More Time – Pt. 4

Ron Weinland

July 17, 2010

Today we’re going to conclude with the sermon series entitled More Time with this being Part 4.  We’ve been reviewing some physical Old Testament examples that serve as a spiritual ‘type’ of what we have been and continue to experience on a spiritual plane.  These types are also patterns.  There are patterns we continue to...just like today, talking to a couple of new people here who have just started a cycle here of they’ve attended their first Passover this year, first Unleavened Bread, first Pentecost, looking forward to their first Feast season and talking to them there listening to the stories.  The stories are different.  How God works with us; that’s what Laura and I talk about so often when we travel from area to area, the encouragement we receive by seeing new people God continues to draw; but there is a pattern with which God works with us and it’s so clear to see that pattern.  It’s so clear when you talk to someone.  That’s what makes it so inspiring,  because you see God in someone’s life and how He’s working with them and it’s very clear what God is doing and how God worked with them and drew them and so we’re able to share that from area to area when we continue to travel like this and it really keeps us very focused, it keeps us encouraged like the story of Joshua that we’re going into today where God says, “Be strong and very courageous.”  Those are the kinds of things that really strengthen us in a great way.

We’re looking at Old Testament examples that are a type of things they went through in a physical way that we’re going through in a spiritual way.  There are those things that are a pattern as well of how God is working with us as He worked with them.  And those things are inspiring, those things are encouraging, those things give you strength and that’s why we’ve been going through this particular series looking at where we are in time, knowing there’s more time.  We’ve gone through a period of time that we’ve discussed and we’re looking ahead.

So last Sabbath we just started into the type and pattern of Joshua but I want to back up here a little bit because I didn’t fully cover everything I wanted to mention in the book of Judges with Gideon.  I was really amazed when I started going through the story fdlow here of what God was giving to us about Gideon and what he went through and I didn’t realize there were more types and patterns of things there that I hadn’t seen before.  And as I began to work on this sermon series God began to give and show those things; that there were more types and patterns than what I was aware of and it was very encouraging, very inspiring because sometimes you miss some of those; you don’t realize all the things that God’s doing in your life and when you begin to see it all it becomes very encouraging.

Let’s pick it up in Judges 7 here.  There are a couple of things I wanted to reinforce and to add a little bit to that I didn’t drive home like I wanted to and feel I need to at this point.  See, sometimes it’s difficult because we talk about these things at different times and we’re all at different stages.  We’ve all gone through different things and sometimes it’s a little difficult to convey some of the same thought, some of the same inspiration, some of the same excitement; like being at the Red Sea and what is a part of my character now, a part of something that God has moulded inside of me that I didn’t have before.  In the beginning I went through a process just like the example, the type and the pattern of what God used for the Red Sea in bringing the children up there to that particular area where there was no way through and God showed them the way; and I have talked about that.  But it means so much to me on a personal plane because of what God took me through in being able to address those things to where if you continue to go through various things in your life it finally becomes a part of you, it becomes a part of your thinking, it becomes a part of your mind.

It’s not automatically there.  God’s way of life and the things that God wants us to have, desires us to have, wants to give to us is not just something He can just hand to you.  Now, He can give you His truth and what starts?  You begin to make choices: the Sabbath, the Holy Days.  You make choices about whether you’re going to observe them or not, whether you’re going to be faithful to those or not. Tithing... those are the areas where we begin, those are the basics and then we make choices as to whether we’re going to yield to God, whether we want God...and so that’s where we start and there’s a process that begins and there’s a pattern that we follow and it’s inspiring.  And this thing of the Red Sea is a personal thing to me that God in time began to give to me more and more.  I had to experience it.   He can give you the truth to you immediately, but the character, the change of mind is something that takes time.  What He’s moulding in you He can’t just give to you.  That character and mind God just can’t give to you; otherwise we wouldn’t have to go through all this.  If He could create us, the God Family, and just give us character...but that’s not how it works; character comes through choice because of being free, because of free choice, because of that free moral agency as Mr. Armstrong used to refer to it as.  And because of that process then we make choices and we choose God’s way and we begin to grow in a Godly character.  It’s not something He just gives to us; something that’s accomplished by His spirit working in us.

So this thing of being at the Red Sea... I can’t put into words how meaningful it is to me because it’s a part of my life now, it’s a part of something that helped me in writing the books; it’s a part of something in me that I know when God’s working with me, I  know what He’s giving to me.  I know when I’m working with different people when I should say something and when I shouldn’t.  I know when I’m to proceed forward about something and I know when I’m not.  I know when God is opening up my mind to give me something, it’s there.  I’m not worried about the Feast sermons – they’re there.  I knew they would come.  I just didn’t know they’d come this fast; so that relieves the stress and pressure in the sense of setting aside time in the future here that I try to balance out trips, how much time is it going to take because I’m not always sure how much time God’s going to give me on some of those things in the sense of am I going to have more time invested into it?  So when I have those things taken care of, just like a sermon series, it relieves a lot of the pressure; and so it is.

So again, this Red Sea thing; character that’s developed there.  I know God’s going to give it, but when He gives it and how He gives it, I’m not always sure.  And so when things come speedily like this is and all the Feast sermons are there as far as I know where it’s going... now I don’t know what all the content is yet.  It’s just like yesterday I wanted to stick to it because I call it ‘being on a roll’.  It was coming very quickly and I wanted to continue at it because it’s so inspiring and exciting to me what God is going to give so I’m working with some of those things back there and as I’m going along it’s just like writing that second book, it just keeps coming and God just keeps putting it in the mind.  That’s being at the Red Sea.  God has to give it to you.  God leads the way. We can’t try to figure it out.  We can’t try to work it out on our own.  We can’t try to make the path.  If you try to make the path and the way that God is supposed to lead you, you’re going to go astray, you’re going to make mistakes.  We have to wait on God; and what an incredible thing then when that becomes a part of you.

And so ‘running down the hill together’; Gideon’s army.  That means a lot to us, especially those of us  who were leading up to that point in time before all of you new people came along in the last three years.  It means more to us.  You can look at that and be inspired by it and you’re thankful to those who did that, who were a part of that; but to us it has even greater meaning because of what we were able to be a part of in that pattern and that type.  So this is what we’re talking about here today going back and picking up the last part of this story.

Judges 7:15 - And it was so, when Gideon had heard the dream that was told; so this was when he went down with his servant there and God was giving him courage because it just didn’t come overnight; again, that character of mind, it can take time for God to build that within us to where it becomes a part of us.  It’s not just something that can be handed over to us.  God doesn’t just give you something and say now you’re very courageous.  He has to mould and fashion that in you and He had to mould and fashion that strength, the faith, the confidence and boldness in Gideon.  And so again here, these things he went through and finally just before this happens he finally receives/hears this dream and the interpretation of what was given there and that’s what’s being discussed there.

...and the interpretation of it; then he worshipped and returned into the host of Israel, and said ...so he was inspired by that.  He went immediately and thanked God – that’s what he did.  When you have an answer like that you go and thank God, you’re able to be encouraged by something and you see what needs to be done and you thank God for what He’s given.  And this is what he did; he went and worshipped/thanks God and he went back then/returned to the host of Israel and said Arise; for the Eternal has delivered into your hands the host of Midian.  He wasn’t quite ready for that before.  He would have done it, but he wasn’t quite ready like he was here.  Now he had a boldness and a confidence to do what he needed to do.  And so he said we’re going to do it.  God has delivered them into your hand.

