Peace in a Pandemic, Safe Under the Shadow of His Wings [Part 2]

We are children of God as a father.

He is just a protector defender lets you just understand this about God and all those times when certainty is passed through all the red Bible teacher Helen Wright. Welcome to sharing the life were also to hear Allen's message from an old church in central North Carolina in a series that we've titled piece in a pandemic power of seeing the crisis through the eyes of Jesus is part of a greater series that all all of a sudden a surprising turn.

I said exiting is all by surprise, and especially as we all sheltered whole and as a pastor that that took a lot of ingenuity and creativity in and flexibility on the map of the church and all churches I think rep to be in the same boat. How do we assemble and worship Jesus and from our homes. Virtually I have been practicing a simple prayer, sort of a new spiritual discipline it's been changed my life and changing others who will practice it to just say Jesus how do you see this so often we tried to modify our behaviors or corral our thoughts, but if you see something differently and accurately.

It automatically changes the way you think it automatically changes the way you feel and how you behave.

Perhaps you've experienced this before or maybe you had some kind of judgment against someone and then you saw them in a new light.

Perhaps there is something you didn't understand and suddenly there's clarity. What happens is that when you see something in a new light. It reorient you and so instead of saying in a moralistic way. What would Jesus do, I'll go try to be like him. I think the greater invitation is to say Jesus how you see it let me have your eyes and they know that's what been preaching and then were struck with pandemic and were sheltering in place and I couldn't imagine a better time to ask the question, Jesus, how do you see it how you see the crisis how do you see our lives in the midst of it.

How do you see our ministry and then how do you see people we are going to be asking that question. Through this very very timely important series so that the way to peace in the middle of a pandemic is to see it all through the eyes of Jesus. Obviously the current situation that this whole world is going through church has had to pivot in general and especially with the way we worship together in most cases quite virtually swear bringing you this very timely series preached just weeks ago by Pastor Alan to his home congregation.

We trust it will be a blessing and encouragement to you to give you strength to endure. If you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program I want to make sure you know how to get our special resource available to you right now.

Again, very timely for our current situation. It's a CD audio album: growing deep in times of stress and these are stressful times it can be yours for your donation this month to sharing the life as you listen to today's message on the pandemic go deeper as we send you today's special offer. Contact us@sharingthelight.org or call 877-544-4860 that's 877-544-4860. More on that later in the program but now let's get started with today's teaching piece in the pandemic here is Pastor Alan Wright. Are you ready for some good news though Corona means crown.

No virus is king in this world there's only one King of Kings and let us crown Christ therefore with many many crowns we turn to one the most beautiful and powerful Scriptures of protection in all of the Bible Psalm 91 Psalm 91 he who dwells in the shelter of the most high will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I'll say the Lord my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust that he will deliver you from the snare of the Fowler and from the deadly pestilence. It will cover you with his opinions and under his wings you will find refuge. His faithfulness as a shield and buckler you will not fear the terror of the night nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness nor destruction that wastes at noonday thousand may fall at your side, 10,000 at your right hand, but will not come near you. You only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked because you've made the Lord your dwelling place, the most high, who is my refuge, no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent meeting physically as a church today were meeting in the spirit for meeting through all the technology we have, but the reason that were not meeting us is not because we are afraid of this virus. It's because we, along with Christians historically have a enormous commitment to love our neighbor and to love the world and to care for our community and I'll be talking some about that today, the history of Christian emphasis for healing ministries, and so to part of preventing disease is something that's very near to God's heart and our heart as well but is not this not out of fear that we don't gather and that's what I want to talk to you about today. The fear that comes into our hearts is an arch enemy of faith and God has told us over and over. Someone is estimated 365 times and for every day of the year. God is said do not be afraid. And so we can have faith that God takes care of us and wisdom that we operate according to the very wisdom of God and the truth is we learned in both those things are are at work. Fear operates in the realm of darkness whenever it's dark and you don't know what's going on. That's when confusion arises. Some of you may remember, I'm sure I've told it before when I was probably in second grade.

It was a dark and stormy night drizzly was actually a very dark night and their ominous sounds in the household of the right household in Pinetop Rd. in Greensboro that night. I remember pulling the sheets up and just listening, worrying about it. All I could hear the dog barking, which was unusual. I could hear sounds stirring around in the house in the middle of the night which was unusual and I wondered what was happening.

The next day I was told of the events of the night evidently and the middle of the night my mother heard sounds downstairs turn to my father and said I hear someone moving around downstairs and he awoke and said will call 911. She reached over to turn on the lamp on the bedside table and it will not turn on. None of the lights would come on electricity was shut off. Now beginning to be quite concerned.

