Covid-19 and the Saints

What are the believers and saints of God to do as America enters the Covid-19 pandemic?
Before I answer this question, let me first answer the question of what we shouldn't do? We should not panic as believers in Christ.
This pandemic and the ones to come in the future were prophesied by Christ as part of the great upheavals in the world as the times move towards his return. He mentioned wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes and pestilence( disease on a pandemic level) in diverse places. These events he noted in Matthew 24th chapter as only the beginning of sorrows; but the end is not yet. They are just a part of the prophecies leading up to the end of days or his second coming.
These events and various health crisis are expected by the believers according to the prophecy recorded in the scriptures. Therefore, the believer should not be trouble or panic by current events. Because he has been informed of them by God already. It is not a surprise to him. His faith is actually strengthen by what he is witnessing- he is seeing prophecy being fulfilled before his eyes, which only reaffirms his faith in the word of God (Luke 21:28-31).
 Now, what should he do in the midst of this current pandemic-for he too must go through it with the rest of the world? The changes occurring in America, Britain, Spain, Brazil, Chile, Canada etc.-mandatory quarantine, social distancing, lay-offs on all non-essential workers, supermarket shortages, and so on, all affect him as well. In this situation, he must use the wisdom and prudence of God to navigate the unique circumstance he faces. The Bible states that a wise man will see danger and remove himself from it(Prov.14:15,16). Christ also warned us to remove ourselves from danger in his prophecy about the end of days with the advent of the Abomination of Desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet. He said remove yourself from the epicenter of destruction and find a safe haven (Matt. 24:15-18). This is wisdom in action.
 We can use the kind of wisdom found in the Bible with Covid-19, by practicing good habits that will protect us from preventable exposure. Personal hygiene is a first line of defense against this virus. Good hand washing practices is one method that helps to prevent the spread of the virus- use soap, water and wash for 20 seconds. You should bathe and wash your clothe that you've worked in at the end of your work day or after being in susceptible areas. These,also, were some common cleanliness practice recorded among the Hebrews. They washed their hands routinely before eating, took baths and washed their clothes after handling the dead bodies of unclean animals,or burying the dead, returning from battle, and treating sick people with diseases that made the victim ceremonially unclean. They also practice self-isolation, which is one method used in the preventing the spread of Covid-19. If they became unclean or had the potential of making others unclean, they would avoid contact with their families and the general congregation or community to avoid making them unclean or spreading a disease.
 Another important step we should take is improving our immune system through improvement of our diets and sleep habits. A diet rich in whole foods, such as fruits, vegetable, clean water, whole grains, beans, seeds and nut ( chia seeds, Almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, flax seed, natural peanut butter), eggs, yogurt, Kefir, green tea, apple cider vinegar, key herbs like garlic, onions, and turmeric helps boost our immune system or natural defense against diseases. Your protein intake is also important for boosting your immune system and helping your body heal itself. Aim for 20-30 gram of protein per meal. You can achieve this by eating 3-4 ounces of meat, chicken, or fish, 2-3 whole eggs, 1 cup of Greek yogurt ( choose whole milk base for the healthy fat content), 1 cup of beans with 8 ounce  soy milk or 1 cup of grass fed cow milk ( a good website to visit for more health tips on eating for boosting your immune system and wellness is www.draxe.com). Eliminate sweets and candy from your diet. These foods act as immuno-suppressants when consumed routinely, due to the effect of refine sugar on the body. Also, avoid cakes, donuts, pies, ice creams, cookies, sugary drinks and coffees, as these all effect you negatively and provide none of the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants you derive form wholefoods that protect you from diseases like the Covid-19.
 Finally, as part of your plan to avoid danger and protect yourself, get plenty of sleep. Sleep is essential for restoring and rebuilding the bodies cells, organ systems, and hormone levels. It aids in handling stress better, and it improves our ability to critically think and process information better- all these benefits are needed, especially in times of distress and crisis. Adults should aim for 8-9 hours of sleep each night and children should get between 10-12 hours. To develop good sleep hygiene, start by going to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning, reduce the amount of screen time you expose yourself to before bed-this affect the your melatonin hormone levels, which help promote sleep. By applying these health practices in this current crisis we are practicing the wisdom found in the Bible that instruct us to consider well what is before us and to discern  the danger presented and find ways to avoid it.
In addition, brethren, we should never for get two very important facet of our faith: prayer and the holy Scriptures. We should always pray, as Paul said, without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17). We should pray when we rise in the morning, at noon day, in the evening, and at night. Our prayers are like sweet incense before God, who hears us and answers of our prayers. And we must never forget the treasure we hold in our hands every time we take our Bible in hand to read. It is a light that shines in a dark place, say the scriptures. We would be wise to follow it on the path that leads to day of Christ ( 2 Peter 1:19). It was written so that we may have hope by the patience and comfort it provides each time we read it(Rom.15:4). In the scriptures we find where He has said,  "And, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world (Matt. 28:20). Therefore, we have confidence that no matter what pestilence or wars or rumors of war may come in accordance to the prophecy, we know that Christ is always with us even to the end of this world.

