COVID-19 AND 5G NETWORKS: A REPROACH TO THE CONSPIRACY THEORY BY: BRENDAN AMADI

INTRODUCTORY REMARK

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The disease was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, the capital of China's Hubei province, and has since spread globally, resulting in the ongoing 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic. Common symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath. Other symptoms may include fatigue, muscle pain, diarrhea, sore throat, loss of smell and abdominal pain. While the majority of cases result in mild symptoms, some progress to viral pneumonia and multi-organ failure. As of 6 April 2020, more than 1,280,000 cases of have been reported in more than 200 countries and territories, resulting in more than 70,500 deaths. More than 270,000 people have recovered.

THE 5G NETWORK

5G is a new kind of network: a platform for innovations that will not only enhances today’s mobile broadband services, but will also expand mobile networks to support a vast diversity of devices and services and connect new industries with improved performance, efficiency, and cost. 5G will redefine a broad range of industries with connected services from retail to education, transportation to entertainment, and everything in between. We see 5G as technology as transformative as the automobile and electricity.

 In general, 5G use cases can be broadly categorized into three main types of connected services:

• Enhanced Mobile Broadband: 5G will not only make our smartphones better, but it will also usher in new immersive experiences, such as VR and AR, with faster, more uniform data rates, lower latency, and cost-per-bit.
• Mission-Critical communications: 5G will enable new services that can transform industries with ultra-reliable/available, low latency links—such as remote control of critical infrastructure, vehicles, and medical procedures.
• Massive Internet of Things: 5G will seamlessly connect a massive number of embedded sensors in virtually everything through the ability to scale down in data rates, power and mobility to provide extremely lean/low-cost solutions.

 THE NEED FOR 5G NETWORK AND ITS RELEVANCE

The spectrum used for mobile communications is becoming congested. Current networks cannot always meet consumer demands for data. During periods of heavy use, consumers may experience slow speeds, unstable connections, delays, or loss of service. The effects can range from annoyances like a streaming movie freezing to life-threatening transmission delays between first responders in an emergency.

The demand for data will continue to grow as the number of devices connected to the internet grows. The number of smartphone users in the United States has increased from nearly 63 million in 2010 to an estimated 238 million in 2018. In 2018 there were 17.8 billion connected devices globally, 7 billion of which were connected devices such as smart home equipment. By 2025 the total number of connected devices is projected to exceed 34 billion.

Industries and consumers will rely on 5G networks to power the devices and transmit the data that drive their daily activities. They will need networks that can provide constant connections, minimal lag times, increased bandwidth to access and share data, and the ability to quickly compile and compute data.

In the health care sector, 5G could enable services such as remote patient monitoring, consultation, and even remote surgery. In transportation, 5G will be the backbone that autonomous vehicles rely on. A 2017 study from Deloitte estimated, “self-driving cars enabled by wireless connectivity could reduce emissions by 40-90%, travel times by nearly 40% and delays by 20%.” Before every pandemic of the last 150 years, there was a quantum leap in the electrification of the Earth.

THE CONSPIRACY THEORY

While a conspiracy theory might be taken to mean any explanation of an event or situation involving a conspiracy, in popular usage (as opposed to technical legal usage) the term carries the pejorative connotation that the appeal to a conspiracy is implausible and based on prejudice or insufficient evidence. Conspiracy theories resist falsification and are reinforced by circular reasoning: both evidence against the conspiracy and an absence of evidence for it are re-interpreted as evidence of its truth, whereby the conspiracy becomes a matter of faith rather than something that can be proved or disproved.

Research suggests that conspiracist ideation belief in conspiracy theories can be psychologically harmful or pathological and that it is highly correlated with psychological projection, paranoia and Machiavellianism.

