Paradox # 3 (1961) 

 

 Bro. Lee Vayle   -   August 4, 1984

1.	...with visions in the Paradox in 1961, and he speaks quite a bit
about the various visions, and tonight of course we'll even read just a
little excerpt of another vision that he had. And we got as far as page
28 and paragraph 184 is what I want to read, then I'm going to revert
back to page 27 to paragraph 179, and then we'll just move on in from
there.

	Now, you know of course, a paradox is something which is incredible. It
is literally past belief. It's true, but it just doesn't seem that it
can be true. What it is, it's so different that people just cannot
reconcile it to the ordinary course, which would be taken according to
their own understanding.

2.	All right, Bro. Branham says here: (paragraph 184, we touched on.)
[Paradox 12-10-61] 

[68]   	"What you bind on earth, I'll bind in heaven. What you loose on
earth, I'll 					loose in heaven." Yes, He gave that not to a learned
high priest, Caiaphas, 					but to a ignorant fisherman. Truly a
paradox. 

	Now, I'm going to go back to 179, that's to refresh your mind, get our
contexts, get our place we're at.

[67]  	 I believe in paradoxes. Yes, sir. I believe. I believe in them
with all my heart. 				(Now, he said,) It was a paradox when all the
smart men there were in the world, 				yet God put the key to the
kingdom in the hands of the one that was considered the 				ignorant and
unlearned. 

	Now, there's your paradox that he's starting with there. Remember, he
had other paradoxes, but this is where we're starting. Now, concerning
human intelligence of itself does not have a place in the purpose and
plan of God. Now, let's watch.  

		That's right.

[68]	 One of the smartest men in the world in that day was Caiaphas, the
high 					priest; others were emperors and  kings, and all the great men
of the earth,					 like presidents and so forth, all these great men.
And what is the most 					important thing in the world? It's God's
Church. God made the earth; He 					made it for a purpose: to take a
Church out of it, a Bride. That's the most 					important job in the
world. 

	Now, the most important thing now is the Church. So naturally if you're
going to look at the Church you would do it in view of what would be the
greatest things in the earth. Now, that's human reasoning, but it
doesn't work. That's the paradox. See, now how could you find the
greatest thing in the world to be made up of what would be the use, the
most common or useless, or unadorned, or unrecognized. See?

3.	Now, what is the most important thing in this world? All right, it's
God's Church. Now, that's all very well in a theory, but that doesn't
hold up. Truly. See, that's what the way the world looks at it. See? Now
he says here, "It's the most important job is to get a Bride out of this
world." Which is world systems and world as it is.

		And the smartest men He had was emperors and kings, and potentates and
				monarchs, and high priests and church men. (Sure, because all those
are leaders.) 				He could have taken any of those. But it was a paradox
when He called a man 				who couldn't even sign his own name, and said,
"I give you the keys to the 					Kingdom. Whatever you bind on earth,
I'll bind it in heaven. What you loose 				on earth, I'll loose it in
heaven." (Now, then he says,) Say, I just thought of that 				about that
vision, "What you loose or bind." 

	Now remember, he starts with the vision of the serpent, the mamba,
which typifies, which was Satanic, (or was Satan typified,) which was
also given to understand that it was sin and death. And Bro. Branham was
given through the power of God the ability to bind and to loose which
happened in the vision which we understand in this hour, the man was
given something, (now let's find where he gets it, let's keep all this
in mind now,) he said: "You loose here, I'll loose in heaven. You bind
here, I'm right behind you to do it."

	Now, this man was given something, or had something. And where did he
get it? Which evidently pertains to this hour where people are not going
to die. That sin and death will be bound, because death is the
consequence of sin. So sin and death are going to be bound, and then
they'll be loosed. See, again, then bound again. So there's something
going on which is applicable to this hour in this man's ministry.

4.	Now watch, I just thought of that vision, what you loose or bind.
Now, he just quoted concerning Jesus giving the keys to the kingdom to
Peter. Now, he quotes on 184, which I read.

		"What you bind on earth, I'll bind in heaven. What you loose on earth,
I'll 					loose in heaven." 

	Now, most people do not understand, that the little rendering of that
term is this: what's so ever has been previously loosed in heaven, (you
know) you can loose on earth and I'll back it up, and what has been
previously bound. In other words, Peter was not given of himself the
right to do this. He could not bind, and he could not loose. And that's
what the church has taken upon itself usually in the form of
Catholicism, but the Protestants aren't very far behind in doing the
same thing as though the church has a power. It is not in their power to
do this, unless it has been given to them and established in heaven.

	For the Scripture distinctly says, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done
[in] earth at it is in heaven." [Mt 6:10]  So therefore, it must have
previously bound in heaven, So therefore, it must have been previously
bound in heaven, or previously loosed in earth, "Therefore, is Thy Word
is forever settled in heaven." [Ps 119:89]  As Bro. Branham said to the
Roman Catholic, he said, "Well the church can loose and bind (he said,)
sure, if you do it the Scripture way."

	"Well," he said, "what is the Scripture way?"

	"Well," he said, "Peter stood on Pentecost (he said,) repent and be
baptized, everyone of you in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, you
shall be saved." [Acts 2:38]

	So, what he did he bound and he loosed according to the Word which was
forever settled in heaven, but manifested at that time and for this
hour, and up to the end of this hour upon earth. And anybody can do the
same thing. So, you see the keys of the kingdom in that particular
order.

5.	Now, you'll notice here that if you are going to talk of binding or
loosing, you are going to have the Word of God and must have the Word of
God as your authority, It is the first one of all.

	So let's go to 1 Corinthians here, and I hope I can get finished
tonight, if we don't we'll have to finish it Wednesday, that's all that
we can do. But we'll go to 1 Corinthians 1:19, here now I want to start
reading.

		(19)	For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and
will bring 					to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

		(20) 	Where is the wise? where is the scribe?... 

	Now, the scribe is simply a man that copies something down. So this
fellow here must be copying something down that God does not recognize.
Now remember: "Behold I send you prophets and wise men and scribes; and
some of them you kill and crucified and harried them from city to city."
[Mt 23:24] So, you got in here, as you know, in the Word you got a false
prophet, you got a false teacher, you got a false scribe, and so on.
Now, he's just looking at the world's system. Now:

		(20) 	Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of
this 					world? (Like your Aristotle's, and the rest of them, see?)
hath not 						God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

		(21) 	For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not
					God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them
that 					believe.

6.	Now, this Cloud appeared up here, this ring of Angels, a friend of
mine right away wrote to newspapers and to place, and he said, "I can
tell you all about what that cloud is."

	I said, "Don't do it." Because I knew Bro. Branham wouldn't want it
done. 

	So, Bro. Branham tells us right on the tape, I was there of course when
he said it. "Well," he said...you know, he was telling those astronomers
and those scientists, "there's not going to believe it anyway."  

	Now, would they believe that was a Cloud of Angels? Well, the answer
is: if you and I weren't of this frame of mind would we believe it? The
answer is certainly not. You know, so... Now, It says here:

		(21) 	For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not
					God,...

	Now, It tells you right there that there is no way that man has an
entree to God, or any knowledge of God apart from something that that
God would have to do for the person. It tells you right there. Now: 

		(21)	...it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them
that 						believe 

		(22) 	For the Jews require a sign, the Greeks seek after wisdom:

		(23) 	But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock,
and 					(to) the Greeks foolishness; (There's your paradox.)

		(24) 	But unto (both of) them (that) are called, both Jews and Greeks,
Christ 					the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

		(25) 	Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the
weakness of 					God is stronger than men.

		(26) 	For (you) see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men
after 					the flesh, (now, It didn't say, after the spirit, he said
after the flesh.) not 					many mighty, not many noble, are called:

		(27) 	But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound
the 					wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to
confound 					the things which are mighty;

		(28) 	And base things of the world, (that's the very common) things
which 					are despised, (In other words, says, "ho-hum, you know,
hum-drum, 					because they're so common,) hath God chosen, yea, and
things (that) 					are not, to bring to (nothing the) things that are:

		(29) 	That no flesh should glory in his presence.

		(30) 	But of him are (you) in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us
wisdom, 					and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

		(31) 	...according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory
in the Lord.

7.	All right, now with that we go to Philippians where you find
religiousosity of the highest order and the so called spiritual which is
handed down through generations of teaching, much of which the truth had
been based on the truth at one time. And he says in Philippians 3:4-8. 

		(4) 	Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any man
thinketh 					whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:

		(5)	Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe
of 						Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a
Pharisee; 					(Well educated, see.)

		(6) 	Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the
righteousness 					which is in the law, blameless.

		(7) 	But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

		(8) 	Yea doubtless, I count all things but loss for the excellency of
the 						knowledge of Christ my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss
of 					all things, and do count them but (refuse, or) dung, (manure,)
that I 					may win Christ,

8.	All right, now notice what the same man said in 2 Corinthians 10:3-4.

		(3) 	For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

		(4) 	(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty
through 					God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

	Verse 5, especially:

		(5) 	Casting down (reasoning's), and every high thing that (exalts)
itself 					against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity
every 						thought to the obedience of Christ;

	So therefore, you know if there's anything special that's going to
attend the Rapture, or have anything to do with the Second Coming of the
Lord, it is going to be abysmally weak and unfavored  in the eyes of
people who are not spiritually understanding.

	Now, I don't care what anybody says. I know what I'm talking about,
because I just read it. Any doctrine, any specific event. Any turning of
a corner. Any juncture. If God is doing anything at that particular
time, and who is to say that He won't do something? Then that will not
be accepted by the people. It'll be a paradox, they can't take it. It
just won't fit in with their thinking. And if it doesn't fit with their
thinking, then it can't be God.

9.	It's just like the people that bug me concerning William Branham.
They say he's a prophet then turn around and say he made mistakes. Tell
you the Church Order is not what he meant. Any number of things. And
because of it, you're going to find more and more of adultery
increasing. I told you for years how that adultery is a sign, the
physical sign what's going on in the ministry. You'll find more and more
of it, so don't get shocked. If you're shocked you don't belong here.
You're too weird for me. Not just ...?..., you're just too weird for me.
You get inured [accustom to hardship] to these things. You know what's
going to come. The cup of iniquity has got to flow over. 

	Bride's not going to get out of here, until the cup of iniquity is
full. We've been pronounced righteous. We've got our calling card. We've
got our entree. The measure of the grace of God has been filled up. He
can come right here and stand like He stood with Abraham called,
"friends of God." [Jas 2:3] Why he said, "A servant doesn't know what
the master doeth, but he calls us friends, we know what's going on.
We'll talked about that, right here in the Paradox. People can't take
that, they can't fathom it. They don't want it. See?

10.	Now, let's just look at this power that Bro. Branham had, that Paul
had, these men had. Let's take a look at it. Was that Peter had. Why he
said, "Whatever you lose is loosed." It had been previously loosed. It
had been previously bound. Now, Paul tells us in Ephesians 3:20. 

