A Time of Refreshing

Johnny Harrell

February 18, 2017

Brethren, there is a way that God works and He has been working for 6,000 years to bring to fruition His Family, Elohim. To those that will be in His Family at the return of God's Son to this earth, it's an exciting thing to understand. God calls a time a refreshing when His Son will return back to this earth. That's what He calls it. That's what the subject will be about today, A Time of Refreshing, and we will look at examples of those that God has used down through time. Ron has been going through a series of sermons in the past about why we should be encouraged. That was a good series for me.

So today we will look at a time of refreshing that God tells us about and that in itself should be encouraging to you and me, those of us in God's Church. God has given you and me so much understanding, those at the end of this age. I hope you are aware of what you have been offered by the Great God of this universe. I hope you have just a bit of understanding of what He has offered you.

God has revealed Himself to different ones down through time and He has revealed Himself differently to those because of the time that they lived in, the time that they lived in upon this earth. At the very beginning God revealed Himself and dealt with individuals on an individual basis, but in our time we understand that God sent Jesus Christ to this earth to become our Passover. He deals with you and me, those of us in God's Church, through Jesus Christ. That's how God is working today.

So let's turn over to John 15 and that's where we will begin today. This tells us, John 15 tells us about how God is working today. We will go back and look at the different ways that God has dealt with man through different ones. In John 15 this is where we will start and it's what we read at every Passover. It tells us so much about how God works in His Church. So let's go through this because the context is about the true vine. That's what it's about. That's the way God explains it in His book. That's the example that He gives. It's about that true vine, which we know is the true Church of God. We know that we are that Church at the end of this age. God uses the analogy of a vineyard in His book, and we've had some sermons about that vineyard, about that garden that God has, but that is the analogy that God uses here.

So let's notice what Jesus says in verse 1, that he is the true vine. He says that my Father, talking about the Great God of this universe, He is the vine dresser. So we see that God is the gardener. Jesus says that, Every branch in me that does not bear fruit He takes away. And every branch that bears fruit—let's notice what's being said—He prunes, that it may bring forth more fruit. He says, you are already clean because of the word, because of what God has revealed to you through God's spirit, those at this time. You have been forgiven of your sins, and therefore, you are clean. God opened your mind to His truth and now you can understand. That was a refreshing thing to you when that happened, because you could now understand God's words. God made a way through the Passover, through Jesus Christ that became our Passover so that we can stay clean. All we have to do is repent. It sounds very simple and it really is simple, but it's a hard thing to do in this human flesh, and it so ensnares us so easily, but Jesus made a way for you and me to repent and have our sins forgiven. We can stay clean through that repentance.

The word "repent" means much more than what we're looking at here today. We'll look at some of that a little later, but God says, "He prunes so that it may bear more fruit." He says we are clean because of what God has done for us, you and me, those of us that are in His Church at this end-time, those that are in the vine, and because of the word that He has spoken to you and me. Abide in me, and I in you. We know that is done through God's holy spirit. That's how God does it. Once we are called and baptized and have been forgiven of our sins and have received God's holy spirit God uses that holy spirit then. This is explaining how it is used. He says, the branch cannot bear fruit of itself. So we see that man needs some help from God. That's what this is telling us.

"And the branch cannot bear fruit of itself." So some have taken this upon themselves, that were once among us, and they are no longer a part of God's Church. They thought that they could bear fruit by themselves. They don't say that, but that is actually what takes place. They think they can decide on their own what is right and what is wrong. But God says, the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abides in the vine. We know that we cannot separate our self from that vine. Jesus said, neither can you, except you abide in me. So that's the only way. So we can see that there is a way that God works, and it's being explained here, and it applies to you and me, those of us in God's Church, the Church that is preparing for God's Son to return back to this earth. When Jesus became the Passover, the way that God began to work in those that God would call, those that the Father would call, is in and through Jesus Christ. That's how it works. There is no other way. This is the only way.

This says, I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, so this is telling us the way that God is working in His Church, and we must bear fruit. This is the way that God had it written for you and me. He says, for without me you can do nothing. We have seen so many forget this very thing, brethren, and begin to think that they can worship God the way that they want to worship God. But let's see what God says about those that do such a thing. If anyone does not abide in me—let's notice what's being said—he is cast out as a branch—and let's notice—and withers. We know this to be very true because there have been so many that walked side-by-side with you and me on God's Sabbath and they are no longer here. So God tells us what will happen to those. They will wither. That's what takes place when the mind turns and it is a frightful thing to see because someone turns from the Great God of this universe and His Son and rebels. That's what it is, it’s rebellion against God, and it's also rebellion against the truths of God. And they don't understand and see this anymore and something takes place in their mind. They actually don't think that they have left God. That's a scary thing because the mind can actually do that and we've seen it take place. The mind thinks it can worship God outside that vine that we are reading about.

God says if repentance does not come, God says He will gather them, and cast them in the fire, and they will be burned. Never to have life again. Death for all eternity.

Let's look at verse 7—If you abide in me, and my words abide in you… and this means "to abide in," "to dwell in," "to live in," "to continue in," and "remain in." That's what it means. You will ask what you desire, and it will be done for you. So the desire that is being referenced here, we understand what that desire is, what it's really speaking about. All those in God's Church understand this, that desire and what it is. That desire is to become Elohim, to become in the God Family. So that's what's being spoken about here, that desire that all of us have. It says, "If you continue in," "If you abide in," "If you dwell in," "If you live in," "If you remain in." So that's what is being said about that desire. God says if you do this it will be done for you. That's what God says. We understand that the desire, that is the desire of all in God's Church. I hope that's everyone's desire in God's Church, to become Elohim.

Let's notice verse 8—By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit. If you continue in, abide in, as Jesus Christ says, you will bear fruit if you do these things. He says, you will be my disciples. In other words, we will become students of the Great God of this universe. That's what it means. "Disciples" means "students." Now we have become teachable and God can teach us through that holy spirit that we have received and He can lead us and guide us into more of His truth. As the Father loved me, I also have loved you. Abide in my love.

Let's notice verse 10 and what it says. Here is that big word that gets in all of our ways, that word "if." If we keep the commandments, you will abide in my love. So God is telling us of a way to abide, to dwell in, to live in, and it's by keeping those commandments of God. He says if we do these things you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love. So we can see that Jesus Christ told us here that he kept His Father's commandments. He is talking about those 10 Commandments that were given on Mount Sinai, the ones that the religions of this world say is done away with, the Protestants and the Catholics especially. So we can see that Jesus Christ was obedient to His Father and he kept those commandments.