In the thesis statement of a YouTube video with the innocuous title “Dr. Thomas Cowan, M.D. Discusses the Coronavirus.” The 10-minute video features a man lecturing in front of a whiteboard. It looks like any other low-budget conference video, but that thesis—that pandemics are linked to the “electrification” of the Earth—got certain people’s attention. The video, which was posted March 18, has now been watched more than 660,000 times and has inspired a rather curious, rather dangerous conspiracy theory that the New 5G mobile networks are causing the spread of COVID-19.

5G mobile networks promise faster transmission speeds and lower latency. They’ve been the centrepiece of commercials from various mobile carriers, and they have become a battleground for technological dominance between the United States and China. In 2019, the Trump administration announced their plan for “winning the race” for 5G, and tech sources bemoaned that the United States had fallen behind China in 5G development. Some of the first 5G networks were activated in 2019, and that newness is how 5G somehow got linked to COVID-19 in some people’s minds. But while the circumstances of this specific conspiracy are unique, the links between mobile networks and disease are a prime example of how history repeats itself. Almost every new wireless infrastructure gets linked to disease in one form or another.

A REPROACH TO THE CONSPIRACY THEORY

I disagree on the claims that there is a link between the 5G network, Coronavirus and anti-Christ.

For the past few days, popular pastors and politicians have found a way to link the 5G network with spiritual things and Coronavirus epidemic.

Recall that Oyakhilome told his members in a sermon that the 5G was part of the new world order where some figures of authority in the world were trying to build a religion, economy and government for the entire universe.

Quoting Revelation Chapter 13, he said there is no need for a vaccine, adding that these are part of the Antichrist’s plan for a new world order.

However, Ashimolowo countered Oyakilome’s statement, explaining that there was no correlation between 5G and end-time signs.

He warned Christians not to join Christian leaders in promoting conspiracy theories.

According to him, all those claims were conspiracy theories that had nothing to do with the anti-Christ.

He maintained that COVID-19 was a pandemic and must be dealt with as such.

“If coronavirus is caused by 5G, why is it in his village that does not have a 5G?

“It has always been the nature of Christian leaders to plant fear in their members whenever there was going to be a major world occurrence.

The church should be more concerned about preparing their members for the Second Coming of the Lord instead of condemning a major technological breakthrough.

It’s fake news to associate 5G to coronavirus.

COVID-19 AND ISOLATION: Leprosy as a case study

Leprosy was the scourge of the ancient world. Nothing evoked more fear, more dread, or more revulsion than the sight of these walking dead. That is what a leper was called, a walking dead man. The smell of his decaying flesh would announce his coming long before the tattered scraps of his clothing would be seen, or his raspy "Unclean! Unclean!" announcement he was required to declare, could be heard. The stumbling shuffle of toeless feet, the wandering of sightless eyes and the moan of a cheek less mouth, all pointed to Leprosy, this unseen attacker that slowly destroyed human bodies, and made the individual an untouchable to society.

Leprosy is a vivid and graphic physical picture of the spiritual defilement of sin. Sin is ugly, loathsome, incurable, and contaminating; it separates men from God and makes them outcasts. The instructions given to the priests in Leviticus 13 help us understand the nature of sin: Sin is inside us, deeper than the skin (Leviticus 13:3); sin also spreads (Leviticus 13:8); sin always defiles.

EVALUATION AND CONCLUTION

I urge each and every one of us to discard this concept and idea of always reconciling societal issues, necessary human conditions and experience with Religion. The Christianity we practice today should display an exemplary with the teachings of Christ and religious leaders should focus on the preparation of their members to embrace the second coming of our Lord Christ rather than promoting fake propaganda.

I keep on asking the world this question; The Christianity we practice today is it the same Christianity that the followers of Christ practiced and they were called Christ-like people in Antioch of Pisidia? Why do we always link everything to religion! Few years back Ebola was a pandemic disease that faced some part of the world, Africa precisely but through God’s intervention it came to pass. During the time of Christ, Leprosy disease was also a threat to humanity but when the untouchable is touched by Jesus (cf. Leviticus 13:42), "Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured." ‘‘They were tempted to put their security in their own possessions and in their political alliances with other nations rather than in God. Hosea called his people to return to God to receive pardon, healing, and restoration. God does not abandon us; God goes with us, even now in this time of trial and testing. In this moment, it is important for us to anchor our hearts in the hope that we have in Jesus Christ and reconcile with God seeking for forgiveness of sins. Now is the time to intensify our prayers and sacrifices for the love of God and the love of our neighbour.

