Hello everybody.  How are you all today?  Good morning on a wonderful Sabbath day.  Is this a normal winter for Cincinnati?  It is just so mild - no snow, no ice, no really cold weather.  I guess it is supposed to get colder tomorrow or the next day.  This is nice.  Last year when we were here there was snow and ice and it was really cold so this is a nice start but we will see how it ends when winter is over.  It is a blessing.

Isn’t it hard to believe that when you wake up in the morning and maybe you will stay up until midnight, I don’t know, and the calendar year 2012 begins and I am thinking: 2012!  Will I remember to put the right date on my cheques, my letters – you tend to forget that.  It is really hard to believe. I was talking to someone before services and when LeeAnn and I began in the Church – we were called in the late 50’s and went to Ambassador College in 1960 and were baptized there - in 1960 we were looking forward to 1975; It is all going to be over by then and here we are all these years later.  It is truly amazing. 

I’d like to today, talk a little bit about what might lie ahead in 2012.  No one knows for sure but one conservative forecaster is predicting a tougher year than 2011. Only time will tell as we watch but let me read what he says as we look ahead to another year.  We know God’s new year begins in the Spring – we are all fully aware of that but for planning purposes LeeAnn and I always get a new calendar and the first thing we do is write down God’s Holy Days for that whole year.  We put all of that in there and we start putting in other events; activities in the Church, and get that written in for the next year.  These dates are already taken; the Sabbaths are already filled in; but here is what he is saying as we look ahead. 

He says:  “While it would give us great pleasure to forecast a 2012 of joy and prosperity all brought about by the wisdom and benevolence of our leaders, since we are not running for office or looking to profit by gulling the people, we are going to tell you what it is that we see.  After a tumultuous 2011 in which many of the trends that we had forecast became headline news around the world, we are now forewarning of an even more tumultuous year to come.” 

Some are positive about 2012 and saying everything is just going to get better but there are many who are saying some of our economic problems, moral problems and other problems are going to come home to roost in this next year. 

He says: “In 2012 we believe many of the long simmering socio-economic and geopolitical trends that we had forecast and tracked will come to a climax.  The end of the world as we know it is approaching.  As the signs of eminent economic and social collapse become more pronounced, legions of survivalists are thinking about looking for methods and ways to escape the resulting turmoil.” 

Now you and I know that eventually this is going to happen; whether it is this coming year or not, that is in God’s hands but this is what some are predicting and what he is recommending for people who read his letter and predictions, many of which had been accurate, he says:  “Those who think for themselves have already taken measures to implement the 3 G’s”, and here is what many are recommending that people do who see the coming collapse of America’s economy or maybe the world or whatever happens.  The 3 G’s are:  Gold - start getting as much gold as you can because the dollar will be worth nothing; Guns –yeah, a little chuckle there. This is not something we believe in but many Americans are.  I think you are aware of that and the third G is a Get-away plan.  So the three G’s that many here are working on are having gold, guns, of course with ammunition, and then a get-away plan.  Nothing about God. 

I would like to take a look today:  What does God say in the Bible that we should do to prepare for harder, tougher times that may come.  Are there any things that we should do?  Not the end of the world - I mean when it comes right down to it, as we will see from the Bible, the final collapse or tribulation at the end of the age, the ultimate answer is God.  We will see that very clearly, but how long will it take?   How many years?  What lies ahead?  Will we go through better times and then a collapse or will this next year get much worse as he is predicting?  What lies ahead?

More importantly, I would like to bring out today some of the things that we as God’s people can do, should do, and it will fit right in with the sermonette we had, to help us be more prepared no matter what happens or when it comes.  So let’s review God’s instruction and look at some examples in the Bible of how God’s people prepared for tough times and hard times, some of the things they did, and not just for themselves but so that they could help other people in times of trial.

Let’s begin in the book of wisdom: Proverbs.  What we are going to do is take a look at three areas: physical preparation for tough times; and we are going to look at emotional and social preparations for tough times; and then finally the most important way will be spiritual preparation for tough times.  Let’s begin in Proverbs 22 and verse 3.

