Upon THIS Rock

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covid 19 vaccine & abortion...What's The Connection?

As the whole world is captivated and held captive by the covid 19 virus, there are a host of scientists, hard at work trying to solve or address the problem by creating a vaccine that can be rolled out to the masses in effort to cure or rid the planet of the disease. Not to be a deliverer of bad news but the fact is that we may never have a vaccine for covid 19, but if not, it certainly won't be for a lack of effort. 

So what does abortion, that liberal pundits hate to hear the sound of about now, and a covid 19 vaccine have in common?

According to an April 17th letter issued by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to the US Food & Drug Administration, (see below) it seems that a company named Janssen Pharmaceutical, INC. is in receipt of a contract from the US Dept. Of Health (HHS) to produce a covid 19 vaccine and they are using, of all things, certain cells of aborted babies in the process of vaccine development!

covid vaccine IS people!!!!

From one of my favorite movies featuring the late Charlton Heston, Soylent Green, (I can almost hear him yelling it now) could it be that there is potential that a covid vaccine IS people too???

One would never have guessed in a million years that cells from aborted fetuses would be used in any manner to address the covid 19 crisis, or that the HHS would be in tandem or coordination in any manner with a company promoting such a concept or idea. 

This leads to at least 2 startling and disturbing ethical dilemmas one of which the USCCB lays out and the other I will address here. 

Moral Ethics and Conscience

In their letter to Director Hahn, the USCCB points out:

"It is critically important that Americans have access to a vaccine that is produced ethically: no American should be forced to choose between being vaccinated against this potentially deadly virus and violating his or her conscience. Fortunately, there is no need to use ethically problematic cell lines to produce a COVID vaccine, or any vaccine, as other cell lines or processes that do not involve cells from abortions are available and are regularly being used to produce other vaccines." ~ USCCB 4/17/2020 to the US Food & Drug Administration, Director Hahn

To develop a vaccine derrived from aborted fetus cells is nothing less than abhorrent. However, to unknowingly receive a vaccine or be forced either knowingly or unknowlingly (which is current chatter in many liberal circles right now) to receive a vaccine developed under these circumstances is no less than abhorrent if not down right devilish and evil.

Now, one could argue, that we could take "pain" or "death" of the fetus and it could be used to help others live. Although a twisted argument, I can see how individuals could attempt to make such a case, however, that then leads to a 2nd dilemma that I point out below:

The Commercialization Of Abortion & Aborted Materials

If this idea were to proceed, it would take abortion to a whole new level of shame, murder and degridation even for Western society. Just imagine people aborting babies "for the good of the community" and to "fight dreaded disease all over the word"

Could you imagine Dr Fauci and Dr. Birx delivering the new covid 19 mitigation strategies of Social Distancing, Handwashing & Abortion of the Unborn???

Planned Parenthood, who has billions of dollars in large part due to their abortion services, would be the center of the community and would encourage abortion even more so than they previously did but now, that would be done with the endorsement and blessing of the State...

Could you imagine some of these liberal and socialist Governors that we have seen during this crisis, rise and encourage women all over their respective State to go to the nearest abortion clinic to abort their child so that we can better address the alleged "covid 19 pandemic" and "save the lives of our most vunerable"?

Conclusion

It seems that Janssen Pharmaceuticals along with the HHS, would "commercialize" abortion and violate the conscious of millinons of Americans and billions of individuals around the world and not think twice as long as they can gain a remedy to this dreaded disease. However, are they the only ones, or are they just the one we know? 

Believe me, I want a cure to covid 19 and certainly hold to the strategies of mitigation such as handwashing and social distancing, and the creation of a safe work environment, but there is no way that I endorse the use of cells from aborted babies in the development of a covid 19 vaccine.

One would think after nearly 50 million lives lost to the human disease of abortion since 1972, that there would be no room to think that we can solve or address what we are facing by killing more people, UNLESS one has a globalists agenda and believes that limiting and reducing the number of people on the planet, abortion, and covid 19 go hand in hand. 

Well, sad to say, but I guess some do! Just so happens, I have discussed that in a recent Sunday Night Study HERE

USCCB Letter to US Food & Drug Administration 

Catholic Bishops Letter To US Food & Drug Administration from Pastor Harvey Burnett

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Do Our Governors Know The Bill Of Rights?

