UFOs: The Next Great Deception?

     The world has been full of many deceptions since almost the beginning of time, but we are living in an age when some truly colossal deceptions are being perpetrated on mankind. Examples include evolution, Critical Race Theory, homosexuality being an "in-born trait", cross-dressers "being born in the wrong body", climate change (well, this one has some grains of truth mixed with a lot of exaggeration and outright lies to create mass hysteria) and on it goes. These lies have been spun by cunning and crafty men (and women) who know exactly how to use good words and fair speeches to deceive the hearts of the simple (i.e. people who lack discernment - see Romans 16:18). They have been pushed through books, TV shows, movies, songs, political campaigns and the like. They are accepted by "the majority", who pride themselves on their "intelligence" and "rationality" in "trusting the science". "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools" (Romans 1:22). Those who do not follow the multitude (Exodus 23:2) in swallowing these wicked lies are branded "crazy", "irrational", "bigots", "haters" and quite simply Unfit for Polite Society. Forget about truth, just go along with what everybody else thinks to keep the peace. Rather like Sledge Hammer in the old 1980s TV show, the peddlers of these hoaxes say, "Trust us, we know what we're doing". And in a way, they do. They know how to manipulate you into believing whatever narrative they want you to believe at any given time.

    What the aforementioned deceptions all have in common, however, is that they constitute an attack on the Word of God. The theory of evolution is an attack on the Genesis account of God creating the world in six days. In fact, it is an attack on the concept of creation, full stop. It all started with a Big Bang, by some fluke accident, no rhyme or reason to it, so we're supposed to think. Just happened by magic, basically. Critical Race Theory seeks to sow hatred and division between people of different skin colours by artificially making some "oppressors" and others "oppressed", whereas the Bible tells us to love our neighbour (see for instance Galatians 5:14), show no partiality (e.g. Deuteronomy 16:19) and also says that we are of one blood (Acts 17:26). The myth of homosexuals being "born that way" is flagrant defiance of the Bible's express prohibition against and condemnation of a practice that it calls an abomination. It is teaching a lie that homosexuals can't help their behaviour, but the Bible is clear that ALL sin is a choice. There is no Biblical prohibition however against those things that really ARE in-born traits (like eye colour, hair colour, skin colour and so on). We cannot choose those things, but we can choose our sexual partners (except in cases of rape, obviously, but God does not hold people accountable when they are forced against their will - see Deuteronomy 22:25-27). This applies to heterosexual relations as well. People are not born as fornicators or adulterers - they choose to commit those sins. The whole transgender movement is an attack on not only God's prohibition against cross-dressing (Deuteronomy 22:5) but the fact (stated in Genesis and affirmed by Christ in the New Testament) that God has made us male and female. Those are the only two biological genders. There are no others. If you were born a male, it's because God meant for you to be a male. If you were born a female, it's because God wanted you to be a female. You were born that way, you see. (It's funny in a way how people use the "born that way" argument to justify homosexual sin, but when it comes to changing their gender, suddenly "born that way" no longer applies!) Finally, lies about climate change also attack the Bible, such as God's promise that there will always be summer and winter for as long as the earth exists (Genesis 8:22) and His promise never to flood the earth again (Genesis 9:11-15). Every time you see a rainbow, that is God's reminder of this promise. So all those stories about the sea levels rising and flooding the world are so much bunk. Moreover the Bible clearly states in a number of places that God is in control of the climate. So man's attempts to "fight climate change" are really just another way of fighting God. (That said, I have no issue with reasonable efforts to reduce air and water pollution - not for their supposed effects on the climate, but simply because of their impact on human health. Such pollution is moreover man-made, so this is something we can and should try to deal with.)

     These are just some of the immense deceptions that we live with on a daily basis. (Of course, there is some truth around in the world as well, but the amount of deception nowadays is truly mindblowing.) Well, now it appears as though another great deception might be around the corner. There is a good chance, in fact, that it will be unleashed within the next few months. It is a deception for which science fiction novels and movies have been conditioning us for decades (in fact, more than a century now). You can probably guess where I'm going with this. Aliens. UFOs. The Little Green Men are coming in their flying saucers. Aha, aha, yep-yep-yep-yep-yep (yes, I was imitating the Martian characters on Sesame Street). The conditioning for this deception starts with young children, who see funny and cute characters like the Sesame Street Martians and the cartoon character Marvin the Martian, and progresses to the science fiction and fantasy books, TV shows and films enjoyed by many teenagers and adults. (Science fiction has never been my cup of tea, but I have seen the odd TV show in the genre and can remember watching ALF quite regularly back in the day. ALF stood for Alien Life Form.) People are being conditioned to believe that there is life on other planets - or at least be open to the idea.

    Until now however, the concept of aliens in flying saucers coming to either invade Earth for a hostile takeover or pay us a friendly visit has been seen by most as the domain of science FICTION. They regard it as merely the stuff of entertainment and don't take it seriously. At this point in time, most scientists and academics (the same people, ironically, who promote the evolution lie) scoff at such ideas. Of course, there are also a number of "true believers". They sincerely believe that there are indeed extraterrestrial beings out there. In fact, some believe that They Are Already Among Us, hiding in plain sight. A common denominator with many such people is that they are involved in the occult on some level or other. That is quite significant, for reasons I'll explain shortly.

     On 1 June (or possibly earlier), the Pentagon is set to declassify a number of its real-life "X-files" relating to reports about UFO encounters experienced by the US military. A task force will present a report to the US Congress during the month of June. In just this past week, as reported across many media outlets, the Pentagon confirmed that a video purporting to show UFOs shaped like pyramids or triangles buzzing a US Navy exercise was legitimate, as were Navy photos showing other objects shaped like a blimp, acorn and sphere. Now it is important to note that they said the video was legitimate (and ditto the photos). They did NOT say that the UFOs were real alien spacecraft. All they said was that the video was real and not something that somebody had just decided to make up for a laugh. Incidentally, another name for UFOs nowadays is UAPs (unidentified aerial phenomena).

     Apart from these startling revelations by the Pentagon, NASA has currently got a space probe on Mars and has been busy flying a miniature helicopter around on the Red Planet. (This was quite historic, being the first controlled flight undertaken on a different planet, apparently.) Naturally, they are keen to find signs of life while they are there, but so far (surprise, surprise) they have been unsuccessful in this quest. But who is to say that they won't spot something that looks ever so vaguely lifelike (e.g. a rock shaped like a hand) and declare that this is Definitive Proof for the existence of Martians? Aha, aha, yep-yep-yep-yep-yep. (I have this silly image in my mind now of the Sesame Street Martians looking at the NASA helicopter and exclaiming to each other, "Ooh, UFO! Yep-yep-yep!")

     So one way or another, this just might be the year when we are told that there is evidence of alien life forms visiting us. Only it will be a deception, and here's why. Remember that the primary motivation for the world's greatest deceptions is to cast doubt on, or largely destroy the credibility of the Bible. If there were supposed "proof" that creatures from other planets were visiting us, it would cast doubt on the Bible, which declares that Earth is the only planet on which life exists. It makes no mention of any other civilisations on other planets. However, the Bible nonetheless makes it clear that we are not alone in the universe. Because apart from us human beings and other creatures that dwell on the earth, there is a whole spirit world that our natural senses cannot detect. This world is inhabited by God, His angels, and Satan and his fallen angels (also known as devils). And the Bible records a good number of encounters, in both the Old and New Testaments, between human beings and angels of God. Sometimes these angels were obviously supernatural, while at other times they took the form of men (like the two angels who visited Lot when he still lived in Sodom). They were still supernatural, but were able to assume human form. Another thing we learn is that there are supernatural vehicles, such as the chariot of fire that took Elijah to heaven in 2 Kings 2:11. Meanwhile, Ezekiel 10 describes a fascinating encounter that the prophet Ezekiel has with cherubim (a type of angel), and they seem to have "wheels" that they use to move about in. "And when the cherubims went, the wheels went by them: and when the cherubims lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also turned not from beside them. When they stood, these stood; and when they were lifted up, these lifted up themselves also: for the spirit of the living creature was in them." (Ezekiel 10:16-17)

     Now, God and His angels are at war with Satan and his devils, who have rebelled against God because Satan wants to take His place (see Isaiah 14:12-15). The war has been raging ever since the creation of Adam and Eve. What is at stake in this war is the souls of every man and woman. Whether we realise it or not, we humans are involved in this war too. Those who are born again are on God's side, while those who are not saved are in Satan's camp (unwittingly in most cases). The way God's people fight the war is through things like Bible study, prayer, preaching the Gospel and earnestly contending for the faith (Jude 3) to help people distinguish truth from deception. Truth is of the utmost importance in this fight. Satan, on the other hand, uses deception as one of his primary tools (see John 8:44). He wants to take as many people with him as possible to the eternal torments of the Lake of Fire that have been reserved for him and his angels. But to achieve that, he has to trick them in every which way he can. If people can be fooled into thinking that God either isn't real or isn't what the Bible says He is, and thus into thinking they are not in any danger of judgment for their sins, then Satan has them right where he wants them.

     A lot of the time, Satan uses human agents to spread his deception. Hence all the barefaced lies we read and hear on a daily basis. However, he is also quite well able to use supernatural means to fool people. And this is where so-called UFOs come in. The Bible makes it clear that one way in which Satan operates is to use signs and lying wonders (2 Thessalonians 2:9). He can create supernatural wonders and even do miracles, as can the fallen angels who serve him (see Revelation 16:14). Many of his human servants use these false signs and wonders with supernatural assistance. "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." (Matthew 24:24, and see also Mark 13:22). Any Pentecostal readers who love signs and wonders should give careful consideration to these verses. Satan and his devils are able to imitate a number of God's supernatural actions. Read the seventh and eighth chapters of Exodus to see how the Egyptian magicians used "enchantments" (witchcraft, and in particular spells) to imitate some of the plagues that God brought upon Egypt when the Pharaoh was refusing to let the Israelites go. Moses and Aaron did not use enchantments, but simply obeyed the commands God gave them. (That's a really important difference.) But these chapters show the reality of not only God's power, but Satan's. God has far, far greater power than Satan (infinitely greater, in fact), but the latter's power is still formidable and not to be underestimated (indeed, it is far too strong for us frail humans, which is why so many people are so easily deceived, but also why Christians can do nothing without God helping us).

     Given that the forces of darkness (Satan and his devils) have all this supernatural power, and given that they can use counterfeit signs and wonders to deceive people, then it would not really be all that difficult for them to create sights in the sky that might look like UFOs. And just as the angels of God can appear to people, devils can do likewise. They could assume a form that appears like an "alien". The verse in Revelation that I referenced in the previous paragraph describes evil spirits that look like frogs. (Actually, that's in the verse immediately prior to it, i.e. Revelation 16:13.) Some pictures of "aliens" I have seen (which people drew or described after "encounters" with them) look a bit frog-like, especially with their big bug-eyes and the general shape of their face. It is also worth noting that Satan is a cherub, as revealed in the book of Ezekiel: "Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee." (Ezekiel 28:14-15) Now, if Satan is a cherub, it is more than likely that some of the devils who have rebelled with him are cherubs too. Which means they likely still have those "wheels" to move about in. Significantly, a great many UFO sightings, especially over the last 70-80 years, have been of disc-shaped objects. And discs are round, just like wheels.

