Super Soldiers and New Creation

You know, I think I saw Luis Diandretti come in here, didn't I? Or was I seeing a vision? Oh, he is here! Well, good to have you here! He's had an operation, and I'm really surprised to see you here. So, your prayers work, brethren, that God has intervened and helped him to bounce back, and that's wonderful. Now, I'm going to mention something next. I just want Luis to realize that I'm not calling him a super-soldier yet. But I'm going to talk about super-soldiers. A super-soldier concept has been a dream of the United States military. And I think most of you probably are aware of some of the myths that have been circulated about super-soldiers.

But they would like a soldier with superhuman strength. And if wounded, the soldier can keep on fighting, because their bodies would heal very rapidly. And that has the mentality that he could march into battle beyond what a normal man could. And it is the lore, of course, of science fiction literature now, but this is something scientists have actually been working on. I know it seems incredible to think about that Marvel Comics or other comic books that talk about some of these supermen that oftentimes are the subject of their writings.

That is something that scientists are actually thinking about, trying to work at in the study of eugenics and selective breeding. And they would like to reinvent the man. This is from a website, by the way, called thenextbigfuture.com. And this is what it says back in 2008, July 2008. I've seen others, by the way, that are much earlier than that. But here it says DARPA. Now, all of you, do you know what DARPA is? DARPA is a Defense Advanced Research Agency. If you've seen them test some of these scramjets that go 10,000 miles an hour, DARPA is the one that is working with that kind of thing.

They're the ones that are working with all of these high-tech things. Matter of fact, I have a friend of mine that works with that particular project and was overseeing the guidance system for that scramjet that would go about 10,000 miles an hour. And he was there when they tested that. But DARPA has a very big budget. It has over a $3 billion budget. And it's invested quite a bit of money into this, what they call Metabolically Dominant Soldier. In other words, the military is studying how to use technology and biology to meld man and machine and transcend the limits of the human body.

You know, describe the project director, my measure of success is that the International Olympic Committee bans everything we do. They wouldn't go for what they're doing. And the program is definitely trying to achieve transhuman performance goals. They have what is called wearable gear. The wearable gear would enable running 100-meter Olympic sprinter speed for hours. And the 7-foot vertical leap, the wall crawling, personal flight, invisibility, you believe that, that they're working on invisibility, greatly enhanced strength, better body armor, and carrying bigger and more powerful weapons.

The drugs and genetic enhancements in some technology which gets applied would allow for regeneration, faster healing, muscle strength enhancement up to Olympic levels, endurance of Alaskan sled dog, cognitive enhancement, operate without sleep for many days without performance degradation, the metabolic energy of a 20-year-old for a 40- or 50-year-old, and immunity to pain. Gene therapy is to be used so endurance enhancements combined with the muscle speed enhancements could allow sprinting for an entire mile run. This would mean 80 seconds to run one mile, or a minute and 20. What is it now? Three something? But it says it could also mean about 40 minutes to run a marathon. You think about that.

What is it? About two hours and almost three hours to run a marathon. But it goes on. It says the medically dominant soldier program is managed by Joel Billiszewski. He's talking about fixing your cells so that they could live off your fat. He acknowledges the potential of spin-off technologies. $40 billion a year goes into weight loss industry in this country. He muses. This will change it. Regeneration, better healing, better immune systems will all revolutionize health care costs and health care effectiveness.

So trillions in economic benefit as a side effect of super soldier success, DARPA is also trying to enhance cognition, training, and giving the energy levels of youth to the elderly. Those could provide multi-billion, even trillion dollar per year boost to the U.S. and world economy. So these are things people are really talking about. One of the current movies that feeds off of this, maybe you've seen it advertised or maybe you've seen it, feeds off the myth of German advances in eugenics.

It's called Captain America. Captain America is one of these super soldiers, if you will. They take a man who is a 90-pound weakling and they turn him into a super soldier. Now, it's amazing, though, how the legend and myth is perpetuated as it is for Germany and World War II. I don't know if you've seen some of the myths that are said about Germany.

