In this sermon, the preacher discusses the concept of the thief in the Bible and how it relates to the second coming of Jesus. He emphasizes the importance of being watchful and ready for the Lord's return, comparing it to a thief who knows when you are not prepared. The preacher also mentions the idea of the thief knowing where your treasure is and relates it to Jesus taking the believers and leaving behind those who are not ready. He concludes by encouraging the congregation to remain faithful and obedient to God, as those who cooperate with Him will be rewarded in eternity.

Will you please turn to Luke chapter 19, just one verse, verse 13. And having called his own ten bondmen, he gave to them ten miners and said to them, Trade while I am coming. Let's have a further word of prayer. Dear Lord, how we praise and thank Thee for the table that Thou hast spread for us. Lord, we have taken the bread and the wine. We praise and thank Thee for the wonderful salvation that Thou hast provided for us. Lord, in the good of all that Thou hast done, we gather here before Thee, and pray, Lord, that Thou will once again speak to us, enable us to understand, and bring us into the reality of Thy Word. Lord, we commit this time again into Your hand, trusting Thy Holy Spirit to finish the work that Thou hast wonderfully begun. And we praise and worship in Thy name. Amen. I always find it very difficult to speak after the Lord's table. As a matter of fact, I think if we really enter the spirit of the Lord's table, there is no need to speak again. He has brought us to His very presence. And if we continue in His presence until He comes, how wonderful that will be. But it is the arrangement of the brothers, and I have to obey. The theme is trade, occupied, while the Lord said, I'm coming. The Lord is coming, even before He left. You remember how His disciples, when they heard that the Lord was going to leave them, they were very depressed. Why? The Lord was their comforter. In other words, the Lord took all care for them. And now suddenly the Lord will be leaving them. I think if we are in that situation, we will feel sorry also. But sadly, it is sorry for ourselves, not sorry for the Lord. For the Lord is returning to His Father. He is returning to glory. And we should be happy about it. But we are thinking of ourselves. So the disciples were sad. So the Lord gave them two promises, wonderful promises. One is, He will give them the Holy Spirit as another comforter. While He was with them, He could only be alone with them. Because He was in the flesh. But when the comforter, another comforter was given, He is the Spirit of God. So He can dwell in each and every one of us. And He will never leave us, nor forsake us. How wonderful that another comforter will be. But added to that, the Lord said, I go to prepare a place for you. And after I have prepared that place, I will come back and receive you to myself. So even before the Lord left them, He promised them that He will come back. He is coming to receive them to Himself. This promise of His return was given to His disciples 2,000 years ago. You know the disciples at that time, because of this promise, they were actually expecting the Lord to come back in their lifetime. But somehow, He didn't come. And in every century, God's people, those who really love Him, they are waiting for the Lord to return in their lifetime. But because the Lord didn't come in their lifetime, so they went to sleep. And dear brothers and sisters, because of that, you remember there will be some markers, as in 2 Peter 3, we are told, that there will be markers, saying that, where is the coming of the Lord? Is the earth remain just as it was created? Now they forget that this present earth was once drowned by water. But the Lord repaired it. And this present earth will remain until that day when it will be burned up. Why? Because the Lord considers a thousand years as one day, and one day as a thousand years. Why? Why is the Lord hasn't come yet? Will not the bridegroom, anxious to come and receive his bride? Why did He delay all these years? Brothers and sisters, it is not because of Him. It is because of us. As our brother Lance Lambert used to say, the Lord cannot be married to a baby. He has to be married to His counterpart, His like. And as long as we are not His like, He will have to wait until He could be joined together to one who is like Him. So brothers and sisters, we know that the Lord is coming. He can come at any time. He is waiting for His bride to be completed. You know when we talk about the coming of the Lord, we often think of prophecy. Because God has given us many prophecies concerning the time. But dear brothers and sisters, I can assure you that all the prophecies preceding the coming of the Lord have been fulfilled. You don't need to wait for any more prophecy to be fulfilled before His coming. Now that doesn't mean there will be no more prophecy. No. There are still many prophecies. But these prophecies are concerned with the time when He comes and afterwards. But all the