The God of This World

I receive a lot of letters from different people and emails, particularly from Brazil, because I handle all the mail that comes in and things like that. And I received a letter from a person that said, well, please pray for this country with great hope that God will intervene and save the country from what is going on, because with God nothing is impossible. Please pray, because we're going one way.

And I think we could say it of every country. We could say it of this country, of the states. We could say it of any country. You know, things are really going one way, and it's downhill. And like I say to Kathy, I say it's like the train is left, they're always stationed, and that was a lost station, and that's it. It's now, it's too late. There's no turning back. Really, there's no turning back. And what happens is many times we forget who is the God of this world.

We forget who is the God of this world. We pray, hoping that things that men do, and I could see that specific letter. The person was asking for some sort of a miracle now to save the nation, not understanding this is Satan's world, and the miracle that we're going to have to save the nation is Jesus Christ coming back.

That is what is going to solve these world's problems. Nothing else. Nothing else. And that's because Satan is the God of this world. So I want you to turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 4, 2 Corinthians chapter 4 as a form of an introduction. 2 Corinthians chapter 4. And we'll start in verse 3. Where even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. It was the good news that God's given to us is veiled.

But it's veiled to those in the world that basically are dying. The world is dying. Not saying they're going to die eternally because God's got a plan, but at the moment they are one-way perishing. They whose minds, in verse 4, the God of this age, it was the God of this world which is Satan as blinded.

God as blinded, it was the God of this world as blinded the minds of people. It was Satan with his different tactics, with his deceitful doctrines, with his subtle messages and things that he has that sometimes we don't even see, but they actually are bringing us to a wrong direction. Satan as blinded our minds from the glory of the gospel of Christ, from the beauty and the standing of Christ's gospel. And this is the problem. Satan is deceiving the world. This whole world is deceived. And for our problems to be resolved requires that bad God, let's call it that way, to be put in jail and Christ to come back and rule on this earth.

And that's what's going to happen as we are approaching the feast days and trumpets and day of the town and all that. We know that's the plan and that's what we're going to rehearse and reminds us all these things. This God of this world must be removed before all the good things to happen or to happen. It's going to be removed. And as we heard in the sermon, there's a war. There's a war out there. And we're in the middle of it. And quite often, we don't see where the real war is. We don't see it. And so my purpose today is to increase our awareness of Satan's strategies, of Satan's tricks.

I'm not going to be talking necessarily about the very obvious ones that we say, oh well, this is. But some of the things that he does that are not as as openly, more underhanded, more hidden. But the purpose there is to make us understand that we need to overcome. And if we understand these things, we will be more able to fight it, to overcome it with the help of Christ and of his Spirit and the Word of God.

So be aware of these things. A lot of the things that you and I encounter are subliminal. Now, by that I mean they are below the level of awareness. Now, you may or may not know there is a technique which I think it's illegal and I don't think they do it, but you never know. But it's a technique that if you take a foam and you splice it into the foam, little messages for such a split second that you can't actually see it. And then, now and again, a little later, you splice that same message again so you can't see it. You're subconsciously speaking it.

You don't see it, but you're getting that message injected into you without you even knowing. And that's what's happening in the world. There's all these little things adding up. Some of them are becoming less and less subtle now, but it's all injecting into us this mindset of going the wrong way.

In fact, there's a conspiracy. You see, a lot of people talk about, oh, there's a conspiracy. And we think quite often of this group of men, yeah, I've got a conspiracy, or that group of men have a conspiracy, or that group of men have a conspiracy, or that other group of men have a conspiracy.

Well, the conspiracy is Satan. He is the orchestrator of this. And so, this work, people, yes, they've got their own personal objectives, and a lot of them are not so good, and they've got their own whatever agendas to do things. But, amazingly, that fits in with this one agenda, and fits in with that other agenda, all to one big conspiracy, which is Satan's conspiracy, is the main conspirator.

