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For “All flesh is like grass,
And all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
And the flower falls off,
But the word of the Lord endures forever.”

And this is the word which was preached to you.

1 Peter 1:24-25 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Some years ago, a distant cousin passed away and my uncle was asked, “What killed him?” He answered: “Everything. Everything kills human beings.” He wasn’t trying to be deep or philosophical. He was simply stating a fact of life. Whereas there are only two ways for people to come into this world – natural birth and cesarean section – there are thousands of ways for them to leave it.

The enemies start right from the members of your own body, in a wide variety of illness and ailments in all parts of the body. Head, shoulders, knees, toes. Yes, even toes, just ask Bob Marley. Even now as you read this, some cells in your body may be conspiring against you, only you don’t know it so you think you guys are cool.

Then there’s danger from other human beings. It’s telling that the first death in the world was a murder in Genesis 4. Some of the most ingenious inventions people make are designed to kill others as efficiently as possible. And even the things we create for good purposes like vehicles, machinery and electricity kill and injure millions of people every year.

Then there’s the whole of creation, corrupted by the fall and dangerous to us in various ways. Fire, rain, lightning, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions. Massive things like mountains and ocean waves, tiny things like bacteria and viruses. The floor you walk on is just biding its time before adding you to the list of casualties. And if you somehow manage to escape alllll these known ways of dying, surpriiiise, here’s COVID! New ways of dying will always appear. “Everything kills human beings,” indeed.

Over 250 years before my uncle shared this bit of wisdom, however, Jonathan Edwards expressed the same sentiment in his famous sermon “Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God.” I quote:

It is no security to wicked men for one moment, that there are no visible means of death at hand […]

The unseen, unthought of ways and means of persons going suddenly out of the world are innumerable and inconceivable. […]

God has so many different unsearchable ways of taking wicked men out of the world and sending them to hell, that there is nothing to make it appear, that God had need to be at the expense of a miracle, or go out of the ordinary course of his providence, to destroy any wicked man, at any moment.

Jonathan Edwards, “Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God.”

In these coronavirus times, it’s easy for us to wash our hands, stay home, wear face masks and think we are safe from disaster, but God has never needed a particular disease to call his people home or send unbelievers to their final end. All the people who heard Jonathan Edwards preach in person are dead. Edwards himself is gone. And it is certain that all the people reading this will eventually die, if Jesus does not come first.

In light of that truth, how ought we to live? First, for believers, since the end can come at any time, we should live in light of eternity. “Set your mind on things above,” says Colossians 3:2.

¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

Ephesians 5:15-17 (NIV)

We should dedicate ourselves to things with eternal value: prayer, good works, preaching the gospel, living holy lives that bless and influence others. Then when we are called up to glory, we can say like Paul that we have fought the good fight and finished the race as we look forward to our crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:7-8).

And for unbelievers in Jesus Christ, “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” (Isaiah 55:6) Today if you hear His voice, don’t harden your heart. This may be your last warning before the end. Before you lose everything you have, everything you’re counting on to save you in the end. Don’t put your hope in face masks, or government policies, or your own physical strength. “Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other.” (Isaiah 45:22)

I pray the Lord will touch all our hearts and help us realize our own frailties so that we can turn to Him while we can. The Lord be with you in these trying times.

Psalm 2:1-5

Why do the ^[a]nations ^[b]rage,
And the people plot a ^[c]vain thing?
² The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the Lord and against His Anointed,^[d] saying,
³ “Let us break Their bonds in pieces
And cast away Their cords from us.”

⁴ He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The Lord shall hold them in derision.
⁵ Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
And distress them in His deep displeasure

On the 4th of April, 2020, some precious brothers and sisters from different churches had a conference call as we had started doing since the partial lockdown in Ghana to discuss a few biblical topics and to encourage one another. On this particular day, I had been tasked to lead a bible discussion on the Coronavirus (a name everybody and their grandmother knows by now), specifically how Christians ought to view and respond to it.

During my preparation, my mind immediately leapt to Psalm 2 as it so mirrored the ongoing rebellion of man against the Lord without realizing the futility of it all. Without digressing too much, I decided to break down the discussion into 3 parts, namely Cause, Symptoms (Effects) and Treatment all from a biblical standpoint which I hope to share with you below:

Historical Context:

Before this, I think it is instructive to share a few historical facts about pandemics or widespread diseases which should provide some context within which to approach COVID-19 and not give in to too much panic or hysteria.

