Freedom to Worship
During the first several hundred years of Christianity, up until the time of Constantine, Christians were embarrassed when their neighbors called them uncaring atheists because they didn’t worship Caesar. After listening to progressive theological experts interpret a few Bible verses about government authority week after week, they were eventually shamed into turning in their membership roster and location of their secret meeting sites, give up their hidden scroll copying workshops, and stop smuggling Bibles to others because of their desire to respect their god-emperor.
The saddest thing about the above paragraph (which I paraphrased from Tom White) is that too many young Christians today will think it is true. They will use it as an example, instead of a parody of what not to do.
Here’s the truth. Early Christians were called atheists and many other names. But they were not embarrassed. They were not shamed into giving up their faith or turning in their fellow church members. They didn’t stop gathering in their secret meeting places. They didn’t stop copying the Bible or stop sharing the good news about the resurrected Christ. Many were run out of town, and forced to leave belongings and extended family behind. And many of the faithful were stoned to death or eaten by lions in the Coliseum for worshiping and sharing about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
In those times, persecution spread the gospel because people left the cities and spread the news about why they were being persecuted, and Christianity grew. Today, there is no where to go. There is nowhere to hide. If the leftist marxists and socialists get in power, America will turn into a Communist nation. Lenin said, “The goal of socialism is communism.” (That link is to a quick review of history from Self Educated American.)
But America, we still have hope! We have the 1st Amendment. And we have some great lawyers who are on our side. I have a new appreciation for lawyers!
Amendment I to the United States Constitution:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
I know that God will redeem this time of suppression of His church to strengthen both the institution and His people; in fact, I think we needed this shake up because we in the USA have become too complacent.
I’ve often told people, “Go to church while it is still legal.” If President Trump gets re-elected, we will be fine, but this lock down IS a test. Our governors, especially in the blue states, are pushing us to see how much we will take. How far will we acquiesce before we say, “No more!” Just how compliant are you? Will you fight back? Where is your line in the sand? This is a good time to examine what you really believe and what you will stand up and fight for.
When you take a stand, others WILL follow. And when others take the first move, be sure to support them!
Amazing Christians
Members of one unidentified church drove two hours to be the first 1,000 people to enter the doors of Godspeak Calvary Chapel in California in order to receive a misdemeanor citation ordered by a judge. The judge issued a restraining order against the preacher, the church, and 1 to 1,000 ‘John Does’ – “anyone acting in concert with any of these individuals.” These 1,000 unidentified church members did this in order to allow Godspeak’s church members to worship without fear of being fined or arrested! Amazing people! (Article: CA Church Reacts to Restraining Order with Packed Pews; citations were not given…but who knows what will happen next Sunday)
John Wurts wrote an open letter to Supervisor Linda Parks who was originally responsible for Godspeak Church receiving a restraining order. Here’s an excerpt from his letter:
“First, there is no reason to consider churches as more of a threat than liquor stores, pot stores, BLM riots, or walmart. If anything churches are more necessary to keep open.
“Second, the First Amendment to the Constitution takes precedence over any local ordinance. The First Amendment guarantees the right to assemble and it guarantees freedom of religion, and that means that a local law that interferes with church attendance is twice illegal.
“Third, the US Criminal Code Title 18, Section 242 makes it a crime for a local official to pass a law that violates citizens rights and any such law could cause the ones who passed it or enforced it to serve prison time.
“Fourth, the whole notion of shutdown is ill conceived because the death rate of the virus is no worse than a bad flu season. The nation was scared by computer modelers convincing NIH and CDC that millions would die, but such is not the case, nor could it ever be. This disease is actually easily curable. I know because everyone I know has been cured. Some cured it in one or two days with Hydroxychloroquine and Zinc because it stops the RNA replication of the virus. I can give you much more information on that.”
Grace Community Church: I’m sure you heard that John MacArthur opened his peaceful protest with the LAPD Chaplain leading prayer.
The next week their judge gave the “okay” to go back indoors, the “okay” to sing, but they had to social distance and wear masks. But on Friday night that “okay” was rescinded! So the church met, all 7,000 of them, in their auditorium with no masks. On Monday 8/16/20, they were back in court, a result of THEIR suing the county (they are also suing the CA Governor). And the Judge agreed that they could meet inside with distancing and masks, outside with no distancing and no masks, and the children were free to go back to Sunday School with no masks, and no distancing, for the next 3 weeks. Minister John MacArthur speaks with Charlie Kirk here, if you are interested, on WHY they sued the government, what the Bible says about when it is okay to disobey the government, and what the police think about their Church.
The COVID19 death rate is .02; the avg age of death is 78 – which is the same average age of death of everything else, as well. “Everyone dies, and after that the judgement, and the only escape from judgement is the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” said John MacArthur, so they opened.
