What We Need To Know About "The Spirit of The Age" in These End Times

Ever since the Holy Spirit counseled my husband and myself to "Seek, first, the Kingdom of God", I have understood that we would be entering a Spiritual War with mankind's oldest Enemy. Throughout the Bible, and the history of the world, we can see how Satan and his followers [in both physical and spiritual form] have tempted man to disobey and defy God, in the hopes that he [Satan] could take possession of the earth and men's souls. This rebellion will continue to grow as Satan realizes his time is short to accomplish all his goals -- to hinder all the works of God, securing our willful obedience and worship, by exercising his power and control, and ultimately destroying us and God, securing his place as the god of this world. 

If you have any spiritual discernment at all, you can see how he has commissioned his demons to carry out their assignments, resulting in men embracing "the Spirit of the Age". The Bible is very clear to describe what this spirit will look like in the End Times, right before Jesus returns. First, let's understand the Biblical concept behind the word "age", or aión, as it is known in Greek, or eon, in English. It primarily denotes an age or a long period of time. It can refer to the present age, the age to come, or eternity. Strong's Lexicon defines "age" in the New Testament as being used to describe the temporal, fallen world in contrast to the eternal, perfect kingdom of God. It can also imply the spiritual or moral state of the world during a particular age.

We see this precept expressed most urgently in two different passages attributed to the apostle Paul. In Ephesians 2:1-3, he writes, And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience -- among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 

It is important that we understand that "the course of this world" refers to the spirit of the times. And that spirit is not always exactly the same. Satan can assign different spirits for different ages in history. For instance, the spirits in the United States in the 1920s and the 1950s were different from each other, and are quite different from the rebellious spirit that began to emerge in the 60s and the markedly bold and evil spirits of today. I think we can agree that we are seeing a spirit of increasing hostility towards God and the destruction of God's ways and people. 

Now, let's consider what Paul has to say in 1 Timothy 4:1-5 ... Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons... I believe that Paul recognized the spirits that would mark the End Times [or later/latter times as he says]... namely the spirits of apostasy (some will depart); the spirits of deception (deceitful spirits); and the spirits of false teaching (teachings/doctrines of demons). I think we can all see that these are definitely spirits of our age. 

And I believe that Paul saw the immense importance of faith during these End Times. If we lose that, nothing else matters! And now, hear me! I'm not talking about losing the ability or desire to believe, but losing the Truth of what Christians should believe, according to the Word! Just ask yourselves as you take a good, honest look at the churches in our country ... have they abandoned the essential teachings of Christianity in favor of teachings and doctrines of demonic spirits who are seeking to deceive men and women and entice them away from God's Truth? 

It all began in the Garden, when Satan taught Eve that her eyes could be opened and she could be like God. From that day forward, every demonic spirit operated from the root of that lie and deception ... the idea that we can become our own god, and live our lives free of God's guidance, influence, and control. How has that turned out down through the ages? Today it looks like abortion, unnatural relations, greed, corruption, perversion against children, humanism, altering our DNA, and creating a way through technology to live eternally without the need of God's gift of salvation. And this spirit has invaded our churches, as evidenced by the number of members who are willing to embrace and agree with these spirits.

It seems to me that our society and culture reflect the inability of the Church to demolish the power of the lies of Satan's sons of disobedience. This is resulting in the "falling away" of once sincere Believers, whose consciences have "been seared", as with a hot brand, and allowing people to progress to viler and viler acts, with no remorse. To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled (Titus 1:15). 

