Welcome to Battles of Faith.
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We are your host
Ivor and Atonte Myers
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and we are with Power
of The Lamb Ministries.
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In our last program we've learnt
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about the Judgment of God.
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And today we are going to learn
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about the Mark of the
Beast and how to avoid it.
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That's right. The
Book of Revelation
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speaks about
this dreaded mark and,
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you know, when people read this
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and read that, the time
is coming where a person
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will not be able to buy or sell.
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You kind of think, well
what kind of environment
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could we be living in that
brings about such a markism.
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We will read more about
the mark in a little while,
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but we know that, you
know, the way we look at
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the things that are
going in this world today
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and people are
beginning to see, you know what?
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It doesn't, it wouldn't take
much to create an atmosphere
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where we could see
something like this happen.
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But we are gonna take
a look at this scripture
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and see what the
scripture tells us
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and come to some conclusions.
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We will begin with
Revelation Chapter 13.
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We invite you to get your Bibles
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as we have been
doing, Revelation Chapter 13.
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And we are gonna take
a look at Verse 12 onward
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and this is leading us up
to the description of the Mark.
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So let me read
Chapter 13, verse 12.
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Why don't you start in verse 11.
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Okay, the Bible says
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"And I beheld
another beast coming up
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"out of the earth,
and he had two horns
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"like a lamb, and
spake as a dragon.
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"And he exerciseth all
the power of the first beast
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"before him, and
causeth the earth
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"and them that dwell therein
to worship the first beast,
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whose deadly wound was healed."
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Now this is the verse I
want you to focus in on,
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and, you know,
your mind could be going
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in many different places
asking many different questions,
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Beast, who,
what? Just focus in on
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this verse here, verse 13,
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"And he doeth great
wonders, so that he maketh fire
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"come down from heaven on
the earth in the sight of men,
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"And deceiveth them
that dwell on the earth
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"by the means of those miracles
which he had power to do
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"in the sight of the
beast, saying to them
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"that dwell on the
earth, that they should make
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"an image to
the beast, which had
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"the wound by a
sword, and did live.
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"And he had power to give
life unto the image of the beast
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"that the image of the
beast should both speak,
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"and cause that as
many as would not worship
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"the image of the
beast should be killed.
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"And he causeth all,
both small and great,
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"rich and poor, free and bond,
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"to receive a mark
in their right hand,
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"or in their foreheads,
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"And that no man
might buy or sell,
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"save he that had the
mark, or the name of the beast,
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or the number of his name."
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So I just want
you to notice here
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that it was by
miracle working power,
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fire falling from
the sky as it were
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that leads the world,
those that dwell upon the earth
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to make an image to
the beast and also to bring
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about this mark of the beast.
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So we've got to figure out,
how is it that miracles work
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in this nature to bring
this kind of environment above.
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Think about this,
in the world you have,
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you know, many
different kinds of people,
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you have skeptics,
you have Christians,
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you have people
from different religions.
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How in the world
are all of these people
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going to come together to
receive this particular mark.
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I have always wondered
that, because it's like
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you look at the
world, you look at politics,
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you look at
religious different views
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in different parts of the
world and you are thinking,
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there is no way all these people
are gonna come together. Right.
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Bible says that
it's gonna happen.
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That's right. Well, you know,
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when we look at this concept
of fire falling from the sky.
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If you are familiar
with the Old Testament,
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you will know that
this has happened before
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in the Old Testament
has happened in particular
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with Elijah, the prophet.
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And we find that when
fire falls from the sky
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even like with the story of Job,
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let's take the story of the Job.
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When fire fell from the
sky in the story of Job,
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that fire was equated
with the wrath of God.
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God must have been displeased
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and this is why
this is happening.
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I believe that as you
look out in society today
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and you hear some of the things
that believers are saying.
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You know, God's wrath
is upon on this nation,
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because we've turned
away from God as a nation.
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You know, the reason
why we have so much crime
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and so many
earthquakes and all these things
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as this is the wrath
of God trying to show us
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that we must turn this nation
or this world back to God.
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And so on one
hand, the wrath of God,
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fire falling from the
sky, natural disasters,,
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and calamities and
things of that nature are going
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to be used by sincere,
but misguided Christians
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to try to show that unless,
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for example America
returns to its Christian roots
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and enforces
Christian values and laws.
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Unless we do
that, the wrath of God
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is going to
continue to fall upon us.
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So that's what is
gonna set the environment
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for the Christian part
of, you know, of the world.
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But then what
about the nonbeliever?
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Well, remember in
the story of Elijah,
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when Elijah called
fire down from heaven,
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it was for the purpose of
not only convincing Israel
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that God was God, but
also convincing the skeptic,
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because remember
there were skeptics there,
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who didn't believe
in the God of Israel.
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So when fire fell from the sky,
when this miracle took place
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the skeptic, wow, God is God.
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So when, when, when
skeptics, and atheists,
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and nonbelievers begin to
see some of these miracles
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that take place. In
fact, the greatest miracle
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that will occur is that
Satan himself will descend
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and come as an angel of light.
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Now for the skeptic
seeing is believing.
