Faith #06 *

Transcript In progress.

Audio is available now.

[Opening prayer is missing.]

Faith is your assurance that you can have what God said is available to you by the Word. What else is it? It’s the conviction of things not yet seen.

Now what does that mean? Well, to begin with things seen can not mean only, those things cannot be seen by reason of their spiritual nature, but they mean unseen as in your possession.

In other words, you don’t yet see them brought to fruition, yours or in your possession. Now if you don’t think that’s correct, let’s turn to the Book of Romans, the 8th chapter, and we’ll just read a couple verses 24 to 25.

Now notice,

Now, here, let’s just put it bluntly to you. If you never knew a thing existed, you couldn’t hope for it. See, you couldn’t expect it, if you didn’t know it existed. Now what is it that we want? We want the things we have seen and yet do not possess.

Now that’s what it’s saying here. For we are saved or delivered by earnest expectation, but earnest expectation that is seen is not any longer earnest expectation.

What does it mean? It means the seen in your possession. Because when I see things I earnestly expect, but I don’t see them in my possession, that doesn’t do me much good.

I’ve got to keep on until, I what? until I get it. You see? For what a man seeth, why does he yet hope for? That’s the proof of it. That it means that you see it in your possession then you stop looking for it because you’ve got it.

Now if I lost a dollar bill, the minute I found it, I wouldn’t bother looking anymore. Why? Because I don’t have to look for it anymore, I don’t have to expect anymore. I’ve got it. It’s in my possession. See? It’s all over.

For if we hope for what we see not, if we earnestly expect what we don’t yet see, then we with patience wait in order to see it. See it what? Fulfill, fulfill. So this Scripture here, as I see it tonight, is the looking, is the proof or the conviction.

Or let me put it this way, tonight we have a conviction of the kingdom of Almighty God. We have a conviction through this measure of faith that we have passed from death unto life and we positively will not stand in the judgment, but will stand before the Lord justified by the Blood and the faith of Jesus Christ. Clothed in His righteousness and joined to Him eternally.

See. We have it. Are we going to get it? We’re going to have it all consummated, don’t worry.

But listen! That faith or that conviction concerning that which is to come in the kingdom of God is the very same faith you use right now to get the promises that God said are yours here upon earth.

The faith is no different. “By grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourself,” is the very same faith that Paul said, “I live by the faith of the Son of God.”

The faith that you’re born again by, is the faith that you live by. The faith that you daily put in Christ for Him to supply your needs, to heal your body, and work in and through you, and give you the things the Scripture says are yours is the identical faith.

If therefore, that faith is the conviction of the reality of the kingdom of God, and you a part of the kingdom of God, then that same faith is your reality… conviction of the reality that you’re going to have what God said is yours right now. Isn’t it?

Do you follow me? I’m not a Philadelphia lawyer, but I’m trying to help you to see this.

Tonight, how many do have an honest conviction that you are a child of God and positively will stand in Christ and then have fulfilled in you those things that are in the future kingdom of God? Have you got it? Huh? All right.

You don’t have another kind of watered down faith that God now says, “Here son, you’ve got this good big faith to get in the kingdom now here’s this watered down stuff to live by.” No sir.

It’s the same faith, then if that faith is your conviction of reality, because it brought reality, because Christ is real. “I am the way the truth and the life.” And the word in the Greek for ‘truth’ is ‘reality’. I am the way and the reality.

Then tonight if faith brought reality, you follow me? the same faith gives you conviction of the reality of God’s promises that He says are yours.

You say, “Bless God, they’re mine, hallelujah. I’m convicted of it. I’m convinced.” You get it? Huh? Now, we’re getting somewhere. If you can see that, and I think you have.

This faith that gives us the reality of the Son of God that has given us the reality of the kingdom which we shall inherit, of the glories which shall be ours, cause us, like Moses, to positively spurn the pleasures of the world and deliberately press our faces as a flint to suffer, if necessary, and to disdain what the world would give us. Or how the world would harm us, because we know we’ve got Christ. Is that correct?

