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The Staff of FreeWay Foundation

&

Pillsbury College & Seminary

Pray for you a

Blessed & Happy New Year

 

E-pistle

FreeWay Foundation          December 28, 2012

 

The Beast and His Mark

(Revelation 13:1-18)

Dr. Curt Scarborough

 

I.  Concentration:  on the attributes of the "beast"

            1.  The beast is awesome and frightening in appearance, vv. 1-2.

            2.  The beast has been given power and authority by Satan, v. 2.

            3.  The beast performs marvelous miracles, even "resurrection,"

                 and so he is worshipped by the lost world, vv. 3-4.

            4.  The beast blasphemes God and wars (for a limited time) against

                 those who believe in and follow God, vv. 5-7.

II.  Meditation:  on the persons who follow the "beast"

            1.  They worship Satan, rather than God, vv. 3-4.

            2.  They are persons whose names have not been written in the

                 Lamb's Book of Life, v. 8.

            3.  They are gullible, easily deceived by Satan's miraculous works,

                 vv. 13-15.

            4.  They are lost persons who have received Satan's "seal" (vv,. 16-18),

                 rather than the "seal" given by God to his children, Revelation 7.

III.  Revelation:  on the implications of this vision

            1.  Satan and his human followers have power and authority to perform

                 some miracles on the earth.

            2.  Satan seeks to rule through fear, while the Lamb manifests God's true

                 nature . . . love, mercy, and grace toward His people.

            3.  Not even another "resurrection" from the dead proves that a person is a

                 genuine follower and prophet of the One True God.  Only God has the

                 power over death (Matthew 10:28; Luke 12:4-5) . . . the words "as if it had

                 been mortally wounded," v. 3, shows that this miracle was a fake.

            4.  The majority of persons on the earth will be deceived by Satan; will be lost

                 without Christ; and will spend eternity in hell with the devil and his angels,

                 Matthew 25:41.

IV.  Applications:  as a Christian, I need to . . .

            1.  "Test the spirits," I John 4:1.

            2.  Realize that as a follower of Christ, I always will be in the minority here on

                 earth, Matthew 7:13-14.

            3.  Beware of false prophets; God does perform miracles today, but I must not

                 be deceived by fake miracles performed by so-called miracle-workers.

                 Some persons erroneously believe that such wonders authenticate a minister

                 as a genuine, God-ordained prophet.  (See Matthew 7:15-22)

            4.  Recognize that the spiritual "seal" of God's Holy Spirit will radiate from a true

                 and faithful believer's countenance . . . in sharp contrast to the evil, worldly sign

                 ("666," v. 18) which will shine forth from the face (forehead) of an unbeliever.

 

 

 

The 144,000 Standing With the Lamb

(Revelation 14:1-20)

Dr. Curt Scarborough

 

I.  Concentration:  on what John saw and heard

            1.  John saw a Lamb, standing on Mount Zion (Jerusalem), v. 1.

            2.  John saw 144,000 persons standing with the Lamb.  (See Revelation 7:4)

            3.  John heard a loud voice from heaven, like many waters and thunder, v. 2.

            4.  John heard harps playing and the redeemed singing a new song before the

                 throne of God, vv. 2-3.

II.  Meditation:  on who these 144,000 persons were

            1.  According to Revelation 7, these were the remnant of Messianic Jews who had

                 received Jesus as the Christ . . . who were sealed by God by having His name

                 written on their foreheads (v. 1), similar to the turban worn by the Old Testament

                 High Priests, Exodus 39:30.

            2.  These were the only ones truly capable of singing the song of redemption; for

                 they were the "saved," v. 3.

            3.  These were the persons who followed the Lamb wherever He went, v. 4.

            4.  These were the "first-fruits" to God (Jewish believers who were true and perfect

                 before God's throne), v. 5.

III.  Revelation:  on believers who "die in the Lord" (v. 13)

            1.  These believers who "die in the Lord" are blessed by God.

            2.  These believers have eternal security . . . "from now on."

            3.  These believers rest from their labors on earth.

            4.  These believers continue to influence future generations . . . "their works follow them."

IV.  Applications:  as a Christian, I need to . . .

            1.  Unashamedly exhibit my allegiance to Almighty God, who is transforming me into

                 Christ's spiritual likeness, II Corinthians 3:18.

            2.  Continually have a song in my heart and on my lips, rejoicing that my name is

                 written down in heaven, Luke 10:20.

            3.  Follow the Lamb "wherever He goes" . . . walking "In His Steps" and asking "What

                 Would Jesus Do?"

            4.  View death from God's eternal perspective:  as a door of blessing which brings me

                 into God's presence; which brings me eternal security, rest, and peace with Him; and

                 which brings the satisfaction of knowing that my faithful service continues to influence

                 others for good, to the glory of God the Father.

 

'It is only as we develop others that we permanently succeed."

--Harvey S. Firestone

 

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