Are You Preared to Meet Your Creator?

That seventh last crumb, and surely does. And as we heard in the sermonette, are we prepared to meet our God? I want to ask you, are we ready to meet your Creator? So that ties very nicely with the sermonette and with the messages this morning, because that is a big question.

As we heard, you'll come as a thief in the night. And so, are we ready? Now, what we see today, we see people having terrible amount of disasters, and we see tsunamis, we see earthquakes in Mexico, we see these bad weathers causing places to be completely destroyed. And here's an example of a building just collapsed due to an earthquake. And we can just see so many pictures nowadays that are so sad. And when we look at it, it really makes people think that what we do as human beings to ourselves is only bring pain and suffering to each other.

And no wonder, people start asking questions. And you and I pray, Thy kingdom come. Don't we? Thy kingdom come, because it's the only hope that we have. But as we look at things around us today in society, people start looking at things like a few years back, last two years we had blood moons, then we have this year the solid cliffs, and then I've heard some people say, well, over this specific time, there's a specific alignment of some stars and blah, blah, and different things. Then people are starting to say, are these the heavenly signs?

And therefore, is Christ coming around the corner? And of course, we do know, as we heard, who come as a thief in the night. But are these the heavenly signs? Do we, as God's people, do we understand this prophetic sequence of the time of the end? Because indeed it says, beware that you not be caught unawares like a thief in the night.

And indeed, no man knows the day or the hour of his coming, but we should know the season, and we should be prepared, because the season is young. And there is a scripture that people may look at it in Joel, and you're welcome to turn to Joel, chapter 2, it says, the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood. Oh yeah, we had the blood of the moon.

Oh yeah, we met there so we could. And this is before the coming and great and awesome day of the Lord. So we are around the corner from the day of the Lord. And indeed we are not the way those people think. The season shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Can we understand this in a right, correct, biblical, prophetic context?

Therefore, are we seeing now today, or what we've seen recently, a year ago, two years ago, the blood moons and now the solid eclipse? Therefore, are these the heavenly signs? Could you prove from the Bible that they are or they're not? And so brethren today, we want to understand that prophetic sequence of events so that you and I can watch and pray more effectively so that you and I can be accountable worthy.

And we'll look at more in there. But the point there is worthy is not just to escape these physical things, it's to escape the dying wall to be in the kingdom of God. So it's not just worthy, oh well, to be in the place of safety. No, it's worthy to escape so we can be in the kingdom of God. So lift it up to one level. And so we want to look at that in the context of the meaning of the Day of Trumpets.

Because the Day of Trumpets, Pluto, and it's quite correct to focus on the great event on the last Trumpet. But it's the Day of Trumpets and there are seven. And so today I want to look at you in that context of the seven trumpets, not just the last Trumpet. And by no means, please read it. I'm not saying the last Trumpet is important.

Of course it is important. But we need to understand the Day of Trumpets today has a meaning greater than only the seventh Trumpet. It's got a meaning of seven trumpets, Pluto. And why again are we doing this? So that we, you and I, can watch carefully for the Day of the Lord. So the Book of Revelation gives us an understanding of prophetic events in the sequence. And that's what we're going to do today. We're going to look at that prophetic sequence. And therefore I decided to show a little PowerPoint and I hope it's coming all right and you can see it.

Because that prophetic sequence helps us understand the Day of the Lord. In other words, the meaning of the Day of Trumpets. Think about it. The Day of Trumpets represents the Day of the Lord.