		(20) 	Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundant above all
that 						we ask or think, according to the power that (is at work
within) us,

	Now, that's not exactly what It says, exactly says this: "Unto him, who
in the exercise of his power that is at work within us." The power lies
within us, but the exercise of it, is sovereignly controlled by the man
whose power it is. That's why William Branham had 'Thus saith the Lord'.
That's why the Bride at the end-time will have 'Thus saith the Lord'
without saying 'Thus saith the Lord'. She will have the Word and know
what to do with It. And this is exactly where Peter was, and he could
not do that before Pentecost. And at Pentecost, the whole thing came
together, because he spoke by the Holy Ghost wisdom which he could not
speak of himself. Because Peter was just as kooked up as anybody was, as
kooked up as Caiaphas without God. 

	If Caiaphas had of stood there that day and challenged Peter, and Peter
said, "Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God." [Mt 16:16]

	And Jesus would have simply said, "Now Peter, you're on the right
track."

	And Caiaphas would have said, "Hogwash." 

	And I'm going to tell you something: Without a divine revelation, Peter
would have simply have given a good guess. But Jesus said, "Flesh and
blood hath not revealed it unto you." [Mt 16:17] 

	And Paul said, "I did not get It of myself, and nobody gave It to me,
and God gave It." [Gal 1:12] It was a revelation. So, Peter at Pentecost
was under the inspiration of revelation. And so was Stephen. And so was
Phillip. That's why it could not be gain said, what those men were
saying under the power of the Holy Ghost when they preached. Bro.
Branham will bring that up in a little while. It's in paradox here. Just
haven't go to reading it yet.

11.	Now, he said, "I thought of that vision."

	All right, somebody comes in a room, he said, "Healing you I cannot.
Pray for you I can." And he turns right around and admits that he's got
a gift that could take it off you, but God hasn't told him to. And he
said, "What if God put that on you and I take it off, then I'm
countering the will of God?" 

	He told me personally, "Lee," he said, (we don't have the picture, it's
out there I guess somewhere the flames of Fire,) he said, "Lee, those
are the nine gifts, I've got them all today." He told me. But he said,
"They can't be used, except at [my] discretion." So when the church was
put in order, so the discretion of God would come amongst us the people
turned It down. Paradox. Huh! I'd the word paradox...oh, forgive Bro.
Vayle, he don't like the word 'paradox', he likes the word 'flatheaded
stupidity', [laughter] spiritually groundout, let's face it.

	You say, "Well, you're kind of mean, just because you've got some, like
you run them down." My brother, my sister, let me tell you flat, there's
a judgment coming. There's something that I can say that helps you, or
hardens this thing down to the point where we're going to get to the
place we've got to act in accordance with the Word of God, we'll do it.
I'm ready anytime you  want to put a  little room there, I'll go in with
you. It's not my job to go in there, but I'll go in. I'm not afraid.
I've stood before people and prophesied right down the line, came right
to pass. Visions not failed, or anything. Not even things off the cuff,
spoken or failed one time to my knowledge. I'm not afraid to go in the
room. 

	You say, "What's going to happen?" Who knows? Likely nothing. [a
banging noise is made] It's not my ministry. But I'll be wide open. You
thought I closed the door didn't you? I didn't close any door. I don't
know what to expect. My ministry is up here with the Word. That's
complimentary. Bro. Branham said he'd go in, so I'll go in. Sure, no
problem.

12.	Who at the exercise of his own power. What could Bro. Branham do? He
could do nothing except it be given to him from above. Now, he said
here:

 		 ...an ignorant fisherman. Truly a paradox. 

	And the paradox didn't lie in the fact that the man was ignorant, the
great paradox is this: that God should use that fellow. When everybody
stood by and said, "Well, if God is going to use anybody, He's going to
use me." The Jesus Only people. Call them what you want. I think that's
the group. Categorically said, "Why we know Bro. Branham is a false
prophet, because if he's a true prophet he would have come to us." 

	That's one thing that's made me wonder, how I ever got to know the
prophet. I look at myself and I say, "There's got to be a few mistakes
somewhere." And there's another paradox. Paradox lies right there. What
is God's choosing? God's election? God's sovereignty?

13.	Now listen: Paradox again.

[69] 	We see Paul, a little old hook-nosed Jew on his road down,
arrogant, going 				down to bind those people who are making noise, and
shouting and things; 					they threw them in jail, making havoc of 
Church; stoned Stephen, witnessed 				to it, held their coats. He was a
terror. How would God ever choose a man 				like that? (How would He?)
Look, at the bishops, all the apostles, they said, 					"We'll make a
choice, somebody to take Judas' place." (You know, he fell by 			
transgression.) And who do they choose? They chose Matthias. I believe
it's 					called. Matthias, yeah. Matthias, they chose him by casting
lots, and not one 				thing did he ever do. He seemed to be a righteous
man. And God chose the 				most high-tempered, meanest guy there was in
the land to take his place. 					Paradox, that's what God does: paradox.


	And the paradox always messes everybody up. I don't care if the church
is full of the Holy Ghost, this is the toughest lesson to learn: Old
Samuel came down one day and God said, "Now, I'm going to tell you,
Jessie's sons, there's ten of them down there," (I think there's ten of
them) he said, "one of them is the anointed to God."

	"Why," he said, "I'll just amble right down  and anoint him. I don't
mind at all, I'm the prophet of God." So he said, "Call out you sons,
(he said,) I got the old pot just ready, I'm going to anoint him." He
said, "God sent me down here, hallelujah, one of your son's is the king
to come.

14.	So, big old Eliab comes out, he was a great big muscular looking guy
maybe a little under the stature of old Saul, the king, and he looked
just like he would make a doozie of a king. When he said, "...?... 
man," he said, I'm going to pour the oil on. God said, "Hold it, hold
it, hold it." Paradox. He said, I look on the heart, you look on the
outside." He said, "The outside looks good to you, but it's rotten to
me."

	So old Samuel, he's a pretty smart boy, he took his licking. He didn't
stand around going, mope, mope, mope to God. He said, "Okay, okay, okay,
have it Your way." Uh, huh. "I'll be glad to anoint whoever You say
Lord.

	 Next one come by, "Nope."

	Next one come by, "Nope." That's eight. Seven, six, five, four, three,
two. Said, "Where's ...there's got to be one more somewhere. Ain't there
one more?" [this line not clear] Jehoshaphat said, he said, "Isn't there
just one more prophet somewhere?"

	"Why," he said, "good heavens there's four hundred here. Four hundred
astute men." Bro. Branham brought them a paradox, didn't he? (On the
paradox I'd say.) "Why," he said, "You couldn't ask for better more
educated people. And look it, a prophet is supposed to know the
Scripture." Prophesies outside the Scripture he's no good. "These men
know the Bible, they're trained, seminary men."

	"Why," he said, "ain't you got one more?"

	Oh, these thorn in the flesh guys that are full of the Holy Ghost and
stick to the Word of God lead by the Spirit, they mess everybody up.

15.	"So," he said, "Well, (he said,) there's got to be one more, (he
said,) well, (he said,) yeah, but he don't count."

	He said, "I didn't ask if he's educated." (I just slipped that in.)
[laughter] He said, "There's got to be one more."

	"Well," he said, "yeah, but he's down there messing around the sheep
you know. He's kind of funny, he ain't like the rest of the boys. He's
kind of runty you know. And he just likes to go down there and herd the
sheep. He's pretty good at that, (you know) he sings with his harp, and
he's pretty fair with a sling-shot too I must admit. He does funny
little kind of goofy things. I don't think you'd want him."

	He said, "That's not for me to say, or you to say, that's for God to
say. You better bring him in."

	I'm going to tell you, if that old boy hadn't lift his arm to pour the
oil, the oil pot would have lifted his arm. I'm going to tell you, God's
got a way of doing things. Paradox. See, right there. A paradox.

16.	People just...right in the Holy Ghost churches I was saying, people
have an awful job believing.  Why? Because the church is run by
politics. It's not run by the Spirit of God. You noticed, the first
thing that Bro. Branham mentioned, he said, "You have a church..."  (Oh,
we'll get through Paradox two years from now.) 

	Bro. Branham talked about the church, he said, "They're going along not
too bad, not too great, but one day they have enough money to build a
little nicer church. And they said, 'now the thing is this: we build a
little nicer church, some nicer people will come in'." Fap! Throw some
mud on the wall, we've got plenty of nice people here now. [laughter]
Let's get this thing ironed out.

	He said, "Yes, (he said) you build a nice church so the mayor will
come. And pretty soon the mayor comes down, (and he said) now Reverend
Sir, (he said) I know (he said) that you really know your business,
you're a fine man of God, but (he said) you know I-I-I..." Yeah, I-I-I.
I'm going to tell you what: the word 'run' injected with the letter 'i'
spells 'ruin'. And any man that puts the 'i' in the word 'run' when God
wants him to run, he's going to mess everything up.

	So that mayor comes along, and he says, "Now look here, (he said) I got
a lot of friends, and I can bring them here." And he said, "What does a
preacher do? He begins just playing the whole thing down. And pretty
soon he's got a man made religion." See, that's the paradox. Even in the
church where the Holy Ghost is. You say, "Why?" Because, Bro. Branham
gave us one of the biggest paradoxes of all, he said, "A man full of the
Holy Ghost with a genuine gift could be used of the devil."

17.	Now, you heard me say that, I don't know if I'm full of the Holy
Ghost or not. According to some people I sure ain't. That's their
business. Say what they want. My business is believe what I want. I
believe that I got a genuine gift. People doubt that too. But I'm going
to tell you one thing, I can be full of the Holy Ghost tonight with a
genuine gift, and be led of the devil. Be used of the devil. Certainly.
That's a paradox.

	"Except the Lord build a house, they labor in vain that build it." [Ps
127:1] He's the Head of the body, He's everything. But people don't want
to recognize that, it's too much of a paradox to just knuckle right down
to the Word of God and say, "Listen, this is how God does things." They
just can't accept it.

	You say, "Well now, if you put this frill on it, that's going to be
nice. If you do this, that's going to be nice." And that's what they did
with our food. 

18.	I was just talking to somebody the other day, we're talking about
homemade bread. And I said, "You know I remember my mother made bread,
it didn't get moldy so quick." Oh, what's wrong today? They fill it full
of preservatives. Of course we had a big family and we made bread often,
that's what the way it should be. They made bread every day in the
Bible.

	You know, our houses are so full of conveniences, why don't we get
something really convenient? Have homemade bread every day, instead of
all that junk. But, I'm just trying to show you something. You see, you
get more and more refined. People get more and more refined, and they're
more and more lead of the devil instead of lead of God. See, they
believe in refining things, then they've got to put a touch on it. Got
to do this, got to do that. Eating so many chemicals today, no wonder
everybody's sick. And they're going to be sicker, that's all there is to
it. 

	This world goes out by the knowledge of men. Bro. Branham even put the
atomic bomb at the time before Noah. What's doing it? It's the wisdom of
man. See? The church is full of it, it's a pitiful thing. Well look it,
that's what he says right here.

