The limits of subjection to ungodly authorities By Jack Kettler
“We ought to obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29) - The Apostle Peter.
To some, this assertion by Peter would only apply if the state commanded believers that the public worship of God is forbidden. But, in reality, there are many cases in which believers must disregard dictates from the state.
For example:
The Midwives feared God more than Pharaoh in Exodus 1:15-22.
What should a believer do if the state commands one to believe lies like the sun is a god or that Christians must receive regular injections to sedate them to prevent questioning of the actions of the state? Three examples that come to mind are the state’s command to parents to teach their children about the supposed benefits of the transgender lifestyle, transgender transitioning drugs, surgeries, or other actions like promoting homosexuality and fortification.
Believers are rightly appalled by the state’s promotion of sexual deviancy today. However, the state’s promotion of wickedness is nothing new in Church history. Believers have had to grapple with the limits of submission many times in history. The following examples show how believers have wrestled with submission to the state. Limiting Peter’s words in Acts 5:29 to meeting in public for worship is indefensible.
The present study will consist of two parts, one being theologians who believed in limits regarding submission to the state, and two an analysis and Biblical response to state tyranny during the so-called Covid pandemic.
Theological observations from various individuals in Church history on the limits of submission. The first will be the German pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer:
“As Bonhoeffer saw it, it was the church’s duty to call the state to account for its actions; and in the end, if the state did not do the right thing, it was the duty of the church to oppose the state with action.” (1)
“It was Bonhoeffer and his friends who proved by their resistance unto death that even in the age of the nation-state there are loyalties which transcend those to state and nation.” (2)
“Bonhoeffer was firmly and rightly convinced that it is not only a Christian right but a Christian duty towards God to oppose tyranny, that is, a government which is no longer based on natural law and the law of God.” (3)
“Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German Lutheran pastor, theologian and anti-Nazi dissident who was a key founding member of the Confessing Church. His writings on Christianity's role in the secular world have become widely influential; his 1937 book The Cost of Discipleship is described as a modern classic.” – Wikipedia.
John Calvin:
“For earthly princes lay aside their power when they rise up against God, and are unworthy to be reckoned among the number of mankind. We ought, rather, to spit upon their heads than to obey them.” (4)
“But in that obedience which we have shown to be due the authority of rulers, we are always to make this exception, indeed, to observe it as primary, that such obedience is never to lead us away from obedience to him, to whose will the desires of all ought to yield, to whose majesty scepters ought to be submitted. And how absurd would it be that in satisfying men you should incur the displeasure of him for whose sake you obey men he has opened his sacred mouth, must alone be heard, before all and above all men; next to him we are subject to those men who are in authority over us, but only in him. If they command anything against him, let it go unesteemed.” (5) (underlining and bolding emphasis mine)
John Knox:
“Resistance to tyranny is obedience to God.” - John Knox.
“I fear the prayers of John Knox more than all the assembled armies of Europe.” - Mary, Queen of Scots.
“If their princes exceed their bounds, Madam, it is no doubt that they may be resisted even by power.” - John Knox (while being questioned by Queen Mary about his views which legitimized subjects resisting their princes)
“Let a thing here be noted, that the prophet of God sometimes may teach treason against kings, and yet neither he nor such as obey the word, spoken in the Lord’s name by him, offend God.” - John Knox.
