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I think in our haste to understand when the end will be and when the tribulation will begin we have overlooked what God is going to do with Israel to help set the stage for the coming of the anti-Christ. Because Satan always shanghais that which is good. And so this is what’s going to happen?

Let’s come to Revelation 13:1 (FV). And it’s interesting that in the last forty years there have been more nations turning to democracy than any other form. And as you listen to the inaugural speech by George Bush you can see there were messages to China, to Russia. There were complements to the Ukraine, to the Palestinians, and to the Afghanistans in what they have done to come out from underneath oppression. But nevertheless, as he said this is going to go from nation to nation, and that fits in with the prophecies that we have here. And let’s see it: “And I stood on the sand of the sea; and I saw a beast rising up out of the sea…” Now what is the “sand of the sea” but peoples, as we find there in Revelation 17. Now, Israel will be a part of the beast system, but remember when you go back to Daniel 7 it says that three of the ten horns were taken out. Now could that be our downfall? Could be. We don’t know. We’ll just have to see. But nevertheless there are some tremendous lessons for us to learn out of this and what God is going to provide for us.

Now what I want to do is I want to go beyond what George Bush has said here and I want us to realize that just as he called the nation to go beyond themselves to a cause greater than themselves, God has called us to a greater cause than that. He has called us to tremendous absolutely wonderful blessings and eternal life.

Now first of all let’s go to Luke 9:44. Now George Bush in his speech said that we all need to focus on something greater than ourselves. And let’s understand God has called us to something greater than ourselves. And so here I want to focus in on the first sentence, because what I have to bring out from the Scriptures here is to focus on that cause greater than ourselves, and to try and stir the church and brethren, many whom have gone to sleep, many whom has shrugged off the truth, many whom have left the Words of God and have become so lukewarm that it is unbelievable in a time when we ought to be having that passion of God’s way and His calling burning in us just like George Bush said that the passion of freedom will burn in the hearts of men. We have something greater to burn in our hearts. So Jesus said: “ ‘Let these words sink deep into your ears…’ ” And so let’s look at the rest of what we need to cover of what Christ wants us to understand. Because it is true: without vision the people perish. And there has to be the vision. And the vision is the calling that God has given us, which is greater than ourselves. And the vision is to understand how God is dealing personally and directly and individually in our lives.

Now let’s go to Matthew 11 and let’s see what God has done by the choice of the Father, by the choice of Jesus Christ. We are not here in just a religion. We are not here in a group just to be in a group. We are here because of the calling of God. We are here because in every one of our lives Christ has intervened to call us. God the Father has intervened to work with us. And they are the ones Who are in our lives. And I want to stress here that for any minister, any teacher, any elder who are teaching the people, you must teach them the Word of God. You must have them have this vision because you are not the one who stands between them and God. They have direct access to God the Father, direct access to Jesus Christ, and this is our calling.

Matthew 11:25: “At that time Jesus answered and said, ‘I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent [and yes, God did], and have revealed them to babes.’ ” Revealed them unto us who are nothing in the eyes of this world. “ ‘Yes, Father, for it was well pleasing in Your sight to do this’ ” (Matt. 11:25-26, FV).

Now hold your place here and come back to I Corinthians 1 and let’s look at our calling. Let’s look and we see and we understand. That’s why of ourselves we’re not going to save ourselves. That’s why we have difficulties and problems and overcoming. We have troubles in our lives because God has called us because we are the weak, we are the despised, we are the rejected of the world. And as George Bush said there that there is hope for the unwanted. And of course we are the unwanted of the world, right? Yes, indeed.

Now let’s pick it up I Corinthians 1:26: “For you see your calling, brethren, that there are not many who are wise according to the flesh, not many who are powerful, not many who are highborn…” Why? God has a purpose in this. “Rather, God has chosen the foolish things of the world, so that He might put to shame those who are wise…” Because in their wisdom, just like this atheist Newdow who wanted to get rid of any religious ceremony at the inaugural, they proclaim themselves to be wise but they become the fools. So God has chosen what the world thinks is the foolish so that He might put to shame the those who are wise. “…God has chosen the weak things of the world so that He might put to shame the strong things. And the low-born of the world, and the despised has God chosen—even the things that are counted as nothing—in order that He might bring to nothing the things that are; so that no flesh might boast in His presence.” We give all power and glory to God. “But you are of Him in Christ Jesus [this is your calling], Who was made to us wisdom from God—even righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption; so that, as it is written, “ ‘The one who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.’ ” (I Cor. 1:26-31, FV). And God is the one Who has called us. God is the one Who has done this.