    In short, when people see UFOs, or even have an "alien encounter", what they are really seeing is a demonic illusion. In other words, they are not encountering aliens from outer space. They are seeing lying signs and wonders and communing with devils. A great many people who have had UFO encounters, and especially ones who have had direct experiences with "aliens", have a prior history of involvement in the occult. Getting involved in things like witchcraft, or divination, or necromancy etc. can open you up to all sorts of creepy supernatural encounters, which is one reason why God tells us in no uncertain terms to stay away from such things.

    Could these demonic apparitions appear on video? Well, why not? After all, the Bible calls Satan the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2), among other things. So devils could, if they so chose, make their apparitions manifest on screen. Incidentally, some useful thoughts about UFO encounters can be found in this short article on The Berean Call Web site. (There are several other articles about the subject on there as well.) And if they are getting ready to launch a major deception offensive, then we could expect the number of videos featuring so-called UFOs to increase. Or, as we are about to see, existing videos and photos are set to be declassified.

     So what would be the purpose of persuading the world that UFOs are real? Well as I said above, to lure people away from the Word of God. Make people doubt the Bible or disbelieve it outright. Another purpose might be to tie in with existing evolutionary theory. After all, according to the logic of evolution, if life only started here by pure chance, it could also start by chance somewhere else in the universe. And perhaps our "extraterrestrial friends" might want to help us become more "evolved" like them? Perhaps even achieve the ultimate dream of mankind: to become as gods? Just like the serpent said the Eve in the Garden of Eden: "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." (Genesis 3:4-5) It was a lie, but a very enticing one, and this same enticing lie is still seducing people today. Sometimes this lie is told in some form by so-called "aliens" that people encounter. "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils" (1 Timothy 4:1) Such seducing spirits are already around, but they could also take the form of "aliens" if they so chose. Whatever "advice" they give mankind will be the "doctrines of devils", quite simply because they ARE devils.

     In conclusion, you may rest assured that there are no alien life forms on other planets. We don't have to worry about Little Green Men as such. However, there are evil spirits that are very real, and they can produce supernatural manifestations that could look like UFOs or "aliens". So UFOs or UAPs are not real in the sense of being alien spacecraft. But as demonic apparitions, they ARE real in that sense. And if, as I suspect, we are about to be presented with "hard evidence" for the existence of UFOs, you can expect that the spiritual war that is ever raging, and which already seems to have gone up several notches since the 2020s began, will increase to a white-hot intensity as the level of satanic deception increases even more. This is why we who are born again must stay firmly grounded in the Word of God and resist the lies we will be told about this just as we now resist the lies already abounding in this present world. The truth is not "out there". It is IN there - i.e. in the Holy Bible.

UPDATE (15/5/21): Another US Navy video of a UFO has been declared authentic by the Pentagon. As with the videos I mentioned in the original post, the video has been declared authentic. That doesn't mean the UFO is authentic. As is so often the case with these videos, it is very grainy. Some kind of dark round object is clearly visible. It is moving in a rather unusual fashion - definitely not obeying the laws of natural physics. (But then, a supernatural object, which this could be, would obey completely different laws of motion.) After doing some "manoeuvres", it disappears into the ocean.

    Now, this might be a demonic apparition, or it might be some kind of strange aberration that could somehow be explained by natural means. It is certainly not an alien spaceship. Whatever the thing is, this kind of footage is part of a growing collection of "declassified" UFO videos that are probably leading up to something much bigger - the kind of major deception I speculated on in the original post.

    Normally, the conservative media are a bastion of common sense and defenders of truth that is being increasingly rejected by those on the left, but when it comes to UFOs, the conservative media actually seem to be leading the charge insofar as reporting UFO-related developments this year is concerned (although the mainstream media are also keenly interested). It is important to remember that most people who work in the conservative media are just as lost as their liberal counterparts. Some may profess to be Christians, but they're often false converts. So from a spiritual standpoint, they are actually on the same team as the liberal left-wing media, and we may well see the conservative media uniting with the liberal media in the great UFO deception that I suspect could be on its way as early as next month (when the Pentagon declassifies many more of its "X-files"). Ultimately, our trust needs to be in God, and not Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, Ben Shapiro, Michael Knowles, Alan Jones, Rowan Dean and others of a similar persuasion (even if they can sometimes say some very helpful things and be a breath of fresh air after the utter insanity that passes for mainstream news and opinions nowadays). The Word of God is the perfect antidote to all the world's lies, including lies about flying saucers and aliens.

UPDATE 2 (19/5/21): As June gets closer, media reporting about UFOs is ramping up. For instance, here is a report by 60 Minutes (the US version, made by CBS) about US Navy pilots who have had "close encounters". Click here to watch bonus footage from the original report. Obviously, I don't endorse either of these videos; I'm just showing you a recent example of how the mainstream media is starting to push the UFO narrative that much more aggressively. Watch at your discretion. To be fair to CBS though, this report is not outright suggesting that we are being visited by aliens from outer space. That would be a bit much right now. People are not yet ready to receive that. It is simply stressing the fact that members of the US military have encountered objects that do not behave the way normal aircraft do. The people interviewed are not really promoting any alien theories themselves. In fact, they suggest a number of different possible explanations, some of which are natural or even mundane. Still, a report like this helps to plant a few seeds in people's minds. It is rare for a deception to be promoted openly - at least, to begin with. Such things tend to come in by subtlety and stealth. They creep in unawares. Once enough seeds have been planted in enough people's minds, then they can be "watered" and start to blossom into full-blown false doctrines. It is Satan's counterfeit of the way people receive the Gospel - one preacher plants the seed (preaches the Gospel message). Another one waters the seed that has taken root in the heart and then, if the seed has fallen on "good ground", it bears fruit. (see for instance Matthew 13:8 and 1 Corinthians 3:6).

