Participants: Greg & Jill Morikone (Host), Pr. Taj Pacleb
Series Code: AOT
Program Code: AOT000177A
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00:12 Welcome to Anchors Of Truth,
00:14 live from the 3ABN Worship Center. 00:22 Hello friends, and welcome to Anchors Of Truth. 00:25 This is the second part of a five part series 00:28 by Pastor Taj Pacleb. 00:31 And his five part series is entitled, Almost Home. 00:34 Which we know that's heaven. 00:35 And of course, all of us are looking forward to heaven. 00:38 We welcome our audience here that's local, 00:40 but also those of you that are joining us around the world. 00:43 You know, it's amazing how technology works. 00:44 It's amazing how we can be in little bitty Thompsonville, 00:47 and by God's grace all this technology goes out by 00:50 satellite, internet, radio waves. 00:53 So how ever you're getting this, praise the Lord for that. 00:56 It's a blessing to be a part of 3ABN. 00:58 Now Pastor Taj Pacleb, he was the conference evangelist 01:03 for California for 11 years. 01:05 That's pretty awesome. 01:06 But just recently, actually this year, he told us 01:09 he and his wife, Wati, who is here with us, 01:14 they felt the call of God to start their own ministry 01:17 called, I want to make sure I get this right, 01:19 Revelation of Hope Ministries. 01:22 They just started it this year, and it's a faith-based ministry. 01:26 So that's really neat how God has called them and they've 01:28 stepped out in faith doing this ministry. 01:31 And I know God is going to bless them in a powerful way. 01:33 Amen, they're an incredible couple, a godly couple. 01:36 Just when you talk to them and when you meet them, 01:38 they care about people, they love other people, 01:42 they love the Word of God and spreading the gospel message 01:45 around the world. 01:46 So we are so blessed to have them with us here tonight. 01:49 I know my own heart was blessed by the message Pastor Taj 01:52 brought last night. 01:53 I was taking notes, looking up those Bible verses 01:56 about the face behind the veil, and how God wants to bring us 02:00 back into that unity and oneness with the Father. 02:04 Tonight's message is entitled, The Champion of Love. 02:08 But before we hear the message from Pastor Taj, 02:11 we're going to be blessed by a special music number 02:14 by Jacqueline Jewel. 02:15 She's a precious woman who travels with them a lot 02:18 with their ministry. 02:19 She is a musicianary. 02:21 Is that such a word? 02:22 You know, I don't know. But I like it. 02:24 - Musicianary. Amen. - A musicianary for Jesus. 02:26 Her song tonight is, Amazing Grace. 02:29 But before she plays, let's go to the Lord in prayer. 02:32 Father, we come before You in the name of Jesus. 02:35 And we thank You that truly we are almost home. 02:39 And Father, we just ask right now for the anointing 02:42 of Your Holy Spirit to give us ears to hear 02:46 what Your servant has to share. 02:48 And we thank You in the precious and the 02:51 holy name of Jesus, amen. 02:54 Jacqueline will play, Amazing Grace, 02:56 and then the next voice you will hear is that of our 02:58 pastor and friend, Taj Pacleb. 03:12 Amazing grace, how sweet the sound 03:23 that saved a wretch like me. 03:35 I once was lost, but now I am found; 03:46 was blind, but now I see. 03:57 'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, 04:09 and grace my fears relieved. 04:19 How precious did that grace appear 04:30 the hour I first believed. 04:41 Through many dangers, toils and snares 04:52 I have already come. 05:02 'Tis grace that brought me safe thus far, 05:13 and grace will lead me home. 05:24 The Lord has promised good to me, 05:34 His word my hope secures. 05:45 He will my shield and portion be 05:55 as long as life endures. 06:05 When we've been there ten thousand years, 06:16 bright shining as the sun, 06:26 we've no less days to sing God's praise 06:36 than when we've first begun, 06:49 than when we've first begun. 07:07 Amen, amen. 07:08 Aloha. Good evening, everyone. 07:11 I want to welcome you to our second night here at 07:13 the Anchors Of Truth broadcast. 07:15 We're so glad that you're here. 07:17 Our theme for this weekend is entitled, Almost Home. 07:20 And truly, as we consider the condition of the world 07:22 that we live in, in comparison to the prophecies that God 07:25 has revealed to us, all the prophecies are pointing 07:28 to the reality that we're almost home. Amen? 07:31 And we've been studying the Bible night after night 07:34 discussing topics that will better prepare us 07:37 for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. 07:39 Our message this evening is entitled, 07:41 Champion of Love. 07:43 So I hope you brought your Bibles, 07:44 I hope you have your notebooks ready, 07:46 I hope you have a writing utensil, 07:47 as we feast upon the bread of life tonight. 07:49 I invite you to bow your heads as we pray together. 07:52 Father in heaven, we thank You so much for Your goodness 07:54 and Your grace. 07:55 The amazing grace that saves us, not only from the 07:59 penalty of sin, but also the power of sin, 08:02 and soon the very presence of sin, 08:05 as You take us to our heavenly home. 08:07 Lord, as we have gathered here tonight here in this 08:09 sacred studio, as well as the countless others online and 08:13 at home, we pray that Your Holy Spirit would 08:15 be with us in a very special intimate way. 08:18 That You would speak to our hearts and our minds, 08:20 and that You would instruct us and inspire us 08:23 as to what You're calling us to do in these last days 08:27 in preparation for the Promised Land. 08:30 This is our prayer. 08:31 And we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen, amen. 08:35 Our message is entitled, Champion of Love. 08:37 I invite you to take your Bible and open with me to the 08:39 book of Revelation. 08:41 We're going to begin tonight in the 17th chapter 08:44 as we have a very simple, at the same time, profound 08:47 study from God's prophetic Word. 08:49 Ladies and gentlemen, as many of you already know, 08:52 we are all in the midst of a war; 08:54 a great controversy between good and evil. 08:57 A cosmic conflict, a supernatural battle, 09:00 where the forces of good and evil are 09:02 fighting against one another. 09:03 And we are in the midst of this. 09:05 This war has been raging on now for over 6000 years. 09:09 It began in heaven, then moved to the earth. 