Perfect Faith #10

 Master of Circumstances

September 9, 1987

	Heavenly Father, we want to thank You again for Your Presence, which
has been vindicated amongst us, thoroughly proven and shown, Lord, this
hour of visitation when You descended with a Shout, came down and set
Yourself at the head of the Church, not just to make Yourself known as
the Husband of the Bride, but to raise the dead, and then to take the
same people away to a Wedding Supper, the great Incarnation. 

	We pray, Father, tonight that we will not be those who are so ignorant
as to be careless concerning this great time of the invitation to the
Wedding Supper, the King Himself here, and we, not perhaps oblivious to
it, but almost in the sense that we’re not as sincere as we ought to
be. So, help us, Lord. The prophet said this was his ministry, to
declare that You’re here. May this be our life, Lord, to receive that
and to recognize the fact that You are here, and to then bring forth the
fruit which is commensurate to it. 

	We know, Lord, of ourselves we cannot do anything, but with You, all
things are possible in our hearts, minds and lives. So, help us, Lord,
to come to that place where we ought to be, and we’ll give You the
praise in Jesus’ Name. Amen. 

	You may be seated. 

1.	Now this is “Perfect Faith #10”, and in this subject of perfect
faith we recognize that Bro. Branham has defined this faith, which he
calls ‘perfect faith’, and sometimes ‘a faith’, to be a
substance faith. And the term ‘substance faith’ speaks to us as,
first of all, being absolutely real, in contradistinction to that which
is merely imagined, or some law that works at times, but is not a
hundred percent truly applicable as to be a definite, consistent
performer. In other words, it’s kind of desultory, scattered, not
truly dynamic with a true sense of direction.

	Secondly, we are assured that faith is absolutely more dynamic through
prayer, working in our behalf, than anything or any powerful condition
working against us. So, we notice those two things: the reality of
faith: It is apprehendable; it is comprehendable. It is usable to the
extent that it never fails. Faith visualizes and materializes Rom 8:31,
which says, “If God be for us, who can be against us?”

2.	Now, last Sunday in paragraph 114, page 20, we saw what the perfect
substance faith of the ministry of Elijah was providing for us and
working in us, and we took a whole hour and a half on one paragraph.
Number one: it was revealing and producing a new creature people that
were a part of the whole of God’s roster of faith. In Heb 11:32-40,
you’ll notice:

(32)     And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell
of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also,
and Samuel, and of the prophets: 

(33)	Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained
promises, stopped the mouths of lions.

	And, of course, previous to this, he mentions the faith of Abel. So,
this is the full panoply of the Old Testament of the four thousand
years, of course, that were ahead of us here. And, actually, you could
name all those great ones with this that you know about through the
history since about…what? about 50-some…50 A.D.

(33)	Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained
promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 

(34)	Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out
of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight
the armies of the aliens. 

(35)	Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were
tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better
resurrection: 

(36)	And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea,
moreover of bonds and imprisonment: 

(37)	They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain
with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being
destitute, afflicted, tormented; 

(38)	(Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and
in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. 

(39)	And these all, having obtained a good report through faith,
received not the promise: (New Jerusalem still hasn’t come. The
closest anybody’s got is in the First Resurrection, the first half of
it. That was the promise. Now It says, in verse 40:)

(40)	God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us
should not be made perfect.

	In other words, these people here, who went through all of that, on the
condition of the promise of the New Jerusalem, the eternal Resurrection,
show the fruits of faith in their lives, which the Lord demanded,
showing their worthiness of it. As the Bible says, “Any man that puts
his hand to the plough and turns back is not worthy of the Gospel.”
[Lk 9:62]

3.	Now It says, “God has provided some better thing for us at the end
time, that they without us should not be made perfect.” So, we’re
looking at our inclusion in this chapter of faith here, where Bro.
Branham designates that literally we are a new creature type of church,
which is not simply rebirth, but it’s an end-time manifestation which
we’ll be wholly aware of, and a part of the eye age—the revelation.
We don’t know just what all is incumbent there, but it will be
manifested. So, it’s a new creature people. 

	Two, it was producing a rapturing condition. Now, remember that Bro.
Branham stated he would preach on the conditions of the Rapture when he
spoke on “The Wings of a Snow White Dove”, over there in Shreveport,
Louisiana, in November of ’65. And one of the conditions of the
Rapture was the ‘Shout’, and he also said, “The Rapture is a
revelation.”

	So, you will notice, when he started the sermon, he let us know that
nobody understood the Rapture, the Appearing, until that hour when he
gave it. And this revelation of the Message, in the Message, and the
Message being a revelation, puts us under the Shout, which, of course,
will bring about a Resurrection, and this is a rapturing condition. And
this faith, of course, was not previously a faith that could be
apprehended. It was there in potential, but now we are at the end time.

4.	Thirdly, the established rapturing condition was bringing us, through
the true baptism with the Holy Ghost, into the Kingdom wherein you and
God were alone, which speaks of a true identification and unity, which
have not been previously known, though known, but not to this end, which
is, as we showed you, an Edenic concept, where Adam was with God alone,
and able, therefore, to go to the Tree of Life.

	Now, you know yourself, the Kingdom of God is not you and God alone:
It’s a body, but it’s you and God alone in rebirth. But, since Bro.
Branham is teaching along these lines, I have to stay, as I believe, and
correctly so, with what he is actually bringing us at this particular
moment. An altar call is not what is being involved. That’s why I
watch what we are saying here.

5.	So, we’re just going to go back and read again the paragraph 114 on
page 20, and there’ll be other precepts, then, that’ll devolve as we
go along. And he says:

[114]	And so, when a man lives by faith and walks by faith, I mean
substance faith, and there never was a time of substance faith as there
is today, not even in the time of Paul. It was not said of Paul,
“Greater works than this shall you do.” He is isolated from the
entire world and becomes a new creature in Christ. 

	Now, of course, you understand, also, that anybody coming in under this
Message comes in with greater faith and a greater fruitage. And this is
why people in my age marvel at the new converts, in most cases, are so
different from converts of the past. There’s a substance there.
Because of the purity of the Word, you get a perfect faith right there.
See?

[114]	…There, now you’re getting into Bride material. He tells you
right there: this new creature is getting into Bride material, and, of
course, you’re speaking of Bride material at this time—not going
back to the sixth age or the fifth age. He’s talking ‘now’.
…See, you’re getting into rapturing conditions now. That means for
each one of us, not just the pastors, deacons, trustees, that means for
the laity, every individual walks in a world with God alone. You’re
baptized into this kingdom; there’s nobody in there but you and God.
See? All right.

	You notice right there you’re not looking at simply the rebirth and a
body, because then, his statement, according to my understanding, would
not hold to all the rest of the Word. So, you have to see where he’s
going. All he’s talking about this new creature, Bride material,
rapturing conditions. Well, then, you don’t go outside of that
perimeter. You have to stay within that spirit; that is to say, if I’m
teaching… And he, under inspiration, is a far greater teacher than I
am. Now, if I can use human laws here, what about the laws of God? They
would not be erratic; he would hold to the subject. 

6.	Now, notice:

[114]	…He gives the orders, and you carry them out. Now, right here
again, you notice he’s talking also about himself in this picture,
which he always does. Whatever He says, there’s not a shadow of doubt
anywhere, you walk right on. If the Lord says this, there’s nobody in
the world can talk you out of it; you go right on, just the same.
You’ll see that repeat down here, when he talks about Satan trying to
deal with us and get us off track. Now you’re coming into perfect
faith, perfect perfection, that cannot fail. That faith never fails. 

	Now, that’s right there with 1 Cor 13:10 where, “Whether there be
tongues and prophecies,” and so on, “they’ll fail,” and all
these things, but you’re coming down to the end of the wire where,
“Now abideth faith, hope and love.” And you’re coming to a
perfection. You can hardly come to a perfection in love without the
perfection and earnest expectation and faith. You just couldn’t; you
couldn’t do it. 

	So, what you’re seeing here is the encouragement to believe in this
hour that you already obtain, and can bring into use in your own life,
that which has not been seen through the ages, to come to this
particular area, because no one could come to a rapturing faith. So, and
Bro. Branham said some time ago, “We hardly have faith for a little
healing,” what about Rapture? So, you can tell that this is far beyond
anything that Mark 16 is involved in, because the false anointed can
produce that left and right, and have gifts and everything else. And you
can’t major in a minor. So, if what you’re majoring in at this hour
is restoration… And restoration bespeaks, positively, the earth coming
back to its former condition before man befouled it. 

