His Perfect Love

Guest (Male): Coming up next on His Perfect Love.

Matt VanderVen: As we're living in these last days, friends, do you think it's going to get easier or harder before the rapture? Do you think that some of you may pay for it with your lives to stand in the gap of Christ? My calling is not certainly it's to teach the word of God, but it is to prepare you as soldiers, Christian soldiers. You are in a discipleship boot camp. You are being prepared for what is coming. And my job is not necessarily to make you feel good about it. My job is to be faithful to the scriptures and teaching it.

And then that's between you and the Holy Spirit because my hopes, my prayers, my desires is that when you face that attack, whatever it is, no matter how small it is or right before the rapture where the labor pains are and you're sitting there, you have resilience.

Guest (Male): Hey, thanks for hanging out with us. This is His Perfect Love online at hisperfectlove.org. Pastor Matt Vander Ven will be with us in just a second. Today we'll pay a visit to Revelation chapter 12 where a war is going on in heaven between Satan and his angels and God and his angels. As Satan is defeated and kicked out of heaven once and for all, we learn a grounded, balanced approach to spiritual warfare. Let's see what that is as we join Pastor Matt for today's helpful lesson.

Matt VanderVen: These passages describe again first the way that Satan fell, but they they don't say when the fall occurred. And this is important because I'm coming back to our passage in Revelation 12 here. Jesus, the eternal son of God, witnessed Satan's fall. We read about that in Luke chapter 10:18. So we know that Jesus even said that he saw Satan fall in the past. So we know it's a past event. It 's not talking about this future event. Okay, in Revelation chapter 12, he said, I saw Satan fall like lightning. Like lightning, a symbol, symbol, symbolic verse from heaven.

We know the angels were created before the earth. Did everybody know that? Some people think angels were created maybe on day four or five. We know they were created before the earth. How do we know that? Cuz Job chapter 38 verses four through seven tells us what? That when God spoke the earth into existence, what were the angels doing? Rejoicing. How can you rejoice if you're not there when he did it? So it even gives us an understanding on on angelology when when they were created. So the point is is when did Lucifer sin? Cuz if the earth was created and he was there already, when did it happen?

Now we also know that we have to know that Satan fell before he tempted Adam and Eve in the garden. I think that's obvious, right? Because of Genesis 3. So Satan 's fall therefore must have occurred somewhere after the time the angels were created, but before the time that he tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Now whether Satan 's fall occurred hours, days, or even years before he tempted Adam and Eve in the garden, the scripture doesn't say. And again many men have opined on this or have the Bible silent. We need to be silent.

But we do get something that's interesting that gives us another instance of this to let us know that even during the time of the patriarchs, okay, we know Job, the patriarch, in the book of Job specifically talked about Satan being able to go to and fro at that time. Job chapter one verse 16 and seven. One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan also came with them. Apparently this is something they do in heaven, little insight. The Lord said to Satan, why have you come? And Satan answered the Lord from roaming Where have you come?

From roaming through the earth and going back and forth. Also in Zechariah 3, okay, later on. So you're talking what? 500, 600 or earlier um later, excuse me, BC. He again appears before God and what does he do now? Well maybe it's even closer to 1,000. Whatever whatever timeline you want to put in. What does he do then? He accuses Joshua, the high priest. Do you remember that? Satan doesn't have a new bag of tricks. It's the same thing he continues to do. He's accusing you and me and everyone before God himself. Just as he did Job, just as he did Joshua.

Now apparently at that time Satan again was moving between heaven and earth, speaking to God directly, sort of asking God asking, you know, what did you do with your activities? Now whether God had discontinued the access can be a matter of debate. Some will say, well no, um Satan's access to heaven was ended at the death of Christ. I don't read that in scripture. As a matter of fact, Revelation 12 just told me that he was being kicked out after a battle in heaven, which means I know this is future. What part of the timeline is this again?

During the latter half of the Great Tribulation of seven years. That is a future event. It has not happened. So I know that you and I are alive, the bride of Christ that's here. I know that Satan still is doing what? Going to and fro because has this event happened yet? No, and I trust Revelation 12 to be exactly as it says that there's a war going to break out in heaven. It hasn't happened yet. Now we know from the time of Job, we know from the time of Zechariah that it's been happening and it's been happening this whole time.

