Monday, August 10, 2020, 8:55 am | Randy Thomasson
…and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. Acts 5:40-42
I want to publicly commend the California pastors who have reopened for in-person congregational meetings. In addition to acknowledging virus science and history, which informs them that the COVID-19 scare and unprecedented lockdown have been grossly overblown for evil purposes, these pastors have not forgotten or “justified away” their Biblical commands to preach, assemble, and fellowship. And they haven’t forgotten or disregarded their First Amendment guarantee of “free exercise…of religion.”
Every pastor who has reopened despite warnings or threats is showing his loyalty to King Jesus. This is not a comprehensive list, but prominent pastors taking this Biblical stand include:
Rob McCoy of Godspeak Calvary Chapel in Newbury Park (Ventura County) Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel in Chino Hills (San Bernardino County) Tim Thompson of 412 Church in Murrieta (Riverside County) John MacArthur of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley (Los Angeles County) Greg Farrington of Destiny Christian Church in Rocklin (Placer County) Jon Duncan of Cross Culture Christian Center in Lodi (San Joaquin County) Jim Franklin of Cornerstone Church in Fresno
What’s more, there are 3,000 other California pastors who previously committed to reopen earlier this year, in defiance of Gavin Newsom.
Who are these pastors? Their resistance to tyranny shows they’re men who are loyal to the New Testament, who know the guarantee of the First Amendment, and who recognize the threat of dying from COVID-19 is less than the seasonal flu. So it’s Christian for them to reopen — and stay open — for church fellowship and corporate worship of the Risen Lord Jesus Christ. They are your role models for obeying God despite pain or loss.
No threat of a politician or judge will stop them. Neither will they submit to the unscientific, unconstitutional bullying of a public health officer. For the Word of God and the written U.S. Constitution are above these tyrants. Making this all the easier is few police are motivated to hassle pastors beyond mere warnings, if even that.
This current test of pastors is so important. For if a pastor avoids conflict and doesn’t study facts, isn’t this tantamount to avoiding pain (loving pleasure) and being a people-pleaser? Quite frankly, unless Biblical pastors get some hair on their chests now, in the face of verbal opposition and this mild oppression, how easy will it be for them — and their congregations — to, in the future, cave to even more government persecution, more infringement of constitutional liberties, and eventually, avoiding martyrdom by doing the will of the Antichrist?
Now is a time for testing — and training — of those who are true worshipers, who worship God in spirit and truth.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.” Jesus Christ in John 10:11-13
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith — the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:6-9
“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, ‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life: “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”‘ Revelation (of Jesus Christ) 2:8-11
Saturday, April 4, 2020, 9:10 am | Randy Thomasson
Do you realize how, right now, you can powerfully influence your children’s or grandchildren’s minds and lives? You can give them what the government schools refuse to teach — the truth about life!
With today’s schools and media bombarding kids with lies about their origins, their bodies, and their purpose, you can equip kids with the “what” and “why” of our very existence.
Just imagine the benefits of young people learning how to spot the lies in our culture.
Imagine the conversations they could have, once bolstered with rock-solid facts.
And imagine how children’s eventual questions can be answered now. Questions like, “Who am I?” “Where did I come from?” “Why am I here?” and “Where am I going?”
To equip you for greatness, SaveCalifornia.com has found powerful, free videos for you to watch with your children or grandchildren. Watch and talk about them!
The Privileged Planet (by Illustra Media, based on the book with the same title by Jay Richards and Guillermo Gonzalez)
Intelligent Design 3.0 (Stephen Meyer and Doug Axe discuss the advances of Intelligent Design Theory and the faltering Neo-Darwinian mechanisms behind creative change.
Stephen Meyer’s presentation on God and the Origin of the Universe “What if the discoveries of science actually lend support to belief in God?”
The Case for Christ for Kids by Lee Strobel “Equip your 8- to 12-year-olds to defend their faith in an unbelieving world”
“The controversy between Darwinism and intelligent design has the characteristics of major scientific revolutions in the past. Darwinists are losing power because they treat with contempt the very people on whom they depend the most: American taxpayers. The outcome of this scientific revolution will be decided by young people who have the courage to question dogmatism and follow the evidence wherever it leads.” Jonathan Wells, The Politically Incorrect Guide to Darwinism and Intelligent Design
First off, I want to thank you for voting, and for anything you did to help other people vote for what’s right in God’s sight.
There were several victories in California’s just-concluded primary election, and real opportunities for California’s general election. In light of this, I want to encourage you to get personally involved in support for a candidate with rock-solid values who can win in November. And I call on every biblical pastor to lead his flock to vote as an exercise of loving King Jesus, loving their neighbors, hating evil, and clinging to what’s good.
Because freedom is not free, and all who claim a relationship with the Savior Jesus Christ must actively promote good in our culture and government. Because love is active, it must enter the public arena. “Abandonment theology” is unbiblical and unChristian!
