Trumpets

There is talk about the imminent demise of the United States of America, that people in charge are socialists. Socialists that are taking this country in a new direction that even shocks the Russians. There was a news report in print that said, you know, the American politicians are taking that country so far, so fast, that it takes our breath away. We could never have tried to do that during the Cold War. We have foreign wars in the debacles that are going on. We have 20% unemployment that's reported. It's reported that Congress is going to try to pass a bill requesting $13 trillion, as far as our deficit goes. The demise of the U.S. dollar is well underway. It's been dropping like a proverbial rock here recently, and there's a lot of discussion about replacing it with a consortium of other currencies. We see the dismissal of God from the society ramping up, even as the Pope has declared this, quote, there is an urgent need for a true world political authority, a single world political authority, to manage the global economy. So here we go. You know, we've always talked about the end times. Well, here we go. We can just see ourselves sort of sliding down the sand hill, unable to stop. What do we do about it? I was recently in the home of a top General Motors exec, retired, and he was telling me about the governments and some of the inner workings of GM and some of the czars and what was going on. He was very excited about it. The nation is collapsing, and he just was feverish about that. And so when he caught his breath, I said, well, what do you think we should do about it? And he says, well, we need to get everybody out on the streets. We need to protest and wake up the leaders of this nation, and we all need to get guns and ammunition if you can find it.

I let him talk. It was kind of interesting.

We find that the Middle East, which has always been a biblical flashpoint for events in the end time, is sharpening up as a potential disaster zone with more and more nations in the region developing the potential for nuclear weapons and delivery systems to get those nuclear weapons well out of the region.

To where a king of the north could be pushed at by the king of the south, as is biblically promised.

In Zechariah 7, verse 14, right at the end of the Old Testament, Zechariah 7, verse 14, he says, But I scattered them, talking about the descendants of Jacob, the ancient nation of Israel that God has a covenant with, and he scattered them with a whirlwind among the nations which they had not known.

Thus the land became desolate after them, so that no one passed through or returned, for they made the pleasant land desolate.

There's coming a time when the Holy Land is going to be a real mess. It's going to be trampled.

This is going to begin with a three and a half year Great Tribulation.

We go to Revelation chapter 11, beginning in verse 2. We find that foreigners are going to trample that land.

Revelation chapter 11, verse 2, is talking about measuring the temple, but leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles, for they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months.

This is going to be a three and a half year time of Tribulation, a time of Gentiles, a time of Jacob's trouble, a time when God is going to spank, as it were.

He's going to really correct in anger those nations that descended from Jacob, that have a covenant with him.

And he is going to allow that before he brings them back and restores them to the land and places a remnant of them back in the land.

The Great Tribulation is all about the punishment of the nations of Israel, and God is going to do that, and the nations of the world are going to be sucked into that and be part of it.

We find in Matthew chapter 24 and verse 21, Jesus speaks of this time as something massive, huge, bigger than is imaginable, the worst thing that has ever happened or ever will happen.

And he simply says, Now, we've seen and heard some tough times down through history, but if you analyze any of those, he's saying it's nothing.

Such has not been since the beginning of time, nor ever will be again. It's a time when a third of humanity dies there. Other prophecies talk about a third of the nations of Israel dying with this, another third here, another third there.

Talking about a remnant coming out of it that's one from a city, two from a family lineage.

Really tough times that are ahead.

And as we come to celebrate the Feast of Trumpets, we shouldn't say, Oh, good! Jesus Christ is coming, going to fix everything.

It's kind of like saying, Oh, my wife says we're pregnant. Oh, good. Are you going to have a baby?

Just sort of, it'll show up.

Now, these things come with effort. They come with pain. They come with a certain amount of transference from one age into another, from one weather system to the next weather system.

There is a storm that exists between the two.

And God is wanting us to know that. He tells us about that.

And the Bible is full of a plethora of events about what's going to take place in the end time.

In Malachi, chapter 3, in the first two verses, it's important to note here that God is sending His Son, Jesus Christ, back.

It's not going to happen. People don't need to go out and sort of look up every now and then.

Well, is He coming now? I heard a noise. Is that Him?

Because there are events that are prophesied, revelations full of them, and Daniel and some other prophets, they describe some of the events that take place, along with some of the words of Jesus Himself.

And the three and a half year length of time before His return factors in very heavily, along with some events that have to take place before that.

But He says here in Malachi 3, verse 1, Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple, even the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming, says the Lord of hosts. Now we could sing like a choir, you know, come, Jesus, come.

And yet, would we be singing about our success? Would we be singing about our rising the medium in the air? Or might we be singing about our own demise?

Because, as we know, the Bible is all about choice and consequence, and warnings for disobedience, and blessings for obedience. And we need to make sure that we are truly the people of God and truly prepared for this event. Otherwise, it may bypass us, or we may be on the wrong side of it. Because in verse 2 it says, But who can endure the day of His coming? Can you endure the day that this feast pictures? Will you survive on this day? Will it mean life to you?

