1 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:08,119 This is Living Waters of Grace, the teaching ministry of Clark 2 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:12,240 Wofford, senior pastor of Calvary Chapel of Westmoreland, 3 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:16,400 County of Greensburg, PA. Now here's Pastor Clark as he 4 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:18,760 continues teaching through God's Word. 5 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:40,680 The Holy Spirit lives in each of us today as believers, and He is 6 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:43,280 jealous for that relationship with you. 7 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:46,720 If there's anything in your life that's causing you to love 8 00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:51,200 something else more than you love God, it breaks the heart of 9 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:53,000 the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 10 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:57,480 But it says he gives more grace. Therefore, he says God resists 11 00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:00,160 the proud and He gives grace to the humble. 12 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:04,120 I pray today that all of us are in a place of humility, because 13 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:07,040 if we're in a place of humility, we're going to receive what God 14 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:10,240 is telling us today. Can you imagine our mighty God 15 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:13,880 being jealous of anything? The same God who created the 16 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:17,880 heavens and the earth, who split the sea and makes mountains 17 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:21,400 move. That same God is jealous of your 18 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:24,760 love for anything that exceeds your love for Him. 19 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:28,200 God longs to be in a relationship with you. 20 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:32,080 Today, Pastor Clark teaches you that even through God's jealousy 21 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:35,440 and heartbreak, he remains merciful, waiting with 22 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:40,040 compassion and longing for you. Humble yourself and receive the 23 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:43,800 guidance that God has now. Here's Pastor Clark in 24 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:48,520 Revelation chapter 20 with today's edition of Living Waters 25 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:52,160 of Grace. Revelation chapter 20 verse one. 26 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:56,400 Then I saw an Angel coming down from heaven, having the key to 27 00:01:56,400 --> 00:01:59,600 the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand. 28 00:01:59,920 --> 00:02:03,520 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is a devil. 29 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:07,640 And Satan bound him for 1000 years, and he cast him into the 30 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:11,600 bottomless pit, and shut him up and set a seal on him, so that 31 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:15,400 he should deceive the nation's no more till the 1000 years 32 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:18,720 we're finished. But after these things, he must 33 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:22,840 be released for a little while. What a glorious day that's going 34 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:26,920 to be when the devil is cast into the bottomless pit and 35 00:02:26,920 --> 00:02:31,240 locked up not to be able to influence or hassle anybody or 36 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:34,880 the nation's any longer. I wish that was true for right 37 00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:37,160 now, don't you? But it isn't. 38 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:42,040 The Devil is alive and well. As the old writer Hal Lindsay 39 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:47,240 said on Planet Earth, he's working every day to destroy our 40 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:49,880 lives. Now we can sit here today as 41 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:52,760 people of God and just be proud and tune this out. 42 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:55,880 And God help us if we do that because I believe this is 43 00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:58,400 probably the most important message that the Lord has ever 44 00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:01,240 put on my heart in 14 years of ministry. 45 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:04,160 I really do. Because I'm tired of seeing the 46 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:07,080 devil destroy homes. I'm tired of seeing the devil 47 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:10,600 destroy marriages and destroy kids and destroy nations. 48 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:13,760 A friend of mine lost some loved ones recently says I'm tired of 49 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:17,240 seeing people go to hell without hearing the gospel. 50 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:20,160 I'm tired of it. And the devil doesn't want any 51 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:24,200 of us to be tuned in to what his agenda is. 52 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:27,720 He wants us to be complacent and deceived so that we're this 53 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:29,640 blind. That I think you're my enemy and 54 00:03:29,640 --> 00:03:32,640 you think I'm your enemy. That we think our wives are the 55 00:03:32,640 --> 00:03:34,960 problems, or our husbands are the problems, or our kids are 56 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:36,960 the problems, or our job or our employer. 