The Great Controversy - 07/23/00 03:52 AM
PRAYER:
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY !!!!!!!!!!
What do YOU THINK is the reason why we are HERE in church today?
I'm sure that I could receive a multitude of reasons and answers:
LIKE:
1. Do NOT forsake the assembling of yourselves together
2. REMEMBER the Sabbath Day to keep it HOLY
3. The Sabbath is a day of rest, TO COME APART AND WORSHIP GOD.
4. A TIME when God's people CONSECRATE, SHARE TEACHING, STUDY AND LEARN.
5. FELLOWSHIP and EDIFY each other.
and the list continues........
BUT
I would like to share ANOTHER REASON with YOU TODAY.
2 Cor.2:11 "Lest Satan should get an advantage of us, for WE ARE NOT IGNORANT OF HIS DEVICES."
And TODAY , I would propose to you that we are gathered here today, TO LEARN HOW to obtain a preparation of deliverance from Satan.
IS SATAN INTERESTED IN YOUR WELFARE? MY WELFARE?
1Peter 5:8.
By the way, the name "Satan" means "ADVERSARY'.
ARE WE REALLY INTERESTED IN KNOWING SATAN's DEVICES?
Why is Satan trying to destroy God's people?
************************************************************
Let us go back in time to when Satan lived in heaven!
When this angel lived in heaven, he had another name. LUCIFER!
Lucifer means "Shining One", or "LIGHT BEARER". Isaiah 14:12 calls Lucifer "SON OF THE MORNING".
And we read about Lucifer's fall FROM GRACE TO DISGRACE in
Ezekiel 28:11 onward.
Notice the mention of "King of Tyre". This not referring to a worldly king, but rather Lucifer, now know as Satan.
HOW DO I KNOW?
Did the king of Tyre live in the Garden of Eden? v.13. And notice v.12- Lucifer "FULL OF WISDOM, AND PERFECT IN BEAUTY.....in the day he was created."
"Lucifer the ANOINTED CHERUB.
And notice v.15 "Thou wast PERFECT in the ways from the day you were CREATED."
But the verse doesn't stop there, does it?
'Til INIQUITY was found IN THEE'
INIQUITY...."wickedness, sin, "
What is the DEFINITION OF SIN?
1John 3:4
Are the inhabitants of heaven (SUCH AS ANGELS) required to keep God's Commandments?
Psalms 103:20 " Bless the Lord, you His angels, that excel in strength, THAT DO HIS COMMANDMENTS, hearkening unto the voice of His word."
It would be well for us to read the 10 commandments of God. let's turn to Exodus 20:1-17.
How long do God's commandments STAND?
PSALMS 111:7-8
How long is FOREVER? 1000 YEARS? 2000 years?
FOREVER , Friends, has NO END. The commandments of God are still in effect TODAY FRIENDS!
Matt.5:17-18
Some folk say, "Laurie , don't you know that the word "fulfil" means "TO CANCEL"?
We had better RE-READ the verse. If you were a prophet, would you be rassured knowing that Jesus didn't come to destroy the prophets, He just came TO CANCEL YOU?
Has heaven and earth passed away, or are we still here? Matt.5:18
The FIRST AND SECOND commandment emphasizes 'WORSHIP' to GOD'.
Rev.19:10 'WORSHIP GOD'
Rev.14:6-7 ' WORSHIP THE CREATOR'
Rev.22:9 'WORSHIP GOD'
And when we look at God's 10 commandments, DO WE NOT SEE THAT THE FIRST 4, indeed refer to GOD OUR CREATOR?
God alone is worthy of worship!
So where did Lucifer go wrong in breaking God's Commandments in Heaven?
Isa.14:12-14 Lucifer wanted to be LIKE GOD, in fact, EQUAL TO GOD.
v.13 "I will sit ALSO upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the North."
What is Lucifer saying here?
Psalms 48:2 "The joy of the whole earth is MOUNT ZION, on the sides of the NORTH, the CITY OF THE GREAT KING."
This can ONLY refer to the NEW JERUSALEM--God's HEADQUARTERS!
The Bible tells us that "there was war in heaven" And Satan deceived 1/3 of the angels in heaven. Rev 12:7-9,v.4
And NOW the heavenly problem becomes an earthly problem.
For Satan NOW makes this earth his domain.
Through DECEIT in the Garden of EDEN, Eve was deceived, and SIN CAME UPON MANKIND.
And in Rev.12:4, we read about "THE MAN-CHILD (JESUS) being "caught up unto God and His throne."
Here now, we notice several things!
First, Satan worked AGAINST GOD HIMSELF.
And THEN, it was JESUS.
