Ken Ham Responds to COVID-19 from a Christian Worldview Perspective

well I wonder share a devotion with you about the coronavirus crisis and as I thought about what's going on around us and the situation we're in it reminded me that I need to be looking at what God says we don't to be like Peter who when he was walking on the water to meet the Lord he looked at the waves around him the wind and began to sink and then Christ took him by the hand and so I was contemplating looking at God's Word and what could I be reminded of I mean over and over again we read about I want to put you in remembrance of these things we mean to need to remember what God has instructed us and so I come up with 10 actually 11 reminders first of all the coronavirus crisis reminds me of our mortality you know there's a pandemic in our culture in the world actually I would say there's a pandemic of fear many people are fearful of dying I was almost going to write an article and I thought people might take it the wrong way but I was gonna have a headline people are fearful of dying and then the subheading but they're all going to die well the reason I say that is because the Bible says it's a point under man once to die and then the judgment that's Hebrews 9:27 and Romans 5:12 by one man sin of the world and death by sin one of the things we need to remember is because we sinned in Adam all are under the judgment of death and so the cause of death if you look at oh what what's the biggest cause of death is it heart attack is that cancer is a road accidents what is it it's actually sin sin is the biggest cause of death and I want to remind us of what Jesus said about death in Luke 13 we read about those 18 that the Tower of Siloam fell on and were killed and Jesus asks a question were they were offenders and others that they will die and his answer was unless you repent you will all likewise perish in other words what he was really saying was this is to paraphrase it why did those people die were they were sinners and others no repent it seems like a strange answer repent what he was saying is that was their turn to die and it's the fact that one day all of us will die so what's the most important thing well the overriding issue is that people need to be saved you know as we look around us it's certainly frightening from a human perspective but Christians actually shouldn't fear death we shall be helping those who fear it to understand the most important message of all a message of the gospel the saving gospel you know non-christians fear death and actually I would say they need to fear death as non-christians because the Bible tells us that there's a second death you see when Nicodemus was talking to Jesus in John 3 and Jesus told him he need to be born again he didn't really understand it as Jesus was talking to him at first you see we're born of a woman and we need to be born again of the Spirit of God those who are born twice only die once and then you with the Lord for eternity but those who are born only once and not born again of the Spirit of God while we read about that in Revelation 21 don't we there's going to be a second death where they'll be eternally separated from God so in that sense the non-christians do need to fear death but for the Christians we shouldn't fear death and we should be bold in in telling people about the gospel so that they'll be saved from that second death God reminds us in his word too that we can't add a single hour to our lifespan matthew 627 and which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his lifespan now don't get me wrong we need be responsible in looking after ourselves and doing what we can for our health and protecting ourselves but it's important to understand regardless we can't add one hour to our life because God's in totally control of when someone dies is the time to be born and there's a time to die number two reminder what's happening reminds me this is not our we're really pilgrims in this world you know James 4:14 says what is your life for you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes I think this whole situation is a reminder from God that we're all so prone to becoming so comfortable in this life I mean we can easily forget that we're strangers in a foreign land where pilgrims I think it's important for us to contemplate the fact that we're wandering through this land but this is not our permanent home and do we really believe this I think the impresses Christians at times we I know we think about heaven we think about being with the Lord but I think while we're on earth here we tend to think that's it forever but it's not we're only fallible were only humans I get that remember Abraham you know in Hebrews 11 10 for here Abraham was looking forward to the city that has foundations whose designer and builder is God we actually need to think like Abraham did and understand we're just vagabonds here on the earth we're just programs there are so many reminders in Scripture that we should be looking forward to our eternal home for instance Hebrews 13 14 for here we have no lasting City but we seek the city that is to come the time we spend on earth is nothing compared to eternity think about eternity think about the time we spend on earth is it is it just a fraction of eternity well actually it is so infinitesimally small it's really nothing compared to eternity yeah we get so wound up in this world I think the situation really brings it home to us to remind us this this world is not a home a home we're looking forward to think about the people in Hebrews 11 you know I called the Christian Hall of Fame these all died in faith not having received the things promised but having seen