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Keep your mind on God and your eyes on the goal!
Fred R. Coulter—October 2, 2021
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Greetings, everyone! Welcome to Sabbath services!
I'm going to post online at truthofgod.org—pay attention carefully—How to Beat the Flu This Winter. It also has overtones for the plague that has been bothering us. You will see that there's some good information there.
During the Feast here we had a man here who was not feeling very well, and what I did was this: we have two lemon trees right in the front of our house. I picked a whole bunch of lemons and used five lemons for a 14-ounce jar:
{transcriber's note: the following from truthofGod.org is essentially what Fred said in his message}
How To Beat the Flu This Winter
1) You get 5 lemons and squeeze out the juice, set the juice aside and then chop up the rinds.
NOTE: You can also add a grapefruit with grapefruit rinds, and you squeeze out the juice like the lemons
2) Then you cut up the rinds and put them in water and boil them for a half hour.
3) Then when it cools down, drain all the liquid off the rinds into a container that will have room to receive the juice.
4) Then you put the juice into the boiled rind water and let it cool a little more.
NOTE: This will be a touch bitter, so you may add honey to it. If you don't have honey, you may use natural maple syrup and that would be fine. Do not add sugar.
***Here is something else you may need.
This you can use to combat the cold plus whatever else ails you. That will work.
He could hardly walk when he came and when the Feast was over he walked right up here and shook my hand! So, it works, and that will help protect you from quite a few things.
One other note, if you have had the 'shot' and it's bothering you, get powdered Apple Pectin, because this will negate some of the things of the 'vacs.' You need that!
Another thing concerning taking the 'shot': someone at the Feast told me just before they left that they're friend—who was a nurse—contacted them and a fellow nurse took the 'vacs' and now she can't walk!
You need to understand that this is NOT a vaccine; this is a gene therapy. So, get all the information we have online—Exemption Information #s 1 & 2 {truthofGod.org}
Another warning: Since we're living in difficult times; article:
International Shipping Workers of Global Transport Systems Collapse
{https://www.tech-gate.org/usa/2021/09/30/international-shipping-workers-warn-of-global-transport-systems-collapse/}
They have close to 50 ships loaded outside the port of Los Angeles, Long Beach. They don't have the help to get it in. What that's going to do is create shortages. It's that way in all of the ports. This report shows a picture of it, plus showing all the trucks lined up empty. They can't get it out.
Especially in England it's really bad news, because they depend on about 80% of their food imported. There's a picture of a grocery store in England where all the shelves are empty in the refrigerator/freezer area.
This is also going to have another backlash, and it's going to be that if the ships can't get in, then neither can they go out. If they can't get in to unload, they can't take the food from here back to China. So, this may create vast food problems for China. As I've said before, they have 1.5 billion mouths to feed every single day.
This is going to be a very difficult time! Whatever you can do, store up a supply at home. Set it aside, because you're probably going to need it. You might night need it right now, but build it up, because the time is coming because of what we are facing this year.
We still don't know what all of this is going to lead to with the Covid 'vacs' and the Covid with all of the illegals coming in. They just opened up the floodgates! Some have said that this will take us three or four years just to get it settled. But it could last for decades.
You need to know what's going on! These are bad times! These are not good times, but we still have to go forward in God's way!
This is what you could call, as Jesus said to those who came out to arrest Jesus on the night that He was arrested: This is your hour and the power of darkness! That's what it is! That's why when you watch the news it can be very discouraging and down. But remember that Jesus told us many times that there would be difficult times. Now we're facing them and now the test comes:
- Do we believe God?
- Will we stay true to God?
- Will we yield to the Word of God?
- Will we ask for God's protection?
- What is it that we're going to do when the pressure is put on us?
The Apostle Paul explained his calling in Acts 26, and this shows also what we are to do. Paul was knocked down on the ground and heard Jesus say:
Acts 26:14: "…'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the pricks.' "And I [Paul] said, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said, 'I am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting'" (vs 14-15).
