Coronavirus Lockdown: Churches are Going Broke

Coronavirus Lockdown: Churches are Going Broke. God’s perspective on members.

Closing down churches means financial strain. For those churches that hold worship services in rented buildings, it is going to be hard to keep the places of worship. Churches depend upon the willingness of parishioners to contribute towards the services offered by the church.

Coronavirus Lockdown:

The virus is not just going to affect individuals, who are believers, but the institution that help people manage their spiritual, social and emotional issues. It is therefore important that governments take into consideration the effect of the lockdown to these places of worship.

They are, in essence, extended supplementary help to the peace and stability of Christian nations. It is also important for church members to keep the institution of the church funded during these tough times. That is why legal registration of societies is beneficial to the members. They can support with personal interest.

With this in mind, the definition of what a church is, is two fold. From a biblical revelation perspective, the church is the Body of Christ: Those people who after being born again have their names written in heaven as belonging to Christ.

The Bible refers to them as The Bride of Christ. St Paul who was appointed by Christ to write church doctrine and manual uses a courting analogy with a romantic touch! “ I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy.

I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.” 2nd Corinthians 11:2. John in Revelation presents the final day of bridal preparation with soothing romance, “ . . . for the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready.” Revelation19: 7.

These brides start the relationship on earth. After committing themselves to Christ, they are then baptized in the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ. Then the Holy Spirit of God enters into them and their bodies become the Temple of the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit is sent forth by Christ to all those who become His. Those who have gone through this process are then stamped with a stamp of the Kingdom of Christ as heirs with Christ of the Kingdom of the father. This follows the fact that those who are ‘married’ to Christ have rights in the Kingdom of God.

In fact they have such a prominent position that they are said to share the Kingdom of God with Christ (Romans 8:17). These are church members who we call the Universal Body of Christ. They are not bound by denominations, or time and space. Their right is a spiritual mystery established in heaven by God when the decision was made for Christ Jesus to redeem humanity.

On the other hand, what we human beings call churches are buildings and institutions registered within the required oversight of structures given to governments by God. The function of these is to house worshipers. In these buildings there are both those who are heirs of the Kingdom of the father and those who are not heirs of the Kingdom: Biblically those who are saved and those who are not.

Jesus Christ Himself gives the best description of these. He said in Mathew 13:24-30 “ . . . “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.

So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”

Christ then distinguished between the Church, which is His bride and His body, with the organized gatherings regulated by the state and inclusive of all those who come to worship. These are the ones locked up during Corona nightmare. Christ suggests that these institutions are part of the skim by His enemy. How does this enemy work and what then is the solution to Church, State, Christ, and the enemy?

Teddy Njoroge Kamau (PhD) is a philosopher and theologian. He is senior columnist for diaspora messenger.com. He holds several degrees and Doctorates in Philosophy, Theology and is currently a candidate for a Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology.

You can reach him at T.*****@st*****.edu

Please join Teddy Njoroge Kamau (PhD) for the final analysis of the reasons why governments shut down churches and the role of the spiritual world in all this corona mess. If you missed part two,click the link below to read.

Why a Chief in Kenya ordered a senior Bishop to close down the church

Coronavirus Lockdown: Churches are Going Broke