Burden Carrier

I watched an interesting movie last night called The Farewell. It's the story of Billi a young Chinese woman and her unique family. They plan a fake wedding so the whole family can be in China to see her grandmother whose dying. Everyone knows the grandmother is dying but her.

Although Billie is Chinese, she grew up in America so the custom of the Chinese people not to tell the grandmother the truth of her condition is troubling her. She doesn’t think it's right, not to mention illegal in the States, to lie to her. 

Her mother tells her the Chinese believe if someone has a terminal disease, it’s not the disease that kills them but the fear of the unknown.

While she’s in China with her family she keeps bringing up her convictions of not telling the grandmother the truth.  She tells the family her grandmother might want to say goodbye.

In a conversation with her uncle, this is the part that hit me, he tells Billi that she wants to tell the grandmother because the guilt is too heavy for her (Billi) to carry. He goes on to say she’s thinking of only herself and the family is thinking of the grandmother as part of the entire family, as a whole community. He tells her that it is a big burden and it’s theirs to carry for the grandmother, so she doesn’t have to.

Let that sink in a minute.

Think of the times you have had to carry a large burden by yourself, how wonderful it would have been to have others carry it for you.  To carry it without you even knowing is even better yet!

We are all in unfamiliar territory right now. In a conversation with my son today he noted we have had difficult times as a Country before but never as an entire world.

The effects of this virus are truly effecting the whole world!

I think these circumstances fit what the uncle is telling Billi, this is a huge burden and we must carry it together as a family, a neighborhood, a city, state, Country, a WORLD.

I had no answers for my son, or myself for that matter, so I reminded him that we know the one who does. This is the time to hold onto God's word like we do our phones or TV's.  You don't have to be a Bible scholor, just google your emotion along with Bible verse and God's word will come up.

2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

Gems I am holding this verse close to my heart. We are ALL currently weak in one way or another but GOD promises to give us the power to rest on Him.

Rest is the last thing we would think about right now, especially if you’re a type A personality. I’m talking about a state of mind rest, we can do certain things, I have loved seeing all the ideas people are posting and how communities are coming together, but none of that can lift the burden or remove the unknown.

So I will share with you  some burden lifting promises.

Psalm 138:7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me.

Psalm 81:7 In your distress you called and I rescued you, I answered you out of a thundercloud

2 Corinthians 1:3-4  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord your God among you is powerful— he will save and he will take joyful delight in you. In his love he will renew you with his love; he will celebrate with singing because of you.

Psalm 31:24 Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.

Psalm 55:22 Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.

In some weird way it does give me comfort knowing I'm not in this alone, especially since I live by myself. Everyone, and I mean everyone around the world, understands totally how I feel. Everyone including God becasue of Jesus who understands all of our emotions.

Hebrews 4:15-16 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. ¹⁶ Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Gems it doesn't have to be a misery loves company kind of thing, it can be, there's hope for humanity.  God knows, He hears, He cares, rest on Him and together the whole wide world will watch His hand move and no-one will be able deny His power!

Spiritual Coronavirus

This was written by my friend Paige and is well worth the read!

I was walking this morning and I learned a few things I thought might be of interest to some of you. I don't claim to be any type of virus expert, but I do find it interesting the timing in history that the Coronavirus is in our world. This may be a little lengthy but stick with me.

First thing the Word Corona comes from the Latin word Crown.

 Corona - Medical Definition

"Anatomy The crownlike upper portion of a bodily part or structure, such as the top of the head. Botany A crown-shaped, funnel-shaped, or trumpet-shaped outgrowth or appendage of the perianth of certain flowers, such as a daffodil. In this sense also called crown."

 Daffodils have a crown of sorts and one little breath on the daffodil and it blows away.

 You may not be a believer in this but there is a spirit realm that is active daily. (Ephesians 6:12, NIV: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.")

 When things happen in our natural world many times if we will stop and ask the Lord what it means he will reveal what is going on in the Spirit realm. So with the constant barrage of Coronavirus news, this teacher I listened to today talked about how the enemy is working symbolically after the authority of your thoughts.  Corona means crown and the enemy is going after the mind. If the enemy can attack your thoughts with doubt, fear and panic, then you become paralyzed and struggle to think logically and rationally.

This is also the time of Purim. It is a time of deliverance from death. Purim happens before Passover and it is one of the most entertaining Jewish holidays. Purim commemorates the time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from extermination by the courage of a young Jewish woman called Esther.

Another thing happening now is a battle against the spirit of Pan. Pan was a Greek God that was worshipped, and it is where we get the word panic or pandemic from. God didn't want anyone to worship any other false gods and he still doesn't want us worshipping anyone but the One true God.

So one of the major battles is the mental spirit of fear

And we have to go into the courts of heaven and overthrow the Spirit of Pan.

 f you have never heard of teachings on The Courts of Heaven, look it up on YouTube. Robert Henderson explains it well.

So to wrap this all up with somewhat of a solution.

 1. Be sure to crown your head with the Helmet of Salvation (Ephesians 6:10-18) so you when fear, panic, worry and anxiety come at your thoughts you can cast them down with the truth.

 2. Do wash your hands of course and stay home if you are sick.  You know this already

 (James 4:8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. WASH YOUR HANDS, YOU SINNERS; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.)

 3. Just as a dandelion when it blows you only need one little seed of faith to plant in your heart to give you hope. Blow some hope on others as well instead of blowing this fear and your germs all over people.

4.Dont let the enemy "Corona" crown you with fear

Be crowned with God's word. Read or listen to it daily. Try reading God's word first and as much or more than you read or listen to the news.

 5. Pray Psalm 23 first then Pray Psalm 91.  The way to enter into the abiding place with God is by Faith not by fear and panic. Faith moves God Fear moves Satan.

 6. Of course be smart, be informed, be prepared and be aware. You all know this and you're doing it.

7. We are about to go through Passover. Plead the blood of Jesus over your home. Anoint it with oil and Pray the Words of Psalm 91 over your home.

God is moving as he always does; he is not surprised by all this and He truly is in control. You can trust Him. Even if your faith is as small as a mustard seed. Plant that seed in fertile soil and watch it grow.