Tonight, we're going to begin
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I'm looking at this
underlying biblical template.
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We just began to put
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the essential parts of
it together last night.
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And again if you're with
us, you will remember that
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we were in the Book of
Genesis in those early chapters
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and we discovered that
God created a perfect world.
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It was a paradise as
it says in Genesis 1:31,
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"As God looked at His creation
He declared it is very good."
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And my friend, it was perfect.
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This was the original plan,
this was the original intention.
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God intended for us
to inhabit paradise.
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He intended for us to experience
only that which was good.
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That is clear from our own
life's experience, isn't it?
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I mean, pick up a newspaper,
look at what's happening on TV,
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the news, and we discover there
is a lot that has gone wrong.
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Clearly,
there's been a departure
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from God's original plan.
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But remember how vital--
vitally important this really is
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that God's intension was that
we would only know what is good.
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That's the kind of
God that we served.
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And you remember
there in the Garden of Eden
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as we turn to Genesis 2:16, 17
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last night, God put this tree.
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And the tree
represented a choice,
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a choice between God's
way and the alternative way
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and we're gonna be
talking a little bit more about
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the alternative way tonight
and just how that came to be.
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But there was a
decision to made, to be made
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and it's not
unlike, the decision you
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and I have to make today.
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We have a choice today
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between God's way's
or the alternative way.
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They're really only two
ways, you know that, don't you?
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Just two ways.
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And so that fruit is not again
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so much the fruit
is what it represented,
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what it symbolized.
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And we know the
faithful decision was taken
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there in Genesis Chapter 3,
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it's recorded for us.
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And so the human race came in
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possession of the
knowledge of evil,
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something that God never
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intended for us
to ever experience.
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There are so many
things that we today--
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we see, we here, we experience,
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we feel that God never
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intended for us to go through.
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Do you know that?
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God never intended
for us to go to the grief
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and the sorrow that
sometimes is our part
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as we are
living upon this planet
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that was not His purpose.
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It all comes out of
that faithful decision
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and we are living
with the results of it,
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that knowledge of the evil.
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But that's where the
planet salvation came in
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as we studied last night again
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as we laid down
this essential elements.
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God had a plan because
God just could not let us go.
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God could have
walked away He could've--
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He said, I'm
gonna, you could have said
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I'm gonna start over but
God just could not let us go
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because you see He loves us.
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And so God put
in effect a plan it
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was a masterful plan.
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Jesus, was gonna step in
as the divine substitute.
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He was gonna
take the consequences
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of all of the sin
and all of the guilt,
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and all in the world.
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He took it upon
Himself, He died in our place
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and so that by faith in Him,
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we can now embrace the
life that is His, life eternal.
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And with it through Calvary
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we have this wonderful
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glorious future that is promise.
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Remember we're in
Revelation 21 where it says,
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"God, God made a new
heaven and a new earth."
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And in
Revelation 20:4 it declares,
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"There will be no more tears,
there will be no more sorrow,
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there will be no more crying.
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There will be no more pain
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or death for the former
things have passed away."
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There is going to come a time,
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when it's all
going to be behind us.
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And isn't that going
to be wonderful? Yeah.
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And that's where
prophecy comes in.
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Let me tell you--
yes, there is some
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frightening things are
gonna happen in the end time.
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But the good news, it's
going to come to an end,
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this mass up where we're
in, all of the suffering.
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And it's gonna
be a new beginning,
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a wonderful
beginning for God's people.
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Tonight, we trace an
intergalactic conflict
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that began in the outer
reaches of the universe.
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During the course of
our study this evening,
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we will discover that the earth
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is the object of
a massive invasion
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in which countless numbers
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of various inhabitants
will be left helpless victims.
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You know, really fact sometimes
is stranger than fiction.
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And Jesus
referred to this invasion
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He actually did in Parable 4.
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Turn with me to
Matthew Chapter 13,
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the New
Testament page 11, page 11.
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Matthew 13,
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and let's take a
look at this parable
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where Jesus talks
about what happened?
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Matthew 13,
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and just find your way
on down there to verse 20
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or up there to verse 24.
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Matthew13:24.
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"Jesus presented
another parable to them,
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saying, 'The kingdom of
heaven may be compared to a man
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who sowed good
seed in his field.
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But while his men were sleeping,
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his enemy came and
sowed tares among the wheat,
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and went away.
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But when the wheat
sprouted and bore grain,
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then the tares
became evident also.'"
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The word tares, what's the
word we would actually use?
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Weeds. Weeds.
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So you got the
picture good seed was planted.
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But in the middle of the night
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and this is
always the kind of stuff
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that happens at
night in darkness.
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Here comes the enemy
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and he begins to
sow all of these weeds
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among the wheat that have been,
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that have been planted.
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And then we find verse 26,
"But when the wheat sprouted
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and bore grain, then the
tares became evident also.
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The slaves of the landowner came
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and said to him, 'Sir,
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did you not sow
good seed in your field?
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How then does it have tares?'
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And he said to them,
'an enemy has done this.
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An enemy has done this.'
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Indeed an enemy has done this."
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And in fact as we
drop down to verse 27
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or verse 37 I'm
sorry, we discovered
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that Jesus gives a
more precise interpretation
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of this parable
to his disciples.
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And take a note what he says,
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he says here
beginning with verse 37
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and he said, "The one who sows
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the good seed
is the Son of Man."
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Who is they're talking about?
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Who is they're
talking about? Jesus.
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It's talking about Jesus.
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When it's fixing
to the Son of Man,
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it's emphasizing His
identity with us in His humanity
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and He didn't take
humanity upon himself.
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The divine son of God, verse 38.
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"And the field," it
says, "is the world."
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The field represents the world,
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"And as for the good seed,
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these are the sons of
the kingdom and the tares."
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The weeds. "Are the
sons of the evil one.
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And the enemy who
sowed them," is who?
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Who is the enemy?
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Devil. Is the devil.
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Oh, my friend, you see
as we studied last night
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and as we continue
on in our sequence,
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we discovered that God
created a perfect world
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in the very beginning.
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And Satan came into this planet
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and he sowed the seeds
of sin and destruction.
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The good that God
created was corrupted
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and adulterated with evil.
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And friend, that is
exactly what is taking place.
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That's what's
described here in this parable.
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And it brings up a
very important question
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as we're talking about
this knowledge of the evil
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that comes out of
the Garden of Eden
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that is spread all
through this planet that has,
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you know, you can
look at it historically
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how this was played
out in human history.
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But we all have our
own personal history
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as it comes through this
matter of the knowledge of evil.
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So who is Satan?
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Where did he come
from is the question.
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And notice as we turn
to Revelation Chapter 12,
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the Bible gives us a
clear answer Revelation 12,
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the New Testament
page 195, 195 Revelation 12
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then we're gonna be
looking at verses 7 through 9.
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We're gonna make a
fascinating discovery
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as we come to this passage.
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Because in Revelation
12:7, we find these words,
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it says, "And
there was war," where?
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There was war in heaven.
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I mean, that just is
absolutely astounding,
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when you begin astounding,
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when you begin
to think about it.
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War in heaven?
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I mean, that, it
was to be the last place
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that we would
expect here to be war
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and conflict, wouldn't we?
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Then nevertheless
that's what the Bible says,
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and my friend, this is where
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it all began in
heaven of all places.
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It says, "There
was war in heaven,
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Michael and his angels
waging war with the dragon."
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Now there is one of
those prophetic symbolisms
00:09:44.10\00:09:46.01
of the Book of Revelation.
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And it says, "The dragon
and his angels waged war."
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And it becomes very
clear abundantly clear
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that this conflict
in heaven broke out
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among the
angelic host of heaven.
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Sides were being taken,
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Michael and his
angels the dragon
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and his angels verse 8,
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and it says, "The
dragon and his angels,
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they were not strong enough
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and there was no longer a
place found for them in heaven.
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And the great
dragon was thrown down,
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the serpent of old who is
called the devil and Satan,
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who deceives the whole world,
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he was thrown down to the earth,
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and his angels were
thrown down with him."
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And so who is the great dragon
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of Revelation 12
of verse 9 tells us,
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"it represents Satan."
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It represents the evil one.
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And my friend, we've got--
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I mean, its just three
verses but we do get the--
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essence on what
to place in heaven.
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There was
rebellion, there was conflict
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between the angel sides
again we're taking being taken
00:10:42.93\00:10:45.43
and we're taking place.
00:10:45.46\00:10:47.16
I don't know the
nature of this conflict
00:10:47.19\00:10:49.45
and nature of
this war of warfare,
00:10:49.48\00:10:51.67
I don't the
weaponry that was going on.
00:10:51.70\00:10:54.50
And, you know, that's beyond
00:10:54.53\00:10:56.09
what's revealed
in the word of God,
00:10:56.12\00:10:57.18
but they're
nevertheless was war.
00:10:57.21\00:10:59.64
And Satan and his
angels were defeated,
00:10:59.67\00:11:05.01
they were forced out
00:11:05.04\00:11:06.89
because you see, there is
no place for evil in heaven.
00:11:06.92\00:11:13.44
And where did they end up?
00:11:13.47\00:11:15.91
They were cast
down to the earth.
00:11:15.94\00:11:19.11
And, you know,
initially they were confined
00:11:19.14\00:11:22.75
to the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil.
00:11:22.78\00:11:24.85
They did not come
down to this earth,
00:11:24.88\00:11:26.90
with free rain over this planet.
00:11:26.93\00:11:28.90
No, that is not the
way that had played out.
00:11:28.93\00:11:31.20
There was only one contact point
initially it was at the tree,
00:11:31.23\00:11:35.68
until Adam and
Eve ate up that fruit
00:11:35.71\00:11:40.17
and that open the
door to the whole mess
00:11:40.20\00:11:43.76
that we're living with today.
00:11:43.79\00:11:46.53
That's exactly-- it just spread
over this planet, hasn't it?
00:11:46.56\00:11:50.04
And let me tell you,
00:11:50.07\00:11:51.91
let me tell you
through the power
00:11:51.94\00:11:53.96
and grace and the
love of Jesus, my friend,
00:11:53.99\00:11:57.20
he too is gonna be
defeated here in the end.
00:11:57.23\00:12:00.27
In the end, there is
gonna be no place for the devil
00:12:00.30\00:12:03.23
and his evil angels, right.
00:12:03.26\00:12:05.80
And God is going to
make a final end of it.
00:12:05.83\00:12:09.25
It is guaranteed by the death
00:12:09.28\00:12:10.91
of Jesus Christ on
the cross of Calvary
00:12:10.94\00:12:13.20
as I said last night
when He cried it is finished.
