I feel compelled by God’s Holy Spirit to write something that might offer some reassurance during this global mass pandemic. The earth has gone through pandemics before, but this feels somehow different. People everywhere are terrified. Travel, Churches, schools, businesses, sporting events, are all closing. In some locations, people are completely locked down. In other locations, people are flooding the markets looking to see if there is anything left on the shelves to purchase. There has even been violence, as frantic shoppers fight with one another. Everyone is feeling it. When will this end? How will it end? Will it get better…or worse? Are the measures that governments taking enough? Are they too much? What can I do?
In many ways, Pandemics are more frightning than war or natural disasters because there is no safe-haven, no place to hide. We’re seeing this with even some world leaders, hollywood actors, famous athletes, etc getting the virus. The virus does not play favorites. Everyone is vulnerable. At the same time, the economy is beginning to “heave”. The stock markets are like roller coasters, extremely high one day and then bottoming out the next. Sell-offs in the trillions of dollars have already occurred. The global economy is like the Titanic. Because it’s a really huge ship, it can stay afloat for awhile, even with a large, gaping hole. But for how long? Eventually the Titanic sank. The book of Revelation tells us that there is a massive economic collapse coming in the Last days. This will be necessary so that the coming Global Government can set up the mark of the beast, necessary to “buy or sell” during the Tribulation period. Do I think the seals have opened? No…but I do believe we are seeing the beginning of sorrows.
Revelation 6:5: When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, “Come.” I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.”
With all of this scary stuff out there, we need to refocus our attention on the eternal. Yes, we should definitely take steps to physically protect ourselves from the Corona Virus. We should have some supplies of food and water and we should socially isolate ourselves as best as we can, but at the end of the day, our only real protection is GOD. The word “Corona” means crown in Latin, and is evidence that this virus has a demonic root. Jesus Christ, KING OF THE UNIVERSE, wears the ONLY TRUE CROWN! Jesus Christ is the only secure, faithful, and absolute shelter in this STORM. We should be applying the “blood of the Lamb” (Jesus Christ IS the PASSOVER LAMB OF GOD) daily over the doorposts and lintels of our hearts, our homes, our families, our friends so that the CORONA VIRUS that seeks to STEAL, KILL and DESTROY will PASS OVER our BODIES and our HOMES! We need to make sure we dwell in the Secret place of God’s love, His heart. When we put all of our TRUST in JESUS, HE will supply ALL of our NEEDS!
Where will all of this lead? It’s hard to tell now, but in all honesty, I believe these are “the beginnings of sorrows”. I believe we are in the last of the last days that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24, Luke 21, and Mark 13. Jesus is coming back soon.
Focusing on the Eternal
When we focus on the eternal, on our eternal God, we take our eyes off of the storm that is overwhelming us. When Jesus called His Disciple Peter to walk on water, Peter did okay until he took his eyes off of Jesus, and looked down at the waves. Peter got scared and sank. This is what happens when we take our eyes off of Jesus. We get really scared, we have doubts, and then we sink.
God does not guarantee that our lives on earth will be perfect, free from trouble, without storms. Actually, God tells us that in this world we will have TRIBULATION (troubles), but we should be of good cheer because Jesus overcame the world. I admit, it feels hard to be cheerful right now, in the midst of this global crisis. But Jesus was telling us that He overcame the world, He overcame sin and the devil, He overcame death and the grave. Jesus overcame DEATH! When we put our Trust in Jesus, we too will overcome death. This does not mean that we will live here forever in these human flesh bodies, but it does mean that ultimately we as believers have a really, really, really good inheritance to look forward to.
The Cross is where Jesus CUT the New Covenant written in HIS BLOOD. There is so much GOOD STUFF for THE BELIEVER in the ATONEMENT of Jesus. At the Cross of Calvary, Jesus made atonement for our sin. At the CROSS, Jesus RESTORED EVERYTHING that was lost at the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. What did mankind lose? EVERYTHING!
- Mankind lost the ability to walk DIRECTLY WITH our CREATOR GOD, the ability to TALK to God, the ability to HEAR from God. God is the VINE, we are the BRANCHES. When a branch is cut off from the vine, it may appear alive…for awhile, but it is actually dead. Ultimately a branch that has been cut off from its LIFE SOURCE will SHRIVEL UP and DIE.
- Mankind lost ETERNAL LIFE, the ability to eat from the TREE OF LIFE and live forever, with no death, pain, or sorrow. This goes back to the parable of the vine and branches. The Tree of LIFE is the LIFE GIVING VINE….Being cut off from the vine will bring DEATH!
