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GTM - Understanding the Righteous Judgement of God - Albert Jones
Understanding the Righteous Judgement of God
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GTM - Understanding the Righteous Judgement of God - Albert Jones
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GTM - Understanding the Righteous Judgement of God - Albert Jones
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GTM -Understanding the Righteous Judgemnet of God - August 22, 2023 Speaker Albert Jones begins by discussing the Feast of Trumpets and the inspiration it brings. Albert also discusses the time when Satan will be put away, and God's people are looking forward to the return of Christ and the establishment of God's throne on earth. Albert acknowledges the struggles of living in a world influenced by Satan and highlights the importance of faith in God. He then discusses God's judgment and the examples he has given throughout history, emphasizing the need to understand the truth and not be led astray by the world's ways. The speaker concludes by urging listeners to heed God's warning and commit their ways to Him. (PC Generated) And so, we have had a wonderful beginning to fall festivals with the Feast of Trumpets, very inspiring message from Fred the other week. And it just kind of cements, if you will, some of the messages that were being given leading up to it. Indeed, this time of year is a very inspirational time of the year because we get closer and closer to that time when Satan the devil and all of his influence in the world will be put away. We won't have to contend with him for a while. And God's people, again, all of us are looking forward to the return of Christ, but also to that day when his throne is established upon the earth and all mankind will understand finally what it was all about, why God made man in the first place. We live our life every day struggling in this world against the powers of Satan the devil in the world, against our own weaknesses in the flesh. We recognize that it's a difficult way that we have come to, but we also recognize that our victory is not in our own power, but it is in our faith and our elder brother and our great God and father in heaven. So God's judgment, God's final judgment is always that judgment that we should be looking to. And all final judgment belongs to the Lord, our God, who judges righteously. So we're going to start our study tonight, if you will, in 2 Peter 2. So if you can go ahead and turn to 2 Peter 2. And we want to establish something here that God has been conveying to mankind from the beginning. In 2 Peter 2, and we'll pick it up here in verse 4, 2 Peter 2 and verse 4. For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but having cast them into Tartarus, delivered them into chains, into darkness to be kept for the judgment, and if God did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, the ape, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought the flood upon the world of the ungodly, and having reduced the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, condemned them with a catastrophic destruction, making them an example for those who would be ungodly in the future. And that example, brethren, whether or not the world truly read their Bible and take heed to the example already established, but God has many other examples to try to get our attention. But that example should really paint a picture for mankind. But let's read on, verse 7. And if he personally rescued righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the lawless ones, living in licentious conduct, for that righteous man dwelling among them, though seeing and hearing their lawless activities, was tormented day by day in his righteous soul. And I think today we can truly start to comprehend some of what Lot was experiencing. Verse 9. The Lord knows how to rescue the godly out of temptation, and to reserve the unrighteous for the day of judgment, to be punished. But particularly those who walk after the flesh in corrupting lust, and hold in utter contempt the lordship of God, they are audacious and self-willed. They are not afraid to blaspheme the divine powers. This is a summary, if you will, of the world that we live in today, and God prophesied that in these days it would be like it was in the days of Noah, as it was in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah. But brethren, even more so, we see the world kind of coming apart at the seams, sin is raising itself to be more prominent in our society, not as an oddity, but as a mainstream, and mankind has truly lost its way. They, those who give themselves over to it, they walk after lust, and they walk after fleshly things. In verse 11, let's continue on. Whereas angels, who are greater in strength and power, do not bring a railing condemnation against him before the Lord. But these, those who go after this way without thinking, without hesitation, are drawn, as it will, with cords, if you will, into the ways of this world, giving themselves over to it, it's addictive. Our society is given to sin, but God is screaming through his word that we would hear and understand that that is not the way, that is not the way. Verse 12, but these as a rational brute beast, no thinking, no reasoning, no judgment, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheme those things of which they are ignorant, and shall be utterly destroyed in their own corruption. And this is the thing that God doesn't want us to come into. God did not make us for this. But he describes through Peter even more of the condition of the world that we have today. They are bringing upon themselves the reward of unrighteousness. Now we know that there is only two ways. There's God's way and there's Satan's way. He's the adversary. He is the one opposed to God. It is in his nature. So there is a judgment for the unrighteous. We learn a lot about that during the Feast of Trumpets. The wrath of God is coming. God's judgment is coming. Let's read on in verse 13, while finding pleasure in satisfying their lustful desires day by day, and that's the world going about its merry way, giving itself over to sin continually, they are stained. Now these, this message from Peter is speaking to the church. It exemplifies the world, but he has a message here for the brethren. He describes within the body stains. He says they are stains and blemishes reveling in their own deceptions while feasting together with you, having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin. They are engaged in seducing unstable souls, anyone, having a heart trained in lustful cravings, cursed children, and this is the key. There is a way that seems right to a man, right? But God has called us to a truth, and he has revealed it through his word. He's revealed it through his son. The light of God shines in our lives as individual members of God's church. But God has, he has an example of who he is. We have talked about in sermons this requirement, if you will, to understand, it is very important that we understand as fleshly beings who we are and who God is. And what we learned about during the Feast of Trumpets, when Christ will intervene in world affairs, and the powers of God will be unveiled, and mankind will see and start to understand who God is. But today, there is no room for God in the heart of man, it seems. They have abandoned, verse 15, the straight way, the way of God, the right way, the true way. They have gone astray, it says, having followed the way of Balaam, we know of his example. But Balaam is not the only one. Let's take a stroll, if you will, across history just in summary before we go on. And I've done this before to give us a kind of a broad view of the way of man in history and the history that counts here. We go the other side of the flood and we have Adam and Eve in the garden with the Lord until Satan comes in. He messes up everything. He gets in and he appeals to the vanity of the flesh. And they chose incorrectly, their judgment, if you will, was skewed. But they took on the way of Satan, taking unto themselves, you know, the knowledge of good and evil, deciding for themselves what is right. And then Adam and Eve, after them, the firstborn son, if you will, came his way. We cannot redefine what sin is. And so he wanted to ask God to accept it the way he wanted to, to bring what was right, to define what was right before God. But God's perfect righteous law defines sin. That's what defines sin. And God had established what he expected of Cain and Abel, but Cain rejected that. Then there's the way of man on the other side of the flood. All of mankind giving itself over to and becoming corrupted. So God destroyed that generation of human beings, if you will. And we bring it to this side with Noah and his prime Jesus. And then on this side, we have the way of Canaan, again, going, abandoning the straight way of God. Sodom and Gomorrah, we read about. We have the way of Egypt. Coming out of Egypt, within the midst of the children of Israel, talking about stains within their blood feet, we have Korah, Dathan. They laid it out incorrectly, once again, showing us that the way of man unto itself never worked. And let's just put on the record, if you will, not only Balaam, but Job. Our righteousness will not do, is the message there. That as good can be is never good enough to justify one to eternal life. Our righteousness cannot stand up before God. Then we have the way of Israel overall, rejecting the most incredible offering of blessing that one could receive, and that is a personal relationship with the one and only true Creator God. But over time, even that was rejected. We have King Saul, the first king, losing his way. We have David, even fallen victim to the weakness of the flesh. Solomon, starting out with a personal relationship with God, having been given favor from God with wisdom and understanding, and losing his way. We have the stubbornness of Brian Baum, as it was, choosing to not listen to wisdom, but the young men who advised him incorrectly. We have Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, setting up idols before the children of Israel, drawing them away from the true worship of God unto idols. We have the way of the unrighteous kings, many of them defined in the book of Kings and Chronicles. And today, brethren, we have the way of the kingdoms of this world, the nations who are giving themselves over to this mystery Babylon the Great, that today is growing more and more powerful, more and more influential. The spirit of lawlessness is everywhere. So now is the time for us to heed the warning that God has given, and he has called us to him