Greatest Battle Ever Fought #01
Battleground: The Mind#6587
Let us pray.
Heavenly Father we want to say we’re grateful to you for giving us the health and the strength Lord to be here today but above all the desire, Father, to know what your Word says concerning us at this time.
To know what we have from You Lord, what we can yet expect from You and what You desire from us Lord, and we pray we might, by Your Spirit, be one with each other, so that, mutually we will have that which we are supposed to have, and in the best degree Lord too, so that we shine Lord in the light that you have given us to this day.
So we pray Lord You’ll anoint our hearts and our minds to be one with You and to be very, very suppressed in ourselves, to learn to get out of the way, to learn to let You have Your way, to know what it is to be dead with Christ, and yet alive with Christ. These things Lord are part of our heritage and should be a part of our experience, day by day.
We have prayed that it shall be so in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
You may be seated.
Now, I was going to answer a question, which has been brought to my attention, but really there’s too much material to go into it, and then start on the Message of Brother Braham’s, which has to do with the Greatest Battle Ever Fought.
So we’re just going to leave the question, which has to do with the… what authority a minister really has a pastor over the people, how far does it go and though I’ll just leave that and I’ll answer it in more detail with many, many Scriptures, so you’ll know exactly where we stand because I think that is so vital in these days when the spot light is on the minister’s and the ministry and they’re getting scorched by their own fire. Interesting.
So back to the topic we have in mind, which is… “The Greatest Battle.” And it falls right in line with what we were dealing with, in faith in the mind, and you’ll see how that Brother Branham brings that out to us.
Now the Scripture reading, he starts in 1 Peter 5th chapter I think the 8th and 10th verses, and he reads,
(08) Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour:
(09) Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
(10) But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, makes you perfect, stablish, strengthen, [and] settle you.
Now, before we read the next portion of Scripture, I had not actually read this as Brother Branham you know, had read it, I just knew it was there.
But I was thinking today and this morning without even having conjured up this Scripture, that you will notice and you cannot help but notice… now mark carefully what I am saying, because this is a tremendous benefit to you.
No Christian can ever love God unless he suffers. Now that’s going to blow your mind, but I’m sorry for you. If it blows your mind, you’re going to have to change your mind. We’re going to talk about that.
This is what I brought out in the articles I read in Romans the 5th chapter, where you start with hope, and you go on to the trial of your faith, which deepens you in patience and ripeness of character. And then it says, “The love of God is shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Ghost.”
Now I have never met a person yet, who really loved the Lord, but has suffered. Now that’s the truth. I’m sorry about it… I’d like to say everything is charismatic, hip-hoorah, hallelujah, nobody is to suffer, we’ve got a promise, bless God.
I got news for you that’s a lie from the pit of hell; that’s distorting the Scripture, it is putting Scripture against Scripture, because the joy that comes in the morning, after darkness, the Bible is speaking of. We all must suffer if we will reign with Him, we will suffer with Him.
There is no reigning down on this earth here unless we suffer, and suffering is necessary. God has ordained it, and if God ordains it, then it must be right, because God cannot do anything wrong. Sometime I’m going to bring you dozens of Scripture if I feel it necessary to show you that God is a good God.
And we haven’t thoroughly oriented our minds with the goodness of God; we have oriented our minds with the goodness of American fast leisurely living, where everybody gets paid for by the government and hallelujah. Well, hallelujah nonsense, brother/sister. That’s why America’s dying.
Every generation the kids get weaker and weaker and rottener and rottener citizens of this earth and the kingdom of God for one reason: we’ve tried to keep our children from suffering.
If I could roll the clock back and believe me, before God, I would love to do it, I would raise our kids on a piece of turnip, an apple box, and a beautiful sunset, and all the things of God; and the rest could drop dead.
You say, “Well that would make them suffer.” You bet they’ll suffer anyway brother/sister. There’s nobody can take your suffering away from you and the children, but you got to have understanding. That’s what we’re looking at.
So this Scripture here is very important here. When we’re going to talk about the greatest battle, it’s going to entail suffering, it’s going to entail things laid down by God, and you’re just going to have to be hit with it… bluey!!! I’m sorry.
It’s just like… you know, you’re walking down the street and you’re not noticing, because you… something you’ve got a paper and you walk smack-dab into a telephone post, and whop!! Just like that. I’m sorry, but that’s how it goes.
Everybody wants a dear old sneak-up approach. The soft pedal, you know just… [Brother Vayle makes a noise…] insinuating. Oh, brother/sister, don’t work.
Like kids say, “Why?”
Parents says, “Cause why? I said so!”
So now parents should never be that way. Well then why don’t you tangle with God? He’s the great parent. There’s lots of things He hasn’t exposed to us.
I don’t care how philosophical I wax and you wax, and William Branham, prophet of God, waxed. I’m going to tell you flat: there are things we don’t understand right now, and there is nobody has ever explained them. And you and I will never know till the end of the trail. If He wants to tell us then.
All right he reads some more. The book of Ephesians 6th chapter.
(10) Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Like I said we must memorize this as a true saying, “Greater is He that is in me than I in myself.” Never mind what’s in the world brother/sister… I don’t care two bits what’s in the world; I only care what’s in Lee Vayle.
Because the trouble is not with the world and you people, and with anybody else, it’s with me. All these complexes and things get a lot of hogwash. “Greater is He that is in us than we ourselves.”
(11) Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
(12) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
That’s a nasty situation. See, God created the devil. He allows all these things. And He tells you and me through the Apostle Paul, “Put on the whole armor of God and let’s go out there and have a good fight in the name of the Lord.”
And he warns you, you know you’re not wrestling against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. He’s telling you right there it is a spiritual battle.
Now remember the mind is a part of the spirit, right? The mind is a part of the spirit, right? Okay, so spiritual battles will be what kind of battles? Mental battles. Mental battles. Right.
I’m going to be honest with you, there are times I want to take my hat off and I don’t have a hat on. That happens many times. And I’m not actually fighting too desperately.
(13) Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to [stand] in the evil day, and having done all, [just] stand.
(14) Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
(15) And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
(16) Above all [things], taking the shield of faith, [that means above like an umbrella over everything else.] wherewith [you] be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Now he tells you right here from on the top of your head, because that’s above all. Right? The head’s above everything, right? Okay. So therefore there is something you put on top of your head.
Now what good is the top of your head physically when you’re battling spiritual things? No good, period. Because the devils don’t come and whop you over the head with a brick, and they don’t give you a four-knuckle treat. No, it’s inside, where the thoughts are going on, you know, whirling around.
So above all… that’s over the whole thing, you take that shield of faith, and thereby you’re able to quench all the fiery darts that come from what? Wrestling against, not flesh and blood, it’s not your brother, your sister, your mother, your father, the preacher, the deacon, this and that… no.
Against rulers, against principalities, In other words that’s literal kingdoms and forces in an unseen area but they’re spiritually against powers, and authorities, rulers of darkness, spiritual wickedness high places.
Now you realize of course… because satanic oppression is increasing because he knows his days are short, you’re going to have a lot of problems just mentally, with spiritual things come into your life. They’re going to be rough on you.
Now in the book of Daniel.
