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♪ theme music ♪
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(Derek) Welcome to Hope Sabbath School,
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an in-depth, interactive study
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of the Word of God.
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I'm excited today; we are beginning
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a brand new series
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entitled Three Cosmic Messages,
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a last-day message to a hurting world
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before the coming of Jesus
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from the book of Revelation.
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We're glad you joined us
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for Hope Sabbath School.
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And welcome to the team,
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good to be together.
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I'm sensing, I guess, a sense of destiny
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in studying this series
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from the book of Revelation
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on the three angels' messages.
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We call it Three Cosmic Messages.
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So, we're glad you're here, and we've got
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some remote team members joining us.
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I think Shaina's joining us;
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we're glad you're with us, Shaina,
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joining us from New England;
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we're glad you're here,
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welcome to Hope Sabbath School.
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We've also got Travis joining us.
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Good to see you, Travis,
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up there in Michigan.
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And I think Adison's joining us, too,
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all the way from Texas, grad school.
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Good to see you, Adison, always good
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to have you on our study together.
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We're glad you joined us, too,
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wherever you are around the world.
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We always are happy to hear from you.
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In fact, I'd like to appeal to you
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right now to send us a message
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at sshope@hopetv.org,
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because when we hear how God
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is blessing your life,
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it brings joy to our entire team
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and to our media team as well
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because we're all part
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of this great miracle of God.
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So, don't forget, sshope@hopetv.org,
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let us know how God's blessing your life.
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Well, thank you, Muumbe,
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who writes from Zambia,
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and Muumbe says, "Oftentimes
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when I can't really get
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the meaning of the Bible,
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I switch to Hope Sabbath School,
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and it helps me teach at my local church."
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) Isn't that awesome?
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"Even at my place of work
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where we belong to different churches,
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I deliberately raise the theme
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of Hope Sabbath School for the week,
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and we discuss it.
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Thank you, Hope Sabbath School." Amen?
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) Muumbe, thanks for writing
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to us from Zambia; that's exciting.
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Karen writes to us from New Zealand
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and says, "I watch Hope Sabbath School
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so that I can get
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a better understanding of the Bible.
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Such a happy, pleasant group of people
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on the panel who truly love Jesus." Amen?
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That's our prayer, isn't it?
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That's why it's important that we smile,
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and share the love of Jesus.
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Here is a beautiful note from a donor
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in Maryland in the United States,
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and the donor writes, "Greetings
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in the name of the Lord Jesus
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our Savior. Amen."
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(Team) Greetings.
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(Derek) "I'm truly grateful
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to be able to listen
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to Hope Sabbath School for years.
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I've written to you
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twice before many years ago.
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I enjoy listening to the letters
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from different countries.
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I am from Venezuela, South America,
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but currently I'm living
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in the United States.
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I think you are excellent teachers."
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By the way, we've got
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12 teachers in this series
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on the Three Cosmic Messages.
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It's going to be really exciting.
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"You bring out the best in the group.
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I like the way that you say, 'Help me,'
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helping each other to share together.
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I'm also grateful for the Scripture songs.
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May God bless Sister Morris,"
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that's my wife, by the way,
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"as she blesses others
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with her Scripture songs.
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I am visually impaired due to glaucoma,
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so my daughter had to type this letter.
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Many blessings to all of the students
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around the world, to each one of you,"
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and a gift of 500 dollars to bless
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the ministry of Hope Sabbath School.
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Thank you, you know who you are.
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Thank you for your joining with us
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in this life-changing ministry.
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And thanks to each one of you
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who partners with us.
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You can go to hopetv.org/donate,
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or go to our website, hopetv.org/hopess,
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and you can be part
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of the great miracle of God.
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We really appreciate your support.
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One last note, from Chris
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on our Facebook page.
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We've got about 180,000 followers
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on our Facebook page.
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I was impressed by his simple message,
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"Hope Sabbath School
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is such a blessing to me.
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Your words of wisdom," team,
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"are food for my soul."
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) Well, that's our prayer,
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and we're just so thankful
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that you can be part of our family,
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global Hope Sabbath School family.
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I need to tell you we have
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a special gift for you,
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and then we're going to sing
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our new theme song for this series
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on Three Cosmic Messages.
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Pastor Mark Finley and Hart Books
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are generously offering a digital copy
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of Pastor Finley's book,
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Three Cosmic Messages, as a gift
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to all Hope Sabbath School members
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who go to our website,
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hopetv.org/hopess.
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Click on the Free Gift button,
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and you can receive a free digital copy.
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Now, if you want, you can go
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to Amazon and pay for one,
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or you could order a hard copy somewhere,
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but they are offering a free gift to you
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as one of our Hope Sabbath School family.
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Isn't that beautiful?
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So, go to our website, hopetv.org/hopess,
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click on the Free Gift button,
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and learn how you can receive
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a digital copy of a powerful book
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by Pastor Mark Finley
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entitled Three Cosmic Messages.
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But right now, we want
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to sing our theme song.
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Our theme song is taken
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from the book of Revelation
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that we'll be studying.
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It is the song of Moses and the Lamb
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from Revelation 15, verses 3 and 4,
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"Great and marvelous are Your works,
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Lord God Almighty!"
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Let's sing it together.
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♪ music ♪
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(Derek) And I say, "Amen."
