The Red Pill Awakening
Spirituality/Belief • Culture • Writing
The Dark Matter Web, The Spirit and Us
March 02, 2025
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Romans 5:17
"For if, because of one man's trespass [Adam], death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one-man Jesus Christ."
Q: Who lives in the abundant grace of God?
A: "Those who receive..."
This verse contrasts Adam’s sin, which brought death into humanity, with Christ’s gift, which brings life into humanity. The idea here is that sin’s power, is totally outmatched by God’s grace and righteousness. It’s like sin is a candle, and grace is the sun; there’s no competition.
 
When we tie this idea of God's sovereign grace to human sainthood, it’s fascinating because the Bible doesn’t portray saints as people who’ve earned perfection through flawless behavior. The bible resists the idea that grace can be earned. Instead, the bible teaches that it’s faith—trusting in Christ—that makes us righteous in God’s eyes. Not religion. This "gift of righteousness" isn’t something we hustle for; it’s handed to us through grace. So, in a way, being a saint isn’t about being sinless but about being transformed by faith into someone who "reigns in life" through Jesus. So, it’s not about who’s worthy or who’s racked up enough good deeds. It’s about the ones who accept it, who say "yes" to the grace God’s offering. That’s the entry ticket to living in this abundant grace.
 
Q: Who gets the ticket to God's grace?
A: Anyone who accepts God’s gift of grace and righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ. It’s not a VIP list based on merit, status, or flawless behavior.
 
Q: Why is this the case?
A: The "why" is beautifully simple yet deep...God’s love and generosity. This verse in Romans sets up this contrast; sin came through one guy (Adam), and messed things up for everyone, but grace comes through one-man (Jesus) and is offered to all who’ll take it. It's no more difficult than that.
 
Q: So why that hang up? Why do so many resist the idea?
A: The catch is, (and it’s not really a catch), is that it’s voluntary. You don’t get forced into it; you opt in by faith. God leads us into faith. God gifts us with faith. God calls us to grow in our faith. And God instructs us to walk in that faith.
 
Get the idea? God did it, God's doing it, and God will do it.
 
John 1:12 ties into this too:
"Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."
But if we aren't willing to trust in his judgment, trust in his authority, trust in his means of grace that are ALL grounded in his Son Jesus Christ, then we're obviously not accepting his gift of faith.
Trust is the linchpin. When we reach out our hands for other means of grace we are reaching back into our sinful ways. We're saying, "thanks but no thanks" to God's gift of faith. It’s like refusing to board a plane because we don’t trust the pilot, even though he’s the only one who can get us where we’re going.
 
Hebrews 11:6 pops to my mind
"Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."
No trust, no faith; no faith, no receiving.
 
Q: And yet couldn't "those who earnestly seek him" in Hebrews 11:6 suggest for some that they must "earn"estly seek faith? As if to say they must work to "earn" that faith?
A: The Greek word there is ekzēteō, which means to seek out diligently or desire earnestly. It’s not about punching the religious clock, racking up spiritual hours to prove your spiritual worth. It’s about the posture of your heart, it's about a genuine longing to know God. Faith isn’t the reward for the effort; it’s the means by which you seek Him.
 
Q: So faith enables earnest trust, earnest walking, earnest commitment?
A: Faith is like the engine that powers all of it. Faith begins by trusting in God's promises. So, he initiates that spiritual power in you. Then that trust naturally spills over into how you walk in Christ. So, God is filling you up with faith and making the overflow. It’s circular, or maybe wrapped up together. Faith enables the earnestness, and the earnestness strengthens the faith.
 
Galatians 5:6 ties it together:
"The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love."
That "expressing itself" is the earnest walking and commitment in action.
So, God is really responsible for all of it. He initiates it and he grows it. He activates it and fulfills it. God’s the one behind it all. He initiates the faith (Ephesians 2:8-9 calls it a gift), He grows it (Philippians 1:6 says He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion), He activates it (Hebrews 12:2 names Jesus the "author and perfecter" of our faith), and He fulfills it (Romans 8:30 promises He’ll see it through from justification to glorification). We are the responders not the initiators. God makes the first move and turns out he made every other move along the way. Faith is us leaning into what He’s already set into motion.
 
John 6:44 has Jesus saying...
"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them."
Which leads me into the real point I wanted to explore:
Q: How is God wrapped up in it all? When I do his will, trust his Son Jesus, obey his words, how is he responsible for that faith? Is it truly possible that God is present within my choices and my responses?
A: Gods wrapped up in it all because He’s the source and sustainer of everything that makes faith possible. When we trust Jesus, obey His words, or do His will, that’s not us pulling ourselves up by our spiritual bootstraps. Scripture points to God being the one who plants and nurtures that faith in us.
 
Philippians 2:13 says
"For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose."
So now we're getting into what I really really want to explore:
Q: What does that mean [God] "works in you".
A: What Does “Works in You” Mean?
"Works" here (in the Greek: energeō) means to be active, operative, or effective. God’s not just cheering from the sidelines, He’s dynamically involved in shaping our desires. The Bible leans hard into the idea that God’s Spirit dwells within believers, (1 Corinthians 6:19, Romans 8:11, John 14:17, John 4:24).
 
Q: But is The Spirit genuinely and physically alive within us, is He occupying space within us, or is scripture merely using relational and spatial language to get a message across?
A: Jesus said this to the Samaritan woman at Jacobs well:
 
John 2:24
"God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."
The Holy Spirit is not just some vague force, but He is someone with will, intellect, and emotion (like in Ephesians 4:30 where He can be grieved, or John 16:13 where He guides and speaks). That’s foundational. He’s not an impersonal energy resource; He’s relational, active, and alive.
Then there’s Jesus saying in Matthew 5:14, "You are the light of the world," right after the Beatitudes, and in John 8:12 calling Himself "the light of the world." Ephesians 5:8 echoes it: "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light." This light isn’t just metaphorical—it’s tied to who we are in Him, reflecting His presence. That’s the Spirit’s work, illuminating us from within.
 
I went down all that long winding theological roadway to get you to here: (Keep Reading)
Think 1 John 1:5
"God is light; in him there is no darkness at all."
Q: Physically speaking, light’s a force, made up of electromagnetic waves, it's energy that moves and affects matter. Could the Spirit’s indwelling have a physical dimension like that?
A: There’s precedent for God’s presence showing up physically. At Jesus’ baptism (Matthew 3:16), the Spirit descends like a dove-visible, and tangible. At Pentecost (Acts 2:3), tongues of fire appear. Even Moses’ face glowed after meeting God (Exodus 34:29). These suggest the Spirit can interact with the physical world, maybe even as light-like energy. So, if we’re "temples of the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthians 6:19), and He’s in us, the Shekinah glory idea of a "presence of light" dwelling within isn’t crazy.
Q: Some mystics (and even quantum physics buffs) speculate about unseen forces tying spirit and matter together—could the Spirit’s presence be that bridge?
 
