Participants: Doug Batchelor
Series Code: AFP
Program Code: AFP000130
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00:01 TO YOU BY THE FRIENDS OF THEIS PRESENTATION IS BROUGHT
00:03 AMAZING FACTS MINISTRY. 00:11 >>IF GOD IS GOOD AND IF GOD IS LOVE, THEN WHY IS THERE EVIL? 00:15 DID GOD MAKE A DEVIL? WHY WOULD A GOOD GOD MAKE A BAD DEVIL? 00:21 >>FOR OVER 40 YEARS AMAZING FACTS HAS BEEN DEDICATED TO 00:24 SHARING GOD'S WORD THROUGH MEDIA. 00:27 THIS PROGRAM FEATURES HIGHLIGHTS FROM SOME OF OUR BEST 00:30 TELEVISION BROADCASTS. WE INVITE YOU TO SIT BACK AND 00:33 ENJOY THIS EDITION OF 'AMAZING FACTS PRESENTS'. 00:42 >>THERE IS A BATTLE IN LIFE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL AND A LOT 00:47 OF PEOPLE, WHEN THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT GOD AND THINKING ABOUT THE 00:49 LOVE OF GOD AND THE GOODNESS OF GOD, THEY'RE TROUBLED BECAUSE 00:52 THEY THINK 'IF GOD IS GOOD AND IF HE'S LOVE AND IF HE'S 00:56 ALL-POWERFUL, THEN WHY IS THERE EVIL?' 01:01 AND THAT IS REALLY THE TITLE FOR OUR PRESENTATION RIGHT NOW. 01:06 IF GOD IS GOOD AND IF GOD IS LOVE THEN WHY IS THERE EVIL? 01:09 DID GOD MAKE A DEVIL? WHY WOULD A GOOD GOD MAKE A BAD DEVIL? 01:14 YOU KNOW, THERE'S A STATEMENT I'D LIKE TO - 01:16 I'M TRYING TO PUT A QUOTE - SORT OF SET THE THEME 01:19 AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH PRESENTATION. 01:22 THIS ONE ACTUALLY COMES FROM CORRIE TEN-BOOM AND IT SAYS, 01:27 'THE FIRST STEP TO VICTORY IS RECOGNIZING THE ENEMY.' AND ONE 01:32 OF THE GREAT THINGS THAT NEEDS TO BE ACHIEVED IN OUR 01:36 DISCOVERING GOD'S ULTIMATE PURPOSE FOR OUR LIFE IS TO 01:40 UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S AN ENEMY AND IDENTIFY HIM - UNDERSTAND 01:44 SOMETHING OF WHAT HE'S UP TO. YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO BEGIN BY 01:47 GOING TO A STORY IN THE BIBLE THAT YOU FIND IN MARK CHAPTER 5 01:53 - MARK CHAPTER 5, VERSE 1 AND IT SAYS, "THEN THEY CAME TO THE 01:58 OTHER SIDE OF THE SEA, TO THE COUNTRY OF THE GADARENES. 02:01 AND WHEN HE HAD COME OUT OF THE BOAT, IMMEDIATELY THERE MET HIM 02:06 OUT OF THE TOMBS A MAN WITH AN UNCLEAN SPIRIT," - THESE UNCLEAN 02:11 SPIRITS WERE OFTEN SPOKEN OF AS DEVILS OR DEMONS - "WHO HAD HIS 02:16 DWELLING AMONG THE TOMBS;" - THIS MAN IS LIVING IN THIS 02:20 HONEYCOMB OF GRAVES ON THE HILLSIDE - "AND NO ONE COULD 02:23 BIND HIM, NOT EVEN WITH CHAINS," - HE IS SO THOROUGHLY 02:28 DEMON-POSSESSED THAT HE'S BREAKING CHAINS - "BECAUSE HE 02:33 HAD OFTEN BEEN BOUND WITH SHACKLES AND CHAINS. 02:36 AND THE CHAINS HAD BEEN PULLED APART BY HIM, AND THE SHACKLES 02:40 BROKEN IN PIECES; NEITHER COULD ANYONE TAME HIM. AND ALWAYS" - 02:47 NOTICE - "ALWAYS, NIGHT AND DAY, HE WAS IN THE MOUNTAINS AND IN 02:52 THE TOMBS, CRYING OUT AND CUTTING HIMSELF WITH STONES." 02:59 CUTTING HIMSELF, CRYING - BOY, IT MUST HAVE BEEN SPOOKY LIVING 03:01 IN THE TOWN NEAR THAT CEMETERY - TO HEAR THIS VERY SAD CREATURE 03:07 DRAGGING HIS CHAINS, CRYING OUT, AND SHRIEKING IN THE NIGHT. 03:11 A LITTLE MORE INSIGHT IS GIVEN BY DR. LUKE. 03:14 TURN IN LUKE CHAPTER 8. I'LL START WITH VERSE 26. 03:18 LUKE 8, VERSE 26, "THEN THEY SAILED TO THE COUNTRY OF THE 03:23 GADARENES, WHICH IS OPPOSITE GALILEE. AND WHEN HE STEPPED 03:26 OUT ON THE LAND, THERE MET HIM A CERTAIN MAN FROM THE CITY 03:30 WHO HAD DEMONS" - DEVILS - "FOR A LONG TIME. 03:35 AND HE WORE NO CLOTHES," - HE MENTIONS THAT AND MARK LEAVES 03:39 THAT OUT - "NOR DID HE LIVE IN A HOUSE BUT IN THE TOMBS. 