Faith Series #6 (Faith in the Mind)

Faith Series # 6

'Faith in the Mind'

(Berwick, Louisiana Series)

Bro. Lee Vayle - October 22, 1965

Let's bow our heads in prayer:

Father, we come again tonight in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord, and our hope is in Thee, O God, our trust is in Thee for our strength is of Thee. We have no knowledge or wisdom which is worthy of ourselves, Lord, but we believe tonight that Thou will give us the knowledge and wisdom which is necessary, whereby every thought and every word shall be expressed in the Holy Ghost. Bring our spirits under control now, Lord, so that even the very sentiment of our being shall be one with Thee. Bring our thoughts under control, Lord, so we might have only Thy thoughts, bring it into captivity through the Spirit of God.

We dedicate ourselves therefore, Lord, to You tonight knowing that as we do so, Thou will bless us and cause us to grow up in this faith which is in Christ Jesus. Therefore, we commend our-selves to knowing that our prayers indeed already answered in Jesus' Name. Amen.

1. Now, we're all well aware of the fact that we have been given by God, 'a' measure, or 'the' measure of the faith of Jesus Christ. We also know that faith is a good and perfect gift. There's nothing wrong with the faith. In fact, the Scripture says, "The promise is sure unto all the seed because of faith." [Rom 4:14a] "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for," what we can earnestly expect from God. [Heb 11;1a]

If faith is our assurance, then we know that we can have what God says is ours according to His Word. But we find the vessel in which faith resides is fallible. There's nothing wrong with God or His faith. There's nothing wrong with God's Word. And there's nothing wrong with prayer, but what is wrong, is wrong with people. They don't understand the laws of the faith, how to apply the laws which God's Word lays down in order that we man come to a place of infallibility in our prayers. Even as John said that, "If we ask anything concerning His will He hears us." [1 Jn 5:14] That's the confidence we have, if we ask anything concerning His will He hears us, and if we know that He hears, well we know that He had the petition. Of course, many people are kind of afraid that God doesn't hear us. But most amazing He hears every cuss word, but He can't hear something else, isn't it?

2. So, you see, His lopsided thinking isn't going to do us any good. He hears us plain and simple. If God can't hear us, there's something wrong with God. Nothing wrong with us, I can tell you that. But just that simple. Either He hears us, or He doesn't hear. I'm sure He hears us tonight. In fact, according to what I know of God, our thoughts speak louder in heaven, then our words do on earth. So, I'm convinced that He hears us so there's nothing wrong with that.

You say, "Well, if a man regards iniquity in his heart, the Lord won't hear. And I'm not talking about that at all. The fact remains that when a man says God, God hears him. What is wrong that people don't know how to follow the laws which must be utilized in using this faith and prayer in order to come to a successful conclusion. And we're learning them as we go along. And the first rule we learn was that we must never ever judge God except according to His revelation. If God says I'm forty feet tall and twenty feet wide, weigh three hundred and sixty pounds and I can lift fifty million tons, that's what God does. Don't fuss about it.

3. On the other hand, if God says, "I'm spirit, you can't even approach unto me," that's what it is. And if He says, I'll do a thing in a hundred sixty hours, and it's going to take me eighteen years, you'll be dead by then, that's His business. If He says, "I'm merciful, kind and just,” and everything else, looks like He's the devil himself, He's the merciful, kind and just.

You've got to start giving God credit for what He said, and this Word's true. If you don't believe the revelation of God, that God's a good God, forget it, you'll never use your faith. How can you have faith, and after all remember, if you're hoping for something, you don't hope to get sicker than you are. I don't think anybody here tonight has got an awful lot of money. And I know nobody hopes to go out and lose everything he's got. Everybody hopes for something better. Even the man that commits suicide, is looking for something better and he thinks death is the way to get it. Didn't think of that, did you? It's true.

4. Hope springs eternal within our breast. So, if we're looking for something better than what we've got now, on the grounds of faith, God must be a good God. No matter what it looks other-wise it makes us see. You got to blind yourself to everything else and say, "God's a good God."

That's what the Psalmist said, "Thou art good, and doest good." [Psalms 119:68a] In fact, God Himself said, concerning His dealing with the wicked, that He is kind to the unjust the same as He is kind to the righteous. That's true. The same sun, the same rain, the same blessing that falls upon the tares, is what the wheat gets. No different. Sow some wheat, sow some tares, same earth, same nourishment, same rain, same sun, same everything, only difference lies in the seed. God's a good God. When I see all these things in the world, that's fine, you can say what Robert said, "The devil is a bad devil."

Show your compensation in a counterbalance, I don't care what you do, but you got to come to the place where God is a good God, because how can you put your trust in a God Who was not always good to get something better than you want now.? (See?)

5. So, you must accept it, You say, "What when death comes?" He's still a good God, He's got something better on the other side. And He's going to wipe away every tear. And the Scripture says that the trials we go through now are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. God is a God of compensation, "Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward." [Hebrews 10:35] (See?)

I've been saying this kind of serious tonight haven't I, kind of rough, but you already feel good, don't you? In the fact of the matter is, truth will set you free. Captive by the devil's lies ever since Eve sold out. Captivated by the devil's lie. Tonight, it's time to get set free, God's a good God, He said so. Whose you to say He's not a good God? (Huh?) I could lie tonight and say, "I'm forty-three years old, I'd be three years younger than Doc." [Bro. Vayle chuckles] I'd be a liar, I'm five years older than he is, I'm fifty-one. I know it adds up or not, it's something like that anyway. (Ha, ha, ha, ha.) You wouldn't know.

I could say, "I've got three thousand dollars in my pocket." You want to bet? You don't know! Only if you think I have here you're [Bro. Vayle chuckles] well, you just thought wrong. I have three thousand dollars in my pocket book. Did you see what I'm driving at? If God says He is a good God doing good things, and remember, He said, "I am a good God, (remember, He said to the Pharisees) either make the tree good, or make it evil." There is no life branch with God, drunk, sober and so on, light, dark. God is all good. And then if He's all good, every single thing He does is good, but His thoughts are not our thoughts, "neither His ways our ways, but as high as the heavens are above the earth." [Isa 55:9] And that's millions of light years away. That's the difference. So, anything other than thinking what God said about Himself, or accepting what God said about Himself, breathes utter confusion and unbelief. So, He's a good God. Right?

6. The next thing to understand is, that faith is the conviction of not see in your possession. Is to understand this: that you'll never, ever get God's hand to operate in your behalf if you keep looking at the things which are against you. When all the while, you've got something which is bigger than anything that’s against you. If your faith (which God gave you) can move a mountain brother/sister, then that ought to answer the question. You don't need to worry about what's against you, but enter into the rest of faith committing all to Him.

Remember, He is your Protector and your Provider, and He's a good God. So therefore no matter what is against you, you have within your possession the faith which causes you to say, "I'll lay down in green pastures."[Ps 23:2a] (I'll lie down in green pastures.) "I can walk through the valley of the shadow of death." [Ps 23:4a] But people taking time with their problems to the exclusion of seeing the promises of God can never reap the things of God. So, remember that.

