The sun has set now, here in Clute, Texas. Passover 2020 is underway with seders held in Jewish homes. Christians plan to mark Resurrection Day in unique ways. Perhaps by having drive-in setups on ball fields, maybe in self-quarantine by Internet supply, or simply giving it a miss this year due to local social distancing guidelines. Me? I’ve got a prayer bell. My family and I plan early hymn singing outside, the flag flown at half mast, and the white cross swapped around to say “He is risen!” The flag is for our fallen, especially the frontline folks, for whom I wear light blue.
Face Book live streaming has been working for our church services, and Sunday school connection by Zoom worked great last week. I am hoping churches will ring their bells in special celebration, not allowing the Adversary his first Easter sleep-in. (Yes, I know. If the Eastern church date is better, maybe they will get more creative?) Should Easter Sunday arrive as anticipated, our church can connect online once again.
My heart hurts as I’ve been watching folks responding to the CV-19 event, both in fear and suffering, and in how we treat one another. Political rhetoric in the months leading up to March became especially hate-filled. (Remember, “Dialogue is not double monologue.”) We’ve descended into screaming matches about Trump vs. Pelosi, as an example, no longer trying to understand one another, hell-bent on simply winning.
As a kid, I actually listened to the old-fashioned phrases that preachers and our hymn books used. I understood “Here I lay mine Ebenezer”, “When the role is called up yonder” and that “Onward Christian soldiers” isn’t about our Armed Forces. King James (Authorized Version) English also entertained. “Quit you like men!” How about, “And in the morning, when they awoke, they were all dead men!” Lots more.
One of the perhaps more obscure phrases follows –
“Lest God write Ichabod over the door of the church,” which comes from the naming of a child in 1 Samuel 4:21-22. The name means “the glory (of God) is departed”, occasioned by Israel’s loss, at Ebenezer (what?), of the Ark of the Covenant in war to the Philistines. Eli died in shock, hearing the news about the Ark and both his sons dying. One son, Phinehas, was husband to the mother-to-be, and the news precipitated her labor producing Ichabod. What a name to bear!!
To personalize the name, perhaps you’d recall the name of Washington Irving’s protagonist in his gothic “Legend of Sleepy Hollow”? Ichabod Crane’s physicality and demeanor displays for us an adult male with “a departed glory”. That glory, of course, is to have been made in the image of God, but failing to mirror it. A weakling.
Used by those preachers, they were indicating a time when God would similarly remove His glorious presence from a particular fellowship, group of churches, a nation. To “write Ichabod over the door” implies His presence, like that of the Ark with its mercy seat, is now departed. Empty of glory, you’d realize, He’s working elsewhere. This outcome, I fear, depends on how we “the church”, local, national, or mysteriously connected (universal) respond. Romans describes God’s wrath being revealed, not caused. Built-in, as are the good works Ephesians describes God prepared for us to do, before the foundation of the earth. When we disobey, God turns His protection away.
When I posted my Y2K+20 file, the question one respondent asked was, “What do you mean by national repentance?” See the reply below.

I mean in comparison to personal repentance, which is the first step to following Jesus. Thanks for your question. For my country, we could start with this mutual hate for one another and work backwards. Once we get to Columbus, we could take a breather.

I bear no personal guilt for what America has done, prior to some Germans, Scot-Irish, Welsh, etc. immigrating here (as an example.) But, I, nationally have benefited from the sins of others before they got here.

Unless convicted in the heart to do likewise, following their example, I would have no expectation of those who do not say they obey Jesus responding. It is our fault, not the country's. Hope I am clarifying somewhat and doing a good job of answering the question.

(We have a song that says; "It's me, LORD, standing in the need of prayer..." meaning repentance starts with me. I've already begun.)