Verse 16 - And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and torches with the pitchers.  So again here, this story of some things that are similar to what we did at that point in time and how we were divided up, how we were organized and that organization continues to be refined and become stronger as we go forward because of what God’s preparing us for.  But at that point in time this is how we were structured as a whole.

Verse 17 - And he said to them, Look on me and do likewise:  So, what we do is done in an orderly way, in a unified fashion, with the same purpose and the same focus all the way to the end.  I think of the fact that there are two witnesses, but we’re all witnessing and we’re also a part of that, the same thing – and so two are put aside for a specific purpose and so forth, but the purpose of the entire Body at this end time is to do that work.  That reflects what the work is.  That reflects what God is doing. It’s witnessing what’s happening at the end of an age, at the end of 6,000 years and we all can testify to that because of our experiences on the job, in the community we live in and the area we are and how we see the world.  And we’re all testifying and are going to be able to testify to the same thing in that respect.  We’re going to see and witness various things that God said will come to pass and be a part of it.

Going on... and behold when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that as I do you shall do/so shall you do.  There are lessons in that and how you’re to follow me as I follow Christ, as Paul talked about in scripture.[1]   You don’t follow a man, you follow God; but you follow me as I follow Christ and if we understand that today what God has given...  I hope we’ve grown in a maturity that we’ve never had in the past, meaning that we understand what that means in a way we couldn’t understand it in times past; to understand that when God’s going to do a work, when He puts someone there to do a job, a specific job in His Church, in His Church, that He’s going to accomplish it.  I know that with all my being.  I know what’s going to take place.  I know what’s going to happen.  We don’t always know that individually because we have to grow to where we have that kind of confidence.

See, I know that God is going to give me a faithfulness, my wife a faithfulness all the way to the end without a doubt.  And I know other individuals in this Body who are part of 144,000... I feel confident about different ones, some I don’t know about because God hasn’t shown me.  Some I feel very confident about that they’re a part of the 144,000.  They’ve already been sealed.  They’re going to be faithful all the way to the end.  God’s already tried them and tested them and told them, in essence, as far as God’s concerned they’re sealed.  And so we live in a unique time, but we follow an individual indeed as they follow God; and today is a unique period of time that you live in.  There has never been a time like this where you can take it to the bank spiritually what God has given – that certain things are just absolute... absolute – cannot be changed, will not change as far as certain people’s lives and what God’s going to do.  And that’s because of what God does, not because of what we do – we just yield to the process and we’re blessed to be a part of it.

And behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that as I do you shall do. When I blow with a trumpet, I and all who are with me shall then blow the trumpets also on every side of the camp, and say, The sword of the Eternal, and of Gideon.  ‘The Sword of the Eternal and of Gideon.’  That was their cry.  God was doing it, but they were with an individual who was yielding to God who was leading them.  It’s just the way it is and in time here there’s going to be a name that’s going to be out there as well and it will be one that you will stand up for because you’re a part of the Church of God – PKG.  People can make fun of it if they want...and they do.  We’ve had people send in emails saying they want that Church of God package, mail it to us, because they don’t know what PKG is.  And I understand that; if you put just initials there it can sound a little corny or whatever; but it means a lot to us, it means a lot to me.  I was thinking about it today again.  I think... “What an incredible thing!  God has given us a name that identifies our work, the work He’s doing in and through us – preparing for the Kingdom of God as no one else has ever been able to in the same way – because we’re there!”

Gideon; the story we’re getting ready to go into in a moment... even more so Joshua – going into the Promised Land.  WE ARE THERE!  This group, this Body, this Church!  We’re not even in Laodicea anymore as we brought out in times past.  We’re in a unique time period.  Laodicea is way behind us.  We’ve already been sealed!  We’re in a new period of time, a unique period of time just before Jesus Christ returns, before the Millennium is established.  Incredible what we’re living through, what you’re blessed to experience and see.

And so, The sword of the Eternal and of Gideon; and you’ll stand up for what is right, you don’t care what anybody else says.  You do that... and you’re going to do it more as time goes forward.

Judges 7:19 - So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him, came to the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: so there’s a bit of a transition here.  Here a group goes and another group comes in – sentry’s, guards to set up the watch;  late at night and they’re changing the guard.  And so this is the moment that God uses...when they’re just there and uses this particular moment to shake the tar out of them.  And that’s what takes place.  They’re totally unprepared for what’s getting ready to take place and God puts it in the mind.  It’s an amazing thing.  Just like for the end-time.  I marvel at that, where people out here know something’s wrong.  They don’t know what it is.  There’s a sense of being at the end of an age and then you have all these things getting on that bandwagon; movies, things that are taking place in the world around you.  Not by coincidence... by design because it’s to be out there.  God wants it to be out there so that when things begin people are going to be able to repent and change.

So they had newly set the watch, they blew the trumpets, this is when they picked the time; they’d just changed the watch, there’s a little uncertainty at that moment in time and God uses this as the time to blow the trumpets, they broke the pitchers, in other words, the pitchers that were covering the light coming from the torches and all of sudden here are these torches all around this camp and blowing the trumpets and they think this is the end.  They start running for their lives.  They’re scared.  It causes disarray.

And the three companies blew the trumpets, broke the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow with: and they cried, so they were crying out and making noise as well as blowing the trumpets; The sword of the Eternal, and of Gideon.

And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled.  So it was clear that God had done this when something like this takes place.  They didn’t know what to fully expect.  Can you imagine?  It’s hard for us to place ourselves in someone else’s shoes and what they’re doing; but to understand you don’t know what’s going to happen exactly; you don’t know what kind of a battle you’re getting ready to go into and how difficult it’s going to be.  There’s a confidence, a boldness there that Gideon had that God’s going to give them victory; but how?  He didn’t know and neither did those that were with them.  They were just going to do it.  Small little band, and there’s a bit of a fear with some of that as well but you do what you do and so they did, not knowing exactly what God was going to do.  And then they see this group taking off and fleeing.  That gives you incredible boldness and courage even above and beyond what you had before; and that’s exactly what took place.

So it was clear what had happened here just as it was clear to us what God did when we began running down the hill.  You know what it was?  Again, just so you understand deeply with all of your being – it’s all of those that God began to call giving us a taste of what was coming yet farther up the road.  All the people that began to be baptized over the last three years.  All of you who are new – you’re here for one reason and one reason alone – because God Almighty desired to draw you at this time to begin to give you opportunity for things in the future.  He’s given you a special calling, but it’s still about the Church, it was still about what we were going through and you were able to join in and be a part of what God is doing at this time.  And that is the evidence for us to give us greater boldness and strength to do what we need to do.

Just as I have talked about the two individuals we talked to today, they shared their stories and those were inspiring to us.  We hear these stories, we see these things and it’s inspiring to us to see how God multiplied us.  There’s never been a time in the Church that we’ve seen something like this of something happening so quickly, so swiftly, so powerfully.  And so many young people!  I’ve never experienced anything like this in God’s Church; because God’s preparing for a time period of serving the world in a very powerful way.  And so He’s giving some people a great head start.  It’s exciting!  It’s inspiring!

I can’t tell you the kind of courage and the kind of boldness and the kind of strength that has given me and others who’ve been around for a long time who are a part of that running down the hill together and you’re evidence, just as much as that enemy began to run, that this is what God is doing – because there’s no way on earth that we could have baptisms that were larger in number than three of the largest groups combined in a single years time.  That boggles my mind when you realize how much money, how many people... and that’s not what it’s about.  It’s not about money and people, it’s about the power of God and ‘not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit’[2] God says.  God does it.  And so I know that, we know that, and that’s exciting too to realize that’s why God made us so small – because He’s doing it.  No one takes the credit, no one receives it to themselves; and that’s exactly what God told Gideon.

