Stewardship
#9
The Beginning of Gnosticism
The Trail of the Serpent
Dear
Heavenly Father, we’re grateful for Your Presence. And, Lord, we’re anxious to
praise You on the very grounds that the prophet said that his ministry was to
declare that You were here. And, of course, not in the way that many, many
people think, and many, many people are even now preaching today, who do, in a
manner, recognize that Bro. Branham’s great message was the presence of
Yourself, even Jehovah Elohim.
But
we do thank You, Lord, that we know that to be true, that You are the One that
descended with the Word to set Your Church in order, to give us the true and
proper revelation that we might be fed of Your hand, because we are sheep of
Your hand, the flock of Your very pasture, Lord.
We
thank You for that, knowing that You’re here also to raise the dead. [You’re]
here, also, to take away a Bride. And that Spirit, which is You, Lord, becomes
incarnate to us to crown Him King of kings, Lord of lords, at that great
celebration, the ceremony, the Wedding Supper. Knowing all things are ours, we
appreciate that, and we are participating in it, Lord. And we thank You that
You gave the invitation--that You stood at the door and knocked and the prophet
heard and brought us the Word of revelation of this hour, the Word of our
salvation, end time evangelism. All of it wrapped up in this Word, Lord, for
perfection has come. We recognize that, Father, and we just pray that, not only
in recognition, because we know that is here sure as two and two make four, and
the Son is risen, the sun also setting, Lord, and the sun will rise again, the
sun will set again…
We’re
interested, Lord, in a deep, deep revelation, which completely turns our hearts
and minds and lives around, giving us a spiritual depth in unity with Your Own
Soul, so You can have pleasure in our soul even as we have in Yours; and
perfect revelation, Lord, a perfect unity. We’re asking that tonight for Your
honor and glory, because we love to honor Your name and glorify Your Name the
way You want it done. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.
You
may be seated.
1. Now,
just before we continue on “Stewardship #9, for the people who have been so
good to us during my wife’s sickness, I want the people who hear the tape [to] know
that we received the flowers and the cards, and we are very, very grateful, and
above all, very grateful for your prayers.
2. Now
I guess I’m a little bit of a nut (Well, not just a little bit of a nut, quite
a bit of a nut.) when it comes to these weird things that people bring up in
the practice of nature-opathy (And, not necessary homeopathy, it’s more
nature-opathy.) than anything else. And they go by various visible signs that
the highly professional scientific mind--the medical doctors (MDs) and
what-have-you--simply don’t believe in.
And
I was told many years ago that, if you look at the lobe of the ear (either ear)
and you see a crease in there, that definitely signifies a heart problem. And,
before my wife had this other heart attack, which was quite a bad one, I was
sort of making a little mockery, I said, “Hey, you’re the one’s supposed to
have the bad heart. You haven’t got a crease there at all.” And I said, “I’m
the one with the creases.” Well, if you’d a seen her in the hospital, when she
was there this last time, the ear was just literally folded together in a
crease. It is a sign of heart trouble, the very, very definite.
But,
if you look at her ears now, and I don’t really invite you to, the point is,
you will see very small lines. So the Lord is healing her and helping her. And
I’m very happy about that, because, although we both have to depart this life
pretty soon, if that’s the will of the Lord, or we’re not supposed to be
tarrying here, it’s kind of nice to go without too much suffering and all. But
she was in very great jeopardy of her life at that particular time, and the
Lord really helped her out.
She
was in intensive care, and they were telling me, “Well, we’re going to keep you
wife here a few more days, and she’ll get her strength to walk,” and what have
you.
And
then, I was home having a little rest and our daughter was there, and she
phoned, “You better come and get Mother, because they’re dismissing her.” She
said, “She’s doing just fine, beyond expectation.”
And
so I appreciate everybody’s prayers, the flowers, and everything they sent. And
so I take this opportunity before I bring you the message.
3. Now
also, I want to say again that we’re living in very exciting hours. And I don’t
know how excited you are, you people here, and you who get the tapes and those
who say they believe this message, to realize that just within the next month,
you’re going to see… supposed to see, and no doubt will see, the fifth vision
come to pass, where people are sitting in a car and not driving, they can do
what they want to do, play games, anything they want, and the car will go
safely down the road just outside of San Diego. Now that was in the works
according to the US News, not the magazine, but the US News that
comes out five days a week. And also, Becky Smith put it in her paper, having
got the article from Bro. Harold Marconda. I never saw it, because we seldom
get that paper. But the fact is, you will be seeing vision number five, which
means grace to the Gentiles, positively has run out.
Now
remember, grace to
“Well,
well, I don’t know anything.”
Hey,
quit mumbling and grumbling and just get with it. In our calendar, which has
been changed, and God would not allow to be changed, we know it’s seven years
out.
But
the fact of the matter is
And
so, it’s run out now. Grace has run out. You’re under six. And seven being
revelation--it doesn’t matter. When is He going to come? That’s just part of
the Seventh Seal. Who cares when He comes? What does it matter if the thief
comes and the good man stands there with his sawed-off shotgun to blow his head
off? The thief will wish he’d never stuck his head up.
