The MARK OF THE LORD is found in those followers who have the
testimony of God’s Law in their mouth and who proclaim redemption by the Lamb
of God (Ex 13:9, 16, Mal 3:16-18, Jn 1:29,15:26-27, 1Cor 5:6-8, 11:23-26 NASB throughout).
God’s Plan from the Foundation of the World;
Sort Out Followers of the Lord
from the Followers of the Devil
The Bible message is simple – the Lord will share eternal life in heaven with those who love Him and are loyal and faithful to Him.
The devil began rebellion in heaven and now continues to deceive the whole world (Is 14:12-15, Ezek 28:15-17, Rev12:7-8, 13:2-7,8).
The devil began rebellion in heaven and now continues to deceive the whole world (Is 14:12-15, Ezek 28:15-17, Rev12:7-8, 13:2-7,8).
“I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings,” (Hosea 6:6).
This simple story in the Garden of Eden is about;
the first man and woman created by God,
God’s Law,
how the devil lies and deceives,
man’s fall, and
God’s Grace.
Repeated stories of deliverance help us understand when we are
recipients of grace).
Repeated stories of deliverance help us understand when we are
recipients of grace).
Every Bible story and picture shows our simple choice of obedience to our Creator, or the devil.
This story pattern is repeated throughout the Bible. You can follow the three main characters.
These three main characters appear on earth in the first three chapters of the Bible:
HERO - or Protagonist
The Creator God, the Lord, is the primary character in the Bible. He appears in Genesis Ch 1. He created heaven and earth and said, “It was good” (Gen 2:4, Eph 1:3-4, Col 1:13-16 NASB throughout).
Man needs to know about God to have wisdom to return to Him when he falls away from His covenant laws (Lev26:1-45, Dan 4: 34, 36, Mt 11:28-30, Jn 17:3).
GOOD NEWS - the Lord God is the protagonist – the one who fights for us if we honor Him to show our loyalty.
MAN - Man was created by the Lord God. Man appears in the second chapter of the Bible. Man was created to rule over all the earth (Gen 1:28) and to show loyalty to the Lord by cultivating and keeping the Lord’s garden in Eden(Gen 2:15-17).
God saw all He had made that 6th day and said, “It was “very good” (Gen 1:31).
VILLAIN - Antagonist – to antagonize you.
The serpent appeared in the garden of Eden in the third chapter of Genesis.
There was war in heaven. Lucifer, the serpent, and his angels were thrown out of heaven because of their rebellion and pride. The Lord had thrown Lucifer, the devil, Satan down to earth (Rev 12:7-9).
When God created man, He commanded him, “to eat from any tree in the garden that is good for food, and the tree of life in the midst of the garden, but not the tree of knowledge of good and evil."
God’s first created man and wife turned away from God’s good truths, and they considered the bad teachings which the devil taught Eve. She and Adam ate from the tree the Lord commanded not to eat.
Then they knew the teachings from their Creator, which were good, and they knew teachings from the devil, which were evil. Evil is anything that is not from God.
The Lord had told Adam “in the day you eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil you will surely die.” The serpent made Eve question God’s teaching. The devil said, “you surely will not die” (Gen 3:4).
PHYSICAL OR SPIRITUAL
The devil tries to get us to divide the word of God and make us forget part of God’s teaching! The devil meant that Eve would not die physically that day.
God meant that their souls would die spiritually by putting their faith in the teaching of a creature instead of Their Creator (Romans 1:24-25, 1Cor2:14, Eph 2:1-5). Eve and Adam denied God’s laws.
The devil, Lucifer, Satan had already been driven out of heaven because of a rebellious spirit of sinful pride. If we want to get to heaven we must humble ourselves and show the Lord we can be faithful to Him and His teachings.
HOW TO BE FAITHFUL
God gave them works to do - cultivate and keep His garden.
The garden was physical in Eden. Now, the Lord says the garden is in our heart, spiritually (Luke 8:12-15).
GARDEN PICTURES
Man was designed to rule over God’s creation. But he was not faithful.
Jesus revealed that man’s purpose is to serve, worship and give praise to God – the CREATOR (Gen 2:15, Rev 5:13).
We are to cultivate and keep our hearts to worship our Creator, to be a “good picture” for others to see, and show our loyalty to Him as a testimony.
CHOOSE GOOD AGAINST EVIL
To stand against evil we must believe God’s command “to eat of the tree of life, the good tree, but not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die."
