Is Sunday-Keeping the Mark of the Beast?

Knowing the Word of God is the first line of defense!

Fred R. Coulter—March 24, 2007

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The question came up about the coming 'blue laws.' That is most notably the Seventh Day Adventists believe that the Catholics are going to enforce Sunday worldwide. Why do they believe that? Let's examine this a little bit. Let's see why they say that.

The only commentary I have at home is Word Biblical Commentary by Gordon J. Wenham, and it's being compromised.

The Seventh Day Adventist say that 'the mark of the beast is Sunday-keeping.' That's where the Worldwide Church of God got the understanding of it, and published it, years ago. I remember the first time that I got the booklet What is the Mark of the Beast they said that the mark of the beast was Sunday-keeping!

That was before the advent of the hightech age in which we live. Let's come to the second beast:

Revelation 13:11: "And I saw another beast rising out of the earth…" In both cases the Church of God Seventh Day and the Seventh Day Adventists equate the first beast of Rev. 13 and the second beast of Rev. 13 as the Roman Catholic Church. That is an old, old interpretation. That cannot possibly be.

Can you imagine the Muslim countries to day begin enforced with Sunday-worship? They would march on Rome and lop off the head of the pope the next day! Can you imagine them enforcing Sunday in India or China? No!

They might be able to implement laws in so-called Christian countries, but is that 'the shoe that fits' with Rev. 13?

"…and he had two horns like a lamb, but spoke like a dragon; and he exercises all the authority of the first beast before him; and he causes the earth and those who dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed" (vs 11-12).

What we first need to understand is what we see coming within the Roman Catholic Church: a vast change. That change will come about in order to have power. They're already making overtures to it with other religions to come and use the moral authority of the pope. Not having too much luck with the Muslims, but they're make some inroads. They're having a little luck with the Jews. They're having some overtures with the Hindus. But there's going to have to come a change in thinking in the world for this to take place. It's not going to be Sunday-worship, it's going to be worship of the beast!

Remember that the beast always is the king, and we're looking for a coming one-world government. Everywhere you go it's one-world. When I catch a plane on United Airlines, just before you enter into the plane they have: One world! You head of globalization! We'll talk a little bit about what's happening the banking system in just a little bit.

Here is the thing that's going to convince the people of the world; v 13: "And he performs great wonders, so that he even causes fire to come down to the earth from heaven in the sight of men."

That's going to change a lot of people's opinion, because 'seeing is believing.' But not everything that you see is reality. There are such things as false miracles. Can you think of another place in the Bible that talks about fire coming down from heaven?

• when the temple was dedicated
• when the tabernacle was dedicated
• Elijah
• fire mingled with lightning and hail
• Sodom and Gomorrah
• the burning furnace went through the sacrificial parts and burned them to ashes

• Where is it that fire comes down from heaven and it's not from God? The book of Job, first chapter!
• Is Satan able to make fire come down from heaven? Yes!
• Who is Satan also called? The god of this world!

So, when this religious leader, be it the pope, and I think it will be the pope… Another false interpretation has been about Babylon the Great the Mother of Harlots and her daughters (Rev. 17) has always been taught that those are the Catholics and the Protestants. That's only part of the story.

What religions came out of Babylon? Every major religion in the world, including Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Shintoism, Confucianism, Shamanism, and so forth. They all came out of Babylon!Those are the daughters.

What happens when daughters grow up and they don't like the way mother is doing? They leave! When it's convenient to come home, they all come home. But now mother can't rule them like she did before, so they all have to agree. So, here comes these miracles: fire from heaven. This is the unity point of the one-world government.

Verse 14: "…saying to those who dwell on the earth that they should make an image for the beast, which had the wound by the sword, yet, was alive."

When the beast is supposedly alive and comes back to life, it's going to be hailed as a resurrection. Remember when John Paul II was wounded? He came back to life! What did he do with the bullet that was extracted from him? The hospital gave it to him and he took the bullet and made something special and took it to where the vision of Fatima was in Spain, the Queen of Heaven who was Mary. But there is a Muslim connection to Fatima. He had the bullet mounted and he put it on the statue of the virgin of Fatima, just to give it a name; it's supposed to be Mary. The pope thanked Mary for saving his life.

The image for the beast is not an image of the beast. It can be, but what is the image that has always been associated with the Babylonian system? The Queen of Heaven!

If you want to know people who really go bananas, when they see something that looks like a vision of Mary, the Catholics do! If they see a vision of Mary on a mushroom that whole farm is going to be overrun with thousands of people coming to worship the mushroom!

We need to think on how Satan is going to work this. This is going to be quite a thing.

Verse 15: "And he was given power to give life to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast also could speak; and he causes everyone who will not worship the image of the beast to be killed."

