Sudden destruction is coming

You all probably saw during this last week, on Tuesday, March 26, when it actually happened, at 1.30 in the morning. You probably saw in the next morning, or if not, soon after that, you saw the Baltimore bridge collapsing. It was just shocking. It was just like a toy that it just fell apart. But it is a huge structure of about 1.6 miles long, in one of the country's busiest ports. And it was this massive, massive cargo ship that started having troubles in the engine, of electricity, of power. And next thing, it struck the bridge, and as you saw, the whole thing suddenly just collapsed. Brethren, we live in a time where a lot of things are going to suddenly just collapse. And I would like us to start by looking at Luke 21, verse 36. Because here we read, watch therefore and pray always that you may be accounted worthy to escape. Now, in first place, it doesn't say that you will make a choice and to go to whatever it is, as people would think, well, I'll make a choice and I'll go to the place of safety, or maybe I won't make that choice. It doesn't say that. It says that you may be accounted worthy to escape. But even more important, besides escaping all these things, the second part of that phrase is that you and to stand before the Son of Man. Stand can mean be resurrected, right? You stand from the grave, you're resurrected. Or if you and I still alive, to be amongst those that will be standing at Christ's Second Coming as the called, chosen, and faithful. And so, are we counted worthy by God to escape these things and to stand before the Son of Man? I believe it is a serious question. And as I saw that bridge fall down, the thought came to my mind that it was so sudden. And I want to ask you to turn out to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 because these are along the things that crossed my mind. And 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, it says, starting in verse 1, But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves know perfectly that a day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. Well, it was interesting that that massive ship hit the bridge also, in a sense, like a thief in the night. It was like 1 30 in the morning. In a sense, it was a blessing. Imagine that bridge being full of cars. So, but it says, the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. For when they say peace and safety? And I'm not saying that we all think, well, everything is fine. But generally speaking, some people say, oh, well, you know, this has happened before. It's okay. It will get over it. But then it says, then sudden destruction comes upon them.

And the Baltimore Bridge collapse was sudden destruction that came upon it due to a massive ship that was malfunctioning. And then let's just read a little bit more. Then it says in verse 4 through 8, But you brethren are not in darkness, so that this day should overtake you as a thief in the night. Obviously, it doesn't say there in the night, but I've just added that because of verse 2. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as others do, but let us watch and be sober.

You know, and that ties in with Luke 21, 36, that we just read a moment ago. So, watch and pray that you may be counted worthy to escape. We've got to watch ourselves, brethren. Yes, we do have to watch the news and what's happening, but I think the biggest watch is watch moi. You know what I mean by moi? Me, myself, and I watch ourselves. And that we be sober. In other words, we mustn't be sleeping. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and hope, and as an element, the hope of salvation. Again, there's verse 3. Faith, hope, and love. Remember 1 Corinthians 13, 13? There are three. Faith, hope, and love. And again, yeah, the three are so important. But it is sobering. It is very sobering. Brethren, maybe I'm speculating, but I would say from now till next Passover, this year, it will be disastrous. A lot of things are going to happen. That will be sudden destruction to many people. Maybe I'm wrong. In a sense, I hope I'm wrong. I'm not saying it's the Great Tribulation. It's before it. But things, you look at the pressures that are going on. You look at the stresses that people are going through. You look at the health issues. Maybe God is protecting some people today by putting them to sleep. And that is their place of safety. Maybe. But look at the values in our society. I don't want to enumerate them. You know them better than what I do. You watch in the news everything. The values, the political decisions that are made, make you vomit. Really, we are in a disastrous situation. It's like that massive ship having problems. We are on the verge of a civil war. I would not be surprised that we're going to have something very serious at the end of this year or beginning of next year of that kind. And that's disastrous, brethren. So, Mr. Armstrong always said, watch the Middle East.

Recently, it was passed on the United Nations that for the first time the US and the UK just did not vote and therefore the decision went through against Israel. So, Israel is standing alone by itself. That is prophetic when it says all nations will turn against you. All means all. We are on the verge of World War Three. Recently, Mr. Rick Shabey gave a presentation which you may have watched about sacrifices.

And the red ephir, you know, the red cows.

We don't know when that will happen.