them and greeted them from afar and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiled on the earth for people who speak to us make it clear they are seeking a homeland they were great people of faith and they recognize this this earth is not their home they're just wandering through it just for a little time Hebrews 11 we continue if they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out they would have had opportunity to return but as it is they desire a better country that is a heavenly one therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he has prepared for them a city I think of the words of Jesus you know I go to prepare a place for you number three this situation reminds me not to store up earthly treasures you know it's so easy to become attached to earthly treasures do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust dust destroy and where thieves break in and steal but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal for where your treasure is there your heart will be also it really is easy for us to be attached to the earthly things we have and think that you know they're so important you know as my mother aged she reminded me over and over again that the earthly things don't last and then are important and when we as a family had no option and she had to have continuous care in a nursing home she hardly had any reminders left of the earthly things she once had but she reminded me that such earthly treasures weren't important as we can't take them with us you know it's the heavenly treasures we can look forward to that's the most important so don't get wound up in the material things of this world number four situation reminds me of God's promise to provide our needs day by day you know as I said earlier it's easy to be like Peter and look at the storm look at the effects of the wind and the waves as we read about in Matthew 14 and then he started to sink because he took his eyes off the Lord we just need to do our best to focus on our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ and take hold of his promises I realize that's easy to say I mean when we see the storm raging around us the the unemployment the economic gloom and all that's happening it is so easy to take our eyes off the Lord we're only human I understand that but we have to try to remember what God has promised us philippians 4:14 flipping 4:19 I should say and my god will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus he promises to supply our spiritual needs as well as our physical needs you know passage in Matthew 6:25 through the 33 there's a passage that means a lot to me and my wife Mellie back in 1979 when we were agonizing over whether I should leave a secure job as a teacher and go full-time and pioneer a creation apologetics ministry starting in our house and with really no real means of income and yet people who'd promised to help us if we did something and so Malley opened up the Bible as we were actually driving to a place for some of our friends lived and she read it to me in the car therefore I tell you do not be anxious about your life what you will eat or what you will drink nor about your body what you will put on is not life more than food and the body more than clothing all the birds of the air they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns and yet your heavenly Father feeds them are you not of more value than they and which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life and why are you anxious about clothing consider the lilies of the field how they grow they neither tile toil nor spin yet I tell you even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these but if God so clothes the grass of the field which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven will he not much more clothe you oh you of little faith therefore don't be anxious saying what shall we eat or what shall we drink or what shall we wear the Gentiles seek after all these things and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all because you see they look on this earth as all there is but we're looking for a heavenly home remember that so seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you so after reading that Mellie and I prayed and we committed to the Lord that we would step out in faith and go full-time and look what the Lord has done look how the ministry has impacted millions of people around the world and what is happening now has just reminded me to look back again at this promise and not to begin to sink by looking at the waves and the wind that's raging around us the situation reminds me to redeem the time you know this really hit me I think as I contemplated what's happening here I think of all the people that have been to the Creation Museum and been to the Ark and yet now the places are empty and we have these wonderful facilities we need to be impacting people with God's Word and the gospel and then I think back of my own life and think how much time have I wasted maybe that I could have been telling people about the Lord or claim about his word Ephesians 5:16 says making the best use of the time some of the translations say redeeming the time because the days are evil you know we can so easily get carried away with worldly pleasures and entertainment and so on no I'm not saying we shouldn't have fun and relax don't get me wrong but this crisis situation our country in the rest of the world has really reminded me there's a lost world that needs a gospel you know I I made a commitment this week to the Lord that if you allow us to reopen which I believe he will and to be able to reach people in mass numbers again I want to I want to spend more time whatever time I