The Message

Johnny Harrell

October 19, 2016

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon – 2016

I would like to say, "Welcome," to everyone today.

Brethren, Jesus Christ came to this earth with a message. And you don't have to turn there but in the 8th chapter of John, Jesus said these words that "many believed on him." "And Jesus said to the Jews that believed on him, if you continue in my word," talking about his message – and that will be your title today, The Message, "then you are my disciples indeed."

And let's notice what he told them, "But you seek to kill me because my word," talking about his message, "has no place in you." "But now you seek to kill me, a man that has told you the truth, which I have heard of God." "For I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but He sent me." "And because I tell you the truth, you believe me not." "And if I say the truth, why do you not believe me?" That was the question that was asked. And we know that it is because of the message. And it's not changed down through time. Mankind still does not believe the message that Jesus Christ brought to this earth, even to this day. And the message was about the Kingdom of God that is coming to this earth.

We know that the Romans crucified Jesus Christ, and it was the Jews that caused him to be crucified, but they used the Romans to hang him upon that pole (to hang him on that stake). But Jesus Christ rose from the dead and he ascended into heaven and it was from there that the holy spirit was sent back to his disciples on the day of Pentecost. And then a commission was given to those apostles, and they went out to proclaim the message, the message to the world.

God's Church was raised up in A.D. 31, as we know, and the purpose of the Church was to back the proclaiming of the message that Jesus Christ brought. And the Church began to grow at that time. But we understand what happened in time. We know that Satan had his religious leader upon this earth, and from that a counterfeit religion came forth to mankind. And it is upon this earth to this very day, that very counterfeit religion. And we know that it stemmed from the ancient Babylonian Mystery Religion. Someone named Simon the sorcerer was responsible for that counterfeit gospel, that counterfeit message that was sent forth from him. And they even used the name of Christ, even to this day, and they call that religion "Christianity." That's what it's called.

We'll go back and look at some scriptures today of what took place in time a long time ago. So you can be turning over to 2 Kings 17 (chapter 17). And north of Jerusalem in Samaria there was a gentile people that the Jews of Jesus Christ's day, they didn't really like those people, and they actually called them "dogs." These people had been moved there from areas of the Babylonian Empire, and it was done around 700 B.C. by different kings.

And in 2 Kings 17, and we'll start in verse 5, it's about where Israel was carried captive to Assyria. And it says, Now the king of Assyria went throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria and besieged it for three years. In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away to Assyria, and placed them in Halah and by the Habor, the River of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and they had feared other gods, and had walked in the statutes of the nations whom the LORD had cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made. Also the children of Israel secretly did against the LORD their God things that were not right. So we can see the history of what took place. God had it recorded in His book. ...and they built for themselves high places in all their cities, from watchtower to fortified city. They set up for themselves sacred pillars and wooden images on every high hill and under every green tree. There they burned incense on all the high places, like the nations whom the Eternal had carried away before them; and they did wicked things to provoke the Eternal to anger, for they served idols, of which the Eternal had said to them, You shall not do this thing.

Yet the Eternal testified against Israel and against Judah, by all of His prophets, every seer, saying, Turn from your evil ways, and keep My commandments and My statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by My servants the prophets. Nevertheless, they would not hear, but stiffened their necks, like the necks of their fathers, who did not believe in the Eternal their God. And they rejected His statutes and His covenant that He had made with their fathers, and His testimonies which He had testified against them; they followed idols, became idolaters, and went after the nations who were all around them, concerning whom the Eternal had charged them that they should not do like them. So they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, made for themselves a molded image and two calves, made a wooden image and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. And they caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and soothsaying, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Eternal, to provoke Him to anger. Therefore, the Eternal was very angry with Israel, and removed them from His sight; there was none left but the tribe of Judah alone.

Also Judah did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made. Sound familiar? It's just like the religions of our day. They walked in the statutes that they made. ...and delivered them into the hand of plunderers, until He had cast them from His sight. For He tore Israel from the house of David, and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. Then Jeroboam drove Israel from following the Eternal, and made them commit a great sin. For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they did not depart from them, until the Eternal removed Israel out of His sight, as He had said by all His servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away from their own land to Assyria, as it is to this day.

Verse 24—Then the king of Assyria—let's notice—brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel. So this gives us an account of what actually took place. And they took possession of Samaria and dwelt in its cities. And it was so, at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they did not fear the Eternal; therefore, the Eternal sent lions among them, which killed some of them. So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations whom you have removed and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the rituals of the God of the land; therefore He has sent lions among us, and indeed, they are killing them because they do not know the rituals of the God of the land. Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Send there one of the priests whom you brought from there; let him go and dwell there, and let him teach the rituals of the God of the land. Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the Eternal.

