Beast from the Sea - Part 2

Welcome to God First, a program committed to encouraging you to put God first while viewing life through the window of the Bible. Now in honor of the one and only true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, please join us for today's episode. And as always, it is a joy and honor and a privilege to join you each week.

And I want to thank you for tuning in. Well, folks, I don't know about you, but when I look around at what is taking place in the world today, and then when I look at the Bible, I have a couple of different thoughts that come to mind, a couple of different feelings that come to mind. On the one hand, I get sort of frustrated when I see evil being pushed and promoted and celebrated. But then on the other hand, I look at what the Bible says and the Bible says that there will be certain things that would happen just before our Lord comes back to the earth. And I see the things taking place in the world today unfolding right before our eyes.

And so that gets me excited. And you see these signs that we talk about, these are things that point to the second coming of Christ, meaning when His feet literally touched the earth. But the rapture of the church, that's a signless event, no signs, nothing has to take place before the rapture. And so if we see already these signs that are pointing to our Lord's second coming, when His feet touched the earth, then we know we are even closer to the time in which our Lord is going to descend into the clouds and we will be caught up together with Him to meet Him in the air. And we will go on to heaven to ride out the seven year tribulation. So I'm excited about things that are taking place, even though there again, there's a lot of wickedness that is being promoted and pushed. And I heard a pastor talking the other day and he said he was talking to a man who said he wished that he lived during the Bible days. He said that would be so exciting. And the pastor told him, he said, man, we are living in the Bible days because the things that the Bible said would take place, we are living in that time.

We were seeing these things happening right before. So it is truly an exciting time, even in the midst of the darkness that we see that continues to grow in the earth. And the Bible tells us also that there is a time coming in which there will be a totalitarian rule over the earth.

That would be this one that we call the Antichrist, who's going to rule the entire earth. So we're going to continue looking at it this week as we continue to look at the beast from the sea in Revelation chapter 13. So please turn your Bibles there with me.

And we're going to begin with verse seven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. An authority was given him over every tribe, tongue and nation. This passage tells us that during the tribulation, the Antichrist will have authority over the entire world. This means a one world government. And the philosophy of a one world government is extremely popular, even among nations leaders of today, which lets us know that things prophesied in the Bible concerning the coming of the Antichrist are on the horizon.

The groundwork, the foundation is already being laid because they believe that a one world government is the solution to the world's problems. And it will come to pass during the tribulation. Here's what Henry Kissinger had to say about Barack Obama as he was coming to office in 2009. He stated, quote, the president elect is coming into office at a moment when there is upheaval in many parts of the world simultaneously. His task will be to develop an overall strategy for America in this period when really a new world order can be created.

It's a great opportunity. It isn't just a crisis, end quote. Now that was over a decade ago. So if we fast forward to our present day, there are some buzzwords and phrases from the world's elites that should cause our ears to perk up. When we hear the phrases like build back better, reimagine, the great reset, there should be alarm bells going off in our minds, loudly.

We should sit up and pay attention because these are all code words for the new world order, which equates to one world government, which equates to the global government of the Antichrist. This passage tells us that the Antichrist will unleash tremendous persecutions on Christians and Israel. Daniel 7 25 says he will wear out the saints. These will be tribulation saints, those who missed the rapture because they were not truly saved, but they become saved, become born again during the tribulation to receive our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So it's important for us to understand that there will be individuals who will reject him. That is the Antichrist and receive Jesus Christ as true Savior, as true Messiah. But the Antichrist will still have control over the entire world.

It's a time that is coming that our Lord says will be the worst time that the world has ever seen or ever will see. And we again will see this totalitarian control of this evil one known as Antichrist. And then in verse 8 of chapter 13, it says, All who dwell on the earth will worship him whose names have not been written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. You see, human beings desire to worship what they can see. And we see this displayed in idols throughout the world. People worship celebrities and athletes and material possessions and money.

