Turn back with me to Revelation
13. This morning, we left off actually on the 12th verse. And as we're going through and
beholding, the beast, the war. Brother Scott and I were talking
a while ago. We are just watching all these
things come to pass because we know what is going to happen.
In the end, God's people are victorious. And the end of this
book is going to end with a glorious marriage. of the bride that has
been kept through all of these tribulations. But as the Spirit
of God has been pleased to relate to us so that we might know these
things that we go through, and we consider again this next passage
of Scripture, and we had started this morning actually looking
at the The second beast, or as verse 11 says, John says, I beheld
another beast, two horns. He was out of the earth. He was
earthy. Had two horns like a lamb, spake like a dragon. False religion. You know this is the false prophet
which is a total of all false preachers, false prophets, Everything
makes up this one false prophet. And the Scripture says, beginning
in verse 13, And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire
come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. Now, you know, according to Acts
2.22, just turn back there, Let's just look at these Scriptures
here. The Lord Jesus Christ. The Scripture
says in Acts 2.22, Peter preaching that day on the day of Pentecost,
and he said, Ye men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved
of God, That word approved there means accredited, accredited. This Jesus of Nazareth, a man
accredited of God, shown to be who He is among you by miracles
and wonders and signs which God did by Him in the midst of you
as ye yourselves also know. The way that the Scriptures set
forth that the Lord Jesus Christ was approved or shown to be or
accredited by God Himself was through miracles and signs. Now, He turned water into wine. He raised the dead. He calmed
the sea. He gave sight to the blind. He was approved. He was shown
to be who He was by these miracles. Acts 5.12. I should have just
had you stay there, but just turn to Acts 5.12. It says that
the apostles were also shown to be. Look at Acts 5.12. It says, And by the hands of
the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the
people, and they were all with one accord, in Solomon's port. So the apostles, to prove who
they were, that they were of God Himself, the Lord approved
them and showed them to be His apostles by these signs and wonders. So the most deceptive way for
men to believe that one is of God is for that one that is the
deceiver to attempt the same methods set forth by God Himself
through the person of His Son and through His apostles. Now,
the sight of any miracles at all is naturally thought to always
be from God. Any miracles that anyone sees,
In fact, Nicodemus said in John 3, Rabbi, our teacher, we know
that thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can do these
miracles that thou doest except God be with him. Now here was
Nicodemus, and I guess he thought that he was giving the Lord Jesus
a real, you know, pat on the back and really, you know, going
to give him a real compliment. And the Lord came back and told
him, he said, Nicodemus, you must be born again. No man could
do what you do, teacher, except God would be with him. But as
far as these great wonders that are performed by this false prophet
in Revelation 13, it says, and he doeth great wonders. The Spirit of God has graciously
revealed that these are lying wonders. Turn back to 2 Thessalonians. 2 Thessalonians 2. 2 Thessalonians
2, verses 7 to 12. 2 Thessalonians 2, 7, for the
mystery of iniquity. Now that ought to tell us something
right there. Here is a mystery, but it's a
mystery. It's a mysterious thing, but it's of iniquity. The mystery
of iniquity doth already work. Only who now letteth will let
until he be taken out of the way. Then shall the wicked be
revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his
mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming,
even him whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all
power and signs, and look at this, lying wonders, and with
all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish, because
they receive not the love of the truth, that they might be
saved. And for this cause God shall
send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie, that
they all might be damned, who believed not the truth, but had
pleasure in unrighteousness." Now, here in Revelation 13, the
Scripture says that this false prophet, this second beast, he
does great wonders, wonders of falsehood, wonders that are calculated
to deceive men into acknowledging that Satan is God Himself. But let me ask you this. How
do you know that they're not from God? Now, they're lying
wonders. And the Lord tells us that they're
lying wonders. The Lord Jesus Christ said in
John 4, 23, the hour coming, and now is, The true worshippers shall worship
the Father in spirit and in truth." How do you know that these that
we behold now, I've told you this before, I've had people
ask me, they say, do you believe a lot of these miracles that
are being done, do you think that they're real? I think they're
deception. That's what I think they are.
