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MJ9j= &/\^Q[u{aFsR$K,=5$4F^)MMK73jLF0آ4z%y)ŘVC6AOX>= v pMc!w M@p){((W#"ewl(pCWZX{N?G3"qr(OToEY3k+XtZo6vr+A}?QoA ۱DH~ #{frL)غW"Pܫ'Y;%J]ptoPJ+Y?ں6DwAq>/ {J+A)`\jr+G^Hmr;$>(5ZvАFe&2z+5T&hέ'mG5 ǜ]jFiRj9`m@Oߡ%G9GQ7X=TGWnMgDqor].k컈l$'jfzR˶@mC#7M$B#@.o.d(\t3 QL*~:< ESUj5+..;õ!Q@qsjԥË>|ascPgރ8hIr1ϼ?v&2w?tͤZD@hI.Xd:a ȗ糾pL%-Br<w -5*@GݥoCkJZmkC,MhJڼ^·QΘ`TYFP_D ,^~b"݃FPM,cѳ=>UnhҞ;I1>{)=]]$+pyE.P: Ded$k _-k^f\`^sVw|32C级On|ץ{MfI띟~fwP8U 'a4A8ktr `Q~2zj aܠ\BOF##f ,p=!X :j?֧QnQCz]*u#,i,(t$ "*AE˕ "Em.t\a8DD2>uÃYYOF2'YJ}}7e(ݕ-TJ> kA.|\NDK -w_рW{^p  ;zVoy~nJ! uysI 4HMѫjfP=hf@7`LJLt^YTǡ?UtИBy!Tz RlC˲(8c/PyL-]0&m$Ԯwg@"c@b9nh7y,B1 MLWd\9~ij2mI͞9?1>g&%܃8ڳN$h-X7E\'&Nٴ0J<YfX͐z[儰kgV{!,sU5ɖ5krG<Y;8Kb#߃LN9INq6_ W2,Զ䅱g5).w.k><{GvJ[ahL`X\ns`Z v6e4(SVD7(ӭX&bPS4+nŋv&},}M>WDlE=RJz߱k*VQ 550 00:26:35,932 --> 00:26:39,018 and then the church who rules the state, 551 00:26:39,143 --> 00:26:43,356 Erastus said, "No, there's God who has ordained the state 552 00:26:43,481 --> 00:26:45,608 and they rule over the church," 553 00:26:45,733 --> 00:26:48,402 and that became what is called Erastianism 554 00:26:48,528 --> 00:26:51,155 And I'm just finding these to be convincing. 555 00:26:52,198 --> 00:26:55,159 There is the civil sphere, there is that which belongs 556 00:26:55,284 --> 00:26:56,702 to Caesar and then there is 557 00:26:56,828 --> 00:26:58,830 the spiritual ecclesiastical sphere, 558 00:26:58,955 --> 00:27:00,957 Those things that belong to God. 559 00:27:01,082 --> 00:27:03,417 Jesus says, give the one to the one 560 00:27:03,543 --> 00:27:04,877 And the others to the other. 561 00:27:05,002 --> 00:27:10,925 It's not God, church, state, it's not God, state, church. 562 00:27:11,050 --> 00:27:13,636 It's that God has instituted the state 563 00:27:13,761 --> 00:27:17,473 and the church to be coordinate institutions 564 00:27:17,598 --> 00:27:19,851 with respect to one another 565 00:27:19,976 --> 00:27:22,895 And of course each subordinate to God. 566 00:27:23,020 --> 00:27:25,064 What happens is we think that one 567 00:27:25,189 --> 00:27:27,233 of these two coordinate institutions 568 00:27:27,358 --> 00:27:29,110 has to subordinate the one 569 00:27:29,235 --> 00:27:31,529 to the other and that's where problems 570 00:27:31,654 --> 00:27:33,447 All throughout history have ensued. 571 00:27:33,573 --> 00:27:35,992 Martin Lloyd-Jones was helping me see, we need 572 00:27:36,117 --> 00:27:40,121 to be neither Papists nor Erastians, but we need to see 573 00:27:40,246 --> 00:27:42,748 That the church and the state are coordinate. 574 00:27:44,417 --> 00:27:46,544 I and some others begin to speak up and say, "Hey, 575 00:27:46,669 --> 00:27:48,880 I think that there's a better argument for why 576 00:27:49,005 --> 00:27:52,592 We don't have to pay attention to any of this and that is--" 577 00:27:52,717 --> 00:27:55,970 -The government really doesn't have any authority 578 00:27:56,095 --> 00:27:58,598 To tell the church how we can worship. 579 00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:02,518 -We were there just talking through what are 580 00:28:02,643 --> 00:28:06,772 the biblical principles that would justify ignoring 581 00:28:06,898 --> 00:28:09,442 The mandates and going back to meeting as normal. 582 00:28:09,567 --> 00:28:11,861 -We went over it for a while and we talked 583 00:28:11,986 --> 00:28:15,156 about the Puritans and then Pastor John, 584 00:28:15,281 --> 00:28:17,366 he showed up. Once we gave these arguments, 585 00:28:17,491 --> 00:28:19,535 especially related to the Puritans, 586 00:28:19,660 --> 00:28:21,537 he was like, "Oh, yeah," 587 00:28:21,662 --> 00:28:23,831 That stuff had been at the back of his mind. 588 00:28:23,956 --> 00:28:26,667 He started citing some other historical examples. 589 00:28:26,792 --> 00:28:29,003 I think he brought up something about the Scottish and the woman 590 00:28:29,128 --> 00:28:31,505 with throwing the stool, putting ourselves 591 00:28:31,631 --> 00:28:34,926 in this historical vein too but we do find some security 592 00:28:35,051 --> 00:28:38,346 in being able to say faithful believers have 593 00:28:38,471 --> 00:28:40,348 Also done this before. 594 00:28:40,473 --> 00:28:43,851 -I collected that seven pages of notes in an outline. 595 00:28:43,976 --> 00:28:47,355 I sent it to Phil Johnson to see if he could pull 596 00:28:47,480 --> 00:28:48,731 A draft together. 597 00:28:48,856 --> 00:28:52,985 -We can't let some government politician decide 598 00:28:53,110 --> 00:28:55,780 whether we should sing hymns or not, whether we should gather 599 00:28:55,905 --> 00:28:59,075 For prayer or not, whether we should visit the sick or not. 600 00:29:02,203 --> 00:29:05,915 We can't let somebody sitting in an office in the Capitol make 601 00:29:06,040 --> 00:29:08,584 Those decisions, pastoral decisions for us. 602 00:29:08,709 --> 00:29:11,254 We have to render to God that which is God's 603 00:29:11,379 --> 00:29:12,922 And the church belongs to God. 604 00:29:17,426 --> 00:29:20,179 -The split of the Elders between wanting to reopen 605 00:29:20,304 --> 00:29:21,764 the church and being very concerned 606 00:29:21,889 --> 00:29:22,682 about opening the church 607 00:29:22,807 --> 00:29:26,852 And not really being there yet was 50/50. 608 00:29:26,978 --> 00:29:28,604 -Years ago when we first started to put 609 00:29:28,729 --> 00:29:31,315 the Elder ministry together, we said from the very beginning 610 00:29:31,440 --> 00:29:33,567 that churches split when there's discord 611 00:29:33,693 --> 00:29:35,987 At the leadership level. 612 00:29:36,112 --> 00:29:38,281 The way you protect the church from splitting is to make sure 613 00:29:38,406 --> 00:29:40,408 That you have unity at the top. 614 00:29:40,533 --> 00:29:43,369 Grace Church was at stake as we know it. 615 00:29:43,494 --> 00:29:47,373 if the Elders are divided, then people start calling Elders 616 00:29:47,498 --> 00:29:51,085 and individual Elders say things like, 617 00:29:51,210 --> 00:29:53,421 "Okay, we talked about it, we couldn't agree on it. 618 00:29:53,546 --> 00:29:55,381 I disagreed with that statement." 619 00:29:55,506 --> 00:30:00,094 That causes people to be confused, 620 00:30:00,219 --> 00:30:02,346 To question the leadership of Grace Church. 621 00:30:04,557 --> 00:30:07,226 -I was calling Elders, making sure they were going 622 00:30:07,351 --> 00:30:09,186 to be there, trying to prepare them 623 00:30:09,312 --> 00:30:11,981 For what we were going to be talking about that night. 624 00:30:12,106 --> 00:30:14,233 Before the meeting, I was in John's office. 625 00:30:14,358 --> 00:30:15,985 I told him, "I'm concerned. 626 00:30:16,110 --> 00:30:19,196 If we're looking for unanimity we don't have it." 627 00:30:21,449 --> 00:30:25,494 He says, "Oh, Chris. I trust you." 628 00:30:25,619 --> 00:30:31,083 -I remember riding in that day and thinking, 629 00:30:31,208 --> 00:30:34,503 "This is a critical point for the life of this church." 630 00:30:34,628 --> 00:30:56,525 [music] 631 00:30:56,650 --> 00:30:58,903 -I was praying and I was praying that the statement 632 00:30:59,028 --> 00:31:01,864 Would be clear and that the men would be gracious. 633 00:31:02,948 --> 00:31:06,744 I got some looks from guys when the statements in front 634 00:31:06,869 --> 00:31:08,788 Of them and they know we're voting on it tonight. 635 00:31:11,499 --> 00:31:12,541 We're going to go around the room 636 00:31:12,666 --> 00:31:14,418 and every single one of you I want to hear 637 00:31:14,543 --> 00:31:17,505 Whether you're in support or you're not in support. 638 00:31:17,630 --> 00:31:19,924 You need to say "yes" or "no". 639 00:31:20,049 --> 00:31:20,966 Then you have the floor. 640 00:31:21,092 --> 00:31:22,551 You can say anything you want. 641 00:31:22,676 --> 00:31:26,972 -We realized that there was the potential for fines. 642 00:31:27,098 --> 00:31:30,393 -It could be that we decide to meet as a church 643 00:31:30,518 --> 00:31:31,727 And all of us go to jail. 644 00:31:31,852 --> 00:31:35,856 -We have men on our lay Elder team who work 645 00:31:35,981 --> 00:31:38,776 for the city and have government jobs 646 00:31:38,901 --> 00:31:41,028 and it's like, "What are the implications 647 00:31:41,153 --> 00:31:43,155 Of this?" People could lose their jobs. 648 00:31:43,280 --> 00:31:45,491 -The conversation was a invigorating. 649 00:31:47,368 --> 00:31:50,579 -When we went around the room that first pass, there was still 650 00:31:50,704 --> 00:31:51,288 some disagreement. 651 00:31:51,414 --> 00:31:52,623 There were still some nays, 652 00:31:52,748 --> 00:31:54,458 And there was, "I'm just not sure. 653 00:31:54,583 --> 00:31:55,835 Here's how I'm struggling with it." 654 00:31:55,960 --> 00:31:59,630 -We probably have 35 Elders, and there might have been four 655 00:31:59,755 --> 00:32:03,426 Or five who felt like we should restrict everything. 656 00:32:03,551 --> 00:32:06,720 I didn't want to just ride roughshod over even 657 00:32:06,846 --> 00:32:09,098 Those guys who were more protective. 658 00:32:09,223 --> 00:32:11,809 -As the statement was drafted, 659 00:32:11,934 --> 00:32:15,896 One Elder in particular and I were very close. 660 00:32:17,189 --> 00:32:20,943 I got permission to share that statement 661 00:32:21,068 --> 00:32:23,571 with this particular Elder because I knew he was going 662 00:32:23,696 --> 00:32:24,321 to struggle. 663 00:32:24,447 --> 00:32:27,616 Being the man he is, he didn't say he was opposed 664 00:32:27,741 --> 00:32:30,369 But he said, "I need to think about it and pray about it." 665 00:32:30,494 --> 00:32:32,538 That was probably the day before the Elder meeting. 666 00:32:35,624 --> 00:32:37,501 I keep looking this way because I remember 667 00:32:37,626 --> 00:32:39,503 He was sitting over here. 668 00:32:39,628 --> 00:32:41,547 The whole meeting, I was watching him. 669 00:32:41,672 --> 00:32:44,508 I was looking at him and we were making eye contact 670 00:32:44,633 --> 00:32:47,678 And I was wondering, "What are you going to do?" 671 00:32:47,803 --> 00:32:49,805 In the portion of the Elder meeting 672 00:32:49,930 --> 00:32:53,851 where we went around and had each Elder express 673 00:32:53,976 --> 00:32:56,312 whether they were in favor or oppose and why, 674 00:32:56,437 --> 00:32:58,731 we kept going back to the perspective of, "Look, 675 00:32:58,856 --> 00:33:00,816 we're going to open the church and we're going to tell 676 00:33:00,941 --> 00:33:03,235 our church, if you're not comfortable, 677 00:33:03,360 --> 00:33:04,862 Don't come." 678 00:33:04,987 --> 00:33:06,864 Then it was, "Okay, we open the church 679 00:33:06,989 --> 00:33:08,741 Under what circumstances? 680 00:33:08,866 --> 00:33:10,784 How are we going to socially distance? 681 00:33:10,910 --> 00:33:12,411 Are we going to require masks?" 682 00:33:12,536 --> 00:33:13,787 The answer was, "No, we're not going 683 00:33:13,913 --> 00:33:14,872 to require masks." 684 00:33:14,997 --> 00:33:18,792 That was a real hard stop for a few people. 685 00:33:18,918 --> 00:33:19,668 -We'll have masks. 686 00:33:19,793 --> 00:33:20,878 If you want a mask, they'll be here. 687 00:33:21,003 --> 00:33:22,421 if you want to sanitize your hands, 688 00:33:22,546 --> 00:33:23,756 The sanitizer will be here. 689 00:33:23,881 --> 00:33:26,091 -People can socially distance if they want, 690 00:33:26,217 --> 00:33:27,968 But we're not going to require it. 691 00:33:28,093 --> 00:33:30,971 He was very firmly opposed. 692 00:33:31,096 --> 00:33:34,099 Very respectful and very appreciative 693 00:33:34,225 --> 00:33:38,270 Of the statement, but indicated that he could not support it. 694 00:33:39,396 --> 00:33:41,899 I finally said to the men, "Look, 695 00:33:42,983 --> 00:33:44,401 We're reopening Grace Church. 696 00:33:45,986 --> 00:33:47,780 I think we need to do it Sunday." 697 00:33:47,905 --> 00:33:49,281 Why then? 698 00:33:49,406 --> 00:33:52,243 It was getting to the point that so many people were 699 00:33:52,368 --> 00:33:54,453 at Grace Church on Sundays 700 00:33:54,578 --> 00:33:57,331 that if we didn't officially open the church, 701 00:33:57,456 --> 00:33:59,750 people would just start looking around at each other saying, 702 00:33:59,875 --> 00:34:01,961 "What are we doing here if the church isn't open?" 703 00:34:02,086 --> 00:34:03,796 This statement is going to go out. 704 00:34:03,921 --> 00:34:05,798 The question at this point really is, 705 00:34:05,923 --> 00:34:08,425 is this going to be a statement of John MacArthur 706 00:34:09,635 --> 00:34:11,637 or is this going to be a statement of the Elders 707 00:34:11,762 --> 00:34:13,722 of Grace Community Church 708 00:34:13,847 --> 00:34:16,141 And be sent out from Grace Church? 709 00:34:16,267 --> 00:34:19,395 I had not talked to anybody ahead of time 710 00:34:19,520 --> 00:34:20,104 about that. 711 00:34:20,229 --> 00:34:22,731 That was just how I was going to reconcile the fact 712 00:34:22,856 --> 00:34:25,359 that the Elders aren't unanimous, 713 00:34:25,484 --> 00:34:26,986 but this statement needs to be issued 714 00:34:27,111 --> 00:34:28,404 Because we're reopening. 715 00:34:28,529 --> 00:34:30,406 We have to reopen. 716 00:34:30,531 --> 00:34:32,783 This particular Elder stepped right up 717 00:34:32,908 --> 00:34:34,326 and immediately said, 718 00:34:34,451 --> 00:34:36,996 "This needs to be a statement by the Elders 719 00:34:37,121 --> 00:34:40,624 and it needs to be issued by Grace Community Church, 720 00:34:40,749 --> 00:34:44,837 and it needs to be understood by our church and the world, 721 00:34:44,962 --> 00:34:48,549 This is what we're doing and why we're doing it." 722 00:34:48,674 --> 00:34:52,219 Very quickly after that, the rest of the Elders that were 723 00:34:52,344 --> 00:34:55,973 in opposition eventually gave their approval also, 724 00:34:56,098 --> 00:34:57,808 so that at the end of the discussion, 725 00:34:57,933 --> 00:35:01,228 We had unanimous approval of that statement. 726 00:35:01,353 --> 00:35:03,897 He just had a very difficult time 727 00:35:04,023 --> 00:35:05,566 and in fact, resigned from the Elder board 728 00:35:05,691 --> 00:35:07,693 Within 43 hours. 729 00:35:17,536 --> 00:35:19,413 I love the people of Grace Church. 730 00:35:19,538 --> 00:35:22,333 They led us to reopening the church. 731 00:35:24,710 --> 00:35:27,588 When we voted to issue that statement 732 00:35:27,713 --> 00:35:30,341 and to open Grace Church, we knew we were in defiance 733 00:35:30,466 --> 00:35:30,924 of government. 734 00:35:31,050 --> 00:35:32,009 We knew we were in defiance 735 00:35:32,134 --> 00:35:33,677 of a very powerful government 736 00:35:33,802 --> 00:35:35,596 And that there would be consequences. 737 00:35:41,560 --> 00:35:45,773 -The church says to every authoritarian government, 738 00:35:45,898 --> 00:35:48,484 "There is a power and authority higher than you. 739 00:35:50,527 --> 00:35:53,030 You need to acknowledge that. 740 00:35:53,155 --> 00:35:54,990 You need to live in the light of that. 741 00:35:56,033 --> 00:36:01,872 Our calling is not first to comply with your laws. 742 00:36:01,997 --> 00:36:03,999 We must obey God rather than men." 743 00:36:05,417 --> 00:36:07,753 It's remarkable throughout church history 744 00:36:07,878 --> 00:36:09,797 how often 745 00:36:09,922 --> 00:36:12,883 a little seemingly insignificant incident 746 00:36:14,009 --> 00:36:18,597 that the world would pass over becomes in the wisdom 747 00:36:18,722 --> 00:36:23,060 of God, the means whereby other Christians 748 00:36:23,185 --> 00:36:25,896 Are suddenly galvanized. 749 00:36:26,021 --> 00:36:27,481 Most Christians, I think, 750 00:36:28,774 --> 00:36:34,738 however frustrated they are longing for change, 751 00:36:35,989 --> 00:36:37,408 We just continue. 752 00:36:37,533 --> 00:36:40,160 Then suddenly were confronted by someone 753 00:36:41,328 --> 00:36:43,288 Who is willing to risk everything. 754 00:36:44,873 --> 00:36:46,959 It's as if the Lord says, 755 00:36:47,084 --> 00:36:50,129 "Do you see how important this matter is?" 756 00:37:01,682 --> 00:37:05,436 She threw the stool and from the various accounts 757 00:37:05,561 --> 00:37:08,105 that we have, the Dean of St Giles 758 00:37:08,230 --> 00:37:09,189 is dumbfounded. 