As we meet today in a very untraditional fashion, online, that is just one gum ball in the machine. We are being impacted by the historical pandemic Covid-19 virus that is sweeping around the world in uncountable ways. As of Friday night the CDC have reported that 11,376 people have died from complications and over 275,000 are confirmed carriers of the virus. When we look at the numbers we see where the death rate is lower than 5%, so we ease our immediate panic… until we hear of 2 people dying in Albany, just 80 miles away.  We are gathering to put fear into anybody. The intention is to bring truth and peace so we can put things into perspective and live in this broken world as God would desire.

Everyone in the world has been impacted.  The main objective of all the original actions to distance and have people work from home was to prevent an massive influx to our hospitals. That seems to be making a positive impact, but many lives are going to be impacted for many years, if not for the rest of our life. It is unimaginable to see how some of the biggest cities in the world  are shutdown, massive run on supplies. Schools shutdown and gas prices expected to be under a $1 by this summer. This is incredible times and many people only thought the events of 911 were the worst it could get in our life time.  The truth is no one has ever lived though something like this. You are making history….

How is everyone doing? Working from home? Still at the office? Family hanging close?

There are a couple of truths that we need to make sure we understand in these times….

Social Distancing is NOT Spiritual Distancing

We have been told that limiting physical contact with others and keeping a safe distance is our first priority. Many of us have been impacted at work. Some have been sent home to try to work the best they can away from the office. Others are told to not go out and mingle and socialize.  Some have had to balance and juggle their lives to help support family as kids are sent home for a couple weeks.

The truth is we are not told and will never have to be spiritually distanced from anyone. We can call people, text people and even have a video conference and still stay connected.  The Bible records that Jesus equipped us for such a time as these. Paul describes our relationship with the Holy Spirit in 2 Corinthians as a fellowship. That fellowship provides much hope when come to realize that the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Cor 3:17).  With that fact we can be still and have peace. In this season, many people may have even taken this season to engage more.  Some have had a lot more time surf social media and share life together. With that 2 questions….

How has your spiritual walk been this last week. How has your quiet time been? Have you been able to have more time with God?

Have you been more engage with people now even when we were told to be separated?

Abused, but used

These times are not taking God off guard. These times are a thriving season for the Gospel. As we see many people communicating and praying more, as we previously heard, we also have to be aware of the abuse that is currently happening. If you have experienced it directly, I am sorry. If you have been caught up in it, I am sorry. I want to provide some common sense that we can all be reminded of.

As we attempt to share hope and truth of God’s Word on social media, hurt people are going to hurt people. Satan is on full offense and all of his troops are called in to intensify the attacks.  In these times the unfaithful and lost souls begin to pay attention to what is going on around and begin realizing their own weakness and their own mortality.  There will be people that test your own faith. Use these to solidify your walk.

You know the truth of the Word. Like a capsized boat, cling to your life preserver. Spend personal time in the Bible. Focus on Jesus, read the stories in the Bible about such time as these.

No one will be argued to heaven.  Your job is not to argue with someone that you don’t know about your faith, Jesus or the Bible. Let God fight His battles. Jesus never argued with anyone to convince them to follow HIm.

Be strong, there are Facebook and Instagram attacks going on every minute. People that used to be in the church, don’t like the church and basically don’t have a relationship with God are mocking and attacking those that do.

The simplest thing we can do is the next right thing.  When someone says your faith is stupid or there is no God, just acknowledge them and pray for them. See in these times God is stirring the lost souls. This is truly a season of spiritual awakening.

Another category of people are the seekers. Some don’t even know they are seekers, but their spirit is stirring.  There was aa post of a friend that was asking for prayer for her mom heading to the hospital and one response was ….

The seekers are taking action and as we physically separate, this is a great opportunity to share the Gospel.  You don’t have to do it out in the open, someone could have connected with this person directly to offer true hope. Be careful where and how you share your hope. you don’t want to get caught in a swarm. God has equipped each us with the truth and hope that many of His people need. Remember the wonderful verses from two weeks ago…

¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. ¹⁸ All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹ that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ²¹ For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. – 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 ESV

We have been enlisted in the ministry of reconciliation, to be ambassadors for Christ. In these times be the living hope that God intended when He selected you.

How has the battle been in your daily life this past week? Have you experienced any of the attacks mentioned? Have you had the blessing of sharing with others in the area of reconciliation?

Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. – Hebrews 10:24 NIV

Do not get lulled into this is just stupid political scam and how your life is disrupted. Use this time to connect with your brothers, your family.  Maybe even neighbors you have not even met. Get out and stroll your neighborhood. Don’t let the enemy consume you with all the food you have stocked up on and the television seeping with sin….

In closing, I do know that the living God is using these times to test us and refine us. The times can be very difficult and. we can recoil and begin to try to figure it out on our own, but I want to challenge you, poke you and remind you.  We have a God that is involved and has been involved in our lives before the 19 in Covid-19 was around.  But He also wants to see our heart in these times.  The truth of the matter is, many churches are not going to survive this season. With church attendance down, tithings plummet.  People spend all their money on their “supplies”.  Remember…

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? – Matthew 6:25-27 NIV

In these times God is going to take care of His family. One thing we are called to do is tithe. In these times we will learn more about our own heart and motives than we can imagine.  I want to encourage you with love to not stop your tithe because your not going to church on Sundays.  You can give online. Don’t rob yourself of the blessings.  Even if you are giving in a variety of ways, buying for others, etc, don’t rob your tithe. Remember the house of Israel acquired many possessions and multiplied exceedingly during the course of seventeen years, even through the worst of the seven-year famine under Joseph’s rule. This could will be a glorious time for God’s church and I want you to be wise, healthy and equipped to be the best ambassadors we can be in this ministry of reconciliation.