Cleansed for Christ’s Coming

Ron Weinland

June 8, 2024

In Part 4 of the series Made Stronger through Fasting, which we covered during the weekend of the Churchwide fast, there were some statements made in the introduction that I’m going to repeat right now. I’ll read them to you.

“This fast will lead into and help produce a greater timely distinction to be made in the Body of Christ. Through this Passover and Unleavened Bread season that we have observed there has been a strong focus on the need we have individually and collectively to become more fully cleansed. This fast will produce greater strength in all within the Church who have taken this series to heart and have been seeking to more fully cleanse themselves before God in spirit and in truth. However, for those who have not been genuinely seeking to cleanse themselves of sin this period will work to cleanse the Body by more dross being brought to the surface.”

It's where we are in time. More now than ever before. So, all that should be sobering. And again, what I’ve just read from the intro of that sermon is what will now lead into the sermon today. This is just a one-part sermon (this is it today), entitled Cleansed for Christ’s Coming.

There is one section here I have written down… I want to make sure I get this exactly as I have written it so I’m going to read that as well. “That sermon on the weekend of the fast addressed matters that are about the end-time execution of God’s own judgment upon mankind. We know that the Third Woe of the Seventh Trumpet is about His specific execution of judgment that will come upon all who will be destroyed because they continue to destroy the earth. This judgment is to be carried out by the Kingdom of God, by Christ and the 144,000.”

It's awesome to understand those things, to understand that so much that’s in the Old Testament that talks about judgment and that which will come upon mankind is for a specific period of time – actually two periods of time. But a lot of people in the world in traditional Christianity get confused about God’s judgment and when it’s going to be and don’t understand those things because they don’t understand the plan of God.

And I think, what an awesome thing that God has given us Holy Days whereby He’s revealed that plan to us where we have a peace and an understanding that is really quite awesome. So, in understanding here about that judgment that’s going to be carried out at Christ’s return, “Yet God’s execution of judgment will occur in two phases of this end-time. The first phase is a matter of what will happen in the events of the first six Trumpets. This is a matter of what God has judged that He will allow mankind to do to itself in a final world war. The second phase of this end-time judgment is what God will do through Christ and the 144,000 at Christ’s coming. This will be a direct execution of God’s judgment upon mankind. The world will be cleansed in a very great way in order to establish God’s government upon the earth.”

So again, to understand what God is doing, that He’s going to get the attention of mankind, all mankind. We can’t even begin to comprehend what’s going to take place when this happens, that the whole world is going to be made aware of Christ and the 144,000 because in six thousand years there have been rare instances through time where God has revealed Himself, spoken to various individuals, communicated with various individuals, worked with various individuals, and when it comes down to it in a very powerful way 144,000, whether they have had that direct communication or not it’s in the mind, it’s in the spirit. Because God works by calling us as far as the human spirit is concerned and communicates His truth, His way of life to us.

But there are those—I think of different ones—who have had very unique experiences throughout the Old Testament. And to grasp what’s getting ready to take place with the whole earth, we really can’t but we know it’s true, and we could try to grasp that but when it actually takes place, and we’re witness of those things it’s going to be such an awesome time. It truly is.

But the world has to be humbled first, and a part of that is because of this purpose of God allowing mankind to come to the point of self-annihilation, and then intervening to stop that. And we know the story. Incredible!

“This second phase of this judgment,” again, “is what God is going to do through Christ and the 144,000 at Christ’s coming. This will be a direct execution,” again, “of God’s judgment upon mankind. This world, again, will be cleansed” (Awesome!) “in order to establish His government.”

Let’s go back and cover something that we skipped in that particular sermon that I’m referring to. Let’s go back to Revelation 8. So again, that was Part 4 of Made Stronger Through Fasting. So, we didn’t cover everything, and at the time, well, it’s amazing how things work out. But some things are for later on, some things are to be covered in different ways or God is going to give something at another point in time. But to me, it’s always an awesome thing to experience that.

Revelation 8:13—Then I looked, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, Woe, Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the Trumpet, the remaining events that are to take place, of the three angels who are about to sound! So, we understand this concerns what is symbolic here of the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh events.

Then we went on to address that First Woe that is the Fifth Trumpet event, which is about what ten nations in Europe will do in their use of nuclear weapons.

Revelation 9:1—Then the Fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. And to him was given the key to the bottomless pit. We’ve been blessed to know for a long time (the Church has); for us it’s a long time. In the sense of mankind it hasn’t been that long. It was written about by John in the book of Revelation. There were other things written in other locations, but it wasn’t understood what it was all about, how it fit together, and the like until God gave it to Herbert Armstrong. And then he gave it to the Church. Awesome things to understand, what Europe was going to do in time.

And I think of those events. You think about the things he said, and he didn’t even see all of it fulfilled but it was fulfilled that there would be a commonwealth, if you will, or a group of nations come together in Europe, that eventually would be ten in number. That they would have a common government, in that respect, among themselves. That they would have their own currency in time. Things that people kind of poo-pahed, when they heard it, and that didn’t happen until long after his death. And the ten that would come to unite in time here, or have a military alliance, we’re pretty much at that point. Some of those things have already been written about and treaties have been signed. Exactly what will happen at the very end, we know it’ll be ten.

So, to experience some of these things, to understand what they’re going to do after the first four Trumpet events is almost unfathomable. But we are watching history come together. We are watching things concerning prophecy come together. And I’ve said it many times because I’m in awe of it, to think that Europe would change its attitude toward this country in a manner that this would take place is… It was really hard to see. Believed it. But how it would happen? How such a thing could happen as far as doing something so drastic, that was pretty hard to imagine until now, until the last couple of years. And we can see that attitude in Europe changing and why it’s changing.

And we’re watching these things come together. Awesome! Awesome! Awesome! That’s all you can say.

So, I’m going to stop here – not in the sermon. We will continue on in scriptures in a moment, but I’m going to go through News events. Again, one week. Actually, less, as a whole. News. It just gets stronger and stronger and stronger. So, I’m going to take the time to do it. And I hadn’t even put all of them in here that I’ve received. Different ones who send stuff and going through and looking myself and you think it’s astounding; words can’t even describe it.

“German MP urges military to activate 900,000 reservists over Russia's belligerence”[1] “The chair of the German parliament's defense committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, called on the country's armed forces to activate 900,000 German reservists in light of Russia's threatening policies, the DPA news agency reported on June 1.

Tensions between the West and Russia have been mounting since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The Kremlin has repeatedly issued threats toward Kyiv's partners over their support for the besieged country.

“(Russian President Vladimir) Putin is training his people for war and positioning them against the West. We must, therefore, become capable of defense as quickly as possible…" They’re being shoved into this quickly. That’s what’s happening. In their eyes – this is from them – this is how they see things taking place. They have memories of WWII, especially in that particular part of the world, and what the Russians did as well as, obviously, what the Germans did. But they know what that’s like to be…

And so, they have this mindset. They see war coming and they want to be prepared for it. This isn’t a small thing to go back and try to reactivate people who have been out of the military for some time, who have been in there for a long time, as a whole. It goes through and explains some of those things, what they’re trying to do. If they could get half that it would be awesome; it would be great if they could just have half that. But to have all that 900,000 if they’re granted that? Incredible!