Recently Tucker Carlson took the Governor of New Jersey Phil Murphy to task over some of the restrictions issued by his executive order. He claimed that liquor stores remained open because of mental health issues and the empirical evidence of addiction and addiction recovery, but had no answer for what evidence that had been given to address the psychological well being of individuals who have, in essence, been banned from religious services and worship.

This was very telling and based on the responses during this segment, we should ask, Do our Governors actually "know" the Bill of Rights? From this Governor's response, the answer to that question is highly suspect. 

At 11:00  

Carlson: "By what authority did you nullify the Bill of Rights?"

Gov. Murphy: "That's above my pay-grade Tucker, I wasn't thinking of the Bill Of Rights when we did this"

Governor Murphy went on to say that because he had met with and gained approval from a "variety of leaders in the State" meaning religious or faith leaders that his actions had somehow been sanctioned or were allowable.  

At 13:25

Gov. Murphy: "...we have to find a different way to worship"

Carlson: "...Government is not allowed to tell people how to worship...

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A Federal Judge's Order Against The The Erosion Of Personal & Religious Liberty

In the process to mitigate the alleged "pandemic" of covid 19, it seems that the Constitution of the United States has been tabled by many Governors all over over the country, initially, so we were told, to curtail death, but more recently, so we are told, to keep the healthcare system from being overwhelmed. 

Shelter In Place

According to the New Your Times (a news organization I certainly DON'T recommend) "Stay at Home" orders have been issued to an estimated 316 million American citizens in 42 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, 3 counties and 9 cities.

Having begun in California, the executive orders, which are allegedly rooted in CDC and Washington DC guidance,  are issued by the Governors in most cases and vary widely. For example, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, in a State hard hit by covid 19, recently issued an order prohibiting citizens from traveling to second homes, standing outside too long, and even purchasing specific items, such as paint from hardware stores, contending that the items were "non-essential". In other States such as Mississippi, Kentucky, and even Illinois  in which Governor Pritzker and his colleagues contended that orders to stay home meant prohibitions on attending church or places of religious worship no matter if social distancing guidelines were followed or not. In the case of Illinois and Kentucky, the Governors were so brazen as to suggest that the churches were "non essential" institutions, while, in all cases simultaneously contending that liquor retail establishments were/are"essential". (Even though the same CDC from which they take their guidance states that over 88,000 people die annually of alcohol related illness or excessive use of alcohol.)

Even During A Pandemic, The Free Exercise Of Religion Is Upheld

As I began to speak and write on this issue, I was surprised by the number of practicing Christians who do not know the difference between religious freedom and freedom of worship and why each is vitally important but not necessarily one in the same. This has been quite a controversy, between so called "enlightened" people, both secular and religious, who believe that religious practice is flexible and can be done in any setting.

The fact is that one can actually worship anywhere. That is not a question that needs to be addressed.  What is at question however is the fact that our Constitution guarantees the right of the religious to freely exercise religion no matter the circumstance. That is, We The People are guaranteed the ability to freely carry out the practice of religious belief without restriction. What's more is that the practice or free exercise of religion and tenets of faith, need not meet an intellectual standard or criteria suitable to anyone looking on. Further, it seems that the State does not have a right to regulate how our belief is carried out or to tell the church how to conduct its beliefs.

This is the problem. The Governors, in their zeal to thwart and stop the covid 19 alleged pandemic, from overwhelming our medical systems, went further than their lawful boundaries and, in many cases, usurped their control and authority over religious practice and the free exercise thereof, telling the church not only how to worship, but restricting access as to how and where the free and valid exercise of religion would be carried out while simultaneously not holding secular businesses and industries to the same or similar standard. 

Now, many of our churches sat back and allowed this to happen without a word to the contrary. Truthfully many people from church leaders to lay persons, suffered and died as a result of this dreaded disease, and there is nobody that is favor of that, however, as I have written, what is the price that we have paid as a result of allowing secular leaders to take control of and usurp authority over the church at any time, yet alone times of distress? In the future, what will limit the states power over the church in the event of the "next" crisis?

I'll say more on this in my next article, but the church was only to be subject to "just" law, and law that does not impede liberties given by God and not simply any law. 

