Participants:
Series Code: WHO
Program Code: WHO200013S
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00:27 Hello, friends. Welcome to 3ABN Worship Hour.
00:29 Thank you for taking the time to join us 00:32 for this thought-provoking excursion 00:35 through the Word of God. 00:37 I'll be your presenter for the next hour. 00:39 And our message today is entitled "Armageddon, 00:42 The Final Coalition." 00:43 What does the Bible have to say about this final coalition? 00:47 Let me encourage you to get your Bibles 00:48 and stay tuned 00:50 as we having a wonderful walk through God's Word 00:52 as the meal He prepared for you 00:54 will be served in just a few moments. 00:56 But before we do that, 00:58 Tim is going to lift our hearts before the Lord 01:00 with wonderful songs of praise. 01:03 Let's join him. Tim? 01:04 Thank you, John. 01:05 Romans 12:1 says, 01:08 "Therefore I urge you, brethren, 01:09 by the mercies of God, 01:10 to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, 01:13 acceptable to God, 01:14 which is your spiritual service of worship." 01:17 And you may ask, "Well, how do I do that?" 01:20 Mark 12 reminds us that there are two commandments. 01:24 One to love God with your entirety, 01:26 the other to love your neighbor as yourself. 01:29 So you might, if you want to make the commitment 01:32 to dedicate your life and service to Christ, 01:35 make this song your prayer. 01:37 What can I do to serve You, Lord? 01:41 How can I live a life of worship? 01:45 How can I show you 01:48 I love You? 01:52 To freely show Your mercy 01:56 To love the ones who can't repay me 02:00 This is my worship to You 02:07 To give my life away 02:15 To give my life away 02:22 To follow in Your footsteps 02:26 My Savior 02:30 To give my life away 02:38 What can I do to praise You, Lord? 02:42 How can I live my life to reflect Your beauty? 02:47 How can I show you 02:50 I love You? 02:54 To be friend of friendless 02:57 Bringing joy were there is sadness 03:02 This is my worship to you 03:08 To give my life away 03:16 To give my life away 03:23 To follow in Your footsteps 03:27 My Savior 03:31 To give my life away 03:43 Lord, I offer my life to You 03:48 Everything I've been through 03:54 Use it for Your glory 03:57 Lord, I offer my days to You 04:03 Lifting my praise to You 04:08 As a living sacrifice 04:16 Lord, I offer You my life 04:40 Thank you, Tim. 04:43 Let us pray together. 04:46 Our loving Father in heaven, we offer you our life today. 04:49 For You alone are worthy. 04:52 Father, what can we give when we think 04:56 about all of Your benefits toward us. 05:00 Lord, send Your Holy Spirit even now 05:02 to speak to Your people. 05:04 There's someone watching this program today 05:07 that needs to hear a word from the Lord. 05:10 And take my mind and my life, Lord, 05:12 and communicate this message 05:15 that someone will have the light come on for them, 05:20 that someone will find deliverance 05:23 through the truth of Your Word, 05:25 and that someone will dedicate his or her life to You. 05:30 We ask in Jesus' name. 05:33 Amen. 05:35 Amen. 05:40 Armageddon, the final coalition. 05:44 I'll begin by sharing with you a scripture 05:47 that is the foundation of our message today. 05:51 Go with me to Revelation Chapter 12. 05:53 And let us look together at verse 17. 05:58 And the Bible says, 05:59 "And the dragon was enraged with the woman, 06:03 and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, 06:08 who keep the commandments of God 06:10 and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." 06:14 I have read this passage, I could say countless times. 06:19 I had a chance the other day 06:20 to look through some videotapes, 06:21 and there I was preaching scriptures 06:24 that seem to have been a part of my vocabulary 06:27 for 20 or 30 years. 06:29 But one of the vulnerabilities 06:31 of being familiar with a particular Bible verse 06:34 is not considering its historical surrounding. 06:39 So let me pose a question today. 06:41 Why was this verse reserved 06:45 for the last book of the Bible? 06:47 Well, stay tuned and you'll find out why. 06:50 Let me go ahead and lay the foundation. 06:53 According to the Bible, 06:55 we are now under the most coordinated 06:58 three-way global attack the world has ever known. 07:02 The overthrow of the governments of the world 07:05 is the aim of this assault. 07:08 And this final attack, 07:09 whether you acknowledge it or not 07:11 has been under construction for 6,000 years. 07:16 And the Bible today will define the power behind it. 07:19 Its architect, the participants, the prize, 07:23 they are all clearly defined in the Word of God. 07:27 So join me now for one of the most thought-provoking 07:30 scriptural encounters that you have ever experienced. 07:34 I say thought-provoking 07:35 because I begin with the words of Christ. 07:37 In John 14:29. 07:40 Notice what Jesus said, 07:41 allow me to use this word as a springboard 07:45 into our message today. 07:47 In John 14:29, Jesus said this, 07:50 "And now I have told you before it comes, 07:53 that when it does come to pass, you will believe." 07:58 I have told you before it comes that when it does come to pass, 08:03 you will believe. 08:05 We're going to talk about dominion today. 08:08 We are living at the end 08:10 of what has been under construction, 08:12 for as I said, almost 6,000 years. 08:15 We are in the midst 08:16 of what's called the Great Controversy. 08:18 And there are only two sides, good and evil, 08:21 Christ and Satan, darkness and light. 08:25 And the battle is over every human being 08:27 ever born on this planet over every man, every woman, 08:31 every boy, every girl. 08:33 And the battle did not begin on this planet, 08:36 the battle began in heaven. 08:37 And as we are going to follow the Bible today, 08:39 we'll discover there's a consistency 08:42 throughout the scriptures today, 08:43 because Satan's initial desire is still his desire today. 08:48 Let's follow that desire. 08:50 And let's follow his successes and his failures. 08:53 Look at the first attempt at overthrowing God's dominion. 08:58 Revelation 12:7-9 and we read, 09:01 "And war broke out in heaven: 09:03 Michael and his angels fought with the dragon," 09:06 Michael is Christ, 09:07 "and the dragon and his angels fought, 09:10 but they did not prevail, 09:12 nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 09:16 So the great dragon was cast out 09:18 that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan," 09:22 notice what it says, 09:23 "who deceives the whole world, he was cast to the earth, 09:29 and his angels were cast out with him." 09:32 Let's follow that carefully. 