Copyright: EARS Copyright ©2003 James Andrew Aho
Citation: James Andrew Aho


Contents

EARS: Evidence of Alien contact Revealed in Scripture

Book One, The Evidence

James Andrew Aho

Introduction

Chapter 1 - The Bible Files: UFOs in the Bible

Chapter 2 - Bible File 1: Following a Cloud to Canaan

Chapter 3 - Bible File 2: UFOs in the Life of Christ

Chapter 4 - Bible File 3: The New Jerusalem

Chapter 5 - Ghost Stories

Chapter 6 - Beyond the Body

Chapter 7 - Being Born Again

Chapter 8 - Soul Physics

Chapter 9 - Behind the EARS

Chapter 10 - Go Forth And Overcome

The official EARS website:

www.thelightside.org/ears

EARS: Evidence of Alien contact Revealed in Scripture

Evidence, Book One

was originally published © 2003

ISBN: 0-595-29757-9

Alien Contact by Bonnie Meyer

The messages they bring

Christian aliens? What would they say?

Bonnie has been in contact with them for decades.

She shares their messages in her book.

For more info: www.thelightside.org

ISBN: 0-595-38404-8

Revealed, EARS Book III - "Crux Decussata"

by James Andrew Aho

Follow the adventures of Andrew after the ascension of Christ.

Is this story fact or fiction? You decide...

ISBN: 0-595-39880-4

Scripture has been on earth for centuries, but it's more than just a book.

Remember, even satan used text from scripture to tempt Jesus.

To become truly effective, scripture must be combined with

the ultimate catalyst: direct daily contact with Jesus Christ.

"Rejoice evermore.

Pray without ceasing.

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God

in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Quench not the Spirit.

Despise not prophesyings.

Prove all things; hold fast that which is good."

- I Thessalonians 5:16-21


Introduction
EARS: Evidence of Alien contact Revealed in Scripture

Book One, The Evidence by James Andrew Aho

Introduction

"He who has ears, let him hear"

- Jesus Christ, as quoted in

Matthew 11:15, Matthew 13:9, Matthew 13:43

Mark 4:9, Mark 4:23, Luke 8:8 and Luke 14:35

I've come to believe that the Bible contains a lot of information that was published long before it could be fully understood. The situation is much like giving a microwave oven to people who lived during the American Revolution. They might think it was somewhat useful even though they only understood part of its value. After all, they'd see that it was a neat durable box to put stuff in with a cool handle that clicks the door shut. And there's even a window in front so you can see what's in there without opening it.

But they wouldn't see the REAL value of a microwave oven until electricity was available, would they? I think there's a lot of information like that in the Bible. Modern day events such as UFO sightings and breakthroughs in technology help us "plug it in" and really see what it was designed to teach us. The book itself has been around for years, but reading it now, in the light of the current world situation, helps shed a new kind of understanding on its content.

In your journey through the following pages, I invite you to join me in taking a new look at the contents of the Bible. I’ll present the evidence, you play the role of the jury. Most of all, I hope you enjoy the ride and at the very least collect some good food for thought.


Chapter 1
EARS: Evidence of Alien contact Revealed in Scripture

Book One, The Evidence by James Andrew Aho

Chapter 1 - The Bible Files: UFOs in the Bible

Of all the paranormal topics in the Bible, the existence of UFOs seem to almost be a no-brainer. What? Did I really just say that out loud? Many, many people gasp in disbelief when they hear this, and I think I know part of the reason why. When people think of UFOs, it seems they almost always think of little green (or grey) men with big black eyes who reportedly abduct people at night and perform hideous experiments on them. When I see toys and other items in stores that portray "aliens" or "UFOs" they always seems to picture these same little aliens.

If that WAS all that was out there, I'd have to agree that these little guys don't seem too nice, and they certainly don't seem to be very Biblical. When I first started looking into the whole topic I thought it was very refreshing to find that UFO researchers who are really into this type of stuff generally feel that this type of alien is actually only a small part of the extraterrestrial population. They usually refer to this particular group of aliens as the "greys."

So why do these greys get all the publicity? If you think about it, it's really not such a strange concept. Think about other things you see in our society. How many brand names of soda are there in the average grocery store? Probably dozens with many different flavors, but if you just believed what you see on TV, you might think that Coke and Pepsi were the only two soft drinks made. It's kind of the same thing with UFOs and aliens: you could say that the greys just seem to spend more money on advertising.

If there really are other aliens, you might be wondering why these groups don't "advertise" too. Why are the greys the only ones pictured in all the comic books and TV shows and shown on all the merchandise? Maybe the question we should be asking is "Where do we go to get the other side of the story?" Since you are certainly aware of the subject of this book you won't be surprised that I wanted to see what the Bible says about the topic.

I think that if you just look at what's actually in the Bible with an open mind, you can find dozens of UFO accounts. The nice thing about doing this is that it can help you see that there is a positive alternative to the "grey" abducting type aliens. People often ask if the aliens are angels or demons as if they can only be one or the other. Isn't it entirely possible - and actually more likely - that they aren't all exactly the same and that some are good and some are bad? Fortunately, all of the Biblical UFOs seem to be working for the good guys.

Now I want to be perfectly clear that I'm not trying to take anything away from the power of God. I'm not saying that God needs UFOs to perform miracles for him. But I do think that life exists outside our planet, and I think that God gives these beings the free will choice and opportunity to work with him the same way he gives us the choice to do positive things in our everyday lives.

I think the activities of these "good" aliens are actually similar to those of missionaries that many churches send overseas. They make contact in an honest effort to help people get a more accurate picture of God. If this is the case, is it really so far-fetched to believe that these off-planet missionaries often use UFOs as tools to perform certain tasks?

Since there are so many possible UFO accounts documented in the Bible, I'll be dividing the topic into a number of issues that I've called "The Bible Files."

Chapter 2 - Bible File 1: Following a Cloud to Canaan

When Moses led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt he certainly didn't do it alone. From the account recorded in the book of Exodus, it seems he had a lot of help from above, and this help appeared in a very unordinary way.

Chapter 3 - Bible File 2: UFOs in the Life of Christ

The authors of the gospels recorded the events they saw surrounding the life of Christ in the best way they knew how. But they couldn't understand everything that they were seeing. Could looking at certain events during the life of Christ using our advanced knowledge of technology shed some light on what might the authors of the Biblical gospels were witnessing?

Chapter 4 - Bible File 3: The New Jerusalem

Could the New Jerusalem described in the book of Revelation be a huge spacecraft that is already built and waiting to fulfill its mission?


Chapter 2
EARS: Evidence of Alien contact Revealed in Scripture

Book One, The Evidence by James Andrew Aho

Chapter 2 - Bible File 1: Following a Cloud to Canaan

When Moses led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt he certainly didn't do it alone. From the account recorded in the book of Exodus, it seems he had a lot of help from above, and this help appeared in a very unordinary way.

Now remember that when the history of that journey was recorded, the author didn't have modern words like "UFO" or even "airplane" to describe what was witnessed. Think about it, how would you describe a UFO if you couldn't use any modern words? I'd imagine you'd compare it to something that people would be familiar with. Even today people refer to "cigar shaped" or "saucer shaped" UFOs.

With this in mind, let's look at the first account of the strange object that appeared to lead the Israelites shortly after they left Egypt:

Exodus 13: 21-22 (NIV)

By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.

The object is described as a "pillar" - certainly a common visual picture for anyone who lived during that time. But what would we think today if we saw this object that is compared to a pillar of cloud and fire?

Looking at the event from today's perspective, I think that a large object like this that could move on its own would likely be some type of vehicle. Given the lack of roads, this vehicle probably would have had to travel off the ground - either hovering or flying - to be this mobile.

