thetrumpet--2020-03-19--Coronavirus: How Should You Respond?

Coronavirus: How Should You Respond?

The world is panicking and locking down in response to a virus .
Some are asking , is God angry with mankind ?
The answer should dictate your response .
Why is this happening ?
Coronavirus is grinding the world to a halt .
Countries are locking down , closing borders and banning public gatherings .
Sports , tourist attractions and major events are being canceled .
Cities are eerily quiet .
Masses of people are being forced to stay home .
Hoarding is rampant .
Store shelves are empty .
Shoppers are panicking .
Businesses are being destroyed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ global—are being ravaged .
Is God angry with mankind ?
Is this fulfilling Bible prophecy ?
What can we learn from this extraordinary event ?
When we experience this kind of disruption and trial , we need to learn what we can from it .
We don ’ t want to stumble through and hope everything ends as quickly as possible simply so we can return to life exactly as before .
You need to know what the Bible says .
You need to know what a Christian ’ s response should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ react , physically and spiritually—because even more-serious crises are coming .
United States President Donald Trump declared Sunday , March 15 , a “ National Day of Prayer for All Americans Affected by the Coronavirus Pandemic and for Our National Response Efforts.
” In a White House statement , the president noted that though a lot of churches were closing , “ in this time we must not cease asking God for added wisdom , comfort and strength , and we must especially pray for those who have suffered harm or who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people “ to pray for God ’ s healing hand to be placed on the people of our nation , ” to “ pray for the health and well-being of your fellow Americans , and to remember that no problem is too big for God to handle .
… With God ’ s help , we will overcome this threat.
” It was a fairly tame proclamation .
It said nothing about why God might be allowing this pandemic .
It avoided talk of humbling ourselves before God or seeking to restore God @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t mention repentance , or turning from sin .
It merely recommended asking God for comfort , strength , protection , health and healing .
Still , many people reacted viscerally .
They ridiculed prayer as being “ anti-science.
” One woman tweeted : “ Wishful thinking isn ’ t going to make testing and care available to those who are sick .
Wishful thinking isn ’ t going to feed people or pay their bills .
It doesn ’ t keep us warm or safe from harm.
” Rep. Rashida Tlaib issued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Others demanded separation of church and state , as if encouraging voluntary prayers is somehow enforcing a state religion .
One woman tweeted : “ This goes against everything the founding fathers stood for.
” Apparently she is unaware that America ’ s founders were deeply religious and praised and thanked the Creator God in the nation ’ s Declaration of Independence .
Among them were men like John Adams , who said , “ Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people .
It is wholly inadequate to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overall national conversation on the news , God is not being talked about .
Instead , you are hearing from every doctor , scientist , celebrity and pundit regarding containment measures and projecting worst-case scenarios .
You are hearing experts speculate that around two thirds of the world ’ s population could get the disease , and that tens of millions could die .
This is creating a lot of hysteria .
Most of the shocks to stock markets have not come from problems already hitting , but from fear of problems that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general stores mostly aren ’ t resulting from problems with supply , manufacturing or distribution , but from fear , panic and hoarding .
Plenty of food , toilet paper and other essentials still exist , but people are frantically grabbing more , looking after themselves and their own .
This is exposing some ugly truths about ourselves—truths certain to prove extremely relevant in the time ahead .
We are getting a preview of how people react in crisis—and Bible prophecy says far more and far worse crises are coming .
What would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an environmental or financial disaster actually disrupts the supply chain ?
What if earthquakes or other natural phenomena destroy infrastructure or wipe out food production , or long-term economic depression hits , or currency values collapse , or we suffer an energy embargo , or terrorist strikes—perhaps nuclear , biological or chemical weapon attacks—occur in several cities ?
Such threats are very real .
Witness how people are behaving in this comparatively minor crisis .
The world has never reacted to a pandemic as it is reacting today .
Even if worst-case scenarios @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how quickly an unexpected disaster can arise from nowhere and utterly alter the global landscape .
This is a time we need national days of prayer .
We need to be sincerely looking to God , not just for comfort , strength , protection , health and healing , but also for guidance and , yes , correction .
We need to see this from His point of view .
We must see how He is involved and what He is trying to teach us .
Yet the notion of God being involved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entirely foreign to people .
“ For Christians , this terrible virus is not a punishment but a test of our faith and charity , ” the Telegraph wrote on March 16 .
This author ridicules the idea of divine punishment , and explains how “ Enlightenment ” reasoning has overtaken “ medieval ” thinking .
“ Very few Christian leaders have blamed the coronavirus on sin ( even if there is a lot of it about ) , and some clerics have been so keen to discourage us from going to church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that one is left wondering what faith has to offer when nature goes mad.
” The solution this author provides : Christians should look after other people .
Acts of charity toward those in need are certainly noble—but can we casually dismiss the idea that a crisis like this may be a curse from God ?
Think about this for a moment .
Suppose God did want to correct us .
Suppose He does hate sin and hates how it harms us .
Suppose He wants us to see how selfish , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ glutted on sports and entertainment .
Suppose He does want us to change , to turn from sin , to turn to Him , and to live better lives .
Suppose God wants to show us that modern conveniences and luxuries are dominating our lives and drawing us away from the spiritual .
Suppose He wants to help us see how we trust ourselves too much and to realize how fragile the civilization we have built really is , how tenuous the social fabric .
Suppose God wants us to get a good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and to help us see that we aren ’ t as good-hearted as we think .
Most of us get along well enough as long as we are materially well off—but it ’ s when we experience hardship and deprivation that our true character begins to emerge .
What if God wanted to show us how little hardship it takes to begin to expose our ugly tendencies like selfishness , tribalism , factionalism ?
What if He wanted to warn us that bigger trials are coming , and to give us a taste @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so we could examine ourselves to begin to see who we really are ?
What if God wanted us to stop our sports worship , our entertainment addiction , if He wanted us to hit the pause button on all the movies—so we would slow down a moment , stay home with family , think , and consider our ways ?
What if God actually did want to correct His children for their sins , and to lead them to repentance ?
Isn ’ t it possible He could use a disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the answers to all these questions and more plain in His revelation to mankind , the Bible .
God ’ s Word tells us why events like this are happening .
It explains in detail why God allows trials like this one—at times on a mass scale—to accomplish specific purposes .
It also tells us what God expects of us : what God ’ s standards are and how to recognize when we are astray .
It explains how to see the evil in our own hearts and to combat it .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ God correcting people through trial .
There are biblical examples and many biblical prophecies of God specifically using health trials and diseases to correct people .
So the Bible is an invaluable resource to guide us through an event like this .
It can tell us what to expect and how to successfully navigate these choppy waters .
First let ’ s see why God is allowing mankind to go through this ordeal .
God has a magnificent purpose for man .
But that purpose requires that we have free choice ; God @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way .
At the beginning of the book , our first parents , Adam and Eve , were given that choice .
God spelled it out for them and let them choose between the tree of life and the tree of death .
They chose death ( Genesis 3 ) .
The rest of that chapter shows that because of their decision , God pronounced certain curses on them .
He banished them from the Garden of Eden and cut off their access to the tree of life .
Their decision cut mankind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His knowledge and His guidance .
Ever since , man has been building civilization apart from Him , trying to figure out how to make things work on our own .
This is why the world is so rife with misery : because , with few exceptions , we are not submitting to God .
We are living a way that is leading to our own destruction .
It ’ s a way God prophesied would actually end with our annihilating ourselves from off the planet—if He didn ’ t intervene !
Jesus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that would occur just before His Second Coming : “ For then shall be great tribulation , such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time , no , nor ever shall be .
And except those days should be shortened , there should no flesh be saved … ” ( Matthew 24:21-22 ) .
God wants to restore to us the awesome human potential that Adam and Eve turned their backs on .
He wants to convert the heart of every person in the world , to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrong way and instill in us a love for His way .
“ The Lord is … not willing that any should perish , but that all should come to repentance ” ( 2 Peter 3:9 ) .
Repentance means comparing ourselves to God ’ s law of love to see where we are sinning and flawed , and then changing direction and obeying that law !
God ’ s law , for example , commands that you love God with all your heart , mind and strength ( Deuteronomy 6:5 ; Matthew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this means striving to change .