They were very near to developing free energy. They were very near to doing all of these things. You've probably heard and seen all of these things about Germany. However, now it seems that science thinks some things are within their reach technologically, with the rise of nanotechnology and other research that has been done. Now, of course, this may turn out to be a hyperbole on their part, as it normally is, or just simply wishful thinking about what they would like to see. After all, there is a book called 1984 that all of us probably have read and wondered about what 1984 would be like, and we found it was much like 1964, but maybe a few more technical gadgets.

Now, the reason that I use this as an introduction, brethren, is that God has called us to be soldiers, being transformed from what we are now to something that He is making us into. Now, I'm not going to go over to 2 Timothy 2 and verse 3, but you might put it as a reference. Here Paul says, You therefore must endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. And so Paul recognized that Timothy, as he was to teach, in fact, his people, in terms of the flocks that he had to oversee and congregations he had to teach, that they needed to endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

And we are all soldiers. But let me tell you, brethren, just as man has this dream about the super soldier—of course, he's going to use it for destruction—you and I, brethren, are going to be super soldiers as well. But we're going to be super soldiers of a different breed altogether.

And we are, in fact, a different breed than mankind is today. All of us that are part of God's church, that God has inlived or caused to come to life through His Holy Spirit. You know, the Bible calls us an army.

We are an army. And so we are soldiers in that army. And God is preparing us. But we need to see, brethren, that we are new creations, never done before, never accomplished before. We are new creations as soldiers of Jesus Christ. We are something this world has never, ever seen before. And it is intriguing to think about, really, from that particular perspective. So you and I, brethren, are a new creation. Let's go over to 2 Corinthians 11.

Please do turn to this, but over in 2 Corinthians 5. I'm sorry. I think I said 11. But 2 Corinthians 5. And down in verse 17, here we're told, it says, Therefore if anyone is in Christ, in other words, if you have been baptized, you've received God's Spirit, you're living God's way of life, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.

Old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new. And so we are a new creation. I know that's hard for us to imagine that, to realize that. We pinch ourselves sometimes. God says, I'm a new creation. Why do I hurt when I get pinched? Why do I hurt when I get up in the morning? My back doesn't feel so good. Why do I feel those parts of my body I used to feel? When you get out and maybe you overtax your body.

But brethren, when we're called and we're baptized, a great change should take place in our personal lives. Old things, Paul says, are passed away. And all things have become new. In other words, brethren, we look at things through different eyes than we did before. We look through it with different eyes. And what does that change mean, brethren? That change that should be going on in us? How does this change our relationship in our old way of life and what we were before?

How does it change? How are we different, brethren? How are we a new creation? How are we these soldiers that are being transformed and changed? Let's go to Ephesians 2 and we see over here about that. But in Ephesians 2 and verse 1, notice here, and I think I've seen this more deeply recently than I have before. It's amazing when you read through Scriptures, you get a greater sense. The more you study, the more you meditate, the more you try to pierce through to the depths of the meaning of what is being said. But in Ephesians 2 and verse 1, it says, And you he made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.

It's hard to believe in fathom, brethren, that before we were called, before we were brought into God's church, that we were dead. We were dead. It's hard to believe. We're just the top seven billion people. It's hard to believe. It's hard for us to fathom to understand that there are seven billion dead people out there. Seven billion. You know, you walk down the average street and you see every Tom, Dick, or Harry that's on the street. Every person you see is dead as far as God is concerned. And we were among them before. We were like them. You know how people are. Sometimes, you know, they people go to the malls. You sometimes wonder if people are dead. They're like zombies going around. Everybody's going around. I don't know about you, but when I go into a mall, I want to get in and get out. I'm like a hunter, you know. Go in with a rifle, shoot your pair of pants, and get out. Get the one you want. I don't even like to buy my own pants, but my wife, thankfully, she enjoys shopping. She's a fisherman. She goes out in cash, you know, and she'll spend hours looking for things, you know. Well, not quite hours, but women are different that way. But going on, notice, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, you were a part of the world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience. We were like the people of the world. We were disobedient. No, look down again here, you know, near the courthouse, the way people are, the way they can be. I don't necessarily think it's wrong to say we need a change in government. That's not necessarily wrong, but I think violence is not something that's correct. Rape, doing other things that people do, drugs, and who knows what all else is going on. But, you know, we are part of that, that world and that society. And, you know, they're not going to accomplish anything, ultimately. They really will not, you know. They think they will, but they won't, because the society that we're living in is going down. And, unfortunately, I don't believe that reversing it at this point is even possible. There's too many things going down. You know, it's like when the house is coming down, you know what you have to do? You eventually just have to get out of the house. You know, you can't think, well, let's prop this up. No, the other four main supports are falling down. But, in verse 3, it says, So we were out there, brethren, And of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, not just as others, as it says, But God, who is rich in mercy because of his great love with which he has loved us, Even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive. We were made alive.

