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From Covid-19 to the Middle East Peace Agreement
(Sermonettes by Durrell Brown and Byron Norrod)
Fred R. Coulter
August 15, 2020
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Greetings, everyone! Welcome to Sabbath services!
FRED: Current Events:
I want to cover some announcements and then a sermonette by Durrell Brown then I will have a short message to bring, take a break and Byron Norrod will bring a sermonette and another short message. I think you will be very interested in all four.
Good news, here's what an expert says: The conclusion that the Covid-19 HIT—Herd Immunity Threshold, which means that everybody has an immunity to it.
Did you know that a common cold is a Coronavirus? That makes you wonder how many of these millions of tests are actually just catching colds, rather than the Coronavirus 19.
LOCKDOWN LUNACY 3.0—It's over. July 30, 2020
https://childrenshealthdefense.org/news/lockdown-lunacy-3-0-its-over/
The conclusion that COVID-19's H.I.T. is between 10-20% is gaining wide acceptance, and it's being borne out in the real world as countries everywhere are watching deaths from COVID-19 simply dry up, as the virus runs out of new people to infect.
Wearing a mask keeps you from getting the common ordinary bacteria and viruses that are in the air in the environment by which your body builds up immunities. So, Biden and Harris' plan of wear a mask for three months is to make you weak so the next one they let loose will knock you dead, because you have no immunity.
Do, you understand what that is? When you go out in the public, everybody is breathing, the wind is blowing and all of these things are taking place and you're breathing whatever is in the air. When you have a mask on, you're defeating your own lungs because you're breathing used carbon dioxide that you have breathed how many times, which eventually will make you sick, too.
The best thing to do is read Psa. 91—God protects us from the plague! He promises that 'it won't come near you! You will see 10,000 die at your left hand and 1,000 at your right hand, and it won't come near to you'!
Here we did not wear masks, we did not shutdown the office and we didn't close down anything, and we're all just fine!
The obvious explanation for WHY the H.I.T. for COVID-19 is far lower than thought is that many more of us are naturally immune to COVID-19, because our T-cells carry immunity based on the fact that we've all been exposed to many corona viruses, which is commonly called a cold.
Do we shut down the whole world because of flu? Remember that more people have overcome getting the Wuhan Virus 98-2 compared to deaths, except for those who are senior citizen and have other pre-conditions. Fifty percent of all deaths have come from those who are in the senior citizens category with pre-conditions. Those pre-conditions can run from lung problems, breathing diseases, diabetes, etc.
Dr. Levitt does exactly what William Farr said to do: he looks at historical all-cause mortality, and when we hit that same threshold here in the U.S., the pandemic is over….
Just because someone gets the Wuhan virus doesn't mean they're going to die. Remember Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of Great Britain? He got it and even went to the hospital, but he overcame it! He's back on the job.
So, you need to ask yourself: Have you been a victim of massive deep-state establishment fear tactics in your life? If the answer is yes, maybe you better get your nose a little more into the Bible. I suggest that you study Psa. 91 deeply.
…His analysis shows we get there by August 25th….
Which is a little over a week from now!
Have you heard about where Wuhan is in relationship to Three Gorges Dam? The biggest dam in the world—Three Gorges Dam—is up to the peak because of monsoon rains. They've had so much rain that it is up to the brink of collapse. There have been some wobbly changes in it, but so far it's still standing.
But Wuhan and the fields around it are under 9-feet of water. This is monsoon times 200%! So, it looks like God is giving a little payback They've also had the problem with the Swine Flu and they had to kill 150-million swine, which is one of their staple meats. They also have had a chicken virus and had to kill over 100-million chickens. Also, coming up from the south locust!
So, God is taking care of China very, very well!
Have you heard the propaganda that China is living up to buying the products that they said they would buy for part one of the trade deal? The truth is they are on the brink to starvation if they didn't buy the greatest amount from America! Food shortages are so bad that Xi Jinping is telling people to not waste food.
I want you to stop and think about the biggest problem that the Chinese have is feeding everyday two or three meals 1.4 billion people! So, they're always on the brink!
About the rain: you've seen pictures of China where they have on the mountains they terrace the rice fields. With all this rain, I wonder how many of them have been washed down? and How are they going to build them up?
China has suffered a major blow in addition to the Wuhan virus that they're in no position to challenge America today. They may bluster and do a few things like that.
China facing food shortage after months of flooding, infestations by Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Aug. 13, 2020
{https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3986625}
Think of the mosquitoes! And other water born insects and those that will come out as soon as the sun comes out and the land goes down. But how long does it take for the land to dry enough to plant? Many parts of China they couldn't plant anything.
I got this catalog on Bibles—all different kinds. Remember what I said about the Bible being everywhere. Think about it with the books and the digital Bibles. It's amazing!
People have said that they wished they lived in Biblical times. Well, the truth is these are Biblical times! The Bible says that these are the last days. So, you are in it! You've got to wake up and pat attention so that you will be able to know what you need to do in the last days!
*****
Durrell Brown: Wisdom is the Principle Thing
{Scriptures used in this transcript/message are from The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, A Faithful Version, which is a little different than the speaker's}
Thank you, Fred, and pleasant afternoon to all of you. I am very appreciative of the fact that I'm able to be here at the headquarters of God's work in this area.