God ’ s law forbids putting anything before the true God ( Exodus 20:2-3 ) .
Repentance means searching your life for areas where you are prioritizing other interests , people or things before God .
God ’ s law says you shall not commit adultery ( Exodus 20:14 ; Matthew 5:27-28 ) .
That means turning away from all forms of sex outside of marriage , including fornication , pornography and all lust and perversion ( as God defines it , not as society does ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it is liberating ( James 1:25 ) .
It is a law of love ( Romans 13:10 ) .
God ’ s law defines how He thinks , how He lives , and who He is .
It is the way that Jesus Christ lived .
“ For this is the love of God , that we keep his commandments ” ( 1 John 5:3 ) .
Our own thinking , reasoning and ways are fatally flawed .
The unstable , unjust , unhappy world we have built is abundant proof of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see reality , “ the plague of his own heart ” ( 1 Kings 8:38 ) .
He wants us to avoid the suffering that comes from each of us relying on ourselves and comparing ourselves to others .
He wants us instead to live by His law because that is what is best for each one of us , and for the world we inhabit .
This is a tremendous ambition for God to have , because each human heart is terribly plagued by weakness and evil ( Jeremiah 17:9 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turn people to repentance on a mass scale—but His master plan does eventually include everyone .
God has an amazing future for all those who will be willing to come to repentance .
True repentance bridges the gap between an individual and God .
Thus , the very first step toward real , lasting happiness is a genuine , deep , complete repentance .
Have you ever repented before God ?
Very , very few people have .
But nobody will ever begin to walk the path toward true happiness and fulfillment before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own helplessness and inadequacy apart from God .
That is the most fundamental lesson any of us can learn .
This is what was missing from President Trump ’ s declaration for a National Day of Prayer .
As 1 John 3:22 explains , “ Whatsoever we ask [ in prayer ] , we receive of him , because we keep his commandments , and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
” Prayer alone isn ’ t enough : We must also turn to Him in repentance and obedience .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the righteous , “ but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil ” ( 1 Peter 3:12 ) .
That is a major reason so many prayers go unanswered—because people simply have not surrendered themselves wholly to God .
They are still living in rebellion against Him .
( You can learn more about this in our free book How to Pray . )
Once you understand that God is trying to bring us to repentance , then many of the prophecies of the Bible make sense .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ known as the “ blessings and curses ” chapters .
They list the blessings God will give , even on the national level , to those who obey Him—and the curses that will come to those who do not .
These chapters are specifically directed at the Israelites and their descendants , which today include the United States and Britain .
But the principle applies to us all , even individually .
“ But it shall come to pass , if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day ; that all these curses shall come upon thee , and overtake thee : Cursed shalt thou be in the city , and cursed shalt thou be in the field .
… The Lord shall send upon thee cursing , vexation , and rebuke , in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do … because of the wickedness of thy doings , whereby thou hast forsaken me .
The Lord shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee ” ( Deuteronomy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pestilence describes various types of destruction and death ; it could even be violence we commit against each other .
God then gets more specific , even discussing disease : “ The Lord shall smite thee with a consumption [ chronic degenerative diseases ] , and with a fever , and with an inflammation [ speaking of communicable diseases like influenzas—coronavirus would be included ] , and with an extreme burning … ” ( verse 22 ) .
To have God , who has total power , cursing you is terrifying !
Few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is just one of many biblical passages showing how God corrects His children when we go astray .
He is like any father who loves his children : He will step in when he sees them hurting themselves .
Throughout Deuteronomy 28 , God repeatedly says how these curses are aimed at turning us back to Him !
If we would turn—and as soon as we turn—the curses would stop !
Only because we refuse to repent will they grow worse and worse .
Amid this current crisis , how many people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves according to God ’ s Word ?
How many are concerned about the sins of our peoples that are bringing these curses upon us ?
Instead we see people hoarding , fighting over goods in stores , panic selling , and looking for entertainments to lose themselves in .
“ With great swathes of the world population physically distancing themselves from the rest of society , travel restricted , and schools and workplaces shutting down , we can expect a massive increase in ‘ screen time , ’ ” the Telegraph reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported a 70 percent increase in Internet traffic , much of it due to online games such as Fortnite .
… The coming age of self-isolation means experiencing live events , social interactions and learning through a device .
Parts of life that were once analogue will now become temporarily , or perhaps permanently , digital ” ( March 16 ) .
So many of the things society loves are actually idols : sports , concerts , bars , comforts and luxuries , money and materialism , our work , our investment portfolios @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is evil of itself—but many people put those things ahead of God , which is a form of idolatry .
Now , suddenly , many of these “ gods ” are being forcibly stripped from us .
Perhaps you are among the many people who can not go to work .
You have extra time on your hands .
Use this opportunity to direct your attention to the more important things in life that are too often neglected amid the hurly-burly of everyday responsibilities and distractions .
God wants us all to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our hearts to Him !
He wants mankind to recognize just how failed and flawed the civilization we have built apart from Him is .
He can use a crisis like this to try to drive people in that direction .
But if people don ’ t respond , what more can a loving God do ?
If you look from God ’ s perspective at the way people are reacting , you can see why these problems are virtually certain to intensify .
God wants to bring about repentance—so He can make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible .
Thus , He is going to allow this world to endure even greater suffering .
The Bible includes some grim prophecies about disease pandemics in the end time .
Even secular news sources have been quoting some of them .
In that Matthew 24 prophecy , Jesus was forecasting the conditions that would precede His Second Coming .
He said , “ For nation shall rise against nation , and kingdom against kingdom : and there shall be famines , and pestilences , and earthquakes , in [ different ] places @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sorrows ” ( verses 6-8 ) .
Perhaps the most vivid forecast on this point is in Revelation , the Bible ’ s most detailed book of end-time prophecy .
Here is where you find the imagery of the four horsemen of the apocalypse .
The third of these is described in Revelation 6:8 : “ And I looked , and behold a pale horse , and his name that sat on him was Death , and Hell followed with him .
And power was given unto them over the fourth part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and with hunger , and with death , and with the beasts of the earth.
” Among the weapons this horseman has , there are disease epidemics .
Along with these other three horsemen , this anemic-looking horseman on a haunting , pallid horse will slay “ the fourth part of the earth.
” With today ’ s population of 7.7 billion , that means nearly 2 billion people !
Coronavirus is definitely a problem—but compared to the scale of the pestilence that is coming , it is barely significant .
God @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed by pestilence !
But do not lose sight of the reason .
God is not destroying indiscriminately : He is punishing the world in love and in measure—to help mankind ultimately turn from the paths of destruction to the way of truth and peace !
God will allow coronavirus and other afflictions to affect mankind to precisely the degree needed to help people repent—no more , no less .
For most people , this will come when God resurrects them again to life in a world that He governs .
( To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Three Resurrections.
” ) God is trumpeting His end-time warning message to this world through this work , literally fulfilling His prophecy in Isaiah 58:1 : “ Cry aloud , spare not , lift up thy voice like a trumpet , and shew my people their transgression , and the house of Jacob their sins.
” But if God can not bring us to repentance through words , then He will try to do so through trials , afflictions and disasters .
When trouble comes , some will finally cry out to God @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But physically , they may be too late .
We must seek God “ while he may be found ” ( Isaiah 55:6 ) .
Must you suffer alongside this world ?
No .
The same God who controls world events is perfectly capable of protecting individuals .
Act while the warning is still going out , not only after calamity grows worse .
Heed God ’ s words and turn to God now , and you will receive relief from His curses .
He promises to forgive and then to protect each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Great Tribulation , the worst suffering mankind has ever experienced , to respond ?
God wants us to change our behavior so we obey Him and seek His will , not ours .
The Bible is filled with examples of individual repentance and individual protection .
If we repent , God can protect us just as surely as He protected Daniel from the jaws of the lions .
Not one hair was singed when Shadrach , Meshach and Abednego were cast into the fiery furnace .
Other ancient prophets survived multiple disasters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ true Church received divine protection throughout the centuries when His people remained faithful to Him .
God can bless us and be a shield in our individual lives just as He was for Abraham , Isaac , Jacob and so many others .