A Judge's Eyeopening Decision

A recent Facebook posting by a news group , Unbiased America, caught my attention. Their post outlined the actions of a Federal Judge Justin Walker of Kentucky. Judge Walker ruled, just prior to Easter, in favor of the On Fire Church and against a Kentucky Mayoral directive allegedly enforcing the Governor's stay at home order, which had been constructed to prohibit church worship on the Churches most Holy Day, Easter. In his ruling Judge Walker stated:

"On Holy Thursday, an American mayor criminalized the communal celebration of Easter. That sentence is one that this Court never expected to see outside the pages of a dystopian novel, or perhaps the pages of 'The Onion" 

The Judge went on to say:

"But two days ago, citing the need for social distancing during the current pandemic, Louisville’s Mayor Greg Fischer ordered Christians not to attend Sunday services, even if they remained in their cars to worship – and even though it’s Easter. The Mayor’s decision is stunning. And it is, “beyond all reason, unconstitutional."

Judge Walker concluded by saying:

"But for the men and women of On Fire, Christ’s sacrifice isn’t about the logic of this world. Nor is their Easter Sunday celebration. The reason they will be there for each other and their Lord is the reason they believe He was and is there for us. For them, for all believers, “it isn’t a matter of reason; finally, it’s a matter of love.”

Groups such as First Liberty have been inundated with requests for help during this pandemic from churches seeking to merely continue to freely exercise their religious beliefs against the backdrop of over the top stay at home and anti-religious subversion efforts of State officials.

Conclusion

It seems that, although many have been born and raised within America, that they don't know exactly how the interface of human rights work in conjunction with or in accord with State law, and the desire to keep and maintain a peaceful and safe society. Although covid 19, has presented issues and problems that have never been dealt with before in American society, it seems that  too many people in authority believe that rights can be suspended by the State at any time and without notice, and that religious rights or the essential nature of religious belief is only an illusion.

While the latter sentiments are right in line with the anti-religious extremists, who have not taken the time to consider that human rights only exists as a result of religion, and the Christian religion in particularly, it is saddening to know that the people must continually check, recheck and call into question the actions and directives of their elected secular officials. 

To be clear, noone wants to upbraid the State or anything done to keep us and make us safe in this hour of pandemics, however, we want the State to work within the confines of human rights to address the issues. Not break the law in order to make the law. That is unreasonable.

In my next post, I will present the letter and email that I sent to the Governor of Illinois regarding these things and others. 

Judge Justin Walker's Complete Decision

TRO Granted In covid 19 Kentucky Church Case from Pastor Harvey Burnett

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Resurrection Sunday Night Reflections covid 19, Global Warming & Population Contol

Sunday Night Live

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Resurrection Sunday Morning 2020 ~ That I May Know HIM

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Resurrection Sunday Sunrise Service ~ No Greater Love

Thanks to Fred Hammond & Radical For Christ for our "A" Selection!

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Dr Shiva. Probably THE Most Pertinent covid 19 Expose On The Internet

All I can say is that THIS is AMAZING!

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Passion Week Celebration & Bible Study w/ Pastor Burnett

The Dunamis Word on Youtube

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Paslm Sunday 2020 ~ SAVE NOW!

Upcoming Schedule:

Wednesday April 8th 7:00 PM Facebook Live at In Defense Of The Faith also YOUTUBE LIVE

Easter Sunday April 12th 6:00AM at In Defense Of The Faith

Easter Sunday April 12th 10:30AM CST Personal Facebook Page

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Covid 19. Balance. Are We Still A Free People?

Covid 19 has proven to be a problem of epic proportion to the entire community. On one had, we are dealing with a medical and scientific community examining the virus, studying its progression and trying to understand and apply the best science based methods to overcome it. 

On another we have the governmental authority assessing the financial impact and human value impact of the virus and trying to mitigate its impact on the health and well-being of the community and finally we have the church attempting to gauge its level of involvement, reduce the erosion, even if temporary, of its freedoms and redefine its actions and outreach methods during these perilous times. 

The Medical Professionals 

I would first like to say that The DUNAMIS WORD APPRECIATES all medical professionals, scientists, first responders and Governmental authorities in all the work they are doing in effort to keep our community safe and help us through these trying times! YOU and your families are in our prayers and we believe God that he will grant you strength in your efforts and duties. THANK YOU!!!!

The Church

Secondly, to the church and our fellow believers...while the motivations of many, if not most of us are pure, to those that see this as an opportunity to take advantage of the people, let's get a grip and get it quickly, because Clovid 19, whether one believes it is a "judgement of God or not" is not the only problem on the horizon either for the United States, the world community nor the church. 

