Faith and COVID-19

Hey, this is Tim Pratt Jr. I want to welcome you to the podcast Student of Life. I pray that you hear something that will add value, shape, develop, and cultivate your faith in order to be the person that God desires you to be, as well as the application to see it through. Enjoy. What's up everybody? So this is a bonus episode of season 3. We're still on track to drop, you know, uh, episode 5 of this, of this season. I'll probably be doing a couple of these bonus episodes due to the self-quarantine, what's going on. I'm sure that you are aware of. But in this one, I want to just jump straight into it. I don't want to hold you long. I just want to speak what God has, you know, put on my heart. I wrote about it about a week ago in a blog, and I don't want to get into a whole back and forth of, you know, what's going on with to have church, not have church, take shots at— I don't want to get into none of that. What I want to do is specifically speak what God has put on my heart to encourage people in the faith. And even if you're not a person of faith, I still want to talk to you, and I would like for you to share this episode, you know, as I'll basically always do a call of action at the end in the outro. But I just want to say it again in here, you know, whether you're a person of faith or not, I want— I believe that this will bless or touch you in some kind of way. So before I jump into the content, uh, that I have, you know, basically kind of just extracted from the blog that I wrote, is that if you have basically been afraid due to this situation, you know, anxiety, just up and down uncertainty, your faith has been tested, listen, don't beat yourself up. I mean, look, I struggle with things I struggle with uncertainty, but that's why it's so important to, you know, feed our spirit with the, with the word of God, because that's where that feeling of the Holy Spirit comes from. You know, you can't feed the Holy Spirit. All we can do is feed our spirit, and that's, like I say, how we just basically get more and more of the Holy Spirit. And, you know, it's in my understanding of the scripture, that's the feeling. Like I say, it's a distinction between the dwelling and feeling of the Holy Spirit. But that being said, it's nothing wrong with having that fear. Don't lose it, don't lose your faith, but it's going to be rock sometimes, and that's just what makes it challenging. Like I say, how do I really know you have faith unless it's met with opposition? Like, you know, think about that. How do you know that you have faith unless it's met with opposition? So as we jump into the content in this, you know, I just, like I said, I want to stay with the scriptures. I'm not a Bible scholar. I personally, you know, subscribe to what my dad says, that I believe it's only one true biblical scholar, and that's God. I feel like we have a lot of historians, but it's only one true biblical scholar. And as I examine and study the scriptures, if I'm wrong, like I say, you know, let's link up, point them out to me, and I'll stand corrected. You know, just like, as you'll see, I had to stand corrected dealing with 2 Chronicles 7 and 14. But as I— when I had searched out the scriptures, I have only come to understand two reasons behind things like this, you know. And it was basically God, when he allowed or he sent or whatever, the goal was always repentance and restoration. That's all it was, because it was the desire that he had for us to be in intimate relationship with him, him being our Heavenly Father, like us, his children. The other part of this, now, yes, we can say, you know, God still allows sicknesses for his own purpose, for him to be glorified and things like that. But we also can say that it could simply be the result of us living in a broken world, or or a fallen world, depending on what terminology you want to use. But I have no way to determine if this, you know, pandemic or whatever you want to call it has a specific spiritual cause behind it. I don't know. But I do know that God is in control. And as Romans 8:28 always says, and all things work together for the good of those who love him. That's what I do know, that like believe and love him, that like just hands down. And you know, as you rightly divide the scriptures, you know, Jesus Christ, yes, he came, he healed things, he called out things, he delegated that same authority to us, you know, every disease and sickness, you know, as well as the plagues and areas that he visited, but we also have to understand that— you know, I'm gonna wait. I want to get ahead of myself. I don't, I don't want to get ahead of myself. I just want to say this: I don't know if this is a specific judgment of sin. I don't want to tie it to the end times because no man knows the day nor the hour. But as bad as this is, all I can say is that it's going to get eventually get worse. You know, we might— this, this, this virus of course is gonna, you know, probably go away, run its course, you know, clean up things as people obey the laws of the land and things like that. But I can rest assure you, maybe not today, maybe not weeks ago, but according to scripture, this land is not going to get healed. And that's where I had to be, you know, corrected at 2 Chronicles 7:14. You know, I was talking to my dad And he was just like, son, just search that out. It wasn't like nothing like, oh, this name's like— just make sure you, you know, search it all the way out. And, you know, in 2 Chronicles 7:14, just for people that don't know, it's basically the verse says, if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and he will forgive theirs. And Yahweh forgive their sin and heal their land. But this is the key to understanding basically any scripture, but using this one is context. That was a covenant with Israel that was unique and exclusive. The terms that apply to Israel simply do not apply to us. They don't. And so that's when we use that scripture, you know, basically out of context. So like I say, God is not going to heal this, this land. He's not, because this world is going to be destroyed. Now you can point to Jonah and things like that, but like I say, kind of like— not kind of, but going back— that the one— the ones that us that believe in Christ and have accepted of him as our Lord and Savior, we will be okay. We will be fine. I don't know if what's going to happen necessarily to this flesh, but spiritually, eternity— that's what you have to think about. You have to have an eternal mind. We're going to be okay. So do I want something to happen to me right now? No, I don't. But at the end of the day, I know that I'm sealed and I'm secure. Like, I know that I'm going to spend eternity with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So no matter what, basically to truly live is to die in this flesh. So that's just the truth. And I am— I, like I say, but am I looking for it now? No, I'm not. In all honesty, I'm not. I want to be here and I want to do what God told me to do. But I, at the same time, it's like no matter what, I'm fine, because whatever this— whatever happens in this