October 9, 2019

The Deciever - Revelation 12:7-9

"We opened up the hundredth year of football on a national television against the Air Force Academy and we didn't know that we were being deceived that day. It was an incredible game and we had an awesome west coast offense. But air force knew something about us that we didn't think anybody knew. We had a secret play calling system. But the year before Air Force Academy had sent a man and he actually was hired on our staff to help coach. We thought that he was coaching us, but what he was doing was learning our system."

Family Discussion:

How is Satan deceiving you?
What's the angel of light saying to you about sin as making sin look good?

Transcription:

00:14 Did you know that there are good angels and bad angels? They're not only angels of God, but they're angels of Satan. In Revelation 12, we read about the battle between the angels and in verse seven it says this, "and there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels waging war with the Dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war and they were not strong enough and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. And so the great dragon was thrown down. The serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan who deceives the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth and his angels were thrown down with him."

00:53 I think deceit is the worst thing in the world. We opened up the hundredth year of football on a national television against the Air Force Academy and we didn't know that we were being deceived that day. It was an incredible game and we had an awesome west coast offense. But air force knew something about us that we didn't think anybody knew. We had a secret play calling system. But the year before Air Force Academy had sent a man and he actually was hired on our staff to help coach. We thought that he was coaching us, but what he was doing was learning our system. And then he went back to the air force academy and he taught our system to their football team so that every time we would call a secret audible play, they would know exactly where the play was going to be and they would run their defense to that spot. It was embarrassing. We got killed. We got deceived. And I'm still bitter to this day. I want you to know about that.

01:53 You know, the worst thing about Satan to me is not only is the cruel and is he mean and is he harsh. And is he want to take you to hell and make you live a life on this earth that feels like hell. But he's a deceiver. He's a liar. He appears scripture says as the angel of light. You know, people sin because sin looks good. There's no doubt about it. Sin looks fun. But when you see sin on television, they don't show you the consequences. When you see it in the movies. They don't show you the consequences. When you see your friends, you know, living a life of sin, they don't tell you about the consequences of sin when they're pushing drugs or alcohol or pornography. They're deceiving you. But the day is gonna come that all deceit is going to end. And for me this passage is a huge encouragement because the deceiver loses. The deceiver at the end is thrown down and Jesus reigns forever and ever.

02:48 And so today you and I get to live in practical ways. You getting ready to reign with him forever and ever. By looking at the deceiver in our, the one who makes it looks good and throw him down today. And so my question for you today is how is Satan deceiving you? What's the angel of light saying to you about sin as making sin look good? And you know what? You can smile and you can laugh as you recognize him as the enemy of your soul. And you could say to him, Satan get behind me. You know, I can see that you're a deceiver. Be gone with you. I am done with that sin in my life. And watch your life bloom like a flower.

September 25, 2019

The Boof Revelation: An Introduction - Revelation 1:3;17-19

"You and I are about to embark on a new adventure together over the next 20 some odd days. And we're gonna look at a book in the Bible that not only is the last book in the Bible, but some would say is the most perplexing book of the Bible. Some would say it's the most difficult book in the Bible, but there are many of us who would say it is of the most exciting books in the Bible."

Family Discussion:

Describe your anticipation of our study together in Revelation.

Transcription:

00:14 You and I are about to embark on a new adventure together over the next 20 some odd days. And we're gonna look at a book in the Bible that not only is the last book in the Bible, but some would say is the most perplexing book of the Bible. Some would say it's the most difficult book in the Bible, but there are many of us who would say it is of the most exciting books in the Bible. We're going to be in the book of Revelation and today we're in chapter one verse three and then we're going to skip to verses 17 through 19 and it says this "Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy. And heed all the things that are written in it for the time is near."

00:53 And then skipping to verse 17 it says this, "when I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. And he placed his right hand on me saying, do not be afraid. I am the first and the last. I am the living one. And I was dead. And behold, I am alive forevermore and I have the keys of death and of Hades. Therefore, write the things which you have seen and the things which are and the things that will take place after these things."

01:24 The book of Revelation, as we all know, was written by John. John, was one of the 12 followers of Jesus. John was one who did not die a martyr's death after the crucifixion, but John died in exile on the island of Patmos. We believe that this book was written in about the year 95AD and in some of the latter years of John's life, John sees a vision and we understand from reading the book of Revelation that the book of Revelation comes to us from God through Jesus, through his angels. From the angels the message is given to John. John gives the message to his bond servants, to the seven churches of Asia, and to all who would believe.