The Apostle Peter wrote that “ the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trial , and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment ” ( 2 Peter 2:9 ; Revised Standard Version ) .
This lesson permeates the Bible : God protects righteous , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ God has power over diseases .
He says in Exodus 15:26 that if we diligently hear Him and keep His laws , “ I will put none of these diseases upon thee , which I have brought upon the Egyptians : for I am the Lord that healeth thee.
” God promises to heal upon repentance : “ Bless the Lord , O my soul , and forget not all his benefits : Who forgiveth all thine iniquities ; who healeth all thy diseases ” ( Psalm 103:2-3 ) .
This does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In fact , God ’ s promise of healing wouldn ’ t apply to someone who never came down with a sickness or disease .
Some of God ’ s people may even get coronavirus .
God may allow that as a test of our faith .
But we need not panic during times like these .
The world is panicking and fearful .
People are so terrified of death , that panic is drawing them into ugly behavior and unnecessarily costly policy decisions .
But those who put their trust in God @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of faith , hope and comfort .
God promises these things .
He also absolutely promises healing .
Yet sometimes God allows His people to get sick—even to die in faith , not yet having received the promise of healing in this lifetime ( Hebrews 11:35-39 ) .
Healing is a sure promise , and many who claim that promise are healed , even immediately !
But for some , it will take place in the resurrection .
( If you want more information on this inspiring biblical doctrine , request our free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) God does not promise that you will never die in this physical life .
Actually , God promises that you will experience trials !
But with Christ in you , you ’ ll be able to battle those with faith .
That makes all the difference—whether you live or die .
God ’ s faithful people are not afraid of death .
God guarantees peace of mind during the worst of crises .
He is in control , and He promises in Romans 8:28 that “ all things work together for good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them who are the called according to his purpose.
” We may experience some of the same troubles that descend on the world .
Yet we have a solid hope in the future God has promised as an “ anchor of the soul ” to keep us stable even in times of trouble .
Are you ready for crises to come ?
Start preparing by repenting before God .
That is what God seeks above all .
And to those who turn to Him with supple hearts , He offers individual protection—escape—from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Luke 21:36 ) .
That is the only sure place to invest your faith .
If you want guidance on how to repent and to act on what you ’ re reading , we can help .
We produce a lot of material aimed at helping you make God ’ s way of life your way of life !
A good place to start is by reading our editor in chief ’ s booklet How to Be an Overcomer , starting with Chapter 1 , “ Repentance Toward God.
” Sign up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it gives vital , practical Christian-living instruction to help you make real changes in your life .
You can also find helpful , relevant education on our sister website , pcg.church .
And if you want to speak with a Philadelphia Church of God minister , e-mail us at visitrequests @ pcog.org .

The world is panicking and locking down in response to a virus. Some are asking, is God angry with mankind? The answer should dictate your response.
Why is this happening? Coronavirus is grinding the world to a halt. Countries are locking down, closing borders and banning public gatherings. Sports, tourist attractions and major events are being canceled. Cities are eerily quiet. Masses of people are being forced to stay home. Hoarding is rampant. Store shelves are empty. Shoppers are panicking. Businesses are being destroyed. Stocks are plunging, and economies—national and global—are being ravaged.
Is God angry with mankind? Is this fulfilling Bible prophecy? What can we learn from this extraordinary event?
When we experience this kind of disruption and trial, we need to learn what we can from it. We don’t want to stumble through and hope everything ends as quickly as possible simply so we can return to life exactly as before.
You need to know what the Bible says. You need to know what a Christian’s response should be. You need to know how to react, physically and spiritually—because even more-serious crises are coming.
Prayer and Panic
United States President Donald Trump declared Sunday, March 15, a “National Day of Prayer for All Americans Affected by the Coronavirus Pandemic and for Our National Response Efforts.” In a White House statement, the president noted that though a lot of churches were closing, “in this time we must not cease asking God for added wisdom, comfort and strength, and we must especially pray for those who have suffered harm or who have lost loved ones.” He asked for people “to pray for God’s healing hand to be placed on the people of our nation,” to “pray for the health and well-being of your fellow Americans, and to remember that no problem is too big for God to handle. … With God’s help, we will overcome this threat.”
It was a fairly tame proclamation. It said nothing about why God might be allowing this pandemic. It avoided talk of humbling ourselves before God or seeking to restore God’s favor. It didn’t mention repentance, or turning from sin. It merely recommended asking God for comfort, strength, protection, health and healing.
U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the Oval Office in response to the COVID-19 coronavirus. Mark Wilson/Getty Images
Still, many people reacted viscerally. They ridiculed prayer as being “anti-science.” One woman tweeted: “Wishful thinking isn’t going to make testing and care available to those who are sick. Wishful thinking isn’t going to feed people or pay their bills. It doesn’t keep us warm or safe from harm.” Rep. Rashida Tlaib issued a vulgar response scorning national prayer.
Others demanded separation of church and state, as if encouraging voluntary prayers is somehow enforcing a state religion. One woman tweeted: “This goes against everything the founding fathers stood for.” Apparently she is unaware that America’s founders were deeply religious and praised and thanked the Creator God in the nation’s Declaration of Independence. Among them were men like John Adams, who said, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
In the overall national conversation on the news, God is not being talked about. Instead, you are hearing from every doctor, scientist, celebrity and pundit regarding containment measures and projecting worst-case scenarios. You are hearing experts speculate that around two thirds of the world’s population could get the disease, and that tens of millions could die.
This is creating a lot of hysteria. Most of the shocks to stock markets have not come from problems already hitting, but from fear of problems that could hit. Shortages in groceries and general stores mostly aren’t resulting from problems with supply, manufacturing or distribution, but from fear, panic and hoarding. Plenty of food, toilet paper and other essentials still exist, but people are frantically grabbing more, looking after themselves and their own.
This is exposing some ugly truths about ourselves—truths certain to prove extremely relevant in the time ahead. We are getting a preview of how people react in crisis—and Bible prophecy says far more and far worse crises are coming.
We are getting a preview of how people react in crisis—and Bible prophecy says far more and far worse crises are coming.
What would happen if a more lethal disease or an environmental or financial disaster actually disrupts the supply chain? What if earthquakes or other natural phenomena destroy infrastructure or wipe out food production, or long-term economic depression hits, or currency values collapse, or we suffer an energy embargo, or terrorist strikes—perhaps nuclear, biological or chemical weapon attacks—occur in several cities? Such threats are very real.
Witness how people are behaving in this comparatively minor crisis. The world has never reacted to a pandemic as it is reacting today. Even if worst-case scenarios don’t materialize, this shows how quickly an unexpected disaster can arise from nowhere and utterly alter the global landscape.
Correction
This is a time we need national days of prayer. We need to be sincerely looking to God, not just for comfort, strength, protection, health and healing, but also for guidance and, yes, correction. We need to see this from His point of view. We must see how He is involved and what He is trying to teach us.
Yet the notion of God being involved in something like a disease pandemic is entirely foreign to people.
“For Christians, this terrible virus is not a punishment but a test of our faith and charity,” the Telegraph wrote on March 16. This author ridicules the idea of divine punishment, and explains how “Enlightenment” reasoning has overtaken “medieval” thinking. “Very few Christian leaders have blamed the coronavirus on sin (even if there is a lot of it about), and some clerics have been so keen to discourage us from going to church, lest we cough on the congregation, that one is left wondering what faith has to offer when nature goes mad.” The solution this author provides: Christians should look after other people.
Acts of charity toward those in need are certainly noble—but can we casually dismiss the idea that a crisis like this may be a curse from God?
Think about this for a moment. Suppose God did want to correct us. Suppose He does hate sin and hates how it harms us. Suppose He wants us to see how selfish, covetous, materialistic we are, how glutted on sports and entertainment. Suppose He does want us to change, to turn from sin, to turn to Him, and to live better lives.
What if He wanted to warn us that bigger trials are coming, and to give us a taste of those, a dose of reality, so we could examine ourselves to begin to see who we really are?
Suppose God wants to show us that modern conveniences and luxuries are dominating our lives and drawing us away from the spiritual. Suppose He wants to help us see how we trust ourselves too much and to realize how fragile the civilization we have built really is, how tenuous the social fabric.