7.	So, what you’re looking for is Edenic conditions. And, remember;
Eden was already fallen when God dealt with man; so, God’s got to
bring him right back to that position. Alpha and omega must be the same.
And I believe that’s what we’re looking at. That’s why God is here
now dealing with us, the same as He came down to deal with the beginning
of our salvation. He could not leave it to anybody; He had to come and
do it Himself with Adam. So, at the end time, He is doing this. The Lord
Himself has descended with a Shout, and this is part of what we’re
seeing and what he’s letting us know here. 

8. 	We’ve sold ourselves short on the reality of faith, because
we’ve seen it manifested. And, when you and I sell ourselves short,
then we’re in a precarious position of wandering in the wilderness,
until God can bring us into shape to take us over. I know many people
feel, “Well, you know, it’s just zip-zip-zip…the Lord
descends…this, that.”

	According to the prophet, that’s not how it goes. So, we’re not
allowed to allow ourselves the dubious luxury, if you want to call it
that, of foolishness to take us down. As Israel was very foolish, they
could have gone to the Promised Land. Actually they were within just a
hop, skip, and a jump of walking in, and they just wandered around and
around, just like a chicken, you know, trying to find a gate, the hole
the stupid thing crawled out of! And then, they said, “Well, let’s
go back to Egypt.”

	See? You’ve got to understand these things. This is a book on faith
that you’re dealing with. These things, started right in chapter 4,
and we have to take this and apply it to ourselves and see the gravity
of the situation, that we positively just begin to grow more and more
into this with our thoughts and our minds. 

9.	Now we’ve come a long way. For instance, the pope’s coming over
here, and, you know, he stands up as though he’s infallible. Well,
that’s a bunch of hogwash. He hasn’t even got enough brains to pick
his nose. I mean… The Bible tells you that.

	 You say, “I’m going to town tomorrow.”

	Who said you’re going to go to town? You’ll be dead tomorrow
morning. I mean, the man’s a liar; he’s a honky-tonk liar is what he
is. Let’s face it. There’s nobody shallower or more superficial than
he is, and yet we stand that we have had a prophet who is infallible.
The Catholic Church was right: There is an infallibility, but they
don’t have it. They can’t produce one thing. They can’t produce
the thing everybody else isn’t producing. We sit back here; we don’t
have to produce anything, but just stick with this Word here, let this
Word work out. And where there are certain things, of course, incumbent
upon us to do, we just do them. All right.

10.	Now, let’s just read on to 115:

[115]	We are taught to resist the devil, (Now here’s another law laid
down.) and he will flee from us. Now, to ‘resist’ is to just simply
‘turn him down’; just resist him, that is just walk away from it. 

	Now, does this mean to simply ignore? Well, yes, and no. Can you simply
ignore some things, and say they’ll go away? No. You simply can’t
ignore things. How do you simply walk away from the devil? Because
you’ve got something to walk away with. How’d you like to turn your
back on somebody you know that could stab you? 

	Well, you say, “Sure, if I’ve got some nice armor plate back there,
and I’ve got this helmet on, and it’ll dull his knife or break
it—if all he’s got is, you know, something that would almost be
rubber, to haul off and, you know, to strike me.”

	Well, you could afford to turn, but can you afford to run from, well,
you know, to fool with one of these pit bulls? This is not talking like
something like that. I mean, no man in his right man would just say,
“Well, ignore it, ignore it, ignore it.” That’s not a principle of
faith. See?

	So, what’s he telling you here? He’s telling you, because he’s
going to talk about Jesus a little way down the road here, you know that
he’s talking and basing upon how Christ treated the devil. You’ve
got to have something to defeat him with, or to ignore him. You know
you’ve got to have something that’s versatile, that’s applicable,
that’s indomitable, when you’re dealing with a guy like that. So,
what have you got? Well, you’re fortified to do it. See?

	Now, this is what he’s talking about. You can afford to do this
because of what you have. Like faith is over all; it’s like that
umbrella, like the great piece of mail there, and of course, it’s
based upon the Word.

11.	Now, he said, “Just walk away from it.” Okay. Now, how are you
supposed to walk? You can’t walk, unless you be agreed, and the Lord
wants us to walk with Him. So, when you walk away from the devil,
you’re walking with the Lord.

	How do you know you’re walking with the Lord? Because you’re
walking with the Word. So, all these things we want you to be conversant
with, and be helpful.

[115]	…God said a certain thing; no matter what he’s trying to tell
you, you don’t even listen to him. So, God said something, the devil
says something, you don’t listen. So, what are you abiding by? The
Word of God. See? It comes down to the Word all the time. You don’t
listen to Satan. Your ears are deaf to anything else but what the Spirit
says. What does the Spirit say? The Word, see: speaking Word. “To him
that has an ear, (That’s who listens.) see what the Spirit says to the
churches;” the one that’s got the listening post… What church has
got the listening post? Bride. We do. …That catches what the Spirit
says to the churches. Okay. 

	What does the Spirit say to the churches? Well, let’s go over here to
Revelation 3, and you can just see what the last day situation is.

(14)	Unto the messenger which is in the church of the Laodiceans write;
(He’s right there in the Laodicean church. Now we’ve got to come out
of it.) These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the
beginning of the creation of God; (Okay.)

(15)	I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou
wert cold or hot.

(16)	So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will
spue thee out of my mouth. (Now, that’s the truth. Some people are
going to argue that one.)

(17)	Because you say, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need
of nothing; and knowest not that you’re wretched, and miserable, and
poor, and blind, and naked. 

12.	Now, in the light of theology and what is taught by the decent,
respectable, fundamental churches, and many of those are very dynamic in
their doctrine as concerning justification, they may not be so
super-duper concerning sanctification. But the funny thing is, you’ll
notice, that those are great on justification, bypass sanctification;
and those that yap about sanctification, are hardly ever been justified.
They’re a bunch of legalists, and they’ve got nothing but their own
works. They’re not getting anywhere. They never had any real, genuine
experience. So, now you come to the place where it looks like nobody’s
got anything. Well, it doesn’t look like it. That’s true.

	Now, what are you going to do with this? Do you think that they’re
going to admit to this thing here? And they could quote you Bible—got
big Bible schools. They’ve got everything all lined up, and say,
“Hey, you bunch of miserable, poor, naked people.” You know?

	He says:

(18)	I counsel you to buy of me gold tried in the fire, you may be rich;
white raiment, you may be clothed, the shame of thy nakedness do not
appear; (Come and get some eyesalve.) anoint your eyes with eyesalve,
that you may see.

	Now, they’re not going to believe that. Now, that is exactly what
people must see in the Laodicean concept, or he’s not been liberated.
He’s got to see why that in the midst of this, he’s still got to
become a new creature. It’s not that a lot of these are not born
again. Actually, the born-again experience, as Bro. Branham said,
“You’ll find out someplace in your life, it’s not a matter of you
getting eternal life. You always had eternal life. You just wake up to
it.” See? 

13.	Now, let’s just find that all these people that believe in the
total depravity of man, which is all right, but believe in complete
reprobation, as though everyone were a reprobate or a goat. I mean,
there’s nothing holds water in the light of this Message. There’s
nothing holds water. So, you can see where Bro. Branham said, “When
you come to this perfect faith, which has been demonstrated by the
providential acts of Almighty God, and the revelation is now yours, you
are stepping into a new creature situation.” See? Not rebirth. No,
that’s… Rebirth is great, and we’re all for it, but a man says
he’s reborn, and then turns this down? There’s no way, because the
Word is not in him. Let’s face it: There is no place in his life for
the Word, so he couldn’t be reborn. All right.

14.	And then, he said:

(20)	Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice,
and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him.

	Now the point is (Larkin saw this very clearly.) that Christ was put
outside the church, knocking to get back in, and a beautiful picture was
made by a lovely artist. I forget his name. Christ is knocking at the
door, and there’s no handle on the door. So you, from the inside, must
open the door, and then, of course, to the individual, that bespeaks,
really, of an individual experience with Christ—inviting Christ into
your life. 

	But that’s not what Larkin says, and it’s not what Bro. Branham
said. Larkin was right. He’s trying to get back into the church;
He’s trying to get back to headship, to which He’s entitled, and
this is why Bro. Branham said, “God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, comes
down, sets Himself at the head of the Church.” That’s why you see 1
Corinthians 15. You see? All right. 

	Now, they don’t want him though to do that. They’re plumb against
it. Okay.

15.	How many people will believe Rev 10:1-7? How many will believe Rev
22:10, the Seals are open? And right now it’s the Edenic condition,
where there’s a direct confrontation, one-to-one, determining whether
you, like Adam, will stretch forth your hand and go in. And, by the
grace of God, there’ll be quite a number going in—stretching forth
the hand. They’ll make a little, tiny Bride that will be standing
here, to be caught away in that Rapture. All right.

