Comparatively speaking Covid–19 has made less of a splash than all of the media hype seems to suggest.  As of this writing, there are 169,387 cases worldwide, with 6,513 deaths reported thus far.  In the USA there are 3,774 confirmed cases and 69 deaths.  According to the CDC the annual common Flu season this year, just in the USA, will affect 36-51 million people and will cause 22-55 thousand deaths.  It is not my intention to detract from the seriousness of pandemic illnesses and the need for public precautions, but simply to point out the gross imbalance in media emphasis.  Our fixation on one illness to the exclusion of all others, has resulted in global PANIC.

  While our attention is on the subjects of morbidity and mortality, we must keep in mind that the mortality rate among humans is 100%.  Every living thing on earth will eventually die, but depending upon your perspective, maybe death is not so dreadful.  I suppose that there are those who actually believe that when a human being dies, their body turns to dirt and there is nothing left but a few memories that will fade away in two generations.  But then there are those of us who believe God.  We know that physical death is the beginning of the best part of life because,  “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:8)”  “Jesus said…, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: (John 11:25).”  “Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus… (2 Corinthians 4:14).” 

  For those who have accepted God’s forgiveness by placing their trust in His Son, Jesus Christ, life after death will be eternal bliss in the presence of God.  For those who refuse to believe what the Bible has to say about God, the consequences of sin, and the sufficiency of faith in Jesus Christ, there is good cause for PANIC.   God’s Prescription: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31)”  “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. (1 John 5:12)”

  Lately, I have become increasingly concerned about our contemporary redefining of the word salvation.  Among Christians who read and understand the Bible, the doctrine of salvation is defined by words like: redemption, reconciliation, atonement, justification, and sanctification.  A proper understanding of these words, in a biblical context, is essential.  

  Generally, when folks speak of salvation in our day, they are thinking of going to Heaven at the time of death, as opposed to Hell.  But salvation is much more than an eventual fire escape from the eternal flames of Hell.  Salvation is: our deliverance from the penalty of sins committed (past), from the boundless power of sin in our daily lives (present), and eventually, from the menacing presence of sin (future).   Salvation is a relationship with God beginning right now.  “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. (John 17:3).” But let’s go back to the beginning and put it all in perspective…

  The first, and most notable consequence of sin, is separation from God. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23).”  Because He loved His creation in spite of its sinful rebellion, God devised a plan by which man’s fellowship with Him could be restored immediately (Reconciliation).  His plan involves the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ, who died on a Roman cross, was buried, and rose again from the grave, to pay the penalty for your sin (Atonement).  Without the atonement, you would be unwittingly destined to remain the servant of sin.  But, by His great sacrifice, God bought you back from sin, for Himself (Redemption).

  Before salvation you are separated from God, but at the time of salvation you will become separated unto God (Sanctification).  So, those, and only those, who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ for forgiveness, are delivered from their guilt and declared righteous before God (Justification).  God calls them His children, and you’re invited to join the family, by faith.

Generally speaking, one must pay to be a pupil. In spite of the persistent groans of today’s young academia, education is a privilege, not a penalty for being born into fluency. On the other hand, education is not an entitlement (i.e. something that we have a right to) just because we live in America.
When He ascended back to heaven before their very eyes, Jesus told His disciples (pupils) to go into all the world and make other disciples, teaching them all the truths that they had learned from Him during His earthly ministry. Even today, men and women of faith have the privilege of being called disciples of Christ. Our tutelage will certainly be hard and costly at times, but learning from Christ is truly a privilege, not a divine penalty imposed upon the faithful. Conversely, the Bible makes it clear that to learn at the feet of the Master is in no way an entitlement. It is not yours simply because you wish to wear the badge, “Christian.”
Unlike other teachers of our day, Jesus’ concern is for the heart as well as the mind of His pupil. He is, therefore, interested in sincere learners, rather than those who want to “try God” in hopes of experiencing some modern day miracle in the confusion they call “life.”
In Luke 14:26-35 Jesus states the prerequisites for discipleship. First, the would be disciple must have a sincere love for Him, so intense that by comparison it would dwarf our love for the closest of human relations. Secondly, Christ’s disciple must be totally surrendered, willing to lose his own identity in order to be identified with Christ. Without these qualities of heart, a disciple would likely quit, bringing reproach upon himself and the Savior. There is so much to gain, …and so much to lose.
Christian, your decision to be a disciple of Christ, is like that of a king going to battle; there are really only two options: absolute commitment to the task, OR absolute surrender to the enemy.
Ignorance is not bliss, …Hope to see you in class, soon!

  In Mark 6 Jesus multiplied five small loaves and two fish in order to feed over five thousand people at once.  The people were amazed and wanted to make Him their king.  John’s account of the story adds, “When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone. (John 6:15).”

  It seems apparent that Christ’s own disciples shared in the aspirations of the people, and would have participated in the untimely coronation.  Jesus therefore sent them to their boat, dismissed the crowd and departed alone to a mountain to pray.  He had come to die for the sins of the world.  There could be no kingdom before the cross.  The disciples, along with the people who had gathered that day, could not see the spiritual greatness of what God was doing because they were fixed on the physical.  We might just as easily miss the point of what God is doing in the big picture, because we are fixed on the immediate things of earth, to the exclusion of the eternal.

  Life is so short in comparison to eternity.  The Bible says that life …is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. (James 4:14)”  Your near-sightedness may cause you to sacrifice the eternal on the altar of the immediate.  Surely you know that there is more to life than meets the eye, a world beyond that which we perceive with our five senses, a spiritual world in which God, Angels and the souls of men will live forever, —an eternal realm out of which this temporal was conceived.

  …Or perhaps you are one of the teeming millions who has refused to examine the eternal because you are comfortable living within the perimeters of human understanding.  But the Spirit of God is at work to convict and convince you of the urgency of looking beyond the things of this earth in order to catch a glimpse of where you are headed.  The prophet of old encouraged his people, “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: (Isaiah 55:6)” This is my prayer for you.

  Acts 10 tells the story of a Roman Centurion, named Cornelius.  It illustrates perfectly that men, even good men, need a Savior.  Notice that Cornelius was a powerful man.  He was “a centurion of the band called the Italian band, (Acts 10:1).”  As commander of one hundred soldiers, when he spoke, things had better happen.  And yet Cornelius knew that with all of his authority, still, Something was missing.

  We see that Cornelius was also a religious man.  “A devout man, and one that feared God… (Acts 10:2).”  He was pious and dutiful in fulfilling all religious obligations, but in spite of his effort, a great void remained.  Cornelius was obviously wealthy; “…he called two of his household servants (Acts 10:7).”  Such a large household required great wealth, and yet, he needed Something that his money could not afford.

  According to his servants, Cornelius was also a man of reputation.  They called him, “a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report (Acts 10:22).”  But his reputation would not suffice to get him through the pearly gates, and he knew it.  Soon the Apostle Peter arrived and found Cornelius to be a humble man. “And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet… (Acts 10:25).”  But humility before mere man could not satisfy his longing.

  Finally, we see that Cornelius was an obedient man.  The angel instructed him,… “Send therefore to Joppa” and he recounts, “Immediately therefore I sent. (Acts 10:31-33).”  But for all of his outward obedience, Cornelius’ still felt like a stranger before God.

  This would be a sad story if it ended here, but because this powerful, religious, rich, reputable, humble, obedient, BUT LOST man responded to the light he had received, he was introduced to Jesus who died, was buried, and rose from the dead to pay for his sins.  By faith in Christ he found forgiveness and acceptance with God!  His search was over, …is yours?