The Mark of The Beast!

Ah, the Mark of The Beast! What is it? That is a good question. And the answer is- I don't know! You could be walking around with that thing on you right now and not even know it. Hell's open maw is waiting to receive your sorry carcass because you've sold your soul to Satan, basically for a sandwich.
How do you like that?

Take a seat, bubba. I just wanted to get your attention. But it is a question that people want to know, usually around Halloween when the Omen movies are shown or when a 'prophecy expert' has a new book. There are only a few verses in Revelation about this subject, and people aren't sure if it already happened or if it will happen later. It ties in with 'The Beast', and whoever takes his mark will be in deep trouble, like Pit-deep. So figure out who The Beast is, and you can determine what the mark is.
But nobody knows who The Beast is.

Historically The Beast was considered a government, usually identified as the Roman Empire. It truly was a beast to the Christians at the time. Most scholars still identify it as a government, but they argue if it was in the past or yet to come. Or both. Either way, the mark is government ordered. At one time Roman coins were thought to be the mark, since they bore Caesar's head on it and you obviously could not buy or sell without it. And Nero's name adds up to 666, so. . .
He was the Beast, as was his empire.
Problem solved!

However, if you haven't noticed, Jesus has not yet returned. So maybe history will return with a sequel. Supposedly, the Pope's Latin title, Vicarius Filii Dei adds up to 666. Remember, the mark is the number of his name. Perhaps he is The Beast.
Yow!
Now I'm picking on Catholics. Just to make it fair, I'd like to suggest Joel Osteen as a candidate for Beast-hood. He has a big smile, all the more to woo those Protestants.
But back to the mark. How do you avoid it if you don't know what it is? And to make matters worse, there is a whole slew of potential 'marks' to watch out for:

• a bar code
• tattoo
• the gay rainbow
• microchips
• Sunday worship
• social security number
• Google

A lot of ambiguity there. Sunday worship? C'mon. The social security number is a little worrisome, seeing as how important it is now.

 That's a cool tattoo. And it's on his right hand! He's doomed. In the Bible, it sounds as if the mark will put on the right hand or forehead. But Revelation is symbolic, and the right hand is symbolic of a man's strength or his work, and the forehead is symbolic of thought. Basically, your whole life is marked, or given over to The Beast. You are a slave.

There will always be someone who wants to enslave others. This is nothing new. Giving your soul away to get something you want is dangerous, though. Which I think is the whole point. I personally think there will indeed be a future mark. As our government seeks to intrude in our lives more and more, strip away religious freedom, and enslave us any way it can, I can see them using a mark of some kind. Other countries will follow. But I'm not worried about it. Jesus told His followers not to be afraid, so I won't be.

"Fear not, for I am with you, even to the end of the age."

I can deal with that.

 

Was Ezekiel on Crack?

Ancient astronaut theorists believe that UFOs are mentioned in the Bible. Their prime example is the book of Ezekiel, chapters 1 and 10. The ones that talk about four-faced beings and flying wheels. They read into the text the beliefs they already have, which is called eisegesis. Exegesis is where you take something out of the text, which is the proper way to study. Let it tell you what it's trying to say. Otherwise, you can make any text say anything you want.

So- are UFOs in the Bible? If Ezekiel wasn't writing about aliens, what was he writing about? Was he on ancient crack? PCP? Smokin' some Hebrew weed? I doubt it. He was recording a vision that God gave him, a vision concerning judgment and God's faithfulness even when they were deported to Babylon. That's it. Just a vision.

Let me reiterate: a vision. He did not see real wheels, or cherubim, or the Lord. He saw symbols in strange forms. Much like John did in Revelation. I don't think real angelic beings look like that guy up above, or like this:

They were symbols, not aliens! Context, context, context. Ezekiel's vision had a purpose, and it was not to alert us to an extraterrestrial presence.
What was the purpose, then?

Admittedly, this vision is a difficult one. The four-faced cherubim seem to convey God's mastery over creation. The eagle is the ruler of birds, the ox is master of domesticated animals, the lion is king over wild creatures, and man is king over all of it. The Lord sits above all of them, hence His throne being above the cherubim. The wheels, though, are what this post is all about. What are they?

