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Hello again! Last Sunday, Terry took us on a brief tour of the thirteenth chapter of the Book of Revelation. This chapter is packed, but Terry’s teaching gives a great overview of what’s going on. To listen to this message, simply click play on the audio player below. *Note: the recorder did not get turned on right away, so the first part of the message is not available. I have included some notes that cover the missing few minutes, as well as the rest of the message.

God Is Coming, pt. 14

Intro: When the devil’s access to heaven is cut off, he goes on a frenzy against God’s people, Israel (kind of like what Hamas did last October). Satan’s goal is to destroy God’s people, & he’ll use whoever is willing to do that.

Revelation 12-15 is a bit of background, explaining things going on during the Tribulation. The Book of Daniel is very similar – he prophesied 500 years before Christ. If you know Daniel’s writings, this section will make more sense. (Note: I’ve included the chart below which shows some of the correlations between Daniel & Revelation 13).

Revelation 13

• v. 1 – The Beast from the Sea
  • beast = dangerous, venomous animal
  • has 10 horns & seven heads (Revelation 12:3; Daniel 7:7-8, 20, 24; Revelation 17:9-14)
  • the little horn (Daniel 7:8)
  • the Lawless One (2 Thessalonians 2:7-10)
  • symbolic of all unbelieving kingdoms throughout history
• v. 2 – The Beast Further Described
  • many similarities found in Daniel 7 (see chart above)
  • his power comes from the Dragon (Revelation 12)
  • Where is God in this? He’s there waiting for people to turn to Him while He allows Satan his opportunity to get the worship he craves (Isaiah 14).
• v. 3 – The Beast Wounded
  • the beast APPEARS to die and come back to life
    • counterfeit miracle of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ
    • the motive is to deceive
• v. 4 – Satan Worshiped (*Note: this is where the recorder was turned on)
  • the beast (Antichrist) is worshiped
• v. 5 – Antichrist Speaks for the Dragon
  • Satan gives him words to speak & authority to rule
  • Antichrist means “in place of God”
    • many antichrists have come throughout the years (1 John 2:22), but this one is the ultimate
• v. 6 – Antichrist Speaks Blasphemies
  • speaks against the one & only true Living God
• v. 7 – Antichrist Given Power
  • will be GIVEN power (does not come from himself, but from the dragon, who is allowed by God during this time)
  • will make war against God’s people
  • will have authority over all the earth
    • 2 Thessalonians 2
    • when you reject the truth, you open yourself up to worship something deceptive to take you farther away from God
• v. 8 – Worship
  • all on earth will worship Satan
    • except those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (those who have accepted Christ as their Savior and rejected the Antichrist)
• v. 9 – Admonition
  • God is pleading with mankind to pay attention before it’s too late
• v. 10 – Slaughter
  • God’s people will be heavily persecuted
• v. 11 – Second Beast (from the Earth)
  • 2 horns, like a lamb
    • appears meek
  • speaks like a dragon
    • is a deceiver
  • the first beast will be a political leader of the one-world government
• v. 12 – Authority of the Second Beast
  • exercises authority from the first beast
  • makes people worship the Antichrist (therefore worship Satan)
  • is the “False Prophet”/a religious leader
    • Revelation 19:20
• v. 13 – Great Wonders
  • the False Prophet is empowered to counterfeit miracles
    • 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10
      • lying signs and wonders
      • test the spirits, use discernment
      • 2 Corinthians 11 – Satan and his angels masquerade as angels of light
• v. 14 – The Image
  • Worldwide deception
  • Daniel 3
• v. 15 – The Image Lives?
  • the False Prophet is given power to bring the image to “life”
    • it speaks
    • must worship the image or be killed
• v. 16 – Mark of the Beast
  • Everyone on earth (100% inclusive)
  • mark on the forehead or the right hand
    • is a counterfeit of the seal of God (the Holy Spirit)
  • lots of speculation on the mark
    • in the original language, the mark is a tattoo or branding
    • think of the tattoos the Nazis put on the Jews in the concentration camps
• v. 17 – The Beast Economy
  • must have the mark to participate in the economy
  • can’t buy or sell anything without the mark
• v. 18 – Number of the Beast
  • told to calculate the number of the beast
    • is the number of a man
    • his number is 666
      • God’s perfect number is 7 (completion)
      • 6 is close to 7, but not quite – may appear god-like, but is not God
• The False Trinity
  • “Father” – Satan/the Dragon
  • “Son” – Antichrist/Beast from the Sea
  • “Holy Spirit” – False Prophet/Beast from the Earth
  • Seems like it’s close to God, but not quite – test the spirits!
• This is all to take us back to the Kingdom of God, to clean up our mess, & to restore all back to His perfect paradise.
• Good News of the Gospel – God wins!

