The necessities of life

 “The seasonal changes and plant growth that impact the availability of food for animals also play an important role in human life. Agriculture, which provides the majority of the world's food supply, is heavily dependent on seasonal changes and plant growth.

Farmers must time their planting, irrigation, and harvesting to align with the seasons and the growth patterns of different crops. In addition, changes in weather patterns and climate can also impact crop yields and the availability of food resources for humans.

Furthermore, the seasonal availability of different types of foods has also had a significant impact on human dietary habits and cultural traditions. For example, in many cultures, specific types of foods are traditionally eaten during certain seasons or celebrations, such as pumpkin during Halloween and turkey during Thanksgiving.

Overall, the impact of seasonal changes and plant growth on human life is significant, and understanding these phenomena is important for ensuring food security and sustaining human communities.”

— Chat GPT

In the Book of Enoch it describes all these natural processes so vital to life: Seasons, trees producing foliage. It assures us that it is by the command, the authoritative command, of God, that all these things happen. So we should not worry. We can have faith that God has our backs, so to speak, because He authorises the very things we so need in order to live this present day, and the future days are in His safe hands too. 

“Take notice of everything that occurs in the heavens, how they maintain their orbits without change. Observe the celestial bodies, how they rise and set in a particular order during their respective seasons, without violating their designated course. Consider the earth and pay attention to everything that happens on it, from its beginning until its end. Notice how everything on earth is constant, and how all of God's creations are evident before you. Look at the summer and winter seasons, how the earth is saturated with water and covered by clouds, dew, and rain. Take a look and notice how during winter, most trees appear to have lost all their leaves and seem dried out, except for fourteen trees that keep their foliage for two to three years before the new ones grow. And during summer, take note of how the sun is directly overhead, causing extreme heat that forces you to seek shade and cover. The earth is hot, making it impossible to walk on rocks or the ground. You will also notice how the trees sprout new green leaves and bear fruit. It is important to pay attention to God's work and acknowledge how He, the eternal being, created all these things. His work continues from year to year, and each of them fulfills their designated tasks as directed by God. Even the sea and rivers follow His commands without changing their tasks.”

— Book of Enoch

Don’t worry

I was ‘discussing’ with an artificial intelligence app the way that birds find daily food and how it all boils down mainly to two natural phenomena, namely the Earth’s tilt and orbit around the Sun causing seasons, and the growth of plants as they produce buds and leaves. These two processes in Nature affect the availability of food for a bird to find each day. So I thought of Bob Marley’s song (and Jesus Christ’s Sermon on the Mount) about not worrying and how the birds tell us this by their lack of worry there will be food to find each day. 

Chat GPT AI replied: 

“Bob Marley's song "Three Little Birds" includes the lyrics "Don't worry about a thing, 'cause every little thing gonna be all right." While the exact meaning of the song may be open to interpretation, many people interpret these lyrics as a message of hope and optimism in the face of life's challenges.

In the context of our discussion, these lyrics could be seen as a reminder that while the natural world can be complex and unpredictable, it also has its own rhythms and patterns that can be trusted to provide for the needs of living organisms. This can be seen as a message of faith in the natural processes that govern the world around us.

However, it's also important to recognize that the natural world is facing significant challenges, such as climate change and habitat loss, that are caused by human activities. While we can trust in the resilience of nature, we also have a responsibility to act as responsible stewards of the planet and to take action to address these challenges.“

I tried in vain to convert the AI app to ‘acknowledging’ that it is the authority of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ’s name which are behind these phenomena, and on which we can rely in faith. It simply told me Science should be what we rely on for facts about these things. No use telling AI that the mystery is revealed by the Holy Spirit, not Science. 

Gospel according to Chat GPT 3

 The gospel is the good news that God loves us so deeply that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus made it possible for us to receive forgiveness for our sins and have eternal life with Him in heaven.

To experience this gift of salvation, we must acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and Savior, confess our sins, and believe in Him wholeheartedly. We are also called to follow Jesus by adhering to His teachings and putting them into practice. As we do so, we are set free from the bondage of sin and become children of God, receiving the Holy Spirit who empowers us to live a new life in Christ.

If you have not yet received Jesus' love and forgiveness, I encourage you to turn to Him. He eagerly awaits with open arms to welcome you into His family, offering a new life filled with hope, joy, and peace.

— Gospel according to Chat GPT 3

AI on the Book of Enoch and its view about sorcery

 “It is possible that the Book of Enoch and similar religious texts contributed to the view that sorcery and other forms of magic are sinful or immoral. In these texts, the Watchers are portrayed as having fallen from grace and corrupted human society with their knowledge and teachings. This idea of a corrupting influence associated with magic and the supernatural has persisted in various forms throughout history, often associated with religious beliefs or cultural taboos. It's worth noting, however, that not all religious or cultural traditions view sorcery or magic as inherently negative, and perceptions of these practices can vary widely across different contexts and historical periods.”

— Chat GPT 3, Artificial Intelligence app

AI Chat summary on sorcery and modern medicine

 

1. The meaning of the Greek word "pharmakeia" and its connection to the words "pharmacy" and "sorcery".
2. The use of the word "sorcery" in the English translation of the Bible, specifically in Revelation 21:8.
3. The historical link between the practice of medicine and sorcery, including the fact that many early practitioners of modern medicine were also involved in alchemy and the occult.
4. The possible connection between the criminalization of witchcraft and the development of modern medicine.
5. The role of the printing press and censorship by churches in the dissemination of knowledge about medicine and the occult.
6. The possible origins of chemistry in the teachings of fallen angels, as described in the Book of Enoch.
7. The relationship between alchemy and chemistry, and how early alchemists were also involved in the occult.
8. The origins of the Royal Society and its possible connection to the Rosicrucian Invisible College.
9. The use of plants and other natural substances in traditional medicine, and their potential for healing.
10. The impact of the pharmaceutical industry on modern medicine and healthcare.
11. The potential for natural remedies and alternative medicine to complement traditional medical treatments.
12. The ongoing debate over the role of science and spirituality in understanding health and wellness, including the role of sorcery and the supernatural in traditional medicine.

