Welcome and thank
you for joining us
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for this Bible
prophecy series titled
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"Three Cosmic Messages,
Earth's Final Conflict."
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As we look
around the world today,
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we see uncertainty,
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uncertainty in
the economic markets,
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political uncertainty,
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uncertainty with
the weather patterns,
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and global warming.
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We look around the world
we see pandemics, epidemics,
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natural disasters everywhere.
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And we ask the question,
what does the future hold?
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Does God have a
message for this generation
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that is tailor-made
to prepare it for that
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which is coming upon the world
as an overwhelming surprise?
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The good news is, the
Book of Revelation reveals
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God's end time
message for humanity.
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During this series,
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we will study
three cosmic messages,
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messages that speak to us
with relevance and meaning
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and purpose today.
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Let's pray as we
open the Word of God,
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and we delve right
into this first subject
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in this series of
Three Cosmic Messages.
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Will you pray with me please?
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Father in
heaven, thank You so much
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that You have a
message for this generation,
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that the world has
not been left in silence,
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to wander around in
confusion and darkness.
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Thank You that light
from Your Word shines
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and that messages from
heaven speak to us of hope,
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insecurity and meaning.
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We thank You for
that in Jesus' name, amen.
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This first presentation
looks at an introduction
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to the three angels' messages.
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Now that title
may be familiar to you
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or it may be a little confusing.
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In the Book of Revelation,
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God gives to us three
life changing universal,
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eternal dramatic messages
pictured as being carried
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by three angels in mid heaven.
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We call them
Three Cosmic Messages.
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These messages deal with
an intergalactic struggle.
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They deal with a star wars
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controversy
between good and evil.
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They deal with
Christ's final message
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for humanity.
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To understand those
messages in their fullest sense,
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it's necessary to understand
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the larger context
of this controversy
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between good and evil.
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In this first presentation,
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we're going to take a look
at Revelation the 12th Chapter,
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which is an introduction
to Revelation Chapter 14.
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The theme of this
chapter in Revelation 12
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is Jesus wins and Satan loses.
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The Book of
Revelation unravels history,
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it breaks Satan's code.
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Will you come with me for
a few moments back in time
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to the World War II?
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Hitler's armies
were attacking England
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and the Nazi Panzer divisions
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were moving very
rapidly across Europe.
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Just 20 miles
across the English Channel,
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Hitler was moving very
quickly to destroy England.
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The air raids were
frequent almost every evening.
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Winston Churchill was plotting
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how to counteract
the attacks of Hitler
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in his underground war rooms.
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You can still visit
those underground war rooms
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in London today.
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I visited them on
numerous occasions.
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And there in those
underground war rooms,
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the war strategy
was being planned.
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But not too far from that up
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the Thames River
at Bletchley Park,
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they were a
group of people working
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called the code-breakers.
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Their great desire was to
break the German Enigma code.
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Recently, Simon Singh
has written a book called
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"The Code Book,"
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the secret history of
codes and code breaking.
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In that book, he tells the story
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of the Bletchley
Park code-breakers.
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Hitler had 159
million Enigma codes
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that needed to be broken.
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And these
code-breakers studied the codes.
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And there was one
brilliant code-breaker
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called Alan Turing.
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He was a mathematical genius.
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He was a intelligence
officer in crypto intelligence.
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And he began
studying those codes,
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began trying to figure out,
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"How do I break
the German codes?"
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As he did, he came up
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with a method to
break the German codes.
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And at times, they were able
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to track the German
submarines in very real time.
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Other times they were
able to tell the allied forces
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where those
German submarines were
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so they could be destroyed
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and where the
allied forces boats
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were so they could avoid
those attack German submarines.
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The code-breakers
were largely responsible
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for helping to shorten the war.
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In fact, Jack Good,
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one of the
code-breakers said this.
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"I won't say that
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what Turing did
made us win the war,
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but I dare say we might
have lost it without him."
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Code-breakers were
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incredibly
important in the World War II
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to identify where
the submarines were,
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to enable the
allied forces to avoid them
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and to destroy
those German submarines.
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The Book of
Revelation is a code-breaker.
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It breaks the code of
Satan. It unmasks his plans.
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And as you and I
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study these prophecies
in the Book of Revelation,
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we will discover just
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how Satan's code can be broken.
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The Book of Revelation
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unmasks the
plans of the evil one,
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it reveals the plans of God.
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Revelation Chapter 12
outlines this great conflict,
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this great cosmic controversy,
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this intergalactic
struggle between good and evil.
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The theme of Revelation 12
is Jesus wins and Satan loses.
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There are four great episodes
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in the 12th Chapter of
the Book of Revelation.
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We're going to look at
every one of those episodes.
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And these
episodes will prepare us
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to understand the
Three Cosmic Messages
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in Revelation, the 14th Chapter.
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In episode number one,
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there's a battle for the throne.
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Come with me.
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Travel with me back
over the millenniums of time,
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travel with me to the very
throne room of the universe,
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travel with me to the epicenter
of this conflict as it began.
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Revelation 12:7-9 says,
"And war broke out in heaven."
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Now that's a strange
place for war, isn't it?
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War breaks out where? In heaven.
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"Michael and His angels
fought against the dragon
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and the dragon
and his angels fought
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but they did not
prevail," this text goes on,
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"nor was a place found
for them in heaven any longer,
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so the great
dragon was cast out,
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that serpent of old
called the devil and Satan,
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who deceives," now
notice the word deceives,
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"the whole world,"
Satan is a deceiver,
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"he was cast into the earth
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and his angels
were cast out with him."
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Every angel had
to make a choice.
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The Bible says the
dragon and his angels fought
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and Michael and
his angels fought.
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So there was a conflict,
an intergalactic conflict,
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a star wars battle
between the forces of good
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and the forces of
evil, between heaven's forces
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and what soon became
the forces of the evil one.
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The issue had to be allegiance,
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the issue was,
who is worthy to rule.
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This is a star wars controversy
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far beyond anything that
you and I could ever imagine.
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Every angel had
to make a choice.
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There was no neutrality
in that first conflict.
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Some time ago, I
read a fascinating story
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that illustrates this idea
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of neutrality in
conflict and crisis.
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There was a
young college student,
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and this young college student
was looking at the want ads
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in the newspaper, and
he was studying his iPad
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to try to discover
a job for the summer.
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He was going to
a Christian college
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and it costs quite
a bit of money to go
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and so he needed
to offset his costs.
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And so he studied,
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"Where can I
work for the summer?"
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He found an ad on the iPad
that indicated as he googled it,
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that there was very
good pay if he would go up
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and cut timber in
the country of Canada.
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Go up, spend the
summer in the forests
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and cut the timber there.
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As he was looking at the
ads, he saw the hourly wage,
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he saw what he might
make for the summer, really,
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was really excited about it.
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So he decided to sign up
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and go up to
Canada to cut timber.
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His friends began to
counsel with him and they said,
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"Look, if you go there,
those rough, tough cursing,
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swearing, drinking foul mouth
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lumberjacks are
gonna tear you apart.
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You're a thin young man
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who doesn't have
much substance to you
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and they are just
gonna break you in half
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once they find out
you're a Christian.
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They are going to ridicule you,
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you're gonna have
a horrible summer."
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He needed the money. So he went.
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When he came
back after the summer,
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his friend said to him,
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"Well, tell us
how did you do working
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with those guys all summer?"
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He smiled and he
said, "I did great,
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made a lot of money,
never had one problem at all."
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"You did great. But
why did you do so great?"
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"They never found out
that I was a Christian."
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Neutrality. Neutrality.
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"They never found out
that I was a Christian."
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In that cosmic battle
between good and evil,
00:11:05.83\00:11:09.16
every angel had
to make a choice.
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And these Three Cosmic Messages
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that we are going to be studying
00:11:14.10\00:11:15.44
in earth's final
conflict in these last days
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of earth's history.
00:11:17.34\00:11:19.81
In these days, every human being
00:11:19.84\00:11:24.31
is gonna have
to make a decision.
00:11:24.35\00:11:25.75
There will be no neutrality,
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no middle
ground in this conflict
00:11:27.15\00:11:29.35
between good and evil.
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You see, the freedom to choose
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is a fundamental
principle of God's government.
00:11:32.19\00:11:35.16
God has created every one of us
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with conscience, with
reason, with judgment.
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Every single one of
us has that capacity,
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that innate capacity to choose.
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And in earth's final war,
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the entire human race
will be brought to that moment
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of destiny, that choice.
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In fact, Revelation ends
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with Revelation
22 with the words,
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"He that is unjust,
let him be unjust still,
00:11:58.78\00:12:00.88
he that is holy,
let him be holy still,
00:12:00.92\00:12:02.58
he that is righteous,
let him be righteous still,
00:12:02.62\00:12:04.89
he that is unrighteous,
let him be unrighteous still."
00:12:04.92\00:12:07.72
Every human being will
have to make that decision.
00:12:07.76\00:12:11.16
Has it gripped you yet?
00:12:11.19\00:12:12.96
Maybe you're a
little bit neutral,
00:12:12.99\00:12:15.20
maybe you're on the fence.
00:12:15.23\00:12:16.56
You haven't fully
committed to Christ.
00:12:16.60\00:12:18.77
You haven't
committed your life to Him.
00:12:18.80\00:12:22.00
But yet, there's that desire
00:12:22.04\00:12:24.37
in your heart to
be all out for Christ.
00:12:24.41\00:12:29.34
This is the time
to make that decision.
00:12:29.38\00:12:32.28
We are living in a
crisis time in earth's history.
00:12:32.31\00:12:35.75
We're living in
the final moments
00:12:35.78\00:12:37.42
of earth's history.
00:12:37.45\00:12:38.95
And the freedom to choose,
00:12:38.99\00:12:40.36
God is never going to force
you but the freedom to choose
00:12:40.39\00:12:42.72
is a fundamental
principle of God's government.
00:12:42.76\00:12:46.43
A 19th century writer
00:12:46.46\00:12:49.96
wrote with spiritual
insight in a manuscript that
00:12:50.00\00:12:53.23
she addressed in
1899, and she says this,
00:12:53.27\00:12:56.40
"Christ shows that
there can be no such thing
00:12:56.44\00:12:59.71
as neutrality in His service."