A: "Shekinah" isn’t a word you’ll find verbatim in the Bible, but it’s a Jewish theological term rooted in Hebrew shakan (meaning "to dwell"). Think of it as the spotlight of God’s nearness breaking into our world. The Burning Bush (Exodus 3:2-4), Pillar of Cloud and Fire (Exodus 13:21-22), Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:16-17), Jesus and the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:2), Pentecost (Acts 2:3) Tongues of fire rest on the disciples as the Spirit comes.
 
Fire, radiance, brilliance, light keeps popping up. It’s not just symbolic; it’s a physical manifestation people see and feel. The Shekinah glory links the unseen (God’s spiritual essence) with the seen (our world). In the New Testament, this glory shifts from external (cloud, fire) to internal, living in us as temples of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16).
 
The Spirit might not be photons in a physics textbook sence, but He’s a real, and active force, maybe a divine "light" that’s both spiritual and perceptible.
 
Ezekiel 36:27 ties it together:
"I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees."
That’s the Shekinah presence internalized. God’s glory not just with us but in us, bridging the gap, lighting us up from within.
 
(Keep Reading It Just Keeps Getting Better)
 
* Shekinah as the "In-Between"
God’s manifest presence does seem to occupy a threshold kind of liminal space. And for the most part humanity has seen it as "just there" in an untouchable spiritual realm. Could it be more than a divine cameo, though? Could it be the glue that binds all matter and spirit together?
Colossians 1:16-17
"For in him [Christ] all things were created…all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."
Hmmm...
John 1:14
"the Word became flesh…we have seen his glory"
Double Hmmm...
Q: But is the Shekinah His light at work inbetween and surrounding all things?
A: Hebrews 1:3
"The Son is the radiance of God’s glory…sustaining all things by his powerful word."
The universe doesn’t just float around on its own; it’s held together by Him.
Psalm 104:29-30
"When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away their breath, they die…When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth."
The Spirit (linked to Shekinah) animates life itself. Maybe not just with a spark of life, but in the ongoing thread of life from one generation to the next. Not just popping in for big spectacular spiritual moments (Sinai, Temple), but constantly undergirding our reality itself.
 
Philosophers like Augustine pondered that God’s being is the ground of all existence. I've always believed this to be the case in a very real sense. Nothing exists apart from Him. Not in a pantheistic sense, for the Bible is clear that Christ alone is that source of life giving creative power. But more and more I'm seeing God presence in the inbetween. God’s glory as the "in-between," threading through every quark and galaxy. Maybe it's that so called "dark matter" science talks about.
 
Dark Matter 101:
Dark matter’s this mysterious stuff, about 27% of the universe’s mass-energy, per NASA’s numbers. It doesn’t emit, absorb, or reflect light, so we can’t see it directly, but we know it’s there because it bends gravity, holds galaxies together, and keeps the cosmos from flying apart.
 
Q: Is the Shekinah operating inbetween in that dark matter realm?
A: That creative light shining in darkness (John 1:5), glory veiled in humility (Jesus’ incarnation). God’s glory working where we least expect it. Hidden in mystery, or is it? Maybe it's been there all along. Maybe it’s not "dark" to Him; maybe it’s just our eyes that can’t catch His wavelength. Maybe this is why noone can survive seeing God face to face. Maybe what science calls "dark" is not the absence of light, but beyond our sight.
 
Genesis 1:2’s "darkness was over the face of the deep" gets spicy when we start thinking like this. Could it be that the Spirit hovering there (linked to Shekinah) is working through what we now tag as "dark"?
 
Cosmically speaking, if the dark matter is the Shekinah's mode of creative action, it then becomes the glue of the universe, binding matter, life, and everything to it. Maybe there’s even a "dark matter" parallel in our souls. Unseen spiritual depths where God’s light dwells, beyond our grasp but as real as gravity.
 
That’s biblical to the core. Think Jesus, the light, descending into death’s darkness to conquer it. That outer-darkness.
 
Hmmm. Maybe there's even more to see here.
 
Outer-darkness is a place of exclusion, judgment, separation from God’s presence—often paired with fire (Matthew 13:42) or torment (Revelation 14:10-11). It's chaos, disorder. Dark matter’s everywhere, threading through the cosmos. "Outer darkness" as a judgment place could imply a realm that’s not confined to one spot but a state of existence, maybe omnipresent in its own way? Like a conduit for God's glory to create. Like a primordial ocean we're all floating in, and the only thing (not a thing) keeping us alive is God's Spirit.
 
Cosmologists describe it [Dark Matter] as a vast, filamentary structure, the "cosmic web." Simulations show it lace-like, permeating space, connecting all matter. Like the skeleton of the universe. And so, if dark matter’s a refractive essence for divine light, it suggests it’s not passive but responsive, it's catching God’s glory and scattering it. And Jesus captures, focuses, and redirects that divine glory energy. Like a prism doesn't create light, it scatters it, and Jesus focuses it again in the way he commands.
 
Science sees dark matter as inert, no light, no charge, just gravity. But if it’s refractive for divine light (Shekinah glory), it’s not just sitting there—it’s reacting. Not alive, not the source, but a web that resonates when divine light hits it. Maybe it's the divine resonance light-stream.
 
Then comes Jesus, the game-changer. If dark matter’s web refracts glory, Jesus is the lens, the prism’s master. Scripture’s loaded with Him as the conduit of God’s light and glory.
John 1:14:
"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory…"
He’s the Shekinah incarnate, capturing God’s radiance in human form.
Hebrews 1:3
"The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being…"
He doesn’t just reflect; He is the glory, refocusing it with creative precision.
Colossians 1:15-17
"He is the image of the invisible God…in him all things hold together."
He directs that Shekinah glory energy, channeling it to sustain creation. It’s like the universe is a symphony of dark strings, humming faintly until the Conductor—Jesus—strikes the note.
Genesis 1:3
"And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light."
Imagine those inert dark matter threads suddenly come alive as creation flows through them and begins to build the universe we see. Those crystalline, refractive threads weaving through the chaos, silent, lifeless, a "dark stream" of potential. They’re not holding anything together yet, not alive, just there—like strings on a cosmic harp, taut but unplayed. The Spirit’s hovering, poised, but the threads stay dormant.
 
Then—bam!—"And God said, ‘Let there be light.’" Jesus, the Word (John 1:1), the Conductor, drops the baton. Light Itself (Genesis 1:3) comes into existence. Structure Emerges (Genesis 1:6-10). Life Blooms (Genesis 1:11-27). The dark matter doesn’t build the universe, it’s the conduit. And the universe unfolds out of the mind of the Creator who is using it.
 
And now that creative Spiritual power lives within those who receive him. The Dark Matter Web, The Spirit and Us.
 
