Carona Virus Faith – Words from Paradise

Is COVID-19 a Sign? Part 2

Yesterday I wrote that Jesus included pandemics (called pestilences in some translations of the Bible) in His list of troubles that would happen before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. He warned His followers at that time not to see these things as signs of His immediate return, as that would occur much later.

However, He went on to say that these troubles would be like “birth pains,” intensifying over many centuries until He came back to get His followers.

Jesus divided his teaching about “signs” and being ready for His coming into three time frames: signs before the destruction of Jerusalem, events during the intervening centuries, and signs pointing directly to His Second Coming. The three chapters that deal with this are divided this way:

Before Jerusalem’s Destruction Intervening Years Signs Before Jesus’ Coming

Matthew 24:1-21 Verses 21-27 Verses 29-35

Mark 13:1-19 Verses 20-23 Verses 24-37

Luke 21:5-23 Verse 24 Verses 25-38

Why did Jesus give His followers this teaching about what would happen in the world in the years ahead?

Photo by Andreas Wohlfahrt on Pexels.com

Out of love and concern. He wanted them to have a realistic faith. They should not look for immediate deliverance because many things had to happen in this world before He could come back. Primarily, the good news about His love and saving power would need to be taken to the whole world. (Matthew 24:14 NIV)
To strengthen faith. He wanted to strengthen their faith in His teachings and His power to know all things. “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He” (John 13:19 NIV). It deepens our trust when we see that Jesus was right. What He predicted happened just the way He said it would.
To strengthen End-Time believers. Looking down through time, Jesus especially wanted to help us who live before His Second Coming. He knew it would be a time of trouble and skepticism and questioning. He said, “When the Son of Man comes to the earth, will He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8 NIV). He wanted to encourage our faith so He told us many things ahead of time. We call this “prophecy” in the Bible.

Signs before Jesus’ Return

Here is a partial list of predictions and signs Jesus and His followers left us.

Celestial Signs

“Immediately after the distress of those days (the Middle Ages), the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.”
Matthew 24:29 NIV (Jesus was describing some celestial sign-events that would usher the world into a period known as “the Time of the End” before Jesus returns. See Daniel 12:4, 9). For more info click here.

Natural Disasters, Famines, Pandemics, Wars, False Messiahs and Prophets

“On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world. . .”
Luke 21:24-26 NIV

“Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ, and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. . . .Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. . . .False Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect. See I have told you ahead of time.”
Matthew 24:4-7, 24 NIV (Even though these are listed in the prophecies leading up to Jerusalem’s destruction in 70 A.D., I include them because Jesus said such things would increase in power and scope until His return, like a pregnant woman’s labor pains grow increasingly strong.

Preoccupation with This Life; Putting Off Attention to Spiritual Things

“As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”
Matthew 24:37-39 NIV

Moral Collapse in Society

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 NIV (New Testament writers saw themselves as living in the “last days,” the days at the end of the age when Messiah would appear. They believed Jesus was that Messiah. However, their words often also apply prophetically to the End Time last days we live in. It is not hard to see how their words apply today.)

Loss of Faith in the Bible as God’s Reliable Word

“The time will come when men will not put up with sound teaching. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”
2 Timothy 4:3, 4 NIV

“First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, ‘Where is this “coming” he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation. But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water. . .”
2 Peter 3:3-5 NIV

Large Scale Apostasy in Christianity; the Rise of Antichrist

“Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God. . .The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.”
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, 9-10 NIV

Many of the things listed above have been fulfilled historically. Only a few remain.

Jesus and the Revelation (Apocalypse)

Some sixty years after Jesus ascended to heaven, He appeared to His disciple John in a vision on the Greek Island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea. John had been one of the youngest disciples of Jesus, probably in his teens or twenties. Now, he is an old man, banished to a government slave quarry because of his Christian faith. Most of the disciples had been martyred by this time, and the church was living under persecution, wondering how long until Jesus would return, as He had promised.

John on Patmos receiving the Revelation from Jesus

The Revelation, or Apocalypse, was given by Jesus to reassure His Church that He was still with them, watching over them, and to describe what would happen in the centuries ahead until His Second Coming.

Tomorrow, I will write about this amazing prophecy, which is mysterious to so many, and so often misunderstood by others. Revelation adds to our understanding of the events and signs before Christ’s coming. It strengthens our faith and helps us prepare.

God’s Promises in the Pandemic – Psalm 91, Ultimate

I have written three blogs about Psalm 91. It is a psalm for times of disaster and trouble, which we are certainly facing now. Loved ones sickened and dying. Our nation shut down except for essential services. The economy staggering; leaders conflicted about what to do.

David certainly faced disasters in his own lifetime, even judgments from God. He often prayed humbly for deliverance, and was spared. He lived Psalm 91. These promises have been claimed by God’s people for centuries, and there are many stories of God’s intervention. But not all who prayed were delivered (See Hebrews 11:35-40).

Yet, when I read Psalm 91, its promises seem quite absolute. Why? There is no question in this psalm they will be fulfilled. Those who trust God WILL be saved from pestilence (pandemic), plagues, harm, and the ravages of war. But not all have been.

This riddle is solved when we realize that Psalm 91 applies ultimately to a future period just before Jesus comes. David often wrote under inspiration about the future. This was one such time. Though God’s promises in Psalm 91 apply to all ages, they ultimately apply to the Time of Trouble spoken of by Daniel (Dan. 12:1-4), Jesus (Luke 21:25, 26), and The Revelation (chapter 15, 16). Psalm 91 is a psalm for the Great Tribulation.

