Atonement as a Preparation to the Feast

Our help, brethren, is depicted by God's holidays. God's holidays emphasize key events in the future, particularly the fall holidays. We've just completed the Day of Trumpets. We're approaching the Day of Atonement. And it is important for us to think that these two holidays not only point to events in the future, but are important for us because it helps us to prepare for the feast.

For one, we've got trumpets that help us to look towards Christ coming. And yes, the Atonement helps us look towards Satan being put away. But also, they help us to get ourselves into a right-minded state, as we are in the sermon head, for us to be in the right spirit, in the right attitude of broadcasting our light in the right way. Turn with me, please, to Joel 2. Daniel, Isaiah, Joel, Joel 2. And the other is, Joel is a book that covers the time of the seventh seal, the last trumpets. In other words, the Day of the Lord. So it is an interesting book to read from that point of view. But in chapter 2, it starts by saying, Blow the trumpet in Zion and sound it along in my holy mountain, let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the Day of the Lord is coming.

And as we saw in trumpets, the Day of the Lord presents that period of the seven trumpets, which is the seven seals, and it culminates in Christ's coming. A day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thin darkness, as we saw in also its herald, its warmth to us by the heavenly signs, and then the Day of the Lord comes.

And it says, like the morning clouds spread over the mountains, the people come great and strong, probably referring to the 200 million of the six trumpets in Revelation 9-16. The like of whom has never been, nor will there be any such after them, even for many successive generations. So, there is a trumpet, it's warning us of time to come, and then it gives you different emotional feelings about things that are going to happen. And then as we move a little further, starting in verse 11, it says, the Lord gives voice before his army. Could be God's army to punish the nations, could be the beast power, in a sense, the Syria, could be those nations that...

But those are events before, but maybe it's in fact emphasizing to God's army to come when it's the seventh trumpet. But it says, for strong is the one who executes his word, for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible. Who can endure it? And so, yeah, it's pointing to the day of trumpets, symbolizing Christ's coming, symbolizing great events to happen.

But then, look at verse 12. It says, now therefore, says the Lord, turn to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping. In other words, picturing the day of atonement, of fasting. So we've got trumpets, the warning, type of war, all the things that come. And then it says to us, we need to turn to God and to look at ourselves with fasting and weeping and with mourning, with genuine repentance. It says, so rain your heart and not your gums.

Return to the eternal your God. And brethren, as we look at ourselves, we all, we all do things wrong. We all do things wrong. And we have to get on our knees and say, God, again, I've done it wrong. Which one of us hasn't done that? We all do wrong. And you know what? We are not made just by anything we've done. We're made just by the gift of Christ's sacrifice and His blood for us, freely by His grace. And that's what it says, for He is gracious and merciful.

And that's what the weighty matters of the law is, justice. Yes, there's justice. And when we look at it, we see we've done wrong. We've got to rend our hearts. We've got to change. And then we've got to call on that mercy. And then we have to walk in faith, in faith that we have been forgiven and we walk the right way, broadcasting that good, peaceful spirit. And that's not only us, but look at it. The ones that see us doing things wrong. The ones that see us doing things wrong might be our relatives, might be our brethren.

They see us do things wrong. And then they also need to show mercy towards us and that faith that we are walking in the right way. So both of us, we that do things wrong and we that see others doing things wrong, we both need to apply this justice-mercing faith in a slightly different way. But we all have to. And it says, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness. I am so glad that God is more merciful than what I have.

That he is more patient than what I have. That he is slower to anger than what I am. Because I sometimes blow my fuse when I should not blow it. And I think we all can say the same thing of us.

So it says, any reliance from doing harm. God relents from doing harm if we repent. Who knows if he will turn and relent? Who knows if he will turn and relent? But you and I know, brethren, that nation is not going to repent. But you and I can. You and I can. He goes on, and leave a blessing behind him, a great offering and a great offering for the Lord your God.

Look at verse 15. Blow the trumpet in Zion. Consecrate a fast. Call a sacred assembly. Brethren, what is Zion? Subprophetic references in the Bible. When it's talking about Zion, it's actually referring not only to the physical location, but it's actually referring to the church of God, spiritually speaking. For instance, if you look at Hebrews 12 verse 23, it says Zion, and it includes the holy city, but it also includes the cold brethren as the church of God.