Wisdom is the subject that I'm going introduce to you at this time. This is a very trying period of time for us and for the whole world. A great deal of wisdom is going to be necessary for us to make it through these trying times.
James, the kid brother of Jesus Christ, in the first of his messages told us that wisdom is the principle thing, and if any man lacks wisdom, let him ask of God!
I want to begin a series on what Godly wisdom is, how to get it, and why it is the principle thing. That statement by James jumped out at me the first time I saw it some months ago. Why is it the principle thing? I though that all kinds of other things that God requires of us were the principle things to do!
When we get a Godly working definition of what wisdom is, then we can see why it is the principle thing. If you lack wisdom, we're told by the wisest man in the Bible that you're a fool, and we certainly don't want to be fools.
You're either wise or foolish, and in times such as these we had better be wise. The only kind of wisdom that is going to get us through is Godly wisdom.
- Just what is Godly wisdom?
- How do we get it?
- How it is the principle thing?
- How important it is?
James answers those question, and hopefully we can get a good working Biblical definition of what Godly wisdom is and how to apply it. James tells us that wisdom is the principle thing, and that struck me as kind of funny.
- Is that a correct understanding that we're to get?
- Why is it so valuable and principled?
- Why is it an important thing to have wisdom?
Without it, you're a fool and we don't want to be fools!
Godly wisdom is what God gives us in order to please Him and receive His blessings.
James 1:3 (FV): "Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance." The world is being tried severely at this time! It works patience!
Verse 2 (FV): "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you are beset by various trials."
God has a great plan that He's working through here! Only the wise will understand it, and through wisdom we can have the power and the understanding to make the right judgments and decisions.
Verse 4: "But let endurance have its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and complete, not lacking in anything. However, if anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, Who gives to everyone freely and does not reproach the one who asks;and it shall be given to him" (vs 4-5).
He is willing to give you His Godly wisdom! The God we serve and believe in and trust in is a wise God! We are to ask in faith. We are told by James—who probably knew Christ about as well as anybody could know Him—who gives us pointers on where to get wisdom. Ask God!
When we ask God we go back to His Word. We have four books in the Bible that tell us, labeled as the books of wisdom. They tell us what Godly wisdom is.
A summation of that and a definition that I've come up with that I feel the Scriptures teaches us: Coming to know what the best right Godly thing to do is, and always doing that consistently!
When we look through the Word of God, it teaches us what God's will is for us. He teaches and shows us:
- what His plan is for us
- why He created us
- how we are to act and function
as entities created in His image!
We need Godly wisdom, and He gives that to us from Genesis to Revelation. Solomon was the wisest man who has ever existed told us: with wisdom you get understanding! Make sure that you know what you know is what God says that you are to know.
Wisdom is coming to an understanding of what God's will is for you, what is the best right Godly thing to do, and to do that consistently!
We look back at the first mistake that was made that brought about all this situation as far as human beings are concerned. Adam and Eve were instructed what were the best right things to do and to continue to do them.
James tells us that wisdom is the principle thing! The #1 thing! You've got to start there when God opens your mind to understanding of what His will is, what is the best right Godly thing to do! You better do it, and do it consistently!
The Bible gives us Godly wisdom! The hoary head is supposed to teach wisdom; it also teaches a lack of wisdom, too, when you see some of the problems we old people have!
Wisdom is the principle thing! That leapt out at me. I thought praying, studying and fasting was, but wisdom is the principle thing. You can do all of those thing, but if you don't first of all act on what God says is the best, right Godly thing to do, you're not wise, you are fools.
James says to ask God, and when we ask Him He sends us to His Word that tells us what God's will is about every aspect of our lives, what our part in the salvation process is, what we are to bring to the salvation process that God is taking us through, to those of us who have been called at this time.
*****
Fred: How God Hides Knowledge from the World
The other day I was talking to a friend of mind who works and lives here in Hollister. I've known him for a good number of years; he's an accountant and financial advisor, insurance man and so forth.
And he is a long time Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints—Mormons—and he is an elder in the church. So, we had a very interesting conversation. He brought up something very interesting that got me to thinking.
The Mormons say that after John there was no further revelation, so 'we needed Joseph Smith to bring us the latest revelation.'
Is that true? That sounds logical to a lot of people who don't know the Bible, because you say that John was almost 2,000 years ago.
- Don't you think that there's something else we can learn?
- Isn't there something else we ought to have?
- What is the answer?
First of all, God tells us:
Deuteronomy 29:29: "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things, which are revealed, belong to us and to our children forever so that we may do all the words of this Law."
We know that Jesus came to reveal the Father! He came to reveal Him to the wise, intelligent and to babes—that's us!
That revelation then began the completion of the revelation of God, which all of it for all time is contained in the Word of God.
But for someone who doesn't know the Word of God, and doesn't know how God is working—though it's right in front of them and they can read it—they can't understand it!
First of all, how do we understand the Bible? God has a very simple way, the very way, the very same words… We will see later on the revelation of God is contained in the Bible today. I'll let you think about that.
- What did Jesus say about Himself that proves that we do not need any revelation given to us even 1800 years later after the Apostle John?
- How do we understand the Bible? God has a particular way of doing it!
Isaiah 28:9: "Whom shall He teach knowledge?…."
