“Message preached in Liberia on Radio Bushrod D-15 FM 98.1 Wednesday April 1 at 7 pm on Sons & Daughters of Thunder Ministries’ Liberia Fire Fall Hour of Power”
2 Timothy 3:1-5 ~ But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
THIS IS DESCRIBING THE PEOPLE OF THIS WORLD. THIS IS WHO WE ARE WHEN WE DO NOT HAVE JESUS CHRIST. BEFORE I SURRENDERED MY LIFE TO JESUS AND MADE HIM THE LORD OF MY LIFE BEING BAPTIZED IN JESUS NAME AND FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, THIS DESCRIBED THE MAN I HAD BECOME. I TRUSTED IN MYSELF AND THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD AND I DID NOT KNOW GOD.
Matthew 24:3-8 ~ Now as He (Jesus) sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
WE ARE IN PERILOUS TIMES. THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF SORROWS. SORROW IS A FEELING OF DEEP DISTRESS CAUSED BY LOSS, DISAPPOINTMENT, OR OTHER MISFORTUNE SUFFERED BY ONESELF OR OTHERS. THIS CORONA-VIRUS IS CAUSING THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD LOSS, DISAPPOINTMENT AND MISFORTUNE. PEOPLE ARE LOSING THEIR LIVES, PEOPLE ARE WATCHING THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS DIE, PEOPLE ARE LOSING THEIR JOBS, THEY HAVE NO WAY OF MAKING MONEY AND THEIR FOOD SUPPLIES ARE RUNNING OUT. PEOPLE ARE IN A STATE OF PANIC AND THEY ARE LOSING HOPE. THEIR OWN GOVERNMENTS IN SOME CASES CANNOT EVEN HELP THEM. ALL BECAUSE OF A VIRUS WE CANNOT EVEN SEE.
WE ARE IN THE END DAYS. JESUS IS COMING SOON. I AM NOT TRYING TO SCARE YOU BECAUSE THERE IS NO FEAR IN LOVE. (John 3:16) I AM ONLY WARNING YOU THAT YOU NEED TO GET RIGHT WITH GOD NOW. I AM LETTING YOU KNOW THAT GOD LOVES YOU AND HE IS CALLING YOU OUT OF THIS WORLD INTO HIM AND HE WANTS YOU TO BE REBORN. HE WANTS YOU TO GIVE YOUR LIFE TO HIM AND HE WANTS TO FILL YOU WITH HIS HOLY SPIRIT. JESUS IS CALLING YOU NOW. ITS TIME TO MAKE A DECISION ON WHO YOU WILL TRUST. WILL YOU TRUST YOUR SELF? WILL YOU TRUST YOUR MONEY? WILL YOU TRUST YOUR GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE FOR YOU? OR WILL YOU TRUST GOD?
Pestilence means a deadly and overwhelming disease that affects an entire community. It is any infectious, fatal disease that is widespread.
WE ARE IN A PESTILENCE RIGHT NOW CALLED CORONA-VIRUS. I BELIEVE WE ARE SEEING THIS OUTBREAK OF PESTILENCE BECAUSE THE LORD IS CALLING FOR US TO TURN TO HIM IN PRAYER AND SURRENDER AND TRUST HIM AND TO TURN AWAY FROM THIS WORLD AND ITS WORTHLESS IDOLS. ISN’T IT INTERESTING THAT THE CORONA-VIRUS GETS ITS NAME FROM CORONA WHICH MEANS CROWN BECAUSE THE VIRUS LOOKS LIKE A KING’S CROWN? WHO ARE YOU GOING TO BOW DOWN TO? WHO ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE YOUR KING? THIS VIRUS OR THE KING OF KINGS, JESUS CHRIST? ARE YOU GOING TO BOW DOWN IN FEAR TO DEATH AND UNCERTAINTY OR ARE YOU GOING TO BOW DOWN IN HUMILITY TO THE KING THAT GRANTS YOU EVERLASTING LIFE?
