The trouble with monsters is they’re hard to control once they get loose.”
–Lou Bradshaw (Texas War Lord)
“Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power… And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man.”
–Revelation 9:3,5 (NASB)
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Listen folks, there are monsters among us. More and more they will show their ugly, evil heads. More and more the laughter of mockery and glee will pour forth from their mouths. Think of the orcs from the Lord of the Rings. They are there. You can smell them, you can sense their evil–that is if you have spiritual eyes. Look for a moment at 2 Corinthians 11:14-15, “No wonder, for even Satan distinguishes himself as an angel of light, therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.” (NASB)
There are all kinds of monsters that grasp for our souls. There is the monster of alcohol that the devil delights in using. The allure of it is subtle, the ads and the portrayals in movies. A problem comes along, go to the bottle. A tribulation over, seek enjoyment in the bottle. Oh, there’s nothing wrong with a drink, it only dulls the senses, or rev up the joy-juices; it will invigorate you….ha, the devil delights in that thinking. Or take only a pill, or smoke a joint, you’ll relax, it’ll help you sleep; yes, and lead you to the boneyard of wasted souls. Sex, lust, gambling, lights and allurement all are monsters that already stalk this earth. Add to that the idols of entertainment, music, sports, and yes, individuals. I remember watching a segment of Dead or Alive. Josh Randall had been through a trying experience. He dropped his head and started to walk away. A man asked, “Going to the saloon for a drink? I don’t blame you.” To the surprise of the man, Randall replied, “Nope, going to the church.” Where do you go for relief?
More and more we see the bizarre, the macabre coming forward. Moreover the demons of perdition are showing their ugly heads and mocking God. Did you see the Olympics? Both the start and the finish portrayed what is beginning to come forth. I don’t know if you picked up on the ending. I watched for a few minutes then left. The “voyager” all prettied up, mystical power that came down upon a darkened earth to bring light. Sounds sort of strange, sounds sort of like the evil of the “morning star.” “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn!…” (Isaiah 14:12, NASB) However, if we read on we finds that this “star” is not the Creator, but the one who said that he would be greater than God–evil in his essence, Satan.
Monsters, and they are portrayed in cartoons and movies as benevolent. Soften the blow… But man has not fully seen, nor understood the havoc they are doing on the earth, but more when Abaddon is released and his minions. As the end appears, it seems that men will actually begin to worship demons. From Revelation 9:20-21, “The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.” (NASB) Notice they didn’t repent from worshipping demons. Hmmm, shades of that beginning with the ceremonies at the Olympics.
Monsters on the loose. Devil-worshipers on college campuses. Transgenders reading to elementary students in the schools, flaunting a demonic, immoral lifestyle. Has the door swung open? Has inhumanity been released upon humanity? Is darkness beginning to rise? If so, how much more should we as Believers in Christ let our lights shine. That little light of mine, and yours, might be the only light someone living in darkness may see.