To those of you who are living with worldliness and are still under the influence of evil, I want to you realize that Lord Jesus is the Hope of ALL nations and you still have time change and submit yourselves to Him.
If you are part of the Islamo-Leftist mob and you have participated in serving the terrorist state of Iran, you allowed Qatar’s sinister leaders to influence you with terrorist news network Al Jazeera, you supported Palestinian terrorists and hated Israel, you can stop being evil and come to Lord Jesus for submission and repentance.
If you are part of the Satanic Left and you have participated in the disruptive activities of the woke mob, the LGBTQ gangs, the anti-Christian mob, the Black Lives Matter racism movement, the Islamo-Leftists and illegal immigration supporters, you can stop living with foolishness and just come out and surrender to Lord Jesus now. Do not be afraid because the Lord is gentle and all you need to do is to surrender to Him, repent to Him and allow the Holy Spirit to enter your heart.
If you are part of idolatrous, organized religion and you harassed many people because you intended to impose your beliefs on them, you should stop yourself and take the time to see the light of Lord Jesus who offers hope that you never realized. Lord Jesus is the hope of ALL nations and clearly your unholy religious teachers and idols never told you about His hope nor did they want you to know God’s plan for you. Always remember that religion treats you like a trapped animal and that you are never worthy. Lord Jesus is the way to God, and you don’t need religion.
If you need enlightenment, click the content reference from Looking for Blessed Hope below and learn from the teaching of God’s Word led by Pastor Amir Tsarfati.
For enlightenment and freedom from evil influences, I encourage you to start reading the Holy Bible (the Word of God), allow the Holy Spirit to guide you, and live on with the light and teachings of Lord Jesus. Jesus is our Redeemer, our Savior and the Light! For your advancement, realize the truth from the holy scriptures below…
Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.
Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.
But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying,
“Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
So He said,
“Come.”
And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him,
“O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”
Matthew 14:22-33 (NKJV)
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 3:3 (NKJV)
For God is one, and there is one Mediator between God and the sons of men—the true man, Jesus, the Anointed One.
1 Timothy 2:5 (TPT)
Be aware that the ties between Jews and Christians are real and biblical. Be aware that all of the first followers (early Christians) of Lord Jesus were Jewish, and the Lord paved the way for people of different ethnicities and different nations to come to Him and be adopted willingly. You need Lord Jesus and the Word of God, not diversity and not inclusion.
Always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus! Always stand in support of Israel, learn to love and bless the Jewish people and pray for the peace of Jerusalem! Live on with the presence of God and the Holy Spirit!
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1996 and explore a part of the Marvel Comic shared universe through a tale of the Spider-Man 2099 monthly series.
To put things in perspective, the original Spider-Man 2099 monthly series that launched in 1992 lasted a total of 46 issues. The prolific author Peter David wrote the first 44 issues as he resigned from his duty in relation to the sudden firing of Marvel 2099 editor Joey Cavalieri in 1996. The previous issue was a great read.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Spider-Man 2099 #44, published in 1996 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Peter David and drawn by Ron Lim.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins in the City of New York already flooded and infiltrated by lots of marine life. Under the water, Spider-Man and Roman the Sub-Mariner fight each other intensely as the foot of a gigantic sea monster is about to step in. At the last moment, Spider-Man saw the huge foot and instantly flipped away to survive with the Sub-Mariner.
After getting separated, Spider-Man gets out of the water to breath and immediately spots an organic-looking horn that the Sub-Mariner used to control the huge monster. Suddenly, on the aquatic humanoids appears to get the horn. Spider-Man then used his web to get the horn first which triggered the aquatic humanoid to move fast towards him.
Quality
The intense battle between Sub-Mariner and Spider-Man went on even as the huge sea monster is very near them in the city.
Without spoiling the plot, this comic book is a tale about a massive disaster and also a tale about the complicated legacy of Miguel O’Hara whose personal life is even more connected with the corporation he works for.
The huge disaster of New York getting flooded (which started in the previous issue) and Spider-Man fighting the leader of the mutates (genetically designed sentient beings) concluded in a really satisfying way. The futuristic webslinger really found himself struggling with the determined Sub-Mariner (motivated by what Alchemax did to the aquatic world) while dealing with the fact that so many citizens got displaced or even got killed by not only the huge flood but also by the presence of the gigantic sea monster. The stakes were really raised high for Spider-Man and the pay-off was really good.
The rest of the comic book deals with the intense meeting between Conchata O’Hara and Tyler Stone, Xina’s time with the Net Prophet, Gabriel O’Hara’s time with “father” Jennifer. Among the three sub-plots, the conflict between Conchata and Tyler is very intense and dramatic to read. More importantly, it was crafted by Peter David to be really believable and it ultimately added tension to the background and even the future of Miguel O’Hara (now a powerful Alchemax executive). This particular sub-plot is easily the most important one this comic book has and it will compel fans to revisit the 25th issue of this monthly series as well as issue #10.
While the sub-plot of Xina and the Net Prophet does not generate enough depth for this comic book, there is a big revelation made in the sub-plot of Gabriel and “father” Jennifer which will compel fans to revisit issues #40 and #41. In fact, nothing is ever simple regarding the origin of a specific villain of the 2099 universe.
When it comes to the artwork, this comic book is a downgrade compared to what was presented in issue #43 (drawn by Andrew Wildman). I’m not saying that Ron Lim’s art is bad, it’s just nowhere as good as that of Wildman’s art. In fairness, Ron Lim managed to make the city disaster look intense and he managed to make the characters look recognizable. In fact, Lim successfully made the Conchata-Tyler scenes look intense and dramatic.
Conclusion
The giant monster aspect of this comic book added intensity to the battle and the disaster. There were a few Godzilla vibes here and there.
As the final Peter David-written issue of this monthly series, Spider-Man 2099 #44 (1996) is undeniably a very solid reading experience. There were strong pay-offs executed here to what was built-up in the previous issues, and in typical fashion, David kept building up the other sub-plots. The conclusion to the Conchata-Tyler sub-plot is actually more powerful than that of the city disaster. Clearly, Peter David kept track of the character developments and events that previously happened and dramatized them nicely here. In fact, you will feel some sympathy towards Miguel O’Hara knowing how unfortunately complicated his family legacy really is.
