Category: Discipleship Essentials

The Danger of Being Wise

Is there a danger associated with being wise? Isn’t wisdom our safeguard against foolishly exposing ourselves to danger?

A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil, But a fool is arrogant and careless. Proverbs 14:16 (NASB95)

How could anything as profitable and desirable as wisdom put anyone in danger? Solomon wrote that finding wisdom is better than acquiring gold. (Proverbs 16:16) Finding wisdom is a way to love our own souls. (Proverbs 19:8) Can something so valuable also be dangerous?

But Solomon also wrote this warning:

Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. Proverbs 26:12 (NASB95)

It is one thing to be truly wise and quite another to be wise in our own estimation.

Consider these words of Jesus.

At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. Luke 10:21 (NASB95)

It is sobering to me that Jesus rejoiced because his heavenly Father chose to conceal the truth about Jesus’ identity from the wise and intelligent and reveal it instead to the childlike or simple-minded. Why would that bring joy to the Lord?

Isaiah prophesied something very similar.

Therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; And the wisdom of their wise men will perish, And the discernment of their discerning men will be concealed.” Isaiah 29:14 (NASB95)

God says that it glorifies him that man in his own wisdom and intelligence cannot know God. Satan prompted Adam and Eve to pursue godlike status by using their own reasoning power to gain knowledge, and God, in his wisdom, decided that no one will find him that way.

Unless we are willing to lay aside the pride of human intellect and wisdom, we will never know God.

In another place, Jesus quoted Isaiah.

FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’ Matthew 13:15 (NASB95)

Faith comes by hearing or perceiving God’s words spoken in our hearts through revelation from the Holy Spirit. (Romans 10:17)

We can only know God by faith that is ignited when the Spirit of God opens our hearts and minds to apprehend the truth of God’s person and words. This is a spiritual encounter that transcends human reasoning and wisdom.

Paul likewise took up this theme in his first letter to the church in Corinth.

For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, 29 so that no man may boast before God. 1 Corinthians 1:26–29 (NASB95)

There is a wisdom from God and a wisdom of the world. (James 3:13-18) Those who rely on worldly wisdom use its ordinarily reliable principles for evaluating situations and information to arrive at a prudent course of action.

The wisdom from God relies primarily on being led by the Holy Spirit, which will always be in harmony with God’s written Word.

There is a very big difference between the two kinds of wisdom that produces quite opposite results.

The danger that comes from being wise is that we can start relying more on our natural wisdom than on the Spirit of God and the Word of God.

I have observed that the people whom I consider to be the wisest by nature are quite careful and make it a practice to try to avoid extremes, following King Solomon’s advice. (Ecclesiastes 7:16-18) Wise people I know generally believe that the truth is usually found somewhere in the middle between opposing opinions. This produces a tendency to refuse to identify with or commit to either side in a controversy.

Politically, taking the middle road often works pretty well, but when it comes to truth issues, it is seldom the answer.

People in the Bible who tried this “wise” approach sometimes ended up in the wrong place. Take for example when Gamaliel advised the Jewish leaders to avoid persecuting the apostles.

And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; 39 but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.” Acts 5:38–39 (NKJV)

Gamaliel used his wisdom to remain neutral in a controversy. On the positive side, he chose to not persecute the Christians, which was good, but his “wisdom” never led him make a commitment to Christ, as far as we know. It left him in a gray, lukewarm, undecided realm, which is perhaps more dangerous than being hotly against Christ. The apathetic middle position indicates that neither position is worth the effort or commitment.

Truth requires us to make a commitment to it, even if it seems to be an extreme position.

Jesus blew Judaism apart. It was impossible to remain neutral to him and his message, unless a person simply did not care. The same was true of Paul.

When Jesus arrived on the earth, he was thought by many to be the bastard child of an insignificant woman from Nazareth. When the Lord revealed to Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, Simeon, and Anna that this little babe was the one chosen by God to assume David’s throne on a forever basis, it was not something anyone would ever have predicted or been able to figure out. It was a completely surprising turn of events that was so extremely divergent from the opinion of the experts (the priests, scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees) that it must have seemed ridiculous in the extreme. Few if any wise or biblically educated persons would ever have believed such a claim made by supposedly ignorant persons from the lower rungs of society.

When Jesus entered his public ministry, very few from the group considered to be educated and wise believed his message. In fact, they were offended by his confident teaching, his demonstrations of God’s power to heal and deliver people from demons, his refusal to be bound by ungodly Talmudic oral traditions, and his claim to be able to forgive sins. Eventually those in power put him to death for saying he is the divine Son of Man prophesied by Daniel. From their point of view, Jesus’ claims were dangerous, misguided, and blasphemous. Their “wisdom” completely let them down because it was unable to accept anything outside their understanding of what was the correct interpretation of the scriptures. How could all the experts be wrong?

These so-called authorities rebuked those who were open to the truth that Jesus was the Messiah. (John 7:45-49) The rulers and Pharisees were so convinced that their view regarding the coming Messiah was correct that they were not able to recognize him when he stood right in front of them and spoke to them. Their hearts were closed to anything that did not fit into their paradigm, understanding, and training. They were convinced that they were far wiser and more discerning than the “simple minded,” ignorant people who were being deceived into believing in Jesus. They were convinced that they were the guardians of truth responsible to protect God’s people from heresy and false messiahs. Their worldly wisdom and desire to avoid being deceived by Jesus’ “extreme” claims took them down a wicked path to murder their Messiah, all the time thinking that they were serving God.

In the eyes of the world, the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is outside the pale of what is reasonable and wise.

It is thought to be an extreme position that runs counter to the dominant worldview and all sound wisdom. To accept that Jesus rose from the dead as the Lord of Lords who will one day return to judge the living and the dead requires one to be willing to be labeled as a misguided religious fanatic.This happened to Paul when he preached the gospel in Athens, the center of worldly wisdom at that time.