Verse 22 - And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the Eternal set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah, to Zererath, and the border of Abelmeholah, and Tabbath.  And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and they pursued after the Midianites.  So after the 300 went down there were more who joined in.   And there are more of you who’ve joined in.  We’re able to do so much more now because of others who’ve joined in.  Incredible the strength that God’s giving to us and the organization of all this that’s taking place as we go along and preparing for things that are ahead.

Verse 24 - And Gideon sent messengers throughout all Mount Ephraim, so we went through the story here about how that they sent messengers then throughout Mount Ephraim because they hadn’t even been invited to this battle and now Gideon’s inviting them to the battle.  He says, Come down against the Midianites, so again, this all started with Gideon who was of Manasseh.  That shouldn’t escape you.  I didn’t drive it home last Sabbath like I wanted to.

See, there’s an affinity all of us have who’ve been around the Church for a long time, those who are our closest brothers spiritually, who walk to God’s house side by side. And I have mentioned for years and years and years not knowing when it would be or how it would come, but believing what God says in Ezekiel that there’s going to be a group of people who joins us that’s much larger than us, who was a part of our past.  I look forward to that nearly 3,000 people baptized before 1994, before the apostasy, who were baptized; a part of God’s Church who are going to be able to join in with us in the battle.  They will not be a part of the 144,000 but they’ll be able to join in with us in the battle and have opportunity to continue to live on into a new age.  But they’re going to be brought back and their strength and their ability they have...  Because see, those of you in the last three years... you’re babes!  Sometimes that’s hard to remember!  You are babes, you have much to learn, you have much to grow in and sometimes that’s one of the hardest things to realize when God has given you so much so quickly.  It’s hard sometimes to understand that and to recognize there is much to learn and much to grow in, which I hope to have more to say at the end of the sermon if it’s God’s will... about that part of our life.  And to understand the huge difference between that and individuals who were baptized before the apostasy of 1994; because you see some of them have a lifetime of experience, but right now they’re asleep.

But everyone who has come along at different stages here, those of you who’ve been a part of that sleep, which I was, but thank God it was for a short time and God started working with us.  But we have evidence, we have a witness of different people who God has called at different times here and continues to draw who were a part of that, who have slept for different stages here but when God awakens them... the testimony, the witness... you know what it is?  They come in far more powerful than what they went out.  They come in far more powerful, understanding and able to put things together and God working with them in a way that was far greater than any other time in their life.  It’s an awesome thing.  I’ve seen it over and over again in people’s lives – that what God gives ... because now there’s all this that God has added over the past many years; and when that becomes a part of your mind and you’ve been growing in character in times past; you’ve just fallen asleep; and when God wakes you up – all of a sudden that power that’s there is incredible.  It truly is.  And I look forward to those individuals joining in the battle.

And that’s what we’re talking about here: our closest brother, those that we walked to God’s house side by side.  Some that I’m looking forward to that I’ve known in the past.  I don’t know who God’s going to call but I know there are going to be people in the past that I know and I’m so looking forward to them joining in the battle with us.  And that’s what part of the pattern is of a type that God has given to us that I know with all my being – see?

And so it says, he, Gideon sent messengers throughout Ephraim; they came down to fight.  I just wanted to drive that point home here. Let’s go on to the story where we stopped last Sabbath concerning Joshua when God was taking the children of Israel into the Promised Land.  He’s taking them into a physical Promised Land; He’s taking us into that which is physical and spiritual.  We’re at a very unique time; the Millennial period is very physical, but it’s very spiritual – the beginning of God’s Kingdom ruling here on earth – very spiritual.  And the government of God established here on earth – very spiritual.  So a tremendous amount of power that’s getting ready to be poured out upon this earth very soon now.  And so we started through this particular story here talking about having ‘more time’ or said in another way, the remaining time that’s yet in front of us.

But again here, this is like a new battle cry!  The Red Sea was mine for a long, long time.  Now it’s a part of me, it’s my life; it’s the way I live.  Gideon’s army; it was a part of me.  We grew in that and it became a part of us to.  Whereas their battle was over with quickly and they went out and fought, ours continues to the end.  It’s just the way it is.  We understand that.  But now with this story of Joshua, it’s going to be the one we carry all the way to the end as well in a very powerful way and shows us an order and the way God desires us to focus and to look at these things and to understand how He’s organized things in a very specific and very inspiring way.

And so He tells Joshua here in Joshua 1:6 – Be strong and of good courage; that doesn’t just happen.  Just like it didn’t happen immediately with Gideon.  There are things that God does to mould and fashion those things more and more within you and you just go forward and you do what God gives you; for unto this people...and I want to add... there are already a whole bunch of people here in the different scattered areas that God has been calling back that have been baptized before 1994, that they’re going to be able to serve in a very powerful way.  We’ve had ordinations that have continued on... its coming!  Just to encourage some of you; because God’s going to thrust you there.

It’s a matter of God’s timing and to have that opportunity... I just wanted to throw that out there... you’re going to have opportunity to be a part of helping to baptize a lot of people.  To me there’s nothing more inspiring and more exciting than to see when God calls someone, to see that different ones of you who are here that have been newly baptized since our last visit in the area here; to be encouraged by that...  How much more when you see that repeated into the hundreds and into the thousands?  ...and to know that you’re able to be a part of that – that’s exciting, that’s inspiring.  And that’s why people are being drawn back.  They’re going to be a part of that in large part.

So God said, Be strong and of good courage: for unto this people shall you divide for an inheritance the land which I swore unto your fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law, which Moses My servant commanded you: do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, again, things we can always profit from when you read through these things.  Don’t turn to the right hand!  Don’t turn to the left!  Hold on to what God gives, the way God says to give it!  Hold onto the truths that God has given you!  I hear rumblings out there every once in a while – not a lot, thankfully, but a few.  It blows my mind!  I think, “Why do you stay here then?!  If you don’t BELIEVE the same thing that you’re being TAUGHT as far as the truths of God... WHY stay around?  If you don’t BELIEVE the TIMING of events that are taking place and you don’t BELEIVE that Jesus Christ is coming back on May 27, 2012... DON’T WAIT AROUND FOR ME TO ASK YOU TO LEAVE – JUST LEAVE! Because you’re dragging down the Body in your area!”  Doesn’t that make sense?  Why would anyone be with this group, with this Body if you don’t believe everything that you’re being given?  Because this isn’t an easy way to go!  Living out there is a whole lot easier!  United is a whole lot easier!  (...if you know who they are).  They’re a whole lot easier.  You can believe about anything you want to in one of those... well, both of them now!  You can kind of bring along your own beliefs.  BUT YOU CAN’T HERE!!  You CAN’T bring along your own PET beliefs into THIS Body... because THIS IS GOD’S CHURCH and God says THIS is the way, walk you in it.[3]

Used to bug the tar out of me when I first came along in United.  I’ll just mention what it is, because I stayed there for a little while...because I had hopes that God was going to reunite us and bring us back and that being the largest group – surely it’s going to be here, you know?  It wasn’t.  And I was so perturbed when I saw a Passover paper come out and this wishy-washiness because within the ministry it was guesstimated that nearly half of the ministry believed in a 14/15th Passover and that’s abominable!  That’s as bad as believing that Jesus Christ died on a Friday and was resurrected on Sunday morning!  It’s as bad spiritually!  And people in the Church didn’t get that, people were too asleep by that time, they couldn’t see and understand that.  So that’s why they came out with a paper that was wishy-washy, because they understood that within their ministry they’ve got a problem!  They’ve got a bunch of ministers out here... rather than getting rid of them, rather than kicking them in the BUTT and getting them out of the Church... just call it what it is!  I know one day I’d slip and say that!  Get them out of here; they’re hurting God’s people!  Don’t we get it?! If you teach something that’s false and something that’s wrong get rid of them because it hurts the Body.