I think they're deception. The Scripture says that this
false beast, this false prophet, he doeth great wonders so that
he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight
of men. Now, I'm not going to get into
verse 14 yet, but look at the next verse. It says, and deceiveth
them. that dwell on the earth. So I
know this, that whatever he's doing is a deception. I know
that it is, alright? But he maketh fire come down
from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. Now, obviously,
there is something that's being done concerning this working
of miracles that is done in the sight of men that has a great
deception to it. Now you remember this, everything
that Satan does, as far as miracles are concerned, is a deception
of God's miracles. Look at Acts 2 again, Acts 2,
16. Acts 2, chapter 16. Now, the scripture says, On the
day of Pentecost, but this is that which was spoken by the
prophet Joel. Now you remember what's happened
on this day. If you just turn back a page,
well, Acts chapter 2 verse 1, when the day of Pentecost was
fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And
suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a mighty rushing
wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And
there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as fire, and it
set upon each of them. Now, back in Acts 2.16, this
is that, Peter said, which was spoken by the prophet Joel, and
it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will
pour out My Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters
shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men
shall dream dreams, and on My servants, on My handmaidens I
will pour out in those days of My Spirit, and they shall prophesy,
and I will show wonders in heaven above. signs in the earth beneath,
blood and fire and vapor and smoke. Now, something happened
on the Day of Pentecost, and there were, the Scripture says,
there was the appearance like unto cloven tongues of fire that
appeared there on the Day of Pentecost over those that would
preach the gospel. And you know how they preached
the gospel in tongues that they had never learned before. Our
Lord had said in Matthew 24, 24, for there shall arise false
Christ and false prophets and shall show great signs and wonders
insomuch that if it were possible, they should deceive the very
elect. So this lying wonder This false
prophet in verse 13, he does great miracles, wonders, so that
he maketh fire to come down from heaven on the earth in the sight
of the men. But it's a deception. It is a
deception of the Spirit of God. He says, or they say, that this
is the Spirit of God that has fallen. Just like the Spirit
of God fell on the day of Pentecost, they say this is of God. This is the Spirit of God. This
is the fire from heaven. This is what's happening. You
know, when Moses went into Egypt and he proved his authority or
his commission with miracles, you go back and read and you'll
find that the magicians could emulate almost all of the miracles
and caused great deception so that this fire that is being
spoken of right here, that verse 14 says is actually a deception,
is not real at all. It is a so-called movement of
the Spirit of God. So these great wonders seem to
be so authentic. And but for the grace of God,
the Scripture says, according to the words of our Lord in Matthew
24, 24, even the very elect would be deceived. How would you know?
that what you witness, you see these miracles and someone comes
up. I mean, it's a big deal. How would you know that it's
not real unless you were sealed and kept by the Lord Jesus Christ? And the effect of those when
these miracles are being done whose names are not written in
the book of life? Now, verse 14, it says, "...and
deceiveth them." that dwell on the earth by the means of those
miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast,
saying to them that dwell on the earth that they should make
an image to the beast which had the wound by a sword and did
live." Now, this image, it's not an actual physical image. I mean, the word itself, image,
should give us an indication of what it is. It's a representation. It's an image that is created
in the mind of the imagination. It's an image. This image. Now,
this image is a representation or it is a likeness created in
the blinded mind of men and women left to themselves. Now, think
back. Before the Lord revealed Himself
to you. And I've heard some people, I've
heard some say before, well, I've always been a Christian.
Brother Henry said one time, that's just a little bit too
long. Yeah, if you've always been a Christian in your mind,
then you don't know Him because you've not always been a Christian. Before the Lord revealed Himself
to you, you had an image in your mind of what God was or who He
was. You created in your mind an image. And the image that you had in
your mind was the God that you served. He was the God of your
imagination. The Scripture says, Romans 121,
because when they knew God, They glorified Him not as God,
neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and
their foolish heart was darkened. And they changed the glory of
the uncorruptible God into an image made likened to corruptible
man." The Lord told some folks one day, He said, you thought
that I was one likened to yourself. Men create in their mind an image
of who they believe God is. So the One that is coming in
verse 13, this false prophet, and does great wonders so that
He maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight
of men, which is not actually fire, it's a deception. He tells
people. And people read in the Scriptures,
they see on the day of Pentecost where fire came down and was
over the heads of those. And they preach the Gospel. And
this false prophet says the Spirit of God is still in this world
just like He is today. And this is the way He does it.
