Skip to main content

We Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Blog


          I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. (Luke 12:4)

          David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (I Samuel 17:26)

           Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)

          “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? (Jeremiah 32:27)

          For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”
…“Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.”  (Esther 4:14 & 16)

         But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; (Philippians 1:23)


          We interrupt our regularly scheduled discussion with this emergency message. There’s a nasty contagious disease out there by the name of Coronavirus. Yes, I know, you have to have been in Plato’s Cave for the past several weeks to have not heard about it. The Coronavirus is the most recent in a long line of diseases and crises that were going to kill us or destroy the world. Here’s a partial list:

Year
Disease/Crisis
1996
Mad Cow Disease
1999-2000
Y2K
2001
Anthrax
2002
 West Nile Virus
2003
SARS
2004
Bird Flu
2005
E. Coli
2009
Swine Flu
2010
BP Oil
21013-2019
Electromagnetic Pulse Attack
2014
Ebola
2015
Disney Measles
2016
Zika
2017-2020
Global Warming
2020
Coronavirus

          In addition to those, there have been scares dealing with gravity wells created by the alignment of the planets, about the Russians attacking us with nuclear bombs, about nuclear power plants exploding or leaking, about fracking, killer bees, fire ants, and even alien invasions.
         So let me begin with the obvious. Do not be stupid. If you or a family member is in weak health, has lung or immune system issues, take precautions. On the other hand, how many of the items listed above turned out to be far less a danger than we were told it would be? Don’t be stupid – take precautions. Don’t be stupid – don’t panic.
          But to the heart of the matter for us as Christians. What should our attitude be about this and other crises? From today’s passages, one of the first answers to this is to remember that God is in control and that He is God. Yes, it’s possible that you’ll die from the Coronavirus. It’s also possible that you’ll be struck by lightning, or by a drunk driver. You might die of a heart attack, a stroke, a complication of diabetes, Alzheimer’s, or a gunshot. The reality for most of us, most likely is that we’re going to die someday.  I’m not suggesting we should try to hurry the process, but let’s be real. Either you and I will die, or the Lord will return, period. 
          During the first centuries of the Church, when plagues broke out, the Christians were often blamed for them. In spite of the fact that Christians also died from these plagues, they were known to go into plague-ridden areas to help those who suffered.[1] In this, they were like David. When the other Israelites were shaking in their sandals about Goliath, David went out to face him in battle. The Coronavirus or any of these other crises may seem to be Goliaths. Should we not be Davids? Should we not be Esthers, with the attitude that we will do what we can to save our people, and if we perish, we perish?
         Again, I’m not saying to be foolish. Read the books of Daniel and Revelation. God has told us how things are going to end. Decide whether you believe He’s really in control, or not. Is the Coronavirus a greater god than God? If you don’t believe it is, then live that way!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Virgin?

           Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)           This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 1:18)           But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”            “How will this be,” Mary asked the...
Post a Comment
Read more

Saved?

  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:28-30) “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ ” (Matthew 7:21-23) Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written: “So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.” (Romans 3:4)   What conclusion do you draw when someone who was raised in a Christian family and church, perhaps even playing a significant role in a chur...
Post a Comment
Read more

Meditations of the Heart

  May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm19:14)           As I started writing this post, I noted that the meditations of my heart are all over the mental landscape, from a hub where eight superhighways come together to a lunar or nuclear landscape. Do you see my error? The moment I read the word meditation , I think about thoughts. But what’s described here is the meditations of our hearts ; our wills.           While the meditations of our minds may be all over the place, the meditations of our wills tend to be a little more stable by the time we are adults. We no longer tend to want to pursue the ten separate careers we did in any given day as children. Part of this is humble acceptance of reality. We come to understand that we can’t do it all. I think another part of it is disappointmen...
Post a Comment
Read more