MARK OF SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION By Naphtali Gakeri

in Articles By Mccuon on 14 Oct 2015

Where do you want to be when you give up? I thought he was teasing until I realized that we have often undergone such a social transformation that leaves us agonizing the state of our faith and believe in God, even at such an opportune time of grace as this. The journey of our agony starts from the very pseudo-belief of the postmodern concept of Christian life; tending to celebrate any rational idea as long as that is what seems a right to us, referred in Romans 1, to an extent that we celebrate those that lead the system. This situation has slowly lost the mantle of anointing within the circle of the apostolic culture of Father-Son relationship. You will realize that the social transformation has corrupted us of the mantle of anointing that define, enable, equip and give the authority to effectively function in the earth as administrators of God divine intent. The postmodern concept of ‘Christians’ has been that of living ambition rather than the vision/mandate.
The circle of social transformation has for instance blinded us to believe that we can use the outside man to influence the inside man: using the world to influence God. We are living in the world of working smart, which simply means the end justifies the means. There is no longer the drive to work SMART in handwork. The end results of- the end justifies the means- translates to that of the spirit of the mammon dwelling at the very centre of our hearts; the spirit of discontent and competition. You cannot view the system of this world as the source of your life. In an environment of predatorial spirits like the uninhabitable wilderness Israel journeyed through or the wilderness in which God would preserve the woman in Rev.12, God does not want us to be fed by the world we live in; He wants to feed us Himself.
The waves of social transformation convinces of the uprightness of post modern world. The post modern world has been built on disguised philosophical justification of personal intent for self fulfillment. In such a life, a true Christian has always trusted God to kill the conditions of unbelief on the ever aroused offensiveness owing to disobedience to God. Perfect life in God does not become abracadabra. The life of a Christian within the world of social transformation has been outlined in the book of revelation chapters 13 and 14. These two chapters reveal the great cost of grace for those willing to obey and trust in God. The two chapters are diverse but I will be looking at the mark of the beast, and the power to buy and sell. The bible clearly tells us that only those with the mark of the beast on their forehead and the arm had the power to buy and sell. Why forehead and hand? This is the ability to think and act: what the focus of the mind is and what we find doing out of our heart.
The presence of the mark gives you the ability to do and transact all that pleases you. It gives the spirit of insensitivity and rebellion. It does not view any possibility or good that can come out of God. It is easy to corrupt for a job; it is easy to become unfaithful in relationships; easy to cheat and lie; easy to twist the Word of God for personal interest; easy to find love difficult between two spouse or those in relationships. It becomes quite difficult for the Christian to live in such a world where everything accepted is dependent on that mark. The hunger and thirst for prestige and power, most riches and all that the world has cannot be obtained without the mark. It is at such a point of re-reading the word of grace of God that we realize that in one way or the other we have carried the mark of the beast. Why would a person be termed as ‘conservative’, old school? Name all that people call you to make you almost develop the syndrome of low self esteem. This is simply because of the mark.
The problem with many Christians is that we have always desired new wine but in old wine-skin, and the times we have had new wine-skin we have always insisted on the old wine. This scenario will only call for repairs because of the often burst of the wine-skin due to incompatibility. It is not the business of the Father to repair us; His business is to renew us. We have to first clean the heart for God to pour the new wine, which is his Spirit in us. Unless we do that, we will remain lost. However, this process requires one to break the veil of deception and desire. Why? Look at the book of Luke 5: 39, ‘no man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, the old is better.
Revelation 14 teaches of mount Zion and those that dwelt on it. It ironically talks of the mark, but now of the Father and not the beast. It is good for us to know that nothing pre-existed and exists on mount Zion apart by the light of the glory of God. The people on mount Zion are the first fruits of God. The first fruits are of God. They are the redeemed of God and without fault. They dwell on the earth, and to every kindred, and tongue, and people to preach to them .Therefore, those without the mark of the beast have the divine pre-eminent nature of the Father that makes them live in the earth amidst all the corruptions and rebellion. They are not defiled with women for they are virgin. We need to be intact. By the way virgin men and women are still found. The bible says that though you are many, I will still have a remnant (Romans 9:27).
This position of the Revelation 14 cannot be achieved unless you and the word become one. In the beginning was the word…and the word became flesh. This calls for a realization that we need the body more that the body needs us; we need the church more than the church need us; we need the word more that the word need us; and we need Christ more than He needs us. If we have to take the nature of Christ, then we must learn to lay down our crowns for God, though we are kings and royal priests. We have to learn to obey and die daily. For blessing we will be blessed if we allow ourselves to be broken because God only blesses that which He breaks. Identify yourself in God a midst the wave of social transformation