Responding to Claims that the COVID-19 Vaccine is the Mark of the Beast

19 vaccine a gift from God or is it something we should be concerned about. That's just one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity hi this is Bill Meyer along with pastor Gabriel Sanchez and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. You can call us right now with your question. At 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 also post a question on our Facebook, Instagram or twitter accounts. You can check us out live on YouTube and you can email us with your question at questions@corechristianity.com. Today we have a voicemail from Sean in Rhode Island wondering Co. good night start date.see I don't be a evil intent to bed.

Are you going To lock down.

I want to know what what might be that the government does evil. Right now I do not think the COBIT 19 vaccine another market be, but I would like to know what you would think about it.what God bless you to Sean and it's really important question that you're asking a relevant question. We've we've received actually that question before, is that good COBIT 19 vaccine the mark of the beast that's described in Revelation chapter 13 it seems like another thing your wonders if we know why kind of the.

The suspicion why the concern among many people and also among many Christians within the church today. Let me say one thing, as far as that that last part is concerned. I've noticed that for for so many believers this or that the driving force behind a lot of the decisions we make it a trick to see if this is true about you is fear and suspicion fear and suspicion. I think you are driving a lot of people today to make decisions to say things to sort of assume the worst about the other side.

Whatever the other side might be and I think we have to be careful there but we we want to be wise, we want to be discerning so we want to be na�ve, but we also want to make sure that that were not treating you know fear and anxiety and suspicion is as if they were the fruit of the spirit you like. This is how were supposed to approach everything, even the way we think about government and stuff like that. The coven 19 vaccine now when you think about what the Scripture says you go to something like the sixth commandment, which says you shall not murder and negatively speaking, but I think we understand what that means and were not supposed to murder. But there's also a positive aspect they are in. In that commandment were each of us as people are called to pursue that which contributes to the flourishing of life to health not just for ourselves individually, but also for our neighbors and so I think broadly speaking, in so far as there are things that that help further the flourishing of life that promote life and health. I think those are good things, think we should be thankful for things we should pursue it so that that could be true of of vaccines and of this fact vaccine in particular is as you were saying. I know there's a lot of research out there and that there are people who are concerned about. Maybe some of the side effects.

A lot of the stuff that I've read, and I am not an expert on this let me to say that, but the letter think that I've read have been pretty positive related to the vaccines. But I really want to get what you are what you are asking about their regarding the mark of the beast is the COBIT 19 vaccine the mark of the beast will that that phrase comes from the book of Revelation chapter 13 beginning in verse 11, and absent a read. This is the vision that John John the apostle Hattie said then I saw another beast rising out of the earth.

It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon.

It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence and it makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast. It deceives those who dwell on the earth telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived in it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. Also, it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the four head so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark that is the name of the beast or the number of its name.

This calls for wisdom. John said, but the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast forward is the number of a man and his number is 666 now throughout the history of the church and in more recent days, you know there have been all sorts of ideas about what that mark of the beast could be. Is it some sort of a microchip to innovate, they put inside of you that kind of a thing. Oh really I think what John is getting at here is is this idea of identifying with idolatrous worship of identifying with the beast being marked by him. If you will. I don't know that it's it's no worse with the fetus is a literal microchip or or certainly in a leg up that a vaccine that somebody could take and unknowingly they had you not accepted the mark of the beast that's not what's going on here. In fact, throughout the book of Revelation.

You have this idea of being marked by God. God's people are marked by him. Revelation chapter 7 verse three chapter 9 verse four chapter 14 verse one chapter 22 verse for the people of God. God's elect were marked on their foreheads with the name of God and so those who are marked with the mark of the beast are those who aren't sealed with the Holy Spirit. Those who have identified with this idolatrous worship and and S essentially accepted the good, the beast and his worship as their own and so I think that's the best way to read Revelation chapter 13 and so you don't need to be concerned about the. The coven vaccine, at least as far as that's concerned, it being the mark of the beast and and so I thank you so much for your question brother may the Lord bless you. You're listening to core Christianity with pastor Adm. Sanchez and if you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life. We would love to hear from you. Here's the phone number to call its 833 the Corvettes 1-833-843-2673. By the way, we also have a podcast version of this program and you can listen to it any time and here. Previous episodes by subscribing to our podcast and if you subscribe on the podcast app and leave us a five star review even more people will hear about the podcast have a chance to learn more about the core truths of Christianity. Let's go to Sonja who's calling in from San Francisco California so you're welcome to core Christianity hi Sonja are you there that maybe we lost Sonja all right, well let's go to a voicemail that came in on our line. If you have a question for us again. Here's the phone number is 833 the core. You can leave a voicemail 24 hours a day, or you can record a voicemail on our website and here's one that we received last week Gloria from North Idaho. My question is can God be appointed as a great question, Gloria and the text of Scripture that comes to mind when you asked that question is Genesis chapter 6 beginning in verse five. Listen to what the text says the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth and it grieved him to his heart and so the Lord said, I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land man and animals and creeping things and birds of the of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them, but Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. Can God be disappointed in you read the text like that and it seems like yet. Will God was disappointed he regretted it. That's what the text said that that he had made man, we have to understand the that while I think it's okay to to talk like that and because of his what we do see in Scripture does how God reveals himself to us. There is also sort of another side of the story that we need to understand here and that is in the Bible.