We even have a television show titled American Idol. Well, during the tribulation, Satan will provide a visible God with seemingly divine powers. He's known in the Bible as the Antichrist, and most will worship him and reject Jesus Christ. But just as the Hebrew boys refuse to worship Nebuchadnezzar's image, the ones whose names are written in the book of life belonging to Christ will refuse to worship the Antichrist. You see, whenever a person is born, their name is written in the book of life. But if that person dies without accepting Christ as Lord, his or her name is blotted out. Well, apparently there will be those who are still physically alive during the tribulation that will have their names blotted out because they accept the mark of the beast.

So although they will still be physically alive, they become spiritually dead because it is at that moment that their eternal damnation becomes sealed. And verse 9 tells us in Revelation 13, If anyone has an ear, let him hear. Throughout the book of Revelation, Jesus Christ warns to listen, to hear his warnings.

I also have a warning for us all concerning this time that we are living in as it relates to the prophecies in Revelation. Now I have said numerous times that I will not tell anyone to take the COVID shot, nor will I tell anyone to not take the COVID shot. It is a private matter between you, your doctor, and God. But whether you feel the shot is right for you individually or not, you should be concerned about COVID shot mandates. You should wonder why people cannot have freedom of choice. You should ask yourself the question, why are American citizens being required to vaccinate under the threat of losing one's job while our nation allows illegal immigrants into the country without requiring that they have the shot? You should wonder why is that?

I mean, if the powers that be really want to stop the spread of the virus, why are immigrants who test positive for COVID-19 allowed in and dispersed throughout our nation? We should have things going in our minds to say, why is that? What is really going on? Well, in light of that, I want you to hear now New York Governor Kathy Hochul. This is the governor who took the place of Cuomo, and she's speaking at the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn where A.R. Bernard is pastor in clip one. I prayed a lot to God during this time, and you know what? God did answer our prayers. He made the smartest men and women, the scientists, the doctors, the researchers, he made them come up with a vaccine. That is from God to us, and we must say thank you, God.

Thank you. And I wear my vaccinated necklace all the time to say I'm vaccinated. All of you. Yes, I know you're vaccinated. You're the smart ones, but you know there's people out there who aren't listening to God and what God wants. You know this.

You know who they are. I need you to be my apostles. I need you to go out and talk about it and say we owe this to each other.

We love each other. Jesus taught us to love one another, and how do you show that love but to care about each other enough to say please get vaccinated because I love you. I want you to live. I want our kids to be safe when they're in schools. I want you to be safe when you go to a doctor's office or to a hospital and are treated by somebody.

You don't want to get the virus from them. You're already sick or you wouldn't be there. We have to solve this, my friends. I need every one of you. I need you to let them know that this is how we can fight this pandemic, come back to normal, and then start talking about the real issues that we have to. Fighting systemic racial injustice, which exists today, and if there's a dot denier, I will take you on any day because I've seen it. I know it exists, and we are not going to have a blind eye to this ever again.

Wow. Well, you heard her say she prayed a lot to God, and he answered our prayers by making the smartest ones come up with the vaccine. And she wears her vaccination necklace proudly and claims that those who take the shot are the smart ones, while those who do not are not listening to God and what God wants.

Folks, this should be alarming to us. She then calls on the people at the church to be her apostles. And I say, what in the world is going on with this woman? And she calls on them to go after the unvaccinated to convince them to get vaccinated.

She claims that taking the shot is showing the love that Jesus taught. And then, of course, she cannot conclude without injecting the telltale, woke narrative of systemic racial injustice. It's like these people are drunk on this idea of systemic racism.

Everything is racist now. No matter what takes place, they have to put that in their narrative. So, again, folks, regardless of whether you feel the shot is right for you or not, you should be concerned about this type of propaganda coming from a governor. And we see this just going throughout our society, and you should ask questions about what really is going on. What is this really all about?

And so she's not alone. And so we're going to take a quick break. But on the other side, we're going to come back and I'm going to share more with you on others who are speaking out concerning these things that are taking place. And what really is happening and how should we as Christians process what's going on?

