Humility, Forgiveness, and Unveiling Deception

     I apologize for the length of this post. But so much is being revealed and heaped upon our nation right now, and I would not do justice to the revelation by dividing it into two parts. So I hope you are able to see what I am trying to accomplish here. There are so many layers to what we see unfolding in our country today. I  have tried to show the different facets of the Lord's heart, as well as all the tactics of the Enemy to kill the destiny of this nation. And there are layers upon layers in both the natural and spiritual realms that pertain to these two agendas. We must begin to see the truth about the intentions of both Jesus and the devil!
     Where to begin? We know that Forgiveness is one of the largest factors in defeating Satan's agenda. Jesus includes it in the Lord's Prayer. Scripture tells us that we cannot expect to be forgiven if we don't forgive our fellow man. But we must also be willing to ask for forgiveness [in humility] in order to set our brother or sister free from Satan's lies that cause division and strife.
     Here is what we see happening in the natural realm: If we call ourselves Americans, there is a truth we need to understand. We are 155 years removed from the end of slavery in this country, but we are still paying the price of the seeds of evil planted four centuries ago when the first slaves arrived on our shores in 1619. Whether our families owned slaves or not, we are suffering from the generational iniquity in our DNA as citizens of the United States of America. We cannot exempt ourselves from that identity.
     And if we call ourselves Christians, we cannot ignore our Lord's command to humble ourselves and be a servant to all (John 13), and most importantly [in this hour] to reconcile with our brother if he has something against us (Matthew 5:23-24). So, we are called to not only forgive, but to ask for forgiveness from a humble spirit; reconciling with our brother who has been hurt by past and present injustices, even if we were not participants. And that word reconcile means to transform; to change thoroughly. It will go a long way in cleansing our land of all unrighteousness, as well as building bridges towards unity and loving each other the way our Creator loves us; all of us.
     My friend Molly understands this concept of humility and repentance. She and her husband are to become the proud Godparents to twin girls who will be born to her best friend, Evette's daughter. Molly and Evette are of different races, but the moment I met them, I only saw two beautiful spirits who love the Lord, and who just happen to be clothed in different skin colors for their time on this earth. The Lord has told Molly to humble herself before Gladys, the mother-to-be, and to wash her feet, just as Jesus washed the feet of the disciples. Molly believes the foot-washing is about the mutual service of friendship, a mutual sharing of gifts that in no way implies any sort of domination. The message is not so much that the master has become the slave, but that all are on the SAME LEVEL. In the foot-washing, Jesus challenges His disciples to do the same for each other, and to see that all are EQUAL FRIENDS in the Kingdom. No one is above or below another person.
     Molly then asks the question ... How different would our churches be if we modeled Christ in a ministry of humble service on Sundays -- or at critical moments when forgiveness is demanded? I ask, "What is more critical than what is happening in our nation this very moment in time?"
     She goes on to say, "I, as a white American, cannot begin to understand the tangible spiritual oppression that was made manifest by my race over the African American community in this nation. I can't pretend that I understand what it would be like to have walked this road of oppression generation after generation. But what I can do is take a stand to help make a difference now. I can stand in the gap and repent for the crimes committed against African Americans by the hands of generations of white men. I can humbly ask for forgiveness for those who have gone before me and got it all wrong. I can do my part to make way for the generations coming after me.
     We can't rewrite history. We can't hold onto the trauma of the past because if we do it will inevitably kill this nation. My prayer [in doing the prophetic act of foot-washing] is that it will represent a washing away of the old and allowing all the trauma to be cleansed by the Living Water of Jesus Christ... That it will represent a NEW birthing and a NEW walk in this nation... That it will erase the generations of iniquity and curses that have been placed on the African American population by the white men in America... That as Gladys carries these two beautiful gifts from the Lord, that they represent the womb of change. That as Aamani and Anaya enter this world they will experience a changed world -- a reconciled world -- never trying to rewrite the past, but as they grow and mature in the Lord, seeing the beautiful picture of redemption that only God can do in this land."
     And Molly plans on speaking directly to the spirits of these unborn baby girls, saying, "I now speak to Aamani and Anaya, and I say you carry change within your wombs that many will not understand. You carry keys to unlock the mysteries to continue to heal this land. You carry wisdom beyond your years and you carry hope divinely dispersed through you from the throne room of God. You both are being born during an unprecedented time in our nation's history and I would be lying if I said it doesn't scare me [to see] the trials and tribulations your generation will endure for the Kingdom of God. But you both are being born for such a time as this, and as your Godparents, Travis and I pray for wisdom beyond our comprehension as we come in alignment with His plans and purposes for you both. May he and I yield to the Father's blueprint for your lives and not our assumptions or selfish desires for what we think you should be. It is a blessing and honor and a privilege to be part of your stories written in Heaven before the foundations of the world. I pray now that God begins to breathe on the penned words of your lives in Heaven so that we can wage effective war on your destinies. God bless you both, and to God be the glory. Amen".

