CHANGE SIDES:TWO SIDES

Choose-To decide on a course of action

Life is composed of choices
In the spiritual realm we only have two choice
Once We listen to God’s word we are bound to make a choice
As a result there are only 2 classes of people
Choice between Jesus way or not
Deciding not to choose is still a choice
To choose God is to choose life
Jesus says in John 14:6 I am the truth, the way and the life.
You might say I have already my choice by being baptized, or by coming to church today, but it
doesn’t end there, every day we are making a decision, every moment we are making our choice
Despite the many choices we make every day the outcomes are only 2/And in the new
testament Jesus only talks of two outcomes:
 The sheep and the goats
 The wise virgins and the foolish virgins
 The wise man who built his house on the rock verses the foolish man who built his house on the
sand
 The wheat and the tares
 Jerusalem and Babylon
We cannot afford to oscillate between two choices
Joshua came to a point of decision and stated his choice in the book of Joshua. There is a
timeline because we don’t have forever..For Joshua He says choose you this day.

Joshua 24:14-15
14
Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and
put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood,
and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.

15
And if it seems evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day
whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were
on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye
dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

The river Euphrates is the boundary of the promised land

In Genesis 15 we find God making a convenant with Abraham

Euphrates
Genesis 15:18
18
In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy
seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the
river Euphrates:

God tells Abraham he gives him the land upto the river Euphrates,
that’s the boundary, that’s the border.

Deuteronomy 1:7-8
7
Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and
unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale,
and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto
Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates.

8
Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which
the LORD sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto
them and to their seed after them.

Again God promise to give the land to Abraham and his seed but that
land extended to the river Euphrates. That was the boundary, that was
the border.
The land beyond the border did not belong to Abraham

Joshua 1:4
4
From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river
Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the
going down of the sun, shall be your coast.

The river Euphrates was the boundary of the promised land.

 The river Euphrates separated the land of Canaan from the land of
Babylon :On this side of the river, the land of Canaan , beyond the
river, the land of Babylon.
What about the land of Canaan?

Deuteronomy 11:10-12
10
For the land, whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as the land of
Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and
wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs:

11
But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and
drinketh water of the rain of heaven:

12
A land which the LORD thy God careth for: the eyes of the LORD thy God are
always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.

The land of Canaan was a land that God cared for

The river Euphrates divided the land of God and land of Babylon
There are 2 centres in the bible; Jerusalem and Babylon
Jerusalem was the centre of God’s land on this side of the Euphrates
and Babylon was the capital of the other land on the other side of
Babylon.
Now Abraham, from what place was he called? From the Ur of the
chaldeans, from Babylon.
So before Abraham was called on what side of the river was he called:
From that side. He was on the side of false gods and graven images.

Joshua 24:1-2
24 And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the
elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their
officers; and they presented themselves before God.

2
And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your
fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the
father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.

So why did God call Abraham out of Babylon?

 He called him out because he wanted to make him into a great

nation.
 He called him out so that he wanted to bless him.
 He called him out so that He can do all that he promised him to
do.

But in order for God to do that for Abraham, He had to come out, cross
the Euphrates and enter the land of God.

Genesis 12:1-3
12 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from
thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

2
And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy
name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

3
And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and
in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

But in order for the Lord to do all these, Abraham had to come out of
Babylon, to cross the Euphrates.
 He had to leave the land of false gods and idles.
He had to separate himself from all those who would cause him not to
follow the God of the land of Canaan.
And that is why Abraham is called the Hebrew

Genesis 14:13
13
And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he
dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of
Aner: and these were confederate with Abram.

This name Hebrew is very significant. Here its mentioned referring to

Abram.
What does the word Hebrew mean?He who came from beyond the
Euphrates.
Because he crossed from that other side of the river
So again, Abram obeyed God, crossed the Euphrates and came to the
land that God cares for the land of Canaan and because of that he was
called a Hebrew. The Israelites are also called Hebrews.

What are we called?

Galatians 3:7
7
Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of
Abraham.

Galatians 3:27-29
27
For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

28
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is
neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
29
And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to
the promise.

If we are Christ’s, we are the children of Abraham.

Spiritually speaking, we are Jews or we are Hebrews.
In other words for us to be heirs of Abraham, to inherit the promise of
Abraham, we too must become Hebrews.
We too must come from beyond the Euphrates, We must leave the
land of false gods and graven images and must come into the land that
God cares for and there become worshipers of the God of Abraham
who is the true God of Heaven.

Now we know that Abraham gets Isaac who gets Jacob and how the
sons of Jacob come into Egypt and by the time we get to Exodus, we
find that Israel is a great nation and for them to fulfil God’s plan.
Remember the boundary?

