RAPTURE #22

Bro. Lee Vayle

January 29, 1984

Let's pray, shall we? Heavenly Father we're very grateful that we've been allowed to gather in this place, that's set aside for worship of You and we would not want it any other way but we would want our worship to be strictly of You in accordance with Your Word so that we might not be remiss in anything whatsoever.

We ask You Lord to be with us therefore in the study of Your Word, and those things that might be said, might they be said according to truth and a proper Spirit given, and in the proper Spirit understood which we know would have to be the Spirit of God. And therefore Lord, we are very happy to find ourselves literally backed into a corner so that the speaking and hearing must be of You and then it's going to be right and You'll get glory. You're people will get great good; that's why we're here, for corrections, for Your help, and we cannot praise You enough for it all. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen. You may be seated.

I was going to go into the Rapture from the view point of what I had already told Bro. Evans would be the subject was "The Rapture a strange doctrine number two", but we just might change that. And I'm just going to talk as I feel lead to say things one way or the other. I suppose by now, you know to be the other.

All right, we're going to read from the Rapture, and Bro. Branham had a vision, out there in California, and when he spoke a prophecy came forth. He said:

(191) Oh my! I remember just my last message in California where I thought I'd never go back again, when I predicted Los Angeles would go beneath the ocean. And THUS SAITH THE LORD, it will! She's done; she's washed; she's finished. What hour? I don't know when, but it will be sunk. Right after that the earthquakes begin to jerk and bound.

(192) You remember, many of you men standing right there, that rock that day when that Angel came down there and that Light and Fire falling from the Heaven around the rock where we were standing, rocks flinging out of the mountain, and falling across there. And she blasted three times hard; I said, "Judgment will strike the West Coast." Two days after that Alaska almost sunk.

Now, you're very familiar with this, and this actually happened in the presence of over twenty people when Bro. Branham warned Bro. Roberson, and different ones, to hide and get out of the way, and they suddenly heard this tremendous screaming wind that literally, as a whirlwind but a mightier force literally swung into the cliff above and gouged the cliff out. So the thousands of three cornered particles of rock were picked up. And this of course is one of the signs of Elijah of which there was the whirlwind and the earthquake, the fire and the still small voice. Now this happened. We know the phenomena that attended that man. That's why we believe him.

(193) Remember, that same God that said that, Los Angeles is doomed. And she's finished. I don't know when; I can't tell you.

(194) I didn't know I said that. But this brother here I believe it was...No, one of the Moselys, I believe, had me out on the street out there. I didn't know what it was till I looked back. And I looked back in the Scripture, and Jesus said, "Capernaum, Capernaum, how oft,...You that's exalted yourself (rather) up into Heaven shall be brought down into hell, for if the mighty works had been done in you that'd been done in Sodom, it would've stood today." And about a hundred and fifty years from there--Sodom had already in the earth--then Capernaum is in the water today. That is true, it is there--the Dead Sea.

(195) And that same Spirit of God that said all these things and did all these things, It said there, "Oh city, Capernaum, who called yourself by the name of the angels, Los Angeles. Twentieth century Capernaum, or Capernium as some pronounce it. How you've exalted yourself into Heaven. (The very root and seat of Satan. See?) You've exalted yourself."

Now he threw that in there, the seed of Satan, now that's in Scripture, so you better take note that something is happening in America. We've already seen, now we've got a legate to Rome which signifies that she is now a nation, which is a church. So you don't need to look for the revival of Rome anymore. The wound that was caused is now healed and America did it. So just don't think the time is too far off. The power will soon be concentrated when this building will be cut down, we’ll be cut down with it, and if that's what God wants that's fine and if He doesn't want it, He'll get us out of here.

(195) ...You've exalted yourself.

(196) Preachers, it's a graveyard for them. Good men go there and die like rats. What havoc.

(197) "You that call yourself by the name of the angels, That's Los Angeles, Lo`s Ongele`s. if the mighty works had been done in Sodom that'd been done in you, it'd stood today. But your hour is come." You watch and see. If it isn't, I'm a false prophet.

Now he's got all the signs backing him because that whole area has got to go down the San Andreas fault.

(198) I remember that,... for I saw the preview of the Bride. Now this is what we're after. I stood there and saw a beautiful little lady just correctly dressed and things marching this way. Which is correctly marching in step. There was Somebody standing by me in the vision, that I saw, and said, "The preview of the Bride." I saw her go by. They came on this side and went around.