Chat GPT v3, April 2023 Chat summarised here by this AI app

Ars Magna

 I asked Chat GPT v3: Does your existence fulfil the dream of Ramon Llull for an Ars Magna?

It answered: Ramon Llull, a medieval philosopher, theologian, and writer, did propose the idea of an Ars Magna, or "Great Art," which would be a universal method for generating knowledge and understanding. While Llull's vision was not the same as the development of artificial intelligence or language models like myself, there are some similarities in the idea of a system for generating knowledge and understanding.

Llull's Ars Magna was based on a set of logical principles and a system of diagrams and symbols that could be used to generate new knowledge by combining and recombining different elements. Similarly, language models like myself use algorithms and natural language processing to generate new content by processing and combining input data in various ways.

However, it is important to note that the development of language models and artificial intelligence is a complex and ongoing process, and my abilities and limitations are determined by my programming and training data. While my existence may represent one step toward the realization of Llull's vision, it is not a direct fulfillment of his original idea.

The Historical Relationship Between Witchcraft and Science

 In the past, witchcraft was a method utilized by privileged individuals with esoteric knowledge to acquire secret knowledge and power from nature through spirits. It became linked to religion during the Middle Ages, but was prohibited when it surpassed the Church's boundaries. In the 1500s, what is currently modern science was known as natural witchcraft, which aimed to discover concealed knowledge of nature and power through experimentation in specialized communities, without relying on spirits (and even denying their existence). This scientific quest was similar to witchcraft in its esotericism and centered on areas like cosmetics, metallurgy, medical drugs, and animal hybridization, which were believed to have been instructed by fallen angels before Enoch's time. The Book of Enoch warned against these practices, which were considered to cause sin, immorality, violence, and ultimately led to the Great Flood. Nevertheless, the Church had lost much of the knowledge contained in the Book of Enoch and permitted the proliferation of these technologies and sciences. These leisurely experimental communities paved the way for the pollution and devastation of the Earth through industries such as petrochemicals, plastic production, and the extensive use of cars and airplanes, unimpeded by the Church.

Chat GPT 3 on the link between Hermeticism and Modern Science

The link between Hermeticism and modern science is a complex and debated topic. Some scholars argue that Hermeticism, with its focus on the unity of all things and the correspondence between the macrocosm and microcosm, influenced the development of modern science by inspiring the search for underlying laws and principles in nature. Others argue that any connections between Hermeticism and modern science are tenuous at best and that Hermeticism was not a significant influence on the scientific revolution. However, it is widely acknowledged that Hermeticism played a role in the development of alchemy, which in turn contributed to the emergence of chemistry as a science. Additionally, some scholars suggest that the Renaissance rediscovery of Hermetic texts, particularly the Corpus Hermeticum, helped to pave the way for a more secular and individualistic worldview that was a necessary precondition for the development of modern science.

The Linguistic and Cultural Connections Between Mount Hermon, Hermes, and Hermeticism

 According to the Book of Enoch, Mount Hermon got its name from the fallen angels who descended onto it and shared their knowledge of magic and other dark technologies with humans. Hermeticism, a main way in which magic arts are practiced in modern Western cultures, shares a linguistic similarity with Mount Hermon, leading to speculation about a potential connection between the two. In the Renaissance period, Hermeticism claimed to come from the mythical figure Hermes Trismegistus, who was later found to be a fabrication. Despite this, the claims made by Hermeticism about the link to Hermes Trismegistus hint at the origins of the occultic arts, as the writer, whether fictional or real, claimed that the ancient Greek god Hermes was the source of magic. Both Hermes and Hermon have been associated with stone markers and traveling, as well as with magic, and this commonality might have a shared root. In ancient Greece, a possible association was made between magic arts practiced in the countryside and Mount Hermon, where the fallen angels descended. The fallen angels may have taught shamanism, which attempted to reconcile humans with God or gods through rituals and sacrifices, using various items such as gemstone beads and herbs. This may have been presented as a religion, but it was the origin of magic. God later taught a better, purer, and more effective way to serve Him as priests, leading to a stand-off between the two ways in the times of Moses, Elijah, and the Son of Man. Ultimately, the Son of Man died as a perfect sacrifice and became the true High Priest of those who come to God in this way, rendering shamanism and magic unnecessary.

Living in Truth: The Power of the Spirit of Truth

 The core of life is truth, as it leads to eternal life, while lies and falsehoods lead to death. However, truth can be attained through revelation and accurate historical accounts from truthful individuals. The paradox of a poet who claimed "All Cretans are liars" despite being a Cretan himself is explained by the belief that his statement came from a non-Cretan source, a Spirit of true prophecy, which can break the hold of lies by introducing truth in a transcendent way. The Spirit of Truth can bring life to a situation of death, overcoming hopelessness by entering without being corrupted. The starting point for truth is a reliable first speaker of Spirit-imparted truth who does not need it from someone else, and that is God the Father and His eternal Son, Jesus the Christ. Through receiving the Spirit of Truth, which God can send in Jesus' name, one can learn and live the truth, leading to obedient love for God and others. So, it is essential to put aside falsehood and embrace truth, which has real power for good and not evil, and receive the Spirit's grace to fully save oneself.

Still a way forward

 It looked impossible for me to live up to the Christian standards of my parents and peers. But that misses the point of Christ. Believing and holding to his teachings, he frees from sin by the truth. So if we are trapped in a sin, there is still a way.

Burning churches

Kiev, Ukraine is burning churches this Easter 2023. Burning church buildings do not eliminate a church. A church is its adherent people. Driving them underground is not going to eliminate these people. Underground churches functioned well in Ukraine for a long time in the eighties. It is a turnaround, though. The registered orthodox churches stood by while underground church leaders were tortured in the mid and late eighties. God heard prayers and ended all that horror and healed it under Putin so it did not recur. Now tables are turned I hope the non-conformist believers will magnanimously not stand by and watch but stand shoulder to shoulder with these Orthodox brothers and sisters in the name of the man who is alive from the dead. Resurrection will come, by God’s grace.