Peace

Barry

So far, in response to CV-19 and its effects, I’m hearing Christians say, “It will be okay. God has always taken care of me. We’ll get it all back in a bit. I’ll be fine.” Yep, the focus is still on our own situations, not what God is doing. Perhaps we are still absorbing the shock, the larger picture coming into focus according to our worldviews. Not all denominations include “the Rapture” scenario familiar to me, and I understand the complexities of theology over the years of Gentile dominated church history.
Have we become a weakling church in America? Is our title now “Ichabod?” Ichabod Crane was terrorized by the headless horseman, and we see four colored horsemen approaching, now together. What will be the church’s reaction to plague?
Guess what? We’re all gonna die. The good news is, if you’ve confessed Jesus as LORD and believe he rose from the dead, you have a glorious future, eventually in an untemptable body like His own. Without doing so, no bright future awaits any unbeliever. Obeying Jesus’ words today indicates that personal repentance did occur.
Okay, things may have begun to resume normalcy, according to what government predicted might happen. Maybe this time around is a fluke, a “woopsie”. It appears to me that “the black horse” has re-appeared on the scene. The activity of each one of the four results in enslavement. Monetarily, the world has been co-opted. Even some churches are applying for emergency government loans to survive. Wow!
Well, nobody has a plan for a billion or more people, many in strategic positions, to disappear. We are working out what stopping the world economy, to subdue a plague originating in communist China means. Who in the world could fix something worse? And, wouldn’t that mean America is no longer powerful? Sobering.
My own confidence this Easter, come what may, is in the fifth horseman Revelation speaks of. “The rider on a white horse, who conquers by His coming” (etc.) is already my King. Juanita du Plessis is one of South Africa’s finest singers, and I’ll attach her song that says it all for me. May you be well in the world following Passover.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pd0om5B9dFs


Juanita du Plessis - Ons Koning Kom (OFFICIAL MUSIC )

Lyrics
Wie regeer
Wie is in beheer
Wie's die Begin en die Einde
Die Een wat is, wat was en wat kom
My hart wil sing
Alle eer wil ek bring
Hy's die Weg en die Waarheid
Daar's niemand, niemand soos Hy
Lig jou hande na bo (Sing Halleluja)
Gee eer aan Hom (Halleluja)
Ons Koning kom
Loof sy heilige naam
Lig jou hande na bo (Sing Halleluja)
Vertrou op Hom (Halleluja)
Ons Koning kom
Hy kom om ons te haal
Elke knie sal buig
En elke tong sal getuig
Hy't die dood vir ewig oorwin
Hy't opgestaan!
Lig jou hande na bo (Sing Halleluja)
Gee eer aan Hom (Halleluja)
Ons Koning kom
Loof sy heilige naam
Lig jou hande na bo (Sing Halleluja)
Vertrou op Hom (Halleluja)
Ons Koning kom
Hy kom om ons te haal
In 'n donker wêreld vra almal
Wie sal die volk kom lei
Dis die Ruiter op die witperd
Hy kom! Hy kom vir jou en my!
Lig jou hande na bo (Sing Halleluja)
Gee eer aan Hom (Halleluja)
Ons Koning kom
Loof sy heilige naam
Lig jou hande na bo (Sing Halleluja)
Vertrou op Hom (Halleluja)
Ons Koning kom
Hy kom om ons te haal

English translation-
Who rules

Who's in charge

Who's the Beginning and the End

The One who is, who was and who is to come

My heart wants to sing

All honor I want to bring

He's the Way and the Truth

There's nobody, no one like Him

Raise your hands up (Sing Hallelujah)

Give glory to Him (Hallelujah)

Our King is coming

Praise his holy name

Raise your hands up (Sing Hallelujah)

Trust in Him (Hallelujah)

Our King is coming

He comes to fetch us

Each knee will bend

And every tongue will testify


He conquered death forever

He got up!

Raise your hands up (Sing Hallelujah)

Give glory to Him (Hallelujah)

Our King is coming

Praise his holy name

Raise your hands up (Sing Hallelujah)

Trust in Him (Hallelujah)

Our King is coming

He comes to fetch us

In a dark world everyone asks

Who will come to lead the people

It's the Rider on the white horse

He's coming!

He is coming for you and me!!
Raise your hands up (Sing Hallelujah)

Give glory to Him (Hallelujah)

Our King is coming

Praise his holy name

Raise your hands up (Sing Hallelujah)

Trust in Him (Hallelujah)

Our King is coming

He comes to fetch us

Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Juanita Du Plessis

Thanks for sharing. Here in Williamson County the Williamson County Cowboy Church in addition to online services has an actual service by the roping arena where they have a big screen set up ALA the drive-ins of our younger days + one can attend + still stay in their car.

What's next? If President Trump and Vice President Pense suddenly go missing, Madame President Pelosi! The world crashes, blaming America. (President Trump said yesterday, I am a Christian." He's had a LOT of exposure to Pence and his surgeon general these past weeks.)
Where's Iran? They and Saudi Arabia will settle scores over whoever "committed" CV-19 on them -- that's green. China and Russia are the red.
Behind the scenes, pulling money strings, we have the black. So, how does the white horse show up? Just thinking out loud again...

God save us from a President Pelosi!