The Guest Of Honor Series

There once was a man and his son who went out Christmas shopping. On their way home they noticed all of the houses and how beautifully decorated they were. At one of the houses, the son noticed a flag hanging down with a star in the middle. The son asked the father what that meant. The father answered "that means they have a son fighting in the war." A little while later while the son was looking out the window he excitedly exclaimed "Look daddy, God must have a Son fighting in the war, He hung a star in his window too!" Ever since the beginning of time Gad has been in a war with Satan. It started when Lucifer went to make a throne over God’s (Is. 14:12-15, Rev. 12:8,9) Since the beginning of time this war has been fought, the only thing that has changed was how.

Satan involved himself in creation, since cast out of heaven he sought to corrupt the thing that God has created in love and innocence. "Did God really say. . .No you wont surely die, you will become like God. . ." Just as he did in heaven, now uses that same tactic to corrupt Adam and Eve. "You will become like God..." When God came down and saw what the serpent had done he pronounced the curse. (Gen 3:14,15) This was the beginning of the end for Satan. He knew someone was coming to deal him a deathblow. he now sought to sop that one from coming.

He convinces Cain to kill Abel, using jealosy as motivation. If the coming one was Abel, Satan would use Cain to destroy him. That way he actually kills two with one stone, surely his enemy could not be a killer of such an innocent life. Satan corrupts Cain, has Abel killed and throughout the book of Gensis such tactics are used. Satan sought to corrupt all of creation to stop this one "Messiah" from coming. He corrupts all of mankind except Noah who was found righteous before God. (Gen.6:9) He was not counting on an Ark to save them (1 Peter 3:20-21) When Satan learned that the Messiah would come through Isaac, he seeks to corrupt him or kill him. Don’t you think Satan was overjoyed when Abraham took Isaac up the hill and layed him on that sacrifical altar? Only to see God provide the sacrifice.

Satan later learns the Messiah would come through the line of Judah (Gen. 49:10) and later more specifically from the line of David.(Is 9:7) When learned of this he seeks to stop David. He sets up a lion and a bear, only to find the bravery of this young shepherd and his devotion to God. Then comes the Philistine giant Goliath, only to see the shepherd boy’s true aim and zeal for God. He uses Saul, the Philistines, lions and bears, only to find this one is protected. He has to stop him somehow, he even tries to corrupt him with Bathsheba, only to find that David’s heart, even though fallen in sin, returns to God.

Satan later learns of the virgin who will bear this son, Immanuel, God with us. (Is.7:14)So he watched and waited for this virgin. When he sees Gabriel visit Mary he now knew. He tries to convince Joseph to do away with her. But Joseph obeys God. He uses Caesar to proclaim a census. How dangerous it is for a pregnant woman to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem. But God saw to it the donkey’s feet were strong and steady. So Satan uses Herod, "Murder all boys 2 years and under" to protect his throne, and Satan to protect himself. But God once again foils Satan’s plan and Jesus escapes.

When Jesus ministered Satan tried to destroy. Finally Jesus is nailed to the cross. Satan thinks he won, but three days later, Jesus comes from the tomb, and takes back the keys of death and hades. The deathblow is struck, Satan’s greatest weapon against man, death, is now taken.

But the war is not over, you see Satan may have lost that battle, but he is still fighting. Today his weapon is simple. Make Jesus irrelevant. We have signs and pins that say "Keep Christ in Christmas" and "Jesus is the reason for the season" yet Christmas has become far less than that. Where is Jesus today, it is politically incorrect to mention Jesus in public. Satan has made Jesus irrelevant to our generation. There are many who proclaim many ways to heaven, Jesus is not one of them. As you leave today see how many Santa Clauses and riendeer decorations are out compared to manger scenes.

WE CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE WE CAN MAKE JESUS RELEVANT TO OUR GENERATION. IT IS UP TO US. (EZEKIEL 3:20). WE ARE THE WATCHMEN OF TODAY.