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         We can rejoice even during the great time of trouble because the reality of our redemption and His coming kingdom are greater than the chaos into which the world is now melting.  What the world is experiencing now is evidence that our redemption and His kingdom are near, as the biblical prophecies of these times, which we will study, make clear. As we see the correlation between them, our confidence in God’s ultimate plan will grow ever stronger.

         We are told in Romans 14:17 that, the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy. If we do what is right, we will have peace and joy independent of circumstances and the powers of this present world. Instead, our peace and joy will depend on our standing before the Lord in His kingdom. Therefore, the most important decision we can make at this time is to: “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). This means we will put the interests of His kingdom above everything else and above every other decision we make.

          “All these things” He promises to those who seek first His kingdom is basically everything we need. This is important since the biblical prophecies that speak of the evil globalist power that will rule for a time at the end of this age will forbid any who do not have its mark to “buy, sell, or trade” (see Revelation .13:16-18). Those who know the Lord as their Provider will not care whether they can trade with this world. After the Lord said to seek first His kingdom, the next verse states, “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34).

         The tendency of governments to use the Covid-19 pandemic to force people to get the vaccine or not be able to work, travel, or participate in commerce, has many believing this could be the mark of the beast described in Revelation. Others believe if this is not it, it is at least a trial run. Either way, it is imperative that we “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” until He becomes the source for all our provisions. This is the only truly safe place in this world—in God’s will.

         If the vaccine mandate is not the mark of the beast, it could certainly be part of a strategy to condition the world for that mark. Those implementing these mandates may or may not know what they are doing, just as those who crucified the Lord did not know what they were doing. Nevertheless, this does not change the facts—it is what it is. But more than focusing on what the mark is, we should focus on the conditioning of people and the spirit behind that. As it seems every earthly government is now moving toward totalitarian control, which has been ramped up dramatically because of Covid, similar movements are happening within almost every religion, including Christianity. They are operating in the same control spirit that is emerging in the world. We must recognize this control spirit regardless of where it manifests.

         We are told in II Corinthians 3:17, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” So, we must discern by more than titles on legislation or words that may sound good, even Christian words, to recognize the spirit behind this agenda. This totalitarian control spirit is from the evil one regardless of where it manifests. We not only have the right but also the responsibility and duty to resist it, which is clear in biblical prophecies regarding these times. The biblical doctrine and foundation for this resistance will be covered in this study. Those who help prepare the way for the Lord and His kingdom will be of “a different spirit” that will not only resist but ultimately prevail over this ultimate evil.

         The first-century Christians faced this same totalitarian spirit in the Roman Empire. They faced this with one of the ultimate demonstrations of true faith and love—courage. To walk in the boldness and decisiveness we see in these first-century Christians and all true believers since, we must grow in courage and boldness. To do this, we must face every challenge and threat from a totalitarian spirit with courage and boldness.

         We now have evidence that many people are now trusting and following courage more than anything else. However, we want to have courage and boldness for the right reasons. True courage is built on the foundation of love. I Corinthians 13:8 declares “love never fails.” This could have been translated “love never quits.” People will quit for any other reason but love. Therefore, the strength of our courage will be determined by the strength of our love, for God and His kingdom first, but also for those He loved enough to lay down His life. True love never quits.

© 2022 Rick Joyner. All Rights Reserved.