“…when you eat…your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God.” Genesis 3:5“…all the kingdoms of the world and their glory…all these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” Matthew 4:8-9Satan the deceiver made those promises to Eve and Jesus, and today he’s still making promises. Sadly, many of us give in to his scam. As technology advances, his schemes get more sophisticated. WHAT ARE SOME OF THESE PROMISES? Dictate and control our lives and bodies Bryan Johnson is a tech CEO spending millions on medical interventions to remain young. This may sound extreme, but it is not new. The cosmetics industry has been raking in trillions yearly as we try to roll back the clock on our bodies. Using technology, people can change almost anything about their bodies. Changing one’s biological sex is now mainstream.The diabetic drug Ozempic has taken over as the magic pill for weight loss. Celebrities and others have been ingesting it to look good and desirable.Live foreverThe pain of death stings terribly. Some will try to avoid it by turning to high-tech. A company like Alcor Life, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, uses cryogenics to freeze deceased bodies or body parts for an indeterminate period of time. The facility stores about 200 bodies that are being preserved for the day when it is possible to return to life.If you don’t have a Biblical view of life, it’s easier to believe Satan’s promise that we can eventually control whether we live or die. I don’t fear death, not because I hate this life, but because I yearn to live in the environment where God is, and sin, death, and the devil are not.We aim to hijack the human brain with biotechnology, using knowledge of the brain and data gathered from AI experience. Believing humans are merely biological matter with a brain, no different from a computer, we could replicate individuals’ brains, and therefore, theoretically, we could exist outside of our bodies. We are promised we’ll exist like a data bank, a type of consciousness, so we will never “die.”If you don’t believe in Yahweh’s explanation of the world, life, and resurrection, you can understand why solutions like these appear plausible.This leads to the question: What does it mean to be alive? Are we not more than biology? What are humans without a spirit? Who provided us with a soul or spirit?“The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” Job 33:4 “Thus saith God the Lord, …He that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein.” Isaiah 42:5The devil cannot create, he can only imitate; while he can imitate the creation of biology, he cannot create the spirit.This will not deter the world. Ultimately, we may be coerced to affirm that an “artificial” entity is a person – to keep the delusion alive. Work however we wishWith advancements in wireless technologies, the internet, metaverse, and 5G-enabled electronics – we can extend ourselves almost anywhere. In 2020, when the world population was forced to stay home, it created an opportunity and condition for more people to work remotely. The use of robots will continue to accelerate this process as robots take over jobs that require hands-on manipulation. Robots are already performing hazardous and repetitive tasks in manufacturing. With advances in artificial general intelligence, this will expand to other jobs.Humans will have more flexibility regarding when and where they use their skills, intellect, and talents.Access pleasure on demandYears ago, if we missed a TV programme, we could only hope for a re-run. With the arrival of tape and video recorders, we get to control when we see a re-run. We’ve progressed even further, now we don’t have to do the recording. With “on-demand” programming, everything is recorded and can be accessed at the time and place of the viewer’s discretion. The development of the “cloud” as a massive storage entity makes it possible for everyone to record every moment of their life. This is what will make it possible for someone to think they “know” you – by accessing all your information (versus omniscience)Pornography has transitioned from the pages of printed magazines to online websites. With the development of human-like robots, we are beginning to see “partners” being created. Keeping people constantly entertained, amused, and distracted gives the illusion of productivity, abundance, and sophistication. God is not the author of confusion. Eliminate sickness and diseaseRobotics and 3-D printing have provided solutions to replace damaged or provide additional body parts. A friend who damaged his ankle years ago had no hope of repairing it. He was delighted when his physicians adopted 3-D technology, created a new body part, and repaired his ankle.As we advance further and with AI assistance, we’ll have drugs and technologies to eradicate diseases such as cancer and dementia. This would be a compelling reason for the world to believe it can do anything and doesn’t need God.Elon Musk’s company, Neuralink, has recently conducted its first surgical test of a brain implant. The hope is to address specific diseases that “rob people of the ability to control their bodies.” There are already reports that ‘subjects’ (people) can control a mouse using only their thoughts. An MIT student reported similar results scrolling without a brain transplant.Imagine how this can be used to turn people into superhumans, where you know anything in seconds. Does this necessarily translate to better humans?Social media and the availability of information at our fingertips have helped but haven’t eradicated the core human problem of sin. It’s easy to see how the widespread adoption of this technology could be hijacked. One can use it for good or evil. The human heart is desperately wicked, so it’s unavoidable – this technology will also be used for evil.THE ORIGINAL SCAM ARTISTThe Antichrist will appear before Christ. He will perform convincing wonders, so many will mistake him for Christ. If we don’t know Jesus Christ we will worship the pretender. The devil makes promises, and too many of us fall for them. We give up what we need for what we desire. We need Life – only Jesus Christ can give us Life. “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.” Matthew 24:4 “And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.” Matthew 24:11:“Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.” 2 Thessalonians 2:9“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8 Jennifer Layton Starns is a software consultants coach and author of the book, The Two Kingdoms. Contact [email protected]