So, this is from their perspective. And that’s how we have to read these articles, to understand what’s taking place in their thinking that’s going to push them to a point that on one day at a moment in time, they’re all going to agree, the ten are, as to what they’re going to do in that Fifth Trumpet event. Unthinkable.

But they do not want a nuclear war on their continent. If it can be fought somewhere else or settled some other way, so be it. That’s why it’s seeming more and more that there is going to be some event take place that pushes them to that point. Something in Europe that’s going to have to take place at some point that will push them to this point where they’re going to do it no matter what because they see no other alternative. That’s the way it’s going to be.

And that’s when this being has control. He had incredible control in the environment of God’s Church at the end, toward the end of Laodicea. He is a real being and he was allowed to do what he did in the sense of influencing an individual who was placed in power, in authority, or placed himself there, every how it happened. And then an apostasy occurred in God’s own Church! Something that if we had known more about what was going to take place we wouldn’t have believed it.

It’s like thinking about Europe. Several years ago, it’s like how could you believe such a thing? Believed it because it was given to us through God’s apostle, Herbert Armstrong. Believed it was true. But to see a possibility of it?

And so, we saw an apostasy come about, something that was…did incredible destruction in the environment of God’s Church, went throughout God’s Church. It’s a powerful being and it tells he is the one who is behind it. He is the one who pushed that individual in thoughts in his own mind, yes, to stir up those desires, power, pride, haughtiness “You can do better than that when I’m here!” “You can clap louder!”

It was incredible that one time up in New York when he was visiting, it was loud enough and long enough as it was, and then he stopped and he said, “You can do better than that!” Mind-boggling! That he had to have more applause, went like that…

Where does that kind of a mind come from? It was being influenced powerfully by that being who is described here as being a part or in the bottomless pit. Meaning that all power has not been given to him to do what he does best – and that’s destroy. Now, he did a lot of destruction in the Church, but as far as destroying human life, he’s being withheld from that for a time.

He’s been allowed at different times throughout six thousand years to rise up and destroy. God has allowed that for a purpose. Hopefully, we understand that, why God allows those things and has allowed them.

And so again, here are people that are being pushed into a corner, who are being stirred up. And as soon as that being is released because of something that takes place over there, he’s actually given greater power because it’s moving in that particular direction. Again, God allowing it, mankind to do what he’s going to do, nations to do what they’re going to do.

He has prevented this from coming together for a long time. This could have happened a long time (ago), but it wasn’t time. And the primary reason is because God has a building process He’s working through to train, to work with, to call, to raise up and to complete the structure of 144,000. And it wasn’t ready. Still not ready. But we’re so close.

I don’t know if I read the whole thing here, let me just finish this. Yeah, I think I finished here where it says, “capable of possible defense as quickly as possible.” “Russia's full-scale invasion marked a major shift in Germany's defense policy…” It is a major shift!

They didn’t want to have any military because of what they did in WWII. It’s kind of like not trusting yourself but also wanting to change your image from what you did in a horrifying war and the aggression that was there. And they’ve tried to live that down for a long, long time in that regard so they haven’t wanted to have a military that would be sent into other countries. They’ve had laws against it until they started changing them now because of NATO and because of a drawing closer together, the need for defense, self-defense as a nation or as a group of nations.

So again here, “Russia's full-scale invasion marked a major shift in Germany's defense policy, leading to Berlin announcing an additional investment of 100 billion euros ($109 billion) in military spending. Berlin has also become the second largest donor of military aid to Ukraine after the U.S. During his visit to Odesa earlier this week, Pistorius announced a new defense aid package worth 500 million euros (around $540 million), including IRIS-T air defense ammunition, drones, Leopard 1 tanks, and more.”

They’ve already sent a bunch of stuff in there. This is a big step. Because they’re afraid of Russia; they’re afraid of what Putin is doing, that he’s not going to stop. They know his mindset. They know that his desire is to have the USSR back before he dies. That’s what’s inside the man. So, they understand some of these things. That’s why they believe that if it isn’t stopped in Ukraine he’s going to keep marching farther into Europe.

This is real to them! We’re not bothered by this in the United States. People don’t even care, as a whole, in the United States in large part. They’d rather not… They don’t even know what’s on… You hear some things sometimes on TV when people are interviewed. You wonder what is between the earlobes. Really! Just dumber than dumb can be, just oblivious to the world, oblivious to this country and what’s happening here let alone the world!

Another article: “Ukraine hints it used Western weapons to strike inside Russia after Biden's green light”[2] Every week this is getting ramped up more and more, stronger and stronger. We are headed for an incredible war. That’s where we are. When it starts? We are so close! What could stop it? Nobody is trying to stop it. They just keep ramping it up and the rhetoric keeps getting worse and worse.

“Ukraine finally has a green light to strike inside Russia using U.S. weapons — and it may have begun doing so.” Well, it’s beyond that. That was in the early part of the week. Really evident they’ve already done it.

“A senior Ukrainian official hinted Monday that Kyiv…” See, Monday. Four days later? Insanity! “…had hit a missile system inside Russia using Western weapons…” A missile system inside Russia. Now, when you hear the rest of the story in some of these articles it really ramps it up and makes it worse because of what it does to the Russian mind and what they think. It’s scary stuff. It really is.

And this sermon isn’t to scare people. It’s to sober us but it’s to help us prepare as well, to realize these things are on our doorstep and they’re coming faster and faster every week.

“…using Western weapons just days after many of Ukraine's allies, including the United States, approved their limited use. That followed months of pressure to ignore threats from the Kremlin and lift the restrictions, which Ukraine said had hampered its defensive effort. Even as President Vladimir Putin’s officials repeated their dire warnings, Ukraine signaled that it may have fired its first shots in this new reality, leaving observers to question what it could mean for the wider war.” Well, more comes out in the next few days here.

Another one here: “Putin Issues New Ominous Nuclear Threat”[3] “…Putin, who has repeatedly threatened nuclear war in the more than two years since the Ukraine invasion began, delivered the fresh warning while speaking to senior news editors at a meeting in St. Petersburg on Wednesday, according to Reuters. The Russian president suggested that Western nations were wrong to think Russia "will never use" its nuclear arsenal after pointing out that the U.S. was responsible for dropping two atomic bombs on Japan at the end of World War II.

"For some reason, the West believes that Russia will never use it ... We have a nuclear doctrine, look what it says," Putin said, referring to Russia's policy of allowing nuclear weapon usage if "the very existence of the state is put under threat." … "If someone's actions threaten our sovereignty and territorial integrity, we consider it possible for us to use all means at our disposal," he added. "This should not be taken lightly, superficially."”

Another article: “Russia May See Ukrainian Long-Range Attacks as ‘Precursor to Nuclear Strike’, Ex-DoD Analyst Fears”[4] Now, this is from the news agency Sputnik so it’s obvious it has a Russian kind of slant to it. But just because it does, doesn’t mean that it’s not true in its content. But the world writes it up as being a little close to propaganda, of being propaganda, if you will. That’s basically what they like to call it. “Whatever comes out of Russia, the news that comes out of Russia, it’s propaganda.” “If it’s true it’s propaganda!”