Again, they are a symbol. They face both directions, meaning God can travel anywhere. The eyes all over mean that God can see everything. Basically, these wheels speak of God's omnipresence and omniscience.
Notice they didn't take Ezekiel anywhere. No abductions. Instead, God reveals His magnificence through this vision, letting Ezekiel know that He would be with Israel even though He would have to judge them. That's what this whole book is about: Israel's sin, punishment, and restoration.
No aliens here, folks.
As far as ancient people having contact with alien beings, that's another story. But Ezekiel had nothing to do with that, and shouldn't be interpreted that way. After all, the Bible is about God and how He deals with man. Let's not make it say anything more.
 

Satanic Miracles

The Bible is full of strange stories. That is one reason atheists disregard it. But us Jesus freaks know better. We know what God can do. And you paranormal types know it, too. Both of us aren't afraid to admit there are unseen things happening around us. We just argue about the source: God, Satan, or other? Which brings me to my point:
Who has more power?
The answer is obvious to some of us, but it does appear that Satan has the upper hand. There is war, strife, rape, murder, fear, disease, corruption, and Kardashians. If God were King, none of that would be happening, right? Satan is winning.

Well, he is, in a way. He is called the 'prince of the power of the air'. He is the acting president until the Emperor returns. He stole the authority Adam had in the garden, and exercises it constantly behind the scenes. He even shares his authority and power. In this case, ancient Egypt.

This is the true story of Moses and the exodus from Egypt. You've heard about the plagues and Pharaoh's stubbornness. But did you ever notice those magicians in his court? They had power. Magic power. God gave Moses power as well, and his first miracle was to turn his staff into a serpent. Pretty impressive. But the court sorcerers did the same!

How did they do that? Where did they get that ability? Now Moses' snake ate the magician's snakes, but still, haven't you ever wondered how a pagan magician could duplicate a sign from God?
Makes you wonder about the things that go on today.
These men also turned water into blood. They repeated Moses' miracle somehow. Kind of scary, when you think about it.

 They also repeated the plague of frogs somehow. Why, I do not know. They just added to the problem! (And yes, I realize that Aaron was doing most of the work, but Moses was the guy directing it.) Now when they got to Plague #3, they couldn't do it. They couldn't turn dust into lice. Nor any plague after that. I guess their power had limits.
Like the Devil.
But like I asked earlier, how could they do it at all? Does Satan have power of matter? It appears that he does. He can affect people's minds, but also turn wood to flesh and water to blood.
But isn't that God's jurisdiction?

 The Bible says that people will be deceived by signs and wonders and the workings of Satan. He must have been given power over our material world at some time in the past. I'm sure some of you out there have seen some physical manifestation of the enemy's presence. . .
This reminds me of a story Dave Mustaine told in his autobiography. Yes, the guy from Megadeth. In his younger days, he messed around with black magic. He said he put a hex on someone, and it worked. Two different occasions, if I remember correctly.

Yeah, he's an odd duck, but that doesn't mean his story is false. Be careful what door you open, people! Satan indeed has power here on earth!
But. . .
He didn't part the Red Sea. Or send fire from heaven. Or flood the world. Or stop time. Or send the destroying angel or make a donkey speak. That was GOD. Satan may have sent the storm that killed Job's children, but he didn't create the wind that the storm was made of.
That was God.
So yes, Satan has scary power. And he is using it to deceive the world. We must be able to tell the difference between God's miracles and Satan's tricks. But he is on borrowed time, just like Pharaoh was. God gave him 10 chances to repent. He did not. He gives us many more than that. Don't waste any more time, come to God today.
He will receive you!

Ghosts Are Lazy

What's wrong with ghosts today? Why can't they get their transparent butts up off their rockers and leave the house? Bunch of introverts, sittin' in their room reading books and making chairs move by themselves.
Whoopee.

Don't they do anything besides moan and float around? Or patrol the cemetery? Why the interest in these boring paranormal oddities?

Look at this guy. His dead doctor must be giving him an exam. Or he just watched Splice.
Even ghosts have their limits.