	He said: “The one that’s got the listening post…” Who’s got
the listening post? “And catches what the Spirit says.” That’s the
Bride. Nobody else will get it, and you cannot hear the Word of God
outside of this Message. Bro. Branham said, “Nothing outside of this
Message will come to life.” That’s in this last church age:
“Nothing outside of this Message will come to life.”

	Now, either you believe that…

	You say, “Well, I think Bro. Branham was just merely trying to be
emphatic.”

	You got to be kidding. He wasn’t emphatic; he was judgmental.
You’re gone. See? Now, that’s what a lot of people… They think
‘love’ is something to soft-pedal. Now, sure, back away from
unbelievers, saying, “Oh, that’s fine. I’m glad you’re going.”
Walk off. But, look; realize that’s not the way it is. See?

16.	Now he said, “You resist Satan.” Now we resist Satan by using
the messenger of the Word of the hour. This is our answer to him. And,
of course, we turn away from what Satan says involving individual
situations over which we have prayed by quoting God’s Word, like Bro.
Branham said, “They came by, and,” he said, “Abraham, you’re
seventy-five years old.”

	“Bless God! Going to have him anyway.”

	“Now you’re ninety.”

	“Bless God! Going to have him anyway.”

	“Now you’re a hundred. You must be crazy.”

	“Bless God! Going to have him anyway.”

	“What’s all that in the corner?”

	“What it is,” he says, “that’s the booties and the, what he
called, ‘bird’s eye’, which is an absorbent, looser type of knit
they use for diapers. I think some of you older folk might know about
it. He said, “There’s the big pins, and nail them down, so the baby
won’t get hurt.” And he just went on believing what God said. And no
matter what anybody said, that didn’t do him one bit of harm. He
didn’t care.

17.	[116]	What Satan says is, “Well, I just can’t see that.” That
doesn’t have anything to do with it. See?

	What’s he talking about there? Oh, something…maybe divine healing.
Not so much, but I think more like: Elijah’s got to come.

	“What’s He got to do with my salvation? Hey! I’m born again.”

	You born again and not able to recognize the one that God sends?
You’ve got a funny rebirth, kid. Maybe you’re still-born, or a part
of you is missing. Shhh, I don’t understand that.

[116]	…”Well, if you teach that, the denomination will put you
out.”

	What’s he talking to here? Really, to preachers. He’s telling the
preachers, “You better line up.” Remember, he tells them: There’ll
be some good men that they’ve been told they wouldn’t have their
pensions if they believed Bro. Branham. So, they took their pensions.
They’re going to lose that, too. Don’t they know the system is going
to go down? All right.

[116]	…They’ll put you out. That doesn’t have anything to do with
it, the believer goes right on just the same. So, that goes right down
to laity also. So, 117:

[117]	“He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches.”

	There’s always been ‘churches’, whether you know it or not.
“I’m of Paul,” “I’m of Apollos,” “I’m of Peter,
Cephas,” “I’m of this; I’m of that.” And a bunch were of John
the Baptist. True. Baptist, Methodist, Trinitarian, Oneness, Twoness,
God knows what: those that call themselves ‘Christians’ and don’t
believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ under any circumstances at all,
believe nothing of the propitiatory powers of God. The churches, see.
Bro. Branham called them ‘lodges’, but they’re churches. Okay.

18.	[117]	…Hear what the Spirit says to the churches. That’s why he
said, “I indict this generation,” and turned around and said,
“Methodist, Baptist, witchcraft.” Idolators.

	Rebellion is the sin of witchcraft, and they rebelled against God. Who
rebelled against God? The devil. What’s he got? A bunch of covens and
warlocks and witches. Put that down for a church. That’s right. I
think maybe you’d say, “That’d fit the Mormons.”

	No, that’ll fit the Methodists, too. If you didn’t mean the
Methodists had anything on the ball to kill old Joe Smith—hang him for
a horse thief… I don’t think he stole any horses. He might have
winked at some of their women; I don’t know. Figured the Mormons had a
better deal than the Methodists had. Carnal bunch of so-called
Christians, see? All right. 

19.	[117]	“He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit said to
the churches.” Now, this is the mind age, as you well understand, and
the mind is getting to God by way of hearing.

	Now, let’s go, and go back to something I haven’t said for a long,
long time, and it may be that some of you sitting here never heard this.
So, I want you to read It with me; it’s in 1 Samuel 3. If you
haven’t got a Bible, it’s okay. You just go ahead and listen, as I
read It. Now this is a story of God speaking in an audible voice to his
young servant, Samuel, who was there, reared under Eli, and Samuel would
be a prophet and the high priest. And, when God spoke:

(5)	(He ran and said, “Eli, you called me.” And he said, “No, I
didn’t,” he said, “you go and lie down.”)

(6-7)	(After the boy came the second time and third time….)

(9)	Old Eli perceived it must be God speaking to him, So, he said,
“I’ll tell you what you do,” he said, “you go lie down, and the
next time the Voice speaks to you, you say, “Speak, Lord, for Thy
servant heareth.” So, Samuel went and lay down in his place. All
right. Now:)

(11-14)	(Then the LORD told Samuel exactly what was going to happen. He
told him everything. Samuel did not see one thing, but notice in verse
15:

(15)	And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house
of the LORD. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision. (He saw it with
his ears. All right. And in verse 21:)

(21)    	And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: (the LORD appeared in
Shiloh.) for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word
of the LORD.

	So, therefore, a true appearing must have the Word. For you to be a
part of the Appearing, you’ve got to come to this Word. And your
hearing of the Word, and receiving It, is no different from Bro. Branham
having a vision.

20.	Now I know you’d like to consider that you’re a little bit
weaker, a little toned down, and that, my, it just doesn’t hold. But
I’m going to tell you something, brother/sister: If you read the Bible
very carefully, you will find that everybody is responsible for his
little bit, or big bit, in whatever position he holds, and God holds him
just as responsible with a little bit as with a lot, for He gave one man
ten pounds and five pounds and one pound, illustrating faith, and He
held each one responsible.

	Now, the little fellow who said, “Well, I just haven’t got enough
on the ball, and I haven’t got enough, and it’s just too bad. I just
can’t do it,” and he came back to the Lord, and the Lord said,
“Okay. Take it from him that has this pound, so he’s got nothing,
and give it to the guy that’s got the ten pounds.”

	They said, “Well, Lord, this guy’s already got a bunch.”

	He said, “That’s how I do things. If you’re faithful in much,”
He said, “you’ll get much.”

	And this fellow just wouldn’t rise to the occasion.

	So, here we are, brother/sister. If we say we believe this Message, we
have just as much vision, and seen just as much as the prophet by
hearing, because he’s been very faithful to tell us the Word. All
right.

21.	Let’s understand, also, by going to John 8… And you’ve heard
me talk on this many, many times, but there again, you might have lapsed
your memory, or someone might not have heard it. Verse 42:

(42)	Jesus said to the Pharisees, (Israel, the church at that time)…

	Now, let’s hold our finger there, and go back to the Book of Romans,
before we’d even say one thing about these sweet, little boys, and I
want you to see something here till we understand perfectly. All right.
Romans 9 is what you’re going to hear that these people He’s talking
to, who they are.

(1)	I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me
witness in the Holy Ghost, 

(2)	I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. 

(3)	For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my
brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:

(4)	Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory,
and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God,
and the promises;

(5)	Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ
came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

	They had it all, and they had nothing. See?

	Now, let’s go back. And these are the ones he’s talking to, had it
all, at least they thought they did. And yes, carnally they did. See?
The life had passed up through them; they were simply carriers, and
amongst the carriers were serpent seed, and he said in verse 43:

(43)	Why do you not understand my speech? even because you cannot hear
my word. (You can’t get it.)

(47)	He that is of God heareth God’s words. You therefore hear them
not because you are not of God.

	So therefore, when the Word of God came at that time, they weren’t of
God. So, they couldn’t get it. Now, here’s what Jesus himself said.
Does He say any different, being Heb 13:8? Does He say any different to
you tonight? The answer is, “No.” He says no different, because He
can say no different. See? In that respect, Jesus is a robot, can’t
change, because he’s programmed a certain way. The church tries to
program God always, according to what they want. God cannot be
programmed; He was already fully programmed before He uttered one Word:
“Let there be light.” So, we understand these things, don’t we?
All right.

