Why the Corona Virus?

of this is most holy and infallible word brief word of Prayer Heavenly Father I ask now for the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus by your spirit to rest upon every mind of those watching me at this moment in order that their perception of what I say will be received as you intend that there's no misunderstanding but they get it and you will cleanse my tongue that I will be your transparent instrument to say all that needs to be said nothing that doesn't need to be said help me to be very very clear simple and I ask that this will be a life-changing word and a word that brings great honor and glory to your name in Jesus name Amen the question is in the middle of this corona virus crisis where is God is there a reason for this is there a purpose well this is a question God expects us to ask it's a question he wants us to ask because he's doing it yes he's doing it to get our attention so that we will seek his face because we won't do it any other way and I am hoping that what is going on throughout the world is beginning to affect lives in such a way that people who never had time for God will now turn to him and some who have known God or call themselves followers of Jesus will see this as a wake-up call and that they would never be the same again well the question is where is God well there are some Christian leaders who have actually said this Christianity offers no answers about the corona virus it is not supposed to well those who asked questions like this or say things like this they're not bad people for all I know they love the Lord more than I do but I am very troubled at this stage that according to some our faith does not have an answer in this time of our greatest crisis life believe it does have an answer we won't know everything but we can know more than we maybe think that we know there are basically two polar opposites when it comes to views that I would say world views these two are theodicy and existentialism theology rather theodicy that's the view that there is purpose in the universe that God does what he does because he is in control in fact the Apostle Paul put it like this that all things are carried out according to the purpose of God who works all things according to the counsel of his will Ephesians chapter 1 verse 11 we actually see this throughout the Old Testament and throughout the New Testament existentialism that is a philosophy that says there is no purpose in the universe no rhyme no reason why things happen we don't know and we never will know according to the existentialist well and we're living and what not just myself but everybody seems to say the same thing that we're living in the me generation and when it comes to theology everything seems to be anthropological it's about man man centered people say what's in it for me I believe we need to ask the question what's in it for God and I believe the aim of the coronavirus crisis God wanted to get our attention focus on him and to see what he might be up to well I would put it this way whether it's King David in the Old Testament the Apostle Paul in the New Testament we have seen and will see that God permits this for a reason now here's the question did God cause the coronavirus let me put it like this the difference between what God causes and what he permits is what I would call holy ground in the 3rd chapter of Exodus we find that Moses saw a bush on fire a burning bush and he kept looking at this and the bush didn't burn up and so he said I'm going to see what's going on here so he decides to see what is happening to figure it out and it gets so close and then God says stop take off your shoes you are on holy ground you know I'm indebted to my old mentor dr. Martin lloyd-jones who said that this shows us a lot about theology we all have questions and we want to get as close as we can and to try to figure out something and God says stop take off your shoes and so the point I'm making about the coronavirus the difference between what God causes and what he permits is holy ground we don't need to figure everything out but one thing is for sure we must take off our shoes and worship we are on holy ground the prophet Isaiah put it like this for my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways declares the Lord for as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts well perhaps you know about King David in the Old Testament he did something very very foolish at the height of his kingship he committed adultery and then tried to cover it up by committing murder and here was a man called a man after God's own heart would you believe it even he would do something this foolish well he thought he got away with it and then two years later the prophet Nathan comes and uncovers the whole thing and lets him know that God was not pleased and here's the way Nathan put it to David the sword will not leave your house what that meant negative things were coming and David would know how why the next thing you know that his son Amnon sleeps with his sister David's son and it's so terrible that Absalom wants to get vengeance and then it kills M naught and then years later Absalom wants to steal the kingship and David now has to go into exile the thing is David knew the whole time that this is something God did he didn't argue back he didn't say how could this happen to me David knew and I believe if we're really children of God and things are starting to happen that's driving us to our knees we're going to have a pretty good hint what God is trying to say to those of us who know him and I would just ask you as lovingly as I know how has God been speaking to you and is it going to make a difference in your life you see we're in the middle of this crisis some would say we're coming to the end I'm not sure that that is true but it's going to pass it will pass and the question is will we be any different and now is the time in my opinion to do business with God and speak to him and talk to him and promised him and promised him things you will keep up some older people may remember mears ago that General MacArthur would say there are no atheists in foxholes or trenches well in a war people call out for God and they help so many get help and then they forget all about it what I wanted to say to you if you believe that God is dealing with you and he's wanting to get your attention he may never come back again just like this he's on your case thank him for it Val that you will be the kind of Christian child of God that brings honor to him well Nathan the prophet uncovered what David had done David did not argue back you know one of the most moving parts in the life of David is when his followers who went with him as he David went into exile brought the Ark of the Covenant and the reason they wanted