 

Contact  Brendan Amadi

I WAS ASHAMED OF MY WORLD VIEWS By: Brendan Amadi

In one of his typically enigmatic phrases, Jean-Paul Sartre says that a paradoxical feature of human existence is that “I-am-what-I-am-not and I-am-not-what-I-am.”

This paradox of human existence is even more apt when Africa, rife with socio-political and economic crises, is brought into direct focus.

Making such a remark about Africa may seem pejorative or disparaging.

 

But, when one recalls that Africa is a paradox to both Africans and non-Africans, then one will stand better to appreciate what informs this argument.

In brief, the paradox is that a continent so blessed with many natural and human resources remains the poorest and most unstable among other continents in the world.

Many people have either spoken or written on this subject matter.

Dwelling on this appalling situation, F.O.C. Njoku sorrowfully cried out in one of his poems:

…O mother Africa pushed to the precipice!

Scrambled for and divided to her disfavour.

Taken into slavery and abandoned between the Islands.

O Africa! A question in the land and seas!…

Definitely, Njoku’s poem articulates correctly the vicissitudes of the African predicament.

Brendan Amadi

My Reflective thought on Masturbation By Brendan Amadi

Masturbation is unhealthy and is a mayhem to one's sexuality. In my own perspective it falls under the conspiracy theory of Human sexuality because it is falsified and it is a faked sex. It is  psychologically harmful or pathological and it is highly correlated with

psychological projection , paranoia and

Machiavellianism. It is good you cut it off if you involve in it because it is an evil and a bad habit that trends and can easily get to a chronic level. At this stage one becomes a chronic masturbator and it is not nice for human growth and development and humanity. Is not just a sin against God but a sin against the self and humanity. A critical study on *Sigmund Freud's Personality development* where he explored on three main thesis Psycho- Sexual development, psycho Therapy and Psycho- Analysis...In his Psycho sexual development & Analysis there is a practice  I emphasized on, called *Energy channeling* .... In this aspect, I try to draw some points with people who gain pleasure watching pornography, Masturbating or body caressing etc and how they can handle it. When you have formed the habit of watching pornography on regular bases you will fall into this dirty pit of masturbation because the adrenalin and steady functional hormones of the body system are aroused already by this act and it looks for a way it can discard it's energy and this leads the individual into masturbation. Try and practice this *Energy channeling* by engaging in some exercises, indoor games & outdoor games to help you grow positively & in maturity. Practice energy channeling. On the side of the ladies, masturbation is more dangerous because it leads to sexual frustration. 50% of broken homes today falls under this . Always be bold to let know your sexual difficulties and seek a solution for it, No body knows it all and no one is perfect. Finally, take it or leave it; God is the supreme and the final bus-stop. As you engage in this struggle always seek God's intervention cum divine providence and also practice ejaculatory prayers ..As far as human life is in existence we undergo a continuous battle with our sexuality and otherwise.

Nonso Amadi
Human Right Activist

THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM By NONSO AMADI

Introductory Remark

There is no generally agreed definition of terrorism. The Terrorism Act 2000 defines it as the use or threat of action involving serious violence, damage or danger to life and health…in order to influence government or intimidate the public in a political, religious or ideological cause. The aphorism that “one person’s terrorist is another person’s freedom fighter” relates more to the justification or exculpation of particular campaigns than to the character of the phenomenon itself. It does however signal that the political dimension of terrorism makes it impossible to assimilate it totally either to war or to crime (with both of which it has considerable affinities). This has implications for the means used to combat it.