00:12:59.74\00:13:03.14
No such thing as
what? Neutrality.
00:13:03.18\00:13:06.58
"The soul must not be satisfied
00:13:06.61\00:13:08.52
with anything short of
the entire consecration,
00:13:08.55\00:13:12.42
consecration of thought, voice,
00:13:12.45\00:13:15.02
spirit, and every
organ of mind and body."
00:13:15.06\00:13:18.63
Christ is appealing to us
to be totally committed to Him.
00:13:18.66\00:13:24.37
The statement goes on,
00:13:24.40\00:13:25.73
"It's not enough that
the vessel be emptied,
00:13:25.77\00:13:27.34
it must be filled
with the grace of Christ."
00:13:27.37\00:13:29.80
Jesus longs to
fill you with His grace.
00:13:29.84\00:13:32.77
He longs to fill
you with His power.
00:13:32.81\00:13:35.24
He longs to fill you
with His Holy Spirit.
00:13:35.28\00:13:38.71
He longs for you to be a
powerful witness for Him,
00:13:38.75\00:13:42.22
in a world of darkness shining
00:13:42.25\00:13:44.22
as a light for
His eternal kingdom.
00:13:44.25\00:13:47.22
There is no
neutrality in earth's final war.
00:13:47.26\00:13:51.89
Notice what the scripture
says, Revelation 12:7-8,
00:13:51.93\00:13:54.83
"The dragon," that's
the devil, the Bible says,
00:13:54.86\00:13:57.00
the dragon's the
devil in Revelation,
00:13:57.03\00:13:58.93
"And His angels fought,
but they did not," what?
00:13:58.97\00:14:04.64
"They did not," what?
00:14:04.67\00:14:06.01
"Prevail nor was a
place found for them
00:14:06.04\00:14:08.54
in heaven any longer."
00:14:08.58\00:14:10.95
I love the but there,
the dragon or the devil
00:14:10.98\00:14:15.05
and His angels fought but,
00:14:15.08\00:14:16.58
but, but, but they did not what?
00:14:16.62\00:14:18.52
They did not
prevail in that first battle
00:14:18.55\00:14:21.02
between Christ and Satan.
00:14:21.06\00:14:22.72
Jesus wins and Satan loses.
00:14:22.76\00:14:25.93
Jesus is the Mighty Warrior.
00:14:25.96\00:14:28.83
Jesus is the Conquering General.
00:14:28.86\00:14:31.83
Jesus is the Victorious Lord.
00:14:31.87\00:14:34.70
Jesus is the Triumphant King.
00:14:34.74\00:14:37.21
Jesus has never lost
a battle with Satan yet
00:14:37.24\00:14:40.48
and He will not lose a battle
00:14:40.51\00:14:42.54
for your soul either, my friend,
00:14:42.58\00:14:44.51
because He is
the Triumphant King.
00:14:44.55\00:14:47.15
When one third of the
angels according to Revelation,
00:14:47.18\00:14:50.69
battled against
Christ in heaven,
00:14:50.72\00:14:53.69
Jesus stood up
and with all His power
00:14:53.72\00:14:58.96
and might cast
them out of heaven.
00:14:58.99\00:15:02.46
In episode two,
Jesus wins and Satan loses.
00:15:02.50\00:15:06.33
Millenniums pass. Satan
plans his next strategy.
00:15:06.37\00:15:11.87
Christ the Messiah
is to come to earth.
00:15:11.91\00:15:15.34
Jesus is here to be born
00:15:15.38\00:15:17.98
on earth and Satan plans
to destroy the Christ child.
00:15:18.01\00:15:22.68
The Bible says in
Revelation 12:4-5,
00:15:22.72\00:15:26.15
"And the dragon
stood before the woman
00:15:26.19\00:15:29.29
who was ready to give birth,
00:15:29.32\00:15:31.06
to devour her child
as soon as it was born."
00:15:31.09\00:15:34.93
Now who's the dragon everybody?
00:15:34.96\00:15:36.30
Who is that? That's Satan.
00:15:36.33\00:15:38.53
And he's
standing before the woman
00:15:38.57\00:15:40.97
who's ready to give birth
00:15:41.00\00:15:42.34
to devour her child
as soon as it's born.
00:15:42.37\00:15:44.57
Who is this man
child born of the woman?
00:15:44.61\00:15:48.21
None other than Jesus Christ.
00:15:48.24\00:15:50.55
The Bible says,
"She bore a male Child
00:15:50.58\00:15:53.11
who was to rule all
nations with the rod of iron."
00:15:53.15\00:15:56.38
So Christ was to be born,
00:15:56.42\00:15:58.95
born of a virgin
in Bethlehem's manger.
00:15:58.99\00:16:02.49
Prophecy after prophecy
00:16:02.52\00:16:04.56
in the Old Testament
reveal the birth of Christ.
00:16:04.59\00:16:08.53
Micah 5:2
reveals His birthplace,
00:16:08.56\00:16:12.53
He'd be born in Bethlehem.
00:16:12.57\00:16:14.17
Isaiah 7:14 reveals that
He would be born of a virgin.
00:16:14.20\00:16:19.34
And the Book of Numbers reveals
00:16:19.37\00:16:22.24
that a star would lead
the wise men to this Christ
00:16:22.28\00:16:25.81
and to His birth place.
00:16:25.85\00:16:27.78
His birth was
predicted ahead of time.
00:16:27.82\00:16:29.98
Isaiah 61 predicts
His life ahead of time,
00:16:30.02\00:16:33.89
the ministry of Christ.
00:16:33.92\00:16:35.82
Psalms 22 talks
about the death of Christ
00:16:35.86\00:16:39.93
and that He would be
crucified and not be stoned.
00:16:39.96\00:16:43.37
The Bible in Zachariah
talks about the fact that
00:16:43.40\00:16:46.80
He would be betrayed
for 30 pieces of silver
00:16:46.84\00:16:49.20
by a friend and not an enemy.
00:16:49.24\00:16:51.77
So Christ, this male
Child born of the virgin
00:16:51.81\00:16:56.24
was the living Christ,
00:16:56.28\00:16:59.21
the divine Christ Jesus
was more than a good man,
00:16:59.25\00:17:02.05
more than an
ethical philosopher,
00:17:02.08\00:17:03.65
more than a religious teacher.
00:17:03.69\00:17:05.02
He indeed was the
divine Son of God.
00:17:05.05\00:17:07.26
"She bore a male Child
00:17:07.29\00:17:08.62
who eventually
would rule all nations
00:17:08.66\00:17:10.59
with the rod of iron."
00:17:10.63\00:17:11.96
Now this is a very
interesting expression,
00:17:11.99\00:17:14.26
this
expression, the rod of iron.
00:17:14.30\00:17:17.07
In the Bible, a rod is a
symbol of dominion or rulership.
00:17:17.10\00:17:21.97
You remember
Moses lifted the rod,
00:17:22.00\00:17:25.64
and the Red Sea opened
00:17:25.67\00:17:27.84
and Israel came
through that Red Sea,
00:17:27.88\00:17:30.71
probably 20 miles across,
00:17:30.75\00:17:33.52
over 130 feet deep,
00:17:33.55\00:17:35.45
a miracle that God
worked as they came through.
00:17:35.48\00:17:38.35
In the Bible, a rod is a
symbol of dominion or rulership.
00:17:38.39\00:17:41.39
You remember too,
Moses took his rod
00:17:41.42\00:17:43.16
and he threw it down,
00:17:43.19\00:17:44.59
and the snakes of the Egyptians
were eaten up by that rod
00:17:44.63\00:17:50.00
that became a
snake for Moses, right?
00:17:50.03\00:17:51.57
It's always a symbol
of dominion or power.
00:17:51.60\00:17:54.04
Now what about
this idea of iron,
00:17:54.07\00:17:55.94
the rod of iron?
00:17:55.97\00:17:57.41
A rod of iron is a symbol
of unbreakable, all powerful,
00:17:57.44\00:18:01.18
invincible rulership.
00:18:01.21\00:18:03.45
So when Christ is born
of the virgin, although,
00:18:03.48\00:18:07.18
Satan tries to destroy Him,
00:18:07.22\00:18:09.68
and Satan tries
to take His life,
00:18:09.72\00:18:12.85
and at every
step of Jesus' life,
00:18:12.89\00:18:15.62
Satan tried to destroy Him,
00:18:15.66\00:18:17.89
whether it was at His
birth, during His life,
00:18:17.93\00:18:21.83
whether it was in the wilderness
00:18:21.86\00:18:23.20
of temptation on
the cross of Calvary,
00:18:23.23\00:18:25.73
but Jesus would
rule with a rod of iron.
00:18:25.77\00:18:28.70
Jesus is the unbreakable one.
00:18:28.74\00:18:31.54
Jesus is the all powerful one.
00:18:31.57\00:18:33.71
Jesus is the invincible one.
00:18:33.74\00:18:37.55
This Christ, who came and
tabernacled in human flesh,
00:18:37.58\00:18:41.55
this Christ who
died on Calvary's cross,
00:18:41.58\00:18:44.35
this Christ who
rose from the dead,
00:18:44.39\00:18:46.99
this Christ is your Christ.
00:18:47.02\00:18:48.92
He is my Christ.
00:18:48.96\00:18:50.29
He is the Jesus of
the Book of Revelation.
00:18:50.33\00:18:53.46
Jesus faced
every single temptation
00:18:53.50\00:18:56.03
we faced and He
came off as conqueror.
00:18:56.06\00:18:58.77
The theme of the
Book of Revelation
00:18:58.80\00:19:00.70
is Jesus wins and Satan loses.
00:19:00.74\00:19:04.24
Satan failed to
destroy Him as a child.
00:19:04.27\00:19:06.74
He failed to
defeat Him in His life.
00:19:06.78\00:19:08.84
He failed to
demolish Him in His death.
00:19:08.88\00:19:11.15
And because Christ
triumphed, we can triumph.
00:19:11.18\00:19:14.25
In the crisis's that
are coming upon this world
00:19:14.28\00:19:17.12
that will break upon this world
is an overwhelming surprise.
00:19:17.15\00:19:20.06
We are secure in Christ.
