Hi Friends,

Today is a time to reflect and to pause.  The whole world is on time-out. We have been sent to our rooms, to think about it.  What have we done? How did we get here? What is next?  

Nothing takes God by surprise.  The Lord knew that this day would come.  The world has gone its own way. There is no fear of God; no acknowledgment of his commands.  It is as if people were their own gods. Every person decides for himself what he will do, where he will go and what he will eat or drink.  But now there is a pause.

There is a word I would have you consider:  it is the Biblical term “Selah.” It is really an unknown term.  There is no translation from Hebrew to English or any other language, for the meaning of the word has been lost.  Some believe that it may be a musical term, for it is found only in the Psalms and in Habakkuk, written in a poetic manner.  But many feel that it is placed in the Psalms as a term that may mean “Pause” or “Reflect on this.”  

I entitled this post “Selah,” because it fits the time we are in currently.  Because of the Coronavirus, the nation, and many countries around the globe are taking a pause.  Much activity has stopped. Bars. restaurants, and businesses are closed. Churches, stadiums, workout facilities and schools are also closed.  Parks, beaches and playgrounds for kids are closed. After school activities and sports are cancelled. People are trying to make sense of what is going on; nothing is the same.  At the same time, some people are working overtime to help the sick, search for a vaccine and a cure, and prepare new facilities for those that may need hospital care.  

This pause in the normal everyday life is like a time-out.  It is an uncomfortable change for many people. A little change can add a little excitement to the normal routine, but these drastic changes bring fear and anxiety.  Some people are on leave from their jobs and are now at home with their children. Whether they have the skills, talent or interest they must now play the role of full-time parent and teacher.. So many will be filing for unemployment.  Others could lose their businesses. And some people with already compromised health are afraid of becoming sick and dying.  

Most of us like to feel that we are in control.  So when things get out of our control, we can panic.  Right now everything is on hold. We cannot make firm plans--we have no firm dates and no guarantees that life will be the same as it was, just a month ago.

What we need right now is a bit of peace.  And where can peace be found? Only in the Lord.  He is the Prince of Peace!

Believe it or not, I see God’s hand at work.  Not that he caused this virus to spread, but that it was inevitable,  It was just a matter of when. We live in a fallen world where sickness is a reality.  Germs, bacteria, viruses, pests, and plagues come and go. They are part of life on this planet.   

But God uses these moments to draw us away from our busy-ness and our devotion to worldly things, to say “Come away with me.  Let us talk.”

Throughout mankind’s history, we have had times of revival and times of falling away from God.  Man is fickle, like a yo-yo we are in one day and out the next. We are up one day and down the next.  We are not a faithful lot. But God is forever faithful. And he wants us all to find him.

So many people do not know the Lord.  They do not know his ways, nor do they recognize him.  They feel that God is remote, not interested in us. Some believe him to be nothing more than a  conceptual idea, certainly not a person. But God is a father to us. He is loving and kind. He is gentle and humble.  He is all wisdom, truth, light and love. He is also majestic, magnificent, all powerful, all knowing, and omnipresent. He is a person.  And he speaks to those whose hearts are turned to him.

There are so many scriptures that tell us about him.  But it is far better to know him. He wants to have an intimate relationship with you and me.  Just last week I wrote and posted, “The God of All Comfort.” In that post I shared about my relationship with my daughter, and how I felt grieved over it.  I looked to God for understanding and wisdom, and for healing for our relationship.  

The Lord responded to my broken heart.  It was he who sent a boat to me in a vision.  With love and gentleness, he brought the boat up to the water’s edge.  I knew he wanted me to go with him, to take some time--to get away, to draw close.  He is the God of all comfort.  

Two days ago, God showed his love to my daughter.  She went to the Costco with her two little boys, to buy a supply of diapers and other essential items.  When she gave the cashier her debit card, the cashier told her, “Oh, you don’t need to pay. Someone has already paid for you.”  She looked across the room and saw a person smile. She didn’t know what to say. The value of the goods in her cart was over three hundred dollars!

I had been praying that my daughter would turn back to God.  She has been so hurt by the church, that she was not willing to try another.  Only God knows how to reach each one of us. I know that no matter how long it may take, or when it will happen, I can trust him with her.  My God is faithful!

Today, God has provided a pause for you.  He wants you to use this precious time-out to seek him. “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”  Jeremiah 29:13 

“Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.”  James 4:8 

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things that you do not know.”  Jeremiah 33:3

Many years ago, God gave me a vision that I want to share with you today.  It was probably around the year 1998 or maybe 1999, that I was sitting on the floor early one Sunday morning.  I had just returned from church. We had a Spanish prayer group that met at 5:00 in the morning, three days a week.  I love to be with Spanish believers because they love to fast and pray. So, I as was sitting on the floor of my bedroom with the family still asleep, God gave me a vision:  

The Divine Curfew

I saw a man somewhat sitting or leaning up against a short stone wall.  His hands were resting on the concrete cap of the wall. His upper body leaned forward, as he turned his head to look directly at me.  He said, “Amelia, ask me sometime about the divine curfew.”

I sat there wondering what he meant by the divine curfew.  

So I thought to myself, “A curfew is an order to be home by a specified time.  I remembered in college my freshman year, we had martial law on our campus. for one weekend in the fall.  I never knew exactly why it was imposed, but it was during a time of demonstrations, and civil unrest because of the Vietnam War.  We were to be home in our dorms by 6:00 in the evening. Anyone found on the streets after this would be arrested.  

