What Does the Lord Require of You?

These last two or three weeks, we saw an historical event, particularly culminating in the last Sabbath on June 21. Politics will hide the real effect of what happened, but for all practical purposes, believe it or not, it is a major turning point in events in the Middle East and Europe, and in the North and East Asia areas. The problem, brethren, is that nations are not repenting, and punishment to the world is soon coming, as described in Leviticus 26 from verses 14 to 42. It shows an escalation of events. I believe we're very near the last phase of that escalation of events. What we do have, and let us not be blinded to this fact, we do have a deep-seated hatred against Judah, which we call today Israel, and against modern Israel, which let's just call it the English-speaking nations. There's a deep-seated hatred by, let's call it, brothers, children of Abraham, and they were even fighting in a womb, and that hatred has only intensified, has only intensified. And when powerful leadership in this country will weaken, because a country divided against itself will not be able to stand, and we are just that, then there'll be an enormous backlash like never before, internally and from outside. In Psalm 83, verses 1 through 8, talks about a confederacy or an opposition, which is described in our booklet, the Middle East in Bible Prophecy, on page 70. So, I'm not telling you anything that we don't know. And also, in Isaiah 5, verses 5 through 7, we see that that destruction will occur during the period of one month. That is also described on page 63 of the same booklet. And we also know, when we compare to scriptures in Daniel 12, verses 6 through 12, about a countdown of 1335 to 1290 to 1260 days, which is also partly described on page 69 of this booklet, we see that we are approaching very serious times. I strongly recommend you to study the Bible using these, as I call them, Bible study guides to study the Bible about these prophetic events. It's not my intent today to spend time describing this prophetic scenario. We've written it down, you can study it, and it's all there.

And I've also produced a number of Bible studies about the book of Revelation. In fact, 34 Bible studies about the book of Revelation, which cover in a lot more detail the events, and they are on our website if you desire to look at that. And that's like 34 hours of study material, just that alone. So today, I could not even begin to address these prophetic events. But I want to underline from a contextual point of view that we are living at a time when a great crisis will explode, particularly when strong leadership will wane, and it will wane in a few years' time. Let's not be naive, and let's understand that Satan wants to destroy everything that is God's, starting from God's church, God's spiritual people, God's physical people, and ultimately the whole of humanity. And so we read in Revelation 12, starting from verse 7 through 9, that there was or there is going to be a war in heaven, and Satan will be expelled from heaven.

God is holding that back until he gives instruction to Michael to expel Satan from heaven. Only God knows the day or the hour when that will happen. And maybe that's speculative, so my authority and speculative authority is zero, but it's just speculative. Maybe that's the countdown from 1335 days down. But as we look at those at that countdown in Daniel 12, particularly in verse 12, Daniel 12, 12, it says, blessed is he who waits and comes to the 1335 days. And so we know we have to wait, and from Revelation 12, 12, we can see that Satan has very little time when that happens. And he will come to earth with great wrath, great wrath. And when we look again at Revelation 12, verse 16 through 17, we see that part of the church will be protected and will flee to an area of wilderness from Satan, protected from Satan. But the other part of the church will not be protected. And there it says, it's those that keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus. And so both groups keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus, but one group will be protected, members of God's church. And another group, members of God's church, will not be protected. So one will be protected and one will not. And so if we look at the congregation, yeah, we could say some of you will be protected and some of you will not. Where will you stand? Where will I stand? Where will we stand in this group or in that group? Turn with me to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, and there we read in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 1 and 2 says, But concerning the times of the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. If you are not ready, it comes as a thief in the night. Because it says later on, if you are awake, it will not come to you as a thief in the night. And verse 3 is particularly pertinent because it says, When they say peace and safety, and today around the world, that is becoming common words of people saying peace and safety. It's interesting that the reading is, they say, it does not read when they will be, it says they say peace and safety, then sudden destruction. And so, brethren, we need to be wide alert. If we read a little bit further down in verse 8, it says, But let us, who are of the day, in other words, we are not of the night. In other words, because we are the day, it's not a situation for us for a thief in the night because we are of the day. So, but let us, who are of the day, be sober. Let us be wide alert, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and as a helmet the hope of salvation. Notice the three points that I mentioned, yeah, faith, hope, and love. Doesn't that remind you of Corinthians? 1 Corinthians 13, 13, that ends up, and that there are three, faith, hope, and love. But let's continue reading in verse 9, For God did not appoint us to wrath. Think about that. God did not call you and choose you to be in God's church to be subject to Satan's wrath.

