Wednesday, June 29, 2022

Temptation and Programming

Temptation and Programming 
by David Brenneman 

Interesting choice for me to be given to write about!  But, in a sense, it makes perfect sense to me.

It is written somewhere "know your enemy". The full text is from ancient Chinese general Sun Tzu. The full quote goes like this: "Know thy enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles, you will never be defeated. When you are ignorant of the enemy but know yourself, your chances of winning or losing are equal. If ignorant both of your enemy and of yourself, you are sure to be defeated in every battle."

People these days do not recognize the enemy of God or the work of his minions, referred to in the Bible as demons.  They do not recognize them but do shift the blame to them often. 

Within each of us resides a sin nature that we are all born with. 

To bring along a movie quote "you won't know who to trust".  Simply put, the only truth to trust isn't within you or I, but in Christ Jesus alone.

Satan and his minions have no means, no way, to accurately predict the future. They can, however, use manipulation to bring about what been permitted by God. 

Satan's the Tempter. It's one of the things he does best.  Satan cannot do a great many things. Satan is, after all, a created being. He is not omnipotent, not omniscient, isn't all-knowing. He cannot be everywhere at once like God. Cannot know the thoughts of Christians because he cannot inhabit where the Spirit of God lives. 

So, you say, "What's this got to do with programming?  Isn't that what someone does with a computer?"  People can be conditioned. Essentially the same thing as programming. You can have your environment altered in such a way that in time you adapt to your new surroundings and your new situations. Perfect example is what millions of people do willingly.  They move to a new town, are in a new place they call home, be it a temporary visit or to permanently stay.  They get used to their new surroundings and learn the lay of the land. If there long enough, by talking to people, they know of things to try, things to avoid. 

It's been heavily in the news in one form or another but people often miss the intentionality of it.  News broadcasts are designed to manipulate your thinking. Public opinion is designed to manipulate your thoughts. As it is said of journalism "if it bleeds it leads".  News broadcasts are used to manipulate elections. Newspapers are used to manipulate much more. To sway public opinions.  People do not realize it or if they do its too late to turn back for some. 

What's all this got to do with God or God's Word?  Plainly put you are told to be alert. 
"Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong." 1 Corinthians 16:13 NASB. "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. So resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brothers and sisters who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish youTo Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen." 1 Peter 5:8-11 NASB. 

We are told in Ephesians 6 to put on the whole armor of God.  All these warnings and the equipment are to protect the heart, the mind and inevitably the soul.

You and I are at risk every single day we try to live life our way, in our wisdom in our strength.  Going up against the forces of darkness unarmed because we aren't aware of the dangers. We aren't prayed up. We aren't in God's Word. We aren't seeking His Will to be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. 

We have seen full scale manipulation in recent years not only of the United States but other countries. This world is heading towards a conditioned state that will have a one world government. You may laugh at that, but my Friend, realize what changed in your world in just the last 2 years that you never thought possible as well. 

This world WILL have a one world government heading into the 7 year Tribulation as written in the Bible. 
This world WILL be conditioned to actually worship the world leader who will be at its head.  If you haven't received Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord before hand, so as to leave this world at the Rapture of the Church, you WILL be forced to make a choice to worship this Leader or die. 

People are conditioned today to accept what they never truly thought they would. Everything from sinful pleasures to sexual gender changes.  People are conditioned to wear masks or not to wear them.  People are watching rising costs alter their shopping and purchasing habits. 

There's only one constant to lay hold of in this world and that's a right relationship with Jesus Christ.  Temptation and Programming towards a worldly mindset will destroy a life. The way of the world leads to Hell's gates.  The way of life in Christ leads to life.  Leads to liberty in Jesus.  Leads to the truth about God the truth about how to live in this world.  

People are constantly lied to in this world and it's incredible to watch people just accept it.  Scientists trained a generation of monkeys to not go after bananas in the middle of a room by constantly using a water cannon every time they would go after them there.  Soon they wouldn't try. A new group was introduced of monkeys.  The first refused to let the new group try to get them even though the water cannon was left off.  The subsequent groups never knew why the bananas were to be avoided but learned to live with it. 

Satan's use of temptations is to try to both bring forth sin, but also to bring forth his own kingdom on Earth. He's wanting God's Throne. He's going to empower that Global Leader with himself.

Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  Freedom is only found in living a life that is in Christ Jesus.  Anxiety comes from stressing out over the things of this world. Peace of God only comes from a right real relationship with Jesus. 

This world is trying to create life in the form of artificial intelligence. This too is of Satan.  This world is trying to rewrite sexual orientation. This too is of Satan. This world is hostile towards Jesus Christ for a reason, the Bible calls Satan "the god of this world". Satan got a major problem with any who put their faith and trust in Christ Jesus alone for salvation. His preference is to obliterate all who call upon Him. 

Satan cannot truly predict how people will react or how they will behave, but, he does know how to craft temptations to try to trigger the sins that he's trying to bring about. 

If you haven't already noticed the pace of this world's changes is picking up.  The things that Jesus said about wars and rumors of wars, of earthquakes and famines in various places is more widespread today than ever before. 

We have a solid rock to hold onto in this world and it's nothing to do with this world.  It's only in a right real relationship with Jesus Christ.  

"The Solid Rock" by Edward Mote 1834
"
  1. My hope is built on nothing less
    Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
    I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
    But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
    • Refrain:
      On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
      All other ground is sinking sand,
      All other ground is sinking sand.
  2. When darkness veils His lovely face,
    I rest on His unchanging grace;
    In every high and stormy gale,
    My anchor holds within the veil.
  3. His oath, His covenant, His blood
    Support me in the whelming flood;
    When all around my soul gives way,
    He then is all my hope and stay.
  4. When He shall come with trumpet sound,
    Oh, may I then in Him be found;
    Dressed in His righteousness alone,
    Faultless to stand before the throne.
  5. My hope is built on nothing less
    Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
    I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
    But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
    • Refrain:
      On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
      All other ground is sinking sand,
      All other ground is sinking sand.
  6. When darkness veils His lovely face,
    I rest on His unchanging grace;
    In every high and stormy gale,
    My anchor holds within the veil.
  7. His oath, His covenant, His blood
    Support me in the whelming flood;
    When all around my soul gives way,
    He then is all my hope and stay.
  8. When He shall come with trumpet sound,
    Oh, may I then in Him be found;
    Dressed in His righteousness alone,
    Faultless to stand before the throne.
The only way to see through the lies to see through the manipulation is to be in Christ Jesus. To be in God's Word daily to see if what we see, what we are taught is really the truth. 

Rightly said is that people are sheep. Jesus is the Shepherd of His sheep. If you don't know Him then you don't know His voice or His truth.  You will never have a right understanding of God or God's Word. All the Bible will be to you is words on a page.  It will be nothing more, it will not come alive in your life without the Spirit of God within you. 

So yes, temptation and programming, interesting words about today's world. 


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