Overall, Spider-Man 2099 #44 (1996) is highly recommended!
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Nikkei Asia article. Some parts in boldface…
James Relativo thought he had landed a great deal on an electric drum set, but instead the Manila resident was cheated out of his money in a country gaining the dubious distinction as Asia’s worst for online sales scams.
Shoppers across the Philippines have been bilked out of millions of dollars so far this year, with some turning to victim chat groups on Facebook and other social media. A recent report found more than one-third of Filipinos surveyed had been scammed or encountered retail fraud online.
“Some people easily believe in false promises even if they are too good to be true,” warned Alexander Ramos, executive director of the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC).
In retrospect, Relativo might have been more skeptical about a drum set going for 8,000 pesos ($140), less than half the usual price, on e-commerce site Shopee.
But he hit ‘buy’ without hesitating, and soon things turned suspicious. The seller shifted its communications to a messaging app and demanded half the cost of the drums for “refundable taxes.”
More money demands followed until a frustrated Relativo agreed to bypass Shopee’s payment system and settle his remaining balance on GCash, a digital payments platform. He never got his drums.
“I just kept telling him I wanted my money back,” Relativo told Nikkei Asia, his voice laced with exasperation. “It wasn’t like I was dealing with a scammer — he was talking to me, sending me pictures of the drum set being packed.“
The journalist’s saga highlights a bitter experience for a growing number of people in the Philippines, which clocked the highest scam rate for online shoppers across nearly a dozen economies in the 2023 Asia Scam Report, published in November.
Commissioned by the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) and Taiwan-based tech security company Gogolook, the report surveyed 20,000 respondents about their online shopping experiences in Vietnam, China, Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines.
The shopping scam rate in the Philippines led the group at an eye-watering 35.9%, followed by mainland China at 27.2%. South Korea had the lowest incidence, at 4.2%.
The explosion in online shopping has created a lucrative market for scammers. And a lack of cybercrime awareness is aggravating the problem in the Philippines, where people spend an average of 10 hours a day online by some estimates.
“Although (Filipinos) are considered very connected and digitally wired, (they) do not have adequate digital literacy skills,” said Mark Manantan, director of cybersecurity and critical technologies at the Pacific Forum in Hawaii.
The survey found that Filipinos were easy prey for scammers because they “respond too quickly” to sellers’ demands.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction about this recent development? Do you think Nikkei Asia’s article is detailed enough and trustworthy when it comes to gaining a strong awareness about online scams? How members of your household or your local community got scammed online over the past six months? Why do you think a lot of people in the Philippines are so determined to spend a lot of money to watch a Taylor Swift event overseas?
Merry Christmas to all of you reading this! Wherever you are or whatever you are doing right now, I encourage you to look beyond the worldly view of the season and celebrate Christmas by praising and honoring Lord Jesus. It is Lord Jesus who is our Savior and He is truly the hope of all nations!
Over the past few years, I wrote that Christmas is truly all about Lord Jesus and we should be rejoicing with Him every Christmas. Every time the season happens during the final month of the year, a ton of distractions happen around us such as the endless stream of disorienting news, toxic social media updates, shopping promos, social engagements, rushing to appointments and more. When you are not careful, these distractions could pull you away from Lord Jesus and you would end up having a hollow Christmas. Obviously, we the faithful children of God don’t want to be separated from Him.
That being said, we all should view Christmas through Lord Jesus as God the Heavenly Father sent Him to us to save us from darkness and to fulill the plan He made for us all. It is only right for us to honor Lord Jesus eternally. Learn from the scriptures below…
For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.
John 3:16 (AMPC)
For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father [of Eternity], Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6 (AMPC)
Therefore, the honor that belongs to the Father he will now share with his Son. So if you refuse to honor the Son, you are refusing to honor the Father who sent him.
John 5:23 (TPT)
But give reverent honor in your hearts to the Anointed One and treat him as the holy Master of your lives. And if anyone asks about the hope living within you, always be ready to explain your faith with gentleness and respect. Maintain a clean conscience, so that those who slander you for living a pure life in Christ will have to lie about you and will be ashamed because of their slander. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if it is in God’s plan, than for doing evil.
1 Peter 3:15-17 (TPT)
Christmas is about who we are celebrating – Lord Jesus Himself – and His birth remains very significant. A lot of people who have not submitted to Him celebrate Christmas by focusing more on the seasonal elements (examples: the partying, enjoying gifts received, and others) without even acknowledging His birth and holiness. The birth of Lord Jesus should be honored with all our hearts and with unwavering faith in the Word of God. Learn from the scripture below…
And Joseph also went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the town of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,
To be enrolled with Mary, his espoused (married) wife, who was about to become a mother.
And while they were there, the time came for her delivery,
And she gave birth to her Son, her Firstborn; and she wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room or place for them in the inn.
Luke 2:4-7 (AMPC)
As mentioned earlier, Jesus is the hope of all nations. God sent Him here on Earth (Israel where the Holy Land is) thousands of years ago to walk among the people, preach the good news, preach the heavenly truth and fulfill the plans that the Heavenly Father made for humanity. Learn from the scriptures below…
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
John 8:12 (NKJV)
Then Jesus went over to their synagogue, where he noticed a man with a deformed hand. The Pharisees asked Jesus, “Does the law permit a person to work by healing on the Sabbath?” (They were hoping he would say yes, so they could bring charges against him.)
And he answered, “If you had a sheep that fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you work to pull it out? Of course you would. And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath.”
Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.”
So the man held out his hand, and it was restored, just like the other one! Then the Pharisees called a meeting to plot how to kill Jesus.
But Jesus knew what they were planning. So he left that area, and many people followed him. He healed all the sick among them, but he warned them not to reveal who he was. This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah concerning him:
“Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen.
He is my Beloved, who pleases me.
I will put my Spirit upon him,
and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
He will not fight or shout
or raise his voice in public.
He will not crush the weakest reed
or put out a flickering candle.
Finally he will cause justice to be victorious.
And his name will be the hope
of all the world.”
Matthew 12:9-21 (NLT)
My purpose in writing is simply this: that you who believe in God’s Son will know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you have eternal life, the reality and not the illusion. And how bold and free we then become in his presence, freely asking according to his will, sure that he’s listening. And if we’re confident that he’s listening, we know that what we’ve asked for is as good as ours.
