Hopefully by now, wary Christians have heard the news that microchip technology is now being implanted into humans. In a story in my local newspaper this past weekend, there is a company that provides surveillance equipment which implanted microchips into two of its employees who volunteered to receive them.
Certainly, there are practical applications for this technology. The scannable microchips can be used for increased security at facilities of all kinds, for law enforcement, and for a wide variety of areas in the medical field.
However, the potential for abuse even in the present day, both by hi-tech criminals and even by our own government, far outweighs any benefits. It would be relatively simple for a thief with the equipment and the know-how to steal sensitive data from people through the chips, and electronic stalking is almost inevitable. There is great potential for encroachment on the privacy and civil rights of average people by overzealous government entities.
Also, our nation is on its way to becoming a cashless society, a reality that is a stepping stone toward biblical End Times events. By replacing tangible currency with electronic currency, a day is coming when rather than paying cash or writing a check or whatever for, say groceries or other physical necessities, payment for goods would instead involve scanning the implanted microchip. Those without the chip would be unable to make purchases or do any other kind of business needed to survive.
Does it sound far-fetched? Read Revelation 13:16-17. "He (an agent of the coming anti-christ) causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name, or the number of his name." The technology for the anti-christ, the earthly chief agent of Satan, to control humankind, is already here; all that is required for that kind of control to be implemented is for the anti-christ to begin stepping into power.
This microchip technology we're presently beginning to see put to use is not the mark of the beast (personally, I still wouldn't let one of these things be placed in me, and I would still advise against anyone else taking one either). Scripturally speaking, the pre-Tribulation view of the rapture of Christ's church in End Times events is the most logical, and the rapture will occur before the anti-christ begins applying his symbol to the people left on earth. Present-day Christians have no reason to be afraid of accidentally taking the mark of Satan; when the time comes, it will be a conscious and active choice between loyalty to God and loyalty to Satan & the anti-christ.
I guess the whole point of this posting is to make both Christians and pre- or non-Christians aware that this technology is a preview of prophetic Scripture that will become reality. We don't know when, so it is so important that we who believe in Christ share the gospel and the spirit of Christ with our friends, family, co-workers, and anyone else we might meet who doesn't know Jesus yet. This is simply a word of warning: a future generation will face terrible trials and a choice that will determine eternal destiny in either salvation or damnation. We need to equip our children and their children and as much of the rest of the world as we can to make the right choice when the time comes.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Monday, July 23, 2007
Seeing myself in the parable of the sower
Hello, everyone. I’ve been taking a brief hiatus after I finished my final class for school, and in that time I’ve been keeping busy with some writing projects and looking for job openings in the ministry field. Here I am again, and if there’s anyone out there that reads what I have to write, I hope that God will bless my words so that they can make a difference to someone in some way or other. Anyway . . .
During the time I was taking ‘off’ from my online writing, I found myself thinking about and meditating a lot on the parable of the soils in the New Testament (Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23, NKJV). For anyone who might not be familiar with it, the parable reads like this:
“Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among the thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
Jesus’ explanation of the parable follows:
“Therefore hear the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who receive seed by the wayside. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
I guess ever since I started to grow up in my faith and would hear that passage, I felt like I could identify with parts of it. I think I’ve always had a fair understanding of Scripture, so the enemy hasn’t been able to take the spirit of the Scriptures from me before I got a grasp of it. However, I have felt the other two part of the parable speaking to me and about me. Especially in the beginning of my walk with Christ, I felt like I would receive the message from God’s word with great joy and zeal, but admittedly troubles in life would drag me down and any hope I felt I had at effectively living and sharing God’s word became difficult to hold onto. More recently, I have felt like the third part of the parable sounded like me. Having finished school and earned my degree in ministry, I have been hoping that I would be able to concentrate more on strengthening my relationship with God and being productive for Him. Unfortunately, it seemed that inability (so far) to find a job in ministry and thereby to make enough money to make paying for my schooling less of a stretch, was going to steal any joy I could find in hearing God’s voice. The parable speaks of the ‘deceitfulness of riches’; I don’t really care about becoming rich, but then I suppose the story doesn’t necessarily have to mean excessive wealth. Just the concern for worldly finances can be a stumbling block for faith and fruitfulness for God, and I’ve been lacking in faith in God’s promise to provide.
