The Time Is Fulfilled

Well, thank you all, and good morning, everyone! Beautiful day. I'm excited to see you. We want to welcome our guests as well as the brethren here. We're very thankful to be able to have a Kingdom of God seminar over this weekend. And of course, ours is just simply one of what? Scores of these that are occurring around the United States and in some cases around the world. And so, as Lowell mentioned, we truly do have something to look forward to.

Something that is absolutely exciting and thrilling, and the message. The message that we're going to discuss and talk about today should have an impact on our day-to-day life.

It should have an impact on everything we do, everything we think, everything we say and interaction with one another. It should have a bearing on everything because, in a sense, God gives us, in His Word, the answers. Even though in this world, you look around the world today, and as was mentioned earlier, you find a lot of unrest, you find a lot of distress, and yet, the world that we have, or the world that all of us grew up in, the world that we live in here at the 20th, 21st century, throughout our lifetimes, is a remarkably different world than you have seen over the last hundreds of years, even thousands of years.

You have technological communication abilities that are unparalleled. Never in the past. You could go back even a hundred years. You could go back 50 years. You could go back to the days of radio. That was remarkable at that time, and the ability to reach people was remarkable with that ability far more than it had been before. But what type of a capability do we have today? It's just unbelievable. We have a remarkable ability, and you could say in many ways the world is in a wonderful condition in some ways. But you also can see the flip side of that, that in many aspects, we are in great decline, not only here in this country, but around the world.

The world is in essence just falling apart. And even though the world today has the ability to, I guess we could say that we are really enjoying what you could say is a kind of a full, a completion of, in many ways, what man has been able to achieve, what man has been able to accomplish. And yet we still have conflicts among people, among nations. We look at the Middle East, and certainly Israel is very concerned about all of their neighbors, every single one of them around Israel, and certainly Iran, and the potential that they have with nuclear weapons.

And even though we are in such good shape in some ways, whenever it comes to human relationships, whenever it comes with people getting along with other people, whenever it comes down to really the type of relationship that we all should be seeking, that we should desire to have, it just is lacking. And of course, you know, the problems in the Middle East create a tremendous amount of instability. And as I mentioned, even though this is a relatively wealthy world, you know, many places around the world enjoy a very high standard of living.

Other places have appalling standards of living. Other countries, other continents suffer in a tremendous way. And yet, you know, you have a world economy that even in the actually the developed nations, the financially able nations are struggling with decline in their economic strength here in the United States, over in Europe, and many parts other countries that have been stable for a while are starting to become more and more unstable. And of course, the moral fabric of our society seems to be falling apart. We've got debates. Clearly, you see them every day, certainly this past week, here in the United States over marriage, over what constitutes marriage, you know, who's involved in marriage.

And clearly beyond that, the whole family design is under attack. And that's really, I think, the way that we have to see it, knowing that this is in many ways the last days. This is the time that Jesus talked about whenever he referred to this in Matthew, Chapter 24.

I might just mention even before that, it was appalling to me to see that this past week we've got a judge deciding that really you only need six of the 10 commandments. You don't need any of those first four. The last six, well, we can kind of do, we try to do some of those anyway. We don't like to kill each other. Everybody would agree we shouldn't steal from each other, although they do. But, you know, a judge saying, well, you know, these commandments are just irrelevant. And certainly these first four.

Before that, you know, I think all of us realize are directed toward recognizing God, acknowledging God, and then appreciating God by responding to our Heavenly Father. You know, that's, you know, that is just in a sense it's kind of beyond belief. It's beyond belief, and yet, even as bad as it is today, as bad as it is today, it's going to get worse.

There are going to be institutions of more laws, not only here in the United States, but in other countries around the world, that legalize almost every type of corruption and perversion that mankind can come up with. You know, this is just horrible.

But of course, Jesus describes this in Matthew 24. If you'll turn with me, in Matthew 24, Jesus is talking about the end of the age. He's talking about the end time.

