Like almost every rabbi or pastor in the United States over the past few weeks, I have been watching the vast changes taking place in our nation and doing my best to keep my feet on steady ground as nearly everything has shifted.

We have had to restructure almost every part of our ministry practices. We went from service and studies with people attending in the building to livestreaming those same services. The people working in every ministry from our prison ministry to our nursery have had to totally change how they function in order to continue to serve. Some of these changes actually increased our effectiveness and the number of people we are reaching with the message of Messiah.

While we don’t like to talk about it, the truth is, that in the back of our minds, every leader is at least thinking, “How is this going to affect our finances?” We all have bills to pay, salaries to meet, missions to complete and commitments we have made.

So it is only natural that we would see a drastic change and begin to think about how this will affect things. I know at our synagogue, as soon as this began, we started looking at our budget and making cuts in areas that we could without reducing our ability to meet the needs of our congregation.

As we were making these plans and changes and watching our spending and donations closely, the news came out that the federal government was going to offer loans to businesses and churches to tide them over during the next few months. Not only were they going to make the loans available, but if you followed the guidelines, much of these loans would be forgiven. In other words, the government would be giving money to synagogues and churches to help pay the salaries of those working for those ministries.

My first thoughts were like the first thoughts of most of my friends who serve as rabbis and pastors. Wow! Isn’t it wonderful that the government is going to help support our ministries during this tough time?

Now, let me say right here that when the government made this offer and leaders started to rejoice in the possibility that the government would become a benefactor to churches and synagogues around the country, none of us had any idea if we would even see a drop in donations to our ministries. At that moment, the government was an answer to a problem that didn’t yet exist. But, that didn’t stop us (I am including myself and my synagogue) from gathering the documentation together to file for a loan, filling out government application forms three times because they changed the form three times within the first week the applications came out.

But, I have to be honest. Over the past week since we began to fill out forms and gather documentation together, I began to think deeper and pray more about this loan and what it means. As I continue to be transparent, our synagogue receiving free money from the government seems like a wonderful thing.

But then I remember there is no such thing as free money. I have always been a fiscal conservative. I am against “free college,” “free housing,” “Basic Universal Income (being paid for doing nothing)” and “free medical care” because I know none of these things are free.

When the government provides “free stuff” to some people, it is because it is taking money from other people to pay for it. This loan money amounts to the government taking money from people who may not even believe in G-D and giving that money to our synagogues and churches. So much for giving with a willing or cheerful heart.

For years, I have said that the breakup of the family in the United States is largely the result of the government stepping into the role of the father of the home. In many of these homes, the government provides the food, the housing, the clothing, medical care and education. There is no need for a father to work and provide for his family because the government is paying all of the bills.

This is the biggest reason I am hesitant to apply for these loans. I don’t want the government to become the father in our synagogue; we already have a Father: our heavenly Father.

I know many of us are looking out at empty congregations as we share our messages on livestream and are looking in our mailboxes and bank accounts daily as we wonder whether we will have enough money to pay the bills.

But I was reminded as I read my Bible: We don’t depend on the faithfulness of our congregants for our finances; we depend on the faithfulness of G-D, our Father. When Yeshua needed money to pay a bill, He went fishing (which is still allowed as long as we are social distancing).

I am not writing this to condemn anyone who is applying for a government loan to bridge the gap over the next few months. I am just sharing my personal struggle with you as I prayerfully make the decision for my congregation in hopes that it will help you as you prayerfully make the decision for your congregation. {eoa}

Eric Tokajer is author of With Me in Paradise, Transient Singularity, OY! How Did I Get Here?: Thirty-One Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before Entering Ministry, #ManWisdom: With Eric Tokajer, Jesus Is to Christianity as Pasta Is to Italians and Galatians in Context.

With the coronavirus outbreak, many Christians are wrestling with the balance between faith in God over disease and the prudence of social distancing. Certainly, we trust God and believe that He can and will protect us from sickness.

The power of Jesus’ name is greater than any virus. However, where do we draw the line on taking unnecessary risks? Many pastors grappled with this reality as we closed our churches and held online services in order to protect our flocks and curtail the pandemic.

Jesus, you recall, dared to touch lepers as He healed them (Mark 1:40-42). One could argue, “True, but He is God!” Yet He told His followers to do the same, “As you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and cast out demons'” (Matt. 10:7-8). Jesus also used the spoken word to heal without laying hands on people (Matt. 8:5-13).