Then if the assurance of the faith is the conviction that causes us to disdain the call of the world, to disdain the trials of the world, to disdain what men will do for us, to attempt to destroy us, then this same faith causes us to disdain what is against us while we wait in patience to get what God says is ours. Is that correct? Did you get it? Huh? Now did you follow me? I’ll go over it again.

There isn’t one person truly born again but who is just like Moses, positively disdain the treasures of the world, and positively ignore the tribulation of the world, because he’s got something bigger.

The same faith, my brother, my sister, gives us the ability to disdain that which is against us until we get what we’re looking for from the Word of God.

Now let me show you what I’ve been driving at. Faith is the conviction of things not yet seen in your possession. Now listen, no man living can have opposite convictions about any one thing.

You can’t be convinced you’re going to be healed, the same time you’re convinced you’re not going to be healed. Now, you’re sick tonight, let’s say, or you’ve got a need, you’ve got a problem, you’ve got something missing that God’s Word says you can have.

You have faith tonight, the same faith that gives you the power to turn your nose up at the world and what they will do to you. Ignoring it, because your eyes are on God for a better reward, is the very same faith that gives you the conviction that you can disdain what’s against you, though you’re sick, though you’re down, though you’re destroyed, though you’re pressed out of measure.

You say, “Forget it, because I’ve got my eyes on what God said is mine.” It is, too.

And He said it and it’s mine. So I don’t care what it looks like, because you can’t get brambles off a fig tree, hallelujah, and I’ve got a fig tree connection. And no matter what looks like brambles, I don’t care, there’s a fig there and it’s mine.

Now this is exactly what Scripture teaches, this faith is your assurance that you can have it. It is your conviction of yours even though you don’t see it in your possession, but will see it because you’ve got what it takes.

Now, God has given us, therefore, a tremendous ability whereby we can disregard what seemingly is against us, because we have what it takes to get what God says is ours legally by the Word of God.

Now, let me carry this right back to Abraham, because he is the one we are studying in relation to faith.

Now, let’s go to Romans 4:17-25, might not have to read them all.

Now notice, that Abraham was believing God; then he wasn’t believing anything else. Well, come on. Well, come on. If he was believing God; then he wasn’t believing anything else. Oh, we don’t like being shut-up to God, do we? You’ll all be glad we were though.

Now did I change Scripture? I did not change It. God said, “He was the father of nations.” Then he became what God said he already was, when there wasn’t any use of even hoping, when it was even too late to expect.

There you are, pressed out of measure, God raising the dead, right there, see it, there’s your definition. If you’re going to try to use your faith in God, honey, tonight, one thing you got to do, you’ve got to be prepared to go the limit or forget it. When you go to God you don’t fool.

Oh, we think we do, but we’ll discuss this night after tomorrow, when we talk about faith and confession, we’ll find out what God says about our mouths. Tomorrow night we’ll find out what God says about our minds.

You’ll hear some startling things, because you will find out you were one hundred percent wrong in what you were taught and what you thought when you go to the Word of God.

Not because Lee Vayle says it, but I’ll prove it from the Word of God. This is THUS SAITH THE LORD; not what I say, not what you think. It’s what God says; it’s THUS SAITH THE LORD.

Now listen!

Tell me one reason; why was Abraham strong in faith? Well, how could he be weak, he had God faith didn’t he? Huh? You didn’t think of that, did you? How can you be weak in faith if you’ve got God’s own faith?

“Brother Vayle, I’m weak in faith.” You liar! You’re a born liar. Certainly, you were conceived in sin, shaped in iniquity. But it’s time to get over that and put on the new man; the new man who is renewed in righteousness, by the renewing of the mind. All right.

Are you weak in faith tonight? Or strong in faith? Huh? What are you? Weak in faith or strong in faith? Oh, you’re batting your eyes now. Go ahead and bat them, I don’t mind. Let’s expose the devil and repent.

