As I’m sure most of your know by now, I am back home in Colorado. With the Coronavirus spreading so quickly, we were taken off of the field in Nicaragua and sent back to our homes in the USA. These are challenging times and as much as I wish I could still be in Nicaragua with my team and my squad, I know that the Lord has brought us home for a reason and that He has a plan for each one of us. In coming back to the United States, I have entered a battle field.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”
-Hebrews 12:1-2
My World Race trip may have come to an end but my race is not over, THE RACE has just begun. We are starting to go, we as a people, as a nation, are starting the race. It has begun. People are in fear, people are panicked, people are sick. As my host in Nicaragua said: there is a shaking, an awakening happening. This is a wakeup call. The Coronavirus isn’t just a virus, it’s an attack, and shot from the enemy. We are getting hit over and over again and we are being tested. Is our faith strong enough? Not just as a person, but as a nation? Do we have enough faith to trust in the good, to trust in the only God who can bring us out of this, do we have the faith? The enemy is attacking so what are we going to do to defend and protect God’s people, not just the ones who love Him back, but every single one of the Lord’s precious children that He loves so dearly, how will we respond?
“…Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love their sacred raisin cakes.”
-Hosea 3:1
(Loving raisin cakes is like loving idols of foods)
The Israelites turned their backs on God time and time again. They got angry with Him, they didn’t trust Him, they disobeyed Him, and they wished they were back in a horrible place instead of trusting in God. When things got bad, they lost their faith so quickly. This is a response… we can choose to turn away from our Lord and Savior. I beg you though, stay strong, stay faithful, don’t choose this option. God still loved them, God will still love you no matter what. God provided a way for them. Even in their lack of faith, our gracious and loving God chose to love them still. How can we respond to this attack? We can love and we can keep our faith. Love your family and friends, because they understand too. Help each other out (from a respectable distance of course), be a good neighbor still. And even more so, love the ones who don’t love or trust in the Lord, the ones who need it the most because they have blocked off the receiving of the Father’s unconditional love. Show them, your witnesses, that the enemy has no hold on you. The fear, the chaos, it’s no match for the love of our God. He has given us love so that we can love others in turn. Be an example and love despite the circumstances. Show the Father’s love; a love that protects, a love that is safe, a love that endures all things.
“This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts…”
-Amos 7:1
“Surely the eyes of the Sovereign Lord are on the sinful kingdom. I will destroy it from the face of the earth. Yet I will not totally destroy the decedents of Jacob, declares the Lord. For I will give the command, and I will shake the people of Israel…”
-Amos 9:8-9
“…I will repair its broken walls and restore its ruins – and will rebuild it as it used to be, so that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations that bear my name declares the Lord, who will do these things. The days are coming… I will bring my people Israel back from exile.”
-Amos 9:11-14
It has begun. The swarms of the virus are coming and it will hurt. Just like a battle, there will be casualties, people will die, it will be sad, it will be intimidating. The Lord is shaking us! He’s telling us to get up, to pay attention. We are in this terrible battle together but the Lord has promised that He WILL bring us out of this, He WILL win, and He HAS won. He has this victory and he has every other victory after this. He will restore the broken, He will turn the broken into beauty and goodness. All we have to do is trust and have faith. Trust that the plan God has is a good one, and we know it is because He has promised that to us in Romans 8:28. Have faith that His will be done for the good of people though we may not understand it. He will restore and repair what was broken in the end, but this is a shaking for people to see the Lord, for our nation to declare the Lord’s name. He will bring us out of this.
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light”
-Ephesians 5:8
“Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”
-Ephesians 5:15-17
You are light… How beautiful is that? The Lord has saved us. We can be a light to those around us. For the people in fear, comfort them, encourage them, pray for them. The Lord will overcome and He has called every single one of us to be a light in this world to those around us. It is our job to show Christ to those around us. Not just the missionary people who go to other countries, not just the pastors who speak on Sundays, not just the super spiritually led people, but EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO LOVES THE LORD. The world can be so dark, but the Lord our savior is such a light and He has put that light inside of us. Now we get to take every opportunity that we get to share His love, His grace, His protection, to share HIM. Share Him in the grocery store with the cashier who is probably terrified to be working around so many people. Share Him with your neighbors across the street while getting some fresh air. Just share Him. Build our army of believers. Slowly the army of Christ will grow and we will all stand and fight the enemy together.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”
-Ephesians 6:10-11
“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all of this, take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.”
-Ephesians 6:14-18
The Lord has trained us for battle, He knows we are ready, but are we willing? He has given us the steps and all the necessary things to fight:
Truth: Know the truth that you are a child of the King, you are loved so deeply, you are chosen. Know the truth about the identity that the Lord has given you.
Righteousness from peace: have the peace in your heart, the kind you get from the Prince of Peace. Know the righteousness and morals that the Lord has placed in you.
Faith: Deflect all bad things with your faith. The belief and knowledge that the Lord your God will protect you. Keep it strong.
Salvation: Know that you have been saved, Jesus died on the cross so that you may live. So often we belittle this, but Jesus gave his own life so that WE could live ours, use the life so graciously given to you wisely.
The Holy Spirit and word of God: Use the Word as a weapon, use the Spirit as a guide. Fight back with His truth that you have learned.
Pray: No prayer is too little or too unimportant. Pray always and about everything.
He has given us all these things so stand and fight against the enemy, don’t let it have a hold on you because the Lord is with us.
“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
-Romans 8:31
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
-Romans 8:37
Through His love, we can conquer all. Nothing will win against us. The battle is won with the Lord. The Lord has won it all.
Before my squad went our separate ways and left Nicaragua, we worshiped, we praised the Lord. For the very last song we sang together, we stood in a line and all held hands. We were the front lines preparing for this crazy battle that we were about to face upon arrival to the United States. Through these 6 ½ months that I’ve spent on the mission field serving the Lord, He has been preparing me and the rest of my squadmates for this battle, for this revival in the United States. So, join us in the revival of this place we call the United States of America that is more divided than united right now. Put on your armor from God and fight the enemy with us. Through the chaos that the enemy has caused with the coronavirus, stand tall and know who our God is.
“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.”
-1 Corinthians 16:13
