FIRST CONTACT

AS WE NEAR THE COMING OF THE 21^ST CENTURY,

I'm Dennis Finnan, host and speaker on the World, the Word & You! Broadcast, and in a moment I want to talk with you about it… In the Bible, there are some New Testament Scriptures that strongly suggest that in the last days, before the end of the age and the return of Christ, that God will allow "fearful sights and great signs from heaven."(Luke 21:11) to be observed by all. This passage of scripture may well be including a description of a UFO invasion of our world. Now don't turn me off, you've got to hear what I have to say, for only then can you formulate your own opinion of this message and its value to you today. Yes, I said "UFO invasion," because today, sightings of UFO's have become almost common place, not to mention Hollywood's fascination with this subject and the many movies that promote this theme of extra-terrestrial invasion. From the box office hit of Independence Day, to the series films called Star Trek, our world is awash with visions of extra-terrestrial life 

Perhaps the most successful and sought after films and themes that have made Hollywood financially solvent have been the STAR TREK series of television and movie fame. There isn't any person in the younger generation, who hasn't seen them, and pondered the fantastic stories of extra-terrestrial life and the conquest of the universe by man's inherently miraculous abilities. Yes, our world is indeed, in love with the concept that there is life beyond the skies of our glorious planet. My case in point is Hollywood's latest movie version of Star Trek - the Next Generation's film called - FIRST CONTACT.

This film for Star Trekies, and lovers of belief in extra-terrestrial life, presents a most interesting theme the script-writers propose to viewers. For instance, in the film "First Contact," the script tells the story of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, and the crew of the starship Enterprise, engaging in an insidious battle with the most feared enemy of the Universe, the BORG, a group of cybernetically enhanced alien life that is half machine and half evolved life. The BORG's mission in all these films and series is to "absorb all life in the galaxy." Of course, the stories always have the good guys and the bad guys. The good guys are "the Federation," an organization of all sensible life forms found in the Galaxy, headed by humans from planet earth, and the bad guys are usually some lesser form of alien life. However, what intrigued me about this latest full feature film for entertainment was the story line. You see, the BORG, the enemy of all peaceful life in the Universe, threatens the Federation's existence, by the BORG's plan to go back in time, and conquer planet earth. Doing this supposedly will change the future, and ensure these evil aliens mastery of the future for all eternity.

Well, as these villains venture back into time and travel to planet earth for conquest, Captain Picard and the Starship Enterprise follow, hoping to save the earth and of course their own future as well. The story ensues and speaks of earth's past, that is our near future, where a rogue scientist following devastating world wars, invents a space ship drive mechanism, capable of traveling at "warp" speeds, that is faster than the speed of light. In so doing, his launched space craft a converted space missile, travels far into outer space and accidentally encounters a race called the Vulcans, a gentle alien people, traveling through the universe. This peace loving evolutionarily advanced race, is intrigued by the earthlings new entry into deep space,. So, they follow this scientist back to earth and land there, making this the FIRST CONTACT with aliens from outer space.

The film ends with the destruction of the evil BORG, and the future travelers secretly watch planet earth, making this "first contact" with alien life that will in the ensuing years, help the peoples of the earth to live harmoniously together, and have help in advancing to the stars. The Starship Enterprise then goes back to the future, ensured that life is normal again and the multitudes of life forms found in the Universe can peacefully co-exist as they conquer the stars!

Now I've said all that, for I'm amazed at how Hollywood strikes at a theme that touches the Bible, and may explain what will indeed bring about the predicted future of humanity as it enters what the Bible calls, "the Last Days," before the return of Christ.

You see, this whole idea of extra-terrestrial life has consumed people everywhere. Hollywood has embedded this belief into almost every science-fiction movie theme, teaching that there are other life forms out there ¾ and naturally so for evolution could not have just happened on this planet alone. For, since the early 50's, sightings have been reported of strange UFO's of various shapes and sizes. Since then these reports have dramatically increased, and even more bizarre stories have surfaced of alien contact with the creatures of these UFO's. To date, the most commonly believed theory among those who accept UFO's is that UFO's represent incredibly advanced evolutionary life forms that are monitoring our progressive path, and are just waiting for the right moment to reveal themselves to "help" or assist us in making a gigantic evolutionary leap for the betterment of mankind. Believers are convinced that these UFO sightings and encounters of the first through third kind, are the preliminary rendezvous for their eventual public contact with mankind, to help us gain control of our competitive and primitive warlike nature that has ruined centuries of our existence.

Now as Christians what are we to say? If we deny evolution, how can we explain these voluminous sightings, the material evidences of their contact, and even wild reports of abductions by alien creatures? To date, several hundred million people are firm believers that alien life forms are readying themselves to either invade or conquer earth, or arrive and help us to leap into the 21^st century and eventually the stars! Why even our government has spent tens of millions of dollars to investigate UFO sightings and evidence. Many Americans believe our government knows of the true existence of alien life, but is secretly hiding it in the southwest desert, to reveal it at the right time. In fact, this emotional and spiritual fascination with alien life is a "sign" in itself, that our world may be being prepared for some real invasion of some sort.