Can you see the direction [the course] the world is headed? Can you see how many of the "faithful" are being tempted to follow the direction of the prince of the power of the air (Satan), who has convinced them to follow a different Jesus than the Jesus of the Bible? How many pastors seek to entertain and enthrall their audiences with rationalized and commercialized versions of Scripture in order to maintain their popularity? Is this what Paul meant when he warned his listeners to have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths (1 Timothy 4:7)? And how many pastors dilute the word in order to soothe the itching ears of their members and to keep them coming back each Sunday to fill the coffers of the church? Again, in 2 Timothy 4:3-4, Paul warns, For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

Some of the ways our churches have embraced the Spirit of this Age is by bringing a false representation of Jesus and His promises. Their preaching can take on various forms. You can see it almost like a marketing campaign ... one form of Christianity markets America as a Christian nation, having received God's favor to control or influence American society and government [Dominionism]. We can also see the "falling away" [or apostasy] in the preaching of the Prosperity Gospel, and the rise of the Emergent Church, which preaches social justice, activism, and the metaphorical essence of the Word over Biblical Truth. And we can't ignore the promotion of interfaith dialogue, which equates Jesus with all the other "gods" of different faiths, automatically denying that we serve "the Most High God".  

So, how do we conduct spiritual warfare against this "Spirit of the Age" that is leading us to the final battle of the final age of this world? The first thing is to recognize what is happening in the spiritual realms and how to defend the real and authentic faith of Jesus Christ! Repentance and Holiness are not just words in our Christian lexicon -- they are meant to be manifested in our daily lives, as we embrace -- not this world -- but the world to come! We must contend for the True Faith, which looks like this: being bold enough to call out false doctrine and false teachers; gently correcting those who have lost their way; and being prepared to stand in the midst of the persecution that will certainly come against us. 

In summary, it is my sincere hope that the remnant in the Body of Christ will remain committed to our calling ... to share the love of Christ in our lives with others; to warn of the consequences of denying who Jesus is, and what He has done to provide for our Salvation, as well as point to the reasons for our faith: to glorify Him for the fulfillment of His promises, chief among them, eternal life. I cannot stress enough that we come to the knowledge that there is a very real demonic Spirit of this Age, with a very real demonic agenda to deny every human the joy, and the strength, and the power of a relationship with our Creator, Jesus Christ. I feel the pure Evil that this Spirit is bringing against humanity, and I encourage each of us to put on our spiritual armor and fight for the Kingdom of God and the victory that is ours; the victory that has overcome the world -- our faith!

Jude 18-23     ... In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions. It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the [Holy] Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

 

     

Tesla, AI, Stargate, and Man's Race to Destruction

In my previous post, I raised my apprehension regarding the enthusiasm with which our new president and tech billionaires are embracing the "Stargate Initiative". The lure of this project is that it promises unparalleled economic and technological advancements that will [hopefully] allow us to compete with China in using AI technology to affect our military readiness and significant medical breakthroughs, including experimental cancer vaccines. No one seems to be concerned about the possibility of privacy violations from the data retrieval; the exorbitant amount of electricity that will be needed to power these data centers; or God-forbid, the AI dominance that could negatively effect our human workforce, and therefore, the economic future of millions of households worldwide.

In the 14 years that I've been writing this blog, I haven't been shy about putting forth my concerns regarding technological advancement and what I discern are warning signs for mankind. And those concerns haven't abated. Additionally, it's disconcerting that the American public doesn't seem to connect the dots between the expansion in technology, nor see the possibilities of how it could ultimately affect the future of humanity.

Back in 2014, I wrote an article entitled, Was Tesla the Conduit Between Fallen Angels & Our Technology, which has continued to garner the largest response to any post I've written. At the time, Elon Musk was just coming on the scene as the founder and CEO of Tesla Motors. I was shocked to read a quote in which he commented on our obsession with Artificial Intelligence technology, saying, "With artificial intelligence, we are summoning the demon". I couldn't help but connect that warning with the statement by genius astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, who is on record as saying, "The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race". And here we are, just 11 or so years later, and we are going full-steam ahead with the Stargate Initiative, the most ambitious, progressive AI enterprise to date.

