Godhead #11 Father, we thank You for Your Presence, realizing that You have come down here on earth to bring the Word, Your Own Word, to set the Church in order and to bring about a Resurrection and immortality for the Rapture and the great Wedding Supper. We thank You for that and for knowing the hour in which we live. We know the Word which is relative to it, and we know our place. Thank You for that, because the knowledge which we have is from the Most High, even Yourself. We pray that as we study Your Word tonight and see conditions in the earth, we will understand more of Your goodness and graciousness to us, realizing that we have become separated by the Word and, thereby, have been separated unto Yourself. Therefore, knowing that we are with You and the Word, by grace, we are secure and safe. And no matter which way the wind blows, how the storms come, the lightning, the thunders, the earthquake; whatever comes, we know, when all is shattered and gone, we will be standing, because we’re standing with You and know we are on the Lord’s side. We have not asked You, Lord, to come to our side, because we know that would not have been right from the beginning. But, when You invited us to come to Your side, we were glad we came over to the Truth, and we abide in the Truth, and we believe the Truth abides in us making us one with You and the Son and all one together. We thank You, Lord, that we have understood these things having received them, and we know they are vindicated to us. We praise You for it in the Name of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen. You may be seated. 1. Now, just before we get into Jn 1:1 again, I think perhaps that you’re aware that since the last time I was here, there was quite a great to-do about the fact of the spread of AIDS in the world and, especially, in Africa. There has not been a let up in the press. You can hardly turn to a paper or a magazine, or listen to the radio, or turn on a TV, whatever you want, you’re going to find that more and more AIDS is sweeping the country. And I’m going to talk a little bit about it tonight, and I’m going to tell you a few things that you would never know except I tell them to you, because no one else is privy to what I’m going to tell you. 2. Now here’s a little article that came in the Dayton newspaper. It says – “AIDS Worst Is Yet To Come.” “United Nations; UN AIDS experts issued a grim report on the global epidemic Tuesday, saying that no one could predict when the plague would be contained in Africa and that half of all fifteen year olds in South Africa and Zimbabwe would die from the disease. And Peter Piotte, head of the UN joint program on HIV (AIDS) warned Tuesday that the human toll is only going to get worse over the next years even if today, by some miracle, all HIV transmission would stop.” Of course, it’s not going to stop. “The virus has killed nineteen million people and infected 34 million more, including four million last year alone.” 3. Here’s what it also says: “Geneva – AIDS...” This is from the report from the UN, I guess. “AIDS has killed 19 million people worldwide, but the worst is yet to come, the United Nations predicted Tuesday. The disease is expected to wipe out half the teenagers in some African nations devastating economies and societies. There is a whole generation, which is being taken out, said Peter Piotte, head of the UN joint program on HIV (AIDS). He said vulnerable countries as Asia, Eastern Europe and the Caribbean risk a similar catastrophe unless they can act now to control infection rates.” We’ll bring that out—how they are going to do it. “In its 135 page report released Tuesday” (It could have been 1335 pages. It wouldn’t make any difference.) “the virus has killed nineteen million people worldwide, up from 16.3 million at the end of 1998.” And remember, they were boasting how it was going down. 4. You know, we’re not dumb that we cannot read the papers. The press thinks it’s above God. All they got to do is say something, and “That’s it.” “AIDS have gone down.” It’s gone up. Like the press said years ago that capital punishment didn’t do one thing to bring down crime. After the stupidity that came out of Great Britain, after all that stupidity, twenty years, they found that crime had just gotten worse and worse and capital punishment does deter. But the press knows everything. Never doubt the press. Doubt God. But never doubt the press, you know, because, they’re like the Sanhedrin. You know, the Sanhedrin said, “When God gets a tough question, He calls on us.” I love that one. 5. “The virus has killed 19 million people worldwide up from 16 million. It has infected 34 million more, including 5.4 million last year alone. More than 13 million children have been orphaned by AIDS.” Now we read that and saw that the last time I spoke to you. “In sixteen sub-Saharan African countries, more than one-tenth of the population ages fifteen to forty-nine carries the human immune-deficiency virus. (That’s HIV.) In seven of those countries, at least one fifth of the population is infected. One of the countries where twenty percent of the population is infected is South Africa.” Now there wasn’t much ever said about South Africa. It was always Zimbabwe and the rest; but now, we’re examining South Africa, which actually, has the most, or one of the most, stable governments in the sub-Saharan area. Now, “which had 4.2 million people that are HIV positive, the largest single national total. The Southern African nation of Botswana has the worst rate with more than one in three adults infected which is the equivalent of 90 million out of the US population of 270 million.” Now they’re very careful that they don’t tell you one thing about the states. Of course, it’s all hush-hush and nobody over here has the AIDS. That’s ridiculous to even think so, because, well, the press says so. 6. “With dwindling numbers of economically active adults left to support the rest of the population, the impact on poor African nations is devastating. Agricultural production in nations like Zimbabwe, where two thousand people die each week of AIDS, is falling. Hopes of better education are also in tatters. The number of new teachers trained in Zambia is just keeping pace with the numbers felled by AIDS.” 7. Now you know where we go to the Bible on this: we go to Romans 1, which you can’t put that on the air or talk about this in Britain. If you even talk about it, you can be fined a large sum of money, put in jail, etc. I think one Christian group was fined $30,000 just for reading this. Now, in Romans It says: (18) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold down the truth in unrighteousness. Now you know that unrighteousness is a deliberate use of the Word of God outside the framework of the Word, wherein God said It was to be used. It’s as Cain did the unrighteous thing when he used, what really amounted to the first-fruit offering instead of the blood offering. And the Septuagint says, “Thou has rightly offered, but thou has not rightly divided; therefore, hast thou not sinned?” And Paul confirms that it is rightly dividing the Word of Truth where you’re supposed to stand. So, It tells you right here that the Truth of God is held down by hypocrites, by people who use the Bible and deliberately use It wrong so that the Truth cannot be given to the people. So, the Truth is held back by organization, and that’s what we are looking at here. 8. Now It says: (19) Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. (Now that sounds very strange there, where you’d say, because that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God hath showed it unto them, but notice the next word: (20) For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made, even the eternal power and Godhead, so they are without excuse. So, It tells you right here, that anybody that believes in evolution is a fool because, automatically, people know there is some God, some sort of a God, some force, some design. And, if they know there’s a design, there has to be a designer. Now, notice how far the press goes in aggrandizing so-called scientists. They will say there’s no such thing as a legitimate scientist who believes in creation. Yet they will now go so far as to admit there is a design. How can there be a design without a designer? So, you see, these people know better and knowing better, they’re not going to do a thing about it except try to destroy the very concept of God. 9. Now, when the Truth of God, Godhead, or Reality is rejected and scorned, here’s what begins to happen: (21a) Because that when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; Now, when did that happen? It happened every time that God sent a prophet, every time that God sent a messenger, but particularly the prophet, and at the end time, the particular prophet was William Branham, prophet of God, Mal 4:5-6, the Elijah of this hour, which people did not even dream would come to the Gentiles. Now you just hold on, because I’m going to show you something here that you don’t have a clue to, but I can tell you the truth of it. (21b) Now, they became vain in their reasonings and their foolish heart was darkened. (Ps 14:1) And the fool hath said in his heart, there is no God. So, they’ve got fools hearts. And you notice how God just brushes the whole thing off and calls them fools. That’s all—fools. That’s why it’s dangerous to call a man a fool, unless he is a fool. You can call him foolish, dumb, idiot, dolt, and all the rest like I’m prone to do, which may be not be polite. 