- Wouldn't you say that knowledge of the Holy is necessary?
- Wouldn't you say that's a revelation of God?
"…And whom shall He make to understand doctrine?…." Doctrine is very important because they are the teachings of God!
"…Those who are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breasts" (v 9)—meaning you're not a newbee! How do you start?
- God draws us
- God leads us to repentance
- then God leads us to baptism
- God gives us His Spirit
That's the definition of drawn from the milk and the breast!
Now you are to grow in grace and knowledge, and growing in this grace and knowledge you will begin to understand the very things of God. I can attest to you that even to this day I'm learning new things even through old Scriptures.
Here's how you do it: the Bible is not a book that you read like a novel. The Bible is not a book you read like a history book except perhaps of the historical book like: Judges, Joshua, 1st & 2nd Kings, 1st & 2nd Samuel and so forth.
Verse 10: "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept…"
- What does this tell us? The Truth of God is not all in one place! There's some in the Old Testament, some in the New Testament.
- Where does this put the Protestants?
If they say that everything in the Old Testament is fulfilled, they're missing it! Let's look at some other things, because it's more than just knowledge.
"'…line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little'; for with stammering lips and foreign tongue He will speak to this people" (vs 10-11).
Let's see what happens when someone who does not do this following criteria:
Psalm 111:10: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments…."
Keeping it! The key to understanding with the stammering lips and a foreign language is that you obey God! What is the first key? The very one they reject? The Sabbath Day!
So, if they reject the Sabbath, of course they think they need another revelation someone else. And that revelation comes from the one who appears as an angel of light! What happened to Joseph Smith when supposedly God came to him? God knocked him on his back! That's not a sign that you're worshipping God; that's a sign that you're worshipping Satan. Everyone who worships God falls on their face!
That gives us a good deal of knowledge as to what is contained in the fourth commandment. It's amazing, here's the only commandment of the ten that says to 'remember the Sabbath Day to keep it Holy, because in six days the Lord made the heaven and earth all that is in them. Therefore, you shall keep the Sabbath Day Holy!'
What was the first commandment that Adam and Eve had acquaintance with? Sabbath! They were created on the sixth day, and the very next day they had church services with God! 'Wherever two or three are gathered there I am in the midst!' Was God in the midst with Adam and Eve? Right there!
Let's see what happens when people who do not have that key—let's add something else on top of it—and the Passover and the Holy Days. That's how God has hidden the knowledge that they will never understand, because it's scattered 'a precept here, a precept there; line here, a line there.'
If you read Lev. 23 just as it is, you would never know that those are the keys to the plan of God to the end when Christ returns.
So, not only do they reject the Sabbath, which takes away knowledge, they reject the Holy Days, which blinds them completely.
Isaiah 28:12: "To whom He said, 'This is the rest He gives to the weary'… [Sabbath! Isn't that called a rest?] …and 'This is the refreshing,' yet, they were not willing to hear." Isn't that amazing!
Remember what happened when Moses got the commandment from God about getting the manna? He told them that six days they shall go out and get it and on the sixth day they would get twice as much. All the first five days if you get more than you need, you're going to have worms and stinking in your tent. But you keep it over for the Sabbath, and don't go out and look for manna on the Sabbath.
There were people who were not willing to hear!
- What did they do?
- 'Who is God to tell us we won't go out and manna?' They go out!
- What did God say? How long do you refuse to keep My commandments! (Exo. 16)
Right here we've got in v 12 the Sabbath and Holy Days, both of them they were not willing to hear!
Verse 13: "So then, the Word of the LORD was to them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken and snared and taken."
They can have the Word of God, and yes, everywhere billions of Bibles, but they can't understand it! Here's the result, and you can see it in the world today everywhere:
Isaiah 29:9: "Be stunned and amazed! Blind your eyes and be blind! They are drunk, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink, for the LORD has poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep… [If you are in a deep sleep, can you read? No!] …and has closed your eyes; He has covered the prophets and your rulers, and the seers" (vs 9-10).
I've had four books on prophecy sent to me recently. Everyone of them have a bit of this and a bit of that and a bit of the other thing, then they go off the deep end and don't know it, because they don't keep the Sabbath and Holy Days.
Verse 11[transcriber's correction]: "And the vision of all…"—later Revelation! How many have said that they've had a dream from God?
"…has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed…" (v 11). That's what the Bible is to all people! They can give good Christian living principles, but to teach
- the doctrine of God
- about the Sabbath
- about the Holy Days
They have no knowledge! Quite an amazing thing when you understand it.
"…which they give to one who is learned saying, 'Please read this,' and he says, 'I cannot, for it is sealed'" (v 11). Why is it sealed? Because they don't read with understanding!
I want to give you a little example. Jonathan has a two-screen computer setup at the house. We got this message from this woman who said:
Watch this man, he's got something new and it sounds real Biblical!
Verse 12: "And the book is delivered to him who is not learned, saying, 'Please read this,' and he says, 'I am not learned.'
So, we turned it on, and watched him and he's saying that originally the earth was not at 23-1/2 degrees angle and that there was no rain until the Flood, which is not true. Yes, right after the creation there was midst coming up from the ground, but can you imagine living your life in fog? He said that thee was a canopy of water around the earth. That's an old, old teaching, but he's teaching it like it's brand new.
