The Virtue of Truth, Pt. 3

Ron Weinland

April 2, 2016

"Afternoon," to everyone. Beautiful Sabbath out there today. Nice as we get close to the Passover period and spring starts kicking in and the trees are starting to all of a sudden have leaves on them. Beautiful outside. Anyway, hopefully we don't get a real strong cold snap before Passover is here; with it planning the way it did this year, we probably won't, so that's good. Have a couple of announcement's here – going to be rather long

But by this time, I imagine, that several of you have noticed that we're once again setting up Church visits to some of the different areas by Laura and myself. So these are beginning to be placed on the post site. And you can look for those but I'll mention a few right now. Our first trip will be to Columbia, Missouri after the Sabbath of… What did I say, "after" for? No, that area for the Sabbath of April the 9th. And then on the Last, or the seventh day of Unleavened Bread, April 29th, and the weekly Sabbath that follows on April 30th we'll be in the Dallas Texas area. We are trying to set up a date for Richmond, Virginia, and hoping for May the 14th, but that's not set yet so don't count on that totally. But I thought I'd just mention it.

We do have a visit for the 28th of May scheduled for the Detroit area. And also, I thought I'd mention on the Sabbath of June 11th and Pentecost of June 12th we'll be in the Phoenix, AZ area. And again, not on the site but (we still need to secure reservations first), but we are also planning a weekly Sabbath visit on July 2nd that's scheduled for the Spokane, WA area. And then in the Minneapolis, MN area on July 23rd. So I'll just give those for now, but once they're on the site they're definitely set as far as the schedules are concerned and so forth. So I thought I'd just mention a few extras there so some of you could be thinking ahead and planning about, for some of those.

Anyway, I do want to go back and mention the scheduling for sermons and the times for the Passover period that's coming up. It's going to be a little bit different in how we have to do this, and I'll probably have to repeat this several times, but anyway, we'll get more information out later. But for now we're planning on doing a live Passover service for the Cincinnati area that will be on the webcast, that will be webcast as well, just like a sermon each Sabbath. So I'm going to be doing a live webcast for Passover, and that's only for the eastern part of the United States (in other words, eastern time zone), and also the corresponding areas up in Canada. So you're the only ones that will be able to listen to a live Passover service. Everyone else in all the other time zones and everywhere else in the world will have to click on to the site, download the Passover service that we'll have there that we've been using, and anyway, it's just about the only way we can do that. And candidly, the Passover service really doesn't change very much at all year by year by year because we must go through the same things, as a whole, as the focus everyone needs to have for taking of the Passover service. And so there's very little change of things that might be said from year to year in that anyway. But anyway, again, just to let you know that it will be a live webcast in the Eastern Time Zone of the U.S. And we'll announce the times on some of those things later.

Now, for the first day of Unleavened Bread in the U.S. and Canada. I'll be giving a live sermon and at the same time and in the same manner as we do on the Sabbath. So again, same time. In other words, 2:30 Eastern. And on the first day of Unleavened Bread those in New Zealand, Australia, and Europe will be listening to a sermon given by Wayne Matthews. So again, that's New Zealand, Australia, and Europe will be able to download the sermon for that first day of Unleavened Bread, again, given by Wayne Matthews. Then the following Friday, on the seventh and last day of Unleavened Bread those of New Zealand, Australia, and Europe will be able to listen to the sermon that I give on the first Holy Day. So that's going to be recorded, obviously, and then the following High Day everyone that didn't listen to it in New Zealand, Australia, and Europe will be able to that particular day. Then those in the U.S. and Canada will be able to listen to the Unleavened Bread sermon given by Wayne Matthews on that particular day. Does that make sense? On the seventh day. So others will listen to it the first time.

And maybe we can send this out by email to everyone because some of you have blank looks on your face. So anyway, hopefully you're catching most of it, but again, just to start getting this out there so people can begin planning accordingly and get it in their mind as far as what they're doing.

So as an example, in the Dallas area when we're there for the seventh day of Unleavened Bread we'll be listening to the sermon given by Wayne Matthews, as everyone else will be. And we'll be meeting that morning in the Dallas area at 11:00 am. Now, we're changing the time on that seventh day because it's on a Friday. And a lot of other areas can choose, if you want to, to do the same thing. So you need to talk about these things in the different areas because…. Huh? My wife is… I can't hear you. Already have it here for 11:00? Okay. So it's already set here? Does everybody know that, or not? Nobody knows? Okay, anyway, I just wanted to make sure. So it's already set here for 11:00 on that particular day, I guess, Friday. And the reason for that is because Friday's can be horrible in large cities for traffic. By the time, if you had services at 2:30, got out at 4:30, 5:00, or whatever, and you hit the highways, it's a nightmare. So that's why a lot of areas are likely going to choose to meet in the morning and not have to worry about that. And so that's why we're doing that in the Dallas area and you can do that because it's a pre-recorded sermon given by Wayne Matthews. So, again, that's on the last day of Unleavened Bread.

Then on the next day, the weekly Sabbath, everything returns back to normal. I'll be giving a live sermon there in the Dallas area at 2:30 pm eastern; Dallas, of course central time, 1:30 pm. So everything gets back to normal also in all the other areas. They'll be able to catch up then on the sermon before the Holy Days there that they haven't heard in Australia, New Zealand, and Europe. They all understand that, I think.

Anyway, I wanted to get those announcements out there to start thinking about the Holy Days that are coming upon us.

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Today we're going to continue with Part 3 of The Virtue of Truth, the virtue of truth that we're focusing on.

We have covered how that truth that is given from God to His Church is His Word, and when combined with the power of His spirit to communicate that truth or Word to us in our minds, and when combined in our mind with the power of the holy spirit that God has given to us already, that it becomes life to us. It is the light spoken of in scripture. So that is our life. It is a spiritual life. It is one where we're able to grow by on a spiritual plane because of what's taking place in the transforming of the mind. So because it is God's truth we've been focusing upon the context, again, of the virtue of truth.

And in the beginning I mentioned to everyone to look up the word "virtue" and to think about what's being said in this particular series. And I'm going to give some of that which reflects what virtue is, according to definition and especially in the context that this is from God. Because His truth, His Word, it's from Him, and so the definitions oftentimes used have to do with "good character, strong moral quality, excellence (and excellence), righteousness." All these things reflect God, and that's why we're focusing upon truth in that context. And there are several synonyms that describe the word as well, that describe virtue. Again, "goodness, righteousness, morality, integrity, dignity, honor, nobility, purity," and more. And especially when we're talking about God these things ought to strike home that much more, have that much more meaning to us, be that much more important to us.

And again, as a reminder once again, the question at the beginning of this series was: How much do you value truth that God has placed before you and given to you? And the reason for asking that is because as has been mentioned, because of our human nature, that actually tends to devalue. And we probably still, in many ways, don't think that we do that. But please understand, that is exactly what happened to Laodicea! That is exactly what took place in God's Church. And it can happen and it does happen and it is happening again. On a smaller plane, not in the same way, but there are times when we must be stirred up, where God wants us to become stirred up more in the power of His holy spirit, and this came across very strong today, again, and I know where it comes from, that God has given it. That the part of the warning in this is that because there is and has been a part of a Laodicea spirit again, it is something we need to recognize and need to fight against. Because it does happen. It happens periodically.

That attitude and that spirit has existed from the beginning of the Church. It happened to Ephesus. But that wasn't primarily what they were noted for, or known by. And neither is it for us, as well. But it is a warning. And that's why we talked about some of those things in the beginning, those warnings, those things that God gave, that Jesus Christ gave to John about the various Church eras. Those things, although there may be a specific era and that primary message is to that era because that describes them more than any other, still there are lessons having to do with all seven eras that we can glean from. And right now currently for us, though we are strengthened by faith and strong in those beliefs that we have concerning prophetic things that God has given to us and what is taking place – and as you get farther into the book (more carrots), more is going to come out about these seven eras that God has given to us.

Seven end-time prophetic 1260 day periods, if you will. That is awesome to understand! To me it's so incredibly awesome to understand the fifty days addition toward the end, and then seventy in the beginning – in the first five, I'm sorry, in the first five prophetic periods, and then the seventy days that were mixed in there, Christ's coming. Always synonymous with that. And then the two more that are added, number six and number seven, and fifty days there. And then to understand from Pentecost – or, I'm sorry, from Wave Sheaf to the Pentecost… These things are so incredible! You can't put this together! Those things are there! And they cry out, they truly do, in a very powerful way. But because of what we have gone through, because of what we have experienced, and because of all that God has given to us and the length of time that has passed because of that as well, there is a spirit that we have to be on guard against. And that's why we've been told to be watchful, to be alert, to be on guard before this.

