The "Beast"

A lot of horror movies are synonymous with a ferocious "beast" that was on the prowl. This “beast” had an insatiable hunger for flesh, blood, or soul because its existence depended on its sustenance. This "beast" had been around for centuries; there was history and folklore that provoked an eerie curiosity from outsiders about the town and the shadow it cast on its people. In some distant communities, people were aware of the vivid tales of the "beast" and avoided the town at all costs.

During a certain time of the night and often on a certain day of the week, the "beast" would love to feed. What most of the townsfolk tried to do was to tame the "beast’s" ferocious appetite by offering sacrifices to it in order to appease its true nature of bringing certain death. The problem with the "beast" was that as it continued to grow, its ravenous appetite increased to the point where it could only be satisfied temporarily.

The townspeople got together for meetings concerning these matters and appointed overseers to organize action plans in order to appease the wild "beast" from attacking. One plan that seemed to work was passing bowls around to the townsfolk; they would put small bits of their own flesh and blood in as a food offering for the "beast." This strategy initially seemed to work, but eventually the people started to become weak as their flesh did not have time to heal, nor could their blood reproduce quickly enough to satisfy the "beast’s" appetite. As a result, the unsatisfied "beast" would attack the weakest people in the town, especially the children, who were not strong enough to flee from the danger.

Fortunately, some of the townsfolk that were attacked by the "beast" were able to escape from its grasp and the shadow of oppression it held over them. They would often be seen in the distant outer communities with their obvious wounds and scars. They had moved away, but unfortunately what they packed with them was the baggage of prejudice and hatred toward the people that fed the "beast." These wounded people could see that the townsfolk were sincere in their feeding of the "beast," but knew that most of the them would most likely not break free from its shadow and the overseers, who held a tight grip on their activities in the town.

The tradition and culture of the town were catered toward the promotion of the "beast" for the safety of the people. There was a museum in the town that drew people from far places, which provided them history, stories, traditions and legend about the "beast." People would buy books, art, DVDs, games, cotton candy, drinks, and go to one-of-the-many meetings, sideshows, seminars and films about the "beast" and its habitat. The "beast" was cunning and knew that the overseers were constantly working to keep itself fed by supporting the museum with their offerings and works of charity. The overseers sincerely believed that they were safeguarding themselves and the township by working the "system of the beast." The overseers were constantly applauding and rewarding the townsfolk with accolades, certificates of acknowledgement, promotions and esteem, which encouraged everyone to take on more responsibility. The inspiration from the overseers provoked the need to continually draw people from the outside communities to the museum by promoting the good cause and charity as fare for the "beast".

When things got really desperate and the casualties started to pile up, the overseers and townsfolk would draw unsuspecting transients or tourists to their meetings telling them that their safety and the safety of others were dependent on their cooperation to the cause. The strategy was to coerce more and more people to join forces, so the population of the town wouldn’t dwindle, even though casualties were continually eminent. Some people wanted to leave the town and the "beast," but knowing that they could be putting others in jeopardy or danger caused them to back down. Furthermore, the disappointment from an overseer, family member or friend would be too much to bear. The action seemed selfish and evil even though it seemed the right thing to do.

In the body of Christ, there is a “beast” disguised among us that is feeding off the idolatry in our hearts. We are caught up feeding the "beast" to the point where Jesus Christ is left out of the picture almost all together. Unfortunately, the “beast” of the story above is the state of the corporate church system today. The idolatries in our hearts are feeding the appetites of self-worship within the church. Many have fallen victim to the man-made doctrines of validation, recognition, identification, significance, power and security.

The carnal mind has exalted itself above Jesus Christ.