Suppose God wants us to get a good look at our own selfish human nature and to help us see that we aren’t as good-hearted as we think. Most of us get along well enough as long as we are materially well off—but it’s when we experience hardship and deprivation that our true character begins to emerge. What if God wanted to show us how little hardship it takes to begin to expose our ugly tendencies like selfishness, tribalism, factionalism?
What if He wanted to warn us that bigger trials are coming, and to give us a taste of those, a dose of reality, so we could examine ourselves to begin to see who we really are? What if God wanted us to stop our sports worship, our entertainment addiction, if He wanted us to hit the pause button on all the movies—so we would slow down a moment, stay home with family, think, and consider our ways? What if God actually did want to correct His children for their sins, and to lead them to repentance?
Isn’t it possible He could use a disease pandemic to do it?
The Bible
God makes the answers to all these questions and more plain in His revelation to mankind, the Bible.
God’s Word tells us why events like this are happening. It explains in detail why God allows trials like this one—at times on a mass scale—to accomplish specific purposes. It also tells us what God expects of us: what God’s standards are and how to recognize when we are astray. It explains how to see the evil in our own hearts and to combat it.
The Bible is also full of examples of God correcting people through trial. There are biblical examples and many biblical prophecies of God specifically using health trials and diseases to correct people.
So the Bible is an invaluable resource to guide us through an event like this. It can tell us what to expect and how to successfully navigate these choppy waters.
First let’s see why God is allowing mankind to go through this ordeal.
God has a magnificent purpose for man. But that purpose requires that we have free choice; God will not force us to go His way. At the beginning of the book, our first parents, Adam and Eve, were given that choice. God spelled it out for them and let them choose between the tree of life and the tree of death. They chose death (Genesis 3).
God has a magnificent purpose for man. But that purpose requires that we have free choice; God will not force us to go His way.
The rest of that chapter shows that because of their decision, God pronounced certain curses on them. He banished them from the Garden of Eden and cut off their access to the tree of life.
Their decision cut mankind off from God, His truth, His knowledge and His guidance. Ever since, man has been building civilization apart from Him, trying to figure out how to make things work on our own. This is why the world is so rife with misery: because, with few exceptions, we are not submitting to God. We are living a way that is leading to our own destruction.
It’s a way God prophesied would actually end with our annihilating ourselves from off the planet—if He didn’t intervene! Jesus Christ Himself prophesied this about the time that would occur just before His Second Coming: “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved …” (Matthew 24:21-22).
Repentance
God wants to restore to us the awesome human potential that Adam and Eve turned their backs on. He wants to convert the heart of every person in the world, to help us see our error in going the wrong way and instill in us a love for His way. “The Lord is … not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
Repentance means comparing ourselves to God’s law of love to see where we are sinning and flawed, and then changing direction and obeying that law!
God’s law, for example, commands that you love God with all your heart, mind and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:37). Repenting of not doing this means striving to change. God’s law forbids putting anything before the true God (Exodus 20:2-3). Repentance means searching your life for areas where you are prioritizing other interests, people or things before God. God’s law says you shall not commit adultery (Exodus 20:14; Matthew 5:27-28). That means turning away from all forms of sex outside of marriage, including fornication, pornography and all lust and perversion (as God defines it, not as society does).
God’s law is perfect and it is liberating (James 1:25). It is a law of love (Romans 13:10). God’s law defines how He thinks, how He lives, and who He is. It is the way that Jesus Christ lived. “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments” (1 John 5:3).
Our own thinking, reasoning and ways are fatally flawed. The unstable, unjust, unhappy world we have built is abundant proof of that. God wants each of us to see reality, “the plague of his own heart” (1 Kings 8:38). He wants us to avoid the suffering that comes from each of us relying on ourselves and comparing ourselves to others. He wants us instead to live by His law because that is what is best for each one of us, and for the world we inhabit.
God has an amazing future for all those who will be willing to come to repentance.
This is a tremendous ambition for God to have, because each human heart is terribly plagued by weakness and evil (Jeremiah 17:9). God is not yet trying to turn people to repentance on a mass scale—but His master plan does eventually include everyone. God has an amazing future for all those who will be willing to come to repentance.
True repentance bridges the gap between an individual and God. Thus, the very first step toward real, lasting happiness is a genuine, deep, complete repentance.
Have you ever repented before God? Very, very few people have. But nobody will ever begin to walk the path toward true happiness and fulfillment before doing so. We must recognize our own helplessness and inadequacy apart from God. That is the most fundamental lesson any of us can learn.
This is what was missing from President Trump’s declaration for a National Day of Prayer. As 1 John 3:22 explains, “Whatsoever we ask [in prayer], we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.” Prayer alone isn’t enough: We must also turn to Him in repentance and obedience. His ears are open to the prayers of the righteous, “but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil” (1 Peter 3:12). That is a major reason so many prayers go unanswered—because people simply have not surrendered themselves wholly to God. They are still living in rebellion against Him. (You can learn more about this in our free book How to Pray.)
Blessings and Curses
Once you understand that God is trying to bring us to repentance, then many of the prophecies of the Bible make sense.
Consider Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28, known as the “blessings and curses” chapters. They list the blessings God will give, even on the national level, to those who obey Him—and the curses that will come to those who do not. These chapters are specifically directed at the Israelites and their descendants, which today include the United States and Britain. But the principle applies to us all, even individually.
“But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field. … The Lord shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do … because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me. The Lord shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee” (Deuteronomy 28:15-16, 20-21). The word pestilence describes various types of destruction and death; it could even be violence we commit against each other.
Italian medical staff transfer a coronavirus patient under intensive care. ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP via Getty Images
God then gets more specific, even discussing disease: “The Lord shall smite thee with a consumption [chronic degenerative diseases], and with a fever, and with an inflammation [speaking of communicable diseases like influenzas—coronavirus would be included], and with an extreme burning …” (verse 22).
To have God, who has total power, cursing you is terrifying! Few take this warning seriously, but this is just one of many biblical passages showing how God corrects His children when we go astray. He is like any father who loves his children: He will step in when he sees them hurting themselves.
Throughout Deuteronomy 28, God repeatedly says how these curses are aimed at turning us back to Him! If we would turn—and as soon as we turn—the curses would stop! Only because we refuse to repent will they grow worse and worse.
Isolation and Idolatry
Amid this current crisis, how many people are seeking God? How many are examining themselves according to God’s Word? How many are concerned about the sins of our peoples that are bringing these curses upon us?
Instead we see people hoarding, fighting over goods in stores, panic selling, and looking for entertainments to lose themselves in.
“With great swathes of the world population physically distancing themselves from the rest of society, travel restricted, and schools and workplaces shutting down, we can expect a massive increase in ‘screen time,’” the Telegraph reported. “Last week, Telecom Italia reported a 70 percent increase in Internet traffic, much of it due to online games such as Fortnite. … The coming age of self-isolation means experiencing live events, social interactions and learning through a device. Parts of life that were once analogue will now become temporarily, or perhaps permanently, digital” (March 16).
So many of the things society loves are actually idols: sports, concerts, bars, comforts and luxuries, money and materialism, our work, our investment portfolios. Not that any of those things is evil of itself—but many people put those things ahead of God, which is a form of idolatry. Now, suddenly, many of these “gods” are being forcibly stripped from us.
Use this opportunity to direct your attention to the more important things in life that are too often neglected amid the hurly-burly of everyday responsibilities and distractions.
Perhaps you are among the many people who cannot go to work. You have extra time on your hands. Use this opportunity to direct your attention to the more important things in life that are too often neglected amid the hurly-burly of everyday responsibilities and distractions.
God wants us all to see the error of our ways and turn our hearts to Him! He wants mankind to recognize just how failed and flawed the civilization we have built apart from Him is. He can use a crisis like this to try to drive people in that direction. But if people don’t respond, what more can a loving God do?
If you look from God’s perspective at the way people are reacting, you can see why these problems are virtually certain to intensify. God wants to bring about repentance—so He can make the magnificent future He has for mankind possible. Thus, He is going to allow this world to endure even greater suffering.
Why Pandemics
The Bible includes some grim prophecies about disease pandemics in the end time. Even secular news sources have been quoting some of them.