I’ve made many hospital visits where I was required to wear a mask, gown and gloves to pray for patients with contagion. Admittedly, quarantine is not fun. We don’t like our freedoms restricted but, remember, God “quarantined” Noah’s family for about a year on the ark for their own safety.

God also made the Israelites stay in their houses as the destroyer passed over Egypt. Yes, they were protected by the blood, but they had to remain inside or risk exposure and death (Ex. 12: 22-23). God had Moses isolate lepers from the camp and burn contaminated clothes to prevent epidemics (Lev. 13:45-59). Rahab’s family was also confined to her house when God razed Jericho as the scarlet cord hung in her window as a token of divine protection (Josh. 2:18-19).

Walking by faith is one thing; straying into presumption is another. Notice when Satan tempted Jesus to jump off the top of the temple, he used Psalms 91:11-12 to bait Him. Christ didn’t fall for the trap, “It is also written, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God'” (Matt. 4:5-7).

As God in a human body, He could have jumped and landed safely. He was not bound by natural laws. After all, He walked on water, passed through walls, calmed storms, multiplied food and traveled supernaturally at times. However, He refused to follow Satan’s suggestion or to tempt God.

Presumption means “to assume, to take for granted, to undertake with unreasonable boldness, to do something without the right or permission, to go too far in acting or in taking liberties.” This means there are some limits to faith that prevent us from being reckless.

Acting with cautious wisdom does not indicate a lack of trust in God. A series of sayings circulating on social media provide perspective:

—We trust God, but we wear seat belts.

—We trust God, but we wash our hands.

—We trust God, but we wear life jackets.

—We trust God, but we use oven mitts with hot dishes.

—We trust God, but we lock our houses at night.

—We trust God, but we use smoke detectors in our homes.

—We trust God, but we take medicine.

Consider these biblical examples that illustrate the difference between faith and presumption:

—Faith prompted Noah to successfully build the ark; pride and presumption motivated men to build the Tower of Babel, and it failed.

—Israel routed Jericho by faith and obedience; they were humiliated by Ai due to overconfidence and compromise (Josh. 7:1-12).

—Israel placed the ark of the covenant ahead of their army and God fought their battles; backslidden Israel later tried it, and 36,000 men were slain and the ark was stolen by the Philistines (Num. 10:33-35, 1 Sam. 4:3-22).

—Barnabas’ faith prompted him to sell his land, donate the profit to the church, and he was blessed; Ananias and Sapphira did the same thing deceitfully, and they were cursed (Acts 4:36-37, 5:1-11).

—Faith empowered Paul to cast out demons; the seven sons of Sceva presumed to practice exorcism and they were injured and disgraced (Acts 19:12-16).

Truth taken to extremes becomes heresy. Some people even take Jesus’ words too far, “And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name . . . they will take up serpents; if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them” (Mark 16:17-18a).

Paul was bitten by a venomous viper on the Island of Melita (Malta) while building a fire. The superstitious natives assumed he was a murderer and waited for him to drop dead. When he survived, they thought he was a god. Paul wasn’t hunting for snakes, but God protected him when he accidentally contacted a deadly one (Acts 28:1-6).

People who handle snakes or drink poison on purpose to prove their “faith” are tempting fate and often suffer fatal results. Besides, Jesus also said, “Look, I give you authority to trample on serpents” (Luke 10:19a). Why handle them when we can trample them?

We know God rewards bold, aggressive faith, but He also expects us to use common sense. For instance, we shouldn’t grab a live wire, jump out of a plane without a parachute, play in the street, run up big debts and await a bailout, or do other foolish, dangerous things and expect divine intervention. God protected the three Hebrews in the fiery furnace, but they didn’t jump into the fire voluntarily. Yes, God kept Daniel safe in the lion’s den, but he didn’t leap in to prove he had faith.

In 1910, as a plague ravaged Africa, Pentecostal preacher John G. Lake experienced a documented miracle. The plague was so contagious, they offered $1,000 to nurses who dared to care for the sick. Lake and his team volunteered without pay. They entered houses, removed and buried the dead, but no symptoms of the plague touched them.