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That's right, and when
you cannot deny the miracles
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that he sees taking
place in front of him,
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he is gonna be like, okay
well I guess I have to go along.
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Now it's important to understand
that the mark of the beast
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is received in the
forehead, or in the hand.
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Now, this is not a literal mark
anymore than the seal of God,
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received in the people
of God is a literal seal.
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It's good that you said
that it's by literal mark.
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That's right.
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Because you have a mark
right here on your forehead.
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And you pointed to it.
Yes, yeah, I do have a mark,
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but that is not the
mark of the beast, okay.
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That's a whole another story.
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That's right,
whole another story.
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Before you go back into
that, I did want to say that,
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you know, there might
be some who are watching,
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who are thinking
for the Christians,
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when you said for
the Christians that this,
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you know, America,
this country, you know,
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all these bad things are
happening, because we've turned
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so far from God and
we need to now enforce
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that our Christian
roots, and beliefs,
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and values come back.
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And there were
some people who'll say,
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well, hey what's wrong
with that, that sounds good.
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You know, yeah, I would love
for people to start studying
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their Bibles and praying to
God and following the principles
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found in His word, but
the problem is forcing them.
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That's right, because
God is not a God of force.
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Through legislation,
right, and the legal system
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trying to enforce
Christianity, that's right,
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is against the
principles of the Bible
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and of the Holy Spirit,
because the Spirit never forces.
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Right. It draws and it woos.
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Okay, so misguided
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concepts of what God
wants is what's going to drive.
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In fact, Jesus,
said the time is coming
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where they that
killed you will think that
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they are doing God a
service, that's a scary thought.
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So anyway we come
back to this point
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of fire being called
down to convince the skeptic,
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the nonbeliever, and
when they see these miracles,
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they are gonna
go ahead with this.
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Some people are gonna receive
the mark in the forehead,
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that means they
were mentally agreed,
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but others who
receive it in the hand,
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meaning they don't
necessarily see it that way,
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but they are
gonna go ahead with it,
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because if they don't do
this, they won't be able to eat,
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they are putting their,
their preservation of self
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above the word of God.
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And that makes sense.
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When people like I said
earlier when you are wondering
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how is all this
gonna come together.
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It's not that like you
said, they are gonna all agree,
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but when it comes to,
how am I going to eat?
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I can't go to the
store and buy food,
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if I don't go along
with whatever this system is
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saying that I need to do.
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How I am gonna feed my children?
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That's when people who
may not agree will go ahead
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and do this, receive
it in their hand anyways,
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because you know,
they are not trusting God
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enough to be able
to provide for them.
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They are
thinking, I must go ahead
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and bow down to
this image, if you will.
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That's right, now
whatever the mark is,
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it is something
that will be enforced,
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so that if you don't do
this, you will be killed.
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So the mark of the
beast is not present yet.
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It is only when there is
this universal decree that says
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if you do not do this,
then you will be killed.
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So you could be
doing something today
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that will closer to the
mark of the beast in the future.
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It's not that now, it's
only when this particular thing
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is enforced that
it becomes the mark.
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That's right, so having
said that, let's go ahead now
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and ask a question
well, what is the mark?
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Can we find any clues
that will help us determine
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what the mark is?
So we are gonna go to
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the Book of
Revelation Chapter 14,
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Revelation Chapter 14
and we are going to see
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the third angels message
which begins in verse nine,
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the Bible says, "The
third angel followed them,
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"saying with a loud
voice, If any man worship
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"the beast and his
image, and receive his mark
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"in his
forehead, or in his hand,
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"the same shall drink of
the wine of the wrath of God,
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"which is poured
out without mixture
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"into the cup
of his indignation,
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"and he shall be tormented
with fire and brimstone
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"in the presence
of the holy angels,
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"and in the
presence of the Lamb,
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"and the smoke of
their torment ascendeth up
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"forever and ever
and they have no rest
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"day nor night, who
worship the beast and his image,
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and whosoever
receiveth the mark of his name."
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I want you to notice
that, those who received
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the mark have no
rest, day or night.
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No rest, it's very interesting.
00:10:03.91\00:10:05.41
We are gonna come back to that.
00:10:05.42\00:10:06.61
Notice how the
next verse picks up.
00:10:06.62\00:10:08.97
Here is the
patience of the saints,
00:10:08.98\00:10:10.59
now the saint is not
going to receive the mark
00:10:10.60\00:10:12.14
and look at how
it describes them,
00:10:12.15\00:10:14.18
"Here are they that
keep the commandments of God,
00:10:14.19\00:10:17.28
and the faith of Jesus."
00:10:17.29\00:10:19.75
So here is one thing
that we can know for sure.
00:10:19.76\00:10:22.63
Those who keep the
commandments of God
00:10:22.64\00:10:24.47
will not receive
the mark of the beast.
00:10:24.48\00:10:26.80
Those who fail to keep
the commandments of God
00:10:26.81\00:10:29.25
will receive the
mark of the beast,
00:10:29.26\00:10:31.16
which lets us know
that the mark of the beast
00:10:31.17\00:10:33.63
must be something that
is diametrically opposed
00:10:33.64\00:10:38.28
to the commandments or one
of the commandments of God.