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In fact, the whole reason for this series
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on Three Cosmic Messages is so that all
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of our Hope Sabbath School family
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and tens of thousands more
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will gather and sing that song.
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I don't know, it may be a different tune,
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but it is the song of Moses and the Lamb
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that the redeemed will sing,
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"Great and marvelous are Your [ways],
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Lord God Almighty!"
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What a day that will be.
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Today, in our introductory study
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to the series on Three Cosmic Messages,
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we want to look at the broad theme,
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and our title, Jesus Wins - Satan Loses,
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a cosmic battle in the book of Revelation.
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And we may not capture all of the details,
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but we see clearly
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that there's a real battle
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and that Jesus, Son of God,
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our Savior Messiah, wins the battle,
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and the redeemed will enjoy
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eternity with God.
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Let's pray as we begin our study.
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Our Father in Heaven,
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we bless Your name today.
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We thank You for the revelation given
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to the Apostle John
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recorded, guided by the Holy Spirit,
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preserved through the ages
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so that we can study,
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particularly the message
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for this last time in Earth's history.
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And I pray in the name of Jesus
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that the Holy Spirit would bless
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not only our team here
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but our Hope Sabbath School family,
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maybe some joining
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for the first time today
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with a life-changing word from You.
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And I thank You,
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in the name of Jesus. Amen.
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) You know, many people wonder
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what's going on in the world?
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There seems to be a great battle
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between good and evil,
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and that's difficult for people
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who have been taught
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that there's no God.
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But what is happening in the world,
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and why is evil seeming
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to become more and more rampant
in the world?
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And we will find the answer
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to that question in our study today,
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but I don't want people to leave,
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I don't want you to leave and say,
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"Well, there's a lot
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of evil in the world,"
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I want us to leave saying,
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"Jesus wins the battle."
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So, let's begin in Revelation, chapter 12,
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and, Rodney, would you begin
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our study today in Revelation 12,
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verses 7 through 9?
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Now, some of you as Bible students
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may have read this many times,
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but imagine someone hearing it
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for the first time,
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a revelation given from God
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about what's happening in the world.
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Let's hear what the Bible says.
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(Rodney) And I'm reading
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from the New King James Version:
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(Derek) Now, that makes our heads spin.
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How is it possible
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that there would be a war in Heaven?
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By the way, the word used for war,
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we get the English word polemic,
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but as I looked in the New Testament,
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that's used both for verbal argument
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and for real conflict.
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How could that happen
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in a perfect environment?
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Help me, someone. Yes, Harold.
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(Harold) Well, the thing is
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that God is love, and where there is love,
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there are no strings attached.
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So, you have the freedom
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to choose either for love or against love.
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(Derek) So, we don't know
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how many angels there were,
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but apparently there was a rupture
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in the angelic forces
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led by an angel once called Lucifer,
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according to Scripture.
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Now, he's referred to
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as that old dragon, right,
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the devil and Satan,
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who leads, Revelation tells us,
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about how many in that rebellion?
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About a third of the angels, it tells us,
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in that rebellion.
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Again, how is that possible?
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Maybe it's called "the mystery
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of iniquity" for a reason.
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But you're saying the angels
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had a free choice.
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Will we choose to follow God out of love,
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or will we rebel against Him?
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Why is it crucially important
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to understand what we've just read
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in terms of what's happening
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in the world today? Jason?
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(Jason) Well, we can get very confused
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if we don't understand,
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because when you see evil,
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you could even think,
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"Oh, maybe God caused this,"
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or, "This is God's responsibility."
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And we need to recognize
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that God is good,
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and God is not the author of evil,
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is not the author of suffering.
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(Derek) Anybody else, why do you think
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this is such an important message? Sabina.
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(Sabina) And just going along
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with what Jason is sharing,
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definitely we look around, and there
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is so much evil happening.
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And definitely a person
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who goes through evil themselves
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may be suffering because of a disease
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or maybe they see violence
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toward someone in their family,
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and they may wonder
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if this is caused by God.
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And if there is a God out there,
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why is it that God
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is not stopping it from happening.
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So, I think that's a good way
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for us to start and consider
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that God is love, and He cares about us.
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(Derek) So, this Revelation
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is really important, isn't it?
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Now, Travis, you're joining us remotely,
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why do you think this
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is such an important message?
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(Travis) Well, Derek, there are
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two reasons for me as I read these verses
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that I feel it's important.
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It's important, number one,
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to realize that we're in a battle
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between good and evil.
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And the second thing I get
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from reading these verses
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is that Jesus wins.
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And so, I know on which side
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to place my banner
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because I want to stand
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on the side of victory.
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(Derek) Alright, thank you, Travis.
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If you read the text,
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where is that rebellious angel
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and the angels that join him,
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to where are they cast out?
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(Team) The earth.
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(Derek) They're cast out to the earth.
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So, let's see how the battle
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continues on planet Earth.
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Revelation, chapter 12, Brittany,
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could you read for us verses 3 and 4?
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(Brittany) I'll be reading
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from the New Living Translation,
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Revelation, chapter 12, verses 3 and 4:
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(Derek) So, who is this Child,
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your translation says Baby,
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who is this Child, Nancy,
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that this dragon - we know
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who the dragon is now,
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the rebellious angel who leads
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a rebellion against God -
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who is he wanting to destroy
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as soon as the Child is born?
