By Bill Randles
Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded. But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: (Proverbs 1:20-25)
Wisdom is always crying out in the streets and particularly through current events which are widely known. There is often a huge handwriting on the wall for our generation. The problem is interpretation. What is God saying through events?
Today [March 30th] we awoke to news that a certain mega pastor, Rodney Howard Browne, was arrested for holding an “unlawful assembly,” bussing in hundreds to an already crowded church service, in defiance of the [Florida] Governor’s “social distance” decree.
Browne was already in the news for a few other things recently and over the years. The South African immigrant to America had proclaimed that quarantine is for “Pansies” and that his church would remain open until the Rapture.1
Around the time of the inauguration of the President, Browne was among a handful of pastors and spiritual leaders allowed to gather around in the Oval office and lay hands on and pray for the President. Browne is a ministry colleague of Paula White, President Trump’s “spiritual advisor.”
On the one hand, I understand the indignation at the decrees shutting down churches across the nation, as “nonessential,” especially when in many places Planned Parenthood continues to function.
There will be many that lionize Howard Browne—for standng up to the State or as a champion of freedom of religion.
But on the other hand, there really is a dangerous plague occurring globally, and personally, I give the Governor of Iowa (my state) the benefit of the doubt in this and pray fervently that as soon as the physical danger is passed, we can meet again as a whole flock. After all, the Word for church, “Ecclesia,” means an assembly. And according to Scripture, we are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves (Hebrews 10:25).
I have struggled with this myself, and been in much prayer about it. I believe God has given me an insight into how we are to look at this; Do you remember the prophet Jeremiah? When the pagan Babylonians surrounded Jerusalem, he was given a rather unpatriotic message. He was told to tell Jerusalem to go out and submit to the Babylonians, even though it would be humiliating to them as proud Jews because God was in the Babylonian invasion. Jeremiah 27 is an example of this preaching. As usual, there were hundreds of false prophets like Hannaniah, who prophesied resistance, victory, and triumph. Jeremiah was hated for his “cowardly message” which amounted to submitting to the harsh discipline of God and not resisting.
When Rodney Howard Browne proclaimed that quarantine was for pansies, I thought of Jeremiah immediately. There is nothing spiritual about the bravado of mockery of the manhood of people who are trying to be prudent. Browne and his accomplice, Kenneth Copeland, who prophesied that CV 19 would be vanquished by the end of March, are just like the false prophet Hannaniah, who “makest [God’s] people to trust in a lie” (Jeremiah 28:15) and eventually discredit the cause of Christ.
I hope you understand these people have an errant theology. They believe that God has given them the power to become “little gods” through the New Birth and to be able to decree and command reality to submit to them; it is called “The Word Of Faith” teaching, and it is heresy. Copeland once told an audience that had he known what Jesus knew, he (Copeland) could have gone to the cross also! They are classic gnostics and heretics.
I hate not having full assemblies, I admit that. I do not put absolute trust in the government either. But God has allowed many limitations to come upon us: no sports, no restaurants, no entertainments (not as many), and in my view, worse of all, no gatherings of Christians in the tens and hundreds or even thousands. The freedom to gather as believers is one of the beautiful and joyous things about being an American!
But all of that has been suspended. Of course, we know the Word of God is not bound.
Do you believe it has been allowed as a discipline of God? Or is this just the Devil? Or could it be a combination of the two?
Like Judah, in the time of Jeremiah, we proud Americans don’t believe we could ever be curtailed in anything, much less worship. What if these restrictions are the discipline of a loving Father that we must submit to? Would fighting them be fighting God? Privileges have been stripped without debate, discussion, or due process; liberties have been suspended indefinitely, and that galls all of us.
The Constitution is a wonderful document, but it is not the Word of God. Could this be a time for repentance, soul searching, and seeking God?
Let us be careful of modern Hannaniah’s appealing to our pride and vainglory but pretending it is faith.
Related Articles:
“False Revival Coming—Holy Laughter or Strong Delusion” by Warren B. Smith
“Elephant in the Room: Rodney Howard-Browne and America’s ‘Great Awakening”’
(Article used with permission from Bill Randles blog; photo from bigstockphoto.com; used with permission.)
