Is Computer-Generated Reality Designed To Usher In A Post-Christian World?

I know the title of today's blog reads like apocalyptic science fiction, and even seems a bit over-dramatic. But all the warning signs are there, and when you have the creators of some of the most advanced Artificial Intelligence systems openly admitting that this technology could pose "a profound risk to society and humanity".... well, it's time to pay attention. 

First, let me say that I am not an expert on technology nor AI, and to be honest, I am not a fan of the increasing role it all plays in our lives. I've long thought that the "powers that be" have hinted at the reality of our future through movies like "The Terminator" and "War Games". And now the top industry leaders in AI have issued an open letter in which they are seeking "to reduce the risk AI poses to push humanity to extinction", comparing AI's influence to global pandemics and nuclear war. 

Furthermore, these leaders have expressed their concerns that artificial general intelligence (AGI) is not far away. This is the concept that AI can learn to accomplish any intellectual task that any human or animal can do -- and do it faster. Additionally, they define AGI as an autonomous system that surpasses human capabilities. [For now, at least, they are applying that characteristic to economically valuable tasks]. But did you catch that AGI would become autonomous? That means it will be able to act independently of its human handlers, and/or have the freedom to do so. And if that's not enough to make you concerned, consider that Geoffrey Hinton, a cognitive psychologist and computer scientist, also known as the "Godfather of AI", recently announced his departure from Google [where he worked on neural networks - used for solving AI problems] because he noted that "I'm just a scientist who suddenly realized these things are getting smarter than us". 

Soooo, how does this all connect to a post-Christian world? Follow me as I try to show you what is a possible scenario. To begin, we need to go back to 1961 and the Presidency of Dwight David Eisenhower. We are all familiar with Ike's warning about the military/industrial complex, which essentially warned the American populace that [the complex] would need to fund itself by endless wars. That prediction has been proven true. But he also gave a lesser known warning, in which he said, "we must also be alert to the equal and opposite danger that public policy itself could become the captive of a scientific-technological elite". He was an eye witness to government taking more and more control of science funding, and he believed that as politicians funded more of it, academia was going to self-select those who believed in big government. And that leads to corporations controlling academic science by controlling politicians. We have certainly seen this theory born out in the last few years of the pandemic crisis.

But let's take it a step further and consider the possibility that government-controlled science could lead to that scientific-technological elite that strives to rule through social authoritarianism. How could this happen? Well, we are seeing signs of that concept when we examine some of the functions of society. Consider how we've seen changes in the way our society is preserving order [or not]; in how we are managing education; handling the economy; and the importance of how our society is communicating to ensure the continuity of the culture for future generations. Communication is a basic and fundamental necessity for an individual and society/culture to survive. 

Changing the intention of language and its meanings can affect how a society continues to exist. The explosion of the internet and computer language/coding has changed how we communicate in the 21st Century. Face-to-face conversation is slowly disappearing, as we let computers do our talking for us. And without that interpersonal connection, there is no relationship, and humans were created for relationship. What we end up with is "gas-lighting tactics" in which the populace is deliberately and systematically fed false information to mislead them and cause them to question their perception of what's real and what's not. Computers are increasingly used to manipulate us with false and created language to direct and manipulate society towards a desired result, and potentially an artificial reality. 

All this is possible through the ridiculously fast rate at which computers can now converse with the human population. Enter the latest invention, the ChatBot, which in its latest version is being called "a reasonable [yet still incomplete] version of an AGI System" -- the autonomous system that can act independently of humans. That's why the Godfather of AI is quoted as saying, "Once AI can improve itself, which may not be more than a few years away, and could in fact already be here now, we have no way of knowing what the AI will do or how we can control it .... it will have the capability to act in the virtual world through its electronic connections, and in the physical world through robot bodies". 

Can you see that none of this is the design of our Creator? Artificial Intelligence can certainly lead to an Artificial Reality in which the human race is convinced that a) God is not real, therefore b) God does not exist. Furthermore, we will have no need of moral guidelines or the necessity of forgiveness because humans could potentially no longer be made [fully] in the image of God. As we see AI technology rapidly emerging in the field of biomedical research and health care, we face a very real danger of losing our spiritual connection with our Father in Heaven. 

What I believe we are seeing is the evolution of the Eternal War between God and Satan for control of the human race. For years medical scientists have studied the human genome to better understand how our DNA is coded.  In 2021 Science Daily reported that a scientific team "found that a neural network system trained on high-resolution maps of protein-DNA interactions could uncover subtle DNA sequence patterns throughout the genome and provide a deeper understanding of how these sequences are organized to regulate genes". That was in 2021. And now the leaders in the AI industry are warning that these computers are beginning to have the capability to act independently in gathering this artificial general information. What's to keep them from decoding human DNA and changing the code so that we no longer have the DNA God gave us?

That's why God destroyed the human race with the Flood. Man's DNA became corrupted with Fallen Angel DNA, and God would not tolerate it. He hasn't changed, and He won't tolerate it now! Satan has never given up on destroying us because of his envy and resentment of mankind, who are favored by the Creator. He lost his position in Heaven when he thought he could usurp the throne in the heavenly Kingdom of God. He has sought ways to defeat us through Sin and Death. But God sent His Son to redeem us, and now we have the promise of Eternal Life through our faith in Jesus as our Savior. 

But that isn't the end of God's grace towards us. Jesus also came to earth with the purpose of giving us His power and authority so we could be restored to our original purpose, to have dominion over the earth and rule it like God rules Heaven. Satan recognizes that through that divine power and authority, extended to us, we have the ability to take back territory from his earthly kingdom of darkness. But if Satan can use AI to change us at the very core of our earthly body -- our DNA -- then he has successfully corrupted God's creation, and we will see the emergence of AI 'gods". That's why computer generated reality is artificial, false, and designed to keep us separated from our true identity... the beloved children of God. 

It is time that we recognize the difference between the constructive use of technology and its potential for the destruction of the human race. This Eternal War with Satan pits his envy and resentment against our gratitude and responsibility as the redeemed children of God. So far, the devil has been able to deceive mankind in going down this technological road in order to usurp our power and authority, and to rid himself of his spiritual and mortal enemy. We need to listen to the experts who are warning us to pull the plug on the advancement of AI. We need to return to the key elements of our human existence and our God-given reality. We've gone too far already.

Colossians 2:8   See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception [pseudo-intellectual babble], according to the tradition [and musings] of mere men, following the elementary principles of this world, rather than following [the truth—the teachings of] Christ.

 

 

   

The Sea is Stirred Up, And The Waves Are Roaring!

 

I cannot imagine that there is anyone on earth who is not aware of how close the world is to the brink of a global war. Not only are all the talking heads spewing their propagandized versions of the Russia--Ukraine warfare, but for the first time, we have first-person accounts from ordinary citizens who are engaged in this conflict. Technology allows innocent citizens to share their testimony of the horrors of war. No longer will the reflections of heads-of-state be our only witness to this war. The human toll will be center stage as the terror, panic and atrocities of war are recorded by those personally experiencing it. 

