The Labour government is pressing ahead with plans to implement a national identity card system, with a new trial that is to be launched in Manchester city. The ID card, which was first proposed by former Labour Home Secretary David Blunkett, has faced calls to be scrapped as Britain faces its deepest recession in over 70 years. Ironically, David Blunkett himself is one of those who are now calling for the card to be axed, and replaced by a cheaper biometric passport system. The Conservative opposition party, who are expected to win the next general election, have promised to ditch the scheme as soon as they come into power. The ID card was initially sold to the public on the grounds that it would prevent terrorism, but the government was later forced to admit that the scheme would not have prevented the July 7th attacks on the London transport system. After the threat of terrorism had subsided, it was claimed that the cards would help to reduce identity theft and fraud. But the card would not stop the largest percentage of fraud in the UK, which is carried out by people who claim benefits they are not entitled to. And a series of gaffes in which the Labour government 'lost' huge databases of public information also proved that rather than reducing identity theft, storing the biometric details of every person in Britain in a massive database is actually more of a risk to public security than not having it at all. Once again the government is using scare tactics in order to sell the identity cards to the British public.

Quote: "At a series of meetings on Wednesday, Ms Smith will say post offices and pharmacies can play an important role in the success of the ID scheme, allowing people to give their fingerprints and a face scan while "out doing the shopping". Each card will cost £30 with a further £30 charge for collecting the data. "ID cards will deliver real benefits to everyone, including increased protection against criminals, illegal immigrants and terrorists," the home secretary will say.

If the government would do its job properly then we wouldn't need to worry about criminals, terrorists and illegal immigrants. The cost and inconvenience of such an identification system will be its ultimate downfall. Identity cards can be lost, stolen, damaged, forged and will be expensive to replace. Once this has been realized, cards will scrapped in favour of a much cheaper and more secure system. Officials in the US government have already proposed implanting soldiers and illegal immigrants with the VeriChip, an RFID tag that is inserted into the right arm or right wrist. The British government has also proposed implanting inmates with GPS-enabled RFID tags as a possible solution to its burgeoning prison population. And that's exactly what the Bible says the False Prophet will do.

Revelation 13:16
And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.  

The British government is already proposing that this national identity card system be upgraded in order to enable it to integrate with the banks. Once again personal protection is cited as the reason for implementing this scheme, and I have no doubt that the False Prophet will use the same argument for his Mark. The idea behind the Mark of the Beast is to identify and protect the true followers of the Antichrist and to ensure their undying loyalty to him.

Quote: "Mr Hall said officials were holding talks about chip-and-pin as one way to help protect internet shoppers and users of cash machines. He added: "One of the reasons for the format of the card is we have the opportunity to put it in to card readers and potentially use it in existing networks such as the ATM network. "We are in discussions with the financial services industry and, if they come forward with a compelling view of the rationale for chip-and-pin for them, that's definitely something we'll take extremely seriously. "If we conclude that chip-and-pin is a key part of making it useful, there's no technical reason why we couldn't do it."

As you can see, not only do we have the technology to fulfill the prophecies concerning the Mark of the Beast, but the nations of the world are unwittingly pursuing its very implementation. Jesus Christ is coming back soon. It is time to seek the Lord. If Christ came today, would you be ready to meet Him? Would you be able to stand before Him, in the knowledge that your sins have been forgiven, and there is no condemnation awaiting you? Or will you stand before Him in your sins, guilty and condemned, and awaiting judgement? Turn away from your sins. Put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation today.

John 1:12
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:  

Source BBC, BBC

Quote: "In 25 years, your cell phone might be your credit card. You will likely be able to sample everything from clothing or furnishings at home by projecting them in 3-D holograms. What will credit cards look like in 25, 50 or 100 years? In 50 years, a microchip implanted in your wrist might be your credit card. Your shopping list will be sent from your smart home directly to your grocer, who will have your purchases bagged and ready for you. Or your robot. In 100 years, you might be your credit card. Simply shop to your heart's content and walk out; video recognition and mechanical telepathy will know who you are and how you wish to pay. Welcome to the plastic fantastic future of credit card payments, one that very soon will cease to contain the very thing that got it all started -- the credit card...

