Category: Resource Notes

During seasons of judgement that which has been hidden is brought to light. It is no different with Coronavirus.

The virus began in China, where the campaign of the Communist Party to convince the world that its authoritarian system was superior to democracy has been exposed as a lie. Instead of being a model of efficiency, the Communist government allowed a local outbreak to become a pandemic. Doctors were silenced or disappeared as the government then tried to conceal the outbreak. The world was told that the disease was not communicable as it spread around the world. Then the number of reported cases mysteriously stopped at 86,000 while outsders like the American Enterprise Institute estimated that the number is 2.9 million. And the cover-up continues as foreign reporters are sent home and Chinese doctors are not allowed to investigate the origins of the virus. Thus has Communist China been shown to be a brutal, repressive country where the Communist Party maintains control through terror and lies. They are not our friends.

Speaking of Socialists, our home grown variety have abandoned their pretense of being “Democratic Socialists” as they try to maneuver their programs into place under the cover of the Coronavirus Crisis. Critical aid legislation has been delayed as the Socialists try to insert their Green New Deal in an effort to strangle a free market recovery. Their attitude toward America’s business sector has been revealed as they attack those companies which are making heroic efforts to produce drugs and equipment to fight the virus. It has become clear that the Democratic Socialists a do not want to “reform” the economy, they want to destroy it.

Most of our media have been very supportive of the Communist Chinese and the Socialist agenda for reasons which the Coronavirus has illuminated. Critical news analysis has been replaced by a simple binary Test: If Trump is for it, it is bad: but if he is against it, it must be good. Thus, when Trump closed the borders to the Chinese in January, he was denounced as a racist and we were told that his concerns about Coronavirus were overblown. Now, as Trump has been proven correct, the media is reversing itself. Trump is accused of not acting fast enough and wanting to put Wall Street ahead of the lives of Americans. And of course when he suggested that a malaria drug found to be successful in many cases should be made more available, the media is quick to attack the 50 year old “unproven” drug. In other words, their political agenda is so important to them that they would rather see patients denied a lifesaving drug. They are not our friends either.

There are more revelations. University students are finding out that they can learn remotely, eliminating the need for lifetime student debt to pay for sports centers and professors who never work. Mobile phone users discovered that phone companies and internet providers could track their movements and would gladly turn over the information to the government. And Christians can be arrested for going to Church by overzealous local officails.

Comfortable, complacent, and careless Americans have seen their illusions burst and come face to face with hard realities. They have gained a new appreciation for things taken for granted like health, family, jobs, schools, churches, and yes, even toilet paper.

Let us pray that we learn the hard lessons of the Coronavirus and clearly see what has been revealed.

Let us also pray that we will not be pulled back into complacency when the plague passes.

You say, “I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.” But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. – Revelation 3:17-18

As Jesus hung on the cross, struggling painfully for each breath, He uttered seven short, powerful statements showing who He was and what was happening, and encouraging those who would follow Him. It was His last sermon.

1. “Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).
Jesus is not only practicing the forgiveness He preached (Matthew 5:44), He is asserting His divinity as God who forgives sin (Psalm 103:3). Beyond that, however, He is announcing the beginning of the New Covenant under which our sins will be forgiven (Jerimiah 31:33, 34).

2. “I tell you the Truth, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43)
Jesus’ promise of life to the criminal on the cross tells us that He has authority over Heaven (Psalm 115:16), He will conquer death (Psalm 16:10), and through Him we also will live (John 14:19). He is the priest of the New Covenant because of His indestructible life (Hebrews 7: 16, 17).

3. “Dear woman, here is your Son… here is your mother” (John 19:26, 27)
Jesus took time to entrust His mother into the care of the beloved Disciple John, fulfilling the Scripture at Psalm 69:8 that He was estranged from His brothers and showing us that God expects us to honor our family (Mark 7:10-13). We are also reminded that Jesus was the “Seed of Woman”, the Savior born to a virgin promised in Genesis 3:15.

4. “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” (Mathew 27:46)
Many of those who heard Jesus, and many commentators since, have failed to understand that Jesus is quoting the Hebrew title of the 22nd Psalm. Jesus sends us to Psalm 22 to show us that 1000 years earlier it was prophesied that Jesus would be mocked (Psalm 22:6-8) and even prophesying the very words of His mockers (Mathew 27:41-43). In one sense, He was mocking His mockers. The crucifixion is also described, as His hands and feet were pierced (Psalm 22:16), His clothes were divided by casting lots (Psalm 22:14), and it was difficult to speak (Psalm 22:15).

