Dennis L. Finnan Commentator
"The World, the Word & You! Broadcast"

WEST NILE & EVOLUTION?

“WHAT IS THE MOST DANGEROUS AND DEADLY ANIMAL IN THE WORLD? THE ANSWER IS THE MOSQUITO, WHICH killS an estimated two to three million people worldwide each year.”

 I’m Dennis Finnan, host and speaker on the World, the Word & You! Broadcast and in a moment we’ll talk about a new threat and danger called the WEST NILE VIRUS…

… All across the news in the United States is the increasing report of a new danger that faces the health of Americans of all ages, particularly those over the age of 50. It is the spread of a new viral disease that is for now totally incurable and deadly. This new disease is called the WEST NILE VIRUS, and it is contracted from bites of mosquitoes carrying it all across the nation.  How come we are only hearing of this now some might ask? The answer is, it is a recent new viral infection carried by mosquitoes. How dangerous is it and where did it come from and why is it here? Well, after another pause for a lovely moment of music, I’ll try to answer that for your curiosity and concern. Stay tuned…

… I opened the broadcast with the amazing statement that “the most dangerous animal in the world is the mosquito!” That my friend is a fact, for when they bite human beings many infect us with some of the most deadly diseases, that for the most part is incurable. Mosquitoes can be an annoying, serious problem in man's domain. They interfere with work and spoil hours of leisure time. Their attacks on farm animals can cause loss of weight and decreased milk production. Many mosquitoes are capable of transmitting diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, dengue, filariasis, and now the “new” form of encephalitis, called the West Nile Virus.

The Centers for Disease Control reports that worldwide, mosquito bites transmit deadly infections that kill more than TWO to THREE MILLION PEOPLE, each year! Many of us are not aware of that, or the dangers posed to us by it. But now a new deadly virus has crossed the hemispheres of the world and America has gained a new addition of deadly diseases that can strike down our lives.

Now the WEST NILE virus is believed to have emerged from its origins in 1937 in Africa into Europe, the Middle East, west and central Asia and associated islands. Similar to the other encephalitis it is cycled between birds and mosquitoes and transmitted to mammals (including horses) and man by infected mosquitoes. Since then it has now traveled to the United States in 1999, when it was discovered on the east coast. West Nile Virus is an "arbovirus" that causes encephalitis (inflammation to the brain). Blood-feeding insects such as mosquitoes transmit these viruses. Mosquitoes draw the virus from infected birds, and transmit it to animals and humans through bites. Following transmission by an infected mosquito, the incubation period in humans is usually 3 to 15 days. During this time, the West Nile Virus multiplies in the person’s blood system and crosses the blood-brain barrier to reach the brain. The virus interferes with normal central nervous system functioning and causes inflammation of brain tissue, and death. Since 1999, the number of cases of West Nile virus has been increasing, with over 2,500 cases and more than 120 deaths reported in the U.S. this year. Frighteningly, West Nile Virus has been now been found throughout the nation.

But, what makes it worse, is the particular species of mosquitoes found to carry the West Nile virus. There are over 2500 different species of mosquitoes throughout the world; about 200 species occur in the United States. In particular, the one that carries this deadly virus is called the “Culex” species, which unfortunately survive through the winter, or "overwinter," in the adult stage. That means, West Nile Virus has become a year round danger, and is virtually a permanent new plague to hit the USA.

Since there is no cure for this, and those infected can now we believe even transmit this disease to others through blood transfusions or donating organs, people everywhere need to be concerned and carry out preventive measures where possible to avoid this. Now why do I mention this on a Christian radio broadcast? The answer is things like this often have theological implications.

For starters, the first theological concern is its relationship to Biblical prophecy. Many scholars of the Bible admit that Scripture predicts that in the “last days,” just before the return of Jesus Christ to take possession of the earth for His glory, there will be a massive outbreak of pestilence and plague. We read of this in Jesus’ own words of prediction and that of the apostle John.

Luke 21:11 (NLT)  There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and epidemics in many lands, and there will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs in the heavens.

Rev 6:7-8 (NLT)  And when the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living being say, "Come!" 8 And I looked up and saw a horse whose color was pale green like a corpse. And Death was the name of its rider, who was followed around by the Grave. They were given authority over one-fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and famine and disease and wild animals.