Well, that's a dual meaning, right? Because really, it's talking about God as appointed us, as it says, to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. But a duality in meaning could be God did not appoint us to go through Satan's wrath. The time of Satan's wrath is the Great Tribulation. That's when he's thrown to earth and he has great wrath because he knows his time is short and he's going to attack the world. And so, God did not appoint us to wrath, but he appointed us to obtain salvation. And so, we have a great hope, a great hope. In verse 12 says of the same chapter, and we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you. We have a job to do. And then that follows verse 11, which says, therefore comfort each other and edify one another just as you are doing.

Brethren, I feel a great sense of responsibility in these terrible times to comfort you and edify you, just like Paul, when he wrote to the Thessalonians, he was trying to edify and comfort them.

And so, we have to recognize that that's a duty. If we continue reading a little bit further on the next page, which is now 2 Thessalonians, and we go to chapter 2, in verse 1 and 2 says, now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to him, that is at the resurrection where we be gathered with Christ, we ask you not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ has come. And that is very applicable to us, brethren, because you and I can be, I'll just use the word, I'll just use the word, infected by ideas, by so-called pastors and ministers, with prophecies and lies about the time of the end.

And Paul is saying out to the Thessalonians, don't be shaken by all these falsehoods and putting that into modern-day term, that will appear on the Internet to deceive you. There will be a lot of false prophecies. People that will take one thing and will twist it and spin it out in a different way or whatever it is, and will deceive. And Paul's saying, please don't be deceived. Because there's going to be first a falling away. And yes, a falling away could have already happened in 1995. But what if there is an additional fall away of overall Christianity? And the man of sin is revealed. That has to happen first. The man of sin is revealed. And then he goes on a little further in verse 6. And now you know what is restraining that he may be revealed in his own time. What is restraining events from blowing up? No man knows the day or the hour but the Father. And when the Father says, okay, Michael, release and expel Satan from heaven. That moment, he that is restraining, you'll allow that one to be revealed. And that man of sin will be revealed. You see, so as we rethink again what Paul mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 5 verse 9, where he says, for God did not appoint us to wrath but to obtain salvation through Christ. And then in verse 11 he says, comfort each other and edify one another. So, brethren, what is it that you and I need to be doing to be counted worthy to escape? Because there will be two groups of people in the church. One will be protected before the Great Tribulation and the other one will not. Both are coming to church. Both are keeping the Sabbath. Both are keeping the Holy Days. Both believe in Christ. But one will be protected and the other will not. What is the difference? Isn't that a million dollar question? And that is an important question. Turn with me to Luke 21. Luke 21 verse 36. In Luke 21 verse 36, we read, We read, Watch therefore and pray always that you may be accounted worthy to escape. Now, you and I could say, well, we've got to watch the news and watch CNN or watch Fox or whatever it is. But the context, if you go back to verse 34, it says, take heed to yourselves. What you and I need to watch is ourselves. Interesting point is, is not watch the person sitting next to you. You know, it's easy for us to judge and criticize those next to us. But we've got to watch ourselves. It's time to watch ourselves. To be accounted worthy to escape. And more important, because it says to escape all these things that will come to pass. Yes, the great tribulation and all what will come to pass. But even more important, to stand. That means to be resurrected or to be changed as spirit beings to stand with Christ at His second coming. And so, what is it that you and I must do to be counted worthy? To be amongst those that will escape, because there'll be some in the church that will not be counted worthy to escape. My prayer and wish is that all of you make ourselves ready to be counted worthy to escape.