So many Christians are walking around without realizing they have an enemy. And you think the battle has just been when he comes and whispers in your ear? The battle has been when he is trying to get you to misrepresent God and then accuse you before God the Father. Because he's saying he doesn't really love you. She doesn't really love you. They're only doing it what they can get from you. Pastor Wow, hi, where are you coming up with those words? The book of Job. The book of Job tells me that. I mean it's exactly what it was.

It was a trial. God was put on trial. And what was the accusation? Satan said they don't love you. They only love what you can do for them, these humans. They're fickle. There's no doubt humans are fickle. Crucify him, crucify him. Five days earlier, hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the Hebrew, save now, save now. Humans are fickle. And yes, there's times we misrepresent God. What Satan doesn't understand is we're not trying to lead God. Born again believers have submitted to God. We fall short of the glory of God, but we love him. He's our lives. He 's our everything.

He means everything to us. And yes, there's times we might be struggling with pride or we might be struggling with things in our lives. Yes, we love our our feelings and our emotions to betray us. But in reading the word of God, we don't stay there. We realize our wrongdoing. We repent for it and then we remove back into right relationship with God if we're truly a born again believer. Why did Satan fall from heaven? He fell because of pride. He desired to be God and not a servant of God as I've been saying. And notice again how many I wills.

Five of them. Satan was Satan might have been the highest of all the angels. We don't know as I said. The anointed cherub, the most beautiful in all God's creation. But the real aspect of it all is he wasn't content with his position. So what's the other thing we see? You know how I was saying, look at this is Satan, but then look at humans and how it's been coming out over the years. What is the other thing that often we see with people that are struggling? In Italian we have a saying and if I said to you It means I have contentment.

Right? I'm content. You know to have. Right? Content. It means I'm good. I am pieced out. I'm content. Means I don't want anything else. I'm not looking for anything very very just very pieced out, very content. Right? Try it. Say Don't you feel better? I feel so man. You're content. Good. You're supposed to be content cuz good Jesus Christ has given you his peace. He says peace be with you. Right? He he wanted you to have that peace, peace being given unto you. He Jesus has said to you you should be saying The problem is is Lucifer wouldn't say that.

He said which is like saying no in Italian. No, I don't have contentment. Pay attention. When you find yourself walking in life and you are struggling to find thanksgiving and contentment in life, what spirit are you walking in when you can't find a peace and a contentment? When you can't wake up every morning and be thankful just to be alive and to know that your children are there or your cuz you don't know how long you have. You don't know what's involved in any of it. There should be a No matter what happens I am yours and you are mine.

And that's never going to change and he can't change it. It's beautiful. Satan wanted to be God and I think it's interesting enough that the desire is what Satan used to tempt Adam and Eve. Did he not tempt them with the same desire to be God? Well pastor it doesn't exactly say it that way. Wait a minute now. Let's break that down. In Genesis again read what he says. Would you like to know the knowledge of God to know good and evil which only by the way who has that? God. Do you want to be like God?

So it's not a leap. Do you want the attributes that God has that you don't? Do you want to be like him or do you say that's above my pay grade? I don't need to know that. I'm content where I'm at. But no, he turns around and he says you know what? Eve says, you know, really? Okay. Because what does Satan do? He twists the word of God. He twists the word of God. He even tried to do that to Jesus, didn't he, in Matthew 4? He's I just want us to see he doesn't change anything.

If you're sitting here and all this is resonating with you and you're like, man, this explains my whole life. If you're sitting here this morning you're like, this explains my whole life. Why these thoughts have come into my head? Why these attacks? Since I was little enough to even understand attacks, these things have been happening to me. Why I've been prioritizing all the wrong things? Why I've been downward spiraling, whether it's depression or I'm struggling with anxiety or anxious thoughts? Why I'm getting caught up in all these other things and I'm not filled with thanksgiving, no contentment?

And all Do you realize that you have been literally lied to by the enemy? You've been lied to and you have bought the lie. And you know what? It's the same lie he used with Adam and Eve and it's the same lie that he tried to propagate in heaven and he took he's very convincing. He took a a third of the angels. Do you realize that? He's not just sort of good at it. He's a master manipulator. He took a third of the angels who by the way stood in the throne room of God and what witnessed God actually being God in all his power and majesty.