So as the Book of Revelation gets unveiled, we start seeing being opened with seven seals. Right? We all have seen them. And the first four seals represent four horses. A white horse, a red horse, a black horse, and a pale, which are drew as a yellow color. And we know from comparing with Matthew 24 that represents false religion. Probably false religion causing religious wars, which causes, because of those religious wars, hunger and business. So one big thing to watch is a chain of events triggered by false religion. So it's not just any war, but war triggered by false religion. That's important to keep that in mind as well. Now the question comes in of, hey, we are badgers for many years. You know, for nearly 2000 years we've had wars, and we've had religious wars, particularly during the dark Middle Ages. But those wars are going to come up again in religious wars. And as you know, the churches always say these are four horsemen running in parallel, and they have been running, but they'll run to a climax. And so the question is, when is that climax? That climax. And you may have seen, Mr. Armstrong, quite often referring to in the spine, that we got to watch a number of things, and used to quite often refer to seven things. I've grouped them into first four geopolitical events, which is Israel and sacrifices. And you and I know that Israel is just not a Jewish nation, but it's great at Israel. And I'm not going to go into that. I'm just saying we've got to keep that in mind. We talk about European unification, but it's kind of a restructuring that something is going to happen in Europe that is going to cause a dictatorial Europe. And brethren, there's going to be elections in Germany, just very soon. And you can see, for instance, one of the parties, which is a right-wing party becoming very strong. I was watching Leitzer-Welter just a couple of days ago, and one of the things the Germans are saying now for the first time since the Second World War, they're proud of their nationalism. Even Angela Merkel is now proud. And that is something that they were not saying for all these lost whatever. 40, 50 years, 60 years. So we can see changes there. And then there's going to be a thing of the South that is going to structure, so they're going to come up and we see the loss of power of England and the United States. One thing, one punch after another, one punch after another, weakening the undergird of economic power of the United States. So those are four geopolitical areas to watch. Not going to go any more into that. Just saying, well, there's a thing you're going to be watching. Then there's two religious things to watch. One is the false church, and the other one's the true church. And Mr. Armstrong will come up and say, watch the false church you know what I'm talking about, and watch the true church, and you know what I'm talking about. And there's a lot of events around that. And last but not least, it's related to morality. Moral decadence. And if you and I are not seeing it, then obviously we've got our heads in the sand like an ostrich. So we now we can see these seven things are developing with these four horses. But the question is, when is the end?

When is it the four horsemen stop and move on to the next field? When is that? He, and then, duels to the end, shall be saved. Now we got a loss through these four horsemen, and these things that we can watch around us, until there's going to be a change from the horsemen to the next field. Do you know what that is? Do we know what that is? Oh, it's the heavenly spines! Oh, is it? Is that what the Bible says?

Because it says, the gospel of the kingdom will be preached unto the whole world as a witness. Now, the word as a witness is important. It does not say that we preach to convert the world. Be the cause. The job of converting the world is Christ's when you come to rule on this earth in the millennium and change the world and convert it. It's not our job. Our job is to preach the gospel as a witness.

And then the end will come.

Is the gospel being preached around the world today? Yes.

There's evidence. How much and how much is gonna have to be done? You and I don't know, but we just gotta keep doing it.

That's what it says. No man knows a day or an hour. We gotta keep doing it. What is this big thing to watch?

Right. Now, man knows a day or an hour. It says Matthew 24. The sermon is quite clearly highlighted that.

And it says, no man will know like in the days of Noah until they enter into the ark. But let me ask a question. Where did they get to know on the day they entered into the ark? Second question, did it start raining that day?

No. It was still seven days. But they had to get ready before the door of the ark was closed.

Think about that.

Two men will be in the field. One will be taken. The other will be left. Two women will be grinding. One will be taken. The other will be left. Watch this fall because you do not know the hour.

We heard him summon it. There will be ten virgins.

What does the word virgin mean?

Spiritually speaking to me means they are in God's church and they are God's truth. They have cleaned themselves out of impurities and now cleaned the church. Ten virgins. Of those ten, how many are wise and how many are foolish? They all virgins. The same percentage as this guy's here, where he says two women will be grinding. Same percentage.

And he says it will be like in the days of Noah, until the door was closed.

Therefore, and he has the big sign, when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place, whoever reads let him understand, and I'm going to leave it there. But there's going to be an abomination of desolation. And that's why one of the things we said in the seven things to watch is reason and sacrifices.

And he says, then there will be great tribulation.

And that's Matthew 24. Then there will be great tribulation. And so what do we have is, we're going to time when it's going to be the abomination of desolation, and then it will be followed by the great tribulation. And that is a ship from the fourth seal to the fifth seal. And when you open the first seal, that's Revelation 6 verse 9. So the first four horsemen is the first part of Revelation 6. And then the abomination, and it's the first four seals, the first four horsemen. And the first seal is a little lighter in Revelation chapter 6.

And what is that? That is what Matthew refers to as the great tribulation.

