The Song of Moses

Moses WARNS modern-day America!

by Michael C. Garrett

Good afternoon friends. Welcome to Owensboro, Kentucky and the weekly Church service of the Owensboro Church of Jesus Christ. My name is Michael C. Garrett. We’re pleased to have you join us. We have in the room today some guests who have come down from the state of Illinois to join us – we’re very glad to see them. And, some of you may remember his name from previous events – Trevor and his son Ryan. So, we’re glad they made the trip. And we’re glad that everyone’s here.

Now, this sermon is placed on our website. And the website is owensborochurchofjesuschrist.com. Now, this morning, a whole set of ideas came flooding into my consciousness, and I have learned with time that when those types of things occur they’re probably not just my thoughts but maybe they’re thoughts that are being given to me. And I probably need to pursue those ideas. So, we’ll go over some material that I think is very relevant and worthy of thought.

A Coming Brexit

I picked up the newspaper the other day – And the headline reads, “Ex-Prime Minister Brown Urges Labor Backers To Vote In On The EU.” And we haven’t – over in this country – been paying a lot of attention to it. But on June 23rd England is going to have an election, where they are going to officially vote whether to leave the European Union or to stay in the European Union. A few months ago it was considered a shoo-in that England would vote to stay in the European Union. But over the last few weeks, some of the polls have indicated that the tide has shifted. And it appears that – according to the polling – the majority of the Britons will vote to leave the EU. Now, there’s nothing we can do about that. That’s completely out of our hands and England and the people of England are going to do what they are going to do.

But, what is the significance of that!?

Well, without going into a long series of Scriptures, let me just come to a basic thought here. We believe – along with most of the churches of God from the Worldwide Church of God tradition – that modern-day America (the founding stock) came from a tribe of people descended from Manasseh (one of the sons of Joseph). We also believe – he had a brother named Ephraim - and that those people came the founding stock of what we call Great Britain – or rather the United Kingdom. And, originally this Plan of God – and the Book of Genesis spends a lot of time talking about this family. It’s often been said that the Bible is the story of one man’s family. But, you had Jacob. And Jacob, officially, had his name changed to ISRAEL. And you have Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - And Jacob/Israel had twelve sons – Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Joseph, and Benjamin. And his young son Joseph was given great blessings by God and great insight into the future. He also was a little arrogant in the way he presented the information to his brothers. His brothers became very angry with him and very jealous. They were already jealous of him because he was his father’s favorite. And eventually Joseph was sold into slavery – you’ve heard the story many times.

Well, Joseph ended up in Egypt, and before it was all said and done, he became – basically – the vice-pharaoh. He became the second in command of that great Egyptian Empire of his day. And he had two sons – Ephraim and Manasseh. And, to make a long story short, the promises which were given to Abraham, passed onto Isaac, passed onto Jacob (who became Israel). And those promises were passed onto Joseph. And the blessings were passed onto Joseph’s two sons. And we believe those are the founding stock of what we now call the United States of America and the great nation of England – or rather the United Kingdom. And these two brothers – even though they have had their spats at one time or another – we are so intertwined. We are so closely related. We speak the same language. We have so many of the same customs. We have our laws based upon the same ancient precedents. Yes, there are some differences.

And, we know that in the Bible – in the end-times – it specifically talks about two groups of people as having a special relationship with GOD, but having left that relationship. And that is the people of the Jewish people (Judah), and also the people of Israel. Now, a lot of your Protestants and main-stream Christianity – they are confused that every time the Bible says Israel they think it’s referring to ancient Judah – or the modern-day State of Israel. And so, that’s not the way it is. There’s JUDAH – or the Jewish people. And there’s ISRAEL. And most of the end-time prophecies – and a huge amount of the Bible is prophetic in nature – deal with the Jewish people, or rather the modern-day State of Israel, and Israel – or rather the House of Israel. And the question has always been – if when we read that term Israel it is truly prophetically speaking of the Anglo-Saxons peoples and on down to the founding American peoples!? Then how can England be a part of the Europe that ends up being the aggressor in the end-times!?

Now, right now, the European people are not very aggressive. But we know from their past – especially within the central part of Europe aka Germany. You know, Germany plunged the world – twice in the 20th century – into a world war! And in both of those wars, America and England were united. They fought together as one nation. However, in the end-time manifestation of the “beast” power – and that’s what GOD calls it in the Bible – in the seventh resurrection of the “Holy” Roman Empire, which is yet to come. And, I’m throwing a lot of things out that I’m not explaining because we have a three-part series entitled "The Biblical Prophecy Series." So, if America and England are to be together in the same situation in the end-time – basically being mistreated by the European central hub; call it United Europe, call it the United States of Europe, call it whatever they will call it, the Bible just simply calls it the “beast” power – how is it that England can be a part of Europe!? That’s always been a question.

Now for several decades, Europe has been trying to move towards consolidation of power. And you have the European Union now. And yet, there’s a lot of problems within the European Union. Here not long ago we heard of financial problems –, especially in Greece. And maybe a few other countries which weren’t really keeping up financially with their due diligence. And it caused an awful lot of consternation. We hear rumors that some of the northern European people – like the Britons, the Germans – are getting tired of paying all the bills; to bail these other countries out. And, that’s created a lot of antagonism and friction. And another issue which has caused tremendous friction is the influx of foreign refugees – and most of these are coming from Arabic countries. And so we have been hearing of mobs of young Arabs – militant Muslims – becoming terroristic in large cities where woman have been hassled and or raped. And all throughout Europe, you keep hearing these stories. It’s as though the news people are trying to keep those stories hushed – or the European governmental people don’t want those stories out – but those stories continue to leak out. And because of it, an awful lot of people in Europe are very frustrated with this influx. Well, right now England – because they’re a part of the European Union – they are told, “You must accept so many thousands of these immigrants.” And over the years I am told – I’ve never been there – that London is so jam-packed with people who are Muslim, that some people have started calling London – Londonistan - 1 like it’s almost a Muslim nation within E U R O P E! And true to form, recently, London elected its first ever Muslim Mayor – Sadiq Khan. And so the European countries are dramatically being changed because of this influx of millions and millions 2 of refugees of which some have become very militant. And we have all heard of the attacks in Paris, which over 138 people were killed. We heard about the attacks in Brussels. We heard about many other plots being sniffed out and stopped before they could actually take place. and we’re told that the people of England are getting ready to say – “We’re tired of this! We’re tired of being told by European “Big Brother” that we have to allow all these foreigners in!” And that seems to be driving the vote – from what I have read. That seems to be telling the people – “We want out of this! We want out of the European Union!” And, it will be a major event! Now, what will happen after that!? Nobody knows. If England votes to leave the European Union – it really is a coin toss as to what will happen. Many people say there will be financial problems. Many people say there will be great confusion. Others imply that the entire European Union will begin to fracture.

