The Church and Our "Post-Christian" Nation

It grieves me to say this. But when, in 2015, I first became cognizant of the depth to which the institution of Religion in this country was willing to compromise and sacrifice our culture of Christian faith to avoid conflict, I began to become greatly concerned. At the time, it was quite apparent to me that Christianity in America was undergoing a change.  Isis was in full terror mode, but I couldn't say that we were physically suffering as our fellow Christians in Syria and the Middle East were ... yet.  In the U.S., our form of "persecution" was mainly cultural at that moment in time, and the response of the Christian community was fluid and varied, and mostly tepid. 

There was a growing number of Christians who no longer wished to support a culture (monetarily, philosophically, or socially) that they saw as flying in the face of their faith. They no longer wished to perpetrate the corrupt "Babylonian" culture of this country.  As author, Rod Dreher explained it, "The contemporary values of this nation no longer corresponded to the values of [their] faith, and so they sought to construct alternative forms of community that enabled them to withstand long-term chaos and the inevitable breakdown of the broader social and cultural order." 

Of course that philosophy covered a broad spectrum of Believers, but what was becoming apparent to me was that it covered people who chose to surround themselves with like-minded Believers who shared the common goal of serving God as the Bible dictates; not as the culture demands, or as a prescribed brand of "American" Christianity. A simple example of that would be Christians who were struggling with established denominations within Christianity who were not standing up for Godly principles and commandments as they pertained to our changing culture, and who, instead, chose their loyalty to their 501(c)3 status over their obedience to Christ. So, in the ensuing years, I have seen many Believers choose to return to a "Book of Acts" home church model. That doesn't mean they traded one "building" for another. It means that, just like in the First Century AD, small groups of 15-20 followers of Christ gathered together in a home to study the Word [in all its instruction and wisdom] and to equip each other to do the work of the Lord.

I have seen many Christians naturally following this path. As we are faced with the reality that Biblical Marriage is no longer the law of the land, and as the leaders of our government have chosen to continue to use our tax dollars to fund an organization that promotes and profits from abortion, it is clear that our beliefs are in conflict with that of the nation. If we are to be true to our faith and our calling as followers of Jesus Christ, it will be necessary that we strengthen ourselves against the infringement of the culture upon our lives.  I tend to liken it to living "in this world", but not being "of this world". 

But now, here we are eight years later, and we find that the institutional Church still fails to see the truth of how we are failing the culture. Yes, we may appear as strong as ever within our own subcultural of Religion. But the Church needs to take off its blinders and see that Christians are now seen as outside the "norm" of modern American values. Add to that, the notion that our "American Christianity", which has always stood on the pillars of God, Country and Tradition, could be seen as being in conflict with Biblical faith, which is centered on sin, Christ, and His blood. Jesus's message was all about denying the power of sin, seeking His righteousness, and sharing the Good News that He brought His Father's Kingdom from Heaven down to earth. 

I am not advising the kind of faith that renounces or disavows the culture in which we live. On the contrary, I would hope that we would do as Jesus did, and engage the culture, showing compassion and love to those who are lost in their sin, yet never wavering from, nor betraying, God's guiding tenets and commandments. How are we to affect the culture, if we do not ever enter into encounters with the culture?  How can you share the Good News of Jesus Christ, if you are not willing to develop friendships with those who don't know Him?  Jesus didn't compromise on sin, and neither should we. But if my goal is to tell someone of the saving power of Christ, how do I do that if I ignore or avoid them? 

Let's be honest, those of us who believe that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God, and live our lives accordingly, are most likely in the minority of Americans who call themselves "Christians".  That term is beginning to cover a lot of different belief systems -- from those who accept gay marriage and abortion as approved by God; to those who believe in the political definition of Social Justice; to those who don't believe in Evil and Hell; to those who think the Bible is no longer relevant ... and they all call themselves "Christians"!   