So, brethren, something is going to happen, and we have to watch. That is going to cause an abomination of desolation, which is then going to trigger the great tribulation. There was going to be an abomination to trigger the great tribulation. I hope that's what I said. I think I must stop this. I can't remember what exactly words I used. So there's going to be an abomination of desolation, and that will trigger the great tribulation. So what do we have? Is that that abomination of desolation will happen. That will trigger the great tribulation, and that is the first seal.

This is important for us to understand in the context of Wednesday Day of the Lord, which is the meaning of the seven trumpets. This is important for us to understand.

Now we know the great tribulation, which has itself also a time period.

And then it says, after the great tribulation. After the great tribulation. Then there will be heaven and sun. Then the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light. The stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. That means it will not be an earthquake. It will be a heaven quake. I took both. I just fabricated the words. You know, just it will be the powers of the heavens will be like an earthquake. The powers of the heavens will be like an earthquake in the sky, in the heavens.

And when he opened the sixth seal, a great earthquake, yes, it will be also an earthquake, and the sun became black, and the moon became like blood, and the stars fell from heaven. And stars will even fall.

Brethren, the heavenly suns ought to come after the great tribulation.

Are we already in the great tribulation? No! Oh!

I mean, somebody sent me a video with some people I get, and in the Portuguese, and then they had a thing, and in this Portuguese thing, and they had a video about signs and this, and calling it Donald Trump, Trump means trumpet, and whatever, and therefore, you know, and whatever, and then just a whole lot of fear-monging and mixing truth with life, and just, brethren, that's what Christ said. Beware that people don't deceive you, because all the stuff, people are going to take a little bit of the odd man, mix it up with something, and they're going to say, bang, this is what it means, and it's going to happen so much of it that Christ said beware, don't be deceived, because if it were possible, deceive the very elite.

So we really have to understand this framework prophetically from the Bible, so we don't get to see it, because there's going to be a lot of deception, a lot of deception, and so the question I asked everyone, are we now seeing every silence? And I think it's very clear that you can see these are not every silence. It's going to be a lot bigger. It will be supernatural. It will be God-caused. It will not be just like a normal, routine, quote-unquote, eclipse, because these eclipses are mathematical. They know exactly when it's going to happen. I mean, Kathy and I, we saw an eclipse for full eclipse in Palabri in 2002. That was just another eclipse. So when this eclipse came out, well, it was just another one. It kind of gets boring, quote-unquote. It will be in a negative way, but what I'm saying is the heaven response is going to be something supernatural by God. Why?

Because the heavenly science is when God says, that is enough!

Now it's available. That's what it is. That's when God is going to say, that's enough!

So, the heavenly science is the sixth seal. We're not yet in the first seal. The second seal. Since the sun shall be turned into darkness and moon into blood before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.

Before the seventh seal. So the sixth seal is God's warning, says, that is enough! And the seventh seal or the seventh trumpet, which is the day of the Lord, which is the day of God's patience, and is the day of God's impolitely war of the faith.

But it also says, and it shall come to pass, that whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. And you, when you read Revelation 6, and it says, heavenly signs occur, and then the day of the Lord comes in with the trumpets in Revelation 8. You have Revelation 7 in the middle, which is the sealing of God's servants, because it says they will be protected from that wrath of God.

So we have the hour. The heavenly signs happen before the day of the Lord. And so it is important to see the spectrum.

It's really important to understand the spectrum. Brethren, we now scroll in the period of the four horsemen. We have not seen the abomination of desolation that will treat the great tribulation, and then there will be heavenly signs, and then it's the day of the Lord. It's important to understand the sequence, so that we, you and I, are not deceived. So that we are not caught and away.

