Changing the World

Greg Chipps

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon - 2013

Well, good morning to everyone and welcome to another day of the Feast of Tabernacles.

Brethren, over the past several years God has blessed us in revealing greatly increased understanding of the reality of what this Holy Day represents that we are here observing today. It is a time in the near future where this world will begin to change in massive ways in order to prepare all of mankind for success, IF…if they want it. Not our human, physical definition of what success is - because that is a very relative term that can mean many different things to different people. So the success being mentioned today is about being successful in the whole purpose of why we were even born, to fulfill the opportunity of becoming Elohim, of being at one with God as a member of God's family, and in order for that to happen we must change and our world must change.  And so the title for today's split sermon is Changing the World.

After we have been called by God it becomes much easier to see that when we look at the state of this world it is in openly defiant rebellion against God and that the ways of this world have been intentionally influenced and designed in a way, from top to bottom, that can lead one into failure of following God's ways for those who are not yet called or who are in the process of being called, and it also makes it a much harder struggle for us, those who are called now, to obey and follow God - much harder now than in the age to come.  But through this process we have opportunities of accelerated growth now that will be different once God's government is established here on earth.

There is a generic term that is often used to describe a vague antagonist in our lives, an enemy so to speak, and that term is (quote/unquote), 'THE WORLD'. We sometimes hear phrases such as, "It's me against the world," or, "I feel like I'm taking the whole world on today," or, "The whole world is against me," and all these phrases are really describing overcoming great odds that we tend to view as being external, as being separate and apart from us.  In a more morality based context, we hear phrases like, "'Such and such' seems to be a very worldly person," or, "I'm trying to come out of this world." So very much akin to how our heart is used as a metaphor to describe our emotions or feelings, 'the world', and I have that in quotes again, is often used as a metaphor to describe what it is that we need to overcome, or what it is that opposes us.

Now, today we live in an age where Satan and the demons still have power and ability to wrongly influence mankind. Satan's name means 'adversary', and it prompts the question: An adversary to what? Well, to God, of course, but also by association to those that God calls. We don't need to look any further than what Christ stated to His disciples before He was put to death to see this; that the student is not greater than the Teacher, and that if the world hated Him, they will hate us also. So Satan is an adversary to God's people, and the current ways of this world which Satan has directly influenced is an adversary to God's way of life as well.

We know that mankind suffers, longing for a change from the ills of this human life, but the world is not yet in a state ready to accept exactly what that change is. Many people know that things do need to change but when given exactly what that entails, they absolutely do not want it, and that is understandable because they have not yet been called. There are many things that must occur first in order to bring this world into a state of beginning to be successful... successful in following God and wanting to follow God, and most importantly, in seeing that there is a need to follow God.

For the first verse, let's turn to Romans 8:22 – For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs. The creation being referred to here is not about the physical earth, rather it is about us, humans, about mankind.  The next verse explains this as it says, And not only they, meaning the rest of mankind, but ourselves also, those that have been called by God now, which have the firstfruits, it's that reminder of Pentecost... which have the firstfruits of the spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. Well, why do we groan? Why do we want this change so badly? Let's go up a couple of verses to Romans 8:20 and see. For the creature, again, that's humans, mankind, you and me, was made subject to vanity; we were made purposefully weak, imperfect, in a state of incompleteness, not willingly, you know, we didn't choose to be this way, but by reason of Him who subjected it in hope. In other words, this is a part of God's plan and purpose that we are made this way, intentionally imperfect, so that we can come to a point where we are convicted that we want to change, and that we need to change.

Now, there is much duality in scripture when it comes to various terms that are used, many of which are often physical as well as being spiritual. One that comes to mind is that of a mountain, a mountain often has meaning of a nation or a government. Mount Zion fits this well as the Government of God.

Scripture tells us that we are to be separate from the world. But we can quickly see that physically we are stuck on this planet, we are stuck on earth and we're not going to go anywhere. We are born physical and we have physical laws that apply to us, an obvious one being gravity. So when Christ gives us the admonishment to be separate from this world, He isn't telling us that our goal should be to leave the earth and move to a different planet, that would be insane, because no matter where we go we're going to bring with us our strengths and our weaknesses – others are going to do the same - and it's just going to spread the ills of what is currently here to other places.

