Late in the Night - Pt. 1

Ron Weinland

October  13, 2012

I want to read a few reports that have come in from different areas, as the ministry sends in a lot of reports month by month, and I thought I'd just read a few that are from all over the country, from different areas, expressing some of the things concerning the Feast of Tabernacles.  And this portion here I do want to keep in the primary sermon content that's going to come later, so for any editing here coming up I want this to be included as part of the introduction because it has a lot to do with the sermon as well, because there are things that God molds and fashions in us, prepares us for, and the way He works with us and our response to Him that is a powerful thing in our lives if we yield to that process.

And so I'm going to mention some different things here as we go along, but primarily some of this about the Feast, because God brought us up to this point in time, we've been very, very blessed by what we've gone through, because it's helped people to look at themselves in a deeper way, and yet this process isn't over with, but there's not much time to finish it. There's not much time to finish the main part of this that's been offered to us, anyone who is a part of this Body.

So here are some comments then about the Feast.  One said, "We have returned from the Feast back into this world of which we do not belong."  I think it's one of the strongest things that should hit you right after you get home from the Feast, a stronger comparison there, and candidly, something that God is going to give mankind the ability to see in time anyway once we have the Millennium, the Great White Throne; the ability to compare what God gives in His way of life compared to this world that exists now.

This individual went on to say, "It was a very uplifting Feast.  To me it seemed different to past Feasts in many respects with the spirit seemingly to be more reflective and mature.  We have had opportunities to practice better relationships."  And so that kind of summarizes some of the things that kept coming in.  That was from one country.

Another comment from another country, "Our Feast [in this particular are]) was without doubt the greatest we've experienced so far as a few told us.  This year only the core of [this particular area it's talking about here] was here.  There was no strife, no attitude from members, as if the Church has been cleaned up of loose members."

And that goes along with the sermon we're going to be going into, because the reality is there are times that there is judgment made and God does take care of various things, He brings things to the surface so they can be dealt with, and the reality is we're made a stronger Body, a better Body, and it kind of goes back to some of the things we talked about earlier as well concerning 'gaining a brother' or 'going to a brother alone' and the whole desire is is that we be at one.  And if we're not at one, if you remember the examples of Matthew there, it says 'tell it to the Church', because the reality is when it gets to that point there is a separation made in fellowship.  And candidly, though it be painful, you wish people would make the right choices and right decisions in their life, but if they will not, if they will not change, if they will not repent, the best thing for the Body is that they're no longer a part of that fellowship, because otherwise it hurts mightily in the Body.  It is a very true saying of what Paul gave to us in the book of Corinthians, 'a little leaven leavens the whole lump', and that's why these things are to be practiced in life though we may not like to, though we may not enjoy it; there is a responsibility we have so that we can be more at one.  Because in that is the most beautiful of relationships that God wants us to understand and experience, a oneness and a unity with Him, and we're to have that within a fellowship as well, which you can't put a price on.

And so again here, a lot of comments coming in about this sort of thing, about a better fellowship, a better Family, a stronger Family, because when some of those things are gone, when you don't have to walk around on eggshells sometimes knowing how some people might respond to some things, it's better, it's better for the Body.

And so it goes on to say here, "Indeed, since the last Feast members have fallen away, particularly following Pentecost 2012."  So they had an area where there were some that fell away.  "...members have in one fell swoop been taken away.  The relief among the core left was obvious.  There was more freedom to visit and spend time with each other; a general desire even among the youth to reach out to those older members we see rarely, to visit them and be with them."  And I'd say this particular area, as well, it's made up mostly of new Body and a new Body as a whole takes time to develop and grow and so there are experiences they go through.  But again, that's an exciting thing when you see that from old to young, young to old, down to... whatever, that there is that fellowship and unity and oneness and excitement for God's way of life.

Another one says, "It was an awesome Feast, unlike any we have ever attended."  And there are some of these people, this one here as an example, who have been around for a long, long time, back into Worldwide.  "It was inspiring to see the younger people and the way they've grown.  Observing them during services and at other times it's apparent that they're trying to put into practice what they're hearing."  Says, "You both would have been encouraged to see it."  Well, we see it a lot.  "Some have matured greatly since May and it was seen in their attitudes and the way they conducted themselves."

So again here, an opportunity for a growth forward, if you will, of growing more, being able to respond more, because the more we respond to God and grow the stronger we can become as a Body, and it's obvious, it becomes obvious.

Another area here.  It says, "We had a very inspiring Fall Holy Day season.  The Feast was great!  The Body does seem to be getting stronger and the bonds of love greater.  In our long history of being in the Church we have never seen a time like this.  People were working really hard on themselves to make changes in their lives and work out their issues.  It's refreshing to see that people are not just letting issues slide.  We/they are facing them head on."  And that's good, that's excellent, that's what it's all about, that's what God has brought us to, to address those things in our lives.

Another country here says, rather to the point, but that's good, "The Feast was fantastic!  It was a close, united group."  That's what God wants us to be, united, to be at one, to be in unity and harmony.

Now, I do want to read a few more comments here because, again, this works into the sermon flow of what we're getting ready to go into as well, but this has to do with something that happened just this week in a letter that I sent out that I'd asked a long time elder to no longer be in fellowship with us, basically being disfellowshipped.  And though those things are hard, some of these things again fit into the overall theme of what I'm talking about here.  But one individual... I wanted to make some comments here about what was said in some letters here as well.

It says, "I was so very saddened about," mentions the names of two individuals here that have been disfellowshipped in the ministry.  Talks about, "...having fond memories of them, and it is sobering to know any of us could lose it and how vigilant I want to be, even more so asking for God's armor as was mentioned in a recent sermon."

Another comment here, "We are in shock to hear this because we thought that they were in the faith when we talked with them in the past.  It seems indeed that we must come closer and closer to our Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, so that they can do their work in us."

Another one here, "Sad to hear about..." mentions the names, "...scary!  Makes us even more determined to stay close to God and on top of repentance."  Very well said!  And very sobering indeed because indeed it goes along with this sermon we're going into today.

On the Last Great Day we had a sermon entitled 'The Full Day of the Lord' in which it was given to us that on May 26th of this year the sun went down on that day and we entered a final 'prophetic day' that lasts from Pentecost of 2012 to Pentecost 2013.  As with any day that begins at sundown, we entered into the night time portion of the prophetic 'Day of the Lord.  I am dumbfounded by how God gives us things to understand how He works with us, what He's doing in the world, and even some more things that are going to come out later in this series.  It won't be today but it'll be later.

Let's turn over again and review those verses in Exodus 12 that reflect our spiritual journey, our 'prophetic journey' at this time, that is fulfillment for us of the physical 'type' of what the Israelites experienced upon the day they began to leave Egypt, because the day they began to leave Egypt was at night.  That's when they began to leave Egypt.

Exodus 12:40 - Now the sojourning/the travelling of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.  ...the 'sojourning', I guess, better said, their 'dwelling' in that land and Egypt and so forth and that particular part of the world and when they came into it and when God took them out.

And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Eternal went out from the land of Egypt. It is a night to be much observed unto the Eternal for bringing them out of the land of Egypt: this is that night of the Eternal to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.  And so we talked about the meaning of, 'to be observed' here, that's used twice, and no other place in scripture is it used in the Hebrew here, talking about being a 'night watch', 'a vigil', 'keeping vigil' and so forth, and those analogies then with what Christ tells us over and over and over again.

This first sermon following the Feast is entitled, Late in[to] the Night - Part 1.  We have not yet entered the light of this prophetic 'Day of the Lord', and that in itself and the knowledge of the final Last Great Day's sermon should be sobering to those who have ears to hear.

The fact that we are moving through the night as a 'Night To Be Much Observed' should carry with it obvious warning.  God let us know early on as we entered this 'day' that we are being defined, a final defining.  That really is in context with all of those whom God has given this opportunity to enjoy, to have at this point in life, toward the very end just before His Son returns.  To whom more is given more is required, and we need to understand that in a very great way and to grasp the riches of what God has placed before us.

And so again, God let us know early on as we entered this 'day' that we are now being defined, a final defining, if you will, in a manner like no other time before us.  This 'day' is defining everyone who has ever been or who became part of the Church during the 1260 days of God's final witness.

This sermon today is a very strong message in many respects from God to all of His people, from Jesus Christ to the Body of Christ, and as such it will be plainly spoken because that's how God communicates with us in such instances.  And so before we continue on into the thrust of the sermon it needs to be said up front, in order to have everyone's attention, that if you can grasp, if you believe that we are late into the 'night' of the 'Day of the Lord', then please also understand that some few have already fallen asleep and some few are in the process of now falling asleep.  You need to know where we are!

We are way past midnight; we are right now in the most dangerous part of the night.  This is the warning to all that God is giving to us - to stay awake, to not fall asleep!  This is the period of time when it will be easiest to fall asleep.  You have to fight to stay wide awake and on guard!  You have to be determined to fight this!  This is the time of night to be much observed, more so observed, if you will, above all other periods of the night.  It's like staying up late; you get into these hours before the morning, late into the night, and I think of those examples that Christ gave, if the person had known what hour the thief would have come he would have stayed up and would have been alert and would have watched, if he'd known what period of time, obviously.

We need to know the dangers of where we are and the time we're in, because these things become more real to us now than any other time.  These are things we have been living by, or should have been living by through time no matter how long we've been in God's Church, but they mean so much more right now because of where we are and because of the power that exists still in this world in a very powerful way, a being who has a desire to destroy everything, to come at us with every power and ability that he has.