And so when we look at that, it says, then it'll be the sealing of God's servants. And you can see that in Revelation 7, before Revelation 8, which is the day of the Lord. And so we're at the seventh seal. There was silence in heaven. For about an hour, that's Revelation 8. That's the beginning of the day of the Lord, the seventh seal, symbolized, which has seven trumpets, which represents the symbolism of the day of trumpets. And there's the seven angels standing before God. And to them we're given seven trumpets. So on this seventh seal, the day of the Lord, it's now magnified, expanded, shown a little bit more of a view of it. It's like you focus on you. You zoom in. Now you zoom in on that seventh seal. And when you zoom in to it, you see seven trumpets inside that seventh seal. And so the symbolism of the day of promise encapsulates the seven trumpets, which is what the Bible calls it as the day of the Lord. And so let's put all these into a picture, brethren, so we can understand the symbolism a little bit better. What we have is the different pictures I've shown you. I've pulled them up slowly as I went on. We have the four horsemen. We have the seven things to watch. We then have... there'll be a time because remember the wars will be killed, started by a false religion. And that false prophet will come up, the man of sin that will be destroyed at Christ's coming. That man of sin, that false prophet, threw it through the wars. And that stuff will then cause the abomination of isolation. The abomination of isolation comes up. That's what it talks about in Daniel 12. The latter part of Daniel 12, where part of the church will be protected. And that's Revelation 12. I meant to say Revelation 12. That's in Revelation 12, where it says part of the church will be protected. But in Daniel 12, it says, blessed is he that comes to the 1335 days, because from the afterwards, there's a countdown by days till Christ's coming.

From here onwards, there's a countdown by days till Christ's coming. And so, what it that follows, part of the church will be protected, probably 50%, if you take the story of the virgins and the two in the field, some will be protected. From the face of the serpent. They will remain on earth. There's not a rapture. I'm dying to heaven now. They'll remain on earth. They're protected from the power of satan. How? I don't know. We'll see when we get there.

That then triggers the beginning of the great tribulation, after, probably during the period of 30 days, and that explains the difference between 1216 and 1290, when Israel, America, and the United States will be obliterated.

In a moment, as you read in Isaiah 5, and then the great tribulation stops, the church will have been protected before that. That great tribulation lasts for three and a half years. That explains the 1260 days. In parallel, there's the two witnesses. And we believe to be about a year before the end. God says that is enough, and he's going to intervene. And that's when there is a heavenly silence. Then, God's servants are sealed. Those that have come out of the great tribulation are sealed. Why? So that they're not affected by the punishments that the Father, through Christ, is going to implement or apply on earth. They're going to be protected. They'll not be affected. They'll not be heard. How? I don't know. But they'll be sealed with some power through God's own Word.

And then we have the seven trumpets, which is God's wrath on the earth.

And so, we read that in Revelation 8. In Revelation 8, then we have the seven trumpets. And the first four trumpets shows that a third of the earth will be heard, then a third of the sea, a third of the rivers and springs of water, and a third of the sun, moon and star.

Those are the first four trumpets, probably in the first few months of that last year. That's the trumpets. And it said, and I looked and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven. That's Revelation 8.13. And it says, same for loud voice. Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! To the inhabitants of the earth, because the remaining three blasts of the trumpets, of the three angels, were about to suffer. Now, understand, there are window centers.

Number one, part of the church is being protected. The other part goes underground to help the people in the world that are being converted now by our work, so that they repent. At the end of that, they repent. They accept Christ. They get baptized by some of us that stay underground. And then, those people are sealed, and it talks about 144,000 and a great multitude. They will be protected.

And then, after these events, because this is during the day of the Lord, and the people are protected, then we have, as I mentioned, the first four trumpets, which affect various parts of the earth. And then, we have the last three worlds, which are the last three of the seven trumpets.

Whoa, whoa, whoa! And as you read, you see that in Revelation 9, says the fifth trumpet represents that paying for five months. So, you can see this will be a period of time, and we believe to be a total period of about a year. And this has been believed in the church for many, many years. There's nothing new that I'm giving you now. I'm just structuring and putting a tear together in a different package, in a way that's easy for you to understand and see. But all that I'm saying is, basically, all that you've heard before. The sixth trumpet is that the counterattack of what we believe to be the armies of the north and east, probably include countries like Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and that will form a military combined of 200 million people, fighting against what is, we believe to be now, the east power, the European power. So, the European power will trigger the fifth trumpet, and then the north and east will counterattack. And that's what it talks about, that army of 200 million. And you read that, it says, a third of mankind will be destroyed. A third of mankind will be destroyed.

Many people got in the world now. Eight million? Runnabs. Eight billion? Eight billion? Eight billion? How much is a third?

It's nearly three billion. Two and a half billion three billion. That's a lot of people.