So in order to not be a part of 'the world' we need to remove ourselves from all that opposes God. Just like any sin, it all begins in the mind, and then through one's actions it creates an environment that is opposed to God.  Let's turn to Romans 12:2 and look at a verse that discusses this. “And do not be conformed, don't emulate, don't take on these traits, don't behave like this, to this world, this present age and the ways of this present age, the thinking's and doings of this present age, but be transformed, and that's being changed to a new way of thinking. And how do we do that?...by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. So one aspect of what makes us not be a part of this world is that our thinking is to be different than others, and that is only possible because of God's calling and His dwelling in us. And our actions will reflect our thoughts.

When we were baptized and we made that covenant agreement with God to follow this way of life we had hands laid upon us by the ministry and god's spirit was given to us. At that point Jesus Christ and God began to dwell within us. Because of that we do have that ability to change, and because our thoughts are going to be different, our actions are going to be different as well.

You know, this sheds new light on the mindset of wanting to change the world! We don't have the ability to change anyone else's mind – we can't convince them of anything one way or another - especially if God has not yet called them, but with God's help we do begin to change our mind, and in so doing we're helping to change our world because the external output of our mind, in other words, our actions which reflects what our mind thinks, will be line with God and will not reflect the spirit of Satan! And by doing this we're going to present a better environment to those around us, those that we interact with and those that we have relationships with, be it with family, friends, co-workers, and everyone else that we come into contact with. This is a very hard work to do!  It's an entire lifespan of hard work in that process of conversion.

The CEO of a former employer of  mine made a statement to the company, and it was something that when I first heard it I didn't like it and I definitely could not appreciate it.  That was many years ago and through many different experiences since then it is a statement that I have become deeply convinced of, I've  proven it and I do very much appreciate it now.  The statement that this particular CEO made was this, “The reward for hard work... is more hard work.” Now, back at the time that I first heard this, that hit my carnal mind quite hard, because the last thing that I wanted back then was to have more hard work! Here I was already trying to work as hard as I could in order to establish myself in my career, and now I'm being told that the reward for my hard work is going to be more hard work? I wanted a pay raise. I wanted maybe vacation time, maybe dinner on the boss or what have you... but more hard work? Hmmm, that was a hard one. But, you know, as the economy has gotten worse and worse over the past several years we can see that there are a lot of people on vacation, that are on vacation because they don't have a job anymore, because they lost their employment, and all of the financial stresses associated with that situation is now on them. They lost the ability to work hard and there is nothing better that most of them would like to do than to be able to work hard again. So, I can look at that statement and realize if I do work hard now then I'm going to have the future opportunity to work hard as well, and that is much, much better than the alternative of not working at all.

This is what is so fantastic about this statement as well though; I'm sure that this CEO did not mean this in a spiritual context, but this statement that is summed up in this, this is exactly how God leads and guides us. When we look at our future, regardless as to whether we find ourselves as a part of the 144,000, those set aside to rule as Kings and Priests during the Millennium, or that we live on physically, either way God is working with us right now, our hard work that we're putting in right now, to ensure your future success, so that you will be able to have awesome, richly rewarding, and fulfilling work ahead of you in helping others to succeed, in helping to change this world, and to make a better, more conducive environment for people to live in. And this will happen with God opening the minds during the 1,000 years and with the Government of God, the Kingdom of God, ruling, and that powerful influence of Satan and demons ceasing to be able to broadcast as they are being removed from the earth.

We're going to look at a scripture that shows the rewards for hard work. Please turn with me to Matthew 25:14 where Christ gives a parable of the talents that He discusses with His disciples. For the Kingdom of God is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one, to each according to his ability.

Let's skip down to verse 20 - Then he who had received the five talents went and traded them; and the word 'traded' here means 'to work, to labor, to produce', and made another five talents. His lord said to him, well done, good and faithful servant, you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord. So we can see that because of the successful efforts put into working, put into producing, more responsibility was given. More responsibility means more work, not less.

So often in the world, people can get hung up on titles, not realizing that usually there is so much more stress and time and work involved and associated with that title.  Many don't want the extra work, they just want the title! ...and they really just want that recognition of what that title means.