And also, there is a trumpet to be blown on the Day of Atonement, which is the trumpet of Jubilee. And you can read that in Leviticus 25, around about verse 19 and 20. The trumpet of Jubilee. Why? Because it says, It says, Declare Liberty in the Land.

And so, as we approach the Feast of Tabernacles, we have two holy days before the Feast, which help us to prepare the way towards the Feast and the Last Great Day. And you and I have an opportunity, during these days, to prepare ourselves spiritually for the Feast.

Let's look at, for instance, and we're going to focus a little bit more today on the Day of Atonement, because trumpets are already gone by. So we're going to look, and so let's start by looking at Leviticus 23. Leviticus 23 verse 26.

And it says, And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Also on the tenth day of the seventh month shall be the day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation. In other words, it's a holy gathering of God's people. In other words, it's a calling that God has done, and it said, Brethren, children, today, we want to have a meeting, and come to the meeting. And it's a holy meeting. That's what it means. It's a holy convocation. It's a meeting. It's like your boss that says, We're going to have a meeting today at a certain time. That's what it is. And therefore, it's a holy convocation. But in addition to that, says, You shall afflict your souls. And you and I know very well, it means fasting, and offering made by fire to the Lord. And we all offer a sacrifice, a living sacrifice. That is our part of offering today. And then a little bit ahead, and continue then, verse 28, You shall do no work on that same day, for it is the day of atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God. What is atonement? What is atonement? Atonement means cover your sins. Atonement also means reconcile. Think about it. Atonement means reconciliation, to make atonement. So you become at one. When you are at one, you are reconciled. Think about it. It is another way of expressing reconciliation for you before the Lord your God. For any person who is not afflicted in soul, on that same day, shall be cut off from his people. And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. You shall do no matter of work. You shall be a statue forever, throughout the generations in all your dwellings. And then in verse 32, it shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest. It is a Sabbath. It is a Sabbath of solemn rest. And you shall afflict your souls. On the ninth day of the month of Eve, and it was from sunset at the end of the ninth day, from evening to evening, from sunset to sunset. That's when you celebrate your Sabbath. This guy is an example where it shows that you keep the Sabbath from sunset to sunset, particularly in this case, the day of Atonement. Let's look a little bit more at the day of Atonement in Leviticus 16. And we'll cover this probably maybe a little bit more next Sabbath on the day of Atonement. But let's just look here in Leviticus 16, verse 29 and 30. And it says, this shall be a statute forever for you in the seventh month. On the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls and do no work at all, whether native of your country or the stranger who dwells among you. For on that day, the priests shall make Atonement for you, to cleanse you that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord. In other words, the symbolism in your brethren is that you and I cannot make ourselves clean. It's the priest. And our priest, our eye priest, is Christ. He is the one that makes us clean. So, Atonement, it's like a purging exercise. I don't know if you ever had some problem in your bowels, and you had to take something to purge you. Well, particularly if they are certain type of MRIs or whatever it is that we have to do sometimes, that it requires you to kind of purge everything. Now, you know what purging means. It all goes.

Well, that's what we have to do. We've got to purge all our sins. You've just got to let it all go. And therefore, through that, we are afflicting our souls, and we are drawing closer to God, being reconciled with God and with man. You know, it's a challenge. It really is a challenge. When you hear that some people, for instance, in the Church, have a problem with some other brother or sister in the Church. And therefore, because of that, they separate themselves. Maybe they sit in a different side of the hall, or maybe they go to a different congregation, or whatever it is. Let me ask you a question. Will that continue into the Kingdom of God for eternity, where those two people will be kind of sitting on one side of the kingdom and the other one on the other side? Will that continue? Obviously, you know the answer is no. The answer is no. So, today, now, as you prepare for a time, it's an ideal time for us to work on this reconciliation, if there is any. I'm not saying there is any. Yeah, I'm just bringing a spiritual principle to all of us. So, if we just read a little further, it says in verse 34, of Matthew 16, it says, Now, this is very interesting. To make a tournament for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year, and it did as the Lord commanded Moses. Do you know, as a matter of five interesting points, besides what was mentioned in the sermon, about the Psalms of ascent, but you know that the Jews view these ten days between trumpets and atonement as a time of self-searching and repentance? I have a friend of ours who is in the church, but he's of Jewish descent, and every year, during this period, he contacts me, and he says, if I ever say anything to you over the posture, or if there is any feeling out there, please forgive me. I think that's a really nice gesture.