Don't go away. You are tuned into the God First program. You are listening to God First. If you believe in what we stand for at God First Bible Fellowship, would you consider partnering with us? Our God First Partners program is based on Matthew 6-33. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added on to you. For a recurring donation of $6.33 per month, you can help us share the message of placing God's commands first when viewing the issues of our culture. Please visit our website, GodFirst.org, or write to us at God First Bible Fellowship, P.O.

Box 266, 9th Dale, North Carolina, 27545 for more information. Now, let's return to the conclusion of today's program. Welcome back to the program.

My name is Brian Thomas. I want to thank you for joining me today as we are looking at the beast from the sea in Revelation chapter 13. And we're taking a look at things that are currently taking place. So before the break, we heard New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and she's calling on people to be her apostles and to go out and evangelize the unvaccinated, to get vaccinated. And we should be asking ourselves questions as to really what is going on with this movement. And let me be again clear, folks, that if you have taken the shot, if you have made the decision that that is the right thing for you, and you have talked to God about it, I'm not here to knock anyone for doing that, nor am I here to knock anyone who is not taking the shot. I'm not making a statement or a stand to say you should or should not. But what I am saying is, why is there not a freedom of choice for something that, well, for those who do not have pre-existing health conditions, you have a 99 percent chance of surviving.

So why is there this great push to try to get everybody to do this no matter what? Well, as I said earlier, Kathy Hochul is pushing this issue, and she's not alone. I want you to hear now Senator Rand Paul as he was challenging Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra on the science of COVID-19 shot mandates in clip number two. With an Israeli study that had 2.5 million patients and found that the vaccinated group was actually seven times more likely to get infected with COVID than the people who had gotten COVID naturally.

Senator, I'd have to get back to you on that one. I'm not familiar with that study. Well, you think you might want to be, if you're going to travel the country, insulting the millions of Americans, including NBA star Jonathan Isaac, who have had COVID recovered, look at a study with 2.5 million people and say, well, you know what, it looks like my immunity is as good as a vaccine or not.

In a free country, maybe I ought to be able to make that decision. Instead, you've chosen to travel the country calling people like Jonathan Isaac and others, myself included, flat earthers. We find that very insulting, goes against the science. Are you a doctor or a medical doctor? I've worked over 30 years on health policy. You're not a medical doctor.

Do you have a science degree? And yet you travel the country calling people flat earthers who have had COVID, looked at studies of millions of people and made their own personal decision that their immunity they naturally acquired is sufficient. But you presume somehow to tell over 100 million Americans who have survived COVID that we have no right to determine our own medical care. You alone are on high and you've made these decisions. A lawyer with no scientific background, no medical degree.

This is an arrogance coupled with an authoritarianism that is unseemly and un-American. You, sir, are the one ignoring the science. The vast preponderance of scientific studies, dozens and dozens show robust, long lasting immunity after COVID infection. Even the CDC does not recommend measles vaccine if you have measles immunity. The same was true for smallpox.

But you ignore history and science to shame the flat earthers, as you call them. You should be ashamed of yourself and apologize to the American people for being dishonest about naturally acquired immunity. You want more people to choose vaccination? So do I. You want to lessen vaccine hesitancy?

So do I. You want to have that happen? Quit lying to people about naturally acquired immunity. Quit lording it over people, acting as if these people are deplorable and unwashed. Try persuasion instead of government cudgels. Try humility instead of arrogance.

Try freedom instead of coercion. But most of all, try understanding that there's no more basic medical right than deciding what we inject into our bodies. Today, after hearing that millions of people in a study prove, show without a doubt that there's a great deal of immunity from getting it naturally, do you want to apologize to the 100 million Americans who suffered through COVID, survived, have immunity, and yet you want to hold them down and vaccinate them?

Do you want to apologize for calling those people flat earthers? Senator, I appreciate your question and appreciate that everyone has their opinion. We follow the facts and the science at HHS. We use the expertise of the medical professionals, the scientists at HHS to make decisions.

It's a team effort and we rely on what is on the ground showing us results. Except for the dozens and dozens of studies, in fact, most if not all of the studies show robust immunity from getting the disease naturally. The CDC says if you've had measles and have immunity, you don't have to be vaccinated.

