Tag: John MacArthur

Categories
Church Featured Righteous Defiance

John MacArthur on Defying Courts: ‘I Don’t Mind Being a Little Apostolic if they want to Tuck me into Jail…Bring it on’

Pastor John MacArthur of Grace Community Church appeared on Laura Ingraham ‘The Ingram Angle’ last night for a brief chat and update on his situation with being ordered to ceast and desist from having indoor services . Explaining why it’s so important to stand up to onerous edicts, Macarthur stated that the government leaders are going against the constitution and reiterating that the odds of getting the novel coronavirus are 1/100th of 1%, saying it’s not a legitimate basis for eliminating worship.

“The constitution supports us, and by the way, I am so thankful that President Trump has told me personally that he supports the church as essential, and that the churches need to stay open. So with the constitution on our side and the president’s backing, we’re open.”

Ingram references Kamala Haris saying that the United States needs to have a ‘time of crisis’ mentality as they did during World War 2, where society sacrificed for the needs of the collective. In this case, shutting down churches where the coronavirus may spread for the sake of the community. Ingram asks if that’s where America is now, and MacArthur rejects the idea

“The church preaches the gospel of Jesus Christ- that Jesus died and rose again and is the only source of eternal salvation. The church doesn’t exist to make sure it navigates around politicians whims, the church exists in the world to preach the saving gospel of Christ. We’re not concerned about the flu, we’re concerned about eternity, eternal life, salvation, and the more dire circumstances become in the world around us, the more critical, the more essential the church becomes and the more important the gospel becomes.

I’ll tell you something, our church is literally flooded with people. We have them in every nook and cranny, jammed together, inside, outside, on several floors, in our children’s education building, in the gym, in a tent outside. They’re flooding the place to hear the message of forgiveness and salvation in a time where fear is being propagated on every street.”

Ingraham, a Roman Catholic, says that admires MacArthur’s conviction, courage and strength, describing it as admirable and inspiring and relates how disappointed she is that her own Church has rolled over and has been hesitant to return. Praising MacArthur for his willingness to preach and face jail time, she asks whether or not Gavin Newsom threatened to do anything to MacArthur personally for defying his orders.

No, not personally, but we received a letter with a threat saying that we could be fined or I could go to jail for a maximum of 6 months. Of course, my biblical hero apart from the Lord Jesus Christ is the Apostle Paul. And when he went into a town he didn’t ask what the hotel was like, he asked what the jail was like because he knew that’s where he was gonna spend his time. So I don’t mind being a little apostolic if they want to tuck me into jail. I’m open for a jail ministry. I’ve done a lot of other ministries and I haven’t had the opportunity to do that one, so bring it on.

Categories
Breaking Featured Righteous Defiance

Exclusive: Calif. Health Department Church Investigator Reveals Details of Grace Church Visits


The BibleThumpingWingnut, (BTWN) friends of the channel who host the Polemic Report and who have been routinely been posting regular breaking updates to the Grace Church saga, have been in contact with a worker for the LA County Health Department tasked with overseeing non-compliant churches who are refusing to shut down as per Governor Gavin Newsom’s orders.

This worker’s identity has been verified to be authentic and has provided BTWN with exclusive information not seen anywhere else. We read from the provided letter, which has been modified to protect the identity of the worker, where he shares more details of this particular case, but also reveals the support that Pastor MacArthur has within the LA County Health Department who are talked to enforce the policies against their will and desires.

“Good afternoon sir, I am a new listener to your network. I work for the L.A County Health Department. I can email you from my government account if you would like me to verify. I have been assigned to investigate churches.

Today, Grace community allowed the health department inside and we got paid to sit through church. The dream come true. The health department will write up Grace community Church for $500 every Sunday for violating the health officer order, just letting people worship inside.

In the past, the LA County Health Department was penalizing the church for two different things. One was interfering with the duties of a health officer, not allowing them inside. The other was, breaking the health officer order by allowing people inside.

Both of those fines equal to $1,000, $500 for each. Now that Grace is letting the health department in, the maximum they can get fined is $500. I think it’s funny that the court ruled in favor of the county, but now every week the penalties will be less and less.

Many churches are accepting the $500 fine every week so that they can have indoor services. Do you have any questions? If so let me know. Obviously I am super busy with all this nonsense but I’m happy to help in any way.

