Vanity, Joy, and the Kingdom to Come

You know talking to me. Wake up out of your summer. Wake up out of your sleep and receive the spirit. You know talking to me. Wake up your slumber. Wake up out of your sleep. And I see the spirit. You talking to me. Wake up your slumber. Wake up your sleep. And receive the spirit. You know something to me somewhere away. Talking to me asleep. I sleep the spirit guide away to me. I'm sleep away. I'm receive the spirit away to me. I'm sweet of somebody. Talking to me. I see.

Yeah. Rain, rain, rain on my window. Pray. I feel the darkness outside. I need it to go away. Joy comes with the morning light. Wipe the tears off of my face. Enjoying his rain. Is raining. Is raining. Enjoying his rain. Open the blinds and fill the house up with light. My Bible shining. It bring the sun out at night. And I see the rain that I needed to depart from my sight. You got to hold the line. Hold the line in order to endure in this fight. And you know, you got to hold your head and got to keep your chin high. It's a lot of pain we can endure in this life. Keep the laws and the faith in Christ. You'll be winning. You will be winning. You got to hold your head and got to keep your chin high. It's a lot of pain we enduring in this life. Keep the long.

Face Jerusalem. Who's praying? Men of Israel, blow trumpets, trumpets down. Lord God, Father, we thank thee, oh Lord. We thank thee for bringing us here on this Sabbath day. Oh Lord, we thank thee for the unity. Oh Lord, we thank thee for bringing together the brothers and the sisters in the spirit of Christ. Oh Lord, we thank thee for thy commandments, thy laws, thy statutes. Oh Lord, we thank thee for health. Oh Lord, we thank thee for the understanding that has given to us, oh Lord, by thy son Jesus the Christ. Oh Lord, we thank thee for mercy. Oh Lord, we thank thee for thy loving kindness, oh Lord, and all that th that has given unto us, oh Lord. We pray, oh Lord, that you may help us, oh Lord, who are in in grief, oh Lord, for the things that have happened, oh Lord. And we pray, oh Lord, that you may comfort us, oh Lord. Help us to remember thy precepts, thy commandments, and all the things that thou hast spoken, oh Lord. And we pray, oh Lord, for thy mercy continually, oh Lord. We pray, oh Lord, that you may help us in our afflictions, oh Lord, as we go through the things, oh Lord, that beset us, oh Lord. We pray that all these things, oh Lord, that are troubling us, our minds, oh Lord, the things that we battle with, oh Lord, the lust of the eyes, oh Lord, the lust of the flesh, the pride of life, all these things, oh Lord, help us to fight and overcome these things, oh Lord. We pray also, oh Lord, for blessings upon the leadership, oh Lord, those men who thou thou has set up, oh Lord, the bishops, oh Lord, the deacons, oh Lord, the captains, oh Lord, the officers, soldiers, oh Lord. We also thank thee for the sisters who help in the congregation, who help and support the prophets, oh Lord, as well as the children, oh Lord. Continue to give us light, oh Lord, to continue to to give us wisdom and understanding, oh Lord. And we pray, oh Lord, that all those that have come against us, all the enemies, oh Lord, the the Ammonites, oh Lord, the all the enemies, oh Lord, that have come against us and continue to come against us, oh Lord, in word, in action, oh Lord, those that have planned, oh Lord, to bring us down, that you may carry them headlong, and that all their enterprises may come tonight, oh Lord, in the name of that son Jesus Christ. Oh Lord, we thank thee for the food, for the strong drink, for the water. And we pray that you bless these things, oh Lord. In the name of that son Jesus Christ, let the whole congregation say hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. And these things, oh Lord, we thank thee and we say, ammon.

Men of Israel, sons of God, patient saints, sons of God, hand salute. Most bless. Salute downface sisters. To the honorable daughters of Sarah, we say shalom. I was going to I was going to use the mic. It's too high. I'm too short. I don't know. Check. Check. Check. Shalom. Shalom, congregation. Happy Sabbath. Sabbath. Shalom to the congregations watching in our sanctuaries and at home across the world. Greetings. Greetings all those scattered. All right, let me get myself situated here. All right, it does look dark. I'm just I came in, you know, I'm I'm getting old, right? And my eyes are not what they used to be. And I came in and there's something wrong with the light right over right over where I sit. There's something wrong with the light. So, I'm in the shadows here trying to read my notes. All right. So, bear bear with me. Lord Lord will energize my eyes at least for the class. So, all right. So today's topic is called Vanity, Joy, and the Kingdom to Come. A couple months back for the West Coast new moon class, I went over a version of this, but I only got like one page in and I had like three, four pages of notes. So, I had said if I had the opportunity to teach longer, I would bring this out in a in a Sabbath class. And what kind of inspired me to think about this was I was just having a standard conversation with Bishop Nathaniel, just updates and things like that. We were talking about some stuff and there was one moment where we were talking about, you know, how the world is jacked up and stuff like that. And then I'd mentioned but you know what I I because I'm always trying to remember to be grateful to have a spirit of gratitude. I said but there are some things that are worthwhile. There are things that we like. There's things that we're made to enjoy here. And it made me start thinking about how we collectively as a people move and how we should move while we're here in this place. Right? So, some people have the mindset that they shouldn't do anything while they're waiting for Christ's return, right? Like, and I'm talking about for themselves, for their families. Um, I don't even want to say it's contentment, but it's just kind of like that's carryover from Christianity. What do they call it? Being pious, right? you know, as if there's not a way for us to be able to have whatever measure of prosperity that the Lord has allowed us to have in this place and still be true to what's to come. But we always have to walk a fine line while we're here, right? It's like that second Ezra 7 where it speaks about that narrow path, right? There's fire on one side, water on the other. You go one at a time. It's a thin line between living joyfully while we're here in the days of our vanity and indulging in what this place is and represents. And we have to put our mind in in in a space where we balance those two while we strive for the kingdom. So the world is not our rest and the scriptures teach us that. Yet while we sjourn here, scriptures command us to build, to love, to rejoice, and to do good, but without becoming worldly. And not everybody is built up for that or understands that right away. Right? I'll give you an example. Many of you, you come into your repentance. Some of you, I I'll give you one example of one guy. He was training to be an MMA fighter. Now, there's nothing that I could really say to say, well, to sin for you not to do that, right? Or let's say it was a professional athlete or whatever it is. But how conducive are those environments to you being able to serve the Lord fully, right? First of all, those fights are always on Saturdays, right? You're in an environment where all the celebrity and everything else that comes with it, you go along with it, right? Same thing with sports, right? There's no sports team that's going to be like, "Okay, you could take off every Sabbath." What happens if the Sabbath's against a big team, big game, right? And you their star player or something like that. So, there's certain things that you got to kind of temper yourself, right? You're not going to be able to do certain things. There's certain aspects of life in this world that you're not going to be able to partake in. And it's hard for people to reconcile a lot of those things as they serve the Lord. So usually what people do is they'll go to one extreme or the other on it. And either they're not fully vested or they're so vested that they neglect the other things that the Lord commands us. But let's get Micah 2 and 10 so we can understand this a little bit. All right? And Lord will I'll get through all of this. Uh bear with me. I have a lot of scriptures going to be scripture heavy. Okay. um going to be explaining several verses. So stay with me. All right. I'm I'm going to try to pace it well, but if I'm running out of time, I'm going to have to speed it up.

Micah 2 and 10. The book of Micah chapter 2. Is it just me? I I thought the mic sounds really bad, staticky, and everything. Everything's jacked up today, huh? All right. Okay. Go ahead. Come on. The book of Micah chapter 2 and verse 10. Let's go. Arise ye and depart for this is not your rest. Right? So we are reminded in the book of Micah that this here what we're living is not our rest. It's a very real experience for us. Right? But this isn't everything. This isn't the end. This isn't even what the beginning was. But it's certainly not our rest. Why? And you got to think, why would that have to be said? Because there's a seduction here. There's something here that pulls you to really keep yourself planted here. Right. So go ahead, read it from the top again. Arise in the park. Uhhuh. For this is not your rest. This is not our rest. Come on. Because it is polluted. But why? This place is polluted. You got to remember that it's tainted. Meaning what? It's it's hollow. It's a shadow of what really is to come for us. Go ahead. Come on. It shall destroy you. It says it will destroy you. So if we do not walk circumspectly according to these commandments, increased in our faith, building upon the knowledge that we have, so that it grows into wisdom with application, this place will destroy us. Go ahead. Come on. Even with a sword destruction. Even with a sword destruction. Why? Because if you mess up here, there's consequences to pay, right? We don't consider that there should be judgment after death, right? Let's get Hebrews 13 and 14. Hebrews 13 and 14. I don't know if it's just the mic. If you guys got to do something with the levels online. Yeah. All right. So, it's just here. It's our speakers, right? Sounds staticky for us. All right. As long as online is good, then we'll manage. Hebrew 13 and 14. Hebrews 13 and verse 14. For here we have no continuing city. Right? So we got to remember something when it says this is not a rest. Here we have no continuing city. We seek one that's to come. There is no continuence us for here. This place is temporary or temporal. Right? Go ahead. Come on. But we seek one to come. Right? But we seek one to come. Nothing here was meant to last. Whatever you build here is basically meant for fire and destruction until the new kingdom comes, till the new earth is brought down here. As it is in heaven, it'll be on earth. Right. Come on. That it on that. Yes, sir. Read it one more time from the top. For here we have no continuing city. We have to remember that here we have no continuing city. though we have a I mean the days are long even though the days of our life to the Lord in the bigger scheme of things are short we're here for a very short season most of us never touched anywhere near 100 years old we're not even here for 100 years right the scripture tells us you get 70s by reason of strength 80s right and that and that pretty much bears out that's in these days we know back in the day you look at the genealogy we lived a long time we lived a long time right some some thousand, right? Go ahead, read it from the top. For here we have no continuing city. Uhhuh. But we seek one to come. We seek one to come. Get Daniel 2:44. Trying to these may come out again later in the class, but I'm trying to set something in your mind. All right. Daniel 2 and 44. The book of Daniel chapter 2 and verse 44. Come on. And in the days of these kings, And in the days of these kings, these rulers, these empires, Go ahead. Come on. Shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed. Right? And that's what's really being set up here is a kingdom. But it's not for us to maintain the status quo, to maintain the state of this world, right? But in us building that organized nation, what we're really doing is establishing the foundation of the kingdom to come while it's happening in these times. Go ahead. Come on. And the kingdom shall not be left to other people. And the kingdom will not be left to other people. Why? Because that such is the case to other kingdoms. You look at every empire and there's always a transition, right, from Egypt to Assyria to Babylon to Media to Persia, Greek, Rome, and then all the extensions of Rome after that leading up to what you have today. Every kingdom inherits the previous kingdom in some way, shape, or form, or rather the previous rulership. But it says that's not the case for God's kingdom. That's not the case for the kingdom that's being established and built here in these last days by the Israelites under the power and strength of the Most High in Christ. That's not the case. Right? Let's get Hebrews 12:28. Hebrews 12 and 28. The book of Hebrews 12 and verse 28. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved. A kingdom that will never be destroyed, which cannot be moved. The we have no continuing city here, but the continuing city is ready, made, built for us in the kingdom of heaven. And just like the Lord's prayer says, it will be done down here as it is in heaven. Go ahead. Come on. Let us have grace. Let us have grace. Come on. whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. Grace now hold fast. Serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. That's the grace that we have while we're here. It says, "Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved." So what we're really building here is the behaviors that we need to have to maintain that kingdom forever. Right? It says that kingdom is something that we're going to receive. So when we say we're building a nation, the kingdom's already established and what the Lord has written is already waiting for us. Whether or not we're found worthy of it is what we're establishing here.

So he says, we started off, this place is not our rest. It's polluted, right? We have no continuing city. We know that in the days of these kings, as the book of Daniel says, something was being moved and set up here that'll never be destroyed. And now we come here to Hebrews and he says, "We receive a kingdom which cannot be moved." Just like we read in Daniel, it says, "Therefore, knowing this, let us have grace. Let us hold fast. Let us take advantage and take hold of this period to be able to be worthy of that receipt of that kingdom. Go ahead. Come on. For our God is a consuming fire. For our God is a consuming fire. Because this place is meant to be burned. It's going to be cleansed by fire. That's the baptism of Christ. When he returns, it's fire. I say fire and brimstone. I don't even know. You can't even wrap your mind around what brimstone is, right? Fire and brimstone. Oh man, what the hell is that? Right. So, we know that we are to serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear here. That's what's being set up. So, I'm going to break this out into portions here as we build it together. This section is going to be focusing on this is not our rest and life under the sun is vanity. What is vanity? Let's look that up. Define vanity for me because I know we read these things and right what is vanity? I want number four. I want number four. Right? Because vanity is could be excessive pride in one's appearance like you read there. Right? Some of you so vain. Right? But in terms of the days of our lives, because we're about to read Ecclesiastes and Solomon talks a lot about vanity, right? It says what? Read that. Number four, the the fourth definition. Fourth definition of vanity. Lack of real value. There's no real value in this place. We're the value. We're the salt of the earth. Right? The scripture says if if there's no salt, then the earth has lost its savor. Right? It's only by those promises and that grace that this place remains. Okay. So, there's no real value here. Go ahead. Come on. Hollowess. Come on. Worthlessness. Worthlessness. What are some of those synonyms? Read that. Futility. Futility. Uh-huh. Triviality. Folly. Folly. Come on. Unreality. Unreality. Remember that one. Later, we're going to talk about something called derealization that psychologists talk about, right? And there's a feeling that we all get from time to time. Uh some would call it a disenchantment with life in this place. Some would call it a disconnection from the dayto day. All right. This place gives off a vibe of unreality. This is unreal. Right. Come on. Sham. A sham. You know what a sham man? That's a sham. Right. Come on. Emptiness. Emptiness. Right. So understand that the days that we live here is all vanity. But the value that we bring to this place is our repentance here. Right? Like we just read in Hebrews. I want you to understand that because like I said, it's a fine line as as you think about this. And it'll all start to come together as we go through it, right? Why else do we pray this way if that's not the case? Let's get Matthew 69 and 13. So we don't pray for this place to stay established. Look at the Lord's prayer. If this was not vanity, if there was value here, then why does the Lord's prayer say this? Go ahead. Come on. The book of Matthew 6 and verse 9. After this manner, therefore pray ye. Our father which are in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Come on. Thy kingdom come. Thy kingdom come. Come on. Thy will be be done in earth. Thy will be done in earth. Come on. As it is in heaven. That's a change. That's not a thing where the governments and the kings are going to be. It said a kingdom that will never fall will be set up in the days of those kings. It says, "Thy will be done. Thy kingdom come in earth as it is in heaven. If this place had any value, then why would that be needed?" Go ahead. Come on. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts. And that daily bread goes into where we hold fast, where we take that grace and we serve God with fear and reverence. Our daily bread, we feed ourselves with the scriptures daily. We build ourselves. We die daily. We kill that old man from the temptations and corruptions of this place, the depression, the sadness, the grief, all those things that we experience. Go ahead. Come on. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Right? This is a place for us to serve a penance, for us to show our worthiness by our repentance in the faith of Christ that we're worthy to receive that kingdom. Go ahead. Come on. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil because this is an evil place. Read. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Right. Let's get 2 Ezra 7:16. 2 Ezra 7:16 still thinking about the vanity right and putting that in perspective 2 Ezra 7 and verse 16 why hast thou not considered in thy mind this thing that is to come right so Ezra is being told here why haven't you considered in your mind the things that are to come the judgments the afflictions that will happen here and the kingdom that's promised after that. Go ahead. Come on. Rather than that which is present. Right. Rather than that which is present. Read. Then answered I and said, "Oh Lord, thou beest rule." So stop. No, I only wanted that. That was 16, right? Yes, sir. We have to be of the mind to consider what's to come. We have to be of the mind of consider what's to come. We must focus. We must resist the pollutions and temptations of this place. And they come in many forms and in many manifestations. And part of our repentance day today is considering all those things. We can't just, I like to say, play church here, right? We can't just play church here. And many of us do. Many of us, this is a a weekly thing. Many of us, this is just, okay, I come, I show up, Bibles aren't open during the week. No real type of scripture reflection outside of when you come here to watch a a class. And then you wonder why things aren't being manifested to you, why your faith is weak, why you're struggling, why you're wavering. And you could even have strong actions in here that might appear like you're devoted. And if you don't get the mindset in check, you're going to waver and feel like I can be pulled away. Let's get Ecclesiastes 11 and 1. The book of Ecclesiastes 11 and verse one. Cast thy bread upon the waters for thou shalt find it after many days. Right? So it says cast thy bread upon the waters for thou shalt find it after many days. Come on, keep reading. I'm going to explain. Give a portion to seven and also to eight. For thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. Right? So don't be stingy storing and laying up things here. Right? Some of us seek gain. Some of us are seeking wealth. And it's not to say that you cannot have success or what would be called prosperity, successful business, successful job and things like that. But the world allures you to a point where you invest so much here that you're not ready to say goodbye to it when the time comes. You're so focused on all those other aspects of things that you're not really building yourself to prepare for those evil times. Right? Tomorrow isn't promised. There's uncertain days. That's basically what's saying here, right? It says uh cast thy bread upon the waters for thou shalt find it after many days. Meaning help thy people if thou are able. If if you have any measure of success, don't try to build things up and lay up treasure and store here. We build so that we can continue to build each other, right? It's like the economy of Acts 2 and Acts 4 where it says we have all things common. So we do do those things while we're here. But then it says, "Give a portion to seven and also to eight, for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth." You can't take any of this stuff with you. Right? Ecclesiastes 7 and 1. We're going to jump a little bit between 7 and 11. Ecclesiastes 7 and verse one. Come on. A good name is better than precious ointment and the day of death than the day of one's birth. Now, these verses a lot of times confuse people, right? These verses a lot of times confuse people. Why does it say a good name is better? Well, we know that a good name is better than precious, but it says than the day of death than the day of one's birth. Why does it say this? Does anybody want to take a stab at that? I'm not going to go too much into questions because I know we want to flow, but I want to see if anybody's thinking. Does anybody understand that verse? We read these things and there's confusion. All right, no hands. Wait, there was a hand in the back. All right, let's try the hand all the way in the back. Oh, you got to get closer. Didn't we just get new mics? Jeez. Because like you were going over earlier, it's vanity. It's going to pass away. It's better at the end once you've done everything and you could than when you start when you have zero. Okay. So, you said something good, but what about the part where it says, "And the day of death is better than the day of one's birth." Why? Why would it be better when you die? Cuz it's all vanity. So, it's all pre for the Israelites. It's oppression. It's It's not the kingdom. It's not what is promised to us. Yeah, that's part of it. All right, I'm gonna explain it. That when you're born, you have no repute. There's no reputation when you're born. You could you could grow up to be a evil nooker, right? Or a very righteous, strong, bold example for thy people, right? You build a good name through life. Remember where it says knowing that we have a kingdom to receive, therefore take hold of grace and build a good name through life. That's why the day of death is better than the day of birth. It says a good name. That's no, you you lost the part where it said a good name. Why does he mention the good name? Because when you're born, you have what's the name? You don't have one. At best, you have the name of your father. And if he had good report, you could ride that for a little while, right? For a little while until until your behavior start being noticed and seen, right? So, a good name is better than uh precious ointment. and the day of death better than the day of one's birth. There's no reputation when you're born. You build it throughout your life, right? You fight the good fight, you finish your course, and then you'll know at that day of death that you've built that good name. Another way to look at this is this is why we don't make too much of new people. I'm talking about us up here. Y'all get all happy. Y'all do the most for brand new people coming in the door. Let's have a day where we feed them and we welcome them. And I'm not saying we're not welcoming, but these people have not built a name. And whereas the scripture tells y'all, "Know them who labor among you and esteem them highly in love for their work's sake, but y'all get brand new people in here and you make the most of them." It's the same thing because they're being born again and coming in here to repentance, right? And you're making so much of them, but yet the scripture tells us better is a day of death. They've built no name, no reputation, and you out here talking about how great and wonderful they are. Oh my gosh, we got to show that how happy we are that they're here. So on and so forth. That's why it it it vexes and they won't even honor the the men that's laboring the hell to that extent. So now y'all know because I be getting on the schools that be taking the school's arms and let's do a let's do a new people brunch backwards. That's not what the scripture says. All right. That's not what the scripture says. So uh read two now. Come on. It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting. Go ahead. For that is the end of all men. The house of feasting is the end of all men. Go ahead. Come on. And the living will lay it to his heart. And those who are living will lay it to his heart. So, there's a few things being said here. I'm going to show you two two ways that this is being approached. Right before I get there, it's still dealing with the same thing. Jump to verse 8. We're staying in the same chapter. Read that. We're going to come back to that later. Um just to seal the mindset of better is the day of death than than the day you're born. Go ahead. Come on. Verse eight. Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof. Right? Better is the end of something than the beginning. Right? Go ahead. Come on. And the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Right? I'm going to explain that a little more in detail later. Right? But I want you to have that in your mind. better is the end. Solomon is trying to convey something to us. And if you and if you and if you look at his life and how it was structured, the wealth that he was given, the wisdom that he was given, this is some heavy heavy knowledge and it's not from somebody who would be bitter because he lived his life poor or broke or anything like that. He was of repute. He was and but we also know his shortcomings as well. Right now jump back to verse two. Verse two. It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting. Uhhuh. For that is the end of all men. Right. So in a way this is like a similitude, right? Mourning versus feasting. He said when when you're when somebody dies, it's a reminder that that's what waits for all of us. You come into the world, you live and you die, right? It shouldn't be a shock, but it still impacts us and hits us very heavily when these things happen, right? All of us, that's our fate. From the dust we came and from the dust we shall return. So, it says we all die. And what that should do is it keeps you sober cuz what happens? You go to funerals, people die, and while you're thinking of sadness for the person, what what do you what starts going through your mind? You can't help but insert you, your family, the people close to you, all those type of things going on in your spirit, right? So much consideration happens, right? It's like those moments of death and great illness among people that are close to us really starts to get your mind moving in a way. Now, what I'm going to show you is that you don't got to wait till somebody dies to have that mindset. And if you can put yourself in a frame of mind where we focus on the mourning aspect, and I'll show you how, cuz well, how do I mourn if somebody's not dead? I'm going to show you the mourning that we mourn for. All right? You'll have more success as you take hold of grace in this walk to serve the Lord with fear and reverence. All right? And you'll be able to weather the tribulations and the storms and the trials that come better. And you'll be less likely to succumb to the trivial things that hinder your own growth in this. And and this is the reflections that Solomon has here in Ecclesiastes 7 as he's going through this stuff. Right? So now read to one more time. It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting. Read. For that is the end of all men. And the living will lay it to his heart. Morning versus feasting. Morning versus feasting. Jump to verse 11 and read 9. And then we're going to jump up. Come on. I mean chapter 11 verse 9. Ecclesiastes 11 and verse 9. Rejoice, oh young man, in thy youth. Come on. And let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth. Right. So he's Why is mourning better than feasting? Says feasting is the end of all men. Go ahead. Come on. And walk in the ways of thine heart. Uhhuh. And in the sight of thine eyes. He's talking about feasting here as a young man. Go ahead. Come on. But know thou But know thou this that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. If your mind is more on the mourning, and I'm I'm going to shift this to mourning as us as a people for the things we did, why we got here, why we're in these conditions, and what we need to do to receive that kingdom. You're more apt to move in the spirit to do that. Hosea 5:15 tells you that. It says, "In our affliction, we would seek him early." Did it say in our mirth and in our joy that we would seek him early? We look for God when things are bad, we lean on him more when things are terrible. And some of our people are so caught up in this world, and I'm not talking about people here trying to at least work through it. Talking about our people out there who have yet to receive the Christ and God of the Bible, that they can never ever see themselves serving stuff like this. This is why people make mockery of God. This is why Christianity is so appealing because they're living in a time of feasting and the world tells them enjoy. It's it's indulgence. It's really decadence because it's a decline that's happening for those that see it. Right. This is why you got all this obesity too. Let me not even get into that trigger. Captain Shem, read uh where we at again in nine. Come on. Verse N. Morning versus feasting. We're looking at this. Come on. Rejoice, oh young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart share thee in the days of remember in chapter 7:2 he says the days of feasting, he said that's the end of all men. Right? Remember the end of all men is death, but the end of all men also, if you're not mindful, is that death, too. But is it a good death? Or is it a death where you know that there's going to be a judgment behind it? Is it a death like Paul where he can say confidently, I finished my course. I died keeping these commandments in the faith of Christ and I know what's on the other side for me. Or is there the uncertainty and fear of what's on the other side? And listen, it's all conjecture and it's talk until you're facing death's door and then you know your worth. And that's why better is the end. Better is the day of death because you had that chance to build that. And if you build that name, you can go confidently. Yes, you'll miss and you'll say, "Damn, I'm going to miss." But are you really going to miss anybody if you if you're gone? Right. Hell no. So go ahead, finish reading where we were at. And walk in the ways of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyesh. But know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. Right? So what we have to be mindful of is that we're here for judgment. We're here for judgment. And our end is a day of judgment. Are you worthy or are you not? We all have to sit in that judgment seat. Jump up to verse six. Verse six. In the morning sow thy seed. Uhhuh. And in the evening withhold not thine hand. Same kind of thing like what we read in verses one and two in this chapter about the bread. Go ahead. Come on. For thou knowest not whether shall prosper. Either this or that or whether they both shall be alike good. Right? So we don't understand. Right? Some may have a very good life here. Some may not. Keep reading. Truly the light is sweet and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun. Right? He's letting you know that there's things to enjoy here. But our mind should always be set on what our end is. And this place can pull you away from that. And and my aim is for us and for and for the body to be able to kind of examine these things and take stock and assessment of where you're at in this walk and what changes you need to make because it's so easy. It's so easy to feel like you got this. You so easy to get up into the routine of your life and you miss the opportunities to serve God with reverence and fear like like we read in Hebrews. Go ahead. Come on. Keep reading. But if a man live many years and rejoice in them all, yet let him remember the days of darkness. Right? So he says some are going to have prosperity, some won't. He says, "But if you live to a ripe old age and it was a prosperous life," he says, "Yet still remember the days of darkness." What days of darkness is he talking about? Talking about how we under these curses, how everything our people have been through. You're never going to rise above the level of your people, right? And another thing that happens is you get so narrow focused, you're so focused on yourself that you forget that the service that you are obligated to have to others, right? We're going to read a little bit about that in Ezekiel later. But there's you're not here for yourself, right? The scripture says, "But for all them that seek learning," even just by your example, you'll say, "Well, I'm not a teacher." But by your example, there's something to be seen. There's something to be to be passed on to others. So, some may have a very good life here, but remember the judgment for this place. Many days of darkness are here for the unrepented. Those who don't repent and they don't make their name because it's that's the other side of it. You're looking at the name and you say, "Okay, you're thinking of the name and what other people think of you." Your good name and and it it's not to say that it's not important that your name is not good among the congregation. Scripture tells you, "Get the love of the congregation." I I quoted Thessalonians where it says, "Know them which labor among you and esteem them highly for their work's sake." But the name that you're building is the name for the Lord to see, right? That that that you navigated this place that you understood, right? you understood the assignment. And many of us lose track of that, especially I I I find the longer you're in this, the easier it is for you to move a certain way. And and there's a multitude of examples. Some behavior may not seem sinful on the surface, but there's a spirit behind it when you're always in the same situation and in the same I don't want to say calamity because those are strong words, but some of the things that are small and you guys should tackle and overcome, it's like a perpetual thing for you. And and I I'm telling you, nobody's a victim of their circumstances. Not not once we're empowered with these scriptures. Not when we're able to move that way. Right. Go ahead. Keep reading. Go into nine. But if a man live many years and rejoice in them all, yeah, let him remember the days of darkness. For they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity. All that cometh is vanity here. There's there's a darkness reserved in this place. There's there's whailing and nashing of teeth like the scripture says. There's wars, there's famines, there's pestilence, and you want to build and move like you're want to hold and establish this place up. This is a burning house and you're trying to make this your forever and your eternity. Right? So he says, "Remember those things." Go ahead. Come on. Rejoice, oh young man, in thy youth. Come on. and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes. But know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. Come on, read. Therefore, remove sorrow far from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh, for childhood and youth are vanity. Right? So, going back to what we started with in Ecclesiastes 7 and 1 and two, right? But especially birth one, he says, "Better is the day of your death." He said, "Childhood and youth are vanity because you have even less understanding and less a grasp of the nature of things and the course of this place and what's to come." He says, "So therefore remove sorrow from thy heart and put away evil from the flesh." So what's that mean? It sounds like he's contradicting himself. He's saying better is to mourn, better is to deal with this. The sorrow that he's talking about here is the evil. To remove sorrow from your heart. You don't want that ultimate end. Remove that sin. Remove that evil from you. Serve God with fear and reverence knowing the days to come. But your mind must always be mindful on that. Right? Let's go back to Ecclesiastes 7 and let's read two again. Ecclesiastes 7 and verse two. It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for that is the end of all men, and the living will lay it to his heart. Right? Like what we So basically what we just read in chapter 11, he's saying you lay it to your heart. The living will lay it to his heart. Go ahead. Come on. Sorrow is better than laughter. Oh, but he just said, "Remove sorrow from thee." I explained that. Go ahead. Come on. For by the sadness of the countenance, the heart is made better. What is being said here? Some of you are going to remember from the class if you remember. If not, you remember from the class though, right? So, see, I know you know the answer. What does he What does he mean? Sorrow is better than laughter. For by the sadness of the countenance, the heart is made better. The heart's the mind. Uh, Eleazar, try them real quick. Taking advantage of the questions early because later I'm just going to flow. Yeah. Uh, shalom leadership. It's going into u the sorrows, the curses that we go through on a daily basis. That's what makes her stronger than having a a joyful party having fun with people out in the world. Don't for don't I want a scripture Corinthians. Uh I can't get address but over here next to you. Sorry I forget your name, bro. Hosea. That's right. Hosea. I can't call the scripture, but is it going into the godly sorrow work of repentance? That's the answer right there. 2 Corinthians 7:10. 2 Corinthians 7:10 says, "Sorrow is better than laughter. For by the sadness of the counsel, the heart is made better." I, you know, I get questions on this chapter a lot. People are all confused. And remember, precept must be a prompt precept here, a little there, a little so you can understand the whole thing, right? And you know, and if you actually read just the whole chapter through, you kind of can get it. But the supporting precepts help. This is what he means by sorry. Doesn't mean you got to walk around sad all the time. You got to be all just miserable. Why are you feasting? Why are you having so much fun on the feast day? No, that's not what it's talking about. Read this. 2 Corinthians chapter 7 and verse 10. Come on.

