Dwayne Lemon

Triangle SDA Church

The Cross and the Most Holy Place

Father in heaven, we truly praise you and thank you for the privilege of worship.

We can look back at our lives and we can remember times where we didn't even acknowledge your name.

You called us out of the darkness of our lives of sin into this marvelous light of Christ our righteousness.

There's more about Jesus that we would learn.

I pray that you would do something special today.

That you would cause us to pass from death to life.

She will help us to hear your voice and that we will be able to hear not just yours but the voice of Jesus and we will follow the Lamb with us wherever he goes.

Please abide with us in a very special way.

I ask you to take my life and let it be consecrated Lord to thee.

May you grant us the presence of your Holy Spirit and may we sense his power in this room as you minister unto our hearts.

For this is our prayer that we do ask in Jesus' name.

If you want me to use it for recording, then I'll use it.

We're just going to get the microphone set up.

And as we prepare to do that, I would like to invite you, as much of you as are able, to please turn to the book of Revelation, chapter 12.

And I simply mean able, meaning that you got your Bibles with you.

If you don't have your Bible with you, you're not able.

But I hope that every single 1 of us has our Bibles with us, so that way we can turn to the book of Revelation, the 12th chapter.

And we're just going to take a look at an old, old story.

And we will start at a very familiar passage of Scripture which is Revelation 12 and verse 7 and when you get there just please let me know by saying Amen.

The Bible says in the book of Revelation, the 12th chapter, starting at verse 7, it says something very strange took place, but it is true.

Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels and prevailed not neither was their place found anymore in heaven and the great dragon was cast out that old serpent called the devil and Satan which deceived the whole world he was cast out into the earth and his angels were cast out with him.

The Bible makes it clear that even though whenever I think of heaven, I know even as a child, as a non-believer, whenever I heard of heaven, I guarantee you I never thought of it as a place of war.

That was the last thing that came to my mind.

I didn't understand its structure, but I definitely thought of a place of peace, a place that was absent of warfare, a place that was absent of fighting and any of these things.

And the Bible says that there was an actual war that started in heaven.

And it was between 2 characters, it between Michael and the dragon.

Now the Bible clearly identifies the dragon.

It says it was none other than the devil and Satan.

Michael, would take a little bit of Bible study to prove it, but even in the very name Michael, you can find a lot.

The name Michael in the Hebrew, Mike, means 1 who is like.

So therefore, when you think of Michael, you're thinking of someone who is exactly like God.

I remember 1 time I was studying with some Muslim brethren, and as I was studying with them, they had a real serious problem with John 3.16.

I don't believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

And they said, because how can Jesus, the Christian, say be God, and yet the Bible says he was begotten?

He says, well, in John 3, 16, you know the text, for God so loved the world that he gave his only what?

Begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

And I said, well, maybe it's because you don't understand that word begotten.

You see, I was talking to a Muslim man, which we generally think of the East, but this was a Muslim man in America.

And when we hear the word begotten, we think of something brought forth or created.

That's what you think of when you think of the word begotten.

And he was thinking in that same frame of thinking.

But lo and behold, as I told him, I said, well, the Bible wasn't written in English.

It was written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.

And when you look at the New Testament, it's Greek.

So I said, have you ever looked up the Greek word for begotten?

I said, well, you'd be amazed to know, because there's 2 Greek words.

1 word is monogeneo, which means brought forth.

And that's the kind of begotten that we're thinking about.

But then there's another word that was in John 3.16.

And it was not monogeneo, this idea of bringing something forth or creating something.

And when you look up the Greek word monogenes, you know what it means?

So when you look at John 3 16 it was actually saying for God so loved the world that he gave the only 1 that was like him.

That you should not perish but have everlasting life.

And when I think about that that name Michael 1 who is like God and Jesus was the only 1 that was like God.

So this is none other than a warfare between Satan and Christ.

Christ and Satan had warfare with each other.

And again when we think of heaven we don't think of a place of fighting but there was 1 that took place there.

And it was not with jabs and punches and kicks but brothers and sisters it was with ideologies and concepts.

It was individuals trying to see who is supreme, who really is God, who really is worthy of worship.

This is what was taking place in heaven, and thank God, the Bible says that Satan lost that battle.

The Bible clearly says that he lost that battle.

He prevailed not the Bible says and he was cast out.

The Bible says he landed somewhere didn't he?

The Bible says he was cast out and he landed on earth and I want you to understand the war was between Christ and Satan in heaven and the war continues between Christ and Satan.

There's only 1 difference and I want you to see that difference in the book of Revelation 12 still but I want you to look at verse 12.

You see it's in Revelation 12 and verse 12 that the Bible continues to tell us more about the story.

It says, therefore rejoice ye heavens and ye that dwell in them, but woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea because the devil has come down unto you having great wrath because he knows that he has but a short time.

Somehow, someway, you and I now are caught in the middle of this war.

So now the great controversy took a bit of a shift.

It was initially just between Christ and Satan, but now it's between Christ and Satan over man.

But Satan's goal is still to affect and hurt Christ.

And the question is why does he pick on us?

