Dave is a missionary to the Middle East and has a unique perspective on the spread of the Gospel of salvation around the world. The whole world is hunkered down for fear of spreading the Corona Virus. However as Christians, we have not been called as disease vectors, but as vectors to spread God’s healing wholeness of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
Many world leaders have proposed solutions to the global pandemic. However, the solution from God’s perspective is Jesus Christ and the gospel of salvation. Sometimes God allows that which can be shaken to be shaken. We have the choice either to voluntarily go to our knees in prayer or he will allow circumstances to bring us to our knees.
Despite the darkness of our times, The gospel of salvation is exploding in the Middle East. Many Muslims are being converted to Christianity during this pandemic. On Line messages, conference calls, and video meetings have proliferated throughout the Arab world. The light of the word of truth is a stark contrast to the darkness of the pandemic of this moment in world history.
God is a God of deliverance. There can be no victory without a battle. Greater is he that is in you than he that is in this world. Jesus said, “In this world ye will have tribulation. Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
In World War II, President Roosevelt said, “We have nothing to fear except… fear itself.” According to to 2 Timothy 1:7, God has not given us a spirt of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee, yea I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
As able ministers of the New Testament, in this world that is seemingly on fire with pestilence and pandemic, God has not called us to be fire extinguishers, but “fear extinguishers.” For there is no fear in love but perfect love casteth out fear for fear has torment. He who feareth is not made perfect in love.
God works in mysterious ways. As high as the heavens are higher than the earth, so much higher his thoughts above our thoughts and his ways above our ways. We don’t know the end from the beginning, but he does.
From God’s perspective, this “invisible enemy” of Covid-19 has an underlying cause. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness from on high.
According to Romans 1:29 and following:
29. “Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30. Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31. Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32. Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”
Christians are called to stand against the darkness of this world. There’s a stark contrast between the works fo the flesh and the fruit of the spirit. Those whom God has called and are born again of his spirit have been given spiritual enablements. One of the manifestations of the Holy Spirit is discerning of spirits. The invisible enemy underlying the pandemic is the spiritual realm: the prince of the power of the air who now worketh in the children of disobedience.
Dave ministers to people from diverse ethnicities. Some members of his congregation still experience slavery in their countries of origin. The gospel of salvation is the only hope for true freedom. Jesus said, If you continue in my word, ye shall be my disciples indeed. And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.
Things are far worse around the world than in the United States. Dave has witnessed atrocities in the Middle East where “ethnic cleansing” practices have resulted in innocent populations being raped, pillaged, plundered, and killed in the name of so-called ethnic purity. These are symptoms of the acute spiritual warfare of our times.
However, the weapons or our warfare are not carnal, but spiritual to the pulling down of spiritual strongholds. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against spiritual wickedness from on high. According to Ephesians 6:14-18, To stand against the schemes of the devil we must put on the whole armor of God:
14. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15. And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit…
In the spiritual battle, the offensive weapons are the sword of the spirit which is the word of God and prayer.
We have nothing to fear, for if God be for us who can be against us? The question is not whether God is on our side, but whether we are on God’s side. On God’s side, be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good….
According to 2 Corinthians 2:14, Now thanks be to God who always causeth us to triumph in Christ Jesus, and maketh manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place.
…That we may ever live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael
