The Truths We Love And Cherish

What are the truths that you love and cherish more than your own life?

We know that we're living in perilous times. Secular and religious voices are crying out and warning the peoples of the world about what lies ahead.

This morning, President Biden addressed the UN. Much of it was done through the internet, but a lot of people were there, representatives from various nations.

He went over a lot of the world's problems of coronavirus and the recent disturbances around the world with regard to civil unrest. In addition to the coronavirus, the situation in Afghanistan, the trouble among nations, climate change, he went on and on, and the solution to the world's problems, according to him, would be for all the world to pull together and work it out.

People are running to and fro, filled with the four enemies of faith. The four enemies of faith are given in the book of Matthew, Anxious Care, Fear, Doubt, and Human Reasoning. People are wondering where the next shoe is going to drop. Truth has fallen into the streets, and people are crying out for justice. And God is looking for men and women, boys and girls, young and old, to stand up in the gap and make up the hedge. Those of you who were in many of the classes that I taught in the sermons you have heard, I have used this many times.

Let's turn to Ezekiel 22 and verse 24. God is looking for men and women to make up the hedge, to stand in the gap, to give even their lives, if necessary, for what Jude identifies as the truth once delivered to the saints. So in Ezekiel 22 and verse 24, Ezekiel 22 verse 24, Son of man, say unto her, You are the land that is not cleansed or rained upon in the day of ending nation.

Of course, there is tremendous drought in our western states. Some areas are getting too much rain, some not enough. Some of the reservoirs out west are the lowest they've ever been. There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey. They have devoured souls. They've taken the treasure and precious things that made her many widows in the midst thereof. Many different ways you make widows. Of course, you can do it.

Divorce is so easy. Cohabitation without getting married. And, of course, war in many other ways. Her priests have violated my law, have profaned my holy things. They've put no difference between the holy and profane. As we know in today's world, good is called evil and evil is called good. And we have seen a dramatic shift in the morals of this country within the past a few months, even just months.

Neither have they showed difference between the unclean and the clean and have hid their eyes from my Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. Really, there's an all-out attack against Christians and about against the Bible, against the Word of God. And so we are here holding on to these precious truths that God has revealed to us. And we have, as you have heard, been given the pearl of great price.

Now what is God looking for at a critical crucial time like we are living in? So we look at verse 30, and I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before me for the land that I should not destroy, but I found none. That cannot be said of us. That cannot be said of us. Who knows whether or not you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this, as Mordecai Esther's uncle challenged her when the Jews were facing extinction by the hands of the evil Haman.

Therefore, have I poured out mine indignation upon them? I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. Their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, says the Lord God. So are we willing to answer the call to stand in the gap at this critical crucial time in human history? The Church of God is just that. It is the Church of God. That needs to sink in. It is the Church of God, and I would like for you to turn to 1 Timothy 3 and verse 15.

1 Timothy 3 and verse 15, and we'll read here what the Apostle Paul writes, what I've just said, that we have come to the Church of God. It's not the Church of men. It is the Church of God. It's not just another denomination. It is the Church of God. In 1 Timothy 3 and verse 15, But if I tarry long, that you may know how you ought to behave yourself in the house of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

We really want to focus on that last phrase there, the pillar and ground of the truth. We have entered into the covenant of sacrifice with God in Christ, and God and Christ are expecting us to live up to that covenant of sacrifice that we have entered into. I wish now that you would turn to Psalm 50. Oftentimes, we look at the Psalms as just songs of praise, and indeed they are, but they're much more than that. There's a lot of prophecy in Psalm 50. In fact, the first part of Psalm 50, especially, pictures the coming of Jesus Christ.

