Many will be deceived in the last days, the Bible says (Mat 24:4). It would be reasonable to assume that Christians would see those deceptions developing as we get closer to the Day of the Lord. Being rich or educated or powerful has never precluded believing crazy, so finding rich, educated, powerful people subscribing to odd beliefs is no proof of end times. But something foreboding appears with us today. Not that any of the beliefs subscribed to are different from those of old. But these beliefs are viewed by so many as good and truth. Opera’s guru, Eckert Tolle, by way of Opera’s enormous following has gained angel of light status while repackaging old eastern mystic/new age theology. Hillary Clinton can channel or somehow communicate with the dead and it is no big deal and maybe a good idea. (We need all the help we can get?) Tony Blair can perform ancient Mayan ceremonies (while being newly Catholic) and few people bat an eye. Being newly Catholic apparently gives Prime Minister Blair the unction to reprimand the Vatican’s views on homosexuality. Mr. Blair’s “Faith Foundation” receives glowing endorsements from Mr. Purpose Driven, Pastor Rick Warren.
Does this reflect negatively on Pastor Warren? Maybe. I am certain these people are doing or intend to do benevolently for humanity. Their focus is on improving the human condition. They may all argue that this was Jesus’ emphasis. See, that is the problem for those of us familiar with the Bible. Jesus' emphasis was on redeeming mankind from man’s hopeless, fallen sin condition, not improving man’s temporal condition. He did show compassion for man’s suffering. He instructed us to help those in need. But his main focus was to preach the good news of the kingdom (Luke 4:43), salvation through Him and Him alone (Jn 14:6) (Gal 2:21); to sacrifice Himself as the final and perfect sacrifice thereby reconciling sinful man to an all Holy God (Heb 9:28) (Heb 10:12).
Not wanting to just accept references to something like Ms. Clinton’s channeling endeavors as true I did some searching. Paul Kengor’s book “God and Hillary Clinton” mentions Ms. Clinton’s conversations with dead people. Here is an interesting interview with the author. We are assured that, “Hillary was not, as far as we know, levitating above a table in the White House.” There is solace in that.
Mr. Kengor states, “Bob Woodward actually first reported this in his book in 1996. Mrs. Clinton did not deny the reports, and neither did her staff.”
He also states, ‘According to Bob Woodward, Houston had come to the grandiose conclusion that Hillary was personally carrying the burden of 5,000 years of women being subservient to men—nearly the entire history of female subservience had been tossed upon the back of Hillary.”
The Houston mentioned is Jean Houston, Hillary’s then spiritual advisor.
Yes, yes, I am rolling on the floor laughing as well. But there is a seriousness to all of this. There is a growing deception and it is being accepted in previously unimaginable places and by previously unimaginable people. Ancient mysticism with some new lipstick is mainstreaming. Mystery Babylon has always been with us but she appears to be making an end times run for it. One might call it a Hail Mary pass.
Revelation 17
The Scarlet Woman and the Scarlet Beast
1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me,[a] “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”
3 So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication.[b] 5 And on her forehead a name was written:
MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.
Remind you of anyone? She is more pervasive than we imagine and always has been since the days of Nimrod (OK Eve but it was not called Babylon then.) It is man seeking to be God, man seeking other gods, man seeking other paths to God. Babylon’s emphasis is on man and not God. God or god or any system is only significant as it benefits man. Some want to restrict Mystery Babylon to the Catholic church. This seems myopic and naively restricted. Babylon as a secular system and Mystery Babylon as a religious system has always permeated earthly systems and life since the fall of man. One could say it is the earthly system.
The Biblical world view is that man is only significant as he benefits God.
Oh, how we resent that approach. God has all the money, all the power, all the glory and we want some. What kind of God would demand anything from us. Doesn’t He have enough already? Is he some kind of dictator? Is He an egomaniac demanding that we worship Him? If He were any kind of decent God at all he would have formulated the world so we all had equal possessions. Not equal opportunity. That would not suffice. He should have arranged for us to all have the same money, power, fame … all the important stuff. We want some great collectivist utopia provided by God.
So instead of receiving instruction from the inventor of the machine, we insist on throwing the manual in the trash heap and operating this complicated machinery our own way. Instead of quietly sitting on the potter’s wheel while he shapes a beautiful vessel, we lurch and duck and fight. We are a pot wanting to shape ourselves.
Job 38
The LORD Reveals His Omnipotence to Job
1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:2 “Who is this who darkens counsel
By words without knowledge?3 Now prepare yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall answer Me.4 “ Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.5 Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?6 To what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,7 When the morning stars sang together,
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
What about all the starving people? What about those hurting masses?
Why on earth do we even ask that question? Do we personally hold some human power or possess some vast riches that can address the world’s problem? If so then please, by all means, use your power and riches for the good of mankind. Our first concern should be our personal right standing with our Creator, Yahweh, the God of the Bible. As we live out our life in right standing with God through the sacrifice of God’s “only begotten unique” son Jesus (Jn 3:16), His Holy Spirit will guide us into doing that which He requires of us. Is providing for the poor something we should do? Of course it is. That instruction has already been written down for everyone to plainly see. All Scripture has been given by inspiration of God (2 Timothy 3:16). The Bible has volumes speaking of how to live.
This is getting long winded, relevant but long winded. The point being that if we understand a “man is created to please God” correct construct, we are less apt to fall prey to deception. If we believe God is all about pleasing man, providing for man’s ease and happiness, then we are wide open to humanistic deception. Mystery Babylon will be ever so appealing to us as it incorporates "Christianity" into it's language.
President Obama had it wrong, Hillary was chatting with the elohim (dead in this case).Oddly enough I find President Obama's humor his most endearing quality. I despise the man's politics. I thought this was quite funny. I wish he had understood the correct reference.
Nancy Reagan was on the Astrology path how severely is debated. How much poison does one need to be serious is a valid question.
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