A Response to an Article Concerning the Decline of Cases of the Flu this Season

A Response to an Article Concerning the Decline of Cases of the Flu this Season

An article in the Daily Citizen, posted by Matt Zachary on December 11, 2020, cites CDC statistics and reports that cases of influenza are down 97% from 2019.[1]

 

These are the sort of things that cause us to question everything we are being force-fed about COVID-19. We are confident we cannot trust any of the statistics. We can't trust the number of people who have gotten COVID-19. We can't trust the accuracy of the tests for COVID-19. We can't trust the statistics for the number of deaths from COVID-19. We don't trust the efficacy of the vaccines we are presented with. My father-in-law used to say, "Figures can't lie, but liars can figure." It appears to a substantial number of us that there has been a lot of "figuring" going on.

 

Marvin McKenzie

In the fields

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[1] https://dailycitizen.focusonthefamily.com/where-has-the-flu-gone-cdc-reports-only-496-cases-so-far-this-year-down-97-from-2019/?refcd=873402&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=culture_2020&utm_content=article&fbclid=IwAR3SQ34Nc5fTRiHxB2pDmIDbWv4k9fa2_UTnHt7O8IDk-eFUmE33EhUTJcc

Liberty of Conscience

I guess we all prayed and perhaps expected that, by Fall, this COVID crisis would be a thing of the past. Not so, is it? Some of us are attempting to get on with our lives, but it has been challenging. It seems like the longer the thing stretches on, the more potential for division and disagreement. 

Now is a good time to practice grace! One of the strong doctrinal positions of Baptist churches in history has been that of “individual soul liberty.” It has applied primarily to the subject of worship. A person has a right to worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience. The doctrine leans heavily upon another Baptist distinctive, “separation of church and state.” Historically the Catholic, and then the Protestant churches, married with the state to force people to worship according to the dictates of the state-approved church. The doctrine has applications in this current climate. Every one of us must give every other one of us the liberty to find our own path through the fears this virus has stirred. 

Imagine living 500 years ago. Certain denominations were so sure they were right that they turned in people who disagreed or that didn’t comply. Those who were captured were tortured, sometimes to death, just because they owned a Bible, or refused to have their children baptized as babies, or baptized by immersion rather than sprinkling. England went through a period when the Catholics would gain the throne and kill all the Protestants, and then the Protestants would achieve it and try to kill all the Catholics. It was cruel, senseless, and heartless.

Please. Whatever your personal views of how to navigate this pandemic, let’s rise above pointing fingers at others. Let’s love one another, pray for one another, and give one another liberty of conscience.

Marvin McKenzie

In the fields

(Watch this video of the devastation California's dictates are having on just one of the churches in their state.) Dr Jack Trieber appeals for prayer.

 

COVID-19, Government Overreach, and Compromise

 In 1997 I pastored a small church I had planted in a small town in the state of Oregon. The thirteen years had been good to me. Our church was established, I was full time in the ministry and I enjoyed a good fellowship with a group of pastors from our state and that of Washington. I was scheduled to host a pastor’s meeting at our church. As that meeting grew near, I was contacted by a college in Southern California regarding the possibility of having their Executive Vice President and a group from the college at the meeting as representatives. As the college was associated with this group of pastors, I agreed. But then I did some research. I learned that the college had encouraged students to attend various conferences and events at nearby Grace Community Church, pastored by John MacArthur. At that news, I contacted the college and uninvited them to my church and the meeting. 

It is not that I am a MacArthur hater, I am not. But I do recognize that his ministry and that of Independent Baptists, is not the same. I viewed it as contrary to sound doctrine and to separation to support a movement that would encourage the blending of Independent Baptists with the practices, teachings, and doctrines of Grace Community Church and John MacArthur.

Apparently, I was not the only one who felt as I did. How the word got out, I do not know, but in very short order I began receiving phone calls and notes of congratulations from pastors, especially in Washington State, for my stand. I started getting invitations to preach in their churches and, just a few years later, I was the Executive Vice President of that very same college, since reclaimed by pastors who desired to walk in the old paths.

