“Hear the word of the Lord, for the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak. It will not lie. Though it tarry, wait for it, for it will surely come. It will not tarry. I am giving my blood bought Church a season to gather my great harvest. Do not delay! You must work my work while it is yet day, for the night comes when no man can work.”
(Prophecy from Evangelist Jimmy Swaggart’s church Family Worship Center, Sunday July 18, 2021)
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4)
God’s people are equated with sheep often throughout Scripture. We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:3), the sheep of His hand (Psalm 95:7), and we like sheep all wander astray (Isaiah 53:6). Along with us being like sheep in this regard, sheep also do not like change. They love normalcy. They are creatures of habit, just like we are. They like and prefer the familiar, the safe, the known. The unknown is far too frightening to even think about and thus, the valley of the shadow is terrifying.
The valley of the shadow… 2020 could be called the year of the valley of the shadow. Trials, troubles, times of darkness, domestic abuse, grief, and both physical and emotional pain can overwhelm us any year of our lives. But last year it seemed like a massive, worldwide tidal wave of it all swirled together swept over everyone everywhere bringing about a pandemic of panic caused by none other than the devil himself who goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).
The roar of a lion is said to grip the hearts of his prey, causing them to react in panic, either freezing in fear or wildly running away. When sheep run away, they tumble and roll and trample one another in a mindless frenzy, heedless of where they are going because panic has rendered them irrational. After all, the definition of the word panic has everything to do with irrational fear. The history of the word goes back to the most ancient of all false gods named Pan who is equated with the devil of the Bible. It is said that “…mass panic and hysteria, is derived from Pan, the name of the Greek god of shepherds, woodlands and meadows…” (Greeker than the Greeks), for he has a “stentorian voice” which is a fancy word for a really loud voice – like Goliath whose voice made the Israelite military men run and hide.
With every so called myth is a powerful kernel of truth. For, the ancient god Pan is indeed equated with the devil who goes about roaring like a lion. And that roar last year, brought about great unreasoning panic. That grip of panic webbed the world with confusion and unnatural reactions. There were countless drug overdoses, skyrocketed suicides and in some places upwards to 300% increase in calls bombarding suicide hotlines; an increase of domestic abuse in locked down homes, churches padlocked by authorities, pastors and congregations exorbitantly fined for daring to meet as the church; police intimidating Christians around the world who had dared to gather for worship; neighbors betraying neighbors, social distancing which is contrary to the nature of humanity (for we are innately social creatures—just like sheep); the enslavement ritual of masks; the inhumane lockdowns of nursing homes that caused too many to die prematurely of loneliness and isolation; cancellation of life-giving medical treatments that caused untimely, preventable deaths, and the emotionally scaring shutdown of schools and the shameful masking of little children.
Why? What overcame people that they would succumb to such extreme even cruel behavior in the name of life and the common good?
Fear. Fear of evil in the Valley of the Shadow of death. Fear of the unknown, the unseen, the possibility of death; an unreasoning fear, inspired by the lion’s haunting roar (though unheard in the natural), overtook and scattered them. In short, people were terrified. And though Christians would deny this up and down, they were too.
It Is Inevitable
“Yea, though I walk…”
The verse begins by saying, “Yea though I walk…” It is assured by this verse that we will inevitably walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Just as surely as we will have still waters and green pastures as mentioned in the verses before this, we are absolutely assured of the sudden appearance of frightening, unknown shadowy places. The verb for walk used here is the type of verb (Qal Imperfect) that is yet to be completed, and can often be translated as a future – in other words, it is something that will happen (Hebrew Syntax). Furthermore, “The imperfect [tense] also denotes habitual or customary action –past, present, or future tense,” (Becoming Jewish). Thus, this walking through the valley of the shadow will happen, and it will happen over and over again. The repetition is unavoidable. Its suddenness assured.