Interesting statement. If we are getting persecuted, it's like persecuting Jesus, because Christ and the Father are in us. Then Jesus told Saul:
Verse 16: "Now arise, and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose: to appoint you as a minister and a witness both of what you have seen and what I shall reveal to you. I am personally selecting you from among the people and the Gentiles, to whom I now send you to open their eyes…" (vs 16-18)—that is to understand the Word of God and the Gospel!
"…that they may turn from darkness…" (v 18). That what it has to be today.
You hear a lot of people say that 'they have this 21 days to pray for the nation.' But they missed one important thing, the most important thing of all: If you're going to pray for the nation you must confess your own sins first! Because your sins are part of it! The world's sins are part of it!
Remember what happened when Jonah went to Nineveh. Even the king put on sackcloth and ashes. He didn't say to pray for Nineveh He said, 'Let every man and woman turn from their evil ways.'
There can be all the praying that people want to do, but until they confess their sins and until repent, God's not going to listen!This nation, as I have said many times—and I'll say it again until there is change; there is some little change going on—is with the abortion problem. But that's like spitting in the ocean after 62-million have been killed!
Unless there's deep repentance, and that has to start right in the churches and synagogues. That's where it has to start.
"…that they may turn from darkness to Light, and from the authority of Satan to God…" (v 18).
Put that together! The power of darkness comes from Satan the devil, who is the one who's making the whole world sin. The whole world is beginning to worship Satan the devil. That will be fulfilling Rev. 13. It's very important that we understand what we are doing.
"…so that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified through faith in Me" (v 18).
There needs to be a lot of it. Too many Churches of God are just following the same old thing. Remember and understand this without a doubt: Do not follow a man because he is a man; follow him because he teaches the Word of God! That's what it has to be. That's what all of our elders do. This is what we teach all the people here.
But there are some in the Churches of God who have gone now further than Herbert W. Armstrong, who did not understand about:
- the love of God
- the grace of God
- Pentecost
So, for all of those of you who want to stick to him, stick to him, but you're not going to grow in grace and knowledge!
- you've got to come to God
- you've got to come to His Word
- you've got to be improving in your life day-by-day as you go along
This is important! This is the same sin as the Protestants! Exactly! They follow the same little pattern all the time. Say this little prayer and you're saved forever. Big lie!
That's the power of darkness within the churches. Remember that Satan likes to get right in the highest places of all. Let's see what is prophesied to be in the last times:
Isaiah 60:1—this is what needs to happen: "Arise, shine; for your Light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you."
This is the end of it. This is also another lesson in the Bible. Many times it will tell you right up front where they're going, what's going to be said, and then it brings out the details.
Verse 2: "For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth…"
- When did that happen before?
Genesis 1:2: "And the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep…"
- What was that a result of? Satan's rebellion!
God had to send the first Flood to destroy everything that the angels had!
Isaiah 60:2: "…the darkness shall cover the earth and gross darkness the people…"
How bad is that going to get? We don't know! But it says in Matt. 24—the very words of Christ—that there will not be trouble like this, nor has been since the creation of the world!
"…but the LORD shall arise upon you, and His glory shall be seen upon you" (v 2). That's what's going to happen!
That's the return of Christ. Let's see how this comes about and what it leads to. We have more and more of this today with:
- those who believe in witchcraft
- those who hate God
- those who don't want God
- those who want to turn everything upside down and backward
Then turn it around and tie it all up in knots! Now, I want you to get the connection here:
Isaiah 8:19: "And when they shall say to you, 'Seek unto them that have familiar spirits and to wizards who peep and mutter'…"
This is becoming well known on television by the programs that they have. They have a new one coming out seeking spirits! What is that? They do it under the guise that they're trying to find God, because they rejected God and have left God! So, they say:
"…—but should not a people seek unto their God? Should the dead be sought on behalf of the living?" (v 19).
Remember, never forget this: Every time that there is false doctrine coming in they come against the Law of God, change the Law of God or misinterpret the Law of God!