    Before people can accept a lie however, they firstly have to be conditioned to it. That is what happened, for instance, with the myth that homosexuals are "born that way". It was a gradual process that was carried out over the course of 40-50 years. When it comes to so-called UFOs, people's minds have already been conditioned by the science fiction genre, but even so, they're not quite ready to accept the lie that aliens are here. That is still regarded as the stuff of fantasy (and rightly so). Even next month's big report to Congress may not actually push that idea too much further. But it will likely go into a lot more detail about other "close encounters" and thereby plant more seeds in people's minds and hearts. Speaking of planting seeds, former US President Barack Obama has weighed in on the UFO subject on The Late Late Show with James Corden. Obama, who was President of the United States from 2009-2017, stated, "What is true, and I'm actually being serious here, is that there is footage and records of objects in the skies that we don't know exactly what they are [...] We can't explain how they move, their trajectory[.] They did not have an easily explainable pattern. And so I think that people still take seriously, trying to investigate and figure out what that is." So like the 60 Minutes report, Obama's comments are concentrating on the mystery objects and not on who or what might be controlling them. But by the time you have a former President entering into serious discussion about UFOs, it is obvious that, as Sherlock Holmes was fond of exclaiming, "The game's afoot!". The media are clearly trying to make the general populace take UFOs seriously.

    Far from challenging this report by one of the mainstream, left-wing American TV networks, the conservative media are marching in lock-step with them on this matter. For example, here is an item by prominent FOX News commentator Tucker Carlson. As mentioned in the item, Carlson has been talking about UFOs for several years now, and has perhaps been one of the leading voices in the conservative media to promote this narrative. To be fair to Mr Carlson however, he is not suggesting that aliens are visiting us, just as CBS and Barack Obama were not directly suggesting that. His concern seems to be more about possible security threats that the alleged UFOs might pose. He also understandably wonders why the Pentagon and US military have stayed silent for years and are only now admitting these sightings. (I wonder that too. But it may just be that society has accepted so many other massive deceptions that it is now primed for one about "aliens".) Given that people have been seeing purported UFOs for decades, I don't think we need worry about any security threat. The threat is rather a spiritual one. Not only to the United States, but the whole world. The spiritual threat being the deception I have talked about earlier in this post.

UPDATE 3 (25/5/21): The mainstream media's new acceptance of UFOs continues to pick up steam with this Washington Post article that has been published on the Stuff NZ site. The Stuff version of the article includes a video with a panel discussion broadcast on FOX 26 in Houston. All the participants in that discussion say things like it's "arrogant" to assume we're the only life form in the universe and one even says that there is "no doubt" of there being life on other planets. Remember, this is Fox, the right-wing conservative network in the United States. However, The Washington Post certainly cannot be accused of being right-wing or conservative. It is so far-left nowadays that they really should rename it The Washington Pravda. Anyway, the article explains how the Pentagon first began to take UFOs/UAPs more seriously back in 2007, when then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid asked them to investigate all the sightings. He got support from Ted Stevens and Daniel Inouye, who "controlled funding for supersecret Pentagon operations". (Funnily enough, both those men have since had airports named after them: Ted Stevens International in Anchorage, Alaska, and Daniel K. Inouye International in Honolulu, Hawaii.) The article notes that now in 2021, "official Washington is swirling with chatter – among top senators, Pentagon insiders and former CIA directors – about UFOs. What was once a ticket to the political loony bin has leapt off Hollywood screens and out of science-fiction novels and into the national conversation". (Emphasis mine)

    You know you're reading a left-wing publication when you see a phrase like "national conversation". But I digress. Notice how there has been a progression from science fiction movies and novels to serious consideration of UFOs at top government level in the US. As I said in the original post, these movies and books have been conditioning us for what we can see beginning to unfold now. 

    The move to declassify government material about UFOs/UAPs was made under Donald Trump's presidency. Yes, that Donald Trump, the Saviour of America if you believe the QAnon narrative. But not even "Q" picked that Trump is not only going to save America from the loony left, but the Martians too! (Or maybe they're one and the same? Either way, I'm sure Donald's got them covered.) And it was made in a rather strange way: "[A]s part of president Donald Trump's spending and pandemic relief package, the Senate Intelligence Committee, led by Democratic Senator Mark Warner, included a provision calling for the director of national intelligence to help produce an unclassified report on everything government agencies know about UFOs, including scores of unusual sightings reported by military pilots" (My emphasis) Quite what the COVID-19 pandemic has to do with UFOs, I'm not quite sure (perhaps it came from Mars rather than China?), but there you go.

    The article goes on to quote a couple of former CIA directors who are now being open about their belief in UFOs and life on other planets, and refer to some of the recently declassified video footage. John Brennan, one of the former CIA directors cited, has this to say about the footage: "I think some of the phenomena we're going to be seeing continues to be unexplained and might, in fact, be some type of phenomenon that is the result of something that we don't yet understand and that could involve some type of activity that some might say constitutes a different form of life". (Emphasis mine) Aha, aha, yep-yep-yep-yep-yep-yep. It could be, some might say, but the seeds most assuredly continue to be planted.

