In science fiction stories, tabloid papers and even in hoaxes, people make up stories about flying objects that are of "extraterrestrial" origin or from another dimension or time. People who are not connected to the making up of such stories, sometimes also report “sightings” of such things from time to time, but most investigations of such objects turn out to actually, eventually, identify the object they had seen. Usually it is decided, after investigation of some kind, to declare such objects to have been related to an airplane or weather balloon, or something of that nature. Some reports turn out to be optical illusions. Only a small percentage of the reports made to the military and the police about UFOs are said to remain unexplained and it is to these unexplained sightings and reports that people’s imaginations like to add fanciful twists that then get published in tabloids.
People like to add fanciful twists to the scriptures too. Some UFO enthusiasts (like Barry Downing) believe the Bible is full of references to UFOs. Not only that, he tries to mix the "scientific" theory of evolution that he believes with his faith in God. It seems to him that "life is not an accident" and he still believes the Bible true.. but only to a point. HE believes that if people entertained the notion of extraterrestrial beings and their UFOs, they would engaged the wonder of hope once more in their minds as they believed in something like God again. If people thought that we were planted here by extraterrestrials, (and if this is actually what earlier people less smart than us today thought to be "God"....if they mixed their religious beliefs with evolutionary "science," they would once again be able to find purpose and meaning in life, and they would have hope, (something which has gone by the way side in our culture... the results of which we see in peoples acts of desperation and crime.) Downing,
and people like him, are under a strong delusion.
Such people believe things like Jesus' ascension into heaven occurred when he was beamed up from Earth by a flying saucer; or that the bright cloud that led the people of Israel through the desert or through the Red Sea was an extraterrestrial "UFO." There are some people who say that when Elijah was taken up into heaven, the chariot of fire (and the horses with it) was a flying saucer from another planet. This is their interpretation, and the problem with their interpretation is that such things are purely a twist, or spin on what is written, to fit the enthusiasts own notions or to stir up doubt or wonderment or imagination in the minds of the hearers of what the scriptures really do say, not because they believe in God, but because they believe in extraterrestrial beings. Some people believe the Bible, others believe hat they want to believe and end up believing what the Bible calls "delusion."
Well actually, "strong delusion."
'And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
2 Thessolonians 2:11-12.
In Exodus, God gave his servant Aaron the power to turn his staff into a snake. Then miraculously, Pharaoh’s magicians had the power to do the same thing that Aaron did. In the end, Aaron's snake swallowed up the two snakes of the magicians.Deception is like that. It looks like the real thing but the power being it is completely different.
But take that verse in Thessalonians back a couple of stanzas, read it in more context...
“And then shall that Wicked be revealed, Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceiveableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved....... And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
Simply put, these people make up their own stories based upon what they want to believe, rather than simply believe and trust and rest in God and his promises.
While many claim to believe in UFOs even suggest they come into our world from far away planets and dimensions, it is purely speculative. It is in the movies, in our vivid imaginations that flow out into the pages of our humanly produces novels, tabloids, even in our underground magazines and comic books, but it is not commonly understood as "really" true or provable. No verified, contact has been made. Life on other planets remains unknown and we have been searching, listening waiting.. hoping... there might be, that is of course assuming that we simply do not want to believe in the bible or in God. Extraterrestrial proofs do not exist... they are not a part of human history like the Bible or like the man named Jesus Christ. It is more like superstition, supposition or curious speculation, most of the times such things have been proven to be frauds.
All of this is quite opposite to Jesus. He was real. He was really crucified. And according to many valid witnesses... Jesus Christ, by the power of God which was in Him, was risen from the dead. Some people just choose not to believe such historical verifiable and spiritual things are true. They rather dote upon aliens.
People have the freewill to believe what they would like to, (more likely, of course, if they happen to live in a country where they can truly be free to think and speak their minds.... in liberty.) In a world void of freedom, void of God and of freewill, bent on sin and filled with darkness, God, who is love and truth and light and mercy, would be despised and hatred of such a foreign, holy being of revealing light from heaven would be met with such animosity that people of the earth might even murder God, and this, for fear their places of authority be taken away and replace by him, or that their deeds of darkness be exposed. In fact, people might even prefer a murderer and liar in their midst, one that would be released while a man, claiming to be King of the Jews, claiming to be equal to God, who knew no sin and had done no wrong, who gave sight to the blind, healed the deaf and made the lame to walk, even raised the dead, was sentenced by the highest court of man to die an extraordinary brutal, public death, and this, even in the place of that famous Barnabas, guilty of every crime!
Man is made in God's image, but God is not like we are.
God creates and can create living things, like plants and animals, and does not need elaborate machines. God, who makes something out of nothing, who merely speaks and forms the land and sea and sky, also made our first human parents, Adam and Eve, a man and a woman, who are a lot like you or me. And all of humanity since the begining is fallen in nature, suffering mortality. Instead of looking and who we are and unto God, instead of believing God made both the heavens and the earth, some put thier hope in finding aliens and UFOs in the cold, dark, lifeless, void of outer space.
This because they are void of understanding and reject the wisdom that is from God.
Salvation comes from God and from Jesus Christ his only son, who also is the exact representation of God, His Father. Jesus was sent , not merely sent, via spacecraft, but BORN, like you and I, born as a babe into this world of spiritual darkness, so that in the light of God, we would see, repent of sin and embrace not only the salvation, but the righteousness of our good and gracious God.
God parted the Red Sea, (not a UFO) and God took Elijah in a whirlwind, (not a UFO... it was clearly identified. It was a chariot with horses. There was no “Unidentified” anything.) And Jesus, was said by those who stood by and witnessed it, taken up to the heavens in a cloud, (not a “unidentifiable object,” either.)
We will either look at the truth or we will believe the lies and the delusions.
As Paul told the Corinthians, Chapter 1:17, and all the way to the end...
For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are; That no flesh should glory in his presence."
"...and so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."
1 Peter 4:11 (NASB 1995)
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