And who can stand when He appears? For He is like the refiner's fire and the launderer's soap. It's important, again, that you and I are prepared for this event. And not one who is saying, Oh, Lord, Lord, we did this and we did that, only to be told, I didn't know You, because You were not about my type of mentality and about obeying my laws. What's going to happen to the Bride of Christ during these terrible times that are ahead? You know, they look dark, they loom ahead, they're so negative, and it's going to be such an awful time. What's going to happen to this group that suddenly becomes the Bride of Christ and joins Him in the air? Is there hope for them? Will they make it? Is God going to abandon them? Are we left to just flail around and get caught up in the chaotic events that are ahead? Well, to a degree, that depends on our spiritual state. Today I'd like to analyze various scriptural references to the return of Jesus Christ and the redemption of His Bride, the saints, the ones whom God has placed His Spirit in right now. The title of the sermon is, Trumpets, The Day of the Lord and of His Bride. The Good News magazine says, what's wrong with humans who make up governments is our selfish, self-serving, short-sighted human nature. Now there's the Achilles' heel to any good government, really, to any human ambition. Even those of us in the Church will find that we have selfish, self-serving, short-sighted human nature. And when we allow it to get roots, to get legs, then it takes us in a direction that is contrary to God's humility, His limitless love, His sacrifice and service for us. We've got to reject that, because that is what is bringing on this downfall of nations. That is what is whipping people up so that in a very short time humanity is going to be very focused on greed, on affluence, on power, and on survival as systems and as resources dwindle, as food and water dwindle. The very resources for life, there will be climactic battles trying to feed off of what's left and control what's left. And Jesus warns about those in Judea, which is the area that modern-day Israel inhabits. And Jerusalem is rather in the center of. In Luke 21, verse 20, He speaks, as it were, to saints, to church members. And He says, when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. He's talking about you.

Then those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. We don't have any church members in Judea that I'm aware of. We haven't had for a long, long time. Once in a while people travel there. Let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. It's a time of chastisement, a time of recompense and punishment for breaking a covenant that is holy, that is just, that is good, Paul said. A covenant that exists, that Jesus Christ continues to say, I am married to you. And He is going to replace that group of people back in that promised land, and that eternal covenant is going to go on.

But He says, verse 23, Woe to those who are pregnant and those who are nursing babies in those days, for there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. And they will fall by the edge of the sword and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled, which is for the three and a half years. So this is a tough time, and it's not just there. All the tribes of Israel are going to be disciplined and corrected in God's anger. We find some of the events that will take place at that time is the sacrifices will be cut off. Sacrifices have to start up in order for them to cease. But sacrifices there in Jerusalem will be cut off. And then an abomination of desolation will be set up in the Holy Place. That will be a false religious leader declaring himself to be God, as Daniel tells us. And Jesus said that will start the great tribulation. Two witnesses will preach the gospel for three and a half years with miraculous powers, and they can't be killed until the last three days. After two and a half years of the tribulation begins the day of the Lord. For the day as a year, the last year, Jesus Christ enters the scene, and His miraculous supernatural and very concentrated, very directing work takes place here. We go to Revelation 11, verse 15, which may have already been covered today. But let's go there again, Revelation 11, verse 15. This is really where this day gets its name, is the trumpets that are coming, in particular this seventh trumpet.

And then the seventh angel sounded, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever. We've had 6,000 years of Satan ruling over mankind, and he is going to go. But he doesn't want to leave. He and his followers want to hang on. That's a very corrupt form of government. But now the new government is declared that it is going to take over, and He's going to reign forever and ever, not just 6,000 years or 1,000 years.

In chapter 14, verse 6, another event that takes place is, I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on earth, to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people. This correlates with Matthew 24, 14, where Jesus said, The gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come, the end of Satan's rule. Here we read of the end of Satan's rule, and we see this gospel preached to every living person on earth.

Verse 8, another angel followed, saying, Babylon has fallen, has fallen, that great city.

Her demise is imminent. She's done. This political system, this religious, false system is going down.

Jesus has declared Himself now to be the new ruler.

In chapter 15, verse 1, then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plague, for in them the wrath of God is complete. And those are supernatural, many of them, nasty events that really decimate the end of Satan's kingdom. Because as I said, that false despot, that false leader doesn't want to go.

That dictator refuses to transfer power, and he and his cohorts will stop at nothing, all the way to the very end.

So this is a very big feast day, isn't it? This is a huge day for the family of God.

It is the role over the transfer of ages, of power, of leadership, of painters, the influencers, of humanity. And it requires Jesus Christ to conquer the world. And it also requires the assistance of family of God members to assist Him in doing that. We'll get into more of that later.

Well, what's going to happen to God's people through that most difficult of time? I say, God's people, those who have the commandments, those who are trying to obey God, those who are trying to live God's way of life. In Revelation 7, verse 9, we see after these things, I looked and behold a great multitude which no one could number of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues. And we sing a song about this. And in there it says, God has called us out of every nation. God has called us out of all these tribes, and He's brought us into His body. Well, here are people, so many of them, they can't even be numbered. And they're standing before the throne clothed with white robes and crying out with a loud voice, salvation belongs to our God. And some asked and said, Who are these? Sir, you know, these are the ones who come out of the great tribulation and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. That's a tough time to be called. There's a period of time in the tribulation where so many people are successful. When Satan's wrath is extreme, but so many people are successful, you can't even count them all from all nations, tribes, and tongues. And they do very, very well. That's tough, though, to have to give your life during that time. Nevertheless, verse 17, The Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. The end is good for them and for all who love God.

