How Can You Prepare for What Lies Ahead?

There is a lot to cover today, and we will have two sessions, as Mr. Martins has already told you.

Both sessions are entitled, How Can You Prepare For What Lies Ahead? That's the overall title.

How can you prepare for what lies ahead? Because we know that there are interesting times ahead of us.

Daily headlines warn us about the financial uncertainty here in the U.S. and in Europe and around the world. We know there are threats of terror on a regular basis. Not long ago, the Boston Marathon bombings took place. We know there are also continuing cultural wars, as people are not getting along too well with one another. That's been the history of the human race.

So the question again is, how can you be prepared for what's coming in the future? How can you prepare for what lies ahead? We have some cataclysmic times coming according to the Bible, the book of Revelation. It talks about many events that will happen in the future.

It's prophesied before Christ returned. We do need to take it seriously because it's sure.

God's Word is sure. His prophecies are sure. They will come to pass. Now, how soon they come to pass?

None of us know the answer to that question, but certainly we're closer now than we've ever been.

And we do live in some very perilous times. Today's seminar will give you hope, which comes from living by the principles of God's law and His way of life. Today, we're going to ask and answer four essential questions. Two questions we'll answer in the first part. Number one is, why don't we have world peace today? Why have we never had world peace when it comes to humanity? And secondly, why is the kingdom of God the solution to our problems? In the second session, we'll cover two other questions. One is, what is a major underlying crisis of our time? The other one, what is Jesus Christ's plan for your success and future in the kingdom of God? Understanding the answers to these questions from the Bible and the wonderful news about the kingdom of God will enlighten all of us. It will empower us. It will encourage us. So let's pray that God's Spirit will move in all of us today as we understand more fully God's plan for us. So again, in part one, we'll answer the first two of those questions that I already mentioned. And the first one is, why don't we have world peace today?

Peace, worldwide permanent peace among all nations and peoples has been an ongoing dream. It's been a hope of mankind throughout human history. Of course, we've never accomplished it, but it is the stuff of countless stories, countless sermons and countless songs, and also a lot of wishful thinking. It just isn't going to happen until Christ returns. Endless strategies go on to promote peace. They've been proposed, they've been tried, but again, none of them have worked.

So just think of all the peace demonstrations. I remember when I was just a teenager, there were a lot of peace demonstrations going on. There were peace talks. Peace treaties have been signed throughout history. In fact, most of them have never been kept. Sadly, even sincere negotiations have often been fruitless. Peace is definitely hard to come by. God inspired the prophet Jeremiah to write a poignant portrayal of world history. Notice in Jeremiah 6, verse 14, where God Himself says, "...they have also healed the hurt of my people slightly, superficially, saying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace." People like to pretend that there's peace, but really there's never been peace here on this earth. Human beings, on their own, cannot discover lasting solutions. In Isaiah 59, verse 8, God says, "...the way of peace they have not known." Sadly, people are spiritually blind. The conduct of nations reflects the behavior of people today. The fact is, international relations will be peaceable only when all people learn to be peaceable themselves. Now, the inspired scriptures promise that this will eventually come to pass, that it is in your Bible. But what is it going to take to achieve world peace? World peace will require people to have a new heart and a new spirit, according to Ezekiel chapter 18. It's going to take a new heart and a new spirit, and God is the one that's going to have to put that new heart in us and grant us His Holy Spirit. Only God can give us a new heart and a new spirit, so we have to look to Him. For the people God is calling now, He is offering that very change. We can change, we can be transformed. When Jesus Christ returns to this earth, His offer will be extended to all people. But God, frankly, is not calling everyone today.

Unknown to many people during Christ's first coming, He was not trying to bring about peace on earth. People say that, but that wasn't really Christ's purpose at all. If it is, He failed miserably, and we know He's not a failure. That was not a part of God's plan. Christ came the first time to die for us, to lay His life down, to be that perfect sacrifice for us. But world peace will finally take root when the Prince of Peace returns to earth. At that time—oh, I think I skipped over one here. Let's go back. Isaiah 9 verse 7 says, "...the increase of His government and peace, there will be no end." So we are looking forward to that time when there is no end of peace.

Christ's peacemaking will absolutely not be by appeasement. We know that Neville Chamberlain was one who believed in appeasement. That did not work very well. As Adolf Hitler was simply just trying to take advantage of that, Christ isn't going to negotiate. Rather, He will forcibly put down rebellion. He will forcibly put down those who rise up against Him. Against Him, He will establish His kingdom. He will establish His government on this earth. After that, He will set about re-educating all humanity and bringing about their spiritual conversion. At that time, the nations will be led into great peace. There will finally be contentment and joyfulness for all people. War is going to be utterly banned. Notice in Isaiah 2.4, they will beat their swords into plowshares, their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation. Neither shall they learn war anymore. That has not happened yet. That is coming in the future. In Micah 4, verse 4, it says clearly that everyone will sit under His vine and under His fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid. It is talking about those who will live into God's kingdom. There will be people here on earth who will actually live. Not everyone will lose their lives. Many will. Billions of people, frankly, will die according to the Scriptures. But there will be many who will live into God's kingdom. And after a time, they will learn what true peace is all about. They'll have their own vine, their own fig tree, and eventually they will no longer be afraid. That's a wonderful time to look forward to. Did you know that this is a central aspect of the message that Christ and His apostles preached, a part of the gospel of the kingdom? Notice this in Ephesians 6, verse 15, where it says, the gospel, the good news of peace. It's a good news of peace that's coming in the future. But again, why is humanity in the terrible state of suffering, of discord and upset that it's in? We don't know what we're going to hear whenever we turn on the news anymore. It wasn't long ago when that horrible story from Cleveland came out about someone keeping, I guess it was three young women captive for 10 years. It's hard to fathom something like that going on in today's civilized world, but it happens. We don't have peace today. Why is there so little peace? Why is there so little cooperation among people?

Why does fighting, conflict and confusion often prevail in human relations? Frankly, the answer is it has to do with our sinful human nature. It has to do with the very makeup of mankind.