Verse 20: "To the Law and to the Testimony!…. [that's what it has to be; Old Testament and New Testament] …If they do not speak according to this Word, it is because there is no Light in them" (v 20).
Jesus said, 'IF the light that be in you is darkness, how great is that darkness?'
Verse 21: "And they shall pass through the land, hard-pressed and hungry; and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall rave and curse their king and their God, and look upward. And they shall look to the land; and behold, trouble and darkness and gloom of anguish! And they shall be driven away into darkness" (vs 21-22).
That shows the process that's happening right now, and we see it! When Christ comes, this is what it's going to be:
Isaiah 9:2: "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; they who dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them the light has shined."
When Christ returns that will be true, but in the meantime, we have to be the Light of the world (Matt. 5). That's from two perspectives:
- As God looks down on the world and sees His people, we are reflecting the Light of God back!
- We have to have the things necessary to reach out and warn the world!
Pray that God will open doors that that will happen. We have a lot of things that we can help people with, especially so that they can repent and come back to God.
Why do people love darkness? They do! Christ came as the Light in the world, and He was the Light. But here it tells us something very interesting that tells us why they won't come to God. There are a lot of people who don't believe in God. One of the main reasons is because of the 'religious' leaders, not only in false teaching, but also in their hypocritical conduct.
John 3:18: "The one who believes in Him is not judged, but the one who does not believe has already been judged because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the judgment: that the Light has come into the world…" (vs 18-19)—Jesus' first coming!
That brought a certain judgment upon all people. Think about it with the number of Bibles there are in the world and how it's available to everyone.
"…but men loved darkness rather than the Light…"
- Why?
- Why would they do that? Because they don't repent!
"…because their works were evil. For everyone who practices evil hates the Light…" (vs 19-20).
That's what we're facing today; they hate it! You can't talk to them about it! 'don't bother me with that.' You don't want to be bothered and talked to, then what's going happen? God's going to take away all your pleasures, your food, your water, just like He prophesied so that you will understand that as a God-hater you're going to suffer the judgment of God!We're going to see that!
"…and does not come to the Light, so that his works may not be exposed" (v 20)—and what evil goes on in the mind, as well!
Here's what we're to do, v 21: "But the one who practices the Truth…" Think about that!
A lot of people—Protestants and Catholics—think that if they can confess their sins, everything is fine. No! that's not true. What do you do from that point on? Continue in your sins? No! Because that won't work! You have to change your way of living, thinking and everything about you!
"…comes to the Light" (v 21). That's what we do, through:
- prayer
- study
- understanding the Word of God
- keeping the commandments of God
"…so that his works may be manifested, that they have been accomplished by the power of God" (v 21). What is it?
I'm going to do some Church At Home on grace. Grace does not mean you don't have to keep the commandments. Grace is your relationship with God! It's not just the forgiveness of sin! We have In-Depth Studies on Grace.
- Grace of God
- God's Grace and Commandment-Keeping
- Grace Upon Grace
- Love of God
If you have been following Herbert Armstrong and you doubt what I said about love and grace, write us and we will send you these In-Depth Studies.
John 8 is a very interesting and pivotal chapter in the Bible:
John 8:12: "Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, 'I am the Light of the world…'"—all the true Light:
- the Light of God's Word
- the Light of His Spirit
- the Truth of His being
- the Truth of salvation
"…the one who follows Me shall never walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of Life." (v 12).
This was astonishing to those people there. They want to know Who Jesus was, and why are You saying this?
Verse 20: "Jesus spoke these words in the treasury while teaching in the temple; but no one arrested Him because His time had not yet come. Then Jesus said to them again, 'I am going away; and you shall seek Me, but you shall die in your sin. Where I am going, you are not able to come.' Therefore, the Jews said, 'Will He kill Himself? Is that why He says, "Where I am going, you are not able to come"?' And He said to them, 'You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world'" (vs 20-23).