He said, These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, That you love one another as I have loved you. So we are being told of a way that we are to live our life with one another while we are upon this earth in this physical flesh, while we are in God's Church, while we are on the path of becoming in the God family to become Elohim. Greater love has no one this, than to lay down one's life for his friends, and we know this is actually what Jesus Christ did. He will explain that later, about what a friend is. He gave his life for you and me, and we understand this, all of those that want to be in His family, to become Elohim. That should be so encouraging, as we have had through that series of sermons that Ron gave about being encouraged. That should be a refreshing thing to you and me, to hear those words that were so encouraging. You and me are told of a way to live our lives for those that want this way of life, what God is offering us. God's way, He says, will bring peace to man, peace to this earth, peace forever in the God Family.

Jesus said in verse 14, he explains what a friend is and he says, You are my friends, if, so there's that word "if" that so ensnares man in this physical flesh, if you do whatever I command you. So there is a way that God works in His Church. At the end of this age we understand more about how Jesus Christ works in His Church and we will look at that a little more later.

Jesus said, I no longer did call you servants; for a servant does not know—let's notice what's being said—a servant does not know what his master is doing. But I have called you friends; for all things—let's notice—for all things that I heard from God, from his Father. So let's notice what Jesus Christ is saying to you and me, all things he heard from his Father he is making known to you and me. So we have everything that we need to become in the God Family, to be in God's Kingdom, if we do these things we have just read. He is making known to you and me. That's what Jesus Christ said, "I have made known to you." So you know the way. You know what you have to do.

Verse 16—You did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit. So he was speaking to his disciples at that time, but it applies to you and me also, things that we are to do, and every one of us that God has called, we know how that calling took place. It is the Great God of this universe that called you and me, and then we are put in God's garden, God's vineyard, so to speak, and then we are to do something. God says we are to produce fruit in that vineyard that He has placed you and me. Jesus said that our fruit should remain. In other words, fruit should always be there in our lives. It should never disappear. It should never wither on the vine, your fruit. We are to repent quickly when we sin, because then our fruit will remain and not wither in that vineyard, God's vineyard. When we sin, if we do not repent quickly, the mind can turn. We have seen what happens when that mind turns. So we understand what this is speaking about. We have seen so many that this has happened to, that their fruit withered on the vine in God's vineyard. It's actually what took place, and now they are no longer a part of that vine. They are cut off from the Great God of this universe and His Son. So God tells you and me how we are to live our life, and that is the context of what is written here in God's book.

Verse 17—These things I command you—let's notice, it's a command—that you love one another. So to those of us that have been called by God we have commands that we are to live by. This is a command that you and me are to love one another. I can see that love manifested in this room, the very thing we are reading about. Those of us in God's Church, especially, should love one another. Husbands and wives, and to those that have God's spirit, we are to love one another. It's about relationships, those relationships that we all have. God says it's a command. It's not a suggestion and those 10 Commandments are not a suggestion, they are commandments. That's the reason they are called commandments. God gave us those commandments, of a way to love Him and then we know the last part of those commandments that tells you and me how we are to live with one another, how we are to love one another.

Let's notice verse 19. It tells us about the world's hatred for you and me, some of what you and me will face in Satan's world, the world that we find our self in at the end of this age. Jesus said, If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. So I think all of us have experienced this and understand what is being said. We live it day-by-day. We know that we are not popular in Satan's world. Jesus said here, because we are not of Satan's world, therefore, Satan's world hates you and me – because of the way that we live our life. We are not well liked in this world. But that is about to change. Satan's age is coming to a close in just a short while, but we know that now we live in his world, but that is about to change as I said.

Jesus said, Remember the word that I said to you, A servant is not greater than his master. We've seen some take this on their self also, to put their thinking above that of Jesus Christ and the God of this universe. Jesus said to remember those words. That's what he said. He said, If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. We have experienced this in this world that we live in also. It goes on and says, if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. There's coming a time in the future that this will begin to take place. They will want to know what you know, brethren. They will want to know what is in your mind. We know the scriptures where it says they will grab one by the coattail and want to know what you know.

But all these things they will do to you for my name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent me. So we know that this world does not know the Great God of this universe. We know that this world does not know the real Jesus Christ. They have no idea, brethren. The religions of this world have so distorted the messages in this book that was brought to this world, Satan's world, the gospel of the Kingdom of God that Jesus Christ brought to this world, but they still have no idea of what it is and they do not want any part of what you and me are doing at this time. They don't want any part of God at this time, but like I said, that's about to change because of the way that God will work in the future.

So let's go back to the very beginning, to Adam and Eve, and let's pick up the story flow and let's see how God worked with them, the very first humans upon this earth. We find that in Genesis 3:1. We know this story very well because Ron's been going through these very scriptures. We know most of these scriptures by heart. We know that it's about how Satan had dealt with Eve.

But I want to quote what God had written about Satan from Ezekiel 28. You don't have to turn there. God said this about Satan, about Lucifer, the one that became Satan. God said that he was "the seal of perfection, full of wisdom." So God said that he was "full of wisdom," and he "was perfect in beauty." Sometimes we can just read and not grasp what is written in God's book. So here it is, a being that is so beautiful and had so much wisdom that God had given him. That's the way that the Great God of this universe describes him. So this is the being that Eve was actually dealing with. He had much wisdom. So that's what God had written about Satan; he was "full of wisdom and he was perfect in beauty." So he looked good to the eyes. So we see that Satan had this wisdom that God had given him.

God told Adam and Eve that they should not eat of the tree of the garden. We know the story. There was one forbidden to them, but Satan took what God said to Eve and he posed the question to Eve, and he was very cunning in the way that he did it, as we know. The question that Satan was asking of Eve was, what he was actually doing was putting doubt in Eve's mind about what God had said to them, what God told them was not really the way it was. That's what Satan told her.

And (verse 2) the woman said to Satan, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden. So we can see the garden, God's garden that He had planted for Adam and Eve, a physical garden that was there to sustain them because they were physical human beings. God said, But of the fruit of the tree, and this tree has much spiritual meaning, as we will see as we go through this sermon, but the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, so there was a tree that was forbidden to them, and God said, You shall not eat of it, nor touch it, lest you die. It's pretty graphic when you really run that through your mind and think about what was actually said. This was a tree you could not even touch. You would die. That's what they were told.