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(Nancy) Jesus, and I see
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that the word Child, the C is capitalized,
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so that gives us a clue.
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(Derek) That does give us a clue,
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though I'm not sure
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it's that way in the original language.
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But certainly those who translated it
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from the Greek say, "This is
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not just any child."
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In fact, can someone think
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of a Scripture passage
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that shows that Satan
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actually tried to do that? Rodney?
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(Rodney) Yes, we can find that
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in Matthew 2, verses 13 to 18.
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(Derek) And I'm so thankful
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that we have four Gospels,
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because actually without Matthew's Gospel,
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we wouldn't know this part
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of the story of Jesus.
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But Matthew records an important event,
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and it very much validates
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what the prophecy told in Revelation.
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Would your read that for us?
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(Rodney) Yes, and I'm reading
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from the New King James Version:
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(Derek) Now, as we read our Bibles,
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we know that God uses people
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to accomplish His work, right?
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Give me the names of some people
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that God used to accomplish His work.
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(Team) Abraham, Mary...
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(Derek) Mary, beautiful example.
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(Team) Joseph, Daniel.
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(Derek) Daniel, we could think of many,
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but I want you to notice
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that Satan, the fallen angel,
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and his evil forces also use people
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to try to accomplish their goals.
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Who is Satan using in this story?
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(Team) King Herod.
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(Derek) King Herod, it's interesting,
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he was very angry
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when he felt he was deceived,
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but he was actually the one
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trying to deceive.
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Remember what he said to the wise men?
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"I want to come and worship Him, too."
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He had no intention
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of worshiping Jesus the Christ Child.
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But Satan is using King Herod
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just as we had read in the prophecy.
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Now, the attack on Jesus
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even as an infant, the attack
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is not the only attack
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in the life of Jesus, right?
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As you scan, you've read
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the gospel record, Adison, can you think
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of another time when the forces
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of darkness, Satan and his evil angels,
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sought to destroy Jesus?
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(Adison) Derek, just two chapters later
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we read in Matthew, chapter 4,
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about the temptations that Jesus faced
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in the wilderness after His anointing,
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and after His baptism.
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And each time, even though He was
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hungry and thirsty and tired,
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He was able to overcome those temptations
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with a, "Thus saith the Lord."
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(Derek) I remember I was teaching
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the Bible to one of my grandchildren,
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and she read the text, "No, no, Satan!
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It says in the Scriptures...,"
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and I thought, "Wow, that's
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a lesson to learn, isn't it?"
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But that was a great illustration, Adison,
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during what we call the temptations.
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But, Harold, those weren't
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the only challenges, were they?
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Can you think of another time
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when Satan launches
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an intense attack against Jesus?
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(Harold) Yeah, there was one occasion
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where He was about to be stoned
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because He was accused of blasphemy.
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And actually there was
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even another occasion where He was
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about to be pushed over a cliff.
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And even in Gethsemane as well,
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there was lots of pressure from Satan
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because he was, I mean, it was like
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Him with all of the weight
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of the sins of the world
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and then Satan trying to dissuade Him
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from going to the cross.
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(Derek) So, you're listing
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quite a few events,
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in Nazareth where they take Him out
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and want to throw Him off the cliff,
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where they want to stone Him
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when He says, "Before Abraham was, I AM,"
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John, chapter 8. Sabina?
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(Sabina) I'm also thinking of Judas.
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He was a close disciple to Jesus, a person
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who knew Jesus very closely and well,
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and yet he was used by the devil
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to not only try to deceive Jesus
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but to deceive us all.
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(Derek) So, that's interesting,
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another example like King Herod,
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of someone Satan was using
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to try to accomplish his purpose. Nancy?
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(Nancy) I'm thinking of the time
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when Peter was, well, Jesus was
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telling His disciples that He was
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going to suffer and die,
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and Peter didn't want to hear that.
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So, he said, "No, no, no, that can't be!"
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And Jesus said to Peter,
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"Get thee behind Me, Satan."
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So, even in that, Peter thought
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he was doing something nice for Jesus
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by telling Him, "No, we don't want that
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to happen to You," but actually it was
Satan who was...
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(Derek) Thank you
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for that great illustration.
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We know that Jesus
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wasn't calling Peter Satan.
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He was recognizing that Satan was trying
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to use Peter's good intentions,
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but to derail Him or to turn Him aside
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from the will of God and the plan of God.
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And obviously the greatest attack
happened when?
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(Team) Cross.
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(Derek) On the cross, that's right,
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when they're mocking and saying,
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"You've saved others, save Yourself,"
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spitting on Him, you know.
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What is Satan trying to do there?
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Not just discourage Him.
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(Brittany) Keep the plan of salvation
from being fulfilled.
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(Derek) Keep the plan of salvation
from being fulfilled.
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He would like the story to end,
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"Jesus loses, Satan wins."
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Now, I want to go back
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to the book of Revelation, if I can,
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because in verse 5
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of Revelation, chapter 12,
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we find also a beautiful reference
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to Christ's faithfulness
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in the plan of salvation.
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And, Jason, I see you ready there.
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How does your Bible read
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in Revelation 12 and verse 5?
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(Jason) The New King James Version says,
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Revelation, chapter 12, verse 5:
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(Derek) When did that happen, anyone?
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Shaina, when was the Child
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caught up to God and to His throne?
