Apostolic Perspective in France

Editor’s note: This word of perspective is translated from the original French submitted by Jean-Marc Potenti, Convenor of the ICAL Coalition in France and his network core leadership team of apostolic leaders.

Towards an Apostolic Movement - Perceptions on Covid-19 pandemic. March 2020

We believe that, despite tragedies of all kinds (diseases, mourning, crisis health, economic crisis), this downtime is given to us by God as a forced Sabbath that brings us all, believers or not, back to the reality of our human condition, with its fragility, despite our claims that appear today quite ridiculous. (Psalm 144v 4).

This break must allow profound changes in our lifestyle, in our operations and routines, be it on a personal level, in the exercise of our respective ministries as in our way of living the church. We pray that profound changes can also take place beyond the church, in the economic and social fields.

 Among all that we can receive personally of God and what we can hear from all those who on the situation, we would like to emphasize more especially the following few points:

1. It's time to start our lives more than ever, our ministries and churches on the rock. Indeed, we believe not only that things will not be more like before but they will not necessarily be better…

We are not moving towards a "singing Tomorrow". There will be other health, natural and economic disasters. However, we trust in the grace and favor of God that will never cease to surround us even in the midst of turmoil.

It's not about being alarmist, let alone giving in to any conspiracy theory, we on the contrary, we must strive to develop the maturity and autonomy that are indispensable in the people of God. Accordingly, we encourage the search for all that contributes to the spiritual edification of believe. We must arm the people of God in the face of difficult times in such a way as to enable every believing to take root personally in the word of God and in his presence.

Thus, while being grateful for what the communication tools bring us, we encourage each spiritual leader to form and accompany the spiritual leaders of the world.

Believers draw from their personal relationship with God the resources necessary to progress. Current means such as media, social networks, etc. should not be a substitute for reading and reading and personal meditation on the word of God. Let us be careful not to infantilize believers by a media assistant who would exempt them from living this that they have to live personally before God.

We therefore encourage a sober use of all means of communication and a strengthening of everything that contributes to personal growth.

2. Facing the multiple questions and interpretations of the present times, it seems to us necessary to recall some biblical principles. We have entered the end times from the outpouring of the spirit to the Pentecost. In these times of the end, nations suffer all kinds of scourges and around. This warning concerns the whole history of the church and not only the times before the coming of the Lord.

What is happening is part of the signs of the Times that should not surprise or alarm the people of God as if they were the signs of the imminent advent Lord. We must be ready for the Lord's return in time easy as in disasters.

The global message of Revelation remains the model that must inspire our faith and our attitude to the events that are happening. Within the persecution in because of a totalitarian empire, the Apostle John receives not so much revelation events that must happen but the revelation of Jesus Christ himself. Even if his message contains information about the events that will marking the history of nations, the emphasis is on the person of the Lord.

The powerful lines of the Apocalypse, beyond the sometimes confusing literary style, bring to light :

• The throne of God and the radiance of his glory

• The victory of the lamb with which his people are associated, even in the midst of persecution

• The absolute sovereignty of God who leads the history of nations and contains all judgments by protecting his people from destruction, even within persecution

• The emergence of a totalitarian regime in which political, economic and religious powers are
       concentrated through the image of the Antichrist whom the Lord will conquer by the breath of his mouth.

• We must therefore watch for all signs of deprivation of liberty, even if the measures announced
       are justified by the current crisis and favoured by technology. We are not fooled by what is being played out…

• The hope of a new heaven and a new Earth on which justice will dwell in the midst of the nations that will walk in its light.

As a result, we are invited to connect ever more with the heavenly reality while being extremely vigilant in the face of the evolution of the history of our humanity. This is through intercession and discernment of what is being played out beyond the news. Thus, the message of Revelation, far from locking us in fear, nourishes our adoration and banishes the power of fear that seizes our
contemporaries and marks the surrounding culture. It provides us with the framework and filter for all our interpretations, revelations and teachings.

Generally speaking, it is as if God was doing a total "reset", which affects the environment, the
economy, the governance of nations, but also our personal, family, professional, ecclesial lives, etc.

It's finally a time of battle and childbirth. The action of God is not without the opposition of darkness.

This is the time to position yourself and stay on the offensive on the spiritual level.

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