Please open your Bibles to the Gospel according to Matthew. Matthew chapter 24, verse 15. Matthew 24, verse 15. In the last few weeks, we have seen how we should faithfully interpret these difficult passages in Matthew 24. To harmonize all the passages in the Bible, we must apply these words in Matthew 24, both to events at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, as well as to events near the end of the world. We've seen enough evidence relating Matthew 24 and Luke 21 to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. But we have not yet really explored how the same words should apply to events of eschatology, meaning end time events. So we read in Matthew 24, verse 15. Matthew 24, verse 15. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, whoso readeth, let him understand, then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains." Last week we saw how these words apply to end time events. Them which be in Judea are all the saints all over the world who can see the abomination of desolation stand in the pulpit of their local church. They must leave that church like the saints did during the Reformation and flee to the mountain of God wherever they can find it. And what is the mountain of God? It's the Bible, where we can find God, provided God the Holy Spirit guides our thoughts. It is the faithful church where we can find God through the preaching of the gospel, provided God the Holy Spirit guides the faithful preaching of the word and guides our thoughts when we hear the gospel. For example, where did Moses find God? He found him in the mountain of God called Mount Horeb. That's in Exodus 3 verse 1 and also 4 verse 27. Where did God provide life-saving water for his people? God provided it in Mount Horeb, the mountain of God. Exodus 17 verse 6. Where did Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, find Jehovah God? He found him at Mount Horeb. I lost myself. called the mountain of God, there I am. That's in Exodus 18 verse five. Where did God give the children of Israel the 10 commandments? At Mount Horeb, the Mount of God. It's in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy five and also in Malachi four. Where did Moses and Joshua regularly go to meet God? They went to the Mount of God, Exodus 24 verse 13. Where did God make a covenant with the children of Israel? At Mount Horeb, the Mount of God. Again in Deuteronomy 4 and 5 and 29 and 1 Kings 8 verse 9. I do believe all these are listed on your bulletin. When we, and one more thing, where did Where did the Lord promise the children of Israel that he would send the Lord Jesus Christ as the prophet like unto Moses? That was again at Mount Horeb, the Mount of God, in Deuteronomy 18, verse 60. Where did Elijah meet God? At Mount Horeb, the Mount of God, 1 Kings 19, verse 8. When we are in the mountain of God, we will never faint, as we know from Isaiah 40, verse 31. And so when the Lord says, flee to the mountains, we understand that people who live in an absolutely flat country also have the ability to fly to the mount of God. Or the words of the gospel are found in the Bible. Or they can flee to a church where the words of the gospel can be heard. Everyone is in need of hearing the true gospel of salvation by grace alone, through the cross of Christ alone. For we all came into the world as children of wrath in need of salvation. And when the Lord says that we must flee to the mountain of God, it means that we must make haste to do it, for the time is short. But there is more in Matthew 24 in the following verses where we are urged to hurry. And this is also, this we also need to understand, for the false teachers are ready to sway us in their direction by falsifying the interpretation of these verses. We read in these verses about those on the housetop, or about those in the field, or about those who are with child. Therefore the title of this sermon is woe to those that are with child. When we turn to the next verse in this chapter Matthew 24 verse 17 we can see its connection to verse 16 which says flee to the mountains. Matthew 24 verse 17 let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house. Can we see here the sense of urgency in this verse? Literally the Lord is saying, when ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, and whoso readeth, let him understand. Then let them which be in Judea, who find themselves on the housetop, not come down to take anything out of their house, but flee into the mountains. That's how urgent it is to flee to the mountain of God. What were the saints doing there on the housetop anyway? We get some idea what they use the housetop for from the Acts of the Apostles chapter 10. We read in Acts 10 verse 9, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour. Peter went up to pray on the housetop because there he was alone with God. There he was undisturbed for the people in the house knew that he wanted this hour of privacy. From Matthew 24, verse 17, we understand that in most houses, there was an external access to the housetop. It was not necessary to go down through the house. And so the urgency of Matthew 24, 17 is to get down speedily from the housetop and flee to the mountain of God. Why is this haste necessary? Remember, we have two applications. First, in 70 AD, and the second near the end of time. When the occasion was ripe in 70 