So again, this is the time that Satan would like to use to catch you fully off guard.  Soon the 'light' will be here and he will lose any advantage.  But you're not being judged, you're not being defined in the 'light' of this 'day', you're being defined in the 'night' of this 'day', and that's what we need to grasp and comprehend and to fight this with all of our being, to understand that there is a tribulation that is still upon God's people, upon the Church, and it will be there until it begins on this world.  That's the way it is - reality!

So indeed, this warning is to all, to everyone, yet this is very much geared to the one in ninety-nine who have wandered off and in danger of becoming fully lost in this age.  So, seek repentance while God offers it, because that's God's message here in a very powerful way.  Seek repentance, seek change while God offers it!  Because we're being judged in a very powerful way, we truly are.

And so we've had comments here about a great Feast, and indeed, but you're still in the 'night' and you're going a little deeper into the 'night'...and sometimes it's easy to begin to let down, begin coasting again like had been done before.  And the more we've gone through periods of time here and having conversations with people there was far too much of it, far too much of it before May 26th.

And so this is especially directed to those who are falling asleep or who have already fallen asleep, but all of us need to be sobered by this and to learn from this and to seek help to be determined to fight this mightily!

Right now you may be given an opportunity to be shaken from your sleep - because a person who's asleep doesn't know that they are asleep - and if you can physically hear these words then God may also grant you opportunity to reach out to these words spiritually, IF that is what you want, if that's what you desire.  Because a person who's falling asleep, or one who is asleep, doesn't really know that state that they're in, they think they're in a different state, and the reality is that it's good to cry out to God to ask for help to be able to see if there is any of that that exists,  with a desire to repent, to reveal those things and to help you to see it, to help you to hear it, to help you be fully awakened if you think that some of this might be happening.

So again, the dilemma for someone in either state, asleep or falling asleep, is to know whether this is you or not.  There are some tell-tale signs that can help awaken you.  It's kind of like the southern use of the comedy that states, "You may be a redneck if...":

1. "You may be asleep or starting to fall asleep if you are not obeying God in faithfully saving second tithe!"

Blows my mind!!  We had a lot of mercy on a lot of people before the Feast of Tabernacles, because before anything is given to anyone we go back and we look, what are you doing?  That's right and just and it's a responsibility that we have!  And some things didn't jive with what people are asking for; it didn't click, it didn't add up with what a person is asking for and showing that they've saved up compared with what they say they have given faithfully to God in 1st Tithe!  Do we not grasp that's a command from God and to not do it is stealing from God and it's stealing from our ability to keep the Feast of Tabernacles in the way that God told us we should do it?

I'll tell you right now SUCH ARE ASLEEP!  ...and I hope that through the Feast and through the mercy God granted to you in some cases... in some cases you were told, "No, you cannot come because you haven't done either properly before God."  What a lot of guts that takes, to ask God for help to do something when you're disobeying God!  And that's going to come to an end!  It's my responsibility!  I may not have much time to follow through with some of my responsibility but I'm going to do it zealously before God, because it is my responsibility and because it's right for the Body of Christ.  So, different ones are going to be contacted out here about some of these things, because it's just not right for the Body; it hurts the Body, it hurts the Church not to be obedient to God.  It shows up and it's reflected in your life and it drags on, it hurts the Church, powerfully so!

I don't know how...   I hate to go through sermons like this.  I hate to have to address things like this.  Been a big part of my job through the years though!  Blows my mind! We say we're honest to God?  ...that we're striving to live this way of life?  That becomes a giant, big, fat lie if we're not doing the most basic of things that God tells us to do!  And this is a very basic thing that we should do!

So, you may think you're not falling asleep, but this one here, just like, 'You're a redneck... Perhaps you're a redneck if..."

2. "You're asleep if this is happening in your life, or you're starting to fall asleep very quickly, if you're not bothering to set aside an offering for God on His Holy Days!"

This is not about money, brethren, it's about obedience to God.  Some people say, "Yep, there he goes..."  It's about love to God!  It candidly is about our relationship with God, how we see God, how we think about God.  You know, we're told about cleaning up our relationships with one another, making sure that things are right and talking things out and going to a brother to gain a brother - what about a desire to gain God, to be on the right side of God, to have God's favour and mercy in our life?  What about that?  What about a desire to be close to our Great God who's given us so much?!  ...who's offered us so much?!  ...and we won't do the simplest of things?

I remember an elder in one country here that had been with us almost from the beginning...well, he was, basically, one of the first times we visited in that country.  We went to visit him because things weren't right and started talking to him about a reality, "That you don't even give God offerings on the Holy Days, do you?"  And I see this giant flat screen TV, bigger than anything I have in my home.  I see sound equipment there, far better than anything I'd even dream about getting in my home.  And I know there are paintings - I didn't even bring that one up I don't believe...I might have - there were paintings on the wall from a famous artist that were given to them because of a situation in their life - worth ton of money.  "...and you can't give the equivalent of a dollar to God out of gratitude and thankfulness for the blessings you have in your life?"  He didn't stay an elder and when I told him he wouldn't be an elder any longer in God's Church I knew he wouldn't come back either, and he didn't.

So, are you falling asleep?  I can't express how abhorrent it would be to not consider out of love to my Great God, to not sacrifice and give something to God out of gratitude no matter where I was in life, no matter what I had in life.  And I've been there, to know fully well how blessed I am spiritually in my life, what God has given me - and so not to respond to God out of gratitude and thankfulness blows my mind!  And if you think you are awake and you are in the Body and you're not fully asleep, this hopefully is a wake-up call because you have an opportunity to repent and to change if you can hear, if you will hear, and if you don't, I'm just going to be real candid, God has you in judgment and you will not get away.  Nobody gets by with anything!  Nobody gets by with anything!  God says, "Be sure to know, your sins will find you out."  God knows what they are.  God knows what we're doing in our life, and in time they are addressed.  And I've seen this in the Church through time, how God has addressed this in groups of individuals in times, sometimes individuals themselves, but it continues on.

We're at a time right now where God desires, before Jesus Christ returns, that this Body be cleansed, that this Body be clean before God, that this Body be unified and at one before God and lying and deception and evil is to be gotten rid of, truly!  And as much as I can I will help to do that, though I don't like having to do it.

3. "[You may be asleep or falling asleep if you're] not faithfully sending in 1st Tithe!"

All these are sin!  Every one that I've mentioned is sin to the nth degree.  Can we see where we are?  Can we understand if we play games with God that He isn't going to play the game with us, we will suffer for...  We don't treat God that way!  You can't lie to God!  God deplores lying and deception!  It's what makes this world so evil!

4. "You may be asleep or falling asleep if you're not spending time with brethren in fellowship when you have the ability, especially on the weekly Sabbath!"

If you don't have the ability, that's another matter.  If you have certain things, age, health, whatever, different matter - you have to deal with those things in life.  But if you have the ability and you don't do it, where are you?  If you're pulling back from fellowship and not really desiring with love and deep desire to be with other brethren, that's hard to grasp!  It fits into the scriptures that talk about if you have the ability to love your brother and you don't do it... If you're failing to love your brother you know what God calls it?  He says it's murder...and people don't even see that spiritually, they think it's okay.  What's okay with not loving your brethren?  What's okay with not spending time with them in fellowship to the point where you don't even want to necessarily be around them?  What is wrong with that picture?  What is wrong with your attitude and spirit of wanting to sacrifice, to give, to be there, to help support, and then maybe if there is some who aren't doing the same thing, maybe they'll change by seeing your right example?

But so often people blame others; it's other people's fault - they don't visit me, they don't talk to me, they don't call me, they don't do this...   I had that conversation this past week with the individual I disfellowshipped, and I said, "When is the last time you called me?  When is the last time you called me?  I've visited you in your home.  I've called you on the phone.  When is the last time...?  It's a two-way street, and if you don't make the effort and you start accusing others of not being friendly and not being kind and not being loving, maybe it's time to look deep at yourself and see why?"  When we start expecting others to love us, to give everything to us and we don't do anything in return...?  Had somebody leave the Feast this year because they just were upset that nobody invited them over!  I think, "What a rotten, wretched spirit and attitude!"  ...leave the Feast of Tabernacles because you're going to blame other people for your failure to love God and seek to love His people.  What did you do?  Who did you invite over?  Amazing!  Amazing-amazing-amazing!

I've lived through this for so long in God's Church, where I've seen criticisms and people tearing other people apart in the Church, "Well, this church is not a friendly church because they don't invite me to their home."  And sometimes I've asked them, "When is the last time you invited someone to your home?"  "Uh... uh... uh..."  "When did you invite them out to eat?  ...when is the last time?  When is the last time you called on (so-and-so)?"  That's such a sick, sick, sick spirit and it's not a part of the Church of God, and that's what we have to understand.  We are a Family and we love each other.  If you're Family, you love each other!  If you don't love one another, if you find fault with other people and the fault is not yours and nothing in you to change... wow...you don't belong here, you don't belong in this Body.

And just because we're coming into the 'light'...if you're waiting around for the 'light' God won't make you stand, because He's given you opportunity well ahead of time to learn, to be molded and fashioned, to receive some of the richest of blessings that God has ever poured out upon mankind, and His truth and His Word, and His molding and fashioning...

5. "You may be falling asleep or deep asleep if you're losing excitement and inspiration in or simply not having any excitement over sermons you hear."