22.	Notice:

[117]	You know, in the Bible, it constantly is saying that. “To him
that has faith. To him that has an ear, let him hear,” see. “To him
that’s got something inside of him, he will respond. See? “He that
has wisdom, let him count the numbers of the beast.” Well, they
don’t have wisdom. How’re they going to count it? How are they going
to know whether it’s the pope? All these different things. “He that
has…”

	Who is he that ‘has’, when it’s talking to the churches? The
Messenger! Who had It in Paul’s day? Paul. I know Peter was a good
man. There’s no doubt about it. But you understand they were laying a
little platform, a little foundation for the Gentile church, which was
to be built upon it. But Paul was the spokesman; he was the one that had
the revelation. Peter was not the spokesman for the Gentiles. He only
became, after a manner, by introducing to the house of Cornelius, but it
was Paul who received the revelation, and he corrected Peter, because
Peter had not gone far enough with this revelation, because he could
not. See? It’s true. Luther could not go as far as Wesley; Wesley
could not go as far as Pentecost; and yet both of those, I believe, were
greater men in their understanding in the Word, but the Word wasn’t at
that time—the capacity wasn’t there. 

	So therefore, we have a capacity and a Word. Bro. Branham’s message
could not come to Pentecost—no way—anymore than Luther’s message
could go to the Catholics. There’s no way. 

23.	[117]	“He that hath…” who is it that’s able to tell the rest
of them. “He that has,” that’s the messenger, “let him tell it
to the rest of them, that they might have.” And then that goes down to
you and me, as we tell what the prophet said. See? In other words the
mysteries of Rev 3:14 and on, Rev 10:1-7, Rev 22:10, and so on, right
down the line. All of those things, the prophet brought us, explaining
carefully by vindication, what was in our hour. We, in turn, pass it on
by the trickle-down experience. Now, “He that has, the messenger, let
him tell it to the rest of them, that they might have.” 

[118]	And that’s by faith we’re talking now, faith that you’ve got
to have, that perfect faith, that faith that says, “Yes!”

	Now Luther had it in his own way. He said, “I can’t do anything
else but stand here!” I don’t care what they did unto Luther. Do you
think Wesley cared two cents what they would do to him? By the grace of
God he stood there; they pillored him and everything else—threw rotten
eggs. Why, the man rode a hundred thousand miles in his lifetime,
preached about two or three times a day for about fifty or sixty solid
years. His horse stumbled and got sick. He prayed for him. So, the horse
got better. God didn’t make the horse better because he just simply
wanted the horse better. He wanted Wesley to have a ride; he was a hard
working man. 

24.	A clown was going down the street, a big, burly guy, one day, and he
said to Wesley, he said, when they were going to meet in a little, tiny,
narrow sidewalk, and he said, “I don’t get off the sidewalk for
fools.”

	Wesley said, “I do,” and simply walked to the other side.” 

	Those old guys had something on the ball. 

	Now you come to this time right today, you’re talking about William
Branham had the perfect faith for this hour, which is above all faith.
The others were pointing to it. Now we’ve got it, see? Now he’s
talking about this messenger.

25.	[118]	And that’s by faith we’re talking about now, faith that
you’ve got to have, that perfect faith, the faith that says,
“Yes!” There’s nothing you’d say “No,” to when it comes to
God.

	Now, come on! Where do you find that in anybody outside of a man of a
genius caliber in the Scripture? Why, this man’s in a tube, but it
doesn’t say we can’t get there on our own level. We’re not
required to say, “THUS SAITH THE LORD, if God tells me to raise
George…” 

	“Well, we could.” 

	No, we couldn’t. How do you know the voice that spoke to you said,
“Go and raise George Washington”? Only a prophet would know the
Voice of God. Paul the apostle witnessed that. I couldn’t do it; I
don’t care what. 

	Look, I’ve heard an audible Voice in my ear. My wife didn’t hear
it. She kept on sleeping. I was sitting bolt right up in bed, this
thundering Voice, just like—almost shake the walls, such a stern,
strong voice… What was said came right to pass, too. You better
believe it.

	Well, you say, “That’s God.”

	Sure, that’s God. And now, if I heard another voice, would that be
God? I got no way of knowing. I’d have to go down and say, “Now,
let’s see George Washington rise,” and they’d shoot me down. I’d
have it coming to me. Or they’d just put me in a little white, you
know, put me in a straightjacket. They’d take me in case I hurt
myself.

26.	[118]	…”Yes!” There’s nothing you’d say “No,” to when
God says, “Yes,” you see. Now, what’s he doing? He’s letting you
know where he stands on the vindicated Scripture that he has brought to
us, and he’s warning us, “Don’t you dare change one Word.” See?
All right. See? When He says “Yes,” it’s “Yes!” Nothing else
can ever take it from you. 

	And that’s true. In other words it absolutely will come to pass. And,
remember; in this Message, it is every Word. And, remember; it is Bride
food. And, remember; nothing is going to take it from you.

27.	Now we saw that Bride food over in Heb 4:9 is where we start.

(9)	There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. (In other
words, there’s coming to a time with this rest.)

(10)	For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his
own works, as God did from his. (Now you’re looking right at something
here that refers right to Jesus Christ Himself.)

(11)	Let us labour (earnestly, speedily. That’s what you’re supposed
to be like here.) to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the
same example of unbelief. (What was that? The time of the Exodus, the
time of the type of the Millennium, going in. Because, remember; God
wanted a theocracy. They changed it to ‘kings’. God didn’t want
that. Now, watch; for this hour:)

(12)	For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any
twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and
spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and discerns the thoughts and
intents of the heart. 

(13)	Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight:
(Bro. Branham proved it.) but all things are naked and opened unto the
eyes of him with whom we have to do. (Now, when that happened, this was
absolutely the proof that you had better watch, because this is the man
you listen to, and he is the representative of the great High Priest,
Who  now takes on the full form of Melchisedec.)

(14)	Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into
the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our (confession). 

(15)	For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the
feeling of our infirmities; all points tempted like we, without sin. 

(16)	Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may
obtain mercy, and find grace and help in time of need.

	We’re looking at this believers’ rest you’re looking at now, and
nothing can take it from us, because we’re committed to it. The only
thing that can take it from us is if it has been a lie. Then we’re all
shot.

28.	Do you know that’s very strange we sit here, and it doesn’t
really affect us. Oh, I know it affects some people, because they
can’t stand the fact; they want to sit on the fence. They want to sit
on the fence so they can fall this way, that way, quickly, if something
came up they liked better.

	And we’ve turned the corner. We’re not on the fence. We’ve
committed our souls, brother/sister, to either heaven or hell, whether
you know it or not. You could change your mind, if you want to. I
don’t know what I’d change my mind to. I’d have to come to one
thing. It’s just, well, just some phenomena. Pbbt! Who knows? And, who
cares? Then, it’s too late to live like a dog, to die like a dog. 

29.	Some of you younger folk might take it upon yourself to do that, you
know, have fun while you can. The AIDS will get you around the corner,
though. See, you’re cut off, too. The liquors not fit to drink; it’s
full of poison. So, I don’t know what you’re going to do. You’re
in a bad fix. If this isn’t God, I just don’t know what you’re
going to do, because, you know, your life is shot. 

	What if this is God? And it is. See? That’s the beautiful part of it.
You show me anybody that’ll touch this. Oh, I know they’ll
talk—talk, talk, talk. And talk is not cheap. And one of the greatest
things of all ages is the fact that God did not challenge these churches
to the test in such a way there was a worldwide confrontation—but
there was. Now I’m going to tell you: Jesus never confronted Rome
either. He drew out a Bride.

30.	I used to think when Bro. Branham died, he’d come back, for one
reason: to give the world the final, great proof that there is a God,
and this was the revelation, the Message. One day, like a voice spoke to
my heart: “Though one rose from the dead, they will not believe.”
Bro. Branham, coming back, he will; it won’t do the unbeliever, it
won’t do the sinner one bit of good. He’ll come back and visit you
and me, and the others of the Seventh Church Age. And the other six will
come up, and we’ll begin to know some of them and some of the others,
till finally the apostle Paul appears, and we’ll go away. Nobody is
going to miss us, thank God. We won’t miss them either; won’t have
any time to.

	You know something? Poor old Isaac, he had himself a terrible time when
his mother died. He was a mama’s boy and a papa’s boy. You can’t
blame the kid. When he got Rebekah, he wasn’t lonesome anymore. He
forgot all the game; forgot about his mother and his father. 

	Just reverse that. We have Christ; you won’t miss anything. You might
think you will. Let me tell you something: There are no disappointments
in heaven wherein is no sorrow nor pain; there’s no crepe on the
doorknob; there’s no tombstones. All right.