What we have is God's revelation to us. It's as if God is accommodating himself to us, giving us baby talk, we might say, so that we might understand what he's like the revelation that we have in Scripture you know doesn't exhaust who God is. We could never know God perfectly, as he is in his essence because he's the divine creator. He's the Lord of heaven and earth. He's different than than we are, that were were creatures he's the creator be sort of like an ant trying to comprehend and understand. You know this radio broadcast that kind of the thing and yet the God who is transcendent. This God was great and glorious and cannot be grasped by our minds accommodates himself to us. Isn't that so beautiful that the Lord would speak to us in ways that we can understand and so I think what we have in passages like this are God's revelation to us and got a singer just Rinne right there.

This idea of him regretting that he had made man that we know that the Lord knows all things that he is omniscient but is also immutable. That is, he doesn't change, and here's another big sort of that doctrine.

He's impassable.

That is, he cannot be overwhelmed with suffering. So while God reveals himself in this way you know that you get the sense that we got was disappointed that he had made man. We also know that God is unchanging that he's perfect for our sin doesn't cause God to have bad days and thank God for that. He's an absolute control so so that something actually that I think each of us should be grateful forces. This beautiful picture of how even though the Lord relates to us and and in Scripture we see again. There the Lord was grieved or is grieved by human sin.

We know that he's in complete control that he's pleased perfectly dealt with human sin and with suffering. Ultimately, through his son Jesus on the cross and so thank you for that question. Can I get into some some deep theology here at the beginning of the broadcast, but really important stuff to understand for each of us. Great!

Thank you for that drill. Here's a Facebook question that came in from Cheryl and she says I love to read romance novels but my favorite author always includes very descriptive vaccines.

Can I still read these books. If I skip completely through all the sex scenes or do I need to give this up for good. Yeah, I mean you could you could also asked that question about you know some of the shows that are out there now on Netflix and some of these in a streaming devices or whatever you call them get more people watch movies, shows and whatnot. So how you handle this one. I think think about what the apostle Paul said in Philippians chapter 4 verse eight finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things to things. It's good for us as as believers we have to ask yourself what am I feeling my mind with is it with that which is good and true and beautiful and and helping me to fix my eyes on the Lord to love him better and to love the people in my life better or is it pulling me away from that that's that's a fair question now. I also think about what the apostle Paul said somewhere else. In Ephesians chapter 5 verses three through five. Listen to what he said their sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you must not even be named among us was so serious. You know, as is proper among the Saints Paul said, let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking which are out of place, but instead let there be Thanksgiving. Why because pulses you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous that is an idolater, has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. And so really just those two techs. I think that should at least get us thinking about what is it that I'm filling my mind with is it with the word of God with his worship or is it with with something else in the fact of the matter is there are these ideologies that the culture is trying to to fill our minds with and a lot of it comes through media. We have to be discerning brothers and sisters can be really careful with this because the fact of the matter is, is the world wants to instill its beliefs in you, if that's what you're hearing and watching 24 seven. It's going to have an effect on you. And I think we also need to be careful that were not telling people what they can and can't do different people, at least when it comes to books, or even the television shows that they relate affects people differently. I remember when I was at that more movie that came out many years ago, saving Pvt. Ryan. When that movie came out. I remember hearing stories of people would go see the movie would been in combat who were having these these reactions because of that the vivid scenes that it affected those people very differently than the way it affected others who saw that same movie because of their experience. So there are some people who you know maybe you know they're able to fast-forward a scene or or skip over that section because it it really is not helpful or good and true and beautiful and and maybe that works for them and their other people use them and avoid it altogether them want to be careful read of the there's there's a degree of liberty here, but we we do need to ask ourselves, what am I filling my mind with what are you filling your mind with brothers and sisters is with the word of God and with his worship and if it if it is that wonderful that's we need more than anything today and in our culture in this world when you know the truth and we need to be immersed in it and so thank you for that question. We really this is going to be Cheryl up personal thing for you.

You have the check your own conscience here. If you're convicted if you if you have the sense of him sending while I do the food, then don't do it. Whatever is not from faith is sin. The apostle Paul said, and so if it is your reading these things your ear feeling the conviction of the Holy Spirit, or you just feel like you should be removed and don't set them aside and find something else to do with your time.

God bless you your listing to core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. Here's the phone number to call if you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 to talk to pastor a drill live all this week and maybe the last couple weeks we been giving away something we call our core kit.

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Core, Christianity.com/kit you can call us for that, or any one of our resources at 833-843-2673 let's go to Sabrina who's calling in from San Diego, California Serena, welcome to core Christianity morning you have any recommendation to help encourage my team to attend church. Yeah why I think one part of the problem.