Psalm 50 verse 1, The mighty God, even the Lord, has spoken and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof out of Zion. Of course, Zion also symbolizes the church. Zion is a geographical place within the environs of Jerusalem, but as Paul writes in Hebrews chapter 12 verses 21-22 along and there, that Zion, that we have come to mount Zion to the general assembly of the church of the firstborn. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shined, our God shall come and shall not keep silence. A fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. He shall call to the heavens from above and to the earth, that he may judge his people, gather my saints together unto me those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. We entered into the covenant of sacrifice with God in Christ at baptism. At that time, we confirmed that we would forsake all to follow God and Christ and be Christ's disciple. Now I'm reading Luke 14 verses 26-27. Luke 14, 26-27, probably the person who counseled you for baptism, read these scriptures to you, you talked about them, and it says, if any man come to me, and love not less his father, mother, and wife, and children, brethren, and sisters, yea, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. So we entered into that covenant of sacrifice that we would forsake all even our own lives to when we entered the covenant of sacrifice to defend, to love, to cherish the truth. So our title, once again, the truths we love and cherish. Now let's go to Revelation chapter 12. Revelation chapter 12, we can all quote verse 9. Revelation 12.9, and the great dragon was cast out that old serpent called the devil and Satan, who is deceiving the whole world. He was cast out into the earth as angels were cast out with him. And heard a loud voice saying in heaven, now come, now has come, salvation, strength, and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ. For the accuser of the brethren is cast down, which is accuses them before God day and night. I wonder if your name, if my name ever comes up before there, have you considered Mr. X, Y, or Z, or Mrs. X, Y, or Z? Try them in this way or that way and see what they will do as God permitted Satan to try Job. And then continuing here, verse 11, and they overcame him, they overcame him by three ways, by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony, is that testimony written in your heart by the Spirit of the living God, and they love not their lives unto the death, that covenant of sacrifice that we've entered into.

Once again, what are the truths that you love and cherish that you would be willing to die for? Do you know and understand? And can you communicate the truths you would be willing to die for?

There are at least five fundamental truths that have been restored in the church over recent decades, basically restored during the days of the ministry of Mr. Herbert Armstrong. Shortly after his death, there was a publication in which it stated, are you thankful for these truths that have been restored? I think there were like 17 of those. I have distilled this now to five here for our purpose this afternoon, which I consider these perhaps to be the most important. One, the nature of God and Christ. And we'll talk a little bit more about who is God and who is man in just a moment. The purpose of human existence, the why were you born booklet, became to me the capstone. When you come to realize why you were born, why God created humankind in the first place, what a revelation that is. You know why you're here. You know what God's purpose is. You know what man's purpose is. So when I read that booklet, I was sort of on the edge, the preface is sort of teetering back and forth. But when I came to understand why you were born, it made all the difference. That's one of the things that we really need to emphasize. Number three, the spiritual law of God is eternal must be obeyed in order to enter into life. The spiritual law of God cannot be done away with.

The next thing, a grand overview and understanding of God's awesome plan of salvation is revealed by the Holy Days, which we keep these annual days, which reveals the various steps in the plan.

And then this one, which Satan really helps that you are born into the family of God at the resurrection. And then we go from the humankind to the God-hand. We are to the God-kind. We are heirs of God, heirs of God. This is Romans 817. We're heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ, meaning that as resurrected beings, we will be on the same plane of existence as God and Christ. We will be glorious, radiant spirit beings in the kingdom of God. Do we really understand, and can we explain and defend these great truths? We're commanded to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The subverting of the great truths of the nature of God through the Trinity booklet. This great heresy that came upon the church, also subverting the teaching of why you were born and what you will become at the resurrection, along with claiming that under the terms of the new covenant, God's immutable spiritual law is no longer relevant. These great heresies split and shattered the church in the scores of splitters, and they continue until this very day. Brethren, the fact that you're here is living testimony that you do love and cherish these truths. But I wonder at times, and I find myself examining myself, do I really understand how blessed we are? The blessings that we have are so wonderful. I suspect that these great heresies, coupled with the age-old heresy addressed by Jude, licentiousness and lasciviousness, the great heresies addressed by Jude, we'll read that later, probably, are the greatest challenges that the church will be facing in the years that lie ahead. In 1988, I was in Pasadena as president of the college there in Big Sandy.

