This past week I read an article from “Christian Today” that headlined, “China orders Christians to renounce faith in Jesus & worship President Xi Jinping instead”. Within the article, it stated that “China has ordered Christian villagers to renounce their faith in Jesus and worship the nation’s Communist Party leaders instead. Chinese authorities visited Christian homes in Linfen in the northern province of Shanxi in April and told residents who were on welfare benefits that they had to take down all crosses, and replace any displays of Jesus with portraits of Chairman Mao and President Xi Jinping, according to religious freedom magazine, Bitter Winter. Any Christians who refused to comply with the demand had their welfare subsidies annulled.”
Now you might ask, “What does this have to do with we who are Christians here in America?” The answer to this question is very simple. There are a large number of politicians and business people in our country who are very cozy with China – even to the point of defending them at every turn – stating things like, “They are not our enemy”. In a short period of time the winds of change could easily sweep in where it would not take much for these folks to create a Constitutional crisis to our First Amendment rights. After all, just follow the money and you will clearly see the influence that China is exerting in our country; even with some of the ongoing rioting and looting. Additionally, notice who China went after; those that were on welfare; stating that they would rescind the welfare benefits if they did not comply. And now consider what some of our politicians are trying to do in this country; get enough people on the government payroll (that is, a promise of basically “everything free”) so that they can control them through the threat of removing benefits.
Let’s further consider this issue in the light of Scripture. Though a man, or a group of men, mandate that we are to worship someone other than Christ – God’s Word provides the following commandments.
Exodus 20:3-6 states,
“Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.”
Jesus Christ promised in Matthew 16:18,
“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock [Jesus Christ is the Rock] I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Congregations and individuals throughout America are nearing a precipice with regards to having to make a stand in the coming years concerning who they are going to worship; some politician, the government, or the Lord.
Joshua stated the following in Joshua 24:15,
“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
Our churches need members who will stand fast in unity and worship the Lord only; following after the teachings of God’s Word. There may even come a time where, due to loss of jobs [because of our stand for the Lord], we may need to do as the early Jerusalem church.
Acts 4:32-35 states,
“And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.”
The members of the Jerusalem church voluntarily sacrificed to help the hurting members. But let it be understood, if there ever was a time that we need to “assemble together”, it is now. The commandment to assemble was given in Hebrews 10:25, “and much the more as ye see the day approaching”. We need to comfort and encourage one another through the Scriptures, as we assemble; lest we be swept away by the government and turn our backs on serving the true and living God.
