Author: Mark Francis

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COVID-19 Update: God Innocent, Satan Guilty

A common plot in TV courtroom dramas is for an innocent person to be on trail because they were framed by a clever criminal. Incredibly, this plotline is currently playing itself out in the COVID-19 pandemic! Scared and worried people — and even some Christians – are blaming an innocent person by asking, “If God is love and all-powerful why is he killing people with this virus?”

The straightforward answer is “He’s not. Satan is.”, but like a well written drama this solution might not be obvious. The clever criminal has crafted a shrewd strategy to divert attention from what he is doing by blaming God. Fortunately, we have the benefit of hindsight because the Bible has already been written. Looking into God’s word shows us the details of Satan’s scheme.

A Bold Approach

Before we start to describe this strategy it’s important to remember that Satan does not make small plans. Keep in mind that his original idea was to take over as God (Isaiah 14:14), so it should not be a surprise that anything coming from him would be done on a grand scale. His so-called greatest trick – convincing people he does not even exist – certainly falls into this category.

2 Corinthians 4:4 perfectly describes Satan’s strategy in a nutshell. It says that he blinds unbelievers to the glory of God so they won’t be saved. Later in this same epistle (11:3) Paul writes that he was concerned about how Satan could use this approach and trick followers of Jesus so that their “thoughts would be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”

Paul’s concerns proved to be well founded, because that is exactly what has happened. Many Christians think they have to prove to God that they love Him by enduring the terrible things God does to them. This comes from a mistaken understanding of verses such as Philippians 1:30 and Hebrews 12:1 that encourage us to endure hardship. It is important to note that these verses do not say that God is causing the havoc.

Discrediting A Key Witness

Blaming God for their troubles too often causes Christians to be angry with God instead of loving Him. “Why is God doing this to me?” is a common lament and echoes the words of Job. In fact, Job is the primary example people cite when they fall for Satan’s scheme of blaming God. But using Job as proof that God causes misfortune is wrong for a variety of reasons.

The fist mistake is thinking that God protected Job and then lifted this “hedge”. But this understanding comes from believing what Satan says in Job 1:10. To quote C.S. Lewis, “Readers are advised to remember the devil is a liar.” Jesus taught us this in 1 John 2:4. To paraphrase His words, Jesus said that Satan is not even capable to telling the truth (“the truth is not in him”).

Second, Job himself recants what he said about God causing his troubles! Sadly, few readers wade through the accusations of Job’s friends (and Job’s insistence on his righteousness) to get to the core of the book when Elihu begins speaking in chapter 32. They never get to Job 42:3 where Job admits he didn’t know what he was talking about! This comes after Job has an encounter with God and experiences His true nature.

A Perfect Strategy

Misleading Christians and others into blaming God provides a variety of benefits for Satan. First of all, we don’t blame Satan for what’s going wrong and so we don’t resist him (James 4:7). This allows Satan to continue hurting us. We submit to Satan and allow ourselves to be blinded to the glory of God and away from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. In other words, we behave in a manner directly contrary to Scripture.

But there’s something even worse than this. When we blame God for the problems in our lives and get angry at Him we are not about to turn to Him for solutions. We alienate ourselves from the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3). Of course, no one in this frame of mind is going to tell others how much God loves them, or how He wants what is best for them like Jesus taught in Matthew 7:11.

This is a perfect triple play for Satan! Christians forget how much God loves them, get angry at Him and stop turning to Him to solve the problem. It is such an effective strategy that you almost have to admire how brilliant it is. Of course, nothing about Satan is admirable, and looking at what he is doing gets me pretty angry at Satan for hurting so many people in this way.

Satan Hurts, God Heals

The entirety of Scripture points to the simple truth that God is good and that He does good things. However, there is a particular instance in the Bible that has direct relevance to the current situation we face with the COVID-19 pandemic. This incident demonstrates the absolute truth of Hebrews 4:15 which says that Jesus knows and has experienced all of our fears and weaknesses.

