THE CORONA CRISIS:
A Word of Practical Wisdom for Pastors, Leaders, and all Believers.
by Keith Malcomson
A Word of Practical Wisdom for Pastors, Leaders, and all Believers.
by Keith Malcomson
- Remember there are two distinct kingdoms that all of us belong to, and both of these kingdoms have authority granted to them by God.
- There are the natural kingdoms of this world, their leaders, laws, regulations, and institutions which we pay taxes to, obey, and submit to. Christ paid His taxes and He also taught respect to these natural institutions. So did the apostles (Rom.13:1-4; I Pet.2:13-14, 17).
- As long as laws made and implemented by them do not infringe upon our faith, obedience to God, or holiness of mind and heart, we follow them with a good conscience. Laws implemented for the protection of people, the punishment of criminals, the protection, health, and safety of the public should be respected where at all possible.
- A variety of suggestions as well as enforced regulations have been implemented by governments in different nations in recent weeks and days and these may increase in coming weeks. Social distance, no gatherings over 50, no gatherings over 10, no-one on the streets without good reason, outside activities banned, etc. How should the church respond? It might be worth noting a few things:
- Do governmental suggestions or regulations which affect public gatherings for a very limited period of time (weeks!) entail a removal of liberties, rights, or freedoms? No not at all. You maintain these. Every area of society is in the same boat. Most other areas of normal life have already been curtailed or suspended. The Church and its rights and liberties are not being targeted.
- Is this an act of persecution? No not at all. It is an utterly unique and very temporary situation affecting every area of society – not just the church. You can read the Bible, pray, witness (within reason), live out your Christian life and personal convictions. This present situation is focused on health, hygiene, and social contact in each local community. Within a period of weeks, God-willing, all these restrictions will begin to lift.
- When normal operation returns to shops, business, schools, sports, and every other area of life, it will also return to the Church within each nation. And in fact the complete public gathering of each local church will be the quickest, smoothest, and most natural of any area of society because it is a living organic body. If this does not happen there will be an immediate and militant world-wide response. So don’t let such fears drive temporary decisions.
- Do not get divided or distracted in arguing that this virus-scare is a conspiracy-hoax, a genuine real natural health crisis, or that it is caused by the neglect of those in power.
- Our view on the corona virus should not reflect at all upon our basis of fellowship, worship, or friendship. Christ, the scriptures, the Cross, the Blood, holiness, and much more creates the atmosphere of communion and fellowship enjoyed by genuine believers. It is these things that should dominate our unity in edifying one-another, not some view on this present temporary crisis.
- The fact is that whatever you may think of the corona virus, its true cause or source, it has now not only caused a national crisis but an international crisis that will impact billions of people at work, home, and in the Church. This is already seriously affecting lives now, and that is what we must consider.
- Our priority as the Church is to preach the gospel – Christ and Him crucified. Our calling is to preach repentance, salvation, and forgiveness to all who will hear. Political intrigue, debates, arguments, special agendas and theories etc., can seriously sidetrack from this singular task.
- Sinners who need salvation are watching us! What example, message, and information are they watching, hearing and receiving from us during this crisis? Are we feeding their lust for intrigue? Are we turning them off Christianity because of our strange theories that have nothing whatsoever to do with salvation through faith in the Blood?
- Over the past 30 years I have watched and listened carefully to the theories of those who claimed to have inside information who predicted dates and times of certain things that would happen. Almost none of these things ever happened as predicted. We as believers cannot afford to waste time on these things. The most serious conspiracies and agendas preparing the way for the rise of Antichrist are now already in the open and blatantly promoted before our eyes. We must preach Christ.
- In reference to a response to the corona virus in all of our personal actions please allow freedom of conscience for all those within the Church.
- There are those who in all good conscience, with sincere faith, and in humility will continue gathering as an assembly and functioning as normal. While some may be reckless in this or proud in attitude and in their words yet there are many sincere godly Christians who feel conscience-bound to continue without change. Please do not mock or condemn those who do this. The freedom and liberty of the church is precious to them and they believe in a God who can preserve them through this time and heal those who are sick.