00:19:20.09\00:19:22.42
Our life is anchored in Christ.
00:19:22.46\00:19:24.69
Our life is definitely
without any possibility
00:19:24.73\00:19:30.97
of our being
eternally lost in Christ.
00:19:31.00\00:19:34.60
If we are in Christ,
00:19:34.64\00:19:35.97
all of Satan's attacks
cannot in any way destroy us.
00:19:36.00\00:19:39.67
The all powerful risen
Christ has defeated Satan.
00:19:39.71\00:19:43.68
In episode number one,
00:19:43.71\00:19:46.31
Satan's cast out of
heaven, Jesus wins, Satan loses.
00:19:46.35\00:19:49.35
In episode number two,
00:19:49.38\00:19:52.59
Satan tries to destroy
Jesus as a child but again,
00:19:52.62\00:19:55.86
Jesus wins, Satan loses.
00:19:55.89\00:20:00.00
In Revelation 12:10,
00:20:00.03\00:20:02.63
"Then I heard a loud
voice saying in heaven,"
00:20:02.66\00:20:04.40
what kind of a
voice? A loud voice.
00:20:04.43\00:20:05.77
Why a loud voice?
00:20:05.80\00:20:07.14
Because God
wants you to hear it.
00:20:07.17\00:20:08.50
"I heard a loud voice
saying in heaven, 'Now salvation
00:20:08.54\00:20:11.27
and strength, and
the kingdom of our God,
00:20:11.31\00:20:13.78
and the power of
His Christ have come."
00:20:13.81\00:20:15.61
When Jesus is born, what comes?
00:20:15.64\00:20:17.95
Notice these things
that come, four things,
00:20:17.98\00:20:20.48
salvation comes in Christ,
00:20:20.52\00:20:22.88
strength comes in Christ,
00:20:22.92\00:20:25.39
the kingdom of
God comes in Christ,
00:20:25.42\00:20:28.16
and power comes in Christ.
00:20:28.19\00:20:30.39
So when Jesus is born,
you and I have salvation,
00:20:30.43\00:20:35.33
you and I have strength,
00:20:35.36\00:20:37.07
you and I have the kingdom
of God has come in Christ.
00:20:37.10\00:20:41.10
We live within the glory
of that kingdom of grace,
00:20:41.14\00:20:44.31
and the power
of Christ has come.
00:20:44.34\00:20:46.61
The dying Christ declares
us righteous through His blood.
00:20:46.64\00:20:50.35
And the living Christ makes us
00:20:50.38\00:20:51.85
righteous
through His intercession.
00:20:51.88\00:20:53.68
When Christ dies for
us, salvation is ours.
00:20:53.72\00:20:58.32
It's a gift.
00:20:58.35\00:20:59.69
Grace is ours, pardon is ours,
mercy is ours when Christ dies.
00:20:59.72\00:21:04.56
But Jesus is not
only the dying lamb,
00:21:04.59\00:21:07.13
Jesus is the living priest.
00:21:07.16\00:21:08.96
And this Christ that is alive,
00:21:09.00\00:21:11.37
this Jesus that is
alive gives to us strength
00:21:11.40\00:21:14.54
and grace and power.
00:21:14.57\00:21:16.77
Notice what the Bible
says in Revelation 12:11,
00:21:16.81\00:21:20.38
about our victory in Christ.
00:21:20.41\00:21:23.11
"They overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb
00:21:23.14\00:21:27.35
and the word of
their testimony."
00:21:27.38\00:21:29.62
Now there are three things
about this particular passage
00:21:29.65\00:21:31.99
we want to look at.
00:21:32.02\00:21:33.36
First they overcame him.
00:21:33.39\00:21:34.72
What does it
mean to overcome him?
00:21:34.76\00:21:36.59
The second thing we want
to look at the passage is
00:21:36.62\00:21:39.69
by the blood of the Lamb.
00:21:39.73\00:21:41.36
Practically,
what does that mean?
00:21:41.40\00:21:43.60
And the third
thing we want to look at
00:21:43.63\00:21:44.97
is the word of their testimony.
00:21:45.00\00:21:47.17
The Book of Testimonies
was written, this is a book,
00:21:47.20\00:21:49.70
Testimonies is a
book that was written
00:21:49.74\00:21:53.24
by Ellen White to the church.
00:21:53.27\00:21:56.31
Testimonies of grace
00:21:56.34\00:21:58.98
and testimonies
of encouragement.
00:21:59.01\00:22:02.02
She wrote to a young man
00:22:02.05\00:22:05.75
who had married a
woman who was very sick.
00:22:05.79\00:22:08.82
And she wrote to this young man
00:22:08.86\00:22:11.73
and said to him,
00:22:11.76\00:22:15.26
"You have become
extremely depressed."
00:22:15.30\00:22:18.33
And this what she wrote,
"Your life is now miserable,
00:22:18.37\00:22:22.00
full of evil forebodings.
00:22:22.04\00:22:24.11
Gloomy pictures
loom up before you.
00:22:24.14\00:22:26.71
Dark unbelief has enclosed you.
00:22:26.74\00:22:29.31
Yet no one can help
you as well as yourself.
00:22:29.34\00:22:32.71
If you want faith, talk faith,
00:22:32.75\00:22:35.48
talk hopefully,
talk cheerfully."
00:22:35.52\00:22:38.15
Now remember what our
text said in Revelation 12:11,
00:22:38.19\00:22:40.82
"They overcame him," what?
00:22:40.86\00:22:42.19
"By the blood of the
Lamb and by," what else?
00:22:42.22\00:22:44.49
"The word of
their," what? "Testimony."
00:22:44.53\00:22:47.23
So here, Ellen White,
00:22:47.26\00:22:49.90
this woman of
great spiritual insight,
00:22:49.93\00:22:52.57
counsels this young man
and counsels this young woman.
00:22:52.60\00:22:56.20
She says, if you want
faith, what do you do?
00:22:56.24\00:22:58.54
You talk faith.
00:22:58.57\00:22:59.91
If you want
faith, what do you do?
00:22:59.94\00:23:01.28
You talk hopefully
and talk cheerfully.
00:23:01.31\00:23:03.45
In other words,
knowing that Christ
00:23:03.48\00:23:05.68
has triumphed over
the powers of hell,
00:23:05.71\00:23:07.75
knowing that Jesus has
overcome the principalities
00:23:07.78\00:23:12.29
and powers of darkness,
00:23:12.32\00:23:13.92
we live in the
victory of Christ.
00:23:13.96\00:23:16.96
We live in that victory,
00:23:16.99\00:23:19.33
because He has
sustained it for us.
00:23:19.36\00:23:21.86
So no matter how we
feel, we may feel discouraged,
00:23:21.90\00:23:24.53
we may feel
disappointed, we may feel weak,
00:23:24.57\00:23:26.97
but we do not cry
out in our weakness.
00:23:27.00\00:23:30.04
We cry out in
faith, grasping by faith,
00:23:30.07\00:23:33.48
the living reality of Christ,
00:23:33.51\00:23:35.44
living in the crisis
of this earth's history,
00:23:35.48\00:23:39.48
living in the closing
hours of earth's history.
00:23:39.51\00:23:42.65
Darkness will surround us,
00:23:42.68\00:23:44.55
that situation in the
world will become dire.
00:23:44.59\00:23:47.12
There'll be economic collapse.
00:23:47.16\00:23:49.09
There'll be pandemics
that sweep across our world.
00:23:49.12\00:23:52.83
There will be
political disasters.
00:23:52.86\00:23:55.40
There will be war and
famine and pestilence.
00:23:55.43\00:23:58.27
And if we look at those things,
00:23:58.30\00:24:00.50
we will be
overwhelmed and depressed,
00:24:00.54\00:24:02.94
but looking beyond
what is to what we'll be,
00:24:02.97\00:24:05.57
looking beyond
what is He who is,
00:24:05.61\00:24:08.71
so we do not look at what is,
00:24:08.74\00:24:10.85
we look at he who
is in Jesus Christ.
00:24:10.88\00:24:14.05
The divine Son of
God is all powerful.
00:24:14.08\00:24:17.75
He has overcome the evil one.
00:24:17.79\00:24:20.56
Our faith grows
00:24:20.59\00:24:22.02
as we accept
Christ victory as our own.
00:24:22.06\00:24:26.93
Our faith will grow as we accept
00:24:26.96\00:24:30.27
the victory of Jesus Christ
in His life, in His death,
00:24:30.30\00:24:35.40
in His
resurrection in our behalf,
00:24:35.44\00:24:37.61
so we live in that victory.
00:24:37.64\00:24:39.94
Revelation 12:10 says,
00:24:39.97\00:24:41.31
"Then I heard a loud
voice saying in heaven."
00:24:41.34\00:24:43.65
Now remember the
text we've read it,
00:24:43.68\00:24:45.21
but we're unpacking it.
00:24:45.25\00:24:47.62
"Now salvation and strength,
and the kingdom of our God,
00:24:47.65\00:24:51.62
and the power of
His Christ has come."
00:24:51.65\00:24:53.39
Salvation,
strength, the kingdom of God,
00:24:53.42\00:24:55.19
the power of
His Christ has come.
00:24:55.22\00:24:56.56
Why?
00:24:56.59\00:24:57.93
"For the accuser
of our brethren,"
00:24:57.96\00:24:59.29
that's Satan, "who
accused them day and night
00:24:59.33\00:25:01.76
before our God
has been cast out."
00:25:01.80\00:25:05.03
So Satan defeated,
cast out of heaven.
00:25:05.07\00:25:08.00
Satan was defeated in heaven.
00:25:08.04\00:25:09.77
He was defeated at the cross.
00:25:09.80\00:25:11.74
But there is still this
battle that wages on earth.
00:25:11.77\00:25:15.54
There's the
battle for your mind.
00:25:15.58\00:25:17.45
There's the
battle for your heart.
00:25:17.48\00:25:19.28
There's the
battle for your soul.
00:25:19.31\00:25:20.82
It's still wages here.
00:25:20.85\00:25:23.62
Remember what our text said?