31.	[118]	…When He says, “Yes,” it’s “Yes!” Surely is.
Nothing can ever take you from it. Now this goes far beyond the
prophecy; this goes plumb to the Word of this hour. 119:

[119]	With his perfect faith, he was very strange.

	Now I’m sure he’s talking about the Lord Jesus Christ here. And, if
He’s Heb 13:8, He’s still very strange, and He will deal through
prophets, which is very strange, and He’ll speak one more time, and
He’d have to use a prophet, according to the Scripture, and that’s
in Heb 12:25. Just before Mount Zion, He’s got to speak again. The One
that’s from heaven speaks, and He speaks on earth, because the
Thunders are on earth. And that’s very strange. People don’t believe
that. See? 

[119]	…Yes, he was very strange. Way back there in Matthew 4. The
devil didn’t stay around him very long. We got that in the lesson this
morning. When he came with that great, big bluff of intellectual
conception, he bluffed up against Jesus there when he came, and he found
he hit a ten thousand volt line: threw him right back again. Yes, sir.
And Jesus said, “It is written, man shall not live by bread alone!”
Satan got a shock then. 

	Now we have the answer to the devil, not to the theologians. It’s
this Message! And the truth of the matter is this: It’s very strange
the devil will take the answer, but the theologians won’t. So, don’t
waste your time with the theologians; give it to the devil. Tell him the
Word of God for this hour. He can’t stand it. See, he can’t change
either. There’s no way. All right.

32.	[119]	…It is written, that as a shock, like a ten thousand volt
line. Then Bro. Branham says: Satan came a little softer the next time,
more subtle, more appealing, you know. He appealed to his vanity. You
couldn’t get him on the stomach; he got him on his looks, so to speak,
the way his hair was combed and all. “Now, you’re a great man, you
can put yourself up here and be somebody.”

[120]	He said, “Get behind me, Satan.” Oh, my, what he met! “Thou
shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. See. He proved Himself unto Satan that
He was the Lord God. “For it is written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord
thy God.” 

[121]	Now if Satan didn’t know that that was the Lord God, he’d have
said, “Wait a minute, you’re not that person.” But he knew better
than that, to say that to Jesus.

[122]	Jesus knew what ground to stand on. He said, “Thou shalt not
tempt the Lord thy God.” That’s who He was. And Satan knew better
than to say that, because Jesus’ works had already proved that He was
the Lord thy God.

	So, all right. We have the answer, then, for people right today who
want something outside of this Message. And you know there are people
that claim to believe this Message; they’re always looking for
something. What are you looking for? I would like to know. It’s the
same old thing where Jesus had to meet the scribes and Pharisees, having
proved who he was. They said, “Well, listen; we want our own sign.”
That’s somebody instructing God.

33.	Let’s take a look at some of the Scripture here. We might check Jn
13:16. I’ve got a little note here. Now: “Verily, verily, I say unto
you, the servant is not greater than his lord, neither is he that is
sent greater than he that sent him.”

	Now we’re looking at the fact that Bro. Branham could be a servant in
this hour, the same as Jesus was a servant of God, to bear our sins and
all. William Branham was not greater than the Lord. We’re sent, as it
were, by William Branham. We’re not greater than he. We just take what
he said, and we go along with what he said. And then, we turn over here
to Matthew 10, so we can add another verse along here to help us get a
little more insight, I think. And we’ll read Mt 10:24-25.

(24)	The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his
lord.

(25)	It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the
servant as his lord.

	Now there, that elevates you right up there—a perfect and beautiful
identification. We don’t need to try to, what you might say, upstage
God, or anything of this hour, but this Message that Bro. Branham
brought, and Bro. Branham, under vindication, was a servant, but not
greater than the One that sent him, not greater than his Lord, though he
was the messenger. He tells you who he was. But it was enough that he
was as Him, and it’s enough that we are as he is. We don’t become
the Lord Jesus; we don’t perform His signs. We don’t need any of
those things. When a thing has been thoroughly vindicated, it is a slap
in the face of God, it is absolutely a sign of unbelief, to turn your
back on that, and it shows that there’s something missing in your
heart. That’s what Jesus said, and I’ve got to stand with him.

34.	So, Jesus knew what ground to stand on, not tempting God. I believe
many people today in this Message tempt God, because they’re looking
for something else. Bro. Branham said the Bride has every single thing
she needs to put Her in a rapture, and that would mean even if we never
saw the dead come back or had a thing to do with it, and from this point
on, everything bypassed us. We have ‘everything’, he said, (And
‘everything’ must be everything.) not trying to strain at a gnat to
swallow a camel or something else. I’m just making my point. Why did
he say it, if he didn’t mean it? See? There’s no point in a prophet
saying something he doesn’t mean. He better tell us he didn’t mean
it. See?

35.	[123]	Notice! Now, notice. Perfect faith is a master of all
circumstances. In other words, the superdynamics of faith.

	Now, that’s one thing, right there that we’re supposed to school
ourselves in, according to Bro. Branham: to get a vision of the
greatness of faith. Abraham had a pretty good vision of God “Who
raises the dead and calleth those things that are not, as though they
were.” In other words, when a thing is dead, it’s all over. No, God
is going to raise the dead, take every hope that’s dashed, everything
you built, everything can be completely raised up in a resurrection.
…“And calls those things that are not, as though they were.” In
other words it looks down the road and says, “That is that.”
There’s no sign of it, but it says, “That is that.” See?

[123]	…It’s a master of all circumstances. Perfect faith masters all
circumstances. No matter what it is, it masters it. That’s true.

36.	Look what you see over here in Romans 8. We ought to memorize this
and live it in our souls.

(35)	Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation,
or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or
sword?

(36)	As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we
are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

(37)	Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him
that loved us.

	In other words there’s a way out for every single one of these
things, until the time comes when God wants to take us through one of
them, perhaps.

(38)	For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

(39)	Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to
separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

	That’s what it is.

37.	Now, watch:

[123]	…When you believe anything, do anything, and you got faith in
what you’re doing, no matter what the circumstance is, that doesn’t
have one thing to do with it. See, faith masters that circumstance. If
it’s in a room of sickness, and the Lord revealed a certain thing’s
going to happen, you just speak it and go on. 

	In other words Bro. Branham could do that from the vision, “THUS
SAITH THE LORD.” You and I can do it by the Word of Almighty God,
because the assurance has come into our hearts. There is such a thing as
a real assurance that comes in and we know He’s going to do a certain
thing.

38.	Now, let’s look at Phil 4:11-14:

(11)	Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in
whatsoever state I am, to be content. (That means ‘master of
circumstances’.)

(12)	I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where
and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both
to abound and to suffer need. (In other words he doesn’t put any
emphasis on the conditions, whatsoever, even though they are pressing
and depressing, and sometimes great want is there. He doesn’t say,
“Well, there’s no food today, bless God. I know I’ll starve by
tomorrow.” He doesn’t look at it.)

(13)	I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

	And I like the thought in there I brought to you on different
occasions, that I can do all things through Christ in me, Him being
greater than I am. You’re looking at Him. You’re recognizing that
He’s not just someone called along to give you a hand, although that
is true in many respects. (The Paraclete means ‘someone called
alongside to help’.) But actually, to me, it signifies what is in you,
though Christ gives you the confidence that you don’t have a worry,
because He is greater than you, and He is with you. So therefore, you
are already an overcomer. That’s what the word ‘overcomer’ means.
It doesn’t mean, ‘I’m an overcomer, potentially; I’m a believer,
potentially’. I am a believer; I am an overcomer. Then, put it in
practice. How? What he’s talking about here, knowing what faith is…

39.	Now, let’s go a little further: 

[124]	Oh… Just don’t ask any questions. Now Bro. Branham here is
going to inculcate in us what is known as the faith attitude. What is
the attitude of faith, what is the spirit of it, what surrounds, what is
the aura, what’s it like when you’re operating in the realm of
faith? All right. Just don’t ask any questions. It’s already over,
just keep going on, see. It masters all circumstances. 

	What he’s telling you here: When you and I pray, and the prayer is
sincere, it’s a Scriptural prayer, we examine our hearts and lives,
our motives, and we pray, he said, “All right, don’t begin
questioning: how’s it going to be done, when it’s going to be done,
where’s it going to be done, anything like that. Don’t ask
questions. It’s already over, just keep moving.” See? That’s the
atmosphere. It masters all circumstances. 

	You say, “Well, what if such and such happens?

	It hasn’t got a thing to do with it. See? That’s the trouble with
sickness.

	You say, “Well, what about if we get sicker tomorrow?”

	Many times it happens—most of the time. You’ve got to just keep
going on, just keep going on..

	“What if my bills get higher and higher?”

