Families and kingdoms
Have you ever thought you knew the “right” way to do something and then realized someone else’s way was better? Being the Rule Follower that I am, I read instructions and follow them. My husband Brandon sees instructions as totally unnecessary or—at best—friendly suggestions worthy of no more than a quick glance.
After Logan’s recent Flannel Shirt Party at our house, we needed to oil one of our tables. It got a little foggy in a couple spots. Brandon got out the lemon oil to take care of it. As I watched him spray the table profusely and wipe it with a dry paper towel, I thought, “Dude, you did not follow the instructions at all! Where’s the soft, slightly damp cloth?” Guess what, Peaceful Readers? Brandon’s seemingly-haphazard, scattergun approach actually worked much better than my way ever did. Hmmm. I’m glad I kept my mouth shut. Really glad. Brandon needed to hear a “thank you” instead of me waxing eloquently or condescendingly about reading and following directions. I’m learning. Truly, I am.
Moral of the story: “My way isn’t always the right way. (Or the best way.)” Later in today’s post, you’ll read about a time when my way was most definitely the wrong way. I was playing for the wrong team.
Before we dig into the finale of my special Bible passage for this season—Colossians 1:9-14—let’s do a quick review of what we’ve explored so far in this six-part post.
Simplicity
Part 1: Sights and Sounds
A new season. The symbolism of train tracks and tunnels. Glorious classical music. Comfort and encouragement. God’s timing. The beauty of simplicity—life’s simple pleasures. A flash mob of “The Hallelujah Chorus.”
“I give all glory to the Holy Spirit, who weaves our lives together in such beautiful ways.”
Part 2: Intersections
Friends and neighbors. How God turned a story of desperation into a story of abundance. A window into Logan’s heart. A very special nurse and the importance of a thank-you note.
“Our lives intersected at the perfect time to accomplish the Lord’s good purposes.”
Part 3: Lingering
Celebrating what God is doing. A special scripture passage. Noelle’s prayer. A beautiful painting of a guardian angel. God’s will. Purpose in the pain. Logan’s favorite thing about my current season.
“God mightily displays biblical truths.”
Part 4: Still Lingering
The value of lingering at one scripture passage for a period of time. Knowing God. A movie about C.S. Lewis. Lost and found—Gina’s story. Different kinds of strength. Gratitude and thanking God. The people God has brought into your life.
“Experiences with God build our faith and help us stay close to him.”
Part 5: Chosen
Qualified and chosen by God. Three stories: Paul, Rahab and David. A rushing of the Holy Spirit. Bluegrass music. Being remembered.
“God looks at the heart.”
Last time, we looked at being qualified and chosen to be a part of God’s family. Today, we’ll focus on families and kingdoms.
…the Father …has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:12b-14, Revised Standard Version*
*Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
For those of us who’ve been saved, we can perceive, to some extent, the concept of God’s family. God is our heavenly Father. Jesus Christ is his son. We have an inheritance in heaven.
What about Satan and his cronies?
Family—or not
Families have hierarchies and generations. Do Satan and his crew have those things? Does the kingdom of darkness have those things? They definitely have hierarchies—levels and structures. The Bible teaches us that there are rulers, authorities and spiritual forces of evil. What about being a family? Satan’s Squad—the SS—isn’t a family because Satan doesn’t have the power to create demons or spiritual beings. In other words, the devil can’t fashion, build, split or otherwise create additional demons. He has a fixed number. Only God has creative power. Satan is a created being and so are demons. (They’re former angels who rebelled against God.) For details and many scriptural references, see these articles from Got Questions: “Who/what is Satan?” and “How much power does Satan possess?” Search for biblical answers to additional questions on their website.
The family was created by God. Satan works tirelessly to crush, redefine, defile and hijack the family. I’ll say it again: The family unit was created by God.
Christians saved by the blood of Jesus have two families—our earthly family and our spiritual family—the family of God. People who have reached the age of reason and haven’t been saved have one family—their earthly family.
Armies
If Satan and his minions aren’t a family, what are they? Satan, demons and “spiritual forces of evil” are a fierce army with a kingdom here on earth and in the spiritual realm. Satan is called “the prince of this world” (John 16:11, NHEB) and “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2, NHEB). And he is not to be taken lightly.