It's interesting how the object is described as a "cloud" during the day - you'll see this visualization used later in the story too. Do you think that maybe the craft actually used a smoke screen or mist to hide itself so it would appear less foreign to the people? Maybe the occupants were using this tactic to keep everyone as calm as possible as this huge group moved out of Egypt.

As far as describing the object as a pillar of fire at night, how else would you describe an object that was illuminated if you weren't familiar with electric lights?

The following event gives further evidence that this pillar was much more than just your average cloud:

Exodus 14: 19-20 (NIV)

Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel's army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.

It seems this object was very mobile and it also seemed to be under some kind of intelligent control. I also wonder what the "angel of God" that is mentioned looked like. Do you think it might have been another smaller UFO? From what is recorded in the Exodus account we don't really know for sure, but the description of its movements would make this a reasonable possibility.

Parting the Red Sea

Now if you are open to the possibility that a craft was assigned to assist Moses as he led the Israelites out of Egypt, do you think it might have had something to do with this next event?

Exodus 14: 21-29 (NIV)

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. During the last watch of the night the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion.

He made the wheels of their chariots come off so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, "Let's get away from the Israelites! The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt."

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen."

Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the LORD swept them into the sea. The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen--the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.

But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

I've had people ask me: "If the UFO was doing all the work, why did Moses have to extend his arms? Why didn't it just fly over and do its thing instead of making it look like Moses was doing it?" I think this was by design. Remember that if this object was a UFO it was there to do the will of God. Since Moses was God's chosen representative to lead the people, the UFO was probably focused on providing technical backup for Moses not on stealing the show. In fact, this is exactly what Moses is told in a later passage:

Exodus 19: 9 (NIV)

The LORD said to Moses, "I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you." Then Moses told the LORD what the people had said.

Manna and Quail

In a later account, the cloud is again involved in a miracle. As in the case of the parting of the Red Sea, I think it's entirely possible that the same craft helped out in the daily distribution of food to the Israelites:

Exodus 16: 10-15 (NIV)

While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the LORD appearing in the cloud.

The LORD said to Moses, "I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, 'At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.' "

That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, "It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat.

The Cloud References Continue

As the journey goes on there are a number of other references to God appearing in a cloud or using a cloud to perform certain tasks:

Exodus 19:16-22 (NIV)

On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled.

Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.

The LORD descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up and the LORD said to him, "Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the LORD and many of them perish.

Even the priests, who approach the LORD, must consecrate themselves, or the LORD will break out against them."

But why all the smoke and mirrors? I think it was simply for the purpose of making an impression on the people by giving them a visual demonstration of power. God gave the Israelites many new rules to follow, and he wanted them to know that he was serious. The following excerpt indicates that Moses also thought that this was the purpose:

Exodus 20: 18-21 (NIV)

When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die."

Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning."

The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

Yet another example of cloud and fire being used to describe what the people saw:

Exodus 24: 15-18 (NIV)

When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud. To the Israelites the glory of the LORD looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

How Were The Ten Commandments Engraved?

Another interesting aspect of the whole story is the Ten Commandments being inscribed on tablets of stone. This writing was apparently something like the people had never seen before, and Moses describes them as being inscribed "by the finger of God" and the writing was the work of God:

Exodus 31:18 (NIV)

When the LORD finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.

Exodus 32: 15-16 (NIV)

Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.

Now I'm sure the content was from God and the engraving was done by the direction of God, but does God really have a finger that he writes with? If you look at this incident from a modern perspective, I think it's well within the realm of possibilities that the same type of laser engraving that we see used to make very nice stone monuments could have been used to engrave the tablets.

Of course, we no longer have the actual tablets available, so there's no way to know for sure, but looking at it from this perspective can often make the incident seem more real and believable to us. If we understand a little bit about how things might have been done, it's easier for us to see the whole event as being something that actually happened instead of just a myth or a fictional story.

What Else Did This Craft Do?

I'd venture to guess that this craft ended up doing a lot more than the book of Exodus records. In fact, from the following passages, it seems that eventually the Israelites actually got kind of used to the craft being around. After a while it was probably as common to them as airplanes are to anyone who lives near an airport:

Exodus 40: 33-38 (NIV)

Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work.

Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out--until the day it lifted.

So the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels.

Images by Monarca Lynn Merrifield

www.bibleandufos.com


Chapter 3
EARS: Evidence of Alien contact Revealed in Scripture

Book One, The Evidence by James Andrew Aho

Chapter 3 - Bible File 2: UFOs in the Life of Christ

Most religious people and Bible scholars would agree that the centerpoint of the Christian Bible is the life and message of Jesus Christ. Many people often wonder who he really was. Was he just another prophet? Just a man who happened to be a really good person? The very Son of God? Personally, when I read his message I see wisdom that was much before its time. He not only taught the basic spiritual principle of loving your fellow man - he also seemed to have some real insight into scientific principles:

•	He demonstrated an understanding of how the human body works as evidenced with healings

•	He shared knowledge of future events such as the destruction of Jerusalem and catastrophic visions of the "end times"

•	He understood and saw spiritual forces that were at work in the world - forces that to this day many people don't even realize exist and mainstream science in our society is just beginning to study

The authors of the gospels recorded the events they saw surrounding the life of Christ in the best way they knew how. But they couldn't understand everything that they were seeing. Could looking at certain events during the life of Christ using our advanced knowledge of technology shed some light on what might the authors of the Biblical gospels were witnessing?

Star Of Bethlehem

You know what a star looks like, right? You also know what airplane lights look like, right? I'm assuming all of you could easily answer yes to both questions. Now think about this: What if you knew what stars looked like but didn't know what an airplane was? What would you call the airplane lights?

Ok, I'm going to play the part of the person who doesn't know what an airplane is. Now, if I were to tell you that last night I saw a set of flashing stars that moved across the sky, what would you say? Would you agree that they were stars, or would you tell me that I really saw an airplane?

With this in mind, look at the following passages. Remember, the wise men knew what stars were, but probably didn't know what UFOs were:

Matthew 2: 9-11 (NIV)

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.

We all know that stars don't move across the sky and hover over a particular house, don't we? If I'm wrong about that, I hope there's an astronomer out there who will let me know. So what was it that the wise men saw hovering over that house? Could it be the first UFO recorded in association with the life of Christ? Or maybe it wasn't...

Shepherds And Angels

Before the wise men followed the Star of Bethlehem, we have this account of a strange encounter:

Luke 2: 8-15 (NIV)

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

Wow, it must have been quite a sight. Were these angels accompanied by UFOs? Maybe that's what is meant when it says they went "into heaven." And it could account for the amazing amount of light that they reported.

Other Events During The Life Of Christ

These strange encounters from the sky didn't stop after the birth of Christ. They seemed to follow him throughout his time here on earth. For example, I always wondered where the voice in the following example came from:

John 12:28-30 (NIV)

(Jesus speaking) "...Father, glorify your name!"

Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.

Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine.

Hmm, strange, hey? The account doesn't give a weather report, but imagine if there was a low cloud cover that day. Do you think maybe a craft could have been hiding there, watching Jesus speak, when it got a message to relay to the crowds? Now remember what I said in the introduction to the Bible Files section of this book, I don't take anything away from the power of God, but maybe this was one of those cases where he used extraterrestrial workers to help do his work.

Jesus' Baptism

The baptism of Jesus is also surrounded by some interesting events:

Mark 1: 9-11 (NIV)

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."

Here we see another case of a voice from heaven. In this case, the gospel writer also includes a visual picture of "heaven being torn open." When I hear this phrase I envision a bright light, or some other event in the sky that the gospel writer had trouble explaining. Whatever it was, it's clear that there was something extraordinary happening in the skies that day over the Jordan river.

The Transfiguration

The event known as the "transfiguration" also contains some interesting details that the gospel writers seem to have had a difficult time putting into words:

Matthew 17: 1-8 (NIV)

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah."

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!" When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid."

