The Demonic Origins of Halloween

   

I'm not going to sugarcoat it.  Halloween is an evil holiday.  It is not some harmless night of fun for the kids.  It actually has its roots in ancient paganism.  In fact, the Luciferian occultists celebrate eight major ritualistic "holy days":
December 21st (Yule, or the Winter Solstice);
February 1st (Candlemas, also Groundhog's Day; a Illuminati Human Sacrifice night);
March 21st (homage to goddess Ostara; Human Sacrifice Night);
May 1st (Beltaine Festival, also called Walpurgis Night. This is the highest day on the Druidic Witch's Calendar. May 1st is the Illuminati's second most sacred holiday. Human sacrifice is required);
June 21st (Summer Solstice; Litha is one of the Illuminati's Human Sacrifice Nights);
August 1st (Lughnasa, Great Sabbat Festival; One of the Illuminati's Human Sacrifice Nights); September 24th (Autumn Equinox); and
October 31st, which is the highest and holiest night of sacrifice for the secret society of the Illuminati.
     Halloween was originally known as "All Hallow's Eve", and began in the 7th Century A.D.  It was initially celebrated on May 13th as a night to celebrate the memories of deceased saints and martyrs. The date was then changed to November 1st, which marked the change from summer to fall, and removed the stigma of the holiday from being so close to Beltaine.  Legends began to be circulated of the ghosts of departed ones revisiting their former homes to warm themselves by the fire, and roaming the countryside retrieving offerings of food and drink, supplied by living family members.  But it was rumored that darker forces roamed the night as well; demons, goblins, and witches, all haunting the night with acts of mischief... i.e., "the trick".
     But real witches also roamed the night, acting out their ritual dances around fires, while the devil himself played music for them.  Modern witches and wicca practice similar Halloween rituals, calling on earth's spirits and goddesses to visit their circles of power.
      In an upcoming book by Tom Horn and Josh Peck, entitled Abaddon Ascending: The Ancient Conspiracy at the Center of CERN's Most Secretive Mission, the authors consider, among other topics, the goddess Hecate, the Titan Earth mother of the wizards and witches, who illustrates perhaps better than any other ancient goddess the connection between Wicca, the Celtic Halloween traditions, and the realm of evil supernaturalism.
     Hecate may be considered the original witch of Halloween, and as the dark goddess of witchcraft, Hecate, like Isis, was worshiped with impure rites and magical incantations. Her name was probably derived from the ancient Egyptian word Heka, meaning "sorcery" or "magical," which may explain her association with the Egyptian frog goddess of the same name.
     That is probably where we get the legendary tales associating frogs with witchcraft, and the witch's various potions of frog-wart.  And here is an interesting fact I bet you didn't know:  Because her devotees practiced such magic wherever three paths joined, Hecate was known by the Romans as Trivia ("tri"-three; and "via"-roads). Later, when the Latin church fathers compared the magic of the goddess Trivia with the power of the Gospel, they found it to be inferior, and thus the pursuit of Hecate's knowledge became known as "Trivial Pursuit," or inconsequential.
     But the fact remained that Hecate's followers sincerely believed in and feared her magic, and her presence was legendary. This was primarily due to her role as the sorceress of the afterlife.  But true believers also feared Hecate's ability to afflict the mind with madness, as well as her influence over night creatures. She was thought to govern haunted places where evil or murderous activity had occurred. Such areas where violence or lechery had a history were believed to be magnets of malevolent spirits, something like "haunted houses," and if one wanted to get along with the resident apparitions they needed to make oblations to the ruler of the darkness—Hecate.
     Hecate's most familiar companion was the night owl, who announced the acceptance of the oblations.  And those who gathered on the eve of the full moon perceived the spooky sound of the creature as a good omen. Statues of the goddess bearing the triple-face of a dog, a snake, and a horse overshadowed the dark rituals when they were performed at the crossing of three roads. At midnight, Hecate's devotees left food offerings at the intersection for the goddess ("Hecate's Supper") and, once deposited, quickly exited without turning around or looking back. Sometimes the offerings consisted of honey cakes and chicken hearts. At other time's puppies, honey and female black lambs were slaughtered for the goddess and her followers.

     These followers were women who were deformed by a curse placed on them, and vicious owl-like affiliates of Hecate, who flew through the night feeding on bodies of unattended babies. During the day these followers appeared as simple old women, and such may account for the history of Halloween's flying witches. The same followers hid amidst the leaves of the trees during the annual festival of Hecate, held on August 13, when Hecate's followers offered up the highest praise of the goddess. Hecate's devotees celebrated such festivals by communing with the tree spirits—(Earth spirits, including Hecate, were thought to inhabit trees)—and summoned the souls of the dead from the mouths of nearby caves.
     Hecate was known by a variety of names:  "the one before the gate," a role in which she guarded the entrances of homes and temples from nefarious outside evils (talk about Satan casting out Satan!); and "the one who leads," as in the underworld guide of Persephone and of those who inhabit graveyards.  Finally, she was known as Hecate-Phosphoros, "the light bearer," her most sacred title and one that recalls another powerful underworld spirit, Satan, whose original name was Lucifer ("the light bearer"). It was nevertheless her role as the feminist Earth-goddess-spirit Hecate-Chthonia that popularized her divinity and commanded reverence from among the common people.
     But it is easy to see the connection between ancient paganism and the modern customs and costumes of Halloween. The Hecatian myths adopted by Celtic occultists continue in today's pop culture, symbolism and tradition in the following ways:
•  People visiting neighborhood homes on Halloween night represent the dead in search of food (the treat).
•  Masks of devils and hobgoblins represent evil spirits seeking mischief (the trick).
•  Those who pass out candy represent the homes visited by the dead, or may also represent worried individuals seeking to appease Hecate and other nighttime terrors.
•  The Jack-O-Lantern (will-o-the-wisp, fox fire, fairy fire, etc.) is, according to some histories, a wandering soul stuck between heaven and hell. Others claim the Druids left Jack-O-Lanterns on doorsteps to ward off evil spirits. Another legend concerns a drunk named Jack who made a deal with the devil. Each claims to be the true origin of the Jack-O-Lantern myth.
     And in case you think this is all just a bunch of harmless folklore, I want you to consider this .... not long ago some 300 exorcists flocked to Poland for a week-long congress to examine the current fashion for Halloween-themed monsters like werewolves and vampires the world-over, and the apparent connection between this fascination and a surge in demonic possession. Is it possible that  the world is experiencing an explosion of ancient occultism combined with wicked fascination for ghosts and all things paranormal?  Those who monitor social trends now say that Halloween is the second most popular holiday, surpassed only by Christmas; itself full of pagan symbolism.
      I don't think we can ignore that in the United States alone, there are as many as 8 million practitioners of witchcraft. On college and high school campuses vampires, werewolves, and other "creatures of the night" are esteemed as objects of desire and idolized by young men and women who view them as cult icons of envious mystical power. (The popularity of the Twilight movie franchise exhibits this dangerous fascination).
     Almost daily we read how Satanism is spreading to public schoolyards and elementary after-school clubs; city council meetings are being opened with invocations to Satan; and even church goers are being enchanted by the darkness.

