A Modern Woman's Perspective On The Kingdom of God on Earth


Showing posts with label Satan's Dominion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Satan's Dominion. Show all posts

October 15, 2024

Who Does The Earth Belong To? God, Man, or Satan? And Why It Matters!

image ©craiyon.com

The questions I pose in this post's title may seem inconsequential to many, but I assure you they are at the heart of the spiritual battle in which we find ourselves. I don't think it's too hard to figure out that this earth is under extreme pressure. Organically speaking, the earth's elements are deteriorating and the Bible actually tells us that they are crying out for us to take back our dominion [and rule and maintain the earth as we were assigned]. Relationally speaking, man's mandate to love the Lord God with all our hearts, minds, souls, [and spirits], and to love each other as we love ourselves, has been a woeful failure. The state of our nation and the world is a testament to our shortcomings. 

And if I could point to one thing [among many] that has led to this demise of our original position on earth, it would be this .... I don't think we fully understand God's plan for mankind, or Satan's plan to foil it. It's as if we've been blinded to the actual events that began in Heaven and have played out on the earth since the account revealed to us in Genesis, chapters one through three. The universe, itself, has a consciousness of the origin of "the rebellion" and its consequences throughout the millenia, but man, himself, became more and more self-centered and therefore, has been unable to see the full agenda of God's Enemy, Satan, the author of Heaven's Rebellion. It's as if, once removed from the Garden, mankind lost his supernatural worldview and now his perception is skewed and limited to only what is available to the human mind.

As this article on logos.com reminds us, we still have the basic concept of who Satan is and what he's all about ... The Bible tells us that because of his prideful nature he challenged God's Supremacy and Authority, hoping to usurp God's Heavenly throne and rule Heaven and all Creation for himself. As my previous post reveals, the Garden of Eden was the gate [portal] that gave man access to the presence of God and his relationship with Him. But the success of Satan's offered temptation to Adam and Eve cost them [and him] that access point, and the gate to Eden was closed. Satan's judgment was "to be expelled from Eden to a new domain: earth and the underworld". And ever since, there has been a battle between man and Satan for ownership of earth.

So, if asked "where does Satan live?", I would say he doesn't have a set, permanent residence. In fact, when God asks him in Job 1:7, "Where have you come from?", Satan answers, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it". It is important that we, as God's representatives on earth, understand that only He can be present everywhere at the same time [omnipresent]. Satan can only be in one place at a time. That's why he is best seen as a wanderer, prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).

So, although we need to be alert to his ways and the territories he may inhabit, it is of utmost importance that we comprehend that Satan wants full and absolute dominion over the earth. He wants it for his permanent home and he resents that even when man sinned against Him, God still allowed man to retain his dominion over the earth, by sending His Son, Jesus, as the way to forgiveness and the re-establishment of our dominion. Therefore, Satan has been determined to come up with a plan that will [for all time] destroy man's authority and jurisdiction over the earth. Satan knew that if God's plan to send mankind a Redeemer is allowed to play out [as foretold in Genesis 3:15], his deed to the earth would become null and void.

And just so I make it clear as to who the Earth belongs to, let's consider a couple of verses that are essential to a true Biblical worldview. Deuteronomy 10:14 says, Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it. Makes it pretty clear, doesn't it? God is the rightful Owner of everything -- first, second, and third heaven, along with the planet earth and everything in it. But wait! What about Psalm 115:16, which says, The heavens are the LORD's heavens, but the earth He has given to the children of man. Doesn't that sound contradictory? Does the earth belong to God, or does it belong to man? As Genesis 1:26-28 tells us, God created the earth and then created man in His likeness, giving us authority to steward the planet on His behalf. In other words, we were given the responsibility to look after the earth, to manage it and take care of it for God, and to keep God's order in the land.  

This is why you will see recurring posts on my blog that point to warnings about recognizing the attack plans of the Evil One to rob us of our authority and rulership of this domain called Earth. Satan is jealous that we are allowed to call Earth our [temporary] home -- even though our ancestors also rebelled against Him -- and he hates us, knowing that God has set His redemptive plan in place to return us to our original abode [from which he has been permanently expelled]. And that is why Satan has become our Enemy, and through his cunning and crafty ways, has always been committed to tempting men to rebel against God. And sadly, to some, he is [as Jesus refers to him, "the ruler of this world". Just like Adam and Eve, men throughout the ages have let their willful disobedience blind them to Satan's schemes to alter our identity, which is made in the image of God. If Satan can successfully pull off his game plan, then we will no longer share our hereditary traits that identify us as part of God's family, and the highest Fallen Angel can finally claim Earth as belonging to him.

Because let's face it, the people in Jared and Noah's day didn't understand the Seed War that Satan designed [through the Fallen Angels] to corrupt the bloodline so that the Redeemer could not be born. And neither do enough of us see Satan's modern attack plan through his GRIN network (Genome manipulation; Robotics, Intelligence (Artificial), and Nanotechnology). Nothing has really changed! Satan will continue to seek ways to tempt, deceive, exploit, and corrupt man's relationship with God in the hopes that he can, at last, remove us from God's protective hand. We know that God will never relinquish us if we remain a true and steadfast believer. But we must pay attention to Satan's schemes so that we are not tempted to remove ourselves by no longer remaining in God's image.

That's what Satan's latest warfare strategy is all about ... transhumanism. By its own definition, transhumanism is "a philosophical and intellectual movement that advocates the enhancement of the human condition by developing and making widely available new and future technologies that can greatly enhance longevity, cognition, and well-being". [Emphasis is my own]. In other words, if we are willing, we can improve on God's design of what it means to be a human. The ultimate goal behind this movement is to convince mankind that we don't need God to live eternally, gain wisdom, or enjoy good health, feel secure, or prosper. Satan's agents in this world want us to believe that technology is our new Savior; technology has become the new tree of life and the new tree of knowledge -- don't worry about whether it is knowledge of good and evil; it is just "the way" to our future; a future where God is unnecessary.

So, can you see why it matters who we think the earth belongs to? If you think God has lost ownership and authority, and his plans for this planet and the future of mankind are archaic and obsolete, and mankind would be better served by joining forces with the Usurper, then you have the free will to make that choice. As for me, I pray that men will come to the knowledge of Christ and recognize that we are in the predicament we're in because we have fallen short of our mandate to steward the earth as the God of all Creation has commanded us. Because of our fallen nature, the earth has been under God's curse (Genesis 3:17). And nothing the Enemy of God can offer us will ever replace God's righteous rule. All of the technology that is supposed to enhance and advance our condition on earth is no match for God's promise that Heaven and earth will pass away (Matthew 24:35), but we will live eternally with Him, where we will live in the new Heaven and earth, and we will rule and reign with Christ in His Kingdom (Revelation 22:1-5). 

The time is now to see and understand what has been, what is now, and what will be on the earth! Do you know who you are, and whose you are? Do you understand the part you are to play? Do not ask, "Why does God allow Satan to rule on the earth?" God doesn't allow Satan's authority over men! Men choose [through their free will] to follow Satan's false rule in their lives! The true King of the Universe is coming soon! The earth and everything in it is coming under His judgment and we, who have faith in Him as the Creator and our Savior/Redeemer, await Him as the Righteous One who brings renewal and restoration. Hallelujah!

Psalm 23:6     Surely [only] goodness and mercy [steadfast love] shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall [return to] dwell in the House of the Lord forever. AMP




 

 

September 21, 2024

The Posthuman Revolution & Our Spiritual Battle For the Dominion of Earth!

