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BIBLE AND NEWS
BIBILE QUESTION & ANSWERS
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What does the Bible say about Abortion?
Of all the issues in our culture today, surely abortion is one of the most volatile. Perhaps no other issue has raised so much debate and anguish, plus time and monies spent by various interested parties to educate to public to their views on it. In the midst of such a controversial issue, many simply throw up their hands and vow to stay out of it altogether. In the name of freedom and under the guise of "it isn't my business" many choose to look the other way from this troubling issue, leaving the decision in the hand of lawmakers, doctors, and pregnant woman. Although there are many different issues concerning abortion, the following is designed to focus on what the Bible says about abortion, and the consequences thereof.
Does God care?
What does God say about abortion? Do the millions of abortions that have taken place in this land bother Him? Is a fetus a "real person" in the eyes of God? If so, where does that leave us? If an unborn life is truly just a mere mass of fetal tissue to God, we should want to know. If He considers the life of the woman more important than her unborn child, we should want to know. And if He does consider that unborn life a "real person", and just as important as the life of the mother that bears it, we most certainly should want to know. After all, we are all accountable to God not only for our individual lives, but also as a generation and a nation.
Thou Shalt Not Kill
Throughout the Bible God has plenty to say about the taking of an innocent life. Most people in our nation, though they may not be familiar with all of the Ten Commandments, know that "Thou Shalt Not Kill" is listed there somewhere. The word "kill" in this instance, specifically refers to "murder"--a premeditated and deliberate act of taking someone's life. It is different than other forms of taking a life, which could be accidental, or in self-defense. God has different laws regarding different sorts of death. But He continually opposes and speaks against murder, especially murder of the innocent.
Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land and atonement cannot be made for the land on which the blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. Do not defile the land where you live. Numbers 35:33-34
God's judgement against the killing of an innocent life grows out of His love for humankind. The crime of murder is not only an offense against the sanctity of life, it is a pollutant upon the very land we live. God wants to spare us of the variety of ways this pollution is manifested. When the land becomes defiled with sin, people cry out "where is God?" yet they refuse to take responsibility for breaking His laws which were only given to us for our protection and good. Each sin that we commit is not merely an isolated incident, but will set off a chain reaction of other sins if not dealt with. Since the legalization of abortion for instance, child abuse has increased over 1000%. This is the exact opposite of what those who legalized abortion thought it would do since it was assumed that only children who were initially unwanted were abused.
In Psalm 106 God speaks specifically against killing innocent children and babies. He says of His people: They mingled with the nations and adopted their customs. They worshipped their idols which became a snare to them. They sacrificed their sons and their daughter to demons. They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan and the land was desecrated by their blood.
Today we may scoff, or wonder in disbelief how anyone, especially someone who claimed to follow God, could sacrifice their child to an idol or a demon. Yet, an idol is anything that we worship before God. Today, children are sacrificed to the idols of selfishness, convenience, "freedom," and ambition--sacrificed to the very demonic powers that are behind such idols. Times really haven't changed that much. Human nature hasn't changed, nor has Satan's schemes against that which God considered so precious that He died to redeem it--human life.
When does life begin?
One may argue here that they agree that it is wrong to murder, but they still don't see how a fetus necessarily qualifies as a human being. Perhaps God doesn't feel the same way about a very young fetus, as He does an older fetus, a newborn, or a 50-year-old. It may be a different issue altogether with Him. Does the Bible say anything specifically about unborn children?
In Exodus 21:22 God gives a specific law regarding social order for the Israelites. He stated that if two men were fighting and hit a pregnant woman, thus causing her to give birth prematurely, they must be fined according to any damage done to the baby. The fine must be paid in relation to the amount of damage inflicted upon the child. If God would make a law specifically referring to the rights of the unborn, then surely the unborn must mean something to Him!
It has been stated If the womb had windows, there would be no abortion. As humans, we are not omnipresent and cannot know the full scope of what each human life is worth. We cannot dwell in the womb with a fetus, nor can we see it as it matures. But God can.
A Scientific View
Just 18 days after conception, the baby's heart begins to beat. At six weeks, brain waves can be measured. At eight weeks the vital organs are functioning and fingerprints have formed. At nine weeks, the unborn baby is able to feel pain. Over 700,000 abortions each year are performed after this point in the pregnancy. By the beginning of the second month, the unborn child, small as it is, has begun to look distinctly human, though the mother may not even be aware that she is pregnant! By the time the baby is eleven weeks old, he or she breaths (fluid), swallows, digests, sleeps, dreams, wakes, tastes, hears, and feels pain. Babies born prematurely can survive outside the womb as young as 20-25 weeks old. Yet, all that is necessary to make the baby a grown human being is already there from the moment of conception. All it needs is time to mature.
Former Surgeon General, Dr. C. Everett Koop stated "We now know when life begins because the test-tube baby proves that life begins with conception. What do you have in the dish? An egg and a sperm. What do you add to it to get a baby? Nothing." Though it is wee, it is still a real person, just as a crumb of bread is still real bread. No one who has been given the gift of life should dare despise the day of small beginnings. Have we forgotten so quickly that we were once as small?
"In the tiny, almost invisible thirty two cell blastocyst--in that one gram or so of tissue--there is a physical potential and moral destiny unparalleled in our universe. Next to it, a gram of plutonium is a triviality: plutonium cannot compose a symphony, cannot cure cancer, cannot plan our course to the stars". -Bernard Nathanson, M.D. and former abortionist-
A Spiritual View
God said to the prophet Jeremiah, Before I formed you in the womb I knew you. Before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. Jeremiah 1:5 God knew this man before he was born. As he was forming in his mother's womb God gave him his personality, talents, and temperament. If his mother had gotten an abortion, the "fetal tissue" she aborted would have been a real person named Jeremiah; a mighty prophet of God and the gift of God's voice to the nations, though she would never have known.
The Lord hath called me from the womb: from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. Isaiah 49:1 KJV
Did not he who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same one form us within our mothers? Job 31:15
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:13-14
The above verses are only a sampling of the many Biblical references we find to life inside the mother's womb. From them, it is clear that life begins when God creates it, not at some later point in time when it has grown to look like a newborn. God does not judge things according to their stage of development the way humans tend to. According to the above passages, even the tiniest embryo is the subject of His love and care. God sees each of our lives in the realm of our total existence, whether we are yet unborn, a young woman in the prime of her life, or an old man on his deathbed. He is patient with all of us, longing to bring each one of us into His maturity.
Do we look like God?
To wantonly destroy innocent human life is a crime against God, and a rejection of the truth that we were made in His image. Everything in the universe belongs to Him anyway. The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world and ALL who live in it. Psalm 24:1 Our own lives are a precious gift given to us, but ultimately we belong to God! We are His possessions; we have merely been granted stewardship over our lives, talents, money, time, the earth we live on and the things we "own." Though children pass through us they are not ours, anymore that we are property of our parents. Each of us has been given the gift of life and freedom, for which we are responsible and accountable to God. None of us has the right to deny that same gift to an unborn person. It is an honor to carry that powerful force of another life within our very bodies-- a life made in the very image of God! (Genesis 5:1-2)
God is no respecter of persons. If He knew Jeremiah in the womb, He knew you too. Do you believe that God lovingly fashioned you and loves you dearly? Do you believe that He has had a plan for your life from the beginning of time? A plan that none other can fulfill in quite the same way you can? That you came to this earth "trailing clouds of glory?" Or do you believe in your heart that you were a mere "accident" and that God has no personal concern for you or your life? Is it easier to believe that you are just a highly evolved animal? An animal (especially an undeveloped one) may certainly be easier to dispose of. It seems somehow even "natural," as the laws of nature lend themselves to the survival of the strong and the equipped. Yet it seems doubtful that even an animal would come up with a way to deliberately kill it's unborn offspring.
Even the jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, but my people have become heartless like ostriches in the desert. Lamentations 4:3
Oh, let us turn from our heartlessness and defend the sanctity of human life! Out of respect for God, let us offer mercy and compassion to every life around us, born or unborn. Let us be givers of life instead of takers of life.
Am I my brother's keeper?
Every 20 seconds another baby is aborted in this country, yet very few seem to notice. Statistically, one out of every three of us will die by abortion, and we will never know what we lost in those lives. Our country goes along its way leaving lawmakers in distant buildings to decide how the carnage should continue. We've bought into the lie that those we dispose of are not real people. It is the same old lie that was used to keep slavery legal, and to exterminate masses of peoples in holocausts all over the world. We should be able to see through it by now, but as usual, most of us let circumstances and the current cultural climate dictate to us what is acceptable or not. Yet God tells us to: Rescue those being led away to death, hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say "But we knew nothing of this," does not He who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done? Proverbs 24:11
In our society today we face a myriad of social problems as a result of our hypocrisy. Most of us have had to become somewhat doubleminded just to keep a vestige of sanity. We put warnings on cigarettes and alcohol, that their consumption is dangerous to an unborn child. Yet we deem it perfectly legal, even "responsible" for a mother to have a doctor poison that same child inside her, or rip it to shreds with a surgical instrument. We might charge a man who kills a pregnant woman with a double homicide, yet what if that woman was on her way to the abortion clinic to dispose of her baby anyway? Do we then charge him with a single homicide? Why do 21 states have legislation to delay a death sentence imposed against a pregnant woman who is guilty of a crime, until after she delivers her baby? If we really believed what we said about the unborn child being a mere blob of tissue, it would seem that no one would mind if that baby died along with the mother in the electric chair.
We wonder how respectable college kids can throw their newborn baby into a dumpster, yet what are we supposed to think? We're the ones who told them that it is irresponsible to raise a child at their young age and that an "unwanted child" (which is a fallacy) is better off dead. They are not to blame as much as the media, the lawmakers, the abortion counselors, the doctors, and the voters. When a woman can have an abortion on a nine month old unborn child, and yet a week later be tried for murder if she disposed of the child outside the womb (which at that point, would seem to be a much easier and practical way to dispose of the baby) what are the young people of this nation supposed to think? Do we really have to wonder at the lack of respect for human life that we see around us?
Evil prevails when good men, in the name of freedom, do nothing. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil. I Peter 2:16 Very few of us would argue that crack cocaine, or rape should be legal simply because people are going to do it anyway, yet that is the argument that is applied to abortion. As a nation, our morals and ethics vacillate between honor and convenience, integrity and greed. We are slouching towards everything we have stood against and hated from the foundation of this country, yet we pave the way with our apathy. This doublemindedness has become a cancer eating away at the very heart of our nation.
History will speak of our abortion as a mark of the absolute decadence of our era. There will come a time when we will look back on abortion with the same shame we do now towards our evil treatment of the American Indians, and the blight of slavery. We wonder why history continues to repeat itself. It is because evil starts in little ways--it starts as a seemingly innocent thought in the heart of man. Sin always seems practical, necessary, or even "cute" in it's initial stages. It is only in hindsight that we can see just how atrocious those massive exterminations were and how they went against the very core of what the United States was supposed to be. Yet, we have no right to condemn previous generations for the same deeds we commit today. Then, as now, the masses simply went along with whatever was the popular opinion. In regard to slavery, it was even argued that the government didn't have a right to tell people whether they could own slaves or not... That it was a personal choice to be made and that freedom of choice is what our country is all about. Only in that case they forgot the rights of one whole people group. Sound familiar?
Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?" The Lord said. "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground which opened it's mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand." Genesis 4:9-11
As a nation, we must repent for the heartlessness we have displayed to the most helpless members of our culture. Though God is merciful, He is also just. He cannot ignore the cries of the blood that have soaked our ground and stained our hands. We are bringing ourselves under a curse, but do not have the eyes to see it. We only see the fruit of that curse and we wonder what went wrong. Like Cain, our ears have become deafened to the cries of those we have murdered.
True Freedom
There are too many of us who prefer to let the media do our thinking for us. Should we disagree, many of us are too intimidated to ever speak out with conviction. As we let time go by, our godly convictions begin to slip away and we become numb. Eventually, we may even support that which we had earlier condemned. This is called the "searing of a conscience." It happened in Hitler's Germany and it is happening today. How can we bring a dead conscience back to life? How can we know the difference between right and wrong? As was just established, we cannot merely "listen to our heart" and follow what seems best at the time. Some of the most horrifying deeds in history have been done by those who were following whatever moral code was most convenient at the time. Freedom is not doing whatever suits our fancy at the moment. That will only bring slavery and sorrow to our souls. True freedom is having the power to know what is right and to choose accordingly. But how can we choose, if we do not know? How can we obtain true freedom?
You shall know the TRUTH and the TRUTH shall set you free. John 8:32
We must cleanse our minds by the washing with the water through the WORD. (Ephesians 5:26) God's WORD is the Bible--ancient, yet ageless and seething with life. It will literally clean our thinking and bring life to our sin-deadened minds so we can see what He sees and feel what He feels. It will reveal our very thoughts to ourselves.
For the WORD of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
Respect for God, His creation, and His Holy WORD, is the only way we will ever find true freedom. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. Proverbs 1:7 Wisdom and compassion cannot be found outside of God for He is wisdom and He is love. Long before heaven and earth were made, and long after they disappear, His WORD will still remain. On the Day of Judgement abortion and every other atrocity we have tried to justify will be shown for the evil it is. We must seek God now, while we have the time to do it! Today is the day of salvation.
It is not too late to repent and turn our hearts back to the Lord. We can bring healing and life to this land that we love if we will humble ourselves before God's mighty right hand. If my people, who are called by my name, and humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. II Chronicles 7:14
God Loves You!
If you are planning an abortion, please reconsider. Though your situation may seem hopeless, God will work something beautiful in your life if you trust and obey Him. Choosing to "remove" your problem will only create new ones. Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? Micah 6:7 You will have to bear the guilt of your abortion or else harden your heart to not feel guilty. God loves both you and your child very much, and if you feel incapable of raising him or her, there are thousands of couples who have waited years for the chance to adopt a baby. Though it may be difficult to give it away, you will have given it the greatest gift of all--life. As Mother Theresa put it so simply "love means to be willing to give until it hurts." Give your child to a family that will truly love it. You can make the dreams of a childless couple come true... and you can bless the heart of God.