The Valley of the Shadow of Death
So, what is this valley that we are inevitably going to walk through over and over again in the past, present and future of our existence? It is a steep-sided, narrow gorge (1516), with tall, rugged, proud sides that rise far above one’s head. Its root means (1342), “”to rise, to grow up, to exalt, to lift up,” (Strong’s) and is related to many words referring to pride or exaltation.
free duck-duck-go pic from the book The Happy Lamb by Richard Gunther at Christart.com.
The shadow being cast in this steep, narrow valley is a “death-like…deep shadow” (6757). Now these are not just some shady little shadows that dance playfully across the pathway. No. These are deep, dark, heavy shadows which are figurative of extreme danger, intense tribulations, grave distress, stormy, even life threatening situations. “It is true it is used of the “grave” or “underworld” (Job 10:21-22). But it is also used of the “darkness of a dungeon” (Psalm 107:10), of “the pathless desert” (Jeremiah 2:6); or, possibly, since it is there parallel with drought, of “the blinding darkness of a sandstorm,” and metaphorically of “affliction” (Isaiah 9:2), and of the “dull heavy look” that grief wears (Job 16:16).” (Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers, on BibleHub.com). Thus, it is a place of grief, the unknown, blindness, affliction, and deep darkenss.
Sheep and Shadows
What is important to note here is that sheep cannot see very well at all, especially when their heads are up. They have exceedingly bad depth perception and because of this they cannot see well right in front of their own noses, and definitely cannot see behind themselves. Plus, “shadows, dark surfaces and water are an issue,” (sksheep.com). They are deathly afraid of shadows and murky things, because they cannot see.
Think about that. This is just like we are with anything unknown or uncertain; we cannot see. We do not know why we are going through what we are enduring. We cannot see what the end will be. We are fearful of the unknown. Why? Because we cannot see it. We cannot see the spiritual warfare raging all around us. We cannot see our enemy. We cannot see our angelic defenders. We plain and simply cannot see. And in times of overwhelming emotional and physical things, we are blinded even more by the inky, nearly tangible “shadow of death” all around us and hanging above us like sentinels and gargoyles perched upon the proud cliffs.
What is Fear?
“I will fear no evil…”
But David the psalmist says with great firmness, “I will fear no evil”. According to the Becoming Jewish website the specific Hebrew word for “no” used here is “an absolute or permanent prohibition.” Therefore, this is not merely a one time thing: “I will not fear this time or in this situation”. Rather, it is a forever and always thing: “I will never ever fear evil no matter what it is, at any time, in any place EVER and FOREVER.”
Often we think of fear as an emotional sort of thing, something that makes our hearts race, our hands sweat, our breathing labored. Even the Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines fear as, “an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger.” The Cambridge Dictionary defines fear as, “an unpleasant emotion or thought that you have when you are frightened or worried by something dangerous, painful, or bad that is happening or might happen”.
Though fear is experienced as an emotion, there is more to it than just an emotion. It is also a verb and carries with it a lot of meaning that most miss. The Hebrew word for “fear” actually has a lot to do with reverence, awe, and high esteem. This exact word is used in the Proverbs over and over again regarding “the fear of the Lord”, and calls on one to reverence the Lord.
So, what does reverence mean? It means “honor or respect felt or shown : especially : profound adoring awed respect,” (Merriam-Webster). It is the act of showing honor and veneration to someone or something deemed worthy of it. This can be displayed outwardly by bowing. It is an attitude of “profound respect” (Free Dictionary). One shows reverence to those held in high esteem such as a kings and queens or other sovereigns or monarchs bearing titles of royalty and great authority, for rulers have great power behind their title. With one word, a subject could be imprisoned or put to death. With one word they could give you up to half their kingdom. Thus, those who understand this reverence those who bare such titles of authority and power.