00:25:23.65\00:25:26.42
Ephesians 6:16, says,
00:25:26.45\00:25:28.56
"We wrestle not
against flesh and blood
00:25:28.59\00:25:30.19
but against principalities
and powers in heavenly places."
00:25:30.23\00:25:33.43
In this cosmic
struggle between good and evil
00:25:33.46\00:25:37.13
in earth's final conflict,
00:25:37.17\00:25:40.17
we are in the midst of a battle,
00:25:40.20\00:25:43.20
and Satan is not
going to give up easy
00:25:43.24\00:25:45.77
if you're going
through a struggle right now,
00:25:45.81\00:25:48.88
if you're going through a crisis
00:25:48.91\00:25:50.25
in your life right now,
00:25:50.28\00:25:51.95
if you're going
through a battle right now,
00:25:51.98\00:25:54.18
if the forces of hell seem to be
00:25:54.22\00:25:57.92
overwhelming you right now.
00:25:57.95\00:26:00.86
We are in the middle
of a cosmic conflict.
00:26:00.89\00:26:03.86
But the same Jesus that
cast Satan out of heaven,
00:26:03.89\00:26:07.10
the same Jesus that
defeated Satan in His life
00:26:07.13\00:26:10.70
and death and resurrection,
00:26:10.73\00:26:12.53
that all powerful Christ
00:26:12.57\00:26:15.04
as you reach out
to grasp Him by faith,
00:26:15.07\00:26:18.87
as you open your
heart to His love,
00:26:18.91\00:26:20.98
and you're washed
by His love and grace,
00:26:21.01\00:26:23.98
Jesus will sustain you,
00:26:24.01\00:26:26.78
Jesus will deliver you,
00:26:26.82\00:26:28.78
Jesus will enable
you to have the shackles
00:26:28.82\00:26:31.69
that bind you severed.
00:26:31.72\00:26:34.59
The Bible says,
"They overcame him
00:26:34.62\00:26:37.13
by the blood of the lamb,
00:26:37.16\00:26:39.06
by the word of their testimony.
00:26:39.09\00:26:40.63
They lived out
their lives to death."
00:26:40.66\00:26:42.03
Now we looked at that phrase,
00:26:42.06\00:26:43.40
the word of their testimony,
00:26:43.43\00:26:44.77
we speak out the
victory in Christ,
00:26:44.80\00:26:47.10
whether we feel
that victory or not.
00:26:47.14\00:26:49.20
But what does it mean,
00:26:49.24\00:26:50.87
they overcame him by
the blood of the lamb?
00:26:50.91\00:26:53.94
Now notice it says,
"They overcame him."
00:26:53.98\00:26:55.91
They were not
overcome, they overcame him.
00:26:55.94\00:26:57.68
Victory is ours.
00:26:57.71\00:26:59.25
They are not
overcome, they overcame.
00:26:59.28\00:27:02.58
They are not
defeated, they are what?
00:27:02.62\00:27:04.92
Victorious.
00:27:04.95\00:27:06.29
They are not
conquered, they are what?
00:27:06.32\00:27:08.22
Conquerors.
00:27:08.26\00:27:09.59
They did not lose
the battle, they do what?
00:27:09.62\00:27:12.49
They win the battle.
00:27:12.53\00:27:15.56
Now the word overcome
00:27:15.60\00:27:17.23
is a very, very
fascinating word.
00:27:17.27\00:27:21.24
It's called nikao,
and that's the Greek word.
00:27:21.27\00:27:25.47
You know, the Old
Testament was written in Hebrew.
00:27:25.51\00:27:28.18
The New Testament
was written in Greek.
00:27:28.21\00:27:31.61
And the word nikao
means to conquer, to prevail,
00:27:31.65\00:27:35.98
to triumph, to come
through victoriously.
00:27:36.02\00:27:40.06
So the word overcome
in the Greek language
00:27:40.09\00:27:43.63
is a very strong word.
00:27:43.66\00:27:45.29
It's not a weak word.
00:27:45.33\00:27:47.00
It has to do with conquest.
It has to do with victory.
00:27:47.03\00:27:50.23
And when the Bible
says they overcame him,
00:27:50.27\00:27:52.50
that's not, oh,
they, they, they,
00:27:52.53\00:27:54.54
they overcame him,
it's they overcame him.
00:27:54.57\00:27:58.47
It's a very strong word.
00:27:58.51\00:28:00.24
That indicates that
victory is certain for the one
00:28:00.28\00:28:05.25
who is in Christ,
whose faith is in Christ,
00:28:05.28\00:28:08.95
the one who has the grace
00:28:08.98\00:28:11.32
and power of Christ
living in their lives.
00:28:11.35\00:28:14.92
Now throughout the
Book of Revelation,
00:28:14.96\00:28:18.53
this expression the Lamb
of God is used frequently.
00:28:18.56\00:28:23.23
Notice the Bible says,
00:28:23.26\00:28:24.60
"They overcame him
by the blood of the lamb
00:28:24.63\00:28:27.27
and the word of their testimony
00:28:27.30\00:28:29.27
and they love not
their lives to death."
00:28:29.30\00:28:31.74
The expression the Lamb of God
00:28:31.77\00:28:33.27
is used throughout
the Book of Revelation.
00:28:33.31\00:28:34.74
In fact, it's used 28
times in the Book of Revelation.
00:28:34.78\00:28:39.68
Now numbers in
the Book of Revelation
00:28:39.71\00:28:41.42
are very interesting, and
they are code words for us.
00:28:41.45\00:28:47.69
In the Book of Revelation
four represents universality.
00:28:47.72\00:28:51.99
The four winds of the compass,
it has to do with completeness
00:28:52.03\00:28:56.53
or universality, every
direction of the compass,
00:28:56.56\00:29:00.14
every nation, kindred,
tongue, and people, that's four.
00:29:00.17\00:29:03.71
In the Book of Revelation
seven indicates perfection.
00:29:03.74\00:29:06.88
You have the seven churches,
00:29:06.91\00:29:08.54
the seven seals,
the seven trumpets,
00:29:08.58\00:29:10.75
the seven Spirits of
God, seventh-day Sabbath,
00:29:10.78\00:29:13.65
all of that in Revelation.
00:29:13.68\00:29:16.18
Four times seven is 28.
00:29:16.22\00:29:18.25
So in the Book of Revelation,
00:29:18.29\00:29:19.62
what you have is that Christ
00:29:19.65\00:29:21.92
is the universal
Savior as the Lamb of God,
00:29:21.96\00:29:25.29
and He is the perfect Savior,
00:29:25.33\00:29:27.40
because He provides
the perfect sacrifice
00:29:27.43\00:29:29.96
for the sins of humanity,
00:29:30.00\00:29:31.87
and He has perfectly
overcome the powers of hell.
00:29:31.90\00:29:36.34
Now we're going to look at
one of those Bible passages,
00:29:36.37\00:29:38.94
of those 28 in
the Book of Revelation
00:29:38.97\00:29:40.81
that talk about
Jesus as the Lamb of God.
00:29:40.84\00:29:43.88
In Revelation 5:6, it
says, "And I looked, and behold,
00:29:43.91\00:29:47.82
in the midst of the throne
00:29:47.85\00:29:49.42
and of the four
living creatures,
00:29:49.45\00:29:51.75
stood a lamb as
it had been slain."
00:29:51.79\00:29:54.52
Now that's a very strange
place for a slain lamb to be.
00:29:54.56\00:29:59.59
You look up into heaven,
00:29:59.63\00:30:01.23
and there you see this
lamb that has been slain,
00:30:01.26\00:30:04.33
and all of heaven
is worshipping there.
00:30:04.37\00:30:09.10
"Having seven
horns and seven eyes..."
00:30:09.14\00:30:11.21
Now in the Bible
horns are a symbol of power.
00:30:11.24\00:30:13.64
Seven horns a perfect power.
00:30:13.68\00:30:15.51
Eyes are a symbol of wisdom.
00:30:15.54\00:30:17.75
And so you have the Christ.
00:30:17.78\00:30:20.18
They are this
slain lamb in heaven,
00:30:20.22\00:30:22.38
who is perfectly wise
00:30:22.42\00:30:24.19
in implementing the
point of our salvation,
00:30:24.22\00:30:26.86
through His life
and death on the cross
00:30:26.89\00:30:28.52
and through His
high priestly ministry,
00:30:28.56\00:30:30.39
and who has all
power to overcome Satan.
00:30:30.43\00:30:32.89
And the seven spirits,
the seven spirits have to do
00:30:32.93\00:30:35.60
with the complete
ministry of the Holy Spirit,
00:30:35.63\00:30:37.80
to bring the power of Christ
00:30:37.83\00:30:39.37
and the wisdom of
Christ into our life.
00:30:39.40\00:30:41.60
So here you
have the Lamb of God,
00:30:41.64\00:30:43.71
before the very throne
of God, this slain lamb.
00:30:43.74\00:30:47.58
Now when John looks up
00:30:47.61\00:30:48.94
and sees this
slain lamb in heaven,
00:30:48.98\00:30:51.41
he sees a scroll that's opened,
00:30:51.45\00:30:53.55
and that's the scroll
of course of judgment.
00:30:53.58\00:30:55.82
And as he sees that, he asked,
00:30:55.85\00:30:57.55
"Who is worthy
to open the scroll?"
00:30:57.59\00:31:00.46
And John sees nobody
worthy to open that scroll.
00:31:00.49\00:31:03.69
And he begins to weep because
00:31:03.73\00:31:05.46
he knows that if no
one can open the scroll,
00:31:05.49\00:31:08.13
then the entire
universe is lost,
00:31:08.16\00:31:12.53
the entire planet earth is lost.
00:31:12.57\00:31:15.14
And then he sees
the lamb step forth,
00:31:15.17\00:31:17.24
Jesus Christ.
00:31:17.27\00:31:18.61
Now you remember what John said,
00:31:18.64\00:31:20.38
when Jesus came for
His baptism in John 1:29,
00:31:20.41\00:31:24.05
and he said,
"Behold," that is look at,
00:31:24.08\00:31:26.35
"the Lamb of God that takes away
00:31:26.38\00:31:28.15
the sins of the world."
00:31:28.18\00:31:29.52
The original language
for takes away is bears away
00:31:29.55\00:31:32.15
the sins of the world.