1 John 5:13-15 (MSG)
For by grace you have been saved by faith. Nothing you did could ever earn this salvation, for it was the love gift from God that brought us to Christ! So no one will ever be able to boast, for salvation is never a reward for good works or human striving. We have become his poetry, a re-created people that will fulfill the destiny he has given each of us, for we are joined to Jesus, the Anointed One. Even before we were born, God planned in advance our destiny and the good works we would do to fulfill it!
Ephesians 2:8-10 (TPT)
Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life.”
John 4:13-14 (MSG)
As for us, we have all of these great witnesses who encircle us like clouds. So we must let go of every wound that has pierced us and the sin we so easily fall into. Then we will be able to run life’s marathon race with passion and determination, for the path has been already marked out before us. We look away from the natural realm and we focus our attention and expectation onto Jesus who birthed faith within us and who leads us forward into faith’s perfection. His example is this: Because his heart was focused on the joy of knowing that you would be his, he endured the agony of the cross and conquered its humiliation, and now sits exalted at the right hand of the throne of God!
Hebrews 12:1-2 (TPT)
With the above scriptures, it is clear that Jesus deserves all of our praise whenever we celebrate Christmas. Those who are not fully aware of Him and His Word tend to idolize (which is foolish and unholy) people, objects, money, religion, the pawns of evil and other elements that are not worthy. Being worldly is unholy and this truth should remind you all that as children of God, we have the responsibilities to worship and honor His Son Jesus. Why? Because without Lord Jesus (our Savior and hope), we cannot reach the Heavenly Father. Learn from the scriptures below…
For God is one, and there is one Mediator between God and the sons of men—the true man, Jesus, the Anointed One.
1 Timothy 2:5 (TPT)
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6 (NLT)
As Christmas is all about Lord Jesus, we the faithful children of God also have the responsibility to look forward with Him, follow His teachings and anticipate His return from Heaven. That being said, we must always honor the Resurrection of Lord Jesus (His victory over death) as much as we honor Him on His birth. The Lord will bless and reward the faithful, and He always keeps His promises. Learn from the scripture below…
Behold, I am coming soon, and I shall bring My wages and rewards with Me, to repay and render to each one just what his own actions and his own work merit.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last (the Before all and the End of all).
Revelation 22:12-13 (AMPC)
From this point on, I would like to reach out to all the lost and the unsaved people reading this. You can save yourselves by submitting to Lord Jesus willingly and realize He is the Light! Glorify only the Lord!
There is no force and no coercion here. You have time and freedom to decide to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior. For those who have decided to get born again now and gain salvation, please read the instructions and follow the prayer that I learned from my first pastor.
Are you ready? Firstly, open your heart to the Lord and pray this simple prayer in sincerity from your heart:
Father God,
I thank You. I believe Jesus is Your Son. I believe that He died for me and redeemed me from all of my sins. He took my sins and, Father, thank You for loving me and You demonstrated Your love for me through Your Son Jesus Christ. Forgive me for all of my sins. Jesus, I open my heart to You. I welcome You to enter into my heart. I confess today that You are now my Lord and Savior. Thank You for forgiveness. I receive forgiveness. Thank You for Your blood that cleansed me from all of my sins. I will follow You, Jesus. Thank You for Your plan. I receive the Holy Spirit. And Holy Spirit, help me to follow the will of God in my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Congratulations! You are now a child of God! You have received Holy Spirit in your heart! This is easily your greatest decision ever made and also the greatest miracle of your life. Always praise, thank and honor the Lord. No more darkness in your life caused by politics, radicalism, toxicity, rebellion, religion, unbelief, evil, idolatry, traditions and rituals! Leave behind the darkness of your life and don’t look back to it. Remember that idolatry is evil, Purgatory is a lie, penance is a deception and Satan always used religion, lies and unbelief to prevent people from being saved by the Lord.
With Lord Jesus, you are already moving forward and the best is yet to come! You also have a personal relationship with God, a relationship that is strictly off-limits to others (even to your household members or biological family members).
With your new life realized, make an effort to get yourself copy of the Holy Bible (start with New King James Version), study it and apply its lessons into your life no matter what situation you are in right now. I also recommend you to join a local Christian church that God has chosen for you (note: ask Him for a local church!) and find your place in the spiritual family (God’s family!). Be planted when the Lord shows you the way! Worship the Lord together with them and always remember that faith, not religion, is essential in your personal relationship with God.
The Holy Bible is the ultimate authority and nothing else comes close to it for it is the Word of God. Remember always that Lord Jesus did not die on the cross to start religion at all. He died to redeem us all and showed that we must be led by faith in Him, faith in the Holy Spirit and faith in God the Heavenly Father. He rose from the dead and made His earthly presence felt once more to those who believed in Him. Lord Jesus ascended to Heaven and He promised to return in the future. His return is what we must always remember and keep living with holiness under the watch of God.
We can do our part in building up God’s kingdom here on Earth by preaching His Word, blessing the Jewish people and saving the countless lost and unsaved souls around us by leading them to Lord Jesus. Living as a Christian is always about the personal relationship with the Lord, and it is certainly not about religion. Never let the idolaters, the idol makers and other sinister forces fool you into becoming unholy.
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. Sharing this Christian piece means spreading the good news of the Lord to others. It can help you save the unsaved and the lost souls out there.
Recently here in the Philippines, GMA Network made waves to boost their sports coverage by unveiling their artificial intelligence (AI) sportscasters named Maia and Marco which drew varied reactions from Filipinos online. Check out the official video unveiling of the AI sportscasters from GMA Integrated News’ YouTube channel below…
If you look at Maia and Marco’s unveiling, you probably would have been impressed with how photo-realistic they look and how almost human they sounded (including being able to speak Tagalog). They were made to look like Filipinos convincingly You might be saying to yourself that this is a shining example of Filipino achievement in the world of technology and be totally accepting of it. But make no mistake as Maia and Marco are indeed not real people (fake Filipinos) and most notably, they have no souls at all.
