When we recognize that we are created beings—an essential part of understanding our identity—we can engage in essential worship of God.

You know, I grieve a culture that teaches critical race theory or says I have some “white privilege” of which I must repent or kneel or wear like a scarlet letter “W”, as I apologize to everyone under the sun.  That type of notion should be an anathema to every worshiper of Christ.

How can I possibly resent that I was created white by God?  Do I pass judgment on His actions?  Can I flaunt something I had no part in creating or act as though other ethnicities are not also part of God’s workmanship?  If you have black or brown skin, just remove the word “white” and replace it.  The principle is still the same.

Hear me loud and clear: The Gospel isn’t for whites alone. It’s for every person.  It’s an eternal Gospel for every nation, tribe, language, and people.  That’s what God says anyway…just before He comes to judge.  TO JUDGE.

“Another angel [was] flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth– to every nation, tribe, language and people. He said in a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship Him.’”  Revelation 14:6-7

When we fear and worship our One True God, we’re in equally excellent standing, ready to face His righteous judgment…in Christ.  It doesn’t matter the color of our skin. We each can celebrate how God made us without resenting ourselves or others and how God made them, passing judgment on them or worse, on God!

When we understand we are all created in God’s Image—every racial background and ethnicity, every person rich or poor, every man, every woman, every baby, and yes, every fetus—that Image of God means we do not place our hope in our skin color, our wealth, our age, our sex, our political affiliation, our vocation, our Supreme Court, or anything else. 

Our hope is in God alone. 

So, yes, I may be white, but there is no “W” to wear as a badge of ignominy or supremacy.  I wear a scarlet letter “C”—for Christian!  Paid for by the same precious blood of a Savior who doesn’t look at the things man looks at.  His same blood covers sins committed in every color human, if we repent. Therefore, any acts of obedience to Christ and to the authorities He gives will mark my life if I possibly can.  I want to be known by my love, acts of obedience, and discernment…not by my phony superficial acculturation to some godless worldly standard!

I’m praying like this:
Lord God, your Word clearly admonishes us to live in the truth and to not pervert justice by siding with a crowd.  (Exodus 23:1-7) You command us to “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them…everything exposed by the light becomes visible– and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.  This is why it is said: ‘Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”’ Be very careful, then, how you live– not as unwise but as wise” (Ephesians 5:11-15).  Illuminate my heart this day.  Expose any blind spots I have that might cause me to act in unloving ways. Cleanse my heart, Lord.  Give me the courage to stand for You and to take a stand against evil.  Open the eyes of Christians worldwide to see the genuine demonic prowling in our midst. Remove the scales from our eyes and the prejudice from our hearts.  Teach us that politics isn’t the be-all-and-end-all.  You are the Alpha and Omega!  Establish a guard around Your people, Lord, and please do not let us fall away and worship false idols.  Lord Jesus, expose the demonic by shining Your light up on it.  Help us to see and acknowledge Your truth. Please Father, bring about a swift end to spiritual powers of evil opposed to You and take away any earthly power they use to deceive Your people.  We need You, Lord.  We need Your wisdom, Your grace, and Your mercy.  Teach us to worship You rightly so we may stand for Christ in Your hour of judgment.  In Jesus’ mighty Name I pray.  Amen!

What do COVID-19, Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s recent passing, and President Trump’s being admitted to Walter Reed “out of an abundance of caution” have in common? 

They all point to one plank in the theology I hold dear.
It’s summed up in Isaiah 5:5-9. 

“I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting people may know there is none besides me. I am the LORD, and there is no other.

I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things. “You heavens above, rain down my righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness flourish with it; I, the LORD, have created it.”

What if COVID-19 and all this mask-wearing is to remind us that God allows human beings creative expression because we’re made in His Image?  But what if He is exposing how those with arrogant and evil intent can misuse that blessing (and from God’s basic building blocks of goodness) to manufacture the worst humanity can design? 

Has God lost control?  Absolutely NOT!  What if God’s purpose is to punish those who reject Him, as the Chinese Communist Party clearly refuses to acknowledge Him?  What if this is aligning many nations against the Communists in China so they will reap what they have sown?

What if all this mask-wearing is pointing out a distinction between humanity and the rest of the animal world because for the sake of our health, we would cover over one genuinely unique feature of those made in God’s Image?  That feature is a smile.  No other animal genuinely smiles or cries with tears of grief or joy.  Only Image-bearers do that.