I would say that it's been 15 years since God invited my spirit to embark on what would become an extraordinary adventure with Him; a greater understanding of Him and my purpose here on the earth. It wasn't an earth-shattering event like Paul experienced on the road to Damascus, but rather a process that began with a hunger for His Word that led to a gradual trust between the two of us. I began to receive affirmations and convictions that what was being revealed in the Bible was true and genuine for me, too; and God received verification that He could have confidence that my faith was certain and reliable, and that I could be trusted to carry out my assignments and follow His commands. I began to hear and see Him, just as Jesus did.

It has been a wild ride ever since, to say the least. I have been shown glimpses of the magnitude and immensity of God and His plan, as well as the significance and consequences of the part we play in it all. I say "glimpses" because, by no means, am I vain enough to think that I am anyone special or remarkable. I have not been given unparalleled access to the Father's mind nor a blueprint to His heavenly agenda for His creation. But what I have been given is a heart over-flowing with gratitude, a spirit eager for answers to my questions, and a passionate willingness to be in service to His Kingdom.

In return, what He has shown me through the Holy Spirit and my relationship with my Savior, Jesus Christ, is a history of our world engulfed in a spiritual battle for dominion. And I'll take it a step further, and say that I believe our planet has not been the only one involved in the battle to usurp God's power and authority. I know that probably puts me in the "crazy camp" of traditional Christians, but I'm just not willing to confine God's sovereign government to Earth alone. But that's a discussion for another day. Since I find myself situated on this rocky sphere orbiting the sun, it is the subject of my thesis in today's post.

I stated that God has shown me the history of the spiritual battle for the dominion of Earth. Now, I don't mean that I've seen the battle plans laid out in a complete and comprehensive format. But as I've been obedient to go where the Holy Spirit has guided me, and been willing to explore the merits of new revelations I've received [and vetted according to the Spirit], these are the aforementioned "glimpses" that have allowed me to grow in my understanding and to see the spiritual picture become wider in scope. 

From the first chapter in Genesis, the Bible [which is our manual for knowing the fullness of God] has unveiled the conflict between Jehovah, the Most High God, and His enemies, who seek to dethrone Him and take possession of the territories belonging to His sovereign government [i.e., His dominion]. That includes the stars, planets, universe, and men's hearts, minds, souls and spirits. We all grew up knowing the Scripture that tells us God said, "Let us make man in our image", and then He goes on to tell man to rule over the earth and subdue it. The Most High God created us and then transferred His dominion to rule earth to us [His sovereignty, control, supremacy, power and authority]. And we all know what happened in the Garden... God's cunning Enemy (and ours) convinced humans that we didn't have to be content with being "like" God, but could actually "become" a god ourselves. Ever since that fateful decision to believe him, Satan has used mankind to try and achieve his own nefarious plans to take possession of all of God's dominion [everything God created, including man].

Before I present the heart of my hypothesis for this post, I want to briefly touch on two points that the Holy Spirit has made very clear. The first is about something I have frequently written about: the purpose[s] Jesus was sent to this earth; namely to begin the arduous assignment to take back God's dominion on the earth that our forefather Adam relinquished. As Jesus declared in John 12:31-32, Satan is "the ruler of this world". Paul actually stated that Satan is "the god of this world" in 2 Corinthians 4:4. In the John passage, Jesus also alludes to the truth that He will also bring salvation to those who believe in Him, saying "I will draw all people (Jews and Gentiles) to Myself". BUT He makes His purpose for coming to Earth very clear in Luke 4:43: "I must preach the good news [Gospel] of the kingdom of God [God's dominion] to the other cities also; because I was sent for this purpose". Yes, Jesus made a way for us to be reconciled back to the Father, therefore making Salvation a very important facet of His purpose, but His primary mission was to re-establish God's dominion on the earth, which was a strategic strike in the spiritual battle for the dominion over all God has created. 

The second point centers around one of Satan's strategies in this spiritual battle for dominion, namely "the Seed War". When Satan is cast out of Heaven for his rebellion against the Most High God, he convinces 1/3 of Heaven's angels to accompany him and become his army of "darkness". Having served in the Throne Room of God, he is aware that God has made man in His own image and intends for man to rule the earth. Because of his pride and envy, Satan devises a plan to illegally seize man's dominion and set up his own kingdom on earth. So, in Genesis 3, we see that Satan is in the Garden of Eden, deceiving Eve [who convinces Adam to join her in disobedience] and Satan lawfully became the rightful owner of the world due to their free will choice. But God already had His redemptive plan in place. Upon announcing their punishment, our Good Father also promised them a Savior, when He told Satan: "I will put enmity [open hostility] between you and the woman, and between your seed [offspring] and her Seed; He shall [fatally] bruise your head, and you shall [only] bruise His heel."    

So, Satan's counter punch in this strategic war was to send his evil angels to have sex with earthly women, producing a hybrid race called the Nephilim in Genesis 6.  You see, Satan knew the war would be between his offspring [seed] and God's offspring [His Seed and Son, Jesus Christ]. Satan believed that if he could corrupt the seed line of God's offspring on the earth [man, made in God's image], then Jesus [who was the perfect image of God] could not be born and it would seal Satan's rulership and dominion of the earth. 

And here's the heart of the premise of today's blog: When that evil plan was shattered and Death's hold on mankind was destroyed, Satan did not give up on his plan to retain his dominion on earth. For the last 2000 plus years, he has continued to wage a spiritual war to defile man and eradicate any of the image of God that remains in us. And it is very important for us to recognize that this war has escalated in our lifetime. In the recent past, men, like Josef Mengele, were influenced by Satan's evil desires and conducted genetic experiments on innocent victims as a way to unlock the secrets of God's creation of man -- all with the purpose of corrupting God's design and creating another race of hybrids. Mankind did not yet have the technology or means to gain access to God's genetic code. 

But that hasn't stopped Satan in his plan to destroy God's image in man. The technology to create a new form of man-and-machine hybrid is on the horizon. The rise of Artificial Intelligence has given us cause to be concerned. It has taken on the appearance of a new kind of "god worship". Consider this article on theconversation.com, which states that "Generative AI can create or produce new content with several characteristics that are often associated with divine beings, like deities or prophets, such as: a level of intelligence that appears limitless; it is capable of great feats of creativity; it is removed from normal human sensations like physical pain, hunger, or sexual desire; it can offer guidance in daily lives; and probably the most seductive, it is immortal. How many people do you think will gladly sign up to receive a chip that repeats the promise made in the Garden of Eden: you, too, can become like God?

Also, we must not dismiss that by merging with AI, we could become a form of artificial life with a hybrid consciousness that would be in competition with the Holy Spirit. It should not be difficult to comprehend that we would no longer be human in the sense that we would no longer be in the image of God, nor belong to Him as sons and daughters. Can you see that this is all part of Satan's plan to keep his dominion of the earth? If he can change our DNA and genetic makeup, thereby destroying our connection to God, who will be left to fight for the Kingdom of God on earth? Not to mention, who will have access to eternal life in Heaven? Of course, Satan's emissaries are already trying to convince the godless that they can have eternal life and immortality through AI. 

There is so much more I could say about this subject, but I just want to submit to you that we must not fail to take proper notice of the wicked and iniquitous plans being arranged by our scientists, technology titans, medical experts, politicians and world leaders to lead us down a road from which there is no return. In summary, I would like to share a couple of quotes that I pray will garner your attention. The first comes from author Timothy Alberino, in his book, Birthright:  "Over the last several decades, the development of emerging technologies has been advancing at breakneck speed along the upsurge of an exponential growth curve... Among these technologies, there are four whose imminent convergence is predicted to catalyze what analysts are calling the "posthuman revolution." Styled with the acronym GRIN [a fitting appellation, as we will see], the intercourse of genetics, robotics, artificial intelligence, and nanotechnology will facilitate enhancements to the full spectrum of human biology, body, mind, and soul and give birth to a posthuman being -- humanity 2.0."