We. Must. Be. At. One.  And I’ll tell you what... this Feast of Tabernacles... it’s awesome!  This thing of being at one and what it means... You have the potential to understand in a greater way than you’ve ever understood it; of the importance of being of the same mind as God Almighty and that means being at one with God.  That means there is no deviation to the right hand or to the left; you do exactly the way God says to do it.  And I’ve been preaching that in a very strong way since the Feast in Colorado Springs... those of you who’ve been around that long.  Because to do otherwise hurts us, it hurts you spiritually, it’ll drag you down spiritually and then it can begin to drag down others and I do not want to see others in the Body hurt – see?!

I did something I don’t like doing here recently, a couple weeks ago.  We sent out quarterly reports.  Some we’ve asked not to come back anymore.  If you’re going to rob from God; if you’re going to lie to God; if you’re going to lie to your brethren that you’re a part and you don’t do what God says and you’re going to have the GUTS, the GALL, the AUDACITY to ROB GOD?!  I don’t want to walk in those shoes because God says you are cursed![4]   See, in the world it’s just ignorance.  In the world... yeah, this world is being cursed, the United States and so forth - we’re going down the tubes... but people can live high on the hog out there still.  They still make... when the stock market goes down they make money.  There are people out there who make money when the stock market does down and they make money when it starts going back up; but they make more money when it starts going back down because they know how to do it.  And all the other poor souls out there and the fools they try to sell... “Oh this is great!  Get in on this because this is going to be great!”  And somebody listens to it and they put their money in there and then they lose it.  But those who know and those who make money know how to make more money.  It’s disgusting!  So, you want to lie to God?  I know two people very early in the Church who got drug out of the presence of the Church dead because they lied to the holy spirit, they lied to God.[5]

So I don’t like doing that, but see, on the other hand I will do that because I don’t want to see the Body hurt, I don’t want to see the Body drug down.  And so where I hear a little chirping out there... even if it’s one little chirp in some remote area... and they say, “I don’t believe that Jesus Christ is going to return at that time... I just think he’s wrong.”  Then why stay around?  If I’m not God’s prophet why stay around. If it’s not going to happen that way why be here?  Hasta la vista; dos vedanya; auf wiedersehen; good-bye... whatever; I can help you out the door... I’ll open it up for you.  You can’t move too fast for me.  I have seen so much pain and suffering in God’s Church over the years because of sin I don’t want to see it in the Body today.  I have lived through agony of an apostasy.  It hurts, it cuts deep; it’s like having your heart ripped out while you’re standing there.  Just thinking about it right now... that’s what it felt like; you felt empty.

You know how in the Church here, the Body here now today you see somebody new and it’s like you’ve known them forever?  There’s something there that’s such a bond.  There’s that which... we talked about that this morning.  Brothers and sisters... what an amazing thing by God’s spirit.  But back then, I felt so hollow inside when I saw brothers and sisters leaving and going astray and doing the things that were happening.  It was like part of my life, my heart, my being was ripped out of me and that which I’d had in the past wasn’t there.  It was like I was hollow inside because of all that had happened, because of all that was taking place.  It’s a horrible feeling!  Not many of you have ever felt that; some of you have.  Those who were there know what I’m talking about – they lived it.  And so I will stand up and do what I have to do to strive, to encourage, and to be able to bring about oneness in the Body of Christ and I will cry out strong and powerfully in order to help bring that about if that’ll help bring it along.

So, some out there... I know who some of you are and you better get it together because I’m not going to hesitate to ask you to leave.  Either you’re with us or you’re not; you’re a part or you’re not.  God’s offering you some incredible opportunities but I can’t give you this way of life and God can’t either.  He offered it to you already; it’s up to you to take it, it’s up to you to obey it, it’s up to you to live it, it’s up to you to grow in it.  I don’t like getting worked up like that, but I’ll tell you what, if it’s to save someone else, if it’s to help another brother or sister in the Body, then I will... it’s my job, it’s my responsibility because I don’t want to see anybody hurt and it still boggles my mind why some would stay around.  And I know why some do... because they have so let down, because they’ve disobeyed God for so long that a demonic world is inspiring them, is working with them, influencing them; not possessing... but influencing them.  And that’s sad.  Just like the demonic world stirs up things, is stirring up things more and more out there.  They are not happy campers and after this Feast of Tabernacles they’re not going to be happy campers because there are things that they learn as time goes forward.

So He tells them don’t turn to the right hand, don’t turn to the left, but straight on.   Verse 8 – This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth but you shall meditate/think upon it therein day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it and then... see, you have to think about God’s way of life to live it and how to obey it and what you have to change in your life in order to do that.  We have to make changes to be at one with God, we have to... there are things we have to alter in our life.  Sometimes there are friends we have to separate from or there are things we have to change in our environment or whatever it might be in order to live God’s way of life. God says to flee fornication, flee spiritual idolatry; sometimes we have to flee.

When I first came in the Church I went back to a college town that I had been in.  I knew I had to flee.  God put it into my mind to get out of there.  “If you stay around these people, these same ones you’ve been with, it’s going to drag you down.  You’ve got to get away to become strong.”  And I did.  I went away for 6 months, came back and I’d changed to the point where it was night and day and my friends weren’t my friends anymore, I had new ones in the Church of God – they were my friends.  And those that were a part of the world that I was a part of in the past I had to leave because it wasn’t a right lifestyle in the music and the drinking and all the things that went into college life that I was deeply involved in at that time, I had to get away from it in order to get myself right.  And so sometimes there are certain environments you just have to leave.  What’s it worth?  What’s it worth to move into another area where you don’t know if you’re going to have a job, but you’re going to go there?  ...and God gives you a job; and God gives you the ability or whatever it is to continue on.  Or maybe you suffer for a little while.  If you can become stronger and you have that time to focus on God’s way of life – What’s it worth?  What’s it worth putting God first?  Especially on this timeline.

He goes on to say here, verse 9 – Haven’t I commanded you be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid neither dismayed for the Eternal your God is with you wherever you go.  Do you believe that?  If you put God first, God is with you wherever you go.  Those of you who are new who are babes... God has called you to live into a new age!  Have that confidence and boldness to understand that He’s offering you opportunities of service in the future, of things to accomplish and do that are going to boggle your mind in a new age!  What they did when they went into the Promised Land we’re going to make look puny!  That’s small potatoes compared to where we are in time and what God’s putting in front of us.

Verse 11 - Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people saying, Pass through the multitude and command the people saying prepare provisions for yourselves for within 3 days you shall pass over this Jordan to go into possess the land which the Eternal your God has given you to possess.  Those of you who are new, God has given you this to possess, to be a part of, to live into!  It’s exciting!  It’s inspiring!

Joshua 3:1 -Then Joshua rose early in the morning; and they set out from acacia grove and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they crossed over.  And I know we went through this recently in Pentecost season, but it’s important we go through it again for the purpose of what God is giving to us now and refreshing ourselves in it.  It’s always inspiring and exciting.  I hope we never get tired of what God gives to us.

