Questions And Answers – Pastors Series #11

Shall we pray.

Heavenly Father, we are again very conscious of the fact that You are here in the person of the Holy Ghost somewhere in the Pillar of Fire, and all things are known to You, Lord, and we know much about You, Lord, and especially do we know how men conduct themselves in Your Presence.

And we realize that, if it weren’t for the Blood, and if it weren’t for grace, there wouldn’t be one of us standing here. There wouldn’t be a prophet. There wouldn’t be a preacher. There wouldn’t be a child of God. There’d be nothing, Lord.

Absolutely nothing, except for that circle of Blood that you showed the prophet, because we remember back in the days of Your Presence on Mount Sinai, the people just couldn’t wait for the Word to come forth in their lives, as You wanted to bring It; so, they danced around in heathen idolatry, miserable immoral failure, O God, making even golden calves in that particular time.

And we see Your Presence, Lord, in the day when You were here, here in flesh, that men crucified You. Then we see the time of Paul. They threw him in prison and beheaded him.

And, Lord, we see in this hour here that the very fact You couldn’t show Yourself, but You allowed Your picture to be taken, at least of Your personal glory, and men have done despite to that, too, and ‘crucified themselves the Son of God afresh’.

So, we know, Lord, that we stand only by grace tonight. We can’t say anything else, except by grace, Lord. But now we implore Your further grace, Lord, that You’ll give us the ability to bring forth Your Word, Lord.

And if It shouldn’t be brought forth in the way, Lord… we ask something which is dangerous, and yet we believe it can possibly happen to us, even as a man one day said that he knew Brother Branham personally, and he knew many mistakes that Brother Branham made.

And so, Lord, they challenged him to come forth and simply tell the mistakes that Brother Branham made, and they got there and he couldn’t open his mouth.

And so, Lord, let that be tonight in this pulpit, too. A fearful thing to say, but it is true, Lord, that unless the things are going to be right, Father, it’s best not to open the mouth.

But, Lord, people are hearing; we want to help them. We pray they might be helped, O God, by revelation of Your Word. So, we ask beyond that.

Better not a shut mouth, but an open mouth, Lord, with the things of God brought to the people, the Word of God, and ears open to receive It, and the people receive and get help. That’s what we ask tonight now, Lord.

We give You the glory in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

You may be seated.

Now, since we started attempting to give a correct, Scriptural, middle of the road dissertation on some things Brother Branham said about pastor and people relationship, especially concerning the one where the pastor, spiritually speaking, is the husband of the church, we want to continue with that thought in mind in order to understand and receive as much help as we possibly can.

Now, when I first started this series, I did it because I wanted to speak a little bit about the various things that Brother Branham said that I felt were being carried to the extreme, actually to a ditch, to the exaltation of the ministry and to the harm and enslavement of the people.

And you will notice that mostly I have been dealing with the thought where Brother Branham said, “Spiritually speaking, the pastor is the husband of the church.”

Now, a long time ago I had looked at that statement, and I had said that it would lead to immorality, which as far as I know to a degree it did, or on the very brink of a real problem.

I did not know that it would take the turn that it has in the last little while where men are beginning to use this phrase of ‘the spiritual husband’ to the extent that the Church is put upon, and we have a situation that is not Scriptural.

The situation is one of tyranny, and it does cause terror to arise in the hearts of the people who have been intimately associated with it to their detriment.

So, we keep talking about it in hopes to, not merely negate what is wrong, but to actually edify by showing what is right with the help of the Lord, and to give you something that you can use in your lives.

Now, in this question, or dealing with this thesis of the pastor, spiritually speaking, being husband of the church, we went to 1 Corinthians 7 because it dealt with marriage.

And if you’re going to talk about the pastor being the spiritual husband, you’re talking about husband and wife, you’re talking about marriage, and in verses 10 and 11, we had read and looked at:

Now, here we see what we believe to be a husband and wife who have recognized themselves as true believers in Paul’s gospel, both of them, not one of them, but both have the one true and only gospel, or Paul’s gospel of grace, even or literally, one faith.

Now, explicitly this means there is a one Word revelation that is jointly this one faith that they both have.

Now, we go the Ephesians 4, and you’ll notice that Paul is speaking here:

Now, that’s what we’re looking forward to until we come to verse 16, where we come to adulthood, which we will not read.

…continuing in verse 4:

Now, that doesn’t mean He’s a pantheistic God. It simply means that God contains everything and controls everything. But notice the word there, ‘one faith’.

Now, one faith signifies that there has to be one true revelation about everything that ‘s written here. “One body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one baptism, one God and Father.”

So therefore, if these two people have the definitive faith, the revealed faith of the gospel, the presentation of Paul, who said, “I’m afraid that already you’ve fallen from grace. You’re no longer virgin because there could be another Jesus, another spirit, another Word, the whole thing would be a travesty against the Word of the living God.”

So therefore, to have the definitive genuine spiritual revelation gives you all the rest.

Now, you might think, “Brother Vayle, I don’t know that I know that, because I don’t know too much about God.”

Who said you had to? Who said you had to?

“Well, I don’t seem to get too far in this study.”

Who said you had to? Is God duty bound to reveal everything to you? It tells you explicitly there are only certain things that He reveals and that’s to the prophet, and he passes them on to you.

“The secret things belong to our Lord our God. But those things that are revealed to us, belong unto us and to our children for a thousand generations.”

So, if you have the definitive faith, then you already encompass all the others. And this is what I am looking at in these two people. They have the definitive faith. They have received the true, one true, perfect revelation.

Now then, let me go further. This is a marriage contract, because we are speaking of marriage, for indeed these two people are married.

Now, a contract legally, and some of you know this better than I do, is the merging of the minds, or there is no contract.

This is why Brother Branham said, “If you vowed out to each other, you’re married.” But if you didn’t, you didn’t have the true merging of the mind to understand what was involved.

How could you possibly have a contract? Then, how could these two people truly be in wedlock?