In chapter 13, verses 5 through 7, we find that this beast, the second beast, the great false prophet, has amazing power and incredible lying wonders.

In verse 7 of chapter 13, To him it was given to make war with the saints and to overcome them.

He comes after the saints and he wins. He kills them.

And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. So we see that there's a lot of persecution on those that God will be calling during that time.

In verse 10, He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity. He who kills with a sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the, should say, perseverance and faith of the saints. There's nothing to do with patience. Here is the perseverance. No matter what, these people are going to go forward. You know, you and I, more than anything, need to determine that no matter what, we are going to be godly. We are going to grow in godliness. We're going to be Christ-like. It doesn't matter what's ahead. And therefore, we don't need to fear what's ahead. Because our road is set out, isn't it?

I was talking to a very good friend last night when trumpets began. And I said to him, you know what? The Feast of Trumpets is about Christ's return. And between now and then, no matter what, I am dedicated to living this life no matter what happens. How about you? Me too!

That's exactly the same. Yes, it doesn't matter what. I'm committed fully to that way of life. You know, you and I need to be there for each other. We need to encourage each other to focus on the real important things of life. And to be committed to this way. Because Jesus said, he who endures as a godly individual to the end, the same person will be saved. And even though a lot of tough stuff can come along, he said nothing's going to come along that you can't handle.

Because all things are going to work together. So all of these very tough situations here, you notice, work out really well. Even those called during the tribulation. So many are successful, you can't even number them. With that great a cloud of witnesses, brethren, that many successful people behind us, before us, and around us, we need to cast off every weight that slows us down, the Apostle Paul said, and make sure that we too are certain, and our path and our journey is true. In chapter 14, verse 9, we see the angel comes and says, if anyone worships the beast in his image, verse 10, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of his indignation.

If we say, oh, I want to save my skin, now I think I'll worship this beast, take whatever that sign is, you know, on the forehead and the right hand. Well, save your skin. You're going to get the full wrath of God. It's going to come down in that last year of the Day of the Lord, and it's going to be on you and me. Should we go that way? So certainly we need to make sure that that doesn't happen. Verse 12, here is, again, that word I detest, the patience of the saints. It has no business in your Bible. Mine, it's crossed out.

Here is the perseverance, is what the Greek word means. It has nothing to do with patience. You're not going to sit around waiting. No, persevering, staying godly, enduring to the end of the saints who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus Christ in any situation, no matter what.

And that's what you and I need to be about as we celebrate this day, so that it is a day, truly, of our own liberation, of our own freedom, of our own release from the bondage of human life and the advancement to spiritual life.

These are very, very sobering times. But how about this question? Will God spare any of His people from going through these tough times of the Great Tribulation? If so, how can one qualify with God to be spared? Revelation 12, verse 6, talks about a woman, the church, the true Church of God. She fled into the wilderness where she has a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there 1,260 days. The three-and-a-half-year theme is constant with regards to the Tribulation, that end-time period.

But there's some speculation that this could have a dual meaning. If you go back to looking at these 1,260 days as a day for a year in AD 325, Constantine convened the Council of Nicaea, and the Roman Church became the state religion. 1,260 years after that, the domination of that Holy Roman Empire ended, and Bibles were produced primarily through Britain. And the Word of God was able to freely be preached, and in a sense the true Church could then take a breath and come out, and not have to be in the wilderness, per se.

If we look in verse 7 of Revelation 12, War broke out in heaven. Verse 9, The great dragon was cast out. Then in verse 10, I heard a loud voice saying, In heaven salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ have come. In verse 14, now the woman is given two wings of a great eagle. Everybody wants to know what a great eagle is. Well, it's hard to know, but eagles tend to fly high, high above trouble. They are up where humans have never been able to go on their own.

And she is given wings of a great eagle that she might fly into the wilderness to her place. Just breaking down some of the words here, fly in the Hebrew means to literally fly like an eagle flies. It doesn't mean run, it doesn't mean escape, it doesn't mean run away, it means to fly. But flying on eagles' wings also was a descriptor of how Israel came out of Egypt, and they walked out.

So it's just a metaphor. It's nothing more than that. Now, that she might fly into the wilderness. A wilderness is in an uninhabited place. But notice, we get a little specific here. This woman, the church, is taken away from trouble, wings of a great eagle, above the problems to her place. She has a place, not place-es, not somebody else's place, to her place. God has a place where she is nourished. Notice, she doesn't somehow provide nourishment for herself or scavenge around.

Somehow she's nourished for a time, times, and a half a time. One time, times, and a half a time. That's three and a half years. So there is protection for three and a half years for what is called the woman. It doesn't say part of the woman or a bit of the woman. It says the woman, the true church. The true church. You want to know, well, am I in the true church? Well, I don't know. You have to ask yourself, do you have the Holy Spirit of God?

Wasn't it Romans 8.14? I'm sorry I'm a little rusty today. But those who have the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. That's the true church. We're not talking about corporations. The United Church of God, Inc., is not the true church of God. Living Church of God, Inc., is not the true church of God. Some other church, Inc., these are corporate bodies, alright?