57 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:40,080 The Bible says we are not wrestling against flesh and 58 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:43,720 blood, but against principalities and powers, the 59 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:45,920 rulers of darkness of this present age. 60 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:50,720 There will be 1000 year reign. We studied last week and 19 of 61 00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:55,680 the Lord through his power reigning at the end of the 62 00:03:55,680 --> 00:04:00,000 tribulation at the second coming that he cast the Antichrist and 63 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:02,360 the false prophet into the Lake of fire. 64 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:06,240 The devil hasn't been cast there yet in this study, but he will 65 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:09,240 be at the end of time. But there will be this great 66 00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:12,280 White Throne judgment that will occur at the end of time for all 67 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:15,920 those who do not know Jesus Christ, whoever's name is not 68 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:18,880 written in the Lamb's book of life will be cast into the lake 69 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:20,800 of fire forever and ever and ever. 70 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:23,640 Now think about this, guys. That's your relatives. 71 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:26,600 That's the people you work with. How about the how about the 72 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:28,800 person you sit next to in the desk at work? 73 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:32,360 Do you realize without Christ they're going to die and go to 74 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:34,040 hell? Your neighbor that you're 75 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:36,760 friends with, that maybe you hang out with, you watch the 76 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:39,840 Steelers game with you have dinner with, whatever. 77 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:43,240 If they don't know Jesus Christ, they're going to go to hell, 78 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:46,160 they're going to die and they're going to be forever and ever in 79 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:49,480 the lake of fire and torment, forever and ever and ever. 80 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:53,680 How can we be so remiss not to tell people, hey, you need to 81 00:04:53,680 --> 00:04:57,040 know something about me and I need to tell you something about 82 00:04:57,040 --> 00:05:00,480 you? I know Jesus Christ, He's my 83 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:02,120 Lord and my Savior. He saved me. 84 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:04,800 He died for me. He cleansed me of my sin. 85 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:09,120 And I want you to experience that same wonderful privilege. 86 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:12,640 But if you don't come to Christ, you're going to die and you're 87 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:14,280 going to go to hell. That's the bottom line. 88 00:05:14,280 --> 00:05:16,640 But the devil doesn't want us to think like that, does he? 89 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:19,760 He wants us to hang out with people, and he wants us not to 90 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:22,480 bring this up, right? Because if we bring it up, 91 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:24,160 what's it cause? Conflict, right? 92 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:26,200 It causes judgement. It causes what? 93 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:28,880 Man, You're whacked, or you're a holy roller, or you're like, 94 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:31,520 weird, you know, I used to like you, but now that you're telling 95 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:33,720 me like what you're really about, I don't really want to 96 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:36,280 hang with you anymore. And that's the consequences of 97 00:05:36,280 --> 00:05:37,960 the truth. It's like a sword. 98 00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:42,240 It divides and it brings truth against error. 99 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:45,920 Satan's going to be in prison for 1000 years. 100 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:50,560 All the nations one day will be gathered under the authority of 101 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:54,480 Jesus Christ as He rules on the Mount of Olives from Jerusalem 102 00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:57,720 for that thousand years. And there won't be any 103 00:05:57,720 --> 00:06:00,600 wickedness taking control during that millennial reign. 