And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.” Acts 17:32 (NKJV)

Some rejected the gospel, but others were “open” and wanted to hear more. In order to be saved, we have to move from being “open” to God to being committed to him. Before doing so, one should count the cost of making such a decision.

A public confession of Christ followed by water baptism is the designated way for us to declare our allegiance to Jesus the Messiah and become part of what the world considers to be a misguided fringe sect of fanatics.

It is impossible for us to accept the gospel as being the truth without the help of the Holy Spirit.

Only those people who hearts are open to receive revelation from God are able to believe and come to Jesus. This is what it means to be childlike.

Jesus said that unless we become like little children, we cannot enter the kingdom of God. (Matthew 18:3) Jesus said we cannot come to him unless we are drawn by the Father and have our eyes opened by the Spirit of God. (John 6:44)

Once that happens, the Holy Spirit enables us to see things in an entirely new way. We are able to operate by means of a divine wisdom not recognized or understood by those in the world.

Paul wrote:

Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; 7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; 8 the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; 1 Corinthians 2:6–8 (NASB95)

Since we are human, we remain susceptible to the temptation to rely on human wisdom instead of the Spirit of God and the written Word. This can take us into dangerous territory. Every strength has a corresponding weakness. The strengths associated with wisdom are obvious, but the weaknesses are more subtle. A person who is endowed with natural wisdom can easily begin to rely on that strength and slip away from a dependence on the Holy Spirit to open God’s Word and wisdom to us. There is a similar peril attached to being intelligent. We can start relying upon natural smarts instead of God’s Spirit.

The truly wise person learns to submit his natural wisdom and intelligence to the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

The humble person will remain open to the Holy Spirit’s revealing surprising truths to him or her for all of life. Otherwise we are in danger of becoming what Jesus called an “old wineskin” that is unable to receive new revelation from God’s Spirit. If we are willing to be identified with the remnant who believe God’s Word and declare allegiance to Jesus, we likely will have great impact on the world. We may be foolish in the world’s sight, but God will say we are wise.

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Satan’s Strategy to Legitimize and Normalize Perversion

Satan has a strategy to legitimize and normalize perversion. The Bible forewarns us that every society that refuses to acknowledge and worship God will sink into the abyss of sexual degeneracy. (Romans 1:21-27) The definition of perversion is the turning away from what is right, proper, or good. Any time we pervert God’s intended purpose for creation, we dishonor God and hurt ourselves. This is especially true regarding sex. What God intended for great good has been used to bring incredible harm.

Satan’s strategy in the garden of Eden was first to bring into question the truthfulness of God’s words.

That remains one of his chief weapons of mass destruction.

He began by asking Eve a seemingly innocuous question.

...“Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” Genesis 3:1b (NLT)

The serpent couched an accusation inside his question. The Bible calls the devil the “accuser of the brethren” for good reason. (Revelation 12:10) In fact, God generously permitted his first people to eat from any tree of the garden, except one. Satan twisted that into God’s saying they could not eat from any of the trees, which put Eve on the defensive immediately. The penalty for eating that fruit would be death. Eve quickly revealed that she did not fully understand God’s command, which was perhaps the purpose of the probing question. She thought the prohibition also included not touching the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Perhaps Adam added that extra bit when he passed on the commandment to Eve, thinking it would strengthen what God said and make the fruit seem even more “off limits”.

We can safely say that it is never a good idea to add to God’s words. That is where most legalism starts.

Next Satan escalated his attack by flatly contradicting God’s warning.

“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5  “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” 6  The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. 7  At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. Genesis 3:4-7 (NLT)

What so quickly convinced Eve that God was a liar? Why did she so soon turn against her Creator and doubt his good intentions toward her and Adam?

If we learn nothing else from this account, it is that humans are extremely susceptible to deception and accept lies more quickly than truth.

Humanity took a nose dive that day. God’s beautiful creation was perverted at its core, setting the course of history into a downward spiral which continues to this day. Only God can and will save us. In fact, that is just what he did when he sent his Son to live, die, and rise again. Jesus’ death and subsequent resurrection set in motion God’s great reclamation project which will culminate at Christ’s Second Coming. It will include the generation of a new heaven and earth.

For all practical purposes, the war was won and the final outcome determined when Jesus rose from the dead some 2000 years ago. Nevertheless, skirmishes and battles continue as human history moves toward the glorious return of God’s Son. The Lord is working to increase his family through preaching the gospel and making disciples. Satan is likewise advocating a false gospel of humanism and  developing his own followers who will follow his lie into hell.

Our sexuality is fundamental to how God made us. 

So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27 (NLT)

For most of human history almost everyone understood that there are only two genders, but in an effort to undermine God’s intention and destroy humanity, Satan has attacked that fundamental truth. A great number of people once again have fallen for the serpent’s lie.

Now we are told that we can declare ourselves to be whatever gender we wish whenever we desire. We can even use surgery and hormone therapy to make the change look somewhat real. However, the truth is that we can never alter our DNA. Men have X and Y chromosomes, and women possess a double X. As much as we may wish and as hard as we may try, how God made us is irreversible. Some things we must simply accept and play the hand we were dealt.

Behind the push to deny and pervert how God created us is an implacable rebellion against the sovereign choice of the Creator.

Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans? 2  The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the LORD and against his anointed one. 3  “Let us break their chains,” they cry, “and free ourselves from slavery to God.” Psalm 2:1-3 (NLT)

Sin has twisted humanity. Yes, there is such a thing as gender dysphoria. Yes, plenty of people are confused regarding sexual identity and gender, but this does not mean that we abandon God’s original intention for his creation and affirm the confusion as being normal. We can love people no matter what they think about sex or gender, but such love does not have to include affirming their behavior.

When a society rejects God, it eventually descends into the kind of rebellion that actively recruits and encourages sinful behavior in others.

They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too. Romans 1:32 (NLT)

We must teach our children to stand for truth and resist efforts to enfold them into a cultural acceptance of the current rebellion against God’s created order. If necessary, we must remove them from any school system, church, or other institution that works to groom adults and children to accept these blatant attacks against God’s truth. God wants us to openly and unashamedly declare our allegiance to our Lord Jesus and to the truth contained in the Bible.

Loyalty to Jesus includes standing for biblical truth in the marketplace, not merely when giving a gospel presentation in a church meeting.

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What Does Loyalty to God’s Word Look Like?

If God’s Word is our ultimate source of truth, what does loyalty to it look like? Satan’s strategy always has been to make us doubt, deny, and disobey God’s words. God’s Word is not just contained in the book called the Bible. God’s Word is a person – the eternal Logos, the second divine person of the Trinity.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1 (NASB95)

The Logos became a human being named Jesus (John 1:14), who revealed that he is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). God’s Word is always true (John 17:17), and it reveals that the only way to experience God’s life is through our Lord Jesus.

Since Jesus is the Logos or Word made flesh, to reject God’s Word is to reject Jesus.

Faith in and loyalty to Jesus includes being loyal to his Word. Every person will eventually face a crisis that tests our loyalty to God’s Word.

For Adam and Eve, it happened in the garden when Satan, disguised as a serpent, questioned Eve and cast doubt upon God’s integrity and the truthfulness of his words.

Adam and Eve failed the loyalty test. It is important that we pass it.

Satan is a cunning deceiver, whom Jesus called the “father of lies.” Speaking to the Pharisees, the Jewish religious leaders who resisted God’s truth, Jesus said:

You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. John 8:44–45 (NKJV)

We need to understand that the devil’s lies are still very seductive. Through deception he has enslaved most of humanity.

So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Revelation 12:9 (NKJV)

Before God opens our eyes and hearts, we naturally resist the truth.

Once a lie sets up residence in our hearts and minds, it is easier for us to believe a lie than accept God’s truth. Unsaved people actively resist God’s truth. Even if we have been born again, we may still resist the truth in some areas.

We were created by God to be believers. God set things up so that we can never know everything by our own brain power. Certain areas of life and truth must be accepted by faith.

For example, we cannot empirically prove God’s existence to the satisfaction of an atheist. We can only know this truth by revelation and faith. But neither can an atheist prove the non-existence of God. He simply accepts it as an presupposition. To him or her it may seem obvious, but it cannot be proved.

Because God created us to be believers, we are capable of being deceived into believing something that is false. Knowing this, Satan immediately set out to deceive us into choosing to become “knowers” instead of “mere” believers. The lie that we can know in such a way that we do not need God any longer was a temptation Adam and Eve were not able to resist. Once they fell for the lie, it made it all the easier for Satan to deceive their offspring, who had been cut off from the one called the Truth.

Satan understands that when lies are repeated to us over and over again, we tend to believe them. This is called “brainwashing.” Once often repeated lies take up residency in our brains, they are extremely difficult to overcome. Because of mass media, such deception is increasing. Paul warned us about this state of affairs.

And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 2 Thessalonians 2:11–12 (NKJV)

Satan’s lies erect logical “strongholds” or fortresses in our minds that resist the entrance of God’s truth.

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 2 Corinthians 10:4–5 (NKJV)

The only way to overcome these lie-based strongholds is by accepting the truth of the Word of God as revealed by the Spirit of God, whose ministry includes guiding us into all truth.

However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth... John 16:13a (NKJV)

Just as we must choose Jesus above every false god vying for our allegiance, so we must be loyal to God’s Word above every lie that opposes it.

We must beware of lying presuppositions that try to prevent us from a childlike acceptance of God’s truth. This seems as if it would be a simple matter to root these out, but it is not so easy. For example, most Christians today accept the heliocentric view of what is called the solar system. We have been taught from childhood that his is reality. Therefore, when believers read Genesis Chapter One, they interpret it through the lens of heliocentrism. This causes us to twist God’s Word to means something other than God intended.

The world portrays those of us who adhere to the Bible’s teaching about the origin of mankind as ignorant religious extremists who resist scientific progress.

To go against the dominant “scientific” worldview is to risk, or perhaps guarantee, being labeled a fool. This is a price everyone who is loyal to God’s Word must be willing to pay. (1 Corinthians 4:10)

Jesus revealed how important it is to be loyal to God’s Word, if we are going to experience freedom from Satan’s enslaving lies.

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:31–32 (NKJV)

It is time for God’s people to rededicate ourselves to God’s Word and determine that we will adhere to it no matter how costly it may prove to be. Those who honor his Word will be honored by God.

For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,” Says the LORD. “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word. Isaiah 66:2 (NKJV)
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Is Jesus God?

Is Jesus God, or was he a man just like the rest of us whose fans elevated him to that status posthumously? C.S. Lewis, the great British philosopher who became a Christian later in life, wrote in his classic book, Mere Christianity:

Jesus [. . .] told people that their sins were forgiven. [. . .] This makes sense only if He really was the God whose laws are broken and whose love is wounded in every sin. [. . .] I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.”

That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.

The Bible makes it clear that Jesus’ enemies knew that he claimed to be God. Let me give you two examples. The first is an encounter he had with his opposition, the Jewish religious leaders. They are the first to speak in the following passage.

"Surely You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died too; whom do You make Yourself out to be?" 54  Jesus answered, "If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, 'He is our God'; 55  and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you, but I do know Him and keep His word. 56  "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad." 57  So the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?" 58  Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am." 59  Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple. John 8:53-59 (NASB)

The name of God revealed to Moses was “I am who I am,” which is translated Yahweh in many Bibles. When Jesus declared to his enemies that he is the “I am,” he knew what he was doing, and so did they. He claimed to be Yahweh in the flesh. That is why they immediately picked up stones to kill him.

Another example is when our Lord stood before his accusers during his nighttime mock trial before his crucifixion. The Sanhedrin’s false witnesses did not give them what they needed to condemn Jesus to death; so, as a last resort, they asked Jesus directly if he were indeed the Messiah. He did not simply affirm what they asked: he went much, much further, giving them grounds for declaring him a blasphemer. Here are our Lord’s words.

