Greetings Flag Branch members and friends and thanks for taking the time to join me for some Fine Points from yesterday’s service and message “Keeping Eternity in View”.
At the beginning of February, COVID-19 was just beginning to register on some people’s radar as a health concern. Fast forward only four months later in June daily life as we knew it seems like a distance memory. People we eating out, children were going to school, sports fans were rooting for their favor teams, banquets, conventions and public gatherings of all kinds were being planned and attended, people were lining up for vacation trips, hotels were booked, people were flying instead of driving and churches were carrying on business as usual.
On February 1, the US saw its first case of COVID19. Four months later, there have been 2.5 million confirmed infections and over 120 thousand confirmed deaths here in the US. The infection rate and hospitalizations are spiking in some states and there are renewed warnings of a second wave just over the horizon. The virus has caused one economic shutdown that put millions of people out of work many of whom are still unemployed and is threatening to shut down the economy again.
Besides all that, protest over the deaths and treatment of African American citizens by law enforcement and others has brought thousands into the streets and sparked national debates over race and racism in America. With the anticipated return of students to school in the fall, school officials are scrambling to plan contingencies to education all children depending upon the state of infections and viral spread in late July and August.
Major sporting events and seasons including MLB and the NFL are in serious jeopardy of being cancelled or played with no fans in attendance for the rest of this year and possibly much of next year. Daily life as it was on February 1st doesn’t seem likely to return for the rest of this year.
With all this happening and coming into view of what we are seeing and experience, our view of salvation, our view of heaven, our view of eternity can become obscured by all the things that are vying for our attention. We must not allow these things to keep us from seeing our primary reason for living. We must not stop doing all the things we were doing and were beginning to do to improve our spiritual lives before any of this happened.
We must pray and mediate now more than ever, read our bibles and other devotional and study material, tune in to online and distance worship and study opportunities, continue to give tithes and offerings, witness to others and most of all live godly and holy lives. We must not lose sight of eternity and the promises of God. We must instead press our way through all the chaos, confusion and uncertainty in the coming days, weeks and months by keeping our focus on what matters most.
God’s promise of eternity will sustain us and keep us especially in times such as these. If something or someone sit in front of us and blocks our view, we must adjust our position if we want to continue looking at what we were viewing. These things are sitting down in front of us and blocking our view. We must consciously make the necessary adjustments to keep eternity in view by doing all the things to continue to improve our relationship with God.
Remember to visit our website to see our latest news, announcements and worship activities and opportunities. Be sure to download our mobile app on your phones and mobile devices. Don’t forget to read and listen to my Sunday School preview that comes out on Thursday. Get a jump on Sunday School by reading the SS Daily Bible Readings at our website or by clicking the link. As always, remember to fear God and keep His commandments
Pastor Jordan