Now let’s come back to Matthew 11 and let’s finish this section here. And the thing that we need to understand is this: that when we are inspired of God’s Spirit and when we understand that God has called us to a calling greater than ourselves, greater than our own aspirations, and that He has chosen us because we fit into the category of First Corinthians the first chapter, and understand that we are babes – yes, the babes of Christ.

Now verse 27: “ ‘All things were delivered to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; neither does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son personally chooses to reveal Him.’ ” See, that’s why He’s our personal Savior. He has intervened to personally choose us, to personally reveal it to us. And this is what’s so important and fantastic that we need to understand.

Now if you know some brethren who have backslidden, if you can get this tape to them and if they can be encouraged and inspired and repent and overcome and change, by all means do so. May it help them. May they understand that God is personally dealing with them and He says verse 28: “ ‘Come to Me, all you who labor and are overly burdened, and I will give you rest.’ ” Rest from sin, hope in problems and difficulties, encouragement in times of discouragement and so forth. “ ‘Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.’ ” (verse 28-31, FV). That’s why we are told, “Cast all your cares upon Him for He cares for you” (I Pet. 5:7, paraphrased). For He loves you. And remember this as I did in one sermon, regardless of the circumstances remember this: when all else fails God loves you. And if you don’t have that tape by all means write for it.

Now let’s come to John 14. Let’s understand what Christ is doing. Christ is busy, Christ is active, He is working not only in our lives, He is working in the nations of the world bringing things to the point that it’s going to lead up to the return to Christ. He is fulfilling prophecy on time, He is carrying out His will, He is creating good and evil, and He is also working on our behalf in preparing for us.

Now John 14:2: “ ‘In My Father’s house [and that’s where you are going to dwell] are many dwelling places; if it were otherwise, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you.’ ” Christ is preparing that now. How’s He preparing it for you? Are you loving God with all your heart and mind and soul and being? Are you trusting Him for everything that you do through thick and thin, through good and bad, through joy and sorrow? If you are, He’s preparing a place for you. Now notice: “ ‘And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; so that where I am, you may be also’ ” (John 14:2-3, FV). Now that’s tremendous, isn’t it? That’s the calling that God has for us. That’s what God is doing for us.

Now let’s examine a little bit more and see how God is personally working in our lives and has rescued us from Satan the devil. Let’s come to Colossians 1 and we will see the calling that God wants us to have. And we will see why it’s important to have the knowledge of salvation, the knowledge of the Word of God, and why we have the opportunity. We have an opportunity here now with the Word of God in such a way that the Word of God is everywhere in the world and we still have the freedom and we have the time to study, to pray, to grow, to overcome, and God expects us to do that. That’s all part of it, you see. And yet human nature says, “Oh well, lay down and take it easy.” That’s not what God wants us to do. He wants us to have that fire of passion and the light from God to see what is happening in our lives and also in the world.

Now verse 9: “For this cause we also, from the day that we heard of it [of their love in the Spirit, he’s referring to], do not cease to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding…” This is what is the will of God for us. And we’re promised that the wise at the end shall understand. Now we understand as things unfold and develop, so we’ll have to see how things go. Now notice verse 10: “…That you may walk worthily of the Lord, unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God…” And the way you grow in the knowledge of God is through the power of God’s Spirit in study, in prayer, in yielding yourself to God. “…Being strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory, unto all endurance and long-suffering with joy…” (Col. 1:9-11, FV). Now that’s not the kind of joy that the world would have. This is the kind of joy that is the peace of mind, peace of heart regardless of what is going on.

Now continuing verse 12: “…Giving thanks to the Father, Who has made us qualified for the share of the inheritance of the saints in the light; Who has personally rescued us from the power of darkness…” (verses 12-13, FV). Now that’s a divine intervention into your life. And God does not do this for everyone. God has done this for us because He has personally selected us and called us. Not that we should get lifted up in vanity and say we’re greater than other people, because we’re not. Because we are the least of all people. But that He is personally involved in our lives. Now there’s one thing that’s great about God as we’ll see a little later, He gives us His Spirit and He expects us, through His Word and His Spirit to be the true ones who are self governing through God and letting Christ rule in our hearts. That’s what’s important, you see.