But, the primary point I want to make is this: We need to pay attention to the words and history that Nikola Tesla has left us. To some, he was a genius; a Serbian American inventor, engineer, and futurist who wanted to "illuminate the earth"; the man robbed of the title of "Father of Electricity" by his rival, Thomas Edison. To others, he was a dangerous man; a man that believed "In black holes as the most powerful sources of energy and life". He was a man who conducted experiments, trying to discover "what to do in the Universe, so [that] every being is born as Christ, Buddha, or Zoroaster". [Zoroastrianism is a pre-Islamic religion, revealed to man to be a "god" named Ahura Mazda. It is my contention that this entity was a fallen angel].

In an 1899 interview, from his Colorado Springs laboratory, Tesla opened up about his "other-world views" ... that the Light of the Universe filled his six senses; about building a machine, that by vibration, provokes a feeling of bliss; that humans once had real and visible wings. He speaks of being aware, as a child that there was an Energy in the Universe, and of trying to awaken that energy, and figure out how it could influence people. He said, "I hear the thunder from a hundred fifty miles away, and I see colors in the sky that others cannot see. This enlargement of vision and hearing, I had as a child. Later, I consciously developed [it]".

At times, as I read his interview, his words seemed the farcical meanderings of an intellectual eccentric. But then there would be a passage that made the hair stand up on the back of my neck, such as this excerpt: "Life is a rhythm that must be comprehended. I feel the rhythm, and direct on it, and pamper in it. It was very grateful and gave me the knowledge I have". (He speaks of "It" as if it was a person or entity)!  "Knowledge comes from space; our vision is its most perfect set. We have two eyes; the earthly and spiritual. It is recommended that it become one eye. The Universe is alive in all its manifestations, like a thinking animal".  

Knowledge comes from space ... We have spiritual and earthly eyes ... It is recommended that our vision become one eye ... What is he insinuating? Fallen angel knowledge, like what was shared in Enoch 1? And is he alluding to the occultic all-seeing eye? Is anyone else thinking, "This sounds like the Prince of the Air prowling like a lion"? And back to this knowledge that comes from space ... could it be part of the fallen angel technology that has been shared throughout history with mankind -- from the technology that allowed Nimrod to build the tower of Babel; to the branch of knowledge that resulted in the building of the ancient Sphinx; to the occultic knowledge possessed by Hitler and the Nazis; to the modern applications being employed in the fields of Artificial Intelligence and Transhumanism? Was Tesla trying to tell us that this knowledge is supernatural and inhuman? What could he possibly have meant by this statement ... "The Universe has only one substance and one supreme energy with an infinite number of manifestations of life. The best thing is that the discovery of a secret nature reveals the other. One cannot hide, they are around us, but we are blind and deaf to them. If we emotionally tie ourselves to them, they come to us themselves".

I invite you to read the entire manuscript of his 1899 interview. It will mystify you and possibly frighten you. But one thing is clear ... it is difficult to categorize him. Is he a hero or a villain? Throughout his life, Tesla asserted that he had indeed discovered a limitless power supply from a source that no one else had knowledge of -- but he never revealed the source. See if you can discern for yourself who or what that source might have been from this quote ... "Ideas came in an uninterrupted stream and the only difficulty I had was to hold them fast. In less than two months I evolved virtually all the types of motors and modifications of the systems which are now identified with my name". 

And now, over a century and a quarter after his death, Elon Musk, the Founder of a company that bears Tesla's name, and one of the foremost entrepreneurs that have benefited from the genius and experiments of Nikola Tesla is still using advanced technology and AI, even though a few years back he implied we "might be going too far". And now you see all the Tech giants promoting their own AI companies, such as ChatGBT, OpenAI, and Musk's own company, xAI. 

