Life Discovery Series

Battle Beyond The Stars

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Jim Reinking

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Series Code: LDS

Program Code: LDS000002


00:33 Tonight, we're going to begin
00:35 I'm looking at this underlying biblical template.
00:38 We just began to put
00:40 the essential parts of it together last night.
00:43 And again if you're with us, you will remember that
00:45 we were in the Book of Genesis in those early chapters
00:49 and we discovered that God created a perfect world.
00:53 It was a paradise as it says in Genesis 1:31,
00:59 "As God looked at His creation He declared it is very good."
01:03 And my friend, it was perfect.
01:06 This was the original plan, this was the original intention.
01:11 God intended for us to inhabit paradise.
01:15 He intended for us to experience only that which was good.
01:21 That is clear from our own life's experience, isn't it?
01:24 I mean, pick up a newspaper, look at what's happening on TV,
01:28 the news, and we discover there is a lot that has gone wrong.
01:33 Clearly, there's been a departure
01:35 from God's original plan.
01:37 But remember how vital-- vitally important this really is
01:41 that God's intension was that we would only know what is good.
01:46 That's the kind of God that we served.
01:48 And you remember there in the Garden of Eden
01:51 as we turn to Genesis 2:16, 17
01:54 last night, God put this tree.
01:56 And the tree represented a choice,
02:00 a choice between God's way and the alternative way
02:02 and we're gonna be talking a little bit more about
02:04 the alternative way tonight and just how that came to be.
02:08 But there was a decision to made, to be made
02:10 and it's not unlike, the decision you
02:12 and I have to make today.
02:14 We have a choice today
02:15 between God's way's or the alternative way.
02:19 They're really only two ways, you know that, don't you?
02:23 Just two ways.
02:24 And so that fruit is not again
02:28 so much the fruit is what it represented,
02:31 what it symbolized.
02:33 And we know the faithful decision was taken
02:35 there in Genesis Chapter 3,
02:37 it's recorded for us.
02:39 And so the human race came in
02:41 possession of the knowledge of evil,
02:45 something that God never
02:47 intended for us to ever experience.
02:49 There are so many things that we today--
02:51 we see, we here, we experience,
02:54 we feel that God never
02:56 intended for us to go through.
02:58 Do you know that?
03:00 God never intended for us to go to the grief
03:03 and the sorrow that sometimes is our part
03:07 as we are living upon this planet
03:09 that was not His purpose.
03:10 It all comes out of that faithful decision
03:13 and we are living with the results of it,
03:17 that knowledge of the evil.
03:20 But that's where the planet salvation came in
03:23 as we studied last night again
03:24 as we laid down this essential elements.
03:26 God had a plan because God just could not let us go.
03:29 God could have walked away He could've--
03:31 He said, I'm gonna, you could have said
03:32 I'm gonna start over but God just could not let us go
03:35 because you see He loves us.
03:37 And so God put in effect a plan it
03:40 was a masterful plan.
03:42 Jesus, was gonna step in as the divine substitute.
03:45 He was gonna take the consequences
03:46 of all of the sin and all of the guilt,
03:50 and all in the world.
03:51 He took it upon Himself, He died in our place
03:54 and so that by faith in Him,
03:56 we can now embrace the life that is His, life eternal.
04:02 And with it through Calvary
04:04 we have this wonderful
04:07 glorious future that is promise.
04:09 Remember we're in Revelation 21 where it says,
04:11 "God, God made a new heaven and a new earth."
04:15 And in Revelation 20:4 it declares,
04:17 "There will be no more tears, there will be no more sorrow,
04:20 there will be no more crying.
04:22 There will be no more pain
04:23 or death for the former things have passed away."
04:26 There is going to come a time,
04:28 when it's all going to be behind us.
04:32 And isn't that going to be wonderful? Yeah.
04:34 And that's where prophecy comes in.
04:35 Let me tell you-- yes, there is some
04:37 frightening things are gonna happen in the end time.
04:39 But the good news, it's going to come to an end,
04:41 this mass up where we're in, all of the suffering.
04:44 And it's gonna be a new beginning,
04:46 a wonderful beginning for God's people.
04:49 Tonight, we trace an intergalactic conflict
04:52 that began in the outer reaches of the universe.
04:56 During the course of our study this evening,
04:58 we will discover that the earth
04:59 is the object of a massive invasion
05:03 in which countless numbers
05:04 of various inhabitants will be left helpless victims.
05:08 You know, really fact sometimes is stranger than fiction.
05:12 And Jesus referred to this invasion
05:14 He actually did in Parable 4.
05:17 Turn with me to Matthew Chapter 13,
05:20 the New Testament page 11, page 11.
05:25 Matthew 13,
05:26 and let's take a look at this parable
05:28 where Jesus talks about what happened?
05:31 Matthew 13,
05:33 and just find your way on down there to verse 20
05:37 or up there to verse 24.
05:39 Matthew13:24.
05:41 "Jesus presented another parable to them,
05:43 saying, 'The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man
05:47 who sowed good seed in his field.
05:51 But while his men were sleeping,
05:53 his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat,
05:56 and went away.
05:58 But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain,
06:01 then the tares became evident also.'"
06:05 The word tares, what's the word we would actually use?
06:08 Weeds. Weeds.
06:09 So you got the picture good seed was planted.
06:14 But in the middle of the night
06:16 and this is always the kind of stuff
06:18 that happens at night in darkness.
06:21 Here comes the enemy
06:22 and he begins to sow all of these weeds
06:26 among the wheat that have been,
06:28 that have been planted.
06:30 And then we find verse 26, "But when the wheat sprouted
06:33 and bore grain, then the tares became evident also.
06:36 The slaves of the landowner came
06:38 and said to him, 'Sir,
06:39 did you not sow good seed in your field?
06:41 How then does it have tares?'
06:43 And he said to them, 'an enemy has done this.
06:48 An enemy has done this.'
06:50 Indeed an enemy has done this."
06:52 And in fact as we drop down to verse 27
06:56 or verse 37 I'm sorry, we discovered
06:58 that Jesus gives a more precise interpretation
07:02 of this parable to his disciples.
07:05 And take a note what he says,
07:06 he says here beginning with verse 37
07:08 and he said, "The one who sows
07:10 the good seed is the Son of Man."
07:13 Who is they're talking about?
07:15 Who is they're talking about? Jesus.
07:16 It's talking about Jesus.
07:18 When it's fixing to the Son of Man,
07:19 it's emphasizing His identity with us in His humanity
07:25 and He didn't take humanity upon himself.
07:28 The divine son of God, verse 38.
07:31 "And the field," it says, "is the world."
07:33 The field represents the world,
07:35 "And as for the good seed,
07:36 these are the sons of the kingdom and the tares."