00:31:32.19\00:31:33.52
So Jesus takes away our
sin, He takes away our guilt,
00:31:33.56\00:31:37.53
He takes away our shame,
00:31:37.56\00:31:38.89
He takes away our condemnation,
00:31:38.93\00:31:40.50
He takes away the
grip of sin upon our life.
00:31:40.53\00:31:44.57
William Barclay,
00:31:44.60\00:31:45.93
a great Bible
commentator puts it this way.
00:31:45.97\00:31:48.40
"The forgiveness
which is in the cross
00:31:48.44\00:31:51.37
has left Satan the accuser,
00:31:51.41\00:31:53.94
no possible accusation to make."
00:31:53.98\00:31:57.05
Satan the accuser has
00:31:57.08\00:31:58.51
no possible
accusation anymore, why?
00:31:58.55\00:32:01.38
Because of the
blood of the lamb.
00:32:01.42\00:32:03.69
"They overcame him,"
00:32:03.72\00:32:05.05
Revelation
12:11, second episode,
00:32:05.09\00:32:06.72
"They overcame him," by what?
00:32:06.76\00:32:08.12
By what? "By the
blood of the Lamb."
00:32:08.16\00:32:10.59
What does that mean?
00:32:10.63\00:32:11.96
It means in the death of
Christ and Calvary's cross,
00:32:11.99\00:32:15.16
the principalities
and powers of hell
00:32:15.20\00:32:17.13
were cast down.
00:32:17.17\00:32:18.50
Satan was defeated.
00:32:18.53\00:32:19.90
Forgiveness is ours,
freedom from guilt is ours.
00:32:19.93\00:32:22.80
There is no
condemnation, Romans 8:1,
00:32:22.84\00:32:25.24
to those that
are in Christ Jesus.
00:32:25.27\00:32:26.84
I love the way
Charles Wesley puts it.
00:32:26.88\00:32:28.74
"Arise, my soul, arise!
00:32:28.78\00:32:30.65
Shake off thy guilty fears,
00:32:30.68\00:32:33.38
the bleeding
Sacrifice in my behalf appears.
00:32:33.42\00:32:36.89
Before thy
throne, my surety stands,
00:32:36.92\00:32:39.59
my name is
written on His hands."
00:32:39.62\00:32:43.16
You and I have a
Christ that died for us.
00:32:43.19\00:32:45.23
We have a Christ
that lived for us.
00:32:45.26\00:32:46.76
We have a Jesus
that's in heaven for us.
00:32:46.80\00:32:48.56
"Arise, my soul, arise!
00:32:48.60\00:32:50.53
Shake off thy guilty fears,
00:32:50.57\00:32:52.93
the bleeding
sacrifice in my behalf appears."
00:32:52.97\00:32:55.34
If you've come to Christ
00:32:55.37\00:32:56.71
and accepted His
sacrifice on the cross
00:32:56.74\00:32:59.04
and are His child,
your place in heaven
00:32:59.07\00:33:02.08
has already been
assured through His victory.
00:33:02.11\00:33:04.41
You have a passport to heaven
00:33:04.45\00:33:06.98
through the
blood of Jesus Christ.
00:33:07.02\00:33:09.92
Ephesians 2:6, says,
"God raised us up with Christ
00:33:09.95\00:33:14.36
and seated us with Him
00:33:14.39\00:33:15.72
in heavenly
realms in Christ Jesus."
00:33:15.76\00:33:17.59
Right now, we dwell on earth,
00:33:17.63\00:33:20.80
with these paltry bodies
00:33:20.83\00:33:23.30
that are so subject
to disease and sickness.
00:33:23.33\00:33:25.97
We dwell on earth
with all of its conflict
00:33:26.00\00:33:28.17
and uncertainty, but by faith,
00:33:28.20\00:33:30.61
we dwell in the
heavenly realms with Christ.
00:33:30.64\00:33:33.24
And we are as really there today
00:33:33.27\00:33:35.78
by faith as if we live there,
00:33:35.81\00:33:38.71
because Jesus has
guaranteed our place there.
00:33:38.75\00:33:44.29
You know, some time
ago, I was travelling
00:33:44.32\00:33:47.72
from one of the
Middle Eastern countries
00:33:47.76\00:33:49.26
and because I travel
internationally a lot.
00:33:49.29\00:33:51.49
I typically have two passports,
two American passports,
00:33:51.53\00:33:54.86
but one of my
passports had run out
00:33:54.90\00:33:57.23
and I had forgotten
that I had an Israeli stamp
00:33:57.27\00:34:00.64
in one of my passports
00:34:00.67\00:34:02.10
and that was a
passport I was using.
00:34:02.14\00:34:03.47
So I was leaving this particular
00:34:03.51\00:34:04.84
Middle Eastern country
00:34:04.87\00:34:06.21
that has no
diplomatic relationship
00:34:06.24\00:34:08.91
with Israel at all.
00:34:08.94\00:34:10.35
And if you have an Israeli
passport leaving that country,
00:34:10.38\00:34:13.98
it's really problematic,
00:34:14.02\00:34:15.62
and they will detain
you, they'll keep you.
00:34:15.65\00:34:18.82
So I was leaving this country
and came to passport control.
00:34:18.85\00:34:22.06
And the security
officer took my passport
00:34:22.09\00:34:26.36
began looking through it.
00:34:26.39\00:34:28.26
And he said, "Israel stamp."
00:34:28.30\00:34:30.93
I didn't say
anything. "Israel stamp!"
00:34:30.97\00:34:32.97
And I could see he
was not a friendly,
00:34:33.00\00:34:35.90
friendly guy at all.
00:34:35.94\00:34:38.34
I said, "Oh, yes, it
is an Israeli stamp."
00:34:38.37\00:34:39.77
"Now wait here."
00:34:39.81\00:34:41.14
And so he walked back
00:34:41.18\00:34:42.51
and talked to some
more security people,
00:34:42.54\00:34:43.88
came back,
again, "Israel stamp."
00:34:43.91\00:34:46.48
"Yes, it is I
travel internationally.
00:34:46.51\00:34:49.08
And I travelled to many
Middle Eastern countries."
00:34:49.12\00:34:50.92
I began listing off
00:34:50.95\00:34:52.29
all the Middle Eastern countries
00:34:52.32\00:34:53.66
that I travelled to,
you know, Turkey, Jordan,
00:34:53.69\00:34:55.96
you know, Egypt, et cetera.
00:34:55.99\00:34:57.63
And he said, "Israeli
stamp!" I said, "Yes."
00:34:57.66\00:34:59.36
Then he went to the police
00:34:59.39\00:35:00.73
and my heart was
beating a little faster.
00:35:00.76\00:35:02.10
You see, you're a
pastor, you should have faith.
00:35:02.13\00:35:03.57
Yeah, I had faith but
I still had a heart too.
00:35:03.60\00:35:05.77
And so I just prayed,
"Lord, please, please."
00:35:05.80\00:35:09.20
And he came back and I said,
00:35:09.24\00:35:10.57
"Well, here I go to the police."
00:35:10.61\00:35:12.44
He just gave me my
passport back and he said,
00:35:12.47\00:35:14.38
"You go now!"
00:35:14.41\00:35:15.74
And I tell you,
00:35:15.78\00:35:17.11
he didn't have to tell me twice.
00:35:17.15\00:35:18.48
I took off.
00:35:18.51\00:35:19.85
You know, and so,
00:35:19.88\00:35:21.22
but when I had the
wrong stamp on my passport,
00:35:21.25\00:35:22.58
now, I had a quite
different experience.
00:35:22.62\00:35:24.59
When I came back
to the United States,
00:35:24.62\00:35:27.79
I handed my American passport
00:35:27.82\00:35:30.06
to the passport
control security officer.
00:35:30.09\00:35:32.99
He took my passport,
00:35:33.03\00:35:34.36
he smiled and
said, "Welcome home."
00:35:34.40\00:35:35.73
What was the difference?
00:35:35.76\00:35:37.27
I was a citizen
of the United States.
00:35:37.30\00:35:40.27
I had a passport to enter.
00:35:40.30\00:35:42.97
Through Jesus
Christ and His blood,
00:35:43.00\00:35:45.64
you have a
passport for eternity.
00:35:45.67\00:35:47.78
And Jesus says to you,
"Welcome home, My child."
00:35:47.81\00:35:51.05
You belong here in Christ
00:35:51.08\00:35:53.31
and by Christ,
and through Christ,
00:35:53.35\00:35:55.32
and because of
Christ, you belong here.
00:35:55.35\00:35:58.69
We're no longer
foreigners or aliens,
00:35:58.72\00:36:02.52
but we are citizens of
the kingdom through Christ.
00:36:02.56\00:36:05.76
Satan's charge against God
00:36:05.79\00:36:07.56
in heaven was that
God was a dictator,
00:36:07.60\00:36:09.93
a tyrant who did not have
00:36:09.96\00:36:11.90
the best interest of
His creatures in view.
00:36:11.93\00:36:15.27
But in the cross of Calvary,
00:36:15.30\00:36:17.21
in the life and death
and resurrection of Christ,
00:36:17.24\00:36:20.78
Satan's charges
have been answered.
00:36:20.81\00:36:23.35
We have a Savior
who has provided for us
00:36:23.38\00:36:28.85
an open door into heaven.
00:36:28.88\00:36:31.12
On the cross, love triumphs
over hate, righteousness
00:36:31.15\00:36:35.72
triumphs over unrighteousness,
goodness triumphs over evil.
00:36:35.76\00:36:41.46
Napoleon once said this
00:36:41.50\00:36:43.20
to his soldiers,
"Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne,
00:36:43.23\00:36:47.80
and myself
founded great empires,
00:36:47.84\00:36:50.47
but upon what did the
creations of our genius depend?
00:36:50.51\00:36:54.38
Upon force.
00:36:54.41\00:36:55.84
Jesus alone founded
His empire upon love,
00:36:55.88\00:37:00.28
and to this very day,
millions would die for Him."
00:37:00.32\00:37:04.72
There is a kingdom
that's out of this world,
00:37:04.75\00:37:07.79
founded on the grace of
Christ and the love of Christ.
