Galatains 1:8-9 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

Matt 24:22-25 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before.

After many years of arm chair reading and even seeing a UFO, it is now apparent that a researcher, Gary Bates, got it more or less right. UFO's are not extraterrestrial, but satanic supernatural beings (SSB). We are therefore dealing with something far more then the mere physical evil. Many people have seen many strange things in the air, and even in their bedrooms. People even committed suicide in Switzerland because of their belief in strange aliens. So let's consider this subject in a different light.

In a bullet list below, I will paraphrase some of the concepts that Gary Bates has discovered. Yet, he is not the first to have observed satanic deception. St. Paul, said "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." One can not help to think that he was not just talking about a creature dressed in glowing white garments with wings and a halo nor a Mormon missionary knocking at your door. No. He was talking about the world of darkness, the 1/3 of the heavenly host that was kicked out of heaven with Satan. These demonic SSB's were shown, by our Lord's interaction with them while on earth, to indwell and caused physical ailments along with a host of other problems in humanity. It was like they hated human beings. When tthey spoke to Christ and they feared and obeyed him. Also what must be mentioned here is that almost every time when an angels of God appeared in both the Old and New Testaments they had to reassure the person not fear them. The Bible is clear that God loved the world and mankind that he created, because of his love. He casts out fear, because he is love. In contrast to God's love for mankind, most if not all who are abducted by these SSB's lived in fear after their encounter. So let's look get a general idea of what Mr. Bates discovered.

There is more to be added to the list, but these broad ideas are enough for here. If you don't believe in God, this list or any other list, will never be proof enough for you. If you believe in Christ, this list ought to at least stop you and cause you to give some consideration of what is going in our age.

Paul tells the Ephesians in 6:12 that we are to "Put on the whole armor of God, that ye (we who are born again-elect) may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 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." Now what dose this mean? Here is what John Wesley has to say about this passage.

For our wrestling is not only, not chiefly, against flesh and blood-Weak men, or fleshly appetites. But against principalities, against powers-The mighty princes of all the infernal legions. And great is their power, and that likewise of those legions whom they command. Against the rulers of the world-Perhaps these principalities and powers remain mostly in the citadel of their kingdom of darkness. But there are other evil spirits who range abroad, to whom the provinces of the world are committed. Of the darkness-This is chiefly spiritual darkness. Of this age-Which prevails during the present state of things. Against wicked spirits-Who continually oppose faith, love, holiness, either by force or fraud; and labour to infuse unbelief, pride, idolatry malice, envy, anger, hatred. In heavenly places-Which were once their abode, and which they still aspire to, as far as they are permitted.

Wesley ought to understand the power of the Devil and his demons of even SSB's because of how he was rejected and brutalized at first by the people of England. I don't recall of Wesley or any of his soldiers who reported seeing a UFO. Nor do I recall reading anything in Asbury's journals, or Peter Cartwrights autobiography that remotely suggests such an encounter. Yet they all in turn felt the impact of this devilish hoard. Wesley and Bishop Asbury as well as other great men of faith understood the comprehensiveness of this deep spiritual struggle in which we are engaged in because of our love for He who loved us first. They were not flippant about these demonic SSB's. Their conflict with them were very real. The leaders of early Methodism understood the consequences of the complete spiritual corruption of man and the struggle to bring them to Christ. After all, the lost are the sole children of the Devil. There is nothing good in man to warrant anything worth while saving. And these pour darkened sinners, who's eyes were blinded many times reacted harshly to the Gospel that Wesley and Asbury preached by threatening their lives, beating them and jailing them and their followers. They understood that mankind was dead spiritually. With out God's intervention man is doomed. Wesley's army of God was motivated by their love for the lost souls of those who at times chased them down like dogs and hurt them physically.

Satan had these people. He owns them and all like them, which includes most of humanity. He intends to keep them. The battle lines have been drawn against this evil pack in a time that we have no knowledge of out side of what the Bible allows. Satan is a defeated foe. And just as the parable of the ninety and nine sheep and the Shepard who goes to look for the one that is lost, so Satan tries to regain what he to lost in this epic spiritual struggle. He strongly competes with Christ and his soldiers. His demonic SSB's will lie, hurt, kill, do the miraculous and make use of love wrongly in their effort to regain that which was lost and continue to mesmerize that which they still own.

The SSB's or UFO aliens, according to Bates research, seem to take delight in corrupting scripture. They seem to take credit for starting life on earth through some form of evolution, and warn of great apocalyptic events and such things. Their victims suffer greatly after abductions. This then is certainly foreign from all that God desires of and wants to give us.