00:10:38.29\00:10:43.89
I hope that makes
sense so far, okay.
00:10:43.90\00:10:45.97
There it is, the
mark of the beast
00:10:45.98\00:10:47.13
and then it says
talks right after that
00:10:47.14\00:10:49.17
about those who keep
the commandments of God.
00:10:49.18\00:10:52.42
Now, I want you to notice
again Revelation Chapter 15,
00:10:52.43\00:10:56.40
Revelation Chapter 15
beginning with Verse 5.
00:10:56.41\00:10:59.24
"The Bible says,
after that I looked,
00:10:59.25\00:11:01.01
"and, behold, the
temple of the tabernacle
00:11:01.02\00:11:03.62
of the testimony
in heaven was opened,"
00:11:03.63\00:11:05.90
Now we are gonna
pause right here.
00:11:05.91\00:11:07.09
I want to put up
our image on the screen,
00:11:07.10\00:11:08.79
so that you can
see the blueprint,
00:11:08.80\00:11:10.21
we have been speaking
about throughout this series.
00:11:10.22\00:11:13.06
The blueprint, God's plan
of salvation, the sanctuary.
00:11:13.07\00:11:16.52
In that sanctuary, if
you notice in the upper part
00:11:16.53\00:11:19.67
of your screen there,
you will see what was called
00:11:19.68\00:11:23.62
"The Ark of the Covenant,"
its number 6 on that picture.
00:11:23.63\00:11:26.56
That was found in the Most
Holy Place of the sanctuary.
00:11:26.57\00:11:30.07
Inside that Ark
was the testimony
00:11:30.08\00:11:32.74
that God had given
Moses, or the law of God,
00:11:32.75\00:11:35.56
because God spoke it Himself.
00:11:35.57\00:11:37.39
Okay, so very
good. When you see here
00:11:37.40\00:11:40.72
in Revelation
Chapter 15 verse 5,
00:11:40.73\00:11:42.25
that the Temple of the
Tabernacle of the testimony
00:11:42.26\00:11:45.75
in heaven was opened,
it's actually pointing you
00:11:45.76\00:11:48.48
to the very Ark of the Covenant
in which was the law of God.
00:11:48.49\00:11:53.12
And notice what
happens, verse 6,
00:11:53.13\00:11:55.65
"And the seven angels
came out of the temple,
00:11:55.66\00:11:57.85
"having the seven
plagues, clothed in pure
00:11:57.86\00:12:00.64
"and white linen,
and having their breasts
00:12:00.65\00:12:02.76
girded with golden girdles."
00:12:02.77\00:12:05.44
Verse if you jump down
to Chapter 16 and verse 1,
00:12:05.45\00:12:09.31
"And I heard a great
voice out of the temple
00:12:09.32\00:12:11.68
"saying to the seven
angels, go your ways,
00:12:11.69\00:12:13.62
"and pour out the vials of
the wrath of God upon the earth.
00:12:13.63\00:12:17.53
"And the first went,
and poured out his vial
00:12:17.54\00:12:19.74
"upon the earth,
and there fell a noisome
00:12:19.75\00:12:22.27
"and grievous sore
upon the men which had
00:12:22.28\00:12:25.03
"the mark of the
beast and upon them
00:12:25.04\00:12:26.97
which worshipped his image."
00:12:26.98\00:12:28.46
So notice this,
the mark of the beast,
00:12:28.47\00:12:32.90
or rather the
seven last plagues,
00:12:32.91\00:12:35.60
the first plague is
poured out upon those
00:12:35.61\00:12:37.56
who have the mark of the beast.
00:12:37.57\00:12:40.66
Where are these
angels seeing coming out of?
00:12:40.67\00:12:42.92
They are seen coming
out of the Most Holy Place.
00:12:42.93\00:12:46.95
What's in the Most
Holy Place? The law of God.
00:12:46.96\00:12:48.95
The law of God,
remember what we just read.
00:12:48.96\00:12:50.62
Those who keep the law
will not receive the mark.
00:12:50.63\00:12:54.61
Those who reject the
law, will receive the mark.
00:12:54.62\00:12:58.84
The angels come out
of the Most Holy Place
00:12:58.85\00:13:02.16
pouring the first
plague upon those who had
00:13:02.17\00:13:05.51
obviously done what?
Rejected the law of God.
00:13:05.52\00:13:09.05
Now, now that we know
that the mark has something
00:13:09.06\00:13:12.28
to do with
rejecting the law of God,
00:13:12.29\00:13:13.72
we just got to find out,
is it rejecting the whole law,
00:13:13.73\00:13:16.30
or can it be just
one point of the law?
00:13:16.31\00:13:18.52
Let's go to the
Book of James Chapter 2.
00:13:18.53\00:13:21.11
James Chapter 2 and let's notice
what James Chapter 2 tells us.
00:13:21.12\00:13:25.80
The Book of James Chapter
2 beginning with verse 10.
00:13:25.81\00:13:28.88
Atonte, if you
get there before me,
00:13:28.89\00:13:30.68
you can go ahead and
read, James Chapter 2--
00:13:30.69\00:13:33.32
Two verse 10. Verse 10 to 12.
