Contentment before, during and after a pandemic

As I write this, South Africa is now for eight months in a lockdown due to covid-19.   Currently, we are facing a second wave of infections and the daily infection rate is about 8000 per day.  

As a Christian, I evaluate and interpret what is happening in the world and around me from a Biblical worldview perspective.

Let us look at the statistics knowing that there are skeptics.  On 12 December 2020 South Africa had 852,965 cases of Covid-19.  We have lost 23,106 people and we need to pray for the families and friends.  We thank the Lord for 760,118 that recovered and are well. Please pray for 69,741 that are still struggling with the disease and 546 that are seriously critical.  We had 14,301 cases per million and 387 per million of our total population of 59,643,060. We can thank your government for a total of 5,819,755 tests conducted which is 97,576 per million of the population. 5

God's Word commands us to be content with our circumstances.  This command is not conditional on how we feel about the fairness and the prospects of the situation. 

Let's look at two examples from Scripture - Joseph and Paul.

Joseph was falsely accused and ended up in jail for many years. He was an example to inmates and helped fellow inmates and the guards.  He did not revenge or even had to counter desires to revenge.  He loved his brothers who sold him into slavery.

The apostle Paul suffered beatings, shipwrecks and was in several prisons for extended periods, yet he wrote and encouraged the churches from his confinement!

By not being content we display to the world that we lack faith.   We profess to believe that God is always in control, all-knowing, and a loving Father.  In Romans 3:28 we read:  And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Many have lost family, friends, and colleagues.  The economy has been damaged and many lost jobs and businesses.  Our medical workers have been under tremendous stress for such a long time.  The future is not yet bright,  but we praise the Lord that vaccines are being developed.

 Many Christians are undermining the governments' and authorities' efforts to contain the spreading of the coronavirus by not observing social distance,  wearing masks, subscribing to conspiracy theories, and influencing others to do the same!   The Word of God teaches us to submit to our leaders and to obey secular rules.  Christians must obey their government. Jesus famously said: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Mark 12:17, KJV). 3

I pray that you and I will be content now and after the pandemic and that we will have compassion and help others by bearing their burdens. (Galatians 6:2).   We can not do it in our own strength but in Jesus Christ, we can do it.

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To explore further

1. Sermon on Contentment by Dr. Joshua Mack 

2. There are several good books on the subject: Books on Christian Contentment from Augustine Bookroom 

3. Christian obedience to the government - The Christian Institute https://www.christian.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/cog.pdf  (Accessed 13 Dec 2020)

4. The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment - Jeremiah Burroughs

  

5. COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC,  https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/      (Accessed 13 Dec 2020,  saved copy)

Courage to face the unplanned and unexpected in life

On Monday 3 August 2020 André, my son, would have celebrated his 33rd birthday on earth, but an unexpected event changed that almost 20 years ago. I could not imagine in December while visiting Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, etc that it would be the last visit to those areas for a long time to come due to Covid-19. Sometimes things happen in our lives that we do not plan for, or expect. God is however in control and knows in advance what is to happen. He gives us a glimpse into the future – we know Jesus will return. Today my prayers are with those who lost loved ones unexpectedly and unannounced. When I had cancer, I remembered Elize Randall sharing from John Bunyan’s work about Christiana who received a notice that she has been called. When I was diagnosed with cancer 5 years ago it did pass my mind regularly if this was my notice, but the Lord healed me. Praise Him! We are all called but we postpone the thought and live as if life will last forever. Today I want to remind all that we must be ready for our Lord’s return which will also be unexpected.

42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Matthew 24:42-44 NIV

I am also praying for others that have lost loved ones unexpectedly due to the coronavirus and for you reading this.

André Grobler days before he went to be with the Lord on 30 December 2000

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In the corona storm in a small boat.

As I write this, South Africa is in lockdown day 27 (Wednesday 22 April 2020).  We are in a fierce storm that came suddenly and unexpectedly.  Early January some may have thought the coronavirus will only affect Wuhan and maybe China.   This morning  2,557,917 people have been infected and sadly 177,688 have died.  It is a storm or a pandemic affecting the whole earth and it's people.

