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Should Christians Resist Their Governors?

4/20/2020

22 Comments

 
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Perhaps you’ve seen it on Facebook. Perhaps you’ve heard it on the blogosphere. People are getting antsy under quarantine, no surprise there. Our worst fears about the Coronavirus have not been realized, praise the Lord there! But all of this raises several difficult questions. How long can they do this? How long can governors keep our economy shut down? How long can churches legitimately be told they can’t meet in person? How do we respond to violations of the constitution? And most importantly how do we as Christians think about being Americans?
As I see it, there are two distinct issues at play here. The first issue is whether governors have the right to shut everything under a genuine plague killing at an unprecedented rate. In other words, if COVID-19 had twice the spread rate it already does (and it does seem to spread quickly as people are asymptomatic initially), and half of everyone who got it died, whether young or old, sick or healthy, would it still be unconstitutional for a governor to shut everything down in the face of such an emergency? Do such emergency powers violate the constitution? The second issue is whether COVID-19 is bad enough that it warrants the actions the governor has taken.


Do They Have the Right?

Speaking to the first issue, let me begin by saying I’m not a constitutional scholar, so I don’t have any authority to speak to the constitutionality of the question. I will note that these shutdowns have been carried out all across America, by both Democratic and Republican governors, with differing levels of strictness; they have been encouraged by a Republican President; and strong conservatives that I look to for guidance (such as Ted Cruz or David French) have stated that what is happening is constitutional so long as it is applied equally to all gatherings. If they start opening up movie theaters and ball games but continue telling churches they can’t meet, that is where the actions become unconstitutional, or so I’m told. 


Can We Resist?

But that leads us to the second question - what if the government is wrong about this disease? Here is where Scripture comes in. What do I do if I think an authority is wrong? Well, the message of the Bible is overwhelmingly one of submission to authority, starting all the way at the top. Christ submits to the Father (1 Corinthians 10:3; John 8:29; Matthew 26:39). Slaves are told to obey their masters (Ephesians 6:5). Jews are told to submit to the teaching of the Pharisees and the scribes (Matthew 23:2-3). Children are told to submit to their parents (Ephesians 6:1-3). Wives are told to submit to their husbands (Colossians 3:18). And yes, Christians are told to submit to the government (Romans 13:1-7, 1 Peter 2:13-17). Our general attitude as we approach this question ought to be one of submission. That’s tough, because that cuts against our natural tendency.

We don’t like submission, we like to rule. This was the first sin - a desire to be as gods and determine what is right and wrong on our own - and it continues to be the source of all our sin. We do not want this man, that man, or any man for that matter, to rule over us (Luke 19:14). For this reason, we should be very slow as Christians to reject our human authorities, realizing the deceptiveness and the bent of our own flesh.



Why Should I Obey the Government?

As for governments specifically, we are given two reasons why we should listen to, obey, and honor our rulers. The first reason is that our governments are put over us by God. This is true generically (the idea of government was God’s idea), and specifically (God put our leaders over us). We need to take seriously strong language like we find in Romans 13:2: “Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.” So for me, as a resident of Indiana, my governor is Eric Holcomb. For me to resist Eric Holcomb is to resist God. 

But there is a second reason given: an attitude of submission towards the government is a critical part of a Christian’s testimony. 1 Peter deals a lot with a believer’s witness to a watching world, and in the middle of Peter’s discussion on submitting to and honoring our government, Peter makes this point. “For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:” (2:15). God wants us to submit, because that is how he wants us to represent him to the world. 

If the governors do have the right to declare a quarantine in an emergency (and again, conservatives in the know say they do), then I think it would be dangerous for us to decide, “Well, I disagree, this isn’t really an emergency.” We might be right. They might be wrong. But we put ourselves in a dangerous position when we decide we only have to follow our authority if we agree with them. We wouldn’t want our children to act that way toward us, so are we ready to be consistent? 


When Does It Go Too Far?

But this answer will no doubt raise two objections. First, what if the government asks me to violate God’s Word? Specifically, is quarantining a violation of Hebrews 10:25, “Not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together”? Second, what if governors cross constitutional boundaries? Do we just roll over and play dead in such cases?

First, it is true that when the government tells us to violate God’s Word or our conscience, we are to continue obeying the higher authority. Acts 4:19-20 and Hebrews 11:23 clearly teach that there may be a point when that happens, specifically in regard to protecting human life and fulfilling our religious obligations. And yes, that will mean respectfully disobeying our government at that point. 

But is that what is happening now? Are we being asked to “forsake the assembling of ourselves together.” I don’t think so. The word “forsake” is a strong Greek word that means “to forsake, abandon, desert.” That word has everything to do with the heart of the one forsaking, and isn’t addressing unusual or extreme circumstances. Shut-ins are not violating God’s command to gather because they can’t get out of bed. As my pastor has pointed out, lepers weren’t violating God’s command to gather three times for feasts in Jerusalem because they were supposed to be quarantined. As long as a government is uniformly applying these quarantining laws to, as best as they know how save lives, we are not in sin to comply.