can sharing the truth of God's Word in the gospel while he gives me strength see we need to be redeeming the time and number six it reminds us to be risk-takers consider Caleb and Joshua when the Lord spoke to Moses and said send men out to spy out the land of Canaan which I'm giving to the people of Israel and so Moses sent them out to spy at the land of Canaan and then they came back these spies which included Caleb and Joshua and they brought back word to them that all the common to all the congregation has showed them the fruit of the land and they told them came from a land which you sent us suppose with milk and honey and it's fruit and it's wonderful land and so on however but the people who dwell on the land are strong and the cities are fortified and very large and be sides we saw the descendants of a knack their lower Giants Nick the Amalekites do on the land and Hittites and the jebusites and the hammerites dwell in the hill country and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and so on but Caleb quoted the people and Moses and said let us go up once and occupy it for we are well able to overcome it because God had told them to do it so he wanted to just do what God said let's go and do it and the men who had gone up with him said we are not able to go up against the people for they are stronger than we oh no look that they were looking at at the people instead of looking to God and what God said in God's promises so then they led the people astray and all the congregation raised a loud cry and the people wept that night and all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron sometimes I wonder if it's like then in our churches you know where there there are people out there saying we need to believe God's Word beginning in Genesis I don't know but we look at the world and know we want to compromise with evolution and millions of years and whatever and then these leaders lead the people astray then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before the Assembly of the congregation of the people of Israel and Joshua the son of nun and Caleb the son of I know how to pronounce at Japan's Japan or something who were among those who had spied out the land tore their clothes and said to the congregation of people Israel the land which we passed through to spy out disease seeding Lee could land if the Lord delights in us kill bring us into this land give it to us and lay on the flows with milk and honey do not rebelled against the Lord do not fear the people our land for they are bread for us their protection is removed from them and the Lord is with us do not fear them by the congregation under stone them with stones you know we need to be risk-takers and by that I mean stepping out in faith God's commanded us to preach the gospel to contend for the faith in Jude 3 we can so easily be intimidated by the world as many of those spies were it's the evil giant we see around us think think about even Goliath and the account of David people in Israel that were there the army felt frightened of one giant but David wasn't because he knew the Lord was with him you know don't be overcome at how evil and overwhelming the world is God's warns us that that's how it's going to be men love darkness rather than light but let's get out there and do whatever we can God has entrusted us with the Ark Encounter the Creation Museum the Ministry of Answers in Genesis let's plan on moving ahead responsibly but trust God's sovereignty leader would be like some of those spies Moses sent out to the land of Canaan and they were frightened by what they saw even though God promised to give the land to them I believe God has called us to this ministry he's not gonna let us down let's look to him and let's plan for the for the future trusting God don't fear the people of the land what's happening reminds me of what faith really means I tell you this one really challenged me you know the account of Abraham and God spoke to him Here I am Abraham take your son your only son Isaac whom he loved and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains at which I tell you could you imagine being given a test of faith like that how do I measure up to someone like Abraham and I'll have to be honest I can't I can't wrap my head around that one I mean what an incredible faith no wonder in James - he's called the friend of God you know I just sit there and just shake my head Wow to have faith like Abraham well what about Shadrach Meshach and Abednego and they answered and said to the king o Nebuchadnezzar we have no need to answer you in this matter this be so our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and he will deliver us out of your hand the king but if not let it be known to you O king we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up well how would we stand up as those three did any of us ever had trials like those in Hebrews 11 you know as I read through Hebrews 11 there are people in the world I'm sure there are people in North Korea and China and other places in the world that are going through this but you know well we're not going through this and most of our Western world right now some were tortured others suffered mocking and flogging and chains in imprisonment they'll stoned they were sawn into every and so on and to in America they were killed with the sword and went about in skins of sheep and goats destitute afflicted mistreated you know that you know there's a little line that stands out to me of whom the world was not worthy Wow wandering about in deserts and mountains and dens and caves of the earth of whom the world was not worthy here's a question for us would people look back on our lives and say of