Now, why do we say this!?

The European Union of today is very socialist in its mentality. It’s not very aggressive when it comes to military preparedness. However, we look in the Bible, and we know that in the end-time the “beast” power – which will emanate from the heartland of Europe – will become very dictatorial. Government from the top down. That will have a strong emphasis on a religious leader. And, that they are going to become extremely militarized. And so this election coming up does indeed have some prophetic ramifications. 3

Well, remember, our previous leader – Barack Hussein Obama II – went to London and he spoke up saying to the British people – “… the United Kingdom is at its best when it's helping to lead a strong Europe.” And a whole lot of the British press jumped all over him – basically saying, “Hey Buddy! It’s none of your business! Keep your nose to yourself!” So, it’s a real live issue! And it’s going to have implications for all of us.

‘When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies’

Another article I have here is from The Weekly Standard of June 20th, 2016. You might want to read this. There’s an article in here by Willy Stern that is entitled “Missiles Everywhere – The next Israeli-Hezbollah conflict will be awful.” And, it’s six pages long – rather lengthy. I’m just going to read the first paragraph or so – “Camp Shomera, on the Israel-Lebanon border. Hezbollah …” a terrorist group backed by Iran. “… has a nasty collection of more than 130,000 rockets, missiles, and mortars aimed at Israel. This is a bigger arsenal than all NATO countries (except the United States) combined. …” And the question he asks is, “… Why a reasonable person might wonder, does Hezbollah need an offensive arsenal bigger than that of all Western Europe?” And then he reports from Matthew Levitt, a counterterrorism expert at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, who says, “You don't collect 130,000 missiles if you don't intend to use them.” And some of these missiles are long range high payload. And so some of the major cities of Israel, including Tel Aviv will be under the potential attack! The article goes on to say that there are so many potential missiles aimed at Israel that the famed Iron Dome and other defense mechanisms which are supposed to help shoot down missiles will simply be overwhelmed and will not be able to shoot down all of the missiles. It goes on to say that many of the Israeli people will not be living in bomb shelters by a few minutes – but they will have to take permanent residence in bomb shelters. Much like the people of England during the Blitz of World War II, where people just had to live underground in order to be safe. So this is a potential of a real live horrible – as it says awful – a war which is on the horizon between Israel and its neighbors. Remember the prophecy – “’ When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies know that the end thereof is near.’” – cf. Luke 21:20. Those were the words of Jesus Christ. So, this event needs to be followed and thought about very closely by a lot of people – including the people of God. This might open your eyes to just how fragile this world is.

And, the last thing I want to talk about in terms of the news – here’s a newspaper from June the 17th – “Orlando gunman talked about violence in 3rd grade.” And it talks about this Omar Mateen who in his high school years was suspended from school for 45 days for violence and highly disruptive behavior. One time he got suspended because when the 9/11 attacks took place – and the World Trade Center buildings came tumbling down – he started celebrating joyfully and gleefully. So, this young man - at age 29 – who committed 49 murderers, has always had murder in his heart.

Another headline from June 14th reads – “Did gunman lead secret gay life?” And there are many reports that this Omar Mateen – even though he’d been married twice and had a three-year-old son – had a secret little gay part of his life. And you know – you might say the quote from Shakespeare, “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.” Well, when you feel so compelled to try to eradicate your past, that you’re going to murder 49 people in a gay nightclub, you’re probably going just a little overboard trying to cover up your secrets. But apparently, it wasn’t a very well hid secret. But Omar lead apparently a double life. And often the people who scream and yell the loudest are indeed the ones you sort of having to keep an eye on because they are covering up something. They’re overcompensating for some reason. And, I’ll just leave it at that.

’I will even appoint TERROR over you, …’

Now, I ran across a Scripture last night. I have read this Book multiple times – I’ve read this chapter multiple times, and I cannot for the life of me believe that I’ve never seen this word before! If you would turn to Leviticus 26. Leviticus 26 is the Leviticus version of what I call – the blessings and the curses. It basically says in verse 2 – “’ You shall keep My Sabbaths …’” – and verse 3, “’ If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them, 4) then I will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.’” – all of these blessings. It says in verse 12 – “’ I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people.’” But then in verse 14 He says, “’ But IF you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments, 15) and IF you despise My statutes, or IF your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant, 16) I also will do this to you: …’” – notice the first thing He says. The first thing, the FIRST CURSE – “…’ I will even appoint TERROR over you, …’” Have you ever seen that before!? It’s been in my Bible ever since I’ve owned this particular Bible and all the other Bible’s I’ve ever owned, and yet I never saw that word before! And yet, right from the Word of God, ‘IF you don’t obey Me TERROR will come to your land!’ Now, think about all the terror which has come to our land here the last few years! Beginning with 9/11, and then all the other events – the San Bernardino attack, the Orlando nightclub. And we’re hearing about all these different plots. Now, folks, I have to tell you – I don’t like to get into politics here from this particular perspective, but I am scratching my head in total befuddlement trying to figure out what our executive leaders are doing and thinking in Washington, D.C.! It just astounds me! The previous leader of our country is incapable of saying Islamic terrorism. He will not! He even had a speech where he mocked the idea that he would ever have to. We heard about him trying to shut down Guantanamo Bay Naval Base (GTMO). 4 And we heard the stories of other prisoners who were released from GTMO which returned back to the battlefield teaching new recruits – inspiring them; becoming folk heroes back in their own culture – and who went back into the fight against America! They want to kill us! And so what do we do!? Well, we’ll just let them go! Well, because we’re full of rainbows and puppy dogs and butterflies. We’ll pat them on the back and say, “Go back home and be good guys!” Well, they’re evil! They can’t be good guys – it’s not in them!

