I believe without a shadow of a doubt that most American churches are described in the book of Rev. 3:14-19 where the Lord warns, “...thou are neither cold nor hot...because thou are lukewarm...I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich...and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked...As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”

Jesus commanded believers in Luke 19:13 to..."Occupy till I come”; in Matt. 28:19-20 to...“Go ye therefore and teach all nations...” ; and in Matt. 5:13...“Ye are the salt of the earth...”

Instead of occupying, making disciples, and influencing society, the American church has become influenced by the very culture they were commanded to possess...watching videos, movies, television, participating in the dating game (or should I say the lust game), and so on.

Instead of being a separate, unique, and holy people as we were told to be in 1 Peter 2:9: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light”, most people cannot tell the difference between a Christian and themselves because they live, dress and behave as the rest of society that is not serving Jesus!

Most believers living in America today are so wrapped up with the cares and love of this world that they are worthless in changing and influencing their neighborhoods, cities and states. They need to come back to their first love, if they ever genuinely had it.

NOTE: I do believe that many children raised in Christian homes have the knowledge of God but possibly not a relationship with Jesus. Lucifer recognizes the reality of God but lives in rebellion against following and obeying the Word of God. When an unbeliever accepts Christ, they intuitively realize that tattoos and body piercing are wrong, and they are ashamed and some even start to remove them. However, naïve young adults who have been raised in a Christian home and protected from sin because of the boundaries their parents have set up for them for their protection, sometimes leave home and experiment with these sins until they have determined their own personal relationship with Jesus...until they have their own precious faith.

I believe we are living in the last days which is classified in Scriptures as...”a falling away...” 2 Thess. 2:3. The White Horse in the book of Revelation is sweeping the world and conquering it by religious deception.

Christians today are so naïve, gullible and outright stupid that they engage in all manner of evil and immorality, even putting on tattoos and body piercing as pagan nations have done in the past and still do today around the world to please their gods/demons. Lev. 19:28 warns: “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord.”

Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible, page 140, explains Lev. 19:28: “Tattooing was practiced in various pagan nations from the earliest times, as well as markings with all kinds of paint and cuttings on the flesh. These were connected with superstition; and any disfiguration of the body was an outrage to God and an insult to Him who designed the body originally.”

There are many Scriptures warning believers not to follow the practices of people in or from pagan nations who cut themselves or mark (tattoo) their bodies in honor of the dead or some spirit being (demon) or god. In Hinduism today, people honoring their Hindu gods will stick objects into their bodies and walk on knives and coals of fire, all attempting to please their gods. They usually go into a trance as spirits enter them during this process. Many religions have markings (tattoos) on their bodies, including many Muslim women.

NOTE: Ignorant or rebellious Americans will say, “But, it doesn’t mean that to me. It is just a cultural thing now in America.” Ladies and gentlemen, it does not matter to a demon whether you understand what you are doing or not, just like it does not matter if you understand the laws of gravity.

You will die either way if you jump off a five story building! Deut. 14:1 reads, “Ye are the children of the Lord your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.”

1 Kings 18:28, “And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets...”

NOTE: Again, the heathen cut themselves or marked themselves as a sign of honoring the dead or idolatrous worship. In Hinduism you will see body piercing with rings stuck all over their bodies from their nose, mouth, belly button, eyelids, and genitals, just like the youth in America do today. Whether they know it or not, it is witchcraft and rebellion against God, and they open themselves up to demonic forces.

Jer. 16:6: “Both the great and the small shall die in this land: they shall not...cut themselves...”

1 Cor. 3:17 reads: “If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.”

1 Cor. 3:16: “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”

1 Cor. 6:19-20: “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” Another translation closes, “Therefore honor God with your body.”

The reality is that tattoos do not glorify God. They are a sign of a generation in rebellion against God and usually against their parents; a generation that does not realize the fire they are playing with in the area of demonic strongholds and the pagan (religious) origin of tattoos and body piercing.

1 Sam. 15:23 reads: “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee...”

Deut. 21:18-21: "If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them. Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

When people choose to have tattoos and/or do body piercing, whether out of rebellion or vanity, it does not glorify God. All rebellion is an offense to God and is like the sin of divination. When done out of vanity, it is idolatry. Both reasons bring a curse along with God’s judgment. Do not expect your prayers to be answered or to prosper or be healed when you are in rebellion or idolatry.

God says about those people involved in sin and rebellion: Rom. 1:29-32: “Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers. Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents. Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”

Heb. 13:8 states: “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever.”

We either believe that the Scriptures are the authoritative Word of God for our guidance, morality, and lifestyle, or we nullify the Word of God and become as Lucifer; a law unto ourselves, putting us under the law of sin and death and cast into the lake of fire.

Rev. 20:12-15 reads: “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened, which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

A rebellious person usually responds to absolute truth, "Oh, that is your opinion.” No, the Word of God is God’s opinion. We must comply with His will or be judged with the nations that fight Him. If you have already tattooed your body or have been involved with body piercing, then repent. It must be from your heart, realizing you were fighting God’s will for your life. Break the curse so that your prayers can be answered and you can be prosperous and healed. Amen and amen!

Dr. Jonathan Hansen

© 2013 World Ministries International