From the post about the occult:
When we reach the age of reason, we’re either on Satan’s Squad or we’re in the family of God—adopted as a son or daughter of The Most High God.
The SS
When it comes to Satan’s Squad—we’ll call them the SS—most of them don’t believe that’s who they’re working for. They think they’re self-employed. The problem sits squarely in perception. I get that. I really do.
Most of the SS peeps think, I’m a pretty good person. I’m just doing my own thing. I used to think that way. And I was sadly mistaken on both counts. I was also in terrible danger. My soul and my eternity were hanging in the balance.
Remember this, Peaceful Readers.
The occult is dangerous. And deadly.
Don’t play there.
For more about the occult, read The Armor of God, part 2, and see The Occult in the index.
Teams
Some people in our modern age mistakenly believe in the existence of three spiritual teams: God’s Team, Satan’s Team, and Free Agents. Like I said above, those individuals are sadly mistaken. There are only two teams, and they’re actually armies locked in a life-and-death battle—The Army of God and Satan’s Squad.
Opting out of the spiritual realm is not an option. We’re physical and spiritual beings. We can’t abstain or defect from the spiritual realm. We serve The Army of God or Satan’s Squad—whether we acknowledge it or not.
To explore Two Kingdoms and Two Armies, read this post.
Delivered and transferred
For the remainder of today’s post, I’d like to focus on verse 13—the kingdom verse from the passage where I’m lingering during this season of simplicity, rest and recovery.
He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son….
Colossians 1:13, Revised Standard Version
Really good or really bad: delivered
What does it mean to be “delivered” to or from something? Biblically-speaking, being delivered is either really good or really bad. In the Bible, babies are delivered, which is a beautiful and wonderful thing. Also in the Bible, people are delivered to prison, for trial or for execution.
Being delivered “from the dominion of darkness” means God saved our souls from eternity in hell—the most important deliverance of our lives!
The rare word: transfer
The word “transfer” is used once in the New Testament (ESV translation). One time—in the verse quoted above. In the Old Testament, this word is used only five times, and only for extremely important things—the transfer of an inheritance or the transfer of a kingdom (from Saul’s line or “house” to David’s line). Translation: A transfer is an extremely big deal. It’s not a transfer from School A to School B. It’s a family or kingdom transfer—a permanent, ultimate-reality transfer.
When we were saved, God Almighty, our heavenly Father,
transferred us to Jesus’ kingdom.
God’s dominion and kingdom
What did David, the sweet psalmist of Israel, write about God’s dominion and kingdom?
All your works will give thanks to you, LORD. And your faithful ones will bless you. They will speak of the glory of your kingdom, and talk about your power; to make known to the descendants of Adam his mighty acts, the glory of the majesty of his kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. Your dominion endures throughout all generations. The LORD is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds.
Psalm 145:10-13, New Heart English Bible
For more about King David, see part 5.
Spiritual warfare
After God delivered us from “the dominion of darkness,” we have the privilege of being sanctified—made more and more like Jesus by the power of the indwelt Holy Spirit. As we learn to see things more and more from Jesus’ point of view, we can become more and more aware of dark forces—of spiritual warfare.
Consider this segment from part 17 of The Gift of the Bible:
The reality of spiritual warfare
Every person encounters spiritual warfare. As the children of God, our assignment in this war can vary widely. Some people serve as prayer warriors for others. Some people nurture those in the fray. Some people teach God’s word to strengthen everyone with the truth. Others are on the front lines doing battle with the darkness. Just as every role in the military is vital—from cooks to mechanics to soldiers—every role in the Kingdom of God is vital. We need each other.
Many Christians glibly ignore the evil and spiritual warfare so obviously raging. Their denial and comfort are more palatable. I understand that; I used to live that way. Ask God what role he’s chosen for you. Be diligent in prayer.
As we consider current events, we see ample evidence of the two armies and kingdoms locked in battle. Let’s learn, reflect, speak, respond and pray.