In that Matthew 24 prophecy, Jesus was forecasting the conditions that would precede His Second Coming. He said, “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in [different] places. All these are the beginning of sorrows” (verses 6-8).
Perhaps the most vivid forecast on this point is in Revelation, the Bible’s most detailed book of end-time prophecy. Here is where you find the imagery of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. The fourth of these is described in Revelation 6:8: “And I looked, and behold a pale horse, and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.” Among the weapons this horseman has, there are disease epidemics. Along with these other three horsemen, this anemic-looking horseman on a haunting, pallid horse will slay “the fourth part of the earth.” With today’s population of 7.7 billion, that means nearly 2 billion people!
Coronavirus is definitely a problem—but compared to the scale of the pestilence that is coming, it is barely significant. God prophesies of tens of millions of people killed by pestilence!
But do not lose sight of the reason. God is not destroying indiscriminately: He is punishing the world in love and in measure—to help mankind ultimately turn from the paths of destruction to the way of truth and peace! God will allow coronavirus and other afflictions to affect mankind to precisely the degree needed to help people repent—no more, no less. For most people, this will come when God resurrects them again to life in a world that He governs. (To understand this truth, read “The Three Resurrections.”)
Do not lose sight of the reason. God is not destroying indiscriminately: He is punishing the world in love and in measure—to help mankind ultimately turn from the paths of destruction to the way of truth and peace.
God is trumpeting His end-time warning message to this world through this work, literally fulfilling His prophecy in Isaiah 58:1: “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.” But if God cannot bring us to repentance through words, then He will try to do so through trials, afflictions and disasters.
When trouble comes, some will finally cry out to God for His intervention in their lives. But physically, they may be too late. We must seek God “while he may be found” (Isaiah 55:6).
Must you suffer alongside this world? No. The same God who controls world events is perfectly capable of protecting individuals. Act while the warning is still going out, not only after calamity grows worse. Heed God’s words and turn to God now, and you will receive relief from His curses. He promises to forgive and then to protect each person who repents. Why wait until the Great Tribulation, the worst suffering mankind has ever experienced, to respond?
Take Action
God wants us to change our behavior so we obey Him and seek His will, not ours. The Bible is filled with examples of individual repentance and individual protection. If we repent, God can protect us just as surely as He protected Daniel from the jaws of the lions. Not one hair was singed when Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were cast into the fiery furnace. Other ancient prophets survived multiple disasters and intense persecution. God’s true Church received divine protection throughout the centuries when His people remained faithful to Him. God can bless us and be a shield in our individual lives just as He was for Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and so many others.
The Apostle Peter wrote that “the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment” (2 Peter 2:9; Revised Standard Version). This lesson permeates the Bible: God protects righteous, obedient people who seek His protection.
God has power over diseases. He says in Exodus 15:26 that if we diligently hear Him and keep His laws, “I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.”
God promises to heal upon repentance: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases” (Psalm 103:2-3). This does not mean you will never get sick. In fact, God’s promise of healing wouldn’t apply to someone who never came down with a sickness or disease. Some of God’s people may even get coronavirus. God may allow that as a test of our faith.
But we need not panic during times like these. The world is panicking and fearful. People are so terrified of death, that panic is drawing them into ugly behavior and unnecessarily costly policy decisions. But those who put their trust in God are at peace. They are full of faith, hope and comfort. God promises these things.
Those who put their trust in God are at peace. They are full of faith, hope and comfort. God promises these things.
He also absolutely promises healing. Yet sometimes God allows His people to get sick—even to die in faith, not yet having received the promise of healing in this lifetime (Hebrews 11:35-39). Healing is a sure promise, and many who claim that promise are healed, even immediately! But for some, it will take place in the resurrection. (If you want more information on this inspiring biblical doctrine, request our free booklet The Plain Truth About Healing.)
God does not promise that you will never die in this physical life. Actually, God promises that you will experience trials! But with Christ in you, you’ll be able to battle those with faith. That makes all the difference—whether you live or die. God’s faithful people are not afraid of death.
God guarantees peace of mind during the worst of crises. He is in control, and He promises in Romans 8:28 that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” We may experience some of the same troubles that descend on the world. Yet we have a solid hope in the future God has promised as an “anchor of the soul” to keep us stable even in times of trouble.
Are you ready for crises to come? Start preparing by repenting before God. That is what God seeks above all. And to those who turn to Him with supple hearts, He offers individual protection—escape—from the worst of the coming storms (e.g. Luke 21:36). That is the only sure place to invest your faith.
If you want guidance on how to repent and to act on what you’re reading, we can help. We produce a lot of material aimed at helping you make God’s way of life your way of life! A good place to start is by reading our editor in chief’s booklet How to Be an Overcomer, starting with Chapter 1, “Repentance Toward God.” Sign up for our weekly PCG Signposts e-mail; it gives vital, practical Christian-living instruction to help you make real changes in your life. You can also find helpful, relevant education on our sister website, pcg.church. And if you want to speak with a Philadelphia Church of God minister, e-mail us at visitrequests@pcog.org.


thetrumpet--2020-03-19--We Are All China

We Are All China

At this stage , is the panic in response to the Wuhan virus a greater problem than the disease itself ?
The world is in lockdown over a disease that , relative to other diseases and causes of death , might not be as bad the experts initially predicted .
America ’ s mainstream media are towing the Chinese Communist Party lines on television and social media .
Some journalists talk as if they ’ d rather live in China instead of the United States .
In an interview last week , a New York Times science and health editor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spread of coronavirus .
Conveniently , he failed to mention the totalitarian operations like dragging people out of their homes to be put in quarantine camps .
A few weeks ago , the leader of the World Health Organization estimated that the mortality rate of the coronavirus was in the neighborhood of 4 percent—an estimate that frightened the world .
At the time , President Donald Trump was skeptical of the figure , saying it was a false number .
The media derided him for being irresponsible and incautious .
It turns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now learning that the mortality rate is much , much lower than the “ experts ” originally predicted .
Subscribe to the Trumpet Daily Radio Show on Apple Podcasts , Google Play or by RSS

We Are All China
Coronavirus Consternation (18 minutes)
At this stage, is the panic in response to the Wuhan virus a greater problem than the disease itself? The world is in lockdown over a disease that, relative to other diseases and causes of death, might not be as bad the experts initially predicted.
Praising Communist China (16 minutes)
America’s mainstream media are toeing the Chinese Communist Party lines on television and social media. Some journalists talk as if they’d rather live in China instead of the United States. In an interview last week, a New York Times science and health editor praised the efforts of China to slow the spread of coronavirus. Conveniently, he failed to mention the totalitarian operations like dragging people out of their homes to be put in quarantine camps.
Coronavirus Calculations (20 minutes)
A few weeks ago, the leader of the World Health Organization estimated that the mortality rate of the coronavirus was in the neighborhood of 4 percent—an estimate that frightened the world. At the time, President Donald Trump was skeptical of the figure, saying it was a false number. The media derided him for being irresponsible and incautious. It turns out he was right. We are now learning that the mortality rate is much, much lower than the “experts” originally predicted.


thetrumpet--2020-03-19--Time to Study Your History

Time to Study Your History

Could an event as violent as the Russian Civil War ever happen in the United States of America ?
As America approaches the November 2020 presidential elections , the nation is deeply divided .
And this division is not just between Republicans and Democrats .
The Democratic Party itself is deeply divided between moderate socialists like Pete Buttigieg and Michael Bloomberg and radical socialists like Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders .
This divide is reminiscent of the divide between the Mensheviks and the more radical Bolsheviks during the “ October Revolution , ” or Bolshevik Revolution , in Russia .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to understand .
The Bolshevik Revolution unleashed some of the most violent events in world history .
Vladimir Lenin and his supporters overthrew the Russian government in 1917 , then forcibly reorganized the Russian empire into the world ’ s first socialist state .
This revolution unleashed a civil war that killed 10 million people .
The Bolsheviks won , consolidated their power , and established a Soviet state that slaughtered another 50 million people .
All told , the Bolsheviks murdered as many as were killed in World War ii .
Yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that bad , according to some paid staffers working for presidential candidate Bernie Sanders .