This bring me to the fact that AI has no soul and we humans must take action to prevent artificial intelligence from overwhelming us. Overseas, the development of AI is moving at a rapid face and the competing tech giants (which invested heavily on AI) involved are so focused on outmaneuvering and outdoing each other, they don’t seem to care about the possibilities that AI could turn into a rebellious force that could harm people around the world in multiple ways. Already, artificial intelligence and robotics are emerging as threats to humanity. To put things in perspective, watch the CBN News YouTube videos below…
With AI and robots left unchecked, a new form of religion that has nothing to do with God, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit is emerging already. There are those who pulled themselves away from the Lord to dedicate themselves to intelligent robots, human-like AI-driven characters and other aspects of technology. I would not be surprised if I find out that GMA’s Maia and Marco are being idolized by some people right now (note: idolatry is both foolish and unholy).
In the world of entertainment, AI is already being used as a tool for visuals (combined with computer-generated imaging or CGI) which includes the process of recreating the likenesses of actors (both the living and the dead) to make characters on-screen look as real as possible. In relation, the digital ways of resurrecting dead actors to portray their respective characters is morally disturbing to say the very least. It should also be stated that AI itself is being used to make articles, essays and even scripts – literary pieces that were not composed by the human user himself/herself. Has it occurred to you that the movie or streaming show you watched used a script that was partially made with AI because the screenwriter took shortcuts when working? Learn from the YouTube videos of Dave Cullen below…
Going back to GMA Network and its AI sportscasters, a lot of Filipinos have been questioning how artificial intelligence will affect not only journalism but also Philippine sports broadcasting (a lively sector) and job opportunities (which millions nationwide need badly). No matter how life-like and charismatic they look on-screen, Maia and Marco are still fake Filipinos created with AI and CGI. They are characters, not human beings. Did GMA Network even try to search for talented and charismatic prospects for their sports broadcasting needs among the many living and breathing Filipinos present in the country? The Philippines has a population of over 100 million people and that includes many young adults and adults who can be employed.
Way back in 1992, in a response to Marvel Comics’ expression that creative people (their employees) are secondary to their comic book characters, Image Comics co-founder Rob Liefeld emphasized the need for a living and breathing work force to keep the company and the business moving.
“Without your creative people, there would be no Batman, there would be no Spider-Man, there would be no Hulk. That’s short-sighted as far as I am concerned. You will need warm bodies, warm creative bodies to create properties to keep your company going,” said Liefeld.
While he specifically did not talk about AI at all, what Liefeld said long ago is still highly relevant which companies and organizations here in the Philippines can learn from before going all-in with artificial intelligence (which will deprive job seekers the opportunities). At least in my view, AI is unnecessary with sports broadcasting. There is nothing like watching a live sports event happen in which the human broadcaster makes powerful or exciting verbal expressions whenever a fun moment happens during the game. That being said, do you seriously think an AI sportscaster can pull off such human reactions in natural and believable fashion for the millions of viewers watching? In case you did not notice, Maia and Marco of GMA still have that robotic tone with the ways they talked – undeniable proof that AI has no soul. Humans who work have souls.
In fairness, GMA Network is aware of the public’s concerns about AI with regards to ethics, human labor, journalism and more. Watch the GMA YouTube news video (mostly in Tagalog) below…
Regardless of how AI develops and make impact on Filipinos, what is clear to me is that measures must be taken to ensure that humans will always have an advantage over artificial intelligence. I am talking about the need for kill switches covering all AI applications and projects to ensure that human users will have the edge in the event that AI turns rogue against humanity. That being said, I encourage you readers to contact your congressional representative and tell him or her to make laws that will make kill switches on AI a requirement all over the Philippines, and that includes requiring all AI providers/makers (including the foreign entities) to comply. Users of AI should be prioritized always! Do you want ChatGPT to control you or destroy you and your family? Do you want robots with AI to be a major part of your household and your lifestyle? I don’t think so.
Once again, AI has no soul. If you want to cook, do it yourself. If you want to write a letter or an article, do it yourself. If you want to compose a teaching module or a new prayer for a bible-focused session in your local church, push AI out of the way to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit and then proceed with the Lord’s command. By the way, artificial intelligence and technology could never understand the Holy Spirit and you definitely should never let them be part of your Christianity. No matter how many people around you worshipAI, robots, science and technology, you should never let them pull you away from the Lord.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this latest development? Do you think GMA Network has set a bad example with their AI sportscasters Maia and Marco with regards to Philippine sports coverage and journalism in general? Why do you think the network wanted their AI sportscaster to look human? Do you think the technology of artificial intelligence will be abused by those who possess it here in the Philippines? Do you think Philippine Congress should come up with a new law requiring kill switches on all AI projects and applications within the country to ensure that users will still have an advantage in case AI goes rogue? Do you think a rogue AI can bring down the security and economy of the Philippines?
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1996 and explore a part of the Marvel 2099 comics universe through a tale of the Spider-Man 2099 monthly series.
In my previous retro review, the futuristic webslinger encountered Goblin 2099 (note: the futuristic take on Green Goblin) who proved to be very dangerous not with weapons nor physical attacks but with influence members of the local society to rebel against him believing that he is a corporate asset. How much influence Goblin had on the people at the expense of Spider-Man is just waiting to be discovered.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Spider-Man 2099 #41, published in 1996 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Peter David and drawn by Andrew Wildman
The cover.
Early story
The story begins with Miguel O’Hara visiting a ruined place with armed personnel escorting him. It turns out the site was the White House and Doom 2099 has already fallen as President of the United States. Miguel seeks closure as he spends time at the ruins and eventually finds the name plate from the office of Tyler Stone (Miguel’s biological father).
Meanwhile at Alchemax, corporate personnel got surprised to see Tyler Stone return confined to a hovechair due to his fragile and weakened state. This turned out to be his first time to be at work since he got shot.
Inside the laboratory, Tyler sees his deranged son Kron (Venom 2099) contained behind solid glass like a mere scientific specimen for study. After learning key details about the symbiote and how it affected his son, Tyler gives the order to have Kron executed…
Quality
Even though Goblin 2099 was not present, this scene shows how much the said villain poisoned the minds of people to harm Spider-Man.
Let me start with the writing by Peter David. It is clear to me that David confidently wrote this story to maintain the flow of intrigue, emphasize how local society’s changing, how the external events affect others and, most notably, managing to push Spider-Man 2099 to the edge complete with a brewing conflict with the very powerful Tyler Stone.
