CELEBRATE THIS VICTORY!
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Guards in the Cemetery
Who has ever heard of stationing guards at a cemetery? Usually when we think about guards, we think about prison guards who are assigned shifts to secure inmates so they don’t escape. But there are guards in many other segments of society, such as guards in local jails, guards at banks, guards at large corporations, and guards who transport money from businesses to banks or smaller banks to larger banks.
It was fear or faith that made the chief priests and Pharisees go to Pilate after the death of Jesus to request guards be stationed at the tomb. Even though the followers of Christ didn’t remember how Jesus spoke of rising up after three days, the religious leaders did, and feared it would either happen or wanted to stop any opportunity for His body to be removed. Pilate told them,
“You have a guard; go your way, make [it] as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.” Matthew 27:65-66
This fear or faith still exist today and the guards are still positioned to prevent Jesus from escaping the tomb. Guards are placed in every church house disguised behind the scriptures that say, “Let all things be done in decently and in order.” I Corinthians 14:40.
You cannot argue against decency and order because it says it right in the Word. The guards are also in the church disguised in leadership positions who control every single aspect of ministry with strict rules, because of the fear that someone might actually shout “Hallelujah” or lift up their hands or worship with true freedom. I am not against decency and order, and I am not for fake spiritual shows, but I am also smart enough to know that when a church is led by the Spirit of God, there will be decency and order whether or not you are comfortable with it or not. Our God is not a God of confusion or chaos. Too many of us want to stay spiritually comfortable when all God wants to do is come alive in dead churches. Christ is alive, but is He alive in our assembly?
The guards are not just in the church, you have a guard assigned to you personally. This is the guard of your flesh sealed to your soul and spirit. Your own flesh is the guard who refuses to surrender completely control of your life to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. All the guards in the world could not have stopped Jesus from coming out of that tomb on the third day. The guards didn’t stop Him, so don’t let the guards stop you whether those in the church or that one assigned to you. Let Jesus be resurrected in your life today.
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Pray for the Children
The collateral damage of the coronavirus pandemic will be so much more than can be added up on a calculator. Yes, there is the loss of jobs and the unfortunate loss of a business, and the saddest is the loss of life. But there are so many more things damaged with the (Stay-at-home) orders. The greatest collateral damage will be on the hearts and minds of little children. Many children suffer today because of immature parents. Many children suffer because their main teacher is whatever is on the television. Other children suffer because they catch the anger expressed by mom and dad because they cannot pay their bills and they cannot stay sober. Our hearts would fail us if we knew the kind of abuse many children are exposed to and suffer. The sexual abuse was at least limited when dad had to go to work. We must cry out to Our God who is,
“A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, [Is] God in His holy habitation.” Psalms 68:5
“But You have seen [it]; for You observe trouble and grief, to repay it with Your hand: the helpless commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless. Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man; seek out his wickedness until You find none.” Psalms 10:14
There is a lawful responsibility to report child abuse and there is a spiritual responsibility to bring this to our Father in heaven. I have seen this on a personal level and how it devastates a family, and many families live silently in that devastation and distraction. The collateral damage is often seen years later when the abused children commit suicide or become addicted to drugs or they themselves turn into what they hated in their childhood. We can pray for the children we know who are around us, and we can also praise God for the day the police show up and the family is broken up, but the abuse ends.
Where is God the Father in all of this? He is there in the midst with complete power to intervene, but He is also there with a plan to turn all the pain that child suffers into a fierce advocate for children and a counselor and a trophy of His transforming grace. God will right every wrong one day, but today He wants you to pray. God may ask, “Where are you in all this?” “I never saw you at the throne, I never heard you cry out for my help for the helpless and abused.” Let’s pray for the children.
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Don’t Say That!
My children were not allowed to say certain words as they were raised. They were not allowed to tell each other “shut-up” or “stupid” or “dumb.” When unexpected devastating events come against a nation, or specific regions of a nation, there is a word no one wants to hear or say and that is “judgment.” When a global pandemic comes and claims lives, removes our freedom, takes our jobs, and threatens our future, still no one wants to hear about the judgment of God. For some reason when anyone calls a pandemic the judgment of God, they are labeled as a doomsayer. But if we view Gods Word as more than a historical antiquated document and actually see it as a relevant living document, then suggesting the pandemic might actually be judgment of God would be logical.
Many of the prophets of the Old Testament were called to preach a message of judgment. Their message was, “repent and get right or God is going to get you right.” Jonah was the rebellious passenger in a ship with other men headed to Tarshish. He had received the command of God to preach a warning message of judgment to the Ninevites, but decided he didn’t want that assignment, so he set sail in another direction. As a result of that rebellion and disobedience, the Amber Alert was sounded and God rocked the sea and gave a whale an assignment. Many times when judgment comes, we think it is because of the wickedness of men, and in some cases it is, but most of the time it is because of the rebellion and disobedience of God’s people. Think about what this means.