	Well, as long as you’re not adding to them, foolishly, flagrantly,
like a lot of people do, (You’re just trying to work things out.)
don’t worry about it. God’s going to work it out. If you’re
faithful to what you’re supposed to do, God will do it. 

[124]	…That…you see, it already got it mastered.

40.	Now we showed you before that faith does not ask questions, and we
gave you the Scripture, which is in Romans 10. So, let’s go back and
look at It, because this is terribly, terribly important. Remember, as I
told you before, many times, the woman asks questions. It’s a female
trait: ask questions. And so, the church asks questions. You don’t ask
questions. Now, watch what It says here, Rom 10:6.

(6)	But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh (a certain way) on
this wise (Now, watch. It doesn’t tell you just what to say; it warns
you what you better not say.) Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend
into heaven? (Don’t ask questions.) (that is, to bring Christ down:) 

(7)	Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (That’s to bring him up
again.)

	In other words, don’t try to figure this thing out, how that God
could come in human flesh and die, rise again, and get this whole thing
of the flesh, God in flesh, and God in Spirit, the whole thing, all
mixed up, and wondering who did what and how was it done. He said,
“Look, forget it, don’t ask any questions.” 

	Faith righteousness, because that’s what it is. The righteousness
which is of faith, or faith righteousness, does not ask questions. Faith
healing does not ask questions; faith supply does not ask questions;
faith overcoming does not ask questions. 

41.	(8)	What’s it say? (What’s it talk like?) The word is nigh thee,
even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: (your soul and your mouth) that is,
the word of faith, which we preach; (In other words, whatever God said
about it, you don’t ask questions, you simply say what Abraham said,
“Bless God, gonna have it anyway,” see? which we preach.)

(9)	(And) if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and
believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou
shalt be saved.

	What about healing? That “if thou shalt confess with thy mouth, and
believe in thine heart that by his stripes, you have been healed,
you’re going to get healed.” If you confess with your mouth, and
believe in your heart that God supplies all your needs, the job,
whatever it is, you will get it. And you’ve got additional claims on
it, because God has said certain things that men have to work to provide
for their families.

	Now, of course, such a thing as a time of famine, and some of those
other points, there may be great times upon the earth when it would seem
utterly impossible. God will still make a way. I was through the hungry
‘30’s and didn’t miss a meal—never had to. I thought I was badly
abused, because you had to pray the food on the table, and now I realize
that was one of the choicest things that God would ever do for anybody.
But, you see, stupid is stupid.

42.	Compare this with 1 Corinthians 15, we’ll look at this here. 1 Cor
12-15:

(12)	Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some
among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?

(13)	But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not
risen: 

(14)	And if Christ be not risen, then your preaching is vain, your faith
is vain. 

(15)	(You also) are found false witnesses of God; because we testified
of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that
the dead rise not. (Now:)

 (16)	For the dead rise not, then Christ is not raised.

	Now, what am I doing here with these verses of Scripture? I’m trying
to show you this, that Paul is basing his teaching of the Resurrection
upon infallible facts. So, with this Message. We have the infallible
facts of salvation, the baptism with the Holy Ghost, divine healing,
rich provision, even creation. You see? Now, if something was preached
that God did not do, then that person’s a liar. Then, what about the
person who hasn’t got the gumption to say what God’s done? He’s
not going to get off the ground either.

43.	So, I don’t know where anybody’s going to go without
understanding the “Rapture” tape, and get out of here. I personally
don’t; I’ll be honest with you. And in this Message I’m despised
and literally hated in many places because of what I teach. I was
supposed to have left the Message because I don’t agree with a certain
brother whose own dad told him if he ever wanted an answer—you’re in
trouble, come and see Lee Vayle. I’m supposed to come and see him,
now, maybe. That’s on video cassette. I can prove it. This is on video
cassette, too.

	I’m not fighting with anybody, I just want to understand; I want to
know. I want to know “Who came down, and what did He do when He did
come down, and where did He go, if He went.” And I can show you, if
you believe He went away, and He’s coming down again, you are a Latter
Rainer that Bro. Branham said was the closest, and the closest is in the
most error. 

44.	Now, do you want action? I’ll give it to you, brother/sister. I
know where I stand. There’s nobody going to shake that, because
that’s true. Where is the Spirit that’s in our midst that’s going
to be incarnated? How did He get up there? If He does all three in
descending, which one? The body? No way. See? If you don’t understand
what I’m preaching, maybe it’s time you do understand. I’m not
trying to bluff you out of anything, or bluff you into something. I’m
just telling you the truth. I stand on what I believe; I’ve got
nowhere to go, except go with this Message. This Message goes there,
I’m going with It, unless we’re both fools somewhere. I don’t
know. I can’t believe that.

45.	[125]	Now, Faith believes that God will work it out. “I don’t
know how He’s going to do it, but He’ll do it anyhow.”

	Now Bro. Branham has said that on more than one occasion. We don’t
know how He’s going to do it; He’s just going to do it. I don’t
know how God is going to work out all these things down here with the
Shout and raise the dead. I don’t know, but I know God’s going to do
it. And, I tell you, I’ve found this by experience, by watching the
prophet. In this day, this has been a fantastic thing to associate with
the prophet of this stature, any prophet, and see what’s going on. To
know that it’s a duplication of every great prophet, that, first of
all, God has a man there, then He comes on the scene and attracts the
man, then He explains to the man, and He sends the man with the signs
and the wonders, and then explains to you and me, so we always know
after the fact. 

	So then, if you know after the fact, you’re not going to know before
the fact. So, you don’t know how God’s going to do it, but He’s
going to do it. You don’t know how.

46.	What faith was it the man had that brought his little boy to Bro.
Branham incurable? I don’t know, but Bro. Branham said, absolutely, he
said, “Look,” he said, “you go to a certain doctor,” he
wouldn’t even pray for the boy, “go to a certain doctor. He knows
what to do.”

	And the man went right to that doctor, and he operated, and the boy
came through it. And in the hospital the boy died.

	Why did he die?

	The same reason you people have friends that are dying right now.
It’s not necessarily a rotten doctor, but a stupid nurse. That’s
kind of harsh, but what else can you say when you know they neglect
their duty. They left the window open over the boy and the snow came in,
and the boy developed pneumonia or something and died. The operation was
so unique, but it was successful. Now the man didn’t know how God was
going to do it, but he had faith somehow it was going to be done.

47.	A girl came to Bro. Branham for help. She had a bad back. He looked
into her heart and found out she was with Mrs. Beal and living a wrong
kind of a life. He said, “Go to a chiropractor.” Now she came in
faith, but she got an answer.

	I don’t know how God does things; nobody really knows. Elijah needed
food, so God sent the raven. Everybody wants to know whether the raven
actually plunked something down, stole a ham hock out of someone’s
smokery, smoke pit, or whether the word ‘raven’ meant ‘wandering
nomad’.

	So, it’s easier to believe in wandering nomads! Yet people can tell
you right today that birds have dropped live fish at the door of
missionaries or someone needing help. And I remember some poor Haitis
one time were praying, and they needed some meat. They didn’t have
any, and they dearly would have loved something. And pretty soon they
heard a kerplunk at the door. Bang! They quickly ran to the door, and
here a pheasant had hit the door and broke his neck. They wrenched the
neck off, the blood spilled out, they had a lovely pheasant dinner. I
could settle for that tonight.

	Tell me how holy Ann up there, holy Ann Preston in Canada, could drop
the bucket into a dry well and bring up water. You explain that.

	Well, you say, “God did this…”

	How do you know what God did? except He filled the bucket with water.

48.	See, that’s the thing, you see, faith has an atmosphere; faith
also has lockjaw, when it comes to asking questions. But it has a wide
mouth in saying what God said about the situation or about the promise.
That’s the trouble; too many people have thin ears. They can’t hear
anything. And then, they’ve got big mouths and spread what they
don’t hear right—like in this Message. Then a lot of people have
big, fat ears, and they get thin mouths where they can’t say anything.
Let’s get it together; get the act together: large ears and large
mouth. The Bible speaks of, “Open thy mouth wide, and I’ll fill
it.” Pentecost says, “With tongues.” I don’t know that’s true.

49.	[125]	Faith believes that God will work it out. “I don’t know
how He’s going to do it, but He’ll do it anyhow,” see. It masters
all circumstances. He said that in “The Rapture.”

	This is true about the tent vision. I don’t know what that tent
vision is. I’m very loathe to believe anything anybody tells me about
it, because I don’t know. He said he’s going to have it; he’ll
have it. What does it mean ‘to have it’? I could guess at it, but
what good is guessing? What’s the logical thing to do? Just wait and
see for it to be fulfilled. It’s got to be in the Resurrection now.
Anybody knows that, unless it was some mystical thing that took place
just before his death, or in his death. That’s his vision, not mine.
But, if those people going through the line, and I’ve got something to
do with that, or to do with me, it’s going to have to appear in this
hour. It’ll take a resurrection to do it.