For years you’ve been saying, “I’m weak in faith.” You’re a liar. Right? I don’t mean to excoriate you. I’m a liar, too. One of the best. Let God be true but every man a lie. Abraham was not weak in faith. How can you be if you’ve got God’s faith? Now you may not have learned to use it. Huh?

Now listen to me, what was Abraham wanting? He was wanting a son by Sarah. Is that correct? All right. Now, if I were in Abraham’s shoes, and I wanted a son by Sarah, what would I look at? I’d look at my body and look at her body. Right? Because that’s where sons come from.

So you see, seminally speaking, he was dead. And she was well past the time of life. And the Bible said, “He considered not his body, nor hers.” The word ‘consider’ means ‘to thoroughly perceive’, or ‘to contemplate by meditation’.

Now listen to me! They wanted a son. The son had to come from their bodies, because bodies produce children. But that was what was against them. He was too old and she was too old. That was their problem.

Now according to modern day science, we would have gotten in somebody from Russia or somebody from Great Britain and B…?… from Russia, and who else was it, she kept telling the lies for awhile and then he died and Stalin died.

And we get all these men who talk about the fountain of youth and need all kinds of potent things, and take hormone shots and injections and do a hundred and one things, wouldn’t we? Oh yes, that’s the way humanity does. They do their very best to do something.

But the Bible says, “This old fellow just ignored it.”

“Abraham you’re getting older.”

“Well, so, ignore it.”

“But Abraham, don’t you know it takes sperm and a womb that will bear a child?”

“Well,” he said, “so what? I know that, but just ignore it.”

“Oh brother, you got to be sick. Don’t you know it’s the sensible thing to fuss and to worry? Don’t you know the sensible thing is to be responsible? Oh yes, that’s the way the world always comes in, responsible, they call it. Solid citizen.

“Abraham, surely, you… can’t mean that, you ignore your body.”

He said, “Absolutely, absolutely.”

“But that’s your problem.”

“So what? I know it is.”

“And you mean to say you ignore your problem.”

“Certainly.”

“Why don’t you do something about it?”

“Not me. I tried. I learn my lesson once. No thanks for Hagar or anybody else. Good bye. No, you won’t catch me again.”

See, what I’m driving at? You can’t have opposite convictions on any one thing at any one time. No fountain gives forth bitter and sweet water at the same place. You’ve got a problem, so what. You’ve got a bad condition, so what!

Listen to me! Let’s say I’m in debt. What good does it do me to pour over the debt? Day after day look what’s against me, “Oh my, my debts are getting me down. Oh, the business is getting worse. Oh, this is getting rough. Oh, that’s getting worse. Yes, I can see it.”

What’s it do for you? That’s not going to help you. God works in spite of those things, He even works through those things. No problem to God.

Now, Abraham gives his whole attention to what he does not yet see. What does he not yet see? He does not yet see their bodies rejuvenated. He sees only the Word of God concerning it.

And he has planted that Word and he has nourished that Word. He has watered that Word and that Word’s got to bring forth what that Word says. So why worry about his body? The body can’t do it. The Word does it.

So he keeps looking at that Word, and looking at that Word. Because why? He’s got faith, and he ignores what’s against him. And he gets the promise.

This is exactly what David did in Psalms 27:13 “I had fainted. I had fainted. I would have passed out. I would have given up, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”

David said he would have fainted. It would have ended it. He never would have got the promises of God. See? But what? He did not look at what was against him. He kept his mind on what God said looking to the unseen and it came into his possession.

He took over the throne and became the greatest king that Israel ever had. None before him, none after ever touched him. There’s only one who’s ever going to be King David, and that’s the greater David that sits upon His throne.

Now David said, “I would have fainted…” Now listen! David said, “I would have fainted by keeping my eyes or my mind.” Remember, you don’t see with your eyes, you see with your mind. That’s right.

