Revelation 14:9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation"....
The third angel's message as given in the above passage represents the sternest warning ever given to mortal man, for it states that if any person accepts the mark of the beast for any reason, that person's probation will be immediately closed, with absolutely no chance of a reversal, and will permanently remove all possibility of the individual ever being saved in God's kingdom. God will have us understand therefore, that such a serious decision, as will be taken by most of the inhabitants of earth, will be the culmination of a series of other little decisions that have been taken throughout one's life experiences, and it is for this reason that the third angel's message must now be fine tuned, and applied not merely to the issue of Sunday observance, but to the habit of self- preservation, whenever truth and duty conflict with the carnal desires of the natural heart.
It is very simple to know whether or not we are setting ourselves up to receive the mark of the beast, because the core issues at stake are not only religion and worship, but also the basic factor of "Cost". In other words, if the implementation of any known truth will cost us in any way, and we are not willing to bear the cost, but instead avoid our sacred duties by making excuses of any kind, then we are practicing to receive the mark of the beast, and will buckle under pressure when the big one comes along. For instance, a person who makes excuses for not returning a faithful tithe, whenever it will result in the rent or mortgage being late, will opt for the mark of the beast, when all of our economic privileges will be removed, if we do not bow to the powers that be.
Similarly, with a person who makes excuses for working on the Sabbath in order to make ends meet, for if we are not willing to take financial loss on account of the truth, we will decide in favor of the mark of the beast, which will be offered to all those who are not willing to suffer any and all material loss for the cause of Christ. This is what was encapsulated in the teaching of Christ as He drew a distinct line of demarcation between those who became Christians, only because of the loaves and the fishes, and those who accepted Him as Lord and Savior, because of a love for the truth. It is only one of two camps that every person on earth is enlisted in, and in the following verses, the decisions either for or against the truth is made manifest, so that we in our turn may reason from cause to effect and thus choose wisely. Let's read:
John6:25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither? 26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. 27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. 60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? 66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
What took place here is of great significance to all Christians in every generation, and it is especially pertinent to us in our day, where materialism and the almighty dollar are the ruling gods that are worshiped in high and low places. When these followers of Christ realized that there was no pecuniary or material benefit being highlighted and focused on in the gospel, they then reasoned that there was no value to themselves in accepting the sacred truths that Christ was then presenting, and they became very offended by this, and forever turned their backs on Jesus, very much the same like the rich young ruler who exchanged his soul for money, and the creature comforts of life. What is worthy of note, is that the point of no return as chosen by these false disciples, ends with John 6:66.
Now, whether this is a mere coincidence, or whether it was deliberately orchestrated by The Holy Ghost when the scriptures were being translated, is anyone's guess, but it does remind us of that dire warning as given by the third angel of Revelation 14, which delineates the fate of all those who choose mammon over God. By the decisions we make everyday, we too are setting ourselves up to either receive the seal of God's approval, or conversely, the mark of the beast, for whenever the gospel calls for sacrifice of any kind on our part, there the issue of the mark of the beast is present in miniature form, and the choices we then make will shape the larger decisions in the very near future.
Let us therefore be willing to suffer loss for the cause of truth, and whenever deliberate choices in favor of the gospel must be made, let us be found faithful, for he that is faithful in that which is least, will also be faithful in much. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which brings the real issues to the forefront of our minds, and it is the will of God that we now choose to serve Christ, whatever the cost may be. Let's read:
Luke 14:25 And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, 27 "Whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? 3 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what The Spirit saith unto the churches. "Good night" and God bless!