I've always questioned to do that in front of the Dome of the Rock or around that area. It will be super explosive. Super explosive. But you know, Israel is going to say, what do I have to lose? I mean, but I always wondered how is that possible? But it's prophetic. So, unless we got it wrong, but I believe that's what is going to happen. And then we look at the situation in Ukraine and the whole Western Europe, and as it borders to Eastern Europe.

Plus the immigrant situation, not only in this country, which is explosive. You think about the possible consequences of these people one day flipping and turning against us, because it says the Gentile will be high amongst you.

But the same thing is happening in Europe. And so, there could be, I believe there will be, drastic political changes, sudden political changes in Europe, which will be a rise, or the beginning of the rise of the Beast Power.

And then, I mean, there are things happening in the Catholic Church. The Pope is saying things, and he's not of good health. So, what will be next? Are we on the verge of further syncretism in the Catholic Church? Because Catholic Church has always been based on a lot of syncretism mixing different things. Could there be mixing further things? And could we be on the verge of the starting to appearing of that false prophet?

I think over the next year, things could literally explode. I might be wrong. I hope I'm wrong. But it'll become like that sudden destruction of the Baltimore Bridge. Maybe that's a sign of warning for us, which is right before the beginning of this year, looking at from God's point of view.

So, as we finish reading, it says, watch and pray. It's very relevant that in 1 Corinthians 11, when it's talking about Passover, one of the instructions we have there, a very important instruction we have there before Passover, is to examine ourselves. Look at verse 28. 1 Corinthians 11 verse 28. But let a man examine himself. That's what we got to watch. We got to watch ourselves. We got to examine ourselves. It's not examine somebody else. It's examine yourself. And then it says, and so let him eat and drink, eat of the bread and drink of the cup. You know, we'll take the Passover in a correct manner.

For he drinks in an unworthy manner and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. Now, obviously, the Lord's body is dual. There's no questions about that. Obviously, we have to discern what Christ has done for us and his sacrifice, how he was beaten and how he was accused and how he suffered and how he died for us.

It is very sobering. But we have to discern the Lord's body because you and I are members of the body of Christ, which is the Church. And so when we discern the Lord's body in duality, in dual, you discern, you are seriously taking it in the correct manner because it is the Lord's body.

But it is also applied how we treat one another because look at the following verse. For this reason, many are weak and seek among you, and many sleep. You see, if we don't care for one another, many, because of stress, get ill and some have died. I know members run about the year 2010, and I know one specific elder in South Africa that died as an outcome of problems that happened in 2010 in the body of Christ. So it is definitely talking about discerning the Lord's body in a dual manner. And if we would judge ourselves, if we discern ourselves, then we will not be judged.

Are we judging? Are we evaluating ourselves? But if we don't, then, you know, we're going to be condemned at the end. So we've got to really look at ourselves and discern and say, how am I doing? Because if I'm not doing well, and if God does not see you and I doing well, are we then going to be accounted worthy to escape and to stand before the Son of Man? How are we affecting others? Because we're discerning the body of Christ, which is the Church.

Now in Ephesians chapter 4, it brings starting in verse 2, and it's a very important chapter in Ephesians chapter 4, but just looking at a few points, and I'll look a few at the moment now, it says at the beginning of Ephesians 4, it says, I beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you are called. We are a walk worthy of the calling. In other words, we're going to watch and examine ourselves, and are we walking worthy of the calling that we are called?

And look at verse 2, with all loneliness and gentleness, with long suffering, bearing with one another in love. Are we humble and gentle and patient and bearing with one another in love? Are we? So, you know, humility, and therefore meekness and teachability and patience and being kind to others, and ultimately having outgoing concern and love for fellow man, and think God is love.

So that's being like us. So to me, I might be wrong, but to me, that is what God is looking for in us. How we treat others, how we speak to others, are we humble and gentle and patient and loving to others, regardless whether we are maltreated, regardless, because Christ gave us the example that he was caring and loving, regardless of how you're treated, granted.

Christ will come and rule with a rod of iron. Don't be deceived that he will not, at the right time, execute judgment and will correct many nations. And that's to the rebels, but to the godly people, to the body, discerning the body. That's a complete different attitude that we need to have.

