Life-study msg 41 - The Beast Out of the Sea (1)

Bible verses: Rev. 13

Rev. 13:1 And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns ten diadems, and on his heads names of blasphemy.

Sea: mediterranean sea 

Beast: anti-Christ (Daniel 2; 7; 8 firstly mentioned and developed all the way to Revelation) 

Intellectual (the insights, political science, scientific knowledge, marvelously smart) 

Charismatic (attractive, eloquent, persecuting the saints, making wars with the saints, to wear out God's people)

Why do we need to be watchful? 

Dan 8 - the ram (Persia) and the goat (Greece) 

Ram- ?

Goat - Alexandar the great - break into four kingdoms 

A little horn rises up - grow exceedingly towards Egypt (South), Asia Minor (East), Judea (west), 

Source- Greece and Macedonia but not quite sure where exactly he will rise up. 

Solid Ground: 1 Thes 4 - Preserve our vessel in sanctification (note taking)

Brother Chris C.

Both the Lord Jesus and apostle Paul gave warnings, and these warnings are out of love.


The most defiling sin is fornication, that is, having sex outside a proper marriage. Other things also can defile us (e.g. the love for money etc., similar to having an improper relationship with money). 

Whether we feel that we are living a sinful life or not, we can all come forward to God with boldness. God's heart is not to condemn us, but "sin no more". In order to do so, we need to flee and pursue with companions.  

God's heart is that we can go on with Him! 

1 Thes Life-study 19: Our Heart to be Established Blameless in Holiness (2)

Bible verses:

1 Thes. 3:12 And the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we also to you,
1 Thes. 3:13 So that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.

The soul and the heart

The soul is composed of the mind, emotion, and will. 

The heart is composed of the soul + the conscience (the spirit) 

Our heart is our acting representative (the person in action), and that's why is it so important to keep our heart.

Prov. 4:23 – Keep your heart with all vigilance, / For from it are the issues of life.

Mt 12:34 Offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
Mt 12:35 The good man, out of his good treasure, brings forth good things, and the evil man, out of his evil treasure, brings forth evil things.
Mt 12:36 And I say to you that every idle word which men shall speak, they will render an account concerning it in the day of judgment.

A new heart (a heart turns to God and a heart that is pure) 

Characteristics of a new heart 

1. A heart turns to the Lord

Not a different heart - but a heart that turns to God and is renewed (a continual and unchangeable process) - sometimes we have the feeling to want to turn to God - this is a sign that this heart is renewed. 

In our part, we need to exercise ourselves to turn to Him, He has a way to flow through us and our daily activities. We need to switch on to let the heavenly electricity flow through us. 

2. A heart that is pure (pure in heart) 

The heart is seeking purity. - the single purpose and motive - we do things because we love God. 

How to establish our hearts blameless in holiness. - we're on the way to be fully separated from the world and way to holiness. 

God Himself is our only goal and only aim, and our heart is filled and saturated with God. At this point, God becomes the holiness of our hearts. It is a heart that is separated to God and saturated with God and our heart becomes our unchangeableness. God's element wrought into us to establish us.  

Life-study msg 40 - The Actuality and Practicality of the Bright Woman

Bible Verses: 

Rev. 13:1 And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns ten diadems, and on his heads names of blasphemy.

Rev. 13:2 And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.

Rev. 13:3 And one of his heads was as it were slain to death, and his death stroke was healed. And the whole earth marveled after the beast.

Rev. 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like the beast? And who can make war with him?

Rev. 13:5 And there was given to him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and authority was given to him to act for forty-two months.

Rev. 13:6 And he opened his mouth for blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, which tabernacle in heaven.

Rev. 13:7 And [permission] was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them; and authority was given to him over every tribe and people and tongue and nation.

Rev. 13:8 And all those dwelling on the earth will worship him, [everyone] whose name is not written in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world.

Rev. 13:9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear.

Rev. 13:10 If anyone is for captivity, into captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he is to be killed. Here is the endurance and the faith of the saints.

Rev. 13:11 And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke like a dragon.

Rev. 13:12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his sight, and he causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose death stroke was healed.

Rev. 13:13 And he does great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth before men.

Rev. 13:14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth on account of the signs which he was given [power] to do before the beast, commanding those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast, who had the stroke of the sword and revived.

Rev. 13:15 And [power] was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast that the image of the beast might even speak and cause whoever would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

Rev. 13:16 And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the freemen and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead,

Rev. 13:17 And that no one may be able to buy or sell except him who has the mark, [that is,] the name of the beast or the number of his name.

Rev. 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred sixty-six.

Bible - A matter concerning life - A book of life - this applies to the prophecies  

Promises to the woman that she will have a seed to bruise the head of the Serpent. 

In our living and walk, we might be part of the dragon. - we might do this unintentionally. We can be used by the dragon to oppose God's economy. 