Which makes it all that much more tragic. Who can turn away from the sights and sounds of men putting their families on trains, then turning back to pick up a weapon to defend their homeland? Or wives kissing husbands good-bye, not knowing whether it is the last time they will be together? And then there are the children, crying out for their fathers as they struggle to comprehend the heart-wrenching separation. You don't need to understand the language -- the human suffering is unmistakable; the pain understood by the language of our hearts... and it is the same as it has always been throughout the centuries of war on the earth. Only now we are eye-witnesses to it, and we share in that intimate pain and sorrow. 

If you are like me, you might find yourself lying in the early morning darkness, praying for God to step into this conflict before it draws the whole world into a conflagration from which no one survives. I repent for all the things mankind has done to grieve our Creator; for the selfishness and greed that leads powerful men to seek more power, no matter the cost. I lament that we have allowed our hearts to grow cold to the needs of others, and that we have become so short-sighted that we seek the temporary treasures of this world, rather than our inheritance in eternity. And I pray for God's justice towards the men who embrace the Anti-Christ spirit and have joined forces with Satan's kingdom of darkness. 

As I have been contemplating what our future might look like, I am reminded of a dream I had around 2008. It was so specific and disturbing that, at the time, I didn't know what to make of it. But I knew it came from God, and it's significance has become clearer in the intervening years. This dream was unlike any other;  it was so intense and so real, that I knew it was spiritual in purpose.  In this dream, I was on a beautiful beach with nearly pure white sand, and the beach was situated in a cove.  The best way I can describe it is if you took a map of the Gulf Coast of the United States, and flopped it, so that Florida was on your left. So, on one side of this cove, the land formed a peninsula that jutted out into the ocean, but I was protected from the roaring sea in this quiet cove. Then I became aware of a strange object in the water of this cove, and as only seems logical in dreams, I recognized it as a Ferris wheel. 

At this point, I must tell you that I am not really comfortable in deep water, so it is understandable that  as I approached the Ferris wheel in my dream, I was filled with some trepidation.  But I finally climbed into one of the buckets and it began its climb towards the sky, where I could see the beauty of the calm water before me.  But as it descended, I knew I was going to have to brace for an entrance into the deep water of the cove, before the rotation of the Ferris wheel continued its circular motion upward. So, I experienced several rounds of relaxed enjoyment, followed by the anticipation and fear of going underwater. Looking back at this dream, I believe this was representative of what I have faced over the last years as God has awakened me to the knowledge that we are in the Last Days... periods of calm, serenity, and confidence, followed by times of fear, anticipation and dread as He revealed more of how He wants me to spiritually prepare. It also could be symbolic of the ups and downs of our economy for the last decade-and-a-half -- periods of prosperity and growth, followed by shortages, recessions, and inflation. 

But then the dream took a different turn.  I exited the Ferris wheel, and ventured to walk from the cove and around to the other side of the peninsula. I felt drawn to the open sea, even though the sheer size and mass of the ocean frightened me. I stood looking at the ocean, mesmerized by its power, and then I noticed far-off in the distance, a small wave approaching. I stood there, almost hypnotized, watching this wave growing as it approached me until, shaken from my stupor, I realized that the swelling waves were going to swamp the shore on which I stood. 

Despite being fearful of the ocean and deep water, I knew that I had to try to escape and swim to safety. The next thing I became aware of in my dream was swimming as hard as I could and looking back over my shoulder to see that wave coming ever closer with such speed and height. At last it reached me and came crashing down on top of me, tumbling me over and over, and dragging me into the depths of the ocean. I was so scared, and fought to hold my breath, finally resigning myself to the fact that I was going to drown. 

Even in my dream state, I could feel my heart beating wildly and could sense my acceptance of death. Then I felt strong arms scooping me up in those deep waters, and of being cradled.  I heard a voice say, "It's all right.  There's no need to be afraid. I have you."  Then I had a fleeting moment of such profound peace, freedom from fear, and of being completely loved before waking up. I know, without a doubt, that this dream was confirming that, yes, there is a wave building across the globe, and it will come crashing down upon the world. There will be moments of panic and terror, but I am to rest in the knowledge that this fear will be fleeting. I will be secure in the arms of my Lord, who will literally save me from drowning in the chaos and evil of these days.

Nothing has changed in the intervening years, since I had the dream, to give me a different insight into the prophetic meaning of it.  Before our very eyes we are witnessing upheaval in our monetary systems, the erosion of independent sovereign nation states; and our social institutions and international relations are decaying.  The institution of marriage, that began in the Garden of Eden, has been redefined.  And the sanctity of life is sold for corporate profit.  As Paul McGuire, a prophecy expert, described the world in 2008, "It’s as if the world has been set on fire by chaos or crisis of every kind; financial crisis, terrorist crisis, racial crisis, moral crisis, religious crisis and even a crisis in our weather patterns." And we are 13 years further down that road!

So I know that many of you are feeling the effects of what we are witnessing in world events. But I'm here to tell you we don't have to succumb to fear or paranoia.  The love that I felt in that dream is real, and there is power and deliverance in it!  I can still feel the peace of being in the Presence of Jesus! We have been called by God, before the creation of the world, for a time such as this.  And the years since that dream have shown me that I have work to do in the spiritual war that is waging in, and around, and above this world. That's part of my purpose for being here, at this time and in this place. And I know for certain that God and Jesus will see us through whatever is coming, and we have been promised that the gates of Hell will not overcome us!  Just remember this: that wave may have come crashing down on me, but I landed in the strong arms of my Savior and He assured me that He would not let go. If you belong to Him, His promise is the same for you!

Luke 21:26-26   And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
  

 

Afghanistan is Not The Only Killer Of This Empire

I'm sure many of you join me in trying to understand what we see playing out on our TV screens nightly in Kabul. Afghanistan is known as "The Empire Killer" or "Graveyard of Empires" because major empires throughout history have been unable to conquer it; including [but not limited to] the Romans, Greeks, Huns, Mongols, Great Britain, Russia, and now the U.S. And Afghanistan was a common subject in the early days of this blog, when I tried to show God's hand in world affairs and our every day lives.

So, I was interested to see how far we've come since this article I posted in October of 2012, nearly 19 years ago. Boy, it's hard to realize that we have spent that much time, blood, money, and effort in "taming" this unbreakable fortress. And I was amazed at how many times in those years that the Taliban was also at the center of my writing. So, join me in looking back at what we, as a nation, were experiencing then....

October 1, 2012

The Khyber Pass, the Hindu Kush, Kandahar, Kabul and the Taliban .... all part of our lexicon due to a decades-long war in a country where war is almost part of their cultural identity.  Afghanistan has fought some of the greatest military powers in the history of the world.  Throughout its centuries of existence it has been conquered by Darius I of Persia (ca. 500 BC), Alexander the Great (330 BC), and the Mauryan Empire (part of modern-day India).  The Islamic conquest in 642 AD met with fierce resistance from the various mountainous tribes, as did the Mongols and different Persian and Indian empires in the Modern Era.  Nothing changed when the British and the Russians tried to subdue the peoples of this vast and difficult terrain.  