I will say, MacArthur does state a lot of things that are misleading and some that are straight out wrong. But I am on his side 100%.”

Tim Hurd, the man behind BTWN doing the Lord’s work, then asks the worker a few clarifying comments and receives these answers.

Q: How many health officials visited Grace today?

A total of two health officers visited Grace today. I do not mind you sharing what I share with you, but please keep me anonymous. You can say “a guy that works for the health department” or whatever you choose, just keep my name anonymous. Me and two other guys work all the churches in the county. Two of the three of us are strong Christians. I am involved with five other churches every week.

Q: Are you a born again Christian?

I am a Christian. Christ is the center of my life and the only reason I do what I do. I have two children and I stay at home life, by the grace of God I am what I am.

-How much of the info you’ve included in your email can I share publicly?

Anything I tell you, you may say. And I will keep you updated with everything that I know. I think it is important that people know what is going on on the level where the rubber hits the road. Honestly, 90% of the health department is disgusted by laws that are being implemented. It’s just the tip of the spear that makes laws, and then embarrasses us by making us enforce it. For the record, there’s a lot of people who do not enforce things because they do not believe it is right.

Categories
Breaking Featured Righteous Defiance

John MacArthur Defied a Court Order this Morning and Had In-person Services. This is what Happened

Pastor MacArthur defied a preliminary injunction against him and Grace Community Church by an L.A court that prohibited them from having indoor services, setting himself up to be charged with a $1000 fine and face jail time for refusing to abide by the court ruling.

Speaking in front of a packed congregation, MacArthur was greeted by an almost 30-second standing ovation, with the church cheering him and thanking him for not bowing to Los Angeles County Health official’s efforts to shut him down.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1305199224607268865


MacArthur addressed one of the main questions he was receiving; why not just abide by the court order and have outdoor services, which they are allowed to do? The Shepherd explaining that to do so would practically and destroy their services and their ability to properly and effectively preach the gospel and serve the congregation. He said:

“You people are out of control. Are you happy to be at church?

Before we begin, the question has come up a number of times about why Grace church does not just comply with the orders that have been laid down for churches. And I thought it might be helpful to give you the list of things that are required of us as a church so that you understand how utterly impossible that would be. Here are the basic orders.

-No indoor meetings at all
-Pre-registration of every person who comes on the church property
-People only allowed on church property for scheduled events
-Every person who comes on the property is to be screened and have their temperature taken at the entry
-We all must maintain 6 feet of social distance at all times everywhere, including the parking lot and the restrooms
-Every other parking space must be left vacant
-Marked pathways to maintain social distance.
-Keeping people apart by staff monitors
-Everyone always wearing a mask
-Restroom monitors to control 6 feet social distancing at restrooms
-Tape on the ground marking distance
-Signs indicating these mandates and also full exposure on social media
restrooms are to be used during the service to minimize the rush. That would be interesting.
-No hymnbooks
-No communion
-No offering containers
-No pew bibles
-No singing
-No hugging
-No shaking hands
-Disposable seat covers changed between services
-And the services have to be shortened (laughter from congregation) that’s not a problem for me, right?

And based upon the separation, we could only meet in the tent with a maximum of 350-400 people (GCC has 10 times that on a regular Sunday) You can see these are the requirements that would completely shut the church down. Anyone who comes in contact with someone outside their family for more than 15 minutes must self-quarantine for 2 weeks.

Obviously this is not constitutional, but more importantly it goes against the will of the Lord of the church who calls us to gather, amen? So look at the person next to you and say ‘I don’t know who you are but I’m so glad I’m sitting next to you.’

Categories
Featured News Righteous Defiance

John MacArthur set to have Church this Morning in Defiance of Court Order: Here’s the Punishment he Faces

John MacArthur, pastor of Grace Community Church (GCC) has indicated that he will have indoor services this morning, in defiance of a preliminary injunction granted by a Los Angeles judge that prohibits him from doing so.

On Thursday L.A. County Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff sided with the public health officials hell-bent on shutting down CGG, giving the adversarial officials a win after a string of losses against the church.

