COMBAT!

"That's the best thing that we've seen in a long time!" But maybe the Church needs to be careful when new ideas are introduced.

"Are you saying Christians ought to become disbelieving, suspicious people, that we can't take people at their word?"

No; I'm not saying that; that is an unfair accusation. But I do say the Church needs to ask God before taking in everything that comes along that looks good or seems to fit needs of the circumstance, assuming, as always, that God's will is always on the side of whatever the Church decides, since we're the good guys.

Remember the fellas who came dressed in rags and carrying molding bread, claiming they were from a far country but had heard about the Israelites so wouldn't they form a treaty of peace with them? Without consulting God about it, well, they felt flattered that people from a distant land would ask for their favor, so they formed a pact with them...and then found out these men were actually close neighbors wearing disguises--Israel had been ready to claim their land but a prayerless pact now held them completely bound and unable to do so.

There is a repeat in history of the Trojan Horse, a gift received, no doubt, with smiles, but leading to the downfall of a previously impregnable city.

In modern times, it is not giants and human enemies we battle, but persistent pests that invade our homes. I was noticing the other day, the most effective way of dealing with them, I've seen, seems to be a similar concept.

It involves leaving something nearby that looks like good, attractive, light, edible stuff...that can be taken, piece by piece, back to the colony. There apparently, when fixed into the form ants fix for ingesting, it becomes highly toxic and wipes out the entire colony. I have rarely seen pests return to places where this trap was set out.

Initially, some six-legged critters may be delighted to think they have found a gold mine, and carry off its treasures to the nest. But they only "return to the dust from whence they came," eventually.

True, an anti-ant spray shot straight at the poor critters renders instant death. But letting them carry off their own death sentence renders life's end for them just as surely; plus, it'll probably be done underground where we won't have to expend electricity afterwards for vacuuming, cleaning the remains.

Followers of God may receive direct antagonism--there is much persecution and martyrdom around the globe today. But governments do have to deal with public reaction afterwards and lasting results of such direct actions.

However, when there is mere infiltration of church institutions and assemblies with worldly lies of the enemy, sugar-coated to look like "Popular Christianity," harmless and even a financial bargain; they can get even regenerate people to bite. And when they decide to take it to the church, take it apart, and use it by scriptural principles; death of the church is guaranteed. (And the government won't have to deal with public relations stuff afterwards.) How many churches' vitality has the enemy succeeded in wiping clean in this way?

It's a little plastic device used to fight ants. You're supposed to put it where you see them, and it's guaranteed to attract then get rid of the life of the entire nest. How many nests have been destroyed this way? The name of the product? Combat.

Fitting, don't you think?