09:12 And it's still being fought to the present day. 09:15 And in the 17th chapter of the book of Revelation, 09:17 it describes Satan's final charge, his last push, 09:21 in the conflict of the ages. 09:23 Now time is not going to permit us to go through all the 09:26 intricacies of this prophecy. 09:29 But I just want us to highlight and introduce the contenders 09:33 in this conflict. 09:34 Notice what the Bible says in Revelation chapter 17 09:37 beginning with verse 12. 09:39 The Bible says... 10:00 Here we find in this very awesome prophecy, 10:03 it's pointing to a time when the nations and the kingdoms 10:06 of the world are going to unite together. 10:09 Not in a one world government or some type of new world order, 10:13 for the Bible is clear that the feet with the ten toes 10:17 part of iron and clay will not cleave or adhere one to another. 10:22 There's not going to be so much a one world order 10:24 or a one world government. 10:25 However, there is going to be a unity amongst the 10:28 nations of the world. 10:29 And the nature of their unity is that they're going to have 10:33 one mind, one intent, one resolve, one goal, 10:38 one ideology. 10:39 Rather than a one world government, it will be 10:42 an ecumenical universal unity that's based upon shared goals 10:47 and ideology. 10:48 It's a time when theological differences are going to be 10:51 put aside for the common good of all. 10:54 And at that time, the prophecy tells us that the papacy, 10:57 the beast, will be looked upon as the leader 11:00 that can bring all the world together. 11:02 It's going to be a time, friends, that will 11:04 try men's souls to the uttermost. 11:07 And that time is here. 11:09 Prophecy is fast fulfilling right before our very eyes. 11:14 Now unity does sound good in a world that is 11:16 fragmented and divided. 11:18 But I want us to notice the next verse 11:20 and what's going to happen as a result of this unity. 11:24 The Bible says in verse 14, it says... 11:32 And that's none other than Jesus Christ. 11:34 This unity sounds good. 11:36 But the inevitable result of this unity is that it's going to 11:40 lead in the world making war against God, 11:43 against the teachings of God, the truth of God, 11:45 and ultimately the people of God. 11:48 This prophecy, friends, is Satan's last attempt 11:51 to victory in this long standing conflict; 11:55 the great controversy between good and evil. 11:57 But I want you to notice who is the victor in this war. 12:01 The rest of verse 14 tells us, 12:03 "These shall make war with the Lamb..." 12:17 I'm so thankful, friends, that in this controversy 12:19 between good and evil, as the beast and all the 12:23 kingdoms of the world unite together to make war against 12:25 the Lamb, the Lamb is going to come out on top. 12:28 Jesus is the victor in the controversy 12:31 between good and evil. 12:33 Now this Lamb may look meek and lowly, 12:35 but this Lamb has the power to slay the beast 12:38 and to slay the dragon. 12:39 Can you say amen? 12:41 The Bible tells us that those who are with Him 12:44 are called and chosen and faithful. 12:46 I like to call this, victory by association. 12:50 In other words, because those who are with Him 12:53 associate with the Lamb, because He wins, 12:57 they win as well. 12:58 You see, those who are with Him don't have the power 13:00 in and of themselves to win the war. 13:02 The Lamb is the one that wins. The Bible is clear. 13:05 But since they are with Him, because He wins, 13:07 they win as well. 13:09 We call that, victory by association. 13:11 It's just like those who have sports teams. 13:15 They associate themselves with a specific team. 13:18 Or they're individuals who like boxing, and they associate 13:22 themselves with a specific fighter. 13:25 Now my wife and I were in the Philippines earlier year. 13:27 We had some meetings there. 13:28 And we couldn't help but notice that all over the Philippines, 13:31 there was a poster of the Filipino superstar. 13:34 Many of you know who I'm talking about. 13:36 Manny Pacquiao. 13:38 He is the fighter of the Philippines. 13:40 And it's interesting that whenever Manny enters 13:42 into the ring, those who are Filipino especially, 13:46 and those who like him, they feel like they're the ones 13:49 getting into the ring as well. 13:50 When Manny throws the punch, those who are with him 13:54 feel like they've thrown the punch. 13:55 When Manny receives a blow, they fell like 13:57 they are the ones that received a blow. 13:59 If Manny loses, they feel like they lose. 14:01 But if he wins, all of the Philippines rejoice. 14:05 That's what we call, victory by association. 14:09 They feel like they won, even though they did not 14:12 step foot in the ring. 14:13 They did not throw one blow. 14:16 But they feel like they won because they associate 14:19 with that specific fighter. 14:20 Same thing with sports teams. 14:22 Victory by association. 14:24 And that's what we're reading here in Revelation 17. 14:27 The Lamb wins. 14:28 And if we're with Him, we win as well. 14:30 Can you say amen? How many want to be with Him? 14:33 But friends, I want you to notice that victory is not only 14:37 going to be gained by corporate association... 14:45 Because the Bible says that they that are with Him 14:47 are called, chosen, and faithful. 14:52 Victory by corporate association 14:55 as well as individual assimilation. 14:59 And the reason why, friends, is because the great controversy 15:02 is not only a universal war, it's also an individual fight. 15:07 Over and over again in the Bible, God likened salvation 15:10 to that of a fight. 15:11 It's called, the good fight of faith. 15:14 Make no mistake about it, friends, faith is the only thing 15:17 that is worth fighting for. 15:19 And tonight we're going to find out how we fight 15:22 the good fight of faith. 15:23 It's not with physical brute force, 15:26 but it's by another force that's far more powerful 15:29 than anything that's physical in this world. 15:32 Today we're going to learn that this boxing match 15:35 called, the great controversy, only has three rounds. 15:39 We are now in the third and final round 15:42 of the great controversy boxing match. 15:45 And in this last round, prophecy tells us that 15:48 Satan is preparing a knock-out punch for the people of God, 15:52 a fatal blow. 15:54 But God will have a people who will endure that last blow 15:58 in the final round. 15:59 A people who will remain standing until the very end. 16:03 And we have a nice fancy theological word that 16:05 describes those who endure to the end. 16:08 We call them, the remnant. 