Let's notice verse 29—However, every nation continued to make gods of its own, and put them in the shrines on the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in the cities where they dwelt. The men of Babylon made Succoth Benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, and the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burned their children in fire to Adrammelech.... So they feared the Eternal, and from every class they appointed for themselves priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of the high places. They feared the Eternal, yet served their own gods—according to the rituals of the nations from among whom they were carried away.

To this day they continue practicing the former rituals; they do not fear the Eternal, nor do they follow their statutes or their ordinances, or the law and commandment which the Eternal had commanded the children of Jacob, whom He named Israel, with whom the Eternal had made a covenant and charged them, saying: You shall not fear other gods, nor bow down to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them; but the Eternal, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, Him you shall worship, and to Him you shall offer sacrifices. And the statutes, the ordinances, the law, and the commandment which He wrote for you, you shall be careful to observe forever; you shall not fear other gods. And the covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods. But the LORD your God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies. However, they did not obey, but they followed their former rituals. So these nations feared the Eternal, yet served their carved images; also their children and their children's children have continued doing as their fathers did, even to this day.

And that is a true statement, "even to this day," brethren. We can see that they had brought with them into the land of Samaria their own Babylonian religion.

And in the 8th chapter of Acts, if you want to turn over there quickly, in the 8th chapter of Acts we read about their religious leader, that was there in the time of Christ, by the name of Simon Magus. And he was called Simon Magus, the sorcerer, because that's what he was. And Jesus Christ raised up the Church of God. And the purpose for raising up the Church of God was to stand behind those that would be proclaiming His gospel message through the apostles. And in A.D. 31 that's what they did. They proclaimed the message that Jesus Christ brought to this earth. And in A.D. 31 to A.D. 33 the Church of God experienced a lot of growth. And then something happened – a persecution set in toward God's Church.

And in Acts 8 we read about Saul, who became Paul, and this is when he was viewing, actually, the death of Stephen. That's what was actually taking place. And Saul, at this time, was part of the persecution of God's Church.

And let's notice chapter 8 and verse 1—Now Saul was consenting to his death. Talking about Stephen. At that time a great persecution arose against the Church of God, which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, so we can see that he was viewing the death of Stephen. And as for Saul, he made havoc of the Church, and he did at that time. And this is what he was doing; he was entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.

So at that time, around A.D. 33 this Simon the sorcerer was baptized. And we note through the scriptures that he tried to buy an apostleship from Peter and John. And we know that he was actually rebuked and he was refused of that apostleship. So it was through this Simon the sorcerer, the one that combined this Babylonian Mystery Religion that really became "Christianity," it was through him, that Satan used him as an instrument against God's Church. But we know that just before the end of this age the Great God of this universe said that this message that Jesus Christ brought to the earth at his time upon this earth, we know that that message got suppressed. And it was probably really suppressed by A.D. 70.

But God made a statement in His book that before the end of this age, God said that "this gospel of the Kingdom would be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nation, and then the end would come." And we know that that is in Matthew 24:14. And it is always at this verse that Mr. Armstrong always stopped. But we know that this gospel of the Kingdom, the message that Mr. Armstrong delivered to this world, to the heads of governments all over this world, and he fulfilled this very verse. And Mr. Armstrong fulfilled his purpose upon this earth. God used Mr. Armstrong to bring about and restore many truths to God's Church. Mr. Armstrong taught the Church the reasons that human beings were created and put upon this earth. He taught us about the evils. He taught us about the sufferings. He taught us about the human mind. He taught us about the world tomorrow, and what would happen upon this earth. Brethren, the message that Jesus Christ brought to this earth, the message that Mr. Armstrong brought to this earth, and the message that an end-time apostle is now bringing to this earth, that message, there is nothing that compares to that message, brethren. Everything else shrinks to total unimportance. This message is greater than any story that has ever been written before. It is greater than any story of man that anyone has ever written about.

God the Father sent a messenger to this world with a message from Him, from the Great God of this universe, for all of mankind eventually, and that promise is recorded in Malachi 3. In Malachi 3:1 we find that God said that He would send His messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And that messenger is explained in Mark 1:2, was John the Baptist at that time.

And the Lord, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight in. Refers to Jesus Christ. And that was the prophecy that was given.

And the record of it happening is in the 1st chapter of Mark, the message that was brought to this world. And it says, "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God." Then follows the account of John the Baptist preparing the way before Jesus Christ. And in verse 12 and 13 it records the temptation of Jesus Christ by Satan, and it's where Satan sought to destroy Jesus Christ spiritually. That's what it was about. And it was before that Jesus Christ would proclaim the message, the message that he brought from the Great God of this universe to this world.

