 |
|
Is the Image of the Beast Coming to Your City? The year 2020 brought many changes to our world; changes to how and where we shop, how we view the media, our elected officials, places of worship, safety of our neighborhoods, how we interact with people different than us, and for many it has touched our financial wellbeing or that of our close friends and family. It is a time of change; change breeding an escalation of tension in marriages, friendships, and business relationships. People are angry and justifiably so. For many, we have been surprised by our own inability to stay warmhearted toward the needs of others. While many live in the lap of luxury, even more of us suffer not knowing if we can make ends meet from week to week. The haves has become cold to the needs of the neighbors while sending money to strangers to distribute to unknown on causes and people wasting and steal their resources. A pot of hate and apathy is brewing in our backyards while the rich throw lavish parties, buy second and third homes, purchase expensive: cars, boats, computers, cellphones, jewelry, and investments. How long will your suffering neighbors hold out for handouts too small to make a difference?
False Peace and Safety - 1 Thessalonians 5:3
"Now when they are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction comes on them, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will surely not escape""
The time is ripe for a false "Man of Peace" (messiah) to take advantage of the current world conditions; turning loving believers into desperately overburdened cynical individuals willing to do anything to stop being left to scape crumbs together to survive. If you follow the news, you know that crime has come to your neighborhood, and even the rich will not be able to weather the storm brewing all around us. But the god of this world has a fix, and like the drug-addicted addict, many will be willing to take his cure if those who can continue to turn their heads away from the poor and suffering among them. We are told in the New Testament that "Hearts will grow cold because evil is multiplied". Many think of evil as doing something to break the law of the land, but many are breaking the law of loving and caring for their neighbors to their own detriment.
"Then I saw another beast coming up from the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but was speaking like a dragon. He exercised all the ruling authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and those who inhabit it worship the first beast, the one whose lethal wound had been healed. He performed momentous signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people and, by the signs he was permitted to perform on behalf of the beast, he deceived those who live on the earth. He told those who live on the earth to make an image to the beast who had been wounded by the sword, but still lived. The second beast was empowered to give life to the image of the first beast so that it could speak, and could cause all those who did not worship the image of the beast to be killed. He also caused everyone (small and great, rich and poor, free and slave) to obtain a mark on their right hand or on their forehead. Thus no one was allowed to buy or sell things unless he bore the mark of the beast—that is, his name or his number. This calls for wisdom: Let the one who has insight calculate the beast’s number, for it is man’s number, and his number is 666." - Net Bible
Waves of hopelessness and deceit are crashing on the shore of every land throughout our world and only the people of God can hold back its destruction, but the rich among us must open their hearts, loosen their purse-strings and act soon; time is running out on many of your neighbors and friends; if you wait to see them suffer enough it will too late to help them or yourselves. Open your hearts and love your neighbors, you know who they are. They may be too proud or embarrassed to ask, don't let their weakness stop you from being strong in the Lord and bold to help. Remember the rich man and Lazarus, don't let your false sense of generosity keep you from Abraham's arms, strive to help, and keep your brothers and sisters in Christ from the poverty and desperation that will cause to embrace poor solutions and the generosity of the coming Giant, empowered by the god of this world.
“There was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. But at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus whose body was covered with sores, who longed to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. In addition, the dogs came and licked his sores.
“Now the poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. And in Hades, as he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far off with Lazarus at his side. So he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue because I am in anguish in this fire.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus likewise bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish. Besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us, so that those who want to cross over from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ So the rich man said, ‘Then I beg you, father—send Lazarus to my father’s house (for I have five brothers) to warn them so that they don’t come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they must respond to them.’ Then the rich man said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ He replied to him, ‘If they do not respond to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