So let's make the point. Undoubtly, UFO's, those few objects, that can not be explained by science and investigation, are nothing more then this activity that Paul chides us and the Ephesians to be aware of. Today our struggle includes this new form of demonic activity. Yet as Bates points out, they - UFO's - were there throughout the ages. But with evolution, and the advent of Hollywood and the productions of science fiction movies and TV programs, these SSB's have more access to interact with today's human society. The reason for this is that people are open now to the false idea that life exists in space some were. That somehow we are not the only ones in the universe. With no proof of these assumptions, they open themselves to this group of hellish creatures. Remember, Satan seeks who he can destroy.

Now what does UFO's have to do with Calvin? It pertains to the idea of false assumptions. Calvinism and its theological components and disciples carry a sense of arrogant confidence that they and they alone can stand against all the attacks of Satan because of their assumptive predestinated election from the foundation of the world. Yet God cries out to them as he does to those who presume to know all about how he will work out the end times. Don't argue with those people because you will be suspected of some sort of disbelief if you differ with their version of prophecy. Jesus clearly warns us not to get all that excited or worried about prophecy. This warning is given at several points in the scripture. Yet many of the current prophetic teachers and their disciples take this simple warning and parse it to their own liking.

And what of the Calvinists? Many point to the idea that they need not fear lose of salvation. That God can't allow this because of their election. This concept is very arbitrary to the whole tenor of scripture. Nor do I think that Paul was teaching such a particular doctrine in Romans. This concept does not seem to enter Pauls mind in other passages. One that comes to mind is I Cor. 11-12. Here he warns us by saying, "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." To assume you can not loss the gift of salvation is presumptive. If their take on atonement is correct it would be as clearly taught as the virgin birth of Christ, and it certainly is not. That is the problem.

Now Paul was warning the people at Corinth about their problems. They were talented, and smart. They had more gifts then most of the Churches that he ministered to. Yet this warning was well intended. Warnings for Paul and the rest of scripture was intended to call people back from their sins. They were never meant to be taken lightly. In some cases like Nineveh, the call goes out to repent, not to be careful on how they lived.

This is the meaning of this verse then. The call is to the Calvinists, and those who believe in eternal security to be careful. For what? Lost of rewards? Hardly. Here Paul sets it up with an illustration of the past. The people of Israel depended on their election. They never considered themselves any thing else but the elect. Yet Luke, in the book of Hebrews, says that they did not take care to inter into that promised rest. They had more of a right then any because of their Jewishness. Paul repeats his warning mantra in Phil 4:1 "...so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved" and also in I Thess 3:8 "For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord." Paul here certainly sounds Arminian to me.

And what of verse 13 of Ephesians chapter 6? It says "Wherefore 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." Dr. Adam Clarke says "By evil day we may understand any time of trouble, affliction, and sore temptation." This age surely is one of those evil days.

The information above should call all of us to attention. To give attention to more then just Israel and a certain notion of prophecy. Today we once again have to deal directly with SSB's. These demons are clever by far then any thing we have witnessed in recent times. Yet Paul tells us not to be surprised. These then are who we have to fight in order to continue to win the lost to Christ. Yet many Christians live very carelessly. They take grace for granted and depend on a certain theory of atonement for comfort. A theory mind you.

The idea of that theory is that Christ paid for our sins. Their conclusion then becomes one of logic by believing that if Christ paid for their sins, then all sins, past, present, and future are paid. Add this logic too, if they take a quick dip in the water, somehow this then seals the deal. In the Church, not speaking of those terrible liberals as in United Methodism and other denominations from all theological backgrounds, there is a audacious carelessness about standards and general Christian living. This is because of the idea that it is all of grace, and our sins are paid for, we need never be responsible to grace via the commands of God. Yet our Lord, Paul, and Luke in the book of Hebrews, gave us some stout warnings and instructions on how to stand. These warning have all but been ignored by our contemporary evangelical, neo-fundamental, and Charismatic movements. Yet the first of these, makes excuses for their living by depending on grace.

The Hebrews had every reason to depend on their election and eternal security too. Yet the testimony is, that they too had a roll in their salvation. That is, to simply do what God asked them to do. Yet they did not confuse this at first as works with their position with God. But over time, they presumed on God's grace because of their misplaced ideas of election. They fell. Some made it to heaven, but most probably did not. Today I witness this same unwitting spirit among my Calvinistic brothers. Early Calvinists had a healthy fear of sin. Today many contemporary Calvinists seem to mock sin because of their dogmatic ideas of predestination. This attitude will destroy them too.

