Musings on COVID-19 #5

Continued from Musings on COVID-19 #4

So, what do we do? How do we react?

Maybe the title of this series should be “Caution, Beware of The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing!”

An acquaintance recently commented that she is surprised at how easily we have given up our rights in this situation. I think it is primarily because the government and media have emphasized/caused the spirit of fear to run rampant throughout this event. And a second reason is that many people live their lives in constant fear of everything. Once the fear started, I think it took on a life of its own in the minds of many. After all, how could our government and medical experts be wrong? The answer to the second reason is easy – they need to put their trust in Yeshua! The answer to the first is more complicated, but I think it is essentially that we should carefully consider everything our politicians, medical “experts,” and news media say.

Now, I’m not saying we should have ignored all the cautions and guidelines. Common sense says we should use care when confronting anything that can be hazardous to our health, including viruses, and especially new virus strains. But, we should not live in constant fear. I also have to ask “Was it serious enough to cause extreme disruption to our economy and the livelihood of many businesses and individuals?” We won’t know the answer to that until all the dust settles, if it is allowed to do so.

How do I think we should react? What should we do? We need to be alert and prepared!

Be Alert!

I am not trying to instill a new fear but to raise an alert. We must remain alert so that we don’t become like the proverbial frog in a pot of water. “They” have learned that we can be convinced to give up our freedoms. So, be very cautious about any plans and actions that could lead to limiting our freedoms. Count the cost to you, your loved ones, and friends.

Take every news report, theory espoused on the internet, and claims that an event was predicted/prophesized, with a grain of salt until you research them and verify whether they are fact or fiction, or “true/fake news”, if you will.

Do not submit to unnecessary COVID-19 testing. If you are sick with flu-like symptoms, it does make sense to get tested. However, as far as I know, there is no law saying that you must be tested. The CDC and other organizational guidelines are just that, guidelines. Remember that, when you do receive a test, your information is recorded. At the very least it becomes part of your permanent medical record. I do not know whether personal information is included in the numbers that are passed up-the-line, but it wouldn’t surprise me because there is a big push on tracking.

Speaking of tracking, use a tracking app with extreme caution. Regardless of what is said about the records being anonymous, history has shown that this isn’t always true.

Never provide information to a doctor or other entity that is not directly related to the issue at hand. Request that they cite the specific law requiring you to do so. (Refer to the article by Leo Hohmann listed at the end of this post.)

BE PREPARED! Spiritually and Physically!

This applies regardless of suspected/expected COVID-19 follow-on actions. We are in the end-of-days and have been since the time of Yeshua but things are rapidly progressing. What we are seeing in the U.S. today is nothing compared to the persecution that is happening around the world. Do I think we will see real persecution in the US? Yes! When? I have no idea! But, I do pray that I don’t have to go through it.

Sidebar: For those of you who believe we will be “out-of-here” before anything bad happens, I encourage you to consider that there is nothing in scripture that specifies rapture before the Great Tribulation. However, that is a subject for a future post.

Be Prepared Spiritually By:

Ensuring that your relationship with Yeshua is strong.

Staying in tune with Him at all times so that you will not miss warning signs.

Always remembering that He is in control, regardless of what your eyes see or your mind may perceive.

Be Prepared Physically By:

Keeping emergency supplies on hand. I think we have all learned our shortcomings in this area during COVID-19. (For example, we had sufficient rolled white gold on hand in our normal supply, but there wasn’t any in our emergency stash.)

Getting out of debt. When you are in debt, you are at the mercy of those holding the debt.

1. Pay off all credit card debt. Carrying credit card debt is expensive and wastes money on interest charges that could be better used. Debt makes no financial sense except for very large ticket items such as a home and extreme emergencies.
2. Use cash! If you do use a credit card, only charge what you can pay off each month.
3. Pay off your vehicles and do not purchase another one until you can pay cash.
4. Pay off your home as soon as possible. Sacrifice if you need to, but increase the rate of payment so you pay it off early.
5. Set up and follow a proper budget so that you know what you have available to spend and what you should be spending it on. There are plenty of resources available to help you create a good budget. One of the best, in my opinion, is Dave Ramsey’s “Total Money Makeover.”
6. Consider all financial decisions/commitments carefully. Ensure that they are what the LORD wants you to do, and not just because you want to satisfy some material desire.

Voting in every election! Stand up for the Constitution and do not permit your rights to be undermined! If we want to keep the USA strong and free as the Founding Fathers created it to be, we need to vote for individuals at all levels of government who stand for Biblical values and the Constitution as it was written, not just their interpretation that supports their personal and/or party agenda. We need leaders who truly represent their constituents rather than those individuals who write them the big checks. We need leaders who will not “play the game” just so that they can keep their job.

This is not an all-inclusive list. I am sure that you can add some items that I have not considered. Being prepared is a matter of viewpoint, attitude, and commitment.

A lot more could be said and is being said by those more knowledgeable than I. I just hope that I have given you some food for thought to chew on. In closing, I offer the following suggested additional sources:

• If you want to learn more about being prepared physically without becoming a “prepper,” enroll in a nearby CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) class run by your local fire department.
• Learn what life in a totalitarian regime is like. Read “1984” by George Orwell. Much of what he describes in the book is now possible.
• The Vision and Beyond, by Rev. David Wilkerson
• “Know your rights or get swept up into government’s ‘massive’ contact-tracing ‘show your papers’ scheme” by Leo Hohmann (leohohmann.com). I read this after writing this series of posts and found it interesting.
• “The Veil of Deception—Truth Is Not a Conspiracy Theory” by Pastor Shane Idleman (shaneidleman.com). A friend sent this to me as I was finishing up my posts. Pastor Idleman does a better job on some of my points than I have.

Until the next time…May the LORD bless and protect you…May He give you Shalom. (Numbers 6:24-26)

Bill