As a side note, it is no mistake that this parable uses the word 'talent'. Our modern English definition and usage of the word 'talent' means 'the natural aptitudes or endowments of a person', and the word and meaning of the word comes from this parable right here! It is because of this parable, where the money being used is called talents, and being able to see that this parable is much, much more than just about increasing money, that we incorporated the word 'talent' into the English language, and today it has no association with money.

So a big part of our calling is to work, it is to produce, to increase, and in the age to come that is what we are called to do in order to help change this world.

There are many different experiences and understandings that each of us have that help to re-affirm that this is God's Church. Obviously we're here because we do believe in the 57 Truths and we believe that this is the only Body where Christ is leading His Church, but there are much smaller things that also help to re-affirm our conviction that this is indeed God's Church. One of mine is that when I was first being reawakened after going through the Apostasy, I very much appreciated hearing three little words within PKG that was in contrast to other organizations that I attended in the past. Those three words?  "I. Don't. Know." They're beautiful! It seemed like back then there was often an answer provided even though understanding about various things hadn't been given up to that point in time and that led to some conclusions that were not fully in balance because God did not reveal it at that time.

When it comes to the subject of the Millennium, there were perhaps times of speculation based upon whatever the current truth was at that moment in the past. We still don't have full understanding of so many different things, but we are able to say, "I don't know," much quicker. So rather than speculating on how the Millennium will be in those areas that we simply don't know yet, we can focus on the areas that we do know.  And we do know that in the age to come the world will be vastly different, and we have an opportunity to help implement those changes.

In just the past year, look at the increased understanding that we have of this current world and age we find ourselves in. We  have an understanding of 'Assyria' now, of man's various forms of government that fail miserably and that hold us captive, of Egypt and being in bondage to sin, and of Babylon, of Satan's entire system that envelopes the whole earth in confusion. We are in the process of being led out of Egypt, being led out of Assyria and Babylon, but when we enter the promised land, when we are on the other side of the Pentecost that brings Christ and God's government to this earth, will we recognize the need to always leave those systems in the past? ...to leave them in the previous age, the self-rule of man for 6,000 years that was designed to show that we indeed are incapable of ruling ourselves?

For every human that lives on, there will be the need to appreciate and learn what we experience now in today's world so that in contrast to the future, the contrast between Satan's system and God's, there will be such a stark contrast between the two that we will fight against any tendency to allow those same behaviors that created these Satanically inspired systems - Assyria, Egypt and Babylon - to ever get a hold or find a place in the Millennium. And as individuals, for each one of us, where do these wrong things usually begin? Within the family! Even though this world will change greatly, we will still have our human nature and we still have to strive against that to not bring others into subjection, to not force our will upon others, to not put our sense of right or wrong upon others.  We need to strive to make sure that the 'age that was', the age of man's self-rule that we're in right now, remains just that, it remains 'an age that was' and that those wrong systems are left in the distant past, including how we live towards others in our family, in society and in our communities.

So what needs to change in this world? What is going to change from this current age to the next, the period of the 1,000 years when Satan and the demons have been restrained from interfering in the affairs of mankind? For those of you who have been around for some time, we appreciate the increase of understanding and the maturing that took place during the Feast of Tabernacles in 2009 when so much was given regarding a more balanced and accurate reality of what the Millennium will actually be like. Having grown up in the church, I remember as a child hearing about different ideas of what it was going to be like and it really did sound like a type of utopia. But God refined our understanding greatly during that Feast in 2009 with a more balanced reality and it's helped prepare us that much more for going forward into that time.

As long as there are humans on this earth that God has called, there is that great battle that takes place, first and foremost in the mind of each individual that chooses to follow this way of life. Is it hard? Absolutely! But we earlier discussed what the reward of hard work is! We have been called to serve, to set the example. As imperfect as we are God has called us because He can see the potential that we have, that finished product. So yes, if there are humans, then there is the need for overcoming self, and that has nothing, absolutely nothing to do with Satan and the demons being here or not being here. That fight will go on regardless.