7. And the reason is that you can do it is, because God made ample provision for every single emergency and contingency, or perplexing problem, or need, or even doubts before there was a speck of stardust. Because before there was a sinner, there was a Savior. Before there was a sick man, there was a Healer. Because there was a war, there was a Giver of peace, and a banner before there was a need. There was a Provider, (that's what the Scripture calls God) before there was sin, there was righteousness. And before there was sheep, there was a Shepherd.

In other words, if there was...the need was met before there was a need. The only reason there are needs is to point you to God. So therefore, the need is nothing, the answer is everything. And you can have the answer, so therefore, we have the power to take our minds off what is against us, and put them on God. Now, I'm talking about 'faith in the mind' tonight, so I won't dwell any longer thereon.

8. Now, as we study 'faith in the mind' tonight which is so important, it is a very, very serious study, and it's serious for two reasons. First of all, there are those who contend that faith is mind power. That is not so. Faith is not mind power! Christian Science, and Unity, and metaphysics seem to have an idea that God is universal mind. God is not universal mind. He is a Spirit, and He is God. And you cannot designate Him as universal mind, because mind of itself does not have power to act outside of its own realm, and to predestinate certain conditions. But God can do that.

Many people think as I say that mind is...that the faith is generated by the mind. And you have people like Dr. Robertson who brought forth the doctrine of psychiania [‘New Thought’ denomination 1928 Moscow, Ida. USA] which said you can concentrate until the inanimate object begins to move. When you've got power like that you've got some force working for you, it's not the power of your mind.

9. Now, on the other hand there are those people who believe that the mind has nothing to do with faith. Or in other words, your faith is independent of your mind, and it works perhaps more like emotions. Now, that is a complete fallacy. That is not true.

To ascertain exactly what faith has to do with the mind, and believe me it has plenty, we have to go to the Word of God, and ascertain what the definition of faith is, and what the definition of the mind is.

Now, to understand from the Word what faith is, we have already discovered that it is a gift of supernatural assurance. (See?) A gift of supernatural assurance from the Lord. Assuring the whole man, convincing the whole man, that a good God is willing and able to give good things that God has set forth in His Word. And according to Scripture it is a spiritual law.

10. And we find that is such, because we can turn to 2 Corinthians 4:13, It says:

(13) We having the same spirit of faith, (you see, it's a spiritual gift, and Paul calls it 'a spiritual principle'. He says here.) We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; (and) we also believe, and therefore speak;

Now, what is the mind? Well, you can go to the Bible, but it's best to go to the dictionary, and then we'll go to the Bible with a dictionary definition. According to the dictionary, 'mind' is the organ of mental perception and apprehension'.

People say, "I perceive with my eye." That is not so. The eye is merely a camera. Perception takes place in the mind and not in the eye. You can go back... you can go down a street a thousand times, if not ten thousand times and never see a certain thing that ten thousand other people can see. And yet you're looking right at it. In fact, everybody knows when you're lost in thought, you have literally gone by somebody's street look him right in the eye and passed on. If you haven't done that, I don't know where you've been for the last fifty years. Because I've done it, and I'm sure others have done it. You can become engrossed, it's the organ of apprehension. It's the mind that receives and retains, or grasps. It is the organ of the consciousness of life.

11. If you lose your mind you are no longer conscious of life. You vegetate, you're like a vegetable. It is the organ of consciousness preceding the act. If you haven't got a mind, you can't act. People say, "Well I act involuntary." You do not. You put your hand on a hot stove and the nerves go 'blib, blib, blib. The mind says, "Take your hands off," Blib, blib, the hand comes off.

And if your nerves here are dead and they can't get to that mind, the only way that you'll take your hand off is when you smell burning flesh. And then the nostrils do not interpret, but the brain interprets what goes through the nostrils, or you look down and see the smoke. And then the mind interprets from the other senses, that that hand must be lifted from the stove. It is the organ of consciousness preceding every act, or recognizing and judging the fact.

The mind is a tremendous instrument whereby it indexes and files certain facts that the senses bring to it. And then the mind by logical interpretation will decide how to act. It is the organ of thinking and knowledge and understanding. All knowledge is stored in the mind. Even if God works through you spiritually by signs and symbols. It must be eventually interpreted by the mind.

Even when the prophet stood before God and He said, "What do you see?"

"I see a basket of summer fruit." [Amos 8:2]

"What does it mean?"

"I don’t know, You'll have to tell me." It has to come by way of the mind.

The organ… it is the organ of moral thinking, and contemplation. We think morally with the mind. Of course, we have certain instincts and all within our hearts in our bodies. But you think with your mind concerning those things. And it is not only the organ of moral thinking, it is also the organ of contemplation. We can contemplate with our minds. Even, as a person savors with his tongue.

12. Now, from these definitions which are indeed scriptural, you can immediately see that faith is a spiritual, is the perfect spiritual gift of God and the spiritual perfect gift of God. Why the mind is simply a natural organ placed within us with all the possibility of human failure.

Now, while faith is the friend of God, the truth of the matter is, that the human mind left exactly as it is born in us, developed through the senses, is the enemy of Almighty God. In the Book of Romans 8:7 says,

(7) Because the carnal mind...

That's the ordinary, untouched mind, or any mind even though of the person born again, who will not employ certain laws but lets his mind by senses gather facts, analyzes and then acts upon them, It says that that mind is the enemy of God.

(7) ... (it is) enmity against God: (it is actually against Almighty God. For it is not subject to the law of God, so) it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

13. As faith is the friend of God, your mind, (your normal mind) is the enemy of God. But, that faith and the mind go together. It positively sets forth in the Word and cannot be refuted, because in Romans 12:3 It says,

(3) For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, (very single brother, every single sister, every single child of God, such among you) not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

God's Own Word, puts the mind and faith right together, like that. And He says that you are to do certain things concerning your mind relative to faith. Now, if He said that tonight, we ought to be able to find out by the study of God's Words, why we are not being able to use our faith, due to some imperfection in the mental processes. Is that, right? Now, that's just as perfect as I can see you, and you can see me, that is without a doubt.

14. Now, indeed according to Scripture, the human mind entertaining faith thoughts, and being exercised by faith thoughts, will determine the growth and development of Christian character. These deductions we have arrived at from reading Romans 8:6-7 and chapter 12:1-3, which we will read again at this time. Now:

(6) For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

(7) Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

But notice now what It says in Romans 12:1-3

(1) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that (you) present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable (sacrifice.)

(2) And be not (fashioned after) this world: but be (you) transformed by the renewing of your mind, (or the mental processes of life) that (in order that) may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

(3) For I say (unto you,) through the grace (of God) given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

It says, "If you don't line your mind up in spiritual channels, your mind will be the enemy of God, but if you do line your mind up to the spiritual functions of faith, you will be literally changed in your life and become a true spiritual transformed Christian." So, you can understand then tonight, faith has got an awful lot to do with the mind, and the mind's got an awful lot to do with faith. In fact, they have everything to do with each other. It is just that simple. How a man exercises his mind and entertains sentiment and feelings thereby will make or break that man in his Christian experience. Since man walks by faith and lives by faith, the mind will have absolutely everything to do with the outworking of that faith, because that's the Bible teaches us.

15. Now, in order to get a clear picture of faith in the mind, we will begin to look at what God says about that carnal mind apart from spiritual laws. Now, It says here than in the Book of Romans, we'll go back again to chapter 8:5-8, to begin with.