My mother managed to call 911 and said there was an intruder in the house noises and dog barking all this activity. I don't why did it since the police were on the way but my father side pull on a robe and and creep downstairs to see what was going on and he looked around the corner there was no one to be seen inside. But the front door was open and so he opened the door and when he did police cars were there facing our house, and suddenly their lights came and flooded the front yard. What was there, you'll see that's in fact the title of this series, you'll see it's an invitation to see the eyes of Christ.

The perspective that he has the way we look at people the way we look at our lives when we look at the world and in order to really build to see you had to have a light to come on that's essentially what Jesus said.

Whoever follows me will not stumble in the darkness, but will have the light of life and so faith is something that comes about in the light.

It comes about about seeing as Jesus sees us when we can't see something is when is when it's dark is when things are hidden.

That's when we we become afraid and and when we can begin to envision all kinds of things that take place and that is what come to some Psalm 91 this great Psalm of protection in an and powerful powerful want to pray over your life and and over over those that you love Amherst especially taken by this phrase is that the shadow of the Almighty and and the and in the shadow of his wings. It's is a phrase that is is a phrase, it recurs in the Scripture. Like in Psalm 57, be merciful to me. Oh God, be merciful to me for in you. My soul takes refuge in the shadow of your wings.

I will take refuge to the storms of destruction passed by Psalm 63, seven, for you have been my help and in the shadow of your wings.

I will sing for joy will look at Psalm 91, but I specifically want to look at this idea of dwelling in the shadow of the Almighty of what it means to be safe in the shadow of his wings God is a protector. The people of God have his heart to protect and heal, and we are safe in the shadow of his wings.

Let's start with this God is a protector in the midst of so much uncertainty and global pandemic. Be assured of this for all the things we don't understand for all the ways we don't know why some people get sick and some people don't all of that. Here is the foundational truth about who God is, he is a protector. Let me just give you a number of scriptures we could list hundreds of these, but Isaiah 5417. No weapon that is fashion against you sell succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. Isaiah 4110. Fear not for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you, I will help you.

Psalm 23 the well-known world words, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for you are with me.

Psalm 121 for the whole you keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep the Lord your keeper. The Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil. He will keep in second Timothy four.

Paul said the Lord will rescue me from every evil deed to bring the safe heavenly kingdom falls on the road. The great crescendo of Romans eight who shall separate us from law. Christ shall tribulation the distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness or danger or sword. No.

And all these the week, conquerors through him who loved us and I had the Scripture of the words of Jesus in Matthew 26, when Peter and pulled out a sword and had cut off an ear of flow of the high priests slave and Jesus said to him, put your sword back into its place for all who take the sword will perish by the sword, but this what I want you to sick do you think that I cannot appeal to my father and he wouldn't want send me more than 12 legions of angels legions 3 to 6000 soldiers in other words, Jesus is saying all protective powers in my hands at any moment in any time that he wants to God's protector and he's always protecting.

I know we have bad things that happen in this world, but most of the bad things that should have happened never happen because God's protector is I think that's part of what the psalmist means this is a protect you from the snare of the Fowler, but the ancient practices of trying to to just capture birds through different traps and different kinds of nets and sometimes using decoys. You know that were placed in the woods in the fields.

Let's set up their traps is a popular side popular thing and do so to avoid the traps of the snare of the Fowler is the say that you live your life day in and day out by the providence of God being spared from all kinds of traps that were set against you all kinds of things that could have met your destruction and you don't even realize that that's the thing about it.

If you miss a trap you didn't even know you missed it, you just mu dismissed the God God spared talent right you are listening to sharing the light will have more teaching in a moment from today's importance of becoming stressed out his option on the stresses of life will always bring that stressful season. Busy season, spiritual and life can be the power of the gospel to be stressed stressful times. Trust in the ground during stressful times is no better place to turn the psalmist Psalm for during stressful times for every season.

Seasons come and go, stand strong and stressful times when you give today.

We will send you today's special offer and were happy to send this to you is our thanks for sharing the light ministries call us at 877-544-4860 877-544-4860 or come to our website sharing the.org listening to sharing the line. He's teaching now continue you once again is Alan Wright you know any parent can understand this, that one of the things you do as a parent is multiple times every day. You save your children's lives as it's it's really amazing. I remember one time when Bennett was, I think two years old and we went out to supper that night we came home and eyes after putting to bed, I just wrote it all down as a gesture of thanksgiving to God my father who saves me all the time without me knowing it and I thought of just in one night. How many times I saved up in his life he was trying to lean over in the high chair deal at the restaurant and would fall except I called him and and put them back up.

Who knows what that emergency room visit would've been like at another time he resells a big steel knife that was there that were turned away for second he was grabbing no telling what would happen that had to get the knife away from him and he wanted to eat unlimited ice cream.

The probably what until he was his belly would rupture some had to stop him from that got done of the restaurant go into the parking lot is rated dart out in front of a moving car. Had to grab his hand saved his life again. Go home that night had to make sure that the hot water was not scalding because that could kill the child to see get the water just right, give him a vitamin a gummy fight. He wanted to eat the entire bottle, but I had only let them eat wine because otherwise he would overdose on that. It just any bagatelle you in just one night and one day one afternoon you save your child's life multiple times and adheres like they only know that we are children of God as a father he's at. He's just a protector and a defender that's you, yes, I just understand this about God and all those times of uncertainty.is it worth protecting. And we don't even realize it. It is like is like that. The immune system. It's it's self I was doing some reading this week about the immune system is just fascinating. I wish I understood more medical science just to be able to praise and worship him for this team understand how this happens but you have leukocyte you white blood cells in your immune system you have some of those white blood cells or phagocytes there chewing up invading organism lymphocytes that help the body remember the invaders and then destroy them.

One type of phagocytes. The neutrophil which fights bacteria when someone has a bacterial infection.

The doctors can examine a look see how many of the neutrophil thing to recite the know what happening lymphocytes different types of lymphocytes, T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes doing different jobs.

In other words, you got like a million soldiers in your body.

They're just fighting off, you have no idea. Let me just say all this because the question beloved is never why does a bad disease like a coronavirus Cova 19 why why would something like that begin to make people sick that's that's not that's not the question is how in the world are we not all sick all the time. Given all the viruses and bacteria.

And here's what I give you an amazing immune system that works and then it learns and adapts and becomes even better. God designed the body that way because that's what God is, he doesn't even tell you all the times that he saved you.

God is a protector he's a defender you can always count on life is as hard at times and and this is a troubling time for a world I Felix important is to say, God, through his grace through much of the science. This developed which Prof. Rodney starts it all came out of the birth of Christianity which gave great value to people and to reason.

Life is just getting better. Let me just give you just remind you of just a couple of statistics that prove this that are of the utmost importance. Take life expectancy in an 6088 life expectancy was 30 years of age.

If you look back at a map of the whole world just 200-5300 years ago everywhere. Every continent that life expected is between 30 and 40 years of age in 2018. Globally, the average a 70 year age and developed country it's it's over age 80. Child and infant mortality.

Just one other example of this 250 years ago in the richest countries.

One third of children die before age 5/3 just 250 years and today in the poorest countries, only 6% of children die before a try. I've saying that because we encounter something this difficult. As Christians remember the truth and the truth is that God's grace is work and by almost every measure that we count dear including life itself. The world is getting better and working to get through this as well.

Christians throughout history because they have the heart of God to protect to defend and to heal have been the ones you've just cared so much. Nothing is for the invitation for us during this time as well and in 251 A.D. there was a mysterious disease that was plaguing the Roman empire and Bishop Dionysus said that most Roman cities would just push the sick away and flee quote from the best, thereby to avert the spreading contagion of the fatal disease historian Thucydides reported that many died for lack of attention, but the Christians unafraid of death because they knew they would live forever with God and full of love and compassion they be in caring for one another and far fewer Christians dying because they weren't left alone try to recuperate on their own.

Allen right you're listening to shearing the line in today's teaching safe in the shadow of his wings from our special series right now. Peace in a pandemic, the power of seeing the crisis through the eyes of Jesus and were back with Pastor Alan here in just a moment with today's final word stick with this stress is becoming stressed out his option on, you can't avoid the stresses of life will always bring stressful seasons very busy season difficult spiritual and life can possible the power of the gospel to be stressed stressful times. Trust in the ground during stressful times is no better place to turn to Psalms some for recent during stressful times for every season. Stressful seasons come and go, to stand strong today and stressful times when you give today. We will send you today's special offer and were happy to send this to you is our things from shearing the light ministries call us at 877-544-4860 that's 877-544-4860 or come to our website. Shearing the.org back with Pastor Alan in this is special timely series peace in a pandemic power of seeing the crisis through the eyes of Jesus and Alan. This is from a very different series of messages coming from a pastor and a pulpit and empty room. This was this is been different days for all this.

Allen Daniel been unsettling site to see empty pews. I never thought that I would see such a time, but in the midst of empty pews God is filling our hearts all over the world in some fresh ways in one of the ways and I want our listeners have their hearts filled us with a fresh assurance.

The assurance that we belong to God forever and what is pictured in the image of being safe under the shadow of his wings is a timeless image that was seen over and over and the image that people had their mind of those golden cherubim above the Ark of the covenant that mercy seat covered with blood to the high priest and sprinkled on the day of atonement and now for us in Christ that position of being under the wings of his mercy. That is our position forever in Christ, and so remember this as we practice very wisest courses of action for safety that the ultimate safety is this our sin is no longer held against us, we belong to him now and forever. This is been sharing the Helen right listener supported production of shearing the likeness