When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

Notice how the event was enough to really scare the usually brave Peter, but Jesus remained calm. Was this something Jesus had seen before? He seemed very at ease with the whole situation. If the bright light came from some kind of craft that had landed, it may indicate that Jesus was very familiar with these craft and they were nothing new to him. Maybe this was something that actually happened often in those times where Jesus went off by himself to pray.

Jesus' Final UFO Encounter?

Take a look at this next passage and tell me what it sounds like to you:

Acts 1: 9-11 (NIV)

After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.

"Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.

The account states that a "cloud" hid him from their site. Was Jesus final departure into a UFO? From what I read here, I don't have a better explanation. If it was a UFO, was the ascension of Jesus his final UFO encounter?

Nope, we ain't seen nothin' yet...

The men dressed in white who are recorded above tell the witnesses that Jesus will come back in the same way he left. Jesus agreed. Here's what he had to say about his return:

Matthew 26: 63-64 (NIV)

But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God."

"Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."

Even before he appeared before the high priest, Jesus had told his disciples the very same thing:

Matthew 24:30 (NIV)

"At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory."

Jesus’ "Away Team"

If the examples shown above were UFO accounts, why were these UFOs following Jesus around? Why were they so involved in his life? They obviously knew who he was and where he was from. For some insight into what the answer to this question might be, let's look at what Jesus had to say about himself:

John 18: 35-36 (NIV)

"Am I a Jew?" Pilate replied. "It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?"

Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."

I wonder what other place he was referring to. If it's not of this world, what world is it from? I know, you're probably saying "Well you dummy, he's from heaven." Yes, I know that, but what does that term really mean? Jesus specifically says that he has a kingdom, and it is in a specific place.

Personally, while researching this chapter, that's not the most amazing thing I found. I knew that Jesus had said that about himself. Even more surprising is that wherever Jesus was from, it seems his disciples were also from. Check out the following passage where Jesus is referring specifically to the twelve apostles:

John 17:16 (NIV) Jesus refers to his disciples

They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.

A very short but direct comment. Many write this off by saying that he was speaking figuratively or something like that, but I think it more likely that Jesus meant exactly what he said.

If your mind is open to the possibility that Jesus was from a kingdom that was in a specific place outside of planet earth, and that he incarnated here on a particular mission, doesn't it make sense that he'd bring along some personal assistants? This might explain some of Jesus' other actions in relation to the twelve apostles. He actually hand picked them out of a much larger group of disciples:

Luke 6:12-13 (NIV)

One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles.

Do you think that perhaps he recognized them as special workers from "his kingdom" even though they did not yet realize that fact? It's also interesting that immediately after he met some of the people who he would later bring out of a larger group to be part of the twelve apostles, Jesus called them by names other than their earth-given names. The man whose parents had named "Simon son of John" Jesus instead chose to call "Cephas" which can be translated into the name we still call him today - "Peter" (see John 1:42). He called James and John the "Sons of Thunder" (Mark 3:17) - maybe that was a nickname they got in his kingdom and Jesus was referring to it then to help them recall that. This kind of "mission recall," even at a subconscious level in the minds of the disciples, could also help explain why the twelve apostles are described as immediately dropping their entire careers and following this then relatively unknown person who was roaming around the countryside.

Angelic Armies Available

Jesus also made it clear that wherever his kingdom was, there were plenty of other troops standing by and available at a moment's notice if he decided to call on them:

Matthew 26:53 (NIV)

Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?

In fact, these angelic forces are recorded as assisting him a number of times during his mission on earth. They were there to assist him after his temptation in the desert:

Matthew 4:10-11 (NIV)

Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.' " Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Mark 1:13 (NIV)

and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.

They were there in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus was wrestling with completing the final stages of his earthly mission:

Luke 22:42-44 (NIV)

"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

Finally, they assisted with the task of helping his disciples realize that he had indeed risen from the dead as he had promised:

Matthew 28: 2-4 (NIV)

There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

Luke 24:4-8 (NIV)

While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' "

Then they remembered his words.

"Then they remembered his words" - interesting to note here that even though Jesus clearly taught his disciples what was going to happen, his disciples didn't quite understand it until they saw it actually happen. A similar thing has happened throughout history with the whole UFO phenomenon being associated with Jesus hasn't it? For ages people have read the same Bible that you and I have today but never associated UFOs with any of the events. How could they have until UFO events started to become part of the common person's reality? Today just about everyone has at least heard of UFOs whether they believe they are real or not. We are finally starting to get the information that we need to begin making the connection.

Did Jesus Refer To Non-Angelic Off-Planet Followers?

Here is another interesting statement that was made by Jesus:

John 10:16 (NIV) Jesus speaking

I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

Interesting. Of course, this passage can be interpreted to mean that he was concerned about people outside of Israel, if Israel was what he was referring to when he said "this sheep pen." But what if the sheep pen that he was referring to was the planet earth? If this is what he meant, he may well have been referring to a desire for a day when his followers who resided off-planet would be united with those on earth who will choose to follow his teachings.

A Second Opinion

We've heard Jesus' testimony about who he was, and that he claimed to be of a kingdom not on this earth, that he came from above. But Jesus also realized that self promotion could only go so far. As he put it:

John 5:31-34 (NIV)

"If I testify about myself, my testimony is not valid. There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is valid. You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved."

He was referring here to the testimony of John the Baptist. Let's take a look at what he says about Jesus to see if he might hint at an extraterrestrial origin:

John 3:31-32 (NIV)

"The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony."

John the Baptist seems to make it clear that Jesus does not belong to the earth, and actually calls him "the one who comes from heaven." Interesting how he notes that Jesus testifies to what he has seen and heard. Where would Jesus have seen and heard these things? John makes it clear that his message was not from planet earth, but he was bringing a message to planet earth from somewhere else.

I'd imagine that much of Jesus' testimony that John is referring to might not have been recorded, or might have been edited out at a later time. Maybe he gave his actual disciples even clearer accounts of his origins that they knew people of the time wouldn't understand but they put enough hints in their accounts that once we were aware of the modern UFO phenomenon we could begin to figure it out. As far as the topic of UFOs in the Bible, even though we have a number of accounts that could be UFOs in our current Bible, we can be sure that there were many more in the actual life of Christ. Take the following example where Jesus is talking to the disciple Nathanael:

John 1:50-52 (NIV)

Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that." He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

Nowhere in the Gospels is this event actually recorded, but if we take Jesus at his word, it must have happened sometime during Nathanael's lifetime. Kind of makes you wonder how many other extraordinary events like this never made it into our current version of the Bible.

What Does All This Mean?

Now if UFOs were involved in the life of Jesus, the implications are astounding. Maybe that's why most churches don't want to deal with the whole issue. But every day the evidence of alien visitors to our planet becomes stronger and stronger. Could some of these visitors be working for the same Jesus Christ that we know from the Biblical record?

IMPORTANT: Please note that I am NOT implying that all encounters with UFOs are related to Jesus. In fact, many could actually be working to try to prevent Jesus' return (a foolish and misguided attempt in my opinion) and in a lot of cases the argument that aliens are "demonic" may well be true. Just as in Biblical times, there are two sides at work today.

The fact that there are two sides at work makes it even more important that people get to know the real Jesus. He himself predicted that many would come claiming to be him. He also said that many would fall for those kinds of tricks. Certainly, anyone trying to imitate Jesus would play on common stereotypes about what the popular culture believes Jesus would be like.

Matthew 24:24 (NIV) Jesus Speaking

"For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible."

How many people have actually taken the time to get to know the REAL Jesus personally well enough to tell the difference? If he came back in a UFO today - riding on the clouds as he put it - how many people do you think would recognize him? Would you?


