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

 

Musings on COVID-19 #4

Continued from Musings on COVID-19 #3

Some of my thoughts on all of this:

First, and most importantly, although our leaders in the US and elsewhere are touting the good job they have done, the credit doesn’t go to them alone. The credit primarily goes to the answered prayers of many believers in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Let us never forget that He is in control, though it may not always seem like it because it isn’t the way we want Him to do things.

I am thankful that our medical professionals and researchers have made what appear to be successful attempts to control the spread of COVID-19. However, the potential outcome of some of these measures raises questions as to whether the measures have been too much, and/or are being extended too long. To me, it seems to be getting to the point of “the cure being worse than the illness.” However, in all fairness, if the effects had been as disastrous as originally thought, the story might be different. On the other hand, I understand that there are statistics available that say “maybe we over-reacted.” However, as with all statistics, we have to remember that it is fairly easy for statisticians to make the numbers say what they want them to say. I have more concern over the long-term impact of some of these measures and those that will be put into place under the mantra of “protecting us from this happening again” or should I say the mantra of the “experts” who want to “protect us from ourselves because they are so much smarter than the average ‘Joe’”?

What is giving me pause for concern are the many ideas being floated for future prevention and protection. Ideas such as an app that tracks us and tells others whether we’ve had COVID-19 or have been/could be exposed. While conspiracy theories abound, this one is not a conspiracy theory. Many are developing such apps, and some are currently available, though I didn’t find many actual tracking apps in the Google Play store yet. One disconcerting app announcement was made by the mayor of Chicago on April 27. She announced that their app provided treatment advice and permitted individuals to get on the list to receive a vaccine when it becomes available. It might be well and good if you’re interested in getting vaccinated. The more disconcerting part of the announcement was that she said they were mapping plans to vaccinate the entire city. Planning is good, but this sounds like they are ramping up to attempt forced vaccinations, which, I believe, would be a definite violation of rights. (Refer to articles listed at the end of Musings on COVID-19 #5.)

Another idea I’ve heard floated is an ID card, or bracelet, providing information as to whether we have tested positive for the virus and/or have been vaccinated. I don’t like anything of this sort because they can be used for unintended control purposes.

What has piqued my interest are the recent reminders that respected individuals forecasted a COVID-19-like event many years ago—some “accidentally” via fictional works and some prophetically.

Author Dean Koontz eerily predicted the coronavirus outbreak in his 1981 thriller “The Eyes of Darkness.” The fictional noveltells the story of a Chinese military lab that creates a new virus to use as a biological weapon. The lab is ironically located in Wuhan, China, and the made-up virus is called Wuhan-400. I don’t think this is the only novel with a virus theme.

Another novel is the medical thriller by one of my favorite authors Lisa Harris. Port of Origin was released on 4/30/2020 and centers on an unknown virus infecting Africa and the USA. It was written before COVID-19 was known, though they did insert a mention of it just before publication.

Do these fictional books truly predict a pandemic? I don’t know, HaShem works in mysterious ways. I just find the timing interesting. This sort of timing has occurred two or three times with Joel C. Rosenberg’s novels.

However, David Wilkerson is a recognized prophet and his prophecies are not in fictional books and messages. In his book, “The Vision and Beyond”, an updated edition of his 1974 bestseller, we read today prophecies of events that were unthinkable in 1974 and 2003. I haven’t finished re-reading it but many of his prophecies read like old news headlines today. Rev. Wilkerson purportedly prophesized in a 1986 discussion and a couple of messages in later years about a pandemic similar to COVID-19 with businesses and churches being shut down. However, this cannot be verified.

I’m sure that, with some Google searching, we could find more valid, as well as many invalid prophecies and claims of prophecies regarding the current pandemic and even other happenings. But, rather than pursuing them, I’d prefer to offer some considerations on the question “What do we do now?”

I’ll cover those in Musings on COVID-19 #5, the final part of this series, which will be posted 5/29/20.

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

Bill