Proverbs 22:3 And here it says:  A prudent man - that means a wise man - foresees evil - or bad times. Different translations will use different words, of course.  So a wise person foresees what is coming and we do in God’s Church because we believe the Bible and the prophecies of what is coming.  But what does it go on to say?  …. And hides himself. 

We look it up in another translation like the New Living Translation.  It says:  A prudent man foresees bad times and takes precautions.  They don’t just, well, I don’t need to worry about any thing or do anything.  It will all just happen and whatever happens happens, and somehow I’ll get through it.  But a wise person is thinking and praying and as we heard in the sermonette, planning God’s way. Notice the rest of verse 3 says:

V.3 – But the simple pass on and are punished.  

Probably most Americans are so busy they don’t have any time to think about what is coming and they are just doing their own thing and so when it comes they will really suffer because they don’t heed, they are not preparing whether physically, mentally, emotionally or even spiritually.  Let’s look at Proverbs 24 and verse 10.

Proverbs 24:10 If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.
So people who will be strong know that adverse, tough, difficult, challenging times are coming and will be strong because they are preparing, God’s way.  Let’s go on to Proverbs 24 and verse 5.

Proverbs 24:5 A wise man – and of course it means a woman too.  It just means a wise person – is strong, yes, a man of knowledge increases strength;

If we are doing it God’s way we are preparing for the future every day. That is what we want to do in God’s Church. Be prepared, God’s way. Growing in strength and wisdom and knowledge. And then one more Proverb, Proverbs 27:12 and here God repeats exactly the same thing that was in Proverbs 22 verse 3 and when God repeats something, it is for emphasis sake.

Proverbs 27:12 A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself; - or takes precautions as the New Living Translations says – The simple pass on and are punished.

So what are we?  Are we the wise and the prudent, foreseeing what is coming and are we taking proper precautions or will some be simple and suffer the consequences? Let’s look at another Proverb as we begin to look at what can we do, what should we do, in the area of physical preparation. 

Now you and I know, when the Great Tribulation, the final collapse and all of that comes - I am not talking about that.  We will get to that when we get to the third area of spiritual preparation.  Right now we are talking about the times that are going to lead up to that:  weeks, months, years that lie ahead and maybe we will have a resurgence of prosperity. I tend to believe that we will for the sake of the Church and the Work that God wants yet to do, but you and I know that eventually God is going to withdraw His blessings and we are going to go through much tougher times physically, economically.  Shortages of food, shortages of everything in our country but before that, should we, should we as God’s people be having emergency supplies available for real emergencies that can come? This past year in 2011, how many tornadoes did we have?  It was a record number.  Something like 11 or 12 natural disasters across the nation – one of the worst years in our history.

Proverbs 6:6 God’s word tells us:  Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, - here again: wisdom.

V.7 – Which, having no captain, overseer or ruler, 

V.8 – Here is what the ant does: Provides her supplies in the summer and gathers her food in the harvest.

God says:  Consider the ant.  The ant doesn’t have to have a leader that tells them:  Look, you need to be storing up a little food for the winter season, for the hard times.

I would ask you at this point:  If we were hit by a terrible tornado or hurricane that wiped out all power, all electrical power for weeks, who would you be running to?  Who would help you?  What would you do?  Would you be well prepared?  Some people are and some people aren’t. 

Now I realize that as we talk about this, many of us also, I said earlier, whenever I’m thinking of having emergency supplies in my home, which I have for years and our congregation in Seattle had a team of people who worked together to get good advice to help everyone in the congregation because we were hit by a terrible storm one year in Seattle; wiped out all power for a week in many peoples homes with families and children.  That effected stores, gas stations, it wiped out everything for everybody and only those people who had some emergency supplies were the ones well prepared to help others and themselves and their own families.  So we are just talking even about things along that line.

I’ll get a little bit later into what should be helpful and useful, what you should be thinking about because it will help relieve the mind and heart, no matter what happens and we are not talking about storing years of food and things along that line.  I remember back in the sixties; there was a period of time when we even had articles in our magazines and people were storing tons of wheat at home because wheat never spoils; honey never spoils; you know those kind of things never spoil.

