Participants: Pr. Jac Colon
Series Code: RN
Program Code: RN000005
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01:05 Dear Lord, we pause for a moment because we are about
01:13 to once again open your word and this time we want to take 01:19 a look at the Cross. And there Lord we'll begin to just catch 01:27 a little glimpse down into the depths of the love that you 01:33 have for us in your heart, and let it ignite a spark 01:38 in our own lives Lord. And we'll walk away from this 01:42 place different, from the people who came. 01:48 We ask in Jesus name Amen. 01:56 Revelation Chapter 13, but before we get into 13, 01:59 lets read just the very tail end of Chapter 12 Verse 17, 02:02 they gave us an introduction, an overview 02:05 of what is about to happen. In Chapter 12 Verse 17, 02:08 it says, the dragon was enraged at the woman and he went off to 02:13 make war against the rest of her offspring those who obey 02:18 God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus. 02:23 So, here is the dragon at war against whom, 02:28 against those who want to be faithful to God and to obey 02:33 His commandments and that means, that if you 02:36 in your heart want to be faithful to God then the 02:40 dragon is at war with you, right here this evening. 02:45 Now, how does he unfold this battle? What is the war like? 02:51 Watch Chapter 13, Verse 1, the dragon stood on the shore 02:54 of the sea and I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, 02:59 he had 10 horns, 7 heads, 10 crowns on his horns. 03:02 Now, I know that you want to know who the beast is? 03:05 Am I right? You want to know who the beast is? 03:08 And I'm going to tell you, not tonight, next meeting, 03:13 Friday night. Tonight, it doesn't matter who he is? 03:17 What matters is, what he does? 03:21 So, here is this beast coming up out of the water. 03:24 In Verse 2, in the middle of the verse, it says the dragon 03:27 gave the beast his power, his throne, and great authority. 03:31 So, where does the beast get his authority? 03:34 He gets it from the dragon, who is the dragon, 03:37 the devil or Satan, you're right. 03:40 Now watch this, Verse 4, men worshiped the dragon, 03:48 who is the dragon, the devil, Satan. 03:52 Men worshiped the dragon. Now, how does this ever 03:55 happen? How do they worship the dragon? Watch. 03:58 Men worshiped the dragon because he had given 04:02 authority to the beast and they also worshiped the beast. 04:07 And there you have the master plan, the dragon gives his 04:11 authority to the beast, therefore, whoever worships 04:14 the beast, is actually worshiping the dragon. 04:22 Well, I'll never worship the beast. 04:25 Many say the problem is that most of the world does; 04:33 look with me, Verse 8, all of the inhabitants of 04:37 the Earth will worship the beast, all whose names have 04:41 not been written in the book of life belonging to the lamb. 04:46 Now, we want our names written in that book, Amen. Amen. 04:53 But, practically the whole world does not have their 04:57 name written in that book, only a few and just those 05:01 who have their names written in the lamb's Book of Life, 05:04 they are the ones that do not worship the beast. 05:10 What makes the beast so effective and this is 05:15 the frightening part of Revelation. Verse 11, 05:22 I saw another beast coming up out of the Earth, 05:26 remember the first one came up out of the water, 05:28 this one comes up out of the Earth. 05:29 It's a different beast. Look, he has 2 horns 05:33 like a lamb, but he spoke like the dragon. 05:38 So, here's a beast coming up out of the Earth. 05:41 He has two horns like a lamb. He looks like 05:45 the lamb, so that those who worship him 05:50 think they are worshiping the lamb. Those who follow 05:54 this beast think they are following the lamb. 05:59 And the only way you can tell the difference 06:01 between the true Lamb of God 06:03 who is Jesus Christ and this one who looks 06:07 like a lamb is that this one speaks like the dragon. 06:13 That's why we better understand what God's word 06:16 says, so that we can distinguish between 06:20 the true and the false because the false seems true. 06:26 It looks like a lamb, and that isn't all. 06:31 But the Bible goes on to say, Verse 12, he exercised 06:34 all of the authority of the first beast on his behalf 06:37 and he made the Earth and its inhabitants worship 06:40 the first beast. Now, how did he do it? 06:42 In Verse 13, he performed great and miraculous 06:45 signs even causing fire to come down from heaven 06:49 in full view of men and because of these signs or 06:52 miracles that he was given power to do on behalf of the 06:56 first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the Earth. 07:02 Now, when we turn, all you please, 07:04 and turn over to Revelation, the 20th, the 19th chapter 07:09 in Revelation, in Revelation Chapter 19, 07:13 we discover at the end of that passage and 07:18 let's look Verse 20, the beast was captured 07:22 and with him the false prophet who had 07:24 performed miraculous signs on his behalf, 07:27 with his signs he diluted those who had received 07:29 the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. 07:32 So, now we know that this two horn beast, with 07:35 two horns like a lamb that comes up out of the earth 07:38 is none other than the false prophet. 07:40 We'll name him on another night also, 07:43 tonight, it's enough for us to see that the false prophet 07:48 claims to be a true prophet, he looks like the lamb, 07:51 the lamb is Jesus, he speaks like the dragon. 07:54 So, the only way you can understand the truth is 07:56 to know what God says about the truth. 