I thought this article was extremely interesting. Not because of the prediction that cash will become a thing of the past, nor particularly the idea of a microchip implant being used as a payment device. All of this we have dealt with before. But what struck me was the location in the body the chip is being implanted. I have read many news articles on the VeriChip implant. In most articles VeriChip Corporation seem pained to stress that the implant location for their chip is in the upper right arm.

Quote: "The recommended location of the microchip is in the triceps area between the elbow and the shoulder of the right arm.

Why they do that, I don't know. Perhaps they are keen to avoid any possible connotations with the Mark of the Beast, which the Bible describes as being given in the right hand or forehead (Revelation 13). I have only ever seen one news article that mentioned the VeriChip as being implanted in the "right hand or forehead". Unfortunately that article has since disappeared from the internet, although I have the particular paragraph quoted it in my Mark article, and you can read an archived copy of the original article here. Likewise, this current article does not follow the norms, in reporting that the Baja Beach Club can implant the VeriChip in your wrist...

Quote: "Fifty years from now, a programmable payment bead implanted in your body could supplant your mobile device for payment purposes. The Baja Beach Club in Barcelona, Spain, already injects a rice-size VeriChip RFID device into the wrist or upper arm of its jet-set guests to make paying as simple as waving your hand.

Compare that with the description of the Mark of the Beast, given to John by the Holy Spirit over 1900 years ago...

Revelation 13:16-17
And he (the False Prophet) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

Clearly someone at VeriChip Corporation is not being honest about how their chips are being implanted. But as my friend Cliff says, thank God that the Holy Spirit 'spilled the beans' on this whole project over 2000 years ago. We have a Man on the inside Who knows exactly what is going on. And not only does He know what is going on and has warned us about it in advance, but He has devised a master plan to bring about the downfall of the whole system. That's why the Scriptures warn us not to accept the Mark of the Beast, nor to worship the image that will be set up. As you can see from today's news, the events spoken of in the book of Revelation will soon come to pass. The question is, are you ready to meet God? The Bible warns that if you don't belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, if you haven't been bought by His blood, then you will automatically become the chattel of the Antichrist when his one world government is set up. There is no middle ground. You are either for or against Christ (Matthew 12:30). 

Revelation 13:8
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 

But there is good news. Jesus Christ died for you. He paid God the penalty for your sin, and through the new covenant in His blood (Matthew 26:28), your agreement with death can be annulled (Isaiah 28:18). Satan has no power over you when you are under the blood. Flee from the wrath to come. Turn away from your sins, and be washed in the cleansing blood of the Lamb, through believing on Him for salvation (Revelation 1:5).

2nd Kings 5:13
And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?

Source Credit Cards, BBC, Business Wire

The Labour government has revealed that it intends to give police powers to request proof of identification on demand for the first time since the end of the Second World War. The legislation, which forms part of the draft Immigration and Citizenship bill, is to be announced during the Queen's speech later on this month. The new powers follow the introduction of an identification card, which all foreign nationals working in Britain are now required to carry. But critics say the laws are so vague that they could in theory be applied to any British citizen who had been abroad for any length of time, and that the scheme effectively amounts to a compulsory identification system being brought in by the back door. While British citizens would not be required by law to hold an identity card, police could in theory demand that any citizen produce proof of their identification. Those that fail to do so could face a fine of up to £5000 or a year in jail. Police already have powers to request proof of identification on suspicion that a crime has been committed. But the new legislation would go much further than that, making it a criminal offence for a person to refuse to produce some form of personal identification when demanded.

Quote: "Phil Booth, national coordinator of the NO2ID campaign, said: "We have not had any sort of law like this outside of war time. "In practice it will be impossible to determine who has or has not entered the UK and therefore this applies to anyone in the UK." Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne added: "This is potentially a catch-all power which would allow the police or the officials to arrest and hold anyone who was unable to prove their own identity. "The Government has always promised that it would never introduce such a draconian intrusion into our daily lives."

