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“We can’t predict what a virus we’ve never seen will do” – Marc Lipsitch
Hans the first time to my knowledge I learned about a plague was when I was on holiday in the Europe in 1995. We were traveling from England to Calais on a ferry. On the boat to pass the time we went to watch a movie, which at the time I thought was an oldie.
The movies name was “Outbreak” and quite a few famous actors like Dustin Hoffman, Morgan Freeman, Rene Russo, Patrick Dempsey, Kevin Spacey, Donald Sutherland and Cuba Gooding Jr. In the film a virus that looked like the “Ebola” virus was transmitted via a monkey in Africa to America where the virus then spread. It was transmitted by saliva and the monkey’s bite. In the movie they called it “The greatest medical crisis of all time”.
The effect of the virus was stated, “There will be panic’s of the like we have never seen”. In the movie their solution to eradicate the virus in a small town of “Ceder Creek” in California by first quarantine the town and eradicating it with a fuel air bomb by United States Airforce. It seemed pretty far fetched to me at the time; me not knowing what a plague could do to the worlds population.
I did not know that between 75 to 200 million people was wiped out in the Bubonic plague in 1347 to 1351 and 500 million people had been infected and 17 to 50 million died in the Spanish Flu Pandemic in 1918 to 1921.
– So Hans what has this to do with us on a spiritual level?
- Francois you got me there.
Let’s read a verse which quote God as saying the terrible times will happen in the last days.
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God̶ having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.” – 2 Tim 3:1-5 NIV
– Now Hans what do you classify as a terrible time in your life?
- Well Francois there is the time I lost my job and could not get one seven months.
- My three divorces did not do me any good.
- When my kids did not want anything to do with me was quite tough and still is.
– Man Hans that is terrible!!!
– Ok let’s get back to the verse here.What is the problem with this kind of religion or “ungodliness” described here?
- Francois I never though as I call myself a christian that love for money is terrible, in fact I thought is a good thing.
- Me thinking that I was justified in not forgiving one of my wives that was unfaithful to me.
- The Bible / God says it is terrible.
- I think these christians they think they are right with God.
- I think they are deceived according to this verse.
- Francois if you hang around them, you most probably might become like them.
– Man that is intense!!! Let’s look at another verse.
“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage̶with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” – 2 Tim 4:1-4 NIV
– Ok so what is the problem with this powerless religion Hans?
- These people claim to love the truth but they don’t.
- Francois they follow their own desires instead of God.
- They rather seem to want to please people rather than God.
- They in essence create their own god with it’s requirements which is idol worship by their itching ears.
- They love their sin more than God.
- They lack character due to the fact that they do not love the truth and change accordingly.
- They are unwise and ignorant, like they say “Ignorance is Bliss“. It is like people who do not practise social distancing and have to pay the price of pretty much die of pneumonia.
- They want to use God as a life jacket for incase it is true.
– Why would people ever substitute men’s teachings for God’s teaching on a given subject Hans?
- Francois they think they are wiser than God by implication.
- They are prideful and God hates pride.
- They think God cannot be that serious He must mean something else.
- It is easier to follow people than God.
- It is easier to walk the wide road that leads to destruction.
– How do you think this tendency to substitute God’s teaching for man’s might creep into your life Hans?
- If don’t want to be whole hearted committed to following Jesus. Like the Bible says: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart“. They think 90% is a good average. God wants 100%.
- If I just follow blindly what my pastor says and don’t check it out for myself in the Bible to see if it is the truth.
- I do not study my Bible or share it with other people. “We Remember 10% of what we read, 20% of what we hear, 30% of what we see, 50% of what we see and hear, 70% of what we discuss with others, 80% of what we personally experience and 95% or what we teach others” – Edgar Dale
– Why would carefully following God’s message lead to powerful religion as opposed to powerless religion?
- The Holy Spirit would work powerfully with you.
- You would have the kind of impact Jesus had vs. the teachers of the law.
- People would become disciples of Jesus vs. converts to a pastor being his own god worship.
– Hans must say this was quite a heavy but infighting study we did today.
- Yes thank you Francois, I did not take reading my Bible that serious and I am that guy that would be mislead by the devil because I do not know the truth.
– Hans I will close us out with a prayer today.
- Thanks Francois.
Dear Lord, thank you so much that you want us to follow the truth and get to heaven and not be deceived. Please help Hans to love the Bible and treat it as the most important book in his life that will help us go to heaven. Help me to study my Bible and share my faith with people so that I remember the truth 95% like Edgar Dale said. I pray that I will not be ignorant like some people about corona virus and pay the price. I pray that the terrible times things will not be part of my life which love for money is always a struggle. I want to love you God with my whole heart, soul, mind and strength. Amen
– Ok Hans. We are going to look at correctly handling the word of truth tomorrow.
- Great Francois, see you tomorrow. Bye.
Tomorrow we will be looking at: The Boss’ right hand – Authority