At this stage of the monthly series of the 1990s, Miguel O’Hara’s rise within the corporate structure of Alchemax got emphasized again and Peter David inserted growing tensions for the protagonist effectively blurring the boundary that separates personal life from the corporate career. That being said, the futuristic Spider-Man in his civilian identity literally entered a gray area which will compel readers to speculate if he was still in control of matters or if he was slowly becoming evil as he gains power (this makes him comparable with the tycoon Tyler).
Still on the character development aspect of this comic book, Miguel here still showed his fragile side as the death of Dana left him with a lot of pain deep inside (which was dramatically emphasized by Andrew Wildman through his art in one very particular page). This furthers adds to questions about the sanity and mental stability of the protagonist who already wields so much power as Spider-Man and as an Alchemax executive.
Speaking of Alchemax, Tyler Stone here appeared more sinister than before and being unable to stand did not hinder him at all. His cold-hearted move to have his own biological son Kron (the futuristic Venom and the same guy responsible for the deaths of Punisher 2099’s family) executed clearly shows not only his sadistic nature but also the fact that he is living with pure worldly beliefs. His believes are so worldly, he does not really care about his own offspring. Ironically, this suggests that Tyler could be as twisted and evil as his murderous son Kron. Lastly, the connections between the late Dana and Tyler and Miguel is indeed morally disturbing.
While the cover art showed Goblin 2099, the new antagonist is nowhere to be found in this comic book. However in a very symbolic fashion, Goblin’s influence remained lively through a number of people who condemned Spider-Man 2099 so much, they went as far as actually hurting an idolater of the webslinger. This part of the story is a strong reminder that idolatry is unholy and foolish, that religion is corrupted and will never lead believers to salvation, and that socialism attacking capitalism remained a social disease in the far future.
Conclusion
Tyler Stone and his son Kron (Venom 2099) are both very evil. They have different ways of being evil.
Spider-Man 2099 #41 (1996) is indeed a great comic book to read from start to finish. Not only will you get to see the futuristic Spidey struggle with the tension both personally and professionally, you will see the big impact of Dana’s death on him too. The portrayal of negative changes in the local society (at least the society Spider-Man is part of) is pretty dramatic and what Peter David imagined about Marvel 2099 still remains socially relevant to this day. Lastly, this comic book ended very powerfully and was enough to convince me to see what happens next.
Overall, Spider-Man 2099 #41 (1996) is highly recommended!
There is no doubt that idolatry makes a person (a creation of the Lord) unholy and unworthy of becoming part of God’s kingdom. Pay close attention to 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 in different translations below (key words in bold for greater emphasis)…
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NKJV)
Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NLT)
Surely you must know that people who practice evil cannot possess God’s kingdom realm. Stop being deceived! People who continue to engage in sexual immorality, idolatry, adultery, sexual perversion, homosexuality, fraud, greed, drunkenness, verbal abuse, or extortion—these will not inherit God’s kingdom realm.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (TPT)
Knowing the truth in the above scriptures, you definitely would not want to become an idolater. Idolatry is truly unholy and anyone who practices it becomes unrighteous. Idolatry has no place whatsoever in Christianity, no matter what the idolaters, the unsaved souls and lost souls around us say. In fact, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 is a holy scripture that many idolaters (along with the homosexuals, the greedy, the perverts and others deemed unholy) are very afraid of because the truth goes against them.
Idolatry is not limited to the worshiping of statues, statuettes, paintings, relics and people. It also includes prioritizing human acts of addiction (examples: addiction to illegal substances or the Internet), prioritizing materialism and prioritizing other worldly matters over the Lord! Many people don’t know it but they should know the truth that idolatry must be rejected and they should always worship God our Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit! Learn from the following scriptures below…
You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image – any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
Exodus 20:3-6 (NKJV)
Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods.
Galatians 4:3-8 (NKJV)
Do not turn to idols, nor make for yourselves molded gods: I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 19:4 (NKJV)
As it is already clear that idolatry is unholy, there is also the truth that idolatry is also foolishness! The truth is recorded in a very specific holy scripture from the 44th chapter of the Book of Isaiah. Pay close attention to the details…
“Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel,
And his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:
‘I am the First and I am the Last;
Besides Me there is no God.
And who can proclaim as I do?
Then let him declare it and set it in order for Me,
Since I appointed the ancient people.
And the things that are coming and shall come,
Let them show these to them.
Do not fear, nor be afraid;
Have I not told you from that time, and declared it?
You are My witnesses.
Is there a God besides Me?
Indeed there is no other Rock;
I know not one.’ ”
Those who make an image, all of them are useless,
And their precious things shall not profit;
They are their own witnesses;
They neither see nor know, that they may be ashamed.
Who would form a god or mold an image
That profits him nothing?
Surely all his companions would be ashamed;
And the workmen, they are mere men.
Let them all be gathered together,
Let them stand up;
Yet they shall fear,
They shall be ashamed together.
The blacksmith with the tongs works one in the coals,
Fashions it with hammers,
And works it with the strength of his arms.
Even so, he is hungry, and his strength fails;
He drinks no water and is faint.
The craftsman stretches out his rule,
He marks one out with chalk;
He fashions it with a plane,
He marks it out with the compass,
And makes it like the figure of a man,
According to the beauty of a man, that it may remain in the house.
He cuts down cedars for himself,
And takes the cypress and the oak;
He secures it for himself among the trees of the forest.
He plants a pine, and the rain nourishes it.
Then it shall be for a man to burn,
For he will take some of it and warm himself;
Yes, he kindles it and bakes bread;
Indeed he makes a god and worships it;
He makes it a carved image, and falls down to it.
He burns half of it in the fire;
With this half he eats meat;
He roasts a roast, and is satisfied.
He even warms himself and says,
“Ah! I am warm,
I have seen the fire.”
And the rest of it he makes into a god,
His carved image.
He falls down before it and worships it,
Prays to it and says,
“Deliver me, for you are my god!”
They do not know nor understand;
For He has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see,
And their hearts, so that they cannot understand.
