CORONAVIRUS – 8 Biblical tips for Christians from Romania and Moldova

Coronavirus and Christians. How should we act now? COVID-19 is rapidly entering the countries of the world despite all the measures taken by the World Health Organization, governments, airlines, etc. In this video I share 8 Biblical tips for Christians from Romania and the Republic of Moldova about what to do in the situation created by this epidemic. Learn with me how we can strengthen our faith and how to show a beautiful testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ, how to act concretely in this time we are in.

Following a survey conducted on the Youtube channel Moldova Christian TV, people answered the question with four options:

How do you respond to the coronavirus epidemic?

66% – I’m afraid, but I trust in the Lord.

24% – I try to tell the Gospel to as many people as possible.

7% – I’m not afraid and I don’t care.

3% – I’m scared and I’m at home.

Through these questions I wanted to see people’s priorities. Follow God’s counsel for this period below.

Trust God

In Psalm 91 it is written:

You will not be afraid of the terror by night, or of the arrow that flies by day; of the plague that stalks in darkness, or of the destruction that devastates at noon. (Psalm 91:5-6 NASB)

This coronavirus pandemic is so bad, so aggressive and spreading so fast. I take care of my in-laws, my relatives. But whenever worry comes, I follow the word of God, who urges me not to worry about anything, but, in everything, to bring my requests to the knowledge of God and to thank Him, because this gives me peace of heart. 

May our escape tower be God

Also in Psalm 91 it is written: 

A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not approach you. You will only look on with your eyes and see the retaliation against the wicked. For you have made the Lord, my refuge, The Most High, your dwelling place. No evil will happen to you, nor will any plague come near your tent. (Psalm 91:7-10 NASB)

There are people who take everything as a joke and do not notice how fast this virus spreads and progresses. I like to listen to what the experts are saying. A senior epidemiologist at Harvard University says the epidemic will not be able to be stopped for a year. It will affect 40 to 70% of the world’s population. Of those affected, 3-4% will die. For Germany, for example, it would mean up to 2 million people. Can you imagine what that means? However, we have a promise from God that nothing will come near us. But there is a condition: we must make the Lord a refuge and an escape tower. When he says “your tent,” he means your family. This does not mean that we should not take precautions.

God will send His angels to help

There are angels sent by God, who have been commanded to guard us:

For He will give His angels orders concerning you, to protect you in all your ways. On their hands they will lift you up, so that you do not strike your foot against a stone. (Psalm 91:11-12 NASB)

The angels are at work. They are the ones who lead us without us noticing, without knowing. They are the ones who are protecting God’s children now.

Knowing God’s Name will bring us deliverance

Next we have a promise:

You will walk upon the lion and cobra, you will trample the young lion and the serpent. “Because he has loved Me, I will save him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.” (Psalm 91:13-14 NASB)

See, my dear ones, why is it important to study the Scriptures? Knowing God brings us protection, peace, tranquility in these times, and deliverance. Use this time to study the Bible. Possibly God has ordained this time for people to think of Him, but also to review their spiritual life, to make an effort to know God.

He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. I will satisfy him with a long life, and show him My salvation.” (Psalm 91:15-16 NASB)

God promises His children that He will deliver and glorify those who truly act according to His Word.

I urge as many people as possible to teach this lesson about the coronavirus from Psalm 91. By studying this lesson you will receive hope and faith, joy, peace and quiet during this time.

Many years ago, when there was a war between Russia and Chechnya, I was invited to teach a Bible class at a meeting of Christian officers in Russia. There I asked one of them how he came to know the Lord Jesus Christ. He told me a testimony that touched me. He was caught by Chechen insurgents and held in a sandy room. Sitting there for a long time, he expected to be executed, but one day, playing in the sand, he found a page of Scripture with exactly Psalm 91 on it. As an atheist, he took it as a letter especially for him in his situation. He read it every day and put his trust in God. From the moment he read, God gave him peace, tranquility, and security that he would be delivered. One day, when he was taken out for a walk, a Chechen officer passed by and recognized him, remembering that he was his army officer who had been good to him. Thus the officer was released and sent home to Russia. This is the miracle that God has done in this man’s life. The Lord works miracles in the lives of those who trust in Him. I was very impressed by the way God worked through Psalm 91 in this man’s life.

We have to redeem time

In Ephesians chapter 5, the apostle Paul tells us:

So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 5:15-17 NASB)

There are two words for time in Greek. One is kronos, which we know (chronometer) words that refer to the flow / passage of time. However, here the word kairos is used, which means opportunity, favorable time that comes and must be used. God tells us to redeem and use this time.

Know that we Christians do not enjoy this period. We are sad and worried. It is written in this text that the days are bad, and we must understand that this epidemic is a time we must redeem in order to proclaim the Gospel. Therefore, we must use every moment and all our resources for the salvation of people, especially since some of them will leave now and you do not know which of your family, those among your loved ones, will leave.

We have to listen to the authorities

We are also told to walk carefully, as wise. This means not disregarding warnings from governments.

I read in the news that over 100 believers gathered last Sunday in Constanța, at the Archbishop’s Liturgy “The Holy Apostles Peter and Paul” and were served communion by His Eminence Theodosius, all with the same teaspoon. How is it possible for 100 people to take communion in a time of dangerous pandemic? Regarding the teaspoon, the patriarch issued a press release for those who have fears, doubts and are anxious to go and talk to their clergyman. But how does this help them if they are infected? What help can the clergyman give them? The Archdiocese of Tomis also follows this line:

We recommend to those who have this problem of conscience to go and talk to the clergy and things will be resolved on a case-by-case basis, said priest Tanasescu, spokesman for the archdiocese of Tomis.