This next verse is so important; it was absolutely straight to them so they could know:
Verse 24: "That is why I said to you that you shall die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I AM…"
They understood what that meant from Exo. 3, 'I AM that I AM!' That's an identification of God!
"…if you do not believe that I AM, you shall die in your sins" (v 24).
That's the same today; that has not changed from that time to this. It's not a matter of what you agree to because you think that you have more understanding than other people.
- when you come to God
- when you come to true repentance
- when you come out of the darkness of this world
all your opinions are a pile of junk and must be thrown on the scrap heap and start over fresh! That's what it's all about, and that's essentially what Jesus told them here. They didn't understand that He was talking to them about the Father.
Verse 31: "Therefore, Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him…"
Supposedly they were believing. But it's one thing that you profess that you believe, and it's another thing to actually deeply believe! We need to understand that.
"…'If you continue in My Word… [anyone who professes to be a Christian] …you are truly My disciples. And…. [notice what happens when you do that]: …you shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall set you free'" (vs 31-32).
They didn't understand what He was talking about. They couldn't comprehend it.
Verse 33: They answered Him, 'We are Abraham's seed, and have never been in bondage to anyone. What do You mean by saying, "You shall become free"?'"
That's kind of ridiculous because the temple was right next to Fort Antonia. Roman soldiers guarded the temple area. They occupied Jerusalem! They weren't free!
This has to happen today, if there's going to be any change coming about:
Verse 34: "Jesus answered them, 'Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a servant of sin.'"
You can't walk in darkness! You can't have one foot in darkness and one foot in the Light. You can't do that! John wrote this again in 1-John 2. This is exactly what it needs to be for us. When we see all of these things coming in the world:
- don't get discouraged
- don't give up on God
There will be some people who will do that, but:
- Where are they going to go?
- What are they going to do?
Look at what happened to all of those who did when there was trouble in the Church.
- Where are they?
- What are their lives?
We've gone over this many times, but this also needs to be emphasized. Why? So that we understand our commitment to God is 100% God's way!
1-John 2:3: "And by this standard we know that we know Him: if we keep His commandments…. [plain as can be] … The one who says, 'I know Him' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar…" (vs 3-4).
Every Sunday and holiday keeper who says they know Jesus is a liar!
- Do you keep the Sabbath?
- Do you keep the Holy Days?
They say, No, that was for the Jews! Really? Where does it say that in the Bible?
- you claim you're a Christian
- you claim you want to follow Christ
- you claim you believe in Him
- you claim that He is your Savior
You must keep the commandments, because we just found out that that was true!
Now what happens in our lives after that? This is for us when we're living in the darkness that's all around us!
Verse 5: "On the other hand, if anyone is keeping His Word…"
That's expanded our greatly; not just His commandments, but His Word!
"…truly in this one the love of God is being perfected. By this means we know that we are in Him" (v 5). All of us know we've got to know:
- that we're in Christ
- with conviction
- with resoluteness
- with strength
So that we're not swept aside with this power of darkness that's coming on the whole world!
Verse 6: "Anyone who claims to dwell in Him…"
- IF you say that you love Jesus
- IF you say that you dwell in Him
- IF you're not keeping His commandments
try this on for size; ask yourself: Am I doing this?:
"…is obligating himself also to walk… [in the path of life] …even as He Himself walked" (v 6).
That's a high standard, and in this world of darkness around us, it is a real difficult thing for us to do.
You're going to be surprised. The Bible is full of this from one end to the other end. It's not the Old Testament vs the New Testament, or the N.T. vs the O.T. It is the Word of God complete! Old and New Testaments.
- the Law
- Prophets
- Psalms
- the Gospels
- General Epistles
- Epistles of Paul
- Pastoral Epistles of Paul
- the book of Revelation
The whole thing!Remember that whenever you have part, you're missing the rest!
Proverbs 4:18: "But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shines more and more to the perfect day."
