Right now our country is facing a Goliath, an enemy of freedom and liberty that would like to destroy our nation. What should believers do? In the beginning, when things looked more serious, it seemed important to step back and take extra precautions. But when freedom and religious liberty are being trampled upon, then it is time to take a stand. Thank God for those who did take a stand. Some are paying a price for it. Please pray for them.
Some of those paying a price for meeting together are Romanian pastors in Chicago. They had come to the USA after living behind the iron curtain. They value the liberties that we have in the United States of America. They want to obey and please God and they want to keep those liberties. It has been their choice to meet together. Their meetings were raided by police. They mayor of Chicago then ordered a parking ban on streets within nine blocks from the church and had the Aldermen send letters to the residents to let them know that the reason they have to move their cars and can’t park there is because of the churches. They mayor knew she cannot have the pastor or attendees at church arrested because this would cause a “public relations disaster,” so the tried to make them look bad to the community instead.
In California, three thousand churches have set their minds to open on May 31st regardless of permission from the governor or no permission.
Pastor Stacey Shiflett in Baltimore has been pressured, persecuted, and fined for holding church services. Yet he would not quit. He was issued a cease and desist order but tore that up. He has no plans to stop doing what the Lord told him to do.
Some people may die of the virus; but how many people will wither away in their spiritual lives from lack of personal care by their under-shepherd and lack of fellowship which God has commanded us to have by assembling together. How can the saints be equipped for service? How many people will die and go out into a Christless eternity if we allow the government to stop us from doing what God told us to do?
Lastly, I’d like to point out a statement made by someone in an interview with The New American in one of their videos (See the last two minutes of the video). This was a statement by Republican Representative Matt Shea of the 4th district of Washington state. Here is what he had to say about the churches giving in to governor’s orders – “If they [pastors] are taking orders from the state on when they can open, when they can hold communion, they’re really becoming a state church instead of the church of Jesus Christ, and they need to reopen. I think a lot of pastors are being convicted on that right now.” That is an interesting statement by an elected representative.
Even the President has urged American churches to reopen because we need more prayer, not less.
Is there not a cause? Yes.
A cause for liberty
A cause for Christ
A cause for souls
What will we do? Will we be a David or one of the other people of Israel who just stand and watch and worry?