4. Did
you ever hear of a turkey shoot? Years ago they used to tie the turkey down
behind a log. Guys stand there with their guns. Go ‘gobble-gobble’—boom! Off
goes the turkey’s head, if you could get him. If he ducked too sudden you
didn’t get him. But you see, the turkey never had a chance. It was like
shooting fish in a barrel. In other words I’m trying to bring it out as plain
as I can: if we’re ready what does it matter? Morning,
That’s
where Bro. Terry Sproule got a couple of black eyes. The people didn’t
understand what he was saying. They figured He’s already come, and there’s
nothing more to it. But he stood the truth and the truth is this: if you missed
that Presence, if you missed that Appearing, don’t talk about the coming; don’t
talk about the coming. If you missed half a dozen steps on the ladder, don’t
pretend you can suddenly reach up and hit number seven step. I’d like to see
anybody try to reach the seventh step of any ladder I’ve ever seen with all the
rungs knocked out but number seven, screaming about the coming of the Lord,
they missed the whole thing. Any way, let’s get back to our subject.
5. And
our subject is simple: it’s a little message again on “Stewardship”, and I’m
going to go all the way back again. I’m going to have to kind of start over,
because I’ve missed a couple of months with you. But we’ll catch up here to
where we really want to go. All right.
6. Now
in our study of stewardship we have found a very profound principle that,
though God honors us greatly by entrusting us with gifts and positions that are
freely given to us by grace, we are required of Him to be responsible to Him in
their usage according to the purposes for which they were given and the manner
of their usage as we are using them.
For
God to deliberately predestinate a people which He has foreknown, and then
through election… And Bro. Branham said, “Election is not: ‘I take this one and leave that one,’
that’s ridiculous, because God will never lose one of His children because each
child is a part of Himself.” So, if you want to see a god that’s
going around that’s part god and missing something, like an arm or a leg, then
you can believe in falling away. You can believe in ridiculous doctrine. Be my
guest. I’m not here to make you believe anything. I’m simply here to teach, and
I love doing it, because I help myself and my wife and some of you folk too. So
it’s all right; be my guest.
7. But
the thing is, people simply do not have a clue as to proper election. See? The
election lies in the fact where it [ ] has to be on the grounds that there’s a
mixed carrier of serpent seed and the seed of God. It can be in the same human
vessel as it was in Isaac, positively, who brought forth two children from the
same wife.
Now
remember, when you go back to the day of Abraham and Sarah, which was Isaac’s
father and mother, there was no way that Ishmael, though a child of Abraham,
could inherit the kingdom; a wrong woman, it had to be Sarah. So, she had to be
brought back to where she was about sixteen/eighteen years of age in order to
bear that child. And, of course, Abraham was brought back to being a youth
again in order to be a father.
8. So,
we’re seeing here that God in His goodness, didn’t only predestinate children
or bring forth children, He gave those children an amplitude of those things
which were necessary for Him to live a vital Christian life and be a vital
participant in the things of God, mainly of which was the worship of Almighty
God. A special conduct--a special life was there in order to bring this out.
Now,
when I say that, I want to refer you right back to everything that Bro. Branham
taught. And Bro. Branham taught—encapsulated—this; forget Government, forget
politics, forget everything but religion, because this is religion we’re
dealing with. And you’re dealing from the top down. You’re dealing with God,
Who brought forth the truth in reality, Who even had truth and reality in
Satan, (which we’ll bring out and show you) Who deliberately allowed iniquity,
which is a perverting of the Word, to enter in. And thereby, Satan wanted
leadership to set up his own kingdom and his own church. So the whole thing has
to do with religion. Nothing else, forget your politics.
9. When
Bro. Branham said, “Forget communism, it is nothing; it is merely
politics. It is not religion; look at religion.” Of course, the
world went merrily down the road to hell, and now it’s on the broad way, and
there’s no turning back. And now how frustrated they are that communism
suddenly died, the Berlin wall came down, communism fell down, religion is back
in there, and how much talk do you hear now of true evangelism in Russia? You
don’t hear anything; it’s dead, dead, dead, the way it was in the beginning.
Because let me tell you this, I don’t care how many people are in the world and
how many people think they’re Christians, my Bible still says eight people made
the ark, and that’s the way it is today. Now, if you want fifteen billion, be
my guest. I just got one word for you: I’m not getting in your ark. It’s going
to sink. It’s going to burn up. I want an ark that gets out of here, and it’s
going to get out of here. So all right.
10. In
our study of stewardship we found the very profound principle that, though God
honors us greatly… And remember, to be a steward is a great honor, because
you’re getting something from God. Not only are you a child of God, but you’re
richly endowed by God. So, you receive these gifts from God, He’s entrusted us
with gifts and positions--not merely gifts but positions, and not merely
positions but gifts. That’s why Bro. Branham categorically said that the gifts
could be in every church, (That’s a true church.) and they could have all nine
gifts, and they’d be complimentary to the ministry of the pastor or the
five-fold ministry. Positions. Gifts. See? Everything. God entrusting that. And
we show later on in Ephesians 4 how that brings you right into a perfection
before the Resurrection, at the time of it, and the time of the Rapture. So
okay.
11. He’s
given us gifts and positions that are freely given to us by grace. We are
required of Him to be responsible to Him in their usage according to the
purposes for which they were given and the manner of their use according to how
they’re to be used. Now this is where Bro. Branham was repudiated, the same as
Paul. Absolutely repudiated. Here was just a smart type of, categorically, not
well-educated little hillbilly guy, born in
And
right in a meeting when he stood up, and he said that Demos Shakarian’s sister
(I think her name was Rose. I’m not sure. One of them anyway.) would be dead by
two in the morning. And somebody rose up and screamed a prophetic utterance,
“She’s my daughter. My daughter shall live, hallelujah.”
And
they all screamed, and they put Bro. Branham down.
So
Billy Paul came and said, “Daddy, what about it?”
He
said, “Son,
all I know is that God said, ‘
She
was dead. Did they repent? No they didn’t repent; they didn’t intend to repent.
Now,
why they were justified and glorified and hallelujah-fied when Bro. Branham got
smeared across the road, according to what one guy said. Yeah.
“That
man that judged, now he’s judged.”
Hey,
let it sink in. The man that said that had a position in the church. The man
that said that had gifts. Do you know what I’m saying? Let it soak in. Come on,
take your time. Get the crud out of your heart that’s in there that wants to
stop that. Say, I believe, that’s right. I know those guys. I know those
preachers--of them. I knew them personally. I had conversation with them. [You]
say I’m an old timer. I’m not eighty-two, going on eighty-three (in a hurry)
for nothing. They said it. I’ve heard their words. I’ve seen their words in
print. They had gifts, offices, prestige, honor, influence, affluence--the
whole ball of wax.
12. Now,
never ever forget that, whenever stewardship comes to mind, so does responsibility.
And we instantly think of the fact we will have to account for God for whatever
He has given us according to how we employ it and to what end. So let’s go to
the Scripture now. I never leave you hanging in the air without Scripture. That
would be the most ridiculous thing in the world to tell you what I think. I’m
building right here from Scripture.
Now
we’re going to go the Scripture. So, we go to 1 Cor 4:2. “Moreover it is
required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” Now I don’t care what the
man has. It doesn’t matter. The point is: is he faithful? See? That’s the big
thing. Is he faithful? Now faithful to whatever God gave him would absolutely
mean that he knows what he has, and he knows how to use it; and he does it
reliably, because he knows what he has from God, and he knows from God how he’s
supposed to use it.
Now,
just stop and think for one split-second. The Pentecostal churches, where the
women are getting up and down and dancing in the spirit, clowning around as it
were, speaking in tongues as they were, they think it is, and prophesying and
interpreting, and they hope it’s so… But in my books it ain’t. Now all of those
gifts are genuine. Don’t ever say the devil gives a gift of tongues, although
he can speak in tongues. Don’t worry; he can do that all right. And he can
prophesy. Don’t worry. But don’t blame anything on the devil for this specific
reason: that these gifts come from God, absolutely of Him, they’re merely gifts
or manifestations of the Holy Spirit and not indicative of the Spirit of God
Himself, because it’s merely gifts, or derivatives of something the Holy Spirit
can produce. Just the same as God can produce this tie indirectly by the fibers
that He put upon earth here. Or God can produce that plant, if it’s a living
plant, because He took it out of some seed somewhere. He made that seed. So,
the Holy Spirit can produce whatsoever that Holy Spirit, which these things
resident in Him, [is] to do, because that Spirit is God. He’ll see that that is
produced. But it doesn’t mean they got the Producer. You see?
13. That’s
the whole thing. People don’t realize the Baptizer’s here. They’re falling back
on the baptism. See? We’re not falling back on the baptism. Bro. Branham said
you could be baptized with the Holy Ghost a thousand times a day, Pentecostal
style, and still be lost. We’re not talking about that. We’re talking about
genuine presence of Almighty God, the Baptizer Himself here.
Do
you realize the Baptizer Himself baptized Paul with Himself and, then, came
down and met him face-to-face? Of course, He knocked him down before He came
and met him face-to-face the
People
don’t want to realize that all these things… The same as Jesus turned water
into wine. As Bro. Branham said, “He just simply bypassed the rootage which was
normally the turning into a grape, the water from the soil into the grape, and
the grape into wine. He just bypassed it. See? The Holy Spirit does these
things. Don’t get mixed up in your thinking. Don’t call things of the devil
that aren’t of the devil.
Actually,
there’s nothing that is not of God. Let’s face it. All power, all authority, is
of God. And that’s what we’re going to talk about again tonight, how He gave
that to the devil, and the devil abused it, and how it’s being abused right
today in the church. [I] want to get these things all caught up to you.
14. Now
listen, he said right here, “It’s required in stewards that a man be found
faithful.” Now let’s get the context, verse 1: [1 Cor 4:1]
(1) Let
a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and the stewards of the
mysteries of God.
(2) Moreover
it’s required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. (And Paul was faithful
to what God gave him face-to-face, word-by-word. And Bro. Branham was too.)
(3) But
with me it’s a very small thing I should be judged of you, of a man’s judgment:
yea, I judge not mine own self.
(4) For
I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judges me
is the Lord.
Now
what’s he trying to tell you there? He’s trying to tell you plain and simple
what he’s been telling all along in Corinthians: “I am vindicated.” Anybody can
say, “Well I never got this by myself. I got this from God.”
15. So
did Joe Smith, the Mormons, four wagon loads of sheer idiocy, baloney. Might as
well call their book of
And,
if we were in a church that is proclaiming the truth as it is today, vindicated
by William Branham, who was a duplicate of Paul, they’d kick us out. Thank God
we got out. We heard the voice. “For I know nothing of myself; yet I’m not
hereby justified; but he that judges me is the Lord.” [He] said God judges him.
Now watch, you see this man is talking of his stewardship. “I’m accountable to
God, and God’s holding me accountable. And I’m right now being held accountable
by God.”
Isn’t
that what he’s saying? If he’s saying something different, I’d like to know
what he’s saying. He’s talking about his stewardship, of the mysteries of God,
the Word of God, given to him. He’s got to be faithful to it, and he’s judged
by God.
16. “Therefore
judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to
light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsel of the
hearts: and then, shall every man have praise of God.” [1 Cor 4:5] Well he’s
telling you right there, “You better take what I said based on vindication. That’s
carte blanche. And wait until the end time. We’ll see who’s right.” Let’s see
who you’re here standing with. If you’re standing with Paul, you’re standing
with God. If you’re standing with William Branham, you’re standing with God. I
don’t care what anybody says. He’s vindicated. How much do we want anyway?
