Mark of the Beast

[B/W Photodude]

I was out recently sitting in one of my favorite fast food places reading my bible and studying. This man noticing that I was reading a Bible came up and asked what I was studying. I happened to also have been in my Sabbath School quarterly as I am teaching Sabbath School this quarter. Hearing that I was into end-time issues, he launched into this thing about the mark of the beast and how they are going to microchip everyone that gets the mark of the beast. When he stopped for air, I asked him about this mark and how in Revelation there is also a mark of God and he said, "yeah, there is." So, I asked, "What is the mark of God." His mouth fell open and he finally said, "I don't know!" With that he found a quick escape and was gone! I didn't even have time to give him that little booklet that had the last of the Great Controversey that I carry with me just for these times. 

Here in Appalachia, evangelism is very slow work. In fact, many churches will tell you the only time they have church growth is when an SDA person from somewhere else moves to town! I have talked with many many people here and invited them to church and even had Sabbath discussions where nearly everyone will tell me that the Sabbath of the Bible is the 7th day, but they will not come to church. I have only had one person tell me that they did not know the Sabbath of the Bible was the 7th day.

[Gregory Matthews]

Off Topic:

Appalchia:  That sure brings back memories.  I began my ministry as a congregational pastor in the Pennington Gap/Big Stone Gap area.  I lived in Dryden and I managed the cemetery there which was owned by the Conference!

 

[Gustave]

B/W photodude,

If you had time could you briefly say how similar your end times view are to the Orthodox (not Roman Catholic) view? Below is Fr. Hopko's take on the subject.

 

[B/W Photodude]

1 hour ago, Gregory Matthews said:

Off Topic: Appalchia:  That sure brings back memories.  I began my ministry as a congregational pastor in the Pennington Gap/Big Stone Gap area.  I lived in Dryden and I managed the cemetery there which was owned by the Conference!

Small world! I drop in on the church there from time to time. They tell me there used to be separate churches in Big Stone Gap and Pennington Gap, but they are now combined about halfway between the two towns.

My avatar cat came from a rescue org in Big Stone Gap. I refer to him as my "junkyard cat." When I first got him, he would just as soon scratch and bite me as look at me. But now he stalks me waiting for a chance to go to sleep in my lap. 

[Kevin H]

Thank you for sharing and prayers for you. The impending conflict is a powerful book. I wish that the church would make a printing that would have the four chapters "The Origin of Evil"  "Why was Sin Permitted" (these two chapters are very similar but one was from earlier writings and has a raw freshness not in the other, while the other has a sophistication not found in the first so the strong and weak points of these chapters really complement each other). "Gethsemane" and Mrs. White's masterpiece, the greatest chapter she ever wrote "It is Finished".

These four chapters with maybe a couple of quotes such as "There is in man a disposition to esteem himself more highly than his breathern to serve self to seek the highest place and often this results in evil surmisings and bitterness of spirit" from the Communion chapter of the Desire of Ages, as well as Desire of Ages page 641 "When we love he world as he [Jesus] has loved it, then for us his mission is accomplished; we are fitted for heaven for we have heaven in our hearts." and "The Glory of Him that is love will consume the wicked." Maybe also add to it the article "God Made Manifest in Christ." These are Mrs. White's most important writings, her core message.

Anyway, I'm glad that they at least have the Impending Conflict. Your story reminds me of what happened to me once when I was in college. I had some time off, visited my mom in New York City, a friend who was living and working in New Jersey and then was going to take the bus home. While waiting for the bus I was reading "The Impending Conflict." A bus pulled up and a well dressed older lady got off the bus, walked into the station, looked around and made a bee line towards me and asked "Why is there evil I the world?" I was shocked and replied "Excuse me, could you repeat that please" and she repeated "Why is there evil in the world?" she then went on to tell me that she had come up for her cousin's husband's funeral. He had been the mayor of that city before he suddenly died. In taking the bus up for the funeral she saw the homeless at the bus station. She could not understand how people could live like that. Her cousin's husband as mayor was trying to make life better for homeless people, and she was shocked that here was someone wiling to help the homeless and his work suddenly came to an end with his unexpected death.

I talked about the issues of the great Controversy and showed her the chapter in the Impending Conflict. She asked if she could read it and while waiting for her relatives to meet her at the station she was able to read the whole chapter. When her family came she asked if she could keep the book saying "This actually makes sense!" She was Jewish and understood that Mrs. White was writing from a Christian perspective, but said that even so the information Mrs. White gave made things she learned in synagogue and in the Bible come alive as never before and that it has filled her heart with joy and hope. She gave me a hug and thanked me and said that she will meet me again in heaven.  

[Gail]

Thank you for this inspiring thread. It has encouraged me!