Needless to say, this is not the first nor necessarily the most serious plague of its kind to befall this planet. It has been well-noted that about 50 million people died in the 14th century in Europe (50% of population) in what was called the Black Death. As recently as a 100 years ago, the Spanish Flu infected 500 million people globally and killed anywhere from 17-50 million people including over 100,000 people in Ghana (The Gold Coast) in less than 6 months. (https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-african-history/article/influenza-epidemic-of-191819-in-the-gold-coast1/93EFCA1CDC9FC2735A289728934E628C

While we do not know how this current plague will end up, it should at least give us some pause while reacting even whilst following all the recommended guidelines.

Cause:

It is now well-known that this disease is caused by a virus from the biological lens but the purpose of this article is to look even deeper from the biblical and spiritual lens (the truest). I have heard many famous ‘pastors/prophets’ make various pronouncements about this disease even going so far as to ‘bind’ it, command it to disappear by certain dates or even sell cures for it. All these just underscore how biblically illiterate many have become even though there is a proliferation of churches. For our answer, we will turn to the trusted words of Scripture to see if we can make sense of all this and its source.

1. Man’s Sinfulness:- Romans 5:12 says, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned”

This really is the root cause of the Coronavirus but not just. It is also the root cause behind cancer and headaches and blindness and corruption and immorality and all manner of sorrows and heartaches and depression and ultimately death. The clear testimony of the word of God is that in Adam’s disobedience all sinned and death entered the world. God’s perfect earth He created was subjected to decay and ever since then the story of man has been one of tragedy intermingled with God’s grace where we still know moments of joy and peace. This is not to say that anyone being afflicted with this current disease has committed a specific kind of sin which is why they have fallen sick but rather that we all have sinned as we were in Adam when he sinned.

2. God’s Wrath:- Isaiah 45:9-10

That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting
That there is none besides Me.
I am the Lord, and there is no other;
I form the light and create darkness,
I make peace and create calamity;
I, the Lord, do all these things.’

Amos 3:6 – If a ^[c]trumpet is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid?
If there is calamity in a city, will not the Lord have done it?

While I know many Christians shrink away from the very thought that such things could come from the hand of God, we ought not to be ignorant or try to defend God. He is just, righteous and even merciful when he does this and it is always for a purpose which we shall look at further down the line. However, one cannot read the Scriptures for any length of time and find the unmistakable hand of God behind every calamity or pestilence that ravaged the various lands.

Symptoms (Effect):

I believe the effects of the disease are clear for all to see but I will try and summarize them briefly:

• A Disturbed World – Until a few weeks ago, the world economy was growing, people were going about their normal routine as always. We had become settled in our ways with no thought as to God or whether we had the right priorities. Now, a microscopic organism has brought the world to its knees with widespread lockdown, business closures, shortage of food and critical materials. The status quo is no more.
• Vanities Laid Bare – With issues of life and death confronting many, we notice a lack of spending on frivolities and even giving attention to the vain things of this world. Celebrity culture seems to be at an all time low and there are videos of some of them depressed as they have been used to commanding the spotlight for so long.
• Fear of Death and the Future – Due to the general sense of helplessness, many people are for the first time thinking about their own mortality and dare I say, eternity and rightly so for these are the really important things.
• Exposing of Charlatans in the Body of Christ – If anybody had any reason to wonder if the self-professed miracle workers/healers and prophets were really hearing from God, this should put all doubt to rest. Not a single one has volunteered to go to a treatment facility to heal the sick and dying. Not a single one during all the 31st Dec watch-night services prophesied about such a year. They continued prophesying ‘feel-good’ words of breakthrough and prosperity as they always have. Read Jeremiah 23:16 and onward to see more of what God has to say as I may save this for another article.

Treatment (Our Response):

How are we as believers to respond to these things?

