I don’t want to go back to the way things were. I don’t think God wants to either. I believe, though God did not send this Corona Virus crisis into our midst, He is using what the enemy meant for evil to catapult us into a new era. Many reliable prophetic voices are uttering this new era and global awakening. I first heard of the global awakening in 2012 during a prayer meeting. Then I heard if from Dutch Sheets, whom I admire greatly, so I knew I had heard the Lord. (If Dutch is saying it, it must be so!) It was a confirming word. I heard about this new era when the Corona Virus first shut the world down. I heard it in my heart and prayer life and then I heard it from several global prophets who had reputations to back them. It was another confirming word.
God is doing a new thing! Don’t strive for the old ways. There is so much work going on in and outside of the walls of the church. God is tearing down idols we were not willing to tear down. He has opened a door and made an invitation to all who would come through. He is ready; He is able; He is about to do what we could not ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). In the meantime, the chaos is the sign of His answering decades of prayers made by His faithful saints.
One thing I have noticed during twenty years of ministry is seeming catastrophe often comes in answer to our prayers. I have often prayed for people only to have them return, sometimes a little angry, because things had gotten worse and not better. I used to carry it like a weight of my responsibility. Could I be doing something wrong? Am I not hearing the Lord on this? Then, after years of observation, I came to realize things get a bit bumpy when God begins to move. I now can explain to those who come back that God is answering their prayers with great certainty. They should hold on and see it through because the breakthrough they prayed for is about to come. He has proven Himself over and over in this area.
We now watch the news and see some of the cities we have been praying for filled with riots and fires and chaos. We might cry out, where is God in all of this? What we cannot see is the reason for the chaos. We forget we live in a spiritual world and our “[battle is not] 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” (Ephesians 6:12). When we put on our full armor and pray with faith over territories our enemy does not like it. He may show himself in plagues and violence, but we must remember he is already defeated. When we see the enemy show up, we can know God is already moving in answer to our prayers.
The enemy is subtle. Peter tells us to “be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1Peter 5:8). A lion does not announce himself until the moment of attack. He is stealthy, stalking, seeking his opportunity; so it is with the enemy of our souls. He seeks an opportune time (Luke 4:13). He does not need to bother when the church is benign, hiding safely in the building. Yet, when the church wakes up (the Great Awakening), exits the building, and takes Jesus to the streets the enemy wakes up, too. He has nothing to do when we are lulled to sleep and serving our idols. Yet, when we wake up and our idols are gone and we begin to take territory, he shows up as only he can – steal, kill, destroy (John 10:10).
I keep mentioning idols of the church. I am not sitting in judgment of anyone, I am merely observing what I feel the Lord is revealing to me. I am applying some of these things to myself; not all apply to me. Not all will apply to you. However, I do also believe the Lord wants to completely change church as we know it. I don’t know what it looks like, but I am asking for revelation and for God to raise up creativity and vision in those who have decision making powers over church services and church life.
As far as idols are concerned, here are a few things I have considered during all of this isolation and time to hear, listen, and think without distraction. (I have enjoyed this part.) I have noticed in my years of attending church that each church has a culture. I went to one church where the pastor wore jeans. I admired his freedom. When the entire church adjusted and looked just like him, he changed to suits. It wasn’t long before nearly the entire church began to wear similar attire. He would then change back to jeans. I watched this cycle repeat for over a decade. It is a little humorous, but I appreciate what he was trying to do. Another example of this is in the annual district meetings I have attended. I have lately been musing about how I could always tell who was at the conference whether they were at the venue or in town. There was the season of denominational brand polo shirts. Everyone was wearing one. This morphed into the fleece vest and onto all sorts of branded gear. Do I even mention the birth of the goatee? I could always tell who was at the conference by the way they had assimilated to the current fashion culture of the church or denomination. How quickly we can make others feel like outsiders. When the church allows itself to be a culture unto itself to the point of judging those who do not conform it has become an idol unto itself. I believe one change God wants to make in the church is diversity.