759 00:37:10,566 --> 00:37:14,737 He asks or insists that the woman be removed, 760 00:37:14,862 --> 00:37:16,947 But people begin to protest. 761 00:37:18,073 --> 00:37:21,201 The service ends in confusion. 762 00:37:21,326 --> 00:37:25,789 When people spilled out of the High Kirk of St Giles, 763 00:37:25,914 --> 00:37:28,041 News spread very quickly. 764 00:37:28,167 --> 00:37:33,547 People were coming out and venting their anger 765 00:37:34,631 --> 00:37:38,802 that their church, now, that's not to say 766 00:37:38,927 --> 00:37:40,679 All of them were believers. 767 00:37:40,804 --> 00:37:43,849 That was far from the case, but they were feeling 768 00:37:43,974 --> 00:37:48,228 that their church and their nation 769 00:37:48,353 --> 00:37:50,272 was being imposed upon 770 00:37:50,397 --> 00:37:53,025 By an alien authority. 771 00:37:53,150 --> 00:37:54,985 They would band together 772 00:37:55,110 --> 00:37:59,823 and they would append their signatures to a document 773 00:37:59,948 --> 00:38:02,034 which they called a covenant, 774 00:38:02,159 --> 00:38:04,787 and because it was to go through all of Scotland, 775 00:38:04,912 --> 00:38:06,955 It was called the National Covenant. 776 00:38:07,080 --> 00:38:08,415 They signed the National Covenant 777 00:38:08,540 --> 00:38:10,083 In the Greyfriars churchyard. 778 00:38:11,668 --> 00:38:13,921 What they were doing was really signing 779 00:38:14,046 --> 00:38:19,009 their names to a document that said, Jesus Christ 780 00:38:19,134 --> 00:38:25,265 and not King Charles I is the sovereign head 781 00:38:25,390 --> 00:38:29,645 And the lone ruler of the Church of God in Scotland. 782 00:38:29,770 --> 00:38:32,523 A number of people signed in their own blood. 783 00:38:33,899 --> 00:38:38,570 They wanted to so identify with this cause 784 00:38:38,695 --> 00:38:41,615 that they were saying, "Even though it cost me my life, 785 00:38:41,740 --> 00:38:44,701 I'm going to stand for Jesus and His kingship 786 00:38:44,827 --> 00:38:46,203 And the church." 787 00:38:46,328 --> 00:38:49,164 Truth trumps consequences. 788 00:38:50,833 --> 00:38:54,628 Copies were immediately made and sent throughout Scotland. 789 00:39:00,342 --> 00:39:03,011 -In California, the battle is over church services. 790 00:39:03,136 --> 00:39:05,681 Pastor John McArthur is defying Governor 791 00:39:05,806 --> 00:39:07,891 Gavin Newsom's new coronavirus restrictions. 792 00:39:08,016 --> 00:39:09,184 Posting in-- - I had been wondering 793 00:39:09,309 --> 00:39:13,063 In my mind why it was that Grace hadn't opened yet. 794 00:39:13,188 --> 00:39:14,690 When they came out with this statement 795 00:39:14,815 --> 00:39:17,401 that was revealing where they were 796 00:39:17,526 --> 00:39:19,361 on this whole issues, that meant that, okay, 797 00:39:19,486 --> 00:39:20,779 We're seeing eye to eye. 798 00:39:20,904 --> 00:39:24,783 -GraceLife has been the site of ongoing Christian resistance. 799 00:39:24,908 --> 00:39:29,204 Pastor James Coates received a $1200 fine for violating 800 00:39:29,329 --> 00:39:30,497 the public health order. 801 00:39:30,622 --> 00:39:34,459 -People made a connection between us reopening our doors 802 00:39:34,585 --> 00:39:38,422 And Grace Community Church coming out with that statement. 803 00:39:38,547 --> 00:39:40,507 For John MacArthur and Grace Community Church 804 00:39:40,632 --> 00:39:44,094 to step up and take the same stand, 805 00:39:44,219 --> 00:39:46,179 It was hugely fortifying. 806 00:39:46,305 --> 00:39:48,765 -The ministry of John MacArthur and Grace Community Church 807 00:39:48,891 --> 00:39:49,808 is very influential. 808 00:39:49,933 --> 00:39:52,936 The statement came out from Grace Community Church, 809 00:39:53,061 --> 00:39:56,440 And that was significant to our congregation. 810 00:39:56,565 --> 00:39:59,693 Read the statement where he essentially declares 811 00:39:59,818 --> 00:40:01,653 the preeminence of Christ over his church, 812 00:40:01,778 --> 00:40:04,406 and the different rules and institutions of government 813 00:40:04,531 --> 00:40:07,159 and authority, and how the church must meet, 814 00:40:07,284 --> 00:40:08,952 And a call upon the church to meet. 815 00:40:09,077 --> 00:40:11,455 When that happened, I just rejoiced. 816 00:40:11,580 --> 00:40:13,081 I sent that out to our congregation. 817 00:40:13,206 --> 00:40:14,333 They were all excited. 818 00:40:14,458 --> 00:40:17,127 -Pastor Tim Stevens of the Fairview Baptist Church, 819 00:40:17,252 --> 00:40:19,296 police say Stevens was served a Court 820 00:40:19,421 --> 00:40:22,382 of Queen's Bench Order related to public health measures 821 00:40:22,507 --> 00:40:23,342 and the pandemic. 822 00:40:23,467 --> 00:40:25,928 They say AHS has tried to work with the pastor 823 00:40:26,053 --> 00:40:28,347 For several weeks to no avail. 824 00:40:32,142 --> 00:40:34,436 -The first Sunday after we signed 825 00:40:34,561 --> 00:40:36,480 the statement was really something 826 00:40:36,605 --> 00:40:38,148 because it was just okay, 827 00:40:38,273 --> 00:40:40,359 Now it's time to come back, open the floodgates. 828 00:40:49,117 --> 00:40:52,871 -I remember that sermon was, yes, it was an amazing sermon 829 00:40:55,290 --> 00:40:57,000 And it was just so invigorating. 830 00:41:02,297 --> 00:41:05,092 -All that, and I haven't even said anything. 831 00:41:05,217 --> 00:41:07,928 -That Sunday, the Sunday after that, 832 00:41:08,053 --> 00:41:13,558 August 2nd, August 9th, I mean, these were amazing times. 833 00:41:13,684 --> 00:41:14,601 -We're having church. 834 00:41:14,726 --> 00:41:17,145 [applause] 835 00:41:17,270 --> 00:41:19,398 -I was able to sit on the front row 836 00:41:19,523 --> 00:41:21,441 and Pastor John preached a message 837 00:41:21,566 --> 00:41:24,695 On Daniel's civil disobedience. 838 00:41:24,820 --> 00:41:29,074 -Daniel disobeyed the king, 839 00:41:29,199 --> 00:41:32,077 because the king told him to disobey God, 840 00:41:33,412 --> 00:41:34,454 not to pray. 841 00:41:34,579 --> 00:41:37,749 -That message, it was just sort of like-- 842 00:41:37,874 --> 00:41:39,209 It's hard to describe. 843 00:41:39,334 --> 00:41:41,169 It was just like, this is where we should all be. 844 00:41:41,294 --> 00:41:43,296 -He only asked for 30 days of submission, 845 00:41:43,422 --> 00:41:45,132 Temporary mandate. 846 00:41:46,466 --> 00:41:48,760 Daniel threw open his windows, and for those 30 days, 847 00:41:48,885 --> 00:41:51,555 Prayed publicly and openly three times a day. 848 00:41:52,931 --> 00:41:54,808 -People were in the worship center 849 00:41:54,933 --> 00:41:58,729 And teeming all around the worship center outside. 850 00:41:58,854 --> 00:42:01,732 It was great that we didn't have any incident, 851 00:42:01,857 --> 00:42:04,609 that there was no police involvement, 852 00:42:04,735 --> 00:42:06,653 That there was no locks on the doors. 853 00:42:06,778 --> 00:42:08,572 It was just like, all right, everything's good. 854 00:42:08,697 --> 00:42:09,239 Great. 855 00:42:09,364 --> 00:42:10,782 Let's just have church. 856 00:42:30,010 --> 00:42:33,221 -We received an overnight FedEx package 857 00:42:33,346 --> 00:42:34,306 from the county. 858 00:42:35,474 --> 00:42:37,809 I was upstairs with Pastor John in Pastor John's office 859 00:42:37,934 --> 00:42:39,853 And begin to read through it. 860 00:42:39,978 --> 00:42:41,897 It was a cease and desist letter saying, 861 00:42:42,022 --> 00:42:44,399 "if you continue to meet 862 00:42:44,524 --> 00:42:46,193 in the manner that you're doing 863 00:42:46,318 --> 00:42:49,071 on Sunday mornings for church, that they were going to come 864 00:42:49,196 --> 00:42:51,114 Against us legally." 865 00:42:51,239 --> 00:42:53,825 There was threats of fines and jail time. 866 00:42:55,660 --> 00:42:58,497 -We didn't want to embroil the church in a legal battle 867 00:42:58,622 --> 00:42:59,164 that we couldn't win. 868 00:42:59,289 --> 00:43:03,126 We didn't want to spend the church's money on something 869 00:43:03,251 --> 00:43:04,294 that was ultimately fruitless. 870 00:43:04,419 --> 00:43:06,338 -Grace Church may not be 871 00:43:06,463 --> 00:43:08,465 what it once was by the time 872 00:43:08,590 --> 00:43:09,674 the court system was done with us. 873 00:43:09,800 --> 00:43:11,718 -There was a famous case, I think, that went 874 00:43:11,843 --> 00:43:14,721 to the Supreme Court from churches in Nevada 875 00:43:14,846 --> 00:43:16,556 who complained that, wait, you're opening 876 00:43:16,681 --> 00:43:19,643 the casinos before you're opening the churches, 877 00:43:19,768 --> 00:43:21,520 That's not fair to us. 878 00:43:21,645 --> 00:43:24,439 They lost their case in the Supreme Court. 879 00:43:24,564 --> 00:43:26,108 -Another similar case from another one 880 00:43:26,233 --> 00:43:28,652 Of these churches was ruled against them. 881 00:43:28,777 --> 00:43:30,403 It was hard to imagine that their case 882 00:43:30,529 --> 00:43:33,782 Would be unsuccessful and ours would be successful. 883 00:43:33,907 --> 00:43:36,118 That was one of the dark days, if there was a dark day 884 00:43:36,243 --> 00:43:40,455 where reality kind of kicked you in the shins and you realize 885 00:43:41,832 --> 00:43:44,626 The trajectory here illegally doesn't look real good. 886 00:43:44,751 --> 00:43:47,504 -Today, my guest on the Truth Matters podcast is 887 00:43:47,629 --> 00:43:49,881 the Executive Director of Grace To You, 888 00:43:50,006 --> 00:43:50,924 Phil Johnson. 889 00:43:51,049 --> 00:43:52,259 Phil-- - I hear Phil Johnson, 890 00:43:52,384 --> 00:43:54,136 who usually sits at the head of the conference table 891 00:43:54,261 --> 00:43:55,387 to my left. 892 00:43:56,429 --> 00:43:59,099 He just calls out, he says, "Hey, Darryl, 893 00:43:59,224 --> 00:44:00,308 you know Jenna Ellis, don't you?" 894 00:44:00,433 --> 00:44:01,810 -I said to him, "You should get in touch with her." 895 00:44:01,935 --> 00:44:04,646 -I found that she was knowledgeable, 896 00:44:04,771 --> 00:44:08,692 Exceptionally knowledgeable on constitutional law. 897 00:44:08,817 --> 00:44:11,319 She had taught constitutional law. 898 00:44:11,444 --> 00:44:15,240 -He expressed and asked, "well, would you be able or interested 899 00:44:15,365 --> 00:44:17,993 to represent the church?" I said, "I absolutely can, 900 00:44:18,118 --> 00:44:20,579 I would just have to affiliate with a local counsel." 901 00:44:20,704 --> 00:44:22,539 -We have a private firm, LiMandri and Jonna. 902 00:44:22,664 --> 00:44:26,793 Our firm acts as special counsel for the Thomas More Society. 903 00:44:26,918 --> 00:44:29,963 -The few cases that had been decided 904 00:44:30,088 --> 00:44:34,718 At the trial court level had not gone particularly well. 905 00:44:34,843 --> 00:44:37,971 -South Bay United Pentecostal Church tried to sue 906 00:44:38,096 --> 00:44:41,474 in order to allow mass gatherings but yesterday lost, 907 00:44:41,600 --> 00:44:44,978 Upholding Governor Gavin Newsom's ban on in-person. 908 00:44:45,103 --> 00:44:47,731 -A Lodi Church that wants to hold in-person services 909 00:44:47,856 --> 00:44:49,149 Has lost their fight for a restraining-- 910 00:44:49,274 --> 00:44:51,860 -A sharply divided Supreme Court has ruled Nevada 911 00:44:51,985 --> 00:44:54,446 Can limit church attendance as a measure to-- 912 00:44:54,571 --> 00:44:56,656 -There wasn't any good legal precedent 913 00:44:56,781 --> 00:45:00,452 At that point when I met with him in our favor. 914 00:45:00,577 --> 00:45:05,290 We told him that, that it could be a problem given 915 00:45:05,415 --> 00:45:06,499 the current state of the law. 916 00:45:06,625 --> 00:45:08,543 -We were spitballing at the very beginning trying 917 00:45:08,668 --> 00:45:10,462 To figure out what's our strategy moving forward. 918 00:45:10,587 --> 00:45:12,464 How are we going to defend Pastor MacArthur 919 00:45:12,589 --> 00:45:13,340 and Grace Community Church? 920 00:45:13,465 --> 00:45:15,800 -We actually filed a lawsuit 921 00:45:15,926 --> 00:45:18,678 to challenge the legality of the shutdown orders 922 00:45:18,803 --> 00:45:21,598 In as much as it was violating the First Amendment right. 923 00:45:21,723 --> 00:45:23,850 -We wanted to attack the health order 924 00:45:23,975 --> 00:45:27,145 as unconstitutional because you can't be held 925 00:45:27,270 --> 00:45:29,648 in violation of an unconstitutional 926 00:45:29,773 --> 00:45:30,815 or illegal order. 927 00:45:30,941 --> 00:45:32,776 -We thought the odds of prevailing 928 00:45:32,901 --> 00:45:36,863 in the case were all-- I mean it's hard to quantify, 929 00:45:36,988 --> 00:45:38,949 But very, very difficult. 930 00:45:43,495 --> 00:45:47,874 -We found the audio recording of Pastor John's preaching 931 00:45:47,999 --> 00:45:51,169 through 1 Corinthians from the mid-1970s 932 00:45:51,294 --> 00:45:53,588 Where Paul talks about lawsuits. 933 00:46:05,100 --> 00:46:07,560 -if, for example, some ordinance came 934 00:46:07,686 --> 00:46:09,729 along and tried to close down Grace Community Church, 935 00:46:09,854 --> 00:46:11,690 Would we say, "Oh, it's all right. We forgive you. 936 00:46:11,815 --> 00:46:13,608 We'll all go home and just forget the work 937 00:46:13,733 --> 00:46:15,151 Of God." 938 00:46:15,277 --> 00:46:16,569 Not on your life. 939 00:46:16,695 --> 00:46:18,822 We'd be down there with every legal thing 940 00:46:18,947 --> 00:46:21,199 you could imagine, trying to prove that we had 941 00:46:21,324 --> 00:46:23,243 The right to exist. 942 00:46:23,368 --> 00:46:25,787 -It just shows the consistency. 943 00:46:25,912 --> 00:46:29,541 It's what you expect from a life that's grounded 944 00:46:29,666 --> 00:46:31,084 in conviction, 945 00:46:31,209 --> 00:46:34,838 And the convictions come from an unchanging source of truth. 946 00:46:34,963 --> 00:46:35,672 -You love that. 947 00:46:35,797 --> 00:46:37,507 You love that for some consistency. 948 00:46:37,632 --> 00:46:39,759 -Christianity is the truth. 949 00:46:39,884 --> 00:46:41,928 You could say to a guy, "Well, I want to go to Chicago." 950 00:46:42,053 --> 00:46:44,514 You could say, "Well, there's no way to Chicago. 951 00:46:44,639 --> 00:46:45,515 You can go anywhere you want. 952 00:46:45,640 --> 00:46:47,142 Just start off in any direction." 953 00:46:47,267 --> 00:46:47,851 Well, that isn't true. 954 00:46:47,976 --> 00:46:49,227 if you're going to go to Chicago, 955 00:46:49,352 --> 00:46:50,854 There's a direction. 956 00:46:50,979 --> 00:46:52,772 The same thing is true in terms of God. 957 00:46:52,897 --> 00:46:54,566 if you're going to go to God, God says, 958 00:46:54,691 --> 00:46:55,650 "Here's the way." 959 00:46:55,775 --> 00:46:58,945 It isn't that God is trying to be unkind or unfair 960 00:46:59,070 --> 00:47:01,906 or narrow-minded or picky, it's just that he wants to tell 961 00:47:02,032 --> 00:47:03,033 the truth. 962 00:47:03,158 --> 00:47:05,327 I could say, "Well, I'd like to tell anybody, 963 00:47:05,452 --> 00:47:07,037 just do what you want, and you'll be all right," 964 00:47:07,162 --> 00:47:08,997 but that isn't the truth, so you don't do a guy a favor 965 00:47:09,122 --> 00:47:09,956 to tell him that. 966 00:47:10,081 --> 00:47:12,334 -Pastor John talking to the attorney said, 967 00:47:12,459 --> 00:47:16,671 "I know you're here to win, but this is a road that we have 968 00:47:16,796 --> 00:47:18,548 To go down even if we don't come home." 969 00:47:20,342 --> 00:47:22,385 -We told him there could be legal consequences. 970 00:47:22,510 --> 00:47:25,513 You could end up having to pay big fines. 971 00:47:25,638 --> 00:47:30,810 There could even potentially be a jail sentence if you violate 972 00:47:30,935 --> 00:47:33,063 A court order and you're held in contempt of court. 973 00:47:33,188 --> 00:47:36,608 -if they want to come into Grace Church and write us 974 00:47:36,733 --> 00:47:40,278 all up and take us all away, well, okay, 975 00:47:40,403 --> 00:47:41,863 Come and get us. 976 00:47:41,988 --> 00:47:45,617 -It's possible that officials will come in and arrest John. 977 00:47:45,742 --> 00:47:47,452 -They're going to come and take John. 978 00:47:47,577 --> 00:47:49,287 He says, "No, they'll take me first." 