Now, we’re talking of individuals being married. We’re talking about pastor and church. How can there be, except there be, the genuine revelation.

Now, let’s just go back here to, for a minute, to the Book of Luke where we see number three Elijah. Spirit of Elijah in Elijah… in Elisha and in John the Baptist.

Now, It says about this one fellow here who’s named John the Baptist, and it’ll continue in the next Elijah, which is for this hour to the Gentiles, who was William Branham.

And It says here in,

Now, what you see here is the contract or the merging of the minds. So, we have a prophet who brought us the Word contract of marriage, the invisible union, the merging of the minds which is the greatest battle ever fought to get a Bride in union for the Wedding Supper.

And every local church has within it the seeds of that possibility. You see what I’m talking about?

Notice, what It says concerning them. And we go back and we read It, because I can’t quote It, to be honest with you.

This is the union, the merging of the minds, the one faith, like William Branham now is the pastor of the entire Bride, or was, ready for the presentation, bringing us the mind of Christ, brings us to the contract.

And when the contract has been verified by the two and vowed out to each other, there cannot be a putting away, we can’t put Him away.

As Brother Branham said, “He can put me away; better not try to put Him away.” We’re looking at the picture.

All right. We read what was concerning them. She is warned not to leave that marriage. To leave it there is no further repentance.

Now, that doesn’t mean that if you leave this church here, you can’t go to another church. Uh, uh. You may not fit in.

Once in a while I get a comment, “I don’t know what you’re saying, Brother Vayle.”

Well, please go someplace where you understand where they are saying. Don’t stick around me, because I’m not going to change my tune.

I’m in a certain groove. I will not change. I don’t intend to change. The thing is, you can’t run around, stay away from here, and then come back and pick me up. It doesn’t work that way.

I’m just letting you know these things, because this is what it’s all about… what, we’re talking about. Now, you can leave anytime you want as far as this church is concerned, and as far as this preacher is concerned. But you better not try to leave this Word.

And if you do, I’ve got news for you. God will beat the tar out of you and bring you back, or He’ll clean you up and ‘kill’ you. That’s the way it is. ‘Kill’ is a hard word, but He’ll remove your life.

Now, she has to remain single. Now, watch carefully what I’m saying here. She has to remain single, or come back to him and be reconciled.

Now, she’s married. She says, “I’ve got the same faith. I’ve got your name,” or there’s something wrong with this woman. Now, I don’t care what’s wrong with her. She’s got to come back to that husband.

She’s obligated to come back to her vows of faith, where she said, “I’m united with this man, because I’m a peculiar believer different from the other believers.”

You notice the other believers: one fellow had a wife didn’t believe; one wife had a husband that didn’t believe. So, we had a bit of a situation. He wasn’t talking to them.

“Well,” he said, “Now, it’s fine [he said,] you can get along, you get along.” But he’s talking about two people mutually dedicated to the Word.

And you say, “The pastor’s the husband?”

Okay, the church is his wife. I’m going to apply it, because you want to see what comes out. She’s got to remain single or come back to him and be reconciled.

As for him, he cannot command her to leave, and he cannot leave her. He’s stuck with her, too.

Now, here’s what I’m getting at. These two people have a one Word union. They are confirmed to be believers, so they have a mutual, an identical revelation.

This one Word revelation is the basis of not only an indissoluble union, see, something cannot be changed, but has within it… now, listen carefully; the element to make every part and bit of that marriage contract not only valid, but workable, harmoniously living together.

Now, there’s a word in the Greek that’s not called ‘harmony’, I wish I remembered it, but not knowing the Greek, I can’t tell you, but it’s in the Bible.

The Bible calls for a harmony. And the marriages call for a harmony. In fact the husband is pledged to it, and the wife is pledged to it, and they both lied. Sorry about that, but check out your own vows.

I’m a little embarrassed up here; I meant it, and I didn’t mean it. I meant it more that she would mean it than I would mean it. I don’t know what her thoughts were.

She’s been a good kid; never let me down. So, I got to give her credit there. Her marriage vows meant a lot to her.

In fact, her own sister was terribly upset when she heard her nephews and nieces say, “Well, if the marriage doesn’t work out, we’ll just quit and get another one.”

I must say, my wife and her sister did not have that kind of an understanding of the things of God and the word ‘marriage’.

So, we’re looking at a contract. Now, I said this, and I mean it: The one Word revelation…

Now, It says, “Come back and be reconciled, smarten up girl, smarten up and don’t pull any funny stuff.” The marriage contract actually has within it the power to give you harmony.

Do you hear what I’m saying, church? That goes for preachers. We’re still little, blathering, stupid, slobbering babies and idiots yet, not what we should be.

This one word is the basis of not only an insoluble union, but has within it the elements to make every part and bit of the marriage contract not only valid, but harmonious, workable. This has to be true. See, it’s got to be true.

If a break occurs, and it happens in churches, because it’s commanded her to return and be reconciled as the only solution to her problem, and the problems must be solved…

Now, the problems aren’t only the churches. Here’s where the preachers are goofing up.

“I’m right, but the church is wrong.”

I could be wrong up here and you right, because Paul says, there’s divisions among you, and he puts the blame upon the people who are leading the church.

And the people got all ‘puke-i-fied’. And he had one scum-gully in there making hay with the young wife of his old father. And they thought it was fine.

There were people going to law with each other. There was talking in tongues out of turn. Yet Paul gave them a Word which would have made them the Ephesian Church. They were wrong. They didn’t believe his Word.

So, I’m going to say this tonight; we get this flat: this Word is not to be fooled with and from the pastor, elder, deacons, to every single person, to the least.

And remember, Paul said when they were going to court with each other, he said, “How dare you do that. Can you not take the least among you and use him, and that fellow will be so simple; he’s not full of hot air and grand talk and seminary hogwash, and he’ll say, ‘Boy’s, it is simple, because the Word says so.’”

You say, “Why did he get somebody like that?” To solve your problems for you.