I gave a Friday night Bible study in the auditorium in Pasadena titled The Final Battleground. The final battleground would be over the truths that are essential to the trunk of the tree and entrance into the kingdom of God. Can we list and answer the seven great questions of life? Back in the 60s, we led the way with regard to the combating evolution. We had beautiful booklets and we wrote a lot of articles combating evolution. Of course, now evolution is taught as a fact from grades, well actually pre-kindergarten all the way up through higher education in the land. It is taken as a quote scientific fact.

The first great question of life is, does God exist?

Now, people say, well you went too fast, but if you are writing down the scripture and if you are a diligent student, then if you have the scripture, you'll go back and look at it and you will study. In Hebrews 11 verse 6, what does it say? He who would come to God must, first of all, believe that he is, that he exists. I mean, that's the first step. If you don't believe that God exists and he means what he says and says what he means, God. So we are made in the image of God, but what is man? He's made out of the dust to the ground and he is subject to sin and death.

But he was created for a great purpose, that is to become members of the great family of God, spirit, glorious, radiant spirit beings. So do we understand who and what God and Christ are and the roles they are fulfilling in the salvation process? And can we defend those truths that we have just listed? Do we really understand them? We're created for a great, transcendental purpose. Do we really understand who and what man is and that he, she does not have an immortal soul? The immortal soul law is linked to basically every false religion on the face of the earth. And I would say 95 and probably 98 percent of all religions believe that you have an immortal soul. We do not have an immortal soul. We are souls. We are living souls. And when it really comes down to its soul means life potential. And we won't pursue that. That's not the purpose here today.

But we understand that we don't have an immortal soul, that we must put on immortality. As it says in 1 Corinthians 15, 50 through 54, that this mortal must put on immortality. This doctrine, false doctrine, the immortality of the soul is perhaps the greatest myth of the ages. The human race has been captured by it. Generally everybody talks about it. Your soul. Do we really understand our calling then and how precious it is? It is a calling that frees you from fear, ignorance, superstition, and the dogmas of man. Let's read about that in John chapter 8. John 8 and verse 32 forms my philosophy of education. The basic sense, you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. You see, man is the creed back in the days of the Greeks. They had a saying that only free men shall be educated, but God has the creed that only educated men shall be free. The only true education is that education that comes from God through revelation. No matter what your socio-economic background, your educational background, or whatever it is, you can be called to God's great truths and understand those great questions of life and the purpose of human existence. In John 8 and verse 31, then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, "...if you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed." Notice, if you continue in my word. Another way of saying that is if you continue in my truths, that includes you and I. If we continue in those truths, you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham's seed. We were never in bondage to any man. How say you that we can be free? And Jesus said, ver le ver das Shania, whosoever commits sin is a servant of sin, and the servant abides not in the house forever, but the sun forever. If the sun therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed. We should be the freest and happiest people on the face of the earth.

You shall know the truth. The truth shall make you free. If Jesus Christ has made you free, you shall be free indeed. And one of the greatest themes of the Feast of Tabernacles is to come before God who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings. Do you know that verse in the Bible that God has blessed us with spiritual blessings? Look at Ephesians 1. Ephesians 1 and verse 1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. Grace be to you, and peace from the God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with spiritual blessings and heavenly places in Christ.

According as He had chosen us to end Him before the foundation of the world. See, this great plan of salvation was developed before the foundation of the world that we should be holy without blame before Him in love, and it continues. Brethren, what we have just noted are some of the main teachings that sets the church of God apart from the world. We are not just any other church. We are the church of God.

Remember 1 Timothy 3.15 that I read earlier? The church of God is the pillar and ground of the truth.

We're here to have these things more reinforced and learn even more about God, Christ, and their precious truths. The Feast is a special time to reflect and meditate on all these things. So let's take a closer look at one of the most important truths that we understand. I believe this one would be more attacked and probably is more attacked than any other of what we shall become in the kingdom of God, the Begettle and Birth process. That at birth we become sons of God on the God plane, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. We have to go through and are going through the same process that Jesus Christ went through. Revelation 1.5, which we'll read later, plainly says that Jesus Christ is the first born from the dead.