16:10 That's the word the Bible uses. 16:12 Those are the last ones standing. 16:15 And friends, I want to be a part of that remnant group of people. 16:18 And I know you do as well. 16:20 And so today we want to find out what will it take 16:25 for us to remain standing in the final round 16:27 of the great controversy. 16:28 And in order to find out what it's going to take 16:30 in the final round, we have to first study the history 16:35 of the first two rounds. 16:37 And as we understand the issues in the first two rounds, 16:39 we will know how we can stand firm in the third 16:43 and final round. 16:44 And so let's go now to round number one. 16:48 It begins in heaven. 16:50 Described in Revelation chapter 12, 16:52 notice what the Bible says in verse 7. 16:55 Revelation chapter 12, round number one begins 16:58 in heaven itself. 16:59 The Bible says... 17:25 Here we see in round number one, Lucifer the glorious angel 17:29 came out swinging. 17:31 He started jabbing the Lord with his evil insinuations 17:34 and false accusations. 17:35 And the question we then ask is, why did Lucifer call out 17:39 the Lord in heaven? 17:41 What was his issue? 17:42 Why did he want to fight against his kingly Creator? 17:46 Well we read in other places that Lucifer, 17:49 the covering cherub, became dissatisfied with his high 17:52 and privileged position. 17:54 While in heaven, he began to covet God's power, 17:57 but not God's character of love. 18:00 He began to resist the love of God in his heart. 18:02 This, my friends, created a vacuum that was then 18:06 filled with his own self love. 18:09 Make no mistake about it, friends, the origin of sin 18:12 is selfishness that comes as the result of rejecting 18:16 the love of God. 18:18 And the Bible says that pride goes before a fall. 18:20 So as Lucifer begins to exalt himself and love himself 18:24 more than God, the Lord delivered a blow to Satan, 18:28 to Lucifer, that sent him reeling from heaven 18:31 all the way down to earth. 18:33 And I often get the question when we do evangelistic 18:35 meetings, why did God not destroy Lucifer when he first 18:41 began the rebellion in heaven? 18:43 Tell me, friends, was God strong enough 18:46 to deliver a TKO, a complete total knock-out, 18:49 to Satan in round number one? 18:51 Was God strong enough to do it? 18:53 Of course. 18:55 The reason why He did not do it is because the other angels 18:58 in heaven, not understanding and discerning the nature of sin, 19:04 would not have been able to comprehend the justice 19:08 and the fairness in the punishment for sin. 19:11 And why is that? 19:12 Because Satan hid his lies under a pretense 19:16 of academic freedom. 19:18 You see, Lucifer did not openly challenge God. 19:21 He simply questioned the authority of God. 19:25 And the Lord could have given him a TKO, a total knock-out, 19:28 in round number one, but that death blow would have been 19:32 looked upon by the other angels as a very harsh penalty. 19:36 And so ever after that, they would have begun to serve 19:39 God out of fear and no longer out of love. 19:43 And so God, with wisdom, infinite wisdom, 19:47 chose a different course. 19:49 God, instead of knocking out Satan, He knocks down Satan 19:53 from heaven to earth. 19:55 God must give sin time to mature that all might see its 19:59 true horrific nature. 20:01 And so Satan is cast down to the earth 20:03 on probationary time. 20:05 And now round number two begins 20:08 in the arena of planet earth; 20:10 in the ring called, the Garden of Eden. 20:13 And you know the story. 20:15 God did all He could to warn and protect His children 20:19 from the tempter. 20:20 But the record tells us that Eve, our first mother, 20:23 ventured on forbidden ground. 20:25 She began to dialogue with someone she should have 20:27 never have spoken to in the first place. 20:30 And as she listened to the lies of the serpent, 20:32 he planted seeds of doubt in her mind. 20:35 And as she listened, Eve, just like the other angels, 20:39 began to question and doubt God's word and God's authority. 20:43 She partook of the fruit, she ate. 20:45 And now the tempted becomes a temptress. 20:48 She gives to her husband Adam, and he eats. 20:50 And as a result of sinning and joining Satan in rebellion 20:54 against God, now the wind of the Holy Spirit is knocked out 20:59 of the human race. 21:02 Satan knocked down humanity in the Garden of Eden 21:05 in round number two. 21:06 And now the dominion of the world was forfeited 21:09 into the hands of the enemy. 21:10 And ever after that, Satan would claim planet earth 21:13 as his territory, as his kingdom. 21:16 He would claim to be the ruler over the world. 21:19 Humanity was knocked down, but not out. 21:23 We were down for the count, but thank God that as soon 21:26 as there was sin, there was a Savior. 21:28 Thank God that there was someone in our corner 21:31 that was there to rescue us. 21:33 The Lord Himself came in the Garden in the cool of the day 21:36 to resuscitate humanity from the devastating and fatal blow. 21:40 Jesus would come to breathe new life into us 21:43 by announcing the coming of the Champion of love. 21:48 And this was the first gospel prophecy, 21:52 the first promise, that God gave to humanity. 21:55 He was speaking to Satan, but He said it in the 21:58 presence of His children. 22:00 And this gospel promise in the book of Genesis 3:15 22:03 was a threat to Satan, but it was a promise to you and me. 22:07 Notice what the Bible says. 22:08 Genesis 3:15 says... 22:25 Here we find the first gospel promise. 22:27 God says to Satan, "I'm going to put enmity 22:29 in the hearts of My children." 22:31 And that word, "enmity," simply means, the ability to hate evil. 22:35 So this enmity that God placed in every human heart 22:38 would continue to grow and climax in the battle 22:41 between the Seed and the serpent. 22:45 The Seed is none other than our Lord Jesus Christ. 22:48 You can find that in Galatians 3:16. 22:51 The Seed is Christ coming through the loins of humanity. 22:53 You see, friends, this prophecy in Genesis is telling us 22:56 that the Seed would bruise the serpents head, 22:59 but at the same time, the serpent would bruise 23:03 the Seed's heel. 23:05 This prophecy is a shadow pointing us to the showdown 23:09 that took place at Mount Calvary at the cross. 