So what if they do start targeting churches? What if everything else is opened up but the churches aren’t? That’s a different story. At that point, we would again want to look to Scripture. What did Daniel do when asked to eat food that he knew he could not eat? He graciously appealed by offering a solution. His first response was not simply to resist. He didn’t throw the food at the prince of the eunuchs and say “I’m not eating this trash.” He was kind, gracious, and offered a solution. Is there a way that churches can work with governments to find a compromise that works? If it were me, and I were a head pastor, I’d probably try to set up home groups so we were meeting 15-25 at a time, rather than 150 or more. What if the government said, “Nope, you can’t do that, you can go to theaters but you can’t meet in homes.” At that point, I would probably quietly set up meetings for my church anyway ready for the consequences that came my way. Thankfully, we aren’t at that point in America yet.

To the second question - what if we don’t like what our governors are doing, and what if they are acting wrongly or even unconstitutionally. What about instances where governors have gone overboard and perhaps even are targeting religious institutions? Well, thankfully we have a country with checks and balances for such occasions. We have a court system to address overreach on the part of the executive branch. We have elections and the ability to protest peacefully and to communicate with our elected officials. If what you are seeing in your state bothers you, reach out to your senator or congressperson. If you feel like you personally have been unfairly targeted, take that to the courts. That is the system our government has set up to address these issues. It’s not wrong to use them. Our freedoms are a wonderful gift given to us by God, and we ought to be thankful for them and exercise the responsibility that goes with them. Just remember that how you do it matters to God. 

And let’s not forget what else the Bible says about government - we are to pray for our elected leaders. Let’s pray for the leaders we like and especially for the ones we don’t. Let’s seek to be as much a support as we can be to those who rule over us, realizing they are flawed and will make mistakes. Let’s all pray for one another and for our country. Let’s use this as an opportunity to band together as we prepare to climb out of the economic hole this disease will leave us in. And let’s trust our sovereign God to bring good out this bizarre season of our lives as we seek to be wise in submitting to the government he has placed over us.

Note: I recently did a podcast where I interviewed my head pastor, Pastor Phelps, on this very issue. While this post reflects my own views, I would be lying if I didn’t say that his perspective on this issue has helped to sharpen and clarify my own. If you would like to listen to the episode, you can find it here,  or just search Colonial Hills Podcast on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify and find the episode.

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​Ben Hicks went to Bob Jones University for college and stayed on for grad work, recently graduating with his Master of Divinity. Ben is the Young Adults Pastor and oversees the Single Focus ministry at Colonial Hills Baptist Church. Follow him on Twitter @HicksBen 

22 Comments
Patricia Bowdish
4/21/2020 12:50:25 pm

I liked your article very much, and strongly agree.
Thank you and
God bless

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Matthew Walker link
4/22/2020 11:56:45 pm

Well ... I actually disagree. First, I don’t think French is interpreting Scalia in Employment Division v. Smith correctly. There is a big difference between using peyote (illegal drug) and assembling together. Moreover, a governor arbitrarily choosing what is essential and what is not, especially when abortion clinics remain open is like Oregon saying that peyote is illegal and cocaine is not, but in a much more perverse way. French also fails to take into account Village of Stratton v. Jehovah’s Witness which mandates the government give a wide berth to the practices of religion (the cultus). I’m saying that I’m really unconvinced that’s the governors are acting constitutionally. Wait and see if these people who have been arrested go to trial any time soon. They won’t because the government is afraid they’ll lose the case on constitutional grounds.

Second, I’m also unconvinced that the governor or the president is the same as the “king” in 1 Peter 2. Our nation is based on the founding documents, “the rule of law,” not on elected officials. These leaders are representatives, but also private citizens. When I joined the Marines, I pledged an oath to defend the Constitution, not President G.H.W. Bush.

Third, Ben ignores the greater problem churches are facing. It’s not gathering that’s the issue. It’s the Great Commission. How are we supposed to preach the gospel now? How will we baptize new converts? How will we disciple them? Is anyone starting a new church right now, or is that on hold?

I do agree that we shouldn’t practice civil disobedience, but we might consider appealing to Caesar. That’s what Paul did when the Romans abused his rights.

I hope this helps the discussion. :)

Matt

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Lynda Mackie
4/21/2020 02:32:28 pm