The Confusion Crisis

Now, let me just say first, the church has found a way to continue some RIDICULOUS practices even though God is closing certain doors and challenging values and ethics...folk have exalted tithe and offering so high, until some don't care if an individual is sick or not..."drive through" and "curb side" church service featuring..."place the money in the envelope" is horrific!!! Please STOP the madness and get a clue!!! Some are so underwater in church mortgages that it is nearly impossible for them to survive and maintain as a congregation financially if the good ole tithe doesn't come in...so some have resorted to schemes and church gimmicks to help their earthly kingdom survive the covid 19 scare. I could say more but...

OK, Back To Rational Conversation...

First let's be real. People are dieing of covid 19 related illness. Many, more than a few preachers and pastors I know have left here in recent days due to this virus. 

Yet this global crisis has not stopped the church from questioning its place and position and how it is supposed to act during these times.  Yes, clergy...that is GOOD clergy, are ESSENTIAL and are a part of FIRST RESPONSE to any humanitarian crisis. The church is ESSENTIAL to the growth, health and vitality of our community and nation. Both should be honored as such. But as such, clergy should be prepared and realize that they too, are under orders and many of those orders have been established by divine command. 

Titus 3:1 ~ Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, 

Romans 13:1 ~ Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

A Little Theology

The aforementioned scriptures are often cited in situations of abuse and misuse. Example, how many times have your heard people who criticize the bible contend that these scriptures were scriptures that endorsed slavery or some other form of human or humanitarian abuse? 

However, I would contend that these scriptures were never intended to be used to support abuse, misuse and or subvert human moral values of the individual to the State or any authority. These scriptures were rendered to call the church to the highest levels of service and the highest levels of witness and response to the community and to reaffirm that God was in control of all things, no matter who sat in the seat of power. Those are the lessons of Paul's teaching here and elsewhere. 

How do I know this? Quite simply, Paul teaches that believers should see the Lord through his ministry and observe Christ by his example. They were to follow his example as his example was an example of Christ. (1 Cor. 11:1)...Now, was Christ an abuser of men? Did Christ lead men into abuse and subjugation? Critics level many criticisms and lay a lot of things at Jesus' feet, but I don't believe any rational scholar, or anyone worth his salt, makes the argument with  any success that Jesus was an abuser of men and or mankind or that he led anyone into an abusive situation. In fact an examination of his life demonstrates that he did just the opposite.  

If Paul's reference was Christ, and if Christ was the ultimate example, then how and in what world could Paul possibly be commending abuse or telling people to blindly subject themselves to rules of abuse of an evil ruler, especially if those rules also violated the Law of God? 

The Commission of The State:

In light of the above facts, we should rightfully ask what is the relationship between the rule of God and the power and authority of the State, which only acknowledges God in a cursory or topical manner? Should we simply dumb down to the "godless" State and everything it requests, when we know that the essence of its request do not honor the God we serve? 

Then if we "fight the power", simply because the power is saying something, are we fighting a righteous fight?

It is questions like those and others that led me to write an article on "Covid 19, Freedom & Unalienable Rights. A Mini Civics Lesson & Question"

In that article, I suggest that as a church we should be careful about giving up freedoms and to whom we give those freedoms to. I yet continue to stand by that argument because it is so vitally important, however, when the state and all people are confronted with a crisis, the church should be front and center in helping to mitigate that crisis. 

A REAL First Responder

The CHURCH is not only essential, but it is a FIRST RESPONDER. The condition of the community, state and nation depends upon the response of the church to the people who comprise the state, community and church. 

Matthew 28:19-20 ~ (19)Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (20)Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Sadly, the church has undershot its mission, but the original commission of the church was to serve the community and transform the world...to "teach them" to "observe" whatsoever things that Jesus had commanded. This was to be both a natural and spiritual benefit and blessing to the community and the entire world (wherever the church would be found) 

Is the refusal to close the church building, in light of an epidemic which is drastically effecting the community ungodly? It could be, but does it have to be? 

Is the refusal to obey directives of law and policy godly or righteous if it is done to the "glory of God"?  Is the relationship between church and state and who controls what strictly a FIRST Amendment issue? 

I believe that our questions and resultant expressions or responses may be inadequate. There is much more at stake and or at risk than issues of personal freedoms or state impositions upon those freedoms. What covid 19 has done is place a human or life's value issue on the subject in a way that the world really was not ready to explain.  

IS the CHURCH about saving lives as it says and will it respect the rights to save lives as it is commissioned to do? This is the challenge, and I will tell you why: 

Now, for the State, this would be a good, clear and applicable question if ABORTION and ABORTION services, which the state upholds also as a right, were not at issue...You see, having killed over 50 million babies (or so the abortion estimates are since 1972) is not exactly a rallying point for the State to claim that it is attempting to suddenly protect its most vulnerable, or ride on a high horse saying that it really and solely cares about life and its value. 