And now we're going through this about the virtues of truth, and to understand that sometimes we can begin to lose or minimize or take away from the magnitude and the importance of what God has given to us. It can become a norm for us. It can get to a point where we don't think about it but it is a response we have in our lives, that we've been given so much that we can feel rich and increased with goods. And that's a horribly dangerous state. I lived through it. Several of you lived through it. You know what takes place in life. You know what takes place in the Church. You know what takes place in the mind. Because those of us who have lived through that, those of us who lived up to the time of the Apostasy saw what it lead to, saw what came of that. And God isn't going to allow that to happen to us, as a body. God isn't going… That's the good news. That's awesome good news! There's not going to be another repetition of something that happened back then and what can happen to His Body, a remnant. But nevertheless, if we get to a point, which we are, of needing to address something about a specific era, which we are, then we need to address it and get on, repent, and get on with what God wants us to get on with, an incredible work that's coming. So we have a lot to do. A lot is coming. But we need to be prepared for it. We need to be ready for it. This is exactly why we're going through these things right now.

So again, let's go back here to some of these things and focus on where we left off last week and understand the seriousness of why these messages. Everything that God gives to us is timely, and especially when there are things that He wants us to see because of our spiritual state. It becomes more timely, more needful. And His desire is to pour out more of His spirit upon us to give us more of His spirit so that we can grow more so that we can become stronger so that we're not just, as you go through Chapter 6 and you understand more fully what I'm talking about when I'm talking about the kind of faith that we've been able to live by as a body, but we also have covered 1 Corinthians 13 and scriptures that speak of though we have such great faith, though we are able to believe and see certain things, that if we don't have love, (agape) to the level and same kind of level in our lives, what do we have? Because that's what it's about. And much of what we're talking about here has to do with a relationship with God, a relationship with Jesus Christ, and (if we understand it) a relationship with one another. It's a very powerful message that's coming through this year and it's going to continue on through the days of Unleavened Bread.

So again, things we need to see and understand. And certainly, timely, again, because of the Passover season's upon us and because of what God wants us to see. And there are things we need to address, and then get on with things, get on with growing, get on with the work that is before us. But we have to be ready for it. We have to be prepared for it.

So last Sabbath we zeroed in on #4, the beginning of Philadelphia, the 4th truth, the 1st one, in that respect, of 18 that came through Mr. Armstrong as God began to work with him and use him in a very powerful way to restore truth in the Church. Because we saw, we reviewed what happened to Sardis. They became known, basically, as being dead. It says there were a few in Sardis over all that period of time, whatever it was, and it appears that it was very likely around 300 years, a period that went through there, somewhere in there. And whatever that was, that period of time, by the time it got to the end there wasn't much left. We looked at three basic foundational truths. Most everything else had been lost.

And so, again, God raised up Mr. Armstrong to, again, prepare the Church for the end, because if those things hadn't happen, we wouldn't be here today. If God hadn't done, accomplished, fulfilled what He did through Mr. Armstrong there wouldn't be a one of us here today. We wouldn't have all that that we needed in order to be able to survive at this point in time. Nor would we have even made it through the Apostasy, let alone to the Apostasy as a Church.

So again, the government of God. We spoke about that, of being that first one. And I still marvel as I look at that one there and I think about that one there. It covers so much about our lives, and sometimes we just don't "see" it as being government. It's what governs our lives. It's the power of God that governs our lives, that we yield and submit ourselves to, that we choose and want to live by. We see it, when we think about it oftentimes, in the form of government within the Church – there is a structure – but it's in families as well. It's in society. It's in the world, and especially within the Church and what we're to live by. But again, awesome!

Let's just spend a little bit of time here and go through a couple of scriptures here. Ephesians 4, because this is about the government within the Church. But you know what? When is government really needed? When is government really needed in one's life when you talk about government? When you talk about God's government? Well, as we grow and as we become stronger in spirit – especially once we're in Elohim – it's just the way the Body functions. It's the way the family will function without thought. It will be automatic. There won't be any thought in the sense of concern or jealousies or envyings or need to submit, because it'll just be the way we want to live our lives. It'll be automatic. God the Father and Jesus Christ and then whatever structure is under that, that's just the way we're going to function. That's just the way we're going to live. It's going to be automatic. And there won't be the need to correct within that government. There won't be the need, like for the reason we as human beings have government and need government in our life. When we think about government so often it's when that way of life, or whatever it is that's being governed, doesn't yield to that government. And then there can be problems and there can be difficulties. Just like within the Church, if someone resists God then there's a need for government to be exercised in the sense of order, in the sense of correction, or whatever it might be. But that won't exist in the God Family. Isn't that awesome? It just won't exist! Our minds will be in total unity and harmony with God. To me that's an awesomely beautiful thing. Beautiful peace. Perfect peace. Because when people aren't in unity with God's government, when they aren't in unity of governing their own lives by the way of life God said to live, then there's an absence of peace. And the more that that's resisted and the less that government is lived by the greater that peace is absent or there is rebellion, or there is evil or whatever.

But let's take the time today just for our benefit as a body, as a Church to think about some of these things. Ephesians 4:11, because every once in a while we actually need to look at this in our own lives, because if we aren't living this perfectly, beautifully – not that we can, we can't – but we should strive to. And the more in unity and harmony we are with God with this, then the more we will be able to be in unity and harmony with God in other areas of how our lives are governed and how we govern our lives. Because this is the one that sticks out that we should be able to see. But if we can't see it, then there are other areas in our lives we are just fully missing out on and can't even begin to grasp and comprehend. It begins by being able to see this structure that God has given to the Church.

Verse 11—God's government within the Church: And he gave some, apostles; some, prophets; some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers. Now, this is an order, as it talks about even in Corinthians, but here, again, it is an order and it shows a structure that God has given for the purpose of working with the Church, of helping the Church, of helping the Church to grow. That's what it's there for. It's what can help to govern our lives in a way in harmony and unity with God. So as we yield to that process then we function properly as a body, because nothing resists it. And there's a lot just said there, but again, it's going to depend upon where we are to what we see and what we grasp in what's being said.

And so here this is varied as far as, maybe, some of the structure or some of the things that happen when you talk about teachers, pastors. In Worldwide we had a different, somewhat of a different structure as far as when you talk about teachers or pastors caring for the Church and how it was cared for. But as a whole when it came down to teachers or those who would help and work to do a ministry in whatever was given to them to accomplish, then they might have had different names. We had different types of what we called different types of ordinations, in that respect, within that area. There were elders; there were local elders. We had a distinction there. A local elder would be someone in a local congregation. Elders, basically, without being called "local elders" were generally those who were working for, in essence (by "employee") the church, and they would be sent to different areas and so forth. And then after that we had different things – preaching elders, as an example. And you know, it's been so far back now I've forgotten some of these. Pastors, again, and on and on it went. And even within that sometimes they had what they called "regional pastors." It's kind of a structure like we've used a little bit and coming to understand even an ability to better serve when it comes to senior elders and how certain things are handled. And anyway, on and on it goes. But it has to do with an order of things and what people recognize and how we look upon what God has given to us to help the Church, to work with the Church.

For the perfecting of the saints, this is the reason why, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ. Whatever that work is that God is doing, that He's given to the Church to be accomplished at a particular time, and whatever has been given as guidance and direction that goes out throughout the body. That's just how it works. And choices, decisions, things have to be decided, to be determined. And God works with those things to help things to be done within a body to serve, to minister the Church. That's what it's about. And for the purpose, again here, Till we all come in the unity of the faith. Look at what we've lived through! I think of what I have lived through since 1969. "Till we all come into the unity of the faith." And what I lived through was a deterioration of the unity of the faith, because I came in at a particular time, in 1969, probably at the height, if you will, of unity. In 1970, 1971, still within the height of unity. But things were beginning to break down.

And by 1972 God did something to help bring that to the surface so that it could be seen by Mr. Armstrong. Because as he guided and directed and worked with the Church, had the oversight under Jesus Christ of the Church, there were things going on that he needed to be able to see from time to time. Because, you see, by the time you get that large there is no way on earth one individual can know what's going on in the church! That's why we have learned such a great lesson, that this is not the answer for this world! The church is not the answer, in the sense of governing within the world. That's why God's Kingdom has to come! Because it is a perfect government. Because those of the 144,000 who are with Jesus Christ, that's perfection – total, absolute unity with God – where there can never be, there will never be (because of God's spirit and because of what they've come to and because of what they've been born into) will never have a spirit of rebellion, will never have a spirit of divisiveness, will never have a spirit of jealousy or envy. Those things will not exist! And that's the only way you can guarantee. I think of Mr. Armstrong saying that over and over again. The one thing that can be trusted – God. Fully, 100%, always. Because with human beings, there are weaknesses. Always have been, always will be.

And so, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, so that we can grow, become stronger. It's a part of a process. It's what God gave and what Jesus Christ has given by God's power and authority to give to the Church, to work with and mold and fashion most of the 144,000, candidly, and for the edifying of the Body of Christ. Because it is about the Body of Christ, obviously.

Till we all come in to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, so again, a unity of faith, knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, matured spiritually. So that we come to that point in time where we are sealed, can become sealed as far as God being able to say to us as He did to Abraham, "Now I know you." There are certain things in life. That's why we've talked about in times past, not too long now, recently in posts and different things that have come out and talking about the importance of this process and that there are things we go through in life that bring things to the surface so they can be seen. And God knows everything that goes on in our life, everything we think, but He doesn't work to control those things. And the reality is that there are certain things in life that tell where we are. That's why I look forward to you reading on into the chapter. You would get more out of what I'm saying right now. And so there's a process we go through. And God gives us an ability to "see" things, to grow in things. Again, you have to wait.

But again, this matter of growing and this matter of maturing as a Body. But there are those things that God will use to bring to the surface and reveal exactly where we are. Because, you see, there are certain things that have to happen in your life where we go through trials and tests that force us to make a choice and a decision. We have to make it right then and there, or soon afterwards. Because if it takes a while we have to repent and come into unity with God – that's the choice – or we don't come into unity with God. But as a whole, if we can make a decision quickly because we're in unity with God whatever that trial is it will reveal where we are. (Wasn't planning on going into some of this.)

But anyway, I think of the example (let me put my little sticky tab here)… I think of the example (and I've told this before), but it's so important. I think of the time when the Apostasy was upon us and I asked two elders in the area we were in to come into a meeting, because I was sending in a resignation letter and I knew what was going to happen in the church. I wasn't going to be the pastor there any longer and the Church was going to need them. Because they weren't resigning, I was. They were in the local ministry, local elders, and it was going to be expedient upon them because of what I was going to do, that those individuals would stand firm and stand tall for the truth.

And so I talked to them and discussed this with them and I explained to them, "This is going to happen right now. And you don't have time. You've got to decide where you stand." Now, I… See, I didn't know where they stood because I'd already seen a lot of things happening. I didn't know, fully, where they stood. I believed, I actually thought that they surely were of one mind and still with us, but that's the reason I was having this discussion with them, because of what was coming and because of care and concern for the flock and the Body that was there. And so I told them, "You don't have time, because as soon as I send this in the Church is going to look to you as well. What are you going to do? And I can tell you right now, Mr. Tkach is going to look to you to the same thing and is going to expect you to support him and follow what he's saying. That's what he's going to do. But I'm telling you that, in essence, that I am expecting you and asking you to continue on with what we've been given." That was what was there.

Now, amazing! They thought I'd just chewed them out when I told them those things. That's what the story went out. I'd chewed them out. I'd been hard on them. And because I was so hard on them, well, they're going to stay with what's coming in the church and, you know, Mr. Tkach and what they're saying. And they're going to accept that and support that and you can just go off and do whatever you're going to do. They didn't stand up for the Church. The Church couldn't see an example of a ministry standing strong, of individuals. But you see, it was that moment in time that tried them. Because they didn't know what they were going to do until that moment in time. They didn't fully know yet their own selves what they were going to do until it was told to them, in essence, "This is the time and you have to make a decision." That's awesome! It was hard for them. It was trying for them because it was trying for the Church. Look what happened to the Church.

But that hit everybody in the Church, didn't it? There came a time at some point in time within the Apostasy everybody had to come to a point in time of making choices and decisions. What are you going to do? And candidly, most of the people who did remain, who wanted to continue on with what God had given through Mr. Armstrong, the vast majority of those made choices and decisions not because they were convicted of the truth and because they were convicted of the truths, the 18 Truths that God gave through Mr. Armstrong and the three before that still had by Sardis (21 Truths) – they did it because of where family members went and where they were drawn to. It wasn't because of conviction that this is where God is working and this is what God is doing. They made it by other decisions. They made choices. And they were judged accordingly by God. Now, some were able to repent as time went on and God began to awaken people and draw people to Him, and people were able to begin (a small group of people) to be able, they would be able to begin repenting of some of those things.

So again, you have to make your choices and decisions because you are convicted that this is true. These truths, are they are God? And if they are, then we must be deeply convicted and supportive of them no matter what comes along in life. And that's what happened at the Apostasy. Not many were really that convicted by the time the Apostasy came. Sad.

So certain trials will come along to try people, that they don't even know what choice they're going to make until they're hit with it. How many times have you had certain things happen in your life that you really didn't know certain things that you might do until it really came to that point. Awesome, if we can understand the mind and how God works with us and how God draws us and calls us and so forth.

So, again, until we all come in the unity of the faith. So important. A unity of belief, of what God has given to us, unto the measure of the stature and the stature of the fullness of Christ. That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine. I think of after the Apostasy – wave after wave after wave after wave of battles, of people being tossed to and fro. See, that's the importance of a unified body from the top down as far as structure is concerned – oneness of mind, oneness with God, unity with God, belief in the things that God has given to us and holding firm to those things. And the desire for that then is to help the Body. And there was a great awesome need at that particular time to help the Body just to see, "Hold fast to this!"

I remember some of the first things God gave to us as a Body, as a remnant. Passover. It's one of the first things. You know why? Because all of a sudden people were coming out of the woodwork with these pet ideas they had in the past about 14/15th Passover or just a 15th Passover like the Jews. Because, after all, "Surely we can learn from the Jews! I mean, they're Jews and the know God. They've had this Old Testament for a long time, you know, and they knew Hebrew!" I've had ministers even tell me that, "Do you know Hebrew?" "Well, no, I can't speak it, but I can study into it and I can tell you exactly what it says!" Anyway, sorry. 14/15th Passover. That was a battle that lasted for several years. And people needed protecting from it. I didn't even realize how important it was until we came… There were people asking, "Why you keep going into this 14/15th thing?" And I had to say, "Well, that's because that's what God's giving me," you know. And now I understand why. Because it's the beginning of everything, as you're going to hear on the first day of Unleavened Bread. Again, again, and again – that everything begins with Passover! And if we don't get that we can't go on into the rest of God's plan! And so wave after wave of doctrines came long in the Church after that, and all for this purpose – so that we're not tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine that comes along! Even from people who were once a part of the Body of Christ who had gone off in left field. And so that's why it's here, to lead, to guide, to direct us, to nurture us, to help us to grow spiritually. Because that's how God works. And it's a process of governing our lives. And we submit ourselves to it because we want that to govern our lives, God's way, His truth. His truth to govern our lives.

So again …carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and their cunning craftiness. I just think of different things I read from different ministers who used to preach and teach about Passover and Unleavened Bread and then Pentecost. I think of one, one time, we were driving back from Missouri and I was reading on and someone else was driving, someone else who left the ministry – all these memories of things that come back. They were driving the vehicle and I was reading this thing from someone who was well known in a particular area over a different group and going on about Pentecost and some of these ideas of Pentecost. And I'd already read a bunch of kooky, weird, outlandish, stupid, ignorant, dumb, sick things about what some ministers, past ministers were saying about Pentecost and some of the different ideas about it. I got so upset at one time – kind of shocked him – because I took the papers and I threw them down on the dashboard of the vehicle. I was sick and tired of reading it! Thinking, "How sick is this, that you can twist and distort God's word like this?!" Anyway… cunning craftiness. Because it catches most if people start dieting on it, if they start dieting on that which is divisive, if they start dieting on things. And that's what was taking place. People were trying to build bridges. That's what you want to do – build a bridge between the keeping of the right Passover over to those on the other side who want to keep the 14/15th. That's the kind of bridge you want to build, isn't it?

Anyway, I'm sorry, but these things stir me up because of what it does to God's people – thinking you can build a bridge to something that doesn't, isn't in unity and oneness with God? How? How dumb is that? How sick is that? To mean you're going to let down in truth and what you believe because you want to have a fellowship? You want to get back a large number of people again like you used to have because you enjoyed that and you miss that so you want to get a whole bunch of people together? Wrong reasons! It doesn't matter if you're the last person alive, you better be living God's way of life and standing firm for it. Because otherwise what does it mean? It doesn't mean diddly, does it?

…and whereby which they lie in wait to deceive. That's the way they work. Once people go off in left field and go off in a tangent, begin to teach something that's untrue, there's a being there. And you talk about trickery! I remember this one evangelist's sermons. And I'm sorry I repeat these things, but they're lessons that you'd be wise to remember. But I think of one past evangelist – him and Garner Ted were together – he was known for his being very intellectual and smart (smart in the universe that he went through). And because he was so sharp as far as knowledge is concerned he was able to give sermons and he gave some pretty good sermons – until the last fifteen minutes. And then he would twist and distort something so much so he had you hooked in the first hour and a half, whatever it was, and the last fifteen minutes reeled people in to something perverted and distorted. "Oh, I never thought about that. I never saw that." And they would be hooked because they were listening to something and someone they shouldn't have been listening to. Anyway.

