I'm not going to link you to that video. Let me tell you why. I was not too concerned when I first started watching, and the Lord impressed upon me, simultaneously, two things:
- The incident that Paul had when bitten by a viper (Acts 28:5-6: 'But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.' Of course he wasn't a god, but this shows how lethal the venom of that viper was).
- ' And these signs shall accompany them that believe: . . . and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall in no wise hurt them . . .' (Mark 16:17-18)
With the video came a spirit of fear.
Now, what is in the video may be true--or not. And I'm not saying the motive behind it was to engender fear, because I believe that is a strategy and tool of Satan. But, he is working in concert with things like this. There is a lot of hysteria developing, and that hysteria will have repercussions. As Christians, we should be the sanest, calmest people in the room. We should understand what is happening, and why.
The Lord promises us not 'a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind', and 'you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear . . .' This should reaffirm to you that fear is a bondage, and this type of fear is not from God.
Now, I can understand if you are afraid, but let God take your fear away and replace it with strength and boldness. He has done it for many of us already. He will give you the grace to go through whatever comes your way.
There is one other point I want to make briefly, but cover in greater depth soon: The Rapture.
Yes, Christ will return after seven years of tribulation on the earth, but there is no 'Rapture' before the Tribulation. We will not be whisked away just as trouble and persecution reach our shores. I think in your heart you know this, but you are desperately trying to believe in it anyway, and this is why you struggle with fear.
When you try to believe in one thing while the Spirit is telling your heart differently, it makes you off balance spiritually and more prone to the attacks of the enemy. When you understand that it is God's design for Christians to go through the Tribulation, then the things He has been trying to impress upon your heart, to prepare you, will make sense.
Back to the issue of forced vaccinations--I really don't want one, and I don't want a tracking device on me. But, not because I am afraid of that. For most of my life I feared the things that were to come, but now that they are at the doorstep, the Lord has given me peace and boldness. I am just a hermit-like person who prefers privacy. I will not take the vaccination, unless I have to. But if I have to, I will--and it will not harm me.
That is not my personal 'line in the sand'. However, as a society, I believe we should continue to fight such things, when they are unfounded. But, the thing is, sooner or later, there will be a legitimately good reason for such measures. And, when that time arrives, we would be foolish to stand in the way.
I think it is important that we continue to remain sane and rational, because if hysteria takes hold we will lose all credibility. Fear becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
We talk about living by faith, but how will you live in faith tomorrow if you can't live by faith today? Start practicing now!!
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