10 Things You Need to Know about the Number 666--5/12/2021..... Dr. Roger Barrier

 

10 Things You Need to Know about the Number 666-05/12/2021

• Dr. Roger Barrier

1. 666 literally means a name.

The number "666" is the number of the name of the coming Antichrist. Giving a number to a name is called "gematria," which is the Greek practice of adding up the letters in someone's name. In Latin this practice is called "isopsephism." Each letter in the Greek language has a numeral equivalent. Add up the letters and you get the number of the name.

2. Greeks used this number-name practice in their daily lives.

When Julie and I were dating I often wrote the initials, "RB + JT" in my notebook or in the wet cement of a newly poured sidewalk. Of course, the Initials stand for, "Roger Barrier plus Julie Tacker." Young lovers in Greece and Rome used gematria to express their relationships. For example, one inscription on a wall in Pompei reads, "I love the girl whose number is 545."

Of course, it is quite easy to take a name and turn it into a number. It is much harder to take a number and turn it back into a name.

Turning the number into a name is the key to unlocking the name of the Antichrist.

3. Revelation 13:8 is the verse that mentions 666.

"This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666." (Revelation 13:8)

According to John, those who are wise can get an insight into the Antichrist's identity by knowing the number of his name.

4. In ancient Greek, Hebrew and Latin letters represented numerals according to their order in the alphabet.

For example, in Greek, Alpha is one, Bata is two and so on.

The letters in Greek for “Nero” (Neron) add up to 1005. However, if the Greek letters for Nero Caesar (Neron Kaisar) are transliterated into Hebrew (nrwn qsr), the letter numbers add up to 666 (50 + 200 + 6 + 50 + 100 + 60 + 200 =666).

5. The original 666 wasn’t written the way we write it.

The number of the beast" was not written as a figure like “666.” Rather, the letters of the alphabet were written out in full.

6. Many interpreters consider the Roman Emperor Nero to be the “antichrist” of Revelation 13.

...because the number of his name is 666 and because he inflicted “Antichrist-like” horror upon the first century Christians. Some consider Nero to be a historical Antichrist and we that we are not to expect a future Antichrist. Yet, for the number to have any significance for a first century AD reader, it would have to refer to a contemporary historical figure.

7. Other interpreters consider the number to be applicable to both past and future.

Other interpreters, myself included, view the Book of Revelation as being both historical and predictive of coming future events (This is the double fulfillment principle of prophecy.) According to this view, Nero was indeed an “antichrist” as well as a type or picture of the coming future Antichrist—whose number-name will also add up to 666.

8. History shows us why Nero would perfectly reflect the character of a 666 "antichrist".Nero was a despicable man who murdered his own mother. Nero fiddled the night Rome burned. By blaming Christians for the fire, he justified his tortuous murdering of uncounted hundreds of those who proclaimed Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. He proclaimed his supposed divinity on coins, identifying him as the "Savior of the World.”

Since Christians have only one Lord, refusing to burn incense and declare Caesar Nero as Lord was like signing your own death warrant. As an aside, since Nero ruled from A.D. 54-68 he would have been the emperor to whom Paul appealed his case as recorded in Acts 25:10-12.

Nero's evil acts don't stop there...

For those who may be interested, I quote below a passage from Tacitus, the Greek historian (c. A.D. 60-120), who preserved in his Annals (XV.44) the viciousness of the Neronian persecutions which give us some idea of the horror the coming Antichrist will inflict on both Jews and Christians.

Nero falsely accused as the culprits [who started the fire] and punished with the utmost refinement of cruelty a class … who are commonly called Christians. “Christus,” from whom their name is derived, was executed at the hands of the procurator Pontius Pilate in the reign of Tiberius.… Accordingly, arrest was first made of those who confessed [to being Christians]; then, on their evidence [refusing to worship Nero as Lord], an immense multitude was convicted ... Besides being put to death they were made to serve as objects of amusement; they were clothed in the hides of beasts and torn to death by dogs; others were crucified, others set on fire to serve to illuminate the night when daylight failed…. All this gave rise to a feeling of pity, even towards men whose guilt merited the most exemplary punishment; for it was felt that they were being destroyed not for the public good but to gratify the cruelty of an individual.

9. The number ‘6’ is the number of man.

The number “6” in the Bible is often associated with man; just as the number “7” is the perfect number and “3” often correlates to the Trinity. 666 is thus a number that consistently falls short of triple perfection: 777. The number also refers to the “unholy trinity,” Satan, the Beast and the False Prophet.

10. 616 also has significance.

