This transcript is organized from YouTube’s automatic captions. Names, Bible references, and specialized terms may contain recognition or translation errors.

Please turn up the volume. When I consider all the worlds the Lord God has made, the stars in the sky, the rolling thunder, the Lord's power, the wonders of the universe, my soul praises the Lord's greatness. My soul praises the Lord's high and great majesty. The birds chirping in the forest or deep in the green mountains, and the quietly flowing streams, all sing of the Lord's handiwork. My soul praises the Lord's greatness. My soul praises the Lord's high and great majesty. When the Lord Jesus comes back to this world, He will lead me to that heaven. I will humbly bow and worship, and praise the Lord forever. My soul praises the Lord's high and great majesty. My soul praises Him. My soul praises the Lord's high and great majesty. Amen. I will take you all and enter heaven. Are you ready? Amen. We will enter heaven together. My beloved, my most beautiful one. Winter has passed and the rain has stopped, so let us rise and go.

Beautiful flowers bloom in the garden and little birds sing, so my love, my beautiful one, let us rise and go together. Amen. Let us all go together to the beautiful place where the Lord gives us strength. Will you go together? Amen. The kingdom of heaven is not a place you go alone, but a place you go together. Amen. So, let us hold hands with the person next to us and enter heaven together. We are all brothers and sisters bound by love in the Lord; even if hardships come and trials strike, let us hold hands and go together. Amen. Our Lord has told us to love one another, so if we love each other, let us hold hands and go together. To our home, the place where the Lord is, let us hold hands and go together. To the beautiful place where the Lord is, let us all go together. Let us all go together. Amen. Amen. I expected a cheer to erupt. I expected a cheer to erupt because we were so happy to be returning to heaven together. Shall we try it? Now we are truly entering heaven. Walking through the beautiful church hall, walking through the hall of our beloved Lord, with joyful praise, walking through the hall, beautiful words, walking through, walking through, walking through, walking through, walking through, walking through, walking through, really, really, walking through, walking, walking through, really, let us open the darkness, the bright light, a beautiful place, a peaceful Seventh-day Adventist Church, there is a dream. There is a dream of a peaceful church. Let us all happily, towards that high place, hand in hand, let us go on a star-travel journey.

Let us dance together. Please turn it up, make it louder. In the heavenly Garden of Eden, by the crystal-clear river of life, the wonderful saints dancing the polka, the heavenly angels also holding hands and dancing, everyone, yore, yore, one, two, three, four, all together, two, two, three, one, two, four, let us all enjoy the polka, the green, lush Garden of Eden, the small village, everyone happily holding hands and dancing, the echo coming from over the mountain, wonderful, where, two, three, four, yore, two, two, three, four, yore, two, four, yore, let us all enjoy the polka, one, two, three, four, yore, two, two, three, four, one, two, three, four, let us all enjoy the polka, yore, yore, one day, on a good morning, I will go. I will go to the place the Lord has prepared. I will go. Oh glory, I will go. Hallelujah. At that time, I will go. I will go. When my life's sorrows end, I will go. Like a joyful bird that has found freedom, I will go. I will go. Oh glory, I will go. It is not far. Hallelujah. At that time, I will go. Although all the world's difficulties are in my heart, I will go, receiving the blessings the Lord has promised.

Because the Lord saves me, I will go following the Lord's will. All together, when the saints are called, when the saints are called, when the saints are called, I will go there and participate. When the saints march, when the saints march, oh Lord, please lead me to be with You. I will go. Oh glory, I will go. It is not far. Hallelujah. At that time, I will go. I will go, I will go. Move your bodies. You are my, you are no, but you, nobody under the, I want, I always know, la la, le la, lo ri, ul li, le ra, la, the Lord, our true love, the eternal love of the Lord who came after abandoning the love for me, I can know, He saved me, there is no love, the Lord is my eternal friend, hong ri, hong ha ro, uri, hong ri, lo ri, uri, ri, lo ri, u yeo, hong ri, lo ri, heaven, yeo u, yeo u, yeo u, uri ju, all together, stand up, the theme song, now I have received the Lord's new life, let us sing powerfully and excitedly. Now, the old things have passed away and it is a new love. That life flows in my heart like a river, and that love shines on me like the sun.

I will taste eternal life and live in the Lord. Today and tomorrow, I will live with the Lord. Having received the new life hidden in the Lord, the things that were good before are now worthless. Tasting the grace and peace of heaven, I will live with the Lord through hymns and prayer. I will taste eternal life and live in the Lord. Today and tomorrow, I will live with the Lord. The mountains and vegetation have become new, and sinners and enemies turn into friends. One who has received new life tastes eternal life, and the night with the Lord is heaven. If you taste it, you will live in the Lord. Today and tomorrow, I will live with the Lord. Amen. Father in heaven, thank you. Thank you for making us Your children through God's grace. Amen. Thank you for saving us, who are lacking and useless, through God's grace. Thank you for giving us, who live in the last days when the Lord will return, the mission to spread Jesus' love. Amen. We have gathered here to be held up when our faith is weak and cooling. Please fill us with grace through well-prepared praise and words, and make our faith even more solid.

Amen. Please let us engrave the Lord's words deep in our hearts, and when we go out into this world, please let us remember these words and share them before the brothers and neighbors we meet. Now, when the pastor comes out to give the message, please fill us with grace, and believing that Satan will not find a gap and only the Lord will be with us, we thank You and pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Hello? Yes. Yes, it is nice to see you. First, I would like to thank the Camp Meeting Committee Chairman and all the executives who planned, prepared, and arranged for us to meet in the word this evening for our 43rd Western Camp Meeting in 2026, and I give thanks and glory to our Lord who orchestrated this so that such a thing could be possible. When I received the contact from the Camp Meeting Committee about the theme set for this year, 'Today for Tomorrow,' and was asked to speak, the moment I heard the theme, I thought, 'Ah, this theme is for me, this is a theme I must deliver.' Because since May 11, 1974, I started attending this church, which the world calls the 'Seventh-day Adventist Church,' and from some point on, instead of that name, I don't remember the exact year or date, but our official name, our abbreviation...