In other words, the states claim of valuing life can easily and readily be viewed as either hypocritical or at the very least dubious and one that the church should and  could be easily viewed in an ominous manner neither of which make the case for the State that it has an pure interest saving lives.  

There is a new horse in the race and one that cannot be overlooked, although it is being overlooked by extremists on both sides of the issue.

To the critic ready to simply and blindly follow every edict of the state because one misinterprets the scripture to endorse blind allegiance governmental authority simply because it is governmental authority, I would encourage you to pull back and think things through a little more circumspectly, as our real freedoms did not come from the state and cannot be taken away and should not be surrendered to the state at the State's whims for any event and or reason....

Similarly, those of us in the REAL church, must be reminded that our position of glorifying God extends far beyond a building or sanctuary no matter the size and or cost of that building or sanctuary.  

Certainly to close a building is not to be closed to or to exclude God in any way or manner. Neither should our position ever be that the material affects of this existence are, by themselves, worth dissenting over, especially when the truth is that ALL things belong to God. 

In other words, God will commission even the devil to do his bidding. The devil may think he is in control of his actions, and he certainly is, as he exercises his own freewill also, but God yet is in control and provision has already been made for HIS people.

CONCLUSION 

What we know is that many individuals, are leaving this world due to this current pandemic or epidemic of covid 19. Though the numbers of death are not and neither will be extraordinarily high, (as only about 1.4% of them who contract the disease pass away from it) the pace of contagion is astounding, and being that the virus is especially unrelenting within them who are already compromised in their health, covid 19 is somewhat of a fearful disease or illness. 

Closing a church temporarily to mitigate the public and community damage and individual suffering as a result of a pandemic or community crisis, should not be an issue. Our call is much greater than a building and or pews or seats...Much greater than a show or a Sunday morning thrill, is the LIVING WORD which resides on the inside of the individual. 

With that said, we must affirm that the state does not have a right of subjugation of the church. There is no law which allows the church to arbitrarily become the captive of the state. A stand for freedom is in order. Our allegiance is not to blind, nor was it to be used in endorsement of ungodly and anti-biblical moral values and constructs.

So while personal liberties and personal freedoms are good topics and a essential conversations to be had among believers and civic leaders alike, the sure thing is that God is God no matter if covid 19 exists or not and that HE will get the glory and the world to bow to HIS majesty as HE is yet in control of all things. 

We believe God for an outcome much less than the current expectation of over 200,000 lives lost. God is still ABLE to do what he does, and that is turn death away when God's mission and purpose has been fulfilled. 

There's much more to this story than meets the eye I am sure.

Blessed!

UPDATE 4/1/2020

Pastor Rodney Howard-Brown, featured in this article, was recently arrested because he refused to close down his church in light of the "stay at home" order and large group probation issued by State leadership. 

Now I must say that Pastor Howard-Brown has is certainly not unfamiliar with controversy. The founder of the "gold dust" and "gold tooth" movement, Howard-Brown has his issues. Of course this event was met with much controversy especially after the Chief of Police painted the picture that Howard-Brown was not a good citizen and that he had endangered the lives of countless persons in his congregation. 

The facts however, don't match the accusation. According to his Attorney, Liberty Counsel, Pastor Howard-Brown took the following measures to keep congregants safe:  

• Enforced the six-foot distance between family groups in the auditorium as well as the overflow rooms
• All the staff wore gloves
• Every person who entered the church received hand sanitizer
• In the farmer’s market and coffee shop in the lobby, the six-foot distance was enforced with the floor specifically marked (farmer’s markets and produce stands are expressly exempted)
• The church spent $100,000 on a hospital-grade purification system set up throughout the church that provide continuous infectious microbial reduction that is rated to kill microbes, including those in the coronavirus family.

Now, I venture to ask...Does the GROCERY STORE that remains open during this pandemic do any of this? Does the LIQUOR STORE that also remains open during this pandemic DO ANY OF THESE THINGS for the safety of their customers?  

A family need not be separated. to do so is STUPID. Evidently the 6 foot rule was being enforced to whatever degree. The families that came together stayed together. So why the OBTUSE and biased view against the church here? I believe that is because some people have bought into the the concept of communism and don;t really understand what American freedom and liberty is all about. 

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