I have wrestled with this dilemma for a few years now as I'm old enough to remember the Holocaust! What should Christians have been doing then?
We in Canada have a situation that is NOT being addressed by Christians. We have a PM that has been coming out daily in his support of Communist China, has openly stated his admiration for the way China (CCP) governs and has more recently, converted to Islam.. We, the people are being forced into what amounts to "house arrest" while the PM and his family blatantly and publicly violate the very rules that his gov't enforces on the rest of us. We have a curfew in a lot of cities now and under the cover of "curfew" after everyone is “in for the niht”, 5G towers are being erected in residential areas and next to schools, unbeknown to the people/children who will be damaged by them. Supposedly, this was not to be happening as the gov't is being faced with active opposition by highly acclaimed biochemists, medical scientists etc. and was supposedly "waiting for further studies". APPARENTLY NOT SO …. LIED TO AGAIN!
A pastor in Calgary, wearing the mandatory and appropriate masks (which the Police were not) was out feeding a group of homeless individuals. He was stopped, shut down and was given a $1200 ticket..... reason give by the Officer ..... " what the Pastor was doing was NOT an essential service" ! Another homeless man in Hamilton ..... sitting in what appeared to be an alley, with his back against a building and all by himself was given a ticket for $850 for "not adhering to the social distancing and self isolation rule" ??? I'm sure if this dear man had a home....he MAY have been in it!
We're living in a world where they're killing off the "undesirables", trying to euthanize/kill off the elderly and aborting the babies. Are we to sit on our hands at this point? As far as I remember, God only instituted the "government" in the office of a King, because the people of Israel insisted that they wanted one because the "other" nations had one. I know that when a nation turns their back on God, God turns a deaf ear to them BUT .... again, I thought as Christians we were to be a light, exposing evil deeds?

It would appear that a lot of us ARE living in the face of EVIL deeds and under an EVIL government. Not just a corrupt government but an EVIL government. There is NOTHING in Canada that protects Canadians, and our freedom is being eroded by the minute. Our PM has welcomed an "invasion" by illegal border jumpers that were reluctant to be "exposed" under the scrutiny of your government.....so our PM welcomed them as "future paid for votes." We don't know whether or not we have terrorists, rapists, murderers in that bunch but we do know they were hiding something from your Government, and we DO KNOW that we NOW HAVE a few cases of TB and other diseases that slid across our borders.... discovered and confirmed when they sought medical attention here. They were given IMMEDIATE voting privileges (something that usually takes a couple of years) given COMPLETE Gold Standard Medical coverage that Veterans/Seniors are not getting, they are being put up in HOTELS while we have working families living in poverty and no money to help them and our injured Veterans are being told there is no extra money for their plight and the list goes on. We taxpayers can't keep it up .... meanwhile our PM is undermining the health of Canadians by “donating” our COVID 19 masks to China, leaving our own Medical staff with none and giving millions to China , has taken extensive vacations to Epstein Island, his Trudeau fund (until recently) sported the Pedophile logo (circulated by the FBI). All of this and more ….. funded by the taxpayers and all this while some of OUR KIDS are going hungry!
As Christians .... what is your advice? Resist evil OR do nothing? Yes, we are to refuse to violate God's commands no matter what the gov't says, but one of God's standards is that we are our brother's keepers as well. If we sit and watch our neighbours as well as ourselves "imprisoned" as every God given right and freedom is repeatedly and systematically stolen ... is that being a Christian? I sometimes wonder if we Christians are only too willing, to hide under the "submission" card and live in apathy because we're too cowardly to do anything else. Just an opinion of an old GOD FEARING WOMAN who happens to believe that God also gave us a backbone.

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Josiah Kuenzi
4/22/2020 06:48:28 am

Lynda Mackie, Agree with you, God bless you sister. Praying for more Christians to wake up and take a stand. Half my family is in Manitoba Canada and alot of them hate Trump which I don't understand. This article was interesting and I agree with much of it, but it's not completely valid. He says, "We have a court system to address overreach on the part of the executive branch. We have elections and the ability to protest peacefully and to communicate with our elected officials. If what you are seeing in your state bothers you, reach out to your senator or congressperson. If you feel like you personally have been unfairly targeted, take that to the courts." The checks and balances are shutdown; people can't reach the governors office and many other officials. Courts are closed except for few "essential" cases.
The article says it's only unconstitutional if not applied to all gatherings. It certainly is not applied to all gatherings in stores and public places. What is happening is most certainly unconstitutional and wrong according to God's Word. Quarantine sick people not healthy people. We must earnestly Pray and seek God's face daily!

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Lynda Mackie
4/22/2020 12:11:33 pm

Thank you Josiah! I, for one, think Pres. Trump is the best thing to happen to the US in a very long time! Wish we had a leader here with some chutzpah/hutzpah .... whichever way you choose to spell it ....it's missing in Canada! Yes, I agree with most of the article in question and I know prayer is the BEST thing we can do but I earnestly believe we need to put some boots on the ground as well. For me, I'm not sure what that looks like but peaceful protests seem to fall on deaf ears....at least here in Canada. The author of the article talks about using elections and approaching gov't etc.... futile here! We have an election system that went awry because Trudeau first promised to legalize marijuana and got elected, then for his 2nd term, he front-loaded the country with plane loads of immigrants and illegal immigrants that were immediately given voting status .... talk about stacking the odds! Most REAL Canadians did NOT vote for Trudeau re the "popular poll" ... it was a monumental loss but strategic placing of the immigrants gave him a majority "districts" vote. We seem to be behind the 8 ball with no recourse and people are gearing up for civil disobedience. He's pushing the Bill Gates mandatory vaccine/chip implanting and we know what is coming after that. So, are Christians simply to comply?? Anyway.... thank you for your words of support and God bless your family in Manitoba ....we really do need God's blessing and you're absolutely right .... we need more Christians to take a stand.....IMMEDIATELY !

