The Kingdom Is at Hand

Now, to begin that second session, we'll have our same presenter, Mr. Welch, come back up again. In today's first segment, we talked about the developments that led to the introductory statement of the Gospel that Christ preached, as recorded in Mark 1, verses 14. Again, Christ came to Galilee preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, and yet it seems that most churches really don't say a whole lot about the Kingdom of God. It's surprising, in a way, because Christ came preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and saying the time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at hand, repent, and believe in the Gospel. In Isaiah 46, verse 10, again, God makes known the end from the beginning. As the Kingdom has been planned and prepared from the foundation of the world, as it says here in Matthew 25, verse 34, also from ancient times, God knows what is still to come, as His purpose for mankind will stand. It is going to come to pass. God is not a liar. God tells the truth. God cannot lie. God's purpose regarding the Kingdom is prophetic. We believe in the prophecies of the Bible. We believe many of them have come to pass, and we believe that all of them will come to pass. God says, I will do all that I please. And Christ says, it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. Do you have the Kingdom at this point fully? Of course, none of us do, not fully. We await the return of Jesus Christ. We await the establishing of the government and the Kingdom of God upon this earth. It is the Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. Another translation, I think it's the NIV, says, don't be afraid, little flock, for it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom. God is happy to give you His Kingdom. In this presentation, we will explain how the Kingdom of God is at hand. And we will discuss how to make this prophetic event a personal experience for you today. From the time Jesus made this landmark statement, the Kingdom of God has been the focus of God's message to mankind. And yet again, we hear so little about the Kingdom of God from the religions of this world. Whereas God formally dealt primarily with the nation of Israel via human messengers, the Kingdom of God first preached by Jesus Christ has become the focus of His message to mankind. In Hebrews 1, verse 1, God who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds. It was through Jesus Christ that these worlds have been made, or the world has been made, through Christ. Christ, remember, was born of the flesh, but He was there a long time before. And many people don't even understand that. Who really is Jesus Christ?

In Luke 16, verse 16, Jesus Christ says, the law and the prophets were until John. Since that time, the Kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it. What is this saying? Well, for a while in the first century AD, the message of the Kingdom of God was faithfully preached, but heavy persecution set in, and deception was rampant, and it was powerful. Satan is powerful. Satan hates God's way of life. Satan has been very effective, but of course God knows the end from the beginning. It's all according to God's plan. God is in charge. God is in control. In Matthew chapter 3, verse 3, in those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Now, how is that? How is it that the Kingdom is at hand? What are we talking about here? What does this expression mean? Again, in Matthew chapter 3, verses 1 and 2, John the Baptist came preaching, saying, Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. In Mark 1, verses 14 and 15, Christ came preaching, saying, The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe, have faith in the Gospel. The key words translated time and fulfilled and at hand indicate an immediacy and a sense of urgency. Now is the time to repent. Now is your time. Now is the time to repent and to believe the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Now is the time to begin living by every word of God, keeping God's commandments and doing those things that are pleasing in His sight. Participation in the Kingdom of God is not a passive activity. She looks a little passive there, doesn't she? It's not a passive activity. We must be intimately and actively involved in seeking the Kingdom of God right now. Remember what Christ said in Matthew 6, verse 33. We're not going to turn there. We won't show it on the screen. But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. There is a blessing. There is a promise in seeking first the Kingdom of God. How many people are truly seeking first the Kingdom of God? There are so many distractions in this world of today that, quite frankly, very few people are seeking first the Kingdom of God. There are three issues that we should consider at this point. Number one, we will talk more about repentance and faith in future seminars. Repentance and faith are essential to enter the Kingdom of God. Secondly, again, we should ask ourselves, in what way was the Kingdom of God at hand when Jesus made this statement? And remember, thirdly, Christ said these words nearly 2,000 years ago, and He has still not returned to establish the Kingdom of God on earth. And yet, God is working, and Christ is working. They are doing a work.