Chapter 4
EARS: Evidence of Alien contact Revealed in Scripture

Book One, The Evidence by James Andrew Aho

Chapter 4 - Bible File 3: The New Jerusalem

I was sitting in church. It was a very charismatic but conservative church. By that I mean they loved to worship enthusiastically, but held VERY tight to the text of the Bible. As such, they generally held closely to accepted church dogma and anything "weird" was often automatically dismissed as "not Biblical." Even though I disagree, in a way I liked that about them since it provided a very firm foundation.

This particular day something strange happened. One of the church elders stood and approached the pulpit. Being an extremely well respected and long-standing member of the congregation, the pastor gladly stepped aside since this man obviously had something important to say. The silver haired elder began by going into a short history of UFOs. The congregation was silent. Most of them were probably wondering "what in the world do UFOs have to do with the Bible?" I know I had brought it up with some of them, and they just kind of rolled their eyes like I was nuts. But this was a church elder, not some new guy like me who had been attending the church less than a year. I'm not sure they knew what to think.

Before long, he opened his Bible and read the following passage from the book of Revelation:

Revelation 21:2 (NIV)

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

Of course, he was implying that the new Jerusalem was, for lack of better terms, a giant spacecraft. Even more than that, he went on to propose that it was already built and waiting to fulfill its mission. I heard whispers from the congregation. Had he lost his mind? Watched too much Star Trek? The problem with this is that he put the message out with a surprising amount of authority; not as a theory, but as something he was fully convinced of.

The book of Revelation goes on to describe this craft. Ok, ok, I said craft. I know some people will take offense at that, and I've had many discussions about whether it can be considered a "spacecraft" or if it's simply some abstract magical function of God that we can't explain and simply have to accept. You can decide for yourself which explanation sounds more realistic and reasonable.

Either way, it sounds like a very beautiful place. Angels at the gates, foundations of precious stones, streets of gold. I think anyone who accepts the fact that it's real, no matter what it is, has to want to go inside and check it out when it gets here. How do you buy a ticket? That's explained after John gives the extended description of its appearance:

Revelation 21:27 (NIV)

Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.

I know a lot of people who have told me that they would love to go aboard a UFO. I wonder if they ever ask themselves if the beings aboard the UFO would love to have them aboard? In the case of the new Jerusalem, we are given a pretty short but direct indication of who is going to be let onto the most dazzling and impressive extraterrestrial craft ever known to mankind - those who are not impure, shameful or deceitful.

Hmm, doesn't this message kind of sound familiar? Seems to me that everything Jesus said, and everything Paul and the Apostles wrote in an attempt to follow up on Jesus' words, was leading up to this moment. In fact, later in the book Jesus reiterates this in characteristically colorful fashion:

Revelation 22:14 (NIV) - Jesus Speaking

Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.

As far as UFOs in the Bible, the new Jerusalem is definitely the grand finale that we all came to the show to see in the first place.

Hope to see you there.


Chapter 5
EARS: Evidence of Alien contact Revealed in Scripture

Book One, The Evidence by James Andrew Aho

Chapter 5 - Ghost Stories

The topic for this section came up during an online discussion about ghosts. When one of the participants found out that I was Christian, he immediately announced that he thought I was a hypocrite because "The belief in ghosts is in direct defiance of the Christian Bible." Yes, believe it or not, that's an exact quote. It struck me that someone would feel this strongly about the topic. It also got me wondering where they might have gotten this particular point of view.

From other comments that were made, it was obvious that this person had a profound dislike for anything that the Bible might say. Why? I would guess that he might have had some bad experiences in the past. If that was the case, he wouldn't be alone. I've met many, many people who have been completely turned off to what the Bible might have to offer because of past run-ins with "religious" people.

I'm sure you've all met people who throw out broad general ideas that they claim are Biblical. They usually do this in an attempt to prove that they're "right" about some topic and to imply that if you disagree with them you're "wrong" because you also "disagree with God." Unfortunately, people like this are often just re-stating what they think they've heard someone else say. Maybe they're even parroting what a trusted pastor or a teacher has told them. A LOT of people then take these second-hand ideas, assume they are accurate without even checking, and try to push them on people as the absolute truth.

The worst thing about this particularly lazy practice is that it almost always gives the listener a inaccurate and negative image of what the Bible is all about. I guess I can understand some resentment from anyone who's only exposure to the Bible is a sermon from one of these folks. But it becomes a real problem if they take it another step and immediately jump to the conclusion that EVERYONE who reads the Bible is:

•.	out of touch with reality

•.	scientifically backward

•.	closed minded and ignorant

•.	judgmental and very opinionated

•.	pretty much just a dork

Sounds extreme, but this list does summarize a popular stereotype. One that often makes people afraid to even be associated with the Bible much less read it. Since the ghost example is apparently based on these kind of ideas, I wanted to take this opportunity to clarify the difference between what some people claim the Bible says and what it REALLY says. It's important to demonstrate that while some people might misrepresent what the Bible says, the REAL book itself contains much more information than most people have been led to believe.

In fact, if the person that I mentioned in the first paragraph had been able to overcome his Bible-phobia long enough to do a little bit of research on the topic he could have easily found that ghosts are actually mentioned numerous times in the Bible. Note that neither of the following examples are obscure passages either. Anyone who's been to Sunday School is probably familiar with both of them, but it seems that very few people remember the details they contain.

Matthew 14: 25-27 (NIV)

During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

It's obvious from this example that the disciples believed in ghosts. If they had no idea what a ghost was, why would they assume they were seeing one?

Well, I suppose they could have heard stories. Most of us have heard ghost stories, even if we've never seen a ghost. Does that mean that we all believe in ghosts? Not necessarily. Just because we're all pretty much aware of the stories that are out there about hauntings and ghosts doesn't automatically make them real.

Ok, so there's a chance that the disciples might have just been reacting to some ghost stories. Perhaps they were just recalling some urban legends that were going around Galilee when they were younger. Just in case, let's go to their supervisor for further clarification on the topic:

Luke 24: 36-43 (NIV)

While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."

They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.

He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have."

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.

One thing that occurs to me in these passages is how Jesus doesn't say anything like "Don't be silly, ghosts are just a wives tale and don't really exist." He instead lists specific physical traits of ghosts - they don't have flesh and they don't have bones and they certainly don't eat broiled fish. Was he making these traits up about some imaginary entity? Or did he know more about the reality of ghosts than we usually give him credit for?

Keep in mind that this passage was written by Luke. A physician. A scientific mind. If any of the gospel writers would have questioned this idea, it would have been him. Yet he was the one who chose to include it in his account.

So, is the belief in ghosts really "in direct defiance of the Christian Bible?" Develop your own conclusions about the whole thing, but before you do, please read the accounts for yourself and see what is really being said. Also, it's often very useful to get to know the Biblical characters - what they were like and how they acted can tell you a lot about what they knew and believed.

After all, isn't the Bible just that, a book about real people? Even though they lived thousands of years ago, they were pretty much like you and I. You'll find that these people weren't "backward, out-of touch dorks" at all. Most of them were just normal people put in extraordinary circumstances who recorded their eyewitness accounts of these events.

Why did they take the time to do this? Probably just so we can read these accounts now, learn from their experience and hopefully gain some valuable wisdom about how this world really works.

There sure is a lot of that wisdom in there. Just be careful to check the facts before you believe every "ghost story" that you hear about what the Bible supposedly says.


Chapter 6
EARS: Evidence of Alien contact Revealed in Scripture

Book One, The Evidence by James Andrew Aho

Chapter 6 - Beyond the Body

The debate over whether or not humans have a soul has probably been going on as long as recorded history. In the Good Ol' USA today it seems very common for people to believe that we're just a pile of flesh and bones that works like a machine. My personal experience includes a degree from an engineering school, so I do understand this point of view. When you are trained to look at how things work in a strictly physical sense, the body can start to seem no different than a car or lawnmower.

But what if we are so much more than just a body? In fact, what if our body is actually secondary to what we truly are and our spiritual side more thoroughly defines what makes up our existence? If this is the case, you'd think there would be some evidence, wouldn't you?