You don’t see with your eyes, it’s with your mind. David said, “I would have fainted if I would have constantly looked at and thought about and kept in mind the conditions that were against me. I put them out of my mind and I got my eyes on what it was not yet seen in my possession and I possessed it.”

Why could he do this? Because he had faith.

Now, let’s look at 2 Corinthians 4:17-18. We all know these Scriptures. I think, perhaps, most of us have memorized this little portion of Scripture, but we’ll read it tonight and use it now.

What’s eternal? God’s Word forever settled in heaven is eternal. Look at that Word. Never mind the condition, ignore it. Ignore it! Now I’m screaming at you and I’ve got a reason to keep talking the way I’m doing and I’ll explain shortly, we just haven’t got there.

Now listen to me! In Ecclesiastes 11:4 it says,

That’s human; it’s in the Bible. It’s simple. And it says, “If you observe the conditions which are against you, you’ll never get anywhere.” And if you keep on looking at what’s against you, you’ll never get anything.

You’ll never do anything; you’ll never get anything, by looking at conditions. The way to use your faith is to tear your eyes off the conditions. Now I haven’t told you why you can do it. I’ll tell you why you can do it after awhile.

Just hold on to your seats and believe what I’m telling you because this is the Bible. Tear your eyes off the conditions. Launch out in faith, like Peter walking on water. And then begin to look for God to do something for you and he’ll do it.

Listen to Jeremiah 17:5-6. Now here’s something you read for a long time. I’m going to put a new slant on it.

Didn’t James say, “Have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of glory with respect of persons? For you see a rich man come in and you try to use him, butter him up, see him do something God wants to do? Try to use his money and his prestige when you’ve got the faith of Jesus Christ.” You don’t look to man. You look to God.

Now what does this Scripture say? It says, “If a man does not stop looking at conditions, does not begin to use his faith, he will not see when good cometh.” Now good is coming, but he won’t see it. You follow me?

Good is coming, because there’s a good God. And God sowed that thing in a seed and gave him a trial, and out of the trial was going to come victory. But he wouldn’t look away from the trial, he wouldn’t look to God’s Word and good came, but he missed it. Good came, but he missed it.

And brother/sister, I’m going to tell you, the world is full according to the Psalms, the earth is full of the abundance of the goodness of God.

On every hand there are immeasurable goodness’s and goodies from God. And we go through life with our eyes on the trouble and we miss the good things.

I’m going to tell you something. A lady had a vision some years ago. She saw the Lord Jesus Christ walking through the audience, all on their knees praying.

And they’re all saying, “Oh God, do this. Oh God, give me this. Oh God, be gracious. Oh Lord, please. Oh Lord, help. My lovely Jesus, do something.”

And He was there with a basketful of good things and to each one He looked and they’re saying, “Oh Jesus, do something. Oh, my lovely Lord, praise your Name. I know you’re going to do something.”

Yeah, they’re hypocritical and they were just a talking up a storm and He tried to hand each one something, and tried to hand everybody something and they kept on fussing up a storm, and He walked out of the building and didn’t do a thing for anybody.

Now, you see, you can’t fool God. And yet He was there with His good things and they all had in their power the ability to get it, and not one got it. Why? Because not one was looking. Not one was looking. They had their eyes on their trouble. And all they could talk was trouble. See.

The Scripture says, “That the people who begin to put their trust in things,” that means conditions, or withdraw their trust because of conditions, it says, “good will come, but they won’t see it.”

And that’s true. I wonder tonight how much we have missed. Jonah says, “They that observe lying vanities, or ‘symptoms’, as Daddy Bosworth said, …forsake their own mercy.”

Numbers 21:8 says, “He that looketh… [and the word in the Hebrews is ‘continue to look and look and look’] at the brazen serpent, he shall be healed.”

And over here in the Book of Hebrews, and I like this portion of Scripture so I’ll be using it again at a later date, in the 12th chapter of Hebrews, it says,

Notice, the joy was set before him. He did what? He endured the cross, despised, he didn’t even look at the shame. Endured the trials, despised what was against him; couldn’t take time with it.

