By Jason Decker
Today, I can get in my car and drive the 5 minutes it takes to get to my favorite local Whole Foods Market, buy some fresh food and go through their fast checkout lane. If you slow down for a minute, you’ll see it right there, staring you in the face! This new technology and infrastructure for a “smart chip” and a new “smart-mark” /digital tattoo technology. Apparently our i-phones and Apple Pay is about to become old technology. Part of me wants to scream slow down! Not yet, I’m not ready for all of this! It’s clearly time for us to be prepared for things to change and consider how life might be different in the not too distant future.
The image below from Amazon, of their new Amazon ONE smart tech system now found in California grocery stores
Revelation Chapter 13:15-18
15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16 It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.
18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.[e] That number is 666.
Today, our children are also being systemically prepared to accept this “cool” technology, check out this cartoon that was recently aired. If our generation somehow fights this off, or delays Revelation Chapter 13 from happening in our lifetime, it’s not too far fetched to think that our children’s generation will face this reality. If this isn’t the actual mark we read about in Revelation, it’s clearly a predecessor to the real deal.
Imagine if they gave everyone who takes this chip or mark $100,000 per year of the new digital currency just to comply?
What happens if we refuse? How will we feed ourselves and our families? I personally think we will see our economy split in two. One that follows this new path to a new digital economy and a “black market” economy that is based on trading goods, much like my father’s generation did to survive the Great Depression and how many other nations live today. This is the oldest type of economy that actually works most in the world today and we (USA) Christians need to become adept at this way of living when times call for it. Why would God allow this? To prepare his Bride – the Church for His second coming. I believe that the church will rise up and fill the need like we read about in the book of Acts!
As scary as this conversation might be to most of us, It’s important that we be prepared for it. In the midst of hard times and tough decisions, we will also be busy celebrating the goodness of God and his provision through His body.
The early church in Acts is the model we must look to in this coming season. We need to prepare our hearts and our resources for the exigent opportunities ahead to help everyone we can with generosity and love.
Ask God to prepare us and give us a new exigency of His pure love for this new season.
All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.
Acts 2:44-45
Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. 33 And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. 34 Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, 35 and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.
Acts 4:32-35
another translation says it like this:
32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had Acts 4:32 NIV
So what do we do?
1. Make sure your Lamp is full of Oil
Personal Prayer, Personal Worship and spending time in His Word!
Matthew Chapter 5 tells us: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.”
Our first and foremost priority is cultivate our personal relationship with Jesus Christ on a daily basis. The bible warns in many parables taught by Jesus Himself about what happens to us if He “doesn’t know us.”
“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
6 “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom [a]is coming; go out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
11 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ 12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour [b]in which the Son of Man is coming.
Matthew 25:1-13
2. Live every day in perfect peace WITH GOD.
Don’t allow fear, anxiety, scarcity or abundance change how you live
Romans Chapter 14 tells us “the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” if we are right with God, we can have peace and then joy! It’s not about religious rules and traditions as much as it is about our connection to God and through that, we can have peace with ourselves and others and live a life of joy that is so much richer than the world’s goal of temporary happiness.
This scripture shows us how to live with peace! Start with being right with God, that comes from repentance of sin and allowing God to be intimate with us by drawing near to Him and being mindful of how we approach Him.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
5 Let your [b]gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Meditate on These Things
8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:4-9
3. Be Kingdom Minded and Be in Fellowship
During the global Covid pandemic we were all isolated from each other. We all had different experiences based on where we lived due to a variety of approaches by local, state and national governments. Some were better than others. We were divided by your city, county or state, by vaccine status, by politics and by nationalities and by religion.
Whether you live in the California or Florida, United States, Canada, Europe, Africa or the island of Tonga, you are not only a neighbor, a citizen of your nation, but you are also a citizen of heaven FIRST! If you aren’t part of a church, you’re at a disadvantage in 2 ways: first, a lack of opportunity to bless others and second, a lack of resources you might need to survive in this “brave new world.”
19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Ephesians 2:19-22
4. Be Obedient. Be a sheep, not a goat!
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
Matthew 25:31-46
25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. 26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, [e]as I said to you. 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. 30 I and My Father are one.”
Matthew 10:25-30
5. Share your Testimony & the Gospel
There is power and victory first in the blood of Jesus that cleanses us from our sin and then we have an opportunity to fight the enemy directly and personally by sharing our testimony with others!
10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. – Revelation 12:10-11
If we have truly already died to ourselves when we accepted Jesus and both Savior and Lord, then we are in this for eternity and our greatest victory comes when we are completely surrendered and obedient to Christ.
Share the good news of the Gospel!
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:4-10
