The Christian Response to the Coronavirus
Destined to Bless Others
By Reverend Dr. RB Holmes, Pastor
Bethel Missionary Baptist Church
Friday, May 1, 2020
Well, my brothers and sisters, the Lord has blessed us to see the fifth month in this year. My God, we are still living! Over a million of our fellow Americans have been infected by this virus. More than (60,000) sixty thousand Americans have died. Let us ask our Lord to bless those families. The Bethel congregation has felt the impact of this virus. About a dozen members of our church have lost loved ones; they are in my fervent prayers.
This week we have been discussing identity, destiny and legacy. Let me encourage you not to give up on your destiny. God has kept you alive because he has a divine assignment and purpose for your life. If you forget your identity, who God has called you to be, you will forfeit leaving an inspirational legacy behind and Satan would have stolen your identity. Since we are still here, we are called to be a blessing.
I left off yesterday at Genesis 12:3. Let us review. God called Abraham at seventy-five years old to pursue his destiny for the purpose of leaving a legacy. Yesterday, we discussed the five blessings that God promised to bestow upon Abraham. However, these promises of the blessings were conditional; Abraham had to walk by faith and obey God’s word. The Bible tells us in Genesis 12:3, “And I will bless them that bless thee.”
I think this month you and I should make a conscious effort to be a blessing to someone. As a matter of fact, we should do it on purpose! Those who bless you, God will bless them. “And thou shalt be a blessing.” (Genesis 12:2c) If you bless me, God will bless you; if I bless you, God will bless me. Why so much this week on blessings? We live in a selfish, self-promoting time; we live in a day where we eat the seed and eat the whole cow and pig by ourselves. We live in a day where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. We live in a day where so many in the body of Christ are takers and not givers.
The God who created us is a giver. Abraham was blessed because he understood his destiny. He obeyed God; he wasn’t a perfect man, but he was a faithful man.
Blessing Number 6 (Genesis 12: 3b) “…and curse them that curseth thee.” Yes, beloved, be careful that you don’t mess up and “curse a child of God.” Maybe another reason for this coronavirus devastation is that we may have been cussing at the wrong people! Maybe our policies have too many people living in poverty, living in poor neighborhoods, neighborhoods where there is medical disparity, food insecurity, high infant mortality, environmental injustice, elderly abuse, child abuse, and more. It is dangerous to curse a people of God! God said “I will curse him that curseth thee.” The blessing is that God will take care of the cursed and He will stop the cussing. Our responsibility is to fulfill our destiny, reclaim our destiny and walk in obedience.
Blessing Number 7 (Genesis 12:3-4) “And in thee all families of the earth be blessed. And Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him.” Have you left yet? The street of self-pity, the avenue of anxiety, the road of refusal, the boulevard of bitterness, and the place of panic. Have you left yet? From fear to faith, from stress to strength, from doubt to destiny and from ignorance to identity. Have you left yet? “So Abram departed, as the Lord hath spoken unto him, and Lot went, and Abram was seventy five years old when he departed Haran.”
What is your excuse? Child of God, come on, and get on up now. Get your dance back! Get your smile back! Get your hope back! Get your gusto back! Get your faith back! Get your confidence back! Get your courage back! If you get on up now and follow God, He will keep His word and change your character. “Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham, for a father of many nations have I made thee.” During this coronavirus pandemic, let the Lord make you better, stronger, more thankful and a “blessing.”
Amen.
