The abysmal and disgraceful failure of Christian leadership during the coronavirus scare-demic – Part 1
Christian leaders appear to be very ignorant of the scope and sphere of jurisdiction of the civil government, and in capitulating to government-mandated church shutdowns, declaring the churches non-essential, they have committed a treacherous act of idolatry and public blasphemy
It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage. Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God. Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever. All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellers, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree. Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. – Daniel 6:1-10.
It is with a very heavy heart that I am writing this post, and I would much prefer if I didn’t have to write it, but I cannot hold my breath because it is neither loving nor right in the sight of God to stay silent in the face of evil:
Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. – Leviticus 19:17.
Open rebuke is better than secret love. – Proverbs 27:5.
When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul. – Ezekiel 3:18-21.
Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. – Isaiah 58:1.
For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. – Ephesians 5:8-11.
“When evil abounds you have a duty to speak against it and act against it.” – Matthew Trewhella (pastor, Mercy Seat Christian Church, Wisconsin, Three Hard Things about the State of our Nation and Covid)
“Often, of course, open rebuke is necessary. Silent testimony will only go so far. Failure to speak out against and oppose evil is a failure to obey God. Believers are to expose the works of darkness with whatever legitimate, biblical means necessary. Love that does not openly expose and oppose sin is not biblical love. Love not only “does not act unbecomingly” but it “does not rejoice in unrighteousness” (1 Corinthians 13:5–6) wherever it might be found.” – John MacArthur (pastor, Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, When Silence Is Sinful)
True love indeed rejoices not in unrighteousness, regardless of where that unrighteousness is found – whether outside or inside the camp of the professing Christian church, and in the case at hand, we are primarily concerned with the latter:
“...there is a Scripture verse that keeps coming to mind: open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of those who are destitute, Open thy mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy [Proverbs 31:8-9]. The people of God need to go down in history as the ones who are going to open their mouths...There is a time to be silent and there is a time to speak, and when you see a minister of the gospel being put in jail for opening his church – now is the time to talk, it is not time to be silent, and is the time to speak, and it’s the time to speak loudly. And anyone that thinks that this is OK, I am very sorry but they are not seeing reality for what it is. I am really bothered the silence of the churches.” – Jacob Reaume (pastor, Trinity Bible Chapel, Waterloo, Ontario, Pastor James Coates Arrested: His Lawyer Explains)
I am not only deeply bothered, but also deeply outraged at the silence of the churches. There is indeed a time to be silent but this is not it, because “silence in the face of evil is itself evil”, and God in this case will not hold us guiltless. “Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” This quote has popularly been attributed to the German pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906–1945), and although it cannot actually be found in any of his writings he certainly embodied its principles. For unlike so many churchmen of today, he refused to stay silent in the face of evil, and suffered dire consequences for reproving the wicked deeds of darkness, being arrested by the Gestapo and executed for opposing the Nazi regime. Pastor James Coates also refused to keep silent and to bow his knee to anti-Christian wickedness, and, as has been the case throughout the history of the Christian church, he has suffered the retaliation from both: the evil civil magistrates and the religious hypocrites.
“Why am I saying what I am saying and doing what I am doing today? Because there is a pastor in jail for leading his flock, for calling his flock to gather, and worship the Saviour who died for him, and churches are OK with it...and then they are OK with jumping on him for trying to be a martyr, or something like that, or getting what he deserves for having the audacity to violate the almighty and ever-sacred public health orders...but why is it all going on, why are the people doing this? Why are they OK with it? Why are they so callous and cold-hearted about it? Why are they so loveless and hateful? Because their pastors are an example to them in word and deed…
Why is James Coates in jail? I think it is largely because for 11 months Canadian pastors have been OK with the sheep being scattered, and so one man has become a spectacle and anomaly.” – Jacob Reaume (The Problem Behind Our Problems: Where Are the Shepherds?", Ezekiel 34:1-10)“I fail to see how the silence of Canadian pastors is an act of faith. I fail to see how it’s not sin. Pastors should have spoken when the government tried to take control of the churches. They should have spoken when their parishioners were thrust into financial ruin by forced government shutdowns. They should have spoken when churches and elders were fined for opening their churches to offer hope to the world. The overwhelming majority were silent. Some were fast to condemn the tone or the tactics of the pastors who stood up for the church, but most just said nothing.
