Stockton Baptist Church

HORSE'S MOUTH. After the Governor put out Executive Order 20-16 on Saturday, March 28, it seemed to differ from her EO 20-14 from March 24 leaving our church, and many others, scrambling to find alternatives to meeting in person. On Monday morning, March 30, I figured the fastest way to find the truth was to go straight to the "horse's mouth," as the saying goes. Upon calling the Governor's office, I was told that EO 20-14 still applied to churches allowing meetings to continue - as long as social distancing was maintained. Although we could legally meet, we've decided not to due to abundance of caution to protect each other. The bottom line is that it's best to go straight to the source. Application - with all the unknowns with the virus, our economy, homeschooling, etc., if there was ever a time for genuine Christians to go straight to the Source of our faith, it's now. In our isolation, our God-given source of encouragement is God's Word! Interestingly, with Resurrection Sunday this weekend, it was on Thursday before Jesus' crucifixion on Friday that He told His Disciples they were about to face a great trial. Jesus told them, "Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own home...." (John 16:32). Sound familiar??? The Disciples had spent 3 years walking with Jesus, being taught by Him, seeing His compassion as He healed the hurting. But now...they would no longer have Jesus, their Rock, to lean on. They wouldn't even have each other to cling to. No, Jesus indicated they would suffer through their fears of the unknown by themselves. My concern for true believers today is that we will "leave Jesus alone." Yes, we're scattered and will "suffer" through many unknowns, but we desperately need to go to the horse's mouth, God's Word, and be fed. As Jesus said, "In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).