If you have already had an abortion, please do not feel that this was written only to bring you under guilt and condemnation. What is done is done and cannot be changed. God has your child in heaven with Him, and longs to forgive you if you ask Him to. Once God forgives a sin, He literally forgets it, and DOES NOT HOLD IT AGAINST YOU ANY LONGER! Please do not hold against yourself what God has forgotten. Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I, even I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more. Isaiah 43:18, 25. Receive His love, for He loves you just as much as the child you lost. He already took your sin and bore it upon Himself so you would not have to bear the punishment, which would be eternal separation from Him. He knows the agony you've gone through better than any other, for He was there too, with you. Open your life to Him and let Him give you a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of the spirit of despair. He will make you into an oak of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display his splendor. Isaiah 61:3
In conclusion, the words of God ring out as clearly now as they did over 3,000 years ago:
This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your children may live, and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice and hold fast to him. Deuteronomy 30:19-20
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What does the Bible say about Animal Abuse?
by Mercy Aiken
Does God hear the cries of those who do not communicate in human language? Does His heart respond to the fearful mewing of a motherless kitten or the exhaustion of a donkey staggering under a load far too heavy for it? Does He care about the animals that are bred in cramped quarters and exploited for profit?
God was so interested in the welfare of the animal kingdom that He created, that He even commanded Noah, in the time of judgement on the earth, to make the ark big enough to hold two of every kind of animal that existed.
The Bible actually has much to say in regard to animal abuse. In the beginning, God created the earth and all the creatures on it to be under the authority of humanity. He entrusted these beautiful elements of His creation to our care (Genesis 1:26). Our sinful nature causes us to abuse these things, sometimes without even realizing it. Yet, God expects the Christian, above all others, to be sensitive to all of His creation, knowing that exploiting or abusing it shows a disrespect for God Himself. Abuse of anything that God made is not the character of God, but rather of the Evil One.
Domestic Animals: "A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel" (Proverbs 12:10). Throughout the Bible, God shows how He expects us to care for our animals in practical ways. In the Law of the Israelites, for example, one of the purposes of the Sabbath year of rest for the land, was to let the land lie fallow--and so that the poor as well as livestock and wild animals could eat from it (Exodus 23:11 and Leviticus 25:7). The Sabbath day itself was not only for humans to rest. God also commanded us to give our animals rest on the same day. (Exodus 20:10). He also commanded the Israelites to help both their friends and enemies when their ox or donkey had fallen over, or was carrying a burden too heavy for it to bear (Exodus 23:5 and Deuteronomy 22:4). In addition, livestock were also allowed to eat as they worked (Deuteronomy 25:4). Finally, God says to us in Proverbs 27:23: "Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds."
Part of the reason that God anointed young David to be king over Israel, was that he was a good shepherd and could be trusted with the sheep under his care, even risking his life for them when they were attacked by lions or bears (1 Samuel 17:34). God knew that if David had this sort of heart for his sheep, he would be a faithful shepherd over an even greater treasure--the people of Israel.
Wild Animals--His eye is on the sparrow: In addition to domesticated animals, God also watches over wild animals and commands us to do the same. In Deuteronomy 22:6-7, God promises a long life to those who will watch over wild birds. If we rape the land or the creatures in it, what will sustain us in the future? He allows for the taking of eggs, but commands that we release the mother bird to continue living in the wild and reproducing as He intended. In Job 38:41, God says that He hears the cries of newborn ravens crying to Him for food. Jesus went on to say that God supplies food for the wild birds and that not one of them falls to the ground without Him knowing it (Matthew 6:26, 10:29).
These small, but kind and practical commands written throughout the Bible give us good insight into how God expects us to treat animals. Surely we will have to answer to Him for any abuse that we have committed against them. God created animals for us to love and to learn from. In them, we see our own dependance upon God illustrated in their dependance upon us. We can also see elements of our foolishness manifested in them (who has not seen a crowing rooster and laughed at the comic caricature of ourselves crowing to all the world in our foolish pride?) In addition, God also tells us to learn from their wisdom:
"Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest" (Proverbs 6:6-8).
(Job 12:7-10 KJV) "But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this? In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind."
Although worship of animals as deities is strictly forbidden in Scripture, we are to respect them as a part of God's creation. Some believe that because only humans were created in God's image, they alone are worthy of respect and care. Yet, the Bible tells us that even the angels were not created in God's image, yet we are to respect them! We are to respect all of God's created order, not to worship facets of it, but to see in it the same call that we ourselves have, which is to glorify God. All of God's creation was made with the ability and the power to glorify Him, each in different ways. In this, animals, as well as humans, share a common element with the rest of creation. Perhaps the words from these Psalms say it best of all (emphasis added):
Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise him from the heights above.
Praise him all his angels, praise him, all his heavenly hosts.
Praise him, sun and moon, praise him all you shining stars.
Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies.
Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created.
He set them in place forever and ever; he gave a decree that will never pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightening and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth young men and maidens, old men and children.
Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted;
His splendor is above the earth and the heavens (Psalm 148: 1-13).
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord (Psalm 150:6).
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What Does the Bible Say About...the Baptism in the Holy Spirit?
"I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire" (Matthew 3:11).
"And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God" (John 1:32-34).
The baptism in the Holy Ghost is a crisis experience just as our initial conversion experience was. We cannot be gradually baptized in the Holy Spirit, just as we cannot be gradually baptized in water. Certainly we can be gradually filled with God's Spirit, but one day that "filling" will spill over into a baptism or complete immersion in the Holy Ghost. Many believe they need not ask for this experience because they think they receive the Holy Spirit at conversion. While this is true in the sense that the Holy Spirit comes upon us, and in us, to plant the seed of life in Christ, it is not true that we are completely filled with His Spirit unless we ask for it. "...How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" (Luke 11:13).
Many people have been "born again" and have the Holy Spirit working in their lives, but have never received the baptism in the Holy Ghost which equips them for service and gives them the power needed to overcome in Christ. "For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence...But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:5 and 8). If you, as a Christian, have not known the power of God in being able to overcome sin, to witness and to know God in His fullness, then you need to ask God for the baptism in the Holy Ghost. There were also Christians in Paul's day who did not know about the power that was available to them. We find this recorded in Acts 19:2-6:
"He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied."
This Scripture clearly shows us there is more than one kind of baptism. These Christians had received water baptism, but not the Holy Ghost baptism until Paul laid his hands on them and prayed. We also see that the gifts of the Holy Spirit accompany this baptism, as they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
Another account of this taking place is found in Acts 8:14-20: "Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money."
HOLY SPIRIT IS A GIFT
Still again we find an account of the gift of the Holy Spirit being given in Acts 11:14-17:
"Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved. And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. For as much then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?"
God's gift of the Holy Ghost is promised to us today and not just for the saints back then as we find Peter saying, "...Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call" (Acts 2:38-39). The Holy Ghost is God's gift to us. As we are baptized in His Spirit we will find that we will experience the gift of speaking in tongues, plus all the other gifts of the Spirit when needed, if we continue to follow Him (I Corinthians 12, 13 and 14). These are God's gifts of power to enable us to accomplish the task to which we have been commissioned. Although the gift has been abused by many, we should not take lightly the Lord's words to us in John 7:37b-39,
"...Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)"
Acts 2:2-4 says, "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."
If the disciples of the Lord needed to be filled with the Holy Ghost then, how much more do we need to be filled in our day? We should not allow what other men think or say about the Baptism in the Holy Ghost to prevent us from seeking this wonderful blessing. We should seek the Lord with an humble heart for the truth of what is written in the Bible and ask Him to baptize us in the Holy Spirit. We can trust Him to show us the truth if we come to Him with an open heart and mind with a willingness to obey Him.
"Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him (Acts 5:28-32)."
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What Does the Bible say about...Water Baptism?
Water baptism is an act of obedience that follows conversion to portray symbolically the washing away of our sins. Water baptism calls for immersion instead of sprinkling. Many groups that have only sprinkled in times past are now seeing that the Scriptural method is total immersion in water. In fact, the Greek word "baptism" means to immerse, submerse and emerge.
The baptism itself does not bring salvation; salvation inspires the water baptism. It should be the first thing we do after we are "born again." Those who have received Jesus in their hearts should desire to follow Him in this ordinance. Jesus Himself came to John the Baptist to receive His water baptism because He was to take the sins of the world at His death. These sins would be washed away by God for those who put their trust in Him. "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water" (John 1:29-31).
Anyone who receives water baptism must realize what it means to receive it; therefore, infant baptism is not Scriptural. One must repent and be saved to be baptized. Water baptism portrays the burial of the old man and his works of death and the raising out of the water into the new life in Christ. An infant cannot repent. However, parents can dedicate their babies to the Lord, as there are many accounts of this throughout the Bible. Hannah prayed a beautiful prayer when she dedicated her son Samuel to the Lord, "For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him: Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord" (I Samuel 1:27-28). John's baptism of repentance was to prepare the way for the baptism of the Holy Ghost by Jesus.
"I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire" (Matthew 3:11).
"And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God" (John 1:32-34).
Once we are "born again" the Lord instructs us to be baptized in water as an act of obedience to typify what has happened to us spiritually.
Romans 6:1-18:
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
Verse 4 says if we are baptized into Christ, we are also baptized into His death; all of our sins are nailed to the cross. This revelation will free us from all guilt when we realize every sin we have ever committed has been washed away. Going under the water is a type of being buried with Christ in death. Coming out of the water is a type of being raised alive with Christ.
Verses 14-15 says we are no longer under the law (the law of sin and death), but we are not to yield to sin or we will come back under that law. We need to nail the sin principle in our lives to the cross. (Jesus was crucified, so now sin has no more dominion over us.) We must crucify the sin in our lives which means to die to self through God's resurrection power. If we yield to the Spirit of God, then sin will no longer have control over us.
Verse 16-18 tells us that when we yield to the devil and sin, at that moment we become Satan's servant. The "law of sin and death" begins at that time to work against us. That law produces fear, guilt, doubt, unbelief, sickness, etc., because we have become a servant of Satan. The moment we truly repent, we are back to being the servant of God and sin has no more dominion over us. When we walk in God's peace, we will even be able to walk the martyr's life filled with the resurrection power of Christ. We need to be in the place where we will would lay our life down before we would deny Christ or hurt God by sinning against Him. We should look different from those in the world! When we yield completely to Christ, we will be truly free. Daily, we must crucify self and let Christ live through us.
In water baptism, we baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, in the name of Jesus. This has been a controversial subject in the Body of Christ as some people baptize in "Jesus' name only." However scripture tells us how to baptize in Matthew 28:18-20:
"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
This commission is given to disciples. Disciples can baptize those that are needing to be baptized. However, not all Christians qualify as disciples unless they are being obedient to the Lord's commandments. One cannot teach others until they are first taught themselves. The Bible teaches that disciples are to baptize others when they come to Christ.
In the above scripture, we see that we are to baptize in the name of each member of the Trinity, BUT we do it in the "authority and the name of Jesus Christ." Some people discount a water baptism if it was not done in "Jesus' name only." It is legalistic to say one has been baptized wrongly if they have been baptized in name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost since all is done in the authority of Jesus.
Acts 8:26-39 is a New Testament example of water baptism:
26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
27 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,
28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.
29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.
34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
Here Phillip preached Jesus and water baptism. The eunuch received Jesus and was baptized in obedience to God's Word after he was "born again." From these verses we can see the importance of water baptism. Baptism in water is in obedience to God's Word, and by it we identify ourselves with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection.
"For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many" (1 Corinthians 12: 2-14).
The baptism into the Body is actually a baptism in the Blood of Christ at the time we are born again. We become a member of the body of Christ. It does not matter what denomination we are a member of, but rather what family we are "born" into. We become sons and daughters of God and are now members of the body of Christ when we repent and accept Him as our Savior. Our water baptism is the portrayal of that happening and a witness to the world that we are saved. If you have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior and have not been water baptized you need to be baptized today to seal your covenant with God.
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MARK OF GOD OR MARK OF THE BEAST
By Betty Miller
Introduction
Much has been said on this subject of the mark of the beast, but little said about the mark of God. Will there be a literal mark tattooed on people's foreheads and/or their hands in these end times to make it possible to buy and sell in a one-world monetary system that is being set up by an antichrist?
We can certainly see the possibilities of this becoming a literal reality in our day with the technology of laser beam tattoos and our president speaking of a "new world order." Even now, pets can be tracked by tiny computer chips about the size of a grain of rice which have an identification number programmed into it that can be injected under the skin with a hypodermic needle. A special scanner generates a radio signal that reads the number through the skin of the animal when it is found.
This is not disputing the possibilities of a literal tattoo, but rather exposing the spiritual implications behind that plan of Satan. How will this come about? Will it be one of the above new technologies or something yet to come? We don't believe men are going to be tattooed or branded with a literal set of three sixes on their foreheads or hands, any more than we believe the letters J-E-S-U-S will be on the foreheads of God's servants as spoken of in Revelation 22: 3-4: "And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads."
How will the beast mark those who follow him, and what is the mark of God set upon those who follow Christ? Let us begin with the mark of the beast, then look at how we are to receive God's mark which protects us from destruction in these end times.
Throughout the Scriptures, the word beast refers to a system, and not to a man. The beast is a system that rules the world; it's an antichrist system. Daniel 7 speaks of beasts and identifies them as earthly kingdoms. So the beast in Revelation is a beastly system that's ruling the world (it's a dictator beast). This beast is not just one human being, rather it is a system that has infiltrated every area whether it be politics, medicine, art or science; the beastly system is everywhere. This system is typically overseen by a powerful government with those in power making decisions that perpetrate the worldly system throughout mankind. When Revelation 13:1 speaks of the beast rising up out of the sea, what is meant by the sea? The Scriptures speak of the sea as "masses of humanity." This beastly system is rising up out of humanity, out of all the people on the earth. When John, the author of Revelation, stood upon the sand of the sea, he was standing upon that which could not be numbered, among all the people of the earth.
