Faith Series #5 (God is a Good God)

Faith Series # 5

'God is a Good God'

(Berwick, Louisiana Series)

Bro. Lee Vayle - October 21, 1965

...by faith and confession. And Sunday morning 'The Trial of Our Faith'. Now, sometimes that's a fairly lengthy message. So, as Bro. Kash said we'll be starting early on Sunday morning in order to cover what the Lord may bring to my mind. Sometimes He makes me to forget things, I suppose they are not necessary, and sometimes He makes me to remember a tremendous amount of information that might be necessary. Always the material changes, because different people need a little different type of illustration, a little different help in order to cause them to have an understanding of this subject.

Now, let's bow our heads in prayer.

Father, we come again tonight through Jesus Christ our Lord, knowing that whatsoever we ask in Your Name give us according to Your will, You hear us. We know that You hear us, we know that we have the petition we desire to be. And if it is Your will tonight according to Your Word, Lord, if indeed we are part of that body, to have spiritual revelation ears that can hear the Spirit teaches, and minds that can receive and hearts that can comprehend and retain, and then lives by the Spirit put into action the Word of God. You said that is not he that heareth the Word only, but he that doeth the Word till It be accounted worthy.

And so, our Father, tonight we know therefore we have legitimate claim not only through the Son, but through the Word, that Thou doest hear us, and do this for us. That therefore every Word may be perfectly expressed, every thought will surely be brought forward, O God, and every thought retained until It's brought into action. We commit this into Your hands, who according to Paul said, "It is God in us willing and doing Your good pleasure." He also said, "He that hath done a good work in you, will perform it unto the day of the Lord in Jesus Christ." He also having declared, "That we are sufficient for all these things through our Lord. We rest in You, implicitly believing therefore, we have received of You in Jesus' Name. Amen

1. Now we're all well aware of the fact, that we have the measure of the faith of Almighty God, or as It is called 'The Measure of the faith of Jesus Christ', or the Son of God in Christ Himself having said that that would be given to us according to chapter 11 of the Book of Mark.

And we also found out that this faith was manifested and illustrated for us in the life of Abraham. And his understanding of faith in relation to God was, that he described God as having two qualities, or characteristics which made him worthy of being the object of his faith. and they were scripturally as God raising the dead and, "calling those things which are not, as though they were." [Rom 4:17b]

2. Now, calling those things, rather God raising the dead as an attribute, or a prerequisite to being an object of faith, meant that there was no limitation with God. And that's the first thing that we must understand is that we can be put into a position either by God, or put ourselves into a scriptural and a spiritual position, wherein there is nothing to support us but God.

Now, I realize that that is difficult for the human mind to comprehend, because when you deal with God you are dealing with an invisible God. I suppose the best thing we can do is to simply try to feel, but feelings or emotions will betray you. So therefore, there is nothing to do but take what God's Word said. And that is that God has the right to, and that He does as we'll see even tonight, we ourselves know that God then has that right to put us into any position whatsoever, even as He placed the three Hebrew children.

Now, you'll notice how they got there. They got there because they wouldn't disobey God's Word. And I think that's perhaps why you and I get into some of the places that seem very, very difficult, because of our obedience to the Lord, or our desire to serve Him according to the Word.

3. Now, there is as I say there is no place that anyone needs to fear that God will let him down. And we must always associate ourselves and God, with the realization that there are extremities. In other words, we don't always live in a crisis atmosphere, but actually speaking the Christian must endure many crisis experiences. Now, we don't like those. We don't like to be pressed out of measure as Paul said. We don't like to have our backs against the wall. We don't like to find ourselves in a place where it's got to be God, or it's not going to happen. But that's exactly what God says how He trains His children, and how He works with them. And we must begin to associate faith with a battle.

If we're going to talk about faith, or we're going to attempt to use faith, we must come to the place where we recognize that faith will bring us to a place of a precipice, where there is no walls to keep us from falling over. There is nothing visible to protect us where life you might say Israel at the Red Sea, the Nubian desert to the left, the Mountains of the Moon to the right, and the army behind them, and the Red Sea in front of them. And that is exactly where you'll find yourself and must be willing to find yourself that there isn't any help outside of God, but God.

4. Like Paul the apostle, he said, "The ship is being destroyed, the winds won't go down, but God." [Acts 27:10-11] You see, and there's where God said to Moses, "Now, stretch forth your rod and you'll find that the waters will separate." [Ex14:16a]

Now, Abraham the father of the faithful, (who we are the faithful) understood this. And he knew that he could take his son and kill him, and burn him with fire, and then expect God to raise him from the dead. Now, that also shows you something. It shows you the kind of faith you've got will literally let you go down to failure. He could break this work here wide open if He wanted to. Let the place be pulverized to dust. And out of it He could raise right up again, a group of people would be a glory to God.

5. Remember, that the potter has the right to take the vessel and mash it, and rebuild it. And, what does resurrection mean? Resurrection means to take something which is dead. It's all over. It's all gone, it's all finished, there isn't any use anymore, and God will take and raise that thing right up. See, that's Abraham, who, when hope was gone, hope's gone in faith, that he might become even when there's nothing to become from. Why didn't God make everything out of nothing? Only griping about it. (Huh?) When you get reduced to nothingness, it's still alright. Isn't God in nothingness? Absolutely, you see what we're drawing, trying to show you tonight? Don't even attempt to talk about faith, or learn about faith, unless you're willing to see where faith operates. Faith doesn't operate where a air-conditioner bless God, when the temperature is always seventy degrees, who needs an air-conditioner? (Huh?)

Faith in God operates in the fiery furnace. You follow me? It operates when you're sick and you're given up to die. And the doctor pronounces it's all over. That's the time to prove isn't all over. The Psalmist says, "I shall not die but live." [Ps 118:17a] (See?) You've got to understand this when you're talking about faith. We're not just talking about something we examine and let lie there, we've got to see wherein faith lies. Faith lies in the fiery furnace, it's in the call of the trumpet on the battle field. It's by faith we're raptured, it's by faith we're taken from the death of our sins, it's by faith we live, it's by faith we're glorified, by faith we receive the Spirit, everything is by faith. You see, you've got to see faith in that element, or you're not going to get this. Unless you're willing to associate yourself with God in extremities. It's no good, because the old song writer says, "Must I be born to heaven of flowery beds of ease?" No sir! You're not going to make it that way.

6. Faith is your ability to trust in God in all those conditions and have the rest of faith and the joy and peace of the Lord even when everything is against you. And that's what we see in the 11th chapter of John, when Martha said, "Well, Lord, if You would have been here, he wouldn't have died." We can all easily say that. Well, it could have been otherwise. But, you'll notice it's not otherwise, Lazarus is dead.

And yet she said, "Even now, I know that whatsoever You ask of God, He'll give it to You."

And He said, "Thy brother shall rise again."

And she said, "I know he'll rise in the resurrection of the dead, but I'm not talking about that."

Jesus said, "I'm not either." And He said, "I am the resurrection and the life. And he that (what?) believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." [Jn 11:25]

And we have to see that, that his talking of faith. The definition of faith is: 'I've got something so powerful, that even though I know limitation, it doesn't'.

7. Now, we're not talking about you and yourselves having no limitation. See, we're talking about the faith that God gives you. Makes you more than conquerors. And that's where we must begin to receive the revelation of, and begin to literally talk to ourselves about it, until it gets from here down to here, and becomes a part of us.