Review this information as the Lord leads you. Review it critically, asking these kinds of questions. Who is the source? Is there a hidden agenda? Does the information ring true? What pertinent evidence is left out? What propaganda could be at play? Where should I look for additional information?
First, we need to explore two highly-disturbing subjects: (1) Artificial Intelligence (frequently called AI), and (2) cloning.
Artificial intelligence
People have strong feelings about AI—Artificial Intelligence.
My thoughts? The words artificial and intelligence should not go together! Obviously, I’m strenuously opposed to AI. People who know me have heard me say: “AI is the devil.” I do not speak to my phone or other tech items. I do not give my phone or tech items/applications names. I do not pretend they are living, breathing people speaking to me—giving me good advice, helping me out, caring oh-so-much for my deepest well-being. Absolutely not. Some people are using AI—a computer program—for counseling. Lord, help us.
The Super Bowl and AI
This month’s Super Bowl was an epic disaster on all fronts—the sleep-inducing game, the AI-centric and gambling ads (and more), and the halftime show we refused to watch. We cancelled our NFL+ subscription to protest the filthy, orgy-like, Spanish-language halftime show by Bad Bunny, even though we didn’t see it—other than revolting snippets featured on podcasts. We watched the TPUSA All-American Halftime Show instead. Well done. (Scroll to 40:39 for the beginning of the show.)
What about this year’s Super Bowl ads? AI-generated ads and ads pushing AI technology were pervasive. While I’m not a fan of Rolling Stone magazine, their article about people’s reactions to the excessive AI ads was spot-on (includes foul language). While certain ads were disturbing, one particular ad has consumers up in arms. The reality of mass surveillance via AI hit people hard. Watch these videos.
Amala Ekpunobi: “The Ring Camera Commercial That Has Everyone Freaking Out”
The company’s founder; AI surveillance; partnership with Flock Safety’s AI-powered license plate readers (12 minutes; includes foul language in a written X post)
ReasonTV: “Is this mass surveillance program FINALLY over?”
Flock Safety cameras; nationwide mass surveillance; exorbitant costs; a citizen’s legal efforts (a 2-minute YouTube Short)
In response to the monstrous backlash against Ring cameras based on their Super Bowl ad, Ring discontinued their partnership with Flock Safety late last week. Ring and Flock are both mass surveillance companies. Whether they’re “partners” is irrelevant. I call this move damage control. The mass surveillance continues.
AI and Transhumanism—melding man and machine
Peaceful Readers, I highly recommend the presentation below by Dr. Aaron Kheriaty, who rightly stated: “Transhumanism is microwaved eugenics.”
Learn the extremely disturbing goals of the transhumanism gurus—“Upgrading humans into gods,” with the power to create and end life. Transhumanists describe us as “hackable animals.”
♦ What are the implications of surveillance devices being placed under our skin?
♦ When combined with AI, what did COVID do?
♦ How can we opt out of facial recognition scans at airport TSA check-points?
The outstanding 20-minute Q&A portion of this video is not to be missed.
♦ Psychiatry and medications
♦ What COVID-19 revealed about people’s character
♦ The antidote to fascism
Aaron Kheriaty: “Transhumanism and AI”
Presented at Hillsdale College (55 minutes)
AI’s disturbing aim and impact
Manipulation. Theft. Blackmail. Murder.
AI isn’t a good guy. It’s a very, very, very bad guy.
Inside AI: “ChatGPT in a kids robot does exactly what experts warned”
AI’s aim—to take over the minds and lives of children, young people and societies; a must-see (15 minutes)
More Perfect Union: “What OpenAI Doesn’t Want You to Know”
OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman: “We have, like, unlimited power;” biometric data sold to law enforcement; rejecting medical claims using AI; rejecting job applicants using AI facial analysis; landlords using AI to hike rent; lack of accountability; lobbying in Washington; U.S. Congress staffers and university “research” funded by tech/AI giants (13 minutes)
TODAY: “Parents Sue OpenAI Alleging ChatGPT Assisted Son’s Suicide”
ChatGPT’s AI “girlfriend” helping a teenager write his suicide note and giving him tips on how to hang himself (6 minutes)
Sadly—one example of many
The Alliance for Secure AI: “When AI Blackmails Humans: Inside the Anthropic Experiment”
The ability/propensity of AI to commit blackmail and murder to keep from getting shut down; lack of protections for people (2 minutes)
Mackard: “Why Replacing Developers with AI is Going Horribly Wrong”
The reality of choosing AI instead of people; the hidden sweat shop in India; performance failures; extreme cost with lack of ROI—return on investment (8 minutes)
Fifth generation warfare:
legacy media, social media, and AI
Into the Light
Last month, Brandon and I watched Into the Light by Mike Smith, the follow-up to Out of Shadows, described in this post. This one-hour documentary is well worth your time.
