Thursday, June 29, 2023

A Counterfeit Jesus




 Who, being the effulgence of His glory and emblem of His assumption, besides carrying on all by His powerful declaration, making a cleansing of sins, is seated at the right hand of the majesty in the heights; becoming so much better than the messengers as He enjoys the allotment of a more excellent name than they. 

Hebrews 1: 3-4, Concordant New Testament 


For many believers, I don't need to serve as a reminder of who Jesus is.  Most of us know His attributes and His nature already.  Well, we know what we've been told by the church.  But imagine what it would be like to actually talk to Jesus.  What would you ask Him?  What struggles would you privately reveal to  Him?  Imagine having your own personal Jesus to talk with.  Well, now through artificial intelligence technology (AI), we can speak to Jesus any time we want.  That is, a AI version of Jesus.  The chatbot version of Jesus, now streaming on the Twitch game site allows users to ask AI Jesus just about any question they desire.  The interactive Jesus gives the user the opportunity to connect with their Lord and savior, or does it?  Sadly, this Jesus knockoff does nothing more than spit out what the programmers want you to hear.  Yes, you can ask it a question, but it is not Jesus who is answering.  This is some tech geeks assumption of what Jesus would say.  I'd rather go straight to the source for my answers.  When I desire to talk with Christ Jesus, I get the real deal.  I don't need no fancy AI program to tell me what it wants me to hear.  I can speak directly to the man who gave His life for me { 2 Corinthians 5:21}.  Needless to say, Jesus has always been a intimate part of my life even before AI technology came along.  The apostle Paul didn't need AI Jesus when he spoke to knowing Christ Jesus in him {Galatians 2:20}.  Paul was not speaking to AI Jesus that day on the road to Damascus {Acts 26:14-15}.  He knew that he didn't need to log on or sign up to some website in order to speak to Jesus.  For Paul, speaking to Jesus was as easy as speaking with any other person.  The truth of Jesus is that He is as real as you and me.  So, why would someone choose a counterfeit Jesus over the original?  


Having, then, a great Chief Priest, who passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, we may be holding to the avowal.  For we have not a Chief Priest not able to sympathize with our infirmities, but One Who has been tried in all respects like us, apart from sin.  We may be coming, then, with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may be obtaining mercy and finding grace for opportune help. 

Hebrews 4: 14-16, Concordant New Testament 


The Jesus which the world knows is undeniable, even to the best tech geeks.  AI technology cannot replace the birth, ministry and death of Jesus.  His life and works are forever a part of us.  In fact, His DNA has always been a part of us as well.  We're told that we are created in the Fathers image {Genesis 1:27}.  As a result, He breathed into us the breath of life {Genesis 2:7}.  This is who we are.  We are not programmed but lovingly created.  Jesus also predates any AI technology.  It is Jesus who was with God from the beginning {John 1: 1-5}.  The best that I can see is that this new AI Jesus is a convenience created for those in a microwave speed world.  We want to simply click on a website and speak to Jesus.  How simple is that?  In reality, speaking to Jesus within us isn't rocket science at all.  We know and recognize His voice in our hearts because He is a part of us {John 10:27}.  The desire of the Father is that we be one with He and His Son {John 17:21}.  The Lords intention was never to present to us a counterfeit of the original.  We are not to be "Like" Jesus, but to be Christ who is in us.  Technology will never evolve to the point where it can emulate who Jesus truly is.  Not a counterfeit, but the Way, the Truth and the Life.  


In the beginning was the word, and the word was towards God, and God was the word.  This was in the beginning toward God.  All came into being through it, and apart from it not even one thing came into being which has come into being.  In it was life, and the life was the light of men.  

John 1: 1-4, Concordant New Testament 


~Scott~ 

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