Hope for Tomorrow

Well, it's very comforting and inspiring to know that God has plans for us. Marvelous plans. I really appreciate that special music. It's very well done. It ties in well with the title of my sermon today.

The eight-day festival, Hope for Tomorrow. Tremendous hope for tomorrow. Satan has certainly deceived the whole world. Satan is the author of confusion. He's deceived the whole world when it comes to humanity's future. Many believe that humans are nothing more than animals, with no future after death. No hope for us, really. Many are atheists and don't believe in God in the slightest. Many admit they have no clue whether or not humankind has a future after death. They are agnostics, which means they admittedly don't know what to expect after they die. Many do profess a belief in God, and there are all kinds of different religions out there. There are some who worship idols still, some that even go so far as to blatantly worship Satan the Devil. It is really a messed-up, confused world when it comes to religion. Many believe in an ever-burning hellfire where those who are wicked will be punished forever. They believe in a heaven where the good guys, whatever that means, get to go after death. Some believe in a place of limbo for a time they call it purgatory. Very, very few people really believe and understand the truth of the Bible. There are very few people that are really observing and celebrating this eighth day with the understanding and the knowledge that God has given you and me.

It's wonderful to know that the Bible does give us enough to understand a basic framework regarding life after death and our very bright future as God's beloved children. There's nothing like the love of godly parents. We love our children, don't we? We would do anything for them. We would lay our lives down for them. We would quickly die for them.

And of course, that is what God has exactly done for us. Jesus the Christ laid his life down. The Father gave his only begotten son to die for us. So we have a very, very bright future as God's beloved children. And again, we are among the few who have had their minds opened because the true God has called us to understand his truth and his plan of salvation at this time. Indeed, this is our day of salvation. Now, that can't be emphasized enough. This is your day of salvation. It's my day of salvation. This is our time. God has called us. But of course, there's a great future for all people, not just us. We're just among the firstfruits, the forerunners. So we're going to talk a lot about the other people that God will call in due time. In fact, let's go to 1 Corinthians 15, where we read about God calling people in his own order as he sees fit. 1 Corinthians chapter 15. Let's go to verse 21. 1 Corinthians 15 verse 21.

For since by man came death, and it's talking about Adam here, little m for man, for since by Adam or man came death, by man capitalized, talking about the Christ, by man who became flesh, Jesus Christ also came the resurrection of the dead, the very first of the firstfruits.

For as an Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. All will be made alive in Christ, but each one in his own order, Christ the firstfruits afterward those who are Christ at his coming. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when he puts an end to all rule and all authority and power, for he must reign till he has put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. So we do have a bright future. Everyone has a bright future, really, unless they choose to reject this wonderful calling that God has for each and every one of us.

The Feast of Tabernacles does picture the 1000-year reign of Christ on the earth, for those called now in this age, but what comes after the millennium, after the 1000-year period?

Why is there an 8th day festival, and why is this last day of the feast such a great day? Is there hope for tomorrow in God's fulfillment of the 8th day festival and the conclusion of his plan of salvation for all humankind?

Now, a lot has already been read in Revelation 20, so I'm not going to take the time to go there. It'll be a little bit shorter sermon because of it. But it's been covered very well by a number of men. We know that Satan is loosed at the end of the millennium. He stirs up the nations, mounts a rebellion, and is defeated and cast into the lake of fire.

Those with him are also cast into the lake of fire.

Revelation 25 talks about a second resurrection, however, when it says, the rest of the dead, in verse 5, Revelation 20 verse 5, the rest of the dead, those not resurrected at Christ's return, they live again after the 1000-year period. So let's go to Ezekiel 37, and we've heard it mentioned a few times, but I don't know that anyone's actually gone to it. So let's go to Ezekiel 37, and we'll read a number of verses here about a resurrection to physical life.

We are going to be resurrected to spirit life, born into the family of God at Christ's return.

But this is speaking of a physical resurrection, Ezekiel 37.

And the children of Israel are representative of all mankind, really.

Yes, they were the chosen ones, but God is going to choose everyone and give everyone an opportunity for salvation. So in Ezekiel 37, verse 1, Again, he said to me, God, you know. I don't, but you know.

Now, there have been songs written about them bones. You've probably heard the songs.

Verse 5, I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you. It's very clear. I will cover you with skin and put breath in you and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord. Because most of the house of Israel, it wasn't their day of salvation. They were not being saved at that time. It wasn't their day. But they will have another time when they will be resurrected to life.