Christ commands the church to meet [Hebrews 10:24-25]. He is King of kings and Lord of lords. That’s not just a pithy confessional statement. It’s a statement of allegiance. He gets the first fruit of our obedience. Handing over the church to state control is rendering unto Caesar that which is God’s. Where are all the shepherds? The pastors? Where are they?” – Jacob Reaume (The Pastors and the Sin of Silence)
For almost 11 months I also have been asking myself where are the godly mighty men of valour, where are the Daniels of this day and age? Why are the vast majority of Christian men hiding as mice in dark holes, and acting as dumb dogs, and are useless as watchmen over the Lord’s house because they refuse to bark when the thief comes to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10)? And in their latest act of treachery – failing to speak up when their fellow minister is arrested for daring to obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29) – it is to them that the complaint which Habakkuk directed to God applies most perfectly, “wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he? (Habakkuk 1:13).
In his plea for leadership address – The Dog That Does Not Bark, in the year 2017, 500 years post-Reformation, John J. Murray made the following remarks as to the kind of leadership needed in order to rescue the Christian church from further descent into apostasy and reverse its fatal amalgamation with the “spirit of the age”:
“First – it must be men who practice what they preach...The second point is – it must be men who are not in compromising situations [i.e., such who have chosen convenience over confrontation]…Thirdly – it must be men who are fully committed to the whole truth [rather than the ecumenical or the politically-correct abridgment thereof]…A form of political correctness has come into the church. We’ve heard it said – how dare you criticize a brother, knowing that he is one who has been purchased by the blood of Christ. Others have said – this is not a hill to die on. Or, – is it worth dividing over such an issue?...
Fourthly – it must be men who are willing to speak out. And here is where we get our title. Reformer John Calvin said: “A dog barks when its master is attacked. I’d be a coward if I saw that God’s truth is attacked and yet would remain silent.”...
In an article The Importance of Not Being Nice, the Reverend Neil Richards declared, “A desire to get away from a negative, confrontational image has sometimes led evangelicals to be comprehensive where they should be exclusive; irenic where they ought to be polemic; and diplomatic where they ought to be bold and unyielding. There are times when for the sake of the Gospel and for the cause of truth Christians must be narrow and exclusive; fierce in their resistance to error and altogether ‘earnest contenders for the faith once delivered to the saints [Jude 1:3].’”
It is interesting to speculate what the church would be like today if Luther had been prone to compromise the truth. The pressure was heavy on him to tone down his teaching and soften his message. Sometimes division is fitting, even healthy, for the church. It is right for the true people of God to declare their convictions...
Compromise is sometimes a worse evil than division. What an encouragement it would be today to see men taking a stand. It is not often nowadays that a man steps out of line...Douglas Murray, author and analyst, wrote on the Gatestone Institute website: “Very occasionally – even in contemporary Britain – some good news arrives. No single piece of news has been more invigorating than the discovery that a member of the Church of England has found a vertebra.”” – John J. Murray (retired minister, Free Church of Scotland, The Dog That Does Not Bark)
Churchmen with the vertebrae are indeed rare to be find these days, for we live in a time of spineless pop-corn Christianity that is Christianity only in appearance but not in substance; and in an age of cowardice where too many are silent who ought to be speaking up.
“We are in an information war…the media and the government are spreading lies…fraudulent fictional narratives…say something, ‘cause you know what makes tyranny proliferate? The first and foremost thing that is the proliferator of tyranny is silence.” – Matthew Trewhella (COVID-19 & Quarantine Laws)
Evil indeed in part prevails because those who know, or should know better, silently and without resistance bow down to it for fear of repercussion. And so instead of being a part of the solution they become a part of the problem. Sadly, this includes so many professing Christians who are only willing to serve Christ when it costs them nothing (or very little), and keeps them out of conflict. They thus choose conformity and convenience over holiness and obedience. They are interested only in the blessings of Christianity, but not its trials and afflictions because they want spiritual gain without any pain. And perhaps as a direct consequence of this, we have now reached the point where so many Christians have oxymoronically accepted the idea that church is not essential because the government says so (never mind apparently what God says!!), and you can be financially penalized or sent to jail if you disagree!! However, in deeming the church non-essential, the professing Christians have greatly dishonoured Christ and despised His sacrifice.