Let’s go to a Biblical example, an interesting one, to show what God Himself sometimes recommends and supports. Genesis 41 – This is the story you’ll probably recognize very quickly, of Joseph in Egypt.

Genesis 41: 28 “This is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh.  God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.

So Pharaoh had two dreams and Joseph interpreted those dreams and told him what they meant and that is what we are reading about here.

V.29 – “Indeed seven years of great plenty, will come throughout all the land of Egypt;

V.30 – “but after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine will deplete the land.

V.31 – “So the plenty will not be known in the land because of the famine following, for it will be very severe.

V.32 – “And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.

God was working back then; God is working today; the same God.  He was involved back then.

V.33 – “Now therefore, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt.
V.34 – “Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years.

V.35 – “And let them gather all the food of those good years that are coming, and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.

V.36 – “Then that food shall be as a reserve  - so here is God using Joseph, saying, food reserves can be good.  You never know what lies ahead.  That food shall be as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land may not perish during the famine.”

V.37 – So the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. God’s advice through Joseph,

V.38 – And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?”

V.39 – Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.

V.40 – “You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”

And the last verse in the chapter:

V.57 – So all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain. That’s even how God saved Josephs’ father and brothers and families.  They had to come to Egypt for food.   You know that story.

So here is God Himself using the principle of storing up supplies for the future and hard times to come.  This is not saying that we all should store food for seven years.  This is a nation here.  That’s not what we teach, practice or advocate to do but the principle, that is what I am talking about - that it is okay. It is good to plan and prepare in this way for what may come in months and years ahead. 

For instance right now, some of you: what would happen if all of us suddenly couldn’t go to the grocery store?  We’ve all heard this before, that the grocery stores probably have maybe a three-day supply of food and if there was a panic and a hurricane, power gone, you know, real quickly food supplies [diminish] - people rush.  They get panicky to get extra food or extra water or whatever and if you’ve got a little bit laid in store, if you’ve got a plan, as we heard in the sermonette, to have extra supplies available, you don’t panic and you can help your family; you can help your neighbors; you can help elderly people; you can help the disabled; you can help others through that period of crisis or hard time.  You are not as anxious or worried. 

Now we are not talking about again, remember I keep saying this, we are not talking about that time where it is going to be so bad that your life would be at stake.  We will get to that later on.  We are talking now about: should we do anything in the months and years ahead in preparation for any kind of emergency or disaster?  I think the Bible recommends that.

Let’s go to the New Testament and see an interesting example here in the New Testament times - Acts 11. So we are talking now about physical preparations; that you are not just living from day by day only by what you buy each week or each day.

Acts 11:27 And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch.

Joseph was a prophet.  God was using him to see the future and here were prophets, men of wisdom God was using.

V.28 – Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar.

V.29 – Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea.

V.30 – This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

So there has even been times in the New Testament, not just the Old, where there were hard times, famines, needs by the brethren in certain areas, and certain brethren who maybe were not yet affected by that or who had stores or extra, sent relief to their brethren in other areas, even in the New Testament, each according to his ability.  What if the need arose and you say, I’ve only got one can of beans here.  I don’t have anything to help anybody with. Notice 1 Corinthians 16.

1 Corinthians 16:1-3 Now concerning the collection for the saints,  - many of you know the background of this, this famine that was affecting Judea, and the brethren were suffering and so Paul determined to take up a collection from other brethren to help them out. 

V.1 – Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: (He is saying to the Corinthians.)

V.2 – On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, - so here again brethren, if you’ve got extra food, extra supplies, our brethren in Judea need help and we are going to get a collection from those of you who have to help those who don’t have – that there be no collections when I come.

In other words, plan for it. Have it ready when I come with a group that will take this collection - Probably primarily food but maybe clothing and other things.  They had extra, the brethren did, to share with their brethren somewhere else.  It could apply to neighbors, friends, anyone. 
V.3 – And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem.

So even in the New Testament you find hard times and the brethren, according to their ability and their planning and their blessings, had in store extra to help other brethren or other friends or neighbors or whatever.