09:33 This battle that began in heaven, 09:35 the Bible makes it very clear that Satan lost his dominion, 09:38 but let me suggest you today he may have lost his dominion, 09:41 but he did not lose his desire. 09:44 His aspiration to replace the government of God 09:49 was followed by the desires of his heart. 09:52 He made it very clear in his statements 09:55 in Isaiah Chapter 14, what his initial objective was, 09:59 and although he lost his domain, 10:02 he did not lose his desire. 10:04 What was his desire? 10:06 Look at Isaiah Chapter 14, beginning with verse 13. 10:10 The devil said, "For you have said," 10:11 God is saying, 10:13 "For you have said in your heart," 10:15 here is Lucifer's words, "I will ascend into heaven, 10:18 I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, 10:22 I will also sit on the mount of the congregation 10:25 On the farthest sides of the north. 10:28 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds," 10:32 and get this, "I will be like the Most High.'" 10:36 That's a statement of divinity. 10:37 I will be like the Most High. 10:39 From that day to the very present, 10:41 my friends, 10:43 every power that has opposed God 10:45 and His government 10:46 has sought to accomplish the very same purpose. 10:51 But when Satan was cast out from heaven, 10:53 when Satan lost his dominion in heaven, 10:56 he continued to pursue his initial intent. 11:00 And that initial intent was pursued 11:02 in the Garden of Eden. 11:04 The Bible makes it very, very clear 11:06 that in order for Satan's accomplishments, 11:08 his desires to be accomplished, 11:10 there was someone he had to come after. 11:13 And I can suggest to you very clearly, 11:15 his name was Adam, 11:16 because God gave Adam something that Satan wanted. 11:20 Let's go to Genesis 1:26, 11:22 to see the why and the what of Satan's aims. 11:25 And the Bible will make it very clear 11:27 what the why is and what the what is. 11:29 Genesis 1:26, "Then God said," this is speaking to Adam, 11:35 "Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, 11:40 let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, 11:44 over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, 11:48 over all the earth and over every creeping thing 11:51 that creeps on the earth." 11:55 Very important for Satan 11:58 to have dominion over the earth, 12:01 he had to go through Adam. 12:03 You see, when the serpent challenged Eve 12:05 on the basis of God's Word, 12:07 he knew that allegiance to God's Word 12:10 was her protection. 12:11 He knew that in order 12:13 to be able to gain access to Adam, 12:15 he couldn't do it directly 12:16 because his intentions will be so obvious. 12:19 And there's such an amazing spiritual parallel 12:22 and when you look at how the devil did it. 12:24 He found a woman 12:28 through whom he can make an appeal to Adam. 12:30 We pick up the story in Genesis Chapter 3, 12:33 the woman straying from the side of her husband 12:36 questioned whether or not God could rightfully prohibit her 12:39 from accessing the tree of the knowledge 12:42 of good and evil. 12:43 And speaking these words, 12:45 she ran into someone that she had no idea 12:48 was far greater and more tenacious, 12:51 and more deceptive, and more cunning than she was. 12:54 But when the devil challenged her 12:55 on the basis of God's Word, 12:57 he said to her, "You will not surely die." 12:59 And then he succeeded to question her 13:02 about her allegiance to God. 13:04 And her response is a very telling response 13:08 as to how Eve opened the door to Satan's deceptions. 13:12 Notice Genesis 3:2 and 3. 13:15 Here's how the Bible reveals how the door was opened up. 13:18 "And the woman said to the serpent, 13:20 'We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, 13:23 but of the fruit of the tree 13:24 which is in the midst of the garden," 13:26 notice this, "God has said," that's what Eve said, 13:30 "God has said, 'You shall not eat it, 13:34 nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'" 13:38 I want you to grab that. 13:39 She said, "God said." 13:41 Right away, Eve contributed her following statements. 13:45 She said, "This is what God said." 13:47 In other words, this is what God's Word says. 13:50 And then she added, "Nor shall you touch it, 13:53 lest you die." 13:55 When Eve included what God never said, 13:59 Satan gained access to her. 14:02 You see, it was one thing for Eve to be deceived, 14:05 but Adam would have not lost dominion 14:08 if he did not get this, 14:10 swallow what the woman gave him to eat. 14:15 And the Bible gives us this little small verse 14:17 in Genesis 3:6. 14:20 And the Bible says, 14:21 "She also gave to her husband with her, 14:25 and he ate." 14:27 Amazing. 14:29 Three small words "and he ate". 14:31 Those three words allowed Adam 14:35 to lose control of the dominion 14:39 that God had given to him. 14:41 Satan gained access to Adam by those three words 14:46 "and he ate". 14:48 But there's an application here that's very powerful. 14:51 You see, the woman in prophecy represents the church. 14:54 Adam, in this particular scenario 14:56 represents those that God has given dominion, 14:59 those that God has given rulership over the earth. 15:02 And today we live in a society, 15:04 the woman represents the church today. 15:06 Adam represents world leaders 15:08 and on every corner of our globe, in every society, 15:12 there are those that have been given dominion, 15:15 governmental dominion, 15:17 power and authority over the earth. 15:19 The woman represented the church. 15:21 Let me make a suggestion here. 15:22 Let me make an amazing parallel. 15:24 When the leaders of God's Church 15:28 abandon a plain thus sayeth the Lord, 15:32 they become complicit in Satan's campaign 15:35 to wrestle control of the world, 15:38 from the political and religious leaders 15:41 that are governing the dominions of the earth. 15:46 Now this is important, 15:47 because Revelation takes Genesis 15:50 and puts it again at the very end, 15:52 but gives it an expanded light. 15:54 In the Book of Genesis, we find a woman and a serpent. 15:57 In the Book of Revelation, we find again, 15:59 a woman and a serpent. 16:00 We'll consider that in just a moment. 16:02 But I want you to notice something 16:04 that's very important. 16:05 When Eve added to God's Word what was never there 16:09 and fed it to Adam, 16:11 Adam was safe as long as he did not swallow 16:13 what the woman was feeding him. 16:15 Remember that word, 16:16 as long as he didn't swallow what the woman was feeding him, 16:19 and as I made the connection in the parallel, 16:21 the woman represents the church. 