Why the World Needs the Kingdom of God

Okay, are we all back in and ready to go? There will be plenty of time after services, too, to pick up booklets, to munch on some things back there as well. So we'll go ahead and get started. And again, after the second session, I'll be around the people that you've seen on the podium this morning, and many of the church members will stick around.

So if you have any questions or anything, be absolutely sure to see us and ask anything you want. Well, as we get the second session started, the first session gave us a good background into what the kingdom of God is, why we should look forward to it. And now you're armed with the reasons or some of the misconceptions you might have had about the kingdom of God have been washed away.

Now you know that the kingdom of God is a literal kingdom, a world-ruling government that's going to come to earth with Jesus Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I said at the beginning, and I'll say it again, the kingdom of God is one of the most misunderstood concepts of the Bible, and yet Jesus Christ talked about it over and over and over again. And He wanted us all to know about it. He wanted us all to be the central focus of our lives as it was His and to look to it.

And we've seen some of those this morning. Now, as we ended, I had talked that, you know, everyone wishes. I'm sure everyone in the room wishes the kingdom of God could come right now. Because we live in a world that's just a mess. I mean, when we look around us, there's really... Okay, we're going to have to advance our screens here a minute, so... I thought I had this done, so bear with me just a minute.

This will give you a good refresher. If you're a speed reader, you'll remember what we talked about this morning, so... But the world we live in is in crisis mode. I mean, I don't think anyone that's paying attention to anything at all would not agree with the statement that the world that we live in today is far, far different than the world the way it was 20, 30, or even 10 years ago.

When 9-11 hit, it really did change the way... Really... I was going to have you just advance that on there, so I don't have to play with these buttons. I should have done this before, but... We're almost there. The world post-9-11 has been a totally different world, where war is at our doorstep any time.

We don't know when we walk out of our houses in the morning, what we're going to walk home to at night. It's a world that's just... That's anyone's guess. You look at the... Wow. Didn't realize I had this many slides, so... Here we go. Ah, okay. There we are. A world in crisis. Now I can get back on focus. Okay. We live in a world that you know, and if you've been listening to the news at all in the last, even three months, or even in any in 2011, you've heard newscasters talk about how, you know, this hasn't happened before, hasn't happened in 500 years, not in recorded history.

And we see a world that's just falling apart on every level. You know, we have wars, you know... When is there not a war going on? The United States is involved in one now, was involved in two. We see all the uprisings in the Middle East as those nations get toppled, as people... People go forth and rebel against the governments that are set. And then, too, you know, and then there's the question of what's going to happen to those nations once, you know, they've toppled the old government.

What is going to happen? Well, you know, some news people now are beginning to say, is the Muslim Brotherhood going to take over some of those Middle Eastern countries? And if that happens, what does that do to the United States? And, of course, we have, you know, prophecies in the Bible, in Daniel, that talk about some of the things that go on in the Middle East, what they mean at the end of the age.

And it's a very real question to people out there. We live in a very uncertain world. You know, if we don't even talk about uprisings and more, we can talk about hate. Because, you know what, in this world that we live in today, you can see hate in every area that you go to. I mean, there's certain, you know, certain areas of the world that just literally hate the United States. I mean, just literally hate them. And it's not just us. There's other people that hate as well. But the world is defined anymore by wars, the uprisings that we see, and just an outright hate for mankind.

We can spend the rest of the afternoon talking about the economic uncertainty that we've all lived through since 2008, when the United States fell into a recession. We talk about, you know, there's questions about what's going on in Europe. Is there economy? It's at all stable. You know, what is our economy like? And, of course, the president this week was on the TV proposing another jobs plan that, you know, he hopes is going to pull us out of some of the doldrums that we've been in.

But economic uncertainty is one of the things that has plagued us, will continue to plague the whole world. We can talk about chaotic weather. And, again, a lot of the comments you've heard on the news is, we've never seen anything like this before. We talk about earthquakes in Washington, D.C., tornadoes that literally flatten whole communities in the spring.

We talk about flooding in areas of the United States that haven't seen flooding in such stages before. Meanwhile, in Texas, we have a drought that they say is unparalleled in history. Nothing like that has happened. You know, if you are familiar with the Book of Amos, you can read some of the prophecies for Antigens and Israel back there.

They do have some implications for us today as well, and some of those are for modern-day Israel, that talk about, at the time of the end, there will be places that have way too much water, like the Upper East Coast is experiencing now, and then others are begging for rain, like Texas. We have natural disasters, and you know what? There's no answers out there. No answers out there that you can hear from any of the politicians or any of the governments anywhere in the world. They don't know what to do. They do the best that they can.