Since we started changing it to 'Seventh-day Adventist Church,' just as the name changed, I have constantly shifted from Sabbath faith and Sabbath apologetics to an interest in the hope of the Second Coming, and seeing the appearance of people in the community who say they are preparing for the Second Coming, I have thought more 'That is not it' than 'I should prepare like that.' Yes. While doing so, I have thought more deeply as I grew older about what the true preparation for the Second Coming is that the Bible gives within the Word. In the midst of that, because you asked me to set such a theme and share the Word together, I prepared this evening's message by concentrating this theme on my life's interests and the tasks of our lives that we all have, and since receiving the request, I have been preparing this message together while constantly meditating and thinking about it every day for the past year. Everyone, there are groups on this earth who live only for today for tomorrow. Do you know who they are? I wish it were so.

Have you ever heard the word 'Prepper'? The 'preppers' are a neologism made by combining the prefix 'pre-' with the Latin word 'parare' to the verb 'prepare,' and adding the suffix '-er' that indicates a person. Preppers. Not long ago, the most influential science magazine, National Geographic, focused on introducing the preppers. Among the preppers, there is a very famous person. Among American male actors, Tom Cruise, who is said to be the top in popularity, is one of these preppers. If you look at the basement of the large mansion of Cruise, one of these preppers, in LA, USA, it is introduced that there is a bunker as you can see, and it is equipped with all facilities that allow daily life, such as two bedrooms, a gym, and a laundry room. Why is Tom Cruise preparing such a mansion? It is a facility to prepare for the end of the world.

On May 26, 2012, a software engineer named Larry built a super-luxury shelter and named it 'Survival Condo.' The earth is going to end anyway, and he prepared a condo to survive when the earth ends, named it 'Survival Condo,' and started selling it. He built a 14-story building 53 meters underground, provided various amenities, and the move-in cost is 2 million dollars. Yes. If converted to Korean won, it would be much higher. It is stocked with 20 years' worth of food, weapons, special containers, thousands of types of seeds, all kinds of antibiotics, and a filtering temporary hospital. One month after starting the sale of the Survival Condo, it was sold out. That is not all. These are all American stories. They say, 'Prepare for the destruction now,' and the number of American preppers is increasing more and more. They say it has doubled. While there are bunker facilities for preppers like Tom Cruise, they introduced the family of a person named Riley Cook in Colorado, and they also say they are already living in a bunker to prepare for the day of human extinction.

They are truly preparing for tomorrow by living today properly. These 'preppers' are not only in the United States but also here in Korea. Domestic media introduces them like this: 'Do you know about preppers? There are 10,000 of them in Korea. They live 24 hours a day with survival backpacks on.' What are you preparing for? There are people who prepare like this to survive, regardless of religion or faith. What are we preparing for right now? If you type keywords like 'end times' on YouTube, many such articles appear. I just captured the screen. '30 years left for us,' 'The most scientific doomsday scenario,' 'Warnings from scientists with plaques attached because over a million people watched it,' 'Human extinction scenarios'—if you search for things like this on YouTube, they appear constantly. Yes, so preachers also post many sermons with these titles on YouTube. 'The road to the end, who is preparing and how?', 'How to prepare for the end?', 'A life preparing for the end', 'How should we prepare for the end?'

If you just search on YouTube, these titles appear as sermon titles constantly. This is the era we live in. However, the end times and the Second Coming are different. Even though these preppers are preparing like this, the end-time era they think of and the Second Coming the Bible speaks of are completely different. How are they different? The end times have no promise. The Second Coming has a promise. If the end times are a perspective looking at the end, the Second Coming is a perspective looking at the beginning. The basic motivation for people preparing for the end times is fear. The basic motivation for those waiting for the Second Coming is hope. If the motivation for the end times is surviving a disaster, the basic motivation for the Second Coming is meeting the Lord who is coming again. That is why people who prepare like this are called 'eschatologists,' and people who prepare with hope to meet the Lord who is coming again are called 'Adventists.' Eschatologists are not Adventists. Adventists are not eschatologists. Naturally, the motivation for preparation is different, and the content that must be prepared is also different.

The motivation is different, and the content is different. Eschatologists are people who prepare out of fear to survive the end of this world, and Adventists are people who prepare with hope to welcome a new world. We must not lower the level of preparation for the Second Coming to the level of preparation for the end times. These days, when I am invited to various places for meetings to serve with the Word, well, now about 95% of Korean pastors are my disciples who took my classes. Since I am already in my fourth year of retirement, except for my junior pastors who have about two or three years left until their retirement, they are all my disciples. So, when I am invited to hold a meeting, they ask for a Sabbath afternoon session. Everyone, but this Sabbath afternoon session is not an easy task. For example, let's say his name is Hong Gil-dong. 'Pastor Hong, the Sabbath afternoon session is a test for both of us, do we really have to do this? People are sleepy after eating, sitting there listening...' If these people look at me with sleepy eyes while trying to overcome their drowsiness to focus on me, the look in their eyes is almost as if they are about to eat me alive. They stare at me.

About 15 years ago, I came to the United States, and a disciple pastor suggested we have a Sabbath afternoon session. So, without much thought, I said, 'Instead of that, these days some famous monks do public counseling, so let's have a time for open, immediate Q&A.' He said, 'That's great.' We started at 2 PM on the Sabbath, and you know, it continued until 7 PM after dinner that day. It wasn't just me preaching; we were asking and answering, so no one slept. They didn't even feel tired. So, wherever I go, I like to do Sabbath afternoon sessions that way. I went to the Gyeongsang-do region for a regional joint weekend meeting, and after the Sabbath, we had that kind of time again. Most of the people gathered there were so-called 'mountain-dwelling saints.' At that time, one person stood up. He said this: 'I came here 40 years ago to prepare for the Second Coming. I have been examining the Church Compass for the last 10 years.' Well, everyone, actually, the moment he stood up, that force, that spirit, it just came out. At times like that, I get a bit nervous.