But now, let me ask you a question.

Did you look at this period of ten days as a time of self-examination?

Great! But, have you considered what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11? So turn with me to 1 Corinthians 11. 1 Corinthians 11. As you turn there, you realize that it's that section, starting from verse 17, where it's talking about behavior during the Passover ceremony. And then, a little lighter, as we get in 1 Corinthians 11, in verse 27, it says, Therefore whoever eats the spread and drinks the stuff of the Lord in an unworthy manner, and that's the manner, the way we do it, how we interact with people, and there's these little tricktions with people and things like that, will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, but let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner, eats and drinks judgment himself, not concerning the Lord's body. And you and I know that you and I have been baptized, as it's stated, when the minister of the Church of God baptized you, he said, I'm not baptizing you into, remember, any sect or human organization, but I'm baptizing you into the name of the family of God. In other words, you're baptizing you not into this XYZ Church, or that XYWV, whatever, a church or the other one, church, and a lot of people say, well, which church are you baptized? Well, I'll be baptized into this church. Now, you and I are baptized into the body of Christ, which is kept of, which is the family of God, which is kept of in the name of God, which is the Father. So, the name of God, the Father is God, the name of the Son is the Son of God, and we receive the Holy Spirit, which is the Holy Spirit of God, so we're baptized into the family of God, into that name, into that family. We're not baptized into any sect or human organization. You don't remember that clearly. And so when it says, yeah, we are not discerning the Lord's body, quite often you and I think of it, and it is correct to do so, we think of it as Christ's physical body. But you and I need to elevate that thinking to a spiritual level, because when we're not discerning the Lord's body, remember, you and I are baptized into Christ's body, the Lord's body, which is the Church of God, and that means we're not discerning brethren, one another, and therefore, therefore, it says in verse 30, For this reason many are weak and seek among you, and many sleep, because we don't treat sometimes other brethren in the Church well or correctly, not that we do it deliberately, but we're human beings and we do things wrong, and we have to analyze, we've got to examine ourselves, we've got to discern the body, and repent and change. And that's why it says in verse 31, for if we would judge ourselves, if we discern ourselves, and we identify through self-examination, where are we doing things wrong, and we can change and we can't bear that, we're not going to be judged by God, because He does not need to do it, because we've already done it, and we've sorted out those problems. So brethren, what have we got here? We are in Corinthians, saying we need to examine ourselves before the Passover, but then we read in Leviticus that it says, let's go back to Leviticus 29. Leviticus 29. Right at the end. Leviticus 29. Leviticus 29.

Big part. Leviticus 23. Leviticus 23. Sorry. I must spoke. I'm sure you knew I meant that. Leviticus 23. At the end of the section. Now, now, that's why I signed that. It was Leviticus 16. Now, really slipping out. Sorry, brethren. Leviticus 16, verse 34, which we were reading, it says, this shall be another lasting statute for you to make a tournament for the children of Israel.

Now, I read that section, then I went to Corinthians, and I showed you we need to examine ourselves at a passover time. But we also need to examine ourselves as we prepare for a tournament. So which one is which one? Because we need to examine ourselves, brethren, individually, one on one at a passover. And yes, we need to examine ourselves again at a tournament. But this examination around a tournament is for the children of Israel, not just for us, but for the nation, for the whole of mankind. Because it represents when Satan will be put away, and there will be at one for the whole of mankind.

See, so while the passover symbolizes our individual, let's call it reconciliation with God and with man, a tournament symbolizes that reconciliation not of just as individually, but God's reconciliation with the whole nation. As it says, they are the nation of Israel. And because God does not discriminate between people, it applies to the whole world. So, as we look at a tournament, there is a reconciliation with mankind to come.

