What in the world is Project 2025? Have you heard of it? It’s called the Presidential Transition Project. Sounds pretty serious, doesn’t it? Well, it is serious, and I bring this to you this morning to warn you and to inform you about something that’s in the works right now to bring America back to its founding, and that sounds like a good thing, because surely America is getting farther and farther off track. But as we shall see, the devil is in the details, and we’re going to find out how as we delve into what it’s all about.

In April of 2023, just this year, so it’s not very old, although it’s been in the works for quite some time, and you’ll be hearing more about it I’m sure, over the next year or so. But on April 13, 2023, the Heritage Foundation published a book of 887 pages that outlines what their hopes are for the next conservative president to be elected to the United States of America. And when does the new president always take office? On January 20th at 12 noon after each election, which will be 2025, hence the 2025 project, 20 standing for January 20th and 25 standing for the year 2025. This book of 887 pages was put together by 34 highly educated authors and 277 contributors and an Advisory Board with 50 different organizations and growing. So as you can see, this is no small effort, and they have gone to great lengths to hopefully accomplish their agenda.

Now let me tell you a little bit about the Heritage Foundation, and this is taken from Wikipedia, “This foundation is an activist American conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1973, it took a leading role in the conservative movement in the 1980s during the presidency of Ronald Reagan, whose policies were taken from Heritage Foundation studies, including its mandate for leadership. The Heritage Foundation has had significant influence in US public policy making and has been ranked among the most influential public policy organizations in the United States. It’s sister organization, Heritage Action, founded in 2010, is an influential activist force in conservative and Republican politics.”

Obviously, we don’t have time to read all 887 pages, but if you would like to take on that daunting task, you can go to my sermon notes and find the PDF file with a link to the full text and you can read it for yourself. I just want to focus on what it says in chapter 18 on page 589 under the heading Department of Labor and Related Agencies. By the way, haven’t we been told that it’s the labor unions that will be instrumental in helping to bring on a time of trouble? And it’s interesting to me that the information I’ll be sharing with you is under this chapter heading.

In letter 200 written in 1903, and you can also find this in Country Living, page 10, it says the following, “The trades unions will be one of the agencies that will bring upon this earth a time of trouble such as has not been since the world began.” And we can see how this can be true just by looking at the result of what’s been happening with the strike of the United Auto Workers Union and how it has caused a ripple effect in the economy to the loss of billions and billions of dollars. And besides, labor unions in the past don’t have a very good track record when it comes to violence and killing. So keep your eye on the labor unions if you want to know how close we are to the end of this world’s history.

The table of contents in this 2025 project book is divided into five sections, which give us some idea of how far reaching this project is in order to shape the kind of government they hope to help enact.

Section 1: Taking the Reins of Government (starts on page 19).

Section 2: The Common Defense (starts on page 87).

Section 3: The General Welfare (starts on page 283.)

Section 4: The Economy (starts on page 657.)

Section 5: Independent Regulatory Agencies (starts on page 825.)

And so, you can see that the purpose of this project is to take control of every phase of life. But it’s under the Department of Labor and Related Agencies that are the most important for us to read and understand. I confess, I have not read the entire book because I have more important things to do, but I have read most of the 36 pages under the Department of Labor and Related Agencies, and I’m going to share just a short portion of that with you today. Here’s what it says on page 589 under the Department of Labor and Related Agencies, and the subheading under that is Dealing with Religion. And you might be wondering what religion has to do with the Department of Labor. Maybe you haven’t thought about the fourth commandment as dealing with labor in this setting before, but I want to read Exodus chapter 20:8, 9 to remind you of what it says. “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou (do what) labor and do all thy work.” Now do you understand why this issue is under the Department of Labor and Related Agencies? In other words, the main end time issue is going to be over the day of worship, and we’ll see that in just a minute. So we don’t need to go through this whole 2025 project book to find out what the devil’s plan is, we just have to look at the section dealing with labor. Here’s what it says, “God ordained the Sabbath as a day of rest, (that’s true) and until very recently the Judeo-Christian tradition sought to honor that mandate by moral and legal regulation of work on that day.”