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(Shaina) Well, I would think
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that ultimately after the plan
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of salvation was fulfilled,
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and He ascended to Heaven
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to be one with God.
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(Derek) Absolutely, He was raised
from the dead
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and ascended to Heaven.
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Let's look at a couple of passages.
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Remember, someone may be led
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to Hope Sabbath School today,
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and they've never heard this story.
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But Jesus dies for our sins,
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the Scripture says,
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according to the Scriptures,
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but He didn't stay in the grave, did He?
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Lilica, could you go to Luke, chapter 24,
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and read for us what Doctor Luke says.
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Now, Doctor Luke was not
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one of the twelve disciples, right?
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He was a Christian who traveled,
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a physician who traveled
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with the Apostle Paul,
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and the Holy Spirit impressed him
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to write an account
-
along with Matthew and Mark and John.
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How does he record Luke,
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chapter 24, verses 1 to 7?
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(Lilica) I'll be reading
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from the New King James Version:
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(Derek) Amen. I don't know
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if you could see Lilica's face,
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but when she said, "He's not here,
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He is risen," she smiled
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because there's the victory
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over the grave, not just for Jesus
-
but for all of us, the plan of salvation.
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And that same Doctor Luke
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who wrote the Gospel,
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in the book of Acts also gives
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a beautiful revelation.
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Stephanie, if you could read
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in Acts, chapter 1, and let's read
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verses 9 through 11.
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Here again, this is what the Revelation
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is speaking about when it says
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that Child was caught up to God
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and to His throne.
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(Stephanie) And I'll be reading
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from the New King James Version:
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(Derek) So, He's caught up to God
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and to His throne.
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He's even now at the right hand
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of the Father ministering on our behalf,
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but we want to go back
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to the book of Revelation now,
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because even though Satan lost
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in the battle when Messiah came -
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tried to kill Him as a child,
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tried to kill Him
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during His earthly ministry,
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tried to crush Him on the cross
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but was defeated,
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Christ rose again and ascended
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to His Father in Heaven -
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Satan still continues the battle
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on planet Earth, doesn't he?
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Harold, could you read for us
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in Revelation 12, verses 10, [11],
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and the first part of verse 12,
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because we want to hear a little more
-
about this battle and the victory
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that Jesus offers us.
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(Harold) Yes, and I'll be reading
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from the New King James Version:
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(Derek) By the way, if the text
ended there...
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Now, I want you read on,
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but if the text ended there, we'd go,
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"Oh, that's awesome, rejoice," you know,
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right, because victory is ours in Christ.
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And by the way, if we
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don't remember anything else,
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let's remember, in this battle Jesus...?
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(Team) Wins.
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(Derek) And Satan...?
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(Team) Loses.
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(Derek) So, we know which side
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we want to stand on.
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But let's read the next little part
of verse 12.
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(Harold) Okay, and it says:
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(Derek) Now, I have a question.
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Shaina, maybe you could help us with this.
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If Satan was defeated when Christ came
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and worked the plan of salvation,
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why is he still fighting?
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What do you think?
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(Shaina) He's delusional.
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He probably still has some idea
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that he can still win.
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We see in another part of Revelation
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that once Christ does come
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and redeem His people,
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that he's still trying to fight.
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He's still trying to overtake the city
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that Christ and all
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His inhabitants are with.
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And so, the devil, I don't know,
-
he has this perception that he's
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still powerful enough to win.
-
And because he's tempted so many people
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who have chosen the losing side,
-
he thinks he has the power,
-
but he's still a loser.
-
(Derek) I think that's a good point.
-
He may think he wins,
-
and there may be another reason,
-
and I see several hands raised.
-
Brittany, Shaina, what do you think?
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(Brittany) Well, there is this battle
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that's still playing out, and we still,
-
as human beings, get to choose
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which side we're going to be on.
-
So, he's trying to get as many people
-
as possible to fall for his deceptions
-
and follow him because he knows
-
that that hurts God.
-
That hurts God's heart.
-
(Derek) So, maybe delusionally thinks
he might win,
-
but even if he's going to lose,
-
he wants to hurt the heart of God? Sabina?
-
(Sabina) Very much that's what I had
-
in my heart also to share,
-
that up until now,
-
even though he is defeated, Jesus has won,
-
the plan of salvation is available
-
for us all to be winners with Christ,
-
but still we have the decision to make.
-
And Satan has the plan of taking
-
as many people as he can to death,
-
to the end of this journey without Jesus.
-
(Derek) I see a couple of hands raised
-
from our remotes, too.
-
Travis, you see that.
-
You know, you're involved
-
in ministry and sharing.
-
You see that battle;
-
Satan has definitely not just said,
-
"Well, Jesus won, I lost."
-
(Travis) Derek, if you would allow,
-
I'd like to read kind of a parent verse
to this question.
-
(Derek) Okay...
-
(Travis) Or verses, it's found in John,
chapter 12:31,32.
-
(Derek) Alright, give us
-
a moment to find that,
-
John, chapter 12, verses 31 and 32?
-
(Travis) Yes, and I'll be reading
-
from the New King James Version:
-
(Derek) Alright, why do you think
-
that's important in terms
-
of explaining that the battle continues?
-
(Travis) In the context of the cross,
-
the accusations against God
-
are cast out because Jesus wins
-
the battle on the cross.