The second quote comes from Dr. Leon Kass, the former chairman of President George W. Bush's Council on Bioethics... "For anyone who cares about preserving our humanity, the time has come for paying attention. Human nature itself lies on the operating table, ready for alteration, for eugenic and psychic "enhancement", for wholesale redesign. In leading laboratories, academic and industrial, new creators are confidently amassing their powers and quietly honing their skills, while on the street their evangelists are zealously prophesying a posthuman future."

So, my question to you is this: we know they are exercising their powers from Satan to recreate humans and seal their creator's eternal dominion over the earth. Are we physically and spiritually prepared to battle for our original design by the Most High God? And do we recognize that the battle between Jesus and Satan, between Good and Evil, for this planet and the world happens right here on earth? Are we capable of standing our ground and using our power and authority to defeat this abomination? Are you hearing any of these warnings coming from your pulpit? Do you think Christians in our country are ready for this spiritual war -- or are they abiding in a place of comfort called "Religion", unaware of what is being fomented all around them? It is time for a great awakening, alright! It is time to put on our spiritual armor and be ready for what is so clearly coming, and I'm afraid too many of the faithful are going to be blindsided. Lord, shine Your Light on this diabolical and satanic agenda and make ready Your Remnant! Our future lies in eternity with You in Heaven. Do not let humankind be deceived again!

2 Corinthians 2:14    But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us spreads and makes evident everywhere the sweet fragrance of the knowledge of Him.

 

               

 

September 21, 2023

Seeing [And Defeating] Satan's Playbook For The Kingdom of Darkness


I know I've said it before, but I feel like it's déja vu all over again. Satan just uses the same old playbook over and over, because it works! Let me explain ... Since I began writing this blog in 2011, I have discerned the schemes and tactics of Satan and his kingdom of darkness, and while the players might look and sound different, the goals have always been the same ... to create a world of tighter top-down government control and more authoritarian leadership [under his evil guidance], with limited innovation amidst growing citizen pushback.

To be sure, there have been ebbs and flows -- in both the control and the pushback -- but Satan's overall plan has always been the same: his kingdom of darkness [which has ruled much of the world since Adam and Eve got kicked out of the Garden] seeks to defeat the restored dominion of earth [which Jesus handed back to man]. Since Genesis 1:26-28, we were given a mandate by our Creator to rule earth like Heaven is ruled. In other words, our Lord came to defeat the kingdom of darkness and re-establish the Kingdom of God. Jesus's plan has always been for His followers to continue His work in His power and authority, which He transferred to us. 

From 2011 to now, if you have spiritual eyes to see, and spiritual ears to hear, you should have seen the writing on the wall. Without a doubt, we are seeing food shortages, and the drums of war are getting louder. We have experienced a global plague [with warnings that it will erupt again]. Famine is a very real threat [and not just to third-world countries] -- meat is being rationed in our country [and we're now offered a variety called "impossible"]. And who can explain all the processing plants that have been destroyed, and dairy cows, along with millions of pigs and chickens being slaughtered? And the wars and rumors of war are no longer simply whispered among "those in the know", but openly forecast. Where have I  heard that before? Oh, yeah, they are the beginnings of birth pangs that Jesus talks about in Matthew 24. These world events pretty much resemble the four horsemen of the apocalypse in Revelation 6, too -- the red horse symbolizing war and bloodshed; the black horse is famine; and the pale horse is pestilence and death. 

But, I'm not writing to say that we should get ready for the Tribulation, or that the End of the World is here. To be honest, I'm not interested in predicting when that time will come -- no one knows except our Father, not even Jesus, Himself. So, I'm more focused on being alert to what the Enemy's agenda and playbook are, so that I can endure to the end [whenever it is] and be an Overcomer. And that means I want to help others be able to see what is happening in the world from a non-political standpoint. We must be able to see in the spirit, and see what is going on behind the dirty veil that the devil is so good at presenting to the general population.

At the beginning of this post, I mentioned that it feels like déja vu. I say that because beginning in 2014, I was writing about the undermining of our nation's Constitution, our republic, and our basic civil rights; that we were seriously eroding the truth that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness." 

I remember having to memorize this paragraph from the Declaration of Independence in my elementary school Social Studies classes, but now I see that "new Government" as being the Kingdom of God, with the faithful acting as the Ekklesia [governing body of Believers acting as representatives of the Heavenly government of the Father]. But there is a spiritual force that doesn't want to see that happen. 

Back in 2014, I made mention of a political activist and theorist named Saul Alinsky. He wrote a book in 1971 titled Rules for Radicals in which he subscribed to 12 rules about how to successfully run a movement for change. That little book has greatly influenced our social and political climate for the last 50 years. And I find it most notable that Alinsky penned this for the dedication of his book: "Lest we forget at least an over-the-shoulder acknowledgment to the very first radical ... the first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom -- Lucifer".

There you have it .... the reference to the kingdom of darkness versus the Kingdom of God. And the rules which Alinsky promoted certainly mimic Satan's agenda and methodology. To begin with, there is rule #3, which states "Whenever possible, go outside the expertise of your Enemy. Look for ways to increase insecurity, anxiety, and uncertainty". The way in which the so-called "experts" have disseminated [dis]information in our recent history has resulted in the loss of freedoms that we have taken for granted. This falls right in line with Satan as the Father of Lies whose modus operandi is Deception and false accusations. 

Another rule of the social and political radicals, as well as the first radical, Lucifer, is "The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself". If you are spiritually discerning, you will see how that has played out in our recent history. Millions survived without following the "prescribed protocol". And tragically, it's also true that millions died. So please understand that I am not making light of that number. Any death is significant, but you can see how this strategy parallels Satan's strategy of getting us to worry about things that haven't even happened yet, or that are far less devastating than he has given us to imagine. Satan's goal is to demoralize Christians into a state of passivity, resulting in his kingdom continuing to dominate the earth.

Rule #12 of Rules for Radicals is "Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it". That's pretty much what Satan did to Job, isn't it? He cut off Job's support network, and isolated him from sympathy. He attempted to get Job to turn against the very One who believed in him and had blessed him, and would be there to restore him. And that rule has been effectively used in polarizing our citizens and neighbors against each other. "White privilege", "Equity", "Diversity" and "Institutional Racism" have become terms used to pick Satan's targets in his radical playbook. See how easy it is to freeze attention on a target, and use language to personalize it, and polarize it? 

These are just a few of Alinsky's rules for instituting social change, and it's not hard to see them at work in our current situation, and see them as similar to Satan's tactics. But let's not forget another diabolical tactic known as the Hegelian Dialect. In short, here's how it works .... Step number one looks like this: Our Enemy knows that, instinctively, people won't go for restricted freedoms, so they cause a problem [that didn't naturally occur] which is step number two, which causes panic and conflict. Then they come up with step number three: a solution to solve the manufactured problem, which turns out to be their original goal [i.e., restricted freedoms]. The people will embrace it because they just want the panic and conflict to go away. 

So, as Kingdom-minded citizens, who are Heaven's representatives on earth, it is absolutely necessary that we see how Satan is working in the world ... a man-made virus being unleashed on the world, causing death, panic, destroyed economies, and loss of jobs. In the Spirit, we can see that Satan desires men to doubt God in the midst of this chaos; sending spirits of fear and abandonment to invade our peace and confidence, which causes us to seek solutions in our own power instead of pressing into the power of God in us to help us endure. Satan wants us to trust ourselves, or human leaders, more than we trust our Father and Savior. It's all about perpetuating Satan's kingdom of darkness and stopping the advance of God's Kingdom on the earth.

