kingdom.

14.	So, you can see why it is that organization is so tragically wrong
and inept, where men try to come together and figure things out. Paul
the apostle, one of the most brilliant men that ever lived, I would say
he was a greater theologian than Hillel and others, (And I forget who
the other person was at that time just at the time of Christ.) but he
said, “If there’s any dispute that you have, get the lowest most
common man in the congregation, and he’ll likely have more
spirituality to settle than all you people that think you have all the
Word.” That doesn’t put a very high premium upon people and their
minds and their thinking. And yet you’ll find here what a premium God
puts upon your mind and your thinking, if it’s done right—becomes a
guarantee.

15.	So, the sin originated in heaven, and it originated in the mind of
Satan. It had to. He thought his thoughts, which were against God. He
said, “I’m going to assume an authority. I’m going to do this.”

	Now, if he could do that in the presence of God back there, and if
we’re right concerning what we say about the presence of God today,
Christ came down in the form of the Pillar of Fire, in the form of the
Holy Ghost, and He’s really here now, He’s descended with a Shout.
And you can see how even we act, that’s letting you in on a little
picture there. You can see why Satan didn’t have any trouble. You know
this God is very inscrutable. You can’t figure Him, and nobody should
try. It is best if we could learn to just listen. And that’s good
because faith commeth by hearing and hearing only the Word of God. It
originated in heaven, and, then, it was thrown down from heaven, cast
out of heaven to the earth, and fell on human beings.

	Number one: in heaven it fell on the angels. Right? Number two: on
earth it falls on you and me. So, the battleground of God and Satan was
the heavenly host, and now the battleground, human beings.

 	Now, you may think that is unfair. Why don’t you go to Uncle Sam and
tell him, “I’m not going to pay my taxes. They’re unfair.” 

	You say, “Well, it wouldn’t pay…” 

	This isn’t going to pay, either. Yeah.

16.	[13-1]	Then, the battles descended from angels to become human
battles, then Satan came to destroy God’s creation down here on earth.
What God had created to be for Himself, Satan had come to destroy, or
take it over. See? That’s what his purpose was: …to destroy it. Then
the battle began here on earth and began in us. And it’s been raging
ever since. 

	Now, let’s just take a little peek at that because that’s the
truth. That’s over here in Ezek 28:13-15.

(13)	Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was
thy covering… 

	Now, notice; this is just almost exactly like the ephod of the High
Priest. And here is this Satanic being, and he’s in the Garden of
Eden, and he literally comes ministering to Eve, who types the church.
And she listens. She opened her mind. That was tragic.

(13)	…sardius, topaz, …diamond, …beryl, …onyx, …jasper,
…sapphire, …emerald, …carbuncle and gold: the workmanship of thy
tabrets and of they pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast
created. 

(14)	Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so:
thou    wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down
in     the midst of the stones of fire.

(15)	Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created,
till    iniquity was found in thee. 

	Now, I ask you a question. If this being was perfect, consummate…
Now, get the picture carefully with me: consummate. Don’t give way to
the thinking, this black, terrible creature. He’s going to fool you.
This one with consummate wisdom, “Thou sealest up the sum of
wisdom,” brilliant—a tremendous person. Maximized in the church by
the revelator, John (Now, listen.) the antichrist church: she’s
beautiful; she’s fascinating. And he looked at her and he marveled.
And I can see John’s thinking, “Why, that can’t be so!” It
couldn’t be so. That… That just couldn’t be so. 

17.	Now, that’s what you’re looking at right here. You’re looking
at a personage that God created, fashioned, whatever, and he was a
marvelous fabrication, a marvelous institution, but there was a thread
showed up—iniquity—and took that one thread, and he fought God
desperately. And you know the tragic thing is this: he cannot stop.
Well, not tragic… But to put it, you know. I’m going to use the word
‘tragic’. The most, what would you call it, puzzling thing is, that
this one here cannot stop fighting God. He cannot do it.

18.	And you know, I want you to know this: the church at the end time,
made up of all so-called Christians, of whom they’re now screaming and
saying millions now living will never die, they have to fight God. Now,
I wonder, you people got your minds disabused today that you really
understand that there’s going to be just a teeny number going to be
standing here and make it; not millions. I would honestly say that it
wouldn’t take very many churches this size to hold them all, because
the greatest number you can possibly envision in the Bible is seven
thousand that didn’t bow the knee to Baal. That’s under Elijah,
seven thousand, and you cannot take that as a type. Can’t do it. See?
His purpose was to destroy the kingdom of God. Then the battle began
here on earth, and it began in us, Adam and Eve. And it has been raging
ever since.

19.	Now, before… Now, listen carefully. The next thing is: Here it
started in heaven. Angels were the battleground. God against the enemy;
light against darkness came right down into the Garden of Eden. Why
don’t we just talk about it? Do you think it would be very hard and
inconceivable for Satan to indwell a person and take him over and fool
the people? No way. No way. Easy as pie. All but the very elect will be
fooled.

20.	Now, listen carefully. Now, number two point… Watch carefully.

[13-2]	Now, before any battle can be put in array (ready to scrap), they
first have to choose a meeting ground or a place where the battle is to
be fought. (Well, that’s true; you got to have some place to fight.) A
selected place. In the First World War it was placed in no-man’s-land.
And places where they had fought, and there’s got to be a place
selected.

	Now, that’s… That’s good thinking. You have to be acquainted with
where the fight is going to be. Otherwise it’s like an ambush. Now
there’s no place in the Word of God where any Christian gets ambushed.
And you’ll notice that every theologian very carefully tells you, that
when you put on the whole armor of God, there is no back plate,
breastplate but no back plate. Which means, the devil cannot sneak up
behind you. You cannot be backstabbed. Whenever I have been backstabbed,
and you have been backstabbed, we have asked for it by turning our
backs. Stupid people. Number one, up front. 

21.	Now he says: 

[13-3]	Like when Israel went to war with the Philistines, there was a
hill on each side where…gathered, and that’s where Goliath came out
and called…the armies of Israel. That’s where David met him, in the
valley, when he passed over the little creek that ran between the two
hills he picked up five rocks…for his sling. There has to be a place
selected.” (So, the emphasis, now, is on the site, or the place of
battle.) 

[13-4]	And in this there is a mutual ground like a no-mans-land in the
First World War. And they fight here at this place.” 

