“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9; scriptures KJV).

“Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure” (Isaiah 46:10).

In my first message on COVID-19, I stated the obvious; we are in a pestilence of global proportions. Then, I further stated that there is no doubt in light of Matthew 24:3-8. We are indeed living through one of the birth-pain sorrows prophesied by Jesus Christ, which will occur before His second coming.

I also stated that while we CAN KNOW the Biblical prophetic timeline which God has provided in His Word, the LORD GOD has and will intentionally veil the details of prophetic events from Mankind.

Then, I cautioned Believers to be on guard, warning them that we must know the difference between people’s speculation, illumination, inspiration, and revelation. Since these are very different ways of hearing from God, we must demand of preachers and teachers clarity on what they are proclaiming.

Lastly, we MUST arm ourselves with the knowledge of God, God’s Divine Word, so we may rightly judge truth in this time of global turmoil.

Delving into the Truth Behind COVID-19

As a lifetime Prophecy Watcher and student of God’s Word, and a Bible Teacher, like many of you, I keep my finger on the End-Times’ pulse.

Now, more than I have ever, I have seen a tremendous amount of speculation out there in the secular world, as well as in prophetic circles. Is the COVID-19 virus the result of:

– eating wild exotic animals which contained the virus?

– a Chinese biological weapon lab experiment gone bad?

– an intentional release by Communist China in order to reduce their aging population and/or attack or weaken the West?

– the US Army generating a bio-engineered virus to thwart the inevitable rise of the great People’s Republic of China?

– Bill Gates creating a “eugenics” virus to kill off the world population to a sustainable level and implant a vaccine with a personal marker within the COVID-19 survivors?

– the “Illuminati” releasing a bio-engineered virus to collapse world governments and economies to bring in the New World Order…and the Antichrist’s rise?

I WILL NOT and CANNOT address the validity of any of the current speculations and theories out there… and believe me, these are just a sampling. Undoubtedly, there will be many more theories, conspiracies, and speculations coming from the secular world, from Satan and his deceivers, and from fellow Believers.

As Believers we must apply the gifts we have been given by God to judge what is truth. God has given us: His Holy Word, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, rational and logical minds, and fellow Bible Believers to consult and commune with (using prescribed social distancing, of course). Thusly armed, Believers can discern the difference between true teachers/preachers and false teachers/preachers, and their speculations, illuminations, inspirations, and revelations. For we must become End of the Church Age Bereans (Acts 17:11) for those around us.

And always remember…TRUTH is NOT about what or how you feel; it is about what the WORD OF GOD SAYS!

Truth Behind COVID-19 – Number One

Regardless of which COVID-19 speculation/theory/conspiracy you may be judging on validity, know that whether or not any may be true…there is but one root cause… SIN!*

For SIN is the source of all destructive acts of nature: earthquakes, volcanoes, asteroid strikes, tsunamis, floods, tornadoes, mudslides, firestorms – and yes, this includes plagues, pestilence and pandemics. That goes for whether COVID-19 is man-made or Satan-made or not. For every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, depravity, envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossip, slander, lying, insolence, arrogance, boastfulness, disobeying of parents, and faithlessness… and all heartlessness, ruthlessness, rape, incest, anger, theft, covetousness, sexual immorality, idolatry, adultery, homosexuality, drunkenness, and swindling are the result of sin; and the source of all death, decay, illness, disease, and sickness.

Scriptural Proof behind SINs reign on earth

“And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return” (Genesis 3:17-19; emphasis mine).

“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12).

If you do not know what occurred in Genesis Chapter 3, you will never make any sense of the world we live in!

A CAUTION: I am compelled to provide this CAUTION because there is a huge misperception that I have seen among Believers in the internet/blogosphere, and it goes like this:

“COVID-19 came from the LORD GOD.”

We must be very careful what we lay at the feet of the LORD GOD; blessed be His name! And that goes for any type of natural or man-made disaster… for there is a huge, Biblical difference between these two statements…

“COVID-19 came from the LORD GOD” and

“COVID-19 is being allowed by the LORD GOD.”

There are two types of disasters which come upon the earth: one is “God initiated” and the other, as we just discussed, is loosed due to the fallen nature of our world because of sin.