And as we examine ourselves, are we making progress by being humble and gentle and patient and loving to others, which maybe, maybe, there is a differentiator between those that will be protected and those that want. Because when you look at Revelation 12, when it says that the church will be persecuted, a portion of the church will be protected and a portion of the church won't. And you see the portion of the church that will not be protected, it says, then Satan goes and persecutes her. Those are the ones that keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus. So those that keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus were not protected because they're being persecuted, while the others, they were protected. The Satan called in a flood, which you believe to be an army, and then the earth swallowed that flood, that army, and those brethren were protected. So what is a differentiator? Because surely the ones who were protected kept the commandments of God and had the faith of Jesus. And so likewise these. So what is the difference? I stand to be corrected with brethren, but I think the differentiating factor is to have this outgoing care, this attitude of Godly love, of being humble, gentle, patient, and as it says here, bearing with one another an outkind concern and love. And that, and you read the rest of Ephesians 4, very meaningful, because then a little lighter, still in Ephesians 4 verse 22 says that you put off concerning your former conduct the old man, which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. We got to put off the old man and be renewed in the spirit of your mind that you put on the new man. So we got to put on the new man. That is what we got to look at. Are we putting on that new man, particularly in the way how we treat other people, and particularly, discerning the body of Christ, those that are God's people. And I'm not talking about an organization. There are many of God's people in other organizations. There are many sheep that are not part of this flock, Christ said. And so we got to treat people loving and kindly. You know, the problem with us is we think we are okay, Jack. You know, I'm okay, Jack. You look at Proverbs 14 verse 12, you know that Proverbs pretty well. There's a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is death. You see, we think we're okay because we can't see ourselves. We have a blind spot in our human persons. Like when you drive, it's so easy to change the lane and whoop, there's a car there, you got to be careful. You know, there's a blind spot. We have a blind spot in our lives. Jeremiah 10, again, you know that very well, Jeremiah 10, verse 23 and 24. It says very clearly, let me just read it so I read it exactly as it states. It says, oh Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself. In other words, Jeremiah is saying, I recognize that I have a blind spot.

It's not in man who walks to direct his own steps. He recognizes that I think that he's the right way, but I'm actually going the wrong way. In other words, what am I doing? I'm deceiving myself. And it says, Lord, correct me, verse 24, but of justice. You know, you know what it says, justice, mercy, and faith. And justice, by implication, the way it is a matter of law, to be just means you got to have mercy with it following justice. By the way, it's not mercy first and then justice, but it's justice first and then mercy. But what the prophet is saying is, God, please teach me, correct me, guide me, instruct me, gently, in a merciful way. In other words, so that is just. So it's merciful. Show me the way. Not in your anger, but just with mercy, please, just a little bit at a time. Don't show me everything at the same time, because it's too overwhelming and then, you know, I can't handle it. But a little bit at a time, in justice, in mercy, not in your anger, show me gently, guide me, the God's early spirit guides us, right? So guide me through the power of your spirit in the right way. Because we don't know the way. Why? Because just a little later in Jeremiah 17, and you know that very well as well, Jeremiah 17 verse 9, it says, The heart is deceitful above all things, and is desperately wicked. Your heart and my heart, our hearts, are desperately wicked and deceitful, which means I think I know the right way, but I don't. I think I know it all, Jack, but I don't. See, the heart is deceitful. Let me put it another way. Our carnal mind deceives us. Oh, but I've been in the church a long time. I'm not carnal. Come. Let's look at what Paul said in Romans chapter 7. Romans chapter 7. Romans chapter 7.

Romans chapter 7 is quite enlightening, and we're going to go through it a few little points here. But here in Romans chapter 7, in verse 14, it says, it says, for we know that God's law is spiritual, but I am super righteous. No, I am carnal, and that's Paul. Paul said, I am carnal. Now, if Paul said, I'm carnal, what am I going to say? What are you going to say? Oh, no, I'm okay. I'm not carnal. I'm very spiritual. I'm a spiritual pillar. I'm not.

I am carnal, probably even more than Paul. Now, remember, he was specially called by God. He was super, quote unquote, righteous in thetericycle ways. He never really did anything wrong as far as doing because he was super righteous in that, but he did not see, did not understand who Christ was, and then he wanted to kill people. Wow. So he did something wrong. He was carnal. But in his self-justification, the way of man seems right in him because, hey, Christ was fake.