But in that side, God's people will be protected from the wrath of God. You see, when God is going to punish mankind, His children will not be, get a hiding. They'll be protected. Mankind will get a hiding. And their increase, when you read this, mankind will repent. But God's children have repented at the end of the righteous, or towards the end of the right to revelation, because it says they came out of right to revelation, and they're repented. You see, the two witnesses will be warning people about this, so people can repent, and it'll be the church on the ground to do that. People will be protected. God will protect them somehow spiritually. Somehow, as we don't know, with God's Spirit, it will cause some sort of protection, the individual, whatever people are, and they'll be protected. So you don't have to fear. But you need to be aware that we have to be prepared, and not be deceived. And then comes the lost trump, which we so beautifully heard this morning, which is the return of Christ. The resurrection and all that. But you see, all this encapsulates the meaning of trumpets.

And it says, when that lost trumpets, and it says, The angel whom I saw standing on the sea, and on the land, raised up his hand to heaven, and swore by him, who lives forever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that are in it, the earth, and the things that are in it, and the sea, and the things that are in it, that there should be the lie no longer.

But in the days of the salvation of the seventh trumpet, of the seventh angel, when he's about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished. Now, what's the mystery of God? He's a human being who becomes spirit beings, who will be changed, as we heard in the sermon this morning.

And what a wonderful change that will be! And mankind will no more wonder about the mystery of God, because it will be revealed, because people will see it. They'll be changed, like they do, as he declared to his servants, the prophets.

So, brethren, that's why, all in round, when the sons of God are revealed, when our body is redeemed from this body of pain, of suffering to a body, that no more is pain, that no more is entangled by difficulties and stress.

It says, for I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed to us, for the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the son of God. The mystery of God will be finished. There will be no longer delay when that seventh angel is about to glove the truck. Not only that, but we also, who have the first truth of the Spirit, even we ourselves, grown within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the Spanish The word in Greek should be translated, sans shuk, not adopted. You and I are not adopted.

See, some people have adopted certain pets at home, but as pets, even though they are adopted, they'll never become a human being.

And if we were just merely adopted by God, we could just be human beings. But we will not be adopted. We'll be sons and daughters of God. Because we'll receive the seed, which is the Holy Spirit, which, after baptism, joins with the spirit of man and man. And we are begotten as a newborn baby in Christ, growing for nine months, quote-unquote, in the womb of the mother, which is the Church of God. So you and I are growing in the Church of God for this period.

Until we'll be born at the civil trial. We're not born yet. We'll be born. We'll be born again at the civil trial. We are now begotten again, but not born again. Therefore, we wait eagerly. Does time shut the redemption of our bodies? Don't we wait eagerly for that day? It will be normal pain, normal sorrow, just being healthy and well.

That is something that we all grow within ourselves, waiting for that day, don't we? Particularly, as we get older, we do feel it more.

And then the seventh angel sounded, and they were loud voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world became the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever. Christ will then reign forever and ever. The nations were angry, and your wrath has come, and the time of the dead. There is a time of the dead that they should be judged. What do you mean the dead to be judged?

Because God will look at the dead and say, This dead stays dead for another thousand years, and this dead gets alive now. He's judging. He's discerning. He's separating the dead. For some to be in the first resurrection, some to be in the second. That is the judgment of the dead.

That's point number one. That means if you're judging in the first resurrection, now you've got to turn a lot, because it says it's a bit of resurrection. But then it says, you know, if you had so many talents and you multiply it this way, you'll rule over ten cities. If you had so many talents and you multiply that way, you'll rule over five cities. If you did that, you'll rule over two cities. Doesn't that say that? Because it will be the time of what it says here that you should reward your servants. So first is the judgment of the dead. And so some will be given eternal life, first resurrection. Others will have to wait for the second resurrection, which, as you know, represents the great white throne judgment, which will year on the last great day of the feast, eighth day. That's still to come, part of God's plan.