In other words, the only way we're going to solve the world's problems is with world government and with world religion, and this is going to be the symbol for the whole thing. If you won't worship it, then you're going to be killed, because 'we do not want anyone resisting this God-given' blessing. That's how it's going to be presented!

Verse 16: "And he causes all …"—referring back to the first beast! It's not the religious leader that's going to do it. It's going to be the government that's going to do it. They're already talking about this, and it's leading up to it.

The book of Revelation is talking about worldwide events at the end-time. You can't take 16th-20th century theology—except toward the end of the 20th century—and come to an understanding of it. This if for the time of the end.

Verse 16: "And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bond, to receive a mark in their right hands, or in their foreheads."

We now have the technology coming on. Some years ago I gave a sermon: The Mark of the Beast is Here. Everybody got all excited, but I said that 'this is just the start.' It's going to come along and look like a very natural thing.

If you want more insight on it, go to Digital Angel and the companies that are associated with it. They're not getting more and more hospitals to sign up for the Digital Angel chip for medical information. They don't put it in the right hand, yet, because that's not the final solution, yet. So, they put it in the shoulder, and they say it's  not in your right hand and that's okay. If you come to the hospital they can take this electronic machine and pass it over your shoulder and they have your name, address, medical history, everything about you is there.

That's just a start. They are making all cattle owners RFID all their cattle. That's a wonderful thing, because it stops cattle rustling. But don't dare teach the commandment that you should not steal and have people decide by choice not to steal. No, let them steal, but let's catch them.

What happens when you have lawlessness? You have more and more police and more and more regulations to control people, because they don't control themselves! And control is the name of the game! They want to control! Just watch all the controls coming down in America, more and more!

We can get rid of 50,000 prisoners in our jails because we're so overcrowded. 'Wonderful idea!' Other groups come along and say to take all the sexual predators and put an identification badge on their ankle so we know where they are. GPS-Global Positioning! Also, 'let's put on them so we know when their passions are starting to rise that they are beginning to be in the mindset to commit another crime. We can go get them while they're thinking of doing it, because we can measure what their thoughts are.'

God makes it very simple: Teach that you shall not commit adultery, homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality, incest or any of these things, and those who do it are worthy of death!

• You stop the problem!
• You don't fill the jails!
• You don't let them out on the streets!

But all the bleeding hearts don't believe in the death penalty. It's all being setup for that.

Dear ole Arnold Schwarzenegger, governor of California (2007) implemented a 'very nice German remedy': we have so many prisoners we have to release and let's put identity bracelets on their ankles so we know where they are at all times! It's all being setup for that. How about identity theft?

What's going to happen is that there is going to come this mark of the beast. It's not only be for not buying and selling, but for controlling.

What would you do if someone told you that you must go out and grow your own food and take care of yourself independently from anybody else in the world? What would you do? The first thing you might do is sit down and cry!

We are so spoiled today that if you want anything you go to the store. Which store do you want to go to? Grocery store, everything is there! Hardware store, home improvement store; there are so many gadgets and things that are there, it just blows your mind! Pick up any catalog, look at all the things that are there. 'You ask me to go plant some seed and wait six months so I can have something to eat!' Gotcha! Already gotcha, just a matter of implementation.

Verse 17: "So that no one may have the ability to buy and sell unless he has the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." It's going to issued from the top down!

Has anybody had a mark put on their right hand for Sunday-keeping?

You can say they would have to define it this way: Since you work with your right hand it means work. In your forehead means your relationship with God. So, they say that this has to be Sunday-keeping, you won't work on Sunday and you will worship on Sunday.

This has nothing to do with Sunday. This has everything to do with business, commerce, control and identification! They're going to perfect it to the nth degree.

There are a couple of things to look for. How many have gone into a store and written a check, gave it to the clerk, he puts it through a machine and gave it back to you? That's just one more step!

How many have seen the advertisement by Washington Mutual where they have people standing in line and he has the barcode on the forehead? They try and pass it over a scan and it doesn't work! Even the chiropractor can't help him.

How many have seen the ad where everybody is with it! They're in this little snack center and they're all going around and the sandwiches are being flipped out and the sodas are being made, and the french fries are being put out, and everybody is going by with their pass-by debit card.

Then here comes old 'Johnny money' and he goes up and gives the clerk money and everything comes to a standstill. Everybody crashes into each other and they look upon him with great distain because he has money! How dare him stop the process because he has money!

What is that doing? They're programming everybody for a cashless society! Sooner or later they're going to replace the card, because they will be counterfeited, stolen, funds will disappear. They are going to have to come up with a new system. They're already working on it to put it in the right hand or in the forehead. They're already working on the batteries so that the electricity in your hand or forehead will power this thing to connect up to the machine that will read it.