(01) And at that time Michael [stood up or shall], stand up, the great prince which standeth for the [people of thy] children of thy people; [Michael there for Israel,] and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book… [and that’s nice. See?]
(02) And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
(03) And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn [away] many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. [The soul winners are right in there]. And they that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; [we read that… okay.]
(04) But thou, O Daniel, shut up the [book] even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
(05) Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two [on one beside the river, one the other side beside the river].
(06) And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?
(07) And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and [he raised up] his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever [and ever] that [time shall], it shall be [just] for a time [there’s a] time and an half; [a time, time and time that’s three and a half years.] And when he [had] accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, these things shall be finished.
And he said… I believe I’ll stop right there. Now I’m going to continue on page 13 and these are not numbered in paragraph form. So Brother Branham from what he has read here says,
[13-1] “The great first battle, [the great battle; the first one] that was ever fought began in heaven when Michael and his angels fought against Lucifer and his angels.”
Now the idea is here, is to acquaint you with the fact that there was a war in heaven before there was ever a war on earth and so therefore the Kingdom of God, the authority of God, no matter where it is, and under what conditions and in what way, it is going to be violated if possible by Satan.
So you are predestinated to a warfare, whether you would like it or not you are predestinated to it, and you must be engaged in it, whether you like it or not.
Now as to this war in heaven. We’ll just look a little bit at it, because we want to be very familiar with everything Brother Branham says, and we find over here in Luke the 10th chapter, 17th verse,
(17) And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. [And he said I’m going to tell you about that from the beginning.]
(18) …he said, I [saw] Satan [fall] as lightning from heaven.
In other words he is letting you know that back there in the form of Michael taking on the theophonic expression of Michael, he kicked Satan out of heaven.
He was engaged in the battle back there, and He was engaged with the battle in Satan, in the 4th chapter in the Book of Matthew, and of course other gospels where Satan actually came to him, and tested him on the authority of who He was.
And Brother Branham said the same thing withstands with us. You must have the authority of who you are. And he stood right against Jesus, and Jesus rebuked him.
Okay. Let’s go back and see Isaiah chapter 14:12-14 and you’ll see some more of Lucifer’s history.
(12) How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
(13) For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
(14) I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
(15) [He said] thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Now you’re engaged by the enemy to join him in his battle against God.
All right let’s read in Hebrews the 9th chapter verses 21-23 we’ll see some more.
(21) Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. [That’s Moses now.]
(22) And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without [the] shedding of blood [there’s] no remission.
(23) It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; [That’s blood of bulls and goats, and so on.] but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
(24) For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
So therefore the heaven itself was violated, the very presence of God was violated, and now it says the blood of the sprinkling which was by bulls and goat’s blood could do something fine for down here, but it couldn’t take care of the problem in heaven. So all right.
We have this original battle that started in heaven, and God took steps immediately to rectify the situation, which situation will be rectified, as it says in Isaiah, “When they looked merrily upon Satan cast down into the pit,” where he belongs.
Okay. It was started in heaven. The first battle was in heaven so sin did not originate on earth. Now that’s true. Remember it says Satan said; “I’m going to exalt myself above the most high, I’m going to take over, I’m going to run things”.
In other words, you find here that God does not look with tolerance or leniency upon anybody who attempts to formulate any opinion outside the opinions that God gave him concerning God’s own Kingdom.
So you can see why it is that organization is so tragically wrong and inept, where men try to come together and figure things out. Paul the apostle one of the most brilliant men that ever lived. I would say he was a greater theologian than Hillel and that concerns others. And I forget who the other person was at that time just at the time of Christ.
But he said, “If there’s any dispute that you have, he said, get the lowest most common man in the congregation and he’ll likely have more spirituality to settle than all you people that think you have all the word.”
That doesn’t put a very high premium upon people and their minds and their thinking. And yet you’ll find here what a premium God puts upon your mind and your thinking, if it’s done right… becomes a guarantee.
So the sin originated in heaven and it originated in the mind of Satan. It had to. He thought his thoughts, which were against God. He said, “I’m going to assume an authority. I’m going to do this.”
Now if he could do that in the presence of God back there, and if we’re right concerning what we say about the presence of God today; Christ came down in the form of the Pillar of Fire, in the form of the Holy Ghost, and He’s really here now, He’s descended with a Shout.
And you can see how even we act. That’s letting you in on a little picture there. You can see why Satan didn’t have any trouble. You know this God is very inscrutable, you can’t figure Him, and nobody should try.
It is best if we could learn to just listen and that’s good because, “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing only the word of God.” It originated in heaven and then it was thrown down from heaven, cast out of heaven to the earth, and fell on human beings.
Number one: in heaven it fell on the angels,’ right?
Number two: on earth it falls on you and me.
So the battleground of God and Satan was the heavenly host and now the battle-ground, human beings. Now you may think that is unfair.
Why don’t you go to Uncle Sam and tell him, “I’m not going to pay my taxes they’re unfair.” You say, “Well… wouldn’t pay…” This isn’t going to pay either. Yeah, all right.
Then the battles descended from angels to become human battles, then the battles… then Satan came to destroy God’s creation down here on earth. What God had created to be for Himself, Satan had come to destroy, or take it over, see? That’s what his purpose was to destroy it. Then the battle began here on earth, and began in us and it’s been raging ever since.
Now let’s just take a little peek at that because that’s the truth. That’s over here in Ezekiel the 28th chapter and the 13-15 verses;
(13) Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, [Now notice this is just almost exactly like the ephod of the High Priest. And here is this Satanic being and he’s in the Garden of Eden and he literally comes ministering to Eve who types the church. And she listens. She opened her mind. That was tragic.] sardius, topaz, diamond, beryl, onyx, jasper, sapphire, emerald carbuncle and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
(14) Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
(15) Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
Now, I ask you a question. If this being was perfect, consummate… now get the picture carefully with me; consummate. Don’t give way to the thinking, this black terrible creature; he’s going to fool you. This one with consummate wisdom, “Thou sealest up the sum of wisdom,” brilliant a tremendous person.
Maximized in the church by the revelator John, now listen, the antichrist church, she’s beautiful, she’s fascinating. And he looked at her and he marveled. And I can see John’s thinking, “Why, that can’t be so? It couldn’t be so, that that just couldn’t be so.”
Now that’s what you’re looking at right here. You’re looking at a personage, that God created, fashioned, whatever, and he was a marvelous fabrication, a marvelous institution, but there was a thread, showed up, iniquity, and took that one thread and he fought God desperately.
And you know the tragic thing is this: he cannot stop… well not tragic… but to put it, you know, I’m going to use the word ‘tragic’. The most… what would you call it, puzzling thing is, that this one here cannot stop fighting God. He cannot do it.
And you know, I want you to know this, the church at the end-time, made up of all so called Christians of whom they’re now screaming and saying millions now living will never die. They have to fight God.
Now I wonder you people got your minds disabused today that you really understand, that there’s going to be just a teeny number going to be standing here and make it, not millions. I would honestly say that it wouldn’t take very many churches this size to hold them all.
Because the greatest number you can possibly envision in the Bible is 7000 that didn’t bow the knee to Baal. That’s under Elijah, 7000 and you cannot take that as a type, can’t do it. See?