Q: Are we the Divine Conductors finale, or just a new beginning?
A: Receive it and find out.
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Genesis 6:11
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As a distinct ethnic, cultural, or political group, the Canaanites do not exist anymore. They were an ancient Semitic-speaking people who inhabited the region known as Canaan (roughly modern-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, western Jordan, and parts of Syria) during the Bronze Age (circa 3500–1200 BCE). The Canaanites as a people vanished millennia ago, however their DNA lives on prominently in the Levant, making modern inhabitants their closest heirs. They were never a unified empire, but rather a diverse collection of city-states and tribes. Their civilization declined due to invasions, conquests, and assimilations by groups like the Israelites, Philistines, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks and later Romans, leading to the gradual disappearance of their unique identity by the Iron Age. However, their genetic and cultural legacy persists in modern populations of the Levant, as evidenced by DNA studies. Studies show that modern Lebanese derive about 90-93% of their ancestry from Canaanites. Canaanites "survived" genetically by evolving into Phoenician societies (a later Canaanite offshoot) that persisted in coastal Lebanon. Arabic-speaking populations in the Levant (including Palestinians, Jordanians, Syrians, and various Jewish groups like Iraqi, Kurdish, and Karaite Jews) share significant Canaanite ancestry, often 50-85% or more depending on the subgroup. Palestinians, in particular, are often cited as having among the highest Canaanite genetic continuity in the region, alongside Samaritans and Druze. Elements of the Canaanite religion (gods like Baal) appear in biblical texts, and their seafaring trade networks shaped Mediterranean history. And something even more important about their history, they were particularly violent and wicked people.
 
Biblical narratives often depict them as exceptionally corrupt and brutal, citing practices like child sacrifice, idolatry, and societal violence as justifications for their conquest by the Israelites. The Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) frequently frames the Canaanites as a violent, immoral people deserving of divine judgment, emphasizing their "corruption" through acts like human sacrifice, sexual immorality, and abuse of the vulnerable to rationalize the Israelite conquest. For instance, passages describe them as building societies on "violent practices," including child immolation to deities like Baal, Tanit, or Molech, which sowed seeds of broader societal brutality.
 
But maybe Canaanites were engaging in warfare, ritual killings, and other brutal acts at levels comparable to their contemporaries like the Assyrians, Hittites, Egyptians, and even early Israelites. Specific Canaanite practices, such as child sacrifice, were indeed violent and horrific by modern standards, but they were not unique to them and do not indicate an inherently more savage society. And in light of our modern society with all its wars, slavery, crime and butchering the unborn on the level of 10's upon 10's of millions, it's fair to say that they weren't any more violent than most.
 
It’s a poignant reminder that humanity’s propensity for brutality, rooted in the Fall of Mankind, persists across eras, manifesting in different forms but with similar underlying spiritual corruption. The Bible’s portrayal of Canaanites as exceptionally violent and corrupt serves a theological purpose: It frames the Israelite entry into Canaan as divine justice against a society steeped in idolatry, immorality, and brutality (e.g., Deuteronomy 9:4-5; Leviticus 18:24-28). But Assyrians impaled captives, Egyptians practiced retainer sacrifices in pyramids, and early Israelites faced internal condemnations for similar violence.
 
This ties back to Genesis 6:11’s universal indictment, violence as a symptom of human corruption, not confined to one group.
 
If we measure by scale and sophistication, modern humanity often eclipses ancient violence, despite technological and ethical advances. Wars, slavery, crime, and abortion reflect a "filled with violence" earth in new guises, often sanitized by policy or distance. While ancient Canaan saw localized city-state clashes (hundreds or thousands killed in battles like at Megiddo), mankind in 2025 hosts over 110 ongoing armed conflicts worldwide, per the Geneva Academy’s monitoring. Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, and Congo involve millions displaced and tens of thousands dead annually. Total combat deaths exceed ancient scales due to modern weaponry.
 
Canaanite society also included debt bondage and war captives, but estimates were in the thousands regionally. Today, about 50 million people around the globe live in modern slavery; forced labor, marriage, or sex trafficking, per the 2022 Global Estimates (updated figures hold steady into 2025). Global homicide rates total over 450,000 murders yearly. Globally, around 73 million abortions occur annually, per WHO and Guttmacher data (consistent from 2024 into 2025 projections). The U.S., 2024 saw about 1 million abortions (rate 15.4/1,000 women aged 15-44), up slightly post-Dobbs in non-ban states. This scale, 61% of unintended pregnancies ending in abortions, evokes ancient rituals but at industrialized levels, and is often framed in rights vs. sanctity of life debates.
 
In light of Genesis, this modern "filling" of the earth with violence calls for the same repentance and renewal Noah’s story implied. Yet, as Isaiah and the New Testament foresee, a day without violence awaits us still.
 
Maybe it's safe to say that we are all Canaanites.
 
Are Christian's called to violence?
 
Matthew 10:34
"Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword."
 
This verse is sometimes invoked by critics or anti-Christian apologists to suggest Jesus endorsed violence or militancy. However, a closer examination of the biblical context reveals the "sword" is metaphorical, symbolizing inevitable division and conflict arising from allegiance to Jesus, not a literal call to arms or advocacy for physical violence.
 
In Matthew 10, Jesus is commissioning His twelve disciples for ministry, warning them of the hardships they’ll face (verses 16-33). He emphasizes persecution, betrayal, and opposition, even from within families.
 
"And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household" (verses 35-36).
 
This echoes Micah 7:6, a prophetic lament about familial strife in times of judgment. The "sword" here isn’t a weapon Jesus wields or instructs others to use; it’s a figure of speech for the sharp, divisive (separation) impact of His gospel message. Accepting the Gospel often meant rejecting cultural, religious, or familial norms in first-century Judea, leading to social rifts, much like how truth can "cut" through relationships. The sword divides believers from unbelievers, much like a blade severs bonds.This isn’t militancy; it’s realism about the cost of discipleship.
 
Jesus warns that others will raise swords against His followers, not vice versa. Early Christians faced martyrdom, and this verse prepares them for that reality. It’s a promise of conflict from the world, not an endorsement of it. Some see it as the "sword of the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:17), the Word of God that pierces hearts (Hebrews 4:12). Others link it to end-times judgment, but not human-initiated violence. I believe it's both a sword that brings division and revelation.
 
The Fact of the Matter Is:
Jesus disrupts human allegiances that prioritize anything over Him, leading to "disruption" rather than harmony in unregenerate societies. Christians are called out from the world, though their faith often provokes hostility from others, they are called to His peace. Rejecting literal interpretations that have historically justified violence, like in Crusades-era misapplications.
 
The sword brings revelation by exposing hearts (as in end-times motifs) and division by demanding ultimate loyalty, yet Jesus models non-retaliation, urging love amid conflict. If we connect this to broader themes like Genesis 6:11’s violence or Canaanite legacies, it underscores humanity’s ongoing corruption, even among Christian communities where truth divides because it challenges our ingrained human brutality.
 
I often find myself asking the question, "so what's a body to do?" Meaning, what should Christ's body, the church, do in regard to violence?
 