• A Renewed Passion for the Gospel of Christ – Now that many people have been shaken out of their false sense of security, there may be some who may be more sensitive to hear the good news of the gospel preached. By the mercies of God, some may have become more sensitive to the fact that they have wronged a holy God and that they do not know what the future holds after all. In love, just as we have heard and believed the good news, let us heed the words of Christ “the fields are white for harvest” (John 4:35) and proclaim the truth with renewed zeal and courage.
• A Sense of Hope – Christians have a real hope come what may. The reason for this is that from the moment one puts their faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, we understand that we are translated from death to life (eternal) and so while we may not necessarily look forward to the pain associated with death, we also understand that death is a defeated foe. Even if COVID-19 should take me or any believer, we have a firm hope and assurance that we will enjoy eternity with the Lord. This is a blessed and living hope (1 Peter 1:3-8)
• Love One Another – John 13:35 – “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” Dear friends, it is especially in times like this that we must indeed be like our Saviour and show love to all people and especially those of the faith. Let us look for opportunities to serve people by way of all manner of support, financial or otherwise. We can adopt another family in these times or simply share some of what we have with others if we are in the position to do so. Identify people in your family or church who may need a leg up and let us do good to all men.
• Gratitude – 1 Thessalonians 5:18 – “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” We are often a complaining people. At times like this, can we indeed look back at how the world was just a few months ago and realize how ungrateful we have been to God all this while? Even now, we are to give Him thanks because it is still not as bad as it could possibly be as He is still showing much mercy.
• Understand God’s Sovereignty – Romans 9:15 – “For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” God is under no obligation to show anyone mercy and He chooses whom to dispense it to according to His will. I think this calls for a separate post as there is much to cover under this and it seems a lot of both Christian and non-Christians suffer with this though the Bible is clear.
• Prayer – We are to pray about all things according to the will of God. It is not a commanding prayer as if we could even begin to command God. Neither is it to bind demons as we have already established that this can only be from the hand of God. It is rather a prayer of repentance and a plea to the Lord to spare us the worst of it. It is a prayer for our leaders and for one another. It is a prayer of grief over our corporate sin and for the Lord to quicken the work of salvation in the hearts of men.

Conclusion:

To conclude, I believe it would be of great help and encouragement to those of like faith to know exactly how this all ends. The beautiful thing about the Bible is that we can skip ahead to the end and avoid all the suspense and the drama. We conclude with Revelation 21:1-5

1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. ² Then I, ^[a]John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

⁵ Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said ^[b]to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”

I always say that these verses are my favourite in all the Bible. There is coming a time when there will no longer be even the possibility of death and God will restore all things to a glorious state and I encourage any fearful saint of the Lord to memorize these words and hide them in your heart. They will serve you well!

Unfortunately, the chapter does not end there. From verse 8 it reads:

⁸ But the cowardly, ^[e]unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

If you are reading this and have not put your trust in the Lord, please do not wait until it is too late. Whether your end comes through this disease or another means or simply at the Lord’s imminent return.

Christ stands ready to receive you. No matter how bad your sin may be or what you have done or are doing now. I end with Christ’s own words:

³⁷ All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will ^[f]by no means cast out. (John 6:37)

 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matt 11:28)

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus

1 Timothy 2:5 (KJV)

I went to the funeral of a very dear aunt this past weekend. The preacher of the funeral sermon had a very engaging and interesting style and shared plenty of memorable and hilarious anecdotes. What he did not share, however, was the full gospel of Jesus Christ.

I don’t want to pick on this pastor alone, because this is a problem shared across Ghana. Perhaps across Christendom in total. So many preachers, so interesting sermons, entertaining but utterly devoid of the life-saving truth.

In this particular sermon, the preacher repeatedly called for the congregation to “connect with God” and have a “relationship with Him.” He spoke about the importance of living a meaningful life and doing good deeds, then at the end he did the usual “Repeat this prayer after me” gimmick where he led members of the congregation in praying that they wanted to “connect with God.”

A false message and a failed presentation of the gospel. His message wasn’t one that was deliberately trying to lead people astray, but nevertheless it was false by reason of omission. Unlike the apostle Paul in Acts 20:27, he failed to declare the whole counsel of God.

At the end of the whole sermon I imagine that thinking members would have been baffled, not by what he said but by the many things he didn’t say.