While the remaining votes are still being counted, here are California election results you should be excited about…
1. California voters rejected $27 BILLION in wasteful new debt that had the faces of the educrats and Governor Gavin Newsom all over it:
The rejection of the government-school establishment’s Proposition 13 on the March 3, 2020 ballot means more Californians “get it” that they can’t trust the same people who have dumbed down our children. It also showed how some liberals and conservatives were confused over the new “Prop. 13,” thinking it had something to do with 1978’s original Proposition 13 property tax protection, so some opposed it for that reason. But we’ll take the win either way, won’t we?
Yet do you realize this was the first defeat of a California statewide “school construction and repair” bond in 18 years? Four times since 2002, California voters have approved what they thought was “free money” to “repair schools,” but which actually locked California families into financial bondage, worse government, and worse schools.
So the voters saying no to this expensive and wasteful bond is historic. It’s also why the Liberal Left (i.e., Democrat politicians, Democrat bureaucrats, Democrat union bosses, Democrat activists, and Democrat donors), which wants you to vote this November to dramatically increase property taxes on commercial property to “increase funding for public schools,” is worried.
2. Pro-family Californians can help take back Congress in 2020:
Since 2018 was the Liberal Left’s high point, when they took control of the U.S. House of Representatives and solidified their super-super-majority in the California Legislature, 2020 can more easily be a rebound for moral, social, and fiscal conservative values, if pro-family conservatives (including biblical pastors) will simply rise up and be counted.
California could help reform the House of Representatives in November. Because there are several California congressional seats that could flip from Democrat to Republican:
CD 7 in south Sacramento County: Could conservative fighter Buzz Patterson oust liberal Democrat Ami Bera? He might come close. In the primary election vote count, Patterson got only 7,000 votes less than Bera. This seat was held by Republican Dan Lungren until the 2012 election.
CD 10 in Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties: Strong conservative Ted Howze has won the chance to try to take out Democrat incumbent Josh Harder in this strategic seat that was held by Republican Jeff Denham until the 2018 election.
CD 16 in Fresno, Madera, and Merced counties: In the heart of the San Joaquin Valley, can conservative Republican Kevin Cookingham oust Democrat incumbent Jim Costa? If this is a popularity contest, the Republican just received more votes than the Democrat.
CD 21 in Fresno, Kings, Tulare, and Kern counties: This Central Valley area that grows much of California’s fruits and vegetables could flip back to Republican David Valadao, who received 7,000 votes more than his Democrat opponent, the current congressman, T.J. Cox. (Valadao held this seat until the 2018 election.)
CD 24 in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties: Pro-family talk-show host and activist Andy Caldwell is one to watch. While 12,000 votes behind the Democrat incumbent, Salud Carbajal, Andy’s quite the fighter and could narrow that gap.
CD 25 in Simi Valley in Ventura County and the Los Angeles County communities of Santa Clarita, Valencia, Newhall, Palmdale, and Lancaster: For pro-family conservative Mike Garcia to trump former congressman, pro-transsexuality Republican Steve Knight, by more than 4,000 votes means November will be a clear choice between Garcia and his Democrat opponent, Christy Smith, who votes like the district’s former Democrat congresswoman, Katie Hill, a bisexuality activist.
CD 39 in Fullerton, La Habra, La Habra Heights, Brea, Buena Park, Anaheim Hills, Placentia, Yorba Linda, Diamond Bar, Chino Hills, Hacienda Heights and Rowland Heights: In this conservative district straddling the border of Los Angeles, Orange, and San Bernardino counties, Republican Young Kim received nearly 7,000 more votes than the incumbent, Democrat Gil Cisneros. If Kim would promise to stop voting part pro-family, part pro-“LGBTQIA+” like she did during her time in the California State Assembly, she could become a pro-family hero who restores this district, which was a Republican mainstay under former Congressman Ed Royce, who did not run in 2018.
CD 41 in the western Riverside County communities of Eastvale, Jurupa Valley, Riverside, Moreno Valley and Perris: Republican Aja Smith is back, and this time her vote totals are a lot closer to that of incumbent Democrat Mark Takano. Until 2012, this seat was held by Republican Jerry Lewis, who retired the same time the district was redrawn.
CD 45 in the Orange County communities of Irvine, Tustin, North Tustin, Villa Park, Orange, Laguna Hills, Lake Forest, and Rancho Santa Margarita: This seatcould flip back Republican, since in this primary election, all the Republican challengers combined received more votes than the very liberal Democrat incumbent, Katie Porter. In the November runoff will be Porter and law-and-order Republican Greg Raths. Until beaten in the 2018 election, this seat was held by Republican Mimi Walters.
CD 48 on the coast of Orange County: This former Republican district now has Democrat Harley Rouda, who, in this primary election, received fewer votes than all his Republican challengers put together. Facing off with Rouda in the general election is Michelle Steel, a stalwart conservative. This congressional seat was held by Republican Dana Rohrabacher until the 2018 election.
CD 49 on the north coast of San Diego County and the southernmost part of Orange County: This is another former Republican district that could swing back Republican, since, in the primary election, Republican Brian Maryott is only 7,000 votes lower than incumbent Democrat Mike Levin. Until the 2018 election, this seat was held by Republican Darrell Issa, who declined to run that year.
There’s more election news and SaveCalifornia.com is still tabulating results. But for now, will you commit to shine your light in this year’s election? Together, let’s pursue victory!
Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? Psalm 94:16
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