Yet Psalm 22 is not a picture of forsakenness or despair, but is instead a declaration of victory. God did not despise the suffering of Jesus (Psalm 22:24). Rather, God used it to purchase eternal life (Psalm 22:26) and promised that all nations will come to Jesus (Psalm 22: 27, 28). Jesus is telling us that He knew the price and gladly paid it.

5. “I am thirsty” (John 19:28)
This is another fulfillment of prophecy (Psalm 69:28), when the suffering Savior is given vinegar for His thirst. Yet in the midst of His pain and distress, Jesus used Psalm 69 to tell us that those who seek God will live (Psalm 69:12), and the God does not despise the suffering of His people (Psalm 69:33). There is also the promise that His people will rebuild Judah (Psalm 69:35, 36), an apparent reference to His promise to return.

6. “It is finished” (John 19:30)
To fully understand this statement, we believe that we need to look to the prophet Daniel. He foretold the coming of the Anointed One who would come 483 years (69×7) after the decree to rebuild Jerusalem (458 B.C.), or 26 A.D., and then be “cut off” in the midst of the next 7 years (Daniel 9:25, 26). Jesus is telling us that He has fulfilled Daniel’s prophecy to finish transgression, put an end to Sin, atone for wickedness, bring eternal righteousness, seal up prophecy, and anoint the Holy One (Daniel 9:24). This is the finished work of Jesus on the cross.

7. “Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 43:46)
The last words of Jesus on the cross are taken from Psalm 31. He is telling us that we can take refuge in God (Psalm 31:1-4) and that we can trust God with our life (Psalm 31:15). Our times are in His hands (Psalm 31:19-22) and He preserves the faithful (Psalm 31:23, 24).

With His last sermon Jesus told us what He was doing even as He was doing it.

With his last words He is telling us that God’s hands are the only safe place for our lives.

Can you join Him in saying “Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit?”

This year the Lenten season has taken on added urgency because of the Coronavirus.
Things people relied on – money, jobs, government, medical service – have been shaken by a plague with no cure. We are rediscovering that the only firm foundation for our lives is God.
At the same time people have been told to shelter in place without their usual diversions of work, sports, entertainment, eating out, and even going to church. For Christians, their newfound solitude represents a golden opportunity to deepen their spiritual life.
This is also a time of opportunity for the Body of Christ if we will follow God’s plan to overcome a plague and heal our land:
“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and then turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land” – 2 Chroncles 7:14

Step 1 Humble Ourselves
Follow Christ’s plan for humility and righteousness he modeled during his 40 day “Lent” in the dessert.
1. Renew your faith –Mathew 4:3-4 and Deuteronomy 8:1-5
2. Resolve to obey God’s commands – Mathew 4:5-7 and Deuteronomy 6:16-26
3. Rekindle your love for God- Mathew 4:8-10 and Deuteronomy 6:4-15

Step 2 Pray and Seek God’s Face
Connect with God to advance His Kingdom and bring His will to Earth.
1. Hear God’s plans – Psalm 27:7-9, Romans 12:2 and John 15:12-15
2. Pray in place – Mathew 6:6
3. Pray with others using conference calls or simultaneous prayer in place –Matthew 18:19-20
4. Join with larger prayer initiatives like:
• President’s national day of prayer, March 15 – 1 Chronicles, Chapter 21
• Pope’s global united prayer, March 25 –Joel 1:13-15
• National prayer initiatives like Lou Engle’s thejesusfast.global – Joel 2:12-14
Step 3 Turn from Our Wicked Ways
Put our faith into action to show God’s love to the world
1. Work with Christians of all traditions to spread God’s kingdom – John 17:20-23
2. Go outside the Church walls to care for the sick and needy – Mathew 25:31-40
3. Show God’s love by blessings instead of condemnation – 1Peter 3:9
4. Do not become complacent – Mathew 25:1-13
This year the last day of Lent, April 9 coincides with the Passover. Let us remember how the Jews put the Blood of the Passover Lamb on their doorsteps so the Angel of Death would pass over their households. During the Lenten season we are covered also by the Blood of Jesus, our Passover Lamb. Pray that the Angel of Death will Passover your home.
On Good Friday, April 10, remember how Jesus paid the price for our healing, for “by His stripes we are healed” – 1 Peter 2:25
Let us then on Easter Sunday April 12 celebrate the victory of Jesus over sin and death. A victory we share with him:
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” Romans 8:37-39

Tomorrow, March 25, we invite you to join with Christian leaders worldwide to pray for healing from the Coronavirus pandemic.

Christian leaders around the globe are responding to an invitation from Pope Francis: “In these trying days, while humanity trembles due to the threat of pandemic, I would like to propose to all Christians that together we lift our voices to Heaven.” He called on “The Heads of the Churches and the leaders of every Christian community, together with all Christians of the various confessions to invoke the Almighty, the omnipotent God to recite at the same time the prayer that Jesus, our Lord, taught us” –The Lord’s Prayer.