And that’s true also, at least regarding Sunday. In the relatively recent past, there have been legal regulations mandated. In fact, there are still Blue Laws on the books in 28 states that can penalize people for not obeying religious mandates on that day. In fact, many of these laws influence modern society today without most people even realizing it. For example, why is there no mail delivery on Sunday? Why do many liquor stores, in some states, stay closed until Sunday afternoon? Why do the majority of workplaces close on Sunday, or at least limit their hours? Well, these all stem from blue lawns, which are synonymous with Sunday laws that began to be enacted as far back as the 1600s.

The quote continues, “Moreover, a shared day off makes it possible for families and communities to enjoy time off together, rather than as atomized individuals, and provides a healthier cadence of life for everyone. Unfortunately, that communal day of rest (meaning Sunday and not the seventh day of Creation week that was blessed and sanctified) has eroded under the pressures of consumerism and secularism, especially for low-income workers.

“Congress (and remember, Congress is the legislative branch of government that makes our laws) Congress should encourage communal rest by amending the Fair Labor Standards Act or FLSA, to require (that’s force) to require that workers be paid time and a half for hours worked on the Sabbath. (The main idea being that if employees have to pay their workers time and a half on Sabbath. Then they might be more likely to give their employees that day off instead. And what day do you suppose that will be? Here’s what it says and the next sentence) That day would default to Sunday, except for employers with a sincere religious observance of a Sabbath at a different time (e.g., Friday sundown to Saturday sundown); (Now that’s interesting, isn’t it?) except for employers with a sincere religious observance of a Sabbath at a different time, the obligation would transfer to that period instead.”

In other words, if your employer wants you to work on the seventh-day Sabbath, they would also be required to pay time and a half. The problem is, a sincere seventh-day Sabbath keeper is not going to work on their Sabbath regardless, are they? No! So that requirement would mean virtually nothing anyway for those who keep the Bible Sabbath. But at least they’re thinking of us, let’s give them credit for that. But I want you to notice something I already read regarding the Sabbath. “That day would default to Sunday.” Do you know what the word default means? It means to select automatically or a preselected option. Keep that in mind. The quote goes on: “Houses of worship (to the limited extent they may have FLSA-covered employees) and employers legally required to operate around the clock (such as hospitals or first responders) would be exempt, as would workers otherwise exempt from overtime.” (In other words, if you are a hospital worker or a first responder, for example, you’re out of luck because you won’t get time and a half pay for working on whatever day you observe as the Sabbath. It goes on)

“While some conservatives believe that the government should encourage certain religious observance by making it more expensive for employers and consumers to not partake in those observances, other conservatives believe that the government’s role is to protect the free exercise of religion by eliminating barriers as opposed to erecting them.” (Now that’s interesting language. I would go along with this second option, but that’s not the main thrust of this book, because the day of rest defaults to what? Sunday! It goes on) “Whereas imposing overtime rules on the Sabbath (meaning Sunday) would lead to higher costs and limited access to goods and services and reduce work available on the Sabbath (while also incentivizing some people—through higher wages—to desire to work on the Sabbath), the proper role of government in helping to enable individuals to practice their religion is to reduce barriers to work options and to fruitful employer and employee relations. The result: ample job options that do not require work on the Sabbath (again Sunday) so that individuals in roles that sometimes do require Sabbath work are empowered to negotiate directly with their employer to achieve their desired schedule.”