world, I know that when it's all said and done, I'm going to be with my Father. I just don't necessarily know how or when it's going to come, if that makes sense. But kind of getting back on topic, uh, like I say, this world will be destroyed. You know, we can go to 2 Peter 3, you know, you can go in Revelation and stuff, but nothing is going to stop the plan of God, the will of God, from being carried out. It's just not going to happen. So, you know, I see things about national prayer, national repentance, but, you know, this might give me some backlash, but, you know, we just have to look at the truth and really understand what repentance is. Repentance is a 180. You know, I was talking to a friend a while ago, and I was, you know, just— the Lord was showing me how we have showed God— we have basically told God that our opinion down here for legislation and laws and things like that is more effective than his word, that it trumps his word. So, you know, I'm not bashing or anything like that, but, you know, when you look at the laws around marriage and homosexual marriage now, uh, you look at abortion rates and just so on and so on and so on, you know. And if people are in that, you know, I, I I love them, you know. It's— this is not the bad— you look at fornication, I mean, look how many people just— just don't harp on those. You just look at all sin, man, and it's just— it's filthy. Like, God hates sin. Yes, his grace and his mercy, but we got to be very careful. He— if God didn't hate sin and want to punish it then you can— I mean, you can really say— and I'm not saying this is scripture or anything, but I'm just saying that examining the scriptures, why did he allow it? I mean, why did he— why did Jesus go to the cross? Is all I'm saying. Like, he punished it. So yes, the grace and mercy and things like that, it see us through, But we have to quit acting like God doesn't— like, oh, well, he's okay. The, the, you know, saying yes, rightly divide the scriptures, and that's just the truth. So, but that doesn't give us a right to bash people or beat them down or just point and pick and choose. Well, we going through this because of gay people, we're going through this because of, you know, people aborted. No, I'm not saying that at all. I can't give you a reason why, but I can say this is that it just doesn't stop there. It's a lot of just mess going on here. But true repentance is turning away. And so what am I saying? Basically, the point that I'm making is this: if it's true repentance, I don't care about you declaring a National Repentance Day. If it's true repentance, things have to be rectified. So if I go up to the altar and say I want to repent for fornication because I've been sleeping around, but I know I'm not going to change nothing about it, I still have the intent of my heart to carry out the same actions. So it's not— it's just lip service. And so declaring these national days, that's all it is. It's pointless if certain things aren't retracted. That's just the truth. Like, no, it's— but no, no ifs, ands, and buts about it. And so, like I say, you know, this world— if you go back and read 2 Peter, 2 Peter 3, you know, more notably around verses 10, I believe, through 12, you will get the proper context and what's going to happen. But we as believers, you know, we should basically be living— this shouldn't take us by surprise. We should be living according to the word of God. And like I say, you know, most importantly, as I just come to a close within this episode, is that 2 Chronicles— I understand that, you know, about this land not going to be healed. But like I say, the heart of that is repentance. And so it's never wrong to confess our sins and pray. In fact, it's our duty as believers to continuously do this. It's just to continuously do this, just have a repentant heart, you know, because when we do drop the ball— but in the midst of this, you know, I know it can be easier said than done. Like I say, you know, you have a right to be human. Your humanity, our humanity is going to be displayed. But God is in control. I'm telling you, it might not be the way we want it, or he might not be controlling things as we may see it. Like I said, we often pray that God accepts our will versus us accepting his, to bless our will versus us living according to his. But you can rest assured that he is in control. All throughout scriptures, I believe over like 300 times, I was looking up when I was doing some research, is that no fear, do not fear, do not fear. But we have to be wise and take reasonable steps to avoid the exposure and the spread of this disease and protect and provide for our family. It's nothing wrong with that. I have a wife and 2 kids. I have a mom, you know, healing grandmother, you know, a youngest son with 2-time cancer survivor. I have an oldest son with asthma. You know, one minute they saying kids can't get it, you know, compromised health issues, uh, respiratory, all this type of stuff. So I have to protect, I have to do what I need to do and make wise decisions not to just intentionally put them in harm's way because of what I want to do. No one is trying to stop Jesus, you know. We quote that, do not forsake the assembly. I get that, you know, I miss the fellowship, I truly do. But go back and research that out. So we have to be wise to basically help try to, you know, stop this thing. And I would say the most important thing out of all of this is look for opportunities for ministry, but do it with love. Be bold and compassionate sharing the gospel, always speaking truth, but most importantly in love. We have to do this thing in love because people are more fearful when things like this going on. They look to things to turn to, and so they search. You know, you got conspiracy theories. Some stuff might be spot on, some stuff might not be, but I'm learning to basically turn to God and allow the Bible to be my final authority. Like I say, I cannot truly tell you why this is happening. Other than it could be about repentance and restoration on a personal level. It could be on a corporate level, I don't know, but I do know it's about repentance and restoration on a personal level for sure as well. And I'm, I'm sorry, I lost my train of thought. Oh, but simply because we live in a fallen world or broken world, so Like I say, man, just look for the opportunities with ministry out there. Be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ. Don't make this thing deeper than what it's supposed to be. Don't get to trying to do too much and just contradicting God's word all kind of way. Love, love everybody quickly and just get it right. Repent and turn from your ways. Hey, so I want to thank you for taking the time to listen to this content today. If it has impacted you in any kind of way, I want to encourage you to share it on your social media feed with family and friends. And if you desire to connect with me on a more deeper level, go to www.timothyprattjr.org where you'll get more information on how to do that. With that being said, continue to have a blessed day, and Lord's will, I'll see you next time.