00:12:13.23\00:12:16.47
That reverberates down through
00:12:16.50\00:12:19.14
the ages of time
down to the end of it all.
00:12:19.17\00:12:23.60
And, my friend, it is--
it's given, it's not and maybe--
00:12:23.63\00:12:27.81
it's gonna happen
and it's wonderful.
00:12:27.84\00:12:31.61
I mean, God, I mean what
kind of a God would it be
00:12:31.64\00:12:34.55
that would just leave us
in the cesspool of the mess
00:12:34.58\00:12:38.80
that we find on this planet.
00:12:38.83\00:12:40.79
My friend, He is a God of love.
00:12:40.82\00:12:42.62
And He is, has taken action
00:12:42.65\00:12:44.84
and He's going to take
even more direct action
00:12:44.87\00:12:47.64
and we know from
the prophecies to end it
00:12:47.67\00:12:50.02
and again
assuring that glorious,
00:12:50.05\00:12:52.55
that wonderful
future that is planned
00:12:52.58\00:12:54.32
for those have loved Him.
00:12:54.35\00:12:55.96
That's a future for
all of us, isn't it?
00:12:55.99\00:12:57.98
But let's take a
little bit closer look
00:12:58.01\00:12:59.68
at this matter of this conflict.
00:12:59.71\00:13:01.90
2 Peter Chapter 2,
00:13:01.93\00:13:03.29
the New Testament
page 183 speaks of it.
00:13:03.32\00:13:07.99
2 Peter 2:4.
00:13:08.02\00:13:12.47
You see we need to understand
00:13:12.50\00:13:14.42
something of the
nature of the conflict
00:13:14.45\00:13:16.97
we find ourselves in.
00:13:17.00\00:13:18.39
Yes, we know that
Jesus has died for us.
00:13:18.42\00:13:20.99
We know the price of our
redemption has been paid.
00:13:21.02\00:13:25.05
We know that He has planned
this wonderful future for us.
00:13:25.08\00:13:28.25
But we really do
need to comprehend
00:13:28.28\00:13:30.37
a little bit more
clearly from the biblical sense
00:13:30.40\00:13:33.33
about how this all came to be
00:13:33.36\00:13:35.09
and again the
nature of the conflict
00:13:35.12\00:13:37.41
that we find ourselves in.
00:13:37.44\00:13:38.51
2 Peter Chapter 2 and looking
at the first part of verse 4
00:13:38.54\00:13:41.83
where it says, "For if God
00:13:41.86\00:13:43.69
did not spare
angels when they sinned."
00:13:43.72\00:13:49.27
So here is that question?
00:13:49.30\00:13:51.61
Where did sin begin?
00:13:51.64\00:13:54.69
In heaven.
00:13:54.72\00:13:55.75
In heaven, we've
already been there, where we?
00:13:55.78\00:13:58.16
In Revelation 12:7,
00:13:58.19\00:14:00.10
but it may say clear
that this rebellion is--
00:14:00.13\00:14:03.20
was a rebellion of sin.
00:14:03.23\00:14:05.80
And sin of the very
hard of it is rebellion.
00:14:05.83\00:14:08.81
It's rebellion
against God's ways.
00:14:08.84\00:14:11.19
A rebellion against God's will.
00:14:11.22\00:14:13.93
And, my friend, that's
exactly that happened, isn't it,
00:14:13.96\00:14:16.53
at the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil
00:14:16.56\00:14:18.47
when Adam and Eve
partook of the fruit.
00:14:18.50\00:14:21.98
Maybe they weren't thinking
this through very clearly
00:14:22.01\00:14:24.89
but nevertheless it represented
rebellion against God.
00:14:24.92\00:14:30.28
It was an affect saying we
are going to do it our way,
00:14:30.31\00:14:34.40
we're going to eat up the fruit
regardless of what God has said.
00:14:34.43\00:14:38.91
And this is what,
00:14:38.94\00:14:40.48
you know, this is why I call
the spiritual teenage syndrome.
00:14:40.51\00:14:44.99
You know, there's a
spiritual teenage syndrome.
00:14:45.02\00:14:47.96
And, you know, you
could be pity in 60
00:14:47.99\00:14:50.31
and be a spiritual teenage
00:14:50.34\00:14:52.76
in the spiritual
teenage syndrome that is,
00:14:52.79\00:14:55.26
you know, that rebellious
period of time in our lives
00:14:55.29\00:14:58.44
where we're
determined to do it our own way.
00:14:58.47\00:15:00.88
And, my friend,
somewhere along the way
00:15:00.91\00:15:02.47
we need to discover our own way
00:15:02.50\00:15:04.31
really in the end
is not the way of life,
00:15:04.34\00:15:06.60
it's the way of
death, it takes us down.
00:15:06.63\00:15:10.41
The God's ways
are the ways of life.
00:15:10.44\00:15:14.11
So as we're talking about this
00:15:14.14\00:15:16.40
the angels
rebelling and sinning,
00:15:16.43\00:15:19.86
do we have any idea
00:15:19.89\00:15:21.33
how many of the angels
were involved in the rebellion?
00:15:21.36\00:15:25.00
And, you know,
the Bible gives us
00:15:25.03\00:15:26.73
some clear indication of that.
00:15:26.76\00:15:28.52
I take you on the
screen to Revelation 5
00:15:28.55\00:15:32.47
and we're gonna
look at verse 11.
00:15:32.50\00:15:34.41
Where it says, John,
John's invasion where he said,
00:15:34.44\00:15:37.20
"And I beheld
and I heard the voice
00:15:37.23\00:15:39.83
of many angels about the throne
00:15:39.86\00:15:42.11
and the number of them
00:15:42.14\00:15:43.56
was ten thousand
times ten thousand,
00:15:43.59\00:15:46.30
and thousands of thousands."
00:15:46.33\00:15:48.78
Now I want to point out at
the very beginning of this--
00:15:48.81\00:15:51.58
as we look at this verse
00:15:51.61\00:15:53.02
that these represent the angels
that remain faithful to God.
00:15:53.05\00:15:57.84
This is after
Satan and his angels
00:15:57.87\00:16:00.63
were cast down to
this earth, right.
00:16:00.66\00:16:04.20
So he describes them as ten
thousand times ten thousand,
00:16:04.23\00:16:07.97
and thousand of thousands.
00:16:08.00\00:16:09.58
So let's do
little bit of math here.
00:16:09.61\00:16:12.09
I mean, what is ten thousand
times ten thousand anyway?
00:16:12.12\00:16:14.69
I don't know if this is
the old math or the new math
00:16:14.72\00:16:17.48
but this is the way at
least I was taught how to do it.
00:16:17.51\00:16:20.43
And let's do the old
fashion way, 10,000 time 10,000.
00:16:20.46\00:16:23.47
What kind of number
does that leave us with?
00:16:23.50\00:16:25.37
One million.
00:16:25.40\00:16:27.04
Wow, little bit more than that.
00:16:27.07\00:16:28.96
One hundred
million. Ten thousand times.
00:16:28.99\00:16:32.08
And 1,000 by 1,000 that's
where you get the 1,000,000.
00:16:32.11\00:16:38.07
So this is what
John saw on vision.
00:16:38.10\00:16:40.83
He saw millions, he
saw hundreds of millions
00:16:40.86\00:16:44.74
of angels around
the throne of God.
00:16:44.77\00:16:48.26
I mean, this is a pretty large
population, would you think.
00:16:48.29\00:16:52.21
And again then we
need to add another text
00:16:52.24\00:16:54.84
as we look at
this question how many?
00:16:54.87\00:16:57.19
In Revelation 12:3, 4.
00:16:57.22\00:16:59.60
Remember we were
looking at verses 7-9.
00:16:59.63\00:17:01.93
This is in the context of
this matter of war in heaven.
00:17:01.96\00:17:06.05
And it is in the
typical prophetic language
00:17:06.08\00:17:08.23
of the Book of
Revelation as you will note.
00:17:08.26\00:17:10.09
It says, "And another
sign appeared in heaven
00:17:10.12\00:17:12.47
and behold, a great red dragon,"
who is the dragon again?
00:17:12.50\00:17:17.07
It's Satan we know that.
00:17:17.10\00:17:18.88
"Having seven
heads and ten horns,"
00:17:18.91\00:17:20.85
that has his significance to,
00:17:20.88\00:17:22.85
but is not so important to
what we were doing tonight.
00:17:22.88\00:17:25.63
"And on his heads
were seven diadems."
00:17:25.66\00:17:28.45
Now notice, "And his
tail swept away," how many?
00:17:28.48\00:17:34.65
"A third of the stars of heaven
and he threw them to the earth."
00:17:34.68\00:17:39.89
What do we read
in Revelation 12:7-9?
00:17:39.92\00:17:42.88
There was war in heaven
00:17:42.91\00:17:43.97
and they were
cast down to the earth,
00:17:44.00\00:17:47.03
you see the parallel there.
00:17:47.06\00:17:48.68
And in the
prophetic language here
00:17:48.71\00:17:50.95
is describing a third
of those beings of light.
00:17:50.98\00:17:56.23
The term here that
describes the stars of heaven,
00:17:56.26\00:17:58.83
these beings of light
where cast down to the earth.
00:17:58.86\00:18:03.17
So somewhere between the tens
if not the hundreds of millions,
00:18:03.20\00:18:07.97
the evil angels are
here on this planet.
00:18:08.00\00:18:12.58
And they know all
of the buttons to push.
00:18:12.61\00:18:14.82
Have you noticed that?
00:18:14.85\00:18:16.40
You know, from the day
that we enter in our life
00:18:16.43\00:18:18.81
until the day that we leave it.
00:18:18.84\00:18:20.57
My friend, we'll be
in tract by the evil one.
00:18:20.60\00:18:24.42
And he has an advantage
00:18:24.45\00:18:25.95
because we have
been deeply affected
00:18:25.98\00:18:27.93
by this knowledge
of the evil, right.
00:18:27.96\00:18:31.05
We all have been.
00:18:31.08\00:18:33.21
All of us, none
of us are excluded.
00:18:33.24\00:18:36.50
The past is not
excluded, I'm not excluded,
00:18:36.53\00:18:39.32
all excluded, all of
us have our own experience
00:18:39.35\00:18:43.47
with this matter of sin,
all of us dealing with this.
00:18:43.50\00:18:46.43
And to the extent that we have,
00:18:46.46\00:18:48.40
you know, we've
been affected by evil
00:18:48.43\00:18:51.40
to that accept the
evil one has an advantage
00:18:51.43\00:18:55.24
that I do remind
you what the Bible says.