Hey,
years ago a girl said to me, “Lee, there’s one thing I like about you.”
I
said, “What’s that?” I knew it wasn’t my big nose.
She
said, “Because you’re always so enthusiastic. Even if a person gives you an ice
cream cone, you’re appreciative, and you’re enthusiastic.”
Well,
if I was enthusiastic about an ice cream cone, what about this? This is the end
time, open door to the millennium brother/sister, whether people know it or
not.
Now,
he says here; therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who
will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the
counsel of men’s hearts: then every man shall have praise of God.” That
happened under William Branham in Heb 4:12, right? [“Amen.”] Oh thank you,
let’s get some big ‘Amens’ going. I’m accused of you people being dead, because
I’ve made you dead. Let’s have a hallelujah march and get real blessed of God
tonight. Amen. Whoop her up. I don’t care what you do, just don’t mess my tape
up.
17. So,
let me read It for you. [Heb 4:12]
(12) For
the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword,
piercing even dividing asunder soul and spirit, and the joint and marrow, and
have discerned the thoughts and intents of the heart.
(13) Neither
is any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and
open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
When?
At the end time! I don’t know about you guys, but I’m so happy, I could do a
little dance. And the camera catch me. Then they’d say, “Look at that crazy Lee
Vayle.” I mustn’t get too happy.
18. Now:
[1 Cor 4:6]
(6) And
these things, brethren, have I have in a figure transferred to myself and
Apollos for your sake; that you might learn in us not to think of men above
that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.
(7) (Now
watch.) For who maketh thee to differ, and what hast thou that thou didst not
receive? Now, if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst
not received it?
“Oh
I speak in tongues, I’ve prophesied, I’ve done this and I’ve done that; look at
me!” Ain’t that the way it goes, Frank [Proctor], way back in the days gone by?
Hey, the big B-G comes strutting his stuff, and he was one hundred million
miles off the Word, even in sin and adultery and everything else. Wish I could
see, then I could see what reaction I’m getting on your faces. Maybe it’s good
I can’t see too well. Yeah.
Oh,
a guy in
He’s
a liar! He’s a liar! He’s a liar! I’ve put it three times; he’s a liar. Do you
know why? No man can raise the dead; only God can raise the dead. [Amen.] And,
if you take the power of God and the things of God and use it against God,
you’re in the devils pew not in God’s pew. Let’s not kid ourselves
brother/sister. You want to challenge me? I’ll take your challenge any day of
the week; I don’t care where you’re born and where you come from. Let’s get
Word for it.
I’m
not finished yet, we’ll be two hours yet tonight, sorry to say. I hope not. So
let’s keep reading.
19. Why
do you glory? I thought we gloried in God. Even the Old Testament’s full of
that. Now, “Now you are full, now you are rich, you have reigned as kings
without us: and I would to God you did reign, that we may also reign with you.”
[1 Cor 4:8]
Paul
didn’t have any trouble knowing he was reigning--God reigning in him. These
guys, puffed up, were coming against him. They always come against authority.
And don’t you for one minute think they won’t. If the devil came against God,
the devil came against God. God, Supreme Being of creation; we’ll look at him.
He came against God. Don’t think for one minute these little tiddily-winks are
afraid to come against God. They’re not afraid to speak evil of those in
authority, dignities, [or] anything else.
(9) For
I think that God has sent forth us apostles last, appointed to death: we are
made a spectacle unto the world, unto angels, unto men.
(10) We
are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ; we’re weak, but you’re
strong; you’re honorable, we’re despised.
He’s
saying right here, “I’m thoroughly
vindicated by God Himself.” If William Branham said, “You’re looking at me aren’t you?”
And
they say, “Ha, ha, boy, puffed up bunch of birds. Don’t tell me. I got the Holy
Ghost, because I spoke in tongues.”
20. What
about this fellow’s church in
No
wonder Bro. Branham said, “Don’t you dare have gifts in the church until, first
of all, you got someone with the gift of discerning of spirits.” And
all saying that’s the evidence of the Holy Ghost, “I spoke in tongues.”
I
don’t think you people ever had Dr. Cliff’s book or heard him on tape. I did. I
wish I’d a met him. You talk about a ministry. He believed in the communion of
saints, which is fellowshipping with dead people. Yet in
Outside
the framework of God, stewardship is condemnation and utter destruction, (Which
I’ll show you later.) when it’s meant to be unto edification and commendation
and to the glory of Almighty God. To take the very tools that God gave us, and
Himself apart, and tear down the structure of the
21. [1
Cor
(10) We’re
fools for Christ’s sake, you’re strong so.
(11) Even
unto this present hour we hunger and thirst. We’re naked and buffeted. Have no
certain dwelling place. (And these guys all did.)
(12) Labor,
and work with our own hands: we’re reviled, we bless; persecuted, we suffer it.
(13) Defamed,
we entreat: made the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things unto
this day.
(14) I
write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. (Look
out, you’re being taught wrong about God and the things of God. You’re being
led astray.)
(15) For
though you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet ye have had not many
fathers: for in Christ Jesus I’ve begotten you through the gospel. (That’s how
we come this end time, through Bro. Branham, the vindicated man.)
(16) Therefore
I beseech you, be ye followers of me. (And right down, verse 13. [18])
(18) But
some of you now are puffed up, as though I would not come to you.
(19) But I
will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of
them that are puffed up, but the power.