Verse 5 - And Joshua said to the people, Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the Eternal will do wonders among you... and we go through things in our life and God tells us that’s what we have to do.  God says sanctify yourselves; set yourselves apart for holy use and purpose.  Those of you who are new, that’s what God wants you to do – set yourselves apart for holy use and purpose.  The holy use and purpose is on into a new age, a new world, a new time to help change a sick perverted world.  We’re almost there!  What an incredible thing!  We’re almost there!  ...less than two years!  We have a new age, a new world to live into and we get to be a part of changing everything.  Everything from top to bottom has to be changed; in corporations and business and how people live their lives and what people do.  It doesn’t matter where you look everything has to be changed.  There’s a lot of work to be done, a lot of work, a lot of jobs, a lot of opportunities.

And so He says, sanctify yourselves...and what is the primary way we sanctify ourselves?  It’s what Jesus Christ said (John 17:17) when He was praying to God, to His Father just before He died; because this was His last night as a physical human being.  He’s had His last Passover with the disciples; He’s introduced to them the new Passover service, what they were to do and He prays to His Father.  He says, “Sanctify them through Your truth: Your word is truth.” ‘Your word’, God’s word, what He gives to us Sabbath by Sabbath, what He gives to us and reveals to us and shows to us...His way of life, everything.  Whether it be certain things we live by, how to live, how to live a better life...whatever it might be as far as life is concerned.  Whether it be things that are prophetic and we plan our lives according to that because of what’s going to take place and how we look at things and how we focus upon things; everything... a part of God’s plan.  Truth that God gives to us that separates us from everyone else in the world; that separates us from everyone out there whose asleep spiritually, who was a part of our past.

Let’s turn over to I Peter 3:8 – notice some verses here because it goes along with a part of what we’re talking about here where it says - Finally, be you all of one mind, that’s a powerful thing spoken to us; to be of that one mind, the mind of God, to be in unity and agreement with what God gives to us, to be in unity with the word, the logos of God, the revelatory thought of God, the mind of God, the being of God because that’s the only way of life to live.  It’s the truth!  It’s the only thing to live by... is the truth!  Everything else is a lie.  Most of everything that human beings learn as they grow up is a lie.  How to live life is a lie.  And you live a lifetime then, with God’s spirit, learning what is the truth.  What people see out here... I feel sorry for people, I feel sorry for young people whose minds have been filled with things from TV and movies and they have certain ideas of what life is going to be like as they are older, as they enter into marriage.  It’s a lie!  So much is just a lie!  It’s not real!  It’s not how life really works!  You don’t see that because it’s not about God’s way and how those things are done and lived and the like.  So nearly everything in life is wrong.  People in the world aren’t following God’s way.  And so it takes a lifetime to learn the joy, the riches, the fullness of living God’s way.  Our nature naturally resists it.

And so this thing of being of one mind; that’s exactly what was being said here to Joshua, ‘do not turn to the right hand or to the left that you may prosper wherever you go.’  You want to prosper?  You do the truth; you do what God shows you.  You may not understand it now but in time you’ll understand it, in time it’ll become a part of you, it’ll become a part of your mind.  And when your mind is at one with God’s mind there’s no richer joy and fullness of life; and that is our goal and our desire.  Finally, be you all of one mind, having compassion one of another; Do we have compassion one of another?  Because sometimes people don’t.  Sometimes people get upset at each other.  I can’t stand it when I hear of people who don’t get along in the Body, when people have an argument within the Body, when they have hard feelings toward each other and treat each other badly and say bad things to each other.  That hurts!  I hate to see that because it’s not of God’s spirit; it’s your selfishness!  Selfishness!  Ugly pride and selfishness that stinks!  And if we see it that way and realize our pride and selfishness stinks then we should have compassion on one another.  There’s a joy of life in that; there’s that which binds us closer together in love.

I’m dumbfounded sometimes when I hear people who don’t get along, or people who aren’t changing in that area, or people who speak badly of their husband, or people who speak badly of their wife...and they’re not afraid to talk to others in the Church about it and they bad mouth their husband, or they bad mouth their wife.  I think, “You’re sick! You’re sick and your mind is sick! You’re destroying your life!  You’re destroying your marriage and you don’t even get it!  Do you want to build it up?  Then you’ve got to live by certain laws! You’re working to destroy everything and to put yourself out of the Body!”  And actually you are anyway.  If that’s the mindset that people have, they’re already cut off from God’s spirit.  Sad!  Sometimes we don’t see how ugly sin is.  Sometimes we don’t understand by not obeying what God tells us to live by.  And love is the most basic thing of all, concern and care for each other.  We. Are. A. Family...and God’s desire is that His Family love each other.

Now does that mean you’re not going to be grumpy at some time or you don’t get food when you want to or whatever or you say something....?  But you make it right as quickly as you can!  And you say, “I’m sorry... being a moron, being an idiot, being a fool...”  Maybe something a little stronger if you have the guts to call yourself that in front of someone else; say, “Hey, being a real rear-end...”  And you can make that stronger if you want.

God calls things what they are.  Interesting if you read the verse above in what I’m talking about here because within a family there is no closer relationship that God has created for man and woman in human life to experience than that in marriage...[6]

...having compassion one of another, love as brethren, philia; this is just philia.  We should have that.  Still a selfish love, but we should have it toward one another – philia, to love each other, to work to love each other; be kind hearted, ‘be friendly of mind’, that’s what these words mean.  Be kind hearted, friendly of mind.  It says a lot.  It’s how you think toward someone else; it’s how you feel about someone else, but especially within the Body, especially within the Church. Not rendering evil for evil, because that’s generally what human beings do.  That’s why the example of Christ is so important.  Even when He was being accused as He was, put to death as He was... and He still had a unique attitude, didn’t He?  ...no railing for railing: no accusation for accusation, none of those things at all.  He said, Father forgive them, they don’t know what they’re doing.[7]   Can you do that toward someone else when someone else loses it?  ...and realize...you hope they get a hold of it because they’re just hurting themselves.

See, I can choose as to what I allow to hurt me and not hurt me.  I can choose as to what I allow into my mind and what I don’t allow into my mind to cause me to have a good or a bad day because only I can blame myself for what I allow in.  Same with you.  You want something to irritate you, stir you up, turn you sour, get you upset, cause you to have wrong feelings toward your brethren in the Church or someone else or whatever it might be... that’s your choice.  I can choose not to... and am a whole lot happier for it.  So we all have choices to make how we think about each other; and it’s powerful, it’s truly powerful.

...or railing for railing: because that’s what we do as a whole; someone attacks you, someone says something at you... the feathers go up, the barriers go up, someone tears... whatever.  We don’t react as human beings in a good way toward one another when we’re attacked, when something like that happens.  ...but contrariwise blessing; how can you turn something around?  Sometimes just by keeping your mouth shut you can turn things around.  How long can someone rail on you if you just take it?  After a while they’re going to get tired and walk away.  If nothing else – just do that.  See?  That’s a blessing.  Because if you respond back all you do is ignite it and make it worse and make something to make it last longer.  On the contrary... sometimes the greatest blessing you can give someone else is to say, “I’m sorry.”  And people don’t have the maturity, the spiritual maturity sometimes to even be able to do that to one another.  Just to say, “I’m sorry.”  To accept the blame for something.  It’s amazing how often sometimes when I hear different disputes and so forth that someone is just right in their own mind and they’ve judged someone else, “They were the wrong one!!  What do I have to apologize for?!”  Well, were you a part of the problem?  Were you a part of why someone else got upset? Is there nothing in there of any kind of a responsibility?  Is there anything you could have done differently?  ...better?  You can’t say I’m sorry?

