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Comment was made along these lines - the FBI is going to have great power. Great power. They’re going to be able to do many things without even knowing it. Eventually it’s going to come down to our level. That’s why they can go into groups, they can go in to their web sites, they can interfere and pick up any e-mail, any cellphone, any regular phone, any fax communication, and they got it. They have great listening stations that just listen for key words. When they pick up key words, then they start recording it. And then those are investigated. They’re already spying. So the FBI is going to have more power. As a matter of fact, they’ve been doing it for a long time. But now it’s being brought up on the table and being legitimized because of the need.

Ok, back to this being led of the Holy Spirit. And this becomes far more profound. Verse 15, “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear;…” And that’s what the spirit of this world is - the spirit of bondage. And Satan wants to put you in bondage to him, and ultimately to reject God and worshiped him. See, that’s why the mark of the beast is going to be absolutely so insidious, and why God is against it. Because then you cannot be led of the Holy Spirit of God, and you’re no better than, as I mentioned in the latest letter, you’re no better than a dog on a leash. “…But ye [we] have received the Spirit of adoption [sonship, as it should read], whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” And that ties in with what we’ve been doing in the book of Hebrews. And this is what Satan does not want people to have. That is, direct communication between you and God the Father, and Jesus Christ. He wants to put a hierarchy in there. He wants to put a man in there. He wants to put something else in there and eventually replace that with himself at the top to be worshiped, you see. So it’s really something, the things we’re up against here.

“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together” (vs. 16-17). Now there is going to be suffering. Satan comes along and says, “You don’t have to suffer.” You’re going to have to suffer in overcoming self, you’re going to have to suffer in working in this world because you keep the Sabbath and the holy days and obey God. You’re going to have to suffer because of relatives. You’re going to have to suffer eventually because of physical duress against your body, and maybe you will have to suffer martyrdom. And so I’m sure that God is going to spare a lot of Seniors. I don’t know if that includes me or not. I won’t know until the time comes. But it is going to come upon this end-time generation and this young generation coming up. Better get it into their heads that what they consider religion for old fogeys they don’t need, they better change their minds and understand that the time is coming that unless they get right with God and repent and come out of this world, they are going to be taken captive by Satan the devil, and they’re going to become part and parcel with the system, and they will no longer have the ability to make their own choices. And that’s where we’re coming in this world.

So we have to understand the cost. We have to understand that suffering is going to be there. Paul said, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature [creation] waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.” That’s what they’re waiting for - the return of Christ and the sons of God to reign as kings and priests. And that’s the only salvation out of this. Look what they’re going to do to human beings. They’re going to make them into robots and automatons. “For the creature [creation] was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him Who have subjected the same in hope” (Romans 8:18-20). So there is hope, you see, way beyond what we understand. I mean, sometimes we get so involved in our little own personal lives and the things that we’re working on that we don’t see the big picture out there. We don’t see the things that are taking place.

Verse 21, “ Because the creature [creation] itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” And we’re going to - how shall we say - remove the bondage in slavery of this world? Yes indeed. Yes indeed. “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and trevaileth in pain together until now” (vs. 22). The whole creation out there is sick and upside down and distorted and twisted. That’s why when Christ returns that such horrible things are going to happen to this earth. Just like it did with the flood: God is going to have to destroy everything. Almost all human beings, almost all animal life. Destroy all cities, all buildings. Bring it down to nothing so that He can start again. God is not a “patcher.” He is not going to build on any other man’s foundation. He’s not going to come back to this world and reform it. He’s going to come back to this world and transform it, and remake it. It’s going to be something.

“And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption [sonship], to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope:...” (Romans 8:23-24). And this is the hope, brethren. You have to understand that. Satan wants to put the world into a whole state of hopelessness so it will embrace him; a state of inaction so that he can carry out his will, you see. Very important that we understand that. So we’ve got this hope coming. “…But hope that is seen is not hope [it’s not here yet]: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?” (vs. 23-24). If you have it in your hand, you don’t say, “Well, I hope I can have thus and such”, while you’re holding it in your hand. It’s right there. But Christ has to bring it.