07:39 The weeds. "Are the sons of the evil one.
07:44 And the enemy who sowed them," is who?
07:46 Who is the enemy?
07:47 Devil. Is the devil.
07:50 Oh, my friend, you see as we studied last night
07:53 and as we continue on in our sequence,
07:55 we discovered that God created a perfect world
07:58 in the very beginning.
08:01 And Satan came into this planet
08:03 and he sowed the seeds of sin and destruction.
08:07 The good that God created was corrupted
08:10 and adulterated with evil.
08:13 And friend, that is exactly what is taking place.
08:15 That's what's described here in this parable.
08:18 And it brings up a very important question
08:20 as we're talking about this knowledge of the evil
08:22 that comes out of the Garden of Eden
08:24 that is spread all through this planet that has,
08:28 you know, you can look at it historically
08:31 how this was played out in human history.
08:34 But we all have our own personal history
08:37 as it comes through this matter of the knowledge of evil.
08:41 So who is Satan?
08:42 Where did he come from is the question.
08:45 And notice as we turn to Revelation Chapter 12,
08:49 the Bible gives us a clear answer Revelation 12,
08:51 the New Testament page 195, 195 Revelation 12
08:58 then we're gonna be looking at verses 7 through 9.
09:02 We're gonna make a fascinating discovery
09:04 as we come to this passage.
09:08 Because in Revelation 12:7, we find these words,
09:11 it says, "And there was war," where?
09:16 There was war in heaven.
09:18 I mean, that just is absolutely astounding,
09:21 when you begin astounding,
09:22 when you begin to think about it.
09:24 War in heaven?
09:25 I mean, that, it was to be the last place
09:28 that we would expect here to be war
09:29 and conflict, wouldn't we?
09:32 Then nevertheless that's what the Bible says,
09:33 and my friend, this is where
09:35 it all began in heaven of all places.
09:38 It says, "There was war in heaven,
09:40 Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon."
09:44 Now there is one of those prophetic symbolisms
09:46 of the Book of Revelation.
09:47 And it says, "The dragon and his angels waged war."
09:51 And it becomes very clear abundantly clear
09:53 that this conflict in heaven broke out
09:56 among the angelic host of heaven.
10:00 Sides were being taken,
10:01 Michael and his angels the dragon
10:03 and his angels verse 8,
10:05 and it says, "The dragon and his angels,
10:07 they were not strong enough
10:08 and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven.
10:11 And the great dragon was thrown down,
10:14 the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan,
10:16 who deceives the whole world,
10:18 he was thrown down to the earth,
10:19 and his angels were thrown down with him."
10:22 And so who is the great dragon
10:24 of Revelation 12 of verse 9 tells us,
10:28 "it represents Satan."
10:30 It represents the evil one.
10:33 And my friend, we've got--
10:35 I mean, its just three verses but we do get the--
10:37 essence on what to place in heaven.
10:40 There was rebellion, there was conflict
10:42 between the angel sides again we're taking being taken
10:45 and we're taking place.
10:47 I don't know the nature of this conflict
10:49 and nature of this war of warfare,
10:51 I don't the weaponry that was going on.
10:54 And, you know, that's beyond
10:56 what's revealed in the word of God,
10:57 but they're nevertheless was war.
10:59 And Satan and his angels were defeated,
11:05 they were forced out
11:06 because you see, there is no place for evil in heaven.
11:13 And where did they end up?
11:15 They were cast down to the earth.
11:19 And, you know, initially they were confined
11:22 to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
11:24 They did not come down to this earth,
11:26 with free rain over this planet.
11:28 No, that is not the way that had played out.
11:31 There was only one contact point initially it was at the tree,
11:35 until Adam and Eve ate up that fruit
11:40 and that open the door to the whole mess
11:43 that we're living with today.
11:46 That's exactly-- it just spread over this planet, hasn't it?
11:50 And let me tell you,
11:51 let me tell you through the power
11:53 and grace and the love of Jesus, my friend,
11:57 he too is gonna be defeated here in the end.
12:00 In the end, there is gonna be no place for the devil
12:03 and his evil angels, right.
12:05 And God is going to make a final end of it.
12:09 It is guaranteed by the death
12:10 of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary
12:13 as I said last night when He cried it is finished.
12:16 That reverberates down through
12:19 the ages of time down to the end of it all.
12:23 And, my friend, it is-- it's given, it's not and maybe--
12:27 it's gonna happen and it's wonderful.
12:31 I mean, God, I mean what kind of a God would it be
12:34 that would just leave us in the cesspool of the mess
12:38 that we find on this planet.
12:40 My friend, He is a God of love.
12:42 And He is, has taken action
12:44 and He's going to take even more direct action
12:47 and we know from the prophecies to end it
12:50 and again assuring that glorious,
12:52 that wonderful future that is planned
12:54 for those have loved Him.
12:55 That's a future for all of us, isn't it?
12:58 But let's take a little bit closer look
12:59 at this matter of this conflict.
13:01 2 Peter Chapter 2,
13:03 the New Testament page 183 speaks of it.
13:08 2 Peter 2:4.
13:12 You see we need to understand
13:14 something of the nature of the conflict
13:17 we find ourselves in.
13:18 Yes, we know that Jesus has died for us.
13:21 We know the price of our redemption has been paid.
13:25 We know that He has planned this wonderful future for us.
13:28 But we really do need to comprehend
13:30 a little bit more clearly from the biblical sense
13:33 about how this all came to be
13:35 and again the nature of the conflict
13:37 that we find ourselves in.
13:38 2 Peter Chapter 2 and looking at the first part of verse 4
13:41 where it says, "For if God
13:43 did not spare angels when they sinned."
13:49 So here is that question?
13:51 Where did sin begin?
13:54 In heaven.
13:55 In heaven, we've already been there, where we?
13:58 In Revelation 12:7,
14:00 but it may say clear that this rebellion is--
14:03 was a rebellion of sin.
14:05 And sin of the very hard of it is rebellion.
14:08 It's rebellion against God's ways.
14:11 A rebellion against God's will.
14:13 And, my friend, that's exactly that happened, isn't it,
14:16 at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
14:18 when Adam and Eve partook of the fruit.
14:22 Maybe they weren't thinking this through very clearly
14:24 but nevertheless it represented rebellion against God.
14:30 It was an affect saying we are going to do it our way,
14:34 we're going to eat up the fruit regardless of what God has said.
14:38 And this is what,
14:40 you know, this is why I call the spiritual teenage syndrome.
14:45 You know, there's a spiritual teenage syndrome.