00:37:07.82\00:37:10.96
And the Book of Revelation
invites you into that kingdom
00:37:10.99\00:37:14.00
to experience that
grace, to experience that love.
00:37:14.03\00:37:17.67
And Jesus says to you and
to me today, Matthew 28:20,
00:37:17.70\00:37:22.04
"Lo, I am with you always,
even to the end of the world."
00:37:22.07\00:37:25.47
Christ walks with us through
the darkness of this world,
00:37:25.51\00:37:29.38
in the cosmic conflict,
in earth's final conflict
00:37:29.41\00:37:34.15
Three Cosmic
Messages speak to our hearts.
00:37:34.18\00:37:37.65
They say to us
that Christ is with us.
00:37:37.69\00:37:40.06
Christ is
revealing Himself to us
00:37:40.09\00:37:42.42
in His love and grace,
and goodness and mercy.
00:37:42.46\00:37:45.56
Episode number one,
there's a battle in heaven.
00:37:45.59\00:37:49.16
Satan is cast out of heaven.
00:37:49.20\00:37:51.20
He does not prevail.
00:37:51.23\00:37:52.57
Episode number two,
00:37:52.60\00:37:53.94
Satan focuses
attention upon Christ on earth
00:37:53.97\00:37:58.84
and he tries to destroy Jesus.
00:37:58.87\00:38:01.18
And in that second episode,
Jesus wins and Satan loses.
00:38:01.21\00:38:04.38
Christ dies, but
He's resurrected.
00:38:04.41\00:38:05.91
He lives in heaven for us.
00:38:05.95\00:38:07.28
Episode number three,
00:38:07.32\00:38:08.72
Satan attacks God's
people in the Middle Ages.
00:38:08.75\00:38:11.25
Centuries pass, and
there in the Middle Ages
00:38:11.29\00:38:15.46
there is this long period
known as the period of darkness.
00:38:15.49\00:38:20.26
Revelation 12:6,
00:38:20.30\00:38:22.06
the Bible says,
"Then the woman,"
00:38:22.10\00:38:25.10
who's the woman
in Bible prophecy?
00:38:25.13\00:38:27.10
It's the church.
00:38:27.14\00:38:28.57
"Fled into the wilderness,
00:38:28.60\00:38:31.07
where she has a
place prepared by God,
00:38:31.11\00:38:33.84
that they should feed her there
00:38:33.88\00:38:35.98
one thousand two
hundred and sixty days."
00:38:36.01\00:38:39.55
Now the thing that I want
you to notice here is this,
00:38:39.58\00:38:43.18
that for every attack of Satan,
00:38:43.22\00:38:46.32
there is a
place prepared by God.
00:38:46.35\00:38:51.43
For every time
Satan attacks you,
00:38:51.46\00:38:53.90
every time Satan
tries to destroy your life,
00:38:53.93\00:38:56.43
God has prepared a
place of refuge for you.
00:38:56.46\00:38:58.87
God has prepared a
place of security for you.
00:38:58.90\00:39:01.84
Jesus has
already defeated Satan.
00:39:01.87\00:39:05.64
The theme of Revelation 12,
00:39:05.67\00:39:07.18
in the entire
Book of Revelation,
00:39:07.21\00:39:09.18
Jesus wins, Satan loses.
00:39:09.21\00:39:12.05
Back to our text, "The woman,"
00:39:12.08\00:39:13.42
the church, "flees
into the wilderness,
00:39:13.45\00:39:15.02
where she has a
place prepared by God
00:39:15.05\00:39:16.58
that they should feed her
00:39:16.62\00:39:17.95
there one thousand two
hundred and sixty days."
00:39:17.99\00:39:21.29
In verse 13, it
says, of Revelation 12,
00:39:21.32\00:39:23.83
"Now when the dragon saw that
00:39:23.86\00:39:25.19
he had been cast to the earth,
00:39:25.23\00:39:26.86
he persecuted the
woman," so who is the woman?
00:39:26.90\00:39:29.36
The church.
00:39:29.40\00:39:30.73
"Who gave birth
to the male child..."
00:39:30.77\00:39:32.10
Who's the male child? Jesus.
00:39:32.13\00:39:33.87
And so Satan tried to
destroy Christ in heaven.
00:39:33.90\00:39:36.77
He was cast out.
00:39:36.81\00:39:38.14
Tried to destroy Christ
00:39:38.17\00:39:39.51
when He was born,
could not accomplish that.
00:39:39.54\00:39:41.11
But the woman, that is
the church, eventually,
00:39:41.14\00:39:43.31
"was given two
wings of a great eagle,
00:39:43.35\00:39:45.78
that she might fly
00:39:45.81\00:39:47.15
into the wilderness to her place
00:39:47.18\00:39:48.72
where she's
nourished for a time,
00:39:48.75\00:39:50.55
times and a half a time
from the face of the serpent."
00:39:50.59\00:39:53.09
The sixth verse talks
about the 1,260 years,
00:39:53.12\00:39:55.79
this talks about a time,
00:39:55.82\00:39:57.16
times and half the time,
they're both the same period.
00:39:57.19\00:39:59.63
But now notice what happens
00:39:59.66\00:40:01.00
to the church in the wilderness.
00:40:01.03\00:40:02.36
She is what?
00:40:02.40\00:40:03.73
Nourished every time the
devil tries to attack you,
00:40:03.77\00:40:06.84
every time the devil
tries to destroy you,
00:40:06.87\00:40:09.10
every time you walk through
your wilderness of darkness,
00:40:09.14\00:40:12.17
God has
prepared a place for you.
00:40:12.21\00:40:14.64
But not only has He prepared
00:40:14.68\00:40:16.01
a place of
security and assurance,
00:40:16.04\00:40:17.65
He's going to nourish you there.
00:40:17.68\00:40:19.28
You are going to grow
spiritually in your darkness.
00:40:19.31\00:40:21.38
You may be going through
00:40:21.42\00:40:22.75
the trauma of a
divorce right now.
00:40:22.78\00:40:25.49
You may feel lonely,
defeated, and discouraged.
00:40:25.52\00:40:29.42
You may have lost a job
00:40:29.46\00:40:31.66
and you're facing an
economic challenge in your life.
00:40:31.69\00:40:35.53
You may be going
through a very hard time
00:40:35.56\00:40:37.53
where you've
struggled with habits
00:40:37.57\00:40:39.07
and you feel
discouraged by that.
00:40:39.10\00:40:42.27
The Christ of Revelation
speaks to you right now.
00:40:42.30\00:40:46.61
Whoever you are,
wherever you are,
00:40:46.64\00:40:49.84
Jesus is saying to you, in
the wilderness of your life,
00:40:49.88\00:40:53.21
in the darkness of your life,
I'm going to nourish your soul.
00:40:53.25\00:40:56.79
I have never lost a
battle with Satan before
00:40:56.82\00:40:59.09
and I'm not going to
lose the battle in your life.
00:40:59.12\00:41:01.52
Now notice what
about this, 1,260 years?
00:41:01.56\00:41:03.86
The Bible prophecy
often uses code languages.
00:41:03.89\00:41:07.03
And just like those
code-breakers in Bletchley Park
00:41:07.06\00:41:10.30
with Alan Turing,
00:41:10.33\00:41:11.77
who had to break the code
of the German Enigma codes,
00:41:11.80\00:41:15.40
so God uses code language
in the Book of Revelation.
00:41:15.44\00:41:18.44
He talks about beasts
00:41:18.47\00:41:19.81
or kingdoms that
rise up out of the sea.
00:41:19.84\00:41:21.84
And we'll be
studying those in this series.
00:41:21.88\00:41:25.15
That's why you
don't want to miss
00:41:25.18\00:41:26.51
one of these presentations.
00:41:26.55\00:41:28.58
But here, and he
talks about this 1,260 days,
00:41:28.62\00:41:32.05
he's using code language
again, a prophetic period.
00:41:32.09\00:41:36.83
Now some scholars,
00:41:36.86\00:41:38.69
even non-Christian scholars
00:41:38.73\00:41:40.23
talk about a
period of the Dark Ages.
00:41:40.26\00:41:42.73
And here in this
1,260 day period,
00:41:42.76\00:41:47.07
there's code language.
00:41:47.10\00:41:48.64
What are these literal days?
00:41:48.67\00:41:50.54
What does the Bible say?
00:41:50.57\00:41:51.91
Numbers 14:3, says,
00:41:51.94\00:41:53.74
"According to the number of days
00:41:53.78\00:41:55.78
in which you spied out the land,
00:41:55.81\00:41:57.25
forty days, for each day
00:41:57.28\00:41:59.05
you shall bear
your guilt one year,
00:41:59.08\00:42:01.42
namely forty years."
00:42:01.45\00:42:02.78
You remember the story,
Israel spied out the land.
00:42:02.82\00:42:05.92
They spied it out for 40 days.
00:42:05.95\00:42:10.89
And God
predicted they would wander
00:42:10.93\00:42:12.79
the wilderness for 40 years.
00:42:12.83\00:42:15.43
It's in the Bible we call
this the day-year principle.
00:42:15.46\00:42:19.23
In other words,
one prophetic day
00:42:19.27\00:42:20.94
equals one literal year.
00:42:20.97\00:42:22.80
Now every time in the Bible,
00:42:22.84\00:42:24.24
the Bible used the word
day that does not mean year.
00:42:24.27\00:42:28.61
A day is a day in the Bible.
00:42:28.64\00:42:29.98
But when you see
00:42:30.01\00:42:31.35
the prophetic
symbolism of beasts,
00:42:31.38\00:42:32.75
when you have symbolic chapter,
00:42:32.78\00:42:35.02
that day-year principle applies.
00:42:35.05\00:42:37.32
Ezekiel 4:6, again, you
have that same principle.
00:42:37.35\00:42:40.16
"I've laid on you
a day for a," what?
00:42:40.19\00:42:42.22
"A year."
00:42:42.26\00:42:43.59
So throughout the
Book of Revelation
00:42:43.63\00:42:44.96
and the Book of Daniel,
00:42:44.99\00:42:46.33
we have great empires
that rise Babylon, Medo-Persia,
00:42:46.36\00:42:49.06
Greece, and Rome.