Seriously though, Why do ghosts stick to a certain area? Hell, are they even real? I thought when people died they went to one of two places, not hung around in a house or graveyard or Walmart. What are the 'rules' of ghost-hood?
Violent death=haunting?
Who knows.

Being a Christian, I tend to believe that all paranormal stuff is either fake or caused by demons. Yeah, yeah, get indignant all you want, but demons and ghosts and aliens and Bigfoot are all the same:
Weird.
Why is my weird more weird than your weird, you weirdo?
That's what I thought.
Still, I used to think of ghosts as nonsense or demonic deception. But take a look at 1 Samuel 28. This is the story where the witch of En Dor summoned up the spirit of the prophet Samuel. King Saul asked her to do it, despite the prohibition from God not to mess with necromancy or witches. I wonder if God outlawed it because it actually works?

So Samuel came up. The witch screamed in fright. I guess she wasn't expecting her séance to work! Samuel asked why Saul was disturbing him. They talked a bit, it was a negative conversation, and Saul dies the next day. Maybe talking to dead people isn't such a good idea. . .

I do not have a good explanation for this, other than Samuel was actually summoned and he actually came up. Nothing like this happens again in the Bible. Peter thought Jesus was a ghost when he walked on water, but other than that The Bible is silent. Paul said there was death and then judgment. That's where Christians get the idea that there cannot be any such thing as ghosts. So then, what's going on? Are ghosts really demons? Dead Nephilim? Old Samuels who got called up and haven't gone back yet? Psychic resonances that are attached to their place of death?
Or all the above?

Here is my conclusion: I don't have one. Strange things go on in the world, and though our explanations differ, the strangeness goes on. It's not all fake. There is something to all this paranormal activity. God knows what it is, and maybe I'll ask him about it next week at Subway.
He likes the meatball and pepperjack.

The Antichrist is-

 

Who or what is the Antichrist? In the past 60 years or so, people have really wondered about this. They have tried to find him and name him: Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev, Pope John Paul the second, Hitler, and now Barack Obama. Oh, and don't forget Javier Solana.
Who?
That important European guy with six letters in his name. Six, six,- uh, never mind that his full name is Francisco Javier Solana de Madariaga. I don't think he is the Antichrist anyway. But over the past nineteen centuries, people have been looking for him. Historically, Emperor Nero was the Antichrist. "Kaiser Nero" in Greek adds up to 666 using gematria, in case you didn't know. Then there were the Popes, or at least the papal office.

That is a little scary. But there are some other ideas about this fiend's identity. Want to know what they are? Of course you do:
1) A powerful European
2) A Muslim
3) Obama, or an American President
4) Satan incarnate
5) The Pope
6) An alien
For decades now, the prevalent view among fundamentalist evangelical Christians was that the Antichrist would be from Europe, most likely from Rome. Read Revelation 17. City on seven hills and all that. That, and western white people already think they rule the world. Now, though, the idea is shifting towards the Antichrist being Muslim, because Muslims are villains, and the ultimate villain should be Muslim. That's tongue-in-cheek, people. But scripturally it's based on God's enemies all coming from Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Moab, etc., which are all Muslim nations now. Those who attack Jerusalem in Zechariah 14 are now Muslims, so possibly the Antichrist is a Muslim. Makes sense.
To a point.

The American President is of course a candidate. JFK, because of the head shot, Ronald Wilson Reagan, because of the 6-6-6 of his name, and naturally, Barack Obama. Barack Hussein Obama, that is. Well, he at least "opens the door" for the Antichrist, you know, with all his anti-constitutional behavior. Oh, and he's Muslim! We have a winner!
But, his approval ratings are in the toilet. Next.

Satan himself! Well, no, because he's not human. But more than likely he will possess the man. Revelation hints at it, when it speaks of the Dragon giving his authority to the Beast. That and he would recover from a fatal head wound. There are many ways to interpret this, folks! Go read it, you pagans!
Then there is the Pope. Doesn't Francis look all terrifyingly charismatic? No? Maybe you're not looking hard enough. It doesn't have to be him anyway, just the next one or the one after that. This choice has a lot going for it, since the Pope sees himself as the vicar of Christ, which means he is taking Christ's place until He comes back. "Anti-" can mean "in place of". Catholics, am I making sense? Correct me if I'm off the mark. I'm a simple Protestant. . .
The Vatican sits in Rome, which is identified as Mystery Babylon in Revelation. Again, go read it for yourselves. It isn't looking good for the Papacy, though.

