Last week, we began our study of the beast, and the “mark of the beast” (Revelation 16:2). As stated, because this beast comes “up out of the earth” (Revelation 13:11) this speaks of it being borne out of humanism, or earthly mindedness. We also know that the “mark of the beast” is an economic mark that enables one to “buy, sell, or trade.” Therefore, we can expect the economic systems of this earth to become more and more humanistic, and demanding more and more allegiance to the religion of humanism.
If we are approaching this time, which it seems obvious that we are, one might assume it will become increasingly difficult to be successful in the economy of this world without compromising more and more of the basic issues of our faith. That will be true in many ways, but there is another major factor that we must consider. The Lord is also establishing the foundation for His kingdom in the earth.
There is another economy in the earth! It will ultimately be the most successful of all. As we read in Daniel 2 concerning the statue that represented the kingdoms of this world, a stone is going to strike the feet of this statue, and the statue will come down. That little stone will grow into a mountain and then fill the whole earth.
It is important that we understand how the kingdom of God is also coming at this time or we will overreact to the things that are happening in the world, and by that fail to be a part of God’s solution which He provides for every scheme of the devil. Our goal is not to just flee from the economy of this world, but to be a part of establishing one that is greater, having more substance and strength than anything the world has.
It is because of the root of evil, which is the love of money, and the coming of the beast and his mark, that understanding Christian economics is going to become one of the important issues of our time. However, we should not want to study this just for these reasons, but in order to obey God, and do all things according to His ways. For this reason, as we study this beast and the present systems of this world and its economy, we will give even more attention to the kingdom of God, and living according to the Lord’s ways in these things.
As we proceed, I think you will not only find these principles interesting, but compelling and life changing. A basic calling upon every Christian is to live in victory in these things, and to do so is not at all complicated. However, to do so does not just include a knowledge of these biblical prophecies and what is happening in the world, but it requires living by and manifesting the fruit of the Spirit. It will require love, faith, patience...
To serve the Lord as we are called to in this time requires that each of us have the following basic economic plan for our life:
- We live on the unlimited supply of God’s kingdom, having an abundance for everything we are called to do.
- We owe no man anything but to love them.
That is the simplicity of God’s economic plan. This is the top of the mountain, but to get there we need to understand where we are, and what is the quickest path to the top. We can actually cover this in just a few weeks. It will take a little longer for us to get to the top of this mountain, but we can get there, and we must. We may think money is not that important to God, and it is not, but how we handle it is. As the Lord Jesus Himself said in Luke 16:10-13:
and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.
"If therefore you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous mammon, who will entrust the true riches to you?
"And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?
"No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."
Our goal should never be to make decisions based on money, but on the will of God. Money is given to serve us, and we must never become the servants of money. Those who are free in this way will be the most free and powerful people on the earth in the times to come. There is no one on this earth, even the antichrist, who is more powerful than one who is in the center of God’s will for their life. The least in God’s kingdom has far more power living in them than all of the antichrists combined. Our purpose for being here is to live in and represent the kingdom of God in all that we do.
God has another economy, and if our lives are built on it we will not care at all whether we can buy, sell, or trade in this world’s economy. Living by that economy should be a basic goal of every Christian. Those who build their lives on God’s economy will never fear what is happening in the world’s economy. They will not only be adequately provided for in all things, but they will “have an abundance for every good deed” (II Corinthians 9:8).