to do that he thought David one would want to have the ark near him and also it was a prestigious thing this would give him authority and prestige in exile David says take the ark back if God wants me to come back and see the glory again he will do it but I'm not going to do it this is something David learned that God had a hand in this and if God is dealing with you I would urge you to get on your knees or posture is that everything but I would plead with him and I would talk with him and say lord help me never to be the same again well the God of the Bible is a God of purpose here's another example in 2 Samuel chapter 21 something happened in the life of David and this is years later by the way David was restored to the kingship and God blessed him and the latter days of David were thrilling and showed he really was a man after God's own heart well in 2 Samuel chapter 21 here's what we read now there was a famine in the land of Israel in the days of David for three years that's a long time a famine for one year will be bad when I was three years year after year and David did what God wanted him to do and I think that's what he's wanting you to do in this crisis David sought the face of the Lord and then in this case the Lord answered I'm not saying he's going to give us each an individual answer as to why this is happening I think individuals might know why in your case God has let this happen in the case of David it was that Israel had disobeyed God but not David himself previous generation King Saul had broken a vow in fact they swore an oath Israel did to the Gibeonites and King Saul broke the oath he didn't think that would matter he didn't feel a thing when he did it this is a scary thing when we do things that are wrong often we feel nothing and we say well I guess it's not so bad or I would feel worse than I do or I would hear thunder well I would see lightning no you just go on and do things that years ago you would never have condoned things that are happening now we're just taking it for granted and we are asleep you see Jesus said in the last days the church would be asleep to me this is the best description of the church at the present time we are asleep spiritually speaking you know when a person is asleep he doesn't know it until he wakes up and then he says I can't believe it I had been asleep when you're asleep you do things you wouldn't do if you were awake in your dream you do things you think I can't believe I did that but you do it in your sleep and when we are asleep spiritually we do things at once we would never have done and then we get a wake-up call with you I can't believe I've condoned these things another thing about sleep we hate the sound of an alarm well I don't mean to be unkind I don't mean to be unfair but I felt that today I should try to give an alarm some kind if it's just a mini wake-up call or I get one person's attention or God used me before this program is over to get someone to turn to Jesus four or five years ago I wrote a book called is your heart prepared for the midnight cry in that book some of the things that I have said and written are almost exactly almost exactly what is happening today in Britain in America in the world and I've had letters some everyone say could this be it is this coronavirus the midnight cry is this it I don't think so and I'll tell you why when the midnight cry comes it will be paralleled by a prophetic voice with authority that is so shaking equal to the virus itself that will truly get people's attention at the moment it's just nature calling out nature God using that to get your attention well David in this famine sought the Lord that's what he was supposed to do that's what he wants us to do and when God speaks through nature as through a famine his hand is in it and he does it because he's a jealous God he does it because He loves us I said it's in the New Testament believe me it is all through it let me give an example in the Church of Corinth with one of Paul's churches that he founded all of a sudden people began to get sickly we ille and some died and it was happening all over and people say what's going on why in our church not in the world just the Church of Corinth why are people dying while they sickly why are they weak and you know what in 1 Corinthians chapter 11 verse 30 Paul says this is why this is why and you know what it was he had to rebuke these Corinthians because they had disregarded the poor you know people think God doesn't notice things like that I'm gonna tell you right now he does and there were the poor Christians in Corinth that were just put to one side treated not only second-class but as is if they were nothing they didn't feel a thing nobody felt anything and then one day people began dying and getting sick and Paul says this is what the point is there's a reason why the things happen you think God is asleep or there is no God there's no answer wrong and I'm saying God has a reason for what is happening at the present time and so Paul says to these Corinthians you say you're taking the Lord's Supper don't call it that it's not the Lord's Supper you're taking you disgrace it by giving it that name well here's what I'm trying to say to you today the God of the Bible is a God of purpose he wants us to turn to him and he once EPS wants us to ask him why that's what I want you to do why does he want you to ask two reasons first of all he's a jealous God like it or not but that's just the way he is you say well I don't like that about God well that's the way is he says so he he's upfront about it he said my name is jealous and the other thing is He loves us so much well you know a day or two before I was prepared the notes for this talk today a friend of mine sent me a sermon by Richard white he's the pastor of the Christ Community Church in Montreat North Carolina I know Richard and I preached that church a number of times you might like to know that's where Ruth Graham Billy's wife went to church you may realize or maybe you didn't and maybe you did Billy was a Baptist Ruth was a presbyterian and this was her church well someone sent me Richard White's sermon preached just a couple of weeks ago April 5th on Palm Sunday and I want you to know get that sermon if I thought everybody listening to me would listen to it you wouldn't need what I have to say today because he said it all I'll just say one or two things I may not get exactly right all that he said although I've listened to it twice and I've taken notes you see the people on Palm Sunday were so excited that Jesus was going to reveal his kingship and with all his power and what they wanted is for Jesus to be mr. fix it and go into Jerusalem get rid of Caesars armies put Israel back on the map and so they were so sure that Jesus would step up his healing