Ernest, thank you for commenting on our site. We have actually addressed things regarding John MacArthur at times over the years. Most importantly, we have challenged and put into question Calvinism, of which he is one of the most prominent teachers.
I read with much interest reports about necromancy in certain church movements.
On another subject, why is it that you do not write anything about Dr. John MacArthur? It seems to me that he is extremely obnoxious and mixed up in some areas: First of all, his viewpoint on the blood of Christ is highly questionable; secondly, he believes that one can receive the mark of the beast and finally be delivered; and his handling of finances (which involves his son)at his university and seminary would make any honest Christian blush in shame (read the Roy Report). He constantly attacks Health and Wealth preachers, but certainly sees no reason why he himself cannot prosper. There is nothing wrong with prospering, but the way MacArthur does it should be scrutinized and labeled for what it is.
I would have thought that the defining principles in this matter would be “render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars”…and “when push comes to shove”, we must obey God, not man. When Caesar forbids us from meeting together, from helping or even talking to our neighbour, and requires us to cross over to the other side of the street to avoid a potentially diseased fellow human being etc etc, I would think that Caesar is seriously encroaching upon God’s territory. And in all likelihood, provocatively so. We need God’s instruction to tell us at what point to resist. But we should at least be giving some consideration to the possibility of having to “go underground”, as the situation deteriorates. We ought to be extremely careful to avoid the trap that German Christians fell into, in their slavish obedience to the State and a strong leader promising to “make Germany great again”, restore law and order and deliver them from their fears. We must fear God, not man. The two appear to be mutually exclusive. Ref. Mark 12:17, Acts 5:29, Luke 10:30-37, Matthew 10:28
Anne please do not fall into the easy path of using a tiny part of scripture to justify your actions. Matthew 24 is about the destruction of the temple and the end times to come. Jesus was showing His divinity by predicting the events to come so that no one could deny who He is.
When satan tempted Jesus in the desert he used tiny parts of the Bible to trap Jesus. But as you know Jesus used the real message of the Bible against satan and satan was again defeated by the Light of the world.
The United States of America has been a wonderful, free, prosperous country. It used to be that people honored the first Amendment — freedom of speech and freedom of religion … and the right to assemble. Our forefathers were men of God. They even said these rights were endowed by our Creator. The Second Amendment — the right to bear arms and to form a militia — was created in case the first Amendment was infringed upon. Why are we letting the government dictate to us how who can go to work? Some are allowed to support their families and some are not? Why are we letting the government tell us we cannot assemble? The current government is not likely to give us these “rights” back. If we want them, we’re going to have to stand up and fight for them. Once lost, they will be gone forever.
What about our first amendment rights being taken away from us?
Go to tilproject.com and listen too what he says.
Why should anyone expect the President to have any discernment when so many seminary graduates who become pastors do not have any either.
At least POTUS has an excuse, like most people he is a biblical lightweight.
These hireling pastors do not.
Jer. 23 even the ending of Job. The Lord declares that his wrath is kindled against those who speak falsely about Him.
The false teachers, like the poor, we will always have with us, it would seem.
In the end what is the difference between endorsing a false teacher and refusing to denounce them. The latter is pure cowardice, the sheep are still scattered. Its called aiding and abetting the wolves via conspiracy of silence.
You have been duped, dear Anne.
I’ll tell my relatives in Europe who have lost family and friends to Corona that Anne says it’s all a joke. Thanks so much for clearing it all up for everyone.
Excuse me, but I totally disagree. There is no pandemic, we all have been duped for sure. I suggest we as Christians what Jesus said, “…..Take heed that no man deceive you.” Mt. 24:4 and go out with your I-phone and film where they said on the news that a specific hospital or place is over overwhelmed in your city with sick people or testing. I can tell you it is dead (silent & empty) in my town and people know something is up!
Amen to what you have written, Pastor Randles!!
Rodney Howard-Browne and his ilk put black eyes on the church, for their foolish ‘preaching’ (deliberate use of ‘quotation markers’). I wish those who support him, and those like him, would wake up and smell the coffee.
And I do believe that ‘Judgment begins at the house of God’, with all the public scandals around the church.