 I admit that the intricacies of inter-tribal relationships and control are too complex for this ordinary citizen to comprehend.  But I am not so simple-minded that I cannot recognize when our nation should re-evaluate our war policy.  If you are paying even the least bit of attention, you are aware that our soldiers in Afghanistan are coming under ever-increasing attacks by so-called "insiders" - supposed members of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) which are partnering with coalition forces to defend their country.   In fact, two more heroes lost their lives this weekend.  My first thought is, "Why aren't we doing a better job of screening these insiders?" and "What are we doing to protect our military?"

I was recently directed by a faithful reader of this blog to a website that I highly recommend.  It is called Michael Yon Online Magazine.  According to his website bio, "Michael Yon is a former Green Beret, who has been writing from Iraq and Afghanistan since December 2004.  No other writer has spent as much time with combat troops in these two wars.  Michael’s dispatches from the frontlines have earned him the reputation as the premier independent combat journalist of his generation."   Who better to give us the truth from our soldiers' perspective, right?

With that in mind, I want you to read portions of a post from last week.  Michael prints a letter from a son stationed in Afghanistan to his father.  Michael confirmed the authenticity of the letter, and published it with permission:

Dad,

I am fed up. I cannot believe the lack of attention the recent changes in this war is receiving by the media or the country. I think I saw one thing on CNN about the following subject, but I had to dig extensively to find it. The purpose of this letter is to let you know of the garbage that our soldiers are going through right now. With this knowledge, I hope that you take action by writing your congressmen.

First, because of the recent green on blue incidents or "insider threats" as the new buzz phrase dictates, all coalition forces in Afghanistan have completely stopped partnering with the ANA, AUP, and ALP in order to prevent the death of anymore CF casualties by ANSF or Taliban disguised as them. This is also greatly spurred by President Karzi's indifferent attitude and lack of action to take measures to prevent further insider attacks.

Our mission in Afghanistan is to partner with the ANSF on all levels. Now the policy makers are telling us that we are not allowed to do that and further more we are to take immediate measures to secure ourselves from the ANSF that are co-located with us. So the question now becomes, what is our mission? Furthermore, the implication is that we have absolutely no reason to still be in this country if we are not partnering with the ANSF. So why are we here?

I don't think that the American citizens would be happy if they knew that their soldiers were being prohibited from defending themselves in any way because of politically driven orders, but that is precisely what is happening in this war right now even as I write this letter. The soldiers of the U.S. never engage the enemy unless we know that we always have the tactical advantage in defending ourselves; that advantage is the use of close air support and air weapons team. To take those weapons away from us is to level the playing field for the enemy and thus exposing our soldiers to more danger. In the school house they teach us that the minimum ratio that we are to engage the enemy with, is a 3:1 ratio. In other words, we have the highest probability of winning because we don’t fight fair. The sound tactical principles behind this teaching have saved lives. The very presence of aircraft over our foot patrols has also saved lives and now our chain of command is being told by our political leadership that this is now not allowed.  If we are not partnering with the ANSF and we are not actively patrolling to prevent our enemies from massing their attacks on our COP and we can’t drop a bomb on the enemy that we have positively identified, than what the hell are we doing here?

Give us a mission or send us home. I honestly have no preference on what the politicians decide, as long as they just make a decision. Of course this will be a terrible inconvenience on the current elections so I am sure we will be forgotten, which really does not seem to be too different for how things have been going for the last eleven years.

Do not buy into what some media outlets have already said about this. Casually saying that this is a frequent occurrence is false, and is an attempt to downplay the major ramifications for these decisions. We have never been so restricted in defending ourselves as we are now. This is not just a stand down. The other implication of this decision is that we will perhaps never regain our relationship with the ANA after we have executed these measures to protect ourselves from them.  Essentially, we have left them to die as we watch from our high-tech cameras and UAVs. They will not forget this and I fear the relationship will never be the same.

I love you very much Dad and I don’t want you to worry about me any more than you already are, but I also know that this has to be brought up, someone has to say something about this. It is wrong to keep this hidden away while American soldiers are under constant threat of death and dying.  I don’t care if you send this letter directly, this needs to be known.

Your son,

[In Afghanistan ]

The United States of America is now involved, nine years later, in a humiliating withdrawal; leaving a nation who believed our promises to protect them from the very forces that enslaved them, the Taliban. Not only do the citizens of Afghanistan feel betrayed, but I venture, so do the American people. Freedom is the inherent right of all people, and now millions of Afghanis fear for their lives from a regime that has only shown them terror and tyranny. The American people have sacrificed their treasure (in both lives and money), believing that our leaders were waging a war that was worth the cost -- it would guarantee that the homeland would remain safe. Do we still believe that? How many of those being transported to our homeland have the destruction of America in mind? And consider this -- the same politicians who waged the war then are still in office today. They were enriched as our soldiers and the economy paid the price. And now we must ask ourselves ... for those Afghans who truly helped us, have we just given rise to a new generation who will hate America for abandoning them?

I heard a veteran of this decades-long war say on a radio program today that he didn't think Jesus could forgive him for some of the things he did and witnessed while deployed in Afghanistan. I want everyone who served to know that Jesus can forgive you of anything! Just confess, repent for your actions, and ask for forgiveness. Jesus will wash you clean! And, please forgive yourself! Most veterans fought for love of country and represented us well. The American people don't hold you accountable for this nation being at war. In fact, it is the political and military leadership who will one day have to stand before the King of Kings and answer for their motives and actions. 

I know this is not the usual spirit of what I write about, but I woke in the early morning hours today talking to Jesus and in deep sorrow for what has been wasted these last 20 years. I know the Lord hates war, and He knows the truth of the decisions that have brought us to this point in time. I prayed for hours before dawn that He would deliver us from the consequences of our national pride, greed, and evil intentions. Very soon, nations will be divided into either sheep or goats. That will be a time of both reward and judgment. Yes, Scripture tells us that this will be a result of how each person and nation has treated God's chosen people, Israel. But I also fervently believe that reward and judgment will also come from our national history. We have a lot to be proud of, but there is so much we need to repent for. Father, consider our hearts; do not judge us by the actions of our leaders; and heal those whose lives have been shattered, both here and abroad. Lead us on paths of righteousness for your Name's sake -- it's the only thing that will be balm to our hurting souls and disappointed spirits.

Proverbs 6:16-19      There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.
  

 

 

Let's Begin At The Beginning ... And It Starts Before the Bible

Our Home Church group has finished our nearly 18-month study of the Book of Matthew, and I think one of the things I loved the most about it was the new knowledge we all gained as we learned more about the Jewish culture that Jesus was born into, and how it affected our understanding of Scripture. It broadened so much of the teachings we had all grown up with and exposed our 21st Century Western bias. So now that we've finished the first Book of the New Testament, we decided to go back to the first Book of the Old Testament, Genesis.

There is so much about Genesis that I think has been ignored and set aside by pastors, teachers and even Christian apologists because it is either controversial (Genesis 6:1-4, for example), or there is not enough information in the modern canon to come to a conclusive agreement or understanding. And once again, as I stated last post, I am a Christian contrarian and I am willing to dig deep, consider ancient writings and resources, and trust the Holy Spirit to reveal God's Truth to me, even if a source is outside the divine Holy Book we call the Bible. I will also state again that I sometimes think we 21st Century Christians are arrogant in our notion that our current dogma and doctrines are somehow superior just because we think we are more advanced than ancient peoples. But I also think that this prideful perspective limits the vastness of God's influence and activity in the world; from the ancient civilizations to the present. 