As human beings, we have what the prophet Ezekiel referred to as hearts of stone, rather than compassionate hearts of flesh. The Bible also clearly shows that the heart is deceitful above all things, is desperately wicked. Our corrupt human nature and our weaknesses, combined with the devil's influence, has led this whole world into a world of great suffering and agony for so many people. Perhaps we have it very nicely here on this earth. In fact, many of us do we're greatly blessed in this country, but that's not true of all people. Some people are suffering horribly, and so we need to have concern for them, and we need to pray God's kingdom comes soon for all those who are suffering greatly. Now, Paul explained in 2 Corinthians chapter 4 that Satan is indeed the God of this age. Satan the devil has blinded the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the gospel of the kingdom of God.

Paul reminds Christ's faithful disciples that Satan is indeed the prince of the power of the air.

He is the spirit that works in the sons of disobedience. He has an unholy spirit, certainly not a holy spirit. He's composed of something unholy and unrighteous and unfaithful and wrong. As he was once the light bringer, but he sinned against God, iniquity was found in him. He became twisted and perverted, and humanity has followed in his footsteps. For he is indeed the God of this world. He's the prince of the power of the air. He works in the sons of disobedience. And it says here clearly that we were all once, we all once conducted ourselves accordingly, according to the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and we're by nature children of wrath, just as the others. So God is not a respecter of persons. All people must come to repentance because all people are sinners.

Even the very best of us still fall short of the glory of God. None of us are perfect. In Romans chapter 3, it shows that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Every one of us. So we all need to repent of our sins. And we must understand that the devil isn't the only one to blame here. Certainly he is greatly to blame, but he's not the only one to blame because we make our own choices. We decide whether or not we're going to give in to Satan's influence or whether we're going to draw near to God and have him draw near to us and give a strength to overcome and to put sin out of our lives. Satan influences us through our fleshly weaknesses. The human flesh is carnal. It is weak. There are major areas of our fleshly nature that are easily manipulated by Satan the devil. And if we're not willing to admit it, then we're going to continue in sin. So we have to first of all admit that this is the type of nature that we have.

Notice in Galatians chapter 5. First of all, let's talk about some selfish physical desires that often get us into trouble. And let's be honest with ourselves. Paul says, now the works of the flesh and all of us are fleshly and the works of the flesh are obvious fornication, which is obviously sexual relations outside of marriage, premarital sex. These are things that people take for granted today. It's living together and it seems like anything goes. But that's not what God says. He says these are the works of the flesh fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels. You know, some of these things are very prevalent, aren't they? Don't we all get angry at times?

Don't we sometimes quarrel with one another? Are we not sometimes envious of one another?

A lot of people have had problems with drinking. A lot of people have had problems with alcohol and drugs and on and on it goes. Corrusing and things like these. Paul says, I'm warning you, as I warned you before, those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. So a person who continues in their sins isn't repentant and continues to sin against God.

With an unrepentant heart, he will not inherit the kingdom of God. That's as plain as it can be in regard to God's laws. Now in Romans chapter 1, from the NIV version, it says, therefore God gave them over, speaking of mankind, He gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. And that's happening more and more today and it's becoming more and more accepted and it's pathetic. You know, what's happening is sickening.

And we need to see it the way God does. You know, God says it's perverted. He doesn't say it's a good thing, but a lot of our teenagers are growing up thinking that it's A-OK. Alternative lifestyles, anything goes, whatever you choose, doesn't matter. But that's not what the Bible says.

It's right in the book. So here it talks about women, but then it also talks about men.

In the same way, the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. So that's what it calls homosexuality perversion. So it's sad, but that's the world we live in today. Continuing, further more, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, He gave them over to a depraved mind. It gets worse and worse. You know, the more we accept these things, the more it perverts our thinking, the more acceptable we think these things are. He says, He gave them over to a depraved mind to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity.

So the Bible is very clear. The Bible does not speak smooth things. But frankly, the many churches of this world do so. They accept that type of behavior. They don't speak out against it. They don't condemn it like the Bible does.

It says, they are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, slanderers. They're God-haters. They're insolent, arrogant, and boastful. They invent ways of doing evil. They disobey their parents. They're senseless. They're faithless. They're heartless. They're ruthless. We see all of these things occurring in the world today.

Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do those very things, but also approve of those who practice them. See, this is what was happening back 2000 years ago. In Paul's time, human nature is the saying today as it was back then. We have the same battles. We have the same problems, the same issues. The Roman society was corrupt. The Greek society was corrupt. The Babylonian society was corrupt. The Persian society was corrupt. The Egyptian society was corrupt. Every society has been corrupt throughout history. So, we have Jeremiah 17 to consider, and I mentioned this already. It says, The heart is devious above all else, it's deceitful above all things. It is perverse.

Who can understand it? I, the Lord, test the mind, and I search the heart to give to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their doings. In other words, it's saying, we reap what we sow. We reap what we sow, and this has been happening throughout history.

Through the history of mankind, we've been reaping what we've been sowing, and that's why there's so much corruption on the earth today, because our hearts are corrupt, our minds are corrupt, in many aspects of our lives. And so, we're producing that kind of bad fruit.

In Proverbs chapter 14, it says, there's a way that seems right to a man, that the end thereof is the way of death.

So, there are a number of things that we have to fight against. We have this physical nature that's easily manipulated by Satan. We have a natural deceitfulness about us. Our heart is deceitful. It's easily to delude oneself, to be deceived. And of course, Satan has deceived the whole world, according to the Scriptures. So, that's a great weakness, that we're easily deceived. Another issue is that we have a natural tendency to resent having our fleshly desires limited by rules. We don't like rules. We don't want anyone telling us, we shouldn't do this, or we shouldn't do that. It's human nature. We don't like to be told what to do. We don't even want God to tell us what to do. Even though God is the one that fashioned us and made us in His image, who gave us life, who maintains our lives, who gives us every breath of air that we breathe, only God could sustain us on this earth. We're just the right distance away from the sun, so that we don't burn up. We're also the right distance, so we don't freeze.

This is a unique planet. God is working out a wonderful plan here on this earth, so we shouldn't take it for granted. But it is a natural tendency to resent authority in our lives. We certainly don't want other men telling us what we should do. We don't want a preacher, a minister telling us what to do. It kind of goes against the grain. Only when God begins to work with your mind, are you willing to accept instruction, direction, and guidance. Otherwise, we always know best, don't we? Okay, Romans chapter 8. Let's go there and consider what it says in the Holman Christian Standard Bible. This is one we quote very often. For those whose lives are according to the flesh, think about the things of the flesh. But those whose lives are according to the Spirit, they think about the things of the Spirit. For the mindset of the flesh is death.

