On March 22, I preached a message titled An Hour of Testing. In the message, I said, “This pandemic is a dress rehearsal for the hour of testing that is coming—a global crisis that will not end until Jesus returns. This pandemic is ‘an’ hour of testing but it’s not ‘the’ hour of testing. It’s a major birth pain that will lessen in severity in the weeks and months ahead. And then there will be a period of peace and calm.”
With the pandemic beginning to weaken, now is the time to examine ourselves. In the words of Paul, let’s judge “ourselves rightly” so “we would not be judged” (1 Cor. 11:31).
The Lord’s Tests
The Lord never tests us to make us feel terrible about ourselves. He has no intention to slime us with guilt, shame, and condemnation. His tests are severe acts of mercy so we can truly see our condition.
When the disciples were in their boat, a storm broke out. Panicked, they woke Jesus up, saying to Him, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” (Matt. 8:25). In response, the Lord said, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” (Matt. 8:26). Jesus then rebuked the winds and the sea, making it became perfectly calm.
The storm was a test for the disciples. It uncovered their fear and lack of faith. In a divine setup, the Lord fell asleep in order to uncover the disciples’ lack of trust in Him. The Lord’s delay tested the disciples and unveiled their true condition.
The same is true in this crisis. The Lord delayed His response to the praying church to test us. Not because He is cruel but to prepare us for the more difficult times ahead. His delay is pruning the global church. He wants us to be more fruitful in future storms.
The Lord’s tests are more like software development than school. In school, we study, take an exam, and get an unchangeable grade. In software development, code is tested thoroughly to expose bugs, vulnerabilities, weaknesses, and inefficiencies so it can be fixed. This makes it a much better product.
In the same way, the Lord doesn’t test us to label us. He tests us to perfect us. The Lord is using the coronavirus pandemic to test the church. Are you passing the test?
In this post, I list four ways the Lord is testing us. I’m sure there are many more. But as you read through this, examine yourself and see whether you are passing the test or not. If you don’t have a passing grade, don’t beat yourself up with condemnation. Simply repent and get back on the right track.
1. Have you used this time to draw closer to the Lord?
If I had to pick one thing the Lord is saying during this crisis, it is “come to Me” (John 6:35). The Lord yearns for us to be intimate with Him. He longs for us to draw near, to abide in Him, and to hear His voice in deep communion. He earnestly desires for us to dine with Him in fellowship (Rev. 3:20).
Over the years, as I have called the church to deeper intimacy with the Lord, the number one excuse is I don’t have time. The explanations vary, but most revolve around having to work 8-plus hours a day in addition to a 2-plus hour commute. By the time the weekend rolls around, people are so exhausted they sleep in on Saturday and barely make it to church on Sunday. Because of their hectic schedule, many believers neglect intimacy with the Lord.
Well, in one moment, the Lord sovereignly put an end to so many time-consuming activities. Many are now working from home. Their 2-plus hour commute has become a ten-second walk downstairs.
Much of our beloved forms of entertainment, especially sports, have also vanished in a moment. Numerous time occupiers have been stripped away.
But here’s my concern. Instead of using this opportunity to draw closer to the Lord, many have used it to complete home improvement projects, binge on Netflix, play more video games, or scroll through their social media feeds. The Lord has called out to us, “Come to Me.” But we’ve gone to Home Depot instead.
This doesn’t mean we can’t improve our house. I may have completed more home improvement projects during this two-month quarantine than in the previous 5 years. My point is: Now that we have extra time, are we using it to draw closer to the Lord?
Take an honest evaluation of your life. Have you made the most of this opportunity by drawing closer to Him? Have you spent more time waiting on Him without an agenda, prayer list, or reading plan, just sitting in silence to hear His voice? Have you gone deeper in the Word? Have you ministered to Him?
During this pandemic, the Lord has removed so many things once occupying our time. He has also removed our excuses. The Lord, in His jealousy for us, has allowed many things to implode so His people could spend more time with Him. Are you taking advantage of this opportunity?
Describing the end of the age, Daniel said, “The people who know their God will display strength and take action” (Dan. 11:32). It’s not the people who know about their God. It’s the people who know their God intimately. These will rise up and take action before the Lord’s return.
Have you taken advantage of this opportunity or have you simply made your house look better? Do you know Him deeper or have you become consumed with new hobbies? Have you fellowshipped with Him more or fellowshipped more with your Facebook friends?
This pandemic is coming to an end soon. Don’t waste the opportunity to draw closer to Him. You may not get another chance like this to draw near.
2. Have you been overcome by fear, anxiety, bitterness, or offense?
The Lord challenged weary Jeremiah with these words: “If you have run with footmen and they have tired you out, then how can you compete with horses? If you fall down in a land of peace, how will you do in the thicket of the Jordan?” (Jer. 12:5). Simply put, if you have been overcome by the small challenges, what will happen when the much more difficult challenges come?