If you're not being stirred up by, not inspired by what God gives you, feeds you, that's a time to cry out to God - it truly is - because sin is somewhere there; sin is working...and you are either asleep or falling asleep.  So this is a time to cry out to God.

We're going to look at a story today that, there is so much here.  It's over in the book of Joshua.  There is so much contained in this story.  Joshua 6: it reveals things about a relationship with God that sometimes people just don't grasp - because to grasp things that God gives is something spiritual, and this is an awesome story when you begin to understand it on a spiritual plane, on the things that God wants us to grasp on a spiritual plane.

Joshua 6:15 - And it came to pass on the seventh day that they rose up early about the dawning of the day and circled the city after the same manner on these, what it's saying here, seven times/seven days.  In other words it's saying it in a little bit differently here than what it is in the previous verses here because it basically shows six things, once around, and on the seventh day you do...  But now, when it's repeating the story here now at this point it says here now that they circled the city after the same manner on these seven days, is what it's talking about, 'these seven times': but on that day they circled the city seven times.  So they did the same thing on seven days in the sense that they circled it once, but he's making a point here now, like we did in the sermon on the last day there, Last Great Day, that now he's making the point here but on this day it was seven times.

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 'accursed'... poorly translated word.  It doesn't really give the full meaning of what is being said here unless you understand what is being said here, because it really... there are some words that when they're translated...sometimes you have to take several words to explain a word in another language.  Sometimes a language may have one word that grasps several words of another language.  Translating is a difficult thing and so you have to know, indeed, the full meaning behind what is being said.  So in this case it's good to know where this comes from first of all; it comes from a Hebrew word meaning 'to destroy', and so hence here the meaning of 'set aside', because it adds the word 'destroy', set aside, and some translations translate this as 'devoted or dedicated to destruction or to be destroyed' and basically it just means here 'set aside to be destroyed, to destruction, in the sense of never to be used again'.  That's the thrust of it, of what's being said here.  A lot said in one word, 'accursed' that is not a good word, it doesn't.. we don't use it that way at all in the English language.

And so it says, the city, in essence, shall be set aside for destruction, never to be used again, even it, and all who are in it, to the Eternal: and so this is something that has to do with God.  God is doing something here in a very powerful way and He goes on to explain some other matters here, but this has to do with obedience to God, this has to do with a lot of things having to do with a relationship with God and what God has told them to do and why not to do certain things, and it's a part of a 'test' if you will, a matter of obedience.  It's just something God has told them to do in a certain way and they're to do it exactly the way God said.

...only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers whom we sent.

Now, I'm going to interject here a verse where this word 'accursed' is used so you can see another place where it's used that we're very familiar with, and we're going to continue on here then in Joshua, but it's in Isaiah 65.  It has to do with a period of time of judgment, a hundred year period of time that we spoke about on the Last Great Day about the Last Great Day.

In verse 20 it says - There shall be no more from this time forward, an infant of days, nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days: in other words, no more birth, no more life, and it says, for the child here shall die a hundred years old; but the sinner being a hundred years old shall be 'accursed'. And it goes back to this same word here, 'set aside to be destroyed, never to be used again.'  In other words, in this case here, never have life again.  That's how the word is used in Hebrew whenever you see it.  So basically here we understand what that means, that when life comes to an end at the end of the hundred years, all those who are going to be in Elohim will be in Elohim and those who have not chosen God's way of life, have not repented, who are in sin, who don't choose God's way, it shows here that the sinner, in other words continuing in sin, they're going to die and never to be resurrected again; be destroyed in essence, never to be resurrected again.  It's not to be used anymore, not to have use ever again.  And so again here, that's the use of this particular word here, something we understand.

Going back to Joshua 6:18 - and so it just mentioned here about Rahab and saving her and all in her home because she had the messengers that were sent.  And then in verse 18 it says, Except, keep yourselves, in other words, it's showing something here that they're to do, keep yourselves from the accursed thing, in other words, what God has set apart here, of this that's to be destroyed, keep yourselves from it, unless you make yourselves accursed.  In other words, don't partake of it, don't take it to yourselves, you do exactly what God says here; unless you make yourself accursed: What an incredible thing it's saying here!  It's saying here that if you don't do this exactly the way God says, as far as Jericho is concerned, then you, and not just you but all Israel, this is going to be a judgment on all Israel.  So this doesn't just impact you, it's going to impact everyone you know.  That's powerful!

Somewhat like what happens in the Body when there is sin; it hurts the Body.  It hurts the Body, that's why God gave the example, 'If your arm causes you to stumble it's better to cut it off than the whole body should go into gehenna.'  That's what God is showing!  It's better to get rid of it!  It's better that it's not there, in order so that you can continue on and yourself not have that judgment come upon you because of what that can do, 'a little leaven leavens the whole lump'.  So a great responsibility upon God's people and upon Israel here in this case, and God used a very powerful process here to teach this principle, to get this across about a relationship with Him and about how it can affect not just you but everyone you love and everyone who is around you and everyone you know, because all are going to suffer for what you do.  And people do, but they don't recognize their responsibility in life.

It says ...so when you take of the accursed thing, if you take of that which has been set aside to be destroyed, never to be used again, if you take it and you can make the camp of Israel 'a curse', same word here, to be set aside to be destroyed, to not be used again.  By who?  By God!  That's what He's telling them!  ...and trouble it by what you do, by troubling all of Israel by what you do.

And so there are people who sometimes cause trouble within the Church in the sense of not responding and not repenting and not changing, and sometimes even over the years talking behind the scenes, sometimes even coming out, blah-blah-blah, "I don't agree with (this)! I don't agree with (that).  I don't like (this), I don't like (that)!  (So and so) is doing this and (so and so) is doing that..."  On and on it goes, and not changing.  And it just hurts the Body and pulls down the Body, but gives an appearance of being a part of the Body.  That's a lie!  Either we are or we're not!  I hate deception!  I hate lying! The more I grow the more I loathe those things!  I understand why God says those things in scripture!  We come into greater unity with Him because we see the destruction it causes and how it hurts fellowship and how it hurts people's lives!

Verse 19 - But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron are 'consecrated', they're set aside for holy use and purpose; in other words, 'they're going to be set aside for God's use', put them in the treasury, not to be used by anyone in Israel, not to be used by Israel but set aside to God.  This belongs to God.  It's God's anyway and God's taking it, it's His.  So, these are to be consecrated, and set aside for holy use unto the Eternal: just like 1st tithe is, just like 2nd tithe is, just like the Holy Day offering is.  It's set aside by God and He tells you to set it aside, even if He lets you use it, which in the case of 2nd tithe, for holy use and purpose.  He says it's consecrated, it's set apart for holy use and purpose by God in God's eyes.

And it says, they shall come into the treasury of the LORD.  So again, what's counted of greater value?  Is it something of our own physical pursuits such as a job?  Family?  Belongings?  Wealth?  People are tested in these things over and over again in the Body, in the Church through time, and in this end-time.  Something of this world?  ...of which all these are sin!  All these are sin if you place them before God, if you place your job before God, if you place your family before God, that's sin!  God is first, because everything else in judgment that you are to judge and discern and understand in your life depends on that relationship first, that you're going to honor the Great God of the universe by seeking to obey Him...and therefore then when it comes to other judgment in your life you're going to be able to judge better judgment, in essence.  We have to learn how to judge righteous judgment, and it comes first by placing God first...because if He isn't then we're going to put some value on something else in a way that we should not do, and we can suffer mightily for it, truly!

So again, what's of greater value?  Is it something of our own physical pursuit such as job?  ...family?  ...belonging?  ...wealth?   ...something of this world?  ...whatever it might be, or is it what God says, commands, or leads us in that's truly valuable to us?  Because, you know I know the answer and I know that the vast majority of you understand that answer.  It's God!  It's what God gives to us!  You can't place a value on that!  Everything we go through in life, that we learn, that we grow in - how awesomely blessed we are... how awesomely blessed we are with what we've been given.

Joshua 7:1 - But the children of Israel committed a trespass... notice this, but the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: in that which was set aside unto God never to be used except in the way God said.  ...for Achan, now it gets very specific.  But notice how God had it written here, inspired to be written, because it affects the Body, and the Body had a responsibility then here in dealing with this sin, and they did, because if they wouldn't, if they refused to do so what God said previously would happen, they would be a part of it.

If you know of sin and you don't deal with it God holds you accountable too.  Isn't that an amazing thing?  If you have knowledge of sin, if you tolerate sin in the Body, if you don't go to your brother alone in order for the sake, first of all, to gain your brother, if there are sins we allow within the Body...  I've had some different comments just come out over the last day or so here about some, of things that have been said in the past and they didn't deal with it, they didn't address it, they didn't go to the ministry and they should have.  And maybe some things could have been dealt with a long time ago instead of all this damage that's now happened in the Body.  You know, if we'll deal with things quickly and speedily when we know about them, especially divisiveness, especially anything that's said that's not doctrinally correct and stop it right there, because, "Wait a minute!  We don't teach that in God's Church!  We shouldn't do that."  But to say it out of love and mercy first...but if it continues on it gets stronger and it should be stronger and that's why it has to go to the ministry and so forth.

