Born and raised in Hawaii, Taj grew up in a non-Christian home and at an early age chose to live a wild life--one full of drugs, addictions, and succumbing to peer pressure. However, at age 16, Taj attended a Bible prophecy seminar that changed his life forever. Today he’s a much sought after international evangelist and revivalist for God, traveling to countries all around the world.

<p>Born and raised in Hawaii, Taj grew up in a non-Christian home and at an early age chose to live a wild life--one full of drugs, addictions, and succumbing to peer pressure. However, at age 16, Taj attended a Bible prophecy seminar that changed his life forever. Today he’s a much sought after international evangelist and revivalist for God, traveling to countries all around the world.</p>

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

Central Papua Conference

Taj Pacleb

From the Weed of Death to the Word of Life

Oh Lord, we thank you so much for your grace and your mercy.

For it is of your mercy that we are not consumed, your compassions fill not.

Thank you, Lord, for giving us life today.

And thank you, Lord, that your mercy is new today, and that we can be recipients of a fresh supply of mercy.

And, Lord, we open our hearts now to receive it.

And we ask, dear Lord, that as we open your word, that you'd give to us a fresh revelation of Jesus.

Help us to see you, dear Lord, more clearly than ever before.

And by beholding, may we become changed into that same image.

We pray that you would instruct us and inspire us, that you would inform us and transform us, that you'd captivate our minds, convict our hearts, and convert our souls.

Lord, I'm not worthy to stand before your children this morning.

So I just pray, Lord, that you'd cover me with the righteousness of Jesus, the blood of Jesus, and that you'd fill me with the Spirit of Jesus, that all in this room today would experience a blessing, and that we would hear your voice speaking to our hearts.

I invite you to take your Bible and let's turn to the last book in the New Testament, the book of Revelation, shall we?

Revelation, we're going to the 12th chapter As we study from the weed of death to the word of life.

Revelation chapter 12 is a chapter that's very important, especially for the last days.

It describes the great controversy between good and evil, from its origin in heaven all the way to its consummation at the end.

And in this chapter, the Bible describes this war that we are all in the midst of.

And it tells us how we can gain victory in this battle.

Revelation chapter 12, beginning with verse 11.

If you're there, would you please say amen?

Revelation 12 verse 11, the Bible says, and they, talking about God's people, overcame him, talking about Satan, and they overcame him by the first and foremost, what does it say?

Friends, I'm so grateful that the blood of Jesus not only pardons our past, but it empowers our present.

It not only forgives us, but it empowers us to gain victory over the attacks and temptations of Satan.

Just like the song says, would you be free from the burden of sin?

Would you do service for Jesus your King?

There's wonder-working power in the precious blood of the Lamb.

Friends, we have been called to victory Not failure and the victory is found not in us But what in Jesus wants to put in us and that is his precious blood So the Bible tells us that we can gain victory over Satan first and foremost by the blood of the Lamb But then it says and by the word of their what?

Their testimony and that they love not their lives unto the death And so we see that the way in which we gain victory over Satan in this great controversy between good and evil is by the blood of Jesus, but also by the word of our testimony.

You see, friends, when we share the testimony that God has given to us, what the Lord has done in our lives, expression deepens impression.

When we go out in service and witness to others and sharing what God has done for us, it gives us even more power and confidence that if God could do for that, that for me in the past, surely He can do it for me in the present, and surely He can keep me in the future.

And that's 1 of the reasons why it's so important for us to share our testimonies.

Not only to be a blessing to others, but for our own soul's sake, that we can remember what the Lord has done for us.

Expression deepens impression, not only on the hearers, but also on the speaker himself.

And if that makes sense, would you please say, amen.

So God's people are going to win the victory by the blood of Jesus and by the word of their testimony.

But whose testimony is it really that they're sharing?

Let's jump down to verse 17 because it tells us whose testimony it is.

Revelation 12, 17, and the dragon was wroth with the woman and went to make war with the remnant of her seed Which keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of who?

The testimony of Jesus Christ So friends the testimony that God's people overcome with is not so much their testimony, but really it's the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Yes, it may be their experience, but it's Christ's testimony.

In other words, our history is his story of power and grace and love and so if our history is his story then he is the 1 that gets all the honor the glory and the praise for what he has done can you say amen And so with that in mind this morning, I would like to simply share with you the his story of my history.

What the Lord has done for me, and I share this with a great desire for you to be inspired to know that no matter how dark and broken your past may be, we serve a God of restoration.

And no matter how messed up we are, if we put our lives in the hands of God, God can use us for his power and His glory.

You see, friends, we cannot change our past.

But the good news is we can give our past to Jesus and He can make us new.

I want you to notice with me in Joel chapter 2, verse 25, 1 of my favorite promises in the Bible, Joel chapter 2 verse 25, God promises us, I will restore to you the years that the locusts have eaten.

In an agricultural society, 1 of the most devastating things that can happen to a farmer is to be invaded by a swarm of locusts.

For years of hard work and labor could be consumed in just a few moments by a swarm of locusts.

And this passage describes the life that we have lived without God.

To be invaded by a swarm of locusts, that's a fit description of what sin does for us.

Sin consumes our time, consumes our life, consumes our youth and our energies, but God says that though time has been wasted by our foolish choices that if we give our past to Jesus, he can restore the years that the locusts have eaten.

And I'm here to tell you that I've experienced this firsthand in my life.

For the story of my experience is a story of years that have been consumed by the locusts of sin, but at the same time restored by the love of Jesus Christ, from the weed of death to the word of life.

But first, let's get the backdrop as we go now to the book of Ezekiel, chapter 37.

Let's turn to the book of Ezekiel, shall we?

In Ezekiel, chapter 37, I find a story that I resonate with very intimately.

For this chapter in the Bible describes my experience.

And I am confident that many of you will be able to relate.

So we're going to Ezekiel, what chapter did I say?

It's the story of the valley of dry bones.

The Bible says, and the hand of the Lord was upon me, and he carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley, which was full of bones.

And he caused me to pass by them round about, and behold, There were very many in the open valley, and lo, they were what?

Here the Lord takes the prophet Ezekiel and reveals to him a very discouraging sight.

The Lord takes Ezekiel not upon the mountaintop but the valley, the lowest part.

And as he looks in this valley, it's the valley of the shadow of death.

He is surrounded by death, destruction, and decay.

For all he sees are dry bones everywhere, a discouraging sight, a valley of dry bones.

From the moment of conception, he was not wanted.

Conceived out of wedlock by 2 young people who are seeking pleasure outside of the joy that only God could give.

His soon-to-be mother was embarrassed and ashamed of him, the unborn child in her womb, because she was young.

She was not married, and yet she was pregnant.

And her parents looked down upon her with shame and rejection for getting pregnant without being married, and they told her that she was an embarrassment to the family.

And afraid of rejection, feeling all alone, and not wanting to face the responsibility of parenthood, this young mother to be was tempted to have an abortion, even tempted to commit suicide.

And even this unborn child's earthly father wasn't interested in keeping him.

You see friends, the devil tried his best to destroy this unborn child in the womb before he was brought into the world.

But God protected this child and despite the suggestions of the devil, God prevailed and my mother decided to keep me.

And as a result, I was born on June 19, 1983.

And friends, I was born and raised in Hawaii.

And even though I was born in paradise, it wasn't always a beautiful sight because like Ezekiel, in coming to this world, it was like I was surrounded in a valley of dry bones.

Proverbs 17 22 tells us that a merry heart does good like a medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones In the Bible dry bones represent brokenness of spirit That is a fit description of the family I was born into.

As I mentioned before, my mom and dad, when I was conceived, they were not married.

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From the Weed of Death to the Word of Life

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