And he went and they went You know what? Okay, Satan. Well let's And what what do we call it? The give get? And it's the compromise. Remember Isaiah and Ezekiel? And they turned around and they said, okay, and they fell with him because he sold them a lie. And I think that's what he's doing to Christians all around the world today. And I think so many Christians don't realize that when that thought comes in your head cuz please tell me I'm not the only one here and I'm not losing my mind. Like there's times where I'm I wake up, things are good.

I'm going about my You know I get my espresso. I start my day. I'm in the word of God. I'm praying the things I normally do. Okay, this is what I'm doing and everything's good. And all of a sudden all of this You know this thought comes in my head and it could be something that is negative. It could be something that is anxious. Oh what what if this happens? Or what if something bad One of the children Where are they? Are they safe and driving? What about this or that? And and all And it And it just floods me.

And it just floods me at that moment. Has anybody else ever had a thought like that? Everyone of you little liars. You should all be raising your hands. Everyone of you. And if you didn't you should be wondering why you're not on the attack spectrum of Satan. Why does he feel like he doesn't even need to give you that thought? Maybe you're not even a threat. That's even scarier. But almost all of us have had that. Where did that come from? Well now you know. Now you can't walk around and go the devil made me do it.

Right? Like that's that's not the right answer. But we need to have a grounded, balanced approach to spiritual warfare. Because as we're living in these last days, friends, do you think it's going to get easier or harder before the rapture? Do you think that some of you may pay for it with your lives to stand in the gap of Christ? Do you think my job is an undershepherd? I'm looking you straight in my eyes right now. I want you to understand something. You can walk out of here and say he's crazy and never come back.

You do that if that's where you need to be. But you will never hear me lie to you. My calling is not certainly it's to teach the word of God, but it is to prepare you as soldiers, Christian soldiers. You are in a discipleship boot camp. You are being prepared for what is coming. And my job is not necessarily to make you feel good about it. My job is to be faithful to the scriptures and teaching it. And then that's between you and the Holy Spirit because my hopes, my prayers, my desires is that when you face that attack, whatever it is, no matter how small it is or right before the rapture where the labor pains are and you're sitting there, you have resilience.

Do you know what resilience is? It's the ability to endure difficult things and keep going, not quitting, not turning back. The Christians in the first century had resilience because they knew there was an emperor, whether it was Nero or Domitian that came after them, that the minute they said I do Jesus, they knew very quickly that either their families could betray them, they could be traded by their communities, and they would be brought like a lamb or a sheep to the slaughter right before Nero to say emperor worship. You Nero is God or right now we're going to put you on a stake and burn you in his garden.

It became real pretty quick. There wasn't a Oh I'm just a newbie Christian. Hang on Lord, take it a little easy. No. Jesus said count the cost. No man starts to build a building if he doesn't understand what what's involved, the cost of building. This is where we're at. We're in the last days. Everybody needs to wake up. We need to wake up because this this country has been lulled to sleep. Do you realize that we're already moving towards the World Trade Banks, the digital currency? We're already moving in that direction. Certainly the technology has been there.

But recently I've been watched. So some of you know I'm a dual citizen. Right? I'm I'm I'm an Italian citizen. I'm an American citizen. So I'm required to report in every so often to something called A I R E. It's air. And it's what Italian citizens have to register report and to say, hey, this is where I'm in. I'm in Technically from Italy standards I'm in a foreign country to them. Right? Cuz I'm an Italian citizen. So I'm So they Where are you? What are you doing? And you have to report in I just recently was notified when I logged in to this last time for air that now there's this new thing coming.

It's called I think it's S P I D or S I P D. Forgive me if I get the name wrong. No longer is my username and password Like you remember use uh mixed uh credentials or used um I'm trying not to use technological terms. We call it multi-factor authentication. I don't know if you know what that is. No longer to use to use MFA where you get a phone and you get uh a code you have to put on your phone and then you log in with it. Right? That used to be how we did.

Either you have a government job, you know what I'm talking about, or if you've ever had anything where you had to log in to a secured situation, use MFA, multi-factor authentication. No longer. Now you know what they're moving to and this should sound familiar to all of us cuz we heard about it in China. China moved to a what? A digital a digital identity. Think about what that means. When you move to a digital identity, I want you to think of running water. If you're not on a well and you're on a public water supply, do I not have the capacity to turn your water on and off as I see fit?