Some early manuscripts identify the number-name of the Antichrist as 616 (instead of 666). By omitting the final “n” in Nero’s name in Greek, transliterating that name into Hebrew, and then adding up the letters, the number of Nero and of the coming Antichrist both add up to 616. Regardless of the number, Nero is the only name that can account for both 666 and 616. But, 616 is a story for another time.

Selfish Christianity..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Selfish Christianity

Dr. Charles Stanley

John 6:22-27

Which interests you more—who Jesus is or what He can do for you? I’m afraid that too many of us are more concerned about what He can give us than we are about getting to know who He is.

But this is nothing new—Jesus had this problem when He walked on earth. The crowds often sought Him out for what He could do for them. Even though their needs were quite often legitimate, Christ knew their motives.

There is a fine line between selfishly trying to use the Lord to get what we want and humbly coming to Him with our needs and struggles. Some of the issues we bring to Him are so pressing and urgent in our minds that our desire for Him to take action in the way we want becomes greater than our willingness to submit to His will. At times, what we call “faith” is really a demanding spirit.

We must remember that our needs will come to an end, but Jesus Christ will remain forever. If our prayers have dealt only with presenting our requests to the Lord, we’ve missed a great opportunity to get to know the One with whom we’ll spend eternity. Let’s invest time in pursuing intimacy with Christ. Then we can enjoy the benefits of that relationship forever.

How much of your communion with God is devoted to your needs—even legitimate ones? Are you spending any time getting to know the Lord? Although God delights in our prayers and tells us to pray about everything, He also wants us to come to Him just because we enjoy being with Him.

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector..... Craig Denison

 The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview:

Jesus loved to use stories to illustrate profound, life-transforming concepts. He loved to use real and genuine settings, characters, and ideas that apply to all of us to reveal God’s heart of pursuit and love. This week we’re going to spend time allowing the parables of Jesus to speak directly to our situations, mindsets, and core beliefs about who God is. Open your heart and mind to be transformed by the powerful and captivating stories of Jesus.

Scripture:“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 18:10-14

Devotional: 

The ministry of Jesus was one of life-giving transformation. His life, death, and resurrection ushered in a completely new way of relating to God: the way of grace. One of the best examples of Jesus shifting paradigms comes in his parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. Luke 18:10-14 says,

Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: “God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.” But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.

Let’s open our hearts and allow the Spirit to guide us to live life more like the tax collector than the Pharisee. Let’s allow him to lead us to a life lived in the new covenant of grace.

In the time of Jesus, God’s people were completely starved for relationship with him. Judaism had become a religion of regulations rather than relationship. God’s people believed that their lives were totally based on their works, placing the religious Pharisees at the top of the totem pole stretching up to God. The Pharisees believed they were justified before God because of their works, as if they could earn their way into right standing with God. So, imagine the shock of Jesus’ listeners when he says that the tax collector, the most hated of all Jews, went home justified before the Lord as the result of his humility. Imagine the shock and anger of the Pharisees in learning that all they had worked for, all the rules and regulations they had lived by, actually placed them lower in stature than any other Jew in the sight of God.

The parable of the Pharisee and tax collector offers amazing news for each of us. The principle Jesus teaches here in Luke 18 is that the greatest posture of our heart is one of humility, not perfection. The way to God is not one of works, but of grace. Jesus teaches that whatever weakness you have, whatever sin you struggle with, all God asks of you is that you come before him and ask for his mercy. All he requires of you is a repentant heart.

You see, the Lord is always after your heart. All the works of the Pharisees were birthed out of their own pride. In their egotism they thought they could earn relationship with the one, true, and holy God. All of their religious deeds were done not out of their love for God, but out of their love for their own reputation. However, the tax collector had nothing to boast about. He lived his life robbing his own people to fill the pockets of the Romans who enslaved them. He was made wealthy by stealing from his own people. But in his desperation he cried out to God for help, and God heard his cry.

Know that God hears your cry today when it comes out of the reality of your need for him. He answers your need for forgiveness and relationship with the overwhelming power of his presence. So, ask yourself today, what do you value most? Do you value your own reputation or God’s opinion? Are you living in light of God’s grace or trying earn it? Are you going through the motions of religion in order to earn your way into relationship with God, or are you living in response to the wealth of love you’ve freely received in Christ?

Wherever you are, know that it is never too late to come before your heavenly Father in humility. It is never too late to repent of any area in which pride has been your motivation and decide to live your life on the foundation of grace. It is never too late to posture your heart to receive the depths of love and mercy your heavenly Father longs to give you. Christ came to usher in the path of grace, not of works. He came so that you might live in his strength, not your own. The price of his mercy is a humble heart because humility is the key that unlocks the depths of your soul to receive the free gift of his grace. God won’t fill what you believe is already full. He won’t help where you don’t truly believe you need him. But if you’ll cry out to him and ask him for his mercy for your sin and his love to satisfy your need, he will fill your life with the gift of his unending presence.