“But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities [weaknesses]:…” Now this is the whole thing concerning using the power of the Holy Spirit. It helps our weaknesses. But we have to let it lead us. We have to yield to God the Father and Jesus Christ so that these weaknesses can be overcome. “…For we know not what we should pray for as we ought:…” Because of these weaknesses that we have. “…But the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us…” (vs. 25-26). God’s Spirit in us communicates directly to God what the innermost part of our being really is. And I’m sure, as I’ve said before, it filters out all the nonsense and little thoughts that come into our minds while we’re praying to God, which are just little physical things having nothing to do with our prayers. But it communicates to God in the language that the Holy Spirit has been programmed to communicate to God our thoughts.

“And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit,…” or, the purpose of the Spirit. Not that the Spirit has a mind, but what the Spirit and the purpose of the Spirit in our minds does. Because it “…maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” Now this is why, verse 28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God,…” See, because if you love God with all your heart, with all your mind, all your soul, all your being, and you know that Christ loves you, that Christ died for you, that He is your High Priest, that He is your Savior, He’s the soon coming King coming back to this earth, and you’re going to rule and reign with Him, then everything works together for good. There is nothing that doesn’t work together for good. Now when you’re going through the different things you may not understand it at the time. But later on you can look back and say, “Yes. It has.” And it does, and it will. “…To them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” (vs. 27-28). And so God isn’t going to let you down. God is not going to leave you sitting there high and dry. He’s going to intervene for you. And this is what the Laodiceans need to understand.

Now let’s come back here to Revelation 3. Not only are we living in a Laodicean age, in this world where anything you want is at your fingertips, or if it’s not at your fingertips you can have it delivered to your fingertips. Anything. You go to any store, any mall. What is there? Everything in the world. In just - what shall we say? An overwhelming gluttonous of everything. Not just food. Anything you want. Here - I’ve got a Long’s Electronic Catalog right here. Because we’re investigating about using CD’s instead of tapes. And there are so many things in here, it blows your mind. And this is one little catalog of one little company in one little place on this face of this earth. There are probably thousands of catalogs for thousands of different things.

We are living in a Laodicean age. And we are living in a Laodicean church, for the most part. And most everyone is content in their little old form that they have, you see. They’re so used to coming to church on Sabbath, that’s what they do. And unfortunately, they have the same experience that the world has. Church, then, becomes an experience, rather than something where you can learn and understand about God. People are more concerned with their feelings and their relationships of their social status with people that they associate with in the congregations. And then you have, on the other hand, you have all these false teachers out there promulgating all kinds of silly heresies and stupid doctrines. All combined in it. I mean, if you ever saw the movie, It’s A Wild, Wild, Wild World? It is a wild, wild, wild world out there. And the Laodiceans are going to get caught flat-footed in their lukewarm condition, and they won’t know that it’s happening. But the time is going to comethat they’re going to have to choose between God and Satan. God will give them a little strength to choose, but it makes you wonder how many will do it.

See, they equate physical things with spiritual things. And that’s wrong to do. That’s wrong to do. He says here, Revelation 3:15, “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot…” You’re right down the middle of the road. And what do we have today? Most everything is approached from a neutral, rationalistic point of view, correct? You’re neither for, you’re neither against. You’re just right down the middle. And as one man said, “You have just enough religion to make you feel good, and just enough of the world so you get along with them. And so that if you need help you can run to the world, or you can run to God.” But see, what happens with that is you’re double minded. And you don’t have faith. That’s the danger. And the Laodiceans are double minded. Here. Let’s come to James 1. And you can almost tell where the Laodiceans are. Because that’s where the most people are located, right? Yes.