But the reality is if we don't deal with it then we're actually a part of it.  That's how God looks at it.  We have to understand that, a responsibility we have on ourselves, if we fail to deal with matters in life that are a matter of sin and we just allow it to continue on, who are we?  Are we, if we enable it...?  There are people that are referred to as 'enablers' in life in various things because they don't deal with the situation, they don't deal with it as they should, and because of that their life becomes all screwed up too, just like the person who's doing the sin, because they become... they're afraid to speak out or they're afraid to talk about it, or they're too concerned about protecting their name, their family, or whatever it might be...or the shame of something and we don't want to be embarrassed so it's better just to hide everything.  No, it's better to deal with sin and not to try to protect it.

I've known of people who allowed things... like alcoholism, as an example, in a family, to exist, and people get abused by it and they allow themselves to be abused because they don't want to bring it out in the open, they don't want their neighbors to find out or they try to protect them and if they're lying out on the lawn they drag them inside or try to get them inside.  You know what they tell you to do in A.A. and some of these places?  If it's cold out, take a blanket out, but leave them out there on the lawn!  That's what's best for them!  Let the neighbors see it!  If there is ability to bring about a change it's for them to come to the point where they're ashamed, and if people don't come to the point where they're ashamed they're not going to change, they're not going to try to change.

So you don't want to be an enabler in helping people to sin or to stay in a weak state.  And after a time these people become beaten down in life.  There are families that grow up, children that grow up, they're just beaten down in life, they have no self-respect and value in their life because they've been beaten down so much in their life because someone farther up in responsibility as an adult didn't deal with it to protect their own children.  And so people allow things to happen.  Sad.  Human nature is sick!  It really is sick!  A lot of healing to be done in the future, really, and God's going to show us how to do that more so in a very powerful way around the world.

In the last many years we haven't had time to delve into some of those things because we've been too busy focusing on what God has given us to focus upon, and that is the change we have to make in our own personal life, and because of that, because He's going to use us, we're going to be able to help later in what God gives, and the timing we're in and all those other things.  But I look forward to the time that there is going to be things instituted once again, but in a right way, in a proper way, to help people, young people, programs for them like we tried to do in the Church at one time because we got large enough to start doing some of those things.  And things for marriage and so forth, on and on it goes.  That will come.

And so it says But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing, in that which was set aside unto God never to be used again; for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the Eternal was kindled against the children of Israel. That says a lot!  Not just against him!  And Joshua sent men from Jericho   to Ai; which is beside Bethaven, to the east side of Bethel, and spoke unto them saying, go up and view the country.  And the men went up and viewed Ai.

Verse 3 - And they returned to Joshua and said to him... so here is the story flow now, of something that's happened.  This one individual has sinned mightily because of what he's done.  He's taken of something he wasn't supposed to partake of, and now God's favor has been withdrawn, just as He said it would be, from Israel.  We do not grasp sometimes spiritually that there are things that can hurt a Body, there are things that can hurt a congregation, a fellowship, because of sin in that fellowship.  I have seen this throughout the ministry.  I have seen those things over and over again, because there is a responsibility within the congregation to deal with various things in their own lives as well and to be tried in and so forth in how we do it.

There is a lot to be learned here, there truly is, and if we allow certain things to exist, like the Corinthians did....  You remember the example here in Corinthians when Paul talked about the man who had taken his stepmother and the whole Church knew about it and they were allowing it to exist.  They knew he was in a wrong relationship and...  it comes down to this thing of their...  What happens in that kind of a situation is - the way God judges it, wants us to see it spiritually - is that they were raising themselves up in their judgment as being better than God's.

In other words, it's like the death penalty thing I mention so often.  When God says to kill someone, put them to death for a murder, they've murdered someone and rather than going through a long trial, they're just to be killed, you know, stoned, put to death. But mankind isn't that way, all the rest of the world, as a whole.  Except the United States has the death penalty and even there we don't... well, anyway, even... it's a sick system because man can't judge himself, just like we talked about at the Feast.  Even within the Church we've had difficulties there haven't we? That's why we need the Government of God on earth, because that's the only way to have righteousness in everything that's done with life, with mankind.  And there are lessons though that God wants us to grasp and understand, and this is one of those examples here.

And so Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai... they went and viewed the area.  ...And they returned to Joshua, and said to him, Don't let all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; so here was the next city they were going to go to and they said, just take two or three thousand and don't make all the people to 'labour', in other words, the word really means 'to wear themselves' by going up there, there is really no need for everybody to go up there, just send two or three thousand up there to take care of it; for they are but few. So there went up of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.  In other words, they went up there to fight but it was turned against them.

And the men of Ai killed of them about thirty-six men: Sobering!  And it should be sobering in God's Church to realize that if we tolerate and allow sin in the Body, if we allow division to take place and we know somebody is divisive and they're speaking against the doctrines... You know what? It will eventually hurt others and can eventually kill them spiritually.  That's what happened here recently.  Individuals who are new in God's Church, young in God's Church, a senior elder comes along and leads them astray, starts pumping them with a little bit of this thing that we talked about at the Feast that Lucifer did so long ago, starts talking in disagreement about what God's doing and how He's doing it and "He shouldn't do this this way, or do that, that way."  And that's how it starts, and then goes into different things.  And after a while people don't know whether they're coming or going, they get confused, they get caught into the tangle because they start listening and it doesn't take a lot sometimes, and after a while 5-6-7-8, spiritually... unless there is a time, and there will be a time.  But what a sad thing to think that for them, for those who listen, to have to wait very likely a thousand years now because of such choices.  What a horrible thing!  They could have had opportunity at the beginning here of something so rich, so awesome, to be in God's kingdom before the hundred years began, but to have to live again a second time in a physical human life rather than on into the Millennium, dying and being resurrected later on in God's Family.

Sometimes we don't realize what we forfeit and what we give up.  And the damage one person's sin can do...

And the men of Ai killed of them about thirty-six men: for they chased them from before the gate unto Shebarim, and killed of them on their descent down: so this was higher up and they'd gone up and so they were just all the way down, driving them down on the side of a hill.  A lot of places were built higher up for the very fact of fortification and strength and that's exactly what was here, so that's why this expression is used here, 'on their descent down'; therefore the hearts of the people melted, and they became as water. Something like this happened and it was like people lost strength then because now where is their confidence and where is God and why has God allowed this...and it's like it's God's fault sometimes.

It's like this individual told me this last week, "Why would God play around with us like that?  Why would God do such a thing to us?  ...to come up to May 26th...  Why would God play with people like that?"  It's like God wouldn't do that so this can't be of God.  It's like God's playing with people.  Not appreciating where we are, what God's doing and how God's doing it.

...therefore the hearts of the people melted and became as water.  So, you know, when room is given to Satan because of sin and it enters into the environment of the Church, it works to destroy or to hurt in some fashion or form, which is destroying, fellowship.  It hurts fellowship!

Verse 6 - And Joshua rent his clothes and fell on the earth upon his face before the ark of the Eternal until the evening time, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.  A form of lamenting and crying out and mourning because of what had happened.

Verse 7 - And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord Eternal, why did you ever bring all these people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would to God we had been content and dwelled on the other side of Jordan!  We'd have been so much better off if we'd just stayed...  It kind of goes back to this old thing, "We'd have been better off if we'd been back there in Egypt around the pots and the food that was made available to us, and not out here wandering around."  And now Joshua is lamenting saying, "Why did we come across the Jordan?  It'd have been better if we'd been on the other side there and..."  Amazing!  With what freedom they had at that point in time... Human nature, it's an awesome thing!

Wouldn't it have been better to have just kept journeying as we always have and not to focus on 1260 days?  Wouldn't it have been better not to have done that in the first place, not to have run down the hill together and not to focus on those times, and just kind of gone on and when it happens it happens?  Wouldn't it have been better to do that and just have sermons about what we've always had in the Church of God, maybe marital sermons and child-rearing sermons and...  I'm not playing those down, I'm just saying that sometimes that's in the thinking of people rather than in the fact that maybe God's leading us and maybe God's given us all this and maybe, just maybe this is all of God?  Because sometimes this leads people, it leads their minds...and that's what's happened, even to this late date, even through this Feast of Tabernacles.  Incredible!

So, how solid is the ground you're on?  Do you know?  Do you know?

Verse 8 - O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turns their backs before their enemies! For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it and shall surround us and cut off our name from the earth: and what will we do unto Your great name? And the Eternal said unto Joshua, Get up; Get up!  That's basically what He's telling him, Get up! For why do you lie here with your face to the earth?  There is a time to face things, especially for us individually.  We learn that if there is something happening we better look at self first, we better look at ourselves first, we better examine self first and cry out to God and say, "Is there something I need to see?  Where is there something maybe wrong in my life that I need to address?  Is there something I need to do that I'm not doing, that I need to follow up on, responsibility, whatever it might be, because I know, Holy Father, the fault is never Yours!  It is never Yours Great God, it's always ours."  That's what happened during the apostasy.  It wasn't God's fault.  It wasn't God's fault, it was our fault, and that's why some could never come to repentance, because they couldn't accept the fact that they were at fault, rich and increased with goods, didn't see they're wretched, miserable, poor, and blind, naked before God.

So, it's sobering; that's the point of this.  It's sobering and we need to realize we're deep in the 'night' and I know, I'm excited by the growth I see, I'm excited by the response I see, but I'm crying out, indeed, to the one in ninety-nine wherever they are.  And they're out there...and to some others who may not realize that if they don't make some more changes in their life and continue to focus on the changes they need to make in their life that they can go into the same state before the 'daylight' comes.  It'll be here soon but it's not here yet.  It's not here yet and there are changes that we need to keep making in our life and not to let up, not to let down.