The First Blast of the Trumpet against the monstrous regiment of Women - John Knox
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/9660/9660-h/9660-h.htm
Samuel Rutherford (1600--1661) published his Lex, Rex, where he contended:
“We teach that any private man may kill a tyrant, void of all title .... And if he have nor
the consent of the people, he is an usurper, for we know no unlawful calling that
kings have now, or their family, to me crown, but only the call of the people.” (6)
The War for Independence:
“There is ever, and in all places, a mutual and reciprocal obligation between the people and the prince…If the prince fail in his promise, the people are exempt from obedience, the contract is made void, the rights of obligation of no force.” - Vindiciae Contra Tyrannos written in 1579 (7)
A letter published in a London newspaper from a royalist in New York said:
“Believe me, the Presbyterians have been the chief and principal instruments in all these flaming measures, and they always do and ever will act against Government, from that restless and turbulent anti-monarchical spirit which has always distinguished them everywhere.” (8)
In England, the War for Independence was referred to as the:
“King George III and other highly placed Britons called the colonists’ rebellion a ‘Presbyterian War.’” (9)
A Hessian captain (one of the 30,000 German mercenaries used by England) wrote in 1778:
“Call this war by whatever name you may only call it not an American rebellion; it is nothing more or less than a Scots-Irish Presbyterian rebellion.” (10)
The failure to use Scripture-sanctioned resistance to ungodly mandates is summoned up:
“If there is no final place for civil disobedience, then the government has been made autonomous, and as such, it has been put in the place of the living God.” - Francis A. Schaeffer.
The remainder of this study will involve reflections on Covid and the state’s unjust intrusion into the Church.
In this writer’s opinion, the response to the state’s intrusion into the Church in response to Covid was appalling, particularly in many Reformed Churches.
In contrast to the Church’s by in large accepting the lies of the state, consider another explanation of one person’s analysis of the Covid lockdowns:
“Our Dress Rehearsal for a Police State” - The Dennis Prager Show
Prager early on noted that the state had left its bounds and its actions were nefarious. Not only had the state promoted lies, but the medical community also engaged in deception by lying about people dying with covid or of covid.
If one believes the state’s lies and repeats them, does this make the individual a liar? Or just deceived? In either case, it is not the place a believer should find themselves. How could otherwise thinking people fall for such blatantly un-scientific lies like wearing masks and social distancing when dealing with a respiratory virus?
Covid was not only a test run for a police state but also for the coming “Great Reset” that is openly promoted by Klaus Schwab of the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the coming green climate change emergency lockdowns and restrictions. Does this seem far-fetched?
Consider this news item:
European Union bans sales of gasoline cars – in the middle of energy crisis!
Announces moratorium by 2035
By WND News Services
Published October 28, 2022
By Jack McEvoy
Daily Caller News Foundation
Excerpt:
“The European Union (EU) announced Thursday that it will be outlawing the sale of gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles by 2035 even though EU countries are already struggling to fight soaring electricity costs.
EU member states and the European Commission agreed to force all new cars and vans registered in the EU to be electric by 2035, according to an EU press release. Europe is currently embroiled in an energy crisis and is preparing for blackouts as electricity prices remain more than seven times higher than they were in 2020, according to The Wall Street Journal.
“The agreement sends a strong signal to industry and consumers: Europe is embracing the shift to zero-emission mobility,” Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal Frans Timmermans said in a statement. “The speed at which this change has happened over the past few years is remarkable.”
California has already passed the same type of legislation. As a result, at least 15 other states will follow CA’s lead automatically.
A Biblical response: Christ, not Caesar, Is the Head of the Church. A Biblical Case for the Church’s Duty to Remain Open:
An excerpt:
“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. In fact, pastors who cede their Christ-delegated authority in the church to a civil ruler have abdicated their responsibility before their Lord and violated the God-ordained spheres of authority as much as the secular official who illegitimately imposes his authority upon the church.” (11)
Affidavit on COVID Mandates June 14, 2022 Tim Stephens:
“It was one year ago today that I was arrested a second time and jailed for 18 days for failing to comply with provincial COVID restrictions. Legal matters are still being sorted, but I wanted to share a summary argument that sets forth the Scriptural justification for how we handled COVID.”
“I drafted the following document for my appearance in court to answer charges and fines levied against me and our church. It seeks to make clear why we were unable to comply with all COVID mandates while we sought to maintain a respectful and submissive posture toward our governing authorities in the province of Alberta. It has four sections; it sets forth (1) an argument on COVID mandates in general, (2) on masking, (3) on capacity limits, and (4) on physical distancing. May it provide clarity and prepare us for future challenges.”
“This document summarizes many articles on the subject written by myself and others, along with parts of the court submission of John MacArthur at Grace Community Church in California (which you can find here).”