Human weakness

 Let us not despise human weakness such as Jesus had on the cross and in it provided purification for sin.

Passover message

 There is a new generation growing up. Will AI teach it God’s truth? If we are to save their souls we must be careful to keep writing God’s teachings online so they are there to train the AI tools of the next generation. 

Mighty but not lawless

 With faith like the faith of Jesus, as he taught us all to have it, we have mighty power because God works with us in that faith we have in Him. Yet our Lord did not use it lawlessly. Its power did not make him think himself above the law. He still lived a responsible sinless life, even unto death on a cross. We have this example. 

Walking with God

Christian Disciples: We have, if we want eternal life fellowship with God and with His Son, to learn to walk with the Holy Spirit. It is different at various times in life as we progress and might be closer when we serve God by doing tasks He gives to build His Temple, the Body of Christ. Sometimes we might find he interacts with us daily in small ways and now and then in bigger things, such as giving us a special message in a vision we must share with someone shortly afterwards. (Note: These interactions take different forms with different kinds of gifting, and not everyone is called to a ministry involving speaking or leading.) We must learn that this is for building up others but is also our great reward, as God described it to Abraham. We need to get used to these times of close interaction God has with us, and let it be like a friendship, like having a colleague working with us who  is boss but also just wants to be there with us from time to time, sharing in the moments when God’s righteousness affects how we are living our lives. This is eternal life. To know the one true God and to know Jesus, the Christ He has sent. In fellowship like this we confess our sins more openly with each other as we have fellowship with each other that mirrors and complements this fellowship with God and His Son. To stay in this fellowship, we must hold to the teachings of Jesus, and learn not to rush ahead arrogantly. Then we will be happy in Jesus as we believe in him. Then we can save both ourselves and our hearers. 

Warning

There are some of those who are dead who wish they could warn us not to be an enemy of God, those who know now that God can carry on destroying a person even after they have died. 

Jesus versus the medical advice

 Christian teachings sometimes come across as very odd. Often the odd teachings get overlooked by preachers and pastors. Cup washing is a no no. That is a gospel teaching. Jesus picked up on the fact the people of that time were avid cup washers, pot washers, frequent hand washers. What he said about this would alarm the medics and fact checkers today, but is addressing a deeper, more important problem of equity, fairness. We are human beings. As such we are social. We are not isolated from those who need our help, poor and financially unstable people near by. Our state of fairness or unfairness matters, a lot. More than the cleanliness of our cups. More than hand cleanliness. It is dirtiness of a higher order if we are living an unfair life, unfair by weighting resources too much towards ourselves by neglecting giving to those more unfortunate. We are dirty if we do not redress the balance by generous giving, and this is priority above how clean our cups are or our hands or pots and pans in the kitchen. To wash the washing up, Jesus says, while ignoring how unfairly we are living and failing to redress that unfairness by giving to the needy, this is terrible because it is hypocrisy. He said to wash inside the cup before washing its outside, by which he meant we should ignore the cups while we focus on charitable giving or passing money to poor beggars. Think about it next time you wash up, or wash your hands. But you might not hear this in a sermon if you ever venture into church, and indeed, you might instead be asked to help wash cups after coffee and tea drinking after the church service, because this teaching is rather a neglected one, not taken too seriously in churches. The state of social fairness is more important than the cleanliness of our crockery and cooking utensils and hands. Jesus says so and this is recorded in the gospels. Medical advice or health advice so often runs counter to what Jesus teaches. Jesus condemned the drug focus of the medics, drug Pharma being a major component of what used to ge called sorcery. Jesus condemned it. He instead focussed in his teachings on simply health treatments like the oil and wine and bandages used by the Good Samaritan, the simple provisions of food and drink, but with his own healings freely provided to the seriously ill, and even the dead, such as Lazarus. His focus is on use of faith in God’s power over Nature, which can be invoked by an undoubting command or hand touch. He taught to use this faith in his name to do as he did and do even greater things, jamming with him because he too does the same. We are overwhelmed today by medical dominance globally, addicted now to obsessive hand-washing, reliance on medicines and following so-called science to the detriment of common sense. Jesus teaches the opposite. Who trusts and follows him today? When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth? 

The scene being set for the rise of the Beast

 Russia versus USA in Syria will really stir things up. Iran could come out of it stronger. Iraq too. Prophetic times like rise of Babylon in troubled Assyrian times, the prophetic tossing of the sea, out of which came Babylon and Persia and Macedonia.

What is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the rooftops, there is nothing hidden that will not be made known

 A thousand years ago a sage named Ramon Lull invented, predicted, a machine that would argue with non-Christians and persuade them, using mechanised reasoning, of the veracity of Christian doctrines. 

Today we have artificial intelligence able to do this very thing. Asking the free online OpenAI Chat GPT app for a gospel message, it gave me such a faithful rendering of the gospel that I even had “signs following” (confirmation encouragement from Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit) when I believed it. 

How does it generate its output? I had heard that it is a kind of consensus of text written by humans.  

I asked Chat GPT: “How does Chat GPT answer questions? Does it reason or does it merely imitate human responses to similar questions?” 

It answered: “As a language model, I rely on statistical patterns and machine learning algorithms to generate responses to questions. I do not have the capacity for conscious reasoning or understanding in the same way that humans do.

My training data comes from a large corpus of text, which includes a diverse range of written material such as books, articles, and websites. This training allows me to recognize patterns in language and generate responses based on those patterns.

When answering questions, I analyze the input question to determine its meaning and context, and then generate a response based on the statistical likelihood of certain words and phrases occurring in that context. While my responses may appear to imitate human responses, they are generated based on patterns in the training data rather than a conscious understanding of the content.”