Just think of all the problems that will be saved. They've even suggested—even Digital Angel—to chip all the illegal aliens that we arrest, and when we sent them back we know who they are. You can stop thievery, identity theft, illegal aliens, impersonations, because you have a lawless society that cannot be controlled any other way, but by an absolute dictatorial, dominate control over everyone.

They know who you are, where you are, what you eat, where you go, who your friends are; everything about you and they can check up on you at anytime! Granted, with that system, you're going to get a high degree of compliance!

There's a book out: Controlling the Human Mind: The Technologies of Political Control or Tools for Peak Performance by Nick Begich. They also have the ability with the Elf System—elf waves—which can be sent around the world. They can induce emotions, agitation, control of mind.

This is what they're working on. They want to control every human being. They also have machines now that they can put on the head and they contract the thinking so they can know what the person is thinking. They are trying to perfect that even more. This is what this system is talking about!

Now, the reason that it is 666 (v 18) because it's the perfection of man in his society, perfection of his government, and perfection of his religion, which is all under Satan the devil!

Why can this not be Sunday-keeping? If it was not the mark of the beast being buying and selling, why could this not be Sunday-keeping? Because if every store in the world were closed down for a 24-hour period for Sunday, you could still buy on Monday thru Thursday!In the Muslim countries they would shutdown on Friday. In Palestine they would shutdown on Sabbath.

So, you can buy and sell four to five days a week, even if they enforced Sunday-keeping laws. So, it cannot mean that.

I also have another book that is about a solution to all monetary problems that is a universal currency for the world. I don't think that they'll ever get to a currency, but they will get to the mark of the beast first. {note sermon: Warning: The Amero is Coming}I also warned you what was going to happen because of the Chinese holding so many dollar reserves.

Well, there is a scheme that is already working now, which will be able to make it look like things are not falling apart when they are. It's very clever.

Example: If I loaned Albert $100,000, he would give me a note saying that IOU $100,000. To him that note is a debt. To me that note is an asset. I could take this note and sell it to David and he would say, 'The face value is a $100,000, I'll buy it from you for $90,000.' He hopes to make $10,000 extra. I get my $90,000 and to him he's now got a $100,000 asset.

{current events left out of transcript}

The Chinese have hundreds of billion—if not over a trillion-dollars of US Treasury Bonds. If they quit buying them they kill their economy, they kill the American economy: they can't produce and we can't buy. They're in such a situation economically that they can't do that. They would have revolt on their hands because the Chinese are just now starting to get into what you would call 'the good life' and they're not going to go back on it.

There is a scheme on how to handle it, just like I said in selling the note. They're going to take the trillion dollars in US Treasuries that they have and they are going to develop a new banking company that will invest funds around the world to get a higher return than on T-Bills. It will be run just exactly as I said. Instead of having these as notes of debt, these will be monetized into the new banking corporation for investment and it becomes an asset.

Now you will have an investment company—I've a got report that says they're going to start out with $100-million—that starts out with $400-billion in assets. What they do is that banking company uses these assets and they borrow against it to create the funds to buy other things. Exactly like your bank does here in America. They have US Treasuries. Next time you go into your bank, look at the their assets and how many US Treasuries they have.

Having that in their vault they can then loan 88% of the value of the US Securities. So, they create money because it goes into an account. They don't have to print the money, it is electronic/digital entry.

They loan the money. Example: this time we'll loan it to someone $200,000 to build a house. The $200,000 doesn't exist. But on paper it exists. Now they have a note from you for $200,000. So, they put this into their asset column and now they have an increase in assets of $200,000.

This is how the banking system works, it's satanic!

Imagine what the Chinese are going to do with this $400-billion investment company. Wall Street had it's best week in eight years. Why? You're seeing the first effects of the investment company, because what did they do with the money? They buy stocks and bonds! When you have stocks and bonds, the more you have in a particular company, the more control and influence you have in the company.

If you buy a certain percentage, according to the bylaws of the corporation, then you automatically get seat on the Board of Directors.

Now you have a control of a company. Is that not much better than holding Treasury Certificates that you know will never be paid. This is going to give the appearance that everything is good, when everything is just getting more in debt.

What's going to happen is that they are going to end up owning companies, businesses, land, properties, banks, investment companies, etc. around the world! If you think that China is powerful now, give it another 5-10 years and you wait an see what's going to happen. This is big time!

You watch how they are going to avoid a total collapse. They know that it could collapse at anytime and they want to avoid it. When they do collapse it, they're going to have a new system to put in place. I don't know if it will be a world-currency, may be! But if they want to do away with currency then it will be a world-trading system, as the last one before the mark of the beast!

Hang on to your hats! Not everything is reality. Today we do not live in a world of reality.

Isn't this what they do with real estate? Yes! Fanny Mae/Freddie Mac! They have 85% of the home mortgage market for loans in America. What they do is loan out the money and they have the notes secured by the property. They bundle these notes and sell them to other investors. Fanny Mae does all the collecting, all the policing of the portfolio and manages it for them for one percent. So they make money.