On COVID Mandates and the Church
1. Jesus is King over all the earth, including all kings, powers, and nations (Matt 28:18; Ps 2; Rev 1:5; Col 1:16; 1 Tim 6:15; Rev 17:14; 19:16). He is the supreme authority in all matters of life, health, society, law, family, and faith. Our Charter recognizes this in the preamble as this is the heritage of our nation.
2. With Christ as head over all, his law rules over all (also acknowledged in the preamble of our Charter). Everyone will be held accountable to God’s law (Rom 3:19).
3. Our civil government including our mayor, premier, and prime minister all answer to God as his servants (Rom 13:1–4). They are his deacons, appointed to carry out justice in this nation in accordance with the will of God. They are called to protect the innocent and punish the wicked.
4. Christ is Lord over all and head over the church (Eph 1:20–21). There are no earthly (i.e. civic) magistrates between the church and Jesus. The church is a distinct institution, separate from the state in its governance, ordinances, and worship.
5. The church, being free from earthly rule under the lordship of Jesus, elects its own leaders—called elders or pastors—who lead, teach, guide, and care for the church (Acts 6:5, 20:28; Tit 1:5). They are called to protect the worship, teaching, and ordinances of the church to ensure fidelity to the word in submission to Christ.
6. We are called to honor and obey the governing authorities of the state (Rom 13:1–7; 1 Pet 2:13–17), the church (Heb 13:17), and the home (Eph 5:22–33).
7. Defiance to earthly authorities (whether in the state, church, or home) out of greater loyalty and obedience to Christ can only be justified if they (1) forbid what God commands; (2) command what God forbids; or (3) command what is not theirs to command (Daniel 3, 6, Acts 5:29).
8. The church is commanded to gather (and not neglect the assembling of ourselves together) especially as the Day draws nearer (Heb 10:25). We are commanded to practice hospitality (1 Pet 4:9; Rom 12:13); sing to one another (Eph 5:19; Col 3:16), celebrate the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor 11:17–34), and care for the elderly, widows, and orphans (Jas 1:27). These are direct and divine commands that cannot be defied by the faithful.
9. We maintain that COVID mandates in Alberta forbade what God commanded and the government ruled outside their jurisdiction (reaching in to regulate life in the church and home), and should rightly be resisted in obedience to Christ, the Lord of all.
10. These convictions are in keeping with our church constitution, adopted at our founding in 1960, which states, “We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interest and good order of society; that the magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honoured and obeyed except only in the things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the only Lord of the conscience and Prince of the Kings of the earth” (Article 2.14).
On Mandatory Masking
The grounds for a religious exemption preventing enforcement of masks at services at Fairview Baptist Church.
1. Fairview Baptist Church regards the wearing of masks in worship first of all as a matter of conscience—and since we are forbidden by the teaching of Christ not to make extra-biblical religious rules that bind men’s consciences (Matthew 23:1-7; 15:1-9), we neither mandate nor forbid the wearing of masks in worship. See http://www.fairviewbaptistchurch.ca/face-masks-are-not-mandatory-at-fairview/ for an example.
2. Our Statement of Faith is clear when it says that the Lord Jesus Christ “is the only Lord of the conscience.” It is therefore wrong for me, as pastor, to enforce or mandate face coverings as part of worship and allow the commands of men to regulate or restrict the worship of God.
3. Veils and face coverings have profound religious significance in many world religions. In addition, it cannot be denied that COVID masks have become a very political symbol. In devotion to God, many in our church do not wish to associate either with other world religions nor the secular credo of our society.
4. Face coverings hide or veil our identity and therefore our humanity. The Bible states we are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and our face, more than anything else, conveys our identity. A quick flip through any photo album or year book is more than sufficient to prove this point. Therefore, our face, unveiled, is a key element in true worship as we gather coram deo—before the face of God.
