The novel coronavirus fear pandemic is reaching epic proportions. The fear is permeating virtually everywhere, as is well-represented in current events. The General Conference has issued church guidelines, including recommendations that everyone get vaccinations. Steve Wohlberg sent out a newsletter containing the following paragraph:



The Upper Columbia Conference sent out a newsletter saying:



And where I am, the afternoon youth program has been canceled, the fellowship meal has been canceled, and people have their temperatures checked by an infra-red thermometer at the entrance to the sanctuary, with those experiencing flu-like symptoms being asked to return and stay at home; masks are recommended and hand-shaking is frowned upon--all this while not a single member here has been diagnosed with the virus.

So, unfortunately, Adventists are collateral victims in the fear campaign. But we should not be among those who succumb to fear, much less to disease!

It pains me deeply that we, as a church, should so willingly join the world in its fear, on account of which we give up the plain words of God and choose a course in contradiction to both the Bible and the writings of Ellen White. We have so many great and exceedingly precious promises to our side; why should we be afraid?

We are entering troublous times. They will become even more so. Those who are not grounded firmly in the truths of the Bible will not be able to stand in this last great conflict. Therefore, with the sincere hope of helping to ground God's people more firmly in these truths, I write now.

I've seen this kind of fear before. This is nothing new.

In 2003, SARS was the big scare. An Adventist organization whom I need not name had planned a series of evangelistic meetings in the Isaan region of Thailand, with separate teams being organized to hold meetings in at least nine or ten separate cities between Ubon-Ratchatanee and Udon Thani. I volunteered to help in one of those locations and purchased plane tickets. Then SARS caused two deaths in Udon Thani, and the organizer of these events deemed it best to cancel all of them.

I was shocked. Having tickets already, I went and visited the area anyway--though now as a tourist in place of an evangelist. I distinctly remember the bus ride that took me to Udon Thani--the place where two people had died of SARS. Folks, I'm here to tell the story! I didn't die! But many others, whom eternity alone will reveal, DID die without knowing God because of the fear that replaced faith in the leaders' hearts.

I wish I did not have that experience. And I wish I did not see it repeated now.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY

The Bible is clear:



--Wait! We are not even supposed to be afraid of having our body killed? No. We should not be afraid.



Twice in that same chapter, Jesus tells us not to let our hearts be troubled, the second time adding "neither let it be afraid." This is not a recommendation, an idle suggestion: this, coming from our Lord and Master, is a command.

Whenever we disobey one of God's commandments, we put ourselves and others at risk. By far the greatest risks we face presently are spiritual, not physical. If we should be afraid of anything, it should be that we would dishonor God by not following Him as we should. We should be afraid to misrepresent Him or His character; afraid to trust our own judgment over His.

And what does the Bible say about our church meetings?



...AND SO MUCH THE MORE AS YE SEE THE DAY APPROACHING!

That day is approaching. We should be the more zealous not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. This scripture is given for just such a time as this.

Does Ellen White say anything about this? Yes.



"A book of remembrance is written of those who do not forsake the assembling of themselves together...." I want to be in that book, how about you?



According to this, if we forsake the assembling of ourselves together, we will receive a curse from God in place of a blessing. I don't want that curse, do you?



Not only should we not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, but also we should not forsake gatherings with other people--with the goal of touching their hearts with divine truth. We must not merely withdraw into ourselves, nor seclude ourselves from others.

Jesus has given us a Commission. We are to reach the masses of sin-damaged people who suffer for want of the very truths we have. Their eternal lives, not merely temporal, are at stake. Like the paramedics at the scene of an accident, our work is lifesaving, but on a much grander scale.

How can we continue to advance the work of God in the fulfillment of the Great Commission when we give place to fear and close our schools, meetings, and events?



Ellen White teaches us that "we are to place ourselves in every gathering of God, where His people are commissioned to be present." God's commission is His command. To go against Jesus' commission should not be taken lightly. It involves eternal risks--risks far, far more fearsome than any which might be seen in the physical pestilences we encounter in the world today.

It should be unnecessary to remind anyone of Psalm 91. We should have this entire chapter memorized. Then why are we afraid? And why should we be so afraid that we must close down the work of God?

Jesus' disciples were in a boat. Several of them were well-experienced, rugged sailors and fishermen who knew their way around the boat and the sea in which they were. "They were strong men and accustomed to the water" (EGW), but the storm that came up that day was no ordinary tempest. The waves swept over them in the boat. They were sinking, and they knew it. They knew they were doomed. Fear gripped their hearts. They had forgotten about Jesus being in the boat--and now they woke Him up with their piteous plea for help.



