Faith Series #2 (Because God Said So)

Faith Series # 2

('Because God Said So')

(Berwick, Louisiana Series)

Bro. Lee Vayle - October 18, 1965

a) ...capitulate and go back over what we have learned and then progress further may mention I misunderstood a question this afternoon, somebody asked me relative to understanding the Word previous to Bro. Branham. I thought they had said that this particular time in his ministry so I gave a wrong answer. The actual fact is and you folk could be in darkness who weren't here, to hear what I'm saying is that each Age after the light of the Gospel the truth faded, God restored a certain portion. And the Age in which we live being the climax of all ages, all the truth must come to us. So therefore, those who are previous to them are not responsible what we know. They are judged according to their light, that's always been the truth. So, I thought...I didn't hear the word 'previous', so I didn't understand what was said.

And then Bro. Kash will have some things to say to you that on what I said this afternoon that will bear out exactly to what was said, was correct. It does take a little thinking and a little revelation, it doesn't take anything from anybody. When people get a little alarmed as to what it is to be baptized with the Holy Ghost and born again and those things and say, "Well, I think I got two experiences." One said, "I've got one experience." Well, if you believe that you've had two, and it took God to lead you that way, thank God, you've got there, that's the main thing.

b) You know they wandered a long way to get to Canaan Land, but the ones that got there got there, the rest of them didn't get there. Now, they could have taken a short cut, they'd have got there just the same. So, although I'm not trying to say there's long ways and short cuts to this thing. You'll see later on as you understand what I said this afternoon and know that's it's the truth.

As Bro. Kash explains to you, and you read the book coming out in the fall, you'll say, "Well, thank God, or I'd have missed it." Do you see how good God was? They may not look like he had to lead him. He tells me that he had a big practice just up north and I don’t doubt it. I've no doubt that he had monstrous practice, and down in Alabama did real well, but he had to come up here and go flat broke, and get all messed up for God to get him into the light.

c) As I mentioned the other day, even today that I actually because of my impertinence [rudeness] in not understanding of God, I left the ministry, hit the skids for nine years. And I'm going to tell you one thing, if it hadn't been for that, my mind wouldn't have been cleared. Sometimes, you know, sometimes God has to take a club and just knock you dizzy. And that's His business. He even kills people if they don't behave. The Word of God says, "Many die prematurely, because you won't obey." Taking that Lord's Supper and so, you just be patient and try to learn. Trouble is sometimes it's hard to understand, because if you throw a question, and you're going to get an answer. It may sweep you off your feet, but honey, you asked for it. And I'm not going to pull my punches, because I believe I'm right. I believe that, in fact I know I am right.

And so, if you've got a little bit too much and got indigestion, well bully for you, that's better than what a lot of folk get, they don't get nothing. I’d sooner have a tummy ache from over eating, and have my belly bloated with not eating. Aw, so if you get a little bit too much and it's well, it's good, nobody is going to get hurt. All right, let's just pray a little bit.

Father, we thank You for Your Word, for the good people have come hear the good Word. And, Lord, the hearing ears and the Spirit of God to teach them, then, Lord, tonight we know that we should be edified, comforted in the Holy Ghost and shall grow together in grace. And grow up into that Head which is Jesus Christ. And, Lord, tonight we're encouraged to believe, that even as tares are maturing to the harvest, the wheat also is maturing to the harvest, and because we are in God we're going to beat the tares, hallelujah, to our harvest.

So, light is shining upon life, and it won't be long now until the full illumination comes and we'll be glad. We're not angry nor fussing about a little confusion at this time, that's alright. Thank God, there's a little confusion, even if it's going to bring light a little later on. Even as Your Word said, "where's there are no oxen, the stalls were clean." But it's better to have, Lord, the oxen in there if you've got to do a little cleaning sometime.

So, Lord, we thank You that everything is working out according to Your will, just give us patience to understand that sometimes we have to really admit that our ways are not Your ways, and our thoughts are not Your thoughts, but thank God, by the Spirit they will be, because that is the net result in the end of You sending us the Holy Spirit, marking us and sealing us as Your own. And so, we bend to Your approval tonight, Lord, and we say Thou art God, and we'll not answer back, we will be patient.

We praise You now, Lord, for the Word tonight of faith, believing, my God, that we're going to learn how to use our faith, and it will be good for us receiving many answers. Not for ourselves, but for those round about us, because we want to be like Jesus servant to all. We commend ourselves therefore to You tonight, Lord. Thank You for having heard us, thank You for having answered. Amen.

1. Now, up to this point we have discovered that the Word of God says, that God had dealt, literally dealt out the measure of faith to every single brother. Because He said, "My brethren, (remember) I beech you by the mercies of God that you present your body as a living sacrifice." [Rom 12:1] And in verse 3 of Romans 12: he said: "God has dealt to every man the measure of faith."

As I illustrated the other night that his could represent the measure. This oil represents faith. And God has literally given to every single brother, every single child of God, every predestinated seed, everyone, the measure of faith.

2. Now, the Scripture tells us in Thessalonians that all men that's wicked and unreasonable men have not faith. The world does not have this faith. The Bible tells you when you've got it. "By grace are you saved through faith and that, not of yourselves, it is a gift of God." [Eph 2:8] Remember, it was given to you just before you received the Spirit of God into your life. Because the Scripture said, "Receive ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith." You receive the Spirit on the grounds that God gave you faith to believe that God Himself would come into this temple.

The only trouble is, that the preacher didn't know what he was talking about. So, he told you to come up and get saved; or he told you how to escape hell; or he told you how to get Eternal Life; or he told you how to get your sins forgiven. He should have struck you right between the eyes with the truth…God will come in. He didn't do it. That's why you see so many of us have lost so much of the reality of God, because we haven't been taught explicit truth.

3. You know the worst thing in the world to get? Is, directions to go to a place and you don't know where it is. Isn't that, right? I tell you, the way some people go, it's like they said, "The city of Beaumont, (or it wasn't Beaumont, it was some other place) was laid out by cattle trails. And I said, "You hit it, (maybe it's Davenport) the way the town got it." But I said, "You said it exactly right, there must have been a blind cow at that."

And you know how hard it is if you don't know where you're going. But listen, when you know that you know you're sure. And that's what has been wrong over the ages in here, we have not been taught the explicit, implicit perfect Word of God. And so therefore, we've got to even learn terminology all over again. I can get up here and I can say, such as a born-again experience, I'll be thinking of one thing, you'll be thinking of another thing.

4. We must learn to get back to God's Word. So, we thank God for a prophet. But we also thank God for His Word that explicitly says tonight that we had been given a measure of faith. And we've got it just before we were born again, in order for the Spirit to come in and give us that tremendous assurance. Now, James called it 'the faith of Jesus Christ'. "Have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ." [Jas 2:1] Doesn't say, 'in Jesus Christ', but the faith 'of '.

And also, Paul said, "I live by the faith of the Son of God." [Gal 2:20b] You notice that, he doesn't say, "Faith 'in' the Son of God." But he said, "The faith 'of ' the Son of God." You notice that, because that's important. Because you see, if you're depending on your faith that can fail. (See?)

Jesus said, "I pray that your faith, fail not." But beloved, can you picture the faith of God failing? (Huh?) I never, how can the faith of God fail? It's every good and perfect gift of God comes from above, and you've been given this measure of faith of God as a gift, how could it fail? (See?) You've got something insoluble, which goes beyond you. God never gave us Himself and then entrusted Himself to us. How could He do that, we'd fail Him just like Adam did. But when He gave Himself to us, the Scripture said, "If God spared not His Son, but freely delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him freely give us all, (a-double l) things?" (See?) [Rom 8:32] So, He's given us His Own faith.

5. Now, also we found out that this faith was something that Jesus talked about in 11th chapter, in the Book of Mark. Remember when the fig tree was cursed they marveled how it was cursed, and they said, "How was this done?"

And Jesus said, "It was done this way, I’ve got the faith of God." And He said, "You have the faith of God." And then with the faith of God you can even say to this mountain, "Be thou plucked up and cast into the sea, and you'll have the ability to believe in your heart and not doubt it, and say with your lips and it shall be done." [Mk 11:23a]

In other words, Jesus was saying and teaching us how to act with the same authority that He acted with. You use the Name of Jesus, the Words of Jesus and the faith of Jesus. That's what Peter called it too, gave a faith which is by Him. It's the very faith of God that we have tonight, and we have the measure of the faith of Almighty God Himself. Now, that's Scripture and all you've got to do is believe it, and if the devil tries to lie out of it, just say, "I’m like John the Baptist when they said, 'Art Thou the Christ.’" The Bible says, he confessed and denied not but said, “I am the Christ."

6. So, tonight we confess and deny not, but we say, "I have the measure of the faith of God Himself."

So, say it with me: "I have a measure of the faith of God Himself." And you do have. I know a lot of people don’t like to say it, because they get kind of skittish. They say, "But Bro. Vayle how can I say it if I really don't?" Now, you just keep quiet, so God's a big fat liar, oh, you're a sweet little person? (Huh?) And the same people dare to tell somebody that they blaspheme the Holy Ghost, because they mock somebody is talking in tongues?

Listen, it's more blasphemy to deny what God gave you than somebody in ignorance, mocking at something. Because you know what you've got, they've got nothing. But they wouldn't say it in the first place. Right? Dangerous, must be careful. Never downgrade God, if He said it, He said it. You see what I'm trying to do is to get you to see these truths. If you just simply say, "God said it, that's it!" They’re like a little child. Now, not only has the Kingdom of God come into you, but all the blessings and power thereof. So, we have the measure of the faith of God, and we said to you last night.

7. Now, if we can find somebody in the Bible, because the best way to learn anything is by illustration. It's alright to have a theory. Now that's good, a premise. But, if we can find somebody who went through and understood the process of faith, and faith itself in relation to God, and we can see in his life certain particular things, we do a same thing, get the same answer. Right? Why, if we didn't know how to control, go to the polling booth. Let’s say his voting machine is in there. I don't remember using one myself. I think all I ever did is use a piece of paper.

But, supposing we go to the booth and we're supposed to use the voting machine. You say, "I never saw one of those before."

Well, the fellow says, "Here's what you do, all the Democrats are lined up here, Republicans are lined up here, if you want to go to vote a certain party their candidates, you do thus, and you do thus, and thus."

"Why, (you say) these are the steps, one, two, three, four,"

So, you go one, two, three, four, press the button there's your vote. Well, you see, that’s what we do with the Bible. If we can find somebody who understood God and faith, and used the processes thereof we can do the same thing. And we can, can we not? Right!

8. So, it just so happens there is such a man. And he is the very man we're told to follow. We are told to follow in the steps of whom, faithful Abraham. Now, if the call him "faithful Abraham," it must be, because he had faith and knew how to use it. Is that so? That's definitely correct. We find the story of Abraham over in Romans 4:17

(17) As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

Now, listen to me, in Whom did Abraham have faith? Tell me? God! Now then, there must be something very special about God that Abraham knew in order for him to repose his faith in Him. As I said last night, I don't take this microphone up and I look through it and say, "I think I'll see the mountain." Oh, that's ridiculous, I can't see those mountains, what's the matter with this crazy thing." There's nothing wrong with microphone, something’s wrong your head. You can't see any mountains in there, that's a microphone. Why can't I make myself see mountains? Because there is nothing in this that warrants your faith to see mountains. You see? Now, if there were ground glasses in there, or prisms, or whatever it takes to be able to see, then I could well put my faith in there to see mountains. Is that, correct?

9. Now, what did Abraham know about God relative to faith? Well, before I even tell you about him, I can tell you exactly what any object has got to have, to put faith in it to do the work you want done. It's got to have the ability to do it, and the power to keep it up. It's got to have ability, plus immutability. Is that, correct?

I've got a watch here, (as I said last night) if I expect to tell time by this watch, it must have the qualities residing in it in such a way that I can always tell time by. Right? So, it's got to have the ability plus the immutability. Is that, correct? Now, that's exactly what God must have. He must have ability and immutability. He must have the power to it, and He must never change. And that's exactly what God says. "I am the Lord and I change not." [Mal 3:6a] And He said, "No man can take or add from His Word, or add to It." [Deut 4:2a] And He said, "Not one jot or tittle shall pass away." [Mt 5:18b]

10. So therefore, our relationship to God is this: That God can do it, and wouldn't lie about it. He’ll do it. Is that, right? That's a hundred percent right. And that's exactly what Abraham saw here, because the Bible says this, “As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations before God who Abraham believed even the Almighty, who quickens the dead. Isn't that power? Shows what He can do, and calleth those things as which are not as though they be, when a man can do that you don’t need to worry.

Because what's He doing? If He calls things which are not as though they be, it means He can't change, He can't lie. Right? That's exactly what the Bible says. So, we've got a God

Who is all powerful in never changing, and His Word never changes. And that's exactly where faith lies.

11. Now, we understand that then, and that's exactly what Joel understood. In Joel 2:11

(11) And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: (notice:) for his camp is very great: (why? Number one:) for he is strong (now this ability) that executeth his word: ...

Never changes, see? He'll never go back on His Word. If God said it, that's it! Is that, right? So, we see that Joel saw that. So, tonight if you've got a God Who says certain things, and He's got the power to do it, and He cannot lie, then brother/sister, you've got the object of your faith a hundred percent perfect in that God. Is He worthy of our faith? Absolutely. (See?)

So, therefore you can trust Him. Then brother/sister if you can trust Him, you don't have to worry about man, or yourself, you can let God do the job. And remember, that's the revelation that Abraham first got from God. "I am your Shield, Protector, I am your exceeding great reward Provider." [Gen 15:1b] And I've said it, and I'll say it again, "If somebody is your Protector and Provider, in heaven's name what more do you want?" Well, tell me! What more do you want?

12. Someone come along take care of you, then give you what you need. Oh, Mr. Kennedy, you never got there. Mr. Johnson you're going to miss it. All the while God had it and we can have it too. Why? Because the Lord is my God. No wonder the Bible said, "Happy is that nation whose God is the Lord." [Ps 33:12a] Right? Well certainly, isn't that beautiful? Now, as I said Joel understood that, and that is the truth. So, God has the ability and immutability.

Now the next thing we want to learn is this: Why exactly did Abraham use this exact speech? Why didn't he just say, "Well, there's a God who can do all things, and God always answers His Word, never fails." Well, he could have said that, but he didn't. He said, "There is something particular about this faith in relation to God as I described God. It's God who quickens the dead, or raises the dead, "and calleth those things which are not as though they were." [Rom 4:17b]

13. Now, what does it mean to raise the dead? Turn to 2 Corinthians 1:8. Now, I'm piling this on tonight in review, because I've got to. But you can hear the tapes.

(8) For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant ...

Now remember, that ignorance is a terrible curse. "My people perish for a lack of knowledge." [Hos 4:6a] "Oh, Jerusalem, if you only known what belongs to your peace." [Lk 19:42] You see?

(8) ... we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:

(9) But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God (who what?) (raises) the dead: (Right?)

What did He do? What was...Paul's attitude towards God? Just exactly what Abraham's was. He raises the dead. What does it mean? We'll find out.

(10) Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver (us): in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

14. Notice what Paul said, he said, "We had our backs to the wall, there was nothing but death facing us. Let us die, I believe in a God who raises the dead."

Don't you know that's what Paul said when the ship was going down? [Acts 27:]

They said, "Let's kill the prisoners."

And Paul said, "Don't kill them." He said, "The ship is going to go down, but God's going to save us all."

"Why, (they said) some of the folk can't swim."

He said, "I don't care if they can't swim, God said there's no loss of life, except for the boat."

15. You see, he saw that there was no limitation. They said, "Now, Paul look, there's a big storm going on, and when this boat leaves our feet we're goners, because we don’t swim."

He said, "Look, I just told you. I just told you that has nothing to do with it. It doesn't matter (said Paul) what kind of circumstance I'm in. It doesn't matter if there's icebergs here, as well as a tidal wave. It doesn't matter if there's a typhoon or a tornado along with the tidal wave and the iceberg. It doesn't matter if a fire is coming down from heaven, along with the tidal wave, the typhoon and the tornado." God said, He's going to take us through and I believe God. And when God said it, I can stand anything, anyplace, because I know that God put me there, I don't belong to the devil."

There's only one plan brother/sister, you as a Christian can be in Satan's hands. If you disobey God, and disobey God and the church rises up and kicks you out in the Name of Jesus, turns you over to Satan, that's the only time, because every other time where there’s even a refuge to God, and you're in His hands and God dealing you, because He's a Shepherd leading His sheep.

The Bible say, "He goeth before His own, when He puts them out." [John 10:4a] And He was before Paul, because He said, "Paul, I'm going to take you to Rome and you're going to testify of Me." [Acts 23:11]

And they said, "Paul, you fool, you're going to die in this ship."

And he said, "I don't care if I drown, He'll raise me up, when I get to shore."

16. That's the faith that Abraham had, because that was the faith that Paul talked about. In other words, there are no limitations. "Oh, (they say) Bro. Vayle anybody can say that." With God, but there are no limitations with you honey, because you've got that faith that goes right back to God that doesn't know limitation.

And there was Abraham who had his son, his only begotten son, as I mentioned last night. He took the son of his, and God said, "Take him up to Mount Moriah, and there you'll set up an altar sacrifice and there you'll kill him."

And as I said last night that you and I are a little bit too smooth, a little bit too shallow when we think about it. And we think old Abraham's going to take that big knife plunge it in his heart, cut his throat, drain his blood, and then God will raise him up. No sir, he was going to take it by fire, he's going to burn that body, he was going to reduce the flesh to ashes. And maybe a bit of skin and bone there. A little bit of hair on the side, a little splattering of blood. Then he was going to take it all and say, "God, raise him up!"

17. You know, that's the kind of faith that you and I got right now? If you'd have known that twenty years ago when you were younger, what would you have done? You would have done plenty, wouldn't you? We're getting kind of old now, we're a little set in our ways. But I still believe in a God who can still help us to have revelation on this and get it moving in the right direction.