Furthermore, masks cover over the non-verbal feedback required for genuine relationship.  Social distancing limits our ability to feel community.  Gatherings, fellowship, and physical touch were hallmarks of Jesus’ ministry.  For us, the handshake of friendship, hug of support, and a steadying hand…they’re more than missing as casualties of COVID. Their absence destroys community.  Social distancing is disastrous for normal social behavior for God’s people.  If it goes on much longer, we will feel its ripple effects in our social well-being generations to come, painfully evident in our youth who are growing up with this.  The Church must work hard to reclaim community because our humanity is best seen in our diverse bearing of our common Creator’s Image.

The passing of RBG tells a similar story to the President’s being admitted to Walter Reed.  Both are pointing out that human beings are created in God’s Image and that’s why we do not take joy in harm coming to others in life.  Yet we also do not elevate any person to the level of a savior or god.  There is no other, our God says, and He is the Living One, holding the keys of death and Hades.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg held onto life (which was very good)!  She held onto a seat on the Supreme Court hoping to make history (and God proved instead that she is not a god and history is really His Story, not hers).

Let us vow to open our spiritual eyes to see what God is doing in all these things as we pray,

Almighty Father, we praise You that You are God and there is no other, something about which You remind us often! (Isaiah 45:5-46:13) We praise You for Your goodness, Your sovereignty, Your love, Your justice, Your holiness, Your mercy, and Your righteousness.  Give us eyes to see what You see.  Help us to interpret all worldly events through Your wisdom.  Help us to trust in none but You.  You are God alone.  As we trust in You, give us confidence to stand in this dark hour.  We love You, Lord.  Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior Whose evidence of love is all excelling. 

In his “I Have Dream” speech, Reverend Martin Luther King said “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today!”

I can only imagine how appalled he would be seeing his dream dashed and replaced by a new nightmare of race relations today in America.

In a post I wrote in 2016 on Resurgence that I saw on the horizon for the black community, I profiled Shelby Steele who wrote ”Everybody is under threat of stigmatization. Blacks are fanatical about who’s really black and who isn’t. Whites are fanatical about whether they’re racist or whether they’re not. Nobody is seeing each other as simply as human beings…” 

Simply as human beings. 
Wow.  How on earth did we stray so far afield? 
Where is our humanity as a color-full society, not one that is color-blind? 

Seriously, are the only blacks in America worth lauding those with mile-long rap sheet, meth and fentanyl in their systems, and who get injured or killed through—knowingly or drug-induced—resisting of arrest? 

No, no, and no!  If I were a black American, which I am not, I’d be profoundly offended at the lauding of rebels and criminals while dismissing the absolute multitude—DON’T MISS IT—ABSOLUTE MULTITUDE–of overcomers and role models who are the glory stories abundant in—and for—the black community.  Were I to be counted among the cherished majority of black Americans, those law-abiding, successful, and godly ones, I’d resent being lumped in with anarchists and looters…indeed with evildoers and murderers. 

Character matters.  That’s what counts with God.

In a similar way, as a white American, I don’t want to be lumped in with all those evildoing whites throwing Molotov cocktails as if we’re all the same! We are not!  Character matters! That’s what God is looking for us to display…increasingly as Christians, as the Body of Christ…we will display…HIS CHARACTER.

The LORD detests those whose hearts are perverse, but He delights in those whose ways are blameless. Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished, but those who are righteous will go free. (Proverbs 11:20-21)

It’s character that’s essential.  Color is just a plus for a beautiful diverse community in heaven someday. 

Therefore, I will applaud God’s workmanship in every color….because our Maker is perfect and He creates to perfection! Red, brown, yellow, black, and white, all are precious in His sight.  Or so the children’s song goes.

So I pray as the Apostle John wrote, but directing our prayer to our Savior.  Father God, we praise You for sending our Savior, Your Son. Lord Jesus, we thank You.  “Now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when You appear, we shall be like You, for we shall see You as You are. All who have this hope in You purify ourselves, just as You are pure. Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.  But we know that You appeared so that You might take away our sins. And in You is no sin. <PRAISE THE LORD!>

No one who lives in You keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen You or known You….do not let anyone lead us astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as You are righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason You appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. <PRAISE THE LORD!>

No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in us; we cannot go on sinning, because we have been born of God. 
<PRAISE THE LORD!>
This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister. (1 John 3:2-10)

Lord Jesus, protect us and preserve us in this dark hour so that we may testify to the essential character of those born again.  We love You, Lord.  Amen.