When these troubles and difficulties are coming upon us, we need to stay closer to God
- so we can be that light
- so we can have the Holy Spirit of God
- so we can understand the Truth of God
But notice the converse, and this is the beauty of the book of Proverbs. It tells you what is right, righteous and good vs what is wrong, evil and ugly,
Verse 19: "The way of the wicked is as darkness…"
Notice this next phrase, because this describes exactly what's happening in America today:
"…they know not at what they stumble" (v 19).
Why? Because every solution coming out of their perverted minds only leads to trouble and difficulty, and more problems. That's the way it is!
We're going to learn a lot in these different Psalm, because this will help us to keep our focus. David was 'a man after God's heart'; we know that! But look at all the trouble that he went through. Look at all the war that he had. It's quite a thing!
Psalm 26:1: "Judge me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity. I have trusted also in the LORD without wavering." See how important that is!
Verse 2: "Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart, for Your loving kindness is before my eyes; and I have walked in Your Truth"(vs 2-3). Take that and study that out and look at it!
- Are we walking in the Truth of God?
- Are we walking in the love of God?
Verse 4: "I have not sat with deceitful men, neither will I go in with hypocrites."
Look at that! Look at what happened with the Church when that was embraced! God got rid of it!
Verse 11: "But as for me I will walk in my integrity… [that comes from God, not just what you do yourself] …redeem me and be gracious unto me. My foot stands in an even place; in the congregations I will bless the LORD" (vs 11-12).
(break@40:05)
Let's see where we get our strength:
- from God
- from His Word
- from His Spirit
- from the examples that we have in the Bible
So that we can endure the things that are coming! With all this darkness that is going on, this is why we need to stay close to God.
Psalm 27:1: "The LORD is my Light and my salvation; whom shall I fear The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"?
You don't need to be afraid. Yes, you can see the things happening, but don't be afraid. Why? Because
- God is with you
- God is in you
- angels are about you
- they will protect you
Add in there Psa. 91 that a lot of people are reading every day now.
Verse 2: "When the wicked, my enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an army should encamp against me…" (vs 2-3).
Talk about the odds, that's against you! Today we've got the whole world!
"…my heart shall not be afraid; though war should rise against me, even then I will be confident" (v 3).
- Why?
- How can we have this kind of attitude that David had?
We need to have it all the time now! Here's why, here's the thing, it's very simple: Keep your mind on the goal! That's what David says right here:
Verse 4: "One thing I have desired from the LORD, that I will seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD…"
Regardless of what happens, we are the children of God, by begettal from the Father. That's important! When it gets down to any of the other things out there, none of them count. This is what counts!
"…all the days of my life… [that's for eternity] …to behold the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in His Temple" (v 4).
We also know that in New Jerusalem there won't be a temple, because God the Father and Jesus Christ will be there, and They will enlighten it!
Verse 5: "For in the time of trouble… [we're going to be facing a lot of it; this also becomes part of our prayer] …He shall hide me in His pavilion, in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me…"
That means that God's protection will come from there and no one will see it, but you will experience it!
"…He shall set me upon a Rock…. [Who is that Rock? Jesus Christ!] …And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies round about me; therefore, I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy in His Tabernacle…." (vs 5-6).
Look at how enthusiastic David was with God! Shouts of joy when all these things are coming upon him.
"…I will sing…" (v 6). That's one thing we need to do! Learn how to sing, because many times singing helps us emotionally and mentally, that nothing else can do.
"…yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD…. [here's how to pray]: …Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice; and be gracious unto me and answer me" (vs 6-7). God will! He'll make it possible!
Verse 8: "When You said, 'Seek My face,' my heart said to You, 'Your face, O LORD, will I seek.'"
We can't do that right now, but that's the ultimate of what it's going to be as we saw on the Last Great Day at the Feast of Tabernacles. Seeing God face-to-face! That's it!