And of course, He makes predictions about what we see around us with not only with the weather, with other conditions, with warfare and nations rising up against nation. But He says in verse 21, then there shall be great tribulation, such as not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. See, I don't believe that we're quite to that point yet, but it's coming. We're going to get to that point. We're going to get to that state of decay, that state of decline. And He says in the latter part of this section here in verse 22, then shall be great tribulation, such as not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be, and if those days shall not be cut short. If God doesn't mercifully look down from His throne in heaven above and see that, you know, my creation, these human beings that I am working with, these human beings that I desire to have as my sons and daughters in my divine family with my divine character, they're going to be destroyed. They're all going to be dying. And as the English standard version put this, it says, no human would be saved unless God chooses to intervene. And He says, for the sake of the elect, those days shall be cut short. Thankfully, God's watching.

Thankfully, He's aware of the decline here in our society. And of course, as Jesus goes ahead to point out, not only is a description here that great calamity would come upon the earth, and we are on the verge of that. We live in a time. I think in many cases, most of us hope, I hope many of us pray, I certainly pray that God would see fit to intervene in world affairs before I die. And I hope that's as soon as He can possibly see fit. See, Christ is on the verge of returning. He's simply awaiting for the Word, awaiting the Word, the Word from the Father.

Go ahead and go back. He's awaiting His intervention in world affairs that is going to stop the tribulation. He's going to do that for the sake of the elect, for the sake of those that God is working with today, for the sake of the minds that are coming to understand the purpose of God and yielding to God and being eternally grateful for the kingdom that God is going to set up.

So even though Jesus points out that we're at a time that is deeply distressing, we do have a hope.

And that hope is Christ's intervention. That hope is the establishment of the kingdom of God. That hope is your birth into the kingdom of God, into the family of God. You know, I look forward to that time, and I hope that all of you can envision that or can think about how it is that God has desired to prepare us. He's desired. You know, we have to cooperate with that plan. We have to agree to that. We have to yield to that. But thankfully, God has the answers. He has that outlined. He has that designed. So I'd like for us to take a look at just what Jesus says, because his focus, of course, in coming to the earth and what he stated when he was here, John introduced what Jesus would be doing. He said, someone's coming after me, you know, that he's got the real message. I'm simply introducing him. I'm simply saying that he's going to come and give us the answer. And yet what Jesus said in Mark 1, verse 14, and verse 15, is that the time is fulfilled. The kingdom of God is at hand. See, he said that 2,000 years ago. But what he said was that for those living and that God would choose to call and that God would bring to repentance and that would actually prepare and grow toward the kingdom of God during their lifetime, you know, that kingdom is at hand. During our lifetime today, we see the signs around us that show, you know, God's going to need to intervene fairly quickly. And yet he said, the times fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand, repent. Repent and believe the gospel. Now, that was the statement. That was the message that Jesus gave. And clearly one that we accentuate here, and I think it's amazing to see if we look at the book of Acts, this is what Jesus predicted would be proclaimed and preached here at the end of the world, that his kingdom was coming.

His kingdom was going to change the way the world is. It's going to change everything.

Here in Acts chapter 28, it's remarkable to see the book of Acts, of course, is a history of the New Testament church. It's a history of the beginning and the development of different congregations, in most cases that the apostles and later the apostle Paul, the original apostles, and later Paul and Barnabas and others went to. And in talking about Paul's work in chapter 28, the last few verses you even hear of the book of Acts, it says in verse 23, When they appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God. What was the message that the church was to proclaim? What was the message that the apostles and then directly the apostle Paul as he took a message to the Gentile world that the other apostles were also involved with, but Paul in a little bit later time, he was explaining and testifying of the kingdom of God. See, that is a focus in all of our lives. And it says, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the law of Moses and the prophets from morning until evening. See, that was what Paul was preaching. That's what he was teaching. That's what the people came to find out about. They came to find out about the kingdom of God. And over in the last two verses of chapter 28, it says, Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house. He received all who came to him. And so even though he was in a sense captive there, he was in relative ease as far as he was allowed to function in his own rented house, preaching in verse 31, the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence. No one was forbidding him. See, brethren, that's a message that we proclaim today.

That's a message that we put out over radio and television and our publications and the internet.