Jesus warned us. 
“Watch out that you are not deceived” (Luke 21:8). 

Wake up, Christian.  Who are you following?

Who is it torching buildings and throwing frozen water bottles at the heads of police and passersby?  Who is it drop-kicking toddlers, punching the unsuspecting elderly with their walkers, assassinating political rivals point blank and in cold blood, and shooting innocent children in their strollers?  Who is looting, stealing other people’s livelihoods and belongings?  Who is committing arson, setting wildfires that ravage our nation’s forests?  Who is threatening peaceful neighborhoods in the cities and suburbs and marching in the streets, giving the finger, and shouting f-bombs as if those are the only two things they know how to do besides vandalize?  Who is pouring quick-set cement outside of the exit doors to prevent escape of those innocents they intentionally desire to burn alive? 

100% Antifa is 100% bad company. 

These people are not Christians. They are not motivated by love.  If you’re with them, you’re not with Christ.  If you’re with THEM, you’re against GOD. 

If you’re with THEM, the judgment of God will come upon you, too. 

Please wake up and repent.

Years ago, I wrote a blog post called Bad Company.  It was about how Martin Luther King, Jr’s peaceful protest movement for civil rights became hijacked by those with a different agenda.  Black Lives Matter is no different.  Billed initially as a loving movement of social justice everyone could applaud, it has gone dangerously off-track toward a different agenda altogether. 

Undiscerning Christians are being swept along in its evil riptide. 

Do they not see, or have they capitulated?  Even you pastors…are you one of them?  What pastor in his or her right mind thinks it’s okay to assault all police because of the rare bad apple? Is the color of one’s skin God’s litmus test for goodness?  No!  How did we go—in 19 short years—from lauding first responders as our nation’s bravest and finest on 9/11 to acronym graffiti “ACAB” (All Cops Are Bad)? 

The author of the Book of Hebrews explains God’s view this way, “It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. (Hebrews 6:4-6)

Reread Hebrews above. 
Discernment is vital and needed every moment. 
The lines of right and wrong are being blurred before our very eyes. 
Stop.
Take stock of where you are. 

“Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out,” He says. “There is a judge for the one who rejects Me and does not accept My words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day (John 12:31, 48).

That applies to former self-proclaimed Christians who have fallen away, too.  Bad company is taking some there. Don’t let it be you.

Have you ever thought about how much death and violence could be prevented in recent days if someone had just embraced the actions of obedience to God-given authorities in every realm of their lives? 

A police officer pulls someone over.  Hands on the wheel.  Yes, sir.  Do you have a weapon? Yes, sir, I have my FOID card in my wallet, my firearm is lawfully purchased and it’s in the glove box, sir.  How would you like for me to handle that, sir?  Get out of the car.  Yes, sir.  Hands where I can see them up in the air, okay?   Yes sir.  Are you on anything?  No sir. I don’t do drugs, or drive drunk, sir.  I need to see your driver’s license and FOID card.  Thank you for complying. You have a taillight out, son.  I’ll get that fixed, sir.  Thank you for letting me know.  That’s my job, son.  Your safety is my priority.  No ticket today, but be safe, okay?  Thank you, sir.

That is every police officer’s dream encounter.  It’s life-giving and lifesaving, and everyone goes home—alive—to his family.

I believe most people in America are basically good-hearted and value life and safety.  I believe God wants us to see something REALLY important: 

Rebellion leads to bad places. 

Sin is crouching at our door. It’s in our streets. It desires to devour us as it did with Cain who murdered his brother. Rebellion against authority is not evolution, nor is it progressive, but a regressive degradation of—and devoted worship of—self. Rebellion is the exaltation of self above all others.  Many in the streets excel at rebellion, are selfish to the core, have no regard for any human life, even those whose lives they exploit as a pretext for what they do.

Obedience is a learned behavior,
an essential action for those who wish to please God.

