VeeJay 
“…not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some,
Hebrews 10:25
but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
There are actually three mandates given to believers in Hebrews 10:25:
- Do not forsake assembling together
- Encourage one another
- Increase in both of these activities as you see the signs of the times
As of late, I have seen two of these mandates, if not all three, violated. At the same time in history that we see more preachers, Christians, prophets, and theologians decrying that we are in the beginning of birth pangs, we simultaneously see the Church slamming its doors in fear and blind obedience to the State. And, quite frankly, there has been far more fear mongering and conspiracy hyping than there has been “encouragement” amongst us.
The immediate response to this radical idealism is typically that good little Christians are acting out of obedience in accordance to Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2.
Romans 13 warns: Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore, whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same;for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Therefore, it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.”
And 1 Peter 2:13 states: “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority.”
The question then becomes where and when do we as citizens who are not of this world draw the line when the governing kings and authorities go rogue and turn against its own people with plots of depopulation and destruction?
Directly after we are instructed by Peter to submit ourselves to every human institution, Peter continues in verse 14 by saying, “…or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.” So, we see here, following Peter’s line of logic, that it is assumed that we do not blindly follow and obey human governors and institutions that not only refuse to “punish evildoers” but who have become the evildoers themselves.
Coach Dave Daubenmire gets right to the point in his article, “May Your Chains Set Loosely”[1]
“’Obey the government, Coach. Christians are supposed to obey the government. We model obedience for the rest of the people. Have you read Romans 13, Coach?’
Actually, I have read Romans 13 and it instructs us to obey RIGHTEOUS government, not tyrannical government. Paul told us that elected officials were “ministers” of God “for good.” Are you telling me than the rag tag miscreants that we see running America are MINISTERS?
What happens when those “ministers” start “ministering” bad things? Do we still obey them? Remember this is the same cabal of “ministers” who gave us child sacrifice, sodomite marriage, the sewage of pornography as free speech, and government robbery masquerading as taxation.”
Hebrews 10:25 is our heavenly hall pass from God Almighty, instructing us that even as the end draws near (nay, especially when they draw near!) we are to continue ASSEMBLING together. Nor are we to set aside all the Gospel promises of power, protection, and provision to instead tell horror stories of everything the rogue government may (or may not be) up to.
The book of Jeremiah unfolds an already/not yet prophetic account of two diasporas: the captivity of Judah to Babylon during the reign of King Jehoiakim (609-597 B.C.) AND a yet-to-be fulfilled prophecy for those of us living in the end times.
Jeremiah 50:6 is a dire warning for believers living today. Yahweh himself (speaking through the mouth of Jeremiah) says of His people, “My people have become lost sheep; Their shepherds have led them astray. They have made them turn aside on the mountains; They have gone along from mountain to hill and have forgotten their resting place.”
Did you see that? Unlike the many times in Israel and Judah’s history, it was not a foreign wife, an idol, a high place, demonic entities, pagan armies, or the infamous “devil” who led them astray. In this case, Yahweh’s people were led astray by their shepherds! Or, to put it into the modern vernacular, “It was the PASTORS!”
Speaking of putting things into the modern vernacular. Once again, Coach Dave:
“The prissy pastors are complicit in this whole mess. During this recent “pandemic” they stumbled all over themselves in an attempt to be the first member of the clergy to show how obedient they were to “the government.” At a time of America’s greatest crisis the church leaders encouraged the goats to obey the government and “shelter in place.” That’s what good little obedient sheep do. Shut down the church. Obey their masters. The government loves you. What Would Jesus Do? Can you find one time in all of the Scriptures where Jesus advised His followers to “shelter in place” Did He encourage them to run FROM danger or to run TOWARD the danger. Is there one instance of Jesus ANYWHERE in the Scriptures calling for His followers to RETREAT?”
Wow. Talk about not mincing words.
What do we do as believers when we are called to obey governing authorities, but we are also called to obey Scripture; which, in this case, is instructing us to not forsake assembling together? Perhaps this is a bit how Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego felt when, subject to the Babylonian authorities, they were instructed, upon pain of death, to bow down to the image of an earthly king.
They seemed rather confident that God would save them. Or did they? Right on the heels of their passionate, “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king!” They appear to back peddle a bit with a rather nonchalant, Jewish-sounding, disclaimer, “But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”
But if not.
Wow. How many of us say can say that? In the midst of a game of Russian Roulette, boldly holding the gun up to our temples, just shrug it off and say, “But if not…meh…God is still in charge.”
I have to admit, Church, I’m a bit nervous. Planned Parenthood wheeled in their Trojan horse, and we swung wide open the city gates and let them roll it down our streets. The LGBTQ and transgender agenda barged in, and we just went indoors and shut the shades. It’s not really there if I can’t see it, right? Then Planned Parenthood and the Kinsey Institute put together a Comprehensive Sex Education curriculum for our K-8 classrooms, teaching them all about oral sex, what ejaculate tastes like, and how to consent to pederastic sex; and come November, the blind sheeple will all vote YES to the wonderful “education bill” packed full of perks and payoffs to the public school system. Then, last but not least, a shelter in place order is announced and the Church flies into their respective holes like a scurry of scared chipmunks with a famished fox on their tails.
Are we asleep at the wheel or what?
At what point will the Church, well aware of the times that they are living, decide to take the Word of God by faith and live fearlessly in the midst of wicked governments and human institutions? Are we just going to sit here and hide in our houses shaking our fingers at our laptops and sending You Tube links to each other while Bill Gates and the Clinton Foundation and Planned Parenthood destroy everything our forefathers fought to defend? At what point are we going to stop smiling and saying, “Thank you! May I have another!”?
Do not misunderstand. This article is not a call to arms, or even to anarchy. It is a call to faith, hope, love, and obedience. Which carries more weight with us—our state governor’s shelter in place order, or Hebrews 10:25? Which Master’s call will we heed?
“If you have run with footmen and they have tired you out, Then how can you compete with horses? If you fall down in a land of peace, How will you do in the thicket of the Jordan?
Jeremiah 12:5
See also: Social Distancing: Please Stand 6-6-6 Feet Away!
[1] April 2020 issue of L. A. Marzulli’s PP&S report online magazine
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