And so, my question today is what does God require of you to be counted worthy to escape and to stand? That's my question today. What does God require of you to be counted worthy to escape and not of you, of me, of us?

What is it that you will be blessed as it says in Daniel 12 12 to wait till the 1335 days? Is it because you speak in tongues? Is it because you know all the prophecy and you have all the answers to all the technical ins and outs of prophetic things? Is that the difference that will make you worthy to escape? Or is it because you know every scripture in the Bible by by heart and you know exactly which scripture to turn to? Is that that will make you worthy to escape? Or is it because you give everything you have to the poor? That will make you worthy to escape? Or is it because you give your body to be burned in a fire at a stake that will make you worthy to escape? Well, you know, as we read in 1 Corinthians 13, and let's go there briefly, 1 Corinthians 13, which is the love chapter, which I mentioned to you a little earlier, but in 1 Corinthians 13, we read, "...though I speak with tongues of men and of angels, but have not godly love, love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal, and though I understand everything about all the prophetic things, I have all the great knowledge, my head is full, I'm proud of what I know, and I preach to you all the things about prophecy, and I understand all ministries and all knowledge, and I have all the faith that I can move mountains, but I don't have godly love. We are nothing. So it's not that that will make us worthy to escape. And though I bestow all that I have to the poor or I give my life to be burnt, that's not it either.

Godly love suffers long in his kind, does not envy, does not parade itself, not buffed up, does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, does not provoke, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in inequity, rejoices in the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, enjoys all things, never fails. Well, you and I, particularly me, are long way from that. I'm a long way from that. And we're all a long way from that. But let's look at another scripture, which is a wonderful scripture, talking about the mind of Christ in Philippians chapter 2, verse 1 through 4. Philippians chapter 2, verse 1 through 4. That's talking about unity. Unity.

That's talking about humility. Let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. So we're talking about an attitude, an attitude of mind and heart. That is very important, because we know that, as we read in the following verses, that Christ was of the form of God, and they're not considered to be robbery or identity theft, to be equal to God. But he made himself of no reputation, leaving the form of God and becoming of the form of man, leaving that glory, leaving that power. He humbled himself to the point of death. That's Christ's mind. That's his love. And that's the sort of mental attitude that you and I need to have. If we look at Ephesians chapter 4, Ephesians chapter 4, and let's look at verse 13. When it's talking about, in fact, starting from verse 11, it says that God has given us ministers, pastors, and teachers, and then for preparing the saints, which is you and I, for the work of ministry, and that the word is the Akoneer, which is service to serve. We're all being prepared to serve for the edifying, for the building up of the body of Christ, which is the Church of God. Till we all come to the unity. Again, it's talking about unity becoming one of the faith. We are to be united in what we believe in our faith. That is our doctrine. We have, and this is the reason of the existence of united, is doctrine. We stick to the doctrine which was once delivered to us. That is very important. The unity of faith, of doctrine, and of the knowledge of the Son of God. We have the unity of understanding who Christ is and who we strive to be like Him.

