Many Times as little children, we became afraid of all sorts of things. Monsters that live “outside” of our comfort and “safe-zones” of security within our homes. Our bedroom and our bed covers become protection from all of the scary things that lurk under our bed; in our closet; and most importantly, outside. And as we grew, for most of us, we also matured. We matured in many ways; including a maturation to our fears, and the “scary things” become laughable childhood memories many times. Now here we are in 2020, and once again, there are monsters outside.
As I write this blog post, the Church is getting ready to celebrate Pentecost Sunday 2020. And unlike other Pentecost’s that we have celebrated in our lifetime, this one is unique. Unique because of the monsters outside of our home and our “safe-zones.” Monsters that have multiplied over the last 3 months to a level that has created unprecedented fear among our communities and even among the Body of Christ. Now, here is the odd thing. Some of these monsters are real! They are not the constructs of a childish overactive imagination, they exist, and they cause great harm and even death! One of those monsters is the pandemic of Covid-19. Many people have lost their lives to this “unseen” monster! Many have gotten sick, but thank God, recovered! This monster is REAL! But like all monsters, there is a “wooden stake” that can be driven through its heart, and we are beginning to see those “wooden sticks” developed. Thank God He is answering our prayers and driving this monster from us!
But like all monsters, the greatest strength they manifest, is not in what they can actually do, but what we perceive in our minds they will do. While many people have practiced wisdom and took some necessary precautions to combat this “monster,” some, out of the fear of “what-if” have allowed greater fears to take root in their minds and effect their peace of mind. We could spend a great deal of time sharing and discussing all of the Christian’s who have faced monsters like Covid-19 and refused to allow those monsters to hinder their proclamation of the Gospel, and ministering the Kingdom of God to all sorts of people, and in all sorts of scenarios. They were cautious; they used wisdom; but they also caught hold of a type of Faith that refused to allow monsters to roam across the countryside of their hearts! They ministered in what I often refer to in our ministry as God’s “Great-in-Spite-of!” In spite of all the really scary, potentially life-threatening realities; they were the Body of Christ, and they were on assignment, and they functioned by the Power of the Holy Spirit in the authority of Jesus Christ!
Now, I am NOT telling you/us to throw caution to the wind and ignore the warnings to take precautions. I am NOT telling you/us to be that ministry or Pastor that thumbs his/her nose to the warnings of the potential of danger, harm, or death. But I am saying that we are living in a very real time when wisdom and precautions are prudent to take, yet to remember, that we have never been promised that we wouldn’t have to minister, in very real scary and potentially health/life threatening periods of time as the Body of Christ! The Second century Christian’s understood this all too well! The Roman Imperial authorities declared that the Christian Faith was an “illegal religion” because of its refusal to worship the emperor as god. Both religiously and legally, the Christian’s were criminals to the Romans, yet here we are today getting ready to celebrate our Faith on Pentecost because of their willingness to not let the “monsters” of their time stop the flow of the Gospel and the advancement of the Kingdom of God! The Church was a threat, partly because of their rapid growth of people embracing Faith in this Jesus of Nazareth who is the Savior and Messiah! And this was part of the threat they posed to the Roman establishment! And in many ways, the Church poses similar threats to the Secular Post-Modern worldview that is flourishing all around us today! So, in response to that threat, the monsters are sent to invade!
As mentioned, some monsters are real, like Covid-19 and must be dealt with in the wisdom of the Lord. But some of the monsters are generated to cause fear and control the minds and activities of people, even the Church! I am thinking of the great animated movie Monsters INC. created by Pixar Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures that came out in 2001. The monsters went into children’s rooms and would scare them to generate screams which produced power to generated electricity for the monsters world. Interesting thought that the fear produced power…..? Anyway, I loved this movie and honestly still do! I watched it with my Grandchildren just last week LOL! Some of the monsters we are facing are monsters designed to manipulate fear, because in fear, there is power and control.
We, in the American Church, out of an abundance of caution and wisdom, closed our Church buildings to “in-house” worship, so as not to put our people at risk. And honestly, there was nothing wrong with doing this temporarily. We were protecting our people, as a good shepherd would do, against an unseen monster. And quite honestly, it was used by God to proclaim the Gospel all around the world like never before, because of so many Pastors getting online and preaching! But now that short period of time, for many churches, has grown into an extended period of time with no end in sight. Or in some cases, the “END” keeps getting moved! It’s like trying to kick a field goal when the goal post keeps moving! The monsters have roared,………We have screamed,…….and power has been generated! But not the power of the Holy Spirit we celebrate this Pentecost Sunday, but the power of fear and intimidation! Here’s the thing about monsters,……….THEY ALWAYS LIE! Some of the lies the monsters outside our doors have told us is that we are NOT “Essential!” Not essential? What is more essential than the salvation and deliverance of the human soul? Much more essential than a liquor store or even a Big Box Store, and CERTAINLY much more essential than the “killing-machine” of ABORTION! Yes, the demon god Baal is still being worshipped by Modern “enlightened” Humanity!
It is alarming to me, to see how easily we Americans have willingly surrendered our Constitutional Rights, as long as ……….”YOU KEEP ME SAFE!” And the monster………ROARS! But honestly, this weird year of 2020, this Last of the Last-Days events we see being fulfilled all around us, has many monsters that are outside, but coming through the “door” to scare us! Monsters like: Unemployment, financial collapse and poverty, loss of retirement, international “wars and rumors of wars,” severe racial abuse and murder, civil unrest, arrest or fines if we simply want to go to church, conspiracy theories and some conspiracies that are all too real and authentic, and of course; the pandemic. The pandemic, so aptly named at this time, because PAN means many and DEMIC means demons, so pandemic means “MANY DEMONS!” And that is indeed what the Body of Christ is fighting in 2020,…..MANY DEMONS! Monsters if you will, who are determined to cause us to cower in fear and cause us to surrender! NEVER…..NEVER…..NEVER surrender to MONSTERS! If you do, they will continually come through the doors of your peace and joy!
Pentecost is upon us! Thank God! And I declare Prophetically that THIS Pentecost Sunday, POWER is going to come upon the Church of Jesus Christ once AGAIN! Power to defeat EVERY MONSTER that is trying to scare us and intimidate us! YOU,…….Brother and Sister in Christ, MUST receive once again that POWER; that dunamis (dynamic) POWER of the Holy Spirit to face head-on the monsters that are roaring outside our doors and UTTERLY DEFEAT THEM through the Power of the Holy Spirit! Again, understand, Prophetically speaking, the POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL BE POURED OUT UPON ALL WHO WILL RECEIVE BY FAITH ON THIS PENTECOST SUNDAY,………as we further prepare for the monsters we’re dealing with RIGHT NOW, and the Last of the Last-Days!” God bless you!
~~~Pastor Steve Gardner