But speaking the truth, the truth, in love. That's what it's all about. Because they go together. You can't separate them. The truth is about God's love. It's something He wants to share in our minds. It's His Word that He wants to give in our mind. And then we have the choice to receive it and say, "Thank You. Thank You for what You've given to me. Thank You for the ability to "see" this, because I know that only You can give me that ability." Only God can give us the ability to "see" in the beginning, and He's the only one that can help us to continue in, to hold on to, to be in or live in the truth, to abide in it. He's the only one that can sustain us in the truth.

But speaking in the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ. From whom the whole body is fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplies. We all have a part. We all have a part. That's why when any one part beings to go astray it hurts the Body. When any one part lets down it hurts the Body. That's why we've gone through a period of time of measuring the temple, because it's better that some parts that do that are taken from the body so that it won't hurt more of the Body. Because a little leaven leavens the whole lump. It spreads quickly! And that's a blessing when those things happen. It's not enjoyable. It's not pleasant. But it's what's healthy for the body so that we remain strong, so that we be at one, so that there isn't like a canker or sore that just spreads quickly within a body. It's better. You know, that example that Jesus Christ gave? It's better that an arm be cut off. It's better that an eye be taken out, plucked out.

I knew of an individual one time that tried to cut off their arm because they'd sinned. Took it physically. "Going to try to cut off my arm!" Duh, you know. How sick is that? Because they didn't understand what it was spiritually. And sadly, most haven't ever understood what those are anyway. It's about the Body of Christ. And it's better that a part of the body is severed from the Body than that the whole body should be condemned, become condemned, in other word, sin spread throughout the whole Body. That's better that that be cut off. That's what that's all about. That's what he was preaching and talking about.

…which every joint supplies according to the effectual working in the measure of every part. Sometimes we just don't grasp the importance of our part. Everyone's prayers. God has a desire that we pray to Him about things happening within the Body, in our local areas, whatever it might be, in our own lives or about others who are going through various things. And that we pray. And that does something with us within us as far as our mind is concerned as well, that God can work with and be a benefit spiritually to us individually when we engage in such things. It's not that God doesn't know it's not going on. He knows what's going on. But how much are we going to be a part of it? And then for God to intervene at different times in different situations in people's lives because of those things. He desires that! He desires that within the Body. The effectual working of every part makes increase of the Body unto the edifying of itself. How often does it go back to this? Love, agape, God's love? …edifying of itself in love. So we can grow and become closer together as a Body, more of a family, the kind of family that God wants us to become and to be a part of forever. It's awesome. Truly is!

Anyway, this matter of government again. I mentioned it already, but I think about what God has revealed as well in the family. Because we've gone through 6,000 years where He allowed a certain thing to exist between men and women as far as an order was concerned, mainly because of a physical, on a physical plane, a physical basis it was so. But how much has that been abused over the last 6,000 years? Horribly so! Horribly so, taken advantage of, for the very reasons, because of physical, carnal minds and because of the physical stature of difference that exists. And now God is revealing that if there is someone, a wife that is ordained and a husband is not, that's where God's spirit, that's how it works. That's government. It's the flow of God's spirit. And so the things flip-flop as to far as how they used to live and did things within the New Testament, as far as their being a head in the family. That changes because it's spiritual! And that's what God is revealing to the Church. It's that which is spiritual that's important and the flow of His spirit and how His spirit governs in life. And so again, it's a matter of unity and oneness and our ability to embrace those things and support those things. And been pleased to see the changes taking place in people's lives when those things happen. Because those aren't easy things, especially because of how we lived before and because of 6,000 years of this. It's not an easy thing but it's the right thing. It's the right thing before God. Awesome! Truly awesome.

And anyway, where is there in a family ever the need for government? It's just the way the body functions and lives if they see it and understand it. And there is no jealousy, there is no envy, there is no resistance, because this is the way we work and are fulfilled and at peace within a body – whatever that body is, whether it be a family unit, a church unit, or the entire Church. And on and on it goes. And so again here, no need for, sometimes as human beings, for even the thought of government unless there is conflict, unless there is resistance. And then people have to address why and answer those things. Not easy.

Anyway, awesome, awesome truth – to be able to have peace in God's Church. Because it's about peace, how our lives are governed. It's what government's about. In the world we have a  bad concept because we see how government is in the world and we see it all needs to be changed because it's all wrong. It's all messed up. I'm appalled now days to be able to see things on TV and grown men talking the way they talk. I really am dumbfounded by it. And we haven't seen anything yet, because it's going to get really, really nasty before this is all over. You talk about bitterness and evil and anger and things that divide. It doesn't unify. It's bad. But people are engaging in it – and that's good for the world. You know why? Because the more people get their full of it, the more they see the futility of it, the more open-minded they can be when their time comes to receive what's true, to receive what's good, to receive what's from God, what is from God.

Going on:

5 (2) The Gospel of the Kingdom of God. The Gospel of the Kingdom of God has been restored after 1,900 years.

Because from the point it was being given it began to deteriorate through time. Now, Ephesus did well over all. There were already people leaving the Church, already people being put out of the Church, there were already ministers being put out of the Church by Paul and by others. We just don't know about the others, but they were, because that's the way it's always been. And so those things that were leading up into the 60's A.D., thirty years after Christ died, was resurrected, and then that period of time from then on to the end – when I say "the end," up to the point of time of John and John's writing and the books that he wrote – the Church began to go downhill a great deal. Began to lose a lot. And over time it just continued to lose more and more and more. There was never a period like Ephesus again. There was never a period like Ephesus again, that followed the time of Christ, that followed the original twelve, and then Paul, until Mr. Armstrong was called. And finally, after all that time and the destruction that had taken place within the Church a need to restore things back and to give more, because now we were at the end-time.

So an awesome thing how God has worked. And we can look back at our history and marvel at how God has worked with the Church over the past nearly 2,000 years now. There is so much to be learned from that. Just to look back and see what God did. I learn more about what we need, where we are, where we're going, by being able to look back and see what God has done to bring us to this point in time.

So again, the gospel of the Kingdom of God, the good news, the truth about God's Kingdom that's coming to this earth. If we're not careful we can begin to take that for granted. It can come to a point in time where it becomes so much a part of our norm and our thinking that it's harder for us to become excited about this.

Do you know there was a point in time when this was first given to the Church through Mr. Armstrong and brethren were inspired when they heard about the Kingdom of God? They didn't know what that was! They didn't understand what God was doing! They didn't understand what was going to come to this earth. They had lost all those things! And so the Church, and Mr. Armstrong when he gave it, I can tell you he was excited when he could share those things with God's Church about the Kingdom of God! And if we're not careful those things don't stir and move and motivate us like they need to – the truths that God has given to us. All we have to do is look out here at the world. They don't have any of that! They're blind! And we get to share some of the most basic things, that if we're not careful, we can begin to take for granted.

6 (3) God's purpose for mankind. God is reproducing Himself and no other church knows or preaches this truth.

Speaking of the time of Philadelphia and what was given then to that point in time.

…and no other church preaches this truth. We are to be born of God and become God—in the God Family: Elohim.

And how does the world look upon that? You are stark, raving nuts! You are mad to think that. You're going to become God, in the God Family? That's why they killed Christ – one of the reasons. Because of things said about him being the Messiah, "And you claim to be the Son of God? You claim to be God?" They killed him. They hated him. Wanted to kill him. That was blasphemy to the Jews, truly, when they heard those things. Go back and read it.

Anyway, what an awesome thing to understand. Where is that being taught in the world, except by some scattered groups? But where in the world? You think, what an awesome thing to be given, a peace of mind that comes from this, to understand why we exist, what God's purpose is for creating us. I mean, this is awesome! This is truly awesome! And it should stir us up and excite us! That's why it's so important to review these things often! Not once a year, often in our lives. And to thank God, to think about it, to meditate. Just take that one alone and think about it during the week, whatever it might be, and thank God that we understand why He created us and that He intends that we become a part of His Family, and that very soon now we get to help the world begin to see this. We're a part of an instrument, if you will, to help the world to begin seeing this awesome truth, to understand number 6, number 3 of the 18.

7 (4) Who and what is God. God is a Family into which we may be born.

Some of these sound similar but they're focused in a different manner as to what's being specifically said.

God’s spirit witnesses with our spirit that we are the begotten children of God.