Because that is exactly what kind of faith we have. We are in the midst of a typhoon with fire from heaven, the lava from below us, the earth rocking and rolling and straining, and we still say, "It's alright, it's alright, it's alright, we've got the sentence of death in us. That's okay, we've got to die sometime. But if our job isn't over yet He'll raise us right up, let it come.

18. Now, let's translate into fact and feeling which I told you about. A lady came to me in Ohio. I prayed for her arm and she raised it, she was healed, in the arm.

She said, "Bro. Vayle I didn’t come for that."

I said, "I know that because you've got eye trouble, your glasses are so thick."

I laid hands on her, I prayed and it was like black dark. I prayed the second time it got worse. The third time I was almost sick to my stomach it was so dark and black. It was as though I prayed against black wall, there was no hope. Someone should have been praying for me. Then, in me, once in a while I do get a little idea which is of God.

And I said, "Lord what is the matter with her?"

And He said, "She's been to a doctor."

And I said, "You've been to a doctor."

She said, "That is correct."

I said, "The doctor told you that you're going blind."

She said, "That is correct."

And I said, "Sister, hear this from Almighty God, when you are convinced that you're going to be healed just as thoroughly as you have been convinced that you're going blind, you will be healed." I said, "You go home and pray this week and come back, I believe that God will heal you."

She wouldn't do it, because she said in her heart, "The doctor said I'll be blind, and when I am blind it's all over."

19. I know may people whose eyes were healed when they were blind. I know occasions where they had no eyeballs in their sockets and they were healed. And people say, "Bro. Vayle when I get deaf it'll be all over." No sir, God can heal deaf ears. When I get crippled, arthritis in that wheel chair, God can take you out of that wheel chair. "When I get down with cancer and there's no skin in my body, and there is skin and bone the flesh is gone, I'm sheared and gone like the weathered leaf God can't do it."

I say, "You lied, God can do it!" Because God even raises the dead. With Smith Wigglesworth raised five. Bro. Branham has raised many. The history books are full of it. Martin raised three. The world knows, because said, "Heal the sick and raise the dead." And He wasn't talking about a resurrection. He was talking about raising the dead. And that's exactly the kind of faith that you and I've got.

20. It's the faith that says exactly what Paul said over here in the Book of Romans 8: which we read last night in verses 35-39

(35) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, ...

No sir, he could tribulate all you want, put us any place you want, O God, it's okay.

(35) ... or distress, (let it be distressed) or persecution, (let it be persecuted) famine, (let us laugh at famine) nakedness, peril, sword?

(36) ... we (can be) killed all the day long; ...

(37) ... in all these things we are more than conquerors...

Why? Because of the faith of Jesus Christ Himself we got a measure. We ought to learn that, we must memorize It, and put It in our hearts. The Scripture tells us distinctly that Martha went to Jesus and she said when Jesus met her at the graveside of Lazarus, she said, "Lord, if You had been here, in that case my brother had not died. But now that You are here speak the Word and he'll come from the dead."

And Jesus said, "Yes he will raise from the dead."

She said, "I know in the resurrection, but I'm not talking about that, I want him raised now."

And He said, "Martha, don't you know that I am the Resurrection? He that believeth in Me though he were dead shall he live. And he that liveth and believeth in Me shall never perish? Believe thou this?"

And she said, "Yea Lord, I believe."

And He said, "Lazarus come forth." [Jn 11:]

And Lazarus came forth out of the grave, four days dead, stinking and rotting.

21. Now tonight, do you see? Martha associated herself with the limit, and she said, "There may be limit to me, but there's no limit to God, and I refuse to place any limits upon my life in relationship to God." Height nor depth, length or breadth. No matter what is created and I'm confronted with it. I am more than conquered, because I've not left you uncomfortable. I'm a surplussed Christian.

You know what you've been taught? You and I been taught for years, hang on for dear life so we wouldn’t get lost. Oh, isn't it pity, who's going to take care of God?

He's like the little boy that went to bed one night and said, "Dear Jesus, and please take care of grandma, and take care of grandpa, and take care of all of us, and take of me. And please take care of Yourself, because if you get messed up, oh boy we're sunk for sure." Isn't that, right?

Oh yeah, you've been taught, hold on. I thought He held on to us? Is He in our hand, or are we in His hand? Isn't it funny, none of these strong Scriptures anybody liked, because it gives you, know what it does to you? I'll tell you what it does to you and me both. It gives us the feeling of superiority and smugness, a rotten self-righteousness that stinks in the nostrils of God.

22. Don't be negative. If God said this is true, and that it is true, Paul said, "I am more than conqueror. I was faced with death, it didn't matter, I am above and beyond death." Because why? The Resurrection Himself is in me. "He that believeth... (Christ said) shall never perish." This outer man may perish, but the inner man is renewed day by day. We've got to see this tonight, that we are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ. And above all we must see that we are able for any position at all, it doesn't matter, if God said, "You jump, if you run through the troop and jump over a wall," [Ps 18:29] you run through the troop and jump over the wall.

Or as the old colored fellow said, "If God told me to run through that wall, I'd to that too." And that's right. Because you see, you must associate yourself with no limits. You got to do, until you see that brother/sister, the thing will crush you and bury you down. But when like Paul and Abraham, we begin to put ourselves deliberately in the midst of all peril and all circumstances and all conditions which are against us and to destroy us, and say, "It's alright, I'm more than conqueror, because I've got what's unconquerable." That's the time that God begins to move.

23. You may not get this in five minutes, I doubt if you will. You won't get this the first time you pray. But, you keep holding on, the day will come when you can name your own ticket as one man said. And I don't mean to be crude about this as though we can say anything we want. It's got to be in the Word of course, as we'll explain to you.

But we must understand tonight that we, that God Himself would never put us in a position we can't bear. The Scripture says, "That all of us are opened to these trials." Let me read It to you, because sometimes I can't quote It the way I ought to.

Now, "There has no temptation, or testing, or taken you, but such as common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able to bear, but will with the temptation make a way of escape, that you're made able to bear it." [1 Cor 10:13]

24. My Bible says, there is no place that God puts us, but what we can come for, unchanged like Daniel in the lion's den, and the tree Hebrew children out of the fiery furnace.