Finally, a doctor asked him, “What have you been doing to protect yourself? You must have a secret.” Lake responded, “Brother, it is the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. I believe that just as long as I keep my soul in contact with the living God so that His Spirit is flowing into my soul and body, that no germ will ever attach itself to me, for the Spirit of God will kill it.” Lake invited the doctor to experiment by taking the foam from the mouth of a dead plague victim and putting it under a microscope. He saw masses of living germs. Then Lake told the doctor to put the foam on his hands and said the germs would die. The doctor did so and witnessed the germs die instantly in Lake’s hands.

So, concerning the Coronavirus, we know God can and believe He will protect us. At the same time, social distancing is a sensible precaution not a lack of faith.

Do we dare to minister to those who have contracted the virus? Yes, if that situation arises. Do we trust God? Certainly! Do we wash our hands and try to stay out of harm’s way? Absolutely! May God help us to find the proper balance; to walk in faith yet avoid presumption.

Ben Godwin is the author of five books and pastors the Goodsprings Full Gospel Church. You can read more articles or order his books @.

In 35 years of practicing medicine, Dr. Don Colbert says he’s never seen anything like the current worldwide coronavirus pandemic.

But, he says, many people are putting themselves at risk due to what they are putting in their bodies, and the lack of information that can help them stay healthy and avoid COVID-19. It’s just practical advice that many people choose to ignore.

“We must learn lessons from past pandemics, like the Black Death and the Spanish flu. Those people learned the value of quarantine,” Dr. Colbert told Dr. Steve Greene on a recent episode of Greenelines on the Charisma Podcast Network. “We also have to first understand our immune system and how it works.

“Unfortunately, so many people are affecting their immune system adversely by choosing the wrong foods. Sugar weakens your immune system by approximately 40% for five hours when you eat at least 100 grams of sugar, which is about two sodas. So, again, there are certain foods that charge it, like cruciferous veggies. These are just amazing to charge the immune system.

“Sauerkraut, kimchi, coconut kefir, kombucha tea. These are powerful probiotic foods that supercharge your immune system. In my new book, Pandemic Protection, I go into the diet to boost the immune system. And one of the worst things for our immune system is stress. Stress lowers the immune function, fear lowers the immune function. Anxiety, depression—they raise cortisol and cortisol is a double-edged sword. It helps us through famine, pestilence and disease, but it also weakens our immune system.”

For more on how to protect your body from the coronavirus, listen to the entire podcast with Dr. Don Colbert.

We are continuing a four-part series about the biblical belief in the immortality of the soul and the body—in a glorified, resurrected form. It is this unique doctrine of the Resurrection that Christians reaffirm every Easter.

As I suggested in the last article, you might like to use a modern translation or paraphrase to review these basic premises Paul presents and which we will consider in these final two studies. Today we will study:

The Assurance of the Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20-28)

Having confronted questions causing doubt about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and that of believers when He comes to receive living and deceased saints at a future gathering (1 Thess. 4:13-18), Paul now confidently presents positive assurances concerning this future resurrection.

He began by flatly proclaiming 1 Corinthians 15:20a, “But now is Christ risen from the dead”! This fact and spiritual assurance are presented in the original Greek in the present tense, which stressed the continuing action from a past event. Our present faith is confirmed from this supernatural past action, which has a continuing effect.

Verse 20 continues by stating that Christ has “become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” The first fruits are the initial ripened grains of the spring harvest. They are evidence the entire harvest is on the way. Leviticus 23:4-14 speaks of the first fruits in connection with the Passover festival where the coming harvest was consecrated.

The New Testament teaches that Jesus actually died on the Passover, and His Resurrection occurred the following Sunday morning, the day following the Sabbath after the Passover (ff.). This day corresponds to our Resurrection Sunday (John 19:31-20:10) and is a promise of our own future resurrection, “…those who are Christ’s at His coming” (v. 23b).

In 15:22-24 Paul compares Christ with Adam, His prototype, in that what one man—Adam—did, now the resurrection from death has also become a certainty because of what one Man—Christ—did. As humans, we all are related to Adam and most will physically die as he did, but all who are rightly related to Christ spiritually will be made to live again when He appears in the clouds and gathers up the dead and living saints to Himself (1 Thess. 4: 14-17). Only those living saints will be transformed in that instant and will be the only ones who do not die.

When Our Resurrected Lord Returns

The Second Coming of Christ is not a timeless philosophical idea to be discussed and debated. Rather, it will be a distinct experience of human life and will complete the resurrection harvest (possibly at Rev. 14:14-16), for which He and His Resurrection were the “firstfruits.”

Everyone who follows Him by faith in His completed spiritual destiny can have the hope of complete acceptance and satisfaction before God as well!

Not all of God’s own will die, but we all will be changed—in a fraction of a second! 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 assures us that at Christ’s second coming we will be raised, in our proper order. The dead who belong to Christ will be the first to rise. Then, believers who are still alive will be caught up with them in the clouds, to meet Christ our Lord in the air.

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ not only confirms our faith; it certifies our forgiveness and guarantees our future!

We can anticipate, with confident assurance, the future day of His “coming” in a physical return to earth at the second Advent (15:23-25). At Christ’s Resurrection, death was defeated and at His actual “coming” back to earth to rule, it will be destroyed (cf. Rev. 20:14). Paul explained later in this chapter that death is the last enemy to be conquered in Christ’s total triumph (15:26).

This Easter season celebrates this progressive triumph of our Lord Jesus over death, hell and the grave! The tomb is empty, and He is alive!

Ordained to the ministry in 1969, Gary Curtis is a graduate of LIFE Bible College at Los Angeles (soon to become Life Pacific University at San Dimas, California). He has taken graduate courses at Trinity College in Deerfield, Illinois, and Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, California. Gary served as part of the pastoral staff of The Church on The Way, the First Foursquare Church of Van Nuys, California, for 27 years (1988-2015); and served for the last 13 years as the vice president of Life on The Way Communications Inc., the church’s not-for-profit media outreach. Now retired, Gary and his wife have been married for 50 years and live in Southern California. They have two married daughters and five grandchildren.

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Don’t allow the devil to disappoint your year! The last time I checked; our God is still greater than the coronavirus.

Prophets and prophetic people, don’t you dare deny the prophetic word you released for 2020 just because others ridicule it. If God told you of a 2020 vision, stick with it! If He told you that 2020 was the year of the mouth, stick with it! If God said this would be a year of the double portion, believe that it is! This year has just started.

Just because we are facing great adversity right now does not mean that prophecies of blessings initially given for 2020 will not come to pass! Don’t let others talk you out of it. Remember Noah? I, for one, know that our God’s power is greater than any power of Satan! I refuse to allow the enemy circumvent or disrupt the great things that the Lord has in store us.

No Virus Can Curse What God Has Blessed

Many times, a storm will come right before the promise or breakthrough. Please know that your current condition is not your conclusion! Prophets and prophetic people, don’t back off of what the Lord told you concerning 2020.

I believe this year will be as the Lord said it would be! I believe that your latter shall be greater than your former! The end of the year shall be greater than its beginning or middle! There is no pestilence (virus or disease) that can curse what God has already blessed. I believe I’m speaking to the blessed of the Lord right now.

Prophets, don’t allow your prophetic word to be flaky. Prophesy by faith, not by sight. Always say what God says regardless of what your sense evidence tells you. If the prophetic word you received was from the Lord, it will come to pass. Believe it and speak it in faith no matter what. Selah!

Pray and Decree Psalm 91 Daily

Pray Psalm 91 against COVID-19. As you do this with fervency, faith and consistency, I truly believe there will be a divine reversal in regard to some who are currently infected with the Corona virus! 19 will be changed into 91! I base this reversal on Psalm 91:3, which states, “Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the hunter and from the deadly pestilence.”

Deliverance from disease is found under the canopy or covering of the Lord. It’s for those who abide or make their home under the shadow of the Almighty, according to the book of Psalms.

Take Holy Communion

Please take Holy Communion with your loved ones during this time of sheltering. My wife had a dream and was impressed to start this with our family. Initially, I balked at the idea, but within a day or two, I realized she had in fact heard from the Lord.

I believe that doing this will cause our minds to focus on the saving power of Jesus Christ during this extremely challenging time. This helps in not allowing fear or the purveyors of fear, any space or vacancy in the hotel of your mind.

A Divine Reversal

I keep hearing the word “reverse” in my spirit. I declare and decree a divine reversal in relation to the current course of this disease. I speak, in the name of Jesus to any believer who’s reading this right now that God will take care of you through all of this. During this pandemic, He will carry you! I declare a divine reversal for those experiencing economic distress. I speak a divine reversal in your favor to all those who have been furloughed or have lost their jobs! Divine provision will be your portion. You must believe that absolutely nothing (no thing!) is impossible with God (see Luke 1:37). I bind up the spirit of death! I reject the spirit of fear! I come against all the principalities behind it! I come into agreement with Psalm 91 concerning your life and the lives of your loved ones, In Jesus’ name!