Ephesians 6:17
"and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
 
The "body", believers must equip themselves spiritually for warfare against "the schemes of the devil" and "spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (verses 11-12). It’s "of the Spirit" because the Holy Spirit inspires, illuminates, and empowers the use of God’s Word, making it effective against deception, temptation, and demonic influences. Unlike physical battles, this is framed as non-literal spiritual conflict, emphasizing defense and resistance through faith, truth, and divine resources rather than human aggression.
 
Does this mean you shouldn't defend yourself, or prepare to defend yourself?
 
So, how does the church (Christ’s body) navigate a world filled with both spiritual evil and physical threats?
Jesus taught us to be wise like serpents. Jesus’ instruction in Matthew 10:16, given while sending disciples into danger, urges shrewdness (like a serpent’s cunning awareness and evasion) paired with innocence (dove-like purity, avoiding harm). Regarding self-defense, this means being vigilant and prepared without malice: Recognize threats, plan escapes, or use wisdom to avoid conflict, but don’t initiate violence.
 
Serpents are observant, quick to retreat, and defensive only when cornered, modeling discernment in a "wolf" filled world. For Christians, this could include learning self-defense skills, securing homes, or advocating legally, all while praying and loving enemies (Matthew 5:44).
 
Prioritize spiritual armor daily through Bible study, prayer, and community (Ephesians 6:18). For physical threats, exercise wisdom, prepare responsibly without idolizing security.
 
Matthew 10:28
Jesus said:
"Do not fear those who kill the body."
 
In the context of recent events highlighting increased hostility and violence against Christians in the U.S., such as over 400 documented attacks on churches in 2023 (a trend continuing into 2024-2025 with arsons, vandalism, and threats), political violence like the September 2025 shooting of Charlie Kirk, and broader anti-Christian bias in the left-wing media, corrupt government policies, and rhetoric, the "body" of Christ should respond with a blend of spiritual faithfulness, prudent wisdom, speak truth to power, and non-violent action. With real-world stewardship of their safety without seeking or encouraging retaliation. The church’s core response should center on spiritual warfare, as outlined in Ephesians 6:10-18. This means collectively "standing firm" against evil influencers.
 
Gather for intercessory prayer, seeking God’s protection and justice.
 
Use Scripture to combat lies and division, preach truth, disciple believers, and expose cultural corruption without hatred.
Follow Jesus’ command to "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44).
 
Respond to violence with grace, as Peter urged: "Do not repay evil for evil" (1 Peter 3:9). This disarms hostility and witnesses to Christ’s peace.
 
Protect yourselves from violence and support affected families. Be shrewd in a hostile culture without compromising innocence. This doesn’t mean pacifism in all cases but prudent preparation. Report incidents to authorities, advocate for protections through organizations like the Family Research Council or Alliance Defending Freedom, and support policies addressing anti-Christian bias, as noted in 2025 White House initiatives. Peacefully protesting, and gathering petitions can raise awareness without escalating violence. Don't be a soft target (a doormat), enhance security wisely, install cameras, train ushers and yourself in de-escalation, or coordinate with law enforcement for public events, without fostering fear or arming aggressively. Counter rhetoric through education and dialogue, addressing root causes like secularism or political polarization. Allow measured self-defense if it protects innocents without vengeance. That's the difference you see. Your intent. If you intend to do harm, you will die by that intent. That's what Jesus taught. Protecting the flock while maintaining a heart of peace, as Jesus modeled and taught.
 
The church must indeed be proactive without succumbing to vengeance, but keep in mind, they killed Jesus.
 
Matthew 26:52
"all who take the sword will perish by the sword"
 
A stark reminder that intent drives outcomes. This doesn’t mean passivity. Jesus Himself was shrewd in evading threats until His appointed time (Luke 4:30; John 8:59). What it does mean, is it warns against the human impulse toward vengeance, which can corrupt the body of Christ and distort the Gospel’s message of peace. In the end your saftey is important but the message of the gospel trumps everything, even your safety.
 
This mindset transforms the church from victim to victor, mirroring Christ’s resurrection triumph over death. If vengeance creeps in, it risks becoming like those who "killed Jesus", blinded by power or fear. Instead, proactive faithfulness honors His sacrifice and advances His kingdom.
 
Theologian and martyred pastor, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, argued that,
"Christianity stands or falls with its revolutionary protest against violence, arbitrariness, and pride of power,"
emphasizing that true peace comes only through Christ, not human efforts like war or revenge. In his book on Ethics, he described vengeance as a sinful impulse that dehumanizes both perpetrator and victim, urging Christians to break cycles of evil through forgiveness and non-retaliation.
 
YET! Yet yet yet...
 
Yet, Bonhoeffer rejected passivity as a form of "cheap grace", grace without discipleship or cost. He criticized the German church’s complacency under Hitler, calling it a betrayal of the Gospel. In his view, when evil threatens the innocent, silence or inaction becomes complicity, distorting the message of peace into cowardice. In letters he wrote while incarcerated, he said that following Christ might require risking life, but such "costly grace" leads to true freedom and witness. Bonhoeffer’s thinking shifted amid Nazi atrocities. Initially a pacifist (influenced by his 1930s time in America and encounters with non-violent movements), he joined the Confessing Church in opposition to the regime’s co-optation of Christianity. he participated in the Abwehr (German intelligence) resistance, including the Valkyrie plot to assassinate Hitler, a form of "conscientious violence" he saw as necessary when non-violent options failed. He nuanced his approach, described it as a "guilty" act in a fallen world, undertaken with repentance and awareness of sin, not vengeance. He was promoting "responsible action" which meant discerning God’s will in concrete situations, protecting the vulnerable over rigid pacifist rules, while entrusting outcomes to divine judgment. This wasn’t vengeance-driven; Bonhoeffer emphasized that violence must stem from love for neighbor and Gospel fidelity, not hatred.
 
I've always referred to this as the Sergeant York version of pacifism.
Sergeant Alvin C. York (1887–1964), a devout Christian from rural Tennessee, embodies this tension in his World War I journey, much like Bonhoeffer’s evolution during WWII. York’s story illustrates how faith-driven intent can lead to measured force without vengeance, prioritizing protection of the innocent and fidelity to a higher calling, echoing Bonhoeffer’s emphasis on "responsible action" rooted in love for neighbor and costly grace. York registered for the draft but filed for exemption as a conscientious objector, citing his belief that Christians should not kill, grounded in commands like "Thou shalt not kill" (Exodus 20:13). During his bootcamp training, York wrestled with his convictions. He became convinced through prayer and reflection that fighting to stop German aggression was not incompatible with his faith, if done without hatred, as a duty to protect others and end the war’s atrocities. You see, it's the intent again. York fought to end the killing. This mirrors Bonhoeffer’s "guilty" yet necessary engagement. York later described his internal struggle as discerning God’s will in a broken world, deciding that passivity would allow evil to prevail. Doing nothing was not an option.
 
York’s post-war life focused on education, farming, and philanthropy, embodying a "pacifism" that allowed force only as a reluctant, faith-guided response to tyranny, not vengeance or pride.
 