He was a person with a sharp voice, and as he stood there, he said, 'I have been examining the Church Compass for the last 10 years, and there is a problem.' Just like that. I said, 'Elder, please speak.' Then he said, 'Pastor, you are also a church leader, right?' I said, 'Well, I'm not sure, but if that's what you think, well, please go ahead and speak.' 'I have been examining the Church Compass for the last 10 years, and not a single article about tribulation has appeared. We came here 40 years ago having learned a lot about Jacob's trouble, the great tribulation, and the small tribulation, but there hasn't been a single word about tribulation in the Church Compass for the last 10 years. What do you think? Why is the church not preparing us for tribulation?' 'Yes, Elder, how would you like me to answer?' 'Ah, isn't that what I'm asking? If you think you were wrong, apologize.' [Snort] He was very aggressive. I said, 'Yes, Elder, you are very angry. I am sorry. If my saying that can soothe your anger even a little, I will apologize 100 times. I don't know if I am a church leader, but if saying that makes your heart soften, I will apologize 10 times.' 'Ah, it's not like I'm looking for an apology from you, Pastor.'

Everyone, but after I said that, I asked that Elder this question again: 'Elder, but why are you trying to avoid tribulation?' 'Are you calling that a question? Isn't it obvious that we should avoid tribulation?' I continued, 'Elder, if you avoid tribulation, do you necessarily meet the Lord? What happens if you avoid tribulation but don't meet the Lord? Is the goal to avoid tribulation? Or is the goal to meet the Lord, Elder? You said you came here to avoid tribulation, but after you came, what preparation did you make to meet the Lord?' Everyone, this was not a prepared answer. But as I asked him that in return, I could see the atmosphere becoming serious. I also thought, 'Ah, the Holy Spirit is with us.' At that moment, I felt the atmosphere flipping as I spoke to that Elder. 'If you avoided tribulation but don't meet the Lord who is coming again, what happens?' Everyone, whether you go into the mountains or the countryside to avoid tribulation, if you go to the countryside and fight with the neighbor next door over tears, or fight with the grandfather next door over fertilizer, what is the point of coming to the countryside to avoid tribulation?

You went there to avoid tribulation, but what preparation did you make to meet the Lord? Isn't that so? Everyone, when the Israelites came out of Egypt, the King tells us that there were three groups that made up the Exodus community. In 'Patriarchs and Prophets,' page 281, White classifies the multitude that participated in the Exodus into three groups and says this: 'Among these multitudes, there were not only those who came out because of their faith in the God of Israel, but there were also those who came out to avoid the plagues, and there were quite a number who followed the crowd, moving along with excitement and curiosity to avoid the plagues without any relation to God.' There were people who came out to avoid the plagues without any relation to God. And there were quite a number of people who just followed along, saying 'What is this?' and 'Wow.' In Exodus 12:37, it refers to them as a 'mixed multitude,' and the translation has a bit of a nuance. In our Korean language, when the character 'mixed' (jap) is included, it doesn't give a very good feeling. It expressed them as a 'great mixed multitude,' but this 'mixed multitude' is actually a tribe. The Hebrew word 'erev,' which is translated as this 'mixed multitude,' is expressed in Numbers 11:4 using a word that is used only once in the entire Bible.

When translating them into Korean, it was translated as 'other races living mixed together,' which is a long translation. But the Hebrew original for this word is 'asuf.' But just by hearing the pronunciation of 'asuf,' you can feel some wordplay, right? 'Asuf-suf.' I think the Catholic Bible is the best at translating this word 'asuf,' which is used only once, into Korean. This Catholic Bible translated this word, which appears only once in the Bible as 'asuf,' as 'a motley crew' (eojungi-tteojungi). It utilized the wordplay of the pronunciation 'suf-suf, asuf-suf' to translate it as 'eojungi-tteojungi.' Everyone, the people who came out to avoid the plagues, the crowd that followed along with excitement and curiosity—the Bible translates them as 'asuf.' Our preparation for the Second Coming, in other words, our today for tomorrow, must be on a different level from the survival strategy of preppers.

Like the 'asuf,' or the 'motley crew' who participated in the Exodus procession, our motivation must not be merely to avoid disaster. We must find the right fundamental motivation and essence, moving from preparing to avoid disaster in the end times to preparing to welcome the Lord of the Second Coming. The message of 'today for tomorrow' for the Adventist Church must not stop at the level of the preppers' survival strategy. The Lord said, 'Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. I will come back.' Since He said this, the Bible expresses the Second Coming as the 'hope of glory,' the 'hope of righteousness,' and the 'blessed hope.' Preparation for the Second Coming—where and how should we do this glorious, blessed, and righteous preparation for the Second Coming? Among Christian communities, we who are called by the name 'Adventists'—where and how should we specifically prepare for the Second Coming? Or, like the main theme of our youth rally this year, how on earth should we live today for tomorrow?

The Lord, who granted the promise of His Second Coming, immediately followed that promise with specific lessons on how to prepare for it. These teachings are concentrated in Matthew chapters 24 and 25. We are all very familiar with Jesus' teachings on preparing for the Second Coming found in these chapters. There were two men in a field, or two women grinding at the mill; one was taken, and the other was left. The lesson this teaches is clear. Until the very moment their fates were decided, the two people were in the same place. Whether it was the two men or the two women, their destinies diverged while they were in the exact same location. In other words, the one who was taken was not taken because they were at a camp meeting at church and were transformed into holiness; rather, while both were grinding at the mill, one woman was taken and the other was left. The place that determines our destiny is not a campground, not a church, and not a place where we wear white robes and pray; the lesson is that the place where our destiny is determined is the field where we live our daily lives. The second lesson concerns the faithful and wise servant versus the wicked servant. The servant who prepares not because they are counting down the days, but because they think the master could return at any moment, is the faithful servant; the one who thinks it is late and beats others is the wicked servant. Ellen White says—we will look at this in a moment.

