Last week we focused on the mark of the beast and how it will reveal the true worshipers of God, distinguishing them from those whose hope and trust is in this present world, more than God. We covered these last year, but I feel this is an increasingly important issue that we should review before addressing how God’s people will be given the wealth of the wicked, which we will proceed with next week. Thank you for bearing with me in this.
There are two simple things that we must do to avoid taking the mark of the beast—the first is to not worship the beast or live our lives according to its ways. The second is to take the mark of God. How do we do that? We are told in Revelation 7:1-3:
And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads."
The way we can insure that we will not take the mark of the beast is to take the mark of God, which we do by becoming a bondservant. How do we do this? It is a life that lives each day as a servant. A true bondservant does not wake up each day and say, “Now what do I want to do today?” A bondservant wakes us saying, “Master, what would You have me to do today?” Bondservants do what their Master tells them to do. They do not just freely spend their money because it is not their money, but has been entrusted to them by their Master. So they carefully handle it as belonging to Him.
In truth, not many Christians are true bondservants. Most live their lives for themselves, not their King. This will be one of the distinguishing factors in the times to come that will separate the true worshipers of God from those who are pretenders, even deceiving themselves.
Even so, the greatest liberty that we can ever know on this earth is to be the Lord’s slaves. We were created to worship Him and serve Him in all that we do. We will never be fulfilled or at peace until this is in fact how we live. Without question, our Master knows us far better than we even know ourselves. Because He uses us for the purpose for which we were created, utilizing all of the gifts that He has given to us for His sake, there can be a no more fulfilling life than being His bondservant.
It is also the responsibility of the Master to provide for his servants. Because we are the bondservants of the King of kings, we need never fear for our own provision or needs. He will take care of us, regardless of whether we are allowed to “buy, sell, or trade,” with this world.
Again, there can be no greater freedom or greater peace than being His servant. We have a Master that rules the universe, yet He was even willing to gird Himself to serve His own slaves. For those who prove themselves faithful, He elevates them to become “friends.” For those who are faithful in this, He promotes them to actually being His own sons and daughters. He is the most benevolent Master there could ever be, loving His slaves so much that He even gave His own life for them.
He purchased us from this world by His cross. We are no longer our own, but we are His. We do not live for ourselves, but for Him. There is not a more noble life on this earth than serving the King of kings. There is nothing more noble or more wonderful and fulfilling than serving Him today. What could anyone on this earth possibly do better than that?
In heaven, all worship Him. In the presence of His glory you cannot help but to worship Him. The worship we give to Him on this earth can touch His heart maybe more than when we are in heaven. When against all of the opposition, darkness, and discouragement of this world, we love Him, put our trust in Him, and devote ourselves to His service, it is a witness even to the principalities and powers on high. We must not go on so frivolously wasting the opportunity that we have here on the earth to prove to be His worshipers.
The Lord is presently restraining many things on the earth that would otherwise be released just so that He can seal His bondservants. Those who become His bondservants enter into the most fulfilling life possible on this earth. They enter into the most peaceful life that is possible, as they are actually able to enter into His rest. Please carefully consider the exhortation below from Hebrews 3:1-4:7:
Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.
For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they should not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? And so we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.
Therefore, let us fear lest, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you should seem to have come short of it. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, "As I swore in My wrath, They shall not enter My rest," although His works were finished from the foundation of the world.
For He has thus said somewhere concerning the seventh day, "And God rested on the seventh day from all His works"; and again in this passage, "They shall not enter My rest." Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience, He again fixes a certain day, "Today," saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, "Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts."
Today your life can be radically different than it has ever been before and radically better. Do not wait. “Today if you hear His voice...” Obey your King!