See, continuing on that thought, let's look at Romans chapter 5. Romans chapter 5. Romans chapter 5, verse 6 to 11. Likewise, you also reckon yourselves to be dead, indeed, to sin. In other words, we need to reckon ourselves to be dead to live in a situation of sin. Now, that does not mean that we're perfect, because we still slip up. We all do. But alive, we need to dedicate our life, our energy, our thoughts to God through Christ, our Lord. Therefore, don't let's turn rain in your mortal body that you should obey it in its last. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law, but under grace. And brethren, if we are under the law, we'll all be dead. But under grace, it's given to us the only hope of eternal life and salvation. And then it continues. And then, shall we therefore sin, because that... No! No!

I don't know what's wrong with me today, because I said Romans 5, and I was reading Romans 6.

And I actually meant to read Romans 5. So I apologize. Let's go back to Romans 5. It's actually... It says in verse 6, it says, We shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we reconciled to God through the death of His son. We were reconciled. There was this reconciliation. There was this atonement to God. Much more having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoiced in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received that reconciliation. So brethren, we have received that reconciliation. If you have an old King James Bible, it's the only one that translates it this way that I'm going to read now. You have received atonement in all King James' life. In the new King James' life, it says, receive reconciliation. You see, there is this linkage between atonement and reconciliation. Because to be at one with God, you are reconciled with God. So what is reconciliation? Reconciliation is you stop that status of hostility between two, and now there's no more hostility, and now you're at one. You're reconciled. In other words, the relationship changed for an unfriendly relationship, or a cold relationship, to a godly, warm relationship. And that applies between us and God, and between man and man. We have to change them. We have to modify them. And you know, brethren, what separates us from God?

You know that? It's sin. You can read that in Isaiah 59. Our sin separates us from God. Why? Because you and I have a carnal mind. You know that? Romans 8-7, you know? That the mind of man is continuously going the wrong way.

Sometimes you wake up yourself and say, Why am I thinking about this? I shouldn't be thinking about this on the Sabbath. Or, Why am I saying this on the Sabbath? I shouldn't be saying this on the Sabbath. And we have to change. And we have to repent. And we have to acknowledge that we don't do it right. Because our heart and our minds are carnal. And we need God's help. And look with me, please, to Colossians chapter 1.

Colossians chapter 1.

Verse 13. He says, He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.

You and I have been freed from the power of darkness, which is the kingdom of this world, the kingdom of Satan, the kingdom of the sight. We've been freed into the kingdom of Jesus Christ. Now, I do understand that the kingdom is not here yet. But, by us, complying to the laws and the principles of true godliness and Christianity, we have shifted to be under the rule, the governing approach of the kingdom of God. And so, we've been freed from this governed approach of Satan to the devil, and we've now been liberated and removed that into the, as it says there, into the kingdom of the Son of His love. And look a little bit lighter in verse 19. For it pleases the Father that in him all the fullness should dwell. It pleases the Father that in Christ all the fullness should dwell. So, what I read from this brethren is that when I respect and love beloved Savior Christ, I am not snapping the Father. I'm actually giving honor and grace to the Father, because it pleases Him to do that for all the fullness to dwell on the Son of Him. And by Him, by whom? By Christ, by Him, to reconcile all things to Himself. And by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. So, it pleases the Father that everything is under Christ, and that through Christ you and I are made at one with God and with mankind. And continue, verse 21, and you, who once were aliens and enemies in your mind by wicked works. And brethren, we are, but for the grace of God, we are like that. But for the grace of God, yet now, He has reconciled. Yet now He has reconciled us in the body of His flesh through death to present you and I as holy and blameless and above reproach in His sight. You and I are holy and blameless and above reproach in God's sight, not because of what you and I have done!

Thank God I can go to God's throne on my knees, and so, thank God you can go to God's throne in your knees through the blood of Christ, through the veil, in a new and living way and get forgiveness.

And yes, that does not mean that now you and I continue living the way we did, because we did to sin. But nothing has reconciled you and I but the blood of Christ.

That's what it says here in verse 22. In the body of His flesh through death to present you. There was He as He conspired us by His death to present you and I holy and blameless and above reproach in God's sight.