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CHAPTER ONE
Scripture's Description of the Beast
Revelation 13:1-18
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? 5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies: and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him,
whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
Decoding Revelation
Revelation is a coded book. It was written for Christians so that only they could understand it. Those who do not have the Holy Spirit are bewildered by the imagery in this book of the Bible. Even as Christians we have difficulty when approaching Revelation. How do we understand its code? The Bible interprets itself so we can understand Revelation by looking to other portions of the Bible for clues to its interpretation. When we study one portion of the Bible, we can find the same truth in another portion that sheds light on what we are studying. Since Revelation is a coded book, we won't understand it without the help of God's Spirit who inspired it, plus a child-like approach to His Word. We must have God's Spirit and an understanding of the Scriptures to comprehend Revelation. Revelation was written symbolically; a great deal of it is not literal. If we don't understand that Revelation is speaking of spiritual things, then we're going to misinterpret it. We'll end up looking for literal frogs and heads and horns and an actual beast.
To illustrate a portion of the code that almost all Christians are familiar with, consider the usage of the term "lamb." We know when the Scripture refers to "the Lamb," it is symbolically referring to Jesus and His sacrificial death on the cross as He was "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8). It is not referring to a literal lamb, the offspring of a sheep. So for us to understand the symbolism of the "beast," we must go to the Scripture for that definition. A modern-day analogy is that we could not operate a computer unless we understood computer language. We must get a Bible definition of "beast" and the Bible definition of "mark" to understand the mark of the beast.
"And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and I saw a beast rise up and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy" (Revelation 13:1).
God wants us to understand the meaning of the terms in this verse, and throughout all of Revelation. He promises that if we wholeheartedly seek Him, He will hear and answer (Jeremiah 29: 12, 13). If we want to understand, we can. It may not come all at once, but as we seek Him, He will open our eyes. One of our shortcomings as Christians is that many of us have listened to end-time teachings but never have asked the Holy Spirit if the teaching is the truth. We've considered ourselves ignorant and assumed the teachers must have all the answers. But God wants each one of us to understand His Word, and He will give us understanding as we seek Him for it. He will confirm His true teachings if we seek Him by faith and with a pure heart. We have a responsibility to "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good" (I Thessalonians 5:21).
Identifying the Beast
The beast spoken of in Revelation 13:1 is not the so-called Antichrist. In fact, the word "antichrist" is not even found in Revelation. When the Bible speaks of antichrist, it speaks of " the spirit of antichrist" and speaks in the plural rather than the singular. There are several such references in 1 and 2 John.
Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that anti-christ shall come, even now are there many anti-christs; whereby we know that it is the last time" (I John 2: 18).
"Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is anti-christ, that denieth the Father and the Son" (1 John 2: 22).
"And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of anti-christ, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world" (1 John 4: 3).
"For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an anti-christ" (2 John 1: 7).
Throughout the Scriptures, the word "beast" refers to a system, and not to a man. The beast is a system that rules the world; it's an antichrist system. Daniel 7 speaks of beasts and identifies them as earthly kingdoms. So the beast in Revelation is a beastly system that's ruling the world (it's a dictator beast). This beast is not just one human being, rather it is a system that has infiltrated every area whether it be politics, medicine, art or science; the beastly system is everywhere. This system is typically overseen by a powerful government with those in power making decisions that perpetrate the worldly system throughout mankind.
When Revelation 13:1 speaks of the beast rising up out of the sea, what is meant by the sea? The Scriptures speak of the sea as "masses of humanity." This beastly system is rising up out of humanity, out of all the people on the earth. When John, the author of Revelation, stood upon the sand of the sea, he was standing upon that which could not be numbered, among all the people of the earth.
Symbolism of Numbers in Scripture
This beast rising up out of the sea has seven heads (Revelation 13:1). Numbers are often symbolic in the Scriptures with the number seven standing for perfection, completion. For example, when Jesus told Peter to forgive "seventy times seven" (Matthew 18:21-22, "Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven."); He did not mean to forgive 490 times. He was telling Peter to forgive completely and perfectly. To the Jew, numbers were descriptions rather than mathematics as each number represented something. Since we will be dealing with several of these symbolic numbers in this chapter, listed below are the Jewish equivalents for each number (see glossary for detailed definitions):
1.) One symbolizes new beginnings and unity.
2.) Two symbolizes witness and division.
3.) Three symbolizes divinity, heaven and God.
4.) Four symbolizes earth and man.
5.) Five symbolizes grace and favor.
6.) Six symbolizes the world and is man's number; it falls short of seven; therefore, it is imperfection.
7.) Seven symbolizes perfection, completeness and abundance.
8.) Ten symbolizes obedience, completeness of order.
9.) Twelve symbolizes government, authority.
10.) Three and a half, being half of seven (perfection), is an indefinite period of time; it is a number of trouble and judgment.
When the beast is described as having seven heads, it speaks of completion or fullness of the wickedness and evil. Heads refer to leadership, to governments and to ruling. When we refer to the head of an organization or a group, we're speaking of the leadership. So seven heads would refer to fullness of governments. Seven heads mean the governments of the whole world (a New World order?). The headship of the governments is upon the beast. The ruling governments are right in the midst of the beastly system. In man's eyes, some governments are good and some evil. But in God's eyes they're all evil because they're not performing the will of God. No country is truly doing the will of God, even my own country which I do love and pray for. Of course, some governments are better than others because of the greater freedom they allow.
The beast in Revelation has ten horns. In the Bible, horns are symbolic of countries with world power and influence. A horn does not represent the whole beastly system that pervades the earth, but rather a country. A little horn would represent a little country. The countries have influence, but not as much as the whole power of the beast. So when the beast is seen with ten horns it speaks of influential countries in the world that are part of the system of the beast. One meaning of the number ten is completeness of order, so ten horns indicate how complete the involvement of smaller countries is with the beast, just as the seven heads of the beast show the involvement of major world powers.
Upon the horns are ten crowns. Crowns stand for authority and political influence. So we further see the beast system coming through the authority in the world, the governmental and political system.
The Name of Blasphemy
The name of blasphemy is seen upon the heads. There's not a country in the world that's doing the will of God. They're all part of the beast system. To blaspheme is to speak irreverently or profanely of God, or to attribute something to God that is not of Him. An example is Saddam Hussein stating that God was on their side in the Persian Gulf War (1991) and therefore they would win. Allah, Saddam's god, is a false god as the war proved. However, America's winning the war doesn't prove America to be a Christian nation. We are blaspheming God by calling ourselves a Christian nation when our greed, materialism, drunkenness, addiction, murder, abortion, pride, etc. prove otherwise. We won the war because of a holy nation within this nation, that is, God's true praying people who were interceding not only for all Americans and allies, but also for the Arabs because we desire to see all men come to the knowledge of the true and living God. The beast does things in the name of God, yet is blasphemous because the motives are wrong. Currently no nation or country is primarily concerned about the gospel going forth as its main focus. (We do see God's people -- His holy nation -- from every country with that concern.) We know the nations of the world won't do God's will until Christ returns and His millennial reign is established.
We're to be preparing for Christ's return when God will set up His authority on the earth. The earth will have a theocracy; being ruled by God will bring perfection into the earth. But until that day, none of the earthly authority is pleasing to God. All of it is blasphemy. Even in the better countries there's evil within the system. In our own country of America we're seeing much sin being uncovered that's within the system.
The Beastly System World-Wide
We see, then, that we're not looking for an antichrist; we're looking for a beastly system. And it's already here. In error, people have been naming specific individuals as the antichrist, such as Hitler or even Hussein. Such individuals are all part of the beast system, but it's not a single person we're looking for. The beast is everywhere and we've all been contaminated to varying degrees by that system. People don't even realize they're being contaminated as they give heed to the thinking of the world's political and social leaders. They're receiving the system into their minds, then doing the works of the devil because they've unknowingly picked up his thinking.
The devil has so deceived the world, even the church. For example, even the church is full of divorces because the government and society say it's acceptable. They also say abortions are acceptable, so we have abortions even in the church. The beastly system has crept into the church and we're being marked by it. Many have it in their minds that divorce and abortion are acceptable, then they've committed those deeds with their hands. They've been marked in their minds and on their hands without even knowing it. They're waiting for some tattoo, thinking they'll refuse it when it comes, yet they're already receiving the spiritual mark of the beast. Should they come to a literal mark, they'll not be able to refuse it because the beast system has already become such a part of them. If we're not getting our minds marked with the Word of God (reading and meditating in the Bible and obeying it's commands), when the hour comes for a literal mark we'll not be able to say no to the system.
The system has become such a part of us. The government takes care of us. It has become God to many. The government takes care of the sick; they perform many social works; they handle much of retirement through social security here in the U.S.A. Are we dependent upon the government, or are we dependent upon God Almighty to take care of us? When the whole system of this world fails (and it will because it is not based on the word of God), we'll fall with it if we're not grounded in the system of God's kingdom. It's not wrong for us to receive from the government now as long as we acknowledge God as our source and not the system. Should the system fail and we no longer have social security or other provisions from the government, those overcoming Christians who have been receiving it will simply turn to God as their source, and He will provide for them another way as their faith is in God and not the system.
Humanism Behind the Beastly System
"And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority" (Revelation 13:2). Toward understanding this description, remember that Scripture interprets Scripture. In Daniel 7, four different beasts are described, beasts that represented different beastly systems. "The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked" (Daniel 7:4a). In other words, that beastly system failed. "And it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it" (Daniel 7:4b). Men were behind this beastly system, men's ideas, humanism. Humanism is nothing new; it's been here from the beginning. Man has considered himself smarter than God, which is the essence of humanism.
The Beast Behind War
"And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it" (Daniel 7:5-7a). This breaking of everything into pieces indicates warring and division, everyone crushing one another which is the goal of the dragon, the devil.
These beasts are governments of the world and the devil is within them. "It had great iron teeth" - tools for devouring, for warring. "Dreadful and terrible" - when the devil gets a hold of governments, they are dreadful and terrible. Every government that exists today got its power and position by overcoming and crushing the previous government or people who existed on that land. They are all beastly.
In studying Daniel, most theologians teach that these were four different powers that each ruled for a time and then fell. These were the Babylonian empire, the Media-Persian empire, the Greek empire under Alexander the Great, and the Roman empire. I have no problem with that as many times in Scripture there is a literal application as well as a spiritual one. In fact, the writing of this book is to show the spiritual application to the mark of the beast, while not discarding the fact we can face a literal mark also. But long before we face the literal mark, many may already be marked spiritually. So deceived, they will be unable to refuse the literal mark.
Now let's consider these beasts from a spiritual perspective. A leopard, an extremely fast animal, represents speed of conquest. He takes his prey quickly. We're living in an hour when men can take their prey quickly through high tech weapons and nuclear warfare. The powerful bear has a crushing force. A bear can easily crush the life out of a man. This bear symbolizes governmental systems that can easily crush people through military force. The lion symbolizes pride, ruling with pompous power. He looks majestic in his rule, but he's not, for he also eats his prey. So it is with world governments ruling in pride and pomp, yet within they're full of evil and devouring. They devour their own. The dragon, of course, represents Satan. He's behind every one of these beastly powers.
The Beast's Head Is Wounded
"And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?" (Revelation 13:4).
One thing this verse speaks of is war. Jesus prophesied that before His return there would be wars and rumors of wars (Matthew 24: 6). Concerning the wounding of one of the beast's heads, I believe that refers to an event that happened at Calvary. Some people try to fit all of Revelation into only the end times. But Revelation was not written just for us today; it was written for all of the church throughout history. Note how the wound came to this beast's head. Revelation 13:14 says the beast "had the wound by a sword, and did live." The dragon, which represents the devil, is part of the beast system. Who wounded the devil? Did not Jesus wound him with a crushing blow to the head? By His death on the cross, Jesus crushed Satan beneath his feet as was prophesied in Genesis 3:15, "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."
God's promise to Eve was that from her seed would come the one that would crush the enemy who deceived her. When Jesus died on the cross, he stripped Satan of all power. Satan was given a deadly blow. However, from there the church didn't take advantage of the truth that the enemy was stripped of his power. Because the church didn't take her authority over the defeated foe and hasn't throughout the centuries, the deadly wound was healed and the beast again raised his head.
The deadly wound came by a sword, which represents the Word of God (Ephesians 6: 17). God's Word wounded Satan and those believers who have received the truth of Satan's defeat have walked in victory. Throughout history, individuals who've recognized Satan's defeat have been victorious Christians. But the corporate church body as a whole never received the revelation of Satan's defeat. Therefore the beast's wound was healed, and Satan yet rules this earth through his beastly system. People still look at the devil and think he's going to continue ruling. But God is telling the church that we're to rise up in Jesus' name and take our authority over Satan. We're to take back control over this earth for Jesus Christ. We're to rise up and take authority over Satan in our personal lives, in our families, in our communities, in this whole world. The beast, Satan, should not be ruling anywhere; rather it's Jesus that ought to be ruling all of this earth. ("The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein" - Psalm 24:1.)
In the next few years this revelation is going to go forth through the church and we who are in Jesus Christ are going to take authority over Satan so that he no longer will rule upon this earth. Jesus is coming again to take the rule unto Himself; He's going to rule and reign in the millennium. Christ's rule on the earth will not be completely accomplished until His return, but in the meantime we're going to work toward that goal by using our authority over Satan. That's what God has called the church to do.
"Who is able to make war with him?" (Revelation 13:4b). Throughout history this has been the defeated attitude of the church. Can we overcome the enemy? Yes, we can! We've been given the authority. We haven't been using that authority, but there's coming a change in the church as God is giving us revelation of who we are in Him or who He is in us. We are overcomers!