In Colossians 1, verses 13 and 14, the Apostle Paul writes, he has delivered us from the power of darkness. Speaking of God the Father, he has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed or transferred us into the Kingdom of the Son of His love. Speaking of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption through His blood, through the shed blood of Christ, the forgiveness of sins. Remember, Christ is now at the right hand of God. He is making an intercession for those who are truly repentant, those who are truly seeking first the Kingdom of God. God is preparing a people for the Kingdom of God. A work is being done. I believe you are here for a reason today. I believe God is calling you for a reason. He has a purpose for you. Do you know what it is? Although there are others, let us consider two key points at this time. First of all, the Gospel of the Kingdom of God is the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sins to rescue us from the penalty of death and the power of darkness. It is good news. Secondly, the Gospel of the Kingdom of God also offers the opportunity to be prepared for and enrolled now in this life. Some of the people here in this room have been a part of God's church for 50 years. They've been actively seeking the Kingdom of God for 50 years. Some of us 40, some of us 30, some of us 20, some of us 10, and some of us only a few weeks. The Gospel of the Kingdom of God offers the opportunity to be prepared for and enrolled now in this life as key citizens of that coming Kingdom of God. You can count on God's Kingdom. It is coming. It will be established on the earth. In Philippians chapter 3, verses 20 and 21, Paul says, For our citizenship, your citizenship, my citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body. This is a lowly body. The body that you have that I have is a lowly body. That it may be conformed to his glorious body, according to the working by which he is able even to subdue all things to himself. God is in control. God can change your life. God has changed many lives in this room. In John chapter 18, verse 36, Christ answered by saying, My kingdom is not of this world. Christ said this 2,000 years ago, My kingdom is not of this world. In fact, Satan is the God of this world. That's what your Bible says. Satan is the God of this world. Christ said, My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews, but we would be delivered to the Jews. But now My kingdom is not from here. God's kingdom is coming. And at that time, God's servants will fight. Along with Jesus Christ, that's what the Book of Revelation tells us. People are being prepared for the things that are coming in the future. In John 17, verse 15, Christ said, I do not pray that you, speaking to His Father, should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one. They are not of this world, just as I am not of this world. We are not to be of this world. We are to be different. We are to be Christians, true followers of Jesus Christ, doing what Christ did and what Christ taught, and learning to live by every word of God. So what does it mean to be a citizen of the kingdom of God?

I'd like to share four things with you regarding being a citizen of God's kingdom. First of all, it means that our citizenship is registered in heaven. You've heard of the Book of Life, haven't you? There is a Book of Life. It has names in it. Your citizenship is registered in heaven, where the coming King of Kings, Jesus Christ, now resides. Secondly, we now wait for God's kingdom to come to earth when Christ returns in the near future. We wait patiently for God's kingdom. We wait earnestly for God's kingdom. We yearn for the coming kingdom of God, so that all people might know the truth of God and the love of God. Thirdly, we can now experience benefits of God's kingdom by living according to God's laws that will govern that kingdom when it is established on earth for a thousand years and will expand from that point forward for all eternity. And fourthly, and it's not listed here, this is one I've added, we need to understand that our mortal bodies, this flesh, will be transformed into a glorious spirit body at Christ's return, so that we may, from that time forward, experience the fullness of the kingdom of God forever. In 1 Corinthians chapter 15, it clearly brings us out. Paul says, now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom. There's a lot of deception about what the kingdom of God truly is, but the Scripture says that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption. This body is corrupt. It has to be changed. Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, speaking of death, we shall not all die, because some will be alive at the return of Christ. Perhaps some of us will be alive at the return of Christ. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment. It's speaking of those who have the Spirit of God living in them, dwelling in them, changing them and transforming them. They are the ones that will be changed in a moment. At the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound. Christ is coming back, the trumpet will sound, and the dead. Those who have died will be raised incorruptible. Those who have died with the Spirit of God dwelling in them, they will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. Speaking of those who are alive, shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

The Gospel is an invitation to the Kingdom of God, because the time has come to become part of what will ultimately result in the establishment of the world-ruling Kingdom of God in its fullness. Here on earth, at the return of Jesus Christ, the Gospel offers that invitation now as an opportunity of training and of qualifying to assist Christ as priests in that coming Kingdom. Again, we're here, every Sabbath, helping prepare a people for the return of Jesus Christ and for the coming of the Kingdom of God. This is an invitation for you people here today to join us to become a part of a team that God is preparing.