So we know what takes place – deception sets in and Satan lied and he said, You will not surely die. For God knows, see how he told her, that in the days that you eat of it your eyes, in other word, your mind will be opened. Satan used an enticement here and he told Eve, You will be like God. So Adam and Eve had been dealing one-on-one with God as He walked through that garden with Adam and Eve. So the enticement was to be like God. That's what it was and we have looked at some of this in past sermons. Who would not to have knowledge like the Great God of this universe? Like the power of God? Eve could look around and see what God had created and she knew that God had created Adam and Eve, both of them. She recognized that God had much power and that was an awesome thing that Satan did, the enticement that he used. Let's notice what else is said, knowing good and evil. That's what Satan was offering her, the knowledge, like the knowledge of the Great God of this universe, to know those things, to have the thinking of God. That's what Satan was telling Eve, that they could have all those things.

When you really think about it, to even think that you could have that kind of mind and that kind of power with this human mind is actually ridiculous, brethren, when you think about it, but that's what he offered her.

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food—let's notice what was taking place, something was actually happening to her mind—and that tree was pleasant to her eyes, and a tree to desirable—let's notice—to make one wise, so she took of the fruit and ate, and she gave to her husband and he ate. And we know that story.

Down in verse 7—Then the mind (better said) of both of them were opened—and let's notice what was taking place—they knew that they were naked now and they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. So something was taking place in their mind when they did this. This shows that they were ashamed and now they were trying to hide themselves from the very one that had created them. Now they wanted to cover themselves up. So something had changed in their mind.

And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. So we see how God revealed Himself to them. And they heard Him walking in the cool of the day and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among—let's notice where they hid themselves—among the trees of that garden that God had created for them, the garden that sustained their every need. When we think about what God did for man, when they were here upon this earth, they had need of nothing, brethren. Everything that man desired was there to sustain their physical lives. It was there in that garden. We can learn from what man did on that physical plane with this human mind. We will be witness of what man can do with that same mind with God's spirit. It tells us a lot about the mind and what it can do. We have seen what it can do even with God's spirit.

So here we find them hiding because of what they had done, and shame had now entered the human mind because of disobedience, because of rebellion against the Great God of this universe. That's what it was. They had disobeyed by going against what God had told them – not to eat of that fruit. We just went through John 15 and we are told about fruit also, you and me, those that have God's spirit. God says we are to produce fruit. God says we are to bear fruit, spiritual fruit. And we are not to eat of certain fruits in Satan's world. That's what you and me are told. Adam and Eve were told at the very beginning not to eat of that fruit, and you and me at the end of this age are told the very same thing, not to eat of the fruit of Satan's world.

Verse 9—Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, Where are you? And we know that God knew where Adam was. And he said, I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid… Do you ever think Adam and Eve were afraid in the garden at the beginning that God had built for them? We know that he was there and he named all the animals. We know some of them are very fierce animals. So I don't think there was ever a time that they were afraid in God's garden, God's vineyard. So we're seeing something that is actually happening to their mind and now we see fear entering that human mind. We see them hiding from the Great God of this universe. So something was happening to their mind and something had actually been opened in their mind. We are reading about what happened to Adam and Eve.

God asked, even though He knew this He asked the question, Have you eaten from the tree that you should not eat? We know what takes place. Blame now takes place. We know the rest of the story.

Let's look at verse 22—Then the LORD God said, Behold, the man has become like god, to raise his thinking above God. That's what he did. That's what took place. God had it written in His book for you and me. There was a tree in God's garden. I know that we look at it as a physical tree, but there's more to that tree that He placed in that garden. It has much more meaning for they cut themselves off from that tree. What they actually did was they cut themselves off from any further knowledge from the Great God of this universe that would have been provided to them. That's what they did. They cut themselves off from what was really being offered to man and they cut themselves off from any further knowledge of what man was going to be offered. So rebelling against God cut them off from any further knowledge from the Great God of this universe and His plan for man. So they actually limited their knowledge.

So I hope you understand what you have been offered, the knowledge that you have at the end of this age about God's plan. God cut Adam and Eve off from any further knowledge. He cut them off from what was going to be offered to man, but you have that understanding. You have that knowledge. Jesus Christ told us, as we just read a little earlier, you would have the knowledge that you need to become Elohim.

You know the plan of the Great God of this universe and what He is offering you. I hope you understand the magnitude of what God has offered you. We have a clue in part of verse 22, and let's notice: And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever. So that's the clue, "live forever." Eternal life, brethren, that's what God was offering, without pain, without suffering, peace forever in a different body. We can live with one another in peace forever once God's plans come to fruition. This is the knowledge that they lost because of sin, because of rebellion against the Great God of this universe.

So they lost what God would eventually bring about for man, His plan. Therefore, the LORD God sent him out of the garden, to till the ground from which he was taken. So now they do not have anything provided for them. They have to make their own way. So he drove out the man and placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way to guard that garden, to guard that tree of life, the one that they were cut off from the Great God of this universe. God sent cherubim to guard that way to the tree of life. So we know that God told Adam and Eve about a way to live their life, but we see that they took it upon themselves to decide how they wanted to live their life. That's what they did. God tells you and me in His book about how we are to live, and He told them also. We see once Adam and Eve rebelled something happened to the mind when they decided to think for themselves using that human mind. They decided what was right and what was wrong and they took that to themselves and raised their thinking above God.

God says this human mind is naturally hostile to Him. That's the mind of man and that is the mind that is used to this day until something takes place. Something has to happen to the human mind. God had it written in His book for you and me so that we can learn. So when we bring it down to our time we see the results of man living with this human mind. We can look on the world scene of our day; that human mind will destroy every living thing upon the face of this earth. It comes down to the fact that they can just push a button and it would all be gone. That's the mind of man. That's what would actually take place. Nothing would be left. Poof, it would be gone.