This Man of Sin, this Beast, this Man of Lawlessness and Son of Perdition will one day emerge and identify himself as God, and demand worship. Hence, the mark of the beast, which is his name.
Rupert Murdoc.
Funny, huh? I left off the 'h' to make it six. There is, however, another opinion, this one gaining some new traction.
An alien.
Or rather, A fallen angel posing as an extraterrestrial.

The above novel is about this sort of thing. An angel masquerading as an alien to deceive people and turn their hearts away from God. This is going on right now, in some form. But I don't think it will happen, simply because he is called the man of sin. Has to be human, you see. He will be the epitome of pride and rebellion.
Ultimately, it is God who wins. Read 2Thessalonians chapter 2.  As powerful as this man will become, he is still just a chump compared with the omnipotent God. He will fail. He will suffer. I ask then, brothers, who should be our focal point? The one who is doomed, or the One who saves?

Thanos!

My last few posts have been pretty heavy, so I thought I would lighten it up a little. You know, pure escapism and entertainment!
As a kid and teen and young adult, I read comic books. I haven't in years, but I remember them quite well. I am still an encyclopedia of Marvel from 1961-1990, and half an encyclopedia of DC from 1938-1998. Marvel took a dive after Jim Shooter left as Editor-in-Chief, and never recovered. DC stayed good in the 90's, but got stupid this century, at least from my outsider point of view. Dark Horse did well with X and Concrete, I thought, and their movie-related stuff.  Image, well. . .great art, at least.  Then there was Valiant, which was good under Shooter, for what, a year?
In other words, the Big Two's heydays were long ago, before their ideas ran out. However, the movie studios have picked up the slack and put out some fantastic films. Winter Soldier, anyone? But the one we're all waiting for is Avengers: Infinity War. Why? You know why:

Thanos! We all want to see him lay waste to everyone in the Marvel Universe. He's one bad mamma-jamma! How 'bout a little history for you fan-of-the-movies-but-not-of-the-comics? He first appeared in Iron Man #55, 1973. He was a bit of a rip-off of Darkseid, but who cares.

Yes, that's Drax. Thanos was a bit thin here, but that changes. After this appearance, he shows up here and there, always scheming to please his love interest, Death. Yes, Death herself. Thanos doesn't settle for normal women, he goes to the top! See, he was born a mutant on Titan, one of Saturn's moons. His mom tried to kill him because of it. He was a pacifist until he became a teen, when he began to worship Death. As an adult, he started a family, but when Death shows up again, he kills them for her. From there, he blows up millions of people on Titan and goes out into the universe to start trouble. You know, like destroying stars and murdering planets full of people to please Death.
Not a good guy.
Skip ahead a few years. Thanos meets Warlock, who is equally as cool, but not equally as powerful. Thanos kills him, and Warlock's soul goes back into his Soul Gem.

I love old comic book dialogue! See how Thanos is bigger and badder now? Jim Starlin was such a great writer and artist back then. Thanos was his creation. The story goes on though, and the Avengers, the Thing, and Spider-Man team up to stop Thanos from blowing up a star. Watch this:

Pow! Away, fools! One of comic's best villains right here. But wait, there's more:

I love that crackling energy. Thor is outmatched, which is saying a lot. In case you haven't figured it out, I loved this story. However, the fight goes on:

Oops! Now they got the drop on him. More Starlin Crackling Goodness. Nobody draws like that anymore, it's all computer effects now. Oh well, read on. . .

He took 'em out! And while explaining himself, too! Damn, he's good. He goes on to beat them all, and imprisons them. Spidey frees everyone, and Iron Man wrecks Thanos' big star-destroying gun. There is lots of fighting, and then:

Warlock is released from his soul gem for one last battle. The writing is on the wall, Belshazzar. Here's the whole page:

And then:

Thanos pretending to be the Cardiff Giant. Warlock beat him and returned to the gem. Thanos stood there for years. He helped Captain Marvel when he died of cancer in Marvel Graphic Novel #1, but that was in the afterlife. Eventually, Starlin came back to Marvel and resurrected both Warlock and Thanos, which led to Thanos acquiring the Infinity gems and taking over the whole universe. But this early story floated my boat as a kid, and I wanted to share it with you. Cosmic stories in comics were a lot of fun! In just a few more years, we all get to see this stuff played out on screen, and I for one am looking forward to it.