See, it is important how you set your mind. You do have to set your mind, otherwise, Satan will set it for you. If you don't struggle against him and what he's trying to do in your life, then he's going to set your mind and you're going to follow him. For the mindset of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit itself to God's law. For it is unable to do so. For those whose lives are in, that is dominated by the flesh, are unable to please God. So we're not pleasing to God when we allow our flesh and when we allow Satan to dictate how we live our lives. So we have to yield. We actually have to surrender our lives. It's not easy to submit and to surrender. Those are two of the hardest words for people to accept. Submit and surrender. But that's exactly what we have to do if we're going to follow God faithfully.

Submit and surrender. We have a free booklet called The Ten Commandments that goes through God's commandments in detail, not just the letter of the law, but also the spirit of these laws. It shows us how we ought to be keeping not only the letter, but also the spirit of God's law. So we have plenty of booklets in the back. You know you're welcome to any of our booklets.

Let's go on to Romans chapter 8 verses 13 and 14, where it says, For if you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. So we have to be led by God's Spirit. We have to allow God's Spirit to lead us. So that means we have to learn to submit to God and allow Him to lead us. Otherwise, there's always this going on. There's a confrontation going on with God. Who's going to win that?

In the end, God will obviously win that battle. So why not surrender now? Make life easier for yourself rather than fight for the next 10, 15, 20, 30 years and pay the consequences of disobedience and unfaithfulness. The Bible tells us that sin is the transgression of the law. Obviously, the Ten Commandments are the fundamental aspects of God's law. Ten Great Commandments. Now, God has other laws, but these set a framework for us to follow. And sin is the transgression or the breaking of God's commandments, breaking of His laws.

The ancient Israelites were told by God that if they obeyed the laws of God, everything would go well for them. In fact, they entered into a covenant. They said, whatever you tell us, we will do.

The Ten Commandments were given. They were afraid. They wanted Moses to speak to them. They didn't want God to directly speak to them. But they said, whatever you say, we're going to do it.

Is that what they did? No. They definitely did not do that because they were fighting their own human nature. They weren't yielded. They weren't surrendered to God. This was no big surprise to God. You know, God knows the end before the beginning. It was a part of His plan.

But ancient Israel could have set a wonderful example. They could have been a model nation for all people. Instead, they disobeyed God and they ended up going into captivity and setting a horrible example themselves. When we break God's laws, in a very real sense, God's laws break us. We pay a penalty for our sins. For example, the Seventh Commandment says, you shall not commit adultery. And yet, millions of people have broken this law and learned to their regret that the negative consequences are often endless, leading a trail of devastated and miserably unhappy lives. How many lives have been wrecked because of unfaithfulness by one or both partners in a marriage? It isn't just homosexuality that's a problem or that's a sin. It's also heterosexual relations that are against the ways of God that cause untold problems. All of these sins have to be repented of. One is no worse in some ways than other sins. Some have greater penalties, but they're all bad, and the wages of sin is death, regardless. All sins have to be repented of.

God's laws cannot be broken with impunity. In other words, we will pay a price if we break God's laws. There are many consequences in regard to the sins that we commit. The Bible speaks of blessings and cursings in the Bible. There are blessings for those who are faithful to God and keep His commandments.

On the other hand, there are curses for those who disobey God and disregard God. Again, we reap what we sow. In the United States, President Lyndon Johnson called—he termed a phrase called the Great Society. That's what he was hoping to champion. Well, it didn't work, did it? It wasn't such a great society. In fact, under that Great Society in the mid-60s, the birth control pill was beginning to come out at that time, and it was used in a way that, frankly, led people to even greater lengths of breaking God's laws and sinning against Him. It revolutionized attitudes toward sex. Now it's gotten to the point where anything goes. And there have been some great consequences of those sins that have been against God and His way of life.

Abortion is another major factor in this example of reaping what we sown.

There's a scripture that says, you shall not murder. It's one of the Ten Commandments.

And yet, in the United States alone, 1.3 million babies are aborted each year. And let's call it what it is. It is murder.

You know, here in Arkansas, we've got roughly 3 million people, I think. 1.3 million, that's a lot more than one-third of this whole state every year, is getting killed. That's... is that not tragic? This whole area, you know, if a tornado came through and wiped out all of Bentonville and Rogers and Fayetteville, what kind of an uproar would we have in this nation? And yet, we can kill 1.3 million babies every year and hardly hear anything about it.

You know, it's really tragic when you stop and consider what we've accepted in this world. The breakdown of the God-designed family unit, of course, is a huge problem.

It's getting worse all the time. It's not the only problem by a long shot.

Greed has also contributed greatly to our current massive financial problems.

If we ran our household finances the way the government does, we would all have been bankrupt long ago. You just can't live that way without it finally coming to roost. So, there is a great reckoning coming in the days ahead. Eventually, something's going to happen. You can't continue to use credit and print money out of thin air and think that it's all going to work out.

It's amazing that it's worked out as long as it has already, and it's evidently not yet time for the Father to send His Son back. It's getting closer. That time will come, I'm sure, before too long.

One of the other concerns is the Fourth Commandment. The Fourth Commandment says, Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. Six days shall you labor and do all your work, but the Sabbath is sanctified and made holy. In fact, it was set aside at creation.

And yet, today, stores are open seven days a week. People work seven days a week.

There's really very little concern to a day that God has sanctified and made holy. It's trampled on every Sabbath. It's trampled all over. And people don't think that's a problem. But the Bible says it's a real problem. Let's notice in Revelation, and this is the attitude that so many people have today, and especially in this country where there is so much abundance, I am rich, I've become wealthy, and I have need of nothing. It's referred to as the Lelia de Sien attitude from the book of Revelation. When the reality God says is that spiritually we are wretched, we are miserable, we are poor, we're blind, and we're naked. And yet, a lot of people think that things are going very well these days. A lot of people are very blinded to the truth.

Again, Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 warn us of dire judgment because of our disobedience and unfaithfulness to God. Notice in Leviticus 26, I might be their God. And in 2 Chronicles 7, verse 14, God says, You know, that's what God told ancient Israel, and yet ancient Israel continued to sin against God. He was very patient, but eventually they all went into captivity. First, the house of Israel, taken captive to Assyria, and then the house of Judah, taken captive into Babylon, because they would not repent of their sins. They would not humble themselves. They would not pray and seek God, and so they paid a heavy price for it. Our nations are unlikely to change today before the return of Jesus Christ to this earth, but the point is, individually, you can change. We don't have to wait for the nation. We can make a change ourselves. You can seek the kingdom of God today.