“President Biden has knowingly or unwittingly brought the risk of a world-ending nuclear conflict much, much closer after listening to “neoconservative advisors who really don’t have a lot of perspective on the nuclear dangers that they’re walking into” instead of military specialists and okaying Ukraine’s use of NATO weapons to strike the Russian hinterland…”

Goes on to say, ““If [Biden’s advisors] are trying to game the system and say ‘oh, no we can do this and it won’t initiate the use of the strategic nuclear defense doctrine by Russia’, I don’t know how to explain that. It’s shocking and it's frightening,” Kwiatkowski stressed. “I think it’s already clear that the United States is fighting Russia via and in Ukraine. If it goes nuclear then the whole world becomes a legitimate target.”” So, it’s just article after article, day after day.

Another article: “World War III Has Already Begun, Claims Russian State TV”[5] “An ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin has said on state TV that World War III is already underway.  … Vladimir Solovyov, a state TV host and one of the most well-known figures in Kremlin-backed media, made the remarks on the Russia-1 channel. An excerpt of the broadcast was shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, by Anton Gerashchenko, a former adviser to Ukraine's minister of internal affairs. "Russia has no intentions of any real negotiations or peace. It is bloodthirsty," wrote Gerashchenko on Tuesday.

Kremlin propagandists have routinely warned of a looming world war. Ties between Washington and Moscow have become increasingly strained over Putin's decision to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russian officials and guests on state TV regularly call for strikes on U.S. soil and the West over aid and weapons provided by the Joe Biden administration and other NATO members to Kyiv. Newsweek has emailed NATO representatives for comment on Solovyov's words.

The propagandist continued this rhetoric in his latest tirade against the West this week. He called for strikes on military targets in NATO nations in response to recent decisions by some member states to authorize Ukraine to use donated weapons to attack targets inside Russia. "In addition, since we realize that the task is set and is ongoing, there is no plan B; the destruction of Russia, it means we must create all conditions for inflicting colossal damage to the manpower and equipment of NATO troops stationed anywhere in the world," Solovyov said.”

So, the mindset of people in Russia, the mindset of people in Europe, it’s changing so fast you can’t keep up with it, how they’re thinking, why they’re thinking the way they are.

Another article: “Russian Official Floats New NATO Target for Nuclear Strike”[6] “Moscow should carry out a nuclear strike in the heart of Europe to cripple the continent's energy facilities, a Russian politician has told a Kremlin propaganda media outlet.

“Andrey Gurulyov, a lawmaker with the Russian parliament (Duma) and a former deputy commander of Russia's Southern Military District, made the comments during an appearance on the Russia 1 program… Guests on the show, including Gurulyov, frequently issue threats against the West and call for strikes on countries that support Ukraine.”

So, they’re pushing Putin as well. They’re behind him. They have their own times that they spend together and discuss some of these things, and this is what they’re bantering about on a continual basis. It just gets every week worse and worse what they’re saying.

“Gurulyov returned to this theme, saying he had discovered 50 to 60 percent of Europe's hydrocarbon supply is located in the Netherlands. It is not clear which figures he was citing, and he did not name a city, but Rotterdam is a hydrocarbon gateway that 13 percent of all energy in Europe comes through.”

They might not strike that one but if they strike something in Ukraine first this is going to push them into that corner where they’re going to do what they’re going to do. That’s all it takes because they know the threats are already been toward Great Britain, toward France, toward Germany especially, and then the Netherlands as well. So, they’re there. They know what can happen. So, how do you deal with it?

Another article: “Macron wants France to ‘go to war with Russia’ – Le Pen”[7] So, stating, “Macron weighed into the discussion on Tuesday, opining that NATO should allow Ukraine to “neutralize military sites” inside Russia “from which Ukraine is being attacked,” even if they are far behind the front line. Le Pen slammed the idea, arguing that it “creates the risk of a global conflict.”

Le Pen said that the French leader’s views led her to “conclud[e] that Emmanuel Macron wants France to dive head first into war with Russia.” The right-wing politician said that she “extremely firmly opposes” his positions, which could “create an absolutely staggering danger” for France.”

Iron and clay.

Another article: “Russia May See Ukrainian Long-Range Attacks as ‘Precursor to Nuclear Strike’, Ex-DoD Analyst Fears” I thought I read that, something like that already. Did anyone hear that one? I’ve read these so many times that if we did, you’re going to hear it again.

“… President Biden has knowingly or unwittingly brought…” Yes some of the same stuff here, just a different source. I’m going to skip over that one.

Another one here: “Blinken To NATO Leaders: Ukraine Has 'Strong & Well-Lit Bridge To Membership'”[8] You know what that kind of language does from a leader representing a country like this? It’s throwing truckload after truckload after truckload of gasoline on a fire. It’s just let’s have a bigger fire. Absolute insanity! When you go through these things do you see the insanity in the world as it is, people that don’t have sound minds, people that are doing unthinkable things? This is unthinkable, but they do it. What does it do? It stokes the fire that’s already raging. It’s out of control. And nobody can bring it under… No one can bring this under control now. That’s where we are.

“… US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday addressed a meeting of NATO foreign and defense ministers in Prague. The meeting is being held in preparation for a bigger Washington summit set to take place in July. Blinken previewed that the later summit will bring Ukraine closer to NATO. “At the summit we'll be taking concrete steps to bring Ukraine closer to NATO, and ensure that there's a bridge to membership - a bridge that's strong and well lit," he said in an address.”

Poking at a bear? It’s worse than that. Because they made it very, very clear how they see this if that were to happen. It’s absolutely a nuclear war.

Another article here, I’m just going to read the headline, the fact that they’re talking about it. “Why survivors of a nuclear World War III will envy the dead”[9] Incredible! They talk about what will happen if it breaks out, how many. It’s an ugly picture but it’s about self-annihilation. That’s where it leads. And if God didn’t intervene that’s exactly what would take place.

Another one here: “NATO member OK’s using its jets to strike Russia”[10] “Kiev will be allowed to use the 24 F-16 fighter jets that it is slated to receive from the Netherlands however it sees fit, Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren has told Politico.”

Another article: “Start To Prepare For The Unthinkable”[11] “These are the lines none of us would have ever wanted to write, but we have to. The current situation in and around the war in Ukraine has opened a path, which could lead to a nuclear confrontation. Ukraine has struck another early-warning (over-the-horizon) radar…” What I read earlier is about a radar site, but it’s not just any radar site in its purpose, and it’s deep into Russia. “…this time in Orenburg region, near Orsk, some 1500 km from Ukraine. This radar did not even look at the direction of Ukraine, which makes the strike an act of madness, or something sinister.”

Now, if this is being written from the West, from the perspective of people in the West, how do you think the Russians are taking this?

“These strikes to the Russian early-warning system can serve only two aims: Ukrainian leadership is desperately trying to fully commit NATO to the war in Ukraine, or Strikes are a preparation for nuclear strikes to Russia by the U.S.” If that is the perception and that’s the conclusion that some in the West have come to, that there can only be two primary reasons that this could be happening and why they’re doing it…? And if Russia believes that? Think they’re more prone to make a first strike somewhere?