So, the marriage contract, the repeating of the vows as Paul says over here in 2 Corinthians 4:13, one of the most beautiful verses concerning the end time, this Word that’s going to put us in the Rapture.

He says:

The pastor took what the prophet said, and the people said, “Amen, brother, preach it. That’s exactly right.” It doesn’t take long for some of the people to kick their cotton-picking heels up either.

It doesn’t take long for the preacher to think he’s somebody he ain’t, too. So, you see what we’re looking at here. We have the faith.

All right. We have what it takes to solve the problems. The Word of God solves every single problem. It is a Book for the ‘road of life’, and It is a Book for ‘the life that is on the road’.

All right. A marriage based on one Word faith as It says in 1 Corinthians 1:10… Paul is speaking to the people, and he says this:

Well, Sister Laura says, “Well, I don’t think I like what the preacher said.”

Then Sister Laura, go on and get yourself another preacher. See?

“Well, the people don’t like what the preacher said. Vote him out.”

“Oh,” you say, “Well, what about…”

Well, I’m telling the truth here.

Now, ignorance will create doubts. But you’ll find this one thing: that this Word leads you to holiness and in harmony with what the prophet said, and if] the pastor’s doing that, you have no complaints whatsoever.

And if the people are trying to be obedient, trying to grow in grace, he has no complaints, because I’ll tell you one thing: you can’t change the Scripture.

And It says, “Where there is no oxen the crib is clean.”

We’ve got one hundred people or so sitting here tonight. It could be a whole lot dirtier than if we had just fifty, because It just simply means ‘the more oxen, the more manure you’ve got to shovel’.

I’m not fussing at anybody, calling out… just telling you the truth. But there can be the aim, because the power lies in this Word because the Word is given to the proper life.

“There be no divisions; that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment,” means that you understand and are heading in the right direction.

For years we have majored on the faith which is passive to know the doctrine, because if you don’t know the doctrine, you don’t know the quotes.

If you don’t know the Scripture doctrine, you don’t know the Bible. You can’t, because you’ll be having a problem of misplacing or misinterpreting or somehow making the Scripture disjointed. You can’t do it. You’ve got to know the doctrine. See?

Now, united or married minds from one revealed Word is the only basis of a true relationship between pastor and people, married people, and as the pastor is given headship by the Word. The pastor is given headship by the Word.

How much headship would Jesus have been allowed of God apart from the Word? And he’s the great Shepherd. Then, what pastor is going to take headship outside of the Word?

And that not as a club, because Brother Branham said, “It make him a A-1 hypocrite.” And there are times I have been hypocrite, but for the last years I don’t believe it.

I’m trying not to have a thing to do with that kind of… rough-ride you. If I tried to rough-ride you, I don’t know where it’s been. I hope not for one minute.

Now, listen: the pastor’s given headship by the Word. That Word is the only source of a truly mutual relationship that will in turn keep the church functioning properly and make him, thereby, the true, spiritual husband, because they’re both operating by the vow.

No marriage can operate if a man keeps his vow and the woman runs around. Do you think I’d live with a woman that ran around with another man?

And it doesn’t take AIDS, brother/sister to put me off of sex. Just stupidity and gross immorality would cure me right now, because I wasn’t born that way.

So, you can see what we’re talking about. The pastor and the church must have a mutual understanding of doctrinal faith in the Word and, at the same time with that one mind, come to the common judgment of that Word… what discipline.

And the word ‘discipline’ is not what you think it is. Discipline means… A disciple means ‘a learner’. So therefore, discipline means ‘what discipline or what learning can I put upon the people that they become then harmonious with the whole schemata of Almighty God, the plan of God’. See?

So, now remember; Moses ate the same Manna that he brought down, and the pastor is not above the congregation.

Now, look; you know for a long time I said that the legal, Pentecostal creature is a guy that, if I spit on the floor, I’m going to hell with bells on and there for two eternities.

But he can commit adultery, provocative pornographic acts, he can embezzle people and their money, he can tell lies and everything else, and that’s okay. Not around here. That’s okay for Swaggart, but not here. See?

I see too many people, maybe not of that kind, but I have a controversy with those who teach one thing from the pulpit and do another.

The Word, then, creates the marriage, pastor and church, as of God.

Is this church of God? I hope it is. How will it be of God? If the Word in this pulpit and in these pews is one with the vindicated messenger, this church is of God, period.

I care not what anybody else says. Oh, I am accused from headquarters so-called, by not being of God, but that doesn’t bug me any because I can prove where they’re off the Scripture and I’m not.

Now, let’s watch carefully: the Word, then, creates the marriage as of God, and the Word maintains that marriage as of God.

This is found in,

So, what you’re looking at here is creation and maintenance is by one Source. It is not by two sources.

So therefore, then, if the Word creates the marriage, which it does, the invisible union, and the union in the local church, then that same Word must have within It the power to keep it, the people as one and cohesive. There’ll be no flying apart.

See, that’s what happened in Corinth. They got too many guys putting their spoons in the pot and trying to dress up the soup, when Paul had already laid It out from God, the Manna. See?

But you notice the Ephesian Church was a different Church. And notice the great apostle John could come right behind Paul and pastor it. There wasn’t a bit of problem. It was a great church of the century.

Now, listen carefully: We are looking at marriage again, we are going to,

The pastor must be self-sacrificial, and he must take the lead in just about every single thing within the church.

All right. Let’s read 22-24. That’s for the wife.

In other words, don’t run around trying to get yourselves several preachers, and I mean it here.

Like people say, “Well, Brother Vayle, what do you think of so and so’s tapes?”

I said, “I don’t hear them.”

“Well, what do you think if I hear them?”

I said, “Go ahead, but don’t you dare come to me with one question that’s raised by that man’s preaching, or I’ll throw you out. You won’t get my tapes anymore.”

I am not answerable to any preacher in this country. And no preacher is answerable to me. And if you think for one minute you could listen to somebody else and then ask me questions, I got news for you, please don’t come back. You’re fooling with somebody else’s husband.

