When I began ministry 45 years ago, I was a regular supply preacher in a number of churches. In most cases, this meant that I would be taking the service in one of several churches in a circuit, whilst the regular minister took the services in the other churches. One of the circuits where I ministered regularly was quite a distance from my home, so I would often stay on the Saturday night with the minister and his wife, and we became good friends. He was a delightful fellow, but totally obsessed with the Illuminati, and convinced that we would be under One World Government within the next few years. Needless to say, that hasn’t yet happened.
As I write this, the world is in the grip of COVID-19. Many countries are in lockdown, or close to it. Responses range from absolute panic and terror, to panic stockpiling, to indifference, to a contemptuous belief that it is all a hoax. Conspiracy theories are a dime a dozen. Some Christians are digging up every end-time scripture they can find and claiming that the rapture is about to occur any minute now. Some pastors have defied government directives and continued to hold services, with the result that some of their members have come down with the virus. Others, who have followed the directives and closed public meetings, whilst seeking every means possible to continue to preach the Gospel and minister to the needs of the saints, have been accused of lacking faith or of obeying man rather than God.
Where do we find sanity and balance in all this?
Firstly, in relation to COVID-19, the fact that we are Christians does not guarantee us immunity against disease. Paul experienced sickness (Gal 4:15.) So did Timothy (1 Tim 5:23) Trophimus (2 Tim 4:20)and Epaphroditus (Phil 2:25-27) – and that’s just those that are actually mentioned in the New Testament. Even more telling is James’ injunction, “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord” (James 5:14.) If faith gave an automatic immunity against sickness, why would James be exhorting sick Christians to seek healing?
True faith must be anchored in the Word of God. Since the Word does not promise us immunity, to believe that we cannot catch this virus, or cannot spread it to others, is not faith but presumption.
This does not mean that we should be afraid of the virus, or of any other disease. The Lord Jesus Christ is still on the throne, and His Name is still above every other name in heaven or on earth. Whether our faith keeps us from getting the virus, or whether it simply enables us to go through it trusting the Lord for the outcome, is in His hands. However, it does mean that we should take normal, common sense precautions, not only for our own protection but for the protection of others.
So how should we respond to government restrictions? Churches have been closed – isn’t that telling us to obey man instead of God? Shouldn’t we rebel against that? Well, actually, no. The Church has not been closed, only church buildings have. The Church is not, never has been, and never will be the building. The Church is the people of God, the Body of Christ here on earth. We have not been forbidden to preach, pray, or care for people. We have just been asked to do thing differently for a while. If we are ever forbidden to preach or pray, I will be one of the first leading the rebellion. In the meanwhile, stop getting your nickers in a knot and try to find creative ways to BE the Church.
Moving on from the virus itself to the conspiracy theories surrounding it: Is it all part of a plan to bring in the One World Government? Has the virus been deliberately released by China (or some other source) to destroy the world economy? Is it part of a plan to reduce the world population? My answer to these and all the other conspiracy theories floating around is maybe, maybe not. Time will tell. Whichever way it goes, we do not get to control the outcome, so there is no point in fretting about it before hand.
Are we in the end times? Is the Book of Revelation being played out before our eyes? Again the answer is maybe, maybe not. Certainly as we look around the world seems to fit the Biblical picture. But bear in mind that Christians throughout the ages have looked at the events of their particular era and thought the same thing. It is entirely possible that we could be every bit as wrong as they were.
The thing is, if we are at the end of the end times (bearing in mind that Biblically speaking the end times started with the resurrection of Jesus) then things are going to happen that are totally beyond our control. When you read the book of Revelation, it talks about some stuff that could be truly scary if we choose to focus on it rather than on Jesus. In 6:8, it speaks of a quarter of mankind being killed, and in 9:15 of a third of (the remainder of) mankind being killed. Put those two together, and it means that before the return of the Lord the earth’s population is going to be reduced by half!
Of course some Christians, who are looking for an easy escape in the Rapture, will say we will be gone by then. I personally don’t believe that, and I can make a very good case to prove from the Bible that we will not be caught up to meet the Lord until He is actually returning to earth (not seven or three-and-a-half years before in a secret Rapture.) However, there is not space for that in this article, and it is not needed for the present purposes. Regardless of when Jesus returns, and regardless of what point at which we will be caught up to Him, He will keep us through it all. He kept the nation of Israel for 40 years in the wilderness, and He is able to keep us through whatever lies ahead.
The thing that disturbs me most about all the stuff that is going on in the Church at the moment is that so much attention is being given to what the enemy may or may not be doing. Conspiracy theories and all the rest give way too much attention to the devil, and in doing so actually give him power. Church, let’s refocus. Let’s stop talking about Satan and his works, and talk about Jesus. Let’s get our eyes off what the devil is doing and onto the King of kings and Lord of lords, the one who overcame Satan 2000 years ago at Calvary, and who is returning as a glorious, victorious Conqueror!