In verses 14 and 15 it says... Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel, and we know that that gospel was the gospel of the Kingdom of God. That was the message that Jesus Christ was bringing to this world. And it was a message about the Kingdom of God that is coming to this earth. And this is the message that God the Father wanted proclaimed as a witness to all nations. That's the message. This world knows nothing of the Kingdom of God even to this day. That message has really been suppressed.

But when Jesus was upon this earth he spoke in parables, and we know that most of those parables concerned the Kingdom of God. That's what the message was about. And when he was explaining to his disciples he told them about a parable about a sower. And he told them, "Unto you it is given the mystery of the Kingdom of God," and he explained to them the parable after he told them these words. "And Jesus said to them, unto what is the Kingdom of God like?" He asked them a question, "And whereunto shall I resemble it?"

And then came another parable, "Then Jesus Christ gave them the parable of the nobleman going to a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return." We know this parable very well. We know what it actually means. And it paints you and me a picture of Jesus Christ and what is actually taking place. And the picture of Jesus Christ ascending into heaven unto the throne of the Great God of this universe, to receive for himself a kingdom, and to then return to this earth. And it pictures where a great ceremony will take place. And it pictures his return to this earth to rule all nations as King of kings and Lord of lords in great power and glory that comes from the Great God of this universe.

Acts 1:2. After Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead the disciples were with him for forty days. And they were there talking about the message, the message that Jesus Christ brought to this world. And it was about the Kingdom of God. And before Jesus ascended to heaven Luke recorded what Jesus had done and said.

Acts 1:2—and he said, until the day in which He was taken up, after that, he through the holy spirit had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen, to whom he showed himself alive after his suffering by many infallible proofs, after his suffering and by many infallible proofs, being seen of them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. So that's what he was teaching them, brethren.

Jesus Christ is coming back to this earth to be the King in the Kingdom of God. Jesus Christ, we know, is the Son of God, and when he returns there will be a resurrection of 144,000 that will become the spirit-composed children of God. There will be some alive that will be changed instantly into the Kingdom of God, and those that are dead in Christ will be resurrected back to spirit life. And now they will be in the Kingdom of God, which is the government of God upon this earth, to be in that government. We know the example that is given in God's book, that Jesus Christ will marry the Church, and it will then become his wife. So the example that is given is like a family, and God is creating His family, Elohim.

Let's turn to Luke 1. Luke 1:26. And it's where the angel Gabriel, who was a cherub, and he was one of three that is mentioned in the Bible, and it says, And in the sixth month, talking about when Elizabeth was pregnant, the angel Gabriel was sent by God unto a city in Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused/betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in to her and said, Hail, you that are highly favored, the Eternal is with you; blessed are you among women!

And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a son, and will call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Eternal God will give unto him the throne of his father David. And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.

So, brethren, this is the message that was brought to this world that no one believes, even to this day. But there is one on the scene telling the world what is about to take place, that this Jesus Christ is about to return to this earth and the Kingdom of God will be here to set up the government of God upon this earth.

Let's look at John 18:36, and this is where Jesus Christ was on trial for his life before Pilate. And Pilate asked him, Are You a king? And this was Jesus' answer: You say that I am a king. And let's notice what Jesus said to Pilate: To this end was I born, and for this cause I came into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. So Jesus explained to Pilate that his Kingdom was not of this world, not of that age, not of that present age. And he said, "My kingdom is not of this age/this world… but now is my Kingdom not from hence," (verse 36).

Brethren, all the scientists cannot understand what God has created just in the physical sense. They have no idea what God is creating now, His family, Elohim. In the very radioactive elements and the law, the law of radioactivity proves that there was a time when even matter did not exist. God says that He is a spirit. God is composed of spirit. That's what He tells us. And God was before everything else was created. And He is the creator of all. We know that God created angels prior to this earth. God created angels out of spirit. He created man out of matter that He created. And there was a time that actually that matter did not exist. And our minds cannot comprehend such a thing. He created those angels for a reason and He put angels upon this earth before man was created. And God intended angels to observe the way that He said to live through certain laws that He had established.

And we know the scriptures, that some of those angels sinned. We know about the one that became Satan and drew a third of the angels into sin with him; and all of those composed of spirit. So God intended for those angels to have a vital part in His plan, but some rebelled. We know that God allowed the creation of evil for a purpose. And there are those that God created out of matter from the dust of this earth. And now that creation of God, the creation of man from the dust of this earth, God intends for him to have a vital, vital part in the final creation for man to become Elohim, to become a spirit being.

