Summer Is Near

Good afternoon, everyone! Very nice to be with you, and it's a pleasure to be here. Thank you, Mr. Ost, for that bit of introduction. And indeed, I do have a responsibility for God's work in the Portuguese language. I usually term it that way, because my wife encouraged me to term it that way. And I love her for it, don't worry. Because we have seen many people that have taken the work as being their work, and the next thing, they go off the rails. And therefore, it's not my work, it's God's work that I just have the pleasure to serve him in the Portuguese language. And so, doing that, like Mr. Ost said, I do the work with somebody else in Brazil. He helps me with translation work. I want to show you some of the work we have.

This is the latest good news. You may recognize the cover. So, we're keeping up to date.

It's there. The only difference is that it's black and white inside, so we keep the costs down. With an advert at the back, the only difference is instead of having that little space here, which puts your address, we just put a thing that says, if you want to donate and give for the work, you ask the account number, you can go directly onto the web and donate. So, we're not shy of asking money if people want to give it. Not saying that we're asking for it, but it's a sign that people can give if they want. The previous issue, obviously, was the one about the bear. That one also went out. And when there is a specific issue where, for instance, the American flag is very prominent, we then maybe change it. And we'll put the Brazilian flag in there. So, half the Brazilian flag and half the American flag. Why? Because the problems they're having there are the same problems they're having here, or we're having here. So, the article is quite applicable. Now, I specifically asked the same question to some Brazilians about this cover having the American flag. And I said, should I change that flag? Obviously, then the picture would have to be changed, because that's an iconic picture of an event that took place. And they said, no, because there's no other country that is seen in the world as an aggressive country affecting other nations than America. So, keep the American flag in there. Interesting perspective. Interesting perspective. And obviously, we don't always see things in that way, because we listen to American news, which are obviously biased. But if you go to Portugal, you go to Portuguese news, and they're also biased. And if you're Brazilian, you go to Brazilian news, and they're also biased. So, they're all biased. But it is important for us to have God's hat on and look at things in the right way. I want to mention a couple of things more about the work. We're currently printing 3,000 good news in Portuguese. We are printing them in Brazil. We are printing them in Brazil. The cost of printing and mailing them in Brazil is equal to, or just a little less than, printing them in the States. Then I still have to mail them to Brazil, and postage in bulk of 3,000 and weight and all that is exorbitant. I'll give you an example. We sent about 700 good newses to one area in Brazil to distribute to some of the brethren, because there's a brethren, and they wanted to. So, it took different issues. And the Brazilian customs sent it back. No reasons why. The UPS did not have any capability of disputing the fact. And the reason they sent it back is they said, this is not free material. This is for sale. And they sent it back. And they charged us the bill. $3,000 to send there, $3,000 to send back, $6,000 for 700 good news. I can print 3,000 good newses and mail them in Brazil for under $3,000. So, it's a good financial decision. We then print a few still here in the States, which we sent to Portugal and to other countries. But the bulk of the Portuguese work is to Brazil. If I put a percentage, it's probably about 97-98% to Brazil. Brazil is a country of over 200 million people. It's the size. It's actually slightly bigger than continental USA. That means excluding Alaska and Hawaii. And you wouldn't think so.

It's an enormous geographical country. We've got a congregation there in the north, which the attendance averages from about the upper 30s to about 45 every Sabbath, although some days it gets to about 50. We did a few projects there. We did an agricultural project at the end of last year. And you're going to probably get it in the E-News in a week or two times. We're going to start.

We're going to do a youth core project also, or rather a youth camp in that area. We have Mr. Land Martin working on that, and we'll be announcing we'll need some volunteers to go to help there, as let's call it. Like you have young people that are the leaders showing the other campus how to do things. Our intent is to do it maybe for two years and train them so that after that they can do it themselves.

So it really is teach. Teach the teachers, not give you fishes so that you can keep eating our fishes. And that's the same thing we did with the agricultural project. We helped them setting it up, and now they're doing it themselves. And they want to enlarge it to actually plant something like about 3,000 little heads of tomatoes to sell.

They're currently having a problem in negotiating with the Brazilian government for authority to do that. So it's a lot of paperwork. But anyway, they're doing through that, and they're fighting through that. So there's brethren out there. They're all scattered.

That's that group of people. And then we've got another family somewhere south of Brazil. It's like where that group, think about it, it's like they were in somewhere near the east coast. So for instance, yeah, in Atlanta. And the other group is somewhere out towards, you know, Oregon. And there's about two or three.