I remember when I was a teenager and I did not want to go to church and part of the issue is there still a real lack of understanding when it comes to what's taking place when we gather together as the people of God, as I would say part of the begins with with teaching with helping to communicate your why is this so significant. Why do we need this, even though you know it may not be for you. The most exciting thing or entertaining that's never what church was supposed to be. Why do we do it well. It's shaping us it's shaping who we are as Christians, as the people got especially at that young age works were so capable and so many things I was saying earlier that are that are vying for our attention need to think of media you think of social media. Those things too often or shaping us as opposed to the word of God and the people of God and so I would say we need to communicate to our children and to each other. The vital importance of worship of gathering together with other Christians around the throne of God to receive his grace and his mercy for family just should be something that we view as a nonnegotiable and yet I think if were looking for churches to be entertaining or you noted to cater to what we want specifically were trying to do then is compete with the world.

The world is always good to do a better job entertaining than the church is going to do. We need to focus on what the church is supposed to be at about teaching faithfully the Scriptures and it talk about why that's important for each of us and so I would say Sabrina, it starts with understanding those things and and instilling that in each other and in our children in teenagers and helping them to see men you are being shaped right now by all sorts of different things and more than anything. What you need, what we all need is to be shaped by the gospel, by the word of God and so is out at editing. We can also be honest about the fact that look, you're going to go to church and sometimes knocking to be exciting is not a firework show that kind of a thing, but were gathering together with the blood bought family of Jesus Christ to hear God speak to us from heaven. We realize that that's what's taking place, I think, by the grace of the Holy Spirit will start to want to be there because we recognize that there are gifts being given to us by the Lord from the Lord in this place that were not getting anywhere else in the world and so serene at that.

That's a start, and another so much more there. But thank you so much for your question.

May the Lord bless you and a writer left a question for you. Let's say you have a family who currently attends a smaller church where there really are no teenagers do you see a problem with the parents saying hey you guys, if you want to attend a youth group. A solid Bible believing youth group at a different church in San Wednesday nights were fine with that as your mom and dad what your assessment of that but to me that's a that's a whole other question I typically try to get people to just immerse themselves in the local church that they're part of partially because I think part of what our teens need and what we all need in the church is that kind of cross-pollination with with others who aren't in our same stage of life I think we sort of assume that you know what we need to do is get our our kids in a church with her a bunch of other kids that they can just hang out with you know during the worship service that can thing know what they need is the whole body of Christ, everyone, and they need to be invested in by the older and by the younger and invented something were doing together and so that MS is starting. Obviously I wouldn't I would bind someone's conscience there, but I would say look, maybe, maybe focus on trying to immerse yourself in the life of the local body first good counsel.

This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez and let's go to Valerie who's calling in from Glastonbury, Connecticut.

Valerie welcome the core Christianity, wondering what you think about the phrase gospel to yourself. I read your book podcast about it and I love the idea of just being able to remind yourself that the gospel promises and about who we are in Christ. Competent today podcast where the host said we can't treat preach the gospel to ourselves. So then I got confused and I just want to know what you thought about it. Well personally I think if by preach the gospel to yourself what you mean is, remind yourself continually of your identity in Jesus Christ of what God has accomplished for you in him immerse yourself in that reality, no segment that that's a really good thing. We need to be reminded of that 24 seven because the fact of the matter is more prone to forget were prone to forget what God has done for resumes. Is this a sad reality. It is why the Old Testament over and over again. God warned the Israelites what you need to remember how many give you all of these rituals to help you remember them and give you all of these festivals throughout the year to help you to remember what to remember what I have accomplished for you pulling you out of slavery, providing for you. All of these things. One of the primary jobs of the believer is to remember what God has done for us and so if if I preach the gospel to yourself. That's what you're referring to her that two people referring to.

I think it's I think it's okay.

I think that we ought to be reminded of those truths immersed in them day in and day out fixing our eyes on who God is and what is accomplished for us that we can't do that by ourselves. And so maybe that's what they know if if so, we had an issue with this phrase. Maybe that's what they're getting at you. I also need the gospel to be preached to me every week from from a pastor from the people around me think of Hebrews chapter 3. This is encourage one another, day by day. While it is called today less were hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

So were not only reminding ourselves of the truth of the word of God of the truth of the gospel, but reminding each other so that's so important if if I'm preaching the gospel to myself and it's just me in isolation and I don't have community. That's a problem, but each of us needs to continually go back to the word remind ourselves of who we are in Jesus Christ that we are the baptized.

Those who have received the grace of God.

Those were united to him and and it's there that we begin to grow and begin to follow the Lord and obey the Lord as we recognize more and more what he's accomplished for us and is as were resting in that and so I think I think you preaching the gospel to us of what we mean by that is reminding ourselves of our identity in Jesus Christ that we can't get enough of that. So glad to keep coming back to the importance of Christian community, a drill that is so key in our Christian life. That's right it and you know it is also important that that the gospel is preached to us from others from the outside to because sometimes more week, we can say to ourselves.

We need others to remind us of what God is done.

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