We are in a new place in civilization. And most everyone is just listening and nodding their heads. We worry about riots, we worry about a divided nation, we worry about climate. We worry about anything we are told to worry about. But there are things that lurk in the shadows.

    I have been spending a lot of time in doctors' offices lately. In these places they used to have piles of magazines of all kinds, but COVID put an end to that. Some offices had TVs before, but now almost all do. The television is set on whatever the person behind the desk wants. Game shows, round the clock news, weather, whatever. I usually ignore it. I don't watch TV anyway, so ignoring is easy. However, this one caught my attention.

    The pictured showed a Bible. The voice over explained that the Bible was the bestselling book of all time. It has brought comfort, peace, joy and inspiration for all of recorded human history. And then the voice over said, "However, with AI, new secrets have been revealed." That was what caught my attention. (Let me say, I call the voice a 'voice over' because I suspect the voice itself is AI generated. You can tell when the voice mispronounces a word that is common in the language. The voice pronounces it phonetically, but the actual pronunciation is different. Anyway...) For those who don't know, 'AI' stands for 'artificial intelligence.' Computer tech has gotten so sophisticated that they have figured how to get computers to think ad reason. Already songs are being written by AI, performed by AI generated voices and marketed with AI. Books have been written with AI, but carry a real person's name, as though they wrote it. Recently an AI video dropped of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt fighting one another. It is said that it is so realistic that actors are now worried. Who needs actors when you can use AI. Sadly, we will probably have to use real flesh and blood politicians for a while yet. Apparently, they can't dumb down AI that much right now.

    I do not like the concept of AI. It is a program. It may 'think,' it may 'reason,' but it was created by man. They use complicated mathematical algorithms in which massive amounts of data are absorbed. Everyone is impressed because it really is impressive. However, going back to the beginning of computer programming, there was one word that took precedent above all others. 'GINGO.' It stands for 'garbage in, garbage out.' Whatever man puts in will come out. And man's mind compared to God's mind (or the mind of the universe, if that makes you feel better) is garbage. AI is a human created program. GINGO.

    But back to the program on TV. The voice over said that AI was given the task of identifying every prayer in the Bible and finding a pattern in these prayers. "What AI discovered went far beyond what any theologian, pastor, priest or any theological writer ever came up with. Only with AI could this pattern be discovered. Every legitimate prayer in the Bible, that is, a prayer to God, has four distinct elements. This holds true in both the Old and New Testament. 1.) Each prayer gives place to God. 2.) Each prayer acknowledges our dependence on God. 3.) Each prayer has confession and asks for forgiveness. 4.) Each prayer asks for protection from the world and/or Satan. Scriptural prayers included other elements, depending on the need, but all contain these four elements. AI has given us new insight." A lady sitting nearby looked amazed and whispered, "Wow, the Bible must be amazing!"

    So, what bothers me about this, given that this lady was impressed? Well, I lit up my computer when I got the chance and went to the individual churches I have pastored. From 1987 until now, I have kept all my notes. From 1987 through 1994 they were handwritten, but when we got our first home computer in 1994, I typed those notes in. Computers change, systems change, so everything has been updated several times to be compatible to whatever the new system that is in use requires. Bible studies, sermon notes, weddings, funerals. I have a LOT of Biblical notes. And, without the use of AI, I found a pattern.

    From 1975 to 1987 I served mostly as a minister of youth and sometimes, regrettably, minister of music. From 1987 on, I have pastored. Even while I worked at the funeral home, I still worked with churches. Sometimes as pulpit supply, but more often as an interim pastor. The pattern I discovered was that in EVERY church I have been in, within the first month I would teach a series on prayer. My thinking is that prayer is the most important thing we can engage in. If we are engaged in prayer, the rest will fall into place. Now, those four elements that AI discovered? Well, I have taught those four elements for all those years. They are the four elements contained in the model prayer, commonly referred to as the Lord's prayer. In Matthew 6:9 we are not told to pray that prayer, but we are told to pray in that manner. And it is not that I have been teaching a mystery for five decades. I was taught this in college and seminary. These elements have been known and practiced for all time since Eden.

    So, what is the danger in the AI? Afterall, it did get the four elements right. Isn't that good? Yes, I suppose so. But saying that this could only be discovered through the use of AI is terrible. What that means to anyone casually watching the program is that God encoded messages in the Bible that were never meant to be discovered until now. Only through the use of AI and other such programs will we ever know the truth. The casual listener will think that AI is from God. Practically every cult ever has claimed to have new revelation. God has held back certain knowledge until the truly anointed has come along. Will GINGO lead people to Jesus or will it lead to man. GOD WANTS US TO UNDERSTAND HIS WORD. He would not withhold new mystery for thousands of years.

    We are told to study the Word. This requires more than listening to or reading drivel. It involves actual reading of the Word. Open your heart to the Spirit!