And it says, And with Christ by grace you have been saved, And raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Now, before, brethren, we were the children of disobedience, the children of wrath. We were quite active. We were a part of the world. We were walking and following after the world. We were following, unbeknownst to us, probably, the world, and we were following Satan, and we were following our human flesh.

We were a part of this realm of death, brethren, that is upon the earth, this realm of death. And God raised us from the dead. He woke us up, brethren, and made us alive, and He lifted us up from the death of this life that we live to heavenly positions. Do we really get that? What He's saying He did for us. He gave us a heavenly place.

He gave us a heavenly position that we did not have before, that seven billion people out in this world, brethren, at this time do not have. Clark's commentary says about this particular passage, he says, Believing therefore the record which God gave of His Son, we received this atonement, as a result of the sacrifice of Christ, and were raised from a death of sin to a life of righteousness. And now we sit in heavenly places. We have a right to the kingdom of God and to anticipate the glory. And are indescribably happy in the possession of this salvation and in our fellowship with Christ. So God made us sit in heavenly places, brethren. I'm not sure we understand that fully and see it grasp it for what it really means. Let's go to Romans 5. Romans 5. So you changed, brethren. Your position, as far as God is concerned, changed when you received the Spirit of God. But in Romans 5, verse 6, notice it says, For when we were still without strength and due time, Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, but yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. And it says, Much more then, He says, Having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And so, Christ has saved us, brethren, through His shed blood, and raised us up to these heavenly positions. And again, that means much more than I think we really even grasp and understand. I'm going to try to paint a picture of that for you today, to try to show you that you are being raised up, you're being transformed to something that the world has never seen before.

Let's go to Colossians 2. Colossians 2, just to sort of build a little bit on what Christ has done for us, and what God has done for us. But in Colossians 2, in verse 10, here Paul says, And so, God has raised us up, brethren. Now, I know you probably don't feel too raised up right now. Maybe you didn't have your coffee this morning. But you know what I mean. He raised us up. For instance, when we were baptized, God had to resurrect us from the ground. We'd understand that a little better, wouldn't we? Because we're in the ground. You know, it's like when we're in the ground, we're dead, right? But it's not something we understand when we're walking around and we're dead. We don't grasp it. But nonetheless, God has raised us up, brethren. And of course, He raised us up out of the watery grave to make us sit in heavenly places. To make us sit in heavenly places. You know, the phrase heavenly places, or heavenlies as it's translated, some places, is only found in the book of Ephesians. At least that's the only place that I found the use of heavenly places in discussing this particular topic here. But let's go to Ephesians 1. Ephesians 1. In verse 3. And let's notice how Paul uses this phraseology in what he writes throughout the book of Ephesians. He says in chapter 1 and verse 3, he said, So here is where that is used again. So we've had that every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ that God has brought us to. Each of us, down in verse 20, And so Christ was raised up and he was placed at the right hand of the Father, we know, in heavenly places. But notice here, So Christ will always be superior to all, with the exception of the Father, for all eternity. But Christ sits in heavenly places, but we've been also given that opportunity to sit in heavenly places as a result of Christ. The term heavenly places, by the way, also, brethren, is from the Greek word epilarnias, which means above the sky or celestial. Verse 21, by the way, there in chapter 1 says, Now, let's go to chapter 2. In chapter 2 and verse 4, the book of Ephesians, notice it says, he says, There is one body and one Spirit, just as you are called into one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in you all. But each of us, grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore, he says, when he ascended in high, he led captivity captive and gave gifts to men. And so, we have been given very distinct gifts, brethren, and he led captivity captive. And so, Christ made it possible for us to be loose from our captor. And the captor upon this earth, we know, is Satan the devil, none other than Satan the devil, who is the God of this world. And so, we've been given this, again, splendid opportunity as God's people to be freed from this world, the death of this world, so that we could have a heavenly position. Let's go to chapter 3. And down to verse 9.