 	Now, I want you to know that this is foreordained of God: Satan and
God have an arrangement. Yeah, Satan and God have an arrangement. Now,
you know, that’s true because the book of Job tells where all the
Morning Stars sang together, and Satan come wandering right in the
presence of God. 

	He said,” Where have you been?”

	“Oh,” he said, “wandering up and down the earth.” 

	He said, “Just having a good time looking around.” 

	Well, he said, “When you were down there no doubt you saw my servant
Job. He’s a very fine boy?”

	He said, “I saw him alright. (But he said,) but (phtt) I didn’t
think he was as hot as you think he is.” 

	“Well, what’s your beef?”

	“Why,” he said, “Does Job serve God for nothing? (“Why,” he
said,) If you’d have treated me 	 like you treat Job, I’d still be
up here”.

	I’m just putting that in kind of ideal, because the devil is a
rascal, you know. 

	Why, he said, “Tell you what you do. You just take your hand off of
Job with that big fence you got around him, and you let me just pick him
a little bit. And I’ll show you how fast he’ll forget about you.” 

	And God said, “Well, now just a minute. I’ll take you up on that,
because I know him like you just think you know him. I’m going to tell
you something.”

22.	That’s exactly what happened. 

	You say, “Well, I don’t think that God would do that.” 

	Well, God did do that. 

 	See, that’s where we’re with this message: nobody believes God
will do things anymore because He’s so nice and so petty according to
their way of thinking. Hogwash. Brother/sister, I want to tell you
something: I’m going to just read It straight from the Bible here;
let’s get this down flat, plumb, and plain one hundred percent and try
to get ourselves relocated in something that isn’t this nice, nice
hypocritical junk. 

23. 	Now, listen; Paul himself says in 1 Cor 2:7:

(7) 	But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, (I said, “I don’t
care how clear you think you know things, there’s a puzzling thing
right there that’s going to knock the humanity of people right on the
head, because humanity is not ordained as far as the flesh is concerned
to ever get any of this.” See? That’s why you got to come back a
brand new body.) (Now, the wisdom,) even the hidden wisdom, which God
ordained before the world unto our glory.

 	And he said, there’s nothing hidden but for the purpose of being
revealed, which means it’s a supernatural revelation to you. Not
something for you and I to pick it out, but truly revealed by the One
that wrote it. Nothing has been hidden except for the purpose of being
revealed. The secret things belong unto Thee, O God, but that which hath
been revealed belongs unto us and our children for a thousand
generations that we may do the will of the Lord. 

24.	All right. “The hidden things of God ordained for our glory.” In
other words, we are going to have God’s light shine upon it, into our
hearts; It becomes life to us.

 (8) 	Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known
it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

 	What if we are right concerning His Presence today? Then they’ll
crucify to themselves the Lord of glory and that’s exactly what the
Bible says. Now, go and preach that to some other church or some other
people. They are going to look at you like a bunch of stony people, or
they’re going to say, “That would never happen here.” It’s
already happened, if it’s happened. What if we’re right? I believe
we’re right. I wouldn’t be preaching this if I didn’t believe
it’s right. 

	You say, “Bro. Vayle, they may skewer you some day.” 

	They might. They might. I could be destroyed by men who hate me, and I
could be destroyed by God—if he doesn’t love me if I’m wrong.
I’m between a rock and hard place according to human reasoning. If I
am right, by the prophet, I’m in the greatest place the world has ever
seen. Much as I don’t…maybe would like to be in this age, I might be
a little slack in this age; I might been a little happier had I been
back in Wesleyan age when everything nicer, nicer. Look, I’m in this
age. This is the age for me. Bible says so. 

  They would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

 (9) 	But as it is written, (Listen.) Eye hath not seen, (Right!) ear
(hath) not heard...

	No way, by the senses, process could it go into the heart of man,
because it is not in the heart of man through the sense process to get
it. I’m shut out from God concerning the things that God prepared for
you and me because we love Him.

25.	Now, listen.

(10) 	…but God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the
Spirit    searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 

(11) 	For what man knoweth the things of a man , save the Spirit of man
(that’s) in him? (Knowledge lies in your spirit)… Even so the things
of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. (All knowledge of God lies
in the spirit. In the end time you’ve got a revelation.)

(12) 	Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit
which    is of God; that we might know the things (which) are freely
given to us    of God.

 	Now, notice; we have not received the Spirit of the world, yet we’ve
got our own spirit. That should tell you right there that it’s a
one-to-one confrontation. Organization will fail; churches will fail,
but an individual will not fail. It’s going to be a one-to-one
confrontation. I’m going to tell you, I came out of Assemblies of God
church. I was a Trinitarian back in those days. Before that I came out
of a United Church, Methodist, Presbyterian. Before, I came out of the
Presbyterian. I was a Presbyterian by birth. The Presbyterian Church
will not stand on that day for me. I will not go with the Presbyterian
Church and say I’m an original member of the Presbyterian Church, my
mother is a reformist, we believe in old John Knox right down the line.
Proud of the fact, (phtt), that name won’t even come up. And when the
light shines on me, it will not shine on my mother or my father or my
sisters, my brother; it will shine on me. You better believe that,
brother/sister. You’re not going to hide; I’m not going to hide. You
know, there comes a place where you really…where you believe this,
there comes a place where you realize it stuns you. But can you realize
it? We have not received the spirit of the world, but, if we have
received the Spirit of God, we can know, through that spirit, the things
that are ours. 

26.	And then, he says:

(13) 	Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom 
  teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches: comparing spiritual   
things with spiritual.

 	This is was why William Branham could not reach the people. This is
why Paul cannot reach the people. This is why I cannot reach the people.
I speak a different language based upon Bro. Branham’s own language. I
do not speak theology and the words of many of my brethren. William
Branham cannot be understood with modern theology. You have to rid your
mind of your theology and what you learned. 

	You say, “I don’t think I need to.” 

	The Bible said at the end time all tables are full of vomit. It
didn’t say one was missing, your table, your Presbyterian, your
Methodist table, or your Nazarene. I know some of you folk got that good
old sanctified background in you: Mennonite, Amish, and what have you.
You aren’t going to make it there. You’re Baptist, you’re
completely shucked out. Pentecostal, you haven’t got a clue. Sorry for
them, but that’s the truth. How are you going to understand a language
you never learned? That was the greatest lesson I learned, when I
learned Bro. Branham is not saying what I think he is saying based upon
what I know. Four and a half hours for one time, for one point, proved
it.

27.	(14 ) 	But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of
God: …they are foolish unto him: neither can he know (that) they are
spiritually discerned. 

