Is God really in control of everything happening right now? Sure.
Was God in control when Hitler taught the Germans to hate the Jews and to kill 6 million of them? Yes
Was God in control when the Catholic Church burned Joan of Arc at the stake for heresy? Yes
Was God in control when Pope Urban II told Chrstians that God wanted them to go sacrifice their lives and to wage a brutal war to re-take Jerusalem in the Crusades? Yes
Was God in control when Nero torched Rome, blamed it on the Christians, and then burned them on stakes to light his garden? Yes
Was God in control when Jesus sent his 12 disciples into a world where they were dominated by the Romans and hated by the Jewish leaders? Yes
If you believe in God, you must believe in a God who is above all this craziness. Otherwise, what kind of God is he? He's not much of a God at all if he is subject to the whims of evil and rulers in the world.
I think most of you wrestle with this list of people in light of a loving God. You can't imagine a good God allowing people, especially you, to go thorugh the doom and gloom listed there. You can't imagine it because your faith is weak. And, because your faith in a good God, who allows evil people to use fear to assume power, is weak, you must instead place that faith in scientists and the government and believe that they are looking out for your best interests.
Your faith becomes misplaced. You look to spiritual leaders, scientists, and the government and depend on them to keep you safe. Anybody who speaks out against them is not just challenging them, they are challenging your comfort system. If the people you are placing your faith in are lying to you or are not looking out for your best interest, then that means you are not safe. So, it is easier to blame the person asking the questions than to examine where your faith is at.
If I were to argue that God was in control, knew when you were going to die, and that you didn't need to worry at all about this silly little virus, you would come unglued. You would tell me that God gave us brains for a reason and that we should exercise wisdom. And, you would be right.
But, when someone tells you that God gave us wisdom for a reason and we need to be watchful of governments and people around the globe who hate Christianity, freedom and consequently our republic, you call them "conspiracy theorists" that need to educate themselves.
The reality is that the governments and evil people I listed above always have used FEAR to take control. I am not spreading fear when I say that we need to be especially watchful right now of people who want to use fear to take our God-given rights. They want to use fear to collapse our economy. They want to use fear to place their political candidate in office. They want to use fear to ORDER the church not to meet. These are people you need to be watchful for.
When you are more afraid of information that makes you uncomfortable than you are people actively ordering you to stop stop living a peaceful life, you are being motivated by fear.
God is just as much in control now as he was when he sent his disciples out, but it didn't stop him from saying to them: "I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles."
BEWARE OF MEN!? I thought God was in control!? This sounds like a spirit of fear! Why would Jesus give them a spirit of fear?
God is in control. He's got this. He goes on to say, "Don't fear those who can kill the body but can't take the soul." So, don't fear! But beware. I'm not asking you to fear. I'm not saying God isn't in control. I'm highlighting warning signs used by many evil people and governments in the past to try to remove the messengers of the gospel.
Be alert. Render to Ceaser your voice. He demands it in this great republic. If you remain silent in the process and only complain about the results, you are actually the rebel in this government. God sets up kingdoms. He set ours up where your voice matters. Be wise and use it well.
Before you argue that we should be willing to lay down our lives and set aside our preferences and conveniences to keep others safe. Let me save you some breath. I get it. I believe it. I'm saying make sure it is based on your decision and not on someone else's demand. Did you know you can speak out against the demand while honoring the principle? Evil people are watching and learning what commands you will yield to and why. Respond with power. Respond with love. Respond with common sense.
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7
What do power, love and a sound mind look like working together in your circumstances? Comment below. I'd love to know!