23:14 You see, Satan, in the Garden of Eden, 23:16 delivered a deadly blow to the human race. 23:18 And so Jesus would then come in another garden, 23:21 in the garden of Gethsemane, to deliver a deadly blow 23:24 to the head of Satan. 23:27 And simultaneously, Satan would bruise the heel of Jesus. 23:31 As I mentioned, this prophecy was a promise to God's children, 23:35 but it was a threat to Satan. 23:36 The Lord was essentially saying to the devil, 23:38 "I'm going to come and I'm going to knock you out. 23:41 Go ahead, bite My heel. 23:42 I'm going to crush your head." 23:45 Though this threat was given, Satan was still defiant. 23:49 He still claimed this world as his territory, 23:52 holding us in captivity, 23:55 claiming to be the victor in the battle. 23:58 So what happens next? 23:59 Round number two begins as the Champion of love 24:04 steps into the ring to put Satan in his place. 24:09 The Champion of love would come to destroy the contender 24:13 and to redeem the condemned; you and me. 24:16 And friends, I'll never forget when I was in high school 24:19 the enmity that I felt towards bullies. 24:23 These are cowards who use their size and their strength 24:27 to pick on weaker kids. 24:29 And something interesting, I noticed that whenever 24:31 the smaller kids could not defend themselves 24:33 against the bully, they would resort to threatening the bully. 24:37 And one threat that generally worked was, 24:40 a child or a kid would say to the bully, 24:44 "You better leave me alone, or else I'm going to 24:46 call my older brother." 24:48 Now I always envied those kids. 24:50 And the reason why is because I didn't have an older brother. 24:54 I was the only child. 24:56 And so I could never say that. 24:57 I was on my own to defend myself. 25:00 And I never really understood that until when I was 25:02 19 years old and my only sibling, my baby brother, 25:07 was born into the world. 25:09 Same mom, same dad. 25:11 Notice, same ears. 25:13 It was an overwhelming surprise. 25:15 We're 19 years apart. It's just he and I. 25:17 His name is Micah. 25:18 Now I'll never forget, I now became the older brother. 25:21 Most of my life I was the only child, but now I'm 25:23 an older brother and I wanted to do all I could 25:25 to give my little brother the best advantages, 25:28 to teach him all I know and protect him from all the 25:31 things that I wasn't protected from when I was younger. 25:35 And I'll never forget picking my little brother, Micah, up 25:38 from kindergarten after school one day. 25:40 And I asked him, he got into the vehicle, I asked him, 25:43 "How was school today, man?" 25:44 You know what he told me? 25:46 He told me something that stirred my heart. 25:49 He said, "Some of my classmates are making trouble to me." 25:53 Let me tell you, friends, when I heard those words, 25:57 feelings and emotions began to stir in my heart 25:59 that I had never experienced before. 26:02 I was so upset, I was ready to go to that kindergarten class 26:06 and straighten up those 5 and 6 year olds 26:08 and let them know that they better not mess with this boy. 26:12 You see, friends, there's a natural instinct 26:14 in an older brother to protect the younger brother. 26:17 Isn't that right? 26:19 And in the same way, friends, in the great controversy 26:22 between good and evil, as Satan is bullying us around, 26:25 now our elder brother, Jesus Christ, steps 26:29 into the ring in round number two. 26:31 He came to deal with that bully, Satan. 26:34 He leaves is home town of New Jerusalem 26:37 and He enters into the arena of planet earth. 26:39 Jesus would lay aside His robe of divinity 26:42 and put on the boxing gloves of our humanity. 26:45 He came to deal with the accuser and the adversary. 26:48 You see, friends, we are no match for Satan. 26:51 But thank God, Satan is no match for Jesus. 26:54 The devil is mighty, but God is Almighty. 26:57 And so if that bully, Satan, comes bothering you, 27:00 you've just got to tell him, "You better leave me alone 27:02 or else I'm going to call my older Brother, Jesus Christ." 27:05 Amen? 27:06 And so Jesus steps into the ring in round number two; 27:10 resuscitating the human race by the gospel promise. 27:14 And then He Himself would crush the serpent's head. 27:20 We read about this in Revelation chapter 12. 27:23 Now notice the next verse. 27:25 Verse 9, Satan is cast down from heaven. 27:28 Now verse 10, he's cast down in the earth. 27:31 Notice what it says. 27:46 Jesus is our older Brother. 27:57 So here we find something interesting. 27:59 Satan is cast down from heaven in round number one; 28:03 verse 9. 28:04 But then it says he's cast down the second time in verse 10. 28:08 Now what event is verse 10 pointing us to? 28:12 In order to find the answer to that, we just have to 28:15 ask the question, when did strength, salvation, 28:19 and power actually come? 28:21 When the Bible says, "Now is come strength," 28:23 when was, "now"? 28:24 Well friends, we don't have to guess, 28:26 because the Bible tells us. 28:27 Notice what is says in the book of Romans 5:6. 28:39 So before that, we had no strength. 28:42 Jesus dies, and now is come strength. 28:45 This verse in Revelation 12:10 is pointing to the cross 28:48 when Jesus would die. 28:50 In fact, notice another one. 28:51 In John 12:31-33, Jesus said, it says here... 29:12 And so, when was Satan cast down the second time? 29:16 It's when Jesus was lifted up on the cross. 29:19 As Christ goes up, Satan goes down. 29:23 "Now is come strength, and power, and salvation." 29:27 But friends, let's pause here for a moment. 29:29 What exactly took place at the cross? 29:33 There was a conflict. 29:35 There were the two most powerful forces in the universe 29:40 clashing at the cross. 29:42 When you look at the cross, friends, you see the power 29:45 of sin, which brings death, fighting and going up against 29:50 the power of love that brings life. 29:53 At the cross, you see the ugliness of sin; 29:56 sacrificing others for the sake of self. 30:00 But at the same time, at the cross you also see 30:02 the beauty of love sacrificing self for the sake of others. 30:06 At the cross you see humanity at their worst, 30:10 crucifying their Creator. 30:13 But at the same time you see divinity at its best, 30:17 the love of God embracing a world that could 30:21 care less about them. 30:23 And so at the cross, as we see these two forces, 30:25 the power of sin and the power of love, 30:28 colliding against one another in a cataclysmic climactic clash, 30:32 one will be eternally defeated. 30:35 The other will remain as an eternal victor. 