	Full of the Holy... Those people... of course they weren't yet full of
the Holy Ghost, but they were believers. And they said, "Now look, we
better bring in somebody here to fill this fellow Judas' place. Because
there's got to be twelve of us." [Acts 1:]

	"And he by transgression fell." [Acts 1:25]  

	"So what do we do? We'll choose one." And the choosing was wrong.

19.	Now, you can vote for a preacher, providing you know he's really
full of the Holy Ghost, he's a real pastor. How many get in as a pastor?
Where they try to a job they're not qualified for. I'm one of the least
qualified men in all the world to do pastoring. Yet I can sit down and
hold people's hands, majority of pastor's can't do, ...?... called
pastor's ...?... just plain useless, that's all there is to it. You
might not like what I say, and people hearing the tape might not like
it, but I don't give two-hoots, or a can of sardines I can just tell you
that. Because it's the truth. Look, I'm not seventy years of age for
nothing. Or maybe I am. Haven't been around all these years for nothing,
maybe I am. See?

	Now, that vote's alright. See, Bro. Branham spoke two ways about a
vote. One's pure politics, and the other as the Voice of the Holy Spirit
in the majority. But you better know you're full of the Holy Ghost, and
you better know you're voting for a man full of the Holy Ghost. That's
right. God made choice, and He passed it on to a people. But you watch
the paradox every single time. Man will want to go this wrong way. He
just won't take God's way.

20.	Now:

		It was a paradox when this ungodly, high-headed, high-tempered, mean, 
				despisable Jew was on his road down one day to a city, to bind the
Christians 				and put them in jail, and when all at once he was
stricken down...he looked up, 				and he saw a Pillar of Fire, and a
Voice coming, saying, "Saul, Saul, why do 				you persecute Me?"

[70]	 It was a paradox when he could see It, and the rest of them
couldn't see It. 

	Certainly, they just saw some kind of a flash, I guess, or an after
effect. You say, "Well, just a minute, I believe the Bible says they saw
something." Sure they did, like the people in the Tabernacle, they
didn't see the Pillar of Fire, but they saw the reflection. Prophets see
Pillar's of Fire. Camera can take It. What did he take? A reflection.
The Light was there. Did the photographer see it? No way. Where did It
come? On a film. God let the camera take It. Now remember, of course
Paul was chosen before the foundation of the world.

		Somebody said, "Oh, I never see That. There's no such a thing there;
yeah, 				you don't. (Then they say) That's wrong." About this today,
they say this, "I 					don't believe such and such." No, sure not.
Certainly not. But  there are those 				that do see It. (Not the Pillar
of Fire, but see what's going on today.) Sure, if you 				can't, you're
blind; you can't see It. A fellow said to me, some time ago, been 			
several years ago, (in fact,) "Now, if I'm in your way..." He said,
"Now, 					Paul struck a man blind." He said, "If I be of the devil," he
said, "you strike 				me blind." I said, "That doesn't necessarily have
to be done. You're already 				blind. See, you're already blind. And
yours is the worst kind of blindness. Anna, 				in the temple, could see
farther than you can see, she was blind, physically." 				He was blind,
spiritually. Sure. It was a paradox. 

21.	Now remember, a paradox is not a puzzle that you have to puzzle out.
It's an actual attested and tested, as it is in our case, a fact that is
incredible, because you can't adjust your thinking to the things of God.
That's exactly all it is.

	Now, we can talk tonight and everybody get...leaving here thinking this
paradox is something like an enigma, or a puzzle, or some kind of
riddle. Now, it's that in a sense, but its' not. It's that which is
absolutely incredible because of the background of the people. They
can't get in line with God.  

		It was a paradox when God made so-called heresy...

[71] 	All that noise, and shouting, and praising God, and speaking in
tongues, and 				people who are despised and rejected, and called idiots
and heretics; it's a 					paradox when God, the great Father of all, the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 				Who chose a bunch of heretics to
bring salvation to His Church, instead of the 				well trained
ecclesiastical, theological system. It's a paradox. (Certainly. 				
Certainly it's a paradox, those guys didn't have anything to give
anybody.)

	You know something? Paul said all of this stuff was manure. How do you
like yours, raw or refined? Don't blush and get embarrassed, I ask a
good legitimate question. I want to explain it. Right today, they tell
me chickens are fed refined horse manure. Right! I know what I'm talking
about. How do you want yours? Refined or unrefined? The church simply
refines it, that's all. Paul was a case with the Pharisees of the well
refined manure. That's all it was. Because he said, "It's nothing but
manure." 

22.	The man that's self righteous without the righteousness of God, that
is self righteousness is called 'spoiled fruit'. Rotten fruit. You show
me what rotten fruit is good for, except to attract fruit flies. It
doesn't even make fertilizer, come on? I've been around orchards long
enough to know that. A farmer doesn't care two cents if those apples
were for fertilizer. Take the leaves of the tree. I was never known to
be a nice preacher. I fact I'm x-rated, so that's alright. But I'm also
x-rated, you want to look in my heart anytime you want, that's your
business. I'm not lying to you. I'm not fooling with you.

	Theological system my brother, my sister, refined system, or unrefined
is out. That's what happened with the church, you got refined. Pentecost
got refined. And if we keep on the way we're going we're going to get
refined. Yep, come to the place where we're going to have to be nice. Do
something about it you know. Attract a better bunch of people. Oh, God
have pity. I could say a lot of things right about now. But this is the
end of the age as we have the cream of the crop, and the slop of the
crop. I don't think I want to go any step further than just sit right
here and wait for God to get us out of here. You do what you want about
it, but I come to that conclusion.  

23.		Not long ago I was in a city in Washington, or I believe it was
Oregon. A					 reporter came, (listen to the little story) two little
reporters, had cigarettes in 				their hands. (They're women.) They came
in. Were going to write me up, sure, 				really good, you know. They
were going on, saying this thing and another 					thing. And said, one
said,  "Are you a holy-roller?" I said, "No. I haven't ever 				rolled.
But I guess if He'd tell me to roll, I would." So went ahead talking
like 				that, you know. She was going on and on.  

 [72] 	And I said, "Just let me tell you something, little lady, you
write up anything 				you want to. You're a Catholic." She said, "That's
right." She said, "How'd 				you know?" I said, "Well, just the same way
I know those other things on the 				platform. See?" I said, "You're a
Catholic.(And he caught her spirit, just what 				she was going to do.) 
And you go on and write it up, and I'm warning you right 				now; in
thirty days from now, you write it up, and you'll be laying on the side 
			of a road with your throat cut by glass off your own car, screaming
for mercy, 				and you'll think of me many times." She said, "Aren't you
Irish?”

		“Yep.”   

		“Was your people Catholic?"  "Perhaps before me."  "What would your
mother				 think of such, about you doing things now?"  "I baptized her
in the Name of Jesus 				Christ. And she received the Holy Ghost.
Uh-huh. Yep." And I said, "Now, if you 				want to go in that way, then
I'll take your name and you take my name. Then if 				it isn't so then,
after thirty days, you write it up in the paper that I'm a false 			
prophet. Now, you go ahead and write it."

[73] 	She said, "Well, I'd hate to think, when I got to heaven, that a
bunch of 					ignoramuses like up there at that meeting you're in, would
be ruling heaven." 				I said, "You won't have much trouble." I said,
"The only thing is... Unless you 				change your mind and your way, you
won't be there anyhow. See? Because 				they'll be there. God has chosen
that." 

24.	Now, I  want to just draw your attention to this. Here's a real
paradox: Why doesn't God do this all the time? I guess once was enough.
We'd say, "Hey, wouldn't that be great if we could just handle that?"
No. No. You and I don't have that ministry. And you couldn't tell them
anyway. If you did know as God told you to say those very words. Because
Bro. Branham said, "I'm the only living one who can tell it as He showed
me, and tell it as He told me."

	Now, if you don't believe that, you talk to Junior Jackson. Now, he got
his dreams mixed up. And you talk to W.B. Grant's son unless, see if he
can tell it exactly right, because somebody's off the Word somewhere.

	The Trinitarian's revelation is like the woman in Drumheller, Alberta
who saw three gods, a big one, a middle one, and a little one. And I
said, "She saw the three bears." [laughter] And I've been...I just about
had to run for my life. [more laughter] They've been gunning for me ever
since, because the thought that was irreverent. What's irreverent about
a vision that's as false as God knows what? What's irreverent about it?
What was irreverent when the prophet's of Baal were gashing themselves,
calling blood, and bringing out blood? And old Elijah said, "Yea," he
said, "yell louder. I think He must be asleep." He said, "Hey, you
asleep up there? Oh," he said, "maybe He went on a holiday out hunting.
After all, squirrels' season's out, now the moose season. You got your
gun you might get a goose or two. He might be hunting? Why don't you sit
down and wait awhile?" What was irreverent about it? What was irreverent
about this? It wasn't irreverent. I don't think so.

 		It's a paradox, that God had taken the foolish things, those  things.
He, God 					chose to bring salvation to the world through such a bunch,
a paradox, 					altogether different from their high-trained and
polished scholars, theologians 				and things. God just bypasses that,
takes some little ignoramus (sure, but he's 				not ignorant of God's
Word, or God's way, or God's wisdom. Maybe pretty gunky as 				far as
the world's concerned) raises it up, puts His Message in him, (he's
talking 				about himself now) like He did John the Baptist, some of the
rest of them, Peter 				and them, sent them on out and preach the
Gospel, bringing in His Church... 				there it is. See? And just let
this great polished stuff go off. Oh, my, it is sure 				something. 

25.	Okay, let's just read back here, I quoted last night to a woman that
came by the house. I could almost quote this now. [Anointed Ones at the
End Time 07-25-65]

[118] 	 Now, I want you to know this for sure. That you that listen to
this tape, might 				have thought today that I was trying to say that
about myself, being that I was				 packing this Message. I have no more
to do with it than nothing, no more 					than just a voice. And my
voice, even against my better judgment I wanted					 to be a trapper.
(There you are.)

	How smart was William Branham? Not very. Not very. Naw, if he would
have had education, he could have stacked up pretty good in the world,
because he was no dumb-dodo. He'd have been quite a philosopher. He'd
have been a little bit like Solomon in the natural, ...?...knew the
things about the wild life and nature and all those things. If you ever
went walking with him, he'd talk about all those things. Tell you all
the things that goes on in the woods. He's a real woodsman, a real
hunter. A real naturalist. He was a conservationist, a very, very fine
person. But what would he have been as a Christian and a prophet to the
church outside of God and heard God alone? Nothing. Nothing. You know
really, what would he have been?

	"Well, he could have preached." Sure I think he was a good preacher,
that would have been  fine. But he never would have been the William
Branham we know. See? He took an ignorant man, He did it.  

	[Paradox 12-10-61]

		God, when God chose the ignorant and unlearned, instead of the
education 				and learned, for His Bride...

 [74] 	Could you imagine a man, choosing his bride, that way, a man with
the highest 				supreme powers...