That's what we're talking about here in the kingdom of God seminars. That's what we're talking about in our church services because we're all anticipating by kingdom come. We're anticipating the intervention of Christ in world affairs. And actually, you know, in Matthew 6 33, Jesus said that the goal of every Christian, the goal of everyone who wants to be claimed as a Christian, wants to be led by the Spirit of God, would be to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. See, that's the goal that we have. That's the exciting thing about my life, about your life. You've got a purpose. You've got a goal that's set before you, and you are pursuing that. And so I encourage you to continue to do that. You know, it's amazing to see that Christ's message was preached long ago in Daniel chapter 22, or excuse me, chapter 2. It wouldn't be chapter 22 in Daniel, but in Daniel chapter 2, verse 44, it says, in the days of these kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed. See, this was after, you know, Daniel had given some unknown information. You know, Daniel was in captivity. He was posed with questions and actually even asked to interpret a dream, or actually really just not just interpret the dream, tell me what the dream was. You know, that's what the king had asked Daniel, and of course, he didn't have any way of knowing that. There was no, no clue as far as what Daniel could come up with, except the God of heaven would open his understanding to what the dream of the king was.

And even beyond that, what the interpretation of the dream was. And ultimately, as we read here in verse 44, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, and the kingdom shall not be left to other people. It shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, all of man's kingdoms that were described earlier in that dream, and then it shall stand forever.

The kingdom of God is going to become an eternal kingdom. It's going to become a kingdom that lasts forever. Each of us have the blessing and opportunity of not only knowing about that, but preparing for it. Preparing for it, and being excited about it, and living with that purpose, living with that desire to be a part of the kingdom of God. In Zachariah, the next to last book in the Old Testament, you have a prophecy. Actually, the whole last chapter of Zachariah, Zachariah 14, talks about Christ intervening. It talks about the kingdom of God. It talks about what and how that will come about. Yet it shows where it will be. It shows how it will be set up. Here in Zachariah 14, verse 1, it says, Behold, the day of the Lord is coming. The day of the Lord, as we read that in the Bible, is of course talking about Christ's intervention and His return, talking about His coming back, talking about His reception here on earth. In verse 4, it says, In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east.

The Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, making a very large valley, and half of the mountain will move toward the north and half toward the south. Some of you, I think, probably have been there. I've been there. I used to spend a few months there at one time.

It was always amazing to me to think, even at that time, knowing a little bit about what this said, to try to think about this huge mountain, which is quite a notable precipice there in the area of Jerusalem and in shadows, the Temple Mount. And yet, it's really a big grave site.

You know, there are tombstones all over this mountain, because everybody who can read can see that, well, this is a significant spot in world affairs or in the intervention from Christ in this world's affairs. So it says His feet are going to stand on the Mount of Olives.

In the latter part of verse 5, it says, Thus the Lord my God will come, and all the saints with you or with Him. See, it talks about saints being resurrected. It talks about saints being with Christ at that time in order to further the teaching of the Kingdom of God, the implementation of that Kingdom on Earth. You know, I think it's exciting. We might turn back a few pages here.

We're in Zechariah. Turn back to chapter 8. See, there are some very direct statements that are made about Jerusalem. You know, it's how Jerusalem is going to be involved in the coming world tomorrow, the world that we seek, the world that we desire, but the Kingdom that needs to replace all of these kingdoms on Earth. Man does not have the ability to rule himself. You know, we can see that if we watch the governmental structure here in the U.S. as well as, you know, the chaotic structure, unfortunately, in so many other nations. You find many Middle Eastern nations suffering from the Arab Spring right now where, you know, there's revolt, and yet whenever a new nation or a new centralized government arises, it's usually in just such chaos that they can't move forward at all. And clearly, you've got dictatorial nations in other parts, large nations on Earth, you know, where they're not ruling for the good of the people. They're ruling, you know, for their own interest and their own good. But here in Zechariah 8, it says in verse 2, I'm zealous for Zion with great zeal. Zion represents Jerusalem as a location, and with great further I am zealous for her. Thus says the Lord, I'm going to return to Zion. I'm going to return. I'm going to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.

And Jerusalem will be called the city of truth, the mountain of the Lord of Hosts, the holy mountain. Now that's, you know, people wonder, you know, where is Christ going to rule from?

Where is his governmental structure going to be established? That's where it's going to be.

It's going to be in Jerusalem, and it's going to then emanate throughout the rest of the earth.

We also could back up here to Jeremiah chapter 3. Jeremiah chapter 3 also mentions this.