-
And now the world can make a decision
-
either for evil, for Satan,
-
or for Jesus and victory.
-
(Derek) Alright, so the battle lines
are drawn.
-
I want to go to one more text,
-
and, Adison, if you could read that for us
-
in 1 Peter, chapter 5, verse 8.
-
Then I want to ask you, in fact, I'd like
-
to ask our Hope Sabbath School team
-
around the world, how you are seeing,
-
where you live, the battle intensifying
-
as we come towards the end
of Earth's history.
-
But, Adison, read for us if you will,
-
1 Peter 5 and verse 8.
-
(Adison) And I'm reading
-
from the King James Version,
-
1 Peter 5, verse 8; it says:
-
(Derek) Alright, roaring lion,
-
what's the key word there?
-
How about the word "devour"?
-
What does devour, what comes
-
with the idea of devour?
-
(Team) Death.
-
(Derek) Yeah, he's out to kill you, right,
-
not to bite you; he's out to destroy you.
-
And I think, Brittany,
-
you're right on target, if all he could do
-
is hurt the heart of God,
-
that would be enough.
-
But maybe Shaina's right,
-
maybe still there is some kind of delusion
-
that he can get the majority,
-
and he can win this battle. Rodney?
-
(Rodney) The other interesting word
-
there, Derek, is "seeking."
-
So, he's not just casually looking; he's
-
really, really having a maniacal focus,
-
very intentional, very deliberate,
-
in trying to persuade us
-
to go against God.
-
(Derek) So, maybe someone's joining us
-
for Hope Sabbath School today,
-
and they're saying, "I feel like
-
I am under that attack."
-
"I feel like the lion, the devil,
-
the roaring lion, is closing in on me."
-
That person needs to know,
-
you need to know, that in the story,
-
if you trust Jesus, Jesus wins,
-
and Satan loses. Amen?
-
(Team) Amen.
-
(Derek) That's crucially important.
-
Now, I want to come back to a verse
-
that actually Harold read
-
a little bit ahead on verse 11.
-
I want to go back there.
-
Nancy, if you could read it for us again.
-
Maybe, Harold, we needed
-
to read it twice, right?
-
Because in the midst of, "Woe
-
to the earth; Satan's come down.
-
He knows his time is short,"
-
embedded in the middle of that
-
in verse 11 is a word of hope, Nancy.
-
(Nancy) Revelation 12 and verse 11,
and I'm reading
-
from the New King James Version:
-
(Derek) So, they did what?
-
(Team) Overcame.
-
(Derek) Somebody say, "Amen."
-
Someone say, "Hallelujah!"
-
Yeah, that's the message
-
of the book of Revelation,
-
that when we trust in Christ,
-
we can overcome the kingdom
-
of darkness, right?
-
Christ has already gained that victory.
-
We're identifying with His victory.
-
Now, what were those three elements there?
-
They overcame by...?
-
What was the first one?
-
(Derek, Team) The blood of the Lamb.
-
(Derek) Someone tell me,
-
what does that mean, to overcome
-
by the blood of the Lamb"? Yes, Brittany.
-
(Brittany) Well, Jesus' sacrifice.
-
He shed His blood for us
-
so that we can be forgiven and cleansed
-
and given eternal life.
-
So, because He died, He took our place.
-
He was our substitute, and now we have
-
access to eternal life through Him.
-
So, the blood of the Lamb means
-
that I'm claiming and accepting
-
Jesus' sacrifice for me personally
-
and accepting that He died for me.
-
And believing that He
-
did that for me, I can overcome.
-
(Derek) Maybe someone
-
will make that decision today,
-
that they will stand
-
under the banner of Jesus, right?
-
That's what it means, isn't it,
-
to overcome by the blood of the...
-
I stand in the victory that Jesus
-
has already accomplished
-
over the enemy. Stephanie.
-
(Stephanie) And I would just take that
-
one step further and declare it to Satan
-
when that battle is rough.
-
(Derek) I remember someone saying,
-
"Get behind me, Satan,
-
I belong to Jesus," right?
-
So, they overcame by the blood
-
of the Lamb; that's so important.
-
"Get behind me, Satan; I belong to Jesus."
-
Now, the worst thing Satan
-
could do, I suppose,
-
would be to destroy you, to kill you.
-
And we know many godly people
-
in different situations, right,
-
they suffer attack, martyrs.
-
But Satan can't take away
-
their eternal life in God
-
because they are standing
-
under the banner of Jesus.
-
So, they overcame by the blood
of the Lamb.
-
Nancy, what was the second part?
-
(Nancy) And the testimony of Jesus.
-
(Derek) Uh, I think it's...
-
(Team) "The word of..."
-
(Derek) "The word
-
of their testimony," right?
-
Does anybody want to help me with that?
-
"The word of their testimony,"
yes, Sabina?
-
(Sabina) I think that's
-
where the choice part of it goes
-
that we were discussing here.
-
That it's the part of your life
-
in which you need to demonstrate
-
by your living faithfully to Jesus
-
with the help of the Holy Spirit,
-
that you really belong to Jesus
-
as you are claiming.
-
(Derek) And, Brittany,
-
kind of alluded to that, didn't she,
-
but I think it's good to say it again.
-
Jesus is not only the Savior of the world,
-
He's my Savior, right, my testimony.
-
Stephanie, you said, "I declare."
