"But understand this, that in the last days dangerous times [of great stress and trouble] will come [difficult days that will be hard to bear].
2 Timothy 3:1 (AMP)
"But understand this" which means in another term "don't be ignorant of this thing." That in the last days (the last days is the period that will precede Christ's second coming) dangerous times will come. Another version (NKJV) puts the phrase "dangerous times" as "perilous times", they actually meant the same thing. Currently, the world is unsafe because of the spread of Covid-19 and so, this period rightly fit into the description of what apostle Paul was talking about in that passage.
Listen to Podcast: THE SYSTEMS OF GOD FOR SAILING THROUGH PERILOUS TIMES
There are a number of things that the Bible recorded that would characterize the end of the world and which would signal Christ's second coming. Luke 21:11 documented a part of it and which is somewhat similar to what is happening in the world right now. It says "And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven." A pestilence is a "contagious or infectious epidemic disease that is virulent and devastating." If you carefully look at Covid-19 that is currently ravaging the world, it is an example of pestilence that Luke documented above. And so, the Bible recorded that all these things shall precede the end of age.
Now for believers, the implication of this is that they would still be in this world at the time these signs are taking place one after the other. Because Jesus said in Matthew 24:6 that "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." That means for as many believers who would still be on ground, we are going to witness them but we will never partake of them, and that is why Jesus said that "See that you are not troubled." In other words, when you see these events unfolding before your very own eyes, don't panic, don't give in to fear. Why? Because there are kingdom systems/provisions which has been made available for you that will shield you from all those negative events.
That is why in this Evening's Bible School, I want to open our eyes to some of those systems that has been documented that will protect us from dangerous times like this.
1. The Salvation System
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
John 3:16-18
Now, in case you are listening to us and you are listening to me and you are yet to be born again, there is a salvation plan or system that has been made available for you to be saved. The salvation system brings you out of the world system where all this chaos and pandemics are raging, and brings you into the kingdom of his dear son. Now, the Scripture above made it clear that anyone who refused this saving grace made available in Christ Jesus, is condemned already. The implication of this is that such a person is doomed to be implicated by the things that goes on in and around the world.
Sometimes, when we witness what we are witnessing in the world right now with the outbreak of Covid-19, it could be a way of God showing the inadequacy and frailty of men and extending His saving grace and arm to the people of the world. So, you don't have to be doomed or condemned with the world because there is a saving grace made available already in Christ Jesus our Lord. Jesus does not have to come down and die for you afresh. That salvation system was instituted over 2000 years ago and it is still as potent now as it was then. Titus 2:11 says "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men," That grace is Christ Jesus and He is beckoning to you right now to come and He will receive you unto Himself.
2. The System of Faith
"Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth."
1 Timothy 4:1-3
One of the things that the devil will be after the most at such a time as this is how he can attack the faith system of believers. The devil will come with suggestions like this to people: "if God truly cares about you, why did He allow this virus to come upon the earth" or "this virus is a true indication that God is out to destroy the whole world including you." And what happen when the devil comes with these line of thoughts is that as many believers who would not hold on to their faith at such a time as this, the Bible says they would give heed to the devil. Verse one says "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,"
So, one of God's systems/provision that will sustain us at moments like this in the world is our faith, and this faith is reposed in Him and an absolute trust in His word that even though this plague is killing people in their thousands or in their millions, it will never come near you. How do I know this? The Scripture says In Psalms 91:1-3, 7-8 that:
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
The secret place of the most High in times like this is not even inside the church building. I know a lot of people like to take solace in the church and all of that. It is fine and there is nothing wrong in that absolutely. But now that the government has issued a directive that religious gatherings should be put on hold, then where do you run to if you are the type that takes solace and comfort within the church building?
But the secret place of the Most High in moments like this is in Christ Jesus. Colossians 3:3 tells us something about this secret place. It says "For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." That is the real secret place. If you dwell in Christ in periods like this, the global pandemic cannot come near you because it cannot come near Jesus. Whatever that does not have capacity to withstand Christ does not have capacity to withstand you because you are in Him. And as simple as that statement is, that is what faith is all about. Just like we were taught during the last edition of Forms and Patterns, that the best way to isolate oneself at periods like this is to isolate oneself to Christ.