     This is the heart we must have if we are to begin true reconciliation in this nation. We must have a servant's heart and a humble heart; being willing to sacrifice our pride to recognize the pain in another human being. And we have to be willing to let the Lord heal each of us where we are, no matter what our race. Repentance and forgiveness must come first. But there also needs to be recognition of the spirits of Anti-Christ and Deception that are working against any kind of reconciliation. The kingdom of darkness benefits greatly if these two evil spirits are able to thwart the efforts of Christians and good people to heal and eradicate racism.
     There is a very insightful documentary on Netflix called 13th. It explores "the intersection of race, justice, and mass incarceration in the United States." It is titled after the Thirteenth Amendment to the US Constitution, adopted in 1865, which abolished slavery throughout the United States and ended involuntary servitude except as punishment for conviction of a crime. The film purports that this clause of the amendment has been used to advance an agenda against Black Americans by a White government system that sought to unjustly incarcerate mass numbers to keep the Black population from succeeding as equal citizens.
     And believe me there is ample evidence of the injustice done! Everything from DW Griffith's monumental film "Birth of A Nation" which stereotyped the African American as someone evil and to be feared, and justified the existence of the KKK ... to showing the horrors of lynchings that occurred in the South ... to how the War on Drugs was used to disproportionately criminalize Black Americans... to the private prison corporations that make millions of dollars off of incarcerated Black men. The film pulls back the curtain to let us see just how evil men can be towards each other. BUT, it doesn't pull the curtain back far enough!
     This film tears at our hearts -- and rightly so! It focuses our hearts and minds on the injustice and the pain that our fellow humans have endured. And if you are not a Black American and haven't experienced this, you need to see it! But we also need to go beyond the gut-wrenching emotion and pull the curtain all the way back. Because if they can keep us focused on the emotion, we won't go further in pursuing the whole truth.
    While the film exposes the injustice against the Black American population, when you have spiritual eyes to see, it becomes apparent that there has been a deep deception and a more demonic agenda. Here's some of what I saw when I separated the emotions of my soul from my spirit ... DW Griffith, who made the racist film "The Birth of a Nation" was a Freemason. So he pushed the KKK message and agenda in his film. By the way, the Ku Klux Clan was a Freemason organization. And as depicted in "The Birth of a Nation", burning the cross and lynchings (think Judas) are anti-Christ rituals. It is important that we understand that at its core, Freemasonry is anti-Christ in the rituals and oaths that they take to false Egyptian, Nordic, Hindu, and Islamic deities -- yes, even to Lucifer! And Freemasonry is a lower level branch of the New World Order (NWO), a conglomeration of powerful men who will be in league with the Beast system of Revelation 17. I know that's a lot to wrap your mind around, but study the Bible and then begin to look behind the subterfuge of powerful men and institutions in this nation and the world. Ask the Holy Spirit for revelation!
    All that being said, the film shows that God sent Martin Luther King as an agent of change [and I believe to thwart the plans of the NWO to subjugate and manipulate the Black population in order to keep the roots of division and discord alive in this nation]. But King was assassinated and LBJ (a Freemason) became the hero of those who believed his War on Poverty benefited Blacks in America, when in reality it just married them to the Welfare State and we began to see the Black family unit disintegrate. He was followed by Freemason President Nixon, who began a long line of Presidents whose platforms consisted of "law and order" policies and crackdowns on illegal drugs, which further marginalized the Black race. President Reagan was not a Freemason, but his War on Drugs criminalized the easy targets -- the Black addicts and drug pushers -- when his administration should have prosecuted the corrupt CIA which introduced and flooded the poor communities with crack cocaine. This became another form of slavery for Black Americans as they became victims of the anti-Christ spirit to enslave them to addiction and the false promise of wealth and power through drugs. Additionally, there is evidence that several directors of the CIA have been known Freemasons.