But once you've got eternal life, you'll be rewarded according to your works. So then, you can rule over ten cities over five cities. So before you rule, you'll be called which cities to rule. Right? Therefore, you've got to be rewarded before you rule. It's going to be organized, too. It's not going to be chaos. God has nothing in confusion. It will be organized. So first is the judgment of the dead. Some will be judged to be in the first resurrection, have life eternal, and they will have their fore... They will have their names written in a book of life. They have life eternal. Two, they're rewarded. So, people are given the responsibilities. Your job responsibility is to be rewarded. The responsibilities. Your job responsibility, your job description for eternity will be to do X. Your job description for eternity will be to do Y. And you know what? It will be the best job for you that could ever be. Because it's exactly what you might fall. Because He says, in my father's house, there are many mansions, and I go prepare them for you now. And He is now preparing us for those responsibilities in those mansions. Of those positions of rulership. It all fits together like a beautiful puzzle. And those will be rewarded. That means His servants, the prophets, and the saints. That's you and I. Those who fear your name, small and bright. Some people have been very small in this society. Very small we are. Not many wives are called. But there will be a few that are wives that are called. That will be there, small and bright. And the third activity that we'll be doing is Christ is coming to destroy those who destroy the earth. Because the earth will be in a mess. And He's going to come with a rod of iron to fix it. And nobody's going to say, Yes, but you know that's unfair. And no, but you know what He will fix. And people say, Yes, sir. And if they'll say, Yes, sir, those people that stand up, some of them, the first few, will have as it says, that tongues will disappear while they stand. And the others, later on, even that's still rebel, they want that right. And if they still don't want, then they'll have another plague, whatever that plague is.

But He's going to destroy those who destroy the earth. Because He's coming to rule with a rod of iron. Where a rod of iron is also a rod of love, as a shepherd, as loses a rod whose loving care to his sheep, to guide and protect his sheep from the wolf. So those are very powerful statements that will happen, and they will be triggered by that lost front, which is part of the meaning of the Day of Trumpets.

And so, what do we have in this picture? We have, therefore, the lost front, which is Christ's coming, which then represents, as we saw this morning, the first resurrection, and beyond that, the other means that follow with the other of God's Holy Days. Day of Atonement, putting away of Satan, the ruling of the kingdom of God on earth, and just being in peace, and the beauty that will, you and I will hear in the next day of Holy Days. Now, all this is technical knowledge.

Brethren, all this is in a way that when we understand it, it does not make you any better than the person that does not understand it. It's all technical knowledge. Yes, it's good for you to have an understanding of it, to have a big picture, but more than that, you and I don't need it, because some of the details will be full when it happens, and then we'll see, oh, that's how it comes out.

But the key is our heart.

The key is our heart. Yeah, we can have all this technical knowledge.

But how are we doing it inside here? Are we humble? Are we steadfast in the truth? Do we love the truth? Are we reminding faithful to the faith? Are we adhering to the faith once delivered to the same?

Are we growing that Christ is growing in us, and you and I are becoming more like Christ to the full measure and stature of Jesus Christ. You see, all this is technical knowledge.

But you know what? You can have all the knowledge, but must abode.

You can have all the knowledge, but must abode, because after all, you're going to concentrate on the weighty matters of the law, which is justice, mercy and faith.

So I don't want you to think that this taking the knowledge is key. Yes, it's important for you to understand. You can put it all into picture, but you know, are we doing God's work?

This is a big question. Are we doing God's work?

You see, and then when it comes in, when Jesus Christ in the parables, he talked about these things, and then he gave these wonderful parables. Wonderful parables!

He described the parable of the fig tree, and he says, and we read part of it earlier on in the sermon, we've got this parable of fig tree. You know time is near. But no one knows exactly when it's going to be, particularly people in the world. If you are aware, and you know these things, you might have a slightly better English, but then again, you don't know the day or the hour.

And then he got the parable of two servants. One was faithful and was doing his part, and yet it was not faithful. You know, I would encourage you to go back and read these parables, because they actually are in logical sequence. Think about that. They actually are in logical sequence. The first one it says, well, watch the fig tree.

You don't know where, but watch the fig tree. Then it says, hey, watch how you're doing. How you're applying? Are you changing your heart and becoming more like a faithful servant? As we heard in the sermonette, are we ready for Christ? Are you ready for His coming? So, are we being a faithful servant? And then the next one says, yes, but even further. Are you really awake?

How's your heart? Are you awake or are you asleep? Like the 10 virgins. Some are awake and some are not. They're all in the church. They're all in the church. But some, they come to church like a social club. Oh, well, we'll go to church today. I want to come next week, because I don't feel like it. Oh, well, I'll just do whatever. I'll just watch your webcast. You know, and it says in Hebrews chapter 9, or is it Hebrews chapter 10, I beg your pardon. Where it says, you know, a son at the time of the end will not fellowship as the habit of some youth.