For godly sorrow. Godly sorrow. Come on. Worketh repentance to salvation. Well, that's why sorrow is better than uh uh the laughter. Sorrow is better. He's saying because godly sorrow workketh repentance to salvation. This really what Solomon is trying to get through your head. Because what happened? He got caught up in the life. As wise as he was, he got caught up in the ve for him to say that he felt it. He lived it. He he for for a moment he let it get to him. The wealth, the riches, the women. Because if he didn't, why would he have started serving their gods? And he's, you know, damn, if if if the smartest man to ever walk the earth was able to succumb to that, who the hell are you?

So that's what he's telling you. But if but if he's really telling you if I had remained mindful of these things and still enjoyed the blessings that were given to me I might not have earned. This is this is introspective for him. And now he's sharing that knowledge for for for us to be able to have and pass on. Right? Again, read this in Second Corinthians again, and then we're going to go back to Ecclesiastes.

For godly sorrow workketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of. Right? He says that type of sorrow should not be repented of. Remember, he said the other sorrow, put it off. The scripture even tells us when we're mourning somebody, do it as they're worthy, but don't stay in that sad state because you'll bring yourself down, too. So, he's not saying don't be joyful, but he's saying don't make this place your rock, your stay, your foundation. And you would say, well, that's obvious, but is it really? Really? Examine yourself and where you're at in this walk and how you feel about things that the Lord has laid out. And like I said, I could get granular and talk about you might feel a way about an office. You might feel a way about a rule that we have. You might it all makes sense when you get your mind the way he's talking about here. And then you find joy in all those things and even in your day-to-day life, right? Yeah. Let's let's go uh let's go back. You want to finish it off, dude?

Yeah, finish. But the sorrow of the world workketh death.

Right? But the sorrow of the world walketh death. So now when we go back to Ecclesiastes 7 and 3, Ecclesiastes 7 and 3, sorrow is better than laughter. He means godly sorrow, right? Go ahead. Come on. For by the sadness of the countenance, the heart is made better. The heart is made better by the sadness of the countenance. All right. So, uh, keep reading. We're going to read down to six. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mercy. Right? So when he says the heart of the wise, now there's a switch. He's not saying stay mourning people that died. He's not saying stay in a state of perpetual sadness. But what do we mourn for? We mourn for Jerusalem. We mourn for the kingdom. I'm going show you that later. It says, "Because if we'd have been mindful of that country, we'd have had opportunity to return." So he's telling you your mind should be on mourning. I don't want no I don't want nothing else. I'm going to live my life here because I know that if I don't do these things, I won't be in the frame of mind and the health of spirit to obtain that. But my desire, the apple of my eye is that, not this. Go ahead. Come on. It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear the song of fools. For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity. Right? So he's using another example and he says, you know, you got people that laugh at everything inappropriate times, right? There's just so much. You've been in those situations like what what what's the laughter for in this moment, right? What what what the hell does that have to do? He says it's like thorns scraping against a pot. Right? And he's telling you this is also vanity. Go ahead. Come on. Surely oppression maketh the wise man mad. Right. They're saying this place should put you in a frame of mind that you say man. Right. Actually, before we go there, before we go there, guess 2 Ezra 16 and 40. So Ecclesiastes 7:1-6. Ecclesiastes 11:1-10. Really, I'm going to give you a summation of that in 2 Ezra 16:40 and 48 so you can understand it simply. 2 Ezra 16 and verse 40. Oh, my people, hear my word. Make you ready to the battle, and in those evils be even as pilgrims upon the earth.

Right? This is what he means. Be as pilgrims. What's a pilgrim? You understand that this is temporary, right? None of it is real. It's temporal. Go ahead. Come on. He that selleth, let him be as he that fleeth away. So is he saying don't sell? Remember I said earlier, there's people who like they don't they're not trying to do better. They're not trying to I'm not worried about making more money. And I'm not saying you chase money for the sake of money. Right? The scripture tells you that uh those that steal steal no more but labor so that you have to give to those that are in need. Right? Nobody ever thinks to those levels that all the layers of what we do helps the next layer take hold and shape and form as we build up. Right? Go ahead. Come on. And he that buyeth as one that will lose.

Right? So he's saying you do those things, but be ready. That's like the movie Heat. Right. I think Bishop was talking about it uh recently. Uh, there was last Sabbath class, and I know uh Bishop Yawasop brings this up uh too, and he says, don't ever be attached to anything that you can't walk away from in 30 seconds flat. That's what it's like here when the time comes. Are you going to stand for what the Lord says, or you're going to be so attached to something here that you're going to lose your faith? Right? Lose your religion, so to speak. Oh, is that the scene? Oh, go ahead. Play it. You want to add dramatic effect? Go ahead. One time. Don't let yourself get attached to anything. You are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat. If you feel the heat around a corner, now if you're on me and you got to move when I move, how do you expect to keep her a marriage? Well, that's an interesting point.

So, stop. Stop. So, they're having a dialogue there, and he's telling them because he knows he's married, right? And he's like, I don't mess with that stuff because I'm ready. Now, it's not to say that marriage is not good, but what it's saying is, which is what we're reading here, sell, but be like them that's not going to be able to get the stuff bought, right? All those things that we're going to continue to read, it's the same thing. Don't get attached to anything here that when the heat is coming, when the nuclear fire, the fire and the brimstone is coming, that you're going to make the wrong decision and say the wrong words. Right. Right. Looking back, right? That's that's basically what he's saying. Let's come back to where we were in the scripture. Come on. Verse 42. He that occupieth merchandise as he that hath no profit by it. And he that buildeth as he that shall not dwell therein. He that soweth as if he should not reap. So also he that planted the vineyard as he that shall not gather the grapes.

So what he's saying is do all these things, but be ready to walk away from it in 30 seconds flat. Go ahead. Come on. They that marry as they that shall get no children. Uh-huh. And they that marry not as the widowers. And therefore they that labor labor in vain. Right? Paul says something similar to what we just read in 44 in 1 Corinthians 7 when he says them that are married should be as if they're not. Right? And he says because why? You're going to serve the Lord more fervently. Okay? It does not mean you neglect the other and the responsibility that's there. Some brothers is weird. They want to do nothing with their wives and family. They're like, "No, man. I just I'm just going to hang with the brothers only." And I'm not saying be up under your wife's skirt all the time, right? But if you get married, there's there's things that you have to have there, right? Some of y'all just getting married and it's just like, all right, you know, just whatever. Right? Now, it'll never be enough for what the women want it to be. Right? And I'm not going to read it today, but that's why Solomon said, "Not one of a thousand women did he see meaning they they they never going to stand for the Lord the way us as men are innately going to stand for the Lord." Right? When I say innately, I mean we're endowed with that, right? Says, "The flock of my pasture are men." Right? Then and some going to be, "No, but I love the Lord and I'm fervent." I'm not saying you're not. I'm just telling you that the Bible says you're not on the level like the men are going to be when that comes to that, right? But be mindful of that. Don't don't they're never going to be satisfied with the amount of time that you give them. All right? They're just built different. That's what's set up. But don't be weird. Some of y'all don't want to do family stuff or anything like that. No, we don't got to put that up. Go ahead. Come on. I got a lot of scriptures, so go ahead. Come on. For strangers shall reap their fruits and spoil their goods.