But...there are many positives in what is just over the horizon. This earth is going to enter an age of massively increased blessings, blessings that over that 1,000 years this world has never experienced before.  So let's delve deeper into what is going to change. As this split sermon was coming together it was awesome to reflect back on the book, '2008 – God's Final Witness', thinking specifically about the Seven Thunders.  You know, those Seven Thunders are used powerfully to help prepare this current age, this world, to bring it into a state of being ready for the changes to come. And when I thought about those Seven Thunders in the context of being inside the Millennium I was amazed to see that the antitheses, the exact opposite of what some of these Seven Thunders complete now, and in other thunders, an increasing fulfillment of them is what will also be used to bring a massive increase in the blessings to this earth.  And these are not only on a purely physical level but there is also deep spiritual fulfillment as well. So let's review the Thunders now.

The First Thunder...

This is from, '2008 - God's Final Witness', page 92.

#1: The First Thunder is the beginning terror of war for the end-time.

The opposite of this Thunder is that war will not be allowed during the 1,000 years. With Jesus Christ and the 144,000 ruling on this earth, there will be tried and tested, true to the cause, the right cause, government for the benefit of the people. This particular nation I am speaking in right now takes great pride in a saying that it has. They say that it "...is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people". There is so  much irony in that statement because it comes from a speech that Abraham Lincoln gave after the American Civil-War battle of Gettysburg where more than 46,000 casualties just took place. I look forward to a saying like that being changed to something like this: 'It is a government of God, by God...' through Jesus Christ and the 144,000, '...for the people'. That's a difference! There is not going to be ruling by passing umpteen different motions, resolutions, laws or treaties that are un-enforceable from the get-go, and that are not in the best interest, that are not motivated out of love or that have to go to a court to decide, very much imperfectly so in today's world, as to whether or not it can even be enforced or if it should be revoked.

And when it comes to war itself? I guess you could say that the ultimate peace-keeping force will make sure that nation will not be allowed to rise up against nation, to subject one people to the will of another people, that spiritual Assyria will not manifest itself... and we need to make sure we do not allow that in our behavior towards others either. For the vast majority of us listening today, we simply cannot begin to comprehend the physical horrors of what going through a war or a conflict is like yet. The savagery and cruelty of what man can do to fellow man boggles the mind. And we can be assured that war will not be allowed during the millennium.  After the one thousand years have been completed it will come to pass that another uprising will be allowed but will be squashed decisively where it will be used to serve as a powerful lesson in that last 100 year period as another type of Laodicea for the future, to show what people can do when they have become spoiled and they do not appreciate what they have been given nor appreciate the work that others have done before them to bring them to that point. So, no more war in the age to come.

With just this one change alone there will be blessings over the entire earth as that spiritual meaning of Assyria, of oppressive man-made governments and authority that tears down versus builds up will become a thing of the past.  And people will be able to talk about it in just that context, of 'a world that was' and the lessons to learn from it, that mankind cannot rule themselves.

The Second Thunder...

#2: The Second Thunder is the increasing destruction generated by earthquakes.

When the apostasy occurred in 1994 there was a great spiritual earthquake that caused God's Church to be split into thirds. One third stayed within that organization and accepted the changes that were being introduced. Those changes allowed that organization to fit right into traditional Christianity, forsaking all of the Truths that had been restored to God's Church through Mr Armstrong and instead they embraced much of the same practices as the mainstream churches, much of what is derived from the Catholic Church, including Sunday worship, the trinity, and somehow Christmas and Easter was okay. They embraced those changes that constitute spiritual Babylon. Another third fled and tried to hang on to what had previously been taught but they also continued to scatter and fragment into break-away organizations from the shaking that occurred, and as time went on they became more watered down because God's spirit had been removed in order to fulfill the prophecy of God's Church being spewed out of God's mouth during the era of Laodicea. Those organizations became stagnant and no new truth was given. We can see this by looking at the 57th Truths that serve as a powerful reminder of where God is and where God is not. And the last third just gave up completely, they were lost and disillusioned by the events that took place, struggling with accepting that such a thing could ever happen to God's Church. And all of this is just a matter of prophecy being fulfilled. The good news is that this will never, ever be allowed to take place again as the system of confusion, that system of Babylon, will become a thing of the past... and we must make sure it stays in the past and not allow our own ideas and thoughts that oppose God to ever gain a foothold. With Christ as the head of the Church ruling, ministers will not be able to cause such destruction to those that they should serve as what occurred during the Apostasy.