And look at it, for instance, yeah, in Ezekiel chapter 22. Ezekiel chapter 22, because even the ministers and leaders of nations are conspiring unbeknown to them. Hopefully, it's unbeknown to them. But they're part of this strategy. In Ezekiel chapter 22 verse 25, it says, the conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion. That's the conspiracy of the leadership of Israel and its prophets and its leaders, like a roaring lion tearing the prey.

They have devoured people. They have taken treasure and precious things. They have made many widows in her midst. How many people have lost beloved ones because of the trickery of different people? How many people, for instance, have gone to situations where they lose their spouses? It could be many ways. It could be many things that Satan has inspired that people do.

It could be wars. It could be as simple as divorce. How many children have been badly affected by divorce because there's a break on God's commandment and people are suffering because of this and it's the children in the end that suffer because of divorce. Or maybe it's the concept that says, well, you don't need to get married. It's actually hurting people and it's out there. People say, well, you just live together. You don't have to get married. Or concept, well, it's okay. We've had a very good sermon a few months back about the evil of abortion.

Abortion is killing people and it's wrong. So, Satan has a plot. He is the master conspirator and he is orchestrating all these things together to destroy us. The New Testament warns us about that.

Let's turn to 1 Peter chapter 5. Just as a reminder, these are all scriptures we know very well.

1 Peter chapter 5 verse 8. And it says, be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, walks like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Very similar in some words to what we read in Ezekiel. He's like a lion looking for the prey. That's what it is. That's Satan and his little captains and people that are working for him are doing exactly the same thing. They're doing the same thing. And what are we finding today, society? So many things are orchestrated to bring that end result of destruction. Look at our economy. I mean, we know, you and I know, that we had a big crash in 2008. What have we done since? We've patched it up. We've really patched it up and printed more money. We're owing more money. The day that it's going to come, I mean, the train has left the station. It's just a question of when. You and I don't know when, but the day will come that it'll blow. It'll blow. It's like you blowing a balloon, blow, blow, blow. And you know, you keep blowing. It's going to burst. You just don't know exactly when, but you keep blowing and then suddenly it blows. But you don't know exactly when it's going to blow. But it's going to blow. And that's what it is.

I mean, imagine when that real crash comes, what it will be. And the whole world will be affected. I mean, it's not just the states. It will affect the whole world. It's frightening.

I often think, well, when that will happen, it's because the work is finished. God is just holding it so that we can do the work. Brethren, if you got the eyes open and see this, if you had personal debt of those sort of percentages as it is, you'd be bankrupt already. You'd be bankrupt already.

So somehow it's just kept going. And the only reason why it's kept going is for us to do work.

When God believes or says or states that we've done enough, you'll take that patch off and it'll blow off. That's it. It's just holding so that the work being done. Because if this country, if we in the states economically crash, maybe the word if is wrong, should be when, when the states economically will crash, the work will be finished. There's no other country in the world that has or is structured to be able to continue preaching the gospel like this country does. It's because of Americans, generally speaking, not just in God's church, but in other groups, are very, very generous. Americans are very generous. I mean, I was in Brazil and talking to somebody and they told me. The Americans, they recognized it, they said Americans are very generous because they are the ones that have gone to come to us and to other countries, telling us about God's word. And it's true. And it's true. You know, you get groups like the Gidion's Bible, you get these things, you go anywhere in Brazil, everywhere in Brazil, everywhere in Brazil, everywhere in Brazil, everywhere in Brazil, everywhere in Brazil, there's a Gidion's Bible in Portuguese there. Who's funding this? It's American that is getting this out. So when, when America crashes, and America is still the engine of the rest of the world, like it or not, it's the least. And when the dollar crashes, that's the end of the word. There'll be a famine of hearing the word, full stop. That's it. So you can say, how long can this last? Was it going to last 20 years? It can't go on like 20 years. Open your eyes. It can't go on like 20 years. It could. Nobody knows how long. Nobody knows. But this, it's blowing. I mean, it's now 1.6, 1.8. They're talking about, again, going through that crisis of, of the government kind of being stopped and things like that. It just can't go on.