If there were a canopy of water around the earth what would you see looking up at the sun? You would see a rainbow around the sun, just like you do at night when there's a lot of moisture at night, and you look at a full moon. When I was about ten-years-old I saw that and wondered if that rainbow is behind the moon or in front of the moon.
He said that 'because of the waters from the heavens coming on the earth it tilted the earth 23-1/2 degrees, and that there were no seasons.
So, Jonathan and I turned to Genesis 8:22—here's the promise from God: "While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."
What does this tell us? There were seasons! You can't have seasons unless there's the 23-1/2 degree tilt of the earth, which means there was rain. One simple verse!
Isaiah 29:12: "And the book is delivered to him who is not learned, saying, 'Please read this,' and he says, 'I am not learned.'"
Now, here is the key that that they don't understand. Everyone wants God their way! You have to go to God His way!Can't be any other way!
Verse 13: "And the LORD said, 'Because this people draws near Me with their mouth…"
- How many people profess to believe in God? Well over 80-90% of the people!
- How many keep the commandments of God? Pretty hard to get a percentage on that!
"…and with their lips honor Me, but their worship of Me is made up of the traditions of men learned by rote… [Isn't that what happens when you confront a Sunday-keeper? Yeah but…] …and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandments of men; therefore, behold, I will proceed to do again a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder, for the wisdom of their wise ones shall perish, and the wisdom of their intelligent ones shall vanish" (vs 13-14).
- How do we know that all the revelation of God is contained in the Bible, and we don't need anything else? God has hidden it!
- How does He hide it? By His Sabbath and Holy Days, which they refuse to keep!
They are the keys that opens the understanding to see!
Isaiah 41:4: "Who has planned and done it, calling forth the generations from the beginning?…."
Here we have that God has a plan, but how many people know His plan? Only those who know the Sabbath and Holy Days and keep them!
"…'I, THE LORD, AM THE FIRST AND THE LAST; I AM HE'" (v 4)—because He has determined the end from the beginning! That's an amazing thing!
How can God do that? Because He's God! For us, that's hard to understand. Most of us can't even have a plan for a whole week that works out exactly the way we want, let alone down through thousands of years.
We're going to find that what we are reading here is also found in the New Testament to verify that the two go together. It's just like this: If you have a nut and a bolt, you have to have them so they match. If you have the wrong nut, it won't work; if you have the wrong bolt, it won't work. What happens is that you strip the threads and you ruin it. In the analogy, you don't understand what God is saying!
Isaiah 44:6: "Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, and His Redeemer even the LORD of hosts, "I AM THE FIRST… [Who made Adam and Eve? He did!] …AND I AM THE LAST; and besides Me there is no god. And who, as I, shall call and shall declare it and set it in order for Me, since I appointed the ancient people? And the things that are coming, and shall come, let them declare it to us"'" (vs 6-7).
If you have a revelation, tell us, and we'll do like Jonathan and I did and compare it to the Bible. We took care of him with one verse.
Rev. 1 is one of the most important chapters in the whole Bible, because this ties everything together.
Let's just stop and think: we have the Daniel/Revelation series, and you analyze Revelation from this point of view:
Every single chapter that is prophetic ends up in the last days: chapters, 2, 4, 7, 8, 11 & 12. But when do they come? That's only part of the story. You need Revelation that gives you the key to unlock the meaning, and you need the meaning of the Holy Days to know what's transpiring.
A lot of people get real excited and want to get into the Bible so they miss the first couple verse that are the introduction, but those are the most important. Every one of Paul's Epistles starts out with: Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God the Father and Jesus Christ, grace and peace be to you from Them!
In the letter that we're going to send out this week there is something very important that I want you to understand: 2-Cor. 5 tells us that God… (Think about this in relationship to you, and everyone that God calls.) …through Christ the Father Himself has reconciled us to Him!
Let that sink in; God the Father! Is it not the Father Who draws us to begin with? That should take care of Church authority!
Revelation 1:1: "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to Him…"
Where does it go to? New Jerusalem; from that time to New Jerusalem, which means that we do not need any other revelation from any other man anywhere to tell us what they think God is doing.
"…to show to His servants the things that are ordained tocome to pass shortly; and He made it known, having sent it by His angel to His servant John who gave witness to the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ… [Old and New Testaments] …and all the things he saw" (vs 1-2).
Verse 7: "Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye shall see Him…"
Before the advent of the modern technology that we have today, we would not understand how every eye would see Him. But without the knowledge of the sixth seal and the rolling back of the heavens like a scroll so that the sign of the Son of man is there for a whole year before the resurrection, every eye will see Him! No one is going to miss it! Do we need another revelation from anybody else? No!
"…and those who pierced Him…" (v 7)—literally the soldiers; when will they see Him? The second resurrection! We had our part in the crucifixion of Christ, so that includes us!
"…and all the tribes of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen. 'I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the Ending'…" (vs 7-8).
Don't you think that God is going to give us the revelation to the ending? Yes, indeed! Right here in:
- the book of Revelation
- the epistles of the apostles
- the Old Testament
You will notice that when it comes time for the Feast of Tabernacles, most of the Scriptures come from the prophecies of the Old Testament. Whatever prophecies they are reach clear to the fulfillment of God's plan. That is a revelation that is ongoing!