But, we must cling to the truth that we exist in Christ, who is a safe realm that we can step into and be protected during this storm. And we need to walk in our identity in the Kingdom. Our authentic citizenship is in Heaven, seated next to Christ, the King of all Creation -- we are temporary [and secondarily] citizens of this world. We must not get distracted from anything that Satan aligns with in order to divert us from our purpose in this life. We have a destiny that surpasses whatever we may experience during our short lifetime in this realm called earth. 

We must understand that we were made for eternity, but we have a job to do while we're here in our temporary home. So, Satan and his minions can develop all the rules and radical ideas they can imagine. But they will never defeat God's sovereign plan for His people or this planet. He will rule and reign as King, and Satan's radicals will pay the price for their rebellion, unless they choose to be redeemed. So, don't get discouraged! It may seem like more dark days are ahead of us, and we wonder when this nightmare will end. But this is our opportunity to persevere for the Kingdom of God; spreading the Good News that the Light of Heaven has brought a promise of our deliverance into the realm of the Kingdom of God. Let us be about our Father's business until our Lord returns! Let's execute God's playbook and frustrate the Enemy's strategies and tactics!

2 Corinthians 2:11  .... that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.

 

October 22, 2022

Time To Get Serious About Spiritual Warfare!


The topic of this post may seem repetitive... I have often sounded the trumpet about our need to recognize that Spiritual Warfare is real, and it is the Christian's duty and responsibility. And it's time to blow the shofar again! It is my earnest desire that we join forces as God's Ekklesia on earth and be ready to battle in the spirit, preparing the way for Jesus's return. I believe He is mounted and ready to ride, but until He receives that order from His Father, we must stand steadfast and unwavering in our spiritual armor, ready to defend the Faith and the earth as we await His arrival.

It's been over 8 years since I began writing about the importance of Christians engaging in Spiritual Warfare, and while many are more aware of what it is today, not enough are actively engaged in practicing it. How do I know? It's as simple as taking a look at the state of the world. All one has to do is look at a sampling of news headlines over the last few days and weeks ... Luciferian Transhumanism vs God's Creation; NY Governor Claims God Is On the Side of Abortion; Violent Crime Surges Across US After Police Retreat; 12,000 Fentanyl Pills Disguised As Candy Seized at LAX; Every Nation May Soon Be Overwhelmed as Energy Crisis Brings Death and Destruction This Winter; Ex-Satanist Warns of Halloween's 'One-Night Stand' With the Devil... I could go on and on; the number of violent attacks against individuals on our streets and in our cities is truly frightening. One cannot tune in to the TV without seeing another innocent victim of pure Evil.

So, what is the answer to this Evil? Very simply, it is that mankind is in a spiritual war with God's Enemy. But the understanding of this concept precludes that one comprehends and accepts that not only does God exist, but that Satan is real; and that he employs a multitude of devices and forces, in his position as "god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4). It is important that 1) we recognize it is our duty to fight against this Enemy; 2) the four important areas of Satan's influence; and 3) we have a power stronger than his.  

Part of Satan's influence is that both the Unsaved and Christian could be presented with his power and influence through old movies like The Exorcist, Amityville Horror, and The Shining. But, it's been nearly 50 years since those movies shocked the sensibilities of "normal" people, and now one can hardly find a TV show or movie that doesn't exploit death and evil! And evil monsters like Jeffrey Dahmer and other serial killers are celebrated, as their lives are glamorized onscreen.  The number of popular musical artists who claim to be "possessed" by demons is nothing new (Lady Gaga and Katy Perry come to mind). Yet most of today's Christians are not engaged in battling against this evil because it's become so commonplace and/or they've never been taught that they are to be engaged in such a battle, nor know how to go about it.  "Onward, Christian Soldier" is nearly a lost conviction.  (Please don't think I am confusing Spiritual Warfare with the Crusades. Those were human military campaigns, sanctioned by the Roman Catholic Church, for a variety of religious, economic, and political reasons -- and I don't have a problem calling into question the part that Satan played in their execution).

But most of the Body of Christ doesn't want anything to do with Spiritual Warfare. They are fearful of the Enemy [if they are even willing to consider that he is real] and simply pray for Jesus to protect them. But I remember the day I understood the concept that, as Christians, we have a job to do as part of this End Times generation. We have been given authority over Satan; we were created to rule over the enemy -- not the other way around. So, that sounds like pretty good "church-y" theology, right? And you might be thinking, what does this have to do with the headlines of the day, or the lyrics to some popular song? Well, they are all representative of who we are battling, according to our go-to Scripture on Spiritual Warfare, Ephesians 6:12:  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

It is imperative that you understand the true meanings of these four forces of Satan.  The Greek meaning of the word for PRINCIPALITIES describes things in a series, such as leaders, rulers, and judges; it signifies rank and organization.  This informs us that the Satanic kingdom is highly organized, and Satan is at the head of this kingdom; and there is a rank of ruling spirits under him that are subject to him and assigned over areas such as nations and cities.  (When you consider some of the decisions of the world's rulers and look at their actions, it is not hard to imagine that they are "under the influence".)

Remember the reason the angel was delayed with bringing God's message to Daniel?  It was because he was engaged in battle with "the prince of the kingdom of Persia".  We must grasp the reality that Satan, as the Enemy of God, can have a powerful effect on the leaders of nations, states and cities.  It is necessary that we realize that our spiritual warfare not only includes our individual lives, but communities, our nation, and the world!  This is not just some Biblical folklore, folks!  Kings, and Presidents, and Shahs, and Imams can all be leading at the behest of Satanic Principalities. And they derive their POWER from their spiritual leader, Satan. That's the second force that we battle.

The Greek meaning of the word, Power, implies "authority", and tells us that the demons Satan has placed over various areas and territories have been given the power and authority to carry out whatever orders they've been assigned... Satan's orders that result in deception, control, and destruction. 

BUT, as we take our positions for battle, we need to understand that we have even greater authority; the authority of the Name of Jesus. Our authority lies in the power of That Name, and demonic entities are forced to yield to the authority of the Name of Jesus. Both my husband and I can personally testify to the power that the utterance of that Name has against a demonic force. Sadly, the Church has this same power and authority, (through the Name), that was given to it initially, by Jesus, Himself; yet, for various reasons, they either have lost the knowledge that it is at their disposal, or simply choose to disbelief it.  

Here is what every Christian needs to know ... We don't have to pray and wait for God to come to our rescue! Through our Salvation and our baptism in the Holy Spirit, God has provided us with the necessary weapons to engage in spiritual warfare and actually become a formidable and mighty Church; a force of our own to be reckoned with! Yet, here we sit, bemoaning the terrible state of our lives and the world! We can no longer afford to be ignorant of the forces coming against us, nor of the power we have to defeat them!

The third force in our spiritual battle is the RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD.  When Adam fell through sin, Satan usurped his dominion over the world, but he is nonetheless a defeated foe of our Lord.  The Devil is really just a trespasser in this world, and he has no legal rights over us Christians. Our debt has been paid by the Blood of Christ, and we belong to Him. 

So, if he's doomed to defeat, why does Satan still seek to rule this world, and why has he gained such success through his "rulers"? It is simple: the Church has not recognized or risen up in the power and authority given it. It's time that we use our spiritual weapons and strength, and take the offensive to the Enemy! But the Church and Believers have to recognize that this battle cannot be won politically or socially ... we cannot change things by getting out the vote, or accepting new social paradigms. Yes, it's important to vote, and we should strive to grow and improve our social standards, but I see the picture so much bigger than those surface issues. God is bigger than politics and social convention! And if we don't start seeing Satan's agenda and strategies in these areas, then we will continue to find ourselves battling and losing ground.

