Stay Focused – Pt. 2

Wayne Matthews

January 18, 2014

Welcome to the Sabbath! The title of today's sermon is Stay Focused – Part 2.

In Part 1 we looked at the fact that life was not meant to be easy. God created mankind for a purpose and that purpose was to enter Elohim. But the process of entering Elohim is not easy, and the reason it's not easy is because man was created with free moral choice so that God could place His spirit with the spirit of man so that then through a process of choice man could change. Man could change his thinking. So we have been placed on this earth for a purpose, and life will not be easy.

We have been called by God and placed into the Church of God for a purpose, and that is the purpose of life. God placed us here to ensure that we choose to place God first, that God is first in our choice, in our priority of life. We strive to focus on spiritual aspects of our life, but we don't always succeed because we are physical and we have to deal with physical matters, and those physical matters impact our life.

Christ stated that we were not to worry. And that is not to be stressed about, not to be anxious, and not to be in fear in life, because we're going to run into various aspects of our life where it may cause us to be concerned, be concerned on a physical level. Well, Christ warned us about that very process of thinking.

The purpose of this sermon series is to encourage those called by God to stay focused on what is important in life, and that is the spiritual, to stay focused on the spiritual. The reality is that we must have spiritual plans and physical plans. The truth is that we must plan the physical around the spiritual. And that is the key point of this sermon series, which is to stay focused on the spiritual. We're going to have to have physical plans and spiritual plans, but the most important thing is to have the spiritual plans first and then around those plans we then can plan our physical life.

So let's pick up the sermon again in Luke 12:15 – And He said to them, Take heed and beware of covetousness, and we looked at “covetousness” as “that desire to have more.” That is greed. It actually starts in the thinking, the inner thinking. And the key to it, of course, is being thankful or being unthankful. So covetousness will come because we do not appreciate, we're not thankful for what God has allowed us to have access to and what we have in our life, and therefore, we become envious and we will then desire to have things beyond what God says is lawful. And there are, of course, legal desires and there are illegal – or lawful desires and unlawful desires ...for one's life does not consist in the abundance, and that is “the increase or the excess” of things he possesses. So we have possessions in this life, but life is not about what we possess. The measurement of our spiritual growth is not on what we have on a physical level.

We are to watch our attitudes towards wealth. We are to be on guard against the attitude of greed. And we know that the trigger here is un-thankfulness. To be unthankful is a trigger to be greedy or to be covetous. Now, the reality is that this attitude that comes in, it's an attitude that creeps in and it is one of envy and it leads to this thinking, this way of thinking, but more importantly it comes to an attitude of, "It's not fair! It's not fair! Look at what others have! Look at what other people are!" And therefore, we become envious of it because we're unthankful for what God has allowed us to use and what God has allowed us to have access to. We look out at what others have. And in the end, internally, although we don't always see it because of our natural carnal mind, we hold our own pity-party, “for me.” "Look at me! I haven't got 'this'! I haven't got 'that'! I haven't got work. I haven't got money. I haven't got...I haven't got..." and that's really what it's about. Whereas, what it really requires is an attitude of being thankful, to look at every aspect of our life on a spiritual level first, and thank God for what He has given us, what He has allowed for us, then to look and thank God for all the physical things that we have access to. We have a roof over our head. We have meals. And yes, life can be difficult for God's people, but the reality is, God has given us so much.

Life is not defined by what we have even when we have so much in the way of spiritual things. It's not defined by the physical things of life, physical wealth. We have such great wealth on a spiritual level.

Contentment is a great blessing because it is a way of thinking, an attitude of thankfulness. Now, if we can gain this contentment – and there are a lot of scriptures which we won't go into today – where Paul says that to be content is a great blessing—to whatever God is allowing in our life, if we could stand back and see that that is the best thing for us. So if we are going through a difficulty in a trial with health or whatever it is, and we are struggling in different ways and then we look out and we start to think, "Oh, I've got this trial. I've got this test, and other people don't have it!" Well, that's a wrong attitude because it's one of a pity-party. But if we were to focus in on it and just be thankful that we have life, that we have been called into the Body of Christ, that we have access to the truth, and dwell on the positive things that God is allowing in our life, well, we can be thankful for that, because it is a great blessing to have this. These are treasures beyond belief.

Just drop down to verse 21 – So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and the focus is on the physical there, and is not rich towards God. So what it's saying there is that we need to be very careful. We need to be careful where our thinking is. We have to watch what we think about, because Christ is saying, is what we are focused on, if we're focused on the physical, that's where our treasure is. That's what we put as our highest priority. Well, that's where we'll think the most. That's what we'll think about all the time. We need to be “rich towards God.” Well, to be “rich towards God” is to stay focused on the spiritual, to plan the spiritual, have God first in our life. And we've looked at examples of that, of how we may do it. We can plan our prayer life. We can plan time for meditation. We can plan our tithes and offerings. We can plan all of these things and we can plan to attend Sabbath services where we can.  We can plan the Feast. Now, these are all spiritual matters that God has put as a priority for us. To put God first in our life means we are putting God's word, what He says is important, first in our life, in our thinking. Then from that we then can plan the physical.

We looked at Romans 8:28 which actually outlines the reality of life. Romans 8:28, we'll just quickly turn there, and we covered this as well – And we know, we know this, brethren. It's in our minds. We know it because God has allowed us to have this knowledge. We know that all things work together for good, so everything works together. And when it says “works together” or “work together,” it's a combination. Two things working together. There are physical things in life and spiritual things in life and they can work together. The “good” that can come out of all of this is on a spiritual level. So, All things work together, both on a spiritual and physical level when you combine it all together, no matter what is happening in our life, they work together for good, on spiritual level, the good on a spiritual level, to those who love God. How can we love God? Well, God has to have called us and placed His holy spirit within our thinking, in our minds ...to those who are the called according to His, God's, purpose. So God has a purpose. He has called us for a purpose and that purpose is to enter Elohim. Now, the process that we have to go through to enter Elohim is one of trials and tests and struggle. Life is not going to be easy. Life is not easy. And it's not going to be easy. When we go into the Millennium life will be easier, but still, life will be difficult because of human choice. We still have choices to make. And by nature, people will not always choose God or put God first. They're going to have to learn all the things that God has allowed us to have access to, to learn, to understand, to know. So they are going to have to come to know that all things in their life are going to work together, the spiritual and the physical, for the good, for their spiritual good, for the purpose of entering Elohim, and it's for those who love God, who have God's spirit and have been called according to God's purpose, what God is doing in a person's life.

Now, often people will think, "Well, what is God doing in my life?" And we don't always “see” it because we look too closely at our own life and we try to bring God into every aspect in the sense of every decision that we make we believe that God is inspiring us in a decision for a purpose that we think has been worked out in our life. Well, that's not always the case. God can influence a decision and we can make decisions, but really, we don't always know the purpose of why God is leading us down that particular path. So we can be led down a path, and in our minds we can develop the thinking to say, "Well, I'm doing this particular thing for 'this' particular reason," only to find out years later that that was not God's purpose. God's purpose was He was creating Elohim, He was developing holy, righteous character in us, and because we made certain decisions God still worked with us to bring us to Elohim. So the decision of why we first did what we did – the real purpose that God had in allowing us to make that decision— was for a different outcome, and it's always a spiritual outcome. We often look at it on a physical level, but it's actually a spiritual outcome.

Just dropping down, we'll go back to Luke 12:29 – And do not seek, and that word is “strive for,” for what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. And that word there, “anxious,” was “raise up in thinking,” so we get very stressed about it, “to have doubt or to be stressed by it.” In other words, it's an overly anxious mind. It's concerned about the physical and it's leaving God out of the picture. And that word “to seek,” well, it's to “find out by thinking, meditating, reasoning, strive as a priority.” So that's the most important thing, “strive as a priority.” So we're not to “strive as a priority” on the physical things of life. We should “strive as a priority” to put God first.