104 00:06:01,160 --> 00:06:04,920 People who were believers in the tribulation that came out of the 105 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:07,880 tribulation weren't destroyed will enter into this millennial 106 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:11,240 period, but they'll also have children and the children will 107 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:14,800 be born like we are as sinners. They'll have our original sin. 108 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:17,800 Some of those young people will grow up and want to follow the 109 00:06:17,840 --> 00:06:20,920 King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and some of them will not want 110 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:23,000 to follow him. And during that thousand year 111 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:25,920 reign, there will be plenty of enemies that will be planning at 112 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:29,280 the end of that period to get together with the devil at that 113 00:06:29,280 --> 00:06:32,480 final battle of Gog and Magog, to come against the authority of 114 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:34,360 the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 115 00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:37,360 But right now, during the millennial period, he's going to 116 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:40,720 be confined and unable to deceive anymore. 117 00:06:41,840 --> 00:06:43,640 I love the idea of this great chain. 118 00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:47,840 I have no idea the significance of this particular device, but 119 00:06:47,840 --> 00:06:52,400 it's so powerful that the devil will not be able to do anything 120 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:56,560 as long as this chain is wrapped around him and he won't be able 121 00:06:56,560 --> 00:07:00,080 to deceive the nations. He won't be able to ruin 122 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:02,480 people's lives like he's ruining them today. 123 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:06,360 It says about Jesus when he comes back and Zechariah 14 124 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:09,680 four, His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of 125 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:12,560 Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east. 126 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:16,360 Christ will descend in the second coming and land on the 127 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:20,040 Mount of Olives. The mountain will actually split 128 00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:22,920 in two. Every eye, the Bible says, will 129 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:27,120 see him when he comes, and he'll roll and he'll reign, and I 130 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:28,840 can't wait for that day to occur. 131 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:34,240 What'll happen is that he'll be cast into this bottomless pit. 132 00:07:35,200 --> 00:07:40,280 He'll be shut up, they'll set a seal upon him, and that he shall 133 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:44,560 deceive the nation's no more. There's two characteristics 134 00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:46,840 during this time. Christ is going to rule the 135 00:07:46,840 --> 00:07:50,640 nation's with a rod of iron. That means absolutely and 136 00:07:50,640 --> 00:07:54,400 authoritatively. There will be no negotiation. 137 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:58,760 It'll be his way completely, and Satan no longer will have his 138 00:07:58,760 --> 00:08:01,120 way. Now, as I said at the beginning 139 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:03,840 of the message, that is not true today, is it? 140 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:09,200 The devil is currently very much alive. 141 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:14,320 First, Peter 58 says be sober. That means don't be drunk, guys. 142 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:16,720 And if you're drinking and you're getting drunk, you're a 143 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:19,240 fool. The Bible says do not be drunk 144 00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:20,720 with wine. Where is an excess? 145 00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:24,040 And I know in any church across America today, we have people 146 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:25,880 that are still getting loaded on alcohol. 147 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:29,160 I did it for years in my life as a Christian and God have mercy 148 00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:32,440 on my soul. It almost ruined my marriage. 149 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:36,200 It almost destroyed my children. The devil was deceiving me, 150 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:38,520 thinking it's OK to have a glass of wine occasionally. 151 00:08:38,679 --> 00:08:41,520 What I did, it dulled my senses. I had a glass of wine. 152 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:44,120 I didn't want to read the word. I didn't want to pray. 153 00:08:44,440 --> 00:08:46,960 I wanted to have an attitude. I wanted to have a judgment. 154 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:48,920 I wanted to have anger. I wanted to have bitterness. 155 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:52,480 I wanted to have all the things that go along with being drunk. 156 00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:55,440 It says be sober. Why does he say be sober? 157 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:58,000 Because if you're not sober, you're not going to understand 158 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:02,400 what you're dealing with because your adversary, the devil, as a 159 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:07,040 roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour. 160 00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:12,040 Every one of us are facing the same thing, me included. 