(15) 	But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is
judged of no man.

(16) 	For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him?
But we have the mind of Christ.

	Right there It tells you that this is a tough, tough thing we’re
getting into this morning. See? Now, in this he said:

[13-4]	There is a mutual ground, a ‘no-mans-land’, and they fight
here at this place. They just don’t fight one battle over here and one
down there and one…over there indiscriminately. There is a
battlefront. Now, let’s understand this. There is one place. There is
a battlefront where they must meet and test their powers, where each
army tests his strength against the other army—a mutual place. 

[13-5]	And now, don’t miss this. When this great battle started on
earth, there had to be a mutual meeting place.

	Was William Braham trying to tell us this was foreordained? Why would
he say it if it wasn’t? There had to be a meeting place; the battle
was coming down on earth. So, it’s going to decide where we’re going
to hit it. Where’s it going to be? Where will be the great push? The
battle for superior, for dominion? Who will win out? 

28.	[13-5]	There had to be a place selected for the battle to begin and
for the battle to rage; to begin and to keep on. And that battleground
begins in the human mind. That’s where the battle starts. The human
mind was chosen for the place of battle, where it was to begin. And that
is because the decisions are made from the mind, or the head. 

	Bro. Branham said, “There’s only one Place, one Name, where you
could meet God and worship.” That’s nice. That simplifies things. 

 	Now, here is where the problem lies in the mind. 

	You say, “Bro. Vayle, my mind this morning is happy and gay. I feel
wonderful... oooh!!…my back…” 

	Now, you believe God or don’t believe God? Now, that simply is what
it is. A little premature in some of this. I’ll go into it more
thoroughly. But can you come to the place where you believe the all-wise
God, predestinated, allocated, zeroed-in to the mind, because that’s
where decisions are made. Now, where were decisions made in heaven? In
the spirit of the Spirit beings. Where are decisions made here?
They’re made in your spirit because the mind is spirit. The mind is
not your brain. 

29.	Remember; when God said “let the earth bring forth the animals,”
they were already there in spirit form. Right. Before the earth brought
forth the life in the seeds, it was already there in a form of life,
which is really like, you could call a spirit. And so, therefore, when
the earth was warmed by the sun, and the water touched the seed, the
seed began to swell, sent out feelers that took in the nourishment. And
the life that was encapsulated in the seed took on a form, vivid beyond
imagination. 

	I could take thousands of seeds, and not one of us would realize what
was in that seed. It’s not given to us to know, until there’s a
manifestation. Neither will we know the beauty and glory of God,
brother/sister, until there’s a manifestation in us, or there’s life
in the place that God wants it. Just think of that for a minute.
That’ll give you an idea why you suffer, why you love the Lord, and
why you want to get along with God. It’s because you know in a
supernatural manner that this is real. And we’ve been shown today an
evidence by a prophetic ministry, vindicated by God, through William
Branham; we have come to a place of saying, “We know that we know that
we know.” And yet, we can’t prove a thing. And why should I, when
it’s been proven, to my satisfaction. Well, if it’s not proven to
your satisfaction, that’s your business. Where it was to begin, was in
the mind, [13-5]“Because decisions are made from the mind, the
head.”

	Well, well, well, let me see…the word ‘mind’ from the Greek; The
word ‘nous’ n-o-u-s: ‘the organ of mental perception and
apprehension; the organ of conscious life; the organ of the
consciousness preceding the act, of recognizing and judging the fact.
The organ of thinking and knowledge, that is understanding, especially
the organ of moral thinking and contemplation’. The mind takes
cognizance of the external objects and denotes the reasoning faculty.
Wouldn’t it be nice if we couldn’t? Wouldn’t it be nice if we go
[Bro. Vayle makes a squeaky noise with his mouth.] we didn’t see a
thing out here or hear anything. 

30.	You know, Everett Roberts came close to that. Remember Everett
Roberts, the fellow in the Welsh Revival? He was on the train one day,
riding with a friend, and a very, very obnoxious, I would say, kind of a
person, recognized Everett Roberts, greeted him, then turned on him and
used the most vile language toward him. Why, he just dressed Everett
Roberts up one side and down the other and hammered away and hammered
away. And this man beside him was horrified. He didn’t dare take a
crack at the guy because he was too big, too mouthy. And Roberts sat
there, never said a word, blinked an eyelash, completely expressionless.
After many miles, the man got off the train. Why was that fellow
cursing—vituperating—Everett Roberts? 

	And the friend turned and said, “Bro. Roberts, I don’t understand.
How could you take what that man said?” 

	Oh, he said,” I only heard him from about the first five words. From
then on I heard nothing.” 

	You know something? No wonder that man was a giant.

31.	Its chief material, organ, was the brain. The organ material for
this mind is the brain. But all the senses serve it, actively or
passively. It’s got to go through the brain, of course. Mind is the
human side of God’s Spirit in man. That’s not true. That’s not
really true. “The Spirit of man is the candle of the Lord.” In other
words God will work through spirit, but it is not a side of it. Unless
he’s saying this, “As God has spirit.” But listen; God doesn’t
have spirit. God is Spirit. You and I are a composite of three. We are
body, soul, and spirit: two parts spiritual and one part physical. So,
when we say, “I,” we refer to the three, the composite. So, this is
quite right, but it’s quite wrong. You know what I mean. Not trying to
correct the man, but let’s face it. As to its source, it’s spirit.
Now, that’s true. As to its action in man, for intellectual purposes,
it is mind. That’s very good what he says here. That’s from the
Greek—Doctor Bollinger.

32.	Okay, now. [13-5 ]“Decisions made from the mind, the head.” Now,
Bro. Branham says: 

[14-1]	They never started it from…organization; they never started it
from some mechanical affair; the grounds never started there; therefore,
that organization can never, never do the works of God. because the
battlegrounds, where you got to meet your enemy, is in the mind.
You’ve got to make your choice. It meets you. 

	What I’m looking at here is, and all I can see Bro. Branham is saying
here in my estimation, (I could be wrong in this, I don’t know.) is
that… Look; people don’t ever figure that you’re going to get
anything by just reading the Bible or reading somebody’s delineation
upon it or memorizing your catechism and your rules of order and all
those things, and you’ll be able to, therefore, somehow meet every
issue with…like a group perspective. Uh, uh. No, it’s a one-to-one
confrontation. Every one of us has to come this way.