I know in some ways I've had this in my mind certainly that Jerusalem would be the capital of the world. That's mentioned in several places. But whenever you focus on these prophecies and you realize, you know, that God is predicting long before it ever happens, what he's going to do, how successful will he be in achieving that? You know, he's going to be totally successful. How fully is he going to be able to implement that? Well, thankfully he's giving us some advanced information. He's giving us some advanced news here in Jeremiah 3. It says in verse 17, at that time, Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the Lord, and all the nations will be gathered to it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem, and they will not walk no more after the stubbornness of their evil hearts. See, that's a description, a biblical description that we have of the way of man, the way all men have been deceived into being. And, of course, thankfully, God is helping us come to see the reason to come out of that, and then he's empowering us, empowering us to be able to come out of the stubbornness of our evil hearts, and be able then to pursue and prepare really for the kingdom of God. In Isaiah 2, a verse that I think we're probably even more familiar with, Isaiah 2, verse 2, Now come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established on the top of the mountains, the top of all the human governments, and it shall be exalted above the hills. The smaller governments in all nations shall flow to it. Many people will come and say, Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways. We will walk in his paths for out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

See, brethren, that's exciting. That's thrilling for God to bring that about.

And we are simply preparing to assist him. We're preparing to be a part of that kingdom, and we should be looking forward to that with a great deal of zeal and excitement. But, of course, you know, what this reveals is that Jerusalem is going to be, you know, the center of attention.

It's going to be the capital of the world. It's going to be the governmental and the religious center of this entire earth. You know, where would you say that is today? You know, Jerusalem today is a divided city. It's certainly a conflicted and confused city with numerous religions claiming some connection to the city of Jerusalem. But ultimately, the God who rules in heaven is going to send Christ back to that city, and he's going to establish it as the capital of the governmental structure that will be throughout the world. But then also, you know, it's going to be the headquarter for the teaching and the training, the religious training that everybody needs. All seven billion people, I guess probably maybe half of that, or even less. We have seven billion on the earth today. The Bible doesn't indicate seven billion are going to be alive at that time. Many people are going to die before Christ intervenes. But he says for the sake of the elect, for the sake of those who seek the kingdom of God with all of their heart, he's going to provide intervention. He's going to provide salvation to us, but he's going to provide intervention for the benefit of the entirety of the earth, for the benefit of the plan of God as he then will expand his connection with the minds of people that today don't have a clue, don't have any idea about what the kingdom of God, how much of an answer it even is. So it's exciting and I think it's thrilling to be able to see this. And of course, you know, what Christ is initially going to do whenever he returns is revealed here in Revelation chapter 20.

See what's going to make the big difference? How is this transformation going to occur on earth right now? You know, we've got nations who are, you know, so filled with hate, so used to. See, why is it that nations fight? Why is it that they war with one another? Well, you find in James that they do it because they just can't get along. They can't cooperate. They are so selfish that they cannot.

You know, they only, the only way they know to solve their problems is to fight.

That's the only way that nations know today. And yet Christ is going to change that.

And of course, he's initially going to change that with what we read here in Revelation 20 by setting aside the ruler of this world. In Revelation 20, I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

And he lays hold on the dragon, that serpent of old who is the devil and Satan, and he's going to bind him. He will be bound for a thousand years. He's going to be bound. He's going to be set aside and cast him into the bottomless pit and shut him up and set a seal on him so he should deceive the nations no more until a thousand years were finished. That's why we're in the mess we're in.

That's why this world is suffering like it is. And of course, Christ is going to immediately solve that problem with the binding of Satan and taking away the ruler of this world, the God of this world as he's described in other places in the New Testament. Thankfully, he knows what he's doing.

He knows how to solve the problems. He knows how to set aside the one who causes all the conflicts.

And then he can start molding. He can start shaping. He can start preparing the minds and the natures of individual human beings that he yearns to have to be a part of his family to be able to learn and know the way of God. You know, you find all kinds of verses that talk about what's going to happen whenever Christ sets up this kingdom on earth. What's going to change?

Well, initially the spiritual degradation that Satan has caused will be set aside.

And then you'll find a flourishing in Isaiah 51 verse 3. It says, The Lord will comfort Zion. He will comfort all her waste places. He will make her wilderness like Eden and her desert like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in it, thanksgiving in the joy or the voice of melody. See, that's a wonderful transition. But see, that could not have happened. That could not occur without pulling Satan out of the way and people then being introduced to a message of the kingdom of God. Yes, of the installment of that kingdom, the fact that they were then going to be under the rule and reign of a righteous king.

