The Mark of the Lamb

I've taught on it several times, and we discussed, at length, the much-misunderstood subject of the “Mark of the Beast” in two of the Schools of the Bible, but for the sake of discussion, I want to look at some of the material, particularly from SOTB IV, about the "Mark of the Lamb". Don't worry...this isn't scary stuff...this is good news!

As I have stated many times before, the word “antichrist” does not appear anywhere at all in The Revelation, and this prophecy in chapter 13 concerning the domination of a series of “beasts” refers to a successive line of Roman Emperors who ruled the known ancient world, and was literally fulfilled in the first century, before or around 70 A.D. John’s letter to the seven churches of Asia Minor not only warned the early Christians of imminent persecution by the Roman Empire, it also confronted, prophetically, a culture which had been greatly affected by the cult of Emperor worship.

Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants WORSHIP THE FIRST BEAST, whose fatal wound had been healed. And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of everyone. Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. It was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to WORSHIP THE IMAGE to be killed. It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive A MARK* ON THEIR RIGHT HANDS OR ON THEIR FOREHEADS, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom. Let those who have insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.** That number is 666. (Revelation 13:11-18 – TNIV)

(*Greek “charagma”: stamp or impress)
(**or is humanity’s number)

Most progressive Bible historians agree that the beast whose number added up to 666 was actually Nero Caesar, which is most likely true, but there is a larger meaning expressed here, one that is a word for us in the now. The Greek actually calls 666 “the number of humanity” (6 is the number of man, who was created on the 6th day; 666 is man – spirit, soul and body, out from under the authority of God and His Christ). “Beast” in the Greek is therion, a wild, untamed animal. You could even say that 666 is the Adamic nature, which carries with it a certain mindset (a mark on the forehead), and a way of doing things (a mark in the hand), that has basically caused the whole world to buy into the idea that they can only succeed (buy or sell) through natural, carnal means and methods. But when man stops worshipping the beast and its system and begins to worship and submit to the Lordship of the Lamb, he becomes something higher . . . he becomes man flowing in the image of God (and prospering through the ways of God), or "777"!

Jesus said that the Kingdom is entered through repentance. The Greek word metanoia, which is tranlated into our English as “repentance,” simply means “to change the mind or mindset,” or more literally, “to change one’s life by changing one’s mind.” Through repentance, every individual has the ability to have the Mark of the Beast replaced with the Mark of the Lamb. Actually, much more is said in The Revelation about the Mark of the Lamb being on or in the foreheads of people than is said about a Mark of the Beast . . .

After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we PUT A SEAL ON THE FOREHEADS OF THE SERVANTS OF OUR GOD.” Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. (Revelation 7:1-3 – TNIV)

Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had His name and HIS FATHER’S NAME WRITTEN ON THEIR FOREHEADS. (Revelation 14:1 – TNIV)

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and His servants will serve Him. They will see His face, and HIS NAME WILL BE ON THEIR FOREHEADS. (Revelation 22:1-4 – TNIV)

. . . In fact, the theme of God’s “mark” or “seal” being on the head and/or the hand runs all through the Bible, beginning as far back as Genesis, and it has nothing at all to do with microchips being implanted into human foreheads, or bar-codes being tattood into human hands! Consider this passage from another of the Books of Moses:

Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so THAT IT MAY GO WELL WITH YOU AND THAT YOU MAY INCREASE GREATLY IN A LAND FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you. Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as SYMBOLS ON YOUR HANDS AND BIND THEM ON YOUR FOREHEADS. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, TO GIVE YOU – A LAND WITH LARGE, FLOURISHING CITIES you did not build, HOUSES FILLED WITH ALL KINDS OF GOOD THINGS you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then WHEN YOU EAT AND ARE SATISFIED, be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. (Deuteronomy 6:3-12)

Notice that Moses talks about a mark on the head or the hand within the context of receiving supernatural provision and prosperity. It is interesting to compare Deuteronomy 6 with Revelation 13, because in both passages we see the concepts of worship and marked heads and hands and attitudes towards money discussed. In chapter 13, the “whole world” believes that they must have the mark of the beast to buy or sell anything, but in chapter 22, those who had the Lamb’s mark—those who were not conformed to this world system but were transformed by the renewing of their minds—heard these words:

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let those who hear say, “Come!” Let those who are thirsty come; and let all who wish take the FREE GIFT of the water of life. (Revelation 22:17 – TNIV)

Compare this concept of freedom, and the ability to purchase something without money, with Isaiah’s words:

Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and YOU WHO HAVE NO MONEY, COME, BUY AND EAT! COME, BUY WINE AND MILK WITHOUT MONEY AND WITHOUT COST. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and YOU WILL DELIGHT IN THE RICHEST OF FARE. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. INSTEAD OF THE THORNBUSH WILL GROW THE JUNIPER, AND INSTEAD OF BRIERS THE MYRTLE WILL GROW. This will be for the Lord's renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever.” (Isaiah 55:1, 2, 8-13 – TNIV)

Here God says that His thoughts (the Lamb’s mark in the forehead) and His ways (the Lamb’s mark in the hand) are higher than our natural thoughts and ways, which have been marked by the beast system. Repentance enables us to cease worship of the beast, which limits us to a numbers system (666) or the idea that we can only survive and flourish through our natural logic or intellect. Now we can understand that our God shall supply all our need, not according to the rules of the material world but according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. We can then begin a lifestyle of Lamb-worship which will ultimately perfect our hearts and purify our minds and will bring us into a land that supernaturally flows with milk and honey!

Worthy is the Lamb!!!

Let Us Pray III

Hey, bloggers! I hope that you like the new look...I was in the mood for a little change of scenery. There has been some really great dialogue going on here the last couple of days about famous prayers, so I want to continue on that subject today. Here are three more for your consideration and observation...


THE PRAYER OF JABEZ
And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain." So God granted him what he requested. (I Chronicles 4:10 NKJV)


THE PRAYER OF ELEANOR ROOSEVELT
"Our Father, who has set a restlessness in our hearts and made us all seekers after that which we can never fully find, forbid us to be satisfied with what we make of life. Draw us from base content and set our eyes on far off goals. Keep us at tasks too hard for us that we may be driven to Thee for strength. Deliver us from the fretfulness and self-pitying; make us sure of the good we cannot see and of the hidden good in the world. Open our eyes to simple beauty all around us and our hearts to the loveliness men hide from us because we do not try to understand them. Save us from ourselves and show us a vision of the world made new."



GODSPELL"Day by day...Day by day...Oh, Dear Lord, three things I pray...To see thee more clearly, Love thee more dearly, Follow thee more nearly...Day by day..."


Hey, if you get a chance, check out Usher doing a tribute to Gene Kelly's Singin' In The Rain on YouTube...

Peace.

Let Us Pray II...

I’ve very much enjoyed the discussion about the St. Francis Prayer and the Serenity Prayer. Famous prayers are very interesting to me…I’m always intrigued with trying to understand what makes them catch on with people…why they strike a chord with the public…what makes us relate to them...what makes them become classic or iconic.

When I was growing up, every meal always began with “God is great, God is good; Let us thank Him for our food; By His hands we must be fed; Give us, Lord, our daily bread. Amen.” I actually think that that simple little prayer is quite profound, but every night before I went to bed I also had to say this dreary little verse:

"Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep;
And if I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take."

That’s really a horrible thought to send a kid off to bed with…the preparation for early death, with the idea that you might not make it until morning! Sweet dreams. If you add to that “Don’t let the bedbugs bite”, it really makes going to bed the scariest part of the day.

But there is also a version of this prayer that is more positive in outlook:

"Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep;
When in the morning light I wake,
Teach me the path of love to take."

And another recent version:

"Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep;
Guard me Jesus through the night,
And wake me with the morning light."


Those versions of the prayer I can live with. Here are two more famous prayers for your consideration and discussion.


Prayer of Mother Teresa

Dear Jesus, Help us to spread your fragrance everywhere we go, flood our souls with your Spirit and life. Penetrate and possess our whole being so utterly that our lives may only be a radiance of yours. Shine through us and be so in us that every soul we come in contact with may feel your presence in our soul. Let them look up and see no longer us but only Jesus. Stay with us and then we shall begin to shine as you shine, so to shine as to be light to others. The light, O Jesus, will be all from you. None of it will be ours. It will be your shining on others through us. Let us thus praise you in the way you love best by shining on those around us. Let us preach you without preaching not by words, but by our example by the catching force the sympathetic influence of what we do the evident fullness of the love our hearts bear to you.



Prayer of Thomas Merton

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and will never leave me to face my perils alone.

_______________________________

Speaking of prayer, be in agreement with us about the details of the Israel trip. Jimmy Carter's visit there has, for some reason, forced the meeting to have a two or three week delay. If it's a two-week delay it would fall on the week of the church anniversary and Judah's graduation, which of course would mean that we would have to cancel. If it's a three week delay it would be fine (except that it might fall on Mom's 70th birthday, which I think we could work out...we'll see). There's another one scheduled for the fall, but I'd really like to go ASAP. The bottom line is that it needs to have the same flow that the Korea trip had. The Lord will perfect that which concerns us.

God is great...God is good!