     It is imperative that we understand that the Mass Media, including the Internet, television, film, radio, and other communications systems, have traded Bela-Lugosi-like vampires of former years and silly Abbott and Costello's Frankensteins and Mummies, (which could be vanquished with Christian symbols), for monsters of profound demonic character depicted as impervious to Christ's power. As a result, today's youth have exchanged yesterday's pigtails and pop-guns for pentagrams and blood covenants aligned with forces far stronger than former generations could have imagined.... and forces that they are ill-informed to withstand.
     It is no stretch of the imagination to suggest this is one of the signs that this age is under demonic influence. If we could see through the veil into the supernatural realm, we would find a world alive with good against evil; a place where the ultimate prize is the soul of this generation and where legions war for control of its cities and people.
     Yet we continue to think that celebrating Halloween is harmless, and we refuse to look beyond the veil to see the dark spiritual forces orchestrating their evil.  I know that there will be those who think this is all exaggerated and nothing but old wives tales, or fanciful legends.  But if you are willing to entertain the smallest possibility that there is any truth to these legends, then why would you partake in the celebration of such wickedness ... and worst of all, why subject a child to the influence of such dark forces.  It's time to come out of our stupor and listen to the discerning spirit that God has given us.  There's a reason these "legends" have existed for as long as they have, and it doesn't take much imagination to see that the forces behind them are gaining in power.

Thanks to Charisma News and author Tom Horn for the research and the information regarding the history of Halloween and its pagan, demonic roots.

Ephesians 5:11   "Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them."
   

2 Peter 1:10-11

Therefore, brothers, make every effort to confirm your calling and election, because if you do these things you will never stumble.  

For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior 

Jesus Christ will be richly supplied to you.

     

     It is obvious from this passage that the subject matter is important to Peter.  He is telling fellow believers to make every effort to confirm (to make sure) of their "calling" and "election".  First of all, we need to understand what is meant by those terms, and then to understand why it is so important to be sure of them.

     Those particular words have caused much difference of opinion in theological circles for centuries.  But, when I have a question, I always go to Strong's Concordance in order to understand what the word was in the original Hebrew or Greek (instead of the sometimes vague or inconclusive English translation).  In this case, the word "calling" is from the Greek word, klesis, and the idea of an invitation is being implied.  It is used especially of God's invitation to man to accept the benefits of salvation.  

     The word "election" has all kinds of implications, and is often used to support the theological premise of predestination.  When one studies the meaning of its origin in the Greek, one finds that it comes from the word, eklegomai, which means "to pick out, select; to choose for oneself".  Interestingly, it does not necessarily imply the rejection of what is not chosen, but "choosing" with the secondary ideas of kindness or favor or love. 

     And how do we confirm or know that our calling or election are confirmed?  Peter says, "If you do these things you will never stumble", thereby affirming your security in them.  But what are "these things"?  They are the faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love that we see evidenced in our lives. (See 2 Peter 1:5-7).  As we see these things in our life, we know that our lives are becoming more like the nature of Jesus. It shows that we are being conformed to His image.  

     As David Guzik points out in his commentary, "It is possible for an unsaved person to do many moral and religious duties. But the "these things" Peter wrote of are matters of the heart, and should be evident in anyone born again. Simply said, if we are called, if we are elect, then we are born again - and if we are born again, it shows in the way that we live".  Furthermore, if we continue to grow and progress in our Christian life through these things, it is a sure way to keep from stumbling.

     Now, we come to the Why it is important to be sure that we have accepted God's invitation and been chosen to live out a righteous life.  It has to do with how you enter into the eternal Kingdom of God.  Peter makes it clear that it is important to know where you stand in your Christian walk so that your entry will be "richly" supplied to you.  We must not skip over the fact that he makes a point about the state of your entrance.  There is more going on here than the knowledge that you will enter the Kingdom of God if you do "these things" and are certain of your "calling" and "election".  The object of not stumbling seems to be how you will enter the Kingdom, and Peter is implying that it should be a goal to do it "richly".  

     The 19th Century British evangelist Frederick Meyer gave a wonderful analogy about our entry into the eternal Kingdom:  "There are two ways of entering a port. A ship may come in, waterlogged and crazy, just keeping afloat by continual working at the pumps; or it may enter with every sail set, her flag floating at the mast-head. The latter is what the Apostle Peter desires for himself and those whom he addresses. He desired that an entrance abundant should be ministered unto them."

     I'm sure you've heard the contemporary version of this analogy ... something along the lines of "if I can just skid into heaven under the wire, that's good enough for me."  But is it?  Is that what we really want?  Which would you rather accomplish --- to come in unrecognized and unknown, or be welcomed by scores and hundreds or thousands of God's heavenly host to whom you have been the means of a blessing, and who are awaiting you in honor and celebration?

     It must not be lost on us that coming into the Kingdom was so important to Peter that he felt it necessary to remind believers to be sure that they did all they could with their invitation from God, so that they could receive the most glorious of entrances.  Do you live each day with that in mind?  Do we realize that our entrance will be a time of celebration?  Which do you want ... to arrive unannounced and unheralded ... or to arrive to the sounds of the heavenly choir singing your praises? We must not take our entrance into eternity for granted, nor as trivial or insignificant.  What a glorious day that will be!