00:18:55.27\00:18:58.01
Greater, greater
is he who is in you
00:18:58.04\00:19:02.59
than he who is in the world.
00:19:02.62\00:19:05.97
So when we talk
about the evil one
00:19:06.00\00:19:07.91
and the power of
these evil angels,
00:19:07.94\00:19:10.35
my friend, we must never forget
00:19:10.38\00:19:12.63
that there was
one He declared over
00:19:12.66\00:19:15.42
at the open tomb that all power
00:19:15.45\00:19:18.10
has been given to
me in heaven and earth.
00:19:18.13\00:19:20.65
That is our Lord
that is our Savior.
00:19:20.68\00:19:23.53
All power has been given to Him.
00:19:23.56\00:19:27.33
So about a third us
00:19:27.36\00:19:29.84
is a third of the
angels were involved in this,
00:19:29.87\00:19:33.68
in this rebellion against God.
00:19:33.71\00:19:35.23
Let me tell you,
00:19:35.26\00:19:36.29
let's talk a little bit
about these angels as we--
00:19:36.32\00:19:38.57
as we have some
indication from the word of God.
00:19:38.60\00:19:42.02
They are truly extraordinary,
00:19:42.05\00:19:44.47
they are truly
powerful beings, these angels.
00:19:44.50\00:19:48.99
In fact as we take
a look at Psalm 8:4, 5
00:19:49.02\00:19:53.64
the question is asked,
00:19:53.67\00:19:54.80
"What is man that Thou
dost take thought of him?
00:19:54.83\00:19:58.24
And the son of man
that Thou dost care for him?
00:19:58.27\00:20:00.89
Yet Thou hast made him,"
00:20:00.92\00:20:02.78
let's talk about the human race.
00:20:02.81\00:20:04.04
This is talking
about you and me.
00:20:04.07\00:20:05.81
"Thou hast made him a
little lower than the angels."
00:20:05.84\00:20:11.51
In other words the Bible teaches
00:20:11.54\00:20:12.93
that as the
class of beings we are,
00:20:12.96\00:20:16.63
you know, we're
just a little bit lower
00:20:16.66\00:20:18.84
than the angels.
00:20:18.87\00:20:20.45
They are a
higher class of beings,
00:20:20.48\00:20:23.26
God created them
to inhabit heaven
00:20:23.29\00:20:27.33
and to carry out His will.
00:20:27.36\00:20:29.57
In fact the word
angels in the Greek Angelo's,
00:20:29.60\00:20:32.59
literally means messengers.
00:20:32.62\00:20:35.03
And they are messengers of hope
00:20:35.06\00:20:37.53
and of love from God
that is the good angels.
00:20:37.56\00:20:43.65
But the angels of darkness
have become messengers of what?
00:20:43.68\00:20:48.64
Of despair of
darkness and of evil.
00:20:48.67\00:20:52.42
That's there message
just been corrupted by evil.
00:20:52.45\00:20:55.32
It's astounding to
consider that the angels
00:20:55.35\00:20:57.46
of that a third of them,
00:20:57.49\00:20:59.01
that they were
give themselves over
00:20:59.04\00:21:01.23
to what we were
call the dark side.
00:21:01.26\00:21:04.09
And that's
exactly what they did.
00:21:04.12\00:21:07.15
And, my friend, some of us
00:21:07.18\00:21:08.71
because of evil
have in our lives
00:21:08.74\00:21:10.77
given ourselves over
to the dark side, right.
00:21:10.80\00:21:14.79
But let me tell you there is,
00:21:14.82\00:21:16.81
there is a-- there is light,
00:21:16.84\00:21:19.33
there is glorious light
00:21:19.36\00:21:20.72
for those that loved
the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:21:20.75\00:21:22.92
But let's talk a little
bit more about these angels
00:21:22.95\00:21:24.68
the little bit more, Matthew 28,
00:21:24.71\00:21:26.13
the New
Testament page 26, page 26.
00:21:26.16\00:21:29.67
Matthew 28 and we're gonna be
looking at verses 2 through 4.
00:21:29.70\00:21:33.86
We're coming to the
resurrection of our Lord
00:21:33.89\00:21:36.58
as its recorded here.
00:21:36.61\00:21:39.55
And notice where we
find because we find in angel
00:21:39.58\00:21:42.05
plays a role in the
resurrection of Jesus.
00:21:42.08\00:21:45.43
Again it's Matthew 28
and beginning with verse 2
00:21:45.46\00:21:48.26
where it says, "Behold a
severe earthquake had occurred,
00:21:48.29\00:21:51.69
for an angel of
the Lord" ascended
00:21:51.72\00:21:54.15
"descended from heaven and came
00:21:54.18\00:21:56.71
and rolled away the
stone and sat upon it.
00:21:56.74\00:21:59.82
And his appearance"
notice the description here,
00:21:59.85\00:22:02.35
"it was like lightning
00:22:02.38\00:22:04.21
and his clothing
as white as snow."
00:22:04.24\00:22:07.31
And then verse 4 says,
00:22:07.34\00:22:08.37
"The guards
shook for fear of him
00:22:08.40\00:22:11.12
and became like dead men."
00:22:11.15\00:22:15.33
Those guards, the guards,
00:22:15.36\00:22:18.14
what guards were stationed
there at the tomb of Jesus?
00:22:18.17\00:22:21.56
What guards? Roman.
00:22:21.59\00:22:23.03
They were Roman
guards, weren't they?
00:22:23.06\00:22:25.13
Roman guards were there.
00:22:25.16\00:22:26.66
It was a Roman governor that
declared him worthy of death.
00:22:26.69\00:22:31.39
Who tried to wash
his hands of it but
00:22:31.42\00:22:33.40
and it was Roman
soldiers that crucified Him.
00:22:33.43\00:22:36.94
And it was a Roman seal that
was put over the tomb of Jesus.
00:22:36.97\00:22:40.11
It was Roman guards
that were stationed there.
00:22:40.14\00:22:44.55
And then this angel of
light comes, it is, I mean,
00:22:44.58\00:22:48.54
it's an overpowering experience.
00:22:48.57\00:22:53.02
These soldiers begin to shake
and fear is what it says here.
00:22:53.05\00:22:56.80
They fall to the ground.
It's like they became dead.
00:22:56.83\00:23:00.68
It was just such an
overwhelming experience.
00:23:00.71\00:23:04.56
And we know something
about those Roman guards
00:23:04.59\00:23:08.04
that were stationed
there at the tomb of Jesus.
00:23:08.07\00:23:10.05
We know this historically.
00:23:10.08\00:23:11.93
And I remind you before we
get to this specifics of that,
00:23:11.96\00:23:15.66
the nature of warfare as
they fought it back there
00:23:15.69\00:23:18.07
and I mean this
was just like butchery.
00:23:18.10\00:23:20.65
I mean, we're talking
about swords and spears
00:23:20.68\00:23:23.08
and, you know,
this was bloody stuff
00:23:23.11\00:23:26.18
that was going on.
00:23:26.21\00:23:28.28
And yet, you know,
00:23:28.31\00:23:29.92
unguardedly this were veterans.
00:23:29.95\00:23:33.08
Many of them that were veterans,
00:23:33.11\00:23:34.59
if you know anything about
the history of it in a Palestine
00:23:34.62\00:23:38.01
and of the
restiveness of the Jews
00:23:38.04\00:23:40.37
and the series of
rebellion that happened overtime
00:23:40.40\00:23:43.51
this was no insignificant legion
that was assigned to Jerusalem.
00:23:43.54\00:23:48.68
These were larger veterans
00:23:48.71\00:23:50.11
and by the way it was
Roman practice when you,
00:23:50.14\00:23:52.94
when you signed
up for the military
00:23:52.97\00:23:54.89
and it wasn't for
three or four years
00:23:54.92\00:23:57.23
it was for 20 to 25 years.
00:23:57.26\00:24:00.64
Do you know that?
00:24:00.67\00:24:03.27
And the Roman legion we know
00:24:03.30\00:24:04.77
that was assigned to Jerusalem
00:24:04.80\00:24:06.11
was the tenth Roman
legion, the Fretensis legion.
00:24:06.14\00:24:09.65
The Fretensis, which
means fear inflicting.
00:24:09.68\00:24:13.78
A legion had somewhere
between 5,000 to 6,000 soldiers,
00:24:13.81\00:24:17.24
they were
stationed there at Jerusalem
00:24:17.27\00:24:18.68
and it was a part of this legion
00:24:18.71\00:24:21.79
that was posted
there at the tomb of Jesus.
00:24:21.82\00:24:26.40
And again just think
of the kind of warfare
00:24:26.43\00:24:29.04
that was going on and yet
00:24:29.07\00:24:30.31
at the approach of
one of these angels
00:24:30.34\00:24:32.31
they fall to
the ground trembling
00:24:32.34\00:24:34.15
and became like they were dead,
00:24:34.18\00:24:36.86
says something about
00:24:36.89\00:24:37.92
the overpowering
experience of it all.
00:24:37.95\00:24:41.86
In fact as
they've been excavating--
00:24:41.89\00:24:43.47
and of course
they've been excavating
00:24:43.50\00:24:45.07
for years of Jerusalem.
00:24:45.10\00:24:46.84
Street level in Jesus day
00:24:46.87\00:24:49.26
is about 70 feet
underground from where is today.
00:24:49.29\00:24:53.94
But they've been
digging around and years ago
00:24:53.97\00:24:56.05
they discovered
the pavement stones
00:24:56.08\00:24:58.71
that lay outside of Pilate,
governor Pilate's palace.
00:24:58.74\00:25:04.33
Actually he ruled from Cesaria
00:25:04.36\00:25:07.99
which was on the Mediterranean
00:25:08.02\00:25:09.68
but he also had his
palace there in Jerusalem.
00:25:09.71\00:25:13.17
And so the pavement stones
00:25:13.20\00:25:15.39
and you could
see here very clearly
00:25:15.42\00:25:18.36
where some of the soldiers
00:25:18.39\00:25:19.45
has scratched out
some of their games,
00:25:19.48\00:25:21.56
occupy themselves
while the proceedings
00:25:21.59\00:25:23.63
were taking place in
the governors palace.
00:25:23.66\00:25:26.74
And one of the things
you find scratched out there
00:25:26.77\00:25:29.00
in fact I have a little
arrow where we put up there.
00:25:29.03\00:25:32.29
Some, one of the
soldiers scratched out
00:25:32.32\00:25:34.39
the insignia of the Fretensis
legion the tenth legion
00:25:34.42\00:25:37.95
and that is
that of the scorpion.
