How close are we to the end? Is Jesus return imminent or is it still far in the future? Of course, we don’t have dates, but the Bible does give us clues. I’ve been studying Ezekiel 38 and 39, a prophecy about a coalition of nations that will come to attack Israel. By examining world events, that coalition is already beginning to form. And the Jewish people are getting things ready for the rebuilding of the Temple. Both of these are end-time prophecies. Another end-time prophecy is deception (Matthew 24:4). And we are seeing deception growing by the day. So, I would say that we may be VERY close.
One way Satan has deceived people is through a modern technology called artificial intelligence (AI). Now please hear me… it’s not all bad. AI can be fun, engaging, and can be used to gather information with just the click of a button. But here’s the scary part… many pastors, authors, and Christian singers in the church are using it to design their sermons, write Bible messages or books, and even compose songs. This is dangerous if AI is the foundation rather than an added resource.
You might say… well, I’m not a pastor or a Bible teacher or an author or a singer. So, this doesn’t apply to me. I disagree. If you’ve been walking with God for any length of time, you might be called upon to share truth with people…. Will you talk to our young people about purity? Will you share with our group about church leadership? Will you come and tell us what the Bible says about the sanctity of life? Or you have a topic you would like to talk about on social media. If we start with AI, this is dangerous. Why? Because AI is not Bible literate. AND it leaves the Holy Spirit out of the equation. Here’s the thing… your generation may not utilize AI but be assured that the next generation is using it all the time. And it’s the next generation that will be called upon to lead the church. So, we need to set the example and show them how to proclaim truth like the apostle Paul did. The foundation of any work we do for the Lord should include these three things…
1) Personal Bible study! We should examine the whole of Scripture when addressing a topic. Looking up verses and asking ourselves questions, like: What does this mean in its context? What is God saying? What does this mean for my life? AI can’t cover all these things.
2) Prayer! Our prayer life determines a lot. Out of our time with the Lord flows wisdom, knowledge, and discernment. AI does not have a personal relationship with Jesus.
3) Relying on the Holy Spirit! Again and again in the New Testament, we are told to let the Holy Spirit guide us. In Paul’s day, there were many eloquent teachers with great charisma. But in addressing the church at Corinth, he said, “I didn’t come using clever and persuasive speeches. Rather, I relied on the Holy Spirit so that you wouldn’t trust in human wisdom, but in the power of God.” AI can’t lead us like the Holy Spirit.
With that said, God has provided us great resources: commentaries, concordances, books, and the Internet. I use google all the time. These things are great, but should never supersede our own Bible study time, prayer, or relying on the Holy Spirit. AI can be a great tool as well, but we must be careful because it can also be deceptive and inaccurate. It is a machine, is it not? Let these words encourage you today.