I won’t tolerate my brother or my brother-in-law messing with… If you call me spiritual husband, let’s get down to nitty-gritty now. I haven’t any fornicating wives. Now, that’s it.

Now, if you’ve got something against me you think my teaching’s wrong, you can come anytime you want, but you better know what you’re talking about. And you know that by now.

All right. “Women, submit yourselves to your own husbands, as unto the Lord.”

Now, that’s absolutely true. You can submit to me as unto the Lord as long as I bring the revealed Word of God for this hour that’s vindicated apart from my interpretation, because I don’t interpret It. I understand It, and I preach It.

And I take It back to the Bible every single step, and you know that. Nobody can get my tapes and say, “Oh, Brother Vayle, you don’t weave the Scripture back and forth.” You know that’s the truth.

Now, that tells you what Brother Branham said, “When somebody wants to know doctrine, you don’t go to even the deacon. You come to the pastor.”

Although in this church, I stay with the apostle Paul, not defeating Brother Branham’s words.

Paul said, “Look; by the time you ought to be teachers, you got somebody else, you’ve got to be taught over again.”

I do not mind anybody that really knows this Word, talking to people bringing out certain things, but you always must defer to the headship that says, “Well, we’ll you just finally come and see Brother Vayle. I’ll introduce you, and we can talk from there.”

Now, I don’t want that pressed to the point where I’m going to have an inundation on my life, because I’m getting too old to hack too much of it.

Ephesians 5:

…As long as the man is in the Word and sticks with the Word… and not only sticks with the Word, but the Spirit of the Word, and the Spirit of the Word was exemplified in that man, who was a middle-of-the-roader. He stood right in the middle of the road.

People get so alarmed about Christmas trees. I’ve got no use for Christmas trees; burn them up and get them out.

If you want to have Christmas represented, why don’t you have the stable and the wise men and things? Why don’t you get down where the Bible is?

“Oh,” you say, “Brother Branham had a tree.”

Drop dead. Brother Branham was the middle of the road. He said, “We have a tree, the children like it. We tell them the Christmas story. The Spirit of Christ is there. It’s just like an ornament.”

Well, some got critical. Well, be critical all you want. “They strain at a gnat and swallow a camel.” And from the looks of camels I would sooner swallow a gnat.

Ephesians 5:

That draws the line right there, even to your own union, your own marriage.

Now, let’s go on to 28-33.

He that loves the congregation is loving himself. The congregation will be a reflection of that man because the spirit of that man from the pulpit will get on the people.

By now you guys are all pretty tough cookies when it comes to the Word, but you’re generous, you’re kind, your home is open. If it’s not, you haven’t been learning anything.

If you can’t put another cup of water in the soup and open your doors to people, you haven’t learnt from Lee Vayle. You just think you have.

You’re mouthing things off. That’s all you’re doing. I’m not boasting. I’m just telling you facts.

I’ve borne with you, and I’ll continue to do so, and I haven’t done half of what I should, either with my wife personally, or with you people.

So, let’s look at these preachers. “Ought to love the church as his own body.” That means he wants to dress good. The congregation should be also dressed good.

Doesn’t mean he’s going to make them dress well or anything, but he should be helpful and keep shoes on their feet, clothes on their back. He should be instigating these things. The church should be doing it.

“He that loves his wife loves himself.” The measure of the love a pastor puts on the people is a measure of his own love of himself. That’s kind of a funny statement.

As the Bible says It, I believe It.

Ephesians 5:

All right. Then what about preachers kicking people out all the time. I got a phone call the other day, poor kid kicked out. Now, he’s to the place they won’t… They asked, “Do you want to get him baptized?”

I said, “My son, if you were baptized correctly, you don’t need another baptism. I don’t care who baptized you. Now, if you believe you weren’t saved at that time, that’s a different story.”

How would a preacher like to get kicked out? I’ve been voted out. It’s not really voted out; they just didn’t vote me in. So, you know, sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.

Let the preachers understand these things here. We’ve got a marriage going on; we’ve got a Church going on. He doesn’t hate his own flesh. He nourishes it.

Now, notice why he nourishes it: because the Lord nourishes the Church,

This is why you leave denominations. A lot of pastors left the Oneness, the Twoness and Threeness, and came to this Message to get a scriptural, proper union and have a church that glorifies God. Then let’s treat it as a church that glorifies God and belongs to God.

Nevertheless, every pastor love his congregation every bit as much as himself. And that means don’t try to hand the lumps out on people, but remember; that lumps can be handed your way, too.

That why the Bible says, “Let him that thinketh that he standeth, take heed lest he fall.” And let those that are strong help the weak, because they don’t know when their turn’s coming.”

Did Jimmy Swaggart know how to treat Bakker? I’m certainly pleased at the restraint that Jimmy and Tammy used over this man. It’s the same as with the preacher in the congregation.

That doesn’t mean the preacher says, “Hey, I’m kind of loose,” and the congregation get loose. Uh, uh. Means we tighten up each of us, because we’re striving to get in that goal.

All right. I want to ask a question. We read about this pastor. We read about this church.

And my question is: Where is all this going to come from to make that successful a marriage, a church in harmony in union as in Ephesians 5? Because he’s talking about it, the church.

It is going to have to come through the Word and in no other way. Now, let me find out why I say that.

We go to,

Now, what is that? That’s the full of the Spirit of God in the soul… spirit, mind, and body of a Christian. It is a manifestation of the mini-god. And by ‘mini’ I mean, a little bit of God in us, the Holy Spirit.

With that, I’m going to read John 7:37-39 and join It up.

Now, It says right here that these intrinsic, Christian graces that are in the Book of Galatians, and also in Peter where It starts with faith and virtue and knowledge, they also are from the Holy Spirit. That is from the true baptism of the Holy Ghost within us.

Now, notice exactly what It says here in verses 37-38.

Now It says:

And he can have the Holy Spirit, which Holy Spirit will be producing these graces that make the marriage so wonderful.

