The global spread of SARS-CoV-2 and the thousands of deaths caused by coronavirus disease (COVID-19) led the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic on 12 March 2020. To date, the world has paid a high toll in this pandemic in terms of human lives lost, economic repercussions and increased poverty.
Question: How many Christians or religious people FASTED AND PRAYED?
Question: How many preachers and teachers came forward to call a FAST and repentance from sin?
Question: Where were all those great teachers of knowledge who preached about healing and The Holy Spirit
Question: Who did the Church of God listen to, was it their earthy master or Heavenly Master?
Question: Did you read Psalm 91 and trusted and had faith or took the vaccine?
Firstly, I apologize to those who in the past have kindly responded to my posts, but didn't receive a reply back. I'm not much of a computer person. I had forgotten until rather recently that the replies to my posts were automatically sent to my email. I do recall, though, that I read about this when I signed up, assuming, mistakenly, that I'd notice them in the "view all" page. Needless to say, recently checking my email, which is rare, I was surprised to read how many replies I missed.
There are also some replies that I have been aware of from some of you which in the past I haven't answered. Please be assured, I'm not ignoring anyone. Just a lot of "stuff" on my plate. Many times I refrain from starting a thread or joining in an existing one, simply because I know I'll be tied up with "life" for the next amount of unknown days where I won't be able to reply to others. Truth is, also, if I don't feel inspired, usually I try to refrain from participating. I'm thinking I'm not the only busy person on this site, and that we would very much enjoy having more time EFFICIENTLY and thoughtfully discussing these topics. Also, be assured your efforts were not in vain. I've read them all now. Your concern and genuine replies are appreciated and to be granted serious consideration.
The reason I wrote this on this thread is because I wanted to convey some thoughts regarding covid and the vaccine. Perhaps later. My time is presently needed elsewhere.
Good to hear from you. Thank you for letting us know that you are so very busy. many people on this forum are. I completely understand your explanation of why you may not have responded to people.
I am one who fasted and prayed for those who were ill from Covid, for it to mutate into a milder strain that was less deadly, that He would keep me from contracting it.
After praying to God about it, I got the vaccine. I have 5 high risk factors, two of them being severe illness from any respiratory virus due to asthma and weakened immunity. I have not had Covid. God has kept me through all of this and the virus has weakened as it has mutated, just as I prayed.
Although it seems the vaccine has little positive effect of protection from Covid, I took on faith, not in man, but in God.
Please do not portray those who did get the vaccine as not trusting in God, as Psalm 91 says. There is nothing in this psalm that says we are not to medically treat illnesses or attempt to prevent contracting illnesses. My husband and I pretty much self-isolated through the first year of Covid, ordering groceries online, taking drives to places that were not crowded, like the beach or mountains to have a day out with picnic lunches, only associated with a few people who also took precautions.
Was it lacking faith to do these things? I don't think so, just as it wasn't lacking faith to take the vaccine. Nor is it lacking faith to get treatment for other illnesses or to take other preventative measures such as flu and other vaccines, using inhalers for asthma symptoms, taking allergy medications, blood pressure meds or diabetic meds or anti-seizure meds, etc.
I do think that there were millions of Christians praying and fasting for God to intervene in this situation. He did.
Your questions come off as accusatory rather than encouraging. I think you may have underestimated the faith of believers and their commitment to walk in the Spirit in these matters. There have been many plagues throughout human history that have killed far more than Covid has. Many Christians did die in these plagues. Does this mean that they did not fast and pray or have faith in God? Not so.
A man has to do everything he can to protect himself from any kind of danger and leave the rest (that he cannot do ) to God. The latter is a rule in our christian lives. Many have misunderstood what faith represents. It is not living without trying to avoid dangers. It is not like crossing a road with blind eyes just because God protects us. In such a case He will not protect us, and He will teach us a lesson. Isn't that what satan said to Jesus? Fall down from here and God will send angels to pick you up in their hands, The same he does to us. One of the important things I have understood in my christian life that has to do with our relationship with God is that there is always a part which is for us to do and a part that God does. "We do what we can and God does what we cannot do." Of course there may be many times that we can not do anything really. In such a case we leave everything to the Lord.
About vaccines. Many, in my country as well, had come to the church leaders and asked them what to do, to get the vaccine or not. What my church did was to tell us that this is not a spiritual matter for the church to give advice. It is a medical matter. And for medical matters one has to visit his dictor and discuss it, this is what doctors are for. Pastors and elders are not doctors., it is not their job to advice about things they couldn't possibly know.
I really hate the way so many believers have taken sides on this matter and instead of being gracious and affirming the faith in God in others, accuse other believers of being wrong, uninformed, lacking in faith, or less spiritual than those who chose the way they did not. We must stop trying to shame one another on this matter. You are so right, it is a medical matter, not a spiritual one and the sooner we shed the pointing, wagging finger attitude of judgment the better off we will be as the body of Christ.