So, I invite you to join me as our faithful group attempts to uncover some of the questions that we've never dared ask in our Sunday School classes for fear we would be chastised. We will all be studying Genesis in the Bible, which for me is the core and central key to my research. But as we advance through what I consider one of the most important books of the Bible, I will be surrounded with the Book of Jasher, the Book of Enoch, the Complete Works of Josephus, and The Genesis 6 Conspiracy by author, Gary Wayne. The Bible will be my guide, but these other references will be the bread crumbs that lead me to additional knowledge, and ultimately back to the Bible. As I've so often said, everything in the Bible is about the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit .... but everything about Them and the history of their relationship with mankind is not in the Bible. I do not expect that all my questions will be answered because God is infinite and there will always be more to learn about Him. However, I do expect to know more of Him as the dirty veil Satan has put over our religious eyes is removed. And everything will be vetted through Scripture and Holy Spirit's counsel.

To begin with, let me explain why I consider the Books of Jasher and Enoch to be credible resources. Both are referenced in the Bible, and although I understand that our current Bible has gone through many translations and transformations through the centuries, I believe that what we have is still divinely inspired and God is still speaking through it for our edification and sanctification. The original manuscript of the Book of Jasher [or the Book of the Just, or Upright Man, as it has also been known] has been lost to history, and there have been forgeries down through the centuries. I have the Ancient Book of Jasher by Dr. Ken Johnson, in which he states, "The Book of Jasher was never considered to be inspired by God. It is simply an accurate history book". In that sense, it fills in so many of the gaps that our modern Bible has in the Genesis story -- specifically in the life of Abraham, for instance; all the while retaining the core truth presented in the Bible, along with God's righteous principles. 

Dr. Johnson writes that according to rabbinic legend, the Book of Jasher and several other ancient non-biblical Hebrew texts were brought from Jerusalem to Spain after the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70. One of the officers of Titus, Sidrus by name, was a believer in the God of the Hebrews. He made sure several sacred texts made it out of Jerusalem and into the Spanish city of Sevilia for safe-keeping. The sepharidic rabbis kept the texts safe and in the year AD 1613, the first official printed Hebrew copy of the Book of Jasher was published in Venice, Italy. The first translation from the Hebrew version of Jasher into English was completed in AD 1840. Again, it is a history book that relates ancient events in the history of the Hebrew race, and is referenced in Joshua 10:13, 2 Samuel 1:18 and 2 Timothy 3:8.

The Book of Enoch, on the other hand, is part of the liturgical canon of the Ethiopian Church and Eastern Orthodox Churches, but not included in Protestant canon. I find it interesting that it is quoted nearly verbatim in Jude, where it references the Genesis 6 incursion of fallen angels. Because Genesis 6:1-4 is so hotly debated in the Church [if it is ever discussed at all!], the First Book of Enoch is often declared heretical, even though it provides the story of Enoch being visited by evil Watchers [messengers] to intercede on their behalf for those evil deeds done on earth. He is also the recipient of how Satan gained access to the sacred knowledge God imparted to Adam and corrupted it, resulting in the origins of evil on the earth that we are still experiencing today. NOTE: the 2nd and 3rd Books of Enoch are considered forgeries and not credible.

So, I relate all this to let you know why I'm going on this journey. Genesis is the key to understanding the rest of the Bible. It holds so many gems of the origins of our faith; precepts and clues to why events unfold in the Bible the way they do, and the reasons for God's actions. But I want to start this series of revelations with sharing why it is important to understand Pre-Biblical history. Yes, the writings that became the Books of Jasher and Enoch existed before the Bible came into existence, but did you know that there is more evidence of God in the ancient stories and legends that we tend to dismiss as myths, fables, folk tales, and fantasy? Before I dive into even the first verse of the first chapter of Genesis, we must consider what ancient history tells us about God.

I think most Christians are either afraid to look at the myths and legends because it seems heretical and pagan, or a religious spirit whispers that those tales have nothing to do with our God, and therefore we might displease Him. But when you dive into their belief systems, you find some amazing similarities to stories in the Bible. I know, I know .... this often gives rise to agnostics and atheists who claim that our faith is just an extension of ancient fables. But did you ever consider that perhaps these legends were true? That it was God's way of communicating with ancient civilizations in language, experiences, and names/titles that were relevant to their time in history?

Let's consider a race of people from the region of southern Mesopotamia known as Sumer. These Sumerians were considered creators of civilization as modern humans understand it (existing between 4100 -1750 BC). They were known for their innovations in language, governance, architecture and more. There are quite a few Sumerian legends and writings that are similar to modern belief systems; they refer to an Age where "heroes of old" or superhuman deities [part man, part god] reigned over mortal man. In their writings, they spoke of a race of giant aliens from the planet Niburu, called the Annunaki. The word "Annunaki" means "Princely offspring" and "Those of royal blood". According to the Sumerians, the Annunaki were children created from the union of the supreme deity of their civilization, the god Anu, and Ki, who was the goddess of Earth. Is anybody else thinking of the pagan worship of Mother Earth that still exists today, or of the History channel's Ancient Aliens?

The Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh is recognized as the earliest surviving notable literature [written 2100 - 1200 BC], and the second oldest religious text. It consists of five Sumerian poems chronicling the history of Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk. In the second half of the epic, Gilgamesh undertakes a long and perilous journey to discover the secret of eternal life. He eventually learns that "Life, which you look for, you will never find. For when the gods created man, they let death be his share, and life withheld in their own hands". Keep in mind this was written a couple of thousand years before Christ's birth! 

We also have the Greek legends of Titans as demigods of great strength, power, and height. All civilizations down through the centuries have shared some form of ancient legends of a powerful, giant-like race that were half-god, half-man -- not dissimilar to the Nephilim of Genesis 6:1-4. I do not relate these ancient legends to you in an effort to refute the account in Genesis 6, but rather to validate it! I believe God has been speaking to man down through the ages of the same event. Every civilization, age and epoch has recorded it, either in writing or oral form because it is true! They might have different names [as they became known in their own cultures and languages] but the nexus of all these stories --  from the Sumerians through Greek literature through Genesis and Revelation to even American Indian lore -- is that the ancient transcripts found in the Assyrian cuneiform tablets, the mythologies, and the legends from antiquity have a common theme with the Genesis account in Chapter 6. 

What are we to make of this? Do we dismiss it as mere mystery as the secularists wish? Do we disregard it as being unworthy of study as those with scientific minds suggest? Are they all just fanciful imaginations of men who need something greater than themselves to believe in? As I go forward with where my study is taking me, I promise you that standard theology will no longer apply. Will you be willing to view God as bigger and greater and older and more sovereign than you've ever considered Him? Set aside any doubts or skepticism that you might have from this incomplete and oversimplified post that I've written. I just wanted to give you a starting point to begin this journey with me and see if you are able to read the Book of Genesis in a new light; a profound Light of greater Truth. I hope you're as excited as I am!