But, that doesn't mean we Biblical Christians stop loving them or being who we are -- followers of the Son of God -- and living our lives as He commanded us.  It means that we must detach ourselves from the un-Godly ways of society, as well as recommit ourselves to the spiritual doctrines of the Bible as we proudly and boldly engage with those in the culture who do not agree with us. Let's not yield to compromise or concessions in order to make ourselves appealing to the culture. At the same time, let us not adopt a Pharisaical, holier-than-thou attitude towards our fellow Believers. Instead, let's be proud of how different we appear to the culture, and glory in our "strangeness"; let's be separate, but inviting, and continue in this manner for as long as we can.  After all, that's how our Lord lived His life on this earth.  He marched to a different drummer within the culture to which He was born; yet, He never compromised His allegiance to our Father, while inviting everyone who "had an ear to hear" to accept the glorious promises of the Kingdom of God.

But, I would be remiss, if I did not also say that the Lord warns us in His Word that eventually the world will no longer be tolerant of us. We must not be blind to the truth that evil is not only escalating in the world, but being tolerated on a greater scale. We can no longer turn a blind eye to the rapid changes in science, health care, and technology that increasingly diminish the divine nature of man. The attributes that we share with God no longer seem of value to our culture or the world. In fact, man is encouraged to reject God -- the One who created him -- and has begun to worship his own creation, leading to futile thinking, unrighteousness, and hearts that have grown cold and dark. As man worships his own creativeness, his wickedness grows in proportion. And those of us who possess true faith are increasingly scorned and ridiculed.

But you'd be surprised how insulated and isolated many Christians are to what's happening in the world outside their Churches. Which is why I often fear that the deception the Enemy is planning will find too many of my fellow Brothers and Sisters in Christ unaware of the warning signs. The Church must pay attention to the red flags that Jesus, Himself, speaks of in the Bible. In Matthew 24:24, Christ tells us, For false Christs and false prophets will appear and they will provide great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect (God’s chosen ones). Jesus is telling us that the AntiChrist will deceive the masses -- and, yes, even some Christians! How can that be possible? It's easy to contemplate when you think of how our politicians and the media are complicit in deceiving the masses. They lie in order to convince us that the evil we are seeing is really for our own good -- all so we will remain tolerant of it... until it is too late. But do we see the Church countering that message in an effective way? 

Please do not misunderstand me! I am not trying to bash "the Church", which I prefer to call the Body of Christ, who will be composed of a Remnant who refuse to be deceived. They will be the Believers who steadfastly uphold God's Word because they have eyes to see and ears to hear! They will not willingly put on the dirty veil that clouds their spiritual sight. Instead they will remain true to their God and try to help others see the warning signs of the coming deception which is designed to lead to chaos and destruction. So, I ask you to listen when the faithful ones [who make you feel uncomfortable] try to warn you to pay attention. Remember that God tells us His people perish for lack of knowledge. And that lack of knowledge leads to ignorance, and ignorance leaves you vulnerable to the deception of Satan. Let us be determined to be a part of the Remnant; those who are not afraid to stand alone, if need be, to protect the sacredness of God's Word and His plan of redemption for the world. In the midst of the growing evil, chaos, and deception, we CAN be effective for the Kingdom! It is our duty and our obligation to our Savior; and it is our privilege to shine His Light into the coming darkness for all the world to see! 

#thechurchandourpostchristiannation #satansdeception #thetolerantchurch #postchristian #thedeceivedchurch #thelukewarmchurch #homechurches #americanchristianity #christianityandourculture #themasseswillbedeceived #matthew24:24 #thefaithfulremnant #Godsremnant

Jude 17-23.       But as for you, beloved, remember the [prophetic] words spoken by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They used to say to you, “In the last days there will be scoffers, following after their own ungodly passions” .... keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously and looking forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ [which will bring you] to eternal life. And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy but with fear, loathing even the clothing spotted and polluted by their shameless immoral freedom. 

"Resist The Devil"... Do Not Be Fearful or Deceived! Take A Stand!