Verse 30 – For all these things, all these physical things, the physical things of life, the nations of the world seek after, they strive after, they “set as a priority.” Well, we don't, and Christ is saying here that we shouldn't be like the nations of the world, which is the natural carnal mind ...and your Father knows that you need these things. God knows what we need in life. He knows that we need to eat. He knows that we need a covering. We need a roof over our head. So these things, God is aware of. He made mankind, so He understands it. Now, this is all about a priority of thinking. That's what the purpose of this is about, a priority of thinking.

Verse 31 – But seek the Kingdom of God, so now we're to “set as a priority,” we're to “search for diligently,” “seek diligently,” we're to “work hard at seeking” the Kingdom of God. And to “seek it” is to put it as a priority in our life, to make the spiritual our number one goal in life ...and all these things, all these other physical things, shall be added, joined, to you. Now, they're going to be “joined together” as we looked at before. It's about being joined together. So the priority is that we put the spiritual first and the physical will be joined to it. So there is a spiritual and a physical joined together, and here it is, Christ is saying if we seek the Kingdom of God, God's way of life, God's way of thinking, God's matters first – Sabbath, Holy Days, all of those things – all these things, all these other physical things that have been covered by Christ – the food, the housing – all of that will be added; they'll be joined to you.

Verse 32 – Do not fear, little flock, talking about the Church, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. It's God's desire. He desires the spiritual. He desires to give us life everlasting.

And then we went on to a spiritual principle in verse 34 – For where your treasure is, and that's what we value the most in our life, there your heart, your inner thinking, the inner mind, that what we're thinking in our minds will be also. So it is about what we focus on, what we think about, what we have “set as a priority” in life. That is our treasure. So if we're focused on the physical, if we're focused on purely, let's just say, money, if we're focused just on money, our inner mind is thinking of that all the time, how we can acquire it, all the time, and we've left God out of the picture in our thinking. That is covetousness. That is greed. If our treasure is if we're looking for employment and that is the only thing we're looking for, that's what we're focusing on all the time. That's what we're motivated on. That's where we spend all our time, all our thinking, and we leave God out of that decision to seek employment. That is covetousness because it's not balanced. God says we're to place Him first, place Him into our life in all our decisions, putting Him as a priority – all these things will be added to us in time, in God's time, and according to God's will, what is best for us spiritually.

Now, some people can seek employment and seek it for years and never find work for a long period of time. Well, in the end we know that all things are working to our good on a spiritual level. So it may be the best thing for us during that particular time that if we are unemployed, as long as we are striving to find employment and we're bringing God into the picture and we have to go through that physical process knowing that it is a spiritual matter, because we're having now to trust in God more, that we want God into our life. And I know there's been many-a-time when you’ve been to different job interviews, and they're not easy to go through, and to go through that and to walk away and you know that you haven't got the job. Well, the answer is that if we didn't get that job, at that time on a spiritual level, that was the best thing that could happen to us, because now we can go back and turn to God more and ask God to continue to lead, guide, and direct our life on a spiritual level, but to also support us on a physical level because God's word clearly says here that He is aware of all our physical needs. Now, one of the dangers, of course, of life is that if God was to give a man or a woman all of the things they desire, they craved for on a physical level, they have no hope of entering Elohim, because they'd just end up as spoiled brats, because everything would be given to them. God desires us to enter Elohim, and the only way to enter Elohim, because of the way we are created with this natural carnal mind, is that we must go through tests and trials. We must choose to put God first in our life.

Verse 35 – Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning, so we're to be spiritually ready.

In Ephesians (we're not going to turn there), Ephesians 6:14, says, Stand therefore, having girded your waist with the truth. So this is about being ready.

And we're going to continue now, the sermon, about “having our waist girded and our lamps burning.” If you'd like to turn to Psalms 119:97-105 – Oh, how I love Your law! And this is David speaking from his heart. And if we go through all of Psalm 119 you realize that David has this inner desire to seek to understand God's law, God's Commandments, the thinking behind it. And it goes down to the intent or the motive of why we do what we do. So he says, O, how I love Your law! So David is saying here that it's God's law and the reason the law is given is because it provides direction and instruction.

And he says, It is my meditation, it is my reflection, all the day. So David now is reflecting on the spiritual aspects of his life. Now, we can get into our life and have things happen in our life. Well, one of the things that we can do is just apply the 10 Commandments to our life on a spiritual level, put it into our thinking, and meditate on it, what is happening. So let's just say, for example, that we might have had a disagreement with somebody in our family or somebody out of our family. In other words, we got into an argument or became stressed at them for some reason. Well, we should take that away and, of course, repent before God because of that attitude of ill will towards them by raising our voice, or whatever it is where we have ill feeling towards them. Well, let's take that away and meditate on it and reflect on it to say, "Why did that happen? Why did I raise myself up that way against God?" Because God says we are not to kill, and that is one of the Commandments, we can meditate on it. We can think about that, and then we can say, "Well, what is 'Thou shalt not murder? Thou shalt not kill?’ What is it really saying?" Well, it's that inner attitude or it's that intent of ill will. Because this ill will, this desire to harm, or this dislike, or this hate, turns to murder. So it's this ill will because we've forgotten why God created everybody, the purpose of life, and the way that God views His creation. But no, we've lifted ourselves up in our opinion, in our reasoning, and now we have this ill will, this thinking, or this aggression, or this bad desire towards another human being. Well, that is sin. So we can meditate on it and think, "Why is that so? Why did we do that?" Well, we know. We know from past sermons, the reason we thought like that was pride, because we lifted ourselves up. We placed a higher value on our opinion. We placed a higher value on ourselves than we have in God or God's ways. That's what we've done. And that is what pride is. Pride is simply lifting ourselves up, placing a higher value on our own opinions or our own views.

So there is no need to raise our voice, or to be aggressive, or to have ill will towards anybody, because the driving force of that is pride. So, now we can meditate on that and think it through and then, in humility, we can go and rectify the matter with the person, because we can take the lower ground. We can choose humility, to realize, yes, we are wrong. We have sinned. No matter what that person has said or done, it's all irrelevant. It's how we respond that is the most important thing. And that's what God is referring to when He talks about repentance. It's the inner man. It's the inner thinking, that God has granted us repentance so that we can see ourselves. We can see where sin is because of the law. Now, David's saying here, "I love Your law!" Isn't that incredible? Because we can say we love God's law! We love it! Because why? It gives us direction, it gives us instruction, and it can be our meditation or our reflection all the day. We can think about why we're doing what we're doing. Isn't it wonderful? Now we can understand what David is saying there; he loves it because it gives excitement that we can understand who we are and why we're doing what we're doing!

Verse 98 – You, through Your Commandments, make me wiser than my enemies. Well, that's true, brethren, we can be wiser. Now, we know wisdom is the thinking of God, the mind of God. So it is through God's Commandments, this way of thinking, that makes us wiser than our enemies. Well, it's wiser than anybody else, and we're wiser because we have God's spirit. God's spirit enables us to think like Him. So it's through the Commandments, it's that meditation on the Commandments of God, that we can work out whether or not we are pleasing God or we're not. And that's what makes us wiser. It's God's spirit that makes us wiser because we gain this knowledge. We gain the understanding of the spiritual principles of life and then we apply the understanding into our life and that's what makes us wiser. We are wiser because we understand pride. We are wiser because we understand pride.