Of course I do. Of course I I mean Is it legal? No, we're not talking about that. But But do I have the the functionality technologically? Of course I do. Do I have the ability to turn your electric on and off? I mean all your meters almost all your meters are wireless now. I can drive through your neighborhood and pick up your reading on your meter without even some stopping at your door cuz the grid. Right? I can do all of this remotely. China moved a while back to what they call a social credit rating.

Maybe you've heard of it. And basically what it's used is it's used for your buying and selling. It's used for your profiles, your identity because the whole thing that ever happened technology I remember 20 years, 15 years was all about what we call the metaverse. And the idea was a hub and spoke model. Some of you are like, how did I come in a computer science class this morning? Just bear with me cuz this is going to make sense and we're living in the last days. You need to know it if you don't already. The hub and spoke model of a metaverse, the way that works is I created the identity and then I want a single sign on so that I can log in to one place and access all these different systems from one single SSO identity.

And that's the way it was propagate or that was the way it was sold to many Americans and to many people. And in China they took it a step farther because they said, hey, your social identity, your digital identity will not only be it will be based on your profile. It will be great. We can turn around and we can put cash. We can Well they don't use cash. We can turn around and put money on your account so you can get paid more efficiently. We call that direct deposit. But then also we can do things like instead of currency actually going between banks which you do realize your check actually doesn't get sent to another bank.

There's what they call it a Fed trade window and I won't go into all of that right now. But economics your check doesn't actually get sent to other banks anymore. What it does is it goes in and then the banks at the end of the day just settle up on different accounts across the system. Those days are gone where you actually used to do that. So what I'm bringing this to what I'm helping you understand is this digital identity or curse. It's it's it's going to be your your It's going to be think of it like almost like your credit rating.

It's going to affect every aspect. When you go to buy a house, not only are you able to afford a house, that's one thing. But do they want to sell you the house in a particular neighborhood? And they'll control all that because it'll all be tied to you the characteristics of that identity. Well when I was logging into A I R R it says, hey, in December 2000 in 25 you will no longer be able to use your ID. We have now moved to one of these digital providers. You now have to call it log in and create and register to have a credit uh ID, a digital ID.

And oh by the way with this digital ID everything you'll do in Italy, whether you go through government operations, services, whether you need And oh Remind me, Italy is part of the part of the European Union. And the European Union's already moved to this model too. Okay? So that means anywhere I travel as a citizen of Italy, I can go in anywhere in Europe. I don't have to get a visa or any of that. I can go anywhere The European Union I I'm a citizen of the European Union in essence. I can go anywhere like that.

Like Paul. Remember Paul, the apostle Paul? He had the ability to travel like that. Right? What I'm bringing this out is I want you to see this digital ID and what is it. By using this and now I'm going to be required to have this, then whether it's your insurance, whether it your buying of a home, whether it's turning around and going for healthcare, not just insurance, but actually getting organ transplants, whether you're turning around and getting surgeries, whether you're turning around and working a job, what jobs you qualify for based on your service rating because don't even apply to a job if the quality of your character and conduct isn't what the government deems appropriate for that level of a job.

Do you start to understand where I'm going with this? And what did I talk about? Water and electricity. I can do what with it? Turn it on or turn it off. We read about a time in Revelation that's coming that you will not be able to buy, sell, and trade. How many of you thought that was going to be 20 years out? In Europe it's here. The United States of America you might be thinking because of your constitution you're protected. But there's a little secret that most politicians know and most high-level cabinet makers and Intel knows that we don't have the ability to sustain the current amount of humans alive in this country with the services were provided based on the next group of people that are coming up because we had a baby boom generation.

And after the baby boom generation our generation populations have been declining. So we can support it. They know it. We know it. And so when they come and don't be surprised about a digital currency, it's all going to start to be part of what will be ultimately this one world order. And that's what I want you to understand here this morning. So when I tell you it's not just my calling to teach Yes, it is, but it's my calling to make you soldiers for Christ. It's to make you soldiers for Christ because when we get to the place where we can say, okay, Lord, no matter what happens, I will follow you even unto death because death has no power over me cuz it doesn't.

And it doesn't have any power over you anymore ever again if you're a born again believer. This life is not about sustaining life on earth. It's about being in the ammunition of the Lord. And you're invincible when you're in his will. And I know for some of you that might be heavy, but allow me a few more minutes since I've taken more than I should already. In 2 Corinthians chapter 12 verse two and three the apostle Paul says something. He provides what I call a major revelation that there are three heavens. In this passage he seemingly talks about himself being taken up to the third heaven where God the Father and Jesus dwells.

Then there's a second heaven that he defines as the universe or outer space. And then there's this first heaven that he calls the atmosphere or the air. Now the Bible indicates that Satan and some of his demons are allowed to move in this space because of Ephesians 2 uh verses one and two and Ephesians 6 verse 12. So in this age And this is why I'm bringing it back to our teaching because I want scripture to speak for itself. Satan and the fallen angels can still oppose the work of God and hinder or try to hinder the angels of God.

I mean Daniel 10:10 told us that through 14 within the boundaries of what? The middle or second heaven. Right? So the second heaven even to the first heaven. But we just what recorded in Revelation 12 is what's going to fundamentally change. It's going to make so much sense to you. All the white bulbs are going to go on here in a minute why Satan is going to do what he's going to do and attack the Jewish people the way he is. Because where can Satan go? Remind me again. Can he go to the third heaven?

Yes. That's where Jesus and God dwells. We know he goes to and fro. Can he go to the second heaven? Yes. Right? Can he go to the first heaven on the earth? Yes. We know that he goes and he tempts and he does that. He says I walk to and fro. The battle that we just read about in Revelation chapter 12 when Satan and the angels fight the fallen angels against the Archangel Michael and the angels of God, he is then permanently kicked out of which heaven? The third heaven and the second heaven. And he's cast down.

It said very closely to us. Did you remember that when we just read it? It says and he was cast to where? The Look Look back at verse nine. The earth. And his angels were cast out with him. So now where does Satan dwell? And only can he dwell at this time in the Great Tribulation of the last three and a half years. Where can he dwell only? Earth. Now this makes tons of sense. If all this time you had a focus to be able to go through between three houses and you shared your time between three houses, somebody might say, well I see him here once in a while, but he's not here all the time.

He's over here sometimes, but he's not there. He's over here sometimes. But then what happens if you get rid of the other two houses and you're just at that one house? I see him all the time. Where is Satan at this point? Well we read then I heard an loud voice in heaven saying, now salvation, strength, and kingdom of God and the power of His Christ has come for the accuser of our brethren who accused them before the God day and night. He has been cast down. Where did he cast down? The earth. And they overcame by the blood of the lamb, by the word of the testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

That's right. Therefore rejoice oh heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea low. Why? For the devil has come down to you. He's not able to go to the second and third heaven. He's only focused on you now having great what? Wrath, anger.

Guest (Male): You're listening to Pastor Matt Vander Ven on His Perfect Love. You can hear the study from Revelation again when you visit hisperfectlove.org. That's hisperfectlove.org. We've expanded our podcast too. Look for us on oneplace.com and most of the major podcast platforms. The Calvary Chapel Harrisburg mobile app is another great way to listen to Pastor Matt's messages shortly after they're delivered. We can help you get started when you visit hisperfectlove.org. We're thankful for the listeners that come alongside of us with their prayers and financial support. If you're interested in supporting this radio ministry, there's a place to do that at hisperfectlove.org.

Together we can reach people with the love and truth of God in these last days. Pastor Matt loves to hear from his listeners. Even just a quick hello telling him where you hear the program and how you're blessed by it means a lot. Email us there at the website hisperfectlove.org. And whether you live in or around Mechanicsburg, PA or will be visiting the area soon, we'd love to have you join us for a service at Calvary Chapel Harrisburg West Shore. Sunday morning services begin at 8:30 and 10:30. We have a midweek service too, Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m.

You'll find us at 28 North Locus Point Road in Mechanicsburg, PA. Go to ccharrisburg.org for more information. Well that'll do it for today, but come back next time when Pastor Matt will again study the book of Revelation with us here on His Perfect Love.

Guest (Male): His Perfect Love is brought to you by Calvary Chapel Harrisburg West Shore.

Guest (Female): Let the word go out, the perfect love of Christ to shine. Our lives will shout. I am my beloved's and he is mine. Every heart is in his hands. We'll never stop reaching out. This is His Perfect Love. The word goes out. This is what a real love looks like in truth and grace. This is His Perfect Love.