Good snap. You can put that one. That's hilarious. What the hell? Did somebody put that on Facebook? Read that. Ladies kissing their men goodbye before they go to the men's conference. God, I know. But once upon a time, brothers was bringing their wives to men's conference, keeping them keeping them hidden in the hotel. Talk about bring your wife to a men's conference. Oh man. Go ahead. Come on. For strangers shall reap their fruits and spoil their goods. Right? Because you what you're he's saying anything you build here, right, is not established. There's no continuing city. What verse we at? 46. Come on. Overthrow their houses and take their children captives. For in captivity and famine shall they get children.

Right? So you have to understand that. For in captivity and famine will we get children. Here. Go ahead. Come on. And they that occupy their merchandise with robbery. The more they deck their cities, their houses, their possessions, and their own persons, the more will I be angry with them for their sins, sayeth the Lord. Right? So he says, "The more will I be." Meaning the ones that don't work to establish that kingdom here. Right? Remember, in the days of those kings, we're building something here. Some people are so caught up in everything else that they won't build like that. Let's get Luke 12:16. Luke 12 and 16. Luke 12 and verse 16. And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits, and he said, "This will I do. I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods."

Right? So he had his barns and he had his stuff and they were so full. He said, "Man, what do I do now?" He said, "You know what? I'm going to tear them down and build bigger ones so I can get more. Go ahead. Come on. And I will say to my soul, soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry." This goes back to the thought that Solomon said where he says, "The days of feasting are the end for all men." Good times create weak men, right? Hard times create strong men, and we need that hardness. There's It seems to me like there's an expectation, especially the men, shame on the men that get into the woe is me depress because life has been so hard for you, and then it spills over into the into the uh their actions in the truth and what they're doing in the mission and in the ministry. And the reason I say shame on you is because the Bible tells us what our portion is and how we should move. Right? That's just Tuesday and you acting like it's the hardest thing in the world. That's another Monday, right? Go ahead. Come on. But God said unto him, "Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee." Uh-huh. Then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided? Come on. So is he that layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God. What Solomon is really trying to tell us is that it is better to be rich toward God than focus on laying up treasure for yourself in this place. When his storehouse is full like that, what should he have done? Give to those who had need. Right? Cuz you read that in Acts where it says them that had houses and possessions and everything, they sold that. They didn't make themselves homeless. They distributed so that the apostles gave as they saw that there was need and that they was fit. We have to be rich to award God. And the only way that you're going to remember to be rich to a God is to be able to keep your mind in that mourning state. Live joyfully, but remember that this is all temporary. This is all temporary. It's temporal. Right? Romans 13 and 11. Romans chapter 13 and verse 11. And that knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep, for now is our salvation nearer than we believe. Right? You should have been mindful in knowing that. Right? And when we say nearer than we believe, don't look at it as so much how many years are left, but how much is happening and how much we're growing and how much the truth the waters are rising. That's where the mind should be. Go ahead. Come on. The night is far spent. Uh-huh. The day is at hand. You know what that reminds me of Ezra's where he tells them uh it was like 10:30 in Ezra's time, and now we're even closer than where we believe. This is all that's left, right? It says, "The night is far spent, the day is at hand." Come on. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Read. Let us walk honestly as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness. Not in rioting and drunkenness. Not in feasting. Go ahead. Come on. Not in chambering and wantonness. And I'm not talking about keeping feast days. I'm not talking about you don't celebrate certain things like that. He's This goes with what we just read in Luke. All right. Go ahead. Come on. Not in strife and envying, but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof. That's what it really means. Because when you're in feasting and you're in that mode, and you're so attached to this place, you open up to make provisions for the flesh. You open up to let those things creep in. And notice, he didn't just say feasting and rioting. He spoke about strife and envying as well. Those things are endemic in Israel. For something to be endemic means it's always present and it can easily spread given the opportunity. Envying and strife, all those type of things put you in the frame of mind that you're not looking to be kingdom-minded to build what needs to get built. Right? Let's go back Ecclesiastes 7. Ecclesiastes 7. Ecclesiastes 7 and verse 7. Come on. Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad. And a gift destroyeth the heart. Read. Better is the end of a thing. Sorry. Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof. And the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Come on. Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry. For anger resteth in the bosom of fools. So he's letting you know that patience, controlling your anger, all these things will move you away from where your mindset should be. Go ahead. Come on. Say not thou, what is the cause that the former days were better than these? Hey, that's what uh the angel told Ezra. Why are you thinking about the past and not what's to come? Go ahead. Come on. For thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this. Right? So think about this. Don't desire the past. We lost that. Right? We use that as an example so that we know right of how we should do. We show those who were faithful and how they were rewarded and those who weren't and what their end was. But we're supposed to acknowledge the present, right? And strive for the future. Meaning be here, live here, use the past as the example. Acknowledge the present times, but strive for the future. Come on, keep reading. Wisdom is good with an inheritance, and by it there is profit to them that see the sun. Right? So, I'm going to come back and explain 11 after we read 12. Go ahead. Come on. Verse 12. For wisdom is a defense, and money is a defense, but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.