So if we just look at that aspect, through Your Commandments, through God's Commandments, they make me wiser than my enemies. Now, that is an incredible statement if we understand it. Because of the Commandments, because we know that pride is the reason that we break any of God's Commandments – it's because of our pride! That's why we break any of God's Commandments. So we understand that! So knowing that now makes us wiser than anybody else on a spiritual level because God's spirit lives and dwells in us, reveals our prides to us, and therefore, God provides us humility, and therefore, we can now choose to think on God's Commandments and work out what's wrong with us. It's not what's wrong with others. What's wrong with us, where we have sinned.

Continuing on in verse 98...For they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers,

for Your testimonies are my meditation. David is saying here he has more understanding. Well, brethren, we have more understanding than other humans that have not been called into, or that have not been called into the Church of God at this time, into a relationship with God. We have more spiritual understanding because God has granted it to us. We can only have spiritual understanding because of God's spirit, because God grants it, because all spiritual knowledge must be generated from God through Jesus Christ to the Church. It's by the power of God's holy spirit that we have understanding. So David is saying, "I have more understanding" – well, we have more understanding – "than all my teachers," anyone on a physical level. Doesn't matter how bright they say they are or how intellectual they may be or what academic level they may reach. We have more understanding of life than anybody else. “For God's testimonies,” which are God's directions and instructions, His word, “are (David's) meditation.” And that's why we can go back and meditate on our life.

We can meditate in our relationships. What are our relationships like within the Church? If they are strained, why are they strained? What's the problem with me? What's the problem with us, if there is strain or stress in a relationship? If we ever raise our voice and speak ill or speak down to another member of the Body, what is that motivation? What is it? Now, the person that could be saying something to us may be right – they may actually be right in what they're saying – but if they raise their voice or if they do it with ill will or in pride, they are wrong. So we can be right and wrong at the same time! On a physical level, yes, we might be right in what we're saying, but we can be wrong because we are sinning, we're transgressing God's law, we're breaking God's law, because we have ill will towards another member. So what drives that? What drives ill will towards anybody? Anybody! What drives it? Pride! Our arrogance! Our pride! Our high-mindedness! That's what's driving it.

From this we can see, brethren, that we can learn to meditate on God's law and we can have spiritual understanding. And we can look at it this way – let's just look at the Ten Commandments, for example – God is love. So that is the highest principle. If you had a piece of paper and you wrote it and you put, “God is love,” well, that's the highest principle. That's what God is, that is God's thinking, that's the way God is, that's His being. He is love. Well, then you come down and Christ says in scripture that when He was asked a question, you know, "What is the most important thing?" He said, "The most important thing is to..." and then you take God and it's divided into two aspects. He says, "Love God," which is the first Four Commandments, and then, "Love your neighbour," which is the last Six Commandments. So now you see, God is love, and then draw a line and you go out to one side, to the left and to the right, and then you see: God is a priority, how to love God, and then the other one is how to love man. So you've got to do both of those because that's what God does; God loves. That's the way He is.

Then from that you could take the one, for example, of loving God, and place it out to the side and then go to the very First Commandment which is putting God first as a priority. Then we can examine that to see whether we do love God. Then we can go to the Second, the Third, and the Fourth Commandment, the Sabbath. Do we love God? Do we really? Well, we have to do the first Four Commandments to prove to God that we love God, to reflect or to show to God that we love God.

So, we understand these things, and therefore, it gives us great wisdom; hence, we put God first as our priority. Now, anybody that chooses to put God first as a priority has great spiritual understanding and they have more understanding than all the physical teachers of this world. Much, much more! Because they have God first in their life, and therefore, because of that, we can meditate on how to love God. We can go through the first Four Commandments and meditate on and think about it to see whether we're actually applying it in our life on a spiritual level, and on a physical level, on both levels.

Verse 100 – I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Your precepts. So here he's saying he understands more about God's way of life, he has more understanding on a spiritual level, than the ancients. Well, that can be anybody that is from his time back, looking back, anyone in the past. Because? Why is that so? Because he keeps, he implements, he lives wisdom. He keeps God's precepts. He keeps God's instructions, God's law, God's Commandment, His instructions, the word of God, anything that God has said from starting with one of the Commandments and then breaking it down into a lower level in the sense of understanding it deeper, and the intent of the law, which is breaking it down into the precepts and the instructions. Therefore, he keeps all of it; therefore, he's implemented it, therefore, it's because it's God's word he has more understanding. He understands why he is doing what he's doing. He has God's spirit.

Verse 101 – I have restrained, and that word is “held back” my feet from every evil way, which is sin. Now we, brethren, can restrain, hold back our feet, the way we walk, which is by keeping God's Ten Commandments. That's how we do it. We can hold back our feet. We can look at God's word and say that's what we should and shouldn't do, what's our intent, what's our motive. So David is saying here, I have restrained, I've held back, my feet, the way he walks, what he does. It's the way he thinks, from every evil way, from sin, That I may keep Your word. Well, that's the intent of life, that we are to strive to keep God's word.

He has obeyed God and done what God states is right and he has avoided what is wrong. He has not used his own reasoning in a matter. Now that is the difficult matter. We tend to use our own human reasoning of what we think is right and what we think is wrong, even though we can be in God's Church. And because of time, we come to see this in a deeper way, that we do use our own reasoning in a matter often.

If you look back at people that have left God's Church, what is the reason they have left God's Church? What is the real reason? Well, it goes down to government. Well, what is government? Government is a spiritual matter. It's not a physical matter. It's a spiritual matter and it's about God's spirit governing their life. Well, they leave God's Church because they have slipped back to using their own reasoning in a matter. They are now working out what they believe is right and wrong, something that may be said or something that may be done. They have reasoned in their mind, in their thinking, and they have now placed themselves in authority in their mind above God and above God's Church where God is working. That's the real matter. They have made a human judgement using their own reasoning, and based on that reasoning they now disagree with God. That's as simple as it actually gets.

I have not departed, and that word is “turned aside,” from Your judgements, from God's judgements, from God's laws. For You Yourself have taught me. Now, that's an incredible statement! God, Himself, has taught David. That's what he's saying! Well, we can say that, brethren, as well. God, Himself, has taught us. God has taught us by the way of His holy spirit. We are taught while we are in the Church of God – PKG. We are in God's Church if we have God's spirit. Now this, brethren, is an incredible statement. If we just stand back now and look at this statement, "God has taught us His ways." Now, that comes about from God first of all calling us, bringing us into a state of repentance, we choosing to follow God's lead by the power of God's spirit, and we then get immersed in water, then we get immersed in God's spirit, and from that point God teaches us through sermons, through articles we read, and things that God has placed into His Church – not things that have been placed out of His Church, things in His Church – that we then grow spiritually. And it is through that, through the power of God's holy spirit and our choice, the choice that we make, that God Himself has taught us. Isn't that incredible? God is teaching us. God is teaching us today if we have God's spirit active in our life. If God's spirit is not active in our life, if we do not have God's spirit, God cannot teach us, because it's only by the power of God's spirit that we can gain spiritual understanding. So God Himself has taught us all that we have on a spiritual level.

When we look at it and we reflect on what God has given, the 57 Truths in God's Church, it is God Himself that has taught us. Now, He's taught us through Jesus Christ, through an apostle – that's how it's happened – but we can learn day by day by the use of God's spirit in our life, by choices that we make to put God first as a priority. So by doing our prayer and study, by choosing to put God first, by attending Sabbath services where possible, by keeping the Sabbath at home by ourselves if we have to, by planning tithe, by planning offerings, this is an attitude that God will continue to dwell with us and teach us His ways.