- Although we are to judge sin in the church, disobedience to clear commands, and words spoken in contradiction to biblical teaching, yet we must realize that acting according to conviction, acting in love, respecting authority, or using wisdom in implementing certain actions for a short temporary period of time is not innately sinful or an act of rebellion. Many of those who are restricting or cancelling gatherings are doing this with a pure heart seeking to be wise, to care for their flock, and to respect the law of the land, as well as the health of sinners.
- Please do not condemn or accuse people for lack of faith, fear, or lack of holiness who in all good conscience act or respond differently than you. Maybe it’s time for some grace, mercy and patience.
- While we are clearly taught in scripture what to judge, there are other things we should not judge. I believe certain decisions made by pastors, preachers, and all Christians over the next few weeks and months will fall within this realm. My all-round call in these simple notes is for a great breadth and warmth of heart to all genuine believers and churches during this crisis time.
- In 1915 many dedicated missionaries going to Africa were dying because they refused Quinine (the prevention medication for malaria) because they felt this would be an act of unbelief and a denial of trust in Christ for protection and healing. W.F.P. Burton and Jimmy Salter were just starting out on their missionary task and considering this. They decided that Burton would take it and Salter would labour without it setting an example for all and allowing liberty of conscience and action according to personal faith. Within 45 years they raised up over 1,000 functioning native churches.
- The Bible not only teaches faith, miracles, and healing, it also teaches hygiene, health, and wisdom.
- Moses in the law taught widely on many issues of hygiene: going to the toilet outside the camp, how to bury waste, quarantining lepers, washing in running water, how a woman was to conduct herself at her time of month, safety provisions on homes to prevent accidents, etc.
- Moses was a man of faith, a man of prayer, of miracles, prophecies, healings, etc., yet this did not contradict all the hygiene and preventive measures he taught among God’s people. Those who mock such measures, ignore them, claim divine protection without heeding them, proclaim immunity from common ailments, and accuse those who diligently follow hygienic laws of lack of faith and fear, are not moving in faith but rather presumption separated from the full council of the written Word of God.
- Obedience to hygiene in no way limits, restricts, hinders, or nullifies faith. In fact when these things are taught in the Word of God faith is revealed by obedience to them. We must distinguish between genuine biblical faith and mere presumption that has no true foundation.
- John Welsh (son-in-law to John Knox) was the minister in Ayr, Scotland, at the time of a terrible plague sweeping the land claiming many lives. He used it as an opportunity to call the people of his town to a time of repentance. The town magistrates set a 24-hour guard on the town walls to stop infection entering from infected areas by travellers. Two salesmen arrived on horseback at the wall one day seeking entrance, showing a clean bill of health, and assuring the magistrate that their home area was clear. The magistrate called on Welsh to come, to investigate and to decide. The man of God uncovered his head, lifted his eyes to heaven, and prayed silently for the wisdom of God. He then prophesied that the plague was in their packs and that they must be sent away. The men were sent on their way. They travelled 15 miles east to Cumnock where they were there allowed to sell their goods. The plague soon broke out in that town and spread until they were hardly able to bury the dead. Hygiene and quarantine can be an act of faith and obedience!
- The normal rules of hygiene should not nullify acting with remarkable Faith in crisis times.
- To specifically get the mind of God and the guidance of God can at times lead you into a higher law than natural laws. Peter walked on water at the command of Christ. It was not a reckless foolish faith that led him to step out of the boat but rather an obedient faith seeking Christ. Faith can rise higher than what is called common sense or the normal laws of hygiene.
- George Wishart in 1544 was forbidden by law from preaching in Dundee Scotland. Four days after this pronouncement a terrible plague broke out in the town and within 24-hours many had died. When he heard this he immediately returned to the town and preached publically at the east gate to the healthy that were inside and the sick that were outside from the text “He sent His word and healed them.” He continued preaching to them with hundreds turning to Christ, and in visiting the sick and dying until the plague came to an end.