Here, Paul endeavors, he says, to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery. You know, to understand the mysteries of God. You know, man thinks he understands the mysteries of God and the religions and the churches of the world, but he simply does not. He doesn't understand. You know, he has this concept that when you die, you go to heaven, and you go up, you sort of float around on a cloud, and you strum a harp, and you look at the beautiful face of God for all eternity. That's man's concept. And then you're just happy, you know.

You're just happy all the time. You know, that really wouldn't be too much of an existence, would it? But we know that that's not the mystery. That's not the mystery. The mystery that has been hid from the foundation of the world is that God is reproducing Himself, and that God is going to bring many sons into glory, that Christ is the captain of our salvation. And many sons are going to be brought into glory. And so he talks about the mystery here, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God, who created all things through Jesus Christ. To the intent now, the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus, our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. So God changed us, brethren. God changed us. And we have access to the heavenlies. And we are part of the heavenlies. Because Christ was a part of the heavenlies even when He was doing the work that He was doing in preaching the gospel down here upon this earth. Part of the work that was going on. We have now Ephesians 6 and verse 12.

Notice here it says, For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Beyond, we know that there comes a time where Satan is actually cast out of heaven. That's happened as yet or not. We don't know. But we know that Satan is the prince of the power of the air. And so we are not wrestling against flesh and blood. We are wrestling against spiritual forces. Spiritual forces. That's why a super-soldier of mankind will not do you any good at all. It's not a matter of brute force. It's not that at all. What we do, brethren, impacts the powers of darkness now. And this is why we're called to do work of God now. And the ultimate reason, brethren, is that you and I are the seed or the remnant which will help secure the future. We are the future.

It's like it says in 1 Peter 2, verse 10, where it says, It says, who once were not a people, but now are the people of God. God has raised us up, brethren, from the dead out of this world, out of society, the seven billion people that are walking out there on the face of this planet, and He's separated us and He's made us into a people. At one time we were not a people. We're all disjointed. We had no connection with one another. When I came to Oakland, I didn't know any of you. You didn't know me either. But they're brethren that I don't know all over the world and you don't know all over the world. And when I was in Zambia, I was, again, just amazed at the kind of resilience that God's spirit and people have, because no matter where you're from, it makes the same Christian. The spirit makes the same Christian. God's Word and so forth, you know, studying that. And brethren, we must not underestimate the importance of what God has done for us and what He's doing in us. Let's not underestimate that. I think we have. You know, you're known by the company that you keep. In the world, we know it's all a vanity thing. The idea is to be seen by the latest tabloid. Maybe if you run with the A-Cloud at Hollywood. If I could be seen with him, maybe I could get a movie role. Maybe I could have some sort of something we'll catch in my career or take off. To be seen with someone is, of course, a big tremendous vanity for a lot of people in the world today. But, you know, think about this, brethren. If the president came to town, if President Obama came to town, and he calls you up the phone personally and said, let's have lunch, you know, maybe you live out here in Timbuktu somewhere, and he calls you up and says, let's have lunch. You know, if the press heard about him doing that, the first thing they would want to know is, who is this person? Who is this person? That the president would want to talk to them? Why would he want to spend time with them? And pretty soon that person would be plastered all over the airways, and everybody would be looking into their life. Of course, with me, probably, they would find a very drab life. It wouldn't be too exciting to write about, maybe for you as well, because we're just common people. But this is what would happen in society in this world today. Well, brethren, think about this. We have been invited by Jesus Christ. We have been invited by the Father. No one can come to Jesus Christ himself, said in John 644, unless the Father draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day. So how much greater, brethren, is that than being associated with a common man, or even a famous person in this world today? You know, our company, brethren, is not just one another. Our company is Jesus Christ. These are the people we hang out with. Right? These are the people we talk to all the time. You know, if we're praying close to God, and not only if people saw us and they could see really what it was like, they would probably find some angels hanging out with us, too. You know, if they came in here, they might find that there were hundreds of angels who were just standing around watching, looking at each of you.