Then you shall know that I am the Eternal. And we've read that a number of times through the feast. God wants people to know who He is. They frankly do not know who He is yet, but they will know. So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a noise and suddenly a rattling, and the bones came together. Bone to bone. Now, I think this was in broad daylight because it would have been very scary.

Otherwise, it was probably scary anyway. The bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over, but there was no breath in them. They were just lifeless. Also, He said to me, prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God, come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain that they may live. So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and they stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army. Can you imagine? A great army standing before Ezekiel. Then He said to me, God said to me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off because they just didn't get it. They didn't understand it. Therefore prophesy and say to them, Thus says the Lord God, behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and I will cause you to come up from your graves, and I will bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Eternal. When I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up from your graves. I will put my spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I the Eternal have spoken it, and performed it, says the Eternal.

Again, the word of the Eternal came to me, saying, As for you, Son of Man, take a stick for yourself, and write on it, for Judah and for the children of Israel his companions. Then take another stick and write on it, for Joseph the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions. Then join them one to another for yourself into one stick, and they will become one in your hand. And when the children of your people speak to you, saying, Will you not show us what you mean by these? Say to them, Thus does the Lord God, Surely I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his companions, and I will join them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in my hand. And the sticks on which you write will be in your land before their eyes. Then say to them, Thus says the Lord God, Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side, and bring them into their own land. And that's coming. And it says in verse 22, And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and one king shall be king over them all. They shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again. So there is a great future for the house of Israel, the house of Judah, and also for all mankind in the future. So the Great White Throne Judgment Period is what this is explaining. They will come up and they'll have an opportunity to be judged. And not just the house of Israel or the house of Judah, but all of mankind will be resurrected and will be given an answer. It says the rest of the dead. It doesn't just say the rest of Israel or the rest of Judah. It says the rest of the dead will be raised to life. And they will have an opportunity at that time to follow God, to accept His way, and to enter His divine family.

Now if we go to Isaiah 65, let's go there and tie in this. Isaiah 65. Isaiah 65. And I believe I read this, I think, in the announcements that I gave one day. Isaiah 65. Let's start in verse 17.

Isaiah 65. Verse 17. Maybe I didn't read this. I create a new heavens and a new earth, and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind, but be glad and rejoiced forever in what I create. For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, and her people a joy. For behold, I shall no longer be heard in her, nor the voice of crying. No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days. For the child shall die one hundred years old, but the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them. They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build another inhabitant. They shall not plant another eat. In the days of a tree, so shall be the days of my people. They'll live a long time, and my elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth children for trouble. For they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the Eternal, and their offspring with them. So God is going to pour out a tremendous blessing on all people in the days ahead, and it shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer. And while they're still speaking, I will hear, the wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox. So here we see a bright future ahead of us when the animals will be changed. Of course, this is primarily talking about during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ at this time. In the Bible, you have to read it here a little, there a little, put it all together, because we're talking about the new heavens and the new earth. But we're also talking about something that's clearly millennial. And so, it isn't always easy to comprehend exactly what's going to happen. So I think we have to reserve a little bit for some things that are not quite known as well as we might like to know them today. But God will make it all clear in the days ahead. But one thing that's very clear is that we all have a very bright, bright future ahead of us.

We've speculated that the Great White Throne Judgment period may be 100 years, but that's speculation. We don't know how long that period's going to be. We'll just have to wait and see how long that's going to be. But as Mr. Schreiber said in the sermon this morning, there will be a time of judgment, and the people will have an opportunity to learn the truth of God. They haven't had their opportunity. They will have an opportunity. There are so many people that are so confused. Some people have never even heard the name of Jesus Christ.

They've lived and died thousands of years ago, and it's going to be their day of salvation. Now is not their day. A thousand years ago, two thousand, three thousand, four thousand years ago is not their day of salvation. That day is coming, and they shall be judged, but they will be judged by the books that are opened, which was also read.

The books of the Bible will be opened, and all people will come to know God, and to know His truth, and to know His way of life. And there will be kings and priests who have lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years that have taught those who are living during the millennium, and then they will, many of them, no doubt, be changed to spirit as well. And together, we will teach the billions and billions and billions of people that are going to live. Now I know I'm looking forward to meeting Solomon Welch.

It's a truism. And some of you that went to camp at Pine Crest have heard me talk about Solomon. Now I called him Solomon O. Welch, but I think it was, you know, he was Irish. He came over from Ireland. He was the first Welsh that we know of. We have a genealogy book that was written about the history of the Welch family, and Solomon Welch was the first one to come over from Ireland.

