God's Reality in Time of Crisis
Spiritual Warfare • Sermon • Submitted
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Mama Maryann.
Prayer and fasting.
17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. A Song For Alamoth. 1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah 4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. 6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah 8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has made desolations in the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire. 10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
We are still in our sermon series on spiritual warfare. Sword of the spirit before was at the personal level, there is a warfare in the heavenlies involving angelic beings that impact the world and times that we live in.
Coronavirus crisis.
Do you wonder how the whole world can change in a matter of two weeks?
Just a few weeks ago, it was business as usual.
The stock market was soaring to record heights.
The jobs market reported that unemployment across all ethnic groups were at record lows.
Restaurants and bars , businesses were booming.
People had booked their trips for the upcoming spring break.
Schools were open and classes were being held as normal.
Stores were full of essential supplies.
Sporting events in arenas with a capacity of 20,000 were being still held. Just days before the outbreak, people packed the Staples Center arena for Kobe Bryant’s memorial.
In a matter of two weeks:
The stock market plunged to levels threatening to wipe all its gains since 2017.
News of layoffs and impending layoffs, the jobless claims are said to be rising fast.
Restaurants and bars have been ordered to close. Fast food chains now only allow takeout and drive thru service.
Airlines have cut down on their flights. People’s travel plans have been suspended.
People are fighting at the stores for essential supplies, including toilet paper (now I do not understand that)
All sporting events were cancelled.
The world is asking, what in the world is going on?
Much of the world was unprepared. People thought that 2020 will just be another year. In the U.S. it is election year and the political parties were preparing for the grueling campaign leading up to November.
So the world, Christians and non-Christians alike are asking what is going on?
In the past weeks, we have talked about how to combat Satan and his specific lies by the Sword of the Spirit, the Rhema word of God which are specific proclaimed statements from the Word of God. there are specific lies that Satan throws at us in our specific personal crisis and situation.
There is a general falsehood that Satan had dominated the minds of the majority of the people of the world with!
That falsehood is the evil and twisted sense of reality in people’s minds both in the world and in the church!
This can be seen in the Coronavirus crisis.
Satan’s Deception to the World: “This Physical World is the Only Reality”
The world is all there is.
It is not s surprise that the world responds to this Coronavirus pandemic with fear if to the world what they see and the life that they live in is all there is.
Actually fear itself is a product of ignorance.
Ignorance as the cause of fear can be understandable, as of this week the medical world does not have a complete medical cure or vaccine to stop this virus.
I read an article today that says that eventually everyone will be exposed to this novel coronavirus, which means that this virus will be like the seasonal flu, therefore we will need a vaccine developed soon to be protected from its infection.
So not knowing enough about this virus and without the development of a cure, with so many of these unknowns, the ignorance of people is leading them to fear and panic.
However, I believe that the second cause of fear is more serious. That is total helplessness.
People are just helpless amid this crisis and..
THE WORLD DOES NOT KNOW WHO TO TURN TO IN THIS CRISIS.
They wanted to turn to the government for answers but at the same time they think the government is not doing enough.
They turn to the media but there is so much bias and politics in the media.
This is when I applaud the men and women on the frontlines. Our heroes who work in the medical field, doctors nurses who rise above the occasion even risking their lives to help and save others..
I thank you, I could imagine the stress around both the volume of patients that you see at this time and also the suffering of those who are sick. Thank you very much for your dedication to your profession and those you serve.
Time Magazine published an article in February entitled “The Coronavirus Outbreak Should Bring Out the Best in Humanity”
There is good coming out of this crisis in the way people are serving, the way government officials are working together..
The governor of New York said that there are no republicans and democrats, there is no red and blue “we are all Americans and we are all in this together”.
This appears to be the ideal outcome of the crisis.
But do we really think that this is the best that can come out of this at this time?: That all of humanity pull together during the crisis? So that the world can just go back to its old ways once the crisis is over?
The world just wants and then go back to its old ways once the crisis is over?
This is exactly what happened after 9/11.
Even now most people in isolating themselves in self-quarantine are just riding out the crisis until it is over.
Satan’s deception to the world is that this world is all there is, and humanity will overcome. It is all about the strength of the human spirit.
It is not about humanity, it is not about the human spirit..
This present crisis is a wake up call from God.
The world had rebelled against God, has rejected His offer of salvation through His Son Jesus and they have reveled in their sin and immoral practice.
There is a reality that we don’t see, there is an unseen world out there.. Bible says from the same chapter that we just read “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
It is time to embrace God’s reality in this time of crisis, that this is not about what we see, but about the Lord God almighty shaking and waking up the world.
I believe that God in His timeless mercy is calling the world to repentance.
22 “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
In , Bible says today is the day of salvation.
As the Lord is speaking loudly to the world, let us hear his voice and not harden our hearts.
I believe that this crisis is also a wake up call for the church of Jesus.
Satan’s Deception to the Church: Christianity should remain the way it is.
How has the church or Christians for that matter responded so far? It is about our own protection only. About hope and the assurance that everything will be alright.
It is true that God protects His people and that the Lord is in control and that there is hope.
But Christian, this crisis is not just about riding the storm and keeping the status quo by continuing to meet or hold services online, we also have the responsibility as the people of God to sound the alarm that what we see is the beginning of birth pains and that there is judgement coming soon if people don’t repent and turn to God and surrender their lives to Christ.
Last Sunday, I talked about the sword of the Spirit, the word of God being our weapon of offense and defense in our own personal spiritual battles but there is a greater application of the sword of the Spirit.
There is a heavenly warfare being waged in the heavenlies that governs the affairs of the world, an unseen warfare being waged by God’s mighty heavenly angels against the princes of the demonic realm.
There is angelic activity that controls the events of mankind even the sending and holding of plagues.
Examples of Angelic activities over the affairs of man:
David’s vision of a mighty Angel striking the people of Israel with plagues in .
Elisha’s vision of heavenly horses and chariots of fire who struck the enemy Syrian army with blindness in 2 Kings 6.
Daniel’s vision of the Angel who fought against the demonic prince of Persia in .
Activity in this angelic realm can be affected by the prayer of the saints and the proclamation of the Word of God.
We are also to wield the sword of the Spirit by a proclamation of the Word of God in our intercessory prayer, and the bold preaching of the Gospel of Jesus.
18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,
This is God’s reality, let us embrace it!
18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,
Let us not listen to the voice of the enemy that this situation with the coronavirus is an event that we will just wait out. God is saying something.
We all heard about the Lord speaking through the still small voice. I think God is speaking aloud this time through these times.
In answer to the world’s question: What on earth is going on?
Going back to the question
There are many promises that are yet to be fulfilled concerning the people of God. God is unfolding and unveiling His purposes for a powerful church to rise .
God wants us to establish His Kingdom, not the status quo!
The church of Jesus Christ should be armed and dangerous at this time of global turmoil.
Dangerous to the kingdom of darkness.
We as the church should play our part. Let us wield the Sword of the Spirit:
1. By the bold proclamation of God’s word as we intercede in prayer.
2. Bold preaching of God’s word.
As we preach God’s word, we also sound the alarm but at the same time we give the world hope, just like the Apostle Peter did in his first sermon that he preached.
19 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, 20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21 whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.
Church, let us pray for:
1. Repentance.
2. Readiness.
3. Restoration.
(Explain each)
Let’s make God’s reality our reality.