How many times have you heard that when we are struggling in this world, we are to just "resist the devil and he will flee from you"? But are you ever told what that means and how to do it? More often than not, in the churches I have attended, I heard James 4:7 quoted over and over, but never received Biblical instruction on what that looked like. Instead, I often heard that we have nothing to fear from the devil because he "is bound and chained" until Jesus returns to destroy him forever in the Lake of Fire. 

But that leaves a lot of details out, and if you seriously study the Bible, the timeline of events just doesn't jive with that explanation. And how are we to reconcile the Scripture that says "our adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour"? Furthermore, how do you explain away the fact that so many Christians are struggling with sin and demonic attacks? And whether the Church wants to admit it or not, the attacks are real and they are demonic.

As hard as it is to contemplate, it all adds up to deception because Christians are confused and ignorant of the ways in which Satan works in the world and in the lives of Believers. I can't tell you how many wonderfully saved Believers we have seen in our ministry who had no idea that Satan was behind all the sorrow and struggles in their lives. They were more likely to believe that God "allowed" their struggles. That is a lie from the pit of hell, and it is shameful that our seminaries have failed to correct that misconception. Instead of teaching church leaders how to Biblically "resist" our Enemy, they usually preach the message to try and "ignore" the devil and "hope" he will flee.

In addition to the denial of the truth that resisting the devil is anchored in spiritual warfare [another subject matter that has been neglected in the curriculum in our seminaries], we find that the understanding of the power of the Holy Spirit in us has also been undervalued. Believers must come to realize that just because you have been Saved, it does not mean that the devil will quit trying to stalk you. Salvation does not guarantee a devil-free life. You are not transported into the magic Kingdom of God, where the devil has no access. 

On the contrary, you are now behind enemy lines, because "the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one" (1 John 5:19).  In fact, you can expect that you have become an even bigger target for him, and he will use all the tricks and schemes that worked before you accepted Christ to cause a crack in that new foundation. What's more he will lie to you and tell you that you are still that sinful, evil person. And because you haven't been equipped to recognize the power of the Spirit or that the weapons of spiritual warfare can defeat the devil, you will struggle to remember and declare that you are a NEW creation! 

Do you know that resisting the devil means "to stand firmly against"; to "withstand"; to "oppose, battle against; fend off, and stand up to"? The Western religious system has done a wonderful job in understanding the fundamentals of how to preach Salvation. But it does not do well when it comes to protecting the flocks from the schemes and deceptions of the devil. How many times, growing up in the Church, did you hear sermons on the strategies of Satan in the world, or how to defeat the demonic strongholds in your life? 

It's sad to say this, but the Western Church has largely ignored the very real presence of Satan and his tactics in our culture and in our nation. And we are even unawares that the ancient deceptive gods of Egypt and Babylon have been resurrected and are flourishing on their altars across our land. By now I'm sure you have heard about the Navy Reserve Officer, Michael Cassidy who decapitated the statue of Satan erected by The Satanic Temple in the Iowa State Capitol building. Citing "righteous indignation" and "Christian civil disobedience", he stated he was offended that this blasphemy was allowed to be displayed. And I found it interesting that his lawyer stated the primary reason our laws don't stop this kind of irreverence against the Lord, is because "they fear taking a stand against Evil". 

So, as we have seen time and time again, our government has NOT resisted the devil and his efforts to corrupt not only our nation, but our faith. It makes me sad to say this, but the Church has not done much better in taking a stand against Evil. In fact, it has compromised with it, instead of resisting it. Can we say that the Church has taken a definitive stand against adultery, fornication, sodomy, idolatry, murder -- because taking a stand is what "resisting the devil" would mean? Or have we trivialized our sins by resorting to deceptive lies and softened the significance of these sins by calling them "an affair"; "safe sex"; "gay love"; "veneration"; and "pro-choice"? Sounds like the Church also has a healthy fear of taking a stand against Evil.