    Then we read about a time when flying saucers supposedly did a fly-past of Washington, D.C. in 1952 and also learn of some past Presidents' experiences with UFOs, including Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter (who both occupied the White House in the 1970s). Ford did not actually see a UFO, but wanted them investigated, while Carter and some friends did see one that allegedly gave off a white light which then turned blue, red and back to white again. Following that, we return to Harry Reid. Seeds were planted in his own mind when he attended a UFO conference in the mid-1990s. His decision to talk with Ted Stevens and Daniel Inouye was prompted by a call from a Defense Intelligence Agency official who wanted to visit a ranch in Utah where there were all kinds of weird happenings like cattle mysteriously vanishing and UFO sightings. (Incidentally, remember that strange phenomenon last year with the mysterious monoliths? The first of those was discovered in the Utah desert. I don't think anyone ever worked out how it got there or what it was for. The remaining ones were probably placed by pranksters.) 

    The article concludes with some quotes by Luis Elizondo, who it says "ran the Defence Department unit that emerged from the secret meeting held in the Capitol building". Elizondo acknowledges that it all sounds "wacky", but also insists that "it's real". Perhaps the most interesting thing Elizondo says is this: "We're seeing these things on a daily basis. The longer we keep a lid on it, the more problematic it becomes. It actually works against our interests to keep a cork on this". (My emphasis) So these apparitions, which is what they really are, now manifest themselves to people every day. Which means that the demonic forces behind these "UAPs" are getting into high gear. And it would seem they have convinced Mr Elizondo and others that it is now in people's "best interests" to starting foisting this new deceptive narrative on an already thoroughly-deceived world.

UPDATE 4 (27/5/21): Found this interesting little montage of UFO reports (most of them recent) in the mainstream media. What is particularly intriguing about this montage is how many of the reports shown were made on FOX channels (at least half, by my estimation). So once again, it is the right-wing conservative media leading the charge here. One narrative that is clearly being promoted is that we are not alone. If these people read and believed their Bibles, they would know that already. However, they reject God and the supernatural generally, but on some level, their consciences tell them that we are not truly alone here. Having turned their backs on God though, they have to come up with some other explanation, and so we get aliens in flying saucers, a theory to which Satan and his devils can lend support with a few supernatural signs and wonders in the form of apparent UFOs. The montage also features a rather elderly gentleman saying that there are dimensions beyond ours. Indeed there are, because there is an entire supernatural realm, as I talked about in the original post. The Bible makes it plain that supernatural beings like angels operate according to very different laws of motion to what we do in our present natural state. So what he says is not news. And evil spirits creating UFO apparitions can quite easily cause them to move in all sorts of strange ways and then vanish away whenever they feel like it.

    There is no question that there has been a sea change in the way the media covers UFOs. This shift in their approach has been especially noticeable this month. There was a time when UFOs would be just something to bring up once in a while. They were often good fodder for a slow news day. There would usually be someone who wanted to talk about a "close encounter" or a local eccentric or two who would be interviewed about their beliefs. Such stories were normally treated as a bit of light-hearted fun. Of course, there were exceptions like the famous Roswell incident, but for the most part, UFO stories were just something to fill in some air time when not much else of interest was happening. Now however, the coverage has become absolutely serious. Now, all of a sudden, UFOs are no longer seen by the media as something to snigger at. We are now being conditioned to believe that they are the Real Deal. And June is almost here, so grab your tinfoil hats (better still, grab your Bible, because we are going to need the truth of the Word more than ever!) and get ready for even more intensive coverage as the Pentagon's "X-files" are declassified and the task force's report is made to the US Congress.

The Next Redefinition of Marriage?

     One of the signs of that we are in the end times is that same-sex "marriage" has been made legal in numerous countries. The first country to do this was the very liberal Netherlands in 2001. Up to 2010, just six other countries (Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa, Norway and Sweden) followed suit. But in the 2010s, the floodgates opened and now same-sex "marriage" is legal in pretty much the entire Western world and a few other countries as well. (New Zealand passed its own Marriage Equality Act in April 2013, and it came into force on 19 August 2013.) Throughout the course of human history, the world, as wicked as it is, had broadly accepted God's definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman. Only in the 21st Century has the sin of homosexuality been elevated to such high esteem that it has been given official approval in the laws of many lands, including the right of same-sex couples to "marry". This is one of several signs that man's rebellion against God is reaching extreme levels. The deeper into depravity a society sinks, like Sodom and Gomorrah, and also the land of Canaan did in the Old Testament, the closer to judgment and destruction it gets. The world as a whole is getting so incredibly evil that it is ripe for the arrival on the scene of the Antichrist and all the terrible judgments of the Tribulation.

    Those who opposed same-sex "marriage" pointed out that it would create a slippery slope, because if marriage can be redefined in one way, why not in others? Supporters of this wickedness scoffed at such a notion. Well as yet there is no major move to another significant redefinition of marriage. However, a couple in New York is attempting to shake up the marriage laws again (if only of their state). What makes this particular couple different is that they are a parent and child. A biological parent and child. That's right. This couple wants to legalise incestuous marriage. If they succeed, it would be another extraordinary redefinition of marriage.

    According to a report published by the conservative New York Post last week, and reported by Newshub here, the couple, who are of an unknown gender, are "unable to procreate", thereby ruling out one of the biggest risks posed by incest: congenital deformities. The parent is the one who filed the request. According to the Newshub article: "They argue being unable to procreate shouldn't prevent them from aspiring 'to the transcendent purposes of marriage and seek fulfillment in its highest meaning', and the present law banning incestuous marriage is unconstituational [sic]." Advocates of same-sex "marriage" in the United States also claimed that it was "unconstitutional" not to let same-sex couples "marry". Of course, homosexual couples can't procreate either (because, biology). The couple goes on to argue, "Through the enduring bond of marriage, two persons, whatever relationship they might otherwise have with one another, can find a greater level of expression, intimacy and spirituality." They are absolutely serious about this. So serious that they say not being allowed to marry would "diminish their humanity"!