08:01 And that's the only way you can distinguish 08:04 between the beast who looks like the lamb and the lamb. 08:10 That's why we need God's word, Amen. Amen. 08:14 The whole world goes after the lamb thinking that they 08:23 are following, goes after the lamb like beast thinking 08:28 that they are following the lamb, Jesus Christ. 08:33 After describing this intense conflict that we're gonna 08:37 look at in much, much more depth than we do tonight. 08:40 This is just an overview, but after describing this battle 08:44 between true worship and false worship, 08:47 In Chapter 14 Verse 12, John writes this calls for 08:50 patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey 08:54 God's commandments and the faith of Jesus. 09:01 The same two points that he began 09:03 with in Revelation 12:17. In other words, 09:05 these are the two points of attack, the 09:07 commandments of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, 09:10 the two points of attack that the dragon makes through the 09:13 beast and the false prophet trying to deceive and 09:16 force God's people into worshiping the 09:18 beast instead of worshiping the lamb. 09:22 That's why we need to understand the Gospel, 09:26 because it's the cornerstone of the dragon's attack. 09:32 In fact, Jesus warned us about this. 09:35 In Matthew the 7th Chapter, in Matthew Chapter 7, 09:40 Verse 15, Jesus said watch out for false prophets, 09:44 they come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly 09:48 they are ferocious wolves, they are beasts. 09:51 They look like a lamb, but they are the beast, 09:53 watch out for them Jesus said. 09:55 The same thing we saw in Revelation, but watch this. 09:58 In Verse 21, not everyone who says to me, 10:02 Lord, Lord will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, 10:06 not everyone, not everyone who calls on the name of 10:09 Jesus is gonna enter the Kingdom of Heaven, 10:11 not everyone who says Lord, Lord, will enter the Kingdom, 10:14 Well, then who will? Only he who does the will of 10:17 my father, who is in heaven, listen, many will say to me, 10:21 Verse 22, many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord 10:27 did we not prophecy in your name and 10:32 in your name drive out demons and perform many 10:37 miracles in your name, Lord. Watch this, and then 10:44 Jesus said, I will tell them plainly, I never knew you, 10:53 away from me you evil doer. Interestingly, 11:01 the word evil doer here in Greek is 11:04 Anomia, which means you lawless one. 11:10 Remember, the dragon attacks those who would obey the laws 11:16 and the commandments of God and Jesus said away from me 11:21 you evil doer, you lawless one, I never knew you. 11:27 Now, here are people who say Lord, Lord. 11:32 I mean he is not talking about that vicious terrorist 11:37 element of society. He is talking about people 11:41 who think they're following the lamb. 11:44 They say Lord, I have prophesied in your name. 11:47 I have done miracles in your name. 11:49 I have healed in your name, I have spoken in tongues 11:52 in your name, I have cast out demons in your name. 11:55 Oh Lord, I love you I've lived my life for you. 11:58 I have given my heart to you. I'll do anything for you. 12:01 I'll die for you and Jesus said, 12:03 away from me you evil doer I never knew you. 12:07 Wow! And I'm gonna ask you a question 12:15 and this is a hard one, but it's an important one. 12:25 How do you know that you are not one of those 12:31 people who think they're following the lamb, 12:37 but only in the end they find out that they weren't? 12:43 I asked you a question in the beginning. 12:46 I asked you, if you come to the place in your 12:50 Christian life, where you know that if you would've 12:52 died right now, you would have eternal life and many, 12:57 many raised your hands and said yes, I know, praise God. 13:02 But tell me, what do you think these people 13:06 would have done if they were here tonight? 13:11 They would've been the first ones to raise their hand. 13:14 Oh! Yes, I know man, I know. So, how do you know 13:20 that you are not one of those who thinks 13:24 that you have eternal life only to find out 13:28 in the end, I never knew you. 13:33 Is that a fair question to ask? How do you know? 13:36 Don't say, because I know my spirit bears witness 13:39 that's exactly what they would say. 13:43 You got to come up with a better answer than that. 13:46 I wonder if I ask that question again, 13:49 how many would raise your hand? 13:51 I know this is a little hard, but folks, we're living in the 13:55 last days and some of you are building your hope and 13:58 your faith and your trust on the foundation of sand 14:01 and if you are, I want to knock it down 14:03 and help you build it on the solid rock of Christ. 14:06 Amen. So, how can we know? Listen to what Jesus said 14:13 again, not everyone who says to me, 14:16 not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord, will enter 14:22 the Kingdom of Heaven, only he who does 14:28 the will of the father, God is not interested in 14:33 lip-service folks, words come cheap, 14:39 not everyone who says praise the Lord, Hallelujah. 14:42 Oh! I'm such a wonderful Christian. Not everyone. 14:48 only he who does the will of the father. 14:54 Well, that raises an interesting question. 14:56 If only he who does the will of the father 15:00 enters the kingdom and that's true because Jesus said it, 15:03 then how much of the father's will 15:06 do I have to do before I know that I have done 15:09 the will of the father enough to enter the kingdom. 