So brethren, we need to be careful. Are we, and therefore, are we putting the effort now to bear fruit so that we can be rewarded? Because you and I will be rewarded. So some of the virgins will be rewarded, some will not. And then after that will be the reward. Right? Ready will be the first resurrection. And after that will be the reward, according to the talents. How much effort you put into it. You can see there is a sequence, a logical sequence into them. The point is brethren, there is hope.

There is hope. And now all these things, prophetic events, can have a very negative impact. And I apologize, but it is important to understand the context. But there is hope. And that's why you and I need to preach the good news. The Gospel of the Kingdom of God, which is the only positive hope for mankind. Christ's coming and establishing the Kingdom of God on earth. And every person, as we read in Joel 2, that calls upon the man of the Lord will be saved, will be protected. Sooner or lighter, as we saw in that graphical representation. So we need to preach the good news of God's Kingdom, because there is hope.

But brethren, preaching the good news of the Kingdom, is that all very is doing the work. Because some of you will say, oh well, I'm just a housewife, but I tell them, I can't preach the Gospel. I can't go in the street and start shouting in the middle of the street, you know, Jesus is coming, Jesus is coming, God's the Lord, give your heart to the Lord, you're not going to do that. And I don't think that's what God wants you to do.

So, when it says, you've got to do work, you've got to do the work, what do you do? But what's my part? What is my part in doing the work? That's a good question, isn't it?

It's a good question. Not everybody is a mouth in the body of Christ. There are many members, but there's only one mouth. There's feet, there's toes, there's knees, but you should be speaking, of course. There's lubbers, there's backbones, there's heart, there's... You know, think about all the members of your physical body. But there's only one mouth. So, do we all have to become mouths? Well, imagine a body without feet, without legs, without knees, without ears, without eyes, just mouth. Well, that's not a very balanced body of Christ, is it? So, Christ does everything in its order, and he really puts everyone in his body, as he seems appropriate. So, God has decided the role that you have. You've got certain talents, you've got certain skills. Some of you have got talents. Of course, you say, oh well, people used to say, all I can do is pray and pray. Yeah, sure, that's part of things you have to do. But besides that, some can see, can serve as a church. But what else? Critical that you and I need to do? To do God's work. As we looked at the seal of united, it's got two things. At the top says, preach the gospel. And what does it say at the bottom?

That is part of doing the work. And the person that you and I have to prepare is moi, for those who speak French. It wins my stuff, me, me, myself and I. That is part of doing the work.

What about doing God's work in us? And what is God's work in us? For you and I to grow into the stature of the full, mature Christ.

That is part of God's work.

You see, you and I cannot be rulers in the kingdom of God if you can't rule ourselves.

We can't rule others if we can't rule ourselves. In fact, we can't be in the image of God if we're not in the image of Christ. And in fact, God created us, He said, let us make man in our image. Do you know what the word image means?

Image means doing God's work and representing Him. That's His image. Christ is in the Father's image because He dug the Father's wool and represented the Father. He was in the image of God. You and I are to be in the image of Christ and let His glory shine, His image shine in us, as it says in 2 Corinthians 4. Verse 4, if I'm not mistaken, it says, let that image shine in us.

When we do that and we are becoming like Christ, we are getting to know the Lord Jesus Christ because He's living in us and the Father is living in us.

And therefore, when we grow in His knowledge, we need to grow in the way He does things, which is compassion, loving, kind, merciful. In other words, in His Christ. That's why it says we need to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, our Savior. That is an extremely important part of God's Word because God's Word is preparing His rumors for tomorrow. His training is rulers for the world tomorrow. His training is kings and priests to rule under Christ. And if you and I are not trained, how can He put us in the first resurrection?

Have you thought about it? If you're just coasting to Christian life, are you really reaching your true potential that God asks for you and I to be kings and priests in His kingdom? And maybe we could lose our crown. Let no man take your crown.

We are to be ruling under Christ to save the world. Did you know that? Put it another way. You and I are going to be saviors. Oh, what's in the Bible, you know that?