Now, what all this gobbledygook means is that they want to encourage Sabbath rest on Sunday by discouraging commerce on that day. In other words, if places of business are closed on Sunday, the employers that don’t close will be forced to pay their employees more on that day, which defaults to Sunday, and so that would hopefully persuade employers to close on Sunday. That’s the goal. The number one problem with this is that when persuasion fails, what comes next? Force, that’s right, which will ultimately lead to a national Sunday law. Are you surprised by this? Don’t be, because this has been tried in the past with the Blair Amendment back in the late 1800s. And if it wasn’t for a man by the name of A. T. Jones who went to Congress and opposed it, and explained why, there would have been a Sunday law at that time. And don’t think that it won’t be tried again, because the Papacy and the Protestant Sunday churches have been working toward that goal ever since through the Ecumenical Movement, and they are not going to rest until they have reached their goal of enforcing the Mark of the Beast, the beast being the Papacy and the Mark being the change the Catholic Church made by honoring Sunday and opposing the seventh-day Sabbath. And yes, the Catholic Church has admitted that this change was made by them. But friends, man has no authority to change what God has plainly said. Sunday sacredness is nowhere to be found in the Bible, but nevertheless it is regarded as such by most Christians to day. And in that respect, the Catholic Church has been very successful.

In Review and Herald, January 10, 1893, it says, “All persecution, all force employed to compel conscience, is after Satan’s own order, and those who carry out these designs (Congress, Heritage Foundation, pastors and denominations who pushed for this default Sabbath) are his agents to execute his hellish purpose.”

Now, we’ll be coming back to several points made here in a minute, but before we do that, I want to read a little from the introduction on page xiii of this 2025 project book regarding what they would like to see everyone do. And I apologize for reading so much, but I want you to be able to comprehend where this is all headed, and how soon they’d like to see their plans come to fruition. “We want you! The 2025 Presidential Transition Project is the conservative movement’s unified effort (that’s ecumenism) to be ready for the next conservative administration to govern at 12 noon, January 20, 2025. Welcome to the mission. By opening this book, you are now a part of it. (I don’t think so) Indeed, one set of eyes reading these passages will be those of (guess who) the 47th President of the United States, and we hope every other reader will join in making the incoming Administration a success.

“History teaches that a president’s power to implement an agenda is at its apex during the Administration’s opening dates. (That’s why new presidents sign so many executive orders right away when they take over. Have you noticed that? If it’s the opposing party, they do everything they can to undo everything the previous administration has done. And we go back and forth like this every four years) “To execute requires a well-conceived, coordinated, unified plan and a trained and committed cadre of personnel to implement it.” (Now, just in case you don’t know what the word cadre means, I found this interesting definition in the dictionary. “A tightly knit group of zealots who are active in advancing the interests of a revolutionary party, a nucleus of trained personnel around which a larger organization can be built and trained”) “In recent election cycles, presidential candidates normally began transition planning in the late spring of election year or even after the party’s nomination was secured. That is too late. The federal government’s complexity and growth advance at a seemingly logarithmic (or an exponential) rate every four years. For conservatives to have a fighting chance to take on the Administrative State and reform our federal government, the work must start now. The entirety of this effort is to support the next conservative President, whoever he or she may be.

“In the winter of 1980, the fledgling Heritage Foundation handed to President-elect Ronald Reagan the inaugural Mandate for Leadership. This collective work by conservative thought leaders and former government hands—most of whom were not part of Heritage—set out policy prescriptions, agency by agency for the incoming President. The book literally put the conservative movement and Reagan on the same page, and the revolution that followed might never have been, save for this band of committed and volunteer activists. With this volume, we have gone back to the future—and then some.” (Yes and then some. During the Reagan administration, there was no effort to deal with the Sabbath issue, but if The Heritage Foundation has its way, during the next Conservative administration, there will be a big push for it, “and then some”)

“It’s not 1980. In 2023, the game has changed. The long march of cultural Marxism through our institutions has come to pass. The federal government is a behemoth, weaponized against American citizens and conservative values, with freedom and liberty under siege as never before.” (And that’s true. However, if the Heritage Foundation has its way, their brand of freedom will lead to something that won’t be any better. I have said many times in the past that my fear is that when conservatives take over, they will overcorrect the liberal agenda, and it seems that that’s what’s about to take place. It’s like a pendulum that swings way too far one way and then way too far the other way. And we’ll soon find out what that’s going to be like.) “The task at hand to reverse this tide and restore our Republic to its original moorings is too great for anyone conservative policy shop to spearhead. It requires the collective action of our movement. With the quickening approach of January 2025, we have two years and one chance to get it right.