“Our Saviour shed His blood to purchase the church, and therefore deeming the church “unessential” is tantamount to deeming the blood of Christ unessential, which is a public act of blasphemy...Jesus Christ is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, and therefore we must honour and obey him above all earthly governments.” – Jacob Reaume (All Elders of Trinity Bible Chapel Charged)
“So they [the churchmen] play the traitor and they play the whore and then on top of all that they have the audacity to claim being Biblical by twisting the Word of God in quoting Romans 13. The churchmen have long obeyed any and every edict of the state due to their bogus assertions of Romans 13 that we are always to obey the civil authorities. I had numerous ministers tell me, “we are duty-bound to obey the state and not meet, based on Romans 13.” I would respond to these numerous ministers by taking them to the text of Romans 13 and pointing out verses 3 & 4, and I would ask them, does not Romans 13 make clear the function of civil government is to punish those who do evil and then I would ask them, is attending church evil?” – Matthew Trewhella (A White Lie and Black Death: Why Does the Church Believe the COVID19 Lie? Part I)
Now, contrary to the assumptions of those who choose to hide under the fig-leaves of their faulty exegesis of Romans 13, the truth according to Scripture is that all authority is limited, delegated, accountable and answerable to God Who is the ultimate authority as the Creator of all and the Supreme Judge. And the Bible does in fact state very clearly for all who have eyes to see and ears to hear that God has instituted civil government as an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrong doer.
For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. – Romans 13:3-4.
Now, if the civil rulers are not a terror to good works but to evil, and if they are moreover the ministers of God ordained for the purpose of administering His justice, and are thus to execute wrath upon those who do evil, we have to ask ourselves the following key question –Whose standard defines what is good and what is evil? God’s of course! For, as pastor James Coates emphasized in his sermon on Romans 13, just two days before he was arrested for acting in accordance with the very principles he preached, good and evil are not defined by the ever evolving and changing whims of human culture (or in our present-day case – cancel culture), but by God’s Word; and therefore, the civil governments must rule in accordance with It. And so in summary, Romans 13 gives us a Biblical definition of the role of the government – the legitimate role of the government: civil governments are called to be a minister of God’s justice (i.e., not some arbitrary human justice), and thus to punish those who do evil (as opposed to those who do good – such as gather for worship and preach the Gospel as God commanded them!!)
And therefore, when civil governments seek to rule by laws which are contrary to God’s Law, they de facto abrogate their own authority and are not to be obeyed. In other words, when the government commands what God forbids, or forbids what God commands, or commands that which is not theirs to command (such as, how the Christian faithful ought or ought not to worship), Christians must obey God over the government. For if the kings of the Earth are in rebellion to the King of kings and Lord of lords from Whom they received authority to rule, and that in accordance with His Law, then we are not free to join them in their rebellion, for he who does so becomes a partaker of their evil deeds (see also: Peter Hammond, Countering the Covid Cult).
The Scripture is in fact crystal clear on this point – there can be no more agreement with God and the evil magistrates who rule contrary to His Word than there can be between light and darkness. In fact, the monstrous and utterly preposterous idea that we are to submit to civil authority unconditionally and perpetually as if such authority itself has God’s unconditional approbation is shred to nothingness by a single verse of Scripture:
Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law? – Psalm 94:20.
Now, one does not have to be a Hebrew scholar to understand that the phrase throne of iniquity referred to in this verse appertains to any rule of government authority which sustains, defends and legalizes sin, and thus upholds by law that which is wrong in God’s sight and contrary to His Word. And what further can we gather from this verse and the one that follows (verse 23), can such a throne have fellowship with the thrice holy God Who dwells in light that no man can approach? (1 Timothy 6:16). Does He Who works all righteousness and nothing but righteousness sit on the same throne as those who commit and make “lawful” any kind of wickedness?