Now, brethren, this is such a blessing. But you know what? Not everybody is yet in this situation.

Only those that God is called and God is working with and that they are repenting and believing in Christ and changing. It's only a minority of people. Are we better? No! Are we better than the others? No! God, in His great wisdom, has selected those that will have the highest probability of success in His wisdom to be called now. He will select the others later when He believes they'll have the highest probability of success later. He knows and I trust Him that He knows what He's doing.

Therefore, what you and I are experiencing is a special status today of reconciliation. That the world has not yet received. But God's plan is that the whole of humanity will receive that reconciliation in due time. The whole of mankind will receive that reconciliation in due time. But before that happens, Jesus Christ has to return from us. And before that happens, Satan has to put away a torment.

And then Christ will rule on earth, and the whole world will be reconciled. The trumpet of Jubilee can belong. Peace in the land. Turn with me, please, to 2 Corinthians 4. 2 Corinthians 4.

2 Corinthians 4, verses 3 and 4. But even if our Gospel is veiled, it was even if the good news of the Kingdom of God, which can only be possible through Christ, dying for us. So even if these good news is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In other words, they are blinded, and they are blinded because they are dying. It doesn't mean they'll die forever. God will unveil them in due time. But at this stage, they perishing. They, whose minds the God of this world, which is Satan, as blinded.

Therefore, they don't believe in what you and I believe. Why? Because if they did believe, the light of this good news, which is the glory of Christ living in us, would shine on them as well. It will be reflective there because Christ would live in them as well. But Satan doesn't want that. That's why the God of this age has blinded them.

So that the light of the Gospel, the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

Christ is the image of God.

Now, think about Genesis 1, where it says, Let us make man in our image and our likeness.

Now, what is the image of God? The image of God is that Christ did God's work and represented the Father in his full character and way of life and love. That's the image of God. And that's the image you and I have to become.

And his likeness means, you know, we're going to have, you know, two arms, big fingers, and that's how he is in the spiritual body. But in his image means, in his character, in his essence, type of being, and that's what Christ is, is in the image of God. And so that glory of being our God, when you and I behave that way, that becomes Christ in us through God's Holy Spirit, and that shines out like we're learning Mr. Manette, broadcasts out from us. We are broadcasting, or in other words, we are like a light shining, like this light is broadcasting light. And you and I ought to be lights in that image. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ, continuing reading in verse 5, or 2 Corinthians 4, we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves, your bondservants, for Christ's name. So Paul is saying, hey, I'm not boasting about myself, I'm talking about Christ, and you and I are merely His servants.

That's why then it says, for it is God, in verse 6, who commanded light to shine out of darkness. Now you can say, yes, it means Genesis 1 and light shining, but it's actually talking about the spiritual, that light is shining out of darkness, who has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. In other words, that image shining in us. That's what we're going to reflect. But on the other side, we see that this God of this age is preventing that today.

The mere fact that is of this age means the age of land, because it will be another age. And the age to come, which we usually refer to as the world tomorrow, the age to come, He will not be there. He will be restrained. And that's what is depicted by the Day of Atonement. When that being the God of this age, which is Satan, will be restrained.

And when you read in Leviticus, we only read the last part, but when you read in Leviticus, there were two gods, remember? One representing for the Lord, and the other one for Azazel. Now, the goat itself is symbolic of the Lamb. You see, because Christ is the Lamb of God. He's not the goat of God. He's the Lamb of God. And therefore, at Passover, that's when the Lamb was sacrificed. So, at Atonement, the goat is purely pointing to the Lamb. Of the Lord, which is Christ.

And the other goat points towards Azazel, which was a bad demon, which he is representing of Satan. And when you read that in Leviticus 16, you can see the one goat, one representing Christ, was killed. Correct. So Christ was the Lamb, pointing to the Lamb, the possum of the Lamb, that was killed. But the other one was kept alive. And then a strong man took him and put him into a place.

You get that from Leviticus 16.

Goes into the wilderness. So the live goat, see that in Leviticus 16, verse 21 and 22, the live goat is taken to the wilderness by a fit man. And that parallels the New Testament explanation, which we read in Revelation 20, verse 1-2-3. So let's turn there. Revelation 20, verse 1-2-3. Revelation 20, verse 1-2-3.