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Josiah Kuenzi
4/22/2020 06:50:35 am

Also in person elections are being shutdown while thousands gather at stores across the nation.

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Aaron Blumer link
4/22/2020 08:48:11 am

Good thoughts. But you don't have to be a constitutional scholar to know whether the governors' measures are constitutional or not. It's an obligation for every American to know these things. You're not alone in thinking this way. At some point, we decided not to take civics education seriously and so no we have many, many Americans (Christians no better than the general population as far as I can tell) who don't have a basic education in the U.S. Constitution or don't feel confident they can understand how it applies to real world questions. Knowledge of one's state constitution is important as well, and as a Wisconsin transplant, I confess I don't know it well enough!

We should fix this. It's more important now than ever.

(But you did well choosing whom to trust, and yes, for the most part, these rules are constitutional.)

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Randall Shanks
4/22/2020 11:49:28 am

While I agree in general, the solution is not this simple or there wouldn't be controversy. The problem with much of the Christian populace is that this is [1] not a national emergency which means it is a [2] huge power grab that will be justified and "legally" upheld. If Christians (and others) do not pro-actively keep this wickedness at bay, it will be too late once it is all further ensconced into regular practice.

Furthermore, it is NOT treating church gatherings like other things--LOTS of institutions are considered "essential" and allowed to be open while churches practicing religion (SPECIFICALLY mentioned in the Bill of Rights) are considered "non essential" and closed. Our governing authorities are willingly defying the specifics of the Constitution while hiding behind a false national emergency. (Please don't accuse me of saying that COVID-19t is not real--of course it is. I have a doctor and three nurses in my immediate family. It is simply not national emergency level to shut down the means of income for families and to trample the freedom of religion.)

Christians of conscience have done their best to comply with our government over the years. This power-grab, however, is unprecedented in the history of our nation, and that is why Christians are in controversy over it. We are treading on the same ground that Christians did at the Revolution--is it time to resist or not (I'm not calling for war--just talking of the theological differences in the Church.)

So, I appreciate the article, but do not agree that the conclusion is this cut and dry.

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DG
4/22/2020 01:07:56 pm

I agree with your comments, however, you have to see this from a larger more in depth perspective. And find more facts. You need to understand that there is way more at play here than what meets the eye. Our government has been quietly subverted for years and years, and now our President is slowly exposing this. Look up Clergy Response Team, and I believe you will be quite upset by what many of America’s pastors were participating in.

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Lynda Mackie
4/22/2020 04:45:53 pm

Thank you guys!!! I am just one "old" lady but I seem to remember that, apparently, women are not to get "militant" about the atrocities in our world :) So thank you for acknowledging that we as Christians need to be pro-active and do what we can to STOP the evil power mongers among us. Regardless of gender ( M/F only) I believe we are expected to have a "Godly" discernment about the world that God has created for us to inhabit. If the Christians, through the power of Christ, don't do what it takes to try to preserve earth by thwarting the attempts of Satan and his minions ...... who will. Thank you and blessings from North of the border

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David Minnick
4/22/2020 05:31:22 pm

I appreciate your comments, Ben. God uses means to accomplish His ends, and yet, He remains in sovereign control of all things. So, we don't sit back passively. Nevertheless, Jesus Christ is our great pattern here. He alone exemplifies what trust in a sovereign God looks like.
In 1 Peter 2:21–25, we find his response to what was the greatest miscarriage of justice ever perpetrated. His “inalienable” right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” was taken away forcibly. The most innocent of men was deprived of every right the US constitution "guarantees" its citizens. And, His response was mute silence. In the face of injustice, he closed his mouth and uttered no threats, accepting meekly and passively what came to Him. He could do that because He believed He lay under the protective hand of the sovereign Creator who judges righteously. The current sentiment among American conservatives doesn't reflect that kind of spirit. Modern American Christians are being called upon today to face the same situation their Lord faced at His crucifixion. His response glorified the Father—He showed the world that His Father's righteous administration of the universe was trustworthy enough to rest His fate in His hands. The modern Christian response to all of this shows that we don't think God is in control, and we are certainly not convinced that He judges righteously. Instead, we must assume for ourselves the responsibility for ensuring justice is done—to me and for me. Our view of God is too small! American Christians, wake up! We serve a God that can shake the universe! And, His administration is founded upon righteousness! Look at the cross! Study the Gospel! For in the Gospel, the righteousness of God is displayed for all to see (Romans 1:16–17; 3:25–26). In the Gospel, God forever proclaimed His unbending commitment to righteousness by sacrificing the life of His Son. He set forth Christ in a bloody display of condemnation in order to demonstrate that He is righteous, unbendingly committed to an unbroken reign of justice in the administration of His kingdom. Is such a God not worthy of our trust? Or, must we seek our own good?

How pathetic a view of God our responses must give to those watching us. "He trusted in God; let him deliver him!" Ah! But He did deliver Him! And, then those wagging tongues were silenced! God raised Him up, seating Him at the head of all creation in the heavenly places. This is what the Father promises those who commit themselves to His righteous care. We must not mind a little difficulty now. Our Head is safely through and has proven our Father to be righteous, just, and trustworthy. Now, it is our duty to calmly entrust ourselves to Him who judges righteously. That, and nothing else, is the mind of Christ! That, and nothing else, brings glory to our sovereign God who reigns in righteousness.