So we see in the book of Genesis that man in the very beginning became cut off from God, from God's presence at the very beginning. So now for the next 6,000 years, unless God would call and use someone, man was cut off from God except those that God would call and use. So when we look at God's plan, when we start in the book of Genesis, God has progressively revealed His truth down through time. There were some that He called to move His plan forward. That's how it was done. It was done progressively down through time. We saw how God revealed Himself to Adam and Eve. God revealed Himself to Noah in another way. He revealed Himself to Abraham in another way, in a different way. God revealed Himself to Moses in another different way because of what God was doing at that point in time in His plan, because of what needed to be done, because of what God was doing through His plan. I think all of us understand how God was working.

So God has revealed Himself down through time to those that He was using as He was moving His plan forward in different ways because of where they were in time in God's plan. So He worked with Noah. He worked with Abraham. He worked with Moses and all of those He would call down through time. He worked with them differently. He worked with all of them in different ways because of God's plan and because what needed to be done at that time to move God's plan forward. This is why you see so many names for God in this book, God's book, because of the different ways that God has worked with man down through time.

One thing that we know that God is doing through His plan, we can tell that God is leading man back into a relationship with Him. We can see that that is actually what God is doing. He's bringing that to fruition. He's doing that for all of those that want to live the way that God is offering at this time, those that want to have that peace that we hear about, eternal peace. Eternal life with eternal peace, that's what God is offering today. Those of us that are in God's Church, when we bring it down to our time, that's what you're being offered. He's offering it to just a few now, but that is also about to change.

God says a time of refreshing for man is coming to this earth, and God will have a thousand plus one hundred years of His Son upon this earth. God's spirit will be here and that spirit will now begin to help man to understand what God is offering him. A relationship—that's what God is offering—with Him for an eternity, brethren, eternal life in the God Family with the Great God of this universe and His Son, and all of you that will be there. That's the thing that Adam and Eve cut themselves off from, that knowledge of what God was doing.

Let's turn over to Acts 3, Acts 3, and let's start in verse 19. We know that we are told in the Church of God to repent and be zealous. That's what you and me are always told. God had it wrote in Acts 3:19, God said through Peter—let's notice—Repent. That is where so many have failed. We have seen so many fail from this very simple word "repent." We have seen so many refuse to do that very thing that walked side-by-side with you and me. But "repentance" it means, "to think differently." We are told to think differently through the sermons week-by-week, Sabbath-by-Sabbath, Holy Day by Holy Day. We are to become converted, as the scripture tells us. That's what Peter wrote. We are to think differently.

Repent, therefore, and be converted—let's notice—that your sins may be blotted out, so that we can continue to bear that fruit that we read about, so that times of refreshing—let's notice—may come from the presence of the LORD. And that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before: Whom heaven must receive—let's notice what's being said—Whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken of by the mouth of all His holy prophets—and let's notice how long that's been done—since the world began. So it's been for 6,000 years. God is preparing a Church, His Church, the Church of God—PKG for the truth that is coming to this earth. That's what will be taught. Truth.

That is what you are being prepared to do, to bring mankind back into a right relationship with the Great God of this universe and His Son. We can see things being set right in His Church now. We can see what is being done through the relationships with women and what a right relationship is between husband and wife.

God tells us that a time of refreshing is coming. That's what God calls it in His book. We understand that Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God the Father waiting for the time when he can come back to this earth and to begin to restore all things. That will certainly be a time of refreshing for all of God's people and the rest of man that wants to live life in eternal peace and live the way of life that God says that will bring about peace for man, peace for an eternity.

Verse 22—Moses truly said to the fathers, The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever he says to you. And it will be that every soul who will not hear that prophet will be utterly destroyed from among the people. A pruning will take place. That's what God is saying. Just like we read about earlier about that vine and how pruning takes place in that vine. Yes, and all the prophets from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days. You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, And in your seed all the families of the earth will be blessed. To you first, having raised up His servant Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your sins, from your iniquities.

So we can look around and see where this has led man, man deciding for himself what is right and what is wrong, just like Adam and Eve. So Peter is telling you and me that we are to think differently because of what God has done for you and me by God calling us and giving us His spirit so that we can do that, so that we can think differently and we can with God's help. We understand that now we can change with God's help.

Not long ago we heard in a sermon that it is hard work to be in God's Church. It is hard work and it's not meant to be easy; it's meant to be hard work to be in God's Family. God says we have to think the way that He says, and it is to think differently with this human mind. God says that this natural carnal mind, this human mind is naturally hostile to Him. But when our minds are open we now have the ability of a different way of thinking, once we have repented of our sins and we have been baptized, and once we have received God's spirit, the holy spirit, we now have an ability to think differently. Now we can repent and we can put sin out of our life. We can bear fruit. We live differently than anyone else upon the face of this earth, brethren. I hope you understand that one thing, those of us in God's Church, we live differently. We think differently because of what God has given you and me. So we think differently than anyone else upon the face of this earth. We are in agreement with God and His way of life. I hope everyone is. I know not everyone is.

God says in His book of a way that we are to live our life, and He tells us about it. God says there will become a time of refreshing where man will begin to live this way of life. We know through the Holy Days what will be taught during the Millennium, and it begins with the Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the rest of God's Holy Days, teaching man the correct way of life. It will be so refreshing when that takes place, to see that very thing. One Church. One Church upon the face of this earth. The Sabbath beginning to be kept. The Holy Days beginning to be kept. That will be a time of refreshing for you and me to see those things.

It's a good way that God says it in His book, a refreshing time. And just to see those that receive the truth and begin to repent, to think differently, to think the way that God says they are to think, can you imagine what that will be like? There will be those that want what God is offering and they will want it quickly, brethren. Some will. It will be so refreshing. Remember when our minds were being opened? When we could think differently? When we could open this book and actually understand the words in this book? It was so refreshing to your mind. I actually remember those days of studying God's word. It's been a long, long time since I was called, but I remember how exciting it was. You could just open that book and you could actually start to understand God's words. That's a good way of saying it; it was a time of refreshing for me, to be able to understand God's words, but I found out quickly that it was only for me and nobody else, but that is when it began. It's ongoing for me; a time of refreshing for me is every Sabbath day. I still look forward to every Sabbath day, brethren, and I have been doing this for a long, long, long time.

We saw how Adam and Eve were cut off from what could have taken place in their life. They cut themselves off and now they could not learn what God was offering them. It's actually what took place. They cut themselves off from any further knowledge of the plan of God, what was really in the future, what that tree of life actually represented in that garden. They cut themselves off from that tree. They lost what they had received from the Great God of this universe. We wonder how it could happen when they had access to the Great God of this universe. They dealt with God one-on-one, their creator.

