If the Coronavirus crisis has taught us anything, it is that we took so much for granted.
Simple pleasures such as going out for a coffee or a meal, normal activities like getting a haircut, all the usual stuff of everyday life like going shopping or visiting friends and relatives – all gone in the coronapocalypse.
Not necessarily forever – though some prophets are saying otherwise – but certainly these things will not be returning as before anytime soon and will at best continue in a severely mofidied form.
Make no mistake about it. There will be a demarcation line in history between the pre-Coronavirus world and the post-Coronavirus world. We are not going back to “normal” probably ever.
There is an argument why we shouldn’t. We have the opportunity here for a massive reset which can benefit humanity, society, the planet. Some will heed the lessons that reflecting on the pre-Covid way of life will bring. Many will shun chasing after money, prestige and stuff that was the rat race world we lived in.
We are all learning right now to be more family-oriented, care about others and be mindful of the planet’s frailty as well as our own mortality. These are good things.
Of course, the great danger of this worldwide crisis is that it provides politicians an opportunity to increase their control over the populace. That anyone doubts there is such an agenda among governmental leaders is naive.
Yes, there is a horrible virus that kills people and yes, we need to implement safety protocols. Yes, there are a lot of fear-based and tinfoil hat theories about mark of the beast and Big Brother control going the rounds.
But there are also plausible and serious concerns about our liberties and rights going forward. Politicians love control and power. Crises are the golden opportunities that allow them to grab more of both. Misinformation, disinformation and outright fakery have been exposed quite a bit during this outbreak.
The question “Why?” brings the obvious response that there is a clear agenda of control and manipulation being pursued. This does not bode well for our freedoms under the custodianship of our national leaders.
These threats to our liberties are pertinent to believers in Jesus Christ. The satanic and demonic origin of these threats is indisputable. And must be addressed.
Caving in to the inevitability of this being the days of the antichrist and the mark of the beast is not a faith response. Nor will it advance the Kingdom. It also flies in the face of other schools of eschatology which by their very doctrinal position rule out the possibility of present events being the fulfilment of the mark of the beast.
Even if the futurist interpretation of these matters was accurate, it wouldn’t change one bit the mandate we have as God’s ekklesia to make the nations conform to His Kingdom rule. Our assignment doesn’t change because conditions are not favourable.
People will be marked by this present situation, some permanently. Safe distancing will become a norm for society. Face masks will no longer be worn only by Asians looking to filter out pollution. People will be conscious more than ever of invisible pathogens that can kill and devastate.
All of this is an opportunity for the ekklesia to present a Kingdom culture that is counter to the fear and suspicion which has become so widespread. Faith, hope and victory must be viruses that God’s people spread as an antidote to doom, gloom and terror.
One thing to be very aware of at present is that sworn political enemies, who agree on virtually nothing, have smoothly and seamlessly signed up to the same agenda of control and implementation of lockdown protocols.
The global response in terms of these protocols all points to this Coronavirus crisis being at least as much of a plandemic as a pandemic. Those who doubt that the agenda of national rulers is hostile to the Body of Christ should read Psalm 2, Psalm 149 and many other parts of God’s Word, as well as the history books.
As Christians, we are not here to make up the numbers or be the devil’s punchbag. We are here to enforce the Lordship of Jesus Christ, subdue nations and make His enemies His footstool. We do this by prayer, proclamation and worship – in the power of the Holy Spirit and the authority of the Name of Jesus, along with the help of Christ’s angelic army.
We have all the tools and weaponry we require. It’s time we put away childish things and took our place as mature sons.
Creation is groaning as it waits for us to get our act together.
WILLIAM McMURDO 