Paul preaches against the worldly god.

Acts 17:16-17

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

“Now while Paul waited for them at Athens…” Acts 17:16a.

While Paul was in Athens, he was waiting to reunite with Silas and Timothy, who were still in Berea [Acts 17:14-15]. Silas and Timothy would eventually meet Paul in Corinth, as described in Acts 18:1, 5 “After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth…When Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia…”. Berea was a city in the region of Macedonia, north of Athens and just a little to the west. Athens is seen in the region of Achaia, to the west in the image and almost halfway up. Corinth is west of Athens and just a little bit south.

 “…his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols. Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there.” Acts 17:16b-17

The Holy Spirit is letting us know that those of the synagogues, churches, and everywhere in society need to be warned about serving the idol of today’s world. That idol is the beast that gives people what to speak, do, think, and feel.

The spirit in Paul was stirred within him by the Holy Spirit when he saw how idols were being served instead of the Living God, our Creator. As followers of Jesus Christ, that is the work of the Holy Spirit in us, to be stirred against behaviors that live for a worldly god. The Holy Spirit wants to reconcile the Creator with His creation through faith in Jesus Christ.

The idol that the culture of today follows [which is global] is the beast that gives them what to speak, do, think, and feel instead of living for the Creator by allowing Jesus Christ to speak and live through them by the Holy Spirit. People in every city of every nation around the world are given over to that idol. “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Revelation 13:8 The “him” in this verse is the beast of the image and mark of the beast.

In the days of Paul, the only manmade churches of the Living God were Jewish synagogues. That is where the Jewish people and Gentile worshippers served God through the laws of Judaism. The “Gentile worshippers” were allowed into the services and were referred to as being “God-fearers” because they adopted the Jewish customs. In contrast, the followers of Jesus Christ gathered wherever they could and wherever two or more gathered in the name of Jesus, that is where the Church was. Paul went into the synagogues to preach and warn against falling into the ways of the idols that were all around them in the city.

In today’s culture, those of the manmade churches have abandoned the Gospel of Jesus Christ as they partner with the values of the community culture. Those values include serving the idol that has power over physiology to give them what to speak, do, think, and feel. That idol gives life to the image of the beast to speak and live through people everywhere. By what they are given to say and do they are groomed to the marl of the beast.

This is spoken to the churches of today, “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, ‘These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: “I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.” Revelations 2:18-20

The marketplace in the days of Paul was a central location, an economic hub, something similar to a shopping center of today, which are everywhere. With going to the synagogues, Paul also went to the marketplace to preach about the Creator, to speak of living by faith in Jesus Christ, and against living by idols. Economics have become central to the agenda of the global government. The belief is that a social-economic agenda brings salvation, peace, and security to each person in cities around the world. They rely on local social networks to create a global culture that is prosperous through a global economy. That is the social-economic agenda of the United Nations a.k.a. the government of the beast.

Unfortunately, the driving force behind the global culture and its prosperity is the beast that despises God and governs through the thoughts, feelings, words, and behaviors of people. Our Lord Jesus teaches, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matthew 22:37-39

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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