Now, watch:

It says, “He that believes in the distinctive way that the Scripture sets It forth, and in no other way, will those rivers come. He that believes me according to the Scripture.”

Now, what way do you believe according to the Scripture? Let’s find out. Brother Branham told us in Matthew 16:16.

It says:

Okay, this is how exactly those rivers of Life are going to come.

Now, It says, “Out of the belly…” which in the Greek means ‘a hollow spot’, ‘a cavity’. Actually, it’s the word use for the womb. So, ‘out of the womb’. Now the womb is the place of gestation.

Now, listen carefully. The womb is the place of gestation, forming of the baby. It is there that life takes on a manifested form created or formed after the image of that spirit life that is there.

I hate to think this, but I wonder if you could take the start of a fetus of a cat and put it in a dog and it would still come out exactly a perfect cat? I’d say that’s exactly what really should happen. Because the form is according to the life. You see?

All right. The womb is a place of gestation. It is there that life takes on a manifested form which is created after the image of the spirit life that is already in there.

In that womb the physical elements are supplied to the life itself. And both physical and spiritual are nurtured there until they come forth.

It is like It says in John 1: “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and the Word became flesh.”

God is Spirit. But when God took a form, strange, it was a perfect human being. You can say what you want about it, but that’s the form the life of God took on.

It had to, of course, for Redemption. So, we are given a spiritually-revealed Word. That is the great principle. The spiritually-revealed Word is the great principle. We are given that.

Now, here is what the prophet said:

One: “The Word is the conduit of the Holy Spirit.”

In other words, the rivers will begin to flow according to the Word. And if it isn’t according to the Word, it is only an anointing. No baptism. All right.

The Scripture Brother Branham used was continuously, “the Words I speak unto your spirit they are life.”

Secondly: Brother Branham said, to pile Word upon Word, until we’re plumb full of the Holy Ghost and, consequently, overflowing.

I believe today that’s what Ezekiel saw from the Eastern Gate… Ezekiel’s vision of a Bride Church in this hour pouring forth from her inner most being.

The power of the revealed Word, until It just floats her plumb into Glory. You have your thoughts, I have mine.

Three: He said, “The Word on these tapes is the spiritual food for this season.”

Four: He said, “All we need for the Rapture has been preached under the Seventh Seal and is on tapes.”

Five: He said, “All we need to do now is to lie in the Son and let God Himself nurture it.”

Six: He actually was simply quoting Ephesians 1:17-23.

Let’s take a look and find out if that’s true for this hour now.

So, we see here how the pastor and the church have a spiritual union. It is by the Word of God.

Now then, in Revelation 22, after John has seen the entire history of the future culminated by a vision of the Holy City, the prophet messenger from God speaks thusly in verses 10-21.

And you notice Revelation 22 continues from 21 and is certainly the picture of the New Jerusalem.

Now, notice what It says in verse 10.

Now, we have read It. But let us look and notice that verse 10, “Seal not the Book,” annuls Revelation 10:4, that says, “Seal It.”

Verse 11, “He that’s unjust, remains unjust; filthy remains filthy; righteous remains righteous; holy remains righteous.” There is no change, period.

Therefore, verse 11 annuls the future. Nothing is going to change. So, why you want to look at the future? You better look what’s going on that makes a separation. See? See why I take my stand?

All right. There is no change; everything remains static.

Let’s go to,

Now, Peter said this was prophesied in the Old Testament. It was made known by Jesus, and we’re telling you.

Now, in other words, what is the promise of His Presence? Putting the Church in order…all things under the feet of Christ by God Himself to get a Bride out of here.

They said, “Where is it?”

Looking down the road, looking back, not knowing what’s going on.

Let me tell you now: if I am preaching the truth in Christ Jesus, we are instituting Church order now, we are doing it now, and we are going on with God. That’s my job whether you want to believe it or not. That’s the job of every preacher, or he’s messed up.

“Where’s the promise since Brother Branham’s dead? All things continue.”

Right! “The filthy are filthy; the righteous are righteous; the holy are holy; the unjust are unjust.” It’s going on.

2 Peter 3:

Now, right in there Peter tells you that this world here that’s statically stopped now, statistically it’s static, right now, there’s nothing going to happen to it of any major great cataclysmic effect, because the day of the judgment of the earth is two-fold.

Number one: it’s renovated for the Millennium.

Number two: it is dissolved and recreated for New Jerusalem.

And both have visitation of fire. Now, he said it’s reserved the same as ungodly men are reserved for the day.

2 Peter 3:

Remember, the hour today is ‘repentance, repentance, repentance’. So, a condition is at hand where one day the last one is in, and then it’s all over. All right.

Now, with that we go to,

Now, the same thing is going on. It said, “The longsuffering of God is going on right now.” See?

Right now in the very midst of this thing, the separation by the Word, “Just, just, holy, holy,” waiting for the Rapture, It’s going on.

Now, also going on is Hebrews 6, which I won’t read. Also going on, and watch now, I will read It, is Luke 17:20.

Now, here we’re going to see something, brother/sister. I know that people don’t like this, but I’m sorry for them.

Brother Branham said, “The King is here. I believe it.”

So, here’s what you’re looking at in this particular Scripture.

Now, you’ll notice in,

Now, though it’s delayed to people, and time is dragging on, and there’s a tendency to quit looking at what’s going on and the tendency for the preachers to beat the people of God. That’s in the gospels. The man, you know, that beat the servants of God.

Now, he’s supposed to feed them meat in due season; not beat them up. See?

Now, he said, “

So, at this time you know in the establishment of a true Church order and a true Bride through the living Word of the living God, because that’s how it comes, the Message does it, The Spirit of God infiltrates It, brings It to pass on the people, and the people are believing and they’re anxious for that Word to be effective, whatever Word’s going to do.

Sweet Spirit coming more and more in the Church, then you know that pretty soon the Second Coming is at hand.

Revelation 22:

This here is Revelation 1:8, the Judge that Brother Branham saw and verse 11, which are the same. Well, let me go back and read It.