He says, Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, which is the analogy of Leviticus 16, that strong man, which is an angel, explains here, from heaven. Having the key of the bottomless spit and a great shine in his hand, and he laid hold of the dragon.

That serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan. In other words, that Asazal goat, represented by the Asazal goat, which was taken to a wilderness and bound him for a thousand years. He's bound during the millennium. So when Christ comes to rule, Satan is not there. He interfered.

And he cost him into the bottomless spit, which Leviticus 16 says it's a wilderness. It's costing some way out of the way, and shut him up, and seal on him, that he should deceive the nations no more. And it is so incorrect, that the God of the swab is deceiving, he's putting a veil so people don't understand, and he's blind in the nations. But during the millennium, you will not be able to do that.

So the Day of Atonement represents, or reminds us, that Satan and his demons will be removed prior to the beginning of the millennium.

And so we have these two symbolic feasts. Trumpets and Atonement. Trumpets, Christ coming back, Atonement, Satan being put away.

And now, after that, we can ask the millennium. Spiritually speaking, Trumpets reminds us that spiritually, you and I need to wake up and focus on preparing spiritually, and to be ready for the coming of Christ for us to rule in the world tomorrow. And the Day of Atonement helps us to prepare by having Satan out of our lives, by us making sure we do what we can to put Satan away from us now. So these two holy days for us have a spiritual meaning, not only for the future of what they represent, but for us today representing we need to be alert, we need to be awake, because no man knows the day or the hour, and we need to put Satan out of our lives in our conduct.

That's part of the Lord's Prayer, right? That's part of the Lord's Prayer, deliver us from the evil one.

Now, how do we do this? Particularly, how do we put Satan out of our lives? Because we've seen these two holy days. Trumpets help us to be ready and prepare and use those warnings, sound the alarm in Zion. Zion is the church. We had the trumpet, trumpets in music two days ago. We had the trumpets, but we also had the warning, let us repent, let us change, let us cross coming, let us be awake. And now we have today a retirement approaching us, and we got these days in between for us to examine ourselves and the nation, and that understanding that we have to examine ourselves, obviously, for Selv But now we examine ourselves because we examine for the nation, for the world, not just for us. But individually, we have to work on putting Satan out of our lives. How do we do this? So turn with me, please, to 1 Peter 5, verses 5-9. 1 Peter 5, verses 5-9. Likewise, you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another and be clothed with humility. God resists the proud that gives grace to the humble. Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in your time. Point number one to resist Satan is humility. By humbling ourselves before God, we are resisting Satan. That is why, on the day of Atonement, we are too fast to humble ourselves, to help us on ourselves, to examine ourselves, to get closer to God. That is point number one. For us to resist Satan, we have to humble ourselves. And remember, humility is the first of the attitude. And remember, lack of humility was Satan's big sin.

And, interestingly enough, lack of humility has been the trouble of great division in the churches of God. So, we need to really work on humility and humbling ourselves. We really need to. We really need to. It says God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. We all need God's grace. We all need His mercy and kindness and forgiveness. Then continue reading in verse 7, casting all your care upon him for the case of you. So, do not worry about other things. God loves you and cares for you. But, please, let us first put humility, and God will do the rest. The second point is be stubborn and be vigilant. In other words, we gotta be alert. That is the theme of trumpets. Think about it. That is the theme of trumpets. We gotta be alert. Be vigilant. The love of war is there. The drums of war are around us with the way people talk and leaders of nations are talking. It's frightening, brethren. So, as it says there, be sober, be vigilant, because your adversity the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. So, that's how we resist them. First, humility. Second, be vigilant. When we lived in South Africa, we were subject to a lot of crime. And one of the things they told us, particularly one of the crime that was very predominant was carjacking, or hijacking, as it was called. And one of the things they told us is, be alert of your surroundings. If there is somebody coming towards you, make sure they are aware that you are aware of them. Because they, their major weapon is surprised. Their major weapon is to catch you and away. And if they know you are watching them, they don't know whether you've got a gun or not a gun. In fact, it doesn't help if they have a gun, because they'll probably, if they catch you with a gun, they'll probably take it from you and use it on you anyway. So, so, so really, we never had a gun. We just relied on God and it always worked fine.