us of whom the world was not worthy I just found my head in shame when I think of that and reminder number-8 reminds me God has a right to bring judgment on Nations God owns everything everything he owns a cattle on a Thousand Hills the whole universe is his he's the Creator he knows what's best for us he's a righteous God he's a god of judgment he's a God of salvation - and he's in charge what about i isaiah isaiah 45:7 i form light and create darkness I make well-being and create calamity i am the lord who does all these things the coronavirus situation hasn't caught God by surprise he's in control of everything remember that and ask ourselves why is he allowing this what what is he directing me personally to do or in this ministry to do through this situation remember what we read in Jeremiah about the partner in the clay I went down to the potter's house and there is working at his will and the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the Potters hand and here we worked it into another vessel as it seemed good to the Potter to do then the word of the Lord came to me our house Israel cannot do with you as this Potter has done declares the Lord behold like the clan that put his hand so you are in my hand the house of Israel if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it and if that nation concerning which I have spoken turns from its evil I will relent of the disaster that I intended it to do and if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it and if it does it evil in my sight not listening to my voice then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do it God is in control of the nation's you know it says in proverbs 21 verse 1 the heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord you see think about this Donald Trump Nancy Pelosi the state governors they can't do anything that God doesn't allow he's in control of it all I mean when you start to put it in that perspective it doesn't that change the way you view things number 9 God reminds me that Arg is God's ministry it's not ours I thought about this as I read the account of John the Baptist you know I mean he's even foretold in Scripture and John the Baptist was raised up by the Lord for a ministry leading up to what the Lord Jesus Christ would do as the god man but you know there came a time when God ended his ministry he was jailed and beheaded and we read that in Matthew 14 you know God has raised up Answers in Genesis the Creation Museum in the Ark Encounter they're not our ministries my ministry they're God's ministries and if he chooses not to continue them his purposes of pure just and right God has entrusted us to oversee these ministries on earth they are totally in his hands we we need to do or we can responsibly to protect them and we're doing that in in this particular environment we're doing all we can to protect them and we're still using them to proclaim the truth of God's Word in the gospel we haven't given up on that we're just finding out other avenues to do it but it's God who will decide their future now don't get downcast by that thinking I'm saying this is the end number 10 for me it reminds me I don't believe God is finished with this nation or Answers in Genesis the board and leadership of Answers in Genesis do not believe God is finished with this ministry at this time think about the account of Joseph God had him prepare stores of food so people could survive the famine Genesis 41 so when the famine had spread over all the land Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt you know what Answers in Genesis we've seen many miracles over the years I call them Red Sea events we're there at the at the edge of the Red Sea and we can't go back and we can't go forward if the Lord doesn't open up the Red Sea what's gonna happen we're doomed and then we see the these miracles and I could go back and talk about many of them over the years we call them Red Sea events to tell you what though he saw me have a Red Sea event I have found if I look back in the whole history of this ministry going back over 40 years the Red Sea events started as soon as were he committed to build this ministry and they get bigger every time this one's enormous I think it's a it's the biggest such Red Sea event we've ever experienced it's not just the Red Sea it's a raging tsunami but we've seen evidence God has raised up this ministry as a great witness he's done wonderful things for us too to bring the Ark Encounter the Creation Museum here the Ministry of Answers in Genesis he's impressed blessed us in many ways I believe including preparing us for this time for instance we had funds that were given that we thought when I say thought I mean that would designate it for a particular large project so we thought though for something else but we call the donors and they agreed to read designate these funds to our general fund in other words I believe God had provided us a storehouse as Joseph provided those storehouses under God's direction we believe God has prepared for us to use these now they're limited but during this time for the survive of the ministry just as Joseph fill up the storehouses with the time of drought and I have faith and I ask that we all have faith that this is evidence God still has much first to do and so we plan for the future and do our best not to fear the Giants of the land before us an analogy right now of this for this ministry is I think we're like a v12 engine running on two cylinders with limited gas in the tank that's that's my analogy but God has given us the gases in the tank limited as it is but he provided a storehouse for us and we're still able to operate and get the message out in different ways