03:46 WHEN HE SAW JESUS, HE CRIED OUT, FELL DOWN BEFORE HIM," - AS MARK 03:51 SAID, HE RAN TO WORSHIP HIM - HE - "FELL DOWN BEFORE HIM, 03:54 AND WITH A LOUD VOICE SAID, 'WHAT HAVE I TO DO WITH YOU, 03:57 JESUS, SON OF THE MOST HIGH GOD?" - RIGHT AWAY HE KNEW WHO 04:00 JESUS WAS BECAUSE THERE WERE SOME SPIRITS IN THIS MAN THAT 04:05 KNEW JESUS FROM LONG BEFORE THE WORLD WAS CREATED - 04:10 "WHAT HAVE I TO DO WITH YOU, JESUS, SON OF THE MOST HIGH GOD? 04:14 I BEG YOU, DO NOT TORMENT ME! FOR HE" - JESUS - "HAD COMMANDED 04:18 THE UNCLEAN SPIRIT TO COME OUT OF THE MAN. 04:21 FOR IT HAD OFTEN SEIZED HIM, AND HE WAS KEPT UNDER GUARD, BOUND 04:24 WITH CHAINS AND SHACKLES; AND HE BROKE THE BONDS AND WAS DRIVEN 04:29 BY THE DEMON INTO THE WILDERNESS. JESUS ASKED HIM, 04:34 SAYING, 'WHAT IS YOUR NAME?' AND HE SAID, 'LEGION,' BECAUSE 04:38 MANY DEMONS" - MANY DEVILS - "HAD ENTERED HIM." ALRIGHT, DO 04:43 YOU HAVE THE PICTURE IN YOUR MIND? THE DISCIPLES GET OUT OF 04:47 THE BOAT AND THIS CREATURE COMES RUNNING OUT OF THE TOMB. 04:49 AND THEY'D ALREADY HAD A ROUGH NIGHT, THEIR NERVES ARE FRAYED 04:54 AND THEY'RE PROBABLY PULLING THE BOAT UP ON THE SHORE AND TRYING 04:58 TO DRY THEIR GEAR OUT - IT'S ALL SATURATED FROM THE STORM - AND 05:03 ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY HEAR THIS SHRIEK AND IT'S BARELY DAYLIGHT. 05:07 AND FROM THE SHADOWS OF ONE OF THESE CAVES OR TOMBS IN THE 05:10 HILLS, THIS CREATURE COMES CHARGING OUT, RUNNING DOWN THE 05:14 HILL - NAKED, DRAGGING CHAINS THAT ARE MANACLED AROUND HIS 05:20 NECK AND HIS WRISTS AND HIS ANKLES - AWFUL CLATTER - COVERED 05:24 WITH CUTS - SELF-INFLICTED, BRUISES, SMELLS LIKE DEATH. 05:32 HE'S BEEN LIVING WITH CORPSES, WHAT DO YOU EXPECT? BIBLE - 05:35 YOU READ ON IN THE STORY - ON THE HILLSIDES AROUND HIM ARE 05:39 SWINE PIGS - WILD-EYED, LONG DIRTY HAIR, FOAMING AT THE 05:46 MOUTH, HIS EYES ARE GLARING - COMES CHARGING DOWN THE HILLSIDE 05:49 TOWARDS THE DISCIPLES AND THE DISCIPLES ARE PROBABLY THINKING, 05:54 'GREAT, A GOOD TIME TO WITNESS. I WONDER IF WE HAVE A TRACT 05:57 AVAILABLE THAT WE CAN SHARE WITH HIM. WE WONDERED IF WE'D HAVE 06:00 ANY WITNESSING OPPORTUNITIES HERE IN THIS REMOTE REGION.' 06:04 I SUPPOSE THEY WENT JUST SPRINTING TOWARDS THE BOAT. 06:09 THIS MAN IS FILLED WITH A LEGION OF DEMONS - THOUSANDS - THERE 06:13 COULD BE UP TO 6,000 SOLDIERS IN A ROMAN LEGION. 06:17 THOUSANDS OF DEVILS HAVE FILLED THIS MAN. HOW DOES A PERSON 06:22 GET TO THE PLACE WHERE THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY POSSESSED? 06:25 AND I RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE WITH SOMEONE THAT WOULD SAY, 'YOU 06:29 KNOW, THAT'S THE TERMINOLOGY THEY USED IN BIBLE TIMES, BUT HE 06:32 PROBABLY ACTUALLY JUST HAD A LITTLE BIPOLAR DISORDER AND SOME 06:36 CHEMICALS WOULD HAVE STRAIGHTENED HIM OUT. 06:38 YEAH, THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THAT CATEGORY, I AGREE. 06:41 AND THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT MAY JUST NEED SOME COUNSELING AND 06:44 EVERYTHING'S GOING TO BE FINE. THIS IS EXHIBIT A OF SOMEBODY 06:49 WHO IS ABSOLUTELY TOTALLY THOROUGHLY DEMON POSSESSED. 06:53 AND I HAVE MET PEOPLE THAT I BELIEVE WERE DEMON POSSESSED. 06:59 THEY HEARD VOICES IN THEIR HEADS AND - ONE PERSON I TALKED TO, 07:03 THEY'D GO OUT AT NIGHT AND GET PEOPLE'S PETS AND KILL THEM AND 07:06 JUST - I MEAN, THEY WERE DEVIL-POSSESSED AND THEY HEARD 07:08 THESE OTHER CONVERSATIONS GOING ON AND - WHY WOULD GOD MAKE A 07:13 DEVIL TO TORMENT US LIKE THAT IF GOD IS A GOD OF LOVE? WELL, 07:20 YOU KNOW, THE BIBLE DOESN'T TELL US THAT GOD MADE A DEVIL. 