Songs In The Night

³⁵ But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.” ³⁶ And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.” ³⁷ But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.” – Acts 16:35-37

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The Bible has been the best selling and most popular “Book” for ages; and for good reason. Inspired by our Creator God it is full of absolute Truths including why we were created, the reality of sin, and God’s plan of Salvation through Christ; and Christ alone. But while it is true that the Bible is full of absolute Truths, we must not confuse it’s absolute Truths with it’s general guidelines and principals, many of which are contained in the Proverbs. Although the Bible does not contain any contradictions, it does allow for exceptions.

When the Pharisees came to trap Jesus about the eternally divisive issue of taxes, He taught them a more important lesson (Matt. 22:15-22). The question they put before Jesus seemed innocent enough, “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not (v. 17)?” Jesus’ answer however, was very profound. As He held a Roman coin up for His audience to observe, Jesus responded, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” ²¹ They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

In Jesus’ day, an image denoted ownership. The denarius coin that Jesus held up was Roman money. Bearing the image of Caesar, it ultimately belonged to him. But, that wasn’t the end of the lesson, even though Jesus answered their question about taxes. More important than the money that belonged to Caesar were the bodies and souls of the taxpayers. Bearing the image of God, they ultimately belonged to Him. While we may have an obligation to give Caesar his money back, we must never give Caesar what belongs to God alone. Our hands, our bodies, our very souls belong only to our Creator. As Christ taught His audience, much more important than the taxes we render unto Caesar, is the worship we render unto God.

AMENDMENT I

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.

Our Founding Fathers knew the importance of religion and the ability to worship freely. You can not get much more explicit than the first Amendment of the Constitution; the government shall not make any laws prohibiting the free exercise of religion (worship). Yet we are witnessing it all over this great land of ours. Caesar is demanding our money AND denying or dictating our worship!

Since the outbreak of the Covid pandemic, many State governments have placed onerous restrictions on churches and houses of worship. Caesar has been so bold as to tell us how many people can attend (if at all) and how far the worshipers must be spaced apart. Further, many are being told they must wear masks and singing has been banned. To make matters worse, hugs and handshakes are basically illegal for many. Does this sound like free exercise of religion? As restrictive as some of these regulations are, others have been downright draconian.

In Florida, Dr. Rodney Howard-Browne, was wrongfully arrested at his home for holding a church service. While criminals were being released from jail for fear of Covid, Pastor Browne was placed behind bars. In New York City, the mayor personally participated in a raid on a Jewish funeral dispersing mourners, but by his silence seemed to have endorsed the gathering of thousands in close quarters to watch the Blue Angels’ and Thunderbirds’ flyover. In Louisville, Kentucky, church members listening to a sermon from the safety of their own cars, as part of a drive in worship service, were threatened and disbursed by a “swat team”. What kind of health threat could they possibly have posed? Strangely, the drive-thru at the local McDonalds was open and deemed safe.

The city council of Chicago threatened to bulldoze a church, Elim Pentecostal Church, for not acquiescing to unrealistic demands. Prior to this threat, the police towed away and impounded the cars of those attending Elim worship services and proceeded to block the surrounding streets. Another pastor, upon having his worship service interrupted by authorities, asked his members to meet him at Walmart. His point was well made but not well taken. The police followed them to Walmart and kicked them out of there as well. Now, in California, Caesar is telling God’s image bearers that they cannot meet together in church for worship OR in the privacy of their own homes for Bible Studies.

Such actions are not only in contradiction to President Trumps recognition of church services as being essential, they are illegal and unconstitutional, even during COVID. Like Paul, we are seeing our rights grossly violated.

Bondage

Without a doubt, the Church is being persecuted under the guise of public safety. How can we believe otherwise, when many of the same politicians who are trying to keep people of faith isolated and locked up in their homes are concurrently encouraging and often participating in mass protests? Are people of faith the only carriers of the virus? If not, how is singing Hymns in church more dangerous than chanting death to America and death to police officers in the midst of a throng of thousands marching arm in arm?

The curve has been flattened. The ventilators have been mass produced and are now collecting dust. There are plenty of empty beds in the hospitals and there are plenty of available medical professionals out of work. All of the original “sky is falling” predictions have been far from accurate, yet it feels as if we are living out the the children’s book, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Like the mouse in the book, Caesar is not satisfied with just a cookie. If you give it to him, he is going to “ask” for a glass of milk and so much more.

Our right to worship without the interference of Caesar is God given and protected by our Constitution. I am gravely concerned that as long as we passively allow these tyrannical government officials to rob us of our religious freedoms the damage will be irreversible. Some day we will wake up and find our freedoms gone. Religious and all. Before it is too late I believe we need to repeat the words of Moses to Pharoah, “Let my people go…(Exodus 5:1).

Just Say No

I believe that Christians should be model citizens, but I do not believe that means there is no place for civil disobedience. As I stated at the beginning, the Bible contains both absolute Truths and general guidelines. During this pandemic I have heard a lot of Christians quote Romans 13:1.

13 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God

As much as I appreciate this verse, it is obviously a general guideline and not an absolute Truth. When Peter and the other apostles were told to stop preaching their response to those in authority was, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

Later in the book of Acts, as quoted above, the great Apostle Paul, who penned Romans 13, exercised civil disobedience. As a Roman citizen he was wrongfully arrested and beaten (according to Valerian and Porcian laws). In the words of F.F. Bruce, “…their rights as Roman citizens had been grossly violated.” Upon recognition of their mistake, the magistrates sent police to the jailers to have Paul released, via a hole-and-corner manner.

Although I have heard of people resisting arrest, Paul actually resisted release. In his eyes being “wrongfully” released did not rectify his wrongful arrest. Accordingly, Paul said “No!” to those in authority. The authorities, who themselves were in violation of the law, could come and apologize and personally release Paul. And they did!

Paul is certainly not the only person in church history to take such a stance. According to Frank Wright, Ph. D. (president and CEO of D. James Kennedy Ministries), “During the Reformation, John Calvin, John Knox, and others argued the right and responsibility of governing authorities beneath the king to resist unjust laws and tyrannical actions.” When John Bunyan was told to quit preaching, he said “No!” and spent the next twelve years in jail. Like many in authority during the days of Paul, we are witnessing political leaders who disrespect the Word of God and the law of the land. Do we continue to quote Paul’s words in Romans 13, or follow his example in Acts 16?

It is a difficult question we must all wrestle with. Stay tuned.