John 1:1    In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (the eternal Message, the creative Word, and the Living Expression of God made visible), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself.

Will We Christians Recognize God's Strong Delusion?

 

Those of us who are Christians with discerning hearts and spirits are aware that lawlessness is on growing/ There are spirits of anarchy, chaos, and rebellion that seem to have been given free reign over the land. And we are all aware that it won't be long before the Man of Lawlessness, as prophesied in the Bible, appears on the scene and is revealed. In 2 Thessalonians 2, we learn that this son of destruction will oppose the worship of any other god besides himself; and indeed, will exalt himself above the One True God, seating himself in the temple of God [in Jerusalem], and proclaiming himself to be God. We can take courage, though, because the Bible tells us that the appearance of this imposter is a sign that the Lord Jesus will soon appear and kill him with the breath of His mouth! 

But how has this blasphemous and profane man found his way upon the world stage? Again, the Bible gives us the answer ... "by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved." As Christians, we know that Satan has the ability to fool and deceive many into rejecting the salvation that Jesus offers. But surely that warning to "those who are perishing" can't apply to us who call ourselves saved and believers! Or can it? Remember, that Jesus, Himself, in Matthew, Chapter 24, refers to the prophecy of Daniel that there will be an abomination in the House of the Lord when a usurper stands in the Holy Place. This will be a future Man of Lawlessness who perverts the sanctity of God's House. Jesus goes on to warn that there will be great persecution against His followers, and "false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect." But how can that happen? How could people who consider themselves strong believers possibly be so deceived? We find the answer in 2 Thessalonians 2 ... "Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

Surely, that only refers to those who persistently reject Jesus as the Son of God, denying His redemptive death on the Cross for our sins and denying His resurrection to eternal life. But I would ask you to consider this ... again, I want to emphasize God's Immutable (Never-Changing) Nature. As tired as you may be of hearing it, He truly is the same as He was yesterday, is today, and will be tomorrow. So, we must recognize that God lets us know throughout the Bible that Judgment is part of His character and nature. The Book of Psalms is full of descriptors of His Judgment:  It is true; it is in all the earth; He has established His throne for Judgment; and He will most assuredly execute His Judgment.

But there is another topic that surrounds this theme of "Judgment", and it can be found in both the Old and New Testaments.  In Ezekiel, Chapter 9, God shows the prophet a vision of an effectual slaughter of the people of Israel for the abominations they have committed against Him.  Ezekiel sees God commanding an angel to put a mark on the foreheads of those who mourned over the sinfulness and kept themselves apart from it.  Then come the devastating words of the Lord: Utterly slay old men, young men, maidens, little children, and women, but do not touch any man on whom is the mark; and you shall start from My sanctuary. It is quite apparent that God's Judgment is swift and terrible, and His Judgment begins with His sanctuary. We, my friends, are His sanctuary today! We, as individuals and the corporate "Church" are His dwelling place on the earth. But soon, there will be a man who will arise, and being full of deception, he will perform great signs and wonders, so that he will be able to deceive even the elect -- if it is possible. 

How can it be possible to deceive the elect? Let's start with 1 Peter 4:17, which says, For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? Note that Peter says "for those who do not obey the gospel of God". Not "believe" but "obey" the gospel of God! First of all, the gospel of God includes all the good news of His nature, His character, His mercy, His love, and His laws. Can today's Church honestly say that they have obeyed His statues and His instruction to us? Have we followed His strict mandates for how He desires we worship, honor, and obey Him? Or have we followed our own hearts and compromised with the world so His House looks less like Him and more like what pleases us?

And has the modern church considered which gospel Peter is talking about? Is it the gospel of Salvation or the gospel of the Kingdom? Oh, we understand the gospel of Salvation pretty well and most of us will say we have obeyed its tenets. But remember, there are strong warnings to those who refused to "love the truth", thereby allowing themselves to be deceived and deluded. What is the truth? Yes, Jesus came to die for our sins, but He came for so much more! 

He came to re-establish His Father's kingdom on earth and to share the good news that the dominion of the earth could be ours again. Yes, His death gives us the choice to choose eternal life through faith in Him, but that salvation is just the first step. We cannot even see [or understand] what the Kingdom of God on earth is to be until we've been saved, and we cannot enter [or be a part of] the Kingdom [as citizens of heaven on earth] until we've been saved. Jesus, Himself, states that in John 3:1-5. Yet so much of "the Church" hasn't embraced and "loved this truth". Furthermore, we are commanded to take back dominion of the earth by healing the sick, casting out demons, raising the dead, and spreading the Gospel of the Kingdom to all earth's inhabitants. Those actions can [and should] be done by every Christian in order to defeat Satan's kingdom. 

We are not to simply receive our salvation and live out the rest of our lives waiting to die and go to Heaven! I believe our refusal to obey these commandments, once we have acknowledged their truth, are grounds for condemnation at the throne of God... "each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire" (1 Corinthians 3:13-15). God desires more FOR us than our salvation. And He desires more FROM us -- that we enter His Kingdom, do all that He commands us on earth, and receive our inheritance in Heaven. That is the "bigger truth" of our faith.

So, back to this "strong delusion" from God. What might it look like? First, let's establish what the ancient writers would have meant by using that word delusion. It's interesting that in the Hebrew, the word can describe "a tyrant", which would certainly be indicative of the Man of Lawlessness. In the Greek, the word means fraudulent; a straying from orthodoxy or piety; wrong opinion; a forsaking of the right path (whether in doctrine or in morals); a wrong opinion or error in morals or religion. So, does the Bible give us any clues as to what this delusion could look like and how people could [and will] fall for it?  We just need to look to the Book of Revelation to see the vision...

This important and last Book of the Bible holds the key to answering our questions. It speaks in Chapters 12 and13 of several "players" in this great delusion. We have a dragon, who is Satan. And we see a beast, who was given the dragon's power, throne and authority. This is the Anti-Christ. We have another beast with two horns "like a lamb", who is the False Prophet. Hopefully, you are seeing that Satan is counterfeiting God's true hierarchy. Jesus, is of course the True Lamb, who shares in the Father's power, throne and authority. He was considered a great prophet in His day and proven to be the true Messiah. The beast, who is "like a lamb", will be a False Prophet [in the manner of John the Baptist}, who will be declared to be "like Elijah" [just as John was] and who is commissioned to make way for the appearance of the False Messiah [just as John made way for the true Messiah]. It is the False Prophet who will do great and miraculous signs and wonders [counterfeiting those of Jesus] and who will establish a one-world religion, with the objective of bringing about the crowning of the False Messiah. His call for a "universal church", blending all religions into one, will be a tempting message to those in the world who are tired of the persecution, strife and chaos that will be rife in the world. He will speak of "love" and "peace", which will be comforting words to ears that are desperate to hear them... especially Christians!

But we must not be deceived! We must hold fast to Jesus' warning that "false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect."  In fact, He tells us that many will fall away, betray one another, and hate one another.  And again, Satan will counterfeit God's moves. In Ezekiel 9, God placed a mark on the foreheads of those who remained righteous and followed His precepts, keeping themselves separate from those who followed evil. Satan will cause a mark to be placed on the right hand or the forehead of those willing to go along with the False Prophet's enticing agenda. And just like God, Satan will destroy those who do not have the mark.

