Yes! There is Good News! April 10, 2020

In our previous article I mentioned that we can trust God to take care of us in troublesome times and I said that His protection is, indeed, good news. But some are wondering if this worldwide pandemic is perhaps of God’s doing. After all, the bible does talk about pestilence and plague sent by the hand of God. Could this be His chastisement?

The book of Deuteronomy is, in my opinion, a book apropos for our time. In chapter 28 we read about the blessings and curses of God: ‘His blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience.’ A casual reader might say that this portion of the bible is for Israel and not for us – but I believe God said the bible is written for ‘His people!!' We, in the United States, like to claim God is for us. We even put on our money, “In God We Trust,” and I do not think that God takes that lightly. So in Deuteronomy 28:15 we read, “If you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you. Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the field.”

The rest of the chapter is difficult reading for its blunt description of the curses, but it is well worth the effort so that we may see God is a God of justice. Remember, you cannot have God’s mercy without His justice.

If we like to claim that God is the one who has blessed the USA until we are the richest nation ever to exist on the face of the earth, then we should understand that our disobedience will bring the opposite effect. Could this be happening? I am not one of His prophets, and I am not qualified to make that call.

But I will say this; Christianity has been in decline for the past 100 years. The number of people who claim that they follow Christ has taken a steep drop. But that’s not the half of it! Those who claim to be Christians have been striving to water down the message of our Savior and of His Father until it would be unrecognizable to a first century Christian. My friends and Brethren we find ourselves in very shallow waters these days. And again, I do not believe God takes that lightly.

So let me put it this way, the good news is that our relationship with the Eternal God is not a group endeavor. God calls individuals, one by one, into His family and He is building a family! Our repentance before our God is a personal thing; remember, “God’s kindness leads us to repentance.” (Romans 2:4) Some people have been calling for a revival. Revivals have happened in this nation before. And the thing about revival is they also are very personal. They begin with you and they begin with me.

A revival within your heart is not a political entity, it is a spiritual one. The reality is that Jesus said in John 18:36, “My kingdom is not of this world.” What are you going to do with that? Where are you going to invest your time for the next several weeks while we have turmoil in our land? Prayer, repentance and seeking God will do us all the most good. If a sparrow does not fall to the ground without His notice, do you think a global pandemic is not in His vision? I believe we know what we need to do!