His purpose was to destroy the kingdom of God. Then the battle began here on earth, and it began in us, Adam and Eve and it has been raging ever since.
Now, before, now listen carefully, the next thing is. Here it started in heaven. Angels were the battleground. God against the enemy, light against darkness came right down into the Garden of Eden. Why don’t we just talk about it?
Do you think it would be very hard and inconceivable for Satan to indwell a person and take him over and fool the people? No way, no way, easy as pie. All but the not-elect now, but the very elect will be fooled.
Now listen carefully, now number two point, watch carefully:
[13-2] [Now] “before any battle can be put in array [ready to scrap] they first have to choose a meeting ground or a place where the battle is to be fought. [Well that’s true; you got to have some place to fight] A selected place. In the First World War it was so placed in no- mans- land. And places where they had fought, and there’s got to be a selected-a place selected.”
Now that’s, that’s good thinking. You have to be acquainted with where the fight is going to be. Otherwise it’s like an ambush. Now there’s no place in the Word of God where any Christian gets ambushed.
And you’ll notice that every theologian very carefully tells you, that when you put on the whole armor of God, there is no back plate, breastplate but no back plate. Which means, the devil cannot sneak up behind you.
You cannot be backstabbed. Whenever I have been, and you have been, we have asked for it by turning our backs. Stupid people. Number one up front.
Now he says,
[13-3] “Like when Israel went to war with the Philistines there was a hill on each side where they gathered, and that’s where Goliath came out and called the armies of Israel. That’s where David met him in the valley, when he passed over the little creek that ran between the two hills he picked up five rocks… [for his sling.] There has to be a place selected.”
So the emphasis now is on the sight, or the place of battle.
[13-4] “And in this there is a mutual ground like a no- mans- land in the First World War. And they fight here at this place.”
Now I want you to know that this is foreordained of God, Satan and God have an arrangement, yeah; Satan and God have an arrangement. Now you know that’s true because the book of Job tells where all the Morning Stars sang together and Satan come wandering right in the presence of God.
He said,” Where have you been?”
“Oh, he said, wandering up and down the earth.”
He said, “Just having a good time looking around.”
Well he said, “When you were down there no doubt you saw my servant Job, he’s a very fine boy. ”
He said, “I saw him alright. But he said, but… Phtt, I didn’t think he was as hot as you think he is.”
“Well what’s your beef?”
Why he said, “Does Job serve God for nothing? Why he said, If you’d of treated me like you treat Job I’d still be up here”.
I’m just putting that in kind of idea, because the devil is a rascal, you know.
Why he said, “Tell you what you do. You just… you just take your hand off of Job with that big fence you got around him, and you let me just pick him a little bit. And I’ll show you how fast he’ll forget about you.”
And God said, “Well now just a minute. I’ll take you up on that, because I know him like you just think you know him. I’m going to tell you something.”
That’s exactly what happened.
You say, “Well, well I don’t think that God would do that.”
Well God did do that. See, that’s where we’re with this message, nobody believes God will do things anymore. Because he’s so nice and so pretty according to their way of thinking. Hogwash.
Brother/sister, I want to tell you something, I’m going to just read it straight from the Bible here, let’s get this down flat, plumb, and plain one hundred percent and try to get ourselves relocated in something that isn’t this nice, nice hypocritical junk.
Now listen, Paul himself says in verse 7, 1 Corinthians, chapter 2:
(07) But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, [I said, I don’t care how clear you think you know things, there’s a puzzling thing right there that’s going to knock the humanity of people right on the head. Because humanity is not ordained as far as the flesh is concerned, to ever get any of this. See? That’s why you got to come back a brand new body.] [Now the wisdom,] even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
And he said, there’s nothing hidden, but for the purpose of being revealed, which means it’s a supernatural revelation to you. Not something… and I pick it out, but truly revealed by the One that wrote it.
Nothing has been hidden except for the purpose of being revealed. “The secret things belong unto Thee O God, but that which hath been revealed belongs unto us and our children for a thousand generations that we may do the will of the Lord.”
All right, the hidden things of God ordained for our glory, in other words we are going to have God’s light shine upon it, into our hearts, it becomes life to us.
(08) Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
What if we are right concerning His Presence today? Then they’ll crucify to themselves the Lord of glory and that’s exactly what the Bible says. Now go and preach that to some other church, or some other people.
They are going to look at you like a bunch of stony people or they’re going to say, “That would never happen here.” It’s already happened, if it’s happened. What if were right? I believe we’re right. I wouldn’t be preaching this if I didn’t believe it’s right.
You say, “Brother Vayle, they may skewer you some day.” They might. They might. I could be destroyed by men who hate me, and I could be destroyed by God; if He doesn’t love me either, if I’m wrong. I’m between a rock and hard place according to human reasoning.
If I am right, by the prophet, I’m in the greatest place the world has ever seen. Much as I don’t… maybe would like to be in this age, I might be a little slack in this age, I might been a little happier, been back in Wesleyan age when everything nicer, nicer. But, I’m in this age, this is the age for me. Bible says so. They would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
(09) But as it is written, [Listen] Eye hath not seen, [Right] nor ear heard…
No way, by the senses, process could it go into the heart of man, because it is not in the heart of man through the sense process to get it. I’m shut off from God, concerning the things that God prepared for you and me because we love Him.
Now listen,
(10) …but God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
(11) For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the Spirit of man [that’s] in him? [Knowledge lies in your spirit]… Even so the things of [man or things of God, pardon me] God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. [All knowledge of God lies in the spirit. At the Endtime you got a revelation.]
(12) Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things [which] are freely given to us of God.
Now notice, we have not received the spirit of the world. Yet we got our own spirit. That should tell you right there that it’s a one to one confrontation. Organization will fail, churches will fail, but an individual will not fail. It’s going to be a one to one confrontation.
I’m going to tell you, I came out of Assemblies of God Church, I was a Trinitarian back in those days. Before that I came out of a United Church, Methodist, Presbyterian. Before I came out of that, I came out of the Presbyterian. I was a Presbyterian by birth.
The Presbyterian Church will not stand on that day for me. I will not go with the Presbyterian Church and say I’m an original member of the Presbyterian Church, my mother’s Reformist, we believe in old John Knox right down the line. Proud of the fact, Phttt, that name won’t even come up.
And when the light shines on me, it will not shine on my mother, my father, my sisters, my brother, it will shine on me. You better believe that brother/sister you’re not going to hide; I’m not going to hide.
You know there comes a place where you really… where you believe this, there comes a place where you realize, it stuns you, but then you realize it. We have not received the spirit of the world. But if we have received the Spirit of God, we can know through that Spirit the things that are ours.
And then he says,
(13) Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom [teaches], but which the Holy Ghost [teaches]: comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
This is was why William Branham could not reach the people. This is why Paul cannot reach the people. This is why I cannot reach the people. I speak a different language based upon Brother Branhams’ own language. I do not speak theology and the words of many of my brethren.
William Branham cannot be understood with modern theology. You have to rid your mind of your theology, and what you learned. You say, “I don’t think I need to.” The Bible said at the end-time all tables are full of vomit.
Didn’t say one was missing, your table, your Presbyterian, your Methodist table. Or your Nazarene, I know some of you folk got that good old sanctified background in you.