     All these nefarious activities gave rise to movements like the Black Panthers, Black Lives Matter, and Antifa-- all groups who seek to right the injustice done toward Black America but who fail to see what's "behind the curtain". Black politicians spoke loudly in the 13th documentary about injustice and prejudice and discrimination, which are all real on the surface. But each of these politicians are members of secret societies and the NWO (Freemasons and Eliezer Society, among others). They are double-minded in their efforts, and work in partnership with a media that is run by members who owe their allegiance to the NWO. They speak loudly against the corrupt Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), which is a company that owns and operates private prisons and detention centers and operates others on a concession basis. But Thurgood Marshall, Jr. (son of Thurgood Marshall, Sr., the first Black Supreme Court Justice) is a Board member of CCA and a 33rd degree Mason, just as his father was! These are Black men making money off incarcerating fellow Black men, and under the auspices of a secret society that promises wealth, position and power! It's hypocrisy at its most damaging!
     This is what breaks my heart! It is the spirit of Deception working with the NWO and the anti-Christ spirit to crush the spirits of men, while pitting one race against the other! So, I asked my wise husband, "How do we, as both Black and White average citizens of this country, fight back against the NWO system dominated by an evil satanic principality? It feels as if we have no power in this world!" We all need to have the heart of Molly, and on a one-to-one basis, repent and ask for forgiveness, but I don't know if we have enough time to reach everyone in the time we have left, or if our hearts will be received. The deception is so pervasive!
     Mark said, "That's why, when I asked the Lord for the Truth, He asked me, 'Do you really want to know (and see) it?' " Mark then said the Lord showed him it was an overwhelming presence coming upon the earth, and the Lord said it was a curse! Instantly, the verse in Luke 21:25-26 came to mind... And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. This brought everything into focus as I completed a word study on "sea" and "wave". In context, the Biblical meaning of "sea" is the wild and restless conditions of nations; the false thinking and twisted logic. "Wave" means the arguments that come from the false thinking and twisted logic (the sea) and attack our belief in what's true.
     You can see this unfolding before our very eyes! Our nation is in a wild and restless condition, and there is so much perverted and twisted thinking by all parties involved. Average citizens don't know what to think or how to act. The anti-Christ spirit has corrupted the minds of the NWO, who is finding success in causing arguments (waves) between Black and White, Law Enforcement and Communities, Conservative and Liberal ideologies,  Politicians and Citizens. This deceptive, destructive, and evil spirit has infiltrated the ranks of every group mentioned and each plays a part in instigating the injustice we have seen over the last few weeks. Even those involved with this film -- which make no mistake, reveals a level of the lies and deception -- are part of the deception because they are not revealing the whole truth and have sold their souls to the very system they are exposing. But we have the mind of Christ and we must remain the humble servant, even as we battle in the spirit against the anti-Christ spirit!
     Only the Lord can permanently calm the seas and the waves. We are in the middle of a storm at sea, for sure, and all we see around us are waves crashing against the foundation of our nation and lives. We must see the big picture and understand what is happening behind the veil, but it is also  imperative that we humble ourselves in our intimate relations with our fellow human beings. I pray that our hearts remain tender and we clothe ourselves in humility, just as we strengthen our spirits to face what is coming upon the earth. We must never forget that we represent Heaven and the kings of the earth will soon forfeit their power and influence when the Son of Man comes in His great power and glory!