The true church of God is all the people who have God's Spirit anywhere. They may not get along at times. They may have little identities and some boundaries we put up. And sometimes leaders may want to cull people off for themselves and be kind of very selfish with them. But when God looks down from heaven at his people, he says, Those who have my Spirit in them, those are my sons. I just mention that as we go off and maybe are around others, that we treat them as God treats them. Lovings, respecting and engaging them and trying to be brothers and sisters with them and not falling for some kind of a late 20th, early 21st century mindset that the church is somehow a corporation.

You know, with a building somewhere and some sort of a corporate structure with stock.

The sons of God are very important to God. And he is going to take his children, he says, he's going to take this woman to her place. That is very descriptive of what happened to Israel. In fact, the same metaphor of how they're going to their place. They both went to a wilderness. They both go out on Eagle's Week. They're both nourished.

Israel was carnal, though, and I hope we don't repeat some of the things that went on there. You know, whining, refusing to go, wanting to go back, whining about no water, whining about manna. Hey, you know, so it's a nourishment. You never know how the nourishment is going to work out. But if it comes down to manna and water out of rocks, I think with God's Spirit we would be happy. We would rejoice. We would try to get along.

We would respect the leadership. We would respect and honor God. So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. You know, kind of like an army. Water. Kind of like Pharaoh's army came after Israel. Don't know what that is exactly. Verse 16. Did Pharaoh conquer Israel?

No. Got drowned in the Red Sea. The earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood, which the dragon had spewed out of its mouth. So you see, God is involved with his church. All we need to do is be godly, be part of the woman, the true part of the woman, and let God decide, you know, who's going to be there and what's going to happen.

You don't have to worry about that. But the dragon was enraged with the woman and went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. It's not going to go well for everybody who has the commandments and keep the testimony of Christ.

There are many theories that her place might be a certain area. We can go over to Isaiah 16, one place. And here's where some speculation gets pretty hot, because everybody wants to know. We're just curious, you know? Just gotta know. You'll probably come ask me after church, where's the place of safety going to be? I.J.S. 16 says, send the lamb to the ruler of the land from Selah. And in the margin it says literally rock or petra, to the wilderness, to the mount of the daughter of Zion, for it shall be as a wandering bird thrown out of the nest.

Talks here about things. And in verse 4 it says, let my outcast dwell with you, O Moab. Ah, there's some outcasts of God. Let them dwell with you, O Moab, but be a shelter to them from the face of the spoiler, for the extortioner is in an end, devastation ceases, the oppressors are consumed out of the land. In mercy the throne will be established, and one will sit on it in truth, and the tabernacle of David, judging and seeking justice and hastening righteousness.

But where's Moab? All we've got to do is find that, and maybe the people of God are going to be protected there. We see the area anciently occupied by Edom and Moab, and Ammon. And in Daniel 11, verse 41, it talks about the king of the north is going to come down against the king of the south, and it's going to sweep through the Holy Land, and it's going to pass on through into Egypt, and it's going to go around, and it's going to conquer some of the Arab nations.

But it's not going to conquer Moab and Edom. It's not going to happen there. And Ammon. And where were those countries? Well, you just look in the back of your Bible at the map. Modern-day Jordan! Didn't we just talk about the rock? Well, that's Petra! Let's all go take a tour of Petra, pick out a cave. So you see how that works. It kind of goes that direction. Chapter 33, verse 13. Let's go on just to verse 16.

He will dwell on high, his place of defense will be the fortress of rocks. Bread will be given him, his water will be sure. Bingo! Fortress of rocks. Rocks? Petra. There it is. And one more. Chapter 42, verses 11-12. Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voice, the village that Kedar inhabits.

Let the inhabitants of Selah sing. Uh-oh! There it is, Selah. Rocks. Petra. We will sing. Let them shout from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory to the Lord and declare the praise of the coastlands. God's going to go out and prevail against his enemies. And I don't know any other locations that have been speculated about. I've always liked Maui as a potential sight. I have never seen any indication in scripture, but I'm still thinking it would be a pretty good place.

I can show you scriptures, though, that might be prophecies about a place of refuge. We have really no idea where it will be. Petra's not really a fortress, except on one side. It's kind of a fortress, but I guess on the other side it tends to open up, sort of widen out. And those who have been there don't think it would be a very good sight for much of anything.

But let's look at, on the positive side, let's look at some other, just a few other references to God taking care of his church. Psalm 17 and verse 8. Psalm 17. Verse 8.

Keep me as the apple of your eye, hide me under the shadow of your wings, from the wicked who oppress me, from my deadly enemies who surround me. And oftentimes what David says in his psalms turn out to be prophecies, turn out to be linked to something that happens in the future. Is that one of them? I'll tell you, after Christ returns, whether that one factored in or not.

Chapter 27 and verse 5.

He shall set me high upon a rock, and now my head shall be left above my enemies all around me.

You know, kind of like that eagle, it's going to be above the problems. Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in his tabernacle. I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to God. Could that be something? Chapter 31 and verse 20. You shall hide them in the secret place of your presence from the plots of men.