Now we have a lot of people in other churches of God who get our tapes and so forth. See, now they need to ask themselves the question: “Am I comfortable where I’m going? And am I being fed spiritual meat from the Word of God where I’m going? Why am I going here? What is my purpose in doing so? Well, all my old friends are there.” Are your friends going to save you? Is a church going to save you? Is a minister going to save you, or is Christ going to save you? And how is your relationship with Christ? See, you need to evaluate that.

When Scriptures are read and you’re offended, then you’re offended at God. Now you may be offended at me if I read it. But your offense is really with God. Now I’m going to read these Scriptures here, and I want you to understand something. If you’re offended in the things that I’m going to say and do, then what you need to ask the question is, “Am I offended because of what I hear from the man speaking, or am I offended because I have drifted from God and become lukewarm and don’t like the correction?” Now please understand this. If I speak some things which are corrective, just understand, that’s all whole lot more mild than God directly intervening to correct you Himself. And if you don’t believe that, read the book of Job. Ok?

Now then, let’s read it here. James 1:1, “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.” And we all pride ourselves in what? Being living in the end time House of Israel, right? So this message is for us, correct? Without a doubt. “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into diverse temptations [trials]” (James 1:1-2). And the main thing that people want to do today is avoid trials. They want happiness. The Dalai Lama comes along and says, “The purpose in life is to be happy. He-he-he-he-he-he-he.”

“…Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience [or endurance].” Your faith is going to be tried. “But let patience [or endurance] have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire,…” Or that is, whole, or complete, “…wanting [lacking] nothing.” Because every time you have a trial, and I have trials, you have trials, what do we find out? We’re lacking wisdom, right? And we have to do our Colombo forehead thing, correct? Yes. “…Let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (vs. 3-5). And it’s not going to be one prayer, and say, “O God, give me faith.” [Whoosh] “Hooray. I’ve got faith. God, help me to trust You.” Then you have a trial. Then you say, “God, why do I have the trial?” “Well, I want to see if you going to trust in Me.”

“But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.” And the worst thing in the world you can do is get on your knees, and pray to God, then get up and say, “I wonder if God heard that prayer?” You’ve already lost it. You’ve already wavered. You are double minded. You don’t believe God. You’re going through the ritual of a religion, and somehow you’re stuck in it, and you need to get out of it. “For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that men think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways” (vs. 6-8). And that’s what the Laodiceans are. They are double minded. They’re half in the world, they’re have in the church. They don’t want anyone to rock the boat. They don’t want things to change. They want the status quo. They’re not growing. They’re not overcoming. And that’s where it is. And that’s where we are today. And there are a lot of people that just need to understand that.

Now, I’m not angry at people. I’m not mad at them because of that. That’s the way the age is, isn’t it? But if I speak nice, purring, smooth things to you, and put you to sleep so you are not on guard spiritually, then God is going to hold me accountable. And now that you have heard it, you’re accountable. Because we’re all going to come before the judgment seat of God. And everyone is going to give an answer for what he is, or does, or has been. And that’s just the way it is. See, but Laodiceans do not like the cruelty, as it were, of the reality of standing before God naked. But that’s the way that it is.

Now back to Revelation 3:16. “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth.” And I’ve seen it over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over again in my experience as a minister in the church of God. “Because thou sayest, I am rich [I’m in good shape], and increased with goods [you have everything physical that you would need], and have need of nothing;…” (vs. 17). See, because the biggest fatal mistake in spirituality is equating success in physical things, meaning that because you have all these physical things, and the physical blessings you are spiritually right with God. That’s is not true! Physical things never make you spiritually right with God. It is the spiritual things. And what happens? Then there is a spiritual blindness which takes place, and you cannot perceive your own rotten spiritual standing.

