A Gathering Revolution
First, let me begin with the following. During this pandemic, every church should take the precautions necessary within the will of God. This article is not a license to abandon the safety and health protocols set about in local areas across the world. Rather, it is the realization that since many cannot gather in the church, and that some leaders have been using the pandemic to stifle the church as much as possible, it will take more than just reopening the church doors for gathering to resume the way God intends. Instead, it will take a gathering revolution.
As the global pandemic wanes, some churches in parts of the United States are seeing a need to take a stand and open back the doors of the church, even if the government has not fully given the green light. In New York, the governor has not given any obvious time when churches can fully begin to operate. In California, the governor issued three stages for reopening with the church in the last stage with no definite date. However, in California, three-thousand (3000) churches are taking a stand together to open the doors of their church by the end of May 2020, before the third stage begins. The pastors have stated that the church “is part of the answer, not the problem”. In Texas, the mega-church pastor of the HIS church is taking a stand with churches across the country to have a peaceable gathering while keeping to safety guidelines.
However, as churches reopen following the pandemic lockdown, it will take more than opening the door, political activism, or just taking a stand to gather the people. See, beyond the governmental orders and safety concerns, some believers have grown accustomed to watching services online. Some will need a jolt to regather. On the other hand, in some places, there may be a surge of people desiring to attend church, but some churches will not be ready for the influx because of expecting the pre-pandemic norms. Right now, the church should be turning up the spiritual heat so that when they reopen, a wildfire will spring forth. God will stir people to gather like never before; God will bring a stirring for church gathering to counteract socio-phobia, the rise of social distancing and isolation. Are you ready for it? A gathering revolution is on the rise, and here are five things for churches to be ready.
Five Things Necessary For the Gathering Revolution
Call for Corporate Repentance
Believers should heed to call to self-evaluate and repent. Church leaders should call for their congregation to look in their life and repent to God for any areas of shortcoming. The church needs to go into a period of trembling and weeping to God in repentance. The pandemic has revealed some weaknesses and shortcomings in the church, and it behooves every church, church leader, and saint to cry out to God for full restoration back to our first love, and restoration back to fulfilling God’s mandate to win souls.
Repentance is needed in the church for rampant worldliness, false doctrines, and for missing the commission to win the lost.
Joel 2:12 - 17 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 13And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.14Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God? 15Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:16Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.17Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?
Confront Demonic Forces (United Matthew 18:18)
The mayor of New York City issued the following threat to churches in the city: “[Law enforcement] will inform them they need to stop the services and disperse... If that does not happen, they will take additional action up to the point of fines and potentially closing the building permanently (Foxnews)." Speaking of the decreasing numbers of deaths from the COVID-19 outbreak in New York, the governor of New York said the following words in mid-April of 2020: “The number is down, because we brought the number down. God did not do that. Faith did not do that. Destiny did not do that. A lot of pain and suffering did that.” New York is a leading world location and also was the epicenter of the virus pandemic; therefore, the above statement from the leaders reveals that there are antichrist forces at work.
There are demonic forces at work for world leaders to keep the church locked down as long as possible. We must recognize the difference between legitimate safety actions, and unfair treatment of the church. Then, leaders and saints should arise and unitedly bind the demonic spirits and works in high places so that the church will operate freely.
Matthew 18:18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
The keys of the kingdom have been given to the church to loose heaven’s resources for the building up of the kingdom on the earth, and to bind the enemies of the kingdom.
Declare Revival
After a period of famine, the prophet Elijah confronted the false prophets of Baal, then made a declaration of rain. 1 Kings 18:41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. Even so, after a period where the church has not been gathering, and a pandemic has been on the land, under God, the church must declare a period of revival.
Call for the People to Gather
Like putting the trumpet to our mouth, every minister and every saint must make it a solemn duty to first gather themselves, gather other believers, gather souls, and gather their funds to the church. We must make a strong call to gather. Simply opening the church, advertising, and hoping the people will come is not sufficient. Set the trumpet to your mouth. Compel the saints and the sinners to come.
Release the Ministries of the Pew
Finally, expecting for people to gather and sit in the pews was always a losing ministry model, but is now dead with this pandemic lockdown. The gathering revolution will require the saints to be released into ministry. First, believers should be mobilized and sent to win souls in the streets, marketplaces, and squares of their locality. Every believer is a preacher - not a pastor or church leader, but a preacher of the gospel. Therefore, pastors must take the lead and bring their church into the street corners, house to house, squares, marketplaces, etc. to evangelize with personal witnessing and preaching. Every believer can arise to share the gospel regularly. Believers can partner together to reach their locality, like a band of soldiers. This will spur a gathering of souls to the Lord.f
Secondly, every believer has a unique gift or calling from the Lord that they should exercise either within the church and or as a para-church ministry. For Biblical gifts, there is no limit to how God will use it. Saints should rise with the dreams, gifts, and talents God has given them to enlarge the kingdom of God.
Mobilize the pew to go on mission trips, plant churches, do prison ministry, teach Bible classes, start para-church ministries, conduct evangelistic outreaches, and other ministries as the Lord leads. As much as possible provide opportunities for members to give reports of how God is using them, share their testimonies, share a word of exhortation, and get involved in the different ministries in the church. Release your pew.
Although necessary, online ministry is not the solution when the doors of the building need to close. Rather, a vibrant ministry of the pew is what will make a significant difference in times like these. For example, when persecution came upon the church in Jerusalem, the people scattered everywhere preaching the gospel, while the apostles remained in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1-4). Out of this, new souls were won, and churches were planted (Acts 8:4-8).
A gathering revolution is on the rise, let us move with God, gather ourselves, and gather the people.