I cannot stress enough how important it is that the Household of God be aware of what is coming! We cannot bury out heads in the sand and pretend that what the Bible prophesies will not happen. What is spoken of in Ezekiel, 1 Corinthians, 2 Thessalonians, and the Book of Revelation will take place! There will be a fiery test of the quality of one's faith.  In other words, there will be a process of judgment that leads to a decision [by God], resulting from His investigation.  Those who are sealed with the mark of true faith will be exempt from the Judgment. Make no mistake ... there is a Man of Lawlessness waiting in the wings, and there is a strong delusion coming from God to separate the truly righteous from the pretenders. I pray the foundation of your life has been laid with the fullness of Jesus's truth and Gospels. May the true Church expose the deception of the Enemy and guide the faithful through the delusion that will cause many to fall away from their faith. To God be the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory forever and ever! Amen! 

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1 Samuel 15:23    For rebellion is as [serious as] the sin of divination (fortune-telling), And disobedience is as [serious as] false religion and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you as king.”

 

Kingdoms In Collision: Putting Our National Crisis In Perspective

 

I would hope that all Americans understand the gravity of our national state of affairs. And I'm not strictly talking from a political or social position. Yes, the values of America seem to be separating along opposing philosophies and tenets, and are in stark contrast with each other. But we must look beyond political ideology, race and social issues, and even our disputes over different economic systems. 

The tearing apart of our country is a pre-planned, well-designed plot that is several millenia old. We are focused on today, January 6th, 2021 and also January 20th, to define the future of the United States of America. And most certainly, as far as it pertains to our individual lives, and our chances of retaining the original blueprint of the thirteen colonies and the republic, these dates are crucial. 

But Americans of faith must recognize that this is a clash of kingdoms... the kingdom of God on earth versus the kingdom of Satan. Please understand that the Kingdom of God in Heaven is everlasting! There is nothing that God's enemy, Lucifer, can do to overthrow the eternal dominion of God, the Creator of the Universe. But ever since man began establishing human kingdoms in the world, there have been battles for world dominion, and kingdoms have risen and fallen. Earthly kings and emperors vie for world control and are only too willing to partner with earth's god of darkness/evil to receive his power. 

Lucifer, whose arrogance cost him his place in Heaven, now operates as Satan in the earth, and promises world power to those who will vow their allegiance to him in exchange for their own portion of wealth and domination. Throughout history, those kingdoms and kings have traded their souls to get a piece of this promised power. Those kingdoms and kings have come and gone... the Pharaohs of Egypt, Kings Shalmaneser V and Sargon II of Assyria; King Nebuchadnezzer of Babylon; King Cyrus of Persia; Alexander the Great of Greece; Julius Caesar of Rome; Genghis Khan of Mongolia; Josef Stalin of Russia; Adolph Hitler of Germany; Mao Zedeng and Deng Xiaoping of China; and many more in between. Satan has been building a willing coalition throughout history to help him wrest final control over the earth. And the Bible tells us that one day soon he will unleash a religious-political dictator upon the earth in opposition to all that God has planned for the return of His Son, Jesus Christ.

This leader will become the earth's superpower and will demand allegiance from the earth's peoples and nations. This superpower will seek to change God's moral and sovereign laws and set up his own counterfeit system of commandments and statutes. But it is God's faithful people who refuse to give him allegiance and are willing to suffer persecution unto death rather than submit or surrender to Evil. They will not abandon God's Truth for human traditions and values. They will not abandon the authority of God's Word for the idea that human experience and rational thinking provide the only source of knowledge and a moral code to live by. They will not abandon the freedom that God offers for the bondage that Satan demands. They fundamentally know in their soul and spirit that all power on earth and in Heaven belongs to God, the Creator.

So, as in many other times throughout history, we find ourselves on a collision course between God's kingdom and the kingdoms of the earth, controlled by Satan. But this time there is a difference. As citizens of both the Kingdom of God on earth and the United States of America, we have the unique experience of living in true freedom .... our nation is historically exceptional in having secured the rights of individuals as primary over the collective rights of its citizens; and our freedom in Christ has freed us from the bondage and penalty of sin, as well as the freedom to become all we've been created to be and do for our Savior and His Kingdom.

And now we find ourselves at a crucial crossroads. Do we have the faith and the fortitude to serve our God, the rightful ruler of all the earth's kingdoms? Is there strength and power in our prayers to stand with Him against those who would seek to place an illegal counterfeit in the seat of power in our nation? Are we willing to approach God in His Divine Sanctuary and surrender everything to Him to see His purpose for this nation survive? 

There is a drumbeat that every American of faith answers to. It is the drumbeat of freedom that echoes the heartbeat of God and inspires us to reach for our calling and destiny. We freely repent of the grievous and rebellious sins of this nation, believing in the grace of our God to redeem us and transform us once again into a nation that reflects Him and His original concept of man partnering with God to reflect His dominion over the earth. These next days and weeks will reveal if we are to receive His mercy or His final judgment upon our beloved country. 

Please join me in praying, Father, we give thanks to You for allowing us to live in this great land! We praise You for giving us the opportunity to enjoy the freedoms that the rest of the world longs for. And, Father, we ask Your forgiveness for squandering those freedoms and for not protecting Your ways and Your commandments. And now, in our day of trouble, we seek you, Lord! The pillars You established in our land are cracking and our nation totters. We pray, O Lord, keep our pillars steady and secure!

We declare Your Greatness and Your Sovereignty in the matters of our nation! Your ways are holy, O God! Forget not, Your remnant, who cry out for Your Might and Your Compassion to be stirred up for us. Break down the walls of our enemies and restore us to be "one nation under God" once again! Look down from Heaven and see the millions who call upon Your Name in repentance and in hope. Let the nations exclaim, "America is their God and look how He avenges the faithful!"

Revive us and show us Your favor; withdraw Your righteous wrath which we deserve. Speak peace and Your steadfast love into our land. Watch us glorify Your Name in the midst of our struggles. Turn back to us, Father, and give us Your strength to stand for the covenant established with You long ago. We are called by Your Name, and we commit our lives, our faith, and our future to You. Search our hearts and see our dedication to You and Your kingdom. See that we hold fast to You and know Your Name -- answer us, Lord; be with us; rescue and save us. We ask all this in the Mighty and Precious Name of our Deliverer, Yeshua ha Mashiach! AMEN!

Psalm 97:10    O you who love the LORD; hate evil! He preserves the lives of His saints; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked. 

Psalm 62:11-12 ... So Much Revealed About The God We Serve

God has spoken once,
Twice I have heard this:
That power belongs to God.

Also to You, O Lord, belong lovingkindness and compassion,
For You compensate every man according to his work.

 

I have been making it a practice to read the Psalms in the morning, limiting myself to five at a time so that I am conscientious in listening to the Spirit as I pursue understanding. And I am always delighted when a specific passage or verse catches my spiritual eye. I can ruminate on it for hours or an entire day. This time it was the above verses in Psalm 62.