prophecies preceding the coming of the Lord have been fulfilled. And we are living at that period. So our Lord Jesus can come back at any time. What will be the sign that the coming of the Lord has begun? You know when you read Matthew chapter 24, you will find that as in the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Lord. Now the word coming here is a special word. It is parousia. And the word parousia, as we are told by those Greek authorities, they say parousia is not one time, one event. Parousia means presence. Our Lord, so far as physical body is concerned or spiritual body is concerned, He is absent today. We know the Lord is with us. But He is with us in the spirit. But one day, He will be present again. And that's parousia. Now parousia is a period of time including a series of events. So when the Lord said, as in the day of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Lord. Today our Lord was absent. But one day He will be present. But His presence is a period of time, a series of events. You remember when our Lord Jesus ascended from Mount Olive. To heaven. The disciples were there with Him. They saw Him going up. They saw Him leaving Mount Olive and rising upward. While they were looking at Him, a cloud came and took Him away. They couldn't see Him anymore. They know He was still ascending. So they were still looking up. And you remember in Acts chapter 1 how two men in white appeared. The Bible does not say two angels appeared. It's two men appeared in white. Now I will not try to tell you who these two men are. You have to find out yourself. And there was two men appeared to them and said, Man of Galilee, why are you looking up? This Jesus, whom you have seen going up in like manner, He will return. To put it another way, the way He goes to heaven will be the way He will come down to Mount Olive. Now what is the way? You find that from Mount Olive to the cloud, visible. From the cloud to heaven, invisible. But how would we know that He has arrived? Well, because of Pentecost. At Pentecost, because He has arrived in heaven and He was anointed by God and the oil began to fall down and that is Pentecost. So that is a proof that He has arrived. And another proof you find in Revelation chapter 5. You find a Lamb newly slain stood before the throne. So brothers and sisters, as we think of the coming of the Lord, there are two stages. The one stage is from the throne to the cloud, invisible. If you are trying to look for a visible return of the Lord, the first part is invisible. That's the reason why the Bible used He will come as a thief. Now brothers and sisters, will a thief going to come to your house at a broiler trumpet and said, I am coming? Now if a thief should do that, he could never steal anything. You will be a watch. A thief seems to always know when you are not ready. And suddenly he will come. Now when he comes, what will he steal from you? Your garbage. I will welcome him every night. Strangely, the thief seems to always know where your treasure is. He will go straight and get your treasure and leave your trash behind. Now brothers and sisters, that's what the Lord will do when He shall come. That is the reason why in Matthew 24 you find that when He comes, the Bible said two men are working in the field and one is taken, one is left. Two women are grinding at a mill. One was taken and one was left. And then in Luke 17, we are told two were sleeping and one was taken, one was left. Now it doesn't mean you have six here. You have only two here. Now why? Because the earth is round. When the Lord shall come, in some place is morning, so the women were grinding the mill in the morning. In another place is noon time, so the men were working in the field and in still another place it was night, so two were sleeping in bed. Brothers and sisters, do not be afraid to go to sleep tonight. Even when you are sleeping, one will be taken and one is left. You know some people thinking that the Lord is coming. So they say, what shall we do? They leave their job, they go to the desert, they all dress up, waiting for his coming. But he didn't come. Everything will be as usual, but an unusual event will come. Now why two? The full number of the church is twelve, but here you have only two. Where are the ten? If you study the Bible, if you read Matthew 25, what do you find? You have ten virgins. And the ten virgins are divided also into two kinds. Five are wise, five are foolish. Five virgins, they have oil, extra oil in their vessels, prepared for emergency. But the five foolish, they do not have extra oil in the vessels. They must have vessels too, but probably they have put in some other things more precious to them. And you know, they all have a torch in their hands. At that time it was not the lamp that we have, they used a torch. And of course in the torch there will be oil, because a torch without oil does not give light. So they all have torch and with oil in the torch. And they all carry the torch to go to welcome the bridegroom. But because the bridegroom delayed, so they all fell