-
Doesn't it say in the Scripture, "Everyone
-
who calls on the name of the Lord..."?
-
(Team) "...shall be saved."
-
(Derek) "...shall be saved."
-
so, I declare my testimony that I
-
have decided to follow Jesus. Brittany?
-
(Brittany) And I think it's important
-
to remember when we share our testimony,
-
it impacts others, and then they, too,
-
can choose to belong to Jesus as well.
-
So, not only does sharing our testimony
-
have power in our lives,
-
it actually impacts those around us
-
to say, "Wow, if God can do that for you,
-
He can do that for me, too."
-
(Derek) So, here we are,
-
Christ has accomplished the victory.
-
He's ascended to the right hand
of the Father.
-
We know from Revelation
-
He's going to come back in glory
-
as He promised in John 14:1-3,
-
and He's going to receive us
-
to Himself, right?
-
But between now and then,
-
there's a war going on.
-
Let's go back to Revelation, chapter 12.
-
Shaina, if you could read for us
-
from Revelation 12, verse 6
-
and verses 14 to 16,
-
it talks about a woman in the wilderness.
-
(Shaina) Sure, and I'll be reading
-
from the New King James Version:
-
And verses 14 through 16:
-
(Derek) There is so much
-
in those few verses, isn't there?
-
Who is the woman that the dragon
-
is now attacking? Yes, Rodney.
-
(Rodney) Clearly this is symbolic language
-
because we don't have a physical woman
-
with two wings living,
-
so it's symbolic language.
-
And we see in several places in the Bible
-
where the woman is synonymous
-
to the church, God's people.
-
The pure woman, yes.
-
There are several places in the Gospel,
-
in Ephesians, 2 Corinthians.
-
And here it is, we see a depiction
-
of God's people, His church,
-
given the opportunity to seek refuge
-
as there was persecution that was
-
going on at the time.
-
And so, God preserved His people.
-
(Derek) So, there's something
very shocking.
-
Travis, help us with this.
-
There's something very shocking,
-
because remember we said
-
that Satan can use people, right,
-
like King Herod, and Judas was mentioned.
-
But actually, actually during this time,
-
this 1260 years, Satan actually uses
-
a religious power to fight
-
against the saints of the Most High.
-
Where is that found in the Scriptures
-
other than in Revelation, do you remember?
-
(Travis) Well, I think of Revelation 14,
-
but I also think in Daniel, in Daniel...
-
(Derek) Chapter 7?
-
(Travis) Chapter 7, yeah, 21
-
and 25, I believe.
-
(Derek) Would you read that
for us, Travis?
-
Because, by the way, how many years
-
before the writing
-
of the book of Revelation
-
did the prophet Daniel
-
record his testimony? Anybody?
-
It's about 600 years approximately, right,
-
from the writing of Revelation
-
back to the writing of Daniel,
-
but what did Daniel prophesy would happen
-
during those 1260 years, Travis?
-
(Travis) I'll be reading
-
from the New King James Version,
-
Daniel, chapter 7:21,25:
-
Verse 25:
-
(Derek) So, what power did
-
the dragon use to persecute
-
the faithful church
-
during that time period?
-
You say, "It was
-
the organized Christian Church,
-
which was based in Rome."
-
How could the enemy convince
-
a religious organization
-
that professed to be following Jesus
-
to persecute the faithful followers
of Jesus?
-
How could that possibly happen? Brittany?
-
(Brittany) Well, it happened
-
at the time of Christ.
-
The Jews, who were professing
-
to have the truth about God were the ones
-
that actually caused Jesus to...
-
They were part of the process
-
in having Him crucified, you know.
-
So, Satan's doing the same thing
-
in different time periods,
-
trying to use a religious group
-
to turn against God and deceive them
-
and making people confused.
-
(Derek) Alright. This is deep, isn't it?
-
But I want you to remember
-
that during the time of Jesus,
-
while Jewish religious leaders
-
sought to put Christ to death,
-
there were faithful Jews, right?
-
Nicodemus and Mary and Martha
-
and Lazarus; there were lots.
-
And during these Dark Ages,
-
as it's described, there were
-
faithful followers of Jesus, too. Jason?
-
(Jason) So, a religious group
-
is still made up of humans,
-
and as humans, we can make mistakes,
-
and we have tendencies to desire power
-
and even to use force.
-
And so, sadly, religious leaders
-
throughout history have used
-
power and force and abused the good things
-
that God has given us.
-
(Derek) Alright. I'm going to go
-
to Shaina, one of our remote team members.
-
Shaina, this is
-
kind of a startling message
-
that a religious power -
-
the little horn power is identified
-
as a religious power - would fight
-
against the faithful saints
-
of the Most High.
-
(Shaina) So, the devil convinced
-
that religious power of so much error
-
that they believed that it was truth
-
and wanted everybody
-
to be following after that error.
-
And if you weren't
-
in compliance with that,
-
they persecuted those people.
-
They put them to death
-
because they were wrong.
-
And as Brittany mentioned,
-
those were the same ideas
-
that were being promoted in Jesus' day,
-
and as prophecy tells us
-
will be the same things that will happen
-
in the future to the people
-
who are standing for God's truth.
-
(Derek) So, you know, some people
-
hear this and say, "Wait a minute.
-
That's just so hard for me to understand."