the other thing to remember is is there are many righteous people in this nation there are millions of them you see when you read the account of Sodom and Gomorrah and Abraham Abraham said would you would you stop your judgement on them if there were 50 righteous yes what about 45 40 30 20 10 Abraham didn't go less than 10 I often wonder why a lot of people wonder why I know just a thought and may not be right but I wonder whether Abraham thought well God didn't save the world by eight at the time of the flood I would think about that but there are millions in this nation who trust the Lord and I believe that God will bless because of that I believe God will use them to be salt and light and boldly proclaim the truth to the nation we've been reminded of what can do with you know what God can do with one little virus to disrupt the world think about that one little virus in the whole world's destructed but what a time to reflect on who we are and who God is so let's redeem the time as God gives to us and many of doing it now in creative and innovative ways in fact we've come up with Facebook live programs and we're sort of looking at them and realizing hey kids of these science experiments we need to continue doing that sort of thing and hey kids will have these animal encounters we can we can use the the the zoo and and teach a Christian worldview and be more effective we've already looked at ways we're going to change for the future because of what we're doing now so let's use this time to reflect them ponder what God is calling us to change and be more impactful than ever and number 11 this last one here after all the bad things happen to Jobe he gave his defense to his friends God spoke to Jobe then and reminded them you know you go through and you hear his friends and you hear job and Joe giving his defense and so on then God says Jobe do you know that's do you know this you know that you know this do you know that do you know how this happens Joe do you know how that happens Jobe can you do this job can you do that and you know what happened then in Jobe 42 Jobe responds and he says I know you can do all things no purpose of yours can be thwarted who is this that hides counsel without knowledge therefore I have uttered what I did not understand things too wonderful for me which I did not know here and I will speak I will question you and you make it known to me I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear but now my eyes see you so I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes so it brings me back to that Luke 13 passage where they were sinners and others repent make sure your hearts right with the Lord you know what the answer to the whole issue of suffering and calamity and all its going on we need to look at who we are look at God is and recognize his purpose is a way above our purposes his ways way above our ways we need to let God be God and be like Jobe and repent in dust and ashes so he answered he answered away such bad bad things happen is it's God knows all things and we humans do not God's purposes are beyond our understanding we need to recognize who we are compared to God we need to repent before God we need to worship God and then I have two challenges for you here to finish with in the Book of Isaiah Isaiah got a you know australian-american why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labor for that which does not satisfy listen diligently to me and eat what is good and delight yourselves in rich food translation don't waste time and bad instruction so many of us have put up with bad instruction from compromising colleges and churches terrible doctrine entertaining services so much in a lot of the churches man-centered performance-oriented putting man not God first although in a lot of the songs we sing put man first not God one worldly happiness does the higher the solid teaching of the word meat for the soul don't get me wrong there are faithful pastors there that are preaching the word there are great local churches that are proclaiming the truth is word in the gospel but the majority majority are lukewarm I think we we live in that lukewarm church age you know it means a lot of the churches in Revelation I think they we see those sort of churches in any age but I think it's more of a lukewarm time for much of the church in the Western world and never forget what God commanded us to do this is it going to all the world proclaim the gospel to the whole creation you know what let's all try to take our eyes off the storm and look to the Lord and his promises and let's look at what God's gonna do through us through Answers in Genesis the ark the Creation Museum for the future what it's going to do out with us in our personalized we'll reevaluate our priorities reevaluate our priorities and regarding material things in regard to the time that we have available to us and what we do at that time reevaluate what we do with our finances reevaluate every aspect of our lives and we reevaluate what we do at Answers in Genesis Creation Museum and the Ark how can we better reach people with the gospel I think out of this will become ways that we will impact people we never would have thought of before but this makes us do that well that's my little challenge for us 11 reminders as we suffering through this situation which is nothing like what they suffered through in Hebrews 11 so let's remember that and contemplate these things you

Channel: Answers in Genesis

Views: 148,281

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Keywords: COVID-19, coronavirus, Ken Ham, Christianity, Bible, biblical worldview

Id: lM_pM9ZP9GA

Length: 31min 32sec (1892 seconds)

Published: Mon Mar 30 2020