So it is Biblical and so what I’ve practiced, and brethren for years, based upon Biblical principles, when LeeAnn and I - we have a list of things and when we are maybe shopping we buy an extra can of this and an extra can of that; things that you can store for a long period of time.  Almost all food things have dates on them.  You can have a rotating system.  Things with dates you move forward and newer things you buy you put in the back, but extra stores of things so you can get by no matter what happens.  Not only you and your family; other brethren you might think of who because of their age or handicaps and all with need - to help - or your neighbors next door; maybe little babies, children, whatever. You will be somebody who is well prepared.  You thought it through.  Extra food; clothing; water; extra warm clothing; extra lighting. 

Today – a little humor is that I like flashlights and I probably have every little kind of flashlight you can imagine. The crank-kind; kind that work with just light but I’ve got batteries stored but batteries have a date on them. You get all kinds of things now - you just crank it.  You’ve seen those kinds. Literally, it is the old fashioned thing.  You crank it up and you’ve got a light; you’ve got energy.  I get kidded a lot by my friends and others who are always coming up with some new little light.  I’ve got the kind that goes round the head and its got light right up here so if I need to start my propane stove I’ve got a light.  We’ve actually had to do this, LeeAnn and I, during emergency situations in Seattle and one time even here, when we lost power for a while. 

But you know, just be thinking about it: There are all kinds of things that you can do just to help out your family, neighbors, friends, other brethren, no matter what lies ahead, no matter what God allows to happen.  It can be hurricanes, famines - as we’ve seen in the Old and New Testament - and brethren were affected by them but they were helping one another, those who were able. But those are going to be able and ready to help others the most are those who have a plan and plan in this regard.  So I recommend that and following the Biblical examples and there are other examples that we could go into.  So you can be thinking about it; you can be talking about it.  It could be something that would be very useful and very helpful and I am sure will be needed in the times that lie ahead.

Let’s take a look at what I call, social and emotional preparation; Social and emotional preparation.  We are all human beings and therefore as human beings we tend to worry, we tend to fret, we tend to become anxious about money, about security, about safety, about a lot of things in our lives, don’t we, because we are human and therefore we do get anxious.  Let’s go to Proverbs again, Proverbs 12.

Proverbs 12:25 This scripture says:  Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression.

So anxiety means: fear, worry, fretting. Just what ever it may be.  I think I may have mentioned to you something about my dear mother.  She is dead today but my mother was a worrier.  Her whole life she was a worrier.  She worried about everything; so much so that I remember kidding her and saying, Mom, if you didn’t have anything to worry about you would worry about that.  She was a worrier and a fretter and the Bible tells us that it is anxiety, which is worry or fear about things in our heart that can lead to depression and discouragement. But notice what it adds in that verse:

V.25 - …… But a good word makes it glad. – Makes the heart glad or as other versions of the Bible say:  A good word encourages the heart.

So we come to another principle here that Troy even emphasized in his sermonette, and that is the need for others.  This is social and emotional preparation.  A good word makes it glad.

Notice verse 26 – we are talking here now about social and emotional preparation for tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, next decade, whatever lies ahead.  It says:

V.26 – The righteous should choose his friends carefully.

It doesn’t mean we don’t love everybody; it doesn’t mean we even love our enemies; we want to help anybody and everybody we can, outside the Church, whatever, but what the Bible says, your friends – choose carefully.  Are they people who are positive and optimistic or are they negative people who think negatively, are negative and pessimistic?  Those are not healthy people. 

V.26 – The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray.

So what we are talking about here in social and emotional preparation for what lies ahead, a lot depends upon the people around you that you have as your support group. No matter how tough things get, no matter how bad they get, when you are with people who know God, who are positive, who are optimistic and say, hey, let’s just get right down now on our knees together and pray about this.  There is a positive attitude and a positive spirit.  I love this verse:

Proverbs 17:17 A friend – it is talking about a true friend – loves at all times.
A true friend who is truly your friend will stick with you at all times, thick and thin, good or bad, no matter what, and it adds: And a brother – a spiritual brother, a real brother or sister, - is born for adversity - For tough times, hard times. 