In Revelation 1, verse 5 and 6, Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth, who loved us and washed us from our sins, in his own blood, has made us kings and priests to his God and Father. We are to become kings and priests.

In Revelation chapter 5, remember, this is a prophetic book. Revelation is a prophetic book, and we just went through the entire book of Revelation in a series here recently, right here in this building. There's much to be learned about the book of Revelation and what's coming. Revelation chapter 5, verses 9 and 10, and they sang a new song. The 24 elders, the angels in heaven sang a new song, saying, you are worthy to take the scroll. Speaking of Christ, only Christ was worthy and to open its seals. The seals of the book of Revelation, they're frightening. They're scary. For you were slain and you have redeemed us to God by your blood, out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and you have made us kings and priests to our God, and we shall reign on the earth. We shall reign on the earth as kings and priests to our God. God has a training program. It's called His Church. So who may be a part of the coming kingdom of God? Jesus made some important distinctions regarding who may become part of the kingdom of God. We must first be called and chosen by God. God is the one who does the calling. We don't choose God. He chooses us. He chooses us. Notice Paul's explanation of this wonderful calling and privilege. It's in the Bible. It's clear and it's true. 1 Thessalonians 2, verse 12. Paul admonishes the disciples of Christ to walk worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. God is in the process of calling a people into his kingdom and into his glory. If you want to be like God, then you've got to become a part of the team. 2 Timothy 1, verse 9. God has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the world began. God knows the end from the beginning. Who may be a part of the kingdom of God? An important question. Who may be a part of the kingdom?

It is very important to know that God is calling relatively few people of the billions of people who are alive on earth today. God is not calling everyone now. God is calling relatively few people. He is choosing far fewer than he is calling. Many are called, but few are chosen. There's a reason for that.

The Apostle Peter in Acts 2, verse 39, said, "...for the promise is to you and to your children." Remember, this was on the day of Pentecost, when the Christian church began in the New Testament. "...for the promise is to you and to your children and to all who are far off as many as the Lord our God will call." God is the one who does the calling. John 6, verse 65, "...and he said, therefore I have said to you that no one can come to me, no one can come to Christ, unless it has been granted to him by my Father." God the Father is the one who's calling people today and has been for centuries, but he's calling relatively few at this time. He has a plan. He's revealed that plan in his Word. And if you come to all of these seminars, you will hear that plan expounded. You can't cover it all today, but it's in the Bible. God the Father is personally selecting those who are to become Christ's disciples at this time, but ultimately all people will have an opportunity to be called of God, because God is no respecter of persons. God loves all people. But God isn't calling everyone now. He's calling some because he has a reason. He has a purpose for your life. Christ said, and when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself. Christ loves all people. No greater love has no man than this than he lay down his life for his friends. He calls us all friends who want to serve and obey him and become like him. But not everyone is being called yet at this time.

We need to understand and realize two things. God ultimately plans to extend the Kingdom of God to all mankind. Secondly, currently the majority of mankind has not been given the privilege to understand. They simply have not been given the privilege to understand. To them, God's salvation plan is a mystery that they do not and cannot understand. Many people are greatly deceived in the churches of this world. They are greatly deceived. They think they know God's plan, that God has not opened their mind to his plan. In Matthew 13, Christ made this very clear. The disciples came to Christ and said to him, Why do you speak to them in parables? Why do you speak to the multitudes in parables? He answered and he said to them, Because it has been given to you, to my disciples, to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has to him more will be given, and he will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has, will be taken away from him. In chapter 13 verses 15 and 16, Christ says, For the hearts of this people have grown dull. The majority of the people living at that time, their hearts were dull. Their ears are hard of hearing. Their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts, and turn so that I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears for they hear. The disciples of Christ at that time were blessed because they could see. They could hear. God was calling them at that particular time in their lives. Now, the New Living Translation makes this clear. I'd like to read it to you. It makes this clearer and more easily understood. It says that these people are hardened. The people who are not accepting or not understanding, these people are hardened and their ears cannot hear. And they have closed their eyes so their eyes cannot see. And their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand. And they cannot turn to me and let me heal them. You see, God isn't calling everyone now, but God does love all people now.