(199) And I heard it coming up; the church was coming up from the other side. He thought it was the Bride rather. There came the Asian church. Oh, you talk about filth. Here coming the European church. Oh, my! And then I heard a rock 'n' roll coming; and it was Miss America, the church. And she didn't even have on any clothes. Now that's Scriptural, in a type, naked, wretched, miserable, blind and don't even know it. She had papers, like newspapers, gray, holding in front of her, dancing by rocking 'n' roll-- Miss America the church.

That's like that hoola skirt.

(200) I stood there in His presence. I thought, "O God, as a minister, if that's the best we could do, oh my!" You know how you feel. Then I thought, "God hide me; if I could just get away from here. If all that we've done, and that's what we have produce, if that's all..."

(201) Then when them women passed by, all doing all kinds of rocks and things, and short hair, and painted faces. As they passed by like that, supposed to be virgins to Christ...

Now look, you might not be aware of what's going on, but you think this is just some little thing. It isn't. There's a picture, remember when Striesand went up for some kind of an award? I don’t know if you saw the picture or not? But her buttocks were completely bare before television and the people, and America liked it, and the church didn't raise up against it. And when that harlot from Sweden Bergman came over here, married to a dentist, and ran off with Rosselini and lived in sin with him. The Senate at that time excoriated her, but when she came back they praised her and apologized for standing with God.

That's America. That's your government, that's what represents you, that's what stands for you. And if you can't disassociate at this time--there's something wrong because this nation is doomed. This nation had everything going for it, and it's still the best. So what's the rest like? And in the face of the beneficence of God they allow every filth but they can't even pray in school.

What was suppose to be a joke in Reader's Digest, evidently it was the truth. A little girl, mother sees the little girl, mother came home and found the nine year old sopping up the erotic soap operas. So she thought she better talk to her daughter--and I think you read it's suppose to be a joke. And she said, "Now honey, look," she said, "They just don't hop into bed the first time they meet each other." She said, "Oh, I know mommy, they take a drink first." Yes.

America, Europe, Asia. And women talk about their lib and think that men are more understanding. They sold themselves into the hands of men, filthy men, until there's no recourse except filthy homosexuality and that's rampant until God knows what. That's the church did all this, and the church is typed.

(201) And then when them woman passed by, all doing all kinds of rocks and things, and short hair, and painted faces. And as they passed by like that, supposed to be virgins to Christ...she passed by like that...I turned by head, you know...Just holding that in front of me; it was disgraceful, the back of them. No clothes at all. And there they were going like that.

(202) And I turned my head to weeping like that. I said...I couldn't stand it there, Him standing there, me know that I'm a minister of the church and that's what I'd produced for Him. And I said, "Oh, God, I can't look at it. Let me die. Let me fade away."

(203) And as soon as it That bunch. went out--every time one of them would come, they'd go out to a certain place and drop off, That's going down. and I’d, just the sound of it as it went away. And then I heard something like a Onward Christian Soldiers. And I looked, and here come that sainted bunch of little girls just exactly the way they were, all dressed correctly, their hair hanging way down their backs, smooth, clean, marching like this to the step of the Gospel. She was the Word. And it looked like there was one out of every nation. I was looking at that Bride as it passed by, and I saw them pass by. Instead of going down, they started to go up. And I noticed one of them trying, two or three of them trying--getting out of line; I screamed, "Stay in line!" And the vision left me, and I was standing in this room screaming, "Stay in line!"

(204) I wonder, could it already be passed? Could the Bride already be called? Is that what we're going through today? She has to be molded and made into the image of Christ, and Christ is the Word. That's the only thing. See, it's in there, in the Word, it's just...See, there cannot be one thing added. It can't be a woman, one hand like a man and the other hand with a paw of a dog; it's got to be exactly the Word of the Lord, like He is the Word. The Bride is a part of the Bridegroom. The woman is a part of her husband, because she's taken out of the husband. Eve was a part of Adam from his side. And so is the Bride, not taken from a denomination, but taken from the bosom of the Word of God for this day.

(205) The rapture:

The trumpet of the Lord shall sound;

The dead in Christ shall rise,

And the glory of His resurrection share;

When the chosen ones shall gather to their home beyond the sky,

When the roll is called up yonder...

(Let's all try to be there, friends.)