07:24 GOD MADE A BEAUTIFUL ANGEL BUT THERE IS AN ENEMY OUT THERE. 07:27 THERE IS THE ULTIMATE ARCH ENEMY. 07:30 THERE IS THE ULTIMATE ARCH FIEND. 07:33 HE'S VERY REAL AND NEVER IS THE DEVIL HAPPIER THAN WHEN PEOPLE 07:37 LAUGH AT HIS EXISTENCE. IF YOU BELIEVE IN JESUS YOU NEED 07:42 TO BELIEVE IN THE DEVIL, BECAUSE JESUS ALWAYS SAID THAT HE IS A 07:45 VERY REAL POWER OF BEING. WE DO NOT WRESTLE AGAINST FLESH 07:49 AND BLOOD BUT AGAINST PRINCIPALITIES AND SPIRITS AND 07:53 HEAVENLY PLACES. THAT'S EPHESIANS CHAPTER 6. 07:57 ACTS CHAPTER 26, WHEN CHRIST CALLED PAUL TO DO MISSION WORK, 08:02 HE SAID, THIS IS WHAT I'VE CALLED YOU FOR: "TO OPEN THEIR 08:05 EYES, IN ORDER TO TURN THEM FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT," - THERE'S 08:08 DARKNESS IN THIS WORLD. THERE'S A PRINCE OF DARKNESS. 08:11 AND THERE'S LIGHT. JESUS IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 08:14 TO TURN THEM FROM - NOTICE - THIS IS ACTS 26:18 - "THE POWER 08:18 OF SATAN TO GOD." THERE IS NO NEUTRAL GROUND. 08:24 EVERYBODY, JESUS SAID, IS EITHER WITH ME OR AGAINST ME. 08:29 THERE IS A BATTLE RAGING FOR THE TERRITORY OF YOUR AFFECTIONS AND 08:32 YOUR SOUL AND YOU GET TO MAKE THE DECIDING VOTE. 08:38 EVERYBODY - IF YOU DO NOT CHOOSE JESUS, BY DEFAULT YOU ARE 08:41 CHOOSING THE ENEMY. THAT'S RIGHT. 08:44 THERE'S NO NEUTRAL POSITION. THERE'S A BATTLE AND EVERYBODY 08:48 NEEDS TO MAKE A CONSCIOUS CHOICE. 08:51 AND YOU MIGHT SAY, 'OH, I'M NOT GOING TO BE A DEVIL WORSHIPER, 08:53 BUT I'M NOT QUITE READY TO GIVE MY LIFE TO JESUS.' WELL, THEN 08:57 YOU HAVE JUST MADE YOUR CHOICE BECAUSE IF YOU - 'HE THAT HAS 09:02 NOT THE SON HAS NOT LIFE.' IF WE DON'T HAVE CHRIST IN US THERE'S 09:05 ONLY ONE OTHER ALTERNATIVE. IF YOU TAKE AWAY LIGHT, 09:08 WHAT'S LEFT? DARKNESS. AND IF YOU WANT TO GET THE 09:12 DARKNESS OUT OF A ROOM WHAT DO YOU DO? 09:16 SHOVEL IT WITH A SNOW SHOVEL? 09:18 OR DO YOU INTRODUCE LIGHT AND IT DISPELS THE DARKNESS? 09:21 IF YOU WANT TO GET THE DARKNESS OF THE DEVIL OUT OF YOUR LIFE 09:24 YOU NEED TO INVITE THE LIGHT OF GOD'S TRUTH INTO YOUR LIFE AND 09:28 THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE, AMEN? THERE'S A REAL BATTLE 09:31 GOING ON, FRIENDS. JESUS SAID THERE'S AN ENEMY. 09:35 YOU KNOW THE PARABLE OF THE WHEAT AND THE TARES? 09:38 CHRIST SAID THERE'S THIS TITANIC BATTLE GOING ON AND IN THAT 09:42 PARABLE HE SAID - AND THIS IS MATTHEW 13:28 - WHO WAS IT THAT 09:47 SOWED THE BAD SEEDS - THE WEEDS - THE TARES - IN THE GOOD FIELD? 09:52 JESUS SAID, 'AN ENEMY HAS DONE THIS.' GOD MADE A BEAUTIFUL 09:55 WORLD AND HE CREATED TWO BEAUTIFUL CREATURES IN HIS IMAGE 10:00 AND EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT AND IT WAS PARADISE AND IT WAS GOOD 10:03 AND THIS IS GOD'S PLAN FOR YOU. 10:07 BUT AN ENEMY HAS COME TO OUR WORLD. 10:09 OUR PLANET'S BEEN KIDNAPPED BY THIS VILLAIN. 10:13 AND JESUS SAID THERE'S AN ENEMY AND YOU'VE GOT TO BE ON YOUR 10:15 GUARD. SO, WHY WOULD GOD MAKE A DEVIL? 10:20 WHERE DID EVIL COME FROM? WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY? 10:25 WELL, IF YOU READ IN ISAIAH 14, A NUMBER OF PASSAGES SORT OF 10:29 GIVE YOU A LOT OF CLUES AND YOU PUT THEM TOGETHER YOU GET A 10:32 PRETTY CLEAR PICTURE OF WHAT'S GOING ON. 10:36 ISAIAH 14:12, "HOW YOU ARE FALLEN FROM HEAVEN, O LUCIFER, 10:41 SON OF THE MORNING! HOW YOU ARE CUT DOWN TO THE 10:43 GROUND, YOU WHO WEAKENED THE NATIONS. 