No Intimidation
It should come as no surprise that those who deny the existence of absolute truth, the inerrancy and authority of Scripture, the morals laid out therein, the sanctity of life, and the sinless life of Christ would endeavor to silence the church regarding government, education, and laws. Their insistence that these and other teachings be relegated only to the four walls of a religious building should not be a mystery to anyone. These individuals would be foolish to desire anything else when trying to secularize America, redefine morality, weaken America’s Christian roots, and transform American culture. I spoke of our patriot and brother, Sam Adams, on Friday; this American Founder also stated, “Liberty will not long survive the total extinction of morals.”(1) Selah.
When Christians do take their beliefs outside the building, as every American citizen should be free to do, the left twists our words, assigns untrue motives, conjures up misleading labels, and when all else fails, censures us:
Standing for the biblical definition of marriage is labeled as “bigotry.”
Standing for the unborn is “hatred of women.”
Spiritual warfare is “promoting violence.”
The phrase “taking back America,” in the context of prayer, voting, righteous laws, and common sense education, a phrase EVERY movement and party uses, is also considered “promoting violence” when used by Christians.
Preaching about “the Kingdom of God,” Christ’s most talked about subject, is touted as “tyranny,” a belief in “taking over everyone’s rights,” forcing people to live as Christians.
Believing that apostles exist today is “extremism, designed to rule others by force.”
The Appeal to Heaven flag, designed as a call to prayer, commissioned by George Washington and used by our Founders, is now “a symbol of violence, extremism, Christian Nationalism and insurrection.”
And making the claim that God was behind America’s birth in order to propagate the greatest message of all time - the gospel - is also “Christian Nationalism,” which the left defines as “racism, arrogance, and a perversion of that gospel.” Let me be clear: their contention is that believing America was raised up to preach the gospel is a perversion of the gospel.
And all of these words and phrases are now “a threat to democracy.”
Holy Spirit said of nonsense such as this, “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:22 AKJV).
Again, these attempts to confine, threaten, censure, label, misidentify, misdefine, mock, and ridicule the church are not surprising. Their goal is to muzzle and silence us, removing our influence. Don’t be intimidated by these attacks. Refuse to be silenced or muzzled. Ignore their labels, accusations, and insults, just as Nehemiah did when rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem:
“But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we built the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews. And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they make an end in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned? Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall….And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?” (Nehemiah 4:1-3, 6:3; KJV)
And please don’t be intimidated or misled by leaders in the church that partner with this foolishness. Many pastors have bought the lie that we should not discuss these things in our worship services. “Do not mention government in church,” they say, even though government makes our laws regarding morality, life, the posterity of our children, marriage, our liberties, etc. “Don’t speak into election processes,” they tell us, even though this process elects said government. “Don’t even mention these issues, just teach and preach the Bible,” we’re told, though ALL of them are biblical topics about which the church is supposed to be discipling nations (Matthew 28:18-20).
The body of Christ is supposed to disciple people when we gather, teaching them the full counsel of God, including his standards for all of life and morality found in the Bible. Our church services should be more than worship and fellowship; they are supposed to be where truth is taught. If you attend a church that refuses to address these moral, cultural, and biblical issues, my advice is to find another church. Do not give your time and money to that which has compromised, lost its voice, and become part of the problem. Our friend Sam Adams also said, “Shame on the men who can court exemption from present trouble and expense at the price of their own posterity’s liberty.”(2)
Amen, brother Adams, that’s good preaching.
And since I have been gleaning so much inspiration from this wise patriot lately, I will close with a final poignant statement he made:
“The liberties of our country, the freedoms of our civil Constitution are worth defending at all hazards; it is our duty to defend them against all attacks. We have received them as a fair inheritance from our worthy ancestors. They purchased them for us with toil and danger and expense of treasure and blood. It will bring a mark of everlasting infamy on the present generation - enlightened as it is - if we should suffer them to be wrested from us by violence without a struggle, or to be cheated out of them by the artifices of designing men.”(3)
Pray with me:
Father, when the early church faced threats, false accusations, and intimidation, their prayer to You was:
“And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, by stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus”
(Acts 4:29-30 AKJV).
You obviously liked this prayer; Your response was:
“And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness… And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all” (Acts 4:31, 33; AKJV).
We ask this today for the American church. Give us boldness; fill us with Your Spirit. Give us great grace in order to release great power, that we may effectively prove the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Place a firm determination in Your people to stand, to never compromise truth, and to declare Your full counsel. Give us Your heart of love, enabling us to do these things with gentleness, compassion, and servant hearts. Forgive us for the times we have not communicated truth with the right spirit, and give us wisdom to do so appropriately in this hour. All of this we ask for in Yeshua‘s name, amen.
Our decree:
We decree that as ambassadors for Christ, we will boldly speak His words.
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