The Church and Terrorism: Matters Arising

The phrase 'war on terror' misleads us from the first. It implies that combating terrorism is primarily a military matter. Nothing could be further from the truth. Studies of post-Second World War liberation movements show that when an armed group had the support of the constituency in whose name they claimed to act, they eventually won the political battle. If they didn't, they lost.

The purpose of the armed struggle was to stay in existence long enough, being enough of a nuisance, until the political goals were achieved. That depended crucially on the support of the wider constituency. So, in the current crisis, what matters above all are the relationships between communities? And here, I believe, the churches have a key role.

In a society perceived to be highly secular, the Muslim community looks to the churches as allies in at least understanding what it is to have a religious view of life. Good relationships with church leaders in some northern cities helped to dispel the worst of the rioting yeas back. In Oxford in recent months, there have been two powerful acts of communal solidarity. A long procession, white balloons floating above, walked from the synagogue to the major worship center, the University Church, with prayers and readings from the scripture. In communities where there is this kind of expression of basic human, inter-religious solidarity, there will be no support for wielders of indiscriminate violence.

Next to the priority of winning hearts and minds is good intelligence. Then, appropriate force will be necessary on some occasions. The Christian 'Just War' tradition (again a terribly misleading phrase) has often been misused or is regarded as inapplicable to modern conditions of warfare. Lately, however, it has received vindication. The recent report by the High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change set up by the UN Secretary General - 'A More Secure World: Our Shared Responsibility' - framed its discussions on collective security and the use of force in terms that are virtually identical to the Just War tradition. Wars of intervention, for example, must take into account five basic criterions of legitimacy: the seriousness of the threat, proper purpose, last resort, proportional means and balance of consequences.

 Most exponents of the Just War tradition, while they supported the 1991 Gulf War, believe that the military action in 2003 failed almost all these grounds - at least at that time. That tradition does not solve the political and military dilemmas with which we are constantly faced but it does provide an indispensable source of wisdom.

The CBCN and the sanctity of human life

The Government and people of Nigeria have been called upon not to compromise the integrity, cultural and social morals of the country for financial aid and security from international friends of the developed countries of the world.

The call was made by the Catholic Bishops of the Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province in the communiqué issued at the end of their meeting held at the Pope John Paul II Pastoral Centre, Ado-Ekiti; Ekiti State, August 11 – 12, 2014. The communiqué was signed by Archbishop Gabriel ‘Leke Abegunrin of Ibadan and Felix Ajakaye, of Ekiti; president and Secretary of the Provincial Conference, respectively.

While noting that the government has done a lot to cope with the challenges facing the country, they remarked that there is need for more pro-active responses to the serious political and socio-economic problems still facing the country. The bishops reiterated the need for the country to remain a united  nation is spite of the challenges and the call by some people for its division.

They said: “While identifying with the concerns that have brought such people to this pass, we reiterate that Nigeria is better off united than divided. We plead with those who are in position to act to work for the unity of Nigeria for unity is strength. This must be based on the principles of human rights, justice and respect for the rule of law.”

 The bishops added: “We are painfully aware of the effort of some of Nigeria’s international friends to compel our country to compromise moral values in return for security aid. Our country surely needs support in the fight against terrorism but we plead that such requests to compromise our cultural and moral standards be resisted and rejected as immoral and unethical. A people denuded of its moral values is a people on the death row.”

 Pointing out that the country is at crossroads, the bishops reiterated the need for prayer for the nation and called on the faithful of the province to join in the six months National Prayer directed by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN); culminating with a National Rosary Prayer Pilgrimage and Vigil, scheduled for Abuja, November 13 -14, 2014.

 The bishops also spoke on Pro-Life and the Family Apostolate stressing: “. The family today is under great pressure especially from those who vigorously promote the Culture of Death. We reiterate the Church’s teaching on the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death and at every moment in-between. We also assert that to be pro-life is to be pro-Christ and call on all to support efforts to protect human life and the family.”