“He again derives an argument for confidence from the nature of God, it being impossible that he should show favor to the wicked, or sanction their evil devices. With God for their enemy, how could they escape being destroyed? The words have greater force from being thrown into the form of a question, to show how completely opposed all sin [all means all, including therefore government-endorsed or legalized sin] is to the divine nature.” – John Calvin (Calvin’s Commentaries on Psalm 94:20)
“Have fellowship with thee – With God. Shall they be united with thee; be sustained by thee; be regarded as a part of thine administration? Wilt thou sanction them? Wilt thou give to them thy patronage, as if they met with thine approbation?
The interrogative form here strongly implies that this “cannot be.” Such laws – such purposes – cannot be in accordance with the laws and authority of God…There can be no partnership here…
Which frameth mischief by a law…The word law here means a rule or statute; and the idea is, that the iniquity referred to was not the result of an irregular and fitful impulse; or of passion; of sudden excitement; or of mere "will" in a particular case; but was reduced to statute, and sustained by law. The expression would apply to all those cases where evil is upheld by the government or by civil authority, or where those who are engaged in it can plead in their defense the sanction of law. The statement here is, that such acts “cannot” have fellowship with God, or receive his approval. It is an insult to God to suppose that he has ever appointed legislators or magistrates for the purpose of making or upholding such enactments.” – Albert Barnes (American Presbyterian theologian and Bible commentator, Biblical scholar, and theologian, 1798-1870, Barnes’ Commentary on Psalm 94:20)“These, although occupying the throne which has been consecrated to God, have stained and polluted it with their crimes, and therefore have nothing in common with it…The meaning of the Psalmist is apparent then; and it is this, that honorable as a throne may be, so far as the name goes, it ceases to have any worth or estimation with God when abused by wicked men; for iniquity can never meet with his approbation.” – John Calvin (Calvin’s Commentaries on Psalm 94:20)
“Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee?” Such thrones there are, and they plead a right divine, but their claim is groundless, a fraud upon mankind and a blasphemy of heaven. God enters into no alliance with unjust authority, he gives no sanction to unrighteous legislation.” – Charles H. Spurgeon (The Treasury of David, Commentaries on Psalm 94)
Think then how much you insult God, all you who misuse and abuse Scripture to advocate unconditional submission to civil authority, and that even when it rules by a wicked decree! You make God a minister of sin and a legislator and approver of all kind of evil! You are therefore guilty of a monstrous iniquity – I dare to say even blasphemy – because you essentially align the throne of Satan with the Throne of God! But God could no more approve of our submission to wicked civil authority than He could approve our submission to Satan himself, since it is Satan who is the author of all lawlessness – i.e., all laws which are contrary to God’s Law. In fact, the antichrist to whom Satan gives his power, his seat and great authority (Revelation 13:2), thinks and schemes to change God’s appointed times and Laws (Daniel 7:25), and how so? Evidently by his own perverted laws by which he vainly imagines he can overthrow God’s Laws! To obey wicked civil rulers is therefore to obey Satan and to side with Satan against God. And those who do so and do not repent will assuredly suffer God’s righteous wrath and condemnation, for no iniquity indeed shall ever receive His approbation but only judgment and terrible indignation! In fact, on the great Day of Judgment Christ Himself will say to all the workers of iniquity – Depart from me (Matthew 7:23) – and the lake of fire shall therefore be their portion for all eternity (Revelation 20:11-15).
And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the LORD our God shall cut them off. – Psalm 94:23.
“…one element is necessary to true conservatism, viz., righteousness; and lacking that, all their arrangements of the holders of power must come to an end, and all their decrees must in process of time be wiped out of the statute-book. Nothing can last for ever but impartial right. No injustice can be permanent, for God will not set his seal upon it, nor have any fellowship with it, and therefore down it must come...” – Charles H. Spurgeon (The Treasury of David, Commentaries on Psalm 94)
It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness. – Proverbs 16:12.
If you call yourself a Christian then you are to have nothing to do with the wicked deeds of darkness (Ephesians 5:11), and if you are to escape God’s righteous judgment then you are to resist and disobey the throne of wickedness!