10:46 FOR YOU HAVE SAID IN YOUR HEART: 'I WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN, I 10:49 WILL EXALT MY THRONE ABOVE THE STARS OF GOD; I WILL ALSO SIT ON 10:52 THE MOUNT OF THE CONGREGATION ON THE FARTHEST SIDES OF THE NORTH; 10:56 I WILL ASCEND ABOVE THE HEIGHTS OF THE CLOUDS, I WILL BE LIKE 11:00 THE MOST HIGH.'" THERE WAS THIS VERY POWERFUL ANGEL. 11:06 MATTER OF FACT, HE WAS THE MOST POWERFUL CREATION OF GOD. 11:09 ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS GOD CREATED WAS THE PRINCIPLE 11:14 STEWARD OF ALL HIS MINISTERING SPIRITS - HIS GENERAL. 11:18 HIS NAME WAS LUCIFER. HE WASN'T ALWAYS THE DEVIL, IF 11:22 YOU KNEW HIM BACK THEN, YOU WOULD HAVE LIKED HIM. 11:24 SOME PEOPLE LIKE HIM NOW. BUT HE WAS GOOD. 11:28 HE WAS HOLY. HE WAS PURE. 11:30 GOD DID NOT MAKE A DEVIL, HE MADE A BEAUTIFUL PERFECT ANGEL. 11:33 BUT BECAUSE HE WAS SO POWERFUL AND HE WAS SO BEAUTIFUL, AND GOD 11:38 MAKES ALL OF HIS CREATURES FREE, WHEN LUCIFER SAW ALL OF THE 11:42 OTHER ANGELS WORSHIPING JESUS AND WORSHIPING GOD AND ADORING 11:46 GOD - HE DID TOO, AT FIRST, BUT HE BEGAN TO THINK, 'WHY AM I NOT 11:52 GOD? WHY DON'T I HAVE THAT POWER? HERE I'M ALWAYS #3 OR #4 11:58 AFTER THE FATHER, SON, AND THE SPIRIT THEN ME. 12:01 WHY CAN'T I CREATE LIKE GOD DOES? AND JUST, YOU KNOW, 12:06 IT'S HARD TO DESCRIBE WHERE SOME NEW BACTERIA COMES FROM. 12:13 THERE'S SOME THINGS YOU JUST CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT. 12:15 THERE IS THE MYSTERY OF GODLINESS IN THE BIBLE AND 12:18 THERE'S THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY. HOW, IN A PERFECT UNIVERSE WHERE 12:22 THERE'S AN ALL-POWERFUL GOD - WHO'S A GOD OF LOVE WHO MAKES 12:25 NO FACTORY DEFECTS THAT A CREATURE COULD GO BAD. 12:32 AND YOU MIGHT BE THINKING, 'GOD MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING WRONG. 12:34 COULDN'T GOD HAVE PRE-PROGRAMMED LUCIFER TO JUST SAY, 'I LOVE YOU 12:37 GOD, I LOVE YOU GOD' AND NEVER QUESTION? 12:39 YEAH HE COULD HAVE, BUT THEN GOD WOULD NEVER REALLY HAVE LOVE. 12:43 CAN YOU REALLY FORCE LOVE? 12:48 IF YOU ARE FORCING SOMEONE TO LOVE YOU, IS IT LOVE? 12:51 IF GOD PRE-PROGRAMMED ALL OF HIS CREATURES LIKE ROBOTS WITHOUT 12:55 ANY INTELLIGENT THOUGHT AND PROCESS TO CHOOSE TO LOVE HIM 12:59 BECAUSE OF THIS WONDERFUL MIRACLE OF A DIVINE FREE WILL 13:04 THAT WE HAVE - IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT FREE ABILITY TO SAY 'I 13:08 CHOOSE TO LOVE YOU', THEN IT'S NOT LOVE. 13:12 AND IN ORDER TO PROVE TO THE UNIVERSE THAT GOD DID MAKE THESE 13:16 INTELLIGENT CREATURES FREE, HE EVEN MADE THE ONES WHO HAD 13:20 FREEDOM TO NOT LOVE HIM. DO YOU SEE HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS? 13:24 YOU CAN'T HAVE REAL LOVE UNLESS YOU HAVE REAL CHOICE AND GOD 13:29 MADE HIS INTELLIGENT CREATURES LIKE HIS ANGELS AND PEOPLE WITH 13:33 A REAL CHOICE. AND LUCIFER PROVED IT. 13:38 HE CHOSE NOT TO LOVE GOD. HE CHOSE TO LOVE HIMSELF. 13:41 EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD FALLS INTO ONE OF TWO CATEGORIES: 13:45 YOU'RE EITHER MOTIVATED BY LOVE FOR GOD OR YOU'RE MOTIVATED BY 13:47 LOVE FOR SELF. JESUS IS LOVE. 13:53 HE IS A LOVE THAT GIVES AWAY FROM SELF. 13:56 THE DEVIL IS THE POLAR OPPOSITE OF THAT. HE IS SELF LOVE. 14:02 EVERYTHING ABOUT THE DEVIL IS ME, ME, ME. HE SAID, 'I WANT TO 14:06 BE HIGHER. I WANT TO EXALT MY THRONE. I WANT TO BE GOD. 14:10 I WANT TO BE THE MOST HIGH.' AND SO LET'S SUPPOSE YOU UNDERSTAND 14:15 THAT - YOU MIGHT BE THINKING, 'OKAY, ONCE HE WENT BAD WHY 14:17 DIDN'T GOD JUST TAKE HIS DIVINE RAY GUN AND GO...AND VAPORIZE 14:22 THE DEVIL?' COULDN'T THE LORD HAVE DONE THAT? 14:25 SO WHAT IF GOD HAD JUST SAID, 'ALRIGHT LUCIFER, ENOUGH IS 14:27 ENOUGH. I'M GOING TO DESTROY YOU. AND HE HAD ALREADY STARTED 14:32 TO SPREAD DISTRUST ABOUT GOD AMONG THE OTHER ANGELS. 