“Cultivate” means to work, to serve, till, to enslave, be wrought, or worship (Strongs’s Concordance word #H5647).
How to cultivate and keep our heart is explained later in the Parable of the Sower (parable of the soils) about an honest and good heart.
The Holy Spirit fruit of the Lord is spiritual – this is produced in our heart; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5:22).
THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER
Jesus had the parable of the Sower included three times in the Bible to show its importance and the spiritual nature of our heart. In it we learn that we must cultivate and keep the soil of our heart to show our loyalty (Mt13:18-23, Mk4:13-20, Lk8:11-15).
Our Creator wants us to see the spiritual nature of the garden in our heart today as Paul told the Romans and Corinthians (Rom 8:3-7, 1 Cor 2:9-14).
Jesus said, if we don’t understand this parable, how will we understand all the parables (Mk 4:13).
LISTEN FOR GOD’S WORD -WATCH OUT FOR THE DEVIL
The Garden Parables Are Important To Us
In the parable of the Sower, the devil is described as
working to:
working to:
take away God’s word from man’s heart,
give some men worries of the world, or
give some of them wealth to choke the word and it
becomes unfruitful (Mt 13:18-23).
becomes unfruitful (Mt 13:18-23).
Satan and his servants want to prevent you from finding God’s Word which is the Way to the tree of life, as we read in the parable of the Sower, (Mt 7:14, Mk 12:14, Jn 14:6, Acts 24:14, 2Cor 4:4).
In the parable of the Wheat and Tares
the Son of Man is the sower – this is the Lord
the field is the world (Eden is a picture of the world at the
beginning of the Bible)
beginning of the Bible)
the good seed (wheat) are the sons of the good kingdom
the tares are the sons of the evil one in the evil kingdom
the enemy who sowed tares is the devil. The tares are the ones who follow the devil’s teachings (Mt 13:36-43).
THE WAY TO THE TREE OF LIFE IS GUARDED
Picture the work of the devil in Eden. He twisted and divided the word of God, while he convinced Eve to believe his own teachings in place of God’s!
Adam and Eve mixed the devil’s teachings with the Lord’s, and had followed the devil’s teachings instead of the Lord’s.
THE MARK OF THE LORD
- Satan, the dragon, gives his power to two beasts who
fool many (Dan 7:23-25, Rev 12:7-17, 13;1-10, :11-18).
The beasts help the dragon rule the world
which natural men see with their eyes – not with the spirit (Jn 12:31, 1 Cor 2:14).
MARK OF THE BEAST
Satan's counterfeit holidays do not
emphasize Jesus' death on the cross to redeem us from the death penalty for our sin.
He provides that no one should be able to buy or sell (in his domain) accept that he has his mark (Rev 13:16-17).
Satan's followers form tight-knit denominations, excluding any who talk of obedience to the Lord to love Him (Jn 14:15,23). Those who believe in a special group's teachings are marked as "reasonable." They will not consider or listen to someone of different beliefs, marked as "unreasonable" compared to those of their group (Rev 13:17).
"There must be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you" (1 Cor 11:19, 32).
Picture the work of the devil in Eden. He twisted and divided the word of God, while he convinced Eve to believe his own teachings in place of God’s!
Satan and his servants want to prevent you from finding God’s Word, which is the way to the tree of life, as we read in the parable of the Sower, (Mt 7:14, Mk 12:14, Jn 14:6, Acts 24:14, 2Cor 4:4).
In the parable of the Wheat and Tares
the Son of Man is the sower – this is the Lord
the field is the world (Eden is a picture of the world at the beginning of the Bible)
the good seed (wheat) are the sons of the good kingdom
the tares are the sons of the evil one in the evil kingdom
the enemy who sowed tares is the devil. The tares are the ones who follow the devil’s teachings (Mt 13:36-43).
REMEMBER,
THE WAY TO THE TREE OF LIFE
IS GUARDED!
After Adam and Eve sinned they became like God, knowing good and evil. Then they might have stretched out their hand and taken from the tree of life and lived forever.
THE WAY TO THE TREE OF LIFE
IS GUARDED!
After Adam and Eve sinned they became like God, knowing good and evil. Then they might have stretched out their hand and taken from the tree of life and lived forever.
Adam and Eve mixed the devil’s teachings with the Lord’s, and had followed the devil’s teachings instead of the Lord’s.