Last Sunday, Terry took us through a survey of the first part of Revelation 6. To listen to this message, simply click play on the audio player below. Also included are some notes with links to Bible Gateway for verses Terry references.

God Is Coming, pt. 7

Introduction: The Last Days will be like the Days of Noah (Matthew 24:37), but His people are here to be the Salt, the preservative in the world, for now. The Days of Noah – Genesis 6:5-8. Before salvation, we all stand in opposition to God. But praise God…Romans 6:23. He loved us so much…John 3:16. God has patiently waited for all men to accept or reject His offer of salvation. Karma says you have many chances to get it right, but Hebrews 9:27. The hour is getting late; Antichrist is coming to deceive (John 5:43). God will judge and punish for sin, & we shouldn’t misunderstand why some don’t seem to pay for their sin (2 Peter 3). God is merciful, & we should keep that in mind always. He is coming! We need to be ready.

Breaking of the Seals – Revelation 6

• v. 1: John was in heaven
  • He saw…
    • the Lamb broke the first seal on the book/scroll
  • He heard…
    • one of the living creatures
    • voice was terribly loud, reverberating, powerful
  • He was invited…
    • to “Come!” to see from the vantage point of the creature
• v. 2: John saw a White Horse and rider
  • the rider of the White Horse is NOT Christ
    • the rider of the White Horse IS the false/Antichrist
      • antichrist = set against/in the place of
    • revealing of the Antichrist is the beginning of the Tribulation
    • Rider of the White Horse…
      • has a bow with no arrows
        • comes as a warrior, but without weapon
        • will be victorious through diplomacy
      • a crown is given to him
        • the crown is not earned
        • crown (Greek – stephanos) is like a wreath of laurel leaves given to the winner of a race
        • is not the diadem of Christ
      • he comes conquering & to conquer
        • everything he gets is through subtlety and manipulation
        • 1 Thessalonians 5:3 talks of peace before destruction in the last days
          • the world is primed for a peacemaker
          • he will seem to be a “good” guy
        • 1 John 4:3 says that many antichrists have already come, but Revelation 6:2 is talking about THE Antichrist
• v. 3: The Lamb breaks the second seal on the scroll/book
  • a second creature invites John to “Come!”
• v. 4: John saw a Red Horse and rider
  • War: red = bloodshed
  • will take peace from the earth
    • not just local battles…the WHOLE EARTH
    • war on a greater scale than ever before
  • given a great sword
    • a weapon of war
  • We need to thank God for the peace that we do have today.
• v. 5: The Lamb breaks the third seal on the scroll/book
• v.6: John saw a Black Horse and rider
  • scales in his hand
  • denotes famine/scarcity of food
• v. 7: The Lamb breaks the fourth seal on the scroll/book
• v. 8: John saw a Pale Horse and rider
  • Death is the rider & hell/Hades follows him
    • those who reject Jesus will go to hell when they die
  • God is still in control – He gives the riders their authority.
    • 1/4 of the people on the earth will die by
      • sword
      • famine
      • pestilence /plague/disease
      • wild animals
• v. 9: The Lamb breaks the fifth seal on the scroll/book
  • John saw martyrs – believers who die during the first four seal judgments
  • This is another picture of heaven
  • They are slain because they believe the Word and they stand fast
• v. 10: The martyrs are crying out to God.
  • How long will the slaughter go unpunished?
• v. 11: The martyrs are…
  • Given white robes of the righteousness of God
  • Told to rest until the full number of their fellow believers have been killed

Stand firm in the faith, because to him who overcomes….

Two Sundays ago, Terry continued his series on the Book of Revelation by taking us through chapter five. To listen to this message, simply click play on the audio player below. Also included are some notes and links to Scriptures that Terry references in his message.

God Is Coming, pt. 6

Introduction: the day of reckoning is coming, so we need to be about the Lord’s business.