14:35 IF GOD HAD DONE THAT WITH LUCIFER, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IF 14:40 YOU'RE AN ANGEL YOU ALL WALK AROUND LUCIFER IS SAYING, 'GOD 14:45 IS NOT REALLY FAIR, YOU KNOW, GOD IS ARBITRARY AND HE'S CRUEL' 14:49 AND WHILE YOU'RE SAYING THAT - ALL OF A SUDDEN...LUCIFER'S HIT 14:52 BY LIGHTNING AND HE'S JUST SMOLDERING ASHES ON THE GROUND 14:55 AND YOU'RE THE OTHER ANGELS WATCHING. YOU'D BE GOING, 'OOH, 14:59 LOOKS LIKE LUCIFER WAS RIGHT. GOD IS PRETTY SEVERE.' THE OTHER 15:04 CREATURES WOULD NEVER LOVE AND TRUST GOD AGAIN. 15:09 I MEAN, DO YOU WANT YOUR CHILDREN TO OBEY YOU BECAUSE 15:11 YOU'RE GOING TO BEAT THEM TO A PULP IF THEY DON'T? 15:14 I HOPE - YOU DON'T ALL HAVE CHILDREN - BUT THOSE OF YOU WHO 15:16 ARE ADULTS AMONG - YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. 15:19 YOU WANT THEM TO OBEY BECAUSE WHAT YOU'RE ASKING IS REASONABLE 15:22 BECAUSE THEY TRUST YOUR LOVE, THEY HAVE FAITH IN YOU - YOU 15:25 DON'T WANT IT TO ALWAYS BE FEAR OF TORTURE - JUST SOME OF THE 15:29 TIME. SO GOD COULDN'T DO THAT. THE LORD HAD TO ALLOW LUCIFER TO 15:35 DEMONSTRATE WHAT THE FRUIT OF HIS REBELLION WAS GOING TO BE SO 15:40 THAT THIS PROBLEM WITH NOT LOVING AND TRUSTING GOD 15:42 WOULD NEVER RISE UP AGAIN. AND YOU AND I ARE 15:45 RIGHT NOW LIVING IN THE CROSS HAIRS OF THIS REBELLION. 15:48 IN THE EXPANSE OF TIME, WE ARE LIVING AT THE MOMENT WHERE THIS 15:53 IS BEING DEMONSTRATED - WHERE OUR WORLD IS A SPECTACLE TO THE 15:56 UNIVERSE AND ANGELS AND UNFALLEN CREATURES ARE WATCHING WHAT'S 16:01 HAPPENING DOWN HERE BECAUSE THIS WORLD IS A STAGE OF AN 16:04 INCREDIBLE BATTLE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL - BETWEEN LUCIFER AND 16:08 CHRIST - BETWEEN SELFISHNESS AND LOVE. 16:13 IT'S ALL BEING DEMONSTRATED AMONG THESE CREATURES MADE IN 16:16 GOD'S IMAGE. BUT YOU'VE GOT TO KNOW IT'S VERY 16:18 REAL AND EVERY DAY THERE ARE BATTLES. 16:21 IF OUR EYES COULD BE OPEN RIGHT NOW WE WOULD SEE THAT IN THIS 16:23 ROOM AROUND US, NOT ONLY IS THE PRESENCE OF GOD HERE 16:27 DEMONSTRATED THROUGH HIS SPIRIT AND UNFALLEN ANGELS, I'M QUITE 16:32 SURE THAT THE DEVIL AND HIS REPRESENTATIVES COME. 16:34 THE DEVIL'S PROBABLY BUSIER WITH OTHER THINGS, BUT YOU CAN BE 16:37 SURE HIS DEVILS ARE HERE AND IF IT WASN'T FOR THE ANGELS OF GOD 16:40 PROTECTING AND PREVENTING - AND GOOD THING THAT THERE'S 16:44 TWO-THIRDS GOOD ANGELS FOR EVERY ONE-THIRD BAD ANGELS. 16:48 LIFE'S TOUGH ENOUGH AS IT IS, RIGHT? BUT THERE'S REAL BATTLES 16:52 GOING ON AND IT'S NOT JUST IN YOUR IMAGINATION, 16:56 IT'S VERY REAL. THE DEVIL IS A MASTER OF DECEPTION. 16:59 THAT'S WHAT MAKES HIM ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS. 17:02 YOU CAN READ IN REVELATION 12, VERSE 9, "SO THE GREAT DRAGON 17:06 WAS CAST OUT, THAT SERPENT OF OLD, CALLED THE DEVIL AND SATAN, 17:10 WHO DECEIVES THE WHOLE WORLD; HE WAS CAST TO THE EARTH, AND HIS 17:13 ANGELS WERE CAST OUT WITH HIM." HE DECEIVES HOW MUCH? 17:17 THE WHOLE WORLD. MOST OF THE WORLD IS DECEIVED 17:21 ABOUT WHAT THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE IS. 17:24 MOST OF THE WORLD IS DECEIVED ABOUT WHAT TO WORSHIP AND WHO TO 17:27 WORSHIP AND WHO HE IS AND HOW TO WORSHIP. 