How will we solve this? We are expected to be the first to do good deeds, to teach people to be submissive to the authorities. The greatest need of men is to tell them the gospel so that they may believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. If a man leaves life in these moments, then let him reach His Kingdom. I want to ask you to be ready to help the authorities and not to forget that the most important thing is to take the Gospel to the people, to use the internet in this as well.

It is also written not to behave like the unwise. They have fun, or are paralyzed by fear and do nothing or do not care about others, they think only of themselves. Forget about conspiracy theories. Do you realize what is happening in the world now? Some believe that someone is sitting in the background or that there is actually no coronavirus. We can’t believe that! So many people are dying, things are progressing so fast, all governments are alarmed, and we think we know everything? It can’t be that way. Let’s not be like the unwise.

The Bible tells us to understand what the Lord’s will is and what He wants us to do now. Our responsibility, as believers, is to speak the gospel to people, but also to help those in need, especially the elderly. Maybe they need to go shopping, but not only offer them products, but also pray with these people. Maybe you call them and read Psalm 91 to them? Choose to do this study with them, because it will bring them peace, tranquility, hope, and encouragement. Bring them a New Testament if needed and call people to repentance.

What indifference brings

In Proverbs 1:24 it is written:

Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention; and you neglected all my advice and did not want my rebuke; I will also laugh at your disaster; I will mock when your dread comes, when your dread comes like a storm and your disaster comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. (Proverbs 1:24-28 NASB)

Here God speaks, but He is personified as if wisdom speaks. Even now, we’re in big trouble, and if the coronavirus hasn’t reached you or your family, don’t think it will be long before you wake up contaminated, because now you don’t want to hear about God, or maybe some of you have isolated yourself at home and make jokes about the situation in the world, yet we see that God says you will call on Him, but He will not answer. They will seek Him and will not find Him. Why?

Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord. They did not accept my advice, they disdainfully rejected every rebuke from me. So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own schemes. For the faithlessness of the naive will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them. (Proverbs 1:29-32 NASB)

Fools either resist all the warnings we give or the Word of God, or they are quiet and carefree.

“But whoever listens to me will live securely and will be at ease from the dread of evil.” (Proverbs 1:33 NASB)

So do not disregard the Word of God when something happens. I heard someone called for medical attention for no reason, making it a joke. How can you do that? Healthcare workers no longer know how to cope with this situation, they do not sleep at night. The Bible clearly says that when you cry out to God, He will not answer you, because now you do not care. Do not disregard the warnings of wise men, nor of governments that have found themselves powerless and do not know what to do. We, Christians, are urged to be the first in good works, to be subject to dominions. In Titus, chapter 3 says to be ready for any good deed, so do not speak ill of the government. Someone wrote to me that a person from the government called a pastor and talked about making a prayer list, fasting, and urging people to do so. I was glad to hear that. I pray that the president of Moldova, of Romania, will set a day of fasting and prayer, and God will surely take this into account.

We must not be afraid

It is good to stay home and follow the government’s instructions, but it is not good to be controlled by fear in this situation. The fact that you have chosen this answer from all, shows me that your fear is not one of God, is a different kind of fear.

What the wicked fears will come upon him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted. When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more, but the righteous has an everlasting foundation. (Proverbs 10:24-25 NASB)

If you are a bad man, if you have lived in wickedness and have not asked for forgiveness and have not forsaken your sins, whatever are you afraid of, that will happen to you. Choose to become righteous right now, repent of all your sins. God will forgive you and you will be born again. Sit down, take a piece of paper, write the names of the people you have wronged. Maybe they are even in the house with you. Now is a time for examination, you have to evaluate yourself and choose to live beautifully. Do not believe that this misfortune will pass you by, without doing anything, and you will continue living in your sins. We are tempted to believe that it will happen to someone else, we believe that in the number of 3-4% others will enter, only not us. Don’t rely on your immune system. Immunity does not control the virus. God is the One who controls it. He is the one who gives life and who gives death.

We must confess our sins

Here is the promise we have in the Bible. In 1 John it is written:

If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8-9 NASB)

You must make the decision to follow Christ fully, to be baptized according to His command, and then to cling to the church, which is His body, and from now on to live a holy life according to His Word.

Many have asked me what it is to be born again? It is when a person decides to renounce all sins and become a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. The moment you make this decision, God will forgive all your sins and give you His Holy Spirit, which is the seal, the promise of your redemption. God is the one who ensures your redemption.

Please again follow the steps taken by the authorities and study the Bible with your whole family. Listen to these tips that I have listed regarding the coronavirus epidemic and Christians. This difficult situation for us must mean much more than a difficult period. Go and help the elderly, especially those who can not go out, but please be very careful and keep your distance, wash your hands, follow all these instructions. These people not only need groceries, but for you to talk to them, to offer them words of encouragement from the Holy Scriptures. God bless you with much grace!

The lesson about coronavirus in Romanian: 

https://ru.scribd.com/document/451546232/Lect-ie-Coronavirus?fbclid=IwAR1jFAYotJEOOk6HCEVnVRJwX3XpMjzsiQR6dZhim6bRIQIkPC6KqD6nVsU

Lesson in Russian:

https://ru.scribd.com/document/451546241/%D0%A3%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BA-%D0%BA%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%80%D1%83%D1%81

Translated by Ina Croitoru