You look at the way people are controlled. Part of Satan. Control. Why? Why does Satan want people to be controlled? Because he wants people to worship him.

In the end, he will have people to worship him. We're going to look at some scriptures in a moment.

And for that, he needs to be able to control people. So that if people don't worship him, he's got the control to kill them. And so, how are you going to do that? Well, he's going to create mechanisms to control people. I mean, you and I have a cell phone. They can watch you where you go with the cell phone any moment. They know exactly where you are. Many robbers and thieves have been caught today because they use their cell phone and they know where he is and they've got him. So, you know, they can do other things like that. And they can control you. They can control your thinking. Why? Because they can allow you to only listen to what they want you to listen. And that is part of Satan's long strategy. So, different people, quote unquote, with very good intentions, will come out with things to control what you're going to hear or what you're not going to hear. In the end, whose strategy is it? It's Satan's. It's Satan's.

People will be agitated, incited to revolutions. Look at it in Egypt. You look at other areas. Look, even in Brazil, they had big revolutions and things like that because, oh well, they're building the stadiums for the soccer next year. Whatever excuse, building soccer stadiums or revolutions, it's just an excuse to get the people agitated. And once you have the people agitated, you have an excuse to control them. You have to control them. You see, it's out of control.

So, you have to control them. So, it's all part of Satan's strategy. Why? Because he wants to be worshipped. He wants to be worshipped. That's why he went to Christ. He said, you read that in Matthew 4. Took him to the top of the hill and says, worship me, and I'll give you all these kingdoms. He wants to be worshipped. That's what it is. And there's this war of power, of his power. Look with me to Revelation 12 verse 9. Revelation 12 verse 9.

It's a scripture we know very well. We've read it many times. Revelation 12 verse 9. It says, so the great dragon was cast out that serpent of old, called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world. He deceives the whole world. Now, the whole world is not just half of the world. It's not just just two or three people. It's the whole world. And you know, you've very read the scripture. It says, at the time of the end will be like the day of the Lord, will be like the days of Noah. He'll be marrying and giving in marriage. Now, how many people were quote-unquote, conversed during the days of Noah?

One, Noah. In this case, family came along, but one. In the days of the Lord, of Christ, at the end time, will be like that day. How many people were deceived? All of them, except one.

Very few. Just the elect would be there. The rest of the world would be deceived.

Now, we need to understand this means the whole world. And he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him. As we heard in the sermon, that his skull has today the capability of going to heaven and present himself before God. But it'll be a day when you'll be cast down to earth. Now, when he's not allowed in heaven anymore, he will then know that time is short, and then you'll come at whom? But those that he hates the most, who does it that he hates the most?

God's church, God's people, and those that have anything that will be Israelites, even the Jews, you'll go with those. And so, it says, then continue reading, I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, now salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ have come. For the accuser of our brethren who accused them before our God day and night has been cast down. The accuser, he's the slanderer.

That word in Greek is like the slander. It's one that says things like a busy body, slandering, giving false witnesses of things. And so, these are some of his tricks that we got, you and I got to be careful. He's doing things to bring control in different nations. He's got rulers of different nations, just like we heard. In Daniel 10, there's the king of Persia, which is a spiritual king as well. So he's got spiritual powers and dominions over different groups of people. He's organized. Don't worry, he's organized. And he's got this in control, because he's one of control. And so he's got the demons and they are there affecting nations and peoples. And he's going to try and affect us. And what it says here is, deceives the whole world, deceives everybody. And so he's going to deceive in many ways. Some things would be outright simple for most people to identify, but other things are more subtle.

I'm more subtle. I mean, you think about a magician. What does a magician do? He deceives.