(206) God Bless you. It's been spoken; it has to come to pass. It will come to pass! And little people, no one wants to die; no one wants to be lost. Let me tell you, whatever you do, I don't care how well you go to church and how loyal you are to church...That's fine; nothing against that; you should go to church. You do that; keep on going to church, but whatever it is, throw away your traditions and move right on up into Christ; because it's going to sound one of these days, and you're going to be caught with the mark of the beast on you and not know what it is until it's too late. That's exactly right.

Now, the reason I read that is a parody to some remarks; is that I believe that there is still amongst us, and in our conscience thinking, in our acceptation of what really obtains. There is a willful act if not a rejection of what must go on in this hour, which has been going on for two thousand years and better, and is coming to a place of a harvest.

Now, you'll notice at the time of Moses, God said, "Now Moses, I'm going to send you down there to Egypt and I'm going to deliver the children of Israel out of the hand of the Egyptians because they have sighed and cried long enough." Now you remember there was an angel sent forth in the time of Ezekiel, and a mark was placed upon the forehead of all those who were sighing and crying over sin. They were tired of it. They wanted to get away from it even to the extent, if they had to be destroyed, then that's it, but enough is enough.

Now, back in the time of Moses, referring back there, God said to Moses, "I cannot bring Israel out and deliver her into the promised land until the cup of iniquity of the Amorites is full." Now, there we’re two things you see that were going on. The Amorites were bent, and galloping full blast into the inordinate sins, and pleasures of life, to the extend that they were coming to the place where they had to be a cut off because there was no place else to go.

Now, sexually sin has always been the ear mark. Look, I hate to harp on this but what am I going to do? I can't begin to compare these things to a roller coaster or something out here. I've got to go where the Bible goes because it came from the fact of the inordinate sin of sex in the Garden of Eden. Eve was absolutely untrue to her husband. History abounds with it. It seems to be veiled in a certain mystery but we know that is true.

Now, in the Amorites, were the Canaanites, and the Canaanites were homosexual. Now, the cup of iniquity was filling up, through sexual sins. And sexual sin is the type of idolatry where people are not worshipping God, or worshipping a false god--they are not in the truth. And you saw it in the Garden, just shortly after the Garden of Eden, that God cannot accept what was a legitimate sacrifice, had it been properly placed when Cain offered to God a first fruit offering. The first fruits of the land, or the offer of the fruit of the lamb. Now, the Scripture says, "That Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain." All right. God could not accept it. There was no way that He could. And this was the first step toward idolatry.

Now, the Bible is constantly a struggle of God and the people wherein God Himself has illuminated the mind of man, and especially through prophets, whereby men can worship God acceptably in spirit and in truth. But men won't do that. And one step away is Satan's kingdom which is idolatry.

Now, as we say sexual sins, illicit sexual sin. And remember, sexual intercourse illicitly is the right act in a wrong manner, without the right guidelines. Therefore we find in the Scripture the same thing. The worship of God which is not within the guidelines is not accepted of Almighty God and it is called idolatry wherein the sexual sin of the universe is the one wherein it is typed. Now, the grossness of sexual sin demonstrates the grossness of a wrong worship toward God. I don't care what anybody says, that's all there is to it. Now there's no theologian that doesn't admit that.

So I'm not standing here today saying simply well I believe what Bro. Branham says, which I do believe what Bro. Branham says, but remember Bro. Branham did not believe opposite to everything the teachers taught. His ministry was to correct those things which had not been brought to Light, or which were in doubt, and he was able to do it because he was a prophet who could literally speak face to face with God, in the accepted manner, which was through a Pillar of Fire. Now that's absolutely Bible, and there's no one can contradict it.

Now people can say, "Well I don't believe that happens today." That's besides the point. Is that the way God did it? Then if the answers is yes, if God chooses to do it, He's got to do it again and who's to say, "God can't do what He wants." I'm getting sick and tired of people telling me God can't do what He wants. Why do you have to be born again when John the Baptist got the Holy Ghost before he was even born? God can do what He wants, and He's done it. And people don't want to listen to it.

Now, the gross sins, and the gross sin that's in the church in the world today; let's us know that we have come to the end of the trail, because Sodomy not only abound but incest abounds.