Now we're going to see that there is a metaphor being used to express an attitude that God is reflecting in David. Verse 103 – How sweet, and that is “agreeable or pleasant” are Your words, are God's words, to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Now, the metaphor is, of course, he's using honey as a way of describing a spiritual attitude or something that's happening in his mind, the way he thinks, and he's converting it into something physical so that he can explain something spiritual. So, How sweet are Your words to my taste, on the tongue, sweeter than honey in my mouth. Well, when you put honey into the mouth there is that explosion of sugars going off and it is very sweet and it's enjoyable (to most people, not all), but to most people it's sweet and it's very enjoyable. Well, David is saying, how sweet is God's word to his thinking! It's exciting! Now, it is exciting brethren, when we read God's word and something jumps out into our minds. It comes through our eyes and our inner eye, the inner man, the thinking. It's exciting when you see certain things, you go, "Oh, that's incredible! I've read that scripture so many times," and then all of a sudden God by the power of His holy spirit gives us sight to “see.” We now “see” it and it explodes in the mind. You go, "(Gasp!) That's just amazing!" ...that you can see it. You're so excited sometimes you just want to talk about it. You want to speak about it. It's so exciting! There's an explosion in the mind and the great joy!

Well, David is trying to use a physical metaphor there to reflect something that's sweeter than honey in his mouth. Well, this exploding in the mind, this thought, you go, "Wow! This is incredible! It's so exciting!" It's a spiritual matter. David's referring it here on a physical level to explain the spiritual.

Through Your, God's, precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way, every way of deception. So it's through the precepts, God's words, God's instructions, that we get understanding. So if we don't read God's word, if we don't understand God's word, if we don't listen to sermons, if we don't listen to God, what God is explaining to us, how can we gain spiritual understanding? Well, it's impossible. To gain understanding is the power of God's spirit working in our life that we can begin to “see” the knowledge. When we look at the knowledge, we have the knowledge of lots of things, but to gain the deeper understanding of it, it continues our whole life!

I remember listening to lectures that Mr. Weinland gave in 2008 and 2009 and 2010, various lectures for the ministry, and I remember he made certain statements with regards to different topics, and he made a statement saying, "You think you understand these matters, but let me assure you, you don't." And I sort of thought about various aspects of that statement at the time. I thought, "Well, I think I do have a reasonable grasp on certain aspects that he was raising.” Well, it wasn't until actually this year, 2013, that I went back over the lectures again and I realized that I didn't have a clue. I did not have a clue at that time. When I thought I had understanding of a matter on a spiritual level, the depth of my understanding was so limited. It was so limited compared to the understanding that I have now of a particular matter. There is no comparison.

And I came to understand this year, in particular, that the understanding will never stop, the depth of understanding continues as long as we're connected to the vine and we're in the Body of Christ. So this understanding will continue to be given by the power of God's spirit to us if we're connected to God, if we're connected to seeking God, seeking God's way of life in obedience to His Commandments. And from that I have learned that I can learn to hate every false way within myself. It's about myself. It's about the deception in myself. And of course, when I went through the aspect of pride in my own life I realized that that's what it's about. It's about learning to hate, learning to despise, the evil, the falsehood, the deceptive ways in myself which are all motivated by pride. Because when we're deceptive, we're covering an image. When we lie, what are we doing? We're covering an image. We're protecting something. And we're always protecting our pride.

So we can learn from God's word by studying it, by meditating, by the power of God's holy spirit through a prayer life, that we can actually learn to hate every false way within ourselves. And it's not about looking out to others and judging them and condemning them about their false ways. Well, they all have it. Everyone has it. Every man has it. Every woman has it. Everyone has false ways, has deceptive ways within themselves. The point is that we have to look at ourselves and learn to hate every false way within ourselves. Now, if that's not our focus, if that's not what we're doing, we are not fighting the fight. We are on shaky ground because we are not putting God first in our life. We must be fighting the fight – and that's a sure sign of whether or not we are in the truth, we are in God's way of life, is are we correcting the false ways within us? Are we watching our words? Now, we will all make mistakes. We need to be fighting ourselves. We need to be learning to fight against these false ways within us. And we all have them! No matter how long we have been in God's Church, we have pride. It's hidden from ourselves. Often, we just don't see it, but we have to learn to hate every false way, this deceptive way, this pride, selfish motive that is in us.

Verse 105 – Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path. So, now it's saying that it's God's word that is a lamp. It shines a light on the way to walk. So David is virtually saying here that it's through God's word that we can walk spiritually in this life. It's through God's word that our journey in life can be clearly seen. In other words, our motive and intents can be seen, why we're doing what we're doing. God's word reveals the way to walk in this world. God's word reveals how to have a relationship with others. So it's this light, God's word, is the lamp that shines the way. Now, we have to be studying God's word. We have to have God's word revealed to us to show us the way to guide us. So God's word will guide us in the way to walk. How to live love towards others, how to live love towards God and mankind is revealed through a lamp, which is God's word.

Let's look at Matthew 25:1. And this is about being spiritually alert. And of course, this has actually happened in the Church as far as something actually taking place, an event that took place in God's Church with regards to being asleep or being awake, being alert, using the lamp, God's word, to guide our lives. This is the parable of the virgins. Now, we understand from this that all the virgins, everybody, that's all those in God's Church at that time that had God's spirit at one point in time, went to sleep on a spiritual level. They weren't using God's word, God's holy spirit, as a guide to their life. It wasn't showing the way to walk. Now, if they had been using God's word, used God's spirit as a way to walk, they wouldn't have gone to sleep. But of course, the human condition is one of becoming lukewarm, becoming complacent, becoming familiar with God's word, and when we become familiar with God's word we no longer fight the fight. We no longer use God's word as our guide in our life.

Matthew 25:1 – Then the Kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins, so there are virtually ten here, ten individuals, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. So here it is, the lamp is God's law, using this as a physical parable, but it points to something spiritual – the lamps are God's law. God's law leads the way, shows the way. The Commandments, the spiritual intent of the law, show the way to walk. And here it is, of course, Christ being used here symbolically. The bridegroom is Jesus Christ.

Now five of them were wise, and five of them were foolish. And the wise would be those that have God's word, are using God's word to guide their life and have God's spirit. And the five foolish have already gone to sleep and they're no longer fighting. They're not using their lamps to lead their life, not using God's word to guide their life, and therefore, they're no longer fighting the inner man. They have become foolish. Because when we don't fight the fight in our inner thinking, we are being really foolish. We are being stupid, really stupid. Because we need to be fighting! These five haven't put God as their priority in life. He is not number one. They did at some point. They were called to the truth, but now their lamp, their light, God's spirit, it's flickering. It's starting to go out. They are now becoming foolish, becoming complacent, becoming wise on a human level, self-reliant, using their own reasoning.

Those that were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them. Now, the oil is symbolic of God's holy spirit. So here we have, they have the knowledge of God's law, they have the knowledge of God's way of life, they have the 10 Commandments, but they don't have God's spirit, which is the power to empower the lamp. Without the oil the lamp can't shine. Well, it's no different, brethren, without God's holy spirit, we cannot live the 10 Commandments. We cannot live love to God or love to our neighbour. It's absolutely impossible! So it's the oil, God's holy spirit, that is the most important thing. We can have lamps. We can have access to the 10 Commandments. We can have access to the knowledge of the truth, but without God's holy spirit to power it, it's not going to be any value to us.

Verse 4 – But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, there is a time period here, they all slumbered and slept. So here it is, they've virtually become lukewarm and they've gone to sleep. They've actually slept! Every single one of them went to sleep. Now, that is on a physical level. Well, on a spiritual level we know this has actually taken place, and this took place before the Apostasy, where everybody went to sleep.

