REVELATION 12 DRAGON: Mark of the Beast & Seal of God
By admin On July 13th, 2012.
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“And he (The False Prophet) had power
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to give life unto the image of the beast,
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that the image of the beast should both speak,
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and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
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And he causeth all, both small and great,
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rich and poor, free and bond,
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to receive a mark in their right hand,
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or in their foreheads:”
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Revelation 13:15, 16
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REVELATION 12 DRAGON:
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“THE MARK OF THE BEAST
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THE SEAL OF GOD”
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THE MARK OR SEAL
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The Mark of the beast is currently a very popular subject.
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And there are many differing opinions on just what it is.
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There are many who search the newspapers or studying history books, trying to find a connection to what the Bible says about all this.
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And as a result, there is no shortage of opinions on just what or just who is this Antichrist Beast.
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But the Bible has the answers. And it would be profitable to search its pages, that it might be discovered just what we should know about the seal of God as well as, the Mark of the Beast.
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Optic stub svg – wikimedia commons – share-alike license
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GROUND-WORK LAID
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It seems practical to put both the Seal of God and the Mark of the Beast discussion in the very 
same article, since they are such similar concepts.
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And as with most of the articles on this website, this article is also very condensed, for brevity’s sake.
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Perhaps an entire book could be written on each topic.
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But instead, only a pamphlet-size article will be offered.
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The subject of the Seal of God will be first discussed, which will hopefully lay the ground-work for the Mark of the Beast concept.
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WHAT IS THE SEAL OF GOD?
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The book of Ezekiel got its “fiery” reputation from such chapters as Chapter 9.
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In this chapter, the Lord commanded the man with the inkhorn to go through 
Jerusalem…
…”and set a mark upon the foreheads
of the men that sigh and that cry
for all the abominations
that be done in the midst thereof.”
Ezekiel 9:4.
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Then after this was accomplished, the Lord commanded the men, who were together with the man wearing linen, with the writer’s inkhorn…
…”And to the others He said…
Go ye after him through the city…
Slay utterly old and young…
but come not near any man upon whom is the mark…”
Ezekiel 9:5, 6. (Condensed for brevity)
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This has everything to do with God’s seal. It presents the concept that many among God’s people, are merely pretenders.
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As one old southern radio preacher used to say: “There are the Believers and there are the make-believers”.
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Giotto-innocents – wikimedia – US public domain
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HEAVEN DECLARES GOD’S GLORY
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But God is the searcher of hearts, and knows just who it is who has made a covenant by sacrifice…
…”Gather My saints together unto Me;
those that have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.
And the heavens shall declare His righteousness…Selah.”
Psalm 50:4-6
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And as this passage declares, “The heavens shall declare His righteousness: for God is judge Himself!” And God has written His judgments in the Sun, Moon, and Stars! And this website is declaring those signs and those judgments!
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WHY IN THE FOREHEAD?
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“And thou shalt bind them (the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments)
a sign upon thine hand,
and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.”
Deuteronomy 6:8
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The above verse calls for God’s people to bind the commandments, statutes and judgments on the hand and forehead.
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And there were many who returned from the 
70-year Babylonian Captivity who took this literally.
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They actually had what was known as phylacteries which had Bible verses written on them, which the Jews literally tied to their hands and forehead.
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And even today, they are used.
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But God told them to! Right?
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Well, listen again…
…”And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand,
and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.”
Deuteronomy 6:8
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So why would God have Christians put the commandments upon a man’s hand and forehead?
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“SPIRITUAL THINGS ARE SPIRITUALLY DISCERNED”
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The answer to this question is the very same answer to so many Bible questions.
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Again, it must be remembered that the Bible is a spiritual book.
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It must be spiritually discerned.
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Listen… “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God:
for they are foolishness unto him:
neither can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned…
Which things also we speak,
not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth,
but which the Holy Ghost teacheth;
comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”
1st Corinthians 2:14, 13.
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Many, many have stumbled on the Word of God, because they did not understand that it is a spiritual Book.
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So very often, God presents heavenly, spiritual ideas, using earthly metaphors.
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So, in order to find the deeper truths of God’s Word, there must be a comparing of spiritual things with spiritual.
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But those Old Testament theologians tried to interpret Scripture literally.
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Oh yes, all the Old Testament stories actually happened!
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But God gave these stories to present spiritual concepts.