5. In addition, not just before God but with one another, one of the distinctives of Christian worship is face-to-face fellowship. The Bible uses the term “face to face” 17 times to describe this closeness in sharing life together. The importance of face-to-face intimacy within the church is stressed repeatedly. Paul writes, “We . . . were all the more eager with great desire to see your face” (1 Thessalonians 2:17). “We night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face” (3:10). The apostle John writes, “I hope to come to you and speak face to face, so that your joy may be made full” (2 John 12). “I hope to see you shortly, and we will speak face to face” (3 John 14).
6. Koinonia is the Greek word in the Bible to describe fellowship. The word conveys the idea of community, close association, and intimate social contact. In keeping with this, the command “Greet one another with a holy kiss” is repeated four times in the Pauline epistles (Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:22). This fellowship is essential to the local church.
7. Worship, in particular, is best seen as an open-face discipline. Covering the face is a symbol of disgrace or shame (Jeremiah 51:51; Job 40:4). Concealing one’s mouth while praising God suppresses the visible expression of worship. The Psalms’ calls to worship are filled with the words “tongue,” “lips,” and “mouth.” “Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise” (Psalm 81:1). Wholehearted worship cannot be sung as intended—unrestrained and unmuted—from behind a state-mandated face covering. We see “the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6), and our faces were designed by him to reflect that glory back to heaven in uninhibited praise as we are being renewed in his image and likeness as we behold him with unveiled face (2 Corinthians 3:18).
8. It is important to note that these convictions are not borne out of political motivations, protest, or scientific skepticism. We are not “anti-maskers.” We do not want to shame any person who chooses to wear a mask to our gatherings. We do not want to bind anyone’s conscience with manmade restrictions. People in the church are free to wear masks if they choose. But people who share the views articulated above are likewise free to worship, sing, pray, and proclaim God’s Word without a face covering—even if that goes against the vacillating, sometimes arbitrary, and frequently heavy-handed dictates of government officials. It is simply not the church’s duty to enforce civic orders that restrict or regulate the worship of the church.
On Capacity Limits
The grounds for religious exemption preventing enforcement of capacity limits at services at Fairview Baptist Church.
1. The Bible is clear that ecclesiastical matters are entrusted not to civic leaders, but to pastors and deacons (Acts 6:5, 20:28; Tit 1:5; Heb 13:17). Under the lordship of Christ, he has delegated authority in different spheres or jurisdictions. He has not given the civil magistrate the jurisdiction over the church to order or regulate its worship (Rom 13:1–5).
2. Our Statement of Faith confirms this belief: “We believe that a church is a company of baptized believers, called out from the world, separated unto the Lord Jesus, voluntarily associated for the ministry of the Word, the mutual edification of its members, the propagation of the faith and the observance of the ordinances. We believe it is a sovereign, independent body, exercising its own divinely awarded gifts, precepts and privileges under the Lordship of Christ, the Head of the Church. We believe that its leaders are pastors, elders and deacons.”
3. To limit capacity to 30% or 15% is to fundamentally alter that gathering of the church such that it is impossible to gather as the church. The church is a family of faith, a body of believers, that cannot be separated and rightly be called the church.
4. Of course some have promoted alternative ways to “do church” but these are pastor-centric rather than church-centric. Sunday worship becomes a performance or TED talk where people consume what the pastor says with little to no interaction with the people (i.e., the church). These alternatives contravene the very definition of church (Gr. ekklesia) which is an assembly.
5. The church gathering is more than listening to a message or hearing Christian worship. It involves fellowship, and the communion of the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor 11 mentions “when you come together” five times when instructions concerning the Supper are given to the church). It involves singing songs to one another (Eph 5:19; Col 3:16), and the closer we get to Christ’s return, the more we are encouraged to gather together and spur each other on (Heb 10:24–25). In fact, we are commanded not to neglect the assembling of ourselves together (Heb 10:25).
6. Having just a portion of the congregation assembled or online is akin to having an online marriage or raising children in small, divided groups—it fundamentally alters the very nature of the church. In keeping with this, our church has resisted multi-service or multi-site models as unfaithful to the meaning of the church as a united assembly or family of God.