The reality of being one with the universal woman is to live in our regenerated spirit. We have to ask ourselves, are we side with the dragon or with the woman. There's no third ground. How do we live and walk according to the spirit? Do we let the Lord live in us, we live in the heavenly position that the enemy has no ground to touch us. Otherwise, we can also be food to the enemy. 

1 Thes Life-study 9: The Reward of Fostering

They lived what they preached.

Bible reading: 1 Thes. 2:10-20

1 Thes. 2:10 You are witnesses, as well as God, how in a holy and righteous and blameless manner we conducted ourselves toward you who believe,
1 Thes. 2:11 Just as you know how [we were] to each one of you, as a father to his own children, exhorting you and consoling [you] and testifying,
1 Thes. 2:12 So that you might walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.
1 Thes. 2:13 And because of this we also thank God unceasingly that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted [it] not [as] the word of men but even as it truly is, the word of God, which also operates in you who believe.
1 Thes. 2:14 For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus, for you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, even as they also from the Jews,
1 Thes. 2:15 Who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and drove us out; and they are not pleasing to God and are contrary to all men,
1 Thes. 2:16 In that they forbid us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so that they fill up their sins always. But wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.
1 Thes. 2:17 But we, brothers, having been bereaved of you for a little while, in presence, not in heart, were more abundantly eager with great desire to see your face.
1 Thes. 2:18 Therefore we wanted to come to you, indeed I Paul, both once and again, yet Satan hindered us.
1 Thes. 2:19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at His coming? Are not even you?
1 Thes. 2:20 For you are our glory and joy.


Our understanding of Christian work
- Christian work is to grow instead of to educate or edification/improving characters.
- Paul considered the young believers are in a big family to grow together.
- Paul didn't give much teaching but gave life.
- A work of life - announcing the gospel to people without life. Therefore, our preaching the gospel is to impart life. As a father exhorting them and a mother nourishing them.


Education comes with growing as well so it is an important component but it is not all.
To imitate = to grow: Imitating in a family means to grow. Showing them (the children) the pattern.
Paul fed the young believers (his children) what he lived - his way of handling the Word of God, etc.


Paul was not trying to boast about himself but to feed the young believers what he lived. This kind of living can actually feed people.


Being a pattern is to feed people instead of trying to teach, teach, and teach. We might feel satisfied with our being able to teach others but it didn't feed people. The young believers can still be hungry.


What is the reward/crown (of fostering)


1 Thes. 2:19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at His coming? Are not even you?
1 Thes. 2:20 For you are our glory and joy.


- Paul was emotional but the best father- he just wanted to let the new believers know that whatever he had is really for the young believers. His life would be meaningless without these young believers (children).


- The best way to foster your children is to touch their (the children) heart.
- You thought to be an overcomer, you will be happy before the Lord - but Paul here said no, the glory and the joy are these believers.
- In order to care for new believers, we have to be such ones who are filled with Christ and live Christ.

Life-study 1: Introduction to a Holy Life for the Church Life

Bible verses: 

1 Thes. 1:1 Paul and Silvanus and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.
1 Thes. 1:2 We thank God always concerning all of you, making mention [of you] in our prayers,
1 Thes. 1:3 Remembering unceasingly your work of faith and labor of love and endurance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father; 

Enjoyment 

• One of the earliest writing from Paul - when Paul was still on his journey. 
• A solid beginning to a church with rather young believers who were gentiles (young spiritually and in age as well). Therefore, this book is full of tender loving care. 

• 1 Thes. 1:1 Paul and Silvanus and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.
• Jesus Christ is "our Lord" 
• God is "our Father" 
• These indicate that we have a life relationship with God, and we're also in the organic union with God after we're saved. 
• 1 Thes. 1:2 We thank God always concerning all of you, making mention [of you] in our prayers,
  1 Thes. 1:3 Remembering unceasingly your work of faith and labor of love and endurance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father; 
• Apostle Paul did not approach the new believers in an authoritarian way but in a way of love. 
• Work must be issued from faith
• Faith is a gift of God, from God's infusing us with Himself.  
• Love lasts long (love is the motivation)
• love being worked into us.
• Endurance comes from hope, and in any
• Without hope, we have no endurance. Something worked into us to have such an endurance that can endure any kinds of troubles. 
• In faith, in love, and in hope. 

Life-study msg 36 - The Woman and the Man-Child

Bible reading: Rev. 12

The vision of the woman and the man-child

This woman 

1. Submission - to allow the Husband to impart Himself into her.

2. Not doing anything for God, but we need something of Him 

3. Our receiving Christ will cause us to be "pregnant" to have this manchild. 

This manchild is what God needs to end this age.

This manchild

1. The strong part of this constitution

2. We all need to be manchild - being fully constituted with the elements of Christ 

3. Daily experience - receiving something of Christ 

4. In our experience, we are still woman, the weak ones. We need to learn to submit ourselves to Christ and daily receiving something of Christ. This will make us manchild.

5. Even before us being resurrected, we can be manchild today. 

The manchild is distinct from the woman but is one with the woman, from the strong part of the woman.