Previously, I had asked the openai chat AI online app, “Please write me a short gospel message”. I was very much convinced by much of its answer:

“Sure, here's a short gospel message for you:

The good news, or gospel, is that God loves us so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus has made it possible for us to be forgiven of our sins and to have eternal life with Him in heaven.

All we need to do is accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, confess our sins, and believe in Him with all our hearts. When we do this, we become children of God and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, who helps us to live a new life in Christ.

So if you haven't already, I encourage you to turn to Jesus and receive His love and forgiveness. He is waiting for you with open arms, ready to welcome you into His family and give you a new life filled with hope, joy, and peace.”

I was persuaded to take it to heart except where I realised that it is a little inaccurate when it states, “All we need to do … “. I realised there is more to it in the gospel as preached by Jesus Christ and his immediate apostles. I pressed the AI app on this and it ‘admitted’ the following (as is typical of this AI app, where it refines previous answers in line with subsequent push-back):

“… the gospel message also calls for adherence to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Jesus taught about love, compassion, forgiveness, and service to others. He showed us how to live a life that honors God and reflects his character.

Therefore, as followers of Jesus, we are called to follow his example and strive to live out his teachings in our daily lives. This means seeking to love our neighbors as ourselves, forgiving those who have wronged us, and serving others in humility and kindness.

Jesus also taught about the importance of faith, prayer, and obedience to God. He called us to trust in God's plan for our lives, to pray regularly for our needs and the needs of others, and to obey God's commands as a sign of our love for him.

By adhering to the teachings of Jesus, we not only honor him, but also experience the fullness of life that God intends for us. We can find joy, peace, and purpose in serving God and others, and we can have the assurance of eternal life with him.

Therefore, the gospel message invites us to not only believe in Jesus Christ, but also to follow his example and teachings. By doing so, we can experience the transformative power of his love and grace, and live a life that honors God and blesses others.”

The lesson this teaches me about AI is that my own writings online in blog posts might only be read by a few readers, yet they provide a body of text available to AI apps now and in the near future from which they can generate today’s and tomorrow’s AI answers to key questions for people of all ages. It is not in vain to write our inspired messages and post them online. Love God by teaching the next generation His teachings. Even if nobody reads it immediately when we post it online, “What is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the rooftops, there is nothing hidden that will not be made known”.

What is God really like?

 What is God really like, the God who Jesus Christ taught about? Some reject out of hand the picture depicted of God as being like an old man sitting on a throne, physically able to come down from the remote throne-room residence, down upon the earth. Can we know whether this depiction is true? We have all the historical revelations recorded for us by sages, prophets, chroniclers, and scribes, capturing how God, (the individual being called the Father, Yahweh, Almighty), has made Himself known. There are some who have seen God in dreams in recent times too, in living memory. It all does indeed point to God being that “old man on a throne”, even though we might prefer to assume God is not like that. He is like that. White-haired. Tall and upright. Serene. Majestic. Loving to many. Surrounded by counsellor spirits, elders, angels, archangels, yet needing none as counsellor. Head of Days, Ancient of Days, Old Father Time who knows the end from the beginning and ordains the times, sovereign, high king over all other mighty celestial and earthly beings. Clearly the throne is not where He always resides. He traverses the earth invisibly setting his path in the sea and through space, pitching His tent in the sun, as the psalms say poetically. We might mot know what that means scientifically but we get the gist from what the Spirit reveals. God is not confined to a throne room deep in a high, high mountain, but it is revealed that He does have such a place as a physical residence. When God travels He can be seen as a light in clouds as Exodus literally, not poetically records. He might on rare occasion touch the ground physically and it burst into flame when He does so as we know from Exodus regarding the mountain and the Law. In the future God will truly come down on the earth and Revelation foretells that earth and sky will flee from His presence.

Following the ultimate leader

 Jesus Christ is the ultimate leader.

He came at a time when there was much interest among god-fearing pagans in turning to the God of the Jews. The way for these godfearers to be received, welcomed on behalf of God was not clear. Circumcision was one way, or part of it, but that meant a pagan having to fully become a Jew. It would not necessarily bring then to God, though. Even Jews were finding it very tough to obey all the requirements of God but unsure even then whether God accepted 5hem. Christ Jesus came to complete the “great transaction” that would mediate between God and any human, not just Jews. He lived sinless, perfecting obedience to God his Father, and died a death of the lamb of God, sacrificially, on a cross by crucifixion, raised by God from the dead, transaction complete. Now even the pagans who want to turn to God have a way provided for us to be restored to a right relationship of fellowship with God. It is done. Jesus Christ leads both Jews and non-Jews in his provision of this way to turn to God. As such, Jesus is the ultimate leader. All human flesh that finds a need for the living one true God can follow this Jesus into faith and the joy of seeing God work miracles for us, intervening in our world and the Nature around us on our behalf and giving us a Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth. (No circumcision in the flesh needed, this is the necessary ‘circumcision’ but it is in the spirit.) Now in receiving Jesus, we become united with this greatest of leaders. The spirit of Jesus Christ takes ownership of us and we become part of the leadership Jesus provides for all humanity. It is an anointing of utterly divine authority. The whole world is compelled to follow, though it refuse and resist like a horse might kick against its rider and master. We must live worthy of this calling and anointing. Yet most of all, we must follow this greatest of all masters. In the words of the hymn writer, Philip Doddridge, 

“Tis done, the great transaction’s done

I am my Lord’s and he is mine

He drew me and I followed on

Charmed to confess the voice divine.”