Let's go to Hebrews 12:25 - See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven. Now this, Yet once more, indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. And what cannot be shaken is God and God's creation of Elohim, and the 7,100 years of God's plan for mankind results in just this, of which the Millennium is a huge step forward in that plan.

Let's look at a verse recorded by a prophet and a king, king David. The occasion that prompted this to be recorded was when the Ark of the covenant was being brought into Jerusalem and was being placed in the tabernacle that David made for it. There are some prophetic statements that he makes here.

1 Chronicles 16:25 – For the Eternal is great and greatly to be praised. He is also to be feared above all gods.  For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Eternal made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before Him; strength and gladness are in His place. Give to the Eternal, O families of the peoples, Give to the Eternal glory and strength. Give to the Eternal the glory due His Name. ...worship the Eternal in the beauty of holiness. Tremble before Him, all the earth. The world also is firmly established, it shall not be moved. God's Government, God's Church, firmly established, not having to worry about false teachings happening that ever would ever cause an apostasy to occur again. Let the heavens rejoice and let the earth be glad. And let them say about the nations. The Eternal reigns. Let the sea roar, and all that is in it. Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the Eternal, for He is coming to judge the earth. Trees...rejoicing... because He is coming to judge the earth.

#3: The Third Thunder is the growing destructiveness from weather.

And who has not seen some of the out of control weather that has escalated over the past several years? The billions of dollars in damage done to crops and property; it takes its toll on economies of the world and it affects people just like you and I in our personal lives. The weather can and has been used by God as a tool to teach obedience. But today we live in a world where less and less of mankind even believes in a God at all! But with the 144,000 and Jesus Christ ruling this earth, no longer can peoples and nations dismiss that reality or that there really are consequences for not obeying God.

We know this verse well.  Please turn with me to Zechariah 14:16 - And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all of the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of Hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of Hosts, on them there will be no rain. It's cause and effect. To have this already written for us shows that God's Government will be ruling, and not with meaningless laws but with the ability to bring people to see that there are blessings and curses in how they conduct themselves.

Please turn to Deuteronomy 32:1  and we're going to take a look at a spiritual context of rain – Give ear O heavens and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of My mouth. Let My teachings drop as the rain, My speech distill as the dew, as raindrops on the tender herb and as showers on the grass. The peoples of this earth will be able to physically and spiritually have food in due season. Famines can become a thing of the past, a famine of God's word and physical famine because of man's sins. Mankind will be taught to take care of the earth and tend to it the way that God instructed Adam from the very beginning and there's not going to be the need to try to manipulate or control the weather anymore, with some going so extreme that they want to turn the weather into a weapon and use it as another tool of spiritual Assyria to subjugate others to their will. We look forward to these changes... to obeying God and reaping the blessings that comes from doing so on a global scale.

#4: The Fourth Thunder is global economic upheaval.

This is mentioned before, about how sometimes when we're going through an experience and we're living it day by day it's hard for us to grasp the magnitude of what it is that we're actually living through. We've all heard of the Great Depression and it conjures up many different thoughts of those hard times, and yet when true economic statistics are given about today's economic environment we have been close to or exceeded some of those economic indicators from what that period was like. A big difference of today compared to then is the way that governments are so more willing to bend and corrupt the data to fit whatever their agenda is so the true figures never see the light of day. And another huge change is the social programs that have been put into place and yet this particular country doesn't even have the money to fund them so it's a matter of stealing tomorrow's money to pay for them, or really just creating money out of thin air, and this scheme just cannot last...it's going to come to an end. It's just greed and power.

I Timothy 6:6 – Now godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. Being content in any situation is something that we can maybe we can grow in. It is tied to growing in faith that God is the one that is leading us, moulding us and that He will finish the work that He started. He is our provider and caretaker and we should look to Him, wanting to put into practice whatever is given for us to do.

Verse 9 – But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction  and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many arrows. The next age will be one of encouraging cooperation for the greater benefit of all and discouraging those practices that benefit the few at the downfall of many. There is absolutely nothing wrong with reaping the benefits of hard work, but to have increase through ill means is evil, and it's another form of stealing.