(5) For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

(6) For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

(7) Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

This tells you right now that a man who is not born again has no hope whatsoever of being in a spiritual realm, he is not subject to God, he simply cannot be so.

16. Now, here's what It also says in another translation.:

"For those who have be habitually dominated by the sinful nature put their minds on the things of the sinful nature. But those who are habitually dominated by the Spirit, put their minds on the things on the things of the Spirit."

For, to have the mind dominated by the sinful nature is death. But to have the mind dominated by the Spirit is life and peace. What is it to be dominated by the Spirit? There is only one way you can know you're dominated by the Spirit is for the Word of God to dominate your mind, because the Spirit and the Word are one.

Because the mind dominated by the sinful nature is hostile to God, for it does not marshal itself under the command of the laws of God. See, I told you that. If the human mind doesn't marshal itself under the laws of God, which is the Word of God, then the mind that's born again must marshal itself under the Word of God, in order to have the outworking of this faith.

17. Now, let's go and look at Romans 1: and we're going to see verses 21-28 in order to help us understand this.

(21) Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their (reasonings)...,

Now, every place in the Bible where It says, 'imaginations', that's an old English word for 'reasoning'.

(21) ...(they) became vain in their (reasonings) and their foolish heart was darkened.

(22) Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

(23) And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

(24) Wherefore God also gave them (over) to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

(25) Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

(26) For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women change(ed) the natural use into that which is against nature:

(27) And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

(28) And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

18. Now, I want you to notice here brother/sister, that this is the way down of the early people who once had known the truth of God. The Bible says here, "that because that when they knew God (which they did, as the one true God) they glorified Him not as God." On what grounds? They were not thankful. But what happened? They became vain, puffed up. Lifted up, (where?) in their reasonings.

And notice, that when their mind went out of kilter their heart went out of kilter. Everybody just got this backwards, they think it's the heart that fouls you up. It's not your heart that fouls you up. How can it be if God gave you a new one? It says right here in the book that the mind was darkened before the heart was darkened. Then why try to change God's Word?

For all the fact, that Adam and Eve were in sin and brought children into this world the godly line were not affected until they imbibed in a false religion that and their minds were turned from God and then the heart was.

And that's our problem tonight, we are putting too much stress upon the heart. When it is not upon the heart, it is upon the head. There is no place where it says that your enemy is your heart. Oh, I know that Jesus said, "Out of the heart proceedeth adulteries and murderers, [Mt15:19a] and all that, that's the unregenerate. But when you've been given a new heart you're in position. But what is your enemy? Your enemy is your mind.

9. Now, you will notice in here that the foolish heart became darkened. And then It says, that God gave them over to uncleanness through the lust of their own heart." But you'll notice that their hearts became lustful on grounds of the wrong thinking and the wrong reasoning. And then It says over here in [Rom 1:] 28, "And even as they did not like to retain God where in their hearts." No sir, in their knowledge. They would not retain God in their knowledge and then what happened? It said, "Because that they would not retain God in their knowledge they had the reprobate heart."

We got it backwards. We think it's a reprobate heart that came first. Not so! Not so! We'll show you by Scripture in a minute. According to this Scripture the Word of God accurately sets forth that the reprobate heart follows the reprobation of the lying, and if they had not got their minds away from God. But, according to Romans, had thought their faith thoughts, their lies would have been constant in the grace of God.

10. Now, I want you to see that this according to the Psalms. Over in the Book of Psalms 106:7 It says,

(7) Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red sea.

You will remember that the Psalmist attributes the downfall of Israel to the last of the mental functioning in a certain capacity. That capacity was, they would not retain in their mind the glorious works of Almighty God, but filled their minds which that which was contrary to Word of Almighty God and therefore they lost out most violently. Now, that's Scripture.

11. Turn to Jeremiah 6:19, reading:

(19) Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it.

Their rejection of God's Word in their minds is what brought God's judgment. They would not give God's Word a place in their minds. What's going to happen to America since they took the Bible out of the schools? You watch and see. What's going to happen to the World Council of Churches and the rest, because they've taken the Bible away and given the people their own sawdust thinking?

12. In Proverbs 23:7, It says,

(7) For as he thinketh in his heart, so (he is) ...

But you know that word 'heart' traces through which I have done over five hundred verses in Scripture. And that word 'heart' can mean 'the mind' as well as organ of flesh right here. It can also mean 'man's soul'. It can mean his 'spiritual being', or his 'moral being'. And what the Scripture is saying here tonight, and listen to me, that word 'thinketh' in the Hebrew is a picture of a door with a man in front of it. And he can let in wants led in, or he can put out what he wants to put out. But you cannot do that down here. It's up here that you guard. And that's what the Bible said, "Guard your thoughts and your mind." You want to guard your heart, you don't start here, you start up here in the mind. "As a man thinketh," that's exactly what he becomes.

13. In 2 Corinthians, and I've told you, I've explained about Eve. Listen, in 2 Corinthians 11:3

(3) But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds (like her mind was corrupted, so your minds) should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

He doesn't talk about the corruption of the heart. He talks about the corruption of the mind. And there's where our problems are tonight. If Eve had not contemplated the word of Satan, had she contemplated the Word of God, she would not have gotten into the trouble that she was in. And when we understand that, we'll not get in trouble either.

14. Over in Proverbs 14:12, It says,

(12) There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, (that's through the mind, it's seem right by mental processes) but the end thereof are the ways of death.

And it easily seen that the natural mind or the mind that is not under control in the Christian, is the enemy of God in faith. The mind that is uncontrolled is the enemy of God. Just the same as we saw the downfall of man. The downfall of man and drifting away from God. Not that he had sin, "because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." [Rom 3:23] Eve had sinned, Adam had sinned, and yet the race that they brought forth apart from the Cain race, was loved by God and called the son of God. Because Adam was a son of God by creation. They had the true religion. And they went on pleasing God and serving God until by way of rejecting the Word of God which came through the mental processes; involving themselves with education contrary to God's Word. Bypassing divine revelation and substituting education. And when they did the Bible says, "Their hearts became darkened."

And brother/sister, if anybody is in darkness tonight, it's because the mind has not been under control to the Spirit of God which is the Word of God. Because you wouldn’t know what to think, except what was in God's Word.

15. Remember, the Spirit and the Word are one. "These three, bear record in heaven, It's the Father, the Word and the Spirit and they are one." [1 Jn 5:7] They don't agree, although they do agree, they are one. "On earth we have the blood, the water and Spirit, and they agree," [1 Jn 5:8] they are not one. The water isn't Spirit. Blood isn't Spirit. They are three separate things, they agree, they work together. But when you talk about Spirit, God's Word is one. They're aren't three gods, there's one God. Three manifestations. And this Word is Spirit. He said It was Spirit and Life, and that's what God is. Isn't He? Certainly, God is a Spirit, but God is Life. "He that has the Son has life." [1 Jn 5:13a] Isn't that true? So therefore, we understand this and see, that if men's hearts are darken, because they have spurned the Word of God.

15. Now, let's go back to Romans 12: again, because that's where we associate faith with the mind, at look at this verse once again to bring out the positive aspects. And in It, It says,

(3) For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought...

