"And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." (Luke 21:25-28)
These were already strange times, but the COVID-19 virus has raised the panic to a brand new level. Some folks are paranoid about the possibility of contracting this virus. Others are acting as if they are invincible to it. I believe prudence is somewhere between these two extremes.
The Church I pastor has for the first time produced a Live-Stream of our Sunday services. The bright spot of this is that more watched online than normally attend on a given Sunday. Although, Live-Stream should never take the place of gathering with other believers. We need the fellowship, the corporate worship, and the opportunity to encourage each other in person.
There are many hysterical voices out there that see a conspiracy from various sources that either desire to kill us all or bring us into subjection to totalitarian government. The news media and many politicians are using this pandemic as an opportunity to advance their particular causes. The Stock Market has been in a free fall due to the treacherous times. The result is that many are living in fear because they are uncertain what they should believe and what action, if any, they should take.
The above passage from Luke is part of a prophetical message given by Jesus that speaks of His return to establish His Kingdom. I hold to the view of a Pre-Tribulation rapture of the Church. On this basis, what is spoken of by Jesus means that the rapture is up to seven years sooner than what Jesus spoke about in this discourse. If we see these things already coming to pass, it ought to cause believers to be looking for the soon coming return of Jesus for His Body.
Throughout history there have been wars, natural disasters, plagues, and pandemics. This may not be an indication that Jesus will return in the next month, but He could! At some point He will return and the majority of the world will be unaware of what has come to pass. What comes next will be worse than anything experienced thus far.
Jesus is coming! The issue for consideration is "are you ready?". If you have trusted Jesus as your personal Savior, then you are ready. If you are trusting your morality, you are not ready. If you are trusting your religion (or lack thereof), you are not ready. If you are trusting the faith of your parents or grandparents, you are not ready. If you are living in denial, you are not ready.
In this time of paralyzing fear, find your peace and refuge in Jesus!
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:9-13)
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