And wondering about all of us as this terrific thing begins to happen, where we're being transformed from mere moral men into something much greater than the mind can even conceive. Let's go to Hebrews 12. Hebrews 12. Hebrews 12. Again, let's not underestimate, brethren, what God is doing with us and in us and what it means. Hebrews 12 and verse 13. He says here, Make straight paths for your feet. In other words, walk the straight and narrow in this life, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. No, we need to go through a healing as a people. Pursue peace with all people and holiness without which no one will see the Lord. In other words, unless we are again these kinds of people, we're not going to be able to be there in the kingdom of God. God raised us up for that purpose, though, and given us a heavenly recognition, if you will. He brought us up to the heavenly level in that regard. And it says, And it says, And it says, And it says, And by this many become defiled. And thus there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. And so we've got to be careful again that we don't give up on the calling that we have, because it is so great. For you know that afterward when he wanted to inherit the blessing, that's what we're going to be doing, brethren, inheriting that great blessing ahead of us that is beyond what we can imagine. And that process is already beginning now.

Since Esau was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears. For you have not come to a mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire. Not like in the old days in Israel coming to the Mount Sinai. Not like that at all. That burned with fire and to blackness and darkness and tempest. And the sound of the trumpet and the voice of the word, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore. For they could not endure what which commanded, and if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow. And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, I am exceedingly afraid and trembling. But Moses himself was afraid. And he trembled at what he saw. But notice, Paul is saying we've come to something much, much greater. Much greater. But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God.

To the city of the living God. The heavenly Jerusalem. To an innumerable company of angels. To a general assembly and church of the firstborn, who are registered in heaven. To God, the judge of all. To the spirits of just men made perfect. To Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant. And to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. And it says, See that you do not refuse him who speaks.

Make sure you do not refuse him who speaks. So do you see that, brethren? What is our company here? What is our company? The saints of God. Our company is the angels of God. Our company is Jesus Christ. Our company is God the Father. God has raised us up to heavenly levels. We're not the dead people of the world. Of the seven billion out there, anymore. We've been raised up. We've been made alive. He's brought us up to the heavenlies, if you will. To the heavenlies. And we're not going to be going to heaven. But, brethren, we're brought up to be in the company of God the Father and Jesus Christ and the angels. And the righteous people who have lived since the foundation of the world. So, those that we're accompanying with are not mere men, but the angels, Jesus Christ, and the Father in heaven. And the saints wait until their change comes at the resurrection. And they're not going to be mere men when they are resurrected. But they're going to be transformed. Brethren, there are two realms. Number one realm is the physical realm. Number two realm is the spiritual realm. You know that. Not rocket science in God's church, particularly. But in the realm of the physical, Satan is the God of this world, and he rules. So, this is where Satan rules here upon this earth. And in this realm, mankind is in prison and has come to agree with the Catholic Church. And has come to agree with the captor. You know, the world has basically decided to throw in with the captor, Satan the Devil.

And man embraces Satan's way of life, the way of get. And you know what? Because he does, he suffers the penalties that come. That's why you see the famine, the starvation, diseases, the epidemics of the body and the mind. You know, all around the world. The traumas, the tragedies, the difficulties that man goes through. And then in this realm of the physical, Satan is 14, always God's plan. Always 40 in God's plan. And he is our enemy. He's our enemy. He's our enemy. Now the other realm is God's realm, the spiritual domain. In that realm, Jesus Christ rules at the right hand of the Father.

In that realm, brethren, we have God's favor through Christ and have his blessings upon our lives because of obedience to God's way of life. In that realm, in the spiritual realm, brethren, we must wrestle against spiritual wickedness in high places. That's what it's about. That is really what it's about, brethren. And the fact, brethren, that God has raised us up and caused us to be a part of the spiritual realm, the heavenlies, you know, in the way that Paul uses it there. Our position, brethren, with Christ certainly warrants a right and proper frame of mind on our part. Don't you think? How we live should be reflected in the things that we do, the things we say, the things that we are putting and focusing our minds on. Let's go to Colossians 3. Colossians 3. Colossians 3 and verse 1.

Here Paul says, if then you were raised with Christ. No, I think Paul must be also somewhat saying here, maybe in some cases people haven't been raised with Christ. But if then we are raised with Christ, seek those things which are above. Since we've been lifted up to the level of the heavenlies, brethren, seek those things which are above where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. You know, we're not six feet below the ground anymore. We're up above, brethren, and we're in the heavenly realm. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. And so we ought to set our minds on those things as God's people. The higher things, since we've been lifted up, set our mind on higher things.

