Titus 3:9 but avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law, for they are unprofitable and vain.
OPENING STATEMENT by Robert
According to the first article, “VICTORY FOR BELIEVERS,” what the victory was the churches will be able to open. However, SCOTUS’s final ruling has given a half victory and, at the same time, takes a right to freely worship away. Changing the religious scene forever. The following article details the partial win and loss.
Supreme Court denies the California church’s appeal to lift the attendance limit.
In a 5-4 vote, Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the four liberal justices to keep the state’s limits of 25% capacity or 100 people in place. The South Bay United Pentecostal Church in Chula Vista, California, in the San Diego area, wanted to allow 200 to 300 people to attend each service.
The church argued that limits on attendees violate constitutional religious freedom guarantees. They were asking for an emergency ruling in time for services on Sunday.
In a brief opinion, Roberts said that the limits “appear consistent” with the First Amendment and are similar to restrictions placed on secular businesses, like movie theatres and shopping malls.
The court also rejected a similar challenge to Illinois’ ban on church gatherings larger than 10 people. Still, Illinois Governor Jay Pritzker (D) had already modified the order to allow up to 100 people before the case was heard.
Strong dissent from Kavanaugh
The dissenting view pointed out that churches are in a different category from secular businesses, and said that the limits violate the First Amendment. Justice Brett Kavanaugh pointed out that many secular businesses in the state were not subject to such restrictions, writing:
The basic constitutional problem is that comparable secular businesses are not subject to a 25% occupancy cap, including factories, offices, supermarkets, restaurants, retail stores, pharmacies, shopping malls, pet grooming shops, bookstores, florists, hair salons, and cannabis dispensaries.
There are many laws involved in how the majority opinion was rendered, but it comes down to whether the justices thought churches were treated equally with other organizations. This basis stems from a 1990 opinion by the late Justice Antonin Scalia that determined “that religious people and institutions cannot get a religious exemption from a neutral law of general applicability,” conservative legal activist Michael Farris explained in a lengthy Facebook post.
Before Scalia’s 1990 opinion, First Amendment rights were treated as “fundamental” rights, so the “equal” treatment aspect did not apply. Religious groups are working to reverse Scalia’s decision, and Farris previously helped advance the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) through Congress. However, the RFRA does not apply to states.
CLOSING STATEMENT by Robert
When a door closes on what has been considered normal for believers within their faith. God, in His infinite wisdom, opens another door. When we examine the 4th Commandment, it does not stipulate how we are to assemble in order to worship. It does, however, state to keep the Sabbath sacred.
The form of the fourth CommandmentCommandment, “Remember,” shows that it was not now first given, but was known by the people before. One day in seven is to be kept holy. Six days are allotted to worldly business, but not so as to neglect the service of God and the care of our souls. On those days, we must do all our work, and leave none to be done on the sabbath day. Christ allowed works of necessity, charity, and piety; for the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath, Mark 2:27; but all works of luxury, vanity, or self-indulgence in any form, are forbidden. Trading, paying wages, settling accounts, writing letters of business, worldly studies, trifling visits, journeys, or light conversation, are not keeping this day holy to the Lord. Sloth and indolence may be a carnal, but not a holy rest. The Sabbath of the Lord should be a day of rest from worldly labour and rest in the service of God. The advantages from the due keeping of this holy day, were it only to the health and happiness of mankind, with the time it affords for taking care of the soul, show the excellency of this Commandment. The day is blessed; men are blessed by it and in it. The blessing and direction to keep holy are not limited to the seventh day but are spoken of the sabbath day.
However, The Lord brought forward in Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them. In my humble opinion, the verse is the new door being opened for the Assembly. Normal has been changed by the courts and government leaders of how to assemble. The Commandment states to keep one day in seven Holy.
The past tradition was to assemble as a group to worship and honour the Lord. This tradition is now being challenged and, in some ways, being changed. The verse in Matthew is giving us a hint of how to do just that. The Commandment does not say we need to gather in a building to worship it says, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them.”
In their carnal wisdom, those who desire to limit religious ceremonies have afforded the venues for believers to gather in numbers to worship and honour our Lord. The current fiasco of the pandemic and political controls being formented against believers are a call for the use of spiritual wisdom to be applied on how to honour and worship our Lord.
Can you imagine having, say, 100 to 150 individuals gathered at one of the essential venues in the name of Yeshua (Jesus Christ) to honour Him on personal levels? Perhaps sharing a testimony of how he has worked in their lives during the lockdown. Or as a group sending out prayer in His name for those in need of it. As believers, the Holy Spirit will guide each group.
When the disciple’s boat was being swamped, they cried out for help because, in their minds, they were in danger and did not use faith as the Lord pointed out later. Here we are in turmoil over how to worship our Lord, believing we must assemble in our churches to do so when if we use a mustard seed of faith, discern the Commandment and the verse in Matthew we will find our Lord’s message of how to fulfill the Commandment and exercise our faith to the fullest.
By where two or three are gathered in our Lord’s name, the real church would be visible for all to see, believer and unbeliever. As the Lord said to Peter as he was sinking, and the disciples as they feared, “O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
I leave this thought process for those discerning believers walking spiritually, consider the actions of the leaders contending the Legal actions and the consequences now of those actions. Titus 3:9 but avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law, for they are unprofitable and vain.
My last words for those who are spiritual followers as God’s soldiers know your surroundings and who your allies are. Most of all, use the gift of discernment to gather the information from the Holy Spirit to understand your next move to be made with the knowledge presented to honour the 4th Commandment by using the gift of wisdom. Do not be lead by bodily actions turn to your spiritual leadership, the Holy Spirit.
CLOSING PRAYER
Father in heaven, we reach out for your guidance in these troubled waters. Bring us strength in the form of wisdom to discern on a personal level our position in your Assembly as part of the flock. The enemy is attempting to scatter your flock, bring the knowledge needed to maintain the togetherness of the flock to fulfill our call to honour and worship you Lord within the bounds of the carnal laws being applied against us Father. Stir within the true leadership your words of guidance to keep us before you as your flock. This we pray in your name Yeshua Amen and Amen.
Please remember these articles are the work of a humble servant of Yeshua doing His bidding as a Watchmen sounding the Trumpet to warn of impending danger within the Assembly. May our Father abundantly bless each one of you with wisdom and discernment to go forward as His “Modern Day Disciples.”
“Thou will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee, Trust ye in the Lord forever: for in the Lord Yeshua is everlasting strength.” (Isaiah 26:3-4)
Robert
TRUMPETER'S CALL 
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