22 Oct The Farragoes Taunting the Faithful

The ‘Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary’ defines ‘Farrago’ as ‘a confused mixture of different things’. This article is an attempt to take on different kind of ‘farragoes’ that continue to trouble the believing community and tries to answer the following age old questions:

Does it really matter what you believe, as long as you have faith?
Are there errors in the Bible?
Was Jesus just a good teacher? Can anyone prove His resurrection? And what does that have to do with me?

Know what you believe about your faith… and why it is true!

Let’s begin…

THE COSMIC COP

Is God a cosmic cop guarding the universe? Who is really killjoy your life? God or Devil? Does Satan give you pleasure and happiness?
We imagine God as a cosmic cop standing in the center of the galaxies and sleuthing people. “Hey, you! Yeah you. You look like you’re having fun over there. Well cut it down”!

We assume God as the cosmic killjoy. God just wants to spoil our fun. Conversely, we imagine the devil as a fun-loving imp. Comedian Flip Wilson popularized the phrase, “Devil made me do it.” As if the devil is a “good old boy”. That’s a lie. 1 John 4:8 says God is love. A song by Lenny LeBlanc and Paul Baloche has a lyric as thus:

“Crucified laid behind a stone You lived to die rejected and alone Like a rose trampled on the ground You took the fall and thought of me Above all.”

He undertook all sufferings just because for US. He came to the earth to die on the cross and to forgive our sins. He is faithful. Everyday we are living by His grace. We do certainly have laws and commandments to be followed. Obeying these laws make us to be noblesse oblige and also inherits the heaven. In psalms 119:14, the psalmist enjoys following the rules as one finds in riches.

Satan hates our guts. He threatens to finish you off. . “Devil is always seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

A group of tourists in holy land were told by their guide, “You’re probably used to seeing shepherds driving sheep in your countries. But in Palestine things are different. The shepherds lead the way, going before the flock.” Much to the amusement and embarrassment of the tourist and the guide respectively, the first flock they saw was driven, not led. The guide asked the man, “How is it you are driving and not leading the sheep?” The man replied, “That’s true. The shepherd does lead the sheep. But I’m not a shepherd. I’m a butcher.”

Satan is a butcher. He gives destruction to your life albeit a short lived pleasure and happiness. Jesus said, “The thief (Satan) comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that you might have life and have it to full.”(John 10:10)In 1 Peter 5:8, Peter says us to be alert for our enemy devil prowls like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Satan wanted to cause sickness to Job (Job 2:1-8) and ruin everything he had; to test him because he was a faithful servant of God. We often hear people saying, “There are no trials and worries, if you believe in God.” That’s a lie. Satan tests people who are faithful only.

Considering the current situation, we would have come across the saying, “We are God’s children and so, we will not be affected by COVID-19.” It means not only covid-19 but no disease can touch the children of God. If it were the case, are not all the Christians affected by COVID-19 God’s children? Being safe is God’s grace. If we are affected by it we should be thankful to God. Always remember God is in control and it maybe another test of the Lord to test our faith. God can heal any disease. But He will not cure diseases for all. Dr. Jaffray, a missionary to Indonesia, said that he was cured from diabetes when their household went shortage in saccharin during World War 2.

Let’s give thanks to our God for everything (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

God does not want to spoil your fun. He wants you to enjoy your life to the fullest. He wants you to experience the eternal pleasures the psalmist talks about: You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalm 16:11.

Courtesy:

1. Don’t knock your brains at the door – Josh McDowell & Bob Hostler
2. Evidence not seen – Darlene Deibler Rose
3. Google images

Miss. Bettina Helen Prakash has just completed her schooling. She with her parents is actively involved in UESI ministry in Madurai, TN.