“Project 2025 is more than 50 (and growing) of the nation’s leading conservative organizations joining forces to prepare and seize the day. The axiom (or the self-evident principle) goes ‘personnel is policy,’ and we need a new generation of Americans to answer the call and come to serve. This book is functionally an invitation for you the reader—Mr. Smith, Mrs. Smith, and Miss Smith—to come to Washington or support those who can. Our goal is to assemble an army of aligned, vetted, trained, and prepared conservatives to go to work on Day One to deconstruct the Administrative State.

“The project is built on four pillars.

“Pillar I—this volume—puts in one place a consensus view of how major federal agencies must be governed and where disagreement exists brackets out these differences for the next President to choose a path. (Will he default to Sunday, or will he give the seventh-day Sabbath equal footing in this revolutionary movement? Will he side with the majority? Or the minority?)

“Pillar II is a personal database that allows candidates to build their own professional profiles and our coalition members to review and voice their recommendations. These recommendations will then be collated and shared with the President-elect’s team, greatly streamlining the appointment process.” (What do you suppose will be the religious preference of most of these coalition of members? You could be sure it will naturally default to Sunday.)

“Pillar III is the Presidential Administration Academy, an online educational system taught by experts from our coalition. For the newcomer, this will explain how the government functions and how to function in government.” The quote goes on. (And again, what will be the religious preferences of these experts that would be training newcomers?) “For the experienced, we will host in-person seminars with advanced training and set the bar for what is expected of senior leadership. (What do you suppose these experts will be exacting from this trained senior leadership; to uphold the views of the majority? Or of the few)

“In Pillar IV—the Playbook—we are forming agency teams and drafting transition plans to move out upon the President’s utterance of ‘So Help Me God.’ (If Sabbath has defaulted to Sunday, wouldn’t “So Help Me God” dictate that the coalition of members speak with one voice? And would that one voice be in favor of a Sunday Sabbath?)

“As Americans living at the approach of our nation’s 250th birthday, (And remember what I shared with you just a couple months ago about how nations in the past usually last between 200 and 250 years before they go bad? America is just about there, friends. If you haven’t listened to that sermon, I encourage you to go to gospel-workers.com and listen to that sermon titled America Divided) As Americans living at the approach of our nation’s 250th birthday, we have been given much. As conservatives, we are as much required to steward this precious heritage for the next generation. On behalf of our coalition partners, we thank you and invite you to come join with us at project2025.org.

Paul Dans
Director, Project 2025.”

So, that is an overview of what Project 2025 and its agenda is all about. And let me just say this, I agree with nearly all of what this project stands for, because truly, the United States, at least the larger part of its leadership now, have lost their way and have become liberal, Marxist, immoral, a place where freedom and liberty is under siege, and where the Republic for which it once stood has strayed a long, long way from its original moorings. However, these well-educated, well intended people that have put this project together do not perceive where their agenda will ultimately lead. And without the spirit of prophecy, we wouldn’t either. But thanks be to God, He foresaw the coming crisis and has given those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus detailed information about all these things. Don’t take my word for it, but study the scriptures for yourself because it is for yourself that you will have to give an answer to our Creator someday soon.

So, would I rather have the liberals continue to take our country farther and farther to the left with their woke, transgender, immoral, Marxist ideology? No! But neither do I want to see the conservatives go so far as to push their brand of Christianity down our throats. So what’s the alternative? The alternative is the second coming of Christ, friends, that’s it! That’s the only thing that will put an end to the nightmare this world is now going through, which will soon reach a climax. Sinful mankind has made the testimony of Scriptures abundantly clear that it cannot bring a clean thing out of an unclean. From this point on, our job is to live the truth and preach the truth and prepare the best we can to meet Jesus in peace when He comes. And hasn’t that been our work all along? Yes. So in that respect, nothing has changed except the condition of the world becoming more and more accepting of evil. And by contrast, we must become more and more like Christ in character.

