I am a very strong believer but I am concerned about this. When the end of time comes how are we to know what to do and the right things to do like the mark and how to do all the right things? Like the mark of the beast, does everyone get the mark or who does and how to know what all the right things are to do? The reason I ask this is it looks like it is going to be like we have never seen or ever will and I want to make sure I do all the right things when the time comes. Thanks you.
But whatever the future holds, as humans needing to maintain our basic needs for survival & happiness, we will generally have to fall into line with the status quo. How then the believer, who knows what the anti-christ or even anti-christian govts will require of us, interprets the law & then makes his choices, will become a very personal decision, which may even be in conflict with how other Christians view & decide on those issues.
The Bible forewarns us, so we're not in ignorance of the future. What form this mark takes, we're not told, but it would be another form of identification & giving access to things pertaining to life, so that every man, woman & child will be recognized as such. Most people would readily receive it as just another 'progression' for uniformity & order in society, but for the believer, it will be a mark that ultimately determines to whom our allegiance & worship is directed to.
If you are in fellowship with those who understand & warn others of this coming aspect of anti-christian compulsion by govts, then you have the support & encouragement to hold on to the Lord & face the consequences. I pity those believers in ignorance or weak in faith who would easily succumb, rather giving in to their need for survival than to their need to wholly love the Lord & obey Him only. Could we even anticipate, in that coming day, that communes of believers would live together & maintain separation from society for as long as possible, praying & waiting for the Lord's return? We might resemble the early Church who huddled together as Saul & his murderous horde sought them out. There'll be strength & joy from the Spirit of God to face all our circumstances.
The anti christ is a man . And there is a false prophet that exalts him .
The anti christ does many things before his image is be taken or death . So it will not be any mystery who he is before the mark or image is forced upon us all . The time of decision will be when the mark is forced , why cut your self short on speculation ?
Maybe going off grid is a good idea if you don't want it over by death . And can tough it out til the Lord comes . Some will survive to the very end .
Hi Norman, I think that the questions you have asked & the things you have been mulling over, have also been our thoughts at one time or another. It is my sense, that those who continue to read & study the Word of God will always be sensitive to what God's Will is for them & how to understand the things that happen around them. As believers, we are no longer of this world, neither its citizens, so that immediately takes our perspective of life now & in the future to a whole different plane, as we continually measure ourselves to biblical warrants & behaviours, both now & in the future.
That said & knowing human inclination to question things or rebel against introduction of things foreign to our way of life, I feel that all that will be introduced to us (as in the past also), will have a cumulative effect on us to make us more accepting of these things, believing them to be the natural order. True, someone or a govt can rise up & make an outrageous demand upon us & we have to accept it or else suffer penalty, or those same entities can use existing, accepted norms to bring out a more demanding ruling/law that makes it much easier for us to accept & adhere to.
Some of the things we have now, e.g. the credit card, eye/finger print scans at airports, tracking bracelets or inserts, plethora of cameras in our cities, the many agencies (both govt & private) that exchange & store information on almost every aspect of our existence, etc., are all readily accepted by the greater population (though some of us have grave concerns). I see that it won't take much more change to existing apparatus to bring in the 'pressing' need for a mark or common identifier on people so that 'better management & security can be afforded to the people'.
The point is: at what stage do we refuse to go further with such demands upon us? To that end, few refuse to use a credit card, travel by airplanes, the internet, etc. trying for as long as possible to keep themselves 'invisible'.
But whatever the future holds, as humans needing to maintain our basic needs for survival & happiness, we will generally have to fall into line with the status quo. How then the believer, who knows what the anti-christ or even anti-christian govts will require of us, interprets the law & then makes his choices, will become a very personal decision, which may even be in conflict with how other Christians view & decide on those issues.
The Bible forewarns us, so we're not in ignorance of the future. What form this mark takes, we're not told, but it would be another form of identification & giving access to things pertaining to life, so that every man, woman & child will be recognized as such. Most people would readily receive it as just another 'progression' for uniformity & order in society, but for the believer, it will be a mark that ultimately determines to whom our allegiance & worship is directed to.
If you are in fellowship with those who understand & warn others of this coming aspect of anti-christian compulsion by govts, then you have the support & encouragement to hold on to the Lord & face the consequences. I pity those believers in ignorance or weak in faith who would easily succumb, rather giving in to their need for survival than to their need to wholly love the Lord & obey Him only. Could we even anticipate, in that coming day, that communes of believers would live together & maintain separation from society for as long as possible, praying & waiting for the Lord's return? We might resemble the early Church who huddled together as Saul & his murderous horde sought them out. There'll be strength & joy from the Spirit of God to face all our circumstances.
The anti christ does many things before his image is be taken or death . So it will not be any mystery who he is before the mark or image is forced upon us all . The time of decision will be when the mark is forced , why cut your self short on speculation ?
Maybe going off grid is a good idea if you don't want it over by death . And can tough it out til the Lord comes . Some will survive to the very end .
Hi Norman, I think that the questions you have asked & the things you have been mulling over, have also been our thoughts at one time or another. It is my sense, that those who continue to read & study the Word of God will always be sensitive to what God's Will is for them & how to understand the things that happen around them. As believers, we are no longer of this world, neither its citizens, so that immediately takes our perspective of life now & in the future to a whole different plane, as we continually measure ourselves to biblical warrants & behaviours, both now & in the future.
That said & knowing human inclination to question things or rebel against introduction of things foreign to our way of life, I feel that all that will be introduced to us (as in the past also), will have a cumulative effect on us to make us more accepting of these things, believing them to be the natural order. True, someone or a govt can rise up & make an outrageous demand upon us & we have to accept it or else suffer penalty, or those same entities can use existing, accepted norms to bring out a more demanding ruling/law that makes it much easier for us to accept & adhere to.
Some of the things we have now, e.g. the credit card, eye/finger print scans at airports, tracking bracelets or inserts, plethora of cameras in our cities, the many agencies (both govt & private) that exchange & store information on almost every aspect of our existence, etc., are all readily accepted by the greater population (though some of us have grave concerns). I see that it won't take much more change to existing apparatus to bring in the 'pressing' need for a mark or common identifier on people so that 'better management & security can be afforded to the people'.
The point is: at what stage do we refuse to go further with such demands upon us? To that end, few refuse to use a credit card, travel by airplanes, the internet, etc. trying for as long as possible to keep themselves 'invisible'.
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