The Election of Our Lifetime

     I got a phone call from my brother yesterday, proudly proclaiming that he had voted early.  Like many of you, he rightly understands that this Presidential election could very well determine the future of our nation as we know it.  If you are not a Christian, then you probably look upon this election as a decision between a life-long politician and an anti-Washington Establishment candidate.
     If you are a Christian, then issues like Supreme Court Justices, who will decide the law of the land in regards to abortion, same-sex marriage, and religious and civil rights, are important to you.  Sadly, if we are looking for a true Christian candidate, then we're out of luck.  But, as I've seen written on several different websites, "we are not voting for a pastor but for a politician".

     And let's not lose sight that we live in a fallen world.  Being Conservative or Liberal does not equal being a Christian.  That's where a candidate's character and integrity come into play.  I think it is pretty safe to say that, the way the world is headed, the next President is going to have a tremendous amount of adversity to deal with.  Which one do you think will stand up to the pressure, and consider what is best for the people, rather than their political future?  I know that is nearly impossible to imagine, given the history of politicians in our lifetime, but I truly believe we are on the precipice of world-changing events that will effect the entire globe... so who do you trust to measure up to that mental, physical, and emotional stress (or at least, which one do you mistrust the least?)
     Here's my true assessment of the Christian voter's dilemma ... It has become clearer and clearer to me that we have abdicated our role as citizens of the Kingdom of God in favor of seeing ourselves as citizens of the United States of America.  Because we have not understood or performed our role as citizens of God's Kingdom, and helped to institute a structured, organized government with the very authority of God behind it, we are suffering the consequences of surrendering our identity.
     Stop and consider this ... To Jesus and His disciples, the term Kingdom of God meant a government that would be established on earth. They anticipated that its arrival would amount to nothing less than a sweeping, overwhelming change in the world order.  Read that highlighted part of the last sentence again.  Have we, the Body of Christ, done that in this country?  No!  Instead, we are seeing more violence, lawlessness, and discord than ever.
     And I firmly believe that we could be facing the advent of one of the most repressive systems in the history of our nation.  So what do we do if God allows that to take place?  What is our role after November 8th, no matter who wins?  It's clear that we have failed in the last several decades to influence the culture or the government.  We have not conducted ourselves as representatives of the Kingdom of God on earth.  Instead we have compromised and made concessions in the hope that we could maintain our status within our own closed faction of society.  But we see where that got us.
     Those who we failed to influence are now not satisfied with our status quo.  And we've forgotten Who we represent on this planet, and sought those politicians we hoped would represent us.  We've lost sight of the fact that America is just our temporary home, and we were to help establish Our Father's Kingdom ... on earth as it is in Heaven.
     Is it too late to reclaim our ambassadorship and citizenship?  Never!  This age in which we live is awash in hostilities, injustice, and fear.  But we serve a King who is the answer to all that!  We can show our fellow citizens that there is a counter-culture that offers hope!  The solution to our nation's problems does not lie in another bill before the Legislature, or a Supreme Court decision, or even who is the 45th President of the United States.  The answer lies in fulfilling our roles as citizens of a very real Kingdom of God on earth.
     If we accept that challenge, we must decide which of the two candidates is most likely to serve our purpose.  To not vote is your choice, as well.  This is the fine line that the Christian must walk; we have dual citizenship, both as citizens of America and the Kingdom.  For myself, I will exercise my right to vote for the leader of my nation; with an eye on which one will allow me to influence my fellow Americans by helping to establish a government with, not only the Authority of God behind it, but with that sweeping, overwhelming change that has been anticipated since our King walked this earth.  It may not come in my lifetime, but I am ready to assume my proper identity and walk out my citizenship in His Kingdom.  May the nation get in step with my Lord.

Ephesians 2:19    "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens [outsiders without rights of citizenship], but you are fellow citizens with the saints (God’s people), and are [members] of God’s household..."

The Primacy and Sufficiency of The Word of God

     As I scan the abundant number of "Christian" websites, I am actually overwhelmed with the divergent headlines.  They all proclaim to represent The Faith, but so many seem in contrast to each other that I wonder what they base their foundational beliefs upon and who or what is their principal source.  Shouldn't it be the Word of God?
     Just a cursory glance at the website, Pulpit and Pen, reveals an abundance of theological movements and positions, and I almost feel like I am looking at a smorgasbord of "Christian-like" promotions.  I will admit that I am largely unfamiliar with all these people and their doctrinal reputations, but it is obvious that controversy swirls around them all.  There is so much condemnation against each other that it is confusing, and honestly, quite sad.
     Here is just a small sampling of headlines:  Bethel Church: Pimping Heresy; iDisciple ... Your Daily Connection with God or Heretics?; Joyce Meyer Undead, David Barton Buys a Ph.D., and Conan O'Brien is Ordained; If You Hate Hillsong, You Hate God; Carl Lentz to Oprah Winfrey:  You Don't Have To Be A Christian To Have A Relationship With God; and my personal favorite, Kenneth Copeland:  If You Don't Vote For Trump, You're Going To Be Held Accountable to God for Murder.