Arminianism is branded falsely as the reason for the liberalism in the Church. Yet it is not Arminianism that drives liberalism, it is evolution. They know it too. What the attack on brothers? The Creationists are doing a good work, yet they exclude Arminians, and none immersionists from their circles and even ridicule their love for God by implying we do not believe in the fundamentals because we reject their beloved doctrine of election or the water god. Ken Ham, Gish, and others avoid Methodists and Wesleyans who totally agree with their position on Creation. And if they would have a Methodist presenter, they would almost demand complete silence of his views. That is unless he converted to their brand of Calvinistic orthodoxy. Then to, many of their supporter may not give money if a real Methodist was in the mix. Oddly, Dr. Ham continually exhorts the church to stop our "in fighting" and stand with him on this issue. Here we real Methodist Arminians show our love for his correct views by staying at a distance for fear that his followers would stop their support if he followed his own advice.

The spiritual battle is getting more intense, if Gary Bates is correct in his conclusions. We are at still another epic point in the history of the world. While the mainline church has failed our contemporary evangelical, neo-fundamental, and Charismatic movements are failing us with their litmus test for unity. Our Lord never said that all would agree all the time, but he did demand us to love one another. This becomes impossible when the Calvinists demand the Beza style of Reform doctrine, and the independent Baptist - neo-fundamentalists demand immersion, eternal security, premillennial dispensationalism, and the Charismatic's demand unknown tongues and faith healing almost as a requirement of fellowship or the bases for what is called Bible believing. At times, looking over their sits on the internet, one wonders if Arminianism is worse then this newest attack of Satan?!

II Peter 1:10 says, "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:" This is a warning not to the unsaved, nor those who simply warm a pew. They never were saved. This is to us, his elect of every nation, the born again. This warning is to the Calvinists of the contemporary evangelical, neo-fundamental, and Charismatic movements. Even Christ warns the Calvinists. He says in Matthew 24, "... Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.... And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved."

My dear Calvinist friends it is not Methodist Arminianism that is your enemy, but your lack of love for those of us who differ with your theological ideas of atonement. None of us real Methodists believe in free will, but Free Grace. Man can not be saved by works or of him self, but by the prevenient grace of God. Nor does God save us without us. We have an aversion to large amounts of water because we see how the water god is slowly destroying the Independent Baptist movements. You know or faith by our works, not by the tongues we speak, but faith alone. The battle is ragging, another trick of the devil has been identified by one of your own, and you are still labeling us as an enemy of Christ because of the dog and pony show at the Dort. O the shame of Dort continues in you strident hearts. Your dogmatic assumption of a predestinated election has caused the Church to stumble in the hour for a greater spiritual unity. You control most forms of Christian media, and then boldly point to it and ask where are the Methodists? We have been bared by your roughshod control. But we are here on the net. And like the present presidential administration who wants to control all the media, you, our Calvinist brothers would love to stump us out there too. Do not give a call for unity, like Ken Ham does, against this new evil until you get over your pure hatered for us Arminians. For you, there is no evil greater then Arminianism. This new evil is less important then stumping us out. If you want us to engage in the spiritual struggle of the time, you might want to put your swords down for a while, and in the spirit of Christ work with us too. We would love to do more then merely support your ministries.

And what of the real Methodists? It is time that we stand more firmly against evolution too. It is time to pony up to the task. Be Methodist Arminian with out apology. Believe that Book from cover to cover even though you may also take exception to the theories of Calvinism, immersion, and tongues, but believe that Book. Stand. Stand fast! We can do it again. But we must come to God with the same contrite broken heart as did our founder before his salvation experience. Cleave to Christ like Wesley and Asbury, and He will give us flight to realms on high once again. Then join with other Methodist Arminians to farther the struggle for Christ's kingdom. Remember, that most of the current Christian media is control by the Calvinistic views and will not allow you unless you surrender to their dogmatic. The only thing they will welcome from you is your money. Love them, but leave them alone. And then engage the best you can in the current spiritual struggle. Team with other Methodist in prayer, and go forward in victory.

Pastor Hartman has been in the ministry for thirty seven years. He graduated from the Institute of Christian Service of Bob Jones University. He also holds B.S. and M.S. degrees from Columbus State University and did post grad work at the same school. He has taught in the public school system for fifteen years, and is currently working with a small private academy. He has traveled once to Russia, three times to the Ukraine, twice to England in a humble effort to help the missionaries spread the Gospel of Christ. After resigning form his pastorate in 2005, he does supply work for other pastors in the community. While he is Independent Methodist, he is currently attending and working with a neat conservative United Methodist Church. If you wish to contact Pastor Hartman, about this article, please feel free to do so.