Participants: Jim Reinking
Series Code: LDS
Program Code: LDS000002
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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. |
Revised 2014-12-17