     I'm sure each of these people believe they are spreading the Gospel of Jesus, according to their own understanding.  But look at the fruit of those "understandings" ... Can anyone explain to me the Biblical principals behind movements like the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), Montanism, Revival Us 2016, Evangelicals For Life, Postmillennial Reconstructionism, the new Feminist Theology, New Calvinsim, and countless others?  Also, so many people considered "Leaders" in the modern Christian circles are at each other's throats. Beth Moore is accused of being a False Teacher; John Piper is being questioned about his support for Rick Warren and Mark Driscoll; the Christian Post is accused of promoting filth and world entertainment; and Kirk Cameron is purported to be pushing a false gospel of American Patriotism.
     Maybe it's no different than those first years after the Ascension of our Lord; maybe nothing has changed since the Gnostics rivaled the early Church, or Simon the Sorcerer promoted himself and his philosophical theology as truth.  There has certainly been a parade of "theologians" down through the centuries who have proffered their version of the Gospel Message.
     And maybe I'm just less educated in Biblical studies, and am unfamiliar with higher levels of theological thought, but I am not interested in all these ideologies, new schools of thought, or radical tenets that seem in conflict with what I read in the Bible.  In fact, I would say that I subscribe to the same belief as the 19th-Century pastor, Charles Spurgeon: "If you wish to know God, you must know His Word. If you wish to perceive His power, you must see how He works by His Word. If you wish to know His purpose before it comes to pass, you can only discover it by His Word."
     That's why I find it highly disconcerting to find so many Christians living their faith according to the tenets of The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren; or starting each day out by reading the daily devotional in Jesus Calling.  (You can read about my concerns on this controversial, but popular, little book here).  What has happened to the Authority and Sufficiency of the Word of God?  Why is it not enough for us, and why is it not the first and primary source that we go to in order to discern God's will?
     I think what saddens me the most is that I fear many Christians are unable to defend the Word of God against distorted and false teachings... because they do not open their Bibles and actually read the Word of God!  Just look how easy it has been for the new breed of theologians to gather their followings from among the Body of Christ.  One need only look at the profitable businesses that surround many of these movements and individuals.  Why are so many Christians willing to endorse men, women, and groups whose teachings do not align with Scripture?  Have we forgotten what it means to be a good Berean; to diligently search the Scripture to see if what they are saying is God's Truth?  Or are we captivated by a gospel that makes us feel good and is centered on what we want out of this life?
         The bottom line is this:  We either believe that the Bible is the complete Word of God as He intended us to know it, or we think there is more that He wants to say to us through people and movements.  I, for one, know that there is so much He wants to reveal to me; so much that I do not understand.  But I believe it can all be found within the pages of His Holy Book.  By concentrating on what He has to say, and searching for the meaning of His Word through the men He trusted to reveal it, I have received more knowledge of Him than from any human.
     There is so much to learn about YHWH through my personal study of His Word; why would I depend on mere men to give me their interpretations?  For example, I could spend the rest of my life studying the meanings of names and places in the Bible, because they mean something to God and they spoke to the Hebrews and Greeks of the day.  That holiest of Books was not written to us, but it has great meaning for us when we come to understand what God was saying to His Chosen People.  The Bible alone, reveals the true nature of God.  That is why He inspired men to write it, and His Word declares that "It is written" in order to affirm that it is the only pure Word of God.  So, here is what I have determined for myself .... What is at stake in these times of opposing theology and controversial movements is nothing less than God's incorruptible Truth.  And for me, the Holy Bible is my primary and authoritative source.  It is sufficient for me and my spirit.

Psalm 119:160     "The entirety of Your word is truth [the full meaning of all Your precepts], And every one of Your righteous ordinances endures forever."

     

The Power of "Seeing" Jesus

     I am always humbled and amazed and awestruck whenever I experience someone "seeing" Jesus during a deep healing and deliverance session.   My mere words cannot come close in describing the emotional and spiritual impact that can have on a person who is hurting.
     Imagine, if you can, that you are asked to recall a memory of the most traumatic event in your life.  You may be a Believer and have prayed countless times to Jesus and God, the Father, to help you deal with the agonizing consequences in your life that were a result of another's free will decision.  You may have buried those feelings so deep, that you can't even identify that event as the source of your current pain.  But having asked the Holy Spirit to be present and to help you heal, you find yourself back in that moment, with all the terror, pain, and torment of the event.

     Then you are asked to see if Jesus is present in the situation.  A majority of the people that we have been blessed with ministering to have a tremendous emotional breakthrough and exclaim, "He is right here beside me, holding my hand!"  Or, "He is kneeling beside me, crying along with me!"  Or, "He is standing behind me, supporting me!"  For each individual person, there has been a separate, distinct, and personal response.  Some have been quite unusual:  "I can't see Him... Wait, He is outside the window watching me!"  And, "I see Him standing by the mailbox, and He is letting me know He is not leaving".  But almost to a person, they can't help saying, "He has been there all the time!"
     So, how does that happen?  Can we explain it in terms that our human minds can comprehend?  To be honest, I'm not sure.  As my husband and I continue to be obedient to the Lord's command to "do the things He has done", and to be in agreement with Him and to be His agent in "setting the captives free", it has become quite clear that it is the eyes of our spirits that can see Him.
     You see, each of us has been a victim at one time or another in our lives of the Father of Lies.  He's a master at his game, and he's been at it a very long time.  He's so good at what he does that he can twist the reality of our lives and make the Truth look like a Lie, and his Lie look like the Truth.  He works his plan [so well] to keep our hearts and souls in chains and bound to his misery,  that we can't tell the difference between Truth and Lies.
     But when you invite the Holy Spirit to help show you the healing power of Jesus in your life, He can open the eyes of your heart and your spirit, and remove the dirty veil with which the devil has obscured your spiritual sight.  His lie that Jesus didn't really hear your prayers or cries for help; or that He didn't really care about you, are suddenly revealed as deception, and you clearly see your Lord  present and active, while experiencing His power in destroying the demons who have held you in bondage.  Through His Sovereignty, God gives us our imaginations as a tool whereby we can cooperate with Him to participate in securing our freedom that Jesus died for.
     This vision of Jesus in the midst of traumatic life events is powerful to demolish the strongholds in a person's life.  And it happens in the spirit realm, which Jesus is quite capable of overlaying on top of this physical realm.   We are part of His Kingdom of God on earth, and as such, He wants to work with us and interact with us to accomplish His Father's will "on earth as it is in Heaven".  He wants to show us how we can defeat Satan's lies by "seeing" the power of Jesus as He comes in contact with the events of our lives.  Just think how different your life would be if you could see the spirit of fear or anger that has plagued your life, submit to the Name and Power of Jesus and "see" Jesus drop it into a fiery pit.  One person even saw Jesus drop kick the oppressive spirit over a cliff in the abyss.  Another saw Him hurl a spirit like a javelin.  I kid you not!

