Mark Of The Beast, John 6:66

Unhappy dog

I sometimes am clueless about what Buddy wants. I feel badly as I wonder if there’s some need or desire that he has that’s not being fulfilled.

I’ve noticed a lot of chatter on Social Media recently about the “Mark of the Beast”. Christians worry about unintentionally taking the mark which signifies enslavement to the AntiChrist during the End Times.

Christians worry because they love the Lord and want to obey Him. They don’t want to be tricked into following Satan or his servants.

“And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.”—Apostle John, Revelation 19:20

My pastor, Jon Bjorgaard, pointed out the following ironic coincidence in the Bible—or is it a coincidence? Perhaps God is trying to tell us something here.

“As a result of this many of His (Jesus’) disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.”—John 6:66

I really think it’s a waste of time and emotional energy to worry or speculate about what the “Mark of the Beast” is or to spend time researching or watching videos. The number 666 (Revelation 13:18) represents the AntiChrist, the man filled with the presence of Satan who will deceive the whole world into rejecting Christ to worship him alone.

John 6:66 points out that many of Christ’s disciples stopped following Him because His teachings became “difficult…Who can listen to it (John 6:60)?” Even after Jesus promised that “the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life (vs. 63)” they still stopped following after Him.

The twelve disciples did not turn away from listening to Jesus because they believed that He was the Messiah: “Simon Peter answered Him (Jesus), ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.’”—John 6:68-69

John 6:66 demonstrates those who don’t believe that Christ is the Messiah—God in the flesh (Matthew 1:23)—will not follow Him. As a result, they will be deceived by the AntiChrist and take his mark in the End Times. They won’t heed the warnings in the Bible because they already refuse to listen to God about sin, the world and the demonic. They are already lost and confused.

However, those who follow Jesus will not take the mark because “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”—Jesus, John 20:27-28

I honestly believe that, if you are a born again believer, you can relax because it will be evident to Christians what the “mark” is because we follow the Lord and will be warned by the Holy Spirit. I believe we won’t have to guess, when that time comes to refuse or accept the mark, because it will be self evident to us. The beast will demand that we worship him instead of Jesus. True believers will reject that demand.

Christians also have a seal on their hearts already, God’s mark: “having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, Who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, (Apostle Paul, Ephesians 1:13-14).”

So please relax, confident in God’s protection and ability to guide your soul safely into His kingdom. Whatever the future holds, He will be with His children.

“‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,’ so that we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me? (Hebrews 13:5-6)’”

Hope you found this post helpful and relieved some anxiety.

God bless you.

Love from Dawn and Buddy

***

Jesus frequently referred to Himself as the source of truth. Whereas, Satan and the world (culture and governing authorities) are referred to as deceivers. If you don’t know the Lord Jesus or His Word—the Bible—in my opinion you can be deceived by evil. The Apostle John warned back in the early days of Christianity that “many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist (2 John 1:7).”

If you’re ready to follow the God of Truth, please repeat the following prayer: “Dear Heavenly Father, I call on Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Please forgive my sin. I want to live for you. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Teach me to discern right and wrong, and truth from error. Thank you for Your love and mercy. In Jesus’ mighty name, amen.”

If you prayed with sincerity, congratulations: You are a born again child of God. You either just experienced the presence of God in your spirit or will slowly be aware of His presence. Please start reading the Bible to get to know Him better. I suggest starting with the book of Matthew as it’s easy to understand. Always pray for the Holy Spirit to guide your understanding when you read the Bible as it’s a supernatural book.

Also, please find a Bible-based church or Bible study to attend. Avoid any church claiming to be “woke” or “progressive” as they are not teaching the historical truth. If that’s not possible right now, these three ministries are my favorite and have apps for your convenience: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way), http://www.InTouch.org and www. BasicGospel.net.

God bless you. Keep growing in the knowledge of God and praying. Every time you pray, you’re opening up a powerful connection with the omnipotent God of the Universe.

Buddy and I look forward to meeting you in Heaven one day.