979 00:47:49,412 --> 00:47:52,123 -if that happens, I'm going to go down there 980 00:47:52,248 --> 00:47:53,541 And be arrested with him. 981 00:47:53,666 --> 00:47:55,335 -I'm going to have to, I'm going to have to stand 982 00:47:55,460 --> 00:47:59,464 in between the police officer and John and tell him, 983 00:47:59,589 --> 00:48:01,883 "Sir, you're going to have to take me as well." 984 00:48:02,008 --> 00:48:04,177 -People around here argued who would get to go to jail 985 00:48:04,302 --> 00:48:05,303 with John MacArthur. 986 00:48:05,428 --> 00:48:09,599 -We're not meeting because we want to be rebellious. 987 00:48:09,724 --> 00:48:13,728 We're meeting because our Lord has commanded us 988 00:48:13,853 --> 00:48:15,313 To come together and worship Him. 989 00:48:15,438 --> 00:48:22,779 [applause] 990 00:48:27,033 --> 00:48:29,202 -Pastor MacArthur said, "We're not following 991 00:48:29,327 --> 00:48:30,995 Any of these rules. We're going to hold church." 992 00:48:31,121 --> 00:48:33,748 This was that time when services were pretty much shut down, 993 00:48:33,873 --> 00:48:34,707 completely indoors. 994 00:48:34,833 --> 00:48:37,377 He was having 10,000 people in church, 995 00:48:37,502 --> 00:48:41,464 Shoulder to shoulder, no social distancing, no masks. 996 00:48:41,589 --> 00:48:44,426 -Sang hymns, did pretty much everything 997 00:48:44,551 --> 00:48:47,178 that the government restrictions said 998 00:48:47,303 --> 00:48:48,054 you shouldn't do. 999 00:48:48,179 --> 00:48:52,392 -We were placed in almost an impossible situation where, 1000 00:48:52,517 --> 00:48:56,062 here we have a guy who's on Fox News admitting 1001 00:48:56,187 --> 00:48:58,189 That he's openly defying these rules. 1002 00:48:58,314 --> 00:48:59,816 Really in the eyes of the county 1003 00:48:59,941 --> 00:49:02,152 And the state embarrassing them publicly. 1004 00:49:02,277 --> 00:49:04,070 They're already sending him cease and desist letters, 1005 00:49:04,195 --> 00:49:05,780 And he's still going on Fox News. 1006 00:49:05,905 --> 00:49:07,031 I mean it's pretty amazing. 1007 00:49:08,366 --> 00:49:10,994 -Paul and I had to drive to Los Angeles, started out 1008 00:49:11,119 --> 00:49:13,246 With the judge saying, "I've got your papers. 1009 00:49:13,371 --> 00:49:15,790 Wait here for an hour while I go read them." 1010 00:49:15,915 --> 00:49:18,918 We had a very, very small chance of coming out of there 1011 00:49:19,043 --> 00:49:20,462 with anything less than a full grant 1012 00:49:20,587 --> 00:49:21,796 of the temporary restraining order 1013 00:49:21,921 --> 00:49:24,591 Saying, "Grace Community Church, you need to shut down." 1014 00:49:24,716 --> 00:49:26,801 -There's not a more scared group of people than the folks 1015 00:49:26,926 --> 00:49:29,304 With black robes on in this whole COVID era. 1016 00:49:29,429 --> 00:49:31,931 -We've lost this. I know we've lost this already. 1017 00:49:32,056 --> 00:49:33,391 -I was telling everybody, if you're looking 1018 00:49:33,516 --> 00:49:36,394 for the court system to save us in all of this, 1019 00:49:36,519 --> 00:49:37,770 It's not going to happen. 1020 00:49:37,896 --> 00:49:41,149 -We don't know what this judge is thinking. 1021 00:49:41,274 --> 00:49:43,318 We have no clue 1022 00:49:43,443 --> 00:49:45,069 How he's going to respond. 1023 00:49:45,195 --> 00:49:48,406 -Paul was saying, "I want you to respect 1024 00:49:48,531 --> 00:49:51,242 The First Amendment and allow us to worship." 1025 00:49:52,494 --> 00:49:53,369 The judge was like, "Yes, I know. 1026 00:49:53,495 --> 00:49:54,954 I know that. That's okay. 1027 00:49:55,079 --> 00:49:57,081 What specifically do you want me to do?" 1028 00:49:57,207 --> 00:50:00,418 -He was skeptical of the county's position. 1029 00:50:00,543 --> 00:50:04,214 He didn't think there was a basis to shut down church. 1030 00:50:04,339 --> 00:50:07,592 -It was about halfway through Paul's argument 1031 00:50:07,717 --> 00:50:08,885 that I realized, 1032 00:50:09,010 --> 00:50:10,845 We're going to win. We might actually win this. 1033 00:50:10,970 --> 00:50:13,223 -He wanted to rule for us, 1034 00:50:13,348 --> 00:50:16,935 but he didn't want to give Grace of pass 1035 00:50:17,060 --> 00:50:19,354 On every other restriction. 1036 00:50:19,479 --> 00:50:21,856 -Attorneys for the Council of Los Angeles get up. 1037 00:50:23,900 --> 00:50:26,444 This is when they also realize that things aren't going 1038 00:50:26,569 --> 00:50:28,655 As they would hope. 1039 00:50:28,780 --> 00:50:32,492 They quickly start arguing that, "Yes, Your Honor, you're correct 1040 00:50:32,617 --> 00:50:34,577 that they should at least have to wear masks 1041 00:50:34,702 --> 00:50:38,289 and at least practice six-foot social distancing, at least, 1042 00:50:38,414 --> 00:50:40,833 But you really need to shut down this church." 1043 00:50:40,959 --> 00:50:42,627 -"Your Honor, maybe our client will be willing 1044 00:50:42,752 --> 00:50:47,632 to temporarily comply with the distancing 1045 00:50:47,757 --> 00:50:50,760 And masking requirements if he can hold services." 1046 00:50:50,885 --> 00:50:54,389 He right away said, "That would be great." 1047 00:50:55,723 --> 00:50:57,684 In my mind, I'm thinking, I can't believe 1048 00:50:57,809 --> 00:50:58,309 what just happened. 1049 00:50:58,434 --> 00:51:02,480 He would be the only church in California 1050 00:51:02,605 --> 00:51:04,399 That would be allowed to have services indoors. 1051 00:51:04,524 --> 00:51:06,818 This is a massive victory. 1052 00:51:06,943 --> 00:51:08,528 Obviously, I also knew in the back 1053 00:51:08,653 --> 00:51:09,696 of my mind that Pastor MacArthur wasn't going 1054 00:51:09,821 --> 00:51:10,947 to be happy. 1055 00:51:11,072 --> 00:51:14,993 [phone ringing] 1056 00:51:15,118 --> 00:51:18,454 -I was one of the people that called 1057 00:51:18,580 --> 00:51:21,207 and asked to speak to Pastor John, 1058 00:51:21,332 --> 00:51:23,293 And I said, "What in the world is going on?" 1059 00:51:24,627 --> 00:51:28,214 I will confess here for the whole world to see, 1060 00:51:28,339 --> 00:51:29,507 I wavered. 1061 00:51:29,632 --> 00:51:32,719 I don't want to say I didn't trust John, 1062 00:51:32,844 --> 00:51:34,012 but I questioned him. 1063 00:51:34,137 --> 00:51:35,722 I was like, "What are you doing? 1064 00:51:35,847 --> 00:51:38,224 I am not going to wear a mask at church, 1065 00:51:38,349 --> 00:51:40,268 And I don't think most of Grace Church is." 1066 00:51:40,393 --> 00:51:44,355 -My response to this was, look, they're not going to be content 1067 00:51:44,480 --> 00:51:48,443 with us giving some small amount of ground, 1068 00:51:48,568 --> 00:51:51,446 Because I already knew that what they wanted was everything. 1069 00:51:51,571 --> 00:51:53,948 -He gets what's going on. 1070 00:51:54,073 --> 00:51:56,451 He understood the chess game. 1071 00:51:56,576 --> 00:51:59,746 -Pastor John said, "Yes, we will go ahead and do that." 1072 00:51:59,871 --> 00:52:01,414 He said, "And you know why? 1073 00:52:01,539 --> 00:52:04,751 It's because I don't think that LA County is going 1074 00:52:04,876 --> 00:52:05,710 to be okay with this. 1075 00:52:05,835 --> 00:52:08,421 They are not going to be okay with the fact 1076 00:52:08,546 --> 00:52:12,717 That we actually get to be open under any circumstances." 1077 00:52:12,842 --> 00:52:16,012 -The county went straight into the appellate court and got 1078 00:52:16,137 --> 00:52:20,308 An emergency ruling to stay that judge's decision. 1079 00:52:20,433 --> 00:52:22,560 -They granted the county's request, 1080 00:52:22,685 --> 00:52:25,855 that ruling didn't exist for more than, I don't know, 24, 1081 00:52:25,980 --> 00:52:27,482 36 hours. 1082 00:52:27,607 --> 00:52:29,651 The Court of Appeal put a hold on that ruling, 1083 00:52:29,776 --> 00:52:31,277 And we were back to square one. 1084 00:52:31,402 --> 00:52:36,074 -By virtue of agreeing to masks and social distancing, 1085 00:52:36,199 --> 00:52:38,743 and the county instantly filing 1086 00:52:38,868 --> 00:52:40,161 an appeal, 1087 00:52:40,286 --> 00:52:42,330 They completely expose themselves. 1088 00:52:42,455 --> 00:52:44,999 They were not interested in the Grace Church meeting. 1089 00:52:45,124 --> 00:52:46,084 They were making it clear 1090 00:52:46,209 --> 00:52:49,337 They wanted Grace Church shut down. 1091 00:52:49,462 --> 00:52:52,340 -They wanted to stick it to the church and say, 1092 00:52:52,465 --> 00:52:54,258 basically, we are closing your doors, 1093 00:52:54,384 --> 00:52:56,552 and you have to acknowledge that we get to discriminate 1094 00:52:56,678 --> 00:52:58,304 Against you. That's what they wanted. 1095 00:52:58,429 --> 00:53:01,349 They wanted him to sit down and shut up and be okay 1096 00:53:01,474 --> 00:53:02,767 with having the church closed 1097 00:53:02,892 --> 00:53:04,977 For as long as LA County wanted. 1098 00:53:05,103 --> 00:53:07,230 -Pastor MacArthur said, "All right, 1099 00:53:07,355 --> 00:53:09,065 if that ruling doesn't exist anymore, 1100 00:53:09,190 --> 00:53:10,942 then I'm going back to the status quo, which was, 1101 00:53:11,067 --> 00:53:12,902 I'm having church every single Sunday, 1102 00:53:13,027 --> 00:53:15,488 Shoulder to shoulder, no mask, no social distancing." 1103 00:53:15,613 --> 00:53:19,158 -Whatever they showed of their hand wasn't even close 1104 00:53:19,283 --> 00:53:20,827 To what they were really after. 1105 00:53:22,578 --> 00:53:24,997 -I think Christians need to realize 1106 00:53:25,123 --> 00:53:27,208 that governments aren't neutral, 1107 00:53:27,333 --> 00:53:30,712 That governments aren't even necessarily good. 1108 00:53:30,837 --> 00:53:33,798 God has ordained them, and they serve a good purpose. 1109 00:53:33,923 --> 00:53:35,049 To the extent that they're faithful 1110 00:53:35,174 --> 00:53:37,135 To that purpose, they are good. 1111 00:53:37,260 --> 00:53:40,012 We have to be cognizant of the reality 1112 00:53:40,138 --> 00:53:42,932 that we should see the spirit of antichrist at work 1113 00:53:43,057 --> 00:53:44,517 In the government. 1114 00:53:44,642 --> 00:53:47,353 When the government goes to war with the church 1115 00:53:47,478 --> 00:53:50,273 over a matter like COVID-19, we need to understand 1116 00:53:50,398 --> 00:53:52,859 that that's not a neutral thing, 1117 00:53:52,984 --> 00:53:55,445 that the spiritual battle is taking place 1118 00:53:55,570 --> 00:53:56,821 At that level as well. 1119 00:53:57,864 --> 00:54:02,201 -Many Christians don't see Marxism as an issue 1120 00:54:02,326 --> 00:54:05,621 of spiritual warfare because we don't really understand 1121 00:54:05,747 --> 00:54:06,748 what Marxism is. 1122 00:54:06,873 --> 00:54:09,125 They don't really understand that to the Marxists, 1123 00:54:09,250 --> 00:54:11,169 Christianity is the enemy. 1124 00:54:11,294 --> 00:54:15,465 Unless you understand that, you don't get the significance 1125 00:54:15,590 --> 00:54:18,259 Of the spiritual warfare that we're dealing with. 1126 00:54:19,635 --> 00:54:22,013 Marxism is a statist ideology. 1127 00:54:22,138 --> 00:54:26,225 For the Marxists, the state has to be the vehicle 1128 00:54:26,350 --> 00:54:29,061 Through which all things and people are controlled. 1129 00:54:29,187 --> 00:54:30,521 When people think about Marxism, they think 1130 00:54:30,646 --> 00:54:32,398 About classical Marxism. 1131 00:54:32,523 --> 00:54:36,152 They think about Karl Marx, economics, the bourgeoisie, 1132 00:54:36,277 --> 00:54:37,361 and the proletariat. 1133 00:54:37,487 --> 00:54:41,115 What they don't tend to think about is neo-Marxism being 1134 00:54:41,240 --> 00:54:44,869 more of a cultural revolution, changing the culture 1135 00:54:44,994 --> 00:54:45,912 from within. 1136 00:54:46,037 --> 00:54:50,750 The idea that the world is divided between oppressors 1137 00:54:50,875 --> 00:54:52,835 And oppressed groups. 1138 00:54:52,960 --> 00:54:56,923 -We are trained Marxists. 1139 00:54:57,048 --> 00:55:01,719 We are super versed on ideological theories. 1140 00:55:01,844 --> 00:55:02,929 -Ideological subversion. 1141 00:55:03,054 --> 00:55:06,265 It's a great brainwashing process, 1142 00:55:06,390 --> 00:55:08,100 Which goes very slow. 1143 00:55:08,226 --> 00:55:10,603 It's divided in four basic stages. 1144 00:55:12,021 --> 00:55:14,440 The first one being demoralization. 1145 00:55:14,565 --> 00:55:17,985 It takes from 15 to 20 years to demoralize a nation. 1146 00:55:18,110 --> 00:55:19,529 Why that many years? 1147 00:55:19,654 --> 00:55:22,031 Because this is the minimum number of years 1148 00:55:22,156 --> 00:55:26,160 Which requires to educate one generation of students. 1149 00:55:26,285 --> 00:55:27,578 -Then you have a proliferation 1150 00:55:28,704 --> 00:55:30,581 of disciplines, 1151 00:55:31,833 --> 00:55:33,835 and often they have the word studies attached 1152 00:55:33,960 --> 00:55:35,253 To them. 1153 00:55:35,378 --> 00:55:40,007 Women's studies, gender studies, queer studies, 1154 00:55:40,132 --> 00:55:42,885 all of these things are proliferations 1155 00:55:43,010 --> 00:55:45,972 Of cultural Marxist ideology. 1156 00:55:46,097 --> 00:55:49,684 -Most of the people who graduated in '60s, dropouts 1157 00:55:49,809 --> 00:55:53,271 or half-baked intellectuals, are now occupying the positions 1158 00:55:53,396 --> 00:55:56,190 of power in the government, civil service, business, 1159 00:55:56,315 --> 00:55:58,609 Mass media, educational system. 1160 00:55:58,734 --> 00:56:00,027 You are stuck with them. 1161 00:56:00,152 --> 00:56:02,989 -Our history illustrates that a commitment 1162 00:56:03,114 --> 00:56:04,574 to improving health 1163 00:56:04,699 --> 00:56:08,119 means incorporating health practice in a social 1164 00:56:08,244 --> 00:56:10,621 And racial justice framework. 1165 00:56:10,746 --> 00:56:12,081 -What's your beef with the mandate? 1166 00:56:13,374 --> 00:56:16,294 -There are 53 counties in California. 1167 00:56:16,419 --> 00:56:18,838 Most of them have actual doctors running 1168 00:56:18,963 --> 00:56:20,548 Their public health department. 1169 00:56:20,673 --> 00:56:23,801 In Los Angeles County, we have a fake doctor running 1170 00:56:23,926 --> 00:56:24,886 our health department. 1171 00:56:25,011 --> 00:56:26,637 She's not a medical doctor. 1172 00:56:26,762 --> 00:56:28,180 She's a social worker. 1173 00:56:28,306 --> 00:56:31,267 She's not qualified to give medical advice. 1174 00:56:31,392 --> 00:56:33,269 -People in authority in California, 1175 00:56:33,394 --> 00:56:38,357 They were operating off of their Marxist assumptions. 1176 00:56:38,482 --> 00:56:41,152 -One of the reasons that Barbara Ferrer claims 1177 00:56:41,277 --> 00:56:43,029 for bringing the mass mandates back 1178 00:56:43,154 --> 00:56:45,197 In Los Angeles County is equity. 1179 00:56:45,323 --> 00:56:48,910 All we hear from her is equity, equity, equity, equity, equity. 1180 00:56:49,035 --> 00:56:50,786 -Within the challenges that define 1181 00:56:50,912 --> 00:56:52,997 our healthcare system today, 1182 00:56:53,122 --> 00:56:57,501 are enormous opportunities to fundamentally shift our focus 1183 00:56:57,627 --> 00:57:00,546 from disease care models to prevention 1184 00:57:00,671 --> 00:57:02,465 and building health equity, 1185 00:57:02,590 --> 00:57:07,595 From primarily fixing people, to also fixing systems. 1186 00:57:07,720 --> 00:57:11,098 -if you are going to take over cultures and take 1187 00:57:11,223 --> 00:57:12,475 over power structures, 1188 00:57:13,935 --> 00:57:16,103 you can't have 1189 00:57:16,228 --> 00:57:20,900 A formidable ideological opponent. 1190 00:57:23,110 --> 00:57:26,113 Religion, in general, and Christianity, in particular, 1191 00:57:26,238 --> 00:57:30,451 Represents a formidable ideological opponent. 1192 00:57:32,828 --> 00:57:33,955 God has given us three spheres. 1193 00:57:34,080 --> 00:57:37,124 He's given us the sphere of the church, 1194 00:57:37,249 --> 00:57:41,712 The sphere of the state, the sphere of the family. 