00:25:37.98\00:25:42.33
Okay, that's where we find
00:25:42.36\00:25:44.07
just an overpowering experience.
00:25:44.10\00:25:46.70
I'll share one
other illustration
00:25:46.73\00:25:48.39
of the tremendous power
00:25:48.42\00:25:50.01
that God has
invested into the angels.
00:25:50.04\00:25:52.87
I'm taking you back
to the Old Testament
00:25:52.90\00:25:54.55
I'm taking you back to
the time of the Assyrian,
00:25:54.58\00:25:57.27
the Assyrian empire.
00:25:57.30\00:26:00.33
And as we look at it
in the Book of Isaiah
00:26:00.36\00:26:03.09
we find the
Assyrians they are dominating
00:26:03.12\00:26:05.76
the Middle East as we know it.
00:26:05.79\00:26:07.36
There was a scorch earth policy.
00:26:07.39\00:26:11.30
They uprooted
whole civilization,
00:26:11.33\00:26:13.67
the whole ten northern tribes
00:26:13.70\00:26:15.99
were taken an exile
00:26:16.02\00:26:18.03
and we lost track
of them historically.
00:26:18.06\00:26:20.60
But they made their way
eventually to Jerusalem,
00:26:20.63\00:26:23.14
Sennacherib was king
at the end of this army.
00:26:23.17\00:26:25.73
It was a vast army
of 185,000 Assyrians.
00:26:25.76\00:26:30.73
Hezekiah is king in Jerusalem.
00:26:30.76\00:26:34.40
And I can tell you this,
00:26:34.43\00:26:36.37
you know, they didn't
have that kind of force
00:26:36.40\00:26:40.11
in Jerusalem to counter this.
00:26:40.14\00:26:43.02
Hezekiah you look at the
record, he goes to the temple,
00:26:43.05\00:26:45.66
he lays this whole
matter out be for God.
00:26:45.69\00:26:48.25
He asked for God's intervention.
00:26:48.28\00:26:51.14
And let me tell you
God is a God of prayer.
00:26:51.17\00:26:54.66
God is a God
that answers prayer.
00:26:54.69\00:26:57.94
And this prayer was answered
00:26:57.97\00:26:59.82
we find as we
look at Isaiah 37:36,
00:26:59.85\00:27:03.32
notice what happened
in answer to his prayer.
00:27:03.35\00:27:05.87
It says, "Then the
angel of the Lord went out,
00:27:05.90\00:27:08.01
in the camp of the Assyrians,
00:27:08.04\00:27:12.22
and when men arose
early in the morning,
00:27:12.25\00:27:14.81
behold, all of these were dead."
00:27:14.84\00:27:17.34
The work of one
angel, one night, 185,000.
00:27:17.37\00:27:25.16
In fact, as you
look at the secular
00:27:25.19\00:27:27.45
background of this
the historical record,
00:27:27.48\00:27:30.23
it kind of in obscure way
00:27:30.26\00:27:32.18
describes Sennacherib
for some reason returning
00:27:32.21\00:27:35.09
to his capital in disgrace
00:27:35.12\00:27:37.95
and then he ended
up being assassinated.
00:27:37.98\00:27:41.03
It was all kind of--
you know it was aftermath
00:27:41.06\00:27:43.32
of his defeat
there in Jerusalem.
00:27:43.35\00:27:46.23
But again the
power of these angels
00:27:46.26\00:27:49.34
and remember a-third of them
00:27:49.37\00:27:51.22
have devoted
themselves for our destruction.
00:27:51.25\00:27:54.74
We're gonna get into the reason
00:27:54.77\00:27:56.73
of why there is such hatred
00:27:56.76\00:27:58.66
by the evil angels
for the human race.
00:27:58.69\00:28:01.19
Well, I'll tell you right
now do you want to know why?
00:28:01.22\00:28:04.81
Besides it's just the
fact that they become so mean.
00:28:04.84\00:28:08.38
My friend, it's because we are
the supreme objects of His love.
00:28:08.41\00:28:13.60
He was defeated in heaven,
00:28:13.63\00:28:15.41
he know longer can create
troubles up there in heaven.
00:28:15.44\00:28:18.32
But, my friend,
he is so determined
00:28:18.35\00:28:20.31
he and his angels in
the rebellion against God.
00:28:20.34\00:28:23.77
They are so determined
that they're not gonna give up,
00:28:23.80\00:28:26.14
they're not gonna rave
that white flag at any point.
00:28:26.17\00:28:29.57
You can study
this out historically,
00:28:29.60\00:28:31.02
so you read this all
in Revelation Chapter 20.
00:28:31.05\00:28:32.69
They don't give up until
God forces them to give up.
00:28:32.72\00:28:38.01
And, my friend,
00:28:38.04\00:28:40.17
you know, it just
think of this those of us
00:28:40.20\00:28:42.87
who are parents and our
relationship to our children.
00:28:42.90\00:28:46.26
And the sense of, you know,
our desire to protect them.
00:28:46.29\00:28:48.96
And if somebody would
touch one of our children
00:28:48.99\00:28:51.33
how sometimes how
defensive we would be, right.
00:28:51.36\00:28:54.80
Well, my friend Satan
knows that he can bring pain,
00:28:54.83\00:28:58.89
he can bring pain
00:28:58.92\00:29:00.52
and grieve to the heart of God
00:29:00.55\00:29:03.01
by bringing all of the suffering
00:29:03.04\00:29:05.00
and all of this
misery into the human race.
00:29:05.03\00:29:09.75
That's why he is doing it.
00:29:09.78\00:29:13.01
That's exactly why
he's doing it, doesn't it.
00:29:13.04\00:29:15.45
There is no other reason
why he would be doing this.
00:29:15.48\00:29:18.28
And so, no wonder
it says in 1 Peter 5:8,
00:29:18.31\00:29:21.88
"Be sober, be vigilant,
00:29:21.91\00:29:23.58
because your
adversary the devil,
00:29:23.61\00:29:25.55
as a roaring lion walketh about
seeking whom he may devour."
00:29:25.58\00:29:30.72
My friend, he is our adversary.
00:29:30.75\00:29:34.51
And he is determined to
take every one of us down.
00:29:34.54\00:29:39.12
And again, my friend,
00:29:39.15\00:29:40.18
just always keep in
mind that texts in 1 John,
00:29:40.21\00:29:43.46
"Greater is he who is in you
than he who is in the world."
00:29:43.49\00:29:49.63
But I think we need
to be little careful
00:29:49.66\00:29:51.44
how much we dwell upon
the power of the evil one
00:29:51.47\00:29:55.51
and this determination.
00:29:55.54\00:29:56.57
We need to be
aware of that, don't we?
00:29:56.60\00:29:58.73
But, my friend,
we need to be focused
00:29:58.76\00:30:00.84
in on the God that loves us
00:30:00.87\00:30:03.75
and the God that is
stepped in such a powerful
00:30:03.78\00:30:06.91
and dramatic way
for our salvation.
00:30:06.94\00:30:10.98
And, my friend, He
is going to be with us.
00:30:11.01\00:30:13.57
Jesus said it, "I
am with you always."
00:30:13.60\00:30:17.12
Always is the word
"even till the end."
00:30:17.15\00:30:20.86
So we need to keep our
confidence in Jesus Christ
00:30:23.73\00:30:26.35
as we talk about this.
00:30:26.38\00:30:27.76
And I said, it can,
00:30:27.79\00:30:29.29
it is all been determined
at the cross of Calvary.
00:30:29.32\00:30:32.24
It is not a question of whether
it is just simply a question
00:30:32.27\00:30:35.84
of when this whole
message going to come to an end.
00:30:35.87\00:30:40.95
It's been guaranteed, hasn't it?
00:30:40.98\00:30:43.45
But, you know, so we
have a third of the angels
00:30:43.48\00:30:47.10
who have been cast
down to this earth.
00:30:47.13\00:30:49.83
They'll be cast
down to this earth
00:30:49.86\00:30:51.45
and they have been
infected the human race
00:30:51.48\00:30:53.16
with their same
evil rebellious spirit.
00:30:53.19\00:30:56.09
Oh, my friend, this
makes the fantasy of star wars
00:30:56.12\00:30:58.84
fade into insignificance
00:30:58.87\00:31:00.67
before this very real
intergalactic conflict.
00:31:00.70\00:31:05.16
And I don't believe
00:31:05.19\00:31:06.30
that's a stretch
of the imagination
00:31:06.33\00:31:08.71
we use those
terms, intergalactic
00:31:08.74\00:31:11.33
because they really do come
00:31:11.36\00:31:12.43
from a different
dimension, don't they?
00:31:12.46\00:31:14.97
They do.
00:31:15.00\00:31:16.25
But do we have
any further insights
00:31:16.28\00:31:18.63
into the
identity of the evil one.
00:31:18.66\00:31:21.13
Some people ask
did God created devil?
00:31:21.16\00:31:24.17
Some people have
this idea God created
00:31:24.20\00:31:25.70
devil to test us.
00:31:25.73\00:31:28.34
But, my friend,
I'm here to tell you
00:31:28.37\00:31:29.74
God is never in the
business of creating evil.
00:31:29.77\00:31:33.27
He's not and take
a look at Ezekiel 28,
00:31:33.30\00:31:35.24
the Old Testament
page 609, 609 Ezekiel 28
00:31:35.27\00:31:41.09
and we're gonna be
looking at verses 11 through 14.
00:31:41.12\00:31:45.75
Ezekiel, there are some
00:31:45.78\00:31:47.42
fascinating prophetic
passages, apocalyptic passages
00:31:47.45\00:31:51.37
I'll explain that
term at some point.
00:31:51.40\00:31:54.40
Next Friday night actually
what we mean by apocalyptic.
00:31:54.43\00:31:59.32
But we have some
apocalyptic passages
00:31:59.35\00:32:01.68
here in the Book of Ezekiel.
00:32:01.71\00:32:03.99
And Ezekiel 28 and
we're looking at verse 11.
00:32:04.02\00:32:08.60
Verse 11 where it says,
00:32:08.63\00:32:10.20
"Again the word of the
Lord came to me saying,
00:32:10.23\00:32:13.29
'Son of man,
00:32:13.32\00:32:14.45
take up a
lamentation of the king of Tyre,
00:32:14.48\00:32:16.84
and say to him."'
00:32:16.87\00:32:18.87
Now he is not speaking
and it will become clear
00:32:18.90\00:32:21.16
as we look at the context.