26.	Would you imagine that a man that was way up there in this world
wouldn't marry into his own circle so to speak? Oh God, did really, but
you'd never get the world to recognize that.

		 But God chose His Bride out of a bunch of people like that. Now,
anybody 				saying that that isn't so, then you don't believe your
Bible. That's exactly 					right. Read your Bible; that's exactly what
It is.  It was a real paradox when 				God chose the foolishness of
inspired preaching instead of high-polished 					theology. A man that
didn't know, hardly, to use words said, "hit, hain't, tote, 				fetch,
carry," all words like that, and say all kinds of things out of his
grammar, 				and ungrammarized, everything else like that, and God chose
that instead of				taking the great scholars and the polished, who can
really pronounce the 					words and say it just right. But it pleased
God to take the foolishness of inspired 				preaching, some little old
plowboy didn't know his abc's, and take that man and 				win souls by
him. When, deceivers, all polished up, just leading the blind 				
leading the blind. A real paradox. (Now, he's talking about the rough
and the 					polished.) 

27.	Let's go back to page 22, ( I won't read too much there) this is
gone good old Samson. 

	[Paradox 12-10-61]

[55] 	And that roar run out against this little curly-headed shrimp,
we'd call him, 				and then something happened. That little shrimp walks
over, and gets that 					lion by the mouth, and puts one hand down this
a way and one in that way, 				not nervously now, and just pulls him
apart and lays him down there. That's 				a paradox. What caused it? If
you'll notice the reading just before it, "And 					(a conjunction)and
the Spirit of the Lord came upon him." That's what made				 the
difference. And he slew the lion. [End of side one] 

 [74]	Oh, the Word's so full of it. So much I just got to bypass, (he
says.) 

[75] 	It's true that the big church shines and glitters with polished
theology, while 				the Kingdom glows with humility,  the poor and
humble. The Gospel doesn't 				shine; It glows. Fool's gold shines; real
gold glows. There's a difference 					between a glow and a shine. We
know that. While the big church glitters and 				shines with
high-polished scholars, and fine pews, crucifix's all over the wall...

	And those crosses cost money. I remember years and years ago, I
understood the average cross in a Roman Catholic church was sixty five
thousand dollars in gold. [makes a while sound] At thirty bucks an
ounce, figure what that is today. Well, they can have it. ...?... You
know the price of gold is going down again right now? That's to get...so
the church can buy it cheap. They'll buy it, don't worry. So, look it, I
don't care what you do, you know, look at all this talks going on in the
world by Christians; I think it was Dr. Bernie, who brings out that
they've got the American money reprinted now to close us all out. If we
stolen it from the government they're going to break the money in. Let's
just see if Dr. Bernie is telling the truth. ...?... seventy percent of
all the commerce of the world is done in US dollars, how could they call
that money in? 

	 I don't believe it. I only believe one thing, the prophet said, and he
said they'll shore it up with the gold. And if they even did bring it
in, expose anybody or anything, what would it do, or took it all away?
They'd still have to come back to the Roman Catholic system to bail it
out. Because that's the lying sign and wonder. Just stay with what the
prophet said. Take your chance on it brother/sister. You don't take a
chance on God, that's the only thing that's sure. Only one man was
vindicated. I'm going to stick with that. I don't care what anybody
says, or anybody tries to bring out. Just won't. I won't fool with it.

28.	Okay, so the church is getting all the gold, the gold is going down.
I was going to tell you the Bible said, "Your silver and your gold is
corrupted." Then It said, "Go to ye rich men, weep and howl, for your
miseries has come upon you." [James 5:1]

	Oh, look at the rich man now. They've got the unions all stirred up. So
the unions will get blamed now when they say, "Hey you birds, you took
millions and millions of dollars that we've earned. We took a back cut,
we stood still, you got more money than you ever had, and now you want
it all. We've going to fight you into the ground." That's why I don't
blame the union. Don't blame the unions. Don't blame the unions. Put
where the Bible says the blame is.

	I know the unions have gone pretty screwy, I'll admit that. They've let
crooks and criminals, the mafia, the mobsters get in. I admit that's
wrong. I'm going to tell you one thing: the Bible doesn't say anything
about the working man, except to give an honest day's work. That's
roughly what the Bible says for an honest day's pay. But it said, "Rich
men weep and howl for your miseries come upon you." Your silver and your
gold is corrupted, because you've held the wages back. Now, read your
Bibles the way your Bible is written.

	"They that were rich," the Bible says, "bring many a snare and a
temptation." [1 Tim 6:9]

29.	Met a friend just the other day, I haven't seen him for twenty five
solid years or better, he wanted me to buy a highest sweep-stake ticket,
so he might get twenty one million dollars. 

	I said, "What for?" 

	"Well," he said, "I want to help the poor people in the world."

	I said, "Son, twenty five billion dollars will not get rid of poverty
in one nation."

	Let's also consider the curse upon the heathen for denying God.

	I'm going to tell you something: everyone of you buy a lottery ticket
and everyone of you make twenty one million dollars, but don't bring one
nickel in this church. Don't bring one nickel in this church, go out and
spend it and do your best to serve God, and I'll watch you go down in
the city dump.

	And I'm going to tell you, I learned a lesson this week, why the worm
doesn't die, and the fire is not quenched. I've got a little tree at
home in the front yard there, we have it and it's one of those sweet-gum
trees. And one of those tent-worm kind of deals got in there and he blew
himself up a tent and I didn't see it till just the other day. And I
said, "Well look at that." And I thought, I got some insect spray, I'll
spray it. I thought, no, I'm pretty devilish. I admit, I'm rotten. 

30.	Years ago I use to let the mosquitoes stick their noses in through
the screens then I'd take my tweezers and pull their noses off.
[laughter] Because they'd bite me and I hated mosquitoes. Confession
may, or may not be good for the soul, I care less I'm telling you. So, I
thought I'd get these rascals and I took my pruners and I'd cut off the
end of the branch, and I took that [caterpillar] tent and I'd use my
blow torch. And you know something? I'm going to tell you, it's one of
the hardest things to kill those worms. They're almost like asbestos,
that would literally almost make them red before they'd expired. And I
found how it is the Russians found that almost even fire doesn't kill
some germs. And I thought, in my thought the Bible said, "Where the worm
dieth not, the fire is not quenched." [Isa 66:24] 

	And as I was pulling some weeds the other day and I looked down and I
said, "Hey, that can't be a weed.  Looks like that plant." And I said,
"Nah, come on," And I looked again and it was a weed. And the same weed
in that plant had thinner longer leaves then the same weed in another
plant that had fatter leaves. You know that old tare in there, that old
lousy weed he can look just like the Christian? Oh yeah, he'll act like
a Christian under certain conditions. I think I'm right in what I'm
telling you, because I looked at those weeds and I'm pretty sure it's
the same weed. Christians, they just are Christians. Yeah, they're just
old Christians you know.

31.	Anyway, here's this big fine bunch of scholars and they got all the
gold, and all the polish and everything else:  

 		... and towering buildings, (and you know) all like that; the little
Kingdom, goes				down in some little alley somewhere is glowing with the
glory of God, filled with 				the humble in heart. God working in them,
healing the sick, raising the dead, 				and casting out devils, and so
forth; just letting them pass by. 

	That was a good statement. It's still a good statement, but I'm going
to tell you right now, you can get the same thing in the churches that
are full of the devil. Because they've got an anointing of them. The
anointing is real, but the men, the people are false. Oh yeah. Oh yeah.
You go to Notre Dame and you'll find out what goes on up there. But the
Christian's ...?...

		There was a great ministerial meeting. Don't forget this now. (He
said,) There's  				a great ministerial meeting sometime ago in a
certain city and some people  				right here were in the meeting. And
there're certain man...a theologian, "He 				had a message for the day,
for the people." He's studied two or three weeks 				on that message.  

[76] 	And when he walked up to the platform, not a wrinkle in his
clothes, finest of 				clothes, and he walked up there, stuck out his
chest, and laid out his material 				 the message out there in front.
And he really preached an hour's message 					could not be touched
intellectually. He stuck his chest out, took the name of 				L.L. Doctor
So-and-so, from a great big certain school...highly polished,  				
scholarly, he brought a masterpiece to the people, psychology and
things. 					And everybody said, "It was wonderful." But some Christians
setting there, 					just like the Nicene Council, it just grieved the
Spirit. It was a masterpiece, 				sure. Yes, sir. It had all the polish
on it, they could get. But the real Spirit-filled 				people, just,
"Huh?" It just didn't go with it... no Spirit to back it up. So when 			
he come down, he had his head ducked down; he saw it didn't go over
amongst 				those people. He was from another school; and here he was
with Pentecostal 				people. So when he come down off the platform, his
feathers was dropped down. 				Started walking down there, with all of
his stuff under his arm, walking down 				through the congregation. 

[77] 	And a wise old saint sitting over on the right-hand side, reached
over to another 				man and said, "If he would've gone up the way he
come down, he would've come 				down the way he went up." That's it. If
he'd have gone up humble, he'd probably 				would have come down filled
with the glory. He would've went up the way he 				come down... (See?
That's a paradox right there.) 

32.	Okay: let's go to Luke 14:7.  Bro. Branham said it's a paradox, so
let's find out. No doubt it is. (I think this is what I want.)

		(7) 	And he put a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked 	
				how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them.

	Now, these guys thought they were pretty big stuff, so they were going
to sit at the head of the table where the big thing were.

		(8) 	When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the
					highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of 			
		him;

		(9) 	And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man
					place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.

		(10) 	But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room;
that 					when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend,
go up 					higher: then thou shalt have worship in the presence of them
that sit 					at meat with thee.

		(11) 	For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that
humbleth 					himself shall be exalted.

	Now, that's pretty hard against the American tradition: "Get well the
getting's good, and he that fusstist with the mostist will win the
battle." It doesn't add up.

		(12) 	Then he said also to him that bade him, When thou makest a
dinner 					or a supper, call not thy friends, 

	Now, here's where I get in with my wife the odd time, I say, "Look,
girl, I don't owe anybody anything that could take care of themselves."
Or they could take care of themselves, nobody owes them anything. It's
when they can't, is when you do something. When America opened its purse
to anybody and everybody, they destroyed about everybody.

33.	America today is a bitter nation on two counts: Those that haven't
got it and won't work for it want it. And those that work for it and got
it, aren't about to give it and got to. And so, you got a bitter nation.
Now, people really need it, I'm a hundred percent for it. When they have
got to have help, they got to have help. The church... the Bible
recognizes everybody does. But you cannot, you cannot possibly reconcile
the abuses of this hour with the Word of Almighty God.

	Now It says:

		(12)	... When thou makest a dinner, supper, call not thy friends,
(scratch 					their back, and they scratch yours,) nor thy brethren,
(your kinfolk), 					nor rich neighbours; lest they bid thee again, and
a recompence be 						made.

		(13) 	...when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the
lame, the 					blind: (and so on.)