7. There is a spiritual gift that is shared when we gather together physically. Paul writes in Romans 1:11–12, “For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.” There is something that letter writing could not perform that required a physical presence of the gathered assembly.
8. Our church sought to honor those who were conscience-bound to follow all mandates. However, we will always welcome all, regardless of their convictions (Romans 14:1).We would never close our doors to those who came to worship the one, true God (Romans 15:7). To welcome the stranger in Christian love, is to welcome Christ himself (Matthew 25:35). Our church will welcome all and speak the truth of Christ to all who come to hear.
On Physical Distancing Requirements
The grounds for a religious exemption preventing enforcement of physical distancing at services at Fairview Baptist Church.
1. There are numerous “one another” commands in Scripture that cannot be performed if the body is missing, divided, or restricted from close contact. These include wash one another’s feet (John 13:14); love one another (John 13:34–35; 15:12, 17; Romans 12:10; 1 Thessalonians 3:12); members on of another (Romans 12:5); outdo one another in showing honor (Romans 12:10); live in harmony with one another (Romans 12:16; 15:5); welcome one another (Romans 15:7); instruct one another (Romans 15:14); greet one another with a holy kiss (Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:2; 1 Peter 5:14); have the same care for one another (1 Corinthians 12:25); comfort one another (2 Corinthians 13:11); agree with one another (2 Corinthians 13:11); serve one another (Galatians 5:13; 1 Peter 4:10); bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2); bear with one another in love (Ephesians 4:2); speak truth with your neighbor for we are members one of another (Ephesians 4:25); be kind to one another (Ephesians 4:32); forgive one another (Ephesians 4:32); address one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:19); submit to one another (Ephesians 5:21); teach and admonish one another (Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 3:13); encourage one another with these words (1 Thessalonians 4:18, 5:11); seek to do good to one another (1 Thessalonians 5:15); stir up one another to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24); do not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encourage one another [to gather] (Hebrews 10:25); confess your sins to one another (James 5:16); pray for one another (James 5:16); and show hospitality to one another (1 Peter 4:9).
2. As an elder, there is a biblical qualification for me to practice hospitality (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:8). This includes having church members in my home (1 Peter 4:9) and strangers are to be welcomed too (Hebrew 13:2). Forced to be derelict in my duties before God or in non-compliance with health mandates, I will always choose the latter in devotion to God and in faithfulness to my calling.
3. In the installation of elders, we “lay on hands” (1 Timothy 4:14; 5:22). This necessary physical act carries important spiritual meaning in the commissioning of leaders in the church.
4. In the Scriptures, the sick are called to summon the elders of the church to come and lay hands on them and pray over them (James 5:14). We are commanded to care for the sick, the widowed, the orphan, and those in need rather than isolate from them (James 1:27).
5. There are two ordinances commanded by our Lord, baptism and the Lord’s Supper—also known as communion or the Eucharist (Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 11:17–34). These both require close contact in their proper administration.
6. The Lord’s supper is commanded “when you come together” (1 Corinthians 11:17, 18, 20, 33, 34). As such, we celebrate this ordinance each week. It is akin to a covenant renewal like the Passover meal for the Jews where we are reminded of Christ being our Passover lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7). As such, it is an important practice to celebrate together as a covenant community or family of faith.
7. Greeting one another with a holy kiss is a biblical command (Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:2; 1 Peter 5:14) that may find different cultural expression in our day but would still involve close, familial contact, and appropriate displays of affection and union. I could not, in good conscience, undermine or neuter this command among the church to restrict handshakes, hugs, or close contact for brothers and sisters in the Lord.
8. It is wholly inappropriate for me—and beyond the mandate given to me by God—to enforce physical separation between members of the body whom God has joined together to be one. What God has joined together let no man separate (Matthew 19:6).
9. Our church sought to show grace by handling physical distancing as a matter of conscience. We sought to respect one another’s convictions on the issue rather than mandate compliance in conformity with the secular consensus. We offered seating and areas where people could congregate at a greater distance if so desired.
https://www.fairviewbaptistchurch.ca/affidavit-on-covid-mandates/
Canadian pastor Tim Stephens saw state tyranny up close, which included personal jail time. James Coates of Alberta, Canada, is another pastor who refused to comply with public health orders during the pandemic and spent a month in jail.