Now, not only is this true, but we also found out that, "God calleth things which are not as though they were." [Rom 4:17b] Now, that's the language of faith. That's the attempts of faith. You all the time think, "Well I think God will do something." Now, that's the wrong way to think. It's, 'God has done something'. And it will be manifest that it was so.

8. Now, here's a fellow goes in his yard he digs, he fertilizes the ground. He digs some little trenches, he puts in the seed, and ground looks like it was before. And he says, "I'm going to have some plants there." Why is he going to have some plants? Because he has planted some seeds. So, now that he's planted the seeds, he said, "It's going to be like I said."

And that's what faith is. You put your faith and your prayers in he past tense. And you pray, and you say, "Now, when I've prayed, it's all finished, that it's going to be what I said." You see? Because prayer has an infallibility about it. "If you ask anything concerning His will, He heareth, and if we know that He hears, we know that we have petition we desired of Him." [1 Jn 5:15]

And the Scripture says, "Whatsoever, what you desire when you pray, believe that you have received it." [Mk 11:24] That's the language of God, because He said to Abraham, "See, I have made you a father of nations." [Gen 17:5b] See what? "I don't see a thing, I'm an old man, where are the kids?" See, "I have made you, and I will multiply you." The actual provision of God is based upon you putting in the past tense, and say, "I've got it, it's mine." You see?

9. Jesus said to the woman bent with infirmities eighteen years, "Woman, thou hast been loosed from thy infirmity."

He didn't say, "Come here honey, I'm going to touch you, and you're going to be loosed. Come on over here and let Me pray and we'll see what God can do."

He said, "You have been loosed, now come here."

You say, "Well, He shouldn't talk that way, He's trying to make us liars."

I told you last night, "God's thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are not our ways, but higher than the heaven above the earth." [Isa 55:8-9] And according to the astronauts that's a long, long way up. Millions if not billions of miles for all we know in space. Millions of light years, that's as far away it is. You can't understand that, well that's how far God's thoughts are our thoughts. And His Words that express thoughts. Don’t, words express thoughts? So therefore, then His Words aren't like our words, is that correct? So therefore, He puts them in the past tense.

And if you read the Book of Revelation, everything that is yet future is put in the past tense. Well, there is no future with God, God is, it’s like a puzzle. See, you put it in the past tense. Would you dare to put it in the past tense and reckon it's done, it will come to pass. And as I said already that give you peace of heart. There's where the rest of faith is.

10. You know that the Bible says, that the Hebrew children way back there in the wilderness could not enter into rest, because they wouldn't believe God. Why are people so torn today and emotionally upset? Because they don't get that rest, they won't believe. The Bible says here, "Therefore, as the Holy Ghost says today, if you will hear His Voice, harden not your heart." [Hebrews 3:7-8] What does God say about faith? He tells you, "Put your prayers in the past tense, consider it done." Consider it done. Talk about this being done.

You say, "Well Bro. Vayle what if I fail."

At least you tried, you won't fail.

"Harden not your heart as in the day of provocation." [Heb 3:8a]

What day of provocation? God deliberately provoked Israel. He did. He deliberately provoked Israel. He sets them right against the wall and said, "I'm going to see what they do when put them in a tight spot."

11. That's one reason I never had been too Pentecostal. I've seen through that baloney about coming to the prayer room and screaming and dancing and cutting a rug. And then when the chips are down, fall flat on your face, tell a big fat lie, or something else. So, phoo on that emotional stuff. I will give more for a man who'll stand up when the pinch is on, than fifty million who go around talking like they got something. (Huh?) Certainly, anybody with half an ounce of something or other, called spirituality would want that. That's what God wants, and He said here, "In the day of provocation will I provoke them."

What did they do? They turned right around and provoked God. They did. Wherefore, the Scripture says, "I will greave with that generation said, they always err in their hearts, and they know not My ways. And I swore in my wrath, that they shall not enter into my rest. Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. [Heb 3:10-12]

12. Now, the Bible says over here again: "Let us therefore fear, lest, the promise having been left of entering into His rest, any of you seem to come short of it. For the Gospel, (that's the Word of God, the good news) preached, unto us, as well as unto them, but the Word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith with them that heart It." [Heb 4:1-2]

And every single promise of God that's in this Book will be null and void, except you are willing to use the faith that God gave you, in the way that God told you to use it, under the conditions which God set it for us. And Israel wouldn't do it, and they lost out. Now, we've got to learn all about faith, and all the rules that are laid down. And then we'll be able to use the faith that God has given us.

Now, everyone of us as I say have this measure of faith, and if we're truly born of the Spirit of God, and I know it may be dormant there. I know that we don't exploit it. And people because of that may say, "Well, I don't know that I’ve really got it, because if I’d really got it, the thing itself ought to be working. But you remember tonight, if you've got God in your life, that you're born again, you must have God, because, "It's Christ in you the hope of glory," [ Col 1:27b] and that's God. And if you haven't the Spirit of Christ you are reprobate. And here is, "The joined of the Lord is one spirit." [1 Cor 6:17] If that means anything then, It means that here we are, we've got God. And what are we doing about Him?

13. There's not too much manifestation of God in anybody's life these days. Are we then going to deny the fact that God indwells men? You say, "No, I don't deny that fact, because that's my salvation." Well, don't you know it was the faith of God that brought you that salvation? Then we cannot deny the faith of God, we have the measure of that faith, and we must learn to use it.

In fact, we must also learn to use it on the grounds that God said, "If we did not use that faith, we would behold, ...we would be judged at the end of this day and age. He left ten pounds which was given to each of ten people. And at the end of the earthly six thousand years, (and we're coming to the Millennium now the seventh) the people were brought in to be judged, and He judged them according to how they used what He gave them. And when each person used it well, He said, "Well done good and faithful servant." [Mt 25:23a] So, we know what the pound represents, it represents the measure of faith. And we're told to use that faith, and we must learn to use it.

14. So, tonight we know that we've got it. We know what it will do, there's no limitations to it. It'll put us in the hottest fiery furnace, it'll put in the most outlandish and outrageous condition, but it's alright. (See?) It's alright, it's fine. And in the midst of it, we can have the peace, because we can put it in the past tense and say, "Look, it's alright I'm going through these trials." The trouble is, too many people want to get out of trials. You don't get out of them, you got through them. See, that's what's wrong. That's why people run away from life. They don't know that they're to go through. How would we of ever won a war, if everybody ran away?

Oh, I suppose it's something like a fellow that went to the war, and when the bullets began flying, he ran. He ran, he ran the opposite direction. And they were going to court-martial him.

And he said, "No sir, I was using a stratagem."

And the fellow said, "A stratagem, what kind of strategy were you employing running from the enemy?"

"Well, (he said) I hear the world's round."

He said, "What's that got to do with it?"

"I was going to come around the other side and surprise them."

That's the way a lot of Christian's are. That doesn't work with God. Didn't work with the army, and it won't work now. (See?) We understand these things. (See?) And then if we really do under-stand it, you're not of the law. Then you see an employing. If God tells us, then we can understand and do it.

15. Now, our text as we took at the first was over in Heb 11: It said that "Faith is the assurance of the things hoped for, it is the conviction of things not yet seen in our possession."

Now, I told you the word 'substance' wasn't a good word, because it doesn't have the meaning anymore it used to have. It used to be 'sub-sto', that which stands under. Today we use it like this microphone is made of a certain substance. Well, that's not faith at all. Actually, I haven't found a translator who hasn't revised that word, and called it ‘assurance’. "Now, faith is the assurance of things hoped for, it's the conviction of things unseen." [Heb 11:1]

16. Now, if you want to have me prove that that I'm using that word right, turn over to Romans 4:16 It says,

(16) Therefore, it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be (what?) sure to all the seed; ...