     Who says Jesus can't do whatever He pleases with Satan's agents?  Are those methods any more outrageous than letting demons enter a herd of pigs and driving them off a cliff to drown?  And if we encounter a particularly stubborn spirit who thinks he doesn't have to surrender to Jesus, it has empowered people to know that we can ask Jesus to send part of His spiritual army to force them to comply.  Seeing a towering warrior angel with a fiery hot sword compel a demon to obey our demand to enter a lockbox to be handed to Jesus, is an image that is not likely to be forgotten!
     But here's the part that gives me such hope for the growing number of people who aren't willing to stay in their bondage ... after seeing Jesus "in the spirit", each person possesses a powerful tool of the Kingdom to prevent recurring enslavement.  Once they have seen Jesus, they know He is present and available and that He can send His warring angels at our request, anytime and anyplace.  These people are able to recognize the old pattern of Satan's attacks, and instead of succumbing to the onslaught of lies and the resulting turmoil in their lives, they quickly close their eyes, ask Jesus to send warring angels to protect them, or rebuke the spirit "in the Name of Jesus", and command it to go where Jesus sends it.
     Remember the story in Luke 8, of the man who had been plagued for years by demons?  He had believed the lies for so long that they had oppressive power over him and he had lived in a state of desperate and hopeless agony.  Then Jesus showed up.  The demons, who before had seemed unconquerable, were reduced to cowering wimps, begging Him not to torment them.  That is the Power of Jesus and the power that is available to all of us, if we are willing to let Him interface with us.  And He can, in the spirit!
     The demons know Him and are afraid of Him.  When we let them know that we have the authority to call on Him and His host of heaven, and that we know we have access to the presence of God, we have real power at our disposal!  The Power of Jesus is His Truth that exposes the Lies of Satan and his demons.  His Presence and that Truth sets us free, and once free we don't ever have to go back to a life of slavery.  And you know what else?  As we exercise our authority and see Him in the spiritual battles of our lives, that sense of freedom increases, deepens, and propels us to bear fruit and greatly impact the Kingdom.
     I want to conclude with this thought ... we are more than flesh that must succumb to the Prince of this world and his followers.  We are spirit beings, as well, who are seated with Him in the heavenly realms from the moment we accept Him as our Savior.  We are united with Him, and a partner in taking back territory from the Enemy.  That is far easier to accomplish when we are able to "see" Him exercise His power in our lives, and show us that we have the authority to use it, too.  I can't wait for the next captive to see Him in the spirit and experience the freedom that will make them a spiritual warrior and an effective ambassador for God's Kingdom.
     Finally, there is a popular contemporary Christian song that says it perfectly:  Open the eyes of my heart, Lord, I want to see You ... Pour out your Power and Love...".  May all the captives "see" Him, feel His love healing their wounds, and watch His Power defeat the Enemy's authority in their lives.

Hebrews 7:25   "Wherefore also, He is able to save completely those that draw near to God through Him, seeing He always lives to make intercession for them."

Genesis 16:13

 So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen Him who looks after me.”

     These are the words of Hagar, spoken as a result of the difficult situation she was in as Abram's wife's handmaiden.  Because Abram and Sarai did not trust that God would fulfill His promise to make Abram the father of many nations, they took matters into their own hands.  

    There is an old Jewish tradition which suggests that before they came to live in the Promised Land, Abram and Sarai regarded their childlessness as punishment for not living in the land. But now they were in the land for ten years, and they still had no children. Sarai probably felt it was time to do something. Perhaps she thought along the lines of an old (but unbiblical) proverb, God helps those who help themselves.  

     So she arranged for her handmaiden, Hagar, to conceive a child by Abram. (NOTE:  According to tradition, Hagar would actually sit on the lap of Sarai as Abram inseminated her, to show that the child would legally belong to Sarai, as Hagar was merely a substitute for Sarai.  We see this practice plainly spelled out from the similar occasion of using a servant as a surrogate mother in the case of Rachel's giving of Bilhah to Jacob when Rachel was barren. In that context, Genesis 30:3 reads: So she said, Here is my maid Bilhah; go in to her, and she will bear a child on my knees, that I also may have children by her.)     

     In any regard, Abram and Sarai's impatience while waiting on the promise of the Lord made them vulnerable to acting in the flesh.  How many of us can identify with that weakness?  When we impatiently try to fulfill Gods promises in our own effort, it often accomplishes nothing and may even prolong the time until the promise is fulfilled.  In fact, it was 13 years before Hagar would bear Ishmael as Abram's first-borne.

     As it is easy to imagine, Hagar became despised by Sarai.  Perhaps Abram doted on the boy ... he finally had a son in his old age!  Or it is conceivable that Hagar thought herself above Sarai, and displayed some superiority, as well as disdain for her mistress.  And it is also easy to perceive that two women in one household, when one is jealous of the other, makes an unpleasant situation for the man of the house.  But they all shared in the sinful atmosphere -- Hagar for her arrogance, Sarai for her impetuousness, and Abram for not being the spiritual leader of the house and demanding that they remain obedient to God's promise.  It all resulted in conflict and hostility.  Which brings us to the present situation in Genesis 16:13....

     Hagar has fled the harsh actions of Sarai towards her, and escaped into the wilderness.  As she slumps by the spring on the way to Shur, she is visited by the Angel of the Lord, which is the pre-incarnate Jesus, who gives her a Promise of her own.  He instructs her to do something very difficult: return to her mistress and submit to her, whereby He would multiply her descendants exceedingly.  

     We know that He kept His promise.  Ishmael would become the father of all the Arabic peoples.  And the effects of the sins of Sarai, Abram, and Hagar have reached far beyond what they ever could have imagined.  Today's battle between Jews and Arabs can be traced back to Abram's decision to fulfill God's promise in man's wisdom and strength.

     While Hagar's child, Ishmael, would not be the child of God's original Promise, this passage in the Bible tells us that God would still bless and sustain them.  That should give us all hope.  This Scripture tells us that God sees our suffering and desires to touch our life when we suffer.  And Hagar knew this was no mere angel who appeared to her. She called Him the-God-Who-Sees, El Roi.  What a revelation it must have been to realize that the Great God of the Israelites was aware of her, an Egyptian slave girl, who was a ‘non-factor’ in the eyes of everyone else.  

    This is a great lesson for all of us.  We may feel insignificant; we may see ourselves as inconsequential.  But we are fully known. You might be a waitress, or a garbage man, or you might fry burgers at McDonalds.  But God sees you, even when others don’t.   It means you have significance in His eyes.  This should be a point of worship; it was for Hagar.  