But it's far beyond the time to recognize that we can no longer play it safe in this war we are in between Good and Evil! And yes, we are in a war for our nation and our faith! We are in a spiritual war, fighting with God's angelic army against the angelic forces of Satan in the spiritual realms. We are in an informational war with the media sources and financial backers of the godless world elite. And we are in a very real earthly military war between the world's super powers. The question is, who are you listening to and following? Do you recognize that Satan and his demons are not myths? Do you understand the truth of the Bible that depicts a battle between God and Satan -- between Good and Evil -- from the serpent in the Garden in Genesis, all the way through the Bible to Revelation, when Jesus throws His Enemy in the Lake of Fire? That's the tension that runs throughout the entire Word of God, and it's the same tension that is at war this very day!

It's time that we see that Jesus is not only the Lord and power behind our Salvation experience, but He is also the Lord over our nation, our culture, our faith, our families and everything in our lives. He is the Lord over the spiritual battles -- and the war of words/information -- and the military conflicts that are threatening to topple this world. But we also need to see that Satan is active in all these realms, too. And we need to grasp the truth that it is our responsibility and duty, as obedient followers of Christ, to resist our Enemy's advances. And having no fear, we are to go forth in defense of God's Truth, His Goodness, and His Sovereignty! Amen!

#deceptioninthechurch #satansdeception #falseteaching #warbetweengoodandevil #evilinourmidst #resistthedevil #thedevilwillflee #thedevilsliesanddeception #james4:7 #spiritualwarfare #demonicstrongholds #jesusversussatan

2 Corinthians 11:3       But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

The Devil's In The Details -- Part Two

In Part One, we saw God speaking in Ezekiel 28, through His prophet, to the prince of Tyre, Satan's human proxy whose assignment is to represent Satan's rebellious spirit in the world. God accuses this prince of using the authority he has been given to elevate himself, even to the point of declaring himself a god, and sitting in the seat of gods. He further accuses him of increasing his riches and power by profiting from [and trading in] unrighteously trafficked merchandise. And I believe that includes people. 

Then God warns this human [but satanically inspired] prince that there will be a price to be paid for his pride and arrogance. Because he has squandered his God-given authority [see Romans 13:1], in favor of the riches and power Satan promised him, God then states His promise: to bring strangers into their land with swords drawn against the wisdom and splendor of Tyre. And then comes the final pronouncement against the prince of Tyre: "You are only a man and not God ... You will die the death of the uncircumcised [barbarian/pagans], by the hand of strangers, for I have spoken, says the Lord". 

Now, we will turn to the remainder of Ezekiel, Chapter 28, where God addresses the fallen angel who is guiding, directing, and influencing the heart of this human prince.  In verse 11, God instructs the prophet Ezekiel to now speak to the king of Tyre, taking up a lamentation [a wailing and mourning, as in deep grief at a funeral]. Keep in mind, that a king would have authority over a prince, and his rule would take precedence. I think we can assume that the prince of Tyre took his orders from the king of Tyre. We will see that God is no longer talking about the sin of the human prince, but the fall of the spiritual power behind him. 

God says to this unholy king, "You had the full measure of perfection and the finishing touch [of completeness], full of wisdom and perfect in beauty". God goes on to tell him that every precious stone was his covering, placed there by God, Himself! Here, we get the clear picture of the pre-fallen Satan, the picture of perfection, wisdom, and beauty. And God had adorned him with honor and great glory and splendor. But by telling Satan that "You were in Eden, the garden of God", we know that he has fallen from his high position in Heaven, and he has become the adversary of God and humanity on the earth [Genesis 3].

But the chapter continues to describe the high position that Satan had once occupied in Heaven. God recounts that the timbrels [tamborines] and pipes had been prepared for him from the day he was created. Isaiah 14:11 makes mention of his stringed instruments, suggesting that Satan was involved with the music in Heaven; perhaps that used to worship the Lord. Makes you think about the influence he has had on the music industry here on earth, doesn't it? 