17:30 MOST OF THE WORLD IS DELUDED. AND GOD HAS COME DOWN AND HE HAS 17:36 GIVEN US A BOOK OF TRUTH AND HE SAID, 'IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE 17:40 DELIVERED FROM THOSE DECEPTIONS - IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S 17:42 REALLY GOING ON, THEN IT'S COMING THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD 17:45 THAT CAME THROUGH CHRIST AND THE HOLY MEN THAT SPOKE MOVED BY THE 17:50 HOLY SPIRIT WRITTEN IN THIS SACRED BOOK.' GOD HAS GIVEN US 17:53 UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE DEVIL'S UP TO. 17:58 2 THESSALONIANS 2, VERSES 8 AND 9, IT TELLS US, "AND THEN THE 18:02 LAWLESS ONE WILL BE REVEALED, WHOM THE LORD WILL CONSUME WITH 18:06 THE BREATH OF HIS MOUTH AND DESTROY WITH THE BRIGHTNESS OF 18:09 HIS COMING. EVEN HIM, WHOSE COMING IS AFTER 18:12 THE WORKING OF SATAN WITH ALL POWER AND SIGNS AND LYING 18:17 WONDERS." THE DEVIL CAN DO WONDERFUL 18:20 THINGS AND THEY'RE DECEPTIVE WONDERS. 18:24 THIS VERSE ALSO TELLS US THAT HE'S GOING TO HAVE AN END. 18:27 IN FACT, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO REMEMBER THAT JESUS SAID 18:31 THAT THE LAKE OF FIRE IS PREPARED FOR THE DEVIL AND HIS 18:34 ANGELS AND ULTIMATELY ALL THAT FOLLOW THE DEVIL AND HIS ANGELS. 18:39 THERE'S ONLY TWO CHOICES IN LIFE. CHRIST SAID THERE ARE TWO 18:42 ROADS - THERE'S A ROAD TO LIFE - 'STRAIGHT IS THE GATE AND NARROW 18:46 IS THE WAY THAT LEADS TO LIFE AND FEW THERE BE THAT FIND IT.' 18:50 FEW PRIORITIZE LOOKING FOR THAT ROAD TO ETERNAL LIFE. 18:53 'BROAD IS THE WAY AND WIDE IS THE GATE THAT LEADS TO 18:56 DESTRUCTION' AND IT'S MANY WHO ARE GOING DOWN THAT ROAD, NOT 18:59 BECAUSE THE LORD IS TRYING TO HIDE IT, BUT VERY FEW ARE 19:03 SEARCHING FOR IT. WE'RE JUST TOO BUSY WITH OTHER THINGS. 19:07 THE DEVIL IS TRYING TO JUST CREATE A DISTRACTION. 19:12 HOW DO WE OVERCOME THE DEVIL? 1 PETER 5, VERSES 8 AND 9, "BE 19:17 SOBER" - DON'T USE DRUGS. THAT CLEAR ENOUGH? 19:21 DON'T DRINK - THAT'S THE WORST DRUG OF ALL - TAKE MY WORD FOR 19:24 IT - AND I USED THEM ALL. "BE SOBER, BE VIGILANT;" - BE ON 19:29 YOUR GUARD - BECAUSE YOUR ADVERSARY THE DEVIL, AS A 19:32 ROARING LION, WALKETH ABOUT, SEEKING WHOM HE MAY DEVOUR. 19:37 WHOM RESIST" - RESIST THE DEVIL - "STEDFAST IN THE FAITH," - 19:42 THROUGH YOUR FAITH IN GOD YOU CAN RESIST THE DEVIL - "KNOWING 19:46 THAT THE SAME AFFLICTIONS ARE ACCOMPLISHED IN YOUR BRETHREN 19:48 THAT ARE IN THE WORLD." OTHERS HAVE DONE IT. 19:50 YOU CAN DO IT. YES YOU CAN. 19:52 THAT SAME JESUS WHO HELPED ME QUIT SMOKING, WHO HELPED ME QUIT 19:55 CURSING, WHO HELPED ME QUIT STEALING AND DRINKING AND DRUGS 19:58 - THAT SAME JESUS CAN HELP YOU AND HE CAN HELP ME FINISH THE 20:01 AREAS I STILL NEED HELP. I BELIEVE THAT GOD CAN HELP YOU 20:05 RESIST TEMPTATION. WE'RE ALL TEMPTED EVERY DAY. THAT'S RIGHT. 20:09 BECAUSE THERE'S A BATTLE GOING ON AND YOU NEED TO RECOGNIZE 20:12 THAT TO ACHIEVE YOUR ULTIMATE PURPOSE. ANOTHER VERSE - JAMES - 20:16 THESE ARE GOOD PROMISES - JAMES 1:7, "THEREFORE SUBMIT TO GOD. 20:21 RESIST THE DEVIL AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU." 20:24 DRAW NEAR TO GOD AND HE WILL DRAW NEAR TO YOU. 20:28 SO ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO RESIST THE DEVIL IS, AS YOU ARE 20:31 SUBMITTING TO GOD AND DRAWING NEAR TO GOD - THROUGH PRAYER - 20:35 SURRENDERING YOUR LIFE TO HIM EVERY DAY - YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD 20:38 TO SIN WHEN YOU KNOW GOD'S RIGHT NEXT TO YOU AND IF YOU LIVE IN 20:42 THE PRESENCE OF GOD YOU'RE GOING TO FIND IT'S EASIER TO LIVE A 20:44 DIFFERENT KIND OF LIFE. SAY 'AMEN'. 