He makes you think that he's done something else, but he hasn't. And then suddenly he's done something else. He says, wow, how's that possible? It's impossible. But it's just a form of deception. You know, he does it, yes, or you can't see it, hiding it. And then suddenly, wow, you know, he distracts you onto something else. And then he's changing something else, say, yeah, while you distract. And you look at this, oh, how did this happen? Well, because you were looking at something else. That's what it is, smoke and mirrors and things like that. So he's got different evil deeds. Let's go and look at 1 Timothy chapter 4. 1 Timothy chapter 4.

And Jim went through this section here. But let's just look at it a little bit more. And this is now the Spirit expressly says that in the latter time, some will depart from the faith, giving heed.

In other words, listening to, paying attention to these wrong things.

What wrong things? Deceiving spirits. They are deceiving. They are liars. Satan is the father of lies. He's a liar. He's a cheetah. He's a deceiver. And doctrines of demons, teachings of demons.

And so they lie in hypocrisy, having their own conscious seared with the hot iron. What is a conscience? A conscience is when something happens. You get that little red flag that says, tiddie, don't do that. Don't go there. Oops, I shouldn't do that. A conscious seared with a hot iron means that red flag doesn't work. It doesn't give you that warning. No, it's gone. So that's gone. And then what they do? Forbidding to marry. Now, is there any legislation out there forbidding people to marry? No. But you see, that's too direct. I mean, imagine if we had legislation not allowed to marry, now that's too direct. So what is it going to do? It's more subtle. It's more cunning. It's more deceitful. How do you forbid people to marry? By encouraging living together. By encouraging living together, effectively, you're doing the same thing. You're getting the same end result, said people don't marry. What's something else you do? Well, you can have marriage of the same sex. Because that's not marriage, but in other words, you are forbidding the true marriage of man and woman. And so you're twisting it. You see how subtle it is?

You know, it's not direct. It's subliminal. It's kind of, you know, below the belt in a sense. That way it's kind of, but it's there. It's that effect. That's what he's doing.

And the problem is the leaders are endorsing it. The leaders are endorsing it. And if you say anything about it, you're bad. You're the bad. What's wrong with you? I mean, what's wrong with love? I mean, isn't all about love?

It's just how Satan, as God, what he calls, he are deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.

That's what it is. The doctrines of demons are prevalent in our society today. Although, might not be openly called that, but that's what they are. Deceiving people saying, oh, well, it's love. That's deception. That's not love. That's lust. It's different.

It's a different full-length award, but it's still, it's not love. Not genuine, outgoing, caring love. It's not. So brethren, people are being deceived.

So continuing, they're forbidding to marry, commanding to abstain from foods which were created to be received with thanksgiving. Yes, preventing people from eating. And there's other scriptures that says, you know, God's given us foods that to be received with thanksgiving.

They were sanctified by the Word of God. If you read the next verse where he talks about that, those foods were sanctified by the Word of God. In other words, the Word of God tells us what is good to eat and what is not good to eat. And therefore, these people are telling people not to eat things that God told us are good to eat. How do they do that? By genetically modifying the food. Now suddenly you can't eat this food. But you know, the food was good. They're now making it bad. And they say, you see, this food is bad. I mean, it's so subtle. But Satan, there is a conspiracy and is out there. And these people that have done things with whatever motives, they're all working towards one goal and belong to them. They're just pawns in this big, big chess game, which is Satan's chess game. And people are just pawns. Leaders of nations, leaders of companies that produce food and things like that and fertilize, they're just pawns in this big conspiracy that Satan is controlling and is a mastermind. And in the end, he wants control.

In the end, he wants control.