There's three people there. And the others are just people that we are starting with. They're asking questions over the internet. We're not advertising. We're just doing a lot of internet work. We've got our full internet up and running, all in Portuguese with sermons. I do a Portuguese sermon every Thursday, which is recorded up for them, every Sabbath.

Get a lot of questions of all different types, of all different types. And so it's a fledgling work. How much time we got? We don't know. Will there be a big work in Brazil? Probably not, but I don't know. It's God's Word. It's not mine. But our mission is to preach the gospel unto the whole world, to convert them. No! That's what Protestants believe. We preach the gospel to the whole world as a witness. That's our mission and our responsibility. And part of our mission, which is preach the gospel, as we see in the seal out there, is also to prepare a people.

And that's our role, not only as a church to prepare us, but us to prepare ourselves. That is an important part of God's work, that you and I got to be prepared. I like to comment, and Mr. Ost mentioned about, I think it was transversely, whatever you use, transversely opposite, or something like that. But he says, as things are going worse, we got to become closer to God. That's exactly what it is. That's exactly what it is. Another few things that I want to mention is, I was in Portugal just about maybe three weeks ago.

I was in Spain as well, and I visited some people there. I visited brethren. And one of the things that at that moment was before this so-called Greek resolution or agreement that passed, one of the things that I discussed with various people is how do they feel about this whole thing with Greece? And the Troika, as they call it, the Controika is the European group that is kind of putting the screws on and making those countries get their finances right.

And believe it or not, the Portuguese are furious with the Greek. They wouldn't think so. And if you listen to some of the news, they say, oh, the Portuguese are happy with the Greek because they are. They're not. The reason being is that the Portuguese had to tighten their belt, and they did tighten their belt. They dropped and they changed the ages of when you're going to retire. They dropped the Social Security. They made all the cuts, and they're getting better. And the economy is turning around. Not the unemployment rate is not really improving yet. It's too early. But things are turning around.

And they say the Greeks, for the last three years, they've been asked to do that, and they've done zero. Zero. And so when they were asked, do you want to continue living as you are, as kings, and not pay back, or do you want to tighten the belt and pay the money back, what do you think they also would have been? You want to continue living as kings and not pay anything back. But then they got pressurized by the Europeans, and they realized, you know, the banks could not work. They didn't have money. People could only go to the ATM and draw something like 60 euros a day and no more. And the banks were closed for over a week. They realized that they couldn't go on. So they made this disagreement. Sounds to me like just kicking the can down the road. Just kicking the can down the road. And something is going to happen there, because some of the countries in the European community are struggling, but they're trying to do things and change. Others are not. And the two big ones that are paying for this, which is basically Germany and France, they are not going to take that for much longer. So something is there to happen. So as we look at the situation in the world today, it's not just America going through problems. The American problems are very unique, because we need to look back at one thing. God made a promise to Abraham, which he has fulfilled. But he also said that if you don't do the part, you will be punished. And that punishment has started. There are some similarities between Leviticus 26 and what happened in 9-11-2001 with terrorism, which has only escalated, but it was like a bubble and then it's been escalating. There are some similarities because then Leviticus 26 says, if you don't listen to me, I'll punish you seven times more. And coincidentally, seven years later, coincidentally, on the evening before trumpets, you go back seven years later, 2008, the evening before trumpets, the stock market fell 7-7-7. Exactly seven years afterwards. And after that, there has been the financial crisis, which it's been painted over, but we're not addressing our debts. We're not fixing it up. We're just kicking the can down the road. We're just printing more money, like the Greeks, just in a slightly different way. But now, seven years more are around the corner.

I don't know what's going to happen. I used to say, maybe it's going to be this, but maybe I'm wrong. But we are seven years down the road from those two events, seven and 14 years exactly. So it's quite serious. And particularly, as we heard, returning to killing our firstborn. Really, abortion is killing the firstborn. It's sacrifice of our children. People say, well, the nation does not have enough people at that age, so we've got to bring in illegal immigrants to fill up for manpower. You know what? We would have enough people that would not have killed our own children. But then, we move further in the steps, as we heard, of Sodom and Gomorrah. And I know you had a very good sermon at you a couple of weeks ago about that. And that's what is happening. And things are getting even worse. Some of the things are here are even worse than that. God has blessed America. There are no questions about it for a purpose. Number one, to fulfill a promise to Abraham. And number two, to do his work on earth. To do his work on earth. And you and I have a job to help doing that work.