Can you consider that the genie was let out of the bottle way back in Nimrod's time? Can you perceive that the "power source" throughout history has been the same source that sought to usurp the throne of God and got kicked out of Heaven? History has shown us that once man agrees to accept that Satanic power source, it becomes a race towards human destruction. The only thing that has ever stopped the total ruination of man has been God. Are we headed towards a quantum leap to that ruination? Tesla believed that there were certain truths we needed to learn in order to be healed in this human existence. Modern man seems to think that the knowledge offered by Artificial Intelligence will "cure what ails us". For what it's worth, I believe that our healing [our survival and our eternity] depends on seeking God's Divine Truth. Any other truth from any other source is derived from self-interest. 

Tesla sought and received "the Light" he believed was the source to energy and light. That theory has led us to the development of technology. But we must not fall into the trap of believing that all technology is created for the advancement of the human race, or created to carry out the will of our Father in Heaven. Jesus came to set the captives free, but it sure looks to me as if we are sending ourselves into captivity with our incessant hunger for more technology.

1 Timothy 4:1    The Holy Spirit has explicitly revealed: At the end of this age, many will depart from the true faith one after another, devoting themselves to spirits of deception and following demon-inspired revelations and theories.

 

      

   

 

Beware of Biblical Manipulators; Know the Truth About Jesus!

We live in a world of social manipulation. The advent of Computer Technology, Social Media, and Artificial Intelligence has led to a trifecta of attempted control and influence over our minds and spirits. And I fear the ultimate goal is to convince true Christians that their belief system is not valid. The world will tell us that not only does our faith not represent Jesus's message of "love thy neighbor", but they will try to convince us that our message of impending judgment for our sins does not ring true to God's Word.

True, without a full understanding of the complete message from God in the Bible -- which involves the dual concepts of both Love and Judgment -- it's easy to see how the unenlightened could be confused, misguided, and influenced to fall for distorted and exploited lies. Which is why it is immensely important that Christians know and understand the fullness and complete counsel of God's Word. And there you have one of the most effective tactics of God's Enemy, who is the Father of Lies. Satan has been practicing this tactic, which we now know as Gaslighting, for the last 2000 years, but it seems to me that he has been able to advance his agenda exponentially in the last 50 years or so.

Just in my lifetime, I have discerned that he was able to convince the American public [and our governing officials] that God's Word can be offensive to others who 1) don't believe in Him; 2) don't want to to believe in Him; or 3) are unduly judged because they don't follow Him, or they follow another god. Then Satan convinced his proxies to carefully plant the idea that we Christians are misrepresenting Jesus by not "loving others as we love ourselves". In other words, we are painted as being hypocritical, holier-than-thou, possessing hollow faith, and being two-faced. We are labeled sanctimonious and insincere Believers; intolerant, and exclusive.

Consequently, we are presently inundated with social engineering tactics as a means to influence and control society's attitudes and behaviors. We are told that Jesus would be a proponent of DEI policies  -- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion -- as well as a champion of "Social Justice". But any student of the Bible knows that Jesus did not come to promote a social agenda. He came to teach [and personify] God's will in the hearts of men. Yes, He met people's physical needs, but it was always people who were either following Him, or seeking Him, or people whom the Father sent Him to who were in need of a relationship with Him. He never advocated for the local government to provide what the people needed. He didn't call for taxes to be raised or the prosperous to be divested of their wealth. And yes, Jesus preached that it should it be a priority to take care of the poor and needy within the community. BUT, He spoke that this was the responsibility of each individual or local groups within that community, not a governing body imposing their will on all the people. 

You see, Jesus didn't really trust the government to fix the world's problems; that's why He was sent. And the answers to fixing those problems would be taught [and carried on] by those who follow Him. And He showed us by example. It is a heart-to-heart solution; one individual who exemplifies the Father's love [for each of us] to another. When you know and understand that foundational Truth of the Word, you will not fall for the psychological deception of the world that tries to convince us we are mistaken in our theology. Do not be manipulated into agreeing with the parts of godless society who say we are hard-hearted and judgmental; do not fall for the deceptive compromise of Satan's spokesmen.