Posture your heart like that of the tax collector as you pray. Follow his model of humility and find satisfaction for the places of your heart that are in need of God’s love.           

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and tax collector. Allow the Spirit to reveal areas in which you need the help that can only be received in humility.

“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 18:10-14

2. Reflect on your own life. Where are you living with the burden of pride? Where are you living in your own strength? In what ways are you building up your own reputation rather than the only one worthy of glory, Jesus? Know that any area of your life rooted in pride will be without the mercy and help of your heavenly Father. The only way to live entirely in the grace of God is in constant and true humility.

“The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.” Proverbs 22:4

“Before destruction a man's heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.” Proverbs 18:12

“As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man.” Proverbs 27:19

3. Confess your sin and receive the free gift of God’s presence. Cry out to God for his help in your life. Confess your need for his mercy, and take time resting in the incredible and satisfying gift of his presence. There is no greater gift in this life than spending time being with our heavenly Father. He longs to fuel you with the inexhaustible power of his nearness.

“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

Philippians 2:3-7 says, “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” If God himself lived his life in total humility, then we must follow his example in order to walk in the favor and abundance God longs to bestow on us. Look to Christ as your example, and discover God’s desire to exalt you as you bow yourself before him as your Lord and King.

Extended Reading: 1 Peter 5

Erased..... KELLY BARBREY

 Erased

KELLY BARBREY

“‘Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?’ Simon replied, ‘I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.’ ‘You have judged correctly,’ Jesus said.” Luke 7:41-43 (NIV)

I can relate to being in debt. With car and house payments, I often wonder what it would be like to have my bank say, “Don’t worry about paying any of this back. We’re all good. Your debt has been erased.” How freeing that would be.

From bumming a stick of gum from a friend in elementary school to the mortgages and college loans of adulthood, borrowing with the intent to pay something back is as much a part of life today as it was in biblical times.

An example is “The Parable of the Two Debtors,” recounted in Luke 7:36-50. Jesus is dining in the home of Simon the Pharisee when a woman — a known sinner in that town — enters the scene. She falls at Jesus’ feet, anointing Him with alabaster perfume as was customary when acknowledging a guest.

The host, Simon, sees this interaction and scoffs to himself, internally belittling Jesus for allowing such a woman to even touch Him. Jesus calls him on it, laying out the parable for Simon:

“‘Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?’ Simon replied, ‘I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.’ ‘You have judged correctly,’ Jesus said.” (Luke 7:41-43)

Jesus is relating the woman and her sins to the debtor who owed the greater amount.

I can only imagine how this woman must have felt. Sleepless nights filled with tossing and turning, wondering if she could ever set things right in her life. Anxiety that might creep into her days as she wrestled with her sins. This was a woman who was keenly aware of her shortcomings. She was deeply affected by the choices she made but unsure about how she could make them right.

In a mix of faith and desperation, she burst into a dinner party and fell at Jesus’ feet, asking forgiveness. Jesus forgave the woman for her many sins and told her, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace” (Luke 7:50, NIV).

In reality, both the woman and Simon are “debtors” in need of forgiveness. The biggest difference, however, is the passion and awareness with which the woman confesses and the faith she has in Jesus’ forgiveness. Simon is similar to the debtor who owed the smaller sum. In denial of his own shortcomings, he haughtily looks down his nose at the woman who seems to have accumulated a lifetime of transgressions.

Whether our sins are large or small, we can be comforted knowing we are cleansed “from all unrighteousness” by Jesus’ forgiveness (1 John 1:9, ESV). Jesus knows every single sin and loves us anyway. But what He really wants is for us to go to Him. To confess. To have faith that we will be forgiven and all debts will be wiped clean — simply erased.

In Psalm 103:12, the psalmist says of God, “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (NIV). Let’s rest easy in that today, friends.

Father God, You know I’m not perfect, and You love me anyway. I am so thankful for Your forgiveness. Help me to have the faith to turn to You when I need to confess. Living free and unburdened through Your forgiveness is a great gift. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Luke 7:47-50, “‘Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven — as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.’ Then Jesus said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ The other guests began to say among themselves, ‘Who is this who even forgives sins?’ Jesus said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.’” (NIV)

Matthew 7:3-5, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (NIV)

Set Apart for His Glory..... By: Jennifer Waddle

 Set Apart for His Glory

By: Jennifer Waddle

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. - Genesis 1:3-5

You’ve probably heard the old phrase, “a place for everything and everything in its place.” It’s a quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin, but some believe it existed long before his time. Whatever the case, it’s a quote that parents often use when trying to get their kids to tidy their rooms and put everything back where it belongs.