20:48 1 JOHN 4:4, "YOU ARE OF GOD, LITTLE CHILDREN, AND HAVE 20:52 OVERCOME THEM, BECAUSE HE WHO IS IN YOU IS GREATER THAN HE WHO IS 20:57 IN THE WORLD." IF CHRIST IS IN YOU, GREATER IS 21:00 HE THAT IS IN YOU THAN HE THAT IS IN THE WORLD. 21:03 AND AGAIN, 1 JOHN 3:8, "FOR THIS PURPOSE THE SON OF GOD WAS 21:07 MANIFESTED," - NOTICE THIS - "THAT HE MIGHT DESTROY THE WORKS 21:11 OF THE DEVIL." CHRIST IN YOUR LIFE DESTROYS THE 21:14 WORK OF THE DEVIL IN YOUR LIFE. YOU KNOW, I PROBABLY OUGHT TO 21:19 HEAD BACK TO MY STORY I STARTED WITH. YOU REMEMBER THE DEMONIAC 21:25 - THAT MAN FILLED WITH LEGIONS OF DEVILS? 21:28 IT TELLS US THIS MAN WAS ALWAYS IN THE MOUNTAINS CRYING. 21:31 HE CERTAINLY WASN'T HAPPY - TORMENTED - THERE IS NO PEACE 21:36 FOR THE WICKED, THE BIBLE SAYS. IF YOU WANT PEACE, JESUS SAYS 21:38 'COME UNTO ME. I WILL GIVE YOU REST. I WILL GIVE YOU PEACE' - 21:44 SURROUNDED BY PIGS, DEATH, CEMETERY, UNCLEAN. 21:50 BUT YOU KNOW WHAT THE WONDERFUL THING IS IN THIS STORY? 21:53 THAT MAN, WHEN HE SAW JESUS LAND ON THE SHORE, AS MESSED UP AS HE 21:57 WAS WITH LEGIONS OF DEVILS, WHATEVER WAS LEFT OF THAT MAN 22:00 INSIDE - HE MAYBE HEARD THE DEVILS TALK AND SAY, 'OH, IT'S 22:04 JESUS, SON OF GOD, WHAT'S HE GOING TO DO? 22:05 IS HE GOING TO CAST US OUT?' AND HE THOUGHT, 'THAT'S MY ONLY 22:08 HOPE.' AND WHATEVER HE HAD LEFT - HE DECIDED TO RUN TO JESUS AND 22:17 THE LORD SAVED THAT MAN AND I BELIEVE JESUS TOOK HIM DOWN TO 22:20 THE WATER AND WASHED HIM OFF - KIND OF LIKE A TYPE OF BAPTISM, 22:24 YOU MIGHT SAY. I THINK WHEN JESUS TOLD THE 22:26 DEMONS TO COME OUT, THE CHAINS FELL OFF JUST LIKE THEY FELL OFF 22:28 PETER WHEN THE ANGEL CAME TO HIM IN PRISON. 22:32 I THINK THAT - THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT WHEN THE PEOPLE FROM THE 22:36 TOWN CAME TO SEE WHAT HAD HAPPENED - THEY HEARD ABOUT ALL 22:38 THE PIGS THAT WERE LOST - THEY SAW THE MAN SITTING AT THE FEET 22:41 OF JESUS, CLOTHED AND IN HIS RIGHT MIND. 22:45 DON'T YOU WANT TO BE IN YOUR RIGHT MIND? 22:47 WHERE'D HE GET HIS CLOTHES? 22:50 I THINK JESUS TOOK OF HIS ROBE AND COVERED HIM, JUST LIKE HE 22:52 COVERS YOU WITH HIS OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS. 22:55 THIS IS JUST SUCH A WONDERFUL STORY. YOU KNOW WHY? 22:58 YOU CANNOT FIND AN EXAMPLE IN A STORY OF A PERSON WHO IS 23:01 OUTWARDLY MORE HOPELESS THAN THIS MAN. 23:04 MAYBE HE HAD WASTED HIS YOUTH - HE JUST GAVE INTO EVERY 23:08 TEMPTATION. HE THOUGHT LIFE WAS A PARTY. 23:10 AND, YOU KNOW, WHENEVER YOU LISTEN TO THE DEVIL - 23:12 YOU GET GOOD AT WHATEVER YOU PRACTICE. 23:14 IF YOU PRACTICE RESISTING TEMPTATION, YOU GET GOOD AT IT. 23:17 IF YOU PRACTICE GIVING IN TO TEMPTATION YOU'LL WELD THOSE 23:20 HABITS AND YOU BECOME GOOD AT THAT. 23:24 AND LITTLE BY LITTLE THIS MAN PRACTICING - GIVING IN TO THE 23:27 DEVIL - HE GOT TO THE PLACE WHERE HE COULD NOT SAY NO. 23:31 EVERY DAY WE'RE MAKING DECISIONS WHO WE'RE GOING TO SERVE. 23:34 NOW FRIENDS, I WANT YOU TO NOTICE: ON THE SHORE THAT DAY 23:38 THERE ARE TWO ULTIMATE PURPOSES. YOU SEE YOURSELF IN THE STORY. 23:43 YOU ARE SOMEWHERE IN THE STORY. 23:45 GOD CAME INTO THE WORLD IN THE FORM OF A MAN - HIS NAME IS 23:48 JESUS - TO SHOW US GOD'S PLAN FOR YOU. IF YOU WANT TO KNOW 23:52 WHAT THE DEVIL'S PLAN IS FOR YOU, THAT MAN IS EXHIBIT A OF 23:55 WHAT THE DEVIL DOES WHEN HE FILLS A MAN. ON THE SHORE THERE 23:58 BY THE BEACH OF GALILEE WERE TWO INDIVIDUALS. 