Verse 11 - Israel has sinned, so, God told him, He said, Get up!  Why is your face on the earth? ...Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them: for they have taken of the accursed thing, of that which they were to set aside for destruction in the way that I said, unto Me, and those other things that were to be unto Me, to be given unto Me, and they have also stolen, stolen... that's why I mentioned what I did in the beginning here, about you may be asleep or may be falling asleep if you have stolen from God.  Absolutely mind-boggling!  Totally blind!  Totally asleep...or maybe never, ever, ever, ever with it, I don't know, but you don't belong here unless you repent.  So, giving the possibility that maybe you've been falling asleep and so forth, but there is change that has to be there or it's better not to be here at all, truly, because you just bring greater condemnation upon yourself in a very powerful way from God.  God will not be mocked!  Never has been in the Church, history ought to show us that.

...and have also stolen and 'dissembled'; the word is 'lied', 'deceived', in the Hebrew, lie, deceived!  To stick around, to be around, to be in the environment and not be in agreement with all the doctrines, even as a minister of God, supposedly a minister of God, and not even be in agreement with all the different doctrines since 2008...or maybe even before, I don't know how far back some things go in some people's lives.  Some people I do know of when they let me know when I...and finally to be told the truth.  I'd rather be told the truth, people be honest. Sometimes it's hard to get the truth out of people.

...and have also stolen and dissembled, lied, deceived also, and they have put it even among their own belongings. You know what is amazing?  This sermon here, for me to give the content and where we're going, before some of the latest things happened here that drive the point home even more so.  Awesome!  It's awesome!  It just helps to drive the point home and to be more sobering, to realize we must fight to the end, indeed.

And that people in congregations are not expected to walk around someone else on eggshells - and you shouldn't have to be that way - if you think you're walking around on eggshells, ask yourself why, because maybe there is something you need to address in your life as well if you're walking around on eggshells with some people, because you're afraid of causing them to be offended in something that maybe you might say because you might not say it exactly the right way, or you don't want to ask any question that might be prying or that might be seeming to get into somebody's business because they're hiding some things and you full well know it!

Well, maybe it needs to be addressed and maybe it needs to come out in the open.  We are a Family, and what family hides things from each other?  What family, in that respect?  Now, there are personal sins in our lives, I'm not talking about that, but when it affects the fellowship, when it affects things, that you can't have open conversation and share things with one another, what's wrong?  What's wrong if you can't go up to someone and be open with them and be received by them and there is some kind of tension in the air?  Where does that come from?  Maybe there is a time to say, "I need to talk to you about something.  I need to get something out in the open because this is how I feel and it may well all be me, I don't know, but this is what I feel and this is why I feel it."

Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, that is something you don't want to happen in your congregation, wherever you are.  That's something you don't want to happen in your fellowship wherever you are, that Satan is given an opportunity, that demons are given an opportunity, that you can't stand because the Body is made weaker because of not dealing with things that God has shown us.

I marvel at the sermons God has given us up to this Feast and what He's giving us now in the 'night' of this 'day'.  Truly!  I am in awe of how God is leading us and refining us, because what was mentioned on that Last Great Day?  What was mentioned today?  A final... God's final touch upon us?  And how apropos that is just before His Son returns and He's not going to allow it to be something that finally comes out in the 'day' where a person can say, "Oh, now I believe it!  Now I see it!  Now I agree!  I didn't agree with it before but boy now I do!"  That's a lie before God and God's not going to allow that and accept those kinds of things.

Now, for some in the world or some who are asleep in the Church who have not been awakened yet, that's another matter, but for us, we're under different judgment because we've been given the opportunities now and through the time-period since we've been called, whatever stage we were in, wherever we were at during the past 1260 days, if you will.  Judgment is upon us in a very powerful way as to how we're responding to what God has given to us; and God's doing, indeed, some final touches upon us, His final touch by His hand in a very powerful way, and there are things that need to be changed yet and we need to address them in the deep of the 'night'.

There are some of you, your relationships... I think of some situations that I heard of during the Feast.  Over all, awesome Feast, but that does not give way to allow sin.  Just because it was a great and awesome Feast, if there was a part of it that wasn't awesome then boy, that part needs to be dealt with and there needs to be some change and there needs to be some repentance because it can't be in the Body!  Sometimes how people treat each other within their own families - those things must change indeed, and this is the time to do it!  Even for some of you in the ministry, because if I know of them then I have a responsibility of dealing with it and I will not be hesitant whatsoever of upholding God first and foremost.  Okay?  He's first!

I don't care who it is, either.  It doesn't matter who it is, because there can be no favoritism in this Body, in this Church.  See?  We're all held accountable for what we do.

Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies because they were accursed - set aside, not to be used by God.  You know what this is akin to?  When we become weak in spirit, when an individual begins to be cut off from the flow of God's spirit, when it begins to enter into a fellowship because we don't do what God has given us to do, and especially now that He's told us to do these things, even more so, to be cut off from the flow of God's spirit in the Body and that begins to happen.  And then you know what?  We make ourselves open prey to a being, that we give him power.  That's how they have power.  They have power because of sin!  That's where they get their power, see?  And they want to come into the fellowship.

So we need to understand the time of 'day' we're in - deep in the 'night', late in the 'night' - at a time when it's so easy to drift off to sleep.  This is the time to be more awake than ever before, and you know what?  For the majority of the Body I rejoice because I know that's true, but we all need to be sobered by what I'm talking about today, to grasp and understand the seriousness of where we are, what's going on, and why it's going on.

...because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except you 'destroy', and this word means that, 'cause to be destroyed', 'fully gotten rid of' is what this word means, the accursed from among you.  So there are times we have to do that.  There are times we have to do that in the Body.  Not a pleasant thing but it must be done, and candidly, after it's done I do rejoice for the Body's sake, for a healthier Body, for a stronger Body.  I understand God's working in people's lives, that it may be for the Great White Throne, and I'm troubled because I see the choices and decisions that could have been made, the opportunities that could have been grabbed a hold of that weren't, and I feel badly about that. But as far as crying out about, as far as dealing with the sin, I have no problems with that whatsoever because it's better for the Body, for us to be closer knit together in unity and oneness, and that's what it's all about.  We Are A Family and there are laws that regulate right relationships and closeness within the Body.

So if you experienced a great Feast of Tabernacles, God wants you to experience far more that's beautiful...and love toward one another, in care and concern toward one another, in an attitude of sacrifice that people are willing to make for one another, a desire to get rid of sin with one another in our own lives.  Just like one individual made the comment there, so aptly put, that it was obvious that people were trying to work on themselves more so, as they were on themselves, to make changes, and it was something that was more obvious.  Because you know, when you know people really well and you see they're catching themselves in certain things and not allowing... you know that they're fighting the fight, they're trying to fight the fight and you can see them working at it.  And perhaps making comments more often than usual, that, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that.  I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that."  ...whatever it might be to make things right.  That's good!  It's beautiful!  It's about love, care, and concern for each other.

Verse 13 - He said, Get up and sanctify the people, and say unto them, Sanctify yourselves;  isn't that what we're supposed to do?  How do people get sanctified?  We sanctify ourselves, we respond to what God gives to us.  We desire to be a part of set apart for holy use and purpose.  We have to yield ourselves to that.  And what is one of the primary ways that God shows us to do that is by... Jesus Christ told us how we're sanctified.  We're sanctified by the truth.  It's how we're set apart for holy use and purpose by God, it's the truth in us, truth that God gives to us.  It's by God's spirit we're sanctified for holy use and purpose, we don't want to be cut off from God's spirit, we want to obey God, put Him first in all things.

Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow: in other words, a desire to draw closer to God, a desire to be more at one with God, a desire to examine ourselves in order to be closer to God.  And so this can't end yet.  Just because we had a great Feast, this is not the time to let up, this is the time to put more into it.

...for thus says the Eternal God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of you, O Israel: therefore you are not able to stand before your enemies:  What an amazing thing, to think that because something hasn't been addressed in our lives we're not being blessed, we're not growing in the way we need to be growing perhaps?  We're not stronger than we could be?  And yet God's very merciful to us...but still, especially within the Church and within the Body, this still shows responsibility here in what God desires of us.

...therefore you are not able to stand; And what has this whole period of time been about, that we talked about from the very beginning?  Stand fast, stand firm - and we're deep, deep, deep in the 'night'.  This is the time to stand even more so firm in God's way of life, stronger in God's way of life.  ...therefore you are not able to stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing, until you do what you're supposed to do.  It goes back... just like going to a brother alone, the willingness. It's duty, responsibility.  Because we're a family.  Out of mercy and love and care, and some things go so far sometimes though that that can't even be used in the same respect... to remove/to take away the accursed thing from among you.

Verse 14 - In the morning therefore you shall be brought according to your tribes: Wow!  This is awesome!  If you understand what's being said here this is incredible what God required, because there are awesome lessons in this story, there really are.

In the morning therefore you shall be brought according to your tribes; and it shall be, that the tribe which the Eternal takes shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the Eternal shall take shall come by households; and the household which the Eternal shall take shall come man by man.  Getting closer and closer and closer then - God showing where it's at, the source.  Incredible!  Now, whether this was done by the process of the high priest type of situation there where those things have been done in times past, how God did it.  It's kind of like the things...God had different ways of showing and revealing things by families and so forth through scripture, even the example there that we use, 'by lot', of that which God revealed concerning the two goats we talked about on Atonement.  So there are different methods that God used through the high priest to reveal things.  So whatever God was doing at this time... because I don't know that it specifically says it anywhere here in any case here, but it had to be through this process of the high priest and God showing then what was taking place.