Isaiah 40:28-31    Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
      

    

Uncleanness, Regeneration, & "The Internet of Things"

    I'm going to tell you, right off the bat, that I'm not sure why the Holy Spirit is connecting these seemingly disparate concepts, but I'm going to just go where He is leading me, and pray that it makes some kind of sense at the end of this post.... and that you don't think I've gone completely off the deep end!
     You know when a thought or idea comes from out of nowhere and you're not sure why it is suddenly being brought into focus? Well, that happened to me when a dear reader began an email conversation about taking another look at Genesis 6:1-5. These few verses have caused perhaps more confusion and misinformation among the Body of Christ than any other Scripture -- yet they are at the foundation of so much of what Jesus prophecies and what we see happening on the earth today.
    This reader was expressing her consternation that the Body of Christ overwhelmingly ignores these verses, and very often just skips over them without seeking to understand their meaning. As I was contemplating her thoughts and reviewing the implications of this Genesis passage, I recalled Jesus's words regarding "unclean spirits". In Matthew 12, He says, Now when the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, it roams through waterless (dry, arid) places in search of rest, but it does not find it. Then in Mark, Chapter 5, Scripture tells us the story of the Gerasene demoniac [or as he is more commonly known, the Gadarene madman]. The Word specifically says, When Jesus got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him. 

     Various translations of the Bible use "demon" or "evil spirit" in place of "unclean spirit". But my mind began connecting the dots as I discerned that what Jesus was seeing and speaking about was connected back to Genesis 6. Let me show you how I got there.... and for the sake of keeping this post focused on my original topic, I am not going to give my complete explanation of Genesis 6. And for the purpose of staying on track with this post, let me just say that based on the Septuagint (the earliest Greek translation of the Old Testament from the original Hebrew), Genesis 6:2-4 reads, "that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful and desirable; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose and desired ...  The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them."  Here, "sons of God" are not earthly men, but as translated from Hebrew (Bene Ha Elohim), it means "angels of God". Therefore, I do not subscribe to the "Sethite theory" that this verse is referring to the offspring of Adam's son Seth, who procreated with earthly women and bore the giants called the Nephilim. No! Scripture means what it says ... "angels of God" (fallen angels) saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, mated with them and created a hybrid race of angel/human beings that were not what God designed or planned. [For a more detailed debate on the Fallen Angel vs. Sethite theories, read my blog post from 2014 by clicking here.] Furthermore, how does a normal human man and woman produce children that become "men of renown" (demi-gods)? And the extra-Biblical Book of Enoch [which is referenced in Jude, 2 Peter and John) states And the women became pregnant, and they bare large giants, whose height was three hundred cubits (450 feet tall)!
     Moving on ... the Nephilim were the subsequent offspring of fallen angels and human women. Since these creatures were not made in the image of God, when they died they could not return to the Father [who is pure]; but rather their spirits were left to wander the earth in the form of demons, or evil spirits, or "unclean" spirits. The Holy Spirit made this so abundantly clear to me when I understood the meaning of unclean according to the Hebrew and Greek. "Unclean" in Hebrew means to be contaminated, polluted, foul, opposite of pure. In the Greek, it is interpreted as being filthy or impure. These same spirits are still upon the earth and present today; polluted and corrupted [impure hybrids] -- perfect tools to be used by the Enemy to torment the true children of God.
      But, on the opposite end of the spectrum, what happens to us, as humans, when we accept Christ as our Savior? We are regenerated, just as Titus 3:5 says: He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we have done, but because of His own compassion and mercy, by the cleansing of the new birth (spiritual transformation, regeneration) and renewing by the Holy Spirit.  In essence, we are "re-gened", if that makes sense. We are restored to the divine image of our Father; there is a new birth that takes place. And Christian scientists are now seeing changes in the DNA of people who have gone from Sinner to Redeemed! 
     Let's continue ... how are Uncleanness and Regeneration connected to this term, "The Internet of Things"? First of all, you might want to take a look at a post I wrote in 2015, titled "The Terasem Movement, Second Life, & The Rise of the New Nephilim". I know, I know ... it all sounds like a bad science fiction movie title --- but it is all too real and being played out before our very eyes! And I do not write this to exploit radical conspiracy theories. On the contrary, I believe our God is greater than any of Satan's diabolical plans. Rather, I am being prompted by the Holy Spirit to remind Christians not to take their eyes off these schemes, even as we grow in our knowledge and practice of Kingdom living. We must be aware of all the fronts we face in our spiritual battles.