These radical socialists say that while launching another Bolshevik Revolution in the United States is not preferable , it may be necessary .
One field organizer for Sanders , Mason Baird , said in a video recorded secretly by Project Veritas : “ We would need a federal government and labor union movement that is working together to strip power away from capitalists and preferably directing violence toward property … .
A militant labor movement is kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other means .
… After we abolish landlords , we don ’ t have to kill them , that ’ s my feeling , I think it ’ s damaging to the soul , but there were plenty of excesses in 1917 I would hope to avoid .
… I ’ m not excited about the prospect of armed struggle.
” This man is not talking about political strategy or which “ battleground ” states are key for his candidate to win the most votes in .
He is talking about actual battlegrounds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be torn down , he says .
If you can do it without large-scale killing , great ; but if you can ’ t , you can always resort to your backup plan and kill 10 million men , women and children .
Shockingly , despite being exposed in this video , Baird remains a full-time paid member of the Sanders campaign .
Even more shockingly , Baird was actually one of the more moderate people revealed by Project Veritas investigators .
The average American probably thinks that an event as violent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the United States .
But he does not realize that there is an organized , active , powerful movement working to abolish the U.S. Constitution and establish a Communist system of government .
History and Bible prophecy show that if Americans do not turn to God in repentance , they will suffer a civil war many times worse than the Bolshevik Revolution .
Mason Baird is far from the only Communist working for Sen. Bernie Sanders .
Another field organizer in South Carolina , Daniel Taylor , told Project Veritas reporters that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We don ’ t want to scare people off .
You first have to feel it out before you get into the crazy stuff , ” he said .
“ You know , we were talking about more extreme organizations like Antifa , you were talking about , Yellow Vests [ French protesters ] , all that , but we ’ re kind of keeping that on the back burner for now .
… Change won ’ t come easily , regardless .
Even if Bernie is elected , change will not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connections we make now in the campaign with people , and volunteers , it ’ s important we retain that regardless of the outcome .
It ’ s unfortunate that we have to make plans for extreme action , but like I said , they ’ re not going to give it to us , even if Bernie is elected.
” Taylor did not detail the kind of “ extreme action ” he was considering .
But an Iowa field organizer for the Sanders Campaign , Kyle Jurek , told Project Veritas reporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cities will “ burn.
” “ The only thing that fascists understand is violence , ” Jurek said , referring to Trump supporters .
“ So the only way you can confront them is with violence.
” In another conversation , Jurek suggested that supporters of President Trump should be reeducated in prison camps .
“ There ’ s a reason Joseph Stalin had gulags , right ?
” he said .
“ Actually , gulags were a lot better than what the cia has told us that they were .
Like , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in gulags ; they had conjugal visits in gulags .
Gulags were actually meant for , like , reeducation .
Greatest way to breaking a … billionaire of their , like , privilege , and the idea that they ’ re superior : Go out and break rocks for 12 hours a day .
You ’ re now a working-class person and you ’ re going to … learn what that means , right ?
” Incredibly , Jurek may not be the most radical Sanders employee caught on tape .
When Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Project Veritas undercover reporters what he would do if Sanders lost the election , he answered , “ I ’ ll straight up get armed .
I want to learn how to shoot and go train .
I ’ m ready for the … revolution , bro … I ’ m telling you .
Guillotine the rich.
” Bernie Sanders , who is trying to become president of the United States , has not condemned these comments .
He has retained all who made them as paid staffers in his campaign .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government controls the economy .
It owns not just the Postal Service , it owns everything , without competition : mines , mills , refineries , builders , railroads , automakers , carriers , distributors , ports , airlines , telecoms , news media , banks , schools , hospitals , farms , groceries , restaurants , stores—everything .
Most American socialists say the government doesn ’ t have to literally own all businesses as long as it controls them through heavy regulations and taxes .
People like Senator Sanders emphasize that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which means that this enormously powerful government they want to create will be voted in by a majority of the people .
Sanders says this to distance himself from the violent atrocities committed by “ authoritarian communism ” in the Soviet Union .
Some take comfort in this distinction .
They shouldn ’ t .
Vladimir Lenin joined the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party in 1902 .
He said that the masses must be led by a “ vanguard ” party , the vanguard party must be led by central leadership , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Most of the people in the party agreed .
They began calling themselves Bolsheviks , from the Russian word for “ majority.
” Those who wanted party leadership to remain decentralized were called Mensheviks , from the Russian word for “ minority.
” At that time , the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party was a small party of young intellectuals .
In 1907 , there were only 38,200 Mensheviks and 46,100 Bolsheviks .
Three out of four Bolsheviks were age 30 or younger .
After Czar Nicolas ii abdicated in 1917 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new Russian Provisional Government .
These calls sparked the Bolshevik Revolution on November 7 , when Red Guard militia retaliated against the government for shutting down one of their printing presses .
The Bolsheviks marched against pro-government forces in Petrograd , now called St. Petersburg .
Yet the Bolshevik Party still ran candidates for office in elections that November , hoping to conquer Russia by democratic means .
But these “ democratic socialists ” received only 23 percent of the vote .
Rather than accept the results of the election , they claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the only way to fix it was to establish a new system of government run by councils of working-class citizens called Soviets .
When the Bolsheviks declared the 1917 election illegitimate , their insurrection erupted into full-scale civil war .
They changed the name of their party to the Russian Communist Party and recruited a Red Army to fight the anti-Communists and their White Army .
The war continued for five years until the Bolsheviks defeated the anti-Communists and achieved their dream : The Soviet Union was established .
Former American Communist Whittaker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that separates Communists from the millions of socialists who are an unwitting part of communism ’ s secret strength .
“ Have you the moral strength to take upon yourself the crimes of history so the man at last may close his chronicle of age-old , senseless suffering and replace it with purpose and a plan ?
” he asked in his book Witness .
“ The answer a man makes to this question is the difference between a Communist and those miscellaneous socialist , liberals , fellow travelers , unclassified progressives and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ share a similar vision , but do not share the faith because they will not take upon themselves the penalties of the faith.
” The “ miscellaneous socialist ” is different from the true Communist only in that he lacks the will to commit acts of violence .
Socialism can not be permanently established by democratic means .
Most people will ultimately reject it—if you give them the chance .
At that point , socialists have to either give up their dream or start shooting people .
An American-style Communist revolution with American-style @ @ @ @ @ @ @ camps sounds impossible to many .
But to one of the top contenders for the American presidency and many of his paid campaign staff members , “ extreme action ” is merely on the “ back burner.
” The late Herbert W. Armstrong explained in his book The United States and Britain in Prophecy that the peoples who settled the U.S. and Britain descended from the ancient Israelites .
God made an unconditional promise to Abraham to give his descendants great material wealth .
God kept this promise by giving the U.S. and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s usable resources and wealth during the peak of their power .
But God did not promise to keep blessing these nations if they turned away from Him .
A prophecy in Leviticus 26 states that if the descendants of Israel came to despise God ’ s statutes , He would strip away their blessings and allow their cities to be laid waste .
In a January 1949 Plain Truth article , “ The Plain Truth About Communism , ” Mr. Armstrong specified that communism is a tool of the devil to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The real goal of the Communist plotters is the violent overthrow of the United States and the British Empire .
Why ?
We are the real ‘ capitalist ’ nations .
We possess nearly three fourths of all the world ’ s ‘ capital ’ —its developed and usable resources and wealth .
… The plain truth , known by so few , is that we possess greater wealth and national resources than any other nation ever did , because Almighty God gave us this wealth in fulfillment of His birthright promise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And communism is the devil ’ s effort , through his demon-inspired human tools , to take from us this greatest national and economic blessing God ever conferred on any people !
And since this blessing from God is the world ’ s ‘ capital ’ atheistic communism shouts , ‘ Down with capitalism.
’ ” Mr. Armstrong based his forecast of future events and trends on Bible prophecy .
Hosea 7:8-9 predicts that the modern-day descendants of ancient Israel would mix themselves with foreigners and , by extension , their foreign ideologies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democratic Party today are not based on traditional American culture , which is largely based on the Bible .
They are ideas that were brought to America from German and Russian universities .