If You Think You Can’t Be Deceived, You’re Already Deceived, 2 John 1:7

Buddy looking at me.

I thought Buddy wanted to go outside, so I grabbed his harness. He ran off, so I chased him around the living room. The problem isn’t that Buddy was being deceptive in his communication, but, rather, I was unable to perceive the meaning of his staring at me with expectation of—-what?

Apostle John warned that there would be many who would deny that Jesus is the Christ, God in the flesh. These persons are referred to as antichrists, apart from the AntiChrist who ushers in Armageddon.

“For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.”—2 John 1:7

But I think we can apply this verse more broadly. Satan tricked Eve into disobeying God, leading to humanity’s downfall into sin. He and his followers are still deceiving people today.

1. Satan wants to “steal, kill and destroy us (John 10:10).

2. Satan is a habitual liar: “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44).”

3. Satan and his followers pretend to be good or have good intentions in order to deceive us: “Satan disguised himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness… (2 Corinthians 11:14-15).”

Jesus referred to Satan three times as “the ruler of this world”: John 12:31, 14:30 and 16:11. He is a fallen angel, but he is still a massively powerful archangel. He is far older and more deceitful than we are. Our main weapon against him is prayer and God’s Word, the Bible.

With Fake News, Internet and media censorship, greedy politicians and CEOs, and millions of voices on social media, it’s difficult to discern who is telling the truth or is deceiving us with false information. Several times I thought someone was honest but were lying to me. I prefer to believe someone and let them prove me wrong.

I’ve been proven wrong too many times.

May I suggest a prayer to you that I’ve been praying every morning that I believe is helpful?

Dear Heavenly Father, Please help me discern truth from error, and fact from fiction. Help me recognize when someone is intentionally deceiving me, or unintentionally deceiving me because they are misled themselves. Sift everything that enters my mind, ear, eye and heart gate by your Holy Spirit. Help me recognize when something goes against your word. Grant me the grace to recognize if I’m believing something that’s false and replace it with your truth. Or thinking what’s false. Grant me the grace to recognize when the Holy Spirit is telling me something isn’t right. Thank you in Jesus’ name, amen.

With so much false information in this world, please don’t assume that everything you believe to be true, really is. Satan rules this world at this time and has filled it with lies and liars. Ask for God’s discernment. He knows the hearts of all people (Proverbs 20:27). The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth (John 14:16-17); please rely on Him.

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

Jesus came in the flesh (Matthew 1:23) to die for our sins. Our misdeeds separate us from a perfectly holy God, who cannot tolerate sin and must punish it. However, because He loves us so much, Jesus took the punishment we deserve for our sins by dying on the Cross. Being perfect, He didn’t have to die for His own sins so could carry ours, instead. His resurrection from the dead proved that His sacrifice was sufficient and that He was God, Lord over death.

Please heed the Apostle John’s warnings not to listen to the antichrists who deny that God came in the flesh, the Messiah Jesus Christ. God loves you and wants to be in fellowship with you. If you’re willing, please repeat the prayer below out loud:

Dear Holy Father, I call on Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Please forgive my sins. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

If you prayed with sincerity, congratulations, you are born again. You either just had a supernatural encounter with the Holy Spirit or will gradually become aware of His presence in your inner being.

Just as the body needs daily food, we need the Word of God, the Bible, to feed our spirits. I recommend starting with the book of Matthew as it’s easy to understand. Also, please join a Bible-based church or Bible study to mature in your faith and understanding. If that’s not possible right now, these three ministries are my favorites and also have apps: http://www.LTW.org, http://www.InTouch.org and http://www.BasicGospel.net.

God bless you. Buddy and I look forward to meeting you in heaven one day.

Disappointed, But Not Angry, Romans 2:4

Buddy frowning

I was saying my prayers this morning when I heard Buddy walking through the slats of the blinds covering the patio doors. Since he doesn’t bark when he needs to go out, I immediately dashed out into the living room—but it was too late. Fortunately most of his poopie hit the mat in front of the door. I actually made more of a mess pulling the mat away from the door, not noticing the urine on it.

