Exodus 7:(8) And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, (9) When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast [it] before Pharaoh, [and] it shall become a serpent. (10) And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent. (11) Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. (12) For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.
I. We live in a time of when we are exposed to an overwhelming amount of artificial. There are a lot of synthetic, fake, phony, unnatural, replicas of things around us.
A. We have artificial sweeteners, ingredients, body parts, grass, flowers, light, etc... if there is something natural than most likely you will find some form of an artificial facsimile of it. If man can somehow make a mold of it and reproduce it, you will find it sitting on a shelf somewhere.
1. There is nothing wrong with something that is artificial. It has its place sometimes. In medicine there are artificial hips, hearts, knees, limbs, and these things have helped thousands maintain an active life. I am not against the use of artificial things. I have a vinyl fence because I knew that I didn’t want to deal with the maintenance of a wood fence. I love the look and feel of wood, but sometimes if you can pay the extra; go with synthetic, especially if you don’t plan to maintain that fence or deck.
2. In décor it isn’t always practical to have trees, bushes, and flowers growing inside your home. Having a living tree growing in your house just isn’t practical. So, we have great reproductions to add a “lively” touch to our spaces. Y’all remember churches in the 80’s and 90’s loved them some fake trees and plants. You had ivy, ferns, lilies, trees, and palms all over the church. There were some churches their stage looked like a rain forest because they had so much stuff up there. Then we realized we could add Christmas lights on them and add a whole new level of wow.
B. Just as much as there are some legit benefits to artificial, there are more cons than pros. Everything that is artificial is manmade. Its design and function come from man. Its composition comes from man. It may be inspired by the natural but it doesn’t function the same way.
1. Take those trees and potted plants that you had to hack your way through when you were coming up on the stage for that prayer line. We replaced those natural looking ornaments with a modern industrial look, and those dust covered plants found their way to the trash and then to a land fill.
2. A natural tree serves a purpose while living it provides oxygen and cleans our air while providing food and shelter to wildlife and when it dies it continues to provide benefits to man and nature. On the other hand, those stage ornaments will sit in a landfill forever providing no benefit since they are made of plastic and wire, they just remain as a reminder of a forgotten fad or moment.
3. We have manmade ingredients in food, you know the ones you can’t pronounce but begin with poly, mono, or end with “a-t-e”, and those have been linked to the increase in cancer and other health conditions.
4. The natural can never be replaced or have all the benefits it has to offer duplicated. That’s the problem with man-made it is created to serve a temporal role. It has limitations due to its unnatural composition its function and design though modeled from the natural is flawed due to its designer.
a. Right now there is a heavy emphasis on “AI” Artificial Intelligence. Which is used in many applications from photography to virtual assistants like Alexa and Siri. Its great when it works but the problem is that it is already flawed from the moment it is applied because its source of intelligence was man made.
b. Since AI algorithms are built by humans, they can have built-in bias by those who either intentionally or inadvertently introduce them into the algorithm. If AI algorithms are built with a bias or the data, they are given to learn from is biased, they will produce results that are biased. This reality could lead to unintended consequences like Microsoft’s Twitter chatbot that became racist.
C. The limitations of artificial to natural extend themselves to the Spiritual, but we are talking about more than landfills, environmental, and health concerns. The affects weigh into the eternal. With such an emphasis on eating right and avoiding manmade artificial toxins that have adverse effects on our bodies why do we not take the same caution when it applies to the spiritual?
1. We check the labels of our foods, we try to buy “organic”, and we stay away from MSG and GMO. We will go as far as to believe that a piece of tinfoil put behind our batteries will stop cell phone radiation, we will buy pillows infused with copper for a good night’s rest, but when it comes to our spirit man, we forget to check the labels and take no caution.
2. The Bible says 1Jo 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Paul said 1Co 12:10 one of the gifts of the Spirit is the discerning of spirits;
II. We are living in a time where we can’t maintain a Spiritual Transverse Orientation. I know you just heard the word trans and now are like hold up what are you about to preach a Woke Word to us. God can use the natural to help us understand the spiritual.
A. Transverse Orientation means to keep a fixed angle on a source of light for orientation; it is sort of like sailors keeping the North Star in a certain position so they know where they are. Has anyone ever wondered why insects and especially moths will fly around a light bulb? This term is mostly used as a theoretical term to explain why a moth is attracted to light. You have probably heard or used the term “like a moth to a flame”.
1. When I see a moth flying around my porch lights for hours and days on end my first thought is this insect is stupid. It’s wasting its life away circling a light bulb, what kind of life is this to just go around and around but get nowhere. How is this thing going to eat and mate? So, I did a little research and found out that this wasted lifestyle is not the result of the moth’s limited brain functions but the result of the interferences of man messing with how God designed them.
2. It’s thought the moths keep the light source from the sun and the moon at a certain position in relation to their body to guide them. They use the light from the sun and moon to guide them to food sources as well as to mate and reproduce. The light acts as a guide to help them fulfill their purpose.
a. Now the moth is faced with all these artificial moons and it distracts it from the natural. The reason it keeps going in circles around that bulb is because it keeps trying to keep the light in front of it never fulfilling its destiny, its purpose, its calling. That moth will exhaust itself to the point that it will stop flying and start sitting becoming prey for a predator. That moth will become so distracted that it never nourishes itself. That moth will be so distracted that it never reproduces. That moth will die traveling hundreds of miles, but never getting anywhere.
B. I been preaching the whole time. Cause like the moth the church has got distracted by artificial light. 2Co 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Satan has used this past year to distract the church. While we were staying at home trying to do our part and save lives, stop the spread, follow the W’s. Satan used that opportunity to turn on the artificial lights during that dark time and got some Christians distracted from the light of the world, the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
1. We started looking to social media, started watching more YouTube, started following more people, we searched more. As we waited for the church to open up, we looked for ways to stay connected. Trying to maintain Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, 1Th 5:11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do while on lockdown and 6 feet apart was challenging at times to do so.
