UBC Wed For Life

COVID-19 has taken the world by storm and not in a good way. It has been officially labelled a pandemic, which means that it is acknowledged to be a threat to the entire nation and world at large. The virus has been the cause of much fear, particularly among the sick and elderly, for which it could be deadly. It’s also disrupted work and the daily lives of the populace, and our government and its various officials scramble to stop the spread of the sickness and keep our healthcare system from being overrun. It almost seems like a plague straight out of the Bible given the chaotic and calamitous effects it is having on our world. Every time such a disease pops up, thoughts among Believers often drift to the end times. There is good reason for that. The book of Revelation mentions much about plagues and their assaults on the world. When the fourth seal is opened Death is released and plagues are one of the tools it will use for killing. When the Lamb opened the fourt...

"The loneliest moment  in someone's life is when they are watching their whole world fall apart, and all they can do is stare blankly." - F. Scott Fitzgerald  As we live through these virus infected times, the verse that is constantly going through my mind is James 4:8:   Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.   When you get a chance, read the whole chapter; it's awesome! Thinking about all these precautions we take to get rid of germs, do we take the same precautions, as believers in Jesus, to rid ourselves of sin and corruption, which are equally as deadly as the virus? I've been convicted by this for a few days now. Where is the sanctification and purification of souls? As God uses this time to bring us face-to-face with ourselves, are we happy with what we see? Are our desires and pleasures causing us to fight within ourselves and with those around us? As ...

As humans, we strive to always put our best feet forward. We know we have faults and weaknesses, but we seek to hide them. We don’t want others to see those aspects of who we are. This is particularly true for Christians. Most of us want to appear pious and righteous, and as a result, attempt to give off the impression that only good abounds in us. We all understand that this is just a facade. None of us is perfect. In this series, Pastor Pope makes the case for why we shouldn’t hide those weaknesses. Instead, we should make them obvious to everyone in an effort to use them to serve God. Therefore I take pleasure in Infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. - II Corinthians 12:10 Paul makes the argument that his weaknesses are what make him strong. That concept is something that is evident throughout Paul’s letters. Pastor Pope uses one particular narrative from Paul to illustrate t...