161 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:17,400 Job, chapter one, verse 7. The Lord says to Satan, where 162 00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:19,240 have you been? Of course, God knows where we 163 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:23,640 all are at any given time. Satan answers the Lord and says 164 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:27,040 from going here and there in the earth and from walking up and 165 00:09:27,040 --> 00:09:29,480 down in it. And today he's going through 166 00:09:29,480 --> 00:09:31,800 this church. He's walking up and down the 167 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:34,000 aisles. He's trying to get your mind not 168 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:36,320 to think about what we're talking about today. 169 00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:42,160 He's trying to avoid you from understanding the situation that 170 00:09:42,160 --> 00:09:46,120 you're facing. Ephesians chapter 4 verse 27 and 171 00:09:46,120 --> 00:09:50,240 28 says be angry and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon 172 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:53,000 your wrath, neither give place to the devil. 173 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:57,160 How many of us in here as men of God have gone to sleep at night 174 00:09:57,160 --> 00:10:00,600 angry at our wives? Raise your hand, we all have. 175 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:04,680 How many of our wives have gone to bed at night angry at their 176 00:10:04,680 --> 00:10:07,480 husbands? More women have probably done 177 00:10:07,480 --> 00:10:09,200 that to men. You know why? 178 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:11,640 Because the Bible says they harbor bitterness. 179 00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:15,160 It's prone to be bitter. I have to have these 180 00:10:15,160 --> 00:10:18,160 conversations with Cindy once in a while because she'll remember 181 00:10:18,160 --> 00:10:20,560 something 20 years ago. She's still holding against me. 182 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:23,840 I've long gone, forgot about it and forgiven or whatever. 183 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:25,720 And, and she's saying, what do you remember? 184 00:10:25,920 --> 00:10:27,520 You know, And I'm like, no, I don't. 185 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:29,680 And then she reminds me. And then I do. 186 00:10:32,880 --> 00:10:35,720 And I say, well, we just got to let this stuff go because this 187 00:10:35,720 --> 00:10:39,320 bitterness is is poison. Now, you know, I know when the 188 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:41,160 Holy Spirit is moving in our church. 189 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:44,000 And I hear this many times from the teachers because they'll 190 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:46,000 say, I can't believe it. What you started teaching on the 191 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:47,840 day is what we talked about in Sunday school. 192 00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:51,320 And you know, here's Steve this morning and he's up here and 193 00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:53,320 he's LED. And I didn't call him or tell 194 00:10:53,320 --> 00:10:56,200 him, you know, where I was going to go with this today, but he 195 00:10:56,200 --> 00:11:00,520 takes you to James Chapter 4, verse one. 196 00:11:02,080 --> 00:11:04,560 Where do wars and fights come from among you? 197 00:11:05,520 --> 00:11:08,640 Do they not come from your desires for pleasure, That war 198 00:11:08,640 --> 00:11:12,600 in your members? The Evil 1 works with the lust 199 00:11:12,640 --> 00:11:15,880 of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. 200 00:11:16,720 --> 00:11:19,240 You lust and you do not have. You murder and you covet. 201 00:11:19,240 --> 00:11:22,880 You can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you do not have because 202 00:11:22,880 --> 00:11:25,680 you do not ask. You ask and you do not receive 203 00:11:25,680 --> 00:11:28,400 because you ask amiss. You ask for the wrong reasons 204 00:11:28,640 --> 00:11:30,680 that you may spend it on your pleasures. 205 00:11:30,920 --> 00:11:33,840 And then God, you know he uses these graphic terms. 206 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:36,760 Probably one of the worst sins that a husband can experience 207 00:11:36,760 --> 00:11:39,840 her wife is someone committing adultery against them. 208 00:11:40,080 --> 00:11:42,280 But God says this is what we've done against him. 209 00:11:42,480 --> 00:11:46,120 Adulterers and adulteresses. Do you not know that friendship 210 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:48,560 with this world is enmity with God? 211 00:11:48,880 --> 00:11:51,480 Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes 212 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:54,960 himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the 213 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:57,840 Scripture says in vain? The Spirit who dwells in US 214 00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:01,360 yearns jealously. So the Holy Spirit lives in each 215 00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:05,440 of us today as believers, and he is jealous for that relationship 216 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:07,800 with you. If there's anything in your life 217 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:10,680 that's causing you to love something else more than you 218 00:12:10,680 --> 00:12:14,600 love God, it breaks the heart of the Father, Son, and Holy 219 00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:17,240 Spirit. But it says he gives more grace. 220 00:12:17,240 --> 00:12:21,400 Therefore, he says God resists the proud and he gives grace to 221 00:12:21,400 --> 00:12:23,960 the humble. And I pray today that all of us 222 00:12:23,960 --> 00:12:26,600 are in a place of humility. Because if we're in a place of 223 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:29,640 humility, we're going to receive what God is telling us today. 