Three Groups

[Rex]

If we want to drive we follow the rules and get a drivers license , if we get a job we pay taxes and get a SS number , If we need to prove our age we get a birth certificate , if we want to travel we get a passport , so on and so forth

Canada was one of the first countries to implement bank debit cards on a large scale. I have used a debit card for the majority of my purchases since 1994. During the 1990's I worked for some companies that the only way to receive wages was by electronic direct deposit and I would have to open an account with a specific bank.

One of these days we will be told to take a mark in order to buy and sell , or get paid wages , it is sure coming quickly.

I've given it a lot of consideration to "money" If there is any one thing that influences people more I would like your opinion.
I have seen and heard how money and jobs have an over whelming influence on christians IMO more than any-other influence. Gone are the days of barter or raising your own food the entire world revolves around money it's the international common denominator, it supersedes governments and laws.

Peoples lives, where we go and what we do are entirely based on money or the availability of it. It governs lives, some Christians consider it a measure of Gods blessings IMO, it's a transfer of security, security in money rather than God. When the money stops flowing in the worlds economy many will bow and worship the image, people already pray for it and their very lives are spent positioning themselves to ensure an abundant and continual supply. Is money an image of the beast? Do some already worship the image? I don't see any other influence be it a governmental or religious system that can hold a candle to money in the world today. I have watched christians that pray go to church love God in general but when it comes to their job and money all decisions are based on how to get more, never considering Gods word in the process other than to ask God to bless their decision and figure out how to secure the security of money in their lives.

Whether your a christian or a non believer everyone considers how their going to get money from a very young age 1 Tim 6:10 Hebrews 13:5 Matthew 22:21

 

[tgwprophet]

Agreed... to a point, see: greed has it's attention on money, de-valuating the long-gone values of life improvement without money. Look around.... Satan has been buying the world for several decades... (I will use USA in my examples - read the very last paragraph to understand why) Not that too long ago a car with 50,000 miles on it was nearing the end of its life. Cars used to rust out and lose its glitter, within as little as 2 years. Car payments in the 60's were a maximum of 2 years to pay off - for a brand new car. The automoblie is just one example of the jlitter being used to buy the people.

Now that people are so dependant on money... giving it up by denial of the Beast's Mark will be extremely difficult, many Christians just will not be able to do it. But before the Mark is made manditory Satan will forge forward with yet another campaign to purchase people with the exceeding abundance provided just before the Mark enters manditory and as in the 70's through 2006 the "money purchasing" Satan did became over-shadowed with a different kind of currency... "credit cards." Next, came an even stronger monster's maneuver than the credit card and that is; "credit without re-payment." This period saw the initiation and spawn of the Bling-Bling thing generation.

"No Repayment" became way stronger then money ever was, and even stimulated the economy almost enough so re-payment was not even expected. So... then, bankrupsy became prevelant and was then subdued by new laws restricting allowances for bankruptsy and forcing some payback. After that monster bankruptsy law (at leasrt in the USA - of course) another monster reared its head... the "Mortage Pit" It allowed people who did not even have a job to "buy" a house, of course. there was actually very little "buy" included in the sale. (Remember, each of these "campaigns" resulted in the rampaging increase of the National Debt) How did USA handle this? - simple lower the amount of the purchase price of the house... "after-the-fact," thus increasing the nation's debt even more. This took the credit monster to an entirely new level of mass destruction.

Finally... what will be the next campaign by Satan? - possibly consoldiation of indepenant government's debts by their unification (Mark of the Beast) then (at least an attempt for) a One World Government, then Satan erasing all the debts and of course then, the re-introduction of a livelyhood method thought antiquated - MONEY - of course, this time - the strongest monster of all and re-defined as: "Digital Currency" with the capasity to CONTROL everyones ability to spend.

Why did I use USA as the example? A couple reasons... First, I have first hand vicarious knowledge, not that I fell far into any of these traps - though I was not entirely un-scathed. Second, and primary... because the percentage of debt in USA is much less then the percentage of debt in most other countries - meaning whatever their ( those other countries in worse economic shape than the USA ) campaign suffering is - it is even stronger than this method of mass plagues. ( Could " Plague " be appropriate here? )

 

[Retrobyter]

Shalom, Arnie Manitoba.

Guy .... it appears our thinking is the same . (Anyone who takes the mark is doomed.)

My memory has improved as I recall why the heck I even pondered the question many years ago ..... now I remember.

It came down to the word "AND" as though it has some significance as follows ....

..... who received the mark and worshiped the beast

Several places Revelation mentions people receiving the mark (one aspect)
But in other places they receive the mark and worship (worship is another aspect)


For some reason (years ago) I saw the possibility that to also worship the beast was "more deadly" than just the initial receiving of the mark

if you can figure out what I just said .... you are genius (smile)

If you have time ..... look them all up in revelation and I think you will notice it too .... it distinguishes between people who have the mark ....... and people who have the mark and worship.