“…And knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:…” (vs. 17). And judgment is coming. Just like in The Shawshank Redemption, which they play about every other week on TBS, or TNT, because it’s one of the few good movies. And all the movies that they have today are so rotten that people watch it over and over again. And that’s what the warden told everyone that came into the prison. He says, “See that sign up there? ‘The Lord’s judgment cometh, and that right soon.’ And that’s why you’re here in this prison.” And so then after he got caught in all of his corruption and exposed, then he was sitting there with a gun in his hands contemplating suicide. And just before he put the gun to the roof of his mouth and pulled the trigger, it showed him looking up at the sign where it says, “The Lord’s judgment cometh and that right soon.” It’s coming. God made the heavens, and made the earth, and everything that are in there. You better know that God means business.

“I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire,…” True righteousness. Let the trials have their work in perfection in your life. Yield to God. “…That thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see” You may properly understand the things that are going on in your life, and you’re spiritual condition, and standing before God. “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent” (vs. 18-19). So that’s what’s going to have to happen. Someone has to say it, don’t they? Yes indeed. That means that God loves you. God at no time has ever stopped loving you. But have you stopped loving God? That’s the question. And the answer is, of course. The Laodiceans did.

So now that you are spewed out of the mouth of God, He says, “Be zealous therefore and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock:...” (vs. 19-20). Now Christ is outside looking in, rather than in you, being a temple of God and Christ is in you, and the Spirit is in you. Now there’s so little Spirit in you that Christ has to go outside and then knock on the door of your mind. Because you’ve got it so filled with so many things, that Christ is no longer in your thoughts the way He needs to be. Now, “…If any man hear My voice, and open the door,…” That’s why I’ve got the tape that I did some years ago, “Your Second Calling.” “…I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne” (vs. 19-21).

But He leaves it up to each individual, and the choice that each individual is going to make. That’s why He says, verse 22, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” You have choices to make. God is not going to make your choices for you. You have things you need to do. That’s why it says there that the greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, and mind, and soul, and being. And now is the time to do it. Because we are rapidly coming down to the time of what? The day of reckoning is coming, is coming, is coming, is coming, is coming.

Now there was, it’s recorded in Josephus, a man seven years before the fall of Jerusalem. And he went around Jerusalem and said, “Woe, Jerusalem, you are going to fall.” And I’m sure he was a prophet of God. And this went on for seven years. No one could shut him up. No one could stop him from it. The Jews thought, “Well, no, it’s not going to fall. We’re going to get all together here and we’re going to have such righteousness here that God is not going to destroy this city. He’s not going to destroy this temple. We are going to do it ourselves.” And they were trapped in their own devices. And they had three times as many people in the city of Jerusalem on that last Passover that they kept. And all the food stores were eaten up very quickly. The Zealots burned them. They bludgeoned and killed each other. They ended up with cannibalism. It was so horrible and so terrible that the Romans were disgusted with it and came in and just scraped Jerusalem and the temple to the ground. Just like Jesus said. So we need to take that as a lesson for us. Because the time is coming. The time is coming.

I mean, we look at it and see because we are used to things being instant. Everything is instant. If you want something, you get it now. If you need to do something, you do it now. If you want to talk to someone, you pick up the phone now. And because of that, when we look out and we see the time and we say, “Well, you know, it may be five years.” We think, “Oh boy. Five years. That’s a long time.” No it isn’t. That’s only a few seconds on God’s time-table, isn’t it? Or if we say, “Well, it’s 10 years.” Then what will happen? People say, “Well, I have time.” Typical Laodicean attitude. “Well, if it’s 10 years, I have time.” Don’t count on it. You never know how much time you have.

There was a minister who was 42 years old here, just recently. He and his wife went out to dinner with the family, and they sat down and were waiting to get into the restaurant. He leaned his head up on his wife’s shoulder and [claps], dead. And this year alone there have been a lot of ministers who have died, more numbers of ministers have died this year than any year I can recall. I don’t know the exact number. But if someone could search it out for me, I think it’s 10 or 12 just within the last year. God’s judgment is coming, and that right soon. Now if we are yielded to God, and if we are allowing the trials and difficulties to purge us, to cleanse us, to give us meekness, and humbleness, and yieldedness to God, that we see that the love of God is greater than anything, and the most important thing that it could possibly be, then Christ will see us through everything. He will help us. He will guide us. He will direct us.

Now come back here to Romans 8. Because here’s what Christ is looking for. This is what He has in mind for you. This is why He wants you to come to Him to repent of your sins so they can be wiped away. Because this is how He is viewing everyone that He has called, if they will, if they would. Romans 8:29, “For whom He did foreknow,…” Because you have the Holy Spirit of God within you, He foreknows you. “…He also did predestinate…” This is your destiny. “…To be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified:...” Put in right standing with God. Remain in that right standing with God. “…And whom He justified, them He also glorified” (Rom. 8:29-30). Did you know that by receiving the Holy Spirit of God you have a certain amount of glorification with you already, because of the Spirit of God that is in you? And by using the power of the Spirit of God to direct your life, to lead your life, to bring every thought into captivity to Christ, to protect you from all these things that I read about here? That’s where we are today.

Verse 31, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” But let’s just add here: “Woe to you if God is against you. Woe to you if you are a Laodicean and do not repent.” Remember those, Matthew 7, “Lord, haven’t we done many wonderful works in Your name? Cast out demons in Your name?” And He will say, “Depart from Me you that work lawlessness. I never knew you” (Matthew 7:22-23, paraphrased). See, because our relationship with God is on His terms. Not on our terms.

But, “If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not His own Son…” And when we get back to the series in Hebrews, you’ll understand that even more. “…But delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:31-32). Do you think that the things in this world today are going to be compared to anything that God is going to give us, that Christ will provide for us? What is it going to be like to live as a glorified spirit being, and all the things that go with that? The only way you’re going to know is be there.

“Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect?” That’s provided that you yield to God. “…It is God that justfieth. Who is he that condemneth?” It doesn’t matter what people say or think or do against you. “…It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again,…” That’s the whole central thing of what we do. “…Who is even at the right hand of God, Who also maketh intercession for us.” Now verse 35. And this is what we need to come to. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ [God]? Shall tribulation,…” Or we might say, all these modern things to control your minds. “…Or distress, or persecution, or famine,…” Now none of us have experienced that. I don’t think any of us have experienced a hungry day in our lives, except as we fast. “…Or nakedness,…” Open your closet. You have how many feet of clothes hanging there? How many shoes to put on your feet? “…Or peril, or sword?” (vs. 33-35). And all of those we’re going to face.

“As it is written, for Thy sake we are killed all the day long…” And that is coming. “…We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter” (vs. 36). And that is coming. That’s why they’re taking away all the rights. Why don’t they go to Saudi Arabia and take away the rights from them, because they’re the ones that are doing it. Why bring it in here and take it upon those who are not fighting against the government? It’s because Satan wants to destroy us. He wants to destroy this nation. And God will let it happen, because as a nation we’ve turned our back on God. And God will let it happen to the church because the church has turned its back on God. And if we haven’t learned any lessons of what has happened, go to Pasadena and look at the campus. Go to Big Sandy and look at the campus, and understand: God has rejected it. Spewed it out of His mouth. And we were all part of it. We were all rejected and spewed out too. So we better get ourselves right with God because the day is coming.

“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors…” That’s why Christ says overcome, and how to overcome, and the way to overcome, through Him. “…Through Him that loved us.” And this is the resolve that we have to come to. Discount every pleasure, discount everything, discount everything there is in the flesh and physical thing. And be absolutely persuaded of these: “For I am persuaded that neither death [that you may be facing], nor life [which may be offered to you to recant and give up Christ], nor angels [that is, the demons who are after you], nor principalities [those are the higher ones, like Satan the devil], nor powers [whatever the government may be], nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (vs. 37-39).

So there we have both sides of the coin, don’t we? Yes we do. We have everything that our hearts could desire physically. But we’re so poor and wretched spiritually. And so while there is time, and before the judgment of God cometh, what will you do?

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