-
But there were faithful people
-
who were put to death trying to reform
-
that religious system
-
that had gone astray. Rodney?
-
(Rodney) I just also wanted to point out
-
that, as Shaina indicated, in Jesus' time,
-
the Jews partnered with the Romans,
so the state.
-
In the Dark Ages, the Middle Ages,
-
the same thing, partnering with the state,
-
the religious entity.
-
And so it is going to be in the last days
-
where there is going
-
to be a religiopolitical environment
created,
-
that will persecute the saints of God.
-
(Derek) So, a careful study
-
of the book of Revelation and Daniel
-
will identify this 1260 years.
-
From that time, the political power
-
is given to the organized Christian Church
in Rome
-
to the time when the leader of the Church
-
is taken captive in 1798, right,
-
and appears, at least,
-
to lose all political power,
-
though that deadly wound
-
is going to be healed,
-
according to the prophecy.
-
Is Satan still using
-
religious institutions to persecute
-
the faithful people of God?
-
Travis, you have your hand raised.
-
(Travis) Derek, you know
-
I'm so thankful for the book of Revelation
-
because in the book of Revelation,
-
chapters 2 and 3, we're given
-
a history of the churches.
-
And this church in the period
-
we're talking about is found
-
in the church of Thyatira,
-
and I think in Revelation 2:21
-
it talks about this church, and it says
-
that God gave her time to repent,
-
but she did not, which means the Church
-
is continuing in the same manner
-
as it did even back then.
-
So, it just adds to what we've
been discussing,
-
that unfortunately sometimes Satan,
-
well, he does use people
-
to try to deceive even the world.
-
(Derek) Jason.
-
(Jason) Religious persecution
-
exists across the world.
-
In fact, there are
-
probably Hope Sabbath School members
-
watching who live in places
-
where they could potentially be persecuted
-
or restricted for their beliefs.
-
(Derek) So, he can use
-
a lot of different agencies.
-
We had the organized Christian Church
-
during the Dark Ages.
-
We get the history of all of those people
-
who were martyred, right?
-
But you're saying it can happen.
-
Satan will use any organization
-
that is willing to be used
-
to accomplish his ends,
-
and the battle intensifies.
-
Well, back to Daniel, chapter 7,
-
there was a little bit
-
of encouragement in verse 25.
-
I'm wondering, Adison,
-
if you could read that again for us
-
because I don't want us
-
to leave depressed.
-
I want us to go and say, "Wow, hallelujah,
-
I've chosen Jesus as my Savior
-
and in this great battle," help me now,
-
"Jesus Wins and Satan..."?
-
(Derek, Team) "...Loses."
-
(Derek) What encouragement, Adison,
-
do you see in Daniel 7, verse 25?
-
(Adison) And I'll be reading this verse
-
from the King James Version.
-
Verse 25, it says:
-
(Derek) Alright, maybe I'm wanting
-
the next verse after that.
-
Where does it say
-
that they're going to overcome?
-
Daniel, chapter 7, help me, someone.
-
(Harold) 27.
-
(Derek) Oh, it's verse...Is it 26 and 27?
-
(Harold) Because it says here...
-
(Derek) Hold on just a minute, Harold.
-
I need you to read that for me.
-
What verse is it that we need to read
-
that shows the end of the story?
-
(Harold) 26 and 27.
-
(Derek) Alright, Daniel 7,
-
verses 26 and 27, this is
-
an interactive study, right?
-
So, you're helping fill in
-
this important piece.
-
How does that read in your Bible?
-
(Harold) so, I'll be reading
-
from the New King James Version,
and it says:
-
(Derek) So, that's the end of the story.
-
Jesus and His people...?
-
(Team) Win.
-
(Derek) They win because we choose
-
to stand with Him.
-
Well, I want to ask
-
a personal, a practical question,
-
and you're joining us
-
for Hope Sabbath School,
-
maybe you can respond;
-
write to us: sshope@hopetv.org.
-
How do you see the battle intensifying
-
in your own life?
-
Here we are, this last-day message
is going out.
-
We're going to study
-
about the Three Cosmic Messages
in this series.
-
How do you see, as you look around,
-
the battle between good and evil
-
intensifying? Yes, Adison.
-
(Adison) I feel like just with the amount
-
of work and the time it takes,
-
while it is fulfilling, I find myself
-
sometimes almost feeling neglectful
-
of certain components
-
of my spiritual journey.
-
The wheels are turning,
-
but I'm finding at times
-
moments of challenge to get
-
that quality time with God
-
that I've had previously.
-
And so, it's a continual battle,
-
but it is 2023; Jesus
-
is coming very soon,
-
and I just need to continue prayer
-
and need to continue to press on
-
and keep my eyes fixed on Jesus,
-
because the battle is real sometimes.
-
(Derek) Thank you
-
for that honest sharing, Adison.
-
There's someone else in grad school
-
or an undergrad or working
-
in a busy profession who says,
-
"That's how I feel, Adison," right?
-
And the battle, Satan will try
-
to distract us any way he can. Jason?
-
(Jason) And building off what Adison said,
-
even those of us who may have
-
a good amount of time
-
that do have studying,
-
we can still get exhausted and overwhelmed
-
just by what's going on in life,
-
whether it's in work or in our families.
-
And me personally, this is
-
kind of my situation.