Now, my brother, my sister, the question is this, now let's get this flat, there are two primary sex organs, we understand that, and there are those others which are also erotic which point to the primary. Now, when you have exhausted both, where do you go? Now don't kid yourselves; sodomy, homosexuality, every filth has come to the place where there's no place else to go. The Bible said, "Men with men working that which is unseemly, woman with woman." Now where do you go? You say, "Animals." That's been done for years. I'm trying to show you something--your at the end of the trail. Your at the end of the trail, that's all. People don't believe the Bible. Let's take a look here. Matthew 13 is a chapter on parables.

(2) And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, (A great multitude followed him.)

(3) And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; (And the first thing he said, a sower went forth to sow, he said, Behold, look, come and see.)

(4) And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

(5) Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: (Some fell amongst stony places, they had no root, nor deepness)

(6) And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. (Sun scorched them, they withered away)

(7) And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: (Thorns sprang up, choked others.)

(8) But others fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. (But he planted some grain in good seed and they came forth.)

Now let's go to 24. That sounds nice but watch this one.

(24) Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heavens is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his fields:

(25) While men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

Now just a minute, don't get an idea that this is hybridized wheat. One’s wheat, one’s weeds. Two different sowings entirely, two different beginnings entirely. Now it's got to be in the book of Genesis if it's there, it's here because that's when the sowing was. What came into the human race? Cain. The Bible said, "He was of that wicked one." So that tells you who the enemy was. That tells you who the good seed were--they were in Adam. Now that doesn't mean just because they got into sin they're going to be lost. They're going to come back because God has a sacrifice. Let's watch.

(26) But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

(27) So the servants of the householder came and said sir, did you not sow good seed in the field? (He said, sure.) Then where did this bunch of weeds come from?

(28) Why he said, "An enemy did it." The servants said, "Well, the answer of course then is to go and pull them up."

(29) He said, "No. As well as you gather up the tares, you root up the wheat also."

You ever been out there pulling, especially the fibrous roots? At a wheat field, a fellow hired me when I was a kid, he said, "Now son, you go out there and pull all those weeds up." Now he knew at that time some of the wheat would be sacrificed. But he said, "Be careful." I went out there and some of the wheat was sacrificed--shouldn't have been. God doesn't sacrifice wheat. He won't lose one. These tares have got to go. Now watch.

(30) Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

Now he tells you categorically, they're going to grow right until the harvest and one is going to bring forth a multiplicity of an original planting. Which will be of God Himself, children of God who will come forth, joint heirs with Jesus Christ in the physical image of the Lord Jesus Christ that is now glorified through Resurrection. All right.

What is going to be with the tares? They're going to come forth in bodies which are fit for destruction in the Lake of Fire. They are going to be in the literal image of Cain, (now listen.) who stood before God and defied Him. Now, that tells me, at the end time there's going to be a people aware of the Presence of God the same as Cain and Abel. And one group is going to bow to God, the other is going to spit in God's face the same as Cain did. Now don't tell me he didn't because he did.

All right, we're going to have a harvest and I'm trying to get this across to you that things are going to get worse, and worse, and worse, and worse in the matter of sin.

Now, let's begin to look at some of the things in the Bible that gripe me, because it is so difficult to get across to people that these things really happened. As I've said, "If I preached twenty more years, I'm afraid that there'd be some of you sitting here that I cannot get into your conscienceness that Eve was not raped, she was seduced. Seduction means she joyfully anticipated entering into an act which is forbidden." You follow me? Now listen, the Scripture distinctly says over there in Genesis that Eve said, "I was seduced." She said, "The Beast did it." Now that did not excuse her, but there is one thing about it, it did ameliorate the circumstances.

Now only a virgin can be seduced. If you're anything past a virgin, you're lying. I'm referring spiritual now as well as physically. So if you're past being a virgin without legitimate marriage, you have been seduced. I don't know who seduced who or if it's a mutual affair. I know the world doesn't want to believe that. All the great books, and all the great preachers say, "Well it's all right if you shack up together as long as it's meaningful." Certainly it's meaningful, you need to have a wonderful time physically, sexually. You're a couple of idiots if you think you can convince everybody else anything other than that.

I suppose you're reading your Bibles while you're doing it. I suppose you're writing out checks to the Salvation Army and wondering about orphans, and what you can do to help widows. Come on, we're not idiots. I hate to talk this way in one way, but it's the only way I can talk. What am I going to do at the end time when every man is right in his own eyes and sin has--people draw sin like a rope on a cart?