14:47 And, you know, you could be pity in 60
14:50 and be a spiritual teenage
14:52 in the spiritual teenage syndrome that is,
14:55 you know, that rebellious period of time in our lives
14:58 where we're determined to do it our own way.
15:00 And, my friend, somewhere along the way
15:02 we need to discover our own way
15:04 really in the end is not the way of life,
15:06 it's the way of death, it takes us down.
15:10 The God's ways are the ways of life.
15:14 So as we're talking about this
15:16 the angels rebelling and sinning,
15:19 do we have any idea
15:21 how many of the angels were involved in the rebellion?
15:25 And, you know, the Bible gives us
15:26 some clear indication of that.
15:28 I take you on the screen to Revelation 5
15:32 and we're gonna look at verse 11.
15:34 Where it says, John, John's invasion where he said,
15:37 "And I beheld and I heard the voice
15:39 of many angels about the throne
15:42 and the number of them
15:43 was ten thousand times ten thousand,
15:46 and thousands of thousands."
15:48 Now I want to point out at the very beginning of this--
15:51 as we look at this verse
15:53 that these represent the angels that remain faithful to God.
15:57 This is after Satan and his angels
16:00 were cast down to this earth, right.
16:04 So he describes them as ten thousand times ten thousand,
16:08 and thousand of thousands.
16:09 So let's do little bit of math here.
16:12 I mean, what is ten thousand times ten thousand anyway?
16:14 I don't know if this is the old math or the new math
16:17 but this is the way at least I was taught how to do it.
16:20 And let's do the old fashion way, 10,000 time 10,000.
16:23 What kind of number does that leave us with?
16:25 One million.
16:27 Wow, little bit more than that.
16:28 One hundred million. Ten thousand times.
16:32 And 1,000 by 1,000 that's where you get the 1,000,000.
16:38 So this is what John saw on vision.
16:40 He saw millions, he saw hundreds of millions
16:44 of angels around the throne of God.
16:48 I mean, this is a pretty large population, would you think.
16:52 And again then we need to add another text
16:54 as we look at this question how many?
16:57 In Revelation 12:3, 4.
16:59 Remember we were looking at verses 7-9.
17:01 This is in the context of this matter of war in heaven.
17:06 And it is in the typical prophetic language
17:08 of the Book of Revelation as you will note.
17:10 It says, "And another sign appeared in heaven
17:12 and behold, a great red dragon," who is the dragon again?
17:17 It's Satan we know that.
17:18 "Having seven heads and ten horns,"
17:20 that has his significance to,
17:22 but is not so important to what we were doing tonight.
17:25 "And on his heads were seven diadems."
17:28 Now notice, "And his tail swept away," how many?
17:34 "A third of the stars of heaven and he threw them to the earth."
17:39 What do we read in Revelation 12:7-9?
17:42 There was war in heaven
17:44 and they were cast down to the earth,
17:47 you see the parallel there.
17:48 And in the prophetic language here
17:50 is describing a third of those beings of light.
17:56 The term here that describes the stars of heaven,
17:58 these beings of light where cast down to the earth.
18:03 So somewhere between the tens if not the hundreds of millions,
18:08 the evil angels are here on this planet.
18:12 And they know all of the buttons to push.
18:14 Have you noticed that?
18:16 You know, from the day that we enter in our life
18:18 until the day that we leave it.
18:20 My friend, we'll be in tract by the evil one.
18:24 And he has an advantage
18:25 because we have been deeply affected
18:27 by this knowledge of the evil, right.
18:31 We all have been.
18:33 All of us, none of us are excluded.
18:36 The past is not excluded, I'm not excluded,
18:39 all excluded, all of us have our own experience
18:43 with this matter of sin, all of us dealing with this.
18:46 And to the extent that we have,
18:48 you know, we've been affected by evil
18:51 to that accept the evil one has an advantage
18:55 that I do remind you what the Bible says.
18:58 Greater, greater is he who is in you
19:02 than he who is in the world.
19:06 So when we talk about the evil one
19:07 and the power of these evil angels,
19:10 my friend, we must never forget
19:12 that there was one He declared over
19:15 at the open tomb that all power
19:18 has been given to me in heaven and earth.
19:20 That is our Lord that is our Savior.
19:23 All power has been given to Him.
19:27 So about a third us
19:29 is a third of the angels were involved in this,
19:33 in this rebellion against God.
19:35 Let me tell you,
19:36 let's talk a little bit about these angels as we--
19:38 as we have some indication from the word of God.
19:42 They are truly extraordinary,
19:44 they are truly powerful beings, these angels.
19:49 In fact as we take a look at Psalm 8:4, 5
19:53 the question is asked,
19:54 "What is man that Thou dost take thought of him?
19:58 And the son of man that Thou dost care for him?
20:00 Yet Thou hast made him,"
20:02 let's talk about the human race.
20:04 This is talking about you and me.
20:05 "Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels."
20:11 In other words the Bible teaches
20:12 that as the class of beings we are,
20:16 you know, we're just a little bit lower
20:18 than the angels.
20:20 They are a higher class of beings,
20:23 God created them to inhabit heaven
20:27 and to carry out His will.
20:29 In fact the word angels in the Greek Angelo's,
20:32 literally means messengers.
20:35 And they are messengers of hope
20:37 and of love from God that is the good angels.
20:43 But the angels of darkness have become messengers of what?
20:48 Of despair of darkness and of evil.
20:52 That's there message just been corrupted by evil.
20:55 It's astounding to consider that the angels
20:57 of that a third of them,
20:59 that they were give themselves over
21:01 to what we were call the dark side.
21:04 And that's exactly what they did.
21:07 And, my friend, some of us
21:08 because of evil have in our lives
21:10 given ourselves over to the dark side, right.
21:14 But let me tell you there is,
21:16 there is a-- there is light,
21:19 there is glorious light
21:20 for those that loved the Lord Jesus Christ.
21:22 But let's talk a little bit more about these angels
21:24 the little bit more, Matthew 28,
21:26 the New Testament page 26, page 26.
21:29 Matthew 28 and we're gonna be looking at verses 2 through 4.
21:33 We're coming to the resurrection of our Lord
21:36 as its recorded here.
21:39 And notice where we find because we find in angel
21:42 plays a role in the resurrection of Jesus.
21:45 Again it's Matthew 28 and beginning with verse 2
21:48 where it says, "Behold a severe earthquake had occurred,
21:51 for an angel of the Lord" ascended
21:54 "descended from heaven and came
21:56 and rolled away the stone and sat upon it.
21:59 And his appearance" notice the description here,
22:02 "it was like lightning
22:04 and his clothing as white as snow."
22:07 And then verse 4 says,
22:08 "The guards shook for fear of him
22:11 and became like dead men."