In my opinion, it seems as if God has “hit the pause button” on the whole earth…so that many would seek His face and be saved! It seems that the NWO is trying to force the change that they want thru the excuse of a Virus. Yes, we are being stripped of our “rights”, in favor of their agenda (a New World Order). If they can just make this pandemic last long enough, then Bill Gates will have the excuse to vaccinate the whole population with a virus vaccine that also has tracking capabilities using 5G. There’s only one problem with that, vaccines don’t work with Viruses.
So, I see God’s hand for Great Good in this whole thing, He has the whole worlds attention and the fields are white unto harvest! We need to pray for many to come to saving Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ! Look up, our Redemption draws nigh! Maranatha, Linn
The separation of the wheat and tares… yes and amen to the above who have commented. I also believe that this is a grand time for reflection of self and family and motivations of the heart! God uses ALL for His glory!
My prayer is for those to Ask, Seek & Knock! Go back to simplicity, appreciate what God has blessed you with and serve others joyfully, washIng each other’s feet.
For those churches doing online services, listen to the Pastors who are requesting tithes by ‘whipping out your credit card’ and how you’re ‘robbing God’ by not giving. These huge megachurches are paying quite the pretty penny to keep the lights on to preserver their respective kingdoms with little regard for the widow, the orphan and truly in need.
The business of ‘Big Eva’ becomes quite evident and should break your heart.
Jesus had no place to lay His head! Look how far our sins have taking us!
“Then everyone stops working so they can watch his power.”
Job 37:7 NLT
“God wants our full attention. God is calling us to be about our Father’s work – while we still have time”. Well put. There is now a small window of opportunity to do that.
Ms. Joy,
I absolutely agree with your comments… God be with you!
C. Read
When God declares judgment on a nation (which is what happened in Jeremiah’s day, when He sent Babylon to conquer Israel), that’s that. No man can stop what God decrees. Irony of ironies, the Babylonians were kinder to Jeremiah than his own people! God’s hand was in that, too.
I’m not saying that’s what this is. I am seeing some things that cause me to wonder if that’s what this is, but only the LORD knows all things. Only HE knows the future. Doctors and scientists are prognosticating, but they are not God and they don’t really know what will happen an hour from now, let alone in the weeks and months to come.
America has been ripe for judgment for many years now, at least 50+ years. As Jeremiah said in Lamentations (the sequel to the book called by his name), the mercies of the Lord are new every morning; his compassions, they fail not. HE is our hope. HE is our only hope. My trust is in Him. I know His judgments are true and righteous altogether.
Sorry I didn’t catch all the auto corrects 😳
Yet the cost will cause our faith to increase “as” we learn…
I believe God is “disciplining” us…
This is an EXCELLENT article.
Thank you for being salt.
I too have been concerned about the things you mention in your article.
I am more concerned about those false teachers who’ve laid hold of the President than I am over our government shutting the church doors.
It seems that God might be handing the church “at large”
complete with wheat and tares over to those who hate us for a season.
The church gathering will survive this time of refining- it will look different than it does now. There will be fewer tares in the meetings because the cost will be too high.
Yet the cost will cause our faith to increase and we learn to what it literally means to put our flesh to death and to find our lives in Christ.
In Him, I live and breathe, and have my being.
Yes I think it is discipline from God – “The LORD loves those whom He disciplines.”
“Judgement begins with the House of God.”
I think God is discipling us – giving us (the church) a chance to repent and return to her first love.
It’s been a long time coming.
I don’t know if I should say (as some do) that this is the beginning of the birth pangs.
I don’t know that this it is that.
I do know that unless we the church repents, there are greater disciplines on the horizon.
God wants our full attention. God is calling us to be about our Father’s work – while we still have time.
🙌🏻🙏🏻💔🙏🏻🙌🏻
Thank you for this. It is exactly what I needed because I have been struggling with this also. Where is our faith and trust in God? Is not God bigger than a pandemic? I got a little peace about it when we were instructed by our pastor to obey the law. Then he’s the one that has to give an account to God for the local body. But it still didn’t seem right. Just an hour ago I asked the Lord to give me peace about it. Here’s the answer to my prayer.
I asked other believers but the answers they gave just sounded like excuses.
Jeremiah is the perfect example. Thank you again for this perspective. I will be sure to share.