In Isaiah 35 verse 1 and 2 it says, The wilderness and the wasteland will be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose. We've got even here in this country, and we've got beautiful plains that we're familiar with here in the middle part of the country and high Rockies as we go to our west. You go beyond some of that and you get to the coast of California, and right on the coast it doesn't look too bad, but there's a lot of bad-looking desert areas in many of the states that are just inland. And even, I know as I've visited California numerous times, I've seen some very beautiful places and right along beside it, you know, some totally desolate-looking desert-type area. And of course, God is going to be able to change that with this description. In Amos it talks about the plowman overtaking the reaper, talking about an abundance, talking about a transition to where there will be successful planting and then reaping. You know, too many times today you have crops that are destroyed. And again, Isaiah 35, verse 5 and 6, a number of miraculous and astounding healings are going to take place. The blind are going to see the death will hear. The lame will leap for joy.

Now, eyes of the blind in verse 5 shall be opened. The ears of the deaf shall be unstopped, and the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb will sing.

For water will burst forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.

You know, these transitions are going to provide a world where people are able to enjoy life.

They're able to flourish. They're able to thrive. They're able to build and be able to live in whatever type of dwelling they are building. It's not going to be overtaken or overthrown by others because of warfare and fighting. Actually, unfortunately, in this world, as we look at it today, the city of Jerusalem is one of the most fought-over locations on earth.

They've had more wars there over the decades or over the centuries, I guess it would be.

Over centuries, Jerusalem has been fought over, and yet that's going to ultimately change.

Clearly, nations are going to be at peace in Micah 4. Micah 4, verse 3, verse 4, He will judge between many people and rebuke strong nations of far off.

See, this needs to be the news of the day. Unfortunately, we listen to news.

That is rather sad. It's, you know, who kidnapped whom? Who murdered whom? I mean, that's the first two things I heard this morning when I turned on the television.

You know, that is horrible to have to report that, but of course, you know, the news channels, I guess, feel like they have to report something, so they report whatever happened. And yet, you know, the change that is going to take place when the kingdom of God is established on earth is absolutely fabulous. It says, they're going to beat their swords into plow shears and their spears into pruning hooks.

A nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore, but anyone, everyone, shall sit under his own vine, under his own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid. See, most people have a great deal of fear today, and they have reason to be afraid.

You can't just easily, you know, go about your daily life and not run into situations that are in many ways threatening. And yet, God points out a world that's going to be very peaceful, very calm. No one will make them afraid for the mouth of the Lord of Host has spoken.

And in Isaiah, you know, you find, you know, peace breaking out over the earth.

No, that's because the source of conflict will have been set aside, and people will then start learning to respond to the great God, to respond to the message that he holds out before them with hope. So he wants us to be in that divine family. And as we read in Isaiah 11, the most familiar verse, perhaps, that we have often focused on in the Church of God, Isaiah 11, you know, talks about a transition there with the nature of the animals. Verse 6, the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard lie down with the kid. Talks about a completely peaceful situation.

But of course, the conclusion of that. The conclusion of that is down in verse 9.

Down in verse 9, it says, they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, but the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

See, how fabulous is that? How marvelous is that the knowledge that people will be sharing, the knowledge that people will have access to, the knowledge that will give them a lack of fear, that will give them strength, that will lift them up, that will empower them, you know, to live joyous lives. That comes from God, and it's clearly a part of what we see described here as the kingdom of God. I want to go back to what we read in Zechariah 14, verse 4 and 5, where Christ said He was going to return to the Mount of Olives. He was going to return to the city of Jerusalem, and the Lord will come and all the saints with Him. See, that's what He holds out before us. He tells us at this time that we can be a part of that grouping that He calls the saints, individuals that are going to be rising in a resurrection that's described in 1 Thessalonians. And we read about that in 1 Thessalonians 4. It talks about the dead in Christ, rising first. Those who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. See, it talks about, at the time when Christ intervenes and the kingdom of God is set up, a resurrection from the dead.

And if we go back to Revelation 20 again, Revelation chapter 20. And this is not a completely misunderstood book. It's often a book that people have apprehension about because it's not easily understood. There's a lot of symbolism that's used in the book of Revelation, but simply John was writing down what Jesus Christ was showing him. He was writing down what Jesus Christ was revealing, and what he said not only John needed to just simply write it down. That's what he told him.