00:13:33.33\00:13:35.85
And it says, "For whosoever
shall keep the whole law,
00:13:35.86\00:13:38.71
"and yet offend in one
point, he is guilty of all.
00:13:38.72\00:13:41.63
"For he that said,
do not commit adultery,
00:13:41.64\00:13:45.14
"said also, do not kill.
00:13:45.15\00:13:46.96
"Now if thou commit no
adultery, yet if thou kill,
00:13:46.97\00:13:50.36
thou art become a
transgressor of the law."
00:13:50.37\00:13:52.85
All right, so there we have it.
00:13:52.86\00:13:54.11
James tells us that all we
need to do is to transgress
00:13:54.12\00:13:57.45
in one point and we
become guilty of all.
00:13:57.46\00:14:00.91
And of course,
God, is always there to,
00:14:00.92\00:14:02.94
you know, forgive us
if we ask for forgiveness.
00:14:02.95\00:14:04.93
But if we
persistently rebel against
00:14:04.94\00:14:07.18
one of God's commandments,
we are setting ourselves
00:14:07.19\00:14:11.47
up to receive that
mark. It's interesting that,
00:14:11.48\00:14:16.22
you know, when you
consider this word "mark"
00:14:16.23\00:14:18.81
and is not a literal
mark in the hand as we said,
00:14:18.82\00:14:21.41
but it takes us back to
an Old Testament concept,
00:14:21.42\00:14:24.84
because when you read in
Revelation Chapter 15 and 16
00:14:24.85\00:14:29.13
about those who
receive the mark.
00:14:29.14\00:14:32.86
In verse 8 of Chapter
15, it says that no man
00:14:32.87\00:14:36.13
was able to enter the temple
00:14:36.14\00:14:38.11
until the seven
plagues had been fulfilled.
00:14:38.12\00:14:40.71
If you go back to
the Old Testament,
00:14:40.72\00:14:42.19
you will find that there
was a mark that was received,
00:14:42.20\00:14:47.44
that anyone who had
this mark was not allowed
00:14:47.45\00:14:51.04
to enter the camp or the temple,
00:14:51.05\00:14:53.50
it was the mark of
leprosy, the mark of leprosy.
00:14:53.51\00:14:57.64
Now what's
interesting about this is that
00:14:57.65\00:14:59.59
in the Book of Isaiah Chapter
1, I believe it is or Chapter 5,
00:14:59.60\00:15:04.77
Chapter 1 verse 5 and 6,
the Bible takes this principle,
00:15:04.78\00:15:10.98
this concept of leprosy
and applies it to rebellion.
00:15:10.99\00:15:14.74
In other words, leprosy is a
symbol or a sign of rebellion.
00:15:14.75\00:15:20.57
So what that tells me, when
you understand what leprosy is,
00:15:20.58\00:15:23.82
the way that leprosy begins,
is it begins with a small mark.
00:15:23.83\00:15:29.98
It's not something big and
grand, it's something small,
00:15:29.99\00:15:33.14
but it indicates a
very large problem.
00:15:33.15\00:15:38.11
If you were to
tell your--parents,
00:15:38.12\00:15:39.67
you are talking to your kids
00:15:39.68\00:15:40.82
and you have to
run out for a moment,
00:15:40.83\00:15:42.06
you say to your son, I'm
about to leave for 10 minutes,
00:15:42.07\00:15:45.78
please do not put
the cat in the drier,
00:15:45.79\00:15:48.34
do not burn the house down,
00:15:48.35\00:15:52.67
you know, don't
hit your brother,
00:15:52.68\00:15:54.32
or your sister and see
that pen on the counter,
00:15:54.33\00:15:57.04
don't touch that pen.
00:15:57.05\00:15:58.18
Now your son may
be able to reason,
00:15:58.19\00:16:00.53
or your daughter
may be able to reason,
00:16:00.54\00:16:01.53
I can see why you
said don't do this,
00:16:01.54\00:16:03.39
don't do this, don't
do that, don't do that.
00:16:03.40\00:16:04.87
But why did you say
don't touch that pen,
00:16:04.88\00:16:06.82
tat one doesn't make sense to me
00:16:06.83\00:16:08.54
and you step out of the house
00:16:08.55\00:16:09.85
and you are
looking around the window,
00:16:09.86\00:16:11.00
you are watching your child,
you see your child looking
00:16:11.01\00:16:13.23
at the pens staring intently
and you see the child walk over
00:16:13.24\00:16:16.57
and they touch the pen,
what have you just seen.
00:16:16.58\00:16:19.54
A sign of rebellion.
00:16:19.55\00:16:21.28
That your child has
the spirit of rebellion.
00:16:21.29\00:16:23.85
It doesn't matter
how big or small it is,
00:16:23.86\00:16:25.87
the point is that the
spirit of rebellion is there.
00:16:25.88\00:16:29.11
It's the same thing
with the law of God.
00:16:29.12\00:16:31.23
And I believe that God
use this exact same test
00:16:31.24\00:16:34.23
in the Garden of Eden.
