Marvellous things, computers, the internet, the world wide web….

As a computer novice, I thought so too.  Until just recently.

Then, one morning, when I came downstairs to my home office I found that a burglar had

relieved me of my precious  PC and screen etc  etc

It had gone and with it a history of projec ts

Suddenly and quite traumatically, other aspects of the computer world were opened up to me

Words that I hadn’t really or seriously  bothered with ……….

Back Ups (and their huge importance)

Virus Antivirus Spybot

Pop  Ups Blockers Firewalls

Dial Up Connecting Being On-line  Jetstream / Broadband

Live Updates Downloading Installing

My computer education took  an exceedingly sharp and sudden learning curve

And as all this was happening, I slowly became aware that there were many spiritual

comparisons between the computer world, and the spiritual realm of the society that we live in

In the beginning Bill Gates invented the Computer

In the beginning God created the Heavens  and the earth, and humans

With each came Freedom of choice, and responsibility, and that’s where the trouble began

Virus That Computer hackers  create to cause chaos amongst order

Spiritually its called …. Sin –

Deliberate disobedience

And with the same result heartache and trouble

Anti virus Nortons speciality

A lot of time and effort  s acrific ed  to unravel and compose an antidote

Spiritually  also a s acrifice is required  -  the Son of God incarnate,

and His blood  as the only effectiv e antidote for the virus of sin

Repentance, confession, and forgiveness  to combat  the sin virus

Spybot A deliberate and tricky intruder,  causing mayhem in the computer innards

If untreated, it will slowly close down the computer

Spiritually likewise

Our need to contend with a deliberate and tricky intruder – whose

aim is to rob, destroy and kill

If ignored his influence can slow down, then shut down our spiritual

life and effectiveness

DELETE The most precious button,  when used against unwanted material

Dis cernment – when to say NO, to resist undesirable intrus ions

Pop-Ups Unwanted, undesired,  little nuisance intruders

Spiritually likewise – roving thoughts, illicit desires

The old fallen nature that keeps popping up, needing reversal

Blockers Another specially conceived programme to block the pop-ups

Spiritually  …. mental discipline, bringing every thought into

subjection to the new nature within

We can’t stop the birds flying over our heads, but we sure can stop

them building nests in our hair

Firewalls Block s against sporadic alien attack and the devices of hackers

Spiritually …. walking in the Spirit of God, the greatest block of all

A  “firewall’”  from Hell itself, and all the attacks of the Enemy

Dial Up Connecting to the Web,   manually

Spiritually ….. conscious prayer, looking upwards, connecting to

God,

reaching out to Him, spending time seeking Him

Opening the word,  searching the Scripture

Where did this   “unable to establish a connection”   note come from ?

It turned out to be old and dirty wiring, needing Telecom to come and fix it.

Spiritually – only sin can cause such a loss  of connection

“Dirty wiring” needs repentance, confession and forgivenes s

Connecting Getting in touch with the web

Connected to God – constant communion, sensitive to His guidance

Being On-Line Connected to the web,  contact established,  data able to flow

Walking in the Holy Spirit, abiding in the Vine, data flowing

Receiving the “:quickening” of the Word

Another notice  “Auto disconnect through inactivity for 20 minutes”

Yet another s piritual message herein – keep looking upwards

Jetstream / Broad band

Instant connection

Ability to use the phone while connec ted to the web and downloading

Multi-functional

Instant connection – how awesome

Hearing from God as we communicate to others

Multiple giftings as and when required

Impartation of spiritual giftings – wonderful

Live Updates Fresh and the latest defence programmes against the new trick s of Hackers

Needful and necessary to install – constant vigilance

Spiritually how we need constant Up-Dates  from the Father

Old “manna” soon loses its effectiveness

We require the latest updates of what God is doing, and His will..

Constant communion, staying in contact with Him,

walking in the Spirit, led by the Spirit, waiting on the Master

Downloading  Receiving the latest Update from the software supplier

Spiritually ….. hearing from God,  abiding in the Vine,  Christ in Us

Installing Getting the download into our Computer system

Spiritually …..  applying the “download” to our lives  and situation

Obeying Gods directive will and personal guidance

Making the Word effective in us,  out-working it constantly

So, Computer terminology is a constant spur to my spiritual life, and an amazing parallel of

life in the Spirit

And how I just love the  Live Up-Dates   - when was your last one  ?

Ray Miller