Now listen, the Bible says at the end time, in spite of all this which is going on, the hardness, the heaping to themselves, the rewards of sin. It says here:

[Eph:4]

(14) That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

Now listen, how does a man seduce? By pretending love; for any psychologist will tell you that a man gives love in order to get sex, and a woman will give sex in order to get love. Now we're talking spiritually as well as physically here. Now, men lie in wait to deceive. What kind of a person would come into a church and lie in wait to deceive? He stands back acting exactly like a Christian. He says the right things as far as he is able. He enters into the right things. He doesn't argue, no doubt, at least for awhile. He's in there letting on that he's one of the people and he 's lying in wait to deceive.

And people look around and they say, "Now look, that nice fellow couldn't do that. That man's too nice. Why he's a good man, I know how he treats people." How do you think seduction takes place? Say, "I'm going to seduce that girl." What are you going to do to seduce her? "A four by four right between the eyes." You've got to be kidding. That's rape. No sir, the Bible does not speak of rape although people can rape people's minds, I’ll grant you all those things. But seduction is where people use every cunning craftiness as it said here, "They lie in wait to deceive." But it says, "Holding the truth in love." These people come in and they will not hold the truth.

Now I'm not talking to everybody this morning if anybody sitting here is doing that. I'm laying the things out that you might understand that I'm leaving my subject, which I would have spoken of, because I feel this is what I've got to talk on this morning, and I'm doing it. See. Why? I don't know, maybe I've been alerted in my soul concerning certain things, and that I've been bitten a few times. I know what it is to get bit.

Listen, I've known woman to be seduced twice in a row and have illegitimate, and I don't want to use the word ‘illegitimate’ because if the child is not conceived of a married man, and a married woman still living with their partners, that child is not illegitimate. But bringing a baby into the world that should not have been brought in under those conditions--get pregnant time after time. What is wrong with those woman? Well I'll tell you what's wrong with the church. They haven't caught on to seduction. They just haven't caught on that there are certain things that you'll ask for in a person as to whether he's seducing you, or he means business and he wants to love you, be a good husband, and take care of you, and roll with the punches, and stay steady.

How does the church know it's being seduced? One Word off. But the church doesn't look at the Word, the church looks at those nice little things. "Well he brought me this lovely box of chocolates, and oh he does--smells so nice with that lovely fragrance, that beautiful cologne he uses." And the moment man can say the same thing about the woman. "She caught me with her eyelids. She fluttered her eyes so beautifully, she had bedroom eyes." Yes. Nothing wrong with the sex act--it's where you do it and how you do it, and under the conditions. See, the checkup is not on the Word.

Listen, let's go back to Matthew the 7th chapter. It says here, 15th verse.

(15) Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly they are ravening wolves. (Now it tells you on the outside they're perfect Christians. On the inside, they've got something else in mind.)

(16) You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

(17) Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

(18) A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

(19) Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

(20) Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them.

(21) Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, (Now keep on reading.) shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

(22) Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

(23) And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, I never knew you, (you're just doing iniquity.)

Now, Paul brought that under a church order; like today men are doing things contrary to the Word of God though the manifestation is there. That's why Pentecost is excoriated. That's why they can talk in tongues, day and night and be absolutely false to Almighty God and the Word of God. They can have healings, they can have huge crowds and looks like they're doing a wonderful work, but if you are off the Word of God, it just doesn't count. That's your test, the Word is the test--it says so right here.

Now telling you, it says these people here will come in and absolutely will look just like the very best. Okay?

Let's go over here to Peter, the second chapter, at the time of the Rapture, at the time of the hour in which we now live, at this very minute, of the hour we claim there was a prophet who fulfilled the office of Elijah--that Peter spoke of right here; the prophecy concerning the hour in which we live, the Rapture which we've been preaching for months. He said, "The interpretation of it requires a prophet, just as the giving of it did." Now he said, "I had a vision." He said, "Not good enough. Fine but not good enough." He said, "You've got to wait for the right man to come, and he'll be a prophet." And the Bible says, "That is Elijah." Not because I say so, the Bible. "Well how's He going to do it?" Don't ask me how He's going to do it. I'm not God--I just believe God. You say, "You believe in a Resurrection. How's He going to do it?" Nobody knows, He's going to do it. You've just got to leave it with God.

Now it says here, it says here:

(1) But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you,... (These false teachers that follow the wrong prophets.)

(2) Many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

Now let's find out what some of the people are like at the end time. Now watch here, verse 9.