Even if the Second Coming were to happen within five years, that is not the attitude that Second Advent believers should take. The parable of the five wise virgins and the five foolish virgins is clear. Do you have oil in your vessel? The commonality between all ten virgins is the oil in the lamp. The difference is whether or not there is oil in the vessel. What is the theological explanation for this? If the oil in the vessel is the Holy Spirit, what is the concrete meaning beyond that theological explanation? The oil in the lamp versus the oil in the vessel. I understand it this way: The oil in the lamp is me, Kim Sang-rae, as a pastor and teacher, reading the Bible to lecture to students and preach to church members—that is having oil in the lamp. But there is no oil in the vessel. If a pastor only reads the Bible to prepare a sermon, there is no oil in the vessel. If an elder does nothing but pray at church, but has no personal relationship with God and no personal prayer life, there is no oil in the vessel. It is clearly telling us what preparation is. It is the same with the one who invested the talents and the one who buried them.

In a word, what is the lesson? What is the preparation for the Second Coming until the very end? It is working for people until the very end. That is what He said it means to prepare for the Second Coming. Finally, for what purpose, and where do you use those talents? It is about those who welcomed the least of these and those who did not. With these words, Jesus explained everything about how to prepare for the Second Coming. This week, although these passages are so important and deserve deep meditation, I intend to go beyond them and share six other passages in the New Testament that mention the imminent Second Coming. It is naturally the New Testament, not the Old, where the Second Coming is explicitly, literally, and specifically mentioned. In the New Testament, there are exactly six passages where the biblical writers used expressions indicating that the Second Coming was near during the time they were writing. I am to serve the Word six times this week, and there are exactly six such Bible passages.

The first is Romans 13:11, 'The salvation is near, so put on the armor of light.' The second is Philippians 4:5, 'The Lord is near, so let your gentleness be evident to all.' 'As the day approaches, gather together even more,' Hebrews 10:25. 'The coming of the Lord is near, so do not grumble,' James 5:9. 'The end of all things is near, so love one another deeply,' 1 Peter 4:7. 'The time is near, so do not seal up the prophecy,' Revelation 1:3 and 22:10. Wow. The word translated as 'near' here is, in the original Greek, almost all derived from the same common word for 'near,' which is 'engus' or 'engizo.' And around this word 'engus,' the subjects of these six verses are all different. One says salvation is near, the Lord is near, the coming of the Lord is near, the day is near, the time is near, and the end of all things is near. The fact that the subjects are all different may have sufficient meaning in itself. However, this week, I do not intend to discuss each different subject. I only intend to focus on and share the message of those passages themselves, which tell us how to live if the end is near, based on the context before and after the word 'near.'

Today, as the first in this series of six passages, I would like to meditate on the first text, titled 'The salvation is near, so put on the armor of light,' as recorded in Romans 13:11, following the order of the books in the Bible. Today's text is Romans 13:11-14. 'And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.' When words of the same concept are repeated, we can quickly lose our focus. However, there is actually a subtle emphasis by the author here. I will tell you about that in a moment. 'Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.' If we divide this passage of Romans 13:11-14, which forms one section, we can divide it into two parts.

It can be divided into the first part, from verse 11 to the first half of verse 12, and the second part, from the second half of verse 12 to verse 14. First, from verse 11 to the first half of verse 12, the basis for recognizing that the time is near is presented, and from the second half of verse 12 to verse 14, the exhortation on how to live if the time is near is given. Let us read the text regarding the first basis for recognizing the time. 'Understanding the present time'—it means knowing this time. It means knowing what the situation of this era is. 'The night is nearly over; the day is almost here,' it says. The text says, 'Let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.' Another is, 'Clothe yourselves with Christ and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.' The common point is that if you have grasped the time, if you have known what kind of time this is, let us put on clothes for spiritual preparation. But the phrase 'put on clothes' is a metaphor. We must find out what that phrase specifically means. When Paul said to put on clothes, what specifically does it mean to 'clothe ourselves with Christ'? What does it mean to 'put on the armor of light'? We must find out from the Word how we should live. Now, I intend to find those contents together. It is composed of two structures: first, the grasp of the time, and second, the exhortation for spiritual preparation.

First, what is the basis for the recognition or grasp of the time that led Paul to think that our salvation is near, nearer than when we first believed? He says, 'Understanding the present time.' How do you know that time? It is exactly as the text says: 'Our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.' That is correct. For all of us, our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. When I first started attending church in 1975, if we gathered at a camp meeting in that era, the conference presidents at the time, such as Pastor Eom Ki-hong or—well, Kim Sang-do, he wasn't a pastor—yes, the precious conference presidents would come out at the end and say, 'The next camp meeting will be in heaven.' That was a slogan we all followed. Yes, salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. What is the second thing he says? 'The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.' Everyone, simply put, what is the basis for Paul's recognition that salvation is near? If you look here, Paul's thought that it is near is not based on any chronological calculation at all.

There is no basis for any chronological calculation in the text itself. Paul's thought that our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed is based entirely on spiritual awakening. Everyone, the biblical writers of the era when the Bible was written also recognized that salvation was near in their own time. From the moment the Lord gave the promise that He would return, according to this word, people of all generations until He historically returns must live with the spiritual awakening that the Lord will come in the time they are alive. Paul said, 'Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you,' in 1 Thessalonians 5, but in the Romans text, he says, 'Understanding the present time.' When Paul, who said there is no need to write about times and dates, says 'understanding the present time,' it is clear that the time is not a chronological calculation. As we know very well from common sense, the Lord also said, 'You do not know on what day your Lord will come.' He said He would come at a time you do not expect, at an hour you do not know. He said that no one knows the day or the hour.

White gives this exhortation in this context. Anyone who sets a date for when Christ will or will not come does not have a true message. Be certain that God has given no one the authority to say that Christ's coming will be delayed for five, ten, or twenty years. If you say the Second Coming is only five years away, it feels very imminent. Whether you should start a business, get married, or have children—every decision will be affected if you think there are only five years left. But what does White say? Do not say it will be five, ten, or twenty years. This is absolutely not a true message. Realizing and feeling imminence based on dates is definitely not a message sent by God. Therefore, you also must be ready. The Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect. Furthermore, this is our message and the message that the flying angel in mid-air is delivering. What is the message of the three angels? According to this passage, it means that the message of the three angels is not about preparing for the Second Coming by setting dates, but about living today as a life of the Second Coming, with the thought that the Son of Man will come at an hour we do not expect.

After mentioning this awareness of the timing, Paul exhorts us on how we should prepare. He gives the exhortation with two common phrases: 'put on the armor of light' and 'put on the Lord Jesus Christ.' Therefore, those who are spiritually awakened to the fact that the Lord is coming—that He could come even now—must live this way: first, cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; only put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Here, the word translated as 'put on' in verse 12 and verse 14—please forgive me for using Greek—I will occasionally quote the original language for an accurate biblical understanding. The word translated as 'put on' here is 'enduo' in Greek. If you do not understand the precise meaning of this Greek word, it is difficult to understand the concept of our Christian life in the Pauline epistles.

This is because Paul uses the word 'enduo' in Galatians 3:27, saying, 'For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.' He uses the word 'enduo' there as well. Yes, the two photos of my children that I attached to explain the fact that those who are baptized have put on Christ are photos of my children. Yes, these are photos of me baptizing my son and daughter myself at the Jeongbok-ri baptismal pool, where Pastor Ban Nae-won and I lived for our faith at that time. It says that those who are baptized have put on Christ. What does it mean to put on? You say, 'If the time is near, put on Christ and put on the armor of light,' but what on earth does this mean? You have to know what this means to prepare for the Second Coming, right? If we are to prepare for the Second Coming as the Bible says, and if salvation is near, we are told to put on the armor of light and put on Christ—what are we supposed to do?

Being baptized is also called 'putting on Christ,' so what does it mean to put on clothes? Looking at the text, it first says to take off before putting on. Therefore, it says, 'Let us cast off the works of darkness,' and then it pairs them: revelry and drunkenness, sexual immorality and sensuality, strife and jealousy. There are six different words paired together. These are very moral and ethical references. In the following sentence, it says, 'put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.' So, the six things mentioned here—revelry, drunkenness, sexual immorality, sensuality, strife, and jealousy—are expressed by the text itself in the latter sentence as 'the works of the flesh.' Let us examine this a little further. Paul uses the expression 'put on the armor of light'; he uses this metaphorical meaning. White uses this metaphorical, figurative meaning to explain the life in Eden: 'This innocent pair wore no artificial garments; they were clothed with a covering of light and glory, like the angels.'

As long as they lived in obedience to God, this robe of light continued to surround them. They wouldn't have been wearing suits like this in the Garden of Eden, right? [Snort] It says they were wearing clothes of light. But what on earth is a 'robe of light'? Surprisingly, the Bible says that when it describes divinity, it is clothed in light. In Daniel 7:9, it says, 'The Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow.' Here, Paul—White—speaks of the Garden of Eden and says the clothes people wore before they sinned were clothes of light, and Daniel describes God's clothes as 'white as snow,' saying they are white clothes. The color of light is the color of divinity, and when explaining that color of divinity to us humans, it is described as white. That is why in Acts 1:10, angels are referred to as 'two men in white apparel.' In Revelation 3:5, the saved are referred to as those who 'shall be clothed in white garments.' In 7:9, a 'great multitude clothed in white robes,' and in Revelation 19:14, 'fine linen, white and clean.'

In other words, the white color mentioned in the Bible is not a pigment but a light color. Yes, the description of 'white' used in the Bible to describe holiness and to describe divine beings is not a color, but light. Even in the physical world, in this physical world, the so-called three primary colors of light, RGB—in the past, when we said RGB, it meant Red, Green, and Blue—these RGB are the three primary colors of light. Yes, when the three primary colors of light are combined, the center is white. So, it is truly a light color. However, just as there are three primary colors of light, there are three primary colors of pigment. When the three primary colors of pigment—magenta, cyan, and yellow—are all combined, the center becomes black. Yes, so why do fights break out whenever a church board meets? It is because the board members did not clarify the light but clarified the pigment. The more people with distinct individual colors gather, the darker it gets; it doesn't get brighter, it gets blacker. When speaking of the color of divinity, saying it is 'white' is a way of expressing the light of the human world as white to describe the light of the human realm.

They wear white clothes, but it says not just to wear them, but to wear armor. This instruction to wear armor reminds us of the 'whole armor of God' in Ephesians 6:11. Therefore, it says, 'Let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.' What specifically does it mean to put on the armor of light and put on Christ? By examining the next verse, we can understand the meaning of this concept of 'putting on the armor of light.' 'Put on the armor of light.' Then it says, 'Let us walk properly as in the day.' Here, this word 'properly'—this same Greek word is used in 1 Corinthians 14:39 when it says, 'Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order.' When it says 'decently,' it means to walk properly. What is putting on the armor of light? It is walking decently. What is walking decently? It is walking with dignity. Let us summarize what we have examined so far.