Mennonite, Amish, and what have you. You aren’t going to make it there. You’re Baptist, you’re completely shucked out. Pentecost, you haven’t got a clue. Sorry for them, but that’s the truth.
How you going to understand a language you never learned? That was the greatest lesson I learned, when I learned Brother Branham is not saying what I think he is saying based upon what I know. Four and a half hours for one time, for one point, proved it.
(14) But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: they are foolish unto him: neither can he know that they are spiritually discerned.
(15) But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
(16) For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ,
Right there it tells you that this is a tough, tough thing we’re getting into this morning, see? Now in this he said, “There is a mutual ground, a no- mans- land, and they fight here at this place.”
They just don’t fight one battle over here and one down there and one over there [indiscriminately.] There is a battlefront, now let’s understand this. [There is one place.] There is a battlefront where they must meet and test their powers.
…Where each army tests his strength against the other army, a mutual place, and now, don’t miss this, when this great battle started on earth, there had to be a mutual meeting place.
Was William Braham trying to tell us this was foreordained? Why would he say it if it wasn’t?
There had to be a meeting place, the battle was coming down on earth. So it’s going to decide where we’re going to hit it. Where’s it going to be? Where would be the great push, the battle for superior, for dominion? Who will win out?
There had to be a place selected for the battle to begin and for the battle to rage; to begin and to keep on. And that battleground begins in the human mind. That’s where the battle starts.
The human mind was chosen for the place of battle, where it was to begin. And that is because the decisions are made from the mind or the head. Brother Branham said, “There’s only one Place, one Name, where you could meet God and worship.” That’s nice, that simplifies things.
Now, here is where the problem lies in the mind. You say Brother Vayle, “My mind this morning is happy and gay, I feel wonderful… oooh!!… my back…”
Now, you believe God or don’t believe God? Now that simply is what it is. A little premature in some of this, we’ll go into it more thoroughly. But can you come to the place where you believe the all-wise God, predestinated, allocated, zeroed in to the mind.
Because that’s where decisions are made. Now where were decisions made in heaven? In the spirit of the Spirit beings. Where are decisions made here? They’re made in your spirit, because the mind is spirit. The mind is not your brain.
Remember when God said let the earth bring forth the animals. They were already there in spirit form. Right. Before the earth brought forth the life in the seeds, it was already there in the form of life, which is really like, you could call it spirit.
And so therefore, when the earth was warmed by the sun and the water touched the seed; the seed began to swell, sent out feelers that took in the nourishment. And the life that was encapsulated in the seed took on a form, vivid beyond imagination.
I could take thousands of seeds and not one of us would realize what was in that seed. It’s not given to us to know, until there’s a manifestation. Neither will we know the beauty and glory of God brother/sister, until there’s a manifestation in us. Or there’s life in the place that God wants it.
Just think of that for a minute. That’ll give you an idea why you suffer. Why you love the Lord and why you’re willing to go along with God, because you know in a supernatural manner that this is real.
And we’ve been shown today an evidence by a prophetic ministry, vindicated by God, through William Branham; we have come to a place of saying, “We know that we know that we know.”
And yet we can’t prove a thing. And why should I, when it’s been proven, to my satisfaction. Well if it’s not proven to your satisfaction that’s your business. Where it was to begin with in the mind, “Because decisions are made from the mind, the head.”
Well, well, well, let me see… the word ‘mind’ from the Greek; The word ‘nous’ n-o-u-s: The organ of mental perception and apprehension; the organ of conscious life; the organ of the consciousness preceding the act, of recognizing and judging the fact.
The organ of thinking and knowledge, that is understanding, especially the organ of moral thinking and contemplation. The mind takes cognizance of the external objects and denotes the reasoning faculty.
Wouldn’t it be nice if we couldn’t? Wouldn’t it be nice if we go [Brother Vayle makes a squeaky noise with his mouth] we didn’t see a thing out here or hear anything.
You know Evan Roberts came close to that, remember Evan Roberts? The… fellow in the Welsh Revival? He was on the train one day, riding with a friend and a very, very obnoxious, I would say, kind of a person; recognized Evan Roberts, greeted him.
Then turned on him and used the most vile language toward him. Why he just dressed Evan Roberts up one side and down the other and hammered away, and hammered away, and this man beside him was horrified. He didn’t dare take a crack at the guy because he was too big, too mouthy.
And Roberts sat there, never said a word, blinked an eyelash, completely expressionless. After many miles, the man got off the train. That is that fellow cursing, vituperating Evan Roberts?
And the friend turned and said, “Brother Roberts, I don’t understand. How could you take what that man said?” Oh, he said,” I only heard him from about the first five words. From then on I heard nothing.” You know something, no wonder that man was a giant.
Its chief material, organ, was the brain. The organ material for this mind is the brain. But all the senses serve it, actively or passively. It’s got to go through the brain of course. Mind is the human side of God’s Spirit in man. That’s not true. That’s not really true.
“The Spirit of man is the Candle of the Lord.” In other words God will work through spirit, but it is not a side of it. Unless he’s saying this, “As God has spirit.”
But listen God doesn’t have spirit God is Spirit. You and I are a composite of three; we are body, soul, and spirit. Two parts spiritual, and one part physical. So when we say, “I,” we refer to the three, the composite. So this is quite right, but it’s quite wrong, you know what I mean.
Not trying to correct the man, but let’s face it. As to its source, it’s spirit. Now that’s true. As to its action in man, for intellectual purposes, it is mind. That’s very good what he says here, that’s from the Greek Doctor Bullinger.
Okay now.
Now Brother Branham says,
[14-1] They never started it from organization; they never started it from some mechanical affair; the grounds never started there; therefore, that organization can never, never do the works of God. Because the battlegrounds’ where you got to meet your enemy is in the mind. You’ve got to make your choice. It meets you.
What I’m looking at here is, and all I can see Brother Branham is saying here in my estimation, I could be wrong in this, I don’t know.
Is that look. People don’t ever figure that you’re going to get anything by just reading the Bible, or reading somebody’s delineation upon it, or memorizing your catechism, and your rules of order and all those things and you’ll be able to therefore somehow meet every issue with like a group perspective.
Uh-uh, no it’s a one to one confrontation. Every one of us has to come this way.
Now he’s speaking next to a little girl that is lying there very, very ill;
[14-1] I want this little girl here that’s very sick to be sure to listen now to this real closely. [Because he wants to help her with her healing.] Decisions are made in the mind, the head. [Because that’s where the brain is, Okay]. There’s where Satan meets you. And the decisions are [made there] because God made man that way.
Now there you are, so all right. The Psalmist said, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” We admit we’re the handiwork of God. Now God made me in such a way, and made you in such a way, that Satan actually can combat us in the mind.
Now you know that’s not too bad, if we took that the right way. Boy, we just don’t take things right, I’m confessing, the Bible says the priest must confess his sins and the sins of the people… I’m going to confess your sins and my sins this morning.
And you know, we’ll just be as cheerful and as nice as we can, but we’re going to nail it down, as the prophet helps us to do it. Now you see, those decisions are made in the mind. And the reason they’re made there, is because that’s the way God wanted it. See?