You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion, or a shelter, as the Hebrew word would also be described, in a shelter from the strife of tongues, from the nations that are striving, that are warring, that are fighting. Could that be a reference? Our concern shouldn't be where, but how? And it's not selfish to want to be in a place of protection, as long as it's for us, not for me.

You know what I mean? As long as it's for us, the mentality that Jesus Christ teaches us begins with our prayer. And he never focuses or causes us to focus on ourself. He says, after this manner therefore pray you, our Father in heaven. When we go before the throne of God, we are to go collectively as an hour. You know, Jesus and the Father are one. They are unified. And they want us to be one with them and one with each other. And we don't go selfishly. We go as a group, our Father, which art in heaven. Give us this day, all of us, our daily bread.

Jesus Christ, help us all to live and grow by your word. Your kingdom come, your will be done, now and in the future, on earth and in heaven. It's an us, it's a we. And so our concern should be, how do we get there and how do we help one another get there? How do we encourage one another? How do we take the one who is a little stumbling, a little bit straying, and instead of saying, well, I don't want to be around that person, that lady or that guy, they're kind of on the edge.

Why not go over the edge and encourage them to come to the center? Make them feel at home, make them feel comfortable, embrace them, live with them. Do what I encourage people to do with our brethren in Africa. Be partnering mentors with each other. We all need to be partnering mentors, not teachers. I'll tell you what to do and I'll leave you with it. Here, prime the palm. Here, I'll teach you how to fish. Bye. That doesn't help anybody. Be a mentor, but partner with them. Partner for life. These relationships need to be lifelong. And there's something that everybody can give to everybody else. You can learn from the bum on the street.

And he can learn from you or she can learn from you. There's a lot that we have to give, and that's really what the body is. It's edifying itself in love and helping it grow up. So when we look at something like the place of safety, you don't get on your knees and say, Oh God, count me worthy to be in the place of safety. You do that, you just get a check mark right by your name. This one ain't going. Ain't going to happen. That's the kind we don't want there.

The Father will say to Christ, Thanks for asking. We were wondering about you. Now we know. See, the Bible is very clear on how we get there. Let's take a glimpse at the qualities of this group through Jesus' mouth in Luke 21 and verse 36. Luke 21 and verse 36. There's two ways of reading this. One is kind of traditional.

I've been in the church ever since I was born. I didn't get a whole lot out of it the first few years, so some of you are really ahead of me. I'm going off to my 59th feast of tabernacles, and I just turned 58 this week. See, I was two weeks old when I went to the first feast, so I got an extra bonus year there, before I ever turned one. So a lot of that doesn't count. Now I can't remember what I was even saying that about. Anyway, what Jesus Christ is saying here in Luke 21 verse 36.

Oh yeah, I remember. I was just going to say, it's been a long tradition in the church. If you want to get to escape the tribulation, and you want to get to the place of safety, there's two things Jesus says. Pray that you may be counted worthy and watch the news. Know that it's coming. Be smarter than everybody. Be ahead of the curve.

You know, you got the towel by the shower in case you got a run-out naked. You're the one with the towel. No one else was thinking. You were watching the news. You know there's a nuclear weapon going off. You saw something happen around Jerusalem. You were watching, so you were ready. And the second thing is, you've been praying seriously. Praying, count me worthy to escape all these things. So I'm good to go.

I've been counting. I've been watching. Well, again, I think that group is great. Thank you for letting us know. You won't be there. Let's see what he's really saying. Watch from the Greek is like a sentinel. It's like a guard. It's somebody who's not asleep in bed. This person is actually alert. And the Greek means be alert. Be alert to what? Well, what's Jesus Christ been talking about? He's been talking about obeying God. He's been talking about keeping the commandments, about repenting, about producing fruit.

Parable after parable after parable, you know. Producing fruit, growing in righteousness. So there's something to harvest. And then he says, you be watchful of your own spiritual state. Therefore. Why? What's therefore mean? Well, if you go back up. Because this day can come upon you unexpectedly. Verse 34. If you just get carried away with the cares of this life and get weighed down, he says, it can sneak up on you and you won't be spiritually ready. Verse 35, where it's going to come on a snare, as a snare to all of those who dwell on the face of the earth.

A snare is a trap, you know. You're walking along. Bam! I'm in a trap. Bam! I'm hanging upside down on a tree in a net. It just happened really fast. That's going to be how it's going to appear to people who dwell on the face of the whole earth.

Verse 36. Therefore, you be growing spiritually. You be watching to the state of your spiritual growth. You be tending to your sheep and know the state of your flocks. And pray always. Be a prayerful person, in other words. All you've got to do is follow the prayer outline. Know what to pray about. If you're a prayerful person, you're a godly person, you will be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man.

Not just to escape, you're going to stand before Christ on the day that this Feast of Trumpets pictures. You're going to be successful if you are really focused on what is important in life. And not just for you, because what's important in his life is loving God with all your heart, soul, and might and loving every human being as much as you love yourself.