So I thought to myself, if a curfew means no one leaves the house, then perhaps God is asking me to stay home and not go to church.”  Then I was concerned for what other people might think if I didn’t show up. “What is everyone going to think? I am sure that I will be missed.  Will they think that I am sick? Somehow it feels like I am playing hooky!”

As I looked at my thoughts I realized that God was showing me that I was placing ministry and what people thought of me, before him.  

God was dealing with me about the fear of man versus the fear of God.  I still remember God’s words to me: “As long as you are fearful of man, I cannot use you, for you are already being used.”  And who was using me? Why of course the devil! We cannot worry about what others say and think. How can we possibly fulfill the call of God on our lives if we are concerned for how others will receive our words and our actions?  We need to fear God and no one else!  

Now I see that the vision given years earlier, pertains to our present circumstances.  Last week, our church closed its doors to follow the national guidelines concerning the Coronavirus.  We were directed to stay home and self quarantine. So, we have been praying at home and over the phone. Our church service and our mid-week prayer was online last week for the first time.  This is new to many of us, but we are determined to meet online as the body of Christ, while under the Lord’s divine curfew!

Now I want to share with you a vision that the Lord gave me about about ten days ago.

A Man with a Sore

I saw a man with a sore on his neck.  It was like an infection that was about 1 ¾” long and ¾” wide, quite ugly--black and red.  I saw a hand take the man’s collar and pull it down to reveal that the infection went down over the entire neck and shoulder.

I believe that the vision shows that the virus started in a single place (Wuhan, China) but then spread.  Since we have already known for a while that this is the case, and that the potential for further spreading is likely, the vision was given so that we might not be complacent, but would instead pray to the Lord, in earnest for its containment and for its total destruction.  

When I receive visions like these, I usually take it to prayer and share the vision with only those I know who will pray with me.  

God allows things like sickness and disease, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, and tornadoes to put us in a difficult place, so that we look to him for healing, provision and comfort.  Most people these days run from God rather than run to him. The Lord wants people saved; he wants none to perish and spend eternity in hell. It is his mercy and compassion towards us that brings his judgments close to home.  I wrote on this topic in an earlier post called, “Judgment, Mercy, Judgment, Mercy…”

God brings judgment to get people’s attention off of the things in the world and on to him.  He hopes that through our trials we will seek his mercy, his healing and his provision.

We have been praying for a revival both nationally and worldwide.  We want people to turn to God. That is his very heart. I have been praying for the Lord to “Stop them in their tracks!  Please Lord, get their attention! Show yourself to these people. Visit them in their dreams. Cause them to seek you!”

This trial that we are in right now is providing a perfect environment for people to reach out to God.  The churches are making their services available online, so that those that feel far removed, or distant from God can go online, in the privacy of their homes and be touched by the Holy Spirit.  People can be encouraged by the words of the Gospel, (the good news), and can be forever changed.  

Just think--how many people have been stopped--cut off from their normal activities?  How many people have had to completely change their plans? How many don’t know what to do with themselves? They can no longer hide from fear, there is nowhere to go to distract them from their thoughts. The bars are closed. It is a perfect time to seek God.   

God wants to shake you up.  He wants you to stop trusting in your jobs, your incomes, your pensions and 401K’s.  They can only give you comfort on this earth. And they are only temporary. If things fall apart for you financially, who is going to save you?   All this is passing away. Life is short. It is but a vapor.

The only one who can provide water from a rock or feed thousands of people with two fish and five loaves of bread is the Lord.  He is our refuge, our stronghold, our help in trouble. It is God, the Lord, Jesus is his name! It is he who will deliver you from all your fears. 

His ways are not our ways, his thoughts our not our thoughts.  When we become born again, and he fills us with his Spirit, we see life quite differently.  Our hope is not found in earthly things, but we look ahead to our future, to be with the Lord, forever.

In order to appreciate what I am saying, it is necessary to become born again. God gives us his Holy Spirit to dwell within each of us.  It is the Spirit that leads us into all truth. Jesus spoke about being born of the Spirit of God to a Pharisee named Nicodemus.  

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council.  He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.  You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You] must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.  I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. (John 3:1-21)

When we become born again, we no longer see things the same way:  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, all things have become new.”  2 Corinthians 5:17

The Words of Life:

“I am the way the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”  Romans 3:23

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 6:23

“If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9

“For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  Romans 10:13

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”  Romans 8:1

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God, that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 8:38-39

A Prayer for Salvation

Dear Jesus, I __________ come to you this day, and acknowledge that you are God Most High.  That you are a trinity, three in one: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.  I know that you shed your blood and died on the cross to pay for my sin. I am truly sorry for the sins I have committed against you and against others.  I repent of those sins, turning away from everything that offends you. I also forgive everyone who has sinned against me. 

I ask that you send your Holy Spirit to dwell within me to lead me and guide me.  I choose this day to be true to your word, and I ask that you write my name in the Book of Life.  I thank you for loving me and accepting me as your friend. I thank you for giving me the confidence to live for you and the faith to know that I will someday spend eternity with you.  Thank you Jesus, my Lord, my Savior, my God and my King. Amen.

Please share this message with your friends, family and those around you who do not know the Lord. I pray that God will keep you and your family safe from the virus and all sickness and disease. I pray that you will have no fear of the days ahead, for the Lord will watch over you. Be blessed! You are loved!