What does It say faith does? It makes the promise what? Sure! So therefore, faith is what? Assurance! See, so the translation is a hundred percent correct. If it's assurance in one place in your Bible, it ought to be assurance in the other places in the Bible. So, you see, it's alright to write the word in there, and it's a very good word. "Now, faith is the assurance of things hoped for." [Heb 11:1a]

17. Now, what does it mean to have assurance? Assurance is just like this one dollar bill which I'm going to find in my wallet, I knew that I had one. Now look, this dollar is my assurance that I can have anything that's for sale in America up to and including one dollar, is that right? This is my assurance I have got what it takes to buy any article that's for sale up to and including one dollar in price. Now, nobody does that, is that correct?

All right, in faith you've got the very same thing. Faith is your assurance that you can have something that God said you can have. You follow that? Faith is your assurance. It means 'yes'. Doesn't say, "no," it doesn't say, "I think so." Doesn’t say, "I guess." Doesn’t say, "I want it." Doesn't say, "I hope it." The faith says, "Yes, this is it, I've got what it takes there's no doubt about it." Because that's assurance. Is that true? If you are assured of something, then it means there is a guarantee. There is an ability to procure. It is settled, you've got what it takes. Faith is my assurance.

18. Now, what's it my assurance of? It is the assurance of things hoped for. We must now try to find out what hope is. The word 'hope' is not the wishy-washy word that we use every day in our vocabulary which says, "Well, I hope it won't rain, but knowing my luck it'll rain, that's how things go."

Listen, you never found a word like that in the Bible. Because the word 'hope' is found in chapter 13, in the Book of 1 Corinthians, and it's flanked by two tremendous words; 'faith', hope, 'love'. How could a wishy-washy word get in there? It hasn't got a thing to do with maybe it'll be that way, and maybe it won't, I wonder how it's going to come out?

The word 'hope' in the Greek means 'earnest expectation'. Earnestly expect. "Somebody wouldn't fool me." The man’s sincere who said this. He told me I could have it. So, I can have it, because it's an earnest thing. There's no flim-flam here. No chicanery, no lying. There's a sincere thought expressed here. I can have something, earnestly expect something. Faith is my assurance that I can have something I can earnestly expect.

19. But the thing is this, since faith has to do with God, because It says, "Without faith it is impossible to please Him." [Heb 11:6a] Therefore what I earnestly expect comes from God. Is that, correct?

Now, the question arises; what can I earnestly expect from God? What can I earnestly get from God, or believe I can have? Well, your mind goes right to the same thing mine goes to, and that is the Word of God tells us what we can have. Is that, correct? And that is absolutely correct. Our minds goes to the Word of God, and now our definition says this: Faith, this measure of faith is my assurance, my guarantee, my positive ability to receive from God what God's Word says is mine.

You follow me? (Huh?) Well, come on now, we've got to think about this, because this is what counts. Not what you and I say, but what God says. Faith is my assurance, it's my ability to get what God said I can have.

20. Listen to what David said in Psalms 119:81

(81) My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope (where? in a feeling? Something I heard. something that somebody said? No!) in thy word.

Now listen, he was in that place with his back to the wall. I had fainted. (See?) I had fainted for thy salvation. God, I was in a place where I was defeated, except You intervened. And I mean it. There wasn't a hope in the world of getting out of that position. But, I hoped, I earnestly expected what Your Word said, and that was, "David you're going to sit upon a throne and have many sons, don't worry." You see it?

Now, if it's not in the Word you can't have it. Many people pray and they try to bypass the Word of God by praying. Don't ever try that, that's a Pentecostal trick from the ground up. They'll go to a meeting, bless God, they'll pray and they'll fast and they'll come in here. And like I know you've already had the experience, they'll come in and pray for God to cut the preacher's throat. Oh, they did it to me, so they must have done it to him, and maybe it'll happen to both of us again, it's ten to one it will. Sure, you people know my experience.

21. They'll come right in play opposite to the Word of God, but listen to what my Bible says in Lamentations 3:37 and he that was.

(37) Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord (hath not said) it? (Huh?)

My Bible says, "It will come pass," if God said It. But It also says, "It won't come to pass," if God hasn't said It. (Huh?)

Now, how many times have we prayed against the will of God? If it isn't in the Book you can't have it. We think the Mormons are pretty stupid to say that they're going to have a lot of wives in heaven, because they go around sealing them. And the Bible says, there's neither marriage or given in marriage." Where they’re not one bit kookier, sillier then we if we if pray against the Word. It's the same rotten lustful praying, as James said, "You ask amiss to consume upon your lust."[Jas 4:3]

If it's not in the Word you can't have it. But Praise God if it is in the Word then can have it and you've got what it takes to get it. I know I can go down the store and look in the window and I can say, "Man I'd like to have that there, and I'd like to have that there, but I don’t have what it takes to get it." But when I look in God's Word, I say, "I've got what it takes and I can have it, in fact I've already got it and I'll prove it, because He's going to hang it on my Christmas tree." You see?

You say, "Do you really believe that?"

"Yep, I really believe that, because that's what the Bible says."

22. Now, in Deuteronomy 29:29, It says,

(29) The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, ...

What have been revealed unto you? The Word of the Lord. So therefore, God's mind of what He wills for His children as been revealed to you right here and it's all yours. Because It says, "The secret things; those things you don't know about, they belong to God, but what you do know belongs to you." Is that, correct? Why do they belong to you? Because you've got the faith that it takes.

And this is exactly what we see in 1 John 5:14,

(14) that, if we ask any thing (concerning) to his will, (it says) this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing (concerning His Word) ...his will, he heareth us:

23. Why does God have to hear us? Because He's got to back up His Own Word, and all you've got to do is to bring God's Word before Him, and He's got to listen to It. Doesn't have to listen to your word. In fact, He'll close His ears to your word. Your word isn't worth that, in the eyes of God. Why? Well, listen to me, if the nations are but a drop in the bucket, and God esteemeth no man, then I'll tell you He's going to esteem less the winnings of man which is big fat mouth. (Huh?) People think that...You know we're more heathenish than we are Christian? We are! Do you know we think we're going to be heard for a much ...?...? Yeah, we do, yeah, we do. People even talk how to get the message. Give me, give me... [repeats more times] oh shut up! Praise Him sweetly and calmly. Believe Him. Phoney-ness. I never did that and it wasn't done to me, but I know how they do things.

Do you think they ever got the Holy Ghost going that? They never got the Holy Ghost doing that, brother/sister it's proved, because the Pentecostal people today, have rejected the prophet of God in whom alone today is the accuracy of the Word. (Huh?) You see how serious this is? And yet how wonderful it is, because if you've got the measure of faith, you can have what's in the Word. "

(14) ... this is the confidence we have in him. (Confidence.)

24. Now listen to me: How many of us really got what I'm talking about tonight. Stop and think about it. You know what's been wrong? We've been praying wrong for so long we have backslidden by our prayers, and gone into unbelief. Now come on, let's face it, I'm not fooling tonight, I'm telling you the truth. You can backslide on your knees as quick as any place in this world. Because if you get on your knees before God in unbelief, and leave in unbelief you have sealed your doom with your unbelief. We’ve got to see this.