asleep. But then at midnight suddenly a voice said, the bridegroom cometh. And they all wake up and try to see if their torch is burning. Of course not. So they have to add oil in it to keep it burning so that they can go and welcome the bridegroom. But the foolish one, their torch went out and no extra oil. And they had to go to buy oil. Now remember, the extract oil had to be bought. And if you have to buy it, you have to pay for it. The indwelling Holy Spirit is a gift of God. You do not need to pay anything. It has been given to you. But to be filled with the Holy Spirit you need to pay something. So you find in this parable you have the ten and then in Matthew 24 you have the two. So you have the perfect number of the church. The ten virgins who went to sleep represents the saints who have died throughout the centuries. You know in every century even in the first century those who love the Lord they are waiting for the Lord to return in their lifetime. But because the Lord has delayed therefore they died. But that doesn't mean because they died they lost the chance. No. They will be raised from the dead and enter into the marriage feast if they have extra oil. So dear brothers and sisters we are the two at this present time. We are in the verge of the coming of the Lord. At any time suddenly some Christians throughout the world will disappear. Now outwardly speaking you cannot see any difference. They look the same they do the same thing and yet the Lord knows who is waiting for him who is prepared for him and those who are ready he will take to himself. So dear brothers and sisters we are not waiting for any more signs any more fulfillment of prophecies. This can happen. Thank God at any time how good it will be if it happens now. But are you ready? You know the Lord used two different types to tell us of the two sections of his return. He used thief from the throne to the air invisible. He used lightning as you find in Luke chapter 17. Do not say the Lord is here or the Lord is there. It is like a lightning that shines from the east to the west. Everybody sees it. So the second part from the air to Mount Olive is like lightning. Everybody will see it. Why? Because he will bring his own those overcomers to come down from the cloud and his feet will touch Mount Olive as you find in Zechariah. The prophet Zechariah tells us his feet will touch Mount Olive and Mount Olive will be divided into two. Scientists today have already seen that in Mount Olive there is a line there. If there is an earthquake this mount can be divided into two parts. And God came, the Lord came to deliver his children Israel. So brothers and sisters how will he come today? He will come as a thief. Are you ready for him at any time? When you read Revelation chapter 12 you find a vision. It is the vision of the coming of the Lord. You see a vision of a woman in travail and that woman was closed with the sun with the moon under her. And he has twelve crowns the name of the twelve tribes of Israel. Now who is that woman? It is a vision of the coming of the Lord. So that woman represents the church. The church at the time of the coming of the Lord. The church is a glorious church and the church is in travail to bring forth a man child. And you find another vision a dragon. And of course when you think of the dragon you know how it represents. It represents Satan, the enemy. And the dragon was there waiting for the woman to bring forth that man child. Why? He wanted to swallow that man child. Strangely the dragon was not interested in the woman. She should. But the woman seemed to be in such a state that she didn't need to bother with the woman. In other words, the church has lost its testimony. So, the dragon was not interested in the church. But he was interested in the man child. Why? He knew that when the man child shall come out that will be the beginning of his end. Now, who is that man child? Some people say it is Christ. But brothers and sisters after Christ was born he spent on earth thirty three and a half years before he died resurrected and ascended. But this man child immediately after he was born he was taken up to the throne. So, he cannot be Christ. And this man child as you read on in chapter twelve of Revelation is a collective term because as you read on you say they overcome the enemy by the blood of the Lamb by the word of their testimony and they love not their lives even unto death. So, this man child will be the overcomers at the coming of the Lord. They represent the one that will be taken. And as soon as their number is fulfilled when the man child was born he was immediately taken up to the throne. You know the air that surrounds the earth is where the headquarter of Satan is. And if you can go through his headquarter to reach the throne it means that you have overcome the one who stays in the air. Because in their lives they have overcome Satan. By the blood of the Lamb of course they are not perfect but they know the value of the blood of the Lamb. Brothers and sisters we will never grow to such an extent