Another way to understand this Hebrew definition of fear, is this: whatever we are scared of we are reverencing; whatever we are afraid of we have elevated to a high position of authority and power over us. We are bowing to it.
free duck-duck-go pic from the Christianpost.com
Have you ever thought of that? I sure hadn’t thought of it. But when I was researching for this article, I was alarmed to see this, and after thinking on it, it really does make sense. It makes sense because when we are afraid, that which we think of and are afraid of becomes larger than life, and in essence it becomes our monarch, our master.
And think about this: our adversary the devil wants our reverence, our worship. The way he obtains this is when we panic, and so the lion roars. And unbeknownst to us (until now) it is then in our panic that we ascribe the honor of our awe to evil instead of to our Shepherd. This makes evil appear bigger than our Shepherd, when in reality, it is not.
Psalm 23 states that this reverence, awe, esteem – this fear – we are not to give to evil. By evil (7451) it is meant anything that is “bad, evil.” It is bad in every way, and is “something disagreeable, unwholesome, or harmful” and can be something disgusting or impure or anything less than good. “Calamities, failures, and miseries are all connotations of this word when it is used as a noun.” (The Complete Word Study Dictionary: Hebrew) According to Strong’s it is “adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, displeasure, distress”.
What instead is to be the object of our reverence in times of calamity, adversity and any and all bad? Or rather, Who is to be the focus of our dimly sighted eyes?
The Shepherd’s Presence
“…for thou art with me”
When faced with the horror of the unknown, when all hope seems lost, when the palpating darkness is darker still, when things keep getting worse, when we cannot see in front of our own noses, when the devil has roared and the thing we’ve feared most has come upon us, it is then that we must remember the Shepherd is “with us” (5978 possibly rooted in 5975).
He’s with me. He’s with you. And He is greater and bigger than anything we are facing or ever could face. He’s standing firmly there, unflinching and undaunted, and is attending to our needs and the situation at hand. And He will never ever leave you nor forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6; Hebrews 13:5). Not only this, but remember, the Shepherd is leading the way. Deuteronomy 31 emphatically states, “6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee…8 And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.” He is in front of us. He has gone before us. He has and is facing the darkness first, and His light is piercing it. After all, He is the light of the world (John 8:12). And He and all the warmth of His radiant, overcoming splendor is with us, parting our Red Sea, raining down manna, driving out the giants, and miraculously gushing water from the rock in the parched wilderness.
free duck-duck-go pic entitled Emmaus Road Ministries: The Valley of the Shadow from Emmausrevelations.blogspot.com
We Are Secure
“Thy rod and thy staff…”
Though we cannot see – and just like sheep we definitely cannot see in the valley of deathly shadows – our Shepherd can. And He who can see with eyes that pierce the murky blackness, is holding two incredibly powerful instruments that render the enemy powerless: a rod and a staff. There is no other rod and staff like our Master’s, for no other rod is so authoritative, and no other staff so firmly faithful.
Oh if we could only just believe and lean upon the protection of our Shepherd and trust Him implicitly with our frail forms! For oh the power and might of our Lord! Oh the awesomeness of our God! Oh the authority that is in His name!
So what is this rod? What is this staff?
A rod (7626) is just that, a “rod, staff, club, scepter…” and was a crude instrument used for a good many things as mentioned by Scripture including shepherding, ruling, and disciplining. Servants, fools and sons were disciplined with the rod (Exodus 21:20; Proverbs 26:3; Proverbs 13:24). God is said to have used a rod against Assyria (Isaiah 30:31). It also can mean “tribe” and is a symbol of authority. “The connotation of tribe is based on the connection between this term and the concept of rulership,” and was only used in conjunction with Israel’s tribes and no others. Thus, a rod is an implement of a ruler and symbol of authority.
A staff (4938) is just that but also has to do with a supply of necessities like bread and water (Isaiah 3:1), and is a support upon which one can lean. It comes from a Hebrew word (8172) meaning, “to support oneself.” Also (The Complete Word Study Dictionary: Hebrew, pg 1182), “to lean, to rely” on with all of your weight. While God can be fully relied upon, other nations cannot (2 Kings 18:21; Isaiah 36:6; Ezekiel 29:6), for they are fallible, breakable reeds. God is not.
