Author: ShapedByTruth

No provision of salvation for those who take the mark

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

There are only two categories discussed in the Bible, those who take the mark of the beast and those who don’t.  Of those who don’t take the beast’s mark, some are sealed with God’s seal and are protected from God’s wrath as it is poured out on whosoever receives the beast’s mark.

The Bible is silent as to if there are any who take the mark and later reject it.

Folks can theorize that it may be possible, but they have to base their theory on their own human reasoning and contrivances as there is not anything Biblical to base it on.

It is a dangerous theory, however.  It may cause some to think they can take the mark to take advantage of its conveniences and to avoid the penalties of not having it, then repent of it later…

ye shall have tribulation

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world..” John 16:32-33

Persecution is real, persecution of the faithful has never stopped, persecution is happening, and persecution is coming…

Throughout the world, Christians are imprisoned, their property is stolen, their families are taken and given to others, they are being tortured, hanged, beheaded, and their meeting places are burned to the ground.

We have had it soft in the “west”, but the tides are turning.  The western governments are redefining who and what is “tolerable” and what is a “hate crime”.  The popular so-called “christian church” is liberalizing and redefining “christianity” then ridiculing anyone who upholds the Bible as the true authority.

Popular churchianity already compromises in every form and fashion in the name of being trendy and cool.  They already compromise for the love of money to keep the “tithes” rolling in.  They already compromise, capitulate, and apologize at the least bit of resistance from popular culture.

If they cannot stand when times are good and easy, how can they stand in the day of true persecution?

Jesus comforted His disciples by telling them in advance that persecution was coming, so that they would be prepared for it when it did happen.  So that when they were undergoing tribulation, they would remember He had already overcome the world, take comfort from that fact and endure through to their reward.

What is the “church” doing to prepare members for the persecution to come?

Are we prepared to truly trust the Lord to be our provider when we can no longer buy from the grocery store and feed our family without the mark?

Are we prepared to stand and not compromise our beliefs when they are unpopular?

Are we prepared to stand and not compromise our beliefs when we are threatened with imprisonment?

Are we prepared to stand and not compromise our beliefs when we are threatened with torture?

Are we prepared to stand and not compromise our beliefs when they put a gun to our heads?

Are we prepared to stand and not compromise our beliefs when they put a gun to our spouse’s or child’s head?

Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. Luke 17:33

be like the most high

God is almighty, omnipresent, and omniscient.  

Satan is not, and needs technology in order to emulate The Most High.  (Isa 14:12-14)

Is that why there is a push to micro chip everyone?  To have surveillance everywhere, to track every one’s movements, transactions, and behaviors?  Ultimately to control everyone’s movements, transactions, and behaviors?

Ordinances -vs- Sacraments

There are many who twist the meanings of the terms ordinance and sacrament.  When I use the terms I differentiate between them as follows:

a) A sacrament is a work that contributes to or necessary for salvation.  If an institution portrays a religious activity as a requirement for salvation, then it is a sacrament regardless of what they call it otherwise.

b) An ordinance is merely an outward expression of something that has already taken place internally and spiritually.  The two ordinances identified in scripture include immersion (baptizo) and the “Lord’s supper”.

Jesus was immersed to fulfill all righteousness and believers throughout the gospels, the book of Acts and the first century church were immersed as an outward testimony of their belief.  They weren’t saved by immersion, but immersion was an expression and testimony to others of their salvation.

The same with perceiving the body and blood of Messiah represented by the unleavened bread and wine used in the Passover Sedar meal.  Jesus instructed “As often as you do this, this do in remembrance of me” and Paul goes on to say that we should not partake of it unless we understand this representation (1 Cor 11:23-27)

visits to heaven and hell

Recently there has been a renewed interest in testimonies of people who have been to heaven or hell and come back.
There is a precedent in scripture for spiritual or heavenly visits and/or visions.  John, Paul, and several prophets to name a few.  But even these only got a limited peek of only what God chose to show them and there were things that they saw that they were told to seal up and not speak about because they were reserved for a particular time when they should be revealed.
There are many folks with “there and back again” testimonies that are sincere and true according to what they remember seeing… However, spiritual experiences, by their very nature, tend to be beyond our comprehension, experience, ability to understand and explain.
It is our responsibility to test everything and prove all things to see if they are true.  If it contradicts scripture, do not receive it.  Satan can appear as an “angel of light” (2 Cor 11:14) and even if an angel from heaven brings another gospel, we are not to receive it (Gal 1:8).
Many of these folks are sincere and I do not question they are relaying, to the best of their ability, what they have seen to the best of their memory and understanding of what they believe to be true.  
Keep in mind, however, that anyone can be sincerely wrong…
God does not change nor contradict Himself.  
Some of the things people have seen may go beyond their capacity for explanation, so they will try to recall and explain things in a way that they can understand and relate to based on their background, upbringing, and training.  So while God is consistent, an individual person’s understanding of something spiritual can be incomplete or mis-interpreted.
This may account for why so many of even the most legitimate testimonies seem to contradict each other as well as scripture in some aspect or another.
Additionally, no single individual has seen everything there is to see, nor have they been “enlightened” and become conduits for “all truth”.  These individuals are authoritative only in the testimony of what they remember seeing and hearing, and should not be trying to answer any and all deep theological questions.
The best thing to do is to take encouragement in the things that support and reinforce scripture, but do not base your theology on any human feelings or experiences.

WWJD?

Who Will Jesus Damn? 

Here is a partial list from just a few scripture verses:

Hypocrites (Matthew 24:51)
The Unforgiving (Mark 11:26)
Homosexuals (Romans 1:26, 27)
Fornicators (Romans 1:29)
The Wicked (Romans 1:29)
The Covetous (Romans 1:29)
The Malicious (Romans 1:29)
The Envious (Romans 1:29)
Murderers (Romans 1:29)
The Deceitful (Romans 1:29)
Backbiters (Romans 1:30)
Haters of God (Romans 1:30)
The Despiteful (Romans 1:30)
The Proud (Romans 1:30)
Boasters (Romans 1:30)
Inventors of evil (Romans 1:30)
Disobedient to parents (Romans 1:30)
Covenant breakers (Romans 1:31)
The Unmerciful (Romans 1:31)
The Implacable (Romans 1:31)
The Unrighteous (1Corinthians 6:9)
Idolaters (1Corinthians 6:9)
Adulterers (1Corinthians 6:9)
The Effeminate (1Corinthians 6:9)
Thieves (1Corinthians 6:10)
Drunkards (1Corinthians 6:10)
Reviler (1Corinthians 6:10)
Extortioners (1Corinthians 6:10)
Cowards (Revelation 21:8)
The Unbelieving (Revelation 21:8)
The Abominable (Revelation 21:8)
Whoremongers (Revelation 21:8)
Sorcerers (Revelation 21:8)
All Liars (Revelation 21:8)

Comparisons

comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise 2Cor 10:12
It is not wise to compare yourself with others or compare one person with another…
Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. Gal 6:4

The only person you should be in competition with is yourself, every time you do something, you should work to do it better than you have ever done it before…
The only person you should measure yourself against is Jesus, because we are to be like Him.
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 1John 3:2