So, to put this simply, money should not be your desire, right? We use it in a defensive manner. So when you look to obtain it and to do better, to get the better job, to have some money in savings, to build the inheritance like the scripture tells us that we must do, which we'll read later, right? We use it in a defensive manner, right? And both wisdom and money defend us, right? He's using the example of wisdom and money, inheritance and wisdom, to show you they're both a defense, right? Wisdom will defend you against evil and the sin to come, right? And money will defend you against poverty, homelessness, hunger, right? The multitude of things. But then it says, uh, wisdom is stronger than that cuz wisdom is good with an inheritance and buy it there profits to them that see the sun. Right? So he's saying do both. But it says wisdom is a defense and money is offense. But the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom giveth life to them that have it. Meaning if you have wisdom, money is not going to give you eternal life. Money's going to be like we read in Luke, they're going to come and take that. Sometimes you got family that's going to fight over that thing. Especially if you don't set that stuff up, right? Right. Get your things in order. Get your fair. I tell you, it don't matter how. I think we've been saying it for at least 10 years consistently for you brothers to get your affairs in order. And none of you have done it. I mean, I say none. It feels like it's almost none. Many of you have not. Many of you have not. Some of you still don't even incrementally have done anything. Some of you don't even have a burial policy, a life insurance policy, inheritance to your kids. Oh well, wife going to have to go to work if I Lord take me on one of these missions. You you you're not setting things up the right way. That's not that's not a mind that's moving in the right spirit. Especially brothers that travel often and you see how things are escalating as we travel. How how some people are coming at us, how these things are happening, and there's no provisions made. There's nothing set up. Right? That's the way you use money defensively. But it says wisdom is beyond all of those. Wisdom is beyond all of those. Right? Where we at? Uh verse 13 now. Read 13. Come on. Consider the work of God. For who can make that straight which he hath made crooked? Right? You're this place is not meant to be made straight. God made this place crooked. Remember, we saw it was vanity in the beginning. It's hollow. It's trivial. It's a sham. There's nothing we're going to do here. That's why it's not economics. It's not anything. Not to say that we don't have our economics and our order, but anybody that their solution is that let's pass legislation. Let's do this. Let's lobby our congressmen. What good has that done us till now? Especially Northern Kingdom getting a real heavy wakeup call with that now. And you look at all that stuff, none of that stuff's going to do you any good. Right? Go ahead. Come on. In the day of prosperity, be joyful. But in the day of adversity, consider. Right? So listen, understand something. This place is polluted and it will only be cleansed by fire. That's when it's going to be made straight. Right? Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. And now in verse 14, he says, "In the day of prosperity, be joyful, but in the day of adversity, consider." Come on. God also hath set the one over against the other to the end that man should find nothing after him. Consider all is in his hands. It's easy to be faithful when things are good. When things are prosperous, right? In the day of prosperity, he says, "Enjoy it. Enjoy it." But then when things go bad, he says, "Consider." All is in his hands. Easy to be faithful when things are good. And it's much harder when there's adversity to remain in faith. And it talks about that adversity. Let's get 1 Peter 5:8. I want to show you something dealing with this consider. I'm going to spend a couple minutes on consider. 1 Peter 5 and verse 8. Uh-huh. Be sober. Be vigilant because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour. Right? It says in the day of adversity, adversity comes from adversary, right? The the the root words are the same, right? So when you hear adversity, right? Says that means Satan is at play, right? So what is there to consider? He says in the day of prosperity to be joyful, right? But in the day of adversity, consider. Why? Because you're going to be susceptible to stumbling. Let's get Job. Let's read one and six. Consider the book of Job chapter 1 and verse 6. Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. Right? The devil, our adversary. Satan means adversary. Okay? Come on. And the Lord said unto Satan, he's Satan means the adversary. So in the day of adversity, understand where that's coming from. It is coming from God, but by the authority of God, it's Satan that's bringing that to you. Go ahead. Come on. And the Lord said unto Satan, "Whence comest thou?" Then Satan answered the Lord and said, "From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it." Right? Because his job is to maintain the state of this place. Right? Remember in Luke he said, "Unto me it is given," when he was tempting Christ, to give you all these things. Right? Go ahead. Come on. And the Lord said unto Satan, "Hast thou considered my servant Job?" Oh, there's that word. In the day of adversity, you need to consider, cuz guess what? In the day of adversity, you're being considered. God is seeing how you going to move, how you going to act. Are you Where is your faith going to be when those things happen? Go ahead. Come on. That there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one that feareth God and escheweth evil. Then Satan answered the Lord and said, "Doth Job fear God for naught?" Right? So he talks about the prosperity there. Remember, in a day of prosperity, enjoy it. But in the day of adversity, consider. Go ahead. Come on. Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Haven't you had him in prosperity? Easy. Easy to be devoted. Easy to be faithful when things are good. Go ahead. Come on. Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. Come on. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. Read. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power. Only upon himself put now forth thine hand. He said, just don't don't kill him. You could do whatever else, right? Meaning the adversary brings that adversity, and it's by God considering, right? So when I say consider, you got to consider when these things are happening. Why? I've often said it, a lot of you say you think it's happening to you instead of for you, and that small distinction is what's going to get you out of whatever funk, whatever type of mode that you're in. Right? Go ahead. Come on. So thou went forth from the presence of the Lord, right? To do his to do what he need to do. So consider, it says, right? It says, "And the Lord said unto say, consider," and I'mma get the uh the Gambit clip. This is from Deadpool, and it made me think of this. Hold on a second now. Before you play it, right? In the day of adversity, and those days of adversity that we all have, that's your opportunity. Remember the good name that we said in the beginning? That's your opportunity to make a name for yourself to the Lord. Whether it's going to be a good name or whether it's going to be a bad name and how you handled it, right? So maybe think of this scene here, right? Faced with adversity, this spirit we got to roll in. Come on. Oh, this is going to be good. You know how long I've been waiting for this? I'm about to make a name for myself here. I don't think you guys walk away from this. That's how you got to be in the day of adversity. Woo! Oh, you know how long I've been waiting for this? This is my opportunity to make a name for myself with the Lord. This is this is my opportunity to show what what I'm worth. It's like a fighter who trains. Any good fighter, he not afraid to get in the ring because that adversity, and he wants to fight the best because that's what he trained for. If not, what is it? It's BS. It's like the brothers that talk about how much they know how to fight. The ones that talk about how much they know how to fight, they don't know how to fight. I'm going tell you that right now. People who are built right, that are built for adversity, they just ready to go when it comes. And it's that opportunity to make a name for yourself. That's the mindset we got to have. And you can't have that unless you're thinking in that way, right? Unless you're moving in that way. Now let's go back to Ecclesiastes 7 and read 14 again. Ecclesiastes 7 and verse 14. In the day of prosperity, be joyful. But in the day of adversity, consider. Right? And consider meaning what? Realize that the Lord has told Satan, touch them. This is your chance to touch them, and let's see what they do. Go ahead. Come on. God hath also set the one over against the other. To the end that man should find nothing after him. Read. All things have I seen in the days of my vanity. In the days of his vanity. Solomon acknowledging that all those days of our life here are vanity. Go ahead. Come on. There is a just man that perisheth. Right. Letting you know that there's righteous men that die. Go ahead. Come on. In his righteousness. And there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness. Right? He's saying I've seen people that you would think unworthy of death. Why did they die, and this evil person is still here? Right? Go ahead. Come on. Be not righteous over much. So he's saying knowing that, be not righteous. There's another conf scripture that everybody get confused, right? Go ahead. Come on. Be not righteous over much. People like to use this to say, "Oh, you know, you're being you're being too much wanting to apply the commandments." No, that's not what that's saying. The scripture says, "Seek them 10 times more." Right? But go ahead. Come on. Neither make thyself overwise. Right? Meaning don't think that you got it all together so much. This is goes back to the very beginning of that mourning of that being in that frame of mind. Better is the mourning, better is the feasting. Enjoy the prosperity, but when the time of adversity comes, you have to consider all the things that were set in motion for you to be touched. You got to be like Gambit. Oh, you know how long I've been waiting for this, right? Very opportunities of adversity is an opportunity for you to make a name for yourself. It says, "Be not righteous over much, neither make thyself over wise." Come on. Why shouldest thou destroy thyself? Jump to verse 20. We're going to come back to explain it more, but this is really why this is what he's saying. Cuz remember right before we read it, he said there's righteous men that die and and evil ones that live longer. Go ahead. Come on. Verse 20. For there is not a just man upon earth. What he's really trying to remind you is that don't think that any of us have it together. There's not a just man on earth. Go ahead. Come on. That doeth good and sinneth not. Right. We all should be circumspect. So when you're righteous over much and you think you're over wise, you're not able to see the opportunities that you have to fix yourself, to build yourself. You're not able to consider that this was your opportunity to make a name for yourself in heaven. Right? And remember the scripts talk about the books are open, and then the book of life is compared to it. It's literally making a name for yourself every time. So every time you jack up, every time. And and I tell you, I've had brothers here talk about at least four and and and a couple are gone. They actually let it creep into their minds that I I don't know that I can continue to do this. Right? We talk about the battle fatigue. And remember, battle fatigue is that you're just tired of keeping the commandments. Some think, "Oh, it's battle fatigue that they're they're being slack in their offices and stuff like that." No, you're just a lazy nooker. Lazy nooker. But battle fatigue is that it gets it gets all the temptation of sin is around you and the pleasures of this place, and you don't want to you don't want to keep the laws anymore. It's me, the devil. Right. Right. That's exactly what it is. And let me tell you, you're in a very dangerous place when you're at that point where you're actually considering not being in this truth anymore. Yeah, like like like it's you're not considering where you at and you're not making the name for yourself that you should be making in those moments, right? Jump back up and read 16 and all the way straight down to 20. Verse 16. Be not righteous over much, neither make thyself over wise. Why shouldest thou destroy thyself? Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish. Why shouldest thou die before that time? Come on. It is good. It is good then. Excuse me. I'm sorry. It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this. Yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand. For he that feareth God shall come forth of them all. Right? So gold is tried in the fire, out of the wicked, out of the evil, out of the poor, out of the prosperous, out of those that have much adversity, that those that have lefts, them that fear God will come out of all of them. So, you can't sit there and say, "Damn, you know, this this person, they might not be they might not they might not make it in this. This is not for them, right?" Yeah. None of us can make that call. None of us can make that call. He says, "Them that fear of God, cut them out of the wall." He's saying, "Therefore, take hold of all these things that I've told you and think about that mourning. Think about that mindset and move in that spirit." Right? Go ahead. Come on. Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than 10 mighty men which are in the city. Come on. For there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not. Proverbs 24:16. Proverbs 24-16. Proverbs 24:16. For a just man falleth seven times and riseth up again, but the wicked shall fall into misery. This is what it means when it says there's not a a just man on the earth that sinneth not. Right? It's letting you know. But what happens is the difference is a just man rises again. He puts the sin behind him and he keeps pressing forward. He doesn't make excuses. He doesn't blame others. He doesn't blame life and its circumstances. He he analyzes all this and puts himself in a frame of mind to move in the right spirit with this stuff. Uh, let's get Psalms 39 and 5. Psalm 39 and 5. The book of Psalms chapter 39 and verse 5. Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth, and mine age is as nothing before thee. Verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. The best of us in our so so don't overthink yourself over wise and overrighteous. The best of us, we're all unprofitable servants. Remember that scripture where it says we are all unprofitable servants. When you've done something good and you've done something mighty, not saying you don't look and and take pride in a righteous accomplishment, but you move on from there. It says, "Because all of us, every man at his best is altogether vanity." Never forget the vanity. Then it says, "Sayah, say la." Praise the Lord. James 4:14. James 4:14. The book of James chapter 4 and verse 4. Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. Right? So vanity. Vanity. We don't know what tomorrow's going to bring. Come on. For what is your life? This is our life. Come on. It is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. Right? We're here for a small like a vapor. You know, like you ever have like a hot cup of coffee and you see the steam come up, right? Says it's there for a little bit and then it just vanishes away, right? Or or even if it's cold, you cold outside and you breathe out and you see the air, and then it just dissipates. It's basically what the extent of our life is. Vanity. Right? Go ahead, read the next verse. For that ye ought to say, "If the Lord will, we shall live and do this or that." Now, I've said this before. Some people might not. You hear us say, "Lord will. Lord will." That's where that comes from. That's biblical, right? Because that's an acknowledgment that our life is vanity. That our life is like a vapor. We say, "Lord will, Lord willth. Lord's will. I'm going to do this. Lord's will, I'm going to do that." Right? Get 1 Corinthians 7:31. But none of this means that we don't take full advantage of whatever the Lord has set for us here. 1 Corinthians 7 and verse 31. And they that use this world as not abusing it. Right? Use this world as a defense, but not abusing it. Go ahead. Come on. For the fashion of this world passeth away. The fashion of this world passeth away. Meaning we understand what the end of this place is. The fashion, the customs, everything that's here is going to be changed. Is that it on that verse? Yes, sir. Right. So, don't use the world as a defense, but don't abuse it. Right. So, now we have to remember that this is a place of exile. Right? This is a place of exile. But God said we should thrive here for a season. But he gave us instructions how we are to build. We are to plant. We are to seek peace in the cities. Right? Let me get the definition of exile so that we understand that. Go ahead, read. Exile. Expulsion. Expulsion from one's native land by authoritative decree. Right? So you know a lot of times we'll think we'll say my country, right? Because in this generation, that's where we were born, right? You know, Puerto Rico, I sto Mexico, right? Wherever it is, right? You you you talk about your country, but we're in exile. Our our country, our continuing city, we were banished from there. You read that in the beginning, right? Let's get Genesis 3 and 23. Genesis 3 and 23. Genesis 3 and verse 23. Best believe that this place, this present world that we're living in, we're in exile. Go ahead. Come on. Therefore, but there's opportunity to return. 3:23. Therefore, the Lord God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden. Sent Adam forth from the Garden of Eden. Come on. To till the ground from whence he was taken. To live in vanity. Die like men. We are gods, but we die like men. To work, to labor, to build. Go ahead. Come on. So he would So he drove out the man and he placed at the east. He drove out the man. That's exile. Go ahead. Come on. And he placed at the east of the Garden of Eden cherubims and a flying sword. A flaming sword. A flaming sword which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life. We cannot find it. We cannot go back. I mean, not the way that we think that we're just going to walk back, right? The car the the terrestrial is not going to inherit the celestial, right? Like you read in 1 Corinthians 15, there has to be a change in order for us to go back to our exiled land, right? So it's expulsion from one's native's land by author of decree. So we are in exile. We are in exile, and we need to keep that in our mind. Let's get Hebrews 11:15. Hebrews 11 and 15. Hebrews 11 and verse. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. We might if we'd have been mindful of it. This still goes with what we just finished spending all this time establishing the vanity, the mourning, the mourning that we need to be is mindful of it. Mindful of it. Use the past as a learning experience. And to be mindful of it goes back to what we read all the way in the beginning about knowing that we have a kingdom to receive, an exile to return from, that we take hold of grace and serve the Lord with fear and reverence. Read that one more time. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had an opportunity to have returned. We might have had opportunity to return. But right now, we have to do what needs to be done here. Let's get Jeremiah 29 and 5, cuz I don't want to get it twisted. Somebody see see dee was bringing out, you know, that means we don't got to do we don't got to do none of that stuff. I don't got to I'm going to put no money away. Savings. What we need savings for? The hell is this? Jeremiah 29 and verse 5. Build ye houses and dwell in them. Come on. And plant gardens and eat the fruit of them. Read. Take ye wives and beget sons and daughters. And take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters, that ye may be increased there and not diminish. Our job is not to be diminished here, but to increase. And we don't just increase by multiplying, having children. We increase by building the organized nation and have this great big machine that we're pulling forth so that we can be found worthy of that kingdom of heaven. Scripture says that we need to build these things, right? Go ahead. Come on. And seek the peace of the city whether I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it. For in the peace thereof shall ye have peace. Right? So we do like, yeah, you know, we ready for this. We ready for that? Yes. Good. But don't forget the other. Many men do not apply these scriptures here. Many men do not apply these scriptures here. And you're not setting up your family for for listen, men usually die before women typically, right? That's just how it goes. Okay? And that much more so that many of us are men on the front lines of this thing. And we would all like to die of old age, right, in a deathbed and say our goodbyes and all of that. But some of us are going to go on trips and never come back. Some of us uh are going to be taken uh even here in the streets teaching, whatever it is. Not that we were looking for it or that we incited, but you got to set these things up while we're here. Mindful of everything. We went over the mindful part. Now we're talking about actions that we got to take while we're here. Let's get Baruch 4 and 1. Baruch 4 and 1. Baruch 4 verse 1. This is the book of the commandments of God and the law that endureth for ever. All they that keep it shall come to life. Come on. But such as leave it shall die. Read. Turn thee, oh Jacob, and take hold of it. Walk in the presence of the light thereof. Of these of this Bible, of these commandments. Come on. That thou mayest be illuminated in this dark place. Read. Give not thine honour to another, nor the things that are profitable unto thee to a strange nation. How we should deal amongst each other. Come on. Oh, Israel, happy are we. Happy are we here now. Go ahead. Come on. For things that are pleasing to God are made known unto us. We have the opportunity to please God. Making that name for ourself here, right? Joy even in this captivity. Says, "Oh Israel, happy are we as a people." Let's get Mark 10 and 29. Mark 10 and 29. Mark chapter 10 and verse 29. And Jesus answered and said, "Verily I say unto you, there is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my sake and the gospel's, but he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and land."

So stop before we read the rest of that. My point that I want you to get here is we got to get out of that mindset that we shouldn't build things. We shouldn't establish stuff here. It says that those of us while we repent are going to receive now in this time houses, lands, sisters, brothers. We're going to have an increase while we're here. Happy are we because if we move showing things that are pleasing to the Lord. But remember what Solomon said, sometimes you win that good stuff. And when the time comes where adversity comes, where Satan comes to tempt you by the authority of God, we need to be able to consider and make that name for ourselves while we're here. But it don't mean like, oh, that means I could just I'm all right. You know, that goes to show you if you're comfortable and you're not seeking to make those situations better, to get yourself organized, you're not moving.

In the right spirit either. And you could think, well, I'm here. I'm doing this. I'm doing that. You're creating a level of instability that doesn't need to be there. That doesn't need to be there. Go ahead. Come on.

>> With persecutions, >> but you're going to get them with persecutions. Go ahead. Come on.

>> And in the world to come, eternal life. >> Right. And then after that, if you endure those persecutions, eternal life. Eternal life. Prosperity here too. If you can apply and if you can handle it. And if you can handle it, sometimes you got to stop and consider and say, "Damn, I'm not a good steward with the $35,000 a year job I have. Yet I want to make 60, 70, and 80,000. I can't take care of the $1,000 apartment, but I'm looking for a $2,000 mortgage for a house. I I I'm always getting eviction notices. Everything's jacked up. But yet, I want this stuff. You don't put the cart before the horse, so to speak, right? There's a process where you got to build yourself up in those things. Let's get 2 Ezra 7:14. So, we got to keep this all in perspective.

2 Ezra 7:14. 2 Ezra 7 and verse 14. If then if then they that live labor not to enter these straight and vain things.

>> Now the chief labor here is talking about repentance. Right? But it also means right remember it says straight and vain things. Read that part again.

>> If then they that live labor not to enter these straight and vain things. You think that if you live your life recklessly and irresponsible here, you're showing yourself a worthy leader to be over cities, to be over people. I I let me take it away from your from your home life and bring it to the school. Sometimes we have arms. We have offices where we have to budget and maintain disbbursements for kitchen and different things. You can't get that together and you think you're going to be put over five cities, 10 cities. You can't even manage one little congregation correctly. And it's not like you're alone. There's standards. There's ways that it should be done, but you rather rebel against it. Go ahead. Come on.

They can never receive those that are laid up for them. Right? So you if you cannot show yourself worthy here in this place that's vanity, how do you think you're going to receive the kingdom of heaven that's laid up for you? Go ahead. Come on now.

Therefore, why disquireest thou thyself, seeing thou art but a corruptible man?

>> Same type of thing that Solomon was kind of basically what he was saying in Ecclesiastes 7. You got to realize that we're all corruptible. Go ahead. Come on.

And why art thou moved whereas thou art but mortal? Read. Why hast thou not considered in thy mind this thing that is to come rather than that which is present?