We remember the time when King David’s sin brought a plague on Israel (1 Chronicles 21). As the Angel of Death stood with drawn sword over Jerusalem David and the elders humbled themselves and interceded with God to spare the people. God heard their prayers and the very spot where the angel stood became the site of the Temple.

We believe that God is asking the rulers and elders set over His people to humble themselves and pray in unity to stop the Coronavirus plague. The prophet Joel said “Put on sackcloth, O priests, and mourn…declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly. Summon the elders who live in the land to the House of the Lord your God and cry out to the Lord” (Joel 1:13-15)

But not just the leaders: “Gather the people, consecrate the assembly…Let them say, “Spare your people O Lord.” (Joel 2:16-17) For all have need to return to our first love: “Even now, declares the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity.” (Joel 2:12-13).

Join us at 12:00 noon Rome time (6am Central) or 12:00 noon your time to pray the Lord’s Prayer with our brothers and sisters around the world, and then pray as the Lord leads you.

“Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing.” (Joel 2:14)

Last Sunday the President of the United States declared a National Day of Prayer because of the Coronavirus. Has it come to this?

Less than a month ago Americans were riding high. The Stock Market reached its all-time high. The Economy was the strongest it had been in at least half a century, and Americans who wanted to work could find job.

The suddenly everything people were relying on was shaken. The Stock Market crashed, panicking those who trust in their wealth and endangering the retirement security of millions of Americans. Others found their jobs at risk because of the Virus. Worse, the people are facing a deadly disease with no cure available from the greatest medical system in the history of the world. And the best that the government of the most powerful nation on earth can do is slow down the march of the virus through the land.

The President’s call for a Day of Prayer is a wakeup call for the Church. Most Christians are no different from secular society, relying on their wealth, their jobs, their doctors, and the Government instead of God. When everything is shaken it is not because God wants to force us to rely on Him, but rather God wants us to rely on Him so we can face the shakings which always come from the failed systems of the world. We need to repent and reactivate our faith to overcome this plague with no cure.

To start with we should seek the Lord for protection. In this Passover season we should put the Blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God, on our doorposts so the Angel of Death will pass over us (See Exodus 12:13). Praise the Lord and give Him thanks to see His deliverance (see 2 Chronicles 20:21-24). Let us humble ourselves, pray, seek His face, and repent of our unbelief for the healing of our land (See 2 Chronicles 7:14).

We must also remember to live our life in faith. We can look back to h Christians of the past, like the persecuted Christians of ancient Rome who ministered to the sick during a great plague, showed God’s love, and won over the population. We can be faithful in our generation by doing the same: meeting needs, and comforting the sick, and proclaiming God’s love.

If you should find yourself in quarantine, take advantage of the time to get closer to God and soak in His presence. Remember the Chinese church leader who said he missed his time in prison because God was so close to him there. Take Psalm 91 to heart, and dwell in the shelter of the Most High.

Do not let the shaking shake you:

“Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is secure. He will have no fear” –Psalm 112:6-8

St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, is recognized as an Irish celebration, but in fact the whole Christian world owes a large debt to St Patrick.
Brought to Pagan Ireland as a slave, Patrick escaped and returned to his home in Roman Christian Britain. However he was unable to forget the lost souls of Ireland and returned to evangelize the island. The Pagan wizards and priests were no match for the man of God, and the whole island was Christianized as the result of his efforts. For this he is rightly honored as the evangelist of the Irish.
But his legacy of a Christian Ireland blessed far more people than just the Irish. Even before his death in 461 AD the Roman Christian Britain of his boyhood was being overrun by the Pagan Angles and Saxons. Soon the British and Irish switched roles: The newly Christian Irish sent missionaries to the newly Pagan Britain. And in about a century the Anglo-Saxons were Christianized. So the British saved the Irish so the Irish could save the British.
An even more remarkable turn about occurred as the European continent fell into chaos during the time known as the Dark Ages. The formerly barbarian, unlettered Irish were able to save countless manuscripts from destruction and became the custodians of the civilized Western worlds’ knowledge. They also expanded their evangelistic efforts into Europe, bringing about a revival of Christianity in France and Italy. Thus, Patrick’s Irish followers became a beacon of learning and hope in the Dark Ages, helping preserve the centers of European Christianity as well as its British and Irish outposts.
Alas, the Irish were not immune to the instability of their times, as they were first invaded by the Vikings and then colonized by the ungrateful English. After the Reformation they were persecuted for their Catholic faith and allowed to starve in the horrible famine of the 1840’s. The Island remains divided between the Catholic Republic in the South and the Protestant North.
It is ironic that these two peoples, still divided over religion, owe their Christian faith to the other: The Irish to the British Patrick, and the British to the Irish missionaries. Yet, there is progress being made to reconcile these peoples. Several years back we at Corporate Prayer Resources made a Prayer Journey to Ireland and saw our and many other prayers answered as a peace process began in Northern Ireland. There are also continuing reconciliation efforts underway between the Catholics and the Protestants to heal this terrible division.