But there's no answers from mainstream religion either. You don't hear anyone, you know, getting up and saying, there is an answer to this mess, and the answer is the Bible. Now, our church says that. The Good News magazine says that. The Beyond Today TV show says that. God's Word says there is answers, and literally and frankly, the only answer to the mess and the crisis that this world is in is the Bible and Jesus Christ returning to the earth.

But no one from other religions are saying that. That they should know because they claim that they have their basis in the beliefs of the Bible where the answers clearly are. So this afternoon we're going to look at some other questions, or other aspects of the coming Kingdom of God.

We're going to look and see what Christ himself said about the time of trouble that's going to happen before Christ returns. We're going to answer the question, why can't man solve his problems? Why, with all the intelligence and all the brain trusts that are out there, why can't we simply solve the problems in this world?

We're going to look at God's plan to save mankind. The plan that will be in effect that's working right now, that you're going to understand better as we leave. And again, we're going to revisit the fact that you can be part of Christ's millennial rule. You can be part of it if you want to. And you know some of the ways that we get there and some of the things that we talked about this morning. Let's go back and, again, look at what some of the Old Testament prophets talked about because they knew what was going to happen at the time of the end as well.

Now, Daniel 12, verse 1, he makes a statement, and I have underlined in there, at that time, when you're reading the Bible and you come across words like, at that time, in that day, or in the last day, it's talking about a future occurrence and usually occurring to the time of the end. So when we read this and follow that whenever you read, and any of the prophets in the Old Testament realize that that's what it's talking about. So it's at that time, shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people, and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time, but at that time your people will be delivered.

Everyone whose name will be written in the book, well, found written in the book of life. So there is a time of trouble coming, and Daniel says it's a time of trouble unlike anything the world has ever seen before. It's kind of harrowing when you sit back and remember some of the things or recall some of the things that the world has experienced. The Crusades and the inquisitions of the Middle Ages, the Holocaust of World War II, horrific, horrific times.

Now what's prophesied, though, Daniel says, is a time of trouble that's unparalleled in human history. Jeremiah, another one of the prophets, also prophesied of such a time that was coming at the end of days. Jeremiah 30, verse 4, says, these are the words that the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah.

Now in that statement, I'm going to do a brief parenthetical thing here on the United States in prophecy. Again, if you've been reading the good news, if you've been listening to Beyond Today, if you've been attending church with us, you know what the modern-day identity of Israel and Judah, as Jeremiah said in verse 4 there. I'm going to just kind of briefly go through this because I could spend the rest of the afternoon talking about this, if you will. But we do have, if we have booklets left, we have booklets out there that you can take home and read on the United States and Britain in prophecy that will spell this all out for you in detail. And again, if you have any questions or if you want me or someone else to come and spend the time showing that to, showing you the modern-day identities of Israel and Judah, we'll be more than happy to do that. But let's briefly run through it just so you have a basis that maybe will whet your appetite and that you can go back and study more on it.

The Bible is largely talking about one nation, Israel. Especially in the Old Testament, Abraham is known as the father of the faithful. He was very loyal to God. God made him a great promise. In Genesis 12, too, he said, I will make you a great nation. I will bless you. And certainly the ancient nations of Israel. Well, let's go through the genealogy here a little bit. Abraham, he got, eventually, Jacob. Jacob had 12 sons, and they became known as the 12 tribes of Israel because Jacob's name was changed to Israel later.

From that promise that God made Abraham, the ancient nations of Israel did enjoy some very good times. They were the cream of the crop of the nations. Under the time of Solomon and David, they had some very wealthy times. And even in the times of Amos, as you read his prophecy, the nation of Israel was very well blessed. God gave them the promised land that he said that he would. And he did bless them. But with those blessings, he said, I'll bless you as long as you keep living my way of life. If you want to write down Leviticus 26, you'll see in that chapter where God said, there's blessings for obedience, and there's cursings if you don't obey His law. Israel, when they obeyed God's law, they were very well blessed. But when they continued to live apart from His law, eventually, He allowed other things to happen to them, and they went captive. The modern, the House of Israel, actually was taken captive in 723 B.C. And the world now knows them as the lost ten tribes of Israel. Though they're lost to the world, but, you know, we can help you understand where they are today. Ephraim and Manasseh, and then the House of Judah, was the other surviving nation out of the time of Rhea-Bohm's rule. And you can see there the descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh, who descended from Jacob, and Judah, the identity of them today. Now, many people will say, where's America in prophecy? Where's the Jews in prophecy? This is the key to understanding what the Bible has to say, the things that are going to affect all of us as time goes on and a prophesied tribe of trouble comes. So, I'll leave that. Again, if you have any more questions on that, you can see me afterwards and we can spend some time talking about it. Of course, Jesus Christ descended from the tribe of Judah. Now, let's go on in Jeremiah 30, verse 4. Remember, he said, this was a prophecy for Israel and Judah. It says, Thus says the LORD, We have heard a voice of trembling, of peer, of fear, and not of peace. Ask now and see whether a man is ever in labor with child.