15:14 In other words, how good do I need to be? 15:16 How obedient to God's law should I be? Bad news, 15:21 James said in James Chapter 2, Verse 10, 15:24 he who keeps the whole law of God and yet stumbles at 15:28 one point, is guilty of breaking all of it. 15:33 And he goes on to say, for he who said, 15:35 do not commit adultery, also said do not murder, 15:38 if you do not commit adultery, but you do commit murder 15:40 you have become a law breaker. 15:43 So, speak and act as those who are going 15:46 to be judged by the law that gives freedom. 15:51 In other words, James is writing to Christians and he 15:54 says we should speak and act as those who are going 15:57 to be judged at sometime in the future by the law. 16:00 Jesus said only he who does the will of the father. 16:02 James said if you break one, you are guilty of breaking 16:05 them all, in fact that's what sin is. 16:07 In First John Chapter 3, in First John Chapter 3, 16:10 Verse 4, sin is lawlessness. He who sins breaks the law. 16:16 The law says, Thou shall not commit adultery. 16:19 One who commits adultery has sinned 16:20 because he broke the law. Thou shall not lie, 16:23 the one who lies has sinned because he broke the law, 16:26 and if you break one you are guilty of breaking them all 16:29 and law breakers have no place in the Kingdom of Heaven. 16:32 God demands perfect obedience to the law. 16:38 That's scary, bad news and the bad news gets even 16:44 worse because in Romans Chapter 6 Verse 23, 16:48 it says the wages of sin is death. 16:53 He who sins dies and it gets even worse. 17:00 You say, well pastor, I didn't come here to hear bad news. 17:04 Well, you got to hear the bad news before 17:06 you can appreciate the good news. 17:08 It get even worse, Romans Chapter 3, Verse 10, 17:13 there is not one righteous among you, 17:15 not even one, Verse 23, because all have sinned 17:19 and fall short of the glory of God. 17:21 The wages of sin is death. What is sin? 17:24 Sin is transgression of the law. 17:25 You break one you are guilty of breaking them all. 17:27 We are law breakers and the wages of breaking 17:31 the law is death and we have all sinned. 17:35 We all deserve to die and no amount of doing 17:38 good can change that even if you could be 17:40 perfect from now on for the rest of your life 17:42 you have still sinned and you still deserve to die. 17:49 Now we can understand the good news. 17:52 Because he goes on to say in Romans, the 3rd Chapter, 17:56 in Verse 20, therefore no one will be declared 18:01 righteous in his sight by observing the law, 18:04 rather through the law we become conscious of sin. 18:08 Keeping the law won't save anyone. 18:10 Even though God demands perfect obedience to the law, 18:13 you cannot become perfectly obedient to the law by 18:16 obeying the law, because you have already broken it. 18:21 Well, then how do we get perfectly obedient to the law 18:23 so that we can be saved and here comes the good news, 18:26 the real good news, Verse 21, but now a righteousness 18:31 from God apart from the law has been made known. 18:35 This righteousness from God comes through 18:39 faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. 18:42 God does demand perfect obedience to the law. 18:46 We cannot render that obedience, but 18:49 Jesus came into this world, he lived a perfect life. 18:53 He never sin not for one moment, not in word, 18:56 not in thought, not in action and Jesus wants to give 19:00 us his righteousness, his obedience, it comes 19:04 from God as a free gift to us, the obedience that God 19:08 demands, is the obedience that God gives us, the 19:12 perfect life that Jesus lived 2000 years ago on this planet. 19:17 Good news. Amen. Amen. 19:20 That's why the Bible says we can't be saved by works, 19:23 we can't be saved by obeying the law, 19:26 it is by grace that you are saved, through faith, 19:29 and not by works, but it is a gift of God. 19:32 You don't pay for a gift, you don't work for a gift, 19:36 you don't earn a gift, God gives it to you, 19:39 unmerited, undeserved, that's grace. 19:43 So, God demands perfect obedience to the law. 19:47 We can't render that obedience. Jesus came 19:50 and he kept the law perfectly as a man 19:54 and now he wants to give it to you as a free gift. 20:01 So, if God would say why should I let you into heaven, 20:03 you can look at yourself and say I didn't do anything 20:06 right God, but you point to Jesus and say he did 20:09 everything right God, and God says that's good enough. 20:16 Wait a minute, God, the old devil says, 20:22 you can't do that, you can't demand 20:26 perfect obedience and then give it them, if you do that, 20:29 just give it to me and I'll be saved too. 20:32 How can you demand their obedience and 20:37 then turnaround and give it to them and 20:39 save them and still be fair, good question isn't it? 20:45 Paul answers it right here, and this is what a lot of 20:48 people don't understand about the Cross, Verse 25, 20:53 God presented him, that's Jesus, as a sacrifice of 20:59 atonement through faith in his blood. 21:02 Now, why did he do it? Right here, he tells us, 21:05 he did this to demonstrate his justice. 21:09 In other words, God presented Jesus as a sacrifice 21:13 of atonement in order to demonstrate his justice 21:17 in order to demonstrate that when he saves us, 21:21 who receive that free gift of Jesus life that he is being 21:25 fair, he is being just, he is doing the right thing. 21:33 Well, devil isn't happy about that, 21:37 he says God you can't do that. 21:40 Colon sinned and Colon deserves to die, 21:44 not Jesus. You save him, you've to save me. 21:51 And God says, devil you don't understand. 21:55 Verse 26, he did it to demonstrate his justice at 21:59 the present time and so to be just and 22:03 the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. 