“If you’re a prophet; who hit you?” Didn’t even answer them.

“If you’re the Son of God, come down.” Didn’t even answer them.

“If you’re this; do that.” Didn’t answer them. He didn’t bother with them. No, He wouldn’t touch it. Drew Himself aloof from the whole thing.

Never mind it. Don’t get embroiled. Don’t get taken up. Keep your eyes right on God, that’s what counts. And that’s what Jesus did. Despising the shame.

And what is He? He is now set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him as the Scripture says.

One, first eight verses… [James 1:] Let’s read verse 2.

Put your eyes on the Lord, and what He said was yours and forget what’s against you, because if God’s before you who can be against you? You say, “Well, surely the things are against us. God doesn’t mean it that way.”

He means, “If God before you what does it matter what is?” Who cares? If you’ve got God you’ve got a majority. And if God’s got you, that’s much nicer still.

Now, let’s turn over here to Deuteronomy 20, because we want to see this, and remember, I’m going to explain exactly from the Bible why all this is so and why God demands it of us. Deuteronomy 20:1-4 and I love this.

Be not afraid. There it is. God said, “When you go out against overwhelming difficulties, don’t be afraid.” See?

Now, over in 2 Kings which we compare with this, and in the 6th chapter. Now listen, his God tested Israel, like He tests us, and in the 6th chapter, in verse 15 to 17 and it says,

In other words, it was just a no show contest. Or a no contest show. And it wasn’t. God just took the whole thing in hand.

Now, listen to me. I think of a story Brother Branham told, he said, A little boy, once said to his mother, he got intrigued, he said, “Mother can a person see God?” He’d heard enough about God that he wondered if he could see Him.

And the mother said, “Well, son, that’s a… question I think, perhaps, that your Sunday school teacher knows a little bit about more than I do, although I might answer you. I think she’d answer you a little better because she’s a trained teacher. You ask her.”

So he said to her, “Well, now can you really see God?”

And the Sunday school teacher said, “Well, now, I think the pastor better answer that question because when he answers you you’ll be more satisfied.”

He went to the pastor. And the pastor said, “Well, yes, you can in a way see God.” But by the time he got through explaining it, the poor little kid was confused and he still didn’t know.

But one day he was out fishing with an old fisherman friend of his and they were on the lake fishing away and suddenly an old squall came up and the rain begin to pour down, and in a few minutes the wind blew the rain clouds away and the sun broke through and here was a beautiful rainbow, and the old fisherman was just looking at that rainbow with adoration, tears trickling down his cheek.

The little boy looked at him and he knew something was going on in the old man’s heart.

And he said, “Sir, can a man see God?”

And he took him by his hand and he said, “Sonny, for forty years all I’ve ever seen is God.”

See that is what I’m trying to show you tonight. You’re not going to see God and trouble at the same time. You’re not going to see what’s against you and what’s for you at the same time.

You’re not going to have a conviction of what’s against you and what’s for you at the same time. You’ve got to tear your eyes off what’s against you and look what God said is for you.

And don’t be disturbed. Don’t be disturbed, because remember, this faith raises the dead. Somebody’s got to be pressed out of measure before God acts. See? You’re going to be pressed, but God raises the dead.

You say, “Brother Vayle, what if God takes everything I’ve got?”

He took everything I’ve got and I’ve got more than I’ve ever had. I’m telling you before God, I have to admit, God’s given me so much at times, I’ve gotten shamed. I’ve gotten scared. I have, I’m not fooling. I told you. You give hundreds, you get thousands, is that right?

All right, I have turned down at one time an amount in the vicinity of ten thousand dollars cash. I turned it down flat. But I’ve received it one time, eighteen hundred, twelve hundred, one thousand, five hundred, five hundred, hundreds and hundreds.