Now, this doesn't mean that you are to think of yourselves and puff yourselves up. It means that you have no right to determine what you can and what you cannot think. Let that soak in, let it soak in. It means that you have no right to think independently of God.

(3) ... not to think of himself more highly (I'll show you by the verses I bring to you) more highly than he ought to think; (of himself) but (let him) think soberly, (that means 'earnestly', or 'seriously') according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

What Paul is saying here, that every single child of God is bound by God to think faith thoughts, or he will go into the blackness of unbelief. Or to come out of blackness, and darkness, reverse your process by thinking faith thoughts.

16. Now, we'll go into this according to Romans 4: an example of Abraham, because he is the father of the faithful, and he is our wonderful example which we always bring to your attention. Now, It says here, [Romans 4:]

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

(18) Who (when) hope (was gone, hoped on in faith) that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

Or as I said last night, that paraphrase means, "Who when hope was gone, hoped on and became what God had already said he was." (See?) Now,

(19) And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, ... (nor) neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb:

(20) He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving (God the glory);

(21) And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

(22) And therefore (this) was imputed to him for righteousness.

Now, I want you to first of all to notice the words where the Scripture says, "He considered not his own body now dead." Now, what does the word 'consider' mean? In the Greek, it means 'to thoroughly perceive.' But the dictionary says, 'the organ of perception' is what? The heart? No sir! The organ of perception is not the heart. If it were the heart and we had these wonderful spiritual feelings as we all claim, especially Pentecostal, (you don't mind if I slap that around a bit, do you?) You see, I was in this thing honey for thirty years, and I've got a right to talk if anybody does. I've been through it from the ground up. And I know their fallacies, their foibles, and all the rest. But they've but too much stock on that heart down there. I'm going to prove it to you that your heart isn't too smart.

17. Here I'm going down the road walking, tippity-tap, having good time. And there's a great big old cobra sitting there, or a water moccasin, or rattler sitting there, and he's all coiled. But I don't even notice the old boy, I figure I’d pat on down. Now, how come if my heart is so smart he doesn't know that snake's there? Your heart is not too smart, it's kind of dumb. But you let my eyes see that, and my mind perceives it, [Bro. Vayle whistles] I'm off like a shot. You talk about these fellows orbiting the earth, I've got my own orbit right now.

Perception is in the mind. Now, I know that there is such a thing as spiritual perception and this and that, but unless it's given to your minds you'll never act on it. Supposing you get a feeling, some day about something, but you can't place it, you just get all confused. It's got to come to your mind. (See?)

So, you understand this, the Scripture says here that this man Abraham did not thoroughly perceive his body. As I mentioned the other night and said that we've got the rest of faith, we can take our eyes off the problem, because that was his problem. And as I said, "any fool can tell you wants wrong." Even the doctors are so smart, they can diagnose ninety percent correct, but they can't cure you, ninety percent. Anybody can tell what's wrong, you know what's wrong with you, sometimes better than a doctor does. But what are you going to do about it? (See?)

18. Now, so you look for the answer forgetting the problem. Now, the Bible says here that this man did not thoroughly perceive, or take time thinking the thoughts which he would normally think about his body. Now, if he wanted to have his son now believe me he'd take every kind of therapeutic treatment in the world. He might take certain kinds of shots. He might even try to attempt some kind of granular transplant. He might try to work some kind of rejuvenation deal on his wife. He might try every single solitary thing in the world, but he didn't! He never took any time at all with his mind, on his body. Because had he done it, it would have been all negative carnal thinking, but instead the Bible said, "He thought, faith thoughts."

Because you know, you can't keep your mind from thinking. You can't tell, "I'm going to make my mind to blank now, I'll think nothing." That's ridiculous. You got to think something. And in your thinking the Bible said that Abraham did not think about his body. Then what did he think about? He thought about the promise, what God had said. And that's exactly what the Bible said. You don't think according to the way man thinks and be conformed the way man thinks, that means faction after the word. The word 'conform' in the Greek means to be 'fashioned after' it. What is the world fashioned after? The world is fashioned after science, …scientia, sciens, scire,skei. Isn't that the Latin verb, to know? Here, (see?) it's fashioned after logic and net results of the human mind delving into laws here in nature and producing certain things. The best thing we've produced is the atomic bomb that will blow us higher than a kite if we're not careful.

19. When you're producing death and not life you say, "We're living longer." We're sicker for it too. There's more degenerative disease, as never before. And when the doctors can't tell us what's wrong, they say it's a virus, which means an unknown quantity called 'X'. That's how smart they are, I'm not fussing against doctors, I'm just telling you the truth, and we're just bringing it out in the Scripture tonight to show you here.

But, you know as the Word of God says here, "That a man is changed, (which is in the Greek metamorphosis, meaning change from one lower form to a higher form. It says,) that this man here Abraham was literally changed in his body from being an old sick infirm man, to a very young man." By what? Thinking faith thoughts. He didn't take time thinking about what was wrong. His eyes said, "Any fool knows what's wrong," That's not going to do any good look what's wrong. "Oh, I haven't got a dollar. I haven't got a dollar I'm broke." Sure, you're broke, start looking for the money somewhere. All you do is drive yourself crazy, or everybody else crazy talking about the fact that you're broke or sick, not going to do you any good thinking about it. You don't think those, that's not going to do you any good.

20. You see, that's what the world does, but you're not like the world, you want a change. Abraham wanted a change. How did he get his change? He got his change by thinking faith thoughts. It says here, "When he body was now dead, that didn't bother him." And the Scripture says, "He staggered not at the promise of God." [Rom 4:20a]

What does the world 'stagger' mean? It means 'to judge diversely'. "Oh, today I'm better. I'm thinking that. Oh yes, I think I'm going to get it. Oh well, tomorrow, I don't know, I don't think I will get it." Maybe, Wednesday rolls around, "Yes, I think I will have this son." Thursday comes, "No, I'm not quite so sure." And then Friday comes, "Yes, I believe I'll have the son." But Saturday no, Sarah's sick on Saturday. (Uh?) You don't believe that?

21. Turn to the Book of James 1:1-8

(1) James, a servant ... (now, if a servant of God, he's going to talk like a servant of God an anointed prophet) a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

(2) My brethren, count it (pure) joy when (you) fall into divers (testings);

(3) Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

(4) But let patience have her perfect work, that (you) may be perfect and entire, (lacking) nothing.

(5) If any (man) lack wisdom, (or lack anything) let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

(6) But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth (says yes today, and no tomorrow) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

(7) ... let not that man (what?) think...

It's a thinking process. Huh? Wavering is a thinking process, is it not? You bet it's a thinking process. Now:

(7) ... let not that man think... he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

(8) A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

God says, "Make up your minds once and for all and think faith thoughts."

Now Abraham, are you going to have a son, or aren't you going to have a son? If you’re going to keep on till you get the son. You can't judge diversely. You can't take your temperature today and say it's gone up to a hundred and two, I guess I didn't get healed. And then tomorrow your temperature goes down to ninety-eight, you say, "I guess I was healed." The day after look at your temperature once more and think, "Well, maybe I wasn't healed." And the day after, "Well, I kind of think I was healed." You can't do it. See, faith has got more to deal with your mind, or your mind on faith then you ever thought. (See?)