They could not be trusted with eternal life since
they had mixed the devil’s teachings with the Lord’s, and had followed
the devil’s teachings instead of the Lord’s.
They would have shown their faith and loyalty to God -
if they had a love of the truth.
They would have shown their faith and loyalty to God -
if they had a love of the truth.
Moses
was told to make an exact copy of the temple of God which was in
heaven, and to put cherubim over the ark to guard God’s covenant law (Ex
25:9).
Lucifer
was one of the guard cherubim in heaven. He became proud and his heart
was lifted up with pride and he wanted a seat above God’s throne (Ezek
28:2, 13-17). Lucifer was compared to the King of Tyre. They both had faults similar to many men!
BAD NEWS
After
sins were found in Lucifer, war was made with him to cast him out of
heaven. He had been unfaithful in keeping and protecting God’s laws. The
Lord threw him down to earth.
NOTE
The Lord could have destroyed Lucifer, but He was allowed to roam about the earth as an adversary against man.
The devil was used as a deluding influence to see if Adam and Eve and all mankind, have a love of the truth (2Thes 2:7-12).
[ Bible translators vary as to whether
the guards ‘hide the Way’ from men,
or protect the Way to preserve it,
and to “keep” God’s ways for Him
Gen 3:24, 2 Cor 4:4, Acts 24:14) ]
the guards ‘hide the Way’ from men,
or protect the Way to preserve it,
and to “keep” God’s ways for Him
Gen 3:24, 2 Cor 4:4, Acts 24:14) ]
The Way is “the only way” to life (Mt 7:14, Mk:12:14, John 14:6, Acts 9:2, 24:14, 22). These guards are to prevent us from taking from the tree of life because we have learned evil by taking from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
After deceiving Eve and Adam, some of the evil cherubim were stationed at the east of the garden to guard the way to the Tree of Life:
To keep Adam and Eve out.
He also does this to you (Gen 3:24)!
Jesus said, “The gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who find it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it,” Matt 7:13-14).
Jesus said, “The gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who find it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it,” Matt 7:13-14).
Lucifer
is the serpent of old who is called the devil, and Satan, and the god
of this world (Jn 12:31, 2 Cor 4:4, Rev 12:7-9, 12-13).
We are to demonstrate that we want to separate from the world while we are in it (Jn 17:14-18).
GOOD NEWS
Guarding the east end of the garden of Eden, the Lord God also stationed a flaming sword to guard the way “of the Tree of Life.” This is to keep God’s word in our heart and to purify us (Mal 3:2-3). The Word of God is a consuming fire (Ex 24:17, Deut 4:24).
In the Revelation of Jesus Christ we are taught to have perseverance. Our Lord will help His followers through the tribulation from the evil cherubim.
At the same time we encounter the devil’s guards, we encounter the teachers of God’s word, the flaming sword, disciplining us and teaching us how to have peace with God (Gen 3:24, Jn 16:33, Rom 5:3-5, Rev 1:9).
These good guards are to prevent us from taking from the tree of life because we have already learned evil by taking from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
These good guards are to prevent us from taking from the tree of life because we have already learned evil by taking from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
Keeping God’s ways of the tree of life shows Him our loyalty and faith (Rev 3:7-8, 10).
Immediately after these guards were stationed on the east of
Eden,
scripture reminds us that “sin” is crouching at the door and its desire
is for you but you must master it (Gen 4:7, James 1:13-16).
Later,
the Apostle Peter writes the same warning, “Your adversary, the devil,
prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1Pet
5:8).
THE MYSTERY OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD
The Holy Spirit can teach us the truth
of how God’s universe is run (John 16:7-15). The Bible stories teach
His moral laws and are consistent through the Bible because God does not
change (Mal 3:1-3, Heb 13:8).
If
an early story seems partially hidden or covered, a later story or
parable helps us see God’s unchanging way of dealing with man. Compare
the story of Adam and Eve with the Parable of the Sower, or the Parable
of the Wheat and Tares (Gen 3:1-6, Mt 13, Mk 4, Lk 8).
The devil’s teachings are always a mix of his own lies and only part of God’s Word (John 8:23,44).
We are to resist the devil and he will flee from us (1Cor 3:16, 6:19, Js 4:7).
THE MARK OF THE LORD
We are to have the law of the Lord in our mouth and in our works. Then the Lord will give us the mark of the Lord for eternal life.