33. 	Now he’s speaking next to a little girl that is lying there very,
very ill.

[14-2]	I want this little girl here that’s very sick to be sure to
listen now to this real closely. (Because he wants to help her with her
healing.) 

[14-3]	Decisions are made in the mind, the head. (Because that’s where
the brain is. Okay.). There’s where Satan meets you. And the decisions
are made there because…God made…man that way. 

 	Now, there you are. So, all right. The psalmist said, “I am
fearfully and wondrously made.” We admit we’re the handy work of
God. Now God made me in such a way, and made you in such a way, that
Satan actually can combat us in the mind. 

 	Now, you know that’s not too bad, if we took that the right way.
Boy, we just don’t take things right, I’m going to confess. Bible
says the priest must confess his sins and the sins of the people, using
the porch and the altar. I’m going to confess your sins and my sins
this morning. And you know, we’ll just be as cheerful an as nice as we
can, but we’re going to nail it down, as the prophet helps us to do
it. Now, you see, those decisions are made in the mind. And the reason
they’re made there, is because that’s the way God wanted it. See.

34.	Now, Bro. Branham said: 

[14-3]	If you were looking at my notes here, (He said,) you’d see a
little map I drew up. 

	Well, it wasn’t a map at all; it was a picture, what I’m going to
draw here, very poorly, myself. 

	You see, now, the battleground is the mind, and man has a mind. And you
know, Bro. Branham took Dr. Larkin’s drawing here [Bro. Vayle starts
to draw.] How am I going to get around here? Oh, yeah, I can do
something just like this here. Okay, I think I can manage, then I’ll
duck out of your way. Here is the whole complete picture. Ah, maybe
I’ll make it a little bit bigger, maybe something like this. Oh,
that’s going to be out of proportion. Who cares? 

	Anyway, in here, see, we’ve got two, three, four, five. Now, this out
here is the body, without a doubt. And in here, of course, are the five
senses of the eye gate. They’re all eye gates: there’s hearing, and
there’s feeling, (You can’t understand and see it.) there’s
smelling, you know, what have you. (What have you got there? What does
he put in there?) You’ve got the eye gate, the nose gate, the ear
gate, the mouth gate, and the feel gate he calls them. That’s all
right; you got the nose gates in there. 

	Now, that’s not important as to the sense; that’s your body out
here. Now, in here, according to Dr. Larkin, and Bro. Branham at one
time did agree; he put the spirit here in the center. This sermon was
preached in 1962. But after the Seals opened, he was instructed by the
Lord, that was not so. 

35.	Now the Bible says body, soul, and spirit. So therefore, people
have, consequently, thought that Paul had that in a divine order, but it
was not in a divine order. The divine order is the body, the spirit, and
then the soul. So therefore, Larkin at this time, had within, what he
called, the soul up here, or rather here, which he called the spirit.
See, that’s what he called it. He put the five inlets to that, and
that was like: imagination, (I’ll just abbreviate that), and there was
conscience, and there was memory, (m-e-m for memory) and there was
reason, and there was affection. (We’ll just put that in there for
that.

	Then the soul here, which he called, the… I mean the spirit here,
which he called the spirit at that time, which is, Bro. Branham put as
the spirit up here. He here, the faculties were: faith, and hope, and
reverence, and prayer, and worship. Now, where Larkin got those by his
study… I know he studied it in the Bible. And I do know that Bro.
Branham re-acquiesced. 

36.	I want to stop right here and explain something. There are people
who said that Bro. Branham simply preached the Seals from Larkin. That
is the stupidest statement under God’s high heaven. I have Larkin’s
books. And I’ve yet to find anybody who taught what Bro. Branham
taught, especially on Seal number five, which is under election to the
Jews. No way. If anybody wants, I can run these off—whatever you
want—to look at it. But he did agree with Larkin.

	Now, Bro. Branham did not come on the scene as a prophet to rewrite the
Bible. He came on the scene as Elijah to restore the Word of God to Its
compatibility with God, which means simply this; we can understand the
Word as God wanted it understood for us in this hour. So therefore, he
corrected the errors. Evidently, there was no error in Mr. Larkin, until
the one error came out. This is not the soul; this… Well, that’s the
body out here. This is the Spirit in here. This is the soul in here.
[the innermost circle drawn on board] See? That is the gene from God.
Not this. As Bro. Branham taught, the baby is nothing but jerking
muscles, nerves. It is not truly alive. It is living insofar that it is
a product of the two bodies of two people, the seed and the ovum—the
sperm and egg getting together and bringing forth this child. But the
child does not live, actually live and take on life, until it drops from
the womb and begins to breathe. And that is exactly how it was done in
the Garden of Eden. See? Adam was put into a body. The body was not
prepared around Adam. Adam already was, and he’s put in the body. So,
we have the same thing now in this understanding.

37.	Now, Bro. Branham said God gives it a spirit, not from God, as of
God, as though it is God’s own Spirit and life, but allowed of God.
What is already of God or not of God is the germ that’s in that
soul—that life. See, they’re predestinated. Like he said to
Jeremiah, “Before you were formed in the womb I knew you and I
predestinated you.” See? So, what you see here now, then, is what
we’re looking at, this picture.

 	And I showed you the other day on the mind, that when the body dies,
there is no remembrance in the grave. You can go to the graveyard and
cuss the guy out. And you can stand by his coffin before they bury him
and cuss him out and say, “You dirty dog, I’m sure glad your
dead.” He’s not going to do a thing about it. In fact, if he could,
he’d just likely grin at you. He’s not worrying any more what you
think. Lot of funny things happen in life. I can tell you about it
sometime, but this is not the time for it. 

38.	But anyway, the man that died, he went into Hades, not into Hell
itself, a burning fire, like you know, but a place of detention, where
Bro. Branham said it was very, very awkward, very, very dark, very, very
bad. And in there he lifted up his eyes, being in that torment, which
was more of a spiritual torment, and he had his memory. He remembered
Lazarus; he remembered his brothers. He thought of his brothers with
affection, see. And he could reason and, you know, things like that. 

 	Now he could do that in his spirit condition. His body was gone. So,
that lets you know, that when it comes to true memory, though, (I
mentioned while ago the dog had to have a body.) so your mind has to
have an organ, and the organ is the brain. And brain damage makes your
spirit go blooey! because you’re integrated. You say “Just a minute.
If my mind was really, my brain was damaged, that shouldn’t have a
thing to do with my spirit.” 