I’d like to use the remainder of our time together to read you just a few inspired statements that will help bring this all together for us. Notice what it says in Testimonies for the Church, volume 5, Page 452, “God has revealed what is to take place in the last days, that His people may be prepared to stand against the tempest of opposition and wrath (that will be from our own countrymen, by the way, as they are urged on by demons). Those who have been warned of the events before them are not to sit in calm expectation of the coming storm, comforting themselves that the Lord will shelter His faithful ones in the day of trouble. We are to be as men waiting for their Lord, not in idle expectancy, but in earnest work, with unwavering faith. It is no time now to allow our minds to be engrossed with things of minor importance. While men are sleeping, Satan is actively arranging matters so that the Lord’s people may not have mercy or justice. The Sunday movement is now making its way in darkness. (This was written well over 100 years ago, and friends, the Sunday Movement is no longer making its way in darkness, but it’s now in the light of day if we have eyes to see and ears to hear) The leaders are concealing the true issue (And what is the true issue? The Sabbath will naturally default to Sunday. That’s the issue), and many who unite in the movement do not themselves see whither the undercurrent is tending. Its professions are mild and apparently Christian, but when it shall speak it will reveal the spirit of the dragon.”

Does this not define this 2025 project to a tee? Good people trying to do the right thing, but not knowing where their good intentions are leading. What are you doing, my friends? We are not to sit in idle expectancy and have our minds engrossed with things of minor importance. All of us can do something. If nothing else, we should get some literature and distribute it like the Leaves of autumn, because we are living during the autumn of this world’s history. Soon winter will be here, and what we fail to do now will have to be done during a time of hardship. Let me give you a suggestion. I have small pocket sized booklets from His Marvelous Light Ministries, and every time I go to the store to do some shopping, I become a missionary, a literature evangelist, and I leave at least one little booklet every place I go and it’s very easy to do. You don’t even have to talk to anyone. Just leave it on the shelf when you pick up your peanut butter or your loaf of bread and someone will see it and pick it up. It may be another shopper or an employee, or maybe the janitor, but someone will see it and hopefully find the truth. Will you pray about this, and then do something about it? And then pray for those little booklets to fall into the right hands. We can all do that much, or at least support someone who is doing it.

This next statement is from Testimonies for the Church, Volume 6, page 17, “The light we have received upon the third angel’s message is the true light. The mark of the beast is exactly what it has been proclaimed to be. Not all in regard to this matter is yet understood, nor will it be understood until the unrolling of the scroll (I think we are seeing a little of that unrolling of the scroll in this 2025 project, don’t you?); but a most solemn work is to be accomplished in our world. The Lord’s command to His servants is: “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show My people their transgression, and the House of Jacob their sins.”

The Great Controversy, page 605, “Heretofore those who have presented the truths of the third angel’s message have often been regarded as mere alarmists. (Oh, that’s never going to happen. Have you had people tell you that?) Their predictions that religious intolerance would gain control in the United States, that church and state would unite to persecute those who keep the commandments of God, have been pronounced groundless and absurd. It has been confidently declared that this land could never become other than what it has been—the defender of religious freedom. (Can you not see prophecy being fulfilled today as we see our freedoms evaporating right before our eyes? Can we not see that every principle of the United States Constitution is being repudiated and discarded today?) But as the question of enforcing Sunday observance is widely agitated (and yes, it’s being agitated today through the 2025 project and the climate change agenda and the ecumenical movement), the event so long doubted and disbelieved is seen to be approaching (Do you see it?), and the third message will produce any effect which it could not have had before.”