	I don’t understand, but I do know that that’s a vision he had. I
just leave it with God. Why? Because God’s going to work it out. See?

50.	[125]	Now, He’s the master of all circumstances. 

	Let’s go back to the Book of Hebrews 11 again just to see a couple of
things here, then we’ll make this the end of our page. I’ve got
quite a bit to go on these three sentences here, but let’s try it
anyway. All right. The middle of verse 35, It says:

(35)	…Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might
obtain a better resurrection:

(36)	Others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of
bonds and imprisonment:

(37)	 …Stoned, sawn asunder, tempted, slain with the sword: wandered
in sheepskins goatskins; destitute, afflicted, tormented;

(38)	(…The world wasn’t worthy:) they wandered in deserts, in
mountains, and in dens and caves.

(39)	And all those had a good report (of) faith. (All right.)

	The master of circumstances in this particular case was not getting an
answer whereby they were freed from it, but they lived above it so that
in death, not even death could touch them—in other words, influence
them. 

	Look at the three Hebrew children: These weren’t like them. They went
right through the fiery furnace; Daniel, right through the lion’s den,
but thousands were burned in the furnace, and thousands were martyred at
the stake, and thousands were drowned in rivers, and thousands were fed
to the lions. But I’m going to tell you something: They were in
exactly the same place as these men, who turned armies of aliens to
flight, stopped the mouths of lions, subdued kingdoms, and so on. What
it is, what he’s showing you here, is that no matter what our lot is,
we are more than masters of every single circumstance, if we just take
the Word of God and stand with It.

51.	Now, let’s go over here to Romans 5, and we’ll take a little
time with this to get us into the understanding that I’m looking at,
at this particular moment here: ‘masters of circumstances’. First,
Rom 5:1: 

(1)	Therefore (having) been justified by faith, (Not ‘being’
justified; you’re either justified, or you’re not justified. At this
time the Bride is not being justified. She has been justified, because
she’s been declared to be “the righteous Bride, not ever having even
sinned.” Okay.) Therefore having been justified, we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (That’s the way.)

(2)	By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we
stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (In other words Jesus
did it all.)

(3)	And not only so, but we rejoice in tribulations: knowing that
tribulation works (endurance); 

(4)	And (endurance), experience; (No: character, or maturation or
maturity and character, maturing,) works hope (That’s earnest
expectation.): 

(5)	(That) maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in
our hearts by the Holy Ghost. 

	Now you’ll notice in here there’s a process that we go through in
order to get the answers we desire, because It tells you that
“tribulation worketh patience,” and this is a faith preposition up
here, or proposition, or premise—faith, you’re talking about. All
right.

52.	In your life of faith you go to God, no matter what you go for, (You
need an answer for prayer.) you will be tried, which is called ‘the
trial of your faith’, and the trial of your faith is necessary,
because there is no such thing as a gift of patience. God does not drop
patience into our hearts; He drops into our hearts the Holy Spirit,
whereby we have the capability of coming into patience in our lives and
developing it there. 

	And you will notice that patience here, developed by tribulation,
positively signifies a maturing of the Christian, or developing of
character, so that character is not a gift, it is not a reward, it is an
earned degree that you get. You have to strive for it and earn it. You
cannot mature, actually, without going through these experiences. And
then, when you come to the mature place, you will notice what you
earnestly hope for, on the grounds of faith, comes into being, and that
earnest expectation, which is yours, by the grace of Almighty God,
“maketh not ashamed.” It means that you can stand up and say, “God
does answer prayer,” and this increases the love of God in your life.

	Therefore, many people miss out basically by not simply going through
the regimen that God sets forth in a faith life; they just don’t stay
with it. I would say this, as far as I am concerned, if anybody wants to
really develop into a strong Christian, take the trials of your life and
stand with them, until God develops in you this patience and this
character, and you see God give you an answer.

53.	How patient, and how much character would anybody ever have if God
gave him everything just like this. [Bro. Vayle makes a couple quick
snaps with his fingers.] And that’s the way people think prayer should
be answered, and that’s not the way it’s answered. I’ve seen very
superficial people talk about healing and act as though, “Well, my,
I’m not going to be sick; I’m not this, and I’m not…”

	I wonder when the day comes when they are going to get sick, because
they will get sick, because everybody gets sick. Elijah died of the
sickness wherein he was sick. Oh, there’s such a thing as dying in
good health. But many people make boasts that are very ludicrous.

	God puts us… Remember, when we look at life, and we come up against
necessities, we should always ask ourselves, “What is God trying to
work out in my life?” That’s the thing; we must always be anxious to
know what really lies behind those things we are in. 

54.	Now, there’s another something over here, I’ve got noted here,
in Ps 106:7-15, and this leads us up to the verse I want to get:

(7)	Our fathers, understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered
not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked him at the sea, even the
Red sea. (They sure did.)

(8)	Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make
his mighty power to be known. (Now, watch what He’s doing: He’s
going right along with these guys here that irk Him.)

(9)	He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them
through the depths, as through the wilderness.

(10)	And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and
redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.

(11)	And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them
left.

(12)	Then believed they his words; they sang his praise.

(13)	But they soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel:
(Well, come on, this is what can happen.)

(14)	They lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the
desert.

(15)	And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their souls.

	Now there’s a people that are perverse. They don’t want to wait on
God for God’s answer and go through the discipline of character
building, and there is no such thing as character in a child that
doesn’t suffer. Existentialism went so far as to say the purpose of
man is to suffer. The purpose of man is not to suffer; the purpose of
man is to glorify God through character, inwrought in him through
principles of suffering, faith toward God.

	Many a person suffers, and he does not develop a decent character. He
gets more and more bitter, and more and more hard to deal with. He could
be nothing but a major, you know, problem. So, we must remember that.

55.	Also, we go back to Hebrews 12 to see what you’re already well
acquainted with in this line. I’m cutting down this business of the
trial of our faith on purpose. I could take longer with notes and all,
but I won’t do that. Let’s look at Hebrew 12:

(1)	Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud
of witnesses, (That’s Hebrews 11; just gone through it.) let us lay
aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily besets us,
(That’s unbelief.) and let us run with patience the race that is set
before us.

	We’re going to find if we live to be a hundred, it went all too fast.
We’re very, kind of nervous, running a race. You know, you’re not
supposed to be nervous here. You don’t have patience running a race,
but you better have patience; slow right down.

(2)	Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; (Now,
watch; what about him?) who for the joy that was set before him endured
the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the
throne of God.

	An established Christian has to go this way. Pray all you want; your
prayers can only help you to stand while the pressure’s on. It will
not remove the pressure, except in the sense that you will know during
the pressure, “I’ll still make out; I’ll get there.” But you
will get your pressure.

(3)	For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against
himself, lest you be wearied and faint in your minds. 

(4)	You have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. (He
sweat great drops of blood fighting himself in the Garden of
Gethsemane.)

(5)	And have you forgotten the exhortation which speaks unto you as unto
children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, (the
training) nor faint when you’re rebuked: 

(6)	For whom the Lord loveth he corrects, he scourges every son that he
receives.

	Now, he doesn’t just whip you around the head and just say, “I’m
boss; you look out what you’re doing.” God’s not trying to show
you His might and power—not trying, you know, to make a show of
anything, He’s trying to bring out character in the children. So, when
you read this, you must understand that character is never wrought out
by senseless, inane whippings, judgments, commandments. No! Everything
is done in the light of the perfection of the child.

56.	(7)	If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; and
what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? (In other words, train
and correct and, if necessary, whip into line.)

(8)	But if you be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then
are you bastards, and not sons. (The best you could be is a foolish
virgin, which I doubt if you even qualify there.)

(9)	Furthermore we had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we
gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the
Father of spirits, and live? (In other words God does not do what our
own parents do; they get mad and correct us.)

(10)	For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own
pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his
holiness. 

	Now that lets you know right there, because it says that “he who has
suffered in the flesh ceases from sin…” All of these things makes us
more careful, to be more studious concerning the Word of God, more
careful concerning ourselves, what we do concerning Him and each other,
so that we view everything in the light of His Word, and then say, what?


	“I’ll say what the Word says about my condition, and I will believe
what He said, ‘I’m going to get there’.” 

	Now maybe it’s going to be difficult. It might be very hard. We
don’t doubt that for one minute. It can be hard, but it is true.