...knowing that you are thereunto called, that you should inherit a blessing. For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they don’t speak any guile:  ‘deceit’.  Those things are hard to see.  We have to have God’s spirit in order to think right, to be right, to talk right, to use this in a proper way toward one another; that we not tear down or hurt someone else and that we do those things, that we diffuse and accept our own fault and responsibility.

Let him eschew evil, and do good; that means you have to hate the evil, you have to be able to see what it is that causes hurt and pain and suffering.  If you don’t hate it you’ll just keep doing it, you won’t stop.  Doesn’t matter what it is in life; you’ve got to learn to hate what it is that’s bad.  You’ve got to be able to see it for what it is and if you don’t then why would you change?  Why would you want to change?  We generally love what we continue to do; that’s the problem.  God wants us to loathe and despise that which is not good, that which is not healthy.

Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, there is that which produces peace in life. That’s why Jesus Christ said we need to be peacemakers!  That’s why the word Jerusalem has to do with peace.  ‘Salem’ means peace.  God wants us to see peace; He wants us to understand how peace is achieved, how peace is accomplished.  It’s not the way the world gives it.  That’s why Jesus Christ said that He is giving peace; not as the world give I unto you...[8]   But it’s a different peace.  “The peace I give to you,” He said that on that same night... Incredible!  A peace that God wants us to have, a peace of mind and a peace that’s able to be shared with others; not warring and battling and fighting and tension and unhappiness and misery and suffering and all the stupid things that Satan has stirred up in this world, that continues to stir up because it’s pride and lust and greed and all those things that stir those things up.  That’s not the way to live life; that’s unhappiness, that’s misery!  It’s in doing things the right way and caring for each other, willing to suffer for each other because you love them so much.  You love them enough to suffer, to take it, whatever it is, to take the wrong even that they’re dishing out to you.  And that doesn’t mean they’re always going to respond to you, but you’ve got to do what’s right before God to be a peacemaker.

For the eyes of the Eternal are over the righteous, so if you live that way, you seek to live what is right, God’s there with you.  He’s there to help you. He’s there to fight your battles for you. He’s there to give you victory over and over again to help you through those things; to be able to keep at it, to grow in character.  What is richer than to grow in character?  You don’t take this body; eventually it just gets old and it withers up and it just conks out.  It doesn’t get prettier.  The wrinkles that start coming on; and here I’m 61 and I see wrinkles that I used to see in my grandfather's hands and different ones hands as they get older and they have these wrinkles that you can kind of change your hand and it just stays there.  All these little wrinkles running across your hand; they just stay there.  I think, “Man, get that stretched out!”  You get older; your life decays; but what’s up here is what it’s all about.  What’s up here.  God can put that in a new body, physical body or a new spirit body.  It’s the mind; it’s what’s inside here that counts.  It’s how you think and how you think depends upon the happiness and the joy and the fullness of life that you can experience and to what degree you can experience it.

For the eyes of the Eternal are over the righteous and His ears are open unto their prayers: because you see, if someone is contentious with someone else, isn’t able to say, “I’m sorry,” gets caught up in some of these things of railing and not eschewing evil, not hating evil and some of these things that are taking place then God’s ears aren’t open to our prayers.  Sometimes people wonder why God isn’t answering their prayers... but the face of the Eternal is against them that do evil. And who is he that will harm you, if you be followers of that which is good?  You know if you do what’s right, if you do what’s good, God’s there for you.  But and if you suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are you: what an incredible thing that if you do things and you suffer; you still may suffer.  You’re going to suffer in this life no matter what; but if you suffer for the right reasons in order to give to someone else it’s an awesome thing.  There are blessings in that, there’s a happiness in that, a fullness in life that comes to you.

...and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts:  This is the verse we were getting to.  You’ve got to determine to set God apart in your heart, in your mind by how you choose to live, by how you choose to treat others, by how you respond and think toward others, by whether you’re willing to make peace and to go out of your way to learn how to make peace with others...especially in your own family.  ...and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: And that’s where we are.  In time here you’re going to be asked a lot.  It’s going to boggle your mind, astound you how often and how much you’re going to be asked about what you know, about what God has given to you that you’re going to be able to share with others.  You’re going to be dumbfounded when you live through that; but you’re only going to be able to help them, truly help them to the degree you yield yourself and sanctify yourself and set yourself apart to God’s service, to living God’s way of life, to making certain that you are growing at-one with God, that that’s in your heart and that’s in your mind.

So going back to the story of Joshua here.  Joshua 3:5 - And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the Eternal will do wonders among you. That’s what I said; God’s getting ready to do wonders among you.  You can’t begin to comprehend what God’s getting ready to do with this Body.  It is beyond words.  There has never been a time like what we’re getting ready to go through.

And Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over the Jordon, in other words, before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people.  And the Eternal said to Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify you in the sight of Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, I will be with you.  And so we’ve talked about those things in times past.

Verse 8 - And you shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When you have come to the edge of the water of Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan. And Joshua said to the children of Israel, Come and hear the words of the Eternal your God.  And Joshua said, Hereby you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will... and so He’s going through a process here saying these are things you’re going to see so you can have a boldness and a confidence to know that God is with you.  They’re getting ready to go into a Promised Land, but there are a lot of people out there that hate them; there are a lot of people out there with armies; there are a lot of people out there with different nations and they know what they’re getting ready to go into.  They haven’t had that in the wilderness; they were the only ones out there; it wasn’t prime real estate.  There weren’t a lot of people out there where they were, fighting for that part of the land.  If you’ve been in that part of the world, it’s not much to fight over, but that’s where the children of Israel were for 40 years.  But up in the area they’re getting ready to go to pass Jordan – that’s some land to have, that’s the place to be and that’s where others were; that’s where the armies were.  And so God’s getting ready to give them boldness and encouragement for going into the Promised Land.

So He says, come and hear the words of the Eternal your God.  And Joshua said, Hereby you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites.  He just put them all together and said they’re going to be gone; those who occupied that region of the Promised Land that God was getting ready to give them.  We know, we understand what’s getting ready to take place when God does what He’s going to do, when He allows this world to do what it’s going to do to itself... but at the end what God finally does and the world He brings and Jesus Christ and 144,000, a Kingdom that’s set up on this earth, what takes place and what’s going to take place from that point forward; the attitude of mind of peoples that are going to be changed, that are going to be willing to be worked with; the power that’s going to be there to help enforce those things as well.

Joshua 3:13 - And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear/carry the ark of the Eternal, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that flow down from upstream; and so again here, this is done a little differently, they’re not going through a place like the sea, they’re going through an area like a river.  And so what God does... He says step in the water, the waters are going to stop farther upstream and it’s going to be dammed up just on one side.  It wasn’t like the Red Sea where it had to be dammed up on both sides.  This time it’s just going to be an invisible wall, water piling up; and this was in flood season, a lot of water going through there this time of year.  And so that’s exactly what God was getting ready to do for them to give them the encouragement and to be able to go through on dry ground, just like with the story they knew regarding what happened with Moses when they went through the Red Sea.  How encouraging is that?  Patterns, types, things that God’s going to do for us.  You’re going to see some awesome things take place before this is over with, you truly are: to give you a kind of boldness and a courage that you can’t even begin to dream of right now.

So again here, going through part of this, verse 16 – that the waters which come down from upstream mass together and rose up.  So they stacked up, as it says here, very high, very far up from the city of Adam; and jumping on down from here, so it talks about the waters being cut off and so forth.