(14) ... this is the confidence we have in him, if we ask any thing (concerning) his will, he (hears) us:

And if we know that He hears us, we know that we have the petition we desire. How do you know that He hears you?

25. All right, I read It. Let's go back to Ephesians 3:11-12

(11) According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

(12) In whom we have (what?) boldness...

What does boldness mean? Boldness in the Greek is 'freedom of speech' to approach and talk to God. And I wished they'd had written that in there, instead of just putting 'boldness'. In whom we have, in Jesus, we have the ability to actually approach to God. If fact we are in the Beloved, we are in God because of Him. And now we've got 'boldness'. And It says,

(12) ... access with (what?) confidence by (how?) the faith of (Jesus, which we've got.) (Huh?)

Why haven't people then got up and used this faith and see the great things of God? Don't you know the Bible says, "in the last days shall the Son of man find faith when He cometh." [Luke 18:8b] And don't you know that He commendeth those in one of the Church Ages, that they had not denied His faith in His Name? And don't you know it's wrong people haven't been taught about what they've got?

26. And if you don't know what you've got, you're like I was one day when a man put a five-dollar bill in my pocket, but I didn't know I have it. I was broke, and I suddenly felt I ought to go the close closet and dig in the pocket there. And, I went in and dug in the pocket and I dug out five dollars. I didn't know I had it. How can you use, if you don't know you got something and don't learn the rules how to use it if you didn't know you had it?

What good it be to have a watch here, if the fellow couldn’t figure out how wind it? It wouldn't be any good at all. We’ve got to know these things, and the Bible distinctly says, "Here is, God said it, you can have it."

Then listen, it's time we found out what we can have and get it instead of this silly praying about things we can't have. (Huh?) You know what will happen when people do that? The day will come when God will answer prayers and send leanness to a man's soul. Men wouldn't go preach, so the women went ahead and they went out preaching. And we're in the sorriest mess under high heaven. We're about ten feet lower than hell ever, because of the rotten deeds, and the way they carry on. Yes, I mean women.

27. A woman challenged me said, "Well, Bro. Vayle the men wouldn't go." Don't let them tell that, I went honey. Not knowing where I was going, and no money to get there. I set out like Abraham and I got there and I can prove it, whenever a woman will tell me that.

They rose up against me in Southern Pine and said the men wouldn't go, so we went. out. But I said, “Shame on you!” You went because you didn't obey God's Word. My Bible said, "When the Lord of the harvest saw the fields whitened, and He said, "Look at those fields out there, you pray, that Lord of the harvest will send forth laborers." [Matthew 9:8] You didn’t even pray that men will be sent out, but you went. (Huh?)

You said, "God give me strength, give me an army." And, you women pray! You messed up just like Eve. How is God going to answer any man's prayer without a prayer of faith, and that faith has got to be based on His Living Word?

28. I want to get this across and I feel I'm doing it perhaps in a roundabout way, seeming negative. I'm bringing you this fact tonight, if God said it, it's yours! If He is a hundred percent against a prayer that's outside of His Word, then he must be a hundred percent for the prayer that is in His Word.

And I know when Israel would not obey God let them have their own way, the same as He let Balaam. Because there's a measure of blessing, because God has never forsaken His people. He tries to bless everybody. They get up and they say, "Well God did something, didn't He?" Well, I don't if Kathryn Kuhlman [American evangelist 1907-1976] raises the dead fifty-five feet deep for fifty-five years, she has no right to take authority over any man.

29. You say, "Well, Bro. Vayle, I want you to know we're getting work done." I want you to know this, when God stipulates how He wants a thing done, that's the way it's going to be done. God said, "You're going to pray, but you're going to pray according to My Word." That's the prayer of faith brother/sister, that, we’ve got to understand. And I think we're beginning to understand.

He said, [1 John 5:] 14-15

(14) ... this is the confidence we have in him, if we ask anything (concerning) his will, he (hears) us:

(15) And if we know that he (hears) us, ...

And we know, because we got the measure of faith. We know that we have the petition we desire of it. In other words, that's assurance. But, what is the assurance? Faith is my assurance. I've got something to get answers from God. I threw an awful lot at you there, which could have been confusing. Someday I may come back and explain it all. If not, you get Bro. Branham's tape on 'Doing God a Service Outside of God's Will'. [Trying to do God a Service Without it Being God’s Will 11-27-65] you'll understand. (See?)

You just don’t pick up a lot of things in Scripture and just gloss over, you got to get in there and did deep and find what's really behind it all. And I'm trying to get it, maybe trying to get you too much at one time.

30. Now, It says, "Hear then that we can have what is in God's will." What is God's will? His Word is His will. And we repeat, "I have been given the measure of faith, which gives me my assurance that every single thing that God said about Himself in relationship to man, and what man can have materious spiritually, is yours, because you have been given the faith. You were given this measure of faith before you were born again. "By Grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves." [Eph 2:8]

Now, listen to me, "If God spared not His Own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall they not also with Him freely give us all things?"[Rom 8:32] Is that true? Then, if God literally gave His Son by Spirit to you tonight on the grounds of the measure of faith, that all things God said in His Word are yours with giving. The assurance that you are already have your faith that works, that brought God Himself into your soul. And if this faith brought God Himself into your soul, which is the greatest miracle that can happen, then everything else is yours on the ground, that if I can lift two hundred pounds, I can lift any number of five pounds, or ten pounds, or fifty pounds, or a hundred pounds. Is that, correct?

Then if I've got the whole pie, why shouldn't I be able to take a little part of it? What I'm trying get across that this measure of faith brought God Himself, Eternal Life into your being, so that you will never separated, and never die, then the rest is easy, because if the faith did that, then faith can do anything. And brother/sister, don't you see tonight that faith raised you from the dead! Then, if you've been raised from the dead, like Abraham said concerning his son, then all the rest has got to come too. You getting now what I'm driving at? All right, that's fine.

31. Now, tonight let's look at this again. What does a man hope for? Because that's what we're going to analyze that. Now, my faith is my assurance that I can have what I earnestly hope for, earnestly expect. Remember, we expect it, because God said so.

Now, what does man hope for? Well, he always hoped for the best. You know why? Do you realize that a man who commits suicide even hopes for the best? Why does he commit suicide? He so fed up with what he's got, he's looking for something better, and he said, "even death is better." Right?

Hope springs eternal in the human breast, even in suicide. You know some people black out of their minds and go insane, and they crawl into a shell and they're there the rest of their lives. Why? Because they say, "I want something better than I've got, and anything's better than this." Always we're looking for something better. Isn't that true?

32. Nobody hopes to go out here tonight quicker than you came in. Is that, right? Nobody. A lot of us have eyes that aren't too good, do we hope to go blind? Not one of us. Maybe some of us are limping around tonight, we hope you'll fall down and break a leg? No, not one of us. Most of us are not in too good circumstance financially, in other words we don't have a lot of money. We don't really need a lot of money, because that's not any criterion, just get along and be satisfied, God will do the rest. But most of us could use more, but none of us hope tonight that we'll go out there and loose our wallets, then get into debt, have a car wreck and cost us more. Not one of us.

Each one tonight is looking for something better. In fact, that's why you're in church here. That's why you got through prayer lines. That's why you pray. Man hopes for the best, he is always looking for something better than, he presently has. That's right. He wants something that he does not now possess, he wants improvement. Is that, right?

33. Now then, if that's the case concerning what the Scripture says, "Faith is my assurance of things hoped for." [Heb 11:1a] Then it stands to not only reason, but is correctly said, "That faith in God then, is the belief that God has something for us than we have now, and we can have it." Is that, right? Exactly right. Why did he go to ...?... ?