Now, Brother Branham said,
[14-2] If you [were] looking [at] my notes here, [he said,] you’d see what a map I drew up.
Well it wasn’t a map at all; it was a picture, what I’m going to draw here, very poorly, myself. You see now. The battleground is the mind and man has a mind, and you know, Brother Branham took Dr. Larkin’s drawing here [Brother Vayle starts to draw]… I’m going to get around here… oh yeah, I can do something just like this here.
Okay, I think I can manage, then I’ll duck out of your way. Here is the whole complete picture ah maybe I’ll make it a little bit bigger, maybe something like this… oh that’s going to be out of proportion. Who cares? Anyway in here see we got two, three, four, five.
Now this out here is the body, without a doubt. And in here of course are the five senses of the eye gate. They’re all eye gates, and there’s: hearing, and there’s feeling, you can’t understand any… see if you don’t see it, there’s smelling, you know, what have you.
What have you got here Sam, what did you put in here? You got the eye gate, the nose gate, the ear gate, the mouth gate and the feel gate he calls them. That’s all right; you got the nose gates in there.
Now, that’s not important as to the sense, that’s your body out here. Now in here, according to Dr. Larkin, and Brother Branham, at one time, did agree. He put the spirit here. This sermon was preached in 1962, but after the Seals opened, he was instructed by the Lord, that was not soul.
Now the Bible says body, soul, and spirit. So therefore people have consequently thought that Paul had that in a divine order, but it was not in a divine order. The divine order is the body, the spirit, and then the soul.
So therefore, Larkin at this time, had within what he called, the soul up here, or rather here, which he called the spirit, see that’s what he called it. He put the five inlets to that, and that was like: imagination, I’ll just abbreviate that, and there was conscious, and there was memory, (m-e-m for memory) and there was reason, and there was affection.
Now in the soul here, which he called, the… I mean the spirit here, which he called the spirit at that time, which is, Brother Branham put as the spirit up here. He had the here, the faculties were: faith, and hope, and reverence, and prayer, and worship.
Now, where Larkin got those by his study, I know he studied it in the Bible. And I do know that Brother Branham re-acquiesced.
I want to stop right here, and explain something. There are people who said that Brother Branham simply preached the Seals from Larkin. That is the stupidest statement under God’s high heaven. I have Larkin’s books.
And I’ve yet to find anybody who taught what Brother Branham taught, especially on Seal number five, which is under election to the Jews. No way. If anybody wants, I can run these off what you want, no problem, for the fun of it. To look at it. But he did agree with Larkin.
Now, Brother Branham did not come on the scene as a prophet to rewrite the Bible. He came on the scene as Elijah to restore the Word of God to its compatibility with God, which means simply this; we can understand the Word as God wanted it understood for us in this hour.
So therefore, he corrected the errors. Evidently there was no error in Mr. Larkin, until the one error came out, this is not the soul, this… well that’s the body out here… this is the spirit in here. This is the soul in here… see? That is the gene from God. Not this.
As Brother Branham taught, the baby is nothing but jerking muscles, nerves. It is not truly alive. It is living in so far that it is a product of the two bodies of two people, the seed and the ovum; the sperm and egg getting together and bringing forth this child. But the child does not live, actually live and take on life, until it drops from the womb and begins to breathe.
And that is exactly how it was done in the Garden of Eden. See? Adam was put into a body. The body was not prepared around Adam. Adam already was and he’s put in the body. So we have the same thing now in this understanding.
Now Brother Branham said God gives it a spirit. Not from God as of God, as though it is God’s own Spirit and life, but allowed of God. What is already of God or not of God is the germ that’s in that soul, that life. See, that’s predestinated.
Like he said to Jeremiah “Before you were formed in the womb I knew you and I predestinated you.” See? So, what you see here now then is what we’re looking at, this picture.
And I showed you the other day on the mind, that when the body dies, there is no remembrance in the grave. You can go to the graveyard and cuss the guy out. And you can stand by his coffin before they bury him and say, “You dirty dog, I’m sure glad you’re dead.”
He’s not going to know a thing about it. In fact if he could, he’d just likely grin at you. He’s not worrying any more what you think. Lot of funny things happen in life. I can tell you about it sometime, but this is not the time for it.
But anyway, the man that died, he went into Hades not into Hell itself, a burning fire, like you know, but a place of detention, where Brother Branham said it was very, very awkward, very, very dark, very, very bad.
And in there he lifted up his eyes, being in that torment, which was more of a spiritual torment, and he had his memory here. He remembered Lazarus, he remembered his brothers. He thought of his brothers with affection. See? And he could reason, and you know things like that.
Now he could do that in his spirit condition. His body was gone. So, that lets you know, that when it comes to true memory, though, I mentioned a while ago the dog had to have a body. So your mind has to have an organ, and the organ is the brain.
And brain damage makes your spirit go blooey! Because you’re integrated. You say, “Well just a minute, if my mind was really, my brain was damaged, that shouldn’t have a thing to do with my spirit.” It certainly does.
Because your spirit then doesn’t have a proper vehicle to work through. Now remember, you know the things of man by your spirit. O, yes that’s a good deed. Tried it, you know [inaudible]… I’ve tried it.
So in other words I’m letting you know, there is a physical relationship I have, as a physical being with everything else that’s physical. But, it takes that spirit to know the value of relationships. See?
Now God gave us this mind, up, this brain up here, to take care of that mind spirit. Now, in that brain there’s little ridges and things that can store all the impulses and things. And the spirit interprets it.
Now, the things of God do not come that way. They’re given to you directly, now watch, directly to your mind. Then if you’re going to serve God, if you’re going to get anything from God, then you will dispossess your minds of the human factor, sacrificing them, to the spiritual factor.
And you’ll look like a liar and a fool when you do it too. And everybody’s going to call you crazy. Because they’re not prepared for what we’re talking about. Now, just so much for that, because we come back, I don’t know.
Now, the reason I drew it was… he drew the map. And he says,
[14-3] The human being is made up just like a grain of wheat. It’s a seed, the human being is a seed. [That’s true.] Physically you’re the seed of your father and mother, and the life came from the father, the pulp from the mother. So the two together, the egg the blood comes together, and in the blood cell is life, and there it begins to develop making the child.
[14-4] [Okay, let’s keep reading] Now, any seed has a shell on the outside; [That’s right the seed of the areoi, I guess they call it I’m not much for drawing and nature, so anyway that’s the truth, the seeds got an outside shell] Inside is the pulp, and inside of the pulp is the germ of life.
No microscope will ever show you. Nothing man can do will ever produce what’s in that life, what that life can do to chemistry. I hope you’re catching this, cause brother/sister we see in nature every single day what the life in nature can do with a chemistry.
Look at those flowers there, over there, poor last little bunch of flowers you getting out of our garden. You know, that snapdragon seed, such a teensy weensy thing. How in the world did that little seed produce that flower with a chemistry? Because the life in the seed is adapted.
Then what of the life of God in us, what would it do if we just let go? I can see for the first time why Brother Branham got so tense and screamed around the place ready to have nervous breakdowns, because I could have a nervous breakdown, thinking of this.