Finally, the fourth force that we battle is SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS IN HIGH PLACES. Obviously, the key here, is "wickedness".  In the Greek, that word means "depravity; malice; plots".  That can encompass all kinds of spiritual battles against pornography, the occult, "Black masses", or even a babysitter, teacher, or parent who has allowed a spirit of sexual addiction to rule their impulses. The point is that we have very real spiritual enemies.  They are the enemies of both God and man.  And while we Christians have the promise of victory in heaven, we still can be afflicted and tormented here on earth. The key to our victory in this realm is to use our authority as it has been given us. 

All the mayhem and chaos we see in the world is not going to go away. I see so much more division and evil than when I first began writing on this topic. We can no longer compromise with the Enemy. Our very existence relies on us getting in the fight! The disorder and turmoil is a result of the battle between spiritual forces in the heavenly realms and those upon this earth. We have so much more coming against us now ... demonic forces that want to indoctrinate our children in godless ways; forces that want to integrate our God-given DNA with machines; forces that are destroying our food supply and corrupting our medical system. These are desperate times, and we MUST understand that we have been given the authority (through the power of Jesus's Blood) to bind the inferior power of the Devil, and to set free those he has made captive. Yes, in the end we have Victory in Christ! But there are a lot of people who are going to be sacrificed if we don't step into our own power and authority. We can no longer hesitate. We need to be exercising that authority NOW! 

#spiritualwarfare #christiansbattleinthespirit  #spiritualbattles #godvssatan

2 Corinthians 10:3-4    "For though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons.  For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds,"  
   
 

 

 

 

 

 

August 30, 2022

What Is The Level of Your Faithfulness?

 

I have previously shared my testimony of walking in the wilderness and what it was like to have my faith tested. So, it was with much interest that I ran across an article from Open Doors USA about the testimony of a Christian pastor held in a Turkish prison and experiencing the silence of God. In case you are unfamiliar with this organization, Open Doors USA seeks to strengthen and encourage Christians throughout the world who find themselves in danger because of their faith in Jesus. Pastor Andrew Brunson had been a pastor of a small Christian Church in Turkey for 25 years when he found himself serving a sentence for espionage and terrorism, which would result in him spending two years in a Turkish prison cell -- 735 days to be exact.

 Pastor Brunson is candid in his admission that those two years were difficult because he did not feel the presence of God, and it resulted in a season of testing for his faith. In his interview, he reveals, "I was the only Christian in prison, and the only Christian I had any contact with throughout my two years was Norine [his wife]. So I was very alone, isolated in my faith. I prayed for peace so much. I did not feel much peace. Grace was taking me through, but finding strength, determination, peace and joy was actually much more difficult than I expected. So I didn’t feel people praying for me. I had grace, but it was an unfelt grace. My first year in prison, I broke repeatedly."

Many of us can identify with what it looks like and feels like when we've been broken before God. And many times, we, too, experience the silence and what we think is the absence of God. When asked what he learned through this season, Pastor Brunson responded, "There are actually a number of things that came out of my imprisonment in my own heart. Even though it was two years of the silence of God, I came out with a different intimacy, more confidence in my relationship with Him, which comes from having been tested and proving myself. It’s the difference between a soldier who has been trained and has skills, and one who has the same training and skills but has also been in battle."

That last thought, my friends, is at the heart of this post. As my husband and I enter into another year of our unique ministry of Inner Healing, I am increasingly aware of the difference in the faith of a Christian after they have received Inner Healing from Christ. Each one comes to our table, where they have an opportunity to meet with Christ; where He prepares a table [meal] for them in the presence of their enemies, just as David states in Psalm 23. And when they feast on His power to overcome the strategies of the Enemy in their lives; feast on His authority, love and righteousness, they leave a different kind of Christian -- one that truly knows what deep level faith is and how to walk in it. It's as if everything before was experienced through the doctrines and teachings of the Church, but when they experience what Jesus did while on assignment on earth -- hearing and seeing what the Father's will was for them -- those doctrines and teachings pale in comparison to a new level of real spiritual knowledge and awareness, gained through witnessing Jesus's presence [in the spirit] throughout their lives. No one can remain the same after that upgrade in your faith!

Pastor Brunson stated that his time in that prison was a test of his faith and he believes it is stronger today because his faith was tested and he learned what true perseverance was. Before prison, he knew his faith was strong, but until it was tested in the midst of God's silence, he had no proof of the strength of his faithfulness. He hadn't proven it to himself. For my husband and myself, we see that the Beloved's that come for ministry are also able to understand how they've been tested when we can show them the strategies of the devil to keep them from their purpose in this life. They can understand things about their relationship with God that they weren't able to recognize before. They can see that God hasn't abandoned them or forgotten about them; they can finally see that God didn't "allow" the bad things to happen, but that they have an enemy that comes to steal, kill, and destroy, and that when free will is exercised by themselves [or others against them], that IT IS NOT GOD'S WILL FOR THEM

Like Pastor Brunson, we can move into a more intimate, strengthened faith with God when we see the truth that God sent us to this earth with an assignment to advance His Kingdom on the planet, and it has been the devil's plan to keep us from that assignment by bringing sin into our lives. And that sin has kept us in bondage to the lies of the devil until the very moment when we have the opportunity to receive the truth from Jesus's own lips! We can cast away the shame, guilt, rejection, anger, unworthiness and whatever other demon spirit the devil has attached to us, and step into a new identity, washed in the blood of Jesus! 

As I've so often said, this life is a journey to become more like Jesus. Each of us has a purpose and an assignment, and we should expect the enemy of God to try to detour us from the path God has written in our Book of Life. After all, didn't Satan do the same thing to Jesus? Our journey is an opportunity to persevere and overcome the attacks from our adversary, and when the testing of our faith comes -- and it will come -- we can choose to rebuild and restore our faith to new levels; and we can form new perspectives about who we are from God's point of view... trading false images for truth.

So, because the Bible tells us that persecution will be on the rise in the End Times, we should take this time to not only get ourselves free from bondage and false identities, but prepare ourselves for the testing of our faith. It will be a time of proving to ourselves that our faith is authentic and that God will be faithful to us, even as we are faithful to Him. As Pastor Brunson reflected on his imprisonment, his words struck my heart: "... there’s already more of a cost to follow Jesus now than there was when I got out of college, and it’s about to very quickly accelerate... One of the things I think God was doing in me was having me go through this breaking and rebuilding so that I would learn and practice certain things that would strengthen me to be an encouragement and resource to others who are also going to face difficulty." May we all commit our hearts to do the same.

#Faith #EndTimesFaith #ChristianPersecution

Romans 8:35   Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?



 

August 26, 2022

The Meaning of Words Matters!

 

By now, it should be clear to anyone paying attention to our world, that things are changing. As a Christian with a Biblical worldview, I can see that there is a new ideology growing in our Western culture that threatens to destroy what we have believed for centuries. And I'm not just talking about our faith, but what we have adhered to in our family structures, our form of government, our history -- and it threatens to destroy the culture itself.

This new ideology is not dissimilar to the theme of George Orwell's famous novel, 1984. If you are of a certain age or generation, you probably read it in a high school English class. Long described as a "dystopian novel", the book warned society of the dangers of a totalitarian government that ruled through fear, surveillance, propaganda, and mind control. The not-so-funny thing is that "dystopian" means "an imagined place or state in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmentally degraded one." I don't know about you, but that description doesn't seem so imaginary anymore, and our culture and society are increasingly looking like the super-state Oceania in 1984.