Furthermore, a rod and a staff is what the Shepherd uses to defend the sheep. With the staff of support He hooks a lamb from danger and draws the lamb close, and with the rod of authority He beats back predators, and even disciplines those He loves (Hebrews 12:6). As Proverbs 13:34 correctly asserts, the one who loves his son will diligently look for ways to admonish his son. And there is nothing that can separate us from His love, as Romans 8 so beautifully says, “37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
This staff is unlike any other staff, for it is God’s, and the One who wields it is the Good Shepherd (Ezekiel 34; John 10). It is an unbreakable staff, and the Shepherd holding the staff is reliable and His support steadfast. He supplies all of our needs according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4). He is an ever present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1). He is Emanuel, God with us (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23; John 1).
This rod is great for it is the rod of God’s Kingdom authority, and the One who wields it is the One to whom every knee will bow in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:10-11). He is the Great I Am (Exodus 3:14; John 8:58), the eternally existent One (John 1; 10:30-33; 17:5), who wields that rod with hands that have been given all things by the Father (John 3:35; 13:3), in order that He might bring it all into perfect oneness (Ephesians 1:10), and will rule all with a rod of iron (Psalm 2:9; Revelation 2:27), and who will reign until all enemies are put under His feet (1 Corinthians 15:24-28).
A Sigh of Relief
“…they comfort me.”
And in the Shepherd’s rod of eternal authority and His staff of unwavering support, we can be comforted. The Hebrew word for comfort (5162) means “to be sorry, console oneself”. Furthermore it is a Piel Imperfect Hebrew verb, which means that the definition is intensified and often repeated. According to Chaim Bentorah “a Piel imperfect form…is a continuing process”. But there is more! Chaim Bentorah also explains that the “very Semitic root” for comfort “means to breathe in and/or let out air. In other words, it means to give a sigh…it is usually an expression to show resignation, frustration, disappointment, regret or relief. [It] could mean any of these and it is up to the context to determine which English word you will apply.” In the context of Psalm 23:4’s Shepherd defending the sheep in the distressing valley of the shadow, it quite obviously means, “a sigh of relief.”
And did not God breathe into us the breath of life? Are we not still breathing that breath now? Is it not He – the breath giver – who goes before us, leads us, guides us, defends us, protects us, and gives us a breath of relief with His rod of protection and discipline and His staff of support and supply?
free bing pic
Reflections
Hebrews 2:14-15 says that Jesus took on flesh and died for us in order that “…through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
In 2020, and even now in 2021, this fear of death still is subjecting many to the same bondage. This is the fear that shackled the minds and hearts of millions, causing them to do illogical, damaging things. Though so much was said to have been done for the common good, in reality, it was brought about by the pan pipe tune of fear for the sake of stealing, killing and destroying and was contrary to the words of Jesus.
Luke 17:33 Jesus said, “Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.” Over and over again Jesus told us ahead of time that we would be faced with deadly situations: persecution, famine, war, pestilence, etc. but never once did He give us permission to fear. Quite the opposite. Time and again He said, “do not be afraid.” And when such perilous times inevitably descend upon us– and they are and have and will continue to do so – Jesus did not tell us to look to man or science or medicine for solutions, but to “lift up our eyes, for our redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28).
“11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God…19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.” (1 John 5:11-13, 19-21).
Jesus rose from the dead, overcoming death, and He has made us more than conquerors (Romans 8). Who then are we to fear anything other than He who is greater than all and over all (Colossians 1). And this resurrected, death conquering Savior is our Shepherd who is leading us, His little sheep, through the valley of the shadow. Who then alone is worthy of our fear?
Let us then continually give “thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son..” (Colossians 1:12-13) And may “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.”
Fear not, little sheep! Jesus is with us! And When He is for us, who can be against us?! (Romans 8:31) Even so, let’s keep looking up!