The same was true of smallpox. You're selectively doing this because you want us to submit to your will. You have no scientific background, no scientific degrees, and yet you aren't really concerned about 100 million Americans who had the disease. You just want to tell us, do as you're told.

That's what you're telling us. You want to mandate this on all of us. You're going to tell us if I have 100 employees, you're going to put me out of business with a $700,000 fine if I don't obey what you think is the science. Don't you understand that it's presumptuous for you to be in charge of all the science? Have you ever heard of the second opinion? I can't go to my doctor and ask my doctor's opinion?

I mean, this is incredibly arrogant, combined with this authoritarian nature that you think, well, we'll just tell all of America to do what I say and they better or we'll fine them or put them in jail or not let them go to school or not let them travel. The science is against you on this. The science is clear. Naturally, quiet immunity is as good as a vaccine. The Israel study actually showing it better. This isn't an argument against the vaccine, but it's an argument for letting people make a decision who already have immunity.

You're not willing to consider natural immunity? Senator, our team has reviewed every study that's out there on COVID, whether it's from Israel, from the U.S. or wherever else. They have used the facts that have been provided through the rigorous research that's been done to reach conclusions. 660,000 Americans and more have died because of COVID. We're trying to do everything we can to save as many as possible. We're using the facts. We're following the science and following the law. Nobody's arguing the severity of this, but you are completely ignoring the science on natural immunity. So is Fauci. So is the whole group. You're just ignoring it because you want submission.

You want everybody just to submit to your will, do as you're told, despite the evidence. The large body of scientific evidence that says naturally acquired immunity does work is an important part of how we're all going to recover from this. So is the vaccine.

But when you add them together, we're in a much different place than if you ignore them. A hundred million Americans by conservative CDC estimates have had the disease. 200 million or more now have been vaccinated.

It's a good thing. Combined together, it's how the disease is. Nobody wants to get the disease. We're not advising anybody to get the disease. But if you're unlucky enough to get it, think of the nurses and doctors and orderlies who all bravely took care of COVID patients. There was no vaccine for a year and a half. They took care of people, risked their lives.

They got it, survived. And now people like you are arrogant enough to say you can no longer work in the hospital because you've already had the disease. We're going to force you to take a vaccine that the science does not prove is better than naturally acquired.

That's an arrogance that should be chasing. Now that was a long clip, but I wanted you to hear it all because this is a very important exchange that we hear from Senator Rand Paul, again, talking to Health and Human Sciences Secretary Javier Becerra. And as you heard, Javier Becerra, he refused to accept the science of naturally acquired immunity. He calls those who do not want the shot the mocking term flat earthers.

And you heard the reference by the senator to Jonathan Isaac. Jonathan Isaac is an ordained minister who plays in the NBA and he's not taking the shot. His stance is that he has already had COVID-19, has naturally acquired immunity, is young at the age of 24 in great physical condition. So he sees no need to take the shot. I mean, that's just plain old common sense. We should ask the question, why force people to take a shot who have naturally acquired immunity, which studies show is far better than the shot. Why can't this be a personal choice? I'm just asking questions, things for you to think about. Is it because they want authoritarianism as the senator alluded to?

Is this the beginnings of the foundation for this B system that we find here in the book of Revelation? I'm not saying that it is. I'm not saying that it isn't. But it should cause us to question things because there are nurses who risked their lives in the beginning of this pandemic. They were on the front lines treating patients before we knew how severe this virus was, before we knew how they would be affected.

They were heroes for doing so, for putting their lives on the line for others. And now they are being fired for refusing to take a shot. This should make you wonder what is really going on? Is this truly about a shot or could it be about compliance and submission? Now let me be clear that I can say with certainty, for those of you who have taken the shot, whether you regret it or not, and there are some who have taken it and do regret it, you have not taken the mark of the beast.

So if you're wondering about that, put your mind to rest. This is not the mark of the beast because we're not yet in the seven year tribulation. But could this be something that is laying the foundation for the system?

Is it a dry run? Is it a dress rehearsal for what is to come? Maybe it is, maybe it isn't, but we should ask ourselves questions. Because Jesus warned about deception being great in the last days leading up to his return and Christians must be wise. All the claims that we always hear, racism, that we are bombarded with, those things stoke division.

