SingleFocus

Frequently, one of the lessons in Sunday School classes would pose the question,

“If the law of the land was contrary to the law or will of God, which would you obey; the laws of God or the laws of man?”

Looking back at the Supreme Court reversal on baby killings (June 24, 2022), it occurred to me that throughout the years, some local churches faced that decision. Though many fervently prayed and relentlessly protested, unfortunately (for millions of babies), too many local churches, in their silence, failed the test. We always said we would obey God, but too many corner churches left that lesson on the pages of the Sunday School textbooks.

In the beginning, self-proclaimed leaders of the Black community vehemently cried out in protest

(https://nypost.com/1999/10/10/the-racist-roots-of-pro-abortionists/ ). They have since changed their tune. Choosing money and position (Matthew 26:15), they loudly support baby killing over obeying God’s law (Exodus 20:13).

There are many events told in the Bible; like Daniel praying in plain view (Daniel 6:11) though it was unlawful, three Hebrew boys standing (Daniel 3:17) rather than obeying the law of bowing before the government’s graven image, and the time Pharaoh ordered midwives to kill the Hebrew baby boys upon their birth, but the midwives chose to obey (Exodus 1:17) God’s law rather than Pharaoh’s law. I think that at times we “Christians” have sadly treated those examples as enriching readings of no relevance today.

Josephus recounted in Jewish Antiquities 18:3 the time that the Romans occupied Jerusalem. One night, Pilate rolled into Jerusalem erecting the ensign of Caesar. The Jews made an outcry that it be removed because it was against Jewish law. Pilate refused. So, the people protested relentlessly. Pilate threatened to kill them all if they continued their protest. Here we had a dispute between the government and their law with the Jews and God’s law (the Sunday School lesson come to life). As the Roman soldiers surrounded them with drawn swords, at Pilate’s threat to kill them, they did an extraordinary thing. They all lay on the ground and exposed their necks, giving the Roman soldiers a clear view for the blades of their swords. Rather than accommodating the laws of government, they preferred death over breaking the law of God. Wow!

It may pale in comparison, but when the southern government said that it was unlawful for Black Americans to eat at the same lunch counter as White Americans, or it was unlawful for them to position themselves first in line or sit in the front of the bus, the ministers and the congregations relentlessly publicly protested. They had prayer meetings, staged sit-ins at lunch counters, and faced firing, jail, and some even death. But when the government said that it was unlawful to pray in the schools, unlike Daniel, too many ministers and churches were silent.

I had a disturbing dream one morning. In the dream, people had assembled in a Bible study classroom. The minister was trying to teach us how to survive our captivity and be comfortable in an anti-Christ ruling administration. Finding it unacceptable, I began running and fleeing the area. As ghastly demonic beings chased me, they collapsed. They no longer had breath in them. I yelled back to those still in the classroom,

“This is How You Defeat Them! They Have No Breath!”

The dream was disturbing because, sadly, that is the attitude of some ministers in the corner churches. They teach their congregation how to be comfortable with ungodly laws rather than resist them.

I don’t know if many of us would be as brave as the midwives in Egypt or Daniel facing the lion’s den, the three Hebrew boys facing a fiery furnace (you might say that they staged a stand-in), or those who exposed their necks to the Roman soldiers. Heaven knows how many ungodly laws we all obey and have obeyed without protest. We face a dilemma today, and the stark-naked truth is that too many of us don’t give enough thought to whether “we or government laws” offend God. Some of us choose where we stand, based on church leadership, popularity, culture, traditions, trends, or whether we maintain our lucrative status or position. Sadly, religion has quietly, softly taught us a life of submission to the ungodly rather than resistance (James 4:7). Consequently, many end up not only obeying but also defending unrighteous laws though offensive to God.

We can and should repent and give God thanks for His grace. It truly is as Jesus expressed.

“…for we know not what we do. (Luke 23:34).”

Thankfully, He is faithful to forgive us (1John 1:9).

When did pulpits suddenly go silent about abominable unrighteous laws or decisions? Tiptoeing around the issues, religious pastors’ passive sermons leave their congregation ignorant and with no apparent reason to actively resist evil laws. There is one thing we can do and are doing without much deliberation: pray. We can each bombard heaven with our prayers for righteousness and justice.

Something Happens When You Pray. Daniel prayed and emerged from the lion’s den unharmed, and his enemies perished instead. Isn’t it obvious why the government doesn’t want you or your kids to publicly pray in government-run schools? Things change and enemies of righteousness and the unrighteous perish when the righteous and the children of the righteous pray. If we at least do that, we change things; nationally and locally. Friday, June 24, 2022, is a day that exemplifies what resistance and prayer, individually and collectively, can do.

“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”  James 5:16

That’s Today’s Single Focus