True friends, true brothers, true sisters in Jesus Christ. God’s word tells us that what we need for adversity is true friends, true brothers, strong families, members, where we right now in this life recognize that when times get tougher and tougher what is going to really matter and mean the most are these relationships that we’ve been building all these years.  You and I really need to be doing this. 

Don’t be working so hard and doing your job so hard that you don’t have time to build relationships.  Making money and even doing the work of God in the Church is important but what it is all about really, are our relationships.

So many people fall apart. Even during the years in America during the Great Depression in the 30’s and even through the period of World War ll, the difficult hard times as you all know, the individuals and people in families who had these kind of relationships did well. No matter how poor they were, no matter what they went through, what they suffered, because they were there; supporting and encouraging one another with good words, with prayers, with just the strength of somebody else being there to support you and help you.  This is social and emotional preparation. 

The Bible warns against being a loner.  Now that’s, believe it or not, that is what I was before God called me to His church. Because of my background and upbringing, with alcoholism in my family; the alcoholism and the effects of that alcoholism - my dear father is dead.  He was a good father when he was sober, a very good father, but he had a drinking problem and it wasn’t good when he drank.  The problems it created in my life and in the family caused me as a child to retreat into my own little shell, my own world.  So I never had any close friends.  I never dated one single girl through High School and College years before Ambassador because of that.  I was a loner until God called me and He came into my life and then brought LeeAnn into my life and it really began to help me come out to see there was something:  Wow!  God says I should grow and love people and overcome and come out.  I understand what it is to be a loner and you can even talk to my wife today and my natural tendency is to go back into my shell.  God says:  Hey, Danny, you get out there.  What this Christian life is all about is learning to love people and grow and overcome and it is not easy sometimes.

I am going to read Ecclesiastes even though Troy did - I think it is interesting:  We both had this scripture in our messages.

God says very clearly in the Bible:  Don’t be a loner.  Don’t let yourself be isolated.  Make friends and it is not easy sometimes, is it folks?  It is not easy to make friends.  It takes time; it takes effort; energy; prayer; sticking with it.  The greatest challenge in life as you all know, is building relationships. That is life’s greatest challenge:  building relationships.  It is very important and it is one of the things that you can do and I can do right now - and I am trying to do and want to do better - is to build more and stronger friendships and relationships in God’s Church and in my family so that when these times come there is a strong connection there that we have with each other; that we can pray for, support one another, encourage one another, go through it together, stick together through that.  Be a brother or a friend who is born for adversity. But you know when you don’t take time to build friendships and relationships and fellowship and get together with others - you can have acquaintances, you can kind of know people, you can love others but you may not be very close to many.  So this is something to think about. 

Ecclesiastes 4:9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.  Husbands and wives can be very strong and support each other; two friends; all kinds of relationships there can support one another.

V.10 – For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.  They will be there for each other; to encourage, to pray for, just to spends time with some one when they are down or discouraged but, as we’ve heard:  Woe to him who is alone (who is a loner) when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.

He doesn’t have a close friend; he doesn’t have someone that he has bonded with and strongly connected to. 

I’ve got to evaluate my own life and my own relationships in that regard and that is what you have to do as well so that when tough times come in the future, who will be there?  Who can I be there for and who will be there for me and with me?  I know my wife LeeAnn will be.  I have no doubts about that, that we will be there for each other.  How can we also be there for others as well?

So social and emotional preparation brethren, has to do with building strong friendships and relationships with family and friends. Many of you do that now, I know, but maybe you can think of ways that you can improve and do it better.

And let’s take a look then now at the most important preparation of all: spiritual preparation. Spiritual preparation - so that no matter how difficult things become in the future, no matter how hard, how can we be.  Let’s go to Proverbs again.

Proverbs 14:26 This verse says:  In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence.