Going on: “Needless to say that the latter is extremely speculative. However, it is one of the two motives that can be established for the strikes. Alas, we have to acknowledge its existence. We have gone through the former in our previous warning. … This is why we (with an extremely heavy heart) issue a warning of a possible nuclear strike in Europe.”

“This warning is effective for the time being. We don’t present any estimated likelihood for it, at this point at least, as it would be macabre. However, we note that, while the likelihood is probably not very high at the moment, if strikes to Russian early-warning system continue, it will grow rapidly. While still unlikely, we urge you to start to prepare for the unthinkable.”

Isn’t that amazing something like that has to be written in the United States?

Another article: “Israel Is Gearing Up For Lebanon War As IDF Reaching 'Decision Point'”[12] “There are fresh reports out of Israeli media that the country's war cabinet is discussing launching a full-scale war against Hezbollah, which would likely involve an army ground invasion of southern Lebanon.” It’s all we need on top of everything else. The world is getting worse and worse, no turning back.

Another article: “Russian Navy Vessels to Arrive in Havana on June 12 - Cuban Foreign Ministry”[13]

Another article: “Russian warships, including nuclear sub, missile frigate, will arrive in Cuba next week”[14] Can you imagine? Not that… I remember being in a classroom when Kennedy did what he did concerning Cuba, and people thought we were headed to a nuclear war then.

Another article: “Russia-France Tensions Are Boiling Over”[15] “Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in remarks reported by Russian state media that "all instructors who train Ukrainian troops have no immunity" from Russian strikes, "whether they are French or not." "If you send your soldiers, your specialists, your instructors to Ukrainian soil so that they can train Ukrainian soldiers to better target and kill the Russians, they will naturally constitute a legitimate target," Alexander Makogonov, a spokesperson for Russia's Embassy in France, told French broadcaster BFM TV on Tuesday.

““These are outrageous statements that will not go unanswered," French Foreign Ministry deputy spokesperson Christophe Lemoine reportedly said.”

Another article: “Germany approves plan…” One week! And I don’t have all the articles. I didn’t want to that that much time, but I’m taking the time to finish this today.

“Germany approves plan for war”[16] “The German government has finalized new plans for a potential war, including reinstatement of compulsory military service and deployment of NATO troops on its eastern flank, citing rising concerns over perceived threats from Russia.” This is real to them. Over here, we’re asleep. Some want to engage in the war, but they have different purposes for that.

Goes on to say, ““As a result of Russian aggression, we have a completely changed security situation in Europe,” Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said in a statement. Revisions to the framework also reflect NATO’s eastward expansion, which could mean coming to the aid of allies in the Baltic States.” And so, they went on, the cabinet to say here, ““Germany is no longer a frontline state, but serves the allied armed forces as a hub for the alliance in the heart of Europe,” the cabinet said.”

Another article entitled; it says: “False Flag On The Horizon? The Strange Case Of The Destroyed Russian Nuclear Radar”[17] So, it keeps popping up because this isn’t a small thing.

“Instead of attacking vital strategic resources like oil refineries or ammo depots, Russia’s nuclear defenses are being systematically hobbled. Why? It’s important to understand that a strike of this kind deep into the center of Russia requires complex planning and logistics. It cannot be achieved without covert intel on the ground as well as aid from satellite surveillance. Ukraine relies completely on NATO satellites and intel; no such strike would ever be possible without NATO involvement.” So, these things are being said.

So, how do you think NATO feels? How secure do you think they feel about the United States and the United States standing up for their time of need when things really get hot and things begin happening there? That’s why they’re going to “turn on a dime” when it comes time. Self-preservation.

“Furthermore, the drones used would need to have the ability to evade early detection systems and remain hidden for thousands of miles. This kind of technology comes mainly from the West. In other words, there’s no way that these attacks were accomplished by Ukraine without extensive help and approval from the US or European command. I question the notion that a Ukrainian pilot was even remotely flying the drones. We’re talking about some of the most closely defended radar stations in the whole of Russia.”

“Let’s consider the ugly realities… … Fourth, it’s possible that NATO and Ukraine believe dismantling the radar sends a message that if Russia threatens nuclear attack, they might be hit first. All this means is that Russia won’t give a warning, they’ll simply launch. Fifth, the attack on Armavir alone meets the conditions the Russian government laid out publicly in 2020 for actions that could trigger a nuclear retaliatory strike. Russia’s early warning network is part of the country’s broader nuclear deterrent posture.”

Another article. Just have two more to go here. “EU is in ‘war psychosis’ – Orban”[18] “The EU has plunged into “war psychosis” in the Ukraine conflict, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said, arguing that this mindset will almost certainly lead to the deployment of Western troops in the country.” They expect it. He’s pretty outspoken about certain things, boldly so. He’s worse than in the middle of it all. He’s in the middle.

“Are They Trying To Start A Nuclear War?”[19] … “Ironically, in that situation, the party that is less threatened may actually start the nuclear war in order to get the first-strike advantage.” Can you imagine? Every week leaders are talking about this. We’re not over here. It’s not real to us in that sense, of how they’re feeling and why they’re feeling the way they are, that they truly feel that there is going to be something happen before long as far as a nuclear conflict is concerned.

“The result is annihilation: not just World War III, but possibly the end of most human life on Earth. Those that survive would probably wish they hadn’t. This is incomprehensible. Ukraine is trying to drag the U.S. directly into the war with U.S. boots on the ground. Events may not get that far. We may be destroyed in a nuclear World War III if this reckless escalation continues. Will anyone stop it?”

Sobering. It’s all you can say. Sobering. Sobering. Sobering. Things like this that are happening every week and getting ramped up more and more as they’re taking place. And to know that they’re coming. That’s why I got choked up in part of this in reading it. Because I know we’re that close. Anybody that can’t see this after reading all this kind of stuff week after week and see how… It’s getting worse and pushing people into a corner. We know what’s going to take place. And seeing that come together?

Continuing on, Revelation 9, going on down from where we were. Revelation 9:11—And they, speaking of those ten nations of Europe, had as king over them, and the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon (Destruction), but in Greek his name is Apollyon (Destroyer). One Woe is past. Behold, two more Woes are coming after these things.

So again, we can’t comprehend that this is going to take place in the massive way that it is, and it’s only the Fifth event that’s taking place. The First Woe, and it says there are two more to come.

Verse 13—Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the Trumpet, Release the four angels who are bound in the great river Euphrates. So, the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. So again, talking about what Russia and China primarily are going to do. And it’s going to involve all nations because they all get involved then. But this is going to be because of what they push even more so.

Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million, and I heard the number of them. So, when you look around the world, everyone is going to be involved, easy number.

Then we jumped ahead to Revelation 11 from there. Revelation 11:14—The Second Woe is past. So, we’re speaking of this time of incredible nuclear conflict, a third of mankind destroyed just by that alone, because of what takes place then, massive nuclear war taking place. And if God didn’t intervene as it talks about here, we would annihilate ourselves. That’s the lesson for mankind after six thousand years, of how we think, how we are, how we live, what our minds are like. The atrocities that have happened to people century after century after century after century.