Well, brethren, this is still a danger, because we're in a time period where you could reflect it on a symbolic level to saying that Jesus Christ has delayed His return. Well, He hasn't, of course. The return of Jesus Christ has always been set at a particular day, the Day of Pentecost, and we wait for that Day of Pentecost to arrive. But from a physical point of view we could say, well, Christ has delayed His coming, and we could all go to sleep. We could all slumber and sleep. That's the danger we have. That's why this sermon series is Stay Focused. We're to stay focused on the spiritual! We are not to sleep spiritually. We're to stay awake! And the way we stay awake is to have our lamps – the 10 Commandments, God's word, God's way of life – and the oil, and God's spirit living and dwelling in us. And previously, we had read that the way is to seek diligently the Kingdom of God. We're to put in the effort! We're not to stress and strain about the physical. We are to strive to put God first as a priority into our life. Now, if we do that we will not slumber or sleep. It would be impossible because every day we'll be checking our thinking. Everyday we'll be checking our priority, and when we're fronted with different situations in life, difficulties, there are easy decisions to be made. They might sound like they're hard, but they're not. They're actually easy if we just simply stand back and meditate and think about it – God first! So no matter who confronts us, whether it's in marriage or out of marriage, any situation, whether it's employer's, where they turn around and say, "You can't do 'this' because of 'this particular day.’" There is no choice. There is no choice. There is no decision; we're not slumbering and sleeping. We say God's first. "I am not working on Friday night and Saturday! I'm just not. I don't know what you're going to be doing, but I'm not going to be here." "No, I am going to Sabbath services." "No, I am paying my tithes and offerings to God's Church, to God!" They're easy choices if we're not slumbering and sleeping, if we stayed focused on the spiritual level, because God's our priority. God is first!

Verse 6 – And at midnight the cry was heard. So this is the announcement. We know this happened on the 17th of December, 1994, when the 1st Seal was opened, that Joseph Tkach, Sr. gave a sermon that was against God's word, against God's way of life, which was against the lamp. He was actually trying to shatter the lamp, smash the lamp altogether, get rid of the lamp, which is God's law. God's law is the lamp. So he was trying to smash it and get rid of it, and of course, he had no oil at that time. The oil had run out.

Going on in verse 6 there... And at midnight a cry was heard: Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!

Verse 7 – Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. So, everybody here is now trimming their lamp. They're now getting focused back on the lamp, God's word, trying to use God's word as their guide. And the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, now, remember every one of them were asleep, for our lamps are going out. So on a spiritual level the wisdom of God had left them. They had no contact with God because the oil had gone out.

Verse 8 – And the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. So here it is that they have a lamp, they have the guidance of God's word, they had it there, they could read it, they had the truth that was in the Church, the 21 Truths that were there, but God's spirit had now become so dim in their life, they had become dull, they had become lukewarm, that it was now coming to a point where God was going to sever His spirit from them completely and spew them out of the Church, out of His way of life.

Verse 9 – But the wise answered, saying, No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather toward/to sell, buy for yourselves. So they were to go out and get some oil, to acquire more oil for the lamp. We know that the oil is symbolic of God's holy spirit and you just can't “get” God's holy spirit; it's a gift from God. God has to be in us and the flow of God's spirit. Now, God's spirit will flow in us if we choose to seek God, to put God first as a priority, to continue to fight everyday and to cry out to God for the gift of His holy spirit. It's not a given. It's not just going to happen. It's something that we must seek; we must seek first – diligently strive for – the Kingdom of God, to put God first in our life.

So here we have now, some of them have now got some oil and some don't, and now the bridegroom is going to return. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready, now, that “to be ready” is, of course, is to have access to God, to God's truth, to have your lamp, to have your oil, to have God's spirit. They are ready to come in with Him to the wedding; and the door was shut. So now we have, virtually, those that are ready on a spiritual level, those that have stayed focused on the spiritual, putting God first, and are using the oil to empower their lamps. So, we have that knowledge, but we need the power of God's holy spirit to understand it and to live it.

Verse 11 – And afterward the other virgins came also, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us! So they have now been locked out of the wedding feast. And of course, we know this is symbolic of the return of Jesus Christ and the fact that Jesus Christ is the bridegroom and the virgins that have remained awake are the 144,000 that were alive at that particular time. If you look at it on a symbolic level or on a spiritual level it's referring to those that are ready, the 144,000 that have existed over the 6,000 years of man.

Verse 11 again, Afterwards the other virgins came also, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us! But He answered and said, Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you. Isn't that a terrible thing to be said, really? If you know it on a spiritual level. He has no relationship with them. They are not sealed for this resurrection to life. They have been cut off. Christ says, "I do not know you. Your oil, the flow of God's spirit, is no longer in your life."

So to be resurrected to spirit, at whatever point it is, whether it's the first or second resurrection, we need...we need to have God's holy spirit because that's what's changed to spirit. We are changed to spirit because of God's holy spirit living and dwelling in us. And for Christ to turn around and say, "I do not know you," which means we have no relationship with God the Father or Jesus Christ because we no longer have God's spirit living and dwelling in us.

Verse 13 – Watch therefore; so this is a state of repentance. This is a state of being spiritually focused. This is a state of having God first, to be diligent in a priority in our life of having God first in our life. Continuing on in verse 13 – Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. Because we don't know when our life is going to be completed. Our journey on this physical life comes to an end at some point in time, and we just don't know. So we don't know when God has said “enough is enough” for us on a physical level, and we don't know at what point God says that we are mature on a spiritual level that He can turn around and say, "Now, I know you." We understand there are some that exist today where God has already made that statement, that they have been sealed, and they are now in a state of waiting a resurrection, but they're continuing to grow. Their spiritual development continues because God is molding and fashioning. But God has already sealed them and He has said, "Now, I know you," but there are still finishing touches to be put on every individual that is part of the 144,000 that is alive today. And one of the greatest things that is being changed within anybody, whether part of the 144,000 or not, is the gift of humility, because we all have pride. There is nobody that exists that's human that does not have a level of pride. So it's humility that is the most important thing, because it is about humbling the self, it's about understanding who we really are, and that of and by ourselves we can do absolutely nothing.

Let's turn back to Luke 12 and pick it up in verse 36. Luke 12:36 – And you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. This is referring, of course, to what we just went through as well. Same type of thing. Because the first one, it says, “Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning,” in verse 35, and now it's going on and saying that when Christ returns, like the wedding, like the parable we went through, and He knocks on the door, that we may open immediately. Now, if we're asleep we will not hear the knock. It's impossible! If we're spiritually asleep we will not see the signs or be part of the signs of the return of Jesus Christ. Because being part of the Body of Christ, the Church of God, we are part of the sign of the return of Jesus Christ.

Verse 37 – Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. So this is about girding, having the lamp ready, having the lamp, having the law, having God's word as a guide in our life, and the oil that powers it, God's holy spirit. We've got the lamp, we've got God's spirit, and we're watching. We're spiritually alert. And what are we watching? We're watching ourselves! We're watching our motives! The lamp is leading us in a spiritual way to the way we think, the way we are walking in life towards others, how we walk towards God, how we walk towards our neighbour, and of course, it's walking in love as Jesus Christ did. We are to walk in love. So if we're watching, we're fighting ourselves, we're watching our attitudes, we're watching what we say, we're watching what we do, we're watching what we think. And if that is the case, brethren, we are in the truth. God is in us and we are in Him.

Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. It's talking about Jesus Christ, the return of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the greatest servant that has existed as a man. Jesus Christ is a servant; He is there to serve us. And that's what He's doing now. He is serving us through the Church. He is serving us through the Church!

Verse 38 – And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. Well, we're servants of God as well, brethren. We have been called to serve. That is our purpose in life. So we, brethren, are servants of God, and if we're servants of God, we are fighting the fight. We are battling to overcome ourselves.