00:32:21.19\00:32:22.30
He is not here
literally speaking
00:32:22.33\00:32:25.21
in regards to the king of Tyre.
00:32:25.24\00:32:28.39
The king of Tyre
is representative
00:32:28.42\00:32:32.21
is represents the evil one,
00:32:32.24\00:32:34.76
again that will become
apparent as we move forward.
00:32:34.79\00:32:37.54
"Saying to the king of
Tyre thus says the Lord God,
00:32:37.57\00:32:40.32
'You had the
seal of perfection."'
00:32:40.35\00:32:43.78
Remember that the
seal of perfection.
00:32:43.81\00:32:46.34
"Follow wisdom,
perfected beauty,"
00:32:46.37\00:32:49.82
verse 13, "you were in Eden,"
00:32:49.85\00:32:52.89
it becomes clear that he's
not talking in literal terms,
00:32:52.92\00:32:55.54
king of Tyre were
never been in Eden.
00:32:55.57\00:32:57.44
Eden was on the
earth that at this point,
00:32:57.47\00:32:59.97
"You were in
Eden, the garden of God.
00:33:00.00\00:33:02.44
Every precious stone,"
notice this, this description,
00:33:02.47\00:33:05.41
"every precious
stone was your covering,
00:33:05.44\00:33:07.75
the ruby, the
topaz, the diamond,
00:33:07.78\00:33:10.18
the beryl, the onyx, the jasper,
00:33:10.21\00:33:12.74
the lapis lazuli, the turquoise,
and the emerald, and the gold,
00:33:12.77\00:33:16.74
the workmanship of your settings
00:33:16.77\00:33:19.02
and sockets, was in you.
00:33:19.05\00:33:21.37
On the day that
you were created"
00:33:21.40\00:33:23.56
It was created of
being "they were prepared."
00:33:23.59\00:33:26.77
I can hardly imagine
00:33:26.80\00:33:28.20
what this creature look
like bejeweled as he was.
00:33:28.23\00:33:34.75
Probably the closest thing
00:33:34.78\00:33:35.89
in some of our
memories would be Liberace.
00:33:35.92\00:33:39.53
Do you remember Liberace?
00:33:39.56\00:33:42.06
Remember those, you
know, those stunning jackets
00:33:42.09\00:33:48.00
that he wore those diamond
00:33:48.03\00:33:49.83
encrusted sparkly
jackets something like that.
00:33:49.86\00:33:54.01
That's how he was created.
00:33:54.04\00:33:56.52
And then verse 14,
00:33:56.55\00:33:57.74
now it gets very
specific in his identity
00:33:57.77\00:34:00.89
who God's talking about.
00:34:00.92\00:34:02.58
"You were the anointed cherub
00:34:02.61\00:34:05.33
who covers and I
placed you there.
00:34:05.36\00:34:08.44
You were on the
holy mountain of God,"
00:34:08.47\00:34:11.11
you followed this through
he's talking about heaven.
00:34:11.14\00:34:13.61
"You walked in the
midst of the stones of fire."
00:34:13.64\00:34:17.02
And again as you
trace this out biblically
00:34:17.05\00:34:18.67
you'll discover
this is speaking about
00:34:18.70\00:34:20.03
God's immediate presence.
00:34:20.06\00:34:22.90
So He was a created being,
00:34:22.93\00:34:25.69
He was perfect
in all of his ways,
00:34:25.72\00:34:28.16
we know that.
00:34:28.19\00:34:29.22
And the seal of perfection,
He was full of wisdom.
00:34:29.25\00:34:32.16
He was perfect in beauty.
He was a beautiful angel.
00:34:32.19\00:34:38.11
And we know as we
study from the Bible
00:34:38.14\00:34:39.49
there are two classes of angels
00:34:39.52\00:34:41.08
that are revealed
there are Cherubims
00:34:41.11\00:34:43.04
and there are Seraphims.
00:34:43.07\00:34:46.06
By the word way the Hebrew word
00:34:46.09\00:34:47.96
that for Seraphim
literally translates out
00:34:47.99\00:34:51.85
to be those who burned.
00:34:51.88\00:34:54.98
To me that's
kind of a fascinating
00:34:55.01\00:34:56.89
description of
seraphims, those who burn.
00:34:56.92\00:35:00.52
And, you know, in
some day we're gonna see
00:35:00.55\00:35:01.69
those seraphims, aren't we?
00:35:01.72\00:35:03.46
We're gonna see those cherubims
00:35:03.49\00:35:04.78
but Satan originally was
one of those covering cherubims.
00:35:04.81\00:35:10.19
He was one of those
angels of God in heaven.
00:35:10.22\00:35:12.84
And in fact we
would add to this,
00:35:12.87\00:35:14.38
this verse right here Psalm 9:1
00:35:14.41\00:35:17.52
where it says,
"The Lord reigneth,"
00:35:17.55\00:35:19.21
and of course when
we think of God reigning
00:35:19.24\00:35:20.75
we think about He is,
"sitting on this throne, right.
00:35:20.78\00:35:25.22
The Lord reigneth,
let the people tremble,
00:35:25.25\00:35:27.85
He sitteth on his throne,
00:35:27.88\00:35:29.77
he sitteth
between the cherubims,
00:35:29.80\00:35:33.51
let the earth be moved."
00:35:33.54\00:35:36.09
So we see clearly in
scripture that on either side
00:35:37.07\00:35:40.94
of the throne of
God are cherubims too.
00:35:40.97\00:35:45.52
They're called
covering cherubims
00:35:45.55\00:35:47.35
and one of them was Satan--
00:35:47.38\00:35:50.84
before he
became Satan of course.
00:35:50.87\00:35:53.72
Before he became Satan.
00:35:53.75\00:35:55.15
So how could it be?
00:35:55.64\00:35:56.84
How could it be the
one of these angels,
00:35:56.87\00:35:58.61
how could sin
began, and--and it been
00:35:58.64\00:36:02.08
that was so perfect
and so full of wisdom.
00:36:02.11\00:36:05.54
Well, again as we
look at Ezekiel 28
00:36:05.57\00:36:07.69
and beginning with verse 15.
00:36:07.72\00:36:09.77
It goes onto to say, "You
were blameless in your ways
00:36:09.80\00:36:12.49
from the day you were created,
00:36:12.52\00:36:14.44
until unrighteousness
was found," where? In you.
00:36:14.47\00:36:18.72
It developed in his heart,
in his thinking, his mind.
00:36:18.75\00:36:21.77
And then it says,
"Your heart was lifted up
00:36:21.80\00:36:24.22
because of," what?
00:36:24.25\00:36:26.08
"Your heart was lifted
up because of your beauty."
00:36:26.11\00:36:28.54
And he was a beautiful angel,
00:36:28.57\00:36:30.50
the word we
would describe this as?
00:36:30.53\00:36:32.96
Pride.
00:36:32.99\00:36:35.08
right, remember
the-- remember the saying
00:36:35.11\00:36:37.49
pride cometh before a fall.
00:36:37.52\00:36:41.16
And that's exactly the sequence
00:36:41.19\00:36:42.90
I'll begin with
Satan himself this angel.
00:36:42.93\00:36:45.93
So we got some idea, I
mean, he began to, you know,
00:36:47.39\00:36:50.99
he began to looked
himself this beautiful creature
00:36:51.02\00:36:53.50
that he was.
00:36:53.53\00:36:55.24
And it's hard begin to
be lifted up within him.
00:36:55.27\00:36:58.50
Pride began to take
what? With in his heart, right.
00:36:58.53\00:37:03.10
And it goes on to say,
"You corrupted your wisdom
00:37:03.13\00:37:08.86
by reason of your splendor."
00:37:08.89\00:37:11.86
You see, my
friend, what, God created
00:37:12.83\00:37:14.58
the intelligent
races of the universe.
00:37:14.61\00:37:17.97
He created us to
reflect His nature.
00:37:18.00\00:37:22.55
And, my friend, the
nature of God is to give,
00:37:22.58\00:37:26.15
to serve, and to sustain.
00:37:26.18\00:37:29.59
The nature of sin is
the nature of selfishness.
00:37:29.62\00:37:34.27
It is the eye syndrome
00:37:34.30\00:37:36.79
that begins to take
place in a person's life.
00:37:36.82\00:37:39.19
It is focusing in on
myself and my interest.
00:37:39.22\00:37:44.59
It is contrary to the way
00:37:44.62\00:37:46.20
that God designed us
in the very beginning.
00:37:46.23\00:37:49.07
And that's a part of what is so,
00:37:49.10\00:37:51.99
you know, it is
not only corrupting
00:37:52.02\00:37:54.47
but it wears away at
the designed like forces
00:37:54.50\00:37:57.48
because this is so contrary
00:37:57.51\00:37:59.42
to what God in
the beginning, right.
00:37:59.45\00:38:02.20
It's weary.
00:38:02.23\00:38:03.45
I mean, we live with this
and we just take it for grant
00:38:03.48\00:38:05.41
because this is way
it's always been for us
00:38:05.44\00:38:07.57
but this is not the way again
as we know that God designed.
00:38:07.60\00:38:10.62
And take a look at Isaiah
14, the Old Testament page 497.
00:38:10.65\00:38:15.92
497 Isaiah 14 and
beginning with verse 12,
00:38:15.95\00:38:19.96
Adds some further
insights into this whole matter.
00:38:19.99\00:38:22.75
Okay.
00:38:24.45\00:38:25.48
Fourteenth Chapter Isaiah,
00:38:26.18\00:38:27.86
yeah, is the writer here.
00:38:29.74\00:38:33.42
And I say we're
gonna begin with verse 12.
00:38:33.45\00:38:36.30
Notice this says, "How
you have fallen from heaven,
00:38:36.33\00:38:40.64
O star of the
morning, son of the dawn.
00:38:40.67\00:38:43.60
You have been cut
down to the earth,
00:38:43.63\00:38:45.41
You who have
weakened the nations."
00:38:45.44\00:38:48.19
And if somebody
has another translation
00:38:48.22\00:38:50.43
as in the King James
translation you will discover
00:38:50.46\00:38:53.17
where is the new
American standard
00:38:53.20\00:38:54.64
just translates out the name.
00:38:54.67\00:38:56.77
You will discover where it says,
00:38:56.80\00:38:58.10
how you will fallen from heaven,
00:38:58.13\00:38:59.23
you will find the name Lucifer.
00:38:59.26\00:39:03.45
And Lucifer means, son of
the morning, son of the dawn.
00:39:03.48\00:39:07.55
So they just translated it.
00:39:07.58\00:39:09.30
And I think probably most of us
00:39:09.33\00:39:11.62
have the sense
that this is a name
00:39:11.65\00:39:14.27
that is associated
with the devil, right.