22:15 Those guards, the guards,
22:18 what guards were stationed there at the tomb of Jesus?
22:21 What guards? Roman.
22:23 They were Roman guards, weren't they?
22:25 Roman guards were there.
22:26 It was a Roman governor that declared him worthy of death.
22:31 Who tried to wash his hands of it but
22:33 and it was Roman soldiers that crucified Him.
22:36 And it was a Roman seal that was put over the tomb of Jesus.
22:40 It was Roman guards that were stationed there.
22:44 And then this angel of light comes, it is, I mean,
22:48 it's an overpowering experience.
22:53 These soldiers begin to shake and fear is what it says here.
22:56 They fall to the ground. It's like they became dead.
23:00 It was just such an overwhelming experience.
23:04 And we know something about those Roman guards
23:08 that were stationed there at the tomb of Jesus.
23:10 We know this historically.
23:11 And I remind you before we get to this specifics of that,
23:15 the nature of warfare as they fought it back there
23:18 and I mean this was just like butchery.
23:20 I mean, we're talking about swords and spears
23:23 and, you know, this was bloody stuff
23:26 that was going on.
23:28 And yet, you know,
23:29 unguardedly this were veterans.
23:33 Many of them that were veterans,
23:34 if you know anything about the history of it in a Palestine
23:38 and of the restiveness of the Jews
23:40 and the series of rebellion that happened overtime
23:43 this was no insignificant legion that was assigned to Jerusalem.
23:48 These were larger veterans
23:50 and by the way it was Roman practice when you,
23:52 when you signed up for the military
23:54 and it wasn't for three or four years
23:57 it was for 20 to 25 years.
24:00 Do you know that?
24:03 And the Roman legion we know
24:04 that was assigned to Jerusalem
24:06 was the tenth Roman legion, the Fretensis legion.
24:09 The Fretensis, which means fear inflicting.
24:13 A legion had somewhere between 5,000 to 6,000 soldiers,
24:17 they were stationed there at Jerusalem
24:18 and it was a part of this legion
24:21 that was posted there at the tomb of Jesus.
24:26 And again just think of the kind of warfare
24:29 that was going on and yet
24:30 at the approach of one of these angels
24:32 they fall to the ground trembling
24:34 and became like they were dead,
24:36 says something about
24:37 the overpowering experience of it all.
24:41 In fact as they've been excavating--
24:43 and of course they've been excavating
24:45 for years of Jerusalem.
24:46 Street level in Jesus day
24:49 is about 70 feet underground from where is today.
24:53 But they've been digging around and years ago
24:56 they discovered the pavement stones
24:58 that lay outside of Pilate, governor Pilate's palace.
25:04 Actually he ruled from Cesaria
25:08 which was on the Mediterranean
25:09 but he also had his palace there in Jerusalem.
25:13 And so the pavement stones
25:15 and you could see here very clearly
25:18 where some of the soldiers
25:19 has scratched out some of their games,
25:21 occupy themselves while the proceedings
25:23 were taking place in the governors palace.
25:26 And one of the things you find scratched out there
25:29 in fact I have a little arrow where we put up there.
25:32 Some, one of the soldiers scratched out
25:34 the insignia of the Fretensis legion the tenth legion
25:37 and that is that of the scorpion.
25:42 Okay, that's where we find
25:44 just an overpowering experience.
25:46 I'll share one other illustration
25:48 of the tremendous power
25:50 that God has invested into the angels.
25:52 I'm taking you back to the Old Testament
25:54 I'm taking you back to the time of the Assyrian,
25:57 the Assyrian empire.
26:00 And as we look at it in the Book of Isaiah
26:03 we find the Assyrians they are dominating
26:05 the Middle East as we know it.
26:07 There was a scorch earth policy.
26:11 They uprooted whole civilization,
26:13 the whole ten northern tribes
26:16 were taken an exile
26:18 and we lost track of them historically.
26:20 But they made their way eventually to Jerusalem,
26:23 Sennacherib was king at the end of this army.
26:25 It was a vast army of 185,000 Assyrians.
26:30 Hezekiah is king in Jerusalem.
26:34 And I can tell you this,
26:36 you know, they didn't have that kind of force
26:40 in Jerusalem to counter this.
26:43 Hezekiah you look at the record, he goes to the temple,
26:45 he lays this whole matter out be for God.
26:48 He asked for God's intervention.
26:51 And let me tell you God is a God of prayer.
26:54 God is a God that answers prayer.
26:57 And this prayer was answered
26:59 we find as we look at Isaiah 37:36,
27:03 notice what happened in answer to his prayer.
27:05 It says, "Then the angel of the Lord went out,
27:08 in the camp of the Assyrians,
27:12 and when men arose early in the morning,
27:14 behold, all of these were dead."
27:17 The work of one angel, one night, 185,000.
27:25 In fact, as you look at the secular
27:27 background of this the historical record,
27:30 it kind of in obscure way
27:32 describes Sennacherib for some reason returning
27:35 to his capital in disgrace
27:37 and then he ended up being assassinated.
27:41 It was all kind of-- you know it was aftermath
27:43 of his defeat there in Jerusalem.
27:46 But again the power of these angels
27:49 and remember a-third of them
27:51 have devoted themselves for our destruction.
27:54 We're gonna get into the reason
27:56 of why there is such hatred
27:58 by the evil angels for the human race.
28:01 Well, I'll tell you right now do you want to know why?
28:04 Besides it's just the fact that they become so mean.
28:08 My friend, it's because we are the supreme objects of His love.
28:13 He was defeated in heaven,
28:15 he know longer can create troubles up there in heaven.
28:18 But, my friend, he is so determined
28:20 he and his angels in the rebellion against God.
28:23 They are so determined that they're not gonna give up,
28:26 they're not gonna rave that white flag at any point.
28:29 You can study this out historically,
28:31 so you read this all in Revelation Chapter 20.
28:32 They don't give up until God forces them to give up.
28:38 And, my friend,
28:40 you know, it just think of this those of us
28:42 who are parents and our relationship to our children.
28:46 And the sense of, you know, our desire to protect them.
28:48 And if somebody would touch one of our children
28:51 how sometimes how defensive we would be, right.
28:54 Well, my friend Satan knows that he can bring pain,
28:58 he can bring pain
29:00 and grieve to the heart of God
29:03 by bringing all of the suffering
29:05 and all of this misery into the human race.
29:09 That's why he is doing it.
29:13 That's exactly why he's doing it, doesn't it.
29:15 There is no other reason why he would be doing this.
29:18 And so, no wonder it says in 1 Peter 5:8,
29:21 "Be sober, be vigilant,
29:23 because your adversary the devil,
29:25 as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour."
29:30 My friend, he is our adversary.
29:34 And he is determined to take every one of us down.