224 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:32,440 And God will give us much grace to understand. 225 00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:34,360 He'll enlighten, He'll illumine our hearts. 226 00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:37,200 And all of a sudden we'll say, now I know what's happening in 227 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:39,600 my life. Now I know why all this stuff's 228 00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:42,800 going on. I've been deceived, I've been 229 00:12:42,800 --> 00:12:47,400 tricked, I've been beguiled like Eve in the garden by the evil 230 00:12:47,400 --> 00:12:49,720 one. It says, therefore submit to 231 00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:53,000 God, resist the devil and he'll flee from you. 232 00:12:53,360 --> 00:12:56,160 So the first thing I pray we do is we're in the study today. 233 00:12:56,160 --> 00:12:58,320 Say God, I want to give you my heart. 234 00:12:58,520 --> 00:13:01,120 I want to submit to you. And the good news is if you 235 00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:05,400 submit to God today, the Bible says the devil is going to flee. 236 00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:09,480 Draw near to God and he'll draw near to you. 237 00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:13,240 You have to ask yourself today, are you really drawing near to 238 00:13:13,240 --> 00:13:16,680 God? Are you really in every detail 239 00:13:16,680 --> 00:13:18,520 of your life drawing near to God? 240 00:13:18,840 --> 00:13:21,040 Are you only like when it's convenient? 241 00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:22,840 Are you trying to draw near to God? 242 00:13:23,320 --> 00:13:27,120 It says cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your heart. 243 00:13:27,120 --> 00:13:29,920 You're double minded. And double mindedness is yeah. 244 00:13:29,920 --> 00:13:32,200 I want God's will. I want to follow him. 245 00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:34,360 I want to serve him. I want to be sold out for him. 246 00:13:34,360 --> 00:13:38,000 I want to live my life for him. But yeah, I want to do all this 247 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:39,920 stuff too. I want to, I want to have a 248 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:42,400 little bit of fun in the world. I want to indulge my flesh. 249 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:45,720 I want to do what makes me feel good and what makes me feel 250 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:47,320 happy. I just want to, you know, and 251 00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:50,400 we're spiritual schizophrenic. So Lord's wanting us to do this 252 00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:51,800 and the devil's want us to do that. 253 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:54,040 And we're like, yeah, no, yeah, no. 254 00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:55,800 We don't even know where we're at. 255 00:13:57,680 --> 00:14:02,520 He calls us double minded. Humble yourselves. 256 00:14:03,160 --> 00:14:06,600 Lament and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to 257 00:14:06,600 --> 00:14:08,400 mourning and let your joy to gloom. 258 00:14:08,560 --> 00:14:11,200 Sometimes it's important to be broken. 259 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:15,200 Sometimes it's important to be contrite and devastated over the 260 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:17,720 consequences of where our lives have gotten to. 261 00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:19,280 Have you ever looked at your Christian life? 262 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:22,360 And I know I did at times. Like I started here. 263 00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:25,760 How did I get way down here? How did I get so far away from 264 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:27,080 God? God in my life? 265 00:14:28,360 --> 00:14:31,120 Lament, mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to 266 00:14:31,120 --> 00:14:34,040 mourning, your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight 267 00:14:34,040 --> 00:14:35,800 of the Lord and He will lift you up. 268 00:14:35,800 --> 00:14:39,040 Some of us are so broken because of the devil beating us up. 269 00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:42,680 The devil has taken authority in some of our lives to the point 270 00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:45,440 that it's absurd. And we've allowed it because 271 00:14:45,440 --> 00:14:47,400 we've given the devil a foothold in our life. 272 00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:50,920 We've given him some space through our behavior and our 273 00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:54,600 attitude and our actions and our decisions and our compromises in 274 00:14:54,600 --> 00:14:57,360 our lives. And as a result, we have all 275 00:14:57,360 --> 00:14:59,520 this stuff happening in our lives. 