Now, “Alpha and Omega,” the terminology is based upon,

Now, Ephesians 4. And we won’t read It. We just know what It says. The verse we’re looking at after the ministry of Christ through the Word, It says:

Corner stone has now become head stone. So, Alpha is Omega.

That’s why Brother Branham said, When you see what’s at the first and know what’s there, see that it occur again, it’s the end time. Don’t worry too much about what’s in the middle.

All right. Now Ephesians 4:17 to 16, which we didn’t read, but what we looked at there, proves;

In other words, you know this is the hour of the literal, physical coming of the Lord Jesus to meet us in the air.

Now, notice carefully,

Now, in Genesis 3, Adam and Eve were forbidden to go to the Tree of Life, and whereby they would live forever. They couldn’t do it.

Now, that is what It said: “Tree of Life… live forever.”

Notice; in the Book of Revelation, It says:

Let’s go back to,

Tells you right now this is the hour to make the White City, or you are never going to make it. The great prize then, the Tree of Life and live forever, is immortalization in the New Jerusalem.

And this is what Paul must have wanted when he said, “I want to be in the First Resurrection which is the Out-Resurrection from among the dead.”

Notice: innocent Adam and Eve without robes were able to reach the Tree of Life, and they didn’t do it, without robes.

As sinners, no longer innocent, but robed in the skins that God gave them, they were denied the right.

So, in the beginning, robes were of no avail, but now at the end time, robes are needed. And It said, they’ve got to be made white.

So, there must be another kind of garment, you know, than what we might consider, because these garments are under consideration of washing.

And yet at the same time and at the Seventh Church Age, Laodicea, the same person who brought this truth said, “The church at the end time is wretched, miserable, blind, and naked.”

Therefore, before God they must have had church robes, or something that they paid for, that didn’t work because, as far as God was concerned, they were absolutely naked before Him.

Now, just hold that in mind for a while. I’ll come back to it.

Revelation 3:14-21, and we’re still talking about the church and the pastor, don’t worry. It’s all in here, where he tells them of their condition and what to do about it, is a combination.

Now, listen; whether you want to… You’ll understand when I tell it to you, so just pay attention. That’s all you’ve got to do.

Revelation 3:14-21, the Laodicean Church Age, is a combination of Ephesians 1:17-23, Hebrews 6:1-8, and Malachi 4:1-6.

And in there you see everything that’s of grace and everything that’s of judgment… with 22:11 fulfilling completely Matthew 3:1-12, 22:11: “They that are unjust are unjust; holy, holy;” Matthew 3:1-12 is John the Baptist speaking of Jesus, “Now, if the axe laid to the root of all trees, there stands one among you, you don’t know, and I don’t know. The fan is in His hand; He’ll thoroughly purge the floor and gather the wheat in the garner, and burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

That did not happen in the day of Jesus Christ on earth. That was Alpha. Omega is here, and He’s doing It now. And It’s done through the Elijah of this hour as John was for his hour. All right.

A universally naked, fornicating church is found at the end time. Her antidote is 1 Corinthians 15:51 because she’s got to get clothed.

Now, let’s watch how I bring this around you. I don’ know that I’m one hundred percent. All I can do is tell you what I see.

I like that. People don’t believe It. Ask him about a seventh church messenger. It’s already sounded.

Now, I want to tell you something, brother: right here, this Word in here means the putting on of an inner vesture. She is naked of her inner vesture. Her outer vesture would be her walk, to a degree.

Or it could be that people don’t understand the Word, and they’re not letting God bring them the complete revelation of His Word through the ordained ministry that God gives. So here, she’s receiving the vesture that she needs to put her in a Rapture.

Now, I believe that this inner vesture comes by the accepting of the Message and messenger of the hour who said, “I believe I’m called to dress a Bride.” Who said, “Oh, to meet a Bride of such integrity that she’ll stand still to listen to the Message in the waters of separation until she’s clothed.”

Now, according to Revelation 3:19, It is in need of a constant application of the same Message as is found in Ephesians 5:26-27 and John 17:17.

So, let’s go to the Book as we read It, in Revelations 3:19.

And It says here:

Now, let’s go back to Ephesians 5 and see It again. And Paul wants to present this Bride, and he said:

And in John 17:17, notice what It says here:

So, what I’m trying to bring to your attention is this: the garment that has been given to us by the prophet: we’re looking at a marriage of a church and a pastor. We’re looking at a marriage of Christ and a Bride.

All of these things fall into line categorically through one way: that is the revealed and perfect Word of Almighty God.

Therefore, the constant application of the Word by whoever is delivering the Word in the pulpit, be it an apostle, or a prophet, or teacher, evangelist, pastor, it matters not.

That person through the revealed Word of this hour will be constantly bringing a cleansing process to the Bride, because she’s got to get rid of her old denominational garment and thinking as she’s never done before because not one Word added or taken will be tolerated.

It’s got to be a perfect, perfect Word.

Now, if the Bride is going to be presented glorious without spot, without blemish, then that which is perfect has come! which is a perfectly revealed Word of God for this hour.

So, let’s get back to 1 Corinthians 7:10-11 again.

Don’t leave under any consideration the source of your supply, because the husband supplies the wife. And you notice today what’s happening? Every woman is working, which shows that the church is feeding the pastors. Yuck! A bunch of church, pew-fed preachers, instead of by the Holy Ghost.

I quit the Baptist flat. Every day I got stacks of letters, I said, “My God, if I could hear from God as often as I hear from head office, I’d be the most spiritual man living. And I’m about the lousiest. Who needs it?

Now, don’t leave, but if you do depart, get this one thing: There’s nothing will ever satisfy you again. And if it does, it proves you’re a hog. You just lied about your marriage vows. Nothing will ever satisfy you.

There’s only one thing that you can do: you’ve got to come back to the Word. That’s why people leave good jobs, some stupidly, because they leave a good job and get loused up anyway.