A.D., the Christians had to flee out of the country at a moment's notice. Before we apply this verse to the end times, we first have to compare scripture with scripture. Please turn in your Bibles to the gospel according to Luke. Luke 17, verse 31. And there are three chapters we'll be returning to frequently. Matthew 24, so you'll want some marker there. And Luke 17, and also Luke 21. Matthew 24 Luke 17 and Luke 21. Here in Luke 17 we find this exact same verse in a context that gives us more information than in Matthew 24. We read in Luke 17 verse 31. In that day he which shall be upon the housetop and his stuff in the house let him not come down to take it away and he that is in the field let him likewise not return back. What is the context here? Well, let's look at that context. In verse 26 we read, as it was in the days of Noah, as it was in the days of Noah, this refers to Noah and his family going into the ark and the Lord shut him in just before God sent the floodwaters to destroy the rest of mankind. This is a picture of the rapture on the last day and of the judgment that followed. And notice that all the unsaved first die before they are resurrected to stand before the judgment throne of Christ. Then in verse 28, we read, likewise also as it was in the days of Lot. What was the similarity between the days of Noah and the days of Lot? Lot and his two daughters were rescued out of Sodom just before the Lord rained fire and brimstone out of heaven. This too was a picture of the rapture on the last day and of the judgment that followed. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and Adma and Zeboam, we often ignore those two cities also, by fire and brimstone was a picture of the destruction of this earth on the last day. And notice again that all the unsaved first die before they are resurrected to stand before the judgment throne of God. And in both cases, the rapture of the saints occurs on the same day that the judgment of God falls on all the unsaved. We must learn from this and not believe those preachers who teach that there will be a span of a thousand years between the rapture of the saints and the judgment on the unsaved, which comes in the last day. And thus the verses before Luke 17 31 are dealing with a rescue. That is a picture of the rapture. Lot had to hurry to get to the mountains. And so there's a great deal of truth when God paraphrased, said to Lot, don't bother to take anything with you. I will take care of you. Just make haste to get to the mountains. Moreover, when we look at the verses that follow Luke 17 verses 34 to 37, We see again that these are dealing with the rapture of the saints. And thus, Luke 17 verse 31 is buried in verses that deal with the rapture. However, when we are dealing with the rapture on the last day, we know from 1 Corinthians 15 and from 1 Thessalonians 4, that the rapture comes suddenly, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump. when Christ and all the hosts of heaven shall descend with a shout, and this shout shall be heard all over the world. There will be no time to get down from the housetop, for we shall be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye. How then must we interpret Luke 17 verse 31? What is the hurry? The message in this verse for the last days is as follows. Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide our thoughts. but do not remain in our prayers up on the housetop. Make haste to flee to the mountain where the true God can be found. Study the Bible and make haste for the Lord may descend any moment now. We do not know how much time we have to repent from our errors. We need to find the true Christ for knowing him and knowing the one who sent him to this earth is true salvation. As you read in John 17 verse three, Please turn again to the Gospel according to Matthew. This time Matthew 24 verse 18. Matthew 24 verse 18. Thus we can see from Luke 17 how Matthew 24 verse 17 applies to events in the last days. We find the same urgency to flee in the next verse, Matthew 24 verse 18, which reads, neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. Literally, the Lord is saying, when ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, who so readeth, let him understand. Then let them which be in Judea, who find themselves in the field, not return back to take anything out of their house, but flee into the mountains. That's how urgent it is to flee to the mountain of God. Okay, what are the saints doing there in the field anyway? When we search out the Greek word used for field, it is Strong's Concordance number 68. We find that it's been mostly translated as field or country or lands. And especially in Matthew 13, the field has been used several times as a symbol for the world. What are the saints doing there in the field? They're evangelizing the gospel into the entire world. Not only in lands that are nearby, but with the technology of today, we can bring the gospel to people over the entire world. What must we be doing when the Lord finds us at the time of his return? We must be evangelizing unto the entire world. The Lord says in Matthew 24 verse 46, blessed is that servant whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. How can we say on the one hand that the true gospel will be silenced? But on the other hand, we also say that the gospel will be preached into all