POSITIVE ACTION
25th Mar 2020
Jude 1:20 - 22 contains four very positive actions that we can all do at this critical time, as our country goes into lock-down seeking to defeat the Coronavirus.
1. Build yourselves up in your most holy faith. Our normal ways of getting together e.g. in church and fellowship groups are now banned, so we need to make sure we are feeding ourselves both physically and spiritually. Have a regular time reading the Word, use a Bible Plan, read a daily devotional. Use passages like Psalm 91 to declare God’s faithfulness and to combat the devices of the enemy.
Last Sunday was a very different day, but we spent time in worship, singing along to YouTube, watching a LiveCast from Daniel and spending time praying. One of our granddaughters joined three LiveCast Services during the day, from Watford, Clevedon and Bristol!
2. Pray in the Holy Spirit. How we need to pray for this present crisis. Praying in the Spirit, in tongues is such a powerful way to pray. 1 Corinthians 14:15 says, “I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind.” Romans 8:26 says, “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” When we pray in tongues we are connecting with God and enabling Him to pray through us into situations we know nothing about, but we also pray with understanding for things on our hearts. Do both.
3. Keep yourselves in God’s love. Isolation leads to loneliness and we need to make sure we are confident in God’s love. Jesus at His moment of greatest isolation, declared, “I am not alone, for my Father is with me.” (John 16:32)
But we also need to extend that love by keeping in touch with our families and friends. FaceTime is a wonderful way of speaking to others when we can see them and they us. Seeing someone’s face is a great comfort and antidote to loneliness.
4. Be merciful to those who doubt. As believers we can live in peace, because we have Jesus the Prince of Peace living inside of us. But, there are so many who are gripped by fear at this time, and this gives us great opportunities to pray for those who are struggling and speak words of faith and hope. Let’s believe that many with find living faith in Jesus at this time.
by Charles Sibthorpe