And say, "Lord, I’m in such good shape, smite me."

"I felt so good the last week, I think I'll get sick."

"Hey, Lord, I think I've had too much money this month, cut me down next month."

You ever pray that way? Certainly not. You go to God, because you want what? Something better. See, really then faith if properly understood in bring it down to our modern-day language, faith actually then is my assurance that God has got something better for me than I've got now. So therefore, then what does faith say about God?

34. Faith says this about God. 'God is a good God'. Now, here is where we're going to learn exactly where people stop using their faith, because they don't understand certain things. This is our first lesson night, where the real moral comes in, now about this perfect faith that God gave us. That this is God's Own faith which cannot fail. What's the matter with us? Why are we failing? What's wrong anyway?

You say, "Bro. Vayle, if I had a good ten-dollar bill, I'd just go down town and say, "Here I want ten dollars, worth of merchandise, and there it is. That's just what your faith is too. Oh, what's wrong? We haven't accepted God as a good God.

35. Now, what does Psalms 27:13 say?

(13) I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

David said, "I was in such a terrible condition. The enemy had overwhelmed me, and I would have given up, except I knew one thing, that God was a good God, and therefore, I would still get something good regardless of my present condition."

The three Hebrew children said, "We realize that God is a good God. Let the king put us in the fiery furnace, God is a good God."

36. In Exodus 34:6, It says:

(6) ... The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, long- suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,

If He's abundant in truth He won't lie, Is that correct? God says about Himself, "I am a good God. " Look around you, (just a minute will you) in the face of our present condition, can you say that God's a good God? Oh, you see, I say it, but I mean, do you mean it? (Huh?) Anybody can say a thing, but to mean it. Do you understand it? We could have war with Russia to blast us off the map. We're involved right now in Vietnam, we shouldn't be there, the whole east is going to go red anyway. But we still got to fight evidently. And our sons go over there and they're getting killed.

We have today youth gangs running around, our children are being corrupted on every hand. It's just like Sodom and Gomorrah, and we see the waves of the sea, roaring. Which means the nations are rising up, and on every hand, there's mass murder. You could go out in your street and get killed, and there wouldn't be one person phone, to compromise you, because they're afraid to interfere. If things are getting worse and worse, then what's all this talk about a good God? If we wanted to analyze and say, "Is there more evil today, than good?" We'd have to say, "There's certainly is more evil." But does that deny the fact, or destroy the truth that God is a good God?

37. Now, is God a good God in spite of all this? Now, the Calvinist can mostly say He is. But not the Armenians. The Armenians doesn't believe that God is in control. He believes that if we pray hard enough God would turn Russia around, and do fifteen other things. And God won't, because God's not going to do it. He says, "I am in control, and I’m doing exactly what I want."

Then they say, "Well listen you Calvinist, if God is doing just what He wants, I wonder if I ought to serve that kind of a God, could He be a good God?" Now, that's a good question. You see, your faith has got to make up its mind tonight. Is God a good God, doing good things? "But he puts me in such awful places, and I've seen such awful terrible things going on." Can He really be a good God? Now, if your faith is the assurance of something better, He's got to be a good God. (See?) Well, how could He?

38. Well, let's read some more Scripture. Psalms 33:5. Remember, the other verses said, "He's abundant in goodness." It sure doesn’t look like it.

(5) ... the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.

Now, that's a switch right there. Do you think it's very much fullness in this earth? Wars and rumors of wars. Mass murders. The problems of Europe? The extermination of Jews in Germany and other countries? The mass murders, of Mussolini and his gangs that invaded Ethiopia? (Huh?) That rape of Hungary? Is He a good God? Well, what about it?

39. Psalms 52:1

(1) ... the goodness of the (Lord) endureth continually.

What about your own life? How good has God been to you recently? What about it? Haven't you ever got up in rebellion and got your neck up so your back up at certain things? Haven't you wondered if you doubt it?

40. All right, let's read Psalms 107:9

(9) ...he... filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

How many hungry have you been and never got a thing? How many hungry folk have you seen still perish by the wayside? How good is this God? Well, you know faith looks for something good, and believe me it's going to be good it's got to be a good God. We talk about the devil being all bad, we sure see a lot of bad things.

Now, listen to me, in Psalms 145:7-9.

(7) They (talking about the people of Israel) they shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, ...

How much talking about the goodness of God do you do?

(8) The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; ...

(9) The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies...

What, tender mercies? How tender is God? Can you see much tenderness around you in the world today? What about it? I don't see too much tenderness. I see dog eat dog, and man eat man, woman eat woman, fight, fight, fight.

41. [Now,] 2 Chronicles 5:13-14, tells what to utter about His goodness. Well we better it up. Well, It says here:

(13) (And) It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; (this is what God told the people to say,) For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: (and) then the house (would stay with the) cloud, even the house of the LORD;

(14) So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house...

Now in Psalms 138:2, It says:

(2) ...praise thy name for thy loving kindness...

And in Psalms 119:68, It says:

(68) Thou art good, and doest good...

52. Listen to Jeremiah 9:24

(24) ...him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise loving- kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.

Now, you people the majority were born into Pentecost so called. And all that you ever heard from the time you got in was power, [Bro. Vayle make a g-r-r-r- power sound, more gr-r-r sounds, or [gr-r-r-r-roar] my.

How many of you were taught that in spite of every single thing, ...and listen... you weren’t just taught it, but it was the most outstanding thing you were taught. It was the one thing upon which every single thing was based. According to this Word It says, "Let Him that glory, glory in this." But you were taught to glory in the fact that you had power, [said with a growl] you're were filled with the Holy Ghost, ruff! Extra ...?... umph! Healing, umph! Miracles, umph! Aw, but come on now kid, you didn't see enough to fill up five cent waste basket with it.

53. You didn't see much until a Baptist preacher William Branham came along and turned the world on its ear, and he wasn't Pentecostal, wasn't tongues talker, or anything else. But he was a man whose one major premise, or principle in his life was this: "Let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the Lord which exercises loving kindness and judgment and righteousness in the earth, and in these things I delight saith the Lord." [Jer 9:24]

If we're going to glory in anything, glory in this: we understand that God is a good God. I said, "Understand." I didn't say, "we know it," because we've been taught it. I didn't say, we know it," because we read it, or give lip service to it. I said, "We understand."

54. Now my brother, my sister, that Solomon the wisest man said, "Get wisdom, (it's the chief thing,) but with all that getting get understanding." [Prov 4:7] If we are not understanding people, all of our knowledge, (so called) amounts to nothing. Understanding.

Listen to what Isaiah 54:10, said:

(10) For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, ...

Now listen, God said, "I'm going to turn it upside down, I'm going to turn it topsy-turvy. I'm going to take away your ability to stand, everything I'm going to take and hold in jeopardy. I'm going to do it! And when I do it, remember, I'm a God of loving kindness, and of mercy, and that won't depart. So, I'm going to pull every pin and rug from under you and leave you hanging in jeopardy." And He said,

(10) ... the covenant of my peace...

Now questioning, not arguing, not fussing, not wondering, not running, not renouncing, not querying, but peace. Because you understand something and know what somebody else does. This is what the Lord of host said that hath mercy. You say, "Oh God, where do you get such an idea. I said His thoughts aren’t our thoughts, and His ways aren't our ways. You say, "God pulling the rug, taking away the mountain, letting the rivers roar, bringing the fires, the cyclone the tornado, bringing death, corruption, losses." Oh yes, He's a God of mercy and He's doing a special thing.