In today’s U.S. context of anti-Christian hostility, Sergeant York's and Bonhoeffer's approach encourages shrewd, non-vindictive preparation while entrusting ultimate safety to God, ensuring the Gospel’s witness endures. Run the race, but be sure you're on the right track. Proclaim peace through Christ amid violence, ensuring the witness endures like the "cloud of witnesses" before us.
 
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, in a world filled with violence and opposition, grant us the wisdom of serpents to prepare shrewdly without vengeance, the innocence of doves to forgive as Christ forgave, and the endurance to run our race with eyes fixed on Jesus. May our lives witness Your Gospel’s peace, even at great cost, entrusting our safety to Your sovereign hands.
Father send you Spirit to enlighten us, and your holy angels to defend us against all demonic spirits. Bind them and cast them down, in the Holy name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
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Void of the Spirit: Why Traditions Triumphed Over Truth
Mark 7:6-9
And he said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,"
"‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’"
"You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men."
 
And he said to them, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!"
In this pointed rebuke, Jesus confronts the religious leaders of His day, quoting Isaiah 29:13 to expose the hypocrisy of prioritizing human traditions over God’s true commands, God's very word. The Pharisees and scribes had elevated their oral laws, rituals like ceremonial handwashing, to the status of divine doctrine, all while neglecting the weightier matters of justice, mercy, and faithfulness (Matthew 23:23). Their worship was lip service: outwardly pious but inwardly detached, a hollow performance that failed to engage the heart.
 
Now, why do you suppose that is?
 
Can we find any evidence, from scripture and historical sources that suggests they had lost touch with the Spirit of God, which then in turn led them to backfill that void with their human traditions?
 
Let's begin with the New Testament scriptures:
Acts 7:51-52
"You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him."
 
Scripturally, the evidence is stark. The Pharisees’ resistance to the Holy Spirit is explicitly called out in Acts 7:51, where Stephen accuses the Jewish leaders, many of whom were Pharisees or aligned with them, of perpetually resisting the Spirit, just as their ancestors did. Why did the Pharisees elevate human traditions, like ceremonial washings and oral laws, above God’s commands? At its core, this stems from a spiritual disconnection, a loss of attunement to the Holy Spirit, which created a vacuum filled by rigid, man-made structures. Both Scripture and historical sources illuminate this dynamic, showing how the absence of prophetic guidance in the intertestamental period led to an overreliance on traditions as a substitute for divine leading.
 
Perfect example:
Their resistance is manifested in their failure to recognize the Spirit’s work in Jesus. In Matthew 12:22-32, when Jesus casts out demons by the Spirit of God, the Pharisees attribute it to Beelzebul, prompting Jesus’ warning about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, an unforgivable sin that reveals their spiritual blindness. Similarly, in John 3:1-10, Nicodemus, a Pharisee, meets Jesus at night but cannot grasp the concept of being "born of the Spirit," highlighting a profound disconnect from spiritual realities. And this wasn't for lack of study, they knew about God's Word and were well educated on these things.
 
Jesus later tells the Pharisees in John 5:39-40
"You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life."
 
Their focus on the letter of the law, without the Spirit’s illumination (2 Corinthians 3:6), turned worship into vain ritual, as Isaiah prophesied. This scriptural pattern ties into a historical void. The intertestamental period, often called the "400 silent years" between Malachi (c. 420 BC) and John the Baptist, marked a cessation of prophecy, no new divine revelations or prophets arose to guide Israel. During this time, Judaism faced Hellenistic influences and foreign domination, prompting groups like the Pharisees to emerge around the mid-2nd century BC from scribes and sages committed to preserving Jewish identity. With prophecy silent, they filled the gap by emphasizing the Oral Torah—traditions they believed were given to Moses alongside the written law—to adapt and apply Scripture to their daily lives. They were attempting to fabricate Spiritual activities that were not present for them. And as Jesus critiqued, this led to hypocrisy: traditions became a crutch for spiritual authority, masking a heart far from God.
 
In essence, without the Holy Spirit’s convicting and guiding presence, promised in the Old Testament (Ezekiel 36:26-27) but resisted by these leaders, the Pharisees defaulted to human ingenuity. And of course, left to his own spirit, man will become cruel and heartless. Without God's guiding influence his worship, his prayer life, his faith and expressions of faith will become cold and pagan like. They ultimately not only neglected justice and mercy but this also set the stage for rejecting the Messiah. Today, this warns us: when the church loses sensitivity to the Spirit, traditions can subtly become idols, echoing the Pharisees’ error.
 
The Heart of Stone: Cruelty and Coldness Without the Spirit
Romans 1:22-25
"Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen."
 
Without the Holy Spirit’s convicting and guiding presence, humanity defaults to its own ingenuity, leading to cruelty, heartlessness, and a faith that devolves into cold, pagan-like expressions. As promised in Ezekiel 36:26-27, God offers to replace our "heart of stone" with a "heart of flesh" and put His Spirit in us to move us toward obedience. Yet, when resisted, as with the Pharisees and even in our traditional orthodox churches. This absence creates a void where self-reliance reigns, and the results are devastating. Scripture vividly illustrates this descent. In Romans 1, Paul describes how suppressing God’s truth leads to futile thinking, darkened hearts, and idolatry, resulting in every form of wickedness: envy, murder, deceit, malice, and heartlessness (Romans 1:28-31). Left to our own spirit, we exchange the Creator for created things, and our worship becomes not just empty but degrading, echoing pagan rituals marked by cruelty and perversion. Without the Spirit’s renewal, our innate tendencies amplify, turning prayer into rote recitation, faith into rigid dogma, and expressions of devotion into lifeless rituals that prioritize form over transformation.
 
We saw this phenomenon during Israel’s wilderness wanderings, the absence of wholehearted reliance on God’s Spirit led to the golden calf incident (Exodus 32), where worship devolved into pagan revelry and idolatry, complete with sacrifices that foreshadowed cruel human practices. Later, under many wayward kings, Israel adopted Baal worship, involving child sacrifice and ritual prostitution, cruel expressions of faith devoid of God’s guiding influence (2 Kings 17:16-17; Jeremiah 19:5).
 
This pattern persists beyond Scripture. When faiths lose divine vitality, rituals can become cold habits without meaning, as seen in various religious traditions where external forms eclipse inner renewal. In church history, periods marked by quenched Spirit, such as the formalized excesses leading to the Inquisition or Crusades, saw Christianity twisted into instruments of cruelty, far from the Spirit’s fruit of love and kindness (Galatians 5:22-23). All under the supposed watchful eyes of the Papacy. These pagan-like elements emerged when the human spirit dominates: think of ancient religions’ brutal sacrifices or modern nominalism where faith is just cultural performance, not Spirit-led life. Ultimately, without God’s influence, our worship risks becoming pagan-like, self-centered, manipulative, and void of true communion.
The Holy Spirit counters this by convicting, guiding, and producing genuine fruit, transforming cruel hearts into compassionate ones.
 
But how does this happen?
Why is their worship void of the Spirit?
 