So that's the basic answer to the first question. Why is there so little peace? So little peace? Because man has rejected God. Mankind has made their own decisions to follow the God of this world, Satan the devil instead, the great God of creation, the great God our Father. We've turned against God, we've rejected Him, and so He has rejected us for a time. The God is ever merciful, and there is a solution to these problems.

So let's ask the question, why is the kingdom of God the solution to all of the problems that I've been talking about? Mainstream Christianity speaks continually about Jesus Christ, yet it never seems to emphasize what Christ really said. Christ constantly spoke of the kingdom of God to His followers. In parables, He compared this spiritual kingdom to earthly material things so they could begin to grasp its vital meaning and significance. Jesus stated in Matthew 13 that the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls.

Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and he bought that pearl of great price. Again, it talks about a complete surrender, complete willingness to give up everything, to follow God and to serve Him. In the previous parable made the same point in verse 44, again, the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which if a man found and hid, and for joy over it goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field, we need to be willing to sell all that we have, figuratively, and buy that field. In other words, embrace God's coming kingdom. The kingdom of which Jesus spoke embraces the solution to all of our human problems and dilemmas. It really does answer everything.

That's not simplistic, it's just the simple truth. The kingdom of God answers all questions. It answers everything because Christ is the one that's going to be ruling and reigning, and He's the one that has all the answers, and He's going to give us those answers in His kingdom.

The kingdom should be the primary goal that each of us has. It should be the central focus of all of our necessary subordinate goals. We all have lesser goals. We want to accomplish certain things in this life, and it's a good thing to have goals. But the primary goal should be the goal of seeking God's kingdom and His righteousness. Again, Satan the devil has sidetracked humanity into believing all kinds of other philosophies and religions. Even the religions of this world have told countless lies throughout the ages, and people have brought into their own minds and hearts these lies. They've made decisions based on these lies, and frankly, unless God opens their mind, they won't see the truth. So if we're here today, it's because God is working with you. He's opening your mind to His truth. It's a miracle that God performs in each and every one of us through the power of His Spirit.

Jesus spoke of the prophets and patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, being in God's kingdom, or an actual actual actuality awaiting the kingdom of God to be established.

Matthew in his parallel account uses the term kingdom of heaven.

The term heaven, kingdom of heaven and kingdom of God, they are synonymous. The reason kingdom of heaven was used back in those days was because they were writing to a Jewish audience. The book of Matthew was writing to a Jewish audience who avoided using the name of God. So it was customary to refer to the kingdom of God as the kingdom of heaven. Just before His suffering and subsequent death by crucifixion, Christ said to His original apostles in Luke 22, verses 28 through 30, But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials, and I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

So there is a place for each of the twelve disciples who follow Jesus Christ. He has a place for them in His kingdom. It is a literal kingdom with literal people whom the apostles would judge, would lead, would guide, would train, and would teach. The kingdom of God is something that's not yet established here on earth. However, a very large church claims that the kingdom of God is already here. It's already among us. The kingdom of God is not established here on the earth. We await something far better than what we see today.

The kingdom of God will encompass many more than just the Hebrew patriarchs and the prophets and the New Testament apostles. The apostle Paul, facing the end of his life, wrote to his beloved friend Timothy, the young minister of the evangelists. He said in 2 Timothy 4, verse 8, There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord Jesus Christ, the righteous judge, will give to me in that day, and not to me only, but also to all who have loved, his appearing. So again, we see that there is a literal kingdom. People can definitely enter the kingdom of God. All two Christians will participate in it. They will have a part in it.

Jesus Christ is going to return to the earth in power and in great majesty. He is coming back to this earth. He will establish His kingdom to rule over all the nations of men at that time. In fact, Revelation 11 is a prophecy about the seventh angel. When it sounds, there were loud voices in heaven saying, the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord. There are many kingdoms on the earth today. You know, in every continent there are a number of kingdoms. All of those kingdoms will become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. They aren't today. They're not following God's law today. They're all doing their own thing, and they're all way off base. But Christ will reign forever and ever. He is going to again establish His government and His kingdom.

I think we went backwards, didn't we?

The scriptures tell us about magnificent changes that are coming to this earth.

The wilderness areas will be fully transformed into gorgeous, productive lands. We don't have time to go to Isaiah 41, but it talks about that there. Also in Amos 9, the nature of wild animals will be altered so that they become completely tamed. In fact, the little child will lead the lamb, and they'll lay down with the kid, and they'll get along. There will be peace on the earth, even with the animals. People will experience God's loving compassion through miraculous healings.

Christ, when He came on this earth, when He walked here on the earth, all who came to Him were healed.

He had the power to heal then. Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He'll have that power to heal in His kingdom, and all will come and be healed, not just through Christ, but through those who represent Christ, those who rule and reign along with Christ. Humanity will never again suffer the anxiety, the cruelty, and the devastation of war. We already saw that they will learn war no more. The nations will abide in genuine peace as the knowledge of God fills the entire world.

Jesus will use those who have shown that they will always be faithful to Him to teach others how to live without abuse, without hatred, and without fear. Everyone will need to be shown how to love as family and friends. We sure don't see that today. In fact, some of the greatest fights are among family members. You know, people, family members killing other family members, it happens all the time. So that's all going to change in God's kingdom. You can be one of the teachers who will affect many lives for good in God's kingdom. If you will learn to obey and faithfully follow God today, He can use you in His kingdom to bring about world peace.

That is the solution. God's kingdom being established here on earth. Christ ruling with a rod of iron. Also with love, they are synonymous. Christ will rule with a rod of iron, but He will do it in love. So we're going to take a break and have some refreshments now.

Afterward, we'll come back for the second part of today's Kingdom of God Bible Seminar. So again, thank you for being here for the first session. We'll take a break now, and we'll come back in about 10 minutes to conclude the second part. This audio segment is a 15-second intermission before the second session. Welcome back to part two of our two-part seminar today. Entitled, How Can You Prepare for What Lies Ahead?

In the first seminar, we talked about why don't we have world peace, and why is the kingdom of God the solution to our problems?