     Because God fully knows all about you, you can find rest in being unknown. His complete awareness of you should encourage you and fill you with hope. You should feel significant, exceptional and worthy of His attention.  And because He knows of you and sees you, it should make your life purposeful.  You should feel like shouting to the heavens, He sees me!

The Spirits of War

     As someone who has a member of my extended family engaged in the ongoing war in Iraq, I don't have to tell you that I worry about the toll it will take on members of our military and their families.  As I have gotten more involved with spiritual warfare, it has become quite clear to me that the spiritual entities behind our nation's wars have impacted generations of Americans.
     I am the daughter of a WW II veteran and although my father never showed any outward ramifications of serving in the Navy in the Pacific, I cannot believe that any 17-year-old who enters a war comes home unscathed.  And I recently ran across a testimony on Omega Letter by, I believe, Jack Kelley.  He related how he feels unworthy to be a spokesman for God (I can certainly relate to that statement!), and how he is far from someone who should be held up as a "model Christian" (again, I can identify).
     But it was the story of his relationship with his dad, who was also a member of the Greatest Generation and served in the last World War, that caught my attention.  He recounted the years of bad blood between him and a father he could never get close to.  Maybe it was the years his father spent in an orphanage, before escaping at a tender age and becoming a Depression-era hobo. He 'rode the rails', living in hobo jungles for much of the 1930's. In 1939, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Regiment and shipped out for England.
     Maybe it was because his father fought in the first battle against the German-occupied port of Dieppe in 1940; or that he fought in North Africa, was wounded in Sicily, participated in the Normandy Landing on June 6, 1944, fought his way across France, and was among the troops that liberated the Nazi death camps at Dachau.  That is a lot of war and human suffering to experience, and it must have left deep spiritual wounds.
     Then I recalled an article I wrote a little over a year ago, in which I discussed contributing factors to the increasing rates of suicide among our returning veterans from today's wars.  In the post, I referenced something very important:  "Veterans are saying it themselves, and identifying what I believe is at the root of their despondency; and it's a darkness that encompasses them, a sinister energy that lies to them, sometimes even seeming to speak to their wounded souls."  And I thought, "How many times have my husband and I ministered to desperate people who were hearing voices telling them to kill themselves"?  And in each instance, it was a demonic spirit that had been given legal authority to harass and oppress these people by some traumatic event in their lives.  What is more traumatic than war???
     My mind then seemed to go straight to a memory of reading somewhere that during the Viet Nam War, the native inhabitants placed a curse upon the land so that any foreign enemy who tread upon their nation's ground would be spiritually attacked.  I have heard the same about the war in Afghanistan.  Is it an urban legend?  I honestly don't know, but knowing what I do about territorial assignments given to the ranks of Satan's army, it is absolutely plausible to me.
    A quick internet search on Wikipedia for "gods of war" or "war deities" turned up a startlingly immense number of gods and goddesses dedicated to war.  Just a quick count told me there were approximately 323 different gods, goddesses, marshals, lords, celestial generals, and commanders associated with war in various cultures.  And it was noted that this was just a "partial" list!  Of course, Wikipedia called all these "spirits of war" part of each nation or culture's mythology.  
     But we know differently don't we?  The names of these deities are not just part of a nation's cultural stories or myths.  They are very real deities and gods, who have been given their power and territories by satan.  And what I found especially interesting is the fact that many of these gods are interrelated, or trace their origin or some connection back to ancient gods mentioned in the Bible.

Gurzil, son of Amon

     For instance, Gurzil was a bull-shaped war god of the indigenous Berber tribe of North Africa.  In the Berber culture, he became identified with the son of Amun (Amon) and was taken by the Berbers to their battles against the Romans. Amon was a major Egyptian deity and later rose to the position of patron deity of the Egyptian city of Thebes, where worship of him was fused with the Sun god, Ra.  All this makes for interesting stories of ancient peoples and their traditions and legends.  But, did you know that the Bible acknowledges the existence of Amon in Jeremiah 46:25?  The Word says, "The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, said: 'Behold, I am bringing punishment upon Amon of Thebes, and Pharaoh and Egypt and her gods and her kings, upon Pharaoh and those who trust in him' ".  
     There are other gods of war mentioned in the Bible as well.  Just a few are Merodach or Marduk, a Babylonian war god (Jeremiah 50:2); Nergal, a war god of Cuth, one of the most important cities of the Babylonian Empire (2 Kings 17:30); Ishtar, or the Queen of Heaven, a goddess of war in both the Assyrian and Babylonian Empires (Jeremiah 7:18).  The Bible makes lots of references to the ancient peoples worshipping idols dedicated to these gods.
     Therefore, it weighs on my spirit that the world has seen so many wars in the last century, and the millions of men (and now women) whose spirits have suffered due to the demonic oppression associated with war.  It just indicates, to me at least, that Satan has been empowering his ranks of evil angels to attack those who have been impacted by war-time curses and/or traumatic events.
     It is imperative to understand that this new offensive in Iraq -- and all wars fought by people and nations -- is an extension of the spiritual war that is going on in the spiritual realm between good and evil.  In fact, Revelation 16:14 prophesies that in the near future (I believe), "three unclean spirits that looked like frogs, [will come] from the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet.  These are demonic spirits that perform signs and go out to all the kings of the earth, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God, the Almighty."
     It is clear that demonic spirits are involved with war and influence men to battle each other, and they do it to advance Lucifer's plan to defeat Jesus on the battlefield of Armageddon.  We know that the defeat will be Satan's, but in the meantime, these spirits of war are bringing their darkness and sinister energy to our fighting soldiers, and our veterans are hearing the lies that devastate their souls.  And it is becoming clear to me that we have no idea how far-reaching these spiritual wounds will be.  Think about it ... how many generations have experienced war in the last 100 years of this nation's history?  How much legal authority have we given satan and the ranks of his spiritual generals to oppress our young men and women, and their families?
     We must begin to help those coming home from war to see that their wounds are more than physical.  We must begin to help them heal their spirits and the wounds that war has inflicted upon their souls.  We must teach them how to fight not only in this dimension, but in the next.  Our God is a spiritual Being, and He does not exist in the wooden or golden idols, carved and dedicated to the very real ancient gods of war.  He fights alongside us, going before us into battle, and He is the "Lord of Hosts", who with His army of angels, will soon come with His justice to judge and make war of His own against the wicked and evil of the world.
     Until that day, may He have mercy upon those who go into battle at the beck and call of mere men.  May He be their refuge and their fortress, and may they feel His loving arms surround them.