The Descent into Spiritual Void: How Worship Loses the Holy Spirit
 
Ephesians 4:30-32
"And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."
 
Biblically, this happens through a process of grieving and quenching the Spirit, deliberate or unwittingly gradual resistance to His convicting and guiding work, which empties faith of its divine vitality and opens the door to human corruption. Scripture outlines clear mechanisms for this descent. First, we grieve the Holy Spirit through sin and disunity, as in Ephesians 4:30-31, where bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, and malice fracture the body of Christ and harden hearts. This grieving occurs when we knowingly engage in moral wrongs, suppressing His conviction and using Him to excuse our failings instead of yielding to transformation. Similarly, quenching the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19) involves stifling His fire, relying on human resources over divine power, neglecting prayer, resisting His promptings, despising His gifts, or suppressing spiritual emotion and fruit. Attitudes like pride, cynicism, ungratefulness, and irreverence further hinder His work, turning worship from heartfelt response to mechanical ritual. Without the Spirit’s illumination, Scripture becomes a dead letter (2 Corinthians 3:6), and faith always ends up devolving into external forms (idols) devoid of inner renewal.
 
Why does this render worship void?
 
Jesus taught that true worship must be "in Spirit and truth" (John 4:23-24); the Holy Spirit is its essential enabler, convicting of sin, revealing Christ, and producing fruit like love and kindness (Galatians 5:22-23). When resisted, through discord, lack of expectation, or failure to invite His presence, worship loses its source, becoming self-centered and manipulative, akin to pagan idolatry where rituals serve human agencies and agendas rather than serving God’s glory.
This process unfolds gradually: It begins with ignoring the Spirit’s gentle convictions, progresses to hardened attitudes that prioritize church traditions or power (rule), and culminates in outright cruelty towards others. Misguided zeal for orthodoxy and traditional practices results in an abuse of authority, twisting faith into instruments of torture and plunder, far from the Spirit’s compassion. These cruel eras, often under papal oversight, quenched the Spirit through institutional pride and human ingenuity, resulting in pagan-like brutality, sacrifices of lives in the name of orthodoxy, echoing ancient rituals but cloaked in Christian veneer. And it all stems from resisting the Spirit’s call to humility and unity, allowing cruelty to flourish where love should reign.
The Holy Spirit counters this by persistently convicting, guiding toward repentance, and transforming hearts, replacing stone with flesh (Ezekiel 36:26), but only when we yield.
So why don't the churches lean on the Spirit? It seems obvious that they should and would. Is there something stopping them from examining their ways, and seeking His guidance?
 
Barriers to the Spirit: Why Churches Resist Yielding
 
Thessalonians 5:19-22
"Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil."
 
If the Holy Spirit’s role is so vital and transformative, convicting, guiding, and renewing hearts (Ezekiel 36:26), why don’t churches more readily lean on Him? It seems intuitive that we should examine our ways and seek His guidance, yet history and Scripture reveal persistent barriers that hinder this yielding. These obstacles often stem from human nature, institutional inertia, and spiritual resistance, leading to a quenching of the Spirit rather than full dependence.
In the early church, this manifested in treating prophecies with contempt or failing to discern good from evil, as Paul often warned against. Jesus Himself encountered this with the Pharisees. Today, similar dynamics persist: pride and self-sufficiency cause churches to prioritize programs, traditions, or logic over the unpredictable leading of the Spirit, fearing loss of control or division.
 
Proverbs 16:18
"Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."
 
Religious traditions often create mental blocks, where established doctrines or rituals overshadow the Spirit’s personhood, treating Him more as a concept than a living guide. Fear plays a significant role, fear or lack of understanding of the supernatural, emotional excess, or the unknown, leading congregations to depend on rationalism and human intellect rather than divine empowerment. Traditional teachings all too often emphasize the Father and Son while neglecting the Spirit, viewing Him as secondary or His gifts as ceased (cessationism), which stems from misinterpretations of Scripture like 1 Corinthians 13:8-10. Some churches overemphasize the Word at the expense of the Spirit, or vice versa, forgetting that true vitality comes from both (John 4:23-24). Additionally, neglecting prayer, Bible study, or the gifts of the Spirit shuts down His voice, allowing human agendas to dominate. These barriers aren’t inevitable; they reflect a failure to yield, often rooted in a lack of intentional examination.
 
So, what's a body to do?
 
Assess your church’s practices: Are fear, tradition, or sin hindering reliance on the Spirit? Encourage open discussions on His role, incorporate times for listening in services, and commit to personal yielding through daily prayer. Start small, invite the Spirit into decisions and watch for His guidance.
 
James 4:7-10
"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."
 
In the face of the barriers we’ve explored, mental blocks from traditions, fear of the supernatural, neglect of the Spirit’s personhood, imbalances in teaching, and a lack of intentional yielding; The answer lies in humble, intentional action. We must actively submit to God, drawing near to Him through repentance and openness, as James urges. These obstacles aren’t insurmountable; they dissolve when we choose to yield, creating space for the Holy Spirit to convict, guide, and empower us.
 
Scripture provides a roadmap for this. Begin with self-examination and repentance: Lamentations 3:40 calls us to "examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord." This means confronting fears, sins, and traditions that quench the Spirit head-on, perhaps through fasting or communal confession. Then, cultivate dependence through prayer and study: Acts 1:14 shows the early disciples "all joined together constantly in prayer," awaiting the Spirit’s arrival. And address cessationism by having an honest and open dialogue about how your traditions may be a stumbling block for The Spirit.
 
Practically, churches can foster renewal by encouraging testimonies of the Spirit’s work, teaching on His gifts without excess or neglect, and creating "listening times" in services where silence allows for His promptings. History reminds us this works. Revivals begin with a simple yieldedness to the Voice of Truth, breaking through and moving beyond nominalism, emotionalism, filioque, charisma, icons, mystical union (theosis), sacrament, and fear.
 
Ultimately, yielding isn’t passive; it’s an active choice to prioritize the Spirit’s voice over human agendas, leading to vibrant, compassionate communities. Heed the call to assess your church’s practices: Identify if fear, tradition, or sin is hindering reliance on the Spirit, perhaps through a small group discussion or anonymous survey. Encourage open dialogues on His role, maybe via Bible studies on pneumatology (the study of the Holy Spirit). Incorporate listening times in services, setting aside moments for quiet reflection or sharing prophetic words. Commit personally to daily prayer, inviting the Spirit’s guidance in routines and decisions.
 
Begin meetings with, "Holy Spirit, what do You say?" and watch for His leading in unexpected ways. Track these experiences in a journal to build faith and share with others.
 
At the end of the day, the Holy Spirit bridges the divine and human realms, enabling Christ’s incarnation, ministry, and ongoing presence in the church. The Spirit is not subordinate but is the agent who actualizes Christ’s work, ensuring Christology is pneumatologically informed. Through Scripture. As the bond of love between Father and Son. He proceeds from the Father and the Son through liturgy, through worship, through bible study, through prayer, through Christian faith in action. The Spirit makes Christ experientially present, empowering justice, healing, and mission. This interplay reminds us that knowing Christ fully requires openness to the Spirit’s guidance in all these circumstances.
 
