Nothing good has ever come out of men coming together for any reason. Whether it’s for political, social, economic or evensomething as seemingly innocent as sports. The bottom line of it all centers around men wanting control, power, money, fame, the list goes on and on.  Man wants anything but a relationship with their creator God and Jesus Christ his son. As a matter of fact everything mankind does is to say “We don’t want you God. We can do it ourselves.” The following article is just one testimony of a serious pestilence that resulted from men coming together to celebrate the creation and not the creator.

It has been reported that the Zika virus break out in Brazil was brought in during the World Cup in 2014 when people from all over the world gathered together for the soccer tournaments.

I recall all the protests going on in Brazil during the preparations, the social unrest, the poor crying out for better livingconditions. People were upset that all kinds of money was being put into building stadiums (that wouldn’t be used much in the future and some were never completed) and the poor couldn’t get the much needed help with medical, education and living space. Instead of getting much needed help it is estimated that 250,000 of them were “relocated”, for the new construction. Some of the poor children were forced to “clean up the streets” and police brutality was used to keep them in line. There is a court case of politicians taking bribes and mis-allocation of funds during the construction process. All in hopes of making all kinds of money during the World Cup tour. I am sure people of Brazil were told some of the profits would benefit them. Who really benefited from the money and what was done with the funds? This all resulted in rotten fruits of sponsoring this World cup and what really took place behind the scenes.

Another result is the Zika virus (a mosquito born virus, see sidebar) and the worst affected is the poor because they live in mosquito infested unsanitary dirt pits with no proper homes. Brazil has over 11 million people living in these slums. The ill treatment they have received from the government and surrounding communities is taking it’s toll on them. But the Zika virus knows no boundaries; rich and poor alike are going to suffer at it’s hand. Another rotten fruit.

Last year, more that 1.5 million people were affected with Zika (mostly in Brazil) and from Oct 2015- Feb 2016 there were over 3500 new cases of newborns having been born with microcephaly. It is also suspected that the virus could be linked to Guillain-Barre Syndrome (see sidebar) which is also on the rise though not as severe.

In Feb 2016 When the Mayor of Rio De Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, was interviewed just before their annual Carnival he was asked if there was any concern about having the festival with the Zika outbreak. His response to that was “We deal with these kinds of diseases every day and we aren’t afraid of gathering together for this celebration”. Brazil was reassuring the public that efforts were being taken to ensure the health of all visitors. They receive over a million tourist to this area during the Carnival and it’s a big money making event. I wonder what the outcome and the real cost to people’s lives will be.

I also read a report in Early February from the CDC that said the United States was ready for Zika and that they didn’t think an outbreak would be very likely. A couple of weeks later about 20 people in the US had the virus. We were being told that it is not being passed from person to person until one person had contracted it through sexual intercourse. Now they need to rethink what they know about this Zika virus. Should we put our trust in what “they say?”

The Aedes mosquito that carries the virus is said to not be able to survive in cool climates but recently with global warming the mosquito has been working its way northward. So now virus’s like Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya are working their way into territories that have never seen them. Places like South and Central America and the Caribbean, including Colombia, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Venezuela, and Puerto Rico have now reported cases of Zika outbreak.

Now Brazil is hosting the 2016 Olympic Games this summer. The Brazilian authorities are re-assuring the people of the world that they have and are taking measures to ensure the health of it’s visitors. They have this virus under control. They are spraying pesticides everywhere. I have read also that the mosquito is growing more resilient to these pesticides. Is man contributing to newly formed diseases by the spraying of these pesticides? What about the people living in the frequent spraying areas.

I have seen pictures of men all suited up spraying pesticides in slums right next to people going about their business walking through the sprayed area. I find it hard to believe that isn’t harmful to the population living there.

I know God is using the Zika virus to try getting man’s attention and let us know that when mankind gets together no good thing can come from it. It’s no coincidence that it broke out during the World Cup. It speaks loudly to me that our minds are being affected by the evils of the world and we need to cry out to God to save us from these judgments falling all around us. I know we can expect to see more things like these recent pestilences Zika, Ebola, dengue fever, etc. because Jesus said in the end times we would see more of these things.

“Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:
   and great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.” Luke 21:10-11

Paul says …“exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” 1 Tim 4:7-8 Paul lived his life running the race that was set before him. It was the race of life, lived in true holiness and dedication to Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Ghost. He lived the life that all of us can live and be successful in. That is to give our life over to the best coach ever, Jesus Christ and let his assistant coach the Holy Ghost who has all the power to train, teach and transform you into a Holy and acceptable person in God’s eyes. In order to succeed one needs to have one single goal in mind to live a life pleasing to God. Like a trained athlete you do need to give up a lot of worldly things to achieve the highest goal life can offer, to be the bride of Jesus Christ. It’s an eternal goal. To be with Jesus by his side forever. Doing whatever God has planned in worlds and creations to come.The bible says “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”Jer 17:9 So why do I want to worship or esteem any man or man made organization of any kind knowing that the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked? Don’t put your trust in any man.

The world can not offer you anything that is eternal. Don’t drink from the World’s Cup, it’s empty. Whatever it offers is only temporary and will disappear. In eternity it will have no bearing. Why waste your life going nowhere when you can be in the greatest race ever? There is a goal that is worth striving for and can be won, eternal life.

SIDEBAR:
The Aedes mosquito carries the following viruses Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya.

Symptoms of Zika are headache, fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis. Linked to Microcephaly (a birth defect where infants are born with a smaller head and undeveloped brain that cause a multitude of defects including possible death) and possibly Guillian-Barre Syndrome ( the body’s immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system. Resulting in the nerves not able to transmit signals properly and a person begins to have muscle control problems which in severe cases could lead to paralysis and even death).

Symptoms of Dengue are headache, high fever, rash, joint pain, and vomiting. Severe cases include life threatening dengue hemorrhagic fever where one begins to bleed and has low blood platelets and blood plasma leakage or dengue shock syndrome which causes dangerously low blood pressure.

Symptoms for Chikungunya are sudden high fever, rash and joint pain. May include headache, fatigue, conjunctivitis and digestive problems. Lingering joint pain may persist in some patients.