Verse 11: "Saying, 'I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last…'"
If He's the First and the Last does that cover all the necessary revelations of God? He doesn't say First and next to the last or First and second to the last, He said the Last!
"…and what you see, write in a book, and send it to the churches…" (v 11).
What else did Jesus say? He told the apostles, after revealing Himself to them (Luke 24) opening their eyes to understand things from the Law, Prophets and Psalms about Him! And preach the Gospel into all the world and make disciples in all nations, and lo, I am with you until the end!
So, the revelation of God from beginning to ending is contained in the Word of God, and we don't need Joseph Smith supposed revelation from Satan the devil to give us any insight!
Rev. 20 is one of the most revealing chapters in the whole book of Revelation. Think of what that tells us:
- the sealing of Satan the devil
- the Millennial reign for a thousand years
- the second resurrection
- the burning up of all the wicked in the Lake of Fire, which consumes the whole earth
Revelation 21:5: "And He Who sits on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.' Then He said to me, 'Write, for these words are true and faithful.'" That's why we have them!
- Do you think God is able to preserve the Word? Sure He is!
- What if the men are not converted?
- Was Balak and Baalim converted? No!
Baalim was brought by Balak to curse the children of Israel. He did all he could to curse them, but when he got up there to curse them, he blessed them! You can't do anything against the Word of God! Balak didn't know what to do. He said, 'I brought you to curse them.' Well, I can't do anymore than God lets me do! What else did he do? He gave a prophecy of Jesus Christ! Go back and read it in the book of Numbers.
Verse 6: "And He said to me, 'It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the one who thirsts, I will give freely of the fountain of the Water of Life. The one who overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son'" (vs 6-7).
How is that for a revelation? Now, there's much more to it, but whenever you come up with something that someone says—because they're 'religious' or 'Christian'—go to the Bible and prove it!
Jonathan and I were sitting there and he was giving this speech and telling that this one wrote this, that and the other thing, and there weren't any seasons, etc. so we go to Gen. 8:22…
(break)
Byron Norrod: In Compliance with God
Today I want to cover a somewhat difficult Scripture. It may not seem that difficult to us who are in the Church, who have the knowledge and strength of character and understanding.
We will begin to see something that may appear to be kind of crazy, and that God doesn't want us to keep the Sabbath and Holy Days, or to offer sacrifices. Could that be the case?
Isaiah 1:11: "'To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?' says the LORD. 'I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of he-goats. When you come to appear before Me, who has required this at your hand, to trample My courts? Bring no more vain sacrifices; incense is an abomination to Me—new moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies—I cannot endure iniquity along with the solemn assembly! Your new moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; they are a trouble to Me; I am weary to bear them. And when you spread forth your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; yea, when you make many prayers, I will not hear; your hands are full of blood'" (vs 11-15).
Does God really not want the people that He's speaking to here through the prophet Isaiah not to keep the Sabbath or the Holy Days, or to offer sacrifices? Before we answer that, let's see who God is actually talking to.
Verse 2: "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the LORD has spoken, 'I have reared and brought up children, but they have rebelled against Me. The ox knows his owner, and the donkey his master's crib; but Israel does not know Me; My people do not understand.' Ah, sinful nation, a people burdened with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD; they have provoked the Holy One of Israel to anger; they have gone away backward. Why should you be stricken any more? You will revolt more and more…" (vs 2-5). There are some key words here:
- rebelled
- iniquity
- provoked
- gone backward
- revolt
God gets even more powerful:
Verse 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. Hear the Word of the LORD, rulers of Sodom; give ear to the Law of our God, people of Gomorrah" (vs 9-10).
Here God's calling His people Sodom and Gomorrah! God's people? Really? Sodom and Gomorrah?
We will see that Moses' (Deut.) song is kind of a corollary to this passage in:
Deuteronomy 31:30: "And Moses spoke in the ears of all the congregation of Israel the words of this song until they were finished."
Deut. 32 begins this and it goes through Deut. 43, but there's a corollary, which means going along the same lines.
Deuteronomy 32:4: "He is the Rock; His work is perfect for all His ways are just, a God of faithfulness, and without iniquity; just and upright is He. They have corrupted themselves: they are not His children; it is their blemish; they are a crooked and perverse generation" (vs 4-5).
Verse 10: "He found him… [talking about Jacob being His inheritance (v 9)] …in a desert land, and in the waste of a howling wilderness. He led him about, He cared for him, He kept him as the apple of His eye
Verse 12: "The LORD alone led him, and there was no strange god with him."
Verse 15: "But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked…. [like a little spoiled brat kid] …You grew fat, thick, and satisfied. Then he forsook God Who made him and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation. They provoked Him to jealousy with strange gods; with abominations they provoked Him to anger" (vs 15-16).
Jeshurun is a nickname that God has for Israel when they're heading toward sinfulness, when they're headed toward being steeped in iniquity.
But once they get to dedicated sinfulness, now they have become Sodom and Gomorrah. It's like a gradient.
Sidebar: Is this not the whole cycle that is magnified in the book of Judges, and actually the whole Bible?
- God blesses them
- He loves them
- He cares for them
- He led them
- He found them in the desert
- He paved the way for them
- Israel has been in a time of peace
- Israel sins and falls into apostasy
- God steps back and stays out of their business just to see if they will repent or not
- God gets angry against His people
- God punishes to correct, so that He will help bring them to correction
- Israel repents
Then the cycle starts all over again!
Where are we in the cycle? We all like to think that we're on God's side, that we're in obedience and in compliance with His will, that we're doing the right way. The best and right Godly thing to do!
- Might we be in some sort of apostasy?
- Might we be in rebellion?
Verse 29: "If they were wise, they would understand this; they would consider their latter end!" that's our job, to consider the latter end!
Going back to our difficult question, we see that God calls His rebellious children Israel. When they get set in their sinful ways He calls them Sodom and Gomorrah. In Isa. 1 He is calling his people/children Sodom and Gomorrah.
When they get steeped in it and when the little children are walking arrogantly toward wickedness, getting fat and sassy and set in their own ways, that Jeshurun, and then Sodom and Gomorrah is once they're set.
God is addressing us, His people, by extension spiritual Israel. But we're to take the lessons of old (1-Cor. 10) and apply them to our lives. God's complaint is actually with us! He's given us instructions; we know what we're to do! We're supposed to obey, but we're not doing it!
Isaiah 1:10: "Hear the Word of the LORD, rulers of Sodom; give ear to the Law of our God, people of Gomorrah."
We will see that what we do, we choose to devise, invent, copy and create our own methods to worship God. Is God pleased with any way that we worship Him as long as we call on His name? Use the name of Jesus Christ? The Word? 'I choose to worship You on Sunday and you have to accept it.' Of course, I'm preaching 'to the choir.' That's not the thing! We need to praise and obey God in the way that He wants!
Mark 7:1: "Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes from Jerusalem came together to Him."
He's talking to the 'powers that be,' the 'religious establishment' at the time, the religious leaders like the pope of the Catholic Church. The Protestants, Muslims, Buddhists, etc.; they know who they are, and yet, these guys were supposed to be the leaders of this faith.
Verse 3: "For the Pharisees and all the Jews, holding fast to the tradition of the elders…"
Verse 6: "And He answered and said to them, 'Well did Isaiah prophesy concerning you hypocrites, as it is written, "This people honors Me with their lips, but their hearts are far away from Me. But in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrine the commandments of men." For leaving the commandment of God, you hold fast the tradition of men…'" (vs 6-8).
It sounds like it's no okay to just worship God in 'any ole way.'
Matthew 7:21: "Not everyone who says to Me 'Lord, Lord'… [calls upon any name that he uses] …shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but the one who is doing the will of My Father, Who is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy through Your name? And did we not cast out demons through Your name? And did we not perform many works of power through Your name?'" (vs 21-22).
That's pretty strong; they're doing great works. He saying, 'Look, I gave you instructions and you didn't follow My instructions. I need you to worship Me the way that I want to be worshipped!Not the way that you want!
Jesus responds, v 23: "And then I will confess to them, 'I never knew you. Depart from Me, you who work lawlessness.'"
It's not that God doesn't want us to keep the Sabbath and Holy Days, have the appointed times and do the sacrifices that are meant for today. God does! He wants us to keep His commandments in a manner that He has dictated, in the manner that He has commanded!
It's not for us to comply with our own desires. It's for us to comply with God's wishes! If we're not, then we become Sodom and Gomorrah, and that's no good! What can we do? God doesn't leave us hanging!
Isaiah 1:16: "'Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do good; seek judgment, reprove the oppressor. Judge the orphan… [their causes, going to bat for the underdog, helping those in need] …plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together,' says the LORD. 'Though your sins are as scarlet…'" (vs 16-18).
God is willing to reason with us; He recognizes that we're human, that our sins shame us, and now we are as Sodom and Gomorrah.
"…they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land" (vs 18-19).
- How do we come back into compliance? Obey! It's simple but it's hard to do!
- Why? Because we want to do our own thing!
We're human and we say that we want to worship God the way we want to worship. But God wants His people to keep His Sabbath Day, the Holy Days and the required sacrifices for today. He wants us to do it in compliance with His standards.
We can see the take away from all this. We understand now that God is not saying not to worship on the Sabbath or Holy Days. He's saying to keep the Sabbath and the Holy Days, but 'Do it MY way, not yours. If you do it your way, it's a stink to Me and I don't like it. Then I get full up to here with it! I'm done with it! Please don't do that anymore!'
He's telling us how we can obey! We need to obey God in all circumstances, in all way and worship Him in the way that He wants. That's our take away, to do it the way that He wants us to do it!
1-John 2:3: "And by this standard we know that we know Him: if we keep His commandments. The one who says, 'I know Him' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the Truth is not in him" (vs 3-4).
In another place it says that no liar will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven!
Verse 7: "Brethren, I am not writing a new commandment to you but an old commandment, which you had from the beginning; the old commandment is the message that you have heard from the beginning."
Verse 27: "But you yourselves… [every baptized member in the Family of God] …have dwelling in you the anointing that you received from Him; and you do not have need of anyone to indoctrinate you; for the same anointing instructs you in all spiritual things, and is true, and is not a lie; and if you do exactly as it has taught you, you will be dwelling in Him."
