Saturday, April 11, 2020

Birth Pains in the Bible – Coronavirus COVID-19 Series



Birth pains mean something is coming, leading up to something bigger. Birth pangs start small and grow in intensity and frequency until something is born. This is how God said disasters would come in the End Times. Is the Coronavirus COVID-19 a bigger, stronger Biblically prophesied birth pain? (Tweet that) Could this pandemic be an escalation in the pain of the birth pangs revealing the near-coming of the End Times?

In the last post we looked at the words of Jesus in Luke 21. Matthew also wrote about what Jesus said that same night about the End Times in Matthew 24. Because these chapters of the Bible, and also Mark 13, talk about the same event, these are called parallel passages.

In Matthew 24:7-8, Jesus says:

"For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains."

Covid-19 and the situation in the United States of America and in the world is unlike anything we've ever seen before. We’ve seen plagues of various intensities. People today are talking about the Spanish Flu in 1918. But this is different. So many people affected. Entire countries shut down. It seems clear to me this is an escalation. (Tweet that) Do you agree?

If this frightens you, get to know God and his love for you and why he is allowing this in the world.
He is allowing this in the world in order to draw people to him. To make people think about him. To make people seek him out.

Consider this precursor or birth pang an act of mercy. God is letting us know something is coming, Something bigger. And he, in his mercy, is giving everyone an opportunity to know him before it comes. (Tweet that) What are you waiting for?

YOU CAN PRAY THIS


Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that I am a sinner and need to be saved from the consequences of all my sins, which is death and punishment for all eternity. I cannot save myself from death. Today, I receive your gift of salvation and trust you as my Lord and Savior, so that I will spend eternity with you in heaven. Thank you, Lord Jesus! I believe you are the Son of God who died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead on the third day. Thank you for bearing the penalty for my sins on the cross and exchanging them for the gift of eternal life. Teach me how to live for you from now on. In Jesus’ precious Name I pray, Amen.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[b] Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23, NIV)

WHAT ARE WE TO DO?


The best thing to do is to learn more about God and the Bible and Jesus Christ. You can do this by reading the Bible. You can read the Bible free on internet sites. You can also download free Bibles on a Kindle or other reading device. If you would like to know more about what I'm talking about in these posts you might read Matthew 24, Luke 21, and Mark 13.

Then I suggest you start at the beginning of Matthew and read the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. For the ultimate book on the End Times, read Revelation.

Even if this Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic is a bigger, stronger birth pain, you don’t need to be afraid. (Tweet that)  Jesus is more powerful and, if you trust him, he’s got you in the palm of his hand – for all eternity.

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Even if this Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic is a bigger, stronger birth pain, you don’t need to be afraid.

Friday, April 10, 2020

Jesus Said There Would Be Times Like This – Coronavirus COVID-19 Series

Is this Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic a sign of the Biblically prophesied End Times? (Tweet that) Many people are wondering and asking me what I think. An interesting question on Good Friday.

The final week of Jesus’ life, his disciples asked him what would be the signs of the End Times and his second coming. His answer was recorded by three different writers in three parallel passages: Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21.

Regarding pandemics or plagues, he used a word translated “pestilences” in Luke 21:11:
“There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.”
Interestingly, that word “pestilences” wasn’t translated into English in Matthew or Mark.

Here’s a recent article I found that goes deeper into the words Jesus used in his prophecy of pestilences and their translation in regards to COVID-19 Coronavirus:
The question for me here is not whether or not there will be plagues in the End Times, but rather, is this plague what the Bible refers to? (Tweet that)

I can't say I know for sure. I’m not sure anyone knows at this point. My thought, though, is no, it's not. Because I think in the End Times, circumstances will be even worse than they are right now. But I do believe this is a precursor, what the Bible calls a “birth pang.” (Tweet that)  We will talk more about birth pains in the next post.

What do we know for sure? We know this is new. This is different. This is something we have not experienced before. (Tweet that)

Our current older generation is that which witnessed Nazi Germany, the invasion of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese, and fought World War II. Many of them were young during the Great Depression. Some of them were born by World War 1. So that generation has seen a lot. And yet this is new and different even for them.

God sometimes lets bad things happen because often people don’t seek him when times are good.

Is God trying to get our attention? Always. Has he got yours? If yes, what are you going to do with that? (Tweet that)

WHAT ARE WE TO DO?  


If you have never done so, why not ask the Lord Jesus into your life today? How do you do that? He is all knowing and present everywhere at once, so he will hear your prayer. Ask him to forgive all your sins – this is why he died on the cross. Then ask him to come into your life and teach you how to live for him. You can acknowledge him as your savior right now, wherever you are. Then record this date in your Bible or somewhere special so you will always remember this moment.
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26, ESV.
Jesus said there would be times like this Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic and, like birth pains, they will escalate in frequency and intensity. Are you ready to trust Jesus through them? It's a good thing to start today, on Good Friday.

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Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Praying Death will Pass Over

Coronavirus / COVID-19
It's Holy Week between Palm Sunday and Easter, with Passover in the middle, and many are praying the COVID-19 / Coronavirus will pass over their home and not bring death into their houses. (Tweet It!)

If you didn’t know, the date for Easter is set by the Jewish holiday, Passover. The Christian Easter is on the Sunday closest to Passover. Easter moves around on our western calendar. But Passover always begins on the 14th of Nissan on the Jewish calendar. *

This year Passover starts right in the middle of Holy Week, beginning at sundown today, Wednesday April 8, 2020.