Verse 39 – But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, so if you'd been fully aware and you knew exactly when He would come, when Jesus Christ would return to this earth, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. So here it's talking about on a...parable is talking about on a physical level, that if you were aware that someone was going to break into your house and shatter it and steal something from you, you'd be watching, you'd be sitting there waiting for the person to break in, because you were aware. Well, this is talking on a spiritual level, that we're not aware of when the thief can break in and steal from us. Well, brethren, our house, our temple is our mind, so we have to be on watch. We have to be on guard all the time because things can be stolen from us on a spiritual level because of our choices, because we let down.

Now, Satan is there to deceive and to steal from us. And when he steals from us, what does he steal? He steals life from us! That's what he does. That's his potential is to steal life from us. God wants to give us life from the power of His holy spirit and yet we can choose to lose life because of wrong choices, because of not putting God as a priority in our life. And Satan is there trying to steal life, life everlasting from us. So he wants to destroy us! He wants to take our life. Now, we understand that on a physical level our life doesn't matter. It's our spiritual life that we need to be guarding. The loss of God's spirit would be a tragedy to anybody. To allow our house to be broken into and to have God's spirit cut off because of our unrepentant sin would be a tragedy in our life. To lose that is to have our house broken into. To have God's spirit taken from us (to lose our oil) would be a great tragedy. For Satan to influence our life so much that we would have an unrepentant sin in our life, where we are no longer fighting the sin, is a deep tragedy in life.

Verse 40 – Therefore, you also be ready. So we're to be ready, brethren. We're to be ready at all times. We're to be on guard at all times because we just don't know what attacks are coming around the corner… for the Son of Man is coming in an hour you do not expect. Now, we know that death is virtually the same as the return of Jesus Christ, because it stops. Life stops. This physical life stops. At death, or at any time, we have to be on guard because the hour can be death or at any time we lose God's spirit because of an unrepentant sin.

The point is we must stay focused on what is important to us at this time. What is the most important thing to us? The spiritual! It's the priority in our life. The priority is God and fighting the fight.

Verse 41 – Then Peter said to Him, Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all the people?

Verse 42 – And the Lord said… Christ asks a question here... Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? So it's a question that He's asked. Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that He has. So Christ is saying here in the parable, well, who is the faithful and wise steward? Well, he'll be rewarded. Someone that is faithful to God and wise by implementing the truth into their life, by living wisdom, God says that He will make them ruler over all that He has. They will be resurrected to a role of rulership.

So it is important, brethren, that we stay focused on what is important.

Verse 45 – But if that servant says in his heart, this is his inner thinking in his mind, My master is delaying his coming… now, this is something that could happen to us on a spiritual level, that we could begin to think that things are being delayed – but they're not! ...and begins to beat, and that is virtually having ill-will towards others, because this “beating,” of course, is symbolic of murder or killing or ill-will. It's the same thing. It's an attitude that we have towards others ...and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk… now he's stopped focusing on what is important. We cannot stop the focus of looking at or examining our attitudes or our thoughts, our words, our actions. This person now has become lukewarm. He's let down because he's got a way of thinking. He's thinking, "Well, Christ has delayed His coming, therefore, I can just relax!" Well, no, this is not a time to relax! This is a time to step up the pace, to put God first as a priority, and stay focused spiritually by fighting against the inner thoughts that we have. This pride that we have, we're to battle it. And this servant here begins to beat his male and female servants; in other words, he's treating others badly. He's starting to think negatively towards them and he's now living life, eat and drink, he's now relaxing on a physical level. He shouldn't be relaxing on a physical level because you just don't know when things are going to change in your life. We should never be relaxed on a spiritual level. There is no time to relax.

Verse 46 – the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, in other words, he's relaxed and he's no longer aware spiritually, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. So on a spiritual level, brethren, we cannot be divided up and appointed to an unbeliever. We cannot become unbelievers! We believe in the return of Jesus Christ. We believe this is God's true Church. We believe that God has called us for a purpose, to be Elohim in the future, and the process, we understand and we believe it, which is one of overcoming self by the power of God's holy spirit.

Verse 47 – And that servant who knew his master’s will… well, brethren, we know God's will. We know that we are required to obey Him and put Him first in our life ...and did not prepare himself… well, that's a tragedy. Imagine not preparing ourselves for something that is going to happen. We're not preparing if we're not fighting our selfishness and our pride. If we stop the fight we are not preparing ourselves. Or by ignoring God's teachings, what God teaches us, what God instructs us to do, if we're ignoring God's teachings, we are not preparing ourselves. To prepare ourselves we are doing God's will ...or do according to His will, so the person is not preparing and he's not doing God's will. He's not being obedient, he's not serving others, he's not loving others... shall be beaten with many stripes. So there is a penalty to be paid. There is a spiritual penalty to be paid for letting down on a spiritual level.

Verse 48 – But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. So he was unaware. He did not know. But there was a punishment to be had because of that negligence, but because he didn't know, he can't be punished the same way. So if you're not called, you can't be punished the same way. For someone who has a calling, who knows what they're supposed to be doing and doesn't do them, well, that's terrible!

For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more. This parable really points to us, brethren. Those in the world cannot be held accountable to the same degree as us because they haven't been given much. They haven't been given anything in the sense on a spiritual level because they haven't been called to it. But everyone that has been called has been given much and God requires much from us. Because we have been given truth, we've been given a calling, we've been given understanding, and we've been given God's very character, much is required...much is required. And because it's been committed to us, members of the Body of Christ, the Church of God, much is going to be asked of us, and that is about remaining faithful, remaining diligent, and fighting the fight.

Great spiritual gifts from God mean great responsibilities. Greater gifts from God means greater responsibility. Well, brethren, we have a great responsibility that we carry. We are at this end-time member of the Body of Christ. We carry God's spirit in our thinking. Our bodies are just simply a vessel for the mind; they carry the mind around. Well, this is where God desires to dwell. God desires to dwell in our thinking! Our thinking is the most valuable thing! Our body is nothing! Our mind is everything! The spirit in man with God's spirit, that's what's important. The way we think, the inner motive, that's what God requires of us, is the right thinking that He will give us if we choose to be of God, if we choose to be in unity, if we seek God, if we follow God's word. So we have a great responsibility. We've been given 57 Truths. We have this responsibility. We've been given God's holy spirit – that is an enormous responsibility. Very few in this world have this responsibility. We've been given great gifts from God. So it is our responsibility and God requires it of us. God does require something from us, which is obedience and faithfulness.

Verse 49 – I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish, desire, it was already kindled! God's way of thinking will cause division within families. He said He's come to set a fire. So if we're called, yes, we're going to be different and it's going to be trouble. There is going to be division because of the calling, because we have a different mind! And Christ is saying here that He wished that it had already been kindled! Well, it's far better that more were called. "Let's get through this process! It's far better that it's started. We've got ahead of all this and the Millennium had started! Let's get on with it," is the intent that Christ is saying here, that more and more had been called, that more and more had been given the opportunity to enter Elohim, to enter the Body of Christ, to enter the Church where God could dwell in them. The desire of Christ is to have more that have access to enter Elohim, to have a relationship with God, that they had already had that opportunity now, "Let's get on with that process!"

Verse 50 – But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and He's talking about His suffering and death for all mankind, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished! So He's saying that, "I have been baptized. I've been appointed to this role." That's His role in life that God had appointed Him to and He had now the desire to get on with it. He didn't want it to be held back. He wanted it to be accomplished. He wanted it to be fulfilled. He wanted to get through it so that mankind could have a Passover sacrifice, so that sin could be forgiven. He knew what His role was.