God’s initiated disasters are specific judgments directly generated by Him for specific purposes. The next specific plagues and pestilences found in the Bible are found in Revelation Chapter 6 and onward in the seal, and bowl, and trumpet judgments. We are not there yet, even though we are experiencing COVID-19 as a major birth pain.

Believers CANNOT presume to know which events, like COVID-19, can be laid directly at the feet of the LORD. Therefore, we should be very cautious attributing these calamities to anything other than the result of the post-Adam fallen nature of the world. We know from Job that God hedges Satan’s actions, and He may have done just that by allowing these things, which were once held back, to come forth.  Mere mortals can but speculate.

The Truth Behind COVID-19 – Number Two

Events like COVID-19 always leads to the question, “Why does God allow such horrendous things, like COVID-19, to happen?”

To answer that timeless question, we are going to turn to Acts 17:26-27, where the Holy Spirit gave the Apostle Paul the answer we seek while he addressed the Athenians on Mars Hill.

Scriptural Proof for “Why God Allows Disaster?”

Acts 17:26 “And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation:”

Notice here the underlined bounds of their habitation. God has set forth many bounds/boundary-lines within Mankind’s habitation**, and loosed within Mankind’s habitation are disasters, like pestilence and plague we are living through. As previously stated, these are historically part of the fallen world which Mankind has inherited as children of Adam.

So why does God allow these disasters according to the scripture?

Acts 17:27 “That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him (grope/search), and find him, though he be not far from every one of us.”

The Greek word here, “feeling after,” implies much more…as a person groping around in the darkness, reaching out desperately for the light.

Here is the answer we seek. So that in these times of turmoil and strife, caused by the boundaries within our habitation, Mankind will reach out and seek their LORD GOD Creator.

Why is that necessary? Because God knows the fallen, sinful, self-centered nature that Mankind inherited from Adam. God knows in times of good health and plenty that Mankind believes their conditions are the result of their works and wisdom. It is often only when the predictable and controllable are shaken that many people will seek spiritual answers to explain their changing, tumultuous new reality.

But why does God include Christians?

Invariably this leads to a question I get from Believers: “But why does God include Believers in these tribulations?”

Scriptural Proof for Believers Facing Tribulation

“That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45).

These disasters occur to all Mankind because we all share the same habitation, Christians included.  Christians are in this world, but not of this world. God never declared Christians a safe physical harbor, but a secured spiritual one in heaven. Our earthly bodies can die and our souls can be attacked even though they will live eternally. However, our quickened spirits are sealed for eternity.

We, children of our Father, are here for a purpose. God allows Christians to go through trials not only to refine us, but because…

We are Christ’s light in this world.

We are Christ’s salt of this world.

We are Christ’s sons and daughters of grace and love unbounded in this world.

For who better than God’s children to help this fallen world deal with this situation.

Mankind needs Christ to shine through His children now more than ever!  So shine forth with the truth, light, passion, mercy, grace, and love of GOD! Leverage the gifts God has given you. Therefore, work in the unique and specific field which God specifically has planted you for this season. I pray that God may richly bless you for the works he has planned for you in advance.

Time is short! The harvest fields are ripe! Come, Lord Jesus, come!

——————————-

J&J Ranch Ministries “But as for me and my <ranch>, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15)

Find my YouTube channel by searching for “rancherjoe” Contact me at jojoekwaj@yahoo.com

* A tip of my hat to John MacArthur whom I heard say in a message some time ago.

** From my “Taking 10 Minute” Series  https://youtu.be/51PFbdlgPPI  see, “God – Created and Bounded” V2.

 

With all of this talk about ‘Social Distancing’ during perilous times such as these, how does one go about ‘Witnessing’ to the lost during the weeks and months that we are ‘quarantined’ from each other? Leaving Gospel Tracts wherever we go is a good way to ‘witness’ during this time. Maybe even taping some on residential and apartment doors might be an efficient way too. For some years now we have been ordering various gospel tracts from Chick.com.

When they come in the mail, we stamp them all on the back with essential information and websites people can go to if they want to learn more ‘about the things of God.’ Then we put the tracts in sandwich bags along with a ‘devotional page or ministry pamphlet’ that we always get in the mail from various ministries to save from throwing them away and instead use them for added influence and reading. We try to leave our ‘salvation packs,’ as we call them, everywhere we go. The sandwich bags keep the tracts and devotionals from getting wet or dirty while they are ‘waiting to be picked up’ by someone through ‘divine appointment.’