Let’s fast forward to 2020. The COVID-19 virus has changed our world in ways I am not sure we will ever recover from. The governors of Washington, Oregon, and California in particular have been extremists in their handling of the virus. Churches have been identified as potential “super-spreaders” of the China Virus. California has issued instructions that churches are not to assemble. For some time a number of them, perhaps most of the more well known of them, complied. Grace Community Church included. Of late, John MacArthur has reversed his compliance and in defiance of orders, has returned to the assembly of his congregation. A good number of Christians have applauded him for this stand. I for one pray he is successful.

Here comes the rub. I recently received a twitter message (tweet) with a photo of Paul Chappell and John MacArthur. The tweet, from Paul Chappell, reads, “Thankful to meet and pray with @johnmacarthur this morning. Pray for him as he stands for the biblical call to assemble and worship our God.” That tweet is followed by numerous statements congratulating Chappell for joining up with MacArthur. The only warnings I found were from men who would be considered troublemakers and doctrinally unsound themselves. Here are my problems with Chappell’s newfound fellowship with MacArthur.

The two have pastored in Southern California for more than forty years

Why is the COVID-19 crisis a reason to connect now? I understand that some suggest that this is a matter bigger than doctrine. That neither of the men has to compromise their own doctrines to join forces against this government overreach and that refusal to work together is tantamount to believers refusing to work together when Hitler took over Germany. 

The idea of ignoring our doctrines for a bigger battle is reasonable if there is no God. If the battle is religion versus government, then by all means all religions ought to cooperate to exert influence in the realms of politics. But God is. And God is bigger than the government. Therefore, to cooperate with God is of much greater importance than cooperating with bad doctrine. there is a reason the two men had never met. That reason remains despite the China virus.

It is one step into compromise

I realize it is only one step. It seems like a small step. It also seems like a reasonable step. There never has been a reason Paul Chappell and John MacArthur could not have met, shaken hands, and had a picture together. Human beings ought to be kind to one another. Each man has a right to worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience and, since they each have that right, there is no reason they cannot be kind to one another. This is different. This is a deliberate act of cooperation. This is one step into compromise and, with the first step, further steps become much easier.

The consequences of such a step are inestimable

I don’t know if Chappell will take further steps of compromise with MacArthur. I frankly doubt it. But he led by example and I am certain that less known pastors, many of whom have already taken those steps and congratulated Chappell for this, will see this as motivation to become even closer to MacArthur and his non-Baptist, non-fundamentalist, Protestant, Calvinistic movement. This is a subtle movement into the one-world church system. It is, perhaps a well-cloaked movement, but it heads the direction of one world religion nonetheless.

I will continue to pray for churches of all stripes all across the United States. Regardless of doctrine, history, or practice, they each have a right to worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience and government overreach against that right is a terribly dangerous thing. But I will remain separated. And I will urge anyone who will listen to do the same.

Marvin McKenzie

In the fields 

After Having COVID-19

My personal thoughts and opinions concerning this virus are,

First, we cannot stay isolated and sheltered forever.

This shelter at home and hide from the virus strategy is untenable in the long run. America’s vast wealth has sustained us for these several months but there has been a cost and it cannot continue.

Second, the longer we shelter the worse will be our recovery.

I understand that I am not a doctor, but I am convinced that the longer we isolate from others, the weaker our immune systems become. Sooner or later we will be forced out of our homes and from behind our masks and when the day comes, we will be more vulnerable than ever to colds, flu and illnesses we never dreamed of making us sick before. No amount of vitamin c and other immunity enhancers can take the place of our body’s own immunity defenses. They become compromised by hyper-cleanliness. When we come out of this shelter mode, we are likely to see a spike in illness and death from those common things we used to brush aside.

Third, A vaccine is not our enemy.