You’ll take some flak for this article, Ben, but you can find this same principle and “spirit” expressed all over in the book of 1 Peter. In that book, God directs this kind of response toward crooked masters, persecuting governing officials, hard husbands, and He gives the blessed example of Christ in 1 Peter 2 who submitted Himself voluntarily to the worst of tyrants. He did it by faith, entrusting His soul to the one who judges righteously. God makes it up to His children who, through the power of His Spirit, honor despots as executing the sovereign rule of God.

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Aaron Berry
4/22/2020 05:50:56 pm

David, this comment is a fantastic blog article in and of itself! :) Well said!

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Matthew Walker link
4/23/2020 12:05:33 am

David,

There’s a logical disconnect that presumes Christians cannot submit to government while also fighting to preserve freedom. I suppose there’s a cultural one too. I’m an American. We are supposed to be the land of the free and all that. There’s also a biblical disconnect. If you apply Peter this way then you are forced to argue that Paul was wrong to appeal to Caesar.

Matt

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David Minnick
4/23/2020 06:25:29 am

I am not here to argue, Pastor Walker. But, I don't see any disconnect. We are citizens of two kingdoms. We have responsibilities in both. But, here is my fundamental concern: the anger and insubordination that we are seeing today coming from the right is incompatible with trust in a righteous and sovereign Father. We seem to believe that our good depends solely upon us and so we are prepared to do anything, even violate the law of God, to get and keep what is so precious to us.
Our response to all this can betray a lack of trust in God, and the world is watching that. We have the right of free speech in this country, but God doesn't give us that right: we can't say whatever we want, and we can't say it however we want as citizens of His kingdom, just because we live in a land that guarantees free speech. Use all the legal means you have at your disposal, but pray more. And, don't get angry. Don't fear the ones who have the power to kill the body. Pray like you believe the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord and He turns it wherever he wishes. May our dependance upon God be so great that we might never be able to truthfully say that it is we who have accomplished anything. Whatever other means may be available to us under the US Constitution for ensuring that we live quiet and peaceable lives, let's not forget how God says to obtain it: 1 Timothy 2:1–2 "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty." And, let's not forget that even in the midst of his appeals process, Paul said, "It is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people." (Acts 23:5). God has entrusted His reputation to us, and how we respond to pressures betrays what we really believe about Him.

Lynda Mackie
4/22/2020 11:19:53 pm

I agree with everything said about Christ and His not defending Himself even to the death of the cross. I too believe that God is Sovereign and in absolute control and I serve a God who is totally capable of bringing His purpose about WITHOUT my help.
So this is my dilemma....
Regarding Jesus and His submission …. Jesus knew His purpose WAS the cross, so after much praying and agony, submitted to the evil times and the evil men that took him there. Easy to believe …. hard to imagine!
Regarding the disciples….. they KNEW that their purpose was to go to the ends of the earth and make sure the good news of salvation was spread, regardless of persecution. BUT THEY STILL HAD THE FREEDOM TO GO TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH. Paul, when persecuted, could flee to another part of the country or to a totally different country for that matter, and by the Sovereignty of God, and at times, coupled with the help of humans, could escape. Likewise the other apostles could do the same.
I believe the world we live in is the “same but different” if that makes any sense. The EVIL is still present but the backstory is a little different. Whereas, Christ and the disciples were able to “slip away” when necessary, because the time was not yet right, things are very different to-day. Trudeau WILL BE…. imposing the mandatory vaccine/ 5G CHIP combination which will completely produce a different scenario. It will work off the 5G network and we will be like the Jews in Germany. We can run but not very far and we can hide but not very well…..our every move WILL be monitored by the minute. Basically, we'll be under house arrest; able to leave after applying for and receiving permission; tracked when we do leave; told WHO we can visit and WHERE we can visit; those with opinions other than the party line will be “sold out” by others via the “snitch line” because gov’t allegiance will be highly rewarded. Those “dissenters” with differing opinions will immediately disappear or be made an example of ....think Auschwitz. We, as Christians, CAN have a "righteous" anger but we have to be very careful and we’re told to “be angry and sin not”.
I believe that male/female or men/women are created in the image of God. I also believe that the “created” flesh and blood body is the un-inhabited “temple” and is like the children of Israel, at times when the Spirit of God was not with them. When a person is born again through Christ, the un-inhabited “temple” becomes the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit and is then the genuine and holy Temple of God. As such, and the Bible confirms ….. we Christians are the "temple" of God. We are told not to defile the Temple and I assume we should NOT let others defile it either.
When greedy, power hungry men are forcing toxic materials into our “temple” should we stand still for that …. We are to refuse the “chip” so when these same greedy power hungry men defile the “temple” by forcing poverty, forcing disease, forcing death should we sit still? They further defile the temple by stealing from the people, by taking advantage of the poor, tricking the naive, killing the elderly with euthanasia, killing the mentally ill with euthanasia, promoting assisted suicide, killing unborn babies, killing teens with "legal"/ non-legal drugs & pharmaceuticals, killing the disabled & just waiting, in Canada at least, to kill Christians. To me…. This is violating the “Temple” of God.