To 'cast off the works of darkness' means not to make provision for the flesh. Not making provision for the flesh means we must not be reveling or drunk, we must not be sexually immoral or sensual, and we must not be strife-filled or jealous. Ah, when talking about this, one might think, 'Oh, we don't do any of those things.' This is passive preparation. These are things we should naturally not do. Yes, we must not make provision for the flesh. We must not revel or be drunk. We must not be sexually immoral or sensual. We must not be strife-filled or jealous. This is passive preparation. We are all doing this. But now, this is active preparation. That is exactly what 'put on the armor of light' is. There is 'casting off' and there is 'putting on.' What is 'putting on'? Put on the armor of light. In other words, put on Christ. What does it mean to put on Christ? It means let us walk decently. What does it mean to walk decently? It means let us walk with dignity. If salvation is near, what should we prepare?

Should we prepare a condo? If salvation is near, should we carry some survival backpack like the preppers? Are we going to live 24 hours a day with a survival backpack? What should we prepare? Paul tells us, doesn't he? Salvation is near. Put on the armor of light, put on Christ, walk decently—he is telling us. How are we preparing for this? If so, what specifically is walking with dignity? Let us look for what the Bible is telling us again within the text. I mentioned earlier that the same Greek verb is used when it says 'put on the armor of light' and 'put on Christ.' 'Enduo.' I mentioned that the Greek word 'enduo' is used when we say we have put on Christ after being baptized. Another place where the word 'enduo' is used is Ephesians 4:24. It says, 'And that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.' It says 'put on' (enduo).

Then what is 'putting on'? If you read Ephesians 4, after putting on Christ, putting on the armor of light, and putting on the new man, an explanation of what to do as a result follows in the text. Let us read the Bible as it is. 'Put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.' It says 'therefore.' This Greek conjunction 'oun' indicates a logical correlation or a causal relationship. Rather than a side-by-side explanation, it means 'since this is the case, live like this.' If this is the cause, then 'live like this' is the premise for what follows. Therefore, this verse is translated in the Good News Translation as: 'Put on the new self, which is created in God's likeness and reveals itself in the true life that is founded on righteousness and holiness.'

Therefore, whenever you see the word 'therefore' while reading the Bible, you must pay attention and read it again. This is because you must connect what was said before with what is being said after. Let us look at the text. 'Put on the new self.' Therefore, put away falsehood and speak the truth. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Get rid of all slander along with all malice and 'enduo' (put on) the new self. If salvation is near, put on the armor of light. If salvation is near, clothe yourselves with Christ. Put on. What does it mean to put on? Walk properly. Walk with dignity. How do we walk with dignity? Here it says 'enduo' again. Then, after 'enduo,' what is the core concept that is repeatedly mentioned after 'therefore'? It is speech. What must we fix to prepare for the Second Coming? What must we change? After saying 'put on the new self' (enduo) and then 'therefore,' what is the most repeated concept when it says to live? It says to speak properly.

What kind of preparation are you going to make? Are you going to buy a condo for the Second Coming? Should you prepare a survival backpack? What should you prepare? Speak the truth. Do not let unwholesome talk come out of your mouths. Speak good words that build others up. Benefit those who listen. Get rid of slander. Truth. This is truth. Aletheia. It is truth. Speak the truth. The word 'agathos' for good words is the opposite of what is meant when it says to get rid of bad things, referring to rotten fruit. When it says do not slander, slander is 'blasphemia,' which means blasphemy—speaking carelessly about God. Do not speak carelessly; that is what it means. Everyone, if you look at Luke 6:45, there is an expression among the words Jesus spoke that we Eastern people should think about. 'A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.' Good things out of stored-up good. When Buddhist monks receive offerings, do they say, 'Please give me a penny'? They say, 'Please accumulate merit (jeok-seon) for a penny.' What does this mean?

Do not help me, but accumulate goodness for yourself. That is 'jeok-seon' (accumulating merit). A penny for merit. Do not help me, but accumulate something good for yourself. That is what it means. Everyone, if you look at the text in Luke 6:45, the good stored up in the heart of a good person—if you express 'stored-up good' in Chinese characters, it is 'jeok-seon.' What kind of 'jeok-seon' should we Christians do? The 'jeok-seon' that Christians must do when they have 'enduo' (put on) the new self. We must speak good words out of the good we have stored up. Christians must properly perform the 'jeok-seon' of speech. 'Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt.' I often say this when I lecture to our theology students. Doctors, surgeons, save or kill people with their hands. We can save or kill people with our words. Medical students study so hard to save or kill people through surgery, but we are theology students who perhaps need to study even more than them.

As a pastor, I re-examine myself to see what kind of caution I am exercising in my speech to prepare for the Second Coming. I am not preaching this because I am perfect, but I am sharing this message while trying to stay awake so that I can realize, 'Oh, I made a mistake again.' We reveal what our hearts are like through our words. Our hearts and the words of our mouths are closely connected. On the last day, everyone will be judged by what they have said. So, as I examine myself, I resolve and practice not to speak evil words, except for words of encouragement about someone or something; that is preparing for the Second Coming. Words not only reveal a person's character but also have the power to influence it. It is reciprocal. As I speak, my character is formed, and my character reveals my words as they are. People are influenced by their own words. If people shake their heads like this, they unconsciously say, 'No, no.' If you do this and say, 'Yes, yes,' it doesn't work well, everyone. Yes. If you do this, 'Oh, that's right.'

Words move actions, and actions create words. It is reciprocal. Before, our Bible used to be written like this at the bottom. Now it is like this. At that time, our missionary came to Sahmyook University and saw the Bibles our students had, and said, 'Korean Bibles are very graceful. Why? Because as you read from top to bottom, you end up saying Amen, Amen. This English Bible cannot be written like this. Everything is written to say no.' Words reveal our character, and words influence our character. Here again, in Ellen White's counsel written in 1904, it says that one-tenth of all the difficulties in the church lies in speaking in a way that is not Christian-like. What preparation are we, the Second Advent believers, making? We have heard from the very first month we entered the church until now that since salvation is near, the only thing we who are preparing for that salvation can take with us is our character. Looking at me or anyone else, aren't we all living lives where we desperately feel our shortcomings, and isn't this a time to re-evaluate and prepare for this?