22. Let me show you something here in Hebrews 11:15. This talks about the people that left their homes to receive a better home from God. Like Abraham, who went not knowing where he went.

(15) And truly, if they had been (what? heart-full, feeling-full? No sir,) mindful ...

If they had kept in mind that country from whence they came out, it would have given them the opportunity to go back to where they came from. You start a prayer of faith brother/sister, you don't get your mind full of, I think I'm sick today, and I think I'm better tomorrow, it's either you think what God said about the subject, or forget it. Just leave it alone. It's impossible for a double minded man to get anywhere in the faith realm. We've got to keep our minds exactly as the Scripture says, "On faith thoughts."

And believe me, "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." [Rom 10:17] So it means, "What did God think about it?" And that's what you think about it. God thought about Abram as Abraham a father of nations. And the minute that Abram thought about himself as Abraham the way that God thought, the Scripture says his body processes became renewed and he was as a young man.

23. Now, let's go over here a little bit further, and let's find out why it is that some people...so we've got all this faith in the world we talk about, we've got the measure of faith; that Paul could live by the faith of the Son of God and others didn't do it. What does Paul say? In Colossians 3:10

(10) And have put on the new man, (we're born again) which is renewed in knowledge (how do you get renewed, by the Holy Ghost working? By the mind. Right here.) renewed in knowledge after (what?) the image of him that created him:

In other words, your thought processes must follow the thought processes of the One that gave you that new man experience. In other words, you got to think like God. Now, remember what I said the other night? That you become by way of identification. You recall that I said the Scripture teaches us that by our union with Jesus Christ we have become what? The righteousness of God.

24. Now, the human mind rebels. The inner spiritual conflicts rebel. But the Bible said that the new man which we put on, becomes renewed in the knowledge of the One who made him. And the knowledge of the One who made you said, "You are as righteous as God."

Now, do you want to think that way, or not? "Okay, (you say) Bro. Vayle, I'm a stinker." Oh, you bet, you're all stinkers. I wouldn't give you any kind of a chance to escape hell on your own. I wouldn't. I wouldn’t give a hoot to escape hell, not one of you. I mean it. I don't think you're bad folk, I never talked to any of you. I don't have to know you. You're just about as rotten as anybody in the world, because the whole world's rotten. (Huh?) It's all one lump. You couldn't make it. You never make it on your own. You’ve had it. I don’t care how much good you've done. You can be all sanctified like some Nazarenes who claim haven't sinned in thirty years. The biggest lie they ever told.

I'm not musing, I'm just telling you how to bring it home. I don't care what you think about it. When you get right down to cold turkey thinking, you wouldn't dare try to make it on your own. At the last minute that Pearly Gate will open or close, you'd say, "I declare I'm as righteous as He is, then God, I'm just as righteous as You, just let me inside." Oh you bet you would, so would I.

25. Now, the Bible said, "You've got to think that way the man that made the new man, thinks. (Huh?) And if He said, "We are as righteous as God by our union, then we are as righteous as God."

You say, "But Bro. Vayle..." Don't Bro. Vayle me. Here was Abram, old and decrepit, calling himself a father of nations, and we're to follow in his footsteps. You say, "Well, won't be a liar." You fathead, you're a liar right now. I mean that. I'll prove it to you.

How many of you people would dare to stand before God right now on the merits that you are perfect and never having told a lie, or that you are perfectly honest. Let me see somebody's hand, I want to see it. I'll sit down, because I'm standing up. Old arm chair, you got me down right now. No more than I would dare, you would dare to say, "I'm really honest." Because there's not one of you pick up the phone, but think something different what you're talking about, many a time. Not really lying or anything else, but there's just a time that we don't like a certain thing, we evade it, or some other way. Not trying to make ourselves a bunch of crooks, I'm just trying to show you tonight brother/sister, that it is time that we think what God thought. Because He said that's what we're supposed to do in order to get anywhere. If we want to get transformed, and prove that we've got our vitality from God, it's not going to come by you thinking what you think naturally, it's going to come by retraining this mind, right here. Or we are always going to be, have the enemy of God until this comes under control.

See, there's nothing wrong with your faith. Don't ever think for one minute anything wrong with your faith, or your righteousness, or the Spirit of God in you. There's nothing wrong with what God gave you. It all lies in the fallibility of the vessel, and the vessel must be trained to go God's way, and that's right here, if you want this cleaned up. In other words, this enlightened and brightened, and many wonderful spiritual things manifest in it, it comes by way of hearing.

26. Now notice in Colossians 3:1-2

(1) If (you) then be risen with Christ, (the word is not ‘seek’ in the Greek, it is ‘mind’. (M-i-n-d) You seek by way of your mind) those things which are above, (What things can you seek from above? The Word of God, where Christ sits on the right hand of God) where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

(2) Set your affection (it's not set your affection, it's mind the) things above, (and do not mind the) things on the earth.

27. Now, with that we can turn to 2 Corinthians 3:14-15 And listen to this now:

(14) But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.

(15) But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.

What brought the veil upon their heart. The mind that was veiled. The heart and mind. The mind that wouldn't listen. You take any Jew today and he'll sit down and seriously listen to you about Christ, he'll get convicted and converted. But you mention Jesus and he'll spit and curse, doesn't want a thing to do with you. His mind is darkened. That's why the veil is upon the heart. That's why no one can tell if anybody had really got the Holy Ghost, he is not bigoted, he will listen. And he won't be trying to think up an argument while the fellow is talking, he'll be listening. If you think it's tongues you're thinking wrong. Jesus never said a thing about tongues being the evidence. He said, "To be, and being taught by the Holy Ghost was the evidence." Because He said, "When He is come, He'll teach and guide and lead you, and give you the Word."

And men full of the Holy Ghost spoke the Word of God. It wasn't in tongues either. I'm not against tongues, I'm all for them. Because there's a spiritual manifestation, but don’t get carried away because a man named [Charles Fox] Parham got three fellows in Kansas City, to try to find out what the evidence was. And these three novices, decided you could base it upon experience. If you can base the Baptism upon experience in the Book of Acts, then I say that the Philippian jailer would be right when he would say, "You've got to have an earthquake before somebody's saved."

28. When Jesus himself said that the evidence would be the Holy Ghost coming will lead you to truth, and all these men fight each other, and none of them is vindicated. Let's choose up the one that people in the Trinitarian, Pentecostal, put them side by side. They'll match each other word for word. Scripture for Scripture, fuss for fuss, and power for power, and miracle for miracle and they'll come to a draw. They're bound to, proving it that they aren't vindicated as to whose right in Scripture. That you bring a man called William Branham on the scene, and there isn't one of them. And there isn't even the hundreds in Chicago that came before him and laid a trap for him. When he offered to challenge them, "step up here and take your Bibles word for word." There wasn’t one come forth, had they done it, they would have been carried out feet first in death.

29. You say, "Bro. Branham is the devil." Then the devil's got more power than God. Let's go out and carouse, let's go worship idols. Seduce ourselves with liquor, with wine, with women and live like the devil. Break up your home. Go ahead. You got to think about these things brother/sister. It's time to think. It's the mind, [raps on the pulpit] is where they came astray and the veil came upon their hearts. And I say tonight, the first evidence to whether you have the Holy Ghost in your life, is whether your mind is open to listen.

