My reaction to the fully functioning robot-pastor that blesses people in Germany was probably similar to other brothers and sisters, one of disbelief and laughter. But upon some retrospection, I realize this robo-pastor is actually a parable, a symbol of how the digital age has taken over our faith. Today most people access their Bible through their smartphone, tablet, laptop, computer, and other device. Many believers are now watching sermons online, examples being Elevation Church headed Stephen Furtick and Joyce Meyer Ministries. Today, many people serf the internet when they have spiritual problems or to investigate something regarding the faith (I did recently). There is nothing inheritantly wrong with benefits technology has given us. For one this blog doesn't function or exist without the digital age, so do not take this as bash media and the cyber world session or post. Rather what is concerning is that this change in our behavior has lead to more insular spiritually. Today a hermit could still be hermit but frequent Christian forums, blogs, and social media.
The Advent of Digital World has had some very detrimental effects. While the Bible is now in hands of more people (or pockets rather) than ever before, many are not reading it. How ironic, the app for Bible a touch (touch screen) away on their phones, but they don't read it. Instead many prefer to listen to commentator, a pastor on Sunday, on YouTube, and beyond. While commentaries aren't inheritably wrong, what concerns me is that we have the Printing Press, Touch Screen Phones with Bible apps that are free to download, but no one is reading the Bible or worse they re-interpreting it in a manner that is both blasphemous and outside parameters of what Jesus and the Apostles meant. What is more alarming is that the more digital we make our faith, how we interact with Christ and Christian brothers and sisters, the less we are doing what Bible says to do. The Church of Jesus and the Apostles times spent their time gathering together to pray, hear the teaching of Apostles, and more, "All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord's Supper), and to prayer." (Acts 2:42). All of this was communal, a coming together in person to share these practices of the faith, instead people now read the teaching of Apostles and commentary or listen to pastor online, they don't fellowship in person but go to forums and other cyber places to talk, they share what meal they had with twitter or facebook but don't share meals with brothers and sisters, and finally prayer becomes an online post rather than Christians gathering together to pray in person for each other, and seek the Lord's face.
Robo Pastor is not the problem, the truth is why not? We already have so digitalized our faith, that we don't need anyone in person, we are cyber hermits who don't gather or at least do so except a Sunday Service (and in that service there is 5 minutes of interaction, hand shakes, the rest is listen to one person, and worship of God, notice none of these in list of what Acts Christians did). Robo Pastor in Germany shouldn't bother us, he is image of unseen cords we are plugged into. It is like the Matrix, we have all these invisible cords with Wi-Fi signals that connect us to the technology, but it isn't necessarily connecting us to God or the Church itself. We know more, but know less; we know a lot about information but we don't know people or God as in personal relationship the way we use to.
There is conscious effort these days to attack Gifts of Holy Spirit and say they were for the Apostles and not us. Firstly this is wrong, the whole New Testament promises the Gifts of Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4-11) for all believers, and in Book of Acts it is clear gifts will even be in last day, "In the last days,' God says, 'I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams." (Acts 2:17). The reason for the attack on the Gifts of Spirit isn't just control, its to isolate us. You see, you cannot operate in Gifts of Healing, Prophecy, and etc all alone, you need to be with people in person to do them. The Apostle Paul says, ""What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God. 29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. 30 If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. 33 For God is not a God of confusion but of peace." (1 Corinthians 14:26-32). You can't participate in Christian fellowship only online if you move in Gifts of Spirit. So the logical way to ensure the isolation of all Christians to convince people to not move in gifts, you have then eliminated the last thing that requires people to gather together in person. You cannot lay hands on sick through monitor, camera, and later holograms! And yet people will try, because the digitalizing of our lives has been to actually separate us, to cause the Saints to be so self involved and apart, that they don't know how to function together in one room! But this will be disrupted inevitably when the Beast/Antichrist takes over all the technology and money (Revelation 13:7-18) which will force the Church to "unplug" from this "Matrix" and stop trusting in Robo Pastor, and get back to their First Love Jesus Christ (Revelation 2:4-5 NLT).
It is not using these tools, technology and cyber world that is evil. It is that we are replacing the in person interaction we are suppose to have with Saints (Acts 2:42, 1 Corinthians 14:26-32) with the technology. There can be balance. We can utilize the cyber for Christ, but not let it take over our spiritual lives and become Robo Pastor who blesses us! To do this will require self control, a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). It is time for us to learn how to use these tools without letting them plug us into a disconnected cyber world (The Matrix) and cause us to become indifferent and isolated. Pray for Immanuel (Jesus) Christ to help teach you balance, look for people to get together with to study Scripture, and to disconnect from digital and move in Spirit of God, while still staying on your social media and other networks. After all this blog is in cyber world, so I care it exists, but I would never want anyone to use it for a substitute for reading the Bible themselves, spending time with Lord and with saints who are deeply spiritual and devout. Amen.
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