- Mankind lost an earth that was Paradise because now the ground grows thorns and thistles, and many animals have a wild, dangerous nature. Clean drinking water is becoming more and more scarce in many parts of the world. Growing FOOD is much more DIFFICULT in a world full of thistles, thorns, and WEEDS.
- Mankind lost PERFECT HEALTH. Now we grow sick, we grow old, and we suffer and die.
- Mankind lost the sinless nature. Now our bodies have the sin nature built into them, which is why they grow old, sick, and die. This also means that some have greatly embraced the sin nature and commit heinous and horrible acts of evil against other people.
- Mankind is now subject to DECEPTION and LIES from the “god of this world”….exchanging the worship of the TRUE CREATOR GOD (FATHER/SON/HOLY SPIRIT) for demonic idols, the very things that seek to KILL, STEAL, and DESTROY…us! It is the very sin that the majority of mankind either knowingly or ignorantly embraces that causes the sickness, the suffering, the death…even the Corona Virus.
We lost all of that and more. It is not hard to imagine that all of Heaven mourned when mankind fell. And where does this leave us? Hopeless and forelorn. Since the fall of man, mankind has been completely and totally held captive by the “god of this world” (satan). Because Adam and Eve took part in the enemy’s rebellion against God Almighty, and because that rebellion continues to this day, all of mankind has suffered (and continues to suffer) the consequences of our sin.
Romans 5: 18: So then as through one transgression (sin) there resulted condemnation to all men,
Because of Adam and Eve’s sin, all mankind are under condemnation. Condemnation means being damned, or having no shot at Heaven, at Eternal LIFE, or the Kingdom of God. Condemnation means an eternity cut off from the LIFE SOURCE of LOVE. The obvious bi-products of condemnation are sin, sickness, and death…leading eventually to permanent suffering. The lack of ability to connect with our Creator has also left mankind feeling a sense of isolation and lonliness, which leads to severe depression and mental illness. Adam’s sin cost mankind everything. And…every time we think we know better than God, that we are able to determine what is “right” and what is “wrong”…WITHOUT GOD, we serve the sin-nature, and come into agreement with the rebellion against God. Only God truly knows what is right and what is wrong…which He clearly lays out for us in HIS WORD. (HOLY BIBLE). Elohim (Father/Son/Holy Spirit) is the AUTHOR of the Bible. The Bible is GOD’S OWNER’S MANUAL.
God has a plan which He is still working to bring to complete FRUITION. JESUS CHRIST IS the RESCUE PLAN OF GOD! Even Jesus’ Name means SALVATION. (YESHUA).
Romans 5: 18 So then as through one transgression (sin/act of rebellion) there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19 For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous
Adam’s sin and disobedience brought condemnation to all people, but Jesus’ act of RIGHTEOUSNESS and OBEDIENCE at CALVARY’S CROSS made SALVATION, JUSTIFICATION and LIFE AVAILABLE to ALL PEOPLE…if they only just BELIEVED! Jesus Christ was OBEDIENT to the FATHER unto death…resulting in LIFE for all who BELIEVE. Jesus made ATONEMENT for our sin. Because of Jesus’ ATONEMENT, mankind has access to all that was LOST.
Romans 8:1: Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
- Jesus’ death on the Cross gives mankind the ABILITY to walk with God, through GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT who dwells within each Believer. The Holy Spirit will lead us into ALL TRUTH..so that we would no longer be deceived by the “god of this world” (satan).
- Jesus’ death on the Cross gives mankind the ability to HEAR from GOD directly through our Savior and High Priest Jesus Christ who makes intercession for us in the courts of Heaven.
- Jesus’ death on the Cross gives mankind the ABILITY to once again EAT from the TREE OF LIFE and LIVE FOREVER. Our names are written in the LAMB’S BOOK OF LIFE.
- Jesus’ death on the Cross gives mankind the ability to live ETERNALLY in the Kingdom of God, which is even BETTER than the GARDEN OF EDEN. The earth will ultimately be RESTORED to PERFECTION. (“NEW” heaven and a “NEW” EARTH)
- Jesus’ death on the Cross offers each Believer HEALING, complete and total HEALING of BODY, MIND AND SOUL.
- Jesus’ death on the Cross breaks the POWER of the sin nature NOW and will ULTIMATELY RESTORE mankind back to the SINLESS NATURE that we once had before the Fall.
You may be thinking, if Jesus’ did all of this for us at the Cross, why do we now have to suffer sickness, suffering, fear and death? Why is the earth still so wrecked? Why is there still evil in the world? Why are there still global PANDEMICS? It’s because we have not yet received the totality of our INHERITANCE.
When we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, God’s Holy Spirit comes to dwell within our hearts. This is the New Covenant, God writing HIS LAWS on OUR HEARTS.
Jeremiah 31:33: “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
When we enter the NEW COVENANT, our human spirit comes to LIFE! Yes, our bodies are still “dead” and dying because of the sin that is in the flesh, but now our SPIRIT is ALIVE, healthy and whole! Through the POWER of the indwelling HOLY SPIRIT, which is really CHRIST IN US, we now have the POWER to overcome the sin nature. With this, Jesus gave us the AUTHORITY to overcome all spiritual forces of darkness that would come against us!
Luke 10: 19: Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over ALL the power of the ENEMY, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Isaiah 54:17: “No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their vindication is from Me,” declares the LORD.
Once God’s Holy Spirit dwells within a person, they are immediately ADOPTED into the FAMILY OF GOD.
Romans 8:16: The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
Now, we’re beginning to see that the BELIEVER is a CHILD OF GOD and therefore has an INHERITANCE. What is an HEIR?
Defintion of heir:
A person who inherits or is entitled by law or by the terms of a will to INHERIT the estate of another, A person who succeeds or is in line to succeed to a hereditary rank, title, or office, one who receives or is expected to receive a heritage, as of ideas, from a predecessor.
Do we currently have the fullness of the inheritance? No. We are like CHILDREN. When an HEIR is under age, they do not receive the full inheritance. This is because if a child were to receive their FULL INHERITANCE before they came “of age”, they wouldn’t know what to do with it. Because they LACK MATURITY, they would probably SQUANDER much of their inheritance. So what usually happens is that there is an EXECUTOR who looks out for the child and the inheritance. As the child grows and matures, and as they have NEED, the EXECUTOR will likely grant small portions of the inheritance to cover the need..until the child reaches FULL MATURITY. So it is with the Believer in Christ. God gives us what we NEED when we need it, but not always what we want. We currently have the Holy Spirit as a DEPOSIT (DOWN PAYMENT) of our inheritance.
There is HEALING in the ATONEMENT! This is PART of the Believer’s inheritance. But, do we walk in full DIVINE HEALTH now? No. We won’t walk in full and perfect health ON EARTH UNTIL the Resurrection when the Last Trump sounds and the dead in Christ rise first. Those Saints who “fall asleep” (physical death) now, will have perfect Divine health in Heaven immediately. Does Jesus Christ still heal our physical bodies today? Yes! Jesus Christ did make it POSSIBLE for us to have access to Divine Healing NOW, in our physical bodies…but always according to His Will and purpose. However, here’s something we must consider. Even when Jesus does grant a miracle of healing in our physical body, that particular healing is TEMPORARY. Two thousand years ago, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, but Lazarus is not walking the earth today..meaning that he ultimately did die a physical death later. Even those people who receive a miracle of healing for cancer will some day die of another cause. Our healing won’t become permanent until we receive our FULL INHERITANCE. We won’t receive our FULL INHERITANCE until the Last Trump sounds.
1 Peter1: 3: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
God’s people are not only offered ETERNAL LIFE in Heaven, God has ALSO prepared an INHERITANCE for each of His Children! Our inheritance, that is kept in Heaven for us, will not perish, spoil or fade. It is permanent, and it is GLORIOUS!
1 Peter 1:4 (NIV) 4 and into an INHERITANCE that can never perish, spoil or fade. This INHERITANCE is kept in heaven for you,
Acts 20:32 Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an INHERITANCE among all those who are sanctified
Acts 26:18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an INHERITANCE among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’
The HOLY SPIRIT is a PLEDGE or FORETASTE of our inheritance (Rom. 8:23; Eph. 1:14, Gal. 3:18, 29; Heb. 9:15). God’s intention is not only to SAVE mankind but also to bring them into HIS GLORY.
Glorification is the last of God’s work of grace
Romans 8:29: For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
Romans 8:19: For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons (children) of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, [a]in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
Christ in us is our HOPE OF GLORY, of being glorified when the Last Trump sounds. Glorification is when God will completely saturate our dead, mortal body of sin (Rom 7:24) with the GLORY of HIS LIFE, to transfigure our body to conform it to the resurrected glorious body of His Son.