You are truly a child of God, there isn't any veil on your mind, there's no veil on your heart, you're ready to listen. And you're ready to listen to that Word, and you don't put your private interpretation upon it, but you listen and see where it goes. Because God interprets Himself, interprets His Own Word by bringing His Word to pass. He said there'd be a prophet and He'd bring us the mysteries for the last day, what the Seven Thunders said and He'd be vindicated, and He is a vindicated man. All right, that's just thrown in for good measure. I want you to know these things, perhaps you're not too conversant with them.

30. Notice, [1 Corinthians3:]

(15) ... even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is (still) upon their heart.

Notice:

(16) Nevertheless, when it shall turn to the Lord, (what shall turn to the Lord? The mind shall turn to the Lord) the vail (will) be taken away.

Now, that's concerning salvation, but there's still a veil upon our hearts and in the sense when we don't keep our minds in the Word, it becomes just that much darker. But if you want that removed, those fears... you know that brother/sister, those fears go? They'll go when you open your mind to believe what God said.

I like what Dr. Kenyon said, he said, "Before I realize that I was the righteousness of God, I was afraid of cancer. I was afraid of spirits, I was afraid that I couldn't see God move at my command in faith. Since the day that I saw that I was the righteousness of God, no longer could Satan tempt me and say, 'Ah ha, you're not worthy, you haven't got it'. But I've raised my hands on him, every cancer disappeared, every devil was cast out, nothing stood before me."

31. And I remember in Topeka, Kansas when Bro. Branham was there a year ago this June in Topeka, Kansas, a meeting was held a union meeting. And that morning when he and I were to be together for several hours discussing much of what's in the Church Ages being published this fall, a word came in to one of the young preachers building a church had the whole wall fall on him. His spleen was damaged. He's ruptured thoroughly inside, nothing but death facing him.

And the word was brought, Bro. Branham thought, he said, "Now, isn’t that strange they're coming to me to pray. What would it be if Jesus were here? He would say, 'Well, I'll come and heal him'." Because He wants to heal him, a good man like that, a child of His. But he said, "I'm not the Lord, if I have his hands, if I were righteous like He is it would be no problem, but I'm not God like." Now, he said, "If I had a vision though, that might take its place. Because when I have a vision, it never fails, Oh God, maybe I can have a vision of going to pray for him, see the hospital room, see the people just exactly as it will be, and I'll go in there and say, 'Thus Saith the Lord', arise in the Name of Jesus."

And God said to him, "But just a minute now son, aren't the hands the same with or without a vision." He went in faith went to the hospital. That man's wife stood there with not, ...I don't understand it, but she literally scoffing and scorning at Bro. Branham, as though nothing could be done. But he walked in the presence of those men some unbelievers, laid hands on him in the Name of Jesus, they dismissed that man perfectly whole without one single thing wrong with him.

32. You see what I'm driving at? The veil down here. The veils of power that destroys the drive of faith starts right here in the mind. Here is the enemy, right here. That's got to come under subjection to the Word of God. You're supposed to think what God thought about it. Same as He thought about Abraham. And then, and then only is it done for us. Now, I read that to you. Notice verse 18.

(18) But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

The Spirit of God cannot work contrary to His Word. We'll never get from glory to glory, or be changed from this image that we hate in ourselves to one that we know is a credit to God until we let that Word take over our minds. Think what God said about the subject. Think what God said, don’t think what you naturally think, don't try to be logical, don't try to do that, just think what God said.

33. Now, with that we can go to 1 Chronicles 16:13-24 It says here:

(13) O (you) seed of Israel his servant, (his) children of Jacob, his chosen ones.

(14) He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.

(15) Be (you) mindful always of his covenant; (what did God say, keep in mind His) word which he commanded to a thousand generations;

(16) Even (the what?) ...covenant which he made (what covenant? Word) with Abraham, and of his oath unto Isaac;

(17) And hath confirmed the same to Jacob for (what?) a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant,

(18) Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, (and) the lot of your inheritance;

(19) When (you) were but few, even a few, and strangers in it.

(20) And when they went from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people;

(21) He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes,

(22) Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.

What's the anointed? The Messiah's of their day, the ones with the Holy Ghost who had the Word.

(23) Sing unto the LORD, all the earth; show forth from day to day his salvation.

(24) Declare his glory among the heathen; his marvelous works among all nations. (And so on.)

The Scripture here then tells us that we are to keep in mind God's Word.

34. Now, go back to Matthew 6:25 (Sermon on the Mount) It says:

(25) Therefore, I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what (you) shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what (you) shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Now, God Himself is declaring here, "Take no thought concerning how natural man thinks in order to get ahead." But you are to think how God thinks in order to get ahead. Like as I might have said here, I can't remember if I ever said it too much in this pulpit, because I was preaching this over in Beaumont. The Bible says, "Give and it shall be given." [Luke 6:38a]

"Well, (you say) that's the one way not to get anything. The one way is to get it and keep it."

The Bible doesn't say that. The Bible says, "Give and it shall be given." Remember, "There is that which scattereth, and yet, and yet increaseth, and there's that withholdeth more than meet, and tendeth to poverty," [Prov 11:24]

35. And God says, "I'll make your bag like a bag with holes in it." [Haggi 1:6b] So, the secret is, God's thoughts on the subject. The little woman who had a little measure of meal and oil.

The prophet of God came by and he said, "Woman, give me some water."

She said, "I'll do that."

"Now, (he said) while you're getting me the water just make me a little cake."

She said, "All I've got is enough for two sticks to cook, what can you cook on two sticks?"

"Why, (he said) nevertheless, according to God's Word back a little cake." And he said, "I'll guarantee you the oil and meal shall not waste."

She said, "If God said it, I'll do it."

(She didn't argue and says, "I know you slick preachers coming around here trying to get our money. I know, you old boys coming around, I've been around you long enough, I know your tricks. You just what to eat what I've got and won't starve.")

She said, "If God said it, I'll do it."

She knew that the way to get ahead was God's thoughts on the subject, and so she did it. And she got it, you see?

36. Now, over in the Book of Proverbs 3: (and this is something we're interested in, because it has to do with health,) here what It says:

(1) My son, forget not my law; (Now, where do you forget? In the mind.

Right,) forget not my law; let thine heart keep my commandments:

But notice, if the mind forgets, the heart can't do it. The heart depends upon the mind. You don't believe that, you get a blow in the head and get something knocked out you heart of thoughts. (See?)

(2) For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.

What will do it? Keeping you mind full of God's Word.

(3) Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; (and) write them upon the table of thine heart:

What's that? The Word of God.

(4) So shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

(5) Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

That's what your mind figures out.

(6) In all thy ways acknowledge him, …

Never mind what your mind says, say what God says. Go to what God has shown you.

(6) In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

(7) Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

(8) It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

God says in His Word, "The way to get healed is abide by His Word to think about it. That's what Abraham did. Abraham was an old man and ailing. But he said, "I think my thought are all what God thinks about this." What do you think of this man you might say to God? I think that he is a man of multitudes of children, from generations to his.

"Abraham, what do you think?"

"I think just what God thinks."

"Well, what right do you have to think that?"

"I think that, because God said so, and that's all there is to it."