Pressing on through the valley of the shadow,
Holy Light Ministries
For parts 1-3 of the Psalm 23 series please see the links listed below:
An important question to be asked today is this: what is the definition of the Church? It seems in recent months churches have lost the meaning of what being a church actually is, if they ever knew or thought about that meaning at all. They attempt to explain away the fact that they disbanded the Church, saying that the Church is not a building but the people that are in it. Though at first glance I thought I agreed with this logic, I have since concluded otherwise. For the Church (meaning the people in it) are, in fact, a building. First Corinthians 3:9 says so actually. Referring to believers (as a group not individually, plural not singular) the passage states you all “are God’s building.” Paul even goes on to say that he is a “master builder” and that Jesus is our “foundation”, and that everyone is contributing to this building project. Therefore, even if the Church, the body of Christ, the assembly of believers is not an actual wooden building with a cross on it and a steeple, God Himself calls us all His building.
Pastors have tried to gloss over locking their doors by saying that the early church met in homes so why shouldn’t we? Yet another form of logic is that of the reasoning that we as Christians must obey the legal authorities. Though there is some merit to what they have said — for yes the early church did meet in homes and yes we are to honor our secular rulers — in all these explanations the pastors, however, have lost the meaning of the name “church”. Indeed, they’ve even missed the fact that we are God’s building. So, in order to better understand what the Church actually is let’s take a look at both the Greek word for “church” and its Hebrew equivalent. Though you may say “this looks like Greek to me!” please bear with me because laying this foundation is important!
The word for “church” in the Greek is ekklesia (Strong’s #1577). Ekklesia comes from ekkletos, meaning “called out” and is from the word ekkaleo meaning, “to call out.” Thus, the word for church, ekklesia, means “the called people…those called out or assembled in the public affairs of a free state, the body of free citizens called together by a herald,” (The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament, pg 541). And a herald (kerux, #2783) is a preacher, a messenger, one who proclaims, who in Classical Greek was a “public servant of supreme power…one who summoned the ekklesia, the town gathering…a kerux, messenger, was…[a] conveyor of a declaration…in 2 Peter 2:5…Noah was a herald of righteousness…” (The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament, pg 861).
In the Old Testament there are two Hebrew words used for assemblies/gatherings: edah (Strong’s #5712) and qahal (Strong’s #6951). In the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament that had been put together before Christ by 70 leading Jewish Biblical scholars, the word synagogue is equivalent to edah, and the world ekklesia is equivalent to qahal. Though occasionally used in the New Testament to refer to the Church, early on the Greek word synagogue came to be strictly associated with the Jewish gatherings. However, the Greek word ekklesia, which even Jesus used on occasion (Matthew 16:18), came to be regarded as Christian gatherings. (“Jewish Literature in New Testament Times,” https://www.bible-history.com/jewishliterature/jewish_literaturethe_septuagint.htm; “Septuagint,” https://www.septuagint.net/)
For further clarification “…both qahal and ekklesia indicate a calling or summoning to a place of meeting. Qahal and ekklesia are the more sacred terms, denoting the people in relation to Jehovah, especially in public worship” (The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament, pg 1334). Even so, ekklesia is synonymous with episunagoge (Strong’s #1997) used in Hebrews 10:25 which means, “to gather together.”
From what are we as Christians called out? The world system that is under the rule of the evil one and his cohorts. To what are we called? We are called out by a messenger/preacher to gather in worship of our King. We are called to assemble in praise of the King and Kingdom of God that has no end. Thus, we are no longer a part of the system of this world, but have become a kingdom of priests and kings unto our God (Revelation 1:6), are new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), are the body and Bride of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27; 2 Corinthians 11:2), and ambassadors of His heavenly Kingdom (2 Corinthians 5:20). Because of this, we live by Kingdom rules, for we are citizens of the country of heaven (Philippians 3:20). While here as ambassadors, we honor those God has placed in power here, but when anything comes into question, we stand on the side of the Kingdom that we represent. He is our head (Ephesians 5:23).