	It certainly does. Because you’re Spirit, then, doesn’t have a
proper vehicle to work through. Now, remember; you know the things of
man by your spirit. “Oh, yeah.” [Bro. Vayle rustles papers and
says:] “That feels good to eat. Tried it. Can’t get my teeth into
it. I’ve tried.”

39.	So, in other words I’m letting you know, there is a physical
relationship I have as a physical being with everything else that’s
physical. But it takes that spirit to know the value of relationships.
See? Now, God gave us this this brain up here, to take care of that mind
spirit. Now, in that brain there’s little ridges and things that can
store all the impulses and things. And the spirit interprets it.

	Now, the things of God do not come that way. They’re given to you
directly, (Now, watch.) directly to your mind. Then, if you’re going
to serve God, if you’re going to get anything from God, then you will
disposses your minds of the human factor, sacrificing them to the
spiritual factor. And you’ll look like a liar and a fool when you do
it, too. And everybody’s going to call you crazy because they’re not
prepared for what we’re talking about. Now, just so much for that,
because we come back. I don’t know. 

40.	Now, the reason I drew it was…he drew the map. And he says:

[14-4]	The human being is made up just like a grain of wheat. It’s a
seed, …the human being is a seed. That’s true. Physically you’re
the seed of your father and mother, and the life came from the father
and the pulp…from the mother. So the two together, the egg…the blood
comes together, and in the blood cell is life, and there it begins to
develop making the child. Let’s keep reading.

[14-5]	Now, any seed has a shell on the outside; That’s right. The
seed or the arrow I guess they call it. I’m not much for drawing and
nature. So, anyway that’s the truth, the seed’s got an outside
shell. Inside is the pulp, and inside of the pulp is the germ of life.

	No microscope will ever show you. Nothing man can do will ever produce
what’s in that life, what that life can do to chemistry. I hope
you’re catching this because, brother/sister, we see in nature every
single day what the life in nature can do with a chemistry. 

41.	Look at those flowers there, over there, poor last little bunch of
flowers that came out of our garden. You know, that snapdragon seed,
such a teensy-weensy thing. How in the world did that little seed
produce that flower with a chemistry? Because the life in the seed is
adapted. Then, what if the life of God in us, what would it do if we
just let go? I can see for the first time why Bro. Branham got so tense
and screamed around the place ready to have nervous breakdowns, because
I could have a nervous breakdown, thinking of this. That’s nothing.
That’s an inanimate hunk of junk. Christ didn’t die for it. He
didn’t need to die for it. We’re the culprits he died for. You get
us right; it would be right back where it is.

	Look at those beautiful flowers. Man, I just love to…I tell you, the
other day…years ago, a lot of flowers out there, we call wheat. Today
they’re flowers. I just really appreciate it. I’m getting old, and
I’m dying. That’s it. Finally appreciating what’s there, see.
It’s wonderful what’s there.

42.	But we’re in the order of God. Now, they’re not the battleground
of God. We’re the battleground for God. Now then, what will God do in
and through us, and particularly for us, if we ever understand the
battleground and get in line with what God wants of us? And we can
because in His Own Word, He says…He cries out through the prophet. He
said, “The oxen knows his masters crib.” He said, “The eagle knows
the air route it takes. But my people, what do they know? Nothing!” 

	Now, if this kind of preaching makes you want to ‘let go and let
God’… I know it makes me want to let go and just say “Get out of
the way, boy, once and for all. In the name of Jesus Christ for the
glory of God, get out of the way—just once. Drop dead or something.”
You feel like vomiting; you’re going to go bluooey through your mind.
But just get me in a vacuum. “God, take and suck the whole stinking
mess out.” 

	Not yet. The time’s not right. It’s up to you and me and this thing
called the mind, where decisions are made, whether we’re going to say
‘yes’ or ‘no’ to God, which is mechanical, verbal word. 

	Now, you say, “Verbal?” 

	Yes, because before, prophets didn’t write. God alone wrote with His
finger. Every other prophet had to hear and then write. 

43.	All right. He says: 

[14-5]	 Any seed has a shell on the outside; the inside is pulp, and
inside of the pulp is the germ of life. Wonderful Well, that’s the way
we’re made. We are body, soul, and spirit. (Exactly, the Bible says
that in 1 Th 5:23.) The outside…body, the shell, inside of that (the
conscience and so forth) is the soul, and inside the soul is the spirit.
And the spirit governs…the other.

	Now, you see, he said that at that time, but he had to change it.
It’s body, spirit and soul. Because that’s how people can be
anointed like Judas was anointed. The Bible doesn’t say that Jesus
came to save spirits. He came to save souls. The Bible does not say that
He poured His Spirit unto death. He poured His Soul unto death. So, you
see, you better look and understand. You don’t have to understand too
much, just understand a little bit. You don’t have to understand too
much. But remember this: It’s body, spirit, soul. And Judas, could
have the Spirit of God come and hit here, but never get down in here.

	He said, “All souls are mine, the soul of the fathers, so the soul of
the church,” and so on. But he’s right, here about the spirit
governing. Sure, he’s right. Just had the one equated one against the
other? 

44.	[14-6]	 Now, if you’ll set down when you get home and draw three
little rings, you’ll find out that…outside body has its five senses
it’s contacted by, (five senses) that is see, taste, feel, smell,
hear; that’s the five senses that control the body. (Well, see,
that’s true; that’s the stimuli). Inside the body is a soul, and
that soul controlled by imagination, conscience, (so on. Actually it’s
in the spirit) controlled by affections, imagination, reason, and so
on… See? …The spirit has only one sense, (No, the soul has only one
sense…now I got to read this the way it’s got to be right here,
because, you see, he corrected this after ‘62.) Oh, let’s get it!
The Spirit has only one sense and that sense it either dominates it, is
faith or doubt!

	Now, that’s true right there. You can come here and the word of God
comes down to your mind and begins filtering down in here. Now, this
Spirit in here, in the Spirit you have the real choice is here. But in
here you have that which brings it down in. Now, if you do not change
that in here—no changing, but you bring it right down in here, then
you have an opportunity for the life that is in that Word to supercede
your life or really feed this life, until this becomes your life and not
in through here.

	Like Paul said, “I been crucified in Christ, nevertheless I live, yet
not I, but Christ lives in me. And the life that I live in the flesh I
live by the faith of the Son of God who loved and gave himself for
me.” 

