Destiny

“But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend, I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. “All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish. Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all. For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob, little Israel, do not fear, for I myself will help you,” declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 41:8-14 NIV

As the year 2020 is about to come to a close, I have been astonished by the level of fear and the billions of dollars spent to maintain the fear. COVID-19 came in like a whirlwind around the world and cascaded like a domino effect causing the loss of life for many. We have not seen this level of devastation in our lifetime. Though I am not a conspiracy theorist, I am one who enjoys researching issues and world challenges to look at both sides. There are questions that I have about COVID-19. 

 The bulk of the information that many Americans have received regarding COVID-19 has been through mass media. Though at times helpful for protection and survival, much has been presented with sensationalism and fear that have gripped the world in ways that we have never seen. Our hearts go out to families around the world who lost loved ones in this world pandemic.  

One of the enemies in the last days that has been a part of history since the beginning of times that we will have to contend with is chemical and biological warfare. Even now, the church has been silent on this issue. We have no think tanks in place with persons who are researching and compiling information to help leadership structures to understand these weapons and teach the church how to prepare as much as possible. Even during the times of Moses, God alerted him and gave him a plan and specific instructions for the confession, consecration, isolation and deliverance of His people until an ancient pandemic would pass over. (Exodus 12) 

I have been listening and watching, and there has been no real clear response or directives of the mind and heart of God from spiritual leadership about how God wants to prepare his people during this time. It is interesting that much of our directives as a church has come from the government and local municipalities, regurgitated in booklets and pamphlets put out by the church; but, the church as a whole has been silent and passive on articulating how to prepare God’s people during COVID-19, and how to prepare during chemical and biological warfare in general that has and is going to hit the earth.  

He or she who has an ear to hear, understand this: there is no cure-all for viruses. There will be other viruses. The nature of viruses is that they mutate and become more sophisticated once they enter a host. Viruses cannot reproduce outside of a host because they do not have the powerful cellular makeup of a host. Viruses need bodies, animal and human, to spread their deadly force.  

Now that a COVID-19 vaccine that has so few human testings is rolling out in America, many are glaring with excitement as if it is going to be a cure-all for viruses with no definitive data to prove the outcome of success. Will a vaccine be created every time a COVID mutates and becomes more deadly than the original strand? What if the viruses that are being developed for biological warfare to wipe out communities and people groups are used, and the creators of the virus have the wisdom to stop the spread, but fail to use it until the enemy’s goals are met?  Just questions that I hope will get the church to start thinking deeper than what is being presented in mass media. Chemical and biological warfare is here. It is an evil tactic of governments and nations to rule the world. Yet, the church as a whole has no prepared plan to grapple with these issues and come to the table of discussion and at least have the dialogue. 

The nation of Israel had to deal with enemies of many nations who used similar tactics for many generations. Nothing is new under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 1:4-11) At times, those enemies were used as a tool of God’s judgment against immorality, inhumanity against mankind, earth violence, and disobedience to God’s commandments. However, when the nation of Israel would go through a time of confession, repentance, consecration and rededication, God would always restore them back into His presence. It was then that they were able to stand strong against any enemy and prosper in their endeavors amid great challenges and warfare. God has never been one who failed to keep His promises to His people. When God makes a covenant, that covenant will never be broken from generation to generation. (Exodus 6: 5, Leviticus 26: 45, Deuteronomy 7:9, Psalm 105:8-11) 

As people of God, we must allow the Word of God to inform us regarding world crisis. As we seek God in prayer, God will give us His mind and heart, and show us how to bring clarity, revelation and direction to His people in critical times in the Universe. The prophet Isaiah reminds us that we are the children of Abraham, who was a friend of God; and, God will never forget the friendship that he had with Abraham, and the promise to cover and protect his children. (2 Chronicles 20:7, Isaiah 41:8, James 2:23)  (Genesis 12:1-4, Genesis 22:17-19)  God will intervene with anyone or anything that would come against the children of Abraham; God will protect when all around us is great turmoil and crisis. Listen to one of God’s promises through the prophet Isaiah:  

 “Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all.” Isaiah 41:12 NIV 

The prophet Isaiah encouraged them to walk in faith and not fear because God was going to be with them. These words are powerful in light of the viral enemy of COVID-19 that we are facing right now that is wreaking havoc on the bodies of many people across the world.  But I want to ask the community of faith, “How will we stand? Will it be faith or fear?”  As followers of the ways of Jesus, we are Abrahams’s children; then, and now, we serve a God who is covering and protecting us. Have no fear; only believe the Word! God is our help, and a very present help in this time of trouble as we close the year 2020. (Psalm 46:1) 

 What will it be, fear or faith? We must choose!!!  

 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 NIV 

Ideas for the church to consider to discuss historical pandemics, chemical and biological warfare and give a biopsychosocial and biblical response during pandemics: 

• Create think tanks in our religious systems to include allopathic doctors, nurses, biologists, virologists, sociologists, chemists, herbalists, metaphysicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, pharmacists and prophets to explore the crisis and science of the age, while exploring the Word of God to give the best physical and spiritual plan for educating and preparing the church during world crisis and pandemics.

• Develop wellness ministries in every church or denomination. 

• Invest in viral and immune system training for every church. 

• We must think, think, think about “new normals” when it comes to how we manage our being during these times. We have to live in a constant state of awareness about our surroundings — how we engage in simple things such as planning meals, where we eat, where we travel, what we bring into our homes, how we wash our bodies, faces and hands, what we put on our bodies, and safety and survival preparedness for our homes.

• Encourage more training and degree programs in natural medicine in colleges and institutions of higher learning, since natural medicine is the original medicine of the Creator of the Universe and is still relevant today and always will be during world crisis. (Genesis 1: 11-13, Genesis 1: 29-31)

Reference for Further Study:

Boyle, Francis. (2005) Biowarfare and Terrorism. Clarity Press, Inc

Harper, Matthew. ( 2020, November 9). Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech is strongly effective, early data from large trial indicate. Retrieved on December 16, 2020, from https://www.statnews.com/2020/11/09/covid-19-vaccine-from-pfizer-and-biontech-is-strongly-effective-early-data-from-large-trial-indicate/

Mertens, Gaetan, Gerritsen, L., Duijndam, S., Salemink, E., Engerlhard, I.  ( 2020, March).  Fear of the coronavirus (COVID-19): Predictors in an online study conducted in March 2020. Retrieved on December 17, 2020, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0887618520300724

Miller Judith. (1998, September 19). Biological Weapons, Literally Older Than Methuselah Retrieved on December 16, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/1998/09/19/arts/biological-weapons-literally-older-than-methuselah.html

O,Reilly, Lara. (2020, November 4). How the world’s biggest advertisers are spending (or not) as industries adapt to the coronavirus pandemic. Retrieved on December 16, 2020, from https://digiday.com/marketing/how-the-worlds-biggest-advertisers-are-spending-or-not-as-industries-adapt-to-the-coronavirus-pandemic/

Porter, Jon. ( 2020, March 30).  Facebook invests $100M in journalism as COVID-19 makes it more vital than ever. Retrieved on December 17, 2020, from https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2020/3/30/21199358/facebook-investment-journalism-grants-100-million-dollars-advertising-spend

Vidyasagar, Aparna. What Are Viruses? ( 2016, January 6). Retrieved on December 16, 2020, from https://www.livescience.com/53272-what-is-a-virus.html