		(14) 	And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee:
(Now, 					there is where it is. There is where it is. See?)

	Now, you say, "What is behind the trouble where it's at and nothing is
being done?" Because the rich man had added house to house and land to
land, and destroyed the laborer's chance of getting a job. What did
DuPont do in spending eight billion dollars, or was it four? They didn't
add jobs, they took jobs. What happened when your farmer had to take
bigger and bigger land? You don't have farms here at all. Fap! You got
chicken ranches. Go to Canada, to the prairie provinces, three thousand
acres. Or go to Texas, there you'll see some farms. You'll see real
farms, thousands of acres. Here, you're just playing around, really. The
Bible said, "Woe to them that join land to land and house to house. [Isa
5:8] 

34.	So, they made bigger and bigger farms and took away the horses and
the cows, so now they can't manure the soil. What fertilizer does the
tractor put back in the land? Yet, the farmer's got to get bigger and
bigger to exist, and then it comes to the place where he's going to go
down. And what did it? Disobeying God's Word. There's your paradox. You
can't get people to understand that. Never will understand. This
government is very much at fault. Old Teddy Roosevelt is …?... to the
plan. To keep companies from taking over and monopolizing. And I don't
know that that's a hundred percent right. And yet if the government says
so, that's alright. God must have a hand in it  somewhere, because He's
over the whole thing in a direct manner, indirect manner.

	Now, they can join land to land and house to house and not add one job.
And take more and more money off of the market for a dead horse. And
armaments are a dead horse. Anybody knows that the economy goes bankrupt
...?..., yet our government's doing it. I'm surprised at Mr. Reagan. Of
course I told you long ago, he has the idea if Jesus Christ, the twelve
apostles were here, they'd be straight square conservative Republican
businessmen. Hogwash. [laughter] Don't give me that nonsense, (fap!)
they would be. 

	They would do what This [taps the Bible] says. They'd help those that
need help. And there's no shame to needing help, and you give help. But
it's hypocrisy to do anything the way the government is doing it, and
the way a lot of people do it. They give simply to get. Invite their
friends to do this and that. No sir. Paradox.

35.	I'm reading, where I'm reading the Scripture Bro. Branham, he said I
should look up Scripture,  and I'm reading Scripture. Okay, don't feel
too bad if I wallop around here. I don't feel bad. I admit my mistakes,
and I know you'll admit yours too. Sure, I fed people who will feed me
in return, that's being sociable. But it'll also feed people and do
things I know can't do a thing for them and I don't want anything done.
Why should you want to? 

	You say, "You sound like you hate it."

	Certainly, I would hate it, to have it done. Don't worry. I know...look
it, you're not talking...I'm not talking up here like some dummy that
doesn't know things. Let me tell you: I know what it is to help people
that are really down and out. And then somebody maybe the guy down there
he just can't wait to pay me back, because it's some kind of
a...something against his high-something.

	I'm going to tell you, if I ever get really down and out, (and I could
be,) I won't feel bad at all if you're nice to me, and do something nice
...?... I'd appreciate it very much. I'm not hinting, I'm just telling.
I hope I'm not some stupid person up here. Maybe I am stupider than I
think I am.

	Don't be funny. Look, don't be... look, I'm going to tell you
something: God's wisdom is the greatest and most wonderful wisdom in all
the world. Just give it a chance. Don't supersede it, don't throw it to
one side. Live it up in the Word. You can't go wrong.

36.	Let me read Proverbs 11:24-25. Let me show you this here, because
you ought to know It, and I do, and I know you do know It.

		(24) 	There is that (which) scattereth, and yet increaseth; and
withholdeth 					more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.

		(25) 	The liberal soul shall be made fat: he that watereth shall be
watered 					also himself.

		(26) 	He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but
blessing 						shall be upon the head of him that selleth it.

	Well, you see that's where you get your cartels and thing that
I'm...and hold it until (you know) just want to make a big deal of it.

	Now, this is not here to something that you and I might be doing in a
way of business. This is where you get the upper hand and you put the
thumb screws on until you get the guy to where he's got nothing. Because
the Bible warns against usury, [Ex 22:25] and this is the same category.
But I want you to notice the Scripture says; It says here:  

		(24) 	There is that (which) scattereth, and yet increaseth...

	See, it scattered abroad, he's given to the poor, comes back on him.
This is a scriptural principle I have used for twenty five years I
suppose or better. I'm going to tell you, you can't beat it. You can't
beat it. You'll sacrifice to do it, but the rewards are good. You know
that God can't fail. Paradox.

37.	I remember years ago when I was a young fellow preacher, I talked to
some good Nazarene folk. He had a good job, worked where my wife worked,
she had a good job. That's why I married her and she lost her job.
[laughter] That's a joke of course. Been poor taste and very poor joke.
So forget I said it. (Yet it's on tape.) [more laughter]

	But anyway, we talked to them, we weren't married then. My wife and I
talked to them. And he said, "No, I can't afford to tithe."

	I said, "What? You're one guy that's got a good job."

	"Oh no," he said, "we can't afford to tithe."

	"Well." I said, "I can't afford not to." 

	Who had what? Who had what?

38.	Okay, Romans 12:10. Here's a good one, Romans 12, what's Romans 12?
That's about where the gifts ministries are, right? Okay.

		(10) 	Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in
honour 					preferring one another;

	You say, "Oh, I ain't going to get nowhere if I prefer my brother."
That's where you do get somewhere, and God will stick up for you. What
I've gone through in my life in more recent years, if I had not honestly
in honor preferred my brethren I wouldn't stand here tonight with my
conscience free. And my heart rejoicing in the Lord God my defense and
my Savior. You won't go down brother/sister. If you go down the right
way there's suddenly "the everlasting arms" will take care of you. Don't
be afraid to honor prefer your brother. 

	Now, you say I'm closing now. Oh, we'll close this tonight, even if we
have early. See if I can do it for you. 

38.	Here we're getting to the part that I really like. So: 

[77]	The old prophets' vision is still a paradox. It's untouched. Who
can say that 				a man four thousand years ago could speak a  horseless
carriages jostling 					in the broadways, (I think he's referring to
Nahum chapter 2 there.) The Old 					Testament prophets, how they could
foresee things and foretell it, lifted up 					by the power of God, they
saw it the way it was going to come years before, 					and foretold it
to the accuracy of perfection. Explain it. It's a paradox. 

	What's he talking about? His seven major visions. His prophecy's. How
could he do it? Because he could tell it as he saw it. He could tell it
as he heard it. Nobody else can. That's why you're safe and secure. A
prophet was in our midst. Just like this. God gave those prophets the
ability to tell It exactly as it was, and scribes to put It down exactly
as they heard It.  

	"Oh," you say, "Bro. Vayle..." Don't Bro. Vayle me. I can get you today
in this world at least a hundred men with photographic minds. They can
tell it exactly on what page and letter by letter. The man that worked
for Seagram's, (I think he's dead now) a Hungarian Jew made up the
newspaper. [Bro. Vayle demonstrates a person committing pages after
pages to memory] What's on those eight pages? Word for word tell you.
Ha! And people think William Branham made mistakes.(Shooo, boy.) I love
the pulpit, I just kick it plumb out the window to let you know the
wrath that Lee Vayle has in his feet. Never mind the wrath of God.

39.	What do they think in talking about God? Gave men plans for a
temple. Took the plan to heathen countries. Brought the pieces in,
without a sound of a hammer or nail that went up. I wish I had kept the
article how that Solomon's throne rotated. The master mechanics that he
had. Tremendous work of art. You talk about the state of the ark, the
state of the art, the state of the art. [repeated sarcastically] What's
the state of the art my brother/sister? Never mind your state of the
arts. What's the state of your soul tonight? Are you up to date in the
Word of God? Fap! Goodness me. Paradox.

		Another one, I want to give you a little insignificant.(Paradox,
little insignificant.) 				...?... said, my conversion...
(Insignificant?)  

[78] 	I say this with love and respect. My parents are gone on. My
mother's people 				were all sinners, trappers, hunters, mountain
people. My father's people were 				drunkards, bootleggers, gamblers,
gun-shooters, killing one another; most 				all of them died with their
shoes on. No speck of religion any of us. And what 				was That that
came into that little old log cabin up there that morning, you 				see
pictured on the wall? 

	The cabin, but not the Light that came in the window. There's no window
there. Kind of a trap door thing open. I guess maybe screen, no screen.
The Light came in, same Light you see right there. [points to the
picture of the Pillar of Fire]

		Why? It's altogether different. (You put it now he said,)  you put a
grain of 					wheat in the ground, it'll bear a grain of wheat. You put
corn in the ground, 				it'll bear corn. You put a cocklebur in the
ground, it'll bear a cocklebur. But 				this is a paradox.

	What was a paradox? A grain of wheat that looked like a cocklebur until
God got a hold of. That's all, paradox. Why didn't God take somebody all
smoothed out? Somebody real nice? I've got news for you, there's ain't
no such animals. [laughter] The Bible says, "There's none righteous, no
not one." [Rom 3:10]

	One day they came and said to Jesus, "Oh, good master..." he said.

	"Oh, you called Me good. Why do you call Me good, there's none good
save God? Are you trying to tell me that I'm God you recognize? " 
...?... 

40.	No sir, listen brother/sister: 

  		Here's another paradox. How can I, after preaching nearly thirty
years, (now, 				he goes to vision, but he doesn't talk about it,) still
dread that thought of going 				yonder? How could it be? After been
preaching since I was a little boy, (I think 				about twenty two years
of age) and now a man fifty-two years old, and think of 				dreading... 
I knew I was saved, but I was dreading of the thought of going 				
beyond. But the love of God one morning came down in my room, lifted me
up, 				and took me into a place where the redeemed were. Indeed a
paradox.

	Now, Bro. Branham as he died, he could not tell you whether he was
really there, a vision or what. He looked back and saw himself, but that
has been done by others. I don't understand those things. I don't
pretend to. I don't want to. I take his word for it. Paul the apostle
had the same experience. In the body, out of the body. He said, "I was
up there." He said, "It felt like I was in,   I don't know," he said. [1
Cor 12:2] William Branham didn't know either.  Same experience came back
and saw the glory of God. He saw the people and he said he was satisfied
that he was one of them.

 [79] 	I want to ask you something. I might cut this off here. I want to
ask you something.				 (Tell me, tell me) What is That on that picture
there? (See that Halo) Where did 				It come from? What's It here for? 

41.	That's the question Lee Vayle always asks. You know that I know, we
all know that I'm highly criticized for what I teach. It has to do with
the Presence. In my books He's still here. And I can prove it by the
sermon, He's still here.  

	The question brother asks, why is It here? Why, why is It here? It
doesn't need to be here. Oh no, I can prove that. I'm as smart as the
rest of the theologians.

	"Well, bless God [said in a big-shot voice] see, I am saved and full of
the Holy Ghost. And if I am saved and full of the Holy Ghost, I have got
it made." So, that's that.