Yes, God tells us that one of the ways He will get the attention of a Christ rejecting world in the coming days of the “Great Tribulation,” will be to send massive plagues of disease and pestilence upon the world of sinners. Of course, this new outbreak, one of many new, strange and incurable diseases is not a fulfillment of this prediction, but it does remind us God does use disease and sickness, at times, to get the attention of sinners. Why the Bible tells us that in the past, God sent plagues upon the Egyptians at the time of the Exodus when Moses was called by God to lead the enslaved people of Israel out of Egypt to freedom and the Promised Land. When Pharaoh refused to release the millions of Jews held as slaves, God sent a number of diseases or pestilence to get their attention (Exodus 7-12). In many other passages of Scripture, we find similar plagues and pestilence appearing as a result of God’s judgment (1 Sam. 5:8-9; 2 Kings 6:18; Act 12:20-25; Rev 6:2-12; 8:7-8).

So, in this we can say, the many new deadly diseases that are cropping up and killing millions of people worldwide, not to mention in the United States, may be a sign from God to get our attention that our national and individual disobedience to His laws for life and eternity, cannot be broken without suffering temporal and eternal penalties… something to think about for sure.

Now the second theological consideration falls along the lines of the science and technology of this new disease and its carriers. Yes, mosquitoes are yet another perfect illustration, of God’s presentation of His marvelous creative powers that are often denied today by godless atheism that brought us the equally deadly theory of evolution as the means of our origins. Indeed, evolution teaches us that all things living, even inanimate matter exists, not because of the creative powers of an omnipotent Being called God, but by chance itself. However, have you thought about it…the mosquito cries out, this cannot be true! Let me give you a reason.

Now all of us, at one time or another, have slapped yourself to crush and kill a mosquito in the process of biting you. What happens to that mosquito when you do this? Well, obviously it is flattened and destroyed and suffers immediate death to its victim’s satisfaction I might add. However, although you’ve crushed this blood-sucking living entity that has violated your being, nothing really has changed surrounding its makeup. A tiny mosquito is a very complex living creature, having thousands of sophisticated chemicals all placed and operating together under the control of what we know as its DNA. Now prior to being smashed, all that worked together flawlessly, to bring forth life and a plane of existence whereby it’s life could be sustained. But now it is dead and it is dead forever isn’t it. What changed things? Why you say, how silly! It’s dead because I smashed it to pieces. Yes, but since nothing of its makeup has changed can it not be brought back to life? Again the answer is “no,” because the destruction of its body caused the critically organized system of information that brought it together and kept it so, to be lost and destroyed.

 Although all the right components for life are still there, in jumbled form, it cannot reorganize itself without the help of the intelligent designer or “creator,” who made it into life in the first place. Why even the smartest scientist today cannot take all the parts of this destroyed creature, and place it in a test tube and bring it back to life. Why? I repeat, it lacks the ability and input of omnipotent power and design to do it.

Now although we are talking about the lowly mosquito, which none of us cares about for living its life, nonetheless, its existence is amazingly complex and could not in any way or fashion have evolved out of nothing and organized its composition of chemicals into the highly structured and ordered existence that gave it life and its threat to ours today.

Indeed, there is no plausible explanation for any of the intricate and very complex life around us, except to say – GOD CREATED IT ALL! Well so says the Bible and more, it tells us that if we neglect to recognize and honor this, we shall suffer its penalty. Listen to God’s Word on the matter,

Gen 1:1 (NLT)  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Psa 19:1 (NLT)  The heavens tell of the glory of God. The skies display his marvelous craftsmanship.

Acts 17:24 (NLT)  “He is the God who made the world and everything in it.

Rev 4:11 (NLT)  “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created everything, and it is for your pleasure that they exist and were created.”

Yes, the Bible from cover to cover, from Genesis to Revelation declares that all things were made by Him, the Creator who has Himself visited our planet to even become one of His own creatures, mankind itself. This is the marvelous story of Christianity. John the apostle writes,

John 1:1-3,14 (NLT)  In the beginning the Word already existed. He was with God, and he was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 He created everything there is. Nothing exists that he didn’t make… 14 So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father.

1 Tim 2:5-6 (NLT)  For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus. 6 He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message that God gave to the world at the proper time.

Rather than going about believing a lie, and in effect stating by reason that that squashed mosquito can be restored to its evolutionary life by either itself, time, or chance, we need to acknowledge our own creation and the glory it has produced. Do you know God requires every human being to do just that and failure to do so, with all the evidence around us, will be the reason why God has to bring His wrath and eternal judgment on all who reject or ignore Him. Again, listen to the Word of God.