Chick Tracts are awesome ‘comic magazine-like booklets’ that pique interest from young and old alike. It is often said by those who write in that ‘Chick Tracts Get Read.’ Waiters, waitresses, and many others have testified that they got saved and/or rededicated their lives to Christ through reading these tracts. Chick tracts are great for children; over the years, many adults have said that they were ‘first introduced, interested, and influenced’ by the gospel through reading chick tracts as a kid. One can order them in English or Spanish; there are promotional tracts and various tracts targeted for specific audiences. At only 17 cents apiece, they are also an ‘inexpensive witnessing tool’ to use in furthering God’s Kingdom. I highly recommend the Chick Tracts at chick.com.

Probably one of the ‘Best Street-Witnessing Evangelists’ of our time is no other than Ray Comfort! Recently, Ray Comfort, at his website livingwaters.com, has released a new tract concerning the Corona Virus titled, “7 Ways to Protect Yourself from the Corona Virus.” Designed to mimic a face mask, this tract contains seven ways to protect yourself from the virus as well as how to protect yourself from death. Apparently, they were free and one only needed to pay shipping; but, surprisingly, they are ‘out of stock’ at the moment! That is an ‘awesome sign’ indicating that people are passing out tracts during this very trying time!

Even if these are out of stock, Ray Comfort’s site has many other gospel tracts that are ‘eye catching and interestingly relevant’ as well.  Some even look like million-dollar bills, and they are sold in packs at a reasonable price.

Another way to find gospel tracts is at your local Christian store. Recently, Life Way and certain Family Christian stores have shut down many of their brick and mortar locations, but Mardel’s Christian Bookstore is usually found next to a Hobby Lobby around here. Lifeway.com and Christianbook.com both have a plethora of English and Spanish salvation gospel tracts to order from as well. Passing out tracts or leaving them everywhere we go resembles the parable of the Farmer who ‘sowed seeds.’ Some of our ‘tract seeds’ may fall on hard soil, some may land on rocky ground, some may get choked by the thorns, and some may finally end up on good soil.

From Mission Bible Class: Parable of a sower and seeds

The people asked Jesus what the parable meant. He told him that the seed was like the things he was trying to teach them about the kingdom of God. Jesus taught lots of people about God being the King over the whole world in the same way that the farmer planted lots of seeds. Not all of the farmer’s seeds grew, and not everyone who heard Jesus believed what he said. Different people have different kinds of hearts. There are different kinds of hearts just like there are different kinds of soils.

The hard soil of the path was like the hard hearts of people who heard Jesus’ teaching but did not even understand or care what it meant. When people have hard hearts, then they do not want to follow God. They just go away from God like the seed got taken away by the birds.

The seed that fell on the rocky soil was like someone who hears about God and becomes a Christian (so they claim). They are so happy to find God but then they (quickly) change their minds and turn away from him. That is like the plant whose (shallow) roots die. (Nothing develops under the surface.)

Remember the seed that fell on the soil that had weeds and thorns in it? That plant never got big. That is like people who listen to the Word of God but then get so busy making money and having fun that they don’t have time to worship him. Too much money and too much fun keep them from being strong and healthy Christians just like the weeds that choked the plant.

Finally, Jesus explained what the good soil meant. The good soil was the kind of heart that we should all have. The good soil is a heart that listens to God’s word and tries to obey him. Just like the seed grows in good soil, the words of Jesus grow in good hearts. The person whose heart is like the good soil always wants to listen to God and to make him happy by obeying him. – end source

Just imagine how many lives you may have brought to Christ by obeying the Great Commission and spreading the Gospel by leaving gospel tracts for those who had a heart of ‘good soil’ – those who received the Good News by our ‘planting and watering’ and God giving the increase! In Heaven, we may have a line of people standing behind us and Jesus telling us to look at all the ones we helped to bring into His Kingdom! The most wonderful words we can hear from our Savior’s lips upon arriving are, “Well done thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord!” Let us be found Faithful until His Coming… Maranatha!

1 Corinthians 3:6-10 (all scripture KJV) “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.”

Galatians 6:9 “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

2 Corinthians 9:6 “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.”

Proverbs 11:18 “The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.

Luke 8:11 “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.”

Until next time… Maranatha!

(JESUS = WAY, TRUTH, LIFE)