And time is short. Mighty short. I'm just looking. We don't have a watch here, so... Time is short. Mighty short. Now, I want you to look at the prophecy in Daniel 12.

Prophecy on Daniel 12, which is quite fascinating.

Daniel 12. Chapter 12, verses 6-9. And it says, And then once said to the man, Clothin Linen, who was above the waters of the river, How long shall the fulfilment of these wonders be? So he says, you know, things are getting... How long? Then I heard a man clothin' Linen, who was above the waters of the river, When he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, And swore by him who lives forever, That it shall be for a time, Times, and oft a time, three and a half years. And when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be.

Who are the holy people?

You know, the Bible is amazing. You can look at things in duality, and you need to look at things physically and spiritually. Physically, the power of the holy people is the power that God gave to the descendants of Abram, Isaac, and Jacob, which are still his holy people. They are not very holy in conduct, but they are his chosen people, physically speaking.

But the power is being broken. The pride of your power will be broken, as it was since 2008, since the financial crisis, and it's getting further and further degraded.

But it says the power of the holy people has been completely shattered.

Do you know what that means to you and I, as a nation? Imagine if you do not have electricity across the whole United States for a month.

For one, you don't have cell phones. For two, you don't have internet. For three, you don't have hospitals running because they've got multi-generators with diesel, correct, for backups and diesel, and maybe they got diesel for two or three days. But now trucks can't move because you can't fill up pumps, you can't, you don't have electricity to get oil out of the wells or whatever it is. Your stores will be empty, there'll be no food. We live in a society that basically is all around electricity. There are many ways that people can do things to destroy power and God will allow it, because it says the power of the holy people be completely shattered. But that's physically speaking. What about spiritually? Who are the holy people? It's us, God's people, doing the work. We have very little power. I mean, we're doing things on a shoestring. Believe it or not, you compare God's church with a large enterprise out there in the world, our budget is a shoestring of their budgets. And amazing the work we're doing, it's not because we have power, it's because it's God's power, it's through His Spirit that we're doing it. Not by power, not by might, but God will take that away too.

Or He'll allow to be taken away. Maybe it's more correct to state that way, because there will be a war in heaven, and Michael will send Satan down to earth, and he will be very wrath as you read, and you'll come and fight against and persecute the church, and the church will flee. Part of the church will flee.

Let's say, two are in the field, two are in the church, and one goes and one doesn't. Right? What's the field? It's the church, right? Two are in the field, one is taken, and one is not.

Why? Why? Is it because you are in this organization or in their organization? No.

We'll look at that in a moment. So why? But the point is that I'm getting it, is that the power of the holy people be completely shattered. That means we cannot do God's work anymore.

You know, there's a prophecy that says there'll be a time of the famine of the world.

Why? Because we cannot do God's work anymore, where people will not be able to hear the world. So there will be a time where that will happen. And obviously that, as we know, is the time of the two witnesses and other things to happen. But that will mean that first, a portion of the church will be protected from the face of the serpent. You can read that in Revelation 12.

Then he's mad because those are protected. Satan is mad. So he goes and attacks the rest, the remnant, of those that keep the faith of Jesus and keep the commandments of God.

Now how is he going to attack them? By destroying America and England and Judah as a nation, because it says it will be within one month, within a moon.

Then, when democracy is destroyed, he can easily implement the mark of the beast, which is nothing else than forcing Sunday observance. And therefore, he can easily get the remaining of God's people.

We are in difficult times.

That's why in Isaiah 58 says, cry aloud, spare not, let Zion hear. And then later on in Isaiah 59 says, your sons, your iniquities have separated you from God.

But what is happening is God's glory. God's glory, in a sense, as in all days of the Jewish nation, when the Jewish nation was destroyed, in about the years run about 600 BC, or a little bit after that, and the temple was destroyed somewhere around about 586 BC or so, in those years, we know God's glory left the temple.

As they call it, the Shekinah glory left the temple. You just read that in Ezekiel chapters 7, 8, and 9, where it describes God's glory, leaving the temple, leaving the ark over the ark, then leaving the Holy of Holies, then leaving the temple, then leaving Jerusalem, then going to the Mount of Olives, and then going up from the Mount of Olives.

And then after that, the temple was completely destroyed, because God's presence was not there anymore.

And then we read a little bit further about there, and also in Ezekiel 9 says, sigh and cry for the abominations of the nation. Put a mark on those that sigh and cry for the abominations of the nation. So God is watching our hearts and our minds, whether you and I are sighing and crying for what's happening in this country and in these Israelites Ish countries. But it's going to be a punishment to the whole world now. It's not just to the Israelites Ish countries. The whole world is going to be punished, because now it's time for judgment for the whole world. Christ's coming is judging the whole world, not just Israel, Israel first, but then the other nations too. And so turn with me to Mark chapter 13. Mark chapter 13.