55. Now, what does It say in Matthew 7:11

(11) If (you being) evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

And in Matthew 19:17

(17) And he said unto (them), Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, (and) that is, God: ...

He is a good God, and He's all good.

56. Now, in Luke 1:53

(53) He hath filled the hungry with good things; ...

And in Luke 6:35b

(35) ...he is kind (to) the unthankful and to the evil.

57. Romans 2:4

(4) Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; knowing not that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

You say, "Bro. Vayle, I repented when my child died, is that the goodness of God?"

"I repented when my home broke up and my fortunes went down drain, I lost my business practice, and this and that, was that a good God?" The Bible says It was.

58. And in James 1:17

(17) Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, (nor) shadow of turning. (He is all good.)

59. Romans 8:32

(32) He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

And with that in Romans 10:15, It says here:

(15) And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach (what?) the gospel of peace, and bring (the) tidings of (what?) good things!

The good God with the good Word bringing good things.

60. Now listen to me, It says in Hebrews 9:11

(11) (That Jesus is the) high priest of (what?) good things...

You say, "Bro. Vayle that sounds peculiar. I've seen a lot of things in my life, and they didn't all look good."

Well, my Bible says, "He is good, and God doing it." And It says, "In all things give thanks for this is the will of God concerning you." [1 Th 5:18] God is a good God, doing good things.

61. Now, in Hebrews 11:16 It tells us over here,

(16) But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: where- fore God is not ashamed to be called their God: ...

Didn't I tell you that people who are looking for something better than they've got, and who are they looking to, they're looking to God and what did God give them? Trials, temptations and testing. Some were murdered, sawn asunder. But they didn't mind, they knew that He was a good God.

Now, notice are you ready then for the moral of this lesson? Have you and I accepted, accepted irrevocably, never to change again, but irrevocably accepted, and blindly? They tell us that the Communist accept at once, want their people to accept their leaders irrevocably and blindly. That's exactly what Jesus said the church was to do. We must accept irrevocably and blindly that God is a good God. He is good in the death of our loved ones. He is good when our health fails. He is good when our finances tumble, as the Scripture says, "Thou art good and doest good." [Ps 119:68a]

62. The Bible says that, "Sarah judged God faithful." [Heb 11:11b] Do you know tonight that we are confidently judging God? We are judging God by what we see and what we hear, do we judge Him good? We are supposed to judge Him good according to God's Word.

Do you know in 2 Samuel 22:27, that God says,

(27) With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt show thyself unsavory. (Uh?)

If we become froward with God and say, "Well, I can't see God what He says here." He says, "I be unsavory to you." With the pure in heart all things are pure. And if our hearts are pure, we'll see the purity of God.

63. Now, we must never make a mistake and judge God contrary to what the Word has declared about Him. Turn to me to Matthew 16: and in Matthew 16: which is this famous verse, the verses on the revelation of Christ by the Holy Ghost to Peter.

(13) (And) when Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

(14) And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: (and) some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

(15) He saith unto them, But whom (do you) say that I am?

(16) And Simon Peter answered... Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

(17) And Jesus answered and said... Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

(18) And I say unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

What is the church built upon? Revelation! The reason tonight is why you're born again and your name's written, because God gave you a revelation that Jesus was the Christ, that you were a sinner, and by faith you can receive Him and you did, and neighbor didn't. He didn't have a revelation. You see?

64. The Church is built upon revelation, and without revelation you can't prevail. And the revelation tonight is that God is a good God. Now brother/sister listen, you'll never understand God's a good God unless you believe His Word. I'm going to compare that over here to1 Samuel 3:21, It says this,

(21) And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: ...

Listen, this says God appeared. Is that, right? Now, how did He appear?

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

This Book is the only revelation you'll ever get of God. I don't care if you have the vision of Him tonight, it won't do you any good. It won't do you any good. This is the Word that tells you what God is. My wife and I have three children, you've never seen them. But if we were to describe our children, tell you their ages and all about them, you would receive it, because you said he told us so. Well listen, why don't we do the same with God's Word? He told us so. You've never seen God, you've never actually heard Him. Or have you? How do we judge Him? We reserve to ourselves the right to judge God on the face of condition. Nobody has a right to do that. That is circumstantial evidence, and would never hold in a court. The evidence is what God declared about Himself. He said, "I'm a good God and I do good." And that settles it! And if we can't believe that tonight we'll never ever us our faith to get the promises of God, because we can't trust Him. If God is good sometimes and not in other, or He is bad, how could believe God with something better? You wouldn't dare approach Him in case He pulled the rug on you, and He slipped something over on you, because you came.

65. You know what we do? I'm going to tell you a little story that will make you gasp, it's called a sick joke. But we treat God as the sick joke tells.

The woman said to her little blind son, she said, I'm going to put a plaster on your eyes, and when I take away the plaster you're going to see."

And the boy said, "Goodie, goodie momma, I can see."

So, she put the plaster on the boy's eyes, and she took it away.

And he said, "But momma, I can't see."

She said, "April fool son."

We're just that way with God, did you ever think of it? You think that God did that to you and me, April fooled us? (Huh?) We act that way, don't we? We reserve to ourselves the right to get mad at God, to be offended, to tempt Him, and say to ourselves, "Well, that just shouldn't be." Laodicean spirit, democratic, kicking against the pricks, fussing against God. The Word of the Lord says, "Turn the other cheek, and get tramped on, God's a good God."

66. How can you expect God to be your Protector? How can I expect Him to be my Protector if I take up the battle and fight for myself? And when can God protect me, except for when I need protection? You don't need a man with a gun to shoot a lion, unless there's a lion around. You don't need a captain to lead a host of Israel, unless there's a war that's going to be fought.

No, we cannot judge God's character by what we see. We let our senses guide us, we mustn’t do that. We got to come to blindly say, "God is a good God if I have to butt my head against the wall and hit myself, and make myself believe it, God You’re good, now shut up inside. You follow me?

67. Now listen, let's read in Job 23: this is so important we're going to take our time on it.

Job 23:1-10

(1) Then Job answered and said,

(2) Even today is my complaint bitter: (and) my stroke is heavier than my groaning.

Now, let me ask tonight before God, can anyone honestly say tonight, that you are complaining less than the burden you bore? I complain a hundred times more than any burden that I ever born. Job said, "That what I’m carrying, I can't have words to express." But we seem to find a lot of words to express a lot of nothing, it's because none of us are really going through anything. We have it plush.

(3) Oh, that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat!

(4) I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments.

(5) I would know the words which he would answer me, and under- stand what he would say unto me.

Now notice:

(6) Will he plead against me with his great power?...

Job says, "Is God using His might to hurt me? Is He just coming against me will all His force and energy and it's just what He wants it to destroy me?" Notice what he says:

(6) ...No; but he would put (what?) strength in me. (God's not trying to hurt anybody.)

(7) There the righteous might dispute with him; so should I be delivered forever from my judge.

Now notice:

(8) Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; (I go) backward, but I (can't) perceive him:

He went forth and he couldn't find, and he said, "Well, I'll retrace my steps. I'll even go back and see if I can sort of feel good, like the day that I claimed Him as my Savior." That didn't work. I cannot perceive Him.

(9) On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I (can't) see him:

And in all this thing God is so obscured that the man would be confused and cast down utterly, but he's not. Because listen, he said,

(10) But he knoweth the way that I take: (and) when he hath tried me, (I'm going to get mad, and cuss God and everybody I know and run off. No,) I shall come forth as gold. (Huh?)