Applied to us, if this small pandemic has stirred up fear, anxiety, bitterness, or offense, what will happen to you during the far more difficult end-time challenges?
I know some have been deeply affected by the coronavirus. Many have lost their jobs. Others have lost loved ones to Covid-19. Family businesses have been forced to close. Some of my friends in Africa are struggling to feed their families because of forced lockdowns. So, in no way am I minimizing the real challenges some have experienced.
But let’s be honest. Most of us have basically had a “couch potato apocalypse.” Our “suffering” has been excessive boredom, quarantined hair, forced homeschooling, stir-crazy kids, non-stop Zoom calls, and not being able to eat at our favorite restaurants.
If we have been overtaken by anxiety, fear, and panic during this relatively easy test, how are we going to survive the coming difficulties? If worry and apprehension have gripped us now, how will we handle the greater trials to come?
While some have been traumatized by fear, others have become embittered by draconian government overreaches. They are deeply offended by power-hungry politicians seizing our liberties.
Please don’t misunderstand. I’m deeply concerned about the socialistic agenda gaining greater ground during this chaotic time. I’m burdened the America we have known could very well be over. I’m not saying we should lay down passively like a docile lamb as our freedoms are seized.
Here’s what I am stressing. As children of God, we can’t allow our hearts to become offended or to grow bitter. If we aren’t careful, a root of bitterness can spring up in our hearts and defile many (Heb. 12:15). If we are not self-aware, we can easily be offended, just as Jesus warned (Matt. 24:10).
Here’s some honest questions for you. Have you grown bitter during this pandemic? Has offense lodged in your heart? Are you being wise and cautious to avoid the virus? Or have you shifted into fear and anxiety? Are you missing the Lord’s deeper work in this crisis because you are so preoccupied with the evils in the government? Has fear crippled your ability to make rational decisions? Are you trusting God to be your provider, protector, and healer? Or are you still relying on the world system?
3. Do you fear the Lord or what the world fears?
Isaiah’s word to the believing remnant is pertinent for us (Isa. 8:10-14). Before explaining, let me set the context.
King Ahaz and the northern kingdom of Israel were threatened by Assyria—a world power bullying the nations. A few verses earlier, the Lord unveiled His sovereign plan for Assyria to conquer the northern kingdom (Isa. 8:5-8). This invasion would also penetrate deeply into the southern kingdom of Judah, but the Lord would deliver them.
King Ahaz, fearing the Assyrian threat, made an alliance with Assyria. He exchanged national sovereignty for safety, security, and peace. Through this pact, the northern kingdom and Assyria sought to conquer Judah. But the Lord had another plan. He declared to Ahaz and Assyria, “Devise a plan, but it will be thwarted; state a proposal, but it will not stand, for God is with us” (Isa. 8:10).
The Lord vowed to protect and preserve Isaiah and the believing remnant in Judah. He promised that the conspiratorial plots would “not stand” because “God is with us.” God’s presence among the remnant was their defense—not their military might, financial resources, shrewd leadership, or wise counsel.
The Lord told Isaiah and the remnant, “You are not to say, ‘It is a conspiracy! in regard to all that this people call a conspiracy, and you are not to fear what they fear or be in dread of it’” (Isa. 8:12). The Hebrew word translated as conspiracy means an unlawful alliance or a treasonous alliance.
Some have wrongly used this verse to correct Christians obsessed with conspiracy theories. Certainly, there are some crazy theories floating around social media. Sadly, some believers have put more trust in the latest QAnon revelation than the revelation of Jesus Christ. They spend hours binging on YouTube conspiracy videos while their Bibles accumulate dust. But that was not Isaiah’s point. It’s not mine either.
The Lord was not counseling the remnant to avoid conspiracy theories. He was exhorting them not to fear the real conspiracy—the treacherous alliance between the northern kingdom and Assyria.
In essence, the Lord was saying to Isaiah and the remnant, “Ahaz and the northern kingdom have made a treacherous alliance with Assyria. The people are touting this alliance as the ultimate solution that will protect the northern kingdom from annihilation. But you are not to call this treacherous alliance an alliance, for it will not succeed against you. Don’t fear the Assyrian. Don’t fear what the world fears. Fear Me. I am the One whom you shall fear. I am the One whom you shall dread.”
Today, we find ourselves in a similar situation. During this pandemic, many have exchanged their freedoms and liberties for safety, security, and protection. Not fearing the Lord and trusting Him, they have placed their trust in government, hoping their leaders will protect them from the killer plague. In the words of Isaiah, this is a covenant of death (Isa. 28:15).
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that an antichrist, socialistic agenda has penetrated deeply into America. We seem to be losing more freedom every day. Our constitution is under relentless assault. A real conspiracy is seeking to weaken America and establish a one-world government.