It is during this time–close to the coming of Jesus, after He finishes his work of intercession in heaven, when everyone has made their decision for eternity–that the earth falls apart. Nature collapses, civil society explodes, and evil and judgment are unleashed.

It is then that those who have put their faith and trust in God, will be absolutely protected. There would be no purpose for their witness. Their deaths would no longer bring people to Christ. Then, it will be unequivocally fulfilled:

“You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.”
Psalm 91:5-8

Now is the time, dear friend, to make our home, our dwelling, in God. Now is the time to make sure of our relationship with Him. “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart.” Hebrews 4:7. Jesus’ heart of love longs for you, with eternal desire. And there is never a better time than now.

Promises of Protection in a Pandemic – Psalm 91

As we hear daily news reports of loss of life and jobs from the COVID-19 Pandemic; as we think about our own vulnerability and the risk to those we love; as we experience the wide-ranging disruption, we struggle with worry and fear about many things.

Psalm 91 was written for times like this. It is filled with hope and promises of God’s love and protection for those who trust and seek Him. As I mentioned yesterday, my dad helped us children memorize Psalm 91 and then share it with sick and elderly people we visited. It became very meaningful to me then. Now, many years later, I see even more reasons for hope and faith. Today, I will share what speaks to me, hoping it will bring peace and trust to you as well.

An Invitation to Trust

The psalmist, David, is writing from his own life’s story. Through many challenges, he has learned to trust God. God has helped and protected him many times–as a young shepherd from a lion and bear; as a young adult from his archenemy King Saul; as a warrior, in battle; as a monarch from palace intrigue, treachery, and rebellion; and even in his own failings and sin. He has come to believe deeply that God is loving, faithful, and good. He can be trusted. David trusts Him completely now, and with beautiful word pictures drawn from his life, invites us now to do the same.

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. . .His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.'” Psalm 91:1-2, 4

Invitation to a Relationship with God

David’s invitation to us is rooted in the ancient worship center, the Hebrew tabernacle where a person came to God through the sacrifice of a lamb for sins. Asking God in faith to forgive and accept them in this way, looking forward to a Savior, brought pardon and full acceptance with God. Today, we come to God through Jesus, “The Lamb of God who has taken away the sins of the world” (John 1:29). No matter how long we may have been away from Him, how much we have sinned, or strayed, or ignored Him, He will accept us. Even though our lives are broken and messy. Even if it is in the middle of a pandemic, a time of emergency. He paid a heavy price. He loves and wants us, in any case. He wants us.

“If you make the Most High your dwelling–even the Lord, who is my refuge–then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. . . ‘Because he loves me,’ says the Lord, ‘I will rescue him; I will protect him because he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.” Verses 9, 10, 14, 15

Promises to Claim

I have learned many things about God’s promises in the years since I first memorized Psalm 91. It is full of wonderful promises like angels delivering from accidents, being rescued from pestilence, plague, and punishment. But, does God always do what we ask? What can we know for sure as we read Psalm 91?

First, we can trust the Promiser. He is trustworthy and faithful. He has given us His promises to help us form a relationship of trust with Him. There are over 3,000 promises and clusters of promises in the Bible. God wants us to relate to Him through these. Many have cut their teeth as new believers asking God to fulfill some promise and seeing how attentive and faithful He was to their prayer.

Second, some promises are always Yes. As we come to Him humbly in faith, he always is willing to forgive our sins, be present with us in any situation, give us peace and faith in trouble, and grant the Holy Spirit’s help. Any promise concerning our relationship, He will definitely fulfill. Paul is thinking of this when He wrote, “No matter how many promises are made to us, they always Yes to us in Christ.” 2 Cor. 1:20.

Third, some promises are “God’s will be done.” God’s other promises are not a blanket coverage for every situation, or every circumstance in life. Sometimes God delivers, heals, or provides; sometimes He allows trouble. Job suffered; Paul didn’t get his thorn removed (2 Cor. 12:7); Christ experienced the Cross. Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). We must always pray, as Jesus did in Gethsemane, “May your will be done,” trusting in a God who loves us and knows what is best for our eternal good.

Last, ASK! We can always ask because a loving, caring God’s heart is always open to our prayers. God HAS often protected and delivered His people from danger; He HAS supplied financial and physical needs many times; He HAS healed people of disease. We can claim his promises and trust His love, even if the answer is Yes, No, or Wait (perhaps until Jesus comes).

“Keep your wants, your joys, your sorrows, your cares, and your fears, before God. You cannot burden Him; you cannot weary Him. He who numbers the hairs of your head is not indifferent to the wants of His children. . . . Take to Him everything that perplexes the mind. Nothing is too great for Him to bear, for He holds up worlds, He rules over all the affairs of the universe. Nothing that in any way concerns our peace is too small for Him to notice. There is no chapter in our experience too dark for Him to read; there is no perplexity too difficult for Him to unravel. No calamity can befall the least of His children, no anxiety harass the soul, no joy cheer, no sincere prayer escape the lips, of which our heavenly Father is unobservant, or in which He takes no immediate interest. . .The relationship between God and each soul are as distinct and full as though there were not another soul upon earth to share His watch-care, not another soul for whom He gave His beloved Son.”
Amazing Grace, p. 116

An Invitation to be Loved

I love the closing words of Psalm 91:

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.” Verses 14-16

Friend, God is inviting you and me to a relationship with Him. He loves us more than we can ever imagine. We can ask His help trusting Him to do the best for this life and eternity. Won’t you take that step, or reaffirm that choice now?