Is it Possible?

Is it possible that God would close down the whole world just to get the attention of all His followers?  Is it possible that God loves His children so much that He would briefly abandon the rest of humanity in a last-ditch effort to save those who have strayed from the truth?

I believe the answer can easily be seen in Matthew 18:12-14. It says, "If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do?  Won't he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost?  And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn't wander away!  In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father's will that even one of these little ones should perish."

Stick with me on this while I explain where I am coming from.  In these verses, the shepherd leaves the entire flock on the hills as he looks for the one lost (wayward) sheep.  

Point one: One sheep went astray

Point two: The shepherd left the other sheep on the hills all by themselves.

Point three:  The shepherd felt it was so important to save the wayward sheep that he allowed the rest of the sheep to be exposed to danger and even possible death.

Now, I understand that the 99 in this passage actually refers to those who (have not) gone astray, but I want to focus on the fact that the shepherd (who was supposed to lay down his life for the whole flock) was willing to leave the 99 in a state of danger in order to save the one. 

Is it possible that God is temporarily leaving the world in a position of danger, and even death, in order to seek out the wayward church which He loves so much?

You see, I have been trying to figure out if Covid is God's judgment upon the whole world, or if it is just a scheme of man to control society and introduce a one-world, socialistic government. I guess it could be both.  However, I have to believe that Covid is an all-out effort by God to seek out His lost and wayward people and to restore them to Himself even if it means putting the rest of the world in a state of danger.

It is interesting that God has shut down the things that even believers have turned into idols and gods.  Sports, Hollywood, Church....  Oops, did I just throw church into that group?  I certainly did.  I believe God has even shut down the church in order to get His people's attention. The church has clearly lost its way.  This is nothing new, it has been going on since the beginning of time.  A quick scan of the Old Testament proves the fickleness of God's people.  It is kind of like the guy who plucks the petals of a flower to see if a woman loves him or loves him not:  They serve Him, they serve Him not, they serve Him, they serve Him not.

One similarity I have noticed with the church today compared to the "people of God" in the Old Testament is the proliferation of idols.

A few summers ago while I was visiting friends in another state I decided to attend a couple churches on Sunday morning.  There was one glaring similarity in both churches I attended.  Almost everyone at both places was carrying around a little idol.  People walking from the parking lot to the church were carrying them, the greeters at the door were carrying them, even people "worshipping" God during the service were carrying them.  What was even more astonishing was that there was a kiosk set up in the foyer of both churches where people could get a free idol.  What bothered me the most was watching people in the service holding their idol in one hand and raising the other hand to God in worship.  I thought to myself, "God cannot be pleased with this."  

You have probably figured out what these little idols were, they were coffee cups.  Now, don't jump all over me for calling coffee cups idols.  I am merely using this as a way to show how far the church has fallen.  The reason for the coffee shops in the church is another way for people to feel comfortable while in church.  No longer do we have to leave our rituals and habits at home.  Now we can bring them to church with us.  Not only that, if you didn't bring yours with you, one will be provided for you.  Anything to make you feel at home in your sin, I mean at church. The church has become convenient, non-threatening, tolerant, "real-life" oriented, accomodating, and non-offensive.  Yet, we continue on as if God is pleased with us and accepts our "contemporary" worship.  God's response to this thinking is the same today as when Jesus himself was on this earth.  "Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice.  He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves.  He said to them, "The Scriptures declare, 'My Temple will be called a house of prayer,' but you have turned it into a den of thieves."  Matthew 21:12-13.

Jesus did what the people should have done long before He walked into the building. God's response is similar.  He says to Jeremiah, in chapter 11, "Pray no more for these people, Jeremiah.  Do not weep or pray for them, for I will not listen to them when they cry out to me in distress.  What right do my beloved people have to come to my Temple, when they have done so many immoral things?  Can their vows and sacrifices prevent their destruction?  They actually rejoice in doing evil!  I, the Lord, once called them a thriving olive tree, beautiful to see and full of good fruit.  But now I have sent the fury of their enemies to burn them with fire, leaving them charred and broken.  I, the Lord of Heaven's Armies, who planted this olive tree, have ordered it destroyed.  For the people of Isreal and Judah have done evil, arousing my anger by burning incense to Baal."

So you see, coffee isn't the issue, but the condition of the heart of the church is.  I believe it is entirely possible that the reason for the Coronavirus can be laid at the feet of a wayward church.  It is possible that God has left the 99 and is desperately searching for his lost people in order to restore them to their rightful place.  God's people have plucked the petal of "serve Him not.", but He continues to shut down those things that are distracting and corrupting His people in order to save them.

So, what is the answer?  What is the course of action which must be taken by the church?  The answer is simple.  "Be very careful never to make a treaty with the people who live in the land where you are going.  If you do, you will follow their evil ways and be trapped.  Instead, you must break down their pagan altars, smash their sacred pillars, and cut down their Asherah poles.  You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you. You must not make a treaty of any kind with the people living in the land."  Exodus 34.

It is obvious that the church has been making treaties with the world instead of condemning their worship of false gods.  We have become like them trying to win them.  This is exactly what God forbids us to do.  We must "break down the pagan altars, smash their sacred pillars, and cut down their Asherah poles."  All the "symbols" of idolatry must be removed from the church.  You see, coffee isn't a god, but it is one of the many symbols of the treaties the church has made with the pagan culture.  We must remove these things from our churches.  Church must once again be a house of prayer, not a house of coffee, social activities, and treaty making with the world.

I believe the Coronavirus ends when the church destroys the pagan symbols, breaks the treaties with the world, and returns to holiness and separation from all that is unholy.  Covid ends when God finds His wayward, repentant church, and returns it to the fold so all can be safe again.

The final question is, "who is willing to walk through the church and remove the symbols of idolatry and the rituals which have separated us so far from God that He has to send a pandemic in order to find us?