 

Aliens And Their Probes

It seems aliens have become God for some people. They made us, they watch us, they influence our lives. They will even take us to the skies! But there's a big difference between aliens and God:
 Aliens are pervs.

When is the last time God did an anal probe? Or stole some sperm? What is with these little guys from Zeta Reticuli?
I'm not waiting around for these dudes to take me away!

But to be serious, these abductions have a lot in common with demonic manifestations. For example, a missionary came to my church once and spoke about a little dancing imp that would sexually harass the women in the village. Naturally, they were afraid of this spirit, who would frequently visit at night. The spirit fled when the women became Christians and cried out to Jesus. Supposedly, when a Christian is harassed by an alien, it also leaves.
Why is that?

Why is it that aliens usually don't bother Bible-thumping Christians? Don't want to hear the gospel? Or maybe our alien buddies aren't from another galaxy, but from a spiritual dimension. Perhaps they are indeed demons, trying to steer mankind away from God, to get us to focus on government conspiracies and hybrids. Think about it. Why would such "highly advanced" beings, who can travel across light years, be so preoccupied by butts and genitals, needles and probes?
That's sick, man. And I think that's the idea.
Fear.

If people are afraid, they can be manipulated. Strange beings stealing you from your bed and experimenting on you is scary. Much like a strange imp visiting you as you sleep and molesting you is scary. Much too coincidental, don't you think?
If people are afraid, they look for a savior. They even call themselves "elohim", which is God's Hebrew name in Genesis. Kind of ballsy of them. I guess they want to be associated with God, or rather, replace Him with their own big-eyed selves. Perhaps they will come and "save" us from some calamity, like a good messiah should.
Me, I'll pass on the alien perverts. I've got a real Messiah.

Devil Magnetic

When Christians meet, they ask each the usual questions: What do you do? How long have you been going to church? We talk about our kids, our jobs, or what God is doing in our lives. But rarely do we ask each other how we got saved. As in: "Under what circumstances did you receive Christ as Savior?"
There are those who make fun of Christians, saying they screwed up their lives so bad that they now need a "crutch". This is true for some, but not everyone who comes to Christ was in the mire. Usually though, it seems a person has to be broken and humbled before they realize they need a savior.
So with that, I will share how I became a Christian. For you skeptics out there, stick around. I'll give you plenty of fodder!

I was an angry young man. I carried within me unresolved grief from my father's death, and it festered like cancer. I refused to cry about it, or deal with it. As I became a teen, the dark side appealed to me: the imagery, the music, the emotion. I would take a step in, be afraid, then take two more. Unknowingly, I was becoming a magnet for evil forces. Pentagrams, inverted crosses, music, and anger brought in new friends, the unseen kind. In a dream one night, I was in an old house, looking out of a window. I saw a glowing green light pass by the window, and then it entered the house. It then got on my back and spoke to me in some infernal mumbling. I slowly awoke, but felt the presence still on my back. After several minutes, I reached for it, but nothing was there.
I paid it no mind.

 My senior year came around, and so did a girl. This was a forbidden relationship, which added to the power of it. I grew angrier and angrier, and not a little crazy. I did not sleep much, and violated my conscience by lying about seeing this girl, and by sleeping with her.

I was chaining myself to the Enemy. I refused to end the relationship even as my sanity slipped. I invited the demons in, you see. Gave them permission. They wanted full possession, and were on their way to take it.
One night, after getting caught at the girl's house, I ran screaming from that place like a madman. Instead of driving home, I decided to return. I waited across the street. I began to lose control of my body, flipping around on the grass. I told her I would be back, but I was not in my right mind anymore. My body kept flipping and contorting even as I returned to my van. Something wanted control.