Right? So keep it all in perspective. So like I said, uh we're not just a people meant to build, but we're meant to build, plant, marry, raise children, create and support not just your family, but each other as a nation. Blessings can manifest now, but your mind must always be on the kingdom. Right? So joy and righteous enjoyment have a place. Let's get Ecclesiastes 3 and 1.

Ecclesiastes 3 and 1. Ecclesiastes 3:1. To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to break down and a time to build up to everything. There is a season of these things and a time to every purpose under heaven. All of us through life will go through and experience all of these things. But then some of us act like it's the most trying times in the world. That's what I'm saying. Shame on a brother that can't handle something like this. Especially when you got a multitude of brothers that's going to nourish you in the scriptures to try to bring you and pull you out of that. Go ahead. Come on.

A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.

>> Right? So all of this, there's joy and righteousness. They have a place here and there's a time for all of them. Let's get Ecclesiastes 9 and 7.

Ecclesiastes 9 and 7. Ecclesiastes 9 and verse 7. Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart. For God now accepted thy works.

>> Right? But have acceptable works. Have acceptable works. Show your contrite spirit in repentance. And then you can enjoy these things. Go ahead. Come on.

>> Let thy garments be always white, >> meaning always keeping these commandments. The white garments represents purity, right? Come on. And let thy head lack no ointment. Meaning the scriptures, right? Have that in there. Hold that. Let's get uh 1 John 2:27. So you can see the head lack no ointment.

1 John 2 and 27. 1 John chapter 2 and verse 27. But the anointing which you have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that many men teach you, but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie. And even as he hath taught you, you should abide in him. You should abide in him. Keep the commandments. So when it says, "Let thy head lack no ointment." And when it says, "Let thy garments always be white," that's going into Revelation 3:18, right? Where you put on your white garments. So, it's saying in these things always maintain the faith. Always maintain the keeping of these commandments. Go ahead. Come on.

We're going to read to 10.

>> Go back.

>> Ecclesiastes 9 and verse 9. Uh-huh.

>> Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity.

>> Come on.

>> Which he hath given thee under the son. All the days of thy vanity. For that is thy portion in this life and in thy labor which thou takest under the sun. That's our portion, right? And that's for those who are married. It's meaning enjoy your family, live joyfully, right? But just remember that all days are vanity. Go ahead. Come on.

>> Whatsoever thy hand find it to do, do it with thy might.

>> Right? Whatever it is, it says whatsoever. It doesn't say, "Oh, only the flyer missions only this. Whatever you do, do it with your might." Go ahead. Come on. Do it with thy might. For there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave whether thou goest. This is the place to do it. This is the place to make the name for yourself. Let's get Sarak 14 and 11.

Sarak 14 and 11. Sarakap 14 and verse 11. My son, according to thy ability, do good to thyself and give the Lord his due offering.

>> Right? So a lot of people, let me tell you, it says according to thy ability, do good to thyself. That's written in the scripture. If all the scriptures are commandments, right? It's letting you know some, again, some people have this mindset of, you know, yeah, this is just what it is. Seek good. Seek to do good to yourself, right? And and notice it says uh according to diability. According to diability. That means don't be getting in debt to try to buy possessions and things like that. Don't be going crazy about any of that stuff. Whatever your to do good to thyself. And firstly, it starts the the good that you do is these law, statutes, and commandments. But I don't know where this mindset cames from that you know what I'm saying. So if you want to take care of yourself, take care of yourself. Right? The scripture teaches you that. Go ahead. Come on.

Remember that death will not be long in coming and that the covenant of the grave is not showed unto thee.

>> Right? And you have to realize it. What is the covenant of the grave? What is the covenant of the grave? Go ahead, Asher. For the sake of time, >> meaning whenever whenever you're going to die, that's not revealed unto you. You don't know when you're going to die. That death is coming regardless inevitably.

>> Let me try a Shia. We those who keep God's laws are going to get eternal life. Right? But let me show you the covenant of the grave. Let let's get Isaiah 28:15.

Isaiah 28:15- 16.

>> Isaiah 28 and verse 15. This still goes with remember how we were talking about the feasting will will mess you up, right? It'll put you in a frame of mind where uh you're not considering was there for us, right? Go ahead. Come on.

>> Isaiah 28:15. Because you have said, >> "We have made a covenant with death." >> We have made a covenant with death. >> Why? By staying in sin and seeking and desiring what the other nations want. Right. Go ahead. Come on. And with hell are we at agreement.

>> And with hell are we at agreement. Come on.

>> When the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us. For we have made lies our refuge, >> and under falsehood have we hid ourselves.

>> Keep reading. Therefore, thus sayeth the Lord God, behold, lies that our refuge goes into sin, false religions, false ideologies that have nothing to do with what the Bible says, right? the fashions of this world pass away. Go ahead. Come on.

>> Therefore, thus say the Lord God, behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation.

>> Right? So, if we follow Christ, that sure foundation, then the covenant that we made with death will be anold and we'll be able to go ahead and obtain eternal life. All right? If we don't lean on that, keep reading. He that believeth shall not make haste.

>> Right? So if you believe, you won't be afraid because you realize that death cannot touch you. What we call death, that's not the death that the Bible's talking about. The death of the body is not the same thing as the death of the soul. Right? Go ahead. Come on.

Judgment also will I lay to the line.

>> Uhhuh.

>> And righteousness to the plummet, and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. and your covenant with death shall be disanolled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand. When the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trotten down by it. If you don't repent, if you don't accept Christ, if you don't build on that shore foundation, you're going to be washed away with this place. You're going to be caught in the fire and the heat if you don't fix that. Right? That's why when we go back to Ecclesiasticus, right? 14. Read this again.

>> Ecclesiasticas 14 and:12. Remember that death will not be long in coming.

>> Remember that your mortal death will not be long in coming. Go ahead. Come on.

>> And that the covenant of the grave is not showed unto thee.

>> Those righteous don't die. The righteous never die. And the covenant of the grave where you will be destroyed with the rest of this place and all the evil here doesn't apply to those that have that sure foundation, that chief cornerstone, right? And that lean on that. Go ahead. Come on.

>> Do good unto thy friend before thou die.

>> And according to thy ability, stretch out thy hand and give to him.

>> And notice it always says according to thy ability. Nobody's expecting more than what you're able to do. But you can be honest with yourself of what you're really able to do. Go ahead. Come on. Defraud not thyself of the good day. Come on.

>> And let not the part of a good desire overpass thee.

>> Right? So don't defraud yourself of that good day. Let's get 1 Timothy 6:17.

1 Timothy 6:17. 1 Timothy chapter 6 and verse 17. charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.

>> So, meaning that there's going to be some of Israelites that are going to have what's considered richness or or a measure of wealth, right? And it says they're charged, they're given an extra charge that they be not high-minded, right? And not trust in uncertain riches. It's basically saying the same thing we read all the way from the beginning in Ecclesiastes 7. Go ahead. Come on.

But in the living God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. Meaning enjoy the blessings while you're here. There are some good things that are here. But don't make this place your refuge, your indulgence. Right. Go ahead. Come on.

>> That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute.

>> Hold on. I think I only want Yeah, we're going to read till 19. Go ahead. Keep reading. willing to communicate, laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life.

>> Right? So that's why that you won't have that covenant of the grave. You're not going to stay dead, right? We have eternal life. We will be where either we're regenerated or we'll be the first to rise in Christ when he returns, right? If you lay yourselves a good foundation, that good foundation is Christ. What we just read, that cornerstone, right? Let's get Nehemiah 8 and10.

Nehemiah 8 and10. Nehemiah chapter 8 and verse 10. Then he said unto them, "Go all your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared."

>> Uhhuh. For this day is holy unto our Lord. Neither be ye sorry, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. Right? The joy of the Lord is our strength. It's telling you enjoy those feast days. Enjoy those times that you have together. The joy of the Lord is our strength. Right? That's and the strength is Christ that chief cornerstone like we read in Isaiah 28:16. Right? So we straddle the line. Don't let this lead to worldliness. Right? Just because I'm saying that and showing you that we can build, we can enjoy, we can do those things, don't let those things lead to worldliness. Let's get 1 John 2 and 15.

1 John 2:15. I told you it's a lot of scriptures today.

>> 1 John chapter 2 and verse 15. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.

>> Uhhuh.

>> If any man love the world, the love of the father is not in him.

>> And you need to be able to have that mind where you reflect. We laid the foundation in the beginning with Ecclesiastes 7, Ecclesiastes 11, how you can do that. But you really got to sit and ask yourself, do I love the world? Idolatry is very heavy because most of us think of idolatry and we think of praying to a statue, praying to a cross, praying to a false god. Idolatry is anything that you want that God says should be different. Really is the levels of idolatry when you look at that. Where's that where uh Christ told Peter that he would be killed and he said, "No, Lord."

>> They told him, "Get behind me, Satan." Get that real quick as an example of what I'm saying.

>> Oh, and he will be killed.

>> He Yeah. He says, "Get behind me, Satan." You know what I said at? Somebody look it up. So when it says, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world." Remember that goes back to what I said, using the world but not abusing it, right? And having your mind set up that you put everything in in the right frame and in the right space, right? And it says, uh, if any love the world, the love of the father is not in him. Is not in him. Did you get it?

>> Yes, sir.

>> Where we at? Matthew 16 and verse 21.

>> Okay. Matthew 16. Uh, hold on. I think I want to read a little above it when he explains it to him first. Hold on. Let me get there, too. I'll let you know which one I want. Uh, no. Yeah, start at 21. That's it. Go ahead.

>> Matthew 16 and verse 21. From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples how that he must go, >> how that he must how that he must Come on. He must go unto Jerusalem and suffer many things of the elders and the chief priests and scribes and be killed and be raised again the third day.

>> Come on.

>> Then Peter took him and began to rebuke them.

>> So he just explained to them and showed them, meaning he used the scriptures and showed them, this is what God's will is for me. But Peter loved him so much that he said what? But Peter took him and began to rebuke him, saying, "Be far from thee, Lord. This shall not be unto thee."

>> Right? You would think, "Oh my God, such compassion." Right? He loves his brother. He don't want him to go. Right? What was Christ's response?

>> But he turned and said unto Peter, "Get thee behind me, Satan. Thou are an offense unto me, for thou savorest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men." you that see how subtle that first John is of loving the world because if he really understood in that moment he will realize man I'mma see you again Christ in your full glory sitting on thrones next to you governing the 12 tribes but he got so caught up in the moment that he could not accept and what did Christ say he would like you No, he didn't hug him and say, "I understand, my brother. I know. I know that you love me and you don't want me to go."

>> He said, "Get behind me, Satan. This is an offense. I just showed you what must happen to me." That's idolatry.

>> That's idolatry. It's not easy. I'm not saying it's an easy pill to swallow like they say, but it's it's what God it's what God commands, right? Let's go back to 1 John 2:15.

1 John 2 and verse1 15. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the father is not in him.

>> For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the father, but is of the world.

>> Come on.

>> And the world passeth away. You have to remember that as as much as this stuff is enticing, it's going to pass away. It's all vanity. Go ahead. Come on.

>> And the lust thereof. But he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.

>> The covenant of the grave don't apply to those that do the will of God.

>> There is no end. It's just an end to the fashion of this place the way it's fashioned now. And the Bible tells us that it's out of course. All the foundations are out of course. It's not fashioned right. As pleasurable as there might be things here that seem, whatever it is that you enjoy, even if it's not sinful stuff, it's not fashioned right. I love pizza. Can you imagine how great pizza is going to taste in the kingdom of heaven?

>> Yes. I know I'm being simple, but my point is my point is, >> right, my point is you have to realize that this place is meant to pass away, right? This is vanity. This is vanity. Let's get wisdom of Solomon 1 and 12.

Wisdom of Solomon chapter 1 and verse 12. Seek not death and the error of your life.

>> Come on. And pour and pour not upon yourselves destruction with the work of your hands.

>> Right? Meaning you it the name you make for yourself is can either lead to death or to eternal life. Here go ahead. Come on.

>> For God made not death, neither had he pleasure in the destruction of the living.

>> Oh man. He said God made not death. Meaning what? Death came into the world by sin. We did that.

>> We did that. It was never supposed to be that way. Right? You read that. It says the edges of the elder world were wide as sure and they brought forth immortal fruit. It he didn't he didn't make it that way as a result of what we did. This is what it is. Right? So don't seek that covenant of the grave because what he wants for us is life. Let's go to Matthew 6 38 33.

Matthew chapter 6 and verse 33. I I wrote my note wrong. It says uh yeah 33

>> Matthew 6:33. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness

>> and his righteousness,

>> and all these things shall be added unto you.

>> When when Christ is your foundation and all those things are set up, then all the other things of the building, the children, the blessings, that'll be added unto you. And if it's not, you got to start thinking, what am I doing in error? Let's get Proverbs 7:2.

Proverbs 7 and2. >> Proverbs chapter 7 and verse two. Keep my commandments and live.