Many folks before this shutdown don't have time for God. Your work and other activities that you have entangled yourself with have not really afforded you the time to seek God. Now that there is this compulsory isolation, why won't you isolate yourself to God and let Him work on you once again. Let Him give you faith to go through this turbulent times. God's system of faith is available to you for now and therefore, you must isolate yourself to Jesus, the author and the finisher of that faith. For that reason, our faith in God at this time should never be in doubt or be shaky.
Under the system of faith is a sub-system known as The System of Speaking. Look at what the Psalmist said further in Psalms 91 from verse 2-8. It says:
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”
3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.
8 Only with your eyes shall you look,
And see the reward of the wicked.
You see, faith always says something. Your declarations and confessions in moment like this should be borne out of your faith and trust in God that you are not just secure, but highly and effectively secured. David recorded and declared that the Lord is his Fortress. The Holy Spirit gave me a definition of fortress to be: "an impregnable and an indestructible system of protection." In dangerous and difficult times like this as we have in the world today, make the Lord God your fortress. He says the Lord shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. I pray this shall be our portion in Jesus' name.
3. The System of Instructions
"Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2 “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. 3 Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. 4 And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man’s need you shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight.
7 And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. 8 Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire—its head with its legs and its entrails. 10 You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire. 11 And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover. 12 ‘For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord."
Exodus 12:1-13
Now, instructions are the way of life when it comes to God. Proverbs 10:17 says "He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, but he who refuses correction goes astray." When God wants to preserve a people, He gives them specific instructions that if adhered to by the people, they would live. And if they fail to follow the instructions, the impending doom may befall them. This was exactly what happened in Egypt when God was going to kill their firstborn. But He instructed Moses on what to do concerning his people so that when the angel visits the land, he won't come near the doorposts of the Israelites. They carried out the instructions and there was no evil reported from their camp.
In periods like this as we have in the world right now, God would be releasing instructions upon instructions to His own people and it is pertinent that we are sensitive enough to receive these instructions from Him as they come and then we abide by them. Much more than the instructions that will be coming from various arms of government, we must also be sensitive enough as well to the instructions that would be coming from God too. We should try as much as possible never to discard God's instructions when they come. See what Jesus said to His disciples, in Matthew 24:15-18 (AMP) when they begin to see the chaos that would engulf the world at the time. It says:
"So when you see the abomination of desolation [the appalling sacrilege that astonishes and makes desolate], spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the Holy Place (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains [for refuge]. 17 Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things that are in his house [because there will not be enough time]. 18 Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his coat."
That tells you something that no matter how chaotic and disorderly the world could be at any given point, God would not abandon His own to figure out how they would survive. He will always give them instructions as to how to go through those times and that is why you must be sensitive to God's instructions and leadings even in this period of Covid-19 that is currently ravaging the world. Psalms 32:8 says "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you [who are willing to learn] with My eye upon you." So, be sensitive to God's leading and instructions in times like this.
4. The System of Provision
The Lord knows the days of the upright,
And their inheritance shall be forever.
19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time,
And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
Psalms 37:18-19
There is a system of provision for God's people even in an evil time or in the period of famine. God's people won't be stranded because He will always make provision for their upkeep. How do I know this? There was a serious famine in the time of Jacob in Canaan as documented in Genesis 49, but God made provision for them in far away Egypt through Joseph. It does not matter if market are shutting down and everywhere is on a total lock down. There will always be provision for God's own, even if it involves Him send a raven to do so.
5. The System of Covering
For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Romans 10:11-13
The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
The righteous run to it and are safe.
Proverbs 18:10
Under this system of covering, there are subsystems. God has many systems in place for covering His people in dangerous times. For example, God's name is one of God's system of covering. That Proverbs 18:10 shows us categorically that the name of the Lord is a strong tower, and not a weak one. A tower is also a fortress, one that provides support or protection. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." That tells you that those people must be identified with His name for them to be able to call. Apostle Peter while sinking shouted "Jesus save me!" And the Bible recorded that Jesus reached out to him and rescued him from the situation. So, God's name is a system of covering.
Another of God's system of covering is the blood of Jesus. Jesus' blood was shed, first, for the remission of sins, and secondly, for our covering. Revelation 12:11a says "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony," If they overcame then by the blood of the lamb, believers too right now can overcome this difficult Covid-19 by the same blood. Romans 5:9 tells us "Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." Covid-19 is a form of wrath on the world, but the blood of Jesus saves us from it.
I believe you have been blessed!
Thanks for the gift of your time, I am Obayomi Abiola Benjamin!
Feel free to share your thoughts or testimony in the comment box below. I promise to respond to them as soon as possible!