One definition of faith is the act of believing in something especially with a strong conviction.
Faith, though, in order to be effective, must be based on truth. And what’s needed now are political and religious leaders to call for healing, yes, but first to lead the effort to acknowledge the truth, confess the role they played in stoking the divisions, and only then work towards unity and healing.

This is what we have been praying for all along, that God would begin a period of healing and reconciliation, both physically and socially; and more importantly, spiritually, drawing us back to Him. The insurrection had the unintended consequence of repulsing many Americans who did not support the incoming administration and causing them to step off the path of corruption and destruction and to step into an era of unity.

As we go through the coming week we can expect to witness God making His own presence known, giving us confidence that He will soon usher in an era of peace throughout the land.
And we will be able to say that what the devil has meant for evil, God has meant for good (Genesis 50:20).

In the meantime, God has been good to us in giving us opportunities to still worship together and encourage one another throughout the week each week.
These times of fellowship have been precious.
And even though we are still in the middle of a firestorm, knowing what God has in store for us, we can sing another Christmas song even today, All Is Well.

Love is why Jesus died on the cross.
Love is why He came to be born in a manger.
And as we celebrate the season of Christmas, let’s heed this call of our Savior who tells us, not to stand by, but out of a pure heart to actively “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:43).

God uses natural forces to accomplish His ultimate will, we can now see that He is using this pandemic to purge the land of this spirit of hate and division.
The battle isn’t over yet and it may become more fierce, but we, too, can peer into the future and see that God is taking us to a better place.
The wait won’t be much longer.

Jesus then compared the fishermen, who separated the good fish from the bad to angels who at the end of this age would similarly separate the wicked from the unrighteous.

His parable could have very well been applied to the pandemic of our age where we see the dragnet being cast every day in our hospitals and the good are being caught up along with the bad.

We see that this is God’s ultimate goal for His church, that the name of Christ be lifted high.
God has a more glorious time of revival in store for us who remain. And we want to do our part in ushering in this new era of unity. “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity” (Psalm 133:1)

Over the next couple of months with the virus spreading exponentially, we may feel like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, standing in the midst of a blazing fiery furnace with the virus burning all around us.
But we can have this assurance that God is still right there standing in the burning fire with us, and He’s about to bring us out untouched.

It’s only by traveling this road of repentance, admitting when we’re wrong, can we ever truly live a victorious life.
Jesus said that if we walk with Him down His lighted pathway, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).

When wrestling with a round of anxiety, be bold enough to rejoice in the Lord, singing praises to Him. This will help calm the spirit and fill us up with a peace that will keep our thoughts in check. So the things to remember when we contend with our anxious thoughts are to rejoice, pray, and give thanks, all while knowing that the Lord is near.

The story of their lives tells us that in the face of huge structural disadvantages and in the face of a seemingly uncontrollable rise in the number of virus cases, as we do our part to protect ourselves and others, God will keep us safe.

In the midst of a historic pandemic, God is still binding us together as we stay connected to each other whether we join in live on Skype or on the conference call, or whether we watch the recorded services on YouTube.  And the blessing is that we’re staying connected every week with even more members and family and friends than ever before. 

It’s good to remember that God will never let you down; He’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; He’ll always be there to help you come through it (1 Corinthians10:13)

There is nothing secret that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. (Luke 8:17)
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. (Galatians 6:7)

This is what we ourselves had been praying for, to see people literally on their knees humbling themselves before God and seeking His face. It was a wonder to behold. We can only believe that the Spirit of God is moving through the land and that the healing will soon begin.

During a time when it seems like we’re being hit by plagues of Biblical proportions—fires so intense on the West Coast that the smoke lingers in the air over the East Coast; devastating flooding in the South that resulted from four months of rain being dumped within four hours; and the continued pandemic that claims American lives at the rate of 3-4 commercial airliners crashing every single day—it is good to know that God still watches over His own.

Today, it’s almost incomprehensible the loss that some individuals are enduring, having to contend with unprecedented fires and devastating storms on top of bearing the impact of the pandemic on health and income.  They may legitimately wonder how they can make it through another day.  But by the grace of God they do.

It seems like we started witnessing more hurt than healing, more chaos than comfort, with the surge in infections, the economy taking a hit, and even protests erupting throughout the globe over injustices in this country. Nevertheless, it may be a leap of faith on my part, but I actually believe we are beginning to see the healing that’s starting to occur.