That’s nothing. That’s inanimate hunk of junk. Christ didn’t die for it. He didn’t need to die for it. We’re the culprits he died for. You get us right; that will be right back where it is.
Look at those beautiful flowers. Man I just love to… I tell you the other day… I can… years ago, a lot of flowers out there, we called weeds. Today they’re flowers. I just really appreciate it. I’m getting old and I’m dying, that’s it. Finally appreciating what’s there… see? It’s wonderful what’s there.
But we’re the order of God. Now, they’re not the battleground of God. We’re the battleground for God. Now then, what will God do in and through us and particularly for us? If we ever understand the battleground and get in line with what God wants of us.
And we can because in His own Word, He says He cries out through the prophet. He said, “The oxen knows his master’s crib.” He said, “The eagle knows the air route it takes. But my people, what do they know? Nothing!”
Now if this kind of preaching makes you want to let go, and let God. I know it makes me want to let go and just say, “Get out of the way boy once and for all for the… in the name of Jesus Christ for the glory of God, get out of the way just once. Drop dead or something.”
If you like vomiting, you’re going to go blooey through your mind. But just get me in a vacuum God take and suck the whole stinking mess out. Not yet, the time’s not right. It’s up to you and me and this thing called the mind, where decisions are made, whether we’re going to say yes or no to God. Which is mechanical verbal word.
Now you say, “Verbal..” yes, because before prophets didn’t write, God alone wrote with His finger. Every other prophet had to hear, and then write.
All right… he says, little pulp,
[14-4] Any seed has a shell on the outside; the inside is pulp, and inside of the pulp is the germ of life. [Wonderful,] Well, that’s the way we’re made. We are body, soul, and spirit. [Exactly the Bible says that in… 1 Thessalonians 5 thru 23.] The outside body the shell, inside of that (the conscience and so forth) is the soul, and inside the soul is the spirit. And the spirit governs the other.
Now you see, he said that at that time but he had to change it. It’s body, spirit and soul. Because that’s how people can be anointed like Judas was anointed. The Bible doesn’t say that Jesus came to save souls; it didn’t say he came to… rather spirits… I beg your pardon. He came to save souls.
The Bible does not say that He… that He poured His Spirit unto death. He poured His Soul unto death. So you see, you better look and understand. You don’t have to understand too much, just understand a little bit, you don’t have to understand too much.
But remember this: It’s body, spirit, soul. And Judas, could have the Spirit of God come and hit here, but never get down in here.
He said, “All souls are mine, the soul of the fathers, so the soul of the church” and so on. But he’s right, here about the spirit governing. Sure he’s right. Just had the one equated one against the other?
[14-5] “Now, if you’ll set down when you get home and draw three little rings, you’ll find out that (outside the body)… that outside body has [it’s] five senses it’s contacted by, [five senses] that is see, taste, feel, smell, hear; that’s the five senses that control the body. [Well see that’s true, that’s the stimuli].
…Inside the body is a soul, and that soul controlled by imagination, conscience, [so on, actually it’s in the spirit, controlled by affections, imagination, reason, and so on… see?] The spirit has [only] one sense, [no, the soul has only one sense… now I got to read this the way it’s got to be right here, because he corrected this, after ‘62.] Oh, let’s get it. The Spirit has [only] one sense and that sense it… either dominates it, is faith or doubt.”
Now, that’s true right there. You can come here and the word of God comes down to your mind and begins filtering down in here. Now this spirit in here, in the spirit you have the real choice is here. But in here you have that which brings it down in.
Now if you do not change that in here, no changes, but you bring it right down in here, then you have an opportunity for the life that is in that Word to supersede your life or really feeds this life until this, becomes your life and not in through here.
Like Paul said, “I am crucified in Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me. And the life that I live by I mean the flesh that I live by the faith the Son of God loved me and gave himself for me.”
[15-1] [You see so… He said,] That’s exactly it. And there’s only one avenue to it, that’s free moral agency. [Now watch]… you can accept [or] doubt, you can accept doubt, [I beg your pardon, let’s read it again,] you can accept doubt, [you can receive doubt, you can be tempted, you can have it, or you can accept, you can receive, you can have faith. Either one you want to work on.]
[14-6] Therefore, Satan began at the principal part… to cause the spirit of man to doubt God’s Word. Now use the spirit in conjunction with the mind, and that is true. God began at the principal part to lay His Word in that spirit. [Same thing.] There you are, that’s what does it.
So he’s telling you up here you have a choice when the word of God comes, to either take the word of God, and you take it in spite of every single thing else that is your ultimate. Or you can wind around and when you do you’re finished. God does not share His throne; won’t do it.
Now, the body has brain and sensors. I’m saying this myself, to gather information, that’s what it does, the body, the body has a brain, it has sensors to gather information, all the things here and so on.
We hear the word, via the senses, the sensors and brain and it goes to the mind or spirit part, and the spirit part determines what way we go with the Word. We read that in 1 Corinthians. That determines.
[15-2] [Now… he says,] If this church right now could put together and knitted together in such, that every person would be in one accord, with not one shadow of doubt anywhere, there would not be a feeble person in our midst in another five minutes; there would not be anybody here desiring the Holy Ghost, but what would receive It. If you could just get that certain thing fixed.
Okay, let me see, 1 Corinthians 1 and 10.
(10) Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, you all speak the same thing [even] that there be no divisions among you;
Now in the Greek, your Bible says ‘and’, The word ‘and’ is ‘kai’ which is either a conjunction or a preposition. I prefer the preposition because that’s what he’s talking about. Saying the same thing or there is a division if you don’t say the same thing.
While there was an animal come in the house the other day, our kids… had to be a raccoon, Ah raccoon my foot, raccoon wouldn’t… it was a possum got through that. “Oh don’t tell me that was a possum.”
The guy said, “I tell you; I think it’s your eyesight. It wasn’t a possum, or raccoon, it was a small groundhog.”
Three people, three different minds. Nadder, nadder, yak, yak, fight, fight, fuss, fuss.
You don’t know this, but your getting together to discuss the Word, has done something for you that only God can do through the life in His Word, because that’s what God said and the prophet said it. And there’s nobody else doing it. They’re all failing. You keep up what you’re doing. Learn to pray more.
Before I got sick people came by the house, set up till two and three in the morning. Jim knows, he was there two in the morning. Just like a light, you talk; it’s just like a light turning on. If you don’t turn me on it’s dangerous, because I can’t stay up all night.
Last goodtime we had was recently with Dave and Ruthie came over, so we stayed up talking; it was just like turning a light on. Now I’m not inviting you all to come and keep me up at night, don’t think that for one minute. That’s out period. But I’m letting you know something here.
This is why you’re instructed to do these things. And why you must do them. And you hurt yourselves by not doing them. You think you can catch up; you’ll not do it brother/sister.
Don’t you understand what we’re saying here today? I’m not up here just to… look it… you know, you know my stand with you I don’t bully and boss you around. You do what you want. I do what I want. That’s the tragic part of it.
(10) Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, [that’s a very serious thing to say] that you all speak the same thing, [even to the end so] there be no divisions among you: [why?] that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind in the same judgment.
Now listen brother/sister, I’m going to prove it to you. Look it… you know that I don’t talk just for the sake of talking. Although that’s not bad at times.
