Dear True Love Family,
In Houston the threat of the Coronavirus is extremely real and should be taken as seriously as possible. My television has been non-stop news of the coronavirus and the impact it is having around the World. The reality of the day brings real questions for the day like, should I take my child out of the center? Should I allow my kid to go to school? Should I stop going to work or church? Cancel travel plans and remain in my bubble? I recently read an Gospel Coalition article passed from my mentor and I am going to share with you some of its contents and hope it helps you in this time of intense uncertainty.
REMEMBER WHAT WE KNOW First, it’s important to be reminded about what we already know. Worry is not our friend, and panic is not our way. Solomon reminds us, “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small” (Prov. 24:10). May it never be said that God’s people are governed more by fear than faith. We must keep our faith strong.
While we remain on alert, worrying won’t change our circumstances or lower our chance of infection. It won’t help us fight off illness or move us to action. Worrying about COVID-19 (or anything else) will only increase trouble. Rather than worrying and being anxious, Jesus calls us to respond with prayer and faith in him (Matt. 6:33–34; Phil. 4:6. On this Friday Saturday and Sunday at 7am I want you to gather together in virtual and or family groups and begin to pray for our country as 2 Chronicle 7:14 says and we will watch God work together. I respect COVID-19 but im not worried because I know the One who has defeated sin and death (1 Cor. 15:55–57).
We need to be the flight attendants not concerned about turbulence because we know the flight plan and personally know the pilot of our lives. Remind yourself continually: it takes the same amount of energy to worry as to pray. One leads to peace, the other to panic. Choose wisely. Love Well and Trust Him Worry is common to man. But God has called us to face troubles and threats with courage, leaning our weight on him. I am preaching this month a series called BIG DREAMS and Sundays message is entitled “Face it.” It talks of being courageous as we tackle our problems and pursue our dreams!
Throughout history, Christians have often stood out because they were willing to help the sick even during plagues, pandemics, and persecutions. They loved people and weren’t afraid of death because they understood that “to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). By stepping into the mess of sickness and disease, they were able to demonstrate their faith to a watching world. So, rather than just asking, “How do I stay healthy?” perhaps we should be asking, “How can I help the sick?” Lets be people that help with solutions not solely hide in basements perpetuating panic.
Here are a few things we’re doing at True Love, to protect you and your family.
Extra cleaners for the kid’s ministry and childcare center.
Teaching how to wash hands. (Sing Happy birthday song all the way to the end while washing hands is a great way to slow down Covid-19)
Additional hand sanitizer stationsIntroduction of the TLC Shake (a special salutation for just our TLC Family. Join us this weekend on Youth Sunday as we demonstrate it.
Continuous prayer over our church, childcare and all families in The Love Community. We are praying each morning for covering of our TLC family
At this time we do not anticipate closing the doors to any of our community ministries due to the Corona Virus. We will make a decision on closing the daycare independent of Humble ISD on which days we will close our centers. However, stay tuned to our Social Media pages for further update as things progress daily.
Finally, as you watch the world react to this crisis—it presents itself a stark reminder of our mortality—don’t neglect to share the hope you have in Jesus (1 Pet. 3:15). Share how he rescued you from the universal epidemic of sin and the penalty of death. Share that your hope is not found in remaining healthy this side of heaven. The stark reality is, iife is a terminal illness. We will all face death eventually.. Thanks to Jesus, we can come to that day with confidence. Like Paul, we can remember that to live is Christ, but to die is gain (Phil. 1:21). We truly have nothing to fear—not from the coronavirus, the Ebola virus, natural disasters, or anything else. Press on, family. Pray for the sick. Walk in God’s strength. SHOW LOVE to the brotherhood. Use your health to serve, not to hide. Jesus is sovereign over it all. And we are immortal until God’s work for us to do is finished.
in his service,
Pastor Eric