Philemon 1—this is the only time this word compliance is in the Faithful Version.
Philemon 1:21: "I wrote to you because I am fully persuaded of your willing compliance…"
Remember that if we just do what God had told us to do, not even considering doing it our own way:
- Are we not unfaithful servants?
- Are we not supposed to be profitable servants?
For us to be a profitable servant is to do more than we're supposed to do!
Verse 21: "I wrote to you because I am fully persuaded of your willing compliance knowing that you will do above and beyond what I have asked."
*****
FRED: Peace in the Middle East?
What's the latest thing in the news? Peace, peace and there is no peace!
Israel and United Arab Emirates strike historic peace accord {https://www.ft.com/content/2712a625-e2d4-41f3-9ef1-536d0700cbb8}
Everyone thinks this is so good, this is wonderful. I imagine now all the prophecy buffs are going to come out and say that this is a fulfillment of Dan. 9:27. But it's not!
What kind of peace is what God describes as His peace?
Isa. 2 says that 'they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks.' No weapons!
Man's way of doing it is because war is always on the horizon in someone's heart. Like Pres. Trump has said, and Ronald Reagan before him, peace through strength!
How did that turn out? We didn't have war, but we have so many nuclear weapons that we could blowup the world! That's why Christ has to return!
Daniel 9:27: "And he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week…. [that's not the Messiah; that is the prince (v 26)] …And in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease, and upon the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate even until the consummation…. [right up to the end of the age] …And the fully determined end which is decreed shall be poured out upon the desolator."
Verse 26: "And after sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off but not for Himself…. [here's the Beast Power]: …And the people of the prince…"
- Does that mean he's being voted in?
or
- Is it the people who advise the prince?
"…who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. But his end shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined" (v 26).
This is prophetic that has happened. It's not the final peace. Like they said, there will be many other agreements along with this. Let's look at the beast and see what it says that his power is (Rev. 13). We will also look at Rev. 17 and they agree. If they have a cessation of war, that is a kind of peace. But that's not the peace of God. God is going to get rid of all weapons, but before He does that, what is He going to do to human nature? He's going to make it less carnal and hostile Ezek. 36)!
Rev. 13—this comes together and looks like that it's eventually going to come around exactly as it says here:
Revelation 13:1: "And I stood on the sand of the sea; and I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns…"
Are these the people of the prince? It's not the multitude of people in the world that is going to vote for it!
"…and on his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy" (v 1).
- What is blasphemy? Satan is God!
- Isn't that the most blasphemous thing you can think of? Yes!
Verse 2: "And the beast that I saw was like a leopard…" This goes back to the book of Daniel. So, what we're reading here is a combining of all different nations into one community. I won't say organization because it can't be.
"…and his feet like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion; and the dragon gave him his power, and his throne and great authority" (v 2).
When Satan told Christ to worship him, he said that he would give Christ all the world and the glory of them all. The beast gets it!
- When they come together will there be a worldwide peace treaty that all nations will agree to?
- How do we know that it will be all nations?
Verse 6: "And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, and His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. And he was given power to make war against the saints, and to overcome them; and he was given authority over every tribe and language and nation" (vs 6-7).
So, this is the full agreement of Dan. 9, but I just imagine that there are going to be a lot of prophets come along and say, 'Oh, this peace treaty is part of Dan. 9.' Well, it may be part, but it's not the whole.
Verse 8: "And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If anyone has an ear, let him hear" (vs 8-9).
Let's see that there is also at the last minute another treaty. Here's what working. What else happened with the United Arab Emirates on a 'religious' basis with the Catholic Church? The pope and the leading Imam of the United Arab Emirates are going to build an Abrahamic place of worship there for Jews, Christians and Muslims! How long do you think that's going to stay together?
Revelation 17:1: "And one of the seven angels who had the seven vials came and spoke with me, saying to me, 'Come here; I will show you the judgment of the great whore who sits upon many waters… [the same area of rulership; it' going to encompass the world] …with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication'" (vs 1-2).
That's why they agree. They finally get it so that they can say that 'we agree.'
Did Hitler and Molotov from Russia—before WWII—make an agreement to not fight each other? The agreement was that Germany would take half of Poland and Russia would take the east half of Poland! That was an agreement for peace that they wouldn't fight each other. What happened? Hitler decided to attack Russia!
That's why when you hear 'peace peace' there is no peace, because unless it's the peace of Christ when you get rid of all munitions and weapons, change the nature of people, there is no peace. You may temporarily have a lack of war, which is good because war is a terrible thing, but that's not real peace.
Verse 3: "Then he carried me away in the spirit to a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet beast that had seven heads and ten horns, full of names of blasphemy. And the woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and was adorned with gold and pearls and precious stones; and she had a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominations and the filthiness of her fornication" (vs 3-4).
This is spiritual and political fornication! This has to be the Vatican, which is the only religious organization in the world that has ambassadors from every single country in the world in Rome.
Verse 5: "And across her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."
Remember that all trouble in nations starts with the 'religious' leaders; always! Political leaders are right in line!
Verse 6; "And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And after seeing her, I wondered with great amazement." John was thinking, 'What on earth is this that is going on?'