And no one considers in his heart,
Nor is there knowledge nor understanding to say,
“I have burned half of it in the fire,
Yes, I have also baked bread on its coals;
I have roasted meat and eaten it;
And shall I make the rest of it an abomination?
Shall I fall down before a block of wood?”
He feeds on ashes;
A deceived heart has turned him aside;
And he cannot deliver his soul,
Nor say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”
Isaiah 44:6-20 (NKJV)
As seen above, the prophet Isaiah issued a warning against idolatry. Emphasized were the absurdity of idolatry when compared with the worship of the Lord who is the true God of us all. Simply put, idols are not only unholy, they are worthless and do not respond to the idolaters (who in turn are too blinded to realize the truth in the Holy Bible).
Pay close attention to what our Heavenly Father said: You shall not make for yourself a carved image – any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. (Exodus 20:4-5 NKJV)
Idolatry is absolutely foolish and it is a violation of God’s Word. The problem with humanity is that when people are unfaithful or got blinded by religion or got consumed by unbelief or other worldly influences, they violate the Lord by making idols in the form of statues, statuettes, art pieces, relics and substances that they dedicate themselves to. They don’t realize it but those idols became their top priority, while God, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit are not. They are too blinded to realize that man-made idols are abominations that actually please Satan because those idols keep them away from the Lord. Learn from the holy scripture below…
The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
The work of men’s hands.
They have mouths, but they do not speak;
Eyes they have, but they do not see;
They have ears, but they do not hear;
Nor is there any breath in their mouths.
Those who make them are like them;
So is everyone who trusts in them.
Psalm 135:15-18 (NKJV)
The making of idols is a centuries-old problem in this world. Here in the Philippines, idolatry is part of the status quo of the people and their culture. Way back in the year 1521, the Spaniards arrived here in the Philippines and brought with them a distorted form of Christianity in the shape of religion along with idolatry, traditions and rituals. Think about it. For the following centuries of Spanish influence, countless generations of Filipinos were trapped by religion, lived in bondage and were really held back from realizing the truth in the Holy Bible and also held back from accepting Jesus as the definitive Lord and Savior.
Along the way, countless statues, statuettes, images and relics of religion were made and a lot of families wasted their money to buy them and place those idols in their homes, not realizing that those are an abomination to the Lord. Imagine for example someone praying to a statue or a statuette of Lord Jesus. This is unfortunate because the idolater does not realize the truth that Lord Jesus NOT in the statue/statuette but is in Heaven and His Spirit is in the hearts of Christians who got born again.
Think about a religion-led church (living with distorted Christianity) organizing a procession or parade with idols displayed from start to the finish in full view of the people around. Such unholy events continue to happen here in the Philippines and it shows that there are still a lot of lost and unsaved souls among the Filipinos still trapped by idolatry and religion.
Think about the other people who rejected our Lord because they believed in the secularists, atheists, Leftists, humanists and other non-believing people, and looked up to them as walking idols not realizing they are unholy and doing exactly what Satan wants them to do. As I am writing this, there are lots of youth here in the Philippines who did not truly believe in the Lord because they decided to believe in the Leftists whose loudmouths became idols to them. Instead of Christianity, the unfortunate youth believed in socialism, homosexuality, Communism, humanism, Marxism, unbelief and other unholy influences. Clearly, they have been fooled by these forces of evil which involve idolatry.
Also think about the other people who have this very casual way of idolizing people in rather worldly ways. People who idolize public figures involved in the world of politics, entertainment, sports, social media, dishonest news media, Internet influence and the like. What these kinds of idolaters do not realize is that there is no such thing as an innocent way of doing idolatry, and the Holy Bible itself – with lots of references about idolatry – is very clear about that.
Thanks to our Lord, true faith-led Christianity was realized worldwide in the 20th century and today, here in the Philippines, there are lots of Christian churches that are dedicated to the Word of God, the direct worship of the Lord, and prioritize faith and the personal relationship with Him. The truth is religion is not essential, faith in the Lord is essential. Religion is not essential, the personal relationship with God is essential. Unbelief will lead to eternal suffering and damnation, being faithful to the Lord will lead to salvation. Idols and idolatry are unholy, the Lord is holy. Reject idolatry for it is clearly written in the holy scripture below…
My cherished friends, keep on running far away from idolatry.
1 Corinthians 10:14 (TPT)
As it is clear the idolatry is foolishness and idols are unholy, we Christians can help our Lord save the lost and unsaved souls around us by praying for them and by preaching the Word of God (verbally and through digital methods) so that people will realize the truth, analyze and make their decisions. We can help the idolaters and all other sinners get saved before it is too late for them. Pay close attention to the words of Lord Jesus below…
“Again, heaven’s kingdom realm is like a fisherman who casts his large net into the lake, catching an assortment of different kinds of fish. When the net was filled, the fishermen hauled it up on the shore, and they all sat down to sort out their catch. They collected the good fish in baskets and threw the bad away. And so it will be at the close of the age. The messengers will come and separate the evil from among the godly and throw them into the fiery furnace, where they will experience great sorrow, pain, and anguish.”
Matthew 13:47-50 (TPT)
The idolaters and other sinners still have time to stop sinning, and come to the Lord who only requires submission from them to become His children. To the idolaters and sinners reading this…you can still save yourselves. You can reject all those idols (both the man-made and the walking) and free yourselves from both foolishness and sin to come to Him, repent to Him and allow Him to reform you fully. It is not too late to get born again. Learn from God’s words in the following holy scriptures below…
“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Repent, turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations.”
Ezekiel 14:6 (NKJV)
Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you and bring it about that you walk in My statutes, and are careful and follow My ordinances. And you will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.
Ezekiel 36:25-28 (NASB)
From this point on, I would like to reach out to the lost and the unsaved people reading this. Are you frustrated with religion? Have you been living in bondage for too long? Did the atheists and secularists fool and abused you? Were you victimized by a religious fanatic? Have you been living as a homosexual? Are you fed up with being promiscuous? You spent an entire life worshiping statues, statuettes, paintings and relics? Are you an anarchist, a toxic person or one of those modern-day Leftist activists who has had enough with darkness? Are you addicted to something for so long? All of that darkness can end! How? You can save yourselves bysubmitting to the Lord willingly and realize He is the Light! No force and no coercion here. You have time and freedom to decide to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior. For those who have decided to get born again now and gain salvation, please read the instructions and follow the prayer that I learned from a pastor.
