Data-based Technology as a Weapon
Greetings in the Lord~
Today's word comes from Luke 13, which happens to contain several different spiritual lesson points and examples. Overall, it is a word to the Israelites to not be complacent or prideful or self-righteous about their place in the kingdom of God--lest they deceive themselves, "for many will try to enter and not be able to." Yikes! I don't know about you, but that statement always makes me nervous! Then, Jesus goes on to make His point--you have to produce fruit in keeping with your repentance.
Jesus is saying that many of them held onto a false security--that they believed they were "good enough" as is. They trusted in their own opinion of their spiritual works or righteous behavior, even looking down on others they felt were sinners or daring to persecute those who were indeed called by God to speak His words to them. "But unless you repent, you too will all perish!"
Jesus goes on to give several parables to illustrate the point he was making. First, the fig tree that even after three years did not produce figs---it would be cut down. Or of all of the people that will be turned away from entering at the narrow door of the kingdom of God that will say, "But we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets!" Yet, they did not develop or maintain a true relationship with Christ that would be evidenced by His good fruit in their lives. And lastly, of the spiritually smug and hard-hearted ones who not only neglected a true relationship with Christ and produced no good fruit, but would go on to persecute God's true servants and hinder others from growing in their faith. These were the truly deceived---those bound by hostile religious spirits. In the end Jesus says, "Indeed there are those who are last that will be first, and first who will be last."
How we rank and prioritize ourselves spiritually has no bearing with how we will actually be received into the kingdom of God, if at all. And keep in mind, this whole discussion was with those who knew and believed in God, yet still struggled in their belief, acceptance or relationship with His Son, Jesus. For a true belief in Jesus will be evidenced by our relationship with Him and the good fruit of His Holy Spirit manifesting in our lives---that we are indeed attached to the Vine. I can produce no good fruit apart from being in Christ Jesus, and no one gets into the kingdom of God accept through Jesus Christ.
All of the points of this passage were played out recently in a panel discussion I was a part of. The topic was about of how the growing power of electronic data-based technology (emails, text messages, video, facial recognition, etc.) and the use of the internet can be used as tools for good or weapons against humanity. The message I was there to present was of a warning about the surveillance and social control aspect of that technology, as well as the closed-economic nature of the commercial side; in other words, that "no one will be able to buy or sell unless they have the mark." While still in its developing stages, overall this data-based technology and accompanying governance and economic system is an End Time issue, as mentioned in Revelation 13. It is an antichrist system. And because of that spirit, any discussion on this topic will reveal true heart conditions and spiritual beliefs very quickly, as those spirits get stirred up. Needless to say, we had people in attendance who could hear the messages given and received them in their heart and were even propelled to share their faith in Christ, juxtaposed with those that not only could not hear the messages given, but actively worked to undermine and hinder the marketing and dissemination of information from the panel discussion! It was a complete spectrum of responses, from the extremes to the middle--so interesting.
The big takeaway spiritually speaking, has to be that this antichrist system will continue to grow in power and influence; already you have to be very intentional about your walk in Christ and be very purposeful and selective about partaking of this system--how much time, trust, and reliance you put on it. Research of the past ten years already shows a correlative effect: that as people increase their internet time, affiliation with tradition religion goes down; i.e. millions have left the faith! I have seen this worldwide with my own eyes, and yet, people still fool themselves into thinking that because they profess a faith in Christ that they have a relationship and "good fruit" in their lives. Well, you cannot serve two masters. So, today we pray that God will continue to open the eyes of our heart to see our true spiritual condition in Him, and expose those areas of hindrance in our life that need submitting to Him to remain attached to the Vine and of bearing good fruit.
~Be blessed and be a blessing.
Today's word comes from Luke 13, which happens to contain several different spiritual lesson points and examples. Overall, it is a word to the Israelites to not be complacent or prideful or self-righteous about their place in the kingdom of God--lest they deceive themselves, "for many will try to enter and not be able to." Yikes! I don't know about you, but that statement always makes me nervous! Then, Jesus goes on to make His point--you have to produce fruit in keeping with your repentance.
Jesus is saying that many of them held onto a false security--that they believed they were "good enough" as is. They trusted in their own opinion of their spiritual works or righteous behavior, even looking down on others they felt were sinners or daring to persecute those who were indeed called by God to speak His words to them. "But unless you repent, you too will all perish!"
Jesus goes on to give several parables to illustrate the point he was making. First, the fig tree that even after three years did not produce figs---it would be cut down. Or of all of the people that will be turned away from entering at the narrow door of the kingdom of God that will say, "But we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets!" Yet, they did not develop or maintain a true relationship with Christ that would be evidenced by His good fruit in their lives. And lastly, of the spiritually smug and hard-hearted ones who not only neglected a true relationship with Christ and produced no good fruit, but would go on to persecute God's true servants and hinder others from growing in their faith. These were the truly deceived---those bound by hostile religious spirits. In the end Jesus says, "Indeed there are those who are last that will be first, and first who will be last."
How we rank and prioritize ourselves spiritually has no bearing with how we will actually be received into the kingdom of God, if at all. And keep in mind, this whole discussion was with those who knew and believed in God, yet still struggled in their belief, acceptance or relationship with His Son, Jesus. For a true belief in Jesus will be evidenced by our relationship with Him and the good fruit of His Holy Spirit manifesting in our lives---that we are indeed attached to the Vine. I can produce no good fruit apart from being in Christ Jesus, and no one gets into the kingdom of God accept through Jesus Christ.
All of the points of this passage were played out recently in a panel discussion I was a part of. The topic was about of how the growing power of electronic data-based technology (emails, text messages, video, facial recognition, etc.) and the use of the internet can be used as tools for good or weapons against humanity. The message I was there to present was of a warning about the surveillance and social control aspect of that technology, as well as the closed-economic nature of the commercial side; in other words, that "no one will be able to buy or sell unless they have the mark." While still in its developing stages, overall this data-based technology and accompanying governance and economic system is an End Time issue, as mentioned in Revelation 13. It is an antichrist system. And because of that spirit, any discussion on this topic will reveal true heart conditions and spiritual beliefs very quickly, as those spirits get stirred up. Needless to say, we had people in attendance who could hear the messages given and received them in their heart and were even propelled to share their faith in Christ, juxtaposed with those that not only could not hear the messages given, but actively worked to undermine and hinder the marketing and dissemination of information from the panel discussion! It was a complete spectrum of responses, from the extremes to the middle--so interesting.
The big takeaway spiritually speaking, has to be that this antichrist system will continue to grow in power and influence; already you have to be very intentional about your walk in Christ and be very purposeful and selective about partaking of this system--how much time, trust, and reliance you put on it. Research of the past ten years already shows a correlative effect: that as people increase their internet time, affiliation with tradition religion goes down; i.e. millions have left the faith! I have seen this worldwide with my own eyes, and yet, people still fool themselves into thinking that because they profess a faith in Christ that they have a relationship and "good fruit" in their lives. Well, you cannot serve two masters. So, today we pray that God will continue to open the eyes of our heart to see our true spiritual condition in Him, and expose those areas of hindrance in our life that need submitting to Him to remain attached to the Vine and of bearing good fruit.
~Be blessed and be a blessing.
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