Thank God for vaccines that protect us from smallpox, polio, tuberculosis and etc. I am thankful for the medical expertise of those who have created these vaccines and pray for a quick and effective vaccine for COVID-19. I do not believe, however, that such should be mandatory. Those who choose to be vaccinated will be, effectively protected. They cannot be harmed by those who choose not to be vaccinated. The only one at risk is the one who has elected not to be vaccinated. A greater risk, in my opinion, is the issue of personal liberty.

Marvin McKenzie

In The Fields

My Covid Chronicles

My Covid Chronicles

July 3, 2020

We received word that Mrs.___________________ leading the ________________, tested positive for COVID 19. I offered to pay for motels for the team as they were in Washington and I was under the impression that they would be required to quarantine for 14 days. I learned later two of the girls had also tested positive and that the team decided to drive back. They canceled their summer tour.

July 5, 2020

I informed the families of our church that there had been positive COVID 19 and asked them to consider not going. They all chose to attend.

July 6, 2020

_____________________ ate dinner with Anita and me.

July 7, 2020

_____________________ mentioned a sore throat.

July 8, 2020

I was very light headed and weak legged after my workout. I didn’t think that much about it because it happens. It just lasted longer than normal. Also, I took a long nap in the afternoon.

July 9, 2020

I was so tired after my workout that I laid right down and slept several hours. I remember thinking that maybe I was having some sort of heart trouble. I was very weak and tired.

________________________________ had trouble preaching in the evening because of his throat.

July 10, 2020

I chose not to work out and felt fine throughout the day.

Speaker's sore throat seemed better.

July 11, 2020

Returned home. Felt fine.

July 12, 2020

I felt fine through the day but I did caution people in the church to practice social distancing more than usual

__________________ sent me a text informing me that his dad had COVID and that he got it from camp.

July 13, 2020

_______________________ called me this morning and confirmed the same. He said that he came home with a sore throat “and other COVID symptoms” and was concerned so he stayed home from church. He was able to get a test for COVID up in Everett and it is positive. He and his wife are going to go camping for two weeks to isolate themselves.

No word from them about contact tracing.

July 16, 2020

I received a message from Pastor ________________________ that he had tested positive for the COVID 19 virus. I was on my way to Anacortes to celebrate my son's birthday. I called him and we decided not to come at this time. When I got home I then made an announcement to our church that we would be returning to strictly online, FM, and tabernacle services until the 26th of July. This is an attempt to isolate due to COVID. The ladies' garage sale is supposed to be this weekend. So many of those who would have participated in it were involved either directly or indirectly that we had to cancel that too. My understanding is that Mrs __________________ went to be tested. I also heard that A____________________ was tested. Neither have gotten their results yet. So far from those who were at the camp: my wife, and I have had head or chest cold symptoms but no fever. S_____________, A_____________________ and R__________ had low grade fevers for less than 24 hours. Those who were in contact with those who went to camp and have had symptoms are, R_____________________ who drove R___________ home, Mrs O____________________ and Mr H____, 

July 19, 2020

I preached all day with no trouble. Felt fine with perhaps a slight cough.

July 20, 2020

We began our “isolation vacation” as Caleb called, it feeling fairly well. We went to Rapjohn and kayaked in the evening.

July 21, 2020

I had a cough but we went for a bicycle ride. 15 miles out and back. I could tell at the turn around point I was getting tired. By the time I got home, I did not feel well. Chose not to eat. Thought I had like a heat stroke. Used icepacks and a cool bath to cool down. 

July 22, 2020 

Slept 19 hours and could have slept a couple more.

July 23, 2020

I was feeling fairly well. I went on a shorter bicycle ride but I got chills at the turnaround. The ride back to the car was miserable. Anita drove us home while I slept. Did not eat tonight either.

July 24, 2020

Home with long naps. High temps and then swings to cold. Bad cough. I tried to see my doctor but he would not see me unless I had a COVID test. Cough is bad at night.

July 25, 2020

I went to Good Sam ER for the COVID test. They said my lungs sounded clear. Bad cough through the night.

Began taking, Quercetin (2000 mg/day), iodine (5mg/day)

July 26, 2020

Still isolated. Cough continues. Temperature swings continue. Nothing too high - 99.9, then down to 95.