When the king said, "Listen you three gentlemen, are you going to bow down, or are you going to burn?"

They said, "Oh king, we just don't know how to answer you. But there's one thing we do know, we believe God, we stand on His Word, you do what you want, let's see what God will do."

And they did what they wanted, and God did what He wanted and they came out the winner. And Darius said to Daniel, "Now, Daniel, look you bow down, I hated to do this, but I was trapped in it, but bow down anyway. Do it to please me."

He said, "Okay, I can't please you."

He said, "Well, I can't please myself either Daniel, it's got to be done. Can you're God save you?"

Daniel said, "Well I don't know what He's going to do, but I'll tell you what I'm going to do, I'm going to believe God, and I'm going to go in the lion's den and see what He does."

Next morning the old king came up, and says, "Daniel, Daniel."

Why did he yell, "Daniel," if he didn't believe he'd be there?

"Oh Daniel, has your God saved you?" He thought maybe a voice said, "I'm up here O king."

But the voice came. "Yeah, it's okay, I'm still down here."

The lion's mouths are shut. I think he did a 'hallelujah', there is one king God converted in a hurry right there, brother/sister.

25. I got to thinking we got saved, because my sister got healed when she was all but dead. God still raises the dead. Yes, you see, and you've got to place yourselves there. You've got to see yourselves in this thing like Paul on the ship and Daniel in the lion's den. And Paul there, with his back to the wall, and Abraham holding up the ashes if necessary. And say, "God, okay, let it happen to me."

But you know we're doing all the time, we say, "O God, don't let it happen. Father is can see it coming, oh yes, the business is going to defunct, and I just have to jump off that window there, because I can't take the pressure." You see what's wrong?

You got to say, "Lord, it looks like the ship is going down, but hallelujah, I heard there's another ship coming." Ha, ha, let it come. (Huh?) "

"Lord, I'm in deep distress, but I heard about a fellow called Daniel; I heard about a man called David; I heard about a man called Job. And what they can do, I've got the same equipment, so let's get going." You see what I mean?

26. You see, (now listen) you wouldn't dare say that if you didn't really know that you have something you can do with, you'd be a fool. You know what they say, "It doesn't pay to advertize if you don't have the goods."

Little the fellow said, "My dog can lick your dog." You better be sure your dog can lick his dog. Right? Has God ever lost a battle?

The revelation of God today is, "I am Creator." He is once a Creator, but every other name that He provides Himself with, He`s a maintainer. He's got about a hundred names to one that He's in here doing battle right now maintaining it. He didn't create us to stand back and say, "Go to it." The very thing He said was, "I have made you and I will not let you go to it without Me." (Huh?) Right.

27. When the waters are going to flow around you, they'll not overflow you. The Psalmist said, "The mountains may be removed, but I won't worry." And Isaiah said, "They will be removed, and I won't worry." [Isa 54:10a] Right? Well, they're going to be.

Listen, that Good Friday earthquake a year or so ago, that almost unbalanced the earth. You know that? It caused you a tidal wave down here in New Orleans you know it. And over in Switzerland it made the wells run dry and run red and everything else. It almost unbalanced the world, but God wasn't ready of it. (Huh?)

All right, what if trouble does come, so what? "Yea though I walk through the valley (of what?) the shadow of death, (which means trouble, trouble, trouble of the worse kind) Thou art with me. Thy rod and Thy staff, (do what? make me go jittery, make me run, oh, oh, oh, what's going on? Oh, Lord hold it, oh no, no) they comfort me." [Ps 23:4] (Huh?) Certainly, they comfort. He giveth his beloved sleep, "He giveth His beloved rest." [Ps 127:2b]

28. Now, then next thing it says about this, this is new material now for the next thirty-five, maybe forty or fifty minutes if you can stick with me. If I think you got to go home I'll let you out, but we`ve got to work hard tonight. The second part of this definition is this: "He calleth those things which are not as though they were." [Rom 4:17b] Wouldn't you like to be able to do that?

He got a hundred dollar bill this month coming in, he hasn't got a nickel, you can say, "Well, that's paid." Say, "Hold it just a minute, what`s that guy talking about?" Well listen, that`s what faith sees in God. And by faith that's what happens to you and me. The Scripture distinctly says, that was Abraham's revelation of a God Who calls things which are not as though they were. And God said to Abraham, "I have made you a father of many nations." [Genesis 17:4a] And Abraham believed God that that's exactly what he was, in spite of the fact of appearing to people that he wasn't.

29. Now, listen to me, when God called things which are not as though they were, that means immutability. That means He stands behind His Word, because it's just as good as done, even though it's not done, and it'll be done at the exact and right moment. Is that true? Didn't Jesus come in the fullness of time? Didn't He die at exactly at the right time? Didn't the Holy Ghost fall exactly at the right time? Didn't Abraham have a son exactly at the right time?

He said, "This time next year Sarah shall have that son." [Gen 18:10] And didn't God hold Abraham to Sarah and he having a son?

He said, "Oh, Ishmael might live." [Gen17:18]

He [God] said, "Nothing doing, My covenant is not with Ishmael, My covenant is with your son which is not yet born, he's going to come by Sarah." You see, God stuck to His Word, because aren't you glad He does?

You say, "Bro. Vayle, why doesn't God let me do it this way? Oh, oh Lord, can't I just have my way?" You destroy all the precept of faith brother/sister, because if God ever changed His mind, then He can never be God again, it's all over. You see now why you can't pray, except according to God's Word and in faith? Don't every ask God to change anything say, "God take me through." Don't ask God to change anything. No siree.

You say, "What about the fellow down the street, I'm praying for him to be saved?" That's a different thing entirely. I'm talking about you as a Christian in circumstances, say, "God take me through and I'm going through. (See?) Remember, the way to escape the testing was by able to bear it. Right? I didn't say you're going to shuck it off. And Abraham couldn't get out of it, he had to be with God according to the Word.