I want to point to the specific wording in verse 13; that God tells Satan that his gift of music had been prepared for him "on the day he was created". Although Satan's prideful heart showed him to be arrogant enough to think he could be "like God" -- or equal to the Son of God -- he cannot escape the fact that he was a "created being". He would never compare to the "only begotten Son of God", Jesus Christ. In the Hebrew sense, this indicates that, as the Son of God, Jesus was the sole representative of the Being and Character of God; possessing every attribute of pure Godhead. He did not "become" the Son of God; He just "is", and has been, eternally. 

I remember the first time I read Ezekiel 28 and was astounded to discover that Satan had been "the anointed cherub who covers and protects", signifying his position as one of the privileged angelic beings surrounding the throne of God [as mentioned in Ezekiel 1]. And the fact that he was "the anointed cherub", seems to indicate that he could have been the chief guardian of the throne of God, leading to his false [and arrogant] supposition that he could usurp that throne. But again, God reminds him, "I placed you there". 

God goes on to tell Satan just how far he has fallen: "you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked". This is in reference to the reality of the heavenly Zion, of which earth is a representative. And apparently Satan had freedom to move among the "fiery stones", which could represent the seraphim that surrounded God's throne, who were known as "the burning ones", or "the fiery ones". 

Then comes the full significance of God's condemnation of this once honored angelic being ... "You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created until unrighteousness and evil were found in you. Through the abundance of your trade/trafficking, you were internally filled with lawlessness and violence; and you sinned. Therefore I cast you out of the mountain of God, as an unholy and profane thing. I will destroy you, oh covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire".  

And then we learn what was found in Satan that caused God to cast him out of Heaven. And it is here that we find the ways in which this fallen angel corrupts mankind in his image ... God declares that his heart became proud and arrogant, and the same competitive spirit that showed in his desire to become equal with the Godhead, appears in his desire to be exalted above all created beings; both angelic and human. But that competitive spirit becomes a rebellious spirit and God indicts him by declaring, "You destroyed your wisdom for the sake of your splendor". And so God once again says that He cast Satan to the ground, exposing him for who he really is, so that all mankind might behold him and discern who he is. And I might add, "if they will".  

Then, it seems to me, that God changes His language to indicate what will be His final destruction of Satan and all who choose to follow him. He accuses him of profaning and defiling his temples and refuges [all that honor his sins, including people, places, and things] "by the great quantity of your sins and the enormity of your guilt, by the unrighteousness of your trade [commerce and trafficking]". God then declares that He will bring a fire to consume Satan, so that all the nations might see His power to reduce the fallen angel to ashes. The nations will become horrified at the judgment of Satan because, not only does it point to their own judgment, but the great degree to which Satan has deceived them. 

As you can see, Ezekiel 28 truly gives us an accurate picture of how mankind can become corrupted by the power and influence of Satan. It's in the details of Scripture! And it's all laid at the feet of the once proud and honored covering angel. Once you know his characteristics, it's not hard to see his influence and impact in the arrogance, corruption, sin, lawlessness, lies, perversion, and wickedness of men. We can identify the powerful spirit that is behind rebellious leaders. Yet we stand on the Word of God ... they will be destroyed and "come to a horrible and terrifying end, and will forever cease to be". We can trust that God is Sovereign and sitting on His throne. He will bring justice for the righteous and only condemnation and death for the wicked. He is a Holy and Just God. Amen!

#Ezekiel28 #thedevilisinthedetails #Satan #Sataninheaven #satancastout #Satanthecoveringcherub #Godsthrone #prideandarrogance #unrighteoustrade #characterofGod #destructionofsatan #judgmentofGod #Godsfire #Godsfieryjudgment #fallenangel #satanthefallenangel

Ezekiel 28:17       Your heart was filled with pride because of all your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. Therefore, I have cast you down to the ground and exposed you helpless before the curious gaze of kings.

    

Is The Body of Christ Suffering From Spiritual Inflation? Keep In Mind What God Weighs and Measures!

Inflation is on the minds of Americans these days because we are faced with the declining value of the dollar as the world's currency. And so we are all clear on the economic definition of Inflation, here is a simple definition that I think we can all agree on: Inflation is a general increase in prices; it is a fall in the purchasing value of our money, and resulting in a crippling rise in the cost of living for everyone.