Whoever holds the mortgage can come and takeover your house if you default. They generally don't do it. They generally send it back to the originating bank, and then they has to try and collect or foreclose.

{current events regarding a housing crisis left out of transcript}

That's also going to help set the stage for the Amero. What they will do with the Amero is about the same thing that China is doing with the Treasury Securities today. They will take the debts of Canada, Mexico and America, and they will combine it together under a new North American Central Bank, which will be the governing bank for the Amero. They will take these debt instruments and hold them as assets and they will be able to have the financial capital to get this new bank going.

But what they may do is discount the notes when they're coming back. Someone says they have a million dollars in US Treasuries, and they will say, 'Okay, we'll give you $800,000.' Fine! Take it! That's the way they're going to do it.

What they're doing instead of purging out all the dross in the economy, they're just making it bigger and bigger, so when it does go, it's going to be mammoth. There is no depression that ever happens accidentally! The depression of 1929 and the one before that were not an accident. They were caused by the bankers for control!

I remember 'grandpa Henshaw' who said, 'In 1929 the banks in Idaho were able to keep the Feds from foreclosing on them, because they always had money in the banks. Yet, the Feds were cutting down on the money to insure that they didn't, and if they combined, they didn't have money to come by and inspect it, then they would federalize that bank and take it over.

What would happen is that they had crew and 'grandpa Henshaw' was part of that crew, he helped drive the car. As soon as the Feds would leave one bank a car and truck would back up to the bank and they loaded the cash from that bank and zoom on down to the next bank where the inspectors were going and they would come in and here's the money.

They did that for control! They also did it so that the United States government could borrow money so they could control the government.

How many know that there are two Americas—not what John Edwards is talking about—the constitutional America, which hardly ever followed anymore, only in mouth, and the United States of America corporation, which is a government corporation so they can borrow money. That's how we got ourselves in the pickle we're in. God is going to have a lot to say to all of these bankers when Christ returns!

Satan is everywhere!

Who was one the most famous graduates of Stanford University? Sandra Day O'Connor! She was one of several Supreme Court Justices that would site foreign law as precedence for the decisions that they would make.

I've got a report that says: Is there a global constitution in the making? Yes! Guess where the leading body of people who are working on it are located? Stanford University!

All of these things are going to be coming down, keep your eyes out for them. It's very, very important that we watch what is happening. That's why I've said over and over again: Get out of debt as much as you can so when the difficulties come you can survive!

I might mention that we live in an area where we can get organic vegetables, fruit, eggs, butter, milk, and I'm very glad to see many more organic things coming out. It's important. Be very careful of the meat that you eat, because a lot of it has been improperly fed, grain fed over much, but it's not the grain that's doing it, but they're putting hormones and other animals ground up in it. That's what leads to mad cow disease!

You have to be careful of the meat that you eat, and try to get the best food that you can; you'll find that you'll be better off.

One other comment concerning food: There have been in many areas a 50% death of bees. That can be very, very serious. I heard that one German scientist has said that he's working on the hypothesis that maybe the bees are dying because of the genetic modification of food and plants. There might be something to that!

Another one is that the commercialization of bee-keepers making them bigger with big trucks and truck the bees from one area of the country to another area of the country, and part of it may be that the bees have been transported so far that they become disoriented in trying to find their way back to the hive.

Both may have an effect on it, but if it gets any worse you're going to see a tremendous increase in the price of food, and you also will see food shortages. So, you need to keep that in mind. That's to say nothing of the water, food and so forth!

(go to the next track)

Now let's talk about programmed reality. That's what we're living in today. Comment was made that we've consumed 50% of the oil. The truth of the matter is that oil is always being made under the surface of the earth. Geologists have known this for years.

I talked to a geologist that worked for Texaco and he said that they know that the heat under the earth causes oil to be produced. Where you have oil shale on the surface, if you put it down deep in the earth, the heat and pressure will make oil out of it. They don't want it to be known, but there are wells that have regenerated themselves after they have supposedly taken all the oil, and the oil suddenly came back. They had some wells that were doing 15,000 barrels a day, and then it went down to 2,000 barrels a day. They stopped and it came back and they're producing 15,000 barrels a day again.

But the oil companies want you to think—to control you, to raise the price to make more money—that you're going to run out of oil.

That's only one little bit of programmed reality. Or as this article here is:

Screen Addiction: Manipulating America

America is so completely absorbed in its own reality that they see on television and read in the newspaper, all of that control to bring about the desired result that they want.

A classic example of that is the extreme radical left taking over the Democrat Party.