And now man, as well as some of those angels, will have a vital part in the final creation of this endless universe that we can only see through that Hubble Telescope. We cannot imagine an endless universe. We cannot imagine spirit, brethren, that has always existed. When God revealed His purpose for man, Satan did not like God's plan and he rebelled. Satan and a third of the angels was upon this earth and God had established His government upon this earth and the administration of God's Government was delegated to one that was named Lucifer, that became Satan because of his rebellion.

The scriptures tell us that Lucifer was a magnificent creation of the Great God of this universe. We know only of two others in God's book, and they are Michael and Gabriel. The angels were endowed with the same ability that we have, to think, to reason, to make choices, to make decisions. Lucifer had much going for him, brethren. God said that he sealed up the sum of wisdom. That's the way it's said in God's book: "He sealed up the sum of wisdom, beauty, and perfection. He was perfect in all his ways from the instant he was created, until iniquity," until rebellion, until lawlessness, "was found in him." He was in the administration of the government of God at the very throne of the Great God of this universe, brethren, and he rebelled. God said that he was created beautiful, perfect in beauty, and he allowed vanity, he allowed pride to seize him. He allowed jealousy to encompass his mind. And then he sinned. He broke God's law, God's law of love, God's law of outgoing concern for the good and welfare of others. He turned away from God's love. He turned away from humility and worship, which is the way of giving, the way of sharing, the way of helping, the way of cooperation. He turned against the Great God of this universe and he became jealous of God. Can you imagine such a thing? He became resentful against God because God was about to create man. And he allowed lust and greed to encompass his mind. And he became bitter. He became violent then. And he deliberately became the adversary of the Great God of this universe. He became an enemy. And that was his choice, brethren, not God's.

We all have choices to make, and this was his choice. It can be your choice too. You have that ability to rebel – not with that kind of power, but you do have the choice to rebel. You have a choice to become an enemy of the Great God of this universe, just like he did. And this should be an example for you and me, those that have God's promise of eternal life if we continue to live the way that God says to live our lives.

Lucifer administered the government of God faithfully, until he rebelled. And in the book of Job we see that all of them shouted for joy when the earth was created. So that tells us it was a time of joy, a time of peace. To those that were created out of the dust of the earth God said that, "Let this mind be in us, which was also in Jesus Christ." That's the way we are to live. That's the way we are to strive. And God has given us that ability. God has given us minds like His, even though inferior and very limited. But we have some of the same attributes of the Great God of this universe that He has instilled in man. And therefore, He says, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Jesus Christ." So we can learn to think His thoughts if we have God's spirit, the holy spirit. We can learn to think to some degree even as God thinks. And that's what it means when we say, "use the mind of God to make our decisions." How would God do this? How would Jesus Christ do this?

Lucifer was a masterpiece of God's creation, perfect in beauty. Knowledge. That's what he had. Power. That's what he had. He had the power to think. He had the power to reason. He had power to make choices and decisions on his own. That's what God had given him, that kind of power. He knew so much about the Great God of this universe. He was at the very throne and he was part of the government of God over the universe. But he then turned. He rebelled and he convinced a third of the angels to sin, to go against God's government. He had to cause them to feel dissatisfied because of what God was doing, what God was doing with man. He had to convince them that they were being wronged by the Great God of this universe, and they became bitter, just like he did. They became resentful just like he did. I'm sure he was very convincing, brethren. We can see what jealousy, envy, lust, and greed can do to the human mind. Can you imagine that on a spiritual level with beings with that kind of power that they had? That jealousy? That resentment? That rebellion that engulfed and occupied their minds? We see it in human beings. We cannot imagine how it affected those spirit beings that were angels.

God formed man out of physical matter, matter that God eludes in His book that never existed at one time. But man would now be created from the dust of the earth. God made man in the form and shape like God. This physical man could now be converted. And we understand what that means. This physical man, God says, can be changed from that matter, from that dust of the ground into a spirit being, a spirit member of the God family, Elohim. That's what God says man can actually have. He can have eternal life in the God Family.

We know God formed plant life, and that plant life could actually reproduce itself, and it doesn't have a brain. God created animals upon this earth. I have a little dog that has some thinking, but nothing like man, nothing like what God put in man. God says that He put a spirit in man. God put that spirit in man and man that is made from the dust of the earth can also have another spirit, is what God's says. God can now call individuals, made of the dust of the earth, that has a spirit in man, and now that man can have another spirit, the holy spirit that comes from God, that can interact with the mind of man through that spirit that is in man. God can now help man become Elohim, to be in the God Family. That is what God is creating at this time. That is what God is doing. And He's preparing those to be in His Kingdom, to be a part of the 144,000, and some to live into the Millennium to be a part of God's Church. God's purpose is to create His family, Elohim, through human beings, man that was made from the dust of the earth, made out of matter.

