Corona Virus + God
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Joke: Boudreaux told Thibidoux, My uncle made him a new kind of car. He took the engine from a Ford… the transmission from a Chevy… and the tires from a Cadolac… and the exhaust system from Buick… Really? What did he get? 15 to 20 for Grand Theft Auto
The Corona Virus has taken over the news all over the world. It’s very contagious and is spreading rapidly prompting unprecedented actions by governments… closing borders… closing schools… large events… NBA. NHL. MLB...
As of Friday, 145,000 cases world wide in 120 nations with 5,400 deaths… majority of which are in China. USA - 2,000 sick in 49 states with 50 deaths.
The stock market is down over 2,000 points. The good news it’s still higher than previous years. Jobs are still good… etc. But mass fear is going on.
The only thing that seems to be more contagious than the Corona Virus is the fear and worry caused by the Corona virus.
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
People fear all kinds of things. Snakes, spiders, roaches, germs, of losing a loved one, fear o making the wrong decision, of being alone, fear of open places, of noisy places...
What’s your greatest fear today? Corona Virus…
Jesus does not want you to waste time worrying
25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? 31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. 34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
Listen, this virus has not caught God by surprise and he has not give you and I a spirit of fear. Fear comes from the enemy of your souls. Power, love and self discipline come from the Lord.
Listen, the world is in a panic, and as believers in Jesus, I do not believe that we need to be in a panic like the rest of the world.
We have a hope and a protector that many do not have… but need.
1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. 3 For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. 4 He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. 5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. 6 Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. 7 Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you. 8 Just open your eyes, and see how the wicked are punished. 9 If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, 10 no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. 11 For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. 12 They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. 13 You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet! 14 The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. 15 When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. 16 I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.”
God declares that He will protect us. (Psalm 91:1-3)
God declares that He will protect us. (Psalm 91:1-3)
1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. 3 For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease.
When we place our trust in God, he promises to protect us. He alone is our refuge, our place of safety. He is the one who rescues us from the traps of the culture and the enemy of our souls. He is the one who protects us from deadly disease.
6 Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
The Corona Virus was in the dark for months that we know of due to China withholding information about it. It’s in the darkness so everyone is afraid. God says we don’t have to be afraid of the disease that stalks us even during the day.
Make the Lord your Refuge and He will protect you
Make the Lord your Refuge and He will protect you
9 If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, 10 no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home.
Your refuge is like your home and your home is where your heart is. Is your heart with Jesus? If Jesus is the center of your life… you are ok. You are under his protection.
So what can we do to eliminate fear of the Corona Virus.
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.
Steps to Eliminate Fear
Steps to Eliminate Fear
1. Stop worrying about anything
1. Stop worrying about anything
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
Worry is expecting the worst possible things to happen and that causes stress and anxiety and robs you of peace and joy. It’s our basic nature. Just let someone call you to the office at work on Friday afternoon....
The truth is that most of what we think might happen, never does.
Most things you worry about will never happen
Most things you worry about will never happen
40% of the things you worry about will never happen.
30% of your worries concern the past…
12% of your worries are about your health...
10% of your worries are insignificant.
8% of your worries legitimate…
Worry is useless. It doesn’t change the past or the future. When we worry about something we make it bigger and bigger. We we trust God we make him bigger.
Worry is a learned behavior and can be unlearned.
Worry is a learned behavior and can be unlearned.
One day John Wesley was walking with a troubled man who expressed his doubt as to the goodness of God. He said, “I do not know what I shall do with all this worry and trouble.”
At the same moment Wesley saw a cow looking over a stone wall. “Do you know,” asked Wesley, “why that cow is looking over the wall?”
“No,” said the man who was worried.
Wesley said, “The cow is looking over the wall because she cannot see through it. That is what you must do with your wall of trouble—look over it and avoid it.”
Faith enables us to look past our circumstances and focus on Christ
34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
2. Pray about everything
2. Pray about everything
When the Bible tells you to stop doing one thing, it will tell you what to put in it’s place. WOG always replaces a negative with a positive. Worry for prayer...
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
Prayer defeats worry by allowing us to UN-LOAD our worries onto the Lord.
Prayer defeats worry by allowing us to UN-LOAD our worries onto the Lord.
When you begin to worry, stop and give it to the Lord.
Jesus - come all who are weary and heavy leaden… give him your worries.
We pray about everything because God is interested in every area of our lives.
We pray about everything because God is interested in every area of our lives.
Paul tells us to pray specifically. Tell him what you need and want. Don’t pray general prayers.
2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.
7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
Give God your worries. Give Him your worries about this Virus.
FYI - people who attend church regularly live 5.7 years longer than those who don’t.
3. Develop an attitude of gratitude
3. Develop an attitude of gratitude
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
Gratitude is the healthiest human emotion. It actually increases your immunities so there is actually a physical benefit for being grateful. Ungrateful people are never satisfied and they are for the most part – unhappy people.
If you are feeling depressed or overwhelmed… make a list of about 20 things you are thankful for.
You develop an attitude of gratitude by choosing to be grateful in every situation.
You develop an attitude of gratitude by choosing to be grateful in every situation.
It takes your attention off of your fears and problems and places your focus on the Lord and the things he has blessed you with.
18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
You develop an attitude of gratitude when you are going through difficult times and you choose to focus on what’s left, not on what’s lost.
You develop an attitude of gratitude when you are going through difficult times and you choose to focus on what’s left, not on what’s lost.
There is always something to be thankful for. Even with this virus. The attention the scientific and medical community are giving it will positively impact virus medicine in the future.
4. Focus your thoughts on the right things
4. Focus your thoughts on the right things
Much of our stress comes from what Zig Ziglar called, stinking thinking. When our focus gets off, we start worrying. If you watch the news right now, you will start worrying. I have heard of people who are staying up all night watching it because they have become so afraid they don’t want to miss something.
8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Fix your thoughts - You decide what you are going to think about. You have to focus your thoughts… it’s an act of your will.
Paul said to think about: is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise
Use these 8 words as a filter for your mind.
You have to refocus your thoughts.
To experience the peace of God, we must Re-focus our thoughts from the negative to the positive.
To experience the peace of God, we must Re-focus our thoughts from the negative to the positive.
Don’t let those depressing and fearful thoughts build a nest in your mind. Be ready to refocus.
What you focus on affects the way you feel.
What you focus on affects the way you feel.
How you feel determines how you will act. If we think right, we will feel better and our actions will be the kind of actions that will bring the results we desire into our lives.
7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, But his heart is not with you.
If we will practice the 4 steps, we will experience the peace of God.
If we will practice the 4 steps, we will experience the peace of God.
7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Right now, more than ever, people need to experience peace in their lives. People are worried about the Corona Virus… their jobs, etc. They need what we have, a relationship with a living Jesus.
To experience the Peace of God, you must experience the God of peace.
To experience the Peace of God, you must experience the God of peace.
When you trust Jesus as your Savior, He will give you a peace that you cannot comprehend. It’s a relationship with Jesus, not a religion... relationship.
You and I were created with a vacuum or a hole in our lives... one that only a relationship with Jesus will fill.
7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.