You see, it’s not enough to have faith.  As Scripture says in James,

“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that– and shudder.”
(James 2:17-19)

I pray like this:  Lord God, our Father in heaven.  You are holy.  You are sovereign over life events and a point will come when the patience chapter of Your story for mankind gives way to the chapter of Your holy wrath.  May we be found faithful, not just with our words of profession, but with our acts of commission.  May we never fail to do what is right in Your eyes as the only God.  You are worthy of worship and of our every act of obedience.  We humbly acknowledge that until Your return, You have given authorities in our lives to whom we owe respect, kindness, and yes, obedience. 

You have not given us a spirit of rebellion like Cain who murdered his brother, but a spirit of life and wisdom through Your Holy Spirit.  Keep our eyes focused on You, we pray, in these last days.  Keep our hearts pure, O Lord, in a world of sin.  Keep our minds free from the deceits of the evil one.  Keep our actions doing what is right and far from the tentacles of the evil one beckoning to rebellion.  And Lord, I ask that among my brothers and sisters in Christ, if any are in danger of falling away, lured by good feelings and popularity from that masquerading angel called the devil, O Lord, I ask that You bring them to their senses.  Jolt them from their complacency or worse, submission to the wrong god.  Wake them from their slumber—a nightmare they are pursuing for themselves because of the deception.  I know Your Word says,

“The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie.”

Lord, Your wisdom is beyond our understanding.  Those who are falling away, O Lord, are they lost forever?  I fear for my brothers and sisters, even my fellow travelers in seminary or in church. Do they not see Your Word being fulfilled in our time and this delusion of the world’s making coming upon them like a thief?  Your Word continues, “So that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.”

I conclude with a benediction of the Apostle Paul, continuing this passage in 2 Thessalonians 2, “But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.  So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. (2 Thessalonians. 2:9-17).  “Deed” and “word”…both action and faith…Amen.

It is hard to talk about essentials without acknowledging that our faith in God’s existence and our assurance of His activity…not passivity…in our lives matters.  This is essential for us because it’s impossible to please God without it. 

But you don’t have to take my word for it.  Scripture tells us that “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6  

To be clear, it’s not that God is hard to please.  Or that He’s hard-nosed and a bean counter waiting for you to do enough to earn His pleasure.  Or that He requires you to purchase your own salvation, expecting the impossible from us.  That’s why Jesus came! 

God has done for us—in Christ Jesus–what is impossible in our strength alone.

Make no mistake: God is pleased with the giant leap from unbelief to faith every bit as much as He’s pleased with our growth, baby step by baby step.

I am reminded of the Bible story of the man whose son was possessed by a demon, begging Jesus if He can help.  I’ve got to believe that Jesus was smiling, His eyes twinkling, as He said this,

“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:23-24)

I believe Jesus smiled at the man’s reply as well.  Is your belief—your faith in God—mixed with unbelief that He can (or will) act on behalf of those who love Him, on behalf of you?

Are your eyes open to see God’s activity during recent days, even during these last 65 days prior to the Presidential election?  Do you think God cares about who becomes the President? 

God is not passive.  
He is not up in heaven wringing His hands.  He isn’t worried. 
He isn’t equivocating. 
He isn’t double-minded, unsure of where to go or what to do. 
He is generous and will give wisdom! 
He is patient, not wanting anyone to perish! 
He loves to bless!

I find myself praying like this:  Lord God, I thank You that You have not given up on us. I praise You that You are our holy God in heaven and sovereign over everything. Lord God, when my heart is discouraged, please send godly encouragers my way; encouraging thoughts if there is no one around to encourage me; and I praise You that Your resources include the encouragement of Your Holy Spirit, for Whom I give thanks. I ask Lord, that You would lift up Your faithful people; that we would see Your activity in our lives; and that it would grow us in our faith.  That baby step by baby step, we would grow closer and closer to You, and that we would grow more and more in the knowledge of Your Son Jesus Christ. I pray that Your Holy Spirit would inspire us with hope and encouragement!  Grant us love and unity with our brothers and sisters in Christ irrespective of the color of our skin or the nation in which we reside. I ask, Lord, that You would give us the courage to speak of You in public–to proclaim Your Name–and to shout Your Salvation from our rooftops.  Lord Jesus, give us the words to acknowledge You in the public square; acknowledge Your goodness; Your tremendous mercy towards us; and to share the hope we have in You, indeed it is true love, not intolerance, to proclaim that the only way to the Father is through You.  Remind us often that You are very much active and very much alive and that You are immensely wise beyond anything we could ever imagine.  You know how all the pieces will come together and how You are weaving the fabric of this nation and of our lives to accomplish the tapestry of Your eternal story that You planned in eternity past.  We thank You Lord for this nation, for the freedom to be able to worship You!  We thank You, Lord, that our worship of You need not be confined to a church building but can be as public as the outdoors or as individual as a quiet heart alone in prayer.  We thank You, Lord, that You have not given up on the United States of America. We ask that You reclaim those once-faithful-Christians whose way has now gone astray.  There are many who have become distracted.  Those whose education, even in the Scriptures, has become proud and whose desires to gratify the culture, to fit in, to feel popular have caused them to become double-minded and misaligned with Your will.  Reclaim them, Lord, and do not allow errant teachings to take root, only permit what conforms to Your will and Your Word.  May You be glorified as Your will is done in this election.  Always we ask Lord that You would keep us faithful; our eyes fixed on You as the author and perfecter of our faith!  We praise You Lord! Your goodness is beyond measure; Your wisdom beyond tracing out; Your power beyond describing; and Your mercy beyond what we could hope to receive.  It is only by Your grace and the faith which You give as a gift.  We praise You Lord for Your grace and kindness and we offer these prayers in the mighty Name of Your Son and our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

