For all who are not Christians, this article may be meaningless to you and considered a waste of your valuable time.  For all who are, you may want me drawn and quartered for this article. I understand, but as a Christian, I feel that I must address this issue. I see it as a part of the big picture of what is happening in our world and America.  If this resonates with you, I ask you to join the prayer focus and effort we are engaging. I ask that you begin speaking up and speaking out. I ask that you get involved to ensure we do not destroy ourselves at the hands of the nefarious and diabolical political warriors for globalism.

I cannot tell you how many times I have had someone quote Hebrews 13:17 to me as an argument that I must passively submit to government edicts regardless of its impact on my faith and the convictions of my heart.  That passage says, “Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.”  At the risk of starting a theological war, I contend that passage was referring to religious, not civil leaders. 

I can just hear someone saying but what about Romans 13:1, it assuredly refers to civil governments and leaders.  It says, “Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.”  It does and I completely agree.  How can I agree and yet disagree as reflected in the previous paragraph? 

I contend that it is not as complicated and conflicting as it appears on the surface.  I agree that we are to obey the traffic laws, pay our taxes, not commit murder, not bear false witness against our neighbor, steal, or commit other crimes.  In that arena, we should be compliant.  But there are other issues, that to obey, would force me to abandon my convictions, abandon my faith, and become disobedient to God’s Word.  How can I reconcile being obedient to the civil authorities in everything and obedient to God in everything?  I cannot and neither should you.

When the government takes my tax dollars and spends them on organizations and businesses that engage in and promote things, I believe anathema to the teaching of the Bible, I cannot be silent and passively obey.  If I passively comply, I become complicit through my silence, and for me, that would be a denial of my faith and my LORD.  I cannot do that.  I take the words of the disciples to heart when they faced the Sanhedrin and were ordered to be silent regarding Jesus and His Lordship.  They said in Acts 5:29, “We must obey God rather than men.” 

When the government adopts the politically correct position and issues an edict that demands private businesses, churches, and Christian schools engage in practices that are a violation of their faith and creed, they have overstepped their Constitutional limits. 

If the government demands that I provide catering service to a homosexual wedding in violation of my faith and convictions, they are wrong.  When the government demands that to be licensed as a nurse one must participate in abortions, they are wrong.  When the government insists that a public employee cannot read or bring their Bibles onto government property, they are wrong.  They violate the foundation of my faith and my disobedience to man is evidenced in my obedience to God.  I am not suggesting that we become militant and take and ‘in your face’ attitude or approach.  However, my inalienable rights must not be infringed by the government. 

There is nothing the devious, diabolical, corrupt, and evil politicians will not do achieve their objective.  One of the things they have sought to, do for decades, has been to either silence or control the message of the Church.  Sadly, many churches and pastors have become compliant to the hurt of their flocks.  If people are not taught the truth, they believe a lie, and that lie brings them into bondage.  Bondage of the mind is possibly worse than physical bondage and is incredibly destructive. 

In this crisis, epidemic, pandemic, and pandemonium we have witnessed some quizzical things.  We have been told that in the interest of safety and health we must comply or die.  No, they did not threaten to kill us but have told us that if we do not comply, we will die.  Hillary Clinton attempt to make a joke about this terrible situation saying, “Well, Trump promised to make America first and he has in COVID-19 cases.”  That is not funny and it evil at its core.  She got some push-back but should have been condemned by everyone for that statement.

Barack Obama called those of us who believe in the Bible, hold to traditional Christian values, and desire to maintain our inalienable rights, ‘bitter clingers.’  Hillary called us ‘deplorable.’  We have been called more hateful names than I could possibly list if I wanted to list them, which I don’t. 

I view some of the edicts imposed on Americans as efforts to erode a little of our liberty and force the church to become compliant or appear uncaring.  That is working and although the order went out that we could have no more mass gatherings, churches found a way to communicate. I am reminded of Joseph’s declaration regarding his brother’s diabolical effort to destroy him, “What you meant for evil, God has used for good.”  God is doing some incredible things in inspiring creativity to get the message out.  Now, we must find a way to be creative in continuing the discipleship of those fish we have caught in this situation.

I take comfort in the Bible account of people who disobeyed the government edicts knowing it could and likely would mean death.  Men such as Daniel, Mordecai, and Esther.  Men such as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow and worship a false god or man.  They refused and disobeyed men because they believed God and knew that even if they lost their lives, they would not lose their souls.  The stories of their actions are not there to entertain the reader but to inspire us to ‘Trust God not man.’

In this time of crisis, it is needful that the Church stand firm in faith.  It is needful for the believers to earnestly seek God as to what He would have us do and “Obey God rather than man.”  I am praying for God to help me have a strong spiritual backbone and even in the face of the threat of death Obey Him.  If we give up our inalienable rights in one thing, the nefarious and diabolical in power will reach for more.  If we allow the government to provide, they will then decide. 

Bill Gothard, said, “What we allow in moderation our children will do in excess.”  I say, “What we allow the government to control or strip us of regarding our rights and liberties in moderation they will demand in excess.”  Our compliance and willingness to violate God’s directives to fulfill a government demand will result in tyranny beyond our wildest imagination. 

Again, this article may or may not resonate with anyone and may infuriate some.  I believe that obedience to God is the only true course for maintaining liberty and freedom in America. 

God bless you and God bless America!