“‘The throne of iniquity which frameth mischief by a law.’ If there never had been such thrones in the world, there would not have been that mention made of them in the Scripture. But such there have been. That of Jeroboam was one, who would not suffer the people, according to the divine command, to go up to Jerusalem to worship God [1 Kings 12:26-28], who had there placed his name [sounds familiar? The throne of many provinces in Canada is the same, for like Jeroboam our overlords say to us – it is too much for you to go to worship God in the designated place, when you can just do it from home virtually via Zoom or youtube! History ever repeats itself; that which hath been is now, and that which is to be hath already been for there is no new thing under the sun – Ecclesiastes 1-9 & 3:15]…And such thrones there have been since, too many of them. Well saith the Psalmist, “Shall they have fellowship with thee?” No, no; God keeps his distance from them. Those that we call “stinking dunghills” are not so offensive to God as thrones of iniquity are, which shall neither be approved by him nor secured. Stay a while, Christians, and “in patience possess your souls;” [Luke 21:19] for the world shall see that in due time he will overturn them all.” – Reverend Samuel Slater (as cited by Charles H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Commentaries on Psalm 94)
Here then is the patience, the endurance and the faith of the saints, to resist all unrighteous rule of law even to the point of death (Revelation 2:10; Revelation 12:11; Revelation 13:7, 10). The antichrist will in fact one day seek by state law to compel the world to bow down to him and worship him on the pain of death and lethal economic penalty (Revelation 13:15-17), and if you cannot resist the present-day tyrants who talk to you smoothly and do not yet threaten you with the loss of life for disobedience, how do you think you will resist him who comes with all the power of Satan, and signs and lying wonders in order to deceive all those who have not received the love of the Truth that they might be saved? (2 Thessalonians 2:8-10). You who call yourself a Christian, tell me then, do you love the Truth of the Gospel enough to resist those who hate and seek to overthrow it? If so, then you will cease bowing down to and sanctioning their unrighteous edicts.
Godless tyrants throughout history were all Satan’s puppets, and as such they coerced people by law into doing wickedness. In addition, they made it a special mission to persecute God’s people under the cover of the law, and it is no different today, for there is indeed nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1-9 & 3:15). Christ however has set His people free, and has redeemed them from all sin and iniquity by His own precious blood (Ephesians 1:7; Titus 2:14; Hebrews 9:11, 14), so that they would not become servants of men when they seek to compel them to do contrary to the Word of God.
For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant. Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. – 1 Corinthians 7:22-23
“Be not servants to the lusts of men: wherein you can serve men, and in the same actions also serve God, and be obedient to his will, you may be the servants of men; but be not servants of men in such actions wherein, to serve them, you must disobey God.” – Matthew Poole (English nonconformist theologian and Biblical commentator, 1624–1679, Poole’s Commentary on 1 Corinthians 7:23)
“…be not ye the servants of men: not that the apostle dissuades such as are redeemed by Christ, and are believers in him, from being the servants of men in a civil sense; for this would be to contradict himself, who here and elsewhere exhorts servants to continue in the service of their masters, and to perform it heartily and cheerfully, and with great sincerity and integrity [Ephesians 6:5-7; Colossians 3:22-23]; but his meaning is, that since they were redeemed from a vain conversation by the blood of Christ, they should not be servants to the lusts of men, nor obey them in things sinful and wicked, which were contrary to law and Gospel, and which were made unlawful by the word of God, and were a breach of the command of their Lord and master Christ; nor should they in matters of religion and the worship of God submit to the authority of any set of men whatever, or be subject to the doctrines and commandments of men…” – John Gill (English Baptist pastor, Biblical scholar, and theologian, 1697-1771, Gill’s Commentary on 1 Corinthians 7:23)
Note again then that we are neither to obey men, including civil rulers, when they do evil, nor when they meddle outside of their own sphere of jurisdiction. The civil government has no authority over the church, and so when they seek to exercise it they are clearly stepping outside of the boundaries ordained for them by God, and by this they are abrogating their right to rule and making it null and void.