Now, what are you saying there to Israel and Judah? Have you ever seen that? Have you ever seen a man in labor? Have you ever seen him labor with a child?

Well, the answer is, no. You've never seen that. It hasn't happened in this world. It's something that the world has not seen before. And so then he goes into verse 7 and he says, And he says, Remember when we see that day? For that day is great, so that none is like it. We've never seen a time when a man was writhing in pain from laboring with a child. None time is like it. And it's the time of Jacob's trouble. The time of Jacob's trouble. Remember Jacob? He had twelve sons, including Judah, who became nations of the world. And God says it's a time at that time, a time of Jacob's trouble, a time coming on those modern-day descendants of Israel. But God says he'll be delivered out of it. He'll be saved out of it.

Daniel, a time never before, like it in history is coming. Jeremiah says the same thing. And then Christ, in the pivotal prophecy of Matthew 24, says exactly the same thing.

Then there will be great tribulation, such as not been since the beginning of this world, until this time, no, nor ever shall be. A time coming that the world hasn't seen before. Don't take those words lightly. Christ himself said them, it's going to be a tough time for the people in modern-day Israel, and a time of trouble really for the whole world in one aspect. In verse 22, it's so bad that Christ says, unless those days were shortened, no flesh, no man would be saved alive. That's just how bad it is.

And as you look at the world around us, as you look at the world preceding us, this is the only time in history that a time like that could occur. Never before has there been a time of mass weapons that could literally wipe mankind off of the face of the earth. Never before could we marshal all the things that happened that literally mankind could be obliterated from the earth.

Christ says, unless those days were shortened, unless he was to return, unless his kingdom was to come and be set up that would replace the kingdoms of this world, as Daniel prophesied, no flesh would be saved alive. Now let's back it up a little bit, because that's what it is going to be. But look at the time that Christ said that's going to precede that time of great tribulation, that time that's going to be like no other times.

Because he gives us in the beginning verses of Matthew 24 very clear signs to look at, to see what is leading to that time of tribulation, to the time of the end, until the time of his return. He says in verse 6, you'll hear of wars and rumors of wars. He said earlier today, has there been a time when we can hear of wars and rumors of wars the way we do today? We have wars in Afghanistan, we have wars in other parts of the world.

And you know what? Lately on the news I've been hearing a lot about some other rumors of wars too, because terrorism is war. If you watched the news yesterday, you heard about the terror threats that they've been uncovering in New York City and Washington, D.C. Rumors of wars, rumors of threats, rumors of attacks, and we see it all around us. It's simply out there. Verse 7, he says, nation will rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.

Well, we can talk about Texas and what's going on down there with the drought, but if we want to look at famines, they are on the face of the earth. I mean, in Africa and Somalia, the pictures and the stories that are coming out of there are horrendous. What's going on? There are famines on earth.

There are threats of famines even here in the United States, even with all our food supplies. If we look at what could happen in the case of an EMP attack and how that would interrupt our transportation systems, the United States and modern countries that are so reliant on computers could literally be thrown into a famine state within a matter of days. There will be famines. They're out there today in Africa. We have droughts out there in Texas and in other places. There will be pestilences, diseases that people can't control, and earthquakes in various places. We've seen earthquakes be increasing in the news in the decade after 2000.

If you look at the original Greek word for earthquakes, it can mean natural disasters as well and not just earthquakes. Certainly, as we look at the news, as we've seen it in the last several months, we can see natural disasters that have happened and changes in the weather that are befuddling even the newscasters. And he says in verse 11 and 12, false prophets will arise.

People looking like they're preaching the truth but teaching something different. False prophets. And prophets and people prophesying things that simply aren't true. I'm trying to think of the name of the man, wasn't it just back in May, that predicted the end of the world was going to come? Camping. Yes, that's right, camping.

Now, here's a man who got national news attention. Probably everyone heard about his predictions. For the end of the world, it came and went. And now he's talking about October is the time that that will happen. You know, false prophets, people that will say things. Sometimes those things can water us down and make us numb, if you will, so that we don't even understand or see the truth when it's coming. But there will be false prophets out there. And lawlessness will abound. Lawlessness. Now, we live in a world that we still think in many ways is somewhat controlled.

But if you look at the United States and here in Jacksonville where we live or wherever we live around this area, we live in a world that really is marked by lawlessness. The morals that we see people living around us, again, not even close to the standards of the kingdom and the way of life in the kingdom that God has set for us. Lawlessness and the Ten Commandments that are the basis and the foundation that should be the foundation of our morality, certainly the foundation of the law in the kingdom, people have thrown out.

How many people really put God first in their lives? How many people don't look at an image and try to replace God with looking at that image? How many people don't take God's name in vain? It's a common, common occurrence. How many people keep the Sabbath day? And God said that was a sign between him and his people. How many people ignore the Seventh Commandment about adultery? The Eighth Commandment about lying? The Tenth Commandment about covetousness? Eighth about stealing? Ninth about lying? We live in a time of lawlessness. We live in a time where people want to ignore God's law, do what they want, and the message that we get is, hey, if you're not hurting anyone, physically go ahead and do what you want. We live in an anything-goes mentality. That, my friends, is called lawlessness. Lawlessness will abound. And because of that lawlessness, of the situations that we live in, the love of many, many that God has called that are walking away along in his life, the love of many, it says, will wax cold. They will just go back into the world and become part of it, as opposed to living the life that God has called them to live. That's the world that we live in today, a time of trouble and a time that we are living in now. As we look at the things leading up to that time that Christ prophesied, all these things that mankind goes through, we can't solve one of them. No president, no politician, no government in Europe, America, or anywhere on the face of the earth is going to come up with an answer to the problems that the world has today.

Isaiah, in chapter 59, verse 7, says, And that defines the world today, doesn't it? Their feet run to evil. When we look at the news, when we see the things that go on, we probably scratch our heads and think, you know, is it that people always come to the lowest level to be able to do things? It's because of what's in our minds, as we'll see in a minute, in our hearts. The way of peace they have not known. The world can't bring peace. Every politician, everyone wants world peace. Every beauty queen wants world peace, right? The way of peace they haven't known, and there's no justice in their ways. They've made themselves crooked paths. Whoever takes that way will not know peace. One way to lasting peace. One way to eternity. One way to the kingdom of God. And it's not in the laws of this land or any nation on earth. One way, through Jesus Christ and through the way of life clearly defined in the Bible that God says we should live by. When we follow those paths, there will be tough times, but he'll see through it, and it leads to the kingdom and eternity.

Jeremiah 17, Hallmark v. says what's wrong at the core of humanity and why they can't come to the conclusions and find what they want in the way they do things. The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. And that is the heart of man today. Certainly if we look at the news, we can see some of the things that we find even hard to imagine that people can conceive, and even if they think about it, that they carry it out. The heart of man is desperately wicked. The heart of man is deceitful. That's just the human nature that's in us. And without the Spirit of God to temper that human nature and to control that human nature, that's just the way we are. Who can know it? What's going to happen? Or what are men capable of? I, the Lord, says in verse 10, search the heart. I test the mind even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.

The heart of man is wicked. Human nature isn't following God. Human nature isn't subject to the law of God. Romans 8, 7 says the carnal mind can't be subject to God, and in fact, it's enmity against God. They don't want what God has to offer. If we naturally wanted it, we wouldn't be having this discussion because we'd be living the life that we've been talking about in the way that's in the kingdom. But mankind doesn't want that. A change in the heart has to happen before a change in the way of life that we live in this country and around the world are going to be.

And when we live apart from God, God says he will give us, we'll reap what we sow. And so as we look at a world around us that has all these things going on that we talked about, mankind is getting the just reward of what he has sown. If we want peace, if we want prosperity, if we want joy, there's one way to it. And it's not in the ways of the world, it's in the way of life of God's kingdom. Behind all of the evil that lurks in our hearts, that lurks among mankind, is a being that has long been an adversary of God.

Ephesians 2, verse 2 says, He once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air. And as you go through that, you see the prince of the power of the air is Satan himself, the spirit which now works and the sons of disobedience. You know, life is very simple when you boil down to it. We're led by one spirit or another. We're either led by Satan's spirit, which is broadcast all over the world, right?

We see movies, we see TV shows, we sing songs or listen to songs. They don't often chronicle the same things in the way of life that we read in the Bible. They chronicle a way of life that's far, far, far different than what's going to be in the kingdom. That's what's broadcast to us. And it's that spirit that works in the sons of disobedience, and it's that spirit that's brought us to the state of the world that we're in today and that will bring us to the brink of destruction that Christ had prophesied would come.

In Revelation 12.9, Satan is unmasked. Revelation 12.9, the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world. Deceives the whole world. Deceives the whole world into thinking that what they're doing is right and that you don't need a moral system based on the Bible. A whole world that thinks, that he wants to think, is greed is good. Corruption is okay if it gets you what you want. A whole world that thinks your will and what you want is more important than the person next to you.

That's the way of Satan. He deceives the world into thinking that what is not good is good and that the opposite of what's in the Bible is the way to joy, peace, happiness, prosperity, and eternity. That's what he deceives the world into believing. It's simply not the truth. And as the world follows that false way, the results become evident. It'll be that spirit that leads the world to the brink of disaster in coming times.

Revelation 16. I'll highlight a few of these verses here. This is, again, talking of the time of the end after we see many of the things happen in the world, leading to a pivotal end and a culmination of human history as we know it, where mankind is brought to the brink of disaster. It says in verse 12, The sixth angel poured out his bull on the great river Euphrates. Its water was dried up so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared.

So we have a time coming in the future when there's a great army from the east that will be marching along a river that's dried up as they gather together for a battle that's climactic. They are the spirits of demons, performing signs which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world. What are they looking to do? Gather them together to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew Armageddon. That's what it's all leading to. That's the way Satan's way and what it is leading to. They think they're going to go there to battle it out with each other so that their will may be supreme and that their way can be done.

But as they gather together, a great 200 million man army, what is going to befall them is something far, far, far different. And they don't even really know what they're going there and what they're going to bring upon the world. All the armies, all the modern weaponry, everything that goes on at that time, if Christ didn't intervene, would wipe mankind off of the face of the earth. A 200 million man army marching from the east.

What do we have in the United States? 300 million people? Imagine two-thirds of all of America marching together to a place to do battle with another force, with all of the armaments and weapons that we have. And I've heard it said, and you've heard it said many times, man has never created a weapon that they didn't use.

And all these nuclear weapons that we have and that other people have, somewhere someone will use it. And it may be just at this time. If Christ didn't return, mankind would be doomed. In this day and age, we can see that because it's a reality. Absolutely could, and God says, will happen. There's only one way. Only one way to avoid that.

And that's through Him. God knew what Satan's way would lead to. We should know what Satan's way leads to. Even in our own lives, if we choose to live apart from God's law, He says what the consequences of our actions are. So He knew what was going to happen. And God had a plan in place from the foundation of the world so that mankind would never be obliterated. Remember, it's His will that the kingdom be on earth. It's His will that you live in that kingdom. It's His will that you have eternal life, and that you live a way of life that will produce everything you've always wanted.

Joy, peace, happiness, not only for you, but for your family and everyone around you. That's His will. Satan's will is just the opposite. He doesn't want that to happen. He doesn't want there to be a kingdom of God, and He will do and stop at nothing to prevent it from happening. Satan doesn't love mankind. He hates mankind. God, Jesus Christ, they're the ones who love mankind.

They're the ones who sacrificed everything so that we might have eternity. And He had a plan. Even though mankind has rejected Him and rejected His way down through the ages, He had a plan to save mankind and for His kingdom to come and to prove once and for all that His way is right.

At the end of chapter 24, the prophecy that we were reading in earlier about the time of tribulation and all the signs and things that lead up to it, says this.

Soon after the trouble of those days, in verse 29, the sun and those days are the days of tribulation. Soon after the trouble of those days, the sun will grow dark, the moon will no longer shine, the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers in space will be driven from their courses. Think that He'll have the attention of the world at that time when those signs occur. He'll have their attention. And at that time of tribulation and when the world is about ready, or mankind's about ready to end its life on earth, those signs will happen in heaven. And it says in verse 30, The sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the peoples of the earth will weep as they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. In the nick of time, Christ will return. They'll see Him returning to earth, and they'll see Him coming in great power and glory. That happens at the seventh trumpet that you read about in the book of Revelation. At the seventh trumpet, notice in verse 30, mankind weeps.

Here's their salvation. Here's their future. Here's the light that will overcome all the darkness that is the world. And they're so deceived, they don't understand they weep when He's coming. The great trumpet will sound, and He will send out His angels to the four corners of the earth to gather His chosen people from one end of the world to the other.

Christ will return, and His saints will be with Him. That's at the seventh trumpet. Now, in 1 Corinthians 15, we find another thing that happens at the seventh trumpet that we touched on in verse 31. Preceding it in verse 50, it says, flesh and blood can't inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption. So those that inherit the kingdom of God will have bodies that are not corruptible. Verse 51, At the seventh trump, behold, Paul writes, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. Christ returns. The dead in Christ are resurrected.

The first resurrection. We'll talk about another resurrection a little later on, and in the next seminar in a few months. But at this first resurrection, the dead in Christ, those who have lived His way of life, those who showed through their actions and their commitment, excuse me, that in their lives, the way they lived them, that they wanted the kingdom we've been talking about. Those dead will be resurrected at that time. And in 1 Thessalonians 4, verse 13 to 17, we find Paul filling in the blanks for some of us, for what will happen with those people that are resurrected.

Now, many in the world will misinterpret these verses to think that there's a rapture that's up there and that we'll all be caught up together and be caught up and taken to heaven. Now, we've already seen this morning that no man has ascended into heaven. So we know that that's not going to happen, that there's a reason that those saints are resurrected, and we know that Christ is coming back to earth. But let's go through this verse by verse, just so you can see it in the context that it is. Paul writes, talking about people as they fall asleep, and he talks about falling asleep, and it really means dying. He goes, I don't want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, those who have died, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. And as we look at the world around us, you know, when people die, they don't know what happened. They don't have the knowledge of what is going to come of those people that die. They might want to think that they go to heaven. We know that's not the case. They may think that they're going to some other place, by the way, they live their life, and they don't want to think that either. We know the truth. And back there, there's a book on what happens after death, if you want to study more about it. Paul says, I want you to know about what happened, because you know what? The message of God is a message of hope, that every man will live again. He goes, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. Those people that we read about in 1 Corinthians 15, 51, that are resurrected at the seventh trump. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord. Those of us who don't die but are alive at the time Christ returns to earth.

Those who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. What's going to happen? The dead will be resurrected, and those that are living God's way of life now that are the chosen, of the many are called, but few are chosen, who have chosen in their lives to live God's way of life, will not precede those who are asleep. They won't be with Christ before we are. They're asleep in the earth. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout. We read that in Matthew 24, 30. The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

The rest of the dead will rise, but not at this point. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. We'll see in the next verse where we're going to meet Christ in the air, but where He's going. He's not there to take us to heaven. He's on His way, remember, to save the world from itself. Those who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. His kingdom, when it comes to establish it, will last forever and ever. So His people will be with Him forever and ever. Those who will be in His kingdom. Those who show Him, by the way they live their lives now, that they choose His kingdom will be with Him forever and ever, because His kingdom that He's coming to set up will last forever and ever.

Zachariah, another one of the Old Testament prophets, shows us where Christ is returning to. It says, Behold, the day of the Lord is coming. One of those things where we talked about at that time or in that day, the day of the Lord is the time when Christ is returning to earth. That day of the Lord often remains some other places. It refers to the last year before His return. Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, for I will gather the nations to battle against Jerusalem.

Now we saw, back in Revelation 16, remember, where Satan has led the armies, the 200 million man army, to battle right there in Armageddon, which is outside Jerusalem. I'll gather the nations to battle against Jerusalem, and the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations as He fights in the day of battle.

They came there to fight each other. They're going to end up battling Christ. And so He will fight against them and subdue them.

And in that day, it says His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives.

Mount of Olives is right there in Jerusalem.

It's not in heaven. When Christ comes back and He has His resurrected saints and those who were alive at that time, they come with Him.

Now where is He going?

His feet will be on the Mount of Olives. Right here on earth. Right here on earth, where He will establish His kingdom.

And He will have defeated the greatest army that the world could ever possibly muster.

And if you read in Zechariah 14, you see exactly what happens to those people.

As they fight against Him, they're no match. All the powers of the earth, all the powers of weaponry, everything that mankind can throw at battling Christ, not even a match. No contest.

And He'll claim victory.

The seventh angel sounded.

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'll reign forever and ever.

The kingdoms of this world, all the nations, when you look at the 200 some that are listed in the encyclopedias, all the kingdoms of this world will become His kingdom. His government will be established there.

All those nations have failed miserably to bring what their subjects would want.

The joy, the peace, the gladness, and everything that's part of it.

But Christ will come and establish a kingdom that will bring all those things for all of mankind.

And when He sets foot there, and when He takes that throne, He's coming to rule the nations.

I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse.

And he who sat on Him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.

The war at the end of the time that we've just talked about.

And the armies in heaven, Christ and all those who are returning with Him that He's resurrected, clothed in fine linen.

Remember it says in Revelation, the fine white linen is the righteous acts of the saints, the ones who have lived the way of life that God wants us to live.

The armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.

A spectacular scene. A spectacular time in human history.

A spectacular time because it chronicles the time that Christ's Kingdom, the utopia, if you will, and I hate to use that word, but everyone knows what utopia is.

Everything that we can even imagine and more will happen in that Kingdom when Christ returns.

But when He returns, He's just not going to pat people on the back and say, good job.

He's not going to say, just keep living the way that you've been living and you're going to have everything you want.

No, we've already seen that if we want the Kingdom, we must do the will of the Father who is in heaven.

The same will that Jesus Christ lived by all of His life.

When He comes back and establishes His government, He will rule the nations and He will teach them.

Out of His mouth goes a sharp sword that with it He should strike the nations.

The way they've been living isn't right. Isn't the way to be.

And He will strike them. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron.

The textbook? You've got it in your laps.

That's the rule. That's the book of the government.

That's the book of the law. The same book that you can be living by today.

The law that will be the law of the Kingdom when Christ returns.

And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Forever and ever. His Kingdom, once it's established, will never be destroyed.

And who would want it to be destroyed when we understand the benefits of what it brings to mankind?

When Christ returns, He'll rule the nations, but He'll also put away His adversary.

The one who, if He had His will, would have brought mankind to complete extinction.

That would have done anything to keep man from ever understanding the goodness, the love, the blessings of God.

And so it says, I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in His hand.

He laid hold of that dragon, that serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and He bound them for a thousand years.

The adversary, the enemy of mankind, gone.

No longer able to reach them, no longer able to touch them, no longer able to influence their way of thinking, so that the way of God can be taught, so that people can live it without a constant barrage.

Of messages that try to get us to live another way.

He'll bound him for a thousand years and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years were finished.

The millennium that you've all heard about.

The thousand years of Christ's rule, where there will still be a physical earth, physical human beings on it, physical human beings working, living, getting married, having kids, all the things that we do today.

But they'll be living by a law that leads to life, peace, happiness, joy, and all the things that they want.

Because they'll be living by the law and putting the things first that need to be first, and God will see that everything they need physically, they'll be provided.

A tremendous time. We don't have too many teens, but teens don't have to worry, because whatever life is in the room today, we don't have many teens.

But if they understood what the way of life in the kingdom is going to be, they would want this.

Who doesn't want their family to be raised in an atmosphere like Christ and his rule will produce on this earth?

Satan will be gone for a thousand years. The next seminar will talk more about what happens after that.

That's the time when the rest of mankind is resurrected and given an opportunity to choose God's way of life.

This is the first millennium millennial rule of Christ. Verse 20, after Satan is bound, then the millennium begins in earnest.

Revelation 20 verse 4, Remember, we talked about those thrones this morning that would be given to those that Christ will put in charge. I saw thrones on which were seated, those who have been given authority to judge, that came to life, resurrected, and they reigned with Christ a thousand years.

During that time of the millennium, the rest of the dead, it says in verse 5, did not live again until a thousand years were ended.

The first resurrection are for those who died in Christ. Every man who has ever lived will be resurrected.

Every man who has ever lived will have an opportunity to choose God, accept the name of Jesus Christ, choose to live his way of life.

But the rest of the dead didn't live again until a thousand years were ended.

The people that we've talked about, that was the first resurrection, another resurrection coming at the end of the millennium.

Blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection.

They shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

In the life they lived on this earth, they learned the way of God.

They learned the way of life of that kingdom.

So when they are living in that millennial time, they can teach it.

They can talk about the benefits because they lived it in their life in this time.

And they know how good it is.

They know the change that it made in their life and all the things that mankind has wanted that is brought to them, including peace and a peace of mind that we'll talk about in a few minutes.

The Millennium of Christ.

We'll be the best time in mankind's history.

1 Corinthians 2, verse 9, It says, That's the kingdom. We can't even imagine what it will be like when everyone is living.

The law of God, the way of life of God, the law of love, and at a time when what matters to other people is as important, if not more important, to everyone.

We don't even know what that's like because we don't experience it that often, if at all, in the world today.

Well, we've gone through some of God's plan, and you've seen in the verses how He will come and how He will save mankind from Himself.

And if you're interested in more, I hope we have some booklets left out there on God's Holy Day plan.

If there's not any left out there, we can get you one, or you can go to, I think, on your bulletin.

It says you can order booklets, and it gives you the website that you can do that or download them.

But it's all there in God's Holy Day plan because His Holy Days really picture the plan of mankind.

We've talked about Christ's return to earth at the seventh trump. We've talked about the resurrection of the dead at the seventh trump.

And on September 29, there's a feast of trumpets that pictures that time in God's plan that His people keep.

We talked about Satan being bound.

And later on, I believe it's October 8th, is the day of atonement, when we will be looking at that time and commemorating that time.

We'll be looking forward when Christ binds Satan for a thousand years.

And then in mid-October, we have the Feast of Tabernacles, which pictures Christ's millennial rule.

All of it is spelled out in the Holy Day plan booklet.

Again, if you want more details, if you want to, if you have any questions on that, please feel free to see me afterwards.

Email me or call me, and we can go through it in depth.

In Ephesians 1, verse 9, it says, God has now revealed to us His mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill His own good pleasure, a plan that He wants to bring, remember, the Kingdom as a gift to mankind.

And this is the plan. At the right time, He will bring everything together under the authority of Christ, everything in Heaven and on Earth.

When that time comes, peace will be on Earth.

Today you've seen the plan in a nutshell. There's a lot more to talk about.

Like I said, if you want to talk more about it, read about it.

We certainly have the resources available for you.

Let's take a glimpse at what the world will be like in the Kingdom.

And in Isaiah, we have many pictures of what the Kingdom will be like and how life will be at that time.

Let's just pick out a few verses here.

That kind of pique our imagination and realize how different things will be than the norms that we see today.

Isaiah 11, verse 6 says, In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion, and a little child will lead them all.

You've probably seen those pictures before. That can't happen in the world today.

That can't happen in a world that's full of hate and unrest and violence.

It can't happen with the spirits that are extant today.

It will happen in the Kingdom.

It will happen in the Millennium, and that will become a scene that will become accustomed to seeing.

And there really will be world peace.

They won't hurt. This is the tale of Isaiah 11, 6, off the last picture we saw.

Isaiah 2, verse 4, we read this earlier this morning.

Let's look at it one more time.

He shall judge between the nations. He shall decide disputes for many peoples.

They'll beat their swords into plowshares, their spears into pruning hooks.

Nations shall not lift up sword against nation, and they won't learn war anymore.

Everything man has wanted, and more, is a very important part of the world.

Just a few quick verses here.

Those are all wonderful concepts to look forward to.

And we should, and I hope today you have a picture of the Kingdom that we should be seeking, because it is necessary and the world needs that Kingdom to come.

Mankind doesn't even know what happiness and joy is, and what happiness and joy are.

And what happiness and joy are.

And what happiness and joy are.

And what happiness and joy are. And what happiness and joy are.

And what happiness and joy are.

And what God can bring to us.

But you know there's peace that you can have in your life right now, just by following God's way of life.

Let's look at a couple of verses.

John 14, verse 27.

This is Christ talking to His disciples before He is delivered over to the Sanhedrin and then crucified.

Peace, He says, I leave with you.

Well, He knew He wasn't coming back that day.

He knew He wasn't going to set the Kingdom up at that time.

But there was a few thousand years between then and the time He would return and set that Kingdom up.

But He tells His disciples, Peace, I leave with you.

My peace I give to you.

Not as the world gives, though I give to you.

Don't let your heart be troubled.

Don't let it be afraid.

When we trust in God.

Remember, when we believe in Jesus Christ and when we have faith, we can experience the peace that Paul says in Philippians 4, verse 7, surpasses all understanding.

In Colossians 1, verse 13, God has freed us from the power of darkness, and He has brought us into the Kingdom of His dear Son.

The Son paid for our sins, and in Him we have forgiveness.

When we turn our lives around, and when we live the way of life that God wants us to live, we'll have the peace of mind.

We'll have the settled spirits that defy what people around us might think. God will see us through those tough times, and He will give us the peace and the settlement in our hearts that we can't even possibly understand until you have His Holy Spirit living in you.

What do we do?

Finally, let's look at the verse again.

If you want the Kingdom, if you want to live God's way of life, there is something that we talked about this morning you need to do.

Let's refresh it here right before we end again.

In Mark 1, verse 15, it says, The time is up.

The time is happening.

We've seen the prophecies.

We've seen where God is going, what state the world is in today.

There's a time coming, perhaps soon, where He says, The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand.

For the people at that time, Christ was right there among them.

The Christ, you remember, went around. In verse 14 and 15, we read, preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, His central focus, and it should be our central focus as well.

And if you want that Kingdom, He said, this is what you need to do.

Repent.

Repent.

Turn from your way of life, turn to God's way of life, and believe the Gospel.

Have faith in Him.

Have faith and know that He's going to bring the Kingdom to earth.

Repent and believe the Gospel.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed the seminar today.

I certainly enjoyed having all of you here.

And like I said earlier, we'll be around for as long as you want us to be this afternoon.

If you want to talk about anything, certainly you have, I think, a bulletin that you picked up as you came in that gives you information on where you can find booklets and other things on the ucg.org website as well as our local website.

If you have any questions or if we can help at all, I encourage you to call one of the contact names or email one of the contact names on the list there.

Certainly happy to talk to you about anything. We may, over the next few months, set up some Bible studies in midweek to talk more about the kingdom of God, more about God's way of life, if there's the interest in it.

I think we have some of your email addresses back there.

As we put those together, we will let you know when those will occur and when.

And certainly, as I mentioned, if you have any questions along the way, don't hesitate to call us.

This was the first in a series of seminars that we'll be doing on the kingdom of God and God's way of life.

The first one, the next one, you don't have to remember the state.

Right now, we have scheduled for January 21st.

At the beginning of 2012, we'll be getting notices out to you, be looking into good news.

You'll see the ads come again.

As you watch the Beyond Today, you'll see those notices, and we will get emails out to you as that seminar draws closer as well.

We do thank you for coming.

Please join us for whatever refreshments are back there.

Click up any literature you want, and we will look forward to seeing you again very soon.

As we close here this afternoon, I'm going to ask our elder from this area, Mr. Drexel Shiver, to come and ask God's closing on this meeting as well as the blessing on the food we'll receive.

So, Mr. Shiver?