So I'm certainly, it was in the 1700s. I'm looking forward to meeting him. Late 1700s, I think. I'm looking forward to meeting him. My dad and I did take a trip to Pennsylvania to try to scout out some of our ancestors, and we went to a county courthouse and found some records of a Welch that had, and it wasn't Solomon, it was Solomon Welch. I think it was Solomon Welch, I believe, and he had like a couple of cows, and it was on record. You know, he had a few acres and a couple of cows, and so I'm looking forward to meeting him and hearing what his trip was like coming over, and then I'll tell him about how we've flown to Italy and to Greece and to various countries and see what kind of reaction I get.

But it will be very, very interesting when you talk to many of your ancestors, your relatives, Aunt Nellie. I have an Aunt Nellie that I'm looking forward to seeing her, Uncle Doug. You know, they've been dead for years and years. I was just a kid when I stayed with them in their home. So I'm looking forward to them. My Grandma Thompson, some of you in the past, have heard me talk about Grandma Thompson.

She was a hoot. She was a character, very outspoken. So I won't say much more about her, but my mother, a wonderful mother, my dad, frankly, he was an alcoholic, and his dad before him was an alcoholic. His name was Homer Welch. I never met the man. I don't know anything about him, really. He was very little. My dad never told me much about him. I'm looking forward to meeting him. And my Grandma Amy, I never met her either. That's my dad's mother and father. So I'm looking forward to meeting them, and I'm sure you're looking forward to meeting your relatives, your ancestors.

And what a day of rejoicing that will be. And it's going to be shocking. We're not going to be nearly as shocked as they are. We're really going to be shocked. Wow. Let's go to Hebrews 6. Hebrews 6. Let's read what was likely the Apostle Paul who wrote the book of Hebrews. We don't know for sure. But we're going to read beginning in verse 4 of Hebrews 6.

Here it says, It's talking about the Holy Spirit dwelling and living in a person. That earnest, that down payment that is given to us when hands are laid upon us, when we've accepted Christ as our Savior, we've repented of our sins, we go under that watery grave, we come out in newness of life, the hands are laid upon us, we receive the Holy Spirit of God.

That's what it's talking about here. Once you've been enlightened by the Holy Spirit and tasted the heavenly gift, once you've done this, you've tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come. That's what you and I have tasted. We have tasted the power of the ages to come because we grasp at least something of what's going to be happening in the future. That's awesome. That's powerful. It's not to be taken for granted.

But it says, if you've experienced all this, if they fall away, it's impossible to renew them again to repentance. That's why it says we must work out our own salvation with fear and with trembling. And never take it lightly, brethren. Never take it lightly. It's not something to take lightly.

Because if you're enlightened and then you reject God and reject His way of life and you become bitter, that's usually what gets to a person, is a root of bitterness. You must guard against that at all times. You must learn to love all people and forgive all people because God is loving and God is forgiving, and we're going to have to become that way as well. Loving and forgiving. But if a person is to fall away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance.

God is the one that grants repentance. And God is not going to grant repentance once He's taken the Holy Spirit away. That's why David cried out to God and poured his heart out to God because he knew he was in danger. He had committed adultery with Bathsheba. He had murdered Bathsheba's wife to cover up the whole sordid mess, and he knew that he was in danger of God taking the Holy Spirit away from him. And we should not take sin lightly.

Sin is sin. It's the transgression of God's holy and righteous law, and it's the attitude that you have to be most careful about. Now, David was a man after God's own heart. Even though he was a sinner, God's not a sinner, but He was. But the thing is, he was repentant.

Once he finally came to grasp it, and yes, God had to send... He had to send a prophet to him, and he said, You are the man! David, you're the man I'm talking about! You're the one! You have to own your sins! Because, brethren, we have to go from sinners to saints. We're in the process of going from sinner to saint. But you'll never get there if you don't admit your sins, and you don't repent of them if you don't own them, and then do your best with God's help to overcome them.

The Scripture says, To he who overcomes will I grant to sit with me on my throne. Yes, we must be overcomers. We must put sin out of our lives. Again, that's why we should never take it so lightly. God wants us to grow, to overcome, to change. We'll not be perfect in this physical flesh, but we are to be overcomers, and we're to be moving in the right direction. And as long as we are, God will continue to grant us repentance, and we shall be secure in our salvation.