30:38 Who will win in round number two as these forces clash together? 30:42 Is love stronger than death? 30:44 Is life stronger than death? 30:46 Is Christ stronger than Satan? 30:48 Who will be the last one standing when the 30:49 round is over? 30:51 Who will remain when the dust settles and the smoke clears? 30:54 Oh friends, the gospel record makes it clear 30:56 that Jesus wins, love wins. 30:59 He is the victor in round number two. 31:01 Just like the song says, 31:03 "Higher than the highest, greater than the greatest. 31:05 His height exceeds the heavens, His weight outweighs the world. 31:09 His reach reaches everyone, His age is evermore. 31:12 He is the all-time, undisputed, undefeated, unrelenting, 31:17 unfailing Champion of love." 31:20 And He won a mighty victory. 31:22 Love was stronger than death. 31:25 Love was stronger than sin. 31:28 And friends, in this battle between good and evil, 31:31 love wins because Jesus wins. 31:35 He won the victory on the cross for you and me. 31:39 But the question is, has Christ won the victory over Satan 31:44 in your heart? 31:45 Has your heart, friend, been conquered 31:49 by the Champion of love? 31:53 In round number two, the serpent bruised the Seed's heel, 31:59 but at the same time, the Seed was crushing 32:02 the head of the serpent. 32:04 And friends, something amazing happened on Mount Calvary. 32:07 At the very moment that Jesus died, there was an outward 32:10 natural sign pointing to this inward supernatural victory. 32:15 The Bible tells us that Jesus died on Mount Calvary. 32:19 And if you look up the word, "calvary," in the Greek, 32:21 it literally means, cranium. 32:24 That has to do with your head. 32:26 Jesus died in the garden of Golgotha. 32:30 Which interpreted simply means, the place of the skull. 32:34 You see, my friends, Mount Calvary was like the citadel 32:37 of Satan's kingdom. 32:38 This was the place that Satan thought he would conquer 32:41 and destroy Love forever. 32:45 But on that skull-shaped hill, Love laid down His life, 32:51 and then was lifted up on the cross. 32:54 His body was crushed with the load of guilt and shame. 32:58 But just like a rose trampled upon the ground, 33:01 whose fragrance fills the air, was the love of Jesus 33:05 permeating and penetrating the filth of the atmosphere. 33:09 And then Jesus looked into the faces of His murderers 33:14 and He prayed a prayer that embraces you and me tonight. 33:18 He said, "Father, forgive them. 33:22 Forgive them. 33:23 They know not what they do." 33:26 Jesus did not stop loving us even when we were 33:30 nailing Him to the cross. 33:32 Then He declared, "It is finished." 33:35 He dropped His head in the hollow of his shoulder, 33:37 He exhaled His breath of life in an atmosphere of 33:40 pain and death. 33:41 And at that very moment that Jesus died, 33:43 a great earthquake rent the rocks of Golgotha. 33:47 The place of the skull was broken by the cross. 33:50 Satan's cranium, Satan's calvary, was crushed 33:53 by the power of the infinite love of God. 33:56 Christ had come and cracked the devil in his head. 34:00 Oh my friends, I'm here to tell you tonight 34:02 that love wins, because Jesus wins. 34:05 And because He wins, we win too. 34:09 Victory by association. 34:13 And so what does it mean? 34:14 In Revelation 12:10 when the Bible says that Satan is 34:17 cast down, it's referring to what happened at the cross. 34:21 But friends, what does this mean? 34:23 You see, in round number one, Satan was cast down 34:27 from heaven, the kingdom of God, the place where God dwells. 34:32 But after that, he still had access 34:34 to the heavens, in the plural. 34:36 That's the realms of illuminable space, the unfallen worlds. 34:39 And that's why the Bible calls Satan, the prince 34:41 of the power of the air. 34:45 So round number one, he's cast out of heaven. 34:47 But round number two, at the cross he is now 34:49 cast out of the heavens. 34:51 No longer could he taunt the angels. 34:55 No longer could he bother unfallen worlds. 34:57 Now his work is restricted to planet earth. 35:00 I want you to notice the book, Desire of Ages, describes it 35:03 in these words. 35:05 Desire of Ages, page 761, says... 35:37 And so the Bible says that he is cast down. 35:41 Confined to this world. 35:43 No longer able to bother the unfallen worlds. 35:47 And that's why if you notice the next verse, 35:49 jumping down to verse 12, it says in Revelation 12:12, 35:53 "Therefore rejoice, ye..." 36:09 After the cross, the devil knows that the war 36:12 has already been won. 36:14 He knows that his days are numbered. 36:16 He knows that he has but a very short time. 36:19 And so as he's cast down the second time 36:22 in round number two at the cross, notice what he does next. 36:27 Jumping down to verse 17. 36:30 Now Satan turns his attention against the beloved 36:34 bride of Christ. 36:36 Revelation 12:17, "And the dragon was wroth 36:39 with the woman..." 36:50 You see, the devil can no longer touch Christ. 36:52 Jesus knocked him down in heaven, 36:55 and he knocked him down on earth at the cross. 36:57 Jesus goes back to heaven, 36:59 so Satan can't touch Christ anymore. 37:01 So in order to hurt Christ, he turns his attacks 37:04 against the beloved bride of Christ. 37:08 Now why would he do this? 37:10 If the war has already been won at the cross, 37:13 then why is Satan still defiant? 37:16 Why does he still want to fight? 37:19 Especially against the bride. 37:21 Here's the reason, friends. 37:24 If you are in a twelve round boxing match, 37:27 and you lose eleven of the first rounds, 37:32 you go to your corner, what is your trainer going to tell you 37:36 in preparation for the twelfth round? 37:40 The trainer is going to tell you, "The only hope you have 37:43 is a knock-out. 37:45 It's not going to help if you win the twelfth round 37:48 if you've already lost eleven rounds. 37:50 The only chance you've got to win this fight 37:55 is a TKO, total knock-out." 37:59 Well friends, we're not in a twelve round boxing match. 38:03 We're in a three round boxing match. 38:05 Satan lost the first two rounds. 38:08 We are in the third and final round. 38:11 And the devil knows, he thinks to himself that the only way 38:15 he can actually win the great controversy 38:17 is to knock out the people of God. 38:22 And that's why it says in the book, Great Controversy, 38:25 page 618, notice what it says. 38:29 Talking about Satan. 