I refuse to spend my time and energies being concerned about what choices others made in this matter to see if their choices measure up to my position or not. That is counterproductive, divisive, and unkind. Let others live with their own choices peacefully without the strife of others second-guessing them, their faith, and their rightness or wrongness of taking the vaccine or not.
That said, I do hate that some have suffered harm from the vaccine. Most people have not. I do hate it that so many were hospitalized with severe illness from Covid and many did die. I hate that what measures we were advised to take to stay well did not, in the eventual analysis, help. And I especially hate that this issue was so politicized. We saw that it was in May-June of 2020 when Republican gatherings were said to be "superspreader" events and the protests with people shoulder to shoulder in the streets were not termed so and their lack of masking was defended by the media and many politicians. I knew then that this is being exploited by the left to the detriment of our country and especially to vulnerable people, business owners, and so many employees who lost so much as a result of knee-jerk decisions of government.
But we are now on the other side of the pandemic and so we go forward instead of rehashing it yet once again.
we have been commissioned by Christ to preach the truth. The Bible tells us to be instant in season it out tell the people the truth when they want to hear it and when they don't and be not weary in well doing for if you'd be not weary in well doing if you faint, not the Lord, will bless you. As a Christian, I will never throw a rock and hot my hand. David stood before a giant and threw a rock and he's laid him. He did not hide his hand.
I believe that all Christians today make up the Kingdom of God , we are not however , filling the earth with the Glory of the Lord . The Kingdom will be fully realised when Christ returns and all flesh shall see the Glory of the Lord . In the last chapter of Luke , Jesus talks quiet a bit about the Kingdom to come . All things will be made new , the kingdoms of this world , THIS WORLD , will become the Kingdoms of God and if His Son , then the meek shall inherit the earth and the temple in Ezekiel shall be the centre of God's Kingdom which shall be in Jerusalem in the land that was promised to Abraham and his descendents forever , who's descendents we are if we are Christ's , then we are Abraham's and heirs to those promised made to Abraham and his seed . We shall be like him , overseeing and guiding and ministering to , the humans that are left alive after the wrath of God has been poured out .
Sorry Charlie, but what you are saying here is not true. We can trust God AND be led to take certain measures in particular circumstances that may in the end help us or not. The point is to walk by spirit in such matters and be determined to obey God.
Whether we wanted to or not, the whole world participated in this "social experiment" of Covid escaping the lab in China, whether on purpose or accident. Those of us who followed guidelines given to us from doctors, the Secretary of Health, and others in leadership in our government, including the President at the time the vaccine first became available. We each made our choices for our own reasons and it is not a matter of acting in faith or in lack of faith, as you say.
So let's all stop politicizing this issue and show compassion and extend the grace of Christian liberty to each of us no matter our choices.
By doing this we will follow Him in our daily lives with power to obey what is good and righteous. Before we were regenerated by the Holy Spirit we did not have this power that comes only from the Holy Spirit to those who desire to live as Christ did.
Question: How many Christians or religious people FASTED AND PRAYED?
Question: How many preachers and teachers came forward to call a FAST and repentance from sin?
Question: Where were all those great teachers of knowledge who preached about healing and The Holy Spirit
Question: Who did the Church of God listen to, was it their earthy master or Heavenly Master?
Question: Did you read Psalm 91 and trusted and had faith or took the vaccine?
Firstly, I apologize to those who in the past have kindly responded to my posts, but didn't receive a reply back. I'm not much of a computer person. I had forgotten until rather recently that the replies to my posts were automatically sent to my email. I do recall, though, that I read about this when I signed up, assuming, mistakenly, that I'd notice them in the "view all" page. Needless to say, recently checking my email, which is rare, I was surprised to read how many replies I missed.
There are also some replies that I have been aware of from some of you which in the past I haven't answered. Please be assured, I'm not ignoring anyone. Just a lot of "stuff" on my plate. Many times I refrain from starting a thread or joining in an existing one, simply because I know I'll be tied up with "life" for the next amount of unknown days where I won't be able to reply to others. Truth is, also, if I don't feel inspired, usually I try to refrain from participating. I'm thinking I'm not the only busy person on this site, and that we would very much enjoy having more time EFFICIENTLY and thoughtfully discussing these topics. Also, be assured your efforts were not in vain. I've read them all now. Your concern and genuine replies are appreciated and to be granted serious consideration.
The reason I wrote this on this thread is because I wanted to convey some thoughts regarding covid and the vaccine. Perhaps later. My time is presently needed elsewhere.
Peace
Good to hear from you. Thank you for letting us know that you are so very busy. many people on this forum are. I completely understand your explanation of why you may not have responded to people.