COVID-19 Must Bow Before the Name of Jesus

I believe the Lord will deliver us from this virus (pestilence), if we have faith in Him and His Word. As we decree Psalm 91, aloud and in faith over our nation and the world, it will result in the healing and recovery of many, in Jesus’ Name! COVID-19 and every other virus known to man must bow before the name of Jesus! They will also bow to the roar of the sons and daughters of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah that come against them in His mighty name!

Decree It Daily

Please decree aloud and pray Psalm 91 daily, over yourself, family, friends, neighbors, congregants, strangers, city, state, nation and world. I’ve included it below.

Psalm 91

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.”

Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the hunter and from the deadly pestilence.

He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall find protection; His faithfulness shall be your shield and wall.

You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day; nor of the pestilence that pursues in darkness, nor of the destruction that strikes at noonday.

A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you.

Only with your eyes shall you behold and see the reward of the wicked.

Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling, there shall be no evil befall you, neither shall any plague come near your tent; for He shall give His angels charge over you to guard you in all your ways.

They shall bear you up in their hands, lest you strike your foot against a stone.

You shall tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.

He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, and I will deliver him and honor him.

With long life I will satisfy him and show him My salvation. {eoa}

Dr. John Veal is the senior pastor/prophet of Enduring Faith Christian Center and the CEO of John Veal Ministries Inc. He is passionate about pursuing God’s mandate to preach, teach, impart and activate people within the prophetic. John is a regular contributor to Charisma magazine online, The Elijah List, IMAG, Spirit Fuel, Reformation Today and others. John has been featured on various media outlets, including appearances on Sid Roth’s It’s Supernatural, Something More and Elijah Streams. Dr. Veal is a highly sought-after conference speaker due to his uncanny prophetic accuracy, humor, candor and unconventional preaching style. He has traveled the nations, presenting a myriad of prophetic training and ministry. John currently resides in Chicago, Illinois, with his wife, Elisa, and their three children. For more about Dr. Veal, visit .

We’re in a time of world crisis. This is the time for the church to be the church.

Unfortunately, we’re seeing some flesh and some goats manifest among the sheep. I’m encouraged, though, because true leaders are also emerging. Sometimes it’s not who you thought.

The remnant is rising.

While on my prayer broadcast, I heard the Lord say:

“I am calling forth My remnant, those who will cooperate with My Spirit and with truth, those who will speak forth the words that I put in their mouth no matter who likes it and no matter who doesn’t like it.

“For I have called you to gather together and to band together in small groups and even large groups. But unified groups are what I am after. I am after groups of unified believers who are crying out in My name so I can hear their voice and heal their land.

“Who will gather? Who will be part of the remnant that I am calling together in this hour? The praying church … the on-fire believers … the ones who will not take no for an answer when the enemy is standing in the way between what I’ve called you to and the reality of the promise.

“I am rising. I am rising. My Spirit is rising, and I am looking for the remnant to rise with Me. Who will ascend to the holy hill, to the mountain of the Most High? Those with clean hands and a pure heart. The remnant.

“I am calling the remnant. I am calling the remnant. I am calling the remnant.

“I am calling you out of your caves and out of your closets. I’m calling some of you out of your churches. I’m calling some of you out of the business world and into ministry. I am calling the remnant. I am calling the remnant to prayer. I want to hear the prayers of the remnant, unified, unified, unified, unified, unified, unified together, touching and agreeing together.”

Click here to read the rest of this article. {eoa}

As one of God’s most diligent prayer warriors, global minister Cindy Trimm says that, in this time of worldwide chaos and crisis, God is looking for ethical kingdom leaders to show the world that He indeed is alive and well, and in control of everything.

The COVID-19 outbreak has become the perfect scenario, the founder of Cindy Trimm Ministries International says, for the church to win non-believers to Christ—to show them that Jesus is the only way to conquer the fear and pandemonium that has gripped the world.