Verse 51, He asks a question, Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. Now, if people believe God (which they don't), but if people did believe God and read God's word here through Christ, we would know that there is going to be lot's of trouble on the earth. Well, they can't understand this because it's spiritual and it's talking about when somebody has God's spirit, if they've been called out of this world, there is going to be problems, there is going to be division. Because two minds cannot walk together – a carnal mind and a spiritual mind cannot relate. They can relate about physical matters, but when it comes to motive and intent, when it comes to spiritual matters, the truth, God's word, they cannot be joined together. It's impossible! They are unequally yoked. That's what it is. They're unlevel; they can't pull together. They're not going to pull in the same direction because they can't. It's impossible. There is only going to be division because there are two separate minds – God's mind and the carnal mind.

Verse 52 – For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. Father will be divided against son, son against father, mother against daughter, daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law. Well, we know that has happened. That has actually happened in the Church of God at this very time. This is exactly what has happened. Well, Christ said it would happen. It's been happening through the eras of the Church, and guess what? To be God's Church, you know this is exactly what's going to happen, and if this is happening now, we know that Christ's word, God's word, is true. This is exactly what's happening.

Let's look at Ecclesiastes 10:14-19 – A fool also multiplies words. Now, what it's saying there is that a fool, somebody who does not have God's spirit, just talks the talk. He doesn't know what he's talking about. He doesn't know things on a spiritual level. He may just talk about things and thinking he knows things and carry on about what he thinks is spiritual. The churches of the world think they know what certain scriptures... Well, God says that's actually foolish.  A fool also multiplies words… he continues to talk about things he doesn't know and that he doesn't understand because he doesn't have God's spirit.

No man knows what is to be. Now, this is an incredible statement! None of us, brethren, know what is to be. We do not know what is going to happen tomorrow.

Continuing on there... Who can tell him what will be after him? We don't know what tomorrow brings. There is a particular story that I'd like to go through now, and I don't think I've got it right 100%. The original story, I'm sure it's slightly different than this, but I might have it 20-30% right. It's more about the principle. The principle is that we actually don't know what tomorrow brings. We just don't know! And this is what this scripture is saying here in Ecclesiastes, is that no man knows what is to be. So this foolish person will talk about all these things thinking he knows, and boasts about the future, and boasts about tomorrow, but nobody knows what tomorrow will bring. Nobody. Who can tell what will follow after a person? We don't know. We do not know what's going to follow after somebody when they die. We have no idea what is going to happen later on tonight or this afternoon or tomorrow. We just don't know.

So, I 'd like to tell you this story, and like I said, I don't really believe I've got it 100% right, that it's more the principle of the story or the moral of the story that is important. It just reinforces the fact that we just don't know what will be tomorrow.

There was a farmer and his son and they had this particular farm and they wanted to plow the field. The young man's in his twenties. He's a young man. The farmer went off and bought a horse, bought a stallion, and brought it back to his property. The neighbour came over and said, "Wow, this is good! This is good that you've got a horse now that can pull the plow and plow the field. This is good!" And the farmer turned around and said, "It could be good or it could be bad." And the neighbour didn't understand what he said and he walked away. Well, that night the stallion jumped the fence and ran off into the bush after all the different wild horses. And the neighbour came over the next day and said, "Oh, this is terrible! Your horse has jumped the fence and it's run off! Now you don't have a horse to plow the field!" And the farmer turned around to the neighbour and said, "It could be good or it could be bad." Months later, the horse came back, the stallion came back, and brought back 4-5 other mares and foals. And the neighbour came over and said to the farmer, "Wow! This is exciting! This is good!" And the farmer said, "It could be good or it could be bad." And later on that month the young man was riding the horse, one of the mares, trying to break the mare in to ensure it could pull a plow and to make sure that it could be ridden, and he fell off and broke his leg. And the neighbour came over again and said to the farmer, "This is bad! This is bad that your son's broken his leg." And the farmer turned around and said, "It could be good or it could be bad." Well, the next day the army came through and were recruiting young men for war, and turned up to the farmer's house and saw the young man who had a broken leg. So the young man couldn't go off to war and the neighbour came over again and said, "Wow! What's happened?" And he said, "Well, my son hasn't been taken off to war," and therefore, it's good for the farmer.

So the reality is, we just don't know what tomorrow brings. It could be good. So decisions that we make could be good, could be bad. We can only base them on using God's word as our guide and then making the decisions, making the choice based on what we know at the time, and that decision could be good or it could be bad – and I'm talking on a physical level, could be good on a physical level, could be bad on a physical level based on perception – but the reality is we know that all things work together for good on a spiritual level. So whenever we make a decision on a physical level, it could be good on a physical level, it could turn out bad on a physical level. But we know it's going to work for good because God will be with us with that decision and He will work with us on a spiritual level. And if things go good for us, what we perceive to be “good,” does that mean to say that it's going to be of a spiritual benefit to us? Well, maybe, maybe not. Maybe it going bad could be a better spiritual outcome for us.

So we should be very careful about what we think is good and bad because some things that we think are good are not necessarily good for us on a spiritual level, and some things that we think are bad, by perception on a physical level, are actually the best thing that could actually happen to us. So the moral of that story is things could be good, things could be bad. We just simply do not know what tomorrow brings. And that's what Ecclesiastes is virtually saying there in verse 14, that we just don't know what tomorrow brings and it's foolish to go off and to sprout off and to talk about all the things of what are going to happen because we just don't know. All we can do is plan on the physical level, but we can plan on the spiritual, and we can hope on the spiritual. That's what we can do. We can plan and hope at the same time, plan and hope on the spiritual, plan and hope on the physical, and join the two together with the dominance, the priority being the spiritual.

Verse 15 – The labour of fools, and that is someone that is considered “stupid, dull, dull in thinking, simpleton,” another one is “arrogant,” wearies them, “the labour of fools.” Somebody who thinks that they should work hard, that they should set priorities, that they should plan, “it wearies them.” It's all too much effort. This is labour. This is work – planning is work because you have to stop and think about it. For they do not even know how to go to a city! In other words, it's all just too hard. Effort is required.

Now, on a spiritual level we are stupid and we're arrogant if we do not put forth the effort to walk in the truth. We are foolish if we are not battling the self. To know God's way of life is just an incredible blessing. Well, we're foolish if we don't implement it into our lives. So to know all these things. To know the truth, to know the 10 Commandments, to know the way to the Kingdom of God... to know the way to the Kingdom of God is incredible, but to a fool, to a spiritual fool, it's all too hard; it's just so much effort. Well, we've been called to put in effort. We are to seek diligently the Kingdom of God. We are to walk with our lamp lit, burning by the power of God's holy spirit, and we are to walk in the truth. We're to walk in the truth, and we are to put forth effort by battling the natural carnal mind.

And God's oil, the power of God's holy spirit, God's holy spirit will empower us. The symbolic nature of the lamp and the oil is that we can see where we are walking! We can see where we're walking! And that's what the truth is about, that's what the sermons are about, that's what God's way of life is about. It's about showing the way to walk, to walk on the path of righteousness. “Narrow is the way” we're walking. The path is very narrow! It's tight; it's narrow! It's not broad! And it won't lead to destruction. The path that we are on leads to life, but we have to walk on it with the lamp lit and brightly lit, which is the truth, which is God's law, God's Commandment, showing us the way to walk, the way to think – the way to think. What is right, what is wrong in our thinking. And whenever we see the temptation to change direction, to go off on to the broad path that leads to death, we're to discipline the self by the power of God's holy spirit and stay on the path, stay in the truth, stay with the truth, stay with God, stay with a relationship with God – stay in the truth! Isn't that a wonderful scripture because it reveals much. You know, “the labour of a fool,” he doesn't want to put in the effort. It's all too hard. It wearies them. It's too much effort. And even though you want to know the way to go to the city, brethren, it's not too hard. God has called us to walk, to go to the city. We know how to go there. If we're lazy we're going to lose our way and we're going to walk off on another path that will lead to our destruction.