>> Uhhuh.

>> And my law as the apple of thine eye.

>> That should be what's first for us. When it says seek ye first, the law should be the apple of our eye. That's what we should do on. That should be our chief desire, right? Anything else is being death minded is being minded of that covenant of death. Let's get Romans 8 and 6.

Romans 8 and 6. Romans chapter 8 and verse 6. For to be carnally minded is death.

>> To be carnally minded is death. Come on. But to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

>> Right? That's the covenant with death. To be carnally minded. to be carnally minded. So joy is not the same thing as indulgence. I said it's a fine line that we walk. Let me get the definition of indulgence right. Indulgence, the act or practice of indulging. Gratification of desire.

>> Gratification of your desires is very different than having joy. Joy is an enjoyment and a happiness of things of the Lord. To gratify a desire is an indulgence. And let me tell you, the world is full of indulgences. Let me put it simply for you this way, and I'm going to use food as an example. Having a serving size of Oreos can be very joyful. Eating a row of Oreos is an indulgence that's not good for you, right? It's easy to understand that, right? When we look at it that way, I'll give you another one. Alcohol. Cuz some of you, some of you are wine bibbers. Having a drink, a drink once in a while is having joy in wine and mirth. Having a habit whether it weekly or daily that you have to drink is indulgence. It's different. It's different. And it's a fine line. You're like, "No, I'm just enjoying I got it under control. Just enjoying a drink." And then you don't even realize where you've gone to and and and what you've done. And you got to build yourself to that. You got to build yourself to be able to turn away from those things, whether it's the cookies or the alcohol, whatever it might be. All right? And just be able to say no. If there's this thing that you feel it's a ritual or a habit, I knew a brother that was here and before I found out that he was a heavy alcoholic, I didn't think much of it. Whenever I used to travel with him, he said, "Oh, I have a tradition. I have to have a Bloody Mary whenever I'm at the airport. And then years later when I found out that he was an alcoholic, I said, "Damn, that's a gateway. You think it's something small, but if you have to, you know what I'm saying? Like if you go out to dinner and you have to have a drink whenever you go out to dinner, I'm just saying you got to look at it. You You examine where you're at and where your strengths are and be honest about it. Only Only you really know where you're at. But you got to buy your bottle every weekend. you look forward to the drinking, what are you what are you really what are you really doing? And likewise, it's the same thing with anything of the desires of this world and this life and what you're really building, right? Or it could be food like this guy right here, right?

>> You know, so Oh my goodness. Oh my gosh. Right. Gratification. That's indulgence, right?

>> And it's not just the food and the drink. I'm using those as examples because it's like easier for us to wrap our minds around that. But you'll see the choices that you make, right? When other things come around, what are you choosing? What are you choosing? Um, where we at?

>> Romans 8.

>> That was Romans 8. No. So, our joy must always align with these laws, God's will, and be kingdom minded. So, I want to talk about something. Look up derealization. I said that sometimes some of us if you think about it I think most people can relate to this. You go through this time where this is different from depression, right? I've gone over depression when I went over the wounded soul and the spirits that you deal with with things like depression. Derealization we're going to read about and you have a feeling that happens about life maybe maybe about the dayto day, right? Some people say, "Gosh, it just feels like such a grind. just so tired of you might not even hate your job or you're just tired of I gotta wake up again. I gotta do this same thing again. I gotta go through all these steps again. And it doesn't necessarily feel like sadness. It's just a discontentment, right? Well, they have a name for it. And I'm going to show you that that's actually not a bad feeling so long as you don't succumb to it, right? Use those opportunities when you feel that way to realize that that's a sign that we're in this world but not of this world. And there's a disconnect that happens. Uh scientists and psychologists and stuff call it derealization. Let's read this. Derealization is a dissoc >> disassociative >> disassociative symptom characterized by a persistent feeling. showive symptom characterized by come on by a persistent feeling of detachment from one's surroundings making the world seem unreal distorted or dreamlike and sometimes I don't know may you may all experience it differently but there's just something and it's like you know what I can't really point to things aren't even really that bad right now I just feel like the hell is this right it's just hard to put your finger on it Right? There's an awareness that we have that all this is it's almost like a simulation, right? The way it said like this ain't real, right? I've said this before. There is no spoon, right? It's like the matrix. So, let's read some of the symptoms. Symptoms. Feeling disconnected from the environment.

>> Sense of unreality or detachment. World appears flat, muted, or lacking depth. objects may appear dis disorded or unfamiliar.

>> Now, that's in some severe cases, right? Some people even feel like, you know, like colors don't seem as bright, everything's kind of muted, right? So to speak. Go ahead. Come on.

>> Time may seem slow down or sped up, difficulty concentrating or focusing, emotional numbness or detachment.

>> And that's a big one. The first one and the last one, I think, are are what generally most people will feel in what they call derealization. I'm going to show you in the Bible that that's a good thing when you have that feeling. It's not an opportunity for you to be depressed, but it's an opportunity for you to come back and apply everything I've said up until this point and showed you in the scriptures.

Um, go ahead. Causes >> causes derealization can be caused by various factors including stress or trauma. Significant stressful events can trigger derealization.

>> And I don't even mean stressful in the present. Remember uh there's something called transgenerational trauma and just the trauma that we've been through as a people gets kind of passed on and it can be triggered in us. Right. Go ahead. Come on.

>> Mental health conditions, depersonalization, derealization disorder, anxiety disorders and depression can cause derealization.

>> Uhhuh. Now notice they call them mental health conditions because conditions can be changed. When you say it's a disease, it implies that you're helpless, right? Go ahead. Come on.

>> Medical conditions. Certain medical conditions such as migraines, seizures, and head injuries can also lead to derealization.

>> Now, remember, the soul resides in your brain, right? You read that in wisdom of Solomon 9. And if something's not right up in the dome, there's going to be spillover, right? And you'll see these and experience these type of things. I'm talking about spirituality, right? There's a spiritual realm and there's spiritual things that happen, right? And sometimes it seeps in. Go ahead. Come on. Substance abuse or excuse me, substance use. Drugs and alcohol can induce the realization as a temporary effect.

>> And most drugs and definitely alcohol is actually their depressants, right? You think that you get, oh, I get happy and I'm in my murf when I drink. Alcohol actually depresses your nervous system and everything. And not in a good way, right? Some people say, oh, let me have a drink before I go to bed. I mean th those of you those of you who who are rocking the Whoop and have got on the Whoop train, you see you see what one drink does to your sleep.

>> True, >> right? And you thinking, damn, I drank so that I could have a good sleep. It's not good sleep, right? It's it's not. So, I'm not going to go into the treatment other than addressing underlying causes, right? Because they're going to give you medications, they're going to give you psychotherapy, but let's read. Addressing underlying causes.

>> Addressing underlying causes. If the realization is caused by an underlying medical condition or substance use, treating these issues is essential. Right? So you brothers that can't stop drinking and are always depressed. If you got yourself in whatever m ideally you build yourself in the scriptures and you don't got to deal with it. But some of you are so prideful and you love your alcohol so much that you won't even try to go to like a a program for alcohol.

>> Stop it. Get some help.

>> You know, yes, they have some mechanisms there that might But if obviously the scriptures ain't enough for you, maybe you got to start with something like that to build yourself up and then you keep relapsing into it and then it creates this domino effect. That's why I say most people drink or do the drugs and there's something more and then it just exasperates it and then you're caught in this vicious cycle and you can never recover yourself. You're never finding the joy of the Lord. And I'm telling you the seeking the peace of the Lord and the joy of the Lord will help you from that. Right? Some people's going to do it in drugs and then you seek to justify those type of behaviors, right? When it comes to derealization. But I'm going to tell you that that's actually a feeling that you should get in sync with and realize what it really is spiritually. Remember I said it's different than depression. They said depression triggers that the realization is something different. Let's get Ezekiel 9 and4.

Ezekiel 9 and 4. Ezekiel chapter 9 and verse 4. And the Lord said unto him, "Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh, and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof." And to so is an awareness of how hollow this place is, the vanity of this time and the fashion of this world. And what you need to do is embrace that feeling and say, "Man, you know what? It's not It's okay to feel that way." Because guess what? This is exile. The reason you feel that way is because this is not your rest. Do you hear me? Do you understand what I'm saying? The reason you turn to the bottle, to your vices, and all that stuff is because your soul knows that this is not your rest. But instead of using the medicine of the scriptures and finding joy in the Lord to recover you from that, you indulge and you gratify your desires of the alcohol and everything else. And you think that it helps you temporarily, but what it does is it makes it worse. And you expose yourself spiritually. It's a spiritual battle. And you let more of the hooks of those evils get inside of you till it gets to a point where you cannot overcome it. and you relapse in it over and over rather than saying, "Man, I'm supposed to feel this way." All praise is that you can acknowledge that and realize that you feel that way because you're seeing something for what it is. I think I've used the example before. There's the Animatrix, right? And there's a scene with this track runner, right? And whenever he's running and he's sprinting, he starts to see signs of like he knows something's wrong. He feels something's off in him and he and he knows that he realizes that there's something not right here. And when he's sprinting is when he realizes that he might be able to escape from it. And then they realize in the programming that he's doing it and they snap his quads and his hamstrings and he can't run no more. So he can't connect to that anymore. Right? So that's the it's called world record. It's the segment on Animatrix and the agents come back and pull him back from that. But he basically starts experiencing derealization. You wouldn't think he had to. He's a top USA sprinter. Has everything going for him, but he's depressed. He realizes something's not right. And it's when he's running that he realizes that he's connected to it. And instead of running away from it and drowning it with alcohol, he tries to run towards it more. But the agents, right, which is Satan and sin pull him back into it. Right? So, for the sake of time, I don't think I'm going to show it because I got a few more scriptures and uh I want to make sure I get through the rest of this. If maybe we have time at the end, I'll show it because it's a short clip, but I want to get through the rest of these verses. All right, let's go back to Ezekiel 9 verse four again and read four again.

Yes. Ezekiel 9 and 4. And the Lord said unto him, "Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst of."

>> Remember, a pressure of a wise man mad. So you see this stuff and it makes you have a feeling about this place. Go ahead. Come on.

>> And to the others he said in my hearing, "Go ye after him through the city and smite. Let not your eyes spare, neither have you pity. slay utterly old and young, both maids and little children and women, but come not near any man upon whom is the mark, and began at my sanctuary. Then they be then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.

>> Right? So we're not running around destroying anybody, but what he's the way we do that is what we show them their sin. We shake the hand, right? And we tell them the the error that they're in and that the ways thereof are the ways of death, right? So this stuff is supposed to keep us sharp, right? And not drink the Kool-Aid. Those derealization moments is so that you don't get caught up in the in the in the cares of this world,

>> right? That's why I say you should embrace those things and not take them as some sort of cycle of depression. Nobody who's trusted in the Lord and has applied what these scriptures said has ever been left for not and has not experienced joy and happiness. Yes, some of us have a written end, right? The disciples died a horrible death. That was meat for them. That's what they were supposed to do. Some of us have that ordained for us, right? We don't know the manner in which we're going to die, which we're going to pass. But you have to realize that those moments are there for us to see that. And what Ezekiel 9 is really showing us is that we need to be able to be wise to see the evil that's around us. Right? That's what Ecclesiastes 7:7 is saying. pressure make of a wise man mad because you see the evil and derealization really is an extension of that. Okay, spiritually. I'm talking about spiritually. I know you might have people clinically, no that's not what it is. We got to give them anti-depressants or whatever it is, right? But then notice what it said. You have to realize it says and begin at my sanctuary for judgment. Let's get that in 1 Peter 4:17. Judgment has to begin at the house of Israel. So us especially are very in tune to experiencing and feeling these type of things.

First Peter chapter 4 and verse 17. For the time has come that judgment must begin at the house of God.

>> Come on.

>> And if it first begin at us, what should the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

>> This is the considerations that we have to have. Come on.

>> And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

>> Read. Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God.

>> Let look at that. Let them that suffer according to the will of God. Come on. Commit the keeping of their souls to him in welloing.

>> In welloing. In welloing. Come on.

>> As unto a faithful creator.

>> Because why is he faithful? Because he promised us if we did those things what would be the reward after it. So saying when you feel those things you got to commit yourself more. And if you find yourself not able to do that, the issue is really with you and what you really want to establish and maintain and and where you stand and and you you vacasillate between both sides of that line. And you can't play that game for too long without getting burned, without getting touched. And there's a cost to your soul each time you play around with that. Let's get uh Ezekiel 9 again. And this time I want uh we're going to read 7 through 11.

Ezekiel 9:7. And he said unto them, defile the house and fill the courts with the slain. Go ye forth. And they went forth and slew in the city. And it came to pass while they were slaying them. And I was left that I fell upon my face and cried and said, "Ah, Lord God, will thou destroy all the residue of Israel, and thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem?" Then said he unto me, "The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness. For they say, "The Lord hath forsaken the earth, and the Lord seeth not."