Now let's note what's in store for each one of us in the wonderful world tomorrow. Do you know that in Psalm 2, the birth of Jesus Christ as a spirit being is prophesied? We go to Psalm 2. In Psalm 2 and verse 7, for lack of time I won't read the whole psalm. It would be better if we could read the whole psalm, but in Psalm 2 and verse 7, I will decree the decree. The eternal has said unto me, You art my son.

God said to him, You art my son. This day have I begotten you. Now this word translated as begotten here in the Hebrew is yelad. It is the corresponding word to the Greek word ganau.

When used of the father, it means to engender. When used of the mother, it means to bring forth.

We have been begotten by the very spirit of God. If we were not begotten by the spirit of God, he would not be our father. Just as in the human realm, you are begotten by your father.

In the spiritual realm, we are begotten by the father. The church is our mother, and the father brings us to birth. Look at Romans 8.11. Romans 8.11. Way back when we were really having what I sometimes refer to as the doctrinal wars that split the church apart and discussing the nature of God. This was in the late 80s with the doctrine committee that I oftentimes went to this scripture in the discussion in Romans 8.11. But if the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, hopefully the spirit of God dwells in each one of us, he that raised up Christ from the dead. Time after time in the New Testament, you can do a word study. The father raises Christ.

He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwells in you. Now look at Acts 13. One of the great inspired sermons, and we generally don't think about this sermon, very seldom do we turn to Acts 13 and talk about Paul's sermon here. We mainly focus on Acts 2 and Peter's great sermon on Pentecost. We'll break into the thought here of Paul's great sermon, and this ties in with what we read in Psalm 2.7. This day have I, Yalod, I have brought you to birth. It is the father who brings us to birth. I just read it from Romans 8.11. In Acts 13 verse 29, breaking in on Paul's sermon, verse 29, when they had fulfilled all that were written to him, speaking about the Jews and the crucifixion of Christ, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a sepulchre. But God raised him from the dead. I just read that from Romans 8.11. If the spirit that dwelled in Christ dwell in you, he will also quicken your mortal body. And he was seen many days of them that came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people. And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he is raised up Jesus again, as it is also written in the second psalm which we read, you art my son, this day have I Gnao you. I said you lied, corresponds with Gnao. This day have I begotten you, I have brought you to birth, and it's concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption. He said on this wise I will give you the sure mercies of David. And now quickly to Revelation 1 5, which we've already referred to. Very important verse with regard to this.

And essentially you can summarize it by saying it equates resurrection with birth in the spiritual sense. And from Jesus Christ, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness and the first born protátikos, the first born of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins and his own blood. Now to Romans 1 and verse 4, Romans 1 verse 4, and along these same lines we become the spirit-born sons of God at the resurrection.

It is what that will be, and to contemplate that, and the reuniting with those that have gone before and all the things. In Romans 1 we'll start in Romans 1-3, concerning his son Jesus Christ, the Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh.

In Jesus Christ's genealogical record, he descended from David. According to the flesh, he was the son of David. He was also the begotten son of God, and declared to be the son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead. And we've read Revelation 1-5 that says he is first born among many brethren. Now to Romans 8-29. This is where you and I come in, Romans 8-29, because I said earlier we are also going through that same process, and if we remain faithful and hold to the end of the road, we also will be born into the family of God. Romans 8 and verse 29.

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that we might be the first born among many brethren. And of course, 1 Corinthians 15 follows up on this, that Jesus Christ is the first born, and then each man in his own order at his coming. Of all the truths that Satan hates, this is the one I think he hates the most. We are going to be born in the family of God.

See, the angels are called sons of God in some places. They are sons of God by creation. We are sons of God by begettle and birth. That is very important. There is a vast difference.

And it might be one of the reasons why Satan rebelled. Oh, these fleshly, mortal people, you are saying they are going to be sons of yours? Well, look at me. Look what I've done, what I am. Of course, God created him in the first place.