1195 00:57:41,837 --> 00:57:43,881 These three jurisdictional spheres. 1196 00:57:44,006 --> 00:57:46,717 For the Marxist, the sphere of the family, 1197 00:57:46,842 --> 00:57:48,386 And the sphere of the church. 1198 00:57:48,511 --> 00:57:53,265 Those things are subsumed under the sphere of the state 1199 00:57:53,391 --> 00:57:55,434 Or the civil government. 1200 00:57:55,559 --> 00:58:00,022 Marxism is essentially a statist ideology. 1201 00:58:01,232 --> 00:58:05,319 It believes that the authority of the state usurps 1202 00:58:05,444 --> 00:58:08,698 all other authority, and the state is the one 1203 00:58:08,823 --> 00:58:12,284 who has the authority when it comes to the limits 1204 00:58:12,410 --> 00:58:14,704 That are going to be put on the church. 1205 00:58:15,830 --> 00:58:19,125 -Dr. Deena Hinshaw is the Chief Medical Officer 1206 00:58:19,250 --> 00:58:20,793 Of health for the province of Alberta. 1207 00:58:20,918 --> 00:58:24,005 -The issues of racism and even the issues 1208 00:58:24,130 --> 00:58:26,465 of who's going to be impacted by the significant 1209 00:58:26,590 --> 00:58:28,634 economic repercussions of COVID 1210 00:58:28,926 --> 00:58:32,263 and differential impacts on women differential impacts 1211 00:58:32,388 --> 00:58:35,307 On racialized communities. 1212 00:58:35,433 --> 00:58:37,810 -Although she's trained as a medical doctor, 1213 00:58:37,935 --> 00:58:40,604 She is a government bureaucrat. 1214 00:58:40,730 --> 00:58:43,024 She was trained with a specialization 1215 00:58:43,149 --> 00:58:45,443 In something called public health. 1216 00:58:45,568 --> 00:58:49,822 In Alberta, we have a totally public socialized 1217 00:58:49,947 --> 00:58:50,865 healthcare system. 1218 00:58:50,990 --> 00:58:53,951 The government controls all the doctors, 1219 00:58:54,076 --> 00:58:57,747 Controls all the nurses, controls the healthcare system. 1220 00:58:57,872 --> 00:59:00,124 What I discovered was fundamentally 1221 00:59:00,249 --> 00:59:05,504 a Marxist treatise that talked about social justice 1222 00:59:05,629 --> 00:59:10,009 and health equity trying to achieve social ends 1223 00:59:10,134 --> 00:59:13,804 Through administration of the healthcare system. 1224 00:59:13,929 --> 00:59:17,224 Nobody's in exactly the same state of health. 1225 00:59:17,349 --> 00:59:20,478 Consequently, it seems obvious 1226 00:59:20,603 --> 00:59:22,605 that we're all in different states 1227 00:59:22,730 --> 00:59:26,859 Of vulnerability to a virus like COVID-19. 1228 00:59:28,194 --> 00:59:30,738 What we were told constantly 1229 00:59:30,863 --> 00:59:33,282 by people like Dr. Hinshaw is that the virus 1230 00:59:33,407 --> 00:59:34,366 doesn't discriminate. 1231 00:59:35,534 --> 00:59:39,038 This is fundamentally a lie. In fact, it's totally illogical. 1232 00:59:39,163 --> 00:59:43,417 In a free society, your outcomes are largely determined 1233 00:59:43,542 --> 00:59:46,295 by your choices, but according to these people, 1234 00:59:46,420 --> 00:59:48,214 Our choices don't matter. 1235 00:59:48,339 --> 00:59:49,673 We're all the same. 1236 00:59:49,799 --> 00:59:53,302 We all have the exact same vulnerability 1237 00:59:53,427 --> 00:59:56,806 to this virus regardless of how healthy we are, 1238 00:59:56,931 --> 00:59:58,474 regardless of how old we are, 1239 00:59:58,599 --> 01:00:00,726 regardless of where we're from, 1240 01:00:00,851 --> 01:00:04,480 and that is how the socialist ethic 1241 01:00:04,605 --> 01:00:05,689 is applied. 1242 01:00:05,815 --> 01:00:07,441 -Canadian authorities have cracked down 1243 01:00:07,566 --> 01:00:10,277 on several churches despite no scientific evidence 1244 01:00:10,402 --> 01:00:12,696 showing the church gatherings 1245 01:00:12,822 --> 01:00:14,990 Are dangerously spreading the virus. 1246 01:00:16,325 --> 01:00:20,913 [music] 1247 01:00:21,038 --> 01:00:23,415 -We were taken to court in January. 1248 01:00:23,541 --> 01:00:25,626 The court ordered us to comply. 1249 01:00:25,751 --> 01:00:29,713 if we didn't submit, AHS could take us back to court 1250 01:00:29,839 --> 01:00:31,757 and hold us in contempt of court, 1251 01:00:31,882 --> 01:00:34,385 And that comes with up to two years in prison. 1252 01:00:34,510 --> 01:00:38,597 -You're living under oppression at this point, and every day 1253 01:00:38,722 --> 01:00:41,517 you're waking up thinking, "ls the government, 1254 01:00:41,642 --> 01:00:42,226 what are they going to do? 1255 01:00:42,351 --> 01:00:43,394 Are they going to show up at our door? 1256 01:00:43,519 --> 01:00:44,311 Are they going to take our kids? 1257 01:00:44,436 --> 01:00:45,521 Are they going to take our home?" 1258 01:00:45,646 --> 01:00:48,607 -We were going to be opening in contempt of court on Sunday. 1259 01:00:48,732 --> 01:00:54,029 -I sensed the need to preach to the issue at hand. 1260 01:00:54,155 --> 01:00:58,284 -There is absolutely no way to be a faithful Christian 1261 01:00:58,409 --> 01:01:01,662 Without being vitally connected to a local church. 1262 01:01:03,539 --> 01:01:04,498 Many of the imperatives 1263 01:01:04,623 --> 01:01:07,209 of the New Testament require belonging 1264 01:01:07,334 --> 01:01:09,253 To a local body of believers. 1265 01:01:09,378 --> 01:01:14,425 It is impossible to be obedient to Christ and not be active 1266 01:01:14,550 --> 01:01:17,303 In the local church. 1267 01:01:17,428 --> 01:01:20,639 -Tim Stevens had said to me in a text, 1268 01:01:20,764 --> 01:01:22,975 "You're the most hated man in Alberta right now." 1269 01:01:23,100 --> 01:01:25,936 -The media gets a hold of this, and they tried to use 1270 01:01:26,061 --> 01:01:27,396 their power 1271 01:01:27,521 --> 01:01:31,192 Of public shame to put the pressure on. 1272 01:01:31,317 --> 01:01:33,944 -We got this text, and it was a video. 1273 01:01:34,069 --> 01:01:36,947 It was one of our congregants in their home 1274 01:01:37,072 --> 01:01:38,782 With their camera on. 1275 01:01:38,908 --> 01:01:42,119 -Health orders AHS found the Grace Life Church 1276 01:01:42,244 --> 01:01:43,913 of Edmonton in violation 1277 01:01:44,038 --> 01:01:46,040 of the province's COVID restrictions 1278 01:01:46,165 --> 01:01:48,667 After worshipers were witnessed not wearing masks. 1279 01:01:48,792 --> 01:01:51,378 -Videoing what they're seeing on the six o'clock news, 1280 01:01:51,503 --> 01:01:55,633 and it climaxes in this statement where who's 1281 01:01:55,758 --> 01:01:56,842 the head of the church? 1282 01:01:56,967 --> 01:01:59,428 -Who is the head of the church? 1283 01:01:59,553 --> 01:02:01,472 Not Caesar. 1284 01:02:02,765 --> 01:02:03,891 -Is it Jason Kenney? 1285 01:02:04,016 --> 01:02:05,309 -Not Jason Kenney. 1286 01:02:06,560 --> 01:02:08,395 -Is it Dina Hinshaw? 1287 01:02:08,520 --> 01:02:10,231 -Not Dina Hinshaw. 1288 01:02:12,066 --> 01:02:13,150 -Is it the Elders? 1289 01:02:13,275 --> 01:02:17,154 -Not the lead pastor, not the Elders. 1290 01:02:17,279 --> 01:02:19,782 The Lord Jesus Christ. 1291 01:02:19,907 --> 01:02:22,618 -We were just like, "What?" 1292 01:02:22,743 --> 01:02:25,663 It was epic, and it just put wind in our sail, 1293 01:02:25,788 --> 01:02:27,331 and if this was going to be 1294 01:02:27,456 --> 01:02:30,125 an opportunity for the glory of Christ to be on display, 1295 01:02:30,251 --> 01:02:31,835 and His lordship to be heralded, 1296 01:02:31,961 --> 01:02:33,879 Then we were all in. 1297 01:02:34,004 --> 01:02:35,756 -I keep hearing them say, over and over, 1298 01:02:35,881 --> 01:02:39,385 The Lord commands us to meet, the Lord commands us to meet. 1299 01:02:40,928 --> 01:02:42,012 He does not. 1300 01:02:42,137 --> 01:02:44,014 -God requires us to meet. 1301 01:02:47,142 --> 01:02:49,019 The very nature of who we are, 1302 01:02:49,144 --> 01:02:50,938 the Ecclesia, 1303 01:02:51,063 --> 01:02:52,398 We are a gathered people. 1304 01:02:52,523 --> 01:02:56,235 [music] 1305 01:02:56,360 --> 01:02:58,946 -There were quite a number of faithful Christians 1306 01:02:59,071 --> 01:03:03,075 who refused to sit under Episcopalian ministers whom 1307 01:03:03,200 --> 01:03:06,203 they believed had compromised the gospel and denied 1308 01:03:06,328 --> 01:03:08,289 The headship of Jesus Christ. 1309 01:03:08,414 --> 01:03:11,709 They were gatherings of believers, 1310 01:03:11,834 --> 01:03:12,918 young and old. 1311 01:03:13,043 --> 01:03:16,422 They would walk miles through nature, 1312 01:03:16,547 --> 01:03:20,009 And they would meet in all kinds of weather. 1313 01:03:20,134 --> 01:03:23,595 Southwest of Scotland can be very wet 1314 01:03:23,721 --> 01:03:25,180 and very windy, 1315 01:03:25,306 --> 01:03:27,391 And the ground would be very boggy. 1316 01:03:28,434 --> 01:03:32,229 They had these heavy plaid shawls 1317 01:03:32,354 --> 01:03:34,857 and clothes that just would drink 1318 01:03:34,982 --> 01:03:37,568 In the rain. 1319 01:03:37,693 --> 01:03:39,445 There would be soden through. 1320 01:03:40,904 --> 01:03:43,365 They would go out into the moors, 1321 01:03:43,490 --> 01:03:46,118 Into the heathlands, into the hills. 1322 01:03:46,243 --> 01:03:49,788 They would try to find little ravines 1323 01:03:49,913 --> 01:03:54,626 where they would be secluded from the government forces, 1324 01:03:54,752 --> 01:03:56,587 the dragoons, 1325 01:03:56,712 --> 01:03:59,631 the army platoons that were on the lookout 1326 01:03:59,757 --> 01:04:01,175 For non-conformists. 1327 01:04:02,760 --> 01:04:05,596 Young and old would gather for worship, 1328 01:04:05,721 --> 01:04:07,639 And they would sing Psalms. 1329 01:04:07,765 --> 01:04:19,276 [singing] 1330 01:04:19,401 --> 01:04:19,568 Inevitably, 1331 01:04:19,568 --> 01:04:20,986 Inevitably, 1332 01:04:21,111 --> 01:04:23,989 Almost always, some were caught. 1333 01:04:24,114 --> 01:04:26,158 It was a serious crime. 1334 01:04:26,283 --> 01:04:27,785 Fines, 1335 01:04:27,910 --> 01:04:30,412 And even the death penalty. 1336 01:04:30,537 --> 01:04:35,709 Hebrews 10:25, "Do not forsake the assembling together 1337 01:04:35,834 --> 01:04:38,754 of yourselves as some have done, 1338 01:04:38,879 --> 01:04:41,548 Even though it may cost you to do so." 1339 01:04:42,716 --> 01:04:44,176 -One of the most common responses 1340 01:04:44,301 --> 01:04:48,555 we heard, by meeting, you become contributors 1341 01:04:48,680 --> 01:04:51,308 to the spread of the virus, and spreading a virus 1342 01:04:51,433 --> 01:04:52,976 Is something that's not loving. 1343 01:04:53,102 --> 01:04:55,145 -The penalties are, you might be killing 1344 01:04:55,270 --> 01:04:56,438 your granddad. 1345 01:04:58,565 --> 01:05:00,651 -World Health Organization had proclaimed 1346 01:05:00,776 --> 01:05:05,781 an extraordinarily high infection fatality rate, 1347 01:05:05,906 --> 01:05:07,282 And that was frightening. 1348 01:05:07,408 --> 01:05:10,494 I started reading about this 1349 01:05:10,619 --> 01:05:12,621 and understood 1350 01:05:12,746 --> 01:05:14,581 that their calculation of the infection 1351 01:05:14,706 --> 01:05:16,291 fatality rate was grossly wrong, 1352 01:05:16,417 --> 01:05:20,045 and anyone who knew anything about medical science knew 1353 01:05:20,170 --> 01:05:22,714 That pretty much right away. 1354 01:05:22,840 --> 01:05:25,884 That's because that number is a fraction. 1355 01:05:26,009 --> 01:05:29,888 That top number in the fraction is the number of people who die. 1356 01:05:30,013 --> 01:05:32,683 The bottom number is the number of people who are infected. 1357 01:05:32,808 --> 01:05:36,145 When you take that fraction, and they calculated it 1358 01:05:36,270 --> 01:05:39,940 To be 3.4%, it ignored two things. 1359 01:05:40,065 --> 01:05:43,360 Number one, it ignored the data. 1360 01:05:43,485 --> 01:05:46,572 The first real data was the Japanese cruise ship 1361 01:05:46,697 --> 01:05:48,782 that showed an infection fatality rate 1362 01:05:48,907 --> 01:05:50,242 Of much less than that. 1363 01:05:50,367 --> 01:05:54,121 We know that respiratory viruses typically 1364 01:05:54,246 --> 01:05:55,789 have a lot of people who are infected, 1365 01:05:55,914 --> 01:05:57,666 but they're not sick 1366 01:05:57,791 --> 01:06:00,961 Or not sick enough to go see a doctor. 1367 01:06:01,086 --> 01:06:04,965 You can imagine that there's a lot of people who are infected 1368 01:06:05,090 --> 01:06:07,259 That are undetected. 1369 01:06:07,384 --> 01:06:09,386 You are overestimating 1370 01:06:09,511 --> 01:06:11,513 the fraction, you are saying 1371 01:06:11,638 --> 01:06:14,892 if 5 people died and 100 people were sick enough 1372 01:06:15,017 --> 01:06:16,393 to go to see the doctor, 1373 01:06:16,518 --> 01:06:20,355 but 10,000 people were actually infected, 1374 01:06:20,481 --> 01:06:23,567 the infection fatality rate is 5 divided by 10,000, 1375 01:06:23,692 --> 01:06:26,570 not 5 divided by the 100 who were sick enough to go see 1376 01:06:26,695 --> 01:06:27,529 a doctor. 1377 01:06:27,654 --> 01:06:30,240 -That is a grim milestone, is it not for Italy? 1378 01:06:30,365 --> 01:06:32,784 -Two new grim forecast. 1379 01:06:32,910 --> 01:06:35,996 -FEMA reporting deaths up nearly 30% from last week. 1380 01:06:36,121 --> 01:06:37,956 -3.4% mortality. 1381 01:06:41,001 --> 01:06:43,045 -I wrote a document called The Great Barrington Declaration 1382 01:06:43,170 --> 01:06:45,589 aimed at the general public, not a scientific audience, 1383 01:06:45,714 --> 01:06:48,258 to let them know that there were prominent scientists 1384 01:06:48,383 --> 01:06:49,927 That disagreed the lockdown policy. 1385 01:06:50,052 --> 01:06:51,303 The main thing about the declaration is 1386 01:06:51,428 --> 01:06:54,515 that it reflected a century of experience 1387 01:06:54,640 --> 01:06:56,475 With respiratory viral pandemics. 1388 01:06:56,600 --> 01:06:58,185 It let people know 1389 01:06:58,310 --> 01:07:00,604 That the scientific evidence doesn't point to lockdowns. 1390 01:07:00,729 --> 01:07:01,605 There is another way. 1391 01:07:01,730 --> 01:07:04,358 This idea was the focus protection 1392 01:07:04,483 --> 01:07:07,778 Of vulnerable, older people lifting lockdowns. 1393 01:07:07,903 --> 01:07:09,863 -I am a public health professional 1394 01:07:09,988 --> 01:07:12,074 with 27 years 1395 01:07:12,199 --> 01:07:13,200 of experience. 1396 01:07:13,325 --> 01:07:16,203 I have served during the HIV/AIDS epidemic. 1397 01:07:16,328 --> 01:07:19,540 I served in H1 N1. I served in the original SARS. 1398 01:07:19,665 --> 01:07:21,124 I served in the anthrax outbreak. 1399 01:07:21,250 --> 01:07:25,462 I've served in West Nile virus, Monkeypox, Ebola, 1400 01:07:25,587 --> 01:07:27,214 CCHF. 1401 01:07:27,339 --> 01:07:28,340 Never in my life 1402 01:07:29,633 --> 01:07:32,302 have I believed I was in the Twilight Zone 1403 01:07:32,427 --> 01:07:34,888 until what I started to see happening 1404 01:07:35,013 --> 01:07:36,056 in the pandemic was happening. 1405 01:07:36,181 --> 01:07:38,559 -When you step out of your door every day, 1406 01:07:38,684 --> 01:07:40,477 as long as you're not pushed, 1407 01:07:40,602 --> 01:07:43,063 You are accepting a certain level of risk. 1408 01:07:43,188 --> 01:07:45,524 When you decide to drive, unless you're being forced 1409 01:07:45,649 --> 01:07:48,235 To drive, you're accepting a certain level of risk. 1410 01:07:48,360 --> 01:07:50,612 -We can make a very simple analogy here. 1411 01:07:50,737 --> 01:07:53,365 Almost all car accident deaths 1412 01:07:53,490 --> 01:07:56,451 Are on high speed roads. 1413 01:07:56,577 --> 01:07:59,538 Why don't we make all speed limits five miles per hour? 1414 01:07:59,663 --> 01:08:02,583 We would never have a fatal car accident again. 1415 01:08:02,708 --> 01:08:05,210 -As long as people were not being forced 1416 01:08:05,335 --> 01:08:08,380 to gather in church, and they were given the right 1417 01:08:08,505 --> 01:08:10,424 to choose what was best for themselves 1418 01:08:10,549 --> 01:08:13,343 and their families, they've taken a look at COVID, 1419 01:08:13,468 --> 01:08:15,596 they've taken a look at their circumstances, 1420 01:08:15,721 --> 01:08:17,055 they've taken a look at the environment 1421 01:08:17,180 --> 01:08:19,808 and they've decided that what is best for them, 1422 01:08:19,933 --> 01:08:23,729 spiritual connections, spiritual health, far outweighs 1423 01:08:23,854 --> 01:08:26,523 The overall risk that COVID presents. 