Are you ready? Firstly, open your heart to the Lord and pray this simple prayer in sincerity from your heart:
Father God,
I thank You. I believe Jesus is Your Son. I believe that He died for me and redeemed me from all of my sins. He took my sins and, Father, thank You for loving me and You demonstrated Your love for me through Your Son Jesus Christ. Forgive me for all of my sins. Jesus, I open my heart to You. I welcome You to enter into my heart. I confess today that You are now my Lord and Savior. Thank You for forgiveness. I receive forgiveness. Thank You for Your blood that cleansed me from all of my sins. I will follow You, Jesus. Thank You for Your plan. I receive the Holy Spirit. And Holy Spirit, help me to follow the will of God in my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Congratulations! You are now a child of God! You have received Holy Spirit in your heart! This is easily your greatest decision ever made and also the greatest miracle of your life. Always praise, thank and honor the Lord. No more darkness in your life caused by politics, radicalism, toxicity, rebellion, religion, unbelief, evil, idolatry, traditions and rituals! Leave behind the darkness of your life and don’t look back to it. Remember that idolatry is evil, Purgatory is a lie, penance is a deception and Satan always used religion and unbelief to prevent people from being saved by the Lord.
With Lord Jesus, you are already moving forward and the best is yet to come! You also have a personal relationship with God, a relationship that is strictly off-limits to others (even to your household members or biological family members).
The Holy Bible is the ultimate authority and nothing else comes close to it for it is the Word of God. Remember always that Lord Jesus did not die on the cross to start religion. He died to redeem us all and showed that we must be led by faith in Him, faith in the Holy Spirit and faith in God the Heavenly Father. He rose from the dead and made His earthly presence felt once more to those who believed in Him. Lord Jesus ascended to Heaven and He promised to return in the future. His return is what we must always remember and keep on living with holiness under the watch of God. Living as a Christian is always about the personal relationship with the Lord, and it is certainly not about religion.
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Sharing this Christian piece means spreading the good news of the Lord to others. It can help you save the unsaved and the lost souls out there. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com
We all live in a screwed-up world. To say the least, our world is chaotic filled with fake news, war, crime, dysfunctional governments, fascism, dictatorship, abortion, Communism, corruption, socialism, homosexuality, SJWs (social justice warriors) terrorism, atheism, religion, idolatry, secularism and the list goes on.
This is because Satan is the god of the world we live in and there are billions of unsaved and lost souls who do not realize the truth of the Word of God (the Holy Bible). They also don’t realize that they need to be saved (get born again), ask God for forgiveness, submit to Him and then accept Jesus as Lord and Savior so that they can be saved and live on as true Christians driven by faith (not religion).
As I mentioned before, being religious is NOT the same as being faithful. In fact, religion is one of the more effective tools (in tandem with atheism) used by Satan to prevent people from becoming children of God. Religion itself is a hindrance to truly becoming Christian. Religion also has a bunch of man-made unholy rules like so-called blessed sacraments which prevent people from realizing the truth in the Holy Bible. Religion also comes with traditions and rituals, which are not even holy.
Having previously lived a life of following religion, its traditions, its rituals and wrongful teachings before getting saved (I got born again in 2018), I can clearly say that idolatry is unholy and is also more evil than it appears. I fully reject idolatry and I will never let it influence me now that I’m a child of God.
To put things in perspective, let’s take a look at key holy scripture in the New King James Version (NKJV) and The Passion Translation (TPT) of the Holy Bible.
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, not covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NKJV)
Surely you must know that people who practice evil cannot possess God’s kingdom realm. Stop being deceived! People who continue to engage in sexual immorality, idolatry, adultery, sexual perversion, homosexuality, fraud, greed, drunkenness, verbal abuse, or extortion—these will not inherit God’s kingdom realm.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (TPT)
As seen above, idolatry makes one not only an idolater but also a practitioner and follower of evil which Satan loves. Idolatry involved with religion deceives idolaters into believing they are Christian when in fact they are unknowingly serving Satan. It does not matter that an idolater prays to a statue of Jesus because that is still unholy. Worship of Lord Jesus should be done to Him directly. Praying to a painting of Jesus (or any religion icon) or to an item deemed holy by a religion-driven church or hierarchy is also unholy. Take note of the following holy scripture below as well as the words bolded for clarity.
You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
Exodus 20:4-6 (NKJV)
As seen above, verse 4 of Exodus chapter 20 makes it clear that objects (which obviously include images or painting) are not to be made at all and, at the same time, our worship must always be directed to God Himself without any hindrance. God is jealous and that alone is reason for us to reject idolatry and be respectful and obedient to Him eternally. We worship the Lord directly and definitely no object, no image and no person in between! We Christians have worship leaders and pastors to guide us to worship the Lord directly, while always remembering we each have a personal relationship with God. A church that claims to be Christian but practices idolatry and has its members worship objects and the church leader is not truly Christian.
Exodus 20: 4 also looks back to the time when Israel was surrounded by people who worshiped images that were also referred to as gods. As it is true that no human effort could represent God, God Himself forbade the making of images or objects about Him. This same truth is also applied to Lord Jesus.
Meanwhile, idolatry that does not involve religion but other things like entertainment (examples: movie stars, celebrities, superheroes, video gaming), government figures (example: politicians), sports (example: basketball superstars), culture and the like is also an abomination to the Lord.
Superhero movies have been wildly popular worldwide for the past twenty years, and those films used comic books as basis for storytelling and visual concepts. How many times have people seen Spider-Man swing above people, Superman fly high, Batman fighting criminals and Wonder Woman saving people? While I enjoy superheroes in varied forms of entertainment media, I know fully well that they are all just pieces of fiction and I NEVER worshiped any of them. I will never worship them, ever. I am a geek but I prioritized my faith in the Lord and I always will maintain my personal relationship with Him. Definitely I reject idols and idolatry.
To my fellow geeks reading this, I urge you to never engage in idolatry no matter how passionate you are with your geek interest. Don’t worship movie stars, superheroes, images and don’t let highly interactive, deeply engaging video games from enslaving you. Always look up to Lord Jesus and follow God’s Word.
