By: Dale Weckbacher
Text: Acts
7:54-8:25
Acts 1:8
“But you will
receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you
will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to
the end of the earth.”
(ESV)
In the State of Nevada, a double
standard exists with Casinos, restaurants, bars, theme parks, and gyms allowed
to operate at 50 percent capacity while churches are limited to 50 persons no
matter the size of the venue.
These judges most likely know
their ruling violates the premise of equality and constitutional law but instead
of an interest in equality, they have an interest in preserving state tax
revenue by allowing businesses that provide tax revenue to the state 50 percent
occupancy and restricting Churches not providing tax revenue to 50 people. What these judges are failing to consider is the
toll Covid19 is taking on mental health
Religious leaders in Jerusalem
had previously questioned the Apostles regarding their preaching in the name of
Jesus (Acts
4:1-22; Acts 5:17-42), ordering them not to preach in that name any longer
(Acts
4:18; Acts 5:40). However, it is not
until Stephen, a non-apostle shares the Gospel with a Jewish history lesson
pointing out the hypocrisy of the religious leaders (Acts
7:1-53) in Jerusalem that the persecution turns deadly with the stoning of
Stephen (Acts
7:54-60). The stoning of Stephen
brought on great persecution resulting in the scattering of believers from
Jerusalem with Saul dragging believers from their homes and arresting them (Acts
8:1-3).
Among the believers that
scattered with the persecution was Philip who went to the city of Samaria,
proclaiming Christ (Acts
8:5). The people of Samaria paid
attention to what Philip said when they heard him and witnessed the signs the
Lord performed through his ministry (Acts
8:6-8). Among those coming to
believe in Jesus Christ in Samaria was Simon a magician who had captured the
attention of the people of Samaria through his magic (Acts
8:9-13).
Upon hearing of the volume of new
believers in Samaria, Peter and John come to solidify the faith of the new
believers by praying with them to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts
8:14). When Simon sees Peter and
John lay hands upon the people of Samaria and they receive the baptism of the
Holy Spirit, he equates it with a magic trick and offers Peter and John money
for their gift. The intention of Simon’s
heart is not right with him still placing a higher value on earning money from
magic rather than offering himself up in service to God (Acts
8:20-23). Simon’s wrong intentions
are not much different than the wrong intentions and priorities of the state of
Nevada that values increased tax revenue over opening churches in the interest
of the mental and spiritual welfare of the citizens of Nevada whom they
serve.
Like persecution leading to the
spreading of the Gospel in the early church, the shutting down of Churches due
to Covid19 has led to many smaller churches now having an online presence out
of necessity. Even though many of these
churches have now reopened, they still maintain an online presence that
provides greater outreach beyond their local communities. Once again, a weapon formed by the enemy
designed to stop the spread of the Gospel has backfired as churches of all
sizes now have a powerful tool for global outreach (Isaiah
54:17).
This blog also represents an
opportunity for global outreach and I would be negligent if I did not offer readers
who have not made a profession of faith in Jesus as Savior an opportunity to do
so by praying with me,
Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans
3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans
6:23). I ask you to forgive me of my
sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1
John 1:9). I believe you died, spent
three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord
of my life.
The Church plays a vital role in preserving
the mental, emotional, and spiritual health of individuals and must be allowed
to function within safety protocols like any other organization in society. To single out the Church for greater restriction
like is occurring in Nevada is an attempt to silence and stop the Church from
carrying out its vital role in society. While
the Church must speak out and fight this unconstitutional attack on its right
to function as an organization in society, it must also continue to carry out
its mission by seeking other methods of delivering its vital message, like an
online presence. The Church will thrive
in the environment of Covid19 just as it thrived in the environment of
persecution in Acts
7:54-8:25. May God bless the Church
and everyone reading this post.
1. Head, Timothy. Why is Nevada allowing more
people into its casinos than its churches? christianpost.com. [Online]
The Christian Post, August 4, 2020. [Cited: September 14, 2020.] https://www.christianpost.com/voices/why-is-nevada-allowing-more-people-into-its-casinos-than-its-churches.html.
2. Sonner, Scott.
Nevada church renewing challenge of virus attendance cap. APnews.com. [Online]
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7. Archer, Maria.
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