{current events regarding news of the day}

We also have many things that control people: technology, electricity, drugs—legal and illegal—the programmed reality in schools by not teaching what needs to be taught, especially history. The programmed reality of changing people's thoughts toward sin!

These are coming about because Satan is more active than ever before. American Feudalism. It permeates everything that is done. How is Satan able to do this? He has many, many helpers! What one verse in Revelation have we gone over many, many times?

Revelation 12:9: "And the great dragon was cast out, the ancient serpent who is called the Devil and Satan, who is deceiving the whole world…"

He has many things to do it now. Let's look at some things, because it's important for us that we do not get taken down by the 'stinking thinking' that's in the world that is inspired by Satan the devil! Let's look at some of the devices that he has.

This article of screen reality talks about movies, video games, cell phone, iPods, blackberries, computers—all of those things: The Screening of America! Stop and think about it:

• How many people today really have time to stop and think?
• How many people really know how to think?

You have to be taught how to think!

Too many people today run on emotions, feelings, and lies. All of them are there. What one movie that you have seen recently really depicts reality? With the exception of the movie Amazing Grace that's supposed to be pretty good. It's all about artificial things. Everything is artificial. You play a video game and where does it end up? In satanism! Not all games, but sooner or later they get there. It causes a lot of things to happen to children and to adults and they come into the grips of Satan the devil, and do not even know it!

It can also affect people in the Church! We're also in an age where foolishness is exalted. Stupidity and lust is exalted. All you have to do is watch the 'soaps' if you can stand it. I can't stand any of the 'soaps'! They are so absolutely incredibly stupid. What do they do? They push emotionalism, wrong thinking, acceptance of deviant forms of lifestyles and acceptance of sin! That's all from Satan the devil!

2-Timothy 2:23: "But foolish and ignorant speculations reject, knowing that they engender arguments…. [Sounds like the news!] …Now, it is obligatory that a servant of the Lord not be argumentative, but gentle toward all, competent to teach, forbearing, in meekness correcting those who set themselves in opposition; if perhaps God may grant them repentance unto acknowledging of the Truth" (vs 23-25).

That's why it's important that we stay grounded in the Bible, the Truth of God, the Word of God every single day. That is the starting point of correct thinking! It can't be any other place.

We send out free literature to those who are in prison that write us. I think it's very important that there is some kind of teaching for those who are in prison at the lower levels, because they seem to be more willing to change.

But what has to happen to them? They must get their 'stinking thinking' corrected! They must learn how to think correctly. What is wrong with so many human beings is… God made us to think in terms of absolutes:

• right/wrong
• good/evil

Yes, there are some gray areas that need to be considered, true. But unless you have the foundation of right and wrong and good and evil, you're not going to know how to think. This is why Satan takes all of that out of the schools. Now we have a generation coming up that have been so 'mush-brained' and socialized that they will believe any lie that any of the teachers tell them, which is just absolutely sheer fabrications for political advantage. But all of that is satanism!

They oppose themselves. That's happened in the Church of God. People come along with these wacky ideas. Who has remained faithful? The ones who are grounded in the Truth! Understand the Truth! The ones who weren't… go on their way! But notice that God may grant them repentance:

Verse 26: "And that they may wake up and escape from the devil's snare…" He has many devices to snare people!

It's in every magazine. Who is Satan trying to snare at the checkout stand in the supermarket? Women! He's long ago gotten rid of the authority of the man and the father. Now if he takes the women and gets them all promiscuous—which they are—and gets them all involved in wrong thinking…

Just do this, the next time you're at the checkout stand, count the number of magazines that are there for women vs the number of magazine that are there for men. It's because Satan has long removed the authority of the man so he's continually working on the women.

"…who have been taken captive by him to do his will" (v 26).

• What is Satan's will? To get you to sin!
• What is his ultimate will? To get you to worship him and to get you to commit the unpardonable sin so you will not have an opportunity for salvation!

This requires us to really have on our spiritual thinking caps at all times! When you consider how many hours that children spend before television, online, and of course, they can get all kinds of pornography online; that's one of Satan's devices. If  you can hook them on sex, hook them on drugs, hook them on spiritism you've got 'em!

If you can get them to disbelieve in God… And that's why Satan has all these phony-baloney religions setup, so everyone can ridicule Him. Why would you want to follow Jim Baker? Or some of the other 'religious leaders' today?

2-Corinthians 2:11: "So that we may not be outwitted by Satan… [Satan is there to try and outwit you] …for we are not ignorant of his schemes."

How does Satan work? By presenting plausible-sounding theories! Think of the event that happened in the Worldwide Church of God when Satan was allowed to come in and take it down? He had plenty of men to help! And plenty of emotional people to agree with him. What happened? It caused confusion! Satan always has

• thesis—the existing order
• antithesis—the counter order
• synthesis—to combine it together in its new form

In some things that may work, so we are not to outwitted by Satan "…for we are not ignorant of his schemes"—or devices!