The text says again, 'Put on the new self.' Then, after 'therefore,' it says, 'In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.' It talks about anger as the second thing to deal with and prepare for after 'enduo' (putting on) the new self. It is a matter of emotion. Everyone, what should you prepare when preparing for the Second Coming? We must live a life where we constantly struggle and offer ourselves to God every day, learning how to control our anger. We must not become a community that is only busy trying to match each other's moods or walking on eggshells. Shouldn't we examine ourselves so that each one of us becomes a member of a spiritual community that fights to overcome ourselves while understanding one another? The wise man already said, 'A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.' Proverbs 16:32. 'Better a patient person than a warrior.' Shouldn't we be a community that shows as light the appearance of these things changing one by one as we prepare? An excited temper and sharp criticism do not impress people or gain their empathy.

If we have the truth, we will possess calmness and stability. We must be a community that prepares with the hope of the Second Coming in the true sense, where the sounds of jealousy and strife are not heard. The power of character consists of two things: willpower and self-control. Many young people mistake strong and unbridled passion for the power of character, but in fact, one who is ruled by their own passion is a weak person. Then a very beautiful expression appears. 'The true greatness and nobility of a person is not measured by the power of the feelings he is ruled by, but by the power of the feelings he rules.' The strongest person is one who, while feeling insulted, suppresses their passion and forgives their enemy. Isn't this a challenge that we all should throw at ourselves as a deep challenge, praying and wrestling with the problem of how to prepare day by day? 'In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.' Anger definitely gives a foothold to the devil. The modern Bible translates this verse like this.

If you get angry, it is easy to give the devil a chance to get a foothold. Anger definitely brings temptation. Does the photo you are looking at now look like a street in Korea? Those of you who live in the provinces might not know, but those who live near the university might know. This photo is a picture of the Taereung intersection that you encounter on the bridge when going from Sahmyook University to Taereung. Uh, the reason I am showing you this photo out of the blue is because of an incident that happened 40 years ago in 1985. I was out in ministry at that time, serving a church called Banpo Church, and my friend was serving the Taereung Church. One day, I received a call from my friend. 'Friend, this placard is posted at the Taereung intersection. Public Lecture on Verifying the Seventh-day Adventist Church. I wish you could come and be there with me.' I was busy, but when I heard this, I made time and went. How could such a thing happen?

It said, 'Public Lecture on Verifying the Seventh-day Adventist Cult.' I went to a certain Protestant church in Taereung at that time; it was a small church even then. Yes. I went, and the seats in that small church were packed with people, and as I saw it, one-third were our church members. Our elders from Sahmyook University also came, but their expressions were already grim. I went in and sat in the very front seat, right here in front of the pulpit. Everyone, I still think I am young, but since it was 40 years ago, how young must I have been? Right? I was handsome. I, uh, this person lectured for over two hours, and oh, I really couldn't stand it. How rude he was. I will cover the face of the person who gave the lecture at that time and reveal him. This is the person. This person was lecturing at that time, and even if our content is very clear and distinct, expressions, words, and tone can be polite. But he was just dragging us around. Then, the Seventh-day Adventists, that unique intonation and way of speaking. Among the things I heard at that time, the word I can never forget for the rest of my life is, 'Everyone, when you meet Seventh-day Adventists, your words get completely blocked.'

Those people. They are smart because they are well-educated. Yes. They say, 'Why are they so smart?' but everyone laughs at them. Yes. Then they say, 'They are smart, but they don't examine how good God is or how sinful we are; they only look at what others are doing wrong.' Well, I was challenged when I heard that. Even if that person misunderstood us halfway, the other half is because we gave them that impression. After lecturing for over two hours, this person said, 'Please ask your questions. Now, ask your questions publicly.' But I felt a surge of anger. I was so angry. If I had prayed a lot, I would have sat in the front row, prayed, and then asked a question, but I jumped up. Yes. I stood up and said, 'Pastor, thank you for your deep interest in our Seventh-day Adventist Church and for speaking for these hours, minutes, and seconds.' Yes. Then I turned away. After saying that, I turned away. When I turned and looked at the audience, everyone was staring at me.

Looking at it now, many of our Seventh-day Adventist members have come. Everyone, the pastor asked you to ask questions, but please do not ask any. I am also having a hard time controlling my heart because I am so angry, and I think all our Adventist members feel the same. If we speak about the fact that we have the truth and that what we believe is right with an angry heart, and if we show an un-truthful attitude to prove the truth, what meaning would that have? After I stood up and spoke to the audience like that, I turned back to the pastor and said, 'Pastor, you have spoken for these hours, minutes, and seconds, so if we discuss and set a date, we at Sahmyook, our Seventh-day Adventist Church, will hold a meeting for the same amount of time, so please come then. Wouldn't that be fair? Wouldn't that be equitable?' Everyone, that is what I said back then. Yes. Even thinking about it now, I don't know how proud I am of my younger self 40 years ago. I think I did a really good job. I suppressed my anger and held it in, and I made many mistakes. Nevertheless, when I think about that scene, I am truly proud of my younger self. Everyone, you must control yourselves. James 3 says that the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and willing to yield. If you show an un-truthful attitude to prove the truth, in the words of the kids, what is the point?

It means to control your anger. True greatness is not the magnitude of the emotions I express, but the degree to which I control those great emotions; there is also the counsel of Ellen White. You must prepare for this. It is not possible otherwise. What is the third thing White says? Put on the new man. Therefore, be charitable to the poor, do good works, be kind to one another, and forgive one another. In other words, first, prepare your speech; second, prepare to control your anger; and third, what is it? Do good to the poor, do good works, be kind to one another, and forgive one another. Didn't the Lord already say it? 'Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.' Who is the 'least of these'? Those who are lower than me in terms of wealth, status, education, or influence are the 'least of these.' So, rather than being helpful to me, they are the ones who need my help. When students give scores to a teacher, they are nice to the teacher. Why? Because I am higher than them.