Mark chapter 13. And verse 28 through 37.

Now learn this parable from the fig tree. When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. And so, and you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near and at the doors. Brethren, we just have to open our eyes. We know summer is near. Spiritually speaking, summer is very near. At the doors. Surely I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away. This generation. Oh, people have said this generation for a long time. Yes, they have. But look at the things we need to be watching. What are the things that we need to be watching? Do you remember, Mr. Armstrong, what he used to tell us? The things that we need to be watching? Oh, that was so long ago. I've forgotten. But you know, it's good always to remember, because God was using that man. There's no questions about it. And he used to identify seven things for us to watch. Four were geopolitical things, two were religious, and another one was personal. Four were geopolitical things, where one was Israel and sacrifices.

Things in Israel? We can see with this Iran deal and all this abominable Iran deal. Let's put it that way. The worst thing I've ever seen for a long time, as far as a deal, is so ridiculous. Anyway, that's going to put pressure on Israel. Something is going to happen there. And particularly sacrifices, because the prophecy talks about the abomination of desolation and the stopping of offerings. So something is going to happen. Then the second area that Mr. Armstrong told us to watch is Europe and the ten nations of Europe, or groups of nations. Remember, he said groups of nations. So maybe some of these nations will cluster into groups, but it's not going to but it's talking about they giving power, these ten kings, giving power to another king, who should be the beast power. Are we watching that? Are we aware of it? Then the third one on a geopolitical scene was the king of the south. Can we see the king of the south itself forming? Now, we see a lot of problems. I personally think the king of the south will probably be the Sunnis, extremist Sunnis, not the Shiites. I think the Shiites will go in with the north and east with Russia and them. But I'm speculating, yeah, so he raised that. That's not biblical. It's just a gorgeous speculation. But the point is we can see that developing one way or another. And it says they'll push. If there is a group that knows how to push, they know how to push.

And also talks about let the weak be called strong. And there it is. I mean, there's just a couple of people out there creating havoc all over the world.

But aside of that, remember, Satan is the one in charge of this mental attitude. And Satan can actually cause the spirit of murder, killing, onto people that are affected by that spirit. In other words, people that are emotionally depressed.

And he can just inspire these people to just go out and shoot people.

We can see it. It's a tannic. So that was the third one, king of the south. And the fourth one is basically the loss of power of England and the United States. And we can see that.

Those are the four geopolitical areas.

Then the two religious ones were the Catholic Church and unification of religion, and God's Church. And what we need to be watching about God's Church, for instance, is that we are doing God's work, preaching the gospel to all the world as a witness, and that we're watching ourselves, preparing ourselves as a people. And secondly, also says, as far as God's Church, as many. Many will come in my name and deceive many.

And be careful that your love does not wick gold, because many will go adrift and will go.

It kind of implies that some will come out of proper God's Church and will deceive many.

Many false prophets will come. So we've got to watch these things. Be careful we don't drift away. And the seventh one is moral decay.

It was growing ungodliness. A life of sin, Sodom and Gomorrah, walking in darkness, not in the light.

The society becoming more and more secular, more godlessness. People becoming more materialistic, more secular, and more interesting God.

And you know what that means?

Now take, for instance, a basket of apples.

And imagine the apples of the people in this world.

So how are the apples in this basket? In what condition are they? I'm not talking about one apple. I'm talking about all the apples in this basket are rotten. Because that's the world.

And you are a member of God's Church, which are one apple in the world.

What is going to happen to that apple? The probability is, if you and I are not careful, we are going to be affected. And that's what we're going to watch. And that is what we're going to watch.

See, continue reading here. In Mark 13 says, But of that day and hour no man knows, even the angels in heaven, or the Son of Man, but only the Father. But take heed and watch and pray. So we ought to watch and pray.

For you do not know when the time is come.

You don't know when it is. So watch. But the question is what we need to watch. And yes, we need to watch these four geopolitical things, these two religious things, and the moral decay. But I want to emphasize a very important point that you and I need to watch. And so I want you to look at the parallel scripture to this one here of Mark 13. And that is in Luke 21. Because there it gives us a very important clue. Look 21. And we're going to read verse 36.

Look 21 verse 36. Watch therefore and pray always. So there's two things we need to do. Watch and pray.

