DIFFICULT EXPERIENCES
BRO. W. S. VEDHA (INDIA)
I am almost 65 years of age and have faced a lot of difficult experiences in my Christian life. The coronavirus pandemic has taught us many lessons the last two months. We pray to the Lord asking, “Is it the end of time and the second coming of Jesus?” [“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” Matthew 24:36.]
In forty-five years of ministry, we have never missed even one Sunday service, but last Sunday, we stopped our Sunday service by order of our government. It is very painful in my heart.
Kindly my beloved saints, pray for India. We are praying for the situations all over the world. Our God is Almighty. He does miracles for His children. Amen.
“MAGOR-MISSABIB”: FEAR ROUND ABOUT
BRO. JOHN VARGHESE (INDIA)
Jeremiah 20:1-3 reads, “Now Pashur the son of Immer the priest, who was also chief governor in the house of the LORD … smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks…. Then said Jeremiah unto him, The LORD hath not called thy name Pashur, but Magormissabib” [fear or terror round about].
The whole world is under the fear or threat of COVID-19. It has taken the precious lives of thousands and many are suffering and struggling from the sickness. Government authorities and rulers have taken emergency steps to subdue or overcome this virus and to save the lives of people.
When God sent plagues to Egypt through Moses, the magicians of King Pharaoh tried their best to imitate and overcome those plagues, but they failed. Finally, they said “surely this is the finger of God” (Exodus 8:19). At the time of Noah, when God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, He decided to destroy the earth through flood (Genesis 6:5, 6). Likewise, God decided to destroy Sodom by fire seeing the wickedness of the people there. According to the prophet Ezekiel, in addition to homosexuality, the sins of the people in Sodom included pride, gluttony, abundance of idleness or easiness, and oppressions (Ezekiel 16:49). Jesus said in Luke 17:26-30 that as in the day of Noah and Lot so it would be in the days of the coming of the Son of man.
Even after continuous plagues, King Pharaoh hardened his heart and perished. Instead of hardening the heart, let the whole world repent and turn to God for a complete remedy not only from the virus but also from the penalty of sin.
Let us pray to God until He stretches His hands of mercy towards mankind. Let us judge ourselves, discern the times, and watch over our souls. Our Lord is at the gate and will come back soon for the judgment.