Artur Pawlowski, a Polish-Canadian pastor from Alberta, Canada, was arrested last weekend for allegedly organizing a church service that ignored COVID social distancing rules and wearing mask mandates. He warned the U.S. to watch out for what happened to him.
In an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham that aired on Friday, Pawlowski said that Canada “has no rights whatsoever.” “What we have right now is some kind of a hybrid between fascism and communism medical tyranny.”
A New Brunswick pastor, Philip James Hutchings, the pastor of His Tabernacle Family Church in Saint John, is free after spending a week in jail.
What would John Knox have done? What will modern Presbyterians do in the future?
The ultimate authority:
“We ought to obey God rather than men.” - The Apostle Peter (Acts 5:29).
Peter’s message in the book of Acts has a much broader application than most have thought.
The Covid lockdowns are just the beginning of what to expect as Western societies begin to collapse financially largely due to locking down their economies and destroying millions of jobs along with permanent damage to supply chains. In addition, the U.S. currency is losing its status as the world reserve currency as an increasing number of nations refuse to purchase or sell oil in U.S. dollars leading to an almost certain chaos. Short of a spiritual revival, the modern state will become increasingly totalitarian in its attempt to survive.
To prepare for unbiblical state mandates, Churches should implement Pastor Tim Stephen’s Affidavit. In addition, Churches should sign onto the Frankfurt statement. Should the Church fight state tyranny without anything? The Church must be able to put into the hands of agents of the state the Biblical reasons for refusal to comply.
The Frankfurt Statement: An excerpt:
Introduction Christians, Against the Abuse of Power:
“A few concerned pastors from different continents, moved by an emergent totalitarianism of the State over all realms of society, and particularly the Church, and the disregard of God- given and constitutionally guaranteed rights during the Covid crisis, joined in common cause to craft a solemn declaration, which seeks to address these threats with the timeless truths of God’s Word. The following affirmations and denials, derived from biblical principles, we put forth for consideration by all Christians and relevant authorities, in the hope that this document will give light and strength for faithful witness to Jesus Christ in our day.”
2 Sam. 12:1-14; Acts 4:24-29; Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Pet. 2:13-14
Conclusion Call for Respect, Repentance, & Resistance:
“We commend and express our gratitude to those civil authorities who respect the essential nature of these Christian beliefs and practices and who have a high regard for individual and religious freedoms. To those civil authorities who have disregarded these freedoms, we call on you to repent and to become again the protectors of liberty and of the rights that God has given to all men, lest in the abuse of your God-given authority, you become liable to God’s wrath. To those who desire to compel us to obey the secular State rather than God, we respectfully, but firmly say (like the three Hebrews who refused to worship Nebuchadnezzar’s golden statue), “We have no need to answer you in this matter. The God we serve is able to save us from you, and He will rescue us from your hand. But even if He does not, we want you to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the idols you have set up.” (Dan. 3:16-18) …” Sam. 12:1-14; Dan. 5:22-23; Matt. 24:12-13; 1 Cor. 16:13-14; Eph. 5:10-13 https://frankfurtdeclaration.com/
In closing, a must-read:
Naomi Wolf, former consultant to President Clinton, has written about what, without a doubt, is the gold standard work on Covid and the forced experimental vaccination push by the fed gov along with its naïve but willing collaborators from the private sector. The book is titled “The Bodies of Others: The New Authoritarians, COVID-19 and The War Against the Human.” The book is endorsed by Tucker Carlson, Dr. Paul Alexander, Steve Bannon, and Eric Metaxas.