    At this point in time, it seems highly unlikely that their application will be successful. As one family law expert noted (again I quote from the article), "The closest you can come is Woody Allen, and that wasn’t his daughter, it was an adopted child whom he never adopted and it still turns people's stomachs." (My emphasis) The Bible describes incest as a form of fornication "not so much as named among the Gentiles", meaning that even unbelievers who may be into all kinds of sexual depravity (homosexuality was commonplace in Greece, where Corinth was) find incest repugnant. The full verse on that is as follows: "It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife." (1 Corinthians 5:1) Note the emphasis on the adulterous aspect of this relationship. Also, just as people were repulsed by incest then, they remain repulsed by it today. It is still "such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles". But how much longer will that be the case, in view of how wicked the world is getting? In ancient Canaan, they were enthusiastic practitioners of this sin. Leviticus 18 contains God's prohibitions against various forms of incest. The same chapter also expressly condemns adultery, human sacrifice (specifically of children), homosexuality and bestiality. Then God says this to the children of Israel: "Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants." (Leviticus 18:24-25) See that? Canaan, which is specifically mentioned in Leviticus 18:3, was deep into incest, adultery, the sacrifice of children to the god Molech (the spiritual roots of the modern abortion movement), homosexuality and bestiality. The Western world in particular is rapidly becoming like ancient Canaan all over again. However, it is not quite as far gone as Canaan was. But it's getting to that point fast.

    Even now, there are "incest advocates" in the world who are offering their support to the parent-child couple, as reported by Newshub here (they are referring to a follow-up report by the New York Post). They say that marriage between biological relatives would be "true marriage equality". Right now, such people are in the minority. On the fringes of society, you might even say. But once upon a time, people who advocated for homosexual rights were also in a minority. There was a time, only 50 or so years ago, when anyone suggesting such things as same-sex "marriage" would be met with an outpouring of horror and revulsion. Yet now, not only is homosexuality considered mainstream and same-sex "marriage" almost normal, but to speak against it is enough to make you an outcast who is deemed Unfit for Polite Society.

    So could the same thing one day happen with incestuous "marriage"? The more like ancient Canaan the world becomes, the more it actually seems possible, though still remote at this stage. But after all, the same arguments for same-sex "marriage" could be made for incestuous "marriage" too. They're "consenting adults", they "love each other", they're "not hurting anyone", it's "their private business", maybe they were "born that way", and as such they deserve their "civil rights" like anyone else. Besides, we "shouldn't judge people", you know. 

    Speaking of judging, it does make me kind of laugh how many self-professed liberals declare that it's wrong to judge homosexuality (or anything much, really), yet will turn around and express strong condemnation of incest when they hear of a case like this. If they can judge incest - which I would agree with them on - then why can't I judge homosexuality? One problem with such people is that their judgments rely on their feelings. They feel disgust at incest, so they judge it based on that. I on the other hand don't base my judgment of either homosexuality or incest solely on my feelings, but on the Word of God. The Bible unequivocally and unambiguously declares both these things to be serious sin. Now God does not declare things to be sin arbitrarily. God, who created us, knows what is best for us, and every law He makes is for our good. He prohibits incest not only because of the birth defect risk, but also because it often involves adultery and/or coercion. He forbids homosexuality because it is biologically unnatural, causes gender confusion (because one person in a homosexual pairing has to adopt a role they weren't made for) and often leads to all manner of terrible diseases. There are other reasons besides for these respective prohibitions, but these are some of the major ones.

    In the days when people mostly condemned homosexuality, some may have cited the Bible, but many others relied on their feelings. Homosexuality made them feel disgusted, so they concluded that it must be wrong. What made these people change their minds? Well aside from ongoing rejection of God and His ways, a campaign of sustained propaganda by the mainstream media, the entertainment industry and liberal politicians was a major catalyst. It started slowly, with a few news stories here, a few gay characters in sitcoms there, and then gradually escalated. Over time, people were conditioned to change their minds, and their feelings, about homosexuality. Once they no longer felt antipathy towards it, they no longer had a reason to oppose it - unless their foundation was the Word of God (which was not the case for most). And if it happened with homosexuality, it could happen with incest too. Or polygamy. Or ... I don't even want to think about it. 

    Every now and then, I have noticed that the media like to run a story like this. They are particularly fond of stories about so-called Genetic Sexual Attraction, where biological relatives who didn't grow up together (because of adoption) meet as adults and end up having a sexual relationship (in other words, they fornicate together). Sometimes they know they're related, at other times they don't. Storylines have occasionally been slipped into popular programmes (Shortland Street once had a storyline about a biological brother and sister unwittingly sleeping together). What is the purpose of this? Quite simply, to test the waters. See whether people are softening their positions at all - whether their feelings are changing. There is also a "frog in the pot" approach - just "warm the water up" a little at a time. So far at least, there has tended to be a visceral public response. Incest is still the fornication not so much as named among the Gentiles. But the media and entertainment industry didn't give up with homosexuality, and they won't give up with this either. Again, this particular couple will probably fail. They will just have to be satisfied with living together. But it won't be long before others like them are making similar headlines. We will start to see street marches, and political campaigns, and perhaps even law changes as man in his foolish pride seeks to redefine marriage once again. I would be only too happy to be wrong in this conjecture, but the more rebellious and depraved mankind becomes, the more likely it is that even the sins which still disgust people today will become normalised and even praised tomorrow. As with homosexuality, they will go from disgust to reluctant tolerance to indifference and then on to endorsement and finally open celebration. If the world gets to that point (and it has now become conceivable that it could), the Tribulation and final judgments of God will surely not be far off. The hour truly is getting late.