I say that because there are certain similarities between the novel and where we find ourselves today. I don't want to spend this post rehashing the plot of this book, other than to say there is one aspect that I think we need to understand because it plays into the threat of eradicating some of God's most important Biblical principles. Let me explain ... as part of the plot in 1984, one of the political parties of the imaginary totalitarian government wants to get rid of certain troubling words; without the words no one can conceive of their concepts and it will be easy to destroy the reality of what they mean and inspire.

Today, that translates into not only getting rid of words, but changing them to mean something entirely different. For instance, there are certain politicians that are re-writing laws that omit "women" or "mothers" from the text, and replace them with "Birthing people". Other activists want to get rid of the word "equality" and change it to "equity"; and "affirmative action" becomes "diversity". Furthermore, how some words make people feel is now being termed as "violent". There is no longer any room for discussion or debate. And as Tim Sandefur of the Goldwater Institute says, "That is dangerous"... if we are going to label language and words violent, "then the only way we can relate to each other is through power". I think we can agree that that is not a good standard.

You may recognize this idea as comparable to terms like "wokeism", "political correctness" or "cancel culture". But the damage this ideology does goes much deeper than any theory of how our culture is changing in a political or societal sense. It is leaning towards dismantling the very foundation of believing in God and His standards. If activists can change the idea of Biblical precepts by removing God's part in them, then they can be reformatted to remove Him altogether. Another way to say it is this: if we can remove the God connection to a word, then rather than the word being defined by God's perspective, it becomes the opinion of the person who is experiencing or feeling it. God no longer has a place in our language.

For instance, let's take a look at the word Guilt. As a Christian, I know that guilt is a noun; it is a state or condition as a result of violating one of God's moral laws. And there is the idea of repayment and restitution to the offended party. But if you remove God from the definition, then guilt can be simply defined as "guilty feelings", and there is no payment or consequence associated with the violation. Indeed, the violation itself, is subjective [based on personal feelings, tastes, or opinions]. Any shame that is felt is lessened to a loss of face before your peers because there is no God before whom one is ashamed.

Now, consider the word Freedom. As Christians, we know that there is a weight to that word. Our ultimate freedom in this world comes from Christ and His sacrifice on the Cross for us. There is no greater freedom on this earth than the freedom from eternal death. And freedom is also deliverance from the bondage to sin. It is a gift from our God to us. But when you remove God from the concept of freedom then it becomes a word that means permission to do whatever feels good to us. Doesn't have quite the same weight to it, does it?

Finally, let's think about the word Tolerance. I think the original meaning of tolerance, in regards to Christians, was to acknowledge that other people had different belief systems and to believe that it was their right to do so. But when you remove God from the Christian principle of tolerance the word comes to mean that you have to agree with all belief systems; to fully approve of them -- all are equal in their value and significance. As a Christian, I know that is not true. Furthermore, without God, tolerance ends up being an incoherent ideology, or nothing more than a request to be nice and get along.

So, do you get the idea I'm trying to convey? The meaning of words is important, and if God's perspective is lost in that meaning, then there is no standard by which the world understands each other. Taking it a step further, if words can be eliminated or changed, then so can our history, which is chronicled in words. Words may seem like such a small component of the troubles we face in this world, but let me share what a secular writer wrote about the importance of words. Esther Lombardi wrote, "Words can incite anger or invoke passion. They can bring people together or tear them apart. Words can uphold the truth or nurture a lie. We use words to encompass history, to describe the natural universe, and even to conjure realistic visions of things that exist only in fantasy." 

I can agree with that sentiment. And here are the rest of her words in that description "In fact, in some mythology, spoken words are thought to be so powerful that they can create worlds, creatures, and human beings." Note how the truth of God is removed from those words, and compare it this concept in John 1:1-5 ... "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it".

Words matter! And their meanings matter! The Enemy of this dark world is all about distortion and corruption. It's been his game plan since the Garden of Eden. It is up to us to preserve and uphold the truth of words as they pertain to the Goodness of God. I fear the tactics of those who wish to remove God from the knowledge of the foundation of this world and societies and cultures. The next generation is in danger of being robbed of all that God has intended for us. Let us defend the importance and accuracy of our words, lest they be lost forever. And I want to end this post by quoting the latter part of The Message's version of Matthew 12:37 ... "Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of Reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation". Serious words for thought.

#wordshavepower #godsword #cancelculture #wordsmatter #biblicalworldview

Matthew 12:37   By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

August 4, 2022

Baal Worship in 2022! God Will Not Tolerate This For Much Longer!


By now, you may have seen the blasphemous images coming from the 2022 Commonwealth Games, held in Birmingham, England. In case you are unfamiliar with this multi-sport event, it is held every four years and attended by countries who have been part of the British Empire, with England, Canada, Australia, Scotland, Wales, and New Zealand taking the lead in attendance among the participating 72 nations. But this year, it was the opening ceremonies that left anyone with an understanding of Biblical history in total shock.

Taking center stage was a 30-foot, 2.5 ton metal bull, built to symbolize one of the oldest pagan gods in the Bible, Baal. According to the editors of the Encyclopedia Britannica, Baal was one of the major gods of the Canaanite pantheon. In Hebrew, the word ba 'al means "owner" or "lord".  So, in the early stages of Israel's history, the use of Baal in names didn't necessarily indicate apostasy or idolatry. The judge Gideon was also known as Jerubbaal, and King Saul named his son, Ishbaal. In fact, for those early Hebrews, "Baal" was the appointed name for the Lord of Israel. What eventually made the very name Baal an abomination to the Israelites was the plan of Jezebel, wife of King Ahab, in the 9th century BCE, to introduce her Phoenician cult of Baal to the Israelites in opposition to the official worship of Yahweh (I Kings 18).

Baal was designated the universal god of fertility, and in that capacity his title was Prince, Lord of the Earth. It is not too difficult to connect the idea of fertility with the Bible and the knowledge that Satan has been in a "seed war" [think DNA] with God since Genesis 3:15 ("I will put enmity [open hostility] between you and the woman, and between your seed [offspring] and her Seed [Jesus]") and Genesis 6, when fallen angels mated with human women to spawn the birth of Nephilim [half fallen angel/half human] -- all in an attempt by Satan to corrupt the pure Jewish bloodline so Jesus could not be born. Furthermore Baal's title of Prince, Lord of the Earth also designates him as Lucifer, or Satan.

We also need to understand that the worship of Baal existed in Egypt when the Israelites were in bondage as slaves. They were in captivity for 400+ years and some of the pagan idolatry began to seep into their religion. So much so that when Moses was on Mount Sinai meeting with God over the Ten Commandments, the Israelites began doubting that the Exodus from Egypt was a good idea, and they reverted to some familiar Baal worship; they built "a golden calf" and they celebrated "shamefully and without moral restraint". We can see this action for what it was when we know that as the god of life and fertility, Baal was believed to have sired a divine bull calf, whose birth meant an abundance of crops and fertility for animals and man.

Because the land of Canaan had been influenced by Egyptian invasion, Baal worship was prevalent among the inhabitants of the Promised Land. And this is why YHWH warned the Israelites to steer clear of the native tribes and remain true to Him and His commandments ... with good reason! The website heavennet describes the rituals of Baal worship like this: adults would gather around the altar of Baal. Infants would then be burned alive as a sacrificial offering to the deity. Amid horrific screams and the stench of charred human flesh, congregants – men and women alike – would engage in bisexual orgies. The ritual of convenience was intended to produce economic prosperity by prompting Baal to bring rain for the fertility of "mother earth." The principal pillars of Baalism were child sacrifice, sexual immorality (both heterosexual and homosexual) and pantheism (reverence of creation over the Creator)."