You say, “Got a lot of money?” Nope. Easy come, easy go. I don’t mean it the way it sounds, it just means, “Who needs it?”

You’re not going to be satisfied with money. You’re not going to be satisfied with beautiful homes and things. You’ll only be satisfied with one God, with one thing and that’s God and God moving in your life.

And that takes faith. See? Look for God because God wants you to look for Him.

Now let’s get right to the truth or the heart of what I’m talking about tonight.

Because I want you to see exactly why God says, “That this faith is the conviction in your heart. This faith, of what you don’t yet see in your possession, though everything’s against you, you still see in the midst of trials, that it’s pure joy, no matter what’s happening.”

Now, to do it, listen carefully, because I’ve got to go around it in a way that kind of leads you to it, see, like I might be teaching in a school. Now listen carefully, because here’s the foundation in order to make it strong and sure in the Lord.

And to illustrate it, I want to ask you a question in which I don’t think you’ll ever forget. Now you don’t have to answer me, but I want you to think about it.

Now listen. Was God a Savior before He died on the cross? Or did He become the Savior of mankind having died and risen again? Now see, there’s a question.

Was God a Savior before He died on the cross? Or did He become the Savior because He did the work of a Savior on the cross? Well, you know, if God can’t change, then God had to be a Savior before He ever died. That means that there was a Savior before there was a sinner.

Is that correct? Here’s what Irenaeus said, “God being a Savior, it was necessary that God predestinate a sinner, you never thought of that did you?… in order to give God a reason and purpose of being.”

God because He was a Savior, and He had nobody to save, He had to make a man who’d need salvation, in order, so that He could be God.

Was He a healer before He died on the cross, by His stripes? Then it was necessary for God to predestinate a sick man, in order to heal him.

Does anybody got any doubts what I’m telling you the truth? Because I could float it right now, they said, “Why… what was this man doing blind, did his parents sin that he became blind? Or did he sin and become blind?”

He said, “Neither one, he was blind for the glory of God.” God said, “I did it.”

God being a provider, it was necessary He predestinate you. Most of you are pretty broke, you’re like me. He predestinated a people who needed financial help, in order to give God a reason and purpose of being.

Because God though truly a Savior, and a Healer, and a Provider could not manifest that He was unless somebody needed saving, and healing and providing.

God being a Shepherd, it was necessary that God predestinate a sheep-like people, kind of dumb, God being a Shepherd, He was a Shepherd, so He had to predestinate or bring about a sheep-like people to give himself a reason and purpose of being.

God being a giver of peace, I am the Lord of peace, the banner and protector and all, it was necessary that God predestinate a people who would live in the midst of strife in order that God calm their storm.

In other words,… now here is what I am driving at, listen carefully and ask God to help you now like you’ve never been helped in your life to understand. Before there was ever a problem there was already an answer. Do you follow me?

Before there was ever a problem, before your wife left you, God had the answer. Before your husband turned you out; God had the answer. Before you got sick; God had the answer. Before one thing… [Tape faded in and out.] was not the way you loved it or like it; God had the answer.

For my brother, my sister, the answer is everything and the problem has only one value, and that’s to point you to the answer. Once it has pointed you to the answer, forget it.

Abraham’s problem was his body, the answer was God’s Word; so he forgot his body. Why bother? I’ve been pointed to the answer.

We are too much like the people who see the sign that says ‘to the bus’, and they get on the sign and ride the sign, instead of the bus. It is time to get off the sign and to ride the bus.

Let me show you how ridiculously simple this all is, we do it once more to human reasoning. When you went to school and I’m sure every one of you did, there was no teacher who ever gave you a problem that didn’t have an answer.

The reason she gave the problem was in order to get the answer which was already there. If there is no answer; there is no problem, but where there are answers, there has to be problems.

And God has given us all problems to point us to Him and when they do, forget it, because you’ve got here the ability to get that answer so this is the conviction of things which are not yet seen in my possession, and I can’t have double conviction about any one thing.

