John MacArthur - Christ, Not Caesar, is head of the church

[Redwingfan9]

I have been watching a series of Gospel study videos without attending the church publishing them. They were published earlier this year on the church website.

Grace is not something that was automatically imputed to me for sitting in a pew, singing hymns and contributing to the offering.

In one family both the husband and the wife died from the coronavirus and left their three children orphaned. Telling people not to wear face masks is part of the problem, not the solution.

Utter tosh. God tells us in his word to attend to the means of grace. We have no business ignoring his commands over media driven scare inappropriate content. Go look at the CDC stats. This is a virus that at worst 99.4% survive. It's likely higher than that based on CDC estimates. Placebo masks aren't going to move the dial one iota.

 

[Archivist]

Utter tosh. God tells us in his word to attend to the means of grace. We have no business ignoring his commands over media driven scare inappropriate content. Go look at the CDC stats. This is a virus that at worst 99.4% survive. It's likely higher than that based on CDC estimates. Placebo masks aren't going to move the dial one iota.

So what is your he problem with attending online?

 

[Running2win]

No. Fortunately, I live in a free state and our church has been holding service for some time now ... with voluntary masks, no handshakes, no passing around of the offering etc.

I do catch most of Pastor MacArthur's sermons, however. And have watched many, many hours of his teachings at the GTY site and on YouTube. Since the passing of Chuck Missler he's my go-to guy when I need a refresher course in sound biblical doctrine.

Yeah, learned a lot from my Mac study Bible. Good to hear your Church is open! Praise God!

24The LORD bless you, and keep you;

25The LORD make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;

26The LORD lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace.’

 

[Redwingfan9]

So what is your he problem with attending online?

Lack of fellowship of the saints, inability to participate in communion etc. We are not meant to hide in our homes for months or years on end out of an outmoded fear of a virus brought on by excessive hysterics from the media.

 

[Running2win]

This is why people know some "Christians" ARE crazy. Two people meeting at home are more of a church than what passes for the church today.

Yeah, we are crazy for Jesus! Why don't you join us!

 

[HappyHope]

Grace Community Church, led by Pastor John MacArthur, announced this week that it will not submit to California Governor Gavin Newsom’s order to halt indoor church services, declaring that “Christ, Not Caesar, is head of the church.”

John MacArthur's CA Church Announces It Will Not Submit To Gov. Newsom's Ban On Indoor Church Services ⋆ Activist Mommy

I worry about the message this church sends to potential converts about the body of Christ. There is a time to submit to governing authorities. This is one of those times. The government is not attacking Christian faith here. The government's aim is safety. Churches are not being picked on. I do wonder if money has something to do with the situation as others have suggested.

 

[Archivist]

Lack of fellowship of the saints, inability to participate in communion etc. We are not meant to hide in our homes for months or years on end out of an outmoded fear of a virus brought on by excessive hysterics from the media.

We engage in fellowship online. The Pastor will gladly bring Holy Communion to people’s homes. We have had almost 150,000 die from this virus. That isn’t “excessive hysterics.”

 

[Running2win]

It isn't necessary to go to a building to worship God. The church is the people, not the building. Believers remain the church whether we physically go somewhere once a week or not. Assembling ourselves together online counts as assembling ourselves together. In my opinion.

Yeah, good. But not the same. We have rights in this country to freely gather and worship together. This is not China or Iran where we have to meet secretly or be killed or thrown in jail to rot.

But if we don't stand up to these local governments NOW, that allow protests for BLM- but no freedom to assemble to worship at the Church of our choice, we will be like China or Iran very shortly.
Time to wake up!

 

[Running2win]

They are asking for trouble. We have had seven church-related COVID outbreaks in WV. One of them spread to 70 people, one of whom died.

That may happen in every Church. Great that you are willing and able to attend,BTW!

10‘Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.’

 

[lsume]

Putting the lives of the congregation in jeopardy is not anything a responsible pastor would do. Since when did Jesus say "kill my sheep"?

When Christ Said I send you out as sheep among wolves, His message was clear.