10. Now, with that, the foolish heart becomes darkened. Now watch what happens from the darkened heart. (22) Professing themselves to be wise, they became actual fools. (Now it’s going from the foolish, from fool to fool. You’ve got a double portion.) (23) And changed the glory of the un-corruptible God to an image made like corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. (Now, that took place back there; we’re going to bring you up to date.) (24) Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lust of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves; (And you know that took place by watching pagan religions, when Israel stood above it all; the rest were pagans.) (25) Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator who is blessed forever. Amen. (In other words that settles it. Now, watch.) (26) For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural into that which against nature: (And we’re talking sexually here now. So, let’s just understand that and not try to change the meaning.) (27) And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of woman, burned in their lusts one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. (Now, this is the first thing that comes out of rejecting reality.) (28) And as they even did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to reprobate minds, to do those things, which are not convenient; So, now you’re going from inordinate and forbidden sexuality to just anything that’s extreme. That’s why you’ve got these songs you have today about beating women up and raping them and killing them. See, they’re gone. They’re going to keep going. Now watch. What happens after H-m-o-s-x-u-a-lity? (29a) Being filled with all unrighteousness, They now demand access to the churches, to priesthood, to communion, to every thing that is forbidden them in the Word of God, and say, “We are just as good as anybody. God does not condemn us, God loves us; and therefore, we are equal to anybody else.” And now, they’ve even got laws that you don’t dare say anything. They’re protected, and you’re unprotected. There were a couple H-m-o-s-x-u-a-ls—one a lesbian, one a H-m-o-s-x-u-a-l—the other night debating. And the man was clear in his thinking. He said, “I don’t care what they say about me.” He said, “I want it all in the open.” But listen to the woman, “No!” She would pin Dr. Laura Schlesinger’s ears back. She’d put her off the air. She’d do everything to make everybody ‘shut up!’ so that she can talk. Now, if that’s not Sodom, I don’t what is. The mayor of the hour was poor old Lot, mayor of the town. But, who ran it? The Sodomites ran it. How far away from this are all United States of America governments? 11. Now watch: (29b) Fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, (30) Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents. (31) Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: (32) Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. (In other words the whole religious system goes to this error. And they’re happy with it.) Now, what am I going to tell you? In 1954 Bro. Branham went to India where there was a Mt. Carmel showdown, for all the great religions of the world were there, the Buddhists, the Mohammedans, the Christians, Catholics, Roman, no doubt, all the various types, Protestants, what have you. They were there for the great showdown. When Bro. Branham went to India, he took with him some people; and I believe, unknown to Bro. Branham, was one man—I’m not sure that DuPlessis got him there or Ern Baxter. And I’m going to speak very plainly, and I’ve said it before. And I’m not the least alarmed to say it, because it’s the truth. Baxter was a womanizer. He even got drunk on the plane and came off doing the goose-step and everybody laughing at him. In India, he consorted with women. They came to Bro. Branham and said, “Is it right for the father to have these women?” 12. But even more alarming than that was the fact that there was a man amongst them called Count Faery Von Blomberg. Von Blomberg was the adopted son of, evidently, a Count and a Countess. And he was recognized as a Christian, evidently Full Gospel Businessmen circles, but he was a H-m-o-s-x-u-a-l. And he approached a young man who was a Christian Pentecostal preacher named Sigfried Encke. I know what I’m talking about, because I know Sigfried Encke; met him in Columbus. He knew that I was a friend of Bro. Branham’s and worked with him, so he amazingly told me his story, how that this man did everything he could to engage him in some illicit sexual affair. And believe me, I sweat to get around the problem and let him know that Bro. Branham had nothing to do with anything like that. 13. That was in 1954, when the showdown came. What am I trying to tell you? The H-m-o-s-x-u-a-ls were there before, but this is the first time one was really around Bro. Branham where the light was, whereas Bro. Branham said, “The prophet is the revealed Word of God made manifest.” Actually, the prophet is the human vessel wherein God resided to bring forth His Word. Not like in Jesus, but like Moses; we’ll read some of that tonight. Now, that was a very bad situation, 1954, a Pentecostal man supposed to be a great Christian—nobility, a H-m-o-s-x-u-a-l. 14. I believe it was about 1956 and no later, that Leo and Gene, Leo Mercier and Gene Goad, God told Bro. Branham to hire them—two H-m-o-s-x-u-a-ls. So, I want you to get the drift of what I’m saying. This, what I’m talking about here, where God made Himself known, and through a prophet, is where men turned back and the H-m-o-s-x-u-a-ls were standing right there to take over. And you’re going to see more and more of it, and you’re going to see more and more corruption, and you’re going to see more and more people dying from AIDS. Bro. Branham said there’d come a time when people standing on this ground here—and I said it even, I think even before he did—because, when I saw that the Scriptures said that God repented He made man, I looked very closely in the Hebrew to find out what that word ‘repent’ means ‘to be sorrowful’. And God was very sorrowful concerning the state of man which man had found himself, and so, therefore, God did not let the last man suddenly gasp and fall into the ooze and scum of the universe and gag and die with his last breath. He cut them off. 15. So, all right. Now I said, they were actually dripping puss from their body, infection, inflammation. And Bro. Branham had said peoples’ bodies would be decaying even while they were alive. And we know now, that they’re scurrying to find the last little bit of antibiotics they can get from the ocean. The earth cannot purify itself. There’s nothing left. So, they’re turning to the ocean, and the ocean is corrupt. And really, I don’t think we have any distance to go, because there are infections right now that nothing can touch except fire. And yet they’ve found bacteria at the mouth of volcanoes where it’s very, very hot. So, you can see there are bacteria that are so resistant, we wonder how are they going to be destroyed? They’ll mutate. They’ll survive. But man will not survive them. So, we’re now in a position to understand what I’ve read tonight about AIDS. 16. Okay, let’s just take a picture of what’s going on in the world today, because people simply don’t want to recognize the actual fact of the matter. There’s a man named Williams up in New York. Here’s one man up here, Williams. [Bro. Vayle draws on the white board.] This man peddled drugs. He had AIDS, which is contagious. He gave drugs to one hundred girls, at least, in high school, for sexual favors. One hundred girls, here. How many got infected? I don’t know. But here’s a French-Canadian, very handsome young blond man who was a steward on airplanes that traversed from New York to Europe. He contracted AIDS, and he infected at least two hundred people. Do you realize what I’m telling you? You that are monogamous, have kept to one wife, to one man, do you realize what I’m saying? This man—two hundred! Let it sink in. If he got two hundred infected, and they’re as rotten as he is, you can better believe there’ll be five thousand down the line, and they all keep transmitting the deadly disease. 