A review of this book will happen in a future work. Nevertheless, a few words are in order. Dr. Wolf shows how fragile the institutions of Western liberty are and is frightening. Without barely a peep, the nations of the Western world surrendered to un-elected bureaucrats who jumped into action, implanting virtually straight out of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) playbook on locking down a society, literally putting out of business hundreds of thousands of businesses and ruining countless lives. It should be duly noted that Communism is anti-Christ. Karl Marx wanted to “dethrone God, and an influential disciple of Marx's, Saul Alinsky dedicated his book, Rules for Radicals, to Lucifer!
In addition, the forced experimental so-called vaccines are causing the deaths and injuries of millions around the world. The dam of censorship is starting to break in, which will be seen that the covid vaccines are bio-weapons designed to cause the collapse and depopulation of whole societies. In the future, it will be reported that this is one of the worst crimes against humanity ever recorded. For the naysayers:
One of the book’s endorsers writes:
“Naomi Wolf’s courage is a gift to us all. Her work in this brilliant book is groundbreaking and inescapably important for anyone who cares about freedom and human dignity.” – Eric Metaxas, #1 New York Times bestselling author and the host of the nationally syndicated Eric Metaxas radio show, and is the author of Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy, Is Atheism Dead, Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce, Martin Luther: The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the World, and many other titles
Another endorser writes:
“Naomi Wolf is one of the bravest, clearest-thinking people I know. The reason you hear the forces of repression so desperately trying to dismiss her is because she is right.” – Tucker Carlson.
Something that may have been missed in the news:
Florida Surgeon General Issues Warning For mRNA Coronavirus Vaccines: ‘FL Will Not Be Silent on The Truth’ By Ryan Saavedra:
Excerpt:
“Florida Surgeon General Joseph A. Ladapo, MD, PhD., said in a statement Friday afternoon that the state now recommends against giving men ages 18 to 39 mRNA coronavirus vaccines, citing a heightened risk of cardiac-related death.
The statement from Ladapo comes at the conclusion of an analysis conducted by the Florida Department of Health that was carried out using a self-controlled case series, a technique used to evaluate vaccine safety, the state said.”
Pastor Stephen’s Affidavit on COVID Mandates should be replicated and circulated among the Churches of God along with the Frankfurt Confession.
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)
Notes:
1. Eric Metaxas, Introduction, Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of Discipleship (p. 11). Touchstone. Kindle Edition.
2. Eric Metaxas, Introduction, Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of Discipleship (p. 29). Touchstone. Kindle Edition.
3. Eric Metaxas, Introduction, Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of Discipleship (p. 31). Touchstone. Kindle Edition.
4. John Calvin, Commentary on Daniel, Lecture XXX Daniel 6:22, (Grand Rapids, Michigan, Baker Book House Reprinted 1979), p. 382.
5. John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, ed. John T. McNeill, trans. Ford Lewis Battles, The Library of Christian Classics, XX-XXI, (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1960), (IV. xx. 32).
6. Samuel Rutherford, Lex, Rex, or the Law and the Prince 1564) (Harrisonburg. VA: Sprinkle Publications, 1982), p. 33.
7. Junius Brutus, A Defence of Liberty Against Tyrants, Vindiciae Contra Tyrannos, (Still Waters Revival Books, Edmonton AB. Canada), p. 134.
8. Peter Force, ed., “Extract of a Letter to a Gentleman in London, from New York, May 31, 1774” American Archives, Fourth Series, Vol. 1, 301.
9. Kevin Phillips, The Cousins’ Wars: Religion, Politics and the Triumph of Anglo-America (New York: Basic Books, 1999), 92, 177.
10. Capt. Johann Heinrichs to the Counsellor of the Court, January 18, 1778: “Extracts from the Letter Book of Captain Johann Heinrichs of the Hessian Jager Corps, 1778-1780,” Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 22 (1898), 137.
11. A Statement from John MacArthur and the Elders of Grace Community Church, July 24, 2020 https://web.colby.edu/coronaguidance/2020/07/24/christ-not-caesar/
Mr. Kettler has previously published articles in the Chalcedon Report and Contra Mundum. He and his wife Marea attend the Westminster, CO, RPCNA Church. Mr. Kettler is the author of books defending the Reformed Faith. Books can be ordered online at www. Jack Kettler .com