the world until the last of the elect will have been saved. Well, it's all on a relative scale. We can imagine the domination of false gospels all over the world. It is that relative sense that the true gospel is already silenced, and it'll even be more silenced as time goes on. Everyone who has been truly saved is a witness for the Lord. God says so in Isaiah 43 verse 12. And in Isaiah 44 verse 8. And in Matthew 28 verse 19 and 20. To witness into all the world is not an option. It is a mandate for everyone who has become saved. This is how we love our enemies, by witnessing the gospel to them. This is one aspect of those that are in the field. Although we all are called to be the Lord's witnesses, we must not stay in the field. But we must flee to the mountain of God, the Bible, with haste. For we must strive, we must be able to defend ourselves against all those who twist the scriptures. And we must strive to defend all the sheep which the Lord has placed under our care. And we must do it with haste so that we can give them also spiritual ammunition to defend themselves. Please turn in your Bibles to the Gospel according to Luke. Luke 17 now verse 31. Luke 17 verse 31. There's another aspect of this work for the Lord that we must be busy with and this is found in the Gospel of Luke again chapter 17. We've already seen that the saints in the housetop and the saints that are in the field represent the faithful saints all over the world who are in prayer and are witnessing for the Lord everywhere in the world. Let's read again from Luke 17 verses 31 and 32. In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away. And he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot's wife. Notice especially verse 32. Remember Lot's wife. This tells us what verse 31 is all about. Lot's wife had her heart set still on those material things she'd left behind in Sodom. Her heart yearned for those things and then she turned around to have a last look at that beautiful city Sodom where her home was that contained all her material treasures. There was no noise that she might be curious about. The reign of fire and brimstone had not yet begun. For the Lord said to Lot, haste thee to Zoar. Escape there, for I cannot do anything till thou become thither. That's in Genesis 19 verse 22. And so on the way to Zohar, his wife looked back in a moment, just from behind her, and she became a pillar of salt. That's in Genesis 19 verse 26. Her judgment came in a moment. And in that moment of time, God stated that salt was not a symbol of something that was good and that was a preservative, but salt was a symbol of the wrath of God. And if we are called the salt of the earth, it means that in our presentation of the gospel, we must not leave out the wrath of God on all unsaved mankind. What is the lesson for us in the judgment on Lot's wife? What was Lot's wife guilty of besides plain disobedient to the command of God? She was guilty of hanging on to the material things of this world. She loved the things that pleased the eye and the things that stroke the pride of life. And they were all there in that house she left behind. You see, Lot's wife was an example of someone who was in the church all her life and was very, very close to becoming saved. But when the deadline came, she was not saved. The reason Lot and his family moved into Sodom, rather than to dwell in tents like his uncle Abraham was doing, was to satisfy their creature comforts. Lot was a rich cattle rancher, like his uncle Abraham. Lot moved into Sodom, but he owned large herds of cattle that were grazing on the lush fields around Sodom. Cattle that he had brought many years before from Mesopotamia. And now they had to leave all that behind, and the cattle were going to be destroyed in the judgment on Sodom. And Lot's wife remembered all that. And she looked longingly towards Sodom, and at that moment, God struck her, and she became a pillar of salt. All this is buried into those three words. Remember Lot's wife. We already know that this verse containing those that are in the field is buried in the midst of verses about the rapture of the saints. But now that the Lord attached these words, remember Lot's wife, it made all the difference. To bring this information within the context of the rapture, like we're seeing in Luke 17, it means that the Lord is saying to us, remember the covetousness of Lot's wife. She coveted the things of this world more than she loved to obey the Lord. And this was the sign that she was not saved. And thus she could not share in the rapture of her husband and her two daughters. And so this is the message for us. Beware that we do not love our worldly possessions more than Christ. For this was the situation for Lot's wife. And make haste that we make our worldly possessions available for the furtherance of the gospel. For therein we will know where our heart is. That's the only way we can make sense out of these verses which speak of the rapture of the saints and of making haste to run toward the coming day of the Lord. For if we intensely contribute to the furtherance of the gospel, it means that our works contribute to the completion of God's plan for the saving of all His elect. We, according to the information that Pablo brought in last week, with sermon audio that we've been doing for almost 20 years, We have contacted, people