Review: Revelation 4

• Before the throne in heaven
  • 24 elders join in praise with 4 living creatures
  • 7 Spirits of God – the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:2)
  • 4 Living Creatures – Seraphim
    • accompany the Lord wherever He is
    • praise Him continually
    • many verses in Ezekiel (28 in the NIV)- “Then you will know…”
      • Ezekiel 28:23 (for example)

Heaven – Revelation 5

• v. 1: “I [John] saw…”
  • This is an eyewitness account (also in vs. 2, 6, 11)
  • Book/scroll
    • Written within & without (on both sides of the parchment)
    • Sealed with 7 seals
      • to keep it closed until the time is right
• v. 2: An angel speaks
  • Who is worthy?
• v. 3: No one could open the book/scroll
  • Unworthy to open it
• v. 4: John wept
• v. 5: One of the 24 elders spoke
  • Told John to stop weeping, because…
  • The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David –
    • the kingly line
    • Jesus’ line
    • overcame/triumphed
    • can open the book/scroll
• v. 6: John saw…
  • Between the throne & the elders
  • NOT the Lion of Judah, but…
    • a Lamb, as if He’d been slain
    • 7 horns = perfect power
    • 7 eyes = the Holy Spirit
• v. 7: Lamb took the book/scroll from the Father’s right hand
  • Only the Lamb is found worthy
• v. 8: 4 Living Creatures & 24 Elders
  • Praise, worship, adoration, homage, giving glory
  • All to the Lamb (not the Father this time)
    • Shows that Jesus is God
  • Holding harps & bowls of incense
    • incense = prayers of the sasints
    • offered unto the Lamb
• v. 9: Creatures & Elders sing a new song to the Lamb
  • Why is the Lamb worthy?
    • He was slain & redeemed us back unto God
    • For ALL who receive salvation
• v. 10: We will be kings in His Kingdom
  • How?
    • the Lamb’s sacrifice makes is possible for us to be priests/kings/administrators in His Kingdom
    • must be found worthy based on our faithful service to the Lord
      • NOT a salvation issue
      • a reward issue
• v. 11: John hears the voice of many angels, the creatures, & the elders
  • all around the throne
  • innumerable angels join the chorus
• v. 12: The innumerable angels say:
  • Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
  • To recieve:
    • power
    • riches
    • wisdom
    • might
    • honor
    • glory
    • blessing
• v. 13: Others join in the chorus
  • EVERY created thing
    • in heaven
    • on earth
    • under the earth
    • in the sea
  • Crescendo of what John sees happening
    • to Him who sits on the throne (the Father)
    • and to the Lamb
      • blessing
      • honor
      • glory
      • dominion
      • forever & ever
  • We need to worship Him with all we are for He is worthy
  • Find contentment in a relationship with the living God
• v. 14: Four Living Creatures say, “Amen!”
  • Elders fall down in worship
    • prostrate before the Lord is the position (physically &/or in our hearts) of true worship

Alan wrapped up his series on Living the Great Commandment by teaching us how to love our neighbor as ourselves. To listen to this message, simply click play on the audio player below. I’ve also included some notes and links to Scriptures Alan references. 😊

Living the Great Commandment, pt. 6

Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Matthew 22:36-40

Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself

The Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12)

Four Questions About Loving Your Neighbor

1. How is the first part of the Great Commandment connected to the second part?
   • You cannot carry out the second part of the commandment without first carrying out the first part. Only loving God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength can sustain us in loving others.
   • If we are always in a state of discontentment, we are never going to love people like we should.
2. How does the whole of the Law and the Prophets hang on keeping the commandment to love our neighbor?
   • Keeping the Great Commandment is relational, not just an ethical/moral duty. Just being “right” is not the only thing that matters — that’s leaving out relating to your neighbor.
   • Matthew 12:9-14
   • Matthew 12:1-8
   • Key words to loving your neighbor:
     • mercy
     • compassion
   • All that you read about the Law & the Prophets is more about relational love between God & His people than it is about obedience.
     • This doesn’t mean you don’t obey God, but you obey out of love, not out of a sense of duty.
     • “The most boring person is the person who tries to live Christianity without Christ.” -Maj. Ian Thomas
3. Who is my neighbor? And how do I love my neighbor as myself?
   • John Piper – What Jesus Demands from the World
   • Who is my neighbor?
     • Luke 10:25-37
       • Don’t ask “Who is my neighbor?”, ask “What kind of neighbor am I?”
       • Key phrase: “He had compassion”
   • How do I love my neighbor as myself?
     • As you love yourself, so love your neighbor.
       • As you long for/seek/desire sustenance, shelter, mercy, etc. for yourself, long for the same things for those around you.
       • “Make the measure of your own self-seeking the measure of your own self-giving.”
4. What keeps us from loving our neighbor?
   • We really aren’t loving God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength.
   • Think of the two who passed by the man in the story of the Good Samartian:
     • Put religious beleifs above compassion
     • Their time was too important to them
     • Way too concerned about reputation
5. Conclusion
   • John 13:34
   • How did Jesus love us?
     • Galatians 2:20
   • Without Jesus, we could never love the way we are supposed to love.
   • Love our enemies – the ONLY way we can do that is if Jesus is living in us
   • Major Ian Thomas:
     • I can’t; He can. He never said I could. He always said He would. And He always will.