“God has established three institutions within human society: the family, the state, and the church. Each institution has a sphere of authority with jurisdictional limits that must be respected. A father’s authority is limited to his own family. Church leaders’ authority (which is delegated to them by Christ) is limited to church matters. And government is specifically tasked with the oversight and protection of civic peace and well-being within the boundaries of a nation or community. God has not granted civic rulers authority over the doctrine, practice, or polity of the church. The biblical framework limits the authority of each institution to its specific jurisdiction…When any one of the three institutions exceeds the bounds of its jurisdiction it is the duty of the other institutions to curtail that overreach [which is exactly what pastor James Coates has done and why he now sits in jail because our government does not want Christ to rule over them – Luke 19:14]. Therefore, when any government official issues orders regulating worship (such as bans on singing, caps on attendance, or prohibitions against gatherings and services), he steps outside the legitimate bounds of his God-ordained authority as a civic official and arrogates to himself authority that God expressly grants only to the Lord Jesus Christ as sovereign over His Kingdom, which is the church. His rule is mediated to local churches through those pastors and elders who teach His Word (Matthew 16:18–19; 2 Timothy 3:16–4:2). Therefore, in response to the recent state order requiring churches in California to limit or suspend all meetings indefinitely, we, the pastors and elders of Grace Community Church, respectfully inform our civic leaders that they have exceeded their legitimate jurisdiction, and faithfulness to Christ prohibits us from observing the restrictions they want to impose on our corporate worship services…As pastors and elders, we cannot hand over to earthly authorities any privilege or power that belongs solely to Christ as head of His church. Pastors and elders are the ones to whom Christ has given the duty and the right to exercise His spiritual authority in the church (1 Peter 5:1–4; Hebrews 13:7, 17)—and Scripture alone defines how and whom they are to serve (1 Corinthians 4:1–4). They have no duty to follow orders from a civil government attempting to regulate the worship or governance of the church.” – John MacArthur (Christ, Not Caesar, Is Head of the Church: A Biblical Case for the Church’s Duty to Remain Open)
The main point I am trying to drive home with all this is that there are quite evidently circumstances in which obedience to civil governments becomes rebellion against God and civil disobedience thus becomes a Christian duty. The Hebrew midwives understood this very well, and accordingly, they disobeyed the command of Pharaoh to kill all the male Hebrew newborns. They feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive, and God greatly blessed them in return (Exodus 1:15-21). They were thus evidently far better theologians than many professing Christian ministers, and they were much wiser too, for the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10), while the fear of man brings a snare (Proverbs 29:25). Daniel likewise feared God and understood that divine Law trumps all human law, and so when by the latter the evil governors and princes of Medo-Persia sought to ensnare him and compel him to disobey God, he defied them openly and without apology (Daniel 6:1-23). Daniel’s three friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego also openly defied the command of the king of Babylon and refused to bow down to and worship his golden image. And as in the case of Daniel whom God preserved among the lions, they were also blessed by God for their act of civil disobedience, by being divinely rescued alive from the fiery furnace into which the king of Babylon threw them in his mad rage (Daniel 3:1-27). And finally, when Peter and the other apostles were strictly forbidden by the Jewish religious leaders to preach the Gospel, they too without any apology openly defied this unrighteous decree, and without a shadow of ambiguity upheld the golden rule that when the human law contradicts God’s Law we are to obey God rather than man:
What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it. But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. – Acts 4:16-19.
Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people. Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned. And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. – Acts 5:25-29.
Unlike however these Christian faithful of old, the majority of professing Christian ministers of today have all too readily set aside the Law of God in order to uphold the law of man. And thus they have either dismissed altogether or severely limited Christian assemblies in compliance with the COVID-19 related public health orders. In doing so they have essentially upheld the blasphemous judgment of our grossly degenerate government according to which the church – and her worship of her Lord Who bought her with His own precious blood – are not essential!! Their lord evidently is not Christ but the state, since they pay to the state a far higher honour and allegiance than to Christ!!
“Condemning the imprisoned pastor and embracing the rule of public health while forsaking the worship of Christ, many of the church leaders have seemingly declared by their deeds that they have “no king but Caesar” (John 19:15).” – Jacob Reaume (Jerusalem and Edmonton: Give us Barabbas! No King But Caesar!)