When Abraham (Almost) Sacrificed Isaac

     Although I have only put out one new post this month, I have still been quite busy with this blog, regularly updating earlier posts and working on a big new study of the characteristics which cults share in common. (Hopefully I'll manage to publish that before the end of this month - I'm only about halfway through it though.) But anyway, here is a new post about Genesis 22, which gives an account of a remarkable test of faith for Abraham. I have just been studying this chapter, so decided to give some thoughts on it while it is fresh in my mind.

    A number of people in the Bible were asked to do some quite remarkable things by God from time to time. However, this command to Abraham is right up there with the most jaw-dropping:

    "And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of." (Genesis 22:2) 

    The Bible does not record Abraham's reaction or his immediate response, but it is easy to imagine his jaw dropping to the ground, so to speak, not least because in Genesis 21:12, God had promised him a great line of descendants through Isaac. Also, God required animal sacrifices in the Old Testament, but not human ones. (In the New Testament, He accepted one human sacrifice, which was the sacrifice to end all sacrifices - the death of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, on the cross, followed by His burial and resurrection after three days.) What it DOES record in the next two or three verses is Abraham making preparations and setting off to Moriah with Isaac (and a couple of other young men) as instructed. Whatever he may have been feeling, he was prepared to obey God's command, just as he had been when God told him to leave his old life behind in Genesis 12:1. Obedience to God is often not an easy matter. But Abraham obeyed because of his faith: "By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure." (Hebrews 11:17-19) This passage in the book of Hebrews provides a crucial insight into Abraham's thinking. It also explains what this incident was really pointing towards, and I'll come back to that a bit later. I might add that faith was also the reason for Abraham's obedience when God commanded him to leave his homeland. "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went." (Hebrews 11:8)

    So Abraham believed that God would raise Isaac from the dead. Hence he is not lying to the other young men when he tells them he'll be back with Isaac. "And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you." (Genesis 22:5) 

    It does appear however that Isaac is not aware that he is destined to be sacrificed. "And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" (Genesis 22:7) Isaac knew how burnt offerings normally worked. He was expecting a lamb and was clearly puzzled as to why there wasn't one. Abraham's answer is, as we shall see in a little while, not a lie. And it also significant for another reason. "And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together." (Genesis 22:8) The underlined part of this verse not only anticipates the sacrifice that God would provide in the near future, but it also anticipates the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. There are many things in the Old Testament that point to Christ, either in direct prophecy or as figures. This is one such example.

     Now the tension ramps up as Abraham builds an altar, places the wood that he has brought along, then ties up Isaac and places him on the altar. The Bible does not record the conversation that passed between them while this was happening. It is notable however that Isaac does not fight or struggle, but accepts his apparent fate. We hold our breath as the fateful moment comes: "And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son." (Genesis 22:10)

    But before Abraham plunges the knife in, God intervenes (you can breathe out now). "And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me." (Genesis 22:11-12) Abraham's faith was such that he was prepared to do absolutely anything God asked of him, whatever the cost, because he knew God would keep His promises. He put God ahead of everyone and everything in his life, including his own son.

    And this is one of the key lessons from this passage. Through the example of Abraham, it poses a challenging question: do we have enough faith in God that we are prepared to obey Him no matter what the cost? Do we have enough love for Him that we are not prepared to let anyone stand between us and Him, even our nearest and dearest?

    Now, God will never ask you to sacrifice a member of your family on an altar! As I said at the start, sometimes God has given very unusual commands to His people in the Bible, but they were meant specifically for those people, not for us generally. For example, He once asked the prophet Isaiah to go naked for three whole years! (See Isaiah 20:2-4) But He certainly doesn't want us to just start walking around naked! Even at that time, the command was only for Isaiah and no one else. It was also for a specific purpose: to provide a visual illustration of a future event. And once the three-year period was over, Isaiah went back to wearing clothes. Likewise, God's command to Abraham was for a specific moment in time, and it was only meant for Abraham to follow.

    But while you will never be asked by God to perform a literal sacrifice (even an animal one, because Christ has done away with the need for sacrifices altogether), there may come a time when you will have to sacrifice relationships with family members for the sake of following Christ. For example, you may have family members who are so hostile to Christianity that they will disown you if they learn you are now a Christian. Or perhaps your refusal to partake in something with the rest of the family because you know God does not want you to do it (e.g. celebrate Halloween) will cause serious tensions. In a worst-case scenario, some family members may even want to kill you for your faith! You may face the prospect of being kicked out, or of having to run away to escape injury or death. In these situations, will you stick by your faith in Christ, or compromise to keep the peace?

    This kind of love for God, of putting Him ahead of even your own family, was exemplified by Abraham and is also what the Lord Jesus Christ is talking about in these passages:

    "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." (Matthew 10:34-39)

    "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:26-27)

    We should love our parents, children and siblings, obviously, but we should not love them more than God. In fact, our love for God should be such that the love we have for our family should seem like hatred by comparison (which is what Jesus is getting at in the Luke passage - both the Matthew and Luke passages need to be taken together, because Jesus is certainly not telling anyone to actually hate their family - that would go against numerous other Biblical commandments, such as the ones about loving your neighbour and honouring your father and mother!). And where there is a direct clash between the will of God and the will of your family, the will of God must come first. Furthermore, those who are forced to choose between God and family, and put God first, are given this amazing promise: "And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life." (Matthew 19:19) "And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life." (Mark 10:29-30)

    Now, nobody should just pack up and leave their family for no good reason. And I am well aware that there are cults (such as Gloriavale in New Zealand) who abuse verses like this by forcibly separating family members. That is wicked and not at all something God wants. However, as I said above, sometimes your unbelieving family members may force you to make some difficult decisions. You may find yourself in situations where choosing to obey God will cost you dearly in the form of losing some or all of your family (either because they leave, or because they throw you out). And it is in these kinds of situations where God may test your faith as sternly as he tested Abraham's. If that time ever comes, would you be willing, as Abraham was, to put God first?