17. Let’s start again up here with one hundred girls up here. Let’s say one of those girls had been infected. In other words she’s known as an easy mark, and she is loose. She’s literally a little prostitute, which is too bad, but she is. Now I’m going to tell you something: you can have a lot of guys down here, and as Bro. Branham said, “The man is made to take it;the women had better notice and learn to say ‘No!’” I’m quoting the prophet, and I’m right with the prophet one hundred percent. 18. Now these guys down here, this fellow here, likely... I’m just being suggestive to the extent of being very low in numbers. Let’s say that three of these guys right down here only had three other women. Now they’ve contacted her, and they go down here to these three here, and these three take some more men on. Now, notice what’s going to happen. It’s going to get bigger and bigger. Now I don’t understand all about polling, and I don’t understand all about figures, but I do know this one thing: I quoted you from statistics here months ago that when you have illicit intercourse with anybody, you have now two hundred partners. 19. All right, let’s just keep looking. Figures don’t lie, and I’m not trying to scare anybody. I’m just trying to show you possibilities. All right. We’ve got 35 million people here. Right? Now let’s just cut that down. Never mind that they’ve had two hundred partners somewhere, or will have, stretched out. Let’s just put it down to one hundred: three billion, 500 million. And the world’s only got six billion people in it. So you tell me now that they won’t be walking this earth with puss flowing out of their bodies and their bodies rotting, and I tell you, you are being fooled by the press. And it’s time to realize that Bro. Branham said, “Science will prove this message correct.” And science has, because they’re dying right now—living bodies decaying. 20. At the very beginning, when the AIDS came on the scene, people were more honest, and they let you know that many, many people that were dying of brain problems actually had AIDS. And they let you know that many, many dying of cancer, it was actually sarcoma that came after the AIDS. And they let you know. But now they don’t let you know, and you could even go to prison by naming somebody. You cannot even have anybody in America… Pin it right down: they can take your Social Security Number, they can do a million things to you, but when it comes to AIDS... There’s where you have little Ryan White’s dying—hemophiliacs. And there is where you have Arthur Ashe, the great black tennis player, dying because of an intravenous. How many have died because of them? And how many are going to die? And It says the wrath of God comes because of these very things. I’m not happy with the situation, and I know that you’re not happy with it, but I just wanted you to know how quickly this could spread. And it is spreading. 21. And, don’t you let anybody tell you that it came from little green monkeys. “Oh, the little green monkeys had it; and, then, a mosquito bit the little green monkey, and the mosquito bit the bird, and the bird came in with these droppings, and it went into the pigpen, and the pigs ate it, and then …” Oh, come on. Give me a break! You think I’m going to deny the Word of God to please H-m-o-s-x-u-a-ls? It says right here that the H-m-o-s-x-u-a-l has brought this on earth—period. Now you say, “Are you trying to fight them?” I’m not trying to fight them. “Would you beat them up?” No, I wouldn’t beat them up. “What would you do about them?” I’d just leave them be; if necessary, pray for them, talk to them. I wouldn’t try to hurt any of them. I’ve got no fight with them. But I’ll tell you: I’m here to defend the Word of the living God, because He’s defending me. 22. Remember, when Eve got from behind that Word, she already died. And when she left that and went to that serpent, she died a second time. And when Adam came to her, she died a third time. Everything’s in three’s; don’t think they’re not. So let’s not fool ourselves. Let’s realize where we’re at. It’s going to get worse. I know I speak very blunt. Many times little children hear me, and you parents have got to deal with them; but you’re going to have to deal with your kids like I never had to deal with mine; because, when my kids were growing up, these things were very, very rare. They always were there, and they have been through centuries because of the very fact that God said, “Be fruitful and multiply.” Fruitful means ‘put you in a position where you can bear children’. ‘Multiply’ means that you do perform the act. Bro. Branham said, “When God gave a command, He made a way for it.” And the way for it is exactly as Bro. Branham said, “Children are born from sexual desire.” And that sexual desire can absolutely ruin you and destroy you, because the body is the temple of the Holy Ghost. The body is the Lord’s. And we are given that, as a woman is, Bro. Branham said, “She is designed by God especially to be a sacred vessel for childbearing,” and she simply is not on the spot. The man is on the spot, because he is usually the aggressor, but the woman doesn’t usually take much aggression before she falls the way Eve did. 23. So, we have a very great problem today, and the problem is to flee to Christ, away from these things, and to be more forthcoming and honest and upright than are those people in the world who say, “Well, God loves a sinner but hates the sin.” My Bible tells me, “God is angry with the sinner all the day long.” I’d like to see them get around that verse. 24. I don’t pit the Bible against the Bible. I say It the way It’s written. That’s why it’s so important to understand doctrine and live within the framework. And I just say to you, I’m grateful that my life is past. your lives are here; you’re bringing your children up in a wonderful way. Don’t forget to counsel them and to be with them and stay with them and help them through these hard times, because, as Bro. Branham said, “This is the most perilous time.” And the only time in the whole Bible that is spoken of as a perilous time is this hour in which we live. 25. Now I’m going to take you to John here, and go to Godhead. You have the history now of H-m-o-s-x-u-a-lity as you’ve never had it before, and I stand by everything that I have said. 26. Now in Jn 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Now Bro. Branham categorically said concerning this Scripture, “If you make Jesus the Word, you have three Gods.” Actually, you could have three or two gods. Now he was speaking, of course, to the Oneness and to the Trinitarians; so, he wasn’t talking to anybody that believed in two gods. So, he was saying here: “There is One God, which we know to be true, and He is the Word.” 27. Now, let’s just look at some Scripture concerning the truth of the Oneness of the Godhead, not Jesus-Only, but the actual reality that there is one God. In Deut 6:4, “Hear O’ Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord.” So, you can see here, he’s speaking in terms of sovereign authority, because the word ‘god’ means ‘sovereign’, ‘standing alone’, so that no one can do anything about Him or what He does. In other words the whole world stands still in the presence of God, completely shackled and completely under His dominion so that He does exactly what He wants to do. So, there’s one God, and actually, there is none beside Him. Not only is there a Oneness of the Godhead, but make no mistake about it, there are not two or three of them that comprise a Godhead. It says over here in Isa 45:5: (5) I am the Lord, there is none else, there is no God beside me (the self-existent One): I girded thee though thou hast not known me. And in verse 21: (21) Tell ye, and bring them near, yea, let them take counsel together who hath declared this from the ancient time? Who hath told it from that time? Have not I the Lord and there is no God else beside me. A just God and a savior, there is none beside me. (22) Look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the earth: for I am God and there is none else. (23) And he said, I have sworn by myself and my word has gone out of my mouth in righteousness and shall not return, and unto me every knee shall bow and every tongue shall swear. Now also, in Isa 44:24 It says, He is Lord alone. (24) Thus saith the Lord, thy redeemer that formed thee from the womb; I am the Lord that maketh all things that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; (Now, in other words it’s not just the heavens alone, because He did everything else. It’s God alone, stretching forth the heavens.) and spreadeth abroad the earth by myself. So, you see, He’s all alone, and “by myself” is what He is saying. 