Lesson 13 Review: The Triumph of God's Love

Introduction

Memory Text: “And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away’ ” (Revelation 21:3-4, NKJV).

We all know that Love is the basis of God's foundation. Although we pass through difficulties we could both believe and are assured by His promises. The entire Bible is made up of hopes and promises.

Despite hardship and suffering, what keeps the Believers Mind on God?

In John Gospel 14:1-3 the believers mind was unstable until Jesus echoed the ultimate words of encouragement and hope to remind them of His unfailing promise.

What events will occur just before the Second Advent?

While the great controversy is raging, and Satan and his agents are posing a lot of attack to frustrate God's children, the Bible is the only way we can obtain salvation by the blood of the Lamb.

How would believers cope if Jesus didn't mention or give assurance in His return?

Worshipping God would have been with no effective mindset, the belief of every Christian would have been hopeless, but since Christ had promised us His return then we are hopeful that we will be there to meet our Lord.

What is the millennium on Earth all about?

when Revelation 20 talks about millennium, it refers to the longest vacation or holiday in Earth’s history where the saints will reunite again and bring every works of darkness to judgement.

What are the righteous doing during the 1,000 years, and why is it important?

This was part of Paul's sermon in 1 Corinthians 6:1-3 of which he echoed out to the church of Corinth. Paul brought the pictures of millennium in Shadow's form and urged the members to think ahead of time. 

What are the two Eternal destinations prepared for everyone under the sun?

To resolve conflicts and to bring an end to sin problem, God has prepared a place both for the just and the unjust. Although, it was never in the agenda of God to destroy man which He created, rebellion goes to the unjust and eternal life to the loyal pilgrims.

In Conclusion,

Despite conflict seen among the creatures of which God created, God's love remains untouchable faithful to us, we don't deserve nor have we done anything to merit God's love but God keeps on reminding us of how He loves us in our daily lives. Although Satan tries to see that God does not bless us on account of sin, Calvary has changed the enemies' plan in our lives in Jesus' name.

Lesson 12 Review: Earth’s Closing Events

 

Introduction

Memory Text: “Buy the truth, and do not sell it, also wisdom and instruction and understanding” (Proverbs 23:23, NKJV).

Like one getting a message to his daughter, carefully detailing how she can get home safely in the storm, Jesus wants to take us through the storms of life and get us home. There are closing events that will occur according to the prophetic Word and we will discover in this week those closing events and discover anew Christ’s strength to take us through earth’s final conflict and get us home.

What has the great controversy been about?

Throughout the ages, the great controversy has been a battle between truth and error. Satan is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). Jesus is the author of all truth (John 14:6).

What assurance does Peter give us regarding prophecy in 2 Peter 1:16-21?

No prophecy is of any private interpretation, the prophecies of God’s Word light up the road ahead, they let us distinguish the truth from error. Our only safeguard against the influence of false teachers and the delusive power of spirits of darkness is the Scriptures.

What are the characteristics of God’s faithful people in the coming crisis over worship?

In the coming crisis, God’s people will not yield to worldly pleasures (Rev. 14:12). They will be sealed by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30) and cannot be moved.

Where is God’s seal embedded?

In ancient times, seals attested to the authenticity of official documents. Since the final conflict centers on worship and God’s authority as revealed in His law, we would expect God’s seal to be embedded in His law (compare Isa. 8:16).

What elements of a seal are contained in the Sabbath commandment?

(1)    The name to whom the seal belongs, “the Lord thy God;”

(2)    His title, the One who “made”–the Creator;

(3)    and His territory, “heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is.”

What does it mean when the seal or mark of God is placed in our forehead and the mark of the beast is placed in our forehead or in our hand?

The seal is sometimes called a sign in the Bible (Rom. 4:11). The seal of God is placed on the forehead. The forehead is a symbol of the mind and represents a conscious decision. The mark of the beast is received either in the forehead or in the hand indicating that people are convinced intellectually and by their own choice accept Satan’s lies or, alternatively, they conform to false worship to avoid being killed.