00:39:14.30\00:39:16.76
Lucifer, the
prince of darkness, okay.
00:39:16.79\00:39:21.81
How you are fallen
and again we connect this
00:39:21.84\00:39:23.74
with the several versus
00:39:23.77\00:39:24.82
we've already looked
at in the New Testament.
00:39:24.85\00:39:26.39
How you are fallen.
00:39:26.42\00:39:27.67
Verse 13 and again
we're giving the insights
00:39:27.70\00:39:29.89
of how sin begin to
corrupt these angel.
00:39:29.92\00:39:33.00
It says but you
said in your heart,
00:39:33.03\00:39:35.33
"I with the sin to
heaven, I will raise will throne
00:39:35.36\00:39:39.40
above the stars of God."
00:39:39.43\00:39:40.55
This is treason.
00:39:40.58\00:39:41.77
"And I will sit on
the mount of the assembly
00:39:41.80\00:39:44.07
and the recesses of the north.
00:39:44.10\00:39:46.11
I will ascend above
the heights of the clouds,
00:39:46.14\00:39:49.28
I will make myself
like the Most High."
00:39:49.31\00:39:53.38
My friend he had a fatal disease
00:39:53.41\00:39:55.45
and behold begin with
him and it's spread from him.
00:39:55.48\00:39:59.32
To the inhabitants
of this planet and I'm--
00:39:59.35\00:40:01.23
as well as the
third of the angels.
00:40:01.26\00:40:03.15
We might well
describe it as I-ness.
00:40:03.18\00:40:07.15
In fact right in the
middle of that word sin
00:40:08.13\00:40:10.76
that three letter
word is the word I.
00:40:10.79\00:40:14.11
And, my friend, that became
the focal point for Lucifer
00:40:16.03\00:40:19.17
it corrupted
him, it took him down,
00:40:19.20\00:40:22.05
it let to rebellion as
it began to internalize.
00:40:22.08\00:40:26.78
And he is begin
to look to himself.
00:40:26.81\00:40:28.69
And, my friend,
remember we have been affected
00:40:28.72\00:40:31.72
with the same evil, I.
00:40:31.75\00:40:36.31
My friend it's not
about I, it's not about me.
00:40:36.34\00:40:40.15
It's about Him.
00:40:40.18\00:40:42.26
And, my friend, when we discover
00:40:42.29\00:40:44.59
that there is a much better way
and it is a return to the way
00:40:44.62\00:40:48.64
that God designed us
in the very beginning.
00:40:48.67\00:40:51.47
That it was--he is not looking
just out for my interest,
00:40:51.50\00:40:55.47
it's really giving
ourselves as God has done.
00:40:55.50\00:40:58.38
That's why I said
in few moments ago,
00:40:58.41\00:40:59.75
"it is giving ourselves
in loving service to others."
00:40:59.78\00:41:04.61
Let me tell you, if
you really want to know
00:41:04.64\00:41:07.23
find joy, and
fulfillment in your life.
00:41:07.26\00:41:11.48
It is not looking out
for just our own interest,
00:41:11.51\00:41:15.03
it is getting involved
in the needs of others.
00:41:15.06\00:41:18.90
And carrying
about what is happened,
00:41:18.93\00:41:21.66
what's happened in people's life
00:41:21.69\00:41:23.42
and getting involved with them.
00:41:23.45\00:41:26.07
It's really all about that.
00:41:26.10\00:41:28.11
And again it's just a reflection
00:41:28.14\00:41:29.99
of the character of God
who has given everything.
00:41:30.02\00:41:33.77
In service to us,
has given everything
00:41:33.80\00:41:36.77
for our salvation, hasn't He?
00:41:36.80\00:41:39.48
He's given everything.
00:41:39.51\00:41:41.94
And thus I've
always said in the end,
00:41:41.97\00:41:43.18
nobody is gonna ever say
of God that you held back.
00:41:43.21\00:41:45.87
You could have done more.
00:41:45.90\00:41:47.84
Because He's done
everything that He knows to do
00:41:47.87\00:41:50.92
and He knows it all
by the way, doesn't He.
00:41:50.95\00:41:52.85
So nothing has been left out.
00:41:54.19\00:41:56.06
So now the question comes up.
00:41:56.09\00:41:58.44
You know, we got the picture,
00:41:58.47\00:42:00.07
you know, we don't
have a great deal of detail
00:42:00.10\00:42:03.50
but we have just in us.
00:42:03.53\00:42:05.44
So we can
understand who was involved?
00:42:05.47\00:42:08.18
The dynamics of
what to place in heaven,
00:42:08.21\00:42:10.24
how it's spread to this
earth from that fatal decision
00:42:10.27\00:42:13.51
at the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil.
00:42:13.54\00:42:15.49
We have just
enough to understand that.
00:42:15.52\00:42:17.81
But now the question follows
00:42:17.84\00:42:19.24
why didn't God
immediately deal with this.
00:42:19.27\00:42:21.76
Certainly in his foreknowledge
00:42:21.79\00:42:22.86
he knew exactly
what was going to follow.
00:42:22.89\00:42:24.57
Once Satan begin to
rebel, when this became open.
00:42:24.60\00:42:27.71
You know, really as
you think about this
00:42:29.57\00:42:31.54
as you put this text together,
00:42:31.57\00:42:32.82
you know, his heart was
lifted up because of his beauty
00:42:32.85\00:42:37.54
and it began to have
all of these ambitions.
00:42:37.57\00:42:40.17
I'm gonna do this and I'm
going--whatever, you know.
00:42:40.20\00:42:43.95
Just, you know, there He was.
00:42:44.72\00:42:46.46
Just think of
the privilege he had
00:42:46.49\00:42:48.49
of being one of those angels
there at the throne of God.
00:42:48.52\00:42:52.64
So close to the
power of the universe,
00:42:52.67\00:42:55.21
the sovereign of the universe.
00:42:55.24\00:42:57.33
Somewhere in this process
00:42:57.36\00:43:00.33
he begin to fantasize
his sitting upon that throne
00:43:00.36\00:43:04.69
and he's
exercising those prerogatives
00:43:04.72\00:43:07.33
and those powers
that were God alone.
00:43:07.36\00:43:09.99
And we say how irrational.
00:43:11.31\00:43:13.93
It is absolutely
irrational, isn't it?
00:43:13.96\00:43:16.45
That's the irrationality of sin.
00:43:17.34\00:43:20.06
And all of us have
seen this in some level,
00:43:20.09\00:43:22.54
we've seen the irrationality
00:43:22.57\00:43:23.91
what sin has done
in lives of others.
00:43:23.94\00:43:25.55
Some of us can bare testimony
to the irrational things
00:43:25.58\00:43:29.08
that we have done
or said because of sin.
00:43:29.11\00:43:32.04
It's absolutely irrational.
00:43:33.02\00:43:36.11
And remember he said
he corrupted his wisdom
00:43:36.14\00:43:38.59
in this process.
00:43:39.62\00:43:41.20
And, my friend,
we have gone through
00:43:41.23\00:43:43.19
much of that same corruption.
00:43:43.22\00:43:45.49
But anyway there's some
interesting parallels to this,
00:43:45.52\00:43:47.54
so he begin and fantasize
as sitting on that throne.
00:43:47.57\00:43:50.40
And at some point that was
clear he began to act upon it.
00:43:50.43\00:43:54.42
So why didn't God give with it.
00:43:54.45\00:43:56.01
He knew what was gonna follow,
00:43:56.04\00:43:57.32
He knew all of the
suffering and pain.
00:43:57.35\00:43:59.07
He could have saved us a
lot of trouble if He was said
00:43:59.10\00:44:01.80
and He could have
done in just a word.
00:44:01.83\00:44:03.16
You're gone.
00:44:04.26\00:44:05.29
Enough of that.
00:44:06.40\00:44:07.44
Is there any problem with that?
00:44:08.73\00:44:09.91
There is a problem with that.
00:44:11.51\00:44:13.11
It goes to the very
nature of God and who He is.
00:44:13.14\00:44:15.52
God is a God of
love that when He created
00:44:16.51\00:44:18.63
the intelligent
beings of the universe.
00:44:18.66\00:44:20.62
He created us with
the power of choice.
00:44:20.65\00:44:24.57
Didn't He?
00:44:24.60\00:44:25.88
That's what the
tree of the knowledge
00:44:25.91\00:44:27.05
good of an
evil-- had represented.
00:44:27.08\00:44:28.62
It represented a choice.
00:44:28.65\00:44:30.14
And the fact that God
put the tree of the knowledge
00:44:30.17\00:44:32.16
of good and evil there
tells us that God acknowledged
00:44:32.19\00:44:36.86
and accepted the fact that
He had given the human race,
00:44:36.89\00:44:40.56
the power of choice
00:44:40.59\00:44:41.67
of course He warned us in
the person of Adam and Eve.
00:44:41.70\00:44:45.42
What was going to happen
if they made the wrong choice.
00:44:45.45\00:44:49.19
You know, so much like us
his parents with our kids,
00:44:49.22\00:44:51.22
you know, he tried to share,
00:44:51.25\00:44:52.82
you know, the
consequences of certain actions
00:44:52.85\00:44:55.56
but anyway and we
do that out of love.
00:44:55.59\00:44:57.69
If he had snapped Lucifer
00:44:57.72\00:45:01.48
and those angels
out of existence.
00:45:01.51\00:45:04.57
He would have affectively
removed the power of choice.
00:45:04.60\00:45:10.05
Because what it means in
the end, there is no choice.
00:45:10.08\00:45:13.91
It's either God's
way or the highway.
00:45:13.94\00:45:18.02
Here you're there, gonna do
it my way or you're out of here.
00:45:18.05\00:45:20.58
And just think of
again if God had done this,
00:45:20.61\00:45:23.55
you know, if they're
dare to think this even,
00:45:23.58\00:45:26.15
think of what the intelligent
beings of the universe must
00:45:26.18\00:45:30.03
would be thinking, you know, oh,
00:45:30.06\00:45:32.00
you know,
there's a lesson in this.
00:45:32.03\00:45:33.21
He seem so kind,
he seem so learning.
00:45:33.24\00:45:35.63
But you know there is
another side here the God
00:45:35.66\00:45:37.93
that we didn't we
had never seen before.
00:45:37.96\00:45:40.76
So that's what
happened when you cross God
00:45:40.79\00:45:43.60
and instead of
serving God out of love
00:45:43.63\00:45:46.07
they will begin to
serve him out of fear.