The Second Woe is past. Behold, the Third Woe is coming quickly. Thank God. It’s a good thing that’s in there. Because you can know when it’s all out that very quickly God has to intervene. Because who is going to be the first to stop? Somebody strikes, somebody… Reminds me of some of those crazy sci-fi shows on TV, War Games, and the computer that gets involved at one time here and talking about who is going to win. You think of just different scenarios. When it’s all out, it’s all out because if you’re being hit you’re going to strike back. And then they’re going to strike back more.

The Second Woe is past. Behold, the Third Woe is coming quickly. Then the seventh angel sounded, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever! Very comforting. It’s our hope that God’s going to intervene. We know this. We understand it. God’s going to intervene and stop it through the return of His Son and the 144,000 who come with him. Do it swiftly. But the fact that God is taking control finally after 6,000 years of all the history of mankind, all the evil?

So, in these accounts of the three Woe’s, we didn’t cover Revelation 10 or the first portion of Revelation 11. These are inset accounts to things concerning the Church that will lead up to what is stated in the verses we just read about the Third Woe that comes quickly behind the Second Woe.

So, let’s take a look, Revelation 7, just backing up there first to get the context. Remember that it was stated that the end-time judgment of God is at the forefront of the events of all the Trumpet events, yet the inset chapter of Revelation 10 and the first portion of Revelation 11 that are about the Church also has much to do with end-time judgment. But again, this judgment concerns the Church.

That’s why they’re there. It’s going through judgment that’s taking place at the end of six thousand years, and it still has to do with the Church. Always the Church. Revelation, you go through Revelation, it’s always first and foremost about the Church because that’s what God is working with to mold and fashion and prepare for His government. It’s about those as well who are going to be able to continue on. Incredible to understand. It’s about God establishing His government then and there being one Church all over the earth instead of all the massive, idiotic confusion and insanity of how people think and treat one another because of their beliefs. Because they’re all right. And then how they think toward one another, battles and wars that have been fought over it.

So, the timing of these is tied together in incredible ways. So, what we’re going through here.

Revelation 7:1—After these things, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. Then he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea. So, if we know the context, we know what it’s talking about.

… Do not hurt the earth, the sea, or the trees until we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. It’s all in the context of what is revealed in Revelation then about what takes place in all these Trumpet events at the end here.

Then I heard the number of those who were sealed. And there were one hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel sealed. I look at scriptures like this and I think, takes time, and then God reveals to us what this really means. Because we didn’t know, and we read things in a very physical manner first. And we may hold on to that for several decades until God in His time reveals what it’s really about.

And so, this concept of the idea that 144,000 had to be from the different tribes of Israel and that Israel, that God was still working with a physical people of Israel and not comprehending, no, that’s not the case, it’s about what it all represents, it’s about what it all pictures. It’s about Israel and the spiritual meaning of that, not the physical. And anyway, I’m not going to go back through all that.

But what an incredible thing that finally God showed us that no, the innumerable multitude that it talks about is the same 144,000. Said no man can count it. Well, there’s nobody that’s lived for six thousand years. There’s nobody that knows all whom God worked with. They can’t count them. They don’t know. They don’t have any idea who God worked with. Human beings couldn’t know.

We know if God is working with us. We know if we know the truth, we understand that if we’re able to see the truth and we believe it with all of our being, and we just know it, there’s only one way it can be done. God has to help. God has to give that. We can’t do it on our own. So, we can have a confidence and a boldness there.

Then we come to those verses that also have to do with what leads up to and then, again, into the period of events of the Trumpets. Revelation 11:1, let’s go there first. Revelation 11:1—Now, there was given to me a reed like unto a rod. And the angel stood, saying, Rise and measure the temple of God. These are awesome!

Rise and measure the temple of God, and the altar. You know, when you talk about the altar, you know what you’re talking about? Coming before God’s presence. Prayer, a relationship with God.

“Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar.” Those who are going before the altar. Because that determines whether or not we’re growing in spirit and truth, whether or not God’s blessing us with His spirit, whether His spirit is dwelling in us. If we’re going before God’s altar that’s going to be reflected then, it’s going to be seen.

That’s why we’ve had some of the kinds of sermons and content of sermons just in the past series here about fasting, about prayer, that that’s how you have a right relationship with God. Because you go before His altar, you pray to Him. You kneel down before Him, whatever. But it’s about a relationship with God Almighty.

So, it says measure them. Because those who aren’t doing that aren’t growing! You can’t have the fruit of God’s spirit in your life! We’ve taught this in the Church. It’s always been in the Church. It requires God’s spirit to have fruit, to produce fruit.

Measure the temple of God, and the altar, and those who worship therein. But the court which is without… You know, God began to give us understanding of that, what that means. There are those who are growing, there are those who have God’s spirit working in them, there are those who are going before God’s altar. In other words, they’re applying fasting and prayer in their life in a relationship with God. And there are those who aren’t and are going through the motions as though they’re inside the temple and they’re not. They’re out in the courtyard.

We’ve talked about that at times. If you’re out in the courtyard, you’re in the courtyard. You're not in the temple of God. You can have the image, if you will, of perhaps others being fooled by the fact that you’re out there and they bump into you as they’re coming into the temple and it’s like we’re all together. And we’re not all together. Even now, after all we’ve gone through, as small as we’ve become… Well, I guess, or stayed.

Because it’s been a history in God’s Church. The majority have always left. The majority through time have always left. You have to shake your head. They go back out in the courtyard. Actually, go on long trips where they can’t even see the courtyard anymore. They don’t even know what’s in the courtyard. They forgot what’s in the courtyard let alone what the temple was all about and what’s in the temple, the definition of that, what that’s all about.

But the court which is without, or outside the temple, leave out and do not measure it. What’s the purpose? Only that… When you measure something, if you’re building something, and you take certain measurements, you want them to be accurate. You want certain things to fit into certain places, you have to measure them accordingly. How we grow, whether we develop, whether we measure up to whatever it is that’s being offered to us, that’s in our ballpark, if you will. That’s up to us, the choices we make, and so forth, and the use of God’s spirit, whether we utilize that power that’s available to us or we make other decisions and begin to do other things that we carnally want to do, and God is not a part of it because it’s sin and we don’t repent.

“But the court, which is without the temple, leave out.” It’s not going to be measured because it can’t be used. Certain things can’t be used in the temple. If it can’t be measured to be placed into a specific area, if it can’t be worked with in order to accomplish that, then what value is it? Says, just leave it out, leave it out of the temple.

“Leave out and do not measure it.” Don’t mess with it anymore; it’s discarded. That’s what God does. Those who leave are discarded. They’re not a part of the Body anymore. By their own choice, they become discarded. What a horrifying thing! By their own choice. By their own carnal human nature, “lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.”

We still have people who aren’t faithful in tithing, who don’t properly save second tithe. Stealing from God. That’s stealing from God because that’s God’s given to you to use to come before Him. And that happens to be the next series we’re getting ready to go into, so I don’t want to get into that.

But that of all things boggles my mind, how anyone could think they’re part of the temple and do that! I don’t get it. After everything that’s been… Have I spoken on that a lot? Because this is one of the telltale signs that come to the surface of whether someone’s heart is in God’s Church with His people, with what God is doing, because they love God and they want to obey and please God. Every time I talk about it I think my temperature goes up. I think my blood boils just a little bit. Can blood boil? I think mine does.