>> Right? We have to be mindful of the the great sin and the great traitorous way that we've dealt with the Lord. Right? Go ahead. Come on. And as for me also, mine eyes shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head.

>> Right? If we don't build ourselves, if we don't apply these things, what waits for you is that recompense. Come on. And behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the inorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou has commanded me.

>> All of this stuff is being recorded so that we know who's going to be right and obtain that. And who's going to who's not going to face the covenant of the grave and who is going to face the covenant of the grave. Right? Let's get Hebrews 13:14. We have read it earlier. I want to bring it back again. And then after that, let's get Hebrews 11 and 25.

Hebrews 13 verse14. Hebrews 13 and verse14. For here we have no continuing city.

>> You have to you have to hold on to that. There's nothing here for us that's long term. Go ahead. Come on.

But we seek one to come. But we seek one to come. Hebrews 11:25. Hebrews 11:25, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Right? Remember, he it's a choice that we make. Just like Moses had to choose it, we choose it. Anything you do here is for a season. Whatever you decide to enjoy when it says the pleasures of sin for a season, that's the indulgence. That's the fine line between joy and and supporting this world. And it's only for a season. The fashion of it will pass away. Pleasures of sin will resist it. Everything is temporary. That's what temporary comes from temporal, right? From temporal. You read that in the scriptures. Let's get temporal. Meaning that it's only for a time, right? Go ahead. Let's read the definition of temporal.

>> Temporal of or relating to time. Uh-huh. >> pertaining to or concerned with a present life or or this worldly.

>> See, they even know that this is pertaining temporal means pertaining to this present life and it's temporary. Read the third one.

>> Enduring for a time only.

>> Come on.

>> Temporary. Transitory.

>> Transitory. Transitory meaning what? that we are only here for a transition, but we act like it's our rest. We act like this is a place that we're going to continue on in. And I'm talking about even us in here sometimes lose sight of that. And we don't realize that everything here is temporary. When someone passes, when the time comes for us to pass, whatever it is, it was always meant to be just for a period of time. And if our mind stays on that mournful aspect and that godly sorrow aspect, you'll be able to experience joy and not get caught up in the trappings of this place. Right now, kingdom-minded alignment, right? We must have contentment, peace, and endurance in this walk. Let's get Philippians 4:11.

Philippians 4 and 11. Philippians 4 11. Not that I speak in respect of want, for I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

>> Right? So you you have to learn that no matter what's going on to find contentment in that. Sometimes something's not going to disappear. I'm not saying the things that you're going through or whatever you're struggling with is going to be from one day to the next. But you have to find a spirit of contentment, right? Even here while we're here. Okay. Uh keep going. We're going to 13. I know both how to be abased and I know how to be how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry. Both to abound and to suffer need.

>> Meaning you need to know and take advantage of the days of prosperity and consider in the days of adversity. Go ahead. Come on.

>> I can do all things through Christ which strengthenth me.

>> Right? And if you believe that, if you believe that, you'll take away all your excuses. And that's where the faith comes into play. It's easy to be faithful when things are good. It's much harder to have faith when things are are are times of adversity, when things are bad. And it says through Christ which strengthens you, you can do all these things. Sarak 30 and 23.

Sarah chapter 30 and verse 23. Love thine own soul, and cover thy heart. Remove sorrow far from thee. For sorrow hath killed many, and there is no profit therein.

>> Right? So, it's telling you here that derealization, whatever it is that you deal with, however down you get, it says, "Love your own soul." Love it. Read that verse again. Love thine own soul, and comfort thy heart. Remove sorrow far from thee, for sorrow hath killed many, and there is no profit therein.

>> Come on. Envy and wrath shorten the life, and carefulness bringeth age before the time. Read.

>> A cheerful and good heart will have a care of his meats and diet.

>> Right? Because there's compounding effects. These things like to roll together. Okay? So, how do you love your own soul? Well, that goes into the kingdom-minded aspect. Don't do or allow anything to take your birthright and kingship. Don't do or allow anything to come in. And we've just read all the scriptures.

It tells you that if you stay on those things, you're gonna wind up losing it. Let's get Revelation 3:11. Almost done. Almost done. A few more verses. Well, Revelation chapter 3 and verse 11. Come on. Behold, I come quickly. Page flip. Sorry. Revelations 3:11. Behold, I come quickly. Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Hold what you have so that no man take your crown. Don't let no man take your crown. Don't do or allow anything that's going to take your birthright and kingship away from you. 2 Ezra 6:27. 2 Ezra chapter 6 and verse 27. Understand this and believe this. Come on. For evil shall be put out and deceit shall be quenched. That's what's going to happen here. Come on. As for faith, it shall flourish. You're going to see the faith flourish among us. Come on. Corruption shall be overcome because that's what it is. Your alcohol problems, your sadness, your depression. That's corruption in your soul. Go ahead. Come on. And the truth which has been so long without fruit shall be declared. Right? So be content, be joyful, seek peace always, endure, and have a spirit of gratitude always while we seek God's promises. John 16-22. John 16 and 22. John chapter 16 verse 22. And you and you now therefore have sorrow, but I will see you again. And your heart shall rejoice, and joy no man taketh from you. Right? Don't let no man take joy from you. Don't let no man taketh joy from you. Right? And we understand that there's you got people that are just what do they call them? Uh like they're like soul snatchers. They just come in. They just I'm thinking of several brothers too that I that you just spiritual vampires. That's what they are. The spiritual vampires. That's the word. James 1 and two. James 1 and two. Woe is me. The book of James chapter 1 and verse two. My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptation. Right. For why count it all joy? Just like Gambit said. Oo, I've been waiting for this. I'm going to make a name for myself. Come on. Knowing this, that the trying of your faith workketh patience. The trying of your faith. That's really what's going on. Remember I said it's happening for you and not to you. The trying of your faith workketh patience. Come on. But let patience have her perfect work. Ah, but you got to let that patience do its thing. Come on. That you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. And that's up to you to build yourself in that to move in that spirit. Romans 5 and3. This is how you love your own soul. All these verses is how you love your own soul. Go ahead. Come on. Romans 5:3. And not only so, but we glory in tribulation also. Knowing that tribulation workketh patience. Tribulation workketh patience. Come on. And patience experience. Oh, come on. And experience hope. Right. Because experience, remember I said it's that it's like that fighter that's ready. This is what you train for. So now it's time to apply it. Go ahead. Come on. And hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Which is given unto us. The Israelites that have that access, that have that opportunity. So remember, we seek a better country. Hebrews 11 and 13. Hebrews 11 and 13. And so when you feel derealization and all these things as we build and homes and plants, build inheritance and pass things on, we must keep our eye on the prize. Go ahead. Come on. Hebrews 11:13. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them a far off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. And how did they confess it? It's not just that they said it with their words, they lived it with their actions. Right? Like we read in 2 Ezra 16:40-48. Go ahead. Come on. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. Come on. And truly, if they have been mindful of that country from which they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. Read. But now they desire a better country. That's where our desire is. A better country. The kingdom of heaven. Come on. That is and heavenly. Come on. Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city. He hath prepared for us a city. Daniel 2:44, we read it earlier. This is the type of city that's prepared for us. Come on, the book of Daniel chapter 2 and verse 44. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed. Which shall never be destroyed. Come on. And the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. And it will stand forever. Deuteronomy 11 and 18. Deuteronomy 11 and 18. You know how long I've been waiting for this? You know how long I've been waiting for this. Deuteronomy 11. So, knowing this, come on. Verse 13. And it shall come to pass. 11:18. Oh, 18, excuse me. Deuteronomy 11:18. Therefore shall you lay up these words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes, meaning always in our mind. It should be the apple of our eye. Go ahead. Come on. And you shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sitest in thine househ. And when thou walst by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou rise up. Come on. And thou shalt write them upon the doorposts of thine house and upon thy gates. Read. That your days may be multiplied and the days of your children. We do that so that our days will be multiplied and the days of our children. Come on. In the land which the Lord swear unto your fathers to give them as the days of heaven upon the earth. Read. Four, if you shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you to do them, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him, then would the Lord drive out all these nations from before you, and you shall possess greater nations, and mightier than yourselves. Every place where on the souls of your feet shall tread shall be yours. Now, you see, now we cannot fathom what that means. We so used to private property signs and I'm not going to go to that neighborhood or I'm not going to go here. I sometimes you even intimidated to go to some places, right? There's certain restaurants or malls or play I'm not even going to step foot in there, man. They I know they're going to start looking at me all weird and this that and the other. Right. Everywhere. Cracker barrel. Cracker barrel. You saw how mad they were that they took the little white man off the off the logo, right? That lasted all of three days and they put him back, right? Read that verse again. Everywhere. Every place wherein the souls of your feet shall tread shall be yours. Come on. From the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost seas shall your coast be. Read. There shall no man be able to stand before you. For the Lord your God shall lay the fear of you and the dread of you upon all the land that you that you shall tread upon as he had said unto you. They going to cross the street when we walking, right? And and and for righteous fear, right? Go ahead. Come on. Behold, I set before this day a blessing and a curse. a blessing if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day, and a curse if you will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God. But turn aside out of the way which I command you this day to go after other gods which you have not known. That's the description of what heaven is going to be like. And even then, we cannot imagine and fathom what it's going to look like, right? That's going to be the conditions of how it's going to roll. But we don't know what it's going to look like. Romans 8:18. I got 1 2 3 four scriptures and we done. Romans 8:18. Romans chapter 8:18. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. You have to realize that that the sufferings of this time is not it. It's going to be nothing. It's not worthy to be compared to the glory that's going to be revealed in us. In us. That's that wisdom of Solomon five, right? When they say these are they that we had in derision, right? How are they numbered among the saints of the most high? Let's get 2 Corinthians 4:17. 2 Corinthians 4:1 17. You know, it's like sometimes you got to be reminded of what we're fighting for, why we struggle, why we go dayto day. And because this place can be alluring and there's temptations, you forget that. Go ahead. Come on. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, right? What we're dealing with here is for a season. It's vanity. It's actually brief. Our light affliction, they call it light, which is but for a moment. Come on. Workketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Right? There's an eternal weight of glory that waits for us. Read. While we look not at the things which are seen. Oo. And this is where that spiritual eye has to be built and developed. Where the faith gets strengthened. While we look not at the things which are seen, meaning how can you see beyond the present conditions and how much it's like, oh man, this place sucks. Look at this. Look at that. Whatever. Go ahead. Come on. But at the things which are not seen. Oo, how that's it's so easy because you're constantly conditioned and programmed with what's in front of you, but we have the ability in us to have our mind on what's not seen, which is the kingdom to come. You have to be able to be able to live and be present here. Have that joy while we're here, but embrace the vanity of what this is and be able to envision what we can't really see, but we read about and we know is there for us. Go ahead. Come on. For the things which are seen are temporal. What you see here is temporary. Go ahead. Come on. But the things which are not seen are eternal. Right. The things which are not seen are eternal. And that should drive us, right? Light affliction versus that eternal glory. Isaiah 65:17 and then 2 Peter 3:13. Isaiah 65:17. For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth. New heavens and a new earth. Come on. And the former shall not be remembered. Your temporal will not be remembered nor come into mind. When you see and you can't get out of your head, you're like, "Oh my gosh, I just this b is me." Right? It says it will not be remembered nor come into your mind. Come on. But be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I create. That's where we got to think about. Come on. For behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing and her people a joy. And her people a joy. Second Peter 3:13. You know how long I've been waiting for this book. Second Peter 3:13. The book of 2 Peter's 3 and verse 13. Nevertheless, we according to his promise look for a new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. Never forget that. That's where our mind should be. As much as things come, sadness, mourning, travail, troubles, all the stuff that we deal with, that's a light affliction. What we see is so easy to overcome us. But we got to train the spiritual mind, the faithful mind and faithful eye to be able to see what's eternal, what's promised, what's to come that'll never ever be taken away. So, I pray that this helps build others and sisters in spirit and that we take a moral inventory with stock assessment of where we're at and press toward that mark for that high calling. All right. [Applause] Uh oh. So, hey, while we got you, help us out. Help us out. We got our socials up on the screen with the QR code. Get us on the YouTube. We got the Tik Tok. We got Instagram for IYC Phoenix and for the Power Hour Plus, which is every Wednesday, 1000 p.m. Eastern time. All right. Uh check us out on those socials. Help us as we try to grow this gospel so we can bring this joy to other brothers and sisters that have yet to repent. All right. Your subscriptions, your comments, your likes go a long way. All right. Anything else we got? No, we good. All right, let's get ready for the evening class. Y'all stay in the spirit. All right, with that we say shalom.