29:39 And again, my friend,
29:40 just always keep in mind that texts in 1 John,
29:43 "Greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world."
29:49 But I think we need to be little careful
29:51 how much we dwell upon the power of the evil one
29:55 and this determination.
29:56 We need to be aware of that, don't we?
29:58 But, my friend, we need to be focused
30:00 in on the God that loves us
30:03 and the God that is stepped in such a powerful
30:06 and dramatic way for our salvation.
30:11 And, my friend, He is going to be with us.
30:13 Jesus said it, "I am with you always."
30:17 Always is the word "even till the end."
30:23 So we need to keep our confidence in Jesus Christ
30:26 as we talk about this.
30:27 And I said, it can,
30:29 it is all been determined at the cross of Calvary.
30:32 It is not a question of whether it is just simply a question
30:35 of when this whole message going to come to an end.
30:40 It's been guaranteed, hasn't it?
30:43 But, you know, so we have a third of the angels
30:47 who have been cast down to this earth.
30:49 They'll be cast down to this earth
30:51 and they have been infected the human race
30:53 with their same evil rebellious spirit.
30:56 Oh, my friend, this makes the fantasy of star wars
30:58 fade into insignificance
31:00 before this very real intergalactic conflict.
31:05 And I don't believe
31:06 that's a stretch of the imagination
31:08 we use those terms, intergalactic
31:11 because they really do come
31:12 from a different dimension, don't they?
31:15 They do.
31:16 But do we have any further insights
31:18 into the identity of the evil one.
31:21 Some people ask did God created devil?
31:24 Some people have this idea God created
31:25 devil to test us.
31:28 But, my friend, I'm here to tell you
31:29 God is never in the business of creating evil.
31:33 He's not and take a look at Ezekiel 28,
31:35 the Old Testament page 609, 609 Ezekiel 28
31:41 and we're gonna be looking at verses 11 through 14.
31:45 Ezekiel, there are some
31:47 fascinating prophetic passages, apocalyptic passages
31:51 I'll explain that term at some point.
31:54 Next Friday night actually what we mean by apocalyptic.
31:59 But we have some apocalyptic passages
32:01 here in the Book of Ezekiel.
32:04 And Ezekiel 28 and we're looking at verse 11.
32:08 Verse 11 where it says,
32:10 "Again the word of the Lord came to me saying,
32:13 'Son of man,
32:14 take up a lamentation of the king of Tyre,
32:16 and say to him."'
32:18 Now he is not speaking and it will become clear
32:21 as we look at the context.
32:22 He is not here literally speaking
32:25 in regards to the king of Tyre.
32:28 The king of Tyre is representative
32:32 is represents the evil one,
32:34 again that will become apparent as we move forward.
32:37 "Saying to the king of Tyre thus says the Lord God,
32:40 'You had the seal of perfection."'
32:43 Remember that the seal of perfection.
32:46 "Follow wisdom, perfected beauty,"
32:49 verse 13, "you were in Eden,"
32:52 it becomes clear that he's not talking in literal terms,
32:55 king of Tyre were never been in Eden.
32:57 Eden was on the earth that at this point,
33:00 "You were in Eden, the garden of God.
33:02 Every precious stone," notice this, this description,
33:05 "every precious stone was your covering,
33:07 the ruby, the topaz, the diamond,
33:10 the beryl, the onyx, the jasper,
33:12 the lapis lazuli, the turquoise, and the emerald, and the gold,
33:16 the workmanship of your settings
33:19 and sockets, was in you.
33:21 On the day that you were created"
33:23 It was created of being "they were prepared."
33:26 I can hardly imagine
33:28 what this creature look like bejeweled as he was.
33:34 Probably the closest thing
33:35 in some of our memories would be Liberace.
33:39 Do you remember Liberace?
33:42 Remember those, you know, those stunning jackets
33:48 that he wore those diamond
33:49 encrusted sparkly jackets something like that.
33:54 That's how he was created.
33:56 And then verse 14,
33:57 now it gets very specific in his identity
34:00 who God's talking about.
34:02 "You were the anointed cherub
34:05 who covers and I placed you there.
34:08 You were on the holy mountain of God,"
34:11 you followed this through he's talking about heaven.
34:13 "You walked in the midst of the stones of fire."
34:17 And again as you trace this out biblically
34:18 you'll discover this is speaking about
34:20 God's immediate presence.
34:22 So He was a created being,
34:25 He was perfect in all of his ways,
34:28 we know that.
34:29 And the seal of perfection, He was full of wisdom.
34:32 He was perfect in beauty. He was a beautiful angel.
34:38 And we know as we study from the Bible
34:39 there are two classes of angels
34:41 that are revealed there are Cherubims
34:43 and there are Seraphims.
34:46 By the word way the Hebrew word
34:47 that for Seraphim literally translates out
34:51 to be those who burned.
34:55 To me that's kind of a fascinating
34:56 description of seraphims, those who burn.
35:00 And, you know, in some day we're gonna see
35:01 those seraphims, aren't we?
35:03 We're gonna see those cherubims
35:04 but Satan originally was one of those covering cherubims.
35:10 He was one of those angels of God in heaven.
35:12 And in fact we would add to this,
35:14 this verse right here Psalm 9:1
35:17 where it says, "The Lord reigneth,"
35:19 and of course when we think of God reigning
35:20 we think about He is, "sitting on this throne, right.
35:25 The Lord reigneth, let the people tremble,
35:27 He sitteth on his throne,
35:29 he sitteth between the cherubims,
35:33 let the earth be moved."
35:37 So we see clearly in scripture that on either side
35:40 of the throne of God are cherubims too.
35:45 They're called covering cherubims
35:47 and one of them was Satan--
35:50 before he became Satan of course.
35:53 Before he became Satan.
35:55 So how could it be?
35:56 How could it be the one of these angels,
35:58 how could sin began, and--and it been
36:02 that was so perfect and so full of wisdom.
36:05 Well, again as we look at Ezekiel 28
36:07 and beginning with verse 15.
36:09 It goes onto to say, "You were blameless in your ways
36:12 from the day you were created,
36:14 until unrighteousness was found," where? In you.
36:18 It developed in his heart, in his thinking, his mind.
36:21 And then it says, "Your heart was lifted up
36:24 because of," what?
36:26 "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty."
36:28 And he was a beautiful angel,
36:30 the word we would describe this as?
36:32 Pride.
36:35 right, remember the-- remember the saying
36:37 pride cometh before a fall.
36:41 And that's exactly the sequence
36:42 I'll begin with Satan himself this angel.
36:47 So we got some idea, I mean, he began to, you know,
36:51 he began to looked himself this beautiful creature
36:53 that he was.