Let's look at some of the thing, the primary ways, that Satan the devil gets people to sin and to follow him. He's not going to come and say, 'I am Satan the devil, I hate God, I want to destroy you. You come and follow me.'

If someone did that, you would say, buzz off, I don't want anything to do with it. No, he comes and says, 'Look, I know how you can get ahead.' He's going to come and tempt with evil! The thing that's important is that God has set before us:

• life and death
• blessing and cursing
• good and evil

We're to choose life, the good so we may live, that we may love God!

Satan comes along, just like with Adam and Eve, and he says:

I have a benefit! It's a shortcut. You can become gods now, you don't have to wait and do it God's way. Even if you die, you will surely not die.

He comes and tempts with evil! What are some of the evils that are out there that tempt people today? What are people hooked to? Gambling! You will get something for nothing! Even if someone wins the Power Ball, he does not even think about the fact that if won a hundred million dollars, that if there were $1 tickets, there were 100-million people that paid a dollar so you could get your $100-million and they was taken.

Getting something for nothing! A benefit for sin! That's how Satan works. God does not work that way. God does not tempt us with evil, He sets before us life and death, good and evil and He wants us to choose. But unless you know the Word of God, you're not going to make the right choice! Satan knows how this works!

James 1:13: "Do not let anyone who is tempted say, 'I am being tempted by God,' because God is not tempted by evil, and He Himself tempts no one with evil…. [He sets before us choices] …But each one is tempted when he is drawn away and is enticed by his own lust" (vs 13-14). Who stirs up the lust?

I dare say that when you are driving home today, you're going to see a billboard, and there's going to be one of Satan's messages right there. There's going to be a message about a movie, about sex, about booze, about cigarettes, whatever it may be.

Ephesians 2:1: "Now, you were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you walked in times past according to the course of this world…" (vs 1-2). This is why Jesus said, 'Though we live in the world, we're not of the world.'

"…according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now working within the children of disobedience" (v 2). Satan is the one who inspires it!

Fox news was talking about college kids on spring break gone wild and the obscene things that they do. How that now the morals are so low that the young girls or women are in competition as to how many men they can 'hook up' with, not realizing that they are 'hookers' or prostitutes! It's rampant! "…according to the prince of the power of the air…"

Verse 3: "Among whom also we all once had our conduct in the lusts of our flesh… [whatever appeals to the lust] …doing the things willed by the flesh and by the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as the rest of the world."

• What does Satan appeal to?
• What are the lusts?

He comes in and says, 'Try it, you'll like it!' Let's see how this is carried out. Satan appeals to lust. Everyone has within them, with human nature, lust!

• lust for power
• lust for sex
• lust for money

• power rightly used is not wrong
• sex within marriage is not wrong
• money properly used and earned is not wrong

That's good! Everyone needs a measure of those three things. So, Satan comes along and says, 'All right, let's get it without having to obey God.

There will be no penalty to you if you commit sin in the way of sex, because you can go to the abortion clinic, or if you get a venereal disease I've got a friendly doctor over here to take care of you.

The people don't realize that once they enter into that realm, they've already scared their mind! They've already seared their conscious to a certain level. They can recover out of it if they repent, like Paul wrote.

James 1:14: "But each one is tempted when he is drawn away and is enticed by his own lust." Toward whatever it may be: drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, pornography. All of those things are readily available! Even people in the Church have gotten themselves addicted to some of these things, unfortunately!

In many Protestant churches, many of the women are hooked on pornography online, hooked on gambling online. Look at the casinos that are around.

I never will forget, this really made an impression upon me, speaking of gambling. We were going to the Feast from Salt Lake City to Squaw Valley and a graduate friend of mine from Ambassador College came through and he was going to the Feast. We left Salt Lake City and headed through Nevada. As soon as we got to Ely, Nevada, which is about a quarter of a mile over the border from Utah. We pulled into this restaurant and this friend of mine, I couldn't believe it, got out and ran in, had his money ready and started with the 'one armed bandit' immediately!

That really took me aback! He said, 'Well, it's just entertainment! I spend so much money on it…' Here comes the justification: 'I spend so much money on entertainment, so what's the difference if I put it in the one-armed bandit or if I spend it on something else?'

The difference is who's behind it, and what's the motivation of it? In cases like that, ask yourself: Will God have gambling in the world tomorrow? NO! Don't do it! He will not have the lottery!

As I was coming down here I loaded up from the motel and put my suitcase in the trunk and here was woman standing right there, right outside the motel, puffing away on a cigarette. I thought: she knows that cigarettes can cause cancer, as well as other diseases! But there she is smoking. Most smokers think that it probably won't happen to them. Satan's got them hooked, because every time he gets you hooked, you have a justification!