     So.... just what is "The Internet of Things"? It is defined as follows: The Internet of Things (IoT) is a system of interrelated computing devices, mechanical and digital machines, objects, animals or people that are provided with unique identifiers and the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. Sounds like a bunch of geeky technology language, right? But my spirit discerns that it is just the progression of Ray Kurzweil's theory of "Singularity", which is the point at which machines, intelligence, humans (and yes, animals) would merge -- i.e., Transhumanism -- or when machines, animals, and humans will have the ability to interface or interact (merge).  
     Does anyone else see the danger in that? Or can you hear the warnings of this present danger mirrored in the following Scriptures? In Matthew 24:37-39, Jesus says, " For it will be exactly like it was in the days of Noah when the Son of Man appears. Before the flood, people lived their lives eating, drinking, marrying, and having children. They didn’t realize the end was near until Noah entered the ark, and then suddenly, the flood came and took them all away in judgment. It will happen the same way when the Son of Man appears".  Also, in Revelation 18, John reports hearing an angel thunder from Heaven, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a demonic dwelling place, a prison for every unclean spirit, unclean bird, and every unclean, detestable beast. All the nations have drunk of the wine of her immoral passion, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and merchants of the earth have grown wealthy because of her power and luxury.”
     Both passages speak of the polluted, impure, foul, and unclean state of mankind in the Last Days. Jesus warns that the same activities that took place in the days of Noah before the flood will occur again before He returns. Heaven, itself, warns in the last Book of the Bible that mankind will become drunk with their power and wealth from the ability to create unclean hybrids. If you pay close attention to the news, they are already mixing animal genes in our vaccines, merging man and machine in Artificial Intelligence, and even exploring implantable smartphones and uploading our brains to the Cloud. None of this preserves us as being made in the image of God!
     So, while I do not advocate turning our attention away from our Commission of advancing the Kingdom, I clearly discern that the Holy Spirit does not want us to ignore these warning signals of "the days of Noah". The direction the world is taking will surely affect the next generations and we must not abdicate our responsibility to war in the spirit for them.  So make sure you have your spiritual armor in place and ask the Holy Spirit for supernatural discernment of what is coming against us in the coming years. It has been several years since these "unclean" technological developments have captured the headlines, but do not be lulled into complacency. Yes, we are being directed to advance the Kingdom, but we have not been told to stand down from guarding against the unholy machinations and inventions of men. 
     I apologize if this topic seems out of character from my normal message. I do not feel called to make this a priority, but I will always listen to the Holy Spirit's prompting and speak from my heart. So, just receive this warning and continue to listen to the Spirit in your own lives. He will not lead us astray. As the song from the Christian band, Mercy Me, says, "Lead me through the darkness. Lead me through the unknown. Oh, Lead me, Holy Ghost"! Blessings to you all, in the Mighty Name of Jesus! Amen!

Luke 21:28    And at last, when you see how the Son of Man comes—surrounded with a cloud, with great power and miracles, in the radiance of his splendor, and with great glory and praises—it will make you jump for joy! For the day of your full transformation has arrived.
    
     

Beware Of The Fear Of Deception!

     If I had to name one thing that keeps today's Christians from receiving more of God's revelation for this time, it would be the fear of deception. It's as if the Church is stuck on what Jesus had to say in Matthew 24:11, Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. It's as if any unfamiliar idea or new revelation is met with automatic skepticism because it might be a lie from Satan.
     I agree that we must be discerning about what is taught or spoken when introduced to new concepts in the Bible, or to a different theology.  But if we are good Bereans, as Paul instructs us to be, then we would be "receiving the word with all readiness of mind, and searching the Scriptures daily, [to determine] whether those things be so" (Acts 17:11). If we do this, then the chances of being deceived are actually quite small.  We might have differences of opinion, but we could agree on the possibility of Scriptural veracity and various viewpoints.