But the biggest weapon you can have is, be sober, be vigilant.

And against Satan is the same thing. We need to be sober and vigilant. So, let's be humble. And let's be alert. Thirdly, says Yahya, verse 9, resisting steadfast in the five.

We need to be strong in the five. There's probably nothing as important as that. Now, obviously humility and being vigilant, but being strong in the five.

You and I know the truth. We need to love the truth. We need to be strong in the five.

Keep your fingers there and just go a little bit forwards to Jude. Jude chapter 1 verse 3.

Beloved, while I was diligent to write to you concerning your common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you, exhausting you to contend earnestly for the faith, which was once for all delivered to the science. Brethren, write about the time of the end. Jude was one of the later writings. It was run about, written somewhere between the year 80 and 90. Long after Paul had died, maybe some twenty years or so after Paul had died, or at least fifteen. Shortly before John wrote, and the book of Revelation was revealed, so it was right towards the end. And Jude, the brother of Christ, said, I wanted to write to you regarding the salvation, but you know what? I had to change the topic, because I want to write to you about contending for the faith, which was once delivered to the science by Christ and the original apostles.

And don't deviate from that. There's going to be a lot of false witnesses coming out with all these things happening with stories and things like that. Please stick to the basics, to the trunk of the tree, as Mr Armstrong used to say. Don't let it go. Hold on to it as if it's your life, because it is your life. Be steadfast in the faith.

This is young. Contend earnestly for that faith.

Now it's interesting.

That's what Christ said in Luke 18. Have you considered Luke 18?

Let's go there to Luke 18.

Look 18.

Verse 8. Look 18 verse 8. I tell you, this is Christ speaking. The new old adventure, him speedily. Nevertheless, when the son of man comes, will he really find, and as it is in the Greek, as it is in the original Greek, it says, will he really find that faith on the earth? We need to contend earnestly for the faith, which was once delivered to the saints. When Christ comes, will he find people still contending earnestly for the faith?

That was once given to the saints. So he's not saying, will he find faith? He will find, will he find that faith? That was once delivered to the saints.

That's why we're reading the in Jude 1 verse 3. 3. In the big not Jude 1, 1 Peter 5 verse 9 says, Knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brother in the world. So brethren, as we approach the Feast of Thevern of the Hours of Spiritual Food, then during all other Holy Days combined. All other annual Holy Days combined. You'll have more spiritual food to do the Feast than all the other annual Holy Days combined. And so, as you and I prepare for the Feast, we need to be alert, thinking of trumpets. We need to be humble. And we need to love the truth. Come 10, earnestly for the faith that was once delivered to the saints. Look how James chapter 4 puts it in another way. James chapter 4 verse 6 through 10. James chapter 4 verse 6 through 10 says, God gives more grace, therefore He says, resist the proud. God resists the proud, gives grace to the humble. Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he'll flee from you. Draw near to God, and he'll draw near to you. Cleanse your heart, your sinners. Purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep, let your laughter be turned through mourning, and your joy to bloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up. Brethren, as we look towards atonement, atonement is a time for us to repent and put away once again. For us to determine to be humble and to be steadfast in faith.

And therefore, for you and I to derive the maximum benefit from the feast, because you and I want to derive the maximum benefit from the feast, sure, there's a lot of physical joy that will be there. God blesses with many physical joys.

But the greatest blessing of the feast is a spiritual blessing of the instruction and also the Christian fellowship and love that we can have towards one another. And if you see some ravens struggling, or they don't have a lot of money, and you have a little bit more, please help them out. But for us to get the maximum benefit of the feast, let us use the spirit now to prepare by humbling ourselves, by being alert, being steadfast in the faith, so that we cleanse ourselves, we flick ourselves, and we're ready, so that we can get the maximum benefit from the feast. And so, remember, brethren, the lessons from trumpets and the Day of Atonement, so that you and I can truly have a happy and profitable feast of Heaven and Actors. And God bless you on your trip and on your feast. We don't see you next week. We'll see you after the feast. God bless you.