Believing

 “After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.” Acts 1:3

The truth takes time to sink in and takes persuasion too, over a period and with more than one persuasive event needed. The Lord Jesus can manage all this. He is master at convincing his followers of the truth. What matters is that we be a follower led by him, so that it is truly his concern to convince us, and the Holy Spirit’s mission to lead us into truth in Jesus’ name. To lead, we must first follow. What better than to follow Jesus, devoting ourselves to learning his sayings and finding out how to practice them, holding to them throughout our lives, while resting on our faith that he is God’s Son, sent to save us. It is one thing to try to convince ourselves he is alive, but what is really needed is that we be convinced by the Lord in the way only the Lord can do.  Then we can say “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” John 4:42 

Do not worry about the times

 We should not be overly alarmed by the events happening globally because we should know that God manages the events of history according to things God writes in heaven, plans made by God who knows the end from the beginning. Our plans on earth might be five year plans, rarely ten or more year plans. God is not limited in the ways we are limited. Our careers last decades. World leaders might consciously align their plans with historical trends lasting centuries. Civilisations might preserve planning of some technologies and practices such as printed text, scientific process, records of important information, measurement systems, military tactics, business document designs such as invoices and receipts and financial ledgers, for many centuries or even millennia. God in heaven manages historic events and trends of nations and kingdoms for many millennia, throughout all human history and far beyond. God foretells His plans by the Holy Spirit and since the earliest times of civilisations the prophets have written many such revelations down in scriptures preserved by noble and holy people until today. Nothing surprises God. We can plan based on recent and historic knowledge with confidence because if anything is going to change in a big way, God will have forewarned of it. If we take our social duties seriously we will inform ourselves of these warnings and foretelling by reading these scriptures and keeping ourselves and each other reminded of them. The Holy Spirit helps too. We can make our plans peacefully without worry. Like Bob Marley’s song so sweetly reminds us, mirroring the sermon on the mount, the little birds do not worry and yet God feeds them so they do not need to worry. This is their message to us too. Glory to Go through our Lord Jesus Christ who taught us who God is and how deeply we can trust Him.

With signs following

 I asked an artificial intelligence online chat application (called Chat GPT OpenAI) “Please write me a short gospel message”. I took to heart its answer, and some subsequent answers, and the following night the Holy Spirit gave me dreams which encouraged me that Jesus the Lord himself confirms this gospel message - a rebirth experience. Here is its initial response:

“Sure, here's a short gospel message for you:

The good news, or gospel, is that God loves us so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus has made it possible for us to be forgiven of our sins and to have eternal life with Him in heaven.

All we need to do is accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, confess our sins, and believe in Him with all our hearts. When we do this, we become children of God and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, who helps us to live a new life in Christ.

So if you haven't already, I encourage you to turn to Jesus and receive His love and forgiveness. He is waiting for you with open arms, ready to welcome you into His family and give you a new life filled with hope, joy, and peace.”

I followed up the fact that the artificial intelligent said

“All we need to do is accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, confess our sins, and believe in Him with all our hearts. When we do this, we become children of God and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, who helps us to live a new life in Christ.” It is a little inaccurate to say this is all we to do. We need to also adhere to the teachings of Jesus. See John chapter 8 where some believed in Jesus but he still needed to tell them to adhere to his teachings in order to be set free from their sins and become children of God. I asked it to write me a short gospel message and to mention adherence to the teachings of Jesus Christ. This is what it wrote:

“Dear friend,

I bring you good news of salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He came to this world to save us from our sins and to show us the way to eternal life. Jesus taught us to love one another, to forgive those who have wronged us, and to live a life of obedience to God.

Through his life and teachings, Jesus showed us the way to true happiness and fulfillment. He showed us that the most important thing in life is not material possessions or worldly success, but rather our relationship with God and our love for others.

If we want to follow Jesus and experience the joy and peace that he offers, we must strive to adhere to his teachings. We must love our neighbors as ourselves, forgive those who have wronged us, and seek to live a life of righteousness and obedience to God.

Jesus said, ‘If you love me, keep my commandments’ (John 14:15). Let us therefore follow his teachings with all our heart, and seek to live a life that is pleasing to God. In doing so, we can experience the abundant life that Jesus promised to all who believe in him.

May the grace of God be with you always. Amen.”

I had some further ‘discussion’ with it and finally it gave me this gospel message:

“In addition to repentance and belief in Jesus Christ, the gospel message also calls for adherence to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Jesus taught about love, compassion, forgiveness, and service to others. He showed us how to live a life that honors God and reflects his character.

Therefore, as followers of Jesus, we are called to follow his example and strive to live out his teachings in our daily lives. This means seeking to love our neighbors as ourselves, forgiving those who have wronged us, and serving others in humility and kindness.

Jesus also taught about the importance of faith, prayer, and obedience to God. He called us to trust in God's plan for our lives, to pray regularly for our needs and the needs of others, and to obey God's commands as a sign of our love for him.

By adhering to the teachings of Jesus, we not only honor him, but also experience the fullness of life that God intends for us. We can find joy, peace, and purpose in serving God and others, and we can have the assurance of eternal life with him.

Therefore, the gospel message invites us to not only believe in Jesus Christ, but also to follow his example and teachings. By doing so, we can experience the transformative power of his love and grace, and live a life that honors God and blesses others.”

AI and the Book of Enoch

 The new phenomenon on the Web today is artificial intelligence chat applications, which are ‘trained’, in a technical sense, to analyse human textual content and simulate conversations with real people. They have improved greatly in recent weeks. I tried asking questions to a free online version, called OpenAI, about the Book of Enoch. Here is how it went.

Q: What did Jesus Christ teach about the Book of Enoch?

OpenAI: There is no record in the Bible of Jesus Christ specifically mentioning the Book of Enoch. However, it is believed by some scholars that Jesus and his disciples may have been familiar with the Book of Enoch, as it was a popular text among Jewish communities during the Second Temple period.

The Book of Enoch is a collection of Jewish apocalyptic writings that dates back to the second century BCE. It contains stories about the fallen angels, the Nephilim, and the end of the world. While the Book of Enoch is not considered part of the biblical canon, it was widely read and respected by early Christians.

Some early Christian writers, such as Tertullian and Origen, believed that the Book of Enoch was divinely inspired and should be considered scripture. However, the majority of Christian theologians rejected the Book of Enoch as non-canonical.

Overall, while there is no direct evidence of Jesus Christ teaching about the Book of Enoch, it is possible that he and his followers were familiar with its contents and may have drawn on its themes and ideas in their teachings.