22:09 You see God sent Jesus to die in our place, 22:13 so that when he saves us, he is doing the right 22:17 and the fair thing, if we have faith in Jesus, 22:23 but God you said, if they sin they would die, 22:27 so how can you be telling the truth if you just 22:32 fictitiously give them Jesus obedience. 22:37 And now, God takes us to the depth 22:41 of what really happened on the cross. 22:45 In the Second Corinthians Chapter 5, Verse 21, 22:48 probably the most important Verse in the Bible underline it, 22:52 circle it, memorize it, just write it in your minds. 22:56 Verse 21, Second Corinthians Chapter 5, 23:01 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, 23:12 so that in him we might become the 23:15 righteousness of God. What does it mean? 23:21 Let me help you understand. God made him, Jesus, 23:28 who had no sin to be sin for us. 23:33 Tell me something, was Jesus Christ sin? 23:42 What do you think? Was he sin? 23:49 I hear some no's, let me read the Verse again. 23:54 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us. 24:02 Now, if God made him to be sin for us, was he sin? 24:08 What does the Bible say? Don't go with what your 24:12 heart says, go by what the Bible says. Amen. 24:16 What does the Bible say? God made him to be sin, 24:19 folks, if the Bible says God made him to be sin 24:23 then he was sin. Now, don't get up and leave. 24:30 It doesn't say he sinned, he never sinned. 24:35 Jesus didn't sin in action, he didn't sin in word, 24:40 he didn't sin even in thoughts, 24:44 but by a miracle God made him to be sin. 24:49 How do we understand this? Simple, you sinned, 24:54 everyone of you here, I sinned and by a miracle 24:59 and this is the greatest miracle of all, 25:01 by a miracle God takes the guilt for our sins away 25:07 from us and he made Jesus to be guilty, exactly the 25:14 same as though he had done it himself, even though 25:18 he never sinned, Jesus never sinned, 25:21 but he became guilty, he bore in his body 25:24 our sins the Bible says. So, when he died 25:28 on the cross the death for sin, the price for sin, 25:32 the penalty for sin is paid in full. 25:38 And, God can look at you and me, as though we 25:42 had never sinned, that's what it means when 25:46 it says he was made to be sin for us. 25:51 No, make it clear Jesus never sinned, 25:55 but he kept the law perfectly, he was made to be guilty 26:00 for our sins by a miracle, he died on the cross 26:03 in our place. By the way, Why do you think Jesus died? 26:09 It was not because of the nails in his hands, 26:13 it wasn't the crown of thorns, 26:17 it wasn't even the Cross that killed Jesus. 26:21 He died because he bore our sins, in his body. 26:33 Have you ever sinned? Of course you have. 26:39 How did it feel? Do you ever feel guilty? 26:46 It's what, a shameful feeling, a dirty feeling, 26:58 guilt, sick, feeling, isn't it? Jesus bore in his body 27:09 the guilt for every sin you've ever committed 27:12 the whole world and me and you. 27:16 He bore those sins in his body, 27:18 he felt the guilt, he felt the sick, 27:22 dirty shame that goes with sin, and that's what 27:26 crushed his life, but the last half of the 27:31 Verse says, wasn't enough for him to be made to be sin, 27:37 but in him we become the righteousness of God. 27:42 You see, I've sinned and the guilty is weighing 27:45 heavy on me, but God takes the guilt from me. 27:48 Jesus became guilty, he died on the cross 27:51 in my place and now God looks at me 27:53 as though I had never sinned, but that isn't all, 27:57 he then gives me the perfect life that Jesus lived. 28:02 So, now when my name comes up in the judgment, 28:05 I don't have to be scared of what God thinks of me, 28:08 I need only be concerned about what God thinks 28:11 of him, I'm not judged by what I do, 28:15 I'm judged by what he has done. 28:19 And, that was perfect 2000 years ago. 28:21 I can't add to the righteous life of Christ, I can't take 28:24 away from it by my own sins, I can only receive it 28:28 and that is the only way that I can never know 28:31 that I've eternal life, if I present to God the perfect 28:34 life of his son Jesus Christ. Good news. Amen. 28:39 Yeah, but that doesn't answer it all because 28:41 how do I know he did it for me, not everyone, 28:44 most of the world goes after the lamb, after the beast. 28:46 Most of the world is deceived. Most of the world 28:49 will find out on the last day, I never knew you. 28:52 So, how do I know that he did all this for me? 28:55 Good question. Here is the answer, in 28:58 First John Chapter 5. First John Chapter 5, Verse 11. 29:03 And, this is the testimony, God has given us eternal life, 29:09 you know, I never was that good in English class, 29:12 remember they used to make us diagram the sentences and 29:15 verbs and conjugate verbs, you remember all that, 29:18 they still do that today, you've to conjugate the 29:21 verbs and I thought what a waste of time, 29:24 I wanna go play baseball and football and basketball, 29:27 I don't wanna conjugate verbs, but I'm so thankful 29:30 I learned how to do that now, because you know what it says, 29:34 it says God has given us eternal life that means past, isn't it? 29:43 With ongoing results, he has given it to us, 29:48 doesn't say God is going to give us eternal life, 29:53 it says God has given us eternal life and this life is 29:58 in his son Jesus, he who has the son has life, 30:02 he who does not have the son of God does not 30:03 have life, so how do we get eternal life? 30:05 We get Jesus. If you've Jesus, you've eternal life. 30:10 If you don't have Jesus, you do not have eternal 30:12 life, no matter what kind of words you speak 30:15 or miracles you do, you have to have Jesus. 