Satan knows he is shut out, so he is going to try to do everything to subvert this great truth. So brethren, it is time for us to wake up and love and cherish these precious truths, because we are going to be made kings and priests. We are going to be ministers of the Lord, and we are going to be teachers in the kingdom of God. We must not grow weary at this critical, crucial time in human history. And as I said before, you have been called to the kingdom for such a time as this. We can develop all kinds of wonderful programs and render sincere service with all our heart. But if we lose sight of these great truths, it is all in vain.

And Jesus Christ makes this very clear in Matthew chapter 7.

In Matthew chapter 7, if you'll go there, Matthew 7.21. What did I just say? We can develop all kinds of wonderful programs, render sincere service with all our heart. But if we lose sight of these precious, fundamental truths, it will all be in vain. This is Matthew 7.21. Not everyone that says unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that does the will of my Father, which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? And in your name have cast out devils, and in your name have done many wonderful works. And then will I profess unto them, depart from me you that work. Lawlessness. See, God is not for lawlessness. Therefore whosoever hears these words of mine, and does them, I will make him like unto a wise man which has built his house upon the rock. And when the rains came and the storms came, that house was able to stand. And we must be able to stand in the gap at this critical crucial times. We must focus on these great truths, hold fast, never let them slip.

We often quote from 1 Corinthians 13. Let's go there. 1 Corinthians 13, what we call the the love chapter. With the first three verses, I think we gloss over. We don't really get the import of the first three verses. The Greek word that is translated charity here is agape, or some call it agape. The Greek word for love, spiritual love. So Roman, 1 Corinthians 13 verse 1, though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels have not agape, charity, godly love, spiritual love, I become as a sounding brass or tinkling cymbal, and though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries. Some people are so hung up on prophecy, understanding the mystery and the future, and they miss the boat. Because you can know the day and hour, and you could have all the understanding, the exact minute, and who and what, and all of that, or the beast, and so on. But if you are not doing what Paul says here, that too is all in vain, just as good works are that are read from Matthew 7. You could say, I have all faith so that I could remove mountains and have not charity. Okay, it says in Matthew that to become perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect, and we're to become as our Father. That means we're to become perfect in love. God is far more interested in what you are becoming than what you know and what you're doing. Of course, generally, becoming and doing our handmaidens that work together for the right thing, hopefully.

But if I don't have charity, in other words, if I'm not becoming as God is, it profits me nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, I'm not becoming as God is, I'm not charity, it profits me nothing. So the great wake-up call there is that we have to do what the Word of God tells us to do. We don't confuse good works with conversion. We don't confuse understanding and having great knowledge. Now, one place Paul writes that knowledge puffs up. Charity edifies. You have to put it all together. So we can do all kind of wonderful things, but if we don't teach, preach, and preserve the truth, our very reason for being will be in vain. We must labor in the Word of God, come to a deeper, more complete understanding of who and what we are and who and what we profess to be. Even the Apostle Paul, who personally was taught by Jesus Christ in the Arabian wilderness, stated that we see through a glass darkly dimly at this time. We must believe, we must preach, we must teach the essential truths, cling to them for dear life. Each one of us is called to teach and preach the Word of God by the way we live our lives. The two great convicting agents of the truth of God are the Spirit of God and the Word of God. If you look at John chapter 16, verse 7, Jesus is speaking to the disciples. He knows his time is short. He's already kept that New Covenant Passover with them, or he's talking about that in John 16 and verse 7. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you. It's good for you that I go away, for if I go not away the comforter, which in John 14, 26 is identified as the Holy Spirit, for if I go not away, the Holy Spirit will not come unto you. But if I depart, I will send him unto you. Him agrees in the masculine form with the masculine noun comforter.