28. Also, you notice, in Isa 40:14, He says: (14) With whom took ye counsel and who instructed him and taught him in the path of judgment and taught him knowledge and showed to him the way of understanding? So, that let’s you know that God is not only one God, there’s no one beside Him; He’s Lord alone, nobody else, and He took counsel with nobody. In other words there’s no higher authority, like gnosticism would like to tell you. They have it all worked out in some stupendously foolish scheme that is antichrist—anti-Word. 29. Now also, you can find that there’s nobody that can compare to Him. In Isa 40:25: (25) To whom, then will you liken me, or shall I be equal? Saith the Holy One. He’s actually beyond comparison to the extent that there’s nothing you can compare Him to, because He’s the creator; He made all things, and He maintains all things. So, now you have a very inscrutable God. You have a God here that, unless He makes Himself known to you, you just merely are at your wits end or reliant upon your own judgment as you look around you and attempt to figure out something about God. Well, you know, you’re warned in the Ten Commandments, don’t try it. Don’t even begin to try it. It won’t work. 30. And then, we might also go over here to Daniel and hear what Nebuchadnezzar had to say after he came back from his trials of insanity, because he came against God, and now he learns about God. Dan 4:34-35 (34) And at the end of the days, I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven and mine understanding returned unto me and I blessed the most high and I praised and honored Him that liveth for ever whose dominion is an everlasting dominion and a kingdom from generation to generation. (35) And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing and he doeth according to his will and the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand or say unto him, What doest thou? Now, you can say what you want, but that fellow spoke by the Holy Ghost. An old Gentile king, way back there; he did a very good job. So, to whom can you liken him? Absolutely nobody. 31. And, on top of that, nothing else is allowed to take place under any consideration when you are talking and dealing with God. You have to deal utterly and absolutely alone according to how God wants to be dealt with. And there’s nothing you can say about how God wants to deal with you except you understand from God Himself how He wishes to deal with you and His purposes and whatever and what all He has in mind. So, It says over here in Ex 20:1-3. (1) And God spake all these words saying, (2) I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, and out of the house of bondage. (3) Thou shalt have no other gods before me. So, here He is, the one God did it. And now He says you’ll have no other gods before me. And there certainly isn’t anybody beside me, there isn’t anybody before me, and there’s nobody going to come after me. So therefore, I am completely isolated as to being God, and I must be dealt with according to my Own Godhoodness and what I am bound to do because of my Own personal Being. See? That’s something that you have to look at and consider very strongly. 32. Now also, over here in James, we have the witness of a man who was a Jew or Israelite, the same as was the apostle Paul. And in Jas 2:19, (19) Thou believest there is one God, thou doest well: the devils also believe and tremble. Now Bro. Branham mentioned concerning Paul (Saul) on the road to Damascus when that light struck. Now the New Testament calls it a light, the Old Testament it was always designated, pretty well, as a Pillar of Fire. And Paul said you couldn’t tell that Jew to say ‘Lord’ except he knew that was the same Pillar of Fire, the same one that Moses had spoken to; because remember, he would have to recognize that, because Jesus said, “I am the one that Moses referred to.” And then, if Saul did not recognize that, there’s no way that he would have possibly been a child of God. There’s no way. It’s just like today. 33. And also, we might go to Luke 4; and, of course, that’s Jesus speaking at the time of the temptation by Satan tempting him. And he says over here in Lk 4:8: (8) And Jesus answered and said, get thee behind me Satan, for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him (not them, not them, but him only; and not female either, not her) but him only shalt thou serve. Yet Bro. Branham said, “Jesus is God, but he is not God.” Well, what do you make of that? Well, the question came up, “What is the difference between Jesus and God?” And he said, “There is no difference, except sons have beginnings.” 34. Now, when he said, “He is God, but he’s not God; and there’s no difference between the Father and the Son, or Jesus and God, except sons have beginnings,” now what’s he saying there? He’s saying the very same thing that you and I would have to say concerning our own parentage, our own specie. We’re here because of our ancestors, ancestors going back to Adam—unfortunately also to the serpent—but if there were a pure race here today, it would be Adamic. And the Adamic race would be traced exactly back to God where God breathed into him the breath of lives and he became a living soul. And he became the progenitor and should have been the progenitor of every single male and female brought to this earth and come through Eve. But anyway, all in one lump we are of the human species. So when it comes down to difference, there isn’t any difference. Even as the Bible said, there is no difference, because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. 35. So, when you’re looking at Jesus being God, and yet not God, you’re looking at the fact also, not of just specie, but of the incarnation, because Jesus was a man; and the Bible says God is not a man in the sense that Jesus was a man. We’ll show you that God was a man another time, bringing out the spiritual as Bro. Branham brought it out to us: the first man, God; the second, Jesus; the third, Adam. We won’t have time tonight on that. But, we’re looking at this where he was God, but he wasn’t God on the grounds that he said, “I and my Father are one,” where the Son actually was the body, the flesh, making Jesus the temple of Almighty God. God was inside of Jesus; Jesus was the flesh. So, therefore, as you were looking at the Son, he could well say, “He that sees me sees the Father,” because that is exactly the truth, because the life that was manifested there in the body came from the life which originally and certainly was God-life, and that life had to manifest according to specie. And so, therefore, he said, “He that sees me, see the Father.” And that, of course, is exactly true. 36. Now, let’s go a little bit further. Concerning Jesus, Bro. Branham said, “He’s God, but he’s not God,” and “God is an object of worship.” So, we go to Revelation 5. (1) And I saw on the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book. Now him sitting on the throne, in other words, he’s got hips, he’s got buttocks, he can sit on a throne, and he’s got hands, he’s got a book there, sealed with seven seals. (2) And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seals thereof? (3) And no man in heaven, nor on earth, no man in earth, no man under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. (4) And I wept much because no man was found worthy to open and read the book, neither to look thereon. Now, you notice, the actual fact of the matter is that this is concerning a man. So, you’re not looking for an angel or an archangel or a cherubim or anybody else. You’re looking for a man. And he needed a man to open the Book. Well, you certainly have to have someone that’s in the category of a prophet at the very least. (5) And one of the elders said weep not, behold the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David hath prevailed to open the book and to loose the seals thereof. Seven seals are up. (6) And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, in the midst of the elders stood a lamb as it had been slain having seven horns and seven eyes which are the seven spirits of god sent forth into all the earth. (7) And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. (So, this, evidently, is a man.) (8) And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four elders fell down before the lamb everyone of the them having harps and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of the saints. (9) And they sung a new song saying thou art worthy to take the book to open the seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation: (10) And has made us unto our God, kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth. (Well, that’s Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, he’s