The murder of George Floyd was horrific and without excuse. The resulting unrest in our country leaves many with questions for which answers are difficult. The big question for people of faith is, “What should the church do now?”
The church must do this now more than ever: pray, pray and pray. Not routine prayers designed to ease the conscience, but pray with intensity and purpose. We need a move of God in our nation and in our world like never before. It is imperative that the church, starting with its pastors and leaders pray and entreat God to heal our land and our hearts.
Also, the church must walk in love like the Apostle Paul exhorts in Ephesians 5:2, “And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” It is time for pastors and ministry leaders to model walking in love in our communities, leading by example for their congregations. And it is time that we as individuals walk in love, listening to those who are hurting and actually taking time to care.
The coronavirus isolation is giving people who call themselves Christians an opportunity to take advantage of the time they may previously not have had. There has been an is time to pray, and now more than ever it is necessary. The people of God hold the answers to many of the looming questions of today. Walking in real love is the key that can ignite real change. But, it can only come through prayer.
In order to really walk in love, the church must awaken itself to the truth of the Gospel. The reality of being made new creations in Christ is the foundation for being able to walk in love. It is not in our “flesh” or our “old man” that we can walk in genuine love. It is the love of Christ Himself abiding in us that enables us to see as He sees and love as He loves.
We must preach the Gospel and stop with the legalistic preaching that tries to change something that cannot be changed, tries to fix behavior in a sinful nature. When we see the grace and love of God as a reality for us, then we can begin to walk in that love for others.
It is time to lay aside the “Business of Church” and get on our faces and pray. Our nation and our world are hurting and seeking change, seeking something real. These are times that are ablaze with pain and fear.
The church must pray and love now and believe the truth of the Gospel so that the message of God’s love can be not only preached but lived out in our world. The fire of prayer must burn hotter than the fire of anger. The church must pray…now. – Pastor Mark
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[…] The coroavirus pandemic has been challenging in so many ways. Sickness, death, and fear have spread through individuals and families like wildfire. It has been a time that has caused some to question what is God doing, what is going on, what can I believe? It is a time where the church has been confronted with how to respond. […]