Is Covid Still Keeping You Out of Church? It's Time to Come Back

"Two years later, nearly 100% of churches are back to meeting in-person, that is good news. However, according to pollsters only around 75%-80% of Christians have come back. For those believers who have not returned, this may be a spiritual test about the Lordship of Christ."

Jesus was like a celebrity-type figure to many of His day. Crowds gathered in the thousands to hear Him speak and do miracles. This attracted a wide array of people to come follow Him, along with the 12 disciples. One man in particular was a scribe, a highly educated teacher and copier of God’s Word. He randomly shouted out to Jesus in the midst of other people, “I will follow you wherever you go.” (Luke. 9:57) Jesus quickly responded saying, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” (Lk. 9:58)

Does not that sound like an odd response to a person who wants to follow Jesus? What was Jesus, the master communicator, saying? He was telling the scribe there is a cost to following Him. While the man may have been enamored by the celebrity of Jesus, Jesus highlighted the non-glamorous parts of His ministry, which the scribe never observed. For Jesus told him it was one of poverty, homelessness and rejection.

Why was Jesus saying this? He was not just sharing information about His ministry’s travel and lodging plans. Jesus was stating a condition that must be met to follow Him. And that condition is His Lordship. It must be believed in and submitted to, no matter the cost.

When March 2020 ushered in the Covid pandemic, it became a test for every church and Christian. The test became harder with the passage of time due to continual negative and discouraging news of the virus spreading, hospitalizations, deaths, new variants and the introduction of vaccines. Sweeping lockdowns and mandates came as a result, causing churches to shut down in person gatherings and people to stay at home.

Two years later, nearly 100% of churches are back to meeting in-person, that is good news. However, according to pollsters only around 75%-80% of Christians have come back. For those believers who have not returned, this may be a spiritual test about the Lordship of Christ.

For those of us who have repented of our sins and placed our faith in Him, He became not only our Savior, but Lord. We were bought by Him through His blood on the cross. As a result, we became His and no longer our own. This means we are expected to do what He says, which is our primary way of expressing our love for Him. He commands us by word and example to gather with other believers to receive teaching, have fellowship, take the Lord’s supper, pray, celebrate baptism, engage in ministry and worship together.

For nearly 2,000 years, millions of Christians have faced potential danger for doing this. This is something modern believers in western nations largely know little about due to our freedoms. Gathering as the church has rarely been risk free since its inception. Believers in the first century often met in homes partly because of rampant persecution. The smaller groups, privacy, lack of visibility to authorities made it safer, but still not without some threat of peril. For centuries the faithful in persecuted lands have gathered with full knowledge they could be harassed, arrested or killed. They have also gathered during war, in crime ridden neighborhoods, while facing sickness and disease and following the effects of natural disasters.

What compels Christians to assemble when there are threats to their safety? The Lordship of Jesus. Like the scribe that shouted out to Jesus that he would follow him no matter what; words are easy to say. But the true test of the Christian is found in the dark valleys of suffering and trials of all sorts.

Fellow believers, it is time to get back to church. Accept there is risk, but place your faith in Christ as you go. When you do, remember the suffering and death He courageously endured for you. And do not forget some of His last words before He ascended back into heaven, “I am with you always.” (Matt. 28:20) In Christ, you are never alone.

A prayer for you - “Lord God, I pray this column will reach those who have not gone back to church since the start of Covid. Whatever their fears or concerns, bring them to place their trust in you and overcome all obstacles to gather again with their fellow believers. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

They Killed The Son of God to Bury The Truth

"Jesus gave them the truth and what did they do? They killed Him. The Son of God."

When Jesus was arrested on charges of blasphemy and ushered in before the powerful Sanhedrin, He was asked this question by the high priest, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” (Mark 14:61) Was the priest really interested in the truth or just trying to cover it up? Here is Jesus’ answer, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” This infuriate the high priest, “. . . he tore his garments and said, ‘What further witnesses do we need? You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?’ And they all condemned him as deserving death. And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him ‘Prophesy!’ And the guards received him with blows.” (Mk. 14:63-65) Jesus gave them the truth and what did they do? They killed Him. The Son of God.

For three years Jesus’ spoke openly and boldly to both those in power and the common person. To some, His words of truth were received by teachable hearts that led to changed lives. But to most, they caused offense, irritation and anger.

Jesus publicly exposed the lies of the religious leaders, and confronted them with their corrupt behavior. They did not like having the light of truth being shone upon them, so they sought to eliminate the truth. They thought if they killed Him, the uncomfortableness He brought would be gone. Not so. For the three days Jesus lay buried in a borrowed tomb, His opponents were not rejoicing. They pondered the supernatural signs at the moment of Jesus’ death and were troubled when they remembered how He said He would rise again. It was three days of misery for them. Then on the third day, when Jesus rose from the dead, they discovered with great alarm how the truth cannot be buried.