“Churchmen talk all day abut obeying the state with shrill voices, they worry aloud about how all men tend towards rebellion and disobedience. They therefore demand complete obedience to the state, lest this rebellion in man is unleashed.
I submit to you that the bigger danger to America today is not the obedience of men to the state, but the compliance of men to the state. Churchmen talk all day about obeying the state but what when compliance becomes evil? What about when obedience [to the state] helps evil grow and strengthen? Churchmen talk all day about obeying the state as though the magistrates themselves cannot establish rebellion and disobedience [i.e., as if the magistrates and statesmen were solidly bound to the Word of God!]. The churchmen herd the Christians into compliance with evil magistrates and then cover it all in God’s Words…they quote verses of Scriptures that have nothing to do with the context in which they were written to aid and abet evil lawless government officials.
Leadership is needed. Leadership tells people what they need to hear not what they want to hear [i.e., Biblical leadership]. Leadership doesn’t go along to get along. Leadership doesn’t just unquestionably blindly obey the [human] authority above them. The state declared the church non-essential and the churches by their compliance affirmed their non-essentiality.” – Matthew Trewhella (A White Lie and Black Death: Why Does the Church Believe the COVID19 Lie? Part I)
Church leadership that blindly obeys Caesar is a “leadership” that, as John MacArthur notes, has deserted their responsibility to Christ and violated the command of God inasmuch as a civil ruler who illegitimately imposes his authority over the church, and dares to dictate to the church how she may or may not worship. And if it is not troubling enough to see how many churchmen have put themselves under the yoke of civil authority, and thus committed an act of blatant treachery against Christ, some had quite astonishingly affirmed the church’s non-essentiality even before the government and public health officials did so themselves! And so not only have these church “leaders” failed to curtail and resist impudent civil rulers, but they also outpaced them in their wickedness!
“We have endeavoured to obey all public health orders. We have been livestreaming “virtual” services during the months when in-person gatherings were not permitted. Indeed, our church has gone above and beyond the government’s COVID safety regulations because we care deeply about the safety of our congregation and the broader community. In March 2020, before the government required us to do so, we elected to shut down our services in response to COVID deaths at a nearby seniors’ home.” – Samuel Chua (An Open Letter From a Pastor to Dr. Bonnie Henry & Minister Adrian Dix re: COVID Restrictions on Religious Gatherings)
It is a truly dark day for Canadian Christianity when its leaders are much swifter to run to evil than their totally degenerate and apostate liberal government and public health authorities!! Further, it is not said in vain that the road to hell is ever paved with good intentions. And so whatever excuse these well-meaning but nonetheless grossly deceived Christian pastors make for their actions I simply cannot swallow it because God’s own Word on the matter is all too plain to be mistaken: Christians are to meet as a body in person on a regular basis, and therefore to cease meeting is disobedience to the Lord. Church gathering can therefore no more become non-essential under any kind of “emergency” (real or pretended) than obedience to God can!
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. – Hebrews 10:23-25.
Now, please tell me dear reader, where do you see here a disclaimer saying that we are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together – “unless, of course, there is a pandemic”, or, “for as long as the government permits us”?? Is that what the Christians throughout history have done??
“…you people call yourself a Christian and you cower at home afraid to do what God has called you to do when he said, forsake not the assembling of yourselves together? What? Did God take a hiatus during the Dark Ages, during the black plague? Did He during the founders – when they in this country in the 1600s and 1700s faced smallpox…typhoid and typhus outbreaks – did He take a break then and say, don’t go to church, don’t do anything? Never read that in Washington’s chronicles…I didn’t even see Benjamin Franklin put that in his almanac – this year 1790 churches didn’t meet because there was a cholera epidemic in the town-square. My goodness, are you men or are you sheep?” – Ken Moran (Christian minister, Open Churches NOW 100%: Introduction to Wise As Serpents Series)
“There is a massive assault by the enemy on the church; yet no one seems to be aware of it. This shows the level of deception being used by Satan: the church is being attacked and it is asleep at the wheel…One obvious illustration of the effect of this battle is that all church worship services have been shut down unconstitutionally – and no one complained or rebelled; everybody sleepwalked into compliance. This has never happened in history before. Fellowship has been forbidden many times but churches always disobeyed that order and met in secret. Many paid with their lives…Yet today, the government unlawfully demands that churches close and there is not a whiff of dissent. This alone shows the depths of the apostasy of the modern church.