1424 01:08:26,648 --> 01:08:28,317 -He was my mentor, so I'm going to have 1425 01:08:28,442 --> 01:08:29,776 To let him speak. [laughter] 1426 01:08:29,901 --> 01:08:33,530 -The small print here, it's really small print 1427 01:08:33,655 --> 01:08:37,075 in states with evidence of community transmission, bars, 1428 01:08:37,200 --> 01:08:40,245 restaurants, food courts, gyms, and other indoor 1429 01:08:40,370 --> 01:08:43,290 and outdoor venues where groups of people congregate 1430 01:08:43,415 --> 01:08:45,250 Should be closed. 1431 01:08:45,375 --> 01:08:48,670 -We had a meeting, and Dr. Birx looked 1432 01:08:48,795 --> 01:08:50,047 across the table and said, "I just want 1433 01:08:50,172 --> 01:08:52,883 to make one thing clear, Scott, no one on the task forces 1434 01:08:53,008 --> 01:08:54,176 for a lockdown." 1435 01:08:54,301 --> 01:08:55,052 I said, "Oh, really? 1436 01:08:55,177 --> 01:08:58,013 Are you for business restrictions 1437 01:08:58,138 --> 01:09:00,974 And closures?" Yes. "Are you for school closures?" 1438 01:09:01,099 --> 01:09:02,684 Yes. "Are you for testing 1439 01:09:02,809 --> 01:09:05,562 And quarantining asymptomatic positive tested people?" 1440 01:09:05,687 --> 01:09:07,439 Yes. "Are you for limiting group sizes?" 1441 01:09:07,564 --> 01:09:08,190 Yes. 1442 01:09:08,315 --> 01:09:10,567 "Are you for stopping families from congregating?" 1443 01:09:10,692 --> 01:09:13,070 Yes. I said, "Then you're for lockdowns. 1444 01:09:13,195 --> 01:09:14,529 That's what lockdowns are." 1445 01:09:14,655 --> 01:09:16,573 -Lockdowns had little to no effect 1446 01:09:16,698 --> 01:09:18,033 On COVID mortality rates. 1447 01:09:18,158 --> 01:09:21,703 -70% of the spread occurred within households. 1448 01:09:21,828 --> 01:09:24,790 Only 1% occurred on subways or transportation. 1449 01:09:24,915 --> 01:09:27,250 -Political unrest and a rise in domestic violence were 1450 01:09:27,376 --> 01:09:29,002 just some of the more devastating effects 1451 01:09:29,127 --> 01:09:29,294 lockdowns had on society. 1452 01:09:29,294 --> 01:09:31,129 lockdowns had on society. 1453 01:09:31,254 --> 01:09:34,424 -Anxiety disorder, depression, skyrocketing 1454 01:09:34,549 --> 01:09:38,303 During 2020 compared to the pre-pandemic 2019. 1455 01:09:38,428 --> 01:09:41,932 We saw suicide attempts in teenage girls skyrocketing 1456 01:09:42,057 --> 01:09:43,600 During the lockdowns. 1457 01:09:43,725 --> 01:09:46,645 We saw drug abuse, substance abuse skyrocketing 1458 01:09:46,770 --> 01:09:47,729 during the lockdowns. 1459 01:09:47,854 --> 01:09:50,524 We saw double to triple self-harm visits 1460 01:09:50,649 --> 01:09:54,361 to doctors from teenagers in the United States 1461 01:09:54,486 --> 01:09:57,572 during the isolation of 2020 compared 1462 01:09:57,698 --> 01:09:58,240 to the previous year. 1463 01:09:58,365 --> 01:10:00,075 What do we mean by self-harm visits? 1464 01:10:00,200 --> 01:10:02,911 We mean teenagers putting out cigarettes on their skin, 1465 01:10:03,036 --> 01:10:05,080 And slashing their wrists. 1466 01:10:05,205 --> 01:10:06,623 -The American public health response is 1467 01:10:06,748 --> 01:10:08,417 the single worst public health mistake 1468 01:10:08,542 --> 01:10:10,794 In peacetime history, and it's not close. 1469 01:10:12,421 --> 01:10:16,007 -It was a late afternoon in the White House. 1470 01:10:16,133 --> 01:10:19,928 I looked at my email, and I had an email from a woman, 1471 01:10:20,053 --> 01:10:22,889 who had been emailing me several times 1472 01:10:23,014 --> 01:10:24,307 and saying, "Oh, Dr. Atlas, 1473 01:10:24,433 --> 01:10:25,767 Everything you're saying is right. 1474 01:10:25,892 --> 01:10:26,643 Keep speaking. 1475 01:10:26,768 --> 01:10:30,439 I just want to tell you my husband committed suicide 1476 01:10:30,564 --> 01:10:32,649 This week because of the lockdowns." 1477 01:10:41,074 --> 01:10:44,870 Then the same afternoon, 1478 01:10:45,996 --> 01:10:47,497 I had an email saying, 1479 01:10:48,707 --> 01:10:49,666 a different person, 1480 01:10:50,876 --> 01:10:55,547 this is a couple of hours later, "My daughter tried 1481 01:10:55,672 --> 01:10:57,257 To kill herself today. 1482 01:10:57,382 --> 01:10:59,718 You're the reason I'm telling her 1483 01:10:59,843 --> 01:11:01,595 To live, people like you." 1484 01:11:06,099 --> 01:11:08,852 These people that think I'm going 1485 01:11:08,977 --> 01:11:11,104 to stop talking and saying the truth 1486 01:11:12,355 --> 01:11:14,274 about the harms of the lockdowns, 1487 01:11:14,399 --> 01:11:20,405 and the really heinous problem of this policy, 1488 01:11:20,530 --> 01:11:24,034 because of their impotent 1489 01:11:24,159 --> 01:11:26,161 criticism and letters from people 1490 01:11:26,286 --> 01:11:28,789 like Stanford University Medical School professors, 1491 01:11:30,373 --> 01:11:32,667 They have no idea who they're dealing with here. 1492 01:11:32,793 --> 01:11:34,085 -People have been very concerned 1493 01:11:34,211 --> 01:11:36,630 to make sure people's physical lives 1494 01:11:36,755 --> 01:11:41,968 are protected, and the process shut down places 1495 01:11:42,093 --> 01:11:45,347 Where there's hope for their spiritual lives. 1496 01:11:45,472 --> 01:11:48,475 -By canceling church, you're not loving 1497 01:11:48,600 --> 01:11:49,726 your neighbor. 1498 01:11:49,851 --> 01:11:56,525 The real offense here is to remove the spiritual help 1499 01:11:56,650 --> 01:11:59,986 And testimony that the church gathered represents. 1500 01:12:07,369 --> 01:12:09,246 -You're interrupting a worship service, 1501 01:12:09,371 --> 01:12:10,205 and so at this point, 1502 01:12:10,330 --> 01:12:11,373 we can't let you in the building. 1503 01:12:11,498 --> 01:12:13,166 -Actually we're not. 1504 01:12:13,291 --> 01:12:14,459 In order to interrupt the service, 1505 01:12:14,584 --> 01:12:16,294 You have to actually do something to interrupt it. 1506 01:12:16,419 --> 01:12:18,213 -This your presence does interrupt it. 1507 01:12:18,338 --> 01:12:19,714 You're intimidating women and children. 1508 01:12:19,840 --> 01:12:21,132 -That can be debated in court. 1509 01:12:21,258 --> 01:12:22,801 We are entering. [crosstalk] 1510 01:12:22,926 --> 01:12:25,804 -When the Grace Life Church did not force its congregants 1511 01:12:25,929 --> 01:12:29,391 to wear masks during service, the church was put 1512 01:12:29,516 --> 01:12:31,935 under weekly surveillance by local police 1513 01:12:32,060 --> 01:12:34,980 And Alberta Health Services inspectors. 1514 01:12:40,277 --> 01:12:42,028 -You can tell me, was anything in compliance 1515 01:12:42,153 --> 01:12:43,405 With what we issued on the order. 1516 01:12:43,530 --> 01:12:47,742 -We haven't made, I don't think, any material changes 1517 01:12:47,868 --> 01:12:49,160 Since that order. 1518 01:12:49,286 --> 01:12:51,913 -Okay, and no cap on occupancy for 15%. 1519 01:12:52,038 --> 01:12:53,039 -No. 1520 01:12:53,164 --> 01:12:54,958 I still don't think you should be coming 1521 01:12:55,083 --> 01:12:57,919 Into our facility, that it is a disturbance. 1522 01:12:58,044 --> 01:12:59,796 I contacted my lawyer. 1523 01:12:59,921 --> 01:13:03,133 I asked him, "What are the odds of me doing jail time for this?" 1524 01:13:03,258 --> 01:13:04,926 At that point, I thought it was 1525 01:13:05,051 --> 01:13:08,305 a pretty meager possibility, 1526 01:13:08,430 --> 01:13:10,932 thinking to myself that they likely didn't want 1527 01:13:11,057 --> 01:13:12,601 To put a pastor in jail. 1528 01:13:14,436 --> 01:13:16,313 He said, "It's pretty likely." 1529 01:13:17,606 --> 01:13:18,815 I said, "Yes?" 1530 01:13:18,940 --> 01:13:21,359 He's like, "Yes, pretty likely." 1531 01:13:21,484 --> 01:13:24,905 -He came downstairs for lunch, and he told me 1532 01:13:25,030 --> 01:13:29,075 that the likelihood of jail time was a possibility 1533 01:13:29,200 --> 01:13:31,453 And a very good, good possibility. 1534 01:13:31,578 --> 01:13:33,997 I sat there, I didn't really say anything. 1535 01:13:34,122 --> 01:13:36,041 I didn't want to add a burden to him. 1536 01:13:36,166 --> 01:13:37,542 He went upstairs after lunch. 1537 01:13:37,667 --> 01:13:38,960 I cleaned up all the dishes. 1538 01:13:39,085 --> 01:13:41,755 I went into the bathroom and I cried. 1539 01:13:41,880 --> 01:13:45,216 -The physiological impact of it on my body was significant. 1540 01:13:45,342 --> 01:13:48,178 I had a migraine brewing, 1541 01:13:48,303 --> 01:13:51,097 felt the weight of the world on my shoulders, 1542 01:13:51,222 --> 01:13:53,016 was kind of pacing, 1543 01:13:53,141 --> 01:13:55,685 and almost having a difficult time even being 1544 01:13:55,810 --> 01:13:56,770 on my own feet. 1545 01:13:56,895 --> 01:13:59,940 I laid down and just prayed it out, 1546 01:14:00,065 --> 01:14:02,025 And wrestled with the Lord on it. 1547 01:14:03,109 --> 01:14:04,653 In His mercy and grace, I came out 1548 01:14:04,778 --> 01:14:05,987 Of that time resolved. 1549 01:14:07,822 --> 01:14:11,743 What do we do to inform the government of their role? 1550 01:14:11,868 --> 01:14:16,081 That question was on my mind that week, 1551 01:14:16,206 --> 01:14:22,045 and I sensed the need to speak to government and to the role 1552 01:14:22,170 --> 01:14:23,254 of government. 1553 01:14:23,380 --> 01:14:24,214 This was another sermon 1554 01:14:24,339 --> 01:14:26,216 Where you're not cracking commentaries. 1555 01:14:26,341 --> 01:14:28,468 Your theology, your life is just going 1556 01:14:28,593 --> 01:14:30,053 To come out in one sermon. 1557 01:14:31,262 --> 01:14:34,641 What is the God ordained role of government, 1558 01:14:34,766 --> 01:14:36,851 And can we even ask that question? 1559 01:14:36,977 --> 01:14:40,021 When the government forbids what God commands. 1560 01:14:40,146 --> 01:14:43,316 For example, forbidding the preaching of His word. 1561 01:14:43,441 --> 01:14:44,275 Can't comply with that. 1562 01:14:44,401 --> 01:14:45,735 -This church near Edmonton 1563 01:14:45,860 --> 01:14:48,863 Has repeatedly violated public health orders. 1564 01:14:48,989 --> 01:14:53,076 -When the government commands what isn't theirs to command. 1565 01:14:53,201 --> 01:14:56,746 For example, the terms of worship 1566 01:14:56,871 --> 01:14:58,039 for a local church, 1567 01:14:59,207 --> 01:15:00,083 can't comply with that. 1568 01:15:00,208 --> 01:15:02,711 -Grace Life Church had to turn people away Sunday, 1569 01:15:02,836 --> 01:15:06,756 As they were busier than ever and over fire code capacity. 1570 01:15:06,881 --> 01:15:10,260 The church has been ignoring a closure order since January. 1571 01:15:10,385 --> 01:15:13,638 -I knew, following that service, 1572 01:15:13,763 --> 01:15:15,640 That they were going to want me to turn myself in. 1573 01:15:15,765 --> 01:15:18,810 I turned myself in on Tuesday. 1574 01:15:18,935 --> 01:15:19,936 They wanted to imprison me. 1575 01:15:20,061 --> 01:15:22,605 I was a menace to society, 1576 01:15:22,731 --> 01:15:25,150 and they deemed my imprisonment necessary 1577 01:15:25,275 --> 01:15:27,944 For the protection of society. 1578 01:15:28,069 --> 01:15:31,740 The crown said he needs to be released with a condition. 1579 01:15:31,865 --> 01:15:35,160 It was ordering me to comply with the Public Health Act, 1580 01:15:35,285 --> 01:15:37,120 And I indicated that I couldn't do that. 1581 01:15:37,245 --> 01:15:38,788 Had I signed, 1582 01:15:38,913 --> 01:15:41,416 then in some way I'd be admitting 1583 01:15:41,541 --> 01:15:44,669 Or agreeing to comply with that order. 1584 01:15:45,920 --> 01:15:50,675 Now I'm actually being constrained, I'm now in custody. 1585 01:15:50,800 --> 01:15:53,511 -Pastor of a church in the Edmonton area is 1586 01:15:53,636 --> 01:15:56,264 Under arrest for violating public health orders. 1587 01:15:56,389 --> 01:15:57,974 -Pastor James Coates was arrested 1588 01:15:58,099 --> 01:16:00,852 And sent to prison a couple of weeks ago in Canada. 1589 01:16:00,977 --> 01:16:01,686 What did he do? 1590 01:16:01,811 --> 01:16:03,188 He held a church service. 1591 01:16:03,313 --> 01:16:05,273 -You're going to go into quarantine 1592 01:16:05,398 --> 01:16:06,858 For two weeks. 1593 01:16:06,983 --> 01:16:08,193 Where do you want to go after that? 1594 01:16:08,318 --> 01:16:10,487 Do you want to go to general public, 1595 01:16:10,612 --> 01:16:12,155 general population, or do you want to go 1596 01:16:12,280 --> 01:16:15,533 To where they keep the rapists and pedophiles? 1597 01:16:17,911 --> 01:16:21,206 -One particular pastor, Pastor James Coates, 1598 01:16:21,331 --> 01:16:25,168 up in the Edmonton area Alberta Canada, 1599 01:16:25,293 --> 01:16:27,420 who sits in maximum security prison 1600 01:16:27,545 --> 01:16:31,883 at this time because he refused 1601 01:16:32,008 --> 01:16:34,052 to follow 1602 01:16:34,177 --> 01:16:38,139 the authorities' mandate not to preach, 1603 01:16:38,264 --> 01:16:40,475 Not to enter his church. 1604 01:16:40,600 --> 01:16:43,228 They told him essentially what was told John Bunyan, 1605 01:16:44,521 --> 01:16:45,897 "Anytime you want to stop preaching, 1606 01:16:46,022 --> 01:16:47,732 We'll let you out." 1607 01:16:47,857 --> 01:16:48,983 He said, "I can't do that," 1608 01:16:49,109 --> 01:16:50,693 So he is still there. 1609 01:16:53,613 --> 01:16:55,448 -Bunyan would come up to London 1610 01:16:55,573 --> 01:16:58,535 From time to time and preach. 1611 01:16:58,660 --> 01:17:01,621 Bunyan had this ability to preach to ordinary men 1612 01:17:01,746 --> 01:17:02,580 and women. 1613 01:17:02,705 --> 01:17:07,043 John Bunyan then was arrested and taken to jail. 1614 01:17:07,168 --> 01:17:09,379 Once Bunyan was convinced about something, 1615 01:17:09,504 --> 01:17:11,005 There was no shifting him. 1616 01:17:11,131 --> 01:17:12,257 It was not possible. 1617 01:17:12,382 --> 01:17:14,676 He ended up then, well officially he was in jail 1618 01:17:14,801 --> 01:17:17,762 For the next 12 years. 1619 01:17:17,887 --> 01:17:22,809 As you can imagine, some of those prisons were pretty, 1620 01:17:22,934 --> 01:17:26,396 pretty horrible places, and so sometimes men died 1621 01:17:26,521 --> 01:17:27,605 in prison. 1622 01:17:27,730 --> 01:17:30,525 He could have left the jail at any point, 1623 01:17:30,650 --> 01:17:33,611 he chose, but he would not be allowed 1624 01:17:33,736 --> 01:17:35,029 To preach. 1625 01:17:35,155 --> 01:17:37,031 Now, some people would argue, well, 1626 01:17:37,157 --> 01:17:42,036 just go Bunyan and preach quietly or preach 1627 01:17:42,162 --> 01:17:44,622 where nobody can find you, but I don't think that's 1628 01:17:44,747 --> 01:17:47,458 The way John Bunyan's conscience worked. 1629 01:17:47,584 --> 01:17:48,960 He wasn't able to do that. 1630 01:17:51,254 --> 01:17:53,047 -The government has always done this. 1631 01:17:53,173 --> 01:17:54,883 I think throughout history, 1632 01:17:55,008 --> 01:17:57,802 you aim at the cream, the leading preachers 1633 01:17:57,927 --> 01:18:00,930 if you can get them either to conform, 1634 01:18:01,055 --> 01:18:06,561 or soul crush them in spirit 1635 01:18:06,686 --> 01:18:08,229 That people lose heart. 1636 01:18:13,902 --> 01:18:17,697 -August 14th until September 4th, we had four 1637 01:18:17,822 --> 01:18:20,116 Or five emergency hearings. 1638 01:18:20,241 --> 01:18:22,744 -The level of aggression 1639 01:18:22,869 --> 01:18:25,747 that I saw that was leveled against Pastor MacArthur 1640 01:18:25,872 --> 01:18:28,958 In Grace Community Church was somewhat unparallel. 1641 01:18:29,083 --> 01:18:31,294 -LA County kept coming back and saying, 1642 01:18:31,419 --> 01:18:33,046 "We are not satisfied, we're not satisfied." 1643 01:18:33,171 --> 01:18:35,506 -A law firm they hired were real bulldogs. 1644 01:18:35,632 --> 01:18:38,259 It was completely dominating the practice. 1645 01:18:38,384 --> 01:18:39,677 It was an all out war. 1646 01:18:39,802 --> 01:18:41,095 We were so busy, and we were literally 1647 01:18:41,221 --> 01:18:44,015 In court probably every week, multiple times a week. 1648 01:18:44,140 --> 01:18:46,601 Leading up into that, we had been winning. 