We have been hearing for a while how the church needs to have more diversity and this has been about skin color and other issues of our day, but I believe this is a different kind of diversity. I believe God wants a variety of colors, socio-economic status, diversity of dress (though conservative wear of course), diversity of gifts, talents, and walks of life. He made us individual and unique, yet we think conformity is unity. What conformity is, is simply easier to manage. How sad. God gave us a rainbow of colors and personalities, but we are being squeezed into a mold that not only stifles who we are, it stifles the ministry destiny He created us to walk out in the world. We become accepted in the body and we become ineffective in the world. Shame on us.
Another thing I have noticed, and along with my observation I hear, “Be in the world and not of it” (John 15:19, 17:14-16; Romans 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 6:14; Philippians 3:20; James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-17). Yet, when I look around the church, I can’t see a difference. We look so much like the world around us it becomes obvious that we have handed in our influencer cards for please-love-me-and-let-me-fit-in cards. We must stop and ask whether or not we are living for an audience of One or is it more important to us to fit worldly standards. Jesus didn’t fit in, but crowds were drawn to Him. We are told, if He, Jesus, is lifted up He will draw all men (peoples) unto Himself (John 6:44; 12:32). I think we are lifting nothing up when we blend in so much no one seeking the Lord would know to ask us. I have specific things for me, but I hope with a humble heart you are letting the Lord place a finger on what He wants to improve in your life through the loss of idols.
What has been taken away during this COVID crisis? Everything pretty much. For a while we could not go to a salon and cover our grays or get a haircut – vanity (Leviticus 19:32; Proverbs 20:29) We have given up some of our honor in this. Yet, I struggle with this very thing, because the lie is, I will no longer be seen as viable to the church. I have already been passed over due to my age and that is with coloring my hair! Yet, I cannot become part of the change if I continue to hide behind a bottle of dye. Again, I will confess this is my journey and I have no judgment toward anyone else. I want you to hear what the Lord is asking you to let go of so you can be closer to Him and step into this new era with the power He has assigned you.
Sports, schools, retail stores, and more have been closed down. Sports, a major pastime in this country, has been paused for a long time and only a few things are back now. Schools where questionable curriculum has been being introduced, where children are bullied, and where worldly doctrines are taught have been closed. Parents are having to home school and spend time with their children. (I understand there are pros and cons to this and not all families are safe. However, I do believe God intended families to be a greater part of a child’s life than they are right now.) Families are having dinner together – they are being restored. While there has not been in-person church on Sunday for a season, and for many that is still true, families are having church online, at home, with parents stepping into their priestly roles.
Kid’s sports are not being played on the Sabbath either. This has been something wrestled over for years inside the church. There are valid points on both sides. Yet, we are in a season where the struggle to choose between church and a child’s sport has been removed.
There are so many things we could point to, but what I hope we can do is see past the chaos of what is going on in the physical realm and remember we are living in a spiritual world. I hope we can take this moment of pause to get quiet, remember we are seated with Christ in heaven and look from that perspective (Ephesians 2:6). May the lack of distraction allow our ears to tune in to what God is saying to us. May we hear His direction and have the courage to obey.
I do believe He has succeeded in getting the church outside of the four walls. I do believe more evangelism is currently taking place through many acts of kindness: through serving our communities’ physical, spiritual, and emotional needs. It is in the phone calls to the elderly who often go ignored. It has been in the Zoom calls and meetings we have learned to appreciate the freedoms we have had. It is in the stillness that we remember He is God and He will be exalted among the nations and He will be exalted in the earth” (Psalms 46:10). Never forget throughout this crisis, He has already won. He still sits on His throne, and He is about to do something we have not seen before (Isaiah 43:18-21). I agree with the voices saying we are destined for a new era which includes a fuller dispensation of the Spirit of God on the earth through His children.
Will you simply find your quiet place, take a posture of humility before the Lord surrendering all to Him and listen for His still small voice to speak truth to your heart. He has some amazing adventures in store for those who will take the next steps with Him. Don’t long for things to return to the way they were. Let God fill you with excitement for this new chapter of dynamic kingdom living.