00:45:46.10\00:45:49.10
Now see Satan makes those
kinds of representations of God
00:45:50.50\00:45:53.70
some people have
this misconception of God.
00:45:53.73\00:45:56.59
You better watch your step.
00:45:56.62\00:45:58.01
Are you're gonna get it.
00:45:59.48\00:46:00.90
My friend that is not the God
that is revealed in this book,
00:46:01.81\00:46:04.90
this is not the
God that is revealed
00:46:04.93\00:46:06.94
at the cross of Calvary.
00:46:06.97\00:46:08.69
This is not the God of
love, you know, God loves us.
00:46:09.76\00:46:13.68
Yes, there are
consequences to our choices,
00:46:13.71\00:46:16.48
of course there's consequences.
00:46:16.51\00:46:19.38
But remember time has gone
on because God wants to say
00:46:19.41\00:46:24.25
as many as He possibly can.
00:46:24.28\00:46:26.93
He's given us time, so
we can make that decision.
00:46:29.22\00:46:32.81
And there are certain lessons
00:46:32.84\00:46:34.47
that are being
played out upon this planet.
00:46:34.50\00:46:36.86
And again those of us
who have raised children,
00:46:36.89\00:46:39.52
how many of you raised children?
00:46:39.55\00:46:40.58
Are you have children?
00:46:40.61\00:46:41.64
A lot of us have had children
00:46:41.67\00:46:43.18
are in the
process of raising them.
00:46:43.21\00:46:45.67
All of us know this, you know,
00:46:45.70\00:46:47.65
I wish I just wish do you know
00:46:47.68\00:46:50.33
that things were
just very rational,
00:46:50.36\00:46:51.98
you know, at my home
that I can jus sit-down
00:46:52.01\00:46:53.85
when David and
Kevin and telling him,
00:46:53.88\00:46:55.24
you know, these are the
rules that's what we have to do.
00:46:55.27\00:46:58.43
And, you know,
that they were just,
00:46:58.46\00:47:00.50
you know, I
wasn't I'd been always do
00:47:00.53\00:47:02.99
what parents told me to do.
00:47:03.02\00:47:04.51
Did you? Did you
come on be honest?
00:47:04.54\00:47:07.39
Did you do everything, no?
00:47:07.42\00:47:08.93
So we've had
children that have carried on,
00:47:09.86\00:47:13.01
you know, they've done
sometimes their own thing.
00:47:13.04\00:47:16.55
And so, you know,
I discover sometimes,
00:47:16.58\00:47:19.99
sometimes its
better not to say anything
00:47:21.46\00:47:24.19
and just let it play out.
00:47:24.22\00:47:27.13
Sometimes we have to
learn the hard way, right.
00:47:28.68\00:47:33.39
And sometimes those
are the very best lessons.
00:47:33.42\00:47:36.68
The ones that we have
to learn in the hard way.
00:47:36.71\00:47:39.78
And especially in
their teenage years
00:47:39.81\00:47:42.71
but my sons were
somewhat this way,
00:47:42.74\00:47:44.51
you know, they
wanted to be on their own,
00:47:44.54\00:47:45.89
they wanted to be independent.
00:47:45.92\00:47:47.58
And so particularly with
Kevin, my youngest who is 24,
00:47:47.61\00:47:50.53
and he is a
sweetheart I just love Kevin.
00:47:50.56\00:47:53.53
And he's a people
person, people love Kevin.
00:47:53.56\00:47:57.74
But I do know this by Kevin,
00:47:57.77\00:48:00.05
if there's something I
need to talk to him about
00:48:00.08\00:48:02.41
I never tell him what
I think he ought to do.
00:48:02.44\00:48:05.01
Immediately he begins I
can just see he begins or just,
00:48:06.28\00:48:10.15
you know, he doesn't want
to be told what he should do.
00:48:10.18\00:48:15.02
Okay, and so I'll tell you
exactly how I relate to Kevin,
00:48:15.05\00:48:19.79
I'll say something like this
00:48:19.82\00:48:20.92
so I feel I need to
talk to them about something.
00:48:20.95\00:48:22.77
I'll say to Kevin,
00:48:22.80\00:48:24.50
Kevin I know you're not 10
or 12 years of age any longer.
00:48:24.53\00:48:28.05
But I want to share something
with you and I have this idea
00:48:28.08\00:48:31.04
and you can think it over
and I'll share it with him.
00:48:31.07\00:48:33.59
And I said, you know,
I'll just think it over.
00:48:33.62\00:48:36.04
And I found that as a parent
I still can have some residual
00:48:36.07\00:48:40.71
and it truly is
residual at that age of 24.
00:48:40.74\00:48:44.07
I can still have
some residual influence.
00:48:44.10\00:48:47.87
But there have
been a lot of instances
00:48:48.50\00:48:51.47
where my sons had to
learn lessons the hard way.
00:48:51.50\00:48:56.70
And I just had
to let it play out.
00:48:56.73\00:48:58.34
I've had to learn
certain lessons the hard way,
00:48:58.37\00:49:00.27
haven't you?
00:49:00.30\00:49:01.33
Of course.
00:49:01.84\00:49:03.12
And that's exactly
what's happened on this planet.
00:49:03.15\00:49:05.54
God is loving in
this all play out.
00:49:05.57\00:49:08.31
So that it could be seen to
be the evil thing that it was
00:49:08.34\00:49:11.39
because initially
this was not understood,
00:49:11.42\00:49:13.57
it was not comprehended.
00:49:13.60\00:49:15.51
It was something that
had never been experienced.
00:49:15.54\00:49:18.16
And so God is
allowed to play it out,
00:49:18.19\00:49:20.08
so that when He does act
00:49:20.11\00:49:22.06
and He will act to
bring it to an end.
00:49:22.09\00:49:25.74
My friend, everyone
will be in perfect agreement.
00:49:25.77\00:49:29.36
And that's why it
says in 1 Corinthians 4:9,
00:49:29.39\00:49:32.18
"We have become a
spectacle to the world,
00:49:32.21\00:49:34.76
both to angels and to men."
00:49:34.79\00:49:38.43
There are those lessons
00:49:38.46\00:49:39.49
that are being played
out here upon this planet.
00:49:39.52\00:49:41.86
Then let's talk about
the nature of this conflict.
00:49:42.75\00:49:45.56
In John 8:44 Jesus said,
00:49:45.59\00:49:47.35
"You are of your
father the devil,
00:49:47.38\00:49:49.38
and you want to do the
desires of your father.
00:49:49.41\00:49:52.09
He was a murder
from the beginning,
00:49:52.12\00:49:54.06
and he does not
stand in the truth,
00:49:54.09\00:49:56.74
because there is
no truth in him."
00:49:57.47\00:50:00.67
He is so corrupted himself,
there's no truth in him.
00:50:00.70\00:50:03.70
"Whenever he speaks a lie,
he speaks from his own nature,
00:50:03.73\00:50:07.45
for he is a liar,
and the father of lies."
00:50:07.48\00:50:11.17
He is a liar.
00:50:13.04\00:50:14.07
And so this is what's
going on he's all of the lies
00:50:16.01\00:50:19.50
and misrepresentations
he's been making about God.
00:50:19.53\00:50:23.60
That's what it
releases all about all this lies
00:50:25.49\00:50:27.71
and
misrepresentations of our God.
00:50:27.74\00:50:30.12
All of this havoc,
00:50:30.15\00:50:31.58
all of the
tragedy that has followed
00:50:31.61\00:50:35.16
because of what sin
has done to this planet.
00:50:35.19\00:50:37.76
All the grief and sorrow
00:50:37.79\00:50:39.48
that has taken
place upon this planet.
00:50:39.51\00:50:41.51
And then the devil
puts all the blame upon God.
00:50:42.87\00:50:47.06
You know, I hear
even Christians sometimes
00:50:47.09\00:50:50.76
confuse about this
some horrible thing happens
00:50:50.79\00:50:53.03
and some body trying to
comfort somebody saying,
00:50:53.06\00:50:54.61
well, we'll understand
why God did or allowed.
00:50:54.64\00:50:58.28
Such in such.
00:50:59.39\00:51:01.01
My friend, God is not the author
00:51:01.04\00:51:04.63
of the sin problem first of all
00:51:04.66\00:51:07.33
and He's not the
author of suffering.
00:51:07.36\00:51:10.44
He is not the
author of the problems
00:51:10.88\00:51:12.93
that we are faced,
00:51:12.96\00:51:13.99
He is the solution.
00:51:14.02\00:51:15.90
But the devil has
turned this around.
00:51:18.87\00:51:21.67
He is the fact has
put all the blame upon God
00:51:21.70\00:51:24.41
and I'll tell you it is
hard to even begin to comprehend
00:51:24.44\00:51:27.76
the suffering that has
gone on upon this planet.
00:51:27.79\00:51:30.17
The sufferings that is
happening with the beings
00:51:30.20\00:51:32.29
that are
inhabiting in this planet.
00:51:32.32\00:51:33.60
The suffering that
is happening right now
00:51:33.63\00:51:35.74
this moment
throughout this planet.
00:51:35.77\00:51:39.14
The heartache and to grieve.
00:51:39.17\00:51:42.83
That was on the internet,
00:51:42.86\00:51:44.21
I was looking for a
picture and I found this one.
00:51:44.24\00:51:46.03
This is the one that
really grabbed to hold of me.
00:51:46.06\00:51:48.83
This is from the Korean War.
00:51:48.86\00:51:50.60
And you can see the soldier
there confronting his friend.
00:51:50.63\00:51:54.67
That just touch my heart, he
is cradled in his friends arms
00:51:54.70\00:51:58.24
because of his best friend
has just been killed in battle.
00:51:58.27\00:52:02.74
And he has just
overcome with grieve.
00:52:02.77\00:52:05.43
I mean, how do you
picture the horrible things
00:52:05.46\00:52:09.51
that evil has
done to this planet.
00:52:09.54\00:52:11.99
I'll tell you God
is not just interested,
00:52:12.02\00:52:14.72
God is not
distracted somewhere out there.
00:52:14.75\00:52:16.89
His focus is what's
happening upon this planet.
00:52:16.92\00:52:20.37
He is deeply
concerned about what's happening
00:52:20.40\00:52:22.59
in your life and my life.
00:52:22.62\00:52:24.64
And that's why He is acted
00:52:24.67\00:52:26.07
and that's why He's
going to act in the end.
00:52:26.10\00:52:27.69
To end it, its all how to delve.
00:52:27.72\00:52:31.73
I mean, it just
came out just years ago
00:52:32.52\00:52:34.86
Mother Teresa above people,
00:52:34.89\00:52:36.93
her diary was
published remember in book form.