Ephesians the 4th chapter let’s go to verse 7. What time have we got? Any time left? Well who cares we will never get through this like everything else.
(07) But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
(08) Wherefore he saith, when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
(09) Now [that he] ascended, what is it that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
(10) He that descended is the same also ascended up high above heavens, that he might fill all things. [And here’s how He did it.]
(11) He gave apostles; and prophets; and evangelists; and pastors and teachers; [To the end.]
(12) For the perfecting of the saints… [That’s making a complete conclusion of, a perfect order, finished off, polished,] for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: [Bringing those souls in.]
(13) Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
(14) That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive:
(15) But [holding] the truth in love, [and speaking it] may grow up unto him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: [It tells you right here how to do it, what we’re doing right here.]
You say well Brother Vayle what is it? It’s doing what I’m telling you it’s doing. Say, “Well just a minute, I don’t feel this good.” I don’t care how good you feel. I don’t care how good I feel. I feel rotten most of the time. Let’s get her down flat.
I feel backslidden most of the time, let’s get her down flat. I don’t feel good in this pulpit this morning let’s understand that. I’m relying on this. Here’s where my ultimate is.
And if this doesn’t make it… I’ve blown it. [Brother Vayle hits the pulpit] Shot. Because the Bible tells you about your mind brother/sister, there’s where your battle is. There’s where your battle lies.
You know it as well as I do. Ninety percent of diseases are psychosomatic. Now stress is the big thing of the ‘80’s. Why? The mind. Men’s mind plotting. And look what they’re plotting. Anti-Christ mind. GE, let’s say is worth billions. And GE decides to gobble up another outfit, another big company.
Let’s say they’re going to take over IBM or something, and Mr. Reagan sits back, not knowing the Word of God; and I doubt the archbishop or anybody else knows the Word of God, that says, “Don’t join land to land.” Take away the landmarks. Even warns you about changing your form of government.
How many men stand up and preach the truth? How many men in congress? Not one that I know of, not one will stand up. Men get more and more stressed, and more and more stressed because the antichrist spirit take over, take over, take over.
Now with the Tammy Bakker affair… it’s going to be beautiful. Now the preachers are all (inaudible) and all these sweet little men, that wouldn’t obey God by going to the man and doing the thing right. Oh no, they wanted a big scandal so they look good.
So now the preachers going to police themselves like the doctors do. So the doctor can cut your [Brother Vayle makes a noise with his mouth,] cut your head off or the wrong foot, or anything else, and he gets by, because he’s with the AMA. And all the preachers will get together.
It won’t be… there’ll be no excuse at the… all the, Greek Orthodox, and all the Protestants, and all the Roman Catholics, and even the Buddhists… Dr. Moon will come along for his own protection, no doubt. Oh yeah. He’s a type of Christian.
We don’t agree, but that’s fine with me. He goes his way and I go mine. And they’ll police themselves. That is putting the fox in charge of the hen house. Anybody knows that’s got an ounce of brains.
Men are stressed to death today. Why? In the mind. How many men don’t take their work home with them at the night? Just about everybody does. The mind is the maker and the breaker. Doctors knows everybody knows it.
William Branham prophet of God, knew what they said, “Brother Branham how did you get these visions?”
And he said,” I’m different. He said; my sub- conscious and my conscious are so close they blip in and out.”
They said, “You know, you got to be right” [inaudible]
So the Bible said, “I will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is fixed on me, because he trusts in me.” Faith and the mind hand and hand. Okay, see what he’s talking about?
All right, now we’re learning things here. We’re doing as a church. I praise you to your back, to your front, and I grumble at you. You got to mix it up.
I’m not grumbling at you. I grumble at conditions, but I praise you and I thank you for what you’re doing because you are doing the right thing and I will commend you, because of what is right is right.
[15-3] Now there’s where the battle begins right in the mind. Now you remember it is not Christian Science, mind over matter. The mind accepts the Life which is the Word of God. And it’s the Word of God that brings the life.
That’s not really abstract… we’ll look at it. Just your thought doesn’t do it. In other words you don’t think the thing in. Faith and the mind have a lot to do with each other, but it’s not you just thinking something. But the Word of God brought in the channel of your thought is what does it.
So, your mind has the opportunity to invest you and itself or you, into the grace and power of God, through the mind receiving God’s Word. And when it really receives the Word of God, the life that’s in that Word is loosed.
That brings to you the healing, or whatever you need. It is not your mind moving things like Dr. Robertson discovered so-called psychokinesis, and you can write back, roll back, in the what, what was it 1940’s yeah, 1940’s or in the 50’s he was pretty popular, and you could write away and get his courses.
And he could tell you how to lie there and make the chandelier swing up there and… hogwash. Your mind, mind do that. Anybody knows you got to have some force to it. Mind force doesn’t do that. That’s a devil’s trick on you. Devil’s not anybody’s fool. Next to God, he’s the smartest, see?
Okay, what he’s saying here is make our thoughts God’s thoughts by His Word becoming our Word. Well put it this way again. Make God’s decision, or declaration concerning the condition, our declaration concerning the condition no matter what anything else is said, by anybody else about it.
Now look it, the famous one has to do it with healing, let’s face it. Always with [inaudible] let’s face it, we are interested in what? Dale Carnegie proved a point.
We’re interested in people, we want to have friends, we want to make friends, we want to be loved. Number two: We want good health. Why is number two always number two? Because when you’re young, you got good health.
And therefore you just busy yourself with friends and have a nice time. But when you get old… boing! Suddenly health is on the picture, and that’s maybe my even be number one.
Who cares about friends if you can’t enjoy them? Just give me the good health, and I’ll enjoy my friends. But you see that’s right; there is something there.
Now. Woodworth-Etter is a classic example. Because I like the old girl, the way she did things. She was horribly crippled, to the extent that one leg was pulled up over the other and crooked so they was very crooked and it was stuck in that position.
She was prayed for… now she’s being up in years now… and she claimed her healing. And she said, “Yes bless God I’ve been prayed for I’m healed.”
And they’d look at her and they’d think well this woman really needs our help, because she’s a psychiatric case. And finally some got so bold, and not just be nice and walk away, you know, kind of scared, what’s with this nut here? Well, Mrs. Etter… if you’re healed… what is that?
She said, “That is the devil’s lie.” One day that leg was… pheww… like this. Yeah. That old girl went stumping the country for the glory of God. She shouldn’t have done it, but she did it. I admire her in my old little backslidden way.
She began preaching, not just testifying, she got preaching. She’s the old gal that got the Mormons all stirred up. She preached divine healing, speaking in tongues and all those things. And she got results sure, but you see she had something real.
The woman, like Abraham, considered not her body now dead. Neither yet the years that she had suffered and put in there. Neither the criticism, the innuendos, and the superior airs, the people cast upon her, because this poor little stupid silly religious goofy women… Hum, you know.
I’m telling you, a big sneer, is the worst thing in the world to get you down. The big sneer. But you know what she did? She said, “That is the devil’s lie.” Well he’s lying to her. He’s telling her you aren’t healed and she was healed. You say, “Well can that really be true?