Shalam,
Zarach

The Path

We found a path
to cope with our times.
We found a peace
that can not be broken;
not even the gun can take it away.
We've found a hope that endures for all generations:
Our Black Messiah.
He shined the light to the path
that leads to immortality.
He told us the truth; giving us understanding
of who controls the times: the father of all creation.
He opened the portal between heaven and earth.
And now we will never be alone.

Zarach

Don't Call Me Black

I opened the Books
and I saw a new vision
of myself reimagined-
from weakness to strong again
from defeat to triumphant
from hopeless to all hopeful
from homeless to being a world citizen
with mansions in the heavens
from being without God in the world
to being His temple again.
So, don't call me black, I'm an Israelite.

Zarach

His Will

We can't change our times or the seasons in our lives. It all happens by the will of God. This truth was even manifested in the life of Christ. He was distend for his specific life, death, and resurrection. He couldn't change the time of his betrayal, nor avoid the horrific death he was to experience, and the immortal life he now experiences with God. It was all God's will for him. And he understood this- that it must happen.
 Neither can we by our own power, words, or might change the times and seasons in our own lives, because all is by the will of God. The events, times, and seasons are all for the purpose of  God, who governs the universe. What we can do and must do, like Christ, is obey Him and do what is right in all and in every situation and season in our lives. For in the end, all things work together for good to them that love God (Rom. 8:28)- those who obey and trust Him(John 14:15).
Remember, Christ hope and trusted God that He would resurrect him on the third day after his death and it was so. Now he sits at the right hand of God, waiting for the day that God would sends him forth for the refreshing of all things. And to give him and those like him a glorious and eternal kingdom. Our duty then is to endure or times and seasons while obeying God at all times, knowing that His will is being accomplish and in due time will work out for our good.

Shalam,
Zarach
 

Searching

We don't need to search, nor enquire how the world serve their gods. We have a better and true way in the holy scriptures. It is the path that leads to the one and only God, who alone created all things for his pleasure and purpose. Through the act of engaging the mind by reading the scriptures we connect with the spirit realm and the Holy Spirit of God, which guides us into understanding our creator.
We don't have to look into philosophy, or science, or religions, or the different schools of thought developed by men to understand the world around us or who we are and what our purpose is. All we have to do is come to God with a humble heart and a willingness to endure as He guides and teaches us through His Holy Book.
We would save ourselves from so much heartaches and pain, if we would follow this simple instruction to seek Him and Him alone. The paths of men are full of half truths, mistruth, and false wisdom that only lead to dissolution and broken dreams. We end up being a part of something that leads to nothing.
However, God's word is like a warrior who rescues the poor out of the hands of the strong enemy, delivering them from death. His words are truth and  true education, science, wisdom, and hope that bring true joy. It rescues us all from the paths of error and deceit. Therefore,  let us, who are willing to trust God, search his scripture and discover the path that leads to life.

Shalam,
Zarach

Peace Maker

I want to be a peace maker in God.
To unlearn all the hate, anger, malice, and contentions.
I want to be  a peace maker in Christ.
To build up, to inspire, to find the joy in everyday, to bring hope
when bleakness seems to engulf all things, to be a light in the dark place.

Shalam,
Zarach

Moving Forward

Letting go of past errors is difficulty for some, but necessary.  When we let go, it opens new levels of growth and possibilities. Sometimes holding on to our own ways, half truths, and ideas that produce more harm than good only keep us in a low state.

We have been many error by our past teachers. For example, that Christ and the Israelites are Europeans or of Greek and Roman descent; that the black Jews of Africa, Spain, and the rest of the world were all white people; that the prophecies in the Bible are all fulfilled and God is no longer working in our current history. We have been taught by the missionaries that as followers of Christ our only duty is to love and not to concern ourselves with the events of the world and where we fit in in the world as a unique individual and people. Our teachers also taught us that Christ only belongs to the Israelites and not the nations, and many such things. They taught these error either out of malicious intent or out of ignorance.  But, we must move on, separating ourselves from errors.  By broadening your understanding and moving away from errors, Growth and development is achieved. The Bible states that a wise man will hear and increase in learning, but a foolish person will reject wise counsel ( Prov.9:9, Prov. 1:7). It is our duty then, as believers, to study and learn the truth ( 2 Tim. 2:15), to prove all things weather it is true or false( 1 Thess. 5:21), to test all things by the spirit of God(1 John 4:1); which is His word- "the words I speak unto you, they are spirit( John 6:63)").

In order for us to continue to develop as a people in our faith and have impact in our society, we must be willing to let go of past errors and misunderstandings. We can do this by going back to the source of our faith, which is the Holy Bible (Rom. 15:4, 1 Cor. 10:11, Is. 30:8, Jer. 30:2, Deut. 17:18,19). Go back and do as God says do- "seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read ( Is. 34:16)." Reading the book for ourselves will help us see the development of our history. It will reveal how we came from the other side of the flood and grew into a multitude of peoples. It will show the history from Abraham, to the twelve fathers, to a nation spreading all over the old world-calling many to the faith. And  it will show the progression through the ages of both Israel and the nations, moving along to the other side of the Atlantic.
When we read, we will come face to face with the God of prophecy, who rules in all nations in order to bring about his divine kingdom on earth( Dan. 2:20,21,22, Dan. 4:17). Reading the Bible ourselves will help us see God's movement throughout history in order to face the enemy of all mankind: Satan. It was this spiritual demon that initiates the collapse of the kingdom of Adam and ushered in our current state of chaos, which started immediately  after the fall of our first father Adam. You will see, when you read, God's intention to end all evil and bring mankind back into faith with Himself again. God designed the events of history to lead up to the birth and life-work of His Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. And that at the completion of Christ's work a new era was ushered in, wherein all who sided with him were counted among the saints of God and all who refused him or twisted his message were on the side of evil.
And as we continue to read the saga of our times, we will come to understand that in the end God intends to meet those who belong to the evil one face to face in the final war in the land of Israel. This is the war of Armageddon, as stated in the Bible. It will be a decisive moment in history, when God will become evident to all the world by His physical presence and actions. To those of us who have faith in the Bible and seek to understand the truth of it, that day will be a confirmation of our beliefs and hope. But, if we hold on to half truths, misunderstandings, and our own ideas about the Bible, that day will be a shock and dissolution only( 2 Thess. 2:11,12). We will be just as those who hold to the side of the evil one. It will be to us and them as Christ said, " For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth(Luke 21:35)"- read Luke 21:34-36. Therefore, brethren, I urge you, reconsider what you've been taught thus far and ask yourself, does it match what the Bible says? If not, let it go and open the book of the Lord and read it for yourself-seek the truth(2 Thess. 2:13).
And to help you avoid errors also, do what our master teacher, Christ, taught us- ask God to reveal to you what you don't understand through His Holy Spirit, and by the use of the holy scriptures-            2 Tim.2:7, Phil. 3:15, 1 Cor. 2:7,8,9,10,11, Gal. 1:11,12, John 16:12,13,14, 1 John 2:20,21, 24,25,26,27,28,29.


Shalam,
Zarach