a man, because a man had to open a book.) (11) And I beheld and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders and the number of them ten thousand time ten thousand, and thousands of thousands (Evidently, it’s millions of them.) (12) Saying with a loud voice, worthy is the lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. (13) And every creature which is in heaven and on earth and under the earth and such that are in the sea and all that are in them heard I saying blessing and honor and glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the lamb for ever and ever. (14) And the four beasts said amen, and the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever. So, the worship is of Jesus and his Father. So, now God’s an object of worship. You can see right here that he’s God, but he’s not God. 37. Now the thing is this: why did Jesus receive worship? Not because he was the Son of God, no way, shape, and form. He received worship, not because of what he was, but what he did. And he could only have done what he did because of what he was: that matchless, perfect character and that beautiful body which became the Blood of God and became the residence of Almighty God. 38. So therefore, Jesus is worshipped, but he’s not worshipped as God, and he’s not worshipped because of who he is, primarily. That is not really correct. He’s worshipped because of what he did, and he couldn’t have done what he did except for who he is. You follow me? So therefore, he’s not God, but he can be worshipped in the manner in which it is dictated by God, because Jesus himself said, “You don’t worship anybody but God, and only Him do you serve.” And so, when Jesus was there delivering us, let us understand that he was serving God, because he was crucified from before the foundation of the world, and he said for this cause was I born. Absolutely. So, you can understand, therefore, what we are saying. 39. Now, also with that, we might go to Rom 14:11, and we’ll compare to Phil 2:9-11. And It says: “For it is written, as I live saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God.” “As it is written, as I live saith the Lord,” (See?) “every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” We go to Phil 2:9-11. (9) Wherefore God hath highly exalted him and given him a name that’s above every name: (10) That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things in earth, and things under the earth, (11) And every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. It doesn’t say he’s God, but he’s getting a confession the same as God is getting a confession; and, therefore, though not equal with God, he is in the throne with God. Eventually he’ll be on the throne with the Pillar of Fire above God. He’s in the throne, but he’s under the jurisdiction of the Father, because he who said, “I don’t talk unless the Father tells me what to say, and I don’t do unless the Father shows me what to do,” cannot change. That is inviolate; it cannot be altered. 40. So, you can see here how that even though there is one God, and Jesus in not God, he is the Son of God, and he is a man, because he’s born and he comes by flesh. He had a preincarnation existence—perfectly fine. God, then, incarnated him. So, there’s a duality. One time the Father speaks; one time the Son could speak. But every single time the Son does it, it’s the Father doing it, because the precept has always been: God through Jesus creating, maintaining and redeeming. Even now, the same thing holds good, because the Melchisedec priesthood comes down from God. It’s not a man. It’s not a man thing at all. The Aaronic priesthood is man, absolutely—man dealing with God. But this time it’s God dealing with man and God moving all the way down and all the way through. 41. Now, because this is so, we want to read to you various portions of Bro. Branham’s sermons, just quotes here and there, which I don’t like to do in a sense of the word, but it’s all right. I prefer to take it sermon by sermon and topic by topic, as Bro. Branham gave it. But, let’s talk about the supreme Deity of Jesus Christ as has been said. Now that is actually not a true statement. Jesus cannot be supreme Deity. He’s not even Deity. When you talk of supreme Deity, you are talking of the word in the Greek, which is ‘theos’, which means ‘supreme Deity’. And, if Jesus is the Son of God, then he’s merely the son of supreme Deity. He is not supreme Deity. But let’s look into it. 42. “Now, if you’re believing right,” this is “Law or Grace” way back in 1954. [LAW OR GRACE JEFF IN V-26 N-7 WED 54-1006] Now remember, when you are dealing with Bro. Branham’s ministry, the great teaching ministry, you have to remember what he said in “Spoken Word Is the Original Seed,” that this prophet sows the seed of the entire Bible from the serpent to the Garden to the prophet in the teaching rain, which is William Branham. He sows it right up to that time. Then, he’s on his own with God; the teaching rain comes. And remember, it was September 21, 1958, that Bro. Branham opened the subject of serpent seed and preached it. So, he began sowing the seed of the entire Bible in 1958, and he deceased in 1965, which is exactly seven years. It’s all over at that time. [65] Now, if you’re believing right... If you just confess it with your lips, it doesn’t do you much good. But from your heart, if you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, you can’t live the same life you once lived. You can’t if you ever get a true view of Calvary. Now if you’re just taking a haphazard way, you’re just fooling yourself . Now there again, you see, it’s holding down the truth. Even though it’s there, they’re not believing correctly. It’s a lip assent. It’s not spiritual from the depth. But, when you really get a view of what Jesus was, oh my, how I like to preach the Deity, the supreme Deity of Jesus Christ, if you could ever realize who he was, and what he did for you men and women, your hearts would rend within you, and you’d be willing to throw away the trash of the world and live for him. How marvelous, and what a person he was if you realize the condescending of God Himself, unfolding Himself, coming down till He could get to your heart. Then, who’s he talking about concerning the supreme Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ? God! So, don’t just grab something and run with it. 43. [67] When God the Father, in the form a big cloud, hung over the children of Israel, and when He settled on the mountain that morning to write the law, why, if even an animal touch the mountain, he must be thrust through with a dart. Only through sanctification did He bring Moses up, set Aaron way down at the bottom of the hill to watch and keep guard. And, when that Pillar of Fire settled on that mountain, the lightning bursted forth and thunders roared and blackness settled. When Jehovah God, the Creator of all eternity settled on top of a mountain that He created Himself, the thickness of the clouds a bursting forth of the lightning, the shaking of the earth, till those Israelites standing out in yonder camp with the bleeding sacrifice around them said, “Let Moses speak, not God, lest we die.” Think of that. That same almighty, great being, humbled Himself and unfolded Himself and came in a body of flesh (Now, listen.) into a body of flesh that any man could touch with his hands. Now, what is that phrase? That’s a phrase: ‘the body of flesh’ is now described that any man could touch with his hands. A beast touching the mountain had to be thrust through. Any man could touch with his hands is actually an adjectival phrase, but could be held, almost, as a phrase in apposition to ‘body of flesh’. ‘Body of flesh’: something that can be touched with your hands, or the body of flesh that can be touched with your hands. See? The way a woman touched him, and he said, “Who touched me?”, you could touch him. What’s He doing? Claiming His role, trying to get to man, then after He went and offered His Own Blood, when no other blood would do... No wonder He was the priceless price of heaven, no wonder He was the King of all kings. When He unfolded Himself and came down, submitted Himself in the hands of sinful men to beat and spit on, bruised and hung on the cross to die. When He was standing there, someone said, “Well, I could call my…” (Now, watch.) “I could call my Father .” Now, what about that? See? You have to listen very, very carefully. Remember, God departed Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. See? You’ve got to put everything together. And you find, when you believe what Bro. Branham said, you’ll put it together. You won’t have a lot of difficulty. He said I could call my father, and He’d send me ten legion of angels, but my kingdom’s not of this world. And the crowd said, “Away with him. Away with him.” Why didn’t he turn and say, “Away with you.” There’s the reason he couldn’t, friends. Look at it. They were His Own children. To think of a man’s children crying for their daddy’s blood. If my children were rallying for my blood, there’d be nothing else I could say – ‘Take me.’ If he refused to do it, he lost his child, his very creation, his human beings. Now we know that God created all things by Christ Jesus, and we know positively God said, “Let us make man in our image,” and He’s speaking to the Son. And that has to be true, because Jesus was the image of God. We’ll talk about those things later. Maybe tomorrow. Could you imagine children calling for their father’s blood? That’s the reason He couldn’t say no. If he said no, they were lost. I’d die freely for my children; any father would. Look what He was, His Own children calling for His Blood. 44. [7] [UNWELCOMED CHRIST Jeff In V-26 N-20 SUN 56-0911] I heard Billy was right there. He preached the supreme Deity (That’s Billy Graham, I think.) of the Lord Jesus Christ, he said, there’s many a man, many men stand up and philosophers and so forth, but Jesus Christ was God Himself manifested in flesh.” Now Jesus Christ was, when you want to get down to the actual nitty-gritty, if you want to place the true story... What was it all about? God, manifest in flesh. Even Browning, the poet, understood that, when he talked about the Arabian, on the way, and said, “Could it be possible that God actually came down and indwelt a person and walked among us?” Brother, I hollered “Amen” as loud as I could, because I know that’s true. I believe that. Well, of course, me seeing the way they treated him, I’d drop right in his place, started right on with supreme Deity, that Jesus Christ was Jehovah God manifested in flesh.” See? So, all right. “Well, in doing that, the Lord gave us fifty thousand souls in that five-night’s meeting. And then, when they heard we were going up into Germany... Now there it’s state and church, which the church tells the state, and the state does it. And we’ve often taught many times... I’ve someone here that’s a Catholic friend; I don’t say this now to be shoving your church at all. No sir. I have thousands and tens of thousands of Catholic friends. But we’ve often thought in the early days when the Catholic Church united with the church and state together in the days of Papal Rome, and what a persecution it brought about. Brother, the Protestants are just as bad if not worse. And I’ve said the same thing. I believe that I’d sooner deal with a Catholic any day than a Protestant who wants to be argumentative, because the poor Catholic, he doesn’t really know anything. He’d been taught “God’s a great mystery,” so who knows? Actually, unless you’re really, say like a Methodist, and only believe in prohibition and take a drink on the side, I’d sooner deal with you than a Baptist any day of the week, because, you see, they don’t have to unlearn so much. If you’re not taught something wrong, you don’t have a bad time of it. You just don’t know. You see, if somebody wanted to teach you something about electricity, (I don’t know the first thing about it.) you’d have an easier time with me (Why, I’m just a dumbbell on things like that.) than somebody who had it learned all wrong. So, you know, it’s easier. That’s why Bro. Branham said that. 45. [59] [BLIND BARTIMAEUS LIMA OH SUNDAY 57-0127E] You know Jairus said, “Come lay hands on my little girl and she’ll live.” And the Roman Centurion said, “I’m not worthy you should come under my roof, but I’m a man with authority. When I say to this soldier ‘do that’ he does it, because he’s under me; and I say to this one, ‘you do so,’ and he does it because, he has to obey me; he’s under me.” What was that Roman doing? He was recognizing the supreme Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was recognizing God in Jesus the man, who was not only Jesus the man, the prophet, but he was the Christ, which means Messiah. He said, “You speak the word and my servant will live.” And what did Jesus say? “I’ve never seen faith like that in Israel.” That’s what I’m trying to get to you people; Christ is here. Well, how is he here? How is he here? The Holy Spirit in William Branham for one thing. Also, God standing there in a Pillar of Fire. “So believe it. Africa, India, one supernatural sign; they’re watching for it. And they see that compared with the Bible. That settles it forever.” So, Bro. Branham’s saying the same thing that happened there under the Centurion, you can watch me and see what happens here and now. They said, “Bro. Branham tell me, what does it mean why Jesus said, ‘I and my Father are one?’” “You’re looking at me aren’t you?” Well that’ll scare anybody plumb out of eternity and into hell, if he didn’t belong to God. But that settles it; God with a skin on it. You know, you just got to let your own thinking go. Why? Because we’re under vindication. Not indication, vindication. See? 46. Now, “Hebrews, Chapter 4.” This is way back in 1957. [122-5] . [HEBREWS CHAPTER 4 JEFF IN HEB SUN 57-0901E] Then we find out the real supreme Deity of Jesus Christ … How are you going to do it? The whole book here is a revelation of Jesus Christ, and he came. We find that in sundry times and in diverse manners, God spoke to the fathers through the prophets, actually in the prophets, In this last days, in His Son, through His Son, He revealed Himself. And the Book from Genesis to Revelation is nothing but one constant, perpetual, revelation of the Lord Jesus.” Now God revealed Himself in His Son; that is true. Let’s just take some little picture here now and make a little comparison to see how we make out in this subject. So, we go to 1 Corinthians 6, and I’ve already quoted part of It to you in my little preamble. And in 1 Cor 6:19–20: (19) What? Know ye not your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which you have of God and you are not your own? (20) For you are bought with a price: therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. Now we go to Philippians 2 and see something there. And Phil 2:13: (13) For it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure. See? 47. Now this puts us following in the steps of Jesus and a true example to us. Jesus’ body was a temple of the Holy Ghost. We are temples of the Holy Ghost. It was God in him willing and doing of God’s good pleasure. It is God in us willing and doing of God’s good pleasure. The trouble is, as I’ve said many times, we’ve never learned to get out of the way. And getting out of the way is sowing the Word of God in the face of everything and anything whatsoever—sowing the Word and standing with it and not taking your hand off the plough, and not fainting, because in due season you will reap, because we are God’s agronomy, God’s farm. We are the farm in which God has planted His seed. And His seed cannot return unto Him void, and we’ll not return unto Him void: up to thirty, sixty, to one hundred fold. God’s going to get something out of every single one of us. And the more we learn, deliberately applying ourselves, like the eastern mind philosophy... But this is not mind philosophy. This is living Word to which the mind has become obedient, bringing every thought into captivity and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God which is His Word, because there alone lies the knowledge of the living God. 48. Now, what does Peter say? Let’s follow this through. We go to 1 Pet 2:21: (21) For even hereunto were ye called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that we should follow his steps. That’s the very same thing that Paul said in Hebrews 12, the very same thing [Heb 12:2]: “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him,” you know, “he endured the cross, despised the shame, and hath now set down at the right hand of the majesty on high” and in all things, is subject to Him. And also, we have this over here. It’s a foot-washing scene in Jn 13:15, and It says: “For I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you.” Then so, we have this here, the supreme Deity of Jesus Christ can literally be boiled down to the fact of God in the vessel. And, when you speak of God in the vessel concerning the Only-begotten Son, you’re talking in terms of the uniquely begotten one, which means one-of-a-kind, never before, never now, never afterward, absolute one. And being the first born, you know as well as I do, that he’s heir to fifty percent of everything the Father has. 49. Okay, and we find out that he was the one that was in the burning bush; that’s God. Now this is a strange one, right here, but watch it: we find out that he was the one that was with God before the foundation of the world. Now there’s where you might begin to think, “Well, Bro. Branham really didn’t mean, “If you make Jesus the Word, you are going to have more than one god.” And also, you will begin to believe that maybe Jesus is Deity. That’s not so. This will bring me to the one point that I’ve said before, the crossovers, and where Jesus was operative, or the Father alone, is the same thing as where Bro. Branham said, “Sometimes Jesus spoke and sometimes the Father spoke.” There’s a duality. 