00:52:36.96\00:52:41.23
Any long behold it
was discovered them,
00:52:41.26\00:52:42.98
I know say "that
for the last 50 years
00:52:43.01\00:52:45.79
of her life she
have lost faith in God
00:52:45.82\00:52:48.24
because of all of the suffering
00:52:48.27\00:52:49.86
that she had been
immersed in for the years
00:52:49.89\00:52:52.67
that she had been
spend in her ministry."
00:52:52.70\00:52:54.34
She had come to the place
00:52:54.37\00:52:55.40
where she could
not even pray to God.
00:52:55.43\00:52:57.72
I mean, isn't that
just kind of shocking
00:52:59.51\00:53:03.24
and think of Mother Teresa.
00:53:03.27\00:53:04.96
I said "again not you
and I cannot take the measure
00:53:06.15\00:53:09.10
of all the horrible things
that are going on this planet."
00:53:09.13\00:53:11.21
And Job 2:7 it
says, "Then Satan went out
00:53:11.24\00:53:14.00
from the presence of the Lord,
and smote Job with sore boils
00:53:14.03\00:53:17.10
from the sole of his foot
to the crown of his head."
00:53:17.13\00:53:19.93
This text tells us it is Satan
00:53:19.96\00:53:22.64
that is responsible
for all the suffering
00:53:22.67\00:53:24.86
and paying the death that is
taking place upon this planet.
00:53:24.89\00:53:28.27
He's responsible and in the end
00:53:28.30\00:53:31.04
he is going to
beheld accountable.
00:53:31.07\00:53:33.25
And it's the God of love
00:53:33.28\00:53:34.48
that's going to
hold him accountable.
00:53:34.51\00:53:37.20
But again think about it,
00:53:37.23\00:53:38.33
I mean, down in
Southern California
00:53:38.36\00:53:40.89
they just been
going through this,
00:53:40.92\00:53:42.36
I mean, they have it every year.
00:53:42.39\00:53:43.79
You know this consuming
fires and then we have--
00:53:44.89\00:53:47.64
where we have here
with tornadoes and floods.
00:53:47.67\00:53:50.48
Man, we're going through this
00:53:50.51\00:53:51.58
up in street of
Washington in the Seattle area.
00:53:51.61\00:53:55.02
That again the horrible things
00:53:55.05\00:53:56.93
that are
happening upon this planet
00:53:56.96\00:53:58.74
and some reporters somewhere
00:53:58.77\00:54:01.60
is going to report
this as an act of God.
00:54:01.63\00:54:06.07
You've heard it, haven't you?
00:54:06.10\00:54:07.99
And I don't know how
you react when you hear that
00:54:08.02\00:54:10.49
I just heard it just the
last month or two some reporter
00:54:10.52\00:54:13.49
talking about it was act of God
00:54:13.52\00:54:14.78
it was just
strange unaccountable act.
00:54:14.81\00:54:17.82
And I always say to myself,
I'm offended by the term.
00:54:17.85\00:54:21.27
I always say to myself is
this the way a God of act,
00:54:21.30\00:54:23.98
a God of love acts?
00:54:24.01\00:54:26.21
My friend, the God of
love does not act that way.
00:54:26.24\00:54:28.22
It's not an act
of God but, you know,
00:54:29.69\00:54:32.58
and again I say and then Satan
puts all the blame upon God.
00:54:32.61\00:54:37.68
Have you ever been
blamed for something
00:54:37.71\00:54:39.25
that you never did?
00:54:39.28\00:54:40.93
I've been through that,
00:54:40.96\00:54:42.08
you know, I was
just mischievous kid.
00:54:42.11\00:54:44.30
And let me share
the story with you,
00:54:44.33\00:54:46.00
I know exactly
what this is like.
00:54:46.03\00:54:48.60
And so I've never
been to Washington.
00:54:48.63\00:54:50.88
I was in my early youth
and we had a great youth group
00:54:50.91\00:54:55.31
in our church.
00:54:55.34\00:54:57.13
And we have some great leaders
and they planned an outing,
00:54:57.16\00:55:01.85
a campout for all of us youth.
00:55:01.88\00:55:04.05
You know, 12 to 15 of us.
00:55:04.08\00:55:06.55
And the plan was to
go out to Mount Vernon.
00:55:06.58\00:55:08.76
Do you know the Mount
Vernon area in Washington
00:55:08.79\00:55:12.04
and accorders they saw in
Samoan Islands to the west,
00:55:12.07\00:55:15.67
it's a beautiful part
of the state of Washington.
00:55:15.70\00:55:18.29
It's up in that area.
00:55:18.32\00:55:19.54
Except you go to Mount
Vernon and you turn east.
00:55:19.57\00:55:22.67
And you come to; it was big lake
00:55:22.70\00:55:24.54
we were going to in
some low lying mountains.
00:55:24.57\00:55:28.36
And we're gonna be the again
the whole weekend there together
00:55:28.39\00:55:31.16
the girls we know this
first of off that we stocked.
00:55:31.19\00:55:35.58
So we can unload the girls
00:55:35.61\00:55:37.57
in the
picturesque comfortable cabins
00:55:37.60\00:55:41.17
that were situated
down there by the water.
00:55:41.20\00:55:43.96
And you would have thought
the way they have packed there.
00:55:43.99\00:55:45.83
And they we're gonna be
there for couple of weeks,
00:55:45.86\00:55:47.89
you know, but we go
all other stuff out,
00:55:47.92\00:55:49.94
we got them settled.
00:55:49.97\00:55:51.07
And then they took us across
the highway down this trail
00:55:51.10\00:55:55.38
right through the
nettles I remember those nettles
00:55:55.41\00:55:58.49
to a broken down barn
and leaking roof and all.
00:55:58.52\00:56:02.37
And they said
this is where you guys
00:56:02.40\00:56:04.02
are gonna be
spending the weekend.
00:56:04.05\00:56:06.32
And, you know, science wonders
00:56:06.35\00:56:08.30
why is it that
woman out live us men.
00:56:08.33\00:56:12.71
I really don't take it out
to be that great of a mystery
00:56:13.58\00:56:16.78
when you think about it
00:56:16.81\00:56:17.94
but we thought it
was a great adventure.
00:56:17.97\00:56:20.55
But we had our responsibilities
during the camp out
00:56:20.58\00:56:23.87
and mine was on Saturday morning
00:56:23.90\00:56:25.50
to be there to help
prepare for breakfast.
00:56:25.53\00:56:27.79
And I was there doing my job
00:56:27.82\00:56:29.71
and at the appointed
time everybody came together,
00:56:29.74\00:56:32.01
we had the blessing
00:56:32.04\00:56:33.70
and somebody took
that first bit of cereal
00:56:33.73\00:56:36.57
and discovered that
somebody had put salt
00:56:36.60\00:56:39.93
in all of the sugar bowls.
00:56:39.96\00:56:42.62
And they wanted to know
00:56:42.65\00:56:44.14
and the inquisition begin
to follow, they wanted to know
00:56:44.17\00:56:46.55
who can possibly
done such dastardly did.
00:56:46.58\00:56:49.32
And when they
discovered that Jim Rein
00:56:49.35\00:56:51.40
was on the
breakfast crew they stopped.
00:56:51.43\00:56:54.02
Seriously, they
stopped asking all question
00:56:54.05\00:56:56.26
because they thought
they caught their culprit.
00:56:56.29\00:56:59.53
The problem was I was innocent.
00:57:00.45\00:57:02.08
And the bigger problem
was I can convince anybody
00:57:03.45\00:57:06.00
I didn't do it.
00:57:06.03\00:57:08.48
I remember traveling
home that following day
00:57:08.51\00:57:11.20
in Mrs. Gardner's car,
00:57:11.23\00:57:13.70
you know, I shouldn't
tell you her name, should I.
00:57:13.73\00:57:16.25
I already said it, oh, my.
00:57:16.28\00:57:20.43
Traveling in her
car an attorney to me
00:57:20.46\00:57:22.70
is only Mrs. Gardener could do
00:57:22.73\00:57:24.52
and saying Jimmy
why did you do that?
00:57:24.55\00:57:27.26
That was so awful.
00:57:27.29\00:57:29.85
She made me feel
worse than a dog.
00:57:29.88\00:57:33.61
But I was innocent
that's why I believe in judgment
00:57:33.64\00:57:38.29
because somebody
they'll hang for it.
00:57:38.32\00:57:40.43
Somebody did it and
they let me hang for it.
00:57:42.14\00:57:45.80
And I want to tell you
there's a day of judgment
00:57:45.83\00:57:47.55
in which every secret is
going to come out in the open.
00:57:47.58\00:57:51.74
And I'm gonna be vindicated.
00:57:51.77\00:57:53.51
Really I've gotten over this,
I think I've gotten over this.
00:57:55.00\00:57:57.71
I think I am.
00:57:58.86\00:58:00.66
But vindication
is a wonderful thing
00:58:00.69\00:58:02.87
when you've
been falsely accused.
00:58:02.90\00:58:04.20
And, you know,
God's character in the end
00:58:04.23\00:58:06.30
is going to be
vindicated in all of this.
00:58:06.33\00:58:09.93
We are going to see in every way
00:58:09.96\00:58:11.93
His ways have been the ways
of love, mercy, and compassion.
00:58:11.96\00:58:18.15
Is that wonderful about God?
00:58:18.18\00:58:20.12
That we have that kind
of God to serve just think
00:58:20.15\00:58:22.38
what life would be without God.
00:58:22.41\00:58:25.43
We wouldn't be here.
00:58:25.46\00:58:27.08
We wouldn't
have anything to say.
00:58:27.11\00:58:28.88
We would just simply go on.
00:58:28.91\00:58:30.80
Live, eat, and be marry
because tomorrow that's it.
00:58:30.83\00:58:36.55
That's it.
00:58:36.58\00:58:38.17
Oh, there's a number
of things I share with you
00:58:38.20\00:58:39.90
but let me come
down to the last text
00:58:39.93\00:58:41.67
in Revelation
12:12 where it says,
00:58:41.70\00:58:43.43
"Therefore, rejoice O heavens,
and you who dwell in them!
00:58:43.46\00:58:46.34
Woe to the inhabitants
of the earth and the sea!
00:58:46.37\00:58:48.89
For the devil has come
down to you, having great
00:58:48.92\00:58:52.34
because he knows
he has a short time!"
00:58:52.37\00:58:55.74
My friend, his
days are numbered.
00:58:55.77\00:58:58.50