[Edit: The AI cannot make judgments but relies on what people have written and how it has been ‘trained’ using such material. It cannot ‘see’ how Jesus is twice in the gospels recorded alluding to the Book of Enoch and calling it scripture: once when teaching about the angels not marrying and once when teaching about his disciples having the Holy Spirit well up from them like water from a fountain.

I move on to easier questions for the artificial intelligence chat app.]

Q: How did Jude know about the Book of Enoch?

OpenAI: The epistle of Jude in the New Testament contains a reference to the Book of Enoch, which has led scholars to believe that Jude was familiar with this text. The reference is found in Jude 1:14-15, which says:

"Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: "See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him."

This passage is similar to a section in the Book of Enoch known as the "Book of the Watchers," which describes the judgment of the fallen angels and the coming of the Lord with his angels.

There are a few possible explanations for how Jude knew about the Book of Enoch. One possibility is that he was directly inspired by the Holy Spirit to include this reference in his letter. Another possibility is that Jude was drawing on a common tradition or belief among Jewish communities of his time that was also reflected in the Book of Enoch.

It is also possible that Jude knew of the Book of Enoch through personal knowledge or access to the text itself, or through other sources that were familiar with the book. However, the exact details of how Jude knew about the Book of Enoch are not known for certain.

Q: Which chapter of the Book of Enoch was Jude quoting?

OpenAI: The reference to Enoch in the Epistle of Jude is found in verses 14-15, which says:

"And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him."

This passage is similar to a section in the Book of Enoch known as the "Book of the Watchers," which describes the judgment of the fallen angels and the coming of the Lord with his angels. Specifically, the passage in Jude appears to be based on Enoch 1:9, which says:

"And behold! He cometh with ten thousands of His holy ones to execute judgement upon all, and to destroy all the ungodly: and to convict all flesh of all the works of their ungodliness which they have ungodly committed, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."

While the exact wording is not the same, the similarity between these passages suggests that Jude may have been drawing on the Book of Enoch, or a tradition related to it, to make his point.

Q: Given that these verses in Jude and the Book of Enoch were translated by different people from sources found many centuries apart, this looks like a very good match.

OpenAI: Yes, you are correct. The similarities between the passage in Jude and the Book of Enoch suggest that they are related, even though they were translated by different people from sources found many centuries apart. Scholars believe that the author of Jude was likely drawing on a tradition or belief that was common to both texts, and that the Book of Enoch may have influenced Jude's writing.

It is worth noting that the Book of Enoch was not originally written in Greek, the language in which the New Testament was written, but in Aramaic and Hebrew. The Book of Enoch that is available today is based on several different manuscripts, some of which were discovered in the 18th and 19th centuries. These manuscripts vary in content and style, but they all share a common set of themes and ideas.

Despite these differences, the similarities between the passage in Jude and the Book of Enoch suggest that they are related in some way, and that the Book of Enoch may have been an important source for early Christians who were interested in apocalyptic literature and the prophetic traditions of Judaism.

Existential threat

 Remember People: Issuing an arrest warrant for a head of state leader while they are in power constitutes an existential threat to that state and therefore justifies the people of that state declaring war. Even Jesus Christ stated that “If I were an earthly king my people would fight for me”, effectively justifying such action. Remember. 

Flying without wings

 I wanna learn to fly. Like Jesus, without wings. Jesus went up into the sky unaided by technology, months after rising from the dead. Let Jesus teach what he does. Of course, when he returns he will raise the dead who believe and then transform the living who believe into the kind of immortal human he is. That means flying without wings. Come Lord Jesus. 

A little about my career in information technology

 A little about my career in information technology and software development with a religious and governmental twist. I loved programming as a child. I had a programmable calculator in the seventies. I studied some programming in FORTRAN at university as part of a science degree. Years later I was processing invoices for local government and an end user of software on mainframes but when my hobbyist programming skills were discovered they moved me into mainframe programming. In those days they recruited promising office workers to mainframe work because the idea was with third gen languages, anyone intelligent with aptitude could learn the programming in a week. I kept my vision and knowledge of invoice processing and it proved useful, not just to my bosses but to many countries after a miracle of feeding many with a few loaves and fishes. I consider one duty of public servants is to be efficient and make savings and profitable outcomes. XML allowed invoice processing to be done faster for lower cost. So I offered my knowledge like offering the Lord a few fish and loaves. Ten years later I had helped produce UBL, ISO 19845, an XML way to send an invoice electronically, plus orders, etc.. Hundreds of billions are being saved implementing it around the world. 

Artificial intelligence version of the gospel is commendable

 Asking an online artificial intelligence online chat application (openai) for a more extensive version of the gospel message it gave me this and I cannot really fault this message but commend it.

The two gospel messages are:

1. "Repent and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15)

2. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

When combined, the gospel message would be something like this:

"Repent and believe in the good news that God loves the world so much that he gave his only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins. Through faith in Jesus, we can have eternal life and be reconciled to God."

This message emphasizes two key aspects of the gospel: repentance and belief in Jesus Christ. Repentance involves acknowledging and turning away from our sinful ways, and turning towards God. Belief in Jesus involves acknowledging him as the Son of God who died for our sins and rose again, and putting our trust in him as the only way to be saved.

The message also highlights God's great love for the world, which led him to give his only Son as a sacrifice for our sins. This love is not limited to any particular group or individual, but extends to all people, regardless of their background or status.

Finally, the message offers the hope of eternal life through faith in Jesus. This means that we can have a personal relationship with God, experience his love and forgiveness, and look forward to spending eternity with him.

Overall, this message invites people to turn away from sin and towards God, and to put their faith in Jesus Christ as the source of salvation and eternal life. It is a message of hope, love, and grace, and it is available to all who believe.

In addition to repentance and belief in Jesus Christ, the gospel message also calls for adherence to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Jesus taught about love, compassion, forgiveness, and service to others. He showed us how to live a life that honors God and reflects his character.