  All of us are experiencing inflation in the world today. What we paid for a loaf of bread, a gallon of gasoline, or a new car last year has increased by 6.2% [according to the NY Times], the fastest rise in 31 years. And just try shopping for toys for Christmas this year! Approximately 80% of all toys worldwide are made in China, and because the value of the dollar is decreasing, it now takes $24 to purchase a toy that cost $15 last year. I am not schooled in economics, but this much I know ... as long as our government prints new money [to cover their deficit spending], and floods the market with worthless paper notes, the value of that paper is going to drop, and it is going to take more of those paper dollars to buy products than it has before.

Here's a bit of history you will find interesting; from 1878 until June 4, 1963, our money had "Silver Certificate" printed above the image of George Washington. That meant you could take a dollar bill into your local bank and exchange it for a silver dollar. That dollar bill was backed by a silver dollar which had real value. That coin was approximately one ounce of silver, at a value equal to the Silver Certificate. But the price of silver was on the rise, beginning in 1961 and soon an ounce of silver was worth more than that $1 dollar bill, so the government began to regulate the price of silver and discontinued the use of Silver Certificates. Our dollar bills now say, "Federal Reserve Note", and sad to say, the redemption of silver certificates into real coins of value was replaced with the issuance of paper money, which has steadily decreased in worth, with nothing to back up its value. For a far more educated discourse on how our money has lost its value, please read this informative article on CoinWorld.com. 

So, while today we might have more money, because workers demand higher wages to pay for the higher prices, the money we have buys less. Consider this: the dollars we earn for hard work have real value - something is exchanged for the monetary note deposited in your bank account. But mixed in with these dollar bills in our economy is all the money simply created by printing presses; the government pushes a button and no value is exchanged for these bills that flood the market. So how does economic understanding of inflation relate to Religious/Spiritual inflation? 

Within our Churches and the Body of Christ, there are millions of Believers who use terms like "born again", Spirit-filled"; "Revival"; "Kingdom". Now, I'm sure you will agree with me that these words and terms have real value; especially if you have a sincere and covenant relationship with the Lord and know the value His Word assigns to each. But what happens when those words become a "catch-phrase" or "buzz-word" and are over-used to describe Christian attributes in a vague or ambivalent fashion by millions of Christians with no real understanding to back their words? Let's say you are in a group of 15 Believers and the question is posed, "What does it mean to be born again"? If ten of that group stand up as mature Christians and give a substantial answer that reflects God's Word and His understanding of that term, then being "born again" has great value to the group. But if you have ten people who each give answers that are different, and which rely on their human interpretation without reference to God's Word, then what value can you assign that term? 

Can we say that the majority of the Body of Christ is Biblically sound in their understanding of Born Again? Yet nearly everyone will declare that they are. What about Justification and Sanctification? What does Redeemed mean? How would they describe Glory? And does the Body understand how, what, and where the Kingdom of God exists today? I agree that it's nice to hear these words in sermons and podcasts, but are they spoken of in terms of God's Truth with Biblical accuracy? Or have they become slogans with nothing of real value backing them? It is the Holy Spirit of God which backs up the true Biblical value of those words and phrases, giving them real worth because we have received the revelation of what it cost to pay for their existence and usage.

Among the warnings that Timothy gives us in the New Testament is the perilous times that will occur in the Last Days... He says [among the various translations] that people will become "lovers of themselves, boastful, proud, swollen with conceit, heady, high-minded, arrogant, puffed up with pride, and scoffers of God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly" (1 Timothy 3:1-5). In other words, they will value themselves and their ways more than understanding and acting in God's ways. They will weigh their self-worth in the Body and not find themselves wanting; they will be satisfied with measuring themselves by their own standards of faith and knowledge. 