16:23 There are leaders around the world that are under, 16:28 let me find the correct word here, 16:30 that are on dangerous ground 16:34 when they lend their ear to those 16:37 that have abandoned a plain thus sayeth the Lord. 16:41 And Revelation Chapter 18 shows us 16:44 what happened in the course of human history, 16:46 when the woman, the church, 16:48 that should be standing on God's Word 16:51 abandoned those principles, 16:52 and now begin to proliferate her ideology 16:55 throughout all the governments of the earth. 16:57 The Bible tells us what will happen. 16:59 Look at Revelation 18:3. 17:04 The Bible says, 17:05 "For all nations have drunk of the wine 17:08 of the wrath of her fornication, 17:12 the kings of the earth 17:13 have committed fornication with her, 17:15 and the merchants of the earth have become rich 17:19 through the abundance of her luxury." 17:22 Notice the cadence. 17:25 Her fornication, her luxury, 17:30 the woman's fornication, 17:32 a departure from a true relationship with Christ, 17:35 a departure from the principles of the Bible. 17:38 I'm going to make two statements 17:40 that I don't want you to forget. 17:41 Two very important statements I want you to ingest, 17:44 hold on to them. 17:45 Religion that avoids truth results in seduction, 17:50 but religion that embraces truth results in conversion. 17:55 Let me repeat that one more time. 17:57 Religion that avoids truth 18:01 results in seduction. 18:04 Religion that embraces truth results in conversion. 18:09 You see, friends, it's very simple. 18:10 It's not rocket science. 18:12 When those who have been given truth, reject truth, 18:17 they opened the door 18:19 for Satan's seductive deceptions. 18:23 And that's what's happening in our world today. 18:25 Can you imagine a 6,000 year trek, 18:27 the devil has been working on for a long time, 18:30 and the very churches in the world 18:31 that God has established 18:32 to be a place where truth is proclaimed, 18:35 have somehow been seduced by the voice 18:38 that does not come from God's Word. 18:40 Notice how the Bible explains this, 18:43 the Apostle Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12, 18:47 he makes it clear how it happened. 18:49 And the Bible says, 18:50 "With all unrighteous deception among those who perish, 18:53 because they did not receive," 18:55 notice, "the love of the truth, that they might be saved." 18:58 And verse 11, 19:00 "And for this reason 19:01 God will send them strong delusion 19:04 that they should believe the lie," 19:06 harking right back to the Book of Genesis, 19:09 "that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth, 19:13 but had pleasure in unrighteousness." 19:17 Why would they be condemned? 19:18 How can they be condemned? 19:20 When you don't believe the truth, 19:22 there's only one other option, you believe the lie. 19:25 When you abandon light, there's only one other option, 19:27 you walk in darkness. 19:29 When you turn your back on God, 19:30 there's only one other option 19:32 you are walking in the camp of the enemy. 19:33 There's no third category, 19:34 there's no yellow line separating the east 19:37 from the west or the north from the south. 19:39 There's either one category or the other. 19:41 Either we are walking in God's truth and we are safe, 19:45 or we are walking on Satan's enchanted ground 19:48 that will result in seduction. 19:50 And today, my friends, 19:52 a lot of what's in religion today 19:54 is nothing more than exciting seduction 19:57 because truth has been so abandoned. 19:59 But keep in mind, 20:00 Adam was the first earthly representative 20:03 standing between Satan 20:05 and total dominion of the earth. 20:07 But when Adam lost it, 20:09 Satan maintained hostile control of the earth 20:13 for almost 4,000 years. 20:15 That is why 20:16 he was so demonically filled with animosity 20:21 toward the birth of Jesus. 20:22 I mean, why else would he suggest 20:24 that all the children two years old 20:26 and under be killed? 20:27 Because when Jesus' birth was declared, 20:31 Satan remembered the battle he lost in the very beginning. 20:34 And Christ now coming as a babe to the earth, 20:37 His aim was to keep the earth under his control, 20:41 to totally dominate the world eternally. 20:44 And therefore, he sought to end Christ's life 20:47 when he was born. 20:49 It took 4,000 years to get to that point, 20:51 but even Jesus when He came, 20:53 acknowledged that Satan was the ruler of this world. 20:57 Look at the Book of John 14:30. 21:00 Look at the words of Christ. 21:02 Acknowledging the place that Satan now occupied 21:05 when he took dominion from Adam. 21:07 "I will no longer talk much with you," Jesus said, 21:10 "for the ruler of this world is coming, 21:15 and he has nothing in Me." 21:18 You can see clearly that Satan claimed ownership of the earth. 21:22 That's the reason why he tempted Christ 21:24 to try to defeat Him in the garden, 21:26 to maintain the control he had for 4,000 years. 21:30 Notice Luke 4:6 and 7, in the wilderness, 21:34 notice what the Devil says about how he got access. 21:38 Verse 6, "And the devil said to Him," that is to Christ, 21:41 "All this authority I will give You, 21:44 and their glory," 21:45 and look at the words, 21:46 "for this has been delivered to me, 21:49 and I give it to whomever I wish. 21:52 Therefore, if You will worship before me, 21:55 all will be Yours.'" 21:58 Notice the devil said, "It has been delivered to me." 22:01 Delivered from whom? 22:02 Adam. 22:03 Adam was the first one 22:05 standing between Satan and total world dominion. 22:07 But if Satan could defeat Christ, 22:10 the earth would forever be his. 22:12 Jesus was the second one 22:15 standing between Satan and total world dominion. 22:19 That's why I'm so glad 22:20 that Satan could not defeat Christ before the cross. 22:23 He could not defeat Him on the cross. 22:26 He could not keep Christ in the grave. 22:28 You see, when Jesus rose on resurrection morning, 22:31 Jesus took back dominion from the Devil. 22:35 Look at the words in Matthew 28:18. 22:37 These words are the words of our victory together. 22:40 Matthew 28:18, "And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 22:44 'All authority has been given to Me," where? 22:48 "In heaven and on earth.'" 22:50 He couldn't say that unless He took authority 22:53 back from the Devil. 22:54 He couldn't declare these words of victory 22:57 unless He victoriously snatched the world back 23:00 from the one who had held it, 23:02 and confiscated it for 4,000 years. 23:05 But, friends, this is an amazing turn. 23:07 Because John records 23:09 what happened when Jesus rose victoriously. 