The Great Controversy, Pages, 443, 445, “When the early Church became corrupted by departing from the simplicity of the gospel and accepting heathen rights and customs, she lost the spirit and power of God; and in order to control the consciences of the people, she sought the support of the secular power. The result was the papacy, a church that controlled the power of the state and employed it to further her own ends, especially for the punishment of ‘heresy.’ In order for the United States to form an image of the beast, the religious power must so control the civil government that the authority of the state will also be employed by the Church to accomplish her own ends.” (Do you realize that most religious leaders today do not believe that there is any such thing as a separation of church and state? What they believe is that the state is not to control the church. but that the Church should control the state, just like in the past with the papacy. They have forgotten why our forefathers left England so long ago to forge a new country where the Church is not in control of the state. But that’s exactly where it’s headed today)

“When the leading churches of the United States, uniting upon such points of doctrine as are held by them in common (regardless of what the minority who are opposed to default Sunday), shall influence the state to enforce their decrees and to sustain their institutions, then Protestant America will have formed an image of the Roman hierarchy, and the infliction of civil penalties upon dissenters will inevitably result.”

Testimonies for the Church, volume 5, pages 711, 712, “A great crisis awaits the people of God. A crisis awaits the world. The most momentous struggle of all the ages is just before us. Events which for more than forty years we have upon the authority of the prophetic word declared to be impending are now (this was published in 1889) are now taking place before our eyes. Already the question of an amendment to the Constitution restricting liberty of conscience has been urged upon the legislators of the nation (and I believe this is the Blair amendment I mentioned earlier). The question of enforcing Sunday observance has become one of national interest and importance. (And it will be very soon once again) We well know what the result of this movement will be. But are we ready for the issue? Have we faithfully discharged the duty which God has committed to us of giving the people warning of the danger before them?

“There are many, even of those engaged in this movement for Sunday enforcement, who are blinded to the results which will follow this action. (Same today with the 2025 project) They do not see that they are striking directly against religious liberty. There are many who have never understood the claims of the Bible Sabbath and the false foundation upon which the Sunday institution rests. Any movement in favor of religious legislation is really an act of concession to the papacy, which for so many ages has steadily warred against liberty of conscience. Sunday observance owes its existence as a so-called Christian institution to ‘the mystery of iniquity;’ and its enforcement will be a virtual recognition of the principles which are the very cornerstone of Romanism. When our nation shall so abjure the principles of its government as to enact a Sunday law, Protestantism will in this act join hands with popery; it will be nothing else than giving life to the tyranny which has long been eagerly watching its opportunity to spring again into active despotism.”

Testimonies for the Church, Volume 5, page 753, and we’re almost done, so hang in there with me. “We are standing on the threshold of great and solemn events. Prophecy is fast fulfilling. The Lord is at the door. There is soon to open before us a period of overwhelming interest to all living. The controversies of the past are to be revived (like the Blair amendment); new controversies will arise (like the 2025 project). The scenes to be enacted in our world are not yet even dreamed of. (But I think they are now, at least to some extent) Satan is at work through human agencies. Those who are making an effort to change the Constitution and secure a law enforcing Sunday observance little realize what will be the result. A crisis is just before us.”

The Great Controversy, page 592, and this will be our last quote. “The dignitaries of church and state will unite to bribe, persuade, or compel all classes to honor the Sunday. (That’s where this is all headed) The lack of divine authority will be supplied by oppressive enactments. Political corruption (do we have political corruption today? Like never before, right?) Political corruption is destroying love of justice and regard for truth; and even in free America, rulers and legislators, in order to secure public favor, will yield to the popular demand. (That means the majority, and friends, the seventh day Sabbath has never been popular) will yield to the popular demand for a law enforcing Sunday observance. Liberty of conscience, which has cost so great a sacrifice, will no longer be respected. In the soon-coming conflict we shall see exemplified the prophet’s words, ‘The dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.’” Friends, we have been warned.

Project 2025