	Now, isn't that the truth? It's exactly what they say. What if a
prophet came and he said, "You ain't got it." What are you going to do
with Elijah when he must first come? You got the paradox of the ages
right here. Who needs it? 

	"Well, it's nice of you Lord, but (heh, heh, heh,) we've got a party
going on down here amongst us intellectuals, and You've done all You
ever need to do. We've got perfect trust in You."  

	Now come on. Now come on, am I wrong? Am I being foolish up here
hamming it up, and being some kind of a stupid ass? I want answers.
Because the prophet asked the question: "What It's here for?  Now, you
can't deny that It's here." That's what he said.

42.		Science can't deny It. What is It in the meetings, that stands
there and combs 				the people through, and tells them, "Back yonder,
what you did... You're 					here for this purpose. You're here for
that"? It's incredible to the scientific 				mind. 

	Now, this is not the baptism with the Holy Ghost. The gift of
discernment is not even mentioned in the Bible. Discerning of spirits
is. The word of knowledge has been confused with discernment.
Discernment is a gift given by God to William Branham, period, for this
hour. You do what you want with it.  

	And you'll say, "Well, Bro. Vayle, I can't take it, because I don't see
Scripture for it."

	Then, you'll go to hell with everybody else that denies it. Because
there's no Scripture for John the Baptist to be full of the Holy Ghost
in his mother's womb. See, you better get your thinking straightened
out, and you better start looking for paradoxes. You better...start
looking in your mind and say, "Hey, hey I'm too polished." Now, let's
get it, raw or un, or raw and unrefined manure, or refined manure is the
same thing. Ninety nine percent truth is the biggest lie Bro. Branham
said that can be told. So, we're on good ground. What is it all about?  


	Are we not saying, "Lord, you set this party up, and we're perfectly
content for us to have it Your way, our way, as He got it nicely
planned, and we'll meet You in the air and that's it."

43.	I don't have The Breech with me, I read it the other day though.
Page 81, he said, "This Coming." I think page 78, they got another quote
the same way, "This Coming." 

		What's It here for?

		Now, we know telepathy. Telepathy is, say something, like you say
something 				and I can say the same thing (See?), or I'm reading your
mind; it's happening 				right then. But when you see It tells things
that'll happen way out yonder, 					that leaves telepathy alone.
(Discernment is a paradox brother/sister.)

	Now listen, when you see It. What's the 'It'? Well, we see the picture
of what? The veil of God. We don't see God. Here's the great paradox in
this hour.

 		It's incredible that God in this last days... 

	Now, watch his language, it's lousy. What does this man unpolished got
to tell Lee Vayle anything? One time I was flawless in the English
language. Not anymore and I care less. But I was. You don't write
hundred percent and not be flawless. He said, "this days." It's 'these
days'. So, we shouldn't listen to him should we, because he's not
polished? Proves he's not fit to listen to. That's what people...come
on, let's get down to where he is. Say without these... see the prophet,
well he's a little fellow, and he's not too educated in, and these
things he's saying (you know) they're so simple-like, and they're so
little funny-like, and they're little, little (you know) tiddly- winkie
things. What doesn't he come out with a grrreat [Bro. Vayles rolls the
'r's] big things? He has. Anything bigger than That? Merciful God, have
pity on the people.

		It's incredible this last day... (these last days, this last days, who
cares?) as He 				promised He would do, would do such a thing. (It's
here, that's what he' saying.) 				But it's true; it's a paradox. The
same God that always had paradoxes and 				showed them, He's the same
God today, because He keeps His Word. (What 				about? A paradox! He's
talking of paradoxes.) Science cannot deny It; It is there 				on the
mechanical camera. It's a paradox: God! 

44.	Now, he's not saying that God made a paradox. He's saying God is a
paradox. He's been telling that all along. What is in it?

[80] 	What is It? In Exodus the 13th chapter, we read that God gave the
children 				of Israel, which was a type of the church today... As they
journeyed naturally, 				we are journeying in the Spirit.

	Well, are you here, you what you do when you get home? I imagine most
of you, you just read this and say, "Well, he said Exodus 13 and you
don't look It up." So, we're going to look It up, because you're lazy
like me and just as stupid. So now we're going to be smart tonight. We
going to read verses 21-22.

		(2)1 	And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to
lead 					them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them
light; to go 					by day and night:

		(22) 	He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar
of fire by 					night, before the people.

	Now, what was He doing? It said He led them the way, to lead them the
way. He gave them light. Now, why didn't He just give them instructions?

45.	I had a dream one time, of course I had a stupid dream like this,
because I had stupid ideas about these things. So, I'm in my dreams I
saw writing in the sky. Fap! Oh yes, it's over here in the...(yeah, I
won't say it, it's not a Book in the Bible,) I was going to say, it's
over here in the book of baloney written by the prophet macaroni.
[laughter] "That thou shalt see writing in the sky." Didn't say that.
Then why do we want to twist our thoughts and turn them into God's
thoughts? Why do we want to negate God's thinking?

	Now, It says, "that Pillar of Fire," and it's Exodus time and we
studied Exodus, the Third Exodus, it's a paradox. God leading them. I
can categorically say by this Bible, "I don't need God to come down here
and lead me personally." I can say that as a man well versed in
Scripture. Because Christ died and rose again, and I'm full of the Holy
Ghost that guarantee's me. Then, I don't need That. [pointing to the
picture of the Pillar of Fire] Understand what I'm saying? You follow
me? You better. You better, let's see if you believe in a prophet and
God. We're going to probe the minds by Scripture.

	As an astute [of keen discernment] student, I don't need it. You know
why? Because when I pit Scripture against Scripture, I willfully ignore
the Scripture I don't want to listen to, the Scripture, "Behold, I send
you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day
of the Lord."  

46.	Let's go to Malachi 4. I got no trouble with this. I preached on It.
I figure some of the best preaching I did in my life was on this.

		(1) 	For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all
the 						proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and
the day 					 	cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts,
(it'll) leave						them neither root nor branch.

	Now, that's the Lord of hosts. And He said at that time:

		(2) 	But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness
arise 					with healing in his wings... 

	In the day of the Lord of destruction, God promised that He Himself
would come down and hover us. Then don't put that against the rest of
the Word. No wonder the Bible is full of contradictions, because your
stupid theologians. I'm preaching straight from my heart and not my
head. And I'll tell you why: because I go through this stuff all the
time. I go through my eyes narrow, because I don't like a certain thing
I'm reading. And I got to say, "Hold it, hold it, hold it, hold it." Of
course you people are all wonderful. You're real super spiritual, you
don't have one bit of trouble. So, pray for me, hallelujah, you've got
it made. Don't sit there, or I'll come down with a four by four and set
you straight. Because if I got trouble, you've got trouble. Let's get
this flat. I'll look everyone in the eye, I'm scared of none of you.
Just look me back.

47.	You got to come to this place where every word he told it exactly as
he heard it. He told it exactly as he saw it, and he's exactly right.
And it's a paradox, because you can pit Scripture against Scripture, and
when you do, you don't understand there's a Word for this hour. A Word
in season, spiritual Food in due season. And so you'll settle outside
the Word of Almighty God. He said, "What is It here for?" And he could
have read us over here in Exodus, but he didn't do it. He walked on by.

	The same prophet said, "The Pillar of Fire is here to lead us into the
Millennium."

	"Oh, that just a nice way of saying it. Ha, you know, little catch
phrase."

	"Two by two, they'll go marching through. (You know) Sweetheart's on
parade..." [this portion not clear] Do what you want with It. Sure, I'm
a rotten preacher, I'll admit that. And I slug when I shouldn't maybe. I
want  some answers. We're not to foot-washing ye,t I'll get into that
later. We're not finished... [mentions about turning the tape] ...we set
the meeting back tomorrow morning, because we're here all night long. I
care not, I feel good now. There's times I feel pretty rotten, today I
feel good. The worse I am, the better I feel. I can get rid of my spleen
and my venom  that way. Because you see, I get very upset over these
things. I get angry. I'll tell you. I'm not self righteous anger, holy
anger, yes, I just get angry period. I shouldn't, but I do.

48.	Now listen, as they journeying naturally, we are journeying in the
Spirit. Well, just a minute, you say, "Well, praise God we in the
Spirit." Are you? Not in this hour, because unless the Life that is in
that Word comes to Life in you, you are not journeying in any spirit but
your own. Where'd you of come from? Where did you people come from?
Don't tell me God, forget that. You came from your father, right? And
your mother. Where did they come from? Father and mother. Where did they
come...? Father and mother. Where did they come...? Father and mother.
The life that you got right now, and the life that I got came from
w-a-a-a-a-a-a-y [holds the a's] back, six thousand years. It's the same
life.

	I want to tell you something: I don't look like my mommy and dad. Yeah.
They say I'm a splitting image of my uncle. How many of you look like
your uncle's? How many of you got color of the hair from the other side
of the family? The strange thing, the uncle didn't even come to this
country, so what does that do? Trace...go on, check around. Who you look
like? And how come? 

49.	Where is that Life Who's coming down? Then God...doesn't God's Life
come down too by the Word? Doesn't He have His mask so to speak? It's
not hard to understand these things if you let your thinking go. If you
say the prophet is right, now let me see what the prophet is saying in
the light of how he is saying it, and I will adjust my thinking to His
Light and to His Words, then you watch what begins to happen. Sit back
like a bunch of old Pharisees. It's not over yet, they'll be more and
more adultery. Now that ain't no prophet, but he ain't. But he knows
that much.

		Next Sunday we're talking about that now. Remember, it's all on that.
See? 					Now, how that where they went on the ground, materially, like
this, (that's 					in Exodus) God was with them, the Church is seated
with Christ in heavenly 				Places in spiritual realms a-going, with all
dominion under our feet. 

	Now, he said, "Already." That's what Daniel said under the Fourth
Kingdom the Saints possess the earth. When we've been declared the Bride
of the Lord Jesus Christ then one with the Father, and one, who owns it?
Because, everything is in Him and we inherit through Him. We have it.
[end of tape one] All right. 

		Yes, sir. And they had a Pillar of Fire, a Light that they followed.
Wherever 				this Light went, they followed that Light. Thousands of
years has passed, 					hundreds and hundreds of years has gone by, and
It's still alive. A paradox. 

	That's the Light that took them into the Promised Land. The same God,
so He's here. Who was He back there? Jehovah, originally the Elohim,
because there's only one God.

40.	All right, Matthew 24:27 said, "The Light moves from the east to the
west." John said, "If we're in that Light we have fellowship and the
Blood cleanses us." [1 Jn 1:7] If you're not in that Light, then the
Blood does not cleanse you, you don't have fellowship. Now, if William
Branham is in the category of John and those men then there is no life
outside of this Message. And the worst death of all then is the fool
with this Message. A paradox.