Till we become a perfect man. Till we become like Christ is. That is a change of mind and heart. Till we reach the measure, the standard of the stature of the fullness of Christ. That's our goal. Don't compare yourselves with me or with any other person. We compare ourselves to Christ. We follow Christ. That's who we look to. That we should no longer, therefore, be tossed around with all these little ideas that come on the internet with prophecies and falsehoods. That is junk. Don't get this, let's call it, disease of internetitis or whatever it's called. You know, because there's going to be a lot of lies with that. Let's not get tossed to and fro with every window of doctrine teaching, because we are united in the sound doctrine that was once delivered to the saints, the unity of the faith. Because all these ideas, as it says here, are by the trickery of man in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting. You know, as you watch some of the things and what some people say on the internet, you only can reach to one conclusion that some of those people are deliberately lying to deceive. It's a fact. And if they do that on one thing, they're doing it that also on doctrine, because it's Satan's world. And then it says, but speaking the truth in love. It's interesting that the Greek word for speaking the truth is just one word. In Portuguese, it's translated as, but following the truth. It's not translated as speaking the truth. It's translated as following the truth. The Greek is just one word. It's like saying, truth thing, if there was such a word, is being, believing, acting truthfully. And when you read at the context that it says that the unity of the faith in verse 13, which is sound doctrine, which is the truth, that word is truth, speaking the truth is speaking sound doctrine. Truth. Yes, it means you and I don't lie, but it also means that we speak the truth. Sound doctrine in love. You see, you can speak all the truth, but if you speak it in an unkind way, even though it's the truth, it's going to hurt. And so just sound doctrine is not enough. It has to be applied in a godly manner. We have to be kind and caring how we teach, how we correct, how we approach others.

Sadly, we all fail. Sadly, we all fail. And so many people get hurt and offended, and it could become a stumbling block with the truth. We have to speak sound doctrine in a caring way. How many of us know, for instance, things like Matthew 18, 15, and we do not apply it? At all levels. At all levels. Because we're not being sincere and honest. There's something we just need to go to that person. And in honesty and humbleness, in meekness, address it. And then you build a bond of peace. Because we're speaking the truth in love. And again, the truth is not just you lying or not lying, but behaving the gospel. The doctrine that we have. We live it. We behave it. We speak it by actions. And so that way we may grow up unto all things unto him who is the head of the church, which is Christ. That way we're growing to be like Christ. From whom the whole body jointly and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effect of working, to which every part does it share. Every part does it share of living the truth, of applying kindness to other people. Because we fail. We all fail from the top down or from the bottom up to whatever. We all fail because we're all human beings. And we all got to learn to forgive one another. And sometimes it's hard, but we got to do it in love. Christ said after the foot washing, I'll give you a new commandment in John 13. He says, I give you a new commandment. Love others as I have loved you. You see, the old commandment was love others as you love yourself. But now he raises the standard to a higher level. As I have loved you, he gave his life for us. What does God require of you to be amongst those that will be protected and escape?

Well, we can guess. Luke 21 says, pray that you may count it worthy to escape. But with you and I don't have to guess. You just have to turn to Micah chapter 6. Micah chapter 6. And there we read in verse 8. He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does the Lord require of you? What does God require of you and I? Is it to know all prophecy? Is it to know all mysteries? Is it to know the Bible back and forwards? And he says, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. What does God require of you and I? But to do justly, to love mercy. The word that it translates into mercy in Hebrew is a lovely word. It's used some 251 times in the Old Testament, and that word is ch'est. Ch'est, mercy. But it could also be interpreted as God's faithfulness. In other words, his mercy, because he has covenanted with us. In other words, it's related to covenant loyalty. And God's mercy is because he's made a promise, and his word never fails. And he wants you and I to be in his family, in his kingdom, and he loves you, and he's given his life for us to forgive us. That is his mercy. That is his covenanted loyalty towards his promise. That's ch'est, beautiful word. But you know, brethren, when you think about to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God, is nothing different than what Christ spoke to the Pharisees and scribes when he spoke to them in Matthew 23, 23. And let's turn to Matthew 23, 23. And he spoke to them in no diluted expression. And he told them in Matthew 23, 23, he says, Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! Now that's not politically correct to say that, but he did say it.