I think one of the most compelling pieces of evidence that supports this fact is the occurrence of Out of Body Experiences (OBEs). These experiences involve a conscious, thinking and completely aware aspect of a human to actually leave the physical flesh and bones for a short time. The part that leaves seems to match the description of what has been called the "spirit" or "soul." If humans don't have a spirit or soul, how could it leave the physical body and exist on its own?

One reason I find this topic so interesting is that once people understand what OBEs are really like, they might just find that these kind of experiences are more common than most people realize. You might even remember a number of times where you have experienced an OBE without even realizing what it was at the time. And personal experience is almost always more convincing than what some other person tries to tell you about what they think you should believe.

Let's start with a standard definition of an OBE:

"Out-of-body-experiences (OBEs) are those curious, and usually brief experiences in which a person's consciousness seems to depart from his or her body, enabling observation of the world from a point of view other than that of the physical body and by means other than those of the physical senses. Thus, an out-of-the-body experience can initially be defined as 'an experience in which a person seems to perceive the world from a location outside his physical body'. "

Seems like a pretty new age type concept, but since you're reading this in a Biblically based book, you're probably wondering if this type of thing is really ever mentioned in the Bible. I think it's actually talked about a lot, but I'll start with the most direct example that I've found. In the following passage taken from one of the Apostle Paul's letters, it seems that Paul was very familiar with OBEs, and even uses language that explains the phenomenon pretty directly:

2 Corinthians 12: 2-4 (NIV)

I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know--God knows. And I know that this man--whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows--was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell.

While Paul doesn't conclusively state that this man had an OBE, he certainly includes it as one of the most probable explanations. I can just imagine this person approaching Paul during one of his missionary journeys and saying something like "Oh man, you're not gonna believe this, but I had the weirdest dream a few years ago..." Interesting that Paul easily makes the connection that he might be hearing an OBE story, isn't it?

When I really started looking into OBEs, I found that it usually takes place during a state of what has been called Lucid Dreaming. The idea is that when the body sleeps, the spirit kind of gets bored (since it doesn't need to sleep) and goes out adventuring until it needs to return to the body upon waking. Have you ever had a dream that almost seems real? Where the touch and the colors and even the smells all come together in a very solid way? If so, you've probably experienced an OBE in the form of lucid dreaming.

Once you realize this, it becomes easier to see how many OBE examples the Bible really contains. I think that even many of the "visions" that are explained are instances like this. In the following example, Peter has an interesting vision, and it certainly didn't occur in the physical plane:

Acts 10:9-16 (NIV)

About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air.

Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat."

"Surely not, Lord!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean."

The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean."

This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.

I chose this specific example because it also brings up an interesting question. I find it intriguing that Peter immediately recognized this dream as a real type of message instead of just disregarding it as a figment of his imagination like many people would. It's also interesting that the message obviously contradicted some of the things he'd read in the sacred writings of the time and learned in the Jewish Synagogue which was the established church of the time. Seems like he was really put into a "Catch 22" situation here where either decision would have a potential downside. Do you follow the words you've seen written on paper and taught in church, or do you follow what you believe to be the direct instruction of God himself?

In Peter's case, he seemed to understand at least to some degree that lucid dreaming can provide an almost direct connection to the Creator. When the soul is away from the body, it's less burdened by everyday worries. This provides a perfect opportunity for a higher level to contact a person in a more direct way.

Now here's the million dollar question: Does God still do this kind of thing today?

I believe God tries to communicate in this way more often than people realize. Not that all dreams are meant to be shouted from the mountaintops in an attempt to revolutionize some kind of church tradition like Peter's vision did of course. In fact, in most cases they might just be God trying to tell you something personally, maybe even something as simple as offering a few tips on how you can personally grow and advance spiritually. But most people aren't listening for this kind of thing. They're usually stuck searching only for something they can touch and feel - something physical. Almost like their mindset is trapped inside the physical body because they don't realize that they can and do exist outside of that body.

Jesus addresses this concept during one of his trips through Samaria. During this trip he stops at a well near a little town called Sychar where he meets a woman. After chatting with Jesus for a few minutes, the woman concludes that he is some kind of prophet so she takes the opportunity to ask him some questions. She especially wanted him to clear up some controversy about what physical location is the proper place to worship. I'd imagine this question would be a lot like asking today what church denomination is the correct one. Jesus gives her a very unexpected answer:

John 4: 23-24 (NIV)

"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

Now what exactly does this mean? It seems that Jesus is going out of his way to point out that the physical traditions and type of worship that this woman is asking about are incomplete. He wants her to understand that there is a better way - a way to communicate with God in a much more direct and spiritual form.

I think this kind of communication is like having a television tuned to the GNN (God News Network - sorry for the corny acronym - I really couldn't resist throwing at least one in!) where he can provide separate updates and guidance for each person. The problem is, most people have been trained to disregard it. The TV station is still broadcasting but so many people have muted the volume so they can sit in the other room and read yesterday's newspaper. The biggest news story of the century could be breaking and being shown live and they might not even realize it because they've stopped watching.

This problem isn't new. It actually seems to be an enduring part of human nature. A kind of natural challenge that comes with having a physical human body in the first place. In fact, when Jesus saw the same thing happening among the church of his day, he often pointed it out. In one of my favorite examples he refers to something that the prophet Isaiah wrote (he quotes this passage in both Matthew 15:8 and Mark 7:6). Isaiah points out the futility of relying strictly on head knowledge instead of heart knowledge - similar to what we might refer to today as "book learning" where a person reads about things but never goes out and actually experiences them:

Isaiah 29: 13-14 (NIV)

The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men. Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

Could OBEs and Lucid Dreaming be part of these "wonders" that Isaiah was referring to? I've seen many cases where one spiritually charged lucid dream can teach much more than years of Bible study or a strictly logical analysis of a particular religion. Personally, I've found that the more I listen to the various ways God communicates in the spiritual realm, the more easily I can understand things that I do see in the physical realm - especially when it comes to determining what the words written in the Bible really mean.

Out of Body = In The Spirit

I won't list all the examples of OBEs that can be found in the Bible, but I think you can find a lot of them yourself once you understand the different words used to describe this phenomenon. Today we're used to the term "Out of Body," but I kind of like the way that Biblical writers described it as being "In the Spirit." Just sounds like a more positive way of seeing things. "Out of Body" always sounds to me like you're leaving home. "In the Spirit" sounds almost like you're returning home. I'll conclude with one of the more famous incidents where the phrase "In The Spirit" is used to describe an OBE:

Revelation 1:9-11 (NIV)

I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea."

Of course, when John came back to his body he took the time to record the entire vision in the book of Revelation. What if John would have disregarded the whole thing like so many of us do? What if he would have woken up and just kind of shook his head and said "Wow, that was one really freaked out dream" and went about his daily business? Maybe throw some breakfast in the microwave and turn on the Jerry Springer show...

Now, I'm not proposing that every dream you have is the next book of Revelation. All I'm saying is that God talks to people in many different ways. The more you are aware of these methods, the easier it might be for you to listen when God tries to talk to you.


Chapter 7
EARS: Evidence of Alien contact Revealed in Scripture

Book One, The Evidence by James Andrew Aho

Chapter 7 - Being Born Again

I'm sure you've all heard the term "Born Again Christian" and that's probably what came to mind when you read the title of this section. However, in this case I'm not referring to the same thing Jesus was explaining during his conversation with Nicodemus in John chapter 3. There he was referring to a spiritual rebirth. I'm referring to a soul being literally being born more than once at different times into different human bodies. Yes, I'm referring to what most people would call reincarnation.