     But here's what usually happens ... the two aspects of Paul's exhortation are not met.  First, there is no "readiness of mind", which means having an open mind; being willing and eager to consider new ideas.  Secondly, that readiness needs to extend to being willing to actually search the Bible to see if the new idea can be supported by Scripture.  If it cannot, then it is easily repudiated and declared false.  But oftentimes, Christians are so afraid of being deceived by the devil (or false teachings) that they cling to their religious traditions, which if thoroughly examined, often turn out to be traditions of men.  I'm often left wondering just how many Christians actually know or read their Bibles?!?
     Christians are so afraid of receiving misinformation that they have a knee-jerk reaction of being offended when presented with anything that is outside their familiar theological boundaries.  Subjects like Signs and Wonders for this age; or considering the Hebrew roots of our faith; or the existence of demons and spiritual warfare are condemned as un-Biblical and unauthorized subjects/teachings in many Church buildings. But where is the sense of the mystery of the Bible and the desire to seek a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of God?
     The minute that I think I can't learn anything new about Him, then I know my walk of faith has been stunted.  I honestly believe that sometimes our spirits can detect a new revelation before our minds are able to catch up.  Haven't you ever felt a rush or a quickening when reading a familiar verse, and you know that you are on the verge of a breakthrough to new understanding? After all, it is the Holy Spirit within us who is communicating with our spirit, which, I believe, is ready to receive great things from God.  But if I let my mind filter out everything that wasn't on familiar ground, and reject it without Scriptural verification, then I'm just being religious.  And isn't that what the Pharisees did when they rejected Jesus?
      Remember, the Bible tells us to renew our minds, not keep them under lock and key to religious traditions.  It makes sense that only what I don't understand, but am willing and eager to investigate, is positioned to renew my mind. If we could train ourselves to actually seek the voice and presence of the Lord, we would stop being so paranoid about being deceived by the things we can’t explain. Sadly, it has been my experience that those who use their natural mind to protect themselves from deception are the most vulnerable to being deceived. They choose to rely on their own understanding and reason to keep them safe from false teachings, which is in itself a deception. (Remember that Proverbs 3 tells us to trust in the Lord and not lean on our own understanding). Instead, they warn about the dangers of new revelations, cling to their traditional explanations, and criticize those who long for more.
     But here's what we all need to comprehend ... the Holy Spirit counsels our hearts, which can grasp things our minds cannot.  It is what rises up out of our hearts that influences our minds.  True Faith does not come from our understanding. It comes from the heart. We do not believe because we understand; we understand because we believe. And those Christians who have a heart to seek a greater understanding of God should not be forced to bring the level of their Biblical understanding down to accommodate those unwilling to go beyond their comfort zone.  And we must not forget that we are called to mature and grow in our faith and understanding -- God wants us to move from spiritual milk to solid foods and the meat of His Gospel message!
     Proverbs 25:2 is fast becoming my new favorite Bible verse: It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter. People, our God sees us as kings and priests!  And our "royal-ness" never shines brighter than when we pursue hidden things with the confidence that we have legal access to search for them. The mysteries of God are our inheritance!  And the Body of Christ is enriched when one of us can share some new Scriptural treasure that God has revealed to us.  After all, I hope we aren't so arrogant as to think that there is nothing new to learn from Scripture, or that we know all there is to know about God. So let's not deny those among the Body who are eager to discover new Truths in the Bible. Disagree, in love, if you must.  But do not put a limit on the Glory of God or His revelations.

Colossians 2:2    "... that they may be encouraged in heart, knit together in love, and filled with the full riches of complete understanding, so that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ..."
   

The Great Deception: Will It Be Coming In The Cloud?