And these Christians, but until God woke him up and hit him, like two by four straight on the head there and says, bang, wake up. And that's what happened to all of us.

It's happened to all of us.

And so he had to realize he's carnal.

And then it says, we're reading in verse 14, the law is spiritual. I am soul and the son. I son.

Oh, is there, therefore, Paul, you know, stealing and committing adultery and whatever it is? No.

But he is looking at a deeper at his inner thoughts and things that could cross through his mind that he has to overcome and clean up. And then he goes on and he says, for what I'm doing, I do not understand for what I will to do that I do not practice, but what I hate that I do. And so there are certain things that that was crossing his mind. Maybe occasionally, maybe you'd say it incorrectly and he says, oh, I got to say it more correctly or whatever. And then look at a bit further down in verse 21. I find then a law that evil is present within me. That is human nature. That is a carnal mind that he had, we have.

Because we are human beings. The one who wants to do good. Yeah, I want to do good, but there's this nature. He says, verse 22, I delight in the law of God according to my inward man, according to my mind. I want to do what's pleasing to God. I want to do that. But, verse 23, I see another law in my members, in my physical body, which is fighting against the law of my mind. I see this continuous struggle. Now, this is apostle. That had been an apostle now for a number of years.

And bringing captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members. Oh, rich man that I am, who can deliver me from this body of death? You know what? I have a physical body. You have a physical body. We all have a physical body with a natural human tendency. Or that God created evil in you. No. But as a human being, I for instance, I watch little babies. And a little baby, to survive, needs to express with a cry. And he wants, he's got a pain, always hungry, or whatever it is. As they get a little older, that habit of crying and getting attention and relieving whatever it is, it becomes kind of part of their nature. And if that is not managed and taught and controlled and educated, it can become part of one's nature with a drive towards the wrong. Because it's a natural human tendency to protect, to survive. And so that is one possible explanation of how we got this pre-programmed capability as human beings for survival, that we have this carnal mind. Because we are flesh. I'm not saying that's exactly that way, but to me it's one possible explanation. And then he says, we continue reading here in verse 24, oh, rich and mended I am. Who will deliver me from this body? You and I know that at the resurrection we will not have a carnal body, a fleshly body. We have a spiritual body. Who will deliver us from this natural pulls of this carnal body is Christ when He's going to give us a different body without those pulls. I thank God for Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind, I serve the law of God, but of the flesh, there is this human tendency pulling that I've got to be overcoming it all the time. Therefore, therefore, verse 8, chapter 8, verse 1, there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Because I don't walk according to the flesh. I don't want to do that. I'm fighting it, and I'm continuously living and acting the right way. I'm trying to do, but I know there is this in oppression. And it says, you know, there's no condemnation because I'm trying to overcome. And it says, we have a righteous requirement, says the in verse 4, to keep the law. We have to keep the law. God's law, it's a righteous requirement. And then he goes on and he says, in verse 5, for those who live according to the flesh, set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the minds on the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. The carnal mind is enmity against God. And so to me, that's clearly when you and I are not actively fighting this carnal mind. We are not being accounted worthy by God. We have to be fighting this carnal mind. We have to be treating others gently and lovingly. We have to have that new man. We have to. That is the new man that we got to be. When God's Holy Spirit is guiding us, and the Spirit, God through his Spirit, is helping us to live a new life. There is an interesting scripture that brings an interesting point, and that's in James 1, verse 12 and 13. James 1, verse 12 and 13. Blessed is the man who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love him.

The word for temptation in Greek is a word that could be translated temptation or being tested. And so you've got to look in the context, because using the same word, it can have two different meanings. So when you are tempted, or when you are tested, we have to endure. There are tests and there are temptations we have to endure.