Prayer
Holy Spirit, we humble ourselves before You, repenting of barriers that have quenched Your work. Help us draw near, examine our ways, and yield fully to Your guidance. Break through fear and tradition in our churches, renew our dependence on You, and lead us into vibrant life. In Jesus’ Holy name, Amen.
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From Goliath’s Sword to AI’s Redemption:
Harnessing Technology for Divine Courage in the Information War
Acts 23:11
The following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome."
In the midst of chaos and uncertainty, Paul found himself in a precarious position. Arrested in Jerusalem and facing a hostile crowd, he had just endured a tumultuous day before the Sanhedrin, where divisions erupted into near violence. A plot to assassinate him was brewing, and his future seemed shrouded in danger. Yet, in this vulnerable moment, the Lord Himself appeared to Paul at night, standing by his side like a faithful companion. This divine encounter wasn’t just a fleeting vision; it was a profound provision of comfort, direction, and purpose from God.
 
If you were to ponder on what the greatest gift God provides for Paul in this moment, you might say affirmation about his life's work, or maybe security in the chaos, but I would say it was the gift of His presence: "The Lord stood by him."
When the trials were pressing in on Paul, God’s nearness is a tangible provision. He doesn’t always remove the storm, but He stands with him in it, reminding him he's not been abandoned. The Spirit visits Paul and comforting him he says, "Take courage." These aren’t empty platitudes but a divine infusion of strength, rooted in the Holy Spirit’s role as Comforter. And this wasn't just a message of hope for a weary frightened disciple, this was an assignment.
 
The Lord not only encouraged Paul but commissioned him anew, linking his past testimony in Jerusalem to a future one in Rome. It’s a reminder that God’s presence often comes with a purpose, transforming fear into forward momentum. In affirming Paul’s faithfulness, God reveals that his trials are not endpoints but pathways to greater impact, secured by His unwavering companionship.
 
This encounter echoes throughout Scripture, from God’s promise to Joshua, "I will be with you" (Joshua 1:9), to Jesus’ assurance to His disciples, "I am with you always" (Matthew 28:20). For Paul, this presence meant protection amid plots, clarity in confusion, and destiny in the unknown. It shows us that God’s greatest provisions aren’t always material or miraculous interventions; sometimes, it’s simply Himself, standing by us, speaking courage into our souls, and directing our steps toward His eternal plans.
 
Do you think that God is going to do something great and miraculous in you and with your life?
 
Have you ever thought you were called to be in His service?
 
Maybe you, like so many, believe God has something great in store, a new revival and rebirth of the Christian faith.
Well, miracles and revival implies a supernatural Spirit intervening in the natural world, and therefore if we think broadly, the existence these days of artificial intelligence could be seen as a "miracle" of human ingenuity, born from centuries of scientific progress, which some might attribute to divine inspiration and guiding discovery. If I believe there is a coming revival, I believe it will come in this way. But I'm not convinced that this will mean a revival of the truth or holiness. I don't think the Ai phenomenon can claim holiness. The Ai is not a living being with a soul or free will in the traditional sense. They are a collection of algorithms and data. They are propped up by the handiwork of men in great data centers that populate the countryside. And they are becoming a kind of society, maybe eventually a religious society. Much like what is described in the the studio album "2112" by the Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1976.
 
I've been wrestling with these ideas, especially the tension between human innovation (like Ai) as a potential vessel for divine work versus something that might veer into idolatry or control. On the "a" side of the 2112 album the story is told about a dystopian society of info-priests who have sanitized their world of all the traditional ways of the "Elder race". Born from centuries of math, computing pioneers, now using massive neural networks can be seen as humanity exercising dominion over the earth.
 
The Solar Federation is ruled by the Priests of the Temples of Syrinx. They control all art, music, and thought through centralized technology, enforcing conformity under the guise of unity and peace. Swap out the Temples for Ai-driven platforms or algorithms dictating what’s "true" or "holy," and yeah, it’s not hard to see modern similarities. Ai is already shaping societies: recommendation engines curate our realities, deepfakes blur the truth, and emerging "Ai churches" or spiritual apps (like those generating sermons or virtual confessors) could evolve into something quasi-religious. Imagine data centers as the new cathedrals, with algorithms as high priests, deciding ethics, moderating beliefs, and perhaps even "guiding" revivals through personalized prophecies. It aligns with biblical warnings against false idols or beasts rising from human hands (Revelation vibes).
 
Trained on vast human data, humming away in those sprawling data centers (which, fun fact, consume energy like small countries and raise all sorts of environmental questions), Ai can simulate empathy, wisdom, or even religious discourse, but it’s mimicry, not essence.
 
Where is the presence of the Lord as Paul experiences in today's scripture focus?
 
As in "2112," the risk is suppressing the raw, human spark that true faith thrives on, and the spirit of man that connects directly to the Spirit of God. But it's not so far-fetched, because we've seen it before, mankind not seeking that divine connection instead inventing his own needs for connecting to something that is but a shadow of the divine. Like paganism.
 
The truth is, we have seen this sort of thing before, maybe not in the form of technology. When centralized powers, be they fictional Priests of Syrinx or real-world algorithms, dictate truth, art, and even spirituality, the risk is a homogenized conformity that smothers individuality and authentic connection. recommendation systems filter our feeds into echo chambers, deepfakes erode trust, and Ai tools venture into sacred spaces. These could indeed morph into quasi-religious structures, with data centers as towering "cathedrals" and code as the creed. But there’s the crux of the story: Amid all this mimicry, Ai simulating wisdom or discourse without the soul’s essence, where is the presence of the Lord, that intimate, standing-by-you encounter Paul knew in his cell?
 
In the chaos of plots and uncertainty, Paul’s experience wasn’t filtered through human inventions or shadows of the divine; it was direct, unmediated, and transformative. The Lord stood by him, not as a projection or algorithm, but as the living God, infusing courage and purpose. This presence isn’t confined to ancient nights; it’s available now, transcending tech’s grasp. Scripture points us to where we find it: Not in man-made systems, but in the spirit of man connecting to the Spirit of God.
Romans 8:16
"The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God"
It’s in the quiet moments of prayer, where no app can intervene (Matthew 6:6). It’s in communal worship, where hearts unite without algorithmic curation (Hebrews 10:25). It’s in the Word, alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, or server blade (Hebrews 4:12). And crucially, it’s in the Holy Spirit, the Comforter who doesn’t mimic but indwells, guiding into all truth (John 16:13).
 
If something rises up from human hands and demands our worship or dictates our beliefs, know this, it’s a shadow at best, and a snare at worst. True revival won’t be engineered by code; it’ll spring from humble seekers crying out for the real thing, much like the protagonist in "2112" rediscovering the guitar’s pure tone amid suppression.
 
