A couple of months ago I saw a YouTube video produced by a young man named Colin Miller, concerning false teacher Kenneth Copeland.  Colin has a widely viewed YouTube channel with some good content, despite approaching most issues from an entirely Reformed/Calvinistic perspective. That said, there are times, where his approach to a topic is misguided. The video concerning Kenneth Copeland and a scenario Colin presents to Copeland’s status as a false teacher is one of them.

This is not to say that the young man is incorrect concerning the character of Copeland’s life or teaching. Let me be clear, Kenneth Copeland is a dangerous false teacher. He is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and a man who fleeces of the flock of God. Where I took issue with Miller’s presentation was how he defined God, based on one of Copeland’s outlandish statements.

In the video (click here to see it) we see Kenneth Copeland tell of how God gave him his own plane to do his ministry. As Copeland relates the story, as he was on site to take possession of the plane, two Christian men working approached him asking him if that was the new airplane. They said “think of that… the Lord’s airplane”. In response Copeland said “No! I dedicated it to Him, but it’s mine!”

In response to Copeland’s statement, Colin Miller declared that the false teacher rejected God’s authority based on the fact that the plane was made from materials that God created and was designed by men, only when God in His providence, ordained it to be made. Miller declares the young men rightly said it was God’s airplane, because everything we see has been graciously given by God.

Colin’s characterization reveals an error in his thinking directly related to his Reformed/Calvinistic background that implies God is responsible for all inventions good or bad, which reveals a common error in many Christian’s minds (reformed or otherwise). Does God own the airplane, because by He responsible for their creation?

In the first place, I appreciate Colin Miller attempting to call out false teachers, especially men like Copeland. The problem is that his reasoning is wrong and actually can lead to the impugning of the character of God. On a side note, the plane belongs to Copeland, because he fleeced his flock to get it through coercion and false teaching. Additionally, the plane will burn on the day of the Lord, when all that is not of God is burned up (II Peter 3:8-13).

That said, let’s dive into the idea Miller presents: Because the materials to make the airplane come from the creation of God, He is the owner of airplanes, having providentially ordained them in the mind of men. Make no mistake, this reasoning makes God the creator, by proxy, of airplanes.

This comes from a false theological position concerning the sovereignty of God, from Calvinism, that makes God even the author of evil. This was not Miller’s desire, but it is what his reasoning assumes. 

By Colin Miller’s reasoning, not only are airplanes God’s ordained creation, so are televisions, radio’s, computers, and the internet. One might say, “Yeah so what? Those can be good things.” Well ok, but what of condoms? Does not the rubber come from something which is a creation of God? Surely they do, but condoms only have one purposes, to allow sexual immorality without consequence. 

Or what of  the pharmaceutical drug BIKTARVY? What is that you ask? Well, it is a drug specifically made for those who have HIV AIDS, for the purpose of them being able to have sexually immoral sex, with less risk of passing on their disease. Remember that the overwhelming majority of those who contract HIV AIDS are homosexual males. Do not the ingredients for this drug come from the earth that God created? Yes, they do. Does that mean that God providentially ordained it to be created in the mind of men, so they can continue to pursue an abominable behavior?

Or what of those who created the atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which kicked off an arms race which continues till this day (with immeasurable levels of devastation)? And for the one who would say it saved millions of lives, I get it, but remember, God loves all life, even those who are His enemies. Where did the creators of such destructive devices get their materials? From the earth that God created. Where did they get the design for something so efficient in taking life made in the image of God?

We could do the same with radio, T.V., computers, and the internet, because the damage caused through these devices being used, far outweighs any benefit, exponentially. Did God providentially ordain these inventions as well? I am going to say, “NO!”

Let us now consider a more appropriate understanding of these creations. Let us consider planes, trains, automobiles, radio, T.V.. and computers (internet). Do not all these inventions make the world smaller, bring humanity closer, break down language barriers, making it easier for humans to unite? Sure enough. Am I saying a person is sinning to use them? No, but that does not change the reality that the ideas were not from God.

Why would God, specifically ordain the creation of things that are contrary to what He did at Babel for the purpose of keeping humanity from unifying?

Genesis 11:1-8 (NKJV) Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. And the LORD said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city.

Interestingly, they gathered together at Babel, at the direction of Nimrod (a type of antichrist), in defiance of God’s command after the flood “to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” (Genesis 9). Do we not live in times where the inventions of man are approaching a place where “nothing that they purpose to do will be withheld from them?” Yes! This is how we know we are living in the days before Christ’s return.