David unveiled this end-time conspiracy thousands of years ago. He stated, “Why are the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, ‘Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us’” (Ps. 2:1-3).
If you carefully do the research, separating fact from fiction and truth from hysteria, you will clearly see there has been a long-term plan by powerful, wealthy elites to establish a one-world government. This plan is not a secret anymore. Look no further than the UN’s 2030 Agenda and you can see the globalists’ plans. This is a real threat to our liberties and to our national sovereignty. The church must wake up before it’s too late.
As a socialistic agenda gains greater ground in America, the word of the Lord to us is: “You are not to fear what they fear or be in dread of it” (Isa. 8:12).
If we fear Bill Gates or George Soros’ agenda more than we fear the Lord we have a serious problem. We are not to fear the plots and plans of evil men seeking to gain greater control of the world. We are to fear the One who determines whether these men will take their next breath.
The word of the Lord to us is: “It is the Lord of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, and He shall be your dread” (Isa. 8:13). At this time, as powerful globalists seek to establish a one-world government, we are not to fear this conspiracy. The Lord of hosts is the One we should fear. We are not to fear the Deep State, Big Pharma, the UN, or the WHO. We are not to fear ID 2020, contact tracing, or the push for a global digital currency. The only fear we should have is the holy, clean, and purifying fear of the Lord.
Here’s some honest questions for you. Do you fear the possibility of mandatory vaccinations more than you fear the Lord? Do you fear losing liberties and freedoms more than you fear the One who could thwart these plans in a heartbeat? Do you fear the push for a one-world government more than you fear the One who will bring this down in one hour? (Rev. 17-18).
4. Will you rebuild what the Lord has torn down?
Speaking about this time of divine reset, Alan Scott described some of the things the Lord is doing to cleanse His church. He stated, “Every platform to man [has been] removed. Every effort at popularity removed. Every idol of promotion removed. Using ministry to gain wealth removed. Using ministry to appear important removed. Using ministry to increase visibility removed. Every exploitation of people to fulfill our dreams removed. Every ignoring of the poor and seeking the friendship of the powerful removed. The cleansing of the temple has never been more necessary.”
Jesus cleansed His temple at the beginning of His ministry and at the end. Undoubtedly, Jesus is cleansing the church during this pandemic. Peter said, “For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Pet. 4:17). Notice carefully “judgment . . . beings with us first.”
We live in the days of Noah (Matt. 24:37). That means we live in the days of God’s judgment. However, before the Lord releases judgment upon the world, He is coming to judge His church for the soulish mixture we have tolerated.
I believe the coronavirus pandemic is a form of judgment on the church. The Lord has used this crisis to effectively shut His church down.
I have said repeatedly, the Lord didn’t release this virus into the world. But He could have stopped it and He didn’t it. By allowing it, the Lord is using this pandemic to judge His own house.
Think about it. In one moment, all of the churches’ idols have come crashing down—sports, entertainment, recreation, travel, and especially our cherished forms of doing church. The Lord has taken direct aim at the event-driven, cult of personality, celebrity culture that has permeated His church. Most of the church can’t even meet in person right now. Only the Lord could have done this.
I realize there’s Satanic activity and government overreach seeking to take this beyond what the Lord has allowed. We should definitely resist this. But we also need to embrace the Lord’s discipline for allowing our services, events, and conferences to eclipse the person of Jesus Christ.
In this time, when the Lord has come to judge His house, let’s come back to the main purpose of the church. We are called to gather together as the body of Christ under Jesus’ headship and express His life together interdependently.
I’m concerned that many church leaders have not discerned the Lord’s intention in this crisis. Jesus wants to kill our consumer Christianity. He wants to bury it in the ground, never to rise again. But instead of calling people to repentance and to intimacy with the King of kings, church leaders have continued spoon feeding believers with well-produced online services.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t livestream our services. I’m emphasizing our lack of discernment of the Lord’s deeper work in this crisis. Jesus wants to kill consumer Christianity and church leaders are trying to keep their sacred baby alive. Rather than calling people back to the Lord’s heart, they are merely taking their event-driven models to the internet. Nothing has really changed.
In Isaiah’s day, when God brought judgment, the undiscerning people boasted, “The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with smooth stones; the sycamores have been cut down, but we will replace them with cedars” (Isa. 9:10).
Jesus has effectively shut down His church. Will we discern His work, agree with Him, repent, and partner with Him to rebuild it His way? Or will we continue building our event-driven, consumer Christianity models smoother and stronger than ever before?
Test Yourself
When the dust finally settles from this pandemic, will you have grown closer to the Lord? Will your heart be filled with greater peace and be bitter-free? Will you grow in the fear of the Lord or will you fear what the world fears? And finally, will you rebuild what the Lord has torn down or will you partner with Jesus to build His church His way?
As this worldwide test comes to a close, test yourself. Make any necessary midcourse corrections and align yourself fully with Him. There’s no time to waste.
