“Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.” (Luke 6:22-23, ESV)

Despotic leaders all over the world are using the fear of the Chinese Corona virus to take away the freedoms of their constituents. None are more glaring than what they are doing in China, where whole cities are ghost towns as they are put under martial law. They even weld the doors shut on apartments with the people suspected of having the virus left to die inside. As dear friend of mine recently wrote on her blog:

“Around the globe, despotic leaders of all stripes are using the corona virus as an excuse to consolidate their positions, spread false information, and silence the opposition. The worldwide state of emergency is being used to justify actions that undermine essential freedoms, and interfere with long-standing legislative initiatives.”

Fear is a great motivator.  We fear many things.  We fear aging.  We fear suffering.  We fear poverty.  Above all, we fear death.  We rush headlong into the arms of any tyrant or demagogue who will promise to save us from it.” (1)

In the book of Job Satan is quoted as saying, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life.” (Job 2:4, ESV). Or as Benjamin Franklin once put it, “Those who are ready to exchange freedom for security are not worthy of either freedom or security.”

The United States isn’t exempt from this worldwide push of despots to take away our freedoms. Left leaning governors and mayors from coast to coast are in a rush to not only shut down restaurants, theatres, bars and gyms, but also shut down churches and fine and jail those who don’t comply.(2-10) Even though the first amendment is quite specific about prohibiting such actions, they ignore its safeguards. What is interesting to me is that many of these same political despots continue to allow abortion clinics, liquor stores and marijuana shops to operate as “essential businesses” while churches are not! 

Speaking of “longstanding legislative initiatives,” consider these that our founding fathers put in place to protect Americans from such tyranny. The very first amendment to the Constitution reads:

“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.”

Furthermore, the 14th Amendment’s Incorporation Clause reads, “No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States.” It has been determined in later court cases that the first through eighth amendments of the Bill of Right are applicable to all the states as well as the federal government. From sea to shining sea, our freedom of religious assembly and expression is not to be infringed, but it has been continuously targeted as we see the end of this age coming upon us.

Christ is all we need as we put our faith and hope in Him. He said that “where two or three of you are gathered together in my name, I will be there in your midst,” so the shuttering of church buildings can’t stop true fellowship and communion with God if we walk by His Spirit. But Jesus did establish the Church and told Peter, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).

Truly the Gates of Hell are manifesting themselves in the hearts of corrupt leaders and their followers (both left and right) all over the world during this pandemic as they shut down, deface, and burn churches. Now they are calling for the destruction of all “white images” of Jesus Christ. (11) It is Jesus that they hate, but He is hard to reach as He sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven. Satan already gave Jesus his “best shot” and Jesus triumphed over him, dying on the cross, descending into hell, setting its captives free, and giving the gift of the Spirit to all who believe in Him (see Ephesians 4:7-10). So since Satan and his minions can no longer persecute Jesus, they now persecute everything that is a visible manifestation of Him on this earth. But remember, we should count ourselves as blessed when we are persecuted for being disciples of Jesus, for great is our reward in heaven.

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” (John 14:1-4, ESV)

1. https://alawyersprayers.com/2020/06/07/coronavirus-coups-fear-death-and-dictatorship/
2. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/05/24/chicago-mayor-launches-police-raid-shut-down-black-church/
3. https://www.fox29.com/news/tampa-megachurch-pastor-arrested-after-leading-packed-services-despite-safer-at-home-orders
4. https://www.lifenews.com/2020/04/23/church-sues-california-gov-gavin-newsom-for-shutting-it-down-but-leaving-abortion-clinics-open/
5. https://thewashingtonsentinel.com/judge-slaps-leftist-louisville-mayor-over-order-to-shut-down-churches/
6. https://www.wlox.com/2020/03/20/moss-point-mayor-orders-businesses-churches-close-through-april/
7. https://teamcandaceowens.org/chicago-mayor-launches-police-raid-to-shut-down-black-churchs-sunday-services/
8. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/apr/13/mississippi-mayor-vows-continue-shutting-down-chur/
9. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/nebraska/articles/2020-03-19/south-central-nebraska-reports-first-covid-19-case
10. https://thefederalist.com/2020/04/10/indiana-governor-to-churches-worship-as-i-say-or-be-shut-down/
11. https://www.newsweek.com/white-jesus-statues-should-torn-down-black-lives-matters-leader-says-1512674

(Note: Please forgive the layout of the footnotes in this blog article. WordPress has once again “improved” their blogging format so that it is all but unusable.)