Let's turn over to Romans 8 where it talks about this. Inspiring, exciting to think about these things that we have that in time, if we're not careful, begin to lose the power that they really have and the excitement that they really have when we stop to meditate and think about them and pray about them.

Roman's 8:13—For if we live after the flesh, or, If you live after the flesh you shall die. Showing that there's more, there's something else. It's not about that. That just ends in one thing – physical life and then death. There is nothing beyond. But if you through the spirit, through the power of God's spirit, mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live. So we understand that. What an awesome thing to realize that there are things in our life that we can begin to see put to death. First of all, wrong teachings, wrong thinking about God, because that's where it really needs to start, isn't it? You know, we learn very quickly about this silliness about going out and teaching children to go out here and collect eggs off the lawn or around a tree or around a bush and what that and where those things come from. We learn about that and we realize they can't see it and they can't understand it. But we see it because God gives us the ability to see it. Incredible! And so we start putting to death wrong things – things like Sunday worship – because we see how that began to enter in and how that's so wrong! Because, see, the world, "Well, what's wrong what day you keep?" That's the way people think. Without God's help, without God's spirit that's the thinking of the human mind. What day does it matter you keep? Matters to God. He made us. He put us here. You'd think it'd be good if we listen to Him? 6,000 years of people not listening to God.

But if you do mortify the deeds of the body you shall live. That's God's purpose for us, our calling. For as many as are led by the spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Incredible! To understand we can be drawn, but we have to come to a point of choice of our own, baptism, the laying on of hands, and then once hands are layed upon us then a process that can begin of God continually leading us by His spirit – when to turn to the right, when to turn left, what to do, the things that come into our mind, ability, teaching, the understanding that God gives to us.

For as many as are led by the spirit of God, they are the sons of God. God's working with us. The ability to "see" those things. The ability to "see" the truth. The ability to know the truth. Something God does by the power of His holy spirit that He gives to us. And that's evidence in itself. We are begotten. We're begotten of God's spirit. For as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sons of God. Not yet born, but begotten children of God. For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the spirit of adoption. What an incredible thing to realize what kind of calling we've been given, that we can have a relationship with God and look to Him as our Father and understand what it means and to see an example of something of what a father is supposed to be even in physical human life in a family. We can learn lessons from that. And many of us when we're called, we have an aversion to that because we don't know what that right experience is in our physical lives, and so it's difficult to deal with sometimes on a spiritual plane. Many people have had those battles within the body.

So anyway, we have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry, Abba, Father. Cry out to God. When we're going through certain things in our life, that's where we can go. What an awesome blessing that we're able to cry out to God the Father and that relationship that's there, that knowing is there, "Father." He knows us inside and out and we know that and we're at peace with that and we learn to be at peace with that and to thank Him. The spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. That's a powerful thing, an awesome thing to understand.

Verse 17—And if children, then heirs; so there's a purpose behind it. There's a purpose with it. What an incredible thing – heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ. When I think about that I don't understand it fully. I know I can't appreciate it fully. I don't know how to express that fully, but to understand what Christ has been given and what he's received, and then to be a joint-heir with Christ? That is awesome! That is awesome. Because we can see and understand certain things about his life and what is said and what he's doing, and to recognize that's where we're going to be? …and joint-heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him. So we learn what it means to suffer in the flesh when you strive to live this way of life. When this is the way of life you have chosen to live and you live by it, you're going to suffer because the world's not going to receive you. That's what Christ told them the night, on that Passover night, the disciples, "If the world has hated me, it's going to hate you." Preparing them. Little did we know. And all of a sudden we come into the Church and we begin to learn that. You know, some of the things people go through in family, on the job, with friends. And all of a sudden the friends you used to have, they're not your friends anymore. Something happens there because you change. See? You change. And those things can be difficult. But again, it's a part of a process.

…and then we suffer with him so that we may be also glorified together. And so we have to go through, and that example he set, but he lived God's way of life perfectly. We don't. And we know that. And so we understand that much of the suffering we bring on ourselves anyway, but God has mercy on us and He draws us from those things and helps us, blesses us. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time – no matter what anyone in the Body of Christ has ever experienced, is experiencing now, or ever will experience in physical human life – I don't care what it is. And that's a hard thing for people to grapple with, because we can turn inward and we can begin to think…. Because when you're not feeling well or things aren't going well in your life and you're having trials, those things can try you in how you think. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Because we just, we just can't grasp it. We can't. We can meditate upon it. We can pray about it. We can think about it. And that gives us strength. God will give us strength because of doing that, because we latch on to, we latch on to God's way.

I think about what it says in Hebrews. You know, they look for whose, "The city whose builder and maker was God." That's our hope. That's our strength. And we go back and we hold on to those things. We latch a hold of those things because we know where we're going. We know why God's called us. No matter when it happens – and when it happens isn't as important as the fact that it happens – it will happen. There will be a third World War. It's coming. The world is beginning to be awakened to that fact. I don't care if it doesn't come in 1917, 19… or… 19? Let's get us up to date here! 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021. I don't really care! It's going to happen! The reality is it's coming and God is blessing us to prepare for that. And whatever He has to prepare us and to teach us, so be it. We'll learn from it. We'll grow from it.

For the earnest expectation, again, of the creation waits for the manifestation of the sons of God. What an awesome thing! To think this is what it's all about. The first great part is when Jesus Christ returns, 144,000, the manifestation of the sons of God, when they begin to be made manifest. Frankly, when they begin to be made manifest in the heavens they're not going to know, except by knowledge, that they've been able to receive or read or whatever it might be. But when that first begins to take place it's going to start to change the world. That's going to be some of the greatest change that takes place because the human mind has to have physical evidence. The carnal physical mind needs a strong measure of physical evidence around them. Now, what they've already seen to that point in time is going to be massive, and there are going to be a lot… How can I say this? A lot more of the mindset, if you will, of a willingness to receive that for the right reasons.

So, anyway, just to think about that, "the manifestation of the sons of God." And then once they're here I can't imagine what the first Feast of Tabernacles is going to be like. Can you imagine different ones of the God Family being at different Feast sites? And some being able to be at more than one because, you know, you can be over in Australia during the Feast of Tabernacles at a certain time and then all of a sudden you can be over in wherever, a little farther over in the time zones there, somewhere in Asia, then somewhere in Europe, then somewhere in North America. So you can see a lot of Feast sites, be at a lot of Feast sites and speak to a lot of people, and have a lot of people listen to that many preach about God's way?

We can't grasp that. I can't grasp that. What it's going to be like when people are able to hear David speak? Moses speak? So many in the Bible who are mentioned there? At a Feast of Tabernacles? To hear? I don't know what, how it's going to happen, but it's going to happen. You know why? Because they're going to be the primary speakers. That's where we're going to receive the truth. That's where the world is going to begin receiving the truth from in a greater way. Their job isn't up in heaven and away from mankind for 2,000 years, because that's been a different kind of work. That's been a work that Jesus Christ has done with the Church on a spiritual plane, but now it's a matter of the Kingdom of God on earth governing the earth on the earth and teaching mankind how to live. "That's not the way to live, this is the way – walk you in it." "This is the way of life you're to live."

Anyway, that's so awesome, inspiring, exciting, what's been prepared for us, what we're going to be able to see. So again, "For the earnest expectation of the creation waits for the manifestation of the sons of God." And we are there. Of all people we are some of the most blessed people that have ever walked the face of the earth! How many? How many would have liked to have seen and lived in this age? I can guarantee you every, every person with whom God has worked would love to see this age. And now they are going to see quite a bit, quite a bit more than what we thought previously. They're going to be brought up and see things that are taking place during the time that they're happening, to realize a point in time of God taking control of the earth, of God taking control of governments. Because man is not going to be allowed to govern himself anymore. What a blessing that is! No matter how hard it hurts, no matter how tough it is, it's far better.

And those who aren't there? They're not going to know. You know, when death strikes it just strikes. And your next waking moment…  Had my heart attack. I didn't know what happened to me. I didn't know what happened when they had to put that thing on my chest and bring me back. And I didn't know anything until the next day when they came by and told me, "Do you know what happened?" "No. I was out." Thankfully! I'd had enough pain to that point in time anyway. I learned what a number 10 was when they ask you the scale of, you know, like 1-10 or 0-10, "What level of pain are you experiencing right now?" I learned what ten was. Before that, the previous heart attack and some other things I've had, I thought one time… What was it that I had I thought I was getting up there higher? My wisdom tooth? A tooth? Something, I think I had an infection there one time. That was worse than my heart attack, first one. But the last one? No, thank you. That was tough. Now, that was mild compared to what so many people in the world suffer before death. People sometimes go on day after day after day, week after week, month after month with suffering, year after year with intense suffering before death. But once it hits? You don't know it. You're asleep. That's why sleep is such a beautiful example. Because you're asleep! I mean in one respect. And there will come a time when God will bring you back alive. But what an awesome time in the Hundred-years when people are brought back and they're perfect in body. Not having a hard time getting up and out of a chair or out of bed, or whatever it might be, you know, and a hard time walking or whatever it might be. Spry, healthy! What an awesome thing to be resurrected like that and the things we're going to witness sometime in the future, to see those kinds of things take place and what it will do in those people's minds when they realize, "Whew. God is God! God is almighty!" Anyway, sorry.