It says, take of them accordingly...and just whittling it down closer and closer.  So this was to be done fully out in the open of everyone - nothing hidden, fully out in the open, sometimes take it before the Church because there are some things that need to be fully out in the open - to be sobering to all, to understand how serious, how bad sin is, how wrong it is to not live God's way of life when we know what we're supposed to be doing and we don't do it.  And so God says, "Don't hide it!  Don't shield it!  Don't try to protect people who are guilty of sin from it - put it out in the open!"  There are some things that need to be known and are going to become known and have been known in some areas - it always happens - when someone is no longer able to be in fellowship everybody in that area knows it.  See?  Because God wants it to be known so that we can all be sobered what sin does if we don't obey God.  It's a good thing, it's a healthy thing for the Body, it truly is.  We should take it soberly in that respect.  It's not to be kept secret!  It's not to be hidden!

Verse 15 - And it shall be, that he who is taken with the accursed thing shall be burned with fire...  Pretty strong, isn't it? Pretty strong judgment that God gave.  Sometimes people read through things like this and think, "Oh, that's just... that's too much."  What God did to the Israelites?  That God would require this for something that somebody did, that it's that serious?  Yeah, it is!  It is that serious.  This is merciful.

If you understand God and God's judgment and the way God deals with matters, this is merciful.  First of all it's most merciful to those who are alive, to have a measure of fear - a big measure of fear - because some things with human nature begin with fear, to fear to disobey God. If that isn't there, if there is no fear of disobedience to God, no fear of punishment, no fear of being cut off from God's spirit, then why would a person ever change.  What's going to motivate someone to address things in their life if there is not a healthy fear to disobey God?  That's healthy!  And it's healthy for the Body!  It's healthy for people to make comments, "This is sobering!"  "This is scary!"  Yes, it is scary!  Yes, it is sobering!  ...and it needs to be, because if we don't stay close to God this can happen to anyone!  I've lived through it!  I know what Laodicea did to the Church!  Because we all sin, and we all fell asleep!  What a horrible thing to live through and to experience and to learn about ones own nature and the ability that we have to do that.  And that's why I've warned over and over again, all those of you who are new, don't ever think you're self above being able to do that.  And you've proven it!  You've lived through some of it, I've heard it from you...that beginning to drift off, that beginning to fall asleep, that's happened very powerfully.  But we've been awakened out of that, shaken out of that, started to be shaken out of that in the Last Great Day of the last year's Feast, and then some didn't get shaken out of it and May 26th shook the rest out.  And those who couldn't be shaken out were out anyway because they couldn't come back, because they couldn't do it, because they didn't have any strength anymore, because they became so weak.  And that's what happened in the apostasy, some people so weak that they couldn't even begin to be awakened by what they experienced.

So these things are to be sobering, and they're not small things...and so God says burn them.  Put them to death and make them of ashes.  Because it's not a small thing.  Because it hurts all of Israel....all of Israel.  "Do you want to be Mine?" God says in essence, "Do you want to be?  Do you love Me?  Do you want My way of life?  How much do you want this way?  Are you going to strive to fight for it?  Do you recognize then what a little leaven can do?  Do you recognize how it can destroy?"  I've given so many stories, especially what ministers can do when they go astray, when they start going off base, when they are not at unity and at one with the truths and the doctrines and how they can hurt many more in a Body then depending on their situation.

And so it is sobering!  This is a sobering sermon!  This is a plain-spoken sermon.  This is a hard sermon to give, it's not easy.  But again, we can learn so much from it - and crying out especially to the one in ninety-nine...and to the rest who have allowed, who are guilty of allowing some of the one in ninety-nine to go astray and not going after them by not DOING your part!  And if you'd addressed these things early on maybe they wouldn't be where they are today!  Maybe as a parent - I think of a lot of situations... and I'm not thinking of a particular situation... some people think I'm just talking about them today.  This is a lot broader than what many of you understand because of what I deal with on a regular basis.  People think I'm here at home twiddling my thumbs, just taking it easy right now, that I have that time to do that.  It's not like that!  There is a Body, and we have some difficulties still to address in the Body, okay?  ...to take care of in our lives, and we need to take care of them!  And if anyone is guilty, in that respect, of not taking care of things in their life in a Body, in a Church, in a Church area and not addressing certain things in life, allowing bad attitudes, allowing people to huff off and puff away because they're mad about something...  That shouldn't be in a Body!  That shouldn't be in a congregation! That has no room!  If it's done in front of people then bring it back before the people and get it resolved, get things taken care of.

We are to love each other!  And if everyone doesn't want to be a part of that then don't bend over backwards trying to make them feel comfortable if they're not willing to change, if they're not willing to be a part of it.  If they want to bring sin in and attitudes in, this isn't for God's Church!  We're not that way!

And so some people allow some to get by with all kinds of things, with bad attitudes, with speaking bad things, with being divisive in doctrine or whatever it might be.  If you allow that you are just as guilty as they are; and if you'd addressed it earlier on maybe they wouldn't be where they are today.  But, oh, you don't want to hurt them, you don't want to...whatever it might be, all the different reasons we use.  No, you're hurting them more by ignoring it.  Just like a family member who allows their mate to be an alcoholic, a drunk, and doesn't do a thing about it in their life - just puts up with it all their life, allows themselves to be beaten up by it.  There are some situations in life where it's better to take a stand, to resolve it in the family so it doesn't hurt the rest of the family, so they're not screwed up all their lives!  And that's just one example!  Abuse is another one!

Sometimes in God's Church - I'm glad I don't remember where it came from, that way nobody has to have a bad feeling about this - but somewhere it was recently mentioned that, "Well, if someone is not beating somebody in a family, in a marriage, then it hasn't gone that far yet."  The verbal abuse, the things said verbally to one another is as great a sin as striking out at someone.  That's in God's Church!  In the world, the world might put restrictions on it and say, "Okay, if you strike someone then you go to jail," or whatever it might be.  In God's Church it's before that ever gets close to that!  It's how we treat each other!  It's how we talk to each other that determines who we are!  We either live this way of life or we live a lie, and if we live a lie we need to change and we need to repent.

Every once in a while God's given me to give these sermons and I hate doing it...I truly hate doing it, but there are times we need to be shaken to reality, to hopefully - just like what happened in the apostasy - to be so shaken by something that maybe we can wake up from sleep, and if we're drifting off maybe to be awakened up out of that drifting off to sleep, and maybe...maybe... and that's the desire.  Because the desire should be to see everyone be in the Body.  But it doesn't happen by allowing things to exist and just because people are... we have a big wide open door and just let everybody come back and forth and do anything they want.  It's not that way!  It's not meant to be that way.  God doesn't want us to be that way.  We have to do it for the right reasons.

Verse 16 - So Joshua rose up early in the morning and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken: so it said here, it told, first of all, which tribe it was, and so it came up Judah; And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zerahites: and he brought the family of the Zerahites man by man; and Zabdi was taken: What a horrible thing!  In front of all the children of Israel, whittling it down.  "Judah!"  "Oh, it's Judah..."  Then on down...  "Oh, the Zerahites...  Oh, Zabdi, it's in his family!"  Just gets a little bit closer because God wants everyone to see it, to be sobered by it, to understand sin carries a lot of shame and it hurts everyone.

And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray of you, glory to the Eternal God of Israel, and make confession unto Him; and tell me now what you have done and do not hide it from me.  In lesson after lesson, you can't hide sin from God; eventually it has to be addressed, eventually it has to be paid for.  We're so blessed because we can just repent of it, but if we refuse to repent something else... because sin has to be taken care of, especially in the Body, especially in Israel and especially here in the Body, in the Church, it has to be dealt with. It can't be allowed to continue on!  And the longer it's allowed to continue on the more damage it does!  If only we could understand that!  ...the more hurt it causes!  ...the more hurt it causes you if you're the one who is allowing it to exist.

And Achan answered Joshua and said, Indeed I have sinned against the Eternal God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: When I saw among the spoils a highly appealing Babylonish garment and two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and I took them; and, behold, they are hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.  Just not worth it, was it?  Just not worth it to not put aside the 2nd tithe.  It's just not worth it not to give a Holy Day offering to God.  And why would we do it just because it's required?  Why don't we do it because we love God?  Why don't we do it because we want to honour God because we're thankful for everything that God gives to us?

Verse 22 - So Joshua sent messengers and they ran to the tent; and, behold, it was hidden in his tent, not always out in the open was it?  ...but being deceitful and of a lying spirit.  Deceitful and of a lying spirit!  It can't continue to exist, it can't continue to be in God's Church, and God is doing some final refining.  I'll just be candid with you, that's what this is all about today.  We're deep in the 'night' and there are some things... I've been through over and over again before we ever approached Pentecost this past year, of warnings to people, of admonitions to people, of understanding that you've got to fight for this to the end and that we're being judged and that God does not owe this to us and that some are going to be defined by, they're going to give up on, they're going to do certain things, and God...  You know, if we could only learn from what God did with the Israelites.  There were those who were not allowed to go into the promised land. God has the power to do that!