Now, does this mean being afraid of God?  No, we know that. As we come to know God and His great love and mercy, compassion and all, we don’t have a wrong kind of, “I’m afraid of God”.  No, that is not what it means but it is that we love and honor and respect and stand in awe of God.  We know our eternal life is in His hands.  We have that right, healthy, Godly fear of our God who loves us and who corrects us in His love because He loves us.  So that is what that means.  I think we know that.

So when I think of that and the fear of the Lord I know it means to love and honor and respect Him and yes, to stand in fear of this Being in the right, Godly, healthy way.  My life and future is in His hands but when you have that kind of right, healthy, Godly fear, there is a strong confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge.   

V.27 – The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life.

So, spiritual preparation.  Notice chapter 28 of Proverbs, verse 1 and we will talk a little bit more about specifics here in the moment about how we can be better prepared spiritually.

Proverbs 28:1 This verse says:  The wicked flee when no one pursues – in other words: begin to be afraid of their own shadow.  They are afraid of what is coming; they are afraid of this; they are afraid of that.  But the righteous are bold as a lion.

Those who are living God’s way and striving to obey God and keep His commandments and serve Him and help others and try to be a part of His work and Church in every way possible; the righteous who have Jesus Christ living in them.

As we all know we are not righteous of ourselves.  It is as we learn to let Jesus Christ live in us through God’s Spirit.  Now that is righteousness because we all humanly fall short.  I certainly do.  No matter how hard I try in the flesh I can’t be perfect.  I want to; we all desire that. That is the goal but it is good to know that as long as we are human beings in the flesh we will be imperfect and we will fall short but we know the future and what lies ahead.

I love this:  The righteous are bold as a lion.  So the closer we are to God, the stronger and bolder we will be and there are many scriptures, there are prophecies in the Bible, that show in the tough times and the times of the Great Tribulation when there is persecution upon God’s people, they will stand strong.

We find that in the book of Daniel where it is talking about, in this prophecy, about the time of the end. 

Daniel 11:32 “Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; - this beast power and false prophet will deceive many people.  Verse 31 is talking about the abomination of desolation, but notice:

V.32 – “Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.

The Amplified Bible says:  Will carry out great deeds or exploits for God.

So there are other prophecies that show in the time of the end, when we are right at the toughest time, right at the time of the Great Tribulation, that God’s people who’ve done what they are supposed to do, and that we all recognize the importance of staying close to God. 

I have the same challenge you do.  I have to do what we heard in the sermonette:  That is to have a plan and carry it out and keep striving to maintain and build my relationship with God through private, personal prayer; do my own personal study of the Bible; to seeking God; coming to know Him better and yielding to Him. 

This thing of our personal, private, individual relationship with God - only God knows what it is.  We don’t need to know.  I know LeeAnn prays and studies because we live in the same house and I see her and what she does.  So I know she does and she knows I do but I don’t hear her prayers. I don’t see what she says and what she writes in her journals.  She knows that I pray but she doesn’t hear everything that I am saying and doing. 
The thing here is that, and it isn’t just the amount of time - that certainly is important as we are taking adequate time - what is more important when we pray and study is more that our heart is in it; the quality of that time; that we are really focusing, even if it is only a few minutes.  “God, I’ve only got five minutes right now, but I need Your help and I thank You, God.”  You know you are really focused and you are pouring out your heart to God praying for somebody or something or help in your own life, whatever it may be.

So now is the time - the Bible continually points out - we have days, weeks, months, maybe years, who knows, to develop a stronger connection to God through our own personal, private relationship with Him and some people do and some people don’t.  You probably know that.  Some people do and some people don’t.  They know they should but they don’t.  Christ - Matthew 25 - five wise and five foolish.  Some just let their oil run out and that is where we can try and help one another as well; that spiritual discipline of seeking God each day and drawing closer to Him.  Just coming to Church. Coming to Church is wonderful and good.  You get a message and the fellowship is critical.  We need each other. 

These things are important and very helpful in our lives.  We need each other.  We need to be together and we need to have a reminder of God’s way but brethren, what you do and what I do, what you do at home when you are alone, what is the quality of your time and your relationship with God?  Now is the time, and as we see end-time prophecy speeding up and coming to pass, to draw closer to God through prayer, through His word and again as I say, it doesn’t take hours each day - The quality and the fervency with you heart and your attitude when you are communing with God and reading His word. 

