People are in pain. People in America, and all over the world, are suffering mental and emotional pain caused by the Corona Crisis. It seems to go on and on, right? It is a pain that we have never encountered before because we’ve never been quarantined and separated like this before. We have limited resources to find and answer to the pain.
All people want to find a place where they can interact with friends and family, because social distancing has caused an inner longing for the good old days. We may not ever get fully get back to normal like it was in the good old days. However, people hurt inside from an extremely strong desire to feel like things are like they used to be even one year ago.
Let’s get back to normal, as soon as possible, at church, our place where we worship God together. The only thing that has to happen for evil to succeed is for good people to do nothing. Good people have to stand up and say enough is enough.
We can’t visit our favorite restaurant anymore. We cannot go in and do banking anymore. We cannot go into the Post Office, or drug store, without standing 6-feet apart. Among strangers, in a bank, the Post Office, or drug store we are afraid that other people might attack us, if we don’t have our facemask on or we don’t maintain social distance.
At some level, we understand that the corona virus may be half-true and half-hype, with fear forced on us by major media sources. When things begin get back to normal, and we will run enthusiastically to a place, like our local church, if the pastor and staff welcome us with open arms. It makes spiritual sense that the church would be the first place to welcome us home because that is where we find God and trust Him to be with us through any crisis.
Why can we open the church on a normal schedule, even though the bank or drug store cannot? We can gather together in church because there is a God and He will protect us. The folks at the bank aren’t saying prayers of protection asking for God’s help, but in church that’s the first thing we do. The good news is that God will bless us and protect all who honor and pray to Him.
God’s Word, The Bible, does not say, “Thou shalt not steal” (unless you have no food). The Bible does not say, “Honor your father and mother” (unless your father was a horrible jerk). In Hebrews, The Bible does not say, “Do not forsake assembling together” (unless there is a flu epidemic). There is nothing in parenthesis following the clear directions from God that we find in The Bible. We must believe by faith and apply the Bible to our lives, now.
Hebrews 10:25 Do not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but gather encouraging one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Even though we may have to sit on every other seat, that’s okay. Even though we may have to Christians have hope when others do not. Yes, because we have faith in God.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Can Christians gather together without fear, even when other people are suffering in their fear? Yes, because we have the peace of Jesus in us that is different than the world offers.
Philippians 4:7 NKJV “and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
When we, unfortunately, fall and break our arm, the doctor puts the cast on us for 6-weeks. The cast have to come off because leaving the cast on too long could damage the muscles in our arm so drastically that we may never recover.
There’s a funny story about two sparrows in a tree talking that says, “Look at how those humans worry about everything. They must not have a God that protects them like we do.”
Philippians 4:6-9 NLT New Living Translation “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
As for me, Pastor Ed, I have been 100% un-afraid throughout this COVID-19 pandemic because, as a born-again Christian, I know that I am safe because I am covered and protected by the blood of Jesus.
1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”
As a believer in Christ, I am protected from harm by God because I put on the full armor of God every day. This may not make sense to non-believers, but I believe it by faith in God. However, I have no faith in the facemasks that the government is forcing us to wear. The fabric on most masks is so porous that it could not stop the virus from entering our nose or mouth. The facemasks only offer a false sense of security, in my opinion.
Ephesians 6:11-13 NKJV 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Let’s get back to church, with a bold confidence in God’s Promises. Teach the people to overcome fear with faith. Let’s gather together, now, and show the world that God protects His believers as we gather in church. Even though we may have to sit on every other seat, that’s okay. Even though we may have to have an over-flow room to give people who come late a place to sit, that’s okay. Let’s get back to normal, as soon as possible, at church, our place where we worship God together as the Body of Christ.
God bless you, Pastor Ed Brady – JesusEdifies BradyBlog
Questions? Contact me at ed@edbradyradio.com
