“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” —Colossians 3:12-14 NIV
There is an unsettling that is occurring throughout the Church—as well as around the world. the world. God is preparing to reestablish His divine order—His Kingdom on the earth. God has not withdrawn His Hand from human affairs. He is actively sifting and shifting His people—drawing them into their places to accomplish His preordained purposes.
Unity in a time of uncertainty is what’s lacking in our nation (the U.S.) which professes to be “one nation under God.” I’m reminded of the phrase “united we stand, divided we fall” that inspires unity among people working together collectively for the common good. A similar phrase also appears in the New Testament – translated into English from the Greek in Mark 3:25 as “And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand”. Similar verses of the New Testament include Matthew 12:25 (“And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand“) and Luke 11:17 (“But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth.”). I believe this concept originated from Jesus’ statements in the New Testament.
Although I understand quite well the frustration many our feeling while they are hoping to return to work soon. No one wants to lose all they’ve worked for, businesses, homes, possessions, etc., over many years. But, what if the ongoing divisiveness is destroying this nation at a time when we should be united?
U.S. Coronavirus Cases:1,487,076, Deaths: 88,603, Recovered: 328,132. My heart goes out to those who’ve lost loved ones, and my praises go up for those who’ve recovered. Millions have lost their jobs, and more than 2.98 million Americans filed for unemployment. These are truly unprecedented times.
I’m not against peaceful protesting, but carrying weapons, yelling in someone’s face without a mask on, calling people names, daily negative Twitter wars, ongoing negativity, political divisions, etc. is belligerent and doesn’t work the works of God’s righteousness. The Bible says, “The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.” —Isaiah 32:17-18 NIV
I will always stand for God’s righteousness and justice no matter what! Tempers are being fuel by ongoing incitement and chaos. Yet, the Lord does not change because we are in the midst of a crisis. “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.” —Proverbs 6:16-19 NIV
Pride is deadly. As pride takes root in our hearts, it slowly turns the focus of our lives away from God and towards self. Pride can enter our life accompanied by the very best of motives. The antidote to pride is humility. For the believer, there is power in humility. When I first learned about humility 25 years ago, it was taught as keeping your power under control. God’s power is made perfect in our weakness. For when we are weak He is strong. His grace is sufficient. —2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV
God’s Word remains True! Righteousness is what exalts or dignifies a nation before God. “Godliness makes a nation great, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” —Proverbs 14:34 NIV
In February 2019, I wrote a blog post, RIGHTEOUSNESS EXALTS A NATION BUT SIN, CORRUPTION AND EVIL DESTROY NATIONS, in which I shared that Lord is moving to restore righteousness in the earth. The Lord gets weary with our words. How you may ask? By saying, “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the Lord, and he is pleased with them” or “Where is the God of justice?” —Malachi 2:17
We break covenant with God when we fail to obey His Word. A covenant of life and peace, that calls for reverence of God for who He is in all of His glory. No matter how much we talk about this nation be founded on biblical principles we are so far removed from God’s standard of righteousness as a people.
People all over the world are going through a tough time unlike anything this generation has experienced before. There are people in other countries who have suffered long in the midst of adversity, poverty and hunger. According to the World Bank, “The COVID-19 crisis will have a disproportionate impact on the poor, through job loss, loss of remittances, rising prices, and disruptions in services such as education and health care.” [1]
How Christians posture themselves before the Lord during this time of upheaval is very important. The Lord said to Israel, “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” —2 Chronicles 7:13-14 NIV
The Lord is the same yesterday, today and forevermore!
Blessings,
Dr. A
Notes:
BEYOND CHURCH WALLS 