Can I trust AI

 

2 Tim 2:15

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

I believe that the modern application of Paul’s advice to Timothy - to correctly handle the word of truth – has to do with the careful evaluating of what AI generates. It can produce content that sounds like religious truth, that appears well organized, fluent and even theologically skilful. But to what extent should we actually trust what is produced?

The large language models (LLM) that generative AI systems use to gather information from, are not Bible databases. These language models generate text by predicting the next word based on statistical patterns learned during training. What this means, is that it is increasingly not retrieving a verse from a Bible source, but chooses what seems to be a best-fit answer, based on statistical estimation – which really boils down to guessing what would fit here.

The Bible itself does not depend on guesswork; every verse is there with serious intent, rooted in thousands of years of accurate copying from original texts. But AI is drawing its answers from vast numbers of languages, quotations, paraphrases, commentaries, sermons, articles, blogs, etc. Who is to say which of these are simply misquotations from who knows where?

This is why everything coming out of the generative AI system must be evaluated, using the Bible itself, before it is preached or taught. An AI-answer may be mostly right but still be wrong in concepts that matter.

1 Thess 5:21 but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. is the way the church must handle AI in these times. We have to test the content of what we receive very carefully, using actual Bibles as references, and not rely on what we have heard or read somewhere else.

Anyone who addresses a congregation, (pastors/teachers/travelling ministers) especially should beware when they reach a point where they start using AI exclusively to write their sermons for them - and not using it just as a tool, maybe to improve language or organisation. AI can help with so many administrative things and if used correctly can be a very effective tool. But it cannot be used as the only source when dealing with sermon or teaching content, the Holy Spirit is the only One Who should be giving guidance on this!

Pearls to ponder:

Modern technology like cell phones, laptops, AI systems, etc. are all tools that can be used either for good, or with disastrous effects. Wisdom concerning this comes only from walking with the Holy Spirit and staying grounded in the Bible – both of which depends on whether we choose to make it happen. Are you prepared to choose to spend time with Holy Spirit and learn to recognize His voice, and to read your Bible diligently?

TRUTH

God's name is holy

 

Deut 5:11

“You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

The original word translated here as LORD, is called the Tetragrammaton (Greek for "four letters"), the four-letter Hebrew name of God, יהוה (transliterated as YHWH or YHVH). This is where the names Yahweh and Jehovah originated from.

Jewish people consider this Name of God so holy that they never pronounce it, in fact, the original pronunciation was deliberately erased so that no one would be able to misuse the power it represented. Instead, it is usually read as Adonai, meaning my Master. When the ancient manuscripts of the Old Testament were copied, the priests working on them would wash their hands every time they had to write YHWH, they were also strictly required to wipe their pens clean and recite a specific blessing before doing so. If a mistake was made when writing it, the whole page had to be copied over again. These faulty copies were then not destroyed or thrown into the trash – it was buried in a dedicated place to decompose naturally.

Jesus glorified the name of His Father in every facet of His life. When His disciples asked Him how to pray, the very first example He taught them was to sanctify the Father’s name (Matt 6:9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “’Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,). It is interesting to note that Jesus also never used the Name casually. He instead referred to God as Father; the One Who sent Him; the Power; the Most High; the Lord of the Harvest; and many others.

How then are we to think about the use of God’s holy name as brand images? I recently became aware of soda cans bearing the name Yahweh and God; and His name is printed on all kinds of products from T-shirts to doormats (I am referring to His name here, not Scripture references). Supporters of the idea say that this serves as a conversation starter, a way to spread the Gospel. The question I ask is, do these objects really glorify His name? A soda can is casually thrown into the trash after use. So also do most T-shirts end up on the garbage dump. People wipe their muddy feet clean on doormats, literally stomping on the holy Name of God if it is printed there.

I am not suggesting that we build a superstition around the use of God’s Name, creating a distance between Him and us, but that we carefully consider how and where to use it in the most respectful and reverent way possible. Keep Deut 10:12 And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, in your heart always.