Next truth: 8 (5) What is man? Man does not have an immortal soul.

Think of this world. Think of all the different religions that think that something happens – you come back as a bug or whatever it might be. That somehow you just never die and life goes on somehow and somewhere. And you may not be a human again, but maybe a cow, maybe a lot of cows, or whatever it is that people come back with these different ideas that people have. And, you think, what a horrible thing to think one day you're going to be a cow, or you're going to come back in a relative, that you're related to somebody and you're really living in them and their life. Because that's a strong belief in part of the world, that the nephews and nieces and people that are born later on, that that's really grandma, or great-grandma, or great-grandpa or somebody else and they're coming back and they're living life again and it's being rejuvenated generation after generation. And they just don't know. What a horrible thing, to not know.

Anyway… sometimes we need to think about these things, to realize the virtue, the power, the might of the mind, of the Word, of the truth that God has given to us that fills our lives. And not to take it for granted, not to let it become diminished in our thinking, in our thoughts but to realize the awesome value of it.

Man does not have an immortal soul. Man is a temporary living, mortal being that returns to the elements of the earth at death and does not go to heaven or hell.

Just to understand that, what do you have? What kind of a mind are we blessed to have just to understand that, when you can't share that with any of your family, as a whole, or people in the world around you because that's what they're holding on to. That's all that they can grasp, that someday uncle so and so is going to be up there fishing, or whatever it is. You think, how insane is that? Or to think that people are going to be looking on the face of God just… People get tired of TV after a little while; they turn channels. That one to be there for all eternity? What kind of a… Why would God want that? What kind of a God would…? Well, God doesn't.

[Let me get my little sticky tabs. I quit using them.] Okay. That was number 5, right, of the 18? Number 9, or 6 of the 18. In other words 9 in order of all the truths we have, number 6 of the 18 restored through Mr. Armstrong:

9 (6) The human spirit in man.

Speaking of that, that there is a spirit in man. I remember when Mr. Armstrong came out with a book back in 1970. That's why I mentioned earlier, I started to talk about, mention that. But 1969 and 1970, 1971, I was talking about how that was kind of the height of unity within the Church, and then finally 1972 he came out with a book, The Incredible Human Potential, and within that it began to talk about there is a spirit in man. And there were ministers (it revealed where they were), they didn't get it. And if you can't get that, if you can't get something that God gives to the Church and you begin to speak against it, that really reveals even more about where a person really is spiritually and it brings up something within them that they may not have known themselves, and in many cases don't until they come to that point in time. But finally, you know, Mr. Armstrong came along and said there's a spirit in man. There's a spirit essence in the human mind that makes us different from the animal kingdom. And so some were saying, some ministers, what they concluded from that, "Oh, you're saying we have an immortal soul! You're going back to this teaching of the immortal soul." No, he didn't say that. What did you hear? What are you listening to? What are you drinking?

Anyway, it was very clear to those being led by God's spirit. And to those who at some point had already been cut off, who were doing their own thing, who had other problems in their life, other sins in their life, whatever it was, revealed where they were. They didn't get it. Anyway, awesome!

The difference between the human mind and animal brain is that there is a human spirit within the human brain that gives the ability of free thought, creativity, and memory. The human spirit must be united with the spirit of God for man to be able to come to know the true ways of God.

What an awesome truth! I couldn't help but thinking as I was going through some of this for the book and writing about the animal kingdom, if you will, and God revealing something additional there that they have a spirit in them as well. It's not what God gave to mankind but it is a spirit essence to be able to do the things that they do. We generally refer to it as instinct, or whatever. But the reason they have that is because of the same kind of thing. There is a brain in the animal kingdom, of everything that's out there, that makes a body function, it makes it work. But there are also certain things that by repetition or whatever, that certain animals, by whatever God has given, are able to do because it's like a program. But it's a very limited one. If we think about different kinds of programs and so forth, it's a very limited one. But there is something there that man can't actually deal with and answer. Man can't tell why! And they try to discover it! How does a goose know when to take off? And where it's going?

How do butterflies in four generations go from Canada – four generations – and return! And how does one generation live for nearly a year and all the other three die out? What an awesome thing! How many of you have seen that thing about that Monarch butterfly? If you ever have a chance to look that up on TV, a particular type of Monarch. There are different types. But this one goes throughout a year, three cycles of it, whatever, to get down to mountains in Mexico, certain mountains in Mexico. They always…. Not a very big brain. Pretty small. Pretty small if you want to look at size. And yet they have tried to take some and take them… they did some experiments, I think it was New York and some of those areas up there, and they finally got back on course again. They came all the way. And you think, how on earth? And man tries to discover and figure out some of those things and they don't understand. God put it there in them. It's something that's there automatically. Awesome! Anyway, on and on it goes. You look at things in nature and look at things that God created and it's a marvel.

But the greatest marvel of all, it's us. It's the mind that God has given to us. The ability of choice. The ability, the purpose of the Family that we're to be born into.

10 (7) The Church is only the first fruits. The Church is only the first fruits for the beginning of God’s plan of salvation. God is not yet trying to save the whole world.

What an awesome truth! You know there are people out here. They think they have to proselyte. They think they have to go out and go door to door. And I'll tell you what, some of the zeal that some of those people exercise, you gotta hand it to them on a physical plane because of something they feel they have to do with what they understand about what they've been taught. And so things that people are willing to do… Missionaries. That's the reason of missionaries. They think they have to go out and tell different ones and do a work of some sort because God's working to save this world. He's working desperately to save this world and we've got to do this. We've got to go out there and do this and tell people about Christ. And you think, "No, you don't. It's not God's time yet." What a thing of peace to have in the mind, to know exactly what God is doing, and to feel and have compassion for people who don't understand that. And yet some have a zeal. I used to think about different ones that used to have Bible studies once or twice a week, in some religious beliefs out here. And the churches, you'd go by them, and man, the driveway is packed with cars. And it got to the point where we'd get to Bible studies and where are the people? Well, now in some case they had to drive farther, but not always. Because some of these are small groups and they drive in from a long distance too. But we were getting into Laodicea and people weren't moved to be in Bible studies anymore. Think, what was happening there? Laodicea.

I didn't read all that but awesome, inspiring, exciting.

11 (8) The Church is not yet the Kingdom of God. The Church is not yet the Kingdom of God but is the embryo that will become the Kingdom of God.

I used to love the way Mr. Armstrong used to explain that and talk about the Church of God not yet born, that we are the Kingdom of God in embryo, not yet born.

A false gospel in traditional Christianity teaches that the church on earth is the Kingdom of God.

Some of the ideas out there really get weird about that. But anyway, "Mr. Armstrong…" Weirder that that. "…clearly saw that the coming literal Kingdom of God is the message Christ brought from the Father." So again, over and over again, things that we understand, that we see, that we can just begin to take for granted. It's just a part of something we know. But you don't want to take it for granted. You want to think about it on occasion and you want to thank God on occasion. From time to time it's exceedingly spiritually healthy to thank God for what you know, for what He's given to you.

12 (9) Only those whom God the Father calls and draws to Him can be converted. Only those God chooses and calls now can come to the Church of God. Satan has deceived the whole world, and the Church is called out of the world.

That's why it quotes here John 6:44, "No man can come to me except God the Father draw him," what Christ said. And that can give a great deal of peace in your mind, that unless God is drawing someone, unless He begins to open up the mind, why dump the whole load of everything you know on them? They can't get it anyway. See? Now, we can share a little bit here and there when we're asked a question and answer something. But as a whole, you know… There'll come a time when we'll be able to do those things, but we're not there yet, unless a person's asked a question. Sometimes we can get excited at times because we hope and we have a desire within us that someone is going to… And we are in that time, where soon God is going to be drawing and drawing back a lot of people. But you'll know it. You'll know it. You will know it when it's happening because you'll see a mind that is able to grasp what you're saying. Because right now you know that mind cannot grasp what you're saying. So anyway, a lot there.

13 (10) The resurrection to judgment.