God has a plan of 7,000 years plus 100 years for His creation of Elohim. That's the amount of time that God has allowed. 6,000 years of that is with Satan upon this earth. 1,000 years of that will be with him restrained, put in his prison for a thousand years. But during that 1,000 years Jesus Christ will return to this earth, at the beginning, and set up the Kingdom of God upon this earth and establish God's government upon this earth, the one that Satan was administering upon this earth, God's government, the one that he rebelled against. And now God is sending Jesus Christ in power to enforce God's government upon this earth, to enforce God's laws upon this earth through that government. God's book said Jesus Christ will rule this earth with a rod of iron. And now the Government of God will be established once again upon this earth to bring to fruition God's plan for man, those that are made out of the dust of this earth to become Elohim, those that want to live the way that God says to live their life, to be obedient to the laws of God, to be obedient to the government of God.

God has given to each one of us a mind, a mind of his own. And if that mind refuses to repent of the wrong way and return to the right way of life, God cannot create Godly character in man. So God says He is the potter, we are the clay, so the clay must be pliable. In other words, it must yield willingly (better said, I guess). And if the human mind stiffens up and resists it's kind of like clay that is too hard to work with, and the potter can do nothing with it. It will not give. It will not bend. So God cannot mold one that is that way. We are the work of God's hands, brethren, if we yield to Him and His Son. But we must do our part to create Godly character. And this is part of our spiritual development. And that is why you're in the Church of God—PKG, to prepare for that Kingdom of God that is coming to this earth, to be molded, to be fashioned by the Great God of this universe and His Son, to be in God's Church, to be in God's government, and some to be in the Kingdom of God, to be a part of the 144,000. If we let God mold us God will instill in us His spirit through His righteousness. He will open our minds and give us spiritual understanding. He will give us spiritual knowledge.

But we have to want it. We have to work at it. We have to put God first. We have to put God before everything else in our lives. And it must be God's righteousness in our lives. God says that ours is like filthy rags. That's what God says about you and me and our ways, our righteousness. But if we yield to Him we can build Godly character, if we diligently seek God and want that character. We have to want it above everything else on the face of this earth, brethren. God says it's like treasure in a field. God says it's like a pearl of great price, something that we can acquire, something that He will give us. If we build the character of God through the holy spirit, listening to God, we can become Elohim. We can become in the God Family with that Godly character finally molded in us, brethren, for an eternity. To always know what is right. To always know what is wrong. Can you comprehend such a thing? God's purpose is to have children, to have those to be in the God family, to become Elohim, to become His divine children that are begotten of Him and then born in the God Family.

Jesus Christ is the first of the firstfruits. He's gone before all those that will be in the 144,000. He was the begotten, the only begotten of the Great God of this universe. He is the only son from human conception and birth of God, the Great God. God, in His book, said he is the firstborn of many brethren, born a son of God through a resurrection from the dead. That's how it was done. And we can do the same, brethren. That's what God is offering you, to be born by a resurrection from the dead – and for some at the very end to be changed from that dust of the earth into a spirit being.

And this is what Satan didn't like. God says we are created a little lower than the angels now, but that will change because we will be joint-heirs with Jesus Christ.

We find in Hebrews 1, and God said (Hebrews 1), of Christ, "being so much better than the angels as he has, by inheritance, obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said He at any time, You are My Son. This day I have begotten you." We find in Hebrews 1 if you want to go back and read it.

In the book of Job we know that angels are spoken of as sons of God. But God lets us know that they are created sons. God says that we are begotten sons. And when we receive the holy spirit from God we become begotten sons and heirs of God, to receive by inheritance His name. Just as any of us that may have sons would inherit your name. If man, which is composed of the dust of this earth sins, and if he refuses to repent and turn from his sin, God has a 7,100 year plan. He didn't say 7, 200 years. He said 7,100 years. And at the end of that, if man does not repent and turn from his sin, he will die the second death. He will utterly perish. He will be as though he has never been, brethren. And that shows God's great mercy, to do such a thing.

We know that spirit, once that mind rebels, that their mind is set. It's not so for man. God has made man of the dust of the earth and we know that Jesus Christ came to this earth to pay the price for sin, the sins of man, to have his sins forgiven. So for those that become in the God Family, God requires righteous character development. That's what we should be doing. That's a good description. And that requires change. If God had made us of spirit and once the decision was made to sin, to reject God's way of life, we could never repent; we could not change, in other words. But man, composed of matter, composed of the dust of the ground can change. Man can realize that he has sinned and he can repent. He can change from that sin and turn to God's way of life, turn to God's way, the way that He says to live, and repent of what he is doing that is sin. And once he changes course with God's help, hopefully, he can never do that sin again.