	The same yesterday... (He should have quoted the whole thing, Hebrews
13:8. We 				told you the double meaning on that.) Fulfilling the
Scripture, It's here for a witness;			(Now listen: It's here for a
witness,)  not because of us, but because that God 			promised It, that
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 

	Now, he tells you what's It's here for. Now Pentecost said, "Well,
isn't that the raspberry, we've always known that. Mark 16 is not
Hebrews 13:8. It's a minuscule portion of It. 13:8 is That, [points to
the Pillar of Fire picture] the God that never changes. The same God
that was here in a human flesh appearing to the Gentiles. Just like the
Scripture says, but He's not in the flesh. 

41.	Let's go to Matthew 12:17. (Might not sound like it, but I love the
Lord and the people of God. I just work hard at this.) Now listen: 

		(17) 	That it might be fulfilled spoken by the prophet Esaias, saying,

		(18) 	Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my 		
		soul is well pleased: (I'll) put my spirit upon him, (that's exactly
what 					happened back there in Israel. And notice:) and he shall
(show) 						judgment to the Gentiles.

	And when He does, and He's got to:

		(19) 	He (won't) strive, (he won't) cry; his voice (shall not be
heard) in 						the street.

	It was, when He was in the flesh in Israel. He was in the street, He
raised His voice, He yelled. He kicked over the money changer's table.
He took a whip and he excoriated and bruised them and knocked them out
of the house of God. Incited literally to riot as it were when He was in
the flesh. The same one now won't do that. He won't strive. He won't
cry. His voice won't be heard in the street. The bruised reed he won't
break. He took away everything Israel had and smashed it. The smoking
flax, the Light went out. But with us He won't do it. Standing outside
of the door and knocking to get back in to get the Bride. Understand
what I'm saying? 

		(20)	... (He won't,) till he send forth judgment unto victory.

		(21) 	And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.

42.	He was there in flesh. What we have today is the evidence, the
witness. It's the same One. What's It's to us? What's It going to do? It
says, in His Name we'll trust. Then listen: at this time they're made to
trust in the name must have disappeared. Oh, come on. Come on. Come on,
get your thinking cap on brother/sister. Start lining up with the
prophet honey for once in your life. Start lining up with what the
prophet said, never mind what I say. Line up with the prophet.

	"And hast born in patience in for my name, for my Name's sake hast thou
labored and not fainted."  But they were going to lose the Name. Oh
yeah. And he was going to bring It back. And we were going to trust in
It. And this: the same yesterday and forever, and the discernment was a
witness that He was here as He said He would be here, a promise. Then if
the promise is fulfilled now, where was it before? Unfulfilled. Then
He's here in a way He wasn't for two thousand years. (We'll talk about
that, because we got it right here in the notes.)

 43.	Now listen: fulfilled in the Scripture, It's here for a witness,
not because of us. But because God promised it. And Bro. Branham said,
"If God ever sends His power to the Church again, it will not because of
the obedience of man, it'll be because of grace." Understand what I'm
talking about?  Okay:

		... that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. It is
the One 					that Moses esteemed the riches of Christ, or the reproach
of Christ greater 				riches than the treasures of Egypt. And what was
the Christ that went before 				Him? A Light, a Pillar of Fire. (Now
notice, It went before Him, not after Him.) 

	Now, the other day when we studied about the Rock that followed. The
following Rock is not the answer. That's a shepherd scooping up around
his sheep. Putting his sheep forward. But this is a shepherd going
before being led into. Get your… Bro. Branham...although he
inadvertently said adjective, and sometime, or adverb instead of
adjective. He warned us, "You watch your adjectives and your adverbs.
Don't get the cow picking grass off the top of the tree." Was one of his
favorite expressions.

44.	Now, listen:

[81] 	He said, "I come from God and I return to God." He did. "A little
while and 				the world won't see Me no more, but you'll see Me; for
I'll be with you, even 				in you, to the end of the world." Right down
at the end of the world, He'd be 				there too. Here we are. Where?

	We are here at the end of the world and He is here. Let's keep reading.

		After His death, burial, and resurrection, Saint Paul met Him on the
road 					down to Damascus; He was back to that Pillar of Fire. Almost
two thousand 				years has passed since then, and here He is, not
amongst the denominations, 				amongst the high-polished scholars of the
day, but a bunch of poor and humble. 				A paradox--a paradox. To those
who love Him, believe Him, thousands around 				the world who believed
Him, it's to fulfill His promise of both New and Old 				Testament. (So
this is in the Old and New Testament.) That's what it is, a paradox. 			
(Now remember, they had a mixed multitude back there.)

	Now watch:  Almost two thousand years has passed since then, and here
He is.  

45.	All right:

  		It was a paradox when God promised to give the Kingdom to a little
flock, 					instead of a great organized church. "Fear not little flock;
it's your Father's 				good will to give you the Kingdom." It's a
paradox.  

[82] 	It'll be a real paradox, one of these days, when Jesus comes; 

	Now, right away you're going to pit quote against quote, and when you
do you're out of this Message, you've cut your throat, you might as well
go out and drink beer and get lost. Because you're lost already. Because
here he said, "When Jesus comes" and up here. He said, "He's already
come." See, right back to the Breech in this Coming which is to the
Gentiles doing the same thing He did to Israel when He was in the flesh.
And it's a witness, "He's the same yesterday, today and forever." And
it's a witness to His Name and that's what the Gentiles have exactly,
because the Jews had the flesh, we got the Name. Now, they got the Holy
Ghost too if they want Him. They had a portion at that particular time.
Now:

		It'll be a real paradox, one of these days, when Jesus comes; and the
dead 					in Christ shall rise, this mortal takes on immortality, and
the rapture of the 				Church comes.

	And yet, Bro. Branham in 1965 went far beyond this. Because he
explained the paradox of the Rapture, that:  "The Lord Himself descends
from heaven with the Shout." [1 Th 4:16] 

	Now, that that message that He descended with was categorically what
Bro. Branham brought us, because he said, "You might have thought I was
trying to say this about myself seeing I was packing the Message." 

46.	Now he said,  [Anointed Ones at the End Time 07-25-65]  

[118]	I wasn't the One that appeared down on the river; I was only
standing there 				when He appeared. I'm not the One that performs these
things and foretells				 these things that happens as perfect as they
are; I'm only one that's near 					when He does it. I was only a voice
that He used. It wasn't  me, the seventh 				messenger, oh, no; it was a
manifestation of the Son of man. (And that was a 					Spirit form.)

	He said, "I am not the Son of Man. the Pillar of Fire is not the Son of
Man, It's in the form of the Holy Spirit." It was the Holy Spirit
moving. The same God moving through William Branham, performing exactly
in the life of William Branham what Jesus did when He was here in a
human body. Now, He's got William Branham's body.

	"When you see God descend from heaven, stand before groups of men and
declare Himself as ever He did." That's in a prophet. God the same,
"yesterday, today and forever." Proving exactly how He is. Doing exactly
the same thing, and exactly the same way. Using exactly the same tools.
For exactly the same kind of people, for exactly the same purpose.
Getting the same thing accomplished.

		It wasn't the messenger, his Message; it was the mystery that God
unfolded. 				It's not a man; it's God. 

[119] 	The messenger was not the Son of man; he was a messenger from the
Son 					of man. The Son of man is Christ. (We'll talk about that at
foot-washing, when 				I read the verses]...he was a messenger  from the
Son of man. The Son of man 				is Christ. He's the One that you're
feeding on. You're not feeding on a man. 				A man, his words will fail,
but you're feeding on the unfailing Body-Word 					of the Son of man.

	In other words, the Word of this hour we're living on, and when you
receive the Word of God, you become the Word of God in your flesh, and
that makes for the transfiguration.

47.	Now, as this mortal takes on immortality... Now, we're over here in
Church Order.

	We say this:  [Question and Answers 08-23-64] 

[51]  	 Now, after His death, (of Jesus Christ, death,) burial,
(resurrection, and so on,) 				ascension, the Holy Ghost, Saul on his
way down to Damascus, was struck 					by a Pillar of Fire, the Logos.
And that Jew  never would've called the Pillar 				of Fire, "Lord,"
unless he knew It was the same Logos that his people followed 			
through the wilderness. Now, that was not the Son of man; that was the
Logos.

	Well, certainly that wasn't Jesus Christ in human form. Pillar of Fire
is not the Son. What woman had a baby ...?... the Pillar of Fire?
Merciful God, what nonsense. That substance of God was the Pillar of
Fire who reduced to a sperm and an egg and put in a woman's womb.
There's your Son of man.  

 [52] 	Now, we say this with reverence, and love, and respect. See? As
Jesus Christ 				the same yesterday, today, and forever, and also that
in the last days, as it 					was before Lot's time, or in Lot's time in
Sodom, so shall it be in the day that 				the Son of man reveals Himself
again, revealing Himself. Now, in this last 					day the Logos that was
upon Jesus--which has become from that back to the 				Pillar of Fire
again  has descended down on the earth. 

	Then were was It before? It wasn't down on the earth. And I could read
on and on and on.

48.	Okay We want to close off here.  [Paradox 12-10-61]

[82]	In this Christmas (he preached it December 10] people are shopping,
and 					dancing, and drinking,  celebrating something that they know
nothing about, 				like they was celebrating Washington or Lincoln's
birthday, and not 					worshipping God. They still got God in a
manger...

	Where have they got God today? In creeds and dogmas and something else.
He's not in the Pillar of Fire. He's not with the Bride. See, that's
where they've got it all messed up, that's what they think. 

		But God is not in a manger. He has raised from the dead, and alive
forever...

	Now, how could God die and be raised? We showed you that on the board
the other day, how those genes of the male and female genes and
chromosomes explains the whole thing. It was the attributes. And when
you get the attributes that is God in a form. And that's a form that
could die. But Spirit couldn't. See? I hope you understand that.

49.	Look brother/sister, I told you about the animals, He said, "Let the
earth bring forth the beast of the field." Come on, come on, you know
the earth doesn't bring forth beast. You've been to evolution or
something stupid. The beast was there to be clothed. Where are the
spirits of things now? They're waiting to be clothed. Do you think
animals aren't coming back in a resurrection?  The prophet saw. He saw
his dog and his horse.

	"Oh," you say, "I think that was just a..."

	Well, you call it what you want. See, I'm a realist, I'm really a
Christian and I'm really going to get there with a real God that's a
real body, and it's going to be really good. I know I got to be changed
to fully appreciate it, but so do you. So that lets us in the same boat.


		...He's not in a manger, He's alive forevermore... proving Himself, as
the same 				God that the Nicene fathers carried, and down through the
ages has come 					since the day of Pentecost. The same God that met
Paul on the road to 					Damascus; he was a missionary to the Gentile a
messenger from God to 					the Gentiles. (Listen:) The Gentile's Message
(now notice, the Gentile's Message, 				didn't say, "the church open,"
the Gentile's Message) started by a visitation of 					the Pillar of
Fire, and it ends the same way. 

	That's not Pentecost. That's not the baptism. That's the One Who
brought the Message to the man who was full of Holy Ghost. Now, it says
you've got the same thing. That's what Bro. Branham said, "Just think
how wonderful, the same Pillar of Fire that brought the Word to Paul, is
here revealing It." Right?