I never tell anybody to move. I stick with the prophet. You move for one thing, that is if God tells you to, and You move for the Word of God; you stay just where you’re at. See? Because if you’ve got that Word there, you’re on dangerous ground to move.

And It said here:

Why? Because in there is the life that creates and maintains. “He which hath begun the good work in you, will perform it until the day of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

You show me one place where God ever laid down His work. See?

It distinctly says, “Those that are predestinated were first of all, absolutely foreknown, then they were called to the place of predestination in Christ Jesus, because whom He called, them He predestinated.” Every single one has been glorified.

Okay, now:

In other words, don’t ever, the pastor, must never, ever preach anything that will alienate the woman from the Life of God.

All right, sit here and think awhile. Sit here and think. What put in it in the preacher’s heart to tell a woman to deny the Message? I ask you.

Now you know the suffering that goes on in this world through preachers.

I talked today to a brother. He’s a nice brother. He doesn’t know why things have soured on him.

I said, “Brother, you didn’t know the terror that those people went through sitting under certain pastors. If you had known their terror, you’d have not used the words you used.”

He may hear my voice tonight. I’m not at all ashamed for it. I’m glad he does.

But, he’s got to learn: you do not terrorize the people. You do not tyrannize the people. If the Word doesn’t work, it ain’t worth it anyway. Now, that doesn’t mean we’re going to turn this place into some kind of a chicken coop. See?

The constant revelation and release of the Life of the Word in Its season, and all marriages have seasons, you know that. It gets better and better if it’s a real one, will make for a truly Scriptural manifestation in the home and in the church. See?

Here’s the answer to every problem and especially Ephesians 5:22-33, as we’ve read It many times, as we apply It spiritually to the pastor and the church.

So, what I’m saying: how do you work out that successful marriage? You made a vow, and it’s not one sided, because the preacher made a vow.

The spiritual husband, spiritually-speaking, husband pastor says, “I guarantee to hold this Word and no other word, according to the truth as It is in Christ Jesus, ever to be revealed by the prophet. I don’t take any authority over you, except by the Word of Almighty God. I teach you what it is to obey, by example and precept.”

The shepherd goes before the sheep. He doesn’t get behind them and club them. He leads them out and calls them by name. I don’t have time for all this revelation of who’s your pastor and who’s this or that. You can have it.

Do you have a revelation of God and His Son, Jesus Christ? Do you know the revealed Word? Are you ready to make sacrifices and stand with It? Many times I’m not.

That’s the show down, brother/sister, not whether you’ve got a big church or anything else. I’m happier preaching to actually six people.

I preach way better than for sixty. That’s funny, but I do. I’m much more at home. But I’m not kicking anybody out. The more the merrier… more to serve God.

So, let the local church have one mind and one judgment and have faith in our revelation as the entire principle of life.

Now, listen: have faith in the revelation, He brought It, as the entire principle of life, the Life of God now, as revealed in the Word, because you don’t know It apart from that. You can get all messed up.

You can see a false anointed person, like Judas was the devil, raised the dead, heal the sick, see miracles, “Boy I know that guy’s life. That’s the devil that does those things in that man.”

You just blasphemed the Holy Ghost. See? Now listen, you’ve got to know the Word that revealed those fellows, false anointed ones.

Now, listen again: so let the local church have one mind and one judgment. In other words, when things are going to be done, stick to it and do it.

Now, we’ve seen a job being done here in building a church building. The only thing that I can say, that had to come out of the Word. I don’t believe it came out of you.

Now, I’m sorry to insult you. God is my judge. I’ve got to say it, and it had to come from the Word in me, any share I’m doing. But look; I’ve been around you too long, and you’ve been around me, too. We’re not playing kids anymore.

I see a growth. I see something developing. If I didn’t, I’d pull up stakes and go someplace else, hope to get it.

We have one revelation, one judgment, and it’s going to get narrower and narrower as times goes on. And this is the entire principle of life, or the entire life principle.

Understand what I’m saying? There is one life principle: one guide; one rule; one motivation; one manifestation. There’s got to be, because there’s one Life and that’s of God. It’s in the Word.

So, our revelation is as the entire principle life. And what is it? The Life of God as revealed in the Word now taking on flesh. See?

For we have taken on Him,, the Life by the Word, or you ain’t got It… just got an anointing. Hope you’re getting what I’m saying.

Surely, the prophet did not lie when he said, “When you receive the Word of God, you become the Word of God in your flesh.” Now, you can see what we’re driving at. This has to bring us to immortality, brother/sister. There is no way out.

If what we were taught by William Branham is correct, and I believe it to be, witnessed by Christ in the Cloud of Angels, the Holy Spirit in dynamic material, yet spiritual form, angels, what has occurred has got to put us in a Rapture.

And that means that we’re going to be changed and the dead are going to be raised. I don’t care what you and I think; that’s the truth. If this is vindicated, that has got to happen.

So, let me read it again: So, let the local church have one mind and one judgment, and we’re coming more and more to it, and have faith in our revelation as the entire principle of life.

There isn’t any other. The Life of God is revealed in the Word taking on flesh, yours and mine. We’re not the prophet, the Word of God made manifest in flesh.

We’re are literally itsy-bitsy Word of God made manifest in flesh. We become the Word of God in our flesh as we take the Word of God.

Of what Word was he speaking? He was speaking of the Word of this Message, the presence of God.

And he said, “Nothing outside of this Message comes to life.” This is the Message of 1 Thessalonians 4:16, where the Lord Himself descended with a Message.

And Brother Branham said, “I was not the one that appeared down at the river. I was only one standing there when He appeared.”

And it was Christ coming more and more into His Church, until He came there into the Church and brought the Seven Seals and said, “Now the Book is open. It can’t be sealed again.

And at this point, “righteous is righteous, and filthy is filthy… the separation of two in a bed, two in a field, so on,” by the Word, waiting now, standing still, wondering “What’s going on.”

We’re going on.