Idols are truly distracting and have been used by Satan to keep the unsaved and lost souls away from God, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit. It’s bad enough that our world is dominated by powerful, sinister forces whose acts are further magnified by the news networks that reached billions of viewers (notably news junkies) every day.
When it comes to true Christianity, we the Christians who got born again are the Church and our true leader is Lord Jesus who has been in Heaven so long ago, and He promised to return to us here on Earth. We Christians living in the flesh here on Earth are to reject idolatry (plus religion, traditions and rituals) and focus on engaging in the enduring race of faith remaining faithful to the Lord, praying in tongues, studying the Holy Bible and applying its lessons into our lives.
Idolatry really has no place in Christianity and we Christians must never let it dominate us.
Remember God is always good, always faithful, always loving and caring, always our protector and always our source. All those idols around us are NOTHING like Him. This brings me to my next point – being an idolater means getting involved with demons and paganism. Take a close look at the holy scriptures below.
They provoked Him to jealousy with foreign gods; With abominations they provoked Him to anger. They sacrificed to demons, not to God, To gods they did not know, To new gods, new arrivals That your fathers did not fear.
Deuteronomy 32:16-17 (NKJV)
“They shall no more offer their sacrifices to demons, after whom they have played the harlot. This shall be a statute forever for them throughout their generations.”
Leviticus 17:7 (NKJV)
To put things in perspective, idolatry is the gravest sin in ancient Israel (refer to verse 17 of Deuteronomy chapter 32). The laws pertaining to the sanctity of blood prohibit involvement in the pagan practices of foreign worship. This is connected to verse 4 of Deuteronomy chapter 6 which states: “Hear O, Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!”
For its part, the early church encountered similar concerns when they tackled the question of Gentiles who came from pagan backgrounds coming to faith in Jesus as the Lord and Savior. Refer to verses 20 and 29 of Acts chapter 15, as well as verse 25 of Acts chapter 21.
More on idolatry making idolaters involved with demons, pay very close attention to the holy scripture below in the New King James Version and the Passion translation. Key parts bolded for you.
Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons.
1 Corinthians 10:20 (NKJV)
Absolutely not! However, I am implying that when an unbeliever offers a sacrifice to an idol, it is not offered to the true God but to a demon. I don’t want you to be participants with demons!
1 Corinthians 10:20 (TPT)
Very clearly in the two translations of 1 Corinthians 10:20, idolatry is absolutely wrong and it is NEVER EVER a proper form of worship to the Lord. Quite simply, you make an offer or a sacrifice to an idol, it is not for the Lord. You pray to an idol, you are not connected with the Lord. Instead, involving yourself with an idol means involving yourself with false gods or demons.
As for having statues, statuettes and images of the Lord (or those so-called icons – both the dead and the living persons – of people trapped by religion), those things are never necessary for Christians. We the faithful Children of God should always reject idols, focus on the Lord and live by His Word.Get rid of those carved idols there in your household! Get rid of those paintings or other forms of images there in your household! Stay away from those unholy parades/processions that highlight statues for worship! Avoid worshiping people no matter how charismatic they look!Reject Satan, the demons and other forms of evil!Simply worship the Lord directly and always remember Jesus is always alive and is watching us from Heaven!
Going back to 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, read it once more and you will realize that being an idolater will make you spiritually unholy and unworthy of God’s kingdom. It is undeniably true! 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 clearly shows that idolaters belong with other unholy and unrighteous elements such as sexual immorality, adultery, sexual perversion, homosexuality, fraud, greed, drunkenness, verbal abuse and extortion. Really, no faith-driven Christian would want to be deemed unworthy by God by embracing idolatry and all those unrighteous elements. The people trapped by the darkness of religion or unbelief, however, are among the idolaters, the adulterers, the covetous, the extortionists and the like. As such, those unsaved and lost souls need to be prayed over so that they will realize the Truth of God’s Word and someday make the decision to get born again and become a child of God.
As Christians driven by faith and living by God’s Word, we certainly do not want to fail in our pursuit and in our personal relationship with Him. Idolatry is a sin and this leads to the final holy scripture for this piece.
We know that we are God’s children and that the whole world lies under the misery and influence of the Evil One. And we know that the Son of God has made our understanding come alive so that we can know by experience the One who is true. And we are in him who is true, God’s Son, Jesus Christ—the true God and eternal life! So, little children, guard yourselves from worshiping anything but him.
1 John 5: 19-21 (TPT)
Now that my newest teaching about idolatry is done, I would like to reach out to all and any unsaved or lost souls among you readers. This is your opportunity to get born again and become Christian. The decision is yours, not mine.
If you seek salvation and are ready to submit yourselves to the Lord, and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then pray this simple prayer in sincerity from your heart:
Dear God,
I believe that Jesus is Your Son, and that He died on the cross to pay the penalty of my sins. I believe that Jesus has been raised from the dead and that He is alive! Right now, I call on the name of Jesus. Jesus, come into my heart. I receive You as my personal Lord and Savior. Forgive me of my sins and cleanse me by the power of Your blood. Thank You for saving me and giving me eternal life! Help me now to follow Your plan for my life. Amen.
Congratulations! You are now a child of God! Praise the Lord and always be faithful to Him! No more darkness in your life caused by unbelief or religion. Your new life under Christ has truly begun!
From this point on, acquire for yourself a copy of the Holy Bible (New King James Version is recommended), study it and apply its many lessons in your life no matter what situation you are in right now. I also recommend you to join a church of born-again Christians near you and find your place in the spiritual family. Worship the Lord together with them and remember that each of you has a personal relationship with Him. Get used to Christian rock music. Your personal relationship with God is strictly off-limits to everyone, even to your family.
The Holy Spirit is in you and you are now a new creation! Remember that God loves you and He is definitely happy over your conversion.
In ending this article, I embedded these Christian worship music videos for your enjoyment and the strengthening of your faith in the Lord. No more idols and other forms of sin in your life. Move forward with Lord Jesus eternally!
Now is the time for harvest under Lord Jesus! Spread the Word of God, help save the unsaved and lost souls worldwide.
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Sharing this Christian piece means spreading the good news of the Lord to others. It can help you save the unsaved souls out there.
Author Carlo Carrasco 