276 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:02,240 Our, our marriages really aren't what they need to be. 277 00:15:03,760 --> 00:15:05,760 There's a lack of intimacy, there's a lack of mutual 278 00:15:05,760 --> 00:15:08,200 respect. There's a lack of honor and love 279 00:15:08,200 --> 00:15:11,520 and cherishing and, and our kids, I mean, we put up with our 280 00:15:11,520 --> 00:15:13,480 kids. We tolerate our kids instead of 281 00:15:13,760 --> 00:15:16,840 discipling our children. Why? 282 00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:20,160 Because we've become proud. But if we're so broken, and I 283 00:15:20,160 --> 00:15:23,480 know some of you are very, very broken, at this point in your 284 00:15:23,480 --> 00:15:26,280 life, you don't know how you're going to make it another second, 285 00:15:26,280 --> 00:15:28,960 let alone another day, a week, a month, a year. 286 00:15:29,520 --> 00:15:31,440 You're tired. You can come here with a smile 287 00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:33,600 on your face and act like everything's OK. 288 00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:36,840 But down deep inside, maybe some of us here today are thinking of 289 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:39,280 even taking our lives. Have you ever gotten to the 290 00:15:39,280 --> 00:15:42,520 point in your life of being so distraught and so devastated and 291 00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:44,280 so depressed that you just want out of here? 292 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:49,280 We all have it for honest and the devil wants to kill your 293 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:50,920 life. He wants to destroy it. 294 00:15:51,640 --> 00:15:53,720 But it says if we humble ourselves in the sight of the 295 00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:57,480 Lord, He'll lift us up. Oh, Lord, how we want you to 296 00:15:57,480 --> 00:16:01,760 lift us up today. Father, do not speak evil of one 297 00:16:01,760 --> 00:16:04,880 another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother 298 00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:08,120 and judges his brother speaks evil of the law and judges the 299 00:16:08,120 --> 00:16:10,440 law. But if you judge the law, you 300 00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:12,120 are not a doer of the law, but a judge. 301 00:16:12,120 --> 00:16:15,720 There's only one lawgiver God, who is able to save and to 302 00:16:15,720 --> 00:16:19,040 destroy. Who are you to judge another 303 00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:21,440 person? So my job today isn't to judge 304 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:23,360 you and your job isn't to judge me. 305 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:27,800 We let the word judge us, right? The word of God, and we deal 306 00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:30,120 with what the consequences of that word is. 307 00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:34,720 First, John chapter 3 verse 8 says he that committeth sin is 308 00:16:34,720 --> 00:16:37,480 of the devil. Now, whenever you make a 309 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:40,960 decision to commit willful sin, you never think you're making 310 00:16:40,960 --> 00:16:43,480 this pact with the devil. But the Bible is real clear. 311 00:16:43,720 --> 00:16:45,920 If you're committing sin, you're of the devil. 312 00:16:46,640 --> 00:16:49,600 For the devil sent us from the beginning for this purpose. 313 00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:54,120 The Son of God was manifested that He might destroy the works 314 00:16:54,200 --> 00:16:57,160 of the devil. That's why Christ came, to 315 00:16:57,160 --> 00:17:00,200 destroy the authority and the power of the devil. 316 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:04,960 That's why the gospel has power. The gospel is the power of God 317 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:08,200 to save. We preach Christ and Him 318 00:17:08,200 --> 00:17:10,760 crucified. I don't care who it is who's 319 00:17:10,760 --> 00:17:14,160 sharing the Word. When you share the Word, it has 320 00:17:14,319 --> 00:17:18,280 authority to accomplish the purpose for which God sends it. 321 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:23,000 It's what breaks the lies, it's what manifests the truth. 322 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:28,079 It's what puts the darkness out. We overcome by the authority of 323 00:17:28,119 --> 00:17:33,160 Jesus Christ and Him alone. Colossians chapter 2 verse 15 324 00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:36,680 says having spoiled principalities and powers, He 325 00:17:36,680 --> 00:17:39,960 made a show them openly triumphing over them in it. 326 00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:42,000 Please pray for me as I teach this. 327 00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:46,000 This is very, very difficult. I, I sense the energy, you know, 328 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:49,920 I'm saying the energy trying to shut me up, trying to just get 329 00:17:49,920 --> 00:17:54,520 me mixed up and confused. When Christ died on the cross, 330 00:17:55,520 --> 00:18:00,040 he displayed openly that the forces of hell in darkness have 331 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:05,160 no more authority over our lives as God's children. 332 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:09,240 When it says we wrestle against flesh and blood, yeah, we do. 333 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:13,480 But the principalities and powers don't have that same 334 00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:16,480 power they had after Christ died and rose again. 335 00:18:16,480 --> 00:18:19,840 Amen. So why do we walk under the 336 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:22,040 burden in the strongholds of the evil 1? 337 00:18:23,120 --> 00:18:26,560 I believe it's because we don't understand fully what Christ has 338 00:18:26,640 --> 00:18:30,320 come to do for us. It talks about the Wiles of the 339 00:18:30,320 --> 00:18:32,560 devil. We don't wrestle against flesh 340 00:18:32,560 --> 00:18:36,760 and blood as the Scriptures say, but against the principalities 341 00:18:36,760 --> 00:18:40,920 and powers. Our defense is only the armor of 342 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:45,760 God, and the only way we can stand against the Wiles of the 343 00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:52,840 devil is with the armor of God. In verse 11 of Ephesians 6 says, 344 00:18:52,840 --> 00:18:55,160 put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand 345 00:18:55,160 --> 00:18:58,480 against the Wiles of the devil. This is a definition of Wiles. 