It has been recently, correctly stated by Pastor John Macarthur and the pastoral leadership and elders of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California that,
“As pastors and elders, we cannot hand over to earthly authorities any privilege or power that belongs solely to Christ as head of His church. Pastors and elders are the ones to whom Christ has given the duty and the right to exercise His spiritual authority in the church (1 Peter 5:1–4; Hebrews 13:7, 17)—and Scripture alone defines how and whom they are to serve (1 Corinthians 4:1–4). They have no duty to follow orders from a civil government attempting to regulate the worship or governance of the church. In fact, pastors who cede their Christ-delegated authority in the church to a civil ruler have abdicated their responsibility before their Lord and violated the God-ordained spheres of authority as much as the secular official who illegitimately imposes his authority upon the church…
In short, as the church, we do not need the state’s permission to serve and worship our Lord as He has commanded. The church is Christ’s precious bride (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:23–27). She belongs to Him alone. She exists by His will and serves under His authority. He will tolerate no assault on her purity and no infringement of His headship over her. All of that was established when Jesus said, “I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (Matthew 16:18).
Christ’s own authority is “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And [God the Father has] put all things in subjection under [Christ’s] feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:21–23).
Accordingly, the honor that we rightly owe our earthly governors and magistrates (Romans 13:7) does not include compliance when such officials attempt to subvert sound doctrine, corrupt biblical morality, exercise ecclesiastical authority, or supplant Christ as head of the church in any other way.
The biblical order is clear: Christ is Lord over Caesar, not vice versa. Christ, not Caesar, is head of the church. Conversely, the church does not in any sense rule the state. Again, these are distinct kingdoms, and Christ is sovereign over both. Neither church nor state has any higher authority than that of Christ Himself, who declared, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18).”
However, unlike Pastor John Macarthur, so many American Christian pastors (and Canadian for that matter) still have their doors locked. In so doing, these pastors are willingly allowing godless governors and mayors to lead God’s flock, and thus, have forfeited their role as shepherd of the flock of God.
Remember what happened when Israel, a nation under the headship of God alone, asked for a human king? “Give us a king to judge us,” they said. “And the LORD said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.” (1 Samuel 8:6-7). And so, in 1 Samuel 12, Saul is made king at the beginning of the wheat harvest (1 Sam 12:17) – that is Pentecost, for Pentecost is the day of the first fruits of the wheat harvest (Exodus 34:22). And Samuel said to them “I will call to the LORD, and He will send thunder and rain, that you may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking a king for yourselves,” (vs17).
However, God said that the head of the Church is Christ not Caesar (Ephesians 1:22; 5:23), that we are to render to God the things that are God’s (Matthew 22:21), and that we are to respect the rule of law as long as it is righteous and does not conflict with His Kingdom law. And under His law, the Church is an “assembly,” a “gathering” together of those who are called out of this world’s system into the Kingdom of the Son of His love (Colossians 1:13), in allegiance to and worship of their eternal King. Thus, no matter what is happening, no matter who says what, no matter when in history, those called by the name ekklesia/Church are to do what their name implies, which is to congregate together.“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:23-25).
Truly, can a body be called a body when it is in pieces? Is the liver the body? Is the stomach the body? Is the tongue the body? Certainly not. One organ does not constitute the body. Rather, it is all the organs, sinews, muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, blood vessels and so forth all joined together that constitutes a body. Even so, the body of Christ is not the body unless fitly joined together, gathered together to build one another up by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, assembled for worship. Therefore, can the Church be called the Church unless it gathers together? The succinct answer is NO.