68. Now, no man suffered more than Job. No man had it harder. God sent people to him to disquiet him. He let the devil himself come and take his fortune, take his family, and break his body right down. Oh, I know people say, "But Bro. Vayle, Job made a mistake when he said, "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh." [Job 1:21]

Now listen, you forget what Gordon Lindsay said; and with W.B. Grant said; and what Mr. Bosworth said'; and what Mr. Osborne said; and what all the rest said. Even A.B. Simpson. Listen to what God said: He stood before Satan and said, "Thou movest me against him." God said, "I did it all."

You say, "Did God that to Job?"

Yes, God did that to Job.

And Job said, "When He has tried me, (not kill me, not ruin me, not hurt me) but when He has tried them, I'm going to come forth as gold, I'm going to be a better man, because there's a good God doing good things, because He said he was good and I believe."

69. I wonder what Psalms 13: said. I haven't got It written down here, so I'll go in my Bible. And you want to turn to Psalms 13 with me. I don't suppose it can be too long, or I wouldn't have put it down. Here it is, only six verses.

(1) How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? (Oh, I didn't know it's one of those) forever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?

That's what Job said, "I look ahead, I can't see Him, I look backward He's not there, I look to the left there's darkness, He hides Himself on the right hand, oh God knows what's going on anyway?"

(2) How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?

Notice, God said, your enemies get over you.

(3) Consider and hear me, O LORD... lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;

(4) Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved. (But notice:)

(5) But I have trusted in thy mercy; (and) my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.

(6) I will sing unto the LORD, ...

What is this ...?... say? Somebody hand me my glasses. Oh, I don't need them. He's no fool. This man David had a revelation that God was a good God.

And he said, "I'll sing!"

"Well, I don't feel like singing."

"Sing anyway." Why?

(6) ... because he hath dealt (how?) bountifully! ...

Oh, I thought I was pressed down, I was circumvented, I was crushed, the enemy had control. "Well, (he said) hallelujah, God's just doing something lovely, glory to God, I love it."

70. That's what the Bible said, when you're persecuted and miserable rejoice! All right, that's what I said, I don't have much use for this so called Pentecostalism when I was trained in, you come up and see everybody dancing clap your hands, and shout and sing, and cut a rug. Ooh, glory, glory, glory.

Yeah listen, my Bible said, "The time to dance is when they have brought you on a hot brick." Is when they're scourging you. When you're persecuted, rejoice! Because it says, they did that to the prophets that's ahead of you. Anybody can go to a church and cut a rug and dance, and sing and scream in a meeting, because the preacher says, "Get up." And everybody shouts and do a hallelujah. Listen, I'll do that in my pulpit. I'll tell you to dance and shout and walk around the building. When I can tell you to get up and cry and weep before Jesus. (Huh?) I maybe rough honey, but I'm trying to be honest.

David said, "He hath dealt bountifully." In spite of the fact that he cried, "How long, O Lord? Oh, that's alright, how long we're going to last Lord, I know I'm weakening, but I don't think You are, so it's alright, as long as you can hold out God, I'm going to make it. Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." (See?)

71. All right, now remember, remember in Psalm 50:21, here is what God said:

(21) ... thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: ...

God warns us, never, ever, ever to think of Him in terms of human reasoning or thoughts. Why? Because His thoughts are a million light years away from us. And His ways are a million light years away from ours. Don't be confused with human reasoning. Do not be philosophical. Remember what God said by the mouth of Balaam, that old reprobate.

72. In Numbers 23:19

(19) God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: (God can't lie and He can't change) hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not (perform it?)

God didn't tell you how He was going to do it. But I'll tell you if you're smart, you've heard what I said and you learned what and how's he's going to do it. Before there's a victory, there's a battle. Before there's a healing, there could be sickness unto death. Before there can be financial victory, is to be smashed entirely. Before there is going to be peace, there's got to be a storm like a hurricane and a tornado combined, or a typhoon. You follow it?

73. Now, listen to me, listen to me now, I'm going to show you something right here. Turn to Malachi 1: and we're going to settle this once and for all, does God love you? Is He a good God? Alright, listen to It.

(1) The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.

(2) I have loved you, saith the LORD. ...

I dare you. God says, "I'm a loving God, I'm a good God, I'm merciful, I'm kind, I'm just. God said to Israel, "I love you."

Yet, Israel said, "Where did Thou still love us?” (Huh?) Well, that’s a question.

"Loved us?"

"What about the Red Sea experience?" Almost got it.

"What about the time You almost starved us? Then the time we almost died of thirst."

"What about the enemy coming against?" Loved us? (Ha.)

I don't see any love there. What does God say?

(2) ...Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob,

(3) And I hated Esau, and laid.. his heritage waste...

74. Go back to the Book of Romans now, and we're going to teach you a little bit of election and predestination right here. And we're going to see something, brother/sister, if you see this then you're on your way. In [Romans] 9: It says this:

(9) For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah (not Hagar, not anybody else, not Keturah, but Sarah) shall have a son.

(10) And not only this; but when Rebecca had also conceived by one, even by (thy) father Isaac;

(11) (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)

(12) It was said unto her, The (older) shall serve the younger.

(13) As it is written, Jacob have I loved, (and) Esau have I hated.

Do you realize tonight the proof of God's love, is not that you don't go through trials. It's not that you don't have hardships. The proof of God's love is that He saved you, when He could have saved your neighbor who would have been ten times better Christian then you ever thought of being. When He saved you a rotten no good dissolute person, who, you know and I know tonight, neither not anyone person in this building since we're saved has given God a fraction of the glory of God could have had, and He could have had somebody down the street here saved, already doing ten times more than you and I ever give Him.

75. God's love is that He loved you in Himself before the foundation of the world, and He called you to Himself. And if He takes and wrings every bone in your body, and wrings every ounce of your flesh dry. He takes your heart in His hands and squeezes it like this, and crushes like He did at Job, will break your heart like He could have done to Abraham. As Abraham trudged up that hill. And brother/sister, as David saw himself cursed outside the city, his own son having done murderous things, taken and done evil to his wives, and taking over the kingdom. And as David an old man now trudging out of the city, and this fellow rise up and curse him said, "Thou bloody David, you killed Saul, now you're getting what's your own wrong."

And the man said, "I'll go over and kill him."

And David said, "Let him alone, God told him to curse."

76. David said, "God's a good God. (See?) David knew something. "Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin." [Ps 32:2a] God will never impute sin to His Bride. But He reserves to Himself the right that she goes through the fiery furnace just the same way that He did. God's a good God. His love is elective love.

Have you ever prayed and noticed how conditions got worse? They, always don't they? Have we fasted and tried to get God to move the burden, but it gets heavier? Never seems to fail. And in all this, instead of light there is darkness and yet have we said, "Thou art a good God, it's all right." See, there's where we...listen brother/sister, you'll never put faith anywhere but in a good God. And if we're not convinced once and for all that He is a good God no matter and whatever, you and I will never, ever get this faith working, honey. You can't do it. Can't do it. You follow that? That's true.

Listen, in every sorrow, and terrible trial, "when we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter, (which we are) we are killed all the day long." [Rom 8:36] We are. Can we believe and know for sure that nothing separates from His love, because He is, eternal goodness. Brother/sister, once and for all we must make up our minds. You know that's what Jesus said.

77. Turn with me to Matthew 12: we will read these Words concerning this thing. Now:

(33) Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by (its) fruit.