As we have seen recently, Labour's plans for the national identification scheme are wide-ranging. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair had originally sought to bring in a compulsory national identification card system, but was prevented from doing so by the House of Lords, which viewed the plan as a serious infringement of civil liberties. Last month the government rolled out their foreign national identification card scheme, and British citizens will be able to apply for their own identity cards from the end of next year. While the government insists the national identification card scheme will not be compulsory in theory, these new laws may make it so in practice. The Bible states that during the tribulation period, an identification system will be launched that will also be compulsory in practice. For without the Mark of the Beast you won't be able to buy or sell anything.

Revelation 13:16-17
And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

There is much talk nowadays about personal identification in relation to the problem of international terrorism. Governments are talking about creating a white-list of individuals whom they know to be 'safe' people, and presumably those who remain unidentified or refuse to be identified constitute a 'threat' to national security. Hitler had the same idea with the Jews and their identifying yellow shield of David. It will be much the same during the tribulation period. Satan's goal will be to identify all of his followers with the Mark, and presumably those who remain unidentified or refuse to be identified will be followers of Christ. That's the idea behind the Mark, and it will make his task of 'overcoming' the tribulation saints easier. But praise God all those who have trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation have been sealed with God's Holy Spirit of promise (Ephesians 4:30). We have been sealed unto the day of redemption, when Christ shall come to redeem us from this fallen world, and there is no power in heaven or Earth that can take that away from us. Have you trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation? Are you sealed unto the day of redemption, or are you destined for the coming day of wrath (Revelation 6:16-17)? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved (Acts 16:31).

Source Telegraph

Quote: "Officials have also tried to tackle the issue of how to record the addresses of homeless people and gypsies without a fixed address. Homeless people wanting ID cards may be able to give their home address as a bench, bus stop or park where they are often found. Addresses will be recorded on the register but will not appear on the face of the card.

The Bible states that during the tribulation period, the false prophet - the coming world religious leader, will compel all people to receive a mark in their right hand or forehead. Just as every citizen in Britain will be able to apply for an identity card, from the queen on the throne to the beggar in the street, so the Bible says that the insignificant and the important, the rich and the poor, the free and the enslaved will all be coerced into receiving this mark on their bodies (Revelation 13:16). We are not told exactly what circumstances or world conditions will bring this about, but we are told that receiving the mark will permit the bearer to continue to make financial transactions, and that acceptance of the mark will be closely linked with the voluntary worship of the Antichrist. It seems that the mark will display your allegiance to the prevailing political power and your adherence to its religious system. This electronic identification system may not be the actual 'Mark of the Beast', but there is no doubt what we are witnessing today is preparing the way for its implementation at a future date.

But just as Satan will have his followers marked, so God will also have his followers marked in their foreheads (Revelation 7:3). I just noticed something there. On that fateful night, when God said He would bring one last plague against the house of Egypt - the death of the firstborn, it was Lord that executed that judgement. It was the Lord Himself that passed through Egypt (Exodus 12:23). The Bible records that in that night there was not one house of the Egyptians that was not affected, from the king that sat on the throne to the prisoner that sat in the dungeon (Exodus 12:30). All came under this judgement. But when the Lord looked on the lamb's blood that had been applied to the doorposts of the Israelite homes He passed over them. I wonder if God were to come in judgement tonight, would He see the blood of His Son Jesus Christ applied to your heart's door? Would He be satisfied that a Lamb has already given its life (John 1:29), and so pass over you? Or would your soul be required of you this night? (Luke 12:20). Jesus Christ has already paid the price for your sins upon the cross. He gave His life for you, so that you wouldn't have to come into judgement (John 5:24). Don't leave salvation too late. Turn away from your sins and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation today.

Exodus 12:12-13
For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.  

Source BBC