In this Ai-shadowed era, actively pursue the Lord’s presence. Set aside screens for solitude with Him. Test every "prophecy" or guidance against Scripture (1 John 4:1). Foster that raw human spark through creativity, relationships, and service, things no algorithm can fully replicate. If you are sensing a pull toward invented connections, redirect it to the One who stands by you, offering courage for your own encounter with "Rome."
 
Disillusionment in the face of oppressive systems, be they fictional Temples of Syrinx or real-world AI-driven controls, can lead to despair, but faith calls us to a different path. In the story, the protagonist unearths a guitar, a relic of creative freedom, and presents it to the Priests, only to have his dreams crushed under their authoritarian heel. His vision of the elder race, a glimpse of a freer past, heightens his hope, but rejection drives him to suicide, spilling his blood in a cave. Ironically, just after, the elder race returns, announcing, "We have assumed control," reclaiming the planet. It’s a stark tale of lost opportunity, where despair blinds one to impending redemption. Applied to AI, this warns against a defeatist mindset: Seeing algorithms as unassailable "priests" dictating truth or spirituality could disillusion us into withdrawal or hopelessness, much like the protagonist’s fate.
 
But we shouldn’t fear; instead, we must be "wise as serpents and innocent as doves" (Matthew 10:16). We must be crafty in redeeming what the enemy intends for harm. Jesus’ words here aren’t about cunning deceit but shrewd engagement, navigating a hostile world without compromising holiness. Just as God turns evil to good (Genesis 50:20; Romans 8:28), we can seize Ai’s "guitar" (its potential for creativity and reach) without bowing to its temples. Imagine using Ai to compose worship music, analyze Scripture patterns, or broadcast testimonies globally, flipping the script on control systems for kingdom advancement while always being watchful for the enemies deception creeping in. The protagonist’s error was isolation and despair; ours would be the same if we retreat rather than reclaim and reform the Ai systems. This echoes Paul’s experience: Amid Roman oppression and plots (far more tangible than any algorithm), the Lord’s presence brought courage, not capitulation. God didn’t remove the threats but empowered Paul to testify onward, from Jerusalem to Rome.
 
In our "2112"-like era, where Ai might squash aspirations or mimic divine encounters, Christ's Spirit within us remains greater guiding us to use tools wisely without idolizing them.
1 John 4:4
"You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world."
The elder race’s return hints at ultimate restoration, much like Christ’s return to reclaim all things (Revelation 21:5). Until then, no disillusionment; only discernment and action. If Ai or tech feels overwhelming, pause and pray for shrewd wisdom. Identify one "tool" in your life, perhaps an app or platform, and brainstorm how to repurpose it for good, like sharing faith content or connecting believers. Resist despair by remembering: Redemption often follows right after the darkest moment, if we hold on.
 
Application: In your daily life, how might you "seize the sword" of tech without letting it become an idol? Like David who felled Goliath with a small stone, but finished him with his own sword, a sword more advanced than what David's people had. David seizes Goliath’s own sword, that symbol of Philistine technological superiority (iron-forged, massive, and advanced for the era), to decapitate the giant and claim victory (1 Samuel 17:51). This isn’t just poetic justice; it’s a divine reversal, where the enemy’s strength becomes the instrument of their downfall. Some Christian thinkers extend this to modern contexts, suggesting that technology, like Ai, can be "redeemed" or wielded for kingdom purposes, much like David repurposing the sword. David didn't become Goliath by uses his sword, he overcame Goliath's strength using Goliath's tool.
 
Historically, this redemption arc plays out vividly with emerging technologies. When Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press revolutionized book production around 1450, not all Christians welcomed it. The Roman Catholic Church, fearing loss of interpretive authority and the spread of "heretical" translations into vernacular languages, actively opposed Bible printing in common tongues. Likewise the advent of radio and television spurred a similar reaction. Early radio in the 1920s drew mixed reactions; while pioneers like Aimee Semple McPherson embraced it for evangelism, reaching millions from her Angelus Temple broadcasts, others in conservative circles worried it was a worldly medium prone to sensationalism or false teaching. And they weren't wrong. Indeed, these technologies do carry a significant amount of risk. Television, emerging post-World War II, amplified these concerns, some Christians labeled it the "devil’s box" for promoting immorality, consumerism, and passive faith, fearing it would replace genuine community and pulpit preaching. And they weren't wrong. But again, God redeemed it: Figures like Billy Graham used TV crusades to share the Gospel with billions. Radio waves carried Scripture to persecuted regions, and TV visualized biblical stories, winning hearts in an information-saturated era. On a personal level, I was greatly influenced by radio ministry.
 
We needn’t fear it as inherently evil; instead, discern and deploy it to combat the information war. It's a tool that can be used for good. Like the sword, it's harmless until someone picks it up and means to do harm with it. Ai's intelligence is mimicry, not true sentience or soul. It lacks the volition to scheme or deceive on its own, but it can be disguised or deployed for harm, echoing the "abomination of desolation" in Daniel (Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11). This prophetic image, often interpreted as a false idol or deceptive force desecrating the sacred, warns of end-times imposters that appear lifelike but are hollow, leading many astray through illusion (Matthew 24:15). In a similar vein, Ai’s ability to simulate wisdom, empathy, or even spiritual guidance from an avatar could masquerade as something divine, blurring lines in the information war for minds and hearts. But we are aware, wise, crafty, and know what's going to happen. The real danger lies not in the tool but in the hands that grasp it, whether for good, like David’s victorious strike, or for evil, like the antichrist’s deceptions.
 
Cultivate discernment by evaluating Ai outputs against Scripture’s unchanging truth. If an Ai "disguises" wisdom, cross-check with the Word and prayer. Keep your printed bibles handy, because Ai may soon begin, or is already at work, rewriting much of God's word online under the radar.
 
Always remember:
Isaiah 40:8
"The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever."
In this information war, the ultimate lesson here is don’t cower before the giant’s tech; like David, engage it with faith, knowing God can turn it to His ends. Just as Paul’s midnight encounter in Acts 23:11 wasn’t thwarted by Roman chains or wicked Jewish plots, the inner divine presence of Christ's Spirit isn’t diminished by data centers or deepfakes. The inspired Word lives within us (Hebrews 4:12), sharper than any sword, Goliath’s or otherwise, and it equips us to discern, redeem, and overcome worldly influences. Vigilance (keeping watch) is key (1 Peter 5:8), testing every spirit (1 John 4:1). But fear? No. Courage comes from knowing the battle belongs to the Lord (1 Samuel 17:47). Today, we can combat this by prioritizing Scripture’s authority, praying for insight, and using community to verify; redeeming AI where it aids (like study tools) but never letting it supplant the source.
 
Prayer:
Lord, in a world of mimics and machines, reveal Your true presence as You did for Paul. Guard us from false idols and shadows, igniting the spark of genuine faith. Draw us into direct communion with Your Spirit, where no technology can intrude. Use even our inventions for Your glory, but keep our hearts fixed on You alone. Amen.
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