A thunderclap is something that startles us or something that happens to us unexpectedly. It is easy to loose faith and live in fear of the headlines and unknowns.
All natural disasters- floods, famines, tsunamis, or diseases- are a thunderclap of divine mercy in the midst of judgement, calling all people everywhere to repent and realign lives by grace, with the infinite worth of the glory of God. And the basis for that building block is Luke 13:1-5 Pilate had slaughtered worshippers in the temple. And the tower in Siloam had collapsed and killed 18 bystanders. And the crowds want to know from Jesus, just like I’ve been asked, ” okay make sense of this, Jesus. Tell us what you think about these natural disasters and cruelty happening around.
Most of the world may be deaf to the divine warning in a global pandemic, But the lord of heaven, who governs every germ and molecule in the universe, says anyone with ears to hear, do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
We are not only the audience and eyewitnesses, but also participants. As I open my bible daily with a hunger and substance and guidance. He has prepared us for days like these. He plans to show the immeasurable riches of his kindness through simple acts of Christian courage in a world paralyzed and consumed by fear. Father in the name of Jesus, use your Church.
The main news happening in the world right now does not concern data about the spread, or the economy and the stimulus and the free money coming our way. The main news is the church.
Christ Channels his global glory uniquely through his church. How is God- the one able to do far more than we can ever dream- being glorified in our world today, and at the same time? Stand in awe: in the church and in Christ Jesus. Through Christ, seated in heaven, and through his church, displaying him around the world in every major city and advancing on every tongue, tribe, people, and nation. The husband who is the very image of god. ( Colossians 1:15;2 Corinthians 4:4) the focal point of Gods Glory in history, gave us, his bride, his own spirit that we might collectively image him, and our father, in this age.
We are not the church in the corona virus age. We may be enduring a global pandemic, but we do so as the church and the church age. We are not living in a pandemic age, or a digital age, or even a pragmatic age, or what ever you want to emphasize age. This is the church age.
The wind of these days may carry away much Chaff. The tides are going out on the shallows. But Christs Church will endure. And shine out all the clearer and so will his people. Hard times are good days to be a Christian.
Xoxo Elle