Genesis 15:18
18
In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy
seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the
river Euphrates:

The nile was also a boundary that separated Egypt from canaan and
we know that Egypt was a land of slavery, a land of bondage. But we
also know that Egypt was a land of idles, of graven images.
For them to become God’s chosen people, a royal priesthood, a
peculiar people, they had to leave the house of bondage, they had to
leave the house of idols and be taken to the land that God promised
Abraham.
 But we know the story. The story of Israel was a story of apostacy after
apostacy, rebellion after rebellion.

Daniel 1:1
1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.

Daniel 1:2
2
And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the
vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the
house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his
god.

Here in the beginning of the book of Daniel, we find Judah being taken
captive against their will and they are taken back across the Euphrates
and they are taken back into the land of Babylon
The question is why?
Why is God allowing His people to be taken back into the land of
graven images and false gods? Back to the land that God called
Abraham out of.
Why?

2 Kings 24:1-4
24 In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim
became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him.
2
And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the
Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon,
and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD,
which he spake by his servants the prophets.
3
Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove
them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he
did;
4
And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with
innocent blood; which the LORD would not pardon.

So why did God allow Judah to be taken captive and be sent back to
where their father Abraham was called from, the land of Babylon. Why?
Because of the sins of Manasseh. What were the sins of Manasseh.

2 Kings 21:1-7
21 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty
and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hephzibah.
2
And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, after the
abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out before the children of
Israel.
3
For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had
destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove, as did Ahab
king of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.
4
And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD said, In
Jerusalem will I put my name.

5
And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house
of the LORD.

6
And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used
enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much
wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

7
And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house, of
which the LORD said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in
Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name
for ever:

What is He worshiping?
He is worshiping the graven images, He is worshiping the false gods,
the sun, the moon, the stars.
He is worshiping the gods of that side of the river.
He is worshiping and led the people to worship the gods that were on
that side of the river.
And the people of God were tempted to worship gods on that other
side of the river.
By the time of King Manasseh, God says fine you want those false gods
from the other side. Then back to their land.
But once the 70 years are accomplished, God calls His people out of
Babylon. You will no longer remain in the land of false gods.
Rebuild my temple, rebuilt my city so that once again you can fulfil my
purpose.
Whats the purpose, to be the light of the world.
To be representatives of the true God of Heaven.
To show the world the foolishness of trusting in the graven images and
false idols.
To show the world, the greatness and the truth of the one and only
true God of heaven.
But you cannot do that while you are slaves in Babylon. Restore the
true worship of the living God.

Why is this important

Because there is a gathering taking place today. Just as there

was a gathering in Daniel 3. But God’s people are gathering on
the wrong side.
Why study this river?
So many in God’s remnant church today are physically on this side of
the river, this side of the Euphrates.
Physically we are here. But still we are casting longing eyes to behold
on things that are on the other side of the river.
Physically we are here, but we are mesmerized by the idols of Babylon.
Physically our bodies are here.
Physically we are Hebrews, but in heart, mind, and soul we are not
Hebrews but we are Babylonians.
The body may have crossed over but our hearts and our minds are still
over there and that’s why many are in danger of gathering on the
wrong side.
Unlike Daniel, who was in physically in Babylon, but in his heart and his
mind, he was still a Hebrew.
He said in his heart that he will not defile himself, his mentality was,
they may have changed where he lives, they may have changed his
name, they may have changed his name, they may have changed his
language but in his heart he was still a Hebrew.
He knew where his true home lies. Though circumstances have
changed, I will talk like a Hebrew, I will worship like a Hebrew, I will eat
like a Hebrew because I am from the other side of the river, My body
may have crossed over but my mind and my loyalty did not.They are
still with the God of Heaven.
I would rather die than eat like a Babylonian, I would rather die than
pray like a Babylonian, I would rather die than live like a Babylonian, I
am Hebrew.
It’s amazing because a gathering is taking place. We might be in the
right church, on the right day but if our hearts and minds and interests
and passions are on things from that side of the river. We are not
Hebrews. We are Babylonians.
 Its amazing, Psalms 137 verse 1: Here we find the Jews in chains being
taken back to Babylon and notice how the Babylonian soldiers, the
guards would mock, taunt the Hebrews.

Psalm 137
137 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we
remembered Zion.

They are at the river Euphrates, they are about to cross over and they
remember Zion.

Psalm 137:2-5
2
We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.
3
For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they
that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.

They are crossing over and the Babylonians tell them sing us the songs
of this side of the river.
Verse 4 the Hebrews responded.

4
How shall we sing the LORD's song in a strange land?
5
If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.

Sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?, No we can’t do that. We will

not. We will not forget Jerusalem.
But today, because our eyes are not on the Lord’s land, Because our
eyes are beholding things beyond the other side of the river, we have
reversed it.
God’s people, they would not sing the Lord’s song in a strange land.No.
But today we have brought strange songs from that side of the river.
What music do we sometimes listen to especially outside church. We
 have brought music from that side changed the words and offered to
God.
Because we are beholding that side, we want to worship God the way
that side worships their God.
The Hebrews couldn’t do that. We cannot sing God’s song in a strange
land.
The gathering is taking place
And its time for us to make a decision
We must choose which side we will be on.

