I felt like I was in the middle of an episode of the Twilight Zone yesterday. I used to love that show along with Dark Shadows and other scary tv programs or movies. It's one thing to be sitting in your cozy LR and another to be standing in the middle of the store going, "you've got to be kidding me."
First to explain so you don't think I'm weirder than I already am...lol. I cut my theological teeth on prophecy or prophetic books not excluding the book of Revelation. Not only that but I watched all the Omen movies along with the Exocist and Rosemary's Baby etc. I found all this fascinating. I remember once scaring my best friend to death outlining what's going to happen in the last days which could come in our lifetime. I was about 12.
I think the reason for the fascination is because I was being dragged from cult to cult. Basically my mom was on the hunt for God and looking for him in all sorts of unlikely places. She was a truth seeker and basically studied herself out of each group by spending hours doing research on each and every group we got involved in. Most of these groups we figured out as we went along mixed truth with error making it look authentic and attractive. I would wake up at 2 or 3 am to use the bathroom as a kid only to find my mom at the kitchen table with books all around her. So if you're wondering....that's where I get it from.
During one of these times we picked up the Hal Linsey books along with other various literature. Since I was a voracious reader I really got into some of this stuff especially the writings that had to do with the cashless society and the anti-christ. I remember reading all about the cashless society and thought "how in the world can that be?" I mean we didn't have computers back then. Everything was done with cash. I don't even think credit cards were used much if at all. When I mentioned this to anyone they'd laugh and say ya, ok. I had to admit it sounded weird to me too.
Years later after I got married this subject came up again. This would have been in the early 80's. I remember having a discussion with my husband and brother in law. They really couldn't see it happening then either. By then businessmen were just starting to look into the computer age and how it would fit into their businesses. At that time I was still typing on typewriters using carbon paper and whiteout. Remember that? This was in the 1980's!!!
It wasn't until the mid 90's or so that we, now as business owners ourselves. were actually forced to get our software via the net. We stayed away as long as we could. Then with the debit cards coming onto the scene and the further dependence on the WORLD WIDE WEB (not called that for nothing) it was now all starting to make sense especially for the older folks. Nobdody could say it didn't make sense at this point. The younger set for the most part are oblivious to all this not really knowing any difference. Immediate connections and accessibility is definitely on their menu not willing to deal with the hassle of waiting for anything.
Now back to yesterday. I was in Walmart. I pulled out my checkbook starting to write my check as usual. The lady stopped me and asked for a blank check. I asked why and she told me they now scan it. Hmmmmm I watched her take it, put it under a scanner push a few buttons and hand it back to me with a comment. She said, "here's your canceled check. It's already out of your account." Oh my gosh. I was stunned. I DIDN'T SIGN THE CHECK. What is going to stop anyone from taking a check of mine and going to Walmart with it? No signature needed. It comes automatically out of my account. So much for identity theft.
Of course the first thing out of my mouth was "this is very strangly reminding me of that bible verse that says in the last days we will not be able to buy or sell without the number of the beast." She knew exactly what I was saying and agreed with me. She was older than I. But the lady standing next in line looked at me not only blankly but like I had horns growing out of my head. She clearly had no idea what the heck I was saying. So now they basically have circumvented my desire NOT to have a debit card. As I walked out of the store I'm thinking now that quite possibly the AC is alive and well on planet earth. If we've gone this far in 34 years from when I first started reading about all this. What will the next 25 be?
Well I told my friend about this and she was freaking out because it happened to her as well. She and I started to devise a plan that one of us would take the other's check to Walmart and see if we could get away with it. Later she called me to say that a banker came into her business and she cornered him on this subject. He said we will start to see all businesses operating like this and there is nothing we can do about it. So she told him the same thing about the mark and the prophetical significance coming down the road. He looked a bit startled and said, "well that makes sense, because this all has to do with alot of markings." I have no idea what that meant and intend to find out.
My boss and I discussed some of these issues yesterday at work. He's a big history buff and very into conservative talk radio. He is not a bible scholar but knows enough to put things together somewhat. He doesn't believe in the rapture like I do and had questions for me while playing devil's advocate at the same time. I told him the very end times would be like a women giving birth. First we will notice the birth pangs. While we may not know the exact time or hour we can know it's imminent by the birth pangs. As they grow in intensity we know the end is near.
Later he came in and said that he's trying to sort through all this. He knows something deep inside is happening but he can't put it all together. He feels it. He's just trying to make sure it's not based on emotion but on something tangible.
I told him to keep his eyes and ears open. Examine everything and keep reading. Other than that. We need, as Christians, to keep looking up.