Most of the Psalms were written by David and express just how much he relied on the Lord to guide him through his trials. The common themes are waiting on the Lord, seeking protection from the Lord, and praising God for being his salvation, rock, and fortress. But the underlying message of each sacred song is the existing power of God to supply all David's needs.

As I contemplate the dawning of a new year, I am under no illusion that turning a page on the calendar is going to guarantee that our personal or national trials are going to be relegated to history and everything will return to "normal". If anything, the pressure is building and even more trials and adversity are headed our way. 

A recently prepared report by the Secular Democrats of America Political Action Committee (PAC) for the incoming presidential administration, proposed a plan "to advance a secular agenda at all levels of government ... and disentangle entrenched religious interests from federal policy". Furthermore, the report warned that "the rise of white Christian nationalism is a national security threat". In my mind that kind of deliberate language intends to undermine the freedom of religious expression that is guaranteed in our First Amendment rights, as well as denounce the Christian heritage and history of this nation. Ultimately, the aim of instituting secularism through government policy amounts to authoritarianism that denies the existence of God. 

And that, my friends, is the very goal of Satan: to put believers of the Most High God under totalitarian control of the Pharaohs and Hitlers of the world; men who have been deceived into accepting the promise of the Enemy's power as their own. But YHWH's love for His creation is steadfast and enduring and He always finds men [and women] who are willing to partner with Him and His power to overcome Satan's diabolical plots to control the world. And that's what Psalm 62, verses 11 and 12 reveal to me...

Once God has spoken, and twice I have heard this ... So immutable and so unchanging is God's word that it is established forever. Once He speaks it, it is set in stone [as in the Ten Commandments. Although the first set were smashed, the commandments were established forever and are eternal]. As the esteemed theologian Charles Spurgeon explained, "God speaks once and utters eternal verities. All our speaking may yet end in sound; but He speaks, and it is done; He commands, and it stands fast". And in my opinion, our ability to hear twice references our natural ears and our spiritual ears; if we have a true spiritual relationship with God, then we hear both in the physical and in our hearts. Perhaps that is why Jesus so often repeats, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear" -- let him not only hear Jesus's voice, but hear the Father's voice in his heart and through that spiritual connection.

And what are we to hear? That power belongs to God. This is the understanding we all need to have for this day and time. Our way of life in this nation is clearly threatened, and now we are beginning to see [through the aforementioned report] that our faith may soon come under attack. Remember, Jesus prophesied that those who believe in Him will be hated by all nations because of His Name. And if we call ourselves Christians, what have we heard? That power belongs to God! The power to overcome any situation rests with God's decision to share HIS power! 

In the Old Testament, God chose who to lend His power to; it was not freely available to all. We see this concept in the experiences of the following Biblical heroes: Noah built an ark; Abraham left his ancestral lands for a land promised to his descendants; Moses answered the call of God to deliver the Israelites out of bondage; Joshua led the people in bringing down the walls of Jericho; Rahab helped the Israelite spies to escape; Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego entered a fiery furnace. They all received power from God to work on His behalf!  In these Old Testament examples, it was God taking action to work on behalf of His people by sending His Holy Spirit to specific people to accomplish His purpose. And He did it out of His steadfast love for them.

And that steadfast love continues to us, as expressed in Psalm 62, verse 12: And that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love. Because that love has endured since the beginning of the Creation, God so loved the world that He sent His love through His Son to save us all from eternal punishment. And with that shared love from the Father, the Son also received His Father's power.  Jesus clearly states this in Matthew 28:18, "All authority (all power of absolute rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me". And what is the Father's ultimate plan? To have His power transferred through Jesus to us! In Luke 10:19, Jesus tell us, "Listen carefully: I have given you authority [that you now possess] to tread on serpents and scorpions, and [the ability to exercise authority] over all the power of the enemy (Satan); and nothing will [in any way] harm you". And after His crucifixion and resurrection, the Lord appears to His disciples in the upper room, and secures His covenant with faithful followers: "I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high".

That "power from on high" is the same Holy Spirit that gave Jesus access to the Father's power, and now grants us the ability to use that power also. Whether, as in the Old Testament, God appointed His power to individuals, or under the New Testament covenant, all those who believe on the Name of Jesus, the Messiah [Yeshua Ha Mashiach] can use their free will to gain access to it, God will render to a man according to his work (Psalm 62:12). And that is vitally important that we members of Christ's Ekklesia understand that!

How will we use that divine power that is in us to overcome what we will face in 2021 and beyond? We must be witnesses of the power of God [in us] to defeat the schemes of the devil to dominate the earth. God is a jealous god who greatly values His power that has been deposited in us, and He expects us to use it wisely and judiciously. It is not to be wasted, nor is it to be inactive. As in the Parable of the Talents, He expects a return on His investment. When we exercise His divine power to overcome the kingdom of darkness in the world, He tells us if we have been faithful with a little, He will give us more... For to everyone who has, will more be given, and he will have an abundance... God will render to a man according to his work.

So, as the Ekklesia of the Lord, we have much work to do in the coming months and years, and whatever time we have left on this earth. The darkness appears to be growing, but we, who have faith in the power from on high that exists in us, know that we have all we need to defeat it and its master. Trust in the power of God that is in you! And believe that Jesus intended for God's power to be present in His disciples until He returns; to be present to nullify the power of the devil... and He intended for us to use it! 

A Nation Divided -- Part Two

In the last post, I began my argument that we should take a good hard look at the dissolution of the ancient Kingdom of Israel for clues as to how a nation in covenant with God can find itself falling into apostasy and ruin. I see a lot of similarities between modern America and Solomon's kingdom of Israel. In this post, I will conclude my theory and then pray for our nation.

     When we last left Solomon, he was nearing the time of his death and we had a pretty good picture of all the ways that he had enriched himself at the expense of his citizens. And we mustn't forget that Solomon defied God's command [in Deuteronomy 17:17] to refrain from marrying foreign wives. And he didn't just dabble in his rebellion, he flaunted it! The Bible tells us in 1 Kings 11:1, Now king Solomon [defiantly] loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women. The Lord became angry because Solomon began following the foreign gods of these wives, so God declared, "Because you have done this and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant.". That became reality when Jeroboam, a member of the northern tribe of Ephraim met Ahijah, the prophet, on the road from Jerusalem and it was revealed to him that God would grant him favor, "[taking] the kingdom out of his (Solomon's) son’s hand and give it to you: ten tribes".

     The prophet, Ahijah, effectively rendered God's divine judgment against Solomon for worshiping other gods and idols. These sins amounted to apostasy against God. So, when Solomon dies, and Rehoboam takes the throne, he has the opportunity to bring unity, reconciliation, and relief to the heavy burden of taxation placed on the people of the kingdom. When the people approached him for this relief, instead of listening to the elders who understood that granting relief from heavy taxation would result in a prosperous and happy citizenry, Rehoboam listened to his spoiled contemporaries who had grown up as recipients of the unfair and unequal taxation. They weren't about to advise the king to do anything that would decrease the riches they, too, were accumulating. This situation was in accordance with what was spoken to Jeroboam, so that God might fulfill His word spoken of by the prophet Ahijah.

