Pandemic

“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith.”

I John 5:4 NKJV

“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”

Romans 8:11 NKJV

This is Resurrection Sunday. I cannot help but be drawn to the idea of victory. In fact, considering the environment of the first century church, the whole discussion of overcoming and triumph would seem at best futile and at worst a cruel hoax. The cruelty and brutality of the first century world was astonishing. If you have never read the classic, “Foxe’s Book of Martyrs”, then it should be required reading for every believer the initial year of their spiritual journey. It will not be easy reading as the stories are all too vivid concerning the sacrifice of those early disciples, yet their courage and sense of triumph in the midst of it is inspiring and important.

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When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”

Mark 2:5 NKJV

I existed as a Christian for years misunderstanding the totality of faith. For me, I functioned with this thought: “As long as I BELIEVE right, God will move in my life”. That is not scripturally true, or should I say, that is not scripturally the WHOLE truth. Wherever “faith” is found, what corroborates it as active faith is a corresponding action that demonstrates that indeed, it is faith. The classic illustration is the “chair”. I can believe it will sustain my weight. I can be convinced beyond any argument or challenge for it to be adequate. However, that chair is of no use to that belief until we ACT on that faith and SIT in the chair. This is why Paul used the phrase, “We WALK by faith, not by sight”. Faith is strictly intellectual assent to a possibility. It is a committed action upon that possibility. This is what Jesus affirms when the account above states that, “Jesus SAW their faith”. Apparently, faith is something you can see.

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“And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So, God granted him what he requested.”

2 Chronicles 4:10 NKJV

“…Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.”

James 4:2b-3 NKJV

Many people are praying these days. I noticed recently that even a secular “left” news anchor asked a pastor he was interviewing to offer a word of prayer before the interview ended. National crises have a way of arresting everyone’s attention. Spiritual activity, which was once deemed silly, archaic, or unnecessary, suddenly becomes fashionable. Perhaps that is one reason why God allows such things like pandemics. An unseen disease has the ability to directly confront our arrogance and haughtiness as a people. We think we are impervious to wars and diseases because we live in the great 21st century, only to find out that our human abilities, while notable, are still finite and exhaustible. So, like the atheist in the foxhole of a battle, there are many convenient conversions and spiritual turnarounds during a pandemic.

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“Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

2 Corinthians 12:10 NKJV

A pandemic by nature opens up the concept of immunity. Daily reports are offered on the subject of drugs and vaccinations to address the COVID-19 virus. The population is clamoring for an answer and desperately wants some medical expert or pharmaceutical company to generate something that will provide us immunity. Perhaps something will be developed in this crisis to assist us. I know this area of drugs and vaccinations can cause a heated debate on its own. I will leave that debate to minds brighter than mine. That being said, I can tell you that drugs or vaccinations will not immunize you from the reality of some aspect of loss in life. There is always the possibility, and indeed probability, that you will face some aspect of loss. This quarantined “season” is demonstrating the truth of that reality. Everybody has experienced some degree of loss navigating this season.

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“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

James 1:2-4 NKJV

I’m not an epidemiologist, medical doctor, or “virus” expert, but my thoughts today are working through the concept of what it means to be an “expert”. I would suppose expertise status has to do with knowledge, training, experience, and endorsement. These are things we would all expect. However, I would also put one more quality in the list and that would be “tested”. To truly be considered an expert and one who could be called upon in a moment of crisis, that person should have passed some tests. Testing has value. It demonstrates some level of competency or usability. It also gives the beneficiaries a sense of confidence.

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