Dear pastor, your church needs you.
What does the world needs from the church now?
What does the church needs from the pastors now?
Today, people (in the US and beyond) are living in a state of fear. They are panicking over the “what if’s” and what might happen to them and their loved ones
In particular, their safety and security have been threatened and God is the One we must turn to in this time of difficulty.
Are we okay living in a time of uncertainty?
Are we still going to be joy-filled, hope-filled and faith-filled Christians during this time?
How is this time any different than:
- Roman oppression
- The black plague
- The cold war (and any number of other wars, invading factions, oppressive forces)
The reality is that this time is no different, except that perhaps some people now living are experiencing in a fresh way (or maybe for the first time) how completely out of control we really are in terms of this life. We can’t control when or what illnesses, diseases and viruses come on the scene. We can’t control what circumstances or accidents happen around us. We can’t control what other people will say or do. We can’t control the presence of sin and evil in our world.
This present set of circumstances is a reminder to us as Christians that our anchor and certainty in this life and the next is God Himself. Whenever wind or wave threatens us we must be reminded that God is our safety and security. That is not to say that we won’t have trouble in this life but rather that God will deliver us from the trouble or through the trouble.
Dear pastor, please help people now (as always!) to:
- Call on the name of the Lord
- Make decisions based on His Word and led by His Spirit
- Live like Christ with courage, compassion, wisdom, grace, truth, love and patience
- Trust and rest in the Lord
Today’s current events are testing people’s faith. If we allow our faith to be exercised then our faith can grow. If on the other hand we only allow our faith to operate and only live like Jesus when times are easy or when we completely understand or like the circumstances, our faith (like an unused muscle) will atrophy and when called upon might even break.
Let us remember, Christ is with us, Christ is in us,
Onward Christian soldiers!
Mike J
Pastor Encouragement 