 Evaluation and conclusion

Religious communities must stand united in solidarity and show extremists that they will never succeed in dividing them. As Christians, we should strongly condemne the cowardly attacks against peaceful worshippers and stand in peaceful union all over the world.

An attack on any place of worship is an attack on all places of worship. An attack on any faith community is an attack on all faith communities.

Terrorism and extremism do not represent any faith nor any community. They only represent wickedness and hatred. These two evils are enemies of all humanity. Those behind the attacks are enemies of humanity.”

Click Nonso Amadi 

THE SECRET OF THE ROSARY, By Malachy Jude

Preamble

This is a book written by St. Louis Maria de Montfort. In this book, he explained lucidly the origin, meaning and the efficacy of the Holy Rosary. According to him, the rosary is a wonderful instrument for human salvation and a veritable weapon against sin and Satan the enemies of human salvation. Our Mother Mary, he said does not disappoint any devotee to the Holy Rosary.

He began by presenting the Rosary as a precious gift of rose to different categories of people. To the priests he gave it as a gift of White Rose which is the instrument that God has given them for the conversion of souls. To the sinners he gave the Red Rose as an assurance of their grace of repentance. Any sinner who wishes to repent and be saved must endeavor to recite the rosary daily. The rosary becomes an easy means of giving up on sin whether mortal or venial. Also, he gave to the devout Christians what he called the Mystical Rose as a means of sustaining their faith. Finally, he gave to the little children a Rosebud which according to him is a seed of grace which grows and matures into a stronger and advanced spirituality, hence advancing the salvation of their souls.

The origin of the Holy Rosary is traced back to St. Dominic through whom it come into the church in 1214 in the present form we use today. It was given to St. Dominic by the Blessed Virgin Mary as an instrument of converting the Albingesians heretics and other sinners in the world.

Going further, he described the two major dimensions of the rosary which are the mental prayer and the vocal prayer. The mental prayer deals with meditations on the fifteen mysteries in which are found the virtues and glories of our Mother Mary as well as the life, passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The vocal prayer on the other hand consists of the Lord’s Prayer and the Angelic Salutation (the Hail Mary). The Rosary was called the Psalter of Jesus and Mary because it has the same number of Hail Marys just as the Psalms in the book of Psalms written by David. He divided this Psalter into three chaplets of five decades each. Among the reasons for this tripartite division are: to honor the three persons of the Blessed Trinity, to honor the life, death and glory of Christ and to give us abundant graces during life, peace at death and glory in eternity.

The Creed: According to book, the Apostles’ Creed said on the crucifix is a holy summary of all the Christian truths. Through this prayer we express our faith in God without which our prayer becomes powerless. The words ‘I believe in God’ are effective means of sanctifying our souls and putting the devil to flight for they contain the acts of three theological virtues of faith, hope and charity.  The greater the faith, the more meritorious the prayer and the better glory it gives to God. It was recorded that the saints conquered many temptations by saying this prayer.

Our Father: This prayer being a prayer composed by Christ himself, is more valuable than all other prayers. Contrary to other prayers composed by humans, it is free from imperfections. God quickly answers this prayer composed by His own Son. Every word of this prayer carries a great lesson for Christians. It contains all the duties we owe to God and we make many acts of Christian virtues, present our corporal and spiritual needs to God when we say this prayer attentively.

The Hail Mary: This is an angelic salutation addressed to the Blessed Virgin Mary by Archangel Gabriel. This prayer is the summary of all that Catholic Theology teaches about the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is divided into two parts which are the praise and petition. The first part is the repetition of that singular glorious salutation given to Mary at the visitation by the angel while the second part was added by the church, representing our petition to Mary. This prayer is much pleasing to the Holy Trinity as it recalls the mystery of the incarnation of Christ. Mary also delights in it as it reminds her of the joy she experienced during the visitation by the angel.