“Now is the greatest opportunity for us to reach in and build capacity for maximizing our potential,” Trimm told Dr. Steve Greene on a recent episode of Greenelines on the Charisma Podcast Network. “I see more and more churches taking a greater role of empowering the next generation of leaders.

“We’re now looking for more ethical leadership. We’re looking for people to be like a Joseph or a Daniel or an Esther. What a great opportunity the church has to be a light in this world. Cities settle on the hill to be the change we want to see. And we are the doctors and the lawyers.

“Now, we could press into God in a brand new way and download God’s original plan and purpose for humanity and the destiny of nations and bring that conversation to the table.”

Trimm prayed:

Father, I know You have no respect of purpose and persons and even now we ask that You will restore health unto us and You will heal us of our wounds. We decree and declare over those that are suffering from the coronavirus, or any other challenges or problems that they are faced with, that You will heal us. By Your stripes, we are healed. I speak that our minds are healed, our bodies are healed, our emotions are healed, our marriages our healed and our relationships are healed. We pray that You will neutralize the negative effects of the virus, of bacterial drugs and medical treatment by the blood of Jesus Christ. We decree and declare You are releasing our hearts, our minds and our souls, that our hearts not be anchored in doubt or fear or unbelief, but are anchored in You. … Remove the fatigue, and give them periods of refreshment and restorative rest and sleep. Remove the stress in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Listen to the entire episode titled “Our Faith-Based Response to the Coronavirus” here.

Loneliness is simply feeling as if no one sincerely cares about you or is interested in your life beyond surface interactions. It is assuming that nobody desires to listen to your thoughts or quietly understand what is going on in the recesses of your heart.

Loneliness might be identified as believing that even if you did have a friend who knew your whole heart, they probably wouldn’t like it or accept it.

If loneliness is not recognized and lovingly healed, it will certainly be the precursor to depression. And when loneliness and depression join forces in a woman’s life, they can yield a lethal combination of poisonous warfare.

Your spiritual enemy has a strategy for how to defeat you. Satan’s goal for your life is to keep you weary and exhausted every day of your existence. He is wily and beguiling and knows exactly how to magnify the pangs of loneliness in a believer’s life. He can grip a woman’s heart with loneliness when she is also dealing with weariness, exhaustion and fear.

There is power in God’s Word to fight every negative emotion and to dismantle the schemes and plans of your archenemy. The devil’s subtle whispers shout most loudly when we are alone. Although you may feel alone, you must remind yourself that you are never really alone because God promises it in Hebrews 13:5.

You serve a God who will never leave you alone. You are not forsaken in any situation or at any moment in life. He is with you: what glorious relief! The enemy wants you to believe that you are alone, but according to the greatest book of truth in all of history, you always have someone by your side.

Whenever your heart tries to convince you that you are all alone and no one cares about you or your life, you must choose to believe the truth of the Scriptures rather than the instability of your feelings. When it comes to loneliness, you must open your Bible and agree with the Word of God and not with the emotions that threaten to alienate you.

The mournful ballad that the enemy croons over your life is, “One Is the Loneliest Number.” Yet the love song that Jesus sings to a lonely daughter is, “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” The biblical reality is that you are surrounded by God’s love and care every day of your life. Nothing can separate you from the love of God; you are securely encircled by His loving care. He has promised it.

Jesus really is your best friend, so feel free to talk to Him anytime … or anywhere. Share your heart with Him and then listen for His loving response. When you begin to respond to Jesus as you would to a friend, your loneliness will slowly begin to ebb away.

While your feelings may tell you that you are all alone, let me remind you that the Bible clearly instructs believers how to access the presence of God. The enemy wants you to focus on your feelings, but God says to focus on His eternal truth, making it the foundation of your life.

In my seasons of loneliness, I have reminded myself numerous times that there are at least two ways that will help me walk through the door to God’s undeniable presence: fellowship and worship.

Matthew 18:20 teaches that when believers are with each other, He is with them also. If you want to spend time with God, try spending an evening with a group of people who love Him.

In these days of social distancing and quarantine, schedule phone calls or Zoom calls with friends and spend time in prayer together. Reach out to others who might be dealing with loneliness and encourage them through a note, an e-mail or a call.

The second way that lonely people can place themselves in the direct presence of the Lord is through the choice to worship. God dwells where praise is full and strong! If you long for your loving Father to make Himself known and manifest in your life, then you should spend time worshipping Him.