Always. That you may be in this so-called fellowship of the Church of God, so that you will escape all these things. Is that what it says? No! No! Well, there are some Church of God groups that says, if you are in this group and only in this group will you be able to escape. Well, that's not what it says. What it says is, watch and pray that you may be accounted worthy. Big difference. It does not say that you belong to this group. It says that you may be accounted worthy.

It does not even say that you may have the strength.

It says that you may be accounted worthy.

So the question is, am I praying to God that I am going to be accounted worthy? Or are you praying to God? Are we praying to God that we may be accounted worthy by God when that time comes? Because it will not be my decision where I'll be protected or not, because that's not the point. The point is that God wants to protect us to have a generation ready to lead in the world tomorrow and to prepare things for the world tomorrow.

It's not to save our schemes, but it says, pray always, always, that you may be counted worthy. Are we praying?

And are we watching? Now, what do we watch? Of those seven things, what do we watch? Obviously, we need to watch them all, because as we watch these things, you know, somebody's near. You see, because if you read it in the context, yeah, and you start in verse 29, it says, and he spoke unto them a parable, look at the fig tree and all the trees. So it's not just a fig tree. I mean, you just look at trees, and if they're starting to bloom, you know somebody's near. So if these problems we have, Iran in Iraq and this and king of the south and ISIS and all these things are starting to pop up all over the place, to me are just buds. They're just buds. They tell you, summer is near. We didn't have these conditions 30 years ago, with all of them at the same time.

You see, those are just buds on the tree that we need to watch. But continue reading in the context. It says verse 31, so you see, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom is near. So these things that we're watching are just telling us, summer is here. Kingdom is near. Crisis is coming soon. Verse 32, I surely say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place, exactly as we saw in Mark. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away. In other words, this is fact. It's not a smokescreen. It's not smokes and mirrors. This is fact. It's going to happen. It's going to be this way. Now, this is important in a context to understand, because this is what we need to watch. It's verse 34 tells us what we need to watch. Take heed. In other words, watch. When you take heed, you're watching. You're paying attention to it. You're watching. Take heed to yourselves. Let your hearts be weighed down with carousing, that's abuses, drunkenness, and cares of this life, that the day come to you, and expectedly for it will come as a snare on those that happen or that dwell on the earth. So, what are we going to need to watch?

That we're not caught up with the things in this world. Everything's fine. We okay.

Abuses of drunkenness or whatever they are. Just be careful.

And the cares of this life. I mean, we're worried. It's our children, and it's this, and it's that, and we're in financial conditions, we're tightening our budget, and we're struggling with this, and there's this health issue, then there's that health issue. There's all these cares of this life, and yes, they're there. And I'm not saying don't pay attention to them, but I'm just saying, take heed. Let your hearts be weighed down. Don't allow you to be weighed down.

And that's why it says, verse 36, watch therefore.

So, what is it that you and I need to be watching by looking at the context? We need to watch at the society, at the secularism of the society, at the moral decay of the society, not affecting us.

Remember this? Basking of apples, which is rotten, which is this world, and you are a shining apple in God's eyes in the world. Think about physically what is the probabilities of you not being, quote-unquote, affected by, as an apple, by the other apples around you that are rotten. And so it's easy for us to get involved with politics. Oh, this person, and that person, and the other person, and this one, and he's the one that I'm gonna, people we should be voting for, and it's this guy. Yahweh, it's okay for us to talk about it, but we gotta be careful not to get personally involved. This is not our world. We are so journers and pogroms in this world. And so what are we gonna watch? Putting it very plainly and simply. As we gotta watch the things of the flesh. There's nothing new. Watch the things of the flesh, and rather, because it's writing on the things of the Spirit.

That's exactly what Paul says to us in Romans chapter 8. Turn with me to Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8, verse 5 through 9.

For those who live according to the flesh, set their minds on the things of the flesh. That's what we gotta watch, because this whole world is focused on the flesh.

And we gotta be careful that we're not get affected by it.

I usually use the word infected by it, which is kind of a play on the words, but that's how it is. It infects us. Be careful that we don't get infected by the things of the flesh. But those who live according to the Spirit. We've got God's Holy Spirit, and we gotta say God's Holy Spirit says, don't do that. Oh, be careful while you say the wrong things. Yeah, you shouldn't have said that. Well, let's pay attention to that and work on that, and don't go to that place, or whatever. Be careful we don't do these things.

So we gotta be careful with that.

