THE NEW NORMAL?

The new normal.  We hear this all the time here lately, and I’m going, to be honest here: I hate this phrase.  For me, it sums up the lie that the people of the world are being fed in the name of “safety,” but really, is in the name of “control.”  Oh boy, she’s gone off the deep end, ladies and gentlemen!  You know what, maybe I have.  But I am inviting you to join me here for a minute.  Take the leap into the deep with me, and learn what I have learned with the guidance of the Lord and from people far wiser than myself.

The definition of normal is “conforming to a standard; usual; typical or expected.”  Now I don’t know about you, but when I hear the word “conform,” good things don’t usually come to mind.  When I hear “conform,” I think of being manipulated and used. Typical. Usual. Expected.  I don’t want any of these words being used to describe my future!  Yet, we are all suddenly jumping on board being told “This is the new normal! How wonderful! Do your part. We are in this together,” by a few people we had never even heard of this last time last year?  Sounds fishy to me. We need to use the brains the good Lord gave us, dig a little deeper and use those critical thinking skills we all were hopefully taught and bring this to the Word of God.  One thing I’ve learned in my almost 33 years is that ALL THINGS are to be brought into alignment with God’s Word, the Bible.  If anything goes against it, it is straight from hell and has no place in the life of a believer.

The new normal, for me, looks a bit like this: businesses being shut down.  Schools being shut down.  Riots taking place.  Emotionalism over rationalism.  Wearing masks.  Fear over faith.  Churches closing.  Churches being threatened by the government to remain closed. A sudden coin shortage. A person’s race is more valued than their soul.  The rushing of a vaccine for a virus with a 99.89% survival rate.  Rumors of that vaccination being forced. (source, https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-death-rate/) Pedophilia trying to be normalized.  In your face sexuality and sexual misconduct idolized.  Have I missed anything? 

 Really guys?  Does any of this sound normal to you?  The little voices in our heads should be screaming at us “no no no!” right about now!  Nothing about this is normal, and as Christians, we are told to be of sound mind and to not be deceived!  2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For we have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.” 1 Peter 1:13 says, “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”  And finally, Jesus himself tells us, “Watch out that no one deceives you.  For many will come in my name claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.  You will hear of wars and rumors of wars but see to it that you are not alarmed.  Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.  Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of birth pains.”- Matthew 24:4-8.

Now, I know that Covid-19 is a real thing, and this is not a blog disputing the fact that it is, in fact, very dangerous to certain people.  I don’t really care where you stand on the mask debate honestly.  Let’s just get that out of the way right now.  I will say this: never before in history has the government so easily been given control over people beyond their constitutional power.  And guess what guys?  They CAN’T force you to wear a mask.  It’s like I said, it’s not within their power to force anyone to wear it.  Now, you take your decision to the Lord in prayer, but as for me and my house, we are choosing to not live in fear because we are not susceptible to this virus.  And if the masks work for those that are, why do I need to wear one?  If I see you wearing a mask, I respect your right to choose to wear it.  Please respect mine to choose to not.  We must know our history, ladies, and gentlemen!  My kids and I are diving into the American Revolution this year, and wow, our founding fathers were intelligent, wise, and brave men.  They would look at this chaos and shake their heads at the lack of self-control and wisdom that has, sadly, become the norm in American society.  Let’s bring back morals.  Let’s bring back patriotic values.  Ok. Rant over there.

This blog is about Christians being bold and understanding the times we are living in!  Guys, I believe that we could be the generation that doesn’t die, and gets to see the return of our savior, Jesus Christ!  And before you say to yourself, “that’s a really bold claim, Meg,” let’s look at what Jesus said to the Pharisees in Luke 12:56 in rebuke for not recognizing the times they were living in: “Hypocrites!  You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky.  How is it that you don’t know how to interpret the present time?”  And in Luke 21:36, Jesus says, “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”  And let’s remember that the wise men were able to follow a star and find Jesus as a toddler.  God does give us signs, and we are called to be diligent and eagerly look for His return.

This is a call to my brothers and sisters to be on the lookout.  It’s time to be in the Word of God and take every issue going on presently to the truth of His Word.  Jesus is coming quickly, and I want to stand before Him and hear “well done, good and faithful servant.”  The time for lukewarm Christianity is over.  Really, it never should have existed, but in times of prosperity, people tend to forget their need for God.  Be unashamedly bold in standing for the truth of God. Be unashamed to share the gospel with a world that desperately needs it.

You may be wondering how I have come to the conclusion of believing that Jesus is indeed returning soon. Here are some scriptures that point to the “last days,” and I think you will see that these look very much like the days we are living in. 

-2 Timothy 3:1-5 says, “This know also, that in the last days, perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of themselves covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to their parents, unthankful, unholy.  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good.  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away.”  

-1 Timothy 4:1-3 “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times, some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods with God has created to be gratefully shared in with those who believe and know the truth.”

-1 John 2:18 “Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so many antichrists have already come. Therefore we know that is it the last hour.

I’d also like to point you guys to some reliable sources from Biblical pastors and teachers that have truly taught me so much over the years.  We must make sure that who we are listening to is teaching SOUND biblical doctrine.  Many false teachers will arise in the last days, so we must know the Word and take all that is taught back to the Bible. 

Here are some teachers who I have found to be Biblically accurate

Understanding the Times- Jan Markell, olivertreeviews.org

Pastor J.D. Farag- youtube channel, particularly his prophecy updates

Israeli New Live- Youtube channel

Heidi St. John- heidistjohn.com

And as part of this blog, I’d like to address some of the “new normal” issues I listed before and bring these issues to scripture.

Businesses being shut down. Schools being shut down. Fear over faith. Mask wearing. Covid-19

• Matthew 10:28 “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
• Isaiah 41:10 “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

Churches being shut down

-Hebrews 10:25 “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.

Coin Shortage

-Matthew 6:19-20 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Riots

-Examples of riots in the Bible include when the Pharisees and Sadducees riled the people up to complete their goal of crucifying Him. (Matthew 27:20; Mark 15:11-14) We also see it in Acts where the first martyr, Stephen, is brought before the Sanhedrin.  Again, the crowds were worked into a frenzy by the religious leaders of the day. (Acts 7:54-60)

-Proverbs 16:32 “Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.”

Pedophilia

-Mark 9:42 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.”

-Revelation 21:8 “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Race Matters Over the Soul

-Galatians 3:28 “There is neither Greek nor Jew, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male or female, for you all are one in Christ Jesus.”

-Romans 10:12-13 “For there is no distinction between Jew or Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing His riches on all who call on Him.  For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”

So, the new normal?  Yeah, there’s nothing normal about this day in age. There’s nothing typical, usual, or expected right now.  But, I do think that for Christians, it is an exciting time to be alive.  Whether I’m right or wrong that Jesus’s return is soon doesn’t matter.  His timing is perfect and all is going according to His plan and He WILL return someday.  What matters is that we EAGERLY anticipate Him.  There is a crown in heaven waiting for those that eagerly anticipate Jesus’s return.  Let us not grow weary in doing good.  May we boldly speak the truth of His love and salvation to all. Christian, it is TIME to wake up and tell people the gospel.  It is time to set aside the things that hinder, and care about the soul standing next to us instead of what their skin color is or whether or not they have a mask on.  It is time to stand up for those who cannot.  It is time to look up and know that our salvation draws near.  HE IS COMING!  Be discerning, men and women of faith!  Take ALL THINGS to God’s Word. 

Blessings to you all, and I love you

Meg