Do secular governments have the Biblical authority to deny Christian worship?

There is, at the current time, a point of view that claims that the Government has Biblical authority to shut down church buildings, and deny disciples of Jesus the right to meet together to praise and worship, in fellowship with one another.

This claim to Biblical authority is based on Paul's words in Rom.13:1-7, and Peter's exhortation in I Peter 2:13-17. This video clarifies the situation!

Keep off the grass!

It was a sign that I saw many times when I was a young boy. Usually in public parks, and similar grassy areas, the sign "Keep off the grass" was a warning to walk only on the pathway provided!

Of course, as I grew older, I discovered that "grass" was another name given to the dried leaf of the hemp plant - also known as marijuana, and referred to as "weed", "pot", or "grass". Often (I believe - I have no personal experience! However, I learned a lot during my time as a Police Force Chaplain.) it is smoked like a cigarette, named a "reefer", and produces an exaggerated feeling of well-being; an increased sense of self-confidence; and a lessening of moral restraint. It distorts perception, and creates a psychological dependence, that we refer to as an addiction. There may well be medical uses for marijuana, and having it administered under clinical conditions, and by a qualified doctor may be useful (when I went into hospital, in my early twenties, with renal colic - stones in the kidney - I was given morphine injections!) but the golden rule would be "Keep off the grass"!

These addictive drugs mean that one is, basically, dependant upon something other than Father God. However, while the destructive habits of the drug addict - and that addiction could be to anything from alcohol to heroin - are a serious problem for the user, those of us who have not succumbed to such substances may well ask ourselves if it is possible that we may, in principle, be guilty of similar unhealthy habits!

This may be especially true for those of us who claim to be disciples of the Lord Jesus, the Christ. While not addicted to a drug such as marijuana,or any other similar substance, we may all too easily become dependant upon other "gods" to produce the same effects. Some, for example, try to lose their fears in an endless round of social activities - while neglecting fellowship with the Lord's people. Others are so addicted to watching television that they have little time for prayer and the reading and study of God's written Word. Still others look to money, and other possessions.

However, if we are truly honest, none of these things bring us lasting satisfaction. Indeed, anything that detracts from our dependence upon the Heavenly Father is an offence in His eyes! Things that may not be, in themselves, wrong can finally occupy such a prominent place in my life that they become objects of worship and, if that happens, I am breaking the first and greatest commandment. "... a lawyer, asked [Jesus] a question, to test Him. "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" And He said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment." (Matt 22:35-38).

The highest good for the disciple of Jesus is found in complete reliance upon Him, and the Spirit Who indwells us. Let us, therefore, "Keep off the grass" of false substitutes for God - whatever they may be!

The mayonnaise jar and two cups of coffee

This a story that I have heard a few times before.  However, like all of the best stories, it is always worth repeating.  After all, there may be someone reading this blog who hasn't heard it before!

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day is not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and two cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.

When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and fills it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “YES”.

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

“Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things – God, family,children, health, friends, and favourite passions. Things, that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car. The sand is everything else — the small stuff.” he said.

“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “There is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you", he told them.

“So pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Worship with your family. Play with your children. Take your partner out to dinner. Spend time with good friends. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap. Take care of the golf balls first — the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled and said, “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”