I don’t understand it …but I do.

…it’s given to the gentiles, to the non-believers. In the courtyard, it’s given to the non-believers. Let the non-believers do what they want to do. They’ve made their choice. They’ve spit on their Passover. They spit on their Passover! They’ve done worse to him than what was done to him! I don’t know why we can’t see that! Anybody who has God’s spirit will see that and understand how hideous, how horrifying those choices have been in the past two thousand years that people have made when they become separated from the Body of Christ!

It's like taking the spear yourself and ramming it into his side. You might as well have done it! You might as well have done it because that’s how you’re being judged. Can you kill Christ twice, it’s asked. Serious stuff. Far more serious than what we ever comprehended. And God’s blessed us to understand that within the judgment… Within the Feast and what was given there, God blessed us with so much that was given there, but I don’t know how many see it fully.

[Check if the device is on your home wifi network.] Why is my stuff talking over there? Quiet! That’s probably one of those things where they hear you. I didn’t catch that. Have you ever had your phone talk to you all of a sudden out of nowhere? It’s like, always listening…always listening. “Stay out of this!”

But it’s given to the gentiles, the non-believers. That’s what it means. And the holy city shall they tread underfoot forty-two months. We’ve been through that. I don’t know if you understand that, comprehend that, know what took place. Got a sentence of forty-two months and what was happening to the Church at that particular time. Because that’s exactly what this is about! And it’s about measuring the temple, especially at the end. That’s what’s happening. Because these events are taking place at the end of the end-time! And they’re squeezed into Revelation exactly where they are for the purpose to understand that.

They’re not just an additive of some sort, some kind of an insert that has no flow and no meaning in time. That’s why chapters 10, chapter 11 here especially, it’s about our time. We’re living this. This is about us and what we’ve gone through and that victory that some felt that they had, that they didn’t really have because it’s God’s Church. And you can’t destroy God’s Church.

And the holy city shall they tread underfoot forty-two months. Had a heyday. Had a heyday on a perverted, distorted plane of things that people like to talk about and do. Sad.

So, I hope we get the picture here of some of the things being talked about. The measuring, it has more intensity at the end for a purpose, because there’s only one time that the Church of God has ever lived through this kind of measuring to determine who will become part of God’s Kingdom and who will not live to see it reigning on the earth. If God chooses that someone or some live through that it’ll be for a great purpose of incredible shame. “You were one of those?” What a horrible thing to live into a new age, God’s government may be established, can you imagine for ever how long that life has to live yet? Because through the Millenium people still die. We understand that.

Now, there is something interesting, or some interesting facets of what’s actually said in the beginning here, again, concerning the two words that are used because it’s talking about a reed and it’s talking about a rod. And a reed is exactly what it means but its symbolism is what’s important here.

Let’s turn over to Matthew 27 and see some places that some of these things are used. Matthew 27:27—Then the soldiers of the governor took Joshua into the common hall, and the whole band, speaking of the soldiers, gathered around him. Then they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. Then when they had twisted a crown of thorns together, they put it on his head, and a reed in his right hand. Do you know why they did that? You have the authority; you are the king of the Jews. That’s what it’s about. It’s about authority. It’s about power that’s given.

Then they bowed the knee before him and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! Everyone disfellowshipped from God’s Church has done worse than this. They did it out of absolute ignorance and stupidity on their part, not knowing what they were doing. Anyone who has ever received the impregnation of God’s spirit and turned against Christ, aptly, they carry antiChrist in their life, in their minds, in their being.

Then they spit upon him and took the reed and struck him on the head. So that after they had mocked him they took the robe off him, and put his own clothing on him, and led him away to nail him upon a pole.

So, both a reed and a rod have basically the same meaning in many respects here, as far as the context and what we’re covering. A reed, that it’s a rod, again, can be used to put more stress on certain aspects of how it’s used. So, they use both there because it’s driving the point home even more so about power, authority, and so forth. It’s used to symbolize those things. Also, chastening and correction.

That’s why they took it. Symbolically they took that and beat him with it because it has to do with chastening as well as far as that when it’s used. When it’s from God it’s different than how mankind uses it, obviously. We look at the authority mankind has had and how they treated others and wars and so forth, but again, it still carries with it those things.

As well as with measuring something. That’s what they’re used for. All these are symbolic.

What an incredible thing that they’re used for this particular time were living in right now toward the end here and of that which has been ramped up a lot beginning around 2012, 2013, and on. This was magnified and has been magnified and continued on and on and on. That’s why I don’t like this part of the job. I don’t like the responsibility of having to tell someone “You’re no longer a part.” You’re going through the motions, and you know, in essence, (I don’t say that), but you know you’re not a part. Or to warn and so forth. But that’s done for a purpose that hopefully it’ll stir someone, shake someone because God says, basically, as long as we’re able to hear, if we can hear it, if we will repent God’s merciful. But if we won’t, it comes to an end.

Another one coming out this week that will be sent out to everyone, of something that already happened some time back, very obviously so, who was suspended but now is being disfellowshipped. So, these things just go on and on and on and on because the Body is going to be cleansed. We either believe that or we don’t.

And I know that those who have God’s spirit dwelling in them, who are going before God on a continuing basis believe that.

Revelation 21:14—And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. Now, he who talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. Everything has to fit into place. Everything is measured to fit into place perfectly, and it’s representative of showing this is the product now; this is exactly what God has been building.

The “rod” is also translated as “staff” and even “scepter” in different places. Let's turn over to Hebrews 9. And so, this only amplifies the meaning when it’s combined with the use of the term “the reed.”

Hebrews 9:2—For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary. In other words, the Holy Place, the first portion of the tabernacle.

Then, after the second veil, after you go in there and you come to the last third of the temple, there is a veil in that last third. It says, after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all, or the Holiest of Holies representing God’s very throne. That’s where the High Priest went only once a year on the Day of Atonement, all the things that are represented by that that Christ fulfilled.

…which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant. Remembering that period of time, going back and looking at that. Think about Moses, you think about Aaron, you think about, again here, speaking of this rod that budded and so forth, the reed… well, in this case here the rod, and all these things that had such incredible meaning. They were placed there for a purpose, for a reason. Awesome!

So again, Revelation 11:1—Now there was given me a reed (authority, the power to do so) like unto a rod. Can be used for chastening. It’s not just authority. This goes together for a purpose. …and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and those who worship therein. What an incredible thing a period of time is known by this for what has to be done because the Body has to be cleansed before Christ’s coming.

I won’t finish the rest of it here. We already read it. Let’s go over to Ephesians 5. Each one of us always has… We’re told at every Passover. We’re told it many times throughout the year but especially about Passover, at Passover service especially, that our great responsibility is to examine ourselves, to go before God and a desire to see ourselves, to see what’s inside, a desire to see those things that we need to repent of, to change, that need to be changed, that need to be transformed in our thinking.

Because we all have selfish human nature. There will always be sin there but it’s to be refined more and more. It’s a continuing process that has to take place in those that are responding to God. That will be the transformation. That will be the growth that’s there as we do that, as we involve ourselves in that asking God for help to see the things we need to change, and then praying to God for help to do it because we can’t do it ourselves.