“For the time [has come] for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if [it begins] with us first, what will [be] the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?” 1 Peter 4:17
You will never find an article on preaching on the judgment of God in any of the new church growth books, and seldom will you ever hear of a series focused on the judgment of God. But you will find the subject of judgment as a consistent theme throughout God’s Word. In fact, the last book in the Bible is filled with the details of the future unthinkable judgments that are still to come. This coronavirus may be or may not be the judgment of God, but because God is such a good Father and the church in many cases has set sail in another direction rejecting the holy commands of God, there are strong indicators that it is.
When God’s judgment falls, respond with repentance, that’s what the Ninevites did. We also know that God gave Jonah another chance. Our God is so full of grace, love, and mercy, but He is also a good, good Father who will always respond when His children disobey.
The Cry
The care of a mother with a newborn baby is most excellent. The mother is tuned in to the whimpers, cries, and every sound her baby makes. Before that baby was born that same mother may have slept like a rock and a freight train couldn’t wake her, but her love and care for that newborn amplified her senses.
God in heaven also has excellent hearing and intently listens for the whimpers and cries of His children. When we are injured, our natural response is to cry out. There are some people, however, who make every effort to hide their emotions and conceal their cries. They just don’t cry out. When some children get hurt by a small scratch, their cry would make you think their foot was crushed or a bone was broken. On the other hand, another child with the same injury can keep on playing. Adults don’t cry out because they have too much pride or are spiritually and emotionally numb and have not felt the pain, or maybe they haven’t yet connected the cry to the help that is available. Because of the coronavirus and the impact on our families and our nation, God’s children should be crying out. When the burden is too heavy, cry out to God.
“Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage.” Exodus 2:23
“In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry [entered] His ears.” 2 Samuel 22:7
“You have heard my voice: “Do not hide Your ear From my sighing, from my cry for help.” You drew near on the day I called on You, And said, “Do not fear!” Lamentations 3:56-57
The coronavirus pandemic may not have affected you personally, but you should still cry out, for the spreading threatens even your life. When I was a young boy and was being disciplined by my mother, I learned very quickly that the sooner I began to cry, the sooner she stopped spanking me. I learned to be a quick crier. God waits for His children to cry out to lift up this pandemic that has fallen on us. Cry out to God today, He is listening.
Press On
We all made have decisions we later regretted and we’ve all experienced life events we wish we had skipped over. From the selling of a good running paid off car to quitting a good-paying job for what looked like a better opportunity, to diving into a relationship that ended with an emotional explosion, we’ve all been there. What has happened, has happened and there’s nothing you can do about it, so you should press on. This coronavirus event has most people waiting and wondering about what to do and the answer is, press on. Just because we are personally isolated doesn’t mean we have to be socially introverted. Take what life has given you at this moment, (Stay at home orders, quarantine, job loss, business closed) and don’t sink in it, but press on with the attitude and vision that God is going to guide and lift you out of it and some point. For the sake of your family and children and your witness for Christ, press on. The apostle Paul knew very well about the potential to get stuck spiritually. He said,
“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing [I do,] forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14
In the Old Testament, Joseph, the son of Jacob understood how to press on when life pressed in.
“Then Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners [were] confined. And he was there in the prison. 21 But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who [were] in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. 23 The keeper of the prison did not look into anything [that was] under [Joseph’s] authority, because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made [it] prosper.” Genesis 39:20-23
You cannot afford to allow the corona-virus pandemic to dominate your life and shut you down. But you must press on spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically using the gift God gave you. You can give up or you can get up in the morning and tell yourself, “I’m pressing on today!” Listen you are not someone who can be stopped, just like Jesus could not be stopped. You may not have a job anymore with the company, but you have a job with the kingdom of God. You are still on a mission even in quarantine, so press on.
Draw Near
God in heaven watches your every move, records your every word, and understands your every thought and motivation. In a crisis, a prudent man’s natural response is to draw near to God. God uses the trials and troubles as spiritual tools to draw us closer to Him. In moments of fear and uncertainty, drawing near to the father is what children do. The question is, however, since the pandemic of the coronavirus, have you moved towards God? Have you been awakened out of the spiritual stupor we all tend to fall into? It is still possible that the coronavirus pandemic has not moved you at all spiritually. It is possible to listen to the news, hear the coronavirus confusion, feel the anxiety and fear rising up in you, and still never move an inch towards God. The Psalmist speaks for himself when he said,
“But [it is] good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, That I may declare all Your works.” Psalms 73:28
Some will draw near to the facts and the science of the matter. Some people will draw near to whatever it is that will help them escape the reality of the pandemic. Still others will draw near to the illusion that it will all soon be over and it will only be considered as a close call or bad dream. Some will draw near to their stockpiles of food and supplies and keep count with rotating their inventory. Some will draw near to God as the Psalmist did. Just as one of the state governors announced yesterday he had looked at recent data to see the movement of people from the tracking devices of their cell phones, God sees who moves towards Him and those who draw near to other things. In a time of crisis, we all draw near to what we trust in. What is it for you?
