This blog comes out of my reflections from a book: Tethered by C.M. Collins with the subtitle; Technology, Faith & the Illusion of Self-Sufficiency.
The basic thesis is that technology is the product of humans coping with the challenges of living in a fallen world. Technology is not bad, but now that we survive by the sweat of our brows,
we look to technology to improve our existence. And surely it has done that! The next time you turn on an air conditioner in 100 degree heat, you can thank technology for making your life more comfortable.
But what technology has done is make us more self-sufficient and we increasingly live farther away from dependence on God. Man is exalted in his knowledge and ability to control his environment.
How does this relate to the verse of the week? In the book of Revelation, there are four enemies of God. The first and primary enemy is Satan or the Serpent.
The ancient deceiver will in the end deceive the nations and go to war in seeking to crush Christ’s followers. The way he will do this is through the other three enemies.
The first two that are revealed are called beasts. The third is called the great harlot. Historically, these would be the Roman Emperor, the Emperor’s priesthood and Rome.
In these three are government, the propagandist of the government and the economic community of the great city. As these prophetic symbols are projected in the future, it is easy to see in them a globalist government,
a highly technological propaganda machine and a worldwide and interconnected economic community. Here is an interesting question:
What will happen with Artificial Intelligence if in the future it gets in the wrong hands. Would “signs” and “wonders” prop up a world leader to deceive the nations and finally eradicate the only people on earth i.e.
Christians, who would call out this deception as what it really is? Could a world leader control the masses to such a degree that the freedom to worship and live be taken away?
Maybe the last three years is a good indication that it can happen! Are the masses so addicted to their technology, i.e. cell phones and computers, that the media moguls and government could alter reality
and bring about the great deception? Is a worldwide economic community able to control the masses in the case of a financial crisis? I am afraid the train has left the station! It is only a matter of time before
our world unites around the great deception. We don’t know how long this will be till it happens, but in the meantime we are called to faithfully witness to the only true King and Lord of the earth.
As Revelation says, the only way we overcome this war is, “by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”
(Revelation 12:11). Use technology, but stay free from it’s addictive power. Ask yourself; “Could I go 72 hours without my cell phone or computer?”
Is the Word of God or technology dominating my thinking? Just asking? Remember, we are more than conquerors and must stay true in our witness. Stay free my friends and live in the truth!
Pastor Fred