Here are some important points in considering whether you may be feeding that “beast”:

• Are you a follower of Jesus Christ or of a church institution or system?
• Is your relationship with Jesus Christ living and moving or is it a characterisation of some type of system, organisation or institution?
• Have you been born again or have you joined or been voted in?
• Have you been called by Jesus Christ or are you a label that someone has pinned on you?
• Is Jesus Christ your center or are you the center at the centre?
• Are you living by the Spirit or by your flesh?
• Are you looking towards heaven or to earth?
• Do you have grace or carry laws?
• Are you in control or is Jesus Christ in control of your life?
• Are you a part of the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of men?
• Is Jesus Christ your Head or are appointed men your heads?
• Are you sensitive to the Holy Spirit or a man pleaser?
• Are you accomplishing by the Spirit or by a self-strength?
• Is your authority by the words of God or by the words of man?
• Are you one body in Jesus Christ or in a divisive denomination?
• Is it about Jesus Christ or is it about doctrines, traditions, and opinions?
• Do you answer to God’s authority or an institution’s authority?
• Is it about God’s revelation or your imagination?
• Is it about the image of Jesus Christ or your own image?
• Are you expanding God’s Kingdom or your kingdom?

The Condition of the “Beast” Through the Lens of Scripture

"Show the house to the house of Israel that they may be ashamed of their iniquities, and let them measure the pattern."

Ezekiel 43:10

"The trumpet of the Lord is sounding an alarm to God's holy remnant to 'come out of her My people, that you be not partakers of her sins and that you receive not of her plagues.'"

Revelation 18:4

"Upon her forehead was a name written, "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS, AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."

Revelation 17:5

For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.

Galatians 5:17

because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even ableto do so,and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Romans 8:7-8

Then I heard one speaking to me from the house, while a man was standing beside me.He said to me, “Son of man,this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell among the sons of Israel forever. And the house of Israel will not again defile My holy name, neither they nor their kings, by their harlotry and by the corpses of their kings when they die, by setting their threshold by My threshold and their door post beside My door post, with only the wall between Me and them. And they have defiled My holy name by their abominations which they have committed. So I have consumed them in My anger.“Now let them put away their harlotry and the corpses of their kings far from Me; and I will dwell among them forever.

Ezekiel 43:6-9

And she called the boy Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel,” because the ark of God was taken and because of her father-in-law and her husband.She said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God was taken.”

1 Samuel 4:21-22

The Agenda of the "Beast"

Feeding the “beast” promotes a self-centred agenda. The corporate church system today is an extension of our carnal nature that exudes spiritual harlotry. We become spiritual prostitutes to something we have created ourselves and substituted Jesus Christ. Many are deceived and fall prey to the “beast,” because the teachings of Jesus Christ and Scripture are abandoned for folklore. There is a false assurance propagating that deceives us into thinking we are safe because of our self-importance and we end up dancing with the “beast” instead of uniting with Jesus Christ. Confusion and deception arise when Jesus Christ is tied to a corporate system of membership, participation, experience and traditions.This, in essence, is the captivity of God’s own people. What or who you worship, truly is who you are a servant of.

Are you confined to the “four walls” and what happens in them?

Are you a “label” that goes to a “centre” with a certain kind of “name, service or meeting”?

Today, the name “Christian” and “Church” has lost their true meaning and value and have become substitutions for man-made labels, pinned on by the "pinner's" of that religion. I believe a more accurate and true replacement in this day would be “a follower of Jesus Christ” and “a redeemed people of God” that seek out the genuine truth.

Can any real follower of Jesus Christ benefit from something that looks lustrous on the outside, and on the inside it is controlled by the ambitions of man?

This, my friends, is following a different gospel and plays the games and façades of religion. If going to “church” is synonymous with Jesus Christ, then which “Church of Jesus” is it? Is it, Charismatic, Protestant, Orthodox, Baptist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, etc…the list can go on and on?

Is your institution, a substitution for a real relationship with Jesus Christ?

“As for you, son of man, describe the temple to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the plan.“If they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the house, its structure, its exits, its entrances, all its designs, all its statutes, and all its laws. And write it in their sight, so that they may observe its whole design and all its statutes and do them.“This is the law of the house: its entire area on the top of the mountain all aroundshall bemost holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.

Ezekiel 43:10-12

Then there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, “Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it.

Revelation 11:1

In the end, it is up to us to choose what takes precedence, His ways or our ways?

Let us use Scripture as the true measuring stick instead of buying into the deception of feeding the “beast,” which is idolatry.