01 - The Conflict Christ vs.

Satan (Red letters do not record) Doubts and Uncertainties The Yin and the Yang... the good versus the bad. Oriental culture teaches that evil is necessary, indispensable for the growth and fulfillment of the human being. But this teaching does not satisfy everyone, and neither does it answer some questions: If God knew that evil was going to happen, why did He permit it? Why must one worship God, perhaps because He needs it? Others say that, "If God created all things, God created evil, then God is evil". Why do bad things happen to good people, and good things to bad people? What is happening in this world, and what does Heaven have to do with this? Charles, who works in an office, accuses the company manager of serious breaches of conduct, such as oppression and cruelty to his employees. Days later, Charles is found dead, and it was well known that he had had some heated arguments with the manager. What would you think? That Charles was right, and the manager had wanted to silence him for his interference and therefore killed his accuser so that no one would verify the truth of his accusations? And if the manager of our story hadnt murderered Charles? Certainly, his co-workers and witnesses would have been able to verify his accusations against the manager. Lets look at this in another dimension. In this celestial version, Charles is Lucifer, the smartest angel ever created; the angel of light who accuses God, Manager of the universe of cruelty, slavery, oppression, and injustice; he is set apart from the loyal angels, whom he accuses of slavishness. As opposed to the first story, here, God did not destroy his accuser. If God knew this evil in the world was going to happen, why did He permit it? To give us the opportunity to prove which of the two is right! God knew that this evil was going to happen, but the rest of the witnesses in the universe did not know this. God gave the freedom for them to choose and to verify the accusations. Which of the two systems of government is unjust and oppressive? Gods government and its laws, or this world under Satans plan? You, perhaps without knowing it, are deciding for one of the two sides. This is the conflict between good and evil. The celestial conditions in play here are higher than our analogy of Charles and the manager, because in the celestial case there are final and eternal consequences. When this uprising in Heaven took place, it was registered in Revelation 12:7: And there was war in Heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels. 8 And prevailed not; neither was place found any more in Heaven. 9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan which deceiveth the whole world; he was cast out into the earth and his angels were cast out with him. Revelation 12:4 reports to us that during this rebellion, a third of the angels, who by free election chose to disobey God, were cast out of Heaven. God did not eradicate them. Instead He expelled them from Heaven. The development of this conflict is taking place in a private locality of the universe: Planet Earth!

Why the Earth? Because when Adam and Eve ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, it made the earth a unique world, of all the worlds created. For the door unto sin was opened, and the world embraced it! Satan established his headquarters here on Earth and demanded for himself all the recently fallen humans. The Conflict Begins! It all began thus: The Eternal One creates Lucifer, angel of light. Beautiful, powerful, and splendid as registered in Ezekiel 28:13 to 15: "Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee". When Satan chose to disobey God it was because of his pride and greed, filled with iniquity. (Optional) So in the recently created Earth, to our disgrace, we welcomed him, and by our own free will. For now we live in the flesh for having rejected the love of God. So this world was leased to Satan, and you and I and all the angels in Heaven will experience this and be witnesses while this conflict is finally settled. Therefore, we will all be able to verify if God truly is LOVE and will understand why He is revered and worshipped. You will decide if God deserves to be worshipped, or ask why. In this conflict, laws, transgressors, an accuser, some witnesses, a lawyer, and a judge are involved. These are the individuals to whom this condition applies. God has given us an opportunity to be reconciled with Him. An opportunity which He has even given Satan, but who rejected it out of mere pride. God did not destroy his accuser, nor did He eradicate Adam and Eve. God does not show Himself as evil. On the contrary, He is shown as a Just Judge! He had given them the opportunity to repent. The accuser (Satan) refused to repent, and now it is for you to decide if youd like to repent! And to accept the pact that God offers while this conflict runs its course. Now we, the humans, and of course Satan and God Himself know what evil is. See Genesis 3:22 to 24: "And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat and live for ever: Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden to till the ground from whence he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life". This verse tells us that God knows evil. When God created Lucifer and man, He hid nothing of what He created from them but a minimum fraction of His creation, thus notifying us: Genesis 2:16 1716And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die". Satan seized what he should not have taken. The day in which evil was found in him, rebellion was unleashed in Heaven. God kept to Himself the knowledge of evil because He knew that man was not able to dominate it. God also hid the