     For those of us who sense that the Day of the Lord is near, we are aware that He prophesied about all the deception that would come upon the world.  In fact, He said many people would be deceived, and great miracles will be performed to deceive even the elect, if that were possible. And then He adds, Behold! I have told you ahead of time.
     This is what theologians and the faithful throughout the Church Age have come to know as "The Great Deception".  Now, deception is nothing new... it has plagued mankind since the beginning.  And the reason is because man has loved sin; and deception always works in harmony with man’s desire for unrighteousness. Jesus tells us that before His Second Coming, many people will be so in love with the temptations of sin.  And the deception will be declared so miraculous that it will be hard to resist it.  The only ones who will not be deceived are those who have trusted the Lord with all their heart, rather than trusting in the false and extraordinary (probably, even supernatural) promises of the Deceiver.

     For centuries, theologians and the The Church have debated the mystery of what the Great Deception could be.  As I look at the rapid progress in technology, and the immoral and unethical prospects proscribed by the scientific and post-human movements, I am beginning to see the outline of a plan that might bring this ungodly Deception into view.  Give me a few minutes of your time to present a possible theory...
     The fact that Jesus says The Great Deception will be so astounding that it might even convince the elect (if it were possible) tells me two things:  1)  It won't fool those whose names are written in the Book of Life; their hearts and spirits will be steadfast, but 2) Is it possible that the Deception will try to incorporate some facet of the Bible that will make it seem acceptable to those who claim a knowledge and faith in Jesus, but are not truly redeemed?  Follow this train of thought...
     How often throughout the Scriptures is the presence of God or Jesus mentioned as being associated with a cloud?  Let me give you just a few examples:  "Clouds and thick darkness surround Him; Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne"  (Psalm 97:2). "Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds, The thundering of His pavilion"? (Job 36:29).  "The LORD was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way... He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day [from before the people]" (Exodus 13:21-22).  "Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was One like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand" (Revelation 14:14).  And then there is perhaps the most familiar verse:  "Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
     So, it's pretty obvious that clouds are an important indicator of the presence of God or His Son.  But in today's modern world, we are also quite familiar with another concept we fondly refer to as "the Cloud".  But I would be willing to bet that a majority of the people who use it can't even explain what it precisely is.  Here's the most common definition:  "The Cloud" is an online storage service; a place to keep all your files and access them from across all your various computer devices.  But when asked where this storage service is located, most people will just say "in the Cloud", which in computer slang means "out there", somewhere in the nebulous universe of the Internet.  The imagery that accompanies "the Cloud" is that of some invisible destination in the sky where your files are organized and kept for easy access.  Somehow, we are led to believe they are safe and secure out there in space; just sitting in "the Cloud".
     When one contemplates how quickly this idea has moved in the world of technology, it is staggering.  I must admit that I do not understand the intricacies of cloud storage, or "cloud computing", as it is now popularly known.  But I do know that this concept is advancing in a direction that could possibly be an indicator of The Great Deception.  Let me explain... Cloud computing has progressed from storing small personal files; to capabilities of storing large amounts of computer data for corporations; to incorporating our Smartphones in a combination of mobile and storage services; to the future, which some say will be the combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and the cloud.
     This is not a new concept within my blog.  In August of 2013, I posted an article on Ray Kurzweil (the computer scientist, inventor, and futurist), and paraphrased him: "At the rapid rate technology is growing, we will be able to combine the abilities of a computer with God's created human brain, and basically usurp man's natural state and produce a machine that we were never meant to be.  We will no longer be made in the image of God, but in the likeness of a machine-driven computer."   So, there is the artificial intelligence (AI) component of the Deception.
     But if our brain becomes a computer, with the capability of creating millions of files, won't all those files need to be stored someplace safe and secure?  Someplace, like "the Cloud", for instance? In fact, Kurzweil went on to explain, "We're going to become increasingly non-biological to the point where the non-biological part dominates and the biological part is not important any more. In fact the non-biological part - the machine part - will be so powerful it can completely model and understand the biological part. So even if that biological part went away it wouldn't make any difference."
     But that's not all!  Kurzweil then expounded upon the promise of virtual reality, saying, "We'll certainly be routinely changing our parent body through virtual reality and today you can have a different body in something like Second Life, but it's just a picture on the screen.   In the future it's not going to be a little picture in a virtual environment you're looking at. It will feel like this is your body and you're in that environment and your body is the virtual body and it can be as realistic as real reality."
     That was three years ago, folks.  Then I ran across this recent article on the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) website.  The title of the article was Second Life:  The Christian and Virtual Reality.  What is this Second Life, that Ray Kurzweil mentioned and now CBN is referencing?  It is a three-dimensional imaginary world built and populated by seven million real people. Since it opened on the Internet in 2003, it has grown explosively to become a vast digital continent on which people buy and sell property, carry out business, and pursue similar leisure activities to those in real life. 