24:03 THAT MAN CAME TO JESUS AND THERE WAS JESUS - THE DISCIPLES ALL 24:05 RAN AWAY - THERE THEY ARE FACING OFF. 24:07 THERE ARE THE TWO ULTIMATE DESTINIES - BEING LIKE CHRIST'S 24:13 SON - THAT'S A CHRISTIAN - BEING LIKE GOD'S SON JESUS, RATHER, OR 24:17 BEING LIKE THE DEVIL. YOU GOT THE PICTURE? 24:20 CHRIST - LOVING, NOBLE, DIGNIFIED, SELF-POSSESSED, 24:23 POWERFUL OR THIS RAVING LUNATIC? THAT'S THE DEVIL'S PLAN FOR YOU. 24:29 AND WE GET TO CHOOSE WHICH PLAN WE WANT FOR OUR LIVES. 24:34 CHRIST'S PURPOSE FOR YOU IS TO BE LIKE HIM. 24:37 NOW HERE IS THE GOOD NEWS: NO MATTER HOW FAR FROM GOD YOU MAY 24:41 HAVE WANDERED, YOU CAN COME JUST LIKE YOU ARE - YOU AREN'T WORSE 24:44 OFF THAN THIS MAN - AND JESUS WILL ACCEPT YOU. 24:46 DO YOU BELIEVE THAT? THIS MAN CAME LIKE HE WAS. 24:49 DID CHRIST SAY, 'YOU'VE GONE TOO FAR'? 24:51 IF CHRIST WOULD HEAL AND FORGIVE AND SAVE THIS MAN, CAN HE SAVE 24:54 YOU? I IDENTIFY WITH THIS STORY BECAUSE I WAS SOMETHING LIKE 24:58 THAT MAN WHEN I CAME TO JESUS. I MEAN, I WAS, I WAS A MESS. 25:03 AND IF THE LORD CAN DO IT FOR ME, HE CAN DO IT FOR YOU. 25:07 >>CAN'T GET ENOUGH AMAZING FACTS BIBLE STUDY? 25:10 YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK TO ENJOY MORE 25:13 TRUTH-FILLED PROGRAMMING. 25:15 WATCH AMAZING FACTS TELEVISION BY VISITING 'AFTV.ORG'. 25:20 AT 'AFTV.ORG' YOU CAN VIEW AMAZING FACTS PROGRAMMING 24 25:26 HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK, RIGHT FROM YOUR COMPUTER OR 25:29 MOBILE DEVICE. WHY WAIT A WEEK? 25:32 VISIT 'AFTV.ORG' - IT'S THAT EASY. 25:39 >>AMAZING FACTS OFFERS SOME OF THE BEST CHRISTIAN RESOURCES FOR 25:42 ALL AGES. WE HOPE OUR PRODUCTS WILL ENRICH 25:44 YOUR LIFE AND YOUR WALK WITH THE LORD. 25:47 LIFE REQUIRES DAILY WISDOM AND NOW YOU CAN EXPAND YOUR 25:51 UNDERSTANDING IN 'WISDOM FOR LIFE' - PASTOR DOUG'S NEW 31-DAY 25:55 DEVOTIONAL BASED ON THE 31 CHAPTERS FROM THE BOOK OF 25:57 PROVERBS, WRITTEN BY KING SOLOMON. 26:00 >>GET YOURS TODAY BY CALLING 800-538-7275 OR VISIT 26:05 'AFBOOKSTORE.COM'. 26:14 >>ONE OF THE MOST COMMON QUESTIONS WE GET HERE AT AMAZING 26:16 FACTS IS REGARDING THE MYSTERIOUS IDENTITY OF THIS 26:20 ENIGMATIC CHARACTER CALLED 'THE ANTICHRIST'. 26:23 PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD ARE WONDERING 'WHO IS THE 26:26 ANTICHRIST?' IS IT A POLITICAL PARTY OR IS THIS SOME EVIL 26:30 FIEND THAT IS THE DEVIL INCARNATE? WELL, WE HAVE A STUDY 26:33 GUIDE THAT WILL DEFINITELY HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THIS. 26:36 YOU MIGHT EVEN FIND IT A LITTLE SHOCKING. 26:39 IT'S CALLED 'WHO IS THE ANTICHRIST?' AND YOU'LL BE 26:41 AMAZED TO LEARN THE ANTICHRIST IS ALIVE AND IN THE WORLD TODAY. 26:46 TO GET YOUR FREE COPY, GO TO 'AMAZINGFACTS.ORG' OR CALL THE 26:50 NUMBER ON YOUR SCREEN AND ASK FOR OFFER #125. 26:55 AND FRIENDS, WHEN YOU RECEIVE THIS FREE RESOURCE, PLEASE READ 26:57 IT AND THEN SHARE IT WITH A FRIEND. WE WANT TO GET THE 27:00 WORD OUT BECAUSE GOD'S MESSAGE IS OUR MISSION. 27:05 >>THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS WEEK'S 27:08 SPECIAL FREE OFFER. THERE IS NO COST OR OBLIGATION. 27:11 JUST CALL THE TOLL-FREE NUMBER ON YOUR SCREEN AND BE SURE TO 27:14 NOTE THE OFFER NUMBER WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR REQUEST. 27:23 >>THIS PRESENTATION IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE FRIENDS OF THE 27:26 AMAZING FACTS MINISTRY. |
Revised 2015-07-16