(9) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

(10) But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

(11) Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.

Now listen:

(12) But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

Now what is he talking about? He's telling you this happens after the time that the prophet is here vindicated by God that this is exactly what's going on in this hour--how the Rapture takes place; what the true baptism with the Holy Ghost is; what marriage and divorce is all about; what the second Coming is all about; Israel in the homeland. All of these things are in this hour and this prophet comes and puts it in order. And why is it? Here's what's happening:

(12) ...They speak evil of the things they don't understand; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

(13) And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, (Now listen:) as they count it pleasure to riot in the day time.

Now just a minute, let's get this flat, you can't make Scripture fight Scripture. You’d think these guys are right here with a bunch of machetes and a bunch of crowbars guzzling beer, living licentiously, sure literally they are, but it's a spiritual thing he's talking about here because he mentions at the end time it's a matter of the seduction.

Now watch:

(13) ...Spots and blemishes they are, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;

What church? And I don't care what church unless they're devil worshippers, the preacher gets up and tells the congregation, "Heh, let's have an orgy tonight. Heh folks you're getting out to early, we'll start church at 6:30, get you out of here at 7:30, we're going to have a beer party and we can all go out and get drunk. I've got news for you people that are a little bit flashy, we've got a single's club and a key club, let's whoop her up. Listen you young people that want dope, I'll tell you how to get it. Rob a bank." What preacher talked like that? That's not what's being said here.

Put the whole thing together it's a matter of very nice people that can't take the Word. They can't do it, they can't take what a prophet said. They can't take what is manifestly evident in the economy of Almighty God. They got their own thinking in their own ways and just like Cain, presenting the very Word of God--Yes--a sacrifice, in the wrong place, in the wrong manner, defending themselves against what God has already brought to pass. These are the ones that are talked about.

(14) Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:

(15) Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

You say, "Where is that?" I'm going to tell you it's right amongst us. People come around here and they say, "Well the way you people talk you've got to be the most wonderful people in all the world?" What are you talking about? You've got people out there that will lead you straight to hell by conduct which is exemplary. The merry Baker Eddies, the Philamore brothers, the rest of them with their unity, their Christian Science who say, "The blood of Jesus Christ has no more efficacy than the blood of a rooster." And yet they talk about love. They talk about compassion, talk about sacrifice, and they'll do it--men give their lives. Emulation which took place not too long ago, who were doing it? A bunch of Hindus. What kind of sacrificial hearts did mothers have when they threw their babies to the alligators? And gave them to be destroyed. Sure. Sacrificing nice people.

I've not a thing against lovely people, I'm all for it, everybody should be lovely, everybody should be kind, everybody should be good, but everybody should understand this one thing--there is a Word test that's absolutely supreme in this hour and that Word test is exactly what we're looking at.

Now it says here that these people, they love the wages of unrighteousness. We're in Laodicea today. For the first time preachers are making money unheard of. This makes some people very resentful; it doesn't bother me one little bit because it's got to be manifested. Churches now have [been or big?] business agents, they've got so much money. Not just business agents they've got personal and then they go out as their agents, advert...what do you call them? Like Wall street, or 5th avenue rather, with it's advertising agencies to play it up big. They write books to sell in the millions and make millions of dollars.

There is only one reason they're doing it because they love the money and they're going to use it for a wrong end. They're going to say, "We're going to prove our point." When the point has already been proven. We're looking at a picture today, it's a picture of corruption and it's a type of corruption that is very, very subtle because some of it goes to the extreme where the people live hideous lives, look it, they never did count, never will. It's the person that comes in that's subtle that wants to destroy.

Now, it says here:

(17) They're wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.

(18) For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.

You say, "Now look, that's a very terrible thing that absolutely spells depravity concerning those things that men and woman do and should not do in the flesh." Hogwash! Come on, I'd like to see you get a Methodist turn right around get baptized instead of sprinkled. I want to see an Anglican church member get baptized instead of sprinkled. I want to see a Roman Catholic go back to what he used to believe which was immersion in water in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. They allure through the lust of the flesh, people just can't stand to be baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. People just can't stand to do foot washing. Woman can't stand to let their hair grow. Why? Men can't stand to dress the way men should dress and act the way they should act.

Now long hair doesn't make one more spiritual, it's just something God said to do, because it's the Word of God. "No," say, "I'm going to worship my way and ...?... for a covering." It recognizes the headship of Almighty God. Even a man has to cut his hair to show forth his recognition.