Last week, I felt drawn to open the Book of Psalms, and from there I was drawn to the 63rd Psalm. The words reminded me of how important God is to me, and I felt the joy of my walk with Christ returning. For a time it felt like the enemy of God was setting me up for trouble and discouragement, but in reality, he can take away my joy for a little while, but he can’t keep God from filling me up again.
Maybe I will get the dream career I’m looking for, maybe I won’t. Maybe I’ll land some deals to get my writing projects published, and maybe I won’t. I don’t want to work until I either retire or can’t work anymore in a mediocre job I’m not crazy about, but whatever happens, I want to spend the rest of my life rejoicing in being a child of God and praising Him. Bearing fruit for God’s kingdom is hard work, there’s certainly no doubt about that, but I commit to using what I have been given to do the best I can.
If there is anyone who reads this and maybe has felt some of the things I’ve expressed here, by all means leave a comment or two. I like getting feedback, and the struggles in a person’s Christian walk become less and less when believers connect with one another for strength and support. Take care, and God bless.
During the time I was taking ‘off’ from my online writing, I found myself thinking about and meditating a lot on the parable of the soils in the New Testament (Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23, NKJV). For anyone who might not be familiar with it, the parable reads like this:
“Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among the thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
Jesus’ explanation of the parable follows:
“Therefore hear the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who receive seed by the wayside. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
I guess ever since I started to grow up in my faith and would hear that passage, I felt like I could identify with parts of it. I think I’ve always had a fair understanding of Scripture, so the enemy hasn’t been able to take the spirit of the Scriptures from me before I got a grasp of it. However, I have felt the other two part of the parable speaking to me and about me. Especially in the beginning of my walk with Christ, I felt like I would receive the message from God’s word with great joy and zeal, but admittedly troubles in life would drag me down and any hope I felt I had at effectively living and sharing God’s word became difficult to hold onto. More recently, I have felt like the third part of the parable sounded like me. Having finished school and earned my degree in ministry, I have been hoping that I would be able to concentrate more on strengthening my relationship with God and being productive for Him. Unfortunately, it seemed that inability (so far) to find a job in ministry and thereby to make enough money to make paying for my schooling less of a stretch, was going to steal any joy I could find in hearing God’s voice. The parable speaks of the ‘deceitfulness of riches’; I don’t really care about becoming rich, but then I suppose the story doesn’t necessarily have to mean excessive wealth. Just the concern for worldly finances can be a stumbling block for faith and fruitfulness for God, and I’ve been lacking in faith in God’s promise to provide.
Last week, I felt drawn to open the Book of Psalms, and from there I was drawn to the 63rd Psalm. The words reminded me of how important God is to me, and I felt the joy of my walk with Christ returning. For a time it felt like the enemy of God was setting me up for trouble and discouragement, but in reality, he can take away my joy for a little while, but he can’t keep God from filling me up again.
Maybe I will get the dream career I’m looking for, maybe I won’t. Maybe I’ll land some deals to get my writing projects published, and maybe I won’t. I don’t want to work until I either retire or can’t work anymore in a mediocre job I’m not crazy about, but whatever happens, I want to spend the rest of my life rejoicing in being a child of God and praising Him. Bearing fruit for God’s kingdom is hard work, there’s certainly no doubt about that, but I commit to using what I have been given to do the best I can.
If there is anyone who reads this and maybe has felt some of the things I’ve expressed here, by all means leave a comment or two. I like getting feedback, and the struggles in a person’s Christian walk become less and less when believers connect with one another for strength and support. Take care, and God bless.
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