So man can grow in spiritual knowledge now. Man can develop Godly character now. Man can overcome wrong habits. Man can overcome weaknesses. Man can overcome his faults. But he has to do it God's way, the way that God says to do it. And the spirit that God put in man empowers the mind of man, and it has intellect. And then the spirit of God that is united with that spirit that is in man can empower the brain with spiritual comprehension. And now it can record all this knowledge, and it can record the character that preserves them. Now man can develop holy and righteous character. And when doing so man can now become a spirit being, if he conquers all these things and becomes in the God family, becomes Elohim.

That is what God is offering man. We know that God is our Father and we are the clay. He is the one that forms us. And Job has some questions from God and he said, "If a man die, shall he live again?" And Job said, "All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. You will call and I will answer you," talking about in the resurrection. "You will have a desire to the work of your hands." So Job understood about God's plan. Job understood that God was his potter and he was the clay, and he understood that he was the work of God's hands. And Job understood he would live again. Job understood that he had to be molded. And he must have character development, Godly character. Job called it "the change," into the Kingdom of God. That's what Job said. Job understood that this would be at the resurrection.

And Isaiah 64, you don't have to turn there, you can just note it if you want to. Isaiah 64:8—But now, O Eternal, You are our Father. We are the clay, and You our potter; and we all are the work of Your hand. God cannot shape, change, and develop His character in you and me. Once we've sinned, as all of us do, had we been made out of spirit, that would have been set. But now we have mercy. We have one that has paid the price for that sin and we can repent.

Isaiah 45:9. And so let's notice what else is said. Isaiah 45:9 ...Shall the clay say to him that fashioned it, in other words, rebel, What did you make? Or your work, He has no hands? In other words, it's talking about rebellion against the one that made you.

Ephesians 2:9—God says, " By grace are we saved through faith, and not of ourselves." It, talking about the faith, is the gift of God, not of works; none of us can do it by works. We cannot earn salvation by good works or gain it by good works. But we receive God's gift, the gift of eternal life. But He made a way, a way that we have to do it, by living the way that God says to live our life, by developing Godly character.

But the reason we cannot do it – let's finish off this verse, Ephesians 2:9 ... not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship created in Jesus Christ unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them. So that's what Jesus Christ came and told you and me, we have to be "created in Jesus Christ unto good works." So we have to build character, something that God cannot do for you and me. Godly character cannot be created just by fiat. It must be developed. But we must desire it above everything else, brethren. We have to put God first in our lives. Remember what God said about the holy spirit? He said "His holy spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God." And He is fashioning, He is shaping our character.

The human brain makes decisions, and it is in this physical man that was made from the dust of the earth that character must be built. And it is this human clay that God forms into His character. The spirit that is in man records what the mind, the brain comes to know. It records the attitudes, the character. And when we compare it to what a sculptor would do, and so the mold would have to be made. And the mold is a form, or, you know, if you were making something you would pour the liquid in there until it solidifies, and when the mold is removed it could look like an exact copy. So the spirit that is in the human mind acts as a mold and it preserves the memory, the character that is there. And it is this spirit that is in man that captures all this. This is that spirit that goes back to God if one were to die with God's spirit, or even without God's spirit. It is what is used to resurrect man.

Ecclesiastes 12:7 tells us about this account. And it says, Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. But the character that one has God's spirit, which one has allowed God to build within them, will be there at their resurrection. And if one becomes in the God family, becomes in Elohim, he will be molded and fashioned, and now he will be made so that he cannot sin anymore. He will know right from wrong for an eternity.

God made man from the dust of the earth. The body that comes up in the resurrection is not the same body that was flesh and blood in one's lifetime. We know that the flesh decomposes and decays, but the spirit that was in that body, like that sculptors mold that we talked about, the one that preserves the memory and the character, it goes back to God the Father for later use. God says, "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it." So after death, doesn't matter about the physical body, but it does matter about that spirit that was in man, the one that recorded everything, the memory that is there. And it returns to God. And it will be preserved for later use. And that is the method that God will use to resurrect Abraham, Moses, David, Daniel, and so many others to be in that first resurrection. That's the way that God made it to preserve those minds, that character that was there. They were composed of the dust of the earth, but now they will be composed of spirit. They will have become Elohim at their resurrection.