The judge overseeing the case ruled that the MacArthur-led megachurch would be barred from having indoor services this coming Sunday as well as every other Sunday for the foreseeable future, arguing that the church being open is an “immediate threat to public health and safety due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

With the County obtaining a preliminary injunction, it means that GCC cannot meet indoors until it is resolved, but may still meet outside, so long as they socially distance, wear face masks, and meet in smaller groups. Judge Beckloff wrote in his decision:

But MacArthur has indicated he will defy those orders, telling Shannon Bream in a Fox News interview friday night “We’re going to have Church on Sunday. There is absolutely no reason not to have church as far as safety goes….Plus we’re under the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ and he says have church, and we’re gonna have it.“

In an op-ed posted this morning by pastor MacArthur on the Daily Wire, he elaborated on his motivations for defying the injunction, writing:

Churches must keep the priorities in order. We cannot sacrifice robust spiritual health, the preaching of the gospel, and the gathering of the church for worship under the power of divine truth in order to guard people from something that is only slightly more threatening than the seasonal flu. We don’t ‘save lives’ in any way that counts for eternity by putting a muzzle on our public proclamation of the Word of life.

Speaking of the commission and purpose for the church, MacArthur asks:

Could anything be more callous than to cause people to fear a virus and then shut them off from the only source where they can have that ultimate fear finally and completely removed?

We, the church, cannot relinquish our duties before God in order to appease the arbitrary, mercurial, and onerous restrictions of a governor who imposes rules on others that he does not even follow himself. Our fear of forsaking the assembly of believers greatly surpasses the fear of being infected by COVID-19 (much less the fear of whatever consequences we might face from government officials). We will put nothing in the way of those who come to church for fellowship, instruction, worship, and the sanctifying benefits of hearing God’s Word proclaimed.

…May the Lord give us all wisdom, courage, and love to honor Him as so many of our spiritual ancestors have done in much harder times than these.

It is not completely clear whether or not the church will have outdoor services, however. So far everything MacArthur has said has indicated that they will not, but rather will continue as usual with their indoor gathering, perhaps buoyed by the knowledge that their lawyer Jenna Ellis has filed an appeal on Friday to contravene the injunction.

As for punishment for intentionally disregarding the court injunction by Judge Beckloff, we read:

  • “If a court issues a temporary restraining order or a preliminary or permanent injunction in an action brought pursuant to subdivision (a) or (b), ordering a defendant to refrain from conduct or activities, the order issued shall include the following statement:  VIOLATION OF THIS ORDER IS A CRIME PUNISHABLE UNDER SECTION 422.77 OF THE PENAL CODE .
  • Section 422.77: Any willful and knowing violation of any order issued pursuant to subdivision (a) or (b) of Section 52.1 of the Civil Code shall be a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than six months, or by both the fine and imprisonment.“

GCC has so far has amassed over $20,000 in fines for having indoor services and singing during those services, an act outlawed by Governor Gavin Newsom’s shut down order. While we imagine they won’t waver about paying the $1,000, there is a very real threat that they could put pastor MacArthur in jail, based on the willful disobedience and open rebellion he has to the judge’s orders.

Given how rapacious the County has been in seeking to have them shut down – being the 5th time they’ve brought this motion forward, as well as canceling a 45 year parking lease, it would not surprise us to see MacArthur led out in handcuffs in the next several weeks. It’s not overly likely, given the severe nature and optic of such a move, but it is not outside the realm of possibility, given how crazy everything has become.

Pray for Grace Church and Pastor MacArthur.

Categories
Breaking Featured Righteous Defiance

MacArthur Plans to Defy Recent Court Ruling this Sunday ‘We’re going to have Church’

John MacArthur and Jenna Ellis appeared on Fox News at Night with Shannon Bream last night, where the 80-year-old preacher currently embroiled in a battle with L.A county health officials over his church having indoor services, elaborated on what his plans were for this coming service, after a Judge gave the county a preliminary injunction and ruled he was to cease having indoor services at full capacity.

“We’re going to have Church on Sunday. There is absolutely no reason not to have church as far as safety goes. A statistic- one in 100th of 1 percent of Californians have COVID. That’s the number. And yet no one in the entire state of California is allowed to go inside a church. Doesn’t make sense. Plus we’re under the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ and he says have church, and we’re gonna have it.

Shannon points out that the law is not discriminating solely against churches but also affects any other large gatherings, but Ellis disagrees, saying that it is targeting churches because the state doesn’t have the same restrictions and enforcement on other large gatherings like protests, which they have lauded and encouraged participation in, nor did the ruling acknowledge or consider any meritorious constitutional arguments they claimed.

