IF DEMONS HAD KNOWN, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE CRUCIFIED HIM

BY OTTO KAISER

Professor at Global University

(Guest Post for Ada Brownell)

If the full meaning was known, the demons of hell would also have known, and they would never have crucified Jesus. Demon spirits would never have inspired the Jewish and Roman leaders to crucify Jesus. The Bible says, "None of the rulers of this age understood the wisdom of God, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory" (I Cor. 2:8). Through their own act of inspiring the chief priests and Pilate to crucify Jesus, Satan and all his demons destroyed their power over the human race. Satan actually inspired his own defeat.

            When Jesus died on the Cross for the sins of the world, Jesus removed the very thing by which Satan and his demons had power over the human race. The Bible says, "Jesus disarmed the powers and the authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the Cross" (Col. 2:15). Through His invasion of planet Earth from outer space, Jesus completely destroyed all the power Satan and his demons had over the human race.

            In history we see that there was a short time gap between D-Day when the Allied armies landed on Normandy in France and V-Day when the Nazis were completely defeated. When the Allies successfully invaded France, they had secured the triumph of World War II. But it took the Allies several months to mop up the German army. Many Allied soldiers were wounded and others lost their lives during that time.

            When Jesus hung on the cross and cried out, "It is finished;" He triumphed over Satan and all his demons. But through faith, you have to enter into that victory. Through faith, you have to claim that victory. You have to personally make Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior.

            When you ask Christ into your heart a transformation will take place. You will want to win others to Jesus Christ through your prayers and fasting. You will want to win others into the Kingdom of God through your sharing with others what Jesus can do for them. You will want to serve Jesus in the gifts and talents He has given you. You will want to tithe and support world missions. As people are won into the kingdom of God by the Holy Spirit through you, you will shine as the stars forever in the glory of God (Daniel 12:3).

            What I have just shared with you is the true meaning behind Christmas. What does this Christmas season inspire you to do for the Lord Jesus Christ to complete His victory on planet Earth? Jesus Christ is returning to this planet Earth the second time in His glory to fully claim the victory He has already won. When Jesus returns what will He find you doing for Him?

            The invasion of planet Earth from outer space through a baby born through a virgin mother did not end when Jesus ascended and returned back to His Father. Jesus issued a mandate every person who has surrendered to Him as Lord. That mandate has continued for the last 2000 years. Permit me share with you how one man fulfilled that mandate.

            In 1995, Bernhard Johnson was called home to his heavenly reward. He was one of the great evangelists of our time. Many times, he preached to audiences of over 100,000 people in some of the greatest football stadiums of the world especially in Latin America.

            In 1971, the Assemblies of God asked Bernhard Johnson to hold a major evangelistic crusade in Suharto, South Africa. Suharto is a black city next to Johannesburg, the largest city in South Africa. Today the two cities have been combined. The city and its surrounding area have over 10 million people. Suharto was known at the time as a city of unrest, turmoil, and terrorism.

            The mayor and city council of Suharto gave Evangelist Bernhard Johnson and his evangelistic team full use of their beautiful soccer stadium. Assemblies of God missionary Vernon Pettinger organized prayer cells and literature distribution for the crusade. Christians prayed for nine months before the crusade for a move of the Holy Spirit.

            When Evangelist Bernhard Johnson arrived in South Africa a few days before the crusade, a government official approached him. The official asked, "Reverent. Johnson are you really going into the city of Suharto?" Brother Johnson answered, "Yes!" The official then asked, "You are going to hold your meetings in the daytime, aren't you?" Brother Johnson answered, "They are going to be at 7:30 each night."

            The government official replied, "You are out of your mind. People don't walk on the streets of Suharto at nigh time. There are no street lights. It is completely dark. It is dangerous. There are robberies at night. There are rapes at night. There are murders every night in that city. Please don't go there at night time you will not get 100 people to come out because of the people will be afraid." Brother Johnson answered, "The crusade is scheduled at 7:30 every night for eight nights."

            Sunday night, the crusade began with 3,000 in the stadium. On Monday night, the crusade grew to 5,000. On Tuesday night, the crusade grew to 6,000. On Wednesday night, the crusade grew to 8,000. Each night people accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. God was performed miracles of healing. Blind eyes were opened. Crippled people were healed and threw their crutches away.

            But on Wednesday night, the unexpected happened. Evangelist Bernhard Johnson was preaching under a powerful anointing of the Holy Spirit. In the middle of his sermon, terrorists jumped over the stadium walls and started attacking the evangelist, his associates, and all the Christians with bombs. They threw Molotov cocktails onto the platform and all over the people sitting on the field. When a Molotov cocktail hits something, it explodes and spreads fire everywhere. The terrorists were determined to kill all the Christians and destroy everything that belonged to them. They poured gasoline on all the vehicles and sound equipment and set them on fire.

            In five seconds, the platform and the campus above the platform was ablaze with flames ten to twelve feet high. Brother Johnson and his associates on the platform could not escape off the platform; the flames were all around them. In a few seconds chaos erupted over the entire stadium. The hair and the clothes of the Christians on the ground of the stadium were on fire. People were using blankets and coats to try to put the fires out on each other. Thousands of people were on fire. Little children were being trampled on as men rushed to the stadium walls to climb out of the stadium.

            Evangelist Johnson cried out to God, "O God, how can this glorify your Name? What is the press going to say? What are the people in America who financed this crusade going to say? You sent us here. Now this is happening. O God, what are you going to do about this?"

            As evangelist Johnson prayed to God, people were screaming and running in every direction. It was total chaos. All the vehicles and sound equipment were on fire. Quickly most of the field emptied as people ran toward the walls to climb out over them. Because they had no escape, Brother Johnson and his associates were prepared to die in the flames as martyrs.

            Suddenly all the African Christians stopped, turned around, and looked to the sky. Everyone started jumping up and down, whistling, clapping their hands, and shouting. Angels appeared visibly all over the stadium and began putting out the fires.

TOMORROW: A MIRACLE