I wanted to run my van into oncoming traffic. The rage in me was unbearable and wouldn't subside. But a small voice said "Go home." I did. My mom had already gotten the phone call; she knew where I had been. I told her to "Shut up!" She was scared, realizing I had become someone else. But the Devil's power is limited! He can only go as far as God allows.

She presented the gospel of Jesus Christ, and I accepted. Immediately the anger was gone, and I was at peace. Exhausted, but at peace. The madness had fled like a flock of ravens.
 I slept well that night.
I'd like to say I began serving God faithfully after that, but I did not. The chains were still there, and had to be broken over time. God is merciful, though, and I'm still alive and mostly in my right mind! I did make a choice that night, to join Christ and flee from Satan. I would have it no other way. I look forward to seeing Him with my own eyes one day!

"For I know my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth. And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God." Job 19:25-26

 

Two Good Bombs

"Two good bombs". You were thinking Fat Man and Little Boy, weren't you? No, I'm talking about two box-office bombs that were pretty good. First up:

Dredd. I have a friend who said it was the most violent movie he ever saw. I guess he forgot about Braveheart. But it is indeed very violent. Karl Urban, you know, from Lord of the Rings, Pathfinder, and 'Bones' from the new Star Trek, plays Judge Dredd. He does it well. Dredd never takes off his helmet, never smiles, never jokes. Just like the comic, for you old-time fans. Like a cold Dirty Harry.

Dredd and Andersen are called to this mega-apartment to look into a murder. Crime boss Ma-Ma is distributing Slo-Mo, a new drug. Things get messy when she shuts down the building, and tells everyone to go after Dredd. Lots of people die, mostly the kind that should.

Yes, that's what I said. The bad guys get wasted with impunity. In one scene, we get to see a bullet go through a guy's face in slow motion, which really is something I've never seen before. His cheek wiggles! Anyway, Dredd has to make his way to the top to find Ma-Ma. Along the way, she whips out a Vulcan cannon and lays waste to one side of the building trying to kill Dredd. Obviously, it doesn't work, and Judge Dredd continues his methodical mayhem until he catches up with Ma-Ma.
Isn't that why we watch these things? For the 'Boom', for the 'Blam', and the 'Crash'?

It's a good sci-fi action film that almost made its budget. Entertaining and good eye candy. Interestingly enough, the movie was praised for the way its women  were portrayed. They stood toe to toe with the men, and not treated as secondary characters.  As far as it being the most violent movie my friend ever saw, he needs to check out this one:

Punisher: War Zone. This blows away the first Punisher by far. This movie is a nihilistic, violent mass of rage! It's so nasty, you could write a term paper on it. It is a spectacle of sadism, starting with the pencil-up-the-nose, to the glass grinder, to the RPG shot, and then the hollow points. And everything in between.
There's nothing quite like it.

Punisher is played by Ray Stevenson this time. That's the guy who made G.I. Joe: Retaliation worth watching (Firefly). He captures the essence of Frank Castle well, right down to the cold, dead stare. Basically, he's the underworld's boogieman, already legendary when the movie begins. He decides to quit after an undercover officer dies in one of his raids, but Jigsaw's shenanigans brings him back.

Ah, Jigsaw! Look at that kisser. Makes Freddy look pretty. I swear, as the movie goes along he gets uglier and uglier. The scene where he gets his face torn apart is absolutely gruesome.
Never let your kids watch it. Ever.
This is a really good terrible movie. It's unrelentingly vicious. And ridiculous. But I don't want to ruin anything for you, so go watch it, if you can.
Stevenson really shines here. In one scene, he visits an old priest friend at church. He is still angry at God for what happened to his family, and tells the priest "I wish I could get my hands on Him." Some serious stuff here, folks. You want to turn away, but you can't.
You might miss the part where Punisher blows some guy's face off with a shotgun. . .

To sum it up, these two movies have one thing in common (besides losing money): Justice. We want to see perverts, sickos, and evildoers get what's coming to them. We want them judged, man! And in these films, bad guys go down by the scores. Something in us hungers for justice, and we get angry when a villain gets away with a crime. Not here. They pay big-time. So far an hour-and-a-half, we can get out some frustration we have with the world and watch God's wrath get poured out on some chumps. Amen?
Amen.