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Understanding the symbolism in the shirt
A Tattoo for the soul? Throughout the
Bible we see the idea of a separation between God's people and the Devil's
people. This idea is fully worked out in Revelation when the Antichrist
requires that all people great and small take a mark on their right hand or
forehead (this mark is called "the Mark of the Beast"). Without the mark,
no one will be able to buy or sell anything; so for those who refuse the
mark, life will be hard. However, the Bible clearly states that those who
take the mark of the Beast will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Truly a
mark (tattoo) with eternal consequences!
s ymbolism
Apollyon Tattoo was designed
to be rich in symbolism. First and most obvious is the 666 in the center of
a Spade which has wings. The Spade is recognized my many as the symbol for
death. This idea is further enhanced by the wings which symbolize the angle
of death. The 666 (mark of the beast) in the midst of the Spade is the
cause for the death. The name of the tattoo shop is Apollyon Tattoo.
Apollyon is the keeper of the pit referenced in Revelation chapter 9.
"...They had as king over them the
angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon.
~ Revelation 9: 6-11 paraphrased
t his
is one tattoo you want to avoid!
In a day when tattoos and body
piercings are common place, this shirt serves as a reminder that the Devil is
looking to put his mark on every man woman and child. The mark of the beast is
a very serious decision that each person will make; the results of which may
determine where they spend eternity.
- A third angel followed them and
said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and
receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of
the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup
of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence
of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment
rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who
worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of
his name." This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints
who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus
-
~Revelation 14:9-12
h ow to use
this shirt as an evangelism tool:
This shirt has been designed to give
all who wear it, the opportunity to talk about Jesus. You may have noticed that
there are no scripture references on it! People will rarely ask you about your
shirt if they see scriptural references because they are used to seeing
Christian T-shirts. While shirts with references on them mark you as a
believer, they rarely give you the opportunity to share your faith. People
see the scripture references and assume they know the ‘religious’ ideals
of the wearer. What we want to do is cause people to ask you about the shirt.
“I don't get your shirt?” “What does it mean?” “That's Cool”
Anytime someone begins the conversation
with you, the door is open to share the Gospel and the love of Jesus with them….
and remember, they asked you!
w hat to say
when you are asked about the shirt
Most Christians, when confronted with an opportunity to share
their faith often talk “religious” (they say what they think they should say
with lots of Christian Buzz words) and turn people off. Just be yourself!
After reading the above information, you should easily be able to explain how
sin is a major threat to each of us and that there is only one antidote for the
problem. Talk to them about Jesus and what He has done for us, making a way for
us to confess our sin and come to God for forgiveness.
This is your opportunity to explain the Gospel of Jesus and
then to inquire into their relationship, if any, with Him.
i f they are
open to further conversation
At this point, the person will say “yea, whatever” and walk
off, OR want to hear more. (Remember that God’s word
does not return void. Even if the person walks off, the Word of God was sewn
into that person's life… you did not fail!) If they want to know more:
Steps to Salvation
awareness of
our sinful nature
When we talk about salvation
we must bring people to an awareness of their need for salvation. The Bible is
very clear on this point. Everyone has missed the mark or fallen short of the
standard set by God. As a race we all fall short. This is not a close call, even
the best person misses the mark by a mile.
- ...
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
-
~Romans 3:23
But the good news is that God has made provision for us. He
has a free gift, the gift of eternal life for us. (See Romans 6:23)
b elief
in Jesus Christ
God chose to fulfill His standards for us. He knew that no
person could meet them and so all would fail. We would all be in a hopeless
state, with no place to turn. So God decided to send His Son, Jesus Christ, to
live as a man here on earth. Jesus lived as a man, but He met all of God's
requirements. He met God's standard perfectly.
But this still did not deal with the problem, we still fall
short of meeting God's standard. We cannot live like Jesus, even after His
example.
The answer, God's answer,
let the one who lived perfectly die in the place of all the rest. He let Jesus
die for mankind, since no one else was good enough to do so. (If a man were to
die it would be for his short comings, it would be just what he deserved).
So God has prepared for us a gift of salvation. God accepted
the death of Jesus as meeting His standard. Then He raised Jesus from the dead.
His gift of salvation is available to every one who will believe in Jesus Christ
and the work He has done for us. (See Romans 10:8-10 and John 1:12-13)
repentance
of sins
This gift from God is a
wonderful salvation, complete with everything we need to live a full life, now
and for the future. This includes forgiveness of our sins (areas where we have
not lived up to God's standard). This forgiveness comes as we admit to our sins
and ask God to forgive us. (See Luke 24:46-47 and Acts 13:38-39)
- If we confess our sins, He is
faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.
-
~1 John 1:9
r eceiving
Jesus as savior
So now we can receive Jesus as our Lord
and Savior. He now becomes the one who died for us so we can have good
relationship with God. We can now become a part of God's family, not by any work
that we have done, but by believing that Jesus has done the work for us.
- But as many as received Him, to
them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who
believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the
flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
-
~John 1:12-13
All scripture quotations, unless
otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. NIV.
Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan
Publishing House. All rights reserved.
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