2. We began to find a form of togetherness behind our screens. The digital replaced the natural. We were trying to comfort and edify by sharing posts, memes, streams, and stories. Again, I am not against these things but just like the foods we eat you need to look at the label and see the ingredients of that post, that book, that author, that preacher.
3. Satan is a master at deception, he took God’s word and put a slight bend in it; so, it would still appear straight but off enough to deceive Eve into taking the fruit, Satan tried the same tactic again with Jesus but he couldn’t bend the Word made Flesh. I just want to help you to see where the bends are, I just want to make sure you are not chasing the wrong light. Jesus said Mr 13:22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
4. 2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; You need to be careful about those that are Pimping Pentecost, offering premium prayers for a price, this fad faith that pops up and gets everyone on board including those in the world, this Junk food Jesus that’s high in sugar and fat that only appeals to the flesh but does nothing for your soul, gimmick gospels that are more products than producers.
C. Satan wants nothing more than to stop any form of a move of God. He wants to ensure that there are no more awakenings. He wants us distracted, exhausting ourselves until we become prey, he wants us malnourished in the Word of God, and he wants us so distracted that we stop winning souls.
1. The past 300 years there have been great revivals and awakenings. You had The Great Awakening, The Second Great Awakening, The Businessmen's Revival sometimes called The Great Prayer Meeting Revival, The Urban Revivals, Azusa Street Revival, The Post-World War II Awakening, The Charismatic Renewal and Jesus Movement, and The Mid-90s Revivals. These great moves we talk about in the past tense didn’t always happen in Church. They happened when people just got radical and let God be God with no restraints.
2. During this millennia we have not seen the emergence of revivals or awakening that could be classified properly, but it’s coming. Satan can’t stop a move of God. He can keep us from participating if we let him but he can’t stop God. In Amos God said that there would be a famine of the word of God; it’s time to declare an end to that famine. The Bible says And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh:
D. Satan is using artificial light on the body of Christ right now, to keep you from this next awakening that is upon us. Be careful in not being fooled by artificial light which can try and obscure the light of Christ. We need to be able to identify that which is natural (God’s Light) and that which is artificial (Satan’s fake stuff). Joh 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
III. There is only one source. The thing about artificial light is that it never lasts it always burns out and will be replaced with another source. Artificial light only works best in the darkness, during dark and uncertain times the enemy places a lot of lights out to try and get you off track. It is during the dark times you have to rely on the Light of Christ that is still shining.
A. Jas 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. The light that you have received is the one that allows you to see. Only the Light of Christ leads to healing, miracles, peace, etc.… Satan can only give you artificial versions of those things that only Christ can give.
1. In my opening text Aaron cast down his rod and it became a serpent and pharaoh’s magicians did the same but Aaron’s rod consumed their rods because God will always be the last one standing. He doesn’t put up with knock offs and cheap imitations. Isa 45:6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that [there is] none beside me. I [am] the LORD, and [there is] none else.
B. You need to check the light source if it’s exhausting you and getting you nowhere but upset, aggravated, confused, and always feeling like you are running in circles; then you know that is not of God. 1Co 14:33 For God is not [the author] of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
1. Peace is the key there. The true test of a thing is do you have the peace of God. God leaves you with peace not in pieces. Php 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. The Bible has a lot to say about being in peace, the peace of God, the God of Peace, peace from God, if you can’t find any peace in it, then get out of that thing and go where Jesus is!
C. I am going to wrap this all up and close with this in Matthew 14 and Mark 6 you have the story of Jesus walking on the water during a storm and the apostles were exhausting themselves fighting to row against the winds of the storm when they see Jesus; Peter says Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. Peter steps over the boat and walks on the water to Jesus but then gets distracted by the storm and sinks but immediately calls out to Jesus.
1. In the midst of a storm, they were wearing themselves out fighting the storm when Jesus walked by and Peter saw Jesus and he did the unthinkable instead of continuing to fight the storm he asked to walk out to Jesus because he knew that there was peace in the midst of the storm.
2. Peter did the impossible when he stepped out the boat sure he cut his eyes to the storm but he knew to get them back on Jesus. Peter takes a lot of junk for taken his eyes off Jesus but who hasn’t looked on the storms of life. He got distracted by the storm but before the storm consumed him, he got his eyes back on Jesus. There was no peace on the boat, the boat was exhausting, and like the moth flying around the lightbulb they were getting nowhere. The storm was overwhelming but out in the most unlikely place there was peace. Where Jesus is there’s peace, in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
3. If where you are doesn’t have the peace of God, get out of the boat. If you are exhausting yourself and getting nowhere it’s time for a redirection. It’s time for a spiritual transverse orientation back to the Son of God, Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Check the label and make sure the word you are carrying isn’t full of satan’s msg’s and gmo’s, if it only appeals to the flesh and not the spirit you need to go back to the Bible because Paul said in 2 Tim. 3:(16) All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (17) That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
4. It’s time for us to wake up and see the bright and morning star, it’s time to receive a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, it’s time to stop fighting the storm and get where Jesus is. For all that are weary, for all that are worn; let Jesus give you rest. Satan enough is enough I am pulling the plug on your lies, your deceit, on your accusations, its lights out for you but lights on for me. I am done circling your non sense I am moving forward in my destiny in Christ Jesus. I am going to live as more than a conqueror. I am going to be a part of this move of God, I am done with distractions. I am going to be fixed on Jesus! Get ready Jesus because I am chasing after you!