-
I have to be careful, because I can
-
easily get exhausted
-
even from doing good things, and the devil
-
likes to use that exhaustion,
-
and he can be very tempting
-
with that exhaustion.
-
(Derek) We talked when we were reading
-
about this little horn power
-
seeking to change times and laws.
-
I want to look
-
at the identifying characteristics
-
of God's end-time people.
-
Revelation 12:17, we've been looking
-
at Revelation 12 in our study
-
as we're beginning this series
-
on the Three Cosmic Messages,
-
and I want to ask Lilica,
-
you're on your way there, aren't you,
-
to Revelation 12 and verse 17,
-
what are the identifying characteristics
-
of God's faithful people in the end time?
-
(Lilica) I'll be reading
-
from the New King James Version:
-
(Derek) So, he's angry
-
with the Church, right?
-
The dragon is Satan;
-
the woman is the Church.
-
And the rest or remnant,
-
I'm not a seamstress or a tailor,
-
but I know a remnant
-
is the last part, right?
-
So, this is the last part,
-
we're in the end time,
-
and he's fighting, why?
-
Because he knows what?
-
(Derek, Team) His time is short.
-
(Derek) And actually maybe, Shaina,
-
even though he's a bit delusional,
-
maybe he really does know that he's lost,
-
but he's trying to hurt
-
as many people as possible.
-
But the remnant are keeping
-
the commandments of God
-
and the faith of Jesus.
-
What commandments does the enemy
-
particularly want us to transgress?
-
Or, does it not matter,
-
just whichever one?
-
What do you think, Stephanie?
-
(Stephanie) I think as long as we're
-
not in alignment with God,
-
he's happy with that.
-
(Derek) Yes. As you think
-
about the temptations in the wilderness,
-
someone mentioned those three great tests,
-
what commandment was he wanting Jesus
-
to break in that time, Rodney?
-
(Rodney) He wanted Jesus to worship him.
-
(Derek) Yeah, first commandment.
-
(Rodney) I couldn't agree more
-
with Stephanie, which is,
-
if he gets us to break any one of them,
-
the Word says that if you break one,
-
you break them all,
-
but in particular he wants worship.
-
And he wants us to not see Jesus
-
as the Creator, and the Creator
-
deserves our worship and praise.
-
So, if he can help us to...
-
The fourth commandment that talks
-
specifically about God being the Creator,
-
that's what he's honing in on.
-
(Derek) So, yeah, the first commandment,
-
which is "no other god,"
-
so don't worship anyone, right,
-
except the one true God.
-
And the special sign of His creative power
-
is the Sabbath, and so the Lord
-
says, "Remember it."
-
And Satan says, "Forget it," right?
-
But maybe he doesn't mind
-
if you become an adulterer or a murderer
-
or an extortioner; he just wants you
-
to step out of God's plan
-
for your life. Lilica?
-
(Lilica) I will also agree with them,
-
but specifically the fourth commandment
-
you have mentioned.
-
I think all of the commandments,
-
when we break them,
-
we are worshiping something
-
that is not the real God.
-
But the fourth commandment here
-
is the one that is really being attacked.
-
(Derek) "Fear God and give glory to Him,"
-
this is one of the messages, right?
-
"Worship Him who made
-
the heavens and the earth,"
it's a worship.
-
We're out of time,
-
but it's the commandments of God
-
and the testimony of Jesus.
-
What's that? Anybody?
-
They "keep the commandments of God
-
and have the testimony of Jesus."
-
Jason, what's the testimony of Jesus?
-
(Jason) Well, that can be our own story
-
of what Jesus has done
-
in our lives, proclaiming it.
-
(Derek) Alright. Anybody else,
-
the testimony of Jesus. Adison?
-
(Adison) I see this as the experience,
-
our own personal experience
-
that we're having with Jesus
-
as day by day we're choosing
-
the winning side, we're having
-
an experience with God.
-
And it's a work in progress
-
like I shared earlier.
-
It's a work in progress,
-
and there's growth,
-
but it is an experience with Jesus.
-
(Derek) So, we're out of time,
-
but we're starting a series
-
on Three Cosmic Messages.
-
But maybe your life is the testimony
-
that Jesus is your Lord and Savior
-
and your soon-coming King.
-
Maybe your life, freedom from fear
-
in the midst of all of this evil and chaos
-
because you have chosen
-
to accept Jesus as your Savior.
-
You can overcome by the blood of the Lamb,
-
the word of your testimony.
-
And, yes, you don't even love your life
-
that you would shrink from death
-
as long as you're dying
-
in faithfulness to Jesus.
-
My friend, this series
-
is going to be so important.
-
I want to invite you to stay with us.
-
Don't forget that free resource.
-
Go to our website, hopetv.org/hopess.
-
But I'm going to pray that God
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would firmly plant in your heart
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that you want to stand with Jesus
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the Victor in this Great Controversy.
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Father in Heaven, thank You,
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as we begin this series
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on Three Cosmic Messages,
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that we can choose
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not only to know that Jesus wins,
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but to stand with Jesus in His victory.
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In Jesus' name. Amen.
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) Thanks for joining us
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on this first episode of our series,
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Three Cosmic Messages.
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It's going to be such a blessing,
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and I pray that you
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would trust Jesus today
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as your Savior, as your Victor,
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and then go out and be a blessing
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to those around you.
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♪ theme music ♪