Why must man connect to God? As His creations, why aren’t we connected by default? The preacher failed to explain that God created man in perfection, but Adam sinned, and in him we all sinned (1 Corinthians 5:22). We live every day in open rebellion to a holy God who cannot look upon evil and must judge sin.

Left to our own devices, we are doomed to be punished as we deserve for our sins.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Ephesians 2:4-9 (NASB)

Why Christ? Because as God, He lived a sinless life on our behalf, fulfilling the laws of God that we could not do due to our sinful nature. Then, as the sinless lamb of God, He paid for our sin debt through the sacrifice of His life, becoming sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteousness of God through him, as 2 Corinthians 5:21.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

John 14:6

In other words, we cannot become righteous on our own, and we cannot be accepted by God without that righteousness. Thus God Himself prepared a substitute for us to take away that sin so that He can both punish sin as He should and redeem sinners as He desires (Romans 3:26). We cannot come to God in any other way but in the one way He has prepared for us: faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Long story short, it is not enough to talk about “connecting with God” without explaining why and how in a biblical fashion. I am saying this not to put one preacher down but to keep us all alert whenever we try to share the gospel with others. Instead of trying to amuse or simplify, we should focus on sharing the full truth and nothing but the truth of about Christ. Anything less is a great disservice to our listeners. May God help us to make the most of every opportunity.

Sometimes they will happen to you.

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

John 16:33 NKJV

Some time ago, I skimmed through a highly forgettable comic about a girl struck with a curse that doomed her to die in a few years. Or something like that. It’s so forgettable that I can’t remember the titles or the details or what country it came from. It was very boring and drawn out, so I skipped to the last chapter after reading a few chapters, .

However, what I read there made an impression on me that has lasted till today. The heroine, who somehow survived her curse, was reflecting on the whole ordeal. She said something like, “At first, when it was all going on, I couldn’t help thinking, ‘Why me?’ But then I thought again and I realized, ‘Why not me?’ Bad things won’t always happen to other people.”

It’s been several years since I read that bit of secular wisdom, but it has stayed with me because it is 100% true no matter how much we want to avoid it. Bad things won’t always happen to other people. Other people won’t always lose their jobs, or be diagnosed with serious diseases, or have accidents, or be attacked by robbers. Other people won’t always wake up and read text messages they never wanted to see. Sometimes these things will happen to you, and to me. And that is a normal part of this sinful, fallen world.

It’s fashionable in modern times to pretend that Christianity is a one-way pass to health, wealth, prosperity and a trouble-free path through life into eternity. When we hear of crime, sickness, war, accidents, we want to pretend it could never happen to us.

But the Bible never says anything about a trouble-free life, for believers or for unbelievers. While we can have joy, peace and comfort in the midst of the storm, we still be very much in the midst of that storm. Our ultimate rest will not come until we are finally home with the Lord.

For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

Romans 8:22-23 NKJV

In fact, almost all the great figures of the Bible experienced pain, loss, loneliness, betrayal and persecution. Right from the first human family of Adam and Eve, who lost a son to murder and another to banishment. Noah lost everyone except his immediate family in the flood. Abraham lost his father Terah, his brother Haran and later his wife Sarah. Isaac lost his mother, later lost his wife, was separated from his younger son for 20 years, had to deal with a rebellious older son and contentious daughters-in-law…

Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua…. It’s faster to count the figures who coasted through life with no problems… faster because the number is zero. Even if you live to be 999, you will still have to deal with the loss of your parents and an entire older generation.

Long story short, Jesus told us the truth, “in the world you will have tribulation.” (John 16:33) Pressures within, pressures without. Pressures that come from being a Christian, pressures that come from just being born of man. But His statement doesn’t end there. He promises us, “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) Therefore we have hope.

Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

Deuteronomy 31:6

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8: 37-39

For some of us, 2020 has gotten off to a very bad start indeed. This is not what we had in mind when we heard of “Vision 2020.” But we take comfort in the fact that nothing can separate us from the love of God, and that He is with us in all our trials and temptations.

Let us first ensure that we ourselves are in Christ, having repented and believed in his salvation for our sins. Don’t trust in anything or anyone else except Jesus Christ for your eternal salvation. Then let us also redouble our efforts to reach our loved ones with the message of the gospel so that even in the darkest moments, we know that we will meet again where there will be no more tears.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!