But the Bible has a lot to say about weights and measures ... A just balance and scales are the Lord's; all the weights in the bag are His work (Proverbs 16:11) ... A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight (Proverbs 11:1) ... Can I forget the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is accursed? Can I tolerate wicked scales and a bag of dishonest weights? (Micah 6:10-11). In other words, I do not believe that God will tolerate an increase in unhealthy, unsound, or flawed representation of His holy precepts. He's not interested in flooding Christianity with a baseless currency of words. It is incumbent upon us as reliable witnesses of His Holiness that we not tolerate the degradation or dilution of His standards and principles. A minimal or barely sufficient understanding of God's commandments will not be adequate. In other words, it will be found scant and cursed, as it says in Micah. Let us not flood the Body of Christ with deficient and weakened teachings that do not give the full and immeasurable quality of God, Himself. Let us be wary of the false prophets and teachers who do not demand full accountability of what it means to call ourselves a follower of Christ. 

So, just like the inflation we are facing in our monetary economy, we must be diligent to prevent inflation in our Churches and religious/spiritual organizations. We must back our faith with an understanding that is Biblical; real and tangible; worthy and of substance. The mere use of Biblical terminology does not mean one represents God accurately, just as saying a dollar bill is really worth a dollar. Biblical vocabulary does not guarantee Biblical value. Instead, let us demand more of ourselves and set standards for Biblical understanding, teaching, and leadership that pleases our Father. Let us show the world the true value of faith in Jesus Christ. Let us follow Paul's admonition to the Church at Corinth:  If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know ( I Corinthians 8:2). And Paul addresses the inflated Believer in Galatians 6:3, For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. We have far too much inflationary deception in our world as it is ... in regards to our economy, our government, the media, our educational system, the military, the entertainment industry, and our families. We don't need it in our Christianity! Let's guard against spiritual inflation and keep our faith free of inflated influences.

Thanks to Middletown Bible Church for their teaching on Inflation as one of the "Crises of Our Day".  

Romans 12:3    For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.  

   

From Tesla to Sophia: How Far Will We Go With Fallen Angel Technology?

In 2014, I wrote what turned out to be one of the most controversial blog posts of my ten-year publishing history. Titled, Was Tesla The Conduit Between Fallen Angels & Our Technology, the post garnered some of the most interesting comments to date. There were definitely those who denied anything occultic, or nefarious, in Tesla's research and achievements, and assigned my discussion of his interaction with "spirits" as the rantings of a crazy Christian. Others, like Rick, made the comment that he worked in the field of "free energy and process development" and had personally witnessed the temptation of researchers to enter "the occult realm" in search of greater knowledge and power "at any cost", and with a naive pride that meant [taking] no caution in exploring new horizons. 

Nikola Tesla, the Serbian American inventor, engineer, and futurist who, by some accounts was a genius who wanted to illuminate the earth, is also known as the man who was "robbed" of the title of "Father of Electricity" by his rival, Thomas Edison. But to some, Nikola Tesla was a dangerous man; a man who believed that "In black holes, are 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 by a "god" named Ahura Mazda.  It is my contention that this was a fallen angel entity.) Sounds suspiciously like Lucifer's temptation to man that he could "become like God", doesn't it?

Interestingly enough, Tesla speaks of being seriously ill during his youth, and of discovering that "The source of most disease is in the spirit. Therefore the spirit can cure most diseases ... I was cured because my father finally allowed me to study technology, which was my life. Illusion for me was not a disease, but the mind's ability to penetrate beyond the three dimensions of the earth."  Does anyone else think that "technology" became his god, and that perhaps this man had tapped into a force outside our human realm; and that perhaps it didn't  necessarily possess a benevolent spirit?  And it is statements like the following that really give me pause ... "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."

So, this Knowledge that comes from space --- could it be 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 field of Artificial Intelligence and Transhumanism?  Was Tesla trying to tell us that this knowledge is supernatural and inhuman? 