Verse 15: "And after lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin…" It doesn't happen all at once! It is a process that takes place. Sin is the transgression of the Law! That's to say nothing of having:

• the wrong god
• having idols
• taking God's name in vain
• breaking the Sabbath

Those are major sins that people don't even think about! They think about the other ones:

• adultery
• murder
• lying
• cheating
• stealing

"…and sin, when it is completely finished, brings forth death" (v 15).

Anna Nicole Smith is a perfect example of everything I have talked about.

• Lust: she married an old man so she could get hundreds of millions of dollars
• Lust: she wasn't satisfied with her beauty and had giant breast implants out in
• Lust: she had to be high on drugs
• Lust: she had to have power

Of course, there's always a facilitator! She had many facilitators there. Where is she? In the ground, cutoff at age 39!

Classic example, and "…when it is completely finished, brings forth death." You can take that with any crime! You can apply it to drugs, drunkenness, anything.

So, Satan is going to come along and tempt with evil, he's going to entice, he'll be patient, he may come along and make sin funny at first. That's why you have the soap operas that endorse deviant behavior through comedy, because if you laugh at it, you agree with it! I have a whole block of channels on the television that I don't even go to, because they're worthless!

Satan tempts with abuse of power and the acquisition of power. Some people want to be powerful and rule over people, control people, become the 'top dog'! All of these things were given in temptation to Jesus.

We will see power and to do something good, but it's still sin. Can you do something that's good on the surface that is still sin? Yes, indeed!

Luke 4:1: "And Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness for forty days to be tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing in those days…"

Jesus had to have the greatest temptation of any human being on earth in order to overcome Satan the devil and qualify to be the Savior of all mankind who have been deceived by Satan the devil.

"…and after they had come to an end, He hungered. Then the devil said to Him, 'If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.'" (vs 2-3).

Jesus could have said, 'Of course I'm the Son of God, you know that!' First lesson: When you recognize a temptation, do not answer back in the affirmative.

What would have happened if Jesus would have done it? He could have done it! Here He is starving, weak, emaciated, hungry and Satan comes along and says, "…command that this stone become bread."

• wrong use of power
• servants you are to whom you obey
• He would have put another god before Him

He would have used a power that He had in a selfish way to benefit Himself, rather than serve God! Sound familiar within the Church? Yes, indeed!

Verse 4: "But Jesus answered him, saying, 'It is written, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word of God."'"

That's how we're to live! This is our first line of defense against Satan the devil: live by every Word of God! What does God say?

• Don't lust!
• Don't steal!
• Don't commit adultery!
• Don't lie!

In business you have to have honest balances, hones weights, and you have to conduct yourself in an honest way.

First line of defense: The Word of God!

Verse 5: "Then the devil led Him up into a high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, 'I will give You all this authority, and the glory of them all; for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I desire…. [there's one thing you must do]: …Therefore, if You will worship me in my presence, all things shall be Yours.'" (vs 5-7). Think about that!

Lust and power! Almost identical to the temptation of Adam and Eve! Satan says:

If you eat the fruit now, you'll become gods now and you don't have to wait for later. Jesus, I know You're going to take over the world; if You worship me I'll give it to You now. You won't have to go through the crucifixion. I'll make it easy for You.

Power! But the only way you're going to get it is to worship Satan the devil!

How can you identify the leading worshippers of Satan the devil in the world? By their power and by their wealth! It's not to say that there aren't some honest people who are wealthy, but look at George Soros, a billionaire, an atheist who wants to destroy America:

• by destroying the morals
• by changing the politics
• by destroying Christianity

That's just one that comes to mind!

Look at the whole world's banking system; all based upon lies, loans and deception! Sooner or later it's coming down, and when it comes down it's going to be colossal. Here Jesus is tempted with this. What if someone came up to you and said:

I'll give you a $100-million. You need that, don't you? Just think about what you could do with it; think of all the good that you could do with it. I will give you $100-million.

There's one little catch to it. I need you to also launder $400-million for me. But you'll get your $100-million. Couldn't you use $100-million. Think about it. Your wife would be happy; she could get everything she needed. You could buy the house you've always wanted. Just think it will be easy, you just launder this other $400-million for me and you get $100-million.

That's exactly what happens with the lotto. You buy a $3 ticket and you'll make a million bucks! Temptation! Benefit from sin! And you end up worshipping Satan the devil that way!

Verse 8: "But Jesus answered and said to him, 'Get behind Me, Satan; for it is written, "You… [referring to Himself as a man] …shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve."'"

So, you have the Word of God and you have the right God and you know what the Word of God is. These are your first line defenses against any sin and temptation of the devices of Satan the devil to come and get you!

In the Church we have the same thing. Someone comes along and says that Jesus was not God before He was a human being. The first line of defense: know the Word of God!And you will know that he is a liar.