that we do not need the blood of our Lord Jesus. As a matter of fact the more you are close to the Lord the more you realize how you need the blood to cleanse you. Even the tears of your repentance needs to be cleansed by the blood of the Lamb. You know there was a story once the devil came to Martin Luther the reformer and he showed him a book. That book is the sins of Martin Luther. It is written inside and outside. And the devil said how dare you do this work of reformation. Look at yourself. But Martin Luther took up a pen and wrote over that book the blood of the Lord Jesus cleanses from all sins. And the devil disappeared. Brothers and sisters we treasure the blood of the Lamb. It is only through the blood that we can stand before God. And they live by the word of their mouth of their testimony. These people they have a testimony. Testimony is not just something you speak with your mouth. Testimony is something that has been built in into your life. You live out the testimony. What is our testimony? When you read the book of Revelation you find it is the testimony of Jesus. The apostle John for the testimony of Jesus and for the word he was exiled to the island Patmos. And many people they died for the testimony of Jesus. In other words they testify that Jesus is Lord. How do you testify Jesus is Lord? You surrender your life completely to Him and take His Lordship over you. You allow Him to be Lord over your life. Not just a few things but your whole life is under His Lordship. Allow Him to Lord over you. And this testimony that you bear is in you. So when you speak it there is power there. You remember the funny story in Acts in Ephesus there are seven sons of the high priest and they are doing exhausting driving out the demons and when they saw Paul use the name of Jesus and in the name of Jesus the demons left. So they tried to use that formula and they tried to drive out demons and said I command you to leave in the name of Jesus preach by Paul. And the demons said I know Jesus I know Paul but who are you? And the demons overcame two of them. So they fled naked and this thing was known in all Ephesus. Brothers and sisters the word of their testimony is based upon your life. If your life is under the testimony is with the testimony of Jesus then when you say the name of Jesus there is power in it. Otherwise it's powerless. And thirdly they do not love their lives even unto death. And the lives there is the soul life. Brothers and sisters after we are saved our greatest problem is our soul life. Because in our spirit we have Christ as our life. But in our soul self the fallen Adam is still there. And unless we are willing to lose our soul life for the sake of Christ then we will still live according to our soul. And if we love our soul life the Lord said you will lose it. If you lose it today you will gain it to eternity. The salvation of the soul is just as important as the salvation of our spirit. Brothers and sisters when you are saved it is your spirit that has been renewed. He that is born of the spirit is spirit. Your spirit is renewed. Therefore you can communicate with God the spirit. And Christ came in and dwelt in your spirit to be the life of your spirit. But brothers and sisters your soul the life in your soul is still that fallen Adam. So that's the reason after you are saved you find there is a civil war within you. You find sometimes you want to follow the Lord do His will and yet you find there is within you another force forcing you to rebel against God. And often times you have more defeats than success. But thank God when you realize that there is no good in your flesh then you can see that our Lord Jesus He not only saves your spirit He will save your soul. In other words He will come replace Adam to be the life of your soul. So even your feeling your mind your book will will not represent you and behind is Satan but it will represent Christ. The mind of Christ will be your mind. The feeling of Christ will be your feeling. The will of Christ will be your will. And that is the salvation of the soul. And salvation of the soul is going on today. Brothers and sisters from the day you are saved until you go to see the Lord as long as you live the salvation of the soul is going on. Are you cooperating? Do you yield yourself to the Holy Spirit within you? And if you do then you will find your soul will be saved. In other words 1 Peter is exclusively on the salvation of the soul. Our soul needs to be saved and if we do not live we love our soul life even until death then we become overcomers. We overcome our self life. So brothers and sisters in Revelation 12 it is equivalent to Matthew 24. The one who is taken and the one who is taken will be taken to the throne. Why? Because they will be the welcoming party to the coming of the Lord. What a privilege that will be. And brothers and sisters this privilege is ours today. So the thing is the Lord is coming. He can come at any time. Are you ready? After that man child was raptured to the throne. What happened? Immediately you find Michael