God is calling a relatively few people at this time, and He is calling them for a purpose, and that is to prepare them to rule and to reign with Jesus Christ at His return. It doesn't make them any better than anyone else. In fact, the Bible says that the weak of the world have been called out of the world to confound the mighty. We are the weak of the world. God has called us out of the world so that we might confound the mighty. You don't see too many doctors and famous people in this room. No NBA basketball players, no professionals like that. God calls the weak and the foolish of the world. Again, who may be a part of the coming Kingdom of God? Who may be a part? Well, many people may be a part, but at a later time. Not now, later on. Christ made this clear in John 12. He said, And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, speaking of His crucifixion and His resurrection to the throne of God, I will draw all peoples to Myself, but everyone in its own order. God loves everyone. Christ loves us all. But God has a plan. He knows the end from the beginning, and He's working out His plan. And that's what makes sense of this world. When you know God's plan, the evil in this world makes sense. The corruption in this world makes sense. The hatred in this world all makes sense. God has a plan.

In 1 Timothy 2, Paul says, Now, before we showed that some people are dull of hearing, their heart of hearing, their eyes are closed, they can't hear, they can't see. God isn't calling them all now. But in time, each one will come to a knowledge of the truth. Everyone will have an opportunity. There have been millions and billions of people who have died, who have never even heard the name of Jesus Christ, let alone understand who He is. Are they condemned to burn in hell forever and ever? I think not. That's not what the Scripture teaches. And yet, people are deceived into believing that. In 1 Corinthians 15, verses 22 and 23, Paul says, Speaking of all those who have died, the billions of people who have died over the centuries, over the millennia, in Christ, all shall be made alive, but each one in His own order. Each one in His own order. Ask yourself again, are you being called now? Is God calling you now? Is God opening your mind to understand? There are many people in here whose minds have been open for years. But God is still drawing people to Him. Day by day, He draws people to Him.

Are you being called now? If you are, it is because the Father is drawing you to Him. He is drawing you to His Son. Jesus clearly said that the Father must draw those who come to Him. In John chapter 6, 44, Christ said, No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws Him and I will raise Him up at the last day. Those who God is drawing now who accept Jesus Christ as their Savior, who begin to live by every word of God, Christ says, I will raise Him up. At the last day, when Christ returns, He will raise Him up. He will come out of the graves. The graves will be opened, but only the graves of those who have died in Christ. When Christ returns, only the graves of those who have died in Christ will be opened at that time. There will be another time when the other graves will be opened. In Thayer's lexicon, the Greek word translated, draw, that we just read in John 6, 44, means to draw by an inward power. Like a magnet draws and attracts and moves steel, God is drawing people to Himself. God draws those whom He chooses by motivating their hearts to respond to His calling. Again, is God drawing you? If not, why else would you be here? You're here for a reason today. Perhaps God is drawing you. Perhaps He's calling you. Perhaps now is your opportunity to embrace the truth of God and to live by it. If so, Jesus says you are blessed, because most people have not been given the opportunity or the ability to understand the secrets, the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. In Matthew 22, verse 14, Christ says, For many are called, but few are chosen. Many are called, not billions, not billions right now, but many, thousands and thousands and thousands, tens of thousands, are being called. But few are chosen. We are a small flock. I pastor four churches. We're a small flock.

Many are called, but few are chosen. If God is calling you, how should you respond to His calling? How should you personally respond? In 2 Corinthians 6, the Apostle Paul writes, Perhaps you have called out to God. Perhaps you want to know God. Perhaps you want to serve God to your fullest. Perhaps God has heard your prayers. In an acceptable time, I have heard you. And in the day of salvation, I have helped you. The Holy Spirit is a comforter. It is a helper. God works through the power of His Spirit. Behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. Some translations say, now is a day of salvation. A day of salvation for some people whom God is calling now.