When I received the picture below, it reminded me of Jesus with His disciples on the sea of Galilee in a small boat during a great windstorm.

The storm seen from my friend Zev's roof:

Sea of Galilee seen from Tiberias

There are three accounts of this event in the Bible.  Mark, Matthew and Luke wrote about it.  The essence of the three accounts are the same:

• The disciples were with Jesus in the boat.
• The storm came and they were afraid they expected the end.
• The called on Jesus.
• He calmed the storm.
• Jesus rebuked the disciples for lack of faith.
• The disciples were amassed.

Let's look at the accounts and then I will conclude with a few brief remarks.

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Mark 4:35-41 English Standard Version (ESV)

Jesus Calms a Storm

35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

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Matthew 8:23-27 English Standard Version (ESV)

Jesus Calms a Storm

23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

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Luke 8:22-25 English Standard Version (ESV)

Jesus Calms a Storm

22 One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, 23 and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. 24 And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. 25 He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?”

Let's now conclude with some comments on the observations of Jesus and His disciples in the storm in relation to our situation with the coronavirus.  

• The disciples were with Jesus in the boat.  Similarly Jesus is with us in the lockdown situation. In Matthew 28:20 Jesus said to his disciples "..behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” 
• The storm came and they were afraid they expected the end. The coronavirus came unexpectedly and fear is rife al over the world. There are many fake messages and fear is on the increase.
• The called on Jesus.  It is often only in a crisis that we turn to God. You would expect that the disciples would immediately have called on Jesus. They however did not. We also often try and resolve issues all on our own and if we fail we turn to Him. They knew Him and that he can do wonders. They have seen his power.
• He calmed the storm.  Jesus took control and commanded the storm to cease.
   
• Jesus rebuked the disciples for lack of faith.  Jesus did not only calm the storm but turned to His disciples.  We need to learn from it.  He questioned their lack of faith.
• The disciples were amassed. Are you amassed by how the Lord is protecting you and how He is always in control?  He can calm our storms.

In conclusion let me ask a few questions.  Do you know Jesus?  Do you have him in your "boat in the storm"?   Have you called Him for help or are you blaming him for the storm?  In Acts 3:19 we read what Peter said:
"Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord"

“The remarkable thing about God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else.” ― Oswald Chambers

May God bless you and your family.

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Good Friday in Lockdown

Dear Friends,

Greetings from us in lockdown.  I want to share a few thoughts with you today as I am thinking of you, friends, family and others that I have met.   This is the first time we and most likely you are experiencing being constrained in our movements on a Good Friday.

We live in an information age where moments after a global event happened, it is made known over media like TV, Radio, Internet, email, and social media.  I can imagine how news of Jesus’ crucifixion spread by word of mouth.   The question “Have you heard that they crucified Jesus?” must have been asked as people travelled by foot passing each other etc.   The response typically could be “No!  Why did they do that?”   or “Who is Jesus?”

Today we live in an age where people celebrate things and often, like gate crashers at a wedding party,  do not know who the bride and groom are!   Many people have hear about Jesus but do not know that He is the Saviour.  There are also a sizable portion of people on the globe that have not yet heard about Jesus or that have not yet met a believer in Jesus Christ.

This morning I received a prayer request and you may want to pray for the same things in this time:

1. Pray for those affected by Covid-19.  There are those who are sick,  losing their own lives or even  loved ones.  Many are financially impacted and many will lose jobs and income.
2. Pray for the medical teams and health workers that are exposed and under tremendous stress.
3. Pray for leaders of the nations to make wise decisions -  our country’s leader and leaders worldwide.  Pray that God will lead them to rule just and wisely.
4. Pray that God will bring an end to this pandemic soon and that He will expand His Kingdom.  
5. Pray that the Gospel will continue to go out after these events to all the corners of the world and that God may be glorified!

Philippians 4:4-7 ESV

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.

⁵ Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;

⁶ do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

We are praying for you.  May you continue to grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. 