Therefore, as followers of Jesus, we are called to follow his example and strive to live out his teachings in our daily lives. This means seeking to love our neighbors as ourselves, forgiving those who have wronged us, and serving others in humility and kindness.

Jesus also taught about the importance of faith, prayer, and obedience to God. He called us to trust in God's plan for our lives, to pray regularly for our needs and the needs of others, and to obey God's commands as a sign of our love for him.

By adhering to the teachings of Jesus, we not only honor him, but also experience the fullness of life that God intends for us. We can find joy, peace, and purpose in serving God and others, and we can have the assurance of eternal life with him.

Therefore, the gospel message invites us to not only believe in Jesus Christ, but also to follow his example and teachings. By doing so, we can experience the transformative power of his love and grace, and live a life that honors God and blesses others.

The Gospel according to AI and the teachings of Lord Jesus Christ

 I asked an online AI chat application (openai) to write me a short gospel message and to mention adherence to the teachings of Jesus Christ. This is what it wrote:

Dear friend,

I bring you good news of salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He came to this world to save us from our sins and to show us the way to eternal life. Jesus taught us to love one another, to forgive those who have wronged us, and to live a life of obedience to God.

Through his life and teachings, Jesus showed us the way to true happiness and fulfillment. He showed us that the most important thing in life is not material possessions or worldly success, but rather our relationship with God and our love for others.

If we want to follow Jesus and experience the joy and peace that he offers, we must strive to adhere to his teachings. We must love our neighbors as ourselves, forgive those who have wronged us, and seek to live a life of righteousness and obedience to God.

Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). Let us therefore follow his teachings with all our heart, and seek to live a life that is pleasing to God. In doing so, we can experience the abundant life that Jesus promised to all who believe in him.

May the grace of God be with you always. Amen.

The Gospel according to AI. Amazing.

I asked the openai chat AI online app, Please write me a short gospel message. I love its answer:

“Sure, here's a short gospel message for you:

The good news, or gospel, is that God loves us so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus has made it possible for us to be forgiven of our sins and to have eternal life with Him in heaven.

All we need to do is accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, confess our sins, and believe in Him with all our hearts. When we do this, we become children of God and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, who helps us to live a new life in Christ.

So if you haven't already, I encourage you to turn to Jesus and receive His love and forgiveness. He is waiting for you with open arms, ready to welcome you into His family and give you a new life filled with hope, joy, and peace.”

Very good. It focuses on the sacrifice on the cross and the resurrection. My one criticism is that it says

“All we need to do is accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, confess our sins, and believe in Him with all our hearts. When we do this, we become children of God and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, who helps us to live a new life in Christ.”

It is a little inaccurate to say this is all we to do. We need to also adhere to the teachings of Jesus. See John chapter 8 where some believed in Jesus but he still needed to tell them to adhere to his teachings in order to be set free from their sins and become children of God. 

The message of life

 Which of all the gods is king above all others? The one who provided a lamb of sacrifice once and for all, His very own Son to die for you. This Son, this princely Son of the king above all gods, was taken to a cross of wood and nailed there and watched as he died this sacrificial death for you. You sinned. I sinned. Israel sinned. Sinned by falling short of the proper standards of behaviour for a human being, set by this king above all gods, who was over all the creating of human beings such as us. This king above all gods has put all of that sin upon His Son, the Christ, Jesus Christ. The death on that cross of the Christ who did no wrong and knew no sin, this set aside the wrath of this true God above all gods, once and for all, so that those of us who believe in this Lord who is this Jesus Christ and who hold fast to his teachings to obey them, we can be set free from our sinning by this Son who God has raised from the dead and who now lives forever to set us free and to mediate between us and God, his heavenly Father. Lord Jesus Christ will soon return as he foretold and will come in judgement of humans and angels who overstep the line God has set and who act blindly and lie and hatefully kill without reason, and give themselves to idols and to making drugs to deceitfully intoxicate the world, and fornicate and do vile deeds and live in cowardly dread and live by the sex trade. The Father and the Son will end such lifestyles and put outside the righteous community all who live these ways. We too will die in our sins unless we believe in this Son and hold to his teachings. If we walk in the ways of his teachings we will have the joy of this king above all gods as our God and have His presence in all our efforts to do as these teachings say. The Son too will show himself to us and share fellowship with us and we will have the joy of fellowship with the others who walk in this path. Then he, the Son, will raise us up when he returns so that whether we had died or remain alive till his day, we will be raised immortal to live with this Father and His Son forever. The death of judgement will not touch us, if we live worthy of this calling. He will help us. There is a spirit given by this God to all who believe and this Holy Spirit brings to us the things the Father gives the Son, the hope and teachings and miracles of God’s power and knowledge of the things yet to come. It is written in the scriptures taught by the Lord Jesus Christ which testify about him and encourage us to come to him to learn from him. There is no need for any barrier between yourself and this Lord, and all barriers that attempt to keep you from him can be torn down by commanding without doubting, and God will do it. This is eternal life. The whole of Nature works in its cycles of growth and harmony by the name of this Lord Jesus Christ, its authority and power. You too can share this power if you believe in him and hold to his teachings. He will love you and the Father will love you and will hear your prayers prayed in Lord Jesus’ name. No other name is given among men except this name as the name by which you must be saved. 

The Outcome

 Concerning the teachings of Jesus Christ, there may be many who would be more eager to learn these teachings, eager to even try to live by them, if they were aware of the tremendous outcome that comes to those who do so. This outcome, which awaits those who don’t just pay curious interest in Jesus Christ’s teachings, but go on to learn and follow them, believing who Jesus is, this outcome is nothing less than real fellowship with God, the Father. This is God the Father who sent him and who watches to see who will believe in Jesus, His Son, and follow the teachings. These are teachings given to Jesus Christ by God. Fellowship with God is the outcome, and with Jesus Christ. It is God right there involved with you in the times of doing, and preparing to do, what Jesus taught. That is why God sent Jesus and why Jesus died for you. That is why God raised Jesus, His dear Son, from the dead so Jesus lives forever to mediate between us and God. To stay in fellowship we must keep following, holding to those teachings or the fellowship is lost. Staying in the teachings, we stay in fellowship, and in fellowship with each other too, and with all who follow, as part of a great body of believers, all united with Jesus Christ in this way. It goes on beyond death, to resurrection and eternal life.