In 1 Thessalonians 2, verse 12, again it says, The Apostle Paul admonishes us to walk worthy of God, who calls us into His own Kingdom and glory. God expects us to walk worthy of Him. You can't just come as you are. You have to learn to walk worthy. You have to change your lifestyle. You have to become different. If you are to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ, you must walk worthy of God who calls you into His own Kingdom and glory. It is worth the walk. It is worth the effort. It is worth the heartache. It is worth the persecution. It is worth whatever it takes to be a part of God's Kingdom at the return of Christ. We need to understand two things. For those of you whom God has called and is drawing, now is the accepted time for you. Now is your day of salvation.

Secondly, I encourage you to heed the admonition of the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah 55, verse 6, Isaiah says, Seek the Eternal, seek the Lord while He may be found. While He is calling you, seek Him.

Seek Him while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. God is near today. God is working in your heart. He is working in your mind. He is near to you. Seek Him with all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your might. Seek the Lord while He may be found. The New English translation says about this verse, or translates it in this way, Seek the Lord, seek the Eternal while He makes Himself available. Call to Him while He is nearby. God is available. God is nearby. God is here for you. We live in relative peace today. We live in relative tranquility and peace. Now is the time to grow spiritually. Now is the time to change your life. Now is the time to be different, to become different. Many have called out in vain to God because their hearts are not right as they refuse to obey God's commandments. They refuse to obey God. They refuse to humble themselves before the mighty hand of God. And so their hearts are not right with God. In Luke 6, verse 46-48, Christ says, But why do you call me Lord, Lord? Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to me and hears my sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like. He is like a man building a house who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against the house, and water is a powerful agent. It beat vehemently against the house and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. Have you built your house on the rock? Have you built your house on Christ? Are you truly a disciple of Jesus Christ? Are you seeking Him with all your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your might?

You have received the most important invitation of all time. How are you going to respond? What must you do to respond to God's calling? Romans 10 tells us what we need to be doing. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? Some have not believed in God. They have not yielded themselves. They have not obeyed God. And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? It is by the foolishness of preaching that God is working with people, guiding them, directing them, helping them grow spiritually. And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things. Today I bring you glad tidings of good things, good news of the coming Kingdom of God. This is what the Scripture tells us. Do we believe the Scripture?

Romans 10 verses 16 and 17. But they have not all obeyed the gospel. We are to obey the gospel. It is not enough just to hear the gospel. You have to do something about it. You have to learn to live it. They have not all obeyed the gospel, for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our report? No doubt Isaiah was discouraged to some degree, because who has believed our report? Is anyone listening out there? Who has believed our report? They stoned the prophets, didn't they? They killed the prophets that were sent to them. No wonder Isaiah was discouraged.

Continuing on. So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of the Lord, hearing by the word of God. You have to hear the word of God expounded to you. You need someone to help teach you. That's what the Scripture says. Obeying the word. We are to live by every word of God. Are we not? That's what the Scripture tells us. By every word. We can't pick and choose. What we want to do, what day we want to keep, what day we want to worship God on, it's not ours to choose. God has done the choosing. God has done the sanctifying and the setting apart. We're here today on Saturday for a reason. Because this is God's Holy Sabbath day. This is the day that God sanctified and set apart, not Sunday. This is the day. This is the truth. What will you do with it?

In Romans 10, verse 8 and 9, The word is near you in your mouth and in your heart. That is the word of faith which we preach. That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. That's a promise. You will be saved. Because the word is near you, it's in your mouth. It's in your heart. But you have to respond to God's calling. People are very effective in refusing God's call. Jonah went thousands of miles away, trying to get away, hundreds of miles at least, trying to get away from God's call. People are still doing that today. Because many are called, but few are chosen. Because very few respond to God's calling. They don't do anything about it. It falls on deaf ears. The words of life fall on deaf ears. These are the words of life. That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. It doesn't get any better than that. I mean, this life is going down. If you want to be saved, you have to get on the lifeboat.