This and That

I spent most of yesterday with some really wonderful people from Hope Today Magazine(check them out at www.hopetodaymagazine.com). It's a very cool publication, and they're doing a story on me that will be featured in their July issue. They flew in and came straight to the church to do a great interview, and a photo shoot in my office, in the Sanctuary, in the Cafe and at my house, and we really had a beautiful time together. They totally got (and loved) our church and our ministry (I showed them Curtis' "Bishop's Wonderful Life", which they thought was hysterical), and we talked about everything and laughed a lot and had lunch together. I even took them all down to Mom and Dad's "parsonage" to hang out for a little while. I've done interviews for other magazines, but this was, by far, the most positive experience that I've ever had doing this kind of thing.

I'm glad that you enjoyed the post on the prayer of St. Francis yesterday, and I enjoyed reading your responses to it. It took a long time to put the pictures together, but I was blessed to do it. The guy with the injuries was a victim of gang violence, and the woman crying was a mother who had just lost her son to the same thing. Here's another famous prayer that is in some ways similar...one is about peace, the other is about serenity. You're no doubt familiar with the first four lines of this one, as they are used in AA and in other 12 step programs, but here is the entire prayer, written by theologian Reinhold Niebuhr:


The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change
Courage to change the things I can
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time
Enjoying one moment at a time
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace.
Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is,
not as I would have it
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
forever in the next.
Amen.

What are your impressions of this one?


One more thing...I want to leave this with you today:

ARISE [from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you--rise to a new life]! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you!(Isaiah 60:1 - AMP)

And, also, for those of you who heard the message Sunday, and are looking forward to Part II, these two images are for you...









Enjoy your day...

Let Us Pray...

The
Prayer
of
Saint
Francis
of
Assisi



"Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.










Where there is hatred...

















...let me sow love;













where there is injury...








...pardon;





















where there is doubt...








...faith;





















where there is despair...






...hope;




where there is darkness...







...light;














and where there is sadness...






...joy.
























O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life."











Can I get a witness?

A Meditation on Revelation

Hello beautiful bloggers!

Thank you, again, for having ears to hear...

We do not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God, and that “proceeding word”…that revelation in the now, more often than not, challenges most (if not all) of our comfort-zones. The upside is that it empowers us to “work out our own salvation”, but when the revelation is fresh from the mouth of God…when the daily bread comes, piping hot, right out of heaven’s oven…it can be so "other-wordly" that it appears dangerously close to blasphemy...so much so that to receive it we must learn to work out that salvation through that revelation with nothing but “fear and trembling”. We obediently pray “Give us this day our daily bread”, but we know that it always comes to us as indefinable, mysterious Manna (which literally means “What is it?). We need it…we want it…but every morning we still ask “What is it?”

That’s a good question – “What is it?” Do we dare eat the Manna? Can we digest the word of the Lord? Can we eat His flesh and drink His blood without offense? Can we respond correctly to the command that he gave to Ezekiel? (“But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you." – Ezekiel 2:8 TNIV )

Indeed…our God is a communicator…a revealer of secrets…but He is also versatile, multi-faceted, moody, complex…the ultimate intelligence…a cloud by day and a fire by night…a Coat of Many Colors...always new…always fresh…always in the now. In Him we move…and we move a lot…always remaining ready to pull up stakes and move with the cloud…always standing on the promise that we can run and not be weary…that we can walk and not faint…

Revelation brings awesome responsibility…to whom much is given, much is required. It is unpredictable…Jesus said that the wind blows where it wills to blow…it forces us to go from glory to glory...and while many choose to set up camps of doctrine and build fortresses of theology, those of us who can only live by the proceeding word are in a never-ending search for that city not made with hands, whose builder and maker is God.

Revelation is always potentially dangerous. It challenges all of our ideas, traditions, heritage, prejudices, limitations, strongholds…it smashes the idols and tears down the icons…it sets up one and puts down another. Often it causes division among brothers, because one man’s revelation is another man’s deception…

As a shepherd, I am instructed of the Good Shepherd to keep ever on the move, in an effort to find green pastures for my flock. If I leave you in one place for too long, you will eat up all of the living grass, and then spiritually starve to death (The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and LEADS THEM OUT. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. – John 10:3, 4). True shepherds are not afraid to lead their flocks "out"…even into uncharted territory...His rod and His staff, they comfort...

I understand why some don’t understand this. A burning bush can be a terrifying sight…it can cause some to run the other way. The recognition of holy ground not only requires the removal of shoes, it also sets the stage for God demanding the impossible, as He reveals Himself as I AM...

So today I bless you, the seekers…the believers…the visionaries...the light-bearers...I pray that you keep your minds and your hearts and your ears and your eyes wide open. You have been given the keys of the kingdom, and what you unlock on earth is unlocked in heaven...let all the dreamers wake the nations...

Our God is an awesome God!