But now, let's put all these things together. With all this talk these days about UFO's, E.T's. and the numerous stories of people who have seen spacecraft and alien life ¾ how do we explain these reports, often give by reliable witnesses? Well, over a period of 22 years, from1947- 1969, the US Air Force examined 12,600 reported sightings of UFO's. From this they were able to explain away more than 700 as simply sightings which were mistakenly identified planets, rocket launchings, weather balloons, and atmospheric phenomena. But for the vast majority, they simply have no explanation!

So, let's use some simple logic and rationalize a bit. If these sightings are real, could it actually be some secret technology of American, Russian or Chinese origin? I think not, for the simple reason that many reports of alien sightings also tell the tale of abductions that have wrecked havoc, terror and death upon people and animals in their encounters. I can't believe that any human source of origin would do such things to their own unsuspecting countrymen, or general humanity for that matter. So, if this is not of human earthly origins, what's the next extrapolation? Can they be actual alien evolutionary advanced life forms? The answer again is no. Here's why.

If there are other life forms in the galaxies, they are either God-created in origin, or evolutionary as the majority of people believe today. Let's take the second one first. Can there be evolutionary life forms, some even further advanced than us? I believe the Bible answers that for us. First, the Bible tells us that God alone is the Creator of all life. Nothing exists anywhere in the space-time-continuum except that which God has made.  

This single verse of Scripture ends the argument for the believer. There is therefore no other option. Life on this planet and any possible life elsewhere in the universe, God says it can only originate by His creative hand! So regardless of what one may hear about, or even see, there are no UFO's or occupants who may exist within them, that are highly evolved alien life forms. Now one thing stands out here and that is this. None of us believe for an instant that we are alone and the only life in the universe. The Bible affirms this too, by telling us God not only uniquely created humanity in His image, but also created other life-forms, specifically, spirit beings called angels.

The Bible says that in the first seven days of the act of Creation, God created the angelic world along with the physical celestial bodies, such as the stars and planets.  

This tells us that the heavens and the universe are filled with created life ¾ again, spirit beings created by God, angels as we know them to "minister," to God and his highest creation, humankind, and to glorify God and His presence in His abode called Heaven.

So…if there are no evolved higher life forms, and the universe is filled with created beings call angels, what's left? Well for one thing the Bible is silent about the existence of any other created life forms possibly existing in the universe. Since it is silent it is possible God created other beings who unlike us, did not fall into sin. Maybe they have actually progressed to conquer the stars and are waiting upon God's signal to make "first contact" to bring the human race to its pinnacle of glory? The answer to this my friend is absolutely not! Why? Because, God has already spoken and told us the end from the beginning. We learn first of all from Scripture, that when Adam sinned, the curse God put upon him extended from his humanity to the entire cosmos! 

Since the whole creation was cursed by Adam's sin, it is obvious God created us to rule the universe on His behalf. ¾ in our unfallen state of course. And the purpose? Well, to conquer the stars as vivid imaginations today fantasize. Maybe, we have this incessant imagination because deep in our humanity, God intended for us to really do that. But since man was to be king, there could be no other life forms in the universe, because all creatures upon Adam's sin must likewise be fallen, and show the same technological limitations as we do, if at all existent.

So, what does this leave us with? It leaves only two considerations. First UFO's are just the imagination of hopeful fools, or they are actual sightings and encounters. My theory is the latter. I believe we are witnessing a progressive bur real invasion of celestial beings, who are appearing in these UFO,s and indeed some people may have legitimately seen and really experienced them! Now let me explain.

The only other created beings in the universe left for them to be ¾ are angels. Yet, God would not permit His holy ones to do what people have seen and claimed happened. For instance, many reported sightings of UFO's have produced much harm either to the environment, people and or animals. Reported landings of these space-crafts have left broken trees and limbs, burn marks where they have landed, animals grazing in the fields have been burned or radiated., electronic communications and equipment have been either temporarily rendered inoperative or destroyed. Why people have even witnessed strange creatures coming out of these crafts. Reports seem to center on their being four to seven feet tall, appearing humanoid, robotic or animal-like, bizarre or ghostly. At times these entities appear with hostility, forcibly take abductees and performing horrible and painful experiments on them or examining them. In most cases, those who are released are never the same. Many of so-called abductees suffer psychological harm, experience mental illness or become involved in occult practices and their corresponding New Age goals. Can we just explain this away with the hundreds perhaps thousands of people who claim to have seen and experienced this in one form or another? The answer is no.