Now, in part two of this seminar, we'll discuss two additional questions.

We'll talk about what is a major underlying crisis of our time, and also what is Jesus Christ's plan for your success and future in the kingdom of God. We hope that understanding the answers to these questions from the Bible and the magnificent news about the kingdom of God will help educate and edify all of us. So again, we ask the question, what is a major underlying crisis of our time? This is something that most people are blinded to, but it is a crisis. To learn the answer, we have to go back into biblical history. In fulfillment of his promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God established Israel as a nation for the purpose of bringing blessings to other nations. From the earliest days, God expected the Israelites to be an example to the other nations around them of the divine blessings that would be poured out on all who worship and obey him. If the Israelites would fulfill their part of the covenant agreement that they made with God, then he would make Israel the premier nation of the world. But if the Israelites disobeyed, they would suffer the consequences of their unfaithfulness to God. God told them other nations would take them captive. That was a prophecy of what would happen if they did not obey God.

So, in Deuteronomy 28, we read this prophecy. Speaking of the children of Israel, you shall become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword among all nations where the Lord will drive you. And that is exactly what happened because Israel did go into captivity. The house of Israel and the house of Judah both went into captivity. They suffered greatly because of their disobedience toward God. Nearly 35 years ago, God told —did I say 35 years ago? Nearly 3500 years ago — God told ancient Israel in Deuteronomy 4, "...take heed to yourselves lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God which he made with you, and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which the Lord your God has forbidden you, for the Lord your God is a consuming fire. He is a jealous God." When you beget children, let's continue on, when you beget children and grandchildren, and have grown old in the land, act corruptly and make a carved image in the form of anything, and do evil in the sight of the Lord your God to provoke him to anger, I call heaven and earth to witness against you that the Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in the number among the nations which the Lord will drive you. So again, that's exactly what happened to ancient Israel. They were driven into various lands. In fact, the house of Israel became known as the lost ten tribes of Israel. They were lost in history. People don't know what happened to them. They became scattered. Where are they today? Now, the house of Judah maintained its identity because it was the house of Judah that went back into the land of Israel, and they began to observe the Sabbath faithfully, at least to a degree. So they were able to maintain their identity, and they became known as the Jews. People, when they think of the Jews, they think of the Sabbath because the Jews keep the Seventh-day Sabbath. The reason they were not lost is because they did keep that sign between them and God. And we'll get to a scripture that talks about the Sabbath being a sign.

Now, today, Britain and the United States are the descendants of those nations that became scattered.

That's what the Bible actually reveals, and we have a booklet that goes into that in great detail. It's called The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy. So, if you've never read this book before, this is a fascinating book that shows that indeed the United States and Britain are descendants of the children of Israel, not just the United States and Britain, but other English-speaking nations and other nations of Europe that actually were those who had been scattered among the nations. So, if you'd like to have this booklet, I think we have some more copies at the back table today. You can pick one up. With the restoration of Joseph's birthright promises to his descendants, Britain and the United States, the people of these nations have enjoyed unprecedented prosperity. You know, if you just stop and think about it, which two nations have ruled the world, basically, over the last couple hundred years? The British Empire, the British Commonwealth, and the United States. We have been the most powerful nations on earth. Now, it's not that we ruled the world, necessarily, but we've gotten a lot closer to it than anyone else has in the past 300 years. And we've risen to great heights. In fact, the British Commonwealth, it was said that the sun never set on the British Empire because they had lands all around the world. And the sun never set because wherever the sun was, there were nations that were a part of the British Commonwealth.

So, it is important to consider how this could be. Britain had the opportunity to spread ethical, godly civilization to much of the world. At the height of their empire, the British people took the Bible in the far-flung corners of the earth, English-speaking Bibles. That's when they went throughout the world, and they had the Bible translated into many different nations. They went into Africa, to Australia, to India, and to all parts of the earth, even China and certain parts of Japan and different missionaries that were sent overseas. Yet today, religion is routinely ridiculed in Britain. It's ridiculed in the national news in Britain. It's entertainment media.

Christianity is indeed foundering. Really, it's almost non-existent in some ways. Now, there are still some who obviously cling to the truth, even. A few over in Britain. And there are some who are professing Christians, and yet not fully obeying God's laws because they don't fully understand the truth of God. But a vast majority of British people showed very little interest in the teachings of the Bible today. So things have changed a lot in Britain, and things are changing more and more in the United States. When the United States first was founded, it was founded from leaders who, for the most part, held the Bible in great respect. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln. Of course, he came a little bit later. But Monroe and Madison, Adams, they were God-fearing men, at least to a certain degree. But in recent times, a large portion of our nation here in the United States has likewise ignored the teachings of God's Word. Paradoxically, the United States is one of the most prosperous nations of the world, and yet it is also one of the most immoral. As in ancient Israel, immorality runs rampant in the United States and the nations that once formed the British Empire. The number of broken homes and fatherless households has continued to skyrocket, even as national prosperity has increased.

Illigitimacy, and as I already mentioned, the abortion of millions of innocent babies, and the epidemics of sexually transmitted diseases are hallmarks of our broken society.

Many cities are cesspools of crime. You wouldn't want to live in certain cities and in certain parts of those cities. There's gang violence, there's poverty, there's illiteracy, and it's just not a good place to live. Greed and materialism have become the national religion in countries that have long prided themselves on being Christian nations. As a result of these and other sins, many now view the United States and Britain, once respected throughout the world, with ill-disguised contempt of the ugly Americans. You've heard that term. Not everyone holds us in high esteem. And the same thing is true with Britain. So what is a major underlying crisis of our time? Frankly, it is the contempt for the rule of God's laws in the life of individuals and in our nations. It's the fact that we don't respect God and His rule. We don't respect His laws. In fact, we teach that God's laws have been done away. And many people don't even believe there is a God. So this is a national crisis. People have rejected God, and therefore God has rejected them.

The disregard and neglect for God's commandments causes significant suffering, pain and distress throughout our societies today. It is a monumental problem, just as it was for ancient Israel. Remember what they told Samuel was concerned about them rejecting him. And God says, they haven't rejected you, but they rejected me, that I should not reign over them. They didn't want God to be their God. And that's, unfortunately, where this nation has gone. We don't want God to rule in our lives. Now let's go back in history once again to the time of ancient Israel to learn more about the iniquities that caused the nation's ultimate downfall. What kind of sins were at the top of the list, you might say? Let's go to Ezekiel 20, where we find an answer to this question. Ezekiel chapter 20. Notice what God says here in Ezekiel 20, verse 12.

