Page 31 - The Mark of the Beast

thing, for one who lives to do the will of God is content with whatever God decides to
provide for them. In effect Yahshua was telling this man to count the cost. If this man had
to have a home, like the beasts demand a home, then he could not truly be Christ’s disciple,
for Christ revealed that His life was focused upon pleasing the Father, not upon pleasing
self.
Am I beginning to sound heretical yet? Are you beginning to feel fear rise up within
you at what God might truly require of you if you were to surrender all to Him? You may
think, “God does not really require that I be willing to give up all, and I see no one around
me doing so,” but again let us allow Christ to be the measure of all things. Listen to His
words:

Luke 14:33
“So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own
possessions.”

These words of Christ come immediately after He spoke of counting the cost of
discipleship. Bearing the image of the divine nature comes at a great cost to the flesh and
the natural man. This is why Christ said that all who would follow Him must take up their
cross. The cross is an instrument of death, and the beast must be slain, even the beast that
thinks it only normal and necessary to have its own private nest, or den.
We may ask, “How did the apostles and the early church understand this matter? Did
they too give up all they possessed?” I am glad you asked. Let us look to the Scriptures to
see.

Acts 4:32-35
And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one
of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were
common property to them... For there was not a needy person among them, for all
who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the
sales and lay them at the apostles' feet, and they would be distributed to each as any
had need.

During the first few years after Christ’s ascension, and following Pentecost, a
remarkable work of grace was seen among the saints. They were extraordinarily delivered
from the beast nature. They manifested the divine life to an amazing degree, and because
of this they appeared as great lights in their world. Of their reputation we read, “The people
held them in high esteem” (Acts 5:13).
I want to urge you to consider at length the Scripture above for it reveals perhaps the
most profound evidence of God’s ability to transform the lives of men than any other
testimony or miracle of the New Testament. A large number of men and women who had
formerly been enslaved to the beast nature, and who had lived as consumers, were
transformed into givers. Before salvation it was their nature to gather material goods to
themselves, and after salvation it was their nature to be free of all ownership and all claim
that anything was their own.
Notice the scope of the words used “NOT ONE OF THEM claimed that ANYTHING
belonging to him was his own.” Hallelujah, the beast nature that crawls on its belly and eats
the dust of the earth was slain! I know of no greater evidence of the complete