Saul chased David into the wilderness to persecute him: Christians are chased into the wilderness away from the “democratic” society 

1 Samuel 23:24-26

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

“So they arose and went to Ziph before Saul. But David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon.” 1 Samuel 23:24 

Saul sent the Ziphities into Ziph to spy on the location and activity of David. Saul intended to kill David. However, David had moved from the wilderness of Ziph into the wilderness of Maon. Jesus Christ never, never, asks His followers to face “what they have coming to them” relating to abuse, hostility, persecution, bodily harm etc. He only asks that we remain faithful to God and hold to His testimony. We should never abandon Jesus Christ in the face of being in a world which hates and despises Christianity.

From city to city, those who hold to the teachings of the Bible are driven into a wilderness by the masses within the “democratic” social network. Those who welcome the thing which forms what they think, feel, do, and speak are allowing the image of the beast to live and speak through them. They will never allow Christians to be comfortable among them as they use their uncanny knowledge, heightened intuition, and behaviors to chase the followers of Christ away from them.

As the masses in the “democratic” society allow the image of the beast to live and speak through them, they are conformed to their place in life by what they say and do. They are conformed to their mark in life as they are groomed to the mark of the beast. In their midst, we never criticize them in an abusive or angrily insulting manner, but always, always hold to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

“Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

“But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.”

Jude 1:9 and Luke 6:27-31

“When Saul and his men went to seek him, they told David. Therefore he went down to the rock, and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued David in the Wilderness of Maon.” 1 Samuel 23:25 

The followers of Jesus Christ will always go down to the rock within the wilderness. The Rock is the Lord Jesus Christ and in Him we take refuge, we live in the Holy Spirit. Because we take refuge in Jesus Christ, those who live by the thing which forms what they do, say, think, and feel, will pursue us even more. Even today, we Christians hear the haunting sound of “There’s one!” In the Spirit of Christ we say, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18

A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,
A wonderful Savior to me;
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,
Where rivers of pleasure I see.

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,
That shadows a dry, thirsty land;
He hideth my life in the depths of His love,
And covers me there with His hand,
And covers me there with His hand.
(Church Hymn)

 “Then Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. So David made haste to get away from Saul, for Saul and his men were encircling David and his men to take them.” 1 Samuel 23:26 

There is a deep divide the size of a mountain between those who live for Jesus Christ and those who live for the thing which forms what they think, feel, do, and say. As followers of Jesus Christ, we dedicate our body to be the home of the Holy Spirit, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” 1 Corinthians 6:19 The thing which forms what people think, feel, do, and say wants to have authority over the temple, our body, “…it opposes and exalts itself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that it sits as God in the temple of God, showing itself that it is God.” 2 Thessalonians 2:4

Cities around the world are dominated by those who allow their body to be the home of the image of the beast, which lives and speaks through them by the thing which forms their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. They consider themselves to be a democratic society while referring to Christianity as being undemocratic, bigoted, inhumane, unloving, etc. They deny God, discard the need for Jesus Christ, and trample on the Holy Spirit as they easily surround, with hostility, the faithful few Christians in the world.

Then it opened its mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given it over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship it, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Revelation 13:6-8

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:11