37. Let's turn to Matthew 13: we'll see a little more clearly the subject to thinking. In Matthew 13:15 It says here:

(15) For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, (the word 'converted' means 'change of mind'. And then He says,) and I should heal them.

A truly converted man will be healed. Why? Because his mind is changed to the Word of God, what God thinks about the subject.

38. In Isaiah 26:3

(3) Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

What has faith to do with your mind? Everything! What does It say again?

(3) Thou wilt keep him (what?) in perfect peace, (that's down here, keep peace) whose mind is (what?) stayed on thee:

How do you stay your mind on God? We've been talking about it. The Scripture says, "That God revealed Himself in Shiloh to Samuel by the Word of the Lord. You keep your mind on God how? By His Word. Never mind conditions. What has God said about those conditions? That's what you keep your mind on, and believe me that's the only way you'll ever get peace. The rest of faith cannot come except we put our minds whole heartedly on what God said about any given condition and think about it, because that's the Word of God.

39. Now, let's go back here to Romans 12: once more. (And we'll be finished on nice time in just a very few minutes now.) Now, let me get to It,

(1) (My brethren) I beseech you...by the mercies of God, that (you) present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable (sacrifice).

(2) And (do) not (be fashioned after) this world: ...

You say, "What do you mean be fashioned after the world, what are you talking about?" The next line tells you:

(2) ...but be transformed...

That means metamorphosis, changed from a caterpillar to a butterfly. Now listen, that a terrific change from a caterpillar to a butterfly. That's what the Greek word is, 'metamorphosis':

(2) ...be (you) transformed by the renewing of your mind, ...

So therefore, it's to confirm to the world is what we think is it, and we know it is, from this, it means 'don't think the way the world thinks', about any given thing. Don't do it. Don't do it. That's what brought on the Laodicean system we're got today. That's what brought up Nicholaitism which is going head up in the antichrist. Men began thinking that they were better with organization than trusting God. Anybody that's in organization is dead. Now, you may say you're not, but brother you don't know your Word. Because God said, "I hate the doctrine of the Nicholaitanes." And if He hates it, don't tell me you're in there and He love you, because you're wrong. You're wrong.

40. You say, "Bro. Vayle, God even loves the sinner in hell." There again you don't know your Bible, because said, "God hates them, He's angry with them all the day long." [Ps 7:11b] You better read your Scripture honey, don't get confused. It was man thinking man's thoughts, instead of God's thoughts that is going to enthrone the antichrist right today, and it's going to be organization that does it. So now your organization goes up in smoke, because you know I'm right.

All ready Carson Blake has said, "That the Word Council of Churches and the Catholic's all get together." He said in the foreseeable future, rather, we may prophecy, that in the foreseeable future the church ought to and will control the finances of the world, and they will. The pope and the Catholic's got the gold already. There're going to bust us one of these days, you're going to see. Men are going to say, "Okay, we'll take the mark in our hand, we'll do your bidding; take the mark in the forehead, we'll think what you think, but we want our bellies fed."

41. You say, "Bro. Vayle, Christians won't do it." Listen, I can name your right now people call themselves Holy Ghost Christians, that positively endorse everything that Mr. Roosevelt done. Now, maybe you'll hate me for this, I don’t meddle in politics, but he's the man of his own will without Congress on that faithful October night, and I think it was 1933, that he recognized Russia when she was all but collapsing and gave her prestige and money to carry on.

Well you can vote anyway you want honey, that doesn't bother me, but it may bother you on judgment day. Yeah. (Huh?) You say, "Don't, don't, don't meddle now, just preach." Well, I'm doing both, and I intend to. You see, I stick my neck out, because they're going to shoot me anyway. I'm associated with Kenny Goth the ex-commie, they got my name on his records, now they've got me on the other, so it's okay, I'm going to stick it out all the way and stand up, because it's coming. And I might as well get in there deep, because we're going to be in it anyway.

42. Now, as I've said already here that [Romans 12:]

(2) ...be (you) transformed by the renewing of your mind, ...

Don't think the way the world thinks, because it is leading us right into an antichrist position, an antichrist is going to be enthroned by a people who are worshipping God. Calling upon His Name, dissecting and doing what they want with His Word. Don't think like the world! But you be changed from a caterpillar Christian to a butterfly Christian.

Now, how many tonight would like to be butterfly Christians? Well, I would. Caterpillar, no, no, no. Nothing but the ground, never see but the ground, ground, ground. But about, you listen, you know what? The only time little kids chase worms is to squash them, go [makes a noise] watch the squish. But little kids love butterflies. Everybody loves butterflies. And you know what? Nobody love the caterpillar Christian. Everybody loves butterfly Christians. And we hate being caterpillar Christians, we like being butterfly Christians.

43. A butterfly Christian is heavenly place in Christ Jesus, and he's always free just enjoying the heavenly breezes. And that person you never get there until you stop thinking like the world, and you think God's thoughts. That's right, never get to be a butterfly Christian until the mind is absolutely controlled by the thinking that God said in His Word. Because here's what Paul said, "To be changed from a caterpillar Christian to a butterfly Christian by the renewing of the mind. That you may go and prove and as we lived in the good, acceptable, perfect will of God. I don't think these are all different kinds of wills. If God's Word got anything but God's perfect will, then how can these be different kinds of will? You just elaborating on it. Now:

(3) For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly ...

Now, why do I say that that doesn't mean to think like, proud. Well, it's isn't. It could be called that, but really isn't. What it means is 'don't think independently, or by yourself like Eve did. (See?) More highly than you ought to think. Well, if you wanted it related to pride, that way it could be done. But he's telling you, "Don’t try to be an individual, say I can think what I want about this." You can't according to God, you must think what God thinks. Because you are to think faith thoughts. (See?)

44. And what are faith thoughts? "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." [Rom 10:17] So, God's Word here tells you that earnestly, soberly think what God has thought about the subject. "Say, now Bro. Vayle I'm going to come to you and I want you to tell me what you think about the fact, this man slapped me in the cheek and didn't ...?... " And he said, "He's going to take me to the law, what do you think?" I don't think anything, but I'll tell you what God told you to think. "Turn the other cheek, and let him sue you and love him and forgive him." Now that's an awful big order.

You say, "Bro. Vayle, what do you think about the fact that I'm broke and in debt?" Well, I don't think anything, I just tell you what you have got. Just start giving some of that away, and God will give it all back and multiplied. "Well, Bro. Vayle, what about the fact that I'm sick and diseased?" Well, I think this, I don't think anything about it. But my Bible distinctly says, "That he that loves good long life and see good days and keep his mouth from evil, I mean be kept from evil, that they speak no guile, let him keep away from certain things. Calls the elders of the church, and let him be anointed with oil and prayed for in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and God will raise him up." That's what the Bible said. (See?)

It isn't what you and I think, it's what God thought about every subject. And there is only one way for you and me to begin to use the processes of faith in our lives, is by doing that very thing which we have mentioned.

45. Over here in the Book of Ephesians, which is along the same line in chapter 4:17-24, It says this:

(17) ... therefore, (I say) and testify in the Lord, that (you) henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

No listen, we've got to think. Nobody can stop thinking. But what do you think? He said:

(18) Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, …

Now listen, they wouldn't be ignorant if they've got God's thoughts on it. They'd be in light. Notice he said,

(19) (They're) past feeling... given over (to) lasciviousness, work uncleanness with greediness.

