Week Fourteen, 2020

“Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will listen to the voice of the Lord our God to whom we are sending you, so that it may go well with us when we listen to the voice of the Lord our God” (Jeremiah 42:6).

Only a very few weeks ago, all was normal, as we busily pursued the trophies of our false gods, but something invisible came and put everything in its place.

Suddenly the gasoline consumption went down, pollution went down, people started to have more time – so much time that they do not know what to do with it – parents are spending time with their kids as a family, work is no longer a priority, or traveling or social life either.

Suddenly we silently see within ourselves and understand the value of the words “solidarity”, “love”, “strength”, “empathy” and “faith”. In an instant we realized that we are all in the same boat; rich and poor. That the supermarket shelves are empty and the hospitals are full. New cars and old cars both stand in the garages, simply because nobody can get out. Empty streets, less pollution, clean air, the land also breathes.

The human returns to his origins, realizing that with or without money, the important thing is to survive. Today, health is the main thing, even in spite of wanting to have or possessing. Fear invaded everyone. It helped us all to realize the vulnerability of our human being. Nature is forcing us to clean up the mess made by ourselves.

Our overthrown gods:

• Money
• Sports
• Fame
• Politics

What the coronavirus is teaching us:

• Our best protection: GOD
• Our best refuge: HOME
• Our best company: FAMILY
• Our real time: TODAY
• Nature’s call: STOP US
• Its message: WAIT, RESPECT

We are not gods, we are not kings, we do not have the power of controlling everything. We are part of a whole, fragile, brittle and vulnerable something. Part of a whole something that we wanted to dominate and today is telling us:

“Stop, breathe, respect. Go back to the basics, to the essentials, that the peace of your soul guide you towards what you are: a creation.”

It feels like God has stopped the earth from turning and there is this tangible “pause”……we are all, everyone of us on this round planet, forced to re-evaluate our lives, expectations, jobs, family time, and anything else we take for granted. It is so profound. God is sovereign, He sees us, loves us and believes in us.

This too shall pass, but when it does, may we all have a new perspective on life, how we should live it, and on God, who should direct it.

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

What would you guess might be the most popular Bible verse, according to You Version’s 400 million users? Philippians 4:6 is the answer. The verse says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” What does its popularity say about us?

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THE ENTERTAINMENT TEST:

Here are 10 questions to consider when we turn on the TV, go to a movie, attend a concert, or watch a play.

1. Is what I’m watching lewd and lascivious and appeals to my sinful fleshy desires?

2. Am I looking at a person created in God’s image with pure and honorable intentions?

3. Does this entertainment distract from my pursuit of holiness, righteousness, and godliness?

4. Does this show produce ennobling thoughts or pollute my mind with cheap and tawdry thoughts?

5. Is the allurement of this show vulgar or virtuous?

6. Am I morally stronger from this entertainment, or spiritually weakened?

7. Are the values being presented consistent with my Christian values?

8. Am I allowing myself to be amused by something that is sinful?

9. Would I feel comfortable having Jesus sit with me during this show?

10. When I finish watching, do I feel good about myself or do I feel sleazy?

Ken Weliever – The Preacherman. Thepreachersword.com

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

You can’t enjoy the sight of the beautiful rainbow without rain.

The peace of God requires the power of God. Jim Denison

No one ever choked from swallowing his pride.

We don’t need a platform or a position to share the Good News. Kelly Knouse

“Paul, in his own estimation, was not a philosopher, not a moralist, not one of the world’s wise men, but simply Christ’s herald. His royal master had given him a message to proclaim; his whole business was to deliver that message with exact and studious faithfulness, adding nothing, altering nothing, and omitting nothing.” —J.I. Packer

“A humble and weak person will show a crucified Savior better to a listener than a polished, pulled together expert. Because that’s how it happened for us: we weren’t saved by pulling ourselves together, but by admitting we were sinners and calling on the one who was pulled apart for us.” —Tim Keller

“You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.” —John Wooden

J. Oswald Sanders was right when he wrote, “The mind is the battleground upon which every moral and spiritual battle is fought.” However, it’s possible to deceive ourselves and allow ungodly influences to corrupt our minds, exploit our feelings, and defile our hearts.