If you bring up the concept of reincarnation in the average modern church, most people would automatically oppose it. I know I did before I started personally studying the Bible. That's because for some reason most modern churches teach that you only have one life to live, and after that you are eternally sent to either Heaven or Hell. While there are many theories on the reasons why this concept has become so popular, I've found that Jesus himself actually taught that the soul is designed to live eternally. When life in the physical body is over, the soul lives on and can even come back and live another life. It doesn't just encounter a dead end in either Heaven or Hell. Don't get me wrong here, Heaven and Hell are both very real. It's just that the idea of a soul being stuck in Heaven forever after completing this lifetime is fundamentally flawed.

Let's not waste any time getting into the actual Biblical examples though so you can see for yourself what I'm trying to say. First of all, how do you imagine that Jesus would react if confronted with the concept of reincarnation? Do you think he would agree with it? Or, do you think he would say that the whole idea of being born into many lifetimes was wrong? Well, let's find out what he actually did do by looking at the following example:

Matthew 16: 13-16 (NIV)

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"

They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"

Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

From this passage, it seems that the possibility of reincarnation was a fairly common concept among the general population. It wasn't odd at all to them that Elijah, Jeremiah or any other prophet might return to live another life. In fact, it seems to be what they assumed had happen to bring them Jesus. Notice that Jesus didn't correct the concept behind what people were saying, even though Peter's correct answer that Jesus was the Son of the Living God showed that they were wrong in this case about Jesus specifically. Wouldn't you think that if reincarnation was a concept completely against the nature of God that the very Son of the Living God would have taken this opportunity to correct these ideas?

On the other hand, let's take a look at Jesus' reaction to the concept of one life, one death and a resurrection at the end of time. In the following example, Jesus is speaking to Martha after the death of her brother Lazarus:

John 11: 23-26 (NIV)

Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

Jesus reacts immediately in this case and corrects Martha's statement. She believes that once a person dies, they stay dead until the resurrection at the last day. He wants to make sure she understands that her conception of one life followed by one death where we all stay until the resurrection at the end of the age is flawed. In fact, he specifically states that he represents BOTH the resurrection AND the life - the eternal nature of the soul is central to his teachings. He even specifically states that whoever believes in him will never die.

What does he mean when he says that they will never die? This isn't the only place where he presents this concept. The following example appears in all four Gospels:

Matthew 16:28 (NIV)

"I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

Mark 9:1 (NIV)

And he (Jesus) said to them, "I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power."

Luke 9:27 (NIV)

"I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God."

John 8:51 (NIV)

"I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death."

If we all live just once, these passages don't seem to make sense, do they? Jesus said these things almost 2000 years ago. Are the people he was referring to still alive - still walking the earth in those same human bodies? If so, they'd be pretty old. Do you think that maybe Jesus was referring to what really makes a person - their spirit and soul? Perhaps he was simply saying that some of the souls who were present would continue to be reborn and live over and over again on this planet until Jesus himself returned in bodily form.

What really happens to the soul when it's time in the current body is complete? In the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes, the author (who many believe to be King Solomon himself) seems to provide a pretty clear answer to this question when he writes the following:

Ecclesiastes 12:7 (NIV)

"And the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it."

Since the spirit is designed by God to return to him when this life is over, is it so far-fetched to believe that God might very well allow it to repeat the life process again? After all, if the soul started with God, came to Earth, experienced life and returned to God, it seems it would be in the perfect position to repeat the process if it chose to. From what Jesus said, this sure seems to be his Father's intention.

The Elijah Example

I've always found that the best way to illustrate a concept is by giving a specific example. So let's look at one. In the Old Testament, the prophet Malachi predicts that:

Malachi 4:5 (NIV)

"I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes."

He is referring to a return of Elijah before the coming of the Messiah. He doesn't however, specifically tell us HOW Elijah would return. Is it possible that Elijah might return simply by being reincarnated into another life?

Jesus specifically refers to this prophesy more than once. In each case, Jesus himself simply states that Elijah did return by being reincarnated as the man we know as John the Baptist:

Matthew 11: 12-15 (NIV)

"From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. He who has ears, let him hear."

Now, some people might say that he was speaking figuratively here and that the soul of Elijah didn't actually come back, he was just talking about someone being born who was like Elijah. But later Jesus reaffirms his point, and this time he is even more specific about exactly what he means:

Matthew 17: 9-13 (NIV)

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

The disciples asked him, "Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?"

Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands."

Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.

It could also be argued that since Elijah never died and was instead swept up to heaven in a whirlwind (see 2 Kings 2:11) he may have continued to live and just come back down in that same whirlwind. Nope, the Bible clearly describes the method in which he arrived as John the Baptist:

Luke 1: 57-60 (NIV)

When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy. On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother spoke up and said, "No! He is to be called John."

As you can see, John the Baptist was born in the same way that all of us are. Or should I say reborn in the same way that all of us are.


Chapter 8
EARS: Evidence of Alien contact Revealed in Scripture

Book One, The Evidence by James Andrew Aho

Chapter 8 - Soul Physics

Don't worry, this chapter isn't about the same math and physics subjects that you might have dreaded in school. It's actually the result of some recent meditation and prayer in conjunction with a personal study of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. I just wanted to relate some concepts that were shown to me hoping that they might be able to help others.

I entitled it Soul Physics because I think a lot of people confuse the rules of the physical world with the rules of the spiritual world. All of us exist in the physical world, and as such we learn certain rules about life. In a general sense, that's really all the study of physics is - coming up with definitions for the rules that we all can observe in everyday life. Here's one of the basic rules that everyone learns in physics class:

The total energy of an isolated system is constant. Energy may be converted from one form to another but it is not created or destroyed.

(The Law of Conservation of Energy)

Now don't get confused by all the scientific language. This same concept applies in many normal everyday situations too. For example, when you go to the store, you have to give the clerk money to buy a product. To make your car go, you have to use gas. To get something in the physical world you usually have to sacrifice something. That's just the way the physical world is set up, and we tend to model many other things, such as the economy, on this same principle.

But what happens when we try to apply this concept to the spiritual world? Most people seem to assume that "rules are rules" and that if the rules apply in the physical world, the same rules will apply in the spiritual world. The problem with this is that it tends to make simple spiritual teachings - the kind of things that Jesus talked about in his famous Sermon on the Mount for example - confusing because they don't seem to make sense when you apply the rules of the physical world.

For example, Jesus taught the following basic spiritual principle:

Matthew 5:43 (NIV) Jesus speaking

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."

If you look at this using the rules of the physical world, the first thing you might think is that in order to love your enemy, you are giving something up. If the physical rules applied, the only way you could give love to someone who hated you was to lose some love yourself, right? Seems like quite a sacrifice.

That is exactly why we have to look at the "physics" of the soul and spirit as a separate issue. The truth is, the rules of the physical world DO NOT apply in the spiritual world. In the spiritual world, energy CAN be created and destroyed and this is happening constantly. Once you realize this, it's easier to understand what Jesus was talking about half the time. He was teaching us how to actually create energy at the soul level.

Take the example of loving your enemy. At a logical physical level this doesn't make sense. It isn't the natural reaction. The natural reaction is to respond in a like manner, and hate the person back. But look at what actually happens at a spiritual level if you counteract this natural reaction by showing love instead of hate. While your enemy might not feel anything because of your thoughts, if you choose to feel genuine love toward your enemy, you can actually feel your personal soul energy level rise. In effect, you are creating energy and making your soul stronger as a result.

Loving someone who genuinely hates you is an extreme example, I'll admit. But maybe that's why Jesus used it. If you can find it within yourself to love even those who hate you, seems it would be much easier to raise your soul energy under normal circumstances.

Most people spend a good share of their time worrying about something, whether it be finances, family, job or a million other things. When you find yourself doing that, try actively replacing that thought with something positive. Seems like a simple concept doesn't it? But for such a simple concept it seems that very few people actually apply it. I've learned that it does take some practice getting used to it and using it habitually, but it sure does work.