Let's go back to Malachi 3. Malachi 3:1. Let's go back to the prophecy. And Malachi's prophecy said, Behold, I will send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple, even the Messenger of the covenant. We know that it was John the Baptist that prepared the way, but that was Jesus' first coming. And when we read on through verses 2 through 6 it becomes evident that this prophecy in Malachi is talking about Jesus Christ's second coming in power and glory to rule.

And let's look at Haggai briefly about what Haggai said. Haggai 2:6. Haggai 2:6. It's talking about the Jews that returned to Jerusalem seventy years after the destruction of Solomon's temple to build a second temple on that same site. And the prophecies about Zerubbabel, governor and builder of the second temple, and that was the same temple that Jesus Christ came to in his time. And king Herod had somewhat restored it, but Zerubbabel was just a "type." The prophecy, we can see in beginning in verse 6 of chapter 2 says, For thus says the Eternal of hosts: Yet once (it is a little while) and I will shake the heavens and the earth, and the sea and the dry land; and I will shake all nations, and the desire. And the RSV says, "so that the treasures of all nations shall come," of all nations, shall come and I will fill this house with glory, says the Eternal of hosts. .... The glory of this latter house will be greater than of the former. So what is this speaking about, "the glory of the latter house will be greater than that of the former?" It is greater than Solomon's temple which had the most glorious splendor of any building upon this earth. The second temple built by Zerubbabel could not compare to the splendor of Solomon's temple. So God was speaking of the temple to which Christ would come at his glorious second coming as King of kings and Lord of lords. Jesus Christ came the first time and it was a material temple that he came to. But he's coming the second time in power and glory, brethren, that your mind will not comprehend. And he is coming this time to what God says, "a glorious temple." And it is a spiritual temple, brethren. It's not a material temple. God says it is a glorious temple.

In Ephesians, let me just read this, Ephesians 2:19. Let's just go back and read what it says about God's Church. And it's in the 2nd chapter of Ephesians. Now, therefore, you are of the household, in other words, the family of God, the Church – and let's notice how it was built – and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone in whom all the building fitly framed together grows – let's notice – into a holy temple in the Lord. So Jesus Christ is coming to this glorious temple with a glory far greater than Solomon's temple, brethren. Jesus Christ is coming to His Church, the spiritual temple that will then be glorified with him. There will be 144,000 spirit beings upon this earth, brethren, to be the Government of God upon this earth, to be in the Kingdom of God, brethren. And "they will be fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplies." Brethren, the holy spirit of God, it was added to that human spirit. This is the fruition of that spirit that combined with the spirit of man that is in that first resurrection, that is a part of that 144,000. And now they cannot sin anymore. They have become Elohim. They are now in the God Family.

God's purpose in raising up His Church in the world otherwise that was cut off from God, had a dual purpose. And it was to provide a unified body of spirit led believers to back up the apostles who had been trained to go forth into all the world with the message. All of this is their part in that great commission that was given to them. And second, it was for them to develop Godly character, righteous character which would qualify them to sit with Jesus Christ upon his throne in the government of God when he returned back to this earth. God's way to develop His holy, righteous character is the giving way, brethren. Mr. Armstrong used to say it was the give and get way. God's way, God's way of life is the giving way of outgoing love. We know about Satan's way, the way of get, the way of rebelling against the Great God of this universe and His Son, which results in an attitude of hostility, an attitude of rebellion – rebellion against God's Church and His government, God's government upon this earth.

We have two at the end of this age that has been sent to God's Church; therefore, our name, Church of God—Preparing for the Kingdom of God that is coming to this earth, to set up God's government upon this earth. 6,000 years... 6,000 years is coming to an end. This world, Satan's world is coming to a close. Satan will be put in his prison for a thousand years, and another thousand years of God's time, God's allotted time will be here. Jesus Christ will be the King. 144,000 will now enforce God's government upon this earth. There is a saying that it's always darkest just before the dawn, and that's the world that you and I find our self in. We don't have to have God's book to know that this world is coming to an end. Man would destroy every living thing upon the face of this earth if this plan was not here, if the Great God of this universe had not put this plan in place, this 7,100 year plan.

You can turn over to 1 Thessalonians 4:15. Jesus Christ will come in power and glory, brethren, with 144,000. And in 1 Thessalonians 4:15 we find, For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall not precede them that are asleep. Talking about those that are dead. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. He is coming to rule all the earth, brethren. Jesus Christ is coming to be the King.

Let's turn over to Revelation 19 and let's look at verse 6. Revelation 19:6—The mighty voice of an archangel shouting – let's notice – Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice. Those that are resurrected in glory, the 144,000, will now reign with Christ for a thousand years. Satan will be put into his prison. God will call all those living to His salvation. All those that are resurrected are now immortal. They are now inheriting eternal life. They now have that pearl of great price. They have that treasure that was in the field that God tells us about in His book.