Where does the great controversy comes to the climax?

Satan hates those who are obedient to God. The great controversy comes to a climax when the dragon (Satan) wages war on the believing remnant who “keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (Rev. 14:12, NKJV). They are settled in their loyalty to Christ.

What is the nature of the great controversy?

The great controversy will be played out in the last days with everyone choosing to stand for or against Christ. There is no middle ground in the great controversy. Those who stand for Christ, worship Him who made the heavens and the earth (Revelation 14:7), those who stand against Christ will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation (Revelation 14:10). Those who stand for Christ worship the Creator, they keep “the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12, NKJV).

What is the basis of true worship?

Creation is the basis of true worship.

What does the coming conflict over the law of God focus on?

The coming conflict over the law of God focuses on authority. Satan wants to eradicate the Sabbath worship, to declare that his authority is greater than God’s authority.

How does Satan want to declare his authority?

Satan will attempt to convince or coerce the entire world to accept a counterfeit Sabbath.

What will those who are faithful to Christ face?

Those who are faithful to Christ, as opposed to following the beast and its image, will face economic penalties as well as the threat of death. Humanity remains corrupt, power-hungry and violent yet.

What made the early rain possible?

The outpouring of the Holy Spirit was what launched the Christian church. Three thousand were baptized, they grew up to five thousand, 120 prayed, churches were planted in Judea, Samaria, and Galilee and many signs and wonders were wrought in the early church as a result of the powerful outworking of the Holy Spirit.

What should we expect after the early rain?

The early rain comes in the fall of the year in Israel’s harvest cycle to germinate the seed, the latter rain fell in the spring to ripen the harvest. There will be the latter rain after the early rain to ripen the harvest of the early rain which was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at the opening of the gospel.

Who do the angels represent?

The angels represent human messengers.

What will happen in the end time?

At the end time, the Holy Spirit will be poured out in unprecedented power, and the gospel will be spread out rapidly to the ends of the earth. Thousands will be converted a day, and God’s grace and truth will impact the entire planet. “The great work of the gospel is not to close with less manifestation of the power of God than marked its opening.” – Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, pp. 661,612. God’s authority will be given to us and we will manifest the power of God so mightily.

In Conclusion,

God is showing the people the way through the storm that is to befall the believing Christians, are you ready to be among the remnants who keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus? May God help us to stand for Him even in the final crisis in Jesus’ name.

Lesson 11 Review: The Impending Conflict

Introduction

Memory Text: “ ‘Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth’ ” (John 17:17, NKJV).

The Mark of the beast is not some microchip implanted into a patient, it is not the bar codes on cans of food, neither does it have to do with the Illuminati. This week’s lesson reveals the coming conflict over worship, how the Sabbath will become the center of the global conflict on worship, how the devil will use coercion, pressure and force to break our commitments to Christ and most importantly how Jesus’ strength is what we need to go through earth’s final conflict.

Where did the conflict between Christ and Satan begin and what is the conflict?

The conflict between Christ and Satan began in heaven over worship.

Why should we worship God according to Revelation 14:7?

We worship God because He is Lord of all creation. Hence the reason why the devil hates the Sabbath so much, because it is an eternal reminder of our identity.

How do we worship God?

We worship God by keeping His commandments. Not keeping God’s commandments only indicate that you are paying allegiance to another power in direct opposition to God.

What does it mean to have the faith of Jesus according to Revelation 14:12?

The faith of Jesus is a faith so deep that it trusts when it cannot see. It perseveres when it cannot understand. It is a gift from Jesus that we receive by faith and will carry us through the impending conflict.

What is Satan’s strategy in getting many people to worship him?

His first strategy is deception. When deception does not work, he resorts to force. He is ultimately behind the idea that anyone who refuses to worship the beast or receive his mark will be put to death.

What is the mark of the beast?