And remember this! While we should always maintain a solid and loving relationship with God and seek to share His love with our fellow man, we must also recognize that God has given us a total plan for our reconciliation with Him and for our redemption. His commandments stretch from the Law and the Prophets in the Old Testament to the New Covenant in the New Testament. They represent the totality of God's Word to us, and are still in full effect today. The Biblical manipulators of today will try to convince you that the Judgment exhibited by God in the first half of the Bible has been replaced by His Mercy in the second half of the Book. And they will spread the misconception that anyone who holds true to righteous judgment is legalistic and misrepresenting Jesus's command to love others.

But this just shows their lack of knowledge of God and His full counsel. Yes, Jesus taught us of God's Grace, but the glory of that Gospel is that the true expression of our love for our neighbor involves sharing the full truth of God's Word -- that He promises the certainty of His judgment if we disobey or rebel against His righteousness. We are due His judgment [and yes, even His wrath] should we continue in our sin. That promise of righteous judgment makes room for His mercy when we acknowledge our sins and repent. You see, He makes a way for us to return to a justified and acceptable relationship with Him.

Of this, we can be sure ... there will be a day of Judgment and it is because of His love and sacrifice for each of us that we can choose to love our neighbor as ourself; to love them enough to share the Good News that Jesus loves them, too; so as to spare them the consequences of His holy judgment. So, I want to leave you with these thoughts .... because we stand firm in our Biblically-endorsed theology, we must expect to be judged [and even persecuted] ourselves. But do not let that possibility lead us into the temptation to compromise with the world and "go along to get along". By standing solidly on the Word, we can also expect to reap an inheritance of eternal blessings. Hold fast to your beliefs and faith; God will not abandon us to the opponents of His Word. In reality, we will be given the mind of Christ and the counsel of the Holy Spirit, that we might be approved to show the authentic love of Christ to everyone so that God might grant them repentance and a place in Eternity with Him. We will not be manipulated, confused, or misguided!

2 Corinthians 10:5    We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ 

Inhumanity, Dehumanization, and Extermination: Satan's Tools for Destruction

I know this may appear to be a dark subject matter, but my spirit has increasingly become aware that our Enemy is launching what may be his final campaign against humanity, and especially against those whom God loves. As a daughter of a WW2 veteran, and a student of history, I have long been interested in how seamlessly Satan was able to convince Hitler and his Nazi regime to sign on to his demonic agenda to exterminate the Jewish people. But that agenda hasn't just focused on the Jews in that war. In our century alone, the world has seen genocides in Sudan; Cambodia; Rwanda; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Armenia; the afore-mentioned Holocaust in Germany; Poland and Czechoslavia; the pogroms in Russia; and now the attempts at mutual annihilation in Israel and Palestine. 

We, here in the U.S., have been largely sheltered from the effects of a State policy of intentional destruction of a people. Yes, we are not without our sins towards humanity, and we may yet suffer the consequences of our various forms of inhumanity. For instance, consider our nation's hot-button topics of human trafficking and abortion. And the way I see it is that we begin with inhumanity, move into dehumanization, and it all ends in extermination [or elimination] ... none of which is in alignment with God's Spirit or His heart and intentions for mankind. So, Let me break down my theory of this spiritual disintegration. 

Let's look at human trafficking. The victims of this horrid practice are initially seen as a product of convenience, to be sold and profited from. This "business" becomes inhumane when they are subjected to cruel and brutal behavior; treated unkindly and without feeling. The practice moves into dehumanization when the process begins defining the victims as no longer possessing human qualities or a human nature; making them less than human and therefore not worthy of humane treatment. The final stage is the most grave sin [or crime] against humanity; the deliberate and systematic destruction of a person or people group. A heartless decision is made to toss the human[s] onto the trash pile of history.

