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had a very busy three days there, speaking a number of times, and on the Sabbath
to an overflow assemblage of brethren from surrounding churches, with more than
3,500 brethren present.
The entire reopening was an emotionally inspiring occasion.
Then back to Pasadena and the opening of the 1981-82 school year at the
Pasadena campus.
So we are off to another start of a college year.
Last Sabbath, I flew to Toronto, Ont., to speak to a large congregation
of
members from that general area of Canada and upper New York state.
Brethren and co-workers, I am seriously and deeply impressed with the
fact
we are in the very LAST DAYS of this world. Our Work of taking Christ's Gospel
message to this world and its nations will soon be over. But MEANWHILE, we face
the fact that when Jesus Christ soon returns in supreme power and glory as KING
of kings, and Lord of lords, His Church SHALL have made herself READY! In the
prophecy of Revelation 19:6-7, it is written, "Allelujah: for the Lord God
omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the
marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready."
But what does "ready" mean? It is also written: "Christ also loved the
church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the
washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious
church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be
holy
and without blemish" (Eph. 5:25-27).
Three years ago the Church was backsliding--growing lukewarm, secular,
watering down Christ's teachings. Jesus Christ, the living Head of the Church,
has
been working through His apostle and ministers to get us back on the track.
BUT, BRETHREN, ARE WE, EVEN AS YET, HOLY AND WITHOUT
BLEMISH--A GLORIOUS CHURCH, WITHOUT SPOT OR WRINKLE
SPIRITUALLY?
We have been making good progress. The Church is back on the track, but
not going forward spiritually as rapidly as we might--we are not yet spiritually
without spot or blemish. But God's Word says the CHURCH will BE MADE
READY. That does not mean every member in it will be ready. And those who are
not ready are pictured in Matthew 25 in the parable of the 10 virgins. Those who
will not be ready will find the door into God's Kingdom slammed shut in their
faces! Each of us needs to examine himself (or herself) and ask, "Am I yet
ready?"
Now the annual Feast of Tabernacles is approaching. It pictures to us the
joyous time, now near, when Christ shall come. The Church shall have made
herself ready and shall be changed from mortal human to immortal God--children
of God in the God Family. We shall then reign with Christ a thousand years.
Satan
shall be removed. We shall not only be ruling in the new world government under
Christ, but we shall also be priests (Rev. 5:10), reigning ON THE EARTH, when