Someone comes along and says:

You don't really need to keep the Sabbath Day. After all, that was just for the Jews, and the Law is a curse.

That's what a lot of Protestants think!

Sin is the curse of the Law; the Law is not the curse! Knowing the Word of God is the first line of defense!

Verse 9: "Then he led Him to Jerusalem and set Him upon the edge of the temple, and said to Him, 'If You are the Son of God, cast Yourself down from here; for it is written, "He shall give His angels charge concerning You to keep You; and in their hands they shall bear You up, lest You strike Your foot against a stone"'" (vs 9-11).

Even if they quote Scripture, your first line of defense is the Word of God, to understand it properly! Is that a proper use of it? Who would swoop down there and save Jesus if He had done it? Satan the devil would have! He would have brought Jesus up and brought Him right to the temple and he would have convinced all of the satanically led priests and leaders to accept Jesus as Messiah, because Jesus would have sinned and would have been destined for death never to exist again.

Those are the stakes that are involved in it. Same thing with us; the stakes that are involved with us is also eternal life.

Psa. 91—let's see where he [Satan] quotes it; or he didn't exactly quote it:

Psalm 91:11: "For He shall give His angels charge over you to keep you… [notice that Satan left out]: in all your ways." A little twist of the Scripture!

Verse 12: "They shall bear you up in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone." Satan quotes Scripture and says:

Look, God says… Why should you be afraid, God says… Go ahead and jump off here.

What are you doing? You're tempting God! It's like running out and standing right in front of the 200mph bullet train and say that nothing is going to happen to me. Splatter! You're gone! Quick result!

If Jesus had done that in obeying Satan the devil, He would have disobeyed God and do you think that Godly angels would come to save Him from falling and hurting Himself! Of course not! These are some of the devices of Satan.

What I want you to do is spend this week—make a little notebook—and note all the temptations, all the lies, all the propaganda that comes through the television tube that you're watching. That doesn't mean that you have to watch it day and night to do it. But I want you to be aware of the devices and temptations of Satan the devil. They are there! Look at the programming that makes sin appealing. Look at the movies that are based upon the sting. You think that they crook deserves to get it. So, you go along with lies to get a crook. It's funny, humorous and everybody is lying and pretending, but what happens? It breaks down people's morals and thoughts toward lying, cheating, stealing. You think it's all right to take from someone if you think he's a crook. It's all right to lie in order t get something for yourself. That is classified as a comedy.

Try this on cartoons. Look at how many cartoons are already a precursor with children to program them toward this way of thinking.

When it says that Satan controls the whole world, that is true!

{Note: 1-Peter 5}

There is a way that you resist Satan in the faith. I want you to notice what Satan spawns:

James 4:1: "What is the cause of quarrels and fighting among you? Is it not mainly from your own lusts that are warring within your members?"

It comes from within, and Satan wants to have fighting, warring, arguments and debates.

Verse 2: "You lust, and have not; you kill, and are jealous, and are not able to obtain; you fight and quarrel, but still you do not have, because you do not ask. Then you ask, and you do not receive, because you ask with evil motives, that you may consume it on your own lusts. You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever desires to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, 'The spirit that dwells in us lusts with envy'?" (vs 2-5).

In other words, you think it's in vain that you have sinful human nature.

Verse 6: "But He gives greater grace. This is the reason it says, 'God sets Himself against the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.' Therefore, submit yourselves to God…. [that's your protection] …Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (vs 6-7).

Another way is to 'bring every thought into captivity to Christ and casting it out!

Verse 8: "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded! Be grieved and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into grieving, and your joy into mourning. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you" (vs 8-10). There is repentance involved!

This is all the cause of satanic activity in people's lives. You could almost take these Scriptures and line them up by your television set and watch the news, the soaps, the programs, and you will see what it's doing" following Satan's program! What does that do? That has an impression upon people's minds! They believe what they see! They're willing to accept what they see and bring into their mind as okay, because they haven't rejected it.

Those are some of the things that we need to consider before we come to the days of Unleavened Bread!

Scriptures from The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, A Faithful Version

Scriptural References:

• Revelation 13:11-16
• Revelation 12:9
• 2 Timothy 2:23-26
• 2 Corinthians 2:11
• James 1:13-14
• Ephesians 2:1-3
• James 1:14-15
• Luke 4:1-11
• Psalm 91:11-12
• James 4:1-10

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Job 1
• Revelation 17; 13:8
• 1 Peter 5

Also referenced:

Books:

• Word Biblical Commentary by Gordon J. Wenham
• Controlling the Human Mind: The Technologies of Political Control or Tools for Peak Performance by Nick Begich

Sermons:

• The Mark of the Beast is Here
• Warning: The Amero is Coming

FRC:bo
Transcribed: 6/19/19