And then we'll receive the crown of life. What does that mean? We will stand before the son or man when he comes. In other words, we are counted worthy to escape. We've got to be overcome, enduring temptation for those that he's promised to those who love him. Now verse 13 is very significant. Let no one say, when he's tempted, I'm tempted by God. For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he himself tempt anyone. You see, yeah, it's clearly talking about temptation. Now, we are proven as well. God allows us to be tested and proven. You see, there's a difference between temptation and proving. When you are being proven, when you have a challenge to prove, usually is, so that you can succeed and pass through the next grade. Like, for instance, if you have a test at school or at university, the intent is that you pass. The teacher wants you to succeed, but he has to test you to see if you might degrade. But there's also a temptation which is not a positive desire by the tempter, because it's a desire for you to fail. You see, God allows you to be proven because God wants you to succeed. But that proving could be because of temptation that we either allow ourselves or other people put upon us, which is the intent. Temptation is for us to fail. But we have to overcome it in both cases. But God will never tempt us in a negative way. God will allow us to be proven to succeed. But God will never tempt us in a negative way, because God cannot be tempted by evil. And God is not evil, because temptation is a negative thing. But look at YHWH in verse 14. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Now, some of you are fishermen. Some of you, even if you're not fishermen, you know what fishing is like. You put a little bait at the end on a hook, and you have to put the right bait for the right fish, right, to attract the right fish. And that fish sees that bait and says, oh, that looks good. I want to go for it. And bang, the bait attracts, entices the fish. And then the fish goes for it. And then he's drawn away by that temptation. And then he's, he dies, ultimately. See, it's the same thing. We are tempted when we are drawn away, and it was we enticed by our own desires, by our own lust, by our own human nature, our own passions. And we're enticed by those things and those things. And if you allow them in your mind, they become bigger and bigger and bigger. And then you fall. So the moral of the lesson is, get it off straight away. It's not wrong to be tempted. See, you read in Hebrews, Christ was tempted in all ways like we were, but He never sinned. It's not a sin to be tempted. It leads to sin when we allow the temptation to entice it. And as we allow that in our minds, and then it becomes, as it says, in verse 15, then that desire is conceived and it gives birth to sin. And when it's fully grown, ultimately it'll be death, and specifically eternal death.

You see, we gotta overcome our human nature. We gotta change. And our human nature, one of the things of our carnal mind is self, me, myself, and I. And you see it quite often in little kids that have not been trained, you know, it's me, it's my toy, don't want to share it, and you've got to teach them not to be sharing and things like that. So as we were reading in Ephesians chapter 4, I'd like to go back to Ephesians chapter 4 now, because it's talking here in Ephesians chapter 4, we read about lowliness and gentleness and long suffering and love, and we read about putting off the old man and putting on the new man. But from verse 25 to verse 32 says, therefore put away lying.

You see, in verse 22 it says, put off concerning your former conduct, which means those are the ways that you've put off, but there is some residue. Even after you've baptized, you put off your old way, you've repented, you've repented from what you've done, and now you're starting to live a new life, but we have to put away other things like lying. Speaking the truth of it says in verse 25, be careful of anger. Don't, I mean, yeah, you can get upset about things, but don't allow this thing to get so big that now you have hatred towards others. Don't steal. Oh, I don't steal. But the real crunch to me is let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth.

And then it says, do not grieve the Holy Spirit. In other words, be careful with what we say to other people. It says, verse 31, let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil-speaking be put away from you with all madness and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. That's getting back to the point of humility and being humble. You know, for instance, in 1 Corinthians 5 where it says, you know, your boasting is not good. And it says, take away that leaven, that old man, and put on the new bread without leaven. But it says, your boasting is not good. It gets back to the beginning point, is lack of humility. We're going to be honest about ourselves because it says, keep the Passover with the leavened bread of sincerity and truth. We're going to be honest with ourselves. How am I? How are you affecting other people, particularly in the body of Christ, to discerning the body? Are we being careful? Brethren, we live in the time of the end. There's no questions about it. And you know what's happening now?

Everything is, every action of this world, the society around us, is just evil. It's breaking God's laws. And you think about Matthew 24, 12, where it says, because iniquity will abound. Brethren, iniquity is abounding.

And then you know what it says next? I'm sure you don't even have to turn there. You know it off by heart. The love of many will wax cold. You know it. You see, what happens is there's so much stress around us. So much stress. So many challenges. You're rushing around. There's more and more things to do. You just don't even have time to breathe, kind of. It's just so stressful. It's like an elastic band is being stretched, and then it snaps. And you and I could snap, which means the love goes cold, and we snap, and we bite, and we say something which we didn't mean to say. And we hurt other people. We explode suddenly.

And when we sin, because it's sin, right? Who do we sin against?