30. Now listen, let's go back to Genesis 17:5-6 and see exactly how this was. And It said,

(5) (And) Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

Notice what He said, "I have already made you a father of nations." God called things which are not, as though they were. Why? Because they're going to be. God can't fail. You know that? God can't fail. Now notice what He said:

(6) And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

Notice God said, "Because I have made you a father of nations." Now, the word 'Abram' means 'high-father', and Abram wasn't the father of anything, except Ishmael, and God wouldn’t count him, neither did God count the seven sons by Keturah, that were legitimate. You see that you people that don't understand election? There was only one predestinated son, and that was Isaac, the rest were given gifts and sent away. You see it? Don't frustrate the Word of God, no matter what your teaching has been, believe the way It's written. God held Abraham to it.

31. Now, here's old patriarch Abraham sitting in the gate. He's a fine looking fellow, you can see the long silvery hair, the beard, he's just a fine-looking man as you ever see in your life, so healthy looking and they come up to him in the gate and say,

"I see sir, by the way you sit at the gate you must be the mayor, or somebody in the city?"

"Well, (he said) no, but I am the owner of all these cattle, all these buildings, I own the whole place, these all servants are mine, my wife is there in that goodly home."

And they say, "What is your name sir?"

And he says, "My name is Abraham."

And they say, "Well, isn't that beautiful, no doubt your name is that, because you've got many children."

He sort of brushes them away, and say, "No, I haven't got one."

"Well, (they say) now just a minute, that's strange, why you're called Abraham?"

"Well, (he said) if you think that's strange let me tell you this story. My name was 'Abram', I fathered, wasn't even that. And God came along and He told me I'm Abraham the father of nations."

And they go like this and say, "Boy, if I haven't heard it all."

32. And I hear people who say, "By whose stripes I have been healed."

We say, "Look at that kook. Well she's still got her leg all bummed up, says she's healed, she's bumbled up, she's healed?"

And I hear people say, "Bro. Vayle don't tell me to say, "I'm healed when I'm not, I won't be a liar." Oh, so God's a liar? Oh, that's interesting, let me write this Bible over again."

"Now Abraham, instead of, 'I'm Abraham', look, your name should be Abraham, but they only call you a kook if you call yourself Abraham." And they said, "What kind of a nut is that, and how ridiculous can God get? So, I'll tell you what you do, you just change your name even not from Abram, but call yourself something else like 'husband', but no father."

Is that the way God talks? Then why do we want to talk that way? How can we say, where… How can we speak where God has not spoken? (Huh?) What right have we got? We seem to feel we can do it. Are we going to make God a liar?

33. The Bible says, "Let God be true, but, every man a liar." [Rom 3:4a] See, God's not a man that you can plea with Him and change His mind. He said, "No sir, My Word's there, and I'm sticking to My Word, and you'll come to My Word or forget it."

Why did Israel lose out in Canaan's land? Because they wouldn't believe God, that's what my Bible says. God Almighty said, "I have made you a father of nations." When he didn't even have that promise son. God said, "You are." And because Abraham believed God, he became. Until you and I learn to put things in the past tense, my brother, my sister, isn't that the word 'provider' means? (Huh?)

What if somebody came to you with real integrity, and said, "Now look here, I know you've got some problems, and I know that you owe some money, you've got some outstanding bills, but before the 30th rolls around and those bills are due, I will have some money in my hands for you on the 29th."

You say, "Well, that person doesn't lie, he's a fine person he's got the money he'll be there." What did he do? You worry about the bills now, you have peace in your heart, you come and rest, and you say, "There it is, it's just as good as done." Isn't that, right?

34. Somebody says to you, "Come on down and do a little bit of work for me."

And you say, "Well, I've looked at my time table, I'm able to do it I've got the time, it's as good as done." And you put it in your mind in past tense. And that's what God does, He said, “Pete, I have made you a father, and I will do it." When you positively put it in the past, and say, “There it is.” God can't lie, God can't change, He calleth those things which shall be, as though they were, and that's God's Word said. What happened?

What happened to you when the man came along and said, "I know you were five hundred dollars in the hole, but that's alright, I will lose six hundred, and it'll be in your purse by next 29th, you pay it on agreement. What happened to you? You suddenly get rest, don't you? (Huh?) That's the rest of faith.

Until you and I learn to put things past, and stand with God. And remember, part of God's name is also, that is the part of God descriptive relationship to faith is, that He raises the dead. Remember, put them both together: "Here I am, (said Paul) every power is against me, everything is against me, all that faces me is death and I know it." But God said, "Paul, you're not going to die." You see?

35. "Abraham, you're too old for a son, you're almost a hundred years of age. Look how old you are and decrepit, and Sarah's womb is dead too."

And Abraham said, "That's alright I'm pushed to the limit, I know I'm old, I know she's old? But it's in the past tense, I'm at rest, I'm going to have that son, because God said so. Put them together and there is exactly what you and I see tonight how faith works and no other way. Your faith and my faith cannot work except in a battle. It is the trial of our faith. It is the fight of faith. It is the battle of faith. Call it what you will, but there must be test and a pressure involved with it, or it is no longer faith.

You don't have to have faith, bless your heart when you've got a million dollars. That's what a fellow said to a preacher friend of mine. He said, "Freddy, it's okay for you fellows to need God, but I don't need God, I've got a million dollars." And he's right in the sense of money. You don't need God if you're well off when it comes to money. You don't need God in your body for healing if you haven't got a sickness. You don’t need God for anything if you haven't got a need.

So, how is God going to make Himself the object of your faith, if there's nothing to have faith for? So, God said, "I'll tell you what I'm going to do, I'm going to get real glory out of this like I did to Pharaoh. I'm going to put the pressure on, and put the pressure on, and put the pressure on till it's got to be God." But Israel you see, never learned to put Him in the past tense. They failed. And there's exactly where Christians are, they don't believe that God meant what He said and put it past tense.

36. And I remember old Carrie Judd Montgomery. [1858-1946] I know and you know that women were not called to preach the Gospel, but that old girl did a good job is spite of it. She was a female Finney. She used to have her leg like this, all crippled up in front of here, sticking out like that all paralyzed. And she sat in a wheel chair, and she said, "By His stripes I have been healed. In Jesus' Name I have been healed."