And those who practice that are blessed. They grow. They receive of God’s spirit. They have growth. Because God’s spirit can’t go anywhere unless it produces fruit. It’s automatic. And that’s up to us.

Ephesians 5:25 it says, Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave himself for it. So again here, I’ve always loved these because this is nearly two thousand years, nineteen hundred plus years before things began to be set right within the Church, because they’re going to be set right within the world.

And so, husbands are given this special admonition in this respect here, that this is how you’re to think and this is how you’re to be. But very few ever lived it. Even in the environment of God’s Church the majority didn’t because they left, they’re gone. So, it’s a sacrificing kind of love. That’s what it talks about.

So that he might sanctify. So, this is about Christ then, that he might sanctify and cleanse it. That’s his desire, to sanctify, to cleanse it with a washing of water by or with the word. So, he wants to see us set apart for holy use and purpose. He wants us to respond but it’s up to us to make the decision, the choice. But this is his purpose, his desire, his mind, his being, and that of his Father. They want what is best for us. And what’s best for us is to grow spiritually, is to grow once we’ve been impregnated with His holy spirit, with God’s spirit, and to be born then finally into His Family.

…so that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. That means we have to change; we have to repent. And that’s an ongoing process as long as we’re in the physical body.

“Washing of water by the word,” which is about God’s truth, it’s about His word, it’s about what is preached to us, what is given to us.

…that he might present it to himself a glorious Church. How much more now? Because this is the actual time? There is that which has been going on going as far as those who are responding to God and to Christ and seeking to change, conquer and overcome, who have already been sealed. But toward the end here it even has a little more impact in the sense of understanding this is a great fulfillment of these things at this particular time.

…a glorious Church not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. That’s God’s desire for all of us. I sometimes wonder why don’t we all have the same desire? “Lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life,” it’s powerful. The pride of life is horribly powerful, it really is.

2 Corinthians 6:14—Do not be unequally yoked (harnessed; bound) together with unbelievers. So, this is about fellowship, a spiritual fellowship. You can’t have it with… We can have it with one another because of God’s spirit that dwells within one another. And when it comes time that certain things have to be exposed, that God’s spirit isn’t someplace, that it might put on airs of actually being, and in time we’re able to see it. God brings it to the surface so we can see it.

What fellowship, and the Greek word here is about sharing; it’s a word for sharing. What sharing does righteousness have with unrighteousness? That’s why cleansing of the Body has to take place. That’s why we have to keep fighting ourselves, to understand we can’t have the things that are wrong within us to have a right fellowship with God or one another. And the same within the Body, with one another, obviously.

…and what communion (this word is “fellowship”) does light have with darkness? They don’t mix. And so there are certain things in the Body of Christ that don’t mix, and those things are being taken care of. They have been in an intensified way in the last twelve years. Twelve years they’ve increased in power.

Also, what agreement does Christ have with Belial? You know, like in the Body. How can anyone be living a lie, that which is not true? Because that’s what Belial is all about, being false, insincere, not truthful with God, living one's own way in sin, whatever that might be. It can’t go together.

…and what agreement does Christ have with Belial? or what part does he have who believes with an infidel (a non-believer)? They don’t go together.

So, what agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. That’s a beautiful thing when you know you’re a part of the temple of the living God, when you know with your heart, you know where your heart is toward God, whether you love God, whether you’re truthful to God, whether you're seeking Him in spirit and in truth or not. Now, people can deceive themselves into thinking they are, and that’s another matter. But the real confidence and the peace of mind and the real strength comes from knowing because it's true.

For you are the temple of the living God; as God has said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. There can be no better thing in life. It’s beautiful. All within our choice and the choices we make.

Verse 17—Therefore, come out from among them, and be you separate, says the Lord, and do not touch the unclean. Do we have that in our minds that’s deeply engraved in us, that we don’t want to touch the unclean in our minds, in our being, let alone physically as far as physical manifestation of sin is? That we don’t even want it in the mind, that you fight it as soon as something hits you in the mind? That you ask God for help?

…and I will receive you and will be a Father unto you. Isn’t that what we all want? I can say one hundred percent I know that all don’t want that. One hundred percent sure because this just goes on and on until it’s finished. And when will it be finished? Well, I’ve stated that before too.

…and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. What a beautiful, awesome relationship when it’s right and when it’s true.

Going on in 2 Corinthians 7:1—Therefore, having these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. Do you know why it says it that way? Because what we can see first and foremost in our lives, and God can work with us first, is when we see the things that are done physically in our life, the things perhaps that come out of our mouth when they shouldn’t come out of our mouth, or the things that people do sometimes in a physical way as far as sin is concerned.

That we with all of our being should want that out of our life, cry out to God for help to conquer and overcome all those kinds of things so that we can begin to even work more earnestly then on the spirit that’s in the mind. Because this is where it all begins. It begins up here. If we’re still dealing with physical things, like a person can’t sit down and figure out their tithes faithfully before God, that’s a very physical thing! “X, ten percent… ah, ten percent… six, eight, five, three, zero! Things are hard this month.” Mind-boggling. If you can’t fight it there you can’t fight it up here.

If it’s other physical things that people are involved in, get involved in, if you’re not fighting it there you’re never going to be able to fight it up here because this is where it inevitably has to go to be fought successfully – in the mind. Conquered in the mind. Because this is where it starts. And if we can’t fight with the thoughts? If we can fight with the thoughts then the action will never take place. Beautiful! Awesome! And that’s what God will give us and help us in.

…let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Because there should be a reverence, that desire, that love toward God first and foremost, but also a fear if we fail, a fear if we’re not fighting. People should fear if they’re not fighting. I know of some out there right now who aren’t even fighting. They’re not fighting! And if you don’t change I know what’s going to happen.

But do you know it? Can you be shaken and stirred to realize you’ve got to get your act together? How much time do you have left to repent? But if you will repent earnestly before God, God is very merciful. But some of us can get so far that our minds become so set in going the other direction that sometimes it’s even impossible to turn around because it can’t be done in sincerity and in truth. What a horrible thing!

And I’m not keen on knowing but I know of different ones. But I’m not coming to you about it. It’s your fight. It’s your battle. And if we can’t hear it by what’s given up here then you can’t hear it and I can’t give it to you because it’s spiritual. It’s between you and God. If I come to you it’ll be for the other reason, for the punishment part, for the correction. If I have to do that I will do that then and talk to you about it and tell you about it or whatever it might be, and say, “You’re no longer part of the Body because of this and this, and that,” whatever. And I’ll do my part. I won’t hesitate one iota. But it has to be in God’s time and God has to give those things. And He does.

James 4:5. So, we’re focusing on these things a lot. And this goes right along with what’s happening in Europe right now. Can we see that? Can we see that all these things are converging together at the same time for a purpose? They’re being magnified for a purpose because they do go together, because we’re ramping this thing up, getting down to the end? Because that’s what’s going on!

I think of that article I was reading. I’ve read it earlier, but it really struck me when I was going through it, when it’s talking about what’s going to be unleashed on Europe, because I believe that’s going to happen first. It won’t be the First Trumpet event, it’ll be an event that leads up to those things, but that something else is going to happen that’s going to change powerfully the minds and thinking of people around the world, and especially in Europe. Far more than what we see already in the news.