I'll use myself as an example. The other day I found myself concerned about finances. I thought a short prayer, and almost immediately was shown what I was doing wrong at a spiritual level. I was thinking in the negative and if I looked inside myself I could actually feel my soul energy level going down. So I actively replaced the worry with positive thoughts. In this particular case I started actively thinking instead about how it was almost summer and the weather is beautiful today. Immediately I felt a change from negative to positive and my soul energy started to rise.

The amazing thing is, this is EXACTLY the kind of thing Jesus was teaching half the time. Take a look at the following passage:

Matthew 6: 25-34 (NIV) Jesus speaking

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Now isn't that the same concept I just applied in the example above? Jesus is basically saying that we should replace thoughts of worry with thoughts of God's kingdom and righteousness - I'd sure consider that replacing negative thoughts with positive thoughts. An age old idea that still works. And it all comes down to how the physics of the soul work. If we can teach ourselves to live in the spiritual world by spiritual rules instead of trying to apply the rules of the physical world, then we'll find ourselves finally realizing what part of Jesus' goal in teaching these things really was.

Why Should I Care?

So why is this all so important? In addition to simply making your everyday life better and more satisfying, I think it has a direct effect on what happens to us after death. When we leave this world, all we take with us is our soul, and at that time our soul is at a certain energy level. If a soul has a high energy level, it will tend to shoot back to God like a lightning bolt.

On the other hand, what happens if a soul has had its energy lowered? I suspect that if you let this happen, you open yourself up to a number of possibilities:

•.	You could simply find yourself reincarnated to try the whole thing over again. Would be kind of a bummer to look back and see what kind of opportunities you might have missed this time around though.

•.	Even worse, your soul could get stuck. Perhaps this is what we see this with ghosts and other earthbound spirits.

•.	Yet even worse, if a soul has a really low energy level, perhaps it can actually be captured. I firmly believe this is the end goal of certain darker spiritual forces. Simply to lower a person's soul energy over the course of life to a point where they will be easy prey when the soul leaves the body.

I certainly can't speak for God, who ultimately decides the fate of your soul after death, but if these are even possibilities, your soul energy isn't just a convenience - it's absolutely essential that we learn to focus on raising the energy level of our soul.

So how do we do this? Well, learning and applying what Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount is a very good solid start. But it is also a natural part of us. If we really look inside, we all know whether our soul energy is going up or down. It feels good when it goes up, and feels bad when it goes down. We know what is meant by the term "positive thoughts" and we know what is meant by the term "negative thoughts." It's just a matter of learning to replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts in the course of our everyday life.

But Didn't Jesus Already Save Us?

Another thing I'd like to address. I see so many people running around saying "I'm saved because I believe in Jesus." Then they go about their normal lives just like everyone else does. They somehow think that just because they believe that Jesus exists they have some kind of magical ticket to heaven or whatever. But then you see these same people constantly facing the same negative things such as worry and bitterness - and essentially letting their soul energy drop as a result. I'd venture to say that even if you believe Jesus is real, if you don't apply the things he taught, you're no better off than if you believed that Jesus is a complete myth.

But as always, I don't expect you to take my word for it. Here's what Jesus had to say about the issue:

Matthew 7:21 (NIV) Jesus speaking

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

Luke 6: 46-49 (NIV) Jesus speaking

"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?

I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.

But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."

Even Jesus himself realized that if you don't apply the principles, they'll do you no good. I do agree that ultimately Jesus is the most loving being known to mankind and would do everything he could to help your soul, but it also seems to me that he realizes that the very best way for this to happen is for you to learn and apply the rules of the spiritual world - to start using soul physics, you could say. Once you learn to do this, the following statement that Jesus made - that he came that you can learn to enjoy life to its fullest - begins to make complete sense:

John 10:10 (NIV) Jesus speaking

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.


Chapter 9
EARS: Evidence of Alien contact Revealed in Scripture

Book One, The Evidence by James Andrew Aho

Chapter 9 - Behind the EARS

Many different people seem to assume that when I wrote the EARS book, I just sat down with my Bible, read passages, and logically came up with theories explaining these passages. I'm writing this specific chapter to hopefully show people that this isn't at all how it works.

It's actually the other way around. Through prayer and meditation, I am basically given a theory or idea. Where do I get these? In a word, I believe that they are essentially from "God" - the one Jesus referred to as the Father. Once I am given this idea, it's left up to me to search the Bible for passages that support these ideas. You can't really just run around saying "God told me so and so" can you? People would logically want some kind of objective evidence to back it up. In my case, I've found that, among other places, the truths that I get from God are almost always backed up in the text of the Bible.

So if I am getting messages from God you may ask, "What makes you so special?" I don't believe I am. I fully believe that ANYONE can do this, but it does take a LOT of hard work and dedication. After the hard work is there, in most people's cases I think that can result in a sudden and surprising reaction from the Creator.

To help everyone fully understand how all this came to be in my case specifically, I must first provide some background information. Keep in mind this is the first time I'm telling this story and I realize it may sound far-fetched to some and I had a lot of doubt about whether to actually include it or not. But I also think that it's foolish to just sit on the experience and not tell anyone - especially if it can help people realize that Jesus isn't just a storybook character, he's actually a real spiritual being that is alive and active.

So here it goes...

How It All Began

This all started one day after I had spent hours studying some particular Bible passages and concepts and trying to reason them out and make sense of them. After a while I had given up hope. I was flat out sick of it. So I layed down and prayed a pretty sarcastic prayer something like "Ok Jesus, if this is all supposed to be so universal and simple, why don't you have some kind of a hot line number or something?"

So I drifted off and it didn't seem long before I was in a room with a number of people, just milling around and chatting with each other. It wasn't quite a dream, it was as if I was actually there. I looked around and recognized one of the men, so I went up to him and he turned around to face me. There was an immediate bond there, a bond of intense friendship and love. It was like meeting an old friend, a friend I had known as Jesus. No kidding! There I found myself standing face to face with him, and realizing that I already knew him, and wondering how I could have ever forgotten him.

Sound weird? Believe it or not, for some reason it seemed perfectly natural at the time (on the other hand, I was absolutely floored later when this all finally sank in). It was almost like he had a calming effect. Maybe I forgot to be surprised due to some of the frustration I still felt from my Bible studies. He seemed to sense this and calmly said, "So I hear you have some questions for me."

I quickly started asking questions. To tell you the truth, I can't specifically remember any of them to this day. But I got through all my big questions, and he answered them all very succinctly, usually only with a sentence or two, but each of those sentences seemed to communicate chapters worth of information. After I was done with all those questions, he was still there waiting patiently, so I figured I'd keep asking questions.

You've heard it said that there's no such thing as a stupid question, right? Well, I believe in this case I managed to come up with some. Then suddenly I realized that all this time Jesus had his full attention on me, and still did, as if I were the only person in the world, and he waited patiently and calmly answered even my stupid questions. Then at one specific moment I suddenly realized what I was doing and thought "Why is he spending so much time with just me? Doesn't he have a universe to run or something?"

As soon as I thought this I didn't feel right asking anymore questions. I was done, and as if he knew this, he smiled as if to say "I'll see you again" and quietly walked away.

I woke up in bed thinking that was the strangest thing. What surprised me the most is that Jesus appeared not as a king or a superman, but simply as a friend. He wasn't dressed spectacularly, and it wasn't like his face glowed or anything mystical like that, but his sincerity and love were unmistakable. That's what made him simply amazing.

It also helped me realize that while he seemed to have all the answers, I didn't even have all the questions yet. I went into the whole experience thinking that if I could ask questions of Jesus, I'd end up with all the answers about the meaning of life and so on. That didn't seem to be the way it really works. I've had other encounters since then, but none like this first one. Now I might have questions, but realize that asking these questions is just part of it. If I listen with an open mind, I not only get complete answers to my questions, but in addition I am given the opportunity to benefit from insight and answers to questions I haven't even thought of yet.