Don't worry about whether you understand what this is. Write it down because, brethren, it's for me and it's for you. It's for us to be able to think about God's intervention in our lives, and how that the kingdom of God is truly the answer, and how we can seek that kingdom, and we can pursue that kingdom with all of our heart, and that he will help us. He will help us be successful. He will help us in understanding how he wants to be approached. Because, instead of getting rid of the first four commands, people will learn that these are real.

These point out who the Creator is. These point out who the ruler of the universe is, and how he needs to be worshipped, how he needs to be respected, and of course, how he wants us to live. But here in Revelation chapter 20, it says in verse 6, And holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. See, that's what I read about in 1 Thessalonians 4. As Christ intervened at the last trump, and the trumpet shall sound, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. See, those are the saints that are talked of in Zechariah. Those are the saints who have prepared. Those are the saints who are yearning for the kingdom of God, and who desire to be a part of that kingdom. It says, Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection, because over such the second death has no power. But they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him for a thousand years. See, brethren, that's where we want to be. That's where we, that's what we want to pursue. That's what we want to live with that knowledge. See, Christian lives are focused on the kingdom of God. They're focused on the institution of that kingdom on earth.

They're focused on growing and being prepared for that particular solution that Christ is giving.

And of course, a part of what he tells us in Revelation 3, verse 21, is that to him who overcomes, to him who overcomes, that is, gains a victory in struggling over self and sin and Satan.

Those are all the things we need to overcome. It's not a matter of just knowing that I need to overcome. It's a matter of recognizing that and realizing that with God's help, that's truly possible. But it says to him who overcomes in Revelation 3, 21, I will grant to sit with me on my throne as I overcame and sat down with my father on his throne. That's where Christ is today.

He's there awaiting this activity on earth, awaiting activity in your life and in my life that we need to be extremely grateful for. It's exciting to see how that he points out, as we read in Revelation 20, how he's going to give responsibility.

He talks about David being a king over all of Israel. He talks about the apostles being a ruler or a leader over different tribes of Israel. See, these are all Jesus' discussion of the kingdom of God. They're his discussion of how he's preparing for that kingdom. And see, he's wanting us to be involved. He's wanting us to be pursuing that kingdom. He's wanting, and I think we ought to think about it, in that he is preparing us. He's preparing us. We can describe that in however many different ways we want to describe it. And there are numerous factors that we need to not only be aware of and mindful of, but then utilizing. Utilizing the numerous tools that we have been given in order to prepare for the kingdom of God. But that's the hope that not only we have, but ultimately the whole world will come to recognize how it is that this kingdom is going to be set up. And so I hope, in a sense, as we read through some of these scriptures that I am sure in many ways are very familiar to you, that you can be motivated, that you can be uplifted, that you can be inspired to know that God is preparing a place. He's preparing a responsibility. He wants me to be prepared to accept that responsibility and to be able to be a useful servant, a useful servant and a useful tool in his hands. But our message regarding the kingdom of God is that you can be a part of that kingdom. What we're hearing today, before Christ actually brings these things to pass, is advanced good news. It's advanced news about what the newspapers of tomorrow are going to be saying. And it's exciting. It's truly wonderful. We have to choose to be involved. We have to choose to be engaged. We have to do our part, and we certainly want to encourage one another in doing that. So can you picture what this wonderful future is like? Can you envision that? Can you be excited about that? Well, I hope that in reading these verses that they are exciting, they are uplifting, and they are inspiring. And so, I've concluded what I intend to cover here, just regarding an introduction to our thinking about the kingdom of God and our preparation for that. And we're going to have a short break here, where we've got some refreshments, and then we'll be able to be back for the second session of this seminar. But our next message is really important.

It is really, really important, because what Mr. Johnson is going to be talking about is the way, the way to be a part of this future, the way that we can be a part of this future. And he's going to explain to us the response, the response that God requires. Now, you may think you know what that is, and yet, I think you'll find it enlightening. I think you'll find it uplifting to be able to learn even more about what God explains as the way to true success, as a Christian, and ultimately success as an individual who is allowed to be, given the blessing of being a member of the divine family of God. So we'll cover that in our next session.

Glad to see all of you today. Please, what do we have? About a 10 or 15 minute break, Mr. Crosby.

And then we'll be back with our second session.