But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” 64  Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 65  Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. 66  What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.” Matthew 26:63-66 (ESV)

Now to those who do not know the Old Testament scriptures, this may not seem like much. But for those Jewish leaders, who did know the scriptures, what Jesus said was a claim to be God. The reference is to the writings of the prophet Daniel.

“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14  And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. Daniel 7:13-14 (ESV)

Even though many think that Jesus’ self-identification as the “son of man” was a reference to his humanity, I believe first and foremost it is a reference to this passage in Daniel. This son of man is a heavenly being who has been given everlasting dominion and will judge all peoples. This fits perfectly with the Christian position that Jesus is the God-man who died as the Lamb of God for our sins and rose again as the Lord of Lords, who now sits at his Father’s right hand, waiting for his enemies to be completely subjugated, at which time he will return as the divine Son of Man to judge the living and the dead and rule over God’s kingdom forever.

After Jesus rose from the dead, he appeared to his apostles. Everyone was there except Thomas, who resolutely said he would not believe without physical proof. Later Jesus appeared to his followers again, when Thomas was also present. Here is the account.

Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” John 20:27–29 (NASB95)

Now if Jesus were not God, he would never have allowed Thomas’ assertion to go unchallenged. It would have been completely improper to ascribe divinity to a mere man, but Jesus is God, which Thomas immediately recognized.

If we try to logically prove Jesus’ divinity, we will never get there. Knowing who Jesus is required divine help. The Holy Spirit must reveal this to us, or we will never ever see it.

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 16:15–17 (NASB95)

How about you? Have you had your eyes opened to Jesus’ true identity or do you still think you can figure things out for yourself? Isn’t it about time for you to ask for divine assistance?

Prayer

Jesus, I recognize that if you truly rose from the dead, you must be the Lord of lords to whom I owe complete allegiance. Holy Spirit, I ask you to reveal Jesus’ divinity to me so that I can believe with all my heart. Remove the spiritual blindness from my heart. Amen.

For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 (NASB95)
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Does the Government Own Us?

Does the government own us? It’s right to tax its citizens suggests that it thinks so. Try not paying your property tax, if you want to discover who actually owns the land for which you hold the deed. Our nation’s founding fathers believed it is “self-evident” that our freedoms originate in God, which inspired them to rebel against a British government that had stripped colonists of the rights guaranteed them as subjects of that nation. They believed that a government must fulfill God’s intent for government, to administer justice according to Romans 13, in order to be legitimate. They believed stealing – taxation without representation – is wrong, whether it is carried out by an individual or a government. No sane people would or should submit to tyranny because God never intended that we do so. Jesus came to set us free from Satan’s despotic rule, indicating his general condemnation of all such governments.

In our own day, we generally have a much lower education level than did our forefathers, even if we go to school for a longer period. We have not been taught the basics of critical thinking. Citizens of the United States have never even been taught the basic principles behind our Constitution. Instead we have been “dumbed down” to uncritically believe the government propaganda machine.

Belief in inherent God-given rights requires an a priori belief in God. But if we do not believe in God’s existence, we have no basis for assuming freedom is a birthright. Instead we will accept the humanistic presupposition that freedoms and rights derive from human government, which can issue or retract them at will.

The state, by its nature, assumes that everything derives from it, belongs to it, and must serve it. In other words, it tries to take the place of God.

Our forefathers did not trust any form of government because they understood the corrupt nature of humanity, just as did our Lord Jesus. (John 2:25) That is why they built numerous safeguards into our Constitution. Sadly, however, every system of human government is flawed by nature and eventually gets “played” by conniving people, and that has happened to us as a nation. Our very freedoms have been turned against us to enslave us. Our constitutional and God-given freedoms are being routinely stripped by lawless people in our government who dare us to do anything about it.

But back to our topic… Here is a passage that addresses the fundamental issue of ownership.

Then the Pharisees went and plotted together how they might trap Him [Jesus] in what He said. 16  And they *sent their disciples to Him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any. 17  "Tell us then, what do You think? Is it lawful to give a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?" 18  But Jesus perceived their malice, and said, "Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites? 19  "Show Me the coin used for the poll-tax." And they brought Him a denarius. 20  And He *said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" 21  They *said to Him, "Caesar's." Then He *said to them, "Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's." 22  And hearing this, they were amazed, and leaving Him, they went away. Matthew 22:15-22 (NASB)

The presupposition behind taxation is that the government has authority over us to take our money to pay for its operations. In Jesus’ day, the Romans imposed heavy taxes upon subjugated people groups, which were often exacerbated by greedy middle men who acted as tax collectors. These taxes were punitive in nature and served to drive home the second-class nature of the citizenry under Roman rule. Rome believed that might makes right and dared anyone to oppose them.

The Jews resented being dominated by an outside rule and the taxes imposed on them. Hoping to ensnare Jesus in the trap of speaking against Rome, they posed their question. Either our Lord would acknowledge the Romans’ right to impose such taxes, incurring the resentment of the common people, or he would get himself in trouble with the Roman authorities. Jesus, however, managed to answer their question in a way that surprised everyone. Instead of focusing on the issue of taxation, Jesus addressed the underlying presuppositions: whose identity do we bear and who owns us?

Caesar’s likeness had been stamped on Roman coinage, which made it clear that Rome created and, in a sense, owned the money, acknowledging Rome’s authority to collect taxes. People, however, bear the stamp of God’s image, meaning that they belong to him, not to the state. The implication is clear.

Whenever the state acts as if it owns people, it transgresses the limitations put upon it by God.

