Green street signs with the words "god" and "government" displayed in a crossroad sign format against a black background.

From “No Mask, No Service” to “No Mark, No Service”

05/28/2020 | BowDownFoo | Think on These Things

While dealing with the so-called pandemic over these last few months, much more has come to light, besides the virus. A bigger reveal has been the gullible, frail character of American people, particularly Christians. Unquestioning compliance was our immediate response to the threat of catastrophic, albeit erroneous, death projections. Early death toll estimates for the US was 2.5 million, so we were told to embrace for coming spikes in deaths that would rival “some of the darkest moments in the US history, including the two worst foreign attacks on American soil: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the September 11 terrorist attacks.”

We were told we have to flatten the curve. We complied.
We were told just two weeks. We complied.
We were told two more weeks. We complied.
The weeks have turned into three months. Still we comply.
We were told to wear masks. We complied.
We were told to self-quarantine and go on lockdown. We complied.
We were told to practice social-distancing. We complied.
We were told to shut down our economy. We complied.
We were told essential personnel only, as if the average working Joe isn’t essential to someone. We complied.
We were told do it for the elderly and were shamed and bullied if we thought otherwise. We complied.
We were told Planned Parenthood (abortion clinic), Marijuana shops, Home Depot, and Lowe’s were essential, but Churches were not. We complied. (Sad.)

The expertise, info, and guidance has changed too many times to count. Still, we comply. And today, some “experts” are advising no schools in August, no baseball, no football, and no vacations. Many of these same experts are saying this won’t be over ‘til 2021 or 2022. How stupid can we be? Witnessing such easy manipulation and control is quite alarming, embarrassing and irritating. I have long suspected that a time was coming when so many Americans would be so afraid of dying that they stopped living. Their fear foments their loss of reason. However, mature people know that we live with a degree of risk every single day. Mature people accept that risk and navigate through that risk. But immature, fearful people avoid risk because it’s too dangerous. They plead, “How can I guarantee my safety?”

When seeing and thinking clearly, this entire COVID debacle should alarm Americans as to how local, state, and federal government continues to successfully socially engineer the masses to abandon and forget their God-given freedoms and liberties. Rep Dan Crenshaw (R-Tex) said, “We’ve kind of mentally manipulated ourselves into this abundance of fear.” Consequently, to a large degree we’re not being governed. We’re being ruled. Politicians and authorities, particularly Democrats, continue to issue sweeping, countless executive orders such as mandatory masks, stay at home orders, stay off beaches, no parks, no barber shops or restaurants need open, hotlines for snitching on non-compliant citizens, the banning of plastic straws, it’s illegal to collect rain water on my own property, it’s illegal to build a tree-house on my own property, it’s illegal to grow food on my own property, it’s illegal to cut down a tree on my private property, you can’t fish/hunt without a license, you need permission (license) to own a gun, it’s illegal to sell curbside lemonade, it’s illegal to feed the homeless, the creation of safe spaces where it’s illegal to exercise any speech that someone else might be offended by, it’s illegal to warm up my car in the winter, and the list goes on. We’d do well to recall how God told the prophet Samuel to warn His people about their request for a king in 1 Samuel 8:1-18. The phrase “He will take” is listed six times in this passage. Six happens to be the number of man.

Principles of God vs. Government:
a. Rights come from God, not government. Government doesn’t have rights to give.
b. If rights come from God, then God is God.
c. If rights come from government (man), then government is god (man).
d. Government can’t give you anything it first doesn’t take from you or someone else.
e. Government will take every inch of ground you give it.
f. Government will grow in direct proportion to the character of the people.
g. The greater the character of the people, the greater the freedom of the people.
h. The lesser character of the people, the lesser the freedom of the people.
i. The type of government a people have is a reflection of the character of the people.
j. Stated differently, people get the kind of government they deserve.
k. When government fears people, you have freedom. When people fear government, you have tyranny.
l. As our dependence on government increases, our dependency on God decreases.
m. Million dollar question: Shall we depend on God or Government?