Our speech must be of the deliverance from the death decree which comes from following other teachings, instead of the Lord’s (Ex 13:9, 16, 23:13-17, Rev 12:11).
Our
testimony displays the loyalty and faith "behind our forehead," and the
works of our hands. These are deeds of righteousness or evil depending on whose teachings you follow (John
5:24-29).
The Lord puts His mark on His “disciples” because
they testify of His deliverance with their mouth and practice living by
faith in His commands, not some others (Mk 7:6-9, Jn 3:19-21, 4:21-24, 2 Thes 2:7-12,
Heb 12:28).
"The natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; an he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised," (1Cor 2:14-15).
We are to follow the Lord’s purifying way to the tree of life to avoid the devil trying to blind our eyes from the way to the tree of life (Prov 3:13-19, Rev2:7, 2cor4:4).
"The natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; an he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised," (1Cor 2:14-15).
We are to follow the Lord’s purifying way to the tree of life to avoid the devil trying to blind our eyes from the way to the tree of life (Prov 3:13-19, Rev2:7, 2cor4:4).
Jesus
is the Tree of Life (Jn1:4, 11:25, 14:6, 15:1-6). Branches of the tree
were broken off so other believers could be grafted in (Col 3:4).
When
we return to the Lord and receive Him, we are given the right to become
children of God (Mark 3:35, Luke 8:21, John 1:12, Gal 3:26-29).
Learn His ways, show our faith, express our loyalty.
BE AWARE OF SATAN’S SCHEMES
Satan is symbolized by the tree of knowledge of good and evil, a mixture of teachings.
Satan, the devil is also guilty of:
Satan is symbolized by the tree of knowledge of good and evil, a mixture of teachings.
Satan, the devil is also guilty of:
- misuses scripture (Matt 4:1-11)
- takes the seed of God’s Word away from
men’s heart (Matt 13:18-23, Mk 4:13-20, Lk 8:11-15).
- the father of lies, speaks lies to try to get people
to commit lawlessness and die in their sins (Jn 8:44, 1Jn 3:4).
men’s heart (Matt 13:18-23, Mk 4:13-20, Lk 8:11-15).
- the father of lies, speaks lies to try to get people
to commit lawlessness and die in their sins (Jn 8:44, 1Jn 3:4).
- blinds the unbelieving from the light of the Gospel (2Cor 4:4).
- Satan and his servants (who follow him in disobedience)
deceive men by disguising themselves as servants of
righteousness and they
imitate angels of light (2 Cor 11:3,14,15).
deceive men by disguising themselves as servants of
righteousness and they
imitate angels of light (2 Cor 11:3,14,15).
- your adversary, the devil, prowls around to devour people
(1 Peter 5:8).
- the Lord left nations on the way to Canaan, in order that the generations of the sons of Israel might be taught war, those who had not experienced it formerly (Judg 3:1-2, Eph 6:10 - 18).
- Gods sends Satan as a deluding influence to deceive people – God is teting them
to see if they have the love of the truth
(2Thes2:7-12).
(2Thes2:7-12).
- Satan, the dragon, gives his power to two beasts who
fool many (Dan 7:23-25, Rev 12:7-17, 13;1-10, :11-18).
The beasts help the dragon rule the world
which natural men see with their eyes – not with the spirit (Jn 12:31, 1 Cor 2:14).
The devil’s followers misrepresent God's spiritual world.
They lie about how to see the kingdom of God (2Cor 4:4,
Eph2:1-2, 6:12, 1 Jn 4:1-6, 5:19).
They lie about how to see the kingdom of God (2Cor 4:4,
Eph2:1-2, 6:12, 1 Jn 4:1-6, 5:19).
The devil has a counterfeit mark, the mark of the beast, for people who discipline their life to his teachings which are a mixture of only part of God’s word and the devil’s lies (Gen 3:1-6, John 8:31-47).
MARK OF THE BEAST
Marvel
at how the devil has so many people wondering what the mark of the
beast is, when scripture reveals it is just a counterfeit of the mark of
the Lord!
Satan gives his followers the mark of the beast because they believe his lies (Jn 8:42-44, Rev 13:16-17, 14:9).
Satan,
“ruler of this world” has the second beast give his followers a mark on their right hand or forehead. The devil's mark is
a counterfeit of the Lord’s mark (Ex 12:23-27, 13:9,16, 1Cor 11:23-27, JN
12:31).