That is a large part of why I wrote the EARS book. I realized, without a shred of doubt, that these answers that come through Jesus also came with a very serious responsibility. It wasn't that it would be neat to share the ideas, I absolutely HAD TO share the ideas to the best of my ability.

John 14:18-20 (NIV) Jesus Speaking

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.

How It Continues

As I mentioned earlier, this kind of contact does continue in my life, but I have to stress that it doesn't come without a lot of work. It's only after I put in the effort to study not only the Bible but any other source that I can get my hands on that unexpected things start to happen. Sometimes it's an audible voice with a hint or confirmation that I'm on the right track. Sometimes it's an overwhelming feeling that my perception of a particular concept lines up with the truth. Sometimes it's even just a new understanding of a passage, as if the words were just put into my Bible for the first time. But it never comes without effort - as soon as I get lazy, the helpful contact seems to stop until I get back to work again.

I'd like to share an interesting experience that really helped me understand that help from Jesus doesn't come without effort. As in the example above where I first met Jesus, I had just spent hours studying a particular Biblical concept to the point of confusing myself, and in frustration thought "God, if you want me to understand all this crap why don't you just freakin' tell me what it means already!" My brain was tired so I decided to lay down for a bit.

Seconds after I laid down a sort of calm came over me. Then I heard an audible voice that said "Do you wanna see something really cool in the Bible?"

I was surprised. It sounded like there was someone kneeling right beside the bed, but I didn't open my eyes. Who was it? At the time I felt I actually KNEW without a doubt that it was the being we know as Jesus. My logical mind naturally tends to be skeptical of it now, but if I look at my very strong original impression - which I think was probably much more accurate than just my memory as I look back at the incident today - I absolutely believe with no doubt whatsoever that Jesus was actually right there talking to me.

When he started with saying "Do you wanna see something really cool in the Bible?" I of course thought my prayer had been answered and he was going to directly show me what I was looking for, so I quickly answered "Well yeah!" Suddenly an actual visual picture of a big old fancy Bible appeared (I still had my eyes closed) and he said "Ok, open it up to the index and find..."

Now this next part is hard to explain if you haven't heard the song "Give It Away" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He actually sang the chorus line of that song which goes "Give it away, give it away, give it away now." The part is kind of sung kind of fast and funky. It didn't seem weird to me at the time that Jesus would be singing a Red Hot Chili Peppers song (does now though) so I actually looked in the index in my big old fancy vision Bible under the letter G. I went up and down the column and looked where the phrase "give it away" should be. There was no entry.

So I said, "It's not in there."

As soon as I said that he was gone. Then I got the point, and had to laugh at the humor that was used to make it. It was clear to me that any enlightenment takes work and nothing is given away for free.

Hope you enjoyed the story. True story, although I guess I can't expect anyone to blindly believe it. But my main point is that if you start out and put forth the effort, you never really know what might end up happening. God still freaks me out with new stuff like this almost daily.

Matthew 28:20b (NIV) Jesus Speaking

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

It Can Happen To You

I said earlier that I think that anyone has the potential to get close enough to Jesus to have this happen, and I truly believe that. He just seems like the kind of individual that wants to sit down with each and every person on earth and chat if he could. I think the reason this doesn't happen is because we do a lot of things without even knowing it to keep him away.

I'd like to conclude by relating a few of the things that I've personally had to overcome. I think these are common hurdles that we all have to deal with in life and hopefully my sharing some of what I've learned can help you progress past these challenges faster than I did:

•.	Put some real effort into studying any spiritual material you can get your hands on. I think the Bible is very important and it's VERY good to read it whenever you can, but other sources can sometimes help you understand Biblical topics too. I believe that the truth comes from God, not from a book, and God uses many ways to communicate this truth.

•.	You absolutely have to get rid of any negative thoughts that you might be dwelling on; this is essential. Even if someone has done something terrible to you and you feel that they very much deserve your absolute hatred, you have to find it inside yourself to love them. The fact is, whenever you put a wall of hate between yourself and any other human being, this wall also keeps out the love that Jesus wants to show toward you.

•	Pray constantly. Prayer doesn't have to be thought of as sitting on your knees with your hands folded and eyes closed. You can pray anytime, it's basically just consciously sending your thoughts and questions to God. It really helps to practice keeping a connection open all the time.

•	On the topic of prayer, I was shown a neat concept a little while back. You know how most people pray using words? Try praying using thoughts and pictures instead. If you think about it, all words do is convert thoughts into symbols. Doesn't it make sense that you can just send the thoughts straight to God without having to convert them into symbols first? Just sending the thoughts is much faster, and I'd imagine much more accurate.

Last of all, I want to emphasize how absolutely fun this all becomes after things get rolling. Sure, it's difficult at first, but once the magic starts happening there's nothing else in the world like it. Reminds me of a motto I saw on a Jesus poster once. It simply said "I never said it would be easy, I just said it would be worth it."

Matthew 7:7-8 (NIV) Jesus Speaking

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.


Chapter 10
EARS: Evidence of Alien contact Revealed in Scripture

Book One, The Evidence by James Andrew Aho

Chapter 10 - Go Forth And Overcome

One day I discussed some of the ideas you’ve just read in this book with a close friend. He was naturally skeptical and actually commented “what are you trying to do, start a new religion?” That kind of reaction is very understandable, since the ideas I’ve presented are way outside the bounds of most existing organized religions.

I tried to explain that of course I wasn’t. I truly believe that these concepts were part of Jesus’ original message even though through the years we’ve strayed away from them. Perhaps you’ve read about Jesus’ first coming. He tried to teach people that there was a reality beyond what they could see or what they were taught to see, usually by the existing religious leaders. It was possible to heal lepers and blind men. You can walk on water. Death is not the end. How’s that for paranormal?

Most importantly, he tried to teach us: the spiritual reality is the real reality.

I believe he continues today to try to teach us that. Many times we refer to things we see in the physical world as “intuition” or “coincidence” when in fact they may simply be the very real affect of the spiritual world on what we usually refer to as “physical reality.” The hardest thing to do is listen. Imagine if Moses had ignored the intuition that led him to the burning bush, or even worse if he'd have shrugged off the voice from the burning bush as “hokey and unrealistic.”

If everyone is different and God made us that way, doesn’t it make sense that he’d communicate with all of us in slightly different ways? After all, God knows what we need to hear. If you look to another person for a “message from God” all you’ll get is the message God sent to that person. What about the message God is trying to send to you?

Of course, there are universal concepts like “Love your neighbor as yourself” for example. It’s just that it seems to me that these universal concepts are applied to each of our personal lives in slightly different ways. We all have different neighbors and a different set of circumstances.

I hope this book, if it has done nothing else, has at least gotten you closer to the message God is trying to send you personally. In writing this book I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I had assistance, often from Jesus Christ himself, always from someone closely associated with him. For that I deeply thank him. I couldn’t have done it without him.

Now, onto the topic of the second coming of Christ. If during his first coming many didn’t recognize him, why was that? I think it was because in many cases they blindly followed what they were told. They didn’t think critically, they didn’t study scripture objectively on their own and they didn’t attempt to truly connect with a very spiritual God the way Jesus did. In fact, his biggest enemies were the religious leaders of the time who had traded spiritual truth in for earthly power.

I’m not implying that you have to agree with everything I’ve written and throw away everything churches teach. I am just urging everyone to continue to persist in their own search instead of blindly following. When Jesus speaks to the seven churches in the book of Revelation he has different things to say to all of them. They all had different paths, but he ends each and every one with a promise to those “who overcome” the things we all battle. I think that’s one huge quality he’ll be looking for in people at his second coming.

I sincerely hope you’ve enjoyed the book, and wish you God’s blessings in your continuing search for the truth. Go forth and overcome.

I’ll leave you with a feeling I share with the Apostle Paul:

My love to all of you in Christ Jesus.

Amen.