And then we heard these stories about how the executive branch was trying to bring more and more refugees from Islamic war zones to our country! And everyone on the other side was saying, “No! No! No! Because there will be the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) members inside of these people!” And yet we heard that the Obama Administration was speeding up the process by which these people were brought in! And in ever greater numbers! It just seems incomprehensible! We heard stories that our US crime fighters – like the FBI and the CIA and the DOJ – were ordered to “water down” all regulations concerning Islam and Muslims and militants. A lot of those words were not even allowed to be said in official circles. I saw an interview with James K. Kallstrom, the Deputy Director of the FBI – now retired. And he worked for 27 years at the FBI within the Counterterrorism Division. He said – “It is unbelievable how the FBI has been handcuffed to where it cannot do its job.” Now, this Omar Mateen was reported to the FBI by co-workers. They talked to him a couple of times, and then they just tore up their reports on him – “No! We’re not gonna worry about it.” Also, a gun shop owner down in the Port St. Lucie, Florida area, where he lived – this Omar Mateen came in there about a month before the shooting, wanting to buy the highest quality body armor. And the salesman immediately became suspicious and uneasy and refused to sell it to him. Omar came back again, attempting to buy ammunition in bulk, and once again the salesman turned him down, said, “We will not sell it to you.” He said – I mean I saw the guy on television – “We called the FBI and said, ‘You need to check this guy out! He’s got a weird vibe about him!’” When he denied him on one of those purchases, he heard him go off into a corner dial his cell-phone and say quote – “speaking in a foreign language to somebody.” The foreign language was most likely Arabic – because he did indeed speak Arabic. ALL OF THESE WARNING SIGNS! All of these red flags – that this was a troubled young man who wanted to do harm, and yet nothing was done, except a couple of conversations. His co-workers had heard him say all of these violent suggestions about Jihad and wanting to kill people. Everyone who ever knew the guy said all that he wanted to talk about was hatred and violence and wanting to kill people! And, people began to say, “Hey! You better check this guy out!” And they did so in such a poor manner, that nothing was accomplished, and because of it – 49 people were killed, 53 more people were injured. And think about the countless number of friends and relatives and parents who also carry the burden of that tragedy. The bodies of the victims hadn’t even gone room temperature before politicians in Washington, D.C. started arguing and debating about – “What we’ve got to do is have more gun control!” And they don’t even bring up the thought that the true issue here is ISLAMIC TERRORISM! “We’ll talk about gun control.”

Think about Paris. I am told that France has some of the strictest gun laws anywhere in the world. But back in November 2015, it didn’t keep those terrorists from walking in with assault rifles, hand grenades, bombs – shooting people and blowing people up (or trying to blow them up).

And, you think about Chicago – right here in our own nation. Chicago, Illinois – we have somebody here from Illinois. Chicago is known as having one of the toughest places in America to legally acquire a gun. And yet, every weekend dozens and dozens of people are shot and killed on the streets of Chicago. 5 Because criminals don’t follow laws – that’s why they’re criminals. And you can pass all the laws you want, it will not keep the criminal from getting his hands on a weapon. If he can’t get his hand on a rifle or a gun, he’ll get his hand on a knife or a pressure cooker bomb – remember the two brothers in Boston!?

[Brother Trevor says, “We need to punish these people!”]

Yeah! But as I say, we’re a country where we slap them on the wrist, “Well, just don’t do it again! Just behave yourself!” It’s just unbelievable!

So, all of this is going on – we’ve got the Mideast – Israel. Any day now it could erupt into a major war! And, we have this prophecy here. “’ I also will do this to you: …’” – ‘IF you do not obey Me – “…’ I will even appoint TERROR over you … 19) I will break the PRIDE of your power; … 20) And your strength shall be spent in vain; … 25) And I will bring a sword against you that will execute the vengeance of the covenant; when you are gathered together within your cities I will send PESTILENCE among you; and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. 26) When I have cut off your supply of bread [that means FAMINE], …’” – and then verse 29. Verse 29 is so raw, so graphic, I almost hesitate to read it. But this is the Word of God! Things will become so deplorable within this nation – starvation. He says, “’ You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters.’” – cannibalism even within families. Verse 30 – “’ I will destroy your high places [your church buildings], cut down your incense altars, and cast your carcasses on the lifeless forms of your idols; and My soul shall abhor you. 31) I will lay your cities waste and bring your sanctuaries to desolation, and I will not smell the fragrance of your sweet aromas [meaning your prayers will not be heard].’”

On the very week after the Sandy Hook Elementary School Murders, I gave a sermon titled, “Pray Not For This People.” Because God has these prophecies where He says, ‘Don’t even offer up a prayer, I’m not gonna hear it. Don’t even do it!’ Now, at this point, God says, ‘I’m done!’ Saying, ‘I’m done trying to help. I’m done having My hand slapped away. I’m done having my face spit into.’ HE SAID THE JUDGMENTS WILL COME FORTH!!! God says, “’ My eye will not spare, nor will I have pity.’” And when that sermon was over the second in command down there in Tyler walked over to me and said, “I feel so sorry for you. You’re so depressed.” And I thought – Does this man not even understand the prophecies of the Bible he says he preaches from!? THIS IS REALITY! THIS IS THE FUTURE! This is going to happen to our once great nation! I don’t want it to happen. I hope I don’t have to live to see it. But it is going to happen!

And as far as God, He says at that time, ‘I’m not going to hear your prayers.’ ‘I’m not going to hear your cries.’ ‘You’re going to be punished and punished severely. But on the other side of the age, I’m going to pick up the pieces! I will clean you up, I will bring you back together. I will heal you. I will make you a nation which follows Me!’ But America is so hard-hearted, so hard-headed, so resistant to God, that we’re going to have to go through a horrible time of testing and punishment.

He says in verse 32 – “’ I will bring the land to desolation, and your enemies who dwell in it shall be astonished at it.’” – they will have no idea of how effective their warfare against us will be. Verse 33 – “’ I will scatter you among the nations and draw out a sword after you; your land shall be desolate and your cities waste.’” – these are very powerful prophecies!

‘They sing the song of Moses’

Well, there’s another little place worth talking about. Turn with me to Revelation 15. I have talked about this before, but it’s been awhile. And I want to bring this out again.