That's what Jesus was talking about Himself, when they said, "He's got to have a devil." He said, "Either make the tree good, or make it evil." Either tonight my brother, my sister, we learn to make God all good. And not just say, "Well, Bro. Vayle, I believe God's good in His essence." No sir, He's good in His actions. He said He's dealing right now, and every single thing He does is good if we go out there and fall with a heart attack, He's a good God.

And if the enemy comes in and lines us up against the wall and pours kerosene on this building and lights a match as we scream we'll go to our glory, praise God, He's a good God. If He takes children and sees them cut in pieces and tormented, He's a good God.

78. Why don't you read sometimes, Fox's Martyr's. Why don't you read sometime what the Roman Empire did to the Christians. Why don't you read what they did to Polycarp. It's in the Ante Nicene Fathers, volume one. You'll see it. But in all that Polycarp prayed for his detractors, he prayed for his captors, he prayed for the government, the people who put him to death. And he's put to death not even tied to the stake, he said, "Leave me, I'll burn for the glory of God." They were sawn asunder, they were scourged. They were driven like animals, but He was a good God. Do we see that tonight?

You know brother/sister, unless we do, we can never, ever begin to see God and His faith. I think of a man he was one of the grandsons of General Booth. One day as he was preaching, a man came up and he said,

"Sir, it is so easy for you to talk about a good God. It is so easy for you to talk about those good things. You've got your wife, haven't you?"

"Yes."

"You have your family?"

"That is correct."

"You have a home?"

He said, "Yes I have."

He said, "I once had a wife, and a family, and a home too. But (he said) they all went."

And he described how his business went. And his wife died, and his children were killed. And he said, "I have nobody, I'm a drunken man, because I cannot stand to look in the mirror again. I cannot think of God or anybody, I am a derelict." And he said, "What would you do if you lost it all?"

And this grandson of General Booth, he was one of the Booth's with a hyphenated name. Not Booth-Clibborn, but one of the others.

He said, "I don't know, what I’d do. But I hope that I would love God and believe Him as I believe Him today."

79. The very peculiar thing happened, two weeks later, this man's wife and his children were to go California from the east coast to west coast. As they went across the land it so happened that the wife did not notice the train coming she went upon the track and the train stuck her and killed her and all her children. The day came when the funeral would be preached back home. They took them back home with the children. And this man stood by the wife's casket and the children. And he said, "Not long ago I was asked what I would do, what I would think of God if tragedy struck my life and they were all wiped up, those ones that I loved.

And he said, "Let me say this to that man if he is here, I'll love Him with all my heart."

And the man came forward and knelt by that casket.

80. But I think of a man that I know personally, a man called William Branham. He had prayed the prayer of faith and multitudes had been healed. He had seen the power of God in lives as they were raised from the dead. And now his little daughter is laid dying by her mother. Her eyes are crossed with pain, because she cannot bear the pain. And the night is dark he prayed, "Oh God, why don't You do something, I can't stand it." But God didn't do a thing. God never heard a word, and the man lost his wife, his child and he took his own little boy stuck the bottle in his breast coat pocket to keep it warm. Trudged down the road and a man in the center said, "Billy, what do you think of God now?"

And he said, "I love Him more as I ever loved Him and He's dearer then He's ever been." That man today is raising the dead, he's turning nations upside down for Almighty God. A prophet called William Branham, indicated in chapter 10: of Revelation, a man whose heart is pure gold, and the life is so sweet if you do him harm, he'll thank you for it. If you curse him, he'll bless God. If you treat him with distrust he'll put his confidence in you. And he cannot raise a finger against a man, because he knows God is a good God.

81. That's why he's raising the dead. That's why he prays the prayer of command. That's why at his word, things are literally created. That's why he speaks the Word and gives you the desire of your heart if you believe God.

Brother/sister, you see tonight if you don't see that He's a good God, and mean it. All the faith of God cannot do one. We have got an abundance of His faith. There is no doubt that we have everything we need tonight. There is no doubt we have that which will move every mountain, because that's what this faith does. We have no doubt it'll curse every fig tree, we know that. But listen to me, there can be no assurance in God until once and for all we're saying that He is a good God. That He loving and kind, that we know and understand that our boast is this: that we come to the place that we know that He is a good God.

82. Brother/sister, too long we've boasted in the fact that we've got power. Too long we boasted in even salvation. We've boasted in everything but what God told us to boast in, that He's a good God. You say, "Then why did Paul boast in the Cross of Christ?" Because He was a good God, even if He hanged there bleeding and dying for the world. That was the will of God.

They say, "Surely the devil said, 'If You're the Son of God, come down off that Cross'. If You're the Son of God, why don't You do something, show Your power."

He said, "Not My will, but Thine be done." He's a good God. And by His death and Resurrection, He appeased His Own soul, because He has many brethren now coming into glory. Is He a good God?" Yes, He's a good God.

What if He slays us tonight? He's still a good God. Oh, I'm not preaching to you my brother, my sister, though I preach very hard at times as though I know too much, and I've got too much. But I know this one thing I've got to have if I'm never going to have what I'm talking about. And that is I've got to convince my heart once and for all that God is a good God.

83. As the Psalmist said, "Delight thyself in the Lord." Delight yourself in Him. Can I delight myself when the nights are dark? Can I delight myself when the path is crooked? Can I delight myself when men lie in ambush, when the pluck at my clothes, and they tear at my cheek? Can I delight in God when I'm oppressed and persecuted? Can I delight in God when all those things I've built up to high heaven, (as it were) and built my hopes upon, they've all come crashing down? Can I delight in God when those people I thought were His servants turned on me, and they say wicked and terrible things and hinder, rather than help" Can I delight myself in God? That's right, delight thyself in the Lord. That’s right.

The Bible says, "Delight thyself in the Lord and shall direct thy path, He shall give thee the desire of thy heart." [Ps 37:4] Is He's a good God? He's a good God. You have got the faith of God tonight, no problem there, you've got it. You've got mountain moving faith, no problem. You've got the assurance to get every promise in this Book are yours, that's no problem. Brother/sister, that's no problem at all, none at all. There is only one problem and that's in you tonight. That's I me tonight, do we know that He's a good God. (See?) Do you really know He's a good God?

"Bro. Vayle I'm suffering, is He a good God?"

You say, "Bro. Vayle can I really believe He's a good God and I suffer?"

Yes. you can, Job did.

84. There's a day coming when the Bible said, "Though you've got the faith of Job, Daniel and Abraham you'll need more than that." We need that in this day brother/sister, because this is not the day of that peculiar suffering where they really take and rip you to pieces as they did with the wild horses, and with the wild dogs and all. This is the days when innuendoes, when snide remarks, when laws and various pressures brings it to place, and all around us so much wealth. And that creeping…spirit of paralysis comes in to deadness. Where iniquities abounding and love is waxing cold. Now it the time to say, "God is a good God." Yes, He's a good God. Amen. Believe that?

That's the only that our faith is going to work. You see, it's not the faith my brother, my sister, that's perfect. The trouble is it's a perfect gift in an imperfect vessel. But remember, a few rules in that imperfect vessel, will see the mighty hand of God. Is He a good God? Is He a good God? That's your first lesson. What's wrong with your faith? Nothing. Nothing wrong with your faith, not a thing. Not a thing, you've got more than enough, but it's have I convinced myself that He's a good God? (See?) You love Him tonight? I hope a little more than last night. Now, God bless you. Bro. Kash. [Tape ends]