The Pro-Life Movement Has Taken the Mark of the Beast
By Dr. Patrick Johnston
Revelation 13, a Metaphor for Today
The Bible speaks of a government in the last days that "makes war with the Lamb" (Rev. 13). This totalitarian state demands worship of its image - "the beast." This government mandates a "mark" on the forehead or back of the hand in order to buy or sell. This government slays many martyrs. "Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man..." The mark represents the worship of man.
Throughout the book of Revelation, there is a distinction between those who "worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark" and those who "had gotten victory over the beast and his image, and his mark." The former are judged and condemned to the lake of fire; the latter are received into heaven's glory to rule and to reign with Christ forever.
What's so evil about receiving a government-mandated mark in order to buy or sell? One must take care of his family, right? One must obey the "higher powers", right? (Romans 13:1-4) "Obey those that have rule over you," right? Receiving the "mark" is evil because one must violate God's law and worship the image of the state in order to receive it. To worship the state is to commit idolatry, to rebel against God Almighty. God is the "highest power", and disobeying God's law to submit to man's evil mandates is to receive a "mark" that brings condemnation.
The State Demands, "Render Unto Caesar That Which Is God's"
The Roman pagans asked the church patriarch Polycarp, "What harm is it to say ‘Lord Caesar' and sacrifice, and save yourself?"
Ministry Schedule
Personhood Ohio
Sun., Jan. 29th, 10:30 a.m. at Vineyard Church, 15187 Palmer Rd., Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
Heartbeat International Conference
March 26-29, 2012, Los Angeles, California
MidSouth Homeschool Convention
April 12 – 14, 2012, Memphis Cook Convention Center, Memphis, TN
MidWest Homeschool Convention
April 19 – 21, 2012, Duke Energy Convention Center, Cincinnati, OH
California Homeschool Convention
May 24 – 26, 2012, Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, CA
NorthEast Homeschool Convention
June 14 – 16, 2012, Hartford Convention Center, Hartford, CT
Christian Home Educators of Ohio conference
June 21-23, 2012, Akron Ohio
“How to Rock Your Wife’s World” and “What Vaccines Should I Give My Children?”Elizabeth's Pen
Vain Worship
There is something plaguing the Christian church of America today. It is so foreboding that it threatens our very existence. Yet oddly enough, it is so commonplace that we fail to recognize its danger. Kind of like a house infiltrated by deadly carbon monoxide that no one knows is there. It threatens the lives of all those in the house if they don't quickly recognize its existence and purge it from their home.
What is this plague? Compartmentalization. The act of separating our lives into isolated compartments or categories.
It could otherwise be termed the "Bill Clinton Syndrome." Do you remember how the news media used to show pictures of Bill Clinton carrying his Bible into his church during the Monica Lewinsky scandal? It was as if he was saying, "Look at me. I'm a Christian. See, I read my Bible and attend church. Never mind the fact that I live like the devil and his fallen angels the other six days of the week." Compartmentalization.
Let me further illustrate. These days, nothing gives you a window into the soul of a person like reading their Facebook profile. I had been attending church for years with many people whom I thought I knew well and whose relationship with Christ I had hoped was deep and mature. But a brief scan of their favorite TV shows, movies and music on Facebook were enough to make me realize that I did not know them at all...