And He does it with these miracles. And He deceives them that dwell
on the earth by the means of those miracles. And He had power. because he was empowered by Satan
himself, he had power to do in the sight of the beast, saying
to them that dwell on the earth, to make an image to the beast
that had the wound by the sword and that did live. And he had
power, verse 15, to give life unto the image of the beast,
that the image of the beast should both speak and cause that as
many as would not worship the image of the beast should be
killed." Now, something should tell us something when he keeps
telling us it's an image. It's an image. It's an image.
It's an image. It's an imagination. It's not
real. It's an image. It's something
that is created in the mind. This false prophet or false preachers,
second beast, has power. to give life unto the image in
the deceived mind. He has power. It seems to say
that the first beast, that one of the government that we looked
at, doesn't possess so much the ability to cause this imaginary
God to actually speak in the deceived mind. Now, understand
this. Understand what the Scripture
is saying here. He has power to give life to
the image of the beast. Well, what I'm saying is this.
He has power to that deceived mind to make them believe that
that God is real, that that God really speaks. When I say that
he has the power to cause the image of that beast to speak,
it means false religion. left to the darkened and blinded
mind, empowered by the dragon himself to actually believe the
wicked, to think and to believe this is the God that speaks,
this is the God that is real. The blinded heart, the deceived
mind thinks that the God that He has created in His imagination
can save Him or damn Him all by His own power, right here.
If I give my heart to this imaginary God, He won't damn me. If I don't
give my heart to this imaginary God, He will damn me. And He's
an imaginary God that can perform these miracles in my mind, in
my deceived mind. if I'm left to myself. And the
Scripture says in verse 16, And he causeth all, both small and
great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their
right hand or in their foreheads. Now, before I go into this next
part, I'm going to tell you that this, in my opinion, may be one
of the most misunderstood, and maybe in my mind too, I'm telling
you right now, portions of Scripture that we've read heretofore. I
can truthfully understand and see how this false prophet, this
second beast that is earthy, comes out of the earth, It causes
those that dwell on the earth to worship the first beast. This
second beast, this false religion, tells the world, gain His godliness. Get all you can. We only go around
once. Get all the gusto that you can. It does these great wonders. It's miracles. It's all based
on false, deceptive miracles. They are always healing everybody.
As Brother Mahan said one time, You know, men talk about being
healed, but one of these days, they're going to die. It's always
about making money and being healed and having prosperous,
and by all these great means of miracles, He creates, the
false prophet does, in the mind of people, a God of their imagination,
and causes that God of their imagination to actually speak
to them. God told me, they say. I've got
a prophecy from the Lord. The Lord has spoken to me. Their
God is speaking in their mind. The Scripture says that here
He has power to give life to that image. And He calls His
now great and small, rich and poor. What that's saying is this.
No man is exempt if God leaves him to himself. All that's left
to themselves. all who were not sealed by God,
all whose names were not written in the book of life before the
foundation of the world received a mark in their right hand or
in their foreheads." Now, this mark, this badge of servitude
is a It's not a literal mark, number one. We have to understand
that this mark, the Scripture says, there's so much in these
next three verses, and I don't want to go too fast, but I would
like to finish this chapter if I can tonight. This mark, I want
you to notice that it is a mark that is in their right hand Or
notice that in their foreheads. Now, the scripture back in Revelation
9-3, I want you to look at this. I want to ask you, did the servants
of God receive a mark or a seal in their foreheads? Look at Revelation
9-3 and 4. The scripture says, And there
came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth, and unto them
was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And
it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of
the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree, but
only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. There was a seal, it's referred
to, in the foreheads of those that God had everlastingly loved. Now here in this verse, in verse
16, there is referred to as a mark that is given those that worship
this beast in their right hand or in their forehead. So this
mark is put upon the worshippers of the beast. But just what is
meant by the mark? Well, when the Scripture speaks
of a name of something being sealed, sealed in the forehead,
here it says sealed, it was marked in the forehead or in the right
hand. What it's talking about is that
the mind of that person, that it is a possessed property of
the one that is named by the seal. Look over in Revelation
14. It should be the same page you're on. Revelation 14, it
says, And I looked and lo, a lamb stood on the mount Sion, and
with him a hundred 40 and 4,000 having His Father's name written
in their foreheads. Look over in Revelation 17, 5.