00:42:49.10\00:42:50.43
Some of you have
studied that before.
00:42:50.47\00:42:51.80
We have the
divisions of the Roman Empire.
00:42:51.83\00:42:53.70
Then we have this long
period known as the Dark Ages.
00:42:53.74\00:42:56.54
That period of Dark Ages began
00:42:56.57\00:42:58.87
when the Roman
Church and State united,
00:42:58.91\00:43:01.11
the Roman Church had driven out
00:43:01.14\00:43:04.38
the last of the
barbarian tribes defeated them,
00:43:04.41\00:43:07.48
the Ostrogoths,
from Rome at the time.
00:43:07.52\00:43:10.89
And most scholars look at this
1,260 prophetic days or years
00:43:10.92\00:43:15.52
as beginning in 538 AD.
00:43:15.56\00:43:18.63
That would take us to 1798.
00:43:18.66\00:43:21.26
What indeed would
happen at that period of time?
00:43:21.30\00:43:24.27
You know, during that Dark Ages,
00:43:24.30\00:43:25.93
the Bible says in
2 Corinthians 4:8-9,
00:43:25.97\00:43:28.70
"We are hard
pressed on every side
00:43:28.74\00:43:30.21
but we're not crushed,
00:43:30.24\00:43:31.77
we are perplexed,
but not in despair,
00:43:31.81\00:43:34.01
we are persecuted, not forsaken,
00:43:34.04\00:43:35.88
was struck down
but not destroyed."
00:43:35.91\00:43:38.08
During those 1,260 years,
church and state had united.
00:43:38.11\00:43:41.88
And when church and state united
00:43:41.92\00:43:43.49
during that period of time,
00:43:43.52\00:43:44.85
God's people were
persecuted, they were oppressed.
00:43:44.89\00:43:48.09
The mighty power of the church
00:43:48.12\00:43:50.26
persecuted those
that did not go along.
00:43:50.29\00:43:52.93
But as the Bible says,
they were hard pressed.
00:43:52.96\00:43:55.70
God's people were hard pressed
but they were not crushed.
00:43:55.73\00:43:57.90
They were perplexed, but
they were not in despair.
00:43:57.93\00:44:00.17
They were
persecuted, but not forsaken.
00:44:00.20\00:44:01.84
They're struck
down, but not destroyed.
00:44:01.87\00:44:03.67
God preserved His people
during that period of time.
00:44:03.71\00:44:06.47
At the end of that 1,260 years,
00:44:06.51\00:44:08.68
Napoleon sent his
General Berthier to south.
00:44:08.71\00:44:12.71
They captured the Pope of Rome
Pius VI on November 20, 1798,
00:44:12.75\00:44:17.32
and he died in captivity.
00:44:17.35\00:44:19.05
During that long
period of persecution,
00:44:19.09\00:44:23.06
what happened?
00:44:23.09\00:44:24.63
God's people were victorious!
00:44:24.66\00:44:27.43
The light of truth was
not totally snuffed out.
00:44:27.46\00:44:31.67
Four episodes in
Revelation Chapter 12
00:44:31.70\00:44:33.40
that sets the tone
00:44:33.44\00:44:34.77
for these Three Cosmic Messages.
00:44:34.80\00:44:36.14
Episode number one,
Christ win, Satan loses.
00:44:36.17\00:44:39.84
Evil angels are
cast out of heaven.
00:44:39.87\00:44:41.21
They do not prevail.
00:44:41.24\00:44:42.58
Episode number two, Jesus comes,
00:44:42.61\00:44:44.41
He's born as a babe
in Bethlehem's manger.
00:44:44.45\00:44:47.22
Satan focuses the forces of hell
00:44:47.25\00:44:49.85
and tries to destroy Him.
00:44:49.88\00:44:51.22
Jesus wins, Satan
loses. Christ dies.
00:44:51.25\00:44:55.22
Salvation is yours, it's mine.
00:44:55.26\00:44:57.23
The kingdom of God has come.
00:44:57.26\00:45:00.33
Jesus is
resurrected from the dead.
00:45:00.36\00:45:04.40
He lives as our
great high priest.
00:45:04.43\00:45:06.97
In that episode number
one, Jesus win, Satan loses.
00:45:07.00\00:45:09.84
Episode number three,
00:45:09.87\00:45:11.21
long period of
darkness, church, state unite,
00:45:11.24\00:45:13.81
people of God persecuted,
00:45:13.84\00:45:15.34
but the light of
truth is not snuffed out.
00:45:15.38\00:45:18.21
God's people are not
ultimately completely destroyed.
00:45:18.25\00:45:22.18
They win in this
period of darkness.
00:45:22.22\00:45:25.95
Throughout the Middle Ages
00:45:25.99\00:45:27.32
God has always
been with His people.
00:45:27.36\00:45:30.16
He's never left them.
00:45:30.19\00:45:31.53
But we come now,
00:45:31.56\00:45:33.13
and notice this
wonderful statement in a book
00:45:33.16\00:45:35.70
on the life of Christ
00:45:35.73\00:45:37.07
called Desire of Ages, page 679,
00:45:37.10\00:45:39.27
"Christ rejoiced that
00:45:39.30\00:45:40.80
He could do more
for His followers
00:45:40.84\00:45:42.34
than they could ask or think.
00:45:42.37\00:45:43.74
He spoke with assurance,
knowing that an almighty decree
00:45:43.77\00:45:47.64
had been given
before the world was made.
00:45:47.68\00:45:49.81
He knew that truth,
00:45:49.84\00:45:51.18
armed with the
omnipotence of the Holy Spirit,
00:45:51.21\00:45:53.42
would conquer in
the contest with evil.
00:45:53.45\00:45:55.95
And that the bloodstained banner
00:45:55.98\00:45:58.22
would wave
triumphantly over His followers.
00:45:58.25\00:46:01.16
He knew that the life
of His trusting disciples
00:46:01.19\00:46:04.76
would be like His,
00:46:04.79\00:46:06.13
a series of
uninterrupted victories,
00:46:06.16\00:46:08.63
not seen to be such here,
00:46:08.66\00:46:10.47
but recognized as such
in the great hereafter."
00:46:10.50\00:46:13.94
A series of what?
00:46:13.97\00:46:15.80
Uninterrupted victories.
00:46:15.84\00:46:19.74
Your life can be one of victory.
00:46:19.77\00:46:21.81
You are on the winning side.
00:46:21.84\00:46:24.05
Episode number four,
00:46:24.08\00:46:25.68
Satan is going to viciously
attack God's last day people
00:46:25.71\00:46:29.08
and that's what this
series is going to focus on,
00:46:29.12\00:46:31.45
particularly in the
three angels' messages.
00:46:31.49\00:46:33.42
But we've
studied it historically.
00:46:33.46\00:46:35.92
In this presentation,
00:46:35.96\00:46:37.29
Satan's gonna
viciously attack the remnant,
00:46:37.33\00:46:39.06
but Jesus is going to
win, Satan's going to lose.
00:46:39.09\00:46:41.00
Look, Revelation 12:17,
00:46:41.03\00:46:43.40
"The dragon was
enraged with a woman,"
00:46:43.43\00:46:45.60
what's enrage mean?
00:46:45.63\00:46:46.97
Angry. Who's the dragon?
00:46:47.00\00:46:48.34
Satan. "And he
goes to make war."
00:46:48.37\00:46:50.21
Satan made war in heaven,
00:46:50.24\00:46:51.87
he's made war down
through the centuries,
00:46:51.91\00:46:53.81
and he will make war
with God's last day people.
00:46:53.84\00:46:56.44
He'll make war with
God's remnant church.
00:46:56.48\00:46:59.85
"He went to make war with
the rest of her offspring,
00:46:59.88\00:47:02.52
who keep the commandments of God
00:47:02.55\00:47:05.05
and have the
testimony of Jesus."
00:47:05.09\00:47:06.99
In the last days
of earth's history,
00:47:07.02\00:47:09.26
God will have a people, a
divine movement of destiny,
00:47:09.29\00:47:13.13
a people that are
committed to Christ,
00:47:13.16\00:47:15.26
a people that are
sold out to Christ,
00:47:15.30\00:47:17.47
people that love Christ
more than anything else,
00:47:17.50\00:47:20.20
and they because of
their love will respond
00:47:20.24\00:47:23.04
obediently and
keep His commandments.
00:47:23.07\00:47:25.77
The question in
the great controversy
00:47:25.81\00:47:28.14
between good and evil
is who has our loyalty?
00:47:28.18\00:47:33.72
Who is your loyalty right now?
00:47:33.75\00:47:36.58
Are you totally
sold out to Christ?
00:47:36.62\00:47:39.09
Are you on the winning side?
00:47:39.12\00:47:42.26
Down through the ages,
00:47:42.29\00:47:43.63
Jesus has never
lost a battle with Satan.
00:47:43.66\00:47:46.16
He's not going
to lose the battle
00:47:46.19\00:47:47.53
in the final conflict.
00:47:47.56\00:47:48.90
You and I can be
on the winning side.
00:47:48.93\00:47:52.73
Although we might find
oppression, persecution,
00:47:52.77\00:47:56.44
difficulty, challenges,
Christ will never leave us.
00:47:56.47\00:48:00.11
Christ will never forsake us.
00:48:00.14\00:48:01.48
I think of the
story of Dan Crawford.
00:48:01.51\00:48:03.78
He was called by the Africans,
00:48:03.81\00:48:05.15
Konga Vantu, means,
the gather of the people.
00:48:05.18\00:48:08.58
He was one of the followers
00:48:08.62\00:48:12.45
or protegees of
David Livingston.
00:48:12.49\00:48:15.42
Born in December 7,
1870, he died in June 23, 1926.
00:48:15.46\00:48:20.80
Dan Crawford was a
mighty witness for Christ.
00:48:20.83\00:48:24.93
He travelled to
the ends of the earth,
00:48:24.97\00:48:26.53
went into the
jungles and primitive areas
00:48:26.57\00:48:29.50
in Africa and shared Jesus.
00:48:29.54\00:48:32.87
On one occasion he was
sleeping and as he yawned,
00:48:32.91\00:48:35.81
he hit a table,
terrible gash in his arm.
