Out of the Abundance of the Heart – Special Viral Edition

Being People of Substance. Doing Works of Power

It’s a great time to be alive!

There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and plagues in many lands, and there will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs from heaven.

Luke 21:11 NLT

I looked up and saw a horse whose color was pale green. Its rider was named Death, and his companion was the Grave. These two were given authority over one-fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and famine and disease and wild animals.

Revelation 6:8 NLT

I guess it’s official: I’m elderly.  I recently discovered this while in California where the governor declared that all elderly people had to stay home for their own good.  He clarified his terms by saying that all over 65 are in the “elderly” group.  Oh, well.  I am now attempting to comply with President Trump’s request that we stay home if we can. As a result, I have lots of time to pray, read, and think (and play Sudoku, but that doesn’t sound as spiritual).  That means that you get to read some of my musings on the pandemic.  Here we go:

1. I believe I am healed.  I am a faith guy from way back.  Psalm 91 belongs to me.  By abiding in His love and His presence, and by proclaiming that the Lord is “my refuge and my fortress, in Him do I trust,” I am free from every plague and pestilence. Take a dose of Psalm 91, read aloud with your name in it, every morning. It works wonders.
2. I am commanded to love others. Covid-19 is a very contagious bug and can ride along on skin and clothing. Even if I’m not infected, I can carry the virus and infect others.  Though I don’t worry for my own health, I don’t want to be an unwitting vector of infection for those who may be susceptible.  Romans 14:22
3. I don’t want to tempt the Lord. As a younger man, I scoffed at the flu vaccine.  I had faith to stay healthy.  God was faithful and I rarely got sick. Then the Lord spoke to my wife that we should get the vaccine because we needed our health and our faith to be available to the needs of others. From that day we have enjoyed the benefits of modern science by being vaccinated and flu-free every year. In this current crisis, I deem it wise to observe scientific admonitions and stay healthy.  Matthew 4:6-7
4. My personal choices impact others.  This bug, if left unchecked, will infect people at an exponential rate.  If there is one case in my community, there will soon be two, then four, then eight, 16,…etc. At day 10 we hit 1024.  Depending on the lag between infection and the appearance of symptoms, the numbers get big in a hurry. In the absence of a cure or a vaccine, the only way to slow this growth is to limit the number of new infections by avoiding contact with uninfected potential hosts. Keep your distance. Proverbs 10:21
5. This is not a drill.  Although it feels like a bad 1950’s Sci-fi, it is very real.  People will die.  Our behavior can limit the damage.  I am a Christian and have the obligation to cooperate with my governmental authorities in their efforts to mitigate the spread.  Romans 13:1-5
6. We need each other.  At the very time that we need each other the most, the nature of the disease prevents our regular gatherings.  It will be very important to stay connected.  Call, text, Facebook, stay in touch with valued relationships.  Keep the local church body tied together and aware of each other.  Look to your leadership to find out how those connections can be maintained. Hebrews 13:17
7. Be alert to the hurt.  I am protected.  My needs are met. The Lord will show me ways to be a blessing to those around me.  Many are scared.  They react in ways that may seem unpleasant. I can help just by being kind.  Instead of griping at the grocery checker, how about thanking them for showing up and keeping the store open?  Maybe I don’t need 40 rolls of toilet paper.  Maybe the lady behind me could use a few.  I’ll ask.  As a vector of light in the darkness, this is a time of unlimited opportunity.  Romans 15:1-2
8. God has got this.  In the scriptures above, we see that the Bible predicts this and much more after the catching away of the Church.  The earth is beginning to show signs of aging. Jesus is coming.  It’s time to rejoice, use our faith and live ready. Romans 8:22-23
9. Your local church needs you.  The church is not a service organization.  It is a family of servants, called by God to work together to touch others for His glory.  In order to continue to meet the needs of the people and fulfill the purposes of God, the local church must stay alive and vibrant.  That means those of us who are committed have to keep doing what we know to do: Pray, love one another, and give. In fact, this would be a good time to double up on all three.  Hebrews 10:24-25

This is a great time to be alive.  We each have the opportunity to do things that matter.  The biggest threat is not the virus, it is the inaction and isolation that comes from fear.  Fear is the weapon of the enemy.  In closing, I want to share a prophecy the Lord gave me back in 2015.  Fear not!

“We are in the first fruits days of the time that scripture says men’s hearts will fail them for fear. For the power of fear is indeed a fearsome thing. Fear draws unto itself destruction. Fear draws unto itself death. Fear draws unto itself the power of the enemy. Fear in this last day will bring into your household the things that you seem to stand against rather than the things you stand for. Fear will draw unto you the enemy’s lie and lack of supply. In this day fear will pull to you the things the enemy has placed in the earth and advertised. Fear will draw viruses and sicknesses to you that cannot be healed by natural means. Fear will pull things to you like poverty, stress, and disease. In this hour keep your heart from fear. For if you walk-in the Spirit and stand on the Word, there’s no place for fear, there’s no place for fear for FAITH WALKS IN THE OTHER DIRECTION. Faith plugs the holes that fear has poked in your defenses. The Holy Spirit will show you where those lie. For the time of playing games and the time of your faith as a hobby is over. For indeed in this last hour a time of life and death. It is the first fruits of the time when men’s hearts will fail them for fear, and that judgement will begin in the house of God. Fear sucks the virus right through the protective material.”

Grace, Peace, and Love to one and all.  I have been praying and speaking to this thing.  I know you have, too.  That means God is about to do something really special.  Look up!!!!!

Pastor V