We’re in the thick of election season.  (Wow, Barb, I hadn’t noticed.  Maybe I should log onto Twitter and see what people think and then count how many awful things people can say to one another.)  It’d be easy to want to tune it all out.  But it would have to be for the rest of your life because thanks to news media reliance on social media, every day is in the thick of election season, and I don’t see that trend going away.

That said, I beg you to pay careful attention because this election is more essential than many we’ve known in America.  Careful attention to what is essential for life and bringing glory to God.

God has a platform for what is essential policy.  Did you know that?

It’s called the Ten Commandments.

That’s what’s essential in God’s eyes.
But you don’t have to take it from me.  God says so. 

So be careful to do what the LORD your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Walk in obedience to all that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess. (Deuteronomy 5:32-33)

At the risk of losing friends, I’m going to ask a question. Think about the agendas, the platforms, being proclaimed and being acted upon in our streets. 

Now think about the individuals running for office in your federal, state, and local elections.  We ought to acknowledge that every human being is a sinner and has a history of sin…some worse than others.  But I’m not looking to focus on the past or on the person.  I’m not looking to cast aspersions or blame but rather, to cast a vision for the type of future that seeks to honor God.

Hopefully true Christians can agree that it is the devil’s province to blame and accuse,
to steal, kill, and destroy…
but we–as followers of Christ–ought to pursue the glory of God,
lifting the human soul through the Gospel of peace, forgiveness, and life.

Therefore, what I believe God wants us to address is this question: 

Do various political parties view these Ten Commandments–God’s Essentials for living in a way that honors and brings glory to Him–as being their Essential guide for the type of future they’d bring to your life and community?

Hey, are any besides me still trying to regain their bearings in a post-COVID world?  Many of you are dealing with the same types of restrictions, having the same types of thoughts, and what I really want to know is what people think of masks and hydroxychloroquine.  (Just joking of the “really want” part.)  Opinions are more plentiful than apolitical answers.  But in an election season which seems to have begun right after the 2016 election, everything is political.

I’ve jumped into the E-Learning on two different platforms.  I’m sympathizing with Americans who are struggling at home, struggling as parents, struggling to work, struggling without work, struggling to keep their home when they are without work… and realizing deep in my soul that this whole thing is unsustainable.  We can’t keep doing this for very long before it breaks the spirit of humankind.

And I’ve been thinking.  Dangerous, I know.

What I’ve been thinking about most is “What makes something essential?”

The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes essential (n) as “1: something basic; 2: something necessary, indispensable, or unavoidable.”

Hmmm.  I don’t think God sees “essential” the same way as Merriam-Webster, Uncle Sam or whoever’s defining it or running your government in your state or nation.

In one of my favorite passages of Scripture, Jesus spells out what is essential.

“As Jesus and His disciples were on their way, He came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to Him.  She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said.  But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to Him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’  ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed– or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’” (Luke 10:38-42)

Did you catch it?  “Indeed only one.”  That sounds essential to me. 
But maybe it’s more than essential because it’s enduring. 
“It will not be taken away from her.”

Much of what we’re considering essential can be taken away or has been.  We can find ourselves with no food, no home, no freedom, no peace, no safety, no church, no school, no hospital rooms, or heaven help us … no mask … when the store sign says “No mask. No entry.”

How upside down!  What is essential in Jesus’ eyes is knowing Him because that relationship will endure.  Martha’s preparations and meal-planning worthy of a TV show “Near East Woman” or an Ina Garten meme, will disappear as fast as men once the meal is over and there are dishes to be done.  It’s not that Martha’s work wasn’t of value– its only fault was that it was of this world.  Mary’s work of knowing Jesus lasts into eternity.

So, when faced with a world of lootings and shootings, learning by zoom and retreating to inner rooms, all of this will pass, but one thing is needed.  One thing is essential.  One thing is life or death.  Only one will last.  It will never be taken away.  It’s an anchor for your soul in the storms of life.  Jesus is essential, even more as the Day of His Return approaches.

The coronavirus has devastated businesses- large and small- which are core to the US and global economies. Everyone has felt the pain on a consumption level. We cannot shop like we once did, and for some, that means panic and hoarding.

Some people have been insulated from pain on their income earning–for example, hedge fund managers who bet against the economy, public sector/government workers who still get paid whether we reopen or not, and those who are heroically working in essential businesses so our economy doesn’t have an entire meltdown economically, medically, or socially as part of a larger world.

I have likened this “closing of the economy” to a medically-induced coma,
necessary to preserve life while giving us time
to stabilize and make adjustments to achieve a new normal: America 2.0

I am no economics expert, but I read a lot and think a lot. One of the podcasts I found particularly helpful regarding the coronavirus and the future of business was WarRoomPandemic and their interview about the economy with Dallas Mavericks’ owner and Shark Tank “shark”, Mark Cuban.

(For those of you who fear I’m too political, please don’t let that stop you from watching this particular segment and please don’t get wigged out by Steven K. Bannon. His podcasts have been cutting edge on what the research and journalism worldwide reveal about the coronavirus.)

Mark Cuban obviously was willing to share his wisdom and opinion there. In the first segment he raised some really important issues about what reopening looks like in reality and how businesses will someday be identified brand-wise by what they did during coronavirus and how they treated their employees. It reminds me of that scene in “It’s a Wonderful Life” where there was a run on the bank and how George Bailey treated people during a time of great panic.

In the second segment of @WarRoomPandemic with Mark Cuban which I highly recommend everyone watch, Cuban outlines what America 2.0 will look like with his predicted top 3 growth areas: artificial intelligence, robotics, personalized medicine, (adding in all advanced technologies). He insists that our future will require new ways of approaching commerce as we move forward. Hence, what I’m outlining below regarding positive lessons from coronavirus for business.

On an economic level:

1. Parts of our economy which are often overlooked or belittled have been revealed as “essential.”  Mike Rowe of “Dirty Jobs” was ahead of his time. We should give thanks to God for these people.
2. Everyone’s job is essential to him/herself and we should pray for those in need right now.  No one should have to suffer because the Chinese Communist Party didn’t keep their virus safely contained.
3. Some jobs are system-essential ones like supply chains of food and medicine of which we all benefit down the line.  We need to keep our supply chains local, free, and open.  Big learning lesson.
4. Shop in the ways you can locally.  Buy American whenever you have the option.
5. Tip well…even if you normally do…do it even more extravagantly if you’re able.
6. Trusting hostile governments with our investment portfolios is a bad idea.  Revisit your investments.
7. Letting hostile governments purchase significant parts of American real estate and enterprise is a bad idea.
8. Trusting hostile governments with our health and food safety is a bad idea.
9. An economy built primarily on leisure/entertainment is weaker than an economy built on manufacturing and agriculture.  But we are refreshed by sports and entertainment which is why they remain important to revive to full economic strength.
10. Monetary policy is complicated, and God understands it better than any of us. He even knows what’s been done in secret.  Those robbers hidden behind balance sheets will not escape eventual justice.
11. Economies can be rebuilt.  People can be rehired. God is able.  We honored Him with valuing people’s lives.  He will repay what the locusts took away.
12. We will need updated models of operation within every type of business for America 2.0
13. New or ancillary business options with contingency regulation easing will help the next time we need to interrupt business whether for pandemics, mass-tragedy, or weather events.
14. There’s a psychology to economies and optimism is contagious.  Fear and discouragement are enemies of God’s people. Be optimists. Believe by God’s will all things are possible! He is faithful!
15. Economic war is–and has been a reality–with numerous nations.

