The Patience and Faith of the Saints

Pastor: Sungeun Lee

Revelation 13:1-10

Today, lets take a look at how we can distinguish the Antichrist well and how we canhave the full patience and faith of the saints.

First, you must receive the power of God, not the power of dragon.

The sea expressed in the Revelation Book is used in the same sense as the abyss, the bottomless pit. These beasts from the sea stand for Satan and considering that they have 7 heads, they seem to be very smart and brilliant. And also they have 10 horns, so it symbolizes they have strong power. By hitting the world with these horns, he won and won, collecting all 10 crowns, including money, success, and honor, and eventually they became God. However,this is just blasphemy. On the other hand, the power of the Saint Jesus, who received it from the Father God, is not the power to kill others, but the power to sacrifice for others and the power to save and restore them. So we need to take a look at whether the power given to me is given by the dragon or God. If you keep showing off, thinking 'How hard I worked and finally I came here...' you can think, 'I am still obsessed with the power of the beast.' So, so that our power can become the power given by God, we must always interpret it as Gods Word and apply it to my life to find my sins and die for someone for myself. And the reason why God gives us great power is to make us save souls and preach the gospel with this power. If I live with the power of being killed for myself, the patience and faith of the saints will be fully protected. However, the patience and faith of the saints are not what I intend to. It can be protected only with the power of the cross, which is willing to die for someone for myself every day with the power of Christ given by God.

Second, you should not be fooled by AntiChrist.

A beasts head, which boasted absolute power, was damaged and killed, but if you look closely, it is not completely dead. This is Satans show and trick to show the ability of resurrection to die and come back to life. Satan has no ability to revive. It is only in Jesus Christ. But its hard for people to tell this apart. Every country, society, and culture in this land are not interested in death and are only enthusiastic about resurrection, success, and miracles. However, following the true Christ, those in heaven focus on dying well on the earth. Death comes first and resurrection comes later. We need to know that we are being deceived by the Antichrist. Antichrist paralyzes the human spirit with these anesthetics such as solutions, successes, fearing that we will find the real Christ when we realize our sins. Beasts can never solve the problem of sin. Thats why people are captivated by horns and crowns before they realize their sins. But Jesus does not fight with power and miracle, instead fight with Gods Words. Jesus did not come to solve the problem on the earth, but to clean up our sins. If we know this difference clearly, we can keep the patience and faith of the saints to the end without being deceived by Antichrist.

Third, you should know that all powers are determined by God.

The characteristics of words from the beasts mouth are exaggeration and slander. However, the power of the beast may enjoy the power to win and rule for a while on the earth, but this is only for a moment. And even if the beast can imitate Christ in everything, it can never imitate the problem of life or salvation. Todays text clearly states that the possession of a life book belongs to the lamb. In order for us to be recorded in the book of life, we must be killed with the lamb that was slain.

In other words, we have to fill the rest of Christs suffering with our body. Everything that has happened to us is happening as God has already decided and scheduled. No matter how much power Satan has, there is no need to be afraid because all powers are determined by God. However, if you decide to live with the power of Christ, not the power of the beast, persecution will necessarily occur. We must pass through this persecution silently with patience and faith without being shaken by Satans slander We believe that our names are also recorded in the lambs book of life who was slain if we go while paying the price of our sins, looking at my sins with Gods words.

Today, I will testify to my father and confess to our community.

My father was a promising pastor in the church, but he was absorbed in the dispensationalism eschatology that interpreted the Revelation Literally. Then one day, he became a vegetative person overnight in a traffic accident and has been alive for 31 years. I dont think it happened by chance. My father was born in a poor house in the Korean War and was abandoned by his parents and adopted, so he suffered a lot of embarrassment and difficult times under his adoptive mother. So, in a way, I thought he had no choice but to fall into the eschatology of wishing that this world would end soon. While preparing for todays speech, my fathers case was interpreted too clearly for me. This judgment was so necessary for God to save my father, who was obsessed with the power of the beast and was deceived by the Antichrist and washed away to the abyss. In addition, while as the state of a vegetative person, he has been being still alive, so my family can be possessed by being tied of the holy spirit and was able to keep patience and faith. I believe this is the real victory that Christs power overcomes the power of the beast.

Community confession is a small group leaders confession of faith. During the worship service last Wednesday evening, I received a text message saying that the leaders four-year-old sons three fingers were amputated.

It was an accident that occurred when he fell on the escalator and his finger got stuck in it. I visited the hospital early the next day, and the text of the day was Martyrdom and Resurrection of Two Witnesses under Gods authority. Since then, the small group leader has posted a real-time message on on-line chat room, saying, 'Im spending a blood-drying time, and God seems to want me not to let go of the string of prayer, and I trust, persevere, and hope that God has a plan for our couple and son.' I believe this incident is an event of salvation that will definitely be listed in the book of life of a lamb. I hope that the saints will pray for this family to go well with patience and faith until the end.

Everyone, I sincerely hope you will not be swayed by Satans slander, 'You can win,' but pass throughpersecution with patience and faith of the saintsuntil the end, and live a life with the power of Christ.