Gnats, Flies, and Pestilence

This past week, with the new construction at the church, there has been an over abundance of flies and gnats in my office. They could fly anywhere they want and I would be ok to share my space, but they have this annoying drive to buzz around me. Before you think it, I have showered. Swatting at them makes me feel powerless, I’m not as fast as they are. I think that’s why they come around, to taunt me; Belzabub, lord of the flies.

But I will not be undone, I remembered a simple gnat catching solution. Fill a small comtainer with water and add a little dish soap. The solution attracts the gnats, it’s too slippery for them crawl out, and walla they are dead. The gnat filled container gave me a sort of macabre satisfaction. The problem now is the flies, or rather The Fly. There is always just one, and if I do manage to kill it, there is one waiting in the wings to take it’s place. An odd sort of tag team torment. And so it is with the way of the world.

The best known pestilence of the Bible is Moses and the plaques. The Egyptians were tormented with gnats and flies respectively. My own experience, however slight, has given me a new appreciation for the Egyptians’ torment. I would have gone mad, and so upset where the Egyptians, Pharaoh almost let the Israelites go. Hard hearts and misery go together.

Revelation 6:8; 9:1-11 speaks of two more times of pestilence; much worse than the plagues of Egypt. In chapter six the fourth horse of the apocalypse let’s loose famine, diesese, and pestilence to torment the people of the earth. In chapter nine the fifth trumpet is blown and a terrible creature, that is a mixture of a locust and scorpion, is let loose, “And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them” (Rev. 9:6). Only those who are of the elect will be spared. 

Revelation is a fascinating book full of imagery, that is often not taken literal and is spiritualized so as not to make it as awful as it sounds. Imagery or real, the fact is that it will be terrible. The horror of the event would make Hercules shutter. But we read it with morbid curiosity, a fascination that is rivaled only by a Stephen King novel. Yet, we, as followers of Jesus, should be motivated by this book. It is both a warning and a comfort. A comfort, because it is a reminder that the wicked will not get away with their injustice. A warning, because the horror will fall on all those who do not believe—even our loved ones.

Take a moment to pray for a lost family member or friend. Ask the Lord for an opportunity to share the gospel with them. Become the beautiful feet that brings good news. I’m just saying...

What Is Your Crisis Of Faith?

My crisis of faith began with one sentence, "What are you reading?" I was determined to have my devotions and read my bible. I was a new believer rooming with two non-believers. Their question seemed innocent, they were curious about my early morning reading material.  I don't even remember what passage I was reading. I just wanted to be a good testimony. When they started talking about science and creation, about the impossibility of a universal flood, of the ridiculousness of miracles, I had no answers. It wasn't that I was unsure of forgotten information. Their arguments were plausible. I mean who could ignore scientific evidence.  This morning I googled the top arguments against Christians and they haven't changed. They all revolve around the basic assumption of naturalism, that God doesn't exist, and the triumph of science over the incompatibility of faith. They sound reasonable.

That's why Paul was writing the Colossians. He didn't want them to be swayed away from their faith by arguments that sounded good. Deception is a key tool in the devil's arsenal, and he uses it in the area of our weakness. If a loved one dies, "how could God allow it?" If you have cancer, "Why is there pain and suffering in the world?" If you like science, "Doesn't evolution disprove the creation myth?" If your a philosopher, "If Jesus is the only way why are there so many religions in the world?" If you are caring, "Would God really send people to hell who have never heard the gospel?" "How can a loving God even contemplate sending someone to hell?" If you don't like the bible's restrictions, "But doesn't God want me to be happy?" Plausible, reasonable, arguments abound. When presented with plausible arguments doubt can set in, bitterness can take root, and apostasy can follow. In my crisis God led me to Bible College. For others it is a good book, their pastor, or a friend. Counter arguments, however, are not what keeps us from falling away. They are important, but they are secondary. The Apostle Paul told the Colossians that what would keep them was the knitted love of the body that led them to a deeper understanding of the mystery of God in Christ. It is the same for us today.

What anchors me in my deepest emotional need is the reality of God's existence. I cannot escape that fundamental truth. Through the working of the Holy Spirit, God teaches me that His love is unshakable, and that it was powerfully expressed in the death and resurrection of Jesus! The issues I face, the questions I have, and the doubt I encounter are always seen through the lens of His unfathomable love. There are answers to all the plausible questions, there is nothing new under the sun. But unless we are set firm on the foundation of Christ the storms of life, the deception of Satan, and our own lusts will lead to apostasy. 

What plausible arguments are tugging on your faith? What strong, faithful believer can you confide in? It's not a sin to have doubts, and it's not anti-intellectual to believe in God through Christ. Deepen your understanding of Jesus. Struggle in the fellowship of his suffering and the power of his resurrection. In the end God will chase the darkness from the corners of your life until all that is left is the light of his love. There you will grasp its height, it's depth, and its breadth until you reach the fullness that is in Christ. I'm just saying. "I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments" (Col. 2:4).   Www.cravingsomethingmore.com