The year 2020 has been filled with a lot of the Good, Bad, and Ugly. Although it was so, I believe we can learn a lot from those 366 days.
At the beginning of January this year, I wrote an article titled “The Year 2020: The Feeling That Just Won’t Shake”, and looking back, I can’t believe how relevant it was for this year! But it rang true, as Psalm 91 got the children of God through the good, bad, and ugly. Yet, the excitement of 2021 teases me as I know the Lord has great things in store!
In my opinion, the year 2020 came and went in a flash! I’m sure the majority of the world would agree with me that this has been the most craziest year since probably, the Great Flood! But, I’ve learned a few things this year—life-changing things that I’m ever so grateful for. They’re good, bad, and ugly, but worth mentioning.
Do you know when people say, “I’ve got good news and bad news—which do you want first?” And someone typically responds, “Give me the bad news first.” Well, that’s what I’ll do also, except, I’ll start with the “ugly”:
The Ugly
Self-proclaiming Jesus-loving (religious) Christians voted for the massacre of babies—without conviction…even still! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! (Yes, I’m shouting!) How demented is that? Very! I’m speaking facts here. I really could care less about who disagrees with me because I’m not the One they’ll have to answer to.
People who I admired (which weren’t many), whom I thought were pioneers in the faith, tallied in favor of hands that shed innocent blood. (For those of you who follow my posts know my disdain for such. I’d be lying if I said my heart didn’t sink.) These people gave great “lip-service”, but when “the rubber hit the road”, they willingly exposed the genuine state of their heart.
So, what have I’ve learned from this? Well, I can only speak from a Western world point of view, and it is this: It was only a matter of time before watered-down Gospel messages and water-down Christianity would come to a head. Would it be safe to call it a bubble? If so, it has burst! Anytime the Gospel is watered down, it actually doesn’t hold water.
Watered-down messages don’t work because the “hard” truth is always withheld, and when that’s withheld, it cannot effectively transform the human heart. When the heart is transformed, so is the mind. But since the many doctrines of many men have made it’s way into the pulpits, instead of the doctrine of Jesus Christ, their doctrines have held no weight, substance, nor power!
The solution to this “Ugly” is to truly love the Lord with all of your heart, mind, body, and soul! Just saying it means nothing. I said I loved Jesus for years and the Lord still showed me myself being nailed to a cross in the pits of hell! Jesus has to become our everything. When we truly love Him, we can genuinely love the value of human life.
The Bad
“By George, they’re all scared!” as they’d say in the olden days. There was an article I wrote not too long ago about the church being sick, and our response to the pandemic, unfortunately, confirmed it. Many believers were taken aback by the overwhelming fear that so much of the church possessed. The fear was excessive and heartbreaking. Psalm 91 is a promise to God’s children who believe and stand firmly on it. The Lord is unable to break His promise, but we have to do our part.
An unhealthy amount of Churchgoers praised the closures of their church buildings, as they falsely believed doing so would “keep them alive“. That even sounds like it derived from hell.
What did I learn from “The Bad”? I learned that the church, as a unit, needs to start walking out our faith together and holding one another accountable. Remember, iron sharpens iron. We are of one body, which is the body of Christ. If an arm is weak, do we not use another member of the body to help support it? This is the real “We’re In This Together“!
The Good
Ahhh…finally! I’ve been waiting for this one! So much good has come out of 2020, even though there some bad (and ugly). We’ve seen how faithful the Lord has been to us, His children. He’s given us a clear, 20/20 vision of the things we need to work on, which are many, and I appreciate that. In addition, He’s given us a 20/20 vision of the areas we’re shining in.
There are millions who’ve never prayed in tongues before, who are now experts at it! Those who already knew how to, grew stronger in their prayer life. We learned how to Fight, Pray, and Act for what we knew was right and pleasing to the heart of God, regardless of the backlash.
Hundreds of millions (above average) of people who have never heard the Gospel, or who were on the fence of believing, surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ this year! So many who thought hearing from God was obsolete or just for the prophets learned otherwise, and are now able to make out the voice of their Shepard.
If I could put “The Good” into a nutshell, it would be this: The true Church grew. The church grew spiritually in strength, action, faith, wisdom, prayer, and battle.
Conclusion
The New Year of 2021 awaits us! We have no choice but to embrace it and embrace it we shall. 2020 had the good, bad, and ugly, but that year will be behind us. In the New Year, speak life, prophesy, declare the works of the Lord and rejoice in everything. This warms the heart of our Father.
It’s been said many times this year, and still rings true—“God is still on the Throne!” Although, one day extremely soon, Jesus Christ will leave the right hand of The Father, from His throne, and come for His true Church. Those who have patiently endured, kept His Word, hasn’t denied His name and kept their crown (Rev. 3:7-14)
Diana, a friend of mine mentioned yesterday, that the world didn’t experience a “taste” of the Great Tribulation to come, but rather, an appetizer! One day the same thing will re-occur but on a much sinister and diabolic scale. Today is the Day of Salvation. Will you ask Jesus into your heart this moment, if you haven’t already? He loves you like no other and awaits your heart.