Revelation 15:3 – this is in the flow of the end-time events. And there are a number of escalating episodes that happen to our country and the people of England. And at some point, the SEVENTH TRUMP is blown. The seventh trump is the resurrection trump. It’s when people who have God’s Spirit are resurrected and they meet Jesus Christ in the atmosphere. And they wait for a time – not a real long time; possibly 3½ years (cf. Daniel 9:27; Rev. 12:6) – but they wait for some more events to take place upon the earth. And one of those events is called the seven last plagues.

And John wrote in chapter 15, verse 1 – “Then I saw another sign in heaven [meaning up in the atmosphere], great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete.” – the seven last plagues. Verse 2 – “And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, …” – these are people who have been resurrected. They were once human beings – many of them had once died as a human being, and now these people have been resurrected with the BLOWING OF THE SEVENTH TRUMP, which happened earlier. And now it says – they are on a sea of glass mingled with fire. Meaning, the glass is so brilliant it looks as if a fire is in it. 6 They had gotten the victory over the beast, and “over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. 3) They sing the song of Moses, …”

First of all, I’m really happy to know there’s gonna be some singing in the Kingdom! Because I like to sing, and I like to hear beautiful music – and I think God does too! And, you can’t beat Gaither music. And it would not surprise me a bit if some Gaither music isn’t sung during that great time period. “…the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: ‘Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! 4) Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgments [will be made manifest]’”

‘Your judgments” – justice! Justice is a two-way street. Sometimes justice is something that’s good for you. And sometimes justice is something that you don’t really want – it’s punishment.

Well, keeping that in mind – the song of Moses. What is the song of Moses!? Have you ever wondered that question!? I’ve talked about it before. But it’s been a while since I’ve actually brought this out. If you would turn to the Book of Deuteronomy.

Deuteronomy 31. Verse 14 – this is getting near the end of Moses lifetime. “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Behold, [your] days approach when you must die; …’” – Moses, who was still very healthy, but God had said, ‘I told you I was not going to allow you to go over into the Promised Land, because you had this moment where you forgot who was God. You took upon yourself far too much.’ Now, God didn’t by any means hate Moses, but even Moses was subject to justice, to punishment. And this was one of Moses’ punishments. Verse 16 – “And the LORD said to Moses: ‘Behold, you will rest [you will die] with your fathers; and this people will [rise up] …’” – the people of ISRAEL. Of which, it’s not referring to the nation of Judah (the modern-day State of Israel). It’s referring to the descendants of the House of Israel, and the name which was passed on – the people of Ephraim and Manasseh; we spoke of this earlier. It’s the people of the United States of America and the United Kingdom – including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa. “…’ this people will [rise up] and play the harlot with gods of the foreigners of the land, where they go to be among them, and they will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them.’” 7 Isn’t it interesting that the majority of them are completely clueless about the New Covenant. Even sometimes within the churches of God, they for some reason don’t grasp it, or they don’t want to grasp it – I don’t know. It’s beyond me. It puzzles me and it befuddles my mind! Verse 17 – “’ Then My anger shall be aroused against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide My face from them, and they shall be devoured. And many evils and troubles shall befall them, …’” – this is the end-time trauma. “…’ so that they will say in that day, ‘Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?’” – even some of the wiser people will say, ‘We are going through these horrible times because God is no longer protecting us.’ Verse 18 – “’ And I will surely hide My face in that day because of all the evil which they have done, in that they have turned to other gods.’” – a great majority of Americans think that they are religious. And indeed they are religious. But the question you have to ask – is the religion of which they are following, and is the religion of which they are practicing, is it the religion of God!? Or, is it the religion made up by the traditions of mankind!? Most of the churches of this world – including the synagogues of this world, including the mosques of this world - follow religions which were created by human beings. Not by God! That’s just the plain simple fact of it. I know that makes some people angry. But do the people of this world keep the Sabbath as their holy day!? Not Sunday. The seventh day. Do they keep God’s annual holy days!? The people of this world think that when they die, they’re either going up to Heaven or going down to Hell. However, that’s not in the Bible! The truth of the Bible is – that when you die, you’re dead. And someday the Kingdom of God is coming to the earth! That’s not taught anywhere! I mean, a few of the church of God teach that. We teach that here – the Owensboro Church of Jesus Christ. But the vast majority of the people do not believe that. They go on about doctrines which have nothing to do with the Bible – I’m not here to go into all these right now. But the people of this world do not practice the religion which came from God! They just don’t!

What happens after death? It’s time we understand. Read Mr. Garrett’s online booklet – “The Confusion About Death"

Continuing with verse 19 – “’ Now, therefore, write down this song for yourselves, and teach it to the children of Israel; put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for Me against the children of Israel.’” – the song of Moses is not some celebratory song. When you read Revelation 15 you might be misled into thinking that the song of Moses was a song of triumph. A song of happiness. A song of overcoming. No, look with your own eyes – here. Deuteronomy 31:19 – “…’ this song may be a witness for Me against the children of Israel. 20) When I have brought them to the land flowing with milk and honey, of which I swore to their fathers, and they have eaten and filled themselves and grown fat, then they will turn to other gods and serve them; and they will provoke Me and break My covenant.’” – where in the Bible do you find Santa Claus!? Where in the Bible do you find the little Cupid angel portrayed on St. Valentine’s Day!? Where in the Bible do you see where it says to celebrate Halloween!? Where in the Bible do you accurately see the word Easter!? And, it only appears one time in the King James English – Acts 12. And it’s a mistranslation – it should be the word Passover. Yet, the people of this country, and this culture – in the Western world – they have all these screwy ideas about religion that have NOTHING to do with the Bible. And yet, there are these comfortable traditions that people wear like a warm bathrobe on a cold wintery day. That’s what the religion of the people of this world – it’s comfortable, it feels good. But the religions of this world is not the religion of God Almighty and Jesus Christ. Verse 21 – “’Then it shall be, when many evils and troubles have come upon them, that this song will testify against them as a witness; for it will not be forgotten in the mouths of their descendants, for I know the inclination of their behavior today, even before I have brought them to the land of which I swore to give them.’ 22) Therefore Moses wrote this song the same day and taught it to the children of Israel. 23) Then He inaugurated Joshua the son of Nun, and said, ‘Be strong and of good courage; for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land of which I swore to them, and I will be with you.’” – meaning God. Verse 24 – “So it was, when Moses had completed writing the words of this law [this testimony] in a book, when they were finished, 25) that Moses commanded the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying: 26) ‘Take this Book of the Law [referring to the Book of Deuteronomy and all the other first five Books of the Bible], and put it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there as a witness against you; 27) for I know your rebellion and your stiff neck. If today, while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the LORD, then how much more after my death? 28) Gather to me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to witness against them. 29) For I know that after my death you will become utterly corrupt, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you. And evil will befall you in the latter days, …” – now, what is the song of Moses about!? Is it about 4,000 years ago!? No. Is it about 2,000 years ago!? The time setting of the song of Moses is right here – ‘in the latter days.’ That’s the time in which we live! That’s the here and the now in the year 2019! “…because you will do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger through the work of your hands.’ 30) Then Moses spoke in the hearing of all the [congregation] of Israel the words of this song until they were ended.”