Do you know where? In the Book of Hope and Life.

Oops, as long as you get that should have happened.

That should have happened.

Okay. We are going to be saviors in the Book of Hope and Life, chapter 1, verse 21, it says, then saviors shall come to Mount Zion to judge. Brother, you and I are going to be under Christ. Christ is our savior, but we're going to help him executing the judgment and help him save the world. And you and I have to be trained now. That is part of God's work in you and I now.

Are we being trained to do that work now? I don't know what's going on.

So we're going to be right in the millennium. We're going to be right in the kingdom of God.

And that's the next pharaoh book, after the 10 virtues. It's in there. The Pharaoh says, we're going to be right in him.

And we'll be right in him, and he will be right in him during the right background judgment. And we're going to be in the priests.

That is part of our job now to prepare to be things and priests. We've got to prepare now. So therefore, my original question was, are we ready to face our Creator? Remember, I asked that question right at the beginning. Are we ready to meet Christ? Are we prepared to meet Christ? But you know what? Maybe the question should be priced slightly different. It says, are we ready to rule with your Creator? You see, there's something we need to do. Are we ready to rule with Christ? You see, Christ's not going to put us in the first resurrection, just to cruise along and put on cruise control and just keep going. He's going to put us in the first resurrection to do a work at that time for which we are being trained now. And therefore, we better be faithful and wise servants. We better be wise virgins, not cruising along and out of sea. So, brethren, it's a big responsibility you and I have. Yes, there is a hope, but there's a responsibility.

Are we therefore getting ourselves ready and watching and doing things and watch what? Watch world news, watch all these things, or rather, watching ourselves, then we are ready ourselves to rule with Christ.

It's very important, because the parable of the ten virgins says that if you and I are not doing that, then when we knock at the door, when he comes and we then knock at the door, he says, sorry, I never knew you.

And you're virgins. You mean the church? And he says, sorry, I didn't know you.

I think it's the steady warning for us.

Brethren, that's why, when we read in 2nd Peter in chapter 3, he says, the Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackens, but he's long suffering towards us, not willing that any should perish, but all should come to repentance.

Now, you and I normally just think of repentance and say, oh, well, I don't steal, I don't lie, or whatever, whatever. Well, I'm trying to lift this up and not try it, brethren. Repentance from being a Christian that's just cruising along to a Christian which is really hot. You know, it's repentance from being lukewarm to being hot.

And I'm sorry, if I raise my voice. I apologize. But brethren, he does say, cry aloud.

And in the day it says, you cry aloud, you read it, the same, cry aloud, not walk to the church.

Cry aloud to the church. So brethren, we, you and I, love, and I'm sorry to say this, but you and I love in the loudest sea and era.

The suspy of it is loudest sea and you and I are in it. I'm not talking about whether it's this fellowship or that fellowship or the church of God or whatever it is. We all in it.

And we have to repent. It says, the Lord says, is not slack, concern is promise. That promise is sure.

But you and I need to repent. Otherwise, even though it verges, we might lose the promise. Even though we've verged, we might miss the promise. The day of the Lord, as we've seen, represents that period of trumpets and obviously the seven trumpets Christ's coming. Woe comes a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with great noise, and the elements will melt in fervent heat of the earth and the works that are in it will be burnt out. Reverend, that day is coming.

Therefore, therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in preparing yourself to do the work, to prepare the people, to prepare yourself, that second leg, most crucial leg, of God's work, of God's work in us, preparing ourselves to behave, to conduct, to have a holy and godly conduct.

That's the purpose of prophecy. It's not to say, oh well, it's all this technical knowledge.

It's to say, hmm, when this happens, it's going to happen. We can see it's happened. I'm not going to be deceived. I love the truth. And I'm going to be zealous and fired up. I'm not going to let it go. Therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, as we read this being disseminated early on today.

Being led away was the error of the wicked. This loudest end world, it's going to pull us if we're not careful.

But grow, grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It doesn't say grow in the knowledge of computer science. It doesn't say grow in the knowledge of architecture. It says grow in the knowledge of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. How do we do that? By Him moving in us, so we get to know Him better, we know what the full-section measure of Christ is, so that we can grow in our knowledge and we can apply it in a gracious manner.

Then it concludes that by saying, to Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.