The same system applies to the topic of abortion. God's creation is initially seen as nothing but "a clump of cells" or a non-human. And like the "business of human trafficking", the fetus becomes a commodity to be sold for profit; inhumanity instigated by humans against another unborn human. The dehumanization began simultaneously with the inhumanity -- the fetus was not credited with human qualities, which allows for its easy extermination. But I have never understood why some people will mourn a miscarriage of what they will call their "child", [which qualifies as the same "clump of cells" or "fetus"], yet maintain that it should readily be dismissed as a child and aborted.

I have set this discourse up in order to bring you a testimony that will tie it all together. It is the story of Eda Edl, an 89-year-old survivor of a Communist concentration camp following World War 2. You can read more about her story here. She was only six when the Nazi's invaded her homeland of Yugoslavia after a coup of their king weakened the country and led to a civil war. For a little while her family was safe from the rampage of the Nazi's, but after her father was kidnapped to fight in the Nazi rampage across Europe, he managed to get a letter to them, urging them to flee ... the Red Army was coming, and they would be brutal. They did not get out in time. The Soviet Union sought vengeance against their former Nazi allies in Germany [who had deliberately starved 3.3 million Soviet prisoners of war, and millions of civilians].

The Soviet Union, backed by the weapons and moral authority of the U.S. and Great Britain, brought its inhumanity in the form of Stalin's hatred and reign of terror against Germany and its conquered lands. Eva and her family were Yugoslavian by birth, but German by heritage and language. The new communist government then dehumanized her people by enacting laws that barred them from voting and took away their voice in domestic affairs. Her mother was kidnapped to dig trenches for the war effort, and her two older siblings were led by bayonet to a forced labor camp. Eva and her grandmother were put on a train bound for a concentration camp. While the free world was celebrating victory over Nazi Germany and the U.S. nuclear bombs at Nagasaki and Hiroshima elevated America to the pinnacle of world power, Eva and her people were targeted for elimination. 

Although the Nazi concentration camps ended at the end of the Second World War, the Communist death camps did not; they were just getting started. But there, in the darkest depth of hell on earth, Eva found Jesus! She was miraculously rescued from the genocide and destruction of her people and eventually emigrated to the United States. Because of her own experience of witnessing inhumanity, dehumanization and extermination, she recognized the same litany of godless laws and funding by the government that resulted in a million unborn babies being killed in what she saw as American death camps. That number has grown to over 60 million since those days.

Eva soon felt the call of God to lay down her life to rescue unborn children, just as others laid down their lives to rescue her. She became -- and still is -- a vital member of the Christian community who have become voices for life and justice. She has been arrested 46 times for interfering with abortion clinics, trying to save babies from death by abortion. The 89-year-old activist now faces a possible 4-year prison sentence for her latest protest of a clinic. But she has decided to live her life by the dictates of Proverbs 24:11-12 ... Rescue those who are being taken away to death, and those who stagger to the slaughter, Oh hold them back [from their doom]! If you [claim ignorance and] say, "See, we did not know this," does He not consider it who weighs and examines the heart and their motives? And does He not know it who guards your life and keeps your soul? And will He not repay [you and] every man according to his works?   

So, my question to you is this ... Can you see the inhumanity, dehumanization and destruction in the ideologies of modern factions of society who perceive their fellow man as less than human, whether by the color of the skin, their faith, or their ethnicity? Sadly, it all seems to go hand-in-hand with our current toxic and virulent culture. But it also all makes perfect sense when you consider that so much of society has turned its back on God and is incapable of imitating His love for others, or seeing their unique gifts, purpose, or worth. Morality is now merely relevant to one's own system of values. 

Without God's standards of morality and righteousness, the human spirit becomes narcissistic and self-interested, fomenting indignation and anger against anyone who thinks  differently or is perceived to be their "enemy" and prohibiting their influence and power. This form of dehumanization is essentially incapable of comprehending that ALL men are made in the image of God. This lack of spiritual identity as image-bearers of our Almighty God will lead the world to destruction, if we, His remnant, do not find a way to turn the hearts of hardened men towards those they persecute. In addition, we must cling to the Word which says, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you".  That's a tall order when we are experiencing hostilities directed specifically at us. But we should expect nothing less from ourselves. 