00:48:35.84\00:48:39.38
He wrote about it
this way in his diary.
00:48:39.41\00:48:41.98
"This week I suffer
under a grave disability.
00:48:42.02\00:48:44.65
My left arm is poisoned.
00:48:44.69\00:48:46.49
This poising is
knifing me very hard.
00:48:46.52\00:48:49.02
So we are in God's
hand, and all this well.
00:48:49.06\00:48:52.39
It is harrowing and
might have been avoided,
00:48:52.43\00:48:54.70
only I was sleeping
00:48:54.73\00:48:56.06
in my little
den in a deep sleep.
00:48:56.10\00:48:57.93
This made me forget the iodine,
00:48:57.97\00:49:00.24
which is the panacea of my life.
00:49:00.27\00:49:03.91
To say that it is
harrowing is only to remind you
00:49:03.94\00:49:07.21
that it is the
harrow that produces
00:49:07.24\00:49:09.51
the smiling lands of
corn, and this explains that,
00:49:09.54\00:49:12.98
'we glory in
tribulation,' verse, but do we?
00:49:13.01\00:49:17.25
Goodbye dear friends.
00:49:17.29\00:49:19.29
We will meet at the
appearing in excellent glory.'"
00:49:19.32\00:49:25.09
Dan Crawford
died there in Africa.
00:49:25.13\00:49:28.46
His body is buried
not far from Lake Mweru.
00:49:28.50\00:49:34.47
It is there in
the Democratic Congo,
00:49:34.50\00:49:37.94
buried with other missionaries.
00:49:37.97\00:49:40.88
And as he died, he
wrote something just
00:49:40.91\00:49:44.71
before his death in
the flyleaf of his Bible.
00:49:44.75\00:49:48.62
I have written it in
the flyleaf of my Bible.
00:49:48.65\00:49:51.69
It shows that we may
go through challenges,
00:49:51.72\00:49:54.59
we may go through difficulties,
00:49:54.62\00:49:56.59
we may go through heartaches,
00:49:56.62\00:49:58.29
but we are on the winning side.
00:49:58.33\00:50:01.23
Notice what he wrote,
"I cannot do it alone.
00:50:01.26\00:50:05.60
The waves dash fast and high.
00:50:05.63\00:50:08.67
The fog and mist set in.
The light goes out in the sky.
00:50:08.70\00:50:13.38
But I know in the end,
00:50:13.41\00:50:15.54
we too shall win, Jesus and I.
00:50:15.58\00:50:20.78
A coward, wayward and weak,
00:50:20.82\00:50:24.45
I change with the changing sky.
00:50:24.49\00:50:27.79
Today I'm so strong and brave,
00:50:27.82\00:50:30.83
but tomorrow,
I'm too weak to try.
00:50:30.86\00:50:34.26
But he never gives up,
00:50:34.30\00:50:36.33
and in the end,
00:50:36.36\00:50:38.80
we too shall win, Jesus and I."
00:50:38.83\00:50:44.17
Jesus reaches
out to you right now.
00:50:44.21\00:50:50.18
The Book of
Revelation invite you
00:50:50.21\00:50:54.65
to come to the Lamb of God,
00:50:54.68\00:50:57.39
to let Him wash
you with His grace,
00:50:57.42\00:51:00.42
to let Him fill
you with His love,
00:51:00.46\00:51:04.56
to let Him change
you by His spirit.
00:51:04.59\00:51:07.83
He has never lost a
battle with the evil one yet.
00:51:07.86\00:51:12.43
Will you reach out
right now as Charles sings,
00:51:12.47\00:51:15.00
Precious Lord, take my hand.
00:51:15.04\00:51:18.77
Lead me on and help
me stand through the dark
00:51:18.81\00:51:23.88
and through the night.
00:51:23.91\00:51:25.41
Lead me on to the light.
00:51:25.45\00:51:27.22
Listen as Charles comes to sing.
00:51:27.25\00:51:29.05
Precious Lord
00:51:40.40\00:51:45.10
Take my hand
00:51:45.13\00:51:48.90
Lead me on
00:51:48.94\00:51:53.04
Help me stand
00:51:53.07\00:51:57.28
I am tired
00:51:57.31\00:52:00.58
And I'm weak
00:52:00.62\00:52:04.09
I'm lone
00:52:04.12\00:52:06.32
Through the storm
00:52:10.83\00:52:15.16
Through the night
00:52:15.20\00:52:19.50
Lead me on
00:52:19.53\00:52:22.44
To your light
00:52:22.47\00:52:26.71
Take my hand,
00:52:26.74\00:52:29.88
Precious Lord
00:52:29.91\00:52:35.18
Lead me home
00:52:35.22\00:52:39.75
When my way
00:52:44.36\00:52:48.56
Grows drear
00:52:48.60\00:52:52.53
Precious Lord,
00:52:52.57\00:52:55.84
Just linger near
00:52:55.87\00:52:59.47
When my light
00:52:59.51\00:53:03.75
Is almost gone
00:53:03.78\00:53:08.82
Hear my cry
00:53:13.32\00:53:17.56
Hear my call
00:53:17.59\00:53:21.16
Hold my hand lest
00:53:21.20\00:53:26.13
I fall
00:53:26.17\00:53:29.17
Take my hand,
00:53:29.20\00:53:32.61
Precious Lord
00:53:32.64\00:53:37.35
Lead me home
00:53:37.38\00:53:43.85
Take my hand,
00:53:43.89\00:53:47.26
Precious Lord
00:53:47.29\00:53:51.89
Lead
00:53:51.93\00:53:53.53
Me home
00:54:00.54\00:54:04.37
This world is headed
for a tremendous crisis,
00:54:11.38\00:54:16.82
a crisis of
epidemic proportions that you
00:54:16.85\00:54:21.16
and I can hardly realize.
00:54:21.19\00:54:24.26
Everything that can
be shaken will be shaken.
00:54:24.29\00:54:28.13
The institutions that
we have once had confidence
00:54:28.16\00:54:32.50
in will crumble.
00:54:32.53\00:54:34.20
Before the coming of
Jesus, there is only one thing
00:54:34.24\00:54:38.37
that will get you through.
00:54:38.41\00:54:40.81
And that is trust
and confidence in Him.
00:54:40.84\00:54:44.71
And not only will we go through
00:54:44.75\00:54:46.15
a crisis at the time of the end,
00:54:46.18\00:54:48.65
but many of us are
facing crisis today,
00:54:48.68\00:54:52.15
crisis's that we ourselves
00:54:52.19\00:54:54.32
are incapable of handling.
00:54:54.36\00:54:58.46
Right now, Jesus says to you,
00:54:58.49\00:55:00.66
"My child, I have never lost
00:55:00.70\00:55:03.73
a battle with Satan yet.
00:55:03.77\00:55:07.10
I've never lost one
conflict with the evil one.
00:55:07.14\00:55:12.67
And I'm with you.
00:55:12.71\00:55:14.51
I will never leave you.
00:55:14.54\00:55:16.48
I'll never forsake you.
00:55:16.51\00:55:18.75
I am there for you."
00:55:18.78\00:55:21.32
Will you right
now reach out to Him?
00:55:21.35\00:55:25.25
Will you right now
open your heart to Him?
00:55:25.29\00:55:29.66
Will you say
Jesus, "I am yours"?
00:55:29.69\00:55:34.16
I don't want to play games.
00:55:34.20\00:55:35.83
Every angel in
heaven had to make a choice.
00:55:35.86\00:55:38.47
In the days of Jesus,
00:55:38.50\00:55:39.83
men and women
had to make a choice.
00:55:39.87\00:55:41.54
In the Middle Ages,
they had to make a choice.
00:55:41.57\00:55:44.24
And in the last
days of earth's history,
00:55:44.27\00:55:47.64
every human being
will be led to that choice.
00:55:47.68\00:55:50.58
As we pray right now,
would you like to say,
00:55:50.61\00:55:53.85
"Jesus, I am yours totally,
00:55:53.88\00:55:58.45
completely, absolutely yours?"
00:55:58.49\00:56:00.66
Let's pray.
00:56:00.69\00:56:02.02
Father in heaven,
00:56:02.06\00:56:03.53
thank You so much
for the Living Christ.
00:56:03.56\00:56:08.16
Thank You that we
are on the winning side.
00:56:08.20\00:56:11.77
Thank You that You
defeated Satan in heaven,
00:56:11.80\00:56:17.17
that You defeated Satan on
earth in the days of Christ.
00:56:17.21\00:56:19.77
You defeated him
in the Middle Ages.
00:56:19.81\00:56:21.21
You defeated him in
every age of earth's history,
00:56:21.24\00:56:24.71
Thank You, Jesus
00:56:24.75\00:56:26.08
that You are the victorious Lord
00:56:26.11\00:56:28.48
and be victorious in our lives.
00:56:28.52\00:56:29.85
We give our lives to You now.
00:56:29.88\00:56:31.39
Do for us what we
cannot do for ourselves
00:56:31.42\00:56:34.22
and may we through
Christ and by Christ
00:56:34.26\00:56:36.32
because of Christ be overcomers,
00:56:36.36\00:56:38.66
in Jesus' name, amen.
00:56:38.69\00:56:41.76
God bless you, my friend.
00:56:41.80\00:56:43.70
I look forward to
seeing you next time
00:56:43.73\00:56:46.37
as we probe even more
deeply these messages,
00:56:46.40\00:56:51.67
Earth's Final
Conflict, Three Cosmic Messages.
00:56:51.71\00:56:55.28
You don't want to miss
one of these presentations.
00:56:55.31\00:56:58.48
Next time, we'll
go into Revelation,
00:56:58.51\00:57:01.12
the 14th Chapter.
00:57:01.15\00:57:02.88
And there,
we'll begin to look at
00:57:02.92\00:57:06.52
the theme of
Earth's Final Harvest.
00:57:06.55\00:57:10.93
Stay with us.
00:57:10.96\00:57:12.29
Invite friends to
watch this series with you.
00:57:12.33\00:57:16.53
And today, leave
with the assurance
00:57:16.56\00:57:20.47
that your hand is in the
hand of the Living Christ.
00:57:20.50\00:57:24.47
Amen.
00:57:24.51\00:57:25.84