50. Now there could be absolutely no doubt that he was with the Father. He could be in the cloud, the Pillar of Fire. He could be anything God wanted him to be. But, when you come to Melchisedec, he wasn’t. So, these, what I call the crossovers… I don’t know where Bro. Branham is coming from here. But he said here, and then, It says here, and we find out in the New Testament that he was God and man together. Now there again, I can understand that perfectly. And I can understand if he was God with the Son back there, then he could be also human. But at that time, I don’t believe for one minute that Bro. Branham ever said he was Melchisedec or with him. But I can understand, if you believe that particular instance, that that vessel was Jesus, God working through him, I won’t argue with you, because I won’t have an argument with doctrine. I just let the Word correct the Word. I don’t see it. But, if some people see it, that’s fine by me. 51. And watch. Then, when he left the New Testament to go into heaven, he said, “I came from God and return to God.” Well, can God come from God and return to God? Now, if you’re going to believe something like that, you’re going to get to where the next thing you’re going to believe, is that Jesus and the Father’s the self-same being, and therefore, now God will begin to project Himself, extrude Himself, so to speak, and manipulate Himself and work out here and, then, come back in again. Now you’re just as wrong as the Trinitarians who say God is like an egg: the shell and the white and the yellow. But they actually boo-booed. There’s four parts. There’s a skin inside the shell. No. No! 52. Stick with precept: the Son was there before there was a speck of stardust. He was not created. He was birthed—positively born. Through him God created all things. Bro. Branham described it. What he did is his business, not mine. I don’t know. But I do know there is one God with this Son where they used each other, or one was used by the other. I don’t know. But I do know where the Scripture talks about God, positively, and the Scripture talks about the Son positively. And I refuse to bend from the precept of one God with the Son, and many children of God, so that we now are a race of God-people. And that’s what you see as the omega, the New Jerusalem, the new heavens and the new earth, the foolish virgin outside, the wise virgin inside, the 144,000 and the retinue. What they are does not lie in my domain. All I know is: the lamb is on the throne, and God, Elohim, the Pillar of Fire is above the throne. That’s it. Now you believe anything you want, but that’s what I believe one hundred percent from what the prophet taught. And I will not vary. 53. And also remember, that many of these things Bro. Branham said were back before 1958 and the opening of the Seals. And Bro. Branham himself was corrected as late as 1964 on the evidence of the Holy Ghost. And in 1965 he brought us what he himself did not know until that time was what the Bride was waiting for: the revelation of the Rapture—correcting. So, all right. 54. [122-7] [HEBREWS CHAPTER 4 JEFF IN HEB SUN 57-0901E] And when Paul met him, He was in the same form that He was when he led Israel, a Pillar of Fire. Who’s he talking about? “And Paul looked Him right in the face, being unconverted, and it caused him to have eye trouble the rest of his days. He went blind for several days. He couldn’t see anyhing at all. He had to be led to a street called straight, and God... Well, is Jesus God? Now, make up your mind. I’m sorry. I can’t go that way. Now I’m not going to condemn you if you go that way, because that’s your privilege. That’s up to God to correct you. My job is to walk in love if I possibly can, but it’s very difficult for a guy like me, because I’m a hard shell and very adamant. But if I feel I love the Lord and serve His children and I love His Word and stand with it. At least I’m clear in that respect. “And God had a prophet down there that He spoke to by the name of Ananias.” Now, who was in the prophets? Was it Jesus, or was it God? Well, it wasn’t Jesus, because God was in Jesus, the prophet, making him more than a prophet. “And by a vision, laid hands on Paul and said Bro. Saul, receive thy sight. And we found out that the same Holy Spirit, (now watch) that same Lord Jesus, came to Peter in a form of light and delivered him out of the prison.” Now he’s using the name, Lord Jesus. What are you going to do about that? Well, ‘Lord’ can be either Jehovah or Elohim. But actually, when you talk about ‘Lord God’, It is Jehovah. So, It’s Jehovah—Jehovah-Savior. In other words God, the self-existent One, Who came down in human form, is the same One now that formed in a light and delivered Peter out of prison. And remember, Bro. Branham said that Jew would never call anybody Lord, but that which was in the Pillar of Fire that Moses was interviewed thereby. 55. Now It says here—we find out, then—the same Holy Spirit, the same Lord Jesus; not the Lamb though... There are people right today, when you say, “Who came down in 1 Thessalonians 4?”, they say, “the Lamb.” I beg to differ. Bro. Branham said, “If the lamb appeared with nail prints, you’d know it was a false one.” 56. [253-525] [HEBREWS CHAPTER 6 AND 7 JEFF IN HEB SUNDAY 57-0915M] And this marvelous teaching here of St. Paul, in the backgrounds of the former chapters he has specifically been dealing with the supreme Deity of the Lord Jesus and Who He was. Christ was God made so that man could feel Him and touch Him and fellowship with Him. Christ, the Lord Jesus, was the body that God dwelt in. Now notice in there, he says Christ, the Lord Jesus; yet he calls ‘the Lord Jesus’ ‘God’, and he calls ‘God’ ‘the Lord Jesus’. But he says, Christ, the Lord Jesus. So, all right. Lord Jesus Christ was the body that God dwelt in, yet He can be Lord Jesus Christ Himself. God was made flesh and dwelt among us. 1 Tim 3:16: “Without controversy, great is the mystery of Godliness” with “God was manifest in flesh.” 57. The great Jehovah came down and was made tangible by living in the body of His Own Son, declaring and reconciling the world to Himself. Christ was nothing short of God and God was nothing short of Christ. The two together made the Godhead bodily. Now watch that one. Then, who was the body? Jesus was the body. He was the flesh, made a little lower than the angels so he could suffer. Angels cannot suffer . Neither can God suffer per se. The Bible said he learned obedience by the things that he suffered. You tell me when God needed to learn obedience. Are we going to be like Derschowitz, the great lawyer, who talks about the God in the Bible, Who set up the law? And he takes the one where God will not destroy the righteous with the wicked, and he said, “All the laws of the land are based upon the Bible.” And he said, “God was Himself learning.” Imagine, God was learning, “Oh, hallelujah!” Got another Sanhedrin with us. And yet the Christians, so-called, are just as lax as Derschowitz. A brilliant man. Should that black man, Graham, been put to death on the testimony of that woman? By no means; it takes two to witness. “Well, he was a man that deserved it.” That has nothing to do with it. In the mouths of two witnesses everything is confirmed; not one. I’m sorry for George W. Bush (Governor of Texas), but he blew it. As a Christian, he blew that wide open. I got no use for the man that went on a rampage and shot people, raped and stabbed, everything else. No. He deserved to die, you could say. Yeah, I wouldn’t be surprised if he deserved to die. Maybe somebody will get mad enough and blow his head off. But not in a court of law. Too bad. Right? Are we going to go by the Word or not? Say, what if he did kill them? Sorry, sorry. Can’t do a thing about it. It takes two witnesses for his life to be forfeit. 