That’s opposite convictions about any one thing. His Word, my faith goes to His Word; my faith cannot go to conditions.

Let me read you something in the Book of Psalms, which doesn’t really explain it, but just kind of helps. Because I can’t get anything out of Bible, God’s never given me any Scripture to make this any more real than I’ve already made it for you.

But listen, to Psalms 139:16 and it says,

In the book it was done when not a thing was visible. Did you get it? In the book it was done, when not a thing was visible.

God said, “Abraham, you are the father of nations.”

And he became what God said he already was when nothing was visible. Actually what the book said. And he …?… what the book said. And he became what God said he already was.

Tonight, God says, “You’re healed.” That’s right. He said, “You’re healed.” You will become what God said you are if you’ll get your eyes off your body and get it on that Word. God says, “I’m healed!” Huh?

Let me show you something in the 8th chapter of the Book of Romans, verse 33.

Here’s what Wuests’ translation says, “Who shall dare arraign God’s chosen one.” Arraign means to bring up to court and sow an accusation against him according to the law.

“Who dares arraign God’s chosen one. God says I am righteous. God says I’m healed. God says I’m provided for. God says I’m taken care of.”

Then listen, if God said it, what about it? That ends it. All right. There you have it. Faith is the conviction of things not yet seen in your possession. Why? Because it is.

How can anybody convinced of those things that are going to pass away when the Word of God abides forever? You put your stock in things which are against you, if God be for you.

That’s why we’re to be a cheerful people with an up look, with the apostolic optimism. This is the rest of faith if you haven’t caught on to it. This is peace instead of frustration. This is understanding instead of confusion.

Sure, you got a problem, honey, but God’s already got the answer waiting for you. Get your eyes off your problem. It’s served its purpose.

You say, “Brother Vayle, I believe I’m suffering for some of the things I’ve sinned in. It served its purpose …?… of it. Ask forgiveness. Believe it. Walk on in victory. Sure. …?…

Remember, God hasn’t called you to bitterness, and agony of soul. He paid the price. This is Resurrection week, we’re living in. Bless God, we’re looking for restoration. End of the Laodicean age. The Rapture is coming.

We’re going all the way back to what Pentecost was. The tares and the goats are going to be leaving our midst pretty soon. And be back to pure and the power of God.

This is no time to worry about the end of the age; everything is getting rough. Communists moving here. Ecumenical council moving there. The pope soon will take over. No, never mind that, forget it.

You’ve seen the problem. It did its work. It’s pointing you to God. “Look up, your redemption draweth nigh.” Abounding iniquity on every hand, it’s done its work. Forget it. Christ is our righteousness. Who is sufficient for these things? What things?

The problems; they made you ask the question. Forget it. Christ is the answer. Follow me? Now you see why His faith is your assurance and conviction.

You’ve got a measure of God’s own faith, that disdains what’s against you. Why? Because it’s the thing to do because it’s just like a bill collector coming by and say, “Hey, you owe me some bills.”

“Fine, you say, I’ve got plenty in the bank. Write a check. What do you want?” You have the title deed from God’s Word. It’s yours. Faith is the assurance of things that God said you can …?…, it’s because it is.

That’s what it takes to get them. You’re not weak in faith. Your faith …?… His faith can’t fail.

Your faith can fail, but God’s faith can’t fail. God’s faith gives you, “Mountain, be thou removed.” Human faith can’t do that. God’s faith does it. Disdain it, believe it, you haven’t got that, God gave it to you. You’ve seen your mountain, now you’ve seen your problem.

Now just keep your eyes on God, and let God take you through. You say, “Shouldn’t I worry?” No, you don’t… we don’t go to sleep at night worried. We’re not supposed to.

You know the world thinks it’s smart to lie awake and fuss and you know, go into it, every facet and… don’t analyse… just say, “Problem, you’ve done your work. Good-bye honey.”

We’re too much like the old lady, she was always fussing, and one day she had a dream. It was a wonderful thing for her. It changed her whole life and the preacher thought he better find out what happened to that dear old sister.