for the purpose of life, which he has had ordained from the very beginning. Turn with me, if you would, to Proverbs 16. In the book of Proverbs, in chapter 16, we're going to pick it up here in verse 1, 16-1. Proverbs 16-1, the preparations of the heart and man and the answer of the tongue are from the Lord. All the ways of man are clean in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirits. And God is giving us wisdom in his word in the book of Proverbs. He tells us in verse 3, if we will hear him to commit our ways to him, he says, commit your works unto the Lord and your thoughts shall be established. Because if you're in line, if you're in step, if you are in the right path, the straight way that was defined there earlier, the right path, aligned with God, there are blessings in that, because that's the way it's supposed to be, brethren. We are supposed to be in line with God. There's no competition here between whether or not God knows best or we might know better. We don't know anything that is truly beneficial for life. So we seek wisdom and knowledge from him. Verse 4 says, the Lord has made all for his own purpose, yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. And if those who are practicing this wickedness, which is in the world, won't repent, there are consequences to that. To choose or judge improperly apart from God's wisdom, there are consequences for it. Everyone who is proud in heart, verse 5, is an abomination to the Lord. We don't comment to God's presence with haughtiness and rudeness, if you will, of self. And he says, though joined hand in hand, he shall not be unpunished. Verse 6 says, by mercy and truth, iniquity is purged. And by the fear of the Lord, the fear of the Lord, what is that? That is obedience toward God, properly recognizing that if you step outside of the specified way and direction which God has given us to live, you are outside of his blessing. You are outside of his presence. You have given yourself over to something that cannot benefit you. So we come back to God. God calls us back to him. He wants to be a part of who we are and he wants us near unto him. Again verse 7, when a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. And this is why he encourages us again in verse 3 of this chapter to commit our works unto God and make sure that our ways are pleasing before him. And this is a true statement, verse 8, better is a little, just a little with the righteous man, with righteousness, than great revenues with injustice. And there's a news report today of one, a well-known senator from the West Coast caught up in lust and greed for things which infect the heart of man, greediness. But God says better is just a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice. A man's heart devises his way, but the Lord directs his steps. If you give yourself unto God, if you let God rule in your life, this is what God is instructing us about. Mankind, mankind has turned away from the source of life and is going headlong into the pit of darkness. There are those who forsake wisdom, true godly wisdom, as described in Proverbs 2 in verse 10, let's turn there, Proverbs 2 in verse 10. In Proverbs 2 in verse 10, we read this, God says and instructs us again, giving us the necessary information that we need as his created beings. That he, all good wisdom, all things that are proper and purposeful for life comes from God. Verse 10, wisdom shall enter into your heart and knowledge will be pleasing to your soul. Wisdom shall preserve you and understanding shall keep you to deliver you, to deliver you from the way of the evil man, from the man who speaks wicked things. And that again, all of them that do that are acting in the spirit of Satan the devil. He is the author of that. Verse 13, those who leave the paths of uprightness, which God has called us to, which God has defined for us, which God tells us that if we walk in those ways that there's prosperity in life and true life. So those who leave this path of uprightness to walk in the way of darkness, who rejoice to do evil and delight in the perversities of the wicked, whose ways are crooked and are divisive in their paths, to deliver you from the wanted woman, this wisdom will help us in that. And this wanted woman, even from the stranger who clatters with her words, and I have in my study Bible here over the years, this idea that even other doctrines, other churches, other religions, that they may seem and appeal to the flesh, but are the ways of death. In verse 17, it says, who forsake the guide of your youth and forget the covenant of her God, for her house sinks down to death and her path to the dead. God has called us to life and God doesn't want us to be wandering in the path of death, believing that is the judgment of God and being enticed by Satan and his lies. God warns us that that way leads to death. He instructs mankind to turn back, to turn back from that way. Let's read verse 19 now, Proverbs 2, 19. None that go unto her return again, unless you've given yourself over to and become seared, if you will, with a hot iron, nor do they take hold of the path of life. We have a precious calling. We have precious truth and God wants us to be a part of his kingdom forever. You don't get these opportunities every day and if you squander it, if you count it a little thing, it is truly a pearl of