1649 01:18:46,726 --> 01:18:50,271 -They wanted to force him to stop having church services. 1650 01:18:50,396 --> 01:18:54,317 -This was the bigger hearing for a preliminary injunction. 1651 01:18:54,442 --> 01:18:57,153 -They were going into court to have him held in contempt, 1652 01:18:57,278 --> 01:18:59,322 which would be much bigger fines than potentially 1653 01:18:59,447 --> 01:19:00,323 a jail sentence. 1654 01:19:00,448 --> 01:19:03,493 It was Judge Beckloff, and it was his opportunity 1655 01:19:03,618 --> 01:19:05,119 To make a ruling. 1656 01:19:05,245 --> 01:19:07,038 -At the end of the hearing, the judge 1657 01:19:07,163 --> 01:19:09,415 Didn't really give us much of a tell. 1658 01:19:13,628 --> 01:19:16,756 -When I received the order, I was pretty crushed. 1659 01:19:16,881 --> 01:19:18,174 There were certain places where I wondered, 1660 01:19:18,299 --> 01:19:20,176 "Did I mess up?", and other places 1661 01:19:20,301 --> 01:19:22,053 where I was like, "No, he understood exactly 1662 01:19:22,178 --> 01:19:23,179 what I was saying." 1663 01:19:23,304 --> 01:19:25,431 He just said, "You lose." 1664 01:19:25,556 --> 01:19:28,142 -Now there was a preliminary injunction 1665 01:19:28,268 --> 01:19:31,145 that said that the church could not meet 1666 01:19:31,271 --> 01:19:34,440 And could not hold indoor worship services. 1667 01:19:35,984 --> 01:19:43,283 When I called Pastor John, it was definitely not good news. 1668 01:19:43,408 --> 01:19:44,909 -We are beginning to see persecution 1669 01:19:45,034 --> 01:19:46,536 From the government. 1670 01:19:46,661 --> 01:19:50,039 This is the most formidable persecution. 1671 01:19:50,164 --> 01:19:53,334 -There were people inside the government that contacted me 1672 01:19:53,459 --> 01:19:56,045 And said, "Look, we know who you are. 1673 01:19:56,170 --> 01:19:58,548 We know what you're doing. 1674 01:19:58,673 --> 01:20:01,968 You understand there's a chance you'll be arrested, right?" 1675 01:20:02,093 --> 01:20:03,052 I said, "No." 1676 01:20:04,345 --> 01:20:06,723 "You're fairly prominent in your profession, 1677 01:20:06,848 --> 01:20:08,182 And we can change that." 1678 01:20:08,308 --> 01:20:10,685 There were people friendly and unfriendly warn me, 1679 01:20:10,810 --> 01:20:12,687 "You might want to sever your ties 1680 01:20:12,812 --> 01:20:14,480 with Grace Community Church because it's not going 1681 01:20:14,605 --> 01:20:15,606 to end well for you." 1682 01:20:15,732 --> 01:20:18,484 -The government has obviously turned up the heat 1683 01:20:18,609 --> 01:20:20,320 on churches, trying to discourage them 1684 01:20:20,445 --> 01:20:21,362 from gathering together. 1685 01:20:21,487 --> 01:20:24,073 -They call us the fringe minority. 1686 01:20:24,198 --> 01:20:27,410 From the last two years, six people in Edmonton, 1687 01:20:27,535 --> 01:20:30,621 The COVID cabinet, have ruled our country. 1688 01:20:30,747 --> 01:20:32,832 They have determined the livelihoods and the lives 1689 01:20:32,957 --> 01:20:34,500 Of 4.5 million people. 1690 01:20:34,625 --> 01:20:37,378 -A pastor who gathers for church outside 1691 01:20:37,503 --> 01:20:38,755 Is being arrested. 1692 01:20:38,880 --> 01:20:40,214 Yeah. 1693 01:20:40,340 --> 01:20:43,885 When laws are unjust, then it's incumbent upon those 1694 01:20:44,010 --> 01:20:45,762 Who are righteous to stand up and say, "No." 1695 01:20:45,887 --> 01:20:47,638 -We have one of the best systems in the world. 1696 01:20:52,310 --> 01:20:56,356 Even God said, "Give unto Caesar what is Caesar's." 1697 01:20:56,481 --> 01:20:57,982 We're not getting into this philosophical debate. 1698 01:20:58,107 --> 01:20:59,484 -The gathering of the church is not Caesar's. 1699 01:20:59,609 --> 01:21:00,902 -Bye, daddy. 1700 01:21:01,027 --> 01:21:05,406 [cries] 1701 01:21:05,531 --> 01:21:08,534 -When you say that there's opportunity to go 1702 01:21:08,659 --> 01:21:11,287 through the legal means, we're 15, 16 months 1703 01:21:11,412 --> 01:21:12,872 into this and they have yet 1704 01:21:12,997 --> 01:21:14,665 To provide anything in court. 1705 01:21:14,791 --> 01:21:17,460 That's not-- A delayed access to justice 1706 01:21:17,585 --> 01:21:19,170 Is not just at all. 1707 01:21:19,295 --> 01:21:24,092 [kids crying] 1708 01:21:24,217 --> 01:21:26,594 -The government's taking control. 1709 01:21:26,719 --> 01:21:28,679 They want to take control of absolutely everything. 1710 01:21:30,640 --> 01:21:32,350 The church has become the main enemy 1711 01:21:32,475 --> 01:21:33,434 of the government, 1712 01:21:34,644 --> 01:21:36,062 Nothing new. 1713 01:21:36,187 --> 01:21:37,688 Scottish Covenanters, 1714 01:21:39,107 --> 01:21:40,108 amazing people. 1715 01:21:41,442 --> 01:21:44,362 1660, the Covenanters signed their national covenant 1716 01:21:44,487 --> 01:21:45,530 with their blood. 1717 01:21:45,655 --> 01:21:48,825 They were determined quoting, "To resist to the death 1718 01:21:48,950 --> 01:21:50,118 the claims of the king 1719 01:21:51,411 --> 01:21:53,830 to override the Crown Rights of the Redeemer 1720 01:21:53,955 --> 01:21:55,456 In His church King Jesus." 1721 01:21:56,624 --> 01:22:01,003 [music] 1722 01:22:01,129 --> 01:22:04,382 -The Grassmarket Memorial is commemorating not 1723 01:22:04,507 --> 01:22:08,219 just the men executed at the Grassmarket, 1724 01:22:08,344 --> 01:22:13,808 but it represents a memorial to the wider cause 1725 01:22:13,933 --> 01:22:19,355 of really today you would call it a freedom of conscience, 1726 01:22:19,480 --> 01:22:24,235 certainly religious freedom, and to commemorate a dark time 1727 01:22:24,360 --> 01:22:29,490 in Scotland's history when governmental authority, 1728 01:22:29,615 --> 01:22:31,868 under the oversight of the king, 1729 01:22:31,993 --> 01:22:35,121 sought to stamp out any trace of resistance 1730 01:22:35,246 --> 01:22:38,040 To his royal kingly authority. 1731 01:22:39,584 --> 01:22:41,961 The gallows were set high 1732 01:22:42,086 --> 01:22:46,299 because the government wanted to impress on people, 1733 01:22:46,424 --> 01:22:48,134 "Look what happens 1734 01:22:48,259 --> 01:22:52,013 When you defy the edicts of the king." 1735 01:22:52,138 --> 01:22:54,765 They would be given one last opportunity 1736 01:22:54,891 --> 01:22:59,103 to abjure the covenants and accept 1737 01:22:59,228 --> 01:23:04,233 the rightful legal authority, as it was said, 1738 01:23:04,358 --> 01:23:05,318 of the king. 1739 01:23:06,777 --> 01:23:10,072 Difficult to know how many were actually executed. 1740 01:23:10,198 --> 01:23:13,618 They represented a time in Scotland when to be 1741 01:23:13,743 --> 01:23:16,954 a faithful Christian could quite possibly mean 1742 01:23:17,079 --> 01:23:19,582 You face death all the day long. 1743 01:23:19,707 --> 01:23:58,704 [music] 1744 01:23:58,829 --> 01:23:59,789 -That I think 1745 01:24:00,873 --> 01:24:05,586 Is almost the saddest thing about the killing times. 1746 01:24:05,711 --> 01:24:09,882 Not that the government killed 1747 01:24:10,007 --> 01:24:13,594 these faithful Christians, though that's tragic, of course, 1748 01:24:13,719 --> 01:24:16,097 but that they could be betrayed 1749 01:24:16,222 --> 01:24:17,181 by their own. 1750 01:24:19,141 --> 01:24:21,143 That's hard to take. 1751 01:24:21,269 --> 01:24:26,148 John Brown was a semi-prosperous farmer. 1752 01:24:26,274 --> 01:24:32,154 Brown was betrayed, and it was Claverhouse, 1753 01:24:32,280 --> 01:24:36,492 Bloody Claverhouse, as he has come to be known. 1754 01:24:36,617 --> 01:24:40,121 He was with a number of his dragoons. 1755 01:24:40,246 --> 01:24:44,208 He asked John Brown to abjure. 1756 01:24:44,333 --> 01:24:49,463 There was an Oath of Abjuration and commit yourself to a life 1757 01:24:49,589 --> 01:24:51,299 Of obedience to the king. 1758 01:24:51,424 --> 01:24:55,761 He steadfastly refused to take the Oath of Abjuration. 1759 01:24:55,886 --> 01:24:59,849 It meant that he was persuaded that Jesus Christ was the King 1760 01:24:59,974 --> 01:25:01,267 And Head of the church. 1761 01:25:03,352 --> 01:25:07,148 Claverhouse commanded six of his dragoons to shoot him 1762 01:25:07,273 --> 01:25:08,316 on the spot. 1763 01:25:09,525 --> 01:25:14,280 Many of these Covenanters prayed deeply 1764 01:25:14,405 --> 01:25:16,073 And profoundly. 1765 01:25:16,198 --> 01:25:19,452 I can well understand that after Brown prayed, 1766 01:25:19,577 --> 01:25:22,413 these dragoons hesitated, 1767 01:25:25,708 --> 01:25:27,501 but rather than prolong 1768 01:25:28,669 --> 01:25:31,631 the wait, Claverhouse took out his own pistol, 1769 01:25:44,560 --> 01:25:47,313 And shot John Brown through the head. 1770 01:25:53,653 --> 01:25:55,529 Claverhouse turned to his wife 1771 01:25:57,031 --> 01:25:59,909 and said, "What think you know 1772 01:26:00,034 --> 01:26:00,910 of your husband?" 1773 01:26:01,035 --> 01:26:01,994 She replied, 1774 01:26:02,995 --> 01:26:06,957 "Before this, I thought of him very, very much. 1775 01:26:07,083 --> 01:26:08,876 Now, I think of him even better." 1776 01:26:16,842 --> 01:26:21,180 The issue at heart in conflict with the state 1777 01:26:22,390 --> 01:26:24,141 is almost always that issue, 1778 01:26:25,476 --> 01:26:29,146 Who has the right to govern my conscience? 1779 01:26:32,608 --> 01:26:35,319 Who has the right to tell me 1780 01:26:35,444 --> 01:26:37,988 How to live out my faith? 1781 01:26:53,838 --> 01:26:57,341 1635, in the Solway River, 1782 01:26:58,384 --> 01:27:02,263 is an imperishable example 1783 01:27:02,388 --> 01:27:05,433 Of remarkable Christian faith. 1784 01:27:05,558 --> 01:27:10,688 Wigtown, in that area, Southwest Scotland on the coast, 1785 01:27:10,813 --> 01:27:13,482 Was the stronghold of The Covenanters. 1786 01:27:24,326 --> 01:27:27,079 Margaret Wilson and her younger sister, Agnes, 1787 01:27:27,204 --> 01:27:28,998 had gone to visit 1788 01:27:29,123 --> 01:27:32,501 An older lady, Margaret McLachlan, who was 60. 1789 01:27:32,626 --> 01:27:34,462 Margaret Wilson was 13. 1790 01:27:34,587 --> 01:27:36,881 Her sister, Agnes, I think was 13. 1791 01:27:39,091 --> 01:27:42,636 They were known to be Covenanting sympathizers. 1792 01:27:45,890 --> 01:27:50,060 They were captured by these notorious dragoons. 1793 01:27:50,186 --> 01:27:52,897 They refused the Oath of Abjuration. 1794 01:27:53,022 --> 01:27:57,485 They denied that the king had any rule whatsoever 1795 01:27:57,610 --> 01:28:00,070 In the life of the church of Jesus Christ. 1796 01:28:00,196 --> 01:28:01,781 They were told to pray for the king, 1797 01:28:01,906 --> 01:28:04,158 Which Margaret Wilson was willing to do. 1798 01:28:04,283 --> 01:28:06,118 She prayed for the king to be saved. 1799 01:28:07,286 --> 01:28:10,414 Her father, meantime, who was quite prosperous, 1800 01:28:10,539 --> 01:28:13,167 had gone to Edinburgh to plead for their release, 1801 01:28:13,292 --> 01:28:16,003 And he paid an indemnity fine. 1802 01:28:17,087 --> 01:28:19,715 When he returned with the pardon, as it were, 1803 01:28:19,840 --> 01:28:23,761 having paid the fine, the local magistrate who was 1804 01:28:23,886 --> 01:28:27,097 A prosperous landowner refused. 1805 01:28:27,223 --> 01:28:28,307 He acted unlawfully. 1806 01:28:29,475 --> 01:28:31,018 The younger daughter was released. 1807 01:28:32,603 --> 01:28:33,771 She was 13. 1808 01:28:36,690 --> 01:28:39,735 Wigtown is a tidal estuary. 1809 01:28:43,864 --> 01:28:45,699 The tide goes out significantly, 1810 01:28:46,992 --> 01:28:48,619 sufficient 1811 01:28:48,744 --> 01:28:52,665 for the soldiers to stick these stakes 1812 01:28:53,874 --> 01:28:55,835 Into the sinking sands. 1813 01:29:06,512 --> 01:29:10,182 They tied the two Margarets to stakes 1814 01:29:10,307 --> 01:29:11,225 in the River Solway. 1815 01:29:11,350 --> 01:29:12,977 The older woman 1816 01:29:13,102 --> 01:29:14,061 to the front 1817 01:29:15,145 --> 01:29:17,565 in the hope that seeing the older woman die, 1818 01:29:19,066 --> 01:29:22,152 Margaret, who was 13, would recant. 1819 01:29:29,618 --> 01:29:32,872 The older woman wouldn't renounce her convictions, 1820 01:29:33,998 --> 01:29:34,957 and she drowned. 1821 01:29:36,125 --> 01:29:38,168 One of the soldiers cut her throat. 1822 01:29:40,170 --> 01:29:42,756 Perhaps he thought that would hasten her death 1823 01:29:42,882 --> 01:29:44,425 And save her suffering. 1824 01:29:44,550 --> 01:29:53,559 [music] 1825 01:29:57,021 --> 01:30:00,524 -They came to young Margaret again and said, 1826 01:30:00,649 --> 01:30:05,237 "Will you now take the oath of abjuration and abjure 1827 01:30:05,362 --> 01:30:08,782 the covenants and acknowledge the headship 1828 01:30:08,908 --> 01:30:12,119 Of the king in the life of the church?" 1829 01:30:12,244 --> 01:30:13,579 She said, "No." 1830 01:30:14,788 --> 01:30:18,208 She began to recite or sing 1831 01:30:18,334 --> 01:30:19,418 a number of psalms. 1832 01:30:19,543 --> 01:30:44,234 [music] 1833 01:30:44,360 --> 01:30:47,237 -One of the soldiers came and actually pushed her head 1834 01:30:47,363 --> 01:30:48,572 under the salty water, 1835 01:30:50,282 --> 01:30:52,660 And she drowned. 1836 01:30:54,662 --> 01:30:56,497 Another soldier cut her throat, 1837 01:30:57,831 --> 01:31:00,584 whether again to hasten the end, 1838 01:31:00,709 --> 01:31:02,336 not to prolong the agony, 1839 01:31:02,461 --> 01:31:03,504 I don't know. 1840 01:31:10,594 --> 01:31:11,720 She died. 1841 01:31:13,973 --> 01:31:16,308 It's bewildering to people, I think. 1842 01:31:16,433 --> 01:31:18,978 Why would you die 1843 01:31:19,103 --> 01:31:20,354 For church polity? 1844 01:31:25,234 --> 01:31:27,736 She wasn't dying for Presbyterianism. 1845 01:31:27,861 --> 01:31:30,072 She was dying for the cause of Jesus Christ. 1846 01:31:33,242 --> 01:31:37,079 Since that day, the story of the two Margarets have been 1847 01:31:37,204 --> 01:31:42,209 an indelible mark in the history and life of the church 1848 01:31:42,334 --> 01:31:43,794 In Scotland. 1849 01:31:51,969 --> 01:31:57,558 Faithfulness inevitably brings a cost with it. 1850 01:31:59,768 --> 01:32:02,354 The calling of the church in every age 1851 01:32:02,479 --> 01:32:04,940 is to exalt the Creator 1852 01:32:05,065 --> 01:32:06,150 above the creature. 1853 01:32:06,275 --> 01:32:08,068 The great lie, 1854 01:32:08,193 --> 01:32:11,530 as Paul puts it in the end of Romans 1, 1855 01:32:11,655 --> 01:32:15,909 people believe the lie of the devil and worship 1856 01:32:16,035 --> 01:32:18,412 the creature more than the Creator who is God 1857 01:32:18,537 --> 01:32:20,289 Over all forever to be praised. 1858 01:32:22,374 --> 01:32:25,252 The conflict between the church 1859 01:32:25,377 --> 01:32:27,421 and state, the church and government, 1860 01:32:27,546 --> 01:32:32,634 The church and kings and queens began at the fall. 1861 01:32:32,760 --> 01:32:35,804 Genesis 3 is the pivotal chapter 1862 01:32:35,929 --> 01:32:38,766 Along with Genesis 1 and 2 in the whole Bible. 1863 01:32:38,891 --> 01:32:42,770 Get Genesis 1 to 3 wrong, and you get everything wrong. 1864 01:32:44,897 --> 01:32:47,941 -To understand the basic truth of the gospel, 1865 01:32:48,067 --> 01:32:49,443 You have to start with the bad news. 1866 01:32:49,568 --> 01:32:52,112 Gospel means good news, 1867 01:32:52,237 --> 01:32:53,655 but the good news is only good news 1868 01:32:53,781 --> 01:32:55,407 If you understand the bad news. 1869 01:32:57,534 --> 01:32:59,411 The bad news is we've all sinned, 1870 01:32:59,536 --> 01:33:01,497 Fallen short of the glory of God. 1871 01:33:01,622 --> 01:33:04,083 The wages of sin is death. 1872 01:33:04,208 --> 01:33:08,295 That's not just spiritual death, that's eternal death. 1873 01:33:08,420 --> 01:33:10,714 Eternal death doesn't mean eternal unconsciousness. 1874 01:33:10,839 --> 01:33:12,591 It means eternal punishment. 