Find Strength in God in an Age of Terror

Helen Man

The Terrifying Pandemic

Since the COVID-19 pandemic has started, the number of confirmed cases worldwide has reached 385 million and the death toll is 5.7 million. The number of confirmed cases in the United States is 75.6 million, and the death toll is as high as 893,000. The death toll from this pandemic not only surpassed the Spanish flu in 1918, but also hit the global economy hard. The scary thing about the coronavirus is not only how lethal it is but also because of its frequent mutations and unceasing damages. For example, the Delta variant devastated the world in May 2021. In India alone, the number of deaths in April and May exceeded 200,000. Following the Delta variant, in November 2021, it appeared that the Omicron variant had been spreading rapidly in countries around the world, like a wildfire out of control.

Praise God! The vaccine has appeared and various countries have been pushing for vaccinations. Although the Omicron variant is aggressive, its lethality is lower than that of the Delta strain, and the pandemic is on a decline.

The Dawn is in Sight

Due to the declining number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, some countries like England and Denmark have officially lifted all anti-virus measures since last month. Americans believe that restoration and normalcy are not far away.

However, under the Biden administration backed by the Democratic party, our country has been immersed in radical left-wing platforms such as restricting energy, opening borders, increasing taxes, bolstering abortions, expanding gay and transgender rights, advocating for critical race theory, and promoting Cancel Culture, etc. These political ideologies have caused dark tides in American society and even impacted the foundation of our country. The chilling facts are as follow:

Gender confusion and moral decline

On the first day of his presidency, Biden signed the executive order to support LGBTQI+ Equality, and also contributed 10 million US dollars to the Global Equality Fund in an effort to further the rights and interests of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (unsure of their own gender), intersex (both male and female) groups in countries around the world. Briefly:

Forty-eight states (except Tennessee and Ohio) and Washington D.C. have allowed parents to use an “X” on their children’s birth certificates to indicate their gender as undetermined.

On June 16, 2021, the American Medical Association (AMA) stated that the column of gender should be deleted from birth certificates of official records to prevent discrimination.

Transgender forces are on the rise. Not only do men and women share toilets and bathrooms, but male athletes who think they are women can participate on the women’s team. In January 2021, Timothy LeDuc, who claimed to be neither male nor female, announced that he would represent the United States in the women’s group at the Beijing Winter Olympics Figure Skating Championships. Sports such as swimming and track and field are often won by transgender people because of their participation. The Ivy League even issued a statement of support. Woe to those who call evil good and good evil!

Moreover, after the passing of the California AB-1266 bill in 2013, brainwashing activities such as story-telling with transgender men in public libraries have been greatly promoted to confuse young children’s understanding of gender.

Widespread pornography poisons people’s heart

According to the British Daily Mail report, the United States is the country with the most pornographic websites in the world, with a total of 4.2 million pornographic domains hosting 428 million pornographic web pages. These pornographic websites are the work of the devil. Through the development of the Internet, pornography quietly enters the homes of Americans, and even children suffer tragically. Pornography incites lust, distorts sexual knowledge, advocates rape and promiscuity, and poisons people’s hearts, causing unspeakable and lasting damage.

Rampant violence and lawlessness

In May 2020, a white police officer knelt down to kill a black man, George Floyd, detonating the worst riot in the United States. The “Black Lives Matter” movement quickly spread across the states. The liberal media and the Democratic Party in the United States were all one-sided, and left-leaning politicians proposed to cut police funding. City councils have agreed: New York cut 1 billion dollars; Los Angeles cut 150 million; Washington D.C. cut 15 million and so on. There are also big cities such as San Francisco, Baltimore, Philadelphia, etc. rushing to join. In a weakened police state, the law is now swept away.

In New York City, violence skyrockets:

On January 17, 2022, at the Times Square subway station, a homeless man pushed a 40-year-old Chinese woman in front of an oncoming train and killed her.