It says, now, upon her forehead, this is a different, this is
the whore, the great whore. Upon her forehead was the name
written, Mystery Babylon, the great, the mother of harlots
and abominations of the earth. Look in Revelation 22, 3. Revelation 22, 3, "...and there
shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and the Lamb shall
be in it, and His servants shall serve Him, and they shall see
His face, and His name shall be in their foreheads." Now,
this mark back in Revelation 13, just like the name that is
written, set in the foreheads of God's people, It's not a literal
mark like 666. It is a setting forth that this
is their mind. This is the mindset. Not a literal
mark that's viewed outwardly, but it is a mark of the mind
that distinguishes the one that they serve, the one they love,
and the one they worship, the one they desire. So as far as
a mark being in their foreheads, this is the mind. But Paul says
you have the mind of Christ. So this mark in their forehead
means they have a mind that's after Satan himself. Now, the Scripture says they
receive a mark in their right hand or in their Foreheads. The hand is usually referred
to as being the action. The action. That's when it says
the hand. Ecclesiastes 9.10 says, Whatsoever
thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might. Whatsoever your
hand. So it has to do with actions. Back in Acts chapter 4. Acts 4.27. It says, For of a truth against
thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and
Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were
gathered together for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined
before to be done. So when you see the word hand
there, it has to do with the actions of the Lord's hand is
not His actions, His ability. So to receive or possess the
mark in their right hand or in their foreheads is to say this,
that whatever or whoever they worship or belong to or have
the mind for, that's what they do. That's what it's saying.
You will know them by their fruit. they receive a mark in their
right hand or in their foreheads. So the Scripture is setting forth
that He, this false prophet, causeth all, both small and great,
rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right
hand or in their foreheads. And verse 17, that no man might
buy or sell save he that had the mark, or the name of the
beast, or the number of his name." Now, I'd like to say again that
this is a passage of Scripture that I have heard for years being
referred to that in the last times that there will come a
point, and I'm not saying that this won't happen. I've heard
that this always refers to that in the latter days, that it will
be so bad on believers, that they will be so put down, that
they will be so stifled, that they will not be able to buy
or sell anything, merchandise, you know, that they will be so
persecuted. And I'll be honest with you.
That may be that very well. I'm not saying that that's a
wrong interpretation. That may be the truth. I know
for a fact, just historically, I can read in history where the
Roman Catholic Church, where the Pope issued what was called
bulls, these proclamations. And he would say that, you know,
if you were not of the Roman Catholic Church, if you didn't
profess allegiance, you know, to the Pope, and stuff, you couldn't
hold a certain office. So I can understand that. I don't have any problem understanding
that whatsoever. But I do have a few questions
about this particular passage of Scripture that I'd like to
just raise with you. This mark, the mark or the mindset
of having the mind of Satan, the mind that serves Satan, the
blinded mind, the false mind, the false religion that creates
a God in my own mind, my old mind, my old Adamic mind. That
is not something that will come about one of these days. That
started in the fall of Adam. When Adam fell, their mind was
blinded. They died spiritually. And that
mind has always been here since Adam fell. Now, I know that there's
always been prejudice from the ungodly toward God's people. I always know that there's been
the attempt to cut off or starve out the believer. I know when
Cain killed Abel, he hated him. He despised him. There was resentment. So it started way back in Genesis. I know that. It's not something
that will. But we must realize that this
Scripture refers, that Scripture of having the mark of the beast,
that mark that's in that forehead or in that hand, that mark refers
to every unbeliever left to himself. Every one of the wicked, every
one of them has the mark of the false prophet, the number of
the beast written in his forehead or in his hand. He does exactly
what his mind thinks. Well, since this mark has been
present since the fall, and since believers have obviously been
able to buy and sell merchandise in this world, well then the
question should arise to me, what does buy and sell mean? It says that no man might buy
or sell save he that had the mark, the name of the beast,
or the number of his name. The key to this verse, I believe,
is found in the word might, and that no man might buy or sell."