He didn't whitewash the situation. He told them straight, you hypocrites. For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, you know, it was of the tiny things you pay tithe, which later on he says you ought to have done. I'm not saying do away with tithing. Yes, you should but he says you have neglected the weightier matters of God's law. And think about God's law. It's God's love. It's God's will. It's God's mind, which is more than just the 10 commandments. And the weightier matter of the law is justice, mercy, and faith, which is basically identical to what we read in Micah 6 verse 8. Judgment, mercy, it was compassion, that covenant loyalty by being merciful because he's covenanted and you'll be merciful to us. And faith, which means walk humbly with deep respect and fear of God, absolutely trusting God under all situations, because faith is trust. And so you and I walk trusting God.

The nation, brethren, society, and we all need to pay attention to what we read in Isaiah chapter 12 verse 6. And there we read so you, by the help of your God, return. Repent! Return! Repent! Change! Observe mercy and justice and wait on your God continually. Isn't it the same thing? Justice, mercy, and faith. Observe mercy and justice and wait on your God continually.

More specifically, brethren, let's turn back to Ephesians chapter 4 verse 1. Ephesians chapter 4 verse 1. Paul, writing to the Ephesian brethren, says, either for, that's Paul, the prisoner of the Lord, so he was in jail, beseech you. I plead with you, please, to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called. Brethren, you and I were called to be in God's church. You and I were called to be trained as kings and priests to work under Christ after His Second Coming. You and I were called to be part of the bride.

The question is, are you and I walking worthy of that calling? Remember what we read in Luke 21? Watch and pray that you may be counted worthy. Are we walking worthy of the calling?

Justice, mercy, and faith. Are we keeping that in mind? Are we applying Godly love like Christ wants us to do, to be like Him, to love others as He loved us?

We read in Ephesians chapter 4 starting from verse 11 to verse 16 a little while ago. And in verse 16 says, so that we all may be together as a body, net together by what every joint supplies. We read that in verse 16 of Ephesians 4. According to the effect of working of each one of us, how we apply, how we live, how we speak to one another in in Godly love. Brethren, that's what we, you, and I need to be. And that is the vision of United Church of God. Do you understand the vision statement that we have, which says we are to be a church led by God's Holy Spirit, joined and knit together by what every member supplies, with all doing their share and growing in love to fulfill God's great purpose for humanity, to bring many children to glory. From this very verse and also from Hebrews chapter 2 verse 10. Brethren, we are not to walk like the people in the world, as it says in the Bible. In verse 17 it says, therefore I say, says Paul, and testify in the Lord that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles.

Think back at verse 1 of this very chapter, where he says that you walk worthy of the calling. And so the verb, the action word, is walking. Don't walk like the world, but walk live the way. You see, this world sees religion as, oh well, I love Jesus, I accept the Lord, all religiosity stuff. And you and I read in the early church in the New Testament that they talked about the way, the way. That's walking, the way. And if we don't do that, we blind it, as it reads in verse 18 of Ephesians chapter 4. We have to walk. How do we walk in a way that's worthy and dignified to God, using God's Holy Spirit? Because it's God's Holy Spirit that you and I have received, which is the power of God that changes your mind and my mind. And that's what it says in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 23, that we need to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, of my mind, of our minds. How? By God's Holy Spirit working with our mind and changing us to think, to act, to have a different attitude. You know, brethren, in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 1, it says again, walk worthy of the calling to which you were called. What is the calling that you and I were called to? You and I were called to rule with Christ. Right? As kings or as teachers? In other words, like priests, teachers, helping, guiding other people. We all have a responsibility. We all will have a responsibility. Each one doing its own part. God is training you maybe in an area to help other people. God may be straining another person to help. But some of us may ask, how is God training me to be a king, to be a teacher? Because all I am is a housewife. So how is God training me? Because I don't have these positions of authority and you don't need positions of authority.