The mark of the beast is the final link in the persecution of Christians. The devil is already preparing professed Christians for the mark of the beast by encouraging them to make compromises in their lives.

How do God’s people not receive the mark of the beast?

By God’s grace, by the power of Christ, God’s people stand firm when everything is shaking around them, they triumph over the forces of hell arrayed against them. While the world is following the beast, they “follow the Lamb wherever He goes” (Rev. 14:4, NKJV).

Who is the dragon primarily?

The book of Revelation identifies the dragon primarily as Satan who worked through pagan Rome to try to destroy the “male Child,” Jesus Christ, who was “caught up to God and His throne” (NKJV).

What are some of the means through which the devil works?

The devil works through political and religious institutions to accomplish his purposes.

How does the dragon give his power, throne and great authority according to Revelation 13:2?

“The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority” (Rev. 13:2, NKJV). This prophecy was fulfilled hundreds of years later when the Roman Emperor Constantine moved his capital from Rome to what came to be called Constantinople, in modern-day Turkey, thus leaving a power vacuum for the beast.

Who is the beast?

The beast is not a person; it is a religious organization that has substituted the truth of God’s Word for human decrees.

What is blasphemy and how is the Roman papacy a victim of blasphemy?

The Bible defines blasphemy in John 10:33 and Luke 5:21 with two examples: (1) a man pretending to be or claiming to be God, and (2) a man claiming the power to forgive sins. These accusations were falsely made against Jesus Christ since Jesus Christ is truly God. The Roman papacy has two distinctive doctrines that the Bible calls blasphemy: its claims that its priests have the power to forgive sins and that the pope has the prerogatives of God on earth.

Where do God’s people find their greatest joy?

Rather than worshipping the beast, God’s people find their greatest joy and highest delight in worshipping Him. Their obedience springs from their heart of love.

How do we identify the beast in our world today?

Today, the world leaders welcome the pontiff as an ambassador of the church of Rome and visit Him regularly at the Vatican. The scene is being set for the Pope to be the acclaimed moral leader and soon when that happens those who do not abide by the order of the society may be accused of disaffection toward the Government. Those who deny the obligation of the divine law will present from the pulpit the duty of yielding obedience to the civil authorities as ordained of God. Pope Benedict XVI in his speech on June 6, 2012 defended Sunday as the day of the Lord and of men and women, he further said it is a day of freedom.

How does the first beast in Revelation 13 differ from the second beast in Revelation 13?

The first beast rose out of the sea, the second beast comes up “out of the earth” (Rev. 13:11, NKJV). The second beast rises near the close of the prophetic period during which the first beast exercises authority (Rev. 13:5). That is, it rises to preeminence around A.D. 1798.

What does the sea and earth in Revelation 13 represent?

The sea represents “peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues” (Rev. 17:15, NKJV). The earth represents a sparsely populated area of the world.

Which power precisely fits this description of the beast from the earth?

The United States precisely fits the description of the beast from the earth. It declared its independence in A.D. 1776, adopted its constitution in A.D. 1789, and was recognized as a world power by the late nineteenth century.

What are the further details of this second beast in Revelation 13?

“He had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon” (Rev. 13:11, NKJV). Horns in Bible prophecy symbolize power. The first beast had no crowns on its horns suggesting it’s not a monarchy. These two horns however represent the primary governing principles that are the source of the United States’ power and success–political and religious liberty.

What change is seen in the second beast according to Revelation 13:11, 12?

This gentle lamblike nation ultimately speaks like a dragon, exercises “all authority of the first beast” (Rev. 13:12, NKJV) and abandons its principles of religious liberty, causing “the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast” (Rev. 13:12, NKJV). When United States was identified as this beast power, they were nowhere near the military and economic behemoth it was to become and remains now.

In Conclusion,

True worship springs from a mind taught by God’s Word, a soul transformed by His love, and a heart filled with His Spirit. Then we will not be “conformed to this world” but live according to God’s will which is found in His Word. That is our only safety! May God help us to offer Him true worship and not be conformed to this world, in Jesus’ name.

Lesson 10 Review: Spiritualism Exposed

Introduction

Memory Text: "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17, NKJV).

Satan deceives whom he destroys and destroys whom he deceives. Spiritualism is one of Satan's greatest deceptions but with a personal relationship with Christ and a solid grounding in the teachings of Christ we can be safeguarded from Satan's deceptions.

Where can we trace the idea of the soul’s natural immortality?

The fable that death is really just an entrance to a new stage of life is based on the concept of the soul’s natural immortality which is a pagan idea that infiltrated into the church early on as it moved away from its biblical foundations in an attempt to make its faith understandable to the wider Roman world.

What unbiblical belief has been around for so long?

The belief that the dead go right into heaven has been around for so long and it’s so deeply entrenched that it’s very difficult for people to let go of it.

What are the deadly consequences of spiritualism?

Spiritualism seduces people into false worship and counterfeits a genuine relationship with God, but it can never satisfy the deepest needs of the heart. This great deception leaves the victims with no protection against the deceptions Satan can foist on them, especially in the final crisis.

How does the Old Testament explain death?

The Old testament does not teach the immortality of the soul. Nor does it teach that the faithful soar off to the bliss of heaven for eternity and the unfaithful descend to hell, where they burn for eternity. The Old Testament rather teaches that death is a sleep. Psalms call it the “sleep of death” (Psalms 13:3; compare Psalms 90:5). In death, Job says there is no awaking (Job 14:12). Psalmist in Psalms 17:15 says I will see Your face in righteousness and will be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness. Another is the death of the soldiers of the Assyrian army called their “final sleep” (Psalms 76:6, CJB).

What does the failure to understand the truth about death leads us to?

A failure to understand the truth about death leaves us open to the deceptions of Satan. Ellen G. White says many will be confronted by the spirits of devils personating to be their beloved relatives or friends and declaring the most dangerous heresies, but be ready to withstand them with the truth that the dead know nothing.

What elements do Daniel 12:2 and Job 19:25 add concerning the state of the dead?

Death is but a sleep until the resurrection. There are no disembodied spirits hovering around to communicate with the living. Regardless of how long it takes until Jesus returns, the next thing the dead would see is the resurrection. It will appear as though it was so soon to them.

What does the New Testament say about death?

Both the Old and New Testaments use the symbolism of death as a sleep with an added dimension already hinted in the Old: the glorious resurrection at Christ’s return where the dead in Christ will rise first. Eternal life is in Christ alone.

What kind of deceptions will people face in the Last Days?

The devil will use “signs and wonders” and spectacular miracles to deceive multitudes just before the coming of Christ. The devil will try to bypass the thinking process and appeal to the emotions.

What is our sole security from the deceptions of Satan?

Our sole security is in Jesus and His Word.

Where is our hope of Salvation rooted?

Our hope of salvation is rooted in Christ, His sacrifice and His return to claim His own (Titus 2:13).

What is Satan’s goal?

Satan’s goal is to destroy the hope of all Christians, “the blessed hope” (Titus 2:13). Satan will do all he can to prevent people from either “keeping the commandments of God” or having “the faith of Jesus,” or both through his deceptive teachings, signs and wonders.

What is one deception Satan will bring in the last days?

According to Ellen G. White in page 624 of the Great Controversy, he will make fearful sights of a supernatural power in the heavens, the spirits of devils will go forth to deceive kings thus deceiving agencies, rulers and subjects. He will perform signs and wonders, and as a crowning act of his deception, Satan himself will personate Christ resembling the description of the Son of God given by John in the Revelation, making it appear that Christ has come in some parts of the world.

In Conclusion,

The Word of God tells us that death is but a sleep until the glorious return of Jesus Christ, we should not be deceived. I pray that may God help us to have a firm understanding of His word so as to resist the Satan’s deceptions in Jesus’ name.