That word, might, is not a word of permission. It has nothing
to do with permission, but it is a word of ability. Now this, to me, is the key word
that opens up this verse of Scripture to me. And as I said, I'm not
saying that things won't get so bad that the false religious
world might hate God's people. I don't doubt that that'll happen
at all. But I believe this is a fuller understanding to this
Scripture, and it is an understanding that is consistent, especially
with the next verse, 18. The word might, as I said, is
a word of ability. It says that no man might buy. The word might there is also
interpreted can, cannot, able, could, and power. Now, scriptures
that will back up what that word means, that word might. In John
6, 44, let me just read these to you. It says no man can come
to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him." The word
can in John 6.44, no man can, is the same word might. No man
might. No man can. In Matthew 7.18,
a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit. The word cannot there
is the same word might in Revelation 13. In Matthew 10, 28, "...and
fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill
the soul." That word, able, then, has to do with ability, not permission. And it's the same word, might. In Matthew 17, 16, the Scripture
says, "...I brought him..." This is one man that had one of his
children that were sick, and it says, "...I brought him to
thy disciples, and they They could not cure him. That word,
ability. They couldn't do it. It wasn't
that they didn't give them permission to do it. So in Revelation 16,
25, it says, now to him that is of power to establish you
according to my gospel and to the preaching of Jesus Christ
according to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret
since the world began. That word power there, He who
has the power. Here again is the same word,
might. So back in Revelation 13, it
says that no man might buy or sell. So I know this. So far, I know this. That whatever
this verse is saying, this verse establishes something that is
not possible. I know that's the first thing
I know. No man might. No man can. No man has the power
to. No man is able to buy or sell. But then my next question is
this. What is it not possible to do? No man might. It is that they
cannot, they are not able to buy or sell. save he that had the mark, or
the name of the beast, or the number of his name." Now, we
must come to this conclusion. There is something that is impossible. I got to thinking about, you
know, the love of money, the Scripture says, is the root of
all evil. You find somebody, if it's just
buying and selling of merchandise, somebody may hate your goods,
Carl, but if they want your money, they'll sell you whatever. If
you'll buy it, they'll sell it to you. See what I'm saying?
This is something that is absolutely impossible to buy. You cannot. And the only ones,
it says, no man has the ability to buy or sell except those that
had the mark. Now, they can do it, but those
that don't have the mark, Darrell, can't. No man has the ability. What is it that they're trying
to buy? Turn over to Acts 8. Acts chapter
8, verse 13. Acts 8, verse 13. Then Simon himself believed also,
and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip. This is
Simon Magus. And wondered, beholding the miracles
and signs which were done, Simon Magus saw at the hands of the
apostles, some things that were being done, these miracles and
signs. And when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard
that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them
Peter and John, who when they were come down prayed for them
that they might receive the Holy Ghost. For as yet he was fallen
upon none of them, only they were baptized in the name of
the Lord Jesus. Then laid they their hands on
them, and they received the Holy Ghost. And when Simon saw that
through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given,
he offered them money, saying, Give me also this power, that
on whomsoever I lay hands he may receive the Holy Ghost. But
Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou
hast that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot
in this matter, for thy heart is not right in the sight of
God." Now, the unregenerate heart, Simon Magus, evidenced something
of all those left to themselves, all those that have the mark
of the beast in their forehead. The unregenerate heart thinks
that the Spirit of God's blessing, the work of regeneration, the
salvation of God's people is something that can be purchased
by works of the flesh. This is nothing more than the
manifestation of freewill works religion. False religion thinks
of salvation in the realm of working for it, paying for it,
and glorying in it. Our Lord said, Revelation 3,
18, ìBuy of me gold,î that is, Christ Himself, ìtried in the
fire, that thou mayest be rich.î Isaiah 55, 1 says, without money,
without price, it's given by grace. How can we buy or sell
that which is only obtained by the grace of God? How? Ephesians 2, 8 says, for by grace
are you saved through faith and that not of yourself. It's the
gift of God. So the Scripture back in Revelation
13, 17 says, and that no man has the ability, it's not possible,
no man has the power to buy or sell or think through the deceived
mind that he can buy or sell except those that have the mark
or the name of the beast or the number. of the beast. The thinking
that buying and selling of salvation by works of your own self-righteousness