great price. Verse 20, In order that you may walk in the way of good and keep the path of the righteous, for the upright will dwell in the land and the perfect shall remain in it. But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it. So if there is anyone that hears this message who thinks that God doesn't care, that God is not involved in the affairs of man, hear these words and repent and come to him because he is the way, he is the way to true life. And God has not abandoned his laws and his commandments. He has called us to adhere to those things. When he, the Lord, God, spoke to his anointed, that is to Cyrus, to carry out his purpose in Isaiah 45, this little turn there, he defined himself for us. And let's read it in Isaiah 45. Turn to Isaiah 45. Again, it's very important for us to know who God is and who we are. We belong to him. This is his creation. This is his masterful work and we're just so blessed to have been made in his image and even more blessed to have been called as a first group in Isaiah 45. And we'll take some time here in Isaiah 45. And again, this is God intervening in the affairs of his people for their good. And he uses whatever means he needs to use to make that happen. So he refers to Cyrus in verse one, thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand, he says, I have made strong in order to humble nations before him. And I will loosen the loins of kings to open before him the two lead doors and the gates shall not be shut. Now this is also kind of prophetic and that we know that Babylon is going to come upon the world in the end, but Babylon, the Babylon, the great that is, and it will fall. Verse two, he says, I will go before you and make hills level. I will break in pieces the bronze gates and cut the iron bars in two and I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches and hidden riches of secret places that you may know that I am the Lord who calls you by your name, the God of Israel for Jacob, my servant's sake, he says, and Israel, my chosen. I have even called you by your name. I have named you though you have not known me. And this is the point that I wanted to bring out here, that it is important that we get to know who God is. This is the Lord God. This is the God who loved us so much that he came in the flesh and died for us to save us from this world. Verse five, I am the Lord, he said, and there is none else. Do we understand that? If the world would only understand that, that there is only the one and only true God. But in the end, they shall understand. And it is for that cause to help them to see and comprehend who God is and who they are. The difference between spirit and flesh. Okay. Verse five, I am the Lord, he says, and there is none else. There is no God besides me. I clothe you, he says, though you have not known me, that they may know from the rising of the sun and from the west that there is none besides me. He says, I am the Lord and there is none else. He says, I form light and create darkness. I make peace and create evil. I the Lord do all these things. He says, drop down from above, oh heavens, and let the clouds pour down righteousness. Let the earth open and let salvation bear fruit. God is creator. This is the message. He says, and let righteousness spring up together. I the Lord have created it. The soul to him who fights with the one who formed him, isn't it futile that man believes that they can change the perfect righteous God into their own image. His judgments are true and good, but they reject them. They want to have their own ways. But brethren, our arms, as I've said in the past, are way, way too short to fight with God. In verse nine, it says, woe to him who fights with the one who formed him, a posher among poshers of the earth. Shall the clay say to him who formed it, who forms it, what are you making? The world is confused. God has created them in his image, male to male and female. But they want to stand up in God's face and judge him and argue with him. Verse 10, woe to him who says to his father, what are you beginning? They don't know what they are. Or to the woman, what are you laboring over? Thus says the Lord, the holy one of Israel, and the one who formed him, ask me of things that are to come concerning my sons and concerning the work of my hands. He says, I have made the earth and created man upon it. I, with my hand, have stretched out the heavens, and all their hosts have I commanded, have raised up, I've raised him up in righteousness, and I will make straight all his ways. He shall build my city, and he shall let my captives go, not for price nor reward, says the Lord of hosts. Thus says the Lord, the labor of Egypt, and the merchandises of Ethiopia, and the Sabaean men of stature shall come to you, and they shall be yours. They shall follow you in chains, and they shall come over, and they shall fall down to you. They shall plead to you, saying, surely God is in you, and none else, no other God. And that is the personification of God that people should see in his church today. When they come in our midst, when they speak to God's people, that we should be representative of that. Verse 15, truly you are a God who hides yourself, O God of Israel, the Savior. They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them, they who are makers of idols, shall go into confusion together. But