TOO MANY OF US ARE CHASING AFTER THE WRONG THINGS IN LIFE. TOO MANY OF US ARE BOWING TO THE WRONG KING. MANY OF US ARE LOOKING TO MONEY TO BRING US HAPPINESS. WE ARE MAKING MONEY OUR KING. WE BELIEVE MONEY CAN SAVE US. WE SAY TO OURSELVES…MY PROBLEM IS I DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH MONEY; I NEED MORE MONEY. WE BEGIN TELLING OURSELVES THE FOLLOWING THINGS: IF ONLY I HAD MORE MONEY, THEN EVERYTHING WOULD BE ALRIGHT. IF ONLY I COULD GET A JOB TO GET SOME MONEY, THEN I WOULD HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED AND I WOULD BE HAPPY? IF ONLY I COULD GET SOMEONE TO GIVE ME SOME MONEY, THEN EVERYTHING WILL BE ALRIGHT? WE BEGIN TO CHASE AFTER THE ONE THING THAT WE BELIEVE IS GOING TO SOLVE ALL OUR PROBLEMS. WE BEGIN TO MAKE MONEY OUR GOD AND WE FORGET ABOUT OUR CREATOR, JESUS CHRIST. THIS IS WRONG!
ISN’T IT INTERESTING THAT THE CORONA-VIRUS IS NOT ONLY ATTACKING OUR BODIES, BUT IT IS ALSO ATTACKING THE WORLD’S ECONOMY? IT IS ATTACKING OUR MONEY. THE WORLD’S COMMERCE IS SHUTTING DOWN. THE WORLD IS GOING BROKE. PEOPLE CANNOT MAKE MONEY AND THEY ARE NOW LIVING IN FEAR OF NOT BEING ABLE TO HAVE ENOUGH FOOD AND SHELTER TO SURVIVE. THE KINGDOM OF MONEY IS BEING SHAKEN. THE WORLD’S ECONOMY IS CRUMBLING BEFORE OUR VERY EYES. IF YOU PUT YOUR FAITH AND HOPE IN MONEY THEN YOU HAVE CHOSEN THE WRONG THING. UNDERSTAND THIS. THE #1 ECONOMY IN THE WORLD IS THE UNITED STATES AND IT IS ALSO THE COUNTRY THAT HAS THE MOST CORONA-VIRUS CASES. THE 6 COUNTRIES THAT HAVE THE MOST CORONA-VIRUS CASES IN THE WORLD (USA, ITALY, SPAIN, CHINA, GERMANY AND FRANCE) ALSO ARE SOME OF THE RICHEST AND MOST POWERFUL NATIONS IN THE WORLD. THEIR MONEY AND POWER IS BEING SHAKEN!
GOD SAYS IN HIS WORD TO FIRST SEEK HIM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS AND ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE ADDED UNTO YOU.
Matthew 6:25-34 ~ “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not [l]arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
GOD WARNS US ABOUT PUTTING MONEY BEFORE HIM OR TRYING TO FOCUS ON MONEY AND HIM.
Matthew 6:25-26 ~ “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
MAMMON HERE MEANS RICHES OR MONEY. AND ITS NOT JUST RICHES AND MONEY. IT IS ANYTHING YOU PUT BEFORE GOD IN YOUR LIFE. MAMMON CAN ALSO BE MATERIAL THINGS LIKE CARS, JEWELRY OR NICE CLOTHES. IT CAN BE YOUR APPEARANCE OR TRYING TO LOOK GOOD. IT CAN BE THE HOBBIES OR SPORTS YOU LOVE. IT CAN BE ALCOHOL, SEX OR DRUGS. IT CAN BE YOUR ROMANTIC PARTNERS OR EVEN YOUR OWN CHILDREN. MAMMON CAN BE ANYTHING YOU PUT BEFORE GOD. IT IS ANYTHING YOU PUT YOUR TRUST IN TO BRING YOU HAPPINESS BEFORE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR CREATOR. THESE THINGS BECOME YOUR IDOLS OR GODS AND THE LORD DOESN’T LEAVE ANY ROOM FOR CONFUSION ABOUT THIS COMMANDMENT.
Exodus 20:3 ~ “You shall have no other gods before Me.
IT TOOK ONLY FORTY DAYS FROM WHEN MOSES WENT TO TALK WITH GOD ON MOUNT SINAI FOR THE ISRAELITE’S TO FALL INTO IDOLATRY. EVEN AFTER WITNESSING THE MIRACLES THAT FREED THEM OUT OF EGYPT, THEY DEMANDED THAT AARON MAKE A NEW GOD FOR THEM TO WORSHIP.
Exodus 32:1-4 ~ Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 2 And Aaron said to them, “Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people broke off the Golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. 4 And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf.
THEN THE ISRAELITE’S BEGAN TO WORSHIP THIS GOLDEN CALF. THEY BEGAN TO WORSHIP AN IDOL JUST LIKE WE DO WHEN WE MAKE MONEY AND THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD OUR GODS. WHEN GOD SAW THIS, HE BECAME ANGRY, AND WHAT DID HE DO?
Exodus 32:35 ~ So the Lord plagued the people because of what they did with the calf which Aaron made.
THERE ARE OTHER INSTANCES IN THE BIBLE WHERE GOD SENDS PESTILENCE TO ACCOMPLISH HIS WILL. PESTILENCE HAS THE ABILITY TO BRING EVERYONE TO THEIR KNEES IN DISTRESS.
1 Chronicles 21:11-14 ~ So Gad came to David and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Choose for yourself, 12 either three years of famine, or three months to be defeated by your foes with the sword of your enemies overtaking you, or else for three days the sword of the Lord – the plague in the land, with the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.’ Now consider what answer I should take back to Him who sent me.” 13 And David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Please let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are very great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.” 14 So the Lord sent a plague upon Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell.
HERE, KING DAVID WAS GIVEN A CHOICE OF PUNISHMENT AND HE CHOSE TO FALL INTO THE HAND OF THE LORD WHERE THERE IS GREAT MERCY RATHER THAN FALLING INTO THE HAND OF MAN WHERE THERE IS NONE. MAN IS CRUEL AND SO IS THE WORLD IN WHICH HE HAS CREATED FOR HIMSELF APART FROM GOD.
YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE SAME GOD WHO PROTECTS AND BLESSES YOU IS ALSO THE SAME GOD WHO SENDS DISASTER AND PESTILENCE WHEN IT ACCOMPLISHES HIS RIGHTEOUS PURPOSES ON EARTH.
THIS IS A WARNING SHOT. GOD IS SENDING US A MESSAGE. THIS PESTILENCE CALLED CORONA-VIRUS IS WARNING US THAT WE ARE IN THE END TIMES AND WE NEED TO TURN NOW TO JESUS CHRIST OUR CREATOR.
Isaiah 9:6 ~ For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
DID YOU UNDERSTAND THIS SCRIPTURE FROM THE PROPHET ISAIAH? THE SON WHOSE NAME IS JESUS, IS ALSO CALLED EVERLASTING FATHER AND MIGHTY GOD. JESUS IS GOD MANIFESTED IN THE FLESH. JOHN 4:24 SAYS THAT GOD IS A SPIRIT AND JESUS IS THAT SPIRIT THE FATHER WHO IS MANIFESTED IN THE FLESH. JOHN 1:1 – IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD AND THE WORD WAS WITH GOD AND THE WORD WAS GOD; JOHN 1:14 – AND THE WORD BECAME FLESH AND DWELT AMONG US.