36:55 And it's hard begin to be lifted up within him.
36:58 Pride began to take what? With in his heart, right.
37:03 And it goes on to say, "You corrupted your wisdom
37:08 by reason of your splendor."
37:12 You see, my friend, what, God created
37:14 the intelligent races of the universe.
37:18 He created us to reflect His nature.
37:22 And, my friend, the nature of God is to give,
37:26 to serve, and to sustain.
37:29 The nature of sin is the nature of selfishness.
37:34 It is the eye syndrome
37:36 that begins to take place in a person's life.
37:39 It is focusing in on myself and my interest.
37:44 It is contrary to the way
37:46 that God designed us in the very beginning.
37:49 And that's a part of what is so,
37:52 you know, it is not only corrupting
37:54 but it wears away at the designed like forces
37:57 because this is so contrary
37:59 to what God in the beginning, right.
38:02 It's weary.
38:03 I mean, we live with this and we just take it for grant
38:05 because this is way it's always been for us
38:07 but this is not the way again as we know that God designed.
38:10 And take a look at Isaiah 14, the Old Testament page 497.
38:15 497 Isaiah 14 and beginning with verse 12,
38:19 Adds some further insights into this whole matter.
38:24 Okay.
38:26 Fourteenth Chapter Isaiah,
38:29 yeah, is the writer here.
38:33 And I say we're gonna begin with verse 12.
38:36 Notice this says, "How you have fallen from heaven,
38:40 O star of the morning, son of the dawn.
38:43 You have been cut down to the earth,
38:45 You who have weakened the nations."
38:48 And if somebody has another translation
38:50 as in the King James translation you will discover
38:53 where is the new American standard
38:54 just translates out the name.
38:56 You will discover where it says,
38:58 how you will fallen from heaven,
38:59 you will find the name Lucifer.
39:03 And Lucifer means, son of the morning, son of the dawn.
39:07 So they just translated it.
39:09 And I think probably most of us
39:11 have the sense that this is a name
39:14 that is associated with the devil, right.
39:16 Lucifer, the prince of darkness, okay.
39:21 How you are fallen and again we connect this
39:23 with the several versus
39:24 we've already looked at in the New Testament.
39:26 How you are fallen.
39:27 Verse 13 and again we're giving the insights
39:29 of how sin begin to corrupt these angel.
39:33 It says but you said in your heart,
39:35 "I with the sin to heaven, I will raise will throne
39:39 above the stars of God."
39:40 This is treason.
39:41 "And I will sit on the mount of the assembly
39:44 and the recesses of the north.
39:46 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
39:49 I will make myself like the Most High."
39:53 My friend he had a fatal disease
39:55 and behold begin with him and it's spread from him.
39:59 To the inhabitants of this planet and I'm--
40:01 as well as the third of the angels.
40:03 We might well describe it as I-ness.
40:08 In fact right in the middle of that word sin
40:10 that three letter word is the word I.
40:16 And, my friend, that became the focal point for Lucifer
40:19 it corrupted him, it took him down,
40:22 it let to rebellion as it began to internalize.
40:26 And he is begin to look to himself.
40:28 And, my friend, remember we have been affected
40:31 with the same evil, I.
40:36 My friend it's not about I, it's not about me.
40:40 It's about Him.
40:42 And, my friend, when we discover
40:44 that there is a much better way and it is a return to the way
40:48 that God designed us in the very beginning.
40:51 That it was--he is not looking just out for my interest,
40:55 it's really giving ourselves as God has done.
40:58 That's why I said in few moments ago,
40:59 "it is giving ourselves in loving service to others."
41:04 Let me tell you, if you really want to know
41:07 find joy, and fulfillment in your life.
41:11 It is not looking out for just our own interest,
41:15 it is getting involved in the needs of others.
41:18 And carrying about what is happened,
41:21 what's happened in people's life
41:23 and getting involved with them.
41:26 It's really all about that.
41:28 And again it's just a reflection
41:30 of the character of God who has given everything.
41:33 In service to us, has given everything
41:36 for our salvation, hasn't He?
41:39 He's given everything.
41:41 And thus I've always said in the end,
41:43 nobody is gonna ever say of God that you held back.
41:45 You could have done more.
41:47 Because He's done everything that He knows to do
41:50 and He knows it all by the way, doesn't He.
41:54 So nothing has been left out.
41:56 So now the question comes up.
41:58 You know, we got the picture,
42:00 you know, we don't have a great deal of detail
42:03 but we have just in us.
42:05 So we can understand who was involved?
42:08 The dynamics of what to place in heaven,
42:10 how it's spread to this earth from that fatal decision
42:13 at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
42:15 We have just enough to understand that.
42:17 But now the question follows
42:19 why didn't God immediately deal with this.
42:21 Certainly in his foreknowledge
42:22 he knew exactly what was going to follow.
42:24 Once Satan begin to rebel, when this became open.
42:29 You know, really as you think about this
42:31 as you put this text together,
42:32 you know, his heart was lifted up because of his beauty
42:37 and it began to have all of these ambitions.
42:40 I'm gonna do this and I'm going--whatever, you know.
42:44 Just, you know, there He was.
42:46 Just think of the privilege he had
42:48 of being one of those angels there at the throne of God.
42:52 So close to the power of the universe,
42:55 the sovereign of the universe.
42:57 Somewhere in this process
43:00 he begin to fantasize his sitting upon that throne
43:04 and he's exercising those prerogatives
43:07 and those powers that were God alone.
43:11 And we say how irrational.
43:13 It is absolutely irrational, isn't it?
43:17 That's the irrationality of sin.
43:20 And all of us have seen this in some level,
43:22 we've seen the irrationality
43:23 what sin has done in lives of others.
43:25 Some of us can bare testimony to the irrational things
43:29 that we have done or said because of sin.
43:33 It's absolutely irrational.
43:36 And remember he said he corrupted his wisdom
43:39 in this process.
43:41 And, my friend, we have gone through
43:43 much of that same corruption.
43:45 But anyway there's some interesting parallels to this,
43:47 so he begin and fantasize as sitting on that throne.
43:50 And at some point that was clear he began to act upon it.
43:54 So why didn't God give with it.
43:56 He knew what was gonna follow,
43:57 He knew all of the suffering and pain.
43:59 He could have saved us a lot of trouble if He was said
44:01 and He could have done in just a word.
44:04 You're gone.
44:06 Enough of that.
44:08 Is there any problem with that?
44:11 There is a problem with that.
44:13 It goes to the very nature of God and who He is.
44:16 God is a God of love that when He created
44:18 the intelligent beings of the universe.
44:20 He created us with the power of choice.
44:24 Didn't He?