I mean, listen, I grew up in a public school system.

I don't advocate it, but I'm just telling you the truth.

Anil Kanda

Ceres SDA Church

Havoc

Father, the Bible says, let all the earth keep silent before you.

Lord, in the midst of everything, in the activity here at this church, and just the energy of the Sabbath, Lord, help us to remember that this is the time for us to be still.

For we know that you are a holy God, and even angels cover their eyes in reverence to you.

Lord, Help us not to simply pretend submission, but in our hearts right now, God, possess humility.

Dear Jesus, we pray and ask that you would speak to us, that you would challenge us.

Because the Bible says, those who you love you rebuke, but you rebuke that they may live.

So, God, we pray in Your mercy, in Your goodness, that You would correct us, that You would help us to be on the right path.

And Lord, we just want to pray and ask that Satan and his angels would not be welcomed here at all.

God, if there's any strongholds He has in our hearts right now, we just give You permission to send Him off.

And Lord, we pray and ask now for the Holy Spirit to minister to us, to speak to us, God.

Well, Church Family, I believe this is going to be 1 of those messages in which we are going to walk away very challenged.

We're going to walk away questioning our own spirituality.

Hopefully we'll walk away knowing that God has revealed some things to us.

Because if He does, then we know He is close to us.

The Bible says in Psalms 139, talking about all the things and all the places where God is at.

He's with us in heaven, He's with us in hell, He's with us through the trials and darkness.

At the very end, describing all the external places where God is with us, David still has to ask God to be in his heart.

Folks, sometimes God has to speak very strongly to his people.

And many times when God speaks strongly, we can be very disappointed at that because we know that what he is saying means I'm going to have to change.

And we mean that in more ways than just speaking about money.

We love being, love having our intellect stimulated, we love being comfortable, we love staying in the same spot.

This is something that's part of having a nature just like the Bible says we do, a selfish nature.

And so when we want God to speak to us, many times he will reveal things to us that are hindering us, that may be an issue in our lives that we ourselves may not recognize.

But it's very important that God reveals that, because when He is revealing it, it's that He knows something that we don't know.

And that is, if that is not taken care of, it could lead to our destruction.

And I know we love going to Ceres Church here.

But folks, sometimes we have to hear things very strongly.

And I hope to God that after this sermon instead of thinking to yourself well I don't want to ever go back to this church or thinking to yourself well I don't like Pastor Nell I want you to go out thinking is this the Lord speaking to me right now amen amen I've been studying something very late recently I've been studying the Holocaust it's been my personal study I've enjoyed also watching several documentaries about the Holocaust and things that took place towards the very end of World War II.

I also have been studying about the Final Solution and about these concentration camps.

Been learning about the horrible things, the tragic things that took place during World War II.

I've been learning about the things that the Jews went through during that time that Hitler's regime was sweeping across Europe.

How they were persecuted, how they were chased, how they were marked, how they were treated like animals, and many times killed right there, right in front of their own Family the most degrading things took place to the Jews during that time Unfortunately after they decided to remove the theocracy that God would be their king, the devil, made up for all those years in the Old Testament that he couldn't get to Israel.

And soon the Jews became the victim of Satan's wrath.

And it has been that way for the last 2, 000 years.

Unfortunately, Jews are sometimes considered the most hated people in all the world.

Now it's very interesting, we're going to be talking about a very unusual verse in scripture and you're wondering to yourself, why are we kind of slow?

It's a passage that we turn to many times.

And God here is describing some very interesting things.

If you don't have a Bible, just look in the pew in front of you or ask your friend if you could borrow it.

Or you can sit down next to them and just share.

Matthew chapter 24, starting with verse 3.

And if you're there, go ahead and say amen.

Privately saying, tell us, when will these things be?

What will be the sign of your coming, and then the end of the age.

What's that all gonna be all, what's that gonna be about?

And so as they begin to ask Jesus these questions, Jesus begins to give them the veritable grocery list starting with the very first thing look at the very next verse and Jesus answered and said to them take he that no 1 what?

Deceives you very first thing Jesus says about the end times.

There's going to be worldwide Deception we've heard this a million times Let's keep going For many will come in my name saying I am the Christ and will deceive many.

And you will hear wars and rumors of what?

See that you are not troubled, for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom.

And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.

All these things are the beginning of sorrows or birth pains." In the King James.

So when Jesus begins to talk about end time events, you hear how he begins to list off all the destruction and the disasters and the death that is going to be taking place at the end of time.

Learn about the earthquakes, we learn about war, we learn about all the horrible things and in your mind As you're hearing Jesus speak about this, you're thinking about this apocalyptic wasteland that has been just destroyed by these cataclysmic events.

That's what you're thinking when you're thinking end-time events.

You're thinking destruction, chaos, just all sorts of anarchy taking place, people running for their lives and just all of a sudden you see these hurricanes coming in and these tsunamis, you see all these horrible things, war, nuclear bombs taking off, boom boom boom, I mean that's when you're hearing this you're thinking to yourself the very end of time Everything is gonna go just crazy But watch what Jesus says in verse 36.

I want you to see the paradox But at that day or hour no 1 knows not even the angels of heaven But my father all else only but is the days of Noah were so also will be the what?

For as in the days before the flood they were what?

Eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered the ark and did not know until the flood came and took them all away so will all be the coming of the Son of Man.

2 men will be in the field 1 will be taken 1 of the other left.

This is something I want you to see the paradox.

Jesus here is talking about death and destruction, all the horrible things taking place at the end of time.

But then at the very end of Matthew chapter 24, he describes how people at the very end of time will go on as if nothing is going wrong.

Congratulations

I actually went down to Southern California this last week, and I was speaking in the Loma Linda area.

And I go home, and I always ask my mom, every time I talk to her on the phone, I always say, mom, is there anything new going on?

And I ask her every single time I talk to her, mom, is there anything new going on?

And so I go home to Southern California this last week And I was speaking Friday night and Saturday at a graduation thing taking place And I go visit my mom on Sunday, and I came back on Monday but I visited her on Sunday, and I was sitting down with them, and we were talking, and all of a sudden, it comes out that both my sisters are pregnant, and at the same time, around the same time.

And so I asked my mom, I was like, mom, did you know about this?

I was like, mom, how come you didn't tell me about this before?

And when you find out that someone you love is having a child, or you yourself are having a child, it can be a very unusual experience.

Now, I don't know what that's like, but I do know what it may somewhat feel like.

I have friends, Godfrey and Debbie, they're some of my good friends, And I think I might have told you this story, but I think this took place 2 years ago.

They were pastoring over here in Modesto Central, and Debbie was pregnant with her first child.

Now, I've always grown up seeing a lot of movies where they're like racing the pregnant lady to the hospital, the running red lights, and you know, all sorts of things.

And being adventurous as I am, I told Debbie, I said, Debbie, when you're about to give birth, I want you to call me.

I want to be able to transport you and Godfrey to the hospital.

I had a big four-wheeling Jeep, too, had size 35-inch tires, nothing was gonna stop it.

But I get this call, and the call is, Anel, can you get over here?

And in my mind, I just, that's what I imagined.

And she's like he's like no you need to get over here So I jumped into my Jeep and I just rate, you know, I never forgot the door was still open when I was driving out You know, I'll close the door.

I got to the house, and I just like run in.

And they're just sitting there, and she's doing a lamaze.

And they're very calm about the whole thing.

And she gets into the Jeep, and I was like, we're driving very slowly.

I mean, I had this in my mind, I was thinking, I'm gonna run over cars, and whatever it takes.

Run red lights, I was driving very slowly and carefully.

And I even heard her go, like she just kind of, just there was a little bit of pain.

And then I turned on the Christian radio and I was just playing some nice songs.

And we get to the hospital and we drop her off and Godfrey gets out and they you know a beautiful girl is born I'll do that that was very traumatic to me.

What do they call it a sympathetic pregnancy is that the term?

Anyways, it was just very unusual that I got to participate in that experience.

And being pregnant is not something that I could probably tell you things about.

But here's the thing I want to say to you, church.

I believe with all my heart our church is pregnant.

I believe with my whole heart our church is pregnant.

I don't know the gender of this child, I think she's a girl, but I really believe that this church is pregnant and we need to have some insight about how this baby might be delivered.

We have talked about a church plant for the last few weeks, and we're making some serious steps.

We're going to have tonight a church plant meeting.

It's going to be a business meeting, and We want the church to come out.

We are thinking about scouting an area in possibly the Houston area.

But it's a small, when you go into the town, a small little country town, and we're thinking about having a church plant there.

There's gonna be a lot of questions that are gonna come up, so I want you to come out to the church business meeting tonight at 645, and we're gonna discuss more in detail.

But just to let you know, I believe that God is leading in this.

I went out with a Bible worker to the city of Houston.

And I was driving there with him, and we were just checking out a couple different churches.

We saw 1 church, and we walked there, and they didn't have a pastor.

And they said, well, you're going to have to just wait and find the person who's in charge.

And as we're driving to the next church on the map, I noticed from the corner of my eye a small First Baptist church right there in the corner.

It wasn't even on the map quest, which is normal.

And so we pulled there, and we're looking around, and it's just a nice old quaint building.

It seemed like everyone was gone that day in Houston.

So we're going around, taking a look at the facilities.

Couldn't get inside because no 1 was there.

I picked up my phone, I call, and I ask for the pastor.

I left a voice message, and I said, Hey, my name's Pastor Arnell.

We're thinking about possibly renting a church.

So, as we jump into the car to leave, all of a sudden, from the corner of my eye, I see this older gentleman walking down the street.

And there was just something unusual about him.

He's walking down the street, and he's coming right up to us.

Back to Menu

All Teachings

The Cross and the Most Holy Place

1h 34m

Havoc

52m

Congratulations

30m

Leading Or Bleeding

50m

Climbing New Mountains

54m

Dehydrated

41m

Staying Wide Awake

29m

The Return

29m

Signs Of Hope #2

28m

Signs Of Hope #1

29m

New Solutions for Old Resolutions

45m

Our Heritage of Truth

52m

Sound Doctrine