When Christ walked into the temple He saw the money changers carrying out the same atrocities as the above list, with the exception of murder, as far as we know. Did He passively walk by and pray ..... Heavenly Father, I will wait for you to do something and Thy will be done, because I know you're Sovereign?
Not that I know of. Instead, he took action and overturned their WHOLE evil, opportunistic and predatory business.
Again, my dilemma ….
Should we as Christians who want to follow Christ’s example, stay silent? When government, big Pharma, the Bankers etc. are doing the same thing, to the Temple of God, only in a modern world….. again, should we stay silent or rise up and DO SOMETHNG?
I’m not being argumentative, but so far my mind is made up. However, I do have an open heart for the truth so if you and the Holy Spirit can show me differently …… I can become a praying, passive, trusting Christian and switch horses, so to speak. I am already praying and trusting ….. just not convinced I should be passive.

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David Minnick
4/23/2020 10:14:26 am

Sister Lynda, what a gracious and humble response to my comment. That's evidence of the work of the Spirit of God in you. I praise God for you and for His work in you! I don’t want to wrangle about words in these discussions; too many people are concerned to parse all the words and laws just right (in other words, they want to get legalistic about it all, but Paul forbids that in 2 Timothy 2:14). But, you asked a question, and so I want to do my best to take a stab at an answer. Your answer to my comment is evidence that God's Spirit is at work in you, and so I will address you as one of God's dear children and pray that the Holy Spirit would give you understanding of these things. If you have a God-fearing pastor who preaches Jesus Christ and Him crucified, I would urge you to talk to him. He is God's gift to you to see that you stand perfect before Christ on that day (Colossians 1:28). I am praying that you can see from my reply below that the ultimate answer to your questions and needs is Jesus Christ and the Gospel by which we are saved.

So, here is my answer. I'll put it in the form of a meditation upon a particular Scripture passage. Consider 2 Corinthians 12:7–9.

"Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me."

There are two things that are striking about this text. First, Paul was buffeted about by a thorn in the flesh. How crazy! God's child suffering from a thorn in the flesh? Yes, and that is exactly what human history has taught us: God's people suffer. Paul and his thorn in the flesh sounds your situation (and all of our situations right now!). Perhaps the thorn isn't in a physical one right now, but you are concerned about many things. Many things that seem wrong. Many things that seem unjust. Many things that seem to indicate God is not in control. It looks to you like big pharma is in control. It looks to you like Justin Trudeau is in charge, etc. It looks to you like Satan is ruling. And, you feel backed into a corner. You feel threatened. You feel buffeted. And, you might be tempted to conclude that the buffeting is Satan's doing. Like these things—Trudeau, big pharma, conspiracies—these aren't God's doing. You feel like Satan is in charge and he has sent me a messenger to buffet you. That's what it looks like. And, so you feel buffeted. You feel pressed. You feel threatened. You feel afraid. You feel the need to act and act decisively lest what remains of your security is torn away from you by tyrants. But, the second thing that is striking about this passage is where the thorn came from. Paul says the thorn "was given" to him. That's what we call a passive voice verb. It means someone outside of Paul was acting on him, giving him this thorn. He didn't do it to himself. It was done to him. If the thorn is "a messenger of Satan to buffet him," then Satan was the one to give it to him, right? Not so fast! The text says the messenger of Satan was given to him "lest I should be exalted above measure." Other translations translate that phrase "so that I would not become proud." The thorn was to keep Paul humble. Did Satan give Paul a thorn in the flesh to keep him humble? Was Satan concerned to preserve Paul from making the same error he did—pride (Ezekiel 28:17)—and falling from his exalted position as recipient of God's revelation? Was Satan concerned to be sure Paul stayed humble? Of course not! Satan was not trying to keep Paul humble. God was! That's why He gave Paul the thorn. Yes, you read that right. God gave Paul the thorn. He is the actor in that passive verb "was given." It isn't just that he let Satan do his worst to Paul. It isn't just that God is aware of what Satan was up to. It isn't just that he allowed Satan to do what he wanted to to Paul.
God says, "I gave Paul the thorn to buffet him.: You are being buffeted. You are being pressed sore. You are backed up against a wall. Do you recognize that God has placed Trudeau in power (Daniel 2:21–22)? Do you recognize that the things that human ruler desires and does are from the hand of the Lord? A messenger of Satan that buffets, but given to you by God!

For what purpose does God press us so sorely? Why does He send thorns? He does it so that we will not be puffed up and become proud. A lot of American Christians trust in the US Constitution to keep them safe. They trust in the power bloc of the Moral Majority. And, they reveal their trust by the strenuous e

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David Minnick
4/23/2020 10:17:48 am

Evidently, my reply was too long :-) Here is some more of it.