THIS PESTILENCE. THIS CORONA-VIRUS. THIS DISEASE THAT LOOKS LIKE A CROWN IS HERE TO SHOW US OUR WEAKNESS OUTSIDE OF AND APART FROM GOD. IT IS SHOWING US THAT WE HAVE PUT OUR TRUST AND HOPE IN THE WRONG THINGS. WE NEED TO RESPOND TO THIS VIRUS NOW BY TURNING AWAY FROM THE WORLD AND ITS WORTHLESS IDOLS AND BACK TO MIGHTY GOD, BACK TO EVERLASTING FATHER, BACK TO JESUS CHRIST. ITS ABOUT MAKING JESUS CHRIST THE LORD AND SAVIOR OF YOUR LIFE AND WORSHIPING HIM AND FOLLOWING HIM INSTEAD OF MAN AND THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY TO THE FATHER AND ETERNAL LIFE IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.
Philippians 2:10-11 ~ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
THIS PESTILENCE HAS A PURPOSE AND THAT PURPOSE IS TO SHAKE THE IDOLS AND FALSE GODS OUT FROM UNDER US SO WE WILL CLING TO THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN HELP US, JESUS CHRIST. FOR ME, I MADE A DECISION TO TURN AWAY FROM THE IDOLS IN MY LIFE AND TURN TO JESUS 7 YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS A PRISONER IN PRISON FOR BEING A THIEF AND A DRUG ADDICT. CRACK COCAINE AND STEALING TO GET MONEY FOR MY DRUGS WERE MY IDOLS. I WAS OUT OF CONTROL AND CRACK COCAINE WAS MY KING AND MY ADDICTION TO THE DRUG WAS MY CORONA-VIRUS. THAT WAS MY DISEASE. IN MY DISTRESS WHEN I HAD ALMOST DESTROYED MYSELF, I TURNED TO JESUS IN SURRENDER AND PUT AWAY THOSE WORTHLESS IDOLS AND NOW I AM COVERED BY HIS PRECIOUS BLOOD AND I AM SAVED. I HAVE BEEN SET FREE!
I HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS FOR YOU WHO CHOOSE JESUS LIKE I HAVE DONE. YOU ARE NOT APPOINTED FOR GOD’S WRATH AND JUDGEMENT. THIS CORONA-VIRUS IS NOT HERE TO HARM YOU. IT IS ONLY HERE AS A WARNING. LISTEN TO WHAT I AM SAYING. YOU WHO CHOOSE JESUS NOW CAN BE COVERED BY HIS PRECIOUS BLOOD AND YOU CAN BECOME THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD. THIS IS GOD’S WILL. THIS IS WHY THE CORONA-VIRUS HAS PLAGUED THIS WORLD, SO WE COULD CHOOSE TO TURN AWAY FROM THE WORLD AND ALL ITS WORTHLESS IDOLS AND BACK TO OUR CREATOR, JESUS CHRIST. THE TIME IS NOW FOR YOU TO MAKE JESUS YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR. THEN YOU MUST GET BAPTIZED IN JESUS NAME FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF YOUR SINS AND BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT WHICH IS YOUR GUARANTEE TO YOUR INHERITANCE OF THE OF ETERNAL LIFE IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.
1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 ~ 9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.
Romans 3:21-26 ~ But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance (patience, restraint) God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
BY GIVING YOUR LIFE TO JESUS AND BELIEVING ON HIS NAME, YOU CAN BECOME THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD BECAUSE OF YOUR FAITH. I WILL END THIS SERMON WITH THIS ONE SCRIPTURE THAT SUMS UP THIS ENTIRE MESSAGE. THIS IS WHAT THE CORONA-VIRUS IS ALL ABOUT AND WHY THIS PESTILENCE HAS COME UPON OUR WORLD.
2 Chronicles 7:14 ~ if My people who are called by My name (What is that name? – JESUS) will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways (What are the ways? – Worshiping false Gods and Idols like Money and Power), then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
My name is Jonathan Lewis from Liberia Let me extend my thanks and appreciation to Pastor Michael for such a great teaching yesterday I listen to him on D. 15, 98.1 Fm.