ministry it just raised Lazarus from the dead several days before and they knew if Jesus started doing this have no trouble overthrowing Rome and they were so excited and they were so thrilled but jesus wept he wept he knew what they were thinking and he knew what was on God's heart and could it be this is what we have in all of this God is trying to get our attention and what Jesus did on that Palm Sunday was to go clean the house he threw over the money changers and people didn't know why this was happening and then because everybody was cheering including children the Pharisees the Jews said teacher rebuke your disciples he said something very interesting he said if they did not praise him the rocks would cry out in other words nature would respond well you see what the disciples and all the followers of Jesus wanted on Palm Sunday is that Jesus would just make everything so good and they would be so happy and this is what I suppose many of us maybe all of us we want to see this happen things go back to normal that's what we want I want it I'd like to go watch baseball I like to watch football I want to go to my favorite restaurant I want it I want everything to be just as it was and yet God had something else in mind and the very fact that he would say if they didn't praise even though they were praising it for the wrong reason he still affirmed their praise and said the rocks would cry out and what do we learn from this well on I believe God wants our attention he likes our company should I just ask you how much time do you have for God for prayer for Bible really how many times have you said well I just don't have time I just don't have time you've got time now and I don't know how many days are going to be just like this this is why I would urge you don't let these days go by without it having an effect on you I mean life-changing and permanent how much do you pray children spell love T IME what if God spells your love for him how much time you give him how much do you read your Bible do you realize that the Bible is the Holy Spirit's greatest product you know God wrote it he's not ashamed of what he's written and if you want to get on good terms with God bring his word and get to know how he thinks get to know his ways and you will find a presence overwhelming and you'll be amazed how good god is and so you see God wants us to be thankful I think one of the main things he's teaching us you see we take so much for granted oh there's hardly a day that goes by that my wife Louise doesn't say I thank the Lord that our children are near us our three grandchildren Tyndale we call em Thais three years old Timothy he's 11 Tim Timothy's seven Toby's 11 do you know what these boys came to see us yesterday and they ran to us where'd you say stomp stop six feet away six feet away and it just broke my heart there's a little time when we grab him and hug him and kiss him we take things like that for granted I could go on and on the things the little things the big things life may never be the same again but if it is in any case be a thankful person by the way in the same sermon Richard white told about his sister his sister in Colorado got the corona virus and she said to herself this is it I'm dying I'm dying and as she was dying so she thought she realized that she had not been bold for the Lord and she began to be ashamed and she wanted to make a difference if she lived well it turns out she lived and you know I got to thinking I personally do not know of one human being on the planet who talks about Jesus to everyone they meet except one a man by the name of Arthur blessed Arthur blessed is carried around the world and I think it's true that as I speak now he's dying Arthur's dying and Arthur had an effect on me and I began to witness more than ever and then I realized in recent years I don't witness like I should and I'm going to tell you something I've written four or five tracks on Christianity and how to know your Christian is there a hell things like that I've made a vow I'm gonna get these tracks I'm never going to leave house without them I do not want to be ashamed of Jesus and you know when you talk to somebody about Jesus if it's somebody you never met well it's humbling it's humbling but that's Jesus on Palm Sunday he doesn't come in on a horse it comes in a on a donkey humbling and that may be what God is wanting to say to us that weight would be humble and so I have vowed to be a better witness and I'll tell you one other thing personally I have doubled the time of worship I've been doing doubled I want to be a better man I'm 84 years old I don't know how many years I got maybe a bunch of them but I want to worship Him I want to love him I want to be thankful I want to honor him and I want this crisis to have an effect on me I've got to close last night on television Martha McCallum interviewed cardinal Dolan the Catholic Cardinal of New York and her question cardinal Dolan where is God you know what he said I love it he said God is right in the middle of all this what a wonderful statement and never forget that the greatest New Testament example was Jesus and by the way jesus never sinned he was tempted at all points like his weak but he never sinned but on the cross he asked the question why my God my God why have you forsaken me and by the way there is an answer there sure is because while on that cross at some time between 12 o'clock noon and 3 o'clock darkness covered the earth and Jesus cried out a Lama alumnus a monk that I my God my God why have you forsaken me Paul tells us why 2 Corinthians 5 verse 21 he who knew no sin was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him Isaiah chapter 55 verse 6 the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all and so the greatest New Testament example of asking why was answered in the New Testament Jesus asked why and there was an answer and it was so that you and I might go to heaven and not to hell when we transfer all the trust that we had in our good works to what Jesus did for us on the cross dear friend don't trust your good works don't trust your baptism don't trust your membership don't try just being a good person that will get you nowhere with God but if you honor the blood of Jesus transfer the trust that you had and your good works to what Jesus did for you on the cross pray this prayer right now right now Lord Jesus I need you I want you I'm sorry for my sins wash my sins away by your blood I welcome your Holy Spirit into my heart and as best as I know how I give you my life pray that prayer and that will prove right there that the coronal crisis was not in vain / yep how did it go the

Channel: RT Kendall

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Id: IMO09RSlZvQ

Length: 29min 4sec (1744 seconds)

Published: Sat Apr 18 2020