You Need to Eat!
“And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise [and] eat; because the journey [is] too great for thee.” 1 Kings 19:7
Elijah was headed in a direction in his life he was not prepared for. After a great victory for God’s people on Mt. Carmel, he went to Jezreel to witness Jezebel’s revival response to the power of Almighty God. When Elijah received a shocking death threat instead of humble repentance from Jezebel, he fell under the power of fear and ran for his life. When life turns on you in sudden unexpected ways, you may find yourself on the run in desperate need of God’s spiritual food.
Who really knows the outcome of the coronavirus? What most of us believe is that by the end of April or May, the economy will be cranking back up and most of us will be playing catch up in just about every aspect of our lives. Because of the death threat looming over our nation and the world, we very well may find ourselves plummeting in a depression that is more devastating personally than it is economically. Because that is a strong possibility, you may want to “Rise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.”
Deep discouragement and dark depression can overpower the strongest Christian when the highest expectations are crushed. I’m afraid that the journey is too great for us so we need our daily bread. Elijah was so exhausted the angel of the LORD had to come a second time and touch him. I believe God is touching us right now, but we need to “Rise and eat, because the journey is too great.”
A proper reading of the scriptures in Matthew 24 does not paint our future with breath-taking sunsets and bright blue skies. A proper reading, if you believe what is says, is that the days ahead will be unparalleled in comparison to the days behind us. God is getting His people ready and working in hearts and is much more interested in a spiritual revival than an economic one. So you should, “Rise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.” Don’t be the one who needs to be touched a second time. Revive your heart for God now and eat from His Word. Chew it slowly in meditation. Receive the full spiritual benefits of every bite. Eat from God’s Word for the sake of those around you who are starving for God. You need to eat!
Getting Back to Normal
Forced to live in a way we have never had to live under the threat of a pandemic virus, all most people want to do is stop the spread of the virus and get back to normal. Life is filled with unexpected and unwanted events that take us away from our most common way of living. The death of a loved one is probably one of the most life-altering events anyone can go through, but now there is the death of normal. If our reality because of the pandemic virus is changed forever and how we communicate and live, maybe there’s parts of it that aren’t so bad after all. If our normal has been to step on people and cheat people and to do everything possible to erase God from every part of society, perhaps we don’t need to go back to normal. If normal means continued abortions, deception, fraud and greed, we don’t need to go back to normal. If normal is getting back to our addiction to pornography, drugs and sex trafficking, let’s forget normal. If getting back to normal is getting back to our idols and locking God back into small manageable compartments in our lives, God is not interested in normal. Getting back to normal is what God’s people have always wanted. Look at what the prophet Amos said.
“Hear this, you who swallow up the needy, And make the poor of the land fail, Saying: “When will the New Moon be past, That we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, That we may trade wheat? Making the ephah small and the shekel large, Falsifying the scales by deceit, That we may buy the poor for silver, And the needy for a pair of sandals– Even sell the bad wheat?” The LORD has sworn by the pride of Jacob: “Surely I will never forget any of their works.” Amos 8:4-7
In the hearts of God’s people, (by the way this was not all of God’s people) all they wanted was to get back to their normal way of life that God strictly opposed.
Personally, I want to get back to hand shakes and group hugs and fellowships with brothers and sisters in Christ. But maybe God is speaking through this pandemic that a major shift in our spiritual paradigm needs to take place. Maybe God is saying to you and me, “I want to be back into the center of your family and your life.” We really don’t need to go back to normal, we need to let our new pursuit of God become our new normal.
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Buckle Up!
“But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called [you] by your name; You [are] Mine. When you pass through the waters, I [will be] with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.”
Isaiah 43:1-2
A careful study of God’s Word shows that, yes, God delivers, but God also allows us to endure and go through the waters and the fast moving currents of the rivers and through the fires of adversity and tribulation. God’s children went through the 10 plagues sent upon Egypt and the three Hebrews went through the consuming fire of Nebuchadnezzar. They went through their captivity in Babylon, and I know you don’t want to hear this, but God may very well allow us to go through this time of unbelievable change to our nation and the world as we have always known it. You should buckle up spiritually, because God marks and measures our valleys and listens for our sincere cries for mercy. Whatever the case may be with the coronavirus, God has not redeemed us or named us to lose us, and we can count on Him taking us through it.