You know, you’re far easier to preach to than you were over the years. And I’m easier to get along with. I still hit tough. But you know, my message doesn’t sting anymore.

I can maybe roll heads, but not anymore. You know, no heads are being rolled anymore. God’s Word is taking effect here, brother. It’s going to because It’s the Word of God.

The Word will bring about our entire change. It will bring us the spiritual growth and the life that we hunger for by being dedicated to this Message. We will be healed, and we will be blessed.

Thus the Bride of this Church Age is fast becoming Psalm 119. That’s the Psalm that has every single verse, all 176 that has to do with the Word.

Reading in verse 9:

So, what we are seeing is this: If the contract and vows are right, we are then and only then in a position to be in a legal union and to continue to be in the legal union in that Paul said in 2 Corinthians 11: “You’ve got the right Gospel. You’ve got the right Spirit. You’ve got the right Jesus.”

You know Who He is. You’re right with the Word. And when you haven’t got it, how far can you go?

Thus, the life that makes the contract will come forth according to the contract. He has to do it. The Church must enter into this spiritual Word union, acknowledge and abide by It, and God will manifest a union to be of Him.

There’s going to be a Bride to get out of here. Who is it going to be? I don’t say, “Why hey, this fellow doesn’t believe that Brother Branham was a vindicated prophet.”

Well, you could be right and I could be wrong. It’s true, either one could be. I don’t believe I am, and I take my stand on it.

The true union at this time is with the Word. And we need to enter into that union with complete abandonment.

Look what It says in 1 Corinthians 6:16-17, which leads up to chapter 7.

Now, how do you know if you’re joined to the Lord to become one spirit? Only by the Word. The invisible union is going on today as the prophet told us.

Now, we won’t pursue this much further except to say we have a part that we must recognize, and that is always we must defer to the Word.

If anything comes amongst us, any judgments, it must be by the Word. In our soul lies the power of decision.

And if we make the Word our true Headship, we will obey It. This is the obedience of faith that Abraham had.

He went out not knowing where he was going, but God said, “I’m going to see you through. You’re going to get there.”

Now, listen, brother/sister. That means we in this church can have decisions. They can be pretty rough decisions.

You and I as individuals can have decisions, and it could look like it could rock the boat, maybe put us in jail, God knows what, kill us or anything else.

There’s just one word of advice: for me, I’ve got to believe It, and you got to believe It. What does the Word say? Now don’t be a fool over It.

Don’t stand in a corner and say, “Here I am, come and martyr me.”

Don’t be an idiot. Be a true sincere person. If there’s something that is wrong, remember this: if you and I follow the Word like Abraham we will come out right.

We may suffer; we may pay a price; we may go through a mini-tribulation, but we will conquer.

Martin Luther King said, “We shall overcome.” They are not going to overcome.

Politics will not do it. Politics won’t do it. The best politics that’s done today is to protect by the constitution every person that has AIDS, and you and I can die and go to hell as far as the politicians and the law is concerned. That’s what you will get by listening to the arm of flesh and the things of man.

You and I, brother/sister, better realize now that we’re going to have to fall back on the Word of God. Trust and obey, for there is no other way.

It is the great battle of all times, the battle of the minds. It is the battle of the Exodus.

Read It for yourself, the whole chapter of Exodus 13:1-31. When the Hebrews were on their backs, the mountains to the right, the desert to the left and the Red Sea in front and He said, “Don’t cry to me, just move forward.”

“Into the Red Sea?”

“I never said you’d drown. Stretch forth your rod.”

And the waters parted, and there was a furious battle as the Egyptians tried to overcome. But God gave a cloud of darkness to separate them, as in the Land of Goshen had light and the rest had darkness. And the waters covered the Egyptians, and they saw their dead bodies on the sea.

One day we’re going to come back and walk on the ashes of the wicked. Not that I want to do it brother/sister. Not that you and I are going to bring it to pass. That’s Catholicism says that.

That’s been their doctrine for thousand years and better. “They’ll bring Christ back.” They’re not going to bring Christ back.

There isn’t anybody brings Christ back. God brings him back. God’s the One that does it. It’s only certain events that make it propitious to that return, but God does it. No man can raise himself, but God does it.

So, on the Exodus we learn that there is a place of faith and obedience in this Message that we have.

And now, what we must do is as the time goes on, I would presume, I don’t know how God leads us, but in my own ministry, my own thinking, I would think this: we must begin to look at these things very closely that are incumbent upon us.

We’ve started already: to walk more in love; to let the bars down; to forgive and to forget; to put aside the thinking of those things which are human and failures; and to begin to look at the Scripture we said tonight as the pastor, the husband, must think of his wife in those terms of literally himself and a nourishing, thereby giving a love, and thereby receiving a love.

It is so true, if God had not placed in us of Himself, He could not expect anything of Himself to come forth. No way!

So, God has given us of His Life and of His Word. And if husband and wife, and church and pastor, take that attitude, you can’t lose for money, brother/sister.

You’ll find all the love you need in your heart. You’ll find people gracious, tender and kind. See?

Lord bless you.

Let’s bow our heads in prayer.

Heavenly Father, we’re grateful that You gave us time tonight to finish off what we wanted to say at this particular point.

Maybe rushing it a little bit in areas, but, Father, we know that the people here are well-versed in an understanding, and they can pick it up, O God, that we know that we must start someplace, and that someplace is with the prophet in the Word.

And we receive It, O God, we’re trying to receive more and more of It. Breathe on It, Lord, breathe on Your Word, and make It live, O God, in our lives.

And where ever, Lord, we have a responsibility, which I know we do, Father, help us now to be responsible from this moment on to just be humble, sweet and kind, to acknowledge our own errors, foibles, and weaknesses, and not aggrandize them in any way, or give them any preeminence, but simply know as your old servants of old that we all failures of the flesh.

But in the spirit we are mighty through You to tear down every stronghold and everything that’s against the nobility and the wonderment of our God and everything that would hinder us from gaining that great prize at this moment.

[Tape recording ends.]