This song came to my mind this morning as I sat thinking and praying in my living room.
Last night I felt defeated and broken. Every single day for the past week has been body blow after body blow of bad news and hearing people talk about their fears and anxiety.
With cities and states imposing bans on mass gatherings and the resulting closures of churches all around the country, I have prayed and asked God why this is happening.
I didn't hear any audible voice. I didn't hear a quiet voice. While praying, thoughts began coming to my mind. Here in America especially we have become reliant on two or three services a week to fill our spiritual tank, so to speak. Many rely on Sunday School to teach their children, and Youth Ministry to teach their youth, and the Pastor or another minister to preach and teach to the adults. We talk about what a great service it was ... "Man, that was good church!" When all that happened was people got dressed up, sang some songs, maybe danced a jig or cried a bit, heard a message and left much the same as they arrived. Not much changed, if anything. No one was saved or healed. But hey, we checked the box and we felt good, so it was a great service!
God has allowed this, I believe, to wean us off the church service milk and lead us into a deeper relationship with Him. He's restoring the balance and order for our families. God is giving Husbands and Fathers the opportunity to take on their role as the spiritual leader and Priest of their homes. It's time to strip away the unnecessary excess we've allowed in our churches. The idols we've created both at church and in our homes. God is allowing this to get us back to the simplicity of worship and the Gospel.
Church buildings may close.
Congregational services may be postponed.
But the Church of Jesus Christ will continue to move forward!
Worship is more than a building.
Worship is more than a service.
Worship is more than congregation.
In this season where we are unable to meet in groups and in buildings, let God break down the idols we've built in our churches. Let Him bring us back to the simplicity of worship and the Gospel. Let this start a fire and outpouring of the Holy Ghost in our homes, which can spread out into our communities around this nation.
God is in control, and He will not allow this virus to defeat the church.
"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."
"Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."
"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways."
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us."
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