We've seen people do it in our time. We've seen so many lose what they have received from God. It's like a broken record. It's over and over and over. Even with God's spirit we see it. We see when they are cut off they don't think they've lost anything, but we can see the mind when it takes that turn. We've witnessed that. I've seen it. And especially those in the ministry know what I'm speaking about. We see when that mind takes that little turn and it begins to drift away. I think most of us have experienced seeing this in God's Church. So we know and understand firsthand what can happen to the mind even with God's spirit. That will be written about for those in the future, what man can do even with God's spirit. That is so much worse, brethren, than what Adam and Eve did. So much worse! Because the mind has been enlightened to God's plan.

Could we ever do such a thing, those of us sitting in this room? I never thought the Apostasy would come about the way it did, but God was merciful and a time of refreshing took place when God began to give us the answers of why that Apostasy came about. God gave the answers progressively, and He did it through the present truth. That's how it was done. God gave us the answers through that present truth.

And when He told us to turn right or turn left we know that God has brought that truth progressively down through time, through one that He was using. That's how God has used it all the way down through time to move His plan forward. He used that method with Moses as He led the people toward that promised land. We know that they complained over and over. I can't imagine leading that many people that were complaining, but that's what Moses did. They rebelled over and over. We know the story of what they did. One thing, we can know that God did not let them know that that water would part until Moses held that staff up and only then did they know those waters would part. Not before. God uses the present truth to bring us, His Church, those that He is preparing for His Son back to this earth, through His apostle. That's how it's done today. It's being done progressively through the present truth, just like God has used it in the past. There is only one way. There is only one Church. There is only one truth. There is only one Church that God works in, and God has progressively revealed truth down through time in different ways to different ones. Truth, the present truth during their time.

What Adam and Eve missed was that tree of life, what it really represented, eternal life in the God Family – to become Elohim, a spirit being in the God Family. That is what that tree of life really represents. God says we can be pruned from that tree, that tree of life, and we know that many have been pruned. We know many will be cut off from that tree of life. We know that many have been already cut off from that tree of life.

God says that He is growing a garden, a spiritual garden, and He has a vineyard to grow that garden in. It started in the Garden of Eden. That's where it started. God says that there was a tree, and He had it written about that tree that was in the midst of the garden that tells us of an example that happened in His book about Adam and Eve and what they did and what they did has been repeated over and over and over down through time – rebellion. We've seen it in our time.

Ron has just given some numbers of those that have been part of a PKG, part of PKG, to the ministry. It is staggering, brethren, just to realize how many are no longer here amongst you and me. Rebellion. It's like a broken record, just keeps going and going. It's not over yet. Many have made the choice to disobey God and partake of forbidden fruit. That's what they do. It's a good way of saying it, forbidden fruit. Sin. That's what it is, and sin has cut them off and they now have no further knowledge of God's creation, what He is creating, to be in God's Family, the one that He is creating, Elohim.

But God has opened your mind to the way, the way of life that we are to live. He gives us those instructions in His book and through sermons week-by-week, Holy Day-by-Holy Day. There are so many that have chose not to follow God any longer, just like Adam and Eve. And to turn against God after you have been awakened, brethren? It is a scary, scary thing, to my mind, to do such a thing. God says if repentance does not take place there is that lake of fire that God tells us about in His book that is prepared for those that will not repent.

These words in God's book are spiritual in nature. That's what they are. They're spiritual, and we are to be dwelling in, abiding in, living in, and continuing in this way of life. That's what we are to do. It's what God says. Those words that John told us about, about that sin that can cut us off from doing these very things, continuing in God's Family, to be in God's Family. You've heard me say many, many times about the human mind and when it takes a turn (I've seen it so many times), and the mind just starts to fade away. If it's not repented of quickly, if it's not nipped in the bud today, brethren, you may not make it in God's Family. It's just like Adam and Eve – it's rebellion. Now all they have is that physical mind to guide and direct them through life. Now in that physical mind is the deception that they now have communication with God still; that deception remains in that mind.

God made a way for you and me to continue in the way that He leads us through His apostle. He made us a way to be forgiven of our sins so that we can continue in this way of life. He made a way to repent through Jesus Christ, and if we do so we can continue with the present truth, as it is revealed to us through God's apostle, to move God's plan forward just like He has done all through time. It is progressively, brethren, through that present truth. That is how we will be led until the end, until the return of Jesus Christ, through that present truth, progressively.

Jesus is coming back to bring about the restitution of all things. God tells us about that time of refreshing that will take place when this happens. God has spoken about these things through the prophets down through time. We understand that God calls a person into a relationship with Him. That's what actually happens. And when He does it is the purpose for a continuing relationship, brethren. It's not short-lived. It's not supposed to be short-lived. It's supposed to be for an eternity, when God calls you, to become Elohim for an eternity. That's what should take place. That's what God has offered.

Isaiah tells us about the mind of God. God told us through Isaiah that His mind is nowhere like our mind. We understand that because God has just been telling us about this mind, this human mind and what it is.

We can look through that Hubble Telescope and look at that physical creation that is out there and our mind cannot comprehend just that physical creation, much less what God is creating in the spiritual realm. Just when we look through that Hubble Telescope all those things are out there for a purpose, brethren. God says that His thoughts, His way of thinking, His way of reasoning is not anywhere close to man's. God says, "Neither are your ways My ways." Not even close. That's what God says. Man has so much pride. Man is selfish. Man is so selfish!

We hear about man's ways, and this selfishness, and this pride that man has through the sermons that are given. And hopefully, we come to understand what we really are in this flesh. We have looked at man down through time today and it's not a pretty picture of what man has done with his mind. Rebellion and rebellion and rebellion. That's the story of man and God. So this is the picture that is painted for you and me, those of us at the end of this age. Adam and Eve rebelled. It's not just about Adam and Eve. It's the story of this whole book, brethren, of man. Man looks out for self first. That's man. We know the examples that Mr. Armstrong used to give us, about a woman and child and how selfish that love actually is. Her love for that child comes first. She looks out for self first. That's a selfish kind of love, but God makes it clear that man and his ways must be changed. That selfishness has to be changed. That pride has to be changed. Something has to be done for man. So something has to take place in the mind of man to be healed of these things that we're talking about, that pride.