The inhumanity of man towards his fellow man, plus the dehumanization and ultimate extermination and destruction of the human race leads us to the commands of the God we honor and exalt: "And this we will do so that at the Name of Jesus,"every knew should bow, in heaven and on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father".  It is our duty and responsibility as the image-bearers of the God of all Creation to stand and to speak for those who are being subjected to Satan's brutal agenda to destroy mankind. 

As you read the Scripture at the end of this post, think of the world on the brink of catastrophic war; of the innocent babies in the womb; and of the trafficked children who suffer unspeakable horrors at the hands of wicked and vile men. That chapter of Isaiah prophesies the downfall of ancient Babylon to the Medes. But remember, Revelation, Chapter 18 prophesies of a future Daughter of Babylon [Babylon the Great] who will meet a similar fate because of her greed, pride, immorality, and agreements made with demonic agendas and Evil. Let us pray to God for repentance for this nation, and then let us be in agreement with Him to wage war in the spiritual realms [and through our Godly behavior] to re-establish God's dominion on the face of the Earth.    

Isaiah 13:18.    Their bows will slaughter the young men; they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb; their eyes will not pity [or show compassion to] the children.

Beware Of False Signs & Wonders of This Age: They Are a Web of Deception!

I want to start off by saying that I acknowledge the ways in which technology has helped mankind. Our society has benefitted from its many innovations. But I have also written before about my inherent suspicion of technology as a tool of deception from the Enemy. Those of all ages, who are intrigued by it, will call me old-fashioned and out-of-step with the future implications. But, on the contrary, it is exactly those implications for the future that have set off warning bells in my spirit. 

For more than ten years, I have been following and studying the writings and philosophies of futurists and technology engineers who were bold in their prognostications of how technology would "advance humankind", even to the point of living forever by uploading our brains to the "cloud", and replacing our worn-out body parts. After all, they clearly implied, it won't be necessary to cling to God to have eternal life. 

In 2013, I wrote a post, citing that Ray Kurzweil -- an acclaimed inventor, futurist, and [then] Director of Engineering at Google -- had published an article on CNN.com in which he predicted 5 ways our lives would be dramatically affected in the very near future. Let's see how far down that road we've come in the last ten years. He predicted that ... 

1.  By the early 2020s, we will have the means to program our biology away from disease and aging.  According to Mr. Kurzweil, in 2013, scientists already had "the genome code" and could actually reprogram our body's processes, much like a computer is re-programmed. Here is a direct quote from him: RNA interference, for example, can turn genes off that promote disease and aging. New forms of gene therapy, especially in vitro models that do not trigger the immune system, have the ability to add new genes. 

But as we saw in 2020, with the worldwide pandemic, RNA interference can have the opposite effects on genes, too, resulting in promotion of diseases and death. So, I ask... was this science used for the betterment of mankind? Was it true "Signs and Wonders", or was it "Deception"?

2.  By 2030, solar energy will be able to meet all our needs, revolutionizing the production of food and water.  In 2013, Kurzweil predicted hydroponic production of fruits and vegetables -- so far, so good. But he also predicted "in vitro cloning of muscle tissue for meat".  We saw that rolled out as McDonald's "Impossible Burger", or fake meat. But here is the quote that set my spirit on edge:  "We are also headed towards another agriculture revolution, from horizontal agriculture to vertical agriculture, where we grow very high quality food in Artificial Intelligence controlled buildings [my emphasis, not his]. That's when my warning bells started going off. Our food supply will be controlled by machines?

3.  By the early 2020s we will print out a significant fraction of the products we use including clothing as well as replacement organs. I could see that trend emerging; we were already consuming digital versions of books, movies, and music. In the ten years since, that trend has only grown. But it was his pride in which he announced the following, that once again, had me questioning, "Signs and Wonders" or "Deception"? He said, "We can already experimentally print out organs by printing a biodegradable scaffolding and then populating it with a patient's own stem cells, all with a 3D printer." After all, who needs a Creator God, right?