38:51 See, the devil thinks, he actually believes 38:54 that he can still win the great controversy. 38:57 He lost the first two rounds, but if he can knock out 38:59 the little company, the people of God, 39:01 in round number three, he thinks he can actually win. 39:04 And for this cause, my friends, Satan is preparing a knock-out 39:08 punch for God's people in these last says. 39:11 And what we want to find out, what exactly is this final 39:14 and fatal blow? 39:16 Well, the context answers that question. 39:20 For when you read 39:22 about how the dragon is warring with the woman, 39:25 the war described in verse 17 is actually expounded upon 39:30 when you follow the context in the next chapter, 39:34 chapter 13. 39:35 Because in the 13th of Revelation, 39:38 it describes what Satan is going to do in the last days, 39:41 as it discusses the union of two beasts coming together 39:45 and how this unholy union will result in the enforcing 39:49 of the mark of the beast in the form of a national Sunday law. 39:55 And that those who refuse to go along with 39:57 the mark of the beast, this national Sunday law, 40:00 they're going to be stripped from every earthly comfort. 40:04 The Bible says that they will not be able to buy or sell. 40:07 Religious intolerance will spring up, flowing into a 40:11 rushing river of persecution. 40:13 Eventually a death decree will be passed, 40:15 threatening the lives of God's faithful people. 40:20 We don't have time to study Revelation 13, 40:22 but I want to challenge you, friends, take a look into that. 40:24 If you don't understand it, read it and study it, 40:27 and you will see that this prophecy 40:29 is being fulfilled right before our very eyes. 40:32 This is Satan's final blow to the remnant church, 40:35 to God's bride, in round number three. 40:39 And in response to this union, in chapter 14, 40:45 following the context, we see a loud cry message 40:49 heard in the next chapter in response, crying out 40:53 against this unholy union. 40:54 It's the three angels' messages, of which the third angel 40:58 warns against the worshiping of the beast 41:01 and receiving the mark of the beast. 41:02 That's Revelation 14:9-11, 41:07 which shows us very simply that this is the final test; 41:11 the final knock-out punch. 41:14 Time will not permit us to explain the intricacies 41:16 of this issue in detail. 41:18 And so allow me, friends, to read you just a brief 41:20 summary of it. 41:22 In the book, Great Controversy, and on page 605, it says this... 41:58 Friends, we've been told very clearly that a 42:01 national Sunday law will be passed. 42:04 The religious right will propose that this is the solution 42:07 to the many problems of our world. 42:10 That the reason why we are suffering all these calamities, 42:13 natural disasters, and terrorism, 42:15 and economic instability, and international unrest, 42:18 the world needs to be healed, 42:21 global warming, and all these things, 42:23 all the problems, and people are going to be saying that 42:26 the solution to these problems is that 42:28 we need to get back to God. 42:30 And so let us pass a national Sunday law 42:33 to heal the world. 42:35 But a national Sunday law is not going to heal the world 42:37 and make it a better place. 42:38 A national Sunday law will heal the deadly wound. 42:42 And friends, things are just going to get worse and worse. 42:44 Natural disasters will continue to increase 42:47 in intensity and frequency. 42:49 Terrorism, economic instability; it's just going to get 42:51 worse and worse and worse. 42:53 And so the people are going to look around 42:54 and they're going to realize, "Our plan did not work. 42:57 I wonder why? 42:59 We passed this national Sunday law, and yet 43:01 the world is still terrible. 43:04 What's the problem?" 43:05 And they're going to look around and they're going to see 43:07 that there's a small minority, a little flock, 43:12 that have not chosen to go along with it. 43:15 A small minority who wants to remain faithful 43:18 to Jesus Christ and the Word of God, 43:21 that will not violate their conscience in going against 43:25 the national Sunday law. 43:27 And the people will say, "That's the reason it's not working." 43:32 And God's people will be looked upon as terrorists, 43:36 as extremists. 43:38 Like Elijah was looked upon by Jezebel; 43:40 troublers of the people. 43:42 And that's why is says in the book, Great Controversy, 43:44 page 615, notice what it says... 44:27 And friends, that sounds scary. 44:29 But Jesus said, "Fear not, little flock. 44:33 It is your Father's good pleasure 44:35 to give you the kingdom." 44:36 God's people will be looked upon as troublers. 44:39 Just as the religious leaders united with political powers 44:43 to crucify Jesus, the same will happen to God's people. 44:47 You see, back in Christ's day the religious right said, 44:50 "It's better that one die than the whole nation perish." 44:54 And so what they did to Jesus in round number two 44:57 is going to be repeated in round number three. 44:59 History is going to be repeated, friends. 45:01 The stage is set for this final crisis. 45:04 Yes, it sounds scary. 45:06 But thank the Lord we have nothing to be afraid of. 45:09 Because the Bible says, "Perfect love casts out fear." 45:14 This is not a message of fear and doom and gloom. 45:17 It's a message of love, friends. 45:19 All we need to do is learn to love the blessed Christ. 45:23 And we love Him because He first loved us. 45:26 And as His love is poured into us, fear dispels. 45:33 We don't have to worry about the mark of the beast issue 45:36 as long as we have the seal of God. 45:39 You see, my friends, it is the seal of God 45:42 that is placed in the forehead, that's the head gear, 45:46 that enables us to endure and stand the final 45:49 mark of the beast blow. 45:52 So don't so much worry about the mark of the beast, 45:55 just pray and seek for the seal of the living God. 45:59 Amen? 46:01 As long as we have that head gear, we've been told that 46:04 none but those who have fortified their minds 46:07 with the truths of the Bible will stand through the 46:09 last great conflict. 46:11 And tomorrow night we're going to talk about the seal of God. 46:14 But I want us to notice, what does it take 46:18 to receive the seal of God? 46:20 What do we need in order to stand during the final blow 46:25 in the last round? 46:27 The book, Great Controversy, page 621, says this... 46:47 "The period of probation is granted to all 46:50 to prepare for that time." 47:24 But God will have a few, He will have a people 47:30 that prize salvation more than anything else, 47:33 that love Jesus more than they love their own lives. 47:39 We need that faith, friends. 47:41 What we need is a faith that can endure 47:42 weariness, hunger, and delay. 47:44 And friends, there's only one faith that can 47:45 endure those things. 47:47 It is the faith of Jesus. 47:50 You see, friends, in order to wrestle with Satan and win, 47:55 we first have to wrestle with God and lose. 48:00 Just like Jacob. 48:02 In order to face his time of trouble, in order to face Esau 48:06 and win, he first had to face himself with the Lord and lose. 48:12 You see, friends, victory over the antichrist 48:16 is found in surrender to Jesus Christ. 48:21 Victory is found in surrender. 48:27 Will God have a people that will surrender all? 48:31 Will God have a people that will remain standing 48:33 at the end of the final round? 48:35 It's interesting, friends, that immediately after 48:37 the mark of the beast issue is brought before the 48:39 attention of the world, in Revelation 14:9-11, 48:42 the very next verse describes a group of people 48:46 who have a faith that has endured the final blow 48:51 in round number three. 48:52 And notice how they're described. 48:54 Revelation 14:12. 49:05 They have not gone along with the mark of the beast. 49:07 They keep the commandments of God, why? 49:09 Because they have, what else? 49:11 The faith, not only in Jesus, but the faith of Jesus. 49:16 Here is a group of people, they not only have faith 49:19 and they not only have works, but they have a faith 49:22 that works because they love Jesus. 49:24 It's an enduring durable faith. 49:27 Of course they have faith in Jesus. 49:30 But more than that, they have the faith of Jesus. 49:32 The same faith Jesus had is theirs as well. 49:37 Here is the remnant that remains standing 49:40 until the bell rings. 49:42 They refuse the mark of the beast. 49:43 They love God enough to keep all of His commandments. 49:46 And what makes them strong to stand is their faith 49:49 in Jesus, and the fact that they have the faith of Jesus. 49:52 And let me tell you, friends, the Bible is clear that faith 49:56 is the victory that overcomes the world. 50:00 Faith is the victory, 1 John 5:4. 50:05 And so if they have faith in Jesus, 50:09 then they will also have victory in Jesus. 50:12 Victory by association. 50:15 But if they have the faith of Jesus, then that means 50:19 they will also have the victory of Jesus. 50:23 Victory by individual assimilation. 50:28 And friends, what was the faith and the victory of Jesus 50:33 in round number two? 50:35 Let's go back there for a moment as we get ready to close. 50:39 The victory that Jesus won was a victory of love. 50:43 A love that never failed. 50:46 In the garden of Gethsemane, 50:48 Jesus was taking a beating for us. 50:51 He was getting hit from all sides. 50:54 And in that garden, He clung to the cold ground. 50:57 Great drops of blood began to flow from His brow. 50:59 And in that very moment, Jesus did not feel like dying. 51:04 He did not feel like fulfilling His mission. 51:08 He felt like giving up. 51:09 The devil was there tempting Christ, 51:12 "Don't waste Your love on the human race. 51:16 Stop loving them. 51:18 They don't want You. 51:19 Go back to heaven." 51:20 And Jesus, His humanity, 51:22 felt like He could not drink the cup. 51:23 He prayed, "Father, if it's possible, 51:25 let this cup pass from Me." 51:28 He felt like tapping out. 51:29 He felt like throwing in the towel. 51:31 He was down for the count. 51:33 And as He looked in His corner, He looked for someone 51:35 that would be willing to pray for Him. 51:38 But when Jesus needed us the most, 51:43 the corner was sleeping on Him. 51:45 Jesus longed to know that there was someone 51:47 that cared about His sacrifice. 51:49 He longed to hear a word of encouragement. 51:51 Longed for someone to wipe the blood off His brow. 51:54 But we were not there for Him. 51:56 He was in the ring by Himself. 51:59 Knocked down, but surely not knocked out. 52:03 For He got back up, friends. 52:05 He got back up and took our beating to the very end. 52:10 He kept fighting the fight of faith. 52:12 He said, "Nevertheless, not as I will. 52:15 Thy will be done." 52:16 And despite His feelings, He moved forward by faith. 52:20 This is the faith of Jesus that won a mighty victory of love. 52:24 He got back up only to face the false accusations and 52:28 beatings of the Sanhedrin. 52:29 He got back up to be crowned, not as King of glory, 52:33 but criminal of death. 52:34 He got back up, and instead of hearing the cheers, 52:37 He heard the taunts of the frenzied crowd 52:39 who said, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him! 52:42 We don't want this Man." 52:43 He got back up to carry the heavy cross up on Mount Calvary. 52:47 He got back up to raise His hands, not in triumph, 52:50 but to receive the nails. 52:53 He got back up to be raise, not on the shoulders of people, 52:57 but to be raised on a cruel torturous Roman cross. 52:59 And despite the tauntings from the spectating crowd, 53:02 He looked into the face of His murderers 53:04 and He prayed, "Father, forgive them. 53:07 They don't know what they're doing, Lord. 53:09 Forgive them." 53:10 You see, Jesus would not stop loving us. 53:13 He loved us to the very end. 53:15 And as Satan was bruising Christ's heel, 53:17 Christ was crushing Satan's head by His sacrifice. 53:21 Jesus was proving that love is possible 53:24 despite the circumstances. 53:25 That love bears all things, believes all things, 53:28 hopes all things, endures all things. 53:31 For love never fails. 53:35 He is the Champion of love. 53:38 And though the cross was like a physical defeat, 53:42 it was a spiritual victory. 53:44 And because He won, we won. 53:48 Victory by corporate association 53:51 will then turn to victory by individual assimilation. 53:55 For notice what the Bible says in Romans 16:20. 53:59 It says, "And the God of peace shall bruise Satan..." 54:02 Under who's feet? 54:11 That verse is an echo of the victory that Christ won 54:15 over Satan in round number two as Christ was crushing 54:19 the head of the serpent. 54:21 But here, this passage says that Jesus would do that same thing 54:25 under the feet of His people. 54:28 The victory that is won by association 54:32 will also be won by assimilation. 