Do not look down on these religious leaders and imagine we are better. By nature, all of us try to suppress the God-revealed truth about our lives. Our circumstances may not be recorded on the pages of history as theirs, but we are still no less guilty.

When God shows us the truth of ourselves, He often does it through our conscience, that inner voice which speaks when we have violated His moral law. When we pursue evil desires, the voice warns us, but in turn, we suppress it. We turn up the volume of entertainment. We give ourselves to pleasure. We go to great lengths to rationalize what we have done. We give ourselves to religion and good deeds believing that will ease our unrest. Whatever method we choose to silence our conscience, the truth of our lives cannot be buried.

And how does God respond to our efforts to suppress the truth? He says we are all without excuse. Through our conscience, He has written on our hearts what is right and wrong. As a result, this justifies God’s anger toward us. When He has made it plain to us what we ought to do, then do not do it, we invite His judgment.

What is our saving hope in light of this? Only one person can save us from the danger we are to ourselves, which comes from the just consequences of our own actions. When Jesus died upon the cross, He took the wrath of God for our sins, so we would not have to. He paid our penalty of death for us. And when He rose again from the dead and ascended into heaven, He sent His Spirit to wash clean our conscience and give us a new heart and mind. Jesus is our only hope.

A prayer for you - “Lord God, I pray you will help us to face the truth. The truth of who we are and what we have done. We are sinners and have sinned against you and others. We cannot cover it up anymore. Save us from your anger. Show us mercy through Christ. Grant us the forgiveness You have promised to those who call upon Your name. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Authors of Our Own Chaos

"For governments, sometimes their own legislation and policies have brought chaos upon their own people. For families, sometimes their own moral and financial choices have brought chaos inside the walls of their own home."

There was once an ancient city that was affluent and a powerful force militarily, politically and economically. God said about it, “This is the exultant city that lived securely, that said in her heart, “I am, and there is no one else.” (Zephaniah 2:15) These were dangerous words of pride. They were confident in themselves and thought they were invincible. But what they did not understand, is they lived not just in a physical world, but a spiritual one also. And in that spiritual world there was good and evil, and evil dwelt in the heart of mankind. And the common sign of that evil was the pride, egotism and self-exaltation they displayed.

Almighty God is an avenger toward pride. For there is only one God and He will not tolerate any prideful competitors, albeit from mankind or other so-called gods. How does God confront the pride of a nation, a city or an individual? With the weapon of humbleness. In His wisdom and sovereign power, with divine patience, He firmly but graciously, moves to bring a nation or a single person to the end of themselves, that they might turn and live.

When God employs His strategy to humble us, it may appear as if chaos has broken out everywhere. But to God He is wisely and carefully employing whatever is necessary to break our pride and humble us, that we would know His saving power and experience His everlasting peace, joy and steadfast love.

On our global scene it seems like chaos. Is World War III on the horizon with war in eastern Europe, uncertainty in the Asia-Pacific region and the always concerning Middle East? Will rising inflation rates lead to even higher food and gas prices causing shortages and national unrest? What will the future be like with Covid-19, ever growing signs of vaccine side effects and the on again-off again restrictions?

What about your own city, family or personal life? Is there chaos, uncertainty, things that appear to be out of your control? Is this leading to fear, depression and anxiety or to a double dose of determination and drive to overcome?

God once said, “For my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them my indignation, all my burning anger; for in the fire of my jealousy all the earth shall be consumed.” (Zeph. 3:8) Why was God so angry? Pride! Because of mankind’s continuing stubborn and selfish pride, God in His anger at times, simply steps out of the way and gives people what they want. And what they get is chaos of their own making. For governments, sometimes their own legislation and policies have brought chaos upon their own people. For families, sometimes their own moral and financial choices have brought chaos inside the walls of their own home.

And what is God jealous of? You. As you turn away from Him and toward other things, He becomes jealous for you. He wants you to turn toward Him. He patiently stands with arms open wide, waiting for you. Yet in the meantime because you pridefully go after other things, violating His moral commands, wave after wave of chaos rains down upon your life. It does not need to be that way. God’s ways are better than yours. He is ready to take away His judgments against you. He says, “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save.” (Zeph. 3:17) Will you make Him your God today? In your pride you have lost much, but God says, “. . . when I restore your fortunes before your eyes . . .” (Zeph. 3:20) What your prideful disobedience has ruined, God can restore. He can restore an entire nation or just one family. Both are equally precious in His sight. Take hold of this promise!

Will you stop fighting against God? Will you stop running? Will you stop trusting in yourself? Turn to Him and live. This is why Jesus died and rose again. To provide you a clear path to a new life in Him.

A prayer for you - “Lord God, let each person examine themselves and reveal if there be any selfish pride. Let them examine their lives and admit if there be any chaos of their own making. Then bring them to humble themselves and make themselves low before you, asking for mercy to forgive their sin and restore what disobedience has taken away. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”