And that is precisely why the opening ceremonies of the Commonwealth Games of 2022 were so disturbing. The National Times of Australia shared the commentary from the BBC announcers as the idolatrous and blasphemous Baal Bull was brought into the stadium ... "The presenter of the Games is announcing that the Bull will be revealed as the iconic symbol of light... Ladies and gentlemen, anyone with any Biblical understanding knows they are referring to Lucifer! This is worship of fallen angels going on right in front of your face. If people don't believe we're coming into the End Times ... are you seeing what I'm seeing?!? ... This bull is clearly Satanic ... they will fall down and worship the bull! Do you see where they are leading you?" The BBC announcer had no problem in discerning the message the opening ceremony was conveying. I wonder how many others who witnessed it were as perceptive?

That is why it is so important that we take note of these kinds of spectacles and make them known. The world is rapidly sliding into idolatry, and much of it is rooted in paganism and the worship of the ancient god, Baal, whether we acknowledge his connection or not. Stop and take a close look at where the world is headed ... abortion is equivalent to child sacrifice; the culture openly pushes homosexual, heterosexual, and transsexual promiscuity just like the orgies performed during the rituals of Baal worship; the worship of "mother earth" is still alive and well and transforming into radical environmentalism. Nothing has changed! Satan is running his same old program that began in Genesis and we are coming very near to the later chapters of Revelation. Please don't turn a blind eye to what is right in our faces ... stand as a united Body of Christ and declare that we will not bow down to any other God but the Most High! Do not let the Lord find us as He found Israel in the following verse from Hosea...

Hosea 9:10    I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your forefathers as the earliest fruit on the fig tree in its first season. But they came to Baal-peor and devoted themselves to shame, and they became as detestable as that which they loved.

#baalworship #paganworship #motherearth #endtimes #commonwealthgames

April 17, 2022

Jesus: Our Living Hope! Happy Resurrection Day!


I was saddened, but not surprised, to wake up this morning to the New York Times headline, "In This Time of War, I Propose We Give Up God". Of all mornings -- Resurrection Sunday -- this newspaper chooses to publish an op ed article disparaging the One who has never given up on us. 

Using the backdrop of the current war in Eastern Europe, the author [who self-identifies as a Jew] wants to blame the One True God of the Universe, and brand Him as hateful and brutal; even suggesting He should be labeled "a war criminal" for His part in allowing the suffering and oppression that is on display across the globe. The author states that we should stop trying to be like Him, and even goes so far as to suggest that we stop teaching our children about Him... they should "be as unlike him as possible". And then the article ends with this disgraceful statement, "Killing gods is an idea I can get behind".

First of all, I will pray for this person because I recognize the hopelessness that is in their heart, and the disillusionment they have experienced in their Jewish faith. I refuse to disparage anyone's faith -- unless it is rooted in Satan and his wickedness. But it grieves me when I see people express the emptiness they feel when they look upon Jesus. This day, of all days, speaks of the pain and agony He endured for our sake. It is a story of His horrific sacrificial death and His miraculous restoration to life, that He might sit at the right hand of Almighty God on His heavenly throne, interceding for us! And it is a gift to all who believe in Him; that we have the hope of eternal life with Him and the Father!

I am sorry that the writer and the paper chose today to publish this sad article. Today is so much more than a day spent in the midst of brightly colored eggs in foil-wrapped baskets, filled with chocolate bunny rabbits and stuffed animals. In fact, it is the one day that the entire foundation of our Christian faith rests upon. I would love to have a conversation with the disillusioned NYT writer. I would explain to Him that God has not "allowed" this war we are witnessing; or any other war in history. He does not use war to punish people, and this day does not honor Him as a warmonger. I would like to explain to the writer that humankind has an enemy that is not God. He name is Satan and it is he that comes to kill, steal, and destroy.  I want the writer to know and understand that it is Satan's actions that he [the writer] is attributing to God, who is the Most High among all the "little g" gods of the earth.

I would like the writer to know that, from the beginning of the Old Testament, the Godhead planned for Christ's birth, death, and resurrection. It was stated, "And I will put enmity (open hostility) between you and the woman, and between your seed (offspring) and her Seed; He shall [fatally] bruise your head, and you shall [only] bruise His heel" (Genesis 3:15). I would instruct the writer that the word enmity means hostility, bad blood, hatred, malice, and is the state or feeling of being actively opposed or hostile to someone or something... in other words, it describes WAR. 

Genesis 3:15 is the first prophecy about the Messiah (Christ), who through His death on the cross, and His resurrection, would ultimately defeat Satan, the power behind all that the writer hates in the brutality, oppression, brutality, and war that he wants to lay at the feet of God. So, I would like to invite him [or her] to do some research on the true oppressor of this conflict/war. For I will find my hope in my God; the One True God who chose to come to earth to save me from those who follow the Enemy. 

This won't be the last article calling for the death of the worship of God. Our Holy Book tells us so. And we, who celebrate the Resurrection of Yeshua Ha Mashiach today, know that hatred for Him will grow upon the earth. But we will endure and overcome as we weep over the wickedness in the world; struggle with our adversaries; minister to those who need hope in Him; and continue to find joy in the face of evil --- knowing that our Lord goes before us as we fulfill our assignments. Today is a day of eternal hope. No newspaper article will ever convince me to give up God. I pray that this writer has a supernatural encounter with Jesus which will find him writing an article of praise, reverence, and retraction. Let him see Your Truth, Lord! Happy Resurrection Day!

Romans 8:34   Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the One who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.


July 30, 2021

How God's Sacred Knowledge Got Corrupted

 

I'm going to be honest. I'm kind of blown away by what I discern the Holy Spirit is showing me, and I just hope I can put my thoughts into some kind of order that makes sense. So, I'm just going to launch in to this latest revelation. As I take a break from my exegesis of Genesis, I am going to connect some dots that I had never seen before. Remember, in Genesis 1:28, when the Bible says, And God blessed them [granting them certain authority] and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subjugate it [putting it under your power]; and rule over (dominate) the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and every living thing that moves upon the earth.” 

Then in Genesis 2:8-9, the Word says, And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

So, those are two pretty profound statements, and I would daresay that most Christians are familiar with them. But do we really understand them and their implications? And how does that tie in with the title of this blog? First, let me say that I believe the Church has missed the opportunity to stress that God intended us to have power and authority on the earth as He does in Heaven. He instructs us to "subjugate" the earth or "subdue" it, as most versions say. Those words imply conquer, overcome, restrain. This all falls under the command to have dominion [rule] over the earth. 

So, keeping those two passages in mind, I want to give you a quote from Josephus, the noted Jewish historian from the first century AD. It will begin to give you an idea of where I'm going... Josephus is considered by most Bible scholars to be a trustworthy and dependable source of Jewish first-century history, as well as a reliable chronicler of Jewish beliefs, culture, and antiquity. So, it was with great interest that I read this excerpt from his The Antiquities of the Jews: (quoting from the writings of Moses), "Moses says [further], that God planted a paradise in the east, flourishing with all sorts of trees; and that among them was the tree of life, and another of knowledge, whereby was to be known what was good and evil; .... God therefore commanded that Adam and his wife should eat of all the rest of the plants, but to abstain from the tree of knowledge; and foretold to them, that, if they touched it, it would prove their destruction. But while all the living creatures had one language, at that time the serpent, which then lived together with Adam and his wife, showed an envious disposition, at his supposal of their living happily, and in obedience to the commands of God; and imagining that when they disobeyed them, they would fall into calamities, he persuaded the woman, out of a malicious intention, to taste of the tree of knowledge, telling them, that in that tree was the knowledge of good and evil; which knowledge when they should obtain, they would lead a happy life, nay, a life not inferior to that of a god: by which means he overcame the woman, and persuaded her to despise the command of God". (Josephus, Ant. 1.1.3-4).

