Winning By Losing

That was lovely. It's always good to have such a beautiful psalm before you speak.

Aloha to all of you. Come to Hawaii a number of times, never for a feast, though. We used to come through on the way to the Philippines and Japan and various places. I always enjoyed it, but it's not as much fun as it is when you have lots of friends. A lot of friends here from so many places. We're here to rejoice, and like Mr. Hamilton read you, your son, your daughter, my son, and my daughter, and my grandchild are here. I don't have a man serving or maid serving. I've got to work on that.

But we are rejoicing at such a beautiful place, and it's good to be here. I'm going to take these off. These are the extreme sunglasses. I'm afraid they're going to turn dark on me. So I already saw you, and now I'll just look at my notes. Besides that, like you said, you can't really see half of you. It's kind of dark out there.

It's interesting when you think of the feast, and we look at it in mind like this is my 57th. I believe that's correct. My mom died last year. I think it's 57. It could be 58, but I don't remember that well. And I was always so excited to hear about playing with all the animals.

Of course, I had stuffed animals. They don't bite anyway. And I thought it'd be so wonderful, because, you know, we were going to flee a long time ago, and I was planning to go into the millennium as a child, un-baptized. I'd be a prince among the people that survived the tribulation and started the millennium. And then I got baptized and became part of those who'd be spirit beings during the feast.

And I figured my children would be princes and princesses in the kingdom. And now they're both baptized, and I guess I'll have to look forward to my grandson being a prince physically. Because for us, this is the millennium, in a sense, physically. This is the closest we'll get to seeing it physically if you're baptized, because you'll be a spirit being at that time.

And it didn't dawn on me until a few years ago that having the wild animals tamed didn't really make much difference to be a spirit being. They can eat all they want, and you can just grow another one. But you think of it a little different terms, because we're trying to live the millennium now, in a sense, this week, picturing a shadow of it.

And like Paul said, a shadow of things to come is a shadow. It's not the reality of what's going to happen in just a few years. It's not that far away, like Mr. Sexton was saying, the world is falling apart. And we're in the exponential part of the curve where there isn't much time left for this world. And also, Satan, we know, comes down and stirs the nations up, and the anger that he brings with them. And there's so much anger in the world right now that it can't be that far away.

It was interesting working with Mr. Armstrong and talking and observing so many feasts with him. My feast for a dozen years or so, until we did some satellite testing, we were going to all the feast sites for an hour or two. I got to see all my friends every feast for a minute or two.

And my wife, she wasn't flying with me, so I got to see her at one of the feasts, whichever one she picked to stay at. And I always prayed that we'd spend the night there. And about one out of two times we did. The other times I'd just kind of say hi and give her a kiss and go on, which wasn't much of a feast, but it was kind of what my job was. But the feast was something very special. And growing up in the church, there was an incredibly special time, and I had the privilege. My stepfather worked on the crew in Squall Valley.

We were up there for a whole month, and so I loved the feast. So I guess the extra months I had there were made up for by the ones I didn't get to spend traveling around. But he always considered, and so do I, that the feast and the plan of God were the most important revelations that God really gave, what they mean spiritually to us.

To show the plan of God, how it really works, others may preach about Christ, in this world. There are a lot of people. Christ said, many will come in my name deceiving many, which means they'll be called Christians, but not really understand what Christianity truly is.

But the plan shows exactly what God is doing, and we're here to celebrate that.

It's interesting. The Holy Days put the Son of God in the plan of God exactly where God put Him. It put Christ in the church where He belongs. And indeed, this was the springboard of many of the campaigns and sermons and preaching the gospel messages that I heard over the years given to kings, priests, prime ministers, presidents, and various groups in different parts of the world, as Mr. Armstrong spoke to them back in the 70s and the 80s. And it's the same message that we give today that each of us lives. But it was a springboard, and so many people heard it.

And so many people even get excited about it. Supreme Patriarch made the comment once when I went to see him that what Mr. Armstrong teaches us for the world what Buddhism is for Thailand.

And they said, if only it would really happen, only it'd be true. It was interesting as he spoke to various world leaders. And as we met with different people in different stations, and it was funny to watch Mr. Armstrong because he was as powerful with one person as he was with a thousand, or whether it was a king, or whether it was the three French maids, which he gave a half-hour lecture in English, which they couldn't understand about the kingdom.

And I went in and tried to help interpret a little bit with my little bit of French. Plus, we were supposed to leave a half hour ago, too, and that was the other problem. But he wanted to make sure they got the word before we left. And whether they spoke English or not didn't seem to make a difference. But there was one couple in particular that I want to talk about today that I was really fascinated with because they did recognize something special. They never were baptized, never really understood all of it, but they wanted what Mr. Armstrong talked about as far as what they heard him say. It was in Kathmandu, Nepal. When we were there, we went there a number of times to visit King Behendra and his wife, Queen Ashwarya. Mr. Armstrong met King Behendra before that, before I started flying. But during this time, we had to set up a project, the Queen had asked for a project, and we had a man who was somewhat assigned to the project but also housed Mr. Mrs. Sexton, who went over there. It was General Aditya Rana and his wife, Narita. And it was interesting in meeting with them and talking with them. Because the project that the King and Queen had in mind for us, and the one we actually started and Mr. Dukatch pulled out of, thankfully he pulled out before everything went crazy religiously, they actually wanted us to run all the foreign aid that went through Nepal because they considered us honest and trustworthy. As the Queen told me, she said 90% of the money that comes as foreign aid goes to the pockets of people that are corrupt. And we know you won't take bribes and things. And so we were there, and General Rana always recognized the fact that he was a special man because of the way people treated him. But he had asked, he and his wife had asked Mr. Armstrong to lunch. Now, Kathmandu is close to 5000 feet high, kind of like Denver, and the air is pretty thin, and this was I think 1984.

And he has auction levels were low, and so as Mr. Armstrong said yes, he didn't usually like to accept invitations like that, but he was too kind to say no. So we went to the General's House for lunch, and that night he was supposed to speak to the Parliament at a dinner in a banquet.

While we were there at lunch, he had a bit of a heart spell, and he took oxygen, and we had to leave the lunch early, and Mrs. Rana, Sunita, told me, she said, well, I need to call and cancel the meeting for the Parliament that night. I said, no, no, don't cancel it. Don't cancel it. She said, but he's ill. He can't do this. And I said, no, no, don't worry about it.

She said, well, you're going to kill him. Of course, I wasn't planning on doing that, but I knew better than to say no, because I already knew that it wasn't his power that did the things that God was using him to do, just as it's not in our power the things that God lets us and helps us to do. But it was interesting because she didn't cancel, and she was sitting at a table in the end where she could sit down the hallway. As we came down the hall that night, about six o'clock, Mr. Armstrong had to take oxygen again on the way speaking there, and I escorted him up to the head table, and he sat down and played with his food a little bit, and went back and sat at the table where General and Mrs. Rana were, and she looks over to me and she says, you're killing him. He says, he can't talk. He took oxygen. You know, I said, no, just wait, just wait. And sure enough, they put the mic in front of him after about half an hour when people had eaten, and he started stood up, started pounding the table and telling him about the kingdom and all the different things that were going to come to pass, that there would be peace, but not the way that mankind wanted to see it. About a minute or two into the speech, Sunita Rana leaned over to me with her husband, and she said, that's not him talking. That's God talking. So that man's not strong enough to do that. And that's true, because none of us are strong enough to do the things sometimes that seem to be required of us. It certainly was true for him. It's been true for me and true for all of you, I'm sure, in different circumstances. And I thought of Matthew 10, verse 18, although this was in the situation where Mr. Rana was being brought before kings in the sense of trouble. But Matthew 10, 18 makes the statement there. It says, you shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.

And he was doing that. And there'll be more of that, probably the future, as there's been in the past through history. But when they deliver you up, take no thought for what you shall speak, for it shall be given you in the same hour what you shall speak. For it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaks in you. Are you prepared for God to speak through you?

He is speaking through you. He's speaking through each of us in our actions, our deeds, in our daily life. Are we prepared for that? These feast days are for us to learn and to grow, just like every Sabbath is in our own personal study and prayer. None of the Rana's never came into the church, nor baptized, but I was always impressed with General Rana. And the reason I was impressed because the number of times I went with him to various locations, he was a very quiet man. Didn't say a whole lot. But yet, when we go to one of the government buildings, he'd always point out everything in the building. He knew where every closet and every hall and everything was. And he just was knowledgeable about almost anything that you wanted to ask about, any of the places in Nepal. And also, when he had come around, I'd notice that people would get very quiet. And also, sometimes people would start to whisper. And all too often, people would salute him. I knew as a general, I thought maybe that was practice, but he wasn't an acting general at the time. It was just kind of an honorary title that he was carrying because he wasn't, he was older. And I wondered, what was it? Now, I knew his grandfather, what I found out I learned a little later, his grandfather was a prime minister. In fact, it was a series of Rana, the family members that were prime ministers in Nepal. They were kind of the ruling family, although they weren't kings and queens at the time. And so, I thought maybe that was why the respect was there. But yet, it wasn't his genealogy that gave him that respect from the people. It was interesting because the British actually helped the king and queen, King Miranda, and his father King Mahindra, actually, to become the king and queen.

And General Rana still loved his country and was interested even though he'd been taken away. And the reason he knew the palaces, the government buildings, they were all palaces of his family. And he knew where they were. And as a child, he ran around in these palaces and played. But when he was about 10 or 12 or so is when the current king, at that time the current king, they were no longer there, unfortunately as a massacre and various things happened, that you read about the papers, which what happened reading the papers isn't true, which is typical of most things you read from government sources. But nonetheless, they've died as well. But General Rana didn't really seem to resent the fact that his family was no longer in power in the country. And the crown, so to speak, was given to someone else. We read Revelation 3 verse 11, where Christ says, Behold, I come quickly, let no man take your crown. We can lose our crowns that we have in store for us if we lose sight of God.

God gives us opportunity. Revelation 3 verse 7, back up a few verses from where that was, the angel of the church of Philadelphia. There are seven church eras talked about at that time.

Does these things say, If he that is holy, he that is true, he that has the key of David, he that opens and no man shuts and shuts and no man opens? I know your works. Behold, I've set before you an open door and no man can shut it. You have little strength and kept my word, not denied my name. We're here because we're not denied his name. And the doors are open, just as they would seem to open in Nepal when General Rana would come around.

Christ is opening doors for us in different ways, small doors and big doors at different times.

But it's interesting. Verse 9, Behold, I'll make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews and are not, but do lie. I'll make them to come and worship before your feet and know that I have loved you. Christ loves each of us. God loves each of us. That's why He called you and put you in His church. But we have a crown. If we overcome, He says He'll make us a pillar in His temple. General Rana had a good name, and people respected Him.

But He didn't seem to resent the fact that He was no longer in charge, and He bore no animosity toward anyone, even though some leaders, when they lose power, resent it, try to take back, form coups in different countries. I've seen it happen time and time again in different places where I've been. Most of those people are dead now, haven't been 25 years ago since I worked with most of them. But it was interesting because His Son actually served the crown prince in a capacity very close to Him like an aide to camp. And although the genealogy was there in that history, that really wasn't why people were so impressed and why people acted the way they did around Him. I finally asked someone, I said, what is so special about General Rana that everything gets so quiet? I've been with other leaders and it didn't happen that way. And someone said to me, well, the reason he's respected is because he saved us from the Chinese. I said, what do you mean he saved you from the Chinese?

General Rana was a Gurkha soldier. You've heard of the Gurkhas before. There were the Marines and the Rangers and the Seals. There were the Gurkhas. In the 1950s, the Chinese had sent a battalion of men or a couple of battalions to cross over in the Nepal to take over the country during the time of the communist takeover of a lot of the Southeast Asian nations. It was a surprise attack and there was a little time to move an army. The Nepalese didn't have that big an army anyway to take on the Chinese.

But General Rana was called up to do something. And there wasn't much time, so he took about 20 other Gurkha soldiers under his command and he went up to the pass that the Chinese were going to come through, a pass that was roughly 18,000 feet high beyond my breathing capability. He didn't stop there because with 20 men, you're not going to stop a battalion of Chinese soldiers.

He took these 20 men, they put packs on, they drove as far as they could. There wasn't that much to drive on in Nepal at the time, but they got as close to the pass as they could before they loaded their packs. And their packs had a little bit of food, but mostly it was ammunition, weapons, and their rifles. And in that one day, they hiked up to that pass.

And then the Chinese hadn't arrived yet, and they surveyed the area, and the general said, we've got to get above them. So he hiked up to 22,000 feet with his men. And as they sat there in the wind and the cold, it was freezing cold, and they had to hold their guns and try to keep them warm. They sat there and held off the Chinese from coming from the pass for over a week.

The Chinese finally had to retreat and go back. In the freezing cold, and with the weather being inclement, these Gurkha soldiers stopped the Chinese from taking Nepal. Obviously, this won the favor and respect of the Nepalese people that were there. The Sohu Men could go up and stop. Another country from taking over.

It was a fascinating story, and obviously, General Ronald lived up to the reputation of the Gurkhas.

He didn't hear a whole lot about them, and I collect pieces of history. And having heard his story and knowing a little bit about the Gurkhas, I told him the last time I saw him, I was hoping to just make an authentic mark that I was hoping to buy one of the Gurkha knives because of what they stood for. But all the shops were closed, and we were about to leave, and I wasn't going to be there any longer. And it was interesting because General Ronald, when he heard that, to my surprise, he did something that I didn't expect. He reached behind his back under the jacket he wore, and he pulled out, and he handed me his Gurkha knife.

And he gave it to me, called a kukri.

I didn't want to accept it. It was the same knife that he had carried up to China, up to fight the Chinese.

He started to open it and look at it, and then I realized the fact that the Gurkha only take their knives out when they intend to draw blood. So I didn't want to. Anybody there I wanted to draw blood from. So I didn't open the knife. I also knew that I couldn't not accept it because diplomacy would not allow that. And so I took it and thanked him for it. I didn't expect this a gift because generally when you give a knife in Asia, in a lot of the countries it means you're severing a relationship. That's why you don't give knives for wedding gifts over in Asia. Basically you're saying that marriage isn't going to last. Not a good thing to say to someone who gets married. But because I had brought it up and he considered me a friend, he gave me his.

It was also then that General Rada said something to me that surprised me. One of the last things he said to me, actually before I left, in spite of the things, the wars that they'd won, the things that they'd done, he looked at me and he says, you know, we made a big mistake in Nepal.

He said, we should have lost to the British.

We lost by winning.

Why do I tell this story today? The Gurkhas are a very special group of people. The British in their colonial pursuits learned this almost 200 years ago when they tried to take Nepal as they had India. The British East Indian Company had waged war against them and the troops invaded Nepal and they suffered heavy casualties at the hands of the Gurkhas.

And so they signed the peace treaty with them rather quickly because they fought so well. One soldier wrote in his memoirs of the 87-foot soldier division in the British, he said, I never saw a more steadiness of bravery exhibited in my life. Run they would not, of death they seemed to have no fear, though their comrades were falling thick around them.

So they were dropping. They didn't stop. They kept coming. They were impressed by the Gurkha soldiers because generally speaking when you're outnumbered, not gunned, and outmanned, and you realize you're losing, you stop. But who were these people who took on the British Empire and won? It's interesting if you look at the Gurkhas, they were not a single people.

I thought they were. I thought they were just the Nepalese people themselves, and although most of them came from Nepal, they were not a single ethnic group. He says when the British began recruiting from the Nepalese soldiers, they found they were drawn from many tribes. The Gurkhas are made up of many ethnic groups. They comprise the Indo-Tibetan Mongolians and the ethnic Rajput. The Gurkhas of Tibet origin in Mongolia are the Mangar Rai, Limbu, Gurung, Taman, and Kranti tribal origins. The Gurkhas of the Aryan origin mostly belong to Chetri and the Brahmin. Turn to 1 Peter 2, if you would.

The Gurkhas all had one thing in common. They laid aside any tribal uniqueness they had to fight for a common cause, for a singleness of purpose. In essence, they became one for that cause, and that's what made them such a formidable force, because they believed so deeply in what they were doing. 1 Peter 2 and verse 1. Wherefore laying aside all malice and all guile and apocracies and envies and all evil speakings, as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby. If so be, you have tasted that the Lord is gracious, tomb-coming as to a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious. Christ indeed is very special, the only one of His kind, through which we all attain salvation.

In verse 7. Unto you therefore which believe He is precious, but to them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same as made the head of the corner. Christ is there for us, He is also there for the rest of the world in their time, as we learned this feast. And in the last great day, as we'll hear, they were offended by Christ, and did not accept Him.

Verse 8. A stone of stumbling, a rock of offense, even to them which stumble, at the word, being disobedient. For unto they are also appointed. But you, that's you and that's me, that's our brethren and other feecights around the world, that's those who have died before us, and who have been close to God for six thousand years. In times past, we're not a people. Like the gurkhas, we've given up our heritage humanly, in a sense, but are now the people of God, which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. You and I, through Christ, have obtained mercy. And we're showing our obedience and our faith in Him by being here today at this feast. 9. Dearly beloved, verse 11, I beseech you as strangers of pilgrims. And we are. Strangers of this world, in some sense, because of what we do. Pilgrims looking for another land, another place. And He tells them there to abstain from fleshly lust, which war against the soul, the things that the world does and wants to do and respects. It's not what we respect. 10. Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold to orify God in the day of visitation. They should see the works that we do, as the Nepalese in the world see the gurkis. Does the world see oneness in our purpose? Do they see a group known as the children of God?

We may not live in the millennium now, but we should reflect the joy of God as if we were to the spirit beings. We'll be serving other humans in the millennium. We won't be human at that time.

The gurkis' bravery is legendary in many parts of the world and for all people who have studied the military, but not without a cause. Reading from the history books, when the British East Indian Company invaded Nepal, they suffered such heavy casualties at the hands of the gurkis that they quickly sued for peace. And not only that, they offered to pay the gurkis to serve in their military. Better to have people like this on your side. A soldier of the 87th wrote so many things about them. One of the things was written by Field Marshal Sam Minakshah, who had a famous quote. He said, if a man says he's not afraid to die, he's either lying or he's a gurkha. During the Indian rebellion of 1857, the gurkhas fought on the British side and became part of the British Indian Army. During the conflict, 25 Order of Merit awards were made to men of that regiment during the siege in Delhi. Metals from the British, given to soldiers that weren't British.

Three days after the mutiny began, the gurkha battalion was ordered to move to Merit, where the British garrison was barely holding on. In doing so, they had to march 30 miles a day to get there. During the four-month siege of Delhi, they defended the garrison, losing 327 out of 490 men. From the end of the Indian rebellion until the start of World War I, the gurkha regiment saw active service in Burma, Afghanistan, the North East frontier, the North West frontier of India, Malta, the Russia-Turkish War, Cyprus, Malaysia, China, the Boxer Rebellion, and Tibet.

During World War II, more than 200,000 gurkhas served in the British Army, suffering about 20,000 casualties and receiving almost 2,000 gallantry awards.

There were also large numbers of serving combat in France, in Turkey, in Palestine, in Mesopotamia. They served in the battlefields in Luz, in Gavincia, in Nepal, Chappelle, Yipres, Mesopotamia, Persia, the Suez Canal, and Palestine against the Turkish advance. They served in Gallipoli and Salanka. During the ultimately unsuccessful Gallipoli campaign in 1915, the gurkhas were among the first to arrive and the last to leave. There's been movies about that for the history buffs. Gallipoli was one of those failure assaults, to take a point. What was interesting, the first and sixth gurkhas, having landed at Capelles, led the assault during the first major operation to take out the Turkish high point. And in doing so, captured a feature that later became known as gurkabluff. At Cerribleri, they also were the only troops in the whole campaign in Gallipoli to reach and hold the crest line that looked down the straits, which was the ultimate objective. The British didn't do it, the Hazzis didn't do it, gurkhas did it, with heavy casualties. Following the evacuation from Dunkirk, the Nepalese saw they needed more help. The Nepalese government offered to increase the number of people, the gurkhas, that they would send. And they required 10 training centers to train more of them. How many training centers will we have to train people in God's way of life?

There'll be billions, eventually. There won't be that many at the start of the millennium. A few million, however many, are left probably around 10 percent of the world's population if you do the math, which would be quite a number. But then when the second resurrection comes, there'll be a lot more to train. So, the total of 250,280 gurkhas served during World War II. In almost every theater. It was interesting because one of the most famous was where all of them died.

A detachment that served with Lawrence of Arabia. Everybody's heard of Lawrence of Arabia.

During the Battle of Luz, the battalion of the 8th gurkhas fought to the last men, hurling themselves time after time against the weight of the German defenses until they all had died. Turn to Luke 9.23. Kind of like the Alamo. They all died there, too, but in the Alamo, they were defending their own land. The gurkhas are willing to die defending someone else. Do we have that kind of spiritual bravery that we're willing to do whatever it takes to be there in God's kingdom? To be able to help others understand what we know now?

At a time when this world is falling apart. Luke 9.23 says, If a man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me.

Indeed, we face a world every day where we take up our cross to follow Christ. We turn on invitations to things that aren't right for us. We don't keep the days they keep. We face ridicule at times. We face job loss. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. Do you think you're winning? If you're losing in this world, you're winning for God and for Christ. Verse 25, For what is a man's advantage if he gains the whole world and loses himself or be cast away? For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and my words. Of him shall the Son of Man also be ashamed. If you're afraid to say what you believe, Christ may not know you. You have to be willing to stand up for what you believe.

I remember as a small child telling my neighbor down the street—I was only about nine or ten, but my neighbor Henry Berber was about 16. He knew all about Germany was going to rise again and the beast power and all those things. I had told him he didn't believe me. He had been to Germany after the war with his parents and it was all beaten down. He said, they'll never come to anything ever again. They missed that one, didn't they?

When Christ comes in his glory and in his Father's glory with his holy angels, you'll be there if you stand up for him. If you're willing to die, you also will be legendary.

If you're willing to do whatever it is that God has in store for you, I have no idea what he has in store for each of us yet. I never knew what he had in store for me from the time I was a child. It was interesting. The Gurkhas were actually given special uniforms in the British service. They were in a special green uniform so they would stand up.

A few verses down, verse 29. This is when the Transfiguration was there and the disciples saw Christ what he would look like because this is what you're going to look like. Luke 9.29. He prayed. The fashion of his countenance was altered and his raiment was white and glistening. A couple of disciples got to see Christ in his glory, in a sense, and a vision. And behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory.

Wow! It had been something to see. Like Mr. Sexton said, there are a few people I want to ask questions of, too. It would be interesting to see what they saw.

Peter and those that were with him were heavy with sleep and when they were awake, they saw this glory. I mean, that would wake you up. Of course, he was kind of bright light, glistening. Glistening. And the two men standing with them, and they wanted to go make tabernacles for them. I mean, obviously, the millennium is here. Moses is back. Elijah is back.

But it wasn't. And the cloud that shattered them went away, and they went back.

Verse 35, they came a voice of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved son. Hear him. Listen to him. Do we hear the voice of Christ every day in our lives as we live them?

We will look like him. We'll have our special uniforms, too. When this millennium is fulfilled, those of you who are baptized will shine like he did. How do we know that? On 1 John 3, 1, it says it very clearly, Behold, what manner of the love the Father has bestowed on us. And make us part of his family, that we should be called the sons of God.

The world doesn't know us because it didn't know him. Indeed, this world is trying, as we heard this morning, to abolish everything about God and Christ and the Bible. Everything that stands for truth and value.

Verse 2, it says, Behold, my beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be. We know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, and we shall see him as he is. We'll be bright. We'll shine. We'll be able to manifest ourselves physically so we can deal with humanity.

Verse 3, it says, Every man that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he, Christ, is pure. Are we purifying ourselves every day?

It's interesting, all these battles that the gurk has fought in, that everybody wanted the gurk is to fight for them. That's why they served in so many places in the world.

Along with fighting in World War I and World War II, the gurk is also a station in Malaysia, Borneo. They were stationed in Afghanistan, in China. They actually worked for the U.S. government in Bahrain, part of the guards. They've been using peacekeeping operations around the world because they stand for loyalty and dedication. Everyone wanted them because they're loyal to their word, willing to die rather than betray or give up. Turn to Zechariah 8, verse 22.

As the gurk has earned a man in the militaristic world of this age, when the world is at peace, they're going to look to you and to me and to all God's people. They'll be spirit beings at that time, and they will know that you're loyal to God.

Zechariah 8, verse 22. Yes, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to pray before the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts, in those days it shall come to pass that ten men shall take hold out of all the languages of the nations. All of them. Even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, of course the church is the spiritual Judah, the spiritual Israel, saying, we will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.

God is on your side. They'll want to be with you. You are destined under Christ to teach the rest of the world. To help them understand what you know will serve them from Jerusalem, going out to all corners of the earth, teaching all over the earth, all nations, all languages.

What will you teach? Well, you'll teach what you've been learning in your lifetime here, trying to represent God in a world that isn't as easy as the one the millennium will be.

Isaiah 2.2, which will be read several times, I'm sure, in the feast, but it says it shall come to pass in the last days. And we're close to that. That the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, it shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow into it. And many people shall go and say, come, let us go up to the mountain of the Eternal, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths. And now the Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

The true law. There won't be myriads of law books that the lawyers concoct that fill up law libraries in this world, but truth and simplicity in God's law.

Verse 4, He shall judge among the nations and rebuke many people. People have to be told what they did before was wrong. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks, and nations shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn more anymore. It won't be because of people who carry this weapon, or guns or knives, they can be taught the way of peace. We'll teach God's law because we have overcome this world, and we will rule with Christ.

You and I, each of us, will be assigned duties over a lot of people. You divide the numbers up those who have God's truth with those in the world, and each of us will have millions of people to work with. Many buy into the false teachings of this world today. They don't understand the truth of God.

They buy into the rumors. They buy into deceit. When it says, "...deceive the whole world," you've always taken that through spiritually, which is very true, but He's deceived the whole world physically as well. He's deceived them in every area of life that you can imagine. He's polluted in almost everything that God has created to try to stop God's plan. Do we hear Christ? Revelation 3.20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hears my voice and opens the door, I'll come to him, and we'll eat with him, and he with me. We've heard his voice. We're here together eating, drinking, because we've heard his voice. To him that overcomes, I will grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I overcame. I'm sitting with my Father in his throne.

Turn to Ezekiel 36.

God is helping us now. Yeah, we make mistakes. It's a tough time. It's because it's tough. It's why he says, blessed is he who takes part in the first resurrection.

Ezekiel 36.25, talking about Israel, he says, Then I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean. From all your filthiness, from all your idols, I will cleanse you. Certainly all of us who are baptized and have been repented have been cleaned by God in the same way that Christ's sacrifice will clean them. A new heart I will give you, a new spirit I will put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

We have that heart now. We're truly converted.

We have that heart of compassion and of love.

And I'll put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and keep my judgments and do them. And you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I'll be your God.

We dwell in the spiritual land where Christ is. A part of the world is far physically living in it, but not part of it.

Verse 30, I will multiply the fruit of the tree and increase the field that you receive no more approach or famine among the heathen. All the things God's going to heal physically for them and for the world, He's also going to heal spiritually as He has for us.

Not for your sakes I do this. Verse 32 says the Lord, but be it known unto you, be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel. Thus says the Lord God, in the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities, I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the way shall be built.

It's going to cause us to dwell in spiritual Jerusalem.

People that are resurrected will live physically and have a chance to become spirit beings.

By the Lord have spoken at verse 36 and will do it. He does it for His name's sake. It's all about Him, about God, and His way of life, and the way of peace and of love.

The Gurkhas became legendary through war. We make our mark by being humble, in sacrifice and in service, going against what the world values, recognizing God as the Lord of the Lord. There have been 26 Victoria Crosses given to the Gurkhas.

The first was in 1858, the last in 1965. But not only medals were only given for bravery and war, some were given for non-compatent duty, serving in other sections, specialized functions, signalmen, paratroopers, engineers, even, as they served in non-compatent roles. It's interesting that they received their medals for their loyal bravery in smaller, less known areas. Most all of us want to slay Goliath. We all see the Goliath, and I've always seen so many people that if I could just do that one big thing, God doesn't want one big thing, He wants all the little things. Like you heard in the sermonette, helping other people. When you see a need, you fill it. You do what needs to be done. You help people.

Matthew 10, verse 37. Christ talking to disciples, telling them that they had to be willing to give up the things of this world. He that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. You have to love God more than anything, and He'll give us everything. He that loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. He that takes not His cross and follows after me is not worthy of me.

Agerka wouldn't think of deserting. He'd lose his honor. We can't think of turning back either.

Verse 39. He that finds his life shall lose it, and he that loses his life for my sake shall find it.

You win by losing in this world.

Verse 42, Matthew 10, it says, And whosoever should give drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water in my name, barely I say to you, he shall in no wise lose his reward. A cup of cold water doesn't seem like much to offer. Of course, we read in Matthew 25, where He talks about, I was hungry and you gave me food, and I was thirsty and you gave me drink. They didn't do it. He said, you did it to one of the little ones. You did it to me.

You do it by doing all the little things that God puts before you.

When you see a need, you fill it. You don't walk by it. You help.

General Rana and the Agerkas were kind of like a band of brothers, parolic in their causes they fought. We can do no less. We have to serve as well. I'm proud to serve alongside each of you, every one of you, and all the people of God, because we've all gone through some special things in our training. We put our hand on the plow and we can't turn back.

General Rana was tired of fighting. He was tired of the sacrifices, and for what? He recognized the futility, what they did.

He liked what Mr. Rana said about peace, the gospel.

But why did a man so highly trained that he could climb a mountain to 18,000 feet and up to 22, and hold up the Chinese army, say that we made a big mistake? We should have lost to the British.

He said, you know, if we had lost to the British, we'd have roads and bridges and schools, because the British developed the countries that they conquered, in a sense. They helped the people. They trained them and taught them.

He said, if we'd have been taught and trained, we probably wouldn't have gone fighting around the world. Our pride helped us to win, but we actually lost.

Indeed, mankind has given us so wholly to the way of Satan. Many have been very, very good in learning Satan's way of deceit for over 6,000 years, and they prevailed in this world, but they don't prevail in the next one. We don't prevail by winning in Satan's world. We prevail by maybe appearing to be losers in this world, with what the world says makes all the difference. If I can paraphrase what General Rauner really wanted, he wanted what these days picture.

If mankind had only surrendered to God and his way of life, we wouldn't have had 6,000 years of human suffering. 6,000 years of wars with famines. 6,000 years of diseases of crime and corruption and poverty for most of mankind and general misery. We have eight days here as a dedicated group of God's army to enjoy letting God win in our lives, giving up what the world may offer.

Indeed, when H.W.A. spank at that banquet, it was not as speaking. But it was speaking the words of this book, because God works in each of us. And I've learned from him and many others that have been willing to die for causes, and for men in the world that have been willing to die for causes that were not so noble, even, that we're going to join that group in Hebrews 11.

And maybe our names personally won't be in that book, as many are, but we have the faith and the hope that it says in verse 1, faith is the substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen. We haven't seen the millennium. We haven't seen Christ transfigured. We haven't seen what we believe in this book. We've seen miracles in our own lives. We've heard about the hurricane turned around. We were asked to pray about it a couple days ago. God does help His people.

Hebrews 11 has so many people in it that we're going to join. Hebrews 11, 13. These all died in faith, not having perceived the promises. Some of us will probably die before Christ returns.

Most of us, I would assume, won't be alive, because I don't think it's that far away.

But they were persuaded of the promises and embraced them, it says, just as we have to embrace them. And like Moses, choosing to suffer the afflictions of slavery and the people of God and the riches of Egypt. Hebrews 11, verse 33. It's interesting, I always like these people. Who fought, excuse me, who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions. The ones that God delivered. Verse 34, quench the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the enemies of the heathen. I like those because they were saved by faith. But then we go to verse 36. And others had trials of cruel markings and scourging as ye ate more over bonds of imprisonment. Not as joyous. They were stone, they were son of thunder, were tempted, were slain with a sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, and tormented. I've prayed to be spared from that. I've prayed for all of us to be taken. God promises protection. Some are protected in the grave already.

But He promises protection. We serve Him. And yet there's a group of people that will suffer persecution in the Tribulation that we know of as well, and we'll all be praying for them.

The Gurkhas were special people, but they're not as special as you are.

Because all of us together. Because we're the people of God.

We also are not afraid to die.

You read about the two witnesses. It's interesting. Mr. Sexton doesn't want to be one. I didn't really want to either. My son did when I read about him to him. But he was only about five or six. And then he found out how they died, and he didn't want to be one anymore. He thought it was neat to throw fire out in your mouth and stuff. That sounded pretty cool. But the other parts he didn't like. So he's smarter now. I don't think he has any visions of that. Anymore, there will be two people that have to witness before the nation of this world from Jerusalem. And they won't be able to throw them in the paddy wagon for the multitude of witnesses that have been there. And there have been a lot. We're not afraid to face the enemy. We gain life by losing in this world what the world considers losing, which is not really. It's truly following Christ. Being willing to suffer as he did. We have a cause that we know is just and true, and a love of God that abides in us. And a faith in him that God indeed will fulfill the plan of these holy days we celebrate every year. We do not fight with guns. We don't fight with kukaris, a gurk a knife.

We have a weapon. It's right here. It doesn't draw blood, but it quickens the soul. It reaches down inside of us and tells us what we need to do. General Rana will have a chance someday. He died a few years ago. I'm looking forward to meeting him and telling him that what Mr. Armstrong said was true because it was in this book.

And indeed the world will know peace and the gurkas, they won't fight with these either anymore. They'll be trained with this, the Word of God.

We can't make excuses. Christ said in Luke, chapter 9, any man puts his hand to the plow and turns back. He's not worthy. We put our hand to this plow.

This knife I don't open because I'm supposed to draw blood. This one I open every day because I want to draw, permit, what God intends for me to understand and for me to live and for you to understand and for you to live.

No comrades, we fight with the Word of God. And we're here as the special people that would never have known each other from different lands and places. I've seen friends here that are in all parts of the world. A friend from Singapore, the feast 10 years ago with people from Australia that I've seen at various times, people from South Africa, Canada, so many people that we'd have never met if it were for God and his feast days and this peculiar people that he has called from all walks of life. The weak of the world, as we indeed are. But we're spiritually strong. We're like the gherkas. We'll throw ourselves at the problems. We'll die to the last man if we have to. We have to be willing to do that.

We're not afraid to die. We are the children of God. And as Dr. Zerman used to end his sermons and talk about, he'd hold his book up and say, to the kingdom. Because that is what these days are about. That's what we live for. And this indeed is our weapon of choice. And with this weapon of choice, the whole world will be changed.