Satanic Bean ball and Divine Curve

Since the baseball season remains cancelled, let’s use a baseball analogy. 

As I ponder what a friend calls the Coronapocalypse, I become increasingly aware of two teams in combat and two “pitches” being thrown.

On one side, demonic forces are motivating some leaders to create fear, suffering, and a willingness to follow authoritarian rule through the global pandemic. This could be “conditioning” for world governance described in Revelation–or a precursor. Call it a satanic “bean ball” (an intentional pitch to hit the opposing batter).

The difference is the demons don’t want to just hurt human beings. They want to kill them (separate them from God–John 10:10).

On the other side, I missed God’s “curve ball” until recently. He wants to use these events to save, not kill, billions.

Keep your eye on both “pitches” in the coming days.

Satanic Bean ball

Loren Cunningham, the founder of Youth With A Mission, sent a message on Easter weekend stating that Covid 19 virus came from the devil. I think we all agree this one’s been “pitched” from the invisible satanic realm.

On earth, I’m starting to change my mind on the governmental response to the pandemic. Though many well-meaning bureaucrats and “experts” are steering us through this unique and sudden global disease, two axioms remain: 1) The road to hell is paved with good intentions, and 2) Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

The medical models have been wrong. We are seeing nowhere near the level of infection and deaths first prophesied. The experts missed it. Social distancing and washing your hands have helped immensely, but they are not the main reasons for low counts and empty hospitals.

Though I support the Administration and understand their deference to medical experts, I believe now it was a mistake to shut down the U.S. economy. I see many corrupt actors–especially some governors and a few mayors–who are using their lock down powers to promote a Green New Deal, multiply fear, take away God-given rights (such as the right to worship in parked cars), destroy the free enterprise system and promote socialism.

Yet, the corona virus is less lethal than we thought (4% death rate in the U.S.) and we’ve collapsed our entire economy. Through that lock down, we’re being conditioned to trust the government to provide for us.

Who do you think is behind that?

Dick Morris agrees in “Are We on a Slippery Slope to Socialism?”  

A few questions: Are Deep State bureaucrats damaging President Trump and other leaders through economic lock downs instead of allowing the wiser approach of “herd immunity” to deal with this disease? (Think California and its low rates of infection and death). Have we succumbed to “government by experts” instead of leaders? Are the models, which have shown to be increasingly inaccurate, leading us into a global economic Armageddon that may be difficult to escape?

Both Rush Limbaugh and Victor Davis Hanson raise these valid points. The devil’s bean ball could turn into global disaster if we allow unwise or evil leadership to guide us.

Divine curve ball

The moment the virus struck the world I knew that God would use it for good. That’s Who He is and what He does (Psalm 107:33-35 and Romans 8:28).

But I missed the curve ball (a pitch that fools you as it approaches).

I’ve been preaching since 1980 that God would use an economic crash to bring revival to America and the world. In history, God often “spanks” nations by using monetary problems to get their attention (exposing the emptiness of materialism). None of us want economic difficulties, but we deserve them and often need them to turn back to God.

So Covid 19 blitzes the world. It’s a disease–not an economic calamity. But this contagion motivates numerous national leaders to collapse their own economies–voluntarily. A Great Global Depression is probably upon us–but it came through a disease–not the normal route of disobeying God’s economic laws.

That’s the curve ball. But, it leads to what we’ve been praying for.

REVIVAL. 

God will use it for amazing good.

Our loving Creator often does things that we only understand in hindsight. He accomplishes great works backwards–counter cultural to human thinking.

For example, I thought 2020 being the “Global Year of the Bible” meant the church would read it dutifully and distribute copies to others. Instead, God brought the world to a standstill through a virus and forced us to take his Word seriously–over the Internet.

Today a friend shared some statistics from an article called “When God Closes a Church Door, He Opens a Browser Window.” Church attendance and prayer is exploding–over the air waves. A few examples:

• Life Church (Edmond, Oklahoma) streamed worship to 4.7 million devices on 3/22 and 7 million on 3/29.
• Lakewood Church (Houston, Texas) had 4.5 million devices connected to worship on 3/22.
• 8,800 new congregations have added live streaming in the past month.
• 1.4 million prayers have been created since Bible App launched a new prayer function in early March (searches for Psalm 91–last week’s topic–was the most-searched passage. 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 was next.)

This is taking place all over the world. (I watched a global Good Friday service last week that went to one billion homes–then walked a cross through our hometown).

Rick Warren of Saddleback Church believes: “We’ve been praying for revival for years. Could this be the catalyst? People turn to God when they are afraid.”

Hulk Hogan (not exactly your conservative Bible Church pastor) gave this summary of the Divine curve ball:

“In three short months, just like He did with the plagues of Egypt, God has taken away everything we worship. God said, ‘You want to worship athletes, I will shut down the stadiums. You want to worship musicians. I will shut down Civic Centers. You want to worship actors. I will shut down theaters. You want to worship money. I will shut down the economy and collapse the stock market. You don’t want to go to church and worship Me, I will make it where you can’t go to church.’”

Hogan then quoted Scripture: “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Concluding his post, Hogan said that people should take this time of isolation to discover what truly matters: “Maybe we don’t need a vaccine, maybe we need to take this time of isolation from the distractions of the world and have a personal revival where we focus on the ONLY thing in the world that really matters. Jesus.”

Joel Rosenberg recently commissioned a Joshua Fund poll that found that a stunning 44% of Americans said they see the global coronavirus pandemic and economic meltdown as “a wake-up call for us to turn back to faith in God,” as “signs of coming judgment,” or both.

Football coach Jim Harbaugh “tweeted: “I see people more concerned about others. More prayerful. God has virtually stopped the world from spinning. I don’t think it’s coincidence — this is a message, or this is something that should be a time where we grow on our faith, reverence and respect for God.”

That’s from the guy who said that playing the Seahawks was like having a root canal.

Dealing with God beats that by a mile.

Open your eyes to both the Satanic bean ball that’s been tossed at us (more on that next week) and the Divine curve that could bring multitudes to Christ.

“Pain is God’s megaphone” opined C.S. Lewis.

Let’s step up to bat and listen to Him.