The Thorn

A play of the greatest story ever told!

When heaven was first created by God, everything was perfect…

But then Lucifer, God’s right-hand angel, fell from heaven like lightning and became Satan, the Prince of Darkness.

When Lucifer fell, he took a third of all angels with him. That is when a war started—angels and demons.

The picture above is of Michael, the Angel of Warfare (left), and Satan, the Prince of Darkness (right).

Now, there are two armies… one is light

And one is dark…

When Adam and Eve were created, the earth was sinless; everything was beautiful and perfect. Because of the influence of Satan, the two humans sinned, and earth was no longer paradise.

When the world was at its lowest point, and Satan was influencing the world so greatly,

God sent His one and only Son to earth, and that whoever believes in Him will not die, but have eternal life.

When Jesus was older, He started His ministry at the age of 30, after John the Baptist baptized him in front of hundreds of people,

Jesus had 12 disciples; they were 12 ordinary men, living in extraordinary times. They witnessed miracles of Jesus, dined with Him, and loved Him. It was a beautiful friendship.

Unfortunately, Satan attacked the 12 men. Satan drove Judas into betraying the Master, and Peter into denying his Lord three times.

Shortly after Judas betrayed Jesus, he killed himself, and then Jesus was sentenced to die on a cross.

                

The tomb where Jesus was buried was guarded by Roman Centurions constantly, to make sure that nobody could take His body out. Jesus said that He would rise back from the dead three days later… could it be true?

Satan lost the battle—Jesus won it for us! Jesus defeated death so that we don’t have to suffer for the mistakes that we make in this life. Jesus saved us!

Who is Satan?

“For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment….” (2 Peter 2:4 NIV)

People all of the world have heard of the devil—they fear the devil. But who is the devil? The devil is Satan—Satan is the Hebrew word for “adversary.” He was often called Lucifer, which is a reflection of the Latin term for “light-bearer.” He has even been identified as the “son of the morning” or the “shining morning star.”

Satan is the monster in the scariest horror movie you can possibly imagine. This life is our movie, and Satan is the antagonist who will work hard and stop at nothing to see you fall just like he fell. Because of the Bible, we know that Satan is a real creature. The Bible also teaches us about spiritual warfare and that Satan is our enemy. But where did he come from and why does he hate everyone?

What most people don’t know is that Satan was actually the angel Lucifer, who was created by God. Lucifer opposed God; therefore he was banished, cast out of Heaven, and his name was changed to Satan. He was not the only one cast out, however; as about one-third of the angels were sent to Hell, also.

Lucifer was an angel of the highest order, created sinless, beautiful, and morally perfect in all ways. He also had free access to the “holy mountain,” the presence of God. Then everything was ruined. In fact, Heaven existed in perfect majesty until Lucifer defied God.

In today’s world, most people believe Satan to be a hideous red monster with horns and a tail. However, that is not true. For all we know, Satan could be the most gorgeous and beautiful being in the world. His tricks are all around us; we have seen him all throughout history.

We are first introduced to Satan in Genesis Chapter 3, where he is disguised as a cunning serpent, and tricks Eve into sinning. We are not told how long Adam and Eve enjoyed the Garden of Eden, since they were kicked out when they sinned. The Bible does not say specifically when Lucifer was cast out of Heaven, but it is believed by some Bible scholars that this happened between the first and third chapters of Genesis. We know that all things were created by God (John 1), and He called all that He created “good” (Genesis 1-2). Lucifer was “good,” since he was created with all of the angels, but he had already been cast out before he tempted Eve.

The real question here is: how could Lucifer have fallen if he was with God? If you want a simple answer, it is this: Lucifer sinned against God by becoming prideful. In Ezekiel 28:17, God talks with Satan and tells him, “Your heart has become proud because of your beauty; for the sake of your splendor you corrupted your wisdom. So I threw you down to the earth.”

The Book of Revelation tells us that Satan was cast to the earth and will be consumed by fire in the final judgment. Satan fell, and now he is called the Devil. Satan is the leader of the angels that fell with him, which are now called demons. There was a war in heaven, but of course our God won. And today, heaven is at war against Satan and the fallen angels.

Jesus says in Luke 10:18 that He “watched Satan fall from heaven like a lightning flash.” Lucifer was given free will; he was gifted the freedom to choose his own destiny. Foolishly, he chose to rebel against God. He was less powerful than God, but his pride made him want to be better than God. Lucifer exchanged his place with God for a place of his own: Hell.

Satan, like God, has a plan. However, the two plans could not be more different from each other. The plans God has for us are good. Satan’s only plan is to keep you from knowing the truth—to keep you from recognizing Jesus as your Lord and Savoir; to keep you out of heaven and bring you to an eternal flame with him. Satan puts sin into the world; he causes hatred between humans, and in some cases he manipulates humans into hating God.

Never say that your life isn’t worth anything, because that is a trick of the Devil, and the Devil is a liar!