In
other words he’s going to stand right there and challenge them, “Bring forth your vindication. Come on
now.” Once more there was going to be a
Hey,
we had the same kind of man; this man Paul was a regular Elijah. William
Branham was the real Elijah, because this man had his own office right there,
not categorized with Elijah. But he had a showdown right there. They didn’t
take him up.
22. Bro.
Branham in
Oh,
now we can start running and jumping again. See, I feel real good. Do you know
why? Because I don’t have to talk about Lee Vayle. I haven’t said one thing
about Lee Vayle raising the dead or killing anybody. What’s the difference?
What if I raised the dead or killed somebody? What’s the difference? What’s the
got to do with it? What’s that got to do with it? I’m not a vindicated prophet.
Let’s get this Message down pat!
That’s
why I have them come to me and say, “Bro. Vayle, I’ve heard preachers preach
for fifteen years but for the first time, having heard you, I understand vindication.”
Where
are they coming from? I want to know. They’re not coming from the same place
I’m coming from, I can tell you that.
23. Okay,
counted… [You] must be faithful to be a steward. Let’s go to Rom 12:3-8. Let’s
hear a little bit more about this thing.
(3) For
I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that’s among you, not to
think of himself more highly than he ought to think; (Look at that again.) but
to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of
faith.
Every
one has something from God, dealt by God. You’ve got it. I’ve got it. We’ve all
got it. That’s basic. Bro. Branham put that in “The Stature of Perfect Man”
from Peter.
(4) For
as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
(5) So
we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one member one of another.
(6) Having
then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, (gifts by
grace) whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion…
Now
we got the proportion of faith—not just faith; [but] a proportion of faith. So
therefore, if I have a gift of prophecy, I don’t have to worry. It’s going to
come out of me, because I’ve got exactly what is necessary to bring it forth,
and it will come forth, and it’s of God. Why? Because the gift is of God, and
the faith is of God, and I’m of God. That’s three in one. What more do you
want? Well, let’s keep reading.
24. “…Or
on ministry, let us wait on ministry: or he that teaches, on teaching.” [Rom
12:7] I’m trying to show you that every single person in the body of Christ is
interrelated. Every single one has a measure of faith, even a proportion of
faith. Every one has some status, Every one has some gift. Every one is
pertinent.
“Oh,
bless God, you just talk in tongues, but I can interpret. I’m greater than
you.”
You’re
a liar, in a measure of the word, because how do you know you’re really
interpreting.
Bro.
Branham put it down to the real nitty-gritty, he said, “You speak in tongues, someone interprets,
and the thing must come to pass,” because he equated it to prophecy
the way Paul did.
“Oh,
I don’t see it that way.”
Well,
of course you don’t. You’re eyes are blinded. You don’t see the Scripture. Now
let’s stick with it. See? I’m not trying to be mean to anybody except just hard
on the devil I hope.
25. “Or
he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, (Now watch, giving is a
gift.) do it in simplicity. Ruling is a gift, be diligent. Show mercy, do it
with cheerfulness.” [Rom 12:8]
Iraneaus
correctly said, “There are hundreds of gifts in the body of Christ,” and this
proves it, because it doesn’t enumerate. It actually is suggesting. And [the
reason] I use the word ‘suggesting’ is because I believe there’s many, many
more things could’ve been said by Paul. But he said enough to let you know the
five-fold ministry’s in here, the nine supernatural gifts are in here, and
there’s a lot of other things in here, such as being merciful. And that’s in
the Bible. We should show mercy and even turn the other cheek and everything
else. And he’s putting it all down as something which God has given us,
individually: something real, something precious, something that’s
complimentary to the head, even God Himself. All right.
26. Let’s
go to 1 Cor 14:12. It says; “Even so ye, for as much as you are zealous of
spiritual gifts, seek that you may excel to the edifying of the church.” Now,
then, we’re putting in a proper focus. If I do anything for
self-aggrandizement, or if I even do anything, and I say, “Lord, I’m looking to
You, because I want to be a fine Christian, I want to be a gifted person, Lord,
I want to manifest Lord that I have something from You,” even that is wrong.
“Lord,
use me to help somebody.” Now you’re getting somewhere.
“Give
me that which helps me to lift somebody up.” We’re having too much fun putting
people down. Why should we ask God to help us to put somebody up? It’s a good
question.
27. Well,
let’s stop here and go back to the beginning, back to heaven itself. We go back
to heaven itself, I’ve taken you back there before, but I’m going to do it
again with a little more insight. And in Ezek 28:13 and 18 It says--this is
concerning Satan:
(13) Thou
has been in
(14) Thou
art the anointed cherub that covereth; I have set thee so: thou wast upon the
holy
That’s
where you could maybe get that. They thought Bro. Branham said that Satan was a
cherubim that was one of the cherubs over the ark of the covenant, over the
mercy seat. I don’t know.
(15) Thou
was perfect in thy ways from the day thou wast created, until iniquity was
found in thee.
(16) By
the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with
violence and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee out as profane out of
the
(17) Thine
heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou has corrupted thy wisdom by
reason thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before
kings, and so on and so on in there.