Now verse 14: “…In Whom we have redemption through His own blood, even the remission of sins…” And we live under the grace of God continuously. Now notice about Christ. We’re not talking about something that is puny and small, but we’re talking about something that is great and fantastic, and magnificent. “…Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation…” And as we will see that’s defined down in verse 18 of those who have been resurrected from the dead. “…Because by Him were all things created…” Now stop and think: the great Creator God and the Father are the ones Who are dealing in our lives, are the ones Who have called us. And the one Who made the heavens and stretched them out and called them out and calls them all by name – that’s Jesus Christ. “…The things in heaven and the things on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether they be thrones, or lordships, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him and for Him. And He is before all, and by Him all things subsist” (verses 14-17, FV). Just like we learned in Hebrews 1, by the very word of His power He’s upholding the universe and yet He deals with us. That’s amazing. That is absolutely just breathtaking.

“And He is the Head of the body, the church; Who is the beginning, the firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He Himself might hold the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell; and, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things to Himself; by Him, whether the things on the earth, or the things in heaven” (verses 18-20, FV).

Now let’s come back to John 15 and see that personal relationship that we have with God. And this is why we need Sabbath services. This is why we need to hear the Word of God. How does faith come? By the hearing of the Word of God, doesn’t it? And it inspires us, and it uplifts us, and it gives us understanding, doesn’t it? Yes. And so this is the key thing that we need to understand. Let’s begin here in John 15:9. This is important because you see, people do things and are motivated when they are inspired, and when they are loved because they freely give of themselves to do it. And that’s what God has done for us and He expects us to do the same for him.

Verse 9: “ ‘As the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you; live in My love. If you keep My commandments, you shall live in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and live in His love.’ ” Isn’t that something? God has elevated us through Christ to a different level and relationship, see. “ ‘These things I have spoken to you, in order that My joy may dwell in you, and that your joy may be full.’ ” (John 15:9-11, FV). And this joy and this understanding, and this peace of mind is through everything thick and thin, through the good and the bad, and through the things that are difficult and pleasurable.

Verse 12: “ ‘This is My commandment: that you love one another, as I have loved you.’ ” And that’s what God wants us to do – love one another. And He shows what kind of love that is, verse 13: “ ‘No one has greater love than this: that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends, if you do whatever I command you.’ ” Now notice the relationship that He has brought us into: “ ‘No longer do I call you servants, because the servant does not know what his master is doing. But I have called you friends because I have made known to you all the things that I have heard from My Father.’ ” And that is profound. That to me is very moving as well as the next verse, verse 16. And always remember this, you see. This is why it’s hard for the wise and intelligent to understand, because it’s hard for them to come to the point of real repentance to get over themselves and to get over their intellect and to humble themselves to God because they fail to really grasp what is here in verse 16: “ ‘You yourselves did not choose Me, but I have personally chosen you…” That’s why you’re in the church of God, because of what Jesus Christ and God the Father have done. “ ‘…That you should go forth and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain; so that whatever you shall ask the Father in My name, He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another. 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. However, because you are not of the world, but I have personally chosen you out of the world, the world hates you for this’ ” (verses 12-19, FV). And eventually they will hate even more.

And I think it’s very profound the things that are going on, and how that I think that God is going to… If you look at what George Bush said, what did he say? He didn’t say, “We’ll work with the U.N.” as this book here The End Of The American Era says by a Jesuit Catholic, that we should work with international institutions. He says, “No, we’re going to lead the way. If you want to join us that’s fine. And if you want freedom, we’ll stand beside you.” Amazing. God is going to do what He is going to do and use whom He is going to use, see. And don’t the nations of the world hate us for it? Yes. What was the reaction in Europe? Hatred. Well, what did God say? He will bless those that bless you and curse those that hate you. So they’re choosing their own way. So we’ll just have to wait and see what happens here because this is very profound what God is doing.

Now let’s come here to II Timothy 2:12. And again the Word of God is tremendous and the Word of God shows us what we need to do. And here’s what we need to keep in mind: God has begun a work in you that He wants to complete. And that completion means the character and mind of Christ. Now we are willing participants in this.

Now let’s to back to verse 11: “This is a faithful saying: If we have died together with Him [that is in baptism], we shall also live together with Him; if we endure, we shall also reign together with Him…” because God has destined in our calling that we rule and reign with Jesus Christ. Now notice on the other hand: “…if we deny Him, He will also deny us…” So there again we have the choice set out before us, don’t we? “…If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful—He cannot deny Himself” (II Tim. 2:11-13, FV). So that’s really quite a statement there, isn’t it? God is doing something greater than us. Greater than what we have thought. And His plans and His ways ought to set a fire in our hearts and in our minds. You see, and the ones that God really uses… You take for example it was said of William Tyndale that he accomplished what he did – one man against the world, one man against all the evil – because he had a holy passion to translate the Word of God into English. And God surely was with him in it. Granted he didn’t have all understanding of all doctrine, but he was one man working alone and produced, and what we have before us today even with what we have has got to go back and we acknowledge what God did with William Tyndale to bring it here. And if he didn’t have that holy passion to do it against all odds, against everyone, we wouldn’t have the English Bible today. So likewise we need to take that as “the cause greater beyond us.” Now that we have the Word of God, now that we can understand it let’s use it to grow, to change, to overcome, and to accomplish what God wants us to do.

Now let’s look at reigning with Him. Let’s come to Revelation 5:10. See, the calling that God has given us is so fantastic that only with the Spirit of God and the Words of God combined together can we grasp what it is that He has for us. And we are still looking through a glass darkly, aren’t we? Yes, we are.

Let’s pick it up here in verse 9: “And they [that is the twenty-four elders who worship God] sang a new song, saying…” Now this is the song which we are also going to sing. It’s like singing a hymn in prophecy for us: “ ‘…Worthy are You to take the book, and to open its seals because You were slain, and did redeem us to God by Your own blood, out of every tribe and language and people and nation…” So that’s got to apply to all of those who God has called. “ ‘…And did make us unto our God kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth’ ” (Rev. 5:9-10, FV). And I’ll tell you what, if you were moved by the ceremony of this inaugural address and all the things that were there and if you’ve seen the whole thing with the songs and the prayers and all acknowledgment of God, you’re not going to see anything like that in any government anywhere on the face of the earth except in the United States of America. But what I want you to do is think about: what is it going to be like when we’re resurrected and on the sea of glass? And the very first thing that Jesus Christ does when we are all there is turn to God the Father and say, “Behold the brethren You have given Me.” And then we get our rewards. And then we come to rule and reign.

Let’s come to Revelation 20 and see that. This is the promise that God is holding for us. Now men have their idealism, men have their goals. God also uses them, and uses them in a way that sometimes they don’t even know that they are being used. Revelation 20:6: “Blessed and holy…” Now why is this important? God alone is Holy. When we are born into the kingdom of God, we’re what? We are the children of God and when He is manifest we shall see Him as He is because we shall be like Him and we are called blessed and holy. “…Is the one who has part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power. But they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.” And bring in the greatest civilization that this world has ever, ever known or will ever see. It will never see that again as far as human beings are concerned.

Now however, it comes with some suffering and difficulties. Let’s come to Romans 8. Let’s see how we are going to get there. This is the whole purpose of our calling. This is why God has revealed His Word to us. This is why Jesus Christ and God the Father are personally involved in our lives. And this is why we need to do whatever we can do that God gives us to do with all our might, and with zeal, and with determination, and being led by the Spirit of God to do it. You know, what are we going to tell God if we fail, when God says, “Look, I gave you peace, I gave you prosperity, I gave you time, I gave you a land to live in where you can keep the Sabbath and keep the holy days and preach the Word of God, and you failed because you died spiritually. You were so lukewarm that I had to spit you out of My mouth to see whether you were hot or cold and told you to repent.” And while there’s time to repent we need to repent and ask God to help us see this vision, this understanding, this plan that God has for it and have it burned into our minds. Not as like George Bush said, “for the flame of freedom will burn in every  heart.” Listen, God has called us to the flame and passion of His way to burn in our hearts and minds to live forever. That’s why He’s called us,  you see.

Now let’s pick it up here, Romans 8:14 and we’re going to see how this is going to be accomplished: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.” Now I want you to grasp that. You are the sons of God. That’s why He has called us. He has created us in His image to give us His Spirit that He might walk in us, that He might lead us, that He might give us His love and His laws and His commandments and every good thing that God has, see.

Verse 15: “Now you have not received a spirit of bondage again unto fear, but you have received the Spirit of sonship, whereby we call out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit itself bears witness conjointly with our own spirit, testifying that we are the children of God. Now if we are children, we are also heirs—truly, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ…”, Who says He’s inherited all things (Hebrews 1:2), and He’s going to share that with us. This is part of the place that He is preparing for us, you see. “…—If indeed we suffer together with Him…” (verses 15-17, FV). Because you see true spirituality in this world is contrary to the world, it is contrary to the ways that carnal men are, it’s contrary to human nature. So there’s going to be suffering. Look at all the things that Paul went through and he got to the point that he said, “Brethren, count it all joy when different trials come upon you”, as he said through James. And Paul said, “We joy in tribulation.” Why? Because we have a greater calling, a greater glory, a greater good that God has called us to.

Now notice: “…—if indeed we suffer together with Him, so that we may also be glorified together with Him.” Because as Jesus said, when we are in the kingdom of God we will shine as the sun. Now that is absolutely an amazing thing when you look at our lives and the physical things that we are and growing old and turn to the dust of the earth when we die, that God is going to do this. That is absolutely magnificent and glorious beyond anything we can think of.

So Paul said here, verse 18: “For I reckon that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us.” See, that’s why he says… Hold your place right here. Come back to Hebrews 12 and let’s read the first verse. This is tremendous. We need to understand this. We need to have this in mind when we are considering Romans 8 because here is what Jesus wants us to do, and here’s how we have the true joy of Christ though we may have sorrow all around us.

Hebrews 12:1: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great throng of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that so easily entraps us…”, because we have a sinful nature. God forgives us. That’s what grace is all about. “…And let us run the race set before us with endurance…” And this is the attitude and this is the way: “…having our minds fixed on Jesus, the Beginner and Finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that lay ahead of Him endured the cross, although He despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Now meditate deeply on Him Who endured such great hostility of sinners against Himself so that you do not become weary and faint in your minds. You have not yet resisted to the point of losing blood in your struggle against sin.” (Heb. 12:1-4, FV). I have yet to anoint anyone who has suffered resisting sin that they lost blood.

Now let’s come back to Romans 8 again. Let’s pick it up here in verse 18 and let’s understand where it says, “glorified together” that as far as the sufferings of this world are concerned, verse 18: “For I reckon that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us.” And when we are resurrected and stand on that sea of glass, when we are changed from flesh to spirit, we’re not going to remember all the difficulties and problems that we went through because all of those things will be past. They will be over. Now whether we understand it or not God has a great goal for us. Greater than what George Bush tried to set out for the vision for America and what he hopes to do for the world. Here is what God is holding out for us, verse 19: “For the earnest expectation of the creation itself is awaiting the manifestation of the sons of God…” The world is waiting for us – the lowly, the outcast, the lowborn, those who are counted as less than nothing by the world: “…awaiting the manifestation of the sons of God; because the creation was subjected to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him who subjected it in hope…” (verses 18-20, FV). And we, whether you understand it or not, through Christ are part of the hope of the world, which is greater and goes beyond anything that men can conceive of and is a greater plan and a greater purpose than the call that George Bush gave at his inaugural address.

Now notice verse 21: “…in order that the creation itself might be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the freedom…” There is the true freedom. Not freedom what men can bring, but the true “…freedom of the glory of the children of God.” And that’s why God has called us. And that is the purpose that He has brought to us. And so we need to keep that in mind and really let it burn deeply in our minds.  Now as we look out on the world we know that this is the way that it is. “For we know that all the creation is groaning together and travailing together until now” (verses 21-22, FV), waiting for us, see. And God is the one Who is going to make all of that happen. And when Christ returns and the heavens roll back as a scroll, and the sign of the Son of man is revealed in heaven and we know that the time is NOW, then we will see the fulfillment of all of this. And brethren, that’s why we’re here. And this is our calling. And so the freedom that is greater than the freedom that George Bush talked about is the freedom of the glory of the children of God. And we will be the ones under Christ who will save the world and bring peace and prosperity to every living human being.

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