God says through Isaiah that He has seen man and his ways. He knows man. He knows every path we are subject to take, brethren, and it's not a pretty picture of what God sees. He tells us through Isaiah that He has seen man's ways, but God also said something else. God said that He would heal him. That's what God said.

So let's turn over to Romans 8, Romans 8:1, and we'll notice what's written there. There is, Therefore, now no condemnation—let's notice—to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the scripture, according to the spirit. Romans 8:1. In other words, what's being said, they're striving to keep sin out of their lives and they are trying to live the life that God says we are to live.

For those who live according to the flesh set their mind the things of the flesh. We've just been reading about a prime example of that very thing, Adam and Eve, and what they did. Those things that they desired that God said they should not have. But those who live according to the spirit, and I hope that's everyone's mind here, the things of the spirit. For to be carnally minded is death. That's what God says, "to be carnally minded is death." But to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Eternal life, brethren, peace forever as a spirit being if we do these things that we should do that sounds so simple – just repent. "Just repent and be zealous."

Verse 7, let's see how this is addressed. I'm sure we know the scripture by heart, but Paul says, The carnal mind, the thinking of the mind, the human nature is enmity, is hostile and it's opposed to the Great God of this universe. We see it all through God's book. It is against God and or it is not subject to the law of God. So let's pay attention to what Paul wrote, nor indeed can be. That's what God had written. "Nor indeed can be." It's just not in man. Something else has to take place for man to the mind. So those who are in the flesh cannot please God. So there is no way, unless we have help, and it has to be help from God. By nature the human mind we just read about, that human thinking is opposed to God. That's what it is.

God just told us through Isaiah that His mind and man's mind is so far apart. God says it is so far apart that it is naturally hostile to Him and His ways. He does not want to do it God's way, that's for sure. Man wants to do what he wants to do. That's man. He's not interested in God and His ways at this time. Man wants no part of God at this time. No one wants God because it would interfere with their life, but the ones that God has given His spirit to, they think differently, those that have had the help that the mind needs from God. Something has happened to their mind and they can think differently and they can understand the words of the Great God of this universe and His Son, and now they have a different desire. They desire to live a different way of life. God has given to those in His Church, those that He has called at this time, just a small portion of His mind…just a small portion.

God says He is going to restore what He began to reveal in the very beginning. God has progressively revealed truth down through time, through the present truth, in those that He used and called upon their stay upon this earth to do the job that He set forth before them. That's how it was done.

God is creating His Family, Elohim, and it is the 144,000 first, as we know, the firstfruits, the firstfruits from the harvest. That's what God says. God's harvest. They will be there when this time of refreshing that God tells us about in His book. They will be there when Jesus Christ comes back to this earth and sets up the Government of God upon this earth. It's not long now before that will take place, brethren. The restitution of all things will begin and a time of refreshing for man will take place. God says that we are His vineyard. God says that we are His garden, so to speak. Hopefully everyone listening and everyone here is a part of that vineyard, part of that garden, and they are bearing fruit. I hope all of you are bearing fruit. I hope all of you will be there when the Son of man comes back to this earth. When that time of refreshing begins I hope you see it. And once it does, it will produce a great, great harvest at the end of a thousand years, brethren. That's what it will produce. That's the fruit of Jesus Christ being here for a thousand years. It will produce much, much fruit. It's called the Great White Throne for a reason because it's going to take a great, Great White Throne to handle what is resurrected at that time.

Let's turn over to 1 Corinthians 10. But once Jesus Christ is here and the rest of man is offered the way to be in the God Family, and everyone begins to keep the Sabbath and the Holy Days I can see why God calls it a time of refreshing.

1 Corinthians 10:6. God says that we have examples in His book for those that He has called at the end of this age. God gave 1 Corinthians; a long, long time ago He gave these things. He says, These things became our examples, talking about what is written in His book, God's book, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things. So what is God speaking about, evil things? God calls it evil. Evil things that they did in Ancient Israel, and we'll go back and look at some of the evil things that they did.

So what is this saying to you and me when we bring it down to our time? What are these evil things that God is speaking about? Verse 7 starts to give us a clue of what God is speaking about. Do not become idolaters, as some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. We know the story. After all they had seen, after all the miracles that God had done, that their physical eyes had seen. Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did. So it's giving us a clue of what they did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell. It says 23,000 here, and we'll read about where it says 24,000 a little later. But 23,000 did die in one day and the rest died later.

So let's go over and see what God was talking about, to Numbers 25. Let's look at what God called evil and let's learn from the examples that were given in this book for you and me; that God says it's for you and me, our time, to learn from.

And in Numbers 25:1 it says, Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit—let's notice what they did—harlotry with the women of Moab. And they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods. So let's notice what was taking place and what they had been invited to. They had invited them to the sacrifice of other gods, and they accepted that invitation. That's what they did. I'm sure there was a lot of partying going on because it tells us what they began to do in the very first verse, "commit harlotry with the women of Moab." So we know what was going on, doing things that they should not do, that they should not partake of, those fruits in Satan's world. …and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So when we look at this we wonder how could someone do this after all that God had done for them? After God had brought the out of captivity? Here we find them bowing down to other god's. How could such a thing happen?

So when we look around at God's Church today, the ones that have let down, I've sat in conversations with some of those that left, and they wondered how anyone could ever leave God's Church. How could that ever take place? How could everyone do that? How could you ever go back to this world? God calls it harlotry and He is not pleased when anyone goes back.

There's a family in our town that was once a part of Worldwide, and the lady was actually a second generation Worldwide. So she had been around God's Church for a long, long time and now when we ride by their house during the holidays, you know what we see all lit up? It's how far the mind can go. It's how far back it can actually go. I really appreciate that example when I ride by, because it's a good example for me and my wife to see how far that mind can turn.

Verse 2—They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So that's pretty much what I see this couple doing that were a part of Worldwide. They are participating to another god. That's actually what they're doing, worship of another god. And the people ate and bowed down to their god. So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor—and let's notice what took place at that time—and the anger of the Eternal was aroused against Israel. The things that He called evil.