Paul in Psalm 51 is very clear. You know, after he sinned, with Bathsheba and anyone, and he killed Uriah. You know Psalm 51 verse 3. Let's look at that. Psalm 51 verse 3. Psalm 51 verse 3. It's very clear. He says, I have sinned against you. You see, I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me against you. You only have I sinned. David admitted that he had sinned against God. You know, brethren, we can hurt people. We can offend people. We can demoralize people. But the sin is against God, because God is the lawgiver, and we break God's law. Sure, it is a sin, but the sin is first and foremost against God. And that's why he says, against you and you only have I sinned. And then I'll down still on Psalm 51 in verse 10. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Change my human nature to God's nature, to divine nature, to God's way of thinking with the power of your spirit, the sanctification of the spirit, to obedience. Renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me.

And so we need to recognize there's a lot of stress out there. We live in difficult times. There's no questions. Times are difficult. Things could explode at any moment. And this stress is like squeezing you in every corner, squeezing you, squeezing you. If we're not careful, we're going to explode. We need to be close to God. We need to be praying. We need to do Bible study. We need to do occasional fasting. We need to be close to God. Otherwise, we're going to explode. Look at verse 16. Still on Psalm 51. Look at verse 16. For you do not desire sacrifice, else I would give it. You do not delight in by an offering. The sacrifices of God are what? A broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart. What is that? Humility. It's humility. It's not proud. It's humility. You see, it starts in humility. The Beatitudes. The first Beatitude is blessed are the poor in spirit. It's humility. From there, the others build up. Satan's one of Satan's great sins. If you are to be in the Satan's great sins, if not the greatest, it was lack of humility.

It's so important for us to be humble, to have that spirit of gentleness, kindness, and not gain love towards another.

That's what God wants in us. That's what God wants in us. Look at 1 John 1. 1 John 1. Verse 5-9. 1 John 1. Verse 5-9. This is the message which we heard from you. And then in verse 6 says, if we say we have fellowship with him, with God, and walk in darkness, we lie and not practice the truth. And if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another. You see, care for one another. And the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son cleanses us from all sin. In other words, we have sin. Otherwise, why would he not be cleansing us? Continuous, progressive tense today, not post. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us, our sins are to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

And if we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

We need to be counted worthy, brethren. We need to be counted worthy.

And one of the facts, they had to be counted worthy, like a beginning block, is humility, is gentleness, its kindness towards other people, and admit our own errors, because we gotta repent not only of what we have done, but we gotta repent of what we are.

We are human nature. We are beings with the propensity of sin, and we have gotta repent of that, of that old man, and strive to be a new man, a new person.

We have to do that, because Christ is gonna come soon.

I don't know when, but I would say, brethren, it's very soon. It's very soon.

Look at 2 Peter chapter 3 as we come to a conclusion, so we're probably just one page behind where we just finished. 2 Peter chapter 3 verse 10, But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. It's like that massive ship came as a thief in the night and hit that bridge when nobody expecting it, in which the heavens will pass away with great noise, and the elements will melt to fervent heat. Both the earth and the water that are in it will be burned. It's like that whole bridge of 1.6 miles that just collapsed. The whole world will be burned up suddenly. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness? Time is short, brethren. This next year will bring enormous change, enormous change. Please don't be unprepared. Please, let's examine ourselves to be a new man so that you and I can be accounted worthy.

Look at verse 17, still in 2 Peter 3. You, therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness. Beware! Otherwise, you might just be dragged with everything else and go wrong, being led away with the error of the wicked. You might just explode with the stress and just say, I give up, I've had enough. But what you and I have to do, we've got to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We've got to know who Christ is and His grace, kindness, goodness, loving kindness towards us, His humility towards us.

We've got to grow in that attitude that He had towards us. You think about Philippians 2, verse 5. Let us mind being you that it was in Christ Jesus that He did not thought that robbery to be equal with God, being in the form of God, but He humbled Himself and became a human being right to the point of death. Humility started with humility. And we've got to grow in that same grace and kindness of Christ. As we have time now before Passover, let's use this time to really examine ourselves in a way that we may be counted worthy by God so that everything, as it reads at the end of this verse, so that everything will be to Him, to His glory now and forever. Amen.