Ruling In God's Kingdom
We are not talking about a political ruling here as the political systems of this world are going to fail. We are to rule and reign in the spirit which brings about the second coming of the Lord and the establishment of His kingdom. The tribulation period on the earth is the rooting out of those things which offend, the falling of this world's systems to make ready for the establishment of God's kingdom in the earth, and the ushering in of the millennium at Christ's return. The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah was commissioned by God to do the same thing. Jeremiah 1:10 says, "See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant."
The Lord desires us, His church, to root out and pull down through our prayers those things that are hindering the kingdom of God. A good recent example of this is the coming down of the Berlin Wall and the falling of the spirit of communism that was behind it. The church's prayers can affect the political kingdoms of the world to make ready for the planting of the kingdom of God. Our prayers and obedience will hasten the coming of the Lord. "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness" (2 Peter 3: 10-13).
"And there was given unto him a mouth, speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months" (Revelation 13:5). This 3 1/2- year period is not meant as a literal number, but rather as a spiritual one. To the Jews, 3 1/2 stood for an unknown period of troublesome times. The number also represents judgment. Since 3 1/2 is half of perfect 7, it's half of perfection - a number of trouble and judgment.
Great trouble is coming upon the earth, trouble and tribulation such as the world has never before witnessed. "And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book" (Daniel 12: 1). It's not going to merely strike areas here and there as in times past, but it's going to hit on a world-wide scale. Revelation 13:5 tells us the devil will have "power...to continue" during this troublesome time. This will be so because it's going to take time before the church realizes her authority and uses it against the enemy, and it's going to take time for the church to fight her smaller battles against Satan. The enemy doesn't like it so he is trying to keep the church from pressing into that place of authority and taking this earth from him.
Legally the earth belongs to us. Jesus gave it to us. When Christ died on Calvary he gained back the earth that Adam had lost. The first Adam lost it when he sinned; the second Adam got it back. "The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein" (Psalm 24:1).
War On The Saints
"And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God" (Revelation 13:6a). Who's speaking in blasphemy against God? It is those who are influenced by the beastly system. It's not just one person opening his mouth. There are people blaspheming God all over this world from different segments of society and spheres of influence. Already they are blaspheming and doing blasphemous things against the church. "In blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven" (Revelation 13:6b). Through those who belong to the beastly system, the devil is cursing God; he is also cursing us since we're the tabernacle spiritually, and he is cursing those who dwell in heaven.
"And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations" (Revelation 13:7). During the Dark Ages, the saints as a whole were not making an impact in the world. The light of Christ; Christianity, burned very low during that historical period. The devil didn't overcome every saint, but the corporate body of Christ; the church as a whole, was overcome in its public witness. But the spirit of Christ in His people can never be totally overcome; there's always a remnant that carries His light.
Satan overcoming the saints is also futuristic as I believe at some point the church's public witness will be stopped in these end times. Matthew 24: 9 says, "Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake." In this verse it says all nations shall hate us; that includes our so-called Christian nation, the United States. Look at the antichrist things we are doing in our nation, such as divorce, drugs, abortion, pornography, greed, materialism, etc. Already we see a segment in our society rising up against Christians for taking a stand against abortion, homosexuality, etc. The hatred against Christians has grown in the past decade in our nation in all spheres of our society.
We should not be against our nation, but love and pray for her. God instructs us as Christians to submit to the government authorities over us as long as they are not requiring us to go against the Word of God. We are to pray for these earthly organizations so we might live quiet and peaceable lives in godliness and honesty. "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty" (1 Timothy 2: 1-2). All nations will come against the public witness of Christians to kill the witness of the church. However, nothing can kill or destroy the church; she may be attacked by political power, apostate religion, temptation from the world, and disruption within from false prophets and false brethren -- in spite of all this, the church shall be victorious!
Overcoming Evil With Good
"And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8). The majority of the earth has worshipped and is worshipping the beast. The only ones who have not worshipped the beast are those whose names are written in the book of life, only those who haven't followed after the beastly system because they realize what it is. They have discernment to see it's the devil. "If any man have an ear, let him hear" (Revelation 13:9). Whenever this phrase appears in Scripture it means we're going to have to listen with spiritual ears. What's being taught is not something literal, so we won't understand it unless our spiritual ears are open.
"He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword" (Revelation 13:10a). This tells us that those who do battle with the flesh are going to lose. We cannot fight a spiritual enemy with fleshly tools. If we take the sword, we'll be killed with the sword. If we try to deal with the devil in the flesh, it will simply cause us more problems. We reap what we sow (Galatians 6: 7). "Here is the patience and the faith of the saints" (Revelation 13: 10b). We overcome the problems in our lives through faith and perseverance, not through fleshly means, not through the sword, not through taking things into our own hands, not through using the world's system. We overcome through faith and perseverance. Romans 12: 21 says, "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."
The False Prophet Beast
"And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon" (Revelation 13:11). What beast is this? This refers to the false church, the counterfeit (the false prophet beast). This beast had two horns like a lamb meaning he looked like the church; he looked like Jesus, but he spoke as a dragon. Today in the church the dragon is speaking through many so-called pastors and church leaders (false prophets). It looks like the lamb; they've got "church" written on the outside and they perform religious ceremonies. But they're speaking like the dragon, not like the Lord.
This false church is leading millions to hell because the church members think they're on the right track and heading for heaven, yet they're being deceived. "And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast" (Revelation 13: 12a). In many countries there is a religious system that has much authority, even politically. This church power is ruling along with the government power. There are people within this church who are born-again Christians, but the church system itself is a beastly one. Many have taught that this particular religion is the beast, but it's false teachings are only a part of the beast. All false teachings and deceiving practices that have infiltrated any religious group make up the beast.
The Beast Versus the Lord
The beast is everywhere, in everything that is not of God. That's why Christians have had difficulty in trying to identify the antichrist and the beast. They've tried to label one portion of the beast as being the whole beast, when the beast is bigger than that. The beast is Satan and his influence in the world system; his control has infiltrated the whole world. However, from the leadership in this last generation of this beast system, the devil will choose one human to have more influence than others. His choice could fit the picture of the so-called end- time antichrist. He could even be inhabited by Satan himself as he arrays his last battle against God and the church; however, he will not prevail as the Lord will win the final battle.
"And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone" (Revelation. 19: 11-20).
Here we see Satan's corporate body making war against God's corporate body -- the beast system with its various leaders and Satan at the head, against Christ and his full body of believers at His return. The King of kings and Lord of lords shall win! Hallelujah! Satan will not win nor will any antichrist rule this world.
Kingdom Against Kingdom
Daniel 7: 15-28 says, "I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.
I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. Thus he said, the fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.
And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart."
In spite of the four kinds of beastly world systems that have attempted to rule the earth through their kings or leaders, verse 18 says, "But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever." Even though, in verse 21, Satan makes war with the saints and prevails against them for a season, Jesus, the Ancient of Days, comes in judgment with His saints and possesses the kingdom. No beast or antichrist system shall take and rule all of this earth in the end. "But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him." God's people will never be ruled by the beast or any antichrist. Satan can rule only those marked by him, but not the whole world. God's true people will remain faithful to Christ as they are marked by God and Satan will not rule over them.
The False Church
This beast "...causeth the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed" (Revelation 13:12b). The false church, the false system, is causing millions of people to worship the devil without even realizing it. Millions think they're serving the Lord and going to heaven when in reality they're heading for hell because of the beastly system being preached throughout false churches, groups and movements. "And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men" (Revelation 13:13).
How many of us realize that not all miracles are from the Lord Jesus Christ? There are counterfeit miracles caused by the devil. Satan counterfeits all the things of God. For example, if someone prays for an individual's healing and healing occurs; if that healing was not done in Jesus' name, it's a false healing. Unless healing is done in Jesus' name, it's false. These "great wonders" and "fire coming down from heaven" represent false anointing. We refer to the power of the Holy Spirit as fire, as the anointing of God. In contrast, the false anointing has fallen on the false church.
There are supernatural things happening in the false church, but God is not the source of these supernatural occurrences. The Holy Spirit will always glorify Jesus and draw attention to Him not to a man. Many present day "miracles" are not causing men to repent and turn to Jesus but rather men are seeking these "power anointings" for the excitement of a new experience. Some of these so-called "miracles from heaven" are even creeping into the true church. Deception and delusion are so strong today and many of God's people do not have the discernment they should have to recognize the source of these miracles. Many times this is because of a lack of commitment and obedience on their part. Many are being deceived because holiness and purity are not being preached. The false churches are preaching a false gospel that is ensnaring many into its web of deceit. They represent the earnest attempt of millions of people to fulfill deep and legitimate needs of the human spirit.
Image of the Beast
"And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live" (Revelation 13:14). This image is not like a television image, rather it is "a likeness thereof," or "to look or become like." If we are conformed to the image of Jesus, we become like Him. "But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18). "And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him" (Colossians 3:10).
We're to take on the image of Christ. When we speak of an image, then, we're speaking about being conformed into the nature or character of another person. "That they should make an image to the beast" refers to taking on the beast's nature. There are people in the world taking on the beast's characteristics. One cannot tell them apart from Satan himself. They're acting like the devil, they're talking like the devil, they're doing the works of the devil. They've taken on the image of the beast. They look like his image, rather than the image of Christ.
In this end time, we're going to see the corporate body of Christ, His bride, coming into the image of Jesus Christ, being wholly purified and bringing God's standard into the earth. In contrast, we're going to see the corporate body of the devil coming into the devil's image. There's going to be war between these two. Individually we're already in that war which is escalating to a corporate scale.
"And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak" (Revelation 13:15). This speaking forth by the beast's image is speaking that's done under the influence of Satan. There are people anointed by the devil to speak the devil's word. On the positive side, there are God's anointed apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers who are speaking His true word. On the negative, there are going to be apostles of wickedness speaking by Satan's power; "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works" (2 Corinthians 11: 13-15).
They'll be so subtle and powerful that millions will fall to this beast system. They already have, which is why people are following cults. Satan is speaking through false leaders and he's so subtle people don't realize it's the beast. "That the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed" (Revelation 13:15b). Isn't that the work of the devil? He came to steal, kill and destroy. Jesus spoke about this in John 10:10: "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." Jesus comes to give us life while the devil comes to destroy. He's out to kill all who don't serve him. But he won't succeed because God is in control of His people and the devil will not prevail against them. Luke 21:17-18 says, "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. But there shall not an hair of your head perish."
The Mark of the Beast
"And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six" (Revelation 13:16-18).
We cannot interpret this number (666) literally; we have to have the wisdom of God - "Here is wisdom" (Revelation 13:18a). 2 Thessalonians 2:3 speaks of "that man of sin." That word "man" in Greek is "anthropos," which can mean "mankind," a corporate body of men. It's not talking about a particular individual. "Anthropos" is the word used in 2 Timothy 3:17: "That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." "Man of God" is not referring to a man or one man, but rather to every man of God. Likewise, the number of the beast is not referring to one man; it's every man under the devil's influence and part of the beast's system.
In the Scriptures, "six" is the number representing man, so 666 stands for man at his highest level apart from God. That 666 is marked on the right hands and the foreheads representing conformity to the image of the beast, thinking Satan's thoughts and with the hands doing his evil works. Hands are symbolic of strength. The Bible tells us we're to love God with all of our heart, all of our soul, all of our strength, and all of our mind (Luke 10: 27). The strength of my hands should be used to glorify God, but those marked by the beast will use the strength of their hands to do evil works. This describes the beastly system's infiltration into mankind. Men are being marked by the beast without even realizing it because they're expecting one individual antichrist and a literal tattoo while spiritually they are already marked by the world.
The Number 666
Six is man's number. Symbolically, 666 is man trying to be like God, but he falls short of perfection (the number seven). Only through Christ are we perfect, and symbolically we could be marked by His spiritual number of 777 (that is, if He were to have a number). Humanism epotimizes the pride of man, as he tries to asume the role of God. 2 Thessalonians 2: 3-4 gives a perfect definition of humanism:
"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God."
Those who allow Satan in their temple, declaring humanistic wisdom, are exalting themselves above God and opposing God. In the following list of common humanistic teachings, we can easily see the mark of the beast.
Humanism:
a.) Denies the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ; it teaches man is God and mankind has the answers.
b.) Denies the validity of the Bible and the existence of the soul.
c.) Denies salvation, heaven and hell.
d.) Believes in no absolutes and no right or wrong (just whatever you think is right for you at the moment).
e.) Believes moral values are self-determined and you can do whatever you want (free to do your own thing, not realizing freedom requires responsibility).
f.) Wants removal of disinctive roles of male and female.
g.) Promotes all the sins of Sodom and much more -- adultery, homosexuality, bisexuality, bestiality, pornography, oral sex, etc.
h.) Believes in sexual freedom without restraints.
i.) Believes in abortion.
j.) Believes in mercy killing (euthanasia); believes in suicide as a valid option to escape pain.
k.) Believes in equal distribution of wealth to bring about equality (sowing and reaping, rewards and blessings, are eliminated.)
From this definition, we see the number of the beast that is called a "man" is a corporate man or set of men and not one man we are to look for. This "man" is already here and has always been here because he represents all those who are marked with the beastly system of Satan. In these end times he will manifest himself as "666," man at his zenith of evil in the world. Unparalleled wickedness shall be seen in the earth resulting in great tribulation as our Lord spoke about in Matthew 24: 21, "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be."
Yes, there will be wicked leaders who are antichrist in this wicked beast system, leaders who are marked and causing others to be marked. There will even be one especially vile man standing out above the others that could be called an antichrist. However, he will be only the tip of the iceberg since the real mark of the beast is everywhere -- those without Christ bear it. While the church is looking for "the antichrist" to come, many are being marked spiritually every day. If our eyes are not opened to see the spiritual marking, Satan will have no problem marking them with a literal mark when that day comes.