2 Peter 3:18 “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

God bless you and your family,

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Johan and Linda Grobler

One of Johan's photos on Instagram

I have read John Piper's book "Coronavirus and Christ"  You may also want to download a free copy from www.desiringgod.org/books/coronavirus-and-christ  

It is available in pdf, ebook and audiobook as a free download. The paper copy is available via Amazon for $8.99 but alas we cannot receive it during lockdown!

https://www.desiringgod.org/books/coronavirus-and-christ

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Coronavirus Crisis, Symptoms, Precautions, and a realistic, objective middle ground. Section 1

This is a developing story and I will post updates on this as the Covid-19 situation develops.

I am  writing this post from the Nairobi airport on the way home (Pretoria in South Africa).  (7 March 2020)  Two days ago the first Coronavirus case was confirmed in my home country.  I am a lay person when it comes to medicine, diseases and the economy, but my experience in business, engineering and recently in Christian Missions gave me some relevant insights. 

It is a time to be objective, calm and realistic.  I am traveling much in Africa and is aware of the risks.  Until now malaria was certainly one of the greater risks of traveling to remote areas in Africa.

The coronavirus, COVID-19, has already earned its place in history.  As of today, 7 March 2020, there are  more than 100,000 people infected and more than 3000 have died.  ref 1)   The stock markets have reacted and people ran to cash reserves like gold. 

Source: Local governments/World Health Organization

Last update: March 6, 2020 Ref 3)

Precautions  ref 4)

• Wash your hands frequently
• Maintain social distancing
• Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth 
• Practice respiratory hygiene

Symptoms  ref 6)  and ref 7)  

The symptoms of COVID-19 are:

  ▪️ a cough  ▪️ a fever  ▪️ shortness of breath

For the latest knowledge on this, please visit the references below. Perhaps  ref 7) 

But these symptoms do not necessarily mean you have the illness. The symptoms are similar to other illnesses that are much more common, such as cold and flu.

It's very unlikely to be COVID-19 if:


▪️you have not been in close contact with someone with confirmed COVID-19▪️you have not been to a country or area with a high risk of COVID-19 such as China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam and others.

How to be ready

We do not know the future.  There are many expecting the worst and there are those that live in denial.  Many are living in fear as they may lose their jobs, businesses, friends, family and even their on lives.  We need to avoid being influenced by fake news and deliberate messages to spread fear, promote unrest and undermine the authorities' measures to curb the spread of the virus. 

As a believer in Jesus Christ, I know that God is in control and He knows the future.  We are to be ready.  We are to be ready for Jesus' return.  He may call us in many ways for example with diseases, with accidents or when He returns to take those that believe in Him.

Conclusion

The coronavirus is real and has to be taken seriously without going to extremes.  We are to be ready, taking precautions and help to remain calm and inspire others to do the same.  Let us pray for our leaders and medical personnel in this critical time.

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References:

1) Coronavirus: Italy reports biggest daily jump in death toll, www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51777049 BBC 2020-03-07

2)  Coronavirus Death Toll   3,497 deaths, www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-death-toll/   2020-03-7 10h26 CAT

3) Coronavirus cases top 100,000 as China economy hit: Live updates ,  www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/coronavirus-cases-surpass-100000-globally-live-updates-200306231605898.html 2020-03-07 10h35 CAT

4) Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public, www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public, World Health Organization 2020-03-07 10h43 CAT 

5) Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU), www.gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6, JHU 2020-03-12 13h43 CAT 

6) South African Department of Health's Coranvirus - COVID-19 site  www.sacoronavirus.co.za

7) Join the SA Dept of Health's COVID-19 WhatsApp response line Click to join the group

8) Microsoft's COVID-19 Tracker www.bing.com/covid

Tags:  #COVID19 #coronavirus #SouthAfrica #Africa

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What can we do about the lack of power in South Africa?

Kelvin Power Station in Ekurhuleni

South-Africa is currently in great need of power, not military power, not political power, but electrical power. The reasons for this lack are many and a shame for the citizens. Let's discuss some actions we can take to help resolve this dilemma.

Grootvlei Power Station in Mpumalanga

As a believer, I know that prayer is powerful and we should not neglect this avenue. The Bible reminds us: "The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous."
Proverbs 15:29 ESV  The Lord commands us to always pray: "16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances;for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 New International Version (NIV)
and in James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Eskom Transmission Lines in Tshwane

We can reduce the demand and use less electricity. We can switch of lights, shower shorter and reduce  the temperature.  Let's switch of the air conditioners that has become a "must".