28. Now
you notice that Satan here had a stewardship. And he had a multiplicity of good
things from God in order to be able to work out his stewardship to the
satisfaction of God in the entire assembly, because, as the Bible said, if one
suffers, all suffer; if one rejoice, all rejoice. So therefore, he had a
ministry before God in the heavens that encompassed everything in the program
and the
29. Now,
in verse 15 It says; “Thou was perfect in thy ways from the day thou was
created.” And that’s exactly true. He was perfect in his ways from the days he
was created. And notice what he had. He said he had wisdom, he had brightness,
and he had beauty. He sealed up the sum of wisdom, perfect in beauty. He had
this tremendous priestly garment like the ephod only it wasn’t that. He had a
position: [the] anointed cherub that coverth. He was set that way in the holy
He
was allowed to walk up and down in the perfections that God had created there:
[a] beautiful city no doubt, whatever it was. And he was perfect in all his
ways. In other words there wasn’t one thing that God gave him that wasn’t
absolutely perfect. Now it has to be that way, because you’re dealing with God
in perfection. All things are pure in heart to the children of God, and those
that are pure in heart. “All things are pure to the pure in heart.” And then,
there’s other verses of Scripture that bear out the fact that all things are of
God, and there’s nothing evil in itself. [There is] no way God makes things evil
in themselves. It’s what they do with it.
30. And
you’ll notice what happened was by reason of the mind and the power to think
and reason. The word ‘imaginings’ in the Bible is not ‘imagine’, although
that’s true. It’s an imaging that you shouldn’t be doing, it means ‘to reason’.
And the reasoning is, they begin to look at things and say, “Oh, my, this being
this and that being that.”
“Hey,
if I put that together, this would happen here; and, if I did this over here,
I’d have a consequence over here. Aha!”
That’s
what I’m looking at is this consequence. See? [Blank spot on tape.]
Now
that’s what the devil did. And the Bible said he had all these perfections here
and everything was very wonderful and everything was in divine order, until
iniquity, which means ‘the perverting of the Word’ was found in [him]. [End of
side one of the audio tape.] So now, if he had every single thing here, which
was one hundred percent exactly right, there is nothing there in itself that
can be perverted. Do you understand what I’m saying? There’s nothing there that
could be perverted. Then, it’s what you do with it, and how you do it, that
brings a perversion! You follow me? That’s what you’re looking at.
31. Now,
keep that in mind when we go into further lessons. And we’ll go into further
lessons on the daily walk in life of our stewardship. And, when I’m through
preaching I hope, in spite of all my failures, all my wrongdoings and
everything that’s bad about me, someone will take up the challenge and walk in
the light. Where my generation, I have failed, as in the Exodus, I hope someone
can take up the challenge, like a Joshua and Caleb, and walk right into the
32. So,
it couldn’t have been anything wrong, basically, with what the individual was
and what he had from God. It’s what he began to think of, and do, with what was
there according to himself and apart from the Most High. Because that’s what He
says right here: “You were perfect.” He had to be, “until you began perverting
the Word.” That’s why Bro. Branham brought out what Larkin brought out. You
don’t violate the Word by resting it; you don’t apply it over here, when it
belongs here and so on. You got to be careful. Well Satan did that, “till
iniquity was found in thee.”
33. Now,
watch what happens to this guy. We go over here to the Book of Revelation 20,
and I’m going to show you [that] he’s accountable for what he did. And It says
right here [verse 10]: “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the Lake
of Fire and brimstone, where the beast and false prophet are, to be tormented
day and night for ever and ever.” See? You’re responsible. Very responsible. So
am I.
34. Now,
let’s go. I read here Ezek 28:15, “…iniquity was found in thee.” Then later, we
don’t know how much later, I don’t have any idea, but in Ezek 28:13, “Thou has
been in
Here
he was, leading in worship. The High Priest entered once a year with blood. Is
that right? You couldn’t get to God without the High Priest. Here he’s almost a
High Priest. He’s in the garden. He hasn’t forgotten who he was. He hasn’t
changed one little bit. So what’s he going to do when he comes down? Come on,
[it’s] simple as A-B-C. What’s he going to do? Pervert the Word. Well, come on.
What do you expect him to do? He’s not going to come down and kill them. He’s
not going to come down and do anything but lead them in the worship of God.
Huh? Well, come on.
Can
you see it all fall in place where Bro. Branham said, “Forget politics. Forget communism.
Forget fascism. Forget everything. It’s religion.” All right.
35. What
does Malachi Martin say? And he’s one of the main mouthpieces of the pope. He
said, “Politics have failed. There’s no statesmen left. There’s nothing left--nowhere.”
He said, “The church has to step in and take over.”
Right
Brian [Kocourek]? That’s exactly what he said. And that’s exactly what’s going
to be happening.
The
Jews went to the Pope. Reagan went to the Pope. He and the Pope knocked down
communism in
36. Now,
“Thou wast in
They
say, “William Branham, what did he mean?”
He
said, “You’re
looking at me, aren’t you?”
All
right, let’s apply this to the devil. Huh? Huh? Oh come on, get with me and get
your brains moving. Jesus said, “I have chosen you twelve, and one of you is
the devil.” [Jn 6:70] Who were they looking at? Judas. Then were they seeing
the devil? Okay.
When
Eve looked at the beast, who was she seeing? The devil.
“Oh, I don’t think so, Bro. Vayle.”
Well
hey, your thoughts aren’t as good as mine. I’ll stick with mine. You think what
you want. I’m not really interested, because I’m telling you the truth. See?
I’ve been puzzling this, and it’s just broke to me now, because I had to have a
break.
37. “The
serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field.” [Gen 3:1a] A subtil
beast? Hah, come on. Come on face it; ‘a subtil beast’ my foot. Who was the
brightest star in the
(1b) He
said to the woman, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
(2) The
woman said, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
(3) But
the fruit of the tree in the midst of the garden, God has said, Ye shall not
eat of it, unless… nor touch it, lest ye die.
(4) And
the serpent said, You shall not surely die:
Aha!
He is now interpreting the Word to this woman. So what is he? He’s now a
teacher. But you can’t have a single teacher anywhere under high heaven, until
first there’s a prophet. Prophets got to be first; apostles, then teachers.
