March 15, 2002
I see little things constantly that get my attention. I would like to write about them all, but each of them would not constitute a full article. So, I decided to do one article that was a pot pourie of these little thoughts.
The movie ET is being released again this year. The release is accompanied by various tandem advertisements. One in particular is for Reeces in which we see the candy rise from a candy dish and levitate in the pattern of a galaxy. We learn that this is at the will of ET.
I remember the line from the movie “ET…phone home…”. In my book “The Millennium Agenda,” I discuss how the media is depicting aliens in popular culture.
In contrast to the “Mars Attacks!” genre of the 1950s, we have moved into an era in which every alien that humans encounter is smarter than us. Even ET found his way to earth in some superior space craft. He learned English (be it ever so rudimentary) in a matter of hours. He can levitate himself or other matter, he can make flowers bloom, and he can light up his finger.
But the one thing that ET can’t do is figure out how to survive in an Earth environment. In fact, its up to a kid to ensure ET’s survival. Superior intelligence, indeed! Nevertheless, it makes for a great story line. Too bad people really believe in that sort of thing.
Have you noticed the number of auto advertisements on television that feature their sleek, fast, agile, and safe car speeding across the train in a side-skid?
In one breath they tell us how safe and maneuverable their car is, but then cut away to a view of this car sliding sideways across the desert. Are we getting mixed messages? Is it safe or does it skid so easily that we should perhaps avoid – avoid buying and avoid meeting on the road.
I had occasion to see the movie “The Swarm” the other day. The movie is about killer bees that are migrating into Texas. One scientist spends the duration of the movie trying to avert the bees’ advance however after many attempts is unsuccessful. Meanwhile, a lady with whom he has become infatuated is stung. Fearing for her life, he utters a simple prayer “God, please let her live.”
He is unaware that a military general and his envoy have overheard the prayer. The envoy shockingly proclaims, “Sir, can we count on a scientist who prays?” To which, the general responds, “I wouldn’t count on one who didn’t.”
I found the generals comments patronizing, perhaps because I know that Hollywood has little regard for God except to appease the religious market segment. I do however agree with the sentiment. I fear that too many scientists are closet atheists whose goal in life is not to help humanity as much as it is to disprove the existence of a creator. Likewise, scientists who openly profess their faith are lambasted and mocked.
It is a shameful situation.
I saw an advertisement for a TV show called “First Wave.” In the introduction to the show, the premise of the story is laid out. The protagonist is on a quest to save the world. In so doing, he is following the prophecies of Nostradamas.
I suppose anyone who is not Christian or religious in any sense, could take any book of supposed prophecy and turn it into something quasi-religious. This ends up making Christianity look like so much superstition.
Let me clarify that the Bible states that any prophet who is not 100% correct is a false prophet.
(Deuteronomy 18:22 NIV) If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.
Nostradamas was not 100% correct. Some of his prophecies have been declared to come true, but some have clearly failed.
Furthermore, any prophet who points away from God and by extension Jesus is to be put to death!
Punishment of Apostates
(Deuteronomy 13:1-5 NIV)
1If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among
you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder,
2and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place,
and he says, "Let us follow other gods" (gods you have not known)
"and let us worship them," 3you must not listen to
the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find
out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.
4It is the LORD your God
you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve
him and hold fast to him. 5That
prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he preached rebellion against
the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land
of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way the LORD your God commanded
you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you.
One of the biggest problems that I run into on a regular basis is defining false religions. In so many cases, they are such a clever copy of Christianity that it is extremely difficult to establish what it is that is wrong with them.
But I am reminded of money counterfeiting. The counterfeiter intentionally wants the fake to resemble the real so it will be accepted. A counterfeit dollar will have the same size, color, and feel of the real thing.
If we could really identify false religions so easily, then they wouldn’t be the threat that they are.
Would you think that a bank teller was paranoid for examining every bill that they receive? Probably not. Likewise, you should not consider persons and ministries like this one to be “witch-hunters.” Ministries like this one have been given a charge to search out and warn of the fakes. I hope that your response will be support and prayer.