23:12 We find in Revelation 12:10, 23:14 John the Revelator begins to summarize 23:17 what happened on that particular day. 23:19 And notice his words of inspiration. 23:21 Revelation Chapter 12, beginning with verse 10. 23:24 He says, "Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, 23:30 'Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, 23:35 and the power of His Christ have come," 23:38 and here's the reason why, 23:40 "for the accuser of our brethren, 23:42 who accused them before our God day and night," 23:45 notice the last four words, "has been cast down.'" 23:53 When Jesus won the battle in heaven, 23:56 Satan was cast out 23:58 but when Jesus rose victoriously from the grave, 24:01 Satan was cast down. 24:03 Cast out in the beginning and cast down, 24:06 that means permanently defeated. 24:11 But Satan wasn't done yet. 24:13 You see, it was on the podium of his defeat, 24:16 that Satan unrolled his final plan 24:20 to get access of the world back under his grasp. 24:25 That's why this warning in Revelation 12:12, 24:29 is listed for our admonition. 24:32 Listen to these solemn words. 24:33 Revelation 12:12, "Therefore rejoice, O heavens, 24:38 and you who dwell in them!" 24:39 All the unfallen worlds. 24:41 "But woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! 24:46 For the devil has come down to you, 24:48 having great wrath, 24:51 because he knows that he has," 24:54 notice this, "a short time." 24:58 Wait a minute, the very one that said, 25:00 "I will be like the Most High," 25:02 is now saying on the heels of his defeat, 25:05 "I've got a short time. 25:06 But I'm coming down with this short time, 25:08 I'm coming down with great wrath." 25:11 Satan is saying, "I've got one last opportunity. 25:16 I got one last shot 25:18 at completely controlling the world. 25:20 But there's one obstacle 25:22 between me and total world domination. 25:24 There's one entity between me and total world domination." 25:28 And he brings it out in Revelation 12:17. 25:32 As I read this passage, keep this in mind, 25:34 this is Satan's own words, 25:37 this is his recognition 25:39 that there's someone standing in my way 25:42 of total world domination. 25:44 Revelation 12:17, and the Bible says, 25:48 "And the dragon was enraged with a woman," 25:51 that means he was angry, 25:53 "and he went to make war 25:55 with the rest of her offspring," 25:58 and who are they? 25:59 "Who keep the commandments of God 26:02 and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." 26:05 Wait a minute, who keeps the commandments of God 26:08 and have the testimony of Jesus Christ? 26:11 This is the one he's angry with. 26:12 This is the one he's upset with. 26:14 He knows exactly who's standing in his way. 26:17 This is not the same woman in Genesis. 26:19 This is not the same woman he deceived in Eden. 26:21 This is God's woman. 26:23 This woman stands in truth. 26:25 This woman keeps the commandments of God. 26:27 She not only does that, 26:29 but she has the testimony of Jesus, 26:30 which Revelation 19:10 says, is the Spirit of Prophecy. 26:35 She knows what move the Devil is going to make 26:38 before he makes it because God, her husband, keeps her informed 26:44 and nothing infuriates the devil more 26:47 than knowing that somebody is standing in his way. 26:50 Quick review, he lost in heaven, 26:53 but he got kicked to the earth, put out in the earth, 26:57 he took Adam's dominion from him 27:00 by accessing him through a woman 27:02 that departed from God's Word. 27:04 But then Christ came into the picture, 27:06 and he sought to end Christ's life 27:08 to maintain his 4,000-year control of the world, 27:12 he sought to extend it for eternity. 27:16 But Jesus rose and said, "All authority is given to Me." 27:19 And when Jesus ascended to heaven, 27:21 the authority that he had, 27:23 he gave that authority to his church. 27:25 He said to his church, 27:27 "I give you power to trample on serpents and scorpions, 27:31 and over all the power of the enemy, 27:33 and nothing by any means, will hurt you." 27:37 And the Devil knew that. 27:38 The Devil knew that. 27:40 He said, "There's one person standing in my way, 27:42 I am tired. 27:43 There's one person standing in my way, 27:45 I've got to find a way around her." 27:48 And she's the one 27:49 that keeps the commandments of God 27:51 and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 27:53 Look at this quotation, 27:55 very telling quotation in the book, 27:57 Spirit of Prophecy, volume 4, page 337 and paragraph 1. 28:03 Let's go behind the scenes together. 28:05 "As the people of God approach the perils of the last days, 28:09 Satan holds earnest consultation with his angels 28:13 as to the most successful plan of overthrowing their faith." 28:17 Why? 28:19 "He sees that the popular churches 28:21 are already lulled to sleep by his deceptive power. 28:25 By pleasing sophistry and lying wonders, 28:28 he can continue to hold them under his control. 28:32 Therefore," very sobering words, 28:34 "Therefore, he directs his angels 28:37 to lay their snares, 28:40 especially for those 28:41 who are looking for the second advent of Christ, 28:44 and endeavoring to keep all the commandments of God." 28:49 That's who this woman is. 28:50 She now keeps the commandments of God. 28:53 She is the one looking forward to the Second Coming of Christ. 28:56 She now is clothed in the garment of defense 29:01 against every attack of the enemy. 29:03 You see, friends, if you follow that very carefully, 29:06 in the Old Testament and the New Testament, 29:09 the Bible outlined ways 29:11 that we can remain safe in our walk with God, 29:15 that we can remain safe in our relationship with Jesus, 29:19 and the Bible is completely in harmony with itself. 29:23 The warning is about the commandments of God. 29:25 You see, today we live in a world 29:26 where the commandments of God have either, 29:28 some say it's been nailed to the cross, 29:31 or it's done away with or it's just for the Jews 29:33 or no longer applies, 29:35 or we are Christians that are we walk in grace, 29:37 we have been delivered from the law. 29:39 But that's not what the Bible says. 29:41 Friends while we have not been delivered 29:43 from the Ten commandments, 29:44 we have been delivered from the ceremonial law, 29:48 the law that requires sacrifices and offerings 29:51 and lambs being killed and bulls shedding their blood 29:55 and doves being sacrificed in the washing 29:57 and the carnal ordinances. 