4.  Within five years, search engines will be based on an understanding of natural language.  Well, we've reached that milestone, and gone beyond. We have surpassed IBM's "Watson" who got its knowledge by reading Wikipedia and other encyclopedias, a total of 200 million pages of natural language documents, and then combining all that knowledge to come up with a system that could engage a person in dialogue to clarify questions and discuss answers that were ambiguous or complex.

Ten years later, we are increasingly encountering, LLMs (Large Language Models), a type of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm that uses deep learning techniques and massively large data sets to understand, summarize, generate and predict new content. In other words, computers are increasingly able to think like humans, and the concern is that they will soon be able to out-think us, as their learning capacity grows.  

5.  By the early 2020s we will be routinely working and playing with each other in full immersion visual-auditory virtual environments. By the 2030s, we will add the tactile sense to full immersion virtual reality. Much like the telephone is virtual reality, in the auditory sense, in that you can meet with someone as if you are together, Kurzweil predicted that we will soon be able to add visual, tactile and what he called "full immersion" virtual reality to our existence. 

 There's only one small hitch ... the full package will require tapping directly into the nervous system.  But it's no big deal, he insists.  "We'll be able to do that in the 2030s with nanobots traveling noninvasively into the brain through the capillaries and augmenting the signals coming from our real senses." 

So, can you see that as far back as ten years ago, the Enemy was sowing seeds of deception into our collective desire to be "plugged in"? But have the advancements in technology and Artificial Intelligence resulted in what the Bible predicts will be false Signs and Wonders for our Age? Consider this statement by Gabe Lyons, an alumnus of Liberty University, and a Christian media expert, who isn't afraid to warn about the coming threats to our world, while encouraging and equipping Christians to strengthen our own culture of faith  ... "I believe Christians ought to be the most thoughtful, the most informed, and the most educated on every single question that our culture is asking,” Lyons said. “We have a responsibility to do that because the Scriptures and the Church (body of Christ) throughout history have always had the best answers to what human beings face … to the questions [this] generation is asking.” 

He warns that the goal of artificial intelligence is to form a singular language so that nothing becomes impossible for man. He referenced Genesis 11, explaining that humans have a desire to lift themselves up rather than submit to God — a temptation [and I submit, a deception] as old as time. “What is the thing that artificial intelligence wants from you?", he asks … "it wants you to stop thinking".

I agree! It is time that we, as Christians, begin seeing the challenge being presented to us. Do we really need this growing dependence on AI and machines? Critical thinking is an important component of our humanity, and we've been given that by our Creator! Do we really need gene editing? Or a neural link in our brain? Or nanobots that supplement and magnify our natural senses and body functions? Do we really need to perfect what God designed, which is in His image? We must ask ourselves if we need to be "enhanced" ... or do we trust God's divine design? 

Unfortunately, what I see happening is that we are being trained to abandon our own critical thinking, and rely more and more on machines. When we do that, we are stepping away from God. We must not be fooled or deceive ourselves! All the benefits of man's "artificial enhancement" are false Signs and Wonders. They will result in future generations that Gabe Lyons says "won't see a God, or believe in Him, and will start to think they're their own god". 

That is why it is essential that we Christians each develop -- through our spirits and critical thinking [from God] -- our own worldview of who we are, why we matter, and why we're here. It must all come through the lens of being divinely created, and through the truth of Christ's redemptive act on the Cross for us.  And here's the critical point ... we must be able to defend it, if we are going to occupy this earth until Christ returns. We must defend the truth of our divinely saved humanity, because I promise you this ... AI, in all its accumulated knowledge, will try to challenge that truth! But remember Scripture, which says Be not deceived. God will not be mocked.

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Isaiah 44: 9, 20:    All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame... a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”