Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Biological Weapons

I'm not sure if it's the cloudy morning, the remains of yesterday's tasks that wait for me on my desk, or my first two hour work-out since joining the gym, but I'm struggling to get myself in gear this morning.....

I'm not a big fan of the television show "24", but I have watched it on occasion. I got home about 8:45 last night and just wanted to "veg out" (and I don't mean eating vegetables...yuck!). I saw a preview on TV about last night's episode of "24" and was intrigued enough to watch it.

Since I haven't watched the show much before, I can't tell you exactly what the storyline was, but last night's show was about a government contractor that built some biological weapons and planned to use them against Washington. Jack Bauer ended up getting infected by the chemical when a storage container ruptured. His fate is yet to be determined, but it's not looking good for ol' Jack. (from what I hear, this is the point of the show!)

I am intrigued by the idea of biological warfare. I've heard about biological weapons for most of my life. I've seen depictions in movies and television shows of what a war fought with biological weapons might look like. It's extremely scary for most people to think about the possibility of that ever happening, especially on our home soil.

As I was running on the treadmill early this morning, I was thinking about the show last night and how powerful those biological weapons could be. In an instant, they can literally infect massive numbers of people.

Then an interesting thought came to me..... what if believers around the world thought of themselves as "biological weapons" for the cause of Christ?

After all, we are the children of God - 1 John 3:1-3 "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure."

In Matthew 5:13-14, we are given a vivid description by Jesus himself about what His believers are supposed to "be".... "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

We are called to be salt.... not to just our neighbors, but to the EARTH! We are called to be light.... not just to our friends and family, but to the WORLD! Would it be a big stretch to think of believers, who are truly being salt and light, as weapons in the hands of God to penetrate the darkness that attempts to hold the world captive?

I don't think it's a stretch at all.... listen to the words of Jesus as He gives us the Great Commission(an authoritative order, charge, or direction) in Matthew 28:19-20 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Doesn't it sound as though God's plan for redeeming the world includes you and I as believers? He could have certainly done it without us, and He does it in spite of us, but His battle plan was for us to be "Biological Weapons" - children of God that are infecting the world with the gospel of Jesus. I guess you could say that we are designed to be Weapons Of Mass Discipleship! (I know... it's corny!)

Am I a "Biological Weapon" for the cause of Christ, or have I allowed my life to get so out of focus that I'm more of a hindrance to the cause than I am a warrior?

Whatever It Takes,
Chip

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