That’s how life goes. You have your plans for the day and then there’s unexpectedly having to power up the portable rug cleaner and wash the rug.

My mom suggested that maybe Buddy was frowning (photo above) because he’s afraid of being punished. But I didn’t raise my voice or punish him. After all, he’s 14 years old and ate something that disagreed with his system. He cannot open the door himself and when you’ve got the squirts (sorry if you’re squeamish), you really cannot control your bowels.

However, although I was not angry, I felt disappointed. Buddy could’ve warned me that he needed to rush out the door, but he likely was focused on getting to it.

I was raised in a cult religion which kept people scared by focusing on the Book of Revelation, which is full of difficult symbolism. Frequently our study materials pictured God raining fire and brimstone and hailstones upon people who disobeyed Him. I don’t recall any sermons about God’s love or desire to fellowship with His creation.

If such sermons about God’s love for humanity were preached, the images of punishment definitely overshadowed them.

Some people definitely need to hear that they’re sinners in need of repentance or they’ll never be motivated to change. But God’s laws were given by Moses to show how far we fall short of God’s standards of holiness, that it’s impossible to meet those standards.

Adam and Eve fled from God’s presence after they disobeyed and ate from the Tree of The Knowledge Of Good and Evil, rather than humbly approaching Him and admitting their sin (Genesis 3). They even passed the buck: Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed Satan. Neither one took responsibility for their actions.

“Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?”—Apostle Paul, Romans 2:4

When we disobey God, He doesn’t want us to run away from Him, but, rather, to trust in His love for us and run towards Him, confessing our sin (1 John 1:9). He doesn’t give us rules for living to be a harsh killjoy, but to protect us from harming ourselves and others. Even His commands to praise and worship Him brings better health and reduced anxiety. He doesn’t want Satan and his minions to take advantage of us through our disobedience.

“And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Therefore, since we have a great high priest Who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One Who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”—Hebrews 4:13-16

God knows everything you say, think and do anyway. So draw near to Him, confess your sin and receive His mercy to help you repent and overcome that issue. He isn’t going to condemn you—that’s what Satan does—but will help you. He wants you to “live your best life now”, as my pastor, Jon Bjorgaard says.

Just keep coming to Jesus, no matter how many times you need to (Matthew 18:21-22). He loves His children and doesn’t want to condemn them. That’s why He came to die for our sins, so that we don’t have to be punished for them.

God bless you.

Love from Dawn and Buddy

***

Some people are afraid to be saved because they believe that they have to “clean up their act first”. Well, God knows that you cannot clean up your act without His help. If you’re ready for a major life change by becoming a Christian, please recite the below prayer to God:

Dear Heavenly Father, please forgive my sin. I invite Jesus Christ to be my Lord and Savior. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I want to live for you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

If you sincerely prayed that prayer, congratulations, you are now a member of the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit will make His presence known to you. Please ask Him as He is your counselor and guide.

But the main way the Holy Spirit guides you is through the Word of God. The Bible is your spiritual food, which you need to take in daily, just as your body needs food daily. I suggest start with reading the book of Matthew, as it’s easy to understand.

Also, please find a Bible-based church or Bible study to attend. If that’s not possible right now, these are my three favorite ministries and all have apps, if that’s more convenient: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way), http://www.InTouch.org and http://www.BasicGospel.net. There are other great ministries but you cannot go astray with these. Each approaches the Word of God a little differently, which gives you a broader base of understanding.

Buddy and I will see you in heaven.

What Is Heaven? Matthew 7:21-23

Buddy

After becoming a Silky terrier parent, I finally realized my true purpose in life: dog butler. Since Buddy is elderly, I immediately respond when it seems Buddy wants to go outside. However, after chasing him around this afternoon so that he can slip on his harness, he planted his four paws into my carpet and refused to walk through the front door. (He puts his harness on himself.)

