God seems to work best when He works in and through the least and does the least expected. God chose a nation of enslaved people to be His representatives on earth. Jesus chose twelve “nobodies” to be His closest disciples.
Why didn’t God choose Caesar to be His Son? Why didn’t He choose a powerful nation like Babylon, Rome, or even the USA to be His chosen nation? God wants to leave no doubt of the root of the results when doing the impossible. If He chose the powerful or the talented, we would always assume that the power rested in the people and not their God.
Imagine thirteen fledgling colonies overturning the greatest nation in the world of the eighteenth century. These colonies united and became the beacon of freedom to the world. Who anticipated this nation to be a “city set on a hill” for freedom-loving people of the world?
The basis for America’s freedom is Christianity. Alexis du Tocqueville made this observation:[1]
Upon my arrival in the United States, the religious aspect of the country was the first thing that struck my attention; and the longer I stayed there, the more I perceived the significant political consequences resulting from this new state of things, to which I was unaccustomed. In France, I had almost always seen the spirit of religion and the spirit of freedom marching in opposite directions. But in America, I found they were intimately united and that they reigned in common over the same country.
Today, freedom is threatened all over the earth. Governments impose all manner of mandates on their citizens. The people are miserable, angry, and energized. They have begun a worldwide pushback against tyranny.
We are witnessing daily demonstrations to defy tyrants. One would think that those demonstrations would have begun in the country that is the focal point of freedom, the United States. They have not.
There have been pockets of resistance in the USA, but only a few. Most Americans have been silent in the face of tyranny. Most have chosen to trade their freedom for their security. Benjamin Franklin stated:
“They that would give up essential liberty for a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
At one time, freedom was essential to Americans. It came at a high cost and without compromise. Samuel Adams said:
“If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom — go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen!”
Freedom does not appear to be so important to Americans today. Instead of America, God has been working through unexpected places, like Canada.
Canada has been known as a calm and “easy-going” nation of people. Yet, we see Canadians defying their Prime Minister and the Royal Monarchy for freedom.
American Churchmen once led the way for freedom as the “Black Robed Regiment” at the time of our Revolution. One would expect Pastors and other church leaders to don the robes of those Patriots and stand in defiance before tyrannical magistrates. That has not happened. Churchmen are silent for the most part.
Much like the Pastors in Germany during the Nazi regime, most Pastors in America have linked arms with the tyrants who want to remove “freedom” from our vocabulary. There are a few outspoken church leaders in America, as in Nazi Germany, but very few. Not many are willing to take up the banner of freedom. The fear of reprisals from the government and their congregations has stopped them.
The local Churchmen (for the most part) have not led the way for freedom. God has raised an unexpected group to fight for liberty as Churchmen cower in comprise. This group is composed of Canadian Truckers.
Who saw this coming? These Truckers do not want to be forced to take an experimental vaccine. Neither do they want it forced on their fellow citizens. The data is not in on the long-term side-effects of the shot. Why are governments so anxious for all of their people to succumb to their decrees to get the injection?
A forced injection goes against the freedom we hold dear. We want to maintain our freedom of choice as to how we will live our lives. We want the freedom to choose what we will or will not put into our bodies. Many of us recoil at a governmentally forced inoculation. Our government is supposed to operate by our consent.
Once again, let me emphasize that God is working through the unexpected. It is not Americans setting the pace to oppose tyranny. It is Canadians. It is not primarily Churchmen who have stood for freedom. It is Truckers.
Americans are coming out of our passivity. Parents and students are confronting school boards. Citizens are confronting town councils. There are pockets of protests. What about churches? Most churches are silent.
Charles Finney was a leader during the Second Great Awakening in America. I think about his words to his fellow preachers.
If there is a decay of conscience, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the public press lacks moral discernment, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the church is degenerate and worldly, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the world loses its interest in Christianity, the pulpit is responsible for it. If Satan rules in our halls of legislation, the pulpit is responsible for it. If our politics become so corrupt that the very foundations of our government are ready to fall away, the pulpit is responsible for it.[2]
I remember the first time I heard that quote. As a preacher, he convicted me. Finney was precisely on target. Preachers have given up their responsibility to boldly declare the word of God to inspire their congregations and communities to righteous living. Instead, we have allowed the pagans of our society to determine the parameters of sermons.
Speaking against a homosexual lifestyle is now off-limits. Condemning the murder of babies in the womb is out of bounds because “We have people on both sides of the issue.” How can that be?
How can Christians accept a way of life that God condemns? How can Christians approve of the murder of innocents? These would have given baby Moses to Pharaoh and baby Jesus to Herod.