The Mark of the Beast Linked With Mammon
"No man might buy or sell save he that had the mark" (Revelation 13:17). What's the buying and selling system of the world? Isn't it the money system, the love of money, controlled by the spirit of mammon? The goal of many people is to become a millionaire. Those who love money will not endure. People will be sold out to the greed of this world and the love of money unless they've instead been marked by God. Some people are able to make large sums of money because they've taken the beast's mark; they'll not be able to operate in the world's system without his mark. His mark insures receiving those things this world has to offer. Those who receive the beast's mark receive his goods because he will buy and sell with them; even the poor are marked since greed is a heart attitude. Even those with nothing can be greedy since lust is in the heart of man.
Satan's system is run by buying and selling, whereas God's kingdom is operated by giving and receiving. Using the money system of the world is not evil in itself since money is an amoral object that the spirit of mammon tries to control. Money is part of the world system with the spirit of mammon being the entity behind that system.
As Christians we should use money only as an exchange or purchase system, not for power as do Satan's followers. Revelation 13:16 says the beast system causes all to receive his mark. (That is, all but Christians, since verse 8 states the whole world worships the beast except those whose names are written in the book of life). Verse 17 says that no man might buy or sell except he had the mark, or the name or the number of the beast. To do business with the devil you must have his mark (be conformed to his image), or have his name (become an heir of Satan by becoming his child), or have his number (that spiritual number of 666 which denotes the whole beast system of mankind). I think we will have choice to take the mark or refuse it.
I don't believe men are going to be forced to take a literal number to buy or sell, but rather the world and the beast system will in all probability refuse to sell or do business with Christians. Evil men will try to destroy Christians by denying us the use of the system. They will try to starve us or keep us from prospering. The true end-time church will be walking in God's power and anointing which brings conviction on evil men who hate Christians; therefore, the wrath of evil men will try to top the church. Christians can choose to take the mark by adhering to the evil world system, but I don't believe it will be forced on them.
We already see the lines being drawn between good and evil. Those who love God certainly would refuse anything that would cause them to sin against Him. Using credit cards or legal banking systems is not sinful (as long as we repay according to the credit terms). Only dishonest or worldly demands that would cause us to deny Christ or break His commandments would mark us with the beast system. When these worldly systems progress to that point, we must refuse to use them as that would be sin. Perhaps this is why God is speaking to the church to get out of debt and owe no man anything except the debt of love (Romans 13: 8). Then we are in bondage to no one, but we're free to serve God as He leads us.
Those Marked by the Beast Destroyed
Destruction and God's wrath come upon all who are marked with the beast system.
"And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name" (Revelation 14: 9-11).
"And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image" (Revelation 16: 2).
"And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone" (Revelation 19: 20).
"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years" (Revelation 20: 4).
God's true church shall prevail over the mark of the beast as through Jesus they get the victory over the beast and his mark.
"And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God" (Revelation 15: 2).
Let us pray we not be marked by the beast, but rather have the mark of God, which is the word of God in our hearts and minds and doing His works with our hands.
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CHAPTER TWO
The Deception of the Beasts
Two Kinds of Beasts
The beasts of Revelation 13 are of two kinds. The first beast is a world government superpower, a dictator beast over a world empire. Spiritually, it's a system controlled by Satan that rules the world. The second beast is the false prophet beast over false religion. The false prophet beast does everything the first beast does and through deception causes people to worship the evil system of the world. "And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed" (Revelation 13: 11-12). This beast has two horns. Horns are symbolic of power, dominion and authority. Two is the number of witness so this beast has power to witness. Also, he looks like a lamb, but speaks as a dragon. Jesus warned us of such false prophets in Matthew 7:15, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." This beast is representative of all false religions. He has false anointing (spiritual fire) and causes people to worship the beastly system.
Jesus warned us in Matthew 24: 3-5 that deception would be a major influence right before His second coming. "And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." He said there even would be many coming in His name saying "I am Christ." There are those insane enough to make that claim today; however, I believe this has another meaning as well. Christ in the Greek means "the anointed one." I believe this means many shall be claiming they are anointed of Christ and shall deceive many.
In this chapter, I want to look again at Revelation 13 at the description of the "dictator" beast and the "prophet" beast. Verse by verse we'll see how the world and many in the church are being deceived and marked spiritually by the beast.
Although I've covered some of this in the first chapter, I want to expand on these verses so we can get a clearer picture of the beast system. The book of Revelation is written in this same manner in that we are given different views of the same happenings. We sometimes get a view of what's going on in heaven, then the scene shifts and we see what's going on in the earth. Sometimes we're given an overview of a happening, then another chapter gives us a close-up of that same event. Remember John saw these events similar to a movie. He viewed a scene, then the scene changed. At times he saw a close-up or another view of the same thing.
Lying Wonders of Satan
"And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live" (Revelation 13: 14). An image is a mirror of a reality. It reflects or looks like something else. Making an image to the beast is talking about, I believe, people who have so taken on the beastly system that they end up looking like Satan. They'll look like him because they do the things he does. They'll be like him. In contrast, we're to be like Jesus, following in His footsteps, acting like and reflecting Him.
Satan will even perform lying wonders. 2 Thessalonians 2: 9 says, "Whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders." Not all healing and miracles done in the name of Jesus are from God. In parts of the world there are healers who espouse the Bible, yet their work is done by satanic power. They supposedly perform surgery with their bare hands as they pull out bloody growths without making any incision. There are also other witchcraft activities that use the Bible. Many signs and wonders are occurring out there, but every miracle doesn't come from God. If it doesn't glorify Jesus, it isn't coming from Him. Also, there are supposed occurrences of religious paintings or statues weeping, so people start worshipping such objects. Such activities certainly are not of God; in fact we are forbidden to worship any images. (Exodus 20:3-5). We are to worship God in spirit and in truth. John 4:24: "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."
"So that he (Satan) maketh fire come down from heaven" (Revelation 13: 13b). That could be literal fire from heaven caused by Satan or a flashy display of Satan's power. God caused fire to fall from heaven on Sodom and Gomorrah. The fire of the Holy Spirit fell on the 120 on Pentecost. Fire displays power. Satan loves to counterfeit the things of God. So false fire from heaven indicates displays of power coming from Satan's camp, from the Beast system.
A Literal Mark of the Beast?
"And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads" (Revelation 13:15-16). The government could cause this literal mark; however, Satan is already spiritually marking many people with his thoughts and causing them to do his works with their hands. Many are already spiritually marked and they do not even realize it. If there is going to be a literal mark, the government could cause that through computer technology. But long before people receive a literal mark in their right hand or forehead they are going to be spiritually marked with the beastly system.
One of the deceptions the devil is using, is that of convincing Christians they can resist and not take a physical mark when it comes, when all the while, many are being marked with Satan's beastly thinking in their minds. They're being marked every day as they absorb ungodly television programming and other worldly influences. They are reading ungodly literature that is marking their minds. Ask anyone addicted to pornography if they do not feel their minds are marked with an evil that they are unable to shake. The only hope for millions of porn users is to be freed by the saving grace of Christ and have their minds cleansed by His power. People that are indulging in worldly things to the neglect of reading the Bible and their service to God in prayer will find their minds marked by the ways of Satan and the world. So many people are being marked daily without even realizing it.
"And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast..." (Revelation 13:15a). Satan will give power to his followers to do certain things. They will speak and cause "...as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed" (Revelation 13:15b). Jesus said there would be those who would even try to kill Christians. They would even think they were doing God a service (John 16:2). There are those who try to make life difficult for us, when they find out we are Christians. The persecution of Christians will only get worse as we approach the coming of the Lord. In this last hour, some will hate godly people so much that they'll try to kill us (Luke 21:6-19). They will say, "Don't have anything to do with those Christian people. Don't sell to them, don't do anything for them." They're so wicked themselves that the holiness of God's people will convict them. They won't be able to stand the presence of anyone walking in holiness and purity since they will not want to line up with God's Word themselves.
"He causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads" (Revelation 13:16). Notice the preposition, "in," not "on" -- in their mind, in their hand. "He causeth all" -- who is the "all"? It is all who are not Christians. True Christians will not receive the mark because they have the power of Christ protecting them. They are in God. But the devil will cause everyone else that is not in God, to be marked by him. They will become like Satan; they will become his children.
The right hand is symbolic of authority and power. Ephesians 1:20 says Jesus is seated at the right hand of God. This is a position of authority and power, so taking the mark in the right hand is also symbolic of using Satan's power, authority and influence for evil and selfish works.
We must read the Word of God and put His word in our minds so that we mark our minds with the mark of God. We must then do the works of God in His power and authority which will mark our hands as instruments of God. Using His authority and power that He has invested in us, we will be able to change the world for good. Will you be marked with the "mark of the beast or the "mark of God?" The choice is yours.
Parable of the Tares and Wheat
Matthew 13:24b-30, 37b-38
"The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn...He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one."
We see from this parable that the devil has children, the tares, and they're marked for destruction. Symbolically Satan's children are marked with the number six, six, six, which represents men (mankind) in the world system under the devil's control. 666 is the number of mankind under the devil's influence. Revelation 13:18: "Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six."
God, too, has children marked. Spiritually if God's children would have a number or mark from God it could be 777, which represents perfection. Although the Bible does not speak of this, using symbolism, God's children could be said to be marked with His mark of seven, seven, seven, which stands for perfection in God. In other words, we're His children. Since God is perfect and the symbolic number for perfection and completion is the number seven, we can be numbered with His perfection and completion because we are perfect and complete in Jesus. We operate under God's heavenly system, the kingdom of God. So a number description of God's mark could be 777, if He had a number.
"The enemy that sowed them (the tares) is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels" (Matthew 13:39). "The end of the world" is better translated "the end of the age." We're approaching the end of the age. Before Jesus returns the tares are gathered and burned in the fire. Who is dealt with first? The tares. God destroys the wicked. The wicked are destroyed while those with the mark of God are kept safe. They're not touched because they're marked with God. They have God, they have purity, they have victory; so they're not touched. But the destruction through wars, famines, and pestilence will destroy the tares.
"The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity" (Matthew 13:41).
God's going to purge his own kingdom as He deals with everything that offends. Judgment begins in the house of God (1 Peter 4:17-18: "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?").
There are people within the body of Christ who are tares. As the pressure mounts we're going to find out who is truly with us. Those born of God will continue on; those who fall away were never truly of us, or were of us, but will deny the faith. There are distinctly two classes: some who will deny the faith and some who were never with us. I John 2:18-19 says, "Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us." As the church matures, the tribulation and pressure that is coming will reveal who is really a Christian and who is not.
Those in the kingdom who offend God shall not only be exposed but shall suffer in anguish. "The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity. And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 13:41-42). This represents the purging of the church. "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father" (Matthew 13:43a). After the purging, we're going to see the church come forth in her glory. She's going to shine forth as the sun. How beautiful this will be and how God's heart will rejoice when He sees His bride in her white garments.
Revelation 21:2-3: "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God."
The Mark of the Beast and Finances
Looking at Chapter 13 of Revelation, the mark in the right hand and the forehead could be literal as well as spiritual. Modern technology is set up to do that with the new laser tattoo. However, true believers are going to be marked by God long before there will be any marking system. But if we are compromising and denying God now, later we will not have the faith to resist the mark of the beast. We have to get our faith strong now, so we can resist the devil should a literal mark come.
"And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name" (Revelation 13:17).
That could refer to a computerized system, but let us look at it in a spiritual vein. The buying and selling system is becoming more and more wicked. As Christians, we cannot partake of the spirit of mammon and the ways of the world. Incidentally, if the marking system becomes manifest in the natural realm, logically a card system would not be used. A card showing our entire financial worth would be a powerful instrument that could too easily be stolen. If we do go to a marking system, it will have to be through implantation in the human body as that cannot be stolen.
"No man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast" (Revelation 13:17). Note that his mark, or his name, or the number of his name is required. That is why I do not feel this is a literal mark, but rather is a spiritual picture. What is the name of the beast? Satan, of course, for he is behind it all. Well, the world is not going to run around with "S-A-T-A-N" printed on their bodies. I doubt that people would be that foolish. Instead, Satan has to deceive the world into hell. People are going to hell because they are deceived into it. They do not realize that is where they are heading. They think somehow they are going to escape that. They do not really believe a literal hell exists. If people could see the reality of Satan and hell, they would not follow the devil. They're following him because they are blinded. When they follow him long enough, they become like him. They become marked with "six, six, six."
The Corporate Body of Satan
(The Meaning of the Number 666)
"Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: For it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six" (Revelation 13:18).
Remember, "six" is man's number. Men have always looked for that "man" (the Antichrist) throughout history. Some have thought this man was a religious leader or a political figure such as Nero, Hitler or Mussolini. While some named other world figures such as Mikhail Gorbachov, a former Russian president because of the birth mark on his head.
Yes, all ungodly world leaders are part of the system, but they are not "the man." Rather, it is a corporate structure with Satan using many avenues. That word "man" in Greek is "anthropos," which can mean "mankind," a corporate body of men. It's not talking about a particular individual. "Anthropos" is the word used in 2 Timothy 3:17: "That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." "Man of God" is not referring to a man or one man, but rather to every man of God. Likewise, the number of the beast is not referring to one man; rather it is referring to every man under the devil's influence and part of the beast's system. The beast is not just one man, it is the corporate body of Satan, a corporate "man." We find the "beast system" is in our medicine, our politics, our schools, our music -- the beast system is everywhere. Satan is using many avenues to put his mark on people. Whether he can get them through music or entertainment or politics or money, it does not matter. He will mark them anyway he can. It is a spiritual mark.
The number 666 is that of man. This man is every man in the satanic world system. The man who has deceived these men is Satan, the son of perdition. He is represented by the number 666 and all who follow him get his number. So I do not believe we are going to see a world leader running around with three sixes on his head. I do believe, though, that Satan will use a very wicked leader in the last days. Satan has to enter into some human body to do his work. So he will use one extremely evil man. The devil has entered into men throughout history to do his dirty work, such as Judas Iscariot. It would not surprise me if he had entered into Hitler and some other wicked rulers in times past. As an invisible spirit he does not have to stay in one man's body. He will pick out the person he can get the most benefit from at a particular time. He can enter into a religious leader, or he can enter into a political leader.