And they said, "Mrs. Montgomery, (tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk) you ought to know better, (tsk, tsk, tsk. tsk) if you have been healed what is that?"

She said, "That is the devil's lie."

Now, I don't know if that's exactly right, but that's pretty good thinking. And one day after saying that for a long time, Carrie Judd Montgomery 's leg when (phew) and she went up and down America stumping like a Finney and bringing the power of God in hundreds of places, even turning Salt Lake City upside down. Because she said, "I have been healed."

If you believe that Bro. Branham's a prophet, why is it that he said, "Except it's the Word of God." He said, "If you stood before Jesus right now, he came in this building dressed in His seamless robes and you said, 'Heal me Jesus', He's say, 'I cannot do it, I healed you two thousand years ago." (Huh?)

37. There's where you get rest in your soul, it's when you get hooked up with Jesus, by His yoke, (which is the Word) and you say, "I believe it has been done." And then you close your eyes and ears to all else, but the fact as far as you're concerned it's all over, because it's committed to

God.

And you say, "Bro. Vayle, I may get hurt doing it."

Remember, He's your Protector honey, and your Provider. "Yea, thought I walk through the valley of the shadow, Thou art with me." [Ps 23:4a] Then He says, "Thou preparest a table, [Ps 23:5a] my Protector now becomes my Provider." (Huh?) You see it? You see it? Protector and Provider. Through the valley He protected, now He provides. Remember, He's your Protector before He's your Provider. An if He's your Protector, then you've got to be protected from some-thing. Is that, right?

You say, "My husband is my protector." But you don't think of him that way while you're walking down a calm street with nobody bothering you. And you get home and nobody bothers you. But just supposing walking down that street some hoodlum attacks you, you're husband hits him, you say, "He protected me." He was your protector, but he didn’t swing into action till trouble came. And that's the way with God, He doesn't want to be a potential protector, He is your Protector. And if He's going to protect you there's got to be someone to protect you from. And if He's going to provide for, there's got to be a need. Is that, correct? (Huh?)

38. All right, and remember you can't never employ faith unless there's some place to employ it and God says that employment is God raises the dead, He puts me right in the place where I need God and nothing but God, got to have God, because nothing else will do. And then He calleth those things which are not as though they were. And right in the midst of it He leads me there, and He leads me there, the tide comes in the torrent rages the fire descends, lava heaves me up and I say, "Oh God," and He leaves me there.

And all the while I'm there I say, "God it'll only come so far and no further, and I believe it's done and I'm going to come forth." And I wait in that position and it may take me awhile just like Abraham, but I'll come forth as gold. People go to God and they say, "Give this, or give me that. No trials, no trouble, I want this, I want that." Spoiled bunch of little idiots. No wonder they don't understand faith. You’ve got to have battles. (Huh?) Well, come on, is this Bible? And let's get re-adjusted honey, that's the whole thing, got to get re-adjusted. There's a chiropractor tells you the same thing, we need adjustments. (Huh?) [comment from audience about a chiropractor] Well, he still is a chiropractor. Certainly, man doesn't lose his gift just because he changes a little bit around. But there it is, He tells you the whole thing depends upon adjustment. He can build you a case that's a hundred percent in line with what I've been talking about tonight.

39. Luke 13:12-13, notice what It says,

(12) And when Jesus saw (this woman bowed over eighteen years with a

feeble, a spirit of infirmity and could not lift herself up, here's what

He) said unto her, Woman, (not) thou art loosed (that's a wrong translation)

woman thou (has been) loosed. (And she wasn’t loosed at all.)

But the minute she gave Him credit that this was it, the Bible said:

(13) (That) he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made... (whole.)

But first He said, "Thou hath been loosed." And she wasn't loosed at all. So why does He say it? Because He's going to do it. If God my brother, my sister gave us these promises it meant that He's bound to do it. But you've got to stand in the gap like Abraham. Stand in the gap to the extremities, because God won’t let you down. And then say it's as good as done, then the peace of God floods in. And you know what I'm talking about, because you never ever got an answer to prayer in your life, until that peace came in there, you just knew, that that you knew, that you knew. (Uh?) Come on, you learning something? Well, keep on learning, we're not finished.

40. All right, every child of God then has the measure of the faith of God. You may say I can't feel it, you still have it. You may doubt it, let God be true, but every man a lair. You say, I'm not using it, but you can if you only learn. You say, "It doesn't seem to work." Naturally, keep at it until you meet all the conditions. Whether you don't feel it, whether you doubt it, you refuse to use it, you still have it, and according to God's Word you are responsible to use it, or you will never please God.

The trouble is, that we are not recognizing its presence sufficiently and admitting it as we ought to. I may come as a shock to us tonight to realize that we do possess the measure of the faith of Almighty God Himself. But because we see so little results we doubt it and we wonder what it is all about. But if you only stop to consider this, the fact that God Himself has indwelt us, and yet we see so little of His Presence. To doubt it means we're on our way to hell. Is that, right? Because it's Christ or perish.

41. Now, let me ask you this question, does anybody feel tonight God is His Own Life so thoroughly to feel nothing else? I doubt it. But will you deny that you've got Him? Well, let's make it very simple: how many tonight feel their left calf. Nobody? Nobody's got a left calf, there you are. I knew it, I knew it doc, [Dr. Kash] they need you worse than you thought. There isn't a person here with a left calf. How many feels your right ear? Nobody? There you are, there's fifty right ears went down the drain. I knew it, I could tell there was something wrong. I don't see a right ear in the place. I didn't even feel my wrist watch. But I thought about it, so my wrist watch went? So, there it is. (Huh?)

You say, "Bro. Vayle don't be silly." Listen to me, your faith my brother and sister is eternal while your ears and your calves and your livers, and your eyes, and your heart and you stomach are not. True? Doesn't matter if you feel it or not, you've got it. Remember, "let God be true but every man a liar." Remember, John the Baptist he confessed and denied not, but he said, "I am not Messiah." So tonight, we can say, "I confess and deny not, I do have the measure of the faith of Almighty God. (See?)