You’ve been around a long time, most of you. I just hope and pray that you all do have a personal, private, spiritual life between you and God.  That you get off [by yourself], where ever it is - if you live alone, fine, but that you have time that you devote to communing and seeking God through prayer, through Bible Study, because that is what is going to matter more than anything else.  We all know that.  When the end comes and times come where food storage won’t do any good, nothing is going to do any good, it has come to that point that the only one who can save our lives is God and He will. 

Let’s close by going to a few Psalms. We know God has probably already intervened in our lives more times than we even know, saving us or protecting us or helping us.

Psalm 31:19 Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men!

V.20 – You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence. 

You know there may be a place of safety and the Bible has those indications of a three-and-a-half years [period]; God is going to take some - Revelation 12 and other scriptures - on the wings of an eagle.  Those scriptures are still there in the Bible.  God can do that where He takes certain ones that He wants to protect in a special place during the time of the Great Tribulation but you know God can protect you any time, any place, anywhere He wants to, can’t He?  During [a time when] people trying to attack your home or kill you or steal, whatever, God is there.  He is real.  He has angels and great power and notice Psalm 32.  These are Psalms of David and his life was in danger many times and here is what he said:

Psalm 32:7 You (God) are my hiding place; So the ultimate hiding place as we all know, the ultimate protection is just going to be get down on your knees and say, God, my life is in Your hands.  My family’s life is in Your hands.  We belong to you, dear God.  He says:

V.7 - ….You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.

Psalm 34:18 The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, – that means those who are humble – and saves such as have a contrite spirit. – Those who are truly yielded and humbled in mind, heart and attitude to God.

V.19 – Many are the afflictions of the righteous, – many trials.  We hear of that. Prayer requests for people - many, many difficulties people have today – Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. - Even if it is a serious health problem.

Yesterday, LeeAnn and I called a young woman, relatively young, in our former congregation back in the Seattle area because she just found out that she has liver cancer and may not have long to live.  Her attitude was absolutely wonderful.  She was very positive.  She doesn’t know if there is any hope or not.  She is not that old but her attitude is very positive and she was just thanking us for our love, our prayers…the call.  She just knows well, my life is in God’s hands.  I gave it to Him when I was baptized.  He knows when I am ready.  He knows best.  We were certainly encouraged by her attitude.  It was wonderful. 

So whatever the afflictions or the trials that God allows, the Lord delivers him out of them all - even sicknesses.  Sometimes that is the answer.  God knows, but I love this scripture too and I am sure you do, in Philippians 1 where Paul said God will complete the work that He has begun in us.  You can be confident, he said, that God will finish the work that He has begun in you when He calls you.  He is not going to let you die and go until He has accomplished His work in your life and then He will seal you for the Kingdom of God and eternal life. 

It is really encouraging to see all of these scriptures brethren, and to know, and we do know. And this is just a reminder for you that the most important thing, which I know you all know - so it is just a reminder here now as we enter another calendar year and look ahead regardless of the predictions.  2012 may be much worse or maybe better.  We don’t know.  But if we are doing what God tells us to do:  spiritual preparation, that is first and most important in our life, then we will be bold as a lion.  We are not afraid.  We know who is in charge.  We know who is in control all the time in everything and in everyway in our lives.  We don’t fear.  We don’t fear because then we are also preparing socially and emotionally by really working hard to build stronger relationships with family and friends so that we don’t stand alone, no matter what happens. 

We are also doing what we can do physically while we can to lay up physical things in store in case of catastrophes or emergencies or needs that may arise in the future like we saw in the Old and New Testament, where if there is a need:  Oops!  I have to drive to the grocery store.  Oops!  The stores are closed.  I don’t have any thing to contribute to help anybody.  Okay, I am going to go down stairs in my basement or in my closet over here and I’ve got a lot of extra stuff here that I can contribute to my neighbor or my brethren here or there.

So let us prepare brethren, for the future, God’s way.