It must have been frustrating for Jesus at times, during his ministry years, to want to reach out to so many people, but to be hindered by restrictions of time and space and logistics. We face the same barriers today, making ministry work just as frustrating for us at times as it was for Jesus.

Well, the frustration level is about to go exponential.

I read today on an online forum in Nova Scotia that people who want to attend a Bible study in churches in the province have to show “proof of vaccination” (POV), as a Bible study is considered a “non-essential activity”. I don’t even know where to start to get angry about this, but I’m even angrier at those churches that are going along with it. BY THEIR FRUITS SHALL YE KNOW THEM. They might as well just go ahead and demand that all Bible study attendees pay 30 pieces of silver to hear God’s Word, since that’s the spirit they’ve invoked.

The spirit of betrayal.

If there ever was a time to get out of mainstream churchianity, that time is now. Imagine Jesus telling the lepers that they can’t come to hear him until they’re healed, or the prostitutes that they can’t come to hear him until they’re chaste, or the addicts that they can’t come to hear him until they’re clean and sober. Of course you can’t imagine it, because Jesus would never say that and never did say that. On the contrary, he welcomed everyone who wanted to learn God’s Word, and no restrictions were put on them at all, at any time, for any reason.

We are supposed to be doing the same, if we are truly followers of Jesus. No restrictions should be put on anyone who wants to learn God’s Word. Every church that goes along with the POV order is a Judas church. There’s no other way to describe them.

When churches were shut down during “lockdowns” over the past few years or subject to restrictions on the number of people who could attend, some churches rebelled against the orders and continued to hold services as they saw fit. I did not support them in their rebellion, as there were workarounds those churches could have resorted to, such as holding smaller but more frequent services, or simply going underground to an alternate location. I did not agree with or support their protests.

However, having to show POV to hear and study God’s Word with a teacher is something completely different. A locked door or reduced capacity can be worked around with some God-inspired and God-supported effort, but demanding that people undergo a highly controversial and experimental series of injections in order to learn God’s Word in person from a teacher – that is so far beyond what is acceptable, I don’t know, as I said before, where to start being angry, but angry I am. And if I’m angry, it’s because God is angry. He’s not angry at the state that is imposing these restrictions. The state is just being the state. Jesus tells us that Satan is at the helm of every state, and we know that Satan’s sole purpose is to tempt and sway people away from God. God isn’t angry at at the state; he’s angry at those who claim to speak on his behalf, but are imposing barriers to his Word that for some are insurmountable.

Jesus didn’t hold services; he held Bible studies. That’s what he did when he was teaching in the synagogues or in the temple or wherever he taught – he was holding a Bible study. And whoever wanted to attend, could attend, with zero restrictions. The cost was free, no donations were collected, and certainly no health restrictions were imposed. All that was required was that you wanted to be there.

The churches in Nova Scotia and wherever else POV is being demanded as a prerequisite for attending Bible study need to do some major soul-searching. Imposing POV to learn God’s Word is the line that should never have been crossed. There should NEVER be any restrictions put on anyone who wants to learn God’s Word the way Jesus taught it.

Services can be dispensed with; they’re just basically weekly shows that are mounted in order to get money from attendees. But Bible study goes to the heart of what Jesus did during his ministry years. Jesus was “Rabboni” – TEACHER. That’s what we’re supposed to be. That’s what all who claim to speak God’s Word are supposed to be: TEACHERS.

Nothing should ever come between God’s Word and those who want to learn it.

SHAME ON EVERY CHURCH THAT IS DEMANDING POV.