44:25 That's what the tree of the knowledge
44:27 good of an evil-- had represented.
44:28 It represented a choice.
44:30 And the fact that God put the tree of the knowledge
44:32 of good and evil there tells us that God acknowledged
44:36 and accepted the fact that He had given the human race,
44:40 the power of choice
44:41 of course He warned us in the person of Adam and Eve.
44:45 What was going to happen if they made the wrong choice.
44:49 You know, so much like us his parents with our kids,
44:51 you know, he tried to share,
44:52 you know, the consequences of certain actions
44:55 but anyway and we do that out of love.
44:57 If he had snapped Lucifer
45:01 and those angels out of existence.
45:04 He would have affectively removed the power of choice.
45:10 Because what it means in the end, there is no choice.
45:13 It's either God's way or the highway.
45:18 Here you're there, gonna do it my way or you're out of here.
45:20 And just think of again if God had done this,
45:23 you know, if they're dare to think this even,
45:26 think of what the intelligent beings of the universe must
45:30 would be thinking, you know, oh,
45:32 you know, there's a lesson in this.
45:33 He seem so kind, he seem so learning.
45:35 But you know there is another side here the God
45:37 that we didn't we had never seen before.
45:40 So that's what happened when you cross God
45:43 and instead of serving God out of love
45:46 they will begin to serve him out of fear.
45:50 Now see Satan makes those kinds of representations of God
45:53 some people have this misconception of God.
45:56 You better watch your step.
45:59 Are you're gonna get it.
46:01 My friend that is not the God that is revealed in this book,
46:04 this is not the God that is revealed
46:06 at the cross of Calvary.
46:09 This is not the God of love, you know, God loves us.
46:13 Yes, there are consequences to our choices,
46:16 of course there's consequences.
46:19 But remember time has gone on because God wants to say
46:24 as many as He possibly can.
46:29 He's given us time, so we can make that decision.
46:32 And there are certain lessons
46:34 that are being played out upon this planet.
46:36 And again those of us who have raised children,
46:39 how many of you raised children?
46:40 Are you have children?
46:41 A lot of us have had children
46:43 are in the process of raising them.
46:45 All of us know this, you know,
46:47 I wish I just wish do you know
46:50 that things were just very rational,
46:52 you know, at my home that I can jus sit-down
46:53 when David and Kevin and telling him,
46:55 you know, these are the rules that's what we have to do.
46:58 And, you know, that they were just,
47:00 you know, I wasn't I'd been always do
47:03 what parents told me to do.
47:04 Did you? Did you come on be honest?
47:07 Did you do everything, no?
47:09 So we've had children that have carried on,
47:13 you know, they've done sometimes their own thing.
47:16 And so, you know, I discover sometimes,
47:21 sometimes its better not to say anything
47:24 and just let it play out.
47:28 Sometimes we have to learn the hard way, right.
47:33 And sometimes those are the very best lessons.
47:36 The ones that we have to learn in the hard way.
47:39 And especially in their teenage years
47:42 but my sons were somewhat this way,
47:44 you know, they wanted to be on their own,
47:45 they wanted to be independent.
47:47 And so particularly with Kevin, my youngest who is 24,
47:50 and he is a sweetheart I just love Kevin.
47:53 And he's a people person, people love Kevin.
47:57 But I do know this by Kevin,
48:00 if there's something I need to talk to him about
48:02 I never tell him what I think he ought to do.
48:06 Immediately he begins I can just see he begins or just,
48:10 you know, he doesn't want to be told what he should do.
48:15 Okay, and so I'll tell you exactly how I relate to Kevin,
48:19 I'll say something like this
48:20 so I feel I need to talk to them about something.
48:22 I'll say to Kevin,
48:24 Kevin I know you're not 10 or 12 years of age any longer.
48:28 But I want to share something with you and I have this idea
48:31 and you can think it over and I'll share it with him.
48:33 And I said, you know, I'll just think it over.
48:36 And I found that as a parent I still can have some residual
48:40 and it truly is residual at that age of 24.
48:44 I can still have some residual influence.
48:48 But there have been a lot of instances
48:51 where my sons had to learn lessons the hard way.
48:56 And I just had to let it play out.
48:58 I've had to learn certain lessons the hard way,
49:00 haven't you?
49:01 Of course.
49:03 And that's exactly what's happened on this planet.
49:05 God is loving in this all play out.
49:08 So that it could be seen to be the evil thing that it was
49:11 because initially this was not understood,
49:13 it was not comprehended.
49:15 It was something that had never been experienced.
49:18 And so God is allowed to play it out,
49:20 so that when He does act
49:22 and He will act to bring it to an end.
49:25 My friend, everyone will be in perfect agreement.
49:29 And that's why it says in 1 Corinthians 4:9,
49:32 "We have become a spectacle to the world,
49:34 both to angels and to men."
49:38 There are those lessons
49:39 that are being played out here upon this planet.
49:42 Then let's talk about the nature of this conflict.
49:45 In John 8:44 Jesus said,
49:47 "You are of your father the devil,
49:49 and you want to do the desires of your father.
49:52 He was a murder from the beginning,
49:54 and he does not stand in the truth,
49:57 because there is no truth in him."
50:00 He is so corrupted himself, there's no truth in him.
50:03 "Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature,
50:07 for he is a liar, and the father of lies."
50:13 He is a liar.
50:16 And so this is what's going on he's all of the lies
50:19 and misrepresentations he's been making about God.
50:25 That's what it releases all about all this lies
50:27 and misrepresentations of our God.
50:30 All of this havoc,
50:31 all of the tragedy that has followed
50:35 because of what sin has done to this planet.
50:37 All the grief and sorrow
50:39 that has taken place upon this planet.
50:42 And then the devil puts all the blame upon God.
50:47 You know, I hear even Christians sometimes
50:50 confuse about this some horrible thing happens
50:53 and some body trying to comfort somebody saying,
50:54 well, we'll understand why God did or allowed.
50:59 Such in such.
51:01 My friend, God is not the author
51:04 of the sin problem first of all
51:07 and He's not the author of suffering.
51:10 He is not the author of the problems
51:12 that we are faced,
51:14 He is the solution.
51:18 But the devil has turned this around.
51:21 He is the fact has put all the blame upon God
51:24 and I'll tell you it is hard to even begin to comprehend
51:27 the suffering that has gone on upon this planet.
51:30 The sufferings that is happening with the beings
51:32 that are inhabiting in this planet.
51:33 The suffering that is happening right now
51:35 this moment throughout this planet.
51:39 The heartache and to grieve.
51:42 That was on the internet,
51:44 I was looking for a picture and I found this one.
51:46 This is the one that really grabbed to hold of me.
51:48 This is from the Korean War.