“When the government is allowed this type of broad, and arbitrary, unlimited and indefinite power, then our rights become mere privileges. And for the judge to characterize this simply as the county ‘allowing’ these types of worship services, that’s not for the county to decide. That’s why our founders put ‘free exercise of religions’ as a fundamentally, constitutionally protected right, so we’re going to stand up for pastor John MacArthur and Grace Community Church because he’s absolutely right, he gets to hold church.  

Ellis noted that she will file a formal notice of appeal tomorrow

Categories
Breaking Featured Righteous Defiance

Breaking! Judge rules John MacArthur And Grace Church May NOT hold Indoor Services this Sunday

L.A. County officials are celebrating after L.A. County Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff sided with the public health officials hell-bent on shutting down Grace Community Church (GCC), giving the adversarial officials a win after a string of losses against the Church.

The judge overseeing the case ruled Thursday that the MacArthur-led megachurch would be barred from having indoor services this coming Sunday, as well as every other Sunday for the foreseeable future, arguing that the church being open is an “immediate threat to public health and safety due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

With the county obtaining a preliminary injunction, it means that GCC cannot meet indoors until it is resolved, but may still meet outside, so long as they socially distance, wear face masks, and meet in smaller groups. Judge Beckloff wrote in his decision:

While the court is mindful that there is no substitute for indoor worship in the ‘spiritual refuge’ of a sanctuary, the court cannot ignore the County Health Order does not dictate a ban on worship…

[Furthermore] The potential consequences of community spread of COVID-19 and concomitant risk of death to members of the community, associated and unassociated with the church, outweighs the harm that flows from the restriction on indoor worship caused by the county health order.

While both he and Judge James Chalfant had denied four of the county’s previous bids for a temporary restraining order against the church, the county was able to persuade them on the fifth time. He writes:

“The county persuasively argues congregants of the church are not isolated amongst themselves, but circulate within the county outside of their times together in religious worship. All citizens of the community therefore — even those who do not worship at the church — would be at risk of infection through community spread.”

The order also requires that GCC allow public health officials into their church and onto their property to carry out inspections and ensure the church is in compliance. According to court documents, the church has not allowed them to do this up to this point.

There have been no updates yet or comment from Special Counsel Jenna Ellis of the Thomas More Society, who is representing MacArthur and the Church.

Pray for Grace Community Church and the wisdom of the elder board.

Categories
Church Featured Righteous Defiance

John MacArthur and Grace Church Fined $1000 for Having Wrong COVID Sign Up

Los Angeles County has issued Grace Community Church (GCC) a $1,000 fine for violating a COVID sign ordinance by having the incorrect signage posted on their church.

GCC has signs up that say: “Please do not enter if you have an elevated temperature, a cough, or any flu-like symptoms” on the front doors of the church and other locations on church property, but the county inspector declared that the signs were in the wrong locations.

Furthemore, the inspector dinged them for the signs failing to mention mandatory information that must be present according to governmental ordinaces, such as instructing people to wear masks, wash their hands or use hand sanitizer, and to maintain social distancing protocols fo 6 feet.

MacArthurs lawyer, special counsel Jenna Ellis, called the county’s actions “bullying and harassment,” and further proof that they just want to shut down the church.

Categories
Church Featured Righteous Defiance

Andy Stanley Discusses John MacArthur and Shutting Down his Church: ‘the Lord does Not Require us to Meet’

In a panel at Liberty University, David Nasser spoke with Andy Stanley about the theological basis for being closed while other churches in the area, including Grace Community Church, stay open. Stanely responds:

There is a theological basis for this (closing down church until 2021) and this is where I part ways with some of those folks, John in particular, perhaps. I’ve never met John MacArthur, so, you now…all I know is what I’ve read, I guess, like most people.

“You should go to his home,” interjects Nassar, to a visibly surprised and uncomfortable Stanley who seems horrified at the idea

John said some not so nice things about me, not by name, but he’s made some comments about those who have decided not to meet for the rest of the year. He said that we aren’t really a church and we don’t know how or don’t care about shepherding our people, so I’m like ‘wow that’s a lot from someone I’ve never met’. but that’s ok.

Stanley goes back to the theme of ‘what does love require of us’ which is the basis for them shutting down. Stanely argues that ultimately it requires sacrifice for the community.