Another word that makes a difference is the word "worship." Today, this word has a very specific definition:

worship |ˈwərSHəp|
noun
the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity: the worship of God | ancestor worship.
• the acts or rites that make up a formal expression of reverence for a deity; a religious ceremony or ceremonies: the church was opened for public worship.
• adoration or devotion comparable to religious homage, shown toward a person or principle: our society’s worship of teenagers.
• archaic honor given to someone in recognition of their merit.
• [ as title ] (His/Your Worship) chiefly Brit.used in addressing or referring to an important or high-ranking person, esp. a magistrate or mayor: we were soon joined by His Worship the Mayor.
verb ( worships, worshiping , worshiped ; also worships, worshipping, worshipped ) [ with obj. ]
show reverence and adoration for (a deity); honor with religious rites: the Maya built jungle pyramids to worship their gods.
• treat (someone or something) with the reverence and adoration appropriate to a deity: she adores her sons and they worship her.
• [ no obj. ] take part in a religious ceremony: he went to the cathedral because he chose to worship in a spiritually inspiring building.
DERIVATIVES
worshiper (also worshipper )noun
ORIGIN Old English weorthscipe ‘worthiness, acknowledgment of worth’ (see worth,-ship) .

New Oxford English Dictionary

HOWEVER, the truth about the GREEK word translated "worship" is somewhat different:

NT:4352 proskuneoo (pros-koo-neh'-o); from NT:4314 and a probable derivative of NT:2965 (meaning to kiss, like a dog licking his master's hand); to fawn or crouch to, i.e. (literally or figuratively) prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore):
KJV - worship.
(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

And, if you will take the time to see where this word is used in Scripture, the usage of the word will give you a greater understanding of its meaning:

This word can be found sixty times in...
Matt. 2:2, 8, 11; 4:9, 10; 8:2; 9:18; 14:33; 15:25; 18:26; 20:20; 28:9, 17;
Mark 5:6; 15:19;
Luke 4:7, 8; 24:52;
John 4:20 (twice), 21, 22 (twice), 23 (twice), 24 (twice); 9:38; 12:20;
Acts 7:43; 8:27; 10:25; 24:11;
1 Cor. 14:25;
Heb. 1:6; 11:21;
Rev. 3:9; 4:10; 5:14; 7:11; 9:20; 11:1, 16; 13:4 (twice), 8, 12, 15; 14:7, 9, 11; 15:4; 16:2; 19:4, 10 (twice), 20; 20:4; and 22:8, 9.

In many cases, it doesn't make sense to translate the word as "a feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity." It makes better sense if one just recognizes the word to mean "to do obeisance" or "to submit to royalty (whether human or Divine)." It's a literal activity - to BOW the knee(s) to a master. Picture the bowing that the muslims do at prayer time or the kneeling and fawning that subjects do before their king. THAT is the actual, literal meaning of this word.

Sometimes (or is it "often"?), we tend to exaggerate the meaning of certain words by adding too much to their definitions. We really need to take a word back to its basic meaning, even to its etymology, to understand it correctly in Scripture.

 

[Arnie Manitoba]

I've given it a lot of consideration to "money" If there is any one thing that influences people more I would like your opinion.
I have seen and heard how money and jobs have an over whelming influence on christians IMO more than any-other influence. Gone are the days of barter or raising your own food the entire world revolves around money it's the international common denominator, it supersedes governments and laws.

I think you nailed it Rex ....... for several years We have been able to observe the extent people will go for money , both inside and outside the church.

Especially for "Old" guys like me , I am 61 and I clearly recall that bank employees . government employees , accountants and corporate lawyers , judges , policemen , teachers etc were all highly trusted and it was very rare if one of them turned bad

Now we can see fraud in all walks of life ..... nobody cares any more ..... everybody wants money , no matter how it is obtained.

I expect you feel the same way as me Rex ..... it is sobering and frightening how mankind has turned it's heart toward money.

 

[tgwprophet]

Rex, I hope you did not take offense at my post concerning whether or not I had sufferring and was lifted by the Holy Spirit. It was intended for informatuon. In the ambulance with my leg all mangled...knowing, at least thinking, I would most likely lose it... I told a joke about losing it, just before my heart stopped as I lost way too much blood. My leg pain obscured the rest of the pain in my body. The hospital denied me any painkillers for 24 hours, because they thought I had alcohol in my system...(I had one solitary sip of a beer - did not like it and tossed it). Why they did not immediately run a blood/alcohol content is beyond me. Oh, may because I lost all my blood? lol

Question... If while entering a Chruch,the Beast is at the pulpit and within that church's protocol or custom is the act of kneeling before sitting... for example. Would one be considered bowing/worshipping to the Beast, even if his back was to you? Is it possible there are other aspects of paying homage even outside the churches that would be classified as bowing or worshipping the Beast though it was simpy a customary act?