I know it’s not week one for the coronovirus, in fact I’ve read a lot of reports that this coronovirus was being detected in American physician offices as early as last February 2019.

It’s kind of week one for us at CrossHope Chapel because it is new this week in affected us and our regular routines.

Steph and I are back home and we had an enjoyable weekend at the beach where everyone went about their activities seemingly unaffected by the corno craze. Except for the toilet paper aisle at the Orange Beach Walmart.

Payton’s school has been cancelled for a few weeks and Steph’s company has employees working at home.

If you are in need of toilet paper or other provisions, let me know and I am happy to keep my eyes open to that need and happy to get it to you. We do have several roles of toilet paper at the Chapel that we can get to you if the hording gets too ridiculous.

I want to let you know that I am praying for everyone of you and I am considering ways that I can still minister the word to you all as well during this pandemic.

Remember, my philosophy of ministry is rooted in Acts 6:4 where the post-Pentecost apostles stated their calling would be to “give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.”

What “ministry of the word” will look like this week, and who knows how many more weeks, will likely become clearer as time goes by. It probably means I will be writing more emails and recording some YouTube videos.

What does this mean for this Sunday? I know the current CDC and White House statement is no groups of 10 or more, but right now I am not apt to declare our Sunday fellowship officially cancelled.

I am not opposed to cancelling if we need to or if we all favor it, because the challenge for us is that the majority of us are part of the age group most susceptible to the ill-effects of the coronovirus.

I am hoping that between now and then I will have a better feel for how you all are doing and what we all feel comfortable about doing.

Honestly, this whole pandemic thing is a bit perplexing to me because it feels like it is either an over cautious reaction or something more sinister than what is being communicated.

Whatever the case, we can stand firmly on God’s Word. Let us “say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence” (Psalm 91:2-3).

We know from 2 Timothy 3:1 “that in the last days perilous times shall come” and from Luke 21:10-11 that “Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.”

We also know from Luke 21:12 that before the absolute final fulfillment of these things, like disease and viruses spreading and killing masses of society, Jesus said that His followers would be targeted as outlaws, “But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake.”

Some see Luke 21:10-12 speaking to a post-tribulation return of Christ or to the time immediately before the rapture of the church.

Whatever the precise application, we are left to learn from this current pandemic reaction as proving that the United States is not too large for squashing religious liberty and constitutional rights. We are seeing that the American citizenry can be corralled and freedom can be removed by the simple enforcement of fear.

Please hear that I am merely saying that the method being used for a Leviticus 13 cause can evidently be used for a Revelation 13 cause. (Leviticus 13 is about enforcement of infectious diseases in the camp and Revelation 13 is about enforcement of the mark and removal of religious liberties.)

Also, please hear that I am not criticizing the Romans 13 handling of this pandemic because I have a great deal of trust in the Trump administration, and I am not sure any of us have any other choice but to have a 1 Corinthians 13 response during this time. (Romans 13 is about God’s ordaining of government as ministers of His righteousness, and 1 Corinthians 13 is about love and trust.)

Finally, let me encourage you to be faithful to feeding your heart and mind on a steady diet of God’s promises during this week and however many more to come. Be consistent with a daily devotional reading and if you don’t already, read and contemplate the Daily Promise One-Minute Devotional that I send out by email every morning.

As I mentioned earlier in this post, I will be sending out emails periodically to this News & Notes list and post some YouTube videos to help minister the word to encourage us and help us fix our eyes on Jesus despite the pandemic.

• News & Notes Subscription: https://eepurl.com/dC2XBf

• YouTube Channel:  www.youtube.com/stevedurkac