the archangel with the angels of God. They will fight against Satan and his followers. And Satan and his followers will be thrown from the air to the earth. In other words the air will be clear for the coming of the Lord. Because he will descend with the overcomers from the throne to the air. Now when Satan was thrown to the earth what can you expect? The great tribulation. The three and half years great tribulation. Because the betrayal of evil will all be on the earth. Satan Antichrist and the false prophet. But brothers and sisters even though so far as the world is concerned it will enter into the great tribulation. But you know so far as Christians are concerned if in case those who are left behind what will happen to them? Of course they will go through the great tribulation. You know if you overcome today you read Revelation chapter 3 and you hear that promise to the overcomers in the church in Philadelphia when the time of the trial of the whole world will come those overcomers will not be here on earth. But what about those overcome? Thank God he still gives them an opportunity. So you find that even the great tribulation and the Christians who are left behind will suffer most. But thank God he gives them another opportunity to be overcomers. So you know the grace of God the long suffering of God how he wants each and every one of us to be overcomers and not to be overcome. He will give us every opportunity, every chance to be overcomers and they will eventually also reign with Christ for a thousand years. Now after the three years and a half of great tribulation and you remember what happened in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 there will be shouting the trumpet sounds the angels voice and those who are dead in Christ will be raised from the dead and those who still remain in other words many did not remain anymore they had already gone but those who still remain behind they will be changed and all will be caught up where? Not to the throne to the cloud. So you see our Lord Jesus and those overcomers they have come to the cloud waiting for the rest of the church to be raptured to the air and when they were raptured to the air what happened? This is where the judgment seat of Christ began. Our brother has already explained to us you know I came from a huge family four generations living in the same house even married aunt came back and stayed together and you know in the old days they have clans big families and the head of the family responsible for everything my grandfather responsible for everything not only for our daily living, our education our marriage he paid it all big family but you know people have nothing to do they either play mahjong or smoke opium and do all these gossipings I went through all these things and from time to time the head of the family will gather the whole family together in a big room and in the big room there is one place that is lifted up and he will sit on the bima and the whole family will be called for a family meeting if you are not a family member of the family you are not qualified to come so the family will be standing before the head and he will be there giving praise and honour to those descendants who have brought honour to the family they will be rewarded and those who bring shame to the family they will be disciplined they are still children of the family but they will be disciplined now that's exactly what will happen to Christians at the judgement seat of Christ those who overcome will be rewarded with reigning with Christ for a thousand years but those who are defeated in this life they will be cast into outer darkness and I know you must be very curious about outer darkness what is it? where is it? I will not tell you but anyway you will find in outer darkness what does it mean? the bible says there will be nation of peace in other words repentance you will be disciplined during the millennium but eventually everyone will be completed why? because this is the eternal purpose of God do you know once that God has set his eye on you whom he has foreknown he has called whom he has called he will justify whom he has justified he will sanctify in other words it is the will of God that all who are called by him will be completed that we will all be transformed and conform to the image of Christ man may fail but God never fail he cannot fail so thank God once he set his eye on you if you cooperate he will reward you if you don't he will discipline you in order to bring you into the likeness and eventually in eternity you will find in Revelation chapter 22 they will all be kings they will all serve the Lord for eternity how good is our God let's pray dear Lord we bow in worship how marvelous is thy grace in spite of our failures thou never fail thank you for set your eyes upon us unworthy people oh Lord may we be counted worthy by you allow us to respond to thy love enable to love thee as thou has loved us thank you for your everlasting love Lord we want to respond and love you to the end it is all by thy grace we ask in thy name Amen