For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

What Christ is saying, yeah, is that times are going to get so bad that some of the people in God's church, they know the truth, they know God's things, but they start getting, albeit a little bit infected by the world. Maybe look warm, maybe just kind of lackadaisal, and they're not hot. And therefore, they can't be accounted worthy to escape, because they gotta be tested further in the fire. That's what he's saying.

In verse 9, but you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God, if indeed God's Spirit dwells in you. Now, if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, and there was God's Spirit, he is not a Christian. So, brethren, we gotta be careful of false Christianity. It can come in so many forms, in so many forms.

One of those forms could be as simple as, I'm okay, Jack, because I know the truth. I come to church every Sabbath. I know the truth. I'm okay, Jack. But is that enough?

You see, it's not just the technical knowledge of knowing the truth. There's more to it. You know, when it says about growth, in grace, and knowledge, what does that mean? Is that just knowledge about child rearing? Is that knowledge about finances? Is that knowledge about keys to a happy marriage? Is that knowledge about paying first tithe and second tithe? What is that? I could say, but it's got no value unless it's God's word. So, we're going to see that from God's word what that knowledge is. Is that knowledge about information technology and computers and how to play with your iPhone? Is that growing that knowledge? Is that knowledge about information technology and computers and how to play with your iPhone? Is that growing that knowledge? Obviously not. You can see it's not, but what is it?

So, for us to watch diligently, what is it in practical points that you and I need to do? Let's get down to very specific. Yeah, because, as I said, we can watch the buds, the trees, the flowers, the buds are coming up. And that's all the things that we watch, the geographical and political things happening in the world and all those things. But what is the real thing that we need to be aware? It says, take heed that we not be weighed down by the wall, the cares of life and those things. So let's look at that a little bit more specifically. And so let's turn to a very interesting book in the Bible called 2 Peter. Very interesting book. I really recommend that you do a thorough study of Peter, particularly 2 Peter.

Second Peter's theme, and I'm not going to go through this book, but I'm just giving you the theme, so put it into context. The theme of the book is a warning against false Christianity, against false Christianity, against false ministers.

In a sense, it's very similar to Jude.

So it's talking about false prophets, and it's giving us...

Let me put it into some terms that you may understand, some terms that I do not create. Mr. Antion mentioned that term, which I think is an interesting term. But say, for instance, you buy an insurance policy. You buy a life insurance policy.

It's nice to have a nice insurance, not life insurance policy. For one, it's not for you, even though it's in your name, it's for your beloved ones, because it's actually outgoing concern for the other beloved ones, because if something happens to you, your beloved ones will be got something from a financial point of view for them. But wouldn't it be nice to have a spiritual life insurance policy?

And so 2 Peter basically talks about that, a spiritual life insurance policy. And then he says, 2 Peter says, be careful. And that's in the second chapter. Then he says, be careful, because there's going to be false prophets. They're going to take you. They're going to take you on the way of the war, like in the times of Noah. They're going to go in the way of Sodom and Gomorrah. They're going away of Lot. And all that Lot had to overcome that and was vexed with that situation. And how the angels will also sin and will be punished. He says, be careful, don't go that way.

And then he concludes by saying, hey, people have been saying things are going to get worse. And ha ha ha, you know, we've heard that before. But he concludes by saying, grow in grace and knowledge. The book ends by saying, grow in grace and knowledge. That's 2 Peter. So let's start from a section here in the beginning of 2 Peter, in chapter 1, that says, Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained, like precious faith with us, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. That's interesting. I've had some challenges from some Portuguese brethren that said, nowhere in the Bible does call Jesus as God, calls Jesus the Son of God, but nowhere calls him God. Well, they haven't read. 2 Peter chapter 1 verse 1, because he says of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. And many other places, like at the beginning of Hebrews, says, the Father God called, Christ said, God, your God. So it's amazing how people get on to tweets. Anyway, continuity says, grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of information technology.

Or no, in the knowledge of child rearing, or in the knowledge of financial management and keeping your house in order, financially speaking. No!

In the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. That is the knowledge that we need to grow in.

He says, grace and peace be multiplied. So ask God, how can you multiply grace? I can't. Only God can't. So I need to pray and ask God to multiply it. And again, understand that grace is not just forgiveness of sin. Because if you're going to multiply grace by having more forgiveness of sin, that means you need to sin more. And so that's not what it says. Because grace is virtuous like graciousness, thankfulness, being a giver, becoming more like Jesus Christ. Having the mind and the heart of Christ, putting on his full stature. And that is the grace that we need to grow and multiply. And we need to ask God to help us to grow. And that's why it says, in the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ. Christ living in us through his Holy Spirit, so that we may grow into his full stature, as it says in Ephesians, of Jesus Christ. And that does not mean that you and I just accept him as he is and come as you are. You may come as you are, but don't stay as you are.