57.	Now, we read also already Romans 8. We don’t have to read It
again. Let’s go to 2 Timothy. I’ve got a little note there, 2 Tim
2:8:

(8)	Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the
dead according to my gospel:

(9)	Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the
word of God is not bound.

(10)	Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they
may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal
glory.

(11)	It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also
live with him: 

(12)	If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also
will deny us: (In other words He cannot do anything but apart from the
Word that He’s allocated for you.)

(13)	If we believe not, yet he abides faithful: he cannot deny himself.
(He’ll still work it out; He’ll get you there. But there’s a path
that we can walk in, which is His path of faith, and it’s the greatest
since the time of the apostle Paul, because there’s been nothing like
it.)

(14)	Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the
Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the
subverting of the hearers. 

(15)	Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not
to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 

(16)	But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto
more ungodliness.

(17)	And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and
Philetus; 

(18)	Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection
is already past, and overthrown the faith of some. (You know, that’s
already been said about this Message.)

(19)	Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal,
The Lord knoweth them (which) are his. And, Let every one that nameth
the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

(20)	But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of
silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to
dishonour.

	All right. It tells you right there that we’ve got to go through the
trials of life, and you know, through life, there are vessels to honor,
dishonor. Now, of course, he could speak in terms of Esau and perhaps
others, but I’m thinking in terms of us, many of us. We have to be
submissive to the thought that we will never be great shakers and
movers; it’s not incumbent upon us to do so. But for every single one
of us, it’s incumbent upon us to shine in the place where God put us,
and we cannot shine outside of the scourings that God gives us through
the Word and through the application of the Word.

	Bro. Branham many times said, “Don’t it feel good to be all scoured
up?” Sure, because he brought a message of truth and life that’s
able to dispel the doubts and the fears. But I tell you, that Message
didn’t ring, unless we went out there, and when the chips were down,
applied the Word that was given to us in that hour, for that time.

58.	So, here’s what you’re looking at, as we say right here… Bro.
Branham brought us to that point; he said:

[125]	Faith believes that God will work it out, no matter what it is.
Don’t worry about it. If there’s a Word in there for you, just stand
with It. I don’t know how He’s going to do it, (That’s the big
secret.) but I know He’s going to do it, see, because faith masters
all ceremony.

	See, in other words we are more than conquerers through Christ who
loved us. What principle? Just because we say so? No, because something
has been given to us which is substantial—something substantial. In
other words, now Bro. Branham brought us the point: he showed us the
substantiality of God, the prophet and God. He showed us this
Word—laid It out there. Then he showed us how substantial we are,
based on God and himself. Next, he showed us how substantial the things
are that we have from God. And then, he showed how substantial we can be
with it all, not Christians that drift hither and yon, to and fro, and
cannot operate in the realm of faith, but can do it.

59.	Now, look; don’t get an idea how this is going to work, or how
you’re going to work it. Just live your life and apply it. You
weren’t called to go down the road like I was. You’ll never know
what it is to stand still, with literally a knife in your back and one
in your front, and every card stacked against you. So, having done all
that you can do, what could I do? I could stand.

	I wasn’t a Martin Luther—no way, shape, form. God didn’t call me
to be. God never called me to a lot of places God calls other men, and
He’s not calling you to where I’ve been. He’s not calling you to
where Bro. Branham was; He’s not calling you anywhere but where you
are now. That’s why the Bible said, “Whatever state you are in, be
content in that state.”

	What’s wrong with our women today? Women preachers started the whole
stinking mess. Now women have got to be out of the house, gotta be here,
gotta be there, and they’re shot. And the man can only put up with so
much, so he’s shot. You tell me that God’s not judging this world
and going to destroy it? Let me tell you flat: God is going to do it,
and He’s already started doing it.

60.	Now, let’s stand and be counted. That’s why I try to teach you
people this Word, what this Word will do for you and with you, what you
can do with It, and where your loyalties all are, and where families,
all of you, these count deeply. But they might not count for some. 

	Look, I’m not here to bat one hundred percent or one thousand
percent. Don’t think one minute. I’m going to try to bat a thousand
for me. You are in your shoes. I cannot live it, but I’m trying to
help you now, to show you what the prophet’s laying down here. We are
a unique people as there never was a unique people. So, let’s not sell
short what we have in Christ Jesus. That’s what he’s been warning
all along: selling short, selling short. God’s not going to put us in
some straight jacket, although that’s partly true, because sovereignty
will run its course. We’ll get there. But God wants people to stand up
and believe.

60.	Now, there are many facets you can apply it to, and I’ll just tell
you flat again: It’s going to be in your daily life. By the time you
get in your car, going out of this door, by the time you get home, by
the time you go to bed, by the time you get up tomorrow morning, you are
going to be facing twenty-four hours a day what we’re talking about
here. And, if you and I want to apply, we can do it. And under every
circumstance, you will find what I’ve told you before, many years ago,
I have never known any position I’ve ever been in, but there was
something in my heart always said, “It’s all right. You can lick
it.”

	As you get older, you sometimes wonder a little bit about that Voice,
because there’s certain things you’re not going to lick. Peter knew
it. They were going to carry him where he didn’t want to go. Paul had
to lay his neck down. But, you know, he licked that, too. And we’ll
lick it, too. See? By the grace of God we have exactly, exactly, an
abundance of what it takes in the depth of the dynamism of performance
to be more than conquerors. Not just conquerors: more than conquerors.

61.	Again, I want to warn you: that doesn’t make you running around,
praying for every sick person. You’re not going to be some whirling
dervish for God, but you are going to be the person that God wants you
to be in the body of the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will do it, every
man, woman, and child that’s in this building. So, you aim at that
with the consciousness of it all: I am growing up in Christ. All these
things we look at, we’ve got our eyes on. 

	Let’s rise and be dismissed.

	Gracious, heavenly Father, we know that there is much here, but, Lord,
there is a life, there is our life, and there is Your Life, and, Father,
we have the ability in our souls, as the prophet said, to make a
decision whether it’s going to be Your Life or our life. 

	And then, there’s the Word—there’s Your Word, our word, and the
other word out there, which is also what we would have, if we have a
Word. And we have in our souls the right and the ability to make a
decision as to whose Word we will go to. Then, Lord, we know positively,
that’s already been set forth on the grounds of faith, which has to do
with Word. So, all of these things, Lord... 

	We know that we do have, as the prophet said, a free moral
agency—that would be the way it was put. And now, Father, tonight,
because we, of ourselves, in this age of grossness, and all the forces
coming against us by the enemy to trip our minds, especially, which is
what the big thing would be, help us, Lord, to surrender our minds as
never before to Your Word. And, let that Word be conveyed down deep
within our souls, there, joining with the Holy Spirit, and come back
upon these bodies, anointing the mind afresh, and this time now with
faith in that Word, and the dynamism of the Holy Spirit turning loose
that power in our lives. 

	Lord, it may not, in some cases, be more than just believing for a
headache, giving a cup of cold water, praying a little harder for
somebody, reaching out a little more. I don’t know what it’s going
to be, Lord, but I know one thing: that every day we’re faced many,
many times with opportunities to let You have Your way. May we all
recognize that, Lord, that that’s the way of faith: to let You have
Your way, to shut up when we should shut up, to speak when we should
speak, to bend when we should bend, to stand up when we should stand
up—whatever it is, Lord. You’ve given us sufficient guidance and
You’ve given us the power. You’ve given it all, for us, Lord. As the
prophet said, “Know Your Voice and nothing turns us from It.”

	Father in Heaven, we know it’s simple, we just got too complex all
these years, too much so-called science, too many other things. Help us
to get back to simplicity, O God, right back, Lord, maybe a little more
simple than I’ve preached it—what Bro. Branham said, “Just You, O
God, alone in the kingdom.” And we just get it right down where we can
say, “Well, it’s between You and me, Lord, to do this,” a little
simple thing, whatever it is, and thereby, Father, those other things
will just come to pass as they should. Whatever questions are in
people’s hearts, Lord, we pray those questions will all just go out
the door by the Word of God that’s there, Father, just what Paul said.
It doesn’t ask any questions, just says what has been said. That’s
what it is.

	So, Father, be with us as we go our way. Bless all those people, Lord,
who send in prayer requests from afar, and many ask, “Will you pray
for me for healing?” “We want this;” “We want that;” and.
Father, we’re not only sympathetic, we reach out in our hearts for
them tonight. We just ask all those who are sick out there and
afflicted, to kind of hone their faith toward our little people here,
Lord God. We pray we won’t let them down. Hear our faith tonight in
our prayers in Jesus’ Name for them. May they be set free; may they
get the help they need, O God. [End of audio recording.]

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