Psalm 68:30  "Rebuke the beasts that dwell among the reeds, the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples. Trample underfoot those who lust after tribute; scatter the peoples who delight in war."
   
   

       

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."

Warning: Transhumanists Are Embracing False Spirituality

     Let's face reality.  To many people, our smartphones, our iPads, Twitter, and microchips have become this world's gods.  We bow down to technology in our culture, and we have lost sight of the One who created us.  We trust in ourselves and our digital false identities and no longer trust that there is a Higher Being who will one day judge us.  Instead, we judge ourselves against what technology tells us we should be, and become self-proclaimed deities, as prescribed by every advertisement that appears on that touchscreen.
     The question becomes, Is there room for spirituality in that virtual world?  Now, I understand that the word "spirituality" covers a broad spectrum of understanding, but for the purpose of this blog post, I wish to proceed on the premise that it means a belief in something bigger than ourselves; in my case, a connection and relationship with the One True God and His Son, my Savior.  To others, I understand that it might be nothing more than a search for the meaning of one's life; a search that looks to a higher power for guidance and direction.  In either case, spirituality points to a belief system that places emphasis on relating to, or affecting the human spirit or soul.
     Since technology governs our world, it only seems natural that it will progress to the point that it governs our lives -- even beyond what it does now.  Technology is trending towards extending and governing our lifespans, surpassing the biological limitations of our existence.  In other words, technology may soon convince us that we can be more than what we are (made in the image of God).  But wouldn't that eliminate any "spiritual relationship" I might have with the One who created me, Jesus?

     Not necessarily, says Max More, the British philosopher, who is largely credited with articulating the principles of transhumanism as a futurist philosophy in 1990.  So we are all on the same page, let's agree with the Wikipedia definition of transhumanism, which is "an international and intellectual movement that aims to transform the human condition by developing and making widely available sophisticated technologies to greatly enhance human intellectual, physical, and psychological capacities.  The most common transhumanist thesis is that human beings may eventually be able to transform themselves into different beings with abilities so greatly expanded from the natural condition as to merit the label of posthuman beings."  In simpler terms, transhumanism encourages the use of artificial enhancements to push mankind towards something “more than” human.  What do you think God thinks about that???
     Well, I can tell you that Max More, and other transhumanists like him, think they can keep all the benefits of religion, do away with some of its drawbacks, and leave out the supernatural.  (I would assume that some of the "drawbacks" would include that part about "Jesus is the only way to eternal life).  But here's the thing... all humanists, whether they are "trans" or "modern" or "philosophical" always use Reason as their foundation.  They cannot comprehend that God is real, because they have no reasonable or rational proof.  Therefore, they diminish our faith to a simplistic idea that "This world is kind of grimy, and unpleasant and nasty, and it’s really something we should just wait to get past, and get to the real, nice place, which is heaven."
     They see no value in putting our hope in the Lord and renewing our strength, or fixing our eyes on what is unseen and eternal.  They believe that we should work on improving what is temporary and seen.  Listen to how Max More describes the transhumanist philosophy:  "Transhumanism can be a way of looking beyond our meat bodies, and the particular form we have, recognizing our relationships with other species, different possibilities for our cells; and realizing that, what color our skin is, or where we come from, or what our religious beliefs are, isn’t really that important.  By acknowledging our fundamental, natural limitations, and looking beyond ourselves for ways to overcome these limitations, transhumanists pursue enlightenment ... It’d be nice if we could overcome [those limitations] by reprogramming our genes. Carefully, because there are reasons why that evolved. But conditions have changed."  Oh yeah?  Who are you, or any human for that matter, to suggest that what God created needs to be changed?
     What's more, this philosopher dares to suggest that he has found "spirituality" in the future of transhumanist efforts.  He gets "a sense of meaning in life, a sense of purpose, and a different way of looking at things that I think is actually quite fulfilling and inspiring" ... far more [he thinks] than those who believe in a God with ridiculous, arbitrary rules.  

     But at the core of transhumanism is the belief that mankind needs biological improvements, or an upgrade, if you will.  Take for example, Zoltan Istvan, an actual third-party presidential candidate who travels across the country in a coffin-shaped bus campaigning for infinite life extension, and Neil Harbisson, a colorblind “cyborg activist,” who has a device implanted into his skull that allows him to hear color.  They may be on the fringe of the transhumanist movement, but they are actually beginning to form alliances with groups like the Christian Transhumanist Association, who describe their purpose as "participating with God in the redemption, reconciliation, and renewal of the world".
     But here is what you need to understand: They believe that "God’s mission involves the transformation and renewal of creation, including humanity, and that we are called by Christ to participate in that mission: working against illness, hunger, oppression, injustice, and death."  They take the Scripture, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength…and love your neighbor as yourself, and distort it.  They say that when it comes to the application of those commands, they see three deep things: 1) They focus on that which is transcendent.  2) They pursue greater coherence of mentality, physicality, spirituality.  3) They seek the betterment of the world.  They will tell you that these vague concepts are at the heart of Jesus's Gospel.
     Listen to Micah Redding, executive director of the Christian Transhumanist Association:  "We wear glasses, we wear contacts, we get heart implants, we get dental implants, all of these things have been going on for generations, and none of these technologies have ever been considered to be at odds with Christianity. Why, then, should we treat smart blood — which promises to improve our physiological abilities — or a computer chip — which could improve our intelligence — any differently?"  Furthermore, Redding argues that extending life is a Biblical mandate, commanded by the call to imitate a God that believes life is good. “Just as God creates and cultivates life, he wants us to create and cultivate life,” Redding says.
     And they all want us to believe that this equals spirituality.  It's just another example in a long line of Satan's deceptions.  See how easily the devil gets mankind to switch from the concept of being made in the image of God, to thinking we can be like God?  That is the same lie he has told since the Garden of Eden!  His methods have varied, but the message has always been the same; and the latest "apple" he is dangling before our eyes is enhanced humanity; the road to overcoming our biological limitations and a way to gain eternal life ... and all without acknowledging the saving power and grace of Jesus Christ.
     Yes, get ready to start seeing the promotions for "spiritual and biological enhancement".   Get ready to be sold the lie that we can be God-fearing and longevity-embracing, all at the same time.  I will leave you with these prophetic words from Max More, the self-identified Father of Transhumanism:  "[Spirituality] can really just mean your highest values, deepest motivations, your big worldview.  And in that sense, I think you can definitely have a transhumanist spirituality."  The word chilling does not begin to describe how I feel about that statement.

