re: Unless you are prepared in advance spiritually, you will accept the Mark of the Beast

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If we can't specifically identify the earthly entity, power, country or countries that is perpetrating these evils that suggest that The End is Near at this point in human history, conversation about the End Times is, IMHO, not worth our time. And not only that, but, if we can't identify the guilty party or parties, we have no hope of being ready for the End Time, if indeed it is near.

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Forget "specifically identify"; it's all Subjective, Champ, and in the eye of the beholder. Two people die - one Believes in God, the other don't. Both PERCIEVE the same thing...a dissipation of their Self/Worldly awareness as the atoms/molecules begin absorption back into the Universal Matter/Energy Reservoir.

For a Believer who believes that the Matter/Energy Reservoir is innately Self Aware (God), dissipation and absorption would be a process of expansion and unification into a state of perfect Love. Which is exactly how/what God (via His Word) describes Itself as (for Believers). Going to 'Heaven', to be with God...eternally so. The 'Feeling' therein would be as real as the 'feeling' I now have as I type.


The experience and 'Feeling' of a non-believer's (non-spiritual) reaction to the SAME process of death, would be an acquiescence into whatever they believe. No different than two people looking at a beautiful sunset...one - a Spirit-based person - feeling the positive Spiritual power of Beauty, Awe, Reverence, Love, Mercy and Hope...while the other experiencing...well, I don't know that because it is not my subjective reality. I assume it would be according to the particular individual's infinitely diverse subjective pov.

This 'transition process' wherein a Self is absorbed into the Whole (whether Spirit or Matter/Energy based) would only last a relative instant...and then, only whatever THIS is that is the Source, is left 'standing'. I.e., perceiving. "I Am, the I Am".

WE determine our ultimate reality; that is the only fair way for a Spiritual/God Paradigm to exist. Though God knows and therein "Pre-ordains" our choices. That Pre-ordination would NOT NEGATE Free Will, but rather affirm it.

William James' "The Will to Believe" spells it out; there are 'things' which only become 'real', if one exercises Belief...first. For people whose belief potential is not an "open proposition"...the door of God is closed. The Good Book states that "he that seeks to know God...MUST FIRST BELIEVE that He exists". No belief = no god. With the perceptual consequences therein, for a chosen belief.

I'd like to believe that I won't "accept the Mark", or overtly deny Jesus. But I'd be a fool to think that I'm a stronger man than Peter, who walked with the Master and saw reality-defying miracles...and witnessed in the eyes of Christ...the infinite power of Love expressed in a perfect 'Person'. But I won't be the fool that I generally am. And for that reason, I am comforted that MY Faith, is not based on MY will...but on the Love and Mercy of my Savior, Jesus Christ. Which Belief, I know, is innately foolishness, to Unbelievers. So be it. Don't affect me.

IMO, it will be the calamitous, painful, and perception transforming process of an extraordinarily intensive Ideologically-based conflict wherein dysfunction, collapse and horrific consequence...becomes the perceptual impetus for a Vision of Truth. I.e., the 'Second Coming', of Truth. Or "The Fourth Turning", in a Worldly sense. We can argue or attempt to understand, define, predict or "prepare in advance"...but Religious prophecy and Empirical reality will be a side note to real, Subjective, perception "fundamental transformation"

My apologies for the "Boomer-esque" style which makes the above indecipherable (for some), bordering on insane. We'll all be on the same soon enough. With Subjectivity coloring the 'page'.

Thank you Jesus. Thy Kingdom come. We need it.