Verse 17 - And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Eternal stood firm on the dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over the dry ground, until all the people had passed completely over Jordan.  So they didn’t know what to expect when they went across but I’ll tell you what, just like with Gideon this is encouraging.  When you have that many people crossing over and they see something here, they have a... Moses isn’t with them anymore, but God gives them encouragement here with Joshua.  “Joshua’s the one leading you.” And so He lifted them up and He strengthened them to have courage in what God was doing and revealing through Joshua because here are some miracles taking place that give them encouragement and boldness to do what they needed to do – and so they did it and they were willing to listen to what God had to say.

Joshua 4:14 - On that day the Eternal magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; that’s just how God does it.  It’s like what He’s done at the end-time here.  There are thing’s He’s done to give you encouragement, where we see a pattern of things that happened with Mr. Armstrong and things that are happening with me, of things God did and truths He gave and truths that are given here and God gives us encouragement through that process.  That’s just the way God works; as a type, as a pattern of something and He lifts us up by that.  He gives us encouragement by that because what we’re getting ready to do... we’re getting ready to go into the real thing!  Philadelphia wasn’t getting ready to go into it yet – thinking ahead, yes, looking ahead at those things knowing it was coming, changing, growing, yielding to God in order to be a part of 144,000, those who died during that time period that are going to be resurrected then; but now we’re the ones who are living in it. We’re the ones who are going to go; and so God is actually giving us more and more and more and He’s going to continue to give more all the way into the Millennial period in a very powerful way because this is that time and we need the encouragement.  We need to have that kind of boldness to do what’s ahead of us.

On that day the Eternal magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, in other words they had great respect, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life. And the Eternal spoke unto Joshua, saying, Command the priests who bear the ark of the testimony that they come up out of the Jordan. And Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come up out of the Jordan. And it came to pass, when the priests who bear the ark of the covenant of the Eternal were come up out of the midst of Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet had lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they were before. It was the flood season, because it was flooding before and now it’s flooding again. And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, on the east border of Jericho.

Joshua 5:1 - And it came to pass, when the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the Eternal had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we had passed over, that their heart melted, ‘they lost heart’; that’s what that means, they lost heart; neither was there spirit in them anymore,  in other words they were paralyzed with fear, that’s what this means.  That’s basically what took place here; because of the children of Israel.

And so just as with the story of Gideon - patterns, types; they’re there of something that God did with them and the encouragement He gave to those that went down the side of that hill and what happened to the camp down there, the fear that God caused them because of something that God had placed there in their minds and their being.  And then when they started charging down that hill they ran and they began to be destroyed and far more entered into the battle then to help destroy an entire army, 135,000 – incredible!  300 people starting out with the battle to destroy 135,000; impossible odds.

Verse 10 - And the children of Israel camped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day at even in the plains of Jericho. And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the Passover, well, it’s not the old corn, I talked about that last time, but it was that which was there.  And it talks about the, unleavened cakes, the parched corn in the selfsame day.  So there was that of the land that they were able to have and it talks about some things that took place here because of the Passover season and beginning a count that led up to Pentecost.  And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna anymore.  40 years of manna in the wilderness – 40 years of learning how to cook manna in many different ways. What an amazing story!  So they didn’t have to go out and get this little beaded stuff off of different plants and so forth that God gave day by day by day except on the Sabbath Day.

Joshua 6:1 - Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. And the Eternal said to Joshua, See, I have given Jericho into your hand, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.  In other words to Joshua and therefore all of Israel.  And you shall compass... now, he’s supposed to see this, but what evidence was there so far?  I mean, no walls had been broken down, nothing had happened inside there and they had a great army; but God said, I’ve given it to you.  So there are things of faith that we step out on and we do because we believe God all along the way.  And so He’s telling them here how to do this.  He says I have given Jericho into your hand and the king thereof and the mighty men of valour.  And you shall compass, in other words, surround, as to march around the city, all men of war, and go round/circle the city once. This shall you do for six days.   So they’re to march around the city once for 6 days; each day one time.  And before, in other words in front of the ark seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and on the seventh day you shall compass/march around the city seven times, so God says now you do it seven times on the seventh day.

The order of God is amazing.  Seven; which is a matter of that which is complete, completeness; that’s what God uses.  Just like we’ve talked about forty and forty times seven and judgement and things of God.  The seventh day Sabbath, seven High Days... it’s complete – it’s a complete plan of God starting with Passover as being... not a High Day, but leading into the Holy Days and then starting with the 1st Day of Unleavened Bread all the way to The Last Great Day; seven High Days that God gives that reveals His entire plan for mankind.  Awesome!  Complete!  Completeness!  7,000 years for man to exist on earth, to reproduce and to live on earth because during the last 100 years they don’t reproduce anymore.  So that’s man’s time to reproduce and multiply on the earth.  The last 100 years is a time of judgement.

And so again, seven used over and over and over again just like it is in this end-time.  7 Thunders; 7 Seals; 7 Trumpets; 7 Last Plagues... it's incredible!  A matter of completeness of how God thoroughly and  completely does what He does to bring about the result that He’s going to bring about.

And so He tells them what to do here.  Seven days you march around it, on the seventh day, seven times.  Incredible! And so it says here talking about how they’re to accomplish this ...seven times and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.  And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him. In other words, to take it.  All the walls are flattened, then you go in and take it.  That’s what God was showing them.

Verse 6 - And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said to them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests, over and over again because God’s showing what He’s going to do to complete it all.  ...let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark of the Eternal.  And I think of that which God is going to do again which we talked about; 7 Trumpets, 7 Thunders... 7 Trumpets especially that bring it all down. That’s what’s going to take place there that’s a parallel to this.  This is a type and a pattern that’s profound in the book of Revelation of God taking us into the Promised Land.  The 7 Trumpets and what happens with the 7th Trumpet, the 7 Last Plagues.  It’s very powerful – just as much as the 7 days that they continued to march around the city because God’s going to bring it all down and He doesn’t do it until the very end.  There are a lot of things that happen a little differently with us.  We understand that process; what God accomplishes with 7 Trumpets; but on the 7th one God brings it all down.  God is the one who does it so that we can enter in; it’s ours.

Verse 7 - And so He said to the people, Pass on, encircle the city, and let him, those who are armed move forward in front of the ark of the Eternal. And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken to the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns advanced forward in the presence of the Eternal, and blew with the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the Eternal followed them. And the armed men advanced in front of the priests who blew with the trumpets, and the assembly followed after the ark, the priests going before, and blowing with the trumpets.

Verse 10 - And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, You shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, they weren’t to say a thing.  Amazing thing... God says to do it this way.  Don’t deviate from it; do it exactly the way God says to do it and that’s what He’s bring us more and more to in the spirit of unity and oneness of mind.  There’s a certain way that God wants us to do what’s ahead of us and the most important is that we be of the same mind and that we be able to move to the left or the right or whatever God gives us whenever He gives it to us.  You shall not shout nor make any noise with your voice; neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth until the day I tell you to shout; then you shall shout. And so the ark of the Eternal circled the city, going around once: and they returned to the camp, and lodged in the camp. And Joshua rose early in the morning, speaking of the second day; and the priests took up the ark of the Eternal. And the seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Eternal moved forward and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went ahead of them; but the assembly came after the ark of the Eternal, and the priests moving forward and blowing with the trumpets. So they’re showing this routine. And so on the second day, so it’s going back and recapping all this; they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: and so they did for six days.  Over and over again just one time, one time that they’d blow the trumpets each day doing this just once, marching around just once.

And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and circled the city after the same manner seven times: on that day only did they circled the city seven times.  So there is a pattern here for us.  What happened with them happened quickly, happened in seven days.  God working with a very physical, very carnal people.  They didn’t have God’s spirit; they didn’t have what we have.  Where ours is over a longer period of time – what we have to do and how we’re doing it; and some of how God accomplishes it is a different way, but there’s that same pattern of the sevens that follow through there – things about the Trumpets, because it’s about the Trumpets that God reveals the tearing down of everything that’s in this world.  And so it is with us.  We’ve gone through a period of time; God wants us to look at the periods of time.  We’ve gone through two days.  If you look at it this way – they circled around the camp for two days – they had five more to go.  That’s where we are.  We’ve entered into the third period – 3rd day of marching.  That’s where we are in time.

I think its November 14th, not too long after the Feast here we’re going to enter into the 4th Day.  Doesn’t take very long.  God wants us to focus on one day at a time.  Ours is a little different; ours is made up of 140 days, because you see the smallest denominator of ‘Time, Times and a Half a Time’ is ‘half a time’.  And it doesn’t mean that God’s going to accomplish certain specific things each ‘half a time’, but that’s how God wants us to focus – to do our job, to continue marching until He’s given everything that He’s going to give to us until it’s all over with at the very end.  And there are going to be things we’re going to learn along the way.  And so we have ‘more time’ ahead of us.  That’s why the sermon was entitled what it is and this is, in a sense, our battle cry.  This is what we’re living by; each segment, each ‘half a time’.  It’s encouraging.  Not the full period of time.  We know what it is, but we take it a day at a time, we just do our job, we do what God gives to us within that span of time.  We keep focused on it.

Verse 16 - And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, Shout; for the Eternal has given you the city. And the city shall be set apart for destruction, even it, and all that’s therein, to the Eternal: in other words, set apart to the Eternal.  And so it goes on to talk about Rahab the harlot shall be kept alive and all of her house because of what she did.

Verse 18 - And you, by all means are to keep yourselves from what is set apart for destruction; there’s a powerful lesson in that one there.  God’s getting ready to destroy all this out there.  Is there any of it you love?  ...like to see it go on?  ...live on, continue on?  Is there any part of it that you’re going to miss?  That perhaps you are a part of today?  God wants you to separate yourselves.  That’s a part of what it means, again, when it talks about sanctifying yourselves.  There are things that God wants us to separate from.  Make sure you’re separate from them now; seek to be at one with God; seek to get away from those things that God is destroying.  Don’t hold onto, don’t embrace, don’t love what God is getting ready to destroy.  There’s nothing out here worth saving, there truly isn’t.  The world doesn’t understand that.  You know, if people heard this, they’d think, “What do you mean there’s nothing worth saving?”  They don’t understand the economic system, how vile it is, how corrupt it is, how sick, how perverted, how disgusting it is.  They don’t ‘see’ God.  They don’t ‘see’ God’s way and so they don’t see how vile something is.

People in the world, and a lot of things in entertainment... they don’t see how really sick and perverted it is and how much it hurts, how distorted it is.  People don’t see things in music.  Someone asked me that I’d said something regarding that I don’t listen to any kind of music.  I hear music. I don’t have a problem with listening to music. I don’t prefer to spend my time listening to music, I don’t have time to listen to music; that’s not how I spend my time as a whole.  Even when driving down the freeway I don’t really care to listen too much to it anyway.  But that doesn’t mean it’s wrong to listen to music and so forth; but there are things in music that can be wrong.  You need to be able to see that.  You need to be able to loathe and hate some of the things that are out there and to be watching what you allow into your mind in some cases...well, in many cases frankly.  Same thing with certain kinds of movies and so forth.  You have to be careful about what you let in; what you let in of this world that God’s getting ready to do away with totally. And so we have a battle.

And so I am encouraging everyone to take a stronger look at some of those things; take a better look at some of those things in your life. Are there some things there you can make a little bit better and make some more changes in in order to not hold onto some of the things that God has set up for destruction, that God is going to destroy.  Is there a certain love, a certain bond that we have with certain things out there that we shouldn’t have, that isn’t healthy for us?  A lot of things to be gotten rid of that’s in this world that we don’t want to have as a part of our lives.

We don’t need to go through the rest of the story here; you know the rest of the story about what God did.  Each day they did their part.  Each day they did their part and we do our part each day.  Takes a while.  Sometimes we get a little anxious. Sometimes perhaps we want to see certain things take place.  Be careful about that.  Destruction's going to come.  Misery is going to come.  The longer it’s not there, the better off.  The only purpose for it at all brethren is only one thing and that should be in your mind to understand... is to bring people to repentance; it’s to bring people to humility.  It’s not in the world today.  Sometimes it gets a little frustrating watching the stock market.  It goes up and then it goes down.  You think, “Well, maybe this is it. Maybe this is when it’s going to happen.”  And it goes back up. And they play these games.  And it’s so frustrating; but you see the pride of what’s going on out there, up and down, up and down.  It only takes a moment.  It only takes one day.

I remember 9/11 – doesn’t take very long for bad things to happen; doesn’t take long at all.  They capped the well.  Are any of you disappointed that the oil’s not flowing anymore?  ...that life isn’t being destroyed in the Gulf Coast and so forth?  You’ve got to watch what you think and how you think – okay?  Things like that are going to be a whole lot worse.  You know we talked about what could have happened down there – still could happen.  It’s not over with yet.  But the point being is that when things begin to happen it’ll be in God’s timing and it’ll be for a right purpose and we want to make sure we’re at one with that purpose.  Not with a wrong purpose in our own mind, not for the wrong motives.  Sometimes I’ve heard of people discuss various things or say things or things have come back that maybe have been said to friends or someone else that’s in the world.  You’ve got to be careful because if  you don’t convey something in a right way they can think that you’re looking for this for the wrong reasons; and sometimes maybe we are, maybe a person is; and you’ve got to be careful of your own spirit and your own mind.  God will do what He’s going to do in His time and you, each day, each period of 140 days...20 Sabbaths... 20 weeks...  that’s what 140 days is; ‘half a time’.  You march through time like that, you live through time like that and you do whatever God has given you to do during that time.  And most of that for us is to change, to grow and to overcome, and to draw closer to God, to do all that we can to draw closer to God.

And so God has given us types and God has given us patterns of things that can be moulded and fashioned in you and one day you’re going to learn in a greater way what’s been moulded and fashioned in you just by the story of Joshua here.  It’s going to become more a part of you as you think about marching through each day doing your part, separating yourselves from the things that God is going to destroy... making sure, seeking to separate yourselves from the things that God is going to destroy.  What are you holding onto?  What shouldn’t you not be holding onto?

Again here, brethren I hope you’re encouraged by the things we go through from time to time; that there are those things we have when it comes to things about the Red Sea, when it comes to Gideon’s army, things that we can see as patterns and types that we live by that encourage us.  Same thing with the third one here, it’s going to become more a part of your life as you go through this process.  And God wants to see it, as He did with them, that they looked at it one day at a time, one day of marching.  I’m excited we’re through two days!  Who could have known that we’d still be able to meet here together in the third day?  And after the Feast, as I said, we’ll go into the fourth day and we’re almost half way there then.  When does it all begin?  Hopefully not for a long time; but when it does brethren... preferably we’re all ready for it and these things will mean more to you.

~~~end

1. I Corinthians 11:1

2. Zechariah 4:6

3. Isaiah 30:21

4. Malachi 3:8-9

5. Acts 5:1-11

6. 1 Peter 3:7 - Likewise, you husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

7. Luke 23:34

8. John 14:27

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