I think of what we went through in Isaiah, “Cry aloud and spare not; show My people their sins.” I’ve been hitting things hard for the last couple of years very strong. And it still goes on. People don’t have fear or they’re not shaken. Some just… I don’t know if they ever fought, or don’t fight, give up, leave all this behind. Madness. Absolute madness, insanity.

James 4:5—Do you think that the scripture says in vain, The spirit that dwells in us lusts to envy? It’s the way our human minds are. And there is the battle. And if we can understand that in the mind, in the spirit, and fight that fight, that’s awesome.

But he gives more grace. Wherefore he says, God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. That’s why we had this series about fasting, prayer to God. It’s about humbling ourselves, recognizing, knowing we need help. None of us has the strength to conquer and overcome sin. You try to do it on your own? No, you do it through first and foremost, through humbling yourself and repenting bitterly before God.

When you know there is a sin, to cry out to God and be honest to God. He already knows it. You just have to be honest yourself and say, “This is what I’ve been doing. This is what I’ve done, and I want it to stop! Help me to fight this! Help me to conquer it! And God will bless you in that. And you don’t just do it once, you keep doing it as it talks about, if need be, with sorrow and tears.

Sometimes we read through a scripture and think, “Well…?” How many of you have had a point in your life where you come to that, where you see the disgust in your thinking, your mind, and not being truthful to God as we should be, that we’re brought to tears? Because that should happen in life. To fight sin, whatever the sin is. You know the sin, whatever sin it is you have, that you fight against. You can’t do it on your own, and you can’t keep allowing it to go on and on.

Because too many… Two is too many. See, that’s my definition. Too many. One is too many. Five is too many. Ten is way too many. But how many more, because it’s like almost every week or so someone else being cleansed out of the Body! When will it ever end? Well, I know when it’s going to end, but boy, it’s not a pleasant thing. It should shake the tar out of people to where they’re brought to tears and cry before God and say, “Help me to regain, to grab hold of what I’ve lost. Help me to draw closer to You. Help me to be cleansed. I want to be cleansed. I want to be scrubbed!”

I remember times in crying out to God in the very beginning of my calling, “Please take the strands of my brain if need be, and like a knife just scrape down the CRAP that’s in it!” Because my mind was filled with evil. I came out of an evil world. I lived an evil life. That’s what we do until we’re called! All the filth that’s in this world that can go through our minds is appalling. And if you want to conquer and overcome it, you cry out to God! And I meant it with every fiber of my being! I could see it. I could see the strands like a brain, and you take that, and you just take a knife and start cleaning the junk off of it, the garbage, the filth, the swill. Asked God to help me to do that. Because we can’t do it on our own.

Do you hate evil that much? Do you hate pornography that much? Do you hate lust of the flesh, lusting after others in a way you should not be doing? Is that being done in the Body of Christ? Well, if you’re definitely deeply in the Body of Christ that’s not happening. That should give you the measure of what you need to measure. Something is wrong. You need to repent.

Alcohol misuse, drunkenness?! Drugs?! Using drugs in God’s Church at this time of life? Anybody doing that? I know it’s happened, and I believe it’s still happening. How hard of drugs, I don’t know. But I know some have given themselves to it. There is no other answer. Too much of the Mary Jane (marijuana)? “I need it because I need it for sleep.” Well, can you take it in some other form if you really, really, really, really think you have to have it and something else is harmful to you, and you think you need to have something else and you can take it? There are times for trying different things, to use something. I’m not saying there isn’t. But man, to misuse it?

It's the same as alcohol. Misuse it? Can you do that because you let your mind go, you’re not in control of your mind? That’s the worst state a human being can be in. And that’s why the warnings are there not to do those things. Because drugs, alcohol, things of that nature mean you’re not in control of your mind at times like that and there are beings who can broadcast in your mind far more. Those things should scare the you-know-what out of us! Like diarrhea, get it out! That’s how much we should hate it. And the smell, usually diarrhea is even worse than the other, isn’t it? And that’s how it should stink to us, sin, how evil it really is!

But we have to hate sin. We have to love God. We have to want God. You have to cry out for God. But if you do and you do it truthfully and faithfully, God will help you. But it has to be in spirit and in truth, that you really want to conquer something, you really want to see this to the end, you want to see it on through to the other side as well.

To see God’s Kingdom? What an incredible thing to be witness of in the span of seven thousand, one hundred years. To be one of those who lived during a time before it finally happened, the end of six thousand years, and then to see the beginning of something new being established by God Almighty with incredible power and might and beauty on the earth. To witness that?

James 4:7—Submit yourselves therefore to God. It’s a choice. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Because that’s what sin does. When people are fooling around with sin, a demonic world has greater power over you and in you and toward you—they truly do—to take you farther and farther away, sometimes at breakneck speed.

Draw near to God… This is beautiful. This is our strength and our hope and our life. Draw near to God, always true, and He will draw near to you.

[1] https://www.yahoo.com/news/german-mp-urges-military-active-092621963.html?guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9kdWNrZHVja2dvLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAABH2gBsc0-aYwv8Rogk1z46SzM_fAfh8rpPso65fzMSqq6Caq08MK13gb_0dLSI_35EyNlhmJo3y6OCYZry2UYw1_AdDCg81WLR_w5ZaaEWqm-NVw_Crs1bRnOvMOATEGmeIkMMsUjV1-2HIgP8Ej34hx_vljMZPsfEx57DRm4O9

[2] https://www.aol.com/ukraine-hints-used-western-weapons-170000445.html

[3] https://www.newsweek.com/putin-issues-new-ominous-nuclear-threat-1908793

[4] https://sputnikglobe.com/20240531/russia-may-see-ukrainian-long-range-attacks-as-precursor-to-nuclear-strike-ex-dod-analyst-fears-1118724278.html

[5] https://www.newsweek.com/world-war-3-vladimir-solovyov-ukraine-nato-russia-1908442

[6] https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/russian-official-floats-new-nato-target-for-nuclear-strike/ar-BB1nFhG6

[7] https://www.rt.com/news/598577-macron-war-russia-le-pen/

[8] https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/blinken-nato-leaders-ukraine-has-strong-well-lit-bridge-membership

[9] https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/why-survivors-of-a-nuclear-world-war-iii-will-envy-the-dead/ar-BB1nr4UN?ocid=BingNewsSerp

[10] https://www.rt.com/news/598682-dutch-fighter-jets-ukraine/

[11] https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/malinen-start-prepare-unthinkable

[12] https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/israel-gearing-lebanon-war-idf-reaching-decision-point

[13] https://sputnikglobe.com/20240606/russian-navy-vessels-to-arrive-in-havana-on-june-12---cuban-foreign-ministry-1118821961.html

[14] https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/cuba/article289062299.html

[15] https://www.newsweek.com/russia-france-tensions-ukraine-emmanuel-macron-vladimir-putin-ukraine-1909030

[16] https://www.rt.com/news/598898-germany-war-contingency-plan/

[17] https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/false-flag-horizon-strange-case-destroyed-russian-nuclear-radar

[18] https://www.rt.com/news/598960-orban-eu-war-psychosis/

[19] https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/are-they-trying-start-nuclear-war

1. Chapter 1