29:59 That's what we have been delivered from, 30:01 those who are only temporary, but the Ten commandments, 30:05 which is a transcript of the character of God, 30:07 there's no way 30:08 that that could be taken out of the way. 30:10 If that's taken out of the way, there is no such thing as sin. 30:13 If there is no such thing as sin, 30:14 there is no need for a church anywhere in the earth, 30:17 because no one will be guilty of violating a law 30:20 that doesn't exist. 30:21 However, God's word makes it clear 30:24 that His law has never been done away with. 30:26 You see, if we follow the Word of God, 30:30 we will always maintain a safety net 30:33 in our walk with Him 30:34 and the devil as he is angry with this woman 30:36 in Revelation 12:17. 30:38 We also maintain the same safety net 30:40 by following God's Word. 30:42 Look at Isaiah 8:20. 30:44 This safety net is in the Old and New Testament. 30:46 Isaiah 8:20 said these words, 30:50 "To the law and to the testimony! 30:52 If they do not speak according to this word, 30:55 it is because there is no light in them." 30:58 There is no light in them. 31:00 That's Old Testament. 31:01 That's Isaiah the prophet, Old Testament. 31:04 Did Jesus change in the New Testament? 31:06 Absolutely not. 31:07 Let's look at 1 John 2:4. 31:10 And by the way, let me make it very, very clear. 31:12 These words that are being read to you right now, 31:15 were written after Jesus ascended 31:17 and went back to heaven. 31:19 The Apostle John says to us, 31:21 in verse 4 of 1 John Chapter 2, "He who says, 'I know Him,' 31:26 and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, 31:29 and the truth is not in him.'" 31:32 And the devil knows that. 31:33 But in these last days 31:35 as he pulls out the stops in this last hoary 31:38 as I can call it, 31:39 in his last push to dominate the world, 31:42 this time, he's not by himself. 31:44 He has his fallen angels, 31:46 but he has put together a worldwide coalition, 31:51 a three-fold coalition 31:54 powered by evil spirits 31:57 and his final aim is to seduce world leaders, 32:02 both religious and political in turning their domain 32:06 and their control over into his hands. 32:11 John makes it clear to us how devious this force is. 32:16 In Revelation 16:13 and 14. 32:20 Notice what John writes to us. 32:22 He says, unfolding Satan's plan, 32:26 "And I saw three unclean spirits 32:27 like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, 32:31 out of the mouth of the beast, 32:33 and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 32:35 For they are the spirits of demons," 32:37 what are they doing? 32:39 "Performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth 32:43 and of the whole world, 32:45 to gather them to the battle 32:49 of that great day of God Almighty." 32:52 What a battle that's measuring up to be. 32:55 What a battle is being put together 32:58 as I stand there, as I proclaim this message. 33:00 All around the earth, three unclean spirits, 33:03 one from the dragon, spiritualism, 33:06 from, one from the beast, Romanism, 33:09 one from the mouth of the false prophets, 33:11 apostate Protestantism, 33:13 those abandoning a plain thus sayeth the Lord 33:17 are now being united in Satan's final effort 33:21 to dominate the world. 33:23 To make it even clearer, this three-fold union 33:26 has united with a single purpose 33:29 of trying to counteract 33:31 the messages of the three angels 33:34 of Revelation Chapter 14. 33:35 Notice that, three Hebrews in Babylon of old, 33:39 in the garden three temptations, 33:42 in the Garden of Eden, three temptations. 33:45 The podium of victory Christ 33:47 overcame in three particular areas. 33:49 The devil now has put together a coalition of three, 33:52 and the last message to be given to the world 33:54 is the three messages of the angels of Revelation 14. 33:59 But in this final push, 34:00 there are invisible and visible players 34:03 in this final coalition. 34:05 You see the dragon, the beast and the false prophets. 34:08 These are the spokespersons of the final coalition. 34:11 That is why unclean spirits are coming out of their mouths. 34:17 What else come out of our mouth other than words? 34:20 These are the spokespersons of the final coalition. 34:23 And when Revelation 12:9 shows that the dragon is involved, 34:27 the dragon is none other than Satan himself. 34:30 But in the closing scenes of earth, 34:32 Satan will use spiritualism, 34:36 camouflaged in a religious garment 34:41 to try to advance his aims. 34:44 Listen to this, in the book, Great Controversy, 34:46 page 588 and paragraph two, 34:50 very thought-provoking quotation. 34:52 Here it is, "As spiritualism more closely imitates 34:57 the nominal Christianity of the day, 35:00 it has greater power to deceive and ensnare. 35:03 Satan himself is converted, 35:06 after the modern order of things. 35:09 He will appear in the character of an angel of light. 35:13 Through the agencies of spiritualism," 35:17 listen to this, 35:18 "miracles will be wrought, the sick will be healed, 35:22 and many undeniable wonders will be performed. 35:26 And as the spirits will profess faith in the Bible, 35:30 and manifest respect 35:31 for the institutions of the church, 35:34 their work will be accepted 35:36 as a manifestation of divine power." 35:40 Wow. 35:41 If I could think of a deception that would be the way to do it. 35:45 Camouflage all of my evil work in the garment of religion. 35:50 Do everything that I want to use to defeat the church, 35:55 wrap it in the garments 35:57 appearing that it comes from the church. 36:00 Do miracles that should be only under the power of those 36:03 that are led by the Spirit of God, 36:05 but the purpose of my miracles 36:07 are to wrestle you from the hand of God. 36:10 What a clever enemy. 36:12 He's using the church against the church. 36:16 But he's not using the commandment keeping church 36:18 against the commandment keeping church. 36:21 He is using an entity that looks like 36:25 that has the external appearance of a church. 36:28 But on the inside, 36:29 there's a different power altogether. 36:31 You see, when the Bible talks about the Beast 36:33 of Revelation 16, 36:35 it's talking about the power 36:36 of the universal authority of Rome, 36:40 the power of the Vatican. 36:41 When it talks about the false prophets, 36:43 it represents those Protestant leaders 36:46 that claim to be connected to God's Word, 36:49 but their teachings have departed 36:51 from a plain thus sayeth the Lord. 36:54 And so anything that's termed religion today, 36:56 you got to trace their examples and their claims in the Bible. 37:00 If their claims can be found in Scripture, 37:02 then you can trust it. 37:03 But don't believe anything 37:05 just because it says it's religious. 