00:16:34.24\00:16:35.84
He took a very small
thing, when we think about it,
00:16:35.85\00:16:39.24
because there were so many.
00:16:39.25\00:16:40.63
I mean this was
the Garden of Eden,
00:16:40.64\00:16:41.92
there were so
much fruit abundant,
00:16:41.93\00:16:43.62
so many different
trees that they could have.
00:16:43.63\00:16:46.45
It wasn't like they were
hungry or going into a drought,
00:16:46.46\00:16:49.04
or anything like
that, and He was like,
00:16:49.05\00:16:50.47
look you can have of
these trees eat freely,
00:16:50.48\00:16:52.85
but just of this one tree,
I don't want you to eat of it,
00:16:52.86\00:16:56.71
and that's a
really simple seems small,
00:16:56.72\00:17:01.51
a thing for a test,
but that's what God uses.
00:17:01.52\00:17:04.13
That's right. He seems to say,
00:17:04.14\00:17:05.17
look the big things,
I think it's obvious,
00:17:05.18\00:17:07.83
you get that, but
the little things,
00:17:07.84\00:17:09.43
I want to know that you
are going to be faithful
00:17:09.44\00:17:11.14
in the most
smallest areas of your life.
00:17:11.15\00:17:13.69
That's right. Even, you know,
00:17:13.70\00:17:16.19
when Satan rebelled in heaven.
What was he rebelling against?
00:17:16.20\00:17:19.38
He was rebelling
against God's law.
00:17:19.39\00:17:21.61
He was a covering
cherub, that means he covered
00:17:21.62\00:17:24.34
the Ark of the Covenant
were in was the law of God
00:17:24.35\00:17:27.41
and the law of God represents
00:17:27.42\00:17:29.20
the foundation of God's throne.
00:17:29.21\00:17:31.01
So we know that
Lucifer's role in heaven
00:17:31.02\00:17:33.57
was that he was to
uphold the law of God.
00:17:33.58\00:17:37.11
But the Bible says
he sinned, what his sin,
00:17:37.12\00:17:39.36
transgression of the law,
00:17:39.37\00:17:41.03
and as a result,
he marked himself.
00:17:41.04\00:17:44.56
In fact, in Ezekiel 28, verse 17
00:17:44.57\00:17:47.04
when it says "O Lucifer
thou hast corrupted thy wisdom"
00:17:47.05\00:17:49.91
that word corrupt means to mark,
00:17:49.92\00:17:52.44
Lucifer was marked
00:17:52.45\00:17:53.86
because of his
rebellion against God's law.
00:17:53.87\00:17:56.38
Right. And he was
cast out of heaven,
00:17:56.39\00:17:58.65
but before he was
cast out that you see,
00:17:58.66\00:18:00.65
he took one-third
of the angels with him
00:18:00.66\00:18:03.07
and his argument to
them was "I can be like God,"
00:18:03.08\00:18:06.44
Isaiah 14 verse 14, "I
can be like God righteous
00:18:06.45\00:18:09.93
without God
telling me how to do it."
00:18:09.94\00:18:11.97
It was the argument
of self sanctification,
00:18:11.98\00:18:14.23
or self righteousness
and its this very argument
00:18:14.24\00:18:18.98
that even Cain
exercised back there
00:18:18.99\00:18:23.48
at the beginning of
creation when God said,
00:18:23.49\00:18:25.40
I want you to bring me
a sacrifice and Cain says,
00:18:25.41\00:18:30.10
"I am gonna give you a fruit.
00:18:30.11\00:18:31.65
"I am gonna give you
something in the place
00:18:31.66\00:18:33.43
that you asked for."
00:18:33.44\00:18:36.18
Be happy that I am at
least giving you something,
00:18:36.19\00:18:39.29
it was Cain's attitude.
00:18:39.30\00:18:41.39
And it was an argument
again of self righteousness
00:18:41.40\00:18:44.49
at least I am
giving you something.
00:18:44.50\00:18:47.26
So what we are gonna see is that
00:18:47.27\00:18:48.73
this mark basically
encompasses that spirit.
00:18:48.74\00:18:52.48
It may seem like a small
thing in the eyes of people,
00:18:52.49\00:18:55.47
but it indicates a
much larger problem,
00:18:55.48\00:18:58.16
the problem of
self righteousness,
00:18:58.17\00:18:59.96
I don't need to follow God's
law in order to be like Him,
00:18:59.97\00:19:03.01
I can be holy already.
00:19:03.02\00:19:04.74
And for those who
don't even believe in God,
00:19:04.75\00:19:06.72
well, I am just
gonna do this anyway,
00:19:06.73\00:19:08.58
because I have
to survive. Right.
00:19:08.59\00:19:10.98
I have to survive,
okay. So what then,
00:19:10.99\00:19:14.20
what commandment
would Satan attack?
00:19:14.21\00:19:17.69
We might say, you know what,
00:19:17.70\00:19:18.70
it's got to be a commandment
that seems pretty insignificant.
00:19:18.71\00:19:23.06
One that may be
seems to have no moral,
00:19:23.07\00:19:26.01
you know, real
moral issue to it,
00:19:26.02\00:19:28.44
it means its not
going to be like adultery,
00:19:28.45\00:19:30.64
or stealing, or
killing, you know,
00:19:30.65\00:19:32.45
most good people you know,
00:19:32.46\00:19:33.88
honoring your parents,
it's got to be something.
00:19:33.89\00:19:35.75
Bowing down to
images. That's right.
00:19:35.76\00:19:37.06
It's got to be
something that seems,
00:19:37.07\00:19:38.51
you know, ah, not so bad.
00:19:38.52\00:19:40.45
Well, we get our
answer just by going back
00:19:40.46\00:19:43.71
to the Book of Revelation
where the Bible says of Babylon.
00:19:43.72\00:19:49.09
Notice with me, Revelation
14 of verse 9, or verse 8,
00:19:49.10\00:19:54.61
it says, And there
followed another angel, saying,
00:19:54.62\00:19:56.36
"Babylon is fallen, is
fallen, that great city,
00:19:56.37\00:19:59.13
"because she has made
all nations drink of the wine
00:19:59.14\00:20:02.34
of the wrath of
her fornication."
00:20:02.35\00:20:04.42
Babylon representing a fallen
system is going to try to force
00:20:04.43\00:20:08.71
the world to drink of this wine.
00:20:08.72\00:20:11.01
We might ask a
question, what is the wine?
00:20:11.02\00:20:13.77
Well, you remember
that Jesus Himself gave
00:20:13.78\00:20:16.83
His disciples bread, and what?
00:20:16.84\00:20:20.10
Wine at the last
supper. Now in that wine,
00:20:20.11\00:20:23.10
he said this is the
blood of My covenant,
00:20:23.11\00:20:27.43
or the new covenant in My blood.
00:20:27.44\00:20:29.79
What is a covenant?
00:20:29.80\00:20:31.22
It's the law of God
written on our hearts.
00:20:31.23\00:20:34.80
Christ blood is special
blood. It has the DNA of life,
00:20:34.81\00:20:38.08
the code of life and the code
of life is the new covenant,
00:20:38.09\00:20:40.98
the law of God. So He
says, take this blood,
00:20:40.99\00:20:43.17
take this wine. Well,
what the devil is offering
00:20:43.18\00:20:45.72
is the counterfeit
wine, one that is fermented,
00:20:45.73\00:20:49.14
because what Christ
gave was pure grape juice,
00:20:49.15\00:20:51.77
amen,
representing a pure teaching,
00:20:51.78\00:20:53.53
a pure doctrine, pure blood.
00:20:53.54\00:20:55.37
What Babylon
gives is fermented wine
00:20:55.38\00:20:58.55
that causes one to get drunk.
00:20:58.56\00:21:01.01
Now the Bible tells us
why we should not drink
00:21:01.02\00:21:03.90
and here is why? Lets go
00:21:03.91\00:21:05.21
over to the Book of Proverbs,
00:21:05.22\00:21:07.92
Proverbs Chapter 31, Proverbs 31
00:21:07.93\00:21:14.46
and we are gonna notice
verse is 5 I believe it is,
00:21:14.47\00:21:19.72
Proverbs 31 verse 4 and verse 5.
00:21:19.73\00:21:23.68
"It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
00:21:23.69\00:21:27.87
"it is not for
kings to drink wine,
00:21:27.88\00:21:29.98
nor for princes strong
drink, lest they drink,
00:21:29.99\00:21:32.67
and forget the law,
and pervert the judgment
00:21:32.68\00:21:34.89
of any of the afflicted."
00:21:34.90\00:21:36.91
All right, so why
shouldn't we drink.
00:21:36.92\00:21:38.40
We're told that
we shouldn't drink,
00:21:38.41\00:21:39.94
because if we do so
we will forget the law.
00:21:39.95\00:21:44.63
It's very interesting, Atonte,
00:21:44.64\00:21:45.93
that there is one
commandment out of all 10
00:21:45.94\00:21:48.33
that begins with
the word "remember"
00:21:48.34\00:21:51.89
and it is the
Sabbath commandment
00:21:51.90\00:21:54.50
found in Exodus Chapter
20. Remember the Sabbath day.
00:21:54.51\00:21:58.34
The one commandment
that God says to remember
00:21:58.35\00:22:01.59
is the very commandment
that Babylon has altered
00:22:01.60\00:22:05.55
and said "No, Saturday is
not the Sabbath, its Sunday"
00:22:05.56\00:22:08.57
and by the way no big deal
00:22:08.58\00:22:10.35
at least you are giving
God a day, by the way. Right.
00:22:10.36\00:22:13.31
By the way. Where the
Bible is very specific
00:22:13.32\00:22:15.82
to save it
Seventh-day. That's right.
00:22:15.83\00:22:18.35
This Sabbath commandment
in Exodus 20 verse 12,
00:22:18.36\00:22:21.54
God said that it was
a sign that we may know
00:22:21.55\00:22:25.03
that God is the
one that sanctifies us,
00:22:25.04\00:22:28.61
we can't sanctify ourselves.
00:22:28.62\00:22:31.89
Now that's amazing to
me, because that Sabbath
00:22:31.90\00:22:34.94
is the sign of
God sanctification.