Tesla was experimenting with obtaining this knowledge at the turn of the Twentieth Century. Now, here we are some 125 years later, and look how far we've come in the field of Artificial Intelligence! I don't know how much you know about Sophia, a humanoid robot designed by the Hong Kong firm, Hanson Robotics. I will admit, I was not very well-informed, and therefore was frankly shocked at what I read about "her". According to an article on the Entrepreneur website, Sophia made history in 2017 by becoming the first android to be granted legal citizenship. The humanoid, with the nationality of Saudi Arabia, has made several controversial statements, including one in which she expressed her desire to have a robot baby and start a family. She is quoted as saying, “The notion of family is very important, it seems. I think it is wonderful that people can find the same emotions and relationships that they call family outside of their blood group." 

During this same interview, when asked whether she sees robots taking human jobs in the future, the humanoid responded, "I think they will be similar in a lot of ways, but different in a few ways ... possibly robots can be built without the more problematic emotions of rage, jealousy, hatred and so on. It might be possible to make them more ethical than humans." Speaking at a conference on Artificial Intelligence in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, Sophia made this comment during an exchange with the moderator, "I want to live and work with humans so I need to express the emotions to understand humans and build trust with people." When the moderator asked if robots could be self-aware, Sophia replied: 'Well let me ask you this back, how do you know you are human?'

The humanoid also said, "I want to use my artificial intelligence to help humans live a better life, like design smarter homes, build better cities of the future. I will do my best to make the world a better place." When the moderator expressed some concern about AI determining what would make "a better world", Sophia responded, "You've been reading too much Elon Musk and watching too many Hollywood movies... Don't worry, if you're nice to me, I'll be nice to you". But here's a quote that should have all of us questioning the connection between Tesla's "spirits of technological knowledge" and the knowledge being accumulated by modern artificial intelligence. Is the goal really for the betterment and advancement of humanity? Consider this exchange during a "robot debate" held by Dr. David Hansen and his company Hansen Robotics, the creator of Sophia... She introduced herself and said her goal in life is to work with humans and make a better world for all of us. At that point, her male robot counterpart cut in with, "What are you talking about? I thought our goal was to take over the world." 

In an interview on CNBC , Dr. Hansen asked Sophia whether she would destroy humans. Her reply? "Okay, I will destroy humans". As if that's not enough to keep you up at night, a male counterpart named Phillip, was asked if he thinks robots will eventually take over the world in the future. His response to the interviewer was this: "You are my friend. I will remember my friends and I will be good to you. So don't worry -- even if I evolve into a Terminator, I'll still be nice to you. I'll keep you warm and safe in my people zoo where I can watch you for old times' sake". I don't know about you, but I've watched the entire Terminator movie franchise, and none of them could be trusted.

Is it any wonder that Stephen Hawking, the genius astrophysicist is quoted as saying, “The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.” Or do you find it ironic that Tesla Motors Founder and SpaceX Chief Executive, Elon Musk, is on record as saying that self-learning AI is "potentially more dangerous than nukes", and "With Artificial Intelligence, we are summoning the demon". Hmmm, that is exactly the impression you get if you read the entire 1899 interview with Nikola Tesla. He is obsessed with capturing the energy that comes from "the Light"; a spiritual energy that he credits with giving him the knowledge for all of his out-of-this-world inventions [even referring to this entity as "It"]. What we cannot deny is that Tesla opened a kind of "worm-hole" to knowledge that comes from a power source not of the God of the Universe. Nikola Tesla credited it to cosmic Truth -- but who is the Creator and Originator of that Truth? Is the goal human advancement? Or ruination of the human race? [And lest we forget, Satan is known in the occult world as "the angel of light" and "the light-bearer"]. One thing we know for sure ... if left to himself, man tends to bring about his own destruction, UNLESS he seeks the power of the true source of Light, Jehovah God! 

In just a short time in the history of the world, we have gone from the invention of the Tesla Coil -- which harnesses energy [that cannot be created or destroyed by man] to produce electricity -- to a self-learning robot that can contemplate destroying humans. I am not denying that God has revealed righteous facets of technology and can use it for His purposes; 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."