For decades , these anti-Bible ideologies have subversively “ devoured ” America ’ s strength while the average citizen “ knoweth it not.
” Soon , the atheistic ideals of Communist philosophy will ignite a violent revolution .
‘ You Will Revolt More and More ’ “ Ah sinful nation , a people laden with iniquity , a seed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : they have forsaken the Lord , they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger , they are gone away backward .
Why should ye be stricken any more ?
ye will revolt more and more : the whole head is sick , and the whole heart faint .
From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it ; but wounds , and bruises , and putrifying sores : they have not been closed , neither bound up , neither mollified with ointment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are burned with fire : your land , strangers devour it in your presence , and it is desolate , as overthrown by strangers ” ( Isaiah 1:4-7 ) .
This passage describes cause and effect .
The people are “ laden with iniquity , ” or sin , therefore the “ whole head is sick.
” The government is corrupt and the nation is faint .
As a consequence , the people “ revolt more and more.
” This revolution intensifies until strangers burn down cities and tear down America ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Investigation informant Larry Grathwohl infiltrated the Weather Underground Organization in the 1970s , he reported that these radical Communists estimated they would have to kill 25 million people establish communism in America .
That is a lot more than died during the Bolshevik Revolution , yet the Bible shows that the death count will actually be far higher still .
A sobering prophecy in Ezekiel 5:12 reveals that one third of the population of end-time America and Britain will die from the pestilence , famine and violence that will result from civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million deaths from rioting and warfare in the U.S.—10 times more than in Russia !
( Request our free book Ezekiel : The End-Time Prophet for more explanation of this prophecy . )
Today , socialism is gathering strength .
What people don ’ t understand about “ democratic socialism ” is that its purpose is the same as the purpose of “ dictatorial socialism ” : to overthrow constitutional government , by violence if necessary .
Bible prophecy shows that America ’ s great blessings will indeed be taken away—not just because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the American people as a whole have turned away from God .
This has opened the door to communism and many other attacks inspired by the devil .
The coming violence in America ’ s cities is punishment , but it is punishment with a purpose .
God will use it to show us the result of sin and turning away from Him to our own ways of thinking .
He will use it to lead us to Him ( Ezekiel 12:17-20 ) .
God blessed Abraham for his obedience to His law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ follow his example .
Only after people learn this lesson will God bless America—and all nations—with peace , joy and prosperity .
It is a matter of life-and-death importance that everyone who hears this message take note of the seriousness of the times , evaluate their lifestyle and turn to God in heartfelt repentance .

Do you have time to read history? The situation in America, Britain and across the globe is now a slow-motion world crisis ready to explode. And for that reason, I submit to you that you no longer have time not to read history.
When Winston Churchill faced his world crisis, he had to muster every ounce of knowledge, wisdom and courage he had accumulated over his lifetime to try to save his people, their nation and its virtues. Imagine if that lifetime had been spent absorbing frivolous content. He could have never become the one statesman alive whom God could use to save Western civilization.
What was it that Churchill had devoured and relied upon as the world crisis struck?
History.
To him, history was more than a subject or a hobby. It was his identity. William Manchester wrote in The Last Lion: Visions of Glory, “Churchill did not simply observe the historical continuum; he made himself part of it. … He did not live in the past; the past lived on in him.” History became Winston Churchill’s personal memory.
“History was the way he understood the world, the lens he used to bring reality into focus,” Stephen Mansfield writes in Never Give In: The Extraordinary Character of Winston Churchill. “Churchill thought historically, meaning that he understood life in terms of generations, great men, the succession of ages, heroic events, noble conflicts and the linear connections of time. … For him history was more than something to study; it was a way of thinking.”
One of the history books Churchill read was Exodus. He wrote an essay in 1931 titled “Moses: The Leader of the People” that rejected the skeptics’ claim of Moses being only an allegorical figure. He asserted that he was not only real, but “the national hero.”
Churchill wrote this essay at the beginning of his “wilderness years” of being a political outcast. Every prophet, Churchill wrote, must go into the wilderness: “He must have a strong impression of a complex society and all that it has to give, and then he must serve periods of isolation and meditation. This is the process by which psychic dynamite is made.”
Churchill dove into history. He wrote his four-volume, million-word masterpiece Marlborough between 1933 and 1938, while his colleagues disarmed Britain and he was the lone, almost powerless voice warning against it. This deep dive into history helped prepare him for Britain’s darkest hour.
Henry Steele Commager wrote this about Churchill’s famous ancestor and Britain’s most decorated general: “The hero was a man after Churchill’s heart: the greatest soldier in the annals of the race, ever victorious and ever magnanimous …. But the theme was more than biographical; it was nothing less than the theme of the struggle for Europe” (emphasis added).
This was more than a work of history, said one British historian. This was a biography that changed history. When Churchill finally came to power in 1940, he was prepared for battle. The story from his nation’s glorious past—a story he knew well—continued living right into the present.
Winston Churchill was advised, inspired and motivated by giants of history like Moses and the duke of Marlborough.
Whether or not he knew it, the history of the Israelites recorded in Exodus was literally personal to Churchill, and not just because the British needed supernatural deliverance. Just as Marlborough was, the Israelites were in fact his ancestors.
In fact, the Israelites are your ancestors. Their history is your history. This is true of those who physically descended from the Israelites (mainly the modern English-speaking peoples), but it is also true in a spiritual sense of those who are in God’s true Church, “the Israel of God” (Galatians 6:16). As a Trumpet reader, you are in close contact with that Church. It is possible you could be among those few whom God is calling into it.
The Bible clearly establishes that God’s Church is spiritual Israel. The history of the Church and the history of its predecessor, physical Israel, is the most important history you can study. This is especially true as we face the unfolding crisis. You are going to need every bit of true, deep, actionable history you can get your mind on.
Like Churchill, we are living in historic times. It is time to drop the distracting smartphone apps, the gaming, the frivolity and dissipation. It’s time to devote your precious hours to serious pursuits that could very well be life-saving pursuits. It’s time to become part of something bigger than yourself. It’s time to become part of history.


thetrumpet--2020-03-19--Amidst Corona: Europe Takes Dictatorial Measures

In the fight against the ‘ invisible enemy , ’ the unprecedented is tolerated .
As coronavirus intensifies , European nations are shutting down .
On March 16 , Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz drastically increased measures to reduce social contact to a bare minimum , in the form of the “ Corona Act.
” These unprecedented measures give a glimpse into how Europe will respond to future crises .
With the Corona Act , Kurz has regulated that all businesses that are not absolutely necessary are to be closed .
Family celebrations , Sunday church services , weddings , baptisms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If an individual needs to leave the house , he must explain to police , who are patrolling the streets , why he must leave .
“ No bustle in the streets , no crowds of tourists , no crowds in public transport—the curfews of the federal government are now being taken seriously in Vienna , ” krone.at noted .
“ The police are already carrying out controls .
‘ Everyone adheres to it , ’ said police spokesman Patrick Maierhofer.
” Kurz has hailed his nation as “ a pioneer in containing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he said , “ Many other European countries are now following us .
The Germans are still debating.
” Germany has reacted slower to the outbreak .
But German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said that such measures as prohibiting public gatherings “ have never existed in our country .
This is something that is unique , and that we have never had to do in 70 years in the Federal Republic—but have to do now ” ( Trumpet translation throughout ) .
While Germany is moving slower , other nations have taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very strict laws apply in Austria , ” an Austrian citizen wrote the Trumpet on March 16 .
“ There is an absolute ban on assemblies and only people who actually live together can be together .
You can ’ t even visit parents or friends if you don ’ t live in the same house with them .
We are currently prisoners in our own country .
These quarantine laws are closely monitored by the police.
” Citizens in Austria were prisoners in their own country when ruled by a German dictatorship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he is used to these coronavirus measures because of the war .
But such measures are unheard of in peacetime .
Perhaps , as French President Emmanuel Macron suggested , we are currently in wartime .
In an address to French citizens , Macron declared war on the “ invisible enemy.
” He has even drafted the Army to aid in moving sick individuals .
“ What the French president announced , after the sounds of [ the French national anthem ] , in his television address , sounded like a general mobilization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is at war against an ‘ invisible enemy , ’ he told his compatriots .