Recently we have witnessed an example of such tyranny. Governments mandated their citizens to be injected with an experimental gene therapy against their will. Lots of people did not want to receive this injection, but were compelled to do so lest they lose their employment or other privileges. Never mind that no one knew for sure if these shots might permanently alter our God-given immune systems. Such mandates assume that we belong to the state rather than to God. Conscientious objections be damned. The “good” of the many was said to nullify our basic freedom of choice under God. In such cases, we cannot submit to a tyrannical state without losing something precious, something our forefathers were willing to sacrifice everything to obtain.

When the state tries to overrule our conscience, it has overstepped its authority and should not be obeyed in that area. Where governments operate within their God-given boundary, to preserve justice, they should be obeyed. (Romans 13:1) Jesus died to set us free to serve God.

Voluntarily surrender to an overstepping government is to choose enslavement.

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1 (NASB)

Jesus gave up his life to deliver us from satanic tyranny. It is sadly and dangerously irresponsible to willingly submit to it again.

Never doubt for a moment that the state ultimately wants to own and control you. It is the beast rising out of the waters in the Book of Revelation (Revelation 13:1), whose antagonism against God will not be stopped until Christ ultimately destroys it at his Second Coming. (Revelation 19:11-20) Stand firm.

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Disunity Can Be a Sign that God Is at Work

Unity is important in the church, family, nation, or any group, but disunity often, maybe always, accompanies any important new truth coming from God. When Jesus presented himself to Israel as their long awaited Messiah, he attracted the malevolent criticism of those who held power and benefited from maintaining the status quo. He polarized the community by forcing people to make a decision to be either for him or against him.

So a division occurred in the crowd because of Him. John 7:43 (NASB95)

Those who tried to hold to a “middle ground” to avoid being caught up in the controversy were either uninformed, uncaring, or cowardly.

Whenever God is doing something important, it brings about a crisis of faith in those who witness it.

Those whose hearts are open receive God’s truth with joy. Those whose hearts are closed cannot receive truth and resist it. Surprising to me, Jesus rejoiced at this state of affairs. (Matthew 11:25-26) If Jesus is okay with this, so am I.

The devil hates God and truth with a passion, and anyone who is still under his influence will offer vehement resistance. The “lukewarm” will not care because they refuse to be players on the grand stage of life. Every great movement is carried out by a relatively small percentage of people who passionately believe. They will be resisted by those who ardently disbelieve, while the uninvolved watch the drama unfold.

The psalmist taught that unity carries a blessing.

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity! Psalm 133:1 (NASB95)

Jesus taught on its importance, too.

The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. John 17:22–23 (NASB95)

Our unity as believers is based on what God has done for his church in Christ. He has made us one with him and each other, even if we fail to realize it or act like it.

He has taken Jew and Gentile, men and women, slave and free, and rich and poor from all races and nations and fashioned us into “one new man, the church.” (Ephesians 2:15)  Our unity in the Spirit is already accomplished. Our challenge is to believe and act in accordance with this great truth.

However, unity in the Spirit does not mean we must refrain from proclaiming truths that some find divisive.

The early church was divided from the start regarding the matter of grace versus the Law. The Judaizers insisted that Gentile believers keep the Law of Moses, including circumcision, but Paul  stood his ground insisting the opposite in the face of great opposition. Though the matter was officially settled at the Jerusalem conference, this controversy still exists. Well meaning Christians are still trying to observe Jewish traditions.

Truth will always be resisted by those who do not understand or receive it.

When God restored the truth regarding believer’s baptism during the Reformation, both Catholics and Protestants violently opposed the Anabaptists who held to this “new” and “divisive” doctrine. Some of those brave men and women died rather than deny this revelation from God. Today almost everyone in the churches with whom I fellowship believe and practice believer baptism.

The baptism in the Spirit was restored in the early 20th century, but not without controversy that still exists. When I was first baptized in the Spirit in 1971, the dominant campus ministry where I attended university opposed our little charismatic group’s meeting by ourselves. They wanted us to join them to preserve unity, but at what cost to what God was doing in our midst? We were trying to grow in our experience and use of the gifts of the Spirit, but, if we only met with the larger group, the Spirit would be quenched by those who disbelieved.

We dare not abandon revelational truth just to satisfy a call to unity.

Many times such a demand for unity is a veiled attempt to silence and control the opposition. Unity between opposing factions cannot happen unless liberty of belief and practice is granted.

When my Dad launched his home meeting in the early 1970s, many Catholics attended. After a while, the local Catholic Church tried to “rein in” what he was doing by insisting that the meeting had to be accompanied by a Mass. My father refused to comply with this attempt to quench the freedom of the Spirit. Eventually our entire family departed from the Catholic Church in pursuit of freedom to practice the truth of God’s Word.

Where there is no unity regarding truth, there can be little true unity in practice or assemblage.

Interestingly, Paul wrote that disunity is sometimes God’s way of revealing those who are approved by God.

For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you. 1 Corinthians 11:19 (NASB95)

Martin Luther did not set out to splinter from the Catholic Church. His intention was to reform it, but that was not possible because the Catholic leaders wanted none of it. They wanted to quash the “revolt” and kill its leader. This is exactly what our Lord’s enemies tried to do with him, but they ultimately failed, as did Luther’s opponents.

Satan and unredeemed humanity will always rebel against and try to subvert what God is doing.

Sometimes even God’s true people push back because of our natural human propensity to resist change. The old established way of seeing and doing things always seems better to us.

Sadly, any new move of God is usually resisted by those who experienced the previous one.

Jesus said it like this.

“But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. 39 “And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, ‘The old is good enough.’ ” Luke 5:38–39 (NASB95)

St. Augustine is credited with saying, “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.”

Our Lord does not want us to allow our stand for truth to snuff out our love for those who oppose us. Neither does he want us to abandon truth to appease naysayers.

Jesus said to love our enemies, including those who oppose God and truth. However, we are never to back down from our stand for truth because of push back from those who do not understand or receive it. If the truth in question is “non-essential” to salvation, we can agree to disagree, but we cannot abandon our convictions for the sake of a false kind of unity.

Any call to unity that asks us to lay down strongly held convictions is just a veiled form of oppression.