When He works with us and gives us opportunity and we don't embrace it and thank God for it and love God because of what He's doing and we treat cheaply, lightly, what God has given us of such great value... understand, just because it's 'daylight' doesn't mean that God is going to allow you to continue on.  There are going to be people who suffer.  There are, candidly, going to be people who are not going to be allowed to live into the Millennium.  It isn't owed to anyone!  It isn't owed to any of us!  It's not owed to anyone we love and there is nothing you can do to give it to anyone else.  Each individual has to want this themselves, they have to desire this themselves, they have to fight for it themselves, and if they're not willing to fight for it then it's in God's judgment.  And sometimes it's hard for us to grasp and comprehend sometimes what's better for people is the Great White Throne.  And it's better for all of Israel too to see the power, the mercy of God.

Verse 23 - And they took them out of the midst of the tent and brought them unto Joshua and unto all the children of Israel and laid them out before the Eternal. And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his donkeys, and his sheep, and his tent, all that he had: and they brought them to the valley of Achor. And Joshua said, Why have you troubled us? The Eternal shall trouble you this day. No one gets by.  In God's time He deals with sin.  He's teaching us how to judge and desiring that we will deal with it in our own lives in response to God.  And when we don't then He tells the Body we're to deal with things that we have knowledge of and deal with it God's way.  And then there are times that God just brings it to the surface, in His time, just as He's done in some of the things that have been happening here in this last week.  God just gives it in the mind to know that this is the time it's to be dealt with and God deals with it.

And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire after they had stoned them with the stones. And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So that the Eternal turned from the fierceness of His anger. Righteous judgment! Wherefore, the name of the place was called, The Valley of Achor/the Valley of Trouble/of disturbance unto this day. That's why he asked him, "Why have you troubled Israel so?"  And that's what the name was that was given to it, the Valley of Achor.

So again, finishing touches...and now we see what some of those finishing touches are.  And again, as was said at the Feast, God is well pleased with the Body, but the job isn't over and there are many, and some who have been around for a long, long time, talking about how it's been the best Feast they've ever had, but there is more refining and we need to be on top and we need to be alert and we need to be on guard and we need to fight this to the end, we truly do.  Because there is refining that God is going to continue to do until the 'daylight' hours.

Joshua 8:1 - And the Eternal said unto Joshua, because the story goes on.  So, notice what it says, Do not fear, neither be dismayed: and take all the people of war with you, to have the confidence, the boldness that God is with you, that you're striving to live God's way of life, you're striving to deal with things the way God says, when He says to do it, and how He says to do it, and God will be with you.  And if the Body is made stronger, what an awesome and a beautiful thing, that we can actually become stronger.  To me, that's an awesome thing!  And indeed, that's what we're becoming, because we have things ahead of us that we don't even begin to comprehend.

Do not fear, neither be dismayed; and take all the people of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given you into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land: And you shall do to Ai and her king as you did unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof and the cattle thereof, goes on here, it says, and you shall take... in other words, that's what you're going to receive of this when you go there; in other words, this is what you shall receive of this, you shall take, this time, the spoil to yourself.  And then it goes on to say, lay an ambush for the city behind it. So anyway, what happened here is an incredible story here, because of where it was they duplicated a part of what they did the first time.  It's like they're going to go up and do it with the smaller force, they're going to start retreating, they lay ambush so that when they start coming out of the city they're going to go into the city to take it and then they're going to come in and converge on them and kill them.  And that's exactly what they did.  They killed 12,000 people, destroyed the city; the people looked around and saw the city was burning.  Awesome!  The things that God has given and the way God said to do it and the victory that God gave to them - a physical carnal nation that's just beginning, but some powerful lessons here to help them get off to a good start, a right start and a right relationship with God.

And candidly, in a lot of ways spiritually that's what God is doing with so many of us.  You know, those who are going to be a part of the 144,000 that's one matter, but those of you who have the opportunity of continuing on through the 'daylight' portion of this day and on into the Millennium, God has prepared for you some awesome things.  You're all here for a purpose and for a reason and you have opportunity to learn things, to have things molded and fashioned in you that no one else is going to have at that point in time - not even those who are called back.  You have something unique to yourself, as much as they're going to have something unique to them, 63,000.  They're going to have things that are going to be unique to them but you've been able to go through a period of time - they haven't gone through it, they haven't been molded and fashioned in this time.  They're going to learn certain things and be thrown and thrust forward in a very powerful way, those who will receive it and do it, but those of you, you're unique.  Be thankful!  What God is offering you is awesome beyond measure.

Let's turn over to I Corinthians 11.  I know that this has come across in a very strong way, in a very powerful way, and indeed it's supposed to, because the desire is to shake up, to awaken some who are falling asleep and some who are deep asleep, and the rest of you perhaps to be sobered by it and to recognize now is the time to be ever more awake, more alert than ever before, and to be motivated not to let down right now.  Because this is going to be a tendency after the Feast, kind of getting back there out in the world and hating it and kind of coasting along until the 'daylight' comes.  Don't do that!  Don't do that!  Fight!  Seek to draw closer to God!  Pray more!  Truly, cry out to God more!  Set it as a time that you want to be more alert at this point than you have ever been in your life.  This is the time to do it!  And I know that's what the Body is going to do as a whole, above and beyond all, indeed.

So, again here, let's notice here because there are some powerful things said here that I wondered to what degree sometimes we grasp the magnitude of what God is saying here - but we can always grow in it.  A desire to change, a desire to grow, becoming better in our fellowship with others - that's a beautiful thing to God, when people actually draw closer and closer together in fellowship, work things out even though they may have disagreements, but they work them out because they're striving to do it God's way and addressing things that need to be addressed and making the changes. That's what it's about!  That's why I got a charge out of the letter I read about all those boys - I call them boys  - young men who were staying together; you know, very candid about there are things in life we have to work out, and we do it as a Family.  But not to ignore them and not to hide them, but to work them out, to be a closer Family.

I Corinthians 11:23 - This example of Passover is an awesome thing, and sometimes I don't know if we grasp the magnitude of it. For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which He was betrayed took bread: And when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, Take, eat: this is My body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of Me. So it really even goes above and beyond just breaking the bread; it's what we understand that He's telling us.  And I mentioned this in a particular sermon here about 'gaining a brother' here before the Feast, because we went to some scriptures just before this, and we'll go to those in a moment.  As a matter of fact, you can start turning over there.  I'm going to come back to 1 Corinthians 11 but let's go back to chapter 10 and just repeat a part of what was said there in that sermon about gaining a brother, because it is about what we partake of at Passover year by year and that bread we're blessed to take of and that little bit of wine we're blessed to partake of, but the meaning behind it all is to recognize why He did what He did and what is given to us and then what we do as a part of this throughout the rest of the year, not just at a moment when we put it in our mouth, something physical, but of what it means to us spiritually.

This matter here in 1 Corinthians 10:14 it says - Therefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. Anything that raises itself up before God, that we put before God.  God says to flee from that, to fight against sin, to repent of it, to constantly fight, to seek to conquer.  It's when you don't do that, when we don't do that that power is gained over us.

Verse 15 - I speak as to wise men; judge what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, it's referring to what he's going to talk about in chapter 11 about the Passover night.  He says, is it not the fellowship, that's what the word means in the Greek.  Says 'communion' in my Bible but that's what the word means, it has to do with a fellowship of the blood of Christ? There is something we have a fellowship with here in literally partaking of this on the Passover night that has spiritual, in a very powerful way, meaning to us, to understand that it's a matter of sin being forgiven, the ability to be forgiven of sins so that we can have a relationship, which is fellowship, with God and with Christ.  That's what this gives us.  And then the breaking of the bread reveals the rest of the story!  Because of this, because of this fellowship in the blood of Christ that we're able to literally have a fellowship with God the Father and Jesus Christ on a spiritual plane because of what He did.

Then also it says, The bread which we break, the unleavened bread, is it not the fellowship of the Body of Christ? It's about the Body.  So fellowship in the Body.  And that's what these things are to give to us; it's about the Body of Christ.  He did these things so we could have this fellowship; so we have a uniqueness of it on Passover night that we remember Christ and what He did for the purpose of why He did everything He did to give us fellowship - literal fellowship with God the Father and Jesus Christ and with one another. It's a beautiful thing!

He goes on to say here, For we being many are one bread, we're to be unleavened bread, without sin, ever striving for that, ever having fellowship - going back to the first one, the ability to repent, the blood of Christ.  For we are one bread and one Body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.  Beautiful!  The Unleavened Bread of Life, ever growing in that.  That's why the Feast was what it was this year - stronger, better, more rewarding, better fellowship.  Everyone I've spoken to has repeated this in different ways, whether by phone or whether by email, over and over and over again!  And I'm in awe... I'm not in awe, but I am in awe of that.  I guess I should say I'm not surprised by that because it's the result of what God has been doing in molding and fashioning and bringing us to this time, but it's a beautiful thing indeed!

So going back to 1 Corinthians 11 to see what Peter further said here, because more is really being added here about the same thing we just covered in chapter 10, this fellowship.  1 Corinthians 11:27 - Therefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. In other words, if we're not utilizing what He's given to us to have fellowship with the Father and with the Son and with one another - God's way, in unleavened bread, in obedience.

And so that which doesn't want to obey, that which doesn't strive to obey, that which continues to linger, lie, deceive...it needs to be gotten out of the Body.  'Unworthy manner'?  Failure to grasp the importance of Christ's suffering in order to give to us, through His blood, forgiveness of sins, fellowship with the Father, and then one's failure to have proper fellowship with the Father perhaps through sermons, through prayer, through obedience - simple matters like I mentioned, of second tithe.  That's a fellowship, that's a relationship with God; and either we have that relationship because of how we think about God or we don't.  Then if we don't do that right...