30:20 But that still doesn't answer the question because a lot 30:23 of people think they have Jesus when they don't. 30:27 No, he is not finished yet. He goes on to say in 30:31 Verse 13. I write these things to you who believe 30:35 in the name of the son of God so that you will 30:37 know that you have eternal life. Good news. 30:39 God doesn't want you to doubt, 30:40 he doesn't want you to wonder, 30:41 he wants you to know for sure that you've eternal life. 30:46 How can we know? This is the confidence 30:48 that we have in approaching God, 30:50 if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us 30:53 and if we know that he hears us then we know 30:55 that we have whatever we've asked of him. 30:58 So, what is our assurance that you ask Jesus to come 31:01 into your life and if you ask him to come in then 31:04 you know that he hears you because he promised that 31:08 he will give you whatever you ask according to his will. 31:10 Is it his will to save us? Absolutely. 31:14 And so if you ask Jesus to come in he comes because 31:17 he promised and when he comes you've eternal life. 31:22 See, it doesn't depend on how you feel? 31:25 It doesn't depend on how good you are? 31:28 Somebody told me one time, Oh! Pastor, 31:29 I know I'm saved. How do you know? 31:31 Because when I got saved, I felt electricity go up my 31:35 spine. I said what verse is that? What verse is that? 31:43 It doesn't say anything about electricity, 31:46 it doesn't say anything about feeling, anything 31:49 and I'm thankful for that because I'll be honest 31:51 with you, there are days when I don't feel very safe, 31:54 but I know I am, because I asked Jesus to come in 31:57 and he said if you ask I will come. 32:00 My assurance is built on his promise not 32:02 the roller coaster ride of human emotion. 32:05 Then Jesus say, I stand at the door and I knock 32:10 and if anyone hears my voice and opens the door 32:13 I will come in and when he comes in you've eternal life. 32:17 Amen. But, one more thing, when you invite him in, 32:22 he doesn't come in just as your savior. 32:25 He also comes in as Lord. You see the others invite 32:30 him in as their savior, but not as their Lord. 32:34 That's what Jesus meant when he said not everyone who says 32:37 Lord, Lord, savior, they say it, but only he who does 32:42 the will of the father that means he is Lord. 32:44 Lord means that he is king, king rules, 32:47 what do you want? God is what I want, 32:49 not my will let your will be done that's 32:52 what it means to invite Jesus into your heart. 32:54 You can't go around and say hallelujah, 32:56 praise the Lord, oh! I'm saved. 32:58 God saved 20 years ago on a beach in California and lived 33:01 the same old sinful life, you're living in all alone. 33:03 No, you invite him as your savior, 33:05 but savior comes in as Lord also. 33:09 You know, it's like Jesus when he cleansed the temple. 33:11 You remember that story, he went to the temple and 33:13 there with money changes, selling animals 33:15 and doing all the taking advantage of the people, 33:18 extorting the people, he wasn't very happy about it. 33:20 So, what did he do? He didn't stand up, back on the steps 33:23 and say I want all of you out of there before I come in. 33:26 No, what did he do? He went in and drove them out. 33:31 You see, and you're the temple aren't you? 33:34 Didn't we learn that last night? He doesn't stay out 33:36 there saying get it cleaned up and I'll come in. 33:38 No, he comes in and we let him clean it up. 33:44 Now, I got a hunch that when he chase some of 33:46 those cows and goats and pigeons out of the 33:47 front door of the temple some of them went around 33:49 the back door and came back in again. 33:52 And sometimes that happens in our temple, doesn't it? 33:55 He chases something out, but it comes back 33:57 in the back door and we say God I'm sorry 34:00 forgive me, help me not do it again. 34:02 Keep chasing him out God and all the while 34:04 He is chasing these things out of our lives, 34:06 he is still in there and he who has the son in his life. 34:09 But, if you ever say God not that cow, 34:13 in chase out all of the other goats and pigs, 34:16 but not that cow. No, no, no pigs, but 34:23 then we are saying you're not Lord. 34:27 You see, not everyone who says Lord, Lord enters 34:30 the kingdom only he who does the will of the father. 34:35 When we come to Jesus Christ, invite him into our hearts and 34:37 lives he changes us, that's what it means to be born again. 34:40 He puts within you a desire to be obedient 34:43 to him and to his law. You're born again. 34:45 You're a new creation the Bible says. 34:47 He forgives you. All of your sins are washed away. 34:49 You become a new creature in Jesus, 34:51 the things you used to like you don't like anymore. 34:53 The things you never cared for, now you find 34:55 yourself enjoying. It's an eternal life, it's a 34:58 winning life, it's a successful life for Jesus Christ, 35:00 I know that because I haven't always been a Christian. 35:04 I was 12 years old, I went to a meeting similar to this, 35:07 this in the days of the hellfire brimstone preachers. 35:10 Remember that, and this preacher could 35:12 preach the hottest hell you ever heard just seem 35:14 to lift me up and chunk me right into the fire. 35:17 Scared me so bad, I jumped up in order to call and 35:20 said I want to be a baptized, I want to join a church, 35:21 whatever I need to do, I just don't want to burn. 35:24 So, I was baptized. You know when you serve 35:29 God out of the fear of hellfire then pretty soon those flames 35:34 begin to cool down and that's what happened to me. 35:38 I went to a Christian school. I went to a Christian college 35:41 and there on the campus of the Christian college 35:44 I began to just gradually drift away from God. 35:46 I remember one day some friends came into 35:48 my dorm room and they said Jac we can go to 35:50 downtown and do something that I knew was wrong. 