The incident is recorded in Matthew 8:3 where Jesus touches a leper and cures him of the disease. Keep in mind that lepers had to keep themselves away from others in order to avoid spreading the illness. This was so important that even touching a leper made you ceremoniously unclean (Leviticus 5:3). Jesus knew the fear of infectious disease and yet He touched a leper.

It’s important to remember that Jesus was fully God and fully human. It’s easy to dismiss this incident in light of His Divinity, but think about it for a minute in terms of His humanity. It’s also important to keep in mind that the leper in this incident came to Jesus, knelt before Him, and stated clearly that he believed in Jesus’ ability to heal him. This is a great example of how we can approach God!

“You are not alone.”

In fact, the actions of the leper in Matthew 8:3 are a perfect example of the instruction given to us in Hebrews 11:6. We are to approach God in faith. This means believing He is who He says He is instead of believing what Satan says. We are to believe He rewards those who come to Him in this way, rather than thinking He wants to give us a disease. Remember that Isaiah 5:20 very clearly says that evil is not good and that good is not evil.

God is with us and is for us. This is an enduring truth that runs throughout Scripture. God helped Adam and Eve after they sinned (Genesis 3:21). He became man and died for our sins, restoring our relationship to Him when we could not do that by ourselves. Jesus is the perfect representation of God (Colossians 1:15), and we are well advised to look at how He healed those oppressed by the devil (Acts 10:38.)

This overwhelming preponderance of evidence overwhelms the scheme of Satan which is intended to keep us away from the love of God. Fortunately, we have Romans 8:38-39 “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

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Is COVID-19 Seasonal?

Most people are familiar with the idea of a “cold and flu season”, and the current pandemic has people across the globe looking forward anxiously to the end of it for this year. Fresh warm air and bright sunlight are deadly to viruses, so it is hoped that this first day of spring (in the Northern Hemisphere) will start a countdown to the end of this contagion.

But the seasonal nature of the pandemic can also be understood in the context of 2 Timothy 4:2 which tell us to be ready “in season and out” to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. ’ This pandemic can be understood as a fantastic opening for Christians to proclaim the truth, but in order to properly seize this moment we have to be equipped. I hope to assist with that in whatever modest way I can.

But First

Before we get started, let me say that I do not find any evidence in Scripture that this pandemic is God’s doing or His will. I believe that this is either from Satan or simply another consequence of the fall. But regardless of the cause, let’s remember Genesis 5:20 and work with God to use what is intended for evil and accomplish something good.

The good thing is for people hear how much God loves them and wants them to come into a relationship with Him based solely on that love. In fact, there is nothing better than that. The mindset of those deeply concerned about the COVID-19 pandemic presents an opportunity to do that in a way that will resonate with both their emotional and their rational sides. Approaches that hit both notes are very effective.

Sympathize

“Sympathy” seems to be a pretty rare commodity when it comes to evangelism these days. Christians are much more likely to preach the consequences of sin than start form a point of common ground. But the pandemic is the perfect chance to begin with sympathizing, because the fear felt by non-Christians is something we ourselves have felt before. It is the practical application of 1 Corinthians 6:11.

Those fearful of COVID-19 have been disappointed by the medical system and their national government. They have put their confidence in these institutions and trusted them to take care of them and protect them. Effective vaccinations and security checkpoints were depended on to be a shield and bulwark. Put together, these two institutions presented what seemed to be an unconquerable Goliath.

The Window

The toppling of that behemoth has left those who trusted it fearful and confused. It’s easy to start a conversation (conducted at the proper social distance, of course) about how these institutions should have seen this coming. Everyone remembers the SARS, MERS, Zika and Ebola outbreaks. From there it is simple to draw the conclusion that institutions created by mankind are inherently unreliable.

“If we can’t trust those what can we trust?” is the fundamental question every Christian longs to answer, and it is the natural conclusion to the conversation. The reasons given to trust God in the current circumstance can branch in a variety of directions. One way is to quote Psalm 91 about how God protects those who abide in His love. This leads directly to a discussion of the perfect example of that love.