And if you're passionate about that and you're growing in that, he's saying, you can be counted worthy to escape these things and you'll also be counted worthy to stand and be changed when the Son of Man comes. Why are so many intrigued by a place of safety? Well, it's like, why are so many intrigued by going to Heaven? We want to get our skin saved as human beings. We want some way out. And it becomes a very selfish focus. If we're not careful, it's about me.

But in trying to save our own life, as I've shown you, we can lose it. We can lose the opportunity. In Luke 9, verse 24, Jesus said, for whoever desires to save his life will lose it. So I'm not making this up myself. He said it. You're trying to save your skin and it's all about you and you're going to be the Holy One and you're going to be this righteous one and you're going to know all the prophecies and you're going to study your Bible and you're going to pray for your...

Not like these other people around here. I thank you, God, that I'm not like these other sinners. What does God say about that? He who tries to save his own... He's going to lose it. But whoever loses his life for my sake, for the sake of God, for the sake of the God mentality, of loving, of serving, he will save it. You know, we're all called to sacrifice, to sacrifice our selfish ways, to also give of ourselves. That's the statement about God, what you sow, you reap. Talking about the Macedonians being helped by the Church of Philippi.

May the God who is able to help you abound in all things, give you... kind of refill the coffers and refill the wells so that you can just keep on giving, because that's what God's about and he supports givers.

You know, that's what we're called to be, a living sacrifice, a help or a server. We don't have to worry about, well, I'll just give it all up, I'll give it away, it'll be gone, I'll have nothing.

Paul said at one point to the Church at Philippi, I think I may be ready to be poured out as a drink offering. What was he saying there?

What was he saying there? It's actually kind of profound. It's just a Pauline type of statement. You know, Paul was just a down-to-earth kind of guy. He got in there with the Romans, he got in there with the Corinthians, he got in there with the Ephesians, he mixed it up with the Galatians, but he was always a brother, he was always a father. Paul bared his soul and said, I'm like you, I'm a sinner, that which I want to do, I don't do. I'm the least of the apostles, but I'm also trying, and a crown is laid up for me. You know, Paul is in there giving all that he can to everybody. It's a great example for us. And here he talks about, I may be a drink offering for you there in Philippi. You know, a drink offering was something that was often added to a sacrifice. If we go back to the Leviticus 23, which is about the festivals, it's the book that tells us about all the festivals of God.

Leviticus 23, it has gone through the festivals, including the Sabbath, and Passover, and then the seven annual festivals. And then he sums up in verse 37, These are the feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, holy assemblies. And thank you very much for obeying God and assembling here today, because this isn't a holy assembly, not a holy stay-at-home day.

Like the Sabbath, God wants us to be giving and loving and serving and stitch together and edifying one another, encouraging one another, especially as we see these days getting worse. To offer an offering made by fire to the Lord, a burnt offering and a grain offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, everything on its day.

Now sacrifices were to be the sweet-smelling saviors up to God, and Paul would have known all about these sacrifices of that covenant, and he would have participated in them.

But Paul is not talking about those sacrifices, and he is not referring to that sacrifice. Paul was not an apostle to the Jews. He was an apostle of the Gentiles, and they were never part of the covenant that God made with Israel. And consequently, he's referring to something else.

He's talking to people who not only were Gentiles, but seafaring people.

The various places that Paul went on in his journeys were typically around the ocean. People got around sometimes on land, but in the Aegean Sea and other parts of the Mediterranean. He had to go by ship, and a lot of commerce was done by ship. And since David's day and before, David makes a statement about those who go down to the sea and ships. Then they go out, and they get scared to death, and they're going to die, and their boats leaking, and the waves are so huge, and the storms are just raging, and they all cry out to God, save me! And they beg and plead with God, and they make promises to God. And then David says, you know, God brings them back home.

Well, in these days, in the New Testament time, it was still common for people to go out and make promises to God, and say, if you'll get me home, I will sacrifice something to you. And they'd come back to their villages and their towns, and they would have animal sacrifices.

You know, when you sacrifice animals, and even when God had them do it, the sweet-smelling aroma didn't just come from meat. You know, we have some sacrifices that go on in our house, a little different version. We call them barbecues. You heat up the barbie, you get it nice and hot, and you throw the meat on there, but not much happens. You know, there's this kind of meat on there. What makes it really good is if you put something on the meat, you know, rub some spices in there, and maybe put some marinade, soak it, or brush it on there, or some sauces, keep brushing and turning it, and it gets in the smoke. The neighbors are going crazy, wondering, who's got the barbie on there? You know, one thing you can add that works out really well is some wine, you know, some red wine. Don't use the red wine that you drink. You ever heard of cooking wine?

You know, there's a reason for using cooking wine or bad wine when you barbecue, because regular wine that you drink, you know, you hold it up to the light, and it's all clear and everything, that taste is not going to survive a fire. It's not going to survive grilling or cooking in a pan very long and flipping around. It's too mild. But you get the old wine that you forgot about for six months in the cupboard, and you hold that up, and it's just as cloudy and nasty as can be.

Now, that's got some lasting power to it. And it's like cooking wine. You would never think that cooking wine was going to go in a glass. No, that stuff's going to get fired and flamed and rolled around in some pans. But this stuff has an oomph that comes on through after the fact, and it tastes pretty good. Now, let's go over here to Philippians 2 and verse 17, and just see how this kind of pulls together with the church and with Paul and how everybody's involved here.