Moreover, I also gave them my Sabbaths to be a sign between them and me.

So the Sabbath was to be a sign between God and the children of Israel, that they were indeed God's children. They were to keep the Sabbath day, and not just the weekly Sabbath, but also the annual Sabbath. It will be a sign between them and me that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them. It means God sets them apart for a divine purpose, a divine reason. Yet the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. Remember what was one of the first things they did?

Remember the golden calf? They began to worship the golden calf, saying the calf was what led them out of Egypt, not God. Even though God had decimated the nation of Egypt with plague after plague, showing God's power and might to intervene and to act and to deliver the children of Israel, they bow down before a golden image and claim that it was this golden calf. I mean, it's the height of the paganism that they were going back into, that they learned in Egypt. It's a sad state of affairs, but they weren't accepting God as their God. So they did not walk in my statutes, they despised my judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them. In other words, he will prosper if he keeps my judgments, my commandments, my laws, he will live abundantly by them. And they greatly defiled my Sabbaths. They despised my judgments, they did not walk in my statutes, but they profaned my Sabbaths for their heart when after their idols. They didn't put God first in their life. You know, God was the one that sanctified the Sabbath at creation. He set an example showing that we should all rest in commemoration of the creation and that God was the creator of all things. When we keep the Sabbath, we acknowledge God as our creator. When we come here every Sabbath, we acknowledge that we accept God as our creator, as the source of guidance and direction in our lives. But when we turn to idols and we bow down before idols, and of course we're a little too civilized for the most part to do that today. Although some people still do. In fact, one big religion has a lot of idols, graven images, and people do worship other people, or long since dead, but that's right, idolized.

So let's notice Luke chapter 4 and let's see the example that Jesus Christ set. Luke chapter 4. What did Christ do in regard to the Sabbath day? What was his custom?

His custom was clearly to teach on the Sabbath day. It says here that he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. He stood up to read. So Jesus of Nazareth was the one who came to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, which obviously was the seventh day Sabbath. Christ was Jewish. He kept the seventh day Sabbath, not because the Jews kept it, because he was initially the Lord of the Sabbath.

So should our nations be keeping the Sabbath day today? Should we be keeping this commandment?

To understand, we should examine how the founder of the Christian religion, Jesus Christ, viewed the Sabbath day. He observed it. He kept it himself. Why would we not keep it?

Among those who profess to follow Jesus, no biblical command has aroused as much controversy as the fourth commandment. Again, this is God's instruction to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy in Exodus chapter 20. Some believe Jesus came to earth the first time to do away with God's law and that he deliberately ignored or broke the fourth commandment. That's what they say about Jesus, that he deliberately ignored or broke the fourth commandment himself. Others argue that Jesus annulled all of the Ten Commandments, but nine were reinstituted in the New Testament. Does that make much sense? All of them were reinstituted except the Sabbath. All the other laws were okay, but there was a problem with the Sabbath day. So God got rid of the Sabbath day, but reinstituted the others. Others say that Jesus replaced the Sabbath with himself and that he is now our rest. It wasn't too long ago when even us and God's church had that argument put forth even amongst us, that we rest in Christ. We don't need to actually observe a Sabbath because Christ is our Sabbath rest. Still, others believe that no Sabbath at all is needed now, that a person can rest or worship on any day at any time he chooses.

But regardless of the various arguments, an overwhelming portion of traditional Christianity believes that Sunday, the first day of the week, has now replaced the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week. Most people say that Sunday is the Lord's day, that's the day of worship, but nowhere in the Bible do we find support for observing Sunday. In fact, Sunday got its name because people worship the Son. This was the day of worship for the Son worshippers, the pagans. It was the main day of worship because the Son was the number one God. They looked at the Son for warmth, for life, for the crops to grow and so forth, and so they began to worship the Son, and they did it primarily on Sunday.

Can we find support for these views in Christ's own practice or His instructions? Of course, we don't find it anywhere. We find that Christ kept the Sabbath day. In fact, the Gospels mention the Sabbath nearly 50 times. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John speak to the Sabbath nearly 50 times, so we have an ample record of Christ's approach toward the Sabbath day. And again, this is the first place where it mentions the Sabbath, and it says that it was Christ's custom to enter into the synagogue and to teach on the Sabbath. This was His custom. This was His normal activity.

So, we ought to follow His example rather than what people tell us. The Bible says we should obey God rather than men. Christ said, How be it in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men? And Sunday is a doctrine of men. It is a commandment of men, and in fact, when you study history, you see it was the Roman Catholic Church that changed the times and the seasons and basically said that the true day of worship ought to be Sunday. Actually, it was already being observed long before that by the pagans. So, it was just brought into the Catholic Church, and it was legitimized by the Catholics. Now, if we drop down to verse 31 and 32 of Luke 4, it says, Then he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbath.

And they were astonished that his teaching, for his word was with authority. He spoke as one who knew what he was talking about, that he had authority because he did have authority, was the ultimate authority. Notice again, verses 38 through 41, All those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to him, to Christ, and he laid his hands on every one of them. He healed them, and demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, You are the Christ, the Son of God. And he rebuking them did not allow them to speak, for they knew that he was the Christ. So as the Savior, Jesus understood the purpose of the Sabbath, that it was a perfectly appropriate time to bring his message of healing, of hope and redemption to humanity, and to live that message through his actions.

Interestingly, we later find that it was also the Apostle Paul's custom to worship and teach in the synagogues on the Sabbath. You can find that in Acts 17, verses 2 and 3. I don't have that on the PowerPoint, but it was Paul's custom also to observe the Sabbath. Frankly, it was the custom of all Christ's disciples. They all observed the Sabbath. Neither Paul nor Jesus ever so much as hinted to their listeners that they need not be there or that they should worship on a different day. You know, if God wanted us to keep Sunday, he would have told us.

Where many people jump to wrong conclusions about Jesus and the Sabbath is in his confrontation with the scribes and the Pharisees. You remember what Jesus called the scribes and the Pharisees? He called them hypocrites. Because they were very hypocritical when it came to God's law, they would tell people to keep it, but they weren't keeping it themselves.