The Devil is pictured as a beast in one of Daniel's visions. The forth king "intended" to change times and the law. This prophecy warns us of Satan trying to promote his own holidays he wants you to worship in place of God's Holy Days (Dan 7:23-27, Heb 9:1).
The Devil is pictured as a beast in one of Daniel's visions. The forth king "intended" to change times and the law. This prophecy warns us of Satan trying to promote his own holidays he wants you to worship in place of God's Holy Days (Dan 7:23-27, Heb 9:1).
Satan's counterfeit holidays do not
emphasize Jesus' death on the cross to redeem us from the death penalty for our sin.
He provides that no one should be able to buy or sell (in his domain) accept that he has his mark (Rev 13:16-17).
Satan's followers form tight-knit denominations, excluding any who talk of obedience to the Lord to love Him (Jn 14:15,23). Those who believe in a special group's teachings are marked as "reasonable." They will not consider or listen to someone of different beliefs, marked as "unreasonable" compared to those of their group (Rev 13:17).
"There must be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you" (1 Cor 11:19, 32).
Jesus
advises us to buy from Him spiritual things to help us. We are to buy
gold. This is Jesus Christ’s righteous works for redemption. We have
none. Buy white garments = clothe ourselves and cover our nakedness with His robe of righteousness. Buy
eye salve = His Holy Spirit to be able to see (Is 29;10-, Ezek 33:31-, 1Cor 2:9-15, Rev
3:18, 19:8).
We
cannot buy any of these from anyone but from Jesus Christ. He advises
us to buy from Him. He is the only one who has them and He is the only
one who can give them freely to us!
MORE GOOD NEWS
The
Lord provided the sacrifice of an animal to cover Adam and Eve when
they turned away from His covenant (Gen 3:21, Hosea 6:6).
This
sacrifice satisfied the Lord God’s anger for our sins, as does Jesus’
sacrificial death appease God’s wrath against our sins now (Rom 3:25).
The Eden story includes Hope for us because Eve’s Seed, Jesus, promised to crush the serpents head (Gen 3:15).
We get victory and get access to the tree of life if we follow the Lord.
TESTING OUR LOYALTY
After the Parable of the Sower Jesus taught, “take care how you listen.” Examine the scriptures daily to see whether these things are so (Luke 8:15, 18, Acts 17:11).
Satan, the father of lies tries to confuse us with half truths as he told Eve, while acting as an evil "bible teacher" of God's Word (Gen 3:1-6, John 8:44, Rev 12:9).
Check your worship beliefs to those Jesus taught. Repent to the laws of the one you believe.
You will automatically get the mark of the one you give loyalty and obey their laws (Rev 2:7).
You will automatically get the mark of the one you give loyalty and obey their laws (Rev 2:7).
SUMMARY
The Bible message is simple - the Lord wants men who are faithful to Him and His law, not following man’s traditions (Mt 7:15-23, Mark 7:6-9).
automatically get the mark of the one you give loyalty and obey their laws.
Read the Bible
– His Holy Spirit will teach you the way to life. He promises – just as
He promised to send His Son to take away our sin debt and give eternal
life to those believing and seeking to learn of Him and obey Him (Mt 11:28-30, John 14:16-17, 26, 16:7-14, 1John 2:20, 27, 1Cor 2:12).
The Lord could have destroyed the devil instead of throwing him from heaven down to earth. But the Lord has used the devil, Satan to test men’s loyalty (Job 1:8-12, 2:3-6, 2 Thes 2:7-12, Rev 13:5-7).
The Lord offers His covering to make atonement and appease God’s wrath is available to all who believe they need it
because of their sins. Ask for it, and believe that Jesus the Christ
provides the righteous covering in His sacrificial death (Rom 3:21-26).
Therefore,
since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be
thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe (Heb
12:28 NIV).
Eve was not sure enough of God’s word to avoid being deceived.
HOW TO TELL A COUNTERFEIT EVIL TEACHING;
WE MUST KNOW THE BIBLE
Satan deceives men to teach his lies. We are to separate from the teachings and traditions of men or you worship in vain (Mk 7:5-13).
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The True Ten Commandments
The Words God Gave To Instruct His People (a SURVEY)
The Covenant - The Lord's Way Of Salvation
Learn The Laws In The Bible That Never Change
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GOD'S PLAN OF SALVATION SEEN IN HIS FESTIVALS
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