I’m going to tell some of my own personal experience. I was going… I had a very bad headache one day. These are the days I used to really believe this, not that I don’t believe it now, but I mean… look it. I got a different ministry, come on face it.
If I were to push faith healing, like some people might want me to just to fill a little need in there, which I’m not going to do. I would just simply begin whipping myself back in to shape, and, you know the first I’d do. I’d get out Dr. Bosworth’s book on ‘Christ the Healer’.
And, though I realize that Aarons stole from Bosworth, and Tommy Osborne took from Aarons, I’d read both of them too. Sure I would, wouldn’t bother me none.
I’d read Clyde Bristol again, Dale Carnegie again, I’d read every other book. Would go back to the Fillmore brothers, and read what they said, I would see what Glen Clark, I’d look what he would have to say, I’d read A.B. Simpson, I would read that lady from the Anglican church, I would read what the Catholic priest said… sure.
I would read everything they said, so saturate my mind. I’d says “Now Lord” and I did it many times, when I’ve read enough, “I’ll know I’m healed.” The saturated mind, something… bang… get up healed. See you got to exercise your minds. It’s not mind over matter, brother/sister.
That’s a lot of hogwash, garbage, let’s know we’re not playing tricks, we’re telling the Word of God. I would read everything on the subject. And I did it.
Well one day I had this bad headache, my wife said, “You got a headache?” Said, “No.” Lied right in her teeth. Except for one thing, I had given my headache to God. He took it away on Calvary.
Now I’m going to tell you brother/sister, I got a little old car out there that I put in my garage. Now I know that you people like those small cars, especially Brother White. So I made a bargain and I’ll sell my car to Joe.
Now Joe said, “Look Lee, do you mind if I leave my car in your garage for the next week?”
I’d say, “Sure, you paid for it.” It’s not my car, but it’s in my garage. Joe’s car in my garage was like Christ’s headache in my head. Legally I’m a hundred percent right. My headache went. Never came back.
When I gave Him, what [inaudible] me into a kid when I was about sixteen years old, two solid years of pain, like a toothache. [Brother Vayle points to where his pain was] I never get a pain here and I’m seventy-three.
And I don’t intend to get a pain there… see? I cleared my channels that night. I got a new [inaudible] I said tomorrow morning I’m going to be perfectly well and I was. There’s a lot more than just what I said here, I’m trying to tell you what Brother Branham said here. Just your thought doesn’t do it, but the Word of God does it.
Now see, it’s not the thought as Christian Science makes it, mind over matter, no, that isn’t. But your mind accepts it and grasps it. What is your mind controlled by? Your spirit and your spirit catches the Word of God, that’s the thing that’s got life in it, it brings life unto you.
Now let’s go to Hebrews 11:13. And I’m going to close and I’m going to do a terrible job trying to get back to this on Wednesday, because I won’t know where I’m at, but I’ll try my best. You get moving on these things it’s kind of difficult. Okay. Watch,
(13) These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but… were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims…
(14) [And] they that say [something plainly declare,] that they seek a country.
(15) And truly, if they [kept in mind] the country from whence they [came out, they would have gone back.]
Well that’s the power of the mind. The power of the mind. Now, I know, that this what I’m saying is not generally accepted by charismatics, because they want to go by emotion, and the sudden blip in. Look, I’m going to tell you something brother/sister.
Psychologically it is absolutely sure that my emotion can be transferred to faith. I can get every single one of us in this meeting, if you want me to do it, just saying Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Until you have no thought but Jesus and you can say it faster and louder until you’re carried away like in a divine swirl and caught up.
I don’t know how long it takes, it may take hours, I don’t know, you may have to do it for days and months I don’t know what’s going to happen. But I know one thing you can do it, but the Bible doesn’t teach that, it doesn’t teach that. Not the way to do it.
We have seen what God does to prove the basis of our faith. Have we filled our minds with this message and the Word the prophet taught until we’re being healed? Is that sweet Spirit of Christ coming more and more to this church in unity until we’re healed?
Listen brother/sister, you are a congregation that’s different from any other congregation for this reason, you’re sitting right here and I am here with you, and I’m not boasting, because it’s not concerning Lee Vayle. But I do have a special ministry.
I know what I’m talking about whether you know it or not. But I want you… listen… I’m not up here lying, or telling you anything untrue. What I’m teaching has been backed by a vindicated ministry. I teach not my own self for one minute.
Now I’m telling you this. You understand? If we begin to apply ourselves, there is no limit, because even the Rapture is not the limit. That is just the introduction to where we should have been in the first place, what God had aligned for us.
Now Brother Branham categorically said, “If only ten people were in one place at the one time, with their thoughts in order,” there would be a Rapture. The vindicated prophet said that brother/sister.
Do we believe all that the prophet says, or do we believe just what we want to believe? Now where are we going this morning? We are zeroing in on everybody’s mind here this morning, my mind, your mind. And this is what this message is about, and here is the battle.
Whether you and I will battle it through up here, till it gets down here and that explosive Life of God takes over, and does what He desires, that we desire of Him. That’s it.
Let’s rise and be dismissed.
Gracious kind heavenly Father, we thank You for the time we had in Your fellowship this morning. And Lord I know that this absolutely is something that many churches would turn down as milk and water. Absolutely no substance, nothing to it.
And we ourselves Lord have a battle within us. And I would suppose Lord it’s because of the lukewarm condition of the hour, and the lazy condition, that is within us. We’re all a little bit government oriented that Uncle Sam will do it. We’re not too thoroughly oriented Lord to the battle, to the cry, to the dour circumstances of the black hour that’s upon the earth.
Lord we’re like the prophet said, “We’re not desperate, we’re not into it enough.” We just got to confess our sins Lord, admit it. And frankly Lord, I’m stumped I don’t know what to do about it, except just keep going the way I’m going.
And I would just add one thing Lord; if I know Your mind, which I don’t claim that I know Your mind too well. I would say I should just be doing a whole lot more of it.
And so should everybody here Lord, that just… is no doubt what the prophet said, “Pile word upon word, upon word”. Till we become very greedy to pile Word upon Word. Knowing there is a life in there.
Oh God, how we would swallow pills this morning if we knew that each one would give us a dynamic charge. We would pay any price we could to get them, and swallow, them day-by-day, and moment-by-moment.
And here we are Lord able to dine on the precious revealed and vindicated powerful Word of the living God for this hour. Help us Lord to take every single Word that was laid out before us, and literally dine on it.
Not to suppress it, but to just believe it, with all of our hearts, Lord God, and want more and more and more. Father, increase our hunger. Back in that day, they said “Lord feed us evermore,” I think I know what they meant.
They realized the great lack, and they also realized the lack in themselves, but they were too lazy to go and search for it. They said, “Lord, you feed us.” Lord I wonder how much more this morning, You will feed us, unless we make an effort.
But Lord there was a prayer that people prayed years ago and they said, “Lord if I’m not willing, I’m willing to be made willing.” And maybe that’s the furthest we can go this morning Father, that we’re willing to be made willing.
We hate to think Lord that we are so gross in our natures at this time, that we’d want some stringent measures taken oh God to unsettle us and to bring us to our feet into attention to heed the battle cry, get into it but Father, if that’s what it takes, then that’s what it takes,..
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