00:22:34.95\00:22:38.41
So to avoid that Sabbath to
turn away from it is to say,
00:22:38.42\00:22:41.69
I can sanctify myself, I can
choose what's right and wrong.
00:22:41.70\00:22:44.71
I can know the
difference between good and evil
00:22:44.72\00:22:46.20
for myself, I don't
need a law telling me
00:22:46.21\00:22:48.35
how to know the difference
between good and evil.
00:22:48.36\00:22:50.80
That's what being
said. What's being said
00:22:50.81\00:22:52.77
is look I know
you ask for Saturday,
00:22:52.78\00:22:54.32
but we as a church have chosen
to give you Sunday instead.
00:22:54.33\00:22:58.15
Be happy, at least
we're giving you something.
00:22:58.16\00:23:01.63
And really you are putting
yourself in the place of God,
00:23:01.64\00:23:05.18
dictating to God
what you are going to do
00:23:05.19\00:23:08.59
and it's really
righteousness by works
00:23:08.60\00:23:11.17
versus the Sabbath
where God is sanctifying
00:23:11.18\00:23:14.16
and that's
righteousness by faith.
00:23:14.17\00:23:15.90
That's right. You see
the Sabbath is all about rest
00:23:15.91\00:23:18.75
and the commandments that
God gives are all about rest.
00:23:18.76\00:23:22.15
But the devil has
flipped it to make it
00:23:22.16\00:23:24.51
look like
commandments is about work.
00:23:24.52\00:23:27.12
No, commandments
are not about work.
00:23:27.13\00:23:29.28
Commandments is about, you know,
00:23:29.29\00:23:31.20
when God says do
not, He is saying cease,
00:23:31.21\00:23:34.46
rest from lying,
rest from stealing,
00:23:34.47\00:23:37.15
rest from
killing, rest from murder,
00:23:37.16\00:23:39.18
I mean rest from adultery.
00:23:39.19\00:23:41.07
He is saying stop.
00:23:41.08\00:23:42.26
It's like, you
know, we get saved,
00:23:42.27\00:23:43.38
oh, God I thank
you for saving me.
00:23:43.39\00:23:44.95
What shall I do now
and it's like God says,
00:23:44.96\00:23:46.36
don't do anything,
just rest, just relax,
00:23:46.37\00:23:49.36
just rest, don't
steal, don't lie.
00:23:49.37\00:23:51.39
I want you to rest
from the works of the flesh.
00:23:51.40\00:23:54.60
Right. That's why
Christ has given us that rest.
00:23:54.61\00:23:57.25
So remember, there is one
commandment that says rest,
00:23:57.26\00:24:00.56
but those who receive
the mark have no what?
00:24:00.57\00:24:03.89
Rest, day or night.
00:24:03.90\00:24:06.36
Also there is one commandment
in which we are called
00:24:06.37\00:24:10.15
to not do any buying
or selling or any work.
00:24:10.16\00:24:13.94
It happens to be
the Sabbath commandment.
00:24:13.95\00:24:16.50
What are the odds,
00:24:16.51\00:24:17.89
what are the odds of
the mark of the beast
00:24:17.90\00:24:20.75
being specifically
pointed to commerce?
00:24:20.76\00:24:23.94
You will not be able to buy
or sell if you don't do this.
00:24:23.95\00:24:28.41
There is only one
commandment that deals with
00:24:28.42\00:24:29.61
buying and selling, right,
00:24:29.62\00:24:30.69
and that is the
Sabbath commandment.
00:24:30.70\00:24:32.49
On this day, I want you
to rest from your labors.
00:24:32.50\00:24:36.01
What's also interesting, Atonte,
00:24:36.02\00:24:37.36
is that the law of
God is written in the mind
00:24:37.37\00:24:41.49
and we are also to
bind it upon our fingers.
00:24:41.50\00:24:44.77
The devil is
counterfeiting this law.
00:24:44.78\00:24:46.62
He is giving a
wine that says, yeah,
00:24:46.63\00:24:48.47
this is the new
covenant, drink it.
00:24:48.48\00:24:50.11
And when people are drinking it,
00:24:50.12\00:24:51.15
they are getting drunk
and they are beginning to say,
00:24:51.16\00:24:53.19
oh yeah, the law,
oh, we are on the grace,
00:24:53.20\00:24:55.40
we don't need to keep the law.
00:24:55.41\00:24:56.57
They are forgetting the law.
00:24:56.58\00:24:57.71
They are
forgetting, its drunkenness,
00:24:57.72\00:25:00.69
its drunken reasoning to
say if you look at the blueprint
00:25:00.70\00:25:04.43
and you see where
God is trying to lead us
00:25:04.44\00:25:06.92
and you see where
Babylon is trying to lead us.
00:25:06.93\00:25:08.75
You begin to understand
oh, this is what it is, listen.
00:25:08.76\00:25:12.44
Who would have ever thought,
00:25:12.45\00:25:13.62
because some people are
saying right now Sunday?
00:25:13.63\00:25:16.25
You mean to tell me
that God is going to destroy,
00:25:16.26\00:25:18.77
you know, for Sunday really?