I am one who fasted and prayed for those who were ill from Covid, for it to mutate into a milder strain that was less deadly, that He would keep me from contracting it.
After praying to God about it, I got the vaccine. I have 5 high risk factors, two of them being severe illness from any respiratory virus due to asthma and weakened immunity. I have not had Covid. God has kept me through all of this and the virus has weakened as it has mutated, just as I prayed.
Although it seems the vaccine has little positive effect of protection from Covid, I took on faith, not in man, but in God.
Please do not portray those who did get the vaccine as not trusting in God, as Psalm 91 says. There is nothing in this psalm that says we are not to medically treat illnesses or attempt to prevent contracting illnesses. My husband and I pretty much self-isolated through the first year of Covid, ordering groceries online, taking drives to places that were not crowded, like the beach or mountains to have a day out with picnic lunches, only associated with a few people who also took precautions.
Was it lacking faith to do these things? I don't think so, just as it wasn't lacking faith to take the vaccine. Nor is it lacking faith to get treatment for other illnesses or to take other preventative measures such as flu and other vaccines, using inhalers for asthma symptoms, taking allergy medications, blood pressure meds or diabetic meds or anti-seizure meds, etc.
I do think that there were millions of Christians praying and fasting for God to intervene in this situation. He did.
Your questions come off as accusatory rather than encouraging. I think you may have underestimated the faith of believers and their commitment to walk in the Spirit in these matters. There have been many plagues throughout human history that have killed far more than Covid has. Many Christians did die in these plagues. Does this mean that they did not fast and pray or have faith in God? Not so.
I completely agree with you.
A man has to do everything he can to protect himself from any kind of danger and leave the rest (that he cannot do ) to God. The latter is a rule in our christian lives. Many have misunderstood what faith represents. It is not living without trying to avoid dangers. It is not like crossing a road with blind eyes just because God protects us. In such a case He will not protect us, and He will teach us a lesson. Isn't that what satan said to Jesus? Fall down from here and God will send angels to pick you up in their hands, The same he does to us. One of the important things I have understood in my christian life that has to do with our relationship with God is that there is always a part which is for us to do and a part that God does. "We do what we can and God does what we cannot do." Of course there may be many times that we can not do anything really. In such a case we leave everything to the Lord.
About vaccines. Many, in my country as well, had come to the church leaders and asked them what to do, to get the vaccine or not. What my church did was to tell us that this is not a spiritual matter for the church to give advice. It is a medical matter. And for medical matters one has to visit his dictor and discuss it, this is what doctors are for. Pastors and elders are not doctors., it is not their job to advice about things they couldn't possibly know.
GBU.
I really hate the way so many believers have taken sides on this matter and instead of being gracious and affirming the faith in God in others, accuse other believers of being wrong, uninformed, lacking in faith, or less spiritual than those who chose the way they did not. We must stop trying to shame one another on this matter. You are so right, it is a medical matter, not a spiritual one and the sooner we shed the pointing, wagging finger attitude of judgment the better off we will be as the body of Christ.
I refuse to spend my time and energies being concerned about what choices others made in this matter to see if their choices measure up to my position or not. That is counterproductive, divisive, and unkind. Let others live with their own choices peacefully without the strife of others second-guessing them, their faith, and their rightness or wrongness of taking the vaccine or not.
That said, I do hate that some have suffered harm from the vaccine. Most people have not. I do hate it that so many were hospitalized with severe illness from Covid and many did die. I hate that what measures we were advised to take to stay well did not, in the eventual analysis, help. And I especially hate that this issue was so politicized. We saw that it was in May-June of 2020 when Republican gatherings were said to be "superspreader" events and the protests with people shoulder to shoulder in the streets were not termed so and their lack of masking was defended by the media and many politicians. I knew then that this is being exploited by the left to the detriment of our country and especially to vulnerable people, business owners, and so many employees who lost so much as a result of knee-jerk decisions of government.
But we are now on the other side of the pandemic and so we go forward instead of rehashing it yet once again.
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[Comment Removed]
[Comment Removed]
Whether we wanted to or not, the whole world participated in this "social experiment" of Covid escaping the lab in China, whether on purpose or accident. Those of us who followed guidelines given to us from doctors, the Secretary of Health, and others in leadership in our government, including the President at the time the vaccine first became available. We each made our choices for our own reasons and it is not a matter of acting in faith or in lack of faith, as you say.
So let's all stop politicizing this issue and show compassion and extend the grace of Christian liberty to each of us no matter our choices.
[Comment Removed]
I meant to say "walk by the Holy Spirit.
By doing this we will follow Him in our daily lives with power to obey what is good and righteous. Before we were regenerated by the Holy Spirit we did not have this power that comes only from the Holy Spirit to those who desire to live as Christ did.
[Comment Removed]
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