St. Louis stressed on the importance of saying the rosary meditatively. To buttress this, he said that one Hail Mary said meditatively is worth more than a thousand said absentmindedly. He made it clear that there is certainly bound to be distractions in the course of the prayer because of the constant repetition of the same words. Another reason for the distractions is Satan who is always afraid of Mary and would strive persistently to prevent Her children from imploring Her aid. He added that it is more meritorious to pray when it is difficult and to pray fighting distractions.

Finally, he encouraged devotees to join the Confraternity of the Rosary. This is because, the Rosary said in common is very meritorious as every member of the group reaps the fruit of the prayer said by each individual. The rosary according to him, is better said in the state of grace but sin should not prevent one from reciting the Rosary. In fact he advised that those in the state of sin should say it more for their own salvation. The efficacy of the Rosary is proved by the series of miraculous healings, conversions and other miraculous events recorded in this book. An example among others, is the conversion of St. Dominic’s cousin; Don Perez. After hearing St. Dominic preach the Rosary, he imbibed the practice of reciting the rosary daily and got converted.

Conclusion

This book is a practical spiritual book which systematically, explained the holy Rosary to the understanding of all classes of people. It arouses one’s devotion to the Holy Rosary and inspires one unto a more meditative way of reciting the Rosary. One thing is clear about this book; that no one reads this book without having his devotion to Rosary advanced and his attitude towards it purified.

Malachy Jude

The joy of the Lord is my strength! By Malachy Jude

It took me years to understand what ‘The joy of the Lord is my strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10) means. I always interpreted it to mean: The joy that God puts inside me, the fruit of the Spirit: the joy I have. But this is not what God says here. He says the joy OF the Lord, the joy that God has, not the joy we have from God. When I understood this, I started to study in the Bible what “the joy OF the Lord’ really is, what did He rejoiced about, what did He say about His own joy. And this is what God showed me:

1. HIS JOY IS US (yes, you read it right):

‘For the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross” Hebrews 12:2

The only reason Jesus endured the cross, is because of the joy of reconciliation with you! The joy of having once again an unbroken relationship with you. The joy of unbroken fellowship with you … He has found His pearl of great price and your value in His eyes made Him able to endure anything, even the cross, in order to have you close to Him.

Other Scriptures that reflect His joy in us are:

“And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people” (Isaiah 65:19)

“And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. Isaiah 62:5

“I tell you that in the same way, there will be more JOY in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. Luke 17:15

“He will take GREAT DELIGHT in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will REJOICE over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

2. HIS JOY IS THE FRUIT OF LOVING RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATING WICKEDNESS

His joy was the fruit of His passion for what is right, of his hatred for what is wicked, as we can see below:

“You have loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even your God, has anointed you with the OIL OF GLADNESS above your fellows.” Hebrews 1:9

3. HIS JOY CAME FROM HIS DESIRE TO PLEASE THE FATHER AND FROM ABIDING IN HIM

His joy came from His desire to please the Father and abide in Him. In other words, His joy was the fruit of obedience and delight in God’s thoughts and ways as well as of unbroken communion and intimacy with Him through abiding in Him.

^“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that MY JOY MAY BE IN YOU, and that your joy may be full. John 15: 10

As you can see here, He wants HIS joy to be in us in order to make our joy full. HIS joy is our strength.

4. HIS JOY CAME FROM WATCHING THE FATHER AT WORK

His joy came from watching The Father at work, how wise and amazing He was in what He did: In that same hour HE REJOICED in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.” (Luke 10:21)

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:9).

CONCLUSION:

How do the things Jesus rejoiced in affect our understanding that ‘the joy of the Lord is our strength”.

Let’s put what we have learnt above together:

Knowing the joy He feels in having a close relationship with us IS OUR STRENGTH.

Have you ever asked Him to reveal to you how He feels about you and what are the joys of His heart? If not, why don’t you stop reading right now and ask Him now, it will only take a few seconds. Ask Him with all your heart.