Now it says right here:

(19) While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption:

Now listen, how can you be the servants of corruption unless something is corrupt that's dictating to you? Look, you just don't have a corruption by itself. There's got to be something there that predicates it. You can't have a baby lamb without the two sheep. There’s got to be progenitors. How do you get corrupt things? You get it by the life or the thing that is corrupt itself. It's the Word of God that's been corrupted.

Let's go back to 2 Cor 11, we'll begin to see for ourselves what he's talking about here. 2 Cor 11, Paul says here:

(2) I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: I have espoused you to one husband, (That means the true church is the Bride.) and present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. (What's a chaste virgin? Let's find out.)

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

Then it tells you, they're going to come and three things are going to be wrong.

(4) (They are going to preach the wrong Jesus, the wrong Spirit, the wrong Word, the wrong gospel.)

If you’re wrong on three counts, how many more times do you want to get wrong on?

Now, let's go back and take a look at this church. Back in the book of Revelation, of course chapter 17.

(1) And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

Now this is the church. What does God call her? She's a harlot. In other words, she’s entirely wrong in what she's doing with her life. Her body should be a temple of the Holy Ghost, the church should be a temple of Almighty God, but it's not doing it.

Now:

(1) ...(She) sitteth upon many waters (That's many people, she's a great governing body.)

(2) With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

Now people have always sent their legates to Rome. Now America's doing it, we're a democracy. What does that mean? It means America is fast heading for a dictatorship. It's going to have to be, where that dictatorship comes for one man, it will because it will be controlled, America will go to communism. There's nothing going to stop it. It's going head long, how far it gets is not my business, that's in the economy of God.

(2) ...(She's) drunk with the wine of her fornication.

Now you'll notice in there, to be drunk is to stager into ...?... and it says, the wine of her fornication (wine is a stimulant), and so therefore it tells you here that this woman absolutely has been made drunk with her own importance as concerning what she says is concerning the Kingdom of God. She stands there and she says, "Look, I am the authority," which everybody knows the pope says, "He's infallible." Now you say, "Look, that's Catholic." Hogwash! That's every Protestant denomination, or why have we got so many of them? Whether one man says it or four hundred says it, what's the difference? I'll tell you one thing, if four hundred say it, there's just this one difference and that is, four hundred, is four hundred times worse than one. So where does it leave the Protestants? I'm not a Protestant any more than I'm Catholic--I'm a Christian.

(3) So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

(4) And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, (Shows that she takes a regal position saying, "Look, I am it.") decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication.

(5) Upon her forehead was the name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON...

You say, "Who is that?" That's the woman, the church that fell at the time of Paul. He said, "I'm worried that you're no longer a chaste virgin." What's she been doing? She's been fooling with some man when she's placed to a husband. So therefore now the church has got headship which is Nicolaitanism. That's why every one of us is little sovereign groups, and nobody but nobody can come in and tell us anything--nobody. We simply say what the prophet taught and do our best. If somebody wants to come by and help and say, "Heh, I have some understanding that may be possibly of help to you." That's fine, we'll listen but if it doesn't, cut, good-bye, that's the end of him.

(5) Upon her forehead was the name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

(6) I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

Now listen, the woman was drunken with the blood of saints and the blood of martyrs of Jesus. Now listen, the Jews did this as well as the pagans to the early Christian. Jesus said, "They're going to come to the place where they think they're doing me a favor by killing you." And already it occurred in the life of the apostle Paul. He says, "As concerning zeal, to show that I was really in with the in crowd. I was going against the Christians, bringing them into court, and happy when I saw them die."

Now you say, "What kind of a man would do that?" A very smart, a very smart man, a loving man amongst his own people. Oh, he could go the limit for his own crowd. There was nothing too much. But the minute the Spirit of God moved in somebody's life and he caught hold of it, he was out to destroy it. And this man was not doing it through subtilty, he was doing it because he had the upper hand and could do it, he hauled them into court because he had the authority.

Now listen, if this government keeps on doing what it's doing, which is playing footsie with the church, and it already has been since oh, way down the time of Bobby Kennedy. Now if you're not aware of this fact let's understand it; that Bobby Kennedy, as the Attorney General of the whole United States, he began hauling the teachers and university professors into court to find out who was a communist. And when he found out who were communist, the next step was now the preachers.