And then, as it says, they would strain at the gnat and swallow the camel, so to speak. They wouldn't keep God's law themselves. And then they added things to the Sabbath day, especially, that God never intended in the first place. So it was these confrontations on how the Sabbath was to be kept. It wasn't about whether or not the Sabbath should be observed. They all believed the Sabbath was God's holy day. That he had sanctified, but it had to do with the way Christ was observing the Sabbath. They were always looking for ways to trip Jesus Christ up. They wanted a way to accuse Him. And so they found the Sabbath as one of the main issues that they used to try to discredit Jesus Christ. So what about the Sabbath today? Should our nations be keeping it just as God commanded ancient Israel? Should we all be keeping the Sabbath? Indeed, we should. It is one of the commandments of God. We should not ignore it. We should not break it. We should observe it. We should keep it. We should not trample on it. It is a day of worship. It's a day that we should all fellowship together and honor and praise God on that day. Regardless of the various arguments that people have about Sunday worship, an overwhelming portion of traditional Christianity does believe in Sunday, the first day of the week, and that it has replaced the Sabbath the seventh day of the week. That's what mainstream Christianity teaches. People are shocked to find out that they've been lied to all these years. In fact, there was someone at the first seminar that we had earlier today that basically was just learning about the Sabbath and that it was truly on Saturday, not Sunday. Since the Gospels mentioned the Sabbath day nearly 50 times, we do have, again, lots of evidence of how Christ observed the Sabbath.

Jesus boldly challenged the Jews concerning their interpretation of the Sabbath by performing healings on the Sabbath. In fact, that was the day that He did most of His healing, was on the Sabbath. According to the Pharisees, rendering medical attention to someone, unless it was a matter of life and death, was prohibited on the Sabbath. It wasn't something that anyone should do. Heal someone who's been crippled all their life. Shouldn't do that on the Sabbath day.

But if I was one who was crippled all my life, I think I'd be very happy to be healed on any day.

Especially the Sabbath day, because the Sabbath day was a very, very special day of release.

It was a special day of rest, and it was a day of worship. It was actually, in many ways, the best day to be healed upon. And Christ did often select the Sabbath to heal people on. But the Pharisees were envious of Christ. They were envious because they didn't have the power to heal. And so they were looking for, again, ways to accuse Christ.

Christ exposed their hypocrisy. For example, they would make a big issue out of rescuing an animal that fell into a pit on the Sabbath day. It was okay for them to do that. If there were knocks in the ditch, they could get the ox out of the ditch.

But they obviously cared more about their own animals because there was a price tag on those animals. Those animals were worth something to them. So they would go out of their way to save one of their animals. But a person who was crippled from the womb and healed on the Sabbath day, that was a problem for them. It shows their pettiness. It shows that they were unconverted.

They didn't have Christ's mind on this subject. So they were spiritually blind and they actually hated Christ for calling them hypocrites and for teaching the truth. On one occasion, Jesus' disciples, as they walked through a field on the Sabbath day, remember they picked handfuls of grain.

Now I've done that before. I grew up on a farm. And I prefer eating other things, but once in a while a handful of wheat. It wasn't too bad. It could have kept me alive if that's all there was. But it's not much work to just grab a handful of grain as you're moving through the wheat fields. That's all they were doing. They were sustaining their hunger by having a little bit of grain on the Sabbath day.

But the Pharisees took great exception. They said they were reaping on the Sabbath day. They were harvesting on the Sabbath day. So that was a violation of working on the Sabbath. Christ did not look at it that way. Christ understood that it's okay to eat something on the Sabbath day. It's okay to eat it if you don't have to go into heavy preparation on the Sabbath. He shouldn't do that on the Sabbath. That's not the time to spend a lot of time preparing food, but to grab some grain on the Sabbath day was not a problem for Christ.

The Pharisees insisted that it was not lawful and that Christ actually broke the Sabbath. That's what they claimed. Obviously that wasn't true because Christ was Lord of the Sabbath. Look at Mark 2, verse 27, it said, The Sabbath was made for man, not mad for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath. When it gets right down to it, the Son of Man was actually the one who created mankind in the first place.

So Christ was also the Lord of the Sabbath. He was the first one to set that example by resting on the Sabbath. He sanctified the Sabbath. He set it apart for us. So Christ is the Lord of the Sabbath, and He says that the Sabbath was made for man. Now we might again ask ourselves another question. What is Christ's plan for your success and future in the kingdom of God? What is Christ's plan for your success and future in God's kingdom?

Salvation through Jesus' life, death, and resurrection is central to the gospel message. Christ died, was buried, and was resurrected so that we could inherit everlasting life in the kingdom of God. The astounding part of the gospel, the entering into God's kingdom, is the aspect that so few understand. It's actually synonymous with salvation. Entering into the kingdom of God is salvation.

That's how we're saved. We're saved from this physical flesh as we are born into the family of God as we enter God's kingdom. Without understanding this vital part of the gospel, one cannot understand what salvation is all about. What will eternal life in God's kingdom really mean to all those who receive it? Brethren, salvation is the transformation from a physical, mortal human to an immortal Son of God. If you want to live forever, you have to do it God's way. You have to follow God's plan. Again, let's notice here in Hebrews 2 where it says, in bringing many sons to glory.

That's what God... God is in the business of bringing many sons to glory. Christ was the firstborn among many brethren. So in bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. Speaking of Jesus Christ, who suffered the death of the stake or the cross for us, both the one who makes men holy, which is speaking of Christ, and those who are made holy, speaking about those of us who are repentant and converted human beings, they are of the same family.

We are to be of the family of God. We are indeed the children of God, and those who enter the kingdom of God are all of the same family. We're all a part of God's family. God the Father and Jesus Christ, our elder brother, again the firstborn among many brethren. All are God's children. They're all brought to glory. We will all become glorified at the return of Jesus Christ if indeed we have God's Spirit dwelling in us. If we have converted hearts and minds upon our deaths, or if we're living at Christ's return, then we'll all be changed to Spirit, either resurrected from the grave or if alive changed in the moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet.

That's what the Bible teaches. Most people don't really understand what the Bible teaches because they don't read it carefully, and God hasn't opened their minds to understand it. So that's what salvation is all about. Those who enter the kingdom of God will share even God's divine nature for all eternity. That's what the kingdom is all about, is becoming like God, becoming a true child of God born into his family, sharing his nature. No longer able to sin because God cannot sin, he cannot lie, he cannot break his own balls.