The Bible talks about economic practices that will be put into place during this Millennial period. Turn back a couple of verses to 1 Timothy 5:8 – But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. For those that can, we need to work! We have a responsibility to do so! My heart goes out to the younger people who are entering a workforce that is vastly different than what it was in previous decades because the kind of employment opportunities are not the same as a whole as they were in the past and that affects so many different aspects of life, including marriage, being able to be independent, even being able to move out from your parents' house, and a lot of these things can affect self-esteem and confidence, and it can lead to accepting a defeated attitude that we need to avoid.  But for those of you who are younger, don't use this as an excuse! Strive to succeed! Strive to be productive and to achieve goals and to not be slack and lazy. What is being tolerated in today's world will not be the same in the future.

2 Thessalonians 3:10 – For even when we were with you, we commanded you this - it wasn't just a suggestion -  If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. We shouldn't take advantage of and sponge off of others. Opportunities will abound in the near future, and while we don't know all of the specifics of how things may or may not run, we do know that the motivation of how things are run will be based upon right principles, of building up, and not taking or stealing.  And yes, those Jubilee's of every 50 years will be brought into use as well as principles of 3rd Tithe. All of these will be implemented out of outgoing concern and for the benefit of mankind.

#5: The Fifth Thunder is death.

As long as there are humans on this earth, death will be among us. And death is a powerful teacher as it helps us to remember just how temporary we are, and it helps us to re-evaluate our priorities and relationships. This will continue on into the next age where humans will continue in the same life and death cycle as we currently do. That is, they will be born, will live the duration of their days and they will die. But the quality of their lives, their health, will improve as the people begin to more and more put into practice principles of right living, including our diet and what we put into our bodies. We live in such a toxic wasteland, the pollution is so bad and all the bad things that are in our food, of what we eat, the chemicals – you know, they affect our bodies and it can affect our attitudes, it can affect our emotions, our mental state. So we'll get rid of the artificial colors and flavors and all of the chemicals that are put into food to increase shelf-life. We're going to be healthier and the quality of our life is going to be increased.

God's truth about the meaning of life, and the meaning of death, will be taught throughout the entire planet. And the mass confusion of conflicting ideas, of spiritual Babylon, will eventually cease. No longer will millions of people worship their dead ancestors that passed away before them, leaving offerings at an altar. No longer will millions have to be enslaved to the idea that perhaps an animal is just another stage of a previous human life, another cycle of 'samsara', of reincarnation that's gone awry. No longer will people pray to what they call 'saints' or wonder just where a friend or a relative ended up after they died and if they are really looking down from heaven and they see all of the bad and good things that they do or if perhaps they are in some kind of excruciating pain and torment in whatever their version of hell is. There is so much freedom in knowing the truth, in knowing about God's plan and His purpose of physical life, and that understanding will be taught... and the truth about death and what happens after death will be taught as well.

But for those who are a part of the 144,000, physical death has already been conquered. Please turn to Revelation 20:6 - Blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection; holy because God has set them apart and will continuously dwell in them: on such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. It is hard to imagine what this will be like and yet we believe it.

And for those that live on, let's look at Ephesians 2:1 – And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, the ways of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air – Satan -  the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lust of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature, it's the way we were created, our natural inclination, children of wrath, just as the others; just like everyone else not called, spiritually dead. They don't have a choice; we didn't have a choice until God calls us. And that calling is going to be world-wide in the Millennium. Still a choice that each person has to make, but now they will be given that choice and the beginning of these verses will apply to them at that point just like they do to us now. I'll read that beginning again. And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world...

We've now gone over the first Five Thunders and we can see how the opposite of what these Thunders produce now will be what is used to change this world in the age to come for the better. But the last two Thunders are not about an opposite effect taking place in the Millennium but are rather about a massive increase, a magnification in what they produce.

#6: The Sixth Thunder is the growing revelation of God's end-time witnesses.