Now before you get your shorts in a bunch, I’m not saying throw caution to the wind with COVID. Sure, we need to effect precautionary measures, but not to point of abandoning reason because our fears overwhelm us. Honestly, the fear of the virus spread more rapidly than the virus itself. I’m writing because, to an enormous degree, Believers are fearing COVID and authorities more than God. (Read Pro 3:5-6; Ps 24:1; Gen 1:26-28; Ex 20:3; Mk 16:15; Ac 1:8) Your fear is a form of idolatry.

Of course there are scriptures about obeying government authorities (Rom 13; Deu 17:12; Eph 5:21; Tit 3:1; 1Pe 2:13-17; 2Pe 2:10-11), but I gotta say this. Saints, Romans 13 “obey those that have rule over you” is not the blanket scripture to guide us through this quarantine dilemma. Yet this is the best and sole advice of many clergy. We’re not to flippantly buy into every rule and directive simply because the Bible says, “Obey those that have rule over you.”

The question that immediately comes to my mind is which Authorities and Politicians are we to obey? Seriously, which ones?!! Obey those who say close the State or those who say open the State? Obey those who say Churches are non-essential or those who say Churches are essential? Obey those who say marijuana shops are essential, but Churches are not? Obey those who say Planned Parenthood is essential, but Churches are not? Obey those who say some workers are essential or all workers are essential? Obey those that have rule over you??? These politicians and authorities don’t even agree with each other!

While Romans 13 is scriptural, here’s some balance:

a. Dan 3:14-18 Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up? (vs.15) I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?” (vs.16) Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. (vs.17) If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. (vs.18) But even if He doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

b. Acts 4:17-20 But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name. (vs.18) Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. (vs.19) But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! (vs.20) As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

c. Acts 5:27-29 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, (vs.28) saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us. (vs.29) But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.

d. 2Thes 2:3-4 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, (vs.4) who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

e. Mat 10:16-22 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. (vs.17) Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, (vs.18) and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. (vs.19) When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. (vs.20) For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. (vs.21) Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, (vs.22) and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

f. Heb 5:14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Romans 13 only works only if your leaders can be trusted to honor God and do good. Seriously, do you really trust Big Gov’t? Our officials have already admitted that masks aren’t about safety. Masks are about compliance, conditioning, and control. And it’s rather alarming that so many, primarily because of their fear, have easily and quickly complied with outlandish standards, rules, procedures, and even snitching on non-compliant citizens. Have you seen the video of the mob of kool-aid drinking mask-wearers yelling at, threatening, and chasing a woman out of a store on Staten Island because she didn’t have a mask on? It’s shameful! How willing, compliant, and “snitch” will these same people be when the mark of the beast is mandated? Honestly, it is not a huge leap from “No Mask, No Service” to “No Mark, No Service.” (Rev 13:16-17)

As Believers, 1Thes 5:21 tells us to “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” We are called to exercise godly discernment and wisdom in all matters. We should be seeking God wholly and asking, “What is the spirit behind this crisis? Is this crisis bigger than God? Where is God in all these broadcasts and news reports? Show us, Lord.” (Read 1Jn 4:1; Col 2:8; Heb 5:14; Php 1:9; 2Thes 2:3)

Life is risky! Life is hard! Get over it. Today, at our own peril, we go to great lengths to avoid hard work and opposition. The glaring reality is that you can never fully appreciate something you did not risk and work hard for, to include simply living. E.G., you may appreciate someone giving you a million dollars, but you can never fully appreciate that money because you didn’t personally work for it or earn it. So, you’ll never know the full value of it. Hard work creates appreciation. Harder work creates greater appreciation. The harder the work, the greater the value.

As people born into sin, it’s in our nature to gravitate towards the path of least resistance. This is flesh, and our flesh is far too easily affected and influenced by this natural world and distracts us from the Lord. However, God admonishes us repeatedly to trust in Him. (Read Pro 3:5-6; Ps 121:1-2; Isa 45:22; 2Ch 7:14; Deu 30:19; Jos 24:15) As His children, we are to “look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith” (Heb 12:2), not government.

— OUR MISSION —

Gather Sheep & Convert Goats!

Catch, Clean, & Release!

From “No Mask, No Service” to “No Mark, No Service”

Agree with us in prayer…

In closing…