have reached out and either downloaded sermons and sermon audio or the print versions of it just over a million times in over 20 years. A million people, well not a million people, but a million times God's word has been accessed. And if you look at that, that breaks it down, you do the math, it's about a thousand people a week who are being touched by God's words going forth. So we, in our own little way, are doing a huge outreach. We are reaching into all the world. In 2004, a pastor pointed out that there were more listeners and people in China who downloaded either sermon audio or the print word than in all of California. And if you think this is in English, it's not being translated into Chinese. So a thousand people in China were listening in English or reading in English to God's word going forth. So if you look at the ministry that is still going on, we are working at getting God's word out into the entire world. Please turn again to the gospel according to Matthew. Matthew 24 verse 19. Now that concept of woe to those that are with children or with child. Now we run into a verse that's no longer recorded in Luke 17, but is in Luke 21. First we read in Matthew, Matthew 24 verse 19. And woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days. What does the Lord tell us in this verse? We can easily see how this verse applies to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. The Christians had to flee as fast as they could out of Judea toward Pella on the other side of the Jordan. Those who were pregnant and those who were breastfeeding infants that they had to carry in their arms could not move as fast as all the others and thus they ran the risk that the enemy soldiers would overtake them. The same argument can be brought up for the next verse. Verse 20, but pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day. Pray that your flight be not in the foul weather of the wintertime, for that's also a time when you need to move slowly. And pray that your flight be not on the Sabbath day, for those who honor the Old Testament Sabbath are allowed to travel only a short distance. And all these were hindrances in 70 AD to fleeing to the mountains outside of Judea. But now we want to look at how those verses could apply to the end time events. What would be the overriding concern God has for pregnant women and women with infants who are living near the end of time? God's main concern is that they are brought up in a time when the gospel is barely heard. For they're going to raise their children in a time of great spiritual trouble. People need salvation and salvation comes when God the Holy Spirit applies the message of the gospel to our soul while we were under the hearing of the word. Romans 10 verse 17 says, so faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. And this hearing may also be interpreted as reading the message of salvation. Please turn in your Bibles to the prophecy of Amos. Amos chapter 8 verse 11. Amos 8 verse 11. God the Holy Spirit saves while people are under the hearing of the true gospel. He does not save while people are under the hearing of a false gospel. John 3 verse 5 says that God the Holy Spirit causes people to be born of water and the Spirit. Which means that both the water of the gospel and God the Holy Spirit must be present to cause someone to be born from above. But as we draw near to the end of time it will be more and more rare that we find faithful preaching of the Word of God. God says that there will be a famine of hearing the Word of God. We read in Amos 8 Verse 11 and 12. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. And they shall wander from sea to sea and from the north even to the east. They shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord and shall not find it. There will not be a famine of Bibles. for there will be all kinds of Bibles that are distorted with Gnostic heresies, such as the NIV and others like that. There will not be a famine of sermons and Bible studies in the world, but most of those sermons and Bible studies will be of little value, for they have lost their savor, and they'll be good for nothing but to be cast out and to be trodden underfoot of men. No, the famine God's speaking about is a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. There will be a famine of sermons that are true and faithful to the Bible. And as a result, there will be a famine of people becoming saved. And it is in this environment that we are raising our children. Please turn again to the Gospel of Matthew, Matthew 24, verse 22. Matthew 24, verse 22. It will then be no surprise that the Lord says here in Matthew 24, verse 22, And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved. In other words, if the Lord would tarry, there would be no more saved people on the earth. Even the children of the saints would be persuaded to follow another gospel. They are swayed into another gospel, especially when boys meet girls and girls meet boys, and they're willing to bend their parents' rules a little. Today are dreadful times to raise children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Please turn in your Bibles to the gospel according to Luke, Luke 21, verse 23. Luke 21, verse 23. There's another aspect of, quote, them that are with child and then that we give suck in those days. And this is found in Luke 