1875 01:33:12,716 --> 01:33:16,261 The Bible is explicit about a lake of fire 1876 01:33:16,386 --> 01:33:19,973 where there is conscious punishment forever 1877 01:33:20,099 --> 01:33:22,392 As a result of sin. 1878 01:33:24,603 --> 01:33:27,189 -In Adam's fall, we all fell in him. 1879 01:33:27,314 --> 01:33:29,858 We all fell in him because Adam is our federal head. 1880 01:33:31,026 --> 01:33:33,695 It's like the federal head of a nation. 1881 01:33:33,821 --> 01:33:36,448 if my federal head declares war, 1882 01:33:36,573 --> 01:33:40,202 I'm at war whether I want to be or not. 1883 01:33:40,327 --> 01:33:42,246 -The bad news is that everybody's 1884 01:33:42,371 --> 01:33:43,372 in that same category. 1885 01:33:43,497 --> 01:33:46,250 All have sinned, all are guilty. 1886 01:33:46,375 --> 01:33:48,836 None is righteous, not even one. 1887 01:33:48,961 --> 01:33:50,045 -All of us are born 1888 01:33:51,421 --> 01:33:53,173 with original sin, 1889 01:33:53,298 --> 01:33:55,634 which is why it's absolutely necessary 1890 01:33:55,759 --> 01:33:57,845 That we come under another federal headship. 1891 01:33:57,970 --> 01:34:01,014 -In Genesis 3:15 when in the wake 1892 01:34:01,140 --> 01:34:05,269 of Adam's rebellion and sin, 1893 01:34:05,394 --> 01:34:07,646 God immediately confronts the devil, 1894 01:34:07,771 --> 01:34:10,190 Satan in the guise of a serpent. 1895 01:34:10,315 --> 01:34:12,860 -I'll put enmity between you and the woman, 1896 01:34:12,985 --> 01:34:16,196 between your seed and her seed, 1897 01:34:16,321 --> 01:34:19,700 You will bruise his heel, but he will bruise your head. 1898 01:34:21,326 --> 01:34:23,162 That's the protevangelium. 1899 01:34:23,287 --> 01:34:26,331 That's the first proclamation of the good news of the gospel. 1900 01:34:26,456 --> 01:34:30,252 That there is one that is going to come from the woman 1901 01:34:30,377 --> 01:34:31,795 Who will crush the head of the snake. 1902 01:34:34,089 --> 01:34:37,342 -Sin isn't a minor peccadillo. 1903 01:34:37,467 --> 01:34:40,387 It isn't a little blemish that we can airbrush out 1904 01:34:40,512 --> 01:34:41,138 of our lives. 1905 01:34:41,263 --> 01:34:46,935 Sin is a deadly cancer that will kill us and destroy us 1906 01:34:47,060 --> 01:34:48,437 To all eternity. 1907 01:34:48,562 --> 01:34:52,691 -The good news is that God has a remedy for sin. 1908 01:34:53,817 --> 01:34:55,569 It has to be judged. 1909 01:34:55,694 --> 01:34:57,446 He sent his Son 1910 01:34:57,571 --> 01:34:59,948 to die in the place of all who would believe in Him 1911 01:35:00,073 --> 01:35:01,491 And take the judgment. 1912 01:35:01,617 --> 01:35:07,080 -He would do it so gloriously, and yet so unexpectedly, 1913 01:35:07,206 --> 01:35:10,751 He would do it through the very humanity 1914 01:35:10,876 --> 01:35:14,504 that Satan himself had sought to destroy from the seed 1915 01:35:14,630 --> 01:35:16,924 Of the woman. 1916 01:35:17,049 --> 01:35:20,552 In the fullness of time, the eternal Son of God, 1917 01:35:20,677 --> 01:35:24,514 unfathomably mysteriously beyond all that we can begin 1918 01:35:24,640 --> 01:35:29,394 To imagine takes our flesh to Himself in the virgin's womb. 1919 01:35:29,519 --> 01:35:33,523 In that frail flesh, He spoils principalities 1920 01:35:33,649 --> 01:35:36,151 And powers by His cross. 1921 01:35:36,276 --> 01:35:39,404 -One of the most remarkable realities 1922 01:35:39,529 --> 01:35:43,033 is that God was satisfied 1923 01:35:43,158 --> 01:35:45,285 to punish His Son 1924 01:35:45,410 --> 01:35:48,121 In place of sinners. 1925 01:35:48,247 --> 01:35:50,249 This is the essence of grace. 1926 01:35:50,374 --> 01:35:54,795 This is the high point of divine grace. 1927 01:35:54,920 --> 01:35:57,089 -When we come to Christ 1928 01:35:57,214 --> 01:35:58,382 in faith, 1929 01:35:58,507 --> 01:36:01,218 We come under His federal headship. 1930 01:36:01,343 --> 01:36:04,763 Christ is declared as the head of His body, the church. 1931 01:36:04,888 --> 01:36:07,140 Because we're under His federal headship, 1932 01:36:07,266 --> 01:36:14,856 We are made righteous, declared righteous sanctified. 1933 01:36:14,982 --> 01:36:17,025 We are united with Him. 1934 01:36:17,150 --> 01:36:21,405 We have our adoption as sons in Him, and eventually 1935 01:36:21,530 --> 01:36:24,491 our glorification in Him, all because we come 1936 01:36:24,616 --> 01:36:27,119 Under His federal headship. 1937 01:36:27,244 --> 01:36:31,498 -The church is always going to be an embattled people. 1938 01:36:32,666 --> 01:36:36,586 It's always going to be swimming against the tide. 1939 01:36:36,712 --> 01:36:39,339 if it's swimming with the tide, it's not being the church 1940 01:36:39,464 --> 01:36:40,465 of Jesus Christ. 1941 01:36:44,303 --> 01:36:46,513 [music] 1942 01:36:56,189 --> 01:36:57,566 -Praise God. 1943 01:36:57,691 --> 01:37:00,319 -Being pastor always around people, 1944 01:37:00,444 --> 01:37:02,863 being family man with eight children, 1945 01:37:02,988 --> 01:37:07,784 and then to go to jail where even the entrance process 1946 01:37:07,909 --> 01:37:10,579 Into jail is very humiliating. 1947 01:37:10,704 --> 01:37:15,083 -Being processed is a crazy dehumanizing experience 1948 01:37:15,208 --> 01:37:16,251 as you come into jail. 1949 01:37:16,376 --> 01:37:19,087 -You are brought in with handcuffs and with shackles. 1950 01:37:19,212 --> 01:37:21,715 -The stuff that they gotta do to you to make sure 1951 01:37:21,840 --> 01:37:24,092 That you're not bringing anything in. 1952 01:37:24,217 --> 01:37:25,761 -They perform a full strip search. 1953 01:37:25,886 --> 01:37:27,637 Very humiliating. 1954 01:37:28,722 --> 01:37:32,309 They dress you up, of course in prison clothes. 1955 01:37:32,434 --> 01:37:34,186 They treat you like an animal. 1956 01:37:34,311 --> 01:37:35,812 You don't know what to do. You don't know what's next. 1957 01:37:35,937 --> 01:37:37,564 You don't know about your own safety. 1958 01:37:37,689 --> 01:37:39,983 -I was in a cell with four other guys. 1959 01:37:40,108 --> 01:37:43,320 One guy ended up being my cellmate for a day or two, 1960 01:37:43,445 --> 01:37:45,572 And he was coming down off drugs. 1961 01:37:45,697 --> 01:37:48,158 -As you get into a cell with another roommate, 1962 01:37:48,283 --> 01:37:50,410 And he looks rough, he doesn't look pleased. 1963 01:37:50,535 --> 01:37:53,413 If I go to sleep here, am I going to wake up? 1964 01:37:53,538 --> 01:37:55,207 What's going to happen to me? 1965 01:37:55,332 --> 01:37:59,795 -When I went to jail, that opened up this whole avenue 1966 01:37:59,920 --> 01:38:01,880 For my wife to be able to be online. 1967 01:38:02,005 --> 01:38:04,883 -One of the reasons why they wanted to free James was 1968 01:38:05,008 --> 01:38:06,051 because I wouldn't be quiet. 1969 01:38:06,176 --> 01:38:07,010 [laughs] 1970 01:38:07,135 --> 01:38:09,388 I know my husband is fighting for freedom, 1971 01:38:09,513 --> 01:38:11,223 but more he's fighting for the Lordship of Christ 1972 01:38:11,348 --> 01:38:12,182 over his church. 1973 01:38:12,307 --> 01:38:14,601 Because I kept talking and doing the interviews, 1974 01:38:14,726 --> 01:38:16,311 it was putting pressure on the government, 1975 01:38:16,436 --> 01:38:19,231 exposing the media because we were bringing out 1976 01:38:19,356 --> 01:38:20,190 what the truth was. 1977 01:38:20,315 --> 01:38:22,442 -She's just getting the message out. 1978 01:38:22,567 --> 01:38:25,445 That even climaxed with a particular interview 1979 01:38:25,570 --> 01:38:27,364 She did with Tucker Carlson. 1980 01:38:27,489 --> 01:38:30,450 -A grown man sitting in prison for preaching a sermon. 1981 01:38:32,202 --> 01:38:35,122 This is such obvious tyranny that I've gotta ask, 1982 01:38:35,247 --> 01:38:38,166 Have any authorities in Canada come to your help? 1983 01:38:38,291 --> 01:38:40,419 This is the ruling of one judge, but you have a lot 1984 01:38:40,544 --> 01:38:43,004 Of politicians in Alberta or any of them-- 1985 01:38:43,130 --> 01:38:44,631 -The interview with Tucker Carlson 1986 01:38:44,756 --> 01:38:48,009 we think was significant in moving the dial 1987 01:38:48,135 --> 01:38:51,346 in the government because it was just getting too big 1988 01:38:51,471 --> 01:38:53,640 And the pressure was getting to be too big. 1989 01:38:53,765 --> 01:38:56,393 -You grew up in the country. Do you recognize it now? 1990 01:38:58,103 --> 01:38:59,020 -No, I don't. 1991 01:38:59,146 --> 01:39:02,816 This is definitely not the nation that I grew up in. 1992 01:39:02,941 --> 01:39:05,068 -When I was given the opportunity to speak, 1993 01:39:06,945 --> 01:39:09,239 I said something to the effect that I realized 1994 01:39:09,364 --> 01:39:12,868 that the way this is going to be parsed up by society is 1995 01:39:12,993 --> 01:39:14,077 that I'm 1996 01:39:14,202 --> 01:39:16,538 An insurrectionist or a political revolutionary. 1997 01:39:16,663 --> 01:39:17,456 That's not the case. 1998 01:39:17,581 --> 01:39:21,251 I said, "The only reason that I'm here and at odds 1999 01:39:21,376 --> 01:39:24,504 with the law is because of my obedience 2000 01:39:24,629 --> 01:39:26,423 To the Lord Jesus Christ." 2001 01:39:33,096 --> 01:39:36,224 By the end of it, I was able to be released, 2002 01:39:36,349 --> 01:39:39,227 opened a door, and boom, my family was there 2003 01:39:39,352 --> 01:39:43,440 And I was now reunited with my family. 2004 01:39:43,565 --> 01:39:46,443 -Take your mask off. [laughter] 2005 01:39:55,285 --> 01:39:56,912 -I remember coming out of jail. 2006 01:39:57,037 --> 01:39:59,164 I just began to cry as I held them 2007 01:40:01,833 --> 01:40:03,084 because I realized at that point, 2008 01:40:05,212 --> 01:40:07,255 the battle was not over, 2009 01:40:07,380 --> 01:40:10,091 That these lockdowns and restrictions persisted. 2010 01:40:10,217 --> 01:40:12,052 That court order was still out there, 2011 01:40:12,177 --> 01:40:14,804 that we were still going to gather, 2012 01:40:14,930 --> 01:40:17,974 and that it is likely I'll be back in jail 2013 01:40:18,099 --> 01:40:19,184 in a very short time. 2014 01:40:21,603 --> 01:40:23,313 -I'm here outside GraceLife Church. 2015 01:40:23,438 --> 01:40:27,275 AHS is confirming that it has blocked access 2016 01:40:27,400 --> 01:40:29,319 To the church by putting fencing around. 2017 01:40:29,444 --> 01:40:33,365 RCMP are also on scene here providing support. 2018 01:40:33,490 --> 01:40:35,200 -The RCMP broke into our facility, 2019 01:40:35,325 --> 01:40:37,953 changed the locks, locked us out, 2020 01:40:38,078 --> 01:40:41,248 And then put three layers of fence around our property. 2021 01:40:42,415 --> 01:40:44,709 -They brought a locksmith in and they changed 2022 01:40:44,834 --> 01:40:47,128 all of our locks, so we did not have access 2023 01:40:47,254 --> 01:40:48,088 to our building. 2024 01:40:48,213 --> 01:40:50,131 -GraceLife Church and parishioners 2025 01:40:50,257 --> 01:40:53,468 have defied health orders for months now, 2026 01:40:53,593 --> 01:40:56,304 By not wearing masks, not distancing. 2027 01:40:56,429 --> 01:41:00,183 Our global news counters have seen people hugging outside 2028 01:41:00,308 --> 01:41:00,976 of the church. 2029 01:41:01,101 --> 01:41:03,395 Pastor James Coates of GraceLife Church 2030 01:41:03,520 --> 01:41:06,731 Has spent time behind bars. 2031 01:41:06,856 --> 01:41:09,067 -I'd like to address a situation that has evolved 2032 01:41:09,192 --> 01:41:11,486 With GraceLife Church. 2033 01:41:11,611 --> 01:41:13,488 For months, Alberta Health Services 2034 01:41:13,613 --> 01:41:15,282 has attempted to proactively work 2035 01:41:15,407 --> 01:41:16,157 with this church. 2036 01:41:16,283 --> 01:41:18,493 These attempts to reach out and provide support 2037 01:41:18,618 --> 01:41:20,287 and education were not successful 2038 01:41:20,412 --> 01:41:21,621 in bringing the church 2039 01:41:21,746 --> 01:41:25,041 Into alignment with COVID-19 prevention requirements. 2040 01:41:29,504 --> 01:41:32,007 -In 1662, there was an act passed 2041 01:41:32,132 --> 01:41:34,634 In Parliament, an Act of Uniformity. 2042 01:41:34,759 --> 01:41:38,597 What this act said was that everyone within the Church 2043 01:41:38,722 --> 01:41:44,811 of England had to agree then to use the 1662 prayer book, 2044 01:41:44,936 --> 01:41:48,023 A new revision, The Book of Common Prayer. 2045 01:41:48,148 --> 01:41:50,650 -if you do not conform to the prayer book, 2046 01:41:50,775 --> 01:41:53,945 if you do not conform to the Episcopal rights 2047 01:41:54,070 --> 01:41:56,698 And orders, you'll be ejected. 2048 01:41:56,823 --> 01:42:00,744 The Puritans said, "This act as a whole, 2049 01:42:00,869 --> 01:42:02,662 we cannot stomach," 2050 01:42:02,787 --> 01:42:05,498 and that's why 2,000 of them 2051 01:42:05,624 --> 01:42:09,085 and 300 to 400 in Scotland were ejected 2052 01:42:09,210 --> 01:42:10,670 From their churches. 2053 01:42:10,795 --> 01:42:30,315 [music] 2054 01:42:30,440 --> 01:42:32,108 -Although there were many good things 2055 01:42:32,233 --> 01:42:34,277 in that prayer book and they wouldn't object 2056 01:42:34,402 --> 01:42:37,113 to all of it by any means, that to be forced 2057 01:42:37,238 --> 01:42:41,868 into a position where they had to use that book 2058 01:42:41,993 --> 01:42:43,411 And no other book. 2059 01:42:43,536 --> 01:42:45,705 They had to conform to it, that that was asking 2060 01:42:45,830 --> 01:42:49,042 more than God was asking of them and therefore, 2061 01:42:49,167 --> 01:42:50,293 they felt they had no choice. 2062 01:42:51,461 --> 01:42:53,755 -The vast majority of the Puritans 2063 01:42:53,880 --> 01:42:56,800 Who were rejected did not stop doing church. 2064 01:42:56,925 --> 01:42:58,301 There was an underground church. 2065 01:42:58,426 --> 01:43:00,470 They had to meet quietly and they would meet 2066 01:43:00,595 --> 01:43:04,265 In places out of public view. 2067 01:43:04,391 --> 01:43:07,769 -GraceLife Church up in Alberta, Canada, 2068 01:43:07,894 --> 01:43:10,271 Is meeting somewhere. 2069 01:43:11,690 --> 01:43:12,941 We don't know where. 2070 01:43:14,275 --> 01:43:19,197 James Coates said at this point, it's not for the public to know. 2071 01:43:19,322 --> 01:43:22,325 -In Edmonton, really, outside of the municipality is 2072 01:43:22,450 --> 01:43:24,160 A very rural area. 2073 01:43:24,285 --> 01:43:25,745 Anywhere you go, 2074 01:43:25,870 --> 01:43:28,623 if you have 150 cars 2075 01:43:28,748 --> 01:43:31,418 show up down a gravel road and everybody 2076 01:43:31,543 --> 01:43:33,253 In that county knows something is going on. 2077 01:43:33,378 --> 01:43:35,880 -As we're on that road driving in, 2078 01:43:36,005 --> 01:43:37,966 we've got a family that's sitting 2079 01:43:38,091 --> 01:43:41,219 on a golf cart, a couple with a mobile phone 2080 01:43:41,344 --> 01:43:43,430 and they're on the phone and don't look 2081 01:43:43,555 --> 01:43:46,057 happy as they just see all of these cars driving 2082 01:43:46,182 --> 01:43:47,267 into this location. 2083 01:43:47,392 --> 01:43:50,812 -It was a crash course in underground church. 2084 01:43:50,937 --> 01:43:52,063 -Oh, no. 2085 01:43:52,188 --> 01:43:56,484 We're not flying under the radar here at all. 2086 01:43:56,609 --> 01:44:01,406 -We continued meeting in these remote locations. 2087 01:44:01,531 --> 01:44:04,409 Some of them made church that much sweeter. 2088 01:44:07,495 --> 01:44:11,040 I can remember the first time we went to one location. 2089 01:44:11,166 --> 01:44:13,293 It was our very first meeting together outside 2090 01:44:13,418 --> 01:44:14,627 of our building 2091 01:44:14,753 --> 01:44:18,590 And the singing was incredible. 2092 01:44:20,175 --> 01:44:21,593 if there was ever a foretaste to heaven, 2093 01:44:21,718 --> 01:44:22,677 that was it. 2094 01:44:22,802 --> 01:44:25,263 -Amazing to have an underground church in Canada. 2095 01:44:27,015 --> 01:44:33,229 [applause] 2096 01:44:33,354 --> 01:44:36,274 -John Flavel, one of the leading Puritans. 2097 01:44:36,399 --> 01:44:37,400 There's a stone. 2098 01:44:37,525 --> 01:44:39,861 It's in the middle of a river. 2099 01:44:39,986 --> 01:44:42,197 The reason he would preach from that stone was 2100 01:44:42,322 --> 01:44:44,032 because there were different authorities 2101 01:44:44,157 --> 01:44:45,325 either side of the river. 