We have criticized church leaders, but where is the outrage from the pew? Where is the demand for leaders to stand up for truth? Perhaps they think it is not their place to speak. They may believe someone else will do it. They may even think there is nothing to do.
Our liberties are slipping away while churches try to be politically correct. I fear we will be surprised one day when all of our freedoms are gone. That is why we must stand up as God-fearing people to resist tyranny.
Martin Niemoller (1892-1984) was a leading Lutheran Pastor in Germany with Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Niemoller arose as an outspoken critic of Adolph Hitler and spent the last seven years of Nazi rule in concentration camps. We remember his famous words:
First, they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.[3]
Have you noticed that they have come for the unborn, and most Christians didn’t speak up? It wasn’t a personal issue. They came for the aged when Governors of five states put the Covid infected people in the Nursing Homes with the vulnerable elderly. Many succumbed to the infection as a result. It wasn’t a personal issue, so we were silent.
We must learn to step up for liberty, or in time they will come for us, too. Would it not seem logical that tender-hearted Christians lead the way? Shouldn’t America be the “point of the spear”?
The Marxists will eventually come for their enemies and foot soldiers who are no longer helpful. The Marxists call them “Useful Idiots.” They do what they are told for some earthly reward.
Many political leaders fall into the “Useful Idiot” category. These people have sold out their values for wealth or power. They will be terminated when they are no longer helpful to a Marxist regime because they are no longer valued and perceived as a threat. Anyone who would betray their country can’t be trusted in the new regime.
In the meantime, these “bought and paid for” politicians lead in perverting the Constitution and laws of the land to serve their Marxist agenda. It is not just politicians; preachers also promote the agenda. Their payback is the protection of tax-exempt status by compliance with government mandates.
Governmentally compliant ministers preach a powerless and timid Jesus who wouldn’t offend anyone. They portray a weak and effeminate church. Preachers forget that Jesus drove moneychangers out of the temple and insulted religious leaders. They forget that the early church “turned the world upside down” as they carried the gospel from town to town (see Acts 17:6).
God chose a ragtag organization to carry His good news to the world. That group was what we call the “Church.” It was composed of the outcasts of society for the most part. It was made up of those who did not have a place of ease in the social order. The discounted Jews, the enslaved people, freedmen, tradesmen, women, and occasionally a tender-hearted political leader composed the church. God chose the least expected to prove His power.
Gamaliel was a wise Pharisee and could see the potential power of God in the unexpected people of his day. When the tyrannical Sanhedrin in Jerusalem wanted to kill the disciples of Jesus, Gamaliel spoke up. Notice Acts 5:34-39 (NKJV):
34 Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while. 35 And he said to them: “Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. 36 For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing. 37 After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed. 38 And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; 39 but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.”
Tyranny and oppression are the orders of the day. The current Marxist regime wants to be in control of our lives and maybe even of our deaths. The regime wants to control you with a mask on your face and a jab in your arm.
Do we think we are in control of our children? Think again. The same tyrants have taken their control from us. Marxist school boards decide what our children will learn at school, not the parents. In most places, children will not learn the “3 R’s.” The Indoctrination Centers we call “Schools” are programming our children with political brainwashing. This is evidenced by the elementary school in DC who had their young children masked up and walking the halls chanting, “Black Lives Matter.” Is that why we send our kids to school?
The tyrants not only have our children’s minds in their indoctrination camps, but they also have their bodies. School Boards mandate masks, even when it is against the law. If teachers don’t wear a mask, they are fired. If children refuse the masks, they are disciplined. We will have compliance, not diversity, and indeed no choice.
God gave parents responsibility for their children, not governments or School Boards. Ephesians 6:4 (NKJV) reads:
4 And you, fathers [or parents,[4] PMG], do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
Is it any wonder why there is an upsurge in homeschooling? Parents are tired of bureaucratic overreach. They want their children to learn, not be indoctrinated to a Marxist agenda.
I applaud the parents who have chosen to homeschool their children. Many of our Founding Fathers were homeschooled. They had a better education than most today. Their parents equipped them for their world. They began where many Homeschool families begin, with scripture. Solomon stated in Proverbs 1:7 (NKJV):
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Maybe Homeschool education will save America’s intellect.
Pastors and other church leaders were on the “cutting edge” of our effort for independence in the eighteenth century. As I said, many were homeschooled. They studied the Bible as part of their curriculum. They were not godless, secular men.
Molly Carman published an internet article on the Family Research Council website, which describes the signers. She writes:[5]
The 56 signers held a variety of professions. There were 19 lawyers and 23 farmers, planters, or merchants of some kind. Four were doctors, three were judges, and two were politicians. The last five were a writer, a surveyor, an ironmaster, a statesman, and a clergyman.