     I don't think it's too hard to see that our own government machine, and the politicians that benefit from their position in that machine, resemble Solomon, Rehoboam, and his counselors. To their way of thinking, taxing the populace is more preferential to sacrificing the monetary rewards of the offices they hold. Add increased taxes on top of an ever-expanding gap between the rich and the middle class and the poor, and you have an unhappy citizenry, just as Rehoboam inherited upon his father's death. 

     And let's not forget the military/industrial complex, which like Solomon's war machine of armies, horses, and chariots must be maintained and the machine constantly fed. Then there's the situation of wedding yourself to nations whose goal is to infiltrate and conquer. Sound familiar? And Satan is working in the midst of all of this, pulling the nations away from their original covenant and purpose. Greed, power, and self-enrichment soon develops into an appetite for more of the same, and serving God becomes a distant thought.   

     And that's what happened to the peoples of the kingdom of Israel. The people of the northern tribes aligned themselves with Jeroboam, who had been a great military leader during Solomon's reign, and they made him king. When Rehoboam heard of this rebellion, he prepared to go fight against King Jeroboam and his forces. But again, God used a holy prophet (Shemaiah) to speak to Rehoboam, the king of Judah, who said, “Tell Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and all the house (fighting men) of Judah and Benjamin and the rest of the people, ‘Thus says the Lord, “You shall not go up and fight against your brothers, the sons of Israel. Let every man return to his house, for this thing has come about from Me.”

     Can you see that God may be doing the same thing with this nation? No one can doubt the acute division between the people of our nation. We've nearly reached a boiling point. But does God desire that this happen; or is He also calling us to "return to our homes" and resist fighting our fellow citizens because He is trying to call our attention to the ways in which we've deserted Him? Will we acknowledge our apostasy, or will we continue in rebellion?

     Oh, Lord, let us learn from the rebelliousness that continued in the House of David! Do not let us be like King Jeroboam, of the northern kingdom of Israel, who doubted God's promise to him, and feared that if his constituents continued to go to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at Solomon's Temple, their hearts would return to his son, Rehoboam, the king of Judah. So Jeroboam made two calves of gold for the people to worship, just as they had in the wilderness. Not only did he rebel against God's command to worship only Him, he appointed men as priests who were not from the tribe of Levi; he worshiped at "high places" and altars not sanctified to God; and held a feast, sacrificing to these golden calves at unholy altars, counterfeiting the holy Feast of Tabernacles, which was commanded by God.

     The idol worship and apostasy against the Lord continued under the reign of King Jeroboam until "this thing (idol worship) became the sin of the house of Jeroboam to blot it out and eliminate it from the face of the earth" (1 Kings 13:34). The ten tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel would go into captivity by means of the invading armies of Assyria. The people would be carried to the nations of the world, most of them losing their identities as the chosen people of God. The nation of Judah didn't fare any better. They would also go to Babylon in captivity. But God knows who they all are, and one day they will return to their homeland (as they are beginning to do) in time for Jesus's return as their Messiah.

     I've given you all this history for a reason -- are you able to see the downfall of the ancient kingdom of Israel; a division that would result in two nations, both of which eventually find themselves in open rebellion to God and thrust into captivity to invading armies? Perhaps that rebellion is the ultimate cause of all nations that become lost to history. Will it become part of our history? We can certainly see the similarities with where we've been and where we are headed... a nation that came into existence because men fled religious oppression, and as God's people, felt called to America as their Promised Land. 

     But increased prosperity and power in the world comes with a price. And our citizens are burdened with heavy [and inequitable] taxation. Our leaders have forgotten the promises of God and the purpose this nation was established. They have listened to bad counsel and lost sight of the needs of the people, while enriching themselves. They have gotten into bed with foreign governments, and have abandoned their obligations to their own people. Like Solomon, they have developed comprehensive and costly programs that result in a depleted treasury and mounting debt that is heaped on the backs of the citizenry. Solomon had multiple palaces built for himself; our politicians own multiple homes. The similarities are glaring!

     And the biggest renunciation of the One who set the boundaries of this nation according to His plans that we honor and uphold His Kingdom on earth, is this abomination ... In order to set aside their rebelliousness against the God who founded this nation (yes, go back and read Part One's citation of Deuteronomy 32:6-9), our law-makers remove Him from His position of authority in our government, our schools, and our way of life. The apostasy is as apparent as it was in the days of Solomon. And, if we are not deliberate in restoring it, our path is due to mimic the downfall of the kingdom of Israel.

     Our nation is already divided, and millions of people have been led astray. They worship idols of self,  destruction, and death. It's apparent in our policies of abortion, the handling of Covid protocols for the elderly, and in the growing influence of ideologies such as socialism and communism. Our status as a nation upholding the principles of God is in dire jeopardy of being lost. Invading armies are watching us closely to see if we will be able to survive as a unified and strong nation.

     And, yes, I hear the voices of today's "prophets"... some declaring that "revival is on its way" and "Jesus will deliver us from this chaos" ... while others warn that our sins are catching up with us, and our God is a righteous God who will not tolerate the evil of aborted babies, nor honor our free will choices to remove Him from all that is at the heart of this nation. So, what do you think? Will we follow in the footsteps of the kingdom of Israel? Or do we still have time (and the will) to return to being a God-fearing nation who can forgive our brothers and sisters for the evil we've done to each other, and restore our hearts and spirits as a Godly nation? Are we still entitled to the inheritance that God gave us when this nation was founded, as it is stated in Deuteronomy 32? And are we able to look in the mirror and see ourselves in the Light of Jesus? Do we have Leaders who are still clean in heart, mind, and spirit to lead us out of this darkness and division? I pray that we can look at the lessons of Solomon and the divided nations of Israel and Judah.

     One thing is crystal clear: God does not tolerate the transfer of the honor and worship that is due Him to any other being or object [or philosophy or ideology]. And He has no problem, in His Sovereignty, of disciplining a nation by sending it into captivity -- or even removing it altogether. Do I think America could play a part in transforming the world into the Kingdom of God? YES! But not as long as we ignore the commandments of our Holy God. And that goes for our government, our citizenry, and our churches. We all have to take some responsibility for where we find ourselves. I just pray that we recognize our sins before it is too late, and that we come together in true and authentic unity, harmony, and solidarity. We are on the edge of either divine restoration or diabolical destruction. Now is the time to get in the game if we are going to save our nation! 

     So, it is only fitting that I ask you to join me in the following prayer that is inspired by Asher Intrator, who leads a Messianic ministry in Israel. He has been leading a group in prayer for America, and I ask that we come together in agreement with them as they pray for us: We feel led to come together to stand as one family with the United States of America. We cannot let go of what God has gripped us with -- America was birthed out of covenant with the Lord. She has justice and righteousness engraved in her foundations. While our hearts are at rest, as we trust in Him, we take our place as His ambassadors on earth, declaring that the kingdoms of the world will become the Kingdom of God. Despite any earthly differences, we want to rise higher, pray for this godly nation, and declare that the Lord's purposes and dreams [for America] will be fulfilled. Who can stop the Lord Almighty and His family? So, we come together to stand with America as a representation of His heavenly government. 

     And all God's children said, "AMEN"!  

 

Acts 17:26-27   And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands and territories.  This was so that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grasp for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.