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Believing a Lie Can Kill Us

Some might consider believing a lie a relatively small matter, but sometimes being misled can kill us. In the 1970’s many experimented with LSD, a popular psychedelic drug. It caused users to experience strange mental fantasies that had the appearance of spiritual revelations. Some unfortunate users believed they were butterflies and jumped out of windows to their deaths. I imagine they considered experimenting with drugs to be relatively harmless, but it ended up killing them.

Adam and Eve believed the serpent’s lie and ignored God’s warning that disobedience to his clear command would result in death. In their case, believing a lie introduced death into the human race. The serpent posed as a wise “friend” in the garden, but his mission was to destroy. Jesus taught that Satan always seeks to “kill, steal, and destroy.” (John 10:10) Deception is one of his greatest weapons.

Our Lord’s purpose, on the other hand, is to provide us with a rich and satisfying life. The only way we can have what Jesus offers is by believing the truth of the gospel message and declaring allegiance to the One called “the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6)

Jesus called Satan “the father of lies,” saying that no truth resides in him at all.

For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44 (NLT)

Con men make a living by scamming people out of their money. It is one thing to lose our savings to a lie, but it is even worse to sacrifice our lives to one.

One of the biggest cons pulled on the world of late is the “safe and effective” mRNA injection. Lying, which some call propaganda, has become an art form in the mainstream media. Big Tech, Big Medicine, Big Pharma, and our government colluded to deceive the public into taking an experimental injection, which proved to be unsafe and ineffective. Many lost their lives through vaccine injury by falling for this lie. Dr. Peter McCullough, a renowned cardiologist, believes at least 600,000 Americans died from vaccine complications.

Telegram: https://t.me/C19ExpertChannel/5528?single

Not only have we been inundated with medical lies regarding Covid, transgenderism was also rammed down our throats by the government and a complicit media with cooperation from Big Medicine, which made a lot of money from it. Numerous young people have been surgically mutilated and deprived from ever having children in the pursuit of a fantasy. No one can change genders because no surgery or hormone therapy can alter our chromosomes. We will always be who God made us to be.

Suicide among those who tried to change their genders is through the roof.

Data indicate that 82% of transgender individuals have considered killing themselves and 40% have attempted suicide, with suicidality highest among transgender youth. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32345113/)

Believing the lie that our past mistakes have left us without hope, can lead to self-destruction.

It is one thing to lose our physical lives to a lie, but quite another to lose our eternity.

One of the devil’s favorite lies is that there is no God and no ultimate accountability to anyone but ourselves for what we do with our lives. Believing this lie will ruin our eternity. The Bible says that only a fool believes that there is no God. (Psalm 14:1) Fools can be extremely intelligent and well-educated, by the way. When any of us abandon God’s truth and cease having a proper respect and awe for our Creator, we become biblical fools.

Jesus told us that God hides himself from the arrogant but reveals himself to the humble.

Then Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. I am thankful that you have hidden these things from those who are so wise and so smart. But you have shown them to people who are like little children. Matthew 11:25 (ETRV)

Multitudes of those who smugly trust in their own intelligence and have rejected God have doomed themselves to an eternity in the lake of fire unless they repent.

Jesus said:

Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. 5  But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he’s the one to fear. Luke 12:4-5 (NLT)

These words from our Lord tear down another favorite lie of the devil. Many have fallen for the idea that God is so loving he would never consign someone to hell. What right do we have to declare that another person is wrong since God approves of everyone and everything we do? Paul warned us that in the last days people will not be open to the truth, but will gravitate toward those who teach them what they want to hear.

For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. 2 Timothy 4:3 (NLT)

The truth will stand on its own two feet. God’s truth is embodied in a Person, who is the Truth, our Lord Jesus the Messiah.

When we believe a lie, it is a form of idolatry.

Lies are intended to destroy us, but the truth sets us free.

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32  and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." John 8:31-32 (NASB)

Jesus is the Truth. (John 14:6) When we invite him to be Lord of our lives, the Holy Spirit, who is also called the Spirit of truth (John 14:17), comes to live inside us. The Bible says that he will guide us into all truth (John 16:13). One way he does this is by giving us understanding of the Bible (John 17:17).

Only those who love God’s truth can be saved.

Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:12 (NLT)

Satan has been allowed to test the world with deception to separate those who love the truth from those who do not.

Make the decision to love the truth and become a follower of Jesus, who is the Truth. Here is a prayer you may wish to pray right now.

Prayer

Jesus, please forgive me for rejecting you in the past. I now come to you and acknowledge that you are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Forgive me for embracing lies and trying to live apart from you. I ask you to come into my life right now. I declare allegiance to you. Holy Spirit, please help me to live for Jesus every single day for the rest of my life here on earth. Thank you for the gift of eternal life and the promise of being with you forever. Father God, thank you for accepting me into your eternal family. I want to know you and your amazing love in an ever increasing way. Use me to help others come to know you, too. Amen.

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Artificial Intelligence – A New False God?

Artificial intelligence is both feared and praised, but could it be a new false god? People are inherently religious, despite the protests of atheists.

We were created to worship and serve God. If we reject him, we will find something else in which to put our trust.

Some people worship themselves and the powers of their own intellect. This is called humanism, but it is really self-worship. All who believe that complex humans and the rest of creation developed by some random evolutionary processes fall into this category. We may think we are God, but we are not.

Over the centuries people have manufactured idols to represent gods of their own fancy who allow them to do whatever they want. An example of this is when the Israelites became frustrated with Moses’ long absence and demanded that Aaron fashion and idol for them.

Then all the people tore off the gold rings which were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” Exodus 32:3–4 (NASB95)

No doubt they were scared and confused and felt a bit lost after leaving Egypt, their home for over 400 years. They did not trust in the true God; so, in their desperation they created another god to lead them. Falling down before such an idol may seem extraordinarily stupid to us today, but don’t be deceived. We do much the same thing.