We are being saved. We're in the process of being saved because we have an awesome Savior. It's not because we're so wonderful, but we do have a wonderful Savior and a wonderful Father, a forgiving God. So never take these things lightly, because once God takes the Spirit away, it's impossible for Him to grant repentance at that time.

Since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God. And that's why it's so horrible to preach and teach that the law of God is done away. The law of God is holy and just and good, and Jesus Christ had to die because people took the law lightly and sinned against God and broke His holy and righteous law. So it says, "...they put the Son to an open shame for the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God.

But if it bears thorns and briars, it is rejected, and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned." It's talking about the lake of fire. There is a lake of fire. Those who preach eternal salvation for all people don't read the Bible. Well, because it's pretty clear that some will reject God. Some have fallen away. But we must be continually on guard and close to Christ and the Father so that we may be protected and secure in our salvation because God certainly wants to grant all people salvation.

He's not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and stay in a repentant heart and mind.

Now let's go to Isaiah chapter 25. Isaiah chapter 25.

We'll start reading in verse 6. Isaiah chapter 25 and in verse 6. Isaiah chapter 25 verse 6. And in this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all people a feast of choice pieces, a feast of wine on the leaves. We've been enjoying all of that, this feast.

A fat thing's full of marrow. Yes, I have had a couple of flaming yons, this feast. And I've enjoyed them. And it's been wonderful. Of well-refined wines on the leaves and he will destroy on this mountain the surface of the covering cast over all people. And the veil that has spread over all nations. I believe Mr. Scriber also mentioned that earlier today. And the veil that has spread over all nations. Yes, people are blinded today. He will swallow up death forever. And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces. The rebuke of his people, he will take away from all the earth.

He's going to take it away from all the earth. For the Lord has spoken, the Eternal has spoken. Now let's read verse 9. And it will be said, in that day, behold, this is our God, we have waited for him, and he will save us. This is the Eternal. We have waited for him. We will be glad, and we will rejoice in his salvation. So we do not have to fear, except fearing God, showing proper respect and proper reverence of God and who he is, and then we are certainly secure. Now, let's go to Revelation 21. We'll read a little bit here in Revelation 21. It does talk about the new heavens and the new earth here.

And some of this, we may not fully grasp or understand yet. In fact, how could we? It's future, it's not something we've experienced, it's written on paper. So we do see through a glass darkly in many ways, but God also reveals some things to us. Let's start in verse 1. You know, I want to go back up into Revelation 20 for just a few verses here.

Let's go to verse 11. Then I saw a great white throne, and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their works by the things which were written in the books.

It does matter how we live our lives. It does matter. You know, we have to watch our conduct. The sea gave up the dead who were in it. And death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. So people who were eaten by sharks and whales, God knows how to put them back together again. You know, they couldn't put Humpty Dumpty back together, but God can certainly put all of us back together.

The DNA, God knows. He can put it all back together. So death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. Once you're cast into the lake of fire, there is no more. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. Yes, we need to have our names written in the Book. Verse 1 of 21, Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no more sea than I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, and prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

A pure virgin bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them, and He will be their God, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.

There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Then He who sat on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. It's a new heaven and a new earth. It's not going to be like this heaven or this heaven and this earth. It's going to be different.

It's going to be a new heaven and a new earth. Behold, I make all things new. And He said to me, Write, for these words are true and faithful. And He said to me, It is done. It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to Him who thirsts. We heard that earlier too. To Him who thirsts. And all people are going to thirst.

They're going to want to be filled. They're thirsts, they're going to want it to be quenched. They're going to have a thirst for knowledge and understanding. It's going to be baffling for them to come up out of the graves, to have flesh put back on them, and to see things as they are.

What an amazing, astounding revelation that will be for people who are resurrected to life. He says, I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to Him who thirsts. God's Spirit will flow like a river. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my Son. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the abominable, the murderers, the sexually immoral, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars, and anything like all of these things, these people, they shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death, because they would not repent.

They would not repent of their sin. Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying... Now again, this is in vision, and it's being unfolded, so we need to read it with some wisdom here.