More Options

In some conversations it will be possible to answer that fundamental question with a personal testimony of our own disappointment with human institutions — and with ourselves — that led to our acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Savior. This approach may be appropriate for those who are deeply caught in a web of fear. Listen carefully to what you are being told and follow that lead.

With individuals who are more inclined to an intellectual discussion, explaining how suffering originated from man’s disobedience may be the way to go. This authenticates Scripture as the basis for rational decision making. Few people will argue these days against the statement that “It’s a fallen world.” This is also an effective response to the false charge that God is causing this pandemic as punishment.

Conclusion

It is probably not a good idea to preach Christ in the current situation in the context of the coming Tribulation. This approach is fraught because once fears of the pandemic subside the teaching becomes open to ridicule. The other approaches outlined above can continue to resonate long after this current crisis has ended.

The key to seizing this opportunity is not only to remember how we felt when we were without hope, but also to seriously evaluate how much hope we are putting in the Word of God ourselves. 2 Corinthians 3:15 tells us to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith. That’s a great thing to do before — or even if — we evangelize others, and is advice that never goes out of season.

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COVID 19 or Psalm 91?

The ongoing COVID 19 pandemic has Christians and non-Christians alike worried and on edge. These fears are fed by the reality that the basic facts of this virus (transmission and mortality rates, for example) are still poorly understood and there is no vaccination against the spreading contagion. However, Christians have a defense that is not available to non-believers.

The most direct evidence of this is found in Psalm 91. These 16 verses speak generally about the Lord acting as our defense and specifically mentions protection from infectious disease 3 times. This is in addition to at last 4 references to being protected from danger and evil. A full reading of the text gives a blessed assurance of security. (This is the ESV.)

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust.”

For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler

and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his pinions,

and under his wings you will find refuge;

his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

You will not fear the terror of the night,

nor the arrow that flies by day,

nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,

nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

A thousand may fall at your side,

ten thousand at your right hand,

but it will not come near you.

You will only look with your eyes

and see the recompense of the wicked.

Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place–

the Most High, who is my refuge–

no evil shall be allowed to befall you,

no plague come near your tent.

For he will command his angels concerning you

to guard you in all your ways.

On their hands they will bear you up,

lest you strike your foot against a stone.

You will tread on the lion and the adder;

the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;

I will protect him, because he knows my name.

When he calls to me, I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble;

I will rescue him and honor him.

With long life I will satisfy him

and show him my salvation.”

Which Testament is this in?

The critical point in this fantastic promise of safety is found in the first line of the last stanza (verse 14) where we are told that God will do this “because he holds fast to me in love.” This is a remarkable statement coming from an Old Testament writer operating under the covenant of the law where “do good to get good” was the normal mode of operation.

Instead of an “if you do this, then” formulation typically found in passages based on law, the blessings of Psalm 91 are unconditional. They come from God because we hold fast to Him in love. Obedience or service is not mentioned as a condition. Instead the entire psalm describes benefits that come from a relationship with God based on love.

Who’s love?

An interesting perspective is gained by considering the possibility that the love referred to is an understanding of God’s love for us, not our love for God. This is in keeping with 1 Peter 5:7 where we told that God cares for us, and so we should cast our concerns on Him. (Which is another good piece of Scriptural advice when dealing with COVID 19).

Of course, 1 John 4:19 identifies God’s love for us as the root of our love for God. Just like any plant cut off from its root dies, so too would our love for God wither if it were cut off from the understanding that God loves us. While we might protest that this is impossible, if it happened to the Ephesians (Revelation 2:4) it can happen to us.

Is this real?

The idea that Christians have nothing to fear from COVID 19 because God will protect us from the virus may strike some as laughable. However, the whole idea of God becoming man and dying for our sins is considered laughable by many. The bigger issue is that this Psalm asks us to do something that makes us very uncomfortable.

