Virus

Have you ever had a virus on your computer? They're nasty things. We recently discovered one on our laptop. It's still there.

At first, we thought all of our files had been deleted - pictures, music, documents, etc. When you think you've lost everything, it's an incredibly sinking feeling. But then . . .

My wife took our computer to our son - the usual path for tech-illiterate parents. Have a kid do it! He found all of our files, but we still had a virus.

We ended up getting a new computer on Cyber Monday. Saved $299! Let me tell you something. Opening up that new computer was an amazing feeling! Everything was clean and fresh. And there were no viruses! I felt whole again! Restored!!

(You already know where this story is going . . . Lol!) Jesus!

If you have repented of your sins and turned to Jesus for forgiveness and restoration, you already know how it feels to be "virus-free." Yet many people still choose to live a life filled with sin. Sin is just like a computer virus for the soul.

Thankfully, there IS anti-virus software that we can get for our computers. However, the subscription ran out for our computer, and I didn't renew it.

When our "subscription" runs out in this life were are living, DO NOT be found without Jesus in your heart. You will experience an eternity infected with a "virus" without any hope of a cure.

After King David committed adultery with Bathsheba, he prayed this prayer. It's worthy to remember it. Especially when we are convicted of our sins.

"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

²Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

³For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.

⁴Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.

⁵Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

⁶Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

⁷Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

⁸Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

⁹Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.

¹⁰Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

¹¹Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.

¹²Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

¹³Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.

¹⁴Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

¹⁵Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise.

¹⁶You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

¹⁷My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart." - Psalm 51:1-17

Thank you God for providing a way, Yahweh, to pay for OUR sins through His sacrifice on the cross. Thank you Jesus for hanging on that cross, in my place. And thank you Holy Spirit for convicting us of our sins and for drawing us near. No amount of thank yous would ever be enough for all you have done, and have yet to do. Amen.

The Corona Prophecy?

I'm no Biblical scholar, that's for sure. But when I came across Jeremiah 19 in my reading yesterday I couldn't help but think that what I was reading was meant for us during this time of viruses and death. Read it for yourself and tell me if you don't agree.

I'm not going to copy and paste the entire chapter here. There's a link at the end. But I will write down all of the verses I underlined in my Bible. You tell me if this doesn't apply to this time we are going through right now.

Verse 3: "Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Behold, I will bring such a catastrophe on this place, that whoever hears of it, his ears will tingle."

Verse 4, 5 and 6: “Because they have forsaken Me . . . and have filled this place with the blood of the innocents . . . which I did not command or speak, nor did it come into My mind . . . that this place shall . . . be called . . . the Valley of Slaughter."

Verse 8: "I will make this city desolate and a hissing; everyone who passes by it will be astonished and hiss because of all its plagues."

Verse 15: ““Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will bring on this city and on all her towns all the doom that I have pronounced against it, because they have stiffened their necks that they might not hear My words.’ ”

Yes, I have cherry-picked some verses here but as I read the text of Jeremiah 19 I couldn't help but think about the Covid-19 situation in our world right now. Are we in the midst of a catastrophe (verse3)? Yes. Have we forsaken God (verse 4)? and slaughtered the innocent (also verse 4) through abortion of our young? Yes.

Are cities being made desolate because of the plague (verse 8)? Yes. Have you seen the pictures of all the empty streets lately? And we all know what caused it. the plague of the Covid-19 virus. And who brought the plague? Could God done this as a warning. Why?

"because they have stiffened their necks that they might not hear My words.’ ” (verse 15)

In my opinion, the time for repentance is now. Last call for the freedom train! Like I said, I'm not a prophet or biblical scholar but I do read the Bible and I do know the characteristics of God. The entire Bible is about Him you know. He HAS done something like this virus thing before. The Old Testament is full of examples.

Does God change? No. Does His nature change? No.

Well?

Whether this virus is of God or not, I do not know. But I do know this: Jesus will return one day. I don't know what that day is either. But I know that when He DOES return we should be found ready. And that is our question. Are we ready? Is Jesus Lord of your life? If He is then this last passage of scripture should bring you hope.

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." - 2 Chronicles 7:14

The Sign Of The Broken Flask

A Mother's Eyes

It has been said that "eyes are the windows to the soul." That couldn't be more true than for mothers whose children are sick or hurting.

One of the many blessings that God has given me is to serve the people of our community each month at Ruby's Pantry. People from all over Central Wisconsin to come to Waupaca to get some groceries for their families.