So, when you look at the goal and you keep your mind on the goal, keep your mind on God and His calling and what He's going to do, then the things around you, you will have in proper perspective! They won't be enough to take you down. Here's what happens when we do that, and this comes with study and prayer, as well:
Verse 11: "Teach me Your way, O LORD… [that's what we need; not the ideas of men, not the ways of man] …and lead me in a level path because of my enemies."
We could use part of this as a prayer! As a matter of fact, that's a good idea to do. Take your Bible and get on your knees and open the Bible and read some of these Psalms and make that part of your prayer. As you do, different words will come in, which will be sprung from your own thoughts, because of reading the Psalms.
Verse 12: "Deliver me not over to the will of my enemies, for false witnesses have risen up against me… [a prophecy of Christ] …and he that breathes out violence."
Notice why this is important. This is such a spiritual, mental and emotional thing that we need to fortify ourselves with. If we don't, here's what will happen:
Verse 13: "I would have fainted unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living."
- We will!
- God's Word is true!
- God's Word is going to take place!
- God loves you!
- You love God!
It all works together!
Verse 14: "Wait for the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall make your heart strong; yea, wait, I say, wait on the LORD."
The next Psalm continues right on. See how important all of these things are for our attitude? This is why it's important for Sabbath, that every Sabbath we come and we learn the Word of God!
Sidebar: The duty of every elder is to teach the people the Word of God! Not our own ideas. Not what we think! Not what some other man thinks! We need to learn how God thinks! That only comes with study and prayer.
Notice how David cried out to God; Psalm 28:1: "I will cry to You, O LORD; my Rock, do not be silent to me, lest, if You be silent to me, I become like those who go down into the pit." You don't want that, and God doesn't want that!
Verse 2: "Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You, when I lift up my hands toward Your Holy place. Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, who speak peace to their neighbors, yet, evil is in their hearts" (vs 2-3).
That's what we're facing today. Have you ever been surprised at how evil some of the nicest people you used to know turned out to be? That's because they didn't do this, they didn't seek God!
Verse 4: "Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their practices, give them according to the work of their hands; give them what they deserve."
Let God judge them! You don't hate them; you put them all in God's hands. Let Him take care of it!
Verse 5: "Because they do not regard the works of the LORD, nor the work of His hands, He shall tear them down and not build them up."
Notice how the prayer in this Psalm shifts back to God again. It starts out with God, then it looks at the problems and troubles, then it shifts back to God again.
Verse 6: "Blessed is the LORD because He has heard the voice of my supplications. The LORD is my strength…"
Tie in Eph. 6:10; this is probably where Paul got the inspiration to write, be strong in the Lord!
"…and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped. Therefore, my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him. The LORD is their strength…" (vs 6-8). That's what we have to look to!
How much strength do we really have? Think about it! Very little!
"…and He is the saving strength of His anointed. Save Your people and bless Your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever" (vs 8-9). Those are really quite some things!
Psa. 50—there are many more Psalms that are very similar to this. All of these things are for our benefit, for our good so that we can learn.
Psalm 50:7: "Hear, My people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you; I am God, even your God. I will not reprove you for your sacrifices, or your burnt offerings, which are continually before Me. I will take no bull out of your house, nor he-goats out of your folds, for every beast of the forest is Mine and the livestock upon a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains; and the wild beasts of the field are Mine" (vs 7-11).
This is what we need to do; v 14: "Offer to God thanksgiving; and pay your vows to the Most High."
One very important thing: Whatever you tell God you must keep your word! You can't go back on it.
When I quit drinking some 12-14 years ago, that's what I knew it had to be. You either do it, and not go back on it, and not look for a excuse to change it, or an excuse to modify it. What did Jesus say? Let your yes be yes and your no be no! that will help you.
Verse 15: "And call upon Me in the day of trouble; and I will deliver you, and you shall honor Me."
This becomes important because it is so easy to compromise when the going gets tough. But notice how the Apostle Paul writes here. This is so that we have resoluteness, truth and stability. We know right from wrong. All of it together right here in 2-Cor. 6.
2-Corinthians 6:14: "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers…."