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And so also was this commandment about writing God’s commandments upon our hands and foreheads given, in order to present a spiritual concept.
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Phylactery on Yemeni Jew 1914 wikipedia US public domain
Phylactery Tfilin_shel_yad – cropped image – wikipedia share-alike lic.
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COMMANDMENTS GO IN, NOT ON THE FOREHEAD!
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“For from within, out of the heart of men,
proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications,
murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit,
lasciviousness, an evil eye,
blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
All these evil things come from within,
and defile the man.”
Mark 7:23.
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The above verse from Mark’s Gospel declares that out of Man’s heart proceed evil thoughts.
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Then, if that’s so, why do people always point to their chest when referring to their heart?
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Obviously, people are confused, because long ago, the medical community had misappropriated the name “heart” to the blood pumping organ, located in the chest.
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And so, as with every other question, this problem of “where to hide the commandments” is solved by studying all verses in the Bible which relate to this subject.
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And so, trying to find other passages to help, let this passage be offered…
…”Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees,
till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.”
Revelation 7:3.
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So, this verse says IN the forehead.
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As a matter of fact, by reading the KJV Version, it is discovered that almost the entire book of Revelation says IN the forehead in every case concerning the Seal of God AND ALSO, the Mark of the Beast.
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The modern translations do not pick up on this (The King James Version faithfully translates, once again!).
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This word, “in”, helps greatly to understand the Seal of God, for this reason… “Thy Word have I hid IN mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.” Psalm 119:1
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Heart oblique external – Wikimedia – Share-Alike Lic.
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BLOOD-PUMP NOT THE HEART!
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So, where does this verse (“Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.” Psalm 119:11.) tell me that God’s Word must be hidden?
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“IN my heart.”
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And what does this little verse say will be the result of hiding God’s Word in my heart?
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“That I might not sin against God.”
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But where is the heart? In my chest? No, that’s the blood pump.
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So, in essence, we hide God’s Word in our foreheads…in our brain…in our mind…in our heart.
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Listen again to Scripture…
…”Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared
to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us,
written not with ink,
but with the Spirit of the living God;
not in tables of stone,
but in fleshly tables of the heart.”
2nd Corinthians 3:3.
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This verse makes a startling revelation!
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It declares that the Christian should have Jesus written on the fleshly tables of the heart!
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Now this of course is speaking of a Christian’s mind, and not of the blood pump in one’s chest.
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Heart oblique external – Wikimedia – Share-Alike Lic..
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SEALED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
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“(God), in whom ye also trusted,
after that ye heard the word of truth,
the gospel of your salvation:
in whom also after that ye believed,
ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise,”
Ephesians 1:13
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So now this above verse helps to see that God’s seal is very much connected to the indwelling of 
God’s Holy Spirit.
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After all, the Bible alone is just a dead letter.
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To become God’s LIVING WORD, it must be combined with God’s Holy Spirit.
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Does the Bible ever refer to itself as the LIVING Word?
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Well, this verse from Hebrews says it is…
…”For the Word of God is quick (O.E. for “living”), and powerful,
and sharper than any twoedged sword,
piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit,
and of the joints and marrow,
and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Hebrews 4:12
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First of all, this above verse says that the heart has, “thoughts and intents”.
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So, it is obviously speaking of the mind: perhaps we could call the heart, “the treasure chest of the mind”.
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Pentecostés_(El_Greco,_1597) wikimedia public domain
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THE RELATION BETWEEN THE ‘SEAL’ & THE ‘WORD’
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And so, there emerges a relationship between God’s Seal and God’s Word.
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Here is another verse which ties together the Seal of God and the Word of God.
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Listen… “Bind up the testimony, SEAL the law among my Disciples.” Isaiah 8:14-16.
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So here it says, God’s Law and His Testimony is His Word, the Bible.
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RELATION OF SEAL & STRIVING FOR HOLINESS
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So, here is another verse which makes all this just a little more clear.
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Listen… “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure,
having this seal,
The Lord knoweth them that are His.
And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ
depart from iniquity.”
2nd Timothy 2:19 .
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So again, this verse is very similar to that fiery passage in Ezekiel…“set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof (of Jerusalem).” Ezekiel 9:4.
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So, to, “depart from iniquity”, as 2nd Timothy 2:19 says, and, “sighing and crying”, for the abominations of Jerusalem (God’s people), as Ezekiel 9 says, are essentially the same idea.