Again, "The resurrection to judgment," talking about the Great White Throne. Don't need to go through all these fully. Again, what an awesome thing to understand. I've already spoken about that just a little bit. What an awesome thing to have peace about and to know. And that's why one of the first sermons back talked about this thing about because of what's coming. Our ability to deal with much of what's coming has to do with our confidence, our thankfulness, our ability to grasp and embrace this truth. It truly does. Because we're going to see a lot of things that aren't good. But our ability to grasp, and the more deeply we grasp the blessing of what it means to be in that resurrection, the beautiful life, the awesome life.

It's not going to be so pretty at the beginning of the Millennium. Please understand that. Please understand it's not going to be a real pretty thing at the beginning of the Millennium. It's not going to be anything like the Great White Throne when individuals are able to be resurrected into an awesomely beautiful world that God, His Family, and those who have been alive on the earth that they have governed over, are going to change this world into. We can't even begin to grasp the changes that are going to be made on this earth to prepare it for that last hundred, that final Hundred-years, that great resurrection. We really can't grasp that. And that's not being given yet because we're not there yet. But we're going to see it gradually as we go through the Millennium. We're not going to see it all at once. And we're going to continue to build to that time.

And some of the greatest building is going to take place in the last 200 years. Some of the most awesome building and preparation is going to take place on this earth in that last 200 years to prepare for all those who are going to be resurrected. Billions of people! And they're going to be able to be taken care of and worked with. And the life that they have when they're resurrected, the ability to work with them, the numbers – not 144,000 – millions, potentially, upon millions in the God Family at that time who will be resurrected at the end of the Millennium, who will be able to work with billions of people. It's going to be awesome, truly is.

But the fact that we know that can give you great peace and ability to deal with what's coming and what you're going to see, because you really can't imagine yet what we're going to see. You really can't. We can know it. We can understand it to a point. But unless you have experienced something in life to a magnitude of a kind of level of destruction, like in World War II on Omaha Beach or whatever it might be, Normandy, wherever it might be, and you see what man is capable of doing to mankind. You really can't grasp all that. It's not going to be a pleasant thing to see, especially when it has to do with people you know.

But do you know? Do you know that their life is so awesomely blessed? Do you have confidence and boldness in that? Because all we see, oftentimes, is just death. We think, oh, how horrible it is. And death is an enemy because it separates people; it separates relationships. But candidly, until we all have the right kind of relationship we really don't have right relationships anyway in this world! Until you all have the same mind, until people have the same mind and are in unity with God we really don't have right family and right relationships anyway. We really don't. Not the kind that God is offering to us and giving to us. That's just the way it is. But we have this and we hold on to this and this is what we have now. And we understand that. But when an end comes to that, do we have a confidence and a boldness of where every individual will be? A peace of mind to understand what it means in the beginning of the Hundred-years? I hope we do. I fear in some respects we don't, because of how we think about death oftentimes.

God has the power of life over death. He has the power to resurrect. And everything in life is not always peachy-keen. This world is in a miserable mess right now. And sadly, minds are being polluted at an extremely high rate. And I hope we grasp that so far out of the book, to understand that we have entered into, because of the speed of which the mind can be corrupted now – not like a thousand years ago or two thousand years ago, or three thousand years ago, but when man lived for hundreds of years his mind became exceedingly corrupt through time and how the mind… and what God had to do. He had to intervene to stop that process and to work with one man, Noah, and to destroy the rest of the earth. And people think, "Oh, how horrible a God would do that to mankind." No, it was a blessing. It's a blessing that those who haven't become so corrupted, that they'll be able to be in that final Hundred-years, and to learn once and for all, once they've been exceedingly humbled, to realize the last thing they remember was, "glug, glug, glug." It didn't last long but that's the last thing, candidly, they remember. And then to be resurrected into a healthy body, a younger body, as a whole for most, and to see others resurrected at the same time and to understand what the Great God of the universe is doing at that moment in time and to be told what is taking place. Oh, they will be humbled, awesomely humbled, and be able to be worked with.

But today things are so fast in corruption and what's taking place because of technology, it's a sick, sick world. And a young mind, it's far better… rather, candidly, to go on and experience some of the things that people have to experience… It's going to be hard. It's going to be hard the next 3½ years, to get through it all. And then the beginning of the Millennium? A lot of hard work. Everything is not going to be all of a sudden cleansed by God. Everything is not all of a sudden just going to be cleansed and cleaned up by God. He's going to let mankind have the biggest part in cleaning it up – for a year, two years, three years, five years, ten years, twenty years cleaning and cleaning and rebuilding. Because that's the way you learn. You learn from going through that. God doesn't take that away. Otherwise some of the lessons that need to be learned and some of the molding and fashioning that needs to take place in people's minds as they enter into the Millennium couldn't happen and they couldn't grow in the way that God intends for them to be able to grow.

All we have to do is look at what God does and how God does it and know it's perfect. It's what is best. It's what is best. There is no better way. There is no better thing. God has a love for every one of us that we cannot comprehend, because we don't have it. We experience it to a degree. We experience it at heightened times in our lives, God's love, the closer we are to Him. But we don't have it all the time. Just as we don't have a real strong and high plane level of God's spirit all the time. You just don't have it! Sometimes we think we do because we're begotten. No, we don't! That's why at the Feast of Tabernacles you're able to experience something you cannot experience any other time of the year! Because you don't hear sermons eight days in the week, because you're not together with so many of God's people and able to have that kind of an awesome fellowship with so many people of the same mind. So you only get to experience it once a year but you get to experience something that gives you a taste of something that is going to be far exceeded in the future, far, far beyond that. We're weak as physical human beings.

14 (11) The Millennium. The Kingdom of God will rule the nations of the earth during the 1,000 year period.

We've already talked about that. We've already discussed this in the context of some of the things we've… and what an awesome thing to understand, what's coming, what's going to take place. But to know that, to understand that? The world has no idea what's getting ready to take place! The world is just now starting to be awakened to a reality that World War III is on our doorstep. There are people who see it. And some of the same kind of things that preceded World War II are happening right now! They're happening right now! But just like before World War II, who jumped up and said, "We're headed for a World War!" No, they resisted it and fought against it and didn't want to get involved. Even when it was right there on their doorstep, even when they knew things were happening in Europe and Germany and so forth, you know, "Don't shake, don't ruffle his feathers too much, you know. We don't want to make this worse than what it is. And it's just the Europeans. Let them fight it out." And after a while, you can't stay out of it any longer and you have to get involved.

Now it's going to happen differently, this one here. It's already taking shape in South China Sea. It's already taking place in the Middle East because of what's going on there. It's already taking place because of what Russia is doing, and because of a leader they have that has a unique mind for this period of time. He's the right man for Russia to do what Russia's going to do. The handwriting is on the wall! But how does the… Does the world see it? United States sure doesn't. Can't see it. Can't grasp what's coming.

I marvel sometimes at news articles when I think of the last year, of the ones who are beginning to say and understand that we are headed for a war. And one of the big things has to do because of the economy, a world economy. Because the only way to flush the system clean, fully and completely, to have a restart – and this time because it's so massive they understand it will happen by a war. They know that. And there are people preparing for it. There are governments already preparing for it. Awesome!

15 (12) The holy spirit coming into us only begets us. God’s holy spirit opens our minds so that we can understand the coded book, the Bible, which is otherwise locked from understanding. Without the spirit we cannot understand the Bible.

We know that, but how deeply do we know that? Because I know… I know of tens of thousands, but I know well over a thousand, several hundreds of people in times past who lost this, who lost the thing about a calling. Because these are very closely related. And the only way we can "see" and know the truth is by God's spirit. The only way we can continue in the truth is by God's spirit. People began to think that they could do it because of the knowledge they had. No, we can't do it. Because the only knowledge you have, as long as it's true, is because God gives it to you.

Without the spirit we cannot understand the Bible. Spiritual knowledge comes from the Bible through the revelation of the holy spirit that God grants a portion of as He calls someone. Once baptized, the holy spirit then continues to dwell in those who have been begotten of God’s spirit, so that a person can continue to grow in knowledge and understanding of God.

Now, there is a lot more that could be said there, isn't there? We understand how easy it is, I think more now (I know more now than ever before), that that flow can be cut off. It can be cut off very easily. It can begin to get down to where it's barely eking through. And that's dangerous.

16 (13) We are only begotten now, not born again.

The world thinks that all you have to do is accept Christ and do certain things and say certain things and you're saved. "Are you saved?" People that have these ideas about what it means to be born again. And they don't understand what God is saying when they read these verses. But you can. It's amazing the difference and what you're able to grasp and comprehend and to see the process is going on in your mind and your life and others don't have that. How much do you value that truth? When is the last time you thought about that truth, that Word, that mind that has been placed in your mind by God's holy spirit, that is still there by God's holy spirit because God's doing it?