So that everybody will worship him. Turn with me to Revelation chapter 13, verse 8. Revelation 13, verse 8. Revelation 13, 1, 3, verse 8. All who dwell on earth will worship him. Everyone on earth, not 10%, not 20%, that's 99.9999%, because we'll see in the latter part of the verse, who's the other 0.0001% that will not follow him. But he says, all, he says, who dwell on earth, will worship him. That's the false prophet, which is basically Satan's physical representative on earth. All who worship him, whose names have not been written in a book of life. In other words, the ones that will not worship him are the ones that have their names written in the book of life, of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. You see, when the beast and the false prophet come into power, and they set up this false religion, which will be worldwide, and the whole world will follow it. What does the whole world mean? Does it mean only Catholics? Or does it mean Hindus? Does it mean Muslims? Does it mean whatever? Jews?

This is the whole world! The whole world means the whole world.

When that false religion is established in a way that they have control, there's no way out. And whatever means of control will be, whether it's through cell phones, whether it's through special biometrics. When I was in Brazil, there was the legislation there is now that by 2016, every Brazilian citizen must have a biometrics card, which means it's got a registration of what's your retina, your eye, your fingerprints, got everything, your biometrics, so that's it. And with RFID, radio frequency ID, when you go here, they can pick you up.

And they've got very good valid reasons why it's convenient, quote-unquote. In the end, it's control. The people are just pawns, thinking that there's a very good valid reason, but when the time comes that Satan implements the beast and the false power, he's got the tools to control everybody to worship in that false religion. And what will be that? The mark of that beast. The mark of the beast will be Sunday worship. That is the mark of the beast. The other things, whether it's a chirp, whether it's a card, whether it's a biometrics, are just tools to implement the enforcing of the mark of the beast. But the mark of the beast will be not keeping the Sabbath. That's what it is. That's how you will control everybody to worship him. And then he'll have miracles. He'll have miracles that everybody will just... Wow, he'll follow. Imagine you make a little statue, and the statue starts walking and starts talking. Or people are just healed.

This must be of God. We're going to follow him. Look at Matthew 24, 24. Matthew 24, 24.

For false rites and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders. That is miracles. Miracles that will be great. That will be amazing. That people say, that's it. I mean, there's no doubt. This is it. This is it. So we now have these little things, subliminal things, all these things in a big conspiracy, which is Satan's, bringing everything up to a point so he can control the whole of humanity, so that they worship him. That's what he wants. He wants everybody to worship him. That's what he wanted Christ to do. So it says, and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. And that is those that have their name written in a book of life, as we saw in Revelation. So there'll be miracles to deceive. Look at 2 Thessalonians chapter 9. 2 Thessalonians chapter 9. I'll be upon it. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 9. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 9.

It says, the coming of the lawless one, that is the false prophet, is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders.

With all power. So there'll be powerful miracles, very powerful miracles. There will be lies, and people will just fall. To deceive. How will people be deceived by miracles?

By miracles? All nations, in all nations, there are people looking for a Redeemer today. I mean, the Hindus are looking for the First Buddha. The Muslims are looking for the Grand Mahdi. The Jews are looking for a Messiah. Christians are looking for Christ. What if what if you find, you know, what's deceived, the coming of Christ?

And he says, that is Christ. That is the Messiah. That is the Buddha. That is the Grand Mahdi. That's him.

So Christians will say, that's Christ. We'll worship him.

Hindus will say, that's the First Buddha. We'll worship him.

Muslims will say, that's the Mahdi. We'll worship him. The whole world will follow that.

Something big is going to have to happen to be that. I mean, you and I don't know everything, but as things happen, we'll start seeing, aha, aha. So the whole world will... So the whole world will... So it's possible that he will find the very return of Christ, so that people will think this is it.

This is the Christ. I mean, Tom, it's the Antichrist. It's the false Christ. It's the Antichrist.

And there in 2nd Thessalonians, let's just read a little bit earlier before that in verse 3 and 4. And it says, let no one deceive you by any means, for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first. It is possible that the falling away has come already, but it's possible there will be another falling away even bigger to put all these things together. And the man of sin is revealed.