“So again, I think the church always looks better when we are defending other people’s rights, rather than defending our own. The church always looks better when it is giving away, rather than demanding our way, and this is what Jesus modeled.

People on the other end of this argument, I keep hearing them say over and over ‘the Lord commanded us to meet. The Lord commands us to meet.’

He does not. He commands that we lay down our lives for our friends, that we do what’s best for others.. even the apostle Paul said this when describing Jesus in his letter to the Philippians, he said he who was equal with God did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. In other words Jesus, this is amazing…Jesus never played the god card. He never said ‘ok by the way, I’m god’? Right?

And again to quote peter who dedicated his experience with Jesus to mark ‘for even the son of man- and we’re his body so remember this- even the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life for ransom for many.

So the local church as a representation of Jesus, this is a premier moment. this is a premier moment for the local church in America culture, and the question is what are we going to do with this moment?

And demanding our way, demanding our rights is antithetical to everything Jesus taught an everything Jesus did. So we think (not gathering until 2021) is an expression of Christ’s likeness.

Categories
Featured News Righteous Defiance

Pastor John MacArthur Files Declaration Against LA County for FOURTH Attempt to Shut them Down

The battle between Los Angeles County and the Lord’s Faithful continued Monday, with cantankerous county officials trying for *the fourth time* to get Grace Community Church (GCC) to make like Beth Moore and go home, taking them to the courts and seeking to shut them down from having indoor worship services of more than just handful of souls.

In a declaration filed by Pastor John MacArthur, the church states that they view the worship ban as “nonsensical” and an attack on their faith which requires worship. They write that meeting outdoors is not feasible, and that “Grace Community Church’s sanctuary is a spiritual refuge for our congregation” of which the county has no right to deprive them, arguing that ultimately, their imposition to not have the church down is asking them to sin, which they are not willing to do.

Pastor MacArthur continued in that vein, getting more personal and passionate, seeking to encapsulate the importance of GCC.

Our church is not an event center. It is a family of lives who love and care for each other in very intensely personal ways. So essential to personal well being that people rushed back as soon as they could. The utter unnecessary deprivation of all our people by completely shutting down the mutual love and care that sustains our people in all the exigencies, pressures, and challenges of life was cruel. And after 63 years of sacrificial kindness to our city, to be repeatedly threatened with court-ordered efforts to shut Grace Community Church down when no one is sick, reveals an inexplicable preference for a mostly harmless virus over the life-enriching and necessary fellowship of the church.

We will update this post after the court’s ruling.

Categories
Church Featured Righteous Defiance

Donald Trump Calls John MacArthur, Thanks him for ‘Taking a Stand’

Pastor John MacArthur of Grace Community Church (GCC) has received a phone from President Donald Trump in the midst of his fight to stay open for services, with the President thanking Dr. MacArthur for taking a stand as the two of them discussed the unbiblical notion of Christians voting for Democrats.

Pastor MacArthur revealed details of the surprising phone call during a recent interview with Ryan Helfenbein of Liberty University’s The Falkirk Podcast.

Not last Sunday but the Sunday before, [President Trump] called me after the Sunday morning service, and he was very gracious, and said “I just want to thank you for taking a stand. Church is essential, and I’m glad you’re doing what you’re doing.”

The conversation turned from the president thanking GCC for resisting efforts from the Los Angelas County Board to shut them down while facing over $20,000 in fines for their continued defiance, to the issues of the evangelical vote.

And then we talked a little bit about why, from certainly a biblical standpoint, Christians could not vote Democrat.

Because there’s no way a Christian can affirm the slaughter of babies, homosexual activity, homosexual marriage, or any kind of gross immorality – no way we could, you know, stand behind a candidate who was affirming transgender behavior, which of course is really the reprobate mind of Romans 1.

Explaining the rationale for this, MacArthur explains to Trump:

So I said ‘these things aren’t even political for us, sir’. I said ‘these things are biblical, these things are laid down by the word of God. And we love God, we desire to honor him and upholding righteousness in a society is what a church is supposed to do’ and so I said ‘any real, true believer is going to be on your side in this election because it’s not just an individual, it’s an entire set of policies that Christians cannot in any way affirm.’

There is no word on whether MacArthur took the opportunity to talk about spiritual things with Trump or to share the gospel with him.