Deuteronomy 32 - “’ Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; And hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. 2) Let my teaching drop as the rain, My speech distill as the dew, As raindrops on the tender herb, And as showers on the grass. 3) For I proclaim the name of the LORD: Ascribe greatness to our God. 4) He is the Rock, …’

That’s referring to whom!? That’s referring to the One we now call Jesus Christ! Remember Paul spoke of, “and this Rock was with them’? That Rock is Jesus Christ! It still just astounds me that there are people who are leaders of church organizations which are ashamed of the name Jesus Christ! That totally befuddles my mind!

‘…His work is perfect; For all His ways are [judgment], A God of truth and without injustice [iniquity]; Righteous and upright is He. 5) They have corrupted themselves; They are not His children, Because of their blemish: A perverse and crooked generation.’

Just think about the world in which we live in the year 2019. Is there a better way to say it!?

6) ‘Do you thus deal with the LORD, O foolish and unwise people? Is He not your Father, who brought you? Has He not made you and established you? 7) Remember the days of old, Consider the years of many generations. Ask your father, and he will show you; Your elders, and they will tell you: 8) When the Most High divided their inheritance to the nations, When He separated the sons of Adam, He set the boundaries of the peoples According to the number of the children of Israel. 9) For the LORD’s portion is His people; Jacob is the place of His inheritance.’

God loves the people of Judah. And God loves the people of Jacob – or rather Israel. But they have not been true to Him. They have not been committed to Him. And many of them are ashamed of Him.

10) ‘He found him in a desert land And in the wasteland, a howling wilderness; He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye. 11) As an eagle stirs up its nest, Hovers over its young, Spreading out its wings, taking them up, Carrying them on its wings, …’

As a mother eagle loves her chicks.

12) ‘So the LORD alone led him, And there was no foreign god with him.

13) ‘He made him ride in the heights of the earth, That he might eat the produce of the fields; He made him draw honey from the rock, And oil from the flinty rock; 14) Curds from the cattle, and milk of the flock, With fat of lambs; And rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, With the choicest wheat; And you drank wine, the blood of the grapes.’

Talking about wonderful blessings from the land.

15) ‘But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; You grew fat, you grew thick, You are obese! Then he forsook God who made him, …’

Meaning, you had all these wonderful things given to you, and when you were in the lap of luxury, you forsook God.

“…’ And scornfully esteemed the Rock …’” – that’s JESUS CHRIST “…of [H]is salvation. 16) They provoked Him to jealousy with foreign gods; With abominations, they provoked Him to anger. 17) They sacrificed to demons, not to God, To gods they did not know, To new gods, new arrivals That your fathers did not fear. 18) Of the Rock …’” JESUS CHRIST “…’ who begot you, you are unmindful, And have forgotten the God who [formed] you.’

And some of you won’t even say His name.

19) ‘And when the LORD saw it, He spurned them, Because of the provocation of His sons and His daughters. 20) And He said: ‘I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end will be, For they are a perverse generation, Children in whom is no faith. 21) They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God; They have moved Me to anger by their foolish idols [vanities]. But I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation; I will move them to anger by a foolish nation. 22) For a fire is kindled in My anger, And shall burn to the lowest hell …’” – meaning death, the grave. “…’ It shall consume the earth with her increase, And set on fire the foundations of the mountains.’

The Day of the LORD - THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES are a day filled with fire. So much of the earth just burning up.

23) ‘I will heap disasters on them; I will spend My arrows on them. 24) They shall be waste with hunger, Devoured by pestilence and bitter destruction; I will also send against them the teeth of beasts, …’

What have we been hearing about growing ever worse!? In 2016 a little two-year-old boy grabbed by the mouth of an alligator pulled under water and dead. And you hear about things like this more and more. Shark attacks and wild beasts of different types.

…’ With the poison of serpents of the dust. 25) The sword …’ – what does the sword mean – warfare. ‘…The sword shall destroy outside; There shall be TERROR within …’

Again, I have read this chapter many times and it has never stuck out in my mind just how clear and plain and obvious the prophecies of God truly are! TERROR has become a part of the American way of life! And I don’t know about you, but every morning that I turn my television set on I wonder what new, horrible, gruesome story I’m gonna hear!? I almost don’t turn my television on because I almost don’t want to hear it! And I’m sure the people of Orlando, Florida thought – “Well, we’re just a small town, it’s Walt Disney World, nothing bad will ever happen here!” I’m sure the people of San Bernardino – I’ve driven through there many a time! It’s just a small community out on the edge of Los Angeles. Of all places why would that become a seed of terror!? And yet, it did! The Boston Marathon!? Just people out having a long run celebrating their fitness! And yet, five people were killed! And on and on the story goes …. September 11, 2001! Do you think the people who died on 9/11 were evil above all others!? The only evil they did that day was to go to work! And the people on those airplanes were just trying to travel to another destination to see their friends and their relatives and their loved ones – or to go on business. Or on vacation. They weren’t doing evil! And yet they were sacrificed by the hand of Islamic terrorists!