37:07 Make sure that everything that you are taught 37:10 is thus sayeth the Lord. 37:12 Make sure the foundation is in God's Word. 37:14 Why? 37:15 Because when Jesus faced the enemy in the wilderness, 37:18 when He was being tempted in the garden of temptation, 37:20 three times He said to the devil, "It is written. 37:25 It is written. It is written." 37:26 Our only safety in these last days, 37:29 my brothers and sisters, 37:31 is to know for ourselves that it is written, 37:34 because the devil has come down having great wrath. 37:37 And when you look at the agenda of Rome, 37:39 and when you look 37:41 at the historical agenda of Satan, 37:43 both of those agendas are identical, 37:46 and Revelation 13:2 makes that clear. 37:49 Where did Rome get its power from? 37:51 Where did the dragon issue his power? 37:55 Notice what the Bible says in Revelation 13:2, 37:58 speaking about the beast, the Bible says, 38:00 "The dragon gave him his power, 38:03 his throne and great authority." 38:07 The dragon. Who is the dragon? 38:09 Satan through the historical march 38:12 of that fourth beast of Daniel Chapter 7, 38:15 that fourth power of Daniel Chapter 2, 38:18 the Bible outline the world kingdoms, Babylon, 38:22 Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome. 38:25 Rome was the power 38:26 that dominated the New Testament Church, 38:29 from the very birth of Christ 38:31 to the death of John the Revelator 38:33 on the island of Patmos. 38:35 All throughout all of the New Testament writers, 38:38 the power that controlled the world 38:40 politically and religiously was the power of Rome. 38:44 But the Bible makes it very, very clear 38:47 that the United States would come into existence. 38:50 God raised up this country to be a bulwark 38:54 against the persecuting power of Rome during the Dark Ages, 38:59 but something happened. 39:00 When the Protestant Church began to rise up in America, 39:03 and when the movement back to the Bible 39:05 continued going forward, 39:07 the Devil found a way to get into it. 39:10 And now religion today is anything 39:12 but completely established on the Word of God. 39:15 Much of what's in Christianity today 39:17 is tradition and heresy, not found in God's Word. 39:21 The Bible makes it very, very clear 39:24 that this very country that God established as a place 39:27 where the Bible and the Bible only should be proclaimed, 39:31 is a country now influenced by the things 39:35 that Rome put in place during the Dark Ages. 39:39 What do you think the secret rapture comes from? 39:41 It's not in Scripture. 39:43 What do you think eternally burning hell comes from? 39:45 It's not in the Bible. 39:46 These are things inserted into the Christian Church 39:49 during the Dark Ages by the power of Rome. 39:51 What do you think the teaching of purgatory 39:53 and limbo comes from? 39:54 It's not in the Bible. 39:56 It was inserted in the church during the Dark Ages. 39:58 What do you think the teaching 40:00 that you die and go directly to heaven comes from? 40:02 Predating Rome, Rome massaged that to create this ideology 40:07 that there's a place that souls go when they die. 40:10 It's not found in Scripture. 40:11 And today, my brothers and sisters, 40:13 much of these teachings 40:14 that have found in Christian churches, 40:17 strangely enough, in Christian churches, 40:20 you can trace their origin right back to the Dark Ages, 40:24 at a time when the Word of God was suppressed, 40:27 and tradition was placed above the Word of God. 40:31 But in this country, something's going to happen. 40:34 In this very nation that came up out of the earth, 40:38 in Revelation Chapter 12, 40:39 that God rose up to protect His church. 40:43 Something's going to happen legislatively in this country 40:46 to create a bond between Rome 40:49 and the Protestant Church in America. 40:51 Look at Revelation 13:12, 40:53 the Bible speaks about the power 40:55 of the United States 40:56 and how it's going to merge with the power of Rome 41:00 that has existed for more than 1,500 years. 41:04 Revelation 13:12. 41:06 Let's read that together, and the Bible, 41:08 speaking about America, 41:10 "And he exercises all the authority 41:13 of the first beast in his presence, 41:16 and causes the earth and those who dwell in it 41:20 to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed." 41:25 When you study history, what wound was healed? 41:28 What power was that? 41:30 In 1798, when the papacy received a deadly wound, 41:36 and had that wound, 41:37 hold the church in subjection until 1929, 41:41 when Mussolini gave the Vatican City 41:43 back to the government of Rome, back to the Vatican Church, 41:47 from that point on the United States 41:49 and the Vatican coexisted. 41:51 But America at that time was a nation 41:54 where Rome could have no dealings 41:56 in the government of this country. 41:58 But that's different today. 42:01 And to understand how different it is, 42:03 I would now simply read, it's pretty lengthy quotation, 42:06 but I want you to follow me very, very carefully 42:08 because, as I mentioned to you in Revelation 16, 42:11 there was the dragon, the beast and the false prophet, 42:14 that three way global coalition, 42:17 that seeking to wrestle away dominion 42:20 from earthly leaders 42:21 that God has given to men to protect His church. 42:24 Let's listen as we read the words 42:28 of Pope John Paul II. 42:31 As he spoke these words in a packed Yankee Stadium 42:34 in 1976 42:36 and Malachi Martin in the book "Keys of this blood" 42:39 recorded it for us a direct quote. 42:42 He talks about this competition. 42:43 Here's what he said, 42:45 "Willing or not, ready or not, 42:50 we are all involved in an all-out, no-holds-barred, 42:55 three-way global competition. 42:58 Most of us are not competitors, however. 43:01 We are the stakes. 43:03 For the competition is about who will establish 43:07 the first one-world system of government 43:10 that has ever existed in the society of nations. 43:15 It is about who will hold 43:18 and wield the dual power of authority 43:23 and control over each of us as individuals 43:26 and over all of us together as a community, 43:30 over the entire six billion people 43:33 expected by demographers 43:34 to inhabit the earth by early in the third millennium." 43:38 He continues, "The competition is all-out 43:41 because, now that it has started, 43:45 there is no way it can be reversed or called off. 43:49 No holds barred 43:50 because once the competition has been decided," 43:54 chilling words, "the world and all that is in it, 43:58 our way of life as individuals and as citizens of the nations, 44:03 our families and our jobs, 44:07 our trade and commerce and money, 44:11 our educational systems 44:14 and our religions and our cultures, 44:17 even the badges of our national identity, 44:21 which most of us have always taken for granted- 44:24 'all will have been powerfully 44:27 and radically altered forever. 