Verse 7: "Then the angel said to me, 'Why are you amazed? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. The beast that you saw was, and is not, but is about to come up out of the abyss and to go into perdition….'" (vs 7-8).
Who is in the abyss? Demons! It's going to be a tremendous demon-like thing that's coming. Have you watched Ancient Aliens? There's a lot of truth in it because it's the demons who are doing all the things they say that are ancient aliens from outer space! That will tell you what is coming when you watch some of it. A lot of it is stupidity and foolishness, too; but you can learn something from it.
Now notice that only the ones who have the Spirit of God will know what this system really is. The rest of the world is going to be deceived. This is going to be so great that they will all be deceived!
"…And those who dwell on the earth, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, shall be astonished when they see the beast that was, but is not, and yet, is" (v 8).
What are they going to claim? Finally, we got it! Then it will all fall apart! Halfway through the last seven years, what's going to happen? The beast is going to receive the deadly wound, but he will come back and be healed! After that what does he do? He is so angry with the whole system that he goes into the temple and says that he is God! Then all hell breaks out on earth!
You have to realize that many times in prophecy, verses that are connected like Rev. 12: 6-7 between them there is probably 800 years, maybe a little less. How do we know that? Because the next verse says:
Revelation 12:7: "And there was war in heaven…" Think about that! Deut. 30 says that if you are in the uttermost parts of the heavens I'm going to get you from there. That tells us that men go into space.
What's happening right now? We have the Space Force in America! The Chinese are in space, the Russians, the Indians, Saudi Arabia and Japan to come very shortly behind that. What is the Space Force that was brought up by Pres. Trump? They've actually been working on it for years and years, before he was elected! That is to keep our enemies from destroying our hardware in space. So, there's going to be war and it's going to be something.
There's a lot yet to happen, but when that war takes place… Could it be that the beast gets his deadly wound because he takes a trip into space and comes back? (speculation) Possibility! Then what happens? The persecution against the Church starts, and the few that go to a place of safety will go! After that it's going to be war against the saints!
That's the beginning of the Tribulation! Quite a thing! When the Church is taken to a place of safety I believe that's when the two witnesses come on the scene. They have a ministry of 1260 days and the come on the scene shortly after—note chart on Dan./Rev.—the Feast of Tabernacles. They are there and begin their ministry and then the beast receives the deadly wound and goes into the temple and says that he's God.
At that point there is persecution against the Church; there can be no preaching of the Gospel. They're either in a place of safety or being martyred. The two witnesses are there and they have supernatural protection that no one can get to them to kill them until the last day of their ministry.
It's going to be so spectacular that it's going to be unreal! It's going to show the power of God that the people on the earth will think that it's the power of Satan because the one who is 'god' to them is the beast! What happens when the come and try to kill the two witnesses? Fire comes out of their mouths and devours those who are coming to get them!
How are you going to have a weapon against that? It's going to be something! I think that the development of space is going to be absolutely amazing! I need to do more research on it. What about going to Mars; what's going to happen there? A lot of ideas and things like that, too.
This shows us that the revelation of God is complete from the beginning to the ending, from the first to last. We will see how all of that comes together!
REFERENCES:
Fred: Current Events: Articles:
- LOCKDOWN LUNACY 3.0—It's over. July 30, 2020
{https://childrenshealthdefense.org/news/lockdown-lunacy-3-0-its-over/}
- China facing food shortage after months of flooding, infestations by Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Aug. 13, 2020
{https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3986625}
*****
Durrell Brown: Wisdom is the Principle Thing
Scriptural References:
- James 1:3-5
*****
Fred: How God Hides Knowledge from the World
Scriptural References:
- Deuteronomy 29:29
- Isaiah 28:9-11
- Psalm 111:10
- Isaiah 28:12-13
- Isaiah 29:9-12
- Genesis 8:22
- Isaiah 29:12-14
- Isaiah 41:4
- Isaiah 44:6-7
- Revelation 1:1-2, 7-8, 11
- Revelation 21:5-7
Scriptures referenced, not quoted:
- Leviticus 23
- Exodus 16
- 2-Corinthians 5
- Luke 24
- Revelation 20
Also referenced: Sermon Series:
Daniel/Revelation w/chart
*****
Byron Norrod: In Compliance with God
Scriptural references:
- Isaiah 1:11-15, 2-5, 9-10
- Deuteronomy 31:30
- Deuteronomy 32:4-5, 10, 12, 15-16, 29
- Isaiah 1:10
- Mark 7:1, 3, 6-8
- Matthew 7:21-23
- Isaiah 1:16-19
- 1 John 2:3-4, 7, 27
- Philemon 1:21
Scriptures referenced, not quoted:
- Deuteronomy 31:32-43; 32:9
- 1 Corinthians 10
*****
Fred: Peace in the Middle East?
Scriptural References:
- Daniel 9:27, 26
- Revelation 13:1-2, 6-9
- Revelation 17:1-8
- Revelation 12:7
Scriptures referenced, not quoted:
- Isaiah 2
- Ezekiel 36
- Revelation 12:6
- Deuteronomy 30
Also referenced: Article:
Israel and United Arab Emirates strike historic peace accord {https://www.ft.com/content/2712a625-e2d4-41f3-9ef1-536d0700cbb8}
FRC/DB/BN: bo
Transcribed:
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