Pearls to ponder:

How would it influence my spiritual life and my decisions if I approached the Name of God with utter reverence and respect and awe wherever I encounter it?

Holy is Your Name

God's promises

 

2 Sam 7:16

Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’

I used to think that the meticulous lists of genealogies written up in the Bible were so boring. Not anymore!

The above quote is God’s covenant with David. God promises here that there will aways be a King from David’s lineage to rule over Israel.

But history seems to indicate that the kings ruling over Israel came to an end. After David’s death, Solomon did indeed start reigning, and after him several other kings of Judah from his line. However, Nebuchadnezzar’s conquest of Jerusalem led to the dethronement of Zedekiah, and the exile in Babylon put an end to any king from the house of David ruling over Israel again.

The people in exile must have wondered, does this mean that God’s promises can be broken? God reassured them through Ezekiel, prophesying in exile, (Ez 34:23-24 I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the LORD have spoken.) He foresaw a regathering of God’s people and a future Prince - a descendant of David - who would shepherd them.

This is why Matthew and Luke trace the lineage of Jesus so precisely, to show that both from Joseph and Mary’s side (even though Joseph was not his biological father), Jesus is a descendant from the house of David! It backs up what Luke 1:32-33 declares, “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end.” David’s line had come to an end politically, but the genealogical line continued.

There is even more. In 2 Sam 8:18 we read …David’s sons were priests. They could not, as coming from the royal line, be priests as well, as God had separated these two offices. But they were considered to be priests in the order of Melchizedek, serving in an intercessory role and not taking over the functional role (bringing offerings etc) that only belonged to the Levitical priests.

Jesus therefore inherited His role as King and as priest from David through royal succession as well. And because the lists of genealogies were so faithfully kept and published, no one can dispute His inheritance!

Pearls to ponder:

If God promises something, He will execute it, even though circumstances around us seem to indicate otherwise! Keep believing those promises, do not be lured into disbelief.

You keep Your promises

The Day of the Gift

 

1 Cor 1:22

it is He who has also put His seal on us [that is, He has appropriated us and certified us as His] and has given us the [Holy] Spirit in our hearts as a pledge [like a security deposit to guarantee the fulfilment of His promise of eternal life].

We recently celebrated Pentecost, the joyous celebration of the giving of Holy Spirit to the 120 believers waiting in the Upper Room in Jerusalem.

Many of us do not know that this was another way in which Jesus fulfilled a Jewish Feast, and that Jews throughout the centuries had faithfully been keeping this Feast without realizing what the spiritual meaning of their actions would eventually be.

Their Feast is called the Feast of Weeks or Feast of Pentecost, and begins when the Feast of Firstfruits (the actual day on which Jesus was resurrected, making Him the Firstfruit of us believers who will likewise be raised from the dead) is over, and Jews then start counting 50 days and celebrate the giving of the Law to Moses on that 50^th day (Pentecost means fifty).

And on this 50^th day centuries ago, God poured out His Spirit on His followers, writing the Law on their hearts!

There is another beautiful hidden meaning here. Jews also refer to this Feast as the Day of the Mattan, or the Day of the Gift. In their reference, the Law was a gift from God to them, but in ancient times the Mattan was the special gift from the bridegroom to the bride to encourage her in the days that they were still living apart while he was preparing a place for her. It was meant to be a sign of his love for her, the guarantee of his faithfulness to her, his pledge that the promises he made will be kept.

On this Day of the Gift, God gave the gift of the Spirit. The Spirit is the Mattan from the Bridegroom to His bride, His pledge that everything He has promised us will be fulfilled! We can be assured that even though He ascended to Heaven, He will never forget us, nor forsake us, nor leave us destitute – His Spirit dwells in us continually. His Mattan is the sign of His love for us, the down payment of things still to come.

Pearls to ponder:

Are you preparing for your Wedding Day with Jesus your Bridegroom? Practise living in the power of the Spirit, move in His flow and leading, so that you will be strong and beautiful and ready when that day arrives!

Wedding Day