I'll just use it. I will send it unto you. And when it is come, it will reprove. That word reprove is convict. Lay a weight on your heart, your mind, that you need to act on it. It will convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment. So it is the word of God that convicts. In that word of God, you look at Romans chapter 10, Romans chapter 10 and verse 14. You see in Romans 10 and verse 14 that this word of God must be preached. It's one of the reasons why God raised up the church, commissioned the church. Go you into all the world, disciple all nations. Teach them to observe all things whatsoever I've commanded you.

So in Romans 10, I'm in Corinthians. It doesn't help. In Romans chapter 10 and verse 14, How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? So God has raised up the church, called us to faithfully preach the word of God. How shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and brings that to the items of good things. So you even have a hand in this, in that we took up an offering in the services today for the furtherance of the preaching of the gospel to the world. But they have not all obeyed the gospel for Isaiah, said, Lord, who has believed our report? So then faith comes how? By hearing and hearing by the word of God. You want to store the word of God in your heart and your mind. Brethren, that which we are preaching, what we're teaching, it is not the word of men. It is the word of God. The apostle Paul commanded the Thessalonicaians for understanding that what Paul preached was from God. It wasn't just Paul's words. It was the word of God. We say that we believe in God.

We have not been called to critique the word of God. We're not one of the higher critics, so called.

Do you believe that you have the authority to critique the word of God? Whether you have been ordained or not, we're all God's messengers. We're all called to convey the word of God through what we say and what we do. We need to be ever aware of the responsibility we have for personally understanding and the ability to impress our message upon the minds and hearts of those that we come in contact with and as we have opportunity. As God's messengers, we are the light of the world by what we say, what we do. Jesus states that the words we speak are spirit in their life. What he said, the words I speak, they are spirit in their life. That's John 6, 63.

We sing to him, I sing the mighty power of God. We are to preach the mighty words and works of God. We have been given the mighty words of God. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

Social media is more and more captivating the time and minds of people today. People tweet on and they post almost everything under the sun. Some of the sermons oftentimes are treated somewhat like a you were a movie critic.

Like a movie critic treats a new movie. The tweet goes forth or the critique is posted, Facebook, Twitter, or whatever, as soon as the words are uttered. In today's world, everyone is a critic. Rather, we cannot fall into that pattern. Everyone is a critic. Virtually every business, including doctors, invites your opinions on everything from soup to hay, as they say. Look at Psalm 1. Psalm 1. Psalm 1.

We can ask ourselves, do I sit in the seat of the scornful?

Psalm 1, verse 1, Blessed is a man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly as stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law does he meditate day and night.

Assessment is one of the most emphasized requirements for every facet of human activity today, from doctors to lawyers to whomever it might be, and the more we assess, the worse we get. But what are we commanded to do? The apostle Paul, writing in 2 Timothy 4. If you want to turn there, I'm turning there to 2 Timothy 4 and verse 1. This is a command to I think we say this to the ministry. I think it's to all of us, because, as I said, we all are messengers by the way of what we say and what we do. In 2 Timothy 4 and verse 1, I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead, and his appearing in his kingdom. Preach the word, be instant, end season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. Hopefully none of us are as those in Isaiah 30 that cry out, oh, preach to us smooth things. We don't want to hear about what is really going on. We don't want to really hear about how you overcome. We want smooth things. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but with their own lush shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears, and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch you in all things endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make foolproof of your ministry, which Paul went on to endure to the end. So, brethren, we have been called to the kingdom for such a time as this. We need to earnestly contend for the truth once delivered. Hold on to it. Love the truth. Cherish the truth with all our being to the point that we're willing to give our lives for these precious truths. And I'll leave you with a verse we've already read. This is Revelation 12, 11. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death. So, brethren, I hope that we will love and cherish these precious truths, that we will make the most of this feast, and it will be a turning point in our lives, a pivotal point in which we rededicate and resubmit ourselves to the word and teachings of God, because I have heard the synopsis of what the ministers are going to bring to you in the days that lie ahead of much spiritual food. Oh, yes, we will feast on the physical, but we're here to feast on the spiritual. So I hope you have a great spiritual feast, and we'll be seeing you throughout the feast.