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.

Revelation 17 (résumé): The Woman on the Beast

John now says that one of the 7 angels offered to show him "the punishment of the great prostitute with whom the kings of the earth had committed adultery... and the angel took me to a desert where I saw a woman dressed in purple and scarlet sitting on a scarlet beast... it had 7 heads, 10 horns and was covered with blasphemous names... she held a golden cup filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries... and written on her forehead was MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH... and I saw that she was drunk with the blood of the saints... and I was astonished... and the angel asked me why the surprise and proceeded to explain to me about the woman and the beast she rides... the beast once was, now is not and will come out of the Abyss and go to destruction... and those not in the book of life will be astonished because the beast once was, now is not, and yet will come... the 7 heads are 7 hills on which the woman sits and they are also 7 kings of which 5 have fallen, one is and the other has not yet come... the 10 horns are 10 kings yet to receive a kingdom... they will make war against the Lamb... but the Lamb will overcome with his faithful followers... then the angel said that the waters you saw near the prostitute are the nations and languages... and the beast and 10 horns will hate the prostitute... and they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire... and the woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth".

Revelation 16 (résumé): The 7 Bowls of God's Wrath

 John now describes the vision of the outpouring of God's wrath. "The first angel poured out his bowl of wrath on the land and painful sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast... then the 2nd angel poured his bowl on the sea and it turned into blood and the sea creatures died... then the 3rd angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs and they became blood... and another angel said this was because they had shed the blood of saints and prophets so they have been given blood to drink... then the 4th angel poured wrath on the sun which heated up to scorch people making the people curse God, yet still they didn't repent... the 5th angel poured his bowl on the throne of the beast and his kingdom was thrown into darkness and men gnawed their tongues in agony and cursed God... then came the 6th angel who poured his bowl on the River Euphrates and the water dried up... and I saw 3 evil spirits like frogs that came out of the dragon's mouth, and out of the beast's mouth and out of the false prophet's mouth... and these spirits of demons went out to gather the kings of the world for the battle on the great day of God... and they gathered the kings at Armageddon... then finally the 7th angel poured out his bowl into the air and a loud voice from the temple said it is done!... and there was lightening, thunder and an earthquake bigger than ever seen... so the great city split into 3 parts... and the islands fled away and the mountains disappeared... and huge 100 pound hailstones fell on men... and they cursed God".

Revelation 15 (résumé): 7 Angels with 7 Plagues

 John now says in chapter 15 that "he saw in heaven another great and marvellous sign with 7 angels with God's final plagues... and I saw a sea of glass mixed with blood... and standing there were the victorious over the beast who sang with harps... great and marvellous are your deeds Lord God Almighty... just and true are your ways... you alone are holy... and all nations will worship you... and I saw that the tabernacle of testimony was open in the heavenly temple... and out came the 7 angels with 7 plagues wearing clean shining linen and golden sashes... and the 4 creatures gave the angels  7 golden bowls full of the wrath of God... and the temple was filled with the glory and power of God... and no-one could enter the temple until the 7 plagues of the 7 angels were completed".

Revelation 14 (résumé): The Lamb & the 144,000

 After the horrific images of the previous chapter John points us to the triumphant Christ. "Then I looked and saw the Lamb on Mount Zion with 144,000 with the Father's name written on their foreheads... and I heard a sound from heaven of rushing water with thunder... then I heard harpists and a new song before the throne... and no-one could learn the song other than the 144,000... who didn't defile themselves with women and kept themselves pure... and they follow the Lamb wherever he goes... and then I saw another angel flying in mid-air and he had the gospel to proclaim to every nation... and he said fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgement has come... then came a second angel declaring... fallen, fallen is Babylon the Great... then a third angel said that if anyone worships the beast, his image or takes his mark they will drink of God's fury... and they will be tormented with burning sulphur... for there is no rest day or night for who worships the beast or receives his mark... but blesses are the dead who die in the Lord from now on... then I looked and saw a white cloud... and seated on it was the son of man... with a crown of gold and a sharp sickle... then another angel called to the son of man... take your sickle and reap because the harvest is ripe... so he swung his sickle and harvested the earth... then another angel appeared with another sharp sickle... and another angel told him to reap the grapes... and he threw the grapes into the winepress of God's wrath... and blood flowed from the winepress rising as high as the horses' bridles for a distance of 180 miles!"

Revelation 13 (résumé): Two Beasts

Now John "saw a beast coming out of the sea representing evil power opposed to God... it had 10 horns, 7 heads, 10 crowns on the horns and a blasphemous name on each head... it resembled a leopard though it had the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion... and the dragon gave the beast authority, his power and his throne... and one of the beast's heads had had a fatal wound yet been healed... and the whole world was astonished and followed the beast... and men worshipped the dragon and the beast... and the beast exercised his authority for 42 months with proud words and blasphemies... and he slandered those that live in heaven... and he was given power to make war against the saints... and he was given authority over all nations... and all inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast if their names are not in the book of life... and the saints need to have patient endurance and faithfulness... and then I saw another beast coming out of the earth and he had 2 horns like a lamb but spoke like a dragon... and he made everyone worship the first beast... and he performed miraculous signs... and because of the signs he deceived the inhabitants of the earth... and he ordered the construction of a statue to the first beast and he gave breath to the image and it could speak and kill those who refused to worship the image... and he forced everyone to receive the mark of the beast on his right hand or forehead and no-one could buy or sell without he had the name or number of the beast... and the number is 666".

Revelation 12 (résumé): The Woman & the Dragon

Revelation 12 depicts a battle between Satan and God in graphic apocalyptic imagery. "A pregnant woman about to give birth appeared in heaven clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of 12 stars on her head... then also appeared an enormous red dragon with 7 heads, 10 horns and 7 crowns on his heads... his tail swept a third of the stars from the sky... and he waited for the woman to give birth to that he could devour the baby... and she had a boy who will rule all nations... but the child was snatched up to God's throne... and the woman fled to the desert to a place prepared by God where she was taken care of for 1,260 days... then there was war in heaven as Michael and his angels fought against the dragon... and the dragon and his angels lost their place in heaven... as the ancient serpent called the devil and Satan was hurled to the earth... and I heard a loud voice from heaven declaring... this is the salvation, power and kingdom of God and the authority of Christ... who has hurled down the accusers of the brothers... who overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony... so rejoice... but woe to the earth and sea because the devil has gone down to you... and he is furious because he knows his time is short... then the dragon chased the woman but she was given eagle's wings so she could fly somewhere safe in the desert out of the serpent's reach... so the serpent spewed a river of water to try and drown her and sweep her away... but the earth helped the woman swallowing up the river... so the dragon was enraged and went to war against those who obey God's commandments".