The Judge AGREED that the Constitution allows them to meet, and that the State’s rulers and health department were violating everyone’s Constitutional rights.
Thank you to BRAVE PREACHERS for leading the way. I was beginning to think ‘Land of the Free and Home of the Brave’ was extinct. Now I have hope that as the minority with a backbone stands up, the majority will follow.
What happened in 2020 (and some of the reasons behind why it happened) has been documented in this 2023 EXCELLENT movie called "The Essential Church." It is well worth your time and money to view it.
The Walk Away Movement
The Democrat Party has become Socialist; they are anti-God, and they kill babies. It’s time to walk away from the Democrat party. Join me and the 100,000+ people who have left the Socialist Democrat party behind: Check out the WalkAway Campaign that former Democrat Brandon Straka created several years ago. I was just watching the peaceful rally in Beverly Hills with Joy Villa, Scott Baio and Lorenzo Llamas. I walked away in the 1990’s when Bill Clinton vetoed the partial birth abortion ban that Congress had passed.
Jesus was a Socialist?
A few points that they cover in this interview:
- No one can opt-out of Marxism, Socialism, or Communism. When it happens, you are stuck. They want to take everything, including
your home. No private property. No private businesses. No
entrepreneurs. No private cars; only public transportation.
- Here’s a report (8/20/20) from the wonderful Star Parker on what Biden said about getting rid of America’s suburbs, and denying federal funds for roads if states don’t comply.
- Karl Marx said Christianity and Marxism do not mix!
- Read 1984! Libraries are discarding this book. Why? Because we are living it. They don’t want people to realize how bad it will get under the Radical Left (which has become the Socialist Democrat party today). Buy George Orwell’s 1984 while you still can (affiliated link). Amazon is banning books every single day.
- ‘Reproductive Justice’ means KILLING A BABY! (Don’t use euphemisms.)
- The College students of today have NO IDEA what they are doing when they vote for the Socialists. They think they are actually getting things for free.
Please stop sending your children to College! College is a war on TRUTH (unless they are going to Patrick Henry or Hillsdale College). Here’s today’s headline about an Iowa State U instructor whose syllabus states that anti-BLM, anti-gay, or pro-life viewpoints are grounds for dismissal from class. See the syllabus here. If you are able to read the screenshot, you will also notice that her English class revolves around discussion of monsters, zombies, and vampires in books and film.
From an 8/19/20 headline:
“Michigan’s Albion College is threatening to suspend students who
leave a 4.5 mile ‘COVID bubble’ that is enforced via a tracking app on
their phone. The school was asked why the restriction was only being
enforced against students and not professors or administrators, but they
had no answer.” Students can only visit ‘approved businesses.’ No
more freedom of speech, thought, movement, or choice! NEVER FORGET what they were (and still are) trying to do!
Read beautiful, living books, even about difficult subjects like Communism, with your children. If you have a child 6-14, have them read aloud to you this short, but excellent book about Bibles being illegal in Communist Russia: Ivan and the Hidden Bible. Ivan and his family tune in to short-wave radio each week to try and hear snippets of the Bible. The children hear an old story about their grandfather hiding his Bible, and they ask God to help them find it.
Your family will realize how much we take the Bible and going to Church for granted today, and they will never forget it, especially if read now while we are being prohibited from meeting with our church and told we shouldn’t sing.
Children of the Storm is the Autobiography of Natasha Vins, with 16 pages of photos. She writes about how, in Communist Russia, she had to endure incredible persecution at school, police raids on their home, secret church meetings, and jail for several family members, just because they were Christians. Amazingly, people in the United States were able to intervene in their lives, and an overnight miracle allowed them to be brought to the United States and meet President Ronald Reagan. I had my 8th grader read this to me. Quite an eye-opener for any older student or adult who needs a reminder of why we must defeat Socialism and Marxism, which ends in Communism.
BiblicalVoter.com
This site has a voter’s guide for all 50 states! When I chose CA Voter Guides, it came up with 21 guides from trusted sources, such as pro-life groups, etc. They listed all the websites I usually compare, but now they are all in one place! This really helps with the choosing of judges, or what the wording of measures really means.
On their “home” page, they have party platform comparisons, candidate questionnaires, biblical answers to today’s tough questions, and many other resources.
Worship at the Beach
Now go put your flag out every day to encourage others that they are not alone. It’s still our country’s flag, no matter who is running the country. Here’s a page full of different flag options!
May God bless you as worship and serve Him! If you are not saved yet by the blood of Jesus, read The Most Important Decision of Your Life on the sidebar of my blog.
Janine
(On a light-hearted note, read Ogden Nash’s Custard the Dragon, a fun to say aloud poem. Are you Custard, the mouse, or the dog? Make sure your children understand what the poem means about boasters versus hidden depths of bravery.)
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