NOW, it's GOD'S PEOPLE, in particular Rev.12:17 "THOSE WHO KEEP GOD'S COMMANDMENTS AND BELIEVE IN PROPHECY.
Have you seen the IRONY of this situation?
GOD'S ANGELS Keep His commandments (Ps.103:20)
JESUS KEPT GOD'S COMMANDMENTS (John 15:10)
GOD'S PEOPLE keep God's commandments.(John 14:15)
And Satan despises ALL 3 classes!
Is it alright to keep 9 of the 10 commandments? Surely God doesn't expect us to obey all 10.....surely we can "get rid of the Sabbath one". It's not really convenient you know".
James 2:10-12
DO YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE KNOWING YOU ARE BREAKING THE LAW FROM WHICH YOU WILL BE JUDGED?
DID JESUS COME TO EARTH TO SAVE HIS PEOPLE IN THEIR SINS? Matt.1:21
1 John 5:2 "By this we know, that we love the children of God ,WHEN WE LOVE GOD AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS."
This teaching of God, from His Holy word THE BIBLE, friends, is a very straight-forward teaching.
Some folk would have us believe that no one can stop sinning!
Have You heard that statement before?
1 JOHN 2:1-6 CONTRADICTS what men say.Otherwise, why would it be in the Bible?
WILL PEOPLE, who willfully sin BE IN HEAVEN?
Will those who excuse their conduct through immorality, lying or drunkenness, still be in heaven?
REV.22:14 TELLS US WHO WILL BE IN HEAVEN, BUT NOTICE V.15.
Let's compare GALATIANS 5:19-21, and 1 COR.6:9-10
From these verses in Scripture, we can determine that the UNRIGHTEOUS will NOT BE IN HEAVEN, can't we?
LOOK AT 1 COR.6:11 "And such WERE SOME OF YOU."
"WERE"- PAST TENSE
"But you ARE (PRESENT TENSE)washed, SANCTIFIED. You are JUSTIFIEDin the Name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."
Friends! "WERE" means "we used to do them" PAST TENSE.
1John1:9
IS CONFESSING ENOUGH?
Do we just keep sinning and confessing?
PROVERBS 28:13 " He that covereth his sins shall not prosper; BUT WHOSOEVER CONFESSES and FORSAKES THEM shall have mercy."
James 4:17 "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin."
When we FORSAKE SINS, WE BID THEM 'GOOD-BYE'!
Leave them behind with Jesus. Good-bye sins FOREVER!
Isa.1:18 "Come now, LET US REASON TOGETHER: "
And as the song goes "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." He'll forgive ALL your transgressions, and REMEMBER THEM NO MORE, and remember them no more."
1 Cor.1:30 "But of Him are YOU in Christ Jesus, who of God is made UNTO US wisdom (James 1:5), and RIGHTEOUSNESS (Rom.1:17), and SANCTIFICATION (1 Thess.4:2 when we are sanctified, we will abstain from immorality, and will NOT be doing the works of the flesh- those who aer UNRIGHTEOUS),
AND REDEMPTION.
(song) I've been redeemed, By the blood of the Lamb,
I've been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb,
I've been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb
Filled with the Holy Ghost I am.
All my sins are washed away, I've been redeemed.
And that's not all, there's more besides
And that's not all, there's more besides
And that's not all, there's more besides.....
I've been to the river, and I've been baptized
ALL MY SINS ARE WASHED AWAY, I've been redeemed.
Friends! it is the purpose of Satan to destroy God's people. In some places of the world today, Christians are being persecuted for their faith in Jesus.
Should this news surprise us?
2 Tim.3:12 "Yea, and ALL that live GODLY IN CHRIST JESUS shall suffer PERSECUTION."
IS ITWORTH IT TO SUFFER PERSECUTION???????
2 Tim.2:12
IF we suffer, WE SHALL REIGN WITH HIM;if we deny Him, He will deny us."
Rev.2:10 LP "Be thou FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH, and I WILL GIVE YOU A CROWN OF LIFE."
I refer you back to 2 Cor.2:11 "Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: FOR WE ARE NOT IGNORANT OF HIS DEVICES."
Letter 47,1893 "In the conflict with satanic agencies there are decisive moments that determine the victory either on the side of God or on the side of the prince of this world.If those engaged in the warfare are NOT WIDE AWAKE, praying for WISDOM, watching unto prayer....Satan comes off victor, when he might have been vanquished by the armies of the Lord....God's faithful sentinels are to give the evil powers no advantage."
Ephesians 6:10-18
BROTHERS AND SISTERS, let US KEEP THE FAITH AS IT IS IN JESUS. Amen.
BENEDICTION : Psalms 19:14
[This message has been edited by Laurie Mosher (edited July 22, 2000).]