In his continuing series on the Great Commandment, Alan taught about loving God with all your strength. To listen to this message, simply click play on the audio player below. Also included are some notes and links to verses mentioned in the message.

Living the Great Commandment (Part 5)

Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:36-40; Mark 12:28-34; Luke 10:25-28; John 13:34

Love God with all your strength/might/power

The Hebrew word for strength is meod, meaning “muchness” (Genesis 1:31 – tov meod: very good). We are to love the Lord with all of our meod – all of our “muchness.”

The Greek word is dunamis, meaning “power.” This is where we get the word dynamite.

When the Hebrew was translated into Aramaic, meod was often translated as “wealth or possessions.”

In Latin translations they use the word veritas, which means “truth.”

So, we are to love the Lord our God with ALL our strength, our muchness, our power, our wealth/possessions, and our truth.

1. Strength doesn’t mean our own power.
   • Psalm 33:16-17
     • Our power/efforts/strength must come from God, not relying on ourselves
   • 2 Corinthians 12:7-9
     • Power is perfected in weakness
   • Philippians 4:13
     • I can do all things (in my relationship with God) through Christ.
   • Our strength has to come through our reliance on God who strengthens us.
2. We have to be intentional (remember) to wait on God!
   • Moses has a tendency to go ahead of God.
     • It caused him to miss out on the Promised Land (Numbers 20:1-13).
   • Proverbs 10:29
     • Iniquity = leaving God out of the equation
   • Isaiah 40:28-31
   • Ephesians 6:10
     • Putting on the Armor of God begins with waiting upon God.
   • Waiting = actively trusting, praying, believing
3. Loving God with our meod means that we are to love Him with everything (even our possessions!)
   • Colossians 3:23
     • Love Him heartily/with enthusiasm
     • Greek = from the soul/breath/spirit/vitality
     • Latin (entheos) = God in you.
4. Christ alive to live in us gives us our strength.

The second week of August, we welcomed Gigi from Life Choices Family Resource Center of Montrose to come speak with us about their work and ministry. Terry followed her report with a message based on Proverbs 24:11-12. To listen to the LCFRC report and Terry’s message, simply click play on the audio player below.

Our Responsibility

James 4:17

Proverbs 24:11-12 — Read these verses in the light of abortion & the war against humanity that the devil is leading.

Ask yourself: what am I doing to help those who are contemplating abortion?

Our responsibility is to stand for what is right, to be the salt & light in this world.

To start off August, Alan was ill, so we were blessed to have Terry step in to speak. He spoke about how to walk in the will of God, based on Proverbs 3. To listen to this message, simply click play on the audio player below. I’ve also included some notes and links to some of the verses Terry references. 😊

Walk in the Will of the Lord

God’s desire is for none of us to perish, but for all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9); unfortunately, our sin causes us to wander. But once we hear His call and mix it with faith, once we accept and believe, we no longer have to make bad choices and wrong decisions, if we yield completely to Him.

1. God has a specific plan & purpose for our lives – it’s a safe place to be (a place of blessing) when we are walking in the will of the Lord.
2. The Christian life is to grow in the grace/knowledge/understanding/love relationship of God.
3. Unfortunately, too many people today accept His salvation, but don’t want to be in submission to Him and His will.
4. God wants to use us, but we can’t be used by Him unless we yield our will to His will.

How do I walk in the will of the Lord?

Proverbs 3:5-12

• Seven Points from Proverbs 3
  1. trust in the Lord (v. 5)
  2. with ALL your heart (v. 5)
  3. do not lean on your own understanding (v. 5)
  4. in ALL your ways, acknowledge Him/seek Him first (v. 6)
  5. be not wise in your own eyes (v. 7)
  6. fear (respect) the Lord (v. 7)
  7. turn away from evil (v. 7)
• Do these things and your path will be straight, you will find healing & refreshment (v. 8)
• Honor the Lord (v. 9) & you will be blessed (v. 10) – v. 9 comes before v. 10 for a reason!
  • God can accomplish His will through us only when we yield to Him.
• God corrects us because He loves us and wants what is best for us (v. 11-12).

In his continuing series, Alan taught about “The Heart and Loving God” in relation to living out the Great Commandment. To listen to this message, simply click play on the audio player below. I’ve also included Alan’s outline with links to Scripture he references. Be blessed!