Began taking zinc and vitamin a

July 27, 2020

The cough was much improved overnight. No temp swings today.

July 28, 2020

Slept well with no coughing episodes. Still have slight congestion. Coughed up a small amount of phlegm with color for the first time in the morning. No temperature swings

Test results for COVID returned positive. I was advised to self-quarantine for 7 days or 72 hours from my last high temperature, whichever is longer.

July 29, 2020

My chest became heavy with congestion about an hour before bedtime. I took a full dose of NyQuil at bedtime. No coughs through the night. I had a slight amount of congestion and cough when I woke up but it was slight.

Smell and taste have, for the most part, returned.

July 31, 2020

Congestion around bedtime continues to be a problem. I am taking a full dose of NyQuil before I go to sleep. I have not had to take Ibuprofin or Tylenol for several days. I nap still feels good but I am not exhausted all day. I have been noticeably lightheaded yesterday and today, perhaps more so today. I think that is the result of so much NyQuil in my system. 

August 1, 2020

I took NyQuil again last night. Although a cough had returned, my chest did not feel as heavy. I woke up, however, with some heaviness and have been coughing up quite a lot of phlegm this morning.

August 5. 2020

I was released from quarantine yesterday. I feel very well except for slight congestion in the center of my chest. It feels like about the size of a softball. It also makes me have to force my voice a little bit to speak. Some people would probably I spoke a little less anyway. :-)

August 6, 2020

I slept for the first time without NyQuil last night. It was no trouble at all. I think I felt less groggy this morning. Today the "softball-sized" area of congestion is gone but I have a general and persistent cough. I continue to feel like I have to force out enough air to speak.

August 7, 2020

By afternoon yesterday, my cough was fairly persistent. I considered taking a half dose of NyQuil at bedtime but resisted. I feel maybe 90-95% this morning. Very slight cough. My left ear is plugged.

August 8, 2020

It was July 8, a full month ago, that I first had a symptom for the COVID-19. Today I am going to declare myself fully recovered. I may still be slightly weakened, but symptoms are gone.

Praise the Lord.

Marvin McKenzie

In the fields

The Effeminizing of America and Covid-19

The effects of effeminization in America has been a matter of concern for some decades now. 

First, there was a rush of popular musicians who manipulated their physical features to appear more feminine, and the girls loved it. It seemed like the more like girls they looked, the more the girls thought they were “cute.” The push for equal rights has made it almost shameful to be manly. To be a strong provider, to be a leader in the home, or for that matter, in the world, and to be a male, is thought of as brutish.

America’s leadership from the highest government offices, to even the pulpits, have been yielded, in many cases, to women. Some churches have recognized the problem and have attempted a resistance with “men’s advances,” “man up conferences,” and all the like. I think it is probably too little too late.

Now we have to coronavirus crisis, and it seems to me that the typical reaction is an effeminate one. Almost every governor in our country, Democrat and Republican (ironically except for a powerful woman governor - she’s more manly than many of the men leading our nation) has taken to responding to this virus like a motherly figure rather than a manly one. Their instinct has been to hover over, to fret about, to overprotect for the purpose of saving lives. It has been at the expense of liberty of life.

I understand. It’s a mom’s place to nurture and to protect, to care for her children under her wings. She weeps emotionally, bitterly at the thought of any hardship to come upon her brood. We all loved to be loved upon.

But no advance happens in the shadow of mom’s apron. Enter the role of the fathers. The masculine figure has always been one to embrace conquest. Exploration, experimentation, and discovery always come with risk, as does liberty.

·      Patrick Henry’s mother would surely have wished him to keep his thoughts “Give me liberty or give me death” to himself

·      Nathan Hale’s mother most assuredly would have rather he was never required to say, “I regret I have but one life to give for my country.”

History is filled with brave men whose mothers surely fretted for their boys.

·      Alan Shepherd, John Glenn, Neil Armstrong

·      Brave soldiers who hazarded everything for their country.

Who doesn’t think the mothers of those signers of our Declaration of Independence and thereby pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor would rather have coddled them?