35:53 I'm not going to tell you what it is, it doesn't matter 35:54 what it is? What matters is, when you willfully go 35:57 against the will of God it does something back to you. 36:01 It makes it easier to do it again and then I found 36:06 myself drifting further and further away from God, 36:09 doing things I never dreamed I would ever do and 36:12 by the time I graduated at that Christian college 36:15 I didn't even believe in God anymore. 36:19 I was an atheist. Religion was fine 36:22 for weaklings and people, who need a crutch to get 36:24 through life, but I'm a man and I can make it on my own. 36:27 God go help somebody else, I don't need any help. 36:31 So, in order to demonstrate what a real man I was 36:35 I joined the Air Force. I went to flight school, 36:41 I was assigned as a navigator on a B-52 crew, flew 105 36:45 combat missions in Vietnam all without the help of God. 36:50 I didn't need him, I'm a man. 36:54 You know, I'll always remember, 36:58 I remember the first time we flew bombing missions 37:02 into North Vietnam. We've been hitting 37:04 all around South Vietnam as a piece of cake, 37:08 but in the North, they had MIGs, they had 37:13 surface to air missiles, they had anti-aircraft artillery. 37:19 They were playing for keeps up there. 37:24 And the closer we got to that target more 37:28 I began to realize that those missiles were like 37:32 telephone poles just waiting to knock us out of the sky. 37:38 And there was a chance that we might not be 37:40 going home and I got scared, 37:46 I got scared, in fact the closer we got the more 37:50 afraid I became until finally I got so scared, 37:55 you know, what I did, sure you do. 37:59 I prayed. I said God get me out of this mess 38:02 and I'll be good from now on I promise. 38:05 You ever done that? Made a deal with God, 38:09 well praise the Lord, he got me out of that 38:11 mess over and over again to as soon as we hit the 38:13 ground back to the officer's club, didn't matter. 38:18 I'm a man, I can make it on my own 38:20 I don't need God and it's interesting, 38:23 how the devil can confuse our minds like that? 38:29 Well, after about five years in the Air Force, 38:30 I finally felt that the way to really make your way 38:35 to make your mark on the world is to 38:37 have a lot of money and it was, since 38:40 I wasn't going to get rich in the military, so 38:43 I resigned my commission and I thought the quickest 38:47 way to get rich has got to be in the stock market. 38:50 So, I became a stock broker, the Paine Webber Jackson 38:54 and Curtis, one of the largest firms on Wall Street. 38:58 It wasn't long until I discovered that 39:00 the business world was just as vicious 39:02 if not more than fighting a war. 39:05 Only thing that mattered to me was making money. 39:10 I set a goal to be a millionaire by the time 39:12 I was 35, longtime ago haven't made it yet. 39:16 I have made it, but my millions are up there now. 39:21 I wanted to be a millionaire by the time I was 35 and 39:23 will be unto anybody that dares to get in my way. 39:31 Business was good for me. I was considered one of 39:35 the bright stars on the horizon in my firm. 39:39 I remember first two to $3000 pay day and 39:45 then two weeks later another one. 39:46 Now that, doesn't sound like a lot of money today, 39:48 but that was a longtime ago when it was a lot of money 39:51 and besides that it didn't even matter 39:53 because I knew that, that was just the beginning. 39:55 There was a lot more. Oh! I can remember 40:00 walking down the sidewalks of New Orleans, Louisiana 40:04 with a big roll of bills in my pocket making sure 40:07 the hundreds were on top so everybody could see 40:09 what a man I was. Felt good, I would look 40:13 at the big tall buildings, the cars, the people going by 40:17 and I feel like New Orleans this is my city, 40:20 I have got you in the palms of my hands. 40:22 Watch out New Orleans, Colon is here. 40:26 It felt good. Now I remember 40:33 some of the people that I did business with, 40:35 see I, I began to discover that in order to be successful 40:43 in the business world you need to look successful. 40:46 You know you have to wear successful looking clothes, 40:51 drive the successful looking car, well I 40:55 couldn't afford a Cadillac or Continental or anything 40:57 like that, BMW, but I got me a little Datsun 240Z. 41:02 Well, that was successful enough to start. 41:05 You have to live in a successful looking place 41:08 and you have to rub shoulders with 41:11 successful people and I began to discover that 41:15 in order to rub shoulders with successful people you 41:19 have to spend successful amounts of money. 41:22 And so I found myself working harder and harder 41:27 in order to make more money, so that I could 41:30 spend more money in order to make more money. 41:35 And I was caught in this vicious cycle and then 41:43 the people, my clients and friends, they had it made. 41:49 They had millions of dollars in the bank, 41:51 they had big mansions they lived in, 41:54 beautiful cars 3 or 4 parked in the garage, 41:57 they had yachts, they had planes, 41:59 they owned condos in Aspen, in the Riviera, 42:02 all over the place, they were jet-setters, 42:04 they could go anyplace they wanted to go anytime. 42:07 They had everything. Something was missing, 42:14 because I started to notice that they had to 42:20 turn to drugs, alcohol, cheating on their wives. 