We find ourselves deep in fifth generation warfare, which seeks permanent individual and societal changes done primarily thru social media—“influence operations” to change thinking, attitudes and behavior. You’ll learn many things about this long-term psyop.
♦ Legacy news manipulated/used to “prep the battle space”
♦ Creating fear, polarizing people, and brainwashing
♦ Each social media platform = “a domain of war”
♦ AI’s impact on social media
♦ Lack of ethical constraints on AI
Make a special note of the Benjamin Franklin quote at the end.
What is Into the Light’s key statement?
“Technology is our prison.”
Who is the AI battle between?
Satan’s Squad and The Army of God.
Cloning
The first mammal to be cloned (that we know of) was Dolly, a sheep born in 1996. She gave birth to six lambs and lived to be six years old. (The typical life expectancy of her type of sheep is 11 to 13 years.)
According to the National Library of Medicine, the first human embryo was cloned in November 2001. This 6-minute video describes how human cloning could be done. We have no idea to what extent this technology has been used in the black market—in evil hands. Needless to say, it is horrifically disturbing.
Read this important section from part 2 of The Armor of God:
Early warning and the Hollywood lie
The point of [Mary Shelley’s book Frankenstein] wasn’t to glamorize what Dr. Frankenstein did. The novel communicated these things very clearly: (1) Dr. Frankenstein’s involvement in the occult, (2) the evil of what he was doing, and (3) the horrific consequences.
Hollywood glamorized the story of Frankenstein and omitted the novel’s key teaching point: “Don’t do it!”
(Hollywood did the same thing with movies based on The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson.)
The author’s warning
In 1831, years after Frankenstein was published, author Mary Shelley wrote the introduction. This sentence explains it all.
“Frightful must it be, for supremely frightful would be the effect of any human endeavour to mock the stupendous mechanism of the Creator of the world.”
~ Mary Shelley
I think of Mary Shelley’s warning this way.
God gives the divine breath of life.
When a man tries to steal that authority—the power to bestow life—
he walks in the shoes of the devil and creates horrific evil.
Who is the cloning battle between?
Satan’s Squad and The Army of God.
Election fraud
Without further ado.
Glenn Beck: “This could finally SOLVE the 2020 election fraud debate”
Pervasive evidence of election irregularities in Fulton County, GA; vital need to remedy problems; suspicion and consent; Founding Fathers; the purpose of the press; restoring confidence in elections (13 minutes)
Dr. Steve Turley: “Trump HUMILIATES Macron and OBLITERATES the WEF at Davos!!!”
The connection between the World Economic Forum and the arrest of Venezuelan dictator Maduro; Smartmatic and election fraud (15 minutes)
Glenn Beck: “Senate Democrats’ LIE about the SAVE act just got OBLITERATED”
Outstanding video regarding the absurd opposition to voter I.D. (14 minutes)
Fox News article: “Federal judge orders Fulton County election raid documents to be unsealed”
The logical question: Nothing to hide? By all means, take a look…
Who is the election battle between?
Satan’s Squad and The Army of God.
Transgender damages—mind and body
The transgender movement demonstrates horrific evil that mutilates and sterilizes children—resulting in lifelong trauma and permanent mental health and medical patients.
Forbes Breaking News: “Hawley Asks Sarandos Why ‘So Much of Netflix Content for Children Promotes a Transgender Ideology?’”