Israel shall be saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation. You shall not be ashamed nor disgraced even unto the ages of eternity. And there are many other scriptures in the book of Isaiah and Revelation that depicts that end time personification for the church as well. Verse 18, for thus says the Lord, the Creator of the heavens, he himself is God, who formed the earth and made it, he has established it, he created it not in vain, but formed it to be inhabited. I am the Lord, he says, and there is no other. I have not spoken in secret in a dark place of the earth. I did not say to the seed of Jacob, seek me in vain. I the Lord speak righteousness. I declare things that are right. Gather yourselves and come, draw near together you who have escaped of the nations. They have no knowledge who carry the wood of their graven images, and those who pray to the God that cannot say, but our God is alive. He says, declare and bring near, yea, let them take counsel together, who has declared this of old, who has told it from the ancient times, have I, have not I the Lord? God's word has always been clear in terms of what is the purpose for which man was made, for which man was made. And he says again, verse 21, a lot of part, and there is none other God besides me, a just God, a savior, there is none beside me. And so he tells us, turn to him, and away from the things of this world, turn to him, come out of the darkness into the light. Turn to me, he says, verse 22, and be saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God and there is none else. You can just finish it up there. God's message is very clear. Some believe that there is some kind of tug of war between God and Satan, no, there isn't. There isn't. When he, that is, the Lord God, came in the flesh, when Christ came in the flesh, he knew what he had to do. He knew what he had to do. He's not today God in the flesh. He's not the baby in the manger. He's not the fleshly man hanging on the cross. He did that for us, and willingly so, and fulfilled his purpose for which the Father sent him. No, he's not God in the flesh, but he is God enthroned in glory today. All things are subject to him. He conquered sin in the flesh, died as a perfect sacrifice for the sin of the world, his creation. He was raised from the dead, restored to full glory. Let's turn and read that in 1 Corinthians 15. In the writings of Paul, 1 Corinthians 15, what we refer to as the resurrection chapter. 1 Corinthians 15, and let's pick it up in verse 20. 15, 20. But now, Christ has been raised from the dead. He has become the first fruit of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive, that is, once. But each in his own order, Christ the first fruit, then those who are Christ at his coming. We know because we obey God in keeping his holy days and understanding his word, he has given us a deep understanding of his purpose. But it then says in verse 24, afterwards the end comes, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to him who is God and father, when he shall have put an end to all rule and all authority and power. For it is ordained that he reign until he has put all enemies under his feet. So Christ's work continues at the right hand of God. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. But he still has work to do, brethren. Christ is doing that work. He is fulfilling his office today at the right hand of God's father. And again, still working in our lives. So yes, it is he that we seek after. Here in verse 28 now. But when he has put all things in subjection to him, then shall the son himself also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection to him, so that God may be all in all. So we see that there is a vested interest between God the father and Jesus Christ working together for the salvation of mankind, their creation. Because remember in Genesis, they said that us make man in our image. But it wasn't a one man idea, a one being idea, so if you will. So God the father and Jesus Christ are one. They're perfectly working this thing out for us. So yes, Christ is alive today in full glory. He is our victory over Satan, all fleshly weaknesses in a sinful world. Let's turn to Romans 8 real quick here. Romans 8, and let's pick it up in verse 37. Romans 8, in verse 37. Okay, 837. It says in all these things, let's pick it up here, verse 35, so that we can get some context. What shall separate us from the love of Christ? So tribulation, we all see a lot of that in our life. We have quite some experiences even now. Distress or persecution. What about famine? There's a lot of that in the world. Nakedness, a danger, a sore. Accordingly, it is written, for your sake, we are killed all the day long. We are reckoned as cheap for the slaughter. And in the time of the early church, yes, they were persecuted quite severely. Saul himself was an instrument of that persecution at one time. But he says in verse, again, 37, but in all of these things, and this is what we need to remember as God's people, no matter how difficult it gets, how trying it may be, remember that God is the one that's with you and that his love surpasses all of this, verse 37. But in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded, he said, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creative thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. So