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IMAGE OF CHRIST IN THE HEART
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“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.” Genesis 1:27
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In the beginning, God created Man in His image.
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But when Man rebelled, Man gradually reverted into the image of the beasts of the Earth.
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Listen to God’s assessment of fallen Mankind…
…”And (Mankind) changed the glory of the uncorruptible God
into an image made like to corruptible man,
and to birds, and fourfooted beasts,
and creeping things.”
Romans 1:23
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God has chosen New Testament Christians to become conformed into Christ’s image.
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Just listen… “For whom He did foreknow,
He also did predestinate
to be conformed to the image of His Son,
that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
Romans 8:29.
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And so, this verse (and others) reveals the purpose and intent of God, in calling His sons to service: that we will be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ, pure and unspotted by the world.
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Now, fallen Mankind does not have the image of Christ within their hearts. And God condemns their unconverted, fallen image.
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Listen… “O Lord, when Thou awakest, Thou shalt despise their image.” Psalm 73:20.
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PART 2: THE MARK OF THE BEAST
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…”And the third angel followed them (the first two angel-messengers),
saying with a loud voice,
If any man worship the beast and his image,
and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God…”
Revelation 14:9, 10 (Condensed)
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So, the above verse is a warning against worshipping the Beast, and receiving his Mark.
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But what or who is the Antichrist Beast spoken of in Revelation?
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Mark of the Beast – Wikipedia – Public Domain
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DON’T GET CONFUSED BY MAN’S THEORIES
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The Bible explains that the Dragon is Satan…
…”And the great dragon…
that old serpent,
called the Devil, and Satan…”
Revelation 12:9.
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So, then the Beast, with his similar attributes (7 heads, 10 horns, etc..) is a reflection of the Dragon, i.e., a reflection of Satan.
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It is not the purpose of this article to define the Beast, as far as the ecclesiastical authorities which have persecuted God’s Church in Europe (either doctrinal or physical persecution), during the Dark Ages (c. 400 AD to about 1700 AD, or thereabout).
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Sufficed to say, Revelation Ch. 17 reveals that these heads and horns and crowns are kings and kingdoms.
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But instead, this article (and this website) desires to bring out the qualities of the heart, which define the nature of Satan and his followers, and how this all relates to the individual Christian.
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The Bible does not require that the Bible student knows and understands exactly what each head and each crown, and each horn represents, in order to understand just what and who is the Beast.
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As a matter of fact, there are many differing opinions on that subject, and no lack of dogmatism accompanying each opinion.
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And it is very easy to get led down a wrong pathway by listening to these various theories on prophecy.
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Mark of the Beast – Wikipedia – Public Domain
Christian martyrs of Europe Wikipedia US public domain
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WORLDLY SPIRIT IS AN ANTICHRIST SPIRIT
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Instead, look at this big statement which God makes concerning Antichrist…
…”And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God:
and this is that spirit of antichrist,
whereof ye have heard that it should come;
and even now already is it in the world…
They are of the world:
therefore speak they of the world,
and the world heareth them.”
1st John 4:3-6.
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If the Spirit within is not manifesting Jesus Christ to the world, and I instead have a worldly spirit, then can I really say I am of God?
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Mark of the Beast – Wikipedia – Public Domain
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THIS WORLD IS ANTICHRIST
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“They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.” 1st John 4:5
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And so, this Antichrist Beast of Revelation, with all its kings and kingdoms, must be speaking of the kingdoms of this world.
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This world is Satan’s dominion. Scripture calls Satan, “the god of this world” 2nd Corinthians 4:4.
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What an amazing proclamation!
What an amazing proclamation! .
When Satan tempted Jesus, Satan made this following statement…
…”And the devil, taking Him up into an high mountain,
showed unto Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
And the devil said unto Him,
All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them:
for that is delivered unto me;
and to whomsoever I will I give it.”
Luke 4:5, 6.
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And because the Bible calls Satan, “the god of this world” 2nd Corinthians 4:4, it is manifest that the kingdoms of this world were indeed given to Satan.
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Mark of the Beast – Wikipedia – Public Domain
Christ battles Satan – www.thebiblerevival.com – Public Domain
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“KEEP THY HEART WITH ALL DILIGENCE”
Proverbs 4:23
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“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23
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So now it begins to be seen that there are two spirits in this world.