The Eternal said to Moses—let's notice—Take all the leaders of the people and hang the offenders before the Eternal, facing the sun. That's how it was done in their day. We've been through this before, but it's good to be reminded of how serious of an offence this was before God. God did not take this event lightly, brethren, and this is how it was done. …the fierce anger of the Eternal may turn away from Israel. This is how serious it was. So Moses said to the judges of Israel, Every one of you kill the men who were joined to Baal of Peor. So we can see this was a very serious offence before the Great God of this universe at that time when it was taking place. It brought about a death penalty for them immediately, brethren. God did not take this lightly after all He had done for them bringing them out of captivity and they had seen all those miracles that God had done. God had taught them much about Himself and He taught them about the correct way to live life, just like you are being taught. But you have help.

But we see they were quick to bow down to another god, so God said "kill the men who were joined to Baal of Peor." And one of the children of Israel came and presented to his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses. So we can read through this and not grasp how graphic this situation was and what was actually taking place and why God called this so evil. This man was so bold as to rub what he was doing under the nose of Moses. That's what he was doing, just rubbing it under Moses' nose, the sins that he was committing.

Let's notice what, that he did not really care and he wanted them to see what he was doing. That's what he wanted. It says, in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel… Now when Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose from the congregation and took a javelin in his hand; and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So we know what they were doing in the sight of everyone, the congregation. That's how bold it was.

Here we find a reference to the 24,000—So the plague was stopped among the children of Israel. And those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand.

Let's go back to 1 Corinthians 10 and let's pick up in verse 9. We can see that they tempted the Great God of this universe. We can see that God dealt with them immediately and just because there's not a death penalty immediately, brethren, does not mean there's not a death penalty for you and me and all of mankind. God tells us about that lake of fire and God tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:9 of something we had better not do. He says we had better not tempt Christ. Let us not tempt Christ, as some of them doing it were destroyed by serpents. So this is talking about the event when the serpents were coming and we're not going back and look at that account, but we understand what took place with those serpents and the pole that was placed up for them to look upon. We see it to this very day in the hospitals and the ambulances. So we see the times that God was not happy with His people and we see how far their mind had turned.

Verse 11, this is where we want to focus. Now all these things happened to them—let's notice why—as examples; they were written for our admonition, upon whom the end of the ages have come. That's you and me and there is something here that you and me should learn from that we just read about. The Church of God—Preparing for the Kingdom of God, at the end of this age, we are to learn from these examples that we just read. We are the remnant Church at the end of this age, brethren.

I want to read verse 11 and 12 in a different translation. It says, All these things happened to them as examples—as object lessons to us—to warn us against doing the same things; they were written down so that we could read about them and learn from them in these last days as the world nears its end. So be careful. If you are thinking, "Oh, I would never behave like this"—let this be a warning to you. So I like the way that this is said in this translation, "Let this be a warning to you." We have seen so many that were a part of us and walked side-by-side with you and me. They thought they would be there until the end, brethren. They still think they will be there. They still think they are worshipping God even though they have left the vine. That's how far the mind can go just like that Christmas tree. It's not much difference. Once God's spirit leaves that mind they are no part of the vine.

Verse 14 tells us to Flee from idolatry, and this was written for you and me, the Church of God preparing for the Kingdom of God that is coming to this earth.

Let's go back to Exodus 1:6. Let's pick it up in verse 6, Exodus chapter 1. It tells us this is where Joseph dies and the children of Israel grew into a great people. We know the story. It's where a king rose up that did not know Joseph, and this is where they went into captivity. As we look through this chapter we know this chapter by heart, all of us do, but we can glean spiritual lessons from what is written here. It's just like the rest; it's a story for you and me to learn from. We know that that exodus was a time of deliverance for God's people that He was dealing with at that time during their time. We know that there is a new age coming. We know there is another deliverance coming for God's people at the end of this age. God has let you know about that, about His plan, about that deliverance.

We know that 144,000 will be delivered first into a spiritual body and become a part of God's government upon this earth. They will have become Elohim. Everything that has happened through those that God has worked with down through time was according to God's plan, brethren. God says He had a plan from the very beginning for man. The exodus we are looking at here is where God brought them out of captivity. God is using the examples for you and me upon whom the ages, end of the ages have come, to teach you and me, those in God's Church, to prepare us for what is coming.

Like I said, God had a plan from the beginning for man. We know that God used Noah. We know that God brought that flood upon mankind. Noah did not bring that flood, God brought it. We have had sermons explaining why that flood was brought upon man, so that some could actually be saved during the Hundred-Year period of time, so the mind would not go so far. God created that flood. That's how powerful He is. Can you imagine doing such a thing, to flood this earth? God used Noah for a reason. God had a plan to deliver a people from captivity and when we look at this spiritually God has a plan to deliver us from captivity, just like He did them. It paints us a picture, brethren, of what God is doing about God's plan. We look at the exodus and what was taking place, we see that Satan was a spiritual "type" of Pharaoh, what Pharaoh was to Ancient Israel. We use this at every Holy Day season most all the time and we use the analogy of what took place and what it pictures, and we know how God uses those Holy Days to show you and me His plan for deliverance of His people and what will actually take place in the future. The Passover and Unleavened Bread begins to paint you and me a picture of how we are to put sin out of our lives, how we are to live our lives through these words that we have read today.

God tells us in John 15 and explains everything we should do, but the Passover and Unleavened Bread paints us a picture about sin and how we are to keep it out of our lives. The story of the exodus and Satan and what Pharaoh represented, he is always in pursuit of His people, God's people. It's a picture through the exodus. God used Moses, and that's the example for you and me upon whom the end of the ages has come, because it gives us understanding of God's plan and how He is working today. We know that God gave Moses a staff that turned into a snake, and it is that very staff that turned into a snake that Moses held up over that water, over that Red Sea. I know as they stood looking at that water, I know what they thought; this was the end. I know that they could see Pharaoh's army coming and those mountains on every side, and there was nothing but water in front of them. They could see no way of escape. They had to think it was the end for them. So it's a good example that God has for you and me.

So when you and me can see no way, even with God's spirit, when we cannot see forward, when we get under heavy trials, the human mind can forget how powerful God is. We forget that He is the Great God of this universe and He can create or destroy anything that He wants to. It's how powerful He is. He created that flood. He made that water stand up in a heap and we were just talking about how He delivered His people from Ancient Israel, to save a people. So God can actually save people. He can deliver people—that's how powerful He is—if we do what we just read earlier. So we can see that God can do what He wants to do. He can make that water stand up in a heap or He can make that water cover the earth. We read about it in His book. He had it recorded for you and me so that we can know how powerful He is.