45.	[14-6] 	(You see so…He said,) That’s exactly it. And there’s
only one avenue to it, that’s free moral agency. Now, watch. You can
accept doubt, you can receive doubt, you can be tempted, you can have
it, or you can accept, you can receive, you can have faith, either one
you want to work on. 

[15-1] 	Therefore, Satan began at the principal part to cause the spirit
of man to doubt God’s Word. (Now use the Spirit there in conjunction
with the mind, and that is true.) God began at the principal part to lay
His Word in that spirit. Same thing. There you are; that’s what does
it.

	So, he’s telling you up here, you have a choice when the Word of God
comes to either take the Word of God, (And you take It in spite of every
single thing else that is your ultimate.) or you can wang around. And
when you do, you’re finished. God does not share His throne; won’t
do it.

46.	Now, the body has brain and censors (I’m saying this myself.) to
gather information. That’s what it does; the body has a brain; it has
censors to gather information, all the things here, and so on. We hear
the Word, via the senses, the sensors and brain, and It goes to the mind
or spirit part, and the spirit part determines what we…we go with the
Word. We read that in 1 Corinthians. That determines. 

[15-2]	 (Now…he says,) If this church right now could be put together
and knitted together in such a way that every person would be in one
accord, with not one shadow of doubt anywhere, there would not be a
feeble person in our midst in another five minutes; there would not be
anybody here desiring the Holy Ghost, but what would receive It, if you
could just get that certain thing fixed.

	Okay, let me see, 1 Cor 1:10.

(10) 	Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
you all speak the same thing (even) that there be no divisions among
you; (Now, in the Greek, your Bible says ‘and’. The word ‘and’
is ‘kai’ which is either a conjunction or a preposition. I prefer
the preposition because that’s what he’s talking about: saying the
same thing, or there is a division if you don’t say the same thing.)

	Why, there was an animal come in the house the other day. Our kids said
it had to be a raccoon. Ah raccoon, my foot. Raccoon wouldn’t… it
was a possum got through that. 

	“Oh, don’t tell me. That was a possum.”

	The guy said, “I tell you, I think it’s your eyesight. It wasn’t
a possum, or raccoon; it was a small groundhog.” 

	Three people, three different minds. Nadder, nadder, yak, yak, fight,
fight, fuss, fuss. 

47. 	You don’t know this, but your getting together to discuss the
Word has done something for you that only God can do to the life in His
Word, because that’s what God said and the prophet said it. And
there’s nobody else doing it. They’re all failing. You keep up what
you’re doing. Learn to pray more. 

 	Before I got sick, people came by the house, stayed up till 2 and 3 in
the morning. Jim knows. He was there 2 in the morning. Just like a
light: you talk, it’s just like a light turning on. If it don’t turn
me on, it’s dangerous because I’m too stiff—can’t stay up at
night. Last good time we had was recently when Dave and Ruthie came
over, so we stayed up talking; it was just like turning a light on. Now,
I’m not inviting all come and keep me up at night. Don’t think that
for one minute. That’s lights out, period. 

48.	But I’m letting you know something here. This is why you’re
instructed to do these things and why you must do them. And you hurt
yourselves by not doing them. You think you can catch up; you’ll not
do it, brother/sister. Don’t you understand what we’re saying here
today? I’m not up here just to… Look; you know, you know my stand
with you. I don’t bully you and boss you around. You do what you want.
I do what I want. That’s the tragic part of it. 

(10) 	Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
(That’s a very serious thing to say.) that you all speak the same
thing, (even to the end so) there be no divisions among you: (Why ?)
that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind, …in the same
judgment.

	Now, listen, brother/sister. I’m going to prove it to you. Look; you
know that I don’t talk just for the sake of talking, although that’s
not bad at times. 

49.	Let’s go to Eph 4:7. [Bro. Vayle inquires about time left.]

(7)	But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of
the gift of Christ.

(8)	Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity
captive, and gave gifts unto men.

(9)	(Now that he ascended, what is it that he also descended first into
the lower parts of the earth?

(10) 	He that descended is the same also ascended up (high)
above…heavens, that he might fill things.) (And here’s how He did
it.)

(11) 	…He gave…apostles; and…prophets; and…evangelists;
and…pastors and teachers; 

(12) 	(To the end) for the perfecting of the saints… (That’s making
a complete conclusion of, a perfect order, finished off, polished,) for
the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
(Bringing those souls in)

(13) 	Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge
of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature
of the fulness of Christ;

(14) 	That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and
carried    about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and
cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive:

(15) 	But (holding) the truth in love, (and speaking it) may grow up
unto him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: (It tells you
right here how to do it, what we’re doing right here.)

	You say, Well, Bro. Vayle, what is it?”

	It’s doing what I’m telling you It’s doing.

	You say, “Well, just a minute, I don’t feel this good.”

	I don’t care how good you feel. I don’t care how good I feel. I
feel rotten most of the time. Let’s get her down flat. I feel
backslidden most of the time. Let’s get her down flat. I don’t feel
good in this pulpit this morning; let’s understand that. I’m relying
on this. Here’s where my ultimate is. And if this doesn’t make it,
I’ve blown it. [Bro. Vayle hits the pulpit.] Shot. [Hits the pulpit
again.] Because the Bible tells you about your mind, brother/sister.
There’s where your battle is. There’s where your battle lies. You
know it as well as I do.

50.	 Ninety percent of diseases are psychosomatic. Now, stress is the
big thing of the eighties. Why? The mind. Men’s mind plotting. And
look what they’re plotting. Anti-Christ mind. GE, let’s say is worth
billions. And GE decides to gobble up another outfit, another big
company. Let’s say they’re going to take over IBM or something, and
Mr. Reagan sits back, not knowing the Word of God; and I doubt the
Archbishop or anybody else knows the Word of God, that says, “Don’t
join land to land.” Take away the landmarks. Even warns you about
changing your form of government. How many men stand up and preach the
truth? How many men in Congress? Not one that I know of; not one will
stand up. Men get more and more stressed, and more and more stressed
because the antichrist Spirit…take over, take over, take over.

