The Cross vs 666 in East Lansing

Earlier this year, the city of East Lansing Michigan prohibited Country Mills farms, a family business, from participating in its Farmer’s Market. Country Mills had participated in previous years.  The reason the city government prohibited Country Mills was that the owner, Steve Tennes, had expressed opposition to same sex marriage. You may read about this story in many places.  Three good options are this article in the National Review, this one on Fox News, and this one on the ADF website.

God established human government for the purpose of punishing those who do wrong (see Romans 13:1-4).  But human government, like many of God’s good gifts, if often twisted and perverted to evil uses. This was happening when the Apostle John was alive.  John himself had unjustly suffered from the wrong use of human authority and power(see Acts 5:40 and Revelation 1:9).  He received visions which included the persecution of Christians by evil ruling forces. The worst form of the punishment involved cutting the heads off of Christians (see Revelation 20:4).  But in the vision of Revelation, perverted government has a less drastic, but still effective, tool of persecution:  economic pressure.

NIV Revelation 13:16-17 It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.

So, am I suggesting that the Mayor or other city officials are the Antichrist? No, but in in a small way, some of them may be acting as antichrists.  I'm not contradicting myself. Consider what John wrote:

CSB 1 John 2:18 Children, it is the last hour. And as you have heard, "Antichrist is coming," even now many antichrists have come. We know from this that it is the last hour.

The best that I can understand this is that a final, super-terrible, capital “A” Antichrist will appear near the end of this age.  However, all throughout this age, many small “a” antichrists are busily at work opposing God’s people. One of the ways they do this is through economic pressure. We see this when Christian business people do not go along with the radical, evil homosexual agenda and then are fined or penalized by government.

In the case of East Lansing, it appears that the courts for now are doing what they are supposed to do, namely protecting what is right.  Under court order, Country Mills has been allowed to sell again at the Farmer’s Market again.  But the court case is not over. And there are other similar court cases, including one that is before the Supreme Court (you can read about it here.)  I certainly believe it is right for Christians to ask the courts and governments to do what God designed them to do. And we should pray for our courts and government. But in the end, we will not overcome evil through human courts. There are deeper issues involved.

The economic pressure against Christians in cases like this in the US is relatively minor compared to what routinely happens in Communist, Muslim, and Hindu nations.  In many cases when economic pressures fail to cause Christians to stop witnessing for Christ or stop standing for righteousness, the evil forces of perverted government imprison, torture, and kill them.  It is happening in many places around the world right now.

The key to final victory is our faith in Jesus Christ, and our willingness to follow His example.  He died for our sins to offer us forgiveness and gift of eternal life. The road to glory does not bypass the cross.  We are called to suffer as He suffered:

NIV Romans 8:17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs-- heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

He asks us to be willing to testify for Him even if it costs us our lives. When, by the power of His Spirit in us, we are willing to suffer and die for Christ, than no antichrists, or even the final Antichrist, can defeat us. God’s Kingdom advances not because we are always protected from persecution, but when by His strength we remain faithful despite persecution.

May God strengthen you and may His grace be with you.

You may read my prior blogposts on how the book of Revelation applies to our lives and current events here, here,  here, and here.

Hebrews 13:16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others . . .