When Jesus Christ returns on a Pentecost, the two witnesses will be a part of the resurrection of the 144,000 that takes place on that day. They were the human instruments that God used during the end-time to help change the world, both physically and in a spiritual context as well. On day one of that new reign no one will be able to argue about what God has by then fully manifested to the entire world. And though the two-witnesses will no longer be the instruments that God will use to lead His Church – instead, that will be Christ directly ruling - they will continue to be an awesome example that will be taught for those that follow, of what they and God's Church had to endure and go through in 'the world that was', of living under Assyria in a religious world of Babylonian confusion while still striving to come out of spiritual Egypt.

#7: The Seventh Thunder is the accelerated revelation of God to man.

To say that this Thunder will continue and increase into the Millennium doesn't even come close to giving it justice as the world has never, ever come close to having what it will soon have - members of the God Family here on earth ruling and teaching.

As it says in Revelation 5:9 – and this is being spoken to Christ - ...You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals; for You were slain and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God.  And we shall reign on the earth. We cannot imagine the reality of this, of true government ruling through agape, through God's love put into practice and how that will affect every single aspect of society. Mercy, where there now is none, proper strength when there is now weakness, accurate judgment where there is now clouded or selfish discernment. And there will be one Church, not so many different conflicting philosophies and that confusion of Babylon associated with that, each person trying to decide which one is true or not true because we simply cannot know the truth until God gives us the opportunity to see it. It's not just a matter of being exposed to the truth and that somehow you will realize automatically that it is true because you were exposed to it. It's a matter of 'seeing' the truth, and that can only happen by God revealing it to you through a calling that He offers so that you can begin to see spiritual matters that previously, being strictly physical, you couldn't see. So with Jesus Christ and the 144,000 ruling on this earth, all in a unity and oneness with God, truth will reign supreme and there will be a massive increase in a revealing of God to man.

At the end of this era that we are living in, God has given us great desire and hope for these changes to come and to take place, and much of that desire is because of the hard trials that we go through. These trials and tribulations that we endure now reaffirms how God is able to mould and fashion qualities in us through those experiences that we go through. And mankind will still have trials in the Millennium as well, and those trials will still serve as opportunities to learn and grow from, but that age will be different as we will not have the same environment and same spiritual influence to fight against as we do today.

Regardless of where we may find ourselves on that first day of Christ's return, whether now a part of Elohim or still physical we will be blessed with the massive increase of God, of God's government and God's ways being revealed to this earth. How exciting that God's Church, God's ways, will be taught the world over and that false doctrine will not be allowed to be brought in and taught, to lead astray, to cause death... to cause spiritual death.

Turn a couple of pages back to 1 John 2:15 – Do not love the world or the things in the world. Don't long to be back in Egypt like the Hebrews did when they were first given their freedom. That desire will happen for some. That will be a situation that will come up over and over again in the beginning of the new age, of people wanting to go back to Egypt, back to what they knew, what they desired, because they don't know any different and it will take a bit of time for this world to embrace the changes and to see for themselves that they are indeed good. Using that example that Ron has given so many times of wanting to buy a new tractor and try it out, they are going to need time to prove it, to prove that these changes are better, that it does produce greater happiness, greater harmony, and a better environment to live in and to grow in. And they will understand the meaning of why they were born, what the purpose is and they will have access to God.

Back to the verse here... If anyone loves the world, that spirit of Satan and what his influence on our natural carnal thinking that opposes God produces, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but it is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides forever, that great promise that God gives us... who cannot lie... that will bring it to pass.

We have been called to such an awesome purpose and we are right there, so close to seeing this passing away of the world beginning to take place in such a greater way. It is difficult now, and we do suffer, but brethren, they are so temporary and they will fade away in time.  God's plan is not just about us, it is about His Creation, His unfinished Creation that is very much a work in progress and one in which we are so massively blessed to be able to be a part of, to help pioneer the way for those that will follow.

As we continue to follow God, He prepares us to overcome this current world so that we can be used powerfully in the age to come to help others succeed in conquering that which opposes God. So let's continue to do our part in God's plan of changing the world.

And for the last verse, from the one who leads the way, whose example we are to follow, please turn to John 16:33 - These things I have spoken to you, the words of Christ, speaking to us, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

And brethren, because of Christ's sacrifice, a crucial part of God's plan, we have that same opportunity. We can overcome this world as well, and we can help implement the future world to come, a world vastly different than what we know now.  We can help in changing the world.

~~~end