44:31 No one can be exempted from its effects. 44:35 No sector of our lives 44:37 will remain untouched.'" 44:41 That's a whole lot to swallow. 44:43 What is being told us, what is being said, 44:47 we are under the construction of the most intense attempt 44:51 to take from America, 44:53 to take from the citizens of this country, 44:55 the freedoms that we have always taken for granted. 44:58 What kind of freedom? 44:59 Freedom to worship. 45:00 You see, if there's anything I've learned 45:03 in the post COVID-19 environment, 45:06 if there's anything 45:07 that the COVID-19 can teach me, 45:10 is that instantly, for whatever reason, 45:13 whether cataclysmic or disease or military crisis, 45:18 whatever is cited, 45:19 the entire world could be locked down 45:22 without any prior notice. 45:24 And the freedoms that we have so long enjoyed, 45:28 can be wrestled from us without any say on our part. 45:31 Just look at the world today we're living in. 45:33 Quite a different world than we lived in, in March, 45:37 or in February, or in January of this year. 45:41 Quite a different society. 45:42 It's not the same kind of world. 45:44 It's not the kind of world 45:45 that we can feel comfortable about communicating, 45:48 and even in the freedoms that we so embrace, 45:50 even the things that we love to do, 45:52 there are many people that say, 45:54 "I'm going to live my life the way I want to live my life 45:56 because this is my desire. 45:58 I'm going to take charge of my own way of living. 46:01 This is what I'm going to do 46:02 in spite of what the government says." 46:04 But you've got to admit 46:06 that there's something happening on the horizon. 46:09 And right now we are living amidst the construction 46:13 of a brand new social, a brand new economic, 46:17 a brand new political 46:19 and a brand new religious paradigm. 46:22 The old paradigm is passing away, 46:24 the new paradigm is coming. 46:26 And the Bible is making it very, very clear 46:28 where the people of God must stand. 46:30 See, friends, in the Garden of Eden, 46:32 Satan wrestled power from Adam. 46:35 He held it for 4,000 years 46:37 until Jesus victoriously took it back. 46:40 Praise God for that. 46:42 But here we are, 46:44 in the final push of the final drama of the ages. 46:49 The Great Controversy that we have talked about 46:51 for so long is winding down. 46:54 The point is being sharpened 46:56 and the issues are coming to the forefront. 46:58 And if you put your head to the pavement, 47:00 you can hear the approaching hooves 47:02 of all the final movements. 47:03 If you put your finger in the wind, 47:05 you can feel the wind blowing, 47:07 the intensity picking up for the final movements 47:09 we are told will be rapid, and the entire stage is set. 47:13 All these things to happen 47:15 without any support on our part. 47:20 The Bible says is going to happen. 47:22 How is this social, economic, and political, 47:25 and religious paradigm going to take place? 47:28 I once again point your attention 47:30 to Revelation 18:3, 47:32 the Bible makes it clear. 47:33 There's no reason to even try to guess. 47:36 shows us a picture 47:41 that is undeniable. 47:44 Revelation 18:3, here's what the Bible says, 47:48 "For all the nations," 47:50 not just America, all the nations, 47:52 "have drunk of the wine 47:54 of the wrath of her fornication," 47:56 this social, economic, political and religious system 47:58 is the system of Babylon. 48:01 How does it affect us? 48:02 "The kings of the earth," 48:04 that's all the political and religious leaders, 48:06 "have committed fornication with her," 48:08 they have bought into what she's selling, 48:10 "and the merchants of the earth," 48:12 those are the economic leaders of the world, 48:15 "have become rich through the abundance of her luxury." 48:20 Wait a minute, the earth and its inhabitants, 48:25 the kings of the earth, 48:26 and all of their political and religious glory, 48:30 the merchants of the earth. 48:32 We are under the construction of this final push 48:36 by Satan himself to take away our freedoms. 48:39 But, friends, there is no need to be concerned. 48:42 There is no need to be overly worried 48:43 because God is still in control. 48:46 He made it very clear in Isaiah 46:9-10, 48:49 remember the former things of old, 48:50 for I am God and there is no other. 48:52 I am God and there is none like me. 48:54 Our God said declaring the end from the beginning, 48:58 and from ancient times things that are not yet done. 49:03 Here's my words of encouragement. 49:05 You may think the world is slipping away, 49:07 the world is slipping away, 49:09 but God has not lost control of this earth. 49:11 He is still King of kings, and He is still Lord of lords. 49:15 And if there's any place that you can find security, 49:18 and comfort, and freedom, 49:19 and blessed assurance is in walking with the God 49:23 who has created the world, 49:24 and the God who will always have the final say 49:27 in the movements that affects His church. 49:30 Yes, the coalition of Babylon is being formed, 49:34 but God is still in control. 49:36 And it is in this decisive hour, 49:39 that God is calling His people to make a decision 49:42 because while Babylon is being formed, 49:45 Jesus is extending a call 49:48 to those who are yet to come out of darkness 49:51 into His marvelous light. 49:52 And as I'm preaching this message, 49:54 I believe that the majority of God's people 49:57 are still out in the world somewhere. 49:59 There are people walking the streets in your city, 50:02 in your community. 50:03 They're at your jobs, maybe your place of worship. 50:06 Maybe they are your neighbors. 50:08 They are sincere people today looking for answers 50:11 in this somewhat confusing confusion of societies, 50:16 this reconstruction out of something 50:18 that was so chaotic. 50:19 How do we get back to normal people have asked, 50:21 "Will we ever get back to normal?" 50:23 Well, we may get back to some sense of normalcy, 50:26 but don't look for things to be the way they used to be. 50:29 The past is the past, 50:31 and the present is coming quickly 50:33 and the future is unfolding at lightning speed. 50:36 But it's in the midst of the construction 50:39 of this Babylonian coalition, 50:41 that God is calling His people out of darkness, 50:44 out of a form of godliness, and out of tradition. 50:47 Listen to the words of the heart of Christ 50:51 in John 10:16. 