346 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:01,120 It's a trick. This is a noun, the trick, a 347 00:19:01,120 --> 00:19:03,720 strategy meant to fold, to trap, to entice. 348 00:19:04,120 --> 00:19:09,120 Art. 4 begaling behavior. The verb is to deceive, to 349 00:19:09,120 --> 00:19:13,240 entice, to lure away from, into distracting you from the person 350 00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:15,120 of Christ. How many of us are facing 351 00:19:15,120 --> 00:19:18,760 distractions every day to move you away from being focused on 352 00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:21,120 Jesus Christ? Every one of us. 353 00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:26,000 It's a maneuver, a military strategy to trap us, to destroy 354 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:29,280 us, to ruin our lives. What the devil does? 355 00:19:29,280 --> 00:19:33,240 He exaggerates the pleasures of sin while minimizing the true 356 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:35,440 nature and outcome of sin, right? 357 00:19:35,960 --> 00:19:39,640 He makes sin look so alluring, so great, so attractive, but he 358 00:19:39,640 --> 00:19:43,040 never tells us about the horror and the outcome of the 359 00:19:43,040 --> 00:19:47,400 consequences of our sin. The devil sees an opening in our 360 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:49,200 lives through our emotions and moods. 361 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:53,680 The husband's upset, he's bummed out, he's complaining, he's, you 362 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:56,520 know this at his wit's end with everything and all of us guys, 363 00:19:56,520 --> 00:19:58,400 we've been there and maybe are today. 364 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:02,160 And the devil sees the mood. He sees the emotions. 365 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:05,560 This is an opportunity for me to really 'cause some havoc here. 366 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:07,720 See, the devil can't read our hearts. 367 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:11,400 Only God knows our hearts. But the devil can see the 368 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:13,560 outcome of our attitudes, our actions. 369 00:20:14,240 --> 00:20:19,480 He's able to distinguish our intentions as we move in our 370 00:20:19,480 --> 00:20:23,920 attitudes. He uses other people to lead us 371 00:20:23,920 --> 00:20:27,160 astray. That's why the Bible says have 372 00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:30,160 no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, 373 00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:33,720 but rather reprove them. Light and darkness can't walk 374 00:20:33,720 --> 00:20:35,360 together. The Bible says don't. 375 00:20:35,520 --> 00:20:38,800 Don't be unequally yoked. So if you're with an unbeliever 376 00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:42,600 and you're a believer, that unbeliever is going to lead you 377 00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:46,200 astray. The master marketing agent in 378 00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:49,880 the world today is the devil. He packages sin and need 379 00:20:49,880 --> 00:20:53,000 attractive bundles. He makes things look so good and 380 00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:55,040 so exciting. It tells us in Second 381 00:20:55,040 --> 00:20:58,040 Corinthians chapter 2, verse 11, lest Satan should get an 382 00:20:58,040 --> 00:21:01,360 advantage of us. For we are not ignorant of his 383 00:21:01,360 --> 00:21:06,080 devices, his devices, his plots, his schemes, or his clever ways. 384 00:21:06,200 --> 00:21:08,200 Are you ignorant of Satan's devices? 385 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:12,200 Raise your hand. We all are. 386 00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:14,800 We all are ignorant of his devices. 387 00:21:14,800 --> 00:21:18,880 That's why we need the word to show us what the deal is. 388 00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:21,720 If you're not in the word, you're going to be trapped, 389 00:21:22,320 --> 00:21:24,840 you're going to be deceived, you're going to be taken out. 390 00:21:25,080 --> 00:21:28,480 And you got to ask yourself today much time am I in the 391 00:21:28,480 --> 00:21:30,320 Word? How much am I hungering for the 392 00:21:30,320 --> 00:21:32,200 word? How much am I thirsting for 393 00:21:32,200 --> 00:21:35,160 righteousness? How much of my time in my daily 394 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:38,840 life, Monday through Sunday am I before the Word saying God give 395 00:21:38,840 --> 00:21:42,400 me wisdom, give me light so I don't get deceived by the 396 00:21:42,400 --> 00:21:47,240 darkness of the enemy. Help me to understand so that I 397 00:21:47,240 --> 00:21:49,400 can protect my wife and my children. 398 00:21:50,040 --> 00:21:52,960 Help me to understand so I can help my brothers and sisters not 399 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:57,840 fall victim to the consequences of the lives of the devil we're 400 00:21:57,840 --> 00:22:00,960 told to have on this armor of God in Ephesians 6. 401 00:22:01,160 --> 00:22:02,640 And many of you are familiar with it. 402 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:05,320 We had to memorize that in Bible college years ago, that whole 403 00:22:05,720 --> 00:22:08,520 book of Ephesians, and I memorize it, but I didn't have 404 00:22:08,520 --> 00:22:10,600 the foggiest idea what it was talking about. 