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There is the spirit of the world, which is Antichrist, and there is the Spirit of God, of which a Believer receives at the time of his or her Salvation.
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This is the essence of what the seal of God, and the Mark of the Beast are all about.
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And it is the solemn duty of every child of God to diligently guard his or her heart.
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Because it is the heart that both God and Antichrist (Satan) desires to gain control of.
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The following passage is an exhortation from Paul as to what is the goal of each and every Christian soldier…
…”For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal,
but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;
Casting down imaginations,
and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God,
and bringing into captivity every thought
to the obedience of Christ;”
2nd Corinthians 10:4, 5 .
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SPIRIT OF TRUTH & SPIRIT OF ERROR
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The Bible speaks of two spirits in the world…
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…”The Spirit of Truth”, referring to the Holy Spirit…
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…and “the spirit of error”, speaking of the antichrist spirit, i.e., the Devil.
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Listen to the words of Jesus…
…”And I will pray the Father,
and He shall give you another Comforter,
that He may abide with you for ever;
Even the Spirit of truth;
whom the world cannot receive…”
John 14:16, 17 (Condensed)
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This above passage reveals that the people of the world cannot receive the, “Spirit of Truth”, i.e., the Holy Spirit.
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But in contrast, listen to John’s 1st Epistle, which speaks of the, “spirit of error”…
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“They (antichrists) are of the world:
therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them…
Hereby know we the Spirit of Truth,
and the spirit of error.”
1st John 4:5, 6
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Now this passage speaks of the, “spirit of error”, which the people of the world possess, or rather, which possesses them! And so it seems that a person is filled with either one or the other spirit: the, “Spirit of Truth”, or the, “spirit of error”.
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Now, Paul, in Ephesians makes a comment on this.
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Listen… “And you hath He quickened,
who were dead in trespasses and sins:
Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world,
according to the prince of the power of the air,
the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:”
Ephesians 2:1, 2.
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So, Paul here makes it perfectly clear, that those who have not been “born again” by the Holy Spirit…
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…are instead, indwelt by the spirit of the prince of the power of the air, i.e., Satan.
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THE GOLDEN IMAGE TODAY
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Back in the days of Daniel, the people of the world were forced to bow down to the golden image which 
the King of Babylon set up on the Plain of Dura.
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Today, the King of Babylon (Satan) has erected another golden image, in which the people of the world are to bow down to.
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And just as that golden image in Daniel’s day was in the likeness of the King of Babylon…
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…so also, the golden image in our day is in the 
likeness of Satan, the true King of Babylon.
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Television, radio, Internet, books and magazines and newspapers all play a part in indoctrinating us into Satan’s image.
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As a matter of fact, this entire world and the inhabitants thereof are conformed to this image.
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But just as the people were commanded to bow down when the music began to play…
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…so also these modern media present beautiful images of fallen mankind, often accompanied by beautiful strains of music, along with a sympathetic storyline.
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And thus are the people of the world, little by little, indoctrinated into this worldly image which, “the god of this world”, presents in such glorious array.
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Academy Awards Ceremony – cropped image – Wikipedia – Share Alike Lic.
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WORLD INDOCTRINATION
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“Be not deceived: evil communications corrupts good behavior” 1st Corinthians 15:33
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A certain person coined the proverb, “If you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes the truth.”
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Television is Satan’s 24/7/365 mouthpiece, repeating and reiterating his lies so often, it is all but impossible to resist!
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And those who are most easily indoctrinated are of course, our children!
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Children take to television, etc., as the proverbial “duck takes to water!”
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And there is just enough truth presented on television to deceive the unwary watcher.
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NO FENCE-SITTERS IN THIS WORLD
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This next parable presents a giant concept concerning the Mark of the Beast.
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Jesus spoke this parable to the Pharisees…
…“He that is not with Me is against Me:
and he that gathereth not with Me scattereth.
When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man,
he walketh through dry places,
seeking rest; and finding none,
he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.
And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.
Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits
more wicked than himself;
and they enter in, and dwell there:
and the last state of that man is worse than the first.”
Luke 11:23-26
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As already mentioned, this parable was spoken by Jesus to the Pharisees.
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And while this is a great prophecy concerning the future of the world, it is also a revelation into the inner-heart of Man…
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…especially of those who are in the Church, and yet still unsaved.
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This parable explains what happens when a non-Christian decides to clean up his life and yet is void of the Spirit of Christ.