 

[Running2win]

We engage in fellowship online. The Pastor will gladly bring Holy Communion to people’s homes. We have had almost 150,000 die from this virus. That isn’t “excessive hysterics.”

Where did you get the 150,000? You just said you had one death? If you are talking the USA, I would doubt the #s. This is a numbers game in order to control people.

A bad flu year with a vaccine is about 70K, so this can be expected, but it's not a shut down and board up plague, with people dying in the streets left and right.

 

[Redwingfan9]

We engage in fellowship online. The Pastor will gladly bring Holy Communion to people’s homes. We have had almost 150,000 die from this virus. That isn’t “excessive hysterics.”

2.8 million people die annually in the United States. Worst case scenario at this point, deaths are up 6-8% overall. Yes, it is excessive hysterics over a virus that on its worst day according to the CDC has a 99.4% survival rat .

 

[dqhall]

Utter tosh. God tells us in his word to attend to the means of grace. We have no business ignoring his commands over media driven scare inappropriate content. Go look at the CDC stats. This is a virus that at worst 99.4% survive. It's likely higher than that based on CDC estimates. Placebo masks aren't going to move the dial one iota.

Why were some hospital ICU’s filled beyond capacity? Why were ambulance crews in Texas told to not resuscitate heart attack victims? It is true treatment and drugs are improving, but why do you complain about concern for the aged and infirm as if it were inappropriate content? What sort of lies have you scared people with?

 

[Archivist]

That may happen in every Church. Great that you are willing and able to attend,BTW!’

Yes, I am able to attend online, not in person.

 

[Archivist]

Where did you get the 150,000? You just said you had one death? If you are talking the USA, I would doubt the #s. This is a numbers game in order to control people.

Of course I’m talking about the US. Apparently you need to start reading newspapers or watching the news. Yes, the numbers are pretty accurate.

A bad flu year with a vaccine is about 70K, so this can be expected, but it's not a shut down and board up plague, with people dying in the streets left and right.

COVID spreads too easy. Look what happened when many states opened up—numbers went through the roof, ICU units filled up.

 

[Archivist]

2.8 million people die annually in the United States. Worst case scenario at this point, deaths are up 6-8% overall. Yes, it is excessive hysterics over a virus that on its worst day according to the CDC has a 99.4% survival rat .

Yes, the number of deaths will be higher this year because of COVID.

 

[ChristianK]

Pastor MacArthur is a champion of Christ, and I believe everyone should read his message for fear of disobeying God. He knows what is coming and what the government of man will try to take away from the christians.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

Where's your faith? What happens when the time comes to worship the beast or not if you are afraid to even go to church now? Did you even read the article. How can any born again christian not agree with what he wrote?

It's actually the opposite. We should not tempt the Lord our God by being cavalier about God protecting us. For example: I believe that if my boat sank, God can protect me from sharks. But if I willingly swam into a pool of sharks with chum in it, now I am putting to the test the Lord my God. We are not to tempt the Lord our God. Try researching how people have gotten the virus and or have made the numbers in their own town to be worse because they went to church and did not practice social distancing and because they opened their mouths to let the virus spread. People get the virus at church because they are violating the rules of how the virus spreads. The virus is not a conspiracy theory, and it's not the right of a person to not wear a mask or to not practice social distancing. Nobody has the right to kill other people. I actually find it unloving that others would want to put at risk their fellow brethren and potentially harm and kill them by huddling all together in one room and singing to spread the virus among themselves. It's pure stupidity.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

Is that recent, or do you know? It is optional at our church, and very few are wearing them.

So do you think the virus just only attacked the Alabama church and or it is limited to a certain point in time? Come on now.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Grace Community Church, led by Pastor John MacArthur, announced this week that it will not submit to California Governor Gavin Newsom’s order to halt indoor church services, declaring that “Christ, Not Caesar, is head of the church.”

John MacArthur's CA Church Announces It Will Not Submit To Gov. Newsom's Ban On Indoor Church Services ⋆ Activist Mommy

The coffers are getting empty. Sad that this leads some Pastors to put their congregations at risk, even those who are highly respected.
Be blessed.