42:28 They weren't happy. They had everything 42:32 and they weren't happy and that began to haunt me. 42:39 I go home at night and I think what makes 42:45 you think you're any different from them. 42:46 You make all that money like they have, they're not happy. 42:50 Why do you think you're gonna be happy? 42:53 And There was this empty, empty feeling, begin to 42:56 work its way on the inside and I didn't like it. 43:02 So, I didn't stay home very much, I 43:04 spent more time working harder on my way home, 43:08 I stopped at the clubs, the lounges, but just 43:14 kept mind away and then the pressure, I had to perform, 43:20 I had to work, I had to work hard, 43:21 I had to make more money, so I could show how much 43:23 I had, so they could trust me to make more money for them. 43:29 The pressure continued to build, the tension, 43:32 the stress and when we were altogether 43:35 these people had everything they had it made, 43:37 but why that we passed volumes around like M&M'S. 43:43 And then pretty soon the volumes stop working, 43:48 you turn more to alcohol, experimenting with drugs, 43:52 anything to ease the pressure. I'll tell you something else 43:56 that was happening. I used to believe that a 43:58 real man never shows what's going on inside. 44:04 It's a sign of weakness I thought. 44:07 Now, I know it's just the opposite. 44:10 And so, I had to keep it all inside. 44:13 So, finally the pressure continued to build so much 44:18 that I felt like I just need to stay away from people 44:22 because if I didn't, I might slip and give them a 44:25 glimpse of the awful struggle going on. 44:30 So, I began to stay away from my friends, 44:36 I even felt like I needed to stay away from my family 44:39 because as far as they knew everything was just fine. 44:48 Have you ever been alone? I was alone. 44:53 I turned my back on my friends, I turned my back 44:56 on my family and I turned my back on God. 45:01 I was alone and I just wanted to die. And 45:08 I'm convinced now that God, as painful as it is for Him, 45:15 He lets us get beat down so low because sometimes He 45:19 knows that's the only way that we'll ever lookup. 45:22 And it was at that point that He began to work. 45:25 I, just at lunch time one day I just took off, 45:30 I had to get out of there, I was walking down 45:33 the street thinking what am I going to do? 45:34 What am I going to do? And I saw a big sign in the 45:39 window of a travel agency, it said Tahiti is calling you. 45:46 That struck a nice quote. But man you know that's, 45:50 that's a point. I just been working too hard, 45:53 I have been pushing myself too much. 45:56 I need to get away. Tahiti sounded good. 46:00 I usually went down to the Caribbean, Louisiana, 46:03 is right there. I'm a scuba diver, 46:05 I love scuba diving and I would go down to creek, 46:07 but Tahiti? See that's where God was starting to work 46:12 because He had to stop, He wanted me to make on the way. 46:14 I made arrangements for somebody to cover my 46:17 accounts for a couple of weeks, took vacation, and 46:20 I stopped in Los Angeles and spent about two nights 46:24 there with some friends of mine from that 46:26 Christian college that I graduated from years before. 46:31 And after the first day, I kind of went to bed, 46:34 tired, sat on the edge of bed looking at the book case I 46:37 love to read and I just found myself reaching out 46:39 for a book picked it up, looked at it, it was called 46:41 the "Planet in Rebellion" by George Vandeman, that 46:45 was via television evangelist and I started to read it. 46:51 And the first part was a little scientific and I did 46:54 my graduate work in chemistry, so I understand 46:57 and appreciate science and it got my attention. 47:00 So, next morning I said hey, 47:01 you mind if I take this with me to Tahiti. 47:05 And he looked at me kind of surprise 47:07 that I would want a book like that, 47:09 but they were happy yeah, sure, take it. 47:12 So, I got on the big jet for Tahiti with the 47:15 Planet in Rebellion in my briefcase. 47:18 We landed in Papeete and then they had a 47:21 little boat waiting to take us over to the 47:22 Island of Moorea at Club Med, 47:24 where I was going to be staying and after we 47:27 arrived at Club Med and those of you who probably 47:29 don't know anything, you're nice people, 47:30 you don't know Club Med is pretty wild. 47:32 Back then it was really a wild place, 47:34 where wild people went and so I got to Club Med 47:38 and they greeted us with some little refreshments 47:41 and the Tahitian dancing girls and they put the 47:43 flowers on our heads. Oh! Man, 47:45 I was feeling better already, it's all I need 47:47 just to relax and get away from everything. 47:51 So, after the first day, first day I went water skiing, 47:55 crystal clear water, scuba diving. 47:57 Oh! It was so beautiful. And then I played tennis 48:01 and enjoyed the dance band till late that night and 48:05 just barely able to make it to my room in 48:08 that Club Med in Tahiti, I thought that's all I need. 48:11 I just need to rest, play hard, and live hard and 48:15 just have fun and I'll be ready to go back to work. 48:17 Well, God had a different idea. As I woke up in the 48:20 middle of night with a headache you would've 48:22 never believe, it wasn't what you think it was. 48:25 No, I had gotten the ear infection in both of my ears 48:32 and only those of you whoever had ear infection 48:34 know the excruciating pain that goes with it, just agony. 48:37 I couldn't lie still, I stand up and it hurt 48:40 and so I did, there was nothing to do. 48:42 I just went out on the beach, walked up and down the 48:44 beach till the sun came up, infirmary opened. 48:46 I went in there, the doctor looked in my ears 48:48 said something in French I don't know what it was. 48:49 A nurse translates saying, no water. 