And, they reveal their trust by the strenuous efforts with which they pursue proper Constitutional interpretation (if only we were so diligent to read and study and compare notes with others to interpret God's words!) and the ardor with which they press their case that it be upheld. Don't get me wrong; God has given us a marvelous blessing in this country (I realize you are in Canada, and I grew up in Australia, but I am writing from the USA on a blog hosted in the USA); we have enjoyed God's blessing and prosperity for so long; and what we have been experiencing now in this country is a singular event in history—there is no other time period where God's people have enjoyed the rest from persecution that has come from the US Constitution. In times of pressure, we run to our rock. It’s the natural human response to pressure; we run to what for us is our source of security. And, God is always at work to unveil our idols to us. The human heart has the nearly limitless capacity for the production of idols. The fear and anger that we see in the right wing today is evidence that the objects of our trust are being undermined. Power hungry leaders, and liberal politicians are taking our rock away from us. And, we are feeling the effects; suddenly, we find ourselves off balance, insecure, threatened, and afraid. All because of the messenger of Satan that our Father has sent.

So, back to our question, why does He send thorns? First, he wants to expose to us our idols. We have found comfort in constitutional law, private health insurance, freedom of religion, etc, and He wants us to see that those gods can and will crumble. They will totter and fall and so will all those who trust in them. But second, God sends thorns for a redemptive purpose. He doesn't mean to leave His children lying amidst the rubble of their collapsed idols' temples. He humbles us for one purpose. God resists us in our pursuit of idolatry for one reason, a very good reason, a very kind reason, and redemptive reason. 1 Peter 5:5 says that God resists the proud in order that they might humble themselves under God's mighty hand. And, why is God so interested in humbling us? Why is He intent on prying our fingers loose from our idols? It's because He pours out His grace upon humble people. You need God's grace. You need it in large doses. You want God's grace. How do you get it? By humility! What does humility look like? It looks exactly like what is looked like for Paul. The thorn remains. The pressures continue. But, God's children turn to Him in prayer. In other words, Paul didn't keep reading blog sites about how to remove thorns. He didn't keep listening to FoxNews to find out what people had to say about the progress of everyone's thorns. He didn't keep seeking his own answers. He didn't strive to promote his own good. Instead, he prayed. He prayed repeatedly that God would take it away. He didn't picket. He didn't post memes about his thorn on Facebook. He prayed. And, when God did not remove the thorn, he submitted himself to it, recognizing that it came from the hand of God. That's what humility looks like. And, notice in 2 Corinthians 12 what followed his humility—its exactly what 1 Peter 5 says follows any person's humility: Grace! God's grace! God's grace to a humble man. See, as long as we are still calling senators and reading blog sites about big pharma and holding rallies and pushing for our rights, when God supplies any blessings, we are tempted to look at what has come to us and says, "see what my hand and my power has accomplished for me?" Don't get me wrong. Call your senator, write letters, make appeals. Do everything you can. But, pray more. And do what you do in humility. Recognize that anything that happens, whether its Trump or Biden, whether its freedom or tyranny, is from God. Pray like you like you serve a God who holds the hearts of kings in His hand. Pray like you serve a God who can send a coronavirus and wipe out the economies of the most powerful nations on earth. We serve a God who can shake the world as well as smooth the ruffled feathers of the smallest bluejay. Settle down with that fact. Rest in in it. So that when you lose your liberty or when you gain it, it can only be attributable to the Lord. Do whatever you can to set things right and preserve the blessings of God that we have enjoyed. But do it with so much prayer that you are have no room to be able to truthfully say that it is you who has accomplished anything. And, if it all disappears, and we descend into the darkest of nights, remember, its not because you didn't do enough. Its because God has sent another thorn to humble you. When you have that kind of attitude of humility, you get grace from God. And, boy, are we going to need it in the years to come. And, remember this: Jesus addresses fearful people

David Minnick
4/23/2020 10:21:55 am

And, just a bit more:-)

Remember this: Jesus addresses fearful people like us with these words: "Fear not those who can kill the body, but rather fear him who has the power to cast you into hell." Jesus addresses fearful people like us with love when he says that we must not fear those who can kill the body. Or harm it in anyway! That include Trudeau, that includes big pharma. That includes the coronavirus. That includes liberal democrats. The includes everything that God has made. Do not fear! Stop being afraid! Whatever they may do to your body is cheap. Perhaps they can kill the body. But even that, Jesus will reverse. The resurrection of Jesus Christ means that your body is safe! Because he rose, you will too! In your body. Resurrection is always bodily. Jesus Christ came out of the tomb in his body, and you will too. And, the resurrection of Jesus Christ means your soul is safe! Your body will rise with all the glory of the resurrection body on that last day! You soul will be at home with the Lord. Praise the Lord for this. What a Gospel! What a glorious Gospel! This does not mean that our life here will be painless. Life in a sin-cursed world and living under sinful rulers never will be. But, Jesus never promised us that it would be easy. He said that our glorious entrance into the kingdom of God on that day would be preceded with much tribulation (Acts 14:22). But, our Head is through. He too suffered much tribulation. But, now He has entered into His glory, and the trajectory of His career of suffering followed by glory is ours as well. Expect nothing less than suffering and death and then, glory! I pray that the Lord will use these feeble words to strengthen your soul. Look not to yourself. Look to Christ! Look at the glory of God displayed in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And, commit yourself to a church that preaches Christ and Him crucified. For only in Christ, can we see the glory of God on full display for the benefit of sinful creatures like us.

None of this is an attempt to be triumphalistic. Life in a sin-cursed world is hard. We all smart because of sin. So, read the lament psalms. Turn to God with your fears and your anxieties. Tell Him you can't understand. But, tell Him you choose to trust Him and that's why you are coming to him in prayer. Tell Him you can't wait for the day when Jesus will rule this world. Tell Him you would rather have Jesus than anything else in this world. And, then tell Him that you are going to settle down and rest in his sovereign and loving care for you.

May God richly bless you with grace and peace in the fullest measure.

Lynda Mackie
4/25/2020 08:26:28 pm

Hi David ..... again thanks for your insight. I am doing as you suggested and asking for the help of a local God fearing Pastor but have not heard back as yet.
Just so that you don't misunderstand me .... I am not living in fear of what man can do to me and I do know that my Redeemer lives so am convinced without a doubt that I will eventually live with Him. I am praying for a revival in Canada and for Christians to once again .... PUBLICLY be the light in the dark and the salt of the earth. What I'm concerned about is, apart from praying (which is the BEST thing we can do), are we as Christians supposed to be doing anything more than pray, in these evil times. Yes, God IS Sovereign, and as I said He doesn't NEED my help or anyone else's for that matter ..... but the fact remains that quite often, he DOES use people to carry His plans forward. So IF we are to stand up publicly, what form would or should that take. I know we are to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and there's the rub so to speak. I feel led by the Holy Spirit to do more than just pray.....you feel led by the Holy Spirit to pray... is it possible that, even based on Scripture, God would be leading each of us to stand for Him by different means? As far as me "settling down", I AM resting in His Sovereignty ..... I just don't want to be guilty of "settling" when I should have been shouting from the rooftops, like a watchman on the tower wall. Still waiting for my Pastor :) Blessings.....Lynda

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Jenny
12/13/2020 10:06:28 am

Well...There are two commandments I stick to. 1. LOVE the Lord thy God with your whole heart. 2. Love the neighbor. These are far and above any constitutional doctrine or leader. As I see it, there is great divide in our country that has been perpetuated by this president. It continues still. I am a Christian Conservative but im also of the sound mind and belief tgat the Lord God gave us free will in EVERYTHING we do, say, whom we vote for, dont vote for, etc. Tbe bible is also clear that we are not to use our freedoms for self. This President is leading a coalition of flowers who do not care about life at all. Not the way God cares anyway or that he called us to. I'm all for gathering for church or services within a home but WITH A MASK because that I believe is what God called us to do...to Love our neighbors. This President has sent mixed messages throughout his tenure and he and his constituents are less about God and more about Power and money. As a deeply conservative Christian, his recent clown show and unwillingness to YIELD to Gods obvious sovereignty in allowing Biden to be President, is both offensive to my Christian values and it belies the very word of the Living God. God will NOT be mocked. And I am DEEPLY ASHAMED of my party for allowing such nonsense and UN-Christlike malignant behavior to continue as it has. How can one teach or believe in Gods sovereignty and fight it at the same time while telling everyone they are Christians. This is shameful! Trump will have to answer for his part in all this mayhem but we will too if we allow such division to take place. Remember this, God is VERY interested in that 1 sheep who is lost and as such he is also interested in that 1% of the population who could die if they get this virus. Your stuborness and refusal to wear a mask to.protect his 1% is a SIN because you have forgone both the commandments he laid out in his word. To love God and love thy neighbor. We may not be thrilled with the choices some people make regarding leaders but we must understand that God allowing us to make those choices is wrapped up.in his sovereign design. He knows what hes doing regardless of who is President or whom the masses have chosen. He is still God. He is still in control. We need to cleave to that and leave the rest in his loving hands. May God bless all of you here and the rest.of humanity regardless of where they reside.

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JW Worcester link
9/27/2022 07:33:21 am

Any discussion of political leaders must start with the voters. In a Republic where our leaders are elected by the Public we are stuck with the leaders that the majority have elected. There were plenty of good Republican candidates besides Trump. The fact that Trump prevailed says something about the voters.

Look at: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/aug/31/is-there-no-virtue-among-us/

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JW Worcester link
9/27/2022 07:23:35 am

Lot's of contrary opinions of authors point of view and of the comments readers have given. So I'll offer my 2 cents. Compared to the bird flu of 1918 in a period where "Viruses" were unknown, scientists had a chance to catch up to the virus. In the time before they had a solution, policies (used in 1918) like social distancing and quarantines were used. So it is incorrect to compare COVID to the bird Flu and then say social distancing was not needed. And comparing COVID to Small Pox and Polio should be a good example since we don't have to worry about these because everyone participated in prevention and vaccinations.

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