As we look forward to this St Patrick’s day, the best way to honor St. Patrick would be to pray that there would be reconciliation, forgiveness, and peace between his British homeland and his beloved Ireland, and between Catholic and Protestant.
And may it be so.

Next week, on March 9, the Hebrew Feast of Purim celebrates the deliverance of the Jews from a death decree in the ancient Persian Empire.
We all know the story. A beautiful Jewish girl, Esther, becomes Queen of Persia. The evil Haman convinces the King to order the death of the Jews. Esther risks her life to plead for her people. The King allows the Jews to defend themselves and it is the enemies of the Jews who are destroyed. And Haman is hanged on the gallows he built.
There are many lessons to be learned from the Feast of Purim. We see how God intervened in a desperate situation to save His people from destruction. The death of the enemy of the Jews, Haman, on his own gallows pictures the fate of God’s enemies. And the right at self-defense given to the Jews, which we call the Jewish Second Amendment, argues for Christians to use firearms to protect their families and churches from attack.
But the Feast also contains a warning, played out in the history of the Persian Empire, of the fate of nations which abandon their support of God’s people. For, at the beginning of the Persian Empire, the kings of Persia had befriended the Jews. Cyrus (538- 529 B.C.) freed the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem after he conquered Babylon. Darius (521-485 B.C.) supported and funded the building of the Second Temple. It was under Artaxerxes I (465-421 B.C.) that Ezra and Nehemiah returned and rebuilt Jerusalem. In return for Persian favor, the Jews were loyal allies of the Persians and formed a buffer against Egypt, which was as times an enemy and at times a rebellious province of Persia.
Things had changed by the reign of Artaxerxes II (404-358 B.C.) who is believed by some to be the King who married Esther. It is true that most commentators suggest that Xerxes (485-65 B.C.) was Esther’s King, but this belief is contradicted by ancient sources. Jewish historian Josephus places Esther after the events of Ezra and Nehemiah, under Artaxerxes I, and therefore much later the Xerxes. Historians associate the biblical name of Esther’s King, Ahasuerus, with Artaxerxes II, not Xerxes. There is also a striking historical similarity, for the wife of Artaxerxes II was poisoned by his mother in the third or fourth year of his reign. According to the Book of Esther, Queen Vashti was removed in the third year of his reign. There is even a linguistic similarity between “Vashti” and the Queen’s Persian name “Stateria” in the core “Shti” verses “Stat”.
Artaxerxes II proved to be a poor leader for the Persian Empire. He was of course very foolish for allowing himself to be manipulated by Haman into attacking his allies the Jews. He had to bribe the troublesome Greeks in 386 B.C. to obtain a period of peace with them. Then, the Egyptians revolted and gained independence, installing the last Egyptian Dynasty in 378 B.C. That same year Artaxerxes II suffered a major defeat from a rebelling province and barely survived a rebellion of Persian nobles. Clearly, the Persian Empire was beginning to fall apart. In addition, the Persians began interfering with the Temple worship in Jerusalem, and persecuted the Jews through an exorbitant temple tax for seven years.
The end came for Persia when their enemies the Greeks united under Alexander the Great and invaded the empire just 24 years after the reign of Artaxerxes II. The Jews had been reluctant to abandon their alliance with Persia, but when Alexander the Great marched toward Jerusalem they remembered Daniel’s prophecy that the Greeks would overthrow the Persians (Daniel 8:1-8;19-21). According to Josephus the high priest took Daniel’s prophesy to Alexander and Jerusalem was spared.
Persia was a great nation chosen by God to restore His people to Israel and re-build the Temple after their exile in Babylon. God blessed Persia with success but the nation allowed a spirit of anti-Semitism to take hold which, while defeated under Esther, came back as the Persians persecuted the Temple worship. In the end Persia experienced both sides of Abraham’s promise “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse“(Genesis 12:3). When they turned against the Jews God turned against them.
Like the Persians we Americans have been chosen by God to help make a place for His people who have returned to Israel after their long exile. God has blessed us mightily.
Yet there are those like Haman who wish to turn America against Israel. We must continue to stand with Israel or risk the same curse that fell on Persia.
Let us pray and rededicate ourselves to bless God’s people Israel this Purim.

And let us not forget to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.