Pestilence Smestilence

“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5 ESV).

Phew! Paul gives a bitter pill to swallow, but a truthful one if we look around today. There are so many verses about the last days; if you read your Bible, you know what I am talking about.

Here is Paul, writing to his beloved Timothy, his protégé. Telling him of the last days and what to avoid. Paul, like us, did not know when the “last days” would begin. Some theologians believed the last days began with the crucifixion of Christ and have been steadily building over time. I believe this is true

One point of the last days is the influx of pestilence. Pestilence is a widely spread, highly contagious, fatal disease. The bubonic plague and COVID-19 are examples of pestilence. We live with Covid now. It is quite apparent that vaccines do not prevent infection; perhaps they lessen the effects, but for me, it did nothing, as did masking. However, taking them is a choice. Now, we are facing rumors of new vaccine/mask mandates. Sorry, the last round severely damaged my health. Only God controls me.

God creates pestilence. He does this not because the world is good but because the world is terrible. We are all intelligent enough to know that we are all sinners. However, we are also smart enough to know that Christ saves us, and the assurances of everlasting life accompany that salvation. I trust in the Lord. One of my favorite Psalm passages is found in Psalm 20, verse 7, "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God."

John wrote in Revelation (no “s”), “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”( Rev 21:4 ESV). God saves the elect. Every tear we shed, and as the elect, and we will shed many, will be wiped away by the Lord. Every pain we experience as the elect Christ will heal. It is faith. The basis of our salvation is faith. I’ll sound like the old milk commercial, “Got Faith?” Do you?

Trust is the Lord in all things; be wise and seek his counsel. If you do not know Him, seek Him, and you will pass from death in this world to eternal life through the blood He shed on the cross for you. A love so deep and strong that He who was sinless willingly drank the cup of the wrath of God and ate your punishments so that you could be rejoined to the Father.

Praise the Lord, Jesus Christ!

Grace and Mercy!