And don’t tell me that having partial meetings via Zoom is a reasonable replacement for material fellowship. If you really believe that then you should give up ministry…
During real plagues that killed half the population or more, Christians were very active and many unbelievers flocked to open churches.” – Paul Fahy (Christian minister, An Alert to Believers)
Professing Christianity has indeed descended far deep into the abyss of a great apostasy when it fears more a flu-like virus than it cares about honouring God and His Word!! When Black Death – the most fatal pandemic recorded in the human history – ravaged Europe, and according to estimates killed 60% of its population (killing well over 50% of those who contracted the infection, unlike the new flu-like virus which only kills 0.26% of those infected!!), churches did not shut their doors to the people. Nay, because the times of crisis are times where churches should and must be most open!!!
“Because of panic about the virus, most churches have closed, instead of being increasingly active in this time of trial…Hostility toward religion is on display by numerous governors and local officials, who even threatened worshippers attending outdoor services in which people sat in their cars with closed windows. Asking people to stay home if sick, enforcing social distancing, and other common-sense measures might suffice for liquor stores or big-box retail outlets, but apparently not for churches. Our liberty to worship, or to assemble for other purposes, is under assault, with little pushback so far.” – Martin Dubravec (allergist and clinical immunologist, Panicdemic: COVID-19 Panics Physicians, Policymakers, and Pundits, as Well as the Public)
“Since when did Christians ignore the claims of Christ and allow themselves to be pushed into disobeying God? Since when did Christians fear a virus more than God? Even in real historic plagues, that killed millions horribly, believers always obeyed God and continued doing good and meeting together. What changed so much that a glorified Influenza epidemic could terminate worship?” – Paul Fahy (An Alert to Believers)
What has changed so much since those good old days is that present-day Christianity loves comfort, ease and the friendship of this world more than Christ and the fellowship of His sufferings. Those however who will not partake in Christ’s reproaches and sufferings are very unlikely to be partakers of the power of His resurrection (Philippians 3:10), for to His true disciples He not only promised that in this world they shall have tribulation (John 16:33), but also, that they shall endure and overcome it through the power of His own operation! (1 Corinthians 1:8; Philippians 1:6; Philippians 4:13; 1 Peter 1:5). Even according to as His divine power has given us all that pertains to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3), so that through Him we shall be more than conquerors! (Romans 8:37).
“Every true Christian is a soldier—of Christ—a hero "par excellence!" Braver than the bravest—scorning the soft seductions of peace and her oft-repeated warnings against hardship, disease, danger, and death, whom he counts among his bosom friends.
The otherwise Christian is a chocolate Christian! Dissolving in water and melting at the smell of fire. “Sweeties” they are! Bonbons, lollipops! Living their lives on a glass dish or in a cardboard box, each clad in his soft clothing, a little frilled white paper to preserve his dear little delicate constitution…
To the Chocolate Christian the very thought of war brings a violent attack of ague [a feverish condition], while the call to battle always finds him with the palsy. “I really cannot move,” he says. “I only wish I could, but I can sing, and here are some of my favorite lines:
I must be carried to the skies
On a flowery bed of ease,
Let others fight to win the prize,
Or sail thro' bloody seas
…
Round and round the nursery
Let us ambulate,
Sugar and spice and all that's nice
Must be on our slate.”” – C. T. Studd (English missionary who faithfully served the Saviour in China, India, and Africa. His motto was – If Jesus Christ is God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him, “The Chocolate Soldier” or “Heroism—The Lost Chord of Christianity”)
Dear reader, I wholeheartedly agree with C. T. Studd, “God never was a chocolate manufacturer and never will be.” And the professing church is sadly full of chocolates, and far too many of them are in the pulpits!