LOCKED IN

In my thoughts I have gone through a lot of different thinking, since March. From Separated, Isolation, Hidden Away, and now Locked In! In each position I found myself in, I still knew all of this was God working within His church. But when the news came today that our governor was extending our Stay At Home, I suddenly felt as if the government was locking us in. Thankfully we are not experiencing the kind of government lock downs and taking away our liberties as some states are doing. But I am not going to go down that rabbit hole in this blog.

Question: What do you do when you find yourself locked in and unable to go? My first thought went to the Apostle Paul, who spend the majority of his time locked in prison, or house arrest, by the Roman government. As my thoughts began to think about Paul here is what I saw:

1. Paul, used every opportunity to further the gospel of Christ; whether it was in the court room, the prison cell, or under house arrest. 

2. He prayed fervently, His faith grew, He received revelation from Jesus Christ.

3. He put together letters to the churches, based on the revelation he had received, he encouraged the church, he prayed for the church, he instructed the church and at times he reproved the church.

As we all go through this time together, do you begin to understand Paul a little more? Do you see yourself like Paul in any way? Me I love to write and share the word, but I do find myself journaling on Facebook a lot. I am neither a pastor nor an apostle, yet we all are ambassadors for Christ and we are all told to go and tell, to be a mentor to others, to encourage others, to inspire others and to lead the lost to Christ, and we do that in many ways and through many venues. Now think about this a minute how can we do that while locked in?

1. A phone call or a text

2. A thinking of you card

3. Through posts on social media

4. Praying for one another

You can probably add a lot more ways to this list. But if we haven't put these into practice as yet, in the next few weeks of our time in our homes let's put some of these into practice.

Again Paul spend much time seeking God in prayer. Many times just him and Jesus. Fellow followers were allowed to come in small numbers to minister to him and take back a word to the churches. You might say he had some social distancing going on.

This time we are in, looking at it through God's perspective, calls us to place our focus on Jesus, causes us to see that all along we have found ourselves centered around the temporary versus the eternal. Have you noticed how everything we thought was important and essential suddenly revealed itself to be non-essential and temporary? Let that sink in for a moment; now how will we find ourselves viewing the things in our lives we viewed as essential and God said "No they were all just temporary adding nothing to the kingdom of God"!

This crisis will end, yet the world will never be normal again. This from an old song kept coming into my thoughts during the night:"Daddy, tell me about the good old days". Some of our young children will begin to grow up and listen to parents tell as things once was before the Coronavirus hit and children will go to bed at night saying "Daddy tell me about the good old days". Some of you may think I am over exaggerating, but I am I? When governors see the control they can have in making decisions for the people of their states, and mayors of towns and cities see what power than get and use to control cities and towns, that control and power will not easily if ever go away. It will be a haunting reminder of "We can do this again".

Oh, businesses will reopen, those who have not lost everything and had to permanently closed, or file bankruptcy. Sports will begin again, restaurants will open back up, hair salons will reopen, church doors will open, life will appear once more; Yet, different. And for that I am thankful. But understand this, once Pandora's box has been opened, it will not take much to shut the world down again.

Now church how will we view the things we loved to participate in so much? Again, God wants us to enjoy the life He has given us. It isn't about going to a concert, eating at our favorite restaurant, cheering our children on or our favorite team we love to watch play, it isn't about getting our hair and nails done. NO God isn't saying get rid of it and go live like a hermit. He is showing us that what we have believed we couldn't live without is just temporary and can be shaken. He is showing us where our priorities are and aren't. How we have allowed things to become high places in our lives. When this is over we cannot go back to the way things were in our hearts.

We will never again take for granted the joy of watching our children, run and laugh as they play at a playground, or on a ballfield. Never again will we take for granted visiting with family and friends, gathering in our homes and sharing a meal, celebrating birthdays, weddings, baby showers, wedding showers, holidays, cook outs, celebrating graduations. Never again shall we take for granted the privilege of gathering with our church family, worshipping our Lord in the unity of one body. Never again to take for granted the grace, mercy and love of God our Father. 

What do I mean to take God for granted? Well let me ask these questions: "How casually have you taken your relationship with Jesus?"  "How much time do you spend in His word, in prayer"? "Are you comfortable with not gathering with your church family, and not going to God's house"? "How easy is it for you to act like 'Everyone else is doing it' so what does it hurt"? "Are you comfortable have sex and not married, are you comfortable watching R and X rated movies?" "Are you comfortable just knowing you walked down the church aisle, prayed a prayer, was baptized, yet continued your life as it was, or perhaps got excited and on fire for Jesus then gradually it fizzled out"?

That and more is taking our relationship with Jesus casual and for granted!

God has tucked us in, not locked us in, to reveal to us how far we have fallen from Him. I have heard Him say "I have given time to repent"! Let us begin (if you haven't already) to spend quality time in the presence of God, seek Him, let His Holy Spirit reveal our sins that are hindering us, that have kept us from going deeper with God. Repent and turn back to our first love, do it Today, least we miss the day of our visitation. This time is crucial for the life of the believer, because church cannot go back to where it was, with good messages, a good song, well meaning programs, yet no movement of the Holy Spirit, because we have placed Him in the box of our convenience. Revival is personal before it is corporate, God is shaking both His people and His church. Revival will begin in our homes on our knees in repentance and prayer, it will bring on a spiritual warfare, and at the same time when we rise up revived and restored we will carry revival into God's house, and wherever we go. From this there will be an outpouring from God upon sons and daughters, the lost will be saved, the wayward will return home from the land of the enemy. Yet the outpouring will only come to places, communities, churches, homes, cities that have prepared themselves through prayer during this time God has given us.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose

Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Then in the next few verses it is written that NOTHING can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.

Use this time wisely, for the day is coming when those who have missed His visitation, God Himself will write on doors, of homes, churches, government offices and more the word Ichabod! Which means the glory of the Lord has left.

Lives, relationships, are hanging in the balance. What are WE going to do with JESUS during this moment He has given us?

Thankful that our God is in control!