Pulled from the temple of God for spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Acts 26:19-21

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

“Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance. For these reasons the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me.” Acts 26:19-21

The Jewish people seized Paul from the temple and tried to kill him for bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the “whosoever” [Acts 21:27-31]. They accused him of being disobedient to the laws of Judaism and committing blasphemy by speaking in the name of Jesus. Paul taught that we could live for God through Jesus Christ instead of through the laws of Judaism. As followers of Jesus, we are opposed by today’s culture for living in the presence of God as the temple of the Holy Spirit. We lift up the name of Jesus, a name they despise, “Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 12:3 Like Paul, we are not being disobedient to God by saying everyone needs to repent of sin and unbelief by saying “Yes” to Jesus Christ.

The heavenly vision given to us to share to others is this, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16-17

Paul first spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Jewish people but because of their hardness against the Holy Spirit he went to the Gentiles. This is written about our Lord Jesus Christ, “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:11-13

As followers of Jesus, we realize that only the Holy Spirit working within the heart of people can draw them to accept Jesus as their Savior and Lord. A heart hardened against the Holy Spirit is hardened against the forgiveness of unbelief through Jesus Christ and against belief in the Living God. We have to walk away from them and go somewhere where people are receptive to the Good News. Nowadays, it seems that mostly everyone has shut their door to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb…” Revelations 13:8 The “him” in this verse is the beast of the image and mark of the beast.

Today, people everywhere are living for the beast that gives them what to speak, think, feel, and do as it gives life to the image of the beast to speak and live through them. They are groomed to the mark of the beast by what they are given to say and do. Today’s culture, which is global, despises and work to drag Christians away from the presence of the Holy Spirit. The beast they serve is the one “…who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” 2 Thessalonians 2:4 The “he” in this verse is the man of sin. Click here for a post on the global falling away from God and the “man of sin”.

Jesus says this, “And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.” Matthew 10:14 Jesus also gives us the “heads up” that the night comes when no one will be able to do His work, “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” John 9:4-5 Click here for a post on the extinction of Christian births from Revelations 12.

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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