Loving righteousness and hating wickedness, will lead us to knowing the joy He had, which will become OUR STRENGTH.

Delighting to please the Father and abiding in His love, will lead to HIS JOY abiding in us to the point of being complete, and that is OUR STRENGTH.

Meditating on the way the Father works will lead us into HIS JOY and it will be OUR STRENGTH.

So, we can see from the above, the description of what His joy is and He tells us this joy of His will be our strength.

WHAT IS MY STRENGTH THEN?

• Knowing how loved I am by Him and how much He wants to have a relationship with me.
• Love for righteousness and hatred for wickedness is my strength.
• Obedience and abiding in His love is our strength.
• Meditating on the Father’s ways is our strength.

The joy of the Lord is to us the revelation of and the delight in God’s love for us and of His ways. Once we add to this revelation obedience and intimacy with Him, this will bring us enormous inner strength.

It comes down to this: ‘Rejoice IN the Lord, again I say, rejoice” (Philippians 4)

It is the revelation of who He is, how He feels towards us and what He loves that becomes OUR STRENGTH.

In other words, it is the revelation of who He is that will give us strength.

It is rejoicing IN Him that will bring us strength.

From personal experience I know that if I go through hard times, I can still rejoice in Him – in who He is, what He loves, how He feels about me. If I turn my eyes away from my problems in hard times and rejoice in Him, in who He is, then I gain strength to face whatever life throws at me.

I remember, at the beginning of my relationship with God, somehow I knew instinctively how to react to the hardships I was going through. Living without a mother and with a father who was broken and addicted to alcohol, resulted in a continuous stream of problems that were overwhelming. I would go sit somewhere on the floor with my back to the wall and relax before Him and just tell Him:

Father, you know how I feel, you know the pain in my heart, you know what’s going on, I don’t need to tell you, I just need you to come to me… Just come … and I would wait in silence for Him to come. I knew He loved me, and that’s all I needed to know. Because of this, I could trust Him to come to me when I felt sad, hurt, broken.

And as I waited, He ALWAYS came. Sometimes He came and surrounded me with a deep love, deep warmth, like a blanket, it was as if He was giving me a hug. Other times I felt like liquid love flow everywhere inside me.

At other times, He would come with a deep peace that made no sense under my circumstances, but yet it was an undisturbed peace that nothing could move and made my problems look so much smaller.

Sometimes He would come with strength, strength inside my soul, in that part of me that felt weak and broken, strength to face my life with all the problems and feel strong and on top of it. I knew His joy to save me, to be with me, to love me and that was all I needed to be strong.

The apostle Paul wrote this Scripture about rejoicing always IN Him from prison. How could he rejoice in such dire circumstances? The prisons in those days were deplorable places to be, many times an underground bunker with little light and plenty of rats. He was awaiting a sentence on his life, so he was facing uncertainty about the future and possibly death. How could he write: Rejoice in the Lord always?

It is because this joy is in Him, not in the circumstances. This joy is not dependent on our circumstances, it is not dependent on our feelings, it is the joy in who God is, what He loves, how He feels towards me and what His ways are. This is a timeless joy and it can be experienced and known during any season, when things go well and especially when things don’t go very well.

Do you know this joy?

The joy of how much He loves you, how much He desires an intimate relationship with you?

Do you know the joy of thinking about life like He does – loving what is right, hating what is evil?

Do you know the joy that obedience to Him and staying connected to Him brings?

Do you know the joy of watching the Father work amazing things in your life and the life of others? 

This joy that can be yours and it is the joy that will give you strength to go through anything.

CALL TO ACTION:

I encourage you to go to Him, ask Him to reveal His joy to you (His love, His ways, what He loves and hates) and wait before Him till He makes it very real to you. It is His joy that will carry you through anything.

Once you discover it, you will never be the same again and the circumstances of this life will never have the same negative impact again on you, because you have a source of joy and strength that is out of this world …

Malachy Jude