Faith Matters | Coronavirus pandemic is a good time be fearless about your faith

“A scared world needs a fearless church” - AW Tozer

Joshua 1:9 (NKJV) “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

I read a statistic, that the phrase and theme, “not to fear,” collectively appears in the Bible 365 times. That would make it the most repeated command in scripture. A command of peace for every day of the year.

To those who may be reading this, who have never accepted Jesus as Lord, or may be away from an intimate relationship with Him; He is your answer, your peace, the source for true joy, identity and purpose. I know many good people who have acknowledged Him as Savior, but have never submitted to Him as Lord and King. While heaven awaits them when they breathe their last, their life here is void of the fulness of Christ now. I like to say it this way; “When you accept Jesus as Savior, you will go to Heaven when you die, when you submit to Him as Lord and King, you will have Heaven on Earth as you live”

Now to those who are reading this who are committed believers. Now is our time to shine in this dark hour the world faces.

Isaiah 60:1–3 (NKJV) Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. 2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. 3 The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.

In regard to this virus, it is essential that the church has good theology and great courage!

Good theology # 1: God is not responsible for this!

John 10:10 (NKJV) The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

If it has to do with death and destruction, the source is from the devil, not the giver of life!

Psalm 103:1–3 (NKJV) Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases.

Good theology # 2: It’s not the end of the world!

Matthew 24:4–8 (TPT) Jesus answered, “At that time deception will run rampant. So beware that you are not fooled! 5 For many will appear on the scene claiming my authority or saying about themselves, ‘I am God’s Anointed,’ and they will lead many astray. 6 “You will hear of wars nearby and revolutions on every side, with more rumors of wars to come. Don’t panic or give in to your fears, for the breaking apart of the world’s systems is destined to happen. But it won’t yet be the end; it will still be unfolding. 7 “Nations will go to war against each other and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be terrible earthquakes—seismic events of epic proportion, horrible epidemics and famines in place after place. 8 This is how the first contractions and birth pains of the new age will begin!”

I want to encourage you to watch a recent message “Glory Unleashed”, where I go into greater detail. http://kingdomlifechristianchurch.org/watch/latest-message

It is time for the church to rise up and become Hope Dealers, Agents of Peace, and Demonstrators of Power.

Be loving and kind, be generous, and FEAR NOT!

Beyond anything else I could ever share with you; I offer you Jesus. Regardless of who you are, or what you’ve done, God is good, and He loves you. He sent His Son who paid the ultimate price for you. He died on a cross for your sins, but death could not hold Him. Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, you too can have a new and eternal life. Ask Him into your heart. Ask Him to heal you, to teach you His ways and to use you to help others. Welcome to the Kingdom, welcome to the Family of God!

Faith Matter is written by members of the Bradenton clerical community. Don Sturiano is the senior leader of Kingdom Life Christian Church, 3700 26th St W. Bradenton. He is also the chaplain for the Bradenton Police Department, and a member of the Bethel Leaders Network in Redding, Calif. For more information and to watch online visit www.kingdomlifechristianchurch.org.