Living the Great Commandment (Part 2)

Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Matthew 22:36-40; Hebrews 12:14-17

The Heart and Loving God

Proverbs 23:7, Matthew 12:34, Matthew 5:8, 1 Peter 1:22
I.  What do the scriptures mean by the Heart?  The seat of action, emotions, will, thoughts, courage, strength, affections, discernment, and being.

Two conditions of the heart: 1) Made new or 2) in its natural state — it’s a dangerous thing to follow your heart if it’s not in relation to God.

II.  The Heart in relation to God.

1.   God tries or tests.  1 Chronicles 29:17
2.   God knows.  Psalm 44.21
3.   God searches.  1 Chronicles 28:9
4.   God influences.  1 Samuel 10:26
5.   God creates a new.  Psalm 51:10
6.   God opens.   Acts 16:14-15
7.   God enlightens.  2 Corinthians 4:6
8.   God strengthens.  Psalm 27:14
9.   God establishes.  Psalm 112:8
10. God understands.  Psalm 139:2

III. The Heart that doesn’t know God and been created new:

1. It’s desperately wicked. Jeremiah 17:9

    What does it mean to be desperately wicked?

    A rather long descriptive list: hateful to God; full of evil/evil imaginations; full of vain thoughts; fully set to do evil (Ecclesiastes 8:11); desperately wicked; far from God; not prepared to seek God; a treasury of evil (Matthew 12:33-37); a heart that is darkened, prone to error/depart from God, unbelieving, blind, of little worth, deceitful, deceived, divided (1 Peter 3:8-12), hard, haughty, influence by the devil, carnal, covetous, foolish, forward, idolatrous; a heart of madness (Ecclesiastes 9:3), mischief, pride, rebellion, elated by its own prosperity.

IV.  The Heart that’s made new:

• 1.  Seeks God.  2 Chronicles 19:3
• 2.  Upright with God.  Psalm 97:11
• 3.  Clean.  Hebrews 10:22
• 4.  Pure.  Matthew 5:6
• 5.  Tender.  1 Samuel 24:5
• 6.  Sincere.   Hebrews 10:22
• 7.  Broken and contrite.  Psalm 34:18
• 8.  Obedient.  1 Peter 1:13-16
• 9.  Filled (being filled) with scripture.  Psalm 40:8
• 10.Awed by God.  Psalm 119:161
• 11. Meditative.  Psalm 4:4
• 12. Devoted.  Psalm 119:10
• 13. A treasure house of good stuff. Matthew 12:35
• and more…

V.  How God guards our hearts. Philippians 4:4-9

Key words:  rejoice, gentleness, prayer, petition, thanksgiving, gratitude, peace, guard, true, worthy of respect, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, praiseworthy. DO these things.

This is a call for a heart checkup. What are your prevailing thoughts, emotions, & words?

Alan has been taking us through a series on Living the Great Commandment. To listen to part one of this series, simply click play on the audio player below. I’ve also included Alan’s outline with links to the Scriptures listed. Enjoy!

Living the Great Commandment

Deuteronomy 6:4-5; 30:1-11, Mark 12:29-30, Luke 11:42, John 5:42-43, Matthew 10:37, John 8:42, Matthew 22:36-40, Matthew 24:12, John 13:34-35.

Why This Study?

1. A general lack of love and an overabundance of arrogant, narrow-minded, judgmental hatred.  Matthew 24:12
2. The whole of scripture hangs on the commandment.
3. A disconnect between belief and action is a common thing.
4. A climate of us-them way of thinking that smacks of self-righteousness.
5. A compartmentalized view of Christian living that doesn’t involve the whole of one’s person.
   
   The Command Itself
   Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Matthew 22:36-40
   
   What does it mean to love God?
   1. To love God one has to know God and not reject His son.  John 5:42-44, John 14:7-9, Deuteronomy 30:6
   
   
   2. Loving God is a matter of heart affection more than moral behavior.  Mark 7:1-23, Matthew 12:39
   
   3. Serving God is grounded in loving God but serving God is not a substitute for loving God.  Matthew 6:24.
   
   4. Keeping God’s commands is made possible by love.   John 14:15
   
   5. Our level of love is in direct proportion to our understanding of God’s forgiveness.  If you think it’s all “those others” that should be asking for God’s forgiveness you don’t know love.
   
   6. Love involves the whole of our being.  More on this later.
   
   7. Love is seen in what we call the Golden Rule, which is “do unto others as you would be have them do into you.”  The Golden Rule is basically the same as “love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 7:12, Luke 6:31
   
   
   Contact:  Dr. Alan Brock
   albrock.ab@gmail.com