Passover began with the miraculous Exodus of the Israelite (Jewish) people from slavery in Egypt. It was the last, or tenth, of the ten plagues God brought on Egypt and the false gods of Egypt to set His people free from slavery and prove He is the one and only true God.
“On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord” (Exodus 12:12, NIV).
God said He was going to send the Angel of Death throughout Egypt and it would strike dead the firstborn male of every household and all the cattle. However, anyone could avoid this by believing God and following His instructions: slaughter a lamb, paint its blood on the doorposts of their house, and stay inside the house. That must have sounded as crazy to those people then as it does to us today. But God was painting a picture of the coming Lamb of God Whose blood saves anyone who believes God and follows His instructions: ask for forgiveness of your sins and believe Jesus' death atones and saves you from your sins. After that, get to know God and live His way.

That Passover, God promised when the Angel of Death saw the blood on the doorposts, he would pass over that home and no death would come to that house, just as the blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus, saves all who believe in Him. (Tweet It!)

This was the first Passover.

This Passover, most of us have been told to stay in our houses. (Tweet It!) For Palm Sunday, Easter, and everything in between, for the first time in history churches stand empty. (Tweet It!)

Many are praying Death from this COVID-19 Coronavirus will pass over our homes, especially this coming week when the virus is expected to peak resulting in the highest number of deaths. (Tweet It!)

Interestingly, United States President Trump and other leaders predict this will be the worst week for deaths in the US.

This past Sunday on FOX News’ program Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani said this in the first 1:30 of this video:
"The president, the governor, and now ever the mayor—They’ve all done a good job of getting the people ready for what is going to be, they say, a terrible, now, about a week and a half.  
"It coincides, interestingly, with the Passover, with Good Friday and Easter, all very, very solemn religious holidays. Passover is about the angel of death passing over you. Praying for it. I think people are sitting at home praying for that." 
Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, April 5, 2020. (Tweet It!)


The first Passover, God instructed Moses, and then Moses instructed the people to slaughter a lamb, and then:
“Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you. 24 You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever” (Exodus 12:22-24, ESV). 
That first Passover pictured, or foreshadowed, the coming Messiah, the ultimate Passover Lamb!

The New Testament tells us this:
Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed (1 Corinthians 5:7). 

*I do not mean to use the current circumstance to sell my books. However, if you want more information or would like to know more about Passover, the Jewish calendar, and the other six annual Jewish holy days, you can find my posts about those by using the Search this Blog box in the right side column and enter in: 7 Feasts of the Lord. Alternately, you may purchase my e-book where I compiled those posts together as an e-book on Amazon here:  The 7 Feasts of the LORD.

WHAT CAN WE DO? 

It is never wrong to pray and ask the one, true God to help us. You can pray

  • that He will stop the COVID-19 / Coronavirus, 
  • to protect all our health workers and first responders,
  • and will heal those who are sick.

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TWEETABLES:

It's Holy week between Palm Sunday and Easter, with #Passover in the middle, and many are praying #deathfromCOVID-19 #Coronavirus will pass over their home.

The first #Passover God promised the Angel of Death would pass over homes with lamb's blood on the doorposts, just as death passes over all marked by the blood of the Lamb of God, #Jesus.

This #Passover, like the first, most of us have been told to stay in our houses. #COVID-19 #Coronavirus #BibleProphecy 

For #PalmSunday, #Easter, and everything in between, for the first time in history churches stand empty.

Many are praying Death from this #COVID-19 #Coronavirus will pass over our homes. #Passover

This #Passover week the #COVID-19 #Coronavirus is expected to peak, resulting in the highest number of deaths. It’s never wrong to #pray. 

#RudyGiuliani: It coincides, interestingly, with the Passover. Solemn religious holidays about the angel of death passing over you. People are sitting at home praying for that. #COVID-19 #Coronavirus 

Tuesday, April 7, 2020

COVID-19 / Coronavirus Bible Prophecies Blog Series

I have taken a break from blogging for a while. While I enjoy sharing my thoughts about current events and how they might relate to the Bible and its prophecies, blogging takes a lot of time and creative energy, and I simply needed to spend that time and energy on other writing projects. However, in light of the COVID-19 / Coronavirus world-wide pandemic, how can I not blog and talk to you about these things that are going on around us? (Tweet It!) Therefore, I’m re-launching my blog, at least temporarily. (Please Tweet this.)

Like you, I don't know all the answers.  Heck, I'm not even sure I know all the questions. But I will blog about what I know or what I believe. (Tweet It!) Strangely this time finds me busier than ever. I work from home (so I'm not getting time off) plus I do caretaking plus taking care of my own household. So I will post at irregular intervals, meaning with no regular schedule but when I have time to get a post done and have an interesting thought to talk about.

WHAT SHOULD WE DO IN LIGHT OF BIBLE PROPHECY? 

In light of COVID-19 / Coronavirus and Bible prophecy, what, in this strange and unusual time, are we to do? (Tweet It!) Maybe that's the first thing: Start asking questions of God and about God, and seeking answers.
Jesus said:
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8, also Luke 11:9-10).

TWEETABLES:

In light of the #COVID19 / #Coronavirus world-wide #pandemic, how can I not reopen my #BibleProphecies Fulfilled blog?

In light of the #COVID19 / #Coronavirus world-wide #pandemic, how can I not reopen my #BibleProphecies Fulfilled blog?

I don't know all the answers.  Heck, I'm not even sure I know all the questions. But I will blog about what I know or what I believe. #COVID19 #Coronavirus #BibleProphecy 

In light of #COVID19 / #Coronavirus and #Bible #prophecy, what are we to do? Start with Ask. Seek. Knock.

Re-Launch: #BibleProphecies Fulfilled blog --  #COVID19 / #Coronavirus Series. www.BiblePropheciesFulfilled.blogspot.com 

Re-Launch: #BibleProphecies Fulfilled blog --  #COVID19 / #Coronavirus Series This post.