38. So
here’s this devil, acting the high priest, acting the prophet, acting Jesus
Christ, acting God. Do what you want to call it, the Son and God, wouldn’t
matter what. He’s down there in the full panoply. He’s all of it. Now:
(5) For
God doth know in the day ye eat thereof, your eyes shall be opened, and ye
shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
(6) The
woman saw the tree was good for food, and pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to
be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and
gave also to her husband with her; and he did eat.
Now
you notice that this woman here, she wanted that fruit, because she wanted to
be wise. And that’s what the devil offered her was this wisdom. This wisdom is
the beginning of… what? Gnosticism. Gnosticism. Right here. He knew something
she didn’t know. He knew something that God didn’t tell. So he has a better and
a further revelation. He knows more than Adam or anybody. And he doesn’t deny
God. Oh no, no, no, no. He doesn’t deny God. He even knows that there is a God;
he’s a theist from the ground up. So, he is the first gnostic.
39. So
now, am I right when I teach gnosticism to be the thing you’ve got worry about,
or am I wrong? So the whole world’s in gnosticism. Mohammed had a better one.
Confucius had a better one. Buddha had a better one. Joe Smith had a better
one, Joe Smith. Mary Baker Eddy had a better one. Mrs. White had a better one.
Everybody had a better one. And I don’t want one of the better ones. I want one
of the old ones, because it’s the best one. Because every one is gnosticism.
Remember,
40. “The
eyes were both opened, they knew they were naked.” [Gen 3:7a] See? They got a
knowledge all right. Then, they got very practical: they sewed fig leaves
together and made themselves aprons. But you know all their righteousness
fadeth as a leaf. There’s you first fading leaf. That’s why I can’t stand faded
clothes that come fresh from the manufacturer when you got these stone
bleached, or whatever you call them, garments. Mine has no bleached spots on
it. I don’t want even a thought of that. I know my typing isn’t too great, but
its better than most peoples, so I won’t worry about it.
41. Satan
lied in Gen 3:4: “Thou shalt not surely die.” But notice, and be very, very
careful here that you don’t run with this and make some foolish mistake,
because I want you to know he evidently did not lie in Gen 3:5, when he said,
“You shall be as gods, knowing good and evil and your eyes shall be opened,”
because what did God say in Gen 3:22? “And the Lord God said, ‘Behold, the man
has become as one of us, to know good and evil.’” So now the devil tells one
lie, and he doesn’t tell another lie. Oh he’s slick!
Hey!
Isn’t that the way marriage and these women are fooled and all these stupid
women, they get a guy; why, he tells he a lie; then, he tells her the truth
then, he tells a lie, and he tells her the truth, and she shakes back and
forth. She’s got a lie; she’s got the truth. She’s got a lie; she’s got the
truth. But, “Oh I love him, because I got to be some good, because he told me
the truth.”
So
he beats you up and knocks you down, gets drunk, violates you.
“But
I—I—I love him.”
You’ve
got to be sick. If we’ve got any sisters like that here please come and consult
with me and Bro. John, and we’ll see if we can shake the living daylights out
of you and get some good daylights in you or do something. I don’t know how
we’re going to do it, but you need help, because you’re under the devil. And
that’s the way the church is: they’re under the devils.
Oh,
they tell some truth and they tell some lie. Do you know what the devil did way
back there? He used one Scripture, and then, he used another Scripture,
because, you see, he knew Scripture that they didn’t even know yet. Oh yeah,
and he twisted it, and he’s still doing it.
42. Do
you know the rapture doctrine came out in an Irvingite meeting where a woman on
the floor, speaking in tongues, interpreting in a dark room, told about—told
about the mysterious rapture to take place, the secret rapture. And everybody
fell for it. And I was very critical when Bro. Branham preached that “Rapture”,
you know, the way about the saints going in—up before the tribulation. I hit
pretty hard, and I said, “Well, Bro. Branham, what about this woman saying so
and so?”
And
he said, “Lee,”
he said, “I
don’t care who said it, where it was said. It’s the truth.”
And
the devil came right along here in the beginning, and he fed her a lie, and he
fed her the truth. He changed one word and made it a lie, and he gave the
truth. But the truth turned into a lie, and that’s what the Bible said they do:
they turn the truth into a lie [Rom 1:25]. And he did it right here. Oh yeah.
Oh, listen, I think I’m on a real hot trail here.
43. Now,
if you like, I just might go over here to Matthew 4, and we just might see
something that’s really, really interesting; to make you to know that the devil
hasn’t changed in the presence of the Son of God manifest in flesh, and God in
him, manifesting through his flesh. For It says right here in Mat 4:2-3; “And
Jesus was an hungered, the devil came to him to tempt him.” And It tells you, [
] the tempter said: (That’s the devil, Satan.)
(3b) If
thou be the Son of God, command these stones to be made bread.
(4) And
Jesus said, Man shall not live by bread alone, but every word that proceeds out
of the mouth of God.
Now
you see, the fact of the matter is that Jesus, later on said, “God can raise up
of these stones children unto Abraham” [Mt 3:9, Lk 3:8], so the devil was on
solid ground.
And
he said, “Hey you can turn this into bread, go ahead and do it.”
And
Jesus said, “It’s also… It’s written here, over here… Jesus used the Word
right.
(5) The
devil takes him to the holy city, sets him on the temple,
(6) And
said, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He give
his angels charge concerning thee: bear thee up, and so on, lest thou dash thy
foot against a stone.
(7) And
Jesus said, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
44. People
used to say to me, “Bro. Branham said it.”
I
said, “Hold it. But Bro. Branham also said.”