21, verses 23 to 24. These words of Luke 21, verses 23 and 24 sound like an exact fit for the tribulation just before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. We read there, but woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days. For there shall be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword and shall be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. There's no question at all that these words apply to 70 AD. But now listen to the last eight words of verse 24. Until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. Where have we seen almost the same words? Put your marker here again in Luke 21 and turn to the epistle to the Romans. Romans 11 verse 25. Romans 11 verse 25. Here in Romans 11, God speaks about the remnant of the Jews and the remnant of the Gentiles who will be saved. This chapter is often misunderstood because most people do not stop to think that God will save only a remnant out of every nation. We read in Romans 11, verse 25, for I would not, brethren, I desire not, I wish not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery. lest ye should be wise in your own conceits that blindness in part is happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles become in. God is speaking about national Israel. Blindness in part is happened to Israel means that part of them are blinded remaining in unbelief and a smaller part of them can see clearly for God the Holy Spirit has taken their blinders away and made them born from above. How long is this condition going to last? Until the fullness of the Gentiles become in. It's exactly the same point in time that Luke 21 verse 24 speaks about. Until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. When shall the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled? It shall be when the fullness of the Gentiles be come in, which is at the end of time when the last of the elect will have been saved. Please turn again to the gospel according to Luke, Luke 21 verse 24. Now we want to understand what the second half of verse 24 is really saying. We read in Luke 21 verse 24, Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. Is this speaking of the physical Jerusalem made of bricks and mortar? No, this cannot be true. After the cross, the Jerusalem made of bricks and mortars is no longer the focal point of God's dealing with his elect children. Instead, the holy city is now the church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven. Part of that holy city is now in heaven as the church triumphant, and part of that holy city is now on this earth as the church militant. And thus, when the Lord says, Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled, he could not possibly have spoken of the physical Jerusalem. For today, we can see that the physical Jerusalem is no longer trodden down of the Gentiles, but the time of the Gentiles is not yet fulfilled. Now please turn in your Bibles to the revelation of Jesus Christ. Revelation 11 verse 2. Revelation 11 verse 2. When we read in Luke 21 verse 24, Jerusalem shall be trodden down to the Gentiles. The Lord speaks about the church of God in the world that shall be trodden down of the Gentiles. We find a similar expression of these words in Revelation 11 verse 2. which has been brought up a few times before. These words are a little difficult to understand for Revelation is full of symbolism. But we read here in Revelation 11 verse 2, but the court, which is without the temple, outside the temple, leave out and measure it not. For it is given unto the Gentiles and the holy city shall they tread under foot 40 and two months, three and a half years. God uses the metaphor of the temple when it was standing in the city of Jerusalem. Only the temple proper symbolizes the fraction of truly saved individuals. The court outside the temple proper symbolizes the show church, people who like to be associated with the true believers, but they do not want any closer relationship with God. Then outside the Temple Court, the entire city of Jerusalem symbolizes the apostate church, which calls itself Christian, but they're burying the name of the Lord in vain. In God's eyes, all the people in Jerusalem and in the Temple Court area are unsaved Gentiles who are treading the holy city underfoot 40 and two months, which is symbolic of the entire New Testament period of time. Please turn again to the gospel according to Luke. Luke 21, verse 24. And so what Revelation 11.2 teaches us is that at any time during the New Testament period of time, the fraction of truly saved individuals in the church was always very small. The majority of the church always consisted of the show church and the apostate church. It is in this sense that we must understand the words in Luke 21 verse 24. Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. Let's now ask ourselves what the meaning is of verse 23 where the Lord says, for there shall be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. This people. Let's read that verse, Luke 21, verse 24, three. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days. For there shall be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. Does Luke 21, 23 also point us to end time events? What does the Lord mean when he said and wrath upon this people? Which people was he referring to? It's important for us to understand this, for when we spiritualize these passages to refer to end time events, it's easy to drift away on our wings of imagination. When we study the expression, this people, we arrive at an amazing conclusion. Previously, we looked into this expression, this generation. And we discovered that the 15 verses in the New Testament where the expression, this generation occurs, always refers to the nation of Israel and always in a negative sense. Something similar is going on with the expression, this people. It appears in 10 verses in the New Testament. And they always refer to the nation of Israel and almost always in a negative sense. You have all 10 verses listed in the sermon outline in your bulletin. So it may be sufficient if I abbreviate these verses for the sake of saving time. Let's begin with Matthew 13 verse 15. For this people's heart is waxed gross and their ears are dull of hearing and their eyes they have closed. Matthew 15 verse 8 and Mark 7 6 say the same thing. This people draw nigh unto me with their mouth and honor with me with their lips but their heart is far from me. Luke 9 verse 13. We have no more but five loaves and two fishes except we should go and buy meat for all this people. Not so negative there. Luke 21 verse 23. for there shall be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. John 7 verse 49, but this people who knoweth not the law are cursed. Acts 13 verse 17, the God of this people of Israel chose our fathers. Acts 28 verse 26 and 7. Go unto this people and say hearing you shall hear and shall not understand and seeing you shall see and not perceive. For the heart of this people is waxed gross and their ears are dull of hearing and their eyes they have closed. And finally in first Corinthians 14 verse 21. In the law it is written with men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people. And yet for all that they will not hear me, saith the Lord. Nine of these 10 verses are stated in a negative condemning tone. And all of them refer to the nation of Israel. And so when we read in Luke 21 verse 23, for there shall be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. We should not interpret this as it applies to all the church, as if it applies to all the church people who have now come under the wrath of God. But the meaning of the expression, this people dictates that this distress in the land refers to troubles in the land where the nation of Israel dwells during the entire New Testament period of time. And the statement wrath upon this people must mean that the wrath of God continues to abide in the nation of Israel for the entire duration of the New Testament period of time, except for the remnant chosen by grace. Please turn in your Bibles to the second to the second epistle to the Corinthians, 2nd Corinthians chapter 3, 2nd Corinthians 3, verse 13. 2nd Corinthians 3, 13. And so the wrath of God upon this people, the nation of Israel, is manifested in the hardened unbelief that prevails on a major fraction of the descendants of Jacob. When God gives them great wealth, it is not a blessing from God, but a curse. For through this they have become full and have turned away from the Lord. Which you read in Proverbs 30 verse 9. God says in 2nd Corinthians 3 verses 13 to 15. And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished. but their minds were blinded for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament which veil is done away with Christ done away with done away in Christ but even unto this day when Moses is read the veil is upon their heart even unto this day the veil is upon their heart What does it mean, even unto this day? It means literally, unto this day. Next year, and the following year, and the following years, it still means unto this day. It cannot come, cannot mean that there will come a day when this is not true, for God cannot lie. And so it's not possible that there will be a glorious 1,000 years during which the coming, sorry, there will not be a glorious 1,000 years coming when the nation of Israel shall evangelize the world that would simply not harmonize with the scriptures. But let us be glad that God the Holy Spirit has removed the veil from our heart and that he has given us a loving heart filled with love for our dear Savior Jesus Christ who loved us so much that he was willing to suffer the penalty for our sins in the cross, the equivalent of an eternity in hell. That was not the first time he has loved us, for he says in Jeremiah 31 verse 3, yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness have I drawn thee. Let us show him our gratitude for loving us from before the foundation of the world. Amen. Let's turn to the Lord in prayer. Father in heaven, we thank you for removing the veil from our eyes. Lord, help us to see the truth of your word and not the falsehoods that are so prevalent around us. Lord, thank you for the work that you are doing in the lives of those that are being drawn to you. And we pray that your word will go forth powerfully and be effective in this manner to draw those to you. Lord, we thank you for the truths of your word and may we always preach them with a with the recognition of the wrath of God and not a watered-down gospel that simply tickles the ears of the people that hear it. Lord, we thank you for all you give us. We pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.