Everyone is looking for something or someone to save us. We inherently understand that we are lost and floundering. If we cannot find a savior, we have to create our own version of god. 

I am wondering if humanity is now beginning to look to Artificial Intelligence as a savior with godlike intelligence.

The world elites think that man should bow down to AI and serve what we created with our own minds. AI can only do what we program into it. Even though it can process ‘thoughts” much faster than humans, it can only “think” within the parameters we give it. However, our elites think that our future is to be run by this new “god.”

Klaus Schwab recently said that he had a “conversation” with ChapGPT about the future.

“I had about 20 pages of text, and I asked ChatGPT, ‘Summarize the text, and tell me now, based on our discussion, how will the new era — the intelligent era — will look like,” he said.“Envisioning a future propelled by the technologies of the fourth industrial revolution we see a NEW DAWN of human civilization”  (Klaus Schwab, World Governments Summit, 2024)

Consider the unmitigated foolishness of consulting a computer instead of the Creator! But that is exactly where we are when we forsake our Maker.

Yuval Harari, another elite spokesperson, believes that we are on the brink of humans being “hacked” (i.e. “controlled”) by artificial intelligence. He clearly believes that we should allow this something we created to run our lives. Is this not idolatry of the worst kind, being led by AI instead of the Spirit of God?

God alone is capable and worthy to give us direction. The Bible makes it clear that we are to put our trust in him alone, not in some idol of our own making. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

When billions of people decided to allow the government and “Big Medicine” and “Big Pharma” to “hack” their immune system via mRNA injections, they, perhaps unwittingly, bowed down to a man-made technology that is supposed to “improve” our God-given immune system. This was another form of idolatry in which we put our trust and allegiance in man instead of the Creator, who gave us an immune system that he perfectly designed. But if we don’t believe in God, why not? Any believer who did this and realizes now that it was an error should ask for forgiveness and healing from any bad effects. God is merciful and the Healer. We all make mistakes because we are human and easily fooled at times, but, if we repent, God will mercifully restore what the enemy tried to steal and destroy.

Increasingly, those who trust in our Lord Jesus will be forced to choose between giving allegiance to man-made idols or remaining true to God.

I fear that many will succumb to the siren song of AI and put their trust in its ability to arbitrate truth and run our lives. But AI has no spirit, except whatever evil spirit is behind it and its creators.

We are spirit beings who live in a body and have a soul, who are designed to be sustained and led by God alone.

AI may be used in an attempt to strip away the soul of humanity, our interface between spirit and body in which resides our mind, will, and emotions, what we call our personality. AI can create paintings better than I can paint, write incredible music, compose sermons, and write grammatically correct articles. But where will be the artistic and spiritual expression of mankind? Where will the Spirit of God be manifested in our creativity?

If AI is used to teach our kids, it will only spit out what has been programmed into it. If godless ideas are programmed into it, that will be what it will declare to be the truth, and gullible people will be deceived by it. After all, AI is smarter than we are, right?

Wisdom comes from God. It cannot be programmed into a computer.

One of wisdom’s dimensions is discernment, the ability to distinguish between good and evil, good sense and folly, truth and lies, and God and the devil. Good discernment comes through exercising our God-given wisdom coupled with a knowledge of God, his ways, and his promises that can only come through the Bible via the Holy Spirit giving us understanding.

Satan is after the heart and soul of the younger generation, and AI will be used to propagate his lies. The ultimate goal is the destruction of a generation and the enslavement of humanity.

The Bible shows us that God loves people and gave them authority to rule over his creation.

God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:27–28 (NASB95)

Sin stripped us of our relationship with God and put us under Satan’s thumb. Jesus told us that Satan only desires to kill, steal, and destroy humankind. He does this through incessant lying and fear mongering. It’s his way. As Jesus said, “There is no truth in him.” (John 8:44) We can see that our government and media not so subtly serve as Satan’s ambassadors, propagating lies and fear at every turn.

Yuval Harari, a global elite spokesperson, stated the following.

“I strongly believe that given the technologies we are now developing, within a century or two at most, our species will disappear. I don’t think that in the end of the 22nd century, the Earth will still be dominated by Homo sapiens.”

The devil is completely committed to contradicting God’s purpose and destroying us in order to hurt God somehow. He knows that he cannot directly harm the Creator of the universe; so, he is going after his beloved – us. As his children, we cannot afford to believe the lies of Satan. We should not give our allegiance to those who represent him. We must not bow down to the false god called AI or any other substitute our Creator-Sustainer-Redeemer. The only person who deserves our complete trust and allegiance is our Lord Jesus Christ.

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21st Century Idolatry

Do people living in the West embrace idolatry in the 21st Century? Modern man prides himself in having progressed beyond the superstitions and ignorance of our forebears. Yuval Noah Harari is an influential thinker among some world leaders. President Obama recommended his books. He has been a counselor to Klaus Schwab and a spokesperson at World Economic Forum events. Recently he gained some notoriety among conservative and Christian circles due to some quotes he made regarding the use of under the skin surveillance which may be linked to the mRNA injections. Mr. Harari provides us with a very good example of modern idolatry, which I define, in this case, as the replacement of God with humanism.

Humanism, the belief that man is the measure of all things, began in the garden of Eden when Adam and Eve decided that they wanted to be like God and decide for themselves what is good and evil. (Genesis 3:5)

The desire to remove God from the equation of life has plagued us ever since.

Humanism always devolves into satanism because that evil monster is behind it.

The tower of Babel was the next clear cut example of human beings attempting to be their own god. Before the Lord stopped that venture, he said that unless he intervened nothing would be impossible for humans. (Genesis 11:6) The confusion of languages that God imposed stopped our progress toward self-glorification for some time. Now that we have developed computers and gene-editing capabilities, those who are considered to be world “elites” have once again begun to build their version of the tower of Babel.

Here is a relevant quote from Mr. Harari.