Within the life of my father, he fought against Nazism. And in the generations, after that others kept America strong to fight against the curse of Communism. And now we are engaged in a world war against Islamic terrorism! And yet, the leaders of our nation – some of them – seem oblivious to it! Because, quite frankly, I think from the top levels of our government there is sympathy and empathy and self-identity with the notion of Islam. Remember what our former leader said just before he took office!? He said, “We are five days away from fundamentally transforming America!” How many remember that!? Well, I’ll tell you what, he did – didn’t he!? Now, are we a better nation because of it!? No! Are we healthier, are we stronger!? We have heard report after report that many of the illegal aliens which our government refuses to ship back across the border are consumed with horrible diseases! Because they come from countries where the health codes are not very good. But, they travel to places like San Francisco – a sanctuary city – and they are allowed to live in impunity! And if they get picked up by the police they almost have like a “get out of jail free” card. The Mexican national who murdered young Kate Steinle. He had been arrested and deported from the U.S. a total of five times! But he kept coming back to San Francisco! Because he knew where he could operate with impunity. It’s a funny thing – trying to help one group of people and it ends up cursing the majority of the people. In the end, who are you really helping!? Many of our political leaders seemed to have their head stuck in some very remote places of their body. And for what purpose!? They’re not helping us. They’re hurting us. They have and are setting up these conditions – right here – of which we are reading!

25) ‘The sword shall destroy outside; There shall be terror within [shall destroy both] … the young man and [the young woman], The nursing child with the man of gray hairs. 26) I would have said, ‘I will dash them in pieces, I will make the memory of them to cease from among men,’ 27) Had I not feared the wrath of the enemy, Lest their adversaries, should misunderstand, Lest they should say, ‘Our hand is high; And it is not the LORD who has done all this.’ 28) For they are a nation void of counsel, …’ – meaning wisdom.

And, is it going to get any better!? Again, I don’t like to get political. Not here from this position. But I said it before, and I’m gonna say it again - I am scratching my head in total befuddlement trying to figure out what our executive leaders are doing and thinking in Washington, D.C.! And I’m astounded that our new president, the leader of the free world, was Donald Trump and not Hillary Clinton! And indeed, he carried into the White House, scandal and controversy. I had divorced myself from that election. Because I wasn’t going to have my name on either one of those ballets. Wasn’t going to do it! Because someday I’m going to have to stand before Jesus Christ, and I don’t think I could have explained a vote for either one of them!

[Brother Trevor said, ‘Neither one of them mentioned anything about God!’]

That’s a true statement. True observation.

28) ‘For they are a nation void of counsel, Nor is there any understanding in them.’

There’s no wisdom anymore!

29) ‘Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this, That they would consider their latter end! 30) How could one chase a thousand, And two put ten thousand to flight, Unless their Rock [Jesus Christ] had sold them, And the LORD had surrendered them? 31) For their rock is not like our Rock, …’

The strength of the enemy doesn’t compare to the strength and the power of Jesus Christ!

‘…Even our enemies themselves being judges. 32) For their vine is of the vine of Sodom And of the fields of Gomorrah; Their grapes are grapes of gall, Their clusters are bitter. 33) Their wine is the poison of serpents, And the cruel venom of cobras. 34) ‘Is this not laid up in store with Me, Sealed up among My treasures?’

And God says this in verse 35 –

‘Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; Their foot shall slip in due time; …’

I think our feet are starting to slide! And pretty soon now there’s going to be so much momentum going down that mountain – down to the edge of the precipice – that we simply will not be able to stop ourselves!

‘…For the day of their calamity is at hand, …’

That’s the end-time trauma!

‘…And the things to come hasten upon them.’ 36) For the LORD will judge His people And have compassion on His servants When He sees that their power is gone, And there is no one remaining, bond or free. 37) He will say: ‘Where are their gods, The rock in which they sought refuge? 38) Who ate the fat of their sacrifices, And drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them [these false gods, these false religions. false notions, false teachers] rise and help you, And be your refuge. 39) ‘Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God [with Me, or compared to] Me; I kill and I make alive; …’

That’s the great thing about God and Jesus Christ! They have the ability to take life, they also have the power and the Plan to restore life!

‘…I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand. 40) For I raise My hand to heaven, And say, ‘As I live forever, …’

And only God the Father and Jesus Christ can say that!

41) If I whet [sharpen] My glittering sword, And My hand takes hold on judgment, I will render vengeance to My enemies, And repay [with judgment, justice] those who hate Me. 42) I will make My arrows drunk with blood, And My sword shall devour flesh, With the blood of the slain and the captives, From the heads of the leaders of the enemy.’

43) ‘Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people; For He will avenge the blood of His servants, …’

Including Jesus Christ Himself! Including all of the holy prophets which were slain in their service to God – to the people who attempt to do the will of Jesus Christ and receive nothing in return. But questions, lies, and persecution.

‘…And render vengeance to His adversaries; He will provide atonement for His land and His people.’ 44) So Moses came with Joshua the son of Nun and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people. 45) Moses finished speaking all these words to all Israel.” – now that is the song of Moses.

And, it’s not a song of celebration, like – “O’ Happy Day!” It’s a song about the destruction of our people in the end-times! And, notice what He says in the very middle, verse 25 – ‘The sword shall destroy outside; There shall be TERROR within …’

We have been at war with some faction of the radical Islamists since September 11, 2001! Trevor, who sits to my left, served in a part of that war. And has scars in his body and mind still to this day! I thank Trevor for what he did – what he attempted to do. And, I’m thankful that George W. Bush attempted to do what he did. Did he get everything right!? Probably not. But at least he did something! But, with our former president, we did nothing! We did nothing! Remember Sergeant Schultz, on Hogan’s Heroes? "I know nothing, nothing!" Well, that’s what we heard out of Washington, D.C. – “I know nothing!” “I did nothing!” But don’t worry, everything is alright – Islam is a religion of peace!” I hate that expression! Well, maybe for some. But there’s far too many of them – thousands and thousands and millions of radical Muslims that want to cut our heads off! That want to blow up our buildings, and mow down our people with machine guns! Because they serve the god of this world – Satan the devil! That’s just the truth of it – folks!

The next time you read Revelation 15 – I hope you go back and read Deuteronomy 31 and 32. And get the full comprehension of what the song of Moses is talking about. And yet, friends, reading the song of Moses makes me sad.

