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God is Sovereign and He does what pleases Him in His time. He controls the universe and everything in it belongs to Him. Humans are just stewards of God’s handiworks. Coronavirus befell man just as the floods and other dangerous pestilence came on the surface of the earth in time past. Whenever such things happen, the believer should ask two basic questions.

1) What is God’s purpose for this and

2) why this time? In answering these two questions, we have to note that the world is no longer perfect as it was created, sin continues to abound immensely.

When sin abounds, God establishes His judgement through diseases, drought, pestilence, (Gen 6&7) etc. on the earth. This is to clean unrighteousness, prune the earth and make it perfect again. The timing for the disease is a perfect time because most people have disregarded God and going according to their own desires. Further, there is a decay in morality today. LGBT, sexual sins, corruption, etc. in this time has degraded morality to the streets and most people are trying to move ahead of God. This is the right time the wrong is being corrected (Gen 19: 24-29).

The world has come to a standstill because of a single virus and the pace of movement is being dictated by the Maker of the universe. The purpose and time for this pestilence, in my opinion, is to cleanse the unrighteousness of the earth and allow God dictate and follow His time for man to open a new page for the proclamation of the gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He will make all things new.

LESSONS FOR THE CHURCH

1.     FOR THE HOME

God is bringing back family ties and parents’ role in the spiritual and physical development of the wards. There are so many Christian families which lack family unity and belongness in the church. Due to the fast-paced world we have created for ourselves, most families are disorganized. If we are to go back to the Lord, then we have to first tie the cord of the family through family devotion and prayer time.  A serious two-hour service organized by the family at home across the world is the same as meeting congregationally in a corporate service.

Individual devotional and prayer life should be strengthened for similar reasons stated above. Individual members should be encouraged to have their own prayer life and not necessarily what the church has drawn. The individual should know that, the church is himself/herself and not the church buildings. The church (as an institution) should not boast about its buildings and infrastructure but try to build up the body of Christ. That is not to say church buildings are irrelevant but it should be the focus of the leaders of the church to build the church i.e. the members.

2.     FROM SOCIAL DISTANCING AND LOCKDOWN

The shepherd (minister) should value the importance of each sheep under his care. The shepherds need to be with the flock through visitation, not only to the affluent in the church but the needy as well, to know their distinct needs and provide the necessary remedy. Some shepherds have distanced themselves from their flock, others focus only on a niche in the church purposely because of what they may get from such people. It will be expedient on the shepherds to go back to their flock when the gates of the church are opened and reconcile with them and treat everyone as his /her needs may demand.

The church is the bride of Christ; but how is the church seen today by the outside world? The bride is locked in to dress properly before coming out. The bride has lost her beauty by defiling herself with so many things. The Bridegroom is therefore preparing the bride, helping her correct her wrong ways before present her beauty to the world. The bride has been locked in to be prepared for the glory God. The bride should wait patiently within this period when she is undergoing a major transition and transformation.

God uses the civil authority to direct the affairs of man, so we don’t have to kick against the laws and precautions instituted by the governing authority. Without institutions such as Ghana Health Service (GHS), Ghana Medical Association (GMA), The Ghana Police Service, etc. we would have been in chaos by now. Therefore believers need to respect authority and see them as representatives of God in the affairs of man.

3.     FOR THE CHURCH

The church should prepare for the second coming of Christ because He can come at any time, so believers shouldn’t be caught unaware. Believers must note that in the midst of all what we are experiencing, the Bridegroom can come unexpectedly for His bride.

In all these, the church should exercise patience and allow God’s will to be done following Him steadily and not join the cry of the unrighteous charlatans who want to come out because of what they will gain, therefore the call for patience and endurance.

CONCLUSION

In all of these, the believer should first ask why it is happening and examine himself/herself. Also, we should be patient, endure and follow the directions of God, through the governing authorities given to us on earth (Romans 13:1-6. 1 Peter 2:13-17).