51.	Now, with the Tammy Bakker affair... It’s going to be beautiful.
Now, the preachers are all… Angerburg and all these sweet little men
that wouldn’t obey God by going to the man and doing the thing right.
Oh no, they wanted a big scandal so they look good. So now, the
preachers are going to police themselves like the doctors do. So the
doctor can cut your [Bro. Vayle makes a noise with his mouth.], cut your
head off or the wrong foot, or anything else, and he gets by with it,
because he’s with the AMA. And all the preachers will get together. It
won’t be... There’ll be no excuse at the… All the, Greek Orthodox,
and all the Protestants, and all the Roman Catholics, and even the
Buddhists… Dr. Moon will come along for his own protection, no doubt.
Oh yeah. He’s a type of Christian. We don’t agree, but that’s fine
with me. He goes his way; I’ll go mine. And they’ll police
themselves. That is putting the fox in charge of the hen house. Anybody
knows that’s got an once of brains. 

52.	Men are stressed to death today. Why? In the mind. How many men
don’t take their work home with them at the night? Just about
everybody does. The mind is the maker and the breaker. Doctors know;
everybody knows it. William Branham prophet of God knew it. They said,
“Bro. Branham, Bro. Branham, how is it you get these visions?” 

	And he said,” I’m different.” He said, “my subconscious and my
conscious are so close, they blip in and out.” 

  	They said, “You know, you’ve got to be right” And they all…
[one word not understandable]

  	So, the Bible said, “I will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is
fixed on me, because he trusts in me.” Faith and the mind, hand in
hand. Okay, see what he’s talking about?

53.	All right. Now we’re learning things here. We’re doing as a
church. I praise you to your back, to your front, and I grumble at you.
You got to mix it up. I’m not grumbling at you. I grumble at
conditions, but I praise you, and I thank you for what you’re doing
because you are doing the right thing. And I will commend you because of
‘what is right is right’. 

[15-3]	Now, there’s where the battle begins—right in the mind... Now
you remember it is not Christian Science…, mind over matter. The mind
accepts the Life which is the Word of God. And it’s the Word of God
that brings the life. (That’s not really abstract. We’ll look at
it.) Just your thought doesn’t do it. (In other words, you don’t
think the thing in. Faith and the mind have a lot to do with each other,
but it’s not you just thinking something.) But the Word of God brought
in the channel of your thought is what does it.

	 So, your mind has the opportunity to invest you and itself, or you,
into the grace and power of God, through the mind receiving God’s
Word. And when it really receives the Word of God, the life that’s in
that Word is loosed, that brings to you the healing or whatever you
need. It is not your mind moving things, like Dr. Robertson discovered
so-called psychokinesis and you can write back, roll back…in the
1940’s or in the 50’s. He was pretty popular, and you could write
away and get his courses. And he tells you how to lie there and make the
chandelier swing up there and… Hogwash. Your…my mind do that?
Anybody knows you got to have some force to it. Mind force doesn’t do
that. That’s a devil’s trick on you. Devil’s not anybody’s fool.
Next to God, he’s the smartest. See?

54.	What he’s saying here is make our thoughts God’s thoughts by His
Word becoming our word. Well, put it this way again: make God’s
decision, or declaration concerning the condition, our declaration
concerning the condition no matter what anything else is said by anybody
else about it. 

  	Now, look; the famous…one has to do it with healing anyway. Let’s
face it. Always with healing. Let’s face it: We are interested in
what? Dale Carnegie proved a point. We’re interested in people; we
want to have friends; we want to make friends; we want to be loved.
Number two: We want good health. Why is number two always number two?
Because when you’re young, you’ve got good health. And therefore,
you just busy yourself with friends and have a nice time. But when you
get old…boing! Suddenly health is in the picture, and that’s maybe
even be number one. Who cares about friends if you can’t enjoy them?
Just give me the good health, and I’ll enjoy my friends. But you see
that’s right; there is something there. 

55.	Now, Woodworth-Etter is a classic example because I like the old
girl, the way she did things. She was horribly crippled, to the extent
that one leg was pulled up over the other and crooked so they was very
crooked, and it was stuck in that position. She was prayed for. Now
she’s being up in years now, and she claimed her healing. And she
said, “Yes, bless God, I’ve been prayed for. I’m healed.” And
they’d look at her, and they think, “Well, this woman really needs
our help, because she’s a psychiatric case.” 

	And finally some got so bold so as not to be nice and walk away, you
know, kind of scared… “What’s with this nut here?” “Well, Mrs.
Etter, if your healed, what is that? 

	She said, “That is the devil’s lie.” 

	One day that leg was…phitt…like this. Yeah. That old girl went
stumping the country for the glory of God. She shouldn’t have done it,
but she did it. I admire her in my old, little, backslidden way. She
began preaching. Not just testifying; she got preaching. She’s the old
gal that got the Mormons all stirred up. She preached divine healing,
speaking in tongues, and all those things. And she got results. Sure.
But you see, she had something real. The woman, like Abraham, considered
not her body now dead, neither yet the years that she had suffered and
put in there—neither the criticism, the innuendos, and the superior
airs the people cast upon here, because this poor, little, stupid,
silly, religious, goofy woman…hmm, you know. I’m telling you, a big
sneer is the worst thing in the world to get you down. The big sneer.
But you know what she did? She said, “Is the devil’s lie” Well,
he’s lying to her. He’s telling her she’s not healed, and she was
healed. 

	You say, “Well can that really be true?” 

56.	I’m going to tell some of my own personal experience. I was
going… I had a very bad headache one day. These are the days I used to
really believe this, not that I don’t believe it now, but I mean…
Look, I got a different ministry now. Come on, face it. If I were to
push faith healing, like some people might want me to, just to fill a
little need in there, which I’m not going to do, I would just
instantly begin whipping myself back in to shape, and, you know, the
first I’d do? I’d get out Dr. Bosworth book on Christ, the Healer.
And, though I realize that Aarons stole from Bosworth, and Tommy Osborne
took from Aarons. I’d read both of them, too. Sure I would, wouldn’t
bother me none. I’d read Clyde Bristol again, Dale Carnegie again.
I’d read every other book. I would go back to the Fillmore brothers,
and read what they said. I would see what Glen Clark had to say. I’d
read A.B. Simpson. I would read that lady from the Anglican church. I
would read what the Catholic priest said. Sure. I would read everything
they said—so saturate my mind. Then I’d say, “Now, Lord…” (And
I did it many times.) “when I’ve read enough, I’ll know I’m
healed.” The saturated mind, something, suddenly—bang—get up
healed. 

	See, you’ve got to exercise your minds. It’s not mind over matter.
That’s a lot of hogwash, garbage. Let’s know we’re not playing
tricks; we’re telling the Word of God. I would read everything on the
subject. And I did it. One day I had this bad headache. My wife said,
“What’s the matter? You’ve got a headache?” 

