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For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 2 Timothy 3:2 NLT.

It takes the right situation to reveal a person’s real character. –Sonya Johnson Ruiz

It has become evident that those who possess the love of money are becoming agitated over the restrictive measures that have been established to help contain the coronavirus. In Texas, our Lt. Governor Dan Patrick states, “That we should make a different trade-off between economic growth and public health than we have been making as we combat the coronavirus.” Notwithstanding, President Trump is hopeful that we can resume our normal activities by Easter, April 12th.

The latest coronavirus statistics indicate 436,420 Confirmed Cases and 19,638 Deaths from the COVID-19 virus.

Although we may judge individuals who openly proclaim their value of money over human life, many of us are guilty of traveling the same Road of Moral Bankruptcy. Let’s face it, most of us love Capitalism!

We have the freedom to pursue our dreams, to rise from rags to riches, and we knowingly purchase from companies who support abortion. Do we consider the working conditions of the individuals employed by companies who outsource? Probably not. Social Responsibility is proudly displayed on the website of many corporations that opportunistically employ individuals outside of the United States to work for pennies on the dollar.

Yes, I am a Social Activist, but first and foremost, I am a believer! We are created in the image of God and yet, even as believers we may not realize that we value money over humanity.

Are you traveling on the Road of Moral Bankruptcy?

Do you possess love as defined by God? But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 1 John 3:17.

There are two methods of communication: Verbal and Non-Verbal.

The individuals who openly verbalize that they value money over human life defend their positions and do not consider themselves to be morally bankrupt. They are criticized for being calloused and full of greed; even so, they do not attempt to hide their priorities, “Money matters” above all else. In fact, they try to convince others that the imposed restrictions to contain a morbid virus is having a domino effect by producing another dilemma involving money.

And that brings us to the quiet individuals, they have developed the skill of non-verbal communication. Often, this category of individuals are Believers who agree that these are devastating times, yet, they have not reached out to help anyone during this pandemic. Like the lawyer who tried to tempt Jesus (Luke 10:25-37), they also justify the hoarding of their money–it is for hard times. But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Luke 10:29. 

We know who our neighbor is–everyone regardless of ethnicity, race, background, social or political status. There are men, women, and children who were living from paycheck to paycheck before this pandemic, consider their present situation. What about the Seniors and the disabled? They wait for a monthly check and may not have the necessary funds or the ability to drive to the store to purchase items before the shelves are emptied.

What does the bible say about helping others? Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed. Proverbs 19:17. God has placed us in the right place at the right time. During this crisis, we are called to represent Jesus, who was full of love and compassion.

The ambivalence to help others even existed with the disciples, As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” Matthew 14:15. Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” Matthew 14:16

The Stimulus is an intervention by the government that may take up to two months to receive. Our spiritual responsibility is not dependent upon man’s government, we serve God who has given us specific guidelines on how we are to live: You give them something to eat. 

We can still adhere to social distancing by utilizing alternative methods of supplying provisions to others. Purchase extra items of food, personal products, and toiletries to make Care Bags. In our community, we have three food pantries–wooden cabinets that can be filled with non-perishable food 24/7. Call the food pantries, the churches, the shelters, and utilize social media to donate necessities to those in need.

Recently, we posted in one of our FB groups, “Free, come and get it,” that we would like to donate food. One of the Pastors of a local church contacted us via Messenger that they were aware of a family in critical need. We adhered to the Social Distancing protocols by placing the bags on the porch for pick-up.

Our goal is to prepare for Eternal life by obeying the Word of God. It is only then that we can view life through spiritual eyes. If we really love God then we do not ignore the current crisis and do nothing. Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:4

We are accountable for alleviating the suffering of others. Am I my brother’s keeper?

And they too will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then the King will answer, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.’…Matthew 25:44-45

We can get off of the Road of Moral Bankruptcy by adhering to the Spiritual Hierarchy: Love God, Love Others, and Love yourself.

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz 2020

 

 

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope — the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Titus 2:11-13

Last night as I reflected on the activities of the day, I realized how easy it was for me to become distracted by the foolishness of this world. For what I had focused on was a complete waste of time, time that should have been devoted to praying and studying the Word of God. This morning as I prayed, I purposed in my heart to eliminate the source of that distraction.

Distractions require Deliverance from God!

Satan is unable to read our minds, but he certainly has the powers of observation to learn our preferences; the things that we love and make us happy; the time we spend on our cellular devices; the type of books that we read; the programs that we watch; the individuals that we hang out with, and the places that we visit. So, he compares the time we spend on pursuing our desires, and the time that we spend on building our relationship with God, and he masterfully designs a plan to keep us busy. His goal is to sever our relationship with God.

Many years ago, I had a wonderful coworker who was a Registered Dietician. I was struggling with weight gain and asked for his assistance in developing a plan to lose weight and to eat a healthier diet. Imagine my surprise when he asked me to start a journal documenting my time and activities for the next three days. With hesitancy in my voice, I agreed to start journaling, and we set up an appointment for Day 4.

At the beginning of our session, his initial question was, “Do you know why I asked you to make a Time and Activity log?” When I answered a feeble “No,” he patiently explained the importance of knowing how we utilize the time that we have been given daily. He further clarified that without the awareness of the amount of time we devote to activities outside of work or sleep, that we will rarely accomplish essential duties or reach set goals.

After he finished reading the entries, the next question was an inquiry regarding my spiritual beliefs, “Did I believe in a higher power and who was the power?”, to which I responded that I believed in God. The feedback that remains in my memory was that “I had failed to document the time that I spend with God.” My mind attempted to process exactly what was happening in this session. Yes, his clothing and Yiddish accent revealed that he was of Jewish descent. Nevertheless, when he disclosed that he was a Rabbi, I realized that this was Divine intervention, I was receiving a message from God. My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.” Psalm 27:8

I wish that I could tell you from that point, which was at least 25 years ago, that I was faithful to God by diligently communing with Him. No, I remained distracted. My desires outweighed the importance of establishing an up-close and personal relationship with God. Even so, in 2017, God used another individual to remind me that He was still waiting for me to come to Him. It was at a time when I was discouraged because my physical impairment ended my nursing career.

Amid a significant life event, I had to redirect my focus and turn to God for comfort. My testimony is that I began to write one sentence–words of encouragement on Facebook. From 2017 to present, God has enabled my spiritual gift to expand as I write Devotionals, which remind us that God is here.

We do not have to live a life of monotony. God has blessed us with talents, spiritual gifts, the ability to love and to laugh. Still, we must put away our idols of pleasure, which consume the time that we should spend with God. You must worship no other gods, for the LORD, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you. Exodus 34:14

Become aware, document all of your activities, along with every meal that you eat, including the time that you spend with God for 3 days. Be truthful and honest. Self-evaluations are tough. It is not easy to give up our distractions. The persons we love, our desires, emotional discouragement, and meaningless activities that consume the majority of our time will keep us from studying, praying and growing closer to God.

As you review your journal entries, perform a process of elimination, and get rid of non-productive distractions. It is not as easy as one may think, to give up what we love the most. God must be foremost, our spiritual relationship with Him cannot grow from short bursts of time. It takes a concerted effort to perform the process of elimination to renew our covenant with God. We will overcome when our prayers include the request for God to deliver us from all distractions.

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz 2020

 

 

 

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/23/us/coronavirus-which-states-stay-at-home-order-trnd/index.html

Jeff Scoggins

As Believers, we are one family in Christ. Just sharing the information that I received regarding a global effort to come together for the healing of our land.

http://revivalandreformation.org/100days

If my people, which are called by my name, shall 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

Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not put up with humans for such a long time, for they are only mortal flesh… Genesis 6:3 NLT

With the current pandemic, chaos and confusion are running rampant, the comments on social media reflect many reactions, including fear, greed, anger, and disbelief. Two comments prevail which reveal the current doubt in our society: “I am going to live my life just like I was before this virus happened.” and “People need to stop acting like this is the end of the world.”

What compels an individual to doubt that our world is in serious trouble? What drives an individual to ignore the death and devastation from COVID-19? Fear is powerful, it controls and compels us, but most importantly, it exposes our character and our beliefs. Fear causes us to disregard rational options in life and produces self-destructive tendencies.

Even more powerful than fear is disbelief because it leads to abject disregard and disobedience. As a result, the coronavirus continues to spread because physical symptoms are ignored, quarantine measures are scoffed at, and many are planning parties and celebrations as if the pandemic does not exist.

Disbelief in God is fatal! When we make the decision to follow the sinful pleasures of life, we make a choice that determines our final destination. Unbelief is the only reason for dispelling biblical history and God’s promises that our world, as we know it, is coming to an end. And that unbelief places us on the path of destruction from which we will continue to travel on unless we accept the true and living God.

We are not unique with our mindsets, our actions, or our sins. Our behaviors and way of life have existed for a very long time. Remember, in the time of Noah, the wickedness of antediluvian humanity was so great that God regretted creating humanity. The LORD observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. Genesis 6:5-6. The floodwaters that remained for 150 days destroyed every living organism, human, animal, and plant.

But Noah found favor with God; he and his family, along with the animals that God instructed him to put on the ark, were saved. After the waters receded, Noah offered a sacrifice of thanksgiving.

When the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, He said in His heart, “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from his youth. And never again will I destroy all living creatures as I have done. Genesis 8:21

We are forewarned that the day of the Lord is upon us. Jesus Christ will come again, and this time, as King of King and Lord of Lords. Oh yes, that day, although unknown to humanity, is coming soon. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. 2 Peter 3:10

The choice to serve God is a freewill choice. Do not be surprised by the separation of Believers and Unbelievers, which is occurring because of this world crisis.

He that is unjust let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. Revelation 22:11

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz 2020

It is time for us to wholeheartedly believe in God and to proclaim the Word of God. Only then can we witness and share our testimonies on social media.

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.

“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. 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.

Start the revival in your home…Spread the Love of Jesus. Reposted with the permission of Oliver James.

https://www.aol.com/article/news/2020/03/23/this-week-its-going-to-get-bad-surgeon-general-says-people-need-to-take-coronavirus-seriously/23958969/

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. Proverbs 17:22 NLT

In lieu of the COVID-19 pandemic, many individuals are becoming bitter. The loss of income, along with the protocols to contain this disease have resulted in dysfunctional feelings of anger and resentment. The coronavirus has exposed the helplessness of humanity as we have watched a previously unknown disease reach pandemic levels on a global basis.

If we perform a thorough self-examination then we come to realize that we have overdeveloped the counterproductive habit of self-reliance. Our normal lifestyle usually includes more plans and commitments than a 24-hour day would allow. The push to accomplish too much eventually leads to stress and we end up exhausted mentally and physically. Because we are already at a burned-out stage the present circumstances are just too much to cope with.

Did you know that God never intended for us to fully rely on ourselves nor to bear the burdens of life alone?

1. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7
2. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34
3. Even before they call, I will answer, and while they are still speaking, I will hear. Isaiah 65:24

During this difficult time, we can take steps to make our lives better. When adversity hits hard, our response reflects our belief system. Acknowledging that a higher power, God our Creator, is in control allows us to see beyond our present circumstances. We can make a positive choice to put our unbelief and self-reliance aside. It is a simple act to possess complete faith and trust in God. All we have to do is believe. And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. Hebrews 11:6

Our reward from faithfully believing in God is to possess the peace that quiets and refreshes the soul. It is the peace that only God can provide, the peace that He freely gives to us when we trust Him to care for us. The same God who was fully aware of this deadly disease tells us to, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6

All of God’s promises are conditional, we must do our part to possess faith, trust, and obedience in the One who has our lives in His hands. Pray for protection, pray for others who are living in quarantine, pray for those who are in a high-risk category, pray for the workers who are providing services every day, pray for those who live alone, pray for those who have financial difficulties due to loss of their employment, pray, pray, pray for everyone.

We become a better person when we possess compassion for others. Share your overabundance, donate food, paper products, and hand sanitizer. Social media has many posts that indicate where help is needed.

Above all, maintain a joyful spirit. The human spirit can endure a sick body, but who can bear a crushed spirit? Proverbs 18:14 NLT

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz 2020

 

 

 

 

 

The LORD himself watches over you! The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night. The LORD keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever. Psalm 121: 5-8

As our level of knowledge, life experience, and spiritual maturity differ, so will our reactions and coping skills differ to the stormy trials and tribulations that we face daily. Within three months, the coronavirus has hit our world like an unstoppable tsunami. Without our prior consent, we made immediate changes to comply with the guidelines of the “new normal” restrictive lifestyle to keep us from harm’s way.

Deciding to choose a relationship with God has given us the assurance that God will provide. We do not live in a panic mode as unbelievers, nor do we fear or fail to take the necessary precautions to protect ourselves.

1. By eating a healthy diet of nuts, grains, fruits, and vegetables, our Immune System is nourished and will function to protect us with ongoing strength.
2. By possessing unwavering faith in God, we boost our spiritual health to a level where we readily depend on God to keep us safe from all pestilence and disease.
3. By studying the Bible and praying, we believe the promises of our Heavenly Father to protect and provide for us at all times. For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. Psalm 91:11

“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

We are covered physically, financially, and emotionally by God. It is in times like these that we can remember that God, our Creator, the “I Am,” will lovingly care for us. After all, we belong to God, and we give all praise, glory, and honor to God, who is our Jehovah Jireh–our provider.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with Thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

Bible Reading: Psalm 91

God, we thank you for the new mercies we received as we awakened to a new day. Thank you for being our provider and for caring for us. We thank you for keeping us from all danger seen and unseen. As we prepare for Eternal life, please manifest your lovingkindness to those who are suffering from physical illness, financial devastation, and brokenness. We ask this prayer in the Worthy Name of Jesus. Amen.

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz 2020