Oh, No, Canada! More Pastors Are Being Thrown in Jail
Canadian pastor Tobias Tissen of Steinbach, Manitoba, won’t be released from jail until he agrees to stop preaching in church.
Jesus’ prophecy in Matthew 24:9 has always stood the test of time. Right now, in Canada, however, his words have never rang truer:
“Then they will hand you over to be persecuted and will kill you. And you will be hated for all nations for my name’s sake” (MEV).
Stories of Canadian pastors like Artur Pawlowski have become, without much help from the secular media, widely known worldwide. Pawlowski has been jailed multiple times and found guilty of contempt for “violating COVID-19 health orders by organizing, promoting and attending church serves,” that allegedly, “flouted rules on masking and physical distancing.”
CBN News reported that Tissen, who was arrested last week for also reportedly violating COVID-19 health orders, spent an extra night in jail after police said he wouldn’t be released until he agreed to stop preaching in church.
Tissen was detained by police during a traffic stop on Oct. 18. A warrant had be issued for his arrest in May over a health order prohibiting outdoor gatherings of more than five people, Fox News reported.
Tissen’s bail hearing was originally scheduled for Oct. 19, but the courts pushed it back after le learned aotu the restrictions laid out by authorities that would prevent him from performing his pastoral duties.
Tissen’s church and several others have filed lawsuits against the province of Manitoba over the extreme COVID-19 restrictions.
The preacher says the attacks by the police are “a fight between good and evil” and that he is praying and reflecting upon the darkness that has come not only against his country but the world in general.
“They’re targeting those public figures that are in the lead who are fighting against evil,” Tissen told Fox News. “In Ephesians, it says we’re fighting against spiritual wickedness in high places and principalities and powers. That’s it, right now, what we see. And they’re after all of us who are giving to god what belongs to God and to Caesar what belongs to Caesar.
“But now, Caesar wants that which belongs to God. As Christians, we just cannot. We simply cannot comply with that.”
Christian leaders shown an outpouring of support for these Canadian pastors.
“What’s happening in Canada should concern freedom-loving people everywhere,” evangelist Franklin Graham shared on Facebook. “It is extremely disturbing as it relates to pastors and churches being targeted. Earlier this month, the Canadian Prime Minister announced some of the world’s strictest COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Be sure to pray for Pastor Tissen and his church.”
Pawlowski tweeted, “When authorities do these kinds of things, we know that the judgment on the land will be very severe.”
Pastor Henry Hildebrandt with Church of God in Ontario tweeted that preachers aren’t being arrested for committing crimes, rather for the sake of the gospel. But remember the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:10, which reads, “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
“Two pastors sitting in jail, IN CANADA. Don’t get callous to this reality,” Hildebrandt tweeted. “Not for criminal activity, but because they refuse to follow unlawful, unconstitutional, and—most importantly—unbiblical public health mandates.”
Two pastors sitting in jail, IN CANADA. Don’t get callous to this reality. Not for criminal activity, but because they refuse to follow unlawful, unconstitutional, and – most importantly – unbiblical public health mandates.#freepastortobias #freepastorphil #standwithGod pic.twitter.com/5Al548DuZ0
— Pastor Henry Hildebrandt (@aylmerpastor) October 19, 2021
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