if we embrace God and his truth and his judgment, God's purpose for us, we've got life, wait, we are on the right path. We are connected to true life. Let's turn to Ephesians 6. Ephesians 6, and see if we can get some context to Ephesians 6 here. And we'll pick it up. And yes, let's pick it up on verse 10. Because again, there is no tug of war between God and Satan. God has given us choice, and we have to resist. We have to overcome. This is how we put on the character. It's not easy peasy, as they say today. It is difficult. The way is straight and difficult. It is not broad and easy. But it is worth the fight. It is worth the sacrifice for us to achieve and receive the blessings of God, the reward at the end, eternal life, born into God's family, to live and dwell with the Father Christ as one of them forever. It is worth it. And so he says to us, be mindful of it, as we read there in 1 Peter. He says to us, finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, because that's the only way you can have the strength to overcome is in the Lord and in the might of his strength, which he sures us up with, with the spirit dwelling within us. He says, put on the whole armor of God, every bit of it, every ounce of it, so that you may be able to stand and fight and endure to the end. To stand, he says, against the wiles of the devil, because Satan will not let up. If he sees that you are grown weaker, he will grow stronger against you. But if you're strong in the Lord, you're able to rebuke him, you're able to cast him away from you through prayer and through God's truth, through God's scriptures. He says in verse 12, because we're not wrestling against flesh and blood rather, but against principalities and against powers, against the world rulers of darkness. Of this age, against the spiritual power of wickedness and high places. Therefore, he says, take up the whole armor of God so that you may be able to resist in the evil day. And that, that day is today and it is becoming more evil every day. And then he says, having worked out all things to stand, understanding God's word, recognizing your relationship with Christ, having your covenant relationship with God strong and pure, not defiled, not defiled, not with a defiled conscience, not being sure, being fearful. No, we walk forward with strength and purpose. He says in verse 14, here, stand therefore, having your loins guarded with the truth, wearing the breastplate of righteousness. And having your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Besides all these, he's not done. He says, take up the shield of faith. You need that rather. With which you will have the power to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. We're going to need something to protect our thinking. So in verse 17, we need to put on the helmet of salvation. Always having that hope in front of us. Always having that hope in front of us. And the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. So you got to study God's word. You got to have it imprinted upon you, upon your heart, upon your mind. And yes, brethren, all of us together every day, verse 18, praying at all times with all power and supplication in the spirit. And in this very thing, being watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the brethren, all the saints. And for me, he says, Paul, and yes, the ministry needs your prayers. The ministry needs your prayers. That boldness of speech may be given to me, he says, so that I may open my mouth to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which he says, I am an ambassador in chains that I might speak with boldness as it behooves me to speak. Now that you may know, you may also know the things concerning me that I am doing. He goes on to close his letter off to the Ephesian brethren. But his words are clear. His words are wisdom to us. His words are truth. These are the things that we need to be hanging on to, brethren, at all times. This is what God has called us to do. Let's turn to Psalm 25 for a moment. Psalm 25. Let's read some things here that God kind of, well, we read there in Isaiah. But here in Psalm, in the book of Psalms, the 25th Psalm, bear with me here. Okay, Psalm 25, and we'll just take some time here in Psalm 25. So here is where we are as God's people. We have understood that God's judgment is the right judgment. To judge wrongly brings the consequences that we don't want. And God has warned us against that. So we understand this truth. There's no hostility. There's peace between us and God. There's reconciliation between us and God. No hostility. We're not fighting God. We are fighting this flesh that we're in. And we're seeking God's spirit, more of it, so that we can do the things as defined thereby by Paul. But here in the Psalm of David, he says, this man after God's own heart, he understood. He says, to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul, my life, my body, my weight. I lift up my soul. I lift up my soul. Verse two, O my God, I trust in you. That's who we're putting our trust in, brethren. We don't trust in any other thing, right? He says, do not let me be ashamed. Do not let my enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none who wait on you be ashamed, and they won't be, brethren. Let them be ashamed who deal treacherously without a cause. Show me your