Revelation 13:15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
When the above passage is read from a perspective motivated by fear, you think the worst. The carnal man is afraid to die and will do anything to prevent it. In the book of Romans, Paul wrote in chapter 8:
13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
It is a good thing to die to the flesh. Man does not understand that particular Truth because it is counterintuitive to his carnal nature. We must die to live? “It does not compute!” The mind is not creative and is a harsh taskmaster when in control but is a servant when used properly. It is binary in nature and understands “up and down”, “black and white”, “in and out”. It does not understand Spiritual things. Your spirit comprehends the things of GOD and thus if you are blinded, you will try to understand spiritual Truths with the mind and it won’t produce life. This is why we must quiet our mind in order to hear in the Spirit. With this understanding, let’s read what Paul said earlier in the chapter:
5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
As we are moved out of men’s organizations where the “created” is worshipped, we begin the death process. We begin to see the futility in those structures designed to suck the life and resources from those who support it. Complex and intricate customs and traditions do not move FATHER or HIS Spirit. In Matthew 23, Jesus spoke to those in charge of the “church”:
13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.”
FATHER will not empower those who misuse their position for personal gain of any type. HE is looking for those who desire to serve mankind in Love. They love not their own life but place it in full subjection to HIS Will. My prayer is that I see people just as FATHER sees them. Once I am fully matured as a Son, HIS Love will emanate through me just as it did from Jesus and HIS power to heal and restore will go forth and glorify HIM, not man. When the fullness of this time comes forth, men will no longer look to technology to solve their problems, they will no longer look to some man-made government system to provide for their needs, instead they will look up toward Heaven and seek THE ONE Who opens the windows of Heaven to supply all our need according to the riches in Christ.
Jesus paved the way to life by overcoming death. He opened the door for us to enter through and be fully reconciled to FATHER. No beast or man’s system can keep us from HIS Love and Presence. We do not have to travel to a local church building in order to have a relationship with FATHER. There is nothing wrong with gathering together for fellowship and to hear testimonies of HIS goodness and mercy. Additionally, there is nothing wrong with serving the community. We simply must not become servants to a structure or man-made organizations. Structure should serve man, not the opposite. A house is supposed to serve as a shelter and resting place but when you overindulge and buy beyond your means, the house places you in servitude by the excessive loan and expensive maintenance. You must now work to support structure and you have little time to spend with HIM. After the excitement wears off, you ask yourself: What was I thinking when I bought this? The carnal man uses lust to keep us in subjection. Structure becomes more complex and demands more attention away from your personal relationship with FATHER.
Let us expose the carnal things that would hinder our full and complete maturity as Sons. Let us die to those things which become weights to us and let us shed them as we ascend to the fullness of our individual callings. The beast will have no place in us and we will not take its mark!