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This parable makes the point that there are no “fence-sitters” in this world…no neutral space!
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Jesus compared this man’s heart to a house empty and swept clean.
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But it wasn’t empty for long!
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Soon, the evil spirit went and gathered 7 spirits, more evil than himself.
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And now this 
man’s last state, “is worse than the first.”
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Jesus plainly declares in the above parable… “He that is not with Me is against Me: and he that gathereth not with Me, scattereth.”
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This parable explains that no man stands on neutral ground.
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You are either for Christ or against Him.
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But this parable also explains that every person is either filled with God’s Spirit, or with Satan’s spirit.
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This is probably the most unacceptable as well as the most unpopular truth found in God’s Word!
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Of course, very few people in this world would care to admit that they are filled with Satan’s Antichrist spirit.
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Jesus and Pharisees and Sadducees – James Tissot – US Public Domain – Brooklyn Museum – Wikimedia
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RELIGIOUS DEVILS
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As we more closely examine the above parable of the man with the 7 unclean spirits, it is discerned that the man did not actually have 7 more evil spirits.
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As already mentioned, this parable was spoken by Jesus to the Pharisees.
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And while this is a great prophecy concerning the future of the world, it is also a revelation into the inner-heart of a Pharisee.
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This parable explains what happens when a non-Christian decides to begin attending church, and yet there is no true change of heart.
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This parable makes the point that the before-condition of that person, symbolized by one evil spirit, becomes far worse after cleaning up, symbolized by seven more evil spirits.
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And as Jesus spoke to these Pharisees, they did not understand that Jesus was speaking of them.
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For example, a mere drunk
ard, lying in the gutter, is like a man with an unclean spirit.
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But when that drunkard decides to clean up his life and begins to attend church, but has no inward conversion…
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…that same unclean spirit returns and finds that man’s heart void of the Holy Spirit.
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And so, he gets seven more evil spirits (symbolizing false religion).
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The number “seven” represents Jesus and His Church.
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Now that ex-drunkard has been transformed into a respected member of the church.
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Now he has become a productive contributor to the community.
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But inwardly, he is motivated by the seven “religious devils” and is void of the Holy Spirit.
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But these Pharisees, in all their pride and arrogance, were symbolized by having seven devils, more evil than the first.
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So what is Jesus saying?
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He is saying that it would be better to be a wretched drunkard laying in a gutter, than to be a proud moralistic churchgoer…a modern-day Pharisee!
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As Jesus said… “the last state of that man is worse than the first.”
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tissot the pharisees and the Herodians conspire against Jesus – www.joyfulheart.com – Pub Domain
Jesus – Tissot – courtesy of Brooklyn Museum – Wikimedia
Highbrow_drunkard-cropped image – wikimedia-share-alike-license.jpg
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PART 3: HOW CAN I HAVE THE SEAL OF GOD?
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Now the obvious question is, “What can I do to receive the Seal of God, and not receive the Mark of the Beast?”
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While Salvation is the gift of God, and not of works, nevertheless, the Bible is literally teeming with counsel as to how to come closer to God.
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And yet, there are certain Christian duties which are fundamental to having a successful relationship with God.
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Here are 6 basic duties…
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1. PLEADING TO GOD FOR MERCY. Pleading for God’s mercy is a 24/7/365 duty, as far as possible, for the rest of a Christian’s life.
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2. DEPARTING FROM EVIL. This means to not only cease from doing evil, but also to remove one’s self from evil associations, as far as possible.
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3. IMMERSING ONE’S SELF IN GOD’S WORD.
To listen to the Bible on and MP3 player…
…To carry a little Bible at all times…
…To try to fill one’s entire day and night with God’s Word…
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…is the only way this site knows, of how to change the heart and mind into Christ’s image.
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4. SERVING THE LORD WITH THE WHOLE HEART. Christianity is not something to complement one’s life. IT IS THE LIFE!
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God accepts no divided heart, and no divided service.
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5. LOOKING TO JESUS AS THE DIVINE ROLE MODEL. It is important to constantly refer to Jesus as the example for how the Christian should behave.
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Many situations require the Christian to pause and ask his or her self, just “What would Jesus do?”.
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Paul is also a God-given role model.
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And his life is also given as a role model, because sometimes it’s not so easy to know what Jesus would do.
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6. REJOICING AND ENDURING TRIBULATIONS. In order for God to mold us into His likeness, we must endure tribulation at various times.