We're in Revelation 21, but we didn't read all of the first 20 chapters of Revelation, and it talks about the seven bowls and the seven last plagues, and that's going to happen perhaps in some of our lifetimes, when those things will take place, when those things will happen. But then we go a thousand years beyond that to the new heavens and the new earth. So that's why you have to put it all together. Hear a little, hear a little, then you get an understanding of what's being talked about. So now we're going back, and one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying... Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. And I don't think I'm going to take the time to read the rest of this. You can read through this later on. But I did want to go to verse 22. Verse 22, But I saw no temple in it, talking about the new Jerusalem, For the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honor into it. Again, it's reflecting back on when people will change and repent, and nations and kings and others will repent of their sins. And they shall bring their glory and honor into it. Its gates shall not be shut at all by day. There shall be no night there, and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles or causes an abomination or a lie. But only those who are written in the Lamb's book of lies. So there will come a time when those who will not repent will die the second death. And then it will just be those who have had their names written in the book of life, and they shall be the bride of Christ as well. And the firstfruits, you know, we're to be the bride of Christ also. Again, we don't know exactly how this all works. I'll be the first to admit that. I don't claim to know complete understanding. I believe I'm going to be a part of the bride of Christ, but I personally think that others will be part of the bride as well, as they come into the faith, or, you know, as their change to spirit. And there will all be the bride of Christ, not just the firstfruits, but all of us in that sense, a figurative sense.

Okay. Verse 1 of chapter 22, And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street and on either side of the river was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. Now, how figurative is this? How literal is this? I don't know. I just read what it says. In the middle of the street and on either side of the river was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations, and there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him. They shall see his face, and his name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there, they need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light, and they shall reign forever and ever. Then he said to me, These words are faithful and true, and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show his servants the things which must shortly take place. Now, we're still waiting on those things to shortly take place, but God is far more patient than we are, and time is different with God. We're still waiting. Behold, I am coming quickly, Christ says. Behold, I come quickly. Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book. Now I, John, saw and heard these things, and when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. And he said to me, See that you do not do that, for I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book, he says, Worship God. Don't worship anything else but God. Don't worship angels. Don't bow down before me. Worship God. And he said to me, Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. The time is coming. Knowledge has been increased. Daniel talks about that. What an amazing world we live in today. How different will it be 10 years from now, 20 years from now? How much time will God give us? We don't know. But Christ says, Behold, He is coming quickly.

Verse 10, And he said to me, Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. He was unjust. Let him be unjust still. He's saying, If you're not going to repent, then you'll pay the consequences for that. He was unjust. Let him be unjust still. He was filthy. Let him be filthy still. He who is righteous, let him be righteous still. He who is holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I am coming quickly. And my reward is with me to give to everyone according to his work. We shall be rewarded according to our works. Works do matter. We're saved by grace. Yes, no doubt about it. None of us have earned an iota of salvation because the wages of sin is death, and that's what we deserve. We deserve the second death. But God is gracious and merciful and forgiving, and we are saved by grace.

Let him who is righteous be righteous. He who is holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I am coming quickly. My reward is with me to give to everyone according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are those who do his commandments that they may have the right to the tree of life. That's one reason why I took so much time during announcements to talk about the commandments of God and the fruits of the Holy Spirit. They're intertwined so inextricably together. And blessed are those who do his commandments that they may have the right to the tree of life that they may enter through the gate into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters and whoever loves and practices a lie. Again, it's figurative. They're not going to be allowed in the kingdom. They're going to be burned up in the second death. All of these people who will not repent. I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David. I am the bright and the morning star. And the spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him who hears say, Come. I hope we're all praying, Come. Come quickly. Come soon. Because this world is suffering. Billions of people have suffered over the centuries, over the millennia. It's a horrible world in so many ways. And yet, God wants us to rejoice in the day that we've been given. And frankly, I've had a wonderful life. I really have. They could have a movie about my life. It's a wonderful life. And God is good to us, and I believe God wants us to enjoy every day that we have.

And He wants our children to enjoy it. And we have to grab life. We have to grab it and enjoy it and live it to the fullest. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.

That's what we all need to do.

He says, And let him who thirsts, Come. The spirit and the bride say, Come. Let him who hears, say, Come. And let him who thirsts, Come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book. Don't ever think you know something more than God does.

Don't try to add to what God says. Be careful. Be humble. No, be careful. Because if you add to it, you're in trouble. And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away His part from the book of life. It's very important how we handle the Word of God. And as was mentioned earlier, those who teach it will be held more accountable.

So we have to be very careful the way we teach. God will take away His part from the book of life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. He who testifies to these things says, surely I am coming quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. This is how the book ends. It's a good ending. Again, we have a wonderful future ahead of us. Now, the book ends, but my notes don't.

I've got just a little bit more to cover here. Not a whole lot. But let's go back to 2 Peter, because this was read earlier, I think Mr. Kinsey read this. But I think we do need to consider it and take it into context with other things that we've read today.