You know, being a new creation, brethren, in the company of angels and sitting with Christ in heavenly places ought to affect the way we think. But also the way we behave as a new creation in Christ. That's why Paul writes what he writes over in Ephesians 4. Let's go over to Ephesians 4. Ephesians 4. And when we pray, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, hear upon the earth as it is in heaven some day, God's heavenly way is going to be here, down here. And you and I are precursors to that. Ephesians 4, verse 1. Here Paul says, I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of your calling with which you were called. Walk worthy of that calling. With all the loneliness and gentleness, with long suffering, bearing with one another in love, or having love. So as super soldiers, brethren, that we're going to become, this is what is going to go inside of us in the super soldiers. We're going to be different. We're not going to be taught to be mean. We're not going to be taught to fight, to be violent, and to kill, and to maim. But this is what we're being taught. This is what's going to be on the inside of us. And it says, with long suffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, being a peaceful people. There's one body, one Spirit, just as you were called, and one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But to each of us, grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. So it's been given to us according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore, he says, when he ascended into heaven, he led captivity captive and gave gifts to men. Now this he ascended, what does it mean? But that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth. He came down here, brethren, to us. Doesn't mean he went underground. He came down here to us. He descended into the lower parts of the earth. He who descends also is the one who ascended far above all the heavens that he might fill all things. And so Jesus Christ came down here to lift us up, brethren, to the heavens. Get us off this way of thinking here upon the earth to be different. To be different than this world that is heading frantically toward its own destruction.

And so God wants us to be aware of that, brethren, and as a result of it to walk worthy of our calling. That's why, again, Paul says this. Christ descended to lift us up. He descended to lift us up. And, brethren, when his kingdom is set up, we're going to fully understand what he really meant by that. I don't really think we can grasp it now completely. We can only dream about it. You can only think about what it may be like when we are given full power. But, you know, what's important for God is that the inside be right first. If you don't have the inside right, it doesn't matter what you put on the outside. You know, let's go to Ephesians 5 and verse 1. Here Paul says, Therefore be imitators of God as dear children, and walk in love as Christ also has loved us, and given himself for us, and offering a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. But fornication and all uncleanness of covetousness, let it not even be named among you as fitting for saints. Now, don't let that be a part of you, neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, and rather giving of thanks. For this you know that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an adulterer, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

In other words, God says, I'm lifting you up, I'm bringing you up, but you need to realize that what is going to be a part of my kingdom, you're going to be heavenly, you're going to be of the heavens. In other words, you've got to change the way you live. You've got to be different. And so this is what God is doing in us, the brethren. He goes on to say in Ephesians 5 that we should walk in the light, not walk in darkness. And at the end of here, or toward the, I should say the middle of Ephesians, he says that we walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil. And therefore he says don't be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. You know, do we want to end up dead again the way the rest of the world is? We've got to transform ourselves. We've got to walk as wise people. A wise man knows what he's doing. A wise man knows where he's going. He knows what he's doing. He knows where he's going. And brethren, we are a different breed of soldier, different breed. What God has chosen to do with us is first develop us as soldiers with them so that our character is right. And one of the worst things to do is to get power to someone who cannot control it.

You know, imagine if you gave power to someone who was, you know, like a Ahmadinejad who has the power right now, what would he do with a nuclear weapon? Well, we know he would probably blot Israel off the face of the planet. You know, what would ill of North Korea do? He'd probably do the same thing. And so, brethren, God is not going to give power to us until the character is right. When that character is right, then he was going to give us the power. Ephesians 6. Ephesians 6, over here. So we're wrestling, brethren, against spiritual forces, as we see in high places. Verse 12, again, for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual host of wickedness in the heavenly places. And therefore, he says in verse 10, Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and the power of his might. So if we're going to stand, brethren, we're going to have to be really firm in our convictions and our commitment to our calling.

I'm not going to go to 2 Corinthians 10 verses 3 through 7, but you might want to write it down. But it talks about over there how we're not battling against carnal things, but it's a battle for our minds.