My volunteer job is to pre-register all of our visitors - most of them are mothers trying to provide for their families. My job might sound like a frightfully boring thing to most people but it has been a blessing and a privilege to be able to look into the eyes of ALL comers and to be able to ask them questions about important things. Life, family, God.

Some people are pretty good at hiding their emotions and some are actually fine and smiling, but the eyes of a mother who has a struggling or hungry child are the most wide open "windows of the soul" I have ever seen.

This past Saturday I was able to talk with a mom who, just one year ago, was seeking prayers for her struggling children. We prayed together for her family on a very cold day last February. This year the mom came up to me in the parking lot and told me about her children. All were doing fine. One had even received a promotion at her job.

"Wasn't it just a year ago we were praying for these children who are now so doing well? God is good!" I asked. Answered prayer.

Another mom was there picking up food for her daughter-in-law who was working and couldn't attend. Another was there because she had just been laid of from her job. But the most powerful conversation I had in the parking lot was with a mom who couldn't find formula for her young son.

I have seen lots of pictures on Facebook of people hoarding supplies when this virus hit - toilet paper, water, hand sanitizer, - but I have not seen any pictures of people hoarding baby food. Yet, shelves in grocery stores are more lean than normal these days. Innocent children, suffering, has got to be my number one hot-button issue.

We had no baby formula that day. We never do actually. But what we DID have plenty of was caring people volunteering their time, and an abundance of prayer. All people in need of prayer were prayed for, whether they knew it or not.

God provides for His children. It not always what they want but it's usually exactly what they NEED. These are trying times to be sure. If you are trying to get through this virus thing on your own I wish you well. Wouldn't it be better to walk with someone who has promised to never leave you or forsake you?

God lifts us up on wings like eagles (Isaiah 40:31)! He restores our soul Psalm 23:3)! He gives us peace (John 14:27)! His Word is a lamp unto our feet (Psalm 119:105), a very present help in danger (Psalm 46:1).

Doesn't that sound like something we all NEED right now? If you don't have a relationship with God, if you have never met Jesus on your own personal road to Damascus, this is a great time to do so. SO, what are you waiting for? Talk to Him! It's easy, yet it may be the hardest thing you've ever done.

Tell Him you're sorry for ignoring Him, apologize for your sin and seek His forgiveness. He will do both of those things for you but you MUST ask. And then follow Him. Learn from Him. He is a wonderful teacher, and He loves you.

Make your faith and salvation the best thing to come out of this virus situation we are in. Then, you can look back on this time of strife in our world, and smile.

"If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved." - Romans 10:9-10

Why So Afraid?

When we are afraid of something we have a tendency to withdraw from it, like a little kitten hiding from a big, bad dog. We all seem to be a little afraid these days. Are you?

Everybody seems afraid of everything lately. People are panic-buying toilet paper and hand sanitizer. It's crazy! Events are being canceled all over the place. Why?

Because we might catch something from somebody. Yes, it is true that people are dying from the dreaded coronavirus. But people also die from the flu every day and from driving their car the wrong way on the freeway. Why does this particular thing, this one thing, have us so frightened?

That's easy. It's the media and the politically correct culture we live in that has bred and is nurturing our fears. We're afraid that someone might be offended. We're afraid that someone might get elected again. We're afraid that there might be the slightest possibility we could get sick so we stay at home in our little hermetically-sealed boxes. We only poke our little heads out after the bullies are gone.

The real problem behind this whole panic situation, I believe, is our lack of faith in God. We have been paying the price for our sinful disobedience ever since we started pulling Him out of our schools and killing innocent babies.

"So the Lord sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the end of the time designated, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died. 16When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord relented concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” The angel of the Lord was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

17When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to the Lord, “I have sinned; I, the shepherd, have done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall on me and my family.” - 2 Samuel 24:15-17

This "plague" will come to an end, just like all of the others before it did. I believe we could make it end sooner by repenting and turning to God like David did but we won't. We will then undergo another plague, and another, until God gets our attention. We're simply too busy thinking that we can do things all by ourselves. And that's precisely the problem.

So, am I afraid of catching the virus? Not really. If it happens, it happens. I have no fear because God told us that we are not to be afraid. Numerous times! Yes, I still wash my hands. Yes, I sneeze into my elbow. But I am not afraid.

So, why all this panic? Why are we afraid? That is a question you will have to answer for yourself. I have already answered it and no longer live in fear. Won't you please join me? You'll be glad you did.

"for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." - 2 Timothy 1:7

Panic Buying At Costco