Sunday, July 10, 2022

“The Prelude of the Seven Bowls of Wrath”

Pastor Hiroyuki Anjiki

1. The seven angels with the seven plagues

* Revelation 15:1 completed” = finished (John 19:30 “It is finished.”)

2. The people singing the song of Moses and of the Lamb

* Exodus 24:10 “... Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky.” (NIV)

* Revelation 15:2 “beside” = on (direct translation)

* Exodus 15:1-3 “Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord: ‘I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name.’” (NIV)

3. The vision of the temple, the tabernacle of Heaven

Thoughts to share at mini church:

1. What kind of meaning does the “song of Moses” and “song of the Lamb” sung in Heaven by the people martyred in the Great Tribulation have?

2. What are the three reasons the “song of the Lamb” is sung?

3. The perspective of “seeing now from eternity” is important in one’s faith life. What do you want to do after you die and where? Does your present way of life lead to that world?

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Sunday, July 3, 2022

“Take Courage! It is I. Don’t be Afraid.”

Pastor Joey Anjiki

1. The disciples who encountered a storm

* Storms on the Sea of Galilee

* We too encounter storms

2. The help of Jesus

* Mark 6:48 “He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them.” (NIV)

* Mark 6:48 “He was about to pass by them” (NIV) What does this mean?

* Why was Jesus walking on the water?

- To show his divinity

- To get to where the disciples were quickly

* A poem remaining on the wall in Auschwitz after WWII

3. Do not forget miracles

* The greatest miracle God does in our lives

* The end of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life

“He's (God’s) allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”

Thoughts to share at mini church:

1. Has God ever felt far away when you have gone through a trial in life?

2. How does Jesus look upon use when we are facing difficulties?

3. What does the hope of Heaven bring about in your life?

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Sunday, June 26, 2022

“The Seven Proclamations from Heaven (#4-7)”

Pastor Hiroyuki Anjiki

1. 4th proclamation: Judgment for those who worshipped the beast

* Revelation14:10 “the cup of his (God’s) wrath” “the wine of God’s fury” = Judgment of the 7 bowls

* Revelation 14:11 “worship” = present tense expressing continuation

2. 5th proclamation: Blessings for the saints

* Revelation 14:13 “from now on” = the later 3.5 years of the Great Tribulation

3. 6th proclamation: Reaping of the remaining people

* Revelation 14:14 “like a son of man” = Jesus Christ

4. 7th proclamation: God’s harsh anger

* Revelation 14:18 “fire” = Symbol of God’s judgment

* Revelation 14:20 = Depiction of the result of the battle of Armageddon

* Revelation 14:20 “as high has the horses’ bridles” = 160 – 180cm “1,600 stadia” = approx. 300km

Thoughts to share at mini church:

1. What is to take place during the second three and a half years of the seven-year period of the Great Tribulation is summarized in Chapter 14. Please refer to the Japanese handout and reconfirm the content.

2. What kind of message do you think the Christians facing persecution in the 1st century received from reading Revelation?

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Sunday, June 19, 2022

“You Give them Something to Eat”

Pastor Joey Anjiki

1. You give

* The number of men alone was 5,000 (With women and children included, it would have been at least around 20,000 people)

* Mark 6:37 “You give them something to eat.” (NIV)

* Issues today

* The difference between many volunteer organizations and Christian organizations

* Philippians 2:13 “For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” (NIV)

2. Give what you have

* They had 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish

* Fix your eyes on the fact that Jesus is with you

* Mark 11:24 “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (NIV)

3. It increased as they were giving

* If we take a step out in faith, God will surely provide someone of assistance

* An incident on December 8, 1983 in Philadelphia, USA

Thoughts to share at mini church:

1. What kind of people are those whom you desire to help?

2. What can you give?

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Sunday, June 12, 2022

“The Seven Proclamations from Heaven (#1-3)”

Pastor Hiroyuki Anjiki

1. 1st proclamation: 144,000 people on top of Mt. Zion

(1) The Lamb’s name and his Father’s name were written on their foreheads

(2) They could learn the new song in Heaven

(3) They were virgins

(4) They follow the Lamb wherever he goes

(5) They were offered as first fruits to God and the Lamb

(6) No lie was found in their mouths

(7) They are blameless

2. 2nd proclamation: One angel proclaiming the eternal gospel

* Revelation 14:7 Declaration of God’s judgment

* The fulfillment of Matthew 24:14 “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (NIV)

3. 3rd proclamation: The fall of Babylon

Thoughts to share at mini church:

1. What is to take place during the second three and a half years of the seven-year period of the Great Tribulation is written in the form of seven proclamations in Chapter 14. In today’s passage (verses 1-8), three of the seven procamations are written.

2. What did you learn from this passage?

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Sunday, June 5, 2022

“Leaving Behind Traces of Grace”

Pastor Joey Anjiki

1. The fate of people who deny God and walk according to their desires

* Herod Antipas

* The tragedy of a communist nation

* Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (NIV)

2. Recognize God's sovereignty and declare His will

* John the Baptist, who voiced his opinion

* The work of Momoko Yamashita of Torai Church

3. Leave behind traces of grace

* The execution of John the Baptist

* Leaving behind traces of grace

* The eruption of Mt. St. Helens in Washington, USA in 1980

Thoughts to share at mini church:

1. What kind of impact is there on the society when the existence of God is denied?

2. Are there differences in the values in the world and the values of the Bible?

3. Let’s also make an effort to leave behind traces of grace in the various places we are.

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Sunday, May 29, 2022

“The Number of the Beast is 666”

Pastor Hiroyuki Anjiki

1. The true character of the “beast coming out of the earth”

* Revelation 13:1 “a beast coming out of the sea” = Anti-Christ

* Revelation 13:11 “a second beast” = false prophet

2. The mission of the false prophet

* Revelation 13:13 “signs” = plural form meaning multiple signs

* Revelation 13:13 “fire to come down from heaven to the earth”

Refer to: Genesis 19:24-25, Exodus 9:23-24, 1 Kings 18:38, 2 Kings 1:9-12)

* Revelation 13:14 “deceived” = lead away from the truth

* Psalm 115:4-7 “But their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell. They have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk, nor can they utter a sound with their throats.” (NIV)

* 2 Thessalonians 2:4 “He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” (NIV)

3. The mark of the Anti-Christ

* Exodus 13:9 “This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that this law of the Lord is to be on your lips. For the Lord brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand.” (NIV)

* Deuteronomy 6:4-9 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” (NIV)

* Proverbs 11:2 “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” (NIV)

* Colossians 1:9 “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives.” (NIV)

Thoughts to share at mini church:

1. What do each of the three evil beings (Satan, Anti-Christ, false prophet) do?

2. What does the number “666” mean?

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Sunday, May 22, 2022

“Not Achievement, but Fulfillment”

Overseas Missionary Kenichi Shibusawa

1. The difference between “achievement” and “fulfillment

2. The difference between “fate” and “God’s plan”

3. God’s desire is not for “achieving a goal,” but “fellowship with us”

4. The Bible is not a “book of teachings and commands,” but a “book of promises and prophesies”

Thoughts to share at mini church:

1. Why can life be said to be about “fulfillment” and not about “achievement?”

2. What should we do to enable God’s plan for our lives to be fulfilled?

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Sunday, May 15, 2022

“The Beast Coming Out of the Sea”

Pastor Hiroyuki Anjiki

1. Characteristics of the Anti-Christ’s empire

* Daniel 7 (Reference)

2. The revived Anti-Christ

* Revelation 13:3 “seemed to have had a fatal wound” = was wounded and died

3. God’s words of encouragement

* “The Invisibles” (movie)

Thoughts to share at mini church:

1. Take a look again at the words of the prophesies in Daniel Chapter 7.

2. Take a look again at the events that will take place chronologically in the “Great Tribulation.”

(Refer to the Japanese handout on Revelation)

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Sunday, May 8, 2022

“Continuing to Sew Seeds of the Gospel”

Pastor Joey Anjiki

1. Trust in God

* Mark 6:8-9 (See above)

(Verses 7-12 are an inserted part, so the continuation of verse 6 is verse 13)

* The history of Minemachi Christ Church

2. Work as a team

* Compensate for each other's deficiencies and work together

3. Find out later

* Mark 6:11 (See above)

* An incident in Afghanistan in the 1970’s

* Psalm 126:5-6 “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.” (NIV)

Thoughts to share at mini church:

1. Reconfirm the meaning of the Gospel.

2. What gift has God given you to for the purpose of evangelism?

3. Pray that each ministry will be used for the purpose of evangelism.

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