Fear of the U's

“Then there will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and there will be anguish on the earth among nations bewildered by the roaring sea and waves. People will faint from fear and expectation of the things that are coming on the world, because the celestial powers will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near! ” Luke 21:25-28 HCSB. Currently, the Coronavirus is on the world's mind. It is the preeminent story in every newspaper, news website, cable news television and so on. While in the Twin Cities last week for the One Minute Witness Boot Camp, I saw were people in the Mall of America wearing surgical masks because of the fear of contracting this virus. Fear, in general, has so many manifestations, some are healthy and others are unhealthy. On a lighter side, I am thankful that this passage is another part of the red letter edition emphasis we are going through in 2020. For those who are visiting today or will be reading this online in 2020, I have chosen to use the words of Jesus in every sermon this year. Since we do gather on a regular basis in close proximity it would be important for all of us to use good healthy habits as it relates to reducing the risk of contracting any kind of virus or disease. I’m not going to belabor you all by giving you a checklist of steps you need to follow. The most important and obvious is to wash your hands frequently and use hand sanitizer if needed. Please don’t come to church if you’re sick, especially if you are not sure of what kind of illness you have. Please don’t avoid coming, just use common sense. Enough said. COVID-19 is just another example of how the overwhelming majority of the world is motivated by fear, unhealthy fear. People have gone out and purchased stockpiles of toilet paper, purified water, hand sanitizer, and the list goes on. No one is stating we shouldn’t be prepared, but what is happening now is based out of fear. Three kinds of unhealthy fear affect the overwhelming majority of mankind. #1 fear of the unknown (someone breaking into your home), #2 Fear of the unseen (getting sick, Coronavirus), #3 fear of the unavoidable (death). Today I’ll focus on the second fear in my list of unhealthy fears. By no means is this list exhaustive, it is just a small sampling of phobias which can cripple mankind. Fear of the unseen can be visibly seen by observing healthy young people wearing a surgical mask while coming into contact with the world. The overwhelming majority of specialist state these masks have no preventative value as it relates to COVID 19. Please do not listen to mainstream television media, they want to create a sense of panic and hysteria. Sadly, this current virus is being used as a wedge in the political arena. Jesus is the only hope for America! Jesus is the only hope for the world! Jesus is the only known cure for the Coronavirus! The reason men’s hearts are failing is that they have taken their eyes off Jesus or they don’t even know Jesus as the source of life. For us as followers of Jehovah Rapha we believe HE is the healer, HE is the source of life and we should believe HE will sustain us! All our days have been ordained before one comes to pass. Proverbs 3:25 says, “Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,” common sense should always be part of our daily routine but more importantly, we trust in the name of our God! His name which means healing!