I think of some tithing and offering records that I saw in some of this that go back to Unleavened Bread, and they stopped - like a party I talked to this past week.  Stopped.  And I think, nothing there for Pentecost?  Nothing there leading up to that time?  Everything just stopped?  What's the relationship like with the Father then?  What is the relationship like that with God the Father?  Blows the mind!  It's just difficult to grasp, isn't it?  ...in other words, there really isn't one.  There is not one with God the Father and Jesus Christ in that case, and because of that then there really isn't one with the Body, and so it turns out to be deceiving, deceitful, lying to God and lying to everybody else in the Church.  Why not just say, "I disagree!" and leave?  It's not how it works, is it?

So, sometimes there is a failure to grasp the importance of Christ's sufferings in order to give to us what we have through His Body, fellowship in the Body of Christ with one another; a precious thing in God's sight and a precious thing in our sight and a precious thing that the vast majority of God's people experienced in a beautiful, delightful way this Feast of Tabernacles.

Verse 28 - But let a man examine himself, always-always-always, judging ourselves, examining ourselves - not finding fault with others for why things don't seem to be going right in our life and why we're not happy and then pouting and taking off from the Feast and, "I'm not going to fellowship with any of you... I don't even know if I'll even come back!"  Huh! Okay!  Matter of fact, don't come back until you repent!  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. The Body doesn't need that - we need unity and oneness and closeness and care and concern for each other and that which isn't of the same mind doesn't belong here.

Verse 29 - For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, that's what Achan did, to his whole family, to all of his belongings, the animals, the livestock, the family - everyone was destroyed! Better that than all of Israel.  Better to get rid of the hand or the arm or the eye that causes sin within the Body than to have the whole Body become weaker and weaker and end up being destroyed.

...eats and drinks damnation/judgment to himself, not discerning/rightly judging the Lord's body/Body. What this is all about.  What God is doing and how we're able to have these precious things that God has placed before us.

For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. Spiritually!  Now, thankfully that isn't the way it is today.  In Paul's time it was.  He had to address this, because he said in Corinth there that many are weak and sickly among you, and he wasn't speaking of something physical, he's speaking of something spiritual...and many sleep, spiritually!  Asleep, just totally out of it!  Weak is one thing, sick in some things, while there is still opportunity to repent, repent, but once you're asleep, man-oh-man-oh-man, it's nearly impossible.  And it really is unless God gives us an opportunity to be jarred and awakened.  And that's in God's hands and God's giving that today to some, some few, the one in ninety-nine here and there.  To me, there are too many.  If there is one, there is too many, but there are more, and my hope and desire is that they'll repent and change and hear and be a part of the fellowship, be a part of the Body.  But if there is refusal to repent it's goodbye and we'll see you late, late, late in the future.

Verse 31 - For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. That's what it's always about!  Whenever I hear someone starting to blame others this comes to me, because I think, "Wait a minute!  You've got it totally backward!  The Church is at fault?  The congregation is at fault and you're not?  You're justified?  What's wrong with this picture?  What have you done?"  Amazing!  Spirit, attitude!

For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, if we won't, we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world. Indeed!  And that's God's opportunity at different times.  And it's an awesome blessing but sin has to be dealt with, and this is a time it's being dealt with.  Because God is fully refining the Church.  We don't have much time here!  That's the story!  We're late into the 'night', and before the 'daylight' arrives, when God has us stand...  See, because now we are to stand and we're still in a part of that, standing fast, standing firm, fighting in the 'night', a 'Night To Be Much Observed' indeed, our spiritual 'Night To Be Much Observed' which will be spoken of in the future in exactly that light as much as what we have read year by year by year of the Israelites and their 'night to be much observed'.  This is ours, spiritually!  It's powerful when you understand how God is working with us in those 'types' He's given us for the very end-time.  It's beautiful!

Oh, there is so much more here of other things to address that I'm going to have as a part of this series here.

So, where are you right now?  Are you on fire?  I know a lot of people are and I'm excited by seeing that; I see that, and that's exciting to me in the Body, it's rewarding.  The individual that made the comment about seeing some of the younger ones, which to me was said from someone who goes back in Worldwide years, speaking of not just because of your age, which the majority of you are younger, but there are others as well who are a part of a newer group, a Body that God has called and drawn and given to Christ, and I see the fire and I'm excited!  Because I can see the difference, because of what I lived through, between fire and the cold, or the being hot or being cold - and that part that's in between too, that's not good, the lukewarm part.  You don't want to mix the two together - they don't mix!

So, you know, be on fire for God's way of life!  Fight this more and more so.  It's not going to be so hard to fight once the 2nd Trumpet sounds, and the 3rd, the 4th, the 5th ... we're in the 'daytime' then and we enter a different period of time, something on the world and not on us anymore as it is now.

So again here, on fire, pressing forward, and seeking to be ever more on guard - alert during these late 'night' hours.  Yes, we need to be, and that's what the main part of the Body is doing, but don't let up - don't let up!

...or are you starting to drift and to let down?  ...becoming a little weary and tired of keeping at the fight?  Who doesn't get tired of fighting?  Fighting is hard!  But you can't become weary of it and tired to where it enters into your mind in any fashion or form to give up.  On the contrary, all the more so to fight harder, to run harder.  Can't coast!  Be determined not to coast!  Be determined to fight against such attitudes!

I was going to mention here... but maybe I'll mention next Sabbath here.  Just a couple things here today to me that are exciting that I ask you to pray about as well, which I know is coming, but you'll gain more out of it as well.  But I wanted to mention first of all here, I hope you see all the signs of the 5th and 6th Trumpets.  I bypassed 2-3-4 because those will shock the world, whatever happens, ever how it happens, wherever it happens.  But 5 and 6?  They're in the news everyday!  They're in the news everyday!  I have articles here; I don't even have time to go through them!  "Panetta: US sends forces to Jordan" and they're setting up headquarters there.  Southern part of Syria and then Turkey to the north, everything squeezing in as it is?  Incredible what's going on!  I don't have time to read some of the articles here, they're mind boggling in themselves.

"Russia will not renew arms agreement with U.S."  Think, well, why does that matter?  Things are changing on the world scene rapidly, fast out here, and this is just...these are out of two days, mostly on Thursday here.  I just grabbed a bunch here.

"Moscow accused of arms supply to Syria"  They brought down a jet, took a jet, Syrian, flying over Turkey, made it land, found weapons on it.  The Russians are upset now because there were a lot of Russians citizens on it as well, and they said they broke agreement... you think, "Well, what about the Russian arms?"  So things are heating up in those parts of the world.

This is about Putin... I'm not sure I'm going to pronounce his name right, but Vladimir Yukanin, says here, "Vladimir Putin has delayed a planned trip to Turkey following the forced landing of a Syrian plane in Ankara. In an interview, Vladimir Yukanin, a confidant to the Russian president, defends Russian weapons deliveries to dictator Bashar Assad and accuses the West of provoking a confrontation."[1]   It's an article in Spiegel in an interview back and forth, and it's amazing some of the things that people say.

Another one here, "Turkey's army on high state of readiness, first step to Syrian no-fly zone" I saw yesterday where they scrambled some jets toward Syria here.

Another one, "Syria-Turkey on the Brink of All Out War"  It's really amazing what's going on here because Turkey, the populous hasn't been really that excited.  Erdogan has been, his attitude, his desire is a name for himself and a desire to have a confrontation with Syria, but not necessarily the people.  That's changed because of some shelling that took place and killed some people on the Turkish side of the border now, a family, and they were having a picnic under a tree (I believe it was) and a mother and some daughters and some others are horribly wounded.  And they said just one more time...  the sentiment of Turkey is starting to change.

We're on the edge, brethren, to this war.  This world, what's coming...and this is farther up the line.  We're talking about things that can thrust things into and what's going to have to do with the 5th and 6th Trumpets themselves.

I'm not even going to read all these.  I have one after another.  Here is a beautiful one, "The Nobel Peace Prize - Europe wins the prize for uniting the Continent"  Uh...   Look up Nigel Farage; he has some nice things to say about that one.  You know, that man is really astute!  You think, it's the only voice I know of in all of Europe that sees what's happening in Europe, that sees what's happening with the European Union, and the world... It just shows how much the world is asleep.  It's awesome!

"Spain is downgraded to..."  Let's see here, it's one away from junk bonds now.  It's BBB-.  And I don't know if you've seen some of the things, even Jeremy speaking of this the other day to us, but talking about the news in Europe here now is, in Spain especially, it's about the separatists.  There is a desire from Catalonia, which is by Barcelona, that wants to secede from Spain because they see their wealth - they're a wealthy area - and they're tired of supporting the rest of Spain and the problems they're having.  And so they're talking about secession and there is a strong fever in this, tremendous amount of protests going on.  And then you have another area that's known for that in the past, the Basque region of the north, they're another wealthy area.  So it's having a rippling effect on things taking place in Europe.

Anyway, I do want to give one carrot for next Sabbath.  You remember the 430 years we spoke of?  We're heading there! It's awesome, absolutely awesome!  It's exciting and that's what I was asking you to pray about.  There are some things of history and some things that are taking place that I am just absolutely dumbfounded by that God's given all the way to the end here.  So, anyway, a little carrot for next Sabbath.

~~~end

1. 'Russia and the West are Drifting Apart'

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