Verse 1, that they think that it is the Messiah, the returning Christ, the first Buddha or the Grand Mahdi. So that will be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, all that is worship, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. And the whole world will follow him, because we saw in Revelation 13 all the whole world worshipping. Hindus, Muslims, everybody. There must be some changes big to actually put this together. But if we are aware of it, we've got to be careful.

At least we can be aware. We can be aware of that. Brethren, Satan deceives us with many things, different images, different things that are happening that deceive people all over the place. Many things happening that deceive people. But what you and I have to do is to look to Christ. Christ's got to live in us, and we've got to be purified by having Christ living in us. In the end, that's what we're going to do. Christ's got to live. He says Christ is coming, he's coming in the flesh. And that's a present continuous also, because he's coming in the flesh to us, to live in us, through the power of his Spirit, and he lives in us. So brethren, that is what is happening. We've got to be careful. And so, what is the way to fight? How can you and I overcome Satan in this great spiritual battle? Yes, there is a spiritual battle. How can you and I overcome? Well, the answer is in Ephesians chapter 6. Ephesians chapter 6. See, brethren, it's not a physical war. And so in Ephesians chapter 6, starting in verse 11, Ephesians 6 verse 11 says, Finally, my brethren, be strong. I'm reading from verse 10, in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God. That's what we're going to put on. We're to put on the full armor of God, that we may be able to stand against these tricks, against this conspiracy, against these all different things that seem to be coming together on this little plot that he has.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood. When we have arguments, maybe people have arguments, maybe husband and wife has arguments, maybe children and siblings have arguments. Stop the argument and say, whoops, maybe Satan is allowing these wrong attitudes in me, in us. Let's work through that and let's put Christ, love Christ, to live in us and change it, because we're not fighting against flesh and blood. We're not fighting against our spouse, we're not fighting against our children, we're not fighting against teachers or whatever it is, or somebody in traffic or whatever it is that cut in front of us.

Now we are fighting against these rulers of darkness, these demon influences, as it says, against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of weakness in the heavenly places. These are the rulers of darkness of this world. It's the God of this world and the rulers underneath him.

And they're there, and that's all we're fighting. And if we keep our focus on where and who we're fighting, that is a great help, because then we put on the whole armor of God in verse 13, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand, to really stand firm against stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth. What is truth? Now, word is truth. God's word is truth. That's what it is, the truth, the truth of God, the truth of Christ, having put on the breastplate of righteousness. Psalm 119.172, all thy commandments are righteousness. God's law is righteous, including the Sabbath and His holy days. Keeping the commandments is part of that. Then, in verse 15, continue, says, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.

And what does that mean? That means that we got to live and walk with our feet in a way that is godly, being a good, powerful example. And when we are a good example to others around us, at our work, at our area, sooner or later they're going to notice that we are different, because that gospel of peace will bring peace in an environment whenever we work. And people say, but so and so you are different than the other people around you. And that is encouraging. We should be different, because God's Spirit is in us and we're living the right way. And what will happen? These people ask us questions. The reason of why we're different. And there is opportunity to answer their question with the gospel of peace. And that's how we are preaching the gospel of peace, our part. Maybe carry with you a couple of good news, not again. If people ask a question, ask them one. And things like that. Always be ready. Be prepared, whatever it is, or point them to the website, or whatever it is. Well, this website has got a good article there, there's a good news there, and that will help you. And then you can look for other things that will help you. So, have your feet shot with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Above all, take in the shield of faith. The shield protects your body. You know, it's a shield in the front, and all these darts come in, they don't hit your body. And it's faith. So, these doubts. When I was in the industry, working in certain companies, one of the things I heard is that certain companies have a tactic to actually win the sale by saying, create fad. F-U-D. Fad. Create fad. Once you create fad, then you tell people that your solution addresses those problems. And what is fad? Fear, uncertainty, and doubt. You create fear and certain doubt in your customer's mind that the other company, or the solution they currently have, will not solve their problems. There are certain fears, certain things, well, you know, have you, and there's a lot of this today, people ask you, well, and they don't explain to you exactly what you need to do, well, you know, you come to us and we'll help you solve the problem. Because, and they bring a lot of little problems about certain things. I'll give an example of some people, for instance, just going through a process, or for instance, of becoming a U.S. citizen. People say, well, it's very confusing, you ought to come through to us, etc. We'll go through all the steps, etc., etc. But it's not that difficult. You just go and find out what process, do some paperwork, and do the right thing, and that's it. You know, it's not. But what these people want to create, fad, that it's very difficult, and you've got to buy their solution, which is their lawyers or whatever it is, to navigate you through these. And in the end, they don't do much. It's like these other companies that guard against something else, you know, they create fad. Well, the solution you have, it won't solve your problems, because look at what this potentially could happen. But with our solution, we'll solve the problem. That's what it is.