Because Buddy is my dog and pal, anytime he wants to enter my home, he is welcome. I would never refuse him entry as he lives with me. From the time I adopted him from Silky Terrier Rescue, my residence became his forever home.

However, there is a false belief that everyone gets to enter heaven after death, but this is not true. Please note what Jesus said (Matthew 7:21-23):

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.

“Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?

“And I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”

1. Heaven is God’s residence, His house. Some people spend their entire lives rejecting God’s rules, wanting to do their own thing, despising and scorning Christians, yet believe God will welcome them with open arms into His heavenly house. Can you see how ridiculous that is?

Why would God want to invite people into His house who don’t like, or want to obey, His rules? Or spend eternity with Christians whom they dislike or hate?

2. Jesus said “many” would be refused entry. Some people teach universal salvation, but Jesus made it clear that the majority are not going to heaven: “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are FEW that find it (Matthew 7;13-14, emphasis mine).”

Jesus could not have been clearer that the number entering heaven will be far smaller than those going to destruction.

3. Note that performing good deeds or miracles were not sufficient to qualify for entry into heaven. Jesus told Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader: “Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3).”

Jesus emphasized that there was one work necessary to enter the kingdom of heaven: “Therefore they said to Him (Jesus), ‘What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent (John 6:28-29).’”

In other words, faith in Christ and His works. Jesus, became flesh to die for our sins as no one, but the perfect God-man, could meet the standard for works-based entry into Heaven: “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect ((Matthew 5:48).(Matthew 5:48).”

4. Entrance into heaven is based on knowing Jesus. He commands people to depart from His presence whom He is not in relationship with: “I never knew you; depart from me…” We must recognize Jesus as the door into heaven: “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe I AM, you will die in your sins (John 8:24).”

The ticket for entry into heaven is the Lord of Life. “I am the resurrection and the life; he who BELIEVES in Me will live even if he dies, and EVERYONE who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this? (John 11:25-26, emphasis mine.)”

It’s so easy yet so hard. A person needs to set aside their pride and self-righteousness, admitting that their good works are never good enough to earn them entrance into heaven. And believe that Jesus is the Christ, God in the flesh, Who died for their sins, the great I AM. He is a Mighty Creator Who loves us so much that He took the penalty for our sins by suffering punishment on a Cross and died.

Faith in Jesus. Not in yourself.

And your eternal life starts as soon as you believe in Him.

To begin that walk on the narrow path toward heaven.

Will Buddy and I greet you up there one day?

It’s up to you which path you take.

God bless you.

Love from Dawn and Buddy.

***

When I first gave my life to Christ, it was the beginning of a journey. The Holy Spirit entered my life, making me a new creation who is spiritually alive. But I had a lot to learn about God’s rules, His character and how to walk that path to Heaven. There was so much I didn’t know or understand, and still need to learn.

You see, you don’t need to know much, just have the faith of a “child (Luke 18:17).”

To become spiritually alive, you just need to believe that Jesus is the Christ, God in the flesh, and that He is Lord (the boss), Who died for your sins. You don’t need to DO anything but “confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation (Romans 10:9-10).”

If you’re ready to be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, to become born again, please recite the following short prayer: “Dear Heavenly Father, I call on Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Please forgive my sins. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. Thank you for loving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

If you sincerely prayed, congratulations, you are a child of God. You will now, or gradually, notice the presence of the Holy Spirit, your Counselor (Isaiah 9:6), in your inner being. Also, the Bible is your spiritual food; you must feed your spirit daily, just as you must regularly feed your body with food. I suggest starting with the book if Matthew, as it’s easy to understand.

And please find a Bible-based church or Bible-study. Avoid anything termed “woke”, “progressive” or “deconstructed.” God is eternal and does not change. If that’s not possible right now, these are my three favorite ministries: http://www.BasicGospel.net, http://www.InTouch.org and http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way). All three also have apps.

And don’t lose heart: You’re just starting your journey. There is a grand adventure ahead of you. An easy path? No. But I doubt you’ll ever get bored.

Buddy and I look forward to meeting you in heaven one day. God bless you.