Verse 16 – Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, and your princes feast in the morning! Well, the problem here it's saying that if we're immature spiritually there is going to be problems in our life because we're not applying and we don't have the knowledge, we don't have the wisdom, we don't have the understanding that is needed to rule ourselves. This is talking on a physical level here. It's talking about a land or a country when the king is young, is only a child. Well, the king is only a kid. It can't think, it can't reason, it can't make wise decisions. And it also says here, “your princes,” which are some that are older, “are feasting in the morning.” They're not taking diligent heed to governing. They're just having a party! They're just enjoying life. They're feasting, and it's out of season! There is a time to feast; it's called God's Feast days. Well, here they are on a physical level not paying attention. They're not caring about what's happening at all, and the young child is immature. So on a spiritual level it's all pointing to being immature.

So we have this opportunity, brethren, that we don't need to be immature spiritually because God is feeding us. We can grow spiritually by the power of God's spirit, and He's given us an opportunity. And we don't feast at the wrong times. We feast at the right times! We have to have the right priority. Because this is what these young princes are doing. They've got a wrong priority; they're putting them self first. Whereas, we're not. We're going to put God first. Here the princes are focused on pleasing themselves and feasting at the wrong time. We know, brethren, we're not going to please ourselves. We are going to please God. We are going to place God first and we're going to feast at the right time. And we're not going to be immature on a spiritual level because we have 57 Truths that God has given us, and we have God's law. We have the 10 Commandments that God has given us. So we don't have to be immature, and therefore, we can govern ourselves correctly by the power of God's spirit.

Because this is what this is about, this is about governing. Woe to you, O land. Well, woe to us, brethren, if we don't govern ourselves by the power of God's holy spirit. God has given us such great riches, such great riches. He has given us the power. He's given us the lamp – and He's given us the lamp, of course, God's word has been given to us – He's given us His holy spirit to light the lamp. Well, we can govern ourselves by the power of God's holy spirit. Well, here it is it says, woe to those who don't, because they can't, because they're too young and they've got a wrong priority, a wrong focus.

Well, we're not young, brethren. We are not young spiritually. We are not young spiritually. We're not immature spiritually, and we're not feasting at the wrong time. We are staying focused on what is important.

Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles, and your princes feast at the proper time— and why do they do that? Why are they doing that? For strength and not for drunkenness! So this is about having a right motive and a right intent. And if we do, blessings will follow.

So we are the sons of nobles. Well, who is our King, brethren? Who is our King? God the Father is our King. Yahweh Elohim is our King! And Jesus Christ has been appointed as King of kings, so he is over us as well as a King, and we are the sons of nobles. We are begotten sons of God! That's us, brethren! And we are feasting at the proper time! God's appointed times is when we feast. And why do we do it? We do it for spiritual strength! We come before God on Sabbath and commanded assemblies, the High Days, because of spiritual food, and that spiritual food will give us spiritual strength. And we don't do it for drunkenness, not for selfishness; we do it for the ability to love others, the ability to serve others, which is powered by the power of God's holy spirit. Isn't that an incredible scripture when we understand it? We are begotten sons of God. We are begotten sons of a KING! We've been appointed as heirs, heirs of a promise. Jesus Christ has inherited it. We are to follow. And we do all this for spiritual strength! We are here listening to the Sabbath sermon for spiritual strength. We are feasting today on food, spiritual food from God. It's just a wonderful thing to understand. So from this, we can take out the motivation and the intent is to obey God and put God first.

Verse 18 – Because of laziness the building decays, and through idleness of hands the house leaks. Well, we look at that on a physical level. Yes, it's because of laziness that the building will become old and decay and often you drive past the house and you think, "Wow! It's a pity they let that house go so far, that they didn't have running repairs on it or do maintenance or try to continue to maintain and improve that house," because it goes so far that nobody can repair it, it's so broken. And it's through laziness of hands, this “idleness of hands,” the house leaks, the roof leaks. So things penetrate through because there's a small hole there. They should have maintained it. They’re too lazy, they're idle, they didn't fix it. Now, the house is being destroyed. And it goes so far that it can't be redeemed.

Well, on a spiritual level, same principle applies. If we are spiritually lazy, our building, our minds, will decay. They will decay. And through idleness of hands, with no effort of putting God first, no setting of plans and priorities on a spiritual level, the house leaks. Our mind will be penetrated by demonic thoughts, satanic thoughts, wrong motives, wrong attitudes, ill-will. So it's this laziness, this spiritual laziness – yes, it's because of this spiritual laziness, the fact that we won't seek, diligently acquire and seek for God, to put God first in our life, that we won't battle, our building, our mind will decay. And it will get to a point that if we neglect it for so long, it cannot be redeemed. It cannot be saved in this lifetime because it's decayed so far. God has gone because of our laziness, because of our lack of effort. God cuts off the flow of His holy spirit because we're not willing to repent of sin, and therefore, the building will decay and it will go too far. And it's only by a miracle, God intervening into our life to awaken somebody (or even to call them is the miracle), that the building can be restored. But other than that, our building can be falling apart, can be decaying.

And the question is, brethren, is our building decaying? Is our building decaying? Is it leaking? Are we letting things into our minds – stupid things of the world? Are we letting those things in? Are we letting wrong attitudes into our mind? Are they penetrating because we're not maintaining our building? ...not being on guard? ...not keeping the roof sealed? Because keeping the roof sealed, we can look at that on a physical level, but on a spiritual level we can look at it and say, “Well, we're guarding our minds. We're watching if anything comes into our thoughts, and we're rejecting it. We're keeping the roof sealed – our minds.” So let's not be lazy, brethren.

So if we are lazy on a spiritual level and do not plan our life around the spiritual first, as a priority, damage will be the result. Damage! Because if we haven't got spiritual priorities, our house will leak. In other words, things will enter our minds and cause us damage! There is only one way to think and it's God's way. And if we are allowing other things to enter into our mind – Mr. Weinland's often said about, you know, if you consume garbage, you're only going to get sick. If we allow garbage into the mind, what will happen? Garbage into the mind, garbage out of the mouth, because it's about what we think. So the more that we can meditate, as David did, on the 10 Commandments, the more that we can put God first in our life and meditate on God's way of life, we're protecting ourselves. We're not consuming garbage, we're consuming healthy food.

Verse 19 – A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes merry; but money answers everything. Well, in this world’s system money answers man's problems – for a while... for a while. Well, money doesn't answer all our problems. We have to have money to live life, but it's not our priority. We know that feasting makes for laughter – yes, the world can relax and enjoy themselves and feast and neglect God, and “wine makes merry” – yes, wine, consuming the wine of the world, the false doctrines of the world, can make merry because there is no care for anything. And they use money for the purpose of acquiring and building self up. That's what the world does, but we don't. Money does not buy what is truly valuable. Money cannot buy God's spirit. Money cannot buy anything from God. What is valuable is what God has provided His Church on a spiritual level – the truth and His holy spirit which enables understanding and wisdom.

So from these scriptures, brethren, we can see that the most important thing is the truth and God's holy spirit. We know the way to walk. We know we have to earn a living, but we need to be careful to make sure we live it in a balanced way and our priority is God first.

There is one small thing I'd like to finish off on this Part 2 with, which is a question. In Part 1 we talked about reading Psalm 119. Now the question would be: Did we go back and read any of Psalm 119? Did we? If not, why not? So if we didn't go back and read any of Psalm 119, why would that be so? Why would we not go back and read Psalm 119? If we did not, what is the excuse we have tabled in our minds? So what is it that we're now thinking that says, "So I didn't go back and read Psalm 119 because...?"

So with that, brethren, I'll finish off Part 2, and it looks like there is going to be a Stay Focused – Part 3.