You must always remember that Satan is the father of lies; he is the ruler of demons; he is our adversary and the author of all evil. Though the Devil has powers like God, he is not as powerful as God. Satan is not God’s equal (1 John 4:4). Satan may be the ruler of this world, but Christians can resist him through prayer with God’s help (James 4:7)

As Christians, we can achieve victory over Satan because of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Through God, sin has lost its power, and death has lost its sting.

Now that we have established who Satan is, what about the other angels that were cast from heaven with him?

In the Bible, demons are often referred to as: fallen angels, principalities, powers, and evil spirits (there are many more names, these are just a few). Apparently, some angels are locked away, but others are still on earth until the day of God’s judgment. However, demons do not get redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ like we do. No, these fallen angels have already chosen their fate—Hell, a special place God made for Satan, the fallen angels, and anyone else who rejects Christ as their Savior.

Demons are fallen angels. They are at work, just like the heavenly angels; except the angels protect Christians, and the demons try to harm humans. In fact, the Bible says that demons are on earth causing bodily harm (Matthew 9:32-33; Luke 13:10-16); possessing unbelievers and animals (Matthew 4:24; Mark 5:13); working against the spiritual growth of Christians (Ephesians 6:12); and spreading lies about God, His work, and His people (1 Timothy 4:1).

Jesus’ followers have a sense of security, because of God’s sovereign authority. Demons cannot do anything to us on earth that God has not allowed. If you feel that demons are near, all you have to do is pray and the demons will be forced to leave. Often, when evil spirits are near, the hairs on the back of your neck will stand up.

During Jesus’ time on earth, He met people that had been possessed by demons. Possessed people have often been misdiagnosed by doctors, as having various forms of mental or physical illness. But while Jesus was on earth, He showed superiority over them (Mark 1:25). Demons were very active during His time on earth, trying to ruin His mission and turn people against Him.

If you believe in God, you must believe in Satan and his demons. As crazy as this may be, demons working on earth serve as proof of God. Jesus was able to prove His authority and divinity because of demons (James 2:19; Matthew 12:24-32). Even His disciples recognized Christ’s authority by the way demons reacted to His name (Luke 10:17). Jesus even gave His disciples power over the evil spirits while they were ministering (Mark 3:14-16).

Because we are precious to God, we are hated by the devil. However, as Christians we should not live in fear of them, for we know our God and we put faith in our God. When God becomes interested in blessing us, Satan becomes interested in destroying us. When God works within us, Satan and his minions flee from us (James 4:7).

Sin may be pleasurable, but it is only temporarily pleasurable. It may cause satisfaction for a short time, but only God can give you eternal life. Nothing is more important than God, and every time you sin, you are taking Satan’s side in the war. Heaven is at war, and you really don’t want to choose the wrong side. The “wages of sin is death,” but through God and Jesus Christ we never have to die.

Immediately when your heart stops beating you are with God, and if you are saved, you are gifted with eternal life. When your judgment day comes, and the nicest thing God can say about you is that “you believed in God, but you never accepted Christ into your heart,” you will not be given eternal life. Because guess what? Satan believes in God too, but he is not in heaven. There are two sides: there is light, and there is dark. Don’t make the wrong choice like Satan and a third of the angels did.

Turning Water Into Wine

Jesus, His mother, and His disciples were invited to a wedding at Cana of Galilee. The bride and the groom are unknown characters of the Bible, but something life-changing happened here. Jesus did something miraculous at this wedding: He turned six stone water jugs into six stone jugs of wine, filled to the brim.


The transformation of water into wine points to Jesus as being the Source of all the blessings of God’s future. When Jesus turned water into wine, it was the first sign that the Messianic times had finally begun.

Jesus performed the first sign in Cana of Galilee, in front of His mother, His disciples, and a village full of people. He displayed his glory, and His disciples believed in Him. (John 2:11 HCSB)

So, on the third day, Jesus, His mother, and His disciples attended a wedding in Cana of Galilee. The moment the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother told Him, “They don’t have any wine.”

“What has this concern of yours to do with Me, woman?” Jesus asked. “My hour has not yet come.” That sounds like pretty abrupt language coming from the Son of God. But what Jesus means is that it was not yet His time to provide for all the people through His sacrificial death.

“Do whatever He tells you,” Mary told the servants. And of course they did as they were told. There were six stone water jars set aside for Jewish purification, each containing between 20 or 30 gallons.

“Fill the jars with water,” Jesus ordered. The servants filled the jars to the brim, and then He said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the chief servant.” So they took some water out of the jar and brought it to the chief.

The chief servant tasted the water, after it had become wine. At first he was confused, because he had no idea where it had come from. But the servants who filled the water to the brim and brought it to him knew exactly from where it had come.

The chief servant called the groom and told him, “Everyone sets out the fine wine first, then, after people have drunk freely, the inferior. But you have kept the fine wine until now.” (John 2:1-11)

I know it must not make much sense, because Jesus Christ just created over a hundred gallons of wine for a wedding, which would create a lot of drunkenness. However, in this time period of history, weddings usually lasted a week, and consisted of the entire village.

Who was John the Baptist?

