The difficulty of the challenges the nation and the church has faced in these past months has truly been unprecedented.This weekend my local spiritual family will resume “in-person” Sunday services for the first time in four months. I have tried to use this season as a time of reflection. I have tried to only speak publicly when compelled by the Lord. I have focused mostly on ministering to my family, helping tend to the needs of our local spiritual family, leading our staff, and staying faithful to the Lord in the Word and prayer. As we all begin to re-emerge in public assemblies, I want to offer a few takeaways from this season in hopes that it will give you a plumb line and rudder for the days ahead.

The Shakings Are Not Over 

While most cities have lifted stay at home orders (despite rising numbers of Covid-19 infections) the promised shakings are far from over. God has promised to “shake everything that can be shaken” until only “the things cannot be shaken remain (Heb 12:26-27).” Our nation and the nations of the earth are in store for many more shakings (Mat 24:4-8). These shakings will continue until the Lord Jesus returns. There will be seasons of respite in between shakings, but the moments of rest will become more infrequent as the Lord’s return grows nearer. I encourage you to ready your heart for greater shakings to come, through greater intimacy with Jesus. 

Shallow Christianity Is Over

The self-serving, self-gratifying version of Christianity, where we serve Jesus for our own benefit and blessing, is over. Honestly, this version was never biblical to begin with. Attending church as one attends a ball game or a movie (i.e. pick the one you like the most, that appeals to you the most) is a Western aberration. In closed countries gathering with believers is a privilege that is cherished. Christianity was always and will always be about laying down our own privilege and rights for the glory of the Lord. Any version of Christianity that posits our own interests as our primary motivation for serving Jesus is false. I encourage all of us to ask the Lord what He desires and requires of us in the days ahead. I believe the Church will finally and fully be delivered from using Jesus as a means to our temporal comfort and live for His glory alone.

Don’t Forsake Assembling 

The writer of Hebrews gave us a clear admonition in light of the coming Day of the Lord: “Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching (Heb. 10:24-25).” In light of the nearness of the Lord’s return, our gatherings are absolutely critical. The passage goes on to address those who sin willfully and the resulting apostasy. The meaning couldn’t be clearer: Those who forsake meeting together (services and house to house) are likely candidates for apostasy. I applaud the ability of the church to stream services, but there is one thing I’m absolutely clear about, live streams and podcasts are only to be used as supplements for a believer’s walk with the Lord, they are not to replace our gatherings. Living life together through relationship, discipleship, accountability, worship, prayer, and teaching are absolutely essential for all of us, especially as the Lord’s return draws nearer. 

Lots of Opinions Few “Words from the Lord”

We’ve seen no shortage of opinions from news media and social media over the last four months. Christians share as much and as recklessly as anyone. I wonder if we have forgotten the admonition of the Lord, “I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment (Mat 12:36).” My heart trembles when I consider that I will talk to Jesus about every idle word I have spoken, texted, or typed. While social media wars raged over American racism, I stayed relatively quiet, lamenting the lack of hearing and proclaiming of the Word of the Lord. It literally does not matter what one human being thinks if it isn’t in agreement with what the Lord thinks. His opinion is the only one that matters. Right now the church must stand in the counsel of the Lord to hear and proclaim the word of the Lord and nothing else. I’m praying that we will emerge as a people who have inclined our ears to the Lord and that we will only say what we hear our Father saying. 

The Church Must Move in Power

Jesus promised that believers would do the same works and even greater works than He did in His earthly ministry. We are now in a season of time where doing the greater works is no longer optional, it’s essential. We must have power on the proclamation of the gospel with a demonstration of healing, signs, wonders, and miracles. Our answers to the current pandemic have been essentially the same as the world. We must have answers that transcend the current cultural milieu and evidence a power of a Kingdom that is not of this world and a King who has the power over death, hell, and the grave. I’m committed to praying and believing for a breakthrough of healing that will see every sickness and disease melt away at the Name of Jesus. Will you pray and believe with me unto this end?

I pray my words have challenged and encouraged you to press in to the Lord in a fresh way. I believe the days ahead will see many more challenges, but I also believe it will be the finest hour for the Church. Let’s press in to the Lord together to become the Bride that Jesus died to save.