My wife and I came down with Covid19 three weeks ago.
On July 1, we started feeling a bit poorly, temperature and chills. We didn’t know what it was, although we wondered if it was the Wuhan thing. If we had known, would could have knocked it out in 3-4 days, according to Dr. Wes Youngberg. But we assumed it was a summer cold. It began with a slight fever, a dry cough, and then my hair started hurting. I hate that.
A week later we were in full Covid mode, and fighting it. Thank God for our immune system. Here’s how it works.
God has given each of us a biological immune system, something He designed for humans after the Fall.
The immune system can be built up or torn down. The way we treat it either strengthens or weakens it--it makes you resistant to outside corruption/invaders. In a perfect world, you don’t need one. But here in Ohio, we do, thanks to virus’ and other invaders.
I learned something about virus’ that surprised me. They are not alive. But they are very sneaky!
A virus’ first step is to get inside a cell. They enter the cell by tricking it into thinking it is something that the cell needs. So we had a single virus in the body. That’s not too bad, eh?
Our bodies have many types of cells, one is called the epithelial cell. Epithelial cells are generally happy, until the virus attacks it. Once inside the body, the virus adds its genome blueprint to the cell. The cell doesn’t know that the new blueprint is from the virus, so it simply follows the instructions to make virus parts.
Now the cell has unknowingly become a virus factory. The virus parts come together to make full viruses that escape from the cell. Each new virus can infect another cell, repeating the infection cycle.
Two days later the virus has multiplied greatly, and the body says “I need some help.” It hits the alarm button. “Help!” This is where my hair started hurting.
Responding first to the alarm are Macrophages. They are members of the body’s immune system and they are huge eaters (their name actually means “big eater” in Greek). They come racing in with knife and fork and a salt shaker. “Let’s eat!”
The Macrophages begin eating the virus’ with great enthusiasm. It’s chow time! But there’s a problem. The virus’ are multiplying faster than the Macrophages can gobble them up. Urp. So they call for back up!
Answering this call for help are the tough guys of the immune system. T cells! They come in as a team, Killer and Helper T cells. T cells find and destroy the virus. After it kills one virus, the T cell replicates itself—creates an army. Boom! Soon, most of the virus’ are dead, but there are still a few around. The Helper T cells call for a clean-up crew.
Here come the B-cells, a special clean-up crew. They immediately start cleaning up the leftover virus’ and the dead cells. They put them in a Home Depot bucket and cart them off.
The head B-cell gets out his binoculars and looks around for any more virus’. Satisfied that the virus is gone, there is one thing left to do.
The B-cells print up hundreds of flyers with a picture of the virus on them (wanted, dead or alive). They post these flyers all around the body, alerting other B-cells to this virus. All the B-cells become memory cells. If the virus ever comes back, it will be killed immediately.
My wife and I have fully recovered by God’s grace, thanks to His amazing immune system. (Thanks also to Margaret Song from California who kindly prescribed Ivermectin for me).
Recap
Macrophages eat all the virus’ they can, until they get too full.
T cells create an army and kills the virus!
B cells are a special clean-up crew.
Memory cell — never forgets. First virus takes about 15-days to neutralize. Second – 5 days. Memory cells stay in the body a long time. They never forget.
Spiritual Lessons Learned
A long time ago, a hijacker stepped on planet earth. There’s been a lot of problems ever since. There have been tombstones, hospitals, broken hearts, red traffic lights, property tax, and telemarketers.
There are two solutions to the problem
Short term solution is our immune system. God teaches us to resist sin.
The long-term solution is to get rid of this old world, and make a new one. That’s exactly what He is going to do (Revelation 21:5).
Jesus said in John 17 “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.” (Make them immune, Father.)
Our Spiritual Immune System
The Word of God is a lamp unto our feet. It strengthens us (Psalms 119:28).
Knowledge. Without it we are destroyed (Hosea 4:6).
The Hagios Pneuma (Holy Spirit). Guides us into all truth; comforts us.
Ephesians 6:16–17 tells us that we are clothed in an armor of Gospel features. This helps protect us from the virus’ of sin.
We are surrounded by spiritual virus’ (lies). God’s Word protects us from them. You see, lies are broken apart by God’s truth, the ultimate T-cell.
Remember the twin institutions of Eden. Marriage and the Sabbath rest. God’s Word restores the gender binary. It exposes the lies of feminism–homosexuality–transgenderism and polyamory. God’s Word also restores the beauty and function of the Sabbath.
Trials. God sometimes allows trials to strengthen us. “Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word” (Psalm 119:67).
The Word of God brings mercy and truth into our lives (Psalm 119:58; Psalm 57). These help make us immune. Praise God.
Summary
Jesus said in John 17 “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one“ (v. 15). In other words, make them immune.
Once immune, we are safe to populate heaven, and the New Earth. We have spiritual antibodies and memory cells. One pulse of harmony shall beat throughout the vast creation.
****
“But with an overflowing flood He will make an utter end of its place, and darkness will pursue His enemies. What do you conspire against the LORD? He will make an utter end of it. Affliction will not rise up a second time” Nahum 1:8-9.