C.S. Lewis said it best. “The state of having to depend solely on God is what we all dread the most.” This is the appeal of many Christian religions which add a healthy dose of works to their message of salvation. While it is straightforward to reject that error, it is still a challenge to depend on God’s love to protect against a pandemic.

Conclusion

It is fitting that the numbers 19 and 91 are in reverse order, because God’s wisdom runs in the exact opposite direction from that of mankind. Our “wisdom” looks like absolute foolishness to God according to 1 Corinthians 3:19. The simple reversed order of the numbers also serves as a useful memory tool.

When you see “COVID 19”, remember “Psalm 91”. When you see fear, remember confidence. When you are told that medical systems are unable to cope with this crisis, remember that the purpose of Scripture is to fully equipped us for every good work (2 Timothy 3:17). Psalm 91 is the perfect example of that truth for today.

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Is Keto Christian?

The Ketosis (Keto) Diet has taken the nutrition world by storm and shows no signs of weakening. In its most basic form, it is a diet with a high percentage of fat and protein with limited carbohydrates. It has sometimes been characterized as the “paleo-diet”, as it supposedly represents the diet eaten by primitive humans.

Of course, Christians know there never were any primitive humans so the idea of mimicking their diet is absurd. We were created by God in His image. It’s easy to move on from this factual reality and dismiss the entire Keto Diet as a bit of science fiction with no basis in reality. That’s a mistake. The Keto Diet demonstrates God’s astonishing design of the human body.

Start at the Top

The Bible is clear that God knew Adam and Eve would sin before He shaped Adam from the clay of the earth. He prepared humanity for the struggle of surviving in a fallen world by structuring our bodies to run on either meat or plants. We are omnivores, as demonstrated by our teeth. Some are built for biting meat, and some are suitable for grinding grain. Our digestive systems also processes either type of food.

Everything we eat gets chewed up–by the appropriate teeth, of course–and passes through the stomach into the small intestine where the nutrients are absorbed. At this point the body treats meat and protein differently from carbohydrates. Based on what it needs to digest, the body creates specific enzymes to convert what is available into fuel for muscles and metabolic activity.

The End of Science

Any excess energy gets stored by the body as fat, again demonstrating God’s wisdom in designing a system that saves in times of plenty in preparation for possible lean times ahead. Of course, most of the Western world no longer encounters lean times, leading to an epidemic of obesity. This problem has gotten worse in spite of the attempts of food scientists to create low- and zero-calorie snack foods.

Limiting calories by itself is ineffective because God designed the body to slow its metabolic rate when it reaches into fat reserves for energy. This is a fantastic strategy for survival that also reduces the effectiveness of dieting to lose weight. However, when the body is getting a high percentage of fat and protein and needs more energy from fat reserves, it reaches for them without slowing the metabolism.

Why Keto Works

This is why a reduced-calorie diet with a high percentage of them coming from protein and fat works better. The body continues burning calories at a normal rate. Better yet, since the body has adapted to digesting fat by producing more of that type of enzyme it is never hungry for more calories as long as it has reserves of fat to burn. The person eating a keto diet maintains their metabolic rate and does not experience the hunger pains typically associated with a low-calorie approach to weight loss.

The physiology of a keto diet has nothing to do with what “primitive man” supposedly ate and everything to do with God designing a physical body flexible enough to survive the rigors of a fallen world with unreliable sources of food. It’s like a car that can run on either gasoline or diesel fuel and which adapts to run better based on which fuel it is given. A keto diet exploits the benefits of God’s design for the benefit of the person who wants to lose weight.

Scriptural Guidance

The Bible seems to be silent on specific guidance regarding the keto diet, and perspectives gained by inference can be misconstrued and unreliable. The most relevant reference to meat is in Peter’s vision recorded in Acts 10: 9-16. However, this clearly has more to do with salvation coming to the Gentiles than the physiology of the human body. The importance of the spiritual meaning is also obvious in the reference to meat in 1 Corinthians 3:2.