And that is the message that Jesus Christ brought to this earth. That's why it is called the good news. It is the good news of the Kingdom of God that is coming to this earth, to set up the government of God upon this earth, a just government that will rule this earth for 1,100 years, brethren. That is the message that Jesus Christ brought to this earth. And that is why it is called good news. It is the good news of what is about to take place. Jesus Christ is about to return to this earth, brethren, with His government, with the Kingdom of God upon this earth to set up God's government upon this earth. And that is the good news. That is the message that Jesus Christ brought to this earth.

Brethren, we looked at the message at the beginning of the sermon, how that Ancient Israel was given by God laws about how they should live their lives. And we saw how they treated those laws, that message that God had given to Ancient Israel. And we saw how they rebelled over and over, and this will be a witness to mankind. And those of us who lived through the Apostasy, we saw what God's Church with God's holy spirit did with the message. And those of us who lived through Laodicea, we also saw where God spewed His Church out of His mouth, because of what the Church... of what they did with His message, the same message that Jesus Christ brought to this earth many, many years ago. And both of these will be a witness to mankind of what mankind did with God's message.

And those of us that lived during Philadelphia when Mr. Armstrong was alive upon this earth, we saw how Mr. Armstrong brought the message to the leaders of this world, the kings of this earth just as God said that this message would go out into all the world. And we know that no one in the whole world actually listened and gave that message any credence.

But God said in Matthew 24:14, God said that that is what He would do. And Mr. Armstrong fulfilled that scripture. And now at the end of this age God said that He would send two witnesses and a message would go out once again. And it is the same message, brethren. And the book is finished. And it is a message to this world, the final message, the final witness to this world about that message. Just before Jesus Christ is about to return to this earth mankind is on the brink of annihilating every living thing upon this earth, brethren. We know that would take place if God did not have His plan in place. We know that Jesus Christ will return and stop the genocide that would actually take place. And Jesus will have the same message that he came with the first time – repent and believe the gospel. Believe the good news. Peace will finally be here, brethren. No more wars. No more human government. A just government will be here, God's government upon this earth.

Let's go over to the book of Acts and see how it was written about Jesus' return back to this earth. And this was written by Luke in the 1st chapter of Acts. So let's turn over to Acts 1:1 and we will begin to finish up. The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which he was taken up, after he through the holy spirit had given commandments. So he was teaching them, brethren, and he was giving them commandments to follow. And he gave those commandments to the apostles whom he had chosen, to whom he also presented himself alive after his suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. That was the message. It was about the Kingdom of God that is coming to this earth.

Jesus Christ was resurrected and came back to life and taught the disciples for forty days, and this is what he taught them. He taught them about the Kingdom of God, brethren.

Verse 4—And being assembled together with them, he commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which is the holy spirit, which you have heard from me; for John truly baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the holy spirit not many days from now. And we know that this took place on the day of Pentecost. Therefore, when they had come together, they asked him, saying, Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? So they understood about a kingdom, brethren, that was coming to this earth. It was the question that they asked him about that kingdom. And let's notice what he told them, It is not for you, so it was not for them, to know the seasons or the times which the Father has put in His own authority. So we can see it was not for them in their time. But it is for us, brethren. And let's see what he told them... But you will receive power when the holy spirit has come upon you; and you will be witnesses to me – let's notice what is being said—in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and something else was recorded and let's notice what it was...and to the end of the earth. It was not done in their time, brethren, but this will take place.

They will come back to life on Pentecost of 2019. They were given the holy spirit on the day of Pentecost and they will come back to life on the day of Pentecost 2019. And that will be a witness that will eventually go to the ends of the earth. They will be that witness. And the message that Jesus Christ brought to this earth will be taught for a thousand years, through the Millennium, and then on into the Hundred-year period of time. And so it will go to the ends of the earth, brethren.

Verse 9—Now when he had spoken these things, while they watched, so this was the event that they were allowed to see, he was taken up, talking about Jesus, and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said – let's notice – Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? And let's notice what was being said, This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw him go into heaven. And this time the message will be brought to this earth with power as the Government of God will administer the laws of God that were given to Ancient Israel, the 10 Commandments. And they will now be enforced upon this earth and mankind can now learn to live the way that God intended for him to live, with a just government upon this earth, with laws that teach mankind how to live their lives.

And for those that want to live the way that God says, they can now attain eternal life, that promise that was made from the Great God of this universe. They can become in the God Family. They can become Elohim. And that is the message from the Great God of this universe and His Son.

So, brethren, enjoy the rest of the Feast of Tabernacles and heed the messages that God has prepared for you at this Feast.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1