Just so no one would miss the message , he repeated the word war six times .
… After Macron ’ s war speech , there was primarily applause .
Even the left-wing populist Jean-Luc Mélenchon , who would like to overthrow Macron , spoke of ‘ national unity ’ and called for solidarity.
” But there is a danger in what is happening in Europe .
When the Unprecedented Becomes Normal Zeit Online noted on March 16 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dream Of ” : Austria has massively restricted the civil liberties due to the coronavirus .
This is understandable in this situation , but it is also dangerous .
… Suddenly , measures that autocrats and dictators can only dream of are socially acceptable : curfews , abolition of freedom of assembly—the greatest possible control of public life .
These days it is becoming clear that even in very democratic countries like Austria , special situations may require special measures .
Decided democratically and communicated well , there may also be restrictions on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unthinkable .
But there is a danger in getting used to the unprecedented .
This may cause people to “ accept restrictions on liberties sooner than before , ” Zeit Online wrote .
“ That the longing for the proverbial strongman , who will finally take action , will grow stronger .
And that the critical view of government action is lost.
” Kurz has not given a date for when the measures in Austria will end .
“ They are valid for an indefinite period of time , and in a crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is quite reasonable , ” Zeit Online noted .
But this “ restriction of freedom must not become a normal political instrument—no matter what.
” Zeit Online makes a very good observation .
The people of Europe are getting used to strong government action .
They comply to dictatorial orders .
They trust that their government can save them .
It ’ s not a time for democratic decisions ; it ’ s time for a strongman to act .
Jesus Christ warns that what we are experiencing today is only the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
Far worse crises will plague this world .
The Bible also reveals that these crises will lead to 10 kings , or strongmen , rising in Europe .
Revelation 17 prophesies of these 10 kings who will be of one mind and gain power at approximately the same time : “ And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings , which have received no kingdom as yet ; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast .
These have one mind , and shall give their power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ verses 12-13 ) .
The panic over coronavirus could hasten the rise of these kings and solidify their reign .
The Bible calls these leaders “ kings , ” not because of royal lineage necessarily , but because they act like kings and are admired for it .
The late Herbert W. Armstrong taught that these “ kings ” will rule as dictators .
Europe flourishes on crises .
In the economic crisis , the refugee crisis , and now in this coronavirus crisis , unpopular decisions have had to be made that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the majority of the people .
But when charismatic leaders step forward and introduce unprecedented measures with reasonable explanations , people are willing to comply .
But as Zeit Online warned , there is a danger in how the Austrian government is handling this crisis .
We are witnessing the rise of autocrats in Europe—and a population that is increasingly willing to follow their lead .
Europe hasn ’ t experienced its last crisis—even once the coronavirus is contained .
As we watch Europe in the next few weeks and months , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Bible prophecy .
In times of great uncertainty , only the Bible ’ s forecasts can help us see clearly where world events are heading .
To learn specifically what is prophesied to happen in Europe , request your free copy of Daniel Unlocks Revelation , by Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry .

As coronavirus intensifies, European nations are shutting down. On March 16, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz drastically increased measures to reduce social contact to a bare minimum, in the form of the “Corona Act.”
These unprecedented measures give a glimpse into how Europe will respond to future crises.
With the Corona Act, Kurz has regulated that all businesses that are not absolutely necessary are to be closed. Family celebrations, Sunday church services, weddings, baptisms and other religious celebrations are prohibited. If an individual needs to leave the house, he must explain to police, who are patrolling the streets, why he must leave.
“No bustle in the streets, no crowds of tourists, no crowds in public transport—the curfews of the federal government are now being taken seriously in Vienna,” krone.at noted. “The police are already carrying out controls. ‘Everyone adheres to it,’ said police spokesman Patrick Maierhofer.”
Kurz has hailed his nation as “a pioneer in containing the coronavirus.” According to Die Welt, he said, “Many other European countries are now following us. The Germans are still debating.” Germany has reacted slower to the outbreak. But German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said that such measures as prohibiting public gatherings “have never existed in our country. This is something that is unique, and that we have never had to do in 70 years in the Federal Republic—but have to do now” (Trumpet translation throughout).
While Germany is moving slower, other nations have taken wartime measures.
Prisoner in One’s Own Country
“Starting today, very strict laws apply in Austria,” an Austrian citizen wrote the Trumpet on March 16. “There is an absolute ban on assemblies and only people who actually live together can be together. You can’t even visit parents or friends if you don’t live in the same house with them. We are currently prisoners in our own country. These quarantine laws are closely monitored by the police.”
Citizens in Austria were prisoners in their own country when ruled by a German dictatorship. An older gentleman told Krone that he is used to these coronavirus measures because of the war. But such measures are unheard of in peacetime. Perhaps, as French President Emmanuel Macron suggested, we are currently in wartime. In an address to French citizens, Macron declared war on the “invisible enemy.” He has even drafted the Army to aid in moving sick individuals.
French President Emmanuel Macron is calling in the army to help move sick people to hospitals and has imposed a lockdown to fight #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/TnzgUylSz6 — Reuters (@Reuters) March 17, 2020
“What the French president announced, after the sounds of [the French national anthem], in his television address, sounded like a general mobilization,” faz.net noted. “France is at war against an ‘invisible enemy,’ he told his compatriots. Just so no one would miss the message, he repeated the word war six times. … After Macron’s war speech, there was primarily applause. Even the left-wing populist Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who would like to overthrow Macron, spoke of ‘national unity’ and called for solidarity.”
But there is a danger in what is happening in Europe.
When the Unprecedented Becomes Normal
Zeit Online noted on March 16 in “That’s What Autocrats Dream Of”:
Austria has massively restricted the civil liberties due to the coronavirus. This is understandable in this situation, but it is also dangerous. … Suddenly, measures that autocrats and dictators can only dream of are socially acceptable: curfews, abolition of freedom of assembly—the greatest possible control of public life. These days it is becoming clear that even in very democratic countries like Austria, special situations may require special measures. Decided democratically and communicated well, there may also be restrictions on the rights of freedom that previously seemed unthinkable.
Unprecedented times call for unprecedented rhetoric and measures.
But there is a danger in getting used to the unprecedented. This may cause people to “accept restrictions on liberties sooner than before,” Zeit Online wrote. “That the longing for the proverbial strongman, who will finally take action, will grow stronger. And that the critical view of government action is lost.”
Kurz has not given a date for when the measures in Austria will end. “They are valid for an indefinite period of time, and in a crisis like this—one we have never seen before—that is quite reasonable,” Zeit Online noted. But this “restriction of freedom must not become a normal political instrument—no matter what.”
Zeit Online makes a very good observation. The people of Europe are getting used to strong government action. They comply to dictatorial orders. They trust that their government can save them. It’s not a time for democratic decisions; it’s time for a strongman to act.
Jesus Christ warns that what we are experiencing today is only the “beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:8). Far worse crises will plague this world. The Bible also reveals that these crises will lead to 10 kings, or strongmen, rising in Europe.
Revelation 17 prophesies of these 10 kings who will be of one mind and gain power at approximately the same time: “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast” (verses 12-13).
The panic over coronavirus could hasten the rise of these kings and solidify their reign.
The Bible calls these leaders “kings,” not because of royal lineage necessarily, but because they act like kings and are admired for it. The late Herbert W. Armstrong taught that these “kings” will rule as dictators.
Europe flourishes on crises. In the economic crisis, the refugee crisis, and now in this coronavirus crisis, unpopular decisions have had to be made that likely would not have been approved by the majority of the people. But when charismatic leaders step forward and introduce unprecedented measures with reasonable explanations, people are willing to comply.
But as Zeit Online warned, there is a danger in how the Austrian government is handling this crisis. We are witnessing the rise of autocrats in Europe—and a population that is increasingly willing to follow their lead.
Europe hasn’t experienced its last crisis—even once the coronavirus is contained. As we watch Europe in the next few weeks and months, we need to do so in the light of Bible prophecy. In times of great uncertainty, only the Bible’s forecasts can help us see clearly where world events are heading. To learn specifically what is prophesied to happen in Europe, request your free copy of Daniel Unlocks Revelation, by Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry.