We have in the West the Cancel Culture. We have in the world the Covid19 pandemic that is cancelling the church. One after another rule and more rules bind the church until it has become like a shell of a church. Recent weeks have clearly seen a drop of at least 40percent attendance before the vaccinated rules came into effect. We had more than 100 each Sunday full capacity before the latest lockdown but now at the most we are barely getting more than 60 people. Before hand, we have foreigners, a number of Indonesians worshipped with us and then the SOP said no non-citizens are allowed into church.
I spoke against this from day one and lessened the impact by changing the nomenclature "foreigners" or "warga asing" to non-citizens. We can't shake hands and almost 90 percent of members kept their masks on when singing. Is God pleased to see His children's faces masked when they lift up their faces to Him? Their voice is hampered and even before without masks they were only whispering due to the loudness of the music but now even their whispers have turned into a whimper and a sigh and some are mute in God's presence. Just before first lockdown in March 2020 I had an altar call and many came forward and not a few wept in repentance as thw Holy Spirit touched them through the laying of hands. Now, no no no you can't lay hands and a few Sundays ago I asked the members to stand where they sat and I prayed for them on the occasion of their birthdays. Last December, we managed to baptise 12 young people in a river at a village in Tuaran district about 1.5 hours' drive from KK. Now the pastor can't even enter the "church" and Covid19 virus cancels the Church and its leaders do not raise a sound like dogs that cannot bark. Where is the God of Elijah? Where is the God of Jesus Christ? Why are you so fearful, men of little faith? (Mark 2)
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