    So that is one key lesson from Genesis 22. But it is also worth examining how the account of Abraham's near-sacrifice of Isaac prefigures another much more important sacrifice: that of Christ. Let's see what eventually was sacrificed on Abraham's altar: "And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son." (Genesis 22:13)

     The ram being sacrificed in the place of Isaac foreshadows the sacrifice of Christ in our place. The sacrifices of the Mosaic Law similarly anticipate Christ's once and final sacrifice. However, there is another way in which this account foreshadows the momentous event on Calvary. It is mentioned in the Hebrews passage I quoted earlier. Isaac was Abraham's only begotten son, in that he was the only child that Abraham had with Sarah, his wife. Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God the Father: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) Isaac was a child who had been promised by God: "But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise." (Galatians 4:23) (The bondwoman was Hagar the Egyptian, who gave birth to Ishmael after Sarah gave her to Abraham, and the freewoman was Sarah herself.) Jesus Christ was also promised through numerous Old Testament prophecies. Isaac's birth was a miracle, given that Sarah was not only very old (90 years old, no less!), but had hitherto been barren: "And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform." (Romans 4:19-21) The Lord Jesus Christ's birth was likewise miraculous since He was born of a virgin. "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14) "Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." (Matthew 1:22-23) Finally, Isaac came back from the dead (in a manner of speaking) after Abraham had placed him on the altar. Jesus Christ really DID come back from the dead after being buried for three days. So in these various ways, the near-sacrifice of Isaac is a figure of what Jesus Christ would do several thousand years later. In this figure, Abraham represents God the Father and Isaac represents God the Son.

    In conclusion, notwithstanding the command God gives to Abraham at the start of this chapter, Genesis 22 is not about human sacrifice. The two main takeaways from this chapter are that we should put God first in our lives, even when obeying Him may result in us losing those we love the most. Abraham's great faith results in his obedience, which in turn leads to great blessing for him in the end (including Isaac being spared). And also, like many things in the Old Testament, we see something that anticipates, using a real event as an illustration, the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross and His subsequent resurrection. Well, those are the key lessons for me on my latest study of this chapter. But if you have gleaned some other valuable lessons from this remarkable account of Abraham almost sacrificing Isaac, please feel free to share them in the comments!

Check Out the April Last Trumpet Newsletter

     Throughout the posts in this blog so far, I have referenced two Christian writers in particular: Christopher J.E. Johnson of Creation Liberty Evangelism and David Cloud of Way of Life Literature. However, my browsing of Christian resources is not just confined to those two sites or those two people. I do have other sites that I like to visit, and one of them is Last Trumpet Ministries. This site, based in Wisconsin, was originally run by David Meyer, who passed away in June 2010. It is now run by his son, Samuel L. Meyer. It features a monthly newsletter and audio sermons, both with extensive archives. While David Meyer was rather conspiracy-oriented in his preaching, Samuel Meyer has moved away from that. However, he does a very good monthly round-up of current events with sound Biblical commentary about them. I make a point of reading the Last Trumpet Newsletter at the start of each month, and the April edition is very well worth a look. Mr Meyer and I are of like mind in our views on the mainstream media and cancel culture, and I also share his deep misgivings about vaccination passports. (In my view, they are a way to make vaccines compulsory by stealth.)

    While I do encourage you to read the entire newsletter, I'll whet your appetite with one quote that especially resonated with me: "Without a doubt, the news we are presented in newspapers, on television, in magazines, and on news websites is manipulated and in some cases even false. Most of the time, the mainstream news will give you some truth, but with it comes a lot of bias. If you want complete truth, there is only one way to get it and that is in the Lord Jesus Christ." (Emphasis is Mr Meyer's) Now, what he says there is not a conspiracy theory in any way. Media manipulation is right in front of your face if you just have "eyes to see" - in other words, use your discernment. I have already pointed out the mainstream media's manipulative tactics in several of my posts. That said, they do also report things that are verifiably true. They are often at their best in a natural disaster, because there is not really any agenda to push then. But sometimes, even when the media are reporting on true things, they have ulterior motives. In particular, they like to report stories that "prove" particular narratives they are trying to push, while ignoring equally true stories that contradict their favoured narratives. They also sometimes do a very good job of exposing false teachers, but their underlying motive is to discredit Christianity. Nevertheless, some of the exposés they do can still be quite helpful resources for Christians wanting to research a specific cult or false teacher. (As an example, some of the New Zealand media's reporting on the Gloriavale cult has been top-drawer.)

     However, the most important point in that quote by Mr Meyer is that the complete truth can only be found in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6). And only in the King James Bible, God's holy and preserved Word in English (I'm sure He has preserved His Word in other languages too), will you find complete, pure and undiluted truth. I was studying the first chapter of 2 Peter today, and Verse 19 describes the Word of God as "a light that shineth in a dark place". Never has that seemed more true than in this present wicked day. The Bible is your perfect antidote to the lies and half-truths that permeate much of our media and abound in the world at large. Renew your mind with the Word of God (Romans 12:2) and you will be much better able to see through the false narratives of not only the mainstream media, but also (on occasion) the alternative or conservative media.

    Anyway, I shall wrap this up here (my shortest post, I think!). Enjoy the newsletter, and I hope it edifies you as much as it did me.