To be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God

Now, is there happiness on the other side of all this!? Yes, there is! We talk about here at the Owensboro Church of Jesus Christ how we’re based upon the Word of God, the Truth of God, and the Plan of God. Jesus Christ is returning to this earth! He’s not going to make a little flyby and pick up a few souls and take them back to Heaven. No, He’s coming to the E A R T H! Let’s read that. As a sort of antidote to the depressing word we just read. Turn to the Book of 2nd Thessalonians. Do you know that 1st Thessalonians was the first Book that the apostle Paul wrote? Even though we see Acts and Romans – Thessalonians was the first one that he wrote.

2nd Thessalonians 1:2 – “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3) We are bound to thank God always for you [fellow Church members], as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, 4) so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, 5) which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God, …”

Keep in mind, when people are trying to get you involved in road rage when people are rude and unfriendly where you live when people are trying to make trouble for you – keep this one thing in mind. It ‘is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you [followers of God Almighty and Jesus Christ; you people who believe in the Word of God and in particular the New Covenant] may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God, for which you also suffer; 6) since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, 7) and to those who are troubled rest with us …” – be at peace with us. “…when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8) in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

What is the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ!? It’s the good news of the Kingdom of God. It’s the good news that Jesus Christ is indeed our Savior. It’s the good news that Jesus died for our sins and that after three days walked out of the tomb – establishing a pattern. And it’s the good news of the New Covenant. Which is a contract, an agreement, between Jesus Christ and us, that we have a place to go to have our sins forgiven. And that we have a promise of eternal life.

9) These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10) when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in [and with] His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.”

1st Thessalonians 3:13 – “so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness …” – where does that holiness come from!? It comes from the mind of Jesus Christ – it comes from the Spirit of God. That part of God that resides with us. We are not holy, and we cannot make ourselves holy! But with the introduction of the Spirit of God, we can become holy because of God our Father’s and Jesus’ presence within us. “…before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.”

Now, none of us knows when our end is near. It can happen when somebody fails to stop at a stop sign, or some drunk comes across the road and hits you head on. It can come in a lot of different ways – a plane could fall out of the sky right now and we could all be dust and ashes. I hope not! But it could happen. A great tornado could sweep through where we live and just obliterate us. We don’t know if we’ve got a year to live or fifteen, twenty. I don’t know. I don’t know how much longer this age is going to go on. I’ve been one time a part of the Worldwide Church of God when they prophesied – as a doctrine – that the end would come in 1975! Well, guess what!? They were wrong! And other would-be-prophets – I thought I once saw on the Internet, on YouTube, a thumbnail of Haaahhkkk – Hagee. It said, “John Hagee says the end of the age is August 2016!” And a part of me was momentarily enticed to click on that thumbnail, and I said – “No! Michael don’t waste your time!” But every few years some would-be-prophet comes along and says, “The end of the age!” Well, no one knows. Except for God Almighty – and I presume now, Jesus Christ knows. But I tell you what – I first heard the Truth of God on The World Tomorrow program from the voice of Garner Ted Armstrong when I was sixteen years of age. That’s FIFTY-THREE YEARS AGO! Doesn’t seem possible to me – but it is true! I’ll tell you what – we’re a whole lot closer now than ever before in my life! Will I live long enough to see it – I don’t know. As I said earlier – I’m not even sure I want to live that long. Because quite frankly, with what is going to happen – from the Word of the Eternal – I don’t think I want to see that! But, not my will be done. But we are near – somewhere – the end-time! With all the words we’ve read, and the arsenal buildup of missiles and rockets in the Middle East – all aimed at the State of Israel, with our country spiraling without direction like a plane with no pilot not having any idea where we are going, with no real leadership, with no real guidance – and the people who hold that power do not trust or look to God – we’re in deep trouble!

But here is the good news – chapter 4, verse 13 – “But I do not want you to be ignorant, [my fellow Church members], concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14) For IF we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God [Theos] will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15) For this we say to you by the Word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep [or in their grave]. 16) For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God [the LAST TRUMP, the SEVENTH TRUMP]. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17) Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air [in the atmosphere]. …” – remember the angels, when Christ ascended up to Heaven, they said, ‘Well, why are you standing here looking up into the sky!? The same Jesus Christ will RETURN in like manner.’ Not a flyby! But will actually return, and set up the Kingdom of God! “…And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18) Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

Chapter 5, verse 1 – “But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you.” – well, Paul was writing this some one thousand, nine hundred and sixty-nine years ago! Well, do you really need somebody to tell you that we’re near the end!? Doesn’t the Spirit within you sort of telling you things aren’t quite right!? And those things are really wrong!? Verse 2 – “For you yourselves know perfectly that the Day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.” – it will sneak up on people. It will catch people unaware. It will happen so quickly that they won’t know what’s going on. Verse 3 – “For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’” – and indeed we heard our former president say, “ISIL is under control. We’ve got everything under control.” “…then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4) But you, [fellow Church members], are not in darkness, so that this Day [the Day of the Lord] should overtake you as a thief. 5) You are all [the children] of light and [children] of the day [which means you can see – you have eyes and you can see]. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6) Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 7) For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk [and are partying] are drunk [and partying] at night. 8) But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, …” – faith is equated with courage and love with loyalty. Indeed, we must put on the breastplate of faith which is courage and love which is loyalty. Loyalty to God, loyalty to Jesus Christ, loyalty to the Word of God and loyal to our fellow Church members. “…and as a helmet the hope of salvation.” That should be the undergirding of everything we do and think! Everything about our lives should be focused on the idea – that I am a child of God Almighty, a little brother or sister to Jesus Christ, and my destiny is to live in the Kingdom of God for all eternity! The hope of salvation! Verse 9 – “For God did not appoint us to wrath [or to judgment, to condemnation], but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10) who died for us, that whether we wake or [be in the grave], we should live together with Him. 11) Therefore comfort each other and edify [to build up and encourage] one another, just as you also are doing. 12) And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, …” – and that’s an interesting phrase. There are at times when a minister must admonish – must exhort, must correct. And yet we live in a time and in an age where nobody wants to be told nothing! I’m an umpire – a sports official – have been for fifty-four years! And many a time, players or coaches, have had to be relieved of their duties because of their misbehavior and their attitude. And so often with the fans – sometimes fans can become so raucous and overbearing, so disruptive to the flow of the game, you have to stop and say, “Hey Buddy, or Ma’am, you need to settle down.” And I’ve said that many times. And every time I’ve said it – I think without exception – I’ve heard somebody shoot back at me, “You can’t tell me what to do!” And, yes I can. “I’m trying to tell you to settle down. Because if you don’t settle down, you won’t be here anymore.” They retort, “You can’t throw me out of here!” Well, yes I can. “If you don’t settle down, it’s going to happen.” But the human heart just hates to be told anything. Especially hard-headed Americans. Well, there are times you actually need to be told something. Not out of hate, but out of concern, out of love, out of, “Hey, you keep going down this road you’re going off the cliff!”