We should seek to emulate our Master. He was not fearful, even when the storm was so powerfully upon Him.

The disciples were rebuked for their lack of faith--and, for them, death had been imminent. What must God think of OUR lack of faith when we shut down our gatherings and curtain our opportunities for fellowship over the fear of something that we have not even yet experienced?

Faith. We must have it. We cannot afford to loosen our grip on Jesus.

Mrs. White tells us of an experience she had that is similar to that of the disciples in the boat. Very similar. I'll let you see this for yourself.




We serve a powerful God. Let none lose faith.



According to Romans 10:17, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Our fear only gives evidence that we have not been with Jesus?that we have not been hearing His words. In order to cultivate faith, we must hear God's words. Every day. We must spend more time reading what He says than reading the news and tidings of woe coming from the world around us. By beholding, we become changed. Let us behold Jesus?the one who had not a trace of fear in the storm. Let us behold Jesus?the one who touched lepers and dead people with no fear of getting sick. Let us behold Jesus?the one who gives us peace; who tells us not to be afraid, nor troubled at heart.

The three Hebrews who would not bow, not even to tie their shoes, beside the image show us the example we should follow. They faced imminent death for it. If they were afraid of this, they did not show it. They were willing to go to the flames?as is recorded in Scripture?even if God did not save them, rather than to dishonor their Master.

"We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history." -- Ellen White.

Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

Is he not aware that it takes a year to get the supposed vaccine?

Quite agree -- this so called pandemic is a fear tactic of major proportions..

And yes scripture commands


We read stories of people in Russia and China, where it was illegal to assemble for worship, who risk imprisonment, torture and death rather than stop meeting. Yet here the fear of Covid-19 has seen the close of pretty much all churches and religious gatherings.

Think of it -- EIGHT people have died in total in all of Canada, we are facing potential lock down and already schools, churches and social meeting places are shutdown.

Did you realize that Influenza and pneumonia killed 8,511 people in 2018, according to Statistics Canada?
In 2018, more than 53,000 Canadians died from heart disease
80,000 people died from cancer in 2018 in Canada

Yet, we don't plunge the whole country into lock-down over these much greater statistics of death due to an illness..


The vaccine?

As of March 18, COVID-19: Fast-tracked vaccine receives approval in China to begin human trials at virus epicentre

Be careful with Vaccines, especially "fast-tracked" ones, they could be more damaging than the disease with very little impact on curbing the disease.

Prayer conferences have been canceled because of people's fears and lack of trust in the Lord.

And Upper Columbia Conference just mandated that all churches be closed, effective immediately.



When they say "decisive action is needed," it almost seems as if they are saying "we must exert our authority." Who gave them this? Will our churches just close because the Conferences tell them to?

Ellen White's expression that our "church may appear as about to fall" begins to take on new meaning.

Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

Note the similarity to vaccinations. First it was, get vaccinated to protect yourself. When too many people objected that the cure was worse than the risk, they changed their tune for vaccinate yourself to protect others.

What will happen when our conferences say all churches must close on Sabbaths and only hold worships on Sundays? Nothing different?

I agree that we should consider closing from government recommendations rather than having the government pass a law to close churches. But something just seems so wrong with the whole deal.

I can see that meeting in small groups can possibly "slow" the spread. But is not the end result the same? Whether you are meeting in 10 or 250, isn't the end game that everyone is exposed?

This is very true, fear can do more than a million man army, and we are seeing the effects as it spreads. My wife and I have decided to go forward in faith, but its dangerous and potentially deadly, but we are calling the members to see if they are alright, and seeing if they lack needed essentials and going through the stores to try and locate them, and take it to them. Its all we can do, but the hospitals here are getting hit with coronavirus patients and many members work at the hospitals or medical institutions, and some we visited are sick but have not been tested, so we can only pray.

What is the people's breaking point.
2 weeks?
30 days?
How far can the be pushed until they go berserk?
Let's try it. Maybe they will last a couple of months.
Amazed at how easily they are led through the nose....

Didn't someone famous say,
'Give me safety or take my liberty!'

Lock them down. Keep them from checking out the reality of the media.
That way, they won't find out the hospitals are empty.
Shoot them if they venture out. Got to protect the live exercise, the experiment.