54:36 As persecution arises in the last days, 54:39 and as every earthly thing is stripped from God's people, 54:43 they will have a love that's stronger than death. 54:47 A love that remains faithful unto death, 54:49 and a love for people. 54:51 God's people will be able to look into the face of 54:53 their persecutors and look at them just like 54:55 Jesus looks at them. 54:57 "Lord, forgive them. 54:59 They don't know what they're doing." 55:01 Christ in us, who won the victory at the cross for us, 55:08 will deliver the final knock-out blow to Satan through us 55:14 in round number three. 55:16 As the character of Christ is reproduced in His end time 55:20 saints, Satan's accusations will be proven false. 55:25 The universe will see that love is possible. 55:27 And now Satan can be forever destroyed. 55:31 TKO, total knock-out, for eternity. 55:37 And after that final knock-out punch, 55:40 because we have received the seal of love 55:44 in our foreheads, now we can wear the crown of life. 55:50 And then we will reign forever with Jesus, 55:53 our undisputed, undefeated, unrelenting, unfailing, 55:58 Champion of love. 56:01 And they that are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful. 56:10 How many of you want to be with Him? 56:13 How many of you want Jesus to be in you? 56:17 You want to be called, chosen, and faithful. 56:21 My friends, in this great controversy between 56:23 good and evil, if the devil knocks you down, 56:27 just make sure he doesn't knock you out. 56:29 Get back up, my friends. 56:31 You may have fallen today into drugs or alcohol, 56:34 or sexual perversity, or lying, or cursing. 56:37 You may have failed God today. 56:39 But it does not matter how many times you fall, 56:42 but how many times you get back up. 56:45 And friends, victory is assured as long as we continue 56:49 to get back up. 56:50 The Bible says, "Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy. 56:53 When I fall, I shall arise. 56:56 And when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me." 57:02 That's grace. Amazing grace. 57:06 As our heads are bowed and eyes are closed, 57:09 would you listen to the words of this song 57:12 and commit your life to the Champion of love 57:16 and His amazing grace? 57:17 Listen carefully. 57:20 My faithful Father, 57:27 enduring Friend; 57:31 Your tender mercy is like a river with no end. 57:41 It overwhelms me, 57:48 covers my sin; 57:52 each time I come into Your presence... 58:07 Your grace still amazes me, 58:14 Your love is still a mystery. 58:20 And each day I fall on my knees, 58:29 'cause Your grace still amazes me. 58:36 Your grace still amazes me. 58:55 Allow me to share this last story, 58:58 as we get ready to close in prayer. 59:01 A story about a young lady by the name of Denise. 59:05 She's 27 years old, newly married. 59:09 Her whole life was ahead of her. 59:11 Just a few weeks ago from today, she went to work 59:16 like she had always done before. 59:18 She worked at the Inland Regional Center there in 59:21 San Bernardino, California. 59:24 And as she went to work that day, it was a day that 59:27 seemed to be like any other day. 59:30 And at first, the day was very uneventful. 59:33 She had a co-worker by the name of Shannon Johnson. 59:36 Her friend and co-worker. 59:38 They were sitting together in the conference room 59:40 and they were joking with each other about how the 59:42 clock on the wall must have been broken, 59:44 because time was moving so slowly. 59:47 It seemed like the clock was barely moving, 59:49 and it seemed like it went on for eternity. 59:51 But a few minutes later, all of that would change. 59:55 Chaos broke loose as two terrorists walked into that room 01:00:00 and unloaded over 60 rounds of bullets toward 01:00:03 everyone in that room. 01:00:05 And as the bullets whizzed through the air like 01:00:07 messengers of death, both Shannon and Denise 01:00:11 hit the floor and took refuge under a table. 01:00:14 And as the rounds were unloaded, Denise thought that for sure 01:00:18 she was going to die. 01:00:19 But then, all of a sudden, her co-worker, Shannon, 01:00:21 grabbed her and held her close using his own body 01:00:25 as a shield to protect her from the bullets. 01:00:29 And as Denise was screaming and shouting and fearful, 01:00:32 Shannon just said the words, "I got you. I got you. 01:00:37 I got you." 01:00:39 Those were Shannon's last words. 01:00:43 He laid down his life so that Denise could live. 01:00:49 That happened just a few weeks ago in San Bernardino. 01:00:52 But friends, I'm here to tell you, that is exactly 01:00:54 what God is like. 01:00:56 Satan is a demonic terrorist seeking to 01:00:58 steal, and kill, and destroy. 01:01:00 But Jesus came to give us life. 01:01:02 And the way in which He gave life was laying down 01:01:05 His life for us. 01:01:08 He took all our blows just like a rock wall, 01:01:12 taking the beatings of the waves so that the ships in the 01:01:15 harbor are safe. 01:01:17 It was Christ. 01:01:19 And when He was on the cross, it was if Jesus was saying 01:01:23 to the human race, "I got you. 01:01:27 I got you. 01:01:28 Yes, you face a brutal enemy, but I got you. 01:01:32 Yes, you live in a scary world, but don't worry. 01:01:34 I got you. 01:01:36 Yes, the future seems dark and uncertain, 01:01:37 but I got you." 01:01:39 Love laid down His life so we could live. 01:01:42 So you could live. 01:01:44 Jesus died for you. 01:01:47 Will you live for Him? 01:01:50 If so, why don't we surrender our hearts tonight 01:01:53 to the Champion of love. 01:01:55 Let us pray. 01:01:57 Oh Lord, You're so good. 01:02:02 Our hearts are overwhelmed with gratitude. 01:02:06 Thank You, God, for not giving up on us. 01:02:10 Thank You, God, for not leaving us down for the count. 01:02:15 Thank You, Lord, that You stepped in 01:02:17 and You took our beating for us. 01:02:22 You took our beating so that we might have Your blessing. 01:02:27 You took our curse so that we could be blessed. 01:02:32 You were smitten that we might be saved. 01:02:36 You were cut off so that we might be reconciled. 01:02:40 Lord, tonight we pray that You will please 01:02:44 just take our hearts. 01:02:46 We pray that You'll sit upon the throne of our lives 01:02:50 as the Champion of love. 01:02:52 That the victory You've won at the cross for us, 01:02:55 that You'll also win that same victory in us 01:02:58 and through us in these last days. 01:03:01 This is our prayer. 01:03:03 We thank You for Your love. 01:03:05 In Jesus' name we pray, amen. 01:03:08 Amen. Amen. |
Revised 2016-04-25