405 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:15,080 That's why, you know, understanding the Bible is just 406 00:22:15,080 --> 00:22:17,040 part of it. The Bible says we're to do the 407 00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:22,280 Word or we deceive ourselves. But when He tells us to have 408 00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:25,680 this armor on it, just to break it out in terms that might make 409 00:22:25,680 --> 00:22:29,080 more sense, we're supposed to have this belt that's girded 410 00:22:29,080 --> 00:22:32,800 about the belt of truth, and that means that our life is to 411 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:35,800 be surrounded by the truth. That's why it's important to be 412 00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:39,680 in church on Sundays, to be in the Word whether you want to or 413 00:22:39,680 --> 00:22:42,920 not, whether you feel like it or not, you come because God's 414 00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:46,600 going to speak to your heart. He's going to show you what you 415 00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:49,240 need to know and He's going to get you back on track. 416 00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:51,360 That's why we have Wednesday studies. 417 00:22:51,560 --> 00:22:54,320 That's why we have intercession. You know, God bless Dave and 418 00:22:54,320 --> 00:22:55,640 Janine. They're usually the only two 419 00:22:55,640 --> 00:22:58,400 down there praying. And Steve, you wonder where he 420 00:22:58,400 --> 00:22:59,800 goes. He's up there in the balcony 421 00:22:59,800 --> 00:23:02,680 praying for me as I'm preaching. And Gary and Kathy out in 422 00:23:02,680 --> 00:23:05,360 California at the time that I'm preaching. 423 00:23:05,520 --> 00:23:08,040 They're interceding for this service that the word of God 424 00:23:08,040 --> 00:23:12,120 would go forth because the flesh profits nothing only the spirit 425 00:23:12,120 --> 00:23:14,760 gives life. But the more we pray and the 426 00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:18,840 more we seek God, the more we're aware of the lies of the devil. 427 00:23:19,240 --> 00:23:22,440 Charles Spurgeon people would come up a wonderful man preacher 428 00:23:22,440 --> 00:23:25,600 of God and the Lord moves in that church in Metropolitan 429 00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:29,480 Tabernacle and many, many people were saved and and their lives 430 00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:32,400 were transformed and and they would come to Charles after the 431 00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:35,880 service and ask, you know, what is the deal here in this place? 432 00:23:35,880 --> 00:23:39,120 Where is the power coming from? How's all this stuff happening? 433 00:23:39,280 --> 00:23:41,480 And Charles, come on, I'm going to take you down to the furnace 434 00:23:41,480 --> 00:23:42,880 room. And they think a furnace room. 435 00:23:42,880 --> 00:23:45,640 What's he talking about? The place where the heat and the 436 00:23:45,640 --> 00:23:48,840 fire of God is took him down into the lower parts of the 437 00:23:48,840 --> 00:23:52,000 church. And there was many, many people 438 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:55,360 on their knees praying for the Word of God as it went forth. 439 00:23:57,240 --> 00:24:00,840 Thanks for being with us today here on Living Waters of Grace. 440 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:04,440 We're in the Book of Revelation, and we find it fascinating how 441 00:24:04,480 --> 00:24:09,080 influential and involved the angels are in this book. 442 00:24:09,800 --> 00:24:13,640 They bring about whatever it is that God has instructed them to 443 00:24:13,640 --> 00:24:17,000 do, but it's through their actions that much of the 444 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:20,920 judgements come on the earth. The angels are in submission to 445 00:24:20,920 --> 00:24:25,000 God as their authority, but He utilizes them in unique ways 446 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:28,440 throughout this book. Like angels have a specific 447 00:24:28,440 --> 00:24:32,160 purpose from God, you have a unique purpose and plan too. 448 00:24:32,760 --> 00:24:36,360 God wants to use you in your life as a testimony to others 449 00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:39,840 and to bring others who are currently lost into the fold of 450 00:24:39,840 --> 00:24:42,520 God. God would love more than 451 00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:45,920 anything for all who are willing to come to Him for salvation, 452 00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:50,480 but he wants it to be their choice, not a forced situation. 453 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:55,320 This is the way God works, not forcing himself on anyone, but 454 00:24:55,320 --> 00:24:59,520 giving each person free will. If you're interested in learning 455 00:24:59,520 --> 00:25:03,440 about this choice that's free and that it's a gift, go to 456 00:25:03,440 --> 00:25:08,560 calvarychapelonline.com and click on the About Us tab and 457 00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:11,240 then find the link for what we believe. 458 00:25:11,720 --> 00:25:14,960 We'd love to be a help and a resource for you as you walk 459 00:25:14,960 --> 00:25:18,040 through what it means to be a follower of Jesus. 460 00:25:18,560 --> 00:25:22,040 If you find the contact tab on our website, you can get in 461 00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:24,760 touch with us or submit a prayer request. 462 00:25:25,160 --> 00:25:28,640 We'd love to hear from you. That's all for today's edition 463 00:25:28,640 --> 00:25:32,560 and Revelation, but there's much more that Pastor Clark plans to 464 00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:36,000 share with us from this culminating book of the Bible. 465 00:25:36,520 --> 00:25:38,680 Stay tuned for that. And make sure to mention this 466 00:25:38,680 --> 00:25:42,760 radio program to others. Invite them to tune in to Grace 467 00:25:42,760 --> 00:25:50,040 FM 91.7 FM and they can stream worldwide at Grace Radio dot FM. 468 00:25:50,480 --> 00:25:53,320 This has been living waters of grace.