50:54 Listen to what Jesus is saying to us today. 50:56 He says, 50:58 "Other sheep I have which are not of this fold, 51:03 them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice, 51:08 and there will be one flock and one shepherd." 51:13 You might ask yourself the question, 51:15 "How can a world with 30 plus thousand denominations 51:19 be distilled down to one?" 51:21 Jesus said it clearly, "My sheep will hear My voice." 51:25 Wherever the voice of the shepherd is proclaimed, 51:29 the ears of the sheep will hear it. 51:31 By the proclamation of God's Word, 51:33 there are people today listening for the Word of God. 51:36 Let me encourage you, my brother and my sister, 51:38 if you know God's Word, 51:40 this is the time to proclaim it. 51:41 If you understand the truth of God's Word, 51:43 this is the time to live it. 51:45 If God has affected your life in any positive way, 51:48 this is the time to reflect 51:50 because there are sheep that are not of the fold 51:53 that Jesus is desiring for them to be a part of. 51:56 And He's saying, "My sheep will hear My voice 51:58 and they will follow Me." 52:00 The voice of God today is being proclaimed 52:04 above the din and the noise of this world, 52:06 above a confused society, 52:09 above a world racked by sin and chaos, 52:12 and disease and suffering, 52:14 above a world addicted to pleasure and darkness, 52:18 and things that are temporal in their appeasement 52:21 to our human heart, 52:22 in the midst of a world crumbling 52:25 and a foundation that cannot last eternally. 52:28 God is extending a call to His people. 52:31 And I believe that because the Lord loves us so much, 52:35 there are those who will hear the voice of God 52:36 as He calls today. 52:38 You see in Revelation 18, as Babylon is being formed, 52:41 there's a message to those in the system of Babylon. 52:45 God is saying to them, "I want you to hear me." 52:48 Because Babylon is coming together, 52:49 the beast is working hard, the devil is working hard, 52:52 the Vatican is working hard. 52:54 Those in America that claim allegiance to God's word, 52:57 they're looking in a different direction 52:59 other than God's Word, 53:00 but in the midst of all of that, God is saying, 53:02 "But don't close the doors yet, 53:06 because My people are still where I don't want them to be." 53:11 And my brother and my sister, you see, 53:13 John recorded the words of Jesus, 53:16 "I'm looking for my sheep." 53:17 And John the apostle records again the words of Jesus 53:21 in the midst of this Babylonian coalition. 53:24 Hear the words of Christ. 53:25 He says in Revelation 18:4, what is He saying? 53:31 The Bible says, "And I heard another voice from heaven," 53:34 a voice of passion, a voice of compassion, 53:37 a voice of longing, 53:39 "saying, 'Come out of her, 53:41 my people, 53:46 lest you share in her sins, 53:50 and lest you receive of her plagues." 53:55 That's the world that Jesus sees, 53:57 a world built on an economy that's crumbling, 54:00 a world built on an unstable stock market, 54:03 a world in the midst of a quagmire called politics, 54:07 where Christians are fighting one another, 54:11 over political issues, 54:13 while people are dying for the want of the gospel. 54:17 This is the world that Jesus sees, 54:19 a world where people are dying of hunger every day, 54:23 a world where clean water is hard to find 54:25 in so many parts of the world, 54:26 a world where thousands die of hunger. 54:29 This is the world that Jesus sees. 54:32 A world of wars and rumors of wars, 54:34 and nations rising against nation 54:36 and kingdom against kingdoms. 54:38 This is the world that Jesus sees. 54:40 And He's saying to this kind of world, 54:42 "I'm calling My sheep to come into the fold 54:44 before it's ever too late. 54:45 I'm going to destroy Babylon, 54:47 and all the evil attempts that Satan has made 54:50 will go down in the flames of Babylon. 54:52 But I'm saying today, come out of her My people." 54:55 And I believe watching this broadcast 54:57 there's somebody who's saying, "But I don't know all of that. 55:01 But I want to find out more about that 55:02 because somewhere in my heart, 55:04 the Spirit of God has said to me today, 55:06 "There's hope beyond the darkness of your moment, 55:09 you may still be sequestered, feeling alone, 55:12 afraid to go outside, 55:13 wondering whether or not 55:15 the COVID would come back again." 55:16 Well, friends, whether or not the COVID comes back again, 55:19 Jesus is coming back again. 55:23 Come out of her, My people. 55:25 Armageddon and the final coalition 55:27 is coming together to stand against Jesus. 55:31 But today, Jesus is saying to you, 55:35 "I want you to stand with Me" 55:39 because our only security 55:41 from what is coming upon the world is Jesus. 55:44 Our only hope today, 55:47 from what is taking place in the world is Jesus. 55:50 So let me ask you today, 55:52 are you willing to stand on God's uncompromising Word? 55:56 Are you willing to say, "Lord Jesus, 55:59 there's so many questions I have, 56:00 but I don't know what to do. 56:01 The answers are not yet forthcoming." 56:03 Let me make a point my, brother or my sister, 56:06 don't look for all the answers before you come to Jesus. 56:09 Come to Jesus 56:10 and He'll give you the answers to your problems. 56:12 Come to Jesus, and you'll find the solution to your burdens. 56:16 Come to Jesus in a world 56:17 that seems to be fighting against itself, 56:20 a church that has lost its way, 56:22 fighting for one party or the other. 56:24 There's only one party that I'm standing for. 56:26 It's the government of God 56:27 that has never lost his seat on the throne of the world. 56:32 And the Bible says 56:34 the government shall be upon His shoulders. 56:37 Are you willing, my friends, to walk away from tradition, 56:40 into God's marvelous light? 56:43 Are you willing today, 56:44 my brother and sister, my pastor, 56:48 my Christian friend, are you willing today to say, 56:51 "I'm going to get back on the foundation. 56:53 I want to stand where the enemy is upset. 56:55 I'm going to keep the commandments of God 56:57 by the strength, the Spirit of God," 56:59 you can do say. 57:00 Are you willing to accept heaven's call 57:03 to give your life to Christ? 57:05 Are you saying today, I want to be in that number, 57:09 when that trumpet sounds, I want to be there? 57:12 Are you willing to worship God in spirit and in truth? 57:17 Yes, the final coalition is coming together. 57:19 But even more than that, Jesus is coming again. 57:23 My friends, may you trust Him so that when He comes, 57:26 you will be there. 57:28 God bless you until we see you again. |
Revised 2020-07-06