COVID-19 and the Path Forward

In 2009, during the outbreak of the H1N1 virus, otherwise known as the Swine Flu, I posted a prophetic briefing informing our community that there would be new strains and viruses “set to emerge from various and diverse beasts or creatures of the earth that will have a fatal consequence upon a huge number of people.”

Here is an excerpt from that briefing:

God did not make the future known to us in order to scare us, but in order to prepare us. It doesn’t matter what your present eschatological (end-time) position is regarding the second coming of Jesus and the “rapture” of the Church; we must be a prepared people so that we can become an answer and a solution when these global crises occur. We can’t afford to be caught sleeping or without any oil in our lamps. How will we respond? How can we help to bring peace and stability during a time of desperation and panic, when world leaders and health agencies or officials are at their wits end trying to come up with a solution? We must have a strong faith and Kingdom foundation established, as well as the wisdom of God available if we are to be a city set upon a hill during this time.

God has seen it fit to give us a great head start on these issues by revealing unto us way ahead of time what is to come. The future is for a prepared people, and a good leader sees a problem before it becomes an emergency. Let us prepare ourselves both individually and corporately for what is to come.

Do your part to stay alert and informed but be aware that the global population at large—including agencies such as the CDC and others—is severely limited and handicapped by their human limitations. They will often not be able to provide any answers or any solutions, and by the time they are able to figure anything out, it will be far too late for many people. Don’t depend on the CDC; trust in God and His wisdom, but at the same time, don’t neglect to stay informed.

I don’t see the present strain of the Swine Flu as becoming anything like a dangerous global epidemic, but I do know that it is preparing the way for others more fatal and deadly in the near future. The time to act and to prepare is now. Let this be a wake-up call to the global Kingdom Community we call the Church.

I am going to share a few things now regarding the current crisis so that you can get a clearer prophetic perspective on what is going on. No doubt, you have been inundated with messages and media from the government, businesses, health organizations, and religious organizations, to name a few. The simple and immature will readily accept and believe everything they hear based on that agency’s or organization’s perceived credibility. I don’t have the time to expound on this point, but ask yourself this question: Do you put as much faith and credence in the Word of God as you do these reputable agencies, including the news media? Your actions and your behavior demonstrate your faith much more precisely than your words (James 2:14-26).

KEY POINTS

Here are some key points to consider that will help to accurately position you moving forward:

  • We have entered into a time of crises when world leaders and agencies, including health organizations like WHO and the CDC will not have answers. Do you know what leaders do when they don’t have answers, but decisions still need to be made? That’s right, they make their best educated guess. The reality is that guesses can be wrong. I am warning you now by the Spirit of God that there is a time coming—in fact, that time is already upon us—when you will have to trust in the Word of God and the Spirit of God in order to escape or navigate the pitfalls of danger and fatality.

    As a matter of fact, even in this present crisis, there have been multiple missteps. And you’re going to find that later down the road, and in some instances long after the crisis, that some leaders and agencies are going to come clean and acknowledge (or be exposed for) their error of spreading misinformation or taking wrong action. I’m not asking you to be a skeptic. I’m instructing you to be plugged in to the greatest source of truth and the highest authority—the Holy Spirit (John 16:13).

  • You cannot prepare for the crisis in the midst of the crisis any more than you can prepare for a fight in the midst of a fight. You can’t pause the fight and start lifting weights. By the time the fight starts, everything you have been doing, practicing, and feeding yourself prior is going to come out.

    When Jesus instructed His disciples to watch and pray lest you enter into temptation, He was seeking to prepare them for the coming crisis. The watching and praying were never for the purpose of averting the crisis, which is the kind of nonsensical prayers that you hear most often from the religious blind (“Lord, we bind this corona virus and declare that it shall not spread any further!”).

    Had Peter and the others watched and prayed like they were instructed to, their response would have been accurate. Peter would not have lashed out with his sword in fear, and the others would not have run away in terror. Fear would have found no entrance into their hearts had they been watching and praying, because they would have been correctly postured and grounded in faith for what God Himself had purposed and predestined to occur (Matt. 26:36-56). Much of what we’re seeing and hearing today, even from the religious community, is fear-based. Like the five foolish virgins without oil in their lamps, they were caught unprepared (Matt. 25:1-13).

  • It is almost impossible to hear God in the midst of the noise, because He usually speaks quietly. Don’t expect to hear God speak to you if you’re not giving Him the time and opportunity to do so. This means shutting off ALL other voices and media. Turn down (shut out) all the outside noise from the secular and religious media. Open up the Word of God and wait in His presence until He speaks to you. Stop the foolish, selfish, fearful praying and ask God to open your eyes to what He is doing behind the scenes in the earth.

    God is not an American, and His Kingdom isn’t America! It’s time to see the big picture!

    In the midst of this great darkness we need sight, so come to the Light! Allow God to show you how He is shaking the nations and redistributing wealth. Even our stock markets and money-gods must bow and tremble at His feet because they are frail and weak (a single virus brought the markets to a crashing halt and crippled the economy), yet the foolish continue to put their trust in it/them.

    Therefore, questions and arguments regarding the source of the crisis (whether God sent the plague or the devil) are unwise and unprofitable. When you understand the sovereignty of God and can recognize His hand in the midst of the crisis, such questions/arguments become moot and irrelevant.

    God is working and doing great things in the nations of the earth. There is so much going on right now in the spirit that it makes my head spin. I am unable to comprehend or process everything because it is taking place so quickly and on such a grand scale. But make no mistake about it: God is sovereignly moving in the earth and shifting nations, people, times, and seasons according to His divine will and purpose, and this virus is a key instrument in His hands. Even the very timing of it was precise, and it is heavy with prophetic insight for those who have eyes to see and a heart to understand.

    While millions are furloughed and/or grounded (unable to travel), there is an innumerable amount of divine movement in the heavens, as God is literally shifting pieces on the board like a game of chess. While many are fearful, I am excited. And you should be, too!

CONCLUSION

To the contrary of some who are proclaiming that this is the end, I am here to tell you that this is only the beginning. We have entered into a new era when the earth will be overtaken with crises, some of which will be by our own making. They will grow more frequent, and many will be swept away in fear. But they who wait upon the Lord shall grow to soar above these storms, and the wisdom of the Lord shall shine brightly in the midst of the darkness of fear and confusion (Is 60:1-3; Luke 21:25-28).

America’s strength and wealth will continue to wane, despite the best efforts of those whose aim is to “make America great again”. No party or president is going to alter this trajectory, no matter how much support they have from the evangelical community. And the evangelical community itself is going to go through massive changes in this next season. Many churches will not recover from this crisis.

The day is coming and is already upon us when there will be a clear demarcation between the prophets of God and the prophets of Baal. Those who continue to listen to and follow the prophets of Baal shall share in their judgment, but those who hearken to the prophets of the Living God shall continue to prosper (2 Chron. 20:20).

Be a light in the midst of the darkness. Allow the world to see the light of God’s love shining brightly through you. While many are hoarding and being held captive by selfishness and fear, be the opposite by demonstrating generosity, kindness, and love.

And be connected! There is a big difference between “social distancing” and isolation. A virus can be harmful and life-threatening, but the effects of prolonged isolation can be a hundred times worse, because it can have detrimental effects on every part of your being (mentally, emotionally, physically, etc.). You are salt and light, and these things are useless if they are separated from the things they were meant to illuminate and protect (preserve).

God’s Kingdom is advancing in the earth, and He is accelerating the times according to His purposes. We are ambassadors and co-laborers with Him. Rejoice, for the return of the King is imminent!