Category: A Christian Perspective

“A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash.” Proverbs 15:14 NLT

Solomon wrote, ‘a wise person is hungry for knowledge.’ A desire to learn all you can is wise and beneficial in life. Educational institutions from pre-school through college must continually provide opportunities for those with an inquiring mind to advance and grab as much knowledge as possible. But they do not always succeed, and we have been seeing the results of their failure throughout society. When hunger for knowledge is not met or redirected by school administrators a failed education system is guaranteed. Soloman also wrote, the opposite of the wise person who is hungry for knowledge is the fool who feeds on trash. Unfortunately, there is a lot of trash being passed off as education through schools and so-called educating the public venues through biased journalism and news broadcasts, and the ever-expanding social media.

If anyone should be interested in increasing knowledge and having a complete understanding of the world it is every Christian. Christians should have the desire to increase learning and keep up with current events. The problem is where do we go to get current, trustworthy news and information. Which institutes of higher learning would provide the best non-biased education. These decisions will not come easily, but the place to start is with the Bible, the Word of God.

Our hunger for knowledge begins with our hunger for God. Psalm 42:1-2 says, “As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him?” (nlt) We can be sure what we learn from God is true knowledge and it is His holy agenda. The Bible is trustworthy, the very words of God Himself. Immersing ourselves in scripture daily will give us insight as we seek sources for our continued education. Looking for a reliable platform to research and learn more about the current events in our world will come through observing through God’s eyes. You will start to analyze and know the difference between true and false information. Satisfy your hunger for knowledge with the Lord through His Word. He will teach you through His Word and will guide you to make the right decisions in increasing your knowledge.

“So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Then God blessed them and said, ‘Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it'” Genesis 1:27-28 NLT

God’s Word to us begins with His acts of creation. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!” (Gen.1:1,31 nlt) God made everything good and we could say even perfect. That includes Adam and Eve, our first parents. They were perfect in every way before they fell into sin when tempted by Satan. Although they now had a sin nature which is passed down to us, what remained perfect in them and in us is God’s perfect design of creating them male and female.

Through God’s perfect design the world has been populated for thousands of years. God told them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth.’ and they have. Populating the earth only happens when males and females get together having children. A very undeniable fact is that our very existence as a human race depends on heterosexuality. We would cease to exist if this were not the case. God’s perfect design for life itself.

The saying ‘opposites attract’ is seen in the wisdom of God. What is more opposite and different than a male and a female. Many married couples are direct opposites of one another. My wife would testify to that, but we also complement each other. We are help mates for each other, although men need more help, for God has said concerning Adam “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” (Gen.2:18 nlt) God’s perfect and only design for marriage is male and female.

Our world today is in chaos and becoming more depraved every day due to sin. When God was finished with His entire creation, He said it was very good! Sin entered the picture and has distorted our view of God’s original design ever since. Do not get caught up and fooled with the thinking of the world today but remember God’s original intent especially ‘male and female he created them.’ God’s perfect design!

“But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” 2 Corinthians 11:14 NLT

Full disclosure, I am not an expert on AI, in fact I do not understand most of it. Do I use it, yes, but that doesn’t mean I understand it. One thing I do know from observation over the years is that during an election year issues pop up that have always been there, but all of a sudden, they are important to the point of being life threatening if a certain party does not get elected. And it doesn’t matter what the issue is. If it helps me get elected, that’s my issue. (Even though I didn’t care about it until two months before the election)

AI is such an issue during this year’s Mid-term elections in the United States. The concerns about AI have been around for years with ever increasing uneasiness in the last decade. Are there legitimate concerns? Yes! What are they? Well tragically it varies depending on which side of the aisle you’re on, as they say. This does not give the American voter much confidence in their representatives if their only reason for their stance is to support their party. Notice how often views change. (They were for it before they were against it and they were against it before they were for it.)

As far as AI, it is a critical issue. Let’s face it. It is here and it is not going away. Yes, it is a tool to use and has many advantages for everyone. But just as in any other advancement in technology safeguards must be put in place. AI in the stages it is in now and where it is expected to be in the future if fallen into the wrong hands would be catastrophic. Every achievement man has made for centuries has improved our lives, but Satan, the evil one, has always seized those developments for his purposes of evil in the world. AI will be no different if he hasn’t started already.

Christians in America need to pray for wisdom and discernment when going to the polls this year. Christians in America and around the world need to pray for the future of AI and its advancements that it will be used for good and not evil. Let us keep a watchful eye on the development of AI and use the wisdom the Lord has given us.

Nehemiah 4:6 ESV — So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.

Many problems confront the church today. A leading cause for problems to sneak in are cracks in the wall allowing contaminating elements to settle in and take root. Once inside and growing the fungus is seen as not being all that bad, in fact it is healthy and right. As a result very few notice the additional cracks and the loose bricks and mortar that are eroding the structure of the walls as they collapse. Again only a few seem to notice the walls are down. Only a few notice their protection from the elements of the world is gone. The rest do not need protection from the world, they have become the world.

There are valid purposes for walls in our society. Walls are erected for protection to keep one safe and from harm, especially from those with a desire to harm others. Walls of protection are not only of stone, brick and mortar, but spiritual. The church needs both, with spiritual defenses being its main concern. The fruit of the Spirit is a good place to start, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Gal.5:22-23 esv) The building or rebuilding and maintaining the spiritual walls of protection is an ongoing effort for the church today involving a daily commitment to the truth and obedience of God’s Word. Most importantly it takes “Building Together” and “A Mind to Work.”

The walls of Jerusalem had been broken down as the city was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians years earlier. They had never been rebuilt after the return of the Jews under the reign of Cyrus, the King of Persia. Nehemiah, a cupbearer for King Artaxerxes of Persia, was visited by one of his brothers and some of his friends from Judah. Their message was not a good report, but one of great concern. The Jews remaining in the city of Jerusalem were in great distress due to the walls and gates of the city being torn down and burned with fire. (Neh. 1:3) They had no protection from their enemies who did not want a wall built and prevented them from doing so on several occasions.

Nehemiah realized the needed effort for the reestablishment of Jerusalem and the safety and protection of its people. He knew of the opposition he would face along with all those who would join him. The church today also faces opposition as we attempt to rebuild the broken walls due to the neglect of being obedient and not standing for the truth God’s Word over the years by compromise. Now is the time to start rebuilding secure walls by reading, studying and obeying God’s Word. We need to forbid negotiations with the world to find common ground that is contrary to scripture. We are to live the life of the Gospel Message of those who have been redeemed and transformed by the blood of Christ sharing that Good News.

The years ahead for the church are not going to be easy. Paul in writing to Timothy says this, “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.” (2Tim.3:1 esv) We are certainly seeing some of those difficult times in our current day and we can be sure that they will continue to get worse as time goes on before the Lord returns. We as Christians, as the church, are to have a “mind to work” with our Christian brothers and sisters in securing our walls of defense in order for us to remain faithful and be able to live by example and explain the Gospel Message to those who desperately need to hear it.