- During the Cholera outbreak of 1832 in Bristol, which lasted three months, George Müller with his associate continued to minister and hold regular frequent prayer-meetings, sometimes daily, to plead for the removal of the disease. Death constantly surrounded them yet they visited the sick and dying. Out of two sizeable congregations only one person died.
- During the Cholera outbreak of 1854 in London, C.H. Spurgeon continued to preach, hold meetings, to visit the sick, to pray for healing, and to be used to spread the gospel wherever and whenever possible.
- Men like Peter, Wishart, Müller and Spurgeon were not foolish men. They were men earnestly seeking Christ. Such men have sought the welfare of the sheep in every crisis. To write-off such acts of faith as foolish, irresponsible, or unacceptable would be to ignore scripture and the example of many godly men through the ages.
- Shepherds must especially seek for the will of God at this time and be prepared to step out with a dynamic overcoming faith in this present corona crisis. While we should never recklessly disregard hygiene we must also not negate genuine acts of faith or faithfulness to the call of God out of fear to preserve self.
- To specifically get the mind of God and the guidance of God can at times lead you into a higher law than natural laws. Peter walked on water at the command of Christ. It was not a reckless foolish faith that led him to step out of the boat but rather an obedient faith seeking Christ. Faith can rise higher than what is called common sense or the normal laws of hygiene.
- Some closing bits of advice for those affected by this present crisis.
- This is a very unique unparalleled worldwide event not seen before in our lifetime. Although drastic in its nock-on affect and consequences it will most likely only last for a very short period of time. Now is the time to stop, consider, and to take stock of what you will do, how you will respond, how you will redeem the time, and to consider what you will have accomplished by the end of this crisis?
- If you are a parent who has lost your job or who now has children at home because of school closure this could be a unique unrepeated event in which you have time and freedom to have precious spiritual input to your children and family. Remember your children are watching your response to this crisis.
- If this virus should visit you or your family it is a time to consider eternity, to repent, have faith, to consider how you have been living your life, the brevity of life, and to seek the will of God for the future.
- If you are a hard worker who can no longer go to your place of work or continue in work, then redeem this precious time. You have previously been busy, lacked sufficient time for spiritual things, you have not had quality quite time to meditate, consider, and contemplate. Now is the time. It has been forced upon you. Do not waste it.
- If you as an individual or if your church is hindered from gathering or if it decides to not gather for a time during this crisis you have a unique period of time to read the Bible from cover to cover, to study the Bible, to pray over the truths of the Bible, to pray for yourself, the Church, the Nation.
- Replicate (copy, reproduce) and establish the function of the church in your own home. Set up a family altar. Let spiritual life, faith, prayer, hope, love and truth grow in your home. This can be a vital time to go back over the precious online teachings from your church over recent months and years – chew the cud. Why not read good Christian books of testimonies, on revivals, on prayer, and concerning holiness that have been sitting on your shelf unread.
- Although the same believers, gathering in the same place, at the same times, for the same purpose is essential to the function of the church, the church is far more than this. Its life continues, functions, and operates outside of these set times. Even if public and united gatherings are temporarily suspended the life of the church most certainly is not. Phone someone, email them, make a meal for them, or pray for them.
- There may be short-term localised food or item shortages during this crisis. Do not fear or panic, but rather pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Mt.6:11). Christians in a number of other countries have to live like this every day of their lives. You do it as a temporary unique event.
- Make sure the members of your local body are cared for: the old, infirm, weak, poor, fearful, those without a car, etc. Looking out for an unsaved person on your street or area in the same way may be the means of winning them to Christ.
- Let this crisis be used of the Lord to make us realise just how much we take for granted in life: work, shops, church, gatherings of friends, freedoms, provisions, health, and much more. “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (I Thess.5:18).
- This is a very unique unparalleled worldwide event not seen before in our lifetime. Although drastic in its nock-on affect and consequences it will most likely only last for a very short period of time. Now is the time to stop, consider, and to take stock of what you will do, how you will respond, how you will redeem the time, and to consider what you will have accomplished by the end of this crisis?
I would love to hear your responses, comments and questions to the above article as we all manoeuvre our way through this situation prayerfully seeking the wisdom of God and His glory and praise alone.