And that we, again, as God's people, need to see through spiritual eyes, we need to be walking circumspectly as wise. God has given us the spiritual armor which is necessary for a strong offensive battle. He says, I'm not going to go through here and read the Scriptures, but he says that we need to have our waist girded with truth. We need to have on that breastplate of righteousness. We need to have our feet shot with the preparation of the gospel. It means we have to be involved in helping with the preaching of the gospel. I've talked about how that is important for us to be involved. We need to have that shield of faith to cleanse the fiery darts of the wicked one. We need to have on that helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit. We need to be able to wield this Bible, this book, to know it well enough to wield it as a sword. We need to be praying always with all prayer and supplication. Of course, you look in the parts of that spiritual armament that God gives to us, there's nothing to protect them behind. Which means, brethren, that we must stand firm against Satan and that there is no retreat. There can be no retreat. I told you when I first began to study the Word of God, and I wanted to understand the truth. I really did. I cried out to God and I told him, I said, God, if you will reveal this to me, I will do it. And I really meant it. I really did mean it when I said it. I remember before I was baptized, I had a dream. There was a bridge that went over to a little island. And then another bridge that went from the island, and it went to the kingdom in my dream. You know, how we dream these things, I don't know. But in my dream, I remember crossing the bridge, going and being on that island in between the world and the kingdom. And I knew myself well enough that if I didn't burn that bridge, that I might go back.

But in my dream, I burned it.

I don't know where the matches came from, but I burned it. And so I committed myself to go the whole way, to go the again. And God wants us, brethren, to realize there's no turning back. Even Jesus said, if you turn back, you're not fit for the kingdom of God. And so let's determine to never go back to this world and this society and our way of life. Even if we've got, brethren, the fast every day of our lives, you know, to do it. But we have to be determined to go forward in God's way of life. But God, brethren, is calling us. And I use the example of the sort of the science fiction super-soldier to show you that God is making us into super-soldiers. He really is. He's building a character now, but in the future, He's going to transform us into something that we're going to be totally amazed by, I believe. Romans 12. Romans 12, in verse 1. Romans 12, in verse 1. Here Paul says, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice. Holy, acceptable God, which is your reasonable service because of what Christ has done for us. He brought us back from the dead, brethren. Raise this up to heavenly places. In verse 2, and do not be conformed to the world. Don't be conformed to the world all over again. That's what we came out of, brethren. But be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is good, that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. So, brethren, we need to transform ourselves internally with God's spirit and God's leadership in our lives. And God will then transform us in other ways. Seek you first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. And then God is going to transform us in other ways. God is creating a new breed of human being. I don't know if we'll even be called human beings when it is all said and done. We'll let God decide what we will be referred to as. But God is creating a new super-soldier. But one who is remarkable on the inside and one who is remarkable in the outside. And when we've been transformed in the inside, then God will seal the deal, brethren, by giving us the greater powers of eternal life. Now, think about it. We won't have to eat. We won't have to drink. We won't have to sleep. As far as I know, I don't know. We may not even have to breathe to live.

We will be given super-minds. Know that everything that we hear will be recalled. You can imagine that. What if you could recall everything you've ever learned in your entire life? But when you're a spirit being, you will be able to do that. You'll be able to recall everything that you hear. And you're going to be learning things so rapidly and quickly. God will give us super-bodies. He's going to give us bodies that, well, I have no idea what they're going to be like. Because John says that he didn't know what it was going to be like. But it's going to be so astounding. What are the limitations that Jesus Christ will have? You know, we're going to be similar to him. When we're resurrected from the dead, brethren, we're going to be given these super-bodies. And God is going to raise us up, brethren, as a mighty force of people who will rule with Christ and is coming for a thousand years. And when a person, brethren, becomes a new creation, it affects how he sits, how he stands, how he walks now in this life because of what he sees ahead of him that's going to be happening. Brethren, we are sitting with Christ in heavenly places. To the latest seeing, God says in the book of Revelation that Christ stands at the door knocks. He wants to come in and suck with us. He wants to come in and eat. Hopefully we're not late to seeing, but if we are, brethren, we need to let Christ in. He wants to raise us up to heavenly places, heavenly levels. So, brethren, let's walk worthy of our calling now so that we can stand firm in the battles ahead of us. And after having done all stand and being able to be, brethren, soldiers of Jesus Christ at his second coming to be there to rule with Christ for a thousand years.