You know, when I say that if your church leader is ashamed of the name Jesus Christ, I’m not trying to hurt somebody’s feelings. I’m trying to wake you up! Way back in the early 70’s Mr. GTA had a campaign – he went to quite a few cities – and he had a bunch of singers from AC. It was quite an extravaganza! He would fill large basketball arenas. Now, many times half the crowd was members of the Worldwide Church of God, but there were among them other people who were just there to hear, to learn. And you know what the title of that series of campaigns was!? WAKE UP AMERICA! Didn’t we just read that!? – ‘don’t be a child of the night! Don’t be asleep! Don’t be drunk – WAKE UP!!’ And there are times a minister must speak and say – “WAKE UP! The path down which you are going is dangerous, it’s destructive, it’s deadly, it can well result in your eternal death!” And yet some people – “Don’t you tell me what to do!” And, some people can’t help because they don’t want to be helped. You can’t talk to them, because they don’t want to hear. They don’t want to see. They don’t want to know. They don’t want to learn. Alright. And I’ve said to people before – “Have a nice life. See you somewhere down the road.” Yes, sometimes, ministers have to admonish. Verse 13 – “and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves.” – and yet, it seems to me within the environment of the churches of God – one of the most often enjoyed sport is taking verbal and mental potshots at ministers. Isn’t that odd!? Verse 14 – “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, …” – once again we are told SPEAK UP! There’s a certain burden upon me. If I see the city about to be attacked, and I do nothing, it falls back on me! I’m supposed to warn the unruly, “comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient [as much as lies within you] with all. 15) See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. 16) Rejoice always, 17) pray without ceasing, 18) in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19) Do not quench the Spirit.” – do not shut down the thoughts of God, the mind of God, the words of God, the presence of God in your life. Don’t shut it off, but open the valve all the way so that the Spirit of God can flow through you like a mighty stream! Verse 20 – “Do not despise [prophetic teaching and preaching]. 21) [Prove] all things; hold fast what is good. 22) Abstain from [all appearances] of evil. 23) Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24) He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” – meaning what!? Bring you to the end of salvation. Bring you to the finish line! Verse 26 – “Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss.” – let’s say a ‘holy handshake.’ Verse 27 – “I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read to all the holy brethren. 28) The grace …”

Again, a word which you almost never heard in the Worldwide Church of God and in other churches of God which had descended from the WCG. a word in which you almost never hear, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. [So be it].” – Paul ends that chapter.

Conclusion

I thank you for joining us today. There were a lot of sober things said – especially the first part – but they are the word of God and they are the truth of God and they are the future reality. You need to make sure that your ship is right. You need to make sure that you are on the correct path so that those evils do not befall you and your family and your loved ones.

If this is of any meaning to you tell your friends, tell your neighbors, tell the people you know. Try to invite more people to listen to the programs. If you need hard copies of our articles or programs – you can contact us @ garrett158@roadrunner.com. If you just want to watch our sermons or read our articles online, it’s https://www.owensborocojc.com. We thank you for your support. We thank you for the prayers sent up on our behalf. We also ask that God Almighty and Jesus Christ help, and support and guide, and lead you. And may someday all of us meet together in the Kingdom of God, and be eternal sons and daughters of God Almighty and eternal brothers and sisters to Jesus Christ. With this, I say thank you, and goodbye friends.

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1 In the 2011 census Office for National Statistics, the proportion of Muslims in London had risen to 12.4% of the population (21% of England's Muslims). In the boroughs of Newham and Tower Hamlets, the percentages of Muslims were over 30%. Islam in London, Wikipedia.org. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
2 The number of people crossing EU borders illegally has fallen from 1.8 million in 2015 to 204,219 in 2017. Le Monde diplomatique. Le mythe de la ruée vers l’Europe, Immigration, un débat biaisé. Bréville, Benoît. Novembre 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2019. 

3 Theresa May requests for a second time that the EU extend the Article 50 period until 30 June 2019. The European Council grants another extension to the Article 50 period to 31 October 2019, or the first day of the month after that in which the Withdrawal Agreement is passed, whichever comes first. However, the UK must hold European Parliament elections in May 2019; otherwise it will leave on 1 June 2019. BBC News. Brexit: UK and EU agree delay to 31 October. 11 April 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2019. Also see: “Special meeting of the European Council (Art. 50) (10 April 2019). (PDF). Retrieved 19 June 2019.

 4 In January 2009, President Obama signed executive orders directing the CIA to shut what remains of its network of "secret" prisons and ordering the closing of the Guantánamo detention camp within a year. The New York Times. Obama Orders Secret Prisons and Detention Camps Closed. Shane, Scott. Jan. 22, 2009. Retrieved 19 June 2019. On 7 March 2011, President Obama issued an executive order that permits ongoing indefinite detention of Guantánamo detainees. ACLU. President Obama Issues Executive Order Institutionalizing Indefinite Detention. 7 March 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2019.

5 The city's overall crime rate, especially the violent crime rate, is higher than the US average. City-Data.com. Crime rate in Chicago, Illinois (IL): murders, rapes, robberies, assaults, burglaries, thefts, auto thefts, arson, law enforcement employees, police officers, crime map. Retrieved 20 June 2019.

6 “to the molten sea or great brazen laver before the mercy seat of the earthly temple” in Jerusalem “for the purification of the priests; typifying the baptism of water and the Spirit of all who are made kings and priests unto God.” The Jamieson Fausset and Brown Commentary of the whole Bible. Jamieson, Robert, Fausset, A.R., Brown, David, Zondervan Publishing House, 1961, pg. 1570.

7 Islam is the third largest religion in the United States, after Christianity and Judaism. It is a fact that Islam is growing rapidly in the West. Pew Research Center. Religious Landscape Study. Retried 21 June 2019.