Job 38:2    "Who is this that darkens counsel [questioning My authority and wisdom] by words without knowledge?" 


   
     

1 Samuel 15:23

For rebellion is as [serious as] the sin of witchcraft,

And disobedience is as [serious as] false religion and idolatry.

     The circumstances of this rebuke by the Prophet Samuel to Israel's first king, Saul, should be a reminder to us of the consequences of our own rebellion.  This particular passage stems from Saul's disobedience to the Lord's command to destroy all of the Amalekites.  The Amalekites had committed a terrible sin against Israel nearly 400 years before. When the nation was weak and vulnerable the Amalekites attacked the weakest and most vulnerable of the nation (Deuteronomy 25:18). They did this for no reasons except violence and greed. God hates it when the strong take cruel advantage over the weak, especially when the weak are His people.

     God still held this sin against the Amalekites because time does not erase sin before God. Among men, time should erase sin and the years should make us more forgiving to one another. But before God, time cannot atone for sin. Only the blood of Jesus Christ can erase sin, not time. In fact, it was time that the Amalekites were mercifully given as an opportunity to repent, but they did not do so. The hundreds of years of hardened unrepentant hearts made them more guilty, not less guilty.

     Now, God good have just smote the Amalekites as He did Sodom and Gomorrah, but it was His desire that His command to destroy them would be a test of obedience for Saul and all of Israel. And how did Saul perform?  He attacked the Amalekites as instructed by the Lord, but it was a selective, incomplete obedience. First, Saul took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. God commanded Saul to bring His judgment on all the people, including the king.

     Saul and the people then went on to spare "Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them:"  In other words, they kept the spoils of the war for themselves.  It is important to note that Scripture says, "Everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed."  Now, in a normal war in the ancient world, armies were freely permitted to plunder their conquered foes. This was often how the army was paid. But it was wrong for anyone in Israel to benefit from the war against the Amalekites, because it was an appointed judgment from God. 

     One commentary I read had this to say about the ramifications of disobeying God:  [The tracking of the spoils of war] was perhaps worst of all, because Israel did not show God's heart in His judgment. When the Israelites came home happy and excited because of what they gained from the battle, they implied there was something joyful or happy about God's judgment. This dishonored God, who brings His judgment reluctantly and without pleasure, longing that men would repent instead.

     We must acknowledge that in this case, and all cases of disobedience, partial obedience is complete disobedience.  And since King Agag and the Amalekites were considered the epitome of sin to God, to spare them was like sparing some part of evil, some self-indulgence, some favorite sin.

     And then the Lord informed the prophet Samuel of Saul's disobedience, and of His grief over the king's sin.  Now, the Prophet must discipline the king because he had set us a monument to himself on the way home from the battle.  Saul wasn't grieved over his sin at all.  In fact, Saul was quite pleased with himself! There is not the slightest bit of shame or guilt in Saul, even though he directly disobeyed the LORD.

     (In coming chapters, God will raise up another man to replace Saul as king. David, in contrast to Saul, was known as a man after God's own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). Even though David would also disobey God, the difference between him and Saul was great. David felt the guilt and shame one should feel when they sin. Saul didn't feel it. His conscience was dead to shame and his heart was dead to God. Saul's heart was so dead he could directly disobey God and still set up a monument for himself on the occasion).

     Saul then tries to excuse his sin to Samuel, by claiming that they spared the best of the sheep, oxen, and lambs as a sacrifice to the Lord.  But Samuel tells him to be quiet and listen to the judgment God would bestow on Saul for his disobedience.  Samuel goes on to ask the following question:  "Is the Lord as delighted is burnt offerings and sacrifices as He is to [our] obedience to His voice?  Let me tell you, to obey Him is better than [any] sacrifice, and to take to heart His commandment is better than the fat of any ram".  In other words,  Religious observance and traditions, without obedience, is empty before God. The best sacrifice we can bring to God is a repentant heart (Psalm 51:16-17) and our bodies surrendered to His service for obedience (Romans 12:1).

     It's as simple as this:  We could offer to make 1,000 sacrifices to God, or work ten thousand hours in service to Him, or give a million dollars to His work... But all these mean little if there is not a surrendered heart to God, shown by simple obedience.  Do what He tells you to do; Go where He tells you to go; and do it all with a willing and repentant heart.  That's what honors Him!

     Then Samuel concludes with our selected Scripture today:  For rebellion is like the sin of witchcraft, and disobedience is like a false religion and idolatry: A rebellious, disobedient heart rejects God just as certainly as someone rejects God by occult practices or idolatry.  In fact, when Saul consciously disobeyed God, he was following his own self-will, and in essence placing his desires above God's.  Following such self-delusion is, in in effect, a false religion... a worship of self, as god.  Saul rejected God's supremacy, and the result was that God rejected Saul as king.  

     What is the lesson we can take from this tragic story?  There are many, but perhaps the most relevant has to do with how the future leader of this nation will obey the commandments of God, and if it will result in God's pleasure or rejection.  Because, make no mistake.  God still judges the nations, just as He did the Amalekites.  Throughout the history of the world the nations have been standing before Christ's bar and have been judged.  Nineveh stood there, Babylon stood there, Greece and Rome stood there, Spain and France stood there, Nazi Germany stood there. One after another has heard the solemn word - Depart, and they have passed into destruction.  How will the present nations fare?  How will the United States of America?  If we can take one lesson from King Saul's destructive path, it should be this ... God does not tolerate disobedience.  There will be a price to be paid.  And He makes it clear that He views our failure or refusal to obey Him very seriously.  Let us pray that our next leader has a repentant heart and a desire to obey His every command.