Oh
they loved me, they said, “Bro. Vayle, you’re the best guy in the world.”
Oh
did they? Ha ha ha. When I ducked my head in the sand, they filled me so full
of buckshot, I didn’t dare look up in case they blew my head off.
45. The
spirit of God, brother/sister, never changes. “It is also written. It is also
written.” “It is also written: thou shalt obey the laws of the land.”
Yet
one man said, “Polygamy is fine,” but he wouldn’t go and get papers from the
authority. See? “I’m going to be polygamist, because I believe in my God that
make me polygamist.” So therefore… What did he do? He had a mock ceremony and
his wife had to sit by, because the poor thing was destitute.
And
I see these preachers marrying women, divorcing wives. And they got to be nice,
because the poor women are destitute, having born their children, having loved
them and provided, cast them aside like a dirty thing. You women that are
preparing to get married, you make sure you marry a man of God and know him, or
you will get what’s coming to you. And I’ll laugh at you. And you men the same
way.
I’ve
seen women, right before me and other preachers, lie—lie!—before God, when they
had the vow. They knew they didn’t care for a vow. The vow was never there.
That marriage has to be illegal as far as I’m concerned. Except Bro. Branham
did say, “You
made a vow. Then where’s this leave the women? She made a vow, she’d better do
something about it.”
Yeah,
he just shifted the Word of God around any way he wanted it. See? That’s what
he did.
46. Now
Bro. Branham said, “One word off is Satan’s kingdom.” But Satan
did the same thing to the Bride. Look what he did to the Bride in 2 Corinthians
11, which I’ve read many, many times to you. And he said [verse 2], “I’m
jealous over you with a Godly jealously: I have espoused you to one husband.”
Oh, “one husband,” hallelujah. And how can you be married to Mr. Baptist and
Mr. Presbyterian, Mr. Methodist, and Mr. This and Mr. That, and be married to
Mr. Jesus Christ? I want to know.
(2b) Espoused
you to one husband, I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
(3) But
I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtility,
so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
(4) For
he that cometh preacheth another Jesus… and so on and so on. (So there he was
doing the same thing. Now let’s go to verses 13-16,)
(13) For
such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into
apostles of Christ.
They
weren’t transformed by God, as you and I are transformed, and were already
transformed, if we’re in the body of Christ and each one of us, members of each
other, and each one of us with a position in Christ and a part in Christ and
every one with some kind of a ministry, with the prophet and the five-fold over
it all. [And it’s] not because I’m a five-fold; forget it. But at least I know
to whom I’m responsible, and I try to fill my job. And believe me, I don’t get
this from the devil. How could I get it from the devil and go against the devil
like I’m doing?
(14) No
marvel; Satan is transformed into an angel of light.
(15) Therefore,
it’s no great thing if his ministers be transformed into ministers of
righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
Now
listen, remember, the righteousness act of Abel was shedding the blood that God
said, “You shed the blood.” The evil act was where he—Cain—would not shed the
blood but brought the first-fruit or the fruit offering, denying that he was
serpent seed. Denying that he was different. He said, “I’m the same as Abel.
Look what I’m doing.” So they’ll come in here and take you right off of that
Word. That’s what they’re supposed to do.
47. Now
listen, if one word off then is Satan’s kingdom, what about those verses over
there in Revelation 3 about the Laodicean Church that’s wretched, miserable,
naked, and blind? See? What about them? Where do they stand today? Let’s go to
2 Corinthians 4 and just take a look at that. And in 2 Cor 4:4 It says; “In
whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not,
lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God,
should shine unto them.”
Now,
if the eyes are blind, that’s bad. What if the minds are blind? What if the
minds have all those veils upon it, and they can’t see the things of Almighty
God? See?
48. Now,
putting this in a clearer light, we saw Satan, a religious, spiritual being, a
cherubim leading in worship, but getting out of order, getting off the Word,
perverting it. Yet unchanging as to his being according to creation and, then,
creation going astray. You see, he couldn’t change being what he is. That’s why
he still will lead in worship and still attempt to exalt himself above God and
will almost get to doing it; and he will in his own church, which is false. We
saw him in Eden in Genesis 3. We saw him in the Bride Church in 2 Cor 2:11. Now
we go to Acts 1:15-20.
Now,
you notice, I’m sowing up for you every thing you need to know about the two
spirits, about worship, what is going on. And you’ll get what is a very dynamic
understanding, when I read to you beginning in Acts 1:15.
(15) And
in those days, Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the
number of days being an hundred and twenty,)
(16) Men
and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy
Ghost by the mouth of David spoke concerning Judas, which was guide to them
that took Jesus. (He… In other words, he was spoken of as the one who’d
betrayed Jesus.)
(17) For
he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.
Now
he was not a part of them, but he had a part of the ministry. Did you hear what
I said? He was not a part of them. He was not a part of God, but he had a part
of the very same ministry they had. So therefore, every thing Judas had was
really fine and dandy. It was good. It was clean. It was ordained and produced
by God. But he defiled it. He used it wrong. Iniquity was in him. He perverted
it.
This
is what we are looking at in stewardship that I have found as I studied the
subject to bring us to what I consider the definitive understanding now of what
Bro. Branham taught concerning the serpent. So you’re getting tonight, whether
you want to know it or not, a lot of “The Trail of the Serpent”. And it’s a
religious trail. It’s a trail of every good thing that God, Who is perfect,
made perfect things, and is perverted by usage--perverted with a wrong
understanding, a wrong desire to a wrong end.
49. Now
let’s go to Acts 5 just for a little bit here, and we might see something
interesting: how far this can go. And it’s Acts 5:1-5.