That is a way of breaking your confidence. And that's what Satan does with doubts, doubts, and more doubts, fear, and certainty, and doubt. And you have to have the faith that God is more powerful, that God can solve your problems, and with that shield of faith, you will quench those fiery dots of doubts and of fear. So that's what it says. And with the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery dots of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation. And what is the major, one of the major helmets of salvation? For one, it's keeping the Holy Days. I mean, the Holy Days really continuously repeats year after year the meaning of God's plan. And God's plan is the plan of salvation. And as we keep those Holy Days, and we keep the Sabbath regularly, and we have Christian fellowship, that is reminded to us regularly on a regular basis.

And that means we're putting that in our minds. That's why it's the helmet. It's not in our minds, in our thinking, thinking about the plan of salvation. So that helps because that gives us the hope of what's happening, of what it's going to go. It gives us the vision, and so that we have the hope. And the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, which is the Bible. And so you look at it when Satan tried to deceive or mislead Christ after his 40 days and 40 nights of fasting, as you can read in Matthew 4, he twisted Scripture. And then Satan tried to deceive Christ by twisting and bending Scripture. And what Christ used, the Scripture correctly, like a sword dividing the Scripture correctly. Like somebody mentioned to me, when you bend Scripture, it's like a bow. You bend, and you think about the horseman, the white horseman comes with a bow. And somebody was saying, well, could in analogy mean it's bending Scripture. And when Christ comes with a sword, it's not bending Scripture. It's straight down the line. I thought, well, that's an interesting point. I never thought of it. So that's interesting. So we've got to put on the armor of God and praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. Now, you and I know these things. There's nothing new. There's nothing new. But we just need to be reminded that there is a war. There is a conspiracy. There's a big conspiracy. He is the God of the sword. And he is intended to bring trouble onto the world so that he is worshipped.

That's what he wants. He wants to be worshipped. He wants to be everybody to worship him. That's the goal. And for that, you've got to have control. For that, you've got to deceive everybody to follow him. And so he's preparing different things so that the whole world will be easily deceived. And then with miracles and powers, he'll just swing it and take it to the lost point. So brethren, we need to pray for this country and for every country in the hope that God will heal the nation. But you and I know that the real healing will only come when this evil, wicked one is put away and Christ comes back. So to conclude, let's look at Romans 16. Romans 16, verse 19 and 20. Romans 16, verse 19 and 20. Romans 16, verse 19 and 20. It says, For your obedience has become known to all. And that's what we need to do. Our obedience to God's ways needs to become known to all. A big example of what we're doing. We are different, indeed. Therefore, I'm led on your behalf, but I want you to be wise in what is good.

Let us in whatever we do be wise in doing the right things. That's what we're going to do. We're going to work in being outgoing, loving, caring, working for peace, being wise in the good things. That's what we need to do. But simple, in other words, innocent, really not very good, in a sense, put it this way, in concerning evil. We're wise and good. That's what we focus on.

And then it says, in verse 20, The God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.