While the signers of the Declaration of Independence held several different types of political positions, only John Witherspoon from New Jersey has “clergyman” identified as his occupation. However, Layman Hall from Georgia was also a clergyman who had graduated from Yale Divinity School; he changed careers and became a physician out of Yale Medical School in 1756.
The men who received college degrees did so at a Christian college. These early schools had the Bible as the foundation of their school and studies. It should be no surprise that they would add their signatures to the document of the Declaration of Independence, which referred to God at least four times.
Today we wonder how those “Christian” leaders could stand up to tyranny. How could those churchmen resist and not simply surrender to “unlimited submission” to an evil government? They were bold in their faith!
Our forefathers searched the scriptures and saw biblical mandate for freedom and opposition to tyranny. They knew verses like Galatians 5:13 (NKJV), “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty . . .” They saw the faith of Daniel and the three Hebrew boys as they stood against an ungodly regime. They saw Jesus drive the moneychangers out of the temple grounds, as He quoted from Isaiah 56 and Jeremiah 7 (Mark 11:15-19).
The book of Revelation shows us that we are to resist tyrants. Martyrs chose to die rather than submit to Caesar. It reminds me of a quote attributed to George Washington:
“I’ll die on my feet before I’ll live on my knees!”
How many modern American Christians would accept that challenge? What happened to the spirit of godly defiance to tyranny? That spirit is not where we would expect.
Too many American Christians prefer comfort to conviction. When I think of the sacrifices our forefathers made for themselves and their posterity, I tremble at our lack of appreciation and our timid responses to government mandates. Thank God for truckers who are stepping up and making a difference, filling the void of Christian leadership.
In Daniel 5 Belshazzar made a great feast and offended God. A hand appeared and wrote on the wall so that Belshazzar’s knees knocked together from his fear. Daniel saw the hand’s words, “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN,” and gave the interpretation. Daniel 5:26-28 (NKJV) reads:
26 This is the interpretation of each word. MENE: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it; 27 TEKEL: You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting; 28 PERES: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.”
I wonder what God would say to us as we indulge in our Super Bowl parties and leisure. Do you think we please God with our festivities? Or do you think He might find us wanting?
Jesus repeatedly challenges us with the unexpected. He showed us who is great in the kingdom of God, and it is not whom we would expect. Matthew 18:4 (NKJV) reads:
Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Did you expect that? You did if you know the scriptures. Jesus makes a statement that is not the way we think. He does this consistently in His teachings.
In this time of worldwide tyranny, God works through the unexpected. God’s unexpected action is not new. He told Zerubbabel that he would complete his task of rebuilding the temple. Zechariah 4:6 and 8-10 (NKJV) read:
This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel:
‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’
Says the Lord of hosts.
8 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
9 “The hands of Zerubbabel
Have laid the foundation of this temple;
His hands shall also finish it.
Then you will know
That the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you.
10 For who has despised the day of small things?
For these seven rejoice to see
The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.
They are the eyes of the Lord,
Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.”
The means to the end is not what the Jews expected. God unleashed His Spirit, and Zerubbabel completed his rebuilding of the temple. It didn’t require the exotic trappings of the day nor a great army. It merely took letting God lead. There can be no doubt that God accomplished the work.
The same principle leads to the defeat of tyranny. Oppression will end, but it will not be in the manner we might think. God will use the unexpected.
There is spiritual darkness over America and the world. The darkness is composed of the spirits of fear, laziness, apathy, arrogance, confusion, and coldness toward God. God will unexpectedly break these evil spirits.
The unexpected resources of Canadian Truckers are not the end of which God can use for His purposes. The authoritarian government does not expect us to step up and allow God to work through us for liberty. Paul describes the connection of the Spirit and liberty in 2 Corinthians 3:17 (NKJV):
Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
You and I can play a modern role in defeating tyranny. We can rely on the power and providence of God just as our ancestors did. We can be part of the Third Great Awakening to reconcile men to God and restore our freedom.
I hope you have a community of like-minded people with whom you can stand against tyranny. That community may or may not be a church. I hope it is, but if not, find a John Birch Society chapter or an informal Bible study group of patriotic Christians.
Let’s encourage one another to overcome evil with good in these dark days. Let’s encourage freedom over unlimited bondage to evil. God’s will can be done “on earth as it is in heaven.”
[1] Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America (New York: Vintage Books, 1945), Vol. I, p. 319. Cited by William J. Federer in American Quotations 2013, pp. 1270-71.
[2] Federer, p. 1211.
[3] This quote is on display in the Permanent Exhibition of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
[4] Strong’s Concordance, G3962
[5] The 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence Memorial: Life, Liberty, and Legacy (frc.org)