On January 22, two police officers were killed in a shooting in Harlem. On the day of the funeral, thousands of police officers came to mourn. The wife of the deceased police officer criticized the New York City prosecutor at the memorial service, because he had just assumed office and planned on relaxing the investigation of certain crimes. Such a policy will only condone criminals, thus promoting crimes and endangering the safety of citizens. According to the report, the crime rate in New York has increased by 32% compared to the same period in 2021. Woe to the bloody city!

Open border and refugee crisis

•  As Biden opened the border, a large number of refugees poured in from the U.S.-Mexico border. According to a report by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the number of illegal immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border in 2021 has quadrupled from last year and exceeded 1.6 million, of which unaccompanied children increased from more than 30,000 (2020) to 150,000. Only 37% of all illegal immigrants are from Mexico, and the remaining 63% are from all over the world, such as Brazil, Haiti, etc.
• Open border has caused an influx of drugs. The U.S. CBP seized more than 11,000 pounds of fentanyl in 2021, more than double the previous year, and Methamphetamine also doubled from four years ago, with more than 190,000 pounds seized. Moreover, drug overdose deaths in the US which top 100,000 in 2021. What a sad truth!

Crisis of the Christian Faith

Pastors are facing many challenges and crises as well:

• According to the 2021 survey data by the Christian polling agency Barna Group, incumbent pastors in the United States are facing various challenges and pressures. The COVID-19 pandemic, death of members, financial crisis, pressure and loneliness of online pastoral care, and social disputes lead to physical and mental exhaustion, resulting in serious job burnout. According to research, a whopping 38 percent of full-time pastors want to leave their jobs, an all-time high.
  • During the pandemic, nearly one-third of Christians have left the church. In 2020, about 4,000 churches in the United States will be closed, and their finances will be greatly affected. 20,000 pastors have left their service positions. More than half of the pastors who remained in their posts admitted that if they had another way of making a living, they would choose to leave.
  • In fact, shepherding the church is not a way to make a living. It is God’s special calling to bear the responsibility of His sheep. This would require enduring hardships and commit to a lifetime of service. If the pastor has a different mindset, it is easy to leave the Lord in the face of setbacks or Satan’s attack.

Seeing this, we may be shaken with deep sighs. In this sinister, perilous, morally decayed, virus-running era, what can we do to maintain our faith? How do we please God and live a meaningful life?

• Repent and return to the true God

The pandemic, the crisis in the United States, and the corruption of people’s hearts are all wake-up calls one after another, constantly reminding us that in the past, we have left God for trends, money, and pleasure. We must repent our sins and return to the true God, acknowledging the living God as the creator of the universe. We must call for his rescue, because He is our only hope. As the psalmist David reminds us: “I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121: 1-2). Jesus Christ also said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27). May God forgive us! Our society can be better only when we repent and return to the Lord.

• Connect to Christ the Head

The Lord Jesus taught us this: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). The branches must be connected to the vine in order to have life. We must accept the redemption of the Lord Jesus, become God’s children, and receive God’s forgiveness of our sins. We must also have a good spiritual life: diligently read the Bible, keep it in our hearts, pray often, and grow spiritually, so that we can please God and live out the abundant life of Christ. This way more people will have the way of eternal life.

• Fix our eyes on our gracious Lord

Our all-knowing Almighty God is good and full of mercy and love. Therefore, no matter how the pandemic develops, how turbulent and dangerous the situation is, and how turbulent life is, we still have the joy and peace that come from heaven, and that cannot be changed by the environment.

• Pray for America and exercise your voting rights

Today’s America is in great crisis and desperately needs our prayers. Let us ask the Lord Jesus to show grace and mercy. No president or party can save America. Only the eternal, the only true God our Lord can save America.

Do your duty as a Christian citizen and make good use of your voting right –

We should elect God-fearing leaders, boldly participate in politics, encourage other Christians, express our faith in community, state politics, etc. The power of the people is great, and it can reverse the policy and help the United States return to the true God.