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And when tribulation comes, we must never murmur at Go
d.
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Listen to James…
…”but we glory in tribulations also:
knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
And patience, experience;
and experience, hope:”
James 5:3, 4.
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Just look at the life of the Apostle Paul. Just behold all the tribulation which he endured, for the sake of the Gospel. Did Paul complain?
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Just listen to his own words…
…”Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you,
and fill up that which is behind
of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh
for his body’s sake, which is the church:”
Colossians 1:24.
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What an incredible attitude which Paul had! He knew that afflictions were necessary to become Christ-like.
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And so, he welcomed trials and tribulations, so that he could achieve his great commission: to proclaim Christ within, to this hopeless and lost world.
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Paul well knew that merely preaching Christ was not good enough.
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But Paul realized that Paul must die, so that Jesus might live out His holy life through Paul.
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Morning Prayers – Ebenezer Newman – Downard – 1860 – Wikipedia – Public Domain
Paul Shipwrecked Acts 27:41-44-www.lavistachurchofchrist.org–public domain
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“BY EVIL REPORT AND GOOD REPORT”
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“Giving no offence in any thing,
that the ministry be not blamed:
But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God,
in much patience,
in afflictions,
in necessities,
in distresses,
In stripes,
in imprisonments,
in tumults,
in labours,
in watchings,
in fastings, etc…”
2nd Corinthians 6:3
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Now to the world (and to worldly Christians), these 6 duties, previously listed, may seem extreme.
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And for those who are given to extremes, these things must be performed in behaving normally.
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But for those who are given to orthodoxy and respectability, it is time for such to get extreme!
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The Christian life is extreme!
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Both Jesus and Paul were considered extremists.
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And so would they today!
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Christianity is not merely a modification of the old life.
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On the other hand, the longer a Christian lives, the Christian life, the more graceful should his or her life become…
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…as one lets the hidden Man of the heart be seen in quietly working with his hands, the good things.
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paulinastromacts27-21-www.breadsite.org-public-domain.jpg
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“IN QUIETNESS AND CONFIDENCE”
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“For in Thee, O LORD, do I hope:
Thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.
For I said, Hear me,
lest 
otherwise they should rejoice over me:
when my foot slippeth,
they magnify themselves against me.
For I am ready to halt,
and my sorrow is continually before me.”
Psalm 38:15-17
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Now all this information can be overwhelming for many who feel they are helpless…even still unsaved.
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There are many times in which a Christian can only just pull the covers over the head, so to speak, and silently cry out for mercy.
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There are many times when all one can do is wait patiently for the Lord, and not to give up in discouragement.
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There are many Psalms one can read during such times.
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God is a very tender God. And perhaps, some of the greatest victories can be won, in such helpless moments, as he simply holds on to God during great discouragement.
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David’s sorrow – Wikigallery – Public Domain.
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THE END
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A HEAVENLY HOBBY
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“Lift up your eyes on high,
and behold Who hath created these things;
that brings out their host by number:
He calls them all by names by the greatness of His might,
for that He is strong in power;
not one faileth.”
Isaiah 40:26
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“AND WHEN YE SEE THESE THINGS…
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LOOK UP, LIFT UP YOUR HEAD”
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In this busy work-a-day world, there are many very interesting things which can occupy one’s time and energy: hobbies, and careers, and entertainments and 
worries, and habits, to name just a few.
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But having said this, there is one hobby which every ‘Noble Berean’ may take up, which only compliments the pursuit of the heavenly Prize.
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Yes, Signs Of Heaven becomes a wonderfully rewarding hobby which, unlike many less meaningful hobbies, pays off with rich, heavenly rewards. Everlasting rewards!
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And unlike the person in this photo with equipment, all you need is fairly good vision, and a dark, starry night.
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And once a person really gets to know these heavenly messengers, it will become very apparent that the message connected with these signs is truly a message to be heeded.
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Thus will the Christian be able to share this message with others. And there are perhaps many nuances and hidden biblical truths to these signs which have yet to be discovered.
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Astronomy Amateur – cropped image – Wikipedia – share-alike license
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“And there shall be signs in the sun,
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and in the moon,
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and in the stars;
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and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;
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the sea and the waves roaring;”
Luke 21:25
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ABOVE CHART: Summer Constellations with Doves (Sagittarius) & Woman (Ursa Major)
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FIRST FIND ORION & 7 STARS
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