51:50 And you can see the soldier there confronting his friend.
51:54 That just touch my heart, he is cradled in his friends arms
51:58 because of his best friend has just been killed in battle.
52:02 And he has just overcome with grieve.
52:05 I mean, how do you picture the horrible things
52:09 that evil has done to this planet.
52:12 I'll tell you God is not just interested,
52:14 God is not distracted somewhere out there.
52:16 His focus is what's happening upon this planet.
52:20 He is deeply concerned about what's happening
52:22 in your life and my life.
52:24 And that's why He is acted
52:26 and that's why He's going to act in the end.
52:27 To end it, its all how to delve.
52:32 I mean, it just came out just years ago
52:34 Mother Teresa above people,
52:36 her diary was published remember in book form.
52:41 Any long behold it was discovered them,
52:43 I know say "that for the last 50 years
52:45 of her life she have lost faith in God
52:48 because of all of the suffering
52:49 that she had been immersed in for the years
52:52 that she had been spend in her ministry."
52:54 She had come to the place
52:55 where she could not even pray to God.
52:59 I mean, isn't that just kind of shocking
53:03 and think of Mother Teresa.
53:06 I said "again not you and I cannot take the measure
53:09 of all the horrible things that are going on this planet."
53:11 And Job 2:7 it says, "Then Satan went out
53:14 from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils
53:17 from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head."
53:19 This text tells us it is Satan
53:22 that is responsible for all the suffering
53:24 and paying the death that is taking place upon this planet.
53:28 He's responsible and in the end
53:31 he is going to beheld accountable.
53:33 And it's the God of love
53:34 that's going to hold him accountable.
53:37 But again think about it,
53:38 I mean, down in Southern California
53:40 they just been going through this,
53:42 I mean, they have it every year.
53:44 You know this consuming fires and then we have--
53:47 where we have here with tornadoes and floods.
53:50 Man, we're going through this
53:51 up in street of Washington in the Seattle area.
53:55 That again the horrible things
53:56 that are happening upon this planet
53:58 and some reporters somewhere
54:01 is going to report this as an act of God.
54:06 You've heard it, haven't you?
54:08 And I don't know how you react when you hear that
54:10 I just heard it just the last month or two some reporter
54:13 talking about it was act of God
54:14 it was just strange unaccountable act.
54:17 And I always say to myself, I'm offended by the term.
54:21 I always say to myself is this the way a God of act,
54:24 a God of love acts?
54:26 My friend, the God of love does not act that way.
54:29 It's not an act of God but, you know,
54:32 and again I say and then Satan puts all the blame upon God.
54:37 Have you ever been blamed for something
54:39 that you never did?
54:40 I've been through that,
54:42 you know, I was just mischievous kid.
54:44 And let me share the story with you,
54:46 I know exactly what this is like.
54:48 And so I've never been to Washington.
54:50 I was in my early youth and we had a great youth group
54:55 in our church.
54:57 And we have some great leaders and they planned an outing,
55:01 a campout for all of us youth.
55:04 You know, 12 to 15 of us.
55:06 And the plan was to go out to Mount Vernon.
55:08 Do you know the Mount Vernon area in Washington
55:12 and accorders they saw in Samoan Islands to the west,
55:15 it's a beautiful part of the state of Washington.
55:18 It's up in that area.
55:19 Except you go to Mount Vernon and you turn east.
55:22 And you come to; it was big lake
55:24 we were going to in some low lying mountains.
55:28 And we're gonna be the again the whole weekend there together
55:31 the girls we know this first of off that we stocked.
55:35 So we can unload the girls
55:37 in the picturesque comfortable cabins
55:41 that were situated down there by the water.
55:43 And you would have thought the way they have packed there.
55:45 And they we're gonna be there for couple of weeks,
55:47 you know, but we go all other stuff out,
55:49 we got them settled.
55:51 And then they took us across the highway down this trail
55:55 right through the nettles I remember those nettles
55:58 to a broken down barn and leaking roof and all.
56:02 And they said this is where you guys
56:04 are gonna be spending the weekend.
56:06 And, you know, science wonders
56:08 why is it that woman out live us men.
56:13 I really don't take it out to be that great of a mystery
56:16 when you think about it
56:17 but we thought it was a great adventure.
56:20 But we had our responsibilities during the camp out
56:23 and mine was on Saturday morning
56:25 to be there to help prepare for breakfast.
56:27 And I was there doing my job
56:29 and at the appointed time everybody came together,
56:32 we had the blessing
56:33 and somebody took that first bit of cereal
56:36 and discovered that somebody had put salt
56:39 in all of the sugar bowls.
56:42 And they wanted to know
56:44 and the inquisition begin to follow, they wanted to know
56:46 who can possibly done such dastardly did.
56:49 And when they discovered that Jim Rein
56:51 was on the breakfast crew they stopped.
56:54 Seriously, they stopped asking all question
56:56 because they thought they caught their culprit.
57:00 The problem was I was innocent.
57:03 And the bigger problem was I can convince anybody
57:06 I didn't do it.
57:08 I remember traveling home that following day
57:11 in Mrs. Gardner's car,
57:13 you know, I shouldn't tell you her name, should I.
57:16 I already said it, oh, my.
57:20 Traveling in her car an attorney to me
57:22 is only Mrs. Gardener could do
57:24 and saying Jimmy why did you do that?
57:27 That was so awful.
57:29 She made me feel worse than a dog.
57:33 But I was innocent that's why I believe in judgment
57:38 because somebody they'll hang for it.
57:42 Somebody did it and they let me hang for it.
57:45 And I want to tell you there's a day of judgment
57:47 in which every secret is going to come out in the open.
57:51 And I'm gonna be vindicated.
57:55 Really I've gotten over this, I think I've gotten over this.
57:58 I think I am.
58:00 But vindication is a wonderful thing
58:02 when you've been falsely accused.
58:04 And, you know, God's character in the end
58:06 is going to be vindicated in all of this.
58:09 We are going to see in every way
58:11 His ways have been the ways of love, mercy, and compassion.
58:18 Is that wonderful about God?
58:20 That we have that kind of God to serve just think
58:22 what life would be without God.
58:25 We wouldn't be here.
58:27 We wouldn't have anything to say.
58:28 We would just simply go on.
58:30 Live, eat, and be marry because tomorrow that's it.
58:36 That's it.
58:38 Oh, there's a number of things I share with you
58:39 but let me come down to the last text
58:41 in Revelation 12:12 where it says,
58:43 "Therefore, rejoice O heavens, and you who dwell in them!
58:46 Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea!
58:48 For the devil has come down to you, having great
58:52 because he knows he has a short time!"
58:55 My friend, his days are numbered.


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Revised 2014-12-17