That's different. We've got to repent and change and grow to become more like Christ.

So, and then he goes on and he continues reading and says here in verse 3, as his divine power. What is his divine power? That's God's Holy Spirit. Has given us all things.

God's power has given us all things. Now, God's power is very mighty, because through it, he created the heavens and the earth. God is giving us his power, but he's not giving us today the power of creating more earths and more moons and things like that. You and I don't have that power. So, God's power is all these things from here to there, but he's giving out of his power in one segment. And all things that are pertained to that segment, for what? To change ourselves. Everything that's required in the power of God that can do millions of things, but he's given us only in that one segment, he's given us everything we need to change ourselves.

It's not even to change your spouse. It's only to change ourselves. He's given us everything that goes on, being as given to us all things that pertain to life, in other words, eternal life, for our eternal life, and godliness, in other words, for us to become more like God, like Jesus Christ, to put on his stature through the knowledge of him, through the knowledge of God, who called us to glory and by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises. We have exceedingly great and precious promises. I think our problem, brethren, is that maybe we don't think enough about the world tomorrow and the kingdom of God. Because if that vision was brighter in our minds, and if that's what we would go to sleep, thinking about positive things and praying about positive things, etc., we would probably not be weighed down by the cares of the sword. So, there's one thing for us to actually put our minds more into the positive things that it says of the great and precious promises. So, look at those precious promises to be like God. There are scriptures that describe God's throne. You see that in Revelation. I think it's about chapter 4 or so, which is like a full of color, like a rainbow and power. Do we meditate on those things? Because that gives us, hey, we're not going to have that power. We'll be children, so much lower, like great-great-grandchildren's. We're a lot lower. But we're not going to have that. We will have of that family power. And so, that will uplift us and encourage us.

It says that through these, you might be partakers of the divine nature. Through these promises, they will encourage us to do the right thing and therefore put to practice more of God's Holy Spirit in us for our life. You read, for instance, in 1 John when it says, all these things come to, we're going to be, I think it's 1 John 3, where verse 2, where it says, you'll be sons and daughters of God. And because of these things, you purify ourselves. In other words, we look at the vision, we look at the goal, and because of that, we purify ourselves to become better people. You know, that helps us to be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. In other words, this world, which is these rotten apples, and the cares of this world, which is the carousing and the drunkenness and exaggerations of this world, we got to, even though we are in the world, we must not be affected by it. How? By, quote-unquote, insulating us by having this hope, this vision, that helps us to be partakers of the divine nature through the power of the Spirit. It's not that we do it, but we ask God for that help, for that grace of help, so that God then gives us all the power. He has given us all things that it says there. He has given us all things that pertain to life and Godness. In other words, the power of God's Holy Spirit is all things that we need to be clean in this world of corruption through lust. And then he continues here in verse 5, but also for this very reason, giving all diligence. In other words, make every single effort add to your life. Yes, we have this vision and therefore we believe that we can be there, add to life virtue. And what is that virtue? What is virtue? Virtue is a virtue's thought, virtue's feelings, virtue's actions, moral goodness, moral excellence, such as modesty, purity, graciousness, thankfulness, being a giver, being kind, being cautious, having a desire and intent and motivation to live God's way. In other qualities which are basically fruits of God's Holy Spirit. So those are the virtues. You add to that faith virtue and to virtual knowledge. What knowledge? The knowledge of the Son of God, of Jesus Christ, of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of God. We need to understand what Christ did for us and what He is. And to knowledge, then self-control, because then we control ourselves. So we take the knowledge of Christ, His teachings that He gives us, His practices, then we have self-discipline.

We have that inner mental self-control of discipline to overcome.

And then to self-control perseverance. Perseverance, which basically means is Upamani, which is just keep going, just stick to it. Don't give up. Don't give up.

Steadfast with hope. And then it says, godliness, which is Ilzabaya, which is a commitment to God to do, which is the opposite of immorality, which is not just sitting and studying Bible study for five hours a day and not have time to practice. Yes, we need to study, but I've seen people that study, study, study, but they don't have time to show love to their spouses or their families or their children, because they study. And that's also not right. So we gotta put it to practice. I'm not saying that you don't need to start a Bible study. Please don't take me out of context. But what I'm saying is we gotta apply what we study, and we're going to take the time to apply what we study. And that application is what? Brotherly kindness. That's the application. Godliness is the bridge. He's putting that to practice, and the fruits of it is godly, is brotherly kindness. That's brotherly love. And from brotherly kindness to agape love, godly love.