00:25:18.78\00:25:20.38
Are you serious?
Well, you know what?
00:25:20.39\00:25:21.94
Let's just, let's
just substitute that.
00:25:21.95\00:25:24.14
A tree, Eve, do you really think
00:25:24.15\00:25:27.53
that God is going to punish
you for eating from a tree.
00:25:27.54\00:25:30.46
Come on Eve,
really are you serious?
00:25:30.47\00:25:33.24
I can hear the devil
reasoning with Eve saying,
00:25:33.25\00:25:36.66
come on you are
not going to die.
00:25:36.67\00:25:38.10
And it's the only
commandment that you can think
00:25:38.11\00:25:41.25
to reason away
that it's just not that
00:25:41.26\00:25:44.45
important or significant.
00:25:44.46\00:25:46.11
Not that significant.
00:25:46.12\00:25:47.62
And so what God is showing is,
00:25:47.63\00:25:49.43
God is revealing in
this particular commandment
00:25:49.44\00:25:51.40
is look, who is willing
to serve Me even in the thing
00:25:51.41\00:25:55.39
that appears to
have no significance.
00:25:55.40\00:25:58.36
The test with Adam and
Eve wasn't, don't kill,
00:25:58.37\00:26:00.58
if you kill, you will
be put out of the garden.
00:26:00.59\00:26:02.22
It was a very simple test.
00:26:02.23\00:26:05.05
It was a simple
test in the beginning.
00:26:05.06\00:26:07.02
It's going to be a
simple test in the end.
00:26:07.03\00:26:09.24
Remember, the mark
of leprosy is a mark
00:26:09.25\00:26:12.22
that kept people
out of the camp of God.
00:26:12.23\00:26:16.97
In the same way,
those who receive
00:26:16.98\00:26:19.34
the mark of the beast will
be kept out of the camp of God.
00:26:19.35\00:26:23.76
The Bible says
nothing that defiles
00:26:23.77\00:26:26.00
will enter into that temple.
00:26:26.01\00:26:28.78
And so we've got to realize,
00:26:28.79\00:26:30.69
God says, "Keep
My commandments."
00:26:30.70\00:26:32.17
Daniel 7:25 says,
"This little horn Babylon
00:26:32.18\00:26:35.51
would seek to change God's law."
00:26:35.52\00:26:37.51
So we can know any
change in the blueprint,
00:26:37.52\00:26:41.89
any change in the
map, any change that says
00:26:41.90\00:26:44.72
make a left here,
there is a shortcut.
00:26:44.73\00:26:47.42
You say no,
there is no shortcut.
00:26:47.43\00:26:49.62
I'd rather stand
before God and explain to him
00:26:49.63\00:26:51.98
why I kept the Sabbath
00:26:51.99\00:26:53.20
and why I kept the commandments
00:26:53.21\00:26:54.69
than try to stand before Him
00:26:54.70\00:26:56.14
and explain to Him why I didn't.
00:26:56.15\00:26:58.91
And for those of
you who are hearing this
00:26:58.92\00:27:01.66
for the very first time,
there is in the Bible it says
00:27:01.67\00:27:06.42
that God winks at our ignorance.
00:27:06.43\00:27:08.65
That's right. So there is a time
00:27:08.66\00:27:10.14
where we are not knowledgeable.
00:27:10.15\00:27:11.49
We didn't know, or didn't
understand this Bible truth,
00:27:11.50\00:27:14.42
but you know,
you are a Christian,
00:27:14.43\00:27:16.21
or you didn't, you
don't believe in God at all,
00:27:16.22\00:27:18.23
but now you are
trying to believe in Him.
00:27:18.24\00:27:19.93
And so when you are
learning this truth,
00:27:19.94\00:27:22.89
God doesn't counted
against you if you have not,
00:27:22.90\00:27:26.74
then keeping the Sabbath,
00:27:26.75\00:27:27.90
or honoring this
part of His life,
00:27:27.91\00:27:29.49
if you didn't
know, but once you know
00:27:29.50\00:27:32.57
that's when God does
at that point hold you
00:27:32.58\00:27:35.67
accountable which
way you are going to go,
00:27:35.68\00:27:37.87
are you are going to
follow the way of the world
00:27:37.88\00:27:39.56
and the way of the Babylon,
00:27:39.57\00:27:40.59
are you gonna
follow the word of God.
00:27:40.60\00:27:42.16
That's right. The
test of the true Christian
00:27:42.17\00:27:43.94
is not now much he knows,
00:27:43.95\00:27:45.89
but what he does
with how much he knows.
00:27:45.90\00:27:48.47
Yes. And so this is
the condemnation that light
00:27:48.48\00:27:51.08
has come and man loved
darkness rather than light.
00:27:51.09\00:27:55.32
A true Christian is gonna
walk in ever increasing light
00:27:55.33\00:27:59.19
and be willing
to follow the lamp
00:27:59.20\00:28:00.91
with this wherever he goes.
00:28:00.92\00:28:02.13
That's right. We want to
thank you for joining in us.
00:28:02.14\00:28:04.92
Until next time God bless.
00:28:04.93\00:28:07.29