You've got the people, you know, theoretically, mentally. They've been out on their ships. They're fighting for their lives. They're promising God. They're trying to overcome the obstacles of life. Doesn't that sound like the life you live, mentally, spiritually? That Paul was fighting mentally, spiritually? Philippians chapter 2, verse 17, Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoiced with all of you. This is not about the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It's about their faith. It's about that effort. It's about that extreme trial and effort that's being put into their faith and their service.

And Paul's right on board with that, and he says, I'm being poured out as a drink offering on your sacrifice. I am part of that. I'm helping. I'm with you in this struggle, all the way. He says back up in verse 12, Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not in my presence only. You see, he's working with them. This is a body that's stitched together. Now, much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Here, you're going through the waves of life, and you're crying out to God, and we're all trying to help each other. You have to work that out, for it's God who works in you both to will and to do his good pleasure. Verse 15, That you may become blameless and harmless, children of God, without fault, in the midst of a crooked and first-generation. There's the struggle we all live in. Holding fast the word of life, you see. Holding fast, enduring, persevering, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain on their behalf.

He's saying, you hang in there, no matter what comes. You hang in there, and I'm with you. And yes, if I'm being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I'm glad. And I rejoice with all of you. For the same reason, you also be glad and rejoice with me. This isn't an isolated, oh, I wonder what's going to happen to me in the end time.

No, these are the precious children of God who love one another, are reaching out to one another. It's through the process of giving our lives in service to one another that we become worth saving by God.

That's when we become worth something. When we're really trying like Jesus Christ gave up everything and came down and served and gave up everything, and now is serving and offering to give us everything, and somebody is like that. He says, whoa, hey, I can use that lady. I can use that man. I need them on my team to serve and to reign with me for a thousand years. So we need to forget saving ourselves and concentrate on serving others and being Godlike.

Jesus talked a lot about branches, about fruit, about vines, about trees, about growth. One of the analogies he used was that I am the vine, you are the branches, and my Father desires much fruit and that your fruit would remain. What vine are we talking about? We're talking about a grapevine. What are grapes used for? Wine. He's going to drink wine in the kingdom.

It's all symbolism. It is the fruit. It's the product. And he wants lots of fruit. The fruit of God's Holy Spirit is found in Galatians 5, 22 and 23. It's God's love. God is love. And that fruit needs to be growing in you and me of actively love and serving, of being joyous about it, and being peaceful and making peace. And all the joy and the goodness and the things that come from being godly, that fruit needs to be growing on the vine. People are going to be spared, the Bible tells us, who persevere in keeping God's law.

Revelation 3, verse 8. The church at Philadelphia. This is where the corporate entities sometimes get together or get apart and say, We're Philadelphia and you're Laodicea. No, we're Philadelphia and you're Laodicea. No, we're Philadelphia and you're Laodicea. You're all Laodicea. We're Philadelphia. It's kind of funny to see that, but there is one body, we're told in Ephesians 4. One Lord. There's only one body, and it's humans who divide things.

We need to repent of that and ultimately be as God sees those who have His Holy Spirit. This body, part of it at least, that exists at this time, Jesus is referring to here. In verse 7, let's go with verse 7 of chapter 3. To the angel of the church at Philadelphia, write, These things say He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David. The key of David, incidentally, is the key to the lock, to the door of New Jerusalem. And the one who has the responsibility of determining who will enter the Kingdom of God through the gate into New Jerusalem is this one.

And He's speaking. He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David. That's Jesus Christ, Him and Him alone. He who opens the door for you and me, or shuts the door for you and me. And nobody else can do anything about it. There's no back door, there's no Mother Mary, there's nobody else that's going to get you through that door but Him. It's very explicit about it. I know your works, verse 8. See, here's where the rubber meets the road. I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door. You get to come in. And no one can shut it. Oh, Satan wants to shut it. There's a lot of other people who will come up with accusations about sins you have committed, and they'll try to get that door shut. But when Jesus Christ's blood forgives you of your sins, and He deems you righteous, then you will have an open door and no one can shut it. For, because you have a little strength, but you have kept My word and not denied My name. What is His word? Love God with all your heart, soul, and might. And you have been true to the family of God. Verse 10, Because you have kept My command to persevere. Notice, not to be patient. You have kept My command to persevere. I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on the earth.

And there's a promise. See, there is a beautiful environment in which God's people will have, because they're pretested. They've been pretested now. They've been pretested during this life, through the little trials. And they've shown themselves faithful in little, and He's going to make them faithful in much.

Behold, I am coming quickly. Hold fast what you have. Endure, persevere, that no one will take your crown. He who overcomes, I'll make a pillar in the temple of My God. He'll go no more out. I'll write on Him the name of the city of My God, New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven. I'll write on Him my new name.

It's all about the one who has the key, and He has the tough responsibility of making a decision where you're concerned. It's not a pleasant decision, in the negative sense, when a person is told no. When they come and knock on the door and say, Lord, let us in, let us in! He says, no, I don't know You. Go away. It's tough. The reward that these individuals in God's church, not only the ones who are saved there, the innumerable multitude, those who have to give their lives or are persecuted, I mean, the church is going to have a lot of experiences. But the reward is unimaginable. It's just incredible. Let's go to Revelation 19, verse 7.