02:09 If you've ever wondered what an angel looks like or what an angel sounds like, this book is not necessarily to tell you what they look like, but they are going to tell you what they sound like. Angels don't look like this, and I don't want to put down to this beautiful little figurine, but angels are messengers from God. Angels have a very, divine in designated purpose. And the job of the angel that spoke to John in the book of Revelation was to give John exactly what God had to say about the end of the age. John's message was for the seven churches of Asia of that day, and his message was for the bond servants and a bond servant is probably the highest title that you can have as a person on this earth. A bond servant who receives the message of the book of Revelation is a man or woman who is sold out for Christ. A bondservant is a man or woman who has given his life even though we're set free in Christ, we live our masters so much that we chain our heart back to our masters saying, Jesus, my love for you is greater than my freedom. My love for you is greater than my life. My love for you is greater than anything. That makes you and me a bond servant of Christ. And so that message is for you. In chapter one, John writes about things that he has seen. In chapter two and three of Revelation, he writes about things that are. Those are the, those are the words to the seven churches of Asia. And then from chapter four on, the rest of the book that we're going to be doing in the next 20 something days together are the things that God calls after these things.

03:43 It's gonna be the rise and the fall of the antichrist. It's going to be talking about the last seven years that Daniel spoke about some 600 years before the vision that God gave Daniel of the last seven year period as the end of this age consumed. It's going to talk about the first three and a half years of the antichrist. And then it's going to talk about the great tribulation and the final battle of Armageddon. This book's going to talk about the thousand year reign of Jesus as the Lion of Judah, the millennium. It is going to talk about judgment, and it's going to talk about the new heavens and the new earth. This is going to be an exciting study together. And I can't wait to do this study with you in the next three weeks together. And you know what, you will say I hope as John said, when you're finished with this study, 'Blessed is the man who not only hears it, who not only reads it, but who heeds the things that are written in this book. And a little discussion question for you today is this. Describe your anticipation of our study together in Revelation. Knowing that Revelation is going to talk about all these things at the end of the age.

February 7, 2019

Angels Among Us - Luke 16:22

I don't recommend picking up hitchhikers. I definitely don't, but the other day, I was driving down the road, and I saw this very, very poor person. The person was very old, and the person was so crippled that the person could hardly get along. Like, I couldn't pass this person up.

Family Discussions:

Why do we speak of angels so little today?
What do you know of angels from scripture?
Do you think God uses angels to protect us today?

Episode Transcription:

00:14 You may think I'm crazy, but I think I saw an angel the other day. And before you laugh me out of the room, just hang on for a second. We're in Luke Chapter 16 in verse 22, and Scripture says this, "Now, the poor man died and was carried away by the angels, and he was carried away to Abraham's bosom. And the rich man also died and was buried."

00:36 I don't recommend picking up hitchhikers. I definitely don't, but the other day, I was driving down the road, and I saw this very, very poor person. The person was very old, and the person was so crippled that the person could hardly get along. Like, I couldn't pass this person up.

01:00 And so I took the hitchhiker into my car, and coincidentally, I was talking to a friend on the phone whose life was falling apart. I mean, everything imaginable bad was going on in this man's life. And so I took this old crippled person with teeth rotted out to the place of destination, and then before I let the hitchhiker out, the hitchhiker turned to me and smiled and you could just, you could just see the years of wear and tear on this older person's teeth, and it probably took him a minute and a half to get out of the car. But the person turned to me, and I think I saw the face of an angel when he said, and he didn't know anything about the man I was talking on the phone, but the hitchhiker said, he said, 'Tell the person on the phone, it's all been taken care of." And off that person went, and I'll probably never see that person again until I get to heaven.

02:03 Was it an angel, or was it just a person who had a special word from God? Well, I don't know, but I'll tell you what, the man on the phones life could not have been more blessed because he heard the heart of God coming from that person. So why do we speak of angels so little today and, what do you know of angels from scripture? You know, Jesus said he could have called on 72,000 angels for help at any time. Do you think God uses them to protect us today. Isn't it neat in scripture how the little bitty things come out of these verses? And that's why I'm so excited about studying these verses with you.