Which is outgoing love, not for self, but for others. And then, therefore, he reads now, verse 8, For if these things are yours and abound, if we focus on these little, let's call it, ladder of virtues. Think about this ladder of virtues. This is what we're going to be focusing on. From faith to virtue, virtual to knowledge, knowledge of Christ, knowledge to self-control, control to perseverance, perseverance to godliness, godliness to brotherly kindness, and brotherly kindness to love. He says, If these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren.

In other words, you will not be useless. You will not be a tree that does not bear fruit, or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

That's the point, because he is the end of the law. What do you mean by he is the end of the law? Does it mean the law is not done away? No! He is the culmination, the maximum full example of what the law is all about. He is the end of the law, is the maximum ultimate pinnacle example of what the law is all about. That's what the law points to.

So, continuing there, verse 9, For he who lacks these things is short-sighted, even to blindness. If you and I lack these things, we are adding to our faith virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and godly love. If we lack these things, we are blind spiritually. And as forgotten, there has been cleansed. He was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, look at verse 10 here. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure.

For if you do these things, you will never stumble. You will never leave God's church. You will never miss the mark.

This is the life insurance policy, spiritually speaking. If you do these things, you will never lose it. Verse 11, For so an inentrance will be supplied, that way you will be given an entrance to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. So, we'll never stumble. And because of that, through that, you will be able to make it into the kingdom of God. So, if you want to watch and pray diligently that you may be accounted worthy to escape, maybe these are some of the things that we need to pay attention to.

So that, it says, if you do these things, you will never stumble.

So, what must we do? Not so that we don't fall. Watch and pray that we may be counted worthy to escape. What are the things that we need to be watching? We need to watch all these things, yes, because they are the buds of the trees. They tell us we're in the season. But the thing that we need to watch and pray is that you and I may be counted worthy to escape these things and to stand before the Lord Christ. That's the main point that we need to be watching. It's that seventh one about the morality of the swole, the world affecting us negatively, weighing us down with all its problems and us missing the mark. And for us not to miss the mark, we need to add to faith virtue, to virtual knowledge, the knowledge of Christ and putting Christ in us. So we need to know what Christ expects of us, what is the goal there. Then have the self-discipline to do it. Then stick to it and have the perseverance to do it. And then have the godliness. In other words, we make the commitment to actually put it to practice and we start bearing fruits of brotherly kindness and godly love. And that's why then Peter ends in chapter 3 verse 17 and 18.

And he says, listen, this is true Christianity, but be careful. There are false ministers going the wrong way and there's going to be a punishment. There's going to be a punishment. The whole world is going to be destroyed. There's going to be a judgment. But he says, in concluding, he says, verse 17, therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, in other words, since you know there's going to be a judgment, that this is fact. It's going to happen. Beware lest you fall from your own steadfastness. Don't lose that steadfastness of that ladder of virtues. Don't lose steadfastness and keep pushing up to godliness and bearing fruits. Don't lose. Don't let it go. Fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked, which is the sword weighing us down and taking us the wrong way. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. That's who we need to grow in the knowledge of Christ, what he's done, who he is, the amazing miracle that is, the effort that is done for us. And you know, brethren, one, project yourself like a million years from today. All this today is nothing. Project yourself a million years from today. You would have had the glory of God, obviously not at the same level, but you'll be of that family. You'll share, if it says, if you suffer with us, if you suffer, you've shared the sufferings with him, you'll share the glory. So we'll have of that glory.

You have had that for a million years, and you say, when I look back at what it was, wow! And then imagine that you asked, give it all up, become a human being, and die. And you say, never. I don't want to do that. But Christ did it. Christ had that glory, that creative power, and he gave it all up for you and I.

Gave it all up so that we could be there. Wow! At that time, we will only want to, 100%, give him glory and say, thank you, Lord Jesus, thank you.

I think we all will say that. And brethren, so what is it that we must do? I mean, sure, we need to watch the events around us, but brethren, they can get discouraging. They can get discouraging. But what we need to make sure is that we are not infected by them, discouraged negatively, and we kind of let down on this ladder of Christian virtues that we need to work on.

We need to watch that we are putting God in us to be more like God, like Christ, having his stature in our lives, to be a fruit of brotherly love and godly love. So that we are continuously growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ.