What Do We Do Now?

Fred R. Coulter—September 9, 2006

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Where do we go from here? What do we do now? When we look at what the world is doing, and we see what is happening in the Churches of God, we need to ask these questions and find out what God wants us to do.

Many brethren are out there scattered and don't even have a fellowship group to attend. We're gradually getting more and more fellowship groups as we go along. They start out with two or three and build up. We have some fairly good sized fellowship groups outside of northern California.

So, true to what Jesus said, 'A prophet has no honor in his own country.' But we have the promise that Jesus said, 'Whenever two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in the midst of you.'

So, we don't focus on numbers because numbers are meaningless without conversion and dedication! You can have a lot of socializing, a lot of glad-handlers, but unless they're truly converted and yielded to God, then it's going to be diminishing returns.

You can say 'we have this many' or 'we have that many,' but the question is how many are truly converted and how many are really following God the way that they should? And don't despise the day of small things!

Where do we go from here? On the promises of Jesus Christ, and we claim the promises! I've told several people that have called me and ask if there's anyone else close around where they live, 'No, but somebody has to be first!'

Here's a promise that Jesus gave after Peter said that He (Jesus) was the Son of the living God:

Matthew 16:17: "And Jesus answered and said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona, for flesh and blood did not reveal it to you, but My Father, Who is in heaven.'" This is the key important thing of everything that we have. We don't come to knowledge and understanding because we are smart or have degrees. We come to understand only because we have the Spirit of God and the Father revealing things to us.

Verse 18: "And I say also to you that you are Peter; but upon this Rock… [Jesus referring to Himself] …I will build My Church, and the gates of the grave shall not prevail against it." This is the promise that we have. Remember that Jesus said that His words stand like the heaven and earth.

When we come to a point where there are few people, then we look to God to give us guidance to call those whom He wants. However God wants it, wherever God deals with His people, and whatever God does to call them. We will have a combination of people who will come:

• those get turned off at the current Church of God they are in

Just like a letter I got that said:

Thank you for stirring up the love of God in us and thank you for teaching the Truth.

They had just left one of the boring Churches of God where all they did was 'beat them over the head' for money and preach the same thing over and over again.

We have The Seven General Epistles book and if you could, please send us the tapes for the Epistle of James, as we have recaptured our first love.

So, we will have those people!

• people who know the Truth, who have attended the Church of God, who have are out there living their lives the way they want to live them, that God is going to reach down and call after umpteen number of years not attending church

Something will trigger in their lives and they'll remember!

• People who are brand new, who will come in contact with us as a result of three different things:
• the result of interacting with brethren and want to know the Truth
• those who receive the books that we offer over the Internet like the book Occult Holidays or God's Holy Days—Which?
• This will necessitate in most cases their starting at home with Church at Home {churchathome.org}

This is a very important grassroots thing for reaching new people. It has been reported that there is upwards of 50-million 'Christians' who have quit going to Sunday churches because they're turned off and they stay at home and study their Bible and have small fellowship groups and things like this.

Church at Home is slated as a return to primitive Christianity, the Christianity that Jesus taught. This is important for us to understand.

Now, in Matt. 28 is a another promise of Jesus, and also a command to do something, which we're doing. Our first ministry began in 1983 serving the brethren who were wounded and needed to be healed. Now we have reached a point, with all the material that we have—and we have plenty:

• thousands of sermons; many with transcripts
• published books
• booklets and study material

We claim this promise that Jesus gave with His instructions and command to do, which people refer to as a commission:

Matthew 28:18: "And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.'" This Who we need to look to direct us.

We will talk about the remnant later, but there's always a remnant out there in the world that God is dealing with.

Verse 19: "Therefore, go and make disciples in all nations…" Notice how broad that this command is. He wants us to follow His commands, do what He wants us to do. But He expects us to use our imitative as led by His Holy Spirit to guide us in what we need to do.

"…baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit… [which is not a trinitarian formula] …teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you…. [that's what we need to do] …And lo, I am with you always, even until the completion of the age.' Amen" (vs 19-20).

If we do what Christ wants us to do, He'll be with us! Let's see a parallel. You talk about a marketing plan! Sell the Truth, but buy it not! In other words, you preach the Truth freely, and God will take care of the rest. That's a promise. However, we have learned: live within your budget!

Mark 16:15: "And He said to them, 'Go into all the world…'" This is a command and also a prophecy. As a command it's ongoing to everyone in every age until the return of Christ, and preach the Gospel to the whole creation. That's quite a commission!

What if—this ought to be in our prayers—every Church of God, and there are about 450 denominations, would seriously follow the words of Christ and do what He says, think of what an impact this would make on the world. It would be such that Satan couldn't come and destroy one organization and stop the preaching of the Gospel.

Verse 16: "The one who believes and is baptized shall be saved, but the one who does not believe shall be condemned. And these signs shall follow those who believe: in My name they shall cast out demons; they shall speak with new languages; they shall remove serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them in any way; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover" (vs 16-18).

Then Jesus was taken up into heaven to be at the right hand of God to direct what's going on. These are the commands and promises of Jesus Christ. When you see the whole thing—go into all the world, make disciples in all nations, preach the Gospel to the whole creation—since Christ gave those commands, He's going to back it up if we believe Him and do that. We have to do it in faith, not in vanity or self-serving.

Here's what Christ told the disciples after He was resurrected, Luke 24:44: "And He said to them, 'These are the words that I spoke to you when I was yet with you, that all the things which were written concerning Me in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.' Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures" (vs 44-45).

This is important for us today. We need to have our mind open more and more as we go along:

• to understand the Scriptures
• to understand the days in which we are living
• to understand that God will guide us in understanding the prophecies

When He wants us to understand them! Just like anything else, we don't come along and dictate to God or Jesus Christ when the end is going to be. That's in the power of the Father! We can't have fickle-minded, carnal-minded ideas about prophecy and expect God to fulfill them because we believe them. But if we believe them and they're not in accord with the Word of God, that's vanity. So, we have to walk in faith, and have our mind open to the Scriptures!

Verse 46: "And said to them, 'According as it is written, it was necessary for the Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day. And in His name, repentance and remission of sins should be preached to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. For you are witnesses of these things. And behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you; but remain in the city of Jerusalem until you have been clothed with power from on high" (vs 46-49).

Let's see what else and put this all together. We will see that not only were those commands given to them then, but they are for us today, and it's going to be fulfilled in end-time in a greater way than the apostles ever did during their lifetimes.

Acts 1:1: "The first account I indeed have written, O Theophilus, concerning all things that Jesus began both to do and to teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after giving command by the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom He had chosen" (vs 1-2).

We need to understand the power and the works of the original apostles and how it affects us today.

Verse 3: "To whom also, by many infallible proofs, He presented Himself alive after He had suffered, being seen by them for forty days, and speaking the things concerning the Kingdom of God. And while they were assembled with Him, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem but to 'await the promise of the Father, which,' He said, 'you have heard of Me'" (vs 3-4).

Do we not also have the promise of the Father, which is the Holy Spirit? Yes, indeed! God expects us to use it, and we will see more about that as we go along.

Verse 5: "'For John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit after not many days.' So then, when they were assembled together, they asked Him, saying, 'Lord, will You restore the kingdom to Israel at this time?' And He said to them, 'It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has placed in His own authority'" (vs 5-7). God is going to reveal it at the time it needs to be revealed.

Verse 8: "But you yourselves shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses, both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and unto the ends of the earth."

That's a prophecy. That extends down to our day. I got an e-mail from a man who was from the former colony of the British Empire—which is still a commonwealth—the Island of Mauritius. He said, 'Could you please send me some of your free study material?' Where is Mauritius. I asked Ron Cary, our webmaster, to send him a message and ask him how reliable the mail is, because many times overseas the mail is not reliable. If you're dealing with a lot of Muslims in the postal system, they just throw it away and no one ever gets it. We need to be aware of that.

So, where is Mauritus? Look it up and do a Google search. This Island is 500 miles east and slightly south of the east coast of Africa in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Diego Garcia, where the U.S. military base is, is exactly halfway between the west coast of Australia and the east coast of Africa. When I saw that, I thought: I would bet that not one of the disciples ever got there.

So, when it talks about 'the ends of the earth,' is Christ going to fulfill that? Think about this for a minute. Think about how many websites there are with the different Churches of God, so the scattering of the Church is going to end up preaching the Gospel greater, better, more effectively and more cheaply than was ever done in what we knew as the Radio Church of God or the Worldwide Church of God.

It will reach people at the ends of the earth. Here's an Island that we didn't even know about. I got out my Nation Geographic map of the world, and I looked up Mauritius, and it's an island approximately 30-40 miles long and 20 miles wide.

We got our answer back from him that the mail was safe, and, yes, the native language is English, but they have some Indian and Chinese language, too. Then I looked at all the islands there in the Indian Ocean and I took a look at the whole globe and thought: look at that! How many billions of people are there in the world, maybe about 10 billion!

There was a  time when we, in the church we came out of and the vanity that we believed at that time, that we had completed this verse. By the one who was the leading minister even bragged that it was done. However, he has since passed from the scene.

Matthew 24:14: "And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be proclaimed in all the world for a witness to all nations; and then shall the end come."

That's ongoing, and the preaching of the Gospel is not going to stop until the end is here! Now let's jump ahead from this point of view. Too many people sit back on their lees and do nothing. I've heard some say, 'If this is going to be fulfilled, it's going to be fulfilled by the two witnesses.' That will be the last part of it! We don't know when the two witnesses are going to come.

I mentioned in the sermon Who Are the Two Witnesses and Elijah? that it's not going to be anyone from the Church. The Jews will never listen to anyone from a Church of God. You read the Scriptures. God is one day going to intervene and He's going to raise up the high priest of the coming temple that's going to b e built and the governor of Judea, and when this witness comes, this Gospel is going to be preached about the coming destruction of people in the world who do not repent.

This is important for us to understand, and I think that we would be derelict in our doing what God wants us to do if we would sit back and say let's leave it to the two witnesses. Their witness is going to be a powerful witness, the greatest witness that has ever been given, and they are going to living witnesses, while many, many Christians and newly converted Jews will die as martyrs.

Revelation 11:1: "Then the angel gave me a measuring rod like a staff, saying, 'Arise and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and those who worship in it.'" So, there will be a temple built!

Verse 3: "And I will give power to My two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees… [Zech. 3-4] …and the two lampstands… [not referring to the churches, but referring to them as special lights to the world] …that stand before the God of the earth" (vs 3-4).

They're going to be specially protected, v 5: "And if anyone attempts to harm them, fire will go out of their mouths and devour their enemies…. [that's going to be interesting] …For if anyone attempts to harm them, he must be killed in this manner."

• I wonder how many victims there are going to be?
• I wonder how many suicide bombers are going to come and try and blow them up?

Notice the authority that they have, v 6: "These have authority to shut heaven so that no rain may fall in the days of their prophecy; and they have authority over the waters, to turn them into blood, and to smite the earth with every plague, as often as they will."

What I see is a crescendo of witnessing by the Churches of God. It's going to bring many, many people into the Churches of God, and most of them have to be taught that they are destined to give their life for the Truth! It's not going to be nicey-nicey, holding hands social event and come to services for a ho-hum service and go home. They are going to have to be really converted and dedicated.

Radical Islam is paving the way for the martyrdom of the saints. In what way? Radical Islam wants to enforce by jihad the conversion of the whole world to Islam! What's going to happen is that they're not going to succeed, and they're going to be beaten back sufficiently that they will be tamed down for a while. But what is going to happen? All those whom they consider 'religious' who preach the destruction and enforced conversion of the world will be subject to martyrdom!

What we preach is a subjugation of the world by Jesus Christ in great power and authority. It's going shake the heavens and the earth, shake everything on it. We're going to be looked upon as traitors to the New World Order, traitors to the one-world religion, preaching violence and overthrow of this great world government by violent means. So, we must, by all means, be exterminated! That's how radical Islam is paving the way!

Matthew 24:8: "Now, all these things are the beginning of sorrows." I think we're in the beginning of sorrows, and more and more into it.

Verse 9: "Then shall they deliver you up to affliction, and shall kill you; and you shall be hated by all nations for My name's sake." Why? Because we preach:

• the literal return of Jesus Christ as conquering King
• of subjecting the world to His control
• the destruction of all the governments of this world

The government of the false messiah and false prophet will be the #1 victims! That's going to put us out there in jeopardy, so we might as well realize that that day is going to come.

Granted, there are a lot who are older who are going to pass and be put into the place of safety in the grave. If God gives me ten years, I pray that God will help those ten years be the most productive that can possibly be, to serve as many people and complete whatever God has us to do—whether it be little or much—whatever it may be!

They're paving the way and that's why there's going to be the martyrdom of the saints! So, what do we do to prepare for this?

For all those who are ministers and elders and serving the people, this has to be what we do. This has to be how we need to have a mindset, a spiritual mindset! Let me tell you that the true Gospel of Jesus Christ is a challenge to men:

• to stand up for God
• to stand up for Christ
• to preach the Truth

To not become feminized like the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant churches today. That's probably one of the #1 reasons why men hate going to Church. We have to do what Ezra did:

Ezra 7:10: "For Ezra had set his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel." For us, that's preaching the Gospel. Anyone who teaches, preaches or writes:

• it's not for your own recognition
• it's not for your own vanity
• it's not for your own accomplishments

It's to set your heart for what God wants done! That's what we need to do! Let's see from a ministerial/elder/teaching point of view, as well as a study and learning point of view for everyone, what we need to do.

2-Timothy 2:8[transcriber's correction]: "Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from among the dead according to my Gospel; for which I am suffering hardship, even to the point of being imprisoned like a criminal; but the Word of God has not been chained. Because of this, I endure all things for the sake of the elect in order that they may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory" (vs 8-10).

No self and no vanity, and that has to be for teaching the brethren; that's what it's talking about here.

Verse 11: "This is a faithful saying: If we have died together with Him, we shall also live together with Him; if we endure, we shall also reign together with Him; if we deny Him, He will also deny us; if we are unfaithful…" (vs 11-13).

If there are brethren that you know who fit into this category, pray for them, because always remember: Even though they may have back-slidden very greatly, as long as there is life there is hope! Pray that God will lead them to repentance and prick their heart so that they can be brought back to Christ.

"…He remains faithful—He cannot deny Himself. See that they remain mindful of these things, earnestly charging them in the sight of the Lord… [this is for those who are teaching and also the brethren] …not to argue over words that are not profitable in any way, but which lead to the subverting of those who hear. Diligently study to show yourself approved unto God…" (vs 13-15). Just like Ezra, he set his heart to seek the Law of God.

"…a workman who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of the Truth" (v 15). Here's what we need to do with the Truth:

• Believe the Truth

Know what the Truth is; it's:

• the Word of God'
• the Law of God
• the commandments of God
• the Gospel of Christ

• Walk in the Truth
• Defend and Preach the Truth
• Die for the Truth

Let's look at the remnant, because there is always a remnant that God is dealing with. Remember that even in the greatest disasters that happen, there is always hope! So, don't become discouraged. If times get tough—which they're going to—you have to 'buck up.'
As I was trying to sleep last night, I couldn't get warm and all that sort of thing. You lie there and you think, and I've thought this a lot: here I am struggling and I'm a little cold and I can't sleep; 'poor little me!' What about those people who were herded off into cattle cars to go to Siberia by Stalin, and all they had were the clothes on their back. They were crowed in there like cattle; no toilets, no place to lie down, hardly anyplace to sit down; sickness, disease and vomiting. They went back there in the middle of the winter, the Siberian winter, to go back to the gulags and the slave camps.

Some people survived that! I thought to myself: don't ever complain about not being as warm as you would like to be again!

Remember that God is always dealing with a remnant that we know nothing about. But unless we prepare, and unless we preach to the remnant, God is not going to send them to us. We need to be ready!

It talks about how bad things are and it says, Isaiah 1:7: "Your country is a desolation, your cities are burned with fire…. [sounds like terrorist attacks] …Strangers devour… [immigration problem] …your land right in your very presence…"—you stand there and look at it. Of course, the Mexicans have declared that Los Angeles is going to be the future capital of the future restoration of Southern California to the sovereignty of Mexico.

"…and it is wasted, as overthrown by strangers. And the daughter of Zion is left as a booth in a vineyard, like a hut in a garden of cucumbers, like a besieged city" (vs 7-8). Just overgrown with every sin and thing imaginable.

Now, out of all of it, with everything that is going on, v 9: "Except the LORD of hosts had left us a very small remnant, we would have been as Sodom; we would have become like Gomorrah." God is always dealing with a remnant.

Let's understand that God has been merciful because He's dealing with a remnant and I think the Churches of God have got to repent and really 'do the first works; as it says the Church at Ephesus' and prepare to preach to the remnant, and ask God to lead us in the way that we need to go.

With 450 different Churches of God, you can see the magnitude that this could reach if they would all do that. Remember the remnant in the days of Elijah: 7,000 that hadn't bowed the knee to Baal, and poor Elijah was out there boo-hooing that he was 'the only one.' God had to tell him, 'There, there, Elijah, there are 7,000 that haven't bowed the knee to Baal.'

Since there are 50-million people in America alone that have quit going to traditional 'Christian' churches, for various reasons, how many of those are of the remnant of God? Don't know! Even if it's one percent, that's 500,000; think of that! God is going to fill His kingdom with the people that He wants, but we have a part in doing it with Him.

Now, here's poor old Jeremiah, he felt all alone, everyone was against him, everyone hated him, no one liked him, no one believed his preaching. God kept telling him to 'go stand in the temple and preach; go over here and do this and that.' So, Jeremiah says:

Jeremiah 15:10: "Woe is me, my mother, that you have borne me, a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth!…." This is probably a prophecy of the two witnesses, because that's exactly what they're going to be.

"…I have not loaned, nor have men loaned to me; yet, every one of them curses me. The LORD said, 'Truly it shall be well with your remnant. Truly I will cause the enemy to entreat you well in the time of evil and in the time of affliction'" (vs 10-11). God has the remnant that He is dealing with.

Amos 5:10: "They hate him who rebukes in the gate…"—referring himself. He had to go tell them what would happen.

Verse 1: "Hear this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel." Then God says that only ten percent of you are going to survive:

Verse 3: "For thus says the Lord GOD, 'The city that went out by a thousand shall leave a hundred, and that which went out by a hundred shall have ten left in the house of Israel'"

Verse 10: "They hate him who rebukes in the gate, and they despise him who speaks uprightly. Therefore—because of your trampling upon the poor, and because you take tribute of grain from him—though you have built houses of carved stone, you shall not dwell in them; though you have planted desirable vineyards, you shall not drink wine from them." (vs 10-11). Sound's like today. There will come a time when that will happen again.

Verse 12: "For I know your many transgressions and your many sins. They afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate. Therefore, the prudent shall keep silent in that time; for it is an evil time. Seek good and not evil…" [don't go along with what society is doing] …that you may live; and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as you have spoken. Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate. It may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph" (vs 12-15).

I think that is also a prophecy concerning the remnant that are perhaps somewhere buried in 50-million who have quit going to the traditional Christian churches.

What did Jesus say to His disciples? Lift up your eyes and look! It's white unto the harvest! He says, 'I want you to know one thing, you're entering into other men's work. They have labored, they have done it, and you're going to help reap it.'

Just multiply that from the time of the apostles down to our time. Now we have the whole Word of God! We've entered into the labor of all those down through history up to our time. What we need to do is keep the proper perspective and be yielded to God so that we can reach the remnant. God will lead us to it! Not that we have a plan and program and now we're going say that we're going to reach the remnant and this is how we're going to do it.

We need to prepare, prepare, prepare and be ready, and God will bring them! Just like it says, 'Cast your bread upon the waters and after many days it shall return to you' (Ecc. 11).

Let's look at this as a prophecy for the Laodiceans at the end-time, because it fits.

Haggai 1:2: "'Thus the LORD of hosts speaks, saying, "This people says, 'The time has not come, the time that the LORD'S house should be built.'"'" A lot of people are doing that by their actions; they're just dropping by the wayside and doing nothing and realizing that a spiritual house of God, Christ wants to build. But what He has done is call people to become part of that, just like it was in building the temple.

Verse 3: "Then came the Word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, 'Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your finished houses, and shall this My house lie waste?'" (vs 3-4).

I think about that when I drive by suburb after suburb and city after city, and the best houses in the world. Everybody is all busy about their houses and not doing anything for God in society and also too many times within the Church. And the Church of God lies waste! Is it wasted and scattered? Yes!

Verse 5: "And now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Consider your ways. You have sown much, but bring in little; you eat, but you do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you dress, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes'" (vs 5-6)—because they don't tithe or give offerings to God, which are necessary to build the physical house, and are necessary to build the spiritual house today, which is called 'the tabernacle of David.'

Verse 7: "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Consider your ways. Go up to the mountain and bring wood, and build this house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified,' says the LORD. 'You looked for much, and behold, it came to little! And when you brought it home, then I blew on it. Why?' says the LORD of hosts. 'Because of My house that is waste, and you, each man runs to his own house'" (vs 7-9).

Everyone is doing their own thing, and this happened with the scattering of the Church; that's why it had to happen.

Verse 12: "Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God…" That's what we need to do with God and Jesus Christ: obey Their voice!

"…and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him. And the people feared before the LORD" (v 12). When the people return and repent and stop doing their business and turn to doing God's business; when they stop doing their ways and start going in God's ways and ask for God's blessing instead of trying to work everything out themselves, notice:

Verse 13: "Then Haggai, the LORD'S messenger, spoke the message of the LORD to the people, saying, '"I am with you," says the LORD.'" Isn't that what Jesus said in Matt. 28? Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age!

Here's what has to happen, v 14: "And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people…."

This is what our prayer has to be. We need to let God stir us up and ask God to stir up the Spirit of the remnant out there, wherever they are, and by whatever means that we and other Churches of God who preach the Truth the way that they should, can reach them.

"…And they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God" (v 14).

Haggai 2:4: "'Yet, now be strong, O Zerubbabel' says the LORD.…"

• not weak
• not backing away
• not complaining
• not crying and moaning

"…'And be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong all you people of the land,' says the LORD, 'and work; for I am with you,' says the LORD of hosts" (v 4).

Of course, we need to do the things we need to do, but the greatest work that is done is Christ in us! If Christ is in us and we're growing in grace and knowledge, and He's leading us and guiding us by His Holy Spirit, then we don't have to sit around and wonder what God is doing. We need to keep all of that in mind.

Let's see that in a similar time period, very similar to us, when the apostolic age was coming to a close, what the Apostle Paul instructed Timothy what he (Timothy) needed to do. Paul said that he was ready to die, ready to be offered, and Timothy is going to be standing there 'holding the bag'!

2-Timothy 1:2: "To Timothy, my beloved son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I am grateful to God—Whom I have been serving from the days of my forefathers with a pure conscience—because I never fail to remember you in my supplications night and day. As I recall your tears, I am longing to see you, so that I may be filled with joy; when I remember the unfeigned faith that is in you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice… [faithful women are profoundly important and needed by God] …and I am convinced that it dwells in you also. For this reason, I admonish you to stir up the gift of God that is in you by the laying on of my hands" (vs 2-6).

Just like it was said in the book of Haggai; God needs to stir us up with His Spirit!

Verse 7: "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of sound-mindedness." That's what God wants us to do.

2-Peter 1:10: "For this reason, brethren, be even more diligent to make your calling and election sure; because if you are doing these things, you will never fall at any time…. [that's what he says here in building spiritual character] … For in this way, you will be richly granted an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Therefore, I will not neglect to make you always mindful of these things, although you already know them and have been established in the present Truth. For I consider it my duty, as long as I am in this tabernacle… [he knew he was going to die, just as Jesus said in John 21] …to stir you up by causing you to remember these things; knowing that shortly the putting off of my tabernacle will come, even as our Lord Jesus Christ has signified to me. But I will make every effort that, after my departure, you may always have a written remembrance of these things in order to practice them for yourselves" (vs 10-15).

That's what we need to do also! That's what we have been doing. What needs to happen is that the Church of God takes back control and custodianship the Word of God from the atheist scholars and theologians of this world who have perverted and polluted all of the Word of God!

That's what we're going to do! We didn't set out to do it, but God led us to do it. I remember when we were going along with the study translations and in 1995 someone sent me the Inclusive New Testament, which is the homosexual New Testament, the unisex New Testament: God the Father is father and mother. Jesus Christ is the human one. Etc. We said that is we let this stand God is going to hold us responsible. If we don't answer back, God is going to take care of us for not standing for the Truth.

Well now, the way that they are doing, and not only in perverting the translations of the Bible, but I also found this: they are revising all of the commentaries to water them down and blend in all of the religions of the world!

In one of the best commentaries, which I've used in the past—Biblical Word Commentary—I opened it up to the Psalms and it talks about what they did in the Akkadian Empire in their prayers. I thought, what on earth does that have to do with the book of Psalms? But this is what they are doing! So, the Church of God—all of us together—have got to:

• stand for the Truth
• guard the Truth
• defend the Truth
• make sure that we are able to provide the Truth to the remnant that God sends to us

I hope that The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, A Faithful Version will help fulfill that end!

2-Peter 3:1: "Now, beloved, I am writing this second epistle to you; in both… [1st & 2nd Peter] …I am stirring up your pure minds by causing you to remember." How quickly we forget. When people stop keeping the Sabbath and Holy Days, how quickly did they forget and go back into the world.

Verse 2: "In order for you to be mindful of the words that were spoken before by the Holy prophets, and of the commandment of the Lord and Savior, spoken by us, the apostles… [then he says it applies to the end-time]:  …knowing this first, that in the last days there will come mockers, walking according to their own personal lusts, and asking, 'Where is the promise of His coming?….'" (vs 2-4).

How many believe in the literal return of Jesus Christ today? Very few!

"…For ever since the forefathers died, everything has remained the same as from the beginning of creation" (v 4). And they are willingly ignorant of that!

Let's see what we need to be doing. This is why it's so important; whenever you reach a low point you have walk in faith, believe in hope and live in love! Let God provide! Everyone in his/her own personal life will come to a very low devastating, almost unreal feeling of abandonment by God as a trial that you may go through so that you can have faith in Christ.

Luke 19:11: "Now, as they were listening to these things, He went on to speak a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they thought that the Kingdom of God was going to appear immediately."

We have that now. I read a paper by man who says that it's going to happen in 2010. What did Jesus say? No man knows the day or the hour! We can know the general timeframe!

Verse 12: "Therefore, He said, 'A certain nobleman set out to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and to return. And after calling ten of his servants, he gave to them ten pounds, and said to them, "Trade until I come back"'" (vs 12-13).

Doesn't that give a lot of authority? Yes, it does! You have absolute carte blanche to do what God wants you to do within the parameters of the Laws of God, the Gospel of Christ and as you're led by the Holy Spirit. He didn't set any limits, so you know what happened:

• the one who got ten pounds increased it by ten
• the one who got five pounds increased it by five
• the one who got one pound was afraid and went and hid it
  • being afraid, you don't believe God
  • being afraid, you don't love God

because

• love doesn't have fear
• love casts out fear

He was afraid! So, whatever the circumstances are, we are not to be afraid. Rather we are to go forward and continue what God wants us to do.

Matthew 24:34: "Truly I say to you, this generation…"—the last generation.

A lot of people like to say that was the generation in Jesus' age, but it's not. {note sermon: Two Generations} This is the last generation at the end.

"…shall in no wise pass away until all… [the key is that when the temple was destroyed in 70A.D. not all] …these things had taken place" (v 34). He guarantees His Word:

Verse 35: "The heaven and the earth shall pass away, but My words shall never pass away. But concerning that day, and the hour, no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only" (vs 35-36). When Jesus ascended into heaven understood the whole plan again when He got there.

Verse 37: "Now, as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it also be at the coming of the Son of man."

I'm going to read you now, what you will find on the news; v 38: "For as in the days that were before the Flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage…"

It says in another place that they were buying and selling. Don't we have a lot of buying and selling? Yes! What do they talk about all the time? The economy!

"…until the day that Noah entered the ark; and they were not aware until the Flood came and took them all away; so shall it also be at the coming of the Son of man" (vs 38-39).

We also need to understand that if we are Christ's, if we are living in sin, Christ can come upon you at any time through a trial to try and bring you out of it. It doesn't have to be the literal return of Christ at the end of the age.

Verse 40: "Then two shall be in the field; one shall be taken, and one shall be left; two women shall be grinding at the mill; one shall be taken, and one shall be left. Watch, therefore…" (vs 40-42).

So, we need to watch everything! Not just the news, but our lives, our spiritual condition, and so forth!

"…because you do not know in what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have been watching, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore, you also be ready. For the Son of man is coming at a time that you do not think. Who then is the faithful and wise servant whom his lord has set over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant… [you're all servants of God] …whom his lord when he comes shall find so doing" (vs 42-46). We always need to be doing!

• we have to walk in faith, believe in hope, live in love
• we have to believe the Truth
• we have to walk in the Truth
• we have to defend and preach the Truth
• we have to be willing to die for the Truth

Always be ready!

Verse 47: "Truly I say to you, he will set him over all his property. But if that evil servant shall say in his heart, 'My lord delays his coming,' and shall begin to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken…" (vs 47-49)—go back into the world.

Isn't that what happened? It's exactly what happened! All who wanted to keep the Sabbath and Holy Days were all but short of 'beaten with whips'! What happened? They all went back to eating and drinking with the world, and said, 'My, Baal-worship is really wonderful after all!'

Verse 50: "The lord of that servant will come in a day that he does not expect, and in an hour that he does not know. And he shall cut him asunder and shall appoint his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (vs 50-51).

• What do we do?
• Where do go from here?
  • we follow Christ
  • we ask Him to lead us with His Spirit
  • we work and prepare for the things we need to do
  • we need to ask God to send the remnant to those who are preaching the Truth with His Churches of God
  • we need to do our part to prepare for that
  • we need to continue growing in grace and knowledge

And God will be with us! Then you can hear what He said to the servants, 'Well done, good and faithful servant!' (Luke 19).

All Scriptures from The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, A Faithful Version

Scriptural References:

• Matthew 16:17-18
• Matthew 28:18-20
• Mark 16:15-18
• Luke 24:44-49
• Acts 1:1-8
• Matthew 24:14
• Revelation 11:1, 3-6
• Matthew 24:8-9
• Ezra 7:10
• 2 Timothy 2:8-15
• Isaiah 1:7-9
• Jeremiah 15:10-11
• Amos 5:10, 1, 3, 10-15
• Haggai 1:2-9, 12-14
• Haggai 2:4
• 2 Timothy 1:2-7
• 2 Peter 1:10-15
• 2 Peter 3:1-4
• Luke 19:11-13
• Matthew 24:34-51

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Zechariah 3; 4
• Ecclesiastes 11
• John 21

Also referenced:

Books:

• The Seven General Epistles by Fred R. Coulter
• Occult Holidays or God's Holy Days—Which? by Fred R. Coulter
• Biblical Word Commentary

Sermon Series: Epistle of James
Sermons:

• Who are the Two Witnesses and Elijah?
• Two Generations

FRC: bo
Transcribed: 2/13/18