So when you're in heavy trials and you think you can't go any further, go back and look through that Hubble Telescope (when you have doubts) to see a mind that can create such a vast universe, that can do that thing, let alone the spiritual creation that He is creating. There is no way this mind in this state can comprehend any of that. We only know what God lets us see. Those Israelites had to think it was the end for them. Pharaoh's army was coming and there was no way for them to be saved. And you know what? They were right. There was no way for them to be saved. Absolutely none. Without God they would not be delivered. Without God you will not be delivered either. You have to have help.

God used Moses to show them the way forward and it was progressively through what God was doing through Moses. That's how it was done, through what He revealed through Moses progressively not to the congregation that was following him; it was done through Moses progressively. They learned progressively. They never had a thought in their mind that that water would do what it did. They had no idea that God would make that water stand up in a heap. I can assure you it never crossed their mind.

God has sent one again to deliver His people into a new age, just like He sent Moses. God has shown you and me how He works in His end-time Church. God told them through Moses that it would be a land flowing with milk and honey that they would be delivered into. They complained all the way, as we know. That's what they were told. God has sent one again to deliver His people into a new age just like He sent Moses. God told them through Moses that it would be that land flowing with milk and honey, and it's the same for you and me. Just as God was dealing with Pharaoh, Satan will be dealt with by God as this age comes to a close and God's age begins, the Millennium. God has sent one to do so at the end of this age. We know the story of how Moses led the people out of Egypt. It is the same at the age you and me live in today. God said that there is a remnant Church at the end of this age that will be delivered into a wonderful time upon this earth, into a land flowing with milk and honey, just like Moses told the people. We are being told the same, to a wonderful time. We're told every Feast of Tabernacles about the Millennium and what a wonderful time that would be and now about the Hundred-Year period of time and how wonderful that will be. So God has made known to you and me that we will be delivered. There is a remnant Church at the end of this age that will be delivered. Man has to be taught the truth. God will use the present truth to bring us to the Millennium. That's how it will be done.

It will be the present truth from here on out until Jesus Christ sets His feet upon the Mount of Olives. God is setting things right in His Church, as we know, the rightful place of women. And that's just the beginning, brethren. The people did not know around every turn when Moses was bringing them down through those waters. They did not know that water would part and neither will we know what is around every turn as we move through the rest of God's plan, but God has sent one to lead us and we need to heed these examples that we have read about in God's book today, those evils that are out there, those fruits that are in Satan's world. We read about the fruits that we are to partake at the beginning of this sermon in John 15. God says that these examples were given to those to whom the end of the ages have come. That's you and me. That is the Church of God—PKG. We are preparing for that new age where Jesus Christ will be the King and a time of refreshing will take place upon this earth.

So we have looked at how God revealed to Moses to move His people out of captivity into a new land. It was revealed progressively to Moses through what was the present truth at that time. The people in Moses' day did not know what was around every turn. God revealed His plan progressively through Moses. As we are being moved from captivity, it's the same for you and me today. It's progressive through that present truth. We know that God does not give us everything to know. We can go back and look through that Hubble Telescope and tell that, that very thing, when we look out there at what God has created, what He allows us to see, to those at the end of an age. If you never do that I wish you would just take a look at what is out there so you could see the mind of God, just a little speck of His mind.

So we know that God does not give us everything to know. All those things are out there that we can see through that Hubble Telescope, all those planets, all those stars. We only know that they are there for the future, the future plan of God, the Great God of this universe that created those things. I cannot wait to see what will take place.

God has revealed truth to man for 6,000 years in a progressive manner and He is still doing so if we move through His plan, as God's plan is unfolding. God revealed Himself to Moses differently than what He does today in His Church. At the beginning of the sermon we looked at how God worked and how it worked through the vine, through Jesus Christ down through His Church. It's God the Father, Jesus Christ, then God's apostle. That's how God works today.

So we can look back in time and see those of the past and we can see that we are judged by what we knew while we are alive upon this earth, what God let them know. That's what they were judged by. Noah in his time. Moses in his time. Abraham in his time. They did not have this book, brethren. They did not have the teachings of Jesus Christ. He had not been born upon this earth. So they did not have what you and me have today. You have so much knowledge, brethren. I think we take it for granted. I don't think we really realize what we have access to through God's spirit, the knowledge that you have, the knowledge that God lets you "see." But all of them lived by the laws of God that had been given to them when their time was upon this earth. That's what they did.

Brethren, it is the present truth that will lead you and me until the end. All those in our past did not have all truth. We don't have everything yet. We saw how God revealed it to the Ancient Israelites, what they needed to do, one-by-one progressively. So we have seen how God has worked through time and we have seen how God is working today through man. We can take for granted what God has revealed to you and me. All truth we can take for granted, just like Ancient Israel, the evils that they did, the evils that we have seen man do in our time that were amongst us. God calls it evil to go after another god. These examples are given to you and me upon whom the end of the age has come.

So let's turn over, for our last scripture, to Jeremiah 10:23, and let's see what God gave Jeremiah a long, long time ago about man. God revealed to Jeremiah in chapter 10:23 and Jeremiah wrote it down in God's book and he said, O Eternal, I know that the way of man is not in himself. It's not unless he has help to change, to think differently. Man has to have help. And it is not in man that walks to direct his steps. He cannot do it by himself. We can look on the horizon and see that man using this physical mind that Jeremiah recognized will destroy every living thing upon the face of this earth if God did not have this plan that we talked about today. That's the mind of man without God. That's what would take place. So we understand we have to have help to direct man's steps and to save man from total annihilation. Man has to have help from God. God is giving that help that you and me need. Jesus Christ said he had given it to us, at the very beginning of this sermon, so that you can be in the God Family. He gave it in John 15 that it's through God's garden, God's vineyard that you have to come through. You have to be planted in that vineyard and you have to produce fruit, brethren, to be in God's Family.

So we understand that we have to have that help from God, and God has given us that help through His spirit to this end-time Church. Now we can look forward to a land flowing with milk and honey, just like was told to Moses. God is using one at the end of this age to bring that present truth to us Sabbath-by-Sabbath, Holy Day-by-Holy Day. And it will be brought progressively, brethren. It will be brought to those to whom the end of the age has come and then we will be led into a time of refreshing for man. So let's glean what we can from these examples that God has given us in His book.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1