Satan can not accomplish all of his evil by himself. He has leagues of demonic powers in all areas already doing his work. So while people are waiting for one man to rise on the scene, Satan is already busy trapping unaware men on a daily basis. They do not realize they are being marked.
Satan, the Ultimate Beast
All in all, Satan is the one behind the beast system. The name of the beast is Satan. He is the true or ultimate beast. What happens to those who take his mark? Revelation 14: 9-11 answers that: "And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name."
In the next chapter we shall see how we can avoid such a fate. We will see how we can be marked with God's mark which will prevent the beast from marking us.
(Continued)
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WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT....HOW TO BE BORN AGAIN?
What's Wrong With This World?
Everywhere in this world we find heartache, strife, sickness, poverty, injustice and a host of other ills. Why can't men live in peace and enjoy the good things in this earth? The Bible (God's book to mankind) gives us the answer to these questions and tells us how to be born again and what that means. He tells us in His Book that all the troubles in the world are due to either my sin or someone else's. All of mankind is sinful, thus separated from the holiness of God.
"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23).
What exactly is sin? If you asked ten different people, you might get ten different answers. Some might say that sin is "doing something wrong or breaking the law", while others might say that sin is "hurting another person or taking an innocent life." Still others might deny the very existence of sin, saying that there is no such thing as right or wrong-- in short, that there are no real absolutes in this world. However, most people agree (regardless of culture) that there are certain actions that are wrong, and should be punishable by fines, imprisonment or even death.
Even the person who "doesn't believe in right or wrong" would have a hard time observing a maniac rape and murder a small child, and say that what happened to them was not a crime.
Sin is a terminal disease that eats away at the very heart of this planet. It destroys individual people, families, cultures, even the earth itself. Our world is defiled by it, yet most people cannot even give a definition of the word, or grasp the true gravity of the situation. What is sin? Surely sin is more that ten different opinions from ten different people. Is there any final authority on this subject?
The Bible says that sin is a heart condition. It is a condition of rebellion against God, which stems from pride. The Bible even refers to pride as "original sin." The Hebrew definition of the word sin means "to miss the mark." God created us to be like Him, but our pride and rebellion make us fall far short of that purpose. Our actions, though they may be "sinful" are really only the fruit of our rebellion against God. Our outward actions merely mirror our true inner condition. It is our true inner condition that God is concerned with. He knows the "real you" better than you yourself do, because he sees "the inner man" and all your secret thoughts and motives.
"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." Hebrews 4:13 (NIV)
"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." 1 John 1:8
Though one may lead a "good life" on the outside, God looks on the heart. It is the nature of man to look on the outward, but outward appearances can be deceiving.
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity." Matt. 23:27-28
We cannot deal with our sin by "cleaning ourselves up" the outside, when our problem is a heart condition. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin." John 8:34 We are all slaves to our sinful nature, and we can only be cleansed from within.
Since sin is the root cause of all our troubles, we must deal with our sin first if we want less troubles in our lives. How do we get rid of sin? God tells us in His Word that by nature we are "...dead in trespasses and sin;" (Ephesians 2:1) and that we are "...alienated from the life of God..." (Ephesians 4:18). Just as a body without physical life is declared physically dead, so anyone who is separated from God is described in the Bible as spiritually dead. As long as we remain spiritually dead, we cannot know God.
We all need a new life. We need to be cleansed from sin and it's penalty (which is death) and restored to fellowship with God who made us all. That is what Jesus Christ (God's Son) meant when He said we "must be born again" (John 3:7). "...Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). Without the experience of the "new birth" we have no hope of enjoying the glories of heaven nor escaping the terrors of hell. Have you been born again?
The "new birth" is not a religion, not living up to a creed, not a set of rituals, nor joining a church or denomination. It's a transformation. Our old nature is changed and we receive a new one. Old things pass away and all things become new in Christ. We receive a new heart, new desires, new ideas, and a new direction because of this new nature. A birth is the coming into being of a new life which has the nature of its parents. When you were born the first time, you were made a partaker of the nature of natural man. When you are born again, you become a partaker of the divine nature (II Peter 1:4). God can become your heavenly Father.
The greatest attribute of God is that He is a God of love. He loves you and me. He loves all sinners and wants to save every one of us from hell and the terrible results of our sin. His Word tells us, "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). "For He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (II Corinthians 5:21). God hates sin because of what it produces-- war, sickness, poverty, etc., but God loves the sinner.
God sent Jesus Christ, His only Son, so that we might have new, everlasting life. The Bible tells us, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). By His death and resurrection, Jesus paid for our salvation. He broke the power of sin and death, making it possible for us to have everlasting life. The life of God raised Jesus from the dead and He was the first born Son into the kingdom of God.
"Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence" (Colossians 1:12-18).
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was nailed to a cross by ungodly men for no sin of His own. He was an innocent man-- the only man who was ever perfect and sinless. He never sinned, yet He took your sins and mine by taking an unjust death. Because He did this willingly, He was raised from the dead by His Father and given life and authority over the powers of darkness. God now imparts that same life and authority to all those who come receiving His provision for their sin. "...the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" (I John 1:7)
We must accept God's Word that says we all are sinners and know that it is sin that separates us from God and repent or "turn away" from that sin. Until we each acknowledge, and ask forgiveness for our own guilt, we will never be free from it. It will eventually lead us right into hell.
"The Lord is...not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (II Peter 3:9)
God wants to give us His power over sin. We cannot conquer sin without that power. God wants to give us life for death, beauty for ashes, health for sickness, joy for grief, peace for strife, love for hate. God's Word says, "...I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). Do you want abundant life? This abundant life comes only as we are born again and as we follow on and receive all that God promises us.
It isn't always easy following God, but nothing worthwhile ever was. You may be ridiculed and persecuted. You will face many temptations to fall back into your old nature. But you can be assured that God is with you, and He will give you power to overcome every one of them.
"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." Phil 3:7-9
You can pray right now and ask God to come into your heart and receive the new birth. Simply talk to Him as you would talk to another person. You might pray a prayer similar to this:
God, I do not know you personally, but I want to know you. I believe that
Your Word, the Bible is true. I repent for hardening my heart toward you,
and delighting myself in things you hate. I don't want to go to hell; I really
want to be free of my sin. Come into my heart and cleanse me of the guilt
of my sins and give me the power to overcome those sins. I want to be Your
child and learn of Your ways. Keep me from evil and save my soul. Amen
If you said that prayer and meant it from your heart, you are now a child of God. You will need to do four things faithfully every day so you will grow in God.
1. Read God's Word daily.
You need to read and study God's Word (the Bible) every day. This is how you will learn about God's ways and how to overcome your problems and troubles. His Word brings strength to your spiritual nature. If you do not have a Bible, make your first prayer request to God to supply you with one.
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (II Timothy 2:15).
"But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (II Timothy 3:10-17).
2. Pray to God daily.
We must fellowship and talk to God if we are to hear His guidance and learn of His nature. We are promised that all of our needs shall be met if we will only ask the Father in the name of Jesus.
"And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14: 13-15)
"Seek ye first the kingdom of God , and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33).
3. Seek Water Baptism and Fellowship with like believers.
(1.) Seek out a good Bible-believing church and share your decision to follow Christ with the body of believers there and ask to be water baptized. This will seal your commitment to Christ (See BIBLE ANSWERS for more about water baptism).
Ask the Lord to show you the people you are to pray and fellowship with on a daily basis. He does not want you to be alone in your Christian walk. We all need one another's prayers, encouragement, and love to grow in God.
"And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching" (Hebrews 10:24-25).
4. Keep your heart pure before the Lord daily.
Ask God to cleanse you of all sin and impure thoughts and motives. Satan, our enemy, will try to break our fellowship with God by getting us back into sin or trying to get us angry at God. Guard against this by resisting the devil daily.
"Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life" (Proverbs 4:23).
"Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:7).
If you received the Lord into your heart, welcome to the family of God!
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What the Bible Says About Bridging the Generation Gap
By Mercy Aiken
The Bible paints a very interesting picture of the "last days." On one hand we see great tribulation, yet we also see an increased measure of His Spirit being poured out on all flesh. Many end-time biblical scholars will focus on just one side of this spectrum. Yet, God wants us to see and be prepared for the "big picture." The better we can grasp the gloom and the glory of the last days, the better prepared we will be to function successfully in these times, and to disciple the nations according to the full truth of God’s plan.
Power in Generational Unity
Although there are many aspects to the way that the glory and judgements of the Lord will be manifested on the earth in the last days, I want to address one particular issue in this article: God’s plan for restoring the generations. By the time most of you read this, The Call DC will be history. As I understand it, this assembly was first directed only to the youth of the nation to gather in Washington D.C. for a solemn day of prayer and fasting. Later, it was made a multi-generational assembly, calling for children and parents to assemble together at the nation’s capital. I am convinced that calling all the generations together was pleasing to the Spirit. God, I believe, prefers to work within the scheme of many generations interacting with each other, rather than an isolated generation. One of His most revealing titles for Himself is "the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." He is the God of many generations.
Throughout His word, the righteous declare that their purpose is to declare the glory of God to the next generation.
"Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come" (Psalm 71:18 NIV).
"One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts" (Psalm 145:4 KJV).
From these, and many other scriptures, we can see clearly that each generation is called to build on the foundation left by the previous generation. Therefore, all generations are in great need of each other to complete the work that God has called His corporate Body to fulfill.
Satan’s Plan of Destruction
Because of this, we can expect that there will be great generational warfare at the end of the age. Within the tribulation and chaos of this time, Satan has a plan to cause tremendous disunity and mistrust between the generations. This is already happening in the world in a greater measure than we have ever seen. Nevertheless, Satan will ultimately fail, because the Lord has already ordained that a key movement in the end times will be one of restoration among the generations!
"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse" (Malachi 4:5-6 KJV).
Part of the reason this work of restoration will be so glorious, is because of the severe darkness of the times. Even as we see as fulfillment of Malachi 4:5-6, we will also the see the fulfillment of 2 Timothy 3:1-4:
"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" (NIV).
Even as Satan is attempting to create outright warfare among the generations, the Lord is restoring unity to them, and He is beginning this work inside the church. Within our families, ministries, churches, jobs, schools, etc., God is knitting together multi-generational teams that will fulfill various purposes for His kingdom.
Restoration Begins on a Personal Level
Let me share some personal experience with you in this area. God called me to serve at Christ Unlimited Ministries several years ago when I was in my early twenties. At that time, there was a full-time staff of three; Bud and Betty Miller and myself. They were in their late 50's and 60's, and many people assumed that we would not be able to relate to each other well because of our age gap. However, the Lord did an amazing thing between us, knitting our hearts together with such a deep love, that we scarcely noticed the age difference. The first year that I worked for Christ Unlimited, all of our differences were swallowed up in Christ’s love.
However, during the years that followed, I began to find myself in a greater struggle. Many of the things that seemed to be obvious problems to Bud and Betty, seemed to be very minor and debatable to me. I particularly did not agree some of the presentation on this website regarding issues that are very dear to my generation, such as tattooing and body piercing. Nevertheless, my love and admiration for Bud and Betty only grew in other areas. Despite my inner turmoil, I knew that I was exactly where the Lord wanted me to be. I saw that He was teaching me valuable lessons, and if I would be willing to humble myself, He would give me great endurance and wisdom.
After all, the Lord could put us in an environment where everyone feels the exact same way that we do! I suppose there are some groups that have this luxury. However, I wonder if it is really a blessing. Most of us desire to see unity within the Body of Christ. Yet, how will this unity come about? It is easy to long for world peace. It is yet another thing to get along with our neighbor and our own family!
Beyond generational differences, the church also faces racial, cultural, and denominational barriers. These are never easy to cross; not if one plans to interact and live with such differences for more than a few months. Perhaps the greatest barrier within the church, is the barrier of differing views on how one should please the Lord. One would think that this would be the uniting factor within the church! For the mature in the Lord, I believe that it is. However, with prideful and immature Christians (and none of us are perfect yet), different opinions about how one should please the Lord become major issues and stumbling blocks.
Perhaps this barrier is most evident within differing generational mindsets (after all, even denominations are composed by rules and precepts drawn by previous generations). We argue over how involved Christians should be within everything from politics to punk bands. What are the limits one should keep, as they reach out to a lost and dying world? What is mere legalism masquerading as holiness? And what about true holiness that is misconstrued as legalism? How tolerant is the Lord of our cultural blind spots? What are His greatest hates? What are His greatest loves? I truly want to know the answers to these questions and I know that you do too. I know that the answers, in part, can only be found within a mix of varying generations who are willing to listen to each other. The very thing that rubs us the wrong way, is destined to separate the wheat from the chaff in our own hearts.
The other day I was praying a rather desperate prayer born out of this confusion. As I was pacing back and forth, I cried out, "O Lord, show us the way! Show us the truth!" At that moment, the words of Jesus echoed so clearly in my ears, that I stopped pacing and actually began to laugh. "I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life" (John 14:6).
As long as our goal is to know and love Jesus above all, we will grow in the simplicity of the Gospel. As the world becomes increasingly complicated, we must never forget that simplicity. He is the answer to every question. In fact, He faced these very same issues every day, and we must follow in His steps. What was His greatest example? I don’t think it was that He spent time with sinners, or upset the Pharisees. It is too easy to follow that "example" only as an outlet for our rebellion, imagining that everyone who corrects us is a modern-day Pharisee. No, the greatest example that Jesus left us, was that He was wholly dependant upon the Father to guide Him in every situation. He spoke only what He was told to speak. He did only what He was told to do. He lived in perfect obedience, not to outward rules but to the inward guidance of the Holy Spirit that rested continually upon Him and the word of God that dwelled richly within Him. In Jesus, the letter of the law and spirit of the law kissed each other. The beauty of that union has dazzled our spirits ever since.
