Corona Chronicles - Crown of Gold

Well, we're still in Revelation 12 and we're seeing this whole sort of picture of of warfare that's going on. I mean, this is the reality really. We we don't quite see it but there is a real warfare going on in the heavens. You like between God's plan and Satan trying to solve that plan and we've we've seen all of all of that. We're gonna start reading from verse 10 of Revelation 12.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say. Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters who accuses them before our God day and night has been hurled down. They triumphed over him by the blood of the lamb, by the word of their testimony, they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Therefore, rejoice you heavens and you who dwell in them.

But woe to the earth and the sea. Because the devil has gone down to you. He is filled with fury because he knows that his time is short. Yeah. It just struck me that last that that last verse.

It's what we were saying yesterday, isn't it? That that Satan is aware of his own defeat. You know, he knows his time is short. We're living in this age now where Jesus has triumphed over him at the cross. He knows he's defeated, but he's awaiting his structure, and he's now been cast down, he's filled with fury, he's gonna do what he can.

And it's it's it's the dog in the corner, isn't it? Yes. But the rat in the corner, you know, when you corner them and they they're they're fatally wounded or, you know, they're seriously wounded. They're they're the most dangerous piece of something. Mhmm.

That because time is short. Yes. He's wounded and he's They're ready to lash out. Yeah. Yeah.

And I think All we've got in verse 10, I think it's it's 1 of the most it's 1 of the most horrible works of Satan, isn't it? The accuser of our brothers and sisters because you've got lots of descriptions to say to him, the body's a liar. He's a murderer from the beginning. These are the things that he loves so to speak, but this acute this accusing of God's people is a really pernicious sort of thing, isn't it? Whispering in the ear day and night, you're not good enough.

You know, you haven't done enough. God couldn't love you still. Do you really think Jesus loves you? Why would he interested in you. You're too bad.

You've done too much. You know, you hear of people sort of really struggling with that, don't you being accused or accused all the time. Or or or even sort of governments accusing Christians -- Yeah. -- all things that are not true. I mean, you think of some of the stuff that we even know it, you know, I won't say nation now.

But, you know, we know from brothers that the governments have said that Christians kill their babies and and have sort of love feasts where there's orgies going on and that's that's always been, you know, just lies about the church. Mhmm. Accusing the church of being anti -- Mhmm. -- their nation and and all of that sort of stuff. I think that's right and that it comes in those different forms, doesn't it?

And yet verse 11, you know, the good news is not only has he been held down, but we've triumphed over him by the blood of the lamb. Because there's a sense in which Satan's accusations are are true. You know, I am a sinner. Yeah. Why should God love me?

I have done terrible things. I am guilty. You know, I don't deserve to be redeemed. And if it was down to me to to sort of answer those claims, you know, I would be in trouble. But there is 1 who I can triumph in.

You know, the blood of the lamb has cleansed my accusations. You know, Jesus has scrumpled up the accusation paper buried it at the bottom of the sea, and he's left it there. So the accuser has been hurled down in Christ's accomplishment at the cross. You know, there is a legal charge against me that Satan has held, but Jesus has taken it in his nails and now it's done. It's been hurled down.

So we triumph in in the blood. Don't Yes. I I remember when I was first a Christian. I used to feel, you know, am I a Christian and all the things I've done and, you know, could I possibly be loved by God and -- Mhmm. -- and then you get through the day and think, you know, I've been grumpy people and -- Yeah.

Yeah. -- you know, tempted in all kinds of areas. And I remember someone telling me, Pete, at the end of the day, get a get a a a black ink pen and write down the sins that you you you remember. Just write them down on a piece of paper. Mhmm.

And then take a great big red felt tip -- Yeah. -- and and go at the blood of Christ. Yeah. Do a cross, right across the Yeah. Blood of Christ cleanses you from all sin.

Yeah. And I used to do that for some time actually and and found that a really helpful full thing. Yeah. It's all visual. And this is exactly what it's saying, isn't it?

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah.

So then we go on to this this bit here, you know, in verse verse 11 and 12. They did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. You know, this is This is this is what we've seen a little bit already as well, isn't we? That that there is gonna be suffering for God's people. You know, they they are cared for.

The time of suffering is limited. But this is this is part of what it means to be a Christian, isn't it? You know, you you love Christ and you love his gospel so much. That even suffering, you're you're willing to walk in suffering because of the testimony of your Savior. And that's something that is commended We we saw it in the letters at the beginning of the book, didn't we?

You know, to the 1 who overcomes. There's this overcoming and this victory to be won. We love Christ more than even our lives on earth, you know. Because because this isn't the end. Yeah.

I mean there is glorious hope here, isn't there? Yeah. In in in many ways, we can really live our lives, sacrificially, really give our lives because we know that they're this isn't the end. Yeah. There is a greater life that goes.

Yep. Yep. So it's opposite to what the atheists say. The obvious say, you know, this is the only life you get so you've got a sort of live it up. Mhmm.

But actually that that just produces selfishness, my experience. Mhmm. But but the the the Christian is saying, look, I I can give my life. I can give it because there's more to come. Yeah.

And so really in in a sense, to the fact of giving your life. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And then, therefore, there's rejoicing in heaven.

Yeah. And there's there's a there's a reality that we're about, which is another world. But and then there's this woe, isn't there? Mhmm. To those who are just limited to this world.

Mhmm. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. And I think I think as always, this is good news for the Christian because although although we don't physically dwell in heaven, yeah, Our citizenship is in heaven, Paul says, you know, because of our union with Jesus.

There is a sense in which we already sit at the right hand of God. We're already in the place of victory. And so although we're still in the wilderness years, we can genuinely rejoice now. Because Satan has been thrown down and we're seated with Christ and we'd share in his victory. Yeah.

But if you're not in that plan again, it's the plan of god. Yeah. He wants to he wants children in this place of safety really, which is it, you know, is to die to self and live for him. Yeah. It's the place of safety.

But those are just gonna live for this earth. Well, satan's come down here Yeah. And and he's filled with fury and he is angry and anyone made in the image of God which is all human beings. Mhmm. And his time is short.

And actually, to be honest, those of you look in your time is short. Mhmm. You know, your days are gonna go soon. So I guess the questioner, we've gotta leave it really, is, are you part of this kingdom of God? Where there will be rejoicing where you've laid your life down and you live for him or are you keeping your life and what's saving they do.

We'll come back tomorrow.