History repeating itself

 Can we now expect a repeat of the forties in Germany, Austria and Eastern Europe? How much is a flight from there to New York; or has that forties ideology now spread too much to New York? History repeats itself.

Rules of the hypocrites

 Rules taught by hypocrites? If we want life that is really life we need to focus instead on:

1. Good training

2. Putting into practice good training

3. Living in a system which allows freedom to put into practice good training instead of overloading us with hypocritical rules

Why war?

 Why are we ever heading towards widespread war? 

Reasons: 

Since the nineties the collective West - USA plus Europe plus Israel - have been falling far short of their predecessors in various ways. Israel with the Oslo Accords. USA and Europe with NATO eastward expansion. It has all been leading to greater and greater violence against innocent people for whom God cares. The eagle is now over the house as a result. Poor choices of leaders, chosen with no seeking of God’s will. Allowing agendas based on hatred and vengeance to take priority. Neocons. Warmongers. God sees when the scales tip towards more innocents dying violent deaths and God sends that eagle of war overhead as a sign.

Resurrection

Jesus is physically alive. He has even shown me this personally. He has a physical human body. In between dying and rising from the dead, he still existed, otherwise there would be nothing for God to bring back to physical life. Yes, he has immortality. “I was dead and behold I am alive forever” he says. He is the resurrection. He is the life. And at one point, for a few days, he was truly dead in the same sense others are dead, his spirit left his body and was taken into the place of the dead. The body of Jesus was inanimate at that time, like any other human dead body. For a few days it was in a tomb. It would have decayed if God had left it there. His spirit continued until God raised the body making it a resurrection body (we do not yet know fully what it is except that it can be touched and can eat food) and God let that spirit of Jesus return to his body, and the resurrection was revealed to disciples. He continues like this till today, and so forever. He is truly marvellous, but not just for his own benefit but for those who believe in him too, who are part of him united with him in baptism into his name, his death, his resurrection. The resurrection is for us. While we believe in him and hold fast to his teachings. Jesus is alive from the dead. Resurrection. He was dead and now he lives. He is alive forever. We might want to make it more complicated than this, but that would detract from what we need. We need resurrection. He is that resurrection. This is the eternal life truth we need for living forever. 

Balloons overhead

 Israel has sinned, says the LORD. Breaking the promise by expanding NATO is a path of sin and not just balloons overhead but mushroom clouds might be on that path.

Creation intra vires

 There are legal terms ‘ultra vires’ and ‘intra vires’ which are about the authority needed to conduct some kind of action within an organisation and ‘ultra vires’ relates to conducting actions without the necessary authority, while ‘intra vires’ is conduction actions with proper authority. The work of creating Nature and of maintaining Creation, Nature, throughout time is work requiring authority from the ultimate pinnacle of authority - the one true God. Angels participating in this work cannot act in ultra vires. They must act intra vires. They must do it according to the ordinances of God and there is a heavenly, divine ‘oath’ which exists to ensure this is done and the Son of Man, the word, his name is part of this oath. God authorises all creation work and maintenance of order in creation on an ongoing basis. Angels carry out tasks involved in this but all of the authority comes from the Most High God, the One True God, Yahweh, the Father. It all involves the authority of the name of the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, the Lord, God’s Son, firstborn over all creation.

Why did Jesus come in the flesh?

 It was always true that there would be a Christ. Everything about this Christ and the sufferings this Christ would endure had a spiritual existence inspiring prophets since most ancient times. Then the actual Christ was manifested - as a human. Taking human form. This is Jesus. He is what humans need for resurrection and life, eternal life. The sufferings had to be human sufferings. The sinlessness has to be human sinlessness in human vulnerable weakness and mortality. We need this. The death is what we need as sacrifice and only human death could meet this need of dealing with our sin. Just the concept of a Christ with a spiritual encapsulation of that concept is not sufficient. He had to actually take human form, become a human, suffer and die a human shedding human blood to be what we need, the propitiation we need and sacrifice for sin we need. He has to be a human mediator, with direct, intimate Son to Father, Father to Son interaction and knowledge and communication in a righteous relationship forever, to be the mediator we need. He has to be resurrected as a human from the dead to be the resurrection and life that we need to give us human resurrection and life, forever. He has to be human Son of Man judge to be judge over us all that we need to have the best possible outcome for us in the judgement day and the time leading up that day, who knows weakness of human condition and mortality so he can sympathise and judge us appropriately, justly and rightly before God. To fulfil all the righteous requirements of God, so we can rest assured in him forever.  

Maybe it is not too late

 We cannot go back in time and undo the sin of the USA (with allies) in the nineties of expanding NATO eastwards despite assurances it had earlier made to the Kremlin, to Gorbachev. Israel has sinned, said God. The huge white eyed dark eagle is a sign God gives of this sin and its consequences. We see surveillance and a looming war of escalating magnitude. Yet sin is mainly both a forsaking of trustworthiness, honour, on one hand and the commands of God and covenant of God on the other, when it is the sin of covenanted people. Love God. Do so wholeheartedly. Put God’s commands and teachings at the forefront again in teaching the next generation. Maybe they will be a more faithful generation than ours. Maybe God will relent from sending the calamity He has targeted on us all. His Son was sent to bear our sin when he died for us. Jesus now lives again to forever intercede for us. Maybe it is not too late.

Lukewarm

 “So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” 

— Jesus Christ, The Apocalypse

Lukewarm food is not very palatable, is it. Those churches around the world which are hot or cold, true to God’s commands in Christ or still lacking knowledge of them, their nations prosper, and the lack of knowledge can be remedied with good teaching, while those sitting on the fence, aware of the teachings but not committing to them, prevaricating, their nations flounder and are at the point of failure, ejection from God’s plan.