Restoration Involves Death to Old Loyalties
As I stated earlier, I believe that this restoration of the generations is part of God’s end time plan that will play a major role in silencing the Foe. We cannot arrive at this state of unity without some blood (dying to ourselves and applying the blood of Christ to our minds), sweat (it will take true effort on our part), and tears (repentance, prayer and seeking God’s face). If you are in a situation of generational conflict, take heart. If you respond correctly, you will find that God is working His character within you. He will give you power to bring reconciliation that is like nothing like the world has ever seen. This wisdom will bring healing to the nations and exalt the name of the Lord across the entire earth.
Within the confines of the church today, God is raising up many peacemakers. We all have the opportunity to be a part of this group, but the only way to do so is to die to our old loyalties. I’m talking about our cultural loyalties. Are we willing to lose who we are, so that Christ may be formed in us? Most of us want just enough of Christ within us to get by, while we hold on to as much of our old identity as possible. I don’t know about you, but I am tired of that. I want to die, so that His life might flow through me unhindered and untainted.
Despite my personal convictions, I must also ask myself this question: Am I willing to give others the grace to arrive at this place without immediately judging them for an appearance or lifestyle that is unacceptable to me? I did not gain my desire for death to my old ways merely because someone showed me a bunch of rules that I failed to keep. If that did not work for me, how can I expect it to work for others? I would rather die than to lead others to mere religion. I want to awaken within them a passionate love for the Lord, that they will guard as their greatest treasure.
What is true holiness? We arrive at this place one step at a time. It begins when Jesus lets us catch just enough of a glimpse of His beauty, that we become dissatisfied until we know Him face-to-face and heart-to-heart! I can now see that He is all I have ever wanted or needed. He truly is my source of joy. Because of that, I hate anything that comes between us. I watch over my conscience, being careful to let none of my actions disturb it, because when my conscience is troubled, I find a separation between myself and my God. This eventually becomes so painful that I will do anything to be close with Him again, even if it means "cutting off my hand" or "gouging out my eye." Until we see that the pleasures of knowing Him are greater than anything else, we will inevitably fall back into the same old sins. Only when we are consumed in unbroken communion and passionate love for Him, we will be truly holy. And there is no way to this place, but through the death of our old self. It is impossible to know Jesus except through the cross. When we are dead to our old loyalties, all that matters to us is loving Christ, and leading others into that love.
Admonitions For Us All
If you are of the younger generation, it is crucial to remember these admonitions in Scripture:
"Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth" (Ephesians 6:1-3 KJV).
"Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will show thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee" (Deuteronomy 32:7 KJV).
There is wisdom in the older generation that can only be received by those whose hunger for truth has forged humility within their hearts. If all you want to do is defend your views, you are robbing yourself of great wisdom and understanding. Much of what the older generation says is for our protection and good. Let me also point out that holding to the standards of ages past does not necessarily equate with a "religious spirit." Almost always, there are very good reasons for their standards, and those who are seeking wisdom will listen with an open mind. There is nothing more foolish than a youth who thinks they have seen it all, trying to correct an elder! Like Elihu in the book of Job it is better to keep your mouth shut until it is appropriate to speak.
Those who are older must also consider that expecting instant maturity from a young Christian is contrary to the illustration that we gain from watching a human body mature in the natural. Even so, we should diligently work to see that Christ is being formed within those the Lord has entrusted to us. Like good doctors, however, we must be certain that we are offering the right cure to those who are ailing. Similar symptoms do not always point to the same disease, and the wrong medicine can kill, rather than heal a person. We must remember that some traditions are neither good nor bad–and enforcing them in a legalistic way can be a stumbling block to children, who need the right balance between freedom and law.
"But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?" (Matthew 15:3KJV).
"And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 3:4 KJV).
One Holy Generation
In conclusion, let us be reminded that there is actually one holy generation that God is extracting from all the ages of human history. It is clear from Scripture that the entire overcoming Body of Christ is actually the same generation, no matter what age they live in! Consider the following verse, written two thousand years ago (emphasis mine).
"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light" (1 Peter 2:9 KJV).
Psalm 24 also speaks of this same generation (emphasis mine):
"Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord Almighty–He is the King of glory" (NIV).
From these verses we can see that there is a spiritual generation that has nothing to do with our date of birth. It is the generation of God’s overcomers, who have been on the earth throughout human history. This generation transcends 20, 50, 500 or 3,000 years difference in natural age.
We also see from Psalm 24, that it is this spiritual generation that ushers in the "King of glory." He is being ushered in through a holy generation that has existed throughout all the ages of man. The year of our birth does not qualify or disqualify us from being a part of this generation. Rather it is the attitude of the heart. The famous verse from Joel that was quoted by Peter in Acts is specifically for both old and young people:
Acts 2:17-18 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy (KJV).
The Apostle Peter, who applied the above verse to his generation, is part of the same generation that you and I belong to. We are the generation that seeks His face.
Therefore, let us make up our minds to not view each other after the flesh, but after the life and calling of the Spirit within us. Let us deliberately mingle with other generations, yielding to the Holy Spirit as He works out the rough edges within us through this interaction. We need each other, not only to complete the Great Commission, but to complete that holy work of the Spirit that will make us humble and pliable, keeping to the straight and narrow and yet flowing with the new moves of the Spirit.
The Call
As the rest of the world experiences greater alienation with each other, and becomes more unrestrained, we must reach out in compassion, demonstrating the power of the Holy Spirit. O, that this work of restoration would begin within the church! The world is literally dying to see this love manifested anywhere! Once they see it, they will run to Him who is the restorer of us all.
I hope you made it to The Call DC, but if you didn’t, you have not missed the sacred opportunity to live out this call right where you are. It is a truly a call for this hour, and will be manifested in the day-to-day lives of a people who want to see a sweeping move of the glory of God more than anything in the world.
Isaiah 58:12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in (KJV).
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WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT....BUSINESS?
Song of Solomon 2:15 says, "Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes." Foxes sometime in search of food would enter into the grape orchards and devour the grapes and spoil the crop. However, the little foxes were too small to reach the grape bunches so they would chew on the vines and it would kill the whole vine. Instead of the farmer just losing his crop, he would lose his vine which was more disastrous. Spiritually some things we do or allow that we might think is little or insignificant can also be disastrous for us.
Business Compromises
As Christians, compromising in the work place and in our work ethics in little things, is an area that can be an open door for the enemy to gain an advantage over us. This "little fox" is so common place that many Christians are not only failing to recognize it but are also guilty of it.
When Christian business men work hand and hand with Christian employees by Biblical work ethics and standards, it produces a just and fair work place. In the past when our nation had a strong Christian influence this combination led to our nation being known for quality workmanship. Other nations were seeking to buy merchandise with the "Made in U.S.A." label. Because our nation as a whole has turned away from its moral standards and we have failed in our Christian influence in the workplace, everyone is suffering.
Christians are mocked because we do not exemplify a Biblical standard in our business lifestyles. How are we to witness and share the gospel of Christ if our work habits are not exemplary?
Many of the younger generation were not taught proper work habits and now have difficulty in holding a job. Children's messy rooms are a symptom of how a generation of parents has neglected to teach their children this truth while they were growing up.
We are instructed in Proverbs 22:6 to "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when his is old, he will not depart from it."
The key in this verse is the word "training". Training involves more than just teaching. The best teachers teach not only the procedure for doing a job, but also a set of values for producing that job.
Whatever reasons we give for our neglect in training our children, the truth is we did not take the time needed to train our children properly. We are a world in a hurry which is a big hindrance to good workmanship. Slothfulness, shoddy workmanship and disorganization reflect a lack of caring. Many people take short cuts that hamper the quality of the job, just to finish the task so they can eliminate any problems of the moment. Later the job must be repeated which wastes time because the job was not done right the first time.
We need to teach our children not only how to do a good job, but also train them to do their best. Teaching is simply communicating knowledge, while training involves conveying a value system. Good teachers who teach moral values along with proper instruction produce quality schooling and the best workers.
If we as parents compromise in our lifestyles and work ethics before our children then we communicate those ideas to them.
If we have been deceived or perhaps have just become negligent in any area pertaining to our work ethics, we could be guilty of hurting our children or our witness for the Lord.
Here is a checklist for employees to see if perhaps any "little foxes" have been spoiling our vines:
(1.) Examining what motivates us to work. Love of money, fear, duty and necessity are some of the world's reasons to work. Our reason should be one that is motivated by love for our Lord.
(2.) Taking short cuts that will lessen the finished product because of laziness or impatience. This wastes time because a job is done the quickest way and not the best way.
(3.) Hiding mistakes that are costly to others because of fear or pride.
(4.) Stealing from our employer which increases his operating costs that in turns cause company wages or bonuses to be less.
(5.) Working in a careful manner to avoid carelessness to prevent accidents. Safety rules need to be obeyed which help lower insurance costs.
(6.) Communicating properly when we have a problem with the boss, instead of gossiping about him to other employees?
(7.) Being responsible and disciplined, workers who are dependable and loyal.
(8.) Avoiding slothful habits, such as tardiness and absenteeism without a cause. (Pretending to be sick just because we do not want to go to work is outright deception).
(9.) Lying about our qualifications when applying for a job causing the employer to believe we can do more than we are actually trained or qualified to do. (This puts the employer at risk because of inferior work that will be produced.)
(10.) Walking out on a job without proper notification.
Here is a checklist for employers or manufacturers that is also in order:
(1.) Creating inferior products because of greed. (Things that wear out quickly so they must be replaced sooner so the manufacture will profit more.)
(2.) Representing our products falsely by exaggerated marketing ads just to make sales.
(3.) Treating our employees the way we would want to be treated. (Fair and just wages and benefits should be given to all workers without being a respecter of persons.)
(4.) Furnishing comfortable and good working conditions for our help.
(5.) Observing the Sabbath rest for all employees as well as ourselves. (Workaholics will eventually experience burnout and God knew as human beings we all need a day of rest and refreshing in the Lord.)
(6.) Terminating employees unfairly because of greed. (Often loyal older employees are replaced by younger ones at a lesser salary to avoid retirement benefits and the higher earned salary of the older worker).
Although these lists are by no means complete, this will give us a starting place to examine if we are living a Christian life in the marketplace. Notice the examples used in this list are character related and unless people come to God and allow Jesus to change their evil nature, our nation will continue to plunge into a deteriorating workplace. We as Christians should be examples in leading the way of good work ethics in the marketplace. It is sad that many Christians fail to do this and our witness in the world is not Christian at all as we act like the rest of the world.
Many Christian employees justify their actions because they feel they are just compromising in little things that do not matter. Such things as: Telling little white lies, tardiness, misusing their privileges, failure to keep their word, gossiping in the office, taking advantage of their sick leave, using the company telephone, postage, equipment, etc. for personal use, expecting salaries beyond their work production, producing sloppy work, etc.
Christian employers who violate God's principles are guilty too, of wrong treatment of employees, improper conduct, unfair wages, overworking employees, failure to supply safe working conditions, ignoring communication problems and unjustly terminating employees.
The Word of God tells us how we can please God in the workplace in Matthew 25:23, "His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord." Being faithful in the little things will promote us to rule over larger things. The same is true on the negative side, neglect in little things can cause big problems. May the Lord show us the "little foxes" in our workplaces that are creating big problems.
We must remember as Christians our ministry is to live the Christian life any where we are. The most important thing is our relationship with people. We must guard and watch our attitude in the office one toward another as well as our outreach to the people God sends us to be a witness. Remember the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." (Luke 6:31)
We need to strive for excellent work and be like our Lord. Scriptures that pertain to the workplace that we all need to keep in mind are as follows:
Isa. 12:5 "Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth."
Col. 3:17 "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."
Col. 3:23 "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men."
Ecc. 9:10 "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might."
Luke 16:10 "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much."
Proverbs 11:1 "A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight."
1 John 2:5-6 "But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby we know that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked."
Eph. 6:5-9 "Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. And ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him."
Rom. 12:10-11 "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord."
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What Does The Bible Say About Masturbation?
"What does the Bible say about masturbation?" is one of our most frequently asked questions. Many Christians have found it difficult to answer this question according to the Bible, because the Bible never mentions masturbation specifically. To understand how God feels about this subject, we must examine other verses that deal with issues such as lust, self-control and purity. Also, we must examine its fruit to see if it is from God. We have tried to address this issue by answering some of the most frequently asked questions. Our prayer is that God will use this page to bring freedom and deliverance.
"Does God care about what we do in the privacy of our bedrooms?"
Sex is God's invention. He is the mastermind behind it—and His creation is worth far more to Him than it is to us. This beautiful expression of love was created out of His own heart, as a gift to be experienced between a husband and wife. It is only in marriage that this manifestation of intimacy can be fully enjoyed in the depth for which it was created (Hebrews 13:4).
The more beautiful and unique something is (like sexual intercourse), the more power it holds over our lives, either for good or bad influence. That is why it so easy for the devil to corrupt the most precious of God's gifts. When we become more in love with the gifts than the One who endowed them, the things that were designed to bless us begin to destroy us instead. Yes, God cares about what we do with our bodies, in public or in private. He doesn't want us to abuse ourselves in any way.
In fact, an older definition of masturbation is "self-abuse." Although more modern dictionaries may no longer carry this definition, they are still linked together under self-abuse:
Self-abuse noun¹
1. Abuse of oneself or one's abilities.
2. Masturbation.
1 Corinthians 6:18 further confirms this, saying that unlawful sexual relations defile our own bodies. Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.
"Isn't it still better to masturbate than to commit fornication?"
The easy answer to this question would be, "Yes, it is better to masturbate, because at best it corrupts only one person. It certainly is the lesser of two evils." However, why would a loving, holy, all-powerful God abandon you to a situation in which you have to choose any evil, whether it be "lesser" or "greater?" To really answer this question, we must again go back to God's original plan for sex.