Rom 3:23 (NLT)  For all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

Rom 6:23 (NLT)  For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

We are indeed God’s greatest creation. God created you and me for His own enjoyment and ours as well. God planned that one day the finished creation of man, a copy of God Himself, would spend eternity with Him and enjoy His Being in full fellowship. But before God could complete this, God has to be sure that mankind would with its endowed free will, make the choice to seek Him and crown Him Lord of all of our very own existence. In so doing, we would hand back to God that “free will” in exchange for God’s will, but only by our own choice.

You know the story and truth. Our first parents, Adam and Eve, where the test creatures for the human race. Given free will, they chose rather than to submit their wills to God, they exercised them independently of Him. The result was sin, disobedience and death. But thanks be to God He still loves us, and has not abandoned us yet. Yes, God devised a plan whereby He would rescue all the children of Adam and Eve, and restore them to the place of the finished creation. But first they had to confess their sin of self-will, that operates independent of the Creator, and call upon him to restore them to His perfect grace and love. Ah, but before God could do this, sin brought a price to be paid. It is “death,” both physical and eternal. This is why everything alive dies. The curse of sin is death, and one day God will bring all creation to destruction to remove the marring sin has caused. Let me read to you God’s Word in the Bible on this important account,

2 Pet 3:3-13 (NLT)  First, I want to remind you that in the last days there will be scoffers who will laugh at the truth and do every evil thing they desire. 4 This will be their argument: “Jesus promised to come back, did he? Then where is he? Why, as far back as anyone can remember, everything has remained exactly the same since the world was first created.” 5 They deliberately forget that God made the heavens by the word of his command, and he brought the earth up from the water and surrounded it with water. 6 Then he used the water to destroy the world with a mighty flood. 7 And God has also commanded that the heavens and the earth will be consumed by fire on the day of judgment, when ungodly people will perish. 8 But you must not forget, dear friends, that a day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. 9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise to return, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and everything in them will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be exposed to judgment. 11 Since everything around us is going to melt away, what holy, godly lives you should be living! 12 You should look forward to that day and hurry it along—the day when God will set the heavens on fire and the elements will melt away in the flames. 13 But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world where everyone is right with God.

Although this world we live in, can be a very nice place at times, it is still a condemned world. The mosquito with it bites and deadly diseases it carries, testifies that something is wrong, and that this was not God’s intended plan for a finished creation. Sin has taken much from our world as God wanted it to be; But thanks be to God, He will one day restore and complete what was begun. So the question is, will you be there to experience and enjoy it? Imagine, no more mosquitoes, no more disease, injuries and even death. God plans to make all things over again and eradicate sin forever and ever. Oh what a glorious day that will be, but remember friend, only those who turn to God, through their Savior Jesus Christ will experience this life transforming promise and future blessing. The Bible says clearly,

John 3:16-17 (NLT)  “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.

Thus, Christianity is in the saving business. God saves the inner soul and spirit for the day of glory, when He will refashion a brand new body following our physical deaths. Only God can refashion a body, and what a body it will be! It will no longer be able to suffer pain, injury, decay, or anything harmful, for God’s fashion design will be flawless and perfect. Oh friends… I long for and await that day, and so should you! However, only those who have repented of their sin of self-will and living apart from Christ being on the throne of your life, can this be a reality. Friend, have you surrendered your life to Christ? Have you called out to your Creator God Jesus Christ, and asked Him to save you from your sins and coming penalty of death? God is ready and wiling, and will immediately save you for Himself and eternity. Meanwhile, as we march on in the sin-cursed world, we shall suffer the temporal punishments death brings. So there will be plagues, pestilence, injury, heartaches and suffering in this life, all because of sin. But God is greater and desires to preserve you for Himself in eternity, if you’ll but trust Him alone for your salvation and life eternal. May this lesson from the mosquito today, help you better understand God’s plan and love for us all….

…King David one night looked up at the clear sky and said: “The heavens declare the glory of God.” He was saying the universe before him was not a chaos but a cosmos! Such a most beautiful system of the sun, moon, planets and stars could only proceed from the wise design and counsel of an intelligent and powerful being called God. Yes, the entire universe, Kind David was saying, demands me and you, to conclude that God exists and cares for us! Friend, have you come to that same conclusion? That is my prayer and hope for you and your whole family. May God so bless for Jesus sake. Amen.