58. “Angels can’t suffer. Jesus was the tabernacle that God dwelt in.” Then, he wasn’t God. He was the tabernacle. See? So, notice carefully the two together made the Godhead bodily. Which is true. The Bible said in Acts 7, (That’s when Steven was preaching.) “Sacrifice and burnt offerings thou wouldst not, but a body has thou prepared me. Howbeit, the most High dwelleth not in tabernacles made with hands, but a body has thou prepared me.” That is tabernacling or dwelling in a fellowship with men. 59. Let’s just look at something here now; and this is a toughy, but we look at the tough ones. I’m not a person who just is afraid to look at the tough ones. I might not have an answer. That’s okay by me. But, let’s go to Heb 1:8-9. All right. (8) But unto the Son, he said, thy throne O God, is for ever and ever, a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. (9) Thou has loved righteousness and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. Now, evidently, Paul is quoting here from Ps 45:6-7, which we’ll read. But according to this written here, and I’ve looked up—not too carefully, but other versions, at least one—and this is great for your Trinitarians, and those that would make Jesus Deity. “But unto the Son, thy throne O God is for ever and ever a sceptre of righteousness and sceptre of thy kingdom, for thou has loved righteousness and hated iniquity. Therefore God, even thy God...” So we’re talking now as though God is talking to God. 60. But, let’s get back to Psalm 45 and get the exact quote. Now, if the Word of God can’t be changed, this is a real toughy. Why is It being changed? Because that’s not what It says in Ps 45:6-7. (6) Thy throne O God is for ever and ever: the scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter. (7) Thou lovest righteousness and hated wickedness, therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. Now it sounds like he’s saying the same thing, but it really isn’t. “For Thy Throne, O God, is for ever and ever; thy kingdom is a sceptre of righteousness; thou lovest righteous and hate iniquity.” Now he’s talking here, therefore, ‘therefore God, who is thy God, hath anointed thee’. 61. So, is that what It’s saying here? Well, I can’t believe for one minute a mistake was made. But, if Bro. Branham were here, I’d ask him that and say, “Is this just not a wrong translation of the very fact that the God of the Lord Jesus Christ” (And that’s exactly what Paul says all the way through Scripture.) “hath anointed thee and exalted thee?” So, I don’t know how that got there. Don’t ask me. I’m not infallible. All I know is I look at it, and I simply can’t believe that I’m going to take any Scripture whatsoever contrary to the doctrine. There is a little thing in there, and I believe it should say: “God, even thy God,” because He is the God of our Lord Jesus Christ; and, if Paul wrote Hebrews, and it’s claimed he wrote It, there’s no way that Paul could have changed one iota from the Book of Ephesians which is the blueprint of the entire Bible from eternity to eternity. And every place it’s the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. 62. Well, we spent two hours since the time the service started, and I’ve taken the one group of quotes and that is, where the people believe that Jesus is actually Deity; and he cannot be, because Elohim is the self-existent one. In ‘Jehovah’ are the titles wherein God relates to His own family, to mankind. Isaiah is full of ‘Jehovah-Elohim’ And, when you get to the Greek it is ‘Theos’, which means ‘supreme sovereign God’. Jesus was never supreme. Jesus was never sovereign. Sovereignty came through him as the obedient vessel. “…None so blind as the righteous servant.” All he could see was God. All he could see was truth. There was none so dumb as that righteous servant. He only opened his mouth, because God had him open his mouth. Always it is that perfect one. Always under the influence of his Father, who was God: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” And you will find no place where it puts Father ahead of God. It is always God ahead of Father. 63. So therefore, let not anybody presume that, because God is your Father, you can deny the position of God as sovereign God. But, if you and I are true children and God is our Father, then we will be obedient. And that’s where sonship or the adoption, the placing, comes in. And remember, we have not been left to ourselves, for it is God in us, willing and doing of His own good pleasure Learning to get out of the way and getting out of the way is simply sowing the seed of God instead of going our own way. And what a harvest is there, as was said to Bro. Branham, in that ‘tongues and interpretations’ in California that time, “What a great portion of heaven as an inheritance is laid up for you, because you put God first.” 64. In other words remember the old saying: “If he’s not Lord of all, he’s not Lord at all.” Now that’s not really true, because He is Lord of all, period! Even if you and I don’t make Him Lord of all, we don’t get by, for all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ. You’ve got to appear before God and give account to the deeds done in the flesh. And there’ll be wood, hay, and stubble or gold and silver and precious stones. And there will be like the man who built his house upon the rock; and it was solid and nothing could deter him from living in that great beautiful structure that he was building. You know, it’s not just building something for the Millennium. We do that by hand when we get there. But we’re laying up treasure in heaven right now, when the heavens and earth will dissolve and the new heavens and the new earth appear. 65. So, all right. I’m standing tonight with my faith absolutely congealed and not to be denied, as far as I’m concerned. It’s not that I’m not open to change and understanding and instruction; but, when I hear Bro. Branham say that Jn 1:1… That’s what John says: “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.” When he said that was God, that’s not the Son, because the Son is not God. He’s an Only-begotten Son of God, and we are simply begotten sons, not like Jesus, but through human birth, through Adam and Eve. Right? Big difference. No one else had it. 66. So, I see him, the Father, and I see the Son. I do not see Jesus as part of Godhead. I do not see him as Deity. Remember, Deity is Theos, sovereign God. He isn’t. No. He’s the same essentiality, same spirit, but he had a beginning. He’s not the Father. He’s the Son of God, and God is his Father, and he is our elder brother. And remember, he had to become flesh, like us, to stand for us. And God only became flesh to manifest Himself, and bring out in perfection that there might be that which was pleasing to Him in order to eradicate, completely wash away, our sins until there be no trace and nothing left—all gone. And God did it through that Son, showing it was God—God identifying Himself with His Own children and through His Only-begotten Child, that special one there. I see that, and I believe that. And no matter how you look at what Bro. Branham said, and what it seems to appear, you will come back, in ninety-nine percent or greater number of times, there’ll be a little note in there that leads you to understand exactly what we are teaching. 67. And I believe we’re teaching it exactly right, that Jesus is not God, but he is God. He was because … “You’re looking at me,” he said, “You’re seeing the Father,” right down the line. He can be worshipped, absolutely, but not because of what he is, but because of what he did. And what he did was because of what he was. And you and I are in the same way in our own position. But It stands right there, the supreme Deity is Elohim Himself, Jehovah-Elohim, and His Son is under His care, and we’re under His care also. And then, later on, tomorrow morning we can go into where we look at Deity again, but not in the understanding of supreme Deity. So, all right. Let’s bow our heads in prayer. Heavenly Father, we thank You for as far as we’ve gone tonight with the quotes of the prophet going into the Word, knowing, Lord, that You are Who You are: one God. And we know when we finally come to the place where there is finality, as far as we know, concerning the Word, but yet going beyond it, it is in new heavens and the new earth, Lord, the Lamb on the throne, and the Pillar of Fire above the throne, the Son having handed the kingdom back to the Father, the Father become All and in all, the Bride, 144,000 and those that were there to be there of creation and birth, the twenty-four elders, whatever, and those on the outside bringing their glory in. We see, Lord, that is the finality and the beauty of It all. And I believe, Lord, we see that tonight, and we see It as we should see It, and we understand the Truth. And I believe, Lord, we do worship You in spirit and in truth as much as lies within us in our heart, that is to worship You, because we do want to worship You and serve You; and we believe that we do. And may we do in an increasing measure while life is within us and breath within us to do Your Will as You help us to see that that Will is consummated. And unto Thee we give the glory in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
[The Communion service follows.]
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