The Lord shows up when a man or woman of God rises above events and circumstances with a heart that is overflowing with pure worship. If you deal with loneliness, turn up the worship music and then lift your hands in the air because He is there. You are not alone. He is there!

Let me just tell you that baby steps in the battle to fight the heartache of alienation are all that it takes. Take just one small step toward the Lord today and watch the miracle unfold in your heart! {eoa}

Carol McLeod is an author and popular speaker at women’s conferences and retreats, where she teaches the Word of God with great joy and enthusiasm. Carol encourages and empowers women with passionate and practical, biblical messages mixed with her own special brand of hope and humor. Carol has written 11 books, including Significant, StormProof and Guide Your Mind, Guard Your Heart, Grace Your Tongue. Her teaching DVD The Rooms of a Woman’s Heart won the Telly Award, a prestigious industry award for excellence in religious programming.

Matthew Barnett is well-acquainted with God’s calling on his life to care for the poor and destitute. As the pastor of The Dream Center in Los Angeles, Barnett and his staff perform that kingdom task on a daily basis.

But things have amped up since the coronavirus outbreak has hit the United States, and The Dream Center has answered the call to calm the fears of those who are in dire need. The church is now feeding more than 11,000 people a day during this crisis, believing in faith, like Jesus and the five loaves and two fishes, that their supply will never end.

“Basically, we are a hospital on the Hollywood Freeway,” Barnett told Dr. Steve Greene on a recent episode of Greenelines on the Charisma Podcast Network. “We have 700 people live here every day free of charge.

“We weren’t really sure of the numbers, and we weren’t sure of the ability to take on that need when they closed the L.A. school district a couple of weeks ago. We knew that there were thousands of people in our church. There is a lot of fear in the air. Our biggest move was to get all of our church and all of our troops in alignment to get ready.

“The first day we opened up, it was like wildfire. We only had two days of food reserved in our food bank to do it. We just believe that miracles will come along the way and God will be with us when we go. We decided to test God and go and see if that would really happen.

“Now it’s crazy. I’m just looking down right now to see cars lined up and the workers. You can’t really minister and preach the name of Jesus. You’ve got to just feed them and move on. But we found some ways to really be a spark as people are coming back because it’s their only meal to rely on. We’ve been able to say some prayers as they go by. I think the community is really being ministered to by the fact that one of the only people standing for them in this time of need is offering something free of charge, and that is the church. So, ministry is happening now and people are more open to it because we met the need first.” {eoa}

For more of this incredible story, listen to the entire podcast.

Is this COVID-19 outbreak God’s way of humbling us? This disease has disrupted the lives of almost every American and many millions of others abroad. Could it be His way of getting our attention so that we’re thinking of others and not only about ourselves?

Dr. Steve Greene, vice president of the Media Group at Charisma Media, says there is one word we need to keep in mind during this pandemic. On his At Work With God podcast, he shares key lessons on humility that every believer should focus on at this time.

He points to Isaiah 2:11, which says, “The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.”

And Psalm 8:1 says, “Oh Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth. You have set Your glory above the heavens.” Psalm 8:4 goes on to say, “What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You attend to him?”

“We are so base,” Greene says. “We’re so nothing. No one is going to share in God’s glory. He says that very clearly in Isaiah 48:11. Can we sit alone in a corner and wish for humility? I was humbled by this preparation. It humbled me to think that I need to think about being humble. Does that make any sense?

“I don’t need to sit around and think I need to be more humble. That’s something I want to work on. I want to sit in my corner and pray and ask God to help me to be more humble. It should be a natural characteristic of the name of Christ upon me, that I should be humble as sort of a fruit of the Spirit.

“I know how quickly I can blink and be with Jesus. I’m kind of OK with that. I can’t sit in a corner and ask for more humility … well, maybe I can. I can sit in that corner and confess my own sin, pouring out my angst to the Lord and my feelings to Him. And then, see God and all of His majesty.

“That’s what we all need to be doing in this season. That’s what I offer you as a way of coping with this virus—seeing God and all of His majesty, seeing Him on His throne, and seeing Jesus now glorified, sitting there at the right hand of the Father.

“This is how we come up higher. This is how we become lower, by lowering ourselves, raising our voice to the heavens and declaring the glory of God. May God keep us all humble.”

Listen to this entire podcast titled, “One Word to Help You Cope With the Coronavirus.”