Complete Bible

When on this blog I announced my aim to write a résumé of the entire Bible chapter by chapter I imagined that this could take me 7 years. So I started on September 23rd 2024 and 2 years and 25 days later I have completed the 1,189 chapters of the 66 books of Scripture. This means that over 2 years I averaged about one and a half chapters a day, not just reading, but writing an abbreviated summary of each chapter and publishing this initially on this blog to be later published on the EAB website. I am very pleased and blessed to have finished this task.

Last night I led the service in Patos and preached the first of a series of sermons on the Book of Romans covering chapter 1 with the title: "I am not ashamed of the Gospel". It was a good service and the sermon went well. Pastor Murilo went and preached at our Imaculada church, and Pastor Rafael went and preached at our Catolé do Rocha church.

Revelation 22 (résumé): The River of Life

Revelation 22 is the Bible's final chapter which affirms that Jesus will return and offers the water of life to God's people. "Then an angel showed me the river of the water of life... flowing from God's throne... and on each side of the river was the tree of life giving fruit every month, whose leaves were for the healing of the nations... and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city and his servants will serve him... and they will see the Lord's face and his name will be on their foreheads... and God will give them light and they will reign forever and ever... and Jesus said behold I am coming soon... then the angel said the time is near... behold, said Jesus, I am coming soon... I am the beginning and the end... so blessed are those who wash their robes so that they have the right to the tree of life... but outside are the dogs... and I Jesus sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches... I am the bright and Morning Star... the Spirit and the bride say come... whoever is thirsty come... but don't add anything to this book nor take away from this prophecy... yes I am coming soon... Amen come Lord Jesus".

Revelation 21 (résumé): The New Jerusalem

Now after the final judgement Revelation 21 points to the tremendous blessings God will give his people. "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth... and I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem coming down from heaven from God... prepared as a bride... and it was announced that now God dwells with men... and he will wipe all tears dry... and there will be no more death or pain... and God announced that he was making everything new... I am the Alpha and the Omega and will give water to the thirsty... and he who overcomes will inherit this... but unbelieving murderers, sexually immoral and idolaters will go to the fiery lake which is the second death... then an angel invited me to see the bride... and he showed me Jerusalem coming down from heaven shining brightly with a high wall with 12 gates with angels at the gates... and there were 12 foundations with the names of the apostles... and the city was a 1,400 mile square and the wall was of Jasper and the city was pure gold... and the foundations were of precious stones... the 12 gates were pearls and the street was pure gold... and there was no temple because God and the Lamb are its temple... and there is no sun or moon because it is lit by God's glory... and there will be no night there... and nothing impure will enter... but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life".

Revelation 20 (résumé): The Thousand Years

Revelation 20 describes Satan being bound for the millennium, Jesus reigning with the saints, Satan's final rebellion and the great white throne judgement. "Then I saw an angel with the key to the Abyss... and he seized the dragon/serpent/devil/Satan and bound him for a thousand years throwing him into the Abyss... and only after the thousand years would he be set free for a short time... then I saw judges on thrones... and I saw the souls of those beheaded for Christ... who had not received the mark of the beast or worshipped him... and they came to life and reigned with Christ for the millennium... as priests of God and of Christ... then at the end of the millennium Satan will be released to deceive the nations and gather them for battle... and they marched across the earth to God's beloved city... but fire descended and devoured them... and the devil was thrown into the fiery lake where the beast and false prophet already were... and they will be tormented forever... then I saw a great white throne with the Lord sat on it... and I saw the dead standing before the throne, and the books were opened... the book of life was also opened... and the dead were judged according to that recorded in the books... and the sea, Hades and death gave up their dead and all were judged according to what they had done... then Hades and death were thrown into the lake of fire which is the second death... and anyone not in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire".

Revelation 19 (résumé): Hallelujah

Revelation 19 describes heaven rejoicing over God's judgement of sin, the wedding supper of the Lamb and the return of Christ. "Then I heard a great multitude shouting... hallelujah... salvation, glory and power belong to God... and just are his judgements of the great prostitute... and the 24 elders and the 4 living creatures worshipped God crying hallelujah... then a voice from the throne exhorted all  God's servants to praise him... then again a great multitude shouted... hallelujah for our God reigns... so rejoice because the wedding of the Lamb has come and the bride is ready with fine linen given her to wear... then the angel told me to write that blessed are all invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb... so I fell to worship but he rebuked me telling me only to worship God... and then I saw an open heaven with a white horse whose rider is called faithful and true... his eyes are like a blazing fire... and on his head many crowns... and dressed in a robe dipped in blood... and his name is the Word of God... and the armies of heaven followed him on white horses dressed in white linen... and out of his mouth came a sharp sword... and he will rule with an iron sceptre... and on his robe was KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS... then an angel invited the birds to the great supper of God... and eat the flesh of kings, generals, mighty men, horses, riders and all people... then I saw the beast with kings and armies ready to make war against the rider on the horse and his army... but the beast was captured together with the false prophet... and the 2 of them were thrown into the fiery lake... and the rest were killed".

Revelation 18 (résumé): The Fall of Babylon

Revelation 18 describes the fall of Babylon which is a symbol of a corrupt worldly system opposed to God. "An angel with great authority announces that Babylon had fallen... and has become a home for demons... the kings of the earth committed adultery with her and merchants grew rich through her... then I heard another voice calling out God's people from her... so that you will avoid her plagues... pay her back double for what she has done... give her as much torture and grief as she gave herself glory and luxury... and plagues, mourning and famine will overtake her and she will be judged by God consuming her with fire... and the kings of the earth will weep and mourn seeing that Babylon's doom had come... and merchants will weep and mourn too... because nobody now buys their luxurious cargoes... riches and splendour have vanished... and the sea captains and sailors will bemoan Babylon's demise too weeping and mourning... but heaven, the saints, apostles and prophets rejoiced... then a mighty angel threw a boulder into the sea and said that in this way Babylon will be thrown down... music will be heard no more... light will never shine again... for all the nations were led astray by your magic spell... and in her were found the blood of the prophet and the saints".

China

2 of our members from our Campina Grande Catolé church, Missionary Betânia and Bible college student Henrique, are in China on a short-term exploratory evangelistic mission. Henrique feels the call of God to work for the Lord in the almost impossible country of North Korea. Betânia has worked previously in Uruguay and has been on mission to India too. Please pray for Betânia and Henrique in China!

QPR sadly lost away yesterday to Birmingham 3 x 0 and are down to 9th place in the Championship. 

The Brazilian presidential run-off elections are a week away today and President Lula's position in the opinion polls has improved leaving him and his opponent Flávio Bolsonaro neck and neck. Please pray for peace. 🙏

I have just worked out the rota for the pastors in our region for the month of November covering Patos, Imaculada, Teixeira, São Mamede, Green Pastures, Papagaio and Santa Teresinha. We value your prayers.

Support and donate online to EAB: https://www.justgiving.com/charity/evangelicalactionbrazil

Edition #106 of the bi-annual EAB InTouch magazine is now available online together with the Christmas Gift List. You can see it at https://www.eabrazil.org This magazine will be distributed at EAB's AGM next Saturday and the rest will be sent by post to more distant readers.