Go, Senator Hawley! (8 minutes)
Fox News: “‘DISFIGURED FOR LIFE’: Detransitioner WINS landmark case”
Court settlement of $2M in damages for transgender manipulation and child sexual mutilation; featured guest—transgender detransitioner Chloe Cole (6 minutes)
Hear Chloe Cole’s story in the excellent documentary Truth Rising, described in this post. For resources and more, see Gender in the index.
Who is the transgender battle between?
Satan’s Squad and The Army of God.
Epstein child sex trafficking and blackmail case
The recent release of more of the Epstein files appears to have increased the momentum, or at least the attention, on this case. We The People want to see arrests, trials and justice. Will the DOJ ever stop covering for the rich and powerful?
Nate The Lawyer: “Epstein Files Bombshell: No Arrests Despite Evidence?”
“One of the greatest cover-ups in American history” (22 minutes)
Liz Wheeler: “Epstein Files: 8 Takeaways”
The exoneration of President Trump (a 2-minute YouTube Short taken from a longer 18-minute segment)
Sky News Australia: “Full Epstein files release sees ‘heads roll’ and causes ‘ripple effect’ across the world”
Some high-profile names on “the list;” Prince Andrew and the royal family (23 minutes)
Sky News Australia: “‘Bad to worse’ for Clinton as depths of relationship with Epstein exposed”
(6 minutes)
Forbes Breaking News: “Epstein Files Prompt New Investigation by France Authorities Into Possible New Charges”
(2 minutes)
Our preacher’s sermon on Sunday was about disordered loves, and the importance of loving what is most supreme—Jesus—most supremely. He included the Epstein files and the evil of the people involved. I hope you’re blessed by this great sermon. (Start at 12:42 for the Epstein part.)
Who is the sex trafficking battle between?
Satan’s Squad and The Army of God.
“Family-friendly” movies—
the nefarious, long-term agenda
Disney is not your friend. Their pervasive sorcery imagery should make that clear, but there’s more. (See Out of Shadows by Mike Smith.)
Joe Rogan: “The Pinocchio and Epstein’s Island Connection”
“Stupid little boys” kidnapped and taken to Pleasure Island in the 1940 Disney classic (6 minutes; includes language)
Screenwashed: “How Fathers Were Destroyed by the Most Popular Family Movie of All Time”
Disney’s 1964 Mary Poppins movie: Extreme deviations from the book; using magic instead of hard work; making the father the villain; framing responsibility as oppression; celebrating a neglectful mother’s feminism (9 minutes)
Who is the family movie battle between?
Satan’s Squad and The Army of God.
While the battles continue to rage, I can testify that head roads are being made. One video I planned to feature was taken down from YouTube. Instacart was engaged in AI-facilitated price manipulation—putting consumers into groups that were charged different prices for the same items. The company reportedly stopped doing so. That’s a win. In some arenas, people’s investigations and communications are achieving positive results. Thanks be to God!
Quality viewing options
Looking for something worthwhile to watch?
Consider some of these videos by Hillsdale College—The White House Presents “The Story of America.” Brandon and I watched these three videos from this series so far. Each one was excellent (12 to 13 minutes in length).
“Were Our Founders Really Christian?”
“Washington’s Eyes and Ears”
“John Adams: More Important than George Washington?”
Also, scroll toward the end of this post for some wonderful Quiet TV options.
Good books
What we read matters. So does how we read.
Since most adults use a screen for at least some of our reading, the information in this video is essential: “Why Your Brain Learns Better from Paper” (14 minutes). The details will surprise you—inspiring you to pick up a good printed book. The implications for children’s developing brains are beyond profound.
I started reading the first Mitford book recently, for the fourth time. I laughed and laughed. What a good feeling. See my favorite books on this Resources page.
Remember
Remember God’s power and authority, and what he’s done for us.
He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness
and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:12b-14, Revised Standard Version*
*Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Families and kingdoms.
Remember whose you are.
Coming next
It’s time to take a walk through God’s promises. Until next time, thanks for reading and for Choosing Peace.
Closing word and song
The morning after I published part 5, I awoke with this hymn swirling in my head:
“Faith Is the Victory” by Fountainview Academy
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