Welcome to our new blog! This is the first post (May 2, 2010). It is about someone who Jesus described as "among those born of women there has not risen one greater" (Matthew 11:11). Can you guess who it is?

     John the Baptist is mentioned throughout the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. He is the forerunner of Jesus Christ; he is a relative of Jesus. John the Baptist is important to Christians because he is the one God sent to baptize Jesus and preach repentance to the Jews. He was telling the Jews not only to repent, but that the Messiah was coming. He was sent to prepare the way of the Lord, as it says in the Book of Isaiah:
     “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God’” (Isaiah 40:3; cf. Malachi 3:1 NKJV). “Look, I am sending My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way. A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way for the Lord; make His paths straight!’” (Mark 1:2-3 HCSB)
     John the Baptist is a different man from John, “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” However, John the Apostle might have been a disciple of John the Baptist before meeting Jesus. Andrew was also another disciple of John the Baptist. In fact, John the Apostle and Andrew became the Master’s original disciples.  John the Baptist was many times mistaken as the Messiah, or a reincarnated Elijah. There is a story about John the Baptist written in the Book of John (John 1:21—27 HCSB):

     “What then?” they asked him. “Are you Elijah?”
     “I am not,” he said.
     “Are you the Prophet?”
     “No,” he answered.
     “Who are you, then?” they asked. “We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What can you tell us about yourself?”
     He said,” I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord—just as Isaiah the prophet said.”
     Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. So they asked him, “Why then do you baptize if you aren’t the Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet?”
     “I baptize with water,” John answered them. “Someone stands among you, but you don’t know Him. He is the One coming after me, whose sandal strap I’m not worthy to untie.”

     In Mark 1:7, John said, “Someone more powerful than I will come after me.” There is a large gap in time (approximately 30 years) between the months prior to the birth of John the Baptist, where an elderly couple gave birth to him, and when he baptized Jesus.
     In the Book of Luke, John the Baptist’s father, Zechariah, was told by the angel Gabriel that he would soon have a son named John. Zechariah did not believe him, so Gabriel made Zechariah become mute until the eighth day after John had been born, when it was time for the baby to be circumcised and named.
     The same angel visited Mary, who was a relative of Elizabeth, John’s mother. Gabriel was the angel that told Mary, a virgin, that she would give birth to the Son of God. Mary even lived with Elizabeth and Zechariah while John and Jesus were still in the womb.
     John the Baptist became a large man dressed in camel’s hair with a large leather strap around his waist. John’s diet consisted of locusts and wild honey. It is untold why John lived in the wilderness, but it is believed that Herod the Great killed Zechariah, and Elizabeth fled into the wilderness with John.
     John the Baptist is most remembered as the Baptizer of Jesus Christ. He baptized Jesus in the Jordan River, just as he had baptized many other people. John was confused, because he thought that it was Jesus that was supposed to baptize him, not the other way around.
     “Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness,” is what Jesus said to John the Baptist right before His baptism (Matthew 3:15 HCSB). While He was praying, Heaven opened up, and immediately when Jesus came out of the water the Spirit of God descended on Him like a dove. A voice came from Heaven, “This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him!” (Matthew 3:16-17; Mark 1:10-11; Luke 3:21-22 HCSB)
     John the Baptist was arrested not long after the baptism. You see, Herod had John arrested, chained, and put in prison because Herod married his brother’s wife. “It is not lawful for you to have her!” John the Baptist said to him. Herod wanted to have him killed, but he feared the crowds, since they regarded him as a prophet, as it says in Matthew 14:1-6 (HCSB).
     During Herod’s birthday celebration, Herodias’s daughter delighted Herod because she danced before him and his guests. Herod promised her that he would give her whatever she might ask. Prompted by her mother, Herodias asked, “Give me the head of John the Baptist on a platter!” The king regretted this, but he had it done. Then his disciples came and removed the corpse, buried it, and went and reported to Jesus (Matthew 14:6-13 HCSB)
     Sometime between John’s arrest and his death, John the Baptist sent a message to Jesus, saying “Are you the One who is to come, or should we look for someone else?” (Luke 7:19-20)
By this message, it tells us that perhaps John the Baptist had changed his mind about Jesus, because earlier John claimed that Jesus was the Messiah, (Matthew 3:14; John 1:32-34 HCSB). It is not surprising that John would become doubtful, because he was sent to prison based on the teachings of Jesus, but the ministry of Jesus was not turning out the way John expected.
     Soon after Jesus replied to John’s message, He began teaching the crowds about John the Baptist. “I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John, but the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” (Luke 7:28; cf. Matthew 11:11)
     Because Jesus’ name was becoming so well known, some thought that He was actually John the Baptist raised from the dead. John is a very important person who is referred to in the Old Testament and all four gospels of the New Testament. Old Testament prophets Isaiah and Malachi both predicted the coming of John the Baptist as the forerunner to the Son of God. When John said “Someone more powerful than I will come after me” (Mark 1:7), he was referring to God Himself. John was sent to make the paths of the Lord straight, and he continued to worship Him until he was beheaded in prison.