God has character, Godly character, and that's what we are supposed to be developing now, his perfect right is character. That's what God wants to see us develop today.

God will make those who enter his kingdom fully like his son Jesus Christ.

So even though it's pretty frustrating being in the flesh today, having the thoughts of our hearts and minds that are sometimes less than pure, it will be nice to know that one day we will think like Christ. We will truly put on the mind of Christ. That's our goal today. One day it will be realized and we will become like Christ in the way we think and in the way we act and what we do.

So we shall become like Christ. Notice here in 1 John chapter 3, Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called the children of God. Beloved, now we are children of God and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when he is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. We're going to see Christ as he is and we are going to be like him. We're going to become like him. Christ was once flesh, wasn't he? He was fully flesh, but he became Spirit at the resurrection. And the same thing is true for us who humble ourselves and surrender ourselves to God now, who have been given in earnest a down payment of the Spirit of God dwelling in us. That's a quickening Spirit. It will change us at the resurrection. Notice again here in Romans chapter 8 verses 16 and 17, the Spirit itself bears witness with our Spirit. Speaking about the Holy Spirit and the Spirit in man. You're here today because you have a Spirit in you. It makes you different from the animals. The animals didn't get invited today. And had we invited them, they wouldn't have come because they can't read and they can't understand, they can't grasp the things that you can grasp. So you have a Spirit that God has given you. It's called the Spirit in man. Makes you different from the animals. But there's also the Holy Spirit. And God shares His Spirit with us. And it is God's Spirit that bears witness with our human spirit that we are the children of God. So it takes both. It takes the Spirit in man in union with the Spirit of God to be born into His family. And if children, then we are heirs. We are heirs of God. We are joint heirs with Christ. If so, be that we suffer with Him that we may also be glorified together.

We have to be willing to suffer as Christ suffered. We have to be willing to lay our lives down as Christ laid down His life for us. This is the awesome potential of all who receive eternal life as members of the family of God. You know, this is a creation that God is in the process of doing, is making a family that will ask for eternity.

The promise reward of the saints or salvation, as it is often called, occurs at the resurrection of the dead.

This takes place when Christ returns at the last trumpet and the kingdoms of the world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. We referred to that earlier today. Those who are resurrected from mortal life to immortality will enter His kingdom. They will assist Christ in a one thousand year reign on the earth. That's what the Bible teaches in Revelation, chapter 20.

The gospel of the kingdom of God reveals that Christ will set up His kingdom on earth with His resurrected saints to give everyone the opportunity for eternal life. God's desire is for you and for all of us, for everyone, to eventually inherit the kingdom of God, but each in His own order or His own time, as it says in 1 Corinthians 15. It does say that God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to a knowledge of the truth and that all should come to repentance. So God is patient. God is working with us. He's calling a few now.

Frankly, the Bible says many are called, but few are chosen.

And even many is not the billions that have lived. The billions that have lived have never been called. You know, God has never called them. But there are many who have been called, but they haven't been chosen because they haven't responded to the call. So it's important that we respond to God's call and that we stay faithful because it's only those who are called, chosen, and faithful who will actually enter the kingdom. Now, in Revelation 21, verse 7, it says, He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my Son.

So what does this inheritance include? We already read that in Hebrews chapter 2, it shows that our ultimate destiny is to participate in rulership over the entire universe as glorified, immortal sons of God. This corruption must put on incorruption. This mortal must put on immortality.

God wants us to repent. He wants us to believe the good news of his kingdom.

His kingdom is something, again, that we have to enter, according to Mark chapter 10.

Accepting Jesus' command to repent and believe this message, this good news, is the first step. We must turn to God for forgiveness. We must be reconciled through Jesus Christ, and we must begin to live by the laws of the kingdom of God, as taught by Jesus Christ.

Those who refuse to live God's holy way of life will be refused entrance into the kingdom of God.

In fact, the Bible shows that if they refuse to repent, they will be cast into the lake of fire, and they will become ashes under the feet of the righteous.

That's what the Bible teaches. It doesn't teach an ever-burning hellfire, but it does teach that those who refuse to repent will die, and they will become ashes under those who are righteous and faithful and true.

We have a booklet called The Road to Eternal Life. We also have one in front of us. The Gospel of the Kingdom. If you haven't read either one of these booklets, you should consider taking those home with you. We only have a few more verses to go.

We're almost through. I know it's been a long afternoon.

Acts 14, 22, which I was at, but just went past. It says, We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.

It's a small tribulation to sit here on a Sabbath afternoon while a preacher is preaching long. There are many other tribulations that we'll have to go through, all kidding aside. It's going to get desperate on this earth before Christ returns.

We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom. We have to stay faithful through whatever happens in the future. So now is the time to have the right mindset, to get your mindset on doing the right thing no matter what happens.

We must through many tribulations enter God's kingdom. Jesus encourages us to overcome these difficulties by keeping the kingdom of God as our primary goal. Christ urges us to pray for God's kingdom to come. These are things that we should be doing on a daily basis.

Hebrews 11 says, These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, were assured of them, embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. What is the name of that city? It is the New Jerusalem that comes down from heaven eventually. And it says then there will be no more tears, no more sorrow, no more crying, no more pain. The former things will have passed away. There will be a new heavens and a new earth. Those who have died in faith again will rise to meet Christ in the air.

And it says that this gospel, this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. So the reason we're here today is because we believe that we've been given a commission to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God to this world. We're glad that you came here today. We hope and pray that you will indeed seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. If you do it says it is God's good pleasure to give you His kingdom. That's in Luke 12, verse 32. It is God's good pleasure. That's what He wants to do. He wants to give you His kingdom. So we sincerely hope that this information that we've shared with you today has been helpful, has been educational, also inspirational. Furthermore, we hope you take the necessary steps to follow up on God's wonderful calling. It is evidence that God is calling you since you're here today. If you need more information about the information that we've talked about today, I'll be glad to answer any questions that you might have. So I'll be hanging around here until the last person leaves. Again, we have booklets at the back table, so you're more than welcome to take those home with you. And of course, we meet here every Sabbath, so you're invited back next Sabbath at 1.30, not 3 o'clock. So remember, come earlier next Sabbath. So again, I'd like to thank all of you for attending today, and I'd like to ask Mr. Martins to come up and close the seminar for us.