Dr. Stephen Phinney
Are you ready for a new kind of world? Things will never be the same.
When a global crisis occurs that affects daily living, the world as a society can go one of two ways.
- Overindulge in information
- Avoid properly educating themselves
Both of these reactions can be a result of fear, which can lead to stupidity. People tend to make ridiculous decisions under pressure. Knowing this, when the masses make these decisions, it affects the masses (culture) – even those who DON'T make decisions that have permanent ramifications. None the less, this is what happens in all global crises.
The present pandemic created by this Coronavirus has never been seen before. The world has never been "locked-down" for any reason. As a result, statistics are rolling in faster than at any time in history. We already have learned that the people's relationship with the church, the outside world, government, the market place, on-campus education, and internet-based dependence has shifted the paradigm of global thinking and living. Whenever I hear leaders say, "We will get through this, and all will be better because of it," – I instantly realize this person doesn't understand how a global crisis affects continuous history. While I admit I am a bit of a "geek" when it comes to cultural history, I take it quite seriously. This present pandemic will alter the world as we see it today – particularly in human interaction.
Most people are nieve to how viruses function. They don't lessen in potency through the generations; they strengthen – even after they're "conquered." All living things must maintain homeostasis. A single virus particle is known as a virion and is made up of a set of genes bundled within a protective protein shell called a capsid. As in the case of the Coronavirus, certain virus strains will have an extra membrane (lipid bilayer) surrounding it called an envelope. It blocks an immune system from attacking it. Viruses do not have nuclei, organelles, or cytoplasm like cells do, and so they have no way to monitor or create change in their internal environment. So they multiply relentlessly & quickly. This criterion asks whether an individual virion is capable of maintaining a steady-state internal environment on its own. Key, like the Coronavirus, viruses do not pass this first requirement for life. Therefore, they remain destructive and form their individualized world of productivity.
I have conducted a thorough study on the Coronavirus. I am amazed as to how this degenerate virion parallels the spiritual condition of man as a result of the fall, his depraved identity, and the destructive ramifications of such.
Allow me to be a "geek" for a moment. A virus is a small infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism, like the sin-filled seed in man. Viruses can infect all types of life forms. The oddity of this complex system functions on the principle of "living things grow." Healthy cells need energy and nutrients to become larger. Viruses manipulate host cells into building new viruses, which means each virion is created in its fully-formed state, and will neither increase in size nor complexity throughout its existence. Viruses do not grow; they mutate (replicate). Virions are species that pass on their genetics. Ultimately meaning, they infect human genetics. It is revealing why they increase in strength through the generations. The term gen-erations derives from genetics. Since living things adapt to their environment, virions can lay dormant for days, years, and sometimes generations. While immediate quarantines are a MUST in slowing the spread of all viruses, in the long haul, quarantines are erroneous when it comes to the generational-genetics of a mamavirus. Allow me to explain.
Because the virus is continually changing, it makes it very hard to design drugs and vaccines against it. One drug might prevent a large number of virions from replicating, but there are always a few that will be unaffected. Those surviving virions will continue to infect more cells, making copies of the resistant strains more durable and more resistive in following genetic-generations. Scientifically speaking, scientists have found a bacteria-sized giant virus within their research of the Coronavirus, which they call a mamavirus. Upon further study, it turned out that this giant virus had a smaller virus associated with it – a virus from the previous generation. When mamavirus infects an amoeba (a single cell that thrives on damp environments), it created a giant virus factory (Conoravirus), whose machinery was then hijacked by the smaller virus, and altered the genetic strength for the next generation of viruses. Ultimately meaning, each new generation of viruses becomes more destructive.
What about laboratory created virus?
Due to the Biblical reality of the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, humankind's genetics have been on a journey of gene-degeneration. Meaning every new generation becomes more vulnerable in being overpowered by external viruses. Please remember, God did not curse man but He DID curse the ground he walks (Gen. 3:17). It is in the externals that bacteria find its breeding ground. Bacteria are then transferred to humans. If humans are exposed to large amounts of bacteria or pre-existing virions, the human immune system is unable to block the rapid growth of generational-virions - viruses. Theologically speaking, the problem is not with humans, but the cursed ground they walk. We have many countries where people suffer from all kinds of sweeping illnesses - due to bacteria being out of control in water, foods, and infected humans. After God destroyed the earth with a flood, He committed not to do it again. However, He did say man would destroy himself in the end. Keeping apples with apples regarding our topic, this is being observed today in the people not honoring the scientific standards of keeping bacteria under control. This is NOT God's fault. Mankind started this degenerate problem with a choice and will end mankind with a choice.
It doesn't matter if the above description of the formation of viruses was created in a laboratory or by genetic degeneration; only God knows the full motive, imparted destruction, and ramifications of this crisis. As humans, we can only evaluate the data coming in to either warn or educated the people. Authentic theologians have the responsibility to extract Biblical pre-existing warnings or announcements made by God. While we know that amid a crisis, people tend to be more flexible, less polarized, more appreciative of life, and less judgemental – we have a more profound infectious crisis—a crisis of belief.
Let's pretend that this present pandemic is being used by God to get the attention of the whole of the people. The twisted worldview propagated within a sector of Christiandom today is God does not initiate forms of global crisis. Since I am a theologian of sorts of eschatology, this would make God impotent in carrying out the mandates HE WROTE in the book of Revelation. Whenever I ask the positive possibility "Christians" to explain the following passage, rarely, I hear back from them.
"If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:13-14)
While I agree that no evil comes from God, He notes His continuous acts of using evil (the devil's acts) to gain the attention of the people. Here are the facts. People typically don't listen until the crisis is on their door-step. Secondly, humanity focuses on getting through the crisis vs. gaining the lesson of the crisis. It depicts the reason behind God making use of the end times methodology of layered crisis. A layered crisis is much different than a single crisis. Layered pandemics do not allow a break-for-breath. The science behind viruses is an excellent example of this. Although viruses are just one of the modalities, God is presently using. When you add this virus issue to the present cultural, spiritual, governmental, and other depraved patterns forming in the world, people become hopeless and frightened. As our Chronicles passage reveals, this opens the door for the opportunity of the whole of the people to humble themselves and call upon God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. If the people continue to put their focus on toilet-paper and breathing masks, the next wave will override such ironies.
Christians and non-Christians alike typically despise Biblical teachers who minimally understand the end times prophecies in the present culture. It is because they are trapped in the "present." Most will do anything possible to maintain their view of the present, blocking the past, while refusing to look into the future. The irony is, most of the Old and New Testaments are packed with a gift from God, allowing us a basic view of the future. Yet, people go through their day in the illusive activities of the present. You see, what you just read/heard is now in the past. The present in God's reality is less than a second. The present only needs enough time to place itself in the past. Present-day thinking reveals why Satan has created a deception in our culture for people to forsake their past (Satanic revisionism). It is in the past that we find the Truth for accepting the future – ie. why we have the Bible. Our Lord's final writings for authentic believers was the book of Revelation. The most ignored book in the Bible. No surprise.
Since we live in a culture where people believe in internet-based knowledge over the Holy Scriptures, our challenge as sound Biblical teachers becomes paramount. People in general "freak-out" when faced with the unfolding of revelations of prophecy – even "real-deal" Christians. The disciples of Jesus struggled with this demise as well.
"Many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He!' and will mislead many. "When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened; those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. "For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines. These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. "But be on your guard; for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them. "The gospel must first be preached to all the nations." (Mark 13:6-10)
These are the things I watch for in my daily review of global news. I note wars & rumors of wars, nations fighting nations, kingdoms fighting kingdoms, earthquakes, famines, floods, locus devouring lands, pestilence, fake peace, uncontrollable viruses, universal spiritual beliefs, God-haters unifying, global Christian persecution, children killing their parents, brother killing brother, as well as 50 other warnings mentioned by our Lord. When I hear these things, I remind myself of what Jesus said to His disciples, "When you hear…these things…do not be frightened." While humankind will do everything within their power to sudate the birth pangs of the end times – these things are unstoppable – this baby will be born. Ultimately, people will have two options in the end. Receive Jesus Christ as the King of kings & Lord of lords, or be cast into the lake of fire. Is that too blunt? Then take it up with Jesus.
I am compelled to be a part of the group that matriculates, "The Gospel must first be preached to all the nations." As most humans, I am a bit slow-on-the-uptake. Although I do know this, I am unable to preach the Gospel to the nations if I am frightened, or I become trapped in the illusion of the present. To do what I do, I must maintain a solid belief that "God causes all things to work for the good…" He is in charge. He is the Sovereign One ruling the earth – despite wars, viruses, and the endless afflictions upon this earth.
Finally, and most importantly, I believe God has released global testing. He is rightly separating the "goats from the sheep." It can only be accomplished by a cleansing of fire, testing of sorts. It is none of our business as to how He does this or how long each testing will last. What is important is the results. Who survived the test? Who endured to the end? Who are the last men/women standing? When pandemics populate, God reminds me of a profound warning of encouragement.
'Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
(Revelation 3:10)
In the scope of eternity, the Coronavirus is a small thing. If viewed through the mind of Jesus, it carries the magnitude of awaking the world to a much bigger message – "those who have ears to hear, let them hear."
Oh, before I go, does anyone have any extra toilet paper?
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