Solar Panels in the Western Cape

We all need to pay for the electricity that we use.  As a result of our sad past a culture of non payment for services still has to be eradicated.  Any service we use costs money to provide.  It is only just that the user of the service or commodity would pay for it!

Transmission Lines in need of maintenance!

When we come to Eskom there are many things that can be done. Competent people are key in any organisation. There are currently too many employees. The number will have to be reduced. We also need to embark on more training and education of the employees to have the necessary skills and experience to run such a huge organization. Let us pray for the employees. Many of them are hardworking and knowledgeable, but are caught in a catch-22 situation. There are middle men skimming much cream from coal and other contracts and it will have to stop.  Employees must be paid what they deserve and no bonuses that are not linked to performance should be paid.  Eskom must ensure it pays the many suppliers that are awaiting payment for services and goods supplied.  We need to do proactive rather than reactive maintenance.

Renewable energy needs to be implemented at an ever greater speed. Solar cells have improved significantly in the last decade!  There are an ever increasing number of wind turbines in South Africa.

Wind Turbine - 3MW at the Waainek Wind Farm near Grahamstown in the eastern Cape.

We need more independent power producers. Government should expedite the implementation of existing legislation.

Details of the Waainek Wind Farm near Grahamstown in the eastern Cape.

 Lastly, government who is the citizens' agent should ensure that corporate governance is brought in line with international accepted good practice. For way too long the board of ESKOM failed its duties and obligations.

"Everything will be right if everyone does his duty"3  That  requires everyone, including all people of this lovely country of ours to do what we are called to do.  Let's start today and not wait for tomorrow.

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Bulawayo Power Station - Not operational

Solar Panels in the rural areas of Northern Kenya

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References:   
1) Growth of photovoltaics  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Growth_of_photovoltaics

2) What are the biggest advances of the last decade in solar energy? https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-biggest-advances-of-the-last-decade-in-solar-energy

3) Jan Brand https://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Brand 

Candles are a backup, not a real solution.

Note: All photos were taken by the author

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How do you say NO to somebody asking for a Bible?

This week I was forced to say "No" to many requests for a Bible.  There are several reasons why the "No" answer had to be given.   

We were blessed by donors, who made it possible for me to travel with about 260 this week.  It is simply not enough to provide in the vast need.  I have been asked for a Bible by many people living in a rural area of Kenya.  The hunger for the Word of God in the vernacular is both a blessing and a huge concern.  The harvest is ready but the workers are few.  Luke 10:2  In the group of workers I include missionaries, Bible Translators, sponsors and donors, as the rural people simply do not have the material means to afford Bibles.  They might be able to afford a printed Bible, but as an example - for the Luo language only between 10% to 30% of mother tongue speakers can read! 1  This is very common for rural situations in Africa.

 

Some requested languages that have not yet been translated or recorded. In Africa there are about 700 languages without a translated Bible.  In many languages the Bibles are available, but have not yet been recorded. I think of Luo, Herero and many others.   

Some requested it at a much lower price than the production cost!  Again I had to say "No".  We are so thankful that MegaVoice celebrated its 30th year in January 2018.  It is always a major challenge to have income and expenses balanced.  We are grateful to the Lord for supporters that have helped to cover shortfalls over the years.   Just this evening I received a call from a "closed country" with a request for Bibles at a reduced price.   I could not say "Yes", but with more supporters I would have been able to say "Yes" to more! 

On a much lighter note, we thank the Lord for the 30 years that MegaVoice has produced more than 2 million Bible players and we now have access to  full Bibles in more than 100 languages and New Testaments in more than 500 languages 2.

Please continue to pray with us for the above matters.

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 References:

1)  Luo L1 (mother tongue speakers) literacy is only between 10 and 30%  www.ethnologue.com/language/luo and www.ethnologue.com/about/language-info

2)  MegaVoice Newsletter June 2018  

Related:

1)  MegaVoice International  www.megavoiceinternational.org