ways, O Lord. Teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation. On you do I wait all the day long. And at this time of the fall holy days, this is stirred up in us even more powerfully. Yes, we understand for we are in the plan of God by the holy days that we have kept so far this year. Christ, on the day of trumpet, returned to the earth. He sits enthroned on the earth in the plan of God now. The resurrection has occurred. The firstfruits have received their rewards. All their suffering and pain has been rewarded. Christ sits enthroned. That's where we are in the plan of God as depicted by God's holy day. That's where we are. Now, we got to get rid of that one who has been the cause of so much trouble, and that is Satan the devil. And it is time for his judgment to be placed squarely upon his head, which we will celebrate and depict in the day of atonement in a few days. So he's lamenting, or that is expressing in prayer to God. David goes on, verse 6, Remember, O Lord, your tender mercies and your loving kindness, for they have been of old. The examples that I have shown you of the evil in the world, I can show you 10 times God's intervention and power and love and patience and mercy and kindness. He is a God of patience and mercy and kindness. That's who we worship. Our God loves us. He's our Father and Jesus Christ, our elder brother. They have shown us that love and the investment that they have given of themselves for us. In verse 7, Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions. According to your loving kindness, remember me for your goodness, thank the Lord. Good and upright is the Lord. Therefore, he will teach sinners his ways, God's ways. God's judgment is true. Verse 9, The meat he will guide in judgment, and the meat he will teach his way. And as he has given us his spirit and he's instilling in us the mind of Christ, we will be a part of that solution for mankind in the millennia, in the great five-throne judgment. Yes, the plan of God is wonderful, isn't it? As we look out beyond putting Satan away and getting rid of him, at least for a season, until he's finally put away for good, we look forward to the kingdom of God. We look forward to the millennium and helping mankind know and understand who God is. Yes, teaching his way is verse 9. And all the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth to those who keep his covenant and his testimony. For your name's sake, O Lord, what did he say back there? What did he say back there? He is the Lord, and there is none else. For your name's sake, O Lord, pardon my iniquities, for iniquity, for it is great. What man is he who fears the Lord, who truly comprehends the fear of the Lord? He shall teach him in the way that he shall choose. His soul shall dwell at ease, and his seed, his seed shall inherit the earth. The secret of the Lord is with those who fear him, and he will show them his covenant. Again, David says, and this is the emphasis, look to the Lord, fear God. He wants us to grow in knowledge and grace. So David says, my eyes are ever toward the Lord, for he shall pluck my feet out of the net. That's your safety. That's your foundation. That's your anchor. He says, turn to me and be gracious unto me, for I am desolate and afflicted. Desolate and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged and bring me out of my distresses. He says in this petition before God, look upon my affliction and my pain and forgive all my sins. And there are so many brethren who need healing and restoration. Them, family members today, this prayer is encouragement. And he says in verse 19, consider my enemies. There are many, and they hate me with a cruel hatred for brethren that's coming in the future even more. These today is more like the true stresses in life. They come at us in waves sometimes. In verse 20, he says, keep my soul and deliver me. Let me not be ashamed, for I take refuge in you, O God. Right? Verse 21, let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait on you. For I wait on you. Redeem Israel, O God. And I say, redeem spiritual Israel, O God, as well. Because he says, out of all his troubles, we need God as a church. We need God as nations. We need God as a nation. And may God hear the supplications that are coming for him for that. Let's go to Psalm 1. Psalm 1. Psalm 1, then we'll read Proverbs 1. We'll wrap it up back in Deuteronomy there. Psalm 1. And this is truth, once again. Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of the scornful. Because we understand the outcome of that. Verse 2, but his delight is in the law of the Lord. And in his law, he does meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree. If you are living this way, if you recognize this truth and you hold on to God, you shall be like verse 3. He shall be like a tree planted by the streams of water that brings forth its fruit and its seasons, and its leaves shall never wither, and all that he does shall prosper. According to God's will, right? Verse 4, the wicked are not so. God's judgment on the wicked is made manifest. You can't live in wickedness and receive the blessings of God. You cut yourself off from God. You stray away from his path. You got to get back on track. You got to get back on path. And those who are out there in the world must repent and come to God on his terms. This is the message. The