(20) But (so) have (you what?) not learned Christ;

Where do you learn? In your head.

(21) If so (you) have heard him, and have been (what?) taught...

Where do you get taught? Now, teacher said, "Close your books honey, and put the book of arithmetic over your heart, I'll pray, 'Now, Father, bless these little children and make the arithmetic soak in'." What makes us think that we can use a process like that?

46. Now listen, when God said, "Be like little children," He didn't mean be stupid. He just meant to be humble and simple and let people take authority over you.

How do you learn? You get taught to the mind, this is the receptacle here, of perception and retention. Then it gets down here. And Paul said, "You're not like the heathen who think they can do what they want, formulate their own philosophy, make their own religion." But you listen to God, and you think what God said about that subject, and then of course it will be alright.

Remember what Jesus said, "What I hear My Father say, and what I see My Father do, that's what I say, and that's what I do."

(20) (You) have not so learned Christ;

(21) If so be that (you) have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

(22) That (you) put off concerning the former (behavior of) the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

(23) And be renewed in the spirit of (where?) your mind; (m-i-n-d, not your heart.)

Why? Because your heart has already been changed, you're already born again. And now it's time to use this mind, because that's all that God has left unregenerated. He never made your mind born again, it's up to you and me to work on it. And if we do not keep our thoughts in control, as the Bible says, "Bringing every thought into captivity to Jesus Christ, and casting down reasoning."

And that's exactly what It says in 2 Corinthians 10:5

(5) Casting down (reasonings), and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

What exalts itself against God? The mind of men. (See?)

47. Now, it's the very same thing here, [2 Corthians 11:]

(3) But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted...

Remember, you have been born of incorruptible Seed, that which cannot be corrupted. What can be corrupted? The mind can be corrupted. And God says we are not to let those minds be corrupted. The Psalmist said in 119: He speaks of the law. He speaks of the commandments. He speaks of the ordinances. He speaks of the truth. He speaks of the Word, and all of those things. Speaks of the fact that God wants our hearts and minds filled with His Word.

Tonight, we realize this positive rule laid down, that a mind lined up with Word will produce both character and exploits of faith. If we will fill our minds with God's Word concerning every problem, with every way of life. And we would be thoroughly taught by our pastors, and those in authority to accept the Word of God, to meditate upon It. To think about It, preparatory for working out that Word in our lives, we would be of the highest character as Christians, and of the greatest and exploits of faith.

48. But, brother/sister, the uncontrolled mind will never bring us to a place of dynamitic faith. Oh, we'll get answers once in a while, oh sure, because God's good. But to get continuous answers, to get God moving as we know, we've got perfect faith to get all these answers. We must line up our minds with the Word of God, and think what God has already said concerning that subject. Think about it, and fill our minds with It.

How we apply our minds to the Word in any given situation, and continue to think God's thoughts on the subject will activate this faith of ours to a place of complete victory. As the Scripture said, "Guard your minds by the Word of God." And there it is.

You wonder why this perfect gift doesn't work at times? Nothing wrong with the gift, not a thing. You and I have enough faith brother/sister, to every promise in the Book. Nothing wrong with your faith. Don't ever, ever say again, "There's my faith weak." Your faith isn't weak. Don't ever say your faith doesn't work. No sir! By meaning, "it can't work.'' By meaning," it hasn't got power." Don't ever say that. Never.

49. Your faith tonight is just like the atom, learn to explode it, and a teaspoon full of atoms exploded could destroy this whole city. But you've got to learn to explode. And tonight, we have the same thing. We've got a faith brother/sister to move mountains, yes it will. A grain of mustard seed faith will move mountains, yes, you've got it. You've got the faith of Jesus Christ Himself in a measure. Never doubt it, that's real. But what's wrong? Told you tonight our problem is our minds. "Let not a double minded man think he'll get anything, he's unstable in all his ways." [James 1:8] Either you've got to believe what God said about it, "by whose stripes I had been healed," and stop looking at ourselves. Because if you look at yourself and I, it would be just like Moses will draw one conclusion, God kill me. The depths of despair are always reached by people who do not look and think the way God looks and thought about a certain subject.

But when you and I begin to look and think about it, fill our thoughts with it. What God has said, the Scripture said, "The doors of faith become open." And not only do the doors of faith open, but the development of Christian character. What is wrong with people today that their character is not Christ like? Because they don't think what God is already thought about them.

50. "Let this mind be in you which was in Christ, He thought it not robbery to be equal with God." [Phil 2:5-6] And my Bible says, "Even as He is, so are we in this present evil world." Do we believe that? Think about it, that's what he said. "I can do all things through Christ which give me strength. [Phil 4:13] Think of that. Don't think about it either, think about what He said. Think what God said. We have become His righteousness. Think about it. Fill your hearts and mind, because you'll never fill your heart until it's in your mind. Do you follow tonight? Why doesn’t my faith work, it's perfect? Because I haven't been employing my mind correctly. Can my faith ever work until my mind is employed correctly? No, it cannot.

Let me ask you a question: (before we close) Do you think that Paul was an up and down, on again and off again Christian? Do you believe that he had to sweat it out now and then, and he got good victory and then he got into a doldrum, and went on and didn't get it worked out? No sir, you know that Paul was a conqueror. When he said, "Our backs were to the wall." The sentence of death faced us. We have the sentence of death in us, but it. But It said, "We believe in a God who raised the dead." And He did bring us forth, and He'll do it again and again and again, till it's all over.

51. You say, "Why did Paul die as a martyr?" Because that's exactly how God wanted it, that's how he [Paul] wanted it, and he went on that way. I don't know whether he died a martyr or not, the history doesn't tell us, we just think it does. He died somehow in prison. Whether of old age, God knows I don't, we think he was a martyr, I wouldn't be surprised that he was. Because he talked about it, even as Peter knew he died.

You think they didn't go in victory? Why did they go in victory? Because they learned that lesson, let the mind be filled with what God said. Think about what God thought. (Huh?) He said, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, but you let My thoughts become your thoughts."

Listen, If His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways, but it's His thoughts that bring His ways; then if you and I think His thoughts we get His ways, don't we? (Huh?) Sure, it's that simple. May God bless you. Let's pray:

Father, we thank You for Your Word. We thank You tonight, Lord, for this lesson, kind of hard to get into for some of us, on the very grounds, Lord, that we have not understood correctly exactly how this works. But, Lord, tonight we do see it, that It's Your Word that counts. And, Father, tonight may we realize that we've got to think, and the only way to think to get God's thoughts into God's ways, and thereby we put on omnipotence through Him the Blood lives, it's going to be by thinking His thoughts on that subject whatever It may be.

Father, tonight here again we come to a place where we'll do it, or will we not? I pray tonight, Lord, because I've got faith in Your Word, that Word is not void of power, but It's got to accomplish what It was sent forth. And It was sent forth to make an aroused people this night in every one of us to stir us up, to a point of never turning back, never again. That Your thoughts will take precedence over our thoughts no matter what the conditions. Grant it, tonight, Lord, I believe that You've done it. And we thank You for it in Jesus' Name. Amen.