We are not yet inheritors, but only heirs of God. The holy spirit begets us as children of God, but we are not yet born of spirit of God—spiritual in composition. Those in God’s Church can only be begotten of God’s spirit and born in God’s Family in a resurrection to spirit life.

To us, many of these things are very basic. And indeed, they are to a point, because of how much we know and how much God has given to us and how long we've been able to be a part of the Body at this point in time. Others who are newer over the past eight years, the ability to grow, the rate of speed you've been able to grow has been an awesome thing, but it can be a dangerous thing too, depending on what you do with what you've been given.

It's how you think about the truth. It's about how you value the truth. It's to the degree you value it and how often and how much you go before your God and say, "Father, thank you for giving this to me! Thank you that I'm able to continue in it, that I'm able to "see" it still and that it continues in me!" Because we should be, brethren. We really should be.

I think of the example (read through the other day), of Jesus Christ – 10 individuals that were lame. If the example is right, if that's the one I'm thinking of. Anyway, I think I've got that correct. Anyway, he told them to go and, told them all to go and tell the priests, the Levites. Wish I could… Can anybody look that up right quick? Was it…? It wasn't blind, was it? Lepers. I knew there was something there. Surely I knew it. It didn't sound right when I said "lame." That was another example of something. And then there was the… Okay, this is the lepers, the 10 lepers. Please check that, double-check that right quick like, because I'm sure you're right, but I want to be double-sure here. I wish I had a perfect memory, but I don't.

Anyway, he told them, in essence… It's an awesome story when you go through and read it for what it was said. Because he told them to go and tell the priests, to go before the priests. And they were looking to him. They wanted to be healed. And in so many cases there, "Your faith has made you whole." They understood something to a limited point. There was something unique about Christ because of all that he'd done already, that there was something they believed to what they had been given to that point in time. It's kind of like the present truth. There is something that they believed on a physical plane, which we're going to talk about later on, probably during the days of Unleavened Bread, some of the same kinds of things. But there was something they were able to believe to a certain point and they were judged accordingly on a very physical plane. Nothing spiritual at all there, but on a very physical plane. But he told them then to go and tell.

And anyway, the ten turned around and as they turned to go they were healed. Basically it told us, they turned and started, because they were going to… They obeyed what was said. They followed what he said to them, and they were going on their way to do what he told them to do. It says, "And as they turned to go, they were healed." And one immediately began to glorify God, cried out, turned around – because they'd just started – and thanked Christ. And he said, "Were there not ten of you? Where are the other nine?" How thankful?

There are so often in our lives that things happen, that we don't recognize the magnitude of something that we have. And so, obviously, even on a physical plane there, and it says, I believe there, I think I have this… I'm 60. I'm getting close to 67. But I believe it mentions there about this individual. Is that correct?

What is it? Luke 17? I probably ought to turn over there before I get myself in deeper hot water. Luke 17 is the example here or where it's at. Beginning in what verse, quickly? Eleven? Okay. I need one of those little iPad's with a little computer up here.

Okay, "It came to pass as they went," verse 14. And this literally means in the Greek they were turning to go. That's what it's talking about. "They were cleansed." [Luke 17:15]—And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God. He wanted Christ to hear. And fell down on his face at his feet, right there. He went right back, got down like that in a humbling… he was very humbled by what took place. …giving him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. Awesome! Didn't even have some of the same beliefs of others around that region there, but because of what he had seen, because of what he had witnessed, and yet he was blessed in this. And then Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? And where are the nine? Read the rest of the story.

That's what it's about. It's about the same kind of thing for us on a spiritual plane, of things that were given, of things that we're to be thankful for continually. Just like God's spirit dwelling in us. Just like God dwelling in us and Christ dwelling in us, to continue in us, to abide in us. We need to abide in a response to that always. Thankfulness, gratitude to God, crying out to God. Thanking God from the deepest part of your being, of your mind, and saying, "Holy Father, thank You for giving me the ability to ‘see’ and understand these things." Though so often they get to a point where maybe they seem too easy, too simple. Nothing simple about them.

So we're only begotten now, not born again. Again, we talked about that.

17 (14) The identity of Modern Israel.

Again, things that we grasp and understand that God gave to Mr. Armstrong because of being in into the end-time and the things of the gospel going out and the things of the identity of the different nations of Israel. All these things, the identity, things of understanding about there would always be someone on the throne of David. All those things that were given so that we had this thrust into the end-time that we needed to have, to recognize matters of prophecy. Just like it says it in the next one here, because it brings it together now. So the identity of these things had to be known, the reasons that were there.

18 (15) Prophecy can be understood only if you know who are the modern day nations of the Israelites.

So again, awesome to understand those things that we know, that we see, that we grasp and we understand and it gives us an understanding of things that are going to come to pass.

19 (16) The annual festivals.

The annual Holy Days. I've mentioned this over and over again, there should never be a time in brethren's…. And woe to us if we ever come to a time where we sit in a sermon or a Passover service, or a sermon on a Holy Day and we are not moved by, motivated, excited by the message that God gives to us and thanking God that He's given us the ability to understand His purpose. Because all the Holy Days picture God's purpose from the beginning to the end. And they are so important that He made sure every year He gave us annual Holy Days, so that we are to focus on those days. Because we're never to forget and we're to build upon those things and we're to be ever so thankful that we're able to be a part of them.

We need to think that way as we go into these Holy Days we're getting ready to go into and think about this matter of thankfulness and gratitude to God that we're able to, indeed… I'm going to read the other two here. I'm going to take the time just to get through eighteen. But again, what an awesome thing, the annual Holy Days. They should always move and inspire. When I start…. There's something unique (I know what it is) about the Holy Days, obviously, but just to go back over them year by year and think about some of these things. There's just something that gets stirred up in you. The more you "see," the more you think about it, the more you meditate upon it, and thank God He gives us at least one time in the year when it's commanded that we focus upon these things, but to make sure in that that we thank Him. Think about it – that we thank Him that we're able to do it. When you take Passover this year think about this matter of thankfulness to God and thanking God and thanking Christ for what he went through so that we could keep it, so that we could do it.

20 (17) The authority of the sacred calendar preserved by the Jews.

That was one of those things that came out in some of these scattered groups and some of the different ones out here. And all of a sudden some of these "experts" started to come out of the woodwork, of people who thought that they knew different times. "We're keeping the wrong calendar. We're keeping the wrong date. We're not keeping the right time. We're a month off here. We're (whatever it is), we're a month off there because we're not counting it properly because of this thing of the moon and… blah, blah, blah, blah, blah." Anyway, I'm sorry. But I dealt with people like that in some of the stupidity and things they'd come out with. "Did you not hear? Where were you when Mr. Armstrong, when he talked about…? Where were you? Didn't you have a list of these eighteen truths?

Do you not understand what #17 is? "The authority of the sacred calendar preserved by the Jews." Not by God's Church! It's not your responsibility and it's not even the Church's responsibility. It's not our authority or our right to keep track of time. God gave it to the Jews! What a simple answer. And that's what I'd tell them. They didn't like it. But that's the answer. You don't have to worry what certain high priests and certain Jews and Rabbi's did at different times and things they wrote because, or whatever, and some of the disagreements they had amongst themselves – because they did. But if you know where to go and if you know which of them and who of them and what of them, and if you will, what they were given, because there was a group that it was given to, and very simple to go back and read up on. Don't want to go into that. It's over your head. It's over my head. But there are certain ones that have kept track of those things and they don't have a problem. Never have had as a whole amongst the Jews, but certain ones did and some went off on tangents. But especially within the Church people went off on tangents. Last one:

21 (18) Second and third tithe.

We know what they are. Awesome! We know what they are. We know why they're there. Thank God! Thank God He's given us a system whereby people are able to, as a whole, to have a Feast of Tabernacles together. Because God has shown through time that this is the primary time that He wants His people to be together. Because you see, it started out in the beginning, toward the beginning of Philadelphia, you know what they did? They gathered as well during the period of Unleavened Bread for seven days. They went to Big Sandy and they observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days together like we keep the Feast of Tabernacles. But you know what? They need it at that time because of restoring of the truths that were taking place. And in time God revealed to us and showed to us, indeed, through Mr. Armstrong that we needed to observe the Feast of Tabernacles like that, as a whole… as a whole. But even there we were tried in one year to see if we understood. Because that's what that was about.

But what an awesome blessing when we are able to use those funds to come together over an eight-day period to celebrate God's truth, God's plan, before Him and with one another.

Third tithe? I think we understand that one. That's something governments should have been doing all along, hadn't been doing as far as how it was administered even within Israel. It was gone on a governmental way, not by the priesthood in the same way it was done. But again, not for the sake of the priesthood. Not for the sake of preaching. Not for the sake of the people coming together for the Holy Days. But again, we know, we understand. Thank God that you understand.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1