When you are pitting vaccinated versus unvaccinated, that stokes division and division stokes revolution. Revolution stokes new government and new government paves the road for alignment with the new world order. Let me be clear that I am not anti-government.

If I were, that would put me in the same category as the likes of Antifa and Black Lives Matter and Marxists who want to overthrow the government. And the Bible tells us that God actually ordained government. He ordained government to keep law and order.

But with man's sinful nature, governments often become corrupt. Are you heeding the warnings of Christ to hear and to pay attention? People heed the warnings of the weatherman or weather lady when they say to prepare for a bad storm.

People heed the warnings of a mechanic when he says if you do not change your oil regularly, your motor will go bad. Why is it that people, especially those who profess to be Christians, do not hear and heed the warnings of Jesus Christ? Because our Lord is warning us in the Bible of things that are coming. He warns us about the spirit of Antichrist that we see, and again, it's already coming to pass in the earth. As we wrap up with verse 10, it says, He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity.

He who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. Many rejecters of the Antichrist during the tribulation will go into captivity. Many will be killed with the sword. It will require patience, faith, and trust in Jesus Christ to remain faithful during this time of persecution. Those that endure by keeping their hands in the master's hands, even if it means losing their earthly life, will receive eternal life. But this verse tells us that God will bring about justice because the Antichrist will have his day. He will rule the earth for a while, but the Bible declares that he will go into captivity and he will be killed when Jesus comes back and casts him into the lake of fire at the end of the tribulation. We must remember that Jesus wins, and because we are on his side, that means we win, for those of us who have received him as Lord and Savior. If you have not put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, I encourage you to do so today.

Become born again by his shed blood. The time is near, folks. The signs are all around us. When we look again at what is taking place in the world, look at how there is a hatred for the truth. How many incidents have we had just here in our nation in which a police officer, because he has white skin, and he has an incident with someone who has brown or black skin, people naturally conclude, go by the assumption that there is racism. And they run with it, regardless of the facts. They don't care about the facts, because oftentimes, pretty much every case, after things have been looked at in closer detail, we find that the black citizen was committing a crime and or resisting arrest, being noncompliant. But they don't care about facts. They don't care about truth. The Bible says Jesus is truth.

He says he is the way, the only way, to the Father. And you see the Antichrist, he hates truth because he hates Jesus Christ. And that is why we see things taking place in the world.

That is why we see critical race theory. And it's infiltrating so many segments of society, even in the church, sadly. That wickedness, the doctrines of demons, telling people that because of their skin color, they're automatically racist.

And we have churches that are embracing it. Folks, we have to wake up. We have to see the tricks of the devil and head them off. We have to understand that this spirit of Antichrist that Revelation 13 talks about, it is already in the earth and it is building towards what is yet to come. This seven year tribulation. Are you paying attention?

Are you hearing? Are you listening and heeding the words of our Lord? Because all of this talk about socialism and Marxism, all this is doing is paving the road towards this one world system for this Antichrist who is going to rule the entire world. But the good thing about it is the great thing about it, as we saw in our passage, is that he will have his day. He's going to be destroyed. And Jesus Christ is coming back.

He's coming back to rule and reign. And I tell you people, I'm excited today, even in light of what is happening in the world, because these things tell me that the time is near. And Jesus Christ says, when you see all these things begin to happen, look up and watch for your redemption draws near. Are you watching for the redemptive coming of our Lord Jesus Christ when we'll be caught up together to meet him in the air? I'm looking forward to that great and wonderful day.

Well, folks, we are all out of time. I want to thank you for tuning in this week. Please come back next time and join us as we continue to encourage you to put God first while viewing life through the window of the Bible. Until then, remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, bless God's great nation of Israel, and to the only wise God be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen. Thank you for tuning into the God First program. Please come back and join us next week as we continue to encourage you to put God first while viewing life through the window of the Bible. Until next time, remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, bless God's great nation of Israel, and seek first the kingdom of God.