	Said, “No.” Lied right in her teeth. Except for one thing, I had
given my headache to God. He took it on Calvary. 

57.	Now, I’m going to tell you something, brother/sister. I’ve got a
little car out there that I put in my garage. Now I know that you people
like those small cars, especially Bro. White. So, I made a bargain, and
I’ll sell my car to Joe. Now, Joe said, “Look, Lee, do you mind if I
leave my car in your garage for the next week?”

	I’d say, “Sure, you paid for it.”

	It’s not my car, but it’s in my garage. Joe’s car in my garage
was like Christ’s headache in my head. Legally, I’m one hundred
percent right. My headache went. Never came back. 

	When I gave Him, what I had as a kid when I was about sixteen years
old, two solid years of pain, like a toothache. [Bro. Vayle points to
where his pain was.] I never get a pain here, and I’m seventy-three.
And I don’t intend to get a pain there. See? I cleared my channels
that night. I got a new one. I said, “Tomorrow morning, I’m going to
be perfectly well.” And I was. 

58.	There’s a lot more than just what I said here, but I’m trying to
tell you what Bro. Branham said. “Just your thought doesn’t do it,
but the Word of God does it.”

[15-3]	Now, see. It’s not the thought as Christian Science makes it,
mind over matter. No, that isn’t... But your mind accepts it and
grasps its. What is your mind controlled by? Your spirit and your spirit
catches the Word of God. That’s the thing that’s got Life in it; it
brings Life unto you. 

59.	Now, let’s go to Heb 11:13 And I’m going to close. And look;
I’m going to be doing a terrible job trying to get back to this on
Wednesday, because I won’t know where I’m at, [Bro. Vayle laughs.]
but I’ll try my best. You get moving on these things. It’s kind of
difficult. Okay, watch:	

(13) 	These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but
having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced
them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims…

(14)	(And) they that say (something) plainly declare, that they seek a
country.

(15)	And truly, if they (kept in mind the) country from whence they came
out, they (would have gone back).

	Well, that’s the power of the mind. The power of the mind. Now, I
know that this, what I’m saying, is not generally accepted by
charismatics because they want to go by emotion and the sudden blip in.
Look, I’m going to tell you something, brother/sister. Psychologically
it is absolutely sure that my emotion can be transferred to faith. I can
get every single one of us in this meeting, if you want me to do it,
just saying “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,” until you have no thought but
Jesus, and you say it faster and louder until you’re carried away like
in a divine swirl and caught up. I don’t know how long it takes. It
may take hours; I don’t know. You may have to do it for days and
months. I don’t know what’s going to happen. But I know one thing
you can do. But the Bible doesn’t teach that. It doesn’t teach that.
That’s not the way to do it. We have seen what God does to prove the
basis of our faith. Have we filled our minds with this message and the
Word the prophet taught until we’re being healed? Is that sweet Spirit
of Christ coming more and more to this church in unity until we’re
healed?

60.	Listen, brother/sister. You are a congregation that’s different
from any other congregation for this reason. You’re sitting right here
and I am here with you…and I’m not boasting, because it’s not
concerning Lee Vayle, but I do have a special ministry. I know what
I’m talking about, whether you know it or not. But I want you…
Listen; I’m not up here lying to you or telling you anything untrue.
What I’m teaching has been backed by a vindicated ministry. I teach
not my own self for one minute. Now, I’m telling you this. You
understand? If we begin to apply ourselves, there is no limit, because
even the Rapture is not the limit. That is just the introduction to
where we should have been in the first place—what God had aligned for
us. 

61.	Now, Bro. Branham categorically said, “If only ten people were in
one place at the one time, with their thoughts in order,” there would
be a Rapture. The vindicated prophet said that, brother/sister. Do we
believe all that the prophet says, or do we believe just what we want to
believe? Now, where are we going this morning? We are zeroing in on
everybody’s mind here this morning: my mind, your mind. And this is
what this message is about, and here is the battle, whether you and I
will battle it through up here, till it gets down here, and that
explosive life of God takes over and does what He desires, that we
desire of Him. That’s it.

	Let’s rise and be dismissed.

	Gracious, kind, heavenly Father, we thank You for the time we had in
Your fellowship this morning. And Lord, I know that this absolutely is
something that many churches would turn down as milk and
water—absolutely no substance, nothing to it. And we ourselves, Lord,
have a battle within us. And I would suppose, Lord, it’s because of
the lukewarm condition of the hour and the lazy condition that is within
us. We’re all a little bit government oriented that Uncle Sam will do
it. We’re not too thoroughly oriented to the battle, to the cry, to
the dour circumstances of the black hour that’s upon the earth. Lord,
we’re like the prophet said, “We’re not desperate; we’re not
into it enough.” We’ve just got to confess our sins, Lord, admit it.
And frankly, Lord, I’m stuck. I don’t know what to do about it,
except just keep going the way I’m going. And I would just add one
thing, Lord; if I know Your Mind, which I don’t claim that I know Your
Mind too well, I would say I would be just doing a whole lot more of it.

	And so should everybody here work at it, just…is no doubt what the
prophet said, “Pile Word upon Word, upon Word”, till we become very
greedy to pile Word upon Word, knowing there is a life in there. Oh God,
how we would swallow pills this morning if we knew that each one would
give us a dynamic charge. We would pay any price we could to get them
and swallow them day-by-day and moment-by-moment.

	And here we are, Lord, able to dine on the precious, revealed and
vindicated, powerful Word of the living God for this hour. Help us,
Lord, to take every single Word that You’ve laid out before us and
literally dine on It—not to suppress It, but to just believe It with
all of our hearts and want more and more and more. Father, increase our
hunger. They stood back in that day, said, “Lord, feed us evermore.”
I think I know what they meant. They realized the great lack, and they
also realized the lack in themselves, but they were too lazy to go and
search for it. They said, “Lord, you feed us.” Lord, I wonder how
much more this morning, You will feed us, unless we make an effort.

  But Lord, there was a prayer that people prayed years ago, and they
said, “Lord, if I’m not willing, I’m willing to be made
willing.” And maybe that’s the furthest we can go this morning,
Father, that we’re willing to be made willing. We hate to think, Lord,
that we are so gross in our natures at this time, that we’d want some
stringent measures taken to unsettle us and to bring us to our feet into
attention to heed the battle cry, get into it. Father, if that’s what
it takes, then that’s what it takes. That’s what it takes. Help
us...  [Recording ends.]

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