To all my friends who are small business owners and have suffered greatly during the pandemic, I’m so sorry you are bearing the weight of this and the devastation of your life’s dreams.

Do I believe the economy will recover? Absolutely!!!
Will Trump do it a second time? No.
Because God is the One who did it the first time and
He’ll do it again because we’re passing the test,
proving to ourselves and testifying that life is more valuable than money.

God will repay what the locusts have taken away.
This I believe with all my heart.

This series so far has included 100+ positive lessons from coronavirus as overarching principles, personal applications, societal lessons, and things we can learn about government . There have been lessons for the Church, too. There are so many positive lessons if we’re willing to look for them, digging deep, mining for them as if they’re precious metals or gemstones. Let’s not waste this opportunity to grow and become better through this pandemic.

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To be continued…

For the first time in around 2000 years of the Christian Church,
our holiest days were spent with church doors closed. Lights off. Nobody there.

Let that sink in.

Many churches still haven’t opened on account of coronavirus. This should not be the case ever again. There are lessons to be learned if we’re to be wise Christians, refusing to let the Gospel be sidelined during such times.

It’s more important than ever that the Gospel shine forth.
People need that kind of hope!

To keep ourselves focused on the positive things to be learned in our series on 100+ positive lessons from coronavirus, so far we’ve looked at personal applications, societal lessons, and things we can learn about government itself. Today, I want to focus on the Church because only if we–as citizens of 2 kingdoms– learn today’s lessons will we be found faithful tomorrow and when Jesus returns.

But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed,
but to those who have faith and are saved.
Hebrews 10:39

Coronavirus lessons for the Church include:

1. Modern tools like web sites, livestreams, and online giving are no longer luxuries.  The virus has shown us they are necessary for the modern mission field.
2. A 1950s Church mindset cannot minister in a modern context where 2 or 3 are gathered, even underground.  This has been a test, a drill, and we’re likely to see it again.  Prepare now.
3. Cultural adaptation doesn’t need to mean Gospel compromise. In fact, new communication pathways find new people with a historic Gospel message.
4. Sorting out civil disobedience and plain old disobedience is tricky, more so for the Christian.
5. Church leaders have shirked their responsibilities in teaching there are 2 kingdom worldviews for the Christian. Way too many feared political blowback and didn’t want to get their hands dirty with controversy.
6. Governments shutting down churches and police arresting pastors for congregating is forcing pastors out of complacency and cowardice.  Time to start leading again as fearless disciples.
7. The Church needs to teach an expectation of suffering and storms of life.
8. The Church needs to help people understand the line between God’s responsibility and our own–how fear and faith interact in these responsibilities.
9. Programs in a Church setting are more often inward than missional, and the virus has shown us which are which.  The Church exists for mission and worship and should direct resources accordingly.
10. The Church needs to look hard at its budgetary priorities as stewardship of God’s resources.
11. Ego builders like large staff and big buildings are unnecessary for an underground, missional Church.
    Any Church that has had multi-site or online presence for enlarging the pastor’s fame should repent and humbly recognize that one man’s folly can yet bear fruit in the hand of God.  It was never about you.  It was always about Him and He can take what man did for himself and produce good from it.
12. The Church must set forth a biblical model and instruct individuals on the value of being cheerful givers … even from home when no one is looking. (When I was in seminary, I did a cross-cultural ministry experience at a local reform Jewish synagogue. At the end of the 13 weeks, I asked the Rabbi how they fund things when no one passes a plate like they do in Christian churches. His reply was “We bill them.”
    The amount was not decided by the Rabbi, but the person who pledged in giving. He saw the astonishment on my face since it’s not how we do things in churches. He continued, “Why should service to God’s work be of any less value to anyone than his electric bill or refuse removal?” That stuck with me. )
13. People are more likely to give where they see results and they need both feeding with the Word and exercising of their faith through deeds.
14. The Church is under attack on spiritual and earthly battlefields. Make no mistake on a spiritual level, THIS was all about the destruction of Christian churches and demoralizing the faithful, removing us from the very community that has held the Church together for almost 2000 years.
15. Prayer needs to be elevated in priority since only God can truly save people. Put on the armor of God. It’s a battle out there.

Let’s not get mired in negativity and fear, shrinking back. There are many positive lessons if only we look for them.
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To be continued….