     I believe you will be flabbergasted to know that there are people who actually call themselves Christians, who are attempting to combine this technology (in which residents of Second Life are "avatars") with their faith in Jesus Christ.  Here's what they are attempting to do: create a church community in the Cloud.  The vision is to create an awe-inspiring church that stands out for its brilliance and beauty, and to establish a Christian ministry within Second Life which will include support and care programs as well as evangelism initiatives.
     Naturally questions arise, such as how does one do pastoral care in a virtual environment? What is sin in Second Life? How does the cathedral service offer the Eucharist?
     But if the numbers are correct, and 7,000,000 people have signed up to "live" in Second Life, which doesn't really exist, except in a virtual reality context in the Cloud, are you beginning to see deception on the horizon?  Because, people, it's already here!  If not, let me throw this at you ... the founders of Second Life say their  ultimate aim is to share Jesus Christ in Second Life, through the services.  Now, can you see it?
      That means Jesus would be an avatar, too, right?  Let me take you a step further... I find it interesting that an avatar in the computing world is an icon or figure representing a particular person in computer games, Internet forums, etc.  But the word "avatar" has significance in Hinduism as "a manifestation of a deity or released soul in bodily form on earth; an incarnate divine teacher."  But which will this Jesus be?  Just a virtual reality representation of Jesus, the Son of the Living God?  Or the very real manifestation of a deity in the virtual reality of Second Life?  If you're one of those 7 million living a virtual life, will it seem miraculous if Jesus, the iconic avatar became a physical, incarnate deity?  Will all those 7 million virtual Christians fall for meeting that Jesus in the air?  After all, they are already caught up in the cloud, right?
     Is Satan planning his Great Deception to coincide with the explosion of technology, cloud computing, and virtual reality?  I have no problem seeing many so-called Christians going down that path to destruction after passing through the wide gate of technological temptations.  And here's a question for you... What if technology figures out a way that you no longer have to be an avatar in the Second Life community, but you can actually upload yourself there whenever you want?  (Remember:  Ray Kurzweil said, back in 2013, that "It will feel like this is your body and you're in that environment and your body is the virtual body and it can be as realistic as real reality."
     And what if you happen to be in the Cloud when the real Jesus returns to Earth?  The Bible says He will return to the same place and in the same manner that He left us.  That means He is returning to earth.  Do you think it is possible that Satan could so deceive earth's inhabitants that they would desire to escape to another place, rather than wait on His blessed return, and expecting that Jesus will re-route His travel plans?  Or that professing Christians will be only too willing to accept that version of Jesus because it fits their new reality?
     I don't know if this makes any sense to you or not, and to be honest, I haven't fully digested where all this could lead.  It sounds so far-fetched and like a Ray Bradbury novel.  But there are enough hints that we are headed in that direction, and when some group like Second Life offers Jesus as part of the bargain, I fear far too many, who consider themselves faithful, will not discern the danger, and will choose to bypass the narrow gate which offers salvation.  Clouds have always indicated the presence of God in the Bible, but we must be careful to seek Him in the cloud as the Bible relates it, and not fall for some deceptive avatar out of the desire for our own style of immortality.

Nahum 1:3   "The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, And the LORD will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.  The LORD has His way in whirlwind and storm, And clouds are the dust beneath His feet."