First of all, masturbation will not truly relieve the sexual pressure that one may feel. It may for a short moment, but in the long run it only creates a deeper desire and capacity for sex, which will lead to more masturbation. If you let yourself become enslaved to a sexual high, you will find that you need to go to increasingly extreme acts to maintain the same degree of excitement. There are even ungodly sex therapists who recommend masturbation as a way of increasing sexual desire, not lessening it. This creates a vicious circle, like the junkie who craves a "fix," but is only temporarily satisfied. The more he indulges in his dependency, the more ensnared by addiction he becomes. This is the nature of all sin. That is why Jesus declared that all who sin become a slave to sin (John 8:34).
Furthermore, masturbation usually involves fantasy, visualization, and often pornography. The Bible is very clear as to what God expects of us in these areas of fantasy and lust. It teaches that we must not look lustfully at each other and nor should we behave in such a manner as to entice others to lust after us.
I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust upon a girl. I know full well that the Almighty God sends calamity on those who do (Job 31:1-3, The Living Bible).
You have heard that it was said, "Do not commit adultery." But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:28).
While the above verses refer to men lusting after women, all women know that it can very easily be reversed to apply to themselves as well. Men may be more easily visually stimulated than women, but women can be just as vulnerable to sexual fantasy in the emotional realm. Both are sin in God's eyes, and both can be brought into subjection by controlling our thoughts through Christ's power.
All sexual immorality begins with a thought. A lustful thought not taken captive, will eventually lead to other perversions, because sin reproduces itself in increasingly greater measures. If we do not deal with our evil thoughts, they will take root in our heart.
It is for this reason that God is so concerned with our thought life. Jesus came not only to deliver us from our "outward" sins, but also from wickedness that begins in the heart.
"Isn't God unreasonable to demand sexual purity after giving us sexual drives that seem to overwhelm us at times?"
Our loving God never demands from us what is impossible for us to do. We are so weak within ourselves that it may seem impossible, but He will equip us with His holy power to overcome any sin, if we ask in faith.
Of course, sexual urges in and of themselves are not wicked. They are natural. God created us that way. He desires that we get optimum pleasure out of them by using them the way they were created to be used. However, many desires for physical gratification (whether it be food, sex, etc.) stem from a deeper need that is unfilled deep inside us. Gorging our flesh can never fill a hunger that grows out of our spirit. Only intimacy with God can fill the deepest needs inside of us. No other created thing has that power.
God is no more unreasonable than any caring parent who lovingly disciplines their child. It is only because He knows what is best for us. He sees a mighty potential in each one of us that far supersedes our wildest dreams, and He loves us enough to do all He can to bring it to pass.
"I agree with all the theory, but living it out on a day to day level is another story."
This is the place where we need the empowerment of the Holy Spirit in our everyday lives. The Holy Spirit is not a vague "force," but the very power of God to comfort you and strengthen you against the sins that used to rule you before you were born again. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we have the very ability that Jesus had to resist temptation. He depended completely upon the Father and so must we.
Something you must know is that God is not the one who is tempting you in this area to "test" you. God is on your side and wants to set you free from these things, not lead you into them! When tempted, no one should say "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed (James 1:13-14).
God wants us to overcome every sin and temptation in our lives. Please slowly read the following verses and let their message seep deep inside your spirit.
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it (1 Corinthians 10:13).
For though we live in the world we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
In the same way count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master for you are not under law but under grace (Romans 6:11-14).
For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:15-16, King James Version).
Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God (2 Corinthians 7:1).
"Can I really be set free?"
In (this) freedom, Christ has made us free—completely liberated us; stand fast then, and do not be hampered and held ensnared and submit again to a yoke of slavery—which you have once put off (Galatians 5:1 Amp).
If you are in a real struggle with any form of sexual sin, we do not believe it was by accident that God led you to this teaching. He wants to set you free, starting right now! We would like to share several things that you can do to break loose from this stronghold:
1. Confess this sin first to God, then go to a committed Christian you trust, such as your pastor. Ask God to lead you to someone that you can be accountable with, who will be faithful to pray with you and for you. This will take humility on your part, but it will lead to life. James 5:16 says: "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." (You may not feel "righteous" but if you have admitted your sin to God and received His forgiveness, you are! That means your prayers are powerful and effective!)
We found a site that deals with people who have had problems in the past with pornography. Now they hold each other accountable and share what God has done in their lives. If you think such a group may be of help to you, you might want to visit this link. Porn Prayer Support (Christian support group)
2. Flee from and reject anything that aggravates this sin. For example, you may need to get off the Internet for a season or purchase software that blocks out pornography. This may sound too drastic, but it certainly is mild compared to Jesus who said, "If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body, than for your whole body to go into Hell." (Matthew 5:30). His point was that we must be willing to part with anything that causes us to sin—even if it hurts temporarily.
3. You may need to seek healing and deliverance from qualified Christians who are anointed in this area of ministry. If you have been deeply involved in sexual sins, the devil probably has a stronghold in that area your life. If you can, find some people who can help you stand against the devil, for he is the one who seeks to lead you into temptation, and whispers lies of hopelessness and shame into your ears. If he drops a filthy thought into your mind just when you are trying to pray (he has used this tactic on even the holiest saints of God), tell him to leave in the name of Jesus! Recognize his voice for what it is, and submit yourself to God. As you do this and resist the devil, he will flee from you! He is deathly afraid of those who are submitted to God in brokenness and humility.
4. Don't give up! Deliverance might take time. Self-control takes effort. You may slip occasionally—or even a lot. But remember that God loves you and He will be faithful to perfect His character in you as long you keep submitting to Him. Eventually you will win—and not because of your best efforts, but because of God's mercy (Titus 3:5). Just as salvation is received in faith, so deliverance must be received in faith. This has nothing to do with our character, strength, or failings. The only thing it is dependant upon is you receiving it in humility. If you should fail, recognize it quickly, ask God to forgive you—and then receive His forgiveness! He is faithful to do that which He promised, not just in a select few mighty men and woman of God, but in all who are willing to come humbly before Him. That includes you! We want to encourage you to hold on to this scripture as your anchor:
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).
If there is anything else we can do to help you, please let us know. In closing, we would like to pray for you:
"Father, we thank you for bringing this person into our website. We know that it was your Holy Spirit that led them here and we thank you for your faithfulness to them! We lift them up to you now and ask that You fill them with a desire for You that transcends every other desire they have ever known. Let them know your cleansing love and power. We thank you that he whom the Son has set free, is free indeed. We speak this freedom into the life of this one whom the devil has bound in shame. We speak healing and deliverance and we break every tie that has kept them under a spirit of addiction and perversion. We stand against the Evil One and his every plan to bring destruction in this one's life. Father, in faith, and by the power and authority You have given us, we declare that this one is FREE in the name of Jesus! We commit them to Your care and we loose Your Holy Spirit to minister to them at this very instant. We ask these things in the precious name of Your son, Jesus Christ."
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What Does the Bible Say About Homosexuality?
We realize that with the growing popularity and glamorization of homosexuality, that this subject can be a very difficult one to address. Furthermore, as hate crimes specifically committed against homosexuals occur, many feel that this issue shouldn't be addressed at all for fear of only adding to the hostile environment that many homosexuals face. Despite the cultural climate in which we live, this issue must be addressed according to the Word of God. God's laws are always for our good, although man may see them as restricting. In the end, only obedience to the Word of God can bring true freedom. We address this issue out of God's love for the homosexual to bless and help him.
Much of our society has embraced many perverted sexual practices that are considered in the Bible as abominations to God. Homosexuality is among the list of deviate or abnormal sexual practices however, there are many other practices that can be included as well. Pornography, pedophilia, prostitution, bestiality, oral sex, phone sex and computer virtual reality sex, just to name a few of them.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NIV): "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters, nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."
Although the Bible doesn't detail each and every one of these sinful acts, it does clearly speak out about many of them. Any deviation from God's original plan for sex between a married man and woman is still a sin in God's eyes. The main reason we call these things perverted is because they are unnatural and scripture clearly tells us those who do such things are committing abominations. Leviticus 18:22 (KJV): "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind it is abomination."
Homosexuality is also referred to as the sin of sodomy. This reference comes from an account in the Bible of two exceedingly wicked cities, Sodom and Gomorrah, which the Lord destroyed. Sodom was known for its rampant homosexuality and unrestrained sexual lust, as well as other sins such as arrogance, haughtiness, and disregard for the poor. When the Lord sent angels to warn Lot who lived in the city that it was about to be destroyed, the men of the city actually wanted to rape the angels! Genesis 13:13: "But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly."
In the Old Testament the penalty for this sin was severe. Leviticus 20:13: "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them." Today the penalty of death comes in the form of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. It also brings death to the soul and spirit of man because the life of God is pushed out by indulging in something that is an abomination to God. God wants to deliver all who are trapped in this unholy practice and He will if anyone calls out to Him with a sincere heart.
Romans 1:24-32:
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
These scriptures clearly state that these vile affections of men lusting for other men (gay men) or women lusting for other women (lesbians) are not the natural affections God created men and women to have for one another. Let me say here that God loves all homosexuals! However, He hates the deeds of homosexuality because they are sinful. God did not create any human being as a homosexual. They are not born that way, just as murderers are not born that way. However, these spirits can be transmitted to children, especially if someone who had this demonic spirit seduced or raped a child--or even if they were close to gay people. These demons can also be imparted to others through unholy sexual acts.
People become homosexuals because they yield to abnormal acts or lust. It is through some source that they have received a demonic spirit that drives them to their lust. Viewing evil videos or pornographic books is a way of opening the door for Satan to give one an evil, perverse spirit. Though people are not born as homosexuals, the Bible does say all human beings are born with a sin nature. If we yield to the evils of our flesh it will lead to our destruction not only in this life, but in the life to come. However, through faith in Jesus Christ and His death on the cross we can break the hold that sin has upon us. We do not have to yield to the old fleshy nature but we can now overcome evil temptations and live our lives controlled by the Holy Spirit.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Sex is God's idea and its purpose is not only for procreation, but also for recreation and the development of a deep relationship between man and woman. Nothing is wrong or dirty about sex when it is engaged in the bonds of marriage as the Lord commanded in the Bible. However, when perversions are committed inside the marriage relationship, this can be sinful also. God made man and woman and brought them together "face to face." Oral sex is of homosexual origin that replaces the normal "face to face" relationship God intended in a marriage. The Bible describes the sex act in Song of Solomon Chapter 4. In this chapter it speaks of this "face to face" relationship by describing looking into his lover's eyes and kissing his lover's lips and fondling his lover's breasts. Oral sex is not normal or natural as it is an unclean act.
No one has to live in bondage with an abnormal life of homosexuality nor any other abnormal behavior. No one has to be controlled by pornography. No one has to have evil thoughts plague their minds. There is a way out through what Jesus has done for us. He loves sinners and wants to free us from any evil practices. He will empower those who cry out for deliverance to get free and stay free. Here are the steps you must take to get free:
(1.) Make a total commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. Be willing to turn your life completely over to the will of God and yield to His plan for your life. This means you must be willing to do anything, go anywhere and give up any thing as He leads. Remember, God will never lead you to do anything that is not in agreement with the Bible. You can trust God. He created you and has a better plan for your life.
(2.) Your must pray and read your Bible daily. You must study and apply the Word of God to overcome Satan's attacks. The way that you resist the attacks of the devil is by quoting the Word of God to him. When the devil came to tempt Jesus, He simply quoted the Word to him. Good praise tapes will also be of a great help when you are tempted. Put one on and start singing along with it.
(3.) You must pray for and seek out a strong Bible believing group of Holy Spirit filled people. You will need their help and fellowship. As you humble yourself and seek help, the Lord will deliver you. Ask God to lead you to someone that can pray the prayer of deliverance for you, as you probably will need to be set free from a demon. You should also seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit as you will need His power to get free and to remain free.
(4.) You must cut off all sources and relationships that would lead you back into sin. The Bible tells us to flee fornication (sexual sins). You must get out of any corrupt entanglements, or areas that you know will be a temptation to you. If you have been hooked on internet pornography subscribe to an Internet Service Provider that will filter out the pornography for you. Destroy all evil books and videos.
(5.) Should you slip or fall back occasionally, repent and get right back up and go on with God. Do not allow the devil to condemn you once you have repented. Put your sin under the blood of Jesus. He will strengthen you and you will win this battle because of the Lord's promise to you. Remember, He loves you and is there to help you. Run to Him when you get in trouble, never run from Him. He will not ever give up on you! We too, will be standing with you for your total healing and deliverance. Philippians 1:6: "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."
(6.) You must forgive everyone that has ever hurt you. You can only do this through the power of God. You must by a simple act of your will voice the forgiveness and then the Lord will give you the feeling of forgiveness. This may be a while in coming but just keep forgiving when you think of any wrong that has been done to you. The Lord will give you His love for those people who have wronged you.
Prayer for Deliverance
Finally we want to pray for you right now if you need it:
Dear Heavenly Father,
We come to you in the mighty name of Jesus and we ask that you touch this one right now, first of all with your love and forgiveness. Lord, wash their sins away. Wash away all the uncleanness and guilt. Lord we ask you to free them right now from the powers of darkness.
Now, we speak to Satan and his demons and we command them to leave in the name of Jesus! Satan, this one is no longer under your power. The blood of Jesus has set them free! We resist you and you must flee! This one belongs to God and you have no more authority over them! Be gone!
Dear Lord, thank you that you have set this one free and we are believing that you will lead them to the right people that will help them to walk out this deliverance. We break every chain of iniquity over their life and cancel every evil word that has been spoken against them. We declare they will walk in your victory and that you will enable them to do it. Lord, fill them with your Holy Sprit and guide them in the ways of God! We speak blessing and success to them. Most of all, we pray that they will feel your love for them right now. We ask this all in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.
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