Before we go there, I want to go over to 1 Corinthians 15 for just a moment. Because we talked about some negative things that are coming up, some negative consequences that are coming up, for humanity and the tough times that the church is going to go through.

When Jesus Christ returns, He's going to come, it looks like, the seventh trumpet comes two and a half years into the tribulation, at the beginning of the day of the Lord. But that day of the Lord, day is a year, the last of the three and a half years, as Jesus Christ orchestrating and becoming very much head-to-head involved in the events that take place there, and very confrontational with Satan and the beast and the other powers.

In verse 51, it says, Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.

Here's the timing of that. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet. The last trumpet. Now, Paul is very definite here, very definitive about when that change comes. And the seventh trumpet is very clearly before the end of the three and a half years, because you have the seven last plagues, you have the seven bowls. We will be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. Now, let's go to Revelation chapter 19, because sometimes we get the idea that a lot of time has gone on between Revelation 14 and the seventh trumpet and Revelation 19, but they may well be exactly the same event. This may be going back now and just restating what's said here. I can't say for sure, but here's what we see in verse 11 at least. Well, let's start in verse 7, Revelation 19.7. Let us be glad and rejoice and give him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. So at some point, and I'm not the one who knows or will determine, but at some point the saints are resurrected and reign with Christ. Now, verse 11, I saw heaven opened, behold a white horse, and he who sat on him was called faithful and true, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. So here comes Jesus Christ on the white horse. Verse 14, and the armies in heaven clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses. Who are these people? Well, we just read about them in verse 8. To her, the church, it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Here comes the bride of Christ riding on white horses with Jesus Christ.

Here they come, in verse 16, and on his robe and on his thigh is a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

What happens next is, verse 20, we see an angel coming down from heaven, having a key to the bottomless pit. Satan the devil, partly pictured by the day of atonement. The next feast is removed, is bound.

Verse 6, blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection, over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. The next feast, Feast of Tabernacles, picturing the thousand-year reign of Christ and the bride. And then down in verse 11, I saw a great white throne in him who sat on it, from whose face the heaven and earth fled away. Verse 12, I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God. The dead are now alive. And the books, the 66 books of the Bible, or how many there are by then, will be opened. Their eyes will see them, in other words. They're closed now, but they will see and they will understand that book they've carried around, maybe in this lifetime.

And another book was opened to them, which is the Book of Life, and their names are written in the Book of Life. And the dead, who are now alive, were judged according to their works as they lived a life. And that is the final day of the Feast, the eighth day of the Feast, that we call the last great day.

You know, and that is the new age, the age of the family of God, here on earth, that then culminates in Revelation 21 with a new heaven and new earth, with all things permanent, all things spiritual. So there is a lot that's coming, a lot of good things that are coming, for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. We need to make sure that we're not just attending with the right group. We need to make sure that we're not just with, you know, the true church. We need to ensure that we're not tears in the true church, or maybe a buried, that Holy Spirit, rather that we're really the children of God that are growing into the loving, spiritually committed beings that God is wanting to elevate into His family. In closing, we've seen today that there is a coming return of Jesus Christ, and He is very, very involved with developing fruit for the Father. Fruit that will be harvested. Fruit of the vine, as it were. I'd like to read an intimate message that God gives to those who are in the place of safety. Not just about the place of safety, let's go to the place of safety and hear Him talk to them. It's found in Isaiah chapter 26, verse 20 through 21. Isaiah chapter 26, verse 20 through 21. When I get a little nervous about the future or see world events, I love to come to these two verses and just read them because they're so personal. They're so intimate. Isaiah 26, verse 20. Come, my people, enter your chambers and shut your doors behind you. I think that tells you something about some of the things that are going to be there. Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment until the indignation is passed. Just three and a half years. For behold, the Lord comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth will also disclose her blood and will no more cover her slain. It's a tough time ahead. It's going to be tough for humanity. It's ultimately going to give birth to many children into the family of God. For the first time in eternity there won't just be two, Elohim. There won't just be two beings that are unified. There will be countless numbers, and eventually that will grow following the successful ones of the Second Resurrection. The family of God will be filled with godly, perfect-minded individuals who love and serve completely and fully. But in the meantime, we're human. In the meantime, God cares for His own. In chapter 27, verses 2 and 3, He says, in that day sing to her a vineyard of red wine. I the Lord keep it. You know that vine that we're to be part of, we're to be branches of, we're to be growing on? How does God see that? He says, I the Lord keep it. I water it every moment lest any hurt it. I keep it night and day. Brethren, God will never leave or forsake or cease to care about those who are deeply committed to becoming part of His family. The only variable that remains is how committed am I? How committed are you? I hope that as you go through this fall festival season, it will inspire you to be renewed in your zeal and your commitment and your love for God and His kingdom and His way. It will instill in you the desire to be Christ-like and to begin to serve and sacrifice more and more for others. In doing so, this fall feast season will be deeply and wonderfully meaningful as you live each day. Happy Feast!