On social media, there is talk about the antichrist and the mark of the beast. On these threads, I see Christian after Christian declaring that they will NEVER take the mark of the beast. While I wholeheartedly believe no one should take it and be damned to hell for eternity, I think many of these Christians are unprepared and they’re counting on their self-determination instead of faith in God. Any declaration that a person makes based on their abilities is a declaration of the prideful flesh and not on faith. Resisting the mark of the beast is going to take far more than self-determination…it’s going to take faith and an understanding of the Word of God. Most of the Christians on these threads have no clue what’s coming at them in the Tribulation. MOST people are unprepared for the deception alone.

The unprepared Christian is the one who doesn’t know the word because they don’t spend any time in it. They may go to church and even pray somewhat, but their biblical knowledge is shallow. From thinking, they won’t be here because of their false belief in the rapture before the tribulation to considering reading the Bible as optional as long as they listen to a podcast, read or listen to a daily devotional, social media preachers or attend church…not that there is anything wrong with those things, those are all wonderful, but they don’t replace reading and studying the word yourself. I’ve even had my mind blown to find out that some people believe that those of us who spend time in the word are only doing it to earn salvation, aka “works”.

A lot of these people know all about the end time events from the Thief in the Night series or other shallow teachings on the subject. While they feel they are well-informed, they’re already walking down the path of deception. There is even the idea that because they can’t seem to understand the end times bible verses and book of Revelation, they don’t need to study them, they think God will understand if they skip it. They treat end times prophecy so carelessly.

The declaration that they will never take the mark of the beast comes from self idolatry. I say this because they are not placing their abilities to stand or fall on God, but on their personal resolve to resist.

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.-Romans 10:17

In order to place our faith in God, we need to know his word. How can you stand on the Word of God if you don’t PERSONALLY know it. PERSONALLY means you spend time in the word pouring over scripture, learning not just the obvious lessons, but learning about the very nature of God from what the Word tells us about him. The Bible says, “ Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?-John 14:9″ And in John 1:1-4 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.² The same was in the beginning with God.³ All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.⁴ In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
So Jesus is the Word…and Jesus shows us who God is…by reading the Word… we come to know God.

How is it that Christians have no desire to know their Savior…or learn about the nature of God? The Bible says in Matthew 7:21-23 ²¹ Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.²² Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?²³ And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
All of those things these Christians claimed to have done in Jesus’s name were done from self… Jesus had nothing to do with them….he didn’t know them…. his word was not in them. If Jesus is the Word… and a person doesn’t have the Word LIVING inside of them…if they never obeyed to “ Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”-John 5:29 Then they were never born again… Jesus never knew them…their claims to what they did in Jesus’s name was done in idolatry because of works generated in themselves and not from standing on the Word and trusting in God by faith. Also… those who Jesus accepted into the Kingdom had a practice of giving God the glory for everything… every time they ministered to others it was done so selflessly they said, “³⁷ Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?³⁸ When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?³⁹ Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?” Mathew 25:37-39 … True Christians treat others with love so it is no labor to them to do these things, it is their true Christ like nature and because they are allowing Christ to live through them, they take no credit for it.

What’s coming at us is going to be difficult for even the most well taught, faithful Christian. The one who sets his alarm so that he can spend time in the word and prayer before starting his day… the one who dies to himself daily and takes up his cross…FOR REAL… the person who obeys God no matter what it cost. You know what the Bible said about this guy and what’s coming at us… it says… “ Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.²⁴ For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” Matthew 24:23-24
If a person who lives his life in the shadow of his savior could be deceived…. people who never invest their time into reading and learning don’t stand a chance. Survival requires us to be HUMBLE placing all our trust in Jesus… not from a place of self-determination where you think the only hurdle is to resist the mark of the beast. How foolish to think that the mark is going to come without a profound global deception the likes of which the world has never seen and can’t even begin to imagine. A deception orchestrated by the same one who deceived and claimed 1/3 of the Angels in heaven. And don’t even get me started on the Armor of God that, so many think they are wearing but have never even obtained through the word… if you don’t know the word, you are naked on the battlefield. The sword of the spirit is the word of God, if you don’t know the word, you don’t have a sword. Remember, faith comes from the Word of God… if you aren’t doing your due diligence to follow Jesus… you are a sitting duck. If you are not standing on the Word and trusting in the power of God to keep you… you are falling.

The Bible says “ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:²⁸ And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.²⁹ My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.³⁰ I and my Father are one.” John 10:27-30 His sheep hear his voice? Yet another way to say that is “His sheep know his word”… Jesus’s sheep will not be deceived by an imposter…they have spent time coming to know him through his word…they know his very nature.

Judas goats are goats that are trained to lead the sheep to slaughter by becoming a leader, then running into the slaughterhouse. The sheep follow this goat because they don’t know he’s deceiving them. We have a lot of Judas goats behind pulpits right now…and because so many are not spending time trying all the spirit and testing what these goats are teaching by comparing it to the Bible… they will be running behind this goat to the slaughterhouse.

One of the most disturbing things I see in the modern Christian churches today is the shift from a relationship with God based on sound doctrine from the bible to a feelings based relationship. A common thing in this feelings based relationship is that the person confirms their relationship with God through the strong emotional feelings they have during worship. The songs are emotionally manipulating to cause the person to become emotional…the false worship cattle herds people like a Judas goat into replacing faith based on sound doctrine with a feelings based relationship where the person only feels right with God if they end up crying during worship. In truth… our feelings are part of our flesh nature which is contrary to God. “ The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9

The story of Peter gives us an example of a fleshly proclamation. “³⁴ Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. ³⁵ Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.” Matthew 26: 34-35 and then in verse 41 “ Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” This was Peter… who learned directly from Jesus… who walked with him and I know he loved Jesus… and yet… Peter relied on his love and his own willpower…he ended up denying Jesus 3 times that very night.

I’ve fallen and failed God so many times because I relied on my fleshly resolve…and because I didn’t do what the word taught. I am convinced of my utter weakness, and I come to God empty-handed…and repentant. Accepting Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I am redeemed by his merciful grace. Knowing the failure of my fleshly man I say only that by God’s grace I stand.

Romans 8:1-18
 ¹There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.³ For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:⁴ That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.⁵ For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.⁶ For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.⁷ Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.⁸ So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.⁹ But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.¹⁰ And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.¹¹ But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.¹² Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.¹³ For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.¹⁴ For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.¹⁵ For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.¹⁶ The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:¹⁷ And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.¹⁸ For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.