Throughout the centuries of rulers commanding that Christians not gather together under pain of death, the Church gathered anyway, from the Apostle Paul and John and Peter and the early Church, to those who secretly and illegally gathered in the catacombs under Rome, to smaller nameless sects who hid in the hills and caves during the Dark Ages, the Albigenses and Waldenses of the 12th and 13th centuries, to the Quakers, to the Anabaptists, to the Lutherans and other reformers. And in now in modern times, in China, North Korea, and any Muslim nation including Saudi Arabia and Indonesia, Christians still gather for worship in defiance of godless laws on pain of imprisonment, fines, torture or even death. These did not and do not fear the very real threat of death. Why? Because they are the “Church”, the called out, assembled ones. Assembling is what they do. It is the Church’s nature to assemble.
In Grace Community’s pastoral leadership’s letter to their church they continue by saying,
“The church by definition is an assembly. That is the literal meaning of the Greek word for “church”—ekklesia—the assembly of the called-out ones. A non-assembling assembly is a contradiction in terms. Christians are therefore commanded not to forsake the practice of meeting together (Hebrews 10:25)—and no earthly state has a right to restrict, delimit, or forbid the assembling of believers. We have always supported the underground church in nations where Christian congregational worship is deemed illegal by the state.
When officials restrict church attendance to a certain number, they attempt to impose a restriction that in principle makes it impossible for the saints to gather as the church. When officials prohibit singing in worship services, they attempt to impose a restriction that in principle makes it impossible for the people of God to obey the commands of Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16. When officials mandate distancing, they attempt to impose a restriction that in principle makes it impossible to experience the close communion between believers that is commanded in Romans 16:16, 1 Corinthians 16:20, 2 Corinthians 13:12, and 1 Thessalonians 5:26. In all those spheres, we must submit to our Lord.” (bold type added by Holy Light Ministries)
“Pastor and apologist Alex McFarland says North Pointe [of Atlanta, Georgia] and other churches that are keeping their buildings closed need to rethink the decision.“Merely to roll over and play dead, as it were, and to say that we’re not going to meet again, that’s not New Testament Christianity,” he insists. “If you’re not meeting for corporate worship, you’re not practicing New Testament Christianity.”” (“Christian Apologist: No Time for Churches to Keep Doors Shut,” https://onenewsnow.com/church/2020/07/16/christian-apologist-no-time-for-churches-to-keep-doors-shut)
In truth and with great gravity, Pastor McFarland and Grace Community’s pastoral staff and elders are absolutely correct. If the churches continue to disband, then they ought not be called the “Church” anymore, for in so doing they are in direct contradiction to the meaning of their name and definition as stated in the Bible. The Church, the called out ones, are those who gather and assemble together, they do not disassemble nor dissolve for the sake of any mandate or pandemic. It does not break up, it builds up. It does not blend in, it stands out. The Biblical, New Testament style Church stands out as the called out ones who stand together, without bending or breaking, without hiding or complying, through thick and thin and without compromise or apology for the cause of Christ. Are you a part of that “assembled” Church? Is Christ your head or is Caesar?
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Below is an excellent 11 minute May 9, 2021 message by Pastor Tim Stephens who was arrested on May 16th for having dared to “assemble” the body of Christ in Canada. Pastor Stephens is the 3rd pastor to be arrested in Canada in the past few months of 2021. The other two are Pastor James Coates and Pastor Artur Pawlowski. All three who have been arrested are from the province of Alberta, Canada. For more information on them, use this link: https://holylight4u.wordpress.com/2021/02/22/persecution-pastor-imprisoned-in-canada/
“1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.16 All scriptureis given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
What Corrie ten Boom said is true: “Now you are listening to the voice of God. Keep listening. He has much more to say to you,” (Corrie ten Boom, Tramp for the Lord, page 127-130). Oh how God longs for His people to be in His word, to be listening to His voice written there. How often we run to devotionals, to popular literature by others about what they think the Bible says, and even to uninspired sermons based on the opinions of commentators and theologians. But what about His word that lies dusty on a shelf or under a stack of other books or in a drawer or laying in a corner somewhere? And when we do open it, we become so distracted that we don’t get much read and very little of it is thought about.
