Beyond Covid-19: Is There A Word from the Lord?

It has become the most dramatic and defining situation in our lifetime. More radical, even, than a war or the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). That event is the Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020. While we can and should expect some return to normalcy, there is also the strong possibility that in some aspects the world that we once knew, even as late as December 2019, is gone for good.

If one is a world-watcher, the fact that we have international crisis and change should not be surprising. It is a predictable part of the landscape. Yet, how do we navigate through these change-filled, crisis-riddled, and sometimes chaotic times? Especially when the experts, like the rest of us, have never been in this situation before?

The answer, which is a question, is disarmingly simple: Is there a word from the Lord?

The second question: What is that Word?

First, let us examine God’s attitude of communicating with people on earth, which, says Genesis 1:27, are made in His image.

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds  - Hebrews 1:1-2

What do these two verses tell us?

1.        God regularly spoke, at various times and different manners, in the past to the ancients via the prophets.

2.        Now, in these last days, He speaks through His Son - Jesus Christ. Please note that Hebrews teaches that these days, the church age, are part of the last days.

3.        The Son is heir of all things;

4.        The Son, along with the Father and Spirit, made the worlds (Hebrews 11:3).

God continues to speak and He does so via the Son. The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10). There is no lack of a ‘word from God’ - just as the airwaves are full of music and voices - but the question is: Are we listening? Have we extended our spiritual antennas to receive the divine message? Do we obey that which we have heard?

That’s why 7 times to 7 churches in Asia, the command is given: He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22).

Since God the Father is willing (Hebrews 6:17); the Son is willing (Matthew 8:3); and God the Spirit is willing (Matthew 26:41), the onus is on us to open our ears, extend our antennas, pick up the divine signals, and begin to hear what the Spirit is saying.

Is there a Word from the LORD? Short answer: Yes.

First Word from the LORD: Prophetic Times

And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows — Matthew 24:6-8

All of what we are seeing today is part of prophetic fulfilment. Biblical prophecy is a wonderful subject, that pays rich dividends to those who learn and apply its precepts. It is a light shining in a dark place, a ‘heads up’ to the future, provides insight of how to live, grants incentive for evangelism and holy living, brings establishment, prosperity, comfort, and encouragement. Prophecy bestows holistic blessing to those who read and heed its timeless counsel (Revelation 1:3).

Deception: When asked the question about what would be the sign of His coming and the end of the age, Jesus Christ first of all gave a practical command: Take heed that no one deceives you. We live in an age of increasing deception, where people are becoming more adept at sounding so convincing while lying through their teeth. Deception is as old as the Garden of Eden, but what make the last days distinct, is that it will be more prevalent, more persuasive, and undergirded by a spirit of strong delusion. The righteous will need to proactively immunise themselves in God’s truth, so that they will have the immunity to resist the spiritual of deception.

Sources of truth: Truth, namely God’s universal, unchanging, life-giving, life-liberating, devil-defeating truth, has three key sources. 1) Jesus Christ is the truth personified (John 14:6f). 2) The Holy Spirit is truth empowered (John 16:13). 3) The Scriptures are truth illuminated (John 17:17). When all three sources are operative in your life, then you are safely on truth’s territory and you will have the gift of discernment to sort out truth claims from the false.

In our next article, we will look more carefully at this theme and key word of ‘prophetic times.’