Daniel 12:1-4 (NKJV) “At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever. “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

Wow! The LORD ends the prophecy of Daniel with end times events prophesied by our Lord Himself, but then states in the time of the end men “will run to and fro and knowledge will be greatly increased.”

I do not know any biblical scholars who believe verse 4 to mean that is something good. In our day men run all over the world and knowledge is greatly increased.

Back in the early 2000’s I heard an illustration analogous to the increase of knowledge in the last 100 years. They took all the accumulated knowledge from the beginning of written history and calculated it into a measurement. They used the Empire State Building’s height, 1454 feet, to represent that accumulation of knowledge all the way to 1900. Then they calculated the increase of knowledge from 1900 to the present day (back in early 2000’s) to be the height of Mt. Everest, which is 29,035 feet.

The difference between the first 6000 years of history as compared to the last 100 years of history is 19 times greater than that previous 6000. 

Should we attribute this to God or perhaps the inventions of man, who pervert the creation of God? Remember that the New Testament does speak of knowledge falsely so called.

1 Timothy 6:20-21 (NKJV) O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge— by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen.

Interestingly, we see all kinds of men with “great minds” purporting “knowledge” (another translation is science) which contradicts God as the Creator. In their pursuit the use martials from God’s creation, to produce devices that give us a sense of independence from God, and personal sovereignty. The only problem is we become slaves to these material things.

1 Timothy 6:3-5 (NKJV) If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.

Romans 1:28-32 (NKJV) And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

Although all these things happen under the sovereignty of Almighty God, we can clearly see that men are evil and do invent evil things, based on their disposition and the purpose for which these things are created. It is important to remember that anything not directly created by God, will burn in the Day of the LORD (II Peter 3:8-13).

That being said, it is important to consider where the idea for these things may have originated, for the purpose of understanding the apostacy of the last days.

Earlier, in regard to the tower of Babel I asked a question, let me ask it once more. Why would God create things that push humanity into a unity that is in rebellion against Himself? The simple answer is He would not. Let me also ask again, do we not live in times where the inventions of man are approaching a place where “nothing that they purpose to do will be withheld from them“? Yes! 

If not God’s providential ordinance, from where do many of these inventions come from? Let’s consider a possible influence and sinister foundation for more than a few. Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626).

Bacon was a British statesman rising to the position of Lord Chancellor. He was also a known occultist who was clandestinely involved in Rosicrucianism: a mystic combination of Judaism and Gnosticism. This false religion denies the deity of Christ.

Bacon was also connected to Freemasonry and is credited by many as the most important power behind the British colonization of North America; being foundational in the first colonies in Virginia.

Thomas Jefferson, a Virginian, cited Sir Francis Bacon (Rosicrucianism), Sir Isaac Newton (Freemasonry), and Sir John Lock (Rosicrucianism/Freemasonry) as the most important influences of the American Revolution. Jefferson, George Washington, Thomas Paine, and Ben Franklin were devotees of Bacon’ and his Novel called “New Atlantis“, published in 1626.

The book was written in Novel form and is recognized as Bacon’s vision for the nation that would rise out of the colonization of North America. Manly P. Hall preeminent scholar of Freemasonry, cites “New Atlantis” as the foundation prophecy for the new world order of Freemasonry, which he details in his work, “The Secret Destiny of America”, published in 1944.

Why is “New Atlantis” germane to our discussion? Because in this novel, Bacon prophesies a country with flying machines transporting hundreds through the sky, skyscraping buildings housing millions, and weapons of mass destruction, capable of killing millions in one event. All this from a man who was ensconced in the occult, or hidden knowledge, and connected with societies that are Luciferian. An all over 390 years ago

Consider for a moment the words of American scientist, and leader of the effort to create the atom bombs used on Japan, when he saw the first test at Los Alamos. On the day, Robert Oppenheimer quoted the Bhagavad-Gita, which is the satanic scripture of the Hindi religion, “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”

Let me preface my next remarks. I am not saying that every invention in the last 122 years is of the devil. What I am saying is that we need to be very careful about assigning responsibility to God, when He, although Almighty in His Sovereignty, allows humanity to choose to obey Him, be led by Him or to go their own way. That said, many inventions of the last 122 years are not good for humanity, even if they are thought to be.

Is it possible that the kingdom of darkness, through men of corrupt minds, is bringing about inventions perceived as good, for the purpose of being used by the “prince of the power of the air” to blind the world to Christ?

Next time we will dig a bit deeper into this question. You’ll be surprised how close the enemy has gotten even to those called in Christ.

Ephesians 2:1-3 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.