HOMES first...CHURCHES second...

I blogged about this very topic the other day and it appears that in California where I am currently a growing number of Church leaders are going to go ahead and try to resume big church meetings in their buildings by the end of the month.

Did ANY of them consider that the word to "gather again" might mean to be gathering in small groups initially?  The vast majority of them have not done a single "in-person" meeting/service since the restrictions were put into place.

Have ANY of these leaders considered that the majority of unbelievers (and I know this from my interaction over the past 3 weeks on the streets) won't go anywhere near a large church meeting for months?

Were ANY of these leaders using the time that has elapsed since they had to suddenly close their doors, to come up with a plan to mobilize their churches into small units (house expressions) in the case that they could not re-open for months and months?  Did they devote this time to training leaders to do this?  Did they consult with church leaders in countries where pressure and persecution have been the norm for their advice?  Has the reality that future pressure, plagues, and tribulation will be far worse than anything COVID-19 has brought or will bring? 

Or is the goal simply to get back to the "same ole, same ole"?? 

I've now spoken to a number of Christian leaders and pastors who have considered my last blog post on the topic - 

"In May, the Lord is saying "It is time to start gathering", but Stage 1 is to gather IN HOMES" - https://joel2generation.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-lord-is-saying-it-is-time-to-start.html) 

And who have even listened to my podcast about it - "It's Time to Come Home" - https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/joel2generation/episodes/2020-05-07T14_22_36-07_00

And the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and even words of thanks for the confirmation that they needed.

Even when the Church can begin gathering again in large meetings, I know that God doesn't want His Church to simply be getting back to "business as usual".  That wasn't working. This crisis has exposed the fact that millions of Christians were no prepared for this testing. That they succumbed to massive fear. That they were lacking discernment - not knowing who to listen to, who to trust.

May the Church truly learn everything that God wants us to be learning in this hour...may we humbly acknowledge that for the vast majority, we were NOT prepared...and may we not return to the very way of doing things, to the very system, to the very messages/teaching that rendered us so ill-prepared!!

Even now, the rampant conspiracy theories that are being promoted and/or then rebutted by Christians is mind-blowing.  Everyone citing their a "trusted" doctor, forwarding YouTube videos (that are being constantly removed).

God wants His Sheep to HEAR HIS VOICE for themselves...to be able to "discern spirits" (a massive weakness that has been exposed in recent months).

and today, I am grateful because I know exactly what the Lord wants me to do and to do it with my "eyes fixed upon Jesus" so that I don't get distracted by all other voices, by what others are doing or 'not' doing!

...for such a time as this!