But what these people tells us does explain the origin of these UFO's. In almost every case, contact with these unearthly beings reveals that they speak of a New Age coming, when mankind will take an evolutionary leap with their help, and advance into a utopian world, without the existence of the God of Christianity of course. Some alien creatures supposedly reported to their abductees, that a time is coming when they will remove from the earth, all creatures who reject this new evolutionary coming age. Particularly, people called Christians, who believe in a God of Creation, the fall of man, the redemption of the Cross, and wait for His coming again. When these people will be suddenly removed, then they will appear to lead the world into a new glory. WOW! Can you hear the voice of evil behind this? Can you see the unmistakable cloven footprint of Satan treading here?

I think the answer to the UFO question is, they are real to us in a sense, for they are the apparitions and appearances of demon forces who have the power, the Bible shows, to dramatically manipulate matter and energy to produce temporary but powerful physical manifestations at the material level. Yes, I believe these UFO's are actual manifestations produced by what the Bible calls, "lying and seducing spirits."(1 Tim. 4:1) Demons who parade as anything man will accept, that will lead them away from God's plan of redemption. You see this is vitally important. The Bible tells us that the sinful human race is destined by God, for final destruction. Yes, in its present form, man with his sin nature will always be in rebellion to God and therefore cannot be allowed to exist forever in this fallen state. So the message of the Bible, from cover to cover, is "the love-redemption of humanity." God has for centuries, since Adam and Eve were created, been involved in the work of redeeming mankind. The method?

God offers to recreate every human being into a new life form, that one day will shed the old nature in death, but live on with the new nature God gives in this life alone. Yes, the new birth, being born again, is what the Bible tells us is God's plan to remake the humanity. All those who are reborn, that is, are given a new spiritual nature in this life, will live on into the coming world, which God will then usher in, when Christ returns in glory. And, all those who refuse to be born again, reject God's free offer, and die in their sins ¾ will forever miss the glorious new world and forever existence coming. Satan and his troubling cohorts, that is, evil-demon spirits will stop at nothing to keep the unsaved world of mankind from discovering this glorious escape God has planned for the creatures He loves. So today we have this "diversion," aided by Hollywood that capitalizes on man's dreams and desire for destiny, and SATAN's manipulation to blind the eyes of any seeking soul, who might hear the gospel, be saved, and received eternal life that is mankind's ticket to a glorious future.

Friend have you been deceived? The Bible tell us that Satan and his demons are,

Have you believed that these UFO's are the vehicles of alien life forms waiting to help mankind reach the stars? If so you have been deceived by what the Bible calls the "deceiver of nations," Satan Himself. UFO's DEMONOLOGY, the OCCULT, NEW AGEISM - all go together, and will one day they will be cast down into Hell! The Bible warns us that when the end of the age approaches and the time of Christ's return is near, there will be great signs in the heavens. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament affirm this happening. We read in, 

I believe those who are blinded to God, His Word and the salvation offer of the Gospel of Christ are being prepped and readied to accept these deceiving spirit beings, as ascended masters, o alien life forms, and all other paranormal activity as something good and to be sought after. This process of softening up the human race will undoubtedly prepare us to receive the coming Anti-Christ, who will be Satan's impersonation of God the Son. So, my advice to all today is, get ready for the coming of the Lord. For the only way to do that is to be saved from your sins, by receiving Christ as your Lord and Savior, so that when the day of the Lord's return appears you will not be cast into Hell, but rather given a place in the new world and eternity God will usher in. Well, there you have it, and who knows, mankind may well continue to complete what was fallen and delayed - the conquest of the stars for God and His glory.

Friend, watch the future for more reports about UFO,s and watch the deceitful manifestations of the material world around us craftily used to fool many into believing extra-terrestrial life has arrived. It will be demonic impersonations, coupled with signs in the heavens showing Satan's last ditch effort to capture the hearts of God's highest creation - humankind. I for one will not buy into it, for I am awaiting the arrival too, not of extra-terrestrial creatures to save me, but the Lord Jesus Christ who has already saved me, and promises to build all who love Him, a new and perfect Home in glory. I trust all who listen will say "amen." May God add His blessing to these words for Jesus sake, Amen.

• Radio talk #2897
• Broadcast date: July 12, 1997
• Speaker: Dennis L. Finnan, Commentator
• Program: The World, the Word & You! Radio Broadcast
• Address: P.O. Box 575 St. Charles, MN 55972-0575

The World, the Word & You! Broadcast is a non-denominational ministry based on the historic fundamental evangelical interpretation of the Scriptures.A copy of our doctrinal statement is available upon request.These weekly radio commentaries can be heard in selected areas around the nation. Dennis Finnan has been the speaker for 16 years, and serves as General Director. These transcripts are available free of charge to all who desire them. Also available are radio cassette tapes and printed booklets of each message. A free listing of all messages is available upon request also.

For further information, reprints, or a listing of all topics, please write to our speaker, Dennis L. Finnan(dennis@wwy.org),or visit our webpage at http://www.wwy.org/