“There are no gods in the universe, no nations, no money, no human rights, no laws, and no justice outside the common imagination of human beings.”
― Yuval Noah Harari, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

The further we drift from a belief in God, the more easily people accept the notion that there is no Creator, no being to whom we owe our continued existence, allegiance, and worship. Once we adopt such a stance, the next step is for us to take things into our own hands as much as possible.

Harari declares that there is no such thing as God, heaven or hell, or choice. According to him our actions, feelings, etc. have nothing to do with the human soul or our being made in the image of God. We are simply products of mechanistic evolutionary processes and random chance. He claims that eventually authority will be transferred to artificial intelligence by way of algorithms that will understand us better than we do. In this brave new world, societal elites enabled by amoral scientists will rewrite our genetic code and attempt to create an injectable brain-computer interface that will combine biology with human engineering. Harari states that we may be the last homo sapiens because our genetic code is being rewritten. This appears to be taking place with the mRNA injections, at least to some extent, already. This new world will include injectable digital monitoring systems that will surveil us at all times. What could possibly go wrong in this scenario? This new world order seeks to abolish all accountability to God.

This brazen attempt to tamper with God’s creation to produce a hybrid cyborg version of humanity is a clear example of 21st Century idolatry and rebellion against our Creator.

Humanity has been Satan’s dupe for far too long; yet, we never seem to learn. That evil being never has our best interests in mind, yet we stupidly follow his lead. This is not to mention that he is on the losing team. Those who follow him eventually adopt his hatred for God and are attempt to finally rid themselves of any and all accountability to the Creator. But God will have none of it. Here is what King David wrote well over 2500 years ago.

Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans? 2  The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the LORD and against his anointed one. 3  “Let us break their chains,” they cry, “and free ourselves from slavery to God.” 4  But the one who rules in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them. 5  Then in anger he rebukes them, terrifying them with his fierce fury. 6  For the Lord declares, “I have placed my chosen king on the throne in Jerusalem, on my holy mountain.” Psalm 2:1-6 (NLT)

Nothing Satan and his followers plan ever turns out well for them. Eventually their futile efforts will come  crashing to the ground. The Lord will return in glory to judge the living and the dead. We look forward to the day when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. Until then, let us boldly keep the faith and declare our allegiance to the Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

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The Mystery of Lawlessness

The apostle Paul wrote about what he called the “mystery of lawlessness” in his second letter to the church in Thessaloniki, Greece.

For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 2 Thessalonians 2:7 (NASB95)

There are various theories concerning the identity of “he who now restrains,” the most plausible, in my opinion, being the archangel Michael. The prophet Daniel wrote:

Then this one with human appearance touched me again and strengthened me. 19 He said, “O man of high esteem, do not be afraid. Peace be with you; take courage and be courageous!” Now as soon as he spoke to me, I received strength and said, “May my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” 20 Then he said, “Do you understand why I came to you? But I shall now return to fight against the prince of Persia; so I am going forth, and behold, the prince of Greece is about to come. 21 “However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the writing of truth. Yet there is no one who stands firmly with me against these forces except Michael your prince. Daniel 10:18–21 (NASB95)

And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, 8 and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Revelation 12:7–9 (NASB95)

A mystery (Greek: apocalupsis), biblically speaking, is something that is hidden unless uncovered by divine revelation. Paul taught that there is a godly mystery connected to the gospel, which is the inclusion of the Gentiles in the one new man, which is the church or body of Christ.

By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; 6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, Ephesians 3:4–6 (NASB95)

God has so orchestrated things so that we cannot see, understand, or believe his truth unless the Holy Spirit opens our sin-blinded spiritual eyes, ears, and heart.

Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. 2 Corinthians 4:4 (NLT)

At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. 26 “Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. Matthew 11:25–26 (NASB95)

Just as we cannot see or comprehend the mystery of godliness in Christ without divine help, the mystery of lawlessness and evil is hidden from our eyes as well. Satan and sin have blinded our eyes, deafened our ears, and hardened our hearts.

Most people vastly underestimate the depths and scope of evil in the world. Jesus told us some very important things about the mystery of evil. He taught that Satan is a deceiver, the father of lies, in whom is no truth whatsoever. (John 8:44) He has managed to deceive the entire world (Revelation 12:9), which lies in his power. (1 John 5:19) 

Satan is even able to pose as an angel of light. (2 Corinthian 11:14) His demons often pose as friends, offering comfort, security, or protection to unwitting individuals who end up being oppressed at their hands. Satan’s lies are most alluring and bewitching, as evidenced by how easily Adam and Eve were seduced. Even today born-again Christians must beware of being pulled off track by deception. Paul warned the Corinthian church of this danger.

For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. 3 But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:2–3 (NASB95)

The bewitching power of legalism in the form of returning to Jewish practices was at work in that church, just as in Galatia. (Galatians 3:1)

A big part of the the mystery of lawlessness is its deceptive allure and how easily we are fooled. Another part of the mystery is the absolute depths of depravity that followers of Satan are willing to plumb.

Satan worshipers trade their souls for money, pleasure, and power. Most Christians are oblivious to the machinations of evil taking place beneath the surface. Jesus knew full well what he was getting into when he came to the earth to testify to the truth. (John 18:37) He fearlessly took on Judaism which had become satanic in nature by that time. He had no illusions regarding the depth of depravity that had wrapped itself around humanity. (John 2:25)

The evil plans hatched decades or even centuries ago, shall we say millennia ago, are playing out today. We are very likely close to the end. We see close up now more of what evil looks like. This is a good thing as long as we keep our eyes on the Lord. He laughs at the plans of the enemy, and so should we. However we have a responsibility, too.

If we do not make a strong decision to stand for truth, we may find ourselves running headlong off a cliff with all the other lemmings.

Truth is bound up in a Person named Jesus (John 14:6). Allegiance to him and the truth of God’s Word is our only defense. We cannot be neutral or passive. We must take a stand. Now is the time to publicly declare that Jesus is Lord and unashamedly stand for truth.

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