wicked are not so, verse 4. But they are like chaff, which the wind drives away. There's no anchor there. Therefore, the wicked shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked shall perish. That's God's judgment. And God's judgment, again, is right and true. Think of it. We are called to have eternity with God. We are called to possess the existence on the God plane with God. There will be no unrighteousness in God's kingdom. And God's final kingdom and final judgment is done. No unrighteousness, only righteousness shall remain. In Proverbs 1, turn to Proverbs 1, then we'll turn to Deuteronomy. There's some other verses, but I won't get to all of those. In Proverbs 1, and there will be a couple of verses in 1 and Psalm 2. Proverbs 1, again, so more about true wisdom and true righteousness here. Proverbs 1, verse 1. The proverb of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel, to know wisdom and instruction, which is from God, true wisdom, true instruction from the word of God, not from the knowledge of the tree of good and evil, from the tree of life, from God's son, from God's word, who brought this truth to us. And God, who has given us his spirit to comprehend this truth. Verse 2, to know wisdom and instruction, to receive the words of understanding, to receive the instruction of wisdom, righteousness, and judgment, and equity. To give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young man. A wise man will hear and will increase learning. Yet, we talked about studying God's word and making that a part of who you are. And a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsel. To understand a proverb and its interpretation, the words of the wise and their dark saints. The fear of the Lord, again, is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. My son, he says, hear the instruction of your father, forsake not the law of your mother. Again, emphasizing the fifth commandment there. For they shall be an ornament of grace to your head and chains around your neck. And verse 10 again, stay away from the signs of worthlessness, brother. Brother, he says, my son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. Do not consent. He wants us to stay in God's way. If they say, verse 11, come with us, let us lie in wait for blood. We will watch secretly for the innocent without cause. Let us follow them up alive as a grave and whole as those who go down to the pit. No, God says, stay away from those who do that. They are the signs of worthlessness for which the wrath of God is coming. And we know that. So let's conclude as a final verse. And we need to keep this in mind, you know, that today men will judge in God. We see it, that they are taking God's commandments. They're taking God's truth, his gospel, his Bible, his word, which he left for us to have instruction to live by. And they're casting it away, rewriting it, painting it in their own image and what they need for themselves. No, who are we, brethren, to judge God? When his judgment is just and righteous and true, he instructs us in the way of righteousness. And that's what we look to him for, truth, the right way. Yes, the good way, the way that leads to life. You can just put in your notes Psalm 97 verses 1 through 12 and Matthew 12 verses 18 through 32. God's way, his judgment is above all. Why? Because God is perfecting righteousness in his creation. Yes, we will do this in the kingdom of God as well. We will help perfect righteousness in those whom God will give, allow us to work with. Again, in the end, only righteousness will remain. So, in Deuteronomy, let's conclude here in Deuteronomy 32, Deuteronomy 32. And we're going to read verses 1 through 4, Deuteronomy 32 verses 1 through 5. Again, God screams through his word that we may hear and hearken and obey. He says, give ear, O heavens, and I will speak. And hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My teachings shall drop as the rain. My speech shall drop down as the dew, as the small rain, as the tender plant on the tender plant, and as the showers on the grass. Because I will proclaim the name of the Lord and ascribe greatness to our God. He is the rock. His work is perfect for all his ways are just. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he. They, those of the world, those on which the judgments are coming, they are corrupted, have corrupted themselves. They are his, they are not his children. It is their blemish. They are crooked and a perverse generation. And as brethren, as this generation and subsequent generations ahead of us, I see more and more ads, more and more ads, where they're distinguishing between this generational shift that we have in the world today. But I tell you, within God's family, within God's church, we have an obligation to ensure that the next generation of God's people, those children that we have within our midst, the young generation that is coming up in God's church. And just wasn't long ago, as I look back at myself and my wife and, you know, our family, that we were that young generation. But here we are, you know, approaching our 60s and 70s and 80s. Yes, another generation is coming on. It's very important for us to make sure that they have an understanding of God's truth. So, yes, God's judgment is righteous. We should always seek it.
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