You have to figure that out when it comes along! But don't get compromised if you're around unbelievers. You be the light and let the Truth be known. There are many ways you can do that, so you have to pray and ask God to give you the wisdom to do it. Here's why:
"…For what do righteousness and lawlessness have in common?…." (v 14).
You can't mix them! That's what's happened in the world. They've mixed righteousness and lawlessness. That's exactly what all the holidays of this world is about, mixing righteousness with lawlessness.
"…And what fellowship does light have with darkness? And what union does Christ have with Belial?…." (vs 14-15). Belial is no good of character, human beings! Very difficult, indeed!
"…Or what part does a believer have with an unbeliever?…. [very difficult] …And what agreement is there between a Temple of God and idols?" (vs 15-16).
What are we? We are a Temple of God (1-Cor. 3). None of us have idols in our homes; at least we shouldn't! But for us, where is the potential for idols coming? Right here in the mind! When that happens, like we find in Ezek. 14, that the elders came to Ezekiel and said they wanted to know what God says. So, God told Ezekiel that 'these men have come and you tell them that they have idols in their hearts! We can't have that! It won't work!
"…For you are a Temple of the living God, exactly as God said…" (v 16).
Here's the important thing, tie in John 14:23, about the Father and Christ dwelling in us.
"…'I will dwell in them and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people'" (v 16).
All the brethren, every one of us, are the people of God. Think about that! Think how much different ones put into becoming citizens of America. What is it that we we're going to be? Citizens of the Kingdom of God, children of God! Isn't that the important thing? Yes, indeed!
Verse 17: "'Therefore, come out from the midst of them and be separate,' says the Lord, 'and touch not the unclean, and I will receive you… [think about that] …and I shall be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters,' says the Lord Almighty" (vs 17-18).
What are we to do with such promises? When you read all of these things and then you look at the world the way that it is, then you can see it for what it is. You can be thankful for what God is doing.
1-Cor. 7 gives us some encouragement in what we need to do. We still have to fight the carnal mind, everything that's there in the carnal mind and overcome it.
2-Corinthians 7:1: "Now then, beloved, since we have these promises…"—all the promises of God!
Remember that all the promises of God will happen! Every word of God is a promise one way or the other for good and blessing, or for evil and punishment. It will happen! That's why America is in the predicament that it is in today. They have forgotten God for all of their own thing. Now we're ladened down with all of these problems, and it's not likely to get any better any time soon.
So, we can't be drug down and be depressed and discouraged when we see all of these things taking place. We need to stay close to God in prayer and overcome. Here's what we should do:
"…we should purge ourselves from every defilement of the flesh and the spirit, perfecting Holiness in the fear of God" (v 1).
That ties in with the whole plan of God! Perfecting Holiness! How do you do that? By loving God! Everyone likes the love of God toward them, which is true; but what God desires more than anything else is that we love Him with all our heart, mind, soul and being! That's what God wants!
When I read Rom. 13, I know that we're a lot closer to final result of this than we were when we first believed. I don't know when you were baptized, but I was baptized Oct. 19, 1960. that anniversary is coming up soon, which will be 61 years.
Romans 13:9—talking about the commandments of God: "Because it says, 'You shall not commit adultery. You shall not commit murder. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness. You shall not lust.' And if there be any other commandment…"—all the commandments of God!
Protestants like to read this and say that Paul didn't say the Sabbath. Well, that doesn't mean that it shouldn't be kept.
- Is the Sabbath another commandment?
- Are the Holy Days other commandments?
- Yes, indeed!
"…it is summed up in this saying, even by this standard: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'…. [that's not the only thing] …Love does not do any wrong to its neighbor; therefore, love is the full expression of God's Law" (vs 9-10)—to the neighbor! But not the full expression of God's Law to God!
Verse 11: "Now consider this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour that we should be roused out of sleep; because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed."
Of course, that's essential to do, because none of us really know what's going to happen tomorrow. You don't know, so you have to be ready!