tree of eternal life, which Lucifer, Adam, and Eve had a right to, but which God knew would mean eternal sin, if they had eaten of it. So God gave this conflict more time, this time limit is called The Time of Grace. Time which God permits (II Peter 3: 9-10) is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 10But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the Heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. This is the sentence verdict for Satan, Gods accuser. You and I have to decide which of these two sides to choose. In the meantime, the accuser lives on accusing and deceiving! The following three events, are fine examples of the whole process of a trial: The story of Job, Jesus crucified, and the end His time of Grace (Judgment Day!) The Book of Job We often ask ourselves, Why do bad things happen to good people and good things to bad people? (optional) Man, deprived of the Glory of God, faces the harshness of a planet wasting away because of sin. We must sow in order to reap our daily bread. By working, we either accumulate wealth or get poorer. We grow up, reproduce, and die. The story in the book of Job took place at the same time as those of Moses. It tells us of a very rich man who respects God, knows the meaning of the sacrifice of the Lamb, and the atonement of sin. See the book of Job. Notice that verse 6 changes to a celestial setting where beings created by God are presenting themselves before Him. Among them, Satan arrives representing the Earth, which he had taken as his own without right. Job 1:7-12 "And the Lord said unto Satan, whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord and said from going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 8 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and a upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil. 9 Then Satan answered the Lord and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 10 Hast not Thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands and his substance is increased by the land. 11 But put forth Thine hand now and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. 12 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand, so Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord." Summary: Job is a just man before God. We could say, a good man. Something is happening in Heaven which Job doesnt know about. The governor of the world in which he lives is accusing him of receiving undeserved blessings from God. God therefore permits Satan to test Job by harming him with disease and by taking away his possessions. So God withdraws His divine protection from Job but warns Satan not to take his life. The angels of Heaven are witnesses of Satans accusations. And now the latest news update! Eight people killed in a massacre; a strange natural phenomenon leaves dozens of

cattle dead; a sudden tornado destroys some homes, leaving billions of dollars in losses, and killing close to ten people. Jobs sons. Calamity comes and dwells in the life of Job. Job 1:21: " And said, Naked came I out of my mothers womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. The story of Job continues with another accusation of Satan before God, who again grants Satan the opportunity so that celestial witnesses verify whether or not Job believes in what he has been told, of a rebellion in Heaven and of Gods solution in a certain period of time here on earth. The story continues in a touching tale of Jobs afflictions, which of course were caused by Satan, and of how in this conflict, the name of God is at stake. Heaven has had the opportunity to see how God has dealt with Satan, the accuser, with regard to Job not deserving Gods blessings. Job respected God with all his heart. And by suffering his afflictions, he showed Heaven how much faith he had in a Saviour whom he had never laid eyes on but only heard of. He believed that God was merciful and just for permitting man to choose whether to do right or wrong. Job was in the same condition as you and I are today. Never have we seen God but only heard of Him through different sources. After the angels discovered how false Satans accusations were against God for having blessed Job, and how Job remained adamantly faithful to Him, he was blessed with twice the things that he had lost. Hence, this is a perfect example of why bad things sometimes happen to good people. God has every right to test the sincerity we hold for Him. What blessings have you received? Perhaps you live a life that pleases God? Are you healthy? Whatever your condition, God has had mercy on you and on all the world, in spite of the fact that some of us despise His wisdom, the way He wants us to live, His precepts. The problem is...that at the end of this conflict, you and I will have to determine how far we will be from His divine protection. We of this world are going to suffer the same afflictions which Job suffered in his time. Matthew 24:21 says so of our time. While we are in this world we remain in enemy territory. The enemy who showed his intentions to us all when afflicting Job and being the cause of his ruin. He has been the author of all our woes. This is sufficient proof to show us that God is not evil! It is Satan who brings illness, incites wars, and plants hate and pride and greed in us all! And then slanderously accuses God of what he himself is author of. God does not want to withdraw His protection from any of us. Check out Psalms 23:4: Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me. One of the biggest problems is that we ourselves are stopping God and His Kingdom from entering our schools, our government and our lives, just because someone said, We dont want any praying done in our schools, nor any reading of the Bible! Sad but true, we cheer for promiscuity, uncontrolled sex, all types of sensual indulgence and violence. We protest because our children are

corrected and disciplined in school, and then ironically, we want God to bless our comings and goings. Mundane living does not please God! We are the ones who abandon God and thus place ourselves within Satans grasp, who is roaming and ready to devour! And then we blame God for whatever goes wrong. Under this impression we become aware that evil is not necessarily as Oriental culture suggests, with the Yin and the Yang. Illnesses, violence, death, loneliness, hunger, and abandonment bear the seal of Satans rebellion! Consequences which man now carries on his back for despising the life that God gave him in Paradise. The Bible, as opposed to oriental culture, establishes radically, that evil was never necessary. But other cases which verify Gods judgment took place here. One fine example is the case where Abraham was asked to sacrifice Isaac, his only son. When Abraham stretched forth his hand to take the knife and slay Isaac, an angel ordered him to stop! Abraham proved his loyalty to God before the eyes of Heavens angels, His creation of invisible witnesses.

Jesus Crucified and the Conflict. John 12:31: Now it is the judgment of this world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out. 32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This is a key passage. It seems that Satan still had access to enter Heaven, as we observed in the book of Job, by going there and presenting himself before God. At the cross, God begins to restore His image, which was tainted by Satan before the universe. Satan, in his bloodthirsty act of having Jesus crucified, reveals to us the aspect of the murderer. Jesus healed, He restored, He forgave, He resurrected, and He showed man the Kingdom of God. Now Lucifer would be cast out from Heaven, and never again will he be allowed to re-enter. The phrase, I will draw all men unto me refers to the salvation of all men, from Adam to todays man, who believe in Jesus as the Messiah. And all the angels who have witnessed Satans true intentions will testify to all the tragedy that has befallen man during these 6,000 years of living in sin. Heaven knew that Jesus was the promised Savior who would fulfill the promise foretold for so long of restoring man, according to His will, to the presence of God. Gods angels have witnessed that Satan has led the world astray from God's wisdom and blessings. Satan has drowned us in sin for our own ruin and has even created false gods in order to instigate the wrath of God. Satan has trampled the laws God in Heaven gave to us, the Ten Commandments. He has exaggerated the simple concepts of these commandments in order to make religion appear a burden to man. This is why at the time of Jesus first visit to man, He did not find truth in the people of this world, especially Israel. Only a few saw him as the true Messiah, the Lamb of God, who would take away the

sins of the world! Religion, at the time of His visit, was full of error and corruption due to Satans tireless work, and it will end up the same way by his 2nd coming. Jesus, an innocent man condemned as guilty and cruelly exposed on the cross before the universe, is another piece of evidence of the cruelty and evil of the fallen angel of light, Satan! A case commonly seen today of an unjust judge accusing another innocent of being guilty (optional). In this case, God is again being falsely accused! But Jesus on the cross is just the beginning of the final countdown! The End of Gods Given Time of Grace Revelation 12:12-13: Therefore rejoice, ye Heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! For the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. This passage speaks for itself. Satan is denied entrance into Heaven. He and his devils will come to persecute and destroy any trace of God. Wars will break out and intensify, and Satan will now attack the church of God head-on! History and Heaven itself are aware of Satans actions. The following are some of these recorded events summarized: The persecution of Christians by the Roman Emperors; the Christians who were thrown into the arena to be devoured by wild beasts; the holy inquisition, World War II, Hitler persecutes Jews; and others. When, through these tactics, Satan could not destroy humanity, he went on to other more subtle tactics, such as inserting heresies into mans mind. Deceit and sophisms that survive to this day and which undermine mans knowledge of God, distorting the manner of worship and adoration to such a degree that it is irreverent to God. Jesus warned us that many would be misled. Matthew 24:5: For many shall come in my name, saying I am Christ, and shall deceive many. In the book of Matthew chapter 24, Jesus uses the word deceive on four different occasions, to warn us that in this war, without a doubt, Satan will effectively use this means to devour and to destroy us! Even the chosen ones would be vulnerable to his sly machinations, if it were possible! In spite of all this, a single church, the true Church of God, the one that has kept the truth, just as the Bible reveals by the love of Jesus, will aid in finishing the task of judging and confirming the sentence to be given to all who have disobeyed Gods law. Ephesians 3:10-11: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in Heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, 11 According to the eternal purpose which he proposed in Christ Jesus our Lord This is why in the end there wont be any doubt in Heaven or on earth as to all the evil done during these 6,000 years. Six thousand years of patience and mercy from God. Six thousand years offering salvation to mankind. A short time before judgment day and before the spilling of the seven plagues, Gods angels will know without any doubt whatsoever that sin must no longer exist and must

be eradicated. Rev 16:5-7: And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shall be, because thou hast judged thus. 6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments. Satan will not be given more time. Christ returns for the second time, and the impious will be pulled out by the roots, never to exist again, and those who have decided for the kingdom of God will be carried away to live with Him. The conflict ends. Revelation, the book of judgment for mankind, reveals with certainty that the chasm of God between Satan can never be bridged. Evil spirits will be thrown into the lake of fire, together with those of us who have adopted sin and dissolution, who have scorned the pleas to repent and change from a life displeasing to God. There is little time left for this conflict to come to an end, and you and I must certainly have already chosen which side to be on when that happens! We certainly hope you choose the winning side, the side where you and I will be given eternal life. Jesus already settled our debts at the cross! If you do not decide to repent now and receive Jesus in your life, God is certainly not going to force you to! The day is soon to come! We hope it wont be too late for you! Those left behind are sure to suffer. (Gnashing of teeth..optional) Bibliographical references: Bible passages. Reina Valera 1960. United Biblical Societies, 1997. Written by: David Obando Cano CD-ROM The Greatest Biblical Lessons Project IASD Interamerican Division 2006