Let's consider four points at this juncture. First of all, you don't need to go anywhere to find Christ in order to respond to God's calling. You don't need to go anywhere because the truth is right here. You don't have to look anywhere else. It's here. Secondly, access to him, to Christ, and what he offers is as near as your heart and your mouth. It's as near as your heart and your mouth. Because, again, God's the one that works with your heart. And out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Thirdly, you can accept God's calling by committing yourself to live God's way and living by faith in every aspect of life. You can accept God's calling by committing yourself. It takes commitment. For these people to have survived here in this environment over the last 30 and 40 and 50 years, it's taken commitment because Satan is powerful. And this world has a tremendous pull. We give God the credit that we're here today, no one else.

We have to live by faith in every aspect of our lives. That's what commitment is all about. And fourthly, to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. That's the important thing to be doing. Does God consider your life worthy? You may, someone else may, but if God doesn't, it's very little value. For He called you to share in His kingdom and His glory.

The verses in Romans that we just read spell out exactly why we are holding the kingdom of God's seminars so that you can hear the message of the gospel of the kingdom of God that will result in peace on earth when Jesus Christ returns to establish that kingdom. Let's make one thing clear, though. God tells us in Romans 6.23 that no one can earn salvation. No one can earn salvation. We don't believe we can earn our salvation. No one can earn salvation. It is a gift from God. Sabbath-keeping doesn't earn salvation, but it is something that God says we ought to do. It is something that our Savior Jesus Christ did. He observed the Sabbath day. He kept it holy. He told us to do the same.

No one can earn salvation. It is a free gift from God. It is by grace that we're saved, by the sacrifice of our Savior Jesus Christ. However, we must follow the teachings of Jesus Christ or we will not be given that gift. If you refuse to follow Christ's teachings, and Christ said, I and my Father are one, the commandments of God and of Christ are one and the same. Christ did not come to do away with His Father's law. Don't believe that lie.

In Revelation 1, verse 3, Blessed is he who reads, and those who hear the words of this prophecy, this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it. Talking about the book of Revelation, the whole book is a book of prophecy. Blessed is he who reads, and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it. For the time is near. The time is drawing ever closer.

As we conclude this kingdom of God seminar, let me emphasize three things. The events prophesied in the book of Revelation leading up to the end of the age and the return of Christ to establish the kingdom of God on earth are much nearer now than they were when this book of prophecy was written. Much nearer now, about 2,000 years closer.

We are nearing the return of Christ. We make no claims when that's going to happen, but there may be people that are living in this room today that will see the return of Christ.

They will be alive at the return of Christ. Regardless, if God is calling you, now is your day of salvation. Now is your time to respond to him. Now is your time to live and reign with Christ for a thousand years.

Secondly, as we have demonstrated throughout this seminar series, if you missed the first part of this series, then you missed some things, but you heard a lot today. We're going to have two more, at least two more, of these kingdom of God seminars. I hope you'll come to all of them. In fact, I hope you'll start coming here every Sabbath to meet with us. We'd love to have you. This is a good place to be. The good news is that you can become part of the kingdom now. You can become part of the kingdom right now, so that when Christ returns, you can share with Him the opportunity to bring peace on earth to ultimately all of mankind. We care about all people, just as God loves all people, we love all people. We want God's truth for all people. We want God's truth to change your life, to make you a better person, to make you a happier person, a more contented, a more fulfilled person. That's what it's done for me. 37 years in God's church has made me a better person. It's made me a happier person. It's given me tremendous strength that I wouldn't have otherwise.

In the next seminar, we will cover in more detail how we can respond to God's calling and how we can become enrolled in and actually participate in the kingdom of God. So we're going to have another seminar in a few months, three or four months from now. I will let you know about it, but again, you're welcome to come and... this is where we meet, 10 o'clock, every Saturday. It's good to see you.