The clear instruction by God to Ezekiel in chapter 4 of that book starting in verse 9 is similarly about something other than a diet with a high percentage of calories from protein and fat. “Ezekiel bread” is intended to teach a lesson about surviving during the coming famine. While it teaches an important lesson about the nutritional quality of sprouted grain, it is not an instruction about eating meat.

Conclusions

This lack of specific instruction seems to put the keto diet into the category of behavior discussed by Paul in Romans 14: 13-21. We are allowed to follow our own understanding in matters such as this, but we should not use that liberty to cause another follower to stumble. A situation where eating a keto diet would cause someone else to stumble in their faith is hard to image, but it certainly should be avoided.

Similarly, while losing weight on a keto diet we should not criticize overweight believers for enjoying a donut. Encouraging them is certainly a loving gesture, and testifying about the effectiveness of keto in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight also demonstrates love. Most of all, understanding that keto is nothing more than utilizing God’s design of the human body helps everyone depend on Him for all things, and nothing can be better than that!

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Kurds Betrayed by Western Powers. No One Surprised.

The recent developments coming from US President Trump’s conversation with Turkish leader Erdogan generated a large emotional reaction in me. In no particular order, I was outraged, grieved, angered, horrified and appalled. The only thing that I did not feel was surprise. This is not the first time the Kurds have been sold out by the West. The same thing happened at the end of WWI and WWII, to name only two other times.

It seems that the Kurds could take a lesson from the leaders of the divided kingdoms of Judah and Israel in the Old Testament. They were infamous for looking to foreign powers for their salvation rather than to God. I understand that some Kurds are Christians, so they have as much right as any other national group to claim 2 Chronicles 7:14.

Please understand that I have no idea if God wants there to be an independent Kurdistan or not. Discerning God’s will in such matters is quite above my level of understanding. I do know that God cares deeply for everyone struggling in that region. Starting from that perspective, I drew a deeply personal lesson out of the betrayal of the Kurds.

The lesson is simple, and it comes straight out of the Bible. Don’t trust people because you will only end up disappointed. Trust God instead. This is a central theme of the Bible that starts in Genesis and continues all the way through to Revelation. The success or failure of any individual in the Bible is tied directly to their trust or lack of trust in God in that situation.

For example, Eve ultimately doubted God and decided to trust the serpent. Solomon built alliances with foreign powers through marriage, demonstrating the limits of human wisdom. Of course, any list of doubters–no matter how short–must include the apostle Thomas for his statements regarding the testimony of his fellow apostles.

As Christians, of course, we have come to depend on God for our salvation. We’ve accepted the truth of Romans 3:23 that all have sinned and are in need of a redeemer and that the redeemer we need is Jesus Christ: God who became man to die for our sins so that we do not get what we deserve. (1 John 4:10, etc.) Unfortunately, too often, this is as far as our trust goes.

While there is a great deal that I do not understand about how best to live the Christian life, I am confident that God intends us to trust Him for things beyond our salvation. I see this in James 1:5, where we are instructed to ask for wisdom with the confident expectation that we will receive it. In fact, the entire book of James can be understood as an encouragement to depend on God.

The instruction to depend on Him is repeated in the context of both spiritual matters and physical needs. Again, like the examples where Western powers disappointed the Kurds or people in the Bible doubted God, there are far too many verses to cite them all, but here are a few that establish the principle that God wants us to trust Him:

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?

Romans 8:32

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Hebrews 11:6

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6:33

And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.

Matthew 21:22

This is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we will have the requests that we have asked of Him.

1 John 5:14—15

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!

Ephesians 3:20

Not that my own experience can add anything to the weight of Scripture, but I can say without a doubt that every lack in my life can be traced to an unwillingness to trust God. I often do not want to admit this, but it’s the truth. I tend to depend on people than on God, and as the Kurds can tell you, that’s not a good idea. Fortunately, the first step in solving a problem is to admit you have one.

 

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