Many people think the mark of the beast is in the future. What they fail to understand is that the branding is in the future. Satan will brand those already his.

The number of man is six. Man can never be a seven. So the number 666 is man in his extremities. Many who are dominated by their flesh will accept the anti-christ because he will appeal to the self-centered man.

Many preachers are preaching a self-centered gospel instead of a Christ-centered one. They are appealing to the peoples desires rooted in themselves and are setting the stage for the anti-christ to come and be received by those, who have not given up their self esteem for Christ esteem.

2Th 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

This truth is so real to me and causes me to want to love others and win them to Christ and help them see that our greatest enemy is our self as well as the devil. We shouldn’t be condemning people and running them away but praying that the Christ in us will be appealing to them to repent of their sins and desire for Christ to be all in all.

We do not have to be dull in our preaching and our living for Christ. There is joy in the Holy Spirit and a love for people that flows out of us to others. We are not to be hard and legalistic but denying ourselves and taking up the cross so that people can see and experience the love of Jesus in us. We need to be broken ourselves and poured out to others. We are to rejoice in the Lord evermore! The joy of the Lord is our strength!