JOEL 2 GENERATION

The million-dollar theological question that people are asking and that all-too-many eager Christian voices seem willing to answer is “Why”? Why is the Coronavirus here? Included in those answers is Who/What is behind it? There is no shortage of answers being given. I live in the Middle East so I am hearing and reading daily about the Islamic answers being proposed. And mixed into their theological proposals, there are incredible conspiracy theories being entertained as well! What are Christian leaders saying? Theologians? Pastors? Prophets? My email inbox is full and social media is buzzing with diverse answers. In recent days, I’ve even seen the MSM media bringing on famous pastors for their commentary. And what is being said? Some are ‘sure’ this is God’s judgment, others are ‘sure’ that this is a demonic attack, while others are ‘sure’ that COVID-19 like any and all other diseases is merely something that happens in the fallen world in which we live. To add further confusion, ther...

Someone has said that you can find the command "Fear Not!" or "Do Not Fear!" 365 times in the Bible. Is that a scientific number?  I haven't counted.  I don't even know how one would count it.  But I think we can all agree that fear must be one of humanity's greatest problems for God to give this command in so many different ways throughout His Word.  And of course, the sermon illustration quickly follows - "God's Word says "Do Not Fear" 365 times; once for every day of the year!" Many Christians are not in touch with their fears. But one great thing that this global pandemic is revealing to us all is if we have any fear.  And I have been speaking with and interacting with many who are being forced to face their fears - fear of sickness, fear of death, fear for their families, fear for their finances/job security, etc. etc. I have for many years been keenly aware that being educated/indoctrinated in the West and our materiali...

Today we took CHURCH to the streets so to speak. We are under massive restrictions - people are not allowed BY LAW to gather in groups of more than 6 people.  All Churches were told by the government that they had to stop all of their church meetings last week.  So our small church leadership decided that instead of gathering all together this week, we would divide our community up into multiple vehicles and drive all over this small country to pray, to encourage one another and to minister to anybody and everybody we could within the few places of business that were open. So restaurants and coffee places are still open for take away/take out orders.  We knew that each and every place we would stop and enter meant opportunities to LOVE THE ONE (or ONES) in front of us. We knew that all of the employees we would meet would be dealing with massive fear and anxiety - especially as their lives have them interacting constantly with strangers, handling money, etc.  Th...

We are in total lockdown still - the only airport is closed, more restrictions seem to be on the way (i.e. a national curfew is about to be implemented). So what are we doing today?  This is the day that we as a community gather to worship and for teaching.  We've decided to TAKE IT ON THE ROAD.  We are dividing up into different cars and we will be connected all together via a Skype Conference Call as we drive all around the small muslim country we live in to pray for one another, intercede for the nation AND TO EXTINGUISH FEAR in the lives of the ones we will meet/encounter. Who will we meet? Where will we encounter people?  In the restaurants and/or the coffee places that remain open for Take Out/Take Away orders only. This has been our strategy - and even yesterday when my wife and I were out on a long prayer walk, that time of prayer ended with us ministering in 3 different places, getting to pray for/with Christians AND a Muslim man.  And with the...

Since the Lord impressed upon us that our mandate at this time was to be "Fear Extinguishers", others have been joining in. Things are changing so rapidly with new restrictions seemingly coming every day. Fear and anxiety are only heightened in such a climate. But this is our hour to shine!  This is our hour to live out our faith in obedience to God.  The Apostle Paul exhorts us "ABOVE ALL clothe yourselves in love" (Col. 3:14). What could be more loving right now than helping those who are gripped with fear?  Helping those who are not looking to the Lord, and those who are not being reminded of His promises and His power? I am hearing more and more stories, more and more testimonies of others who are joining this mandate to extinguish fear.  I am hearing about people in neighboring countries that are seeking to do the same.  I was humbled to hear about Chinese believers in the middle of the worst-hit place of the outbreak doing exactly this.  Fear...

WHO WAS THE " REAL " ST. PATRICK? Most people are unaware of the incredible life and legacy of Saint Patrick. The following summary is taken from two books about Patrick's life and ministry – one is a biography entitled  Let Me Die in Ireland , by David Bercot (Scroll Publishing) and the other,  The Celtic Way of Evangelism – How Christianity Can Reach the West Again " (George G. Hunter III, Abingdon Press, 2000). Many Christians today "claim" Patrick as their own – most are surprised that he doesn't really fit any modern labels that we might try to put on him or the movement he birthed. Patrick was NOT a Roman Catholic (and neither was he a modern-day Protestant Evangelical and/or Charismatic!), but rather a British Roman citizen born in the late 4th century (AD386) on the West Coast of Britain. He was a part of the independent British or Celtic Church which did not come under Roman control until the 6-8th centuries. His father was an ordained De...

THE BREASTPLATE OF ST. PATRICK (AD433) I ARISE TODAY  Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through belief in the Threeness, Through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of creation. I ARISE TODAY Through the strength of Christ’s birth with His baptism, Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial, Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension, Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom. I ARISE TODAY Through the strength of the love of cherubim, In the obedience of angels, In the service of archangels, In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward, In the prayers of patriarchs, In the predictions of prophets, In the preaching of apostles, In the faith of confessors, In the innocence of holy virgins, In the deeds of righteous men. I ARISE TODAY Through The strength of heaven, The light of the sun, The radiance of the moon, The splendor of fire, The speed of lightning...

I just posted our first experience out in this quarantined nation to "extinguish fear" and while on a 2 1/2 hour prayer walk today the Lord opened the door for me to pray for literally another 20 people! Restaurants/coffee shops can operate but only on a "take out/take away" basis.  So I would walk into a shop and ask the employees, "How is everyone doing?".  I ask if anybody is fearful, nervous, etc.  And the next thing I know, I am praying for them all.  So the "Take Away only" signs were prophetic!  I would go in, and pray for the men and women and "TAKE AWAY" their fear!  That is what I am actually going to say to them - I'm going to walk in and say, "I am here for Take Away, but not food or drink... but rather to TAKE AWAY fear! To ask God to TAKE AWAY anyone's fear! Who needs that?"  A few of the visits today - In one restaurant there were 4 or 5 gathered and I got to pray corporately for all of the...

Concern, worry, anxiety are all 'really' different synonyms for fear. Yes, one might be with a small "f" and one with a capital "F" - but when we really consider them all, they are all levels of fear.  And people battle constantly with fear in normal times.  Right now however are not "normal" times. And what we are witnessing globally are not people being minorly 'concerned' about the COVID-19 pandemic; rather it is all-too-often full-blown fear and panic.  I live in a country that is not basically quarantined itself from the rest of the world - the only airport is not closed and so there is effectively no way into or out of the country.  The two countries that can be accessed by land are now closed as well. So several million people are now locked in for the time being. As our church community gathered to pray and worship a few nights ago, the Lord really spoke to us that our mandate at this time is to be "Fear Extinguis...