But whether a student truly likes a teacher is determined by how they treat me when I have no influence over them; that is what defines a true relationship. When we do something for someone, doing it for someone who can influence us is, in a sense, an investment. Doing it for the 'least of these' means sharing with someone who has no influence over me; that is what it means to do it for the least of these. The apostle said to put on clothes. We wear clothes to cover. What are we covering? Our nakedness. Why do we wear clothes? To reveal. Clothes reveal our appearance, our lives, and our aspects as they are. That public debate held at the Korea Christian Union Building on April 2, 1996, at 2 PM—exactly 30 years ago from now, 10 years after that meeting—was a great challenge and an unforgettable life experience for me, who was young at the time. We decided to cover two topics. One was about salvation by faith, by Pastor Ahn Geum-young, and I, a young professor in my late 30s at the time, participated in this debate representing the Seventh-day Adventist Church regarding our Adventist faith.

And the lecturer across from me who was to cover the same topic with me is this person whose face I have blurred on the screen. Everyone, back then in 1996, exactly 30 years ago, we made a promise to each other at that debate. Lecturers will never ask each other questions. We will act like gentlemen. But everyone, even though it is all on YouTube now, and this person's face is already public on YouTube, they have passed away. But I still blurred the screen. At that time, while this person was researching and evaluating our Adventist faith, they kept talking about our faith based on Daniel and Revelation, and while talking about the 70 weeks, they kept pronouncing King Artaxerxes as 'Adadaxerxes.' Everyone, since this person pronounced King Artaxerxes as 'Adadaxerxes,' when it became my turn after they finished their presentation, there was nothing else to say. Everyone, is it Artaxerxes in the Bible, or is it King Adadaxerxes?

If I did that, the atmosphere would shift in an instant, and I could have turned the atmosphere to my side in a moment. I felt a strong temptation to do that. But I kept praying. I prayed, and when it was my turn, I said, 'Doctor, you said you pastored in Chicago; thank you. I also lived in Chicago for a while. Thank you so much for showing deep interest in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. I look forward to sharing the Word together with respect for a senior in life.' Everyone, I did that, and I spoke for a long time. And it ended. After it ended, oh, the reaction started to explode. I was returning to my office, and it wasn't the YouTube era like it is now, but it was the era of copying and watching, and people already started calling after seeing it. 'Yes, this is Kim Chang. Oh, Pastor, thank you. Professor, thank you.' The next day came. Someone called and said, 'This is Kim Sang-rye.'

I picked up and asked, 'Is this Professor Kim Sang-rye?' 'Yes, yes. This is Kim Sang-rye. This is Daegu.' 'Is that so? What is the matter?' 'I saw that video of yours.' 'Is that so?' 'Do you go to church today?' 'I don't go to church.' 'Is that so? Then why did you call?' 'Well, to put it briefly, my wife was attending a general church, but she started attending the Seventh-day Adventist Church 6 months ago, and this person is a high-ranking official. People around him gave him a lot of stress, saying that because his wife started attending the Adventist Church, the children's education would be ruined and the family would be in danger, so his wife told him to watch it, and he said he did.' 'Oh, sir, but you don't go to church, so do you understand it when you watch it?' 'I don't know what they are talking about at all.' 'Is that so? Then why did you call?' This person said this: 'I don't know what you are talking about at all, but seeing the attitude and atmosphere of the Sahmyook University Adventist pastors and professors debating together, it was so cool, and our young professor was so lovely and so proud that I called to tell that professor.' Everyone, I don't know how relieved I felt inside after hanging up that phone. If I had come out then and said, 'You don't even know Artaxerxes, what is Adadaxerxes?' if I had done that, in his eyes, we would all be the same.

Everyone, everyone, if your attitude is not worthy of the truth when you speak the truth, what is the point? But now I will reveal it. This story, which I haven't told for 30 years, the doctor across from me who discussed the same topic with me, called me that afternoon on the day he received that call. And he called to say he would come to Sahmyook University. 'Doctor, what is the matter? Please come.' He came. We met, and I treated him. Do you know what he said? 'Professor Kim, I studied a bit to cover the topic this time, but I actually don't know much about the Adventist Church. I want to study properly, so please give me all the materials.' I gathered all kinds of materials for him. We met at the bench in front of the Sahmyook University library, and after we finished and were about to eat and leave, before he left, he said this to me: 'Professor, I have one request.' 'Yes, what is it?' 'I have one grandson whom I truly love. I want to educate this child properly, so I want to transfer him to Sahmyook School, so please help him get into Sahmyook High School.' Everyone, this person's grandson entered Korea Sahmyook High School.

Everyone, if I had come out then and said, 'What is Adadaxerxes?' would this have happened? At that time, I said, 'Doctor, thank you,' and I did my best to speak beautifully, suppressed my anger, and treated him warmly; by controlling my speech, controlling my anger, and doing warm work, this person made that choice. What is preparation for the Second Coming? Is preparing a survival backpack by buying supplies preparation for the Second Coming? We are not 'preppers' preparing to survive the terror of the end times. We are Adventist believers of hope waiting for the Lord who is coming again. We must put on the armor of light, Christ, and the new man. We must act decently and with dignity. Speaking good words, controlling anger, and doing good works that save the 'least of these' is the specific counsel that Paul gives us in Romans to prepare for the near salvation.

Let's prepare. Amen. Amen. Let us pray. Father God, please work in us so that the word given today can become a part of our lives and bear fruit, making this a time of resolve to examine ourselves and prepare properly, and a time of being moved by the Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name, I earnestly pray. Amen. Amen. Thank you.