[83] 	The Gentile kingdom started off, the kingdom of the world (That's
the world.) 				started off with a rebuke from a heavenly language in
the days of king 					Nebuchadnezzar; ends up the same thing, as the
Holy Ghost poured out upon 				the Gentile church at the last days to
rebuke the Gentile nations again with a 				handwriting on the wall...

50.	What handwriting was on the wall? The Seven Church Ages, written on
the Branham Tabernacle. "Oh," you say, "Bro. Vayle..."

	Don't Bro. Vayle me. If you can believe the Bible, Nebuchadnezzar's
palace, the handwriting was on the wall, you can believe the handwriting
was on William Branham's Tabernacle walls too. Because if I can't
believe that, there's no use me trying to believe it was on
Nebuchadnezzar's wall. Fap! Why should I? Oh, the hand of God write in
some dumb heathen place. He sanctified the very hills Sinai when he
stood there. I'm using my words well. Don't worry, and very wisely. I
don't feel one bit of condemnation, because I'm not condemned. You know
the only reason He could write that handwriting on that wall of
Nebuchadnezzar? Because the prophet was there, Daniel.

	Now, at the end time, the same writing came on the wall, the Pillar of
Fire wrote the Seven Church Ages out. William Branham stood there and
the people saw a reflection. "So, I don't think I can take it." I can
take it, right down the line. The only thing I can't take, I'm miserable
because I wasn't there. Just might as well tell the truth.

		...the handwriting on the wall, that God has prepared His Church, He's
					prepared His people, He has prepared His place, and they're waiting
for 					Him to come.

	Now, what one's he talking about? "The LORD said to my lord, sit thou
at my right hand." [Mk 12:36] The LORD Himself shall descend and take us
up to meet the Lord in the air. Which Lord? The Lord Jesus Christ. "For
God hath made Him both Lord and Christ." [Acts 2:36] And when God did,
He didn't say, "I'll step aside I'm no longer Lord."

51.	Oh, come on, come on. No brother/sister, somebody's mixed up, and
we're not mixed up, I can't believe that for a minute.

		And that rapture. "When the trumpet of God will sound... 

		Remember, this was written in '61 Bro. Branham preached the whole
truth, of Rapture in '65, actually he told us in '65 nobody had the
revelation of the Rapture till that time. Right? Exactly what he said.
So let's not fool with it.

		"When the trumpet of God will sound, the dead in Christ rise, we which
are 				alive and remain shall not hinder them that's asleep. For the
trumpet of God 				will sound, the dead in Christ will rise; and we'll
be caught up together with 				them, to meet the Lord in the air." A
paradox, one of these mornings, when 				the graves open and the dead
walks out; and the ones who are living will be 				changed in a moment
in a twinkling of an eye, go up in the air to meet Him.

	Now, the way he says this, is the way the Rapture speaks. Watch what he
says here: 

[82] 	It's a paradox, one of these days, when Jesus comes; the dead in
Christ will					 rise, and this mortal takes on immortality...

	Well, just a minute, I thought the dead would have already risen and to
be here for several days, and then we'll get our change; then He'll
...?... and we'll get Him? Does he contradict himself? No. He's not
contradicting himself. No. I don't care how you put it. What is he
doing? He's simply telling you what's going to happen at the literal
time that we meet Jesus. There'll be a Resurrection, there'll be a
change to immortality, we're going to be caught up and see Him.

52.	What does the Bible say actually per se? "The Lord Himself shall
descend from heaven with a Shout, the voice of the archangel, the Trump
of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first." And Bro. Branham went
right through It, word by word. I.e., [that is] he's not pitting
Scripture against Scripture. One place he just gives a general
statement, throws it together, the next place he quotes the literal
Scripture, and then he explains it back in 1965.

	Well, that took care of this for the time being. So we won't have to
deal...anymore. He goes into the prayer line, and then he talks some
back here, but I...just a few pages and I am not going to go into it.
Although there's some things in here that (you know) they're quite good,
but you can read for yourself page 34 from paragraph 233 and you'll see
that.

	Now let's just pray for a second shall we:

	Heavenly Father, we look to You, we thank You for the time we've had
together. And we know, Lord God, that forceful speaking is not what
counts. It's whether Your Word is what was truly preached as It should
be. And we know also, Lord, that the strong statements do not overcome
the enemy, it's only Your Word that overcomes the enemy.

	And so we do not put anything upon ourselves, Lord, how we've said it,
or what we've said, except, Father, we do believe that and in all we
have said what the prophet said. And what can I do, Father, but stand on
it. And I know that You will not back up my words, but You'll back up
Your Own Words. And if I've been wrong, You'll still back up Your Own
Words, You won't back up anything I've said. But You will perform Your
Own Word.

	And, Lord, I can say truly with the prophet that if we're not Bride,
there's a Bride out there somewhere, and by the grace of God I hope I
can say with the prophet, and we can say it together that we won't stand
in her way. I hope we can do that, Lord, I don't know.

	In myself, I know right now I'm a failure, but in You, Lord, I would
look to at least that much of grace that somehow not do it. But, if I'm
wrong, then I have stood in her way, and I've been very, very abysmal.
But I do not believe, Lord, I...at this point I cannot believe as far as
the Word is concerned that that has been done, unless something about me
has not been right, so people misunderstand and get carried away with
wrong things. But, I do believe, Lord, the great Paradox is here. And
the prophet said, "Why It is here?" It's a witness to a promise. And
that promise absolutely [Hebrews] 13:8, and brought It right to the
Rapture.

	And, Father, I cannot change from It, because he said, "Once we believe
this, all we'll see in the Word is That." [Pillar of Fire picture?] And
we know other people will say the same thing, but somebody's got to be
right. And, Lord, by grace we believe we're right with the One who has
proven to be right. Who was vindicated by the great Right One Himself.

	So, Father, here we stand. Help us, Lord, to have the right spirit as
never before. Because we know in this hour we don't only need the truth,
we've got to have a right spirit with it, which we want to go into,
Lord, and see more and more in our lives, because we believe as we talk
about these things and believe them, and stand out here with them that
You will anoint the very Word that will come back upon us. And we then
in turn will be a manifestation of that. Not surely like the prophet,
because he had an office of his own, but we can be like whatever you
gave us to be, Lord, and perhaps very uncomely, but we know amazing
grace makes up for it. We've got Your very Word, and the very thing and
it makes us very happy.

	So now, Lord, as we turn to the Foot-washing and Communion we pray
You'll be with us to give us grace in Thy Name great glory, and unto
Thee we give the praise in Jesus' Name. Amen.

	[Communion service follows] 

	I want to go to John 13, and we'll read this concerning foot-washing,
and we will go to 1 Corinthians 11 after a bit. But I want to read in
John 13 and you'll notice in here that Jesus takes the towel and he
girds himself and he washes their feet. And he said in verse 12:  

		(12) 	So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments,
and 						was set down again, he said, Know ye what I have done to you?
(In 					other words, you know what I've done. Now, He explains.)

		(13) 	(You) call me Master and Lord: and (you) say well; for so I am. 
                                 			(Now, He said, "Master and Lord,"
and He was.)

		(14) 	If I then, your Lord and Master, washed your feet; (you) also
ought 					to wash one another's feet.

		(15) 	For I have given you an example, that (you) should do as I have
done 					to you.

	 Now watch what He said:

		(16) 	(Truly, truly,) I say unto you, The servant is not greater than
his lord; 					neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. 

	Now, you understand what He said? "The servant is not greater than the
Lord." And He steps it up. "Neither he that is sent greater than he that
sent him." So, somebody is a servant to a master, because somebody was
sent by the master.

		(17) 	If (you) know these things, happy are (you) if ye do them.

		(18) 	I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the
scripture 					may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath
lifted up his heel 					against me. (Now, that's the heel of Satan right
there, because that man 					became incarnated to bruise the Head of the
seed of the woman.)

		(19) 	Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass,
(you) may 					believe that I am...

	Now, this could be a hodge-podge if you don't put it together. Because
it can sound like, "Well I tell you what: we're going to go to town
today. Oh, by the way, did you hear that I went to town yesterday? Now,
when we go to town today we will have dinner at a certain restaurant. Oh
my, I think I forgot to give the car keys to the boy."

	He's not doing that. He's not doing...everything is in here with an
order to it. Now He said:

		(18) 	I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the
scripture 					may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath
lifted up his heel 					against me.

	Now, He's putting this whole thing in context. Now, let's keep reading.

		(19) 	Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass,
(you) may 					believe that I am he.

	Now watch:

		(20) 	(Truly, truly,) I say, He that receiveth whomsoever I send
receiveth me; 					and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

	Now watch:

		(16) 	...The servant is not greater than his lord; neither (is) he
that is sent greater 				than he that sent him. 

	And then He tells you repeating It down here that there are certain
things that will come to pass that He will be in Himself that you will
not understand until afterward. And He tells you conclusively it has to
do with somebody being sent. See? And He said, "I'm telling you this so
that you're forewarned." And this is in the same category of Luke 17.
"You'll desire to see one of the days of the Son of man and you will not
see It until a certain time, and when you see It, that's the time."

	Now, He's saying the same thing here. See? Now, there's something,
therefore you will know that you will be involved in. That has to do
with the one who sends somebody. And the only reason that he will send
him, is because there is a Message and a promise that must be fulfilled.
And that's what He said in Paradox.  

	Now, you get a big mystery here concerning Foot-washing. It's to learn
in honor to prefer each other and to be humble, and to know the very
thing that you are doing is the setting where in Jesus Christ Himself
said, "I am going to tell you something that's very simple, that's very
humbling, that's a great paradox. Now, somebody is going to send
somebody and that person is not greater than the one that sends him."
Then why did people make William Branham Jesus Christ? And they did. And
he's not! He's a servant.

	Now, if you're in the right atmosphere, and you're in the right place,
you're doing Foot-washing and these things, and most people don't do
Foot-washing, they think it's just some little silly thing.

	Now notice: verse 19.

		(19) 	Now I tell you before it come, when it is come to pass, (you)
may 						believe that I am he. (That I Am. That's because He was I Am.)

		(20) 	Verily... I say, He that receiveth whomsoever I send (receives)
me...	

	Now, the Pentecostal world under Gordon Lindsay wrote a book called: 'A
Man Sent From God'. And turned right around and denied it. You say,
"Then he that receives William Branham at this end-time (if we have this
thing right,) actually receives the Lord Jesus Christ." That is exactly
right. 

	And He that received Him, and you go back to Matthew 25, "Behold, the
Bridegroom," receives the marriage, the whole thing. Invisible union, he
receives all of it, and you're part of that great Bride.

	Now, you'll notice at this particular time that Jesus, Himself,
ministered in humility as a servant when He was their Lord. And the same
thing repeats at the end-time, that Jesus Christ literally, as it were,
because He said, "He that is washed all over need not, save wash his
feet." [Jn 13:10] The same One came down here....[tape two ends] 				 

	

  

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