is certainly prevalent in the mind that has the mark of the
beast in their forehead. But those that have been regenerated
by grace sealed with the seal of God in their foreheads cannot,
cannot, possess that attitude of salvation by their own works
or by their own efforts, that is, the buying and selling of
their salvation. God has sealed them and protected
them and kept them unto the day of salvation. What is the basis
for this understanding or the meaning of this mark, the name
or the number of the beat? The Scripture says in verse 18,
here is wisdom. Here is understanding. Now you just understand what
was just said. No man might buy or sell Simon
Magus' thought. I can buy that. I can pay for
it. False religion says you've got
the power. Someone said today, I can't remember
who it was. I said they saw a program that
says salvation is in a box in heaven. All you've got to do
is ask for it. All you've got to do is by your
free will. How much? My free will? My choice? Oh, I can pay that. No man has
the ability. No man might buy or sell except
they that have the mark, he that had the mark, the name of the
beast. What's the wisdom of that? What's the wisdom of that Scripture
right there that says that no man, it's not possible for God's
people to think in that realm except if they have the mark
of the beast? Here is wisdom. Here is Christ. In 1 Corinthians 1.30 it says,
But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us. Wisdom, righteousness, sanctification,
and redemption. Here is wisdom. Here is the mind
of Christ. Here is the mind of the regenerated
saint. Here is wisdom. Wisdom was personified
in Proverbs 8. Verse 17 of Proverbs 8 said this,
I love those. And this was wisdom. You can
go back and read that 8th chapter if you want to. It speaks of
the Lord Jesus Christ as wisdom Himself. And here, wisdom said,
I love those that love Me, and those that seek Me early shall
find Me. You know who said that? Christ
said that. Seek, and you'll find. Knock,
it'll be opened. So here's wisdom. Here is the
mind and the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Let him that has understanding
count the number of the beast." What is the wisdom or what's
the understanding of verse 17 about the buying and selling
of salvation and how that only God's people that are kept and
sealed in their foreheads with the mind of Christ will not have
the attitude that they can buy or sell their salvation, that
it's in their power to do it. Here is the wisdom. Let him that
has understanding count the number of the beast, for it is the number
of a man, and his number is six hundred, three score, and six."
Here is the number, six, six, six. Seven, the number seven,
is the number of perfection. It is the number of victory.
It is the number of triumph. 666 is the number, the Scripture
says right here, is the number of a man. It's a man. It's the number of failure, frustration,
and defeat. This is Satan's unholy trinity. We worship the Father, the Son,
and the Spirit. And you know who man worships?
Man. Man. man. That's his trinity
image. That's who he worships. This
is Satan's, opposed to all that is holy and righteous and good. 666, failure upon failure upon
failure. The best that a man can do never
measures up to God's standard. Oh, how blessed is the man or
woman that God has taught to see his need of Christ. Here's the number that's written
on the mind. Here's the mark of the beast.
The 666, it's not a number that's literally written across a man's
mind outwardly where you can see it. 666 or something, that's
his mindset. And Almighty God in His infinite
wisdom and mercy and grace keeps His people from being deceived
The Lord said, if it were possible, because of this deception that
comes through this false prophet, he will do things and will say,
he will cause them to appear and has the power to tell people,
this is God, this is Christ, and man left to himself believes
it and creates a mindset. This is the God that I will serve. And this is the number that's
written in His forehead. 6, 3 score, and 6. And only those that are kept
by the power of God cannot have the mindset like Simon Magus
did. How much is it? I can pay. Peter told Him, he said, Your
money, your ability, your attitude will perish with you. He said,
I perceive that your heart is not right with God. Those left
to themselves believe that they have the ability to measure up,
to buy, to purchase, and you were bought, you that believe,
you were bought with the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ,
not with the blood of bulls and goats not with the perishing
things of this world, but by the sacrifice of Him who has
loved His people with an everlasting love and paid the debt that you
and I never pay. How can I pay? What do I have
to pay? We buy of Him, Brother Scott,
but we buy without money. We buy without price. It's by
grace. Grace. Oh, how thankful that
the Lord would give any of us a heart and keep us from that
attitude because you know, you know, you that believe know.
If God left you to yourself, you would think that you had
the ability to buy or to sell at your disposal. It's all up
to you. That's what you'd think that
you'd have. But here's wisdom. Let a man
that has understanding, let a man that has Christ understand that
attitude is 666. Man, man, man. That's all it
is. That's all it will ever be. That
which is the flesh is flesh. But that which is born of God,
sin it not, because His seed remains in you.