No caring soul wishes another human being to contract the coronavirus, suffer, and to die from it. None of us, with any sense of decency, would knowingly or willfully infect another human being, knowing it will likely kill him or her. But there is the trouble. It will not probably kill him or her. Yes, some will contract the coronavirus, develop a complication, and die. No one wants to die before their time, but all of us will die. A few of us will die from the coronavirus. We must not allow a motherly, effeminate, emasculated fear to drive us under the apron strings and lose the precious gift of life and liberty.

 

Marvin McKenzie

In the fields

 

 

Key Truths for Christians in Times of Persecution

Key Truths for Christians in Times of Persecution

We ought to obey God rather than men.[1]

Our first priority is to our LORD. Remember, however, this is in all points of the Word and not just our favorite points. We ought to obey God in those areas of Scriptural instruction we personally don’t care for. 

We are to obey every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake.[2]

When we disobey laws we dislike but are not in direct violation of the Word of God, we directly violate the Word of God. This spoils our testimony and weakens our argument about obeying God. If we are going to “obey God rather than men” we had better make sure we obey the ordinance of men in every other possible way.

We are to pray for, respect, and (I believe) love[3] those in authority.[4]

Daniel certainly loved Nebuchadnezzar. He had respect for Darius. John Bunyan demonstrated great respect for Judge Wingate.[5]

Marvin McKenzie

In the fields

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[1] Acts 5:29 (KJV)

Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

[2] 1 Peter 2:13 (KJV)

Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;

[3] Romans 13:8 (KJV)

Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

[4] 1 Timothy 2:1-3 (KJV)

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

[5] This is, of course, not an argument from Scripture, but Bunyon’s trial does represent an important document in Baptist history and sets an example for Baptists in times of persecution.

The SCOTUS Decision of May 29, 2020

The decision rendered by the Supreme Court of the United States May 29, 2020[1] reveals I believe, just how complex the issue of the right to assemble is under the duress of a pandemic. The justices, for the most part, split along ideological lines. The liberal-leaning justices voted in favor of the authority of the governor of California. The conservative-leaning ones voted in favor of the church’s first amendment right to assemble and worship. The swing vote was John Roberts, a moderate leaning conservative. 

In Justice Roberts’ opinion he said, “Although California’s guidelines place restrictions on places of worship, those restrictions appear consistent with the free exercise clause of the First Amendment,” 

“Similar or more severe restrictions apply to comparable secular gatherings, including lectures, concerts, movie showings, spectator sports, and theatrical performances, where large groups of people gather in close proximity for extended periods of time,” the chief justice wrote. “And the order exempts or treats more leniently only dissimilar activities, such as operating grocery stores, banks, and laundromats, in which people neither congregate in large groups nor remain in close proximity for extended periods.”

He recognized that severe[2] restrictions have been placed upon all sorts of secular gatherings. The point, whether well-founded or not, is that these sorts of gatherings are easy places for the Chinese virus to spread. The more liberal opinion in our country views this virus as dangerous. The more conservative in our land see it as dangerous but no more so than the typical flu. I disagree with the governor of California just as I do with our own. I do not necessarily see an aggressive posture against churches unless it is that these governors view churches as of lesser importance than movie theaters, concerts and etc.

In the opposing opinion, Justice Kavanaugh wrote that the state cannot, “‘assume the worst when people go to worship but assume the best when people go to work or go about the rest of their daily lives in permitted social settings.’”

I maintain that: 

·      This virus is not as dangerous as people were led to believe, that 

·      Liberal governors have chosen to use the fear that has spread to advance an agenda of their own and unrelated to the virus and therefore

·      We cannot win this thing merely by legal means, but we must use sound persuasion to convince people to not fear

Marvin McKenzie

In the fields for our Lord

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[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/30/us/supreme-court-churches-coronavirus.html?fbclid=IwAR2cu83Om0V6i4FuzWeSSmis4PwdiPiRkplLMy-yenBf1juZ8JkZObwc1s8

[2] In my opinion too severe.

Perception vs Perspective

“Perception is what you interpret - it is your understanding of a given situation, person, or object. It is the meaning you assign to any given stimulus. Perspective is your point of view - it's the lens you see the world through and determines how you view yourself, others, and everything else around you.”[1]

I’ve been thinking a lot about perceptions d perspective lately. So many of our actions and attitudes derive from one or the other. Perception is most often the result of perspective. We interpret a thing the way we see the thing. 

Pastors today are forced to make decisions whether to open their services illegally, remain totally compliant to government mandates, or attempt some sort of combination. I find that the decisions they make have a great deal to do with perspective and that with perception. 

Recently I spoke with a pastor who says he’s had it with government orders and he’s opening his church to services. He explained to me that “we expect our missionaries to go to foreign fields and break the law for the sake of the gospel. Why should we do less?” Frankly, I didn’t respond. But I did begin to think. In my experience, from my perspective, the last thing anyone has ever expected of our missionaries is that they would break the law. From my perspective missionaries take great pains to obey the laws of the lands they seek to minister. They go to open countries. They get their support from the U.S. so as not to be a drain on the mission field’s economy. They often dress like the culture of the mission field. I have heard of a few missionaries who have been shady in the dealings with governments[2] but, from my perspective, those missionaries are always marginalized by the majority of missionaries. 

I spoke with a pastor just the other day about our Anabaptist forebears, as I consider what I know of them to aide me in my own decisions. His response was, “I don’t mean to be argumentative, but wouldn’t we dismiss the Anabaptists as not good Baptists?” From his perspective, complying with governments as the Protestants and most Baptists in the U.S. do has worked out well. Why would we want to consider the Anabaptist doctrine of separation of church and state? He would like to return to Pre-COVID19 practice because, in his perspective, it’s worked well. My perspective is slightly different. I tend to agree with old B.R. Lakin who, in the 1950’s I think said that churches in America could be successful doing what they are doing without God. Whether he actually said it, I am not sure. I’m taking the word of a preacher from his day. What I am sure of is that nothing in church has improved since then. 

My perspective gives me the perception that this would be a grand time for God to bring revival.

Marvin McKenzie

In the fields (praying)

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[1] A Google search yielded this from onboardonline.com.

[2] Bribing to grease the wheels they want turned.

Chief Concerns over Re-opening Church

I just finished listening to David Gibbs III of the National Center for Life and Liberty, his video of recommendations dated May 13, 2020. I have also obtained and read the guidance PDF from David Gibbs II of the Christian Law Association. Both guidance recommends strong precautionary measures from the parking lot, into the building, and while inside the church building, all guidelines meant to minimize the risk of contracting Coronavirus for those in attendance and to limit the liability of the church in case of legal action. Both organizations seem to believe that we will never go back to “life as we knew it.” NCLL recommends that everything done in the church is documented, preferably on video:

·      A posted notice of disclaimer that by attending our services the attendee assumes responsibility for their own health and will not seek legal action against the church should they get ill as a result of attending.

·      The disinfecting procedures

·      The safe distancing measures and

·      Any contact the church might have with authorities.

Some of my chief concerns, when we return to the House of God is that I do not believe we can allow the scare that the media and the government fomented over this virus, to place us in a state of “new normal”. 

·      I am unwilling to meet under conditions of having to document everything we do from the parking lot to building for safety’s sake[1]

·      I am unwilling to accept that the people of God will no longer be allowed to show reasonable affection and care for one another while in the house of the Lord

·      I am unwilling to document who does and does not attend for the sake of government contact and surveilling 

·      I may be willing to allow for those who deem it necessary to wear masks, but I unwilling to require, or even recommend it

To return to church assembly with restrictions sets a precedent, in my opinion, giving the government ever-increasing authority over church worship. We must return with the same liberties that we had previously, or else we have given liberties I do not believe we can afford to lose.

Marvin McKenzie

In the fields, (resisting new normals)

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[1] On a practical level, I simply know we will never do it well enough to meet the standard. I want our church to be an informal and reverential place of worship and not a business-like atmosphere.