Verse 12: "The night is almost over…"
I think for us that we are in a situation that the night is fully enveloping the world! But that means it's almost over.
"…and the day is drawing near; therefore, let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of Light" (v 12).
- Isn't that interesting?
- How is Light armor? It's the Word of God and it protects your mind!
Verse 13: "Let us walk decently, as in the day: not in reveling and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and emulation. But let us put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and not make any allowance for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts" (vs 13-14).
- put on Christ
- Christ is to be formed in us
- we are to have the mind of Christ
All of those things together!
Ephesians 5:6: "Do not let anyone deceive you with vain words; for because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore, do not be joint partakers with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of Light" (vs 6-8).
- we're children of God
- we're children of the Light
- God is Light
Verse 9: "Because the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and Truth."
That's what we need to be doing right along with everything. Here's what it will do:
Verse 10: "Proving what is well pleasing to the Lord; and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them" (vs 10-11). That's what we do, we expose those things that come against us!
1-Thessalonians 5:1: "Now then, concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, there is no need that I write to you; for you yourselves understand perfectly that the Day of the Lord will come exactly as a thief comes by night" (vs 1-2).
That will happen! All this trouble and everything that we're going through right now, when the beast comes on the scene, all of a sudden there's going to be peace. For three and a half years everyone is going to be happy. Then he's going to go into the temple that the Jews will build and say that 'he is God.' That's when everything breaks loose!
Verse 3: "For when they say, 'Peace and security,' then sudden destruction will come upon them, as travail comes upon a woman who is with child; and they shall by no means escape."
It's just like Jonah. He thought that he could run and hide from God, so, 'I'll get on a little ship here and hide from God.' What did God do?
God caused a storm, caused all the men on the ship to pray to God to find out what was happening! The answer came up that it was Jonah, so they threw him overboard. The storm ended, and a whale took him and brought him up so he could preach the warning message to the Ninevites and by no means escape.
Verse 4: "But you, brethren, are not in darkness that the day of the Lord should overtake you as a thief. For you are all children of the Light and children of the day; we are not of the night, nor of the darkness. So then, we should not sleep, as others do; but we should watch, and we should be sober" (vs 4-6). That's what we need to do with this!
Verse 7: For those who are sleeping sleep in the night, and those who are drunken get drunk in the night. But we who are of the day should be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation, because God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ Who died for us, so that whether we remain alive until He comes or we fall asleep before that day, together we may live forever with Him. Therefore, encourage one another, and edify one another, even as you are already doing" (vs 7-11).
This is what we need to do! With all of this that's coming on, the way it's coming on, we need to watch for that and do what God wants us to do!
Scriptural References:
- Acts 26:15-18
- Isaiah 60:1-2
- Genesis 1:2
- Isaiah 60:2
- Isaiah 8:19-22
- Isaiah 9:2
- John 3:18-21
- John 8:12, 20-24, 31-34
- 1 John 2:3-6
- Proverbs 4:18-19
- Psalm 26:1-4, 11-12
- Psalm 27:1-8, 11-14
- Psalm 28:1-9
- Psalm 50:7-11, 14-15
- 2 Corinthians 6:14-18
- 2 Corinthians 7:1
- Romans 13:9-14
- Ephesians 5:6-11
- 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Scriptures referenced, not quoted:
- Revelation 13
- Matthew 24; 5
- Exodus 3
- Psalm 91
- Ephesians 6:10
- 1 Corinthians 3
- Ezekiel 14
- John 14:23
Also referenced:
Health Information at:truthofGod.org
- How to Beat the Flu This Winter
- Exemption Information #s 1 & 2
Article: International Shipping Workers of Global Transport Systems Collapse
{https://www.tech-gate.org/usa/2021/09/30/international-shipping-workers-warn-of-global-transport-systems-collapse/}
In-Depth Studies:
- Grace of God
- God's Grace and Commandment-Keeping
- Grace Upon Grace
- Love of God
FRC:bo
Transcribed: 10/7/21
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