42. Now, let me show you something here. We're going to stop a little bit, not diverged in faith, but to bring it to illustration to you. In the Book of Isaiah 55:8, It says,

(8) For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

Is that, correct? Will you agree tonight that our thoughts on any subjects are not God's thoughts? Will you agree with me? Will you agree that God's thoughts are right though and we're wrong, would you agree there? Would you agree if God said something though you violently disagree, God is still right? You agree there? (Huh?) You really? Okay, get ready for a shocker brother/sister, because I'm leading you to the slaughter. You opened your mouth, you're going to condemn yourselves, or live in a few minutes.

43. Now, let's look at another verse of Scripture, It's in Romans 11:33

(33) O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

Do you believe that? Do you believe that you can study all you want, figure all you want, live all you want, try all you want, you'll never really figure it, because there's something missing, you just got to believe it and think with God's thoughts, and say what God said? Is that right, do you agree here? (Huh?) Now, how many believe that? Let me see your hands, do you do it? See, I'm leading you right into a trap, but it's a good trap don't worry. Do you agree with that?

Now, listen to me, I mean it:

(33) O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are (Thy) judgments, ...

If the judgments of God are unsearchable, then can you search them out? Can you? No!! But do you believe them? (Huh?) Even though you shouldn't believe them? That doesn't make sense. Everything is against it, is it, still right? Oh, come on, is it, still right? Are they? (Huh?) Okay, and His ways past finding out? (Huh?) Is that, right? Do you believe even though we do our best here and come to the highest place possible, we still have something of a mystery? Is that, right? (Huh?) Are you sure? Well, we're going to talk about something right now.

44. In the Book of Romans, we read these Words, 1:16-17

(16) For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

(17) For therein (for in the gospel) is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Tell me tonight, what is revealed in the Gospels? Tell me. Anybody, [somebody says something] No, I read It to you. The righteousness of whom? The righteousness of you? Are you sure it's not of you now? Or what you do, or how you act, but the Gospel be of whose righteousness? God's righteousness! Do you follow me? All right, that's good. Now, I could read you more verses, but I won't.

45. Turn now to 1 Corinthians 1:30

(30) But of him (and) in Christ ...

Now, every time you see the word 'in Christ', it means 'in union with', that's the literal Greek. Watch it:

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

Did you follow that? That in union with Him, Christ has been made the righteousness of God. Is that, right? (Huh?)

46. All right, turn now to 2 Corinthians 5:21 and It says here:

(21) For he (God) hath made (Jesus) ... who knew no sin; (to be sin for us) that we (by our union with Him may) be made the righteousness of God...

According to Scripture, if you are born again in the body of Jesus Christ, (that's His Church) and He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit, (that's your, union) if you are in union with Him, what have you become tonight concerning righteousness? You have become the righteousness of God. Is that, right? Is it right? Is it right? All right, you're still doubtful, we've got to look at the hard heads here.

47. Let's go to the Book of Romans now, and we're going to soften up all the heads to make them as soft as the heart. That's what we want now. Yeah. In chapter 8: (you don't mind me teasing you a bit, do you?) In Romans 8:10, It says,

(10) And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin;

Everybody dies, except the last little group that goes in the Rapture. Is that, correct? Is that, right? Now notice:

(10) ... if Christ (for His Spirit) be in you, (though) the body is dead because of sin; the Spirit is life because of (what?) righteousness.

Whose righteousness? Christ’s righteousness. Is that, right? Then tonight according to the Bible we have become because of Jesus, the very righteousness of God. Is that, right?

48. All right, then say with me: I have become the righteousness of God by my union with Jesus Christ. Say it: [congregation repeats]

"I have become the righteousness of God by my union with Jesus Christ."

Good, and I'm telling you more people are sent to scared to say that very thing. Why? Because they don't believe that God said. They'd sooner believe what they think, taste, hear or smell. They think they know about the situation. And yet my Bible says, "His ways and His thoughts are past finding out." And some people have the unmitigated gall to stand before God, claim they're Holy Ghost born, because they talk in tongues and deny the Word of God when the Spirit and the Word are one. Don't you dare say you've got the Holy Ghost, you deny the Word. You're a hypocrite and a liar. (Huh?)

49. If I deny the Word my brother, my sister, I am a lair. If I deny the Word when God's Word has said it, I don't have the Holy Ghost. Don't let anybody tell you you've got the Holy Ghost when you deny the Word, because the evidence of being baptized with the Holy Ghost, Jesus Himself said, "When He has come, He’ll lead you into all truth.” He’ll show you things to come. He’ll reveal what I said about myself. People hide behind the tongues evidence and say they’ve got the Holy Ghost. And then they deny the very Word of God. I’m hitting hard tonight, and I’m going to hit it brother/sister. [BV raps on the pulpit] Because, I know what I know tonight. I know what I know.

Until you and I see that we have become the very righteousness of God, you will never move in power, because, the devil will say, “You’re not worthy to, look at your life, look at this, look at that.” You bet he’ll accuse you. But, when you know the gospel never did declare that you in yourself would be righteous. Never did declare that to produce a thing as I said we were rotten through. When you know the Word of God says, and the gospel declares, “Here, is the righteousness of God revealed.” Not your righteousness, not mine, but, God’s righteousness. Is that, right? We have become His righteousness. Why? Why are you? Let me set you straight if you haven’t got it. Tell me this.

50. Does the Bible not say, “He that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit.” Is that, right? That’s right. Now listen. If your Spirit and God’s Spirit is joined together, tell me, did your Spirit make His dirty? Or, did His, make you a Spirit being? (Huh?) I got you, didn’t I? I am the righteousness of God, I don’t… [inaudible comments] …I never …?... it’s even kind of hard to believe it, but, He said It. You see what I’m driving at? When you begin to accept what God said, you can turn around and say, “Why [inaudible comments] …when you see that you can have It. [inaudible comments] …but there’s a long way to go. When you get to the place where you see you can have It, you’ll never believe …?... …?... no matter what it is, I know that it is the Solemn God, that will make me… and I’ve got to come.

It’s the peace of God, and the peace of God loves you.

[inaudible comments, audio too poor to continue transcribing]