Participants: Lincoln Steed (Host), Allen Reinach
Series Code: LI
Program Code: LI000229B
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00:07 Welcome back to the Liberty Insider program.
00:11 Before the break with guest Allen Reinach, 00:13 we were talking about beast, 00:15 two horn beast in particular 00:16 and relating this biblical prophecy 00:20 to the United States today. 00:22 But there is an antecedent to that, 00:24 and you just read a text that where it says, 00:26 That this new modern two-horned beast power exercises 00:31 an aggressive power in support of another beast. 00:34 Well, all and not so much in support 00:37 it says all the authority of the first beast 00:40 which is a reference to how during the Middle Ages-- 00:44 Yeah, during the Middle Ages, 00:46 civil and religious authority were largely 00:49 under the domination of the church. 00:51 So it's the medieval model and the medieval Christian church 00:55 took the poison pill and became itself 00:58 the enemy of true religion. 00:59 Now, ironically, you know, 01:02 those who think about this 01:04 in the modern American context 01:06 often suggest that there is 01:11 a part of the religious pride 01:14 that is theocratic, that wants to impose-- 01:17 Not offensible suggestion. 01:20 A religious rule. 01:21 But the reality is that both were left and the right 01:26 in America today have devalued liberty of conscience 01:30 and are seeking to impose their own moral 01:33 and spiritual agenda on the nation. 01:37 To be sure they are very different competing 01:40 moral agendas from the left and the right. 01:43 But neither side is terribly respectful 01:47 of liberty of conscience. 01:49 Absolutely. 01:51 We can see that just sort of formulating before our eyes 01:54 but you know, I've mentioned it 01:57 before on this program. 01:58 But then the politically-- 02:01 I shouldn't say, Christian right. 02:02 Because you're right this Christian left Christian right, 02:04 but they're both more and more 02:07 looking to political power to support their agenda. 02:10 And within that whole moment there is the, 02:14 well, the most extreme full Christian reconstructionist. 02:17 Right. 02:18 I mean, they don't mince any words 02:20 they want an Old Testament government 02:22 supported by law. 02:24 And I'm surprised they keep saying it, 02:25 because they're just exactly like the Taliban. 02:27 Death penalty for Sabbath breaking for homosexuality 02:32 for what's one of the adultery. 02:35 North Carolina had a resolution that failed, 02:38 because it was it became known and criticize, 02:41 but they wanted to throw off 02:44 the shackles of the federal constitution's first amendment 02:48 and claim the right to make North Carolina 02:51 an overtly Christian state. 02:53 Yeah, I remember that. 02:55 And they are clutching some historical legal straws 03:00 because, it's really-- 03:02 Fighting civil war-- 03:03 The staff will raise again, 03:05 that's really what's going on. 03:06 They are going back to fight the lost cause 03:08 and there is no question 03:10 that the constitutional dynamic change, 03:12 where they were initially sovereign states 03:14 where the federal government that had limited powers, 03:17 but that's not the case now and it's good, better, 03:21 I mean might be good, better and different. 03:22 But you can't roll back the history books 03:25 just because you don't like what's going on. 03:27 And undercover of that argument 03:29 they are really trying to bring in the theocratic type regime. 03:32 Right, and you know, having thrown off the civil-- 03:36 the voting rights act, they now want to control again 03:40 who can vote and restrict voting. 03:44 Well, this is a very interesting prophecy 03:46 because it has the United States more and more 03:50 forsaking principles of liberty of conscience 03:53 and having the state take an active role 03:57 in enforcing religion and worship. 04:00 And that's a very dangerous situation. 04:05 Read that text again. 04:06 Well, it says, "It exercises all the authority 04:10 of the first beast in its presence, 04:12 and makes the earth and its inhabitants 04:14 worship the first beast, 04:16 whose mortal wound was healed." 04:17 And later it says, "It forms an image of the beast 04:21 that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 04:24 And it gives breath to that image 04:27 and causes that those who would not worship 04:30 the image of the beast to be slain." 04:33 And then there is a passage about, 04:35 "That no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, 04:40 the name of the beast or the number of its name." 04:42 And that's the infamous 666. 04:45 And that's you know, many Christians 04:48 are confused about 666 and easily frightened. 04:52 666 pops up a lot, 04:54 I see it in all sorts of bar codes and stuff. 04:57 Very much, I even have it 04:58 as the code on one of my credit card. 05:01 You know, three digit code is 666-- 05:04 I don't really know, I'm not inclined to think 05:05 that's a literal fulfillment of prophecy 05:07 and it might even be an inside joke by lot of programmers. 05:10 Then I might have the mark of the beast already, Lincoln. 05:12 But the mark of the beast is not essentially a number, 05:15 it's an activity, isn't it? 05:17 It's a stance but what I was getting at 05:21 there is we know that the modern states 05:23 and most personified by the United States 05:26 do control international finance, 05:29 they do control the monetary system 05:32 and have that ability is it says that to say 05:35 that if you don't agree with this policy 05:37 you cannot buy or sell. 05:38 I mean that's hardly beyond the purview of a modern state. 