Paul presents his case for belief in the resurrection from the dead of the just and unjust.

Acts 24:14-16

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

“But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets. I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.” Acts 24:14-16

During that period in the growth of Christianity, the population of Christians was called the “Way”, which was referred to as being a sect by the Jewish culture. A sect is people with different religious beliefs than the majority, the majority being the Jewish people at that time. The followers of Jesus Christ were first called Christians in Antioch, “So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” Acts 11:26 Today, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is known around the world, and wasn’t known as a stigma on society until after WW2. That is when the United Nations was formed and brought the government of the beast with it, as described in Daniel 8:1-14 and Revelations 17.

Christianity is a sect to the global government and its global culture, and they want to put the family of Christ into extinction, as written, “Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb…” Revelations 13:6-8 The “he” in this verse is the beast of the image and mark of the beast. People today serve the entity that gives them what to speak, feel, think, and do, which gives life to the image of the beast to speak and live through them. The global culture is groomed to the mark of the beast by what they are given to say and do.

What this world refers to as a sect, we know as the gospel of Jesus Christ which changed our life through the born-again experience. We were once dead to the Spirit, living by the values of this world, but we were resurrected to life in the Spirit. We were transformed by that resurrection power. We will also be resurrected from the grave into eternal life in the new heaven and earth. We believe the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelations because we see the prophecies happening in front of our eyes and we know our own born-again experience. Our born-again experience is the Gospel of Christ written on our heart.

Today’s culture believes in the resurrection if it doesn’t involve life beyond the grave. For example, the embryos of the unborn are frozen in a freezer for decades, then resurrected to life through artificial insemination. Also, a cell can be taken from a creature that has been dead for years and life is resurrected from that single cell. Also, clones can be created from a cell of a living animal to resurrect an image of a twin. Human beings can be cloned but nothing is being said about that ever being done! Those of this atheistic world believes in the resurrection if it comes through the one that has power over physiology and every single cell of the human body. This is the same beast that gives people what to speak, think, feel, and do.

Our hope is in God, and we believe in the resurrection of the dead, both of those who believe through Jesus Christ and the unbelievers who scoff at Him. As Jesus said, “—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.” John 5:29 The Holy Spirit says this through Daniel, “…those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.” Daniel 12:2-3

 “For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance…If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.” Romans 8:24-25 and 1 Corinthians 15: 19 This world becomes worse and worse every day from fighting against the Holy Spirit, but our hope is in our eternal home of the New Jerusalem in the new heaven and earth. Everyone whose faith is in Jesus Christ has this hope in us. By our belief in the resurrection from the grave, and the judgement to come, with Paul we say, “This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.”

“The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body… Behold, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” 1 Corinthians 15:42-44, 51-53 The entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 15 speaks of the resurrection.

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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, 3:1