48:53 You can't go swimming, you can't go skiing. 48:56 I said scuba diving. No scuba diving. 49:00 Great, traveled half-way around the world to do 49:03 some diving and now I can't even get my feet wet. 49:06 So, I thought I go play some tennis. 49:09 Every step was just shear agony. There was nothing 49:14 for me to do in Tahiti except to lie on my bed 49:22 and read that little book, the Planet in Rebellion. 49:26 So, I began to read. I came to the part that 49:32 talked about Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. 49:38 How he went down to the garden to pray? 49:42 He fell to the ground and he prayed, Father 49:47 if there is any other way let this cup pass from me. 49:53 It just seemed so real to me, it was like I was watching. 49:59 And I realized, hey, Jesus didn't want 50:04 to go to the Cross. He wanted it to pass from him. 50:13 Nevertheless, he said, not my will, let your will be done. 50:19 He didn't want to go, then the awful feeling came, 50:28 why did he go? He did it because of me 50:34 and he did it for me. And for the first time in my life 50:43 I began to understand what real love was all about 50:51 and I began to understand that Jesus was a real man, 50:59 Colon, was just a phony. And then a few more pages 51:12 and I came to Calvary. Jesus betrayed, dressed 51:22 in a purple robe, mocked as the King of the Jews, 51:25 beaten till his back raw and bleeding, cross thrust 51:28 on his shoulders, carrying up the hill till he couldn't 51:32 go anymore, somebody had to carry it for him. 51:36 He was doing all of that for me, with love, 51:44 what kind of man he had to be, it just seems so real 51:52 as I read, I just thought, I was seeing it all. 51:58 As they stretched his body out on those rough boards 52:02 and I can see the Roman soldiers just picking up 52:05 the big heavy hammers, the nails, driving those nails 52:09 through his hands, the same hands that 52:13 reached out and touched, healed, loved, 52:19 now they were nailing them to the old rugged cross 52:25 because of my sins, it seems so real. 52:32 I could see the soldiers as they lifted that cross, 52:35 dropped it in the hole prepared for it, 52:39 sickening thud. It's like I was standing 52:45 right there, looking up at Jesus as he looked over 52:52 the multitude around him, it seemed like his eyes 52:57 were locked on to mine when he said, father, 53:03 forgive him, because he doesn't even know what he is doing. 53:10 And that was it for me, it was all I could take, 53:16 I slipped down to my knees beside my bed 53:19 in Club Med in Tahiti, and I said God, I give up, 53:25 I give up, if anyone is going to do anything with this 53:29 miserable life it's going to have to be you because I can't. 53:35 At that moment, it was like a heavyweight was just lifted 53:39 off of my shoulders and at that moment, God 53:45 told his angel to go and write Jac Colon, 53:55 the Lamb's Book of Life. As far as I know, 54:05 I'm the only person on this planet 54:06 that ever got saved in the Club Med. 54:11 You can't get too far away for God to be able to 54:15 reach you, just give him a chance, 54:19 came back to the States and I just felt like 54:23 I can't be a stock broker anymore, not because 54:26 there is anything wrong with it, I just, 54:28 it was not for me anymore, but I didn't know 54:30 what else to do there is not much of a demand 54:32 for dropping bombs in civilian society and 54:34 so, what am I gonna do? So, I prayed, I said God, 54:39 whatever you want me to do you open the door 54:41 I'll go through it, don't ever pray that prayer 54:43 unless you mean it, because just a few days 54:47 after that I was in church one evening and 54:50 an Evangelist was preaching and while he was preaching 54:53 it was almost like God speaking in an audible voice 54:56 saying Colon, I want you to be an Evangelist. 55:00 God, I don't even know how to be a Christian yet, 55:04 so I went up to Evangelist afterwards, I told him 55:06 what had happened, then he said look, 55:08 I'm going to be teaching a class for young Evangelists 55:10 at a Bible College in Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, 55:13 it's gonna start in just a couple of weeks 55:15 and it lasts for the rest of the summer, 55:19 why don't you come, learn how to do it? 55:21 He said I can only pay you $200, it doesn't matter, 55:25 it doesn't matter anymore, money doesn't matter 55:27 anymore, only thing that matters was to be 55:31 following God and so I went and I learned 55:35 how to do it and God blessed my work there 55:39 and some people took notice because of the way 55:43 God blessed my work there I received an invitation 55:48 to be a pastor two months after I was baptized, 55:52 I was a pastor in a little church in Oklahoma, 55:55 hardly knew the difference between David and Goliath, 55:58 but I knew Jesus and that's what mattered and then 56:03 something else happened while I was at that 56:05 Evangelism school, because on the last weekend 56:10 of the prophecy seminar I met the Evangelist's daughter. 56:24 We believe with all of our hearts that God 56:28 brought us together, just so we can tell the story of Jesus 56:34 to you and to anyone else who wants to hear. 56:38 God has made something beautiful out of my life 56:42 and he wants to do the same for you. 56:48 The story isn't over yet, we still have battles, 56:51 we still have challenges to face, but the interesting 56:57 thing is that when you have Jesus on your side, everyday 57:03 it's better and better and better. God has made 57:08 something beautiful out of our lives and he wants to do 57:14 the same for you, just giving the opportunity. |
Revised 2014-12-17