Of course, the original example of putting things in order comes from God. The instant He spoke the words “Let there be light,” He saw that the light could not reside with darkness. He separated them and gave them each a name. There was no meshing of the two—no blending them together. Instead, God saw that the light was good, and He separated it from the darkness.

What a beautiful word picture for us, as Christians, to live separately from the darkness of the world. While we are required to live in the world, we are not required to mix with the ideas and beliefs that call “good evil and evil good.” There are no gray areas for believers in Christ. For in Him, there is a perfect standard of right and wrong, darkness and light.

Sadly, many well-meaning people have decided to blend their beliefs into a broad, gray area that is neither light nor dark. Compromise has taken the place of standing resolutely on God’s unchanging Word. Blending in with the culture has replaced being set apart for His glory.

I get it. Living in peace with each other is a noble thing. As a peacemaker myself, (sometimes to a fault), it’s sometimes difficult for me to take a firm stand on what is true. But as I re-read Genesis chapter one, I’m reminded of God’s perfect order and His way of separating what needs to be separated.

The thing is, living separately for God shouldn’t be done in an unloving or self-righteous way. In contrast, being set apart for the Lord should be displayed as great love for God and for others—without compromise. We are lights in a dark world, and we should be drawing people to the light of Jesus by the way we live, not repelling them because of a spirit of hatefulness or judgment. This doesn’t mean we accept every belief or opinion. Instead, it means we unapologetically cling to the absolute truths of God’s Word in the most gentle and loving way possible.

Ultimately, our Creator is the Master organizer, who spoke everything into existence and separated the light from the darkness. He was the first example of “a place for everything and everything in its place.” And when we choose to live separately for Him, we’ll find ourselves exactly where we need to be.

A Prayer for the Parent Who Feels Guilt..... By Meg Buche

 A Prayer for the Parent Who Feels Guilt

By Meg Bucher

“Create in me a clean heart, O, God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.” - Psalm 51:10-12 ESV

Parenthood is ridiculous, isn’t it? Here we are, imperfect people raised by imperfect people trying to parent imperfect people in a very imperfect world. We may look back upon the cringeworthy moments of our lives and desperately pray for an eraser. But the hard things we’ve endured are exactly what qualifies us as parents. Perfection was never a requirement. In fact, it’s not even possible!

Psalm 51 recounts David’s confession and repentance of his sin against Bathsheba and the subsequent murder of her husband. (2 Samuel 12) He prayed for God to have mercy on him.

We must be like David, willing to remember our sins and the serious consequences they create. For David, the Old Testament scriptures were a very real part of his everyday life. Scriptures like Genesis 9:6, “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image,” would certainly be top of mind for him. (ESV) And Leviticus 20:10, “If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.”

David did suffer grave consequences, but God chose to have mercy on him. In response, David vowed to praise God’s righteousness. (Psalm 51:14-15)

When we feel shame, fear, or doubt creeping into our parenting, we can wave the white flag! In our weakness, Jesus is strong. He is with us, always. The words David spilled out of his heart to God in prayer echo the depths of our souls over the sorrow we feel for our sin and disobedience. Our sin makes a mess of things. But God never loves us less. His mercy, by the blood of His one and only Son, covers our sins.

True repentance is a product of remembering. Not only what we have done so we can confess and continually choose to turn from that behavior; but to remember the love God has for us to send and sacrifice His one and only Son. It’s unfathomable. So let us pray for God to search our hearts daily, and continually create us anew. Great is His faithfulness. Great is His love.

Let's Pray:

Father,

Glory to You, Father, Son and Spirit, the One True God. Bring the power of the Holy Spirit into our lives to convict, counsel and comfort us. Guide us by the footsteps of Jesus, both the trial of His life on earth and the very real touch He has on our lives every single day. Help us to see You, know You, and follow Christ. Make us new, Father.

Thank You for forgiveness, and the sacrifice Jesus made to make it possible for us to embrace. We are grateful for Your mercy, compassion, and grace. You, LORD, are just and righteous. You saved all of us, wretched and soaked in sin, because You see us as we really are- Your children. Each a beautiful creation with unique purpose, You long for us to come to You, and draw us to You constantly.

We confess our strongholds of sin today, and vow to repent and draw near to You for the strength the task requires. Daily, we will choose to turn to You. Despite our imperfections, the imperfections in those around us and the ones we are doing our very best to parent, we trust You and the power of the Holy Spirit to guide our steps. Help us to see the good in everyone, Father.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.