Philippians 3:21: who will TRANSFORM the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of HIS GLORY, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.
God has already regenerated our spirit with His Spirit when we first believed in Christ. Glorification is God regenerating our mortal bodies with His Spirit so that we are delivered from darkness in our whole being (spirit, soul and body) and become like Christ.
Our inheritance is so awesome, so amazing, that the Apostle Paul stated our current sufferings are not worthy of being compared to it.
Romans 8:18: For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the GLORY that is to be revealed to us.
Paul was a man who understood suffering.
2 Corinthians 11:21:—I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. 24 Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.
26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; 27 I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure
Paul also was a WITNESS to the glory of God.
2 Corinthians 12:2: I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows— 4 was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.
Paul understood and experienced severe human suffering AND he was blessed to be a WITNESS of the 3rd Heaven, where God dwells. Paul was eventually killed for his faith. Paul became very convinced that there is a DIVINE PURPOSE for our suffering here on earth during this temporary age. He also became convinced that our suffering today, though painful and difficult, is not at all worthy to be compared to the GLORY that is awaiting us at the Resurrection.
The Corona Virus is demonic and horrible. It is scaring many people, and has the potential to cause a lot of suffering. But we must keep all things in perspective. It has been noticed that even the word PANDEMIC has the word PANdemIC (PANIC) built into it. This horrible Pandemic is part of the beginning of sorrows. We are in the Last Days, the days that occur just prior to the Resurrection, Rapture, and the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ. There are going to be horrible things, fearful things occurring in these Last Days, some of which the Church may experience, as we are now. But there will ALSO be a TRANSFORMATION (Resurrection) and a Rapture, (Divine rescue) coming BEFORE the actual Tribulation. With these “sorrows” we should also begin to soon see a GREAT MOVE of the HOLY SPIRIT including miracles, signs and wonders the likes of which this world has never experienced before….all for the purpose of bringing in the great harvest of souls!
John 14:12: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.
God KNOWS who puts their TRUST in HIM. Believers in Christ must keep our eyes fixed on JESUS CHRIST who is FAR BIGGER than ANY VIRUS, ANY WAR, ANY DISASTER. Peter sank into the water when he took his eyes off of Jesus and focused instead on his fear and on the storm. Jesus promises His people SAFE HAVEN in all the storms of LIFE. He promises us that no weapon formed against us will prosper. He promises us that He works all things together for the GOOD of those who LOVE HIM and are CALLED according to HIS DIVINE PURPOSE. TRUST JESUS, our DIVINE HEALER!!
Jesus is our shelter, our High Tower. I like to think about tucking myself into His Shadow per Psalm 91. He who dwells in the Secret Place of the Most High will abide in the SHADOW of athe ALMIGHTY. What could be safer than being in the SHADOW OF THE ALMIGHTY? God is so big, so powerful, NOTHING will come against HIM. If we are standing in HIS SHADOW, then we are really, really CLOSE to GOD! Should we have physical provisions for this Corona Virus storm? Yes.. it would be advisable to have some extra food and water if possible; however, we need to TRUST that if we are unable to do this, God will PROVIDE for our needs. Also, keep in mind that the Believer has the HOLY SPIRIT indwelling us NOW (the HOPE of GLORY!) HOLY SPIRIT is GOD! God is powerful enough to stop even the fiercest of storms in its tracks!
At the end of the day, we have to ask ourselves….what is the most frightning thing about this Corona Virus? Sickness leading to death? Yes, I think severe illness and death are the most frightning thing..but Praises to Jesus who tells us that for the Believer, death is not really death, but “sleep”. The Believer who dies the physical death will immediately wake up in Heaven with Jesus. They will be well, happy, and healthy. There is no Corona Virus in Heaven..no hand sanitizer stations, no sickness, no suffering, no fear. In-fact, the Believer has an INHERITANCE that is stored up for us in HEAVEN..and it is AWESOME! Keeping an ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE is very important in helping us avoid fear and panic..it is essential in these last days.
2 Corinthians 5: For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down (die a physical death), we have a building (spiritual body) from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For indeed in this house (current physical body) we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven (glorified body), 3 inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. 4 For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.
6 Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight— 8 we are of good courage, I say, and PREFER rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.
This song has been running through my mind alot recently..
God Bless! May the Lord Jesus Christ cover you with His pinions and shelter you under His WINGS!