She was such a fuss-budget. She drove everybody crazy, mostly him, but now she was living so supremely, and serenely. So he went by and asked her. “Oh,” she said, “hadn’t I told you?”

“No,” he said, “you hadn’t.”

“Well, I forgot then, I’m sorry.” But she said, “You know, not too many weeks ago, I had a dream. And I was out in the garden and all with many strings around my neck, all weighted down with problems. And I was so loaded with my problems that I was bent over and the Lord Jesus came down with His scissors and every time He cut one off, I’d tie a knot and put it back on again.”

She said, “I woke up the next morning and I knew what the Lord wanted me to do to cast all my cares upon Him, for He careth for me. I’ll just look to Him to take care of the goodies and the …?… I know He’ll take care of the problems.”

Look, if you let God take care of the problems, He’ll take care of the goodies. See? Faith is my conviction of things not yet seen. He said, “They’re mine I can see them, come on.”

And I’m going to tell you folks, you’ll get cross-eyed, and ruin your vision trying to look at the problem at the same time, forget the problem. Huh? You know, I wouldn’t worry about hunger if I saw some good food in front of me. Get your eyes on Him.

Let me just tell you a story, most of the time’s gone. I was in a meeting years ago, and there’s a dear old lady named Sister Scram. And Sister Scram was a sweet old saint of God.

Now me, I do not like the smell of waters; salt water, fresh water, any water, to me it stinks. I don’t know why, unless it’s a babbling brook, or something, where there’s no smell, I just don’t like it.

Remember, a lady once that she crossed over a bridge in Canada where we were living, she said, “Reminds me of Scotland.” Smelt it.

And I said, “What smells good?”

Well, anyway, Sister Scram was by this body of water and didn’t smell too good and I don’t think she liked the smell of water either, but you know she said, “Smell, that stink water. Smell it.”

She said, “Smell the clover. Smell the clover. It all depends what you want to smell.” She smelled clover, I smelled stink. It’s just that simple.

You can believe what He said, and spend all your time on it and forget once again, because it’s done, it’s used, it’s all over. Once it’s done it’s job, it’s all over. See? You burn up the chaff, when you get the wheat. So if you’ve got the wheat, burn up the chaff. See what I mean?

But you can’t take time with your problems and get the goodies from God. It just won’t work. But you see, faith is your ability to forget once again, so you can afford to do it.

Now if you didn’t have it, you’d have to scramble and fuss and do everything you could to make it work out, but you don’t have to now.

You can lie down beside the still waters, and roll over in the green grass. And let your enemy just fall, while He prepares a table before you. You follow me now? Huh? God help us to get it.

Let’s rise and be dismissed. Lord, love you, you’ve been good people.

Gracious Jesus, it’s been good to be here tonight. And it’s good to know Your Word. But Lord, tonight, as we’re coming along slow but sure, we’re getting a little anxious for a real revelation of the truth of what we brought tonight.

Something so energizing, something so dynamic, that we’ll be back in restoration. We’ll be back with Enoch, walking with God, all the way in the Word by faith, then one day You’ll take us.

Word Bride advancing through Him who is the Word by… being prepared to be united… in all the while the mighty works will be found in this lovely woman, the Bride of Jesus Christ. Lord, I believe that’s our portion, I thank You for it, and we’re coming Lord, a little anxious for the quick work, but we believe, we believe.

Thank You, tonight Lord, that we are strong in faith. We’re not going to lie ever again or make You a liar, because You gave us the measure of faith, strong in faith.

We’re going to start giving You the… perceiving not our own bodies and those things against us, but looking unto Jesus,… who is God and spared Him not but gave Him,… giving us all.

And now unto the King Eternal, Immortal, Invisible, the only wise God be all power, and honor and especially glory, by these lives surrendered so thoroughly to Him that He is living His life out as we become living epistles read and known of all men. Amen.

God bless you.