Joshua 24:14-15
14
Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and
put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood,
and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.
15
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom
ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the
other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell:
but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

We must decide my friends

We must fully cross over and not look back.

Jesus said Remember Lot’s wife.

Physically she crossed over, Physically she left Sodom, but in

her heart and mind, she did not cross over.

Her heart and her mind were still in Sodom and she glanced
back and we know what happened.

Are we looking back?

Today, many in God’s church are glancing back.

The land of Babylon was the land of false gods and idols. But it was
also a land of sorcery, of witchcraft, spiritualism and today again, what
are our young people watching?
 We watch movies full of spiritualism, witchcraft, sorcery .Harry
Potter, The black panther?

Star wars is full of spirtualism and witchcraft. And all these vampire
movies and zombie movies.

What are we doing when we watch that. We are beholding the things
of Babylon.

We fill our minds with the music of that land;The hiphop, the Rock.

We are swimming back to hear strange sounds.

Why strange, All those who are on their way to heavenly canaan that
sound has become strange to them.

So strange that they cannot understand how they once loved that
stuff.

Why because they become true Hebrews. They crossed over not only
physically but also spiritually, in heart, in mind and in soul and God has
given them new tastes, new desires, new direction and they have
made up their mind that they are not going back.

The 3 angels message-A message for our time

Revelations 14:6-12

A dividing message

Solomon’s wisdom

Just as the beginning-Adam and Cain

The final message

Airport

The proclamation of these messages is a matter of life and death-

Eternal life

God will have a remnant

Have a character description of the 144000

A gathering is taking place.

Romans 12:1-2
12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present
your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your
reasonable service.

2
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing
of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and
perfect, will of God.

Our mind must be renewed.

We cannot be on this side but be still interested in the things that are
on that side of the river.
God has called us, seventh day Adventists to reach out to the people
who are on that side of the river , to call them out from that side and
join us.
But we cannot do that if we are looking, and living and eating and
dressing and acting like those who are on that side of the river.
I cant reach them if I am like them.
I cannot be a light to them if I am living in their darkness.
For some reason we think that we will win them over if we resemble
them as much as possible.
No my friends. So many in God’s church have professed to cross over
into God’s land and yet we still eat like Babylonians, we dress like
babyloanians, we partake of Babylonian pleasures,we gossip like
Babylonians.
And by all looks and appearances it cant even be discerned that we
have crossed over.
What side are we being gathered on.
The Lord did not intend His people to have any piece of the land of
Babylon.
Many of us while we may not physically be in Babylon, in a sense of
belonging to a false church, yet in heart and mind and spirit we are
 very much on that side and God is calling each an everyone of us to
make a decision.
To decide this day whom will you serve. Which side will you be
gathered on.

Here is the thing, If we do not cross over to God’s side, in the end we will
become the Euphrates itself.

If we do not cross over fully, if we do not cross over only physically but in
heart and mind and soul we will become the Euphrates itself.

Revelation 17:1
17 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and
talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the
judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

Who is this whore?

Revelation 17:5
5
And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT,
THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

So this is Babylon. Where does she sit? Upon many waters.

What were the waters of Babylon?The Euphrates.
What do the waters symbolize?

Revelation 17:15
15
And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore
sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
 So the Euphrates in the end is symbolic of the people, multitudes,
nations. Who obey the end time Babylon.
Those who do her bidding.
My seventh day brothers and sisters, if we do not cross over to this
side, we will become the Euphrates itself.

The Great controversy Pg 608

As the storm approaches, a large class who have professed faith in the third angel's
message, but have not been sanctified through obedience to the truth, abandon their
position and join the ranks of the opposition(symbolized by Euphrates). By uniting with the
world and partaking of its spirit, they have come to view matters in nearly the same
light; and when the test is brought, they are prepared to choose the easy, popular
side(Even though they crossed over they are still united with the world in mind). Men of
talent and pleasing address, who once rejoiced in the truth, employ their powers to deceive
and mislead souls. They become the most bitter enemies of their former brethren. When
Sabbathkeepers are brought before the courts to answer for their faith, these apostates are
the most efficient agents of Satan to misrepresent and accuse them, and by false reports
and insinuations to stir up the rulers against them.

These are seventh day Adventists, Physically we are in the right church
on the right day but in the heart and mind we have not crossed over
we will become the Euphrates itself, we will have the same mind as the
world and oppose God’s people
God is calling us to make a decision in this time.
We need to obtain the experience the that is necessary when
we have time.

In closing

Joshua 24:14-15
14
Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and
put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood,
and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.

15
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom
ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the
other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell:
but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

I pray that all of us make that firm decision that no matter what we will
serve the Lord.