There's a wonderful proverb that I just want you to turn to, which is Proverbs 16 verse 32. Proverbs 16 verse 32. And there we read in the latter part of Proverbs 16 verse 32, we read, you know, who he who is slow to anger is better than the mighty. And he who rules his spirit, then he who takes a city. You know, if you can control your emotions, if you can control what comes out of your mouth, if I can control what comes out of my mouth, if I exercise self-control, it was if I rule my spirit, my mind, my will, under difficult conditions, it's better than he who rules a city. Because that is the ideal training for you to be a king or a queen. And so you and I can train or be trained today to rule just by being a member in our families and do our job in our families and ruling our emotions and our spirit. You see, you don't have to be a president of some organization or whatever it may be, because God is training you and I in those simple little things, controlling your emotions, my emotions, our emotions, and the way we react in every situation in your life, whatever you and I are. And that is better than ruling a city, because you are learning how to rule a city. And so, brethren, as we kind of look back again at the wall today, in the last few weeks, we've seen a major turn which will make things in the Middle East never be the same. But don't think that that spirit of hatred will change. That spirit of hatred that exists against God and against God's people, against Israel, and particularly spiritual Israel, God's Church, is the spirit of Satan. And that spirit has not gone away.

And that spirit is waiting for the moment, and could be only a few years from today, when leadership in this country will win, and wining will come. And then, Satan will attack us with a vengeful fire like never before.

But you and I can be protected. You and I can be counted worthy to escape. You and I need not fear. We must not be anxious, because God does not lie.

He did not appoint you to wrath, but to salvation. He has covenant loyalty, chasseid, mercy. Mercy, because of his loyalty to his covenant, to his promises, because he's faithful. He does not lie.

So what does God require of you? Look back at Ephesians chapter 4, verse 1 through 3. Ephesians chapter 4, verse 1 through 3. And it says, walk worthy of the calling that you were called. How? How? And yeas, how? In verse 2 and 3. With all lolliness. And gentleness. That's meekness, teachability. With long suffering. When you are accused wrongfully, you suffer long. Bearing with one another. That means, even if the other has treated you badly, you forgive. Even if the other has not applied Matthew 18, 15, you forgive.

In love. Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. In other words, if you and I are a peacemaker, and think about the Beatitudes in Matthew 5, it starts with humility and repentance and meekness. And it ends up in being a peacemaker. So if we are peacemakers, we build and keep the unity of God through His Spirit. And so, as I conclude, I just want to draw your attention to a wonderful specific action plan that the Apostle Peter gives us in 2 Peter chapter 1 verse 3 to 10. 2 Peter chapter 1 verse 3 to 10. And this is a wonderful action plan that you can take home as things to do. And say, well, how am I doing in this specific action plan? Because he says in 1 Peter, I beg for 2 Peter chapter 1, 2 Peter chapter 1 verse 3, as He's divine power, that's God's Holy Spirit, has given to us all things that you and I need, has given us all spiritual tools that you and I need to have eternal life, to pertain to life, eternal and Godness, and to be like God through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which these characteristics of tools that you have been spiritual tools have been given to us great promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature. You know, the tools for God's Holy Spirit, you and I can start putting on God's nature to become like God, and therefore escaping the corruption that is in the wall through lust. And then He says, giving all diligence, make an effort, add to your faith, to your belief, to your trust in God, virtue, be clean. Don't be impure in thoughts, in actions, just be clean, and add that knowledge, understanding of God's plan, and then have that self-control of controlling your mind and your spirit. And then stick to it, persevere, stick to it, and then become more like God, and apply brotherly kindness with your brother, and lastly, godly love. Because if you do these things, it says, in verse 10, it says, therefore brethren, be even more diligent to make your calling and election sure. Remember Ephesians chapter 4 verse 1, walk diligently, walk in a worthy manner to the calling that you've been called to the purpose. So now if you do these things, you make your calling and election sure. In other words, you are going to be counted worthy to escape. For if you do these things, you will never stumble. You will never leave God's church. God will protect you through these days, and you will stand with Christ at his coming. Therefore, brethren, what does God require of you and I? I hope I've given you something for you and I to think about so that you can really put it in practice. Therefore, fear not. Fear not. God is loyal to his promises in mercy. He has covenant loyalty. He is, and he has, has said.