05:42 The United States as you and I were discussing off air 05:44 has been utilizing economic sanctions 05:48 to great effect as a primary tool of war, really. 05:54 And you know-- 05:56 There are those even within our church 05:59 who poo, poo this identity of the United States 06:03 and prophecy or the role. 06:04 Today the United States is exercising 06:08 a dominant role in the global economy, in global power 06:13 we have by some estimates 06:16 as many as 750 military bases around the world 06:21 that's more than three bases for every country in the world. 06:25 We are absolutely the dominant military power, 06:30 the dominant economic power, 06:31 we are the world's empire, the world's policemen, 06:34 it remains for there to be the right side of circumstance 06:39 and the Bible doesn't tell us what it is, 06:41 but the right opportunity 06:44 for this kind of global religious coercion 06:49 to come into play. 06:51 Yeah, and it would involve more than just the United States 06:53 but the United States clearly is situated to take the lead. 06:57 It's the world leader. 06:58 Yeah. So you know, we're in interesting dynamic 07:00 and nobody knows the exact 07:04 next development as far as human history is concern 07:08 but prophecy lays out a broad outline 07:10 and it's hardly stretching a point to apply 07:14 that to the United States today. 07:17 No, it's not stretching it at all. 07:20 You know, I've often said the antidote 07:24 to the mark of the beast 07:25 is understanding the character of God 07:28 and understanding the gospel. 07:29 A loving God did not coerce the conscience. 07:34 Well, now you're getting 07:35 to the root point on religious liberty. 07:37 It needs to be for all people and lack coercion. 07:41 And you know many people say, you can't, 07:44 you know, it's gonna be hard to identify, 07:46 you know, the subtleties on it. 07:47 No. 07:49 Any great global deception like 07:51 it's discussed in Revelation will stand out instantly 07:53 because coercion is involved. 07:55 And they will be blaming us, 07:57 this form of religion is held up higher than the others, so. 08:00 I often said you know 08:02 I've got four kids, they were all teenagers at one point. 08:05 Now they're starting to at least being 08:07 numerically beyond teenagers although they still, 08:10 they still act like teenagers. 08:12 And I've often said, you know, 08:13 how easy would it be for God 08:16 to simply reach down alter their brain chemistry 08:19 and make them perfectly healthy, 08:20 happy, holy and obedient. 08:22 And how often as a parent-- 08:23 You wish for that. I've prayed for it. 08:25 I've been tempted to pray for that. 08:27 But you know the gospel 08:29 God did not solve the sin problem 08:31 by exercising his omnipotence. 08:34 He didn't, you know, wipe their memories. 08:36 He didn't you know 08:37 reprogram Adam and Eve's brains. 08:40 He offered His own Son to die on the cross 08:44 to restore the broken relationship with us. 08:48 You know, I've heard Christopher Hitchens 08:50 recently deceased going on and on about this. 08:53 And he says, you know, he has no time for a God 08:55 that made us defective 08:56 and then asked us to be obedient 08:58 but he misses the point. 08:59 And we need to mention it here. 09:00 Sin is what's harmed us 09:04 and affected our thinking process 09:06 and God's very charitable. 09:07 He didn't make us defective. 09:09 He's not kind of. No, He didn't make us defective. 09:11 He made us perfect, we screwed up on ourselves. 09:14 We had a fall from grace and power and God's like a parent-- 09:17 And we're reaping the consequences. 09:19 You're mentioning parents, 09:21 He's gently nudging us toward the truth, 09:23 but we have to make that choice. 09:25 And we have to stay clear, 09:26 great deceptions yet to come. 09:28 It seems very obvious to us 09:31 but love requires freedom. 09:35 Love is not something that can be commanded or coerced. 09:39 Love has to be free and that's the essence of the gospel 09:42 that Christ was given to us to the human race 09:47 to be our brother, to be our savior, 09:49 because a loving God can't force us, 09:51 won't force us to worship Him. 09:54 He doesn't want the obedience of slaves or congregants. 09:58 He desires a loving response freely given. 10:03 So true worship comes from the heart 10:05 and has to be freely given. 10:08 And the mark of the beast is absolutely repudiation 10:12 of these fundamental principles of the character of God. 10:15 It really is portraying God 10:17 as a tyrant as the devil himself. 10:23 It's worth remembering that the Prophet Daniel 10:25 lived at the epicenter of the global power of his age. 10:30 He dealt with some serious issues, 10:33 his life was on the line many times, 10:35 he was dealing with the super power. 10:37 And yet, when the angel brought him 10:40 prophecies relating to the end of time, 10:42 he said-- at one point, 10:43 he said that he fainted clean away, 10:45 he couldn't-- couldn't deal with it. 10:46 He was shown those great kingdoms throughout history. 10:51 But in Revelation John reveals another kingdom, 10:54 a final kingdom, a final path 10:56 that's characterized as two horns, 10:59 lamb like in aspect to a certain point 11:03 but aggressive and dominant 11:05 like the old dragon powers of the past. 11:08 The United States, I think clearly is that power. 11:12 And it's worth's remembering the wild as the benign side, 11:15 the protection of religious freedom. 11:17 And we wish it will. 11:19 We may well too like Daniel, faint away with shock in awe 11:25 as we see even this great power 11:28 turning against the principles of heaven 11:31 that we do that has it 11:33 just as Nebuchadnezzar did in his era. 11:36 For Liberty Insider, this is Lincoln Steed. |
Revised 2014-12-17