The world is in shock! But the question for bible believers is, “why are we surprised?”
Prophecy watchers have been warning people for years that end-time events could be shocking, even before the Rapture. We have let people know that Tribulation events would cast a shadow on the Church Age as God gears up to close the Church Age. We have talked about the “birth pangs” of the last days for decades.
God doesn’t shake the entire globe very often. He did during the time of Noah and at the Tower of Babel. There was a terrible plague in the 1300s and a pandemic in 1918. Two world wars took a stunning toll.
But now an unseen enemy—a virus, no less—has created fear-driven chaos, and some unknown factors are causing people to embrace a worst-case outlook for the world. At this time, we don’t know how this plays out. It certainly has apocalyptic implications.
Presidential proclamations aren’t doing the trick. There is going to be a mess to clean up since the world is in a meltdown, markets are crashing, economies are tanking, people are losing all stability, and lives are being lost.
Still, there is much that is puzzling! There's something more at play here. The Swine Flu of 2009-2010 affected 61 million Americans yet produced little panic. Neither Barack Obama nor U.S. Governors stopped life as we know it back then. Sporting events went on, schools remained open, as did churches. Disneyland was not affected!
Fast-forward to 2020. Have you read the headlines… the sky is falling. It’s the end-of-the-world as we know it, even though most who get this new disease, Covid-19, will recover.
So, I have to ask if this is the crisis the globalists have waited for -- or have their hand in -- to make the world as one? Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown is calling for a 'Temporary Global Government' to deal with COVID-19. But two men mess up their plans: Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu. Recently celebrities lauded John Lennon's song "Imagine" which visualizes the world united with no religions. These people are wishful thinkers but that's not happening.
I believe what we are witnessing with COVID-19 is an end-time shift. A clearer warning period about the greater disasters coming soon. God is stopping the world. It’s as if He’s screaming down from heaven saying, “look up here, pay attention, danger is just ahead!” In His grace and mercy, He’s trying to get the world’s attention just as He did in Noah’s day before the flood. In that era, Noah preached righteousness for 120 years and no one listened.
Jesus warned about birth pains when He taught about the end times in His Olivet Discourse (Mt. 24-25). He specifically mentioned pestilence as a birth pain (Mt. 24:7; Lk. 21:11; Rev. 6:8).
I would describe this global pandemic as a wake-up call and precursor to the Tribulation birth pains; as is the great locust plague that is ravaging Africa and the Mideast; as is the large number of social uprisings in countries around the world; as is the appearance of the “last days” people with their lying and immoral behavior, as is the increase in earthquake activity; as were the record-breaking Australian wildfires; as is the discovery of an asteroid headed toward earth; as is—you get the picture.
Birth pains increase in frequency and intensity until the moment of delivery. This means, the moment of delivery is getting closer!
This particular birth pain is global which created world-wide unrest as we’ve never seen. In just a few months, the world is at a stand-still gripped by fear giving us a test-run for how fast things will go south after the Rapture.
Once the Tribulation begins, the prophet Daniel described it as coming on like a flood (Dan. 9:26). Within seven years, every unbeliever will either be dead or evicted off planet earth when Christ returns and it will be over. Done. Gone.
If one rapidly spreading virus can cause this type of global disruption, can you imagine how disruptive the Rapture will be when tens of millions go missing followed by 21 major judgments in a row with no let up? This is a pebble in the ocean compared to the day of God’s wrath that will rock the world to its core.
This is a test run so. A taste of the lightening speed of the Day of the Lord that’s coming. Billions are self-quarantined at this moment. It has shaken all earthly things. Sports, financial markets, distractions, hobbies, concerts, you name it—they’ve all been shut down.
Those things aren’t bad in themselves, but it’s as if God is removing any distractions for a moment in history to plead with the world again, ‘Look up! Look to me! This world is temporary. Think about eternal things. I love you. I died for you. Please don’t ignore me. Turn to me now while there is time.’”
What we see playing out before our eyes is a part of the predicted scenario. These things must happen. God is shaking the nations. They have been too consumed with pleasure to pay Him the least bit of attention but He reaches out in stunning fashion. The question is, how many more warnings like this are coming before the end?
We keep getting feedback that people who would never listen before are now asking questions. This is a time for a fearless church to speak truth to a fearful world that needs Jesus.
PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICA:
The impact of COVID-19 on our community, churches, and country has been vast and calls for a major season of prayer.
It's time for believers to cry out and ask the Lord to spare America for His great Name's sake. This is not the time for God's children to be fearful because a fearful world needs a fearless church.
And at this very moment, our fearful world needs hope, something that only comes through faith in Jesus Christ.
This is the time for all of us to turn to God and say to Him, "Lord, we need your help."
Without the help of God, this could go on for a long time. Without the help of God this could get much worse.
America is at the mercy of the Lord and we need the Lord's intervention for this devious pestilence to be withdrawn!
That can only come through prayer. If your church is canceled this Sunday, consider gathering some friends together for prayer (maybe online through zoom).
PRAYER AGAINST PESTILENCE:
2 Chron. 7:13-14
"At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or command grasshoppers to devour your crops, or send pestilence and plagues among you. Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land."
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