2102 01:44:45,450 --> 01:44:47,202 if authorities from one side began 2103 01:44:47,327 --> 01:44:49,454 to pursue him, he could flee to the other side 2104 01:44:49,579 --> 01:44:51,539 Where they had no jurisdiction. 2105 01:44:51,664 --> 01:44:55,084 The preacher would always preach behind a curtain. 2106 01:44:55,210 --> 01:44:57,462 The thinking there was that if somebody then came 2107 01:44:57,587 --> 01:44:58,713 into the meeting, 2108 01:44:58,838 --> 01:45:01,132 an informer wanted to see who the preacher was, 2109 01:45:01,257 --> 01:45:03,218 Then he wouldn't be able to see who the preacher was. 2110 01:45:03,343 --> 01:45:05,220 He'd hear the word, but he wouldn't see him 2111 01:45:05,345 --> 01:45:07,639 Because he was behind this curtain. 2112 01:45:07,764 --> 01:45:10,141 It was a church in Bristol where they would always surround 2113 01:45:10,266 --> 01:45:13,770 The preacher with some very tall men. 2114 01:45:13,895 --> 01:45:16,731 if the authorities did turn up, then they had 2115 01:45:16,856 --> 01:45:18,066 A trap door system. 2116 01:45:18,191 --> 01:45:19,067 I don't know quite how it worked, 2117 01:45:19,192 --> 01:45:22,362 but they were able then to conceal him beneath 2118 01:45:22,487 --> 01:45:23,655 the trap door. 2119 01:45:23,780 --> 01:45:27,700 -The Bible allows Christians to flee from persecution 2120 01:45:27,826 --> 01:45:32,330 And it also allows believers to hide in times of persecution. 2121 01:45:32,455 --> 01:45:33,456 -I think 2122 01:45:33,581 --> 01:45:36,000 it's appropriate for the church to be shrewd in moments 2123 01:45:36,125 --> 01:45:36,292 like that and to seek to be faithful to Christ. 2124 01:45:36,292 --> 01:45:40,964 like that and to seek to be faithful to Christ. 2125 01:45:41,089 --> 01:45:44,300 -After the Act of Uniformity had being up 2126 01:45:44,425 --> 01:45:46,928 and running for some time, the authorities realized 2127 01:45:47,053 --> 01:45:49,138 that people were still meeting together and just carrying 2128 01:45:49,264 --> 01:45:51,391 On without the prayer book where they could. 2129 01:45:51,516 --> 01:45:54,894 They passed a law that limited the numbers 2130 01:45:55,019 --> 01:45:56,938 That could gather. 2131 01:45:57,063 --> 01:46:00,942 -The king's aged Parliament passed what was called 2132 01:46:01,067 --> 01:46:02,819 A Conventicle Act. 2133 01:46:02,944 --> 01:46:08,741 The act stated that no more than 5 or 10 people 2134 01:46:08,867 --> 01:46:10,034 could gather 2135 01:46:11,494 --> 01:46:12,537 for worship. 2136 01:46:12,662 --> 01:46:15,206 -All in-person events of 50 or more people 2137 01:46:15,331 --> 01:46:16,249 should be canceled. 2138 01:46:16,374 --> 01:46:19,252 -There's going to be a lot of hurt if that does not stop. 2139 01:46:19,377 --> 01:46:21,880 -Only 50 people are allowed at congregational 2140 01:46:22,005 --> 01:46:23,339 And worship services. 2141 01:46:23,464 --> 01:46:26,009 -These are legal provisions. 2142 01:46:26,134 --> 01:46:27,552 They will be enforced. 2143 01:46:27,677 --> 01:46:29,512 -They tried imprisoning 2144 01:46:29,637 --> 01:46:32,140 The ministers, the leaders. 2145 01:46:32,265 --> 01:46:34,851 They then came up with a system of fines. 2146 01:46:34,976 --> 01:46:39,397 -The aim was slowly but surely to squeeze the life out 2147 01:46:39,522 --> 01:46:41,524 Of Puritan descent. 2148 01:46:41,649 --> 01:46:46,779 -The city was threatening us and that started the cavalcade 2149 01:46:46,905 --> 01:46:51,868 Of continual efforts to fine us. 2150 01:46:51,993 --> 01:46:54,412 -if you got fined once, that would be one figure 2151 01:46:54,537 --> 01:46:56,581 And then it would go up again. 2152 01:46:56,706 --> 01:46:59,125 Really quite merciless. 2153 01:46:59,250 --> 01:47:03,087 -They ramped up the fines and the threats. 2154 01:47:03,212 --> 01:47:07,717 -It's always usually an escalating development. 2155 01:47:07,842 --> 01:47:09,802 -The first fine I received was $1,200. 2156 01:47:09,928 --> 01:47:12,680 -To see just how far you're willing to go. 2157 01:47:12,805 --> 01:47:14,849 -The maximum penalty on those fines, 2158 01:47:14,974 --> 01:47:18,144 I think was-- one of those summons was up 2159 01:47:18,269 --> 01:47:19,646 To $100,000. 2160 01:47:19,771 --> 01:47:22,523 -To resist the encroaching power 2161 01:47:22,649 --> 01:47:26,152 Of the state upon your conscience. 2162 01:47:31,491 --> 01:47:37,080 [music] 2163 01:47:37,205 --> 01:47:39,791 -We had the September 4th preliminary injunction hearing 2164 01:47:39,916 --> 01:47:41,501 And the September 10th ruling. 2165 01:47:41,626 --> 01:47:43,169 -With contempt, one of the things you get 2166 01:47:43,294 --> 01:47:45,880 is attorney's fees awarded 2167 01:47:46,005 --> 01:47:49,384 The party who's bringing the contempt charge. 2168 01:47:49,509 --> 01:47:52,178 -You're found in contempt, not only do you have 2169 01:47:52,303 --> 01:47:54,722 To pay fines, but you could possibly go to jail. 2170 01:47:54,847 --> 01:47:59,727 -Pastor John MacArthur very seriously stood 2171 01:47:59,852 --> 01:48:03,106 To risk fines in the millions of dollars. 2172 01:48:03,231 --> 01:48:07,026 -September 10th ruling felt like the world had fallen down 2173 01:48:07,151 --> 01:48:07,860 on top of us. 2174 01:48:07,986 --> 01:48:10,488 It later became clear that that was actually 2175 01:48:10,613 --> 01:48:13,408 Judge Beckloff doing everything he could for us. 2176 01:48:13,533 --> 01:48:15,702 LA County has what it wants, technically. 2177 01:48:15,827 --> 01:48:18,496 They seek to enforce this order against us. 2178 01:48:18,621 --> 01:48:19,872 Who do they go to? They go to him. 2179 01:48:19,998 --> 01:48:22,291 -Part of the defense of the contempt is 2180 01:48:22,417 --> 01:48:23,376 these are unconstitutional. 2181 01:48:23,501 --> 01:48:26,546 Even your orders, judge, are unconstitutional. 2182 01:48:26,671 --> 01:48:28,172 We have the right to violate them 2183 01:48:28,297 --> 01:48:29,215 and still challenge them. 2184 01:48:29,340 --> 01:48:31,134 Obviously, that's not an easy argument 2185 01:48:31,259 --> 01:48:33,553 to make in front of the judge that wrote the ruling 2186 01:48:33,678 --> 01:48:35,430 that you're saying is unconstitutional, but it was 2187 01:48:35,555 --> 01:48:36,681 a very uncomfortable situation 2188 01:48:36,806 --> 01:48:38,558 Because what does enforcing this order mean? 2189 01:48:38,683 --> 01:48:42,687 It means contempt, which is a criminal penalty. 2190 01:48:42,812 --> 01:48:44,397 I don't know if the court was too eager 2191 01:48:44,522 --> 01:48:45,064 to do that. 2192 01:48:45,189 --> 01:48:48,609 -Judge Beckloff said, any contempt proceedings 2193 01:48:48,735 --> 01:48:52,238 will have to come after a final determination 2194 01:48:52,363 --> 01:48:52,989 on the merit. 2195 01:48:53,114 --> 01:48:55,658 -Of course, while we were being postponed 2196 01:48:55,783 --> 01:48:57,702 on that basis, 2197 01:48:57,827 --> 01:49:01,581 the Supreme Court was tackling a couple of cases 2198 01:49:01,706 --> 01:49:02,665 of religious freedom. 2199 01:49:02,790 --> 01:49:04,792 -Justice Ginsburg passed away. 2200 01:49:04,917 --> 01:49:07,170 She was replaced by Justice Barrett 2201 01:49:07,295 --> 01:49:10,673 And then this issue came back to the Supreme Court. 2202 01:49:10,798 --> 01:49:13,176 -The Supreme Court issuing an injunction 2203 01:49:13,301 --> 01:49:15,136 that New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo 2204 01:49:15,261 --> 01:49:17,346 cannot enforce his new occupancy limits 2205 01:49:17,472 --> 01:49:19,515 On religious institutions in his state. 2206 01:49:19,640 --> 01:49:22,643 -That ruled in favor of churches, 2207 01:49:22,769 --> 01:49:24,312 which made it look worse 2208 01:49:24,437 --> 01:49:26,856 For the county to have a shot at winning. 2209 01:49:26,981 --> 01:49:29,025 -This is not a pre-pandemic video. 2210 01:49:29,150 --> 01:49:33,237 Shoppers at this Naples grocery store aren't wearing masks. 2211 01:49:33,362 --> 01:49:37,992 -In about early April of 2021, the world is coming out 2212 01:49:38,117 --> 01:49:41,370 Of this fear-based rhetoric from the media. 2213 01:49:41,496 --> 01:49:45,208 -Has been caught in a massive COVID lie. 2214 01:49:45,333 --> 01:49:47,168 -A group of protesters actually showed up 2215 01:49:47,293 --> 01:49:48,836 to the home of LA County Director 2216 01:49:48,961 --> 01:49:50,505 Of Public Health, Dr. Barbara Ferrer. 2217 01:49:50,630 --> 01:49:53,549 -John MacArthur of Grace Community Church joins me now 2218 01:49:53,674 --> 01:49:56,344 With more of that message that's gaining a lot of traction. 2219 01:49:56,469 --> 01:49:59,263 -Pastor John and I went on a bunch of national media 2220 01:49:59,388 --> 01:50:02,517 to tell the story and the true motivation 2221 01:50:02,642 --> 01:50:04,936 Of church being essential. 2222 01:50:05,061 --> 01:50:08,981 -When the government is allowed this type of broad 2223 01:50:09,107 --> 01:50:12,360 and arbitrary unlimited indefinite power, 2224 01:50:12,485 --> 01:50:14,695 Then our rights become mere privileges. 2225 01:50:14,821 --> 01:50:18,199 -We really want to start prosecuting our case. 2226 01:50:18,324 --> 01:50:20,243 -The County of Los Angeles applies 2227 01:50:20,368 --> 01:50:23,579 for contempt court, and in our opposition briefing, 2228 01:50:23,704 --> 01:50:26,040 we raise all the arguments that a criminal defendant 2229 01:50:26,165 --> 01:50:26,791 would be able to raise. 2230 01:50:26,916 --> 01:50:27,917 We need discovery. 2231 01:50:28,042 --> 01:50:29,460 We need to prove 2232 01:50:29,585 --> 01:50:31,796 that even Los Angeles County 2233 01:50:31,921 --> 01:50:33,297 Doesn't believe in the science. 2234 01:50:33,422 --> 01:50:35,424 We should have a full trial. 2235 01:50:35,550 --> 01:50:37,260 We should have live testimony. 2236 01:50:37,385 --> 01:50:38,928 We should have the right to cross-examine witnesses. 2237 01:50:39,053 --> 01:50:43,182 -Our intention was to depose the health officials 2238 01:50:43,307 --> 01:50:45,852 And the LA Board of Supervisors. 2239 01:50:45,977 --> 01:50:48,020 -Let's find out what's really motivating these health orders. 2240 01:50:48,146 --> 01:50:49,856 Let's find out the science that says churches are 2241 01:50:49,981 --> 01:50:50,690 so dangerous. 2242 01:50:50,815 --> 01:50:54,110 -And ask them the questions that they had never been asked 2243 01:50:54,235 --> 01:50:56,320 And refuse to answer in the media. 2244 01:50:56,445 --> 01:50:58,447 -Let's get these public health officers under oath. 2245 01:50:58,573 --> 01:51:00,199 -They don't want to have to answer questions 2246 01:51:00,324 --> 01:51:02,201 About what they're doing. 2247 01:51:02,326 --> 01:51:04,036 -They can't leave when there's a question pending. 2248 01:51:04,162 --> 01:51:05,788 They got to answer the question. 2249 01:51:05,913 --> 01:51:07,415 They got to deal with the follow-up questions 2250 01:51:07,540 --> 01:51:08,833 and their lawyers can't interrupt 2251 01:51:08,958 --> 01:51:10,001 and stop the deposition. 2252 01:51:10,126 --> 01:51:13,004 -I was so ready to get in deposition. 2253 01:51:13,129 --> 01:51:15,798 Paul and I talked about this all the time, like, "Let's go." 2254 01:51:15,923 --> 01:51:18,718 Can you imagine getting these health officials, 2255 01:51:18,843 --> 01:51:19,886 Barbara Ferrer? 2256 01:51:20,011 --> 01:51:21,888 -There was a real risk that if they lied under oath, 2257 01:51:22,013 --> 01:51:23,139 they'd be committing perjury. 2258 01:51:23,264 --> 01:51:23,431 It'd have massive consequences, not only for the case 2259 01:51:23,431 --> 01:51:25,808 It'd have massive consequences, not only for the case 2260 01:51:25,933 --> 01:51:27,727 But for their professional careers as well. 2261 01:51:27,852 --> 01:51:29,979 -Can you imagine getting Gavin Newsom 2262 01:51:30,104 --> 01:51:33,274 on the stand and saying to him, 2263 01:51:33,399 --> 01:51:35,902 "Why were you in support of the riots, 2264 01:51:36,027 --> 01:51:37,361 But you're against churches." 2265 01:51:37,486 --> 01:51:41,949 -Why is it safe to be in Costco but not safe to be in church? 2266 01:51:42,074 --> 01:51:43,201 There's no answer for that question 2267 01:51:43,326 --> 01:51:44,827 because it's stupid and ridiculous 2268 01:51:44,952 --> 01:51:46,120 and everyone knows that. 2269 01:51:46,245 --> 01:51:51,125 -What is the statistical figure that gives us the death rate 2270 01:51:51,250 --> 01:51:51,834 of COVID? 2271 01:51:51,959 --> 01:51:55,630 Not dying with COVID, dying from COVID? 2272 01:51:55,755 --> 01:51:59,133 What is the age group that is most susceptible? 2273 01:51:59,258 --> 01:52:03,304 What comorbidities contribute to death? 2274 01:52:03,429 --> 01:52:06,015 Show me the efficacy of masks. 2275 01:52:06,140 --> 01:52:08,768 Show me the efficacy of lockdowns 2276 01:52:08,893 --> 01:52:12,271 so that you could actually say 2277 01:52:12,396 --> 01:52:15,107 it's so important to have a lockdown, 2278 01:52:15,233 --> 01:52:17,526 that we can destroy 2279 01:52:17,652 --> 01:52:19,612 An entire economy. 2280 01:52:19,737 --> 01:52:23,199 We can destroy an education system. 2281 01:52:23,324 --> 01:52:28,162 We can destroy families, we can destroy people's lives. 2282 01:52:28,287 --> 01:52:31,499 if you are willing to do that based on those statistics, 2283 01:52:31,624 --> 01:52:34,919 What in the world is motivating you? 2284 01:52:35,044 --> 01:52:36,754 Why are you doing this? 2285 01:52:36,879 --> 01:52:40,925 [music] 2286 01:52:41,050 --> 01:52:42,301 -They would have no justification, 2287 01:52:42,426 --> 01:52:43,886 But we never got to that stage. 2288 01:52:44,011 --> 01:52:47,765 -24 hours after we proposed that, 2289 01:52:47,890 --> 01:52:49,850 They shut down everything. 2290 01:52:49,976 --> 01:52:52,561 -Almost immediately, we started negotiating 2291 01:52:52,687 --> 01:52:53,646 a settlement. 2292 01:52:55,856 --> 01:52:58,192 -So the political climate has changed 2293 01:52:58,317 --> 01:52:58,818 in Alberta. 2294 01:52:58,943 --> 01:53:01,696 -Jason Kenney says he is resigning 2295 01:53:01,821 --> 01:53:04,782 After three years as Alberta's premier. 2296 01:53:04,907 --> 01:53:07,201 -I think we've contributed to that. 2297 01:53:07,326 --> 01:53:11,372 -Dr. Deena Hinshaw is no longer Alberta's Chief Medical Officer 2298 01:53:11,497 --> 01:53:11,914 of Health. 2299 01:53:12,039 --> 01:53:14,375 -On July 1st, which is Canada Day, 2300 01:53:14,500 --> 01:53:15,543 all of the restrictions 2301 01:53:15,668 --> 01:53:17,795 Or at least most of them were lifted. 2302 01:53:17,920 --> 01:53:19,755 That meant that there were no restrictions 2303 01:53:19,880 --> 01:53:24,176 On gathering and we got our building back. 2304 01:53:24,302 --> 01:53:26,178 -No enforcement was happening 2305 01:53:26,304 --> 01:53:27,888 as we recognized that the government 2306 01:53:28,014 --> 01:53:30,766 Has now lost its drive to put pastors in jail. 2307 01:53:32,935 --> 01:53:34,937 -The most difficult thing 2308 01:53:35,062 --> 01:53:37,440 in navigating COVID-19 was not the arrest, 2309 01:53:37,565 --> 01:53:38,441 not the imprisonment. 2310 01:53:38,566 --> 01:53:41,152 It was losing brothers and sisters in Christ whom 2311 01:53:41,277 --> 01:53:44,030 I loved and I labored with for years. 2312 01:53:44,155 --> 01:53:45,948 There was no sleeplessness because 2313 01:53:46,073 --> 01:53:48,284 The police might come tomorrow to arrest me. 2314 01:53:49,535 --> 01:53:51,746 I know what I'm doing is an honor to the Lord and it's 2315 01:53:51,871 --> 01:53:53,748 In the Lord's hands. 2316 01:53:53,873 --> 01:53:55,291 There were nights 2317 01:53:55,416 --> 01:53:58,252 of sleeplessness because of the disunity 2318 01:53:58,377 --> 01:53:59,879 within the church, 2319 01:54:00,004 --> 01:54:01,797 among brothers and sisters who I love dearly, 2320 01:54:01,922 --> 01:54:04,633 who did not see it the same way, and who I realized 2321 01:54:04,759 --> 01:54:06,344 I could not persuade. 2322 01:54:06,469 --> 01:54:09,430 They just did not see it the same way that I saw it. 2323 01:54:09,555 --> 01:54:11,265 -A lot of people left Grace Church. 2324 01:54:11,390 --> 01:54:12,600 We didn't open