The Decision

– To be driven by faith and love, or instilled with fear, manipulated and triggered by subliminal messages and propaganda?

I was watching this comedy show once where there was a guy being hypnotized by someone holding a watch and telling him “you’re getting sleeeepy, very sleeeepy”. Before you knew it the guy was out and they Hypnotist was telling him “now, when I count to three, you will wake up and act like a chicken”. Sure enough on three, the guy opens his eyes, stands up, tucks his arms in, walks around jutting his head about while clucking loudly. It was meant to be funny and we all laugh while at the same time likely thinking how glad we are that isn’t us… or is it?

In addition to pictures, hypnotists often agree that power words are key to a successful hypnosis. Igor Ledochowski notes in an article he posted on the Hypnosis Training Academy website that “Hypnotists use specific words and phrases to help people imagine possibilities, which means they need to choose their words with care. We call those choice words power words (or hypnotic power words)”.

If you think about it, people use forms of self hypnosis all the time. Whether they choose to get drunk, self medicate, are enraptured by music, or orgasmic, even something as simple as a runner’s endorphin high – anything to create an alternate reality as a means to escape the pressures of life. The risk we all run in doing so, however, is when we allow the alternate reality to take control and drive us.

The question I’ve been pondering lately is, can a whole society be hypnotized and driven? Can we all be lulled into a sleep, waking up when certain visuals flash in front of us or certain trigger words are heard, and driven to walk around like a bunch of chickens, so to speak? If yes, what are the visuals and power words, and what are we then often driven to do, and by whom?

Joseph Goebbels, chief propagandist for Adolph Hitler and the Nazi (or National Socialist) Party between 1933 and 1945, once stood in front of a crowd and asked “Do you want the total war?”, to which the people, riled by the speech of the evils of the British, replied a resounding “YES!”. The result was that it led to the indiscriminate bombing of British cities with civilians to the point where they were turned into rubble. It is this man who is attributed to saying “Tell a lie loud enough and long enough and people will believe it”.

Are there lies we are hearing loud and often, being told today, that we are buying into without thinking or researching out to verify the truth? If yes, do those lies include visuals and power words? Or are the triggers centered around a lie that people have bought into, so that if anyone opposes the lie in any way, it sets those people off? Is there a reason why our children are no longer taught to think for themselves at universities, to question science and test theories in an environment that makes it safe to ask questions? Go against the grain of any professor today and see what kind of grade you get!

I was watching a news clip not long ago that showed grown adult man and legislator throwing a literal temper-tantrum while a fellow legislator was calmly speaking in an Ohio legislative session on June 29, 2021. You could not hear what was being said over his loud fist bangs and disruptive antics.

On another occasion, I was at a friend’s house and commented on a rifle I noticed not far away. She then told me a story of a friend of her daughter’s who had come into their house for the first time. Upon seeing the rifle, she began screaming loudly and uncontrollably at the sight of it, to the point where she had to be taken out of the house and back to her home.

On a third occasion, an acquaintance of mine on social media posted her outrage when, some months back when the mask mandate was still predominately everywhere, noticed there was a man shopping for groceries in the same store she was in who was not wearing one. She noted that she immediately went over and began yelling at him to get out.

I could go on and I’m sure some of you may have similar stories as well. The common thread in all of these examples was triggered outrage, where the goal was to disrupt the truth from being disseminated or coming out in fear of being exposed for all to see that they have put faith and trust into an outright lie.

What is the end game of this societal hypnosis? If you’ve read my blogs for any amount of time then you may recall I talked about Satan being busy hastening his day, preparing the way for the antichrist. While our Lord Jesus is all about Kingdom, Satan is all about Empire. He needs a global empire in order to have full dominance and control. Not being either omniscient or omnipresent, the structure of a global empire is required as the only way he will be able to maintain the control he needs, and it is all driven through fear.

If you think I’m kidding, let’s take a moment to run with the thought of the social passport or social score all the way to the end and see where it takes us. People are protesting all over Europe currently against the idea of mandated vaccinations because leaders are now saying those who refuse will be denied a social life, forbidden to participate in concerts, sporting events, travel, or eating in restaurants. Does it stop there? That is one step closer towards the social score currently in use in China, where as long as you are compliant along party line mandates, you have a full pass. But any time you are non-compliant (whether accidentally or not), it affects your score. The lower your score, the less you are allowed. This includes not only all I mentioned above, but also the ability to have select jobs, purchase homes or to private ownership of any kind, purchase food, have access to healthcare, and more. Even your family or neighbor’s social score can be affected by what you do, putting extreme pressure on them to work with the government to force you to comply. And that is less than a hair’s thickness away from full-fledged mark of the beast (Revelation 13:16-17), where there is no turning back (Revelation 14:9-12).

This whole shaking that is taking place will rip the masks off everyone and display them by the content of their heart and character rather than by the empty words they have been hiding behind so long. Where does that leave the worshiper-warrior? Those who actively believe and have faith in Jesus and His word? It leaves us firmly standing on the Solid Rock (Matthew 7:24-27;1Corninthians 3:11; 2 Timothy 2:19; 1 Peter 2:4) and taking refuge in the Most High God (Psalms 91), trusting Him for our very life, our daily needs and sustenance (Matthew 6:25-34). For we already have a King, and it is He! Jesus tells us He has not given us the spirit of fear, but of love, power, and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:6-8). We can stand uncompromising in Him, having the confidence that the trials we suffer are but temporary, but those things which are eternal carry a far heavier weight of glory (1 Peter 4:12-13; 2 Corinthians 4:18) – for what would it profit anyone to gain the whole world only to lose their own soul (Mark 8:36)?

Get ready, my friends! There will be no middle ground.

¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹² For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. ¹³ Therefore, take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day and, having done all, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having your loins girded about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness,¹⁵ and your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. ¹⁶ Above all, take the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, ¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.

Ephesians 6:10-18