And certainly, God knows how it all fits together. Even if we may not fully understand it all at this point, God certainly does know. 2 Peter, chapter 3. 2 Peter, chapter 3, verse 7. 3 But the heavens and the earth, which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 4 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years as one day, and the Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

That's what God wants. That's what He desires, because He loves all of His children, made in His image. 5 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away. Now, honestly, we know for sure that Christ's coming and the heavens and the earth passing away are not...they don't happen at the same time. There's a lot of time in between there. So you have to read the Word of God carefully. Again, hear a little, there a little, and put it together.

6 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat. Both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 7 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat.

8 Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. So again, a very, very bright future for us, but the bottom line here is holy conduct. That's what God's looking for. He's looking for humble people who are producing the fruit of His Spirit, who are keeping His commandments, who are living by every word of God. 9 Brother, we cannot overestimate what we've been given.

You cannot overestimate your calling. 10 This is the most important thing that you could ever be doing, is to be sitting here listening to the words of life, and writing them in your hearts and in your minds, and committing yourself and being convicted to live every day as though it were your last. Every day in honor to God and to His way of life. This is a high and a holy calling, never to be underestimated or overestimated.

It's the best there possibly could be. Okay. The most wonderful change of all that will happen in the future is that our minds and our hearts will be just like God's. That's the thing that grieves me the most in this life. I have a corrupt mind at times.

You know, I have to battle against it. I have to fight against it. I have to reject those thoughts, put them out, because Satan is the prince of the power of the air, and he wants to inject his poison into my heart and into my mind, and he wants to do the same to you.

And if we're not careful, we'll allow that to happen. It's happened. You know people who've allowed it to happen. They're not here today. They're not sitting with us. We have to be very careful. We have to work out our own salvation with fear and with trembling. I'm looking forward to a spiritual body. That will be wonderful. Right now, I have bone on bone on my left knee. Right now, it's really pretty good, and I'm grateful to God for that, because I can still do a lot. But the doctors tell me it's bone on bone. There's very little cartilage, if any.

Even so, I have a bright future, because the most important thing are the spiritual things, not the physical things.

So what I really want is a spiritual mind and a spiritual heart, because the rest of it just drags you down.

I don't like it. I do not like it. I don't like the shackles of carnality. I don't like to be weighed down by my carnal nature. I want to be changed. I want to have a new spirit body. I want to be able to truly fly through the air. I've always wanted to fly. I would love to fly right across this room, right now. I don't think God has given me that power yet, so I'm not going to try.

But there's a better day coming.

In 1 Corinthians 2, verse 9, it says, "'I has not seen nor ear heard, nor has entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for those who love Him.' If you love Him, you have some wonderful things that have been prepared for you. If you love Him, and all people who will come out of their graves, when they learn to love God, then God will grant them salvation. And I has not seen nor ear heard, nor has entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared." We can't grasp or comprehend how wonderful it's be. You can think all you want, but you won't get close.

You won't get close. It's so much better. I know it is, although I don't know what it is, but I know it's much better. And then, final Scripture, Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8, we'll wrap this up. I have no idea how long I've taken, but we're going to wrap it up here. Romans chapter 8, verse 18. Romans chapter 8, verse 18.

Paul writes, 1 Corinthians 15 talks about that corruption. 1 Corinthians 15 talks about that corruption.

We will be delivered into a body of incorruption with no more corruption. 2 Corinthians 15. apply Hope that everything that we talked about today will surely come to pass. And then dropping down to verse 28, And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose. God is working all things out here below, For whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son, That he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Many brethren. We are among the many brethren. Among the firstfruits. So, yes, this is our day of salvation, But thankfully, all people will have their day of salvation. My Aunt Nellie, my dad, my grandfather, my grandmother, your grandmother, your grandfather, Your great-greatfather, great-great-grandfather, Solomon Welch.

You know, they'll all have their opportunities in the future. God's plan of salvation, brethren, is based on obedience. It's based on sacrifice, forgiveness, upon grace, upon faithfulness, upon all the fruits of God's Spirit, all of his commandments. It gives to us tremendous hope, real hope for all people who have ever lived or will live in the future. So, brethren, let us all hopefully anticipate, let us all hopefully anticipate with joy, the fulfillment of God's wonderful plan for each and every one of us. We have a very bright future. There is hope for tomorrow. Well, it's been a real pleasure to be here with all of you, this feast. I consider this my best feast ever. They all get better. So it's been a great feast, so everyone be careful driving home, be safe, and keep the faith.