But, according to Jesus, we shall not live by bread (food) alone, but by every word of God (Matthew 4). And Paul in 2 Timothy 3:16 says that, “All Scripture is inspired.” The Greek for inspired there is God-breathed. This is the same word that is used in Genesis when it says that God breathed into Adam and Eve the breath of life, and they became living souls. God’s word is God-breathed too. Thus, it is “living and active” (Hebrews 4) and life giving.
I’m going to go just a little bit deeper a minute. Stick with me if you can.
There are two Greek words used for the Word of God in these verses. Ta hiera grammata meaning “holy scriptures” andpasa graphe meaning “all Scripture”. So….there are two different words here used for Scripture. Graphe and Grammata.
In verse 15 “holy Scripture”, reveals to us that every microscopic detail matters to God and has been consecrated to Him. To begin with, the adjective used to define writings/Scripture is the term SACRED, which is hieros in the Greek meaning, “sacred and that which may not be violated” and refers to one’s position of office not one’s character. Thus, the scriptures have been given a holy position by God Himself. They are holy because He has consecrated them and made them holy. The Scriptures that have been consecrated are the very “letters of the alphabet,” even each book is made up of those letters. The letters of the alphabet mentioned here would be the letters of the Hebrew alphabet specifically, which Timothy had been trained up in since a child. And these sacred letters of the Hebrew alphabet make up the words of the books of the Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures). These letters and individual books have been made holy by the Lord.
What is the importance of every letter in Scripture? Jesus in Matthew 5:18 states, that “18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” A iota/jot is the smallest letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and a tittle is the Greek word keraia which refers to the small stroke of the pen that helped to distinguish the difference between the letters. Both the iota and keraia are extremely small, yet extremely important! After all, Jesus said that they are. The smallest marks of the pen in the Scriptures is extraordinarily significant. Indeed, every letter makes up a specific word, and every mark (that distinguished one letter from another) makes the message clearer. Indeed, every letter and mark is sacred, for all will be brought to pass.
In verse 16, ALL is the Greek word pasa meaning “every part of it together, and every part of the whole respectively and includes the idea of oneness, a totality of the whole”. Graphe is the Greek word most often used for Scriptures in the Bible. Thus, it could read, “every part of the Scriptures all together.”
Thus, when Paul writes that “all Scripture is God-breathed” he means quite clearly that every smallest letter and every tiniest mark is God-inspired. Not even the smallest part can be avoided, for every part of it all together is God-breathed and will be fulfilled. For indeed, God honors His word above His name (Psalm 138:2). Thus, He will bring every part of it to pass, both Old and New.
Now, according to this passage why is it important to know that the Bible in its totality is God-breathed?
1. We’re living in the last days and those perilous times are upon us. Evil men and seducers are waxing worse and worse, even infiltrating the Church, polluting the Gospel, and leading away believers into deception. There is an unseen war, and we are apart of it. Our weapon is the Word of God (Ephesians 6). There is a war of words, and the only way to win it is to know the Word. “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth,” (2 Timothy 2:15).
2. In them is the Gospel of salvation through Jesus (John 5:39, 46-47).
3. Furthermore, it changes us from the inside out, and is “profitable”
*for doctrine (biblically sound beliefs),
*for reproof (showing us where we are wrong),
*for correction (showing us the right way, getting us back on the right path),
*and for instruction in righteousness (it helps us put the Word of God to Action).
A lot of us have been in church a lot of years. A lot of us attended Sunday school as children. A lot of us have known Jesus a long time. But, I encourage us to continue reading the Bible. Don’t let tv or devotionals get in the way. If your eyes can’t read too well anymore, have someone read it to you. There is also the Bible on cassette tape or cd. You see, the Word of God is life for us. It is the voice of God to us. As Corrie ten Boom said, “Now you are listening to the voice of God. Keep listening. He has much more to say to you.”
HolyLight Ministries 