As a
Christian, where are you standing with the Coronavirus, do you also live in fear as
the rest of the world?
There is now a new virus and everybody is going hysterical about it. The question is what about this virus is different from the normal flu and cold viruses that we are exposed to regularly? According to what is being said about it, is that it’s a mutation from the other viruses that we are already exposed to and can be fatal if not taken care of, which has a similar outcome with any of other flu and cold viruses that are not taken care off.
The devil is creating panic by using the fear that this virus will be killing everybody who came in contact with or is infected with the virus. He is even successful in interfering with the Christian world when church services are suspended and gatherings in SA are limit to 100 due to fear that the virus can spread when Christians came in contact with each other in gatherings.
The question to everyone who says he/she is a
Christian, where do you stand on this virus, are you also in fear?
First and very important – God didn’t bring this virus onto the people because He is angry with the people.
God loves all the people – John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,”.
John 14:9-10 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.
Here Jesus says that God is in Him ‘the Father who dwells in Me does the works’, did Jesus while He was on earth, ever cursed anyone or killed one who didn’t follow God correctly?
Jas 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
God does not tempt or test us either.
In the time before Jesus and God’s new covenant with us, God had to take action because of the law and the agreement God had with Israel and also to protect people from other people who were possessed by the devil (evil spirits).
The situation now is that the devil is still the prince of the world – Luke 4:6 & Eph 2:1-2 – and his main objective is to prevent as many as possible people to discover Jesus and getting saved.
John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
The devil (thief) wants to steal, kill and
destroy, but Jesus came to give abundant life. God loves you and will protect His children from perishing,
Second is the question, are you, as a confessed Christian, really born-again?
To be born-again you must have done the following with all of your heart –
Rom 10:9-10 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Only God and you know if you really meant it and are truly born-again.
How do you know you are born-again?
You receive the fruit of the Spirit which are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. You will be passionate about Jesus, The main question is, do you have peace?
Php 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Third is the question,
what happens if you are a born-again follower of Jesus?
When Jesus died on the cross and was resurrected from death He overcomes the devil for all who believes in Him.
Heb 2:14-15 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
Jesus released us from the bondage of the devil and give us power over the devil as He said in Mark 16
Mar 16:17-18 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
These words ‘if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them’ clearly state that God will protect us, all that is expected from us is to have faith.
It doesn’t matter what happens here on earth, God will protect us –
Heb 13:5-6 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He, Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU.” So we may boldly say: “THE LORD IS MY HELPER; I WILL NOT FEAR. WHAT CAN MAN DO TO ME?“
There is much more scripture where God promises us that He will protect us – Ps 91, 1Pe 5:7, 2Pe 2:9, Mat 28:20, Jas 54:17, Luk 21:18
Fourth is the question, how do I build my faith up to the level of belief that God will protect me?
Read the Word of God is the most important –
Rom 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
When reading the Word of God and believing the Word, you remove all the doubt and fear that the people and news media put into your mind and replace it with the true words from God that will build you up and also building your faith in God which is necessary to overcome the attacks from the devil.
2Ti 3:16-17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Believe God’s Word without any question or doubt, many false preachers tell us that we must be reading the Bible in different ways, but the only correct way is to read it as it is written and ask the Holy Spirit to open the scriptures for you to better understanding.
1Co 2:12-14 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
The Holy Spirit opens God’s Word spiritually for us to understand God and this is not possible for people who are not born-again.
When reading the Word of
God, write down scripture with promises from God to protect you. Then read these
scriptures daily and it will build your faith that God will protect you.
Fifth is begin to use communion daily
Do it every morning – the same way you drink vitamins daily.
Why use communion?
Jesus body was broken for us with the crucifixion – whipped as it is quoted in –
1Pe 2:24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.
We should live a life without any sickness, because Jesus already carried all sickness, which is also a curse, on His body when He was crucified for us. This means that the bread we eat is Jesus’ body broken for us to be healthy, whole and prosperous and the wine we drink is Jesus’ blood that was spilled for us to clean us from our sin and sin-nature and that we can stand righteous before God.
Can anyone use communion by himself or
herself?
There are no scriptures in God’s Word that say only certain people may take the lead in performing communion as was done by the priest in the old covenant with sin-offerings to God. In Jesus, we all are holy priests –
1Pe 2:4-5 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
When using communion, use the following scriptures –
1Co 11:23-26 …..that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same manner, He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
Each time you take communion you are remembering what Jesus had done for you and that you are healthy, whole and prosperous, without sin and righteous before God. This will also build your faith in that through Jesus you are already healed and if you don’t see it at the moment, it will manifest as long as you believe it.
Don’t let the following vers scare you off in
taking communion –
1Co 11:27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
Taking
communion is spiritual and only born-again believers can partake in communion
because they have the Spirit of God in them and are spiritual. It is how you consider the
body of Christ and what He did that can make it unworthy. Eg. Do you really
believe everything that Jesus went through on the cross and in the grave and
that He died for everybody’s sin on the cross and was risen again? If you don’t
believe it you are using communion unworthly.
Let’s get practical
- Go back to God’s Word and read it with the
assistance of the Holy Spirit. Ask the Holy Spirit every time you read the Word
to open it for you. This shall build your faith.
- Write down scripture where God gives promises that
He will look after us and read them daily to build your faith further.
- Don’t let the news media and social media make you fearful, just take note if it is important info from a trustable source, adhere to Government rules and keep your trust in God.
- Go on with your normal life, go to work, shops, and church, confirming your faith in God that He will protect you by thanking Him for His protection when you leave home.
- When and if help is needed, go out and help with the faith that no virus shall survive around you when it landed on you.
- Use communion daily.
- Let God’s light shine through you for all the fearful people to see. A good method for winning souls for Jesus.
- By now you should know the symptoms of the virus and when you detect these symptoms in you, go and get help. You are not a failure when the virus and devil get entrance into your body. Medical health care is there because God provided it, use it.
- Very important always stay positive, believe in God and resist the fear the devil wants to ignite in everyone. When you start fearing, go sit down and talk to God. Tell Him what is on your heart and what you fear. God is trustworthy and will help you.
- Be careful that you don’t carry the virus to other people who are not on the same faith level as you.