So, this parallels our modern translations of the Bible, from Genesis 2:8 - 3:6. I find it interesting that in Josephus's sharing of the writings of Moses, it is revealed that the serpent was present in the Garden with Adam and Eve, and knew that God had commanded them not to eat of the tree of knowledge. Furthermore, he knew what knowledge was contained in that tree, both good and evil. And it is clear that he sought to deceive them by promising they could become a "god", implying that status was superior to their human state. Adam and Eve had been commanded by God not to eat of that tree. I believe they had been given righteous knowledge by God in order to properly rule the earth and maintain it for God's Kingdom. But by yielding to the temptation of Satan, they now had access to the ways that knowledge could be corrupted for evil. What did that knowledge consist of?

Gary Wayne, in his book, Genesis 6 Conspiracy, writes that among the knowledge given to Adam by God, [while he was in the Garden of Eden and still innocent], were what has become known as the Seven Sacred Sciences. These seven sciences, when used for righteous purposes, are meant to help man carry out his dominion on the earth. They are Grammar (whereby humans were to speak and write in truth); Rhetoric (the ability of humans to speak in subtle [precise] terms and using the art of virtuous persuasion); Dialectics (a dialogue between two or more people holding different points of view about a subject but wishing to establish the truth through reasoned argumentation; learning to discern between truth and falsehoods); Arithmetic (the study of numbers); Geometry (learning to measure the earth and all things; related with distance, shape, size, and relative position thereof); Music (the learning of songs and the language of musical instruments); and Astronomy (the learning of the course of the planets and stars).

In their original creation [by God] these Sciences were meant for only good, and humankind was bequeathed this knowledge to control the universe, provided they mastered the wisdom given to them and did not use this divine gift for evil. Adam had access to all this knowledge, but when he and Eve ate from that tree of knowledge, they were immediately corrupted and so opened up a path for the knowledge to become corrupted as well. Just as God had prophesied, their disobedience led to their destruction, and they were driven from the Garden. Here's where it gets interesting! The Bible tells us [in Genesis 4] that after their banishment from the Garden, Adam and Eve had two sons, Cain and Abel. We know that Cain slew his brother Abel, and God cursed Cain and made him to be a "fugitive and a vagabond [roaming aimlessly] on the earth [in perpetual exile without a home, a degraded outcast". 

Josephus, quoting from Moses' writings says Cain "became a great leader of men into wicked courses". He was the author of measures and weights and he changed the world from living in simplicity to a world of "cunning craftiness". Cain vigorously practiced the 5th Science of Geometry or Masonry, building many projects including the Great Pyramids. At this point in history, there's no evidence that Cain and his descendants have used the Seven Sacred Sciences for evil. But apparently that didn't last long, and according to Josephus, "even while Adam was alive, it came to pass that the posterity of Cain became exceeding wicked, every one successively dying one after another more wicked than the former".

Enoch, the first son of Cain,  -- not to be confused with Enoch, the son of Jared and from the line of Seth, who "walked with God, and he was not, for God took him; (Genesis 5:24) -- discovered the zodiac and was the first to initiate worship through religious rites. He is credited in Freemasonry with teaching the sacred mysteries in religious rites and ceremonies. He appointed festivals and sacrifices to the sun and was considered an idol worshiper. Now, how could this "evil Enoch" have received ways and methods to corrupt the Sacred Knowledge given to man by God? Remember the serpent was on the earth, and if we believe that Satan was cast from Heaven to the earth with one-third of the angels, then there was a contingent of evil all too willing to assist men with evil hearts to corrupt anything God has created. But before I come to my conclusion how this is still affecting mankind today, I want to mention the third son of Adam and Eve that the Bible talks about. 

Seth is born in the image of Adam, who was born in the image of God, and his name means "to set firmly in place; appointed; foundation". Just like Cain, Seth would have been taught the Seven Sacred Sciences by Adam. Seth was a farmer and his descendants focused on the 7th Science of Astronomy. The knowledge of Astronomy and how the heavenly bodies moved would have been invaluable in understanding seasons and when to plant and when to harvest. The line of Seth remained righteous in their practice of the Sacred Sciences until the 7th generation, while Cain's line was immediately vile, treacherous and evil from the time God ostracized Cain. Josephus writes, "Now this Seth, when he was brought up, and came to those years in which he could discern what was good, became a virtuous man; and as he was himself of an excellent character, so did he leave children behind him who imitated his virtues. Now this posterity of Seth continued to esteem God as the Lord of the universe, and to have an entire regard to virtue, for seven generations; but in process of time they were perverted, and forsook the practices of their forefathers... for what degree of zeal they had formerly shown for virtue, they now showed by their actions a double degree of wickedness; whereby they made God to be their enemy." 

Can you see the influence of Satan beginning in the garden and running through the ancestral lines of Adam? It appears that from the time his pride, arrogance and disobedience got him kicked out of Heaven, his goal has been to usurp God's creation on earth. Since he had no access to the tree of knowledge, he carefully persuaded Eve, and then Adam, to believe in his own vision of becoming "like a god".  This enabled him to influence their progeny to share that Sacred Knowledge, including the Seven Sciences. The myths and legends from antiquity all reveal the existence of a Snake brotherhood, or secret societies of the Snake. It only took the second generation after Adam (evil Enoch) to see the Sacred Knowledge hijacked and kept for these exclusive and secretive societies. This leads us all the way to Freemasonry, and the symbol of the entwined snakes around the phallus of the god Baphomet. 

But Enoch, the evil son of Cain, was able to do so much more! From astronomy, Enoch created astrology and sun worship. He implemented pagan rituals, ceremonies and rites with a new repulsive religion in which knowledge could only be passed on to initiates and selected guardians of "the truth". Now it also is reported in ancient texts that the nefarious application of the Sciences waned sometime after this Enoch's generation, but was renewed under his great-great grandson, Lamech. His children further contaminated the Seven Sacred Sciences and the entire antediluvian (pre-Flood) world. And here's what we need to understand -- an outside force (fallen angels) partnered with Lamech's descendants to violate the divine rules of creation, further defiling what was left of their innocence, which left their original nature unrecognizable. 

In conclusion, those Seven Sacred Sciences are at the heart and root of what we call "Science" today. The inventions and belief systems that have emerged down through the centuries still carry the corruption brought about by Satan and his fallen angels. Modern Science still rejects the divine truths and knowledge that come from God in favor of man's logic and rationality, and it often serves an evil purpose instead of righteous goals and benefits for which God created them. Now, just as at the beginning of creation, Satan's agenda has been to de-legitimize the ways of the God of the Universe, and entice men to gain power and authority through his nefarious schemes. Solomon got it right when he wrote, “Behold, I have acquired great [human] wisdom and experience, more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of [moral] wisdom and [scientific] knowledge. And I set my mind to know [practical] wisdom and to discern [the character of] madness and folly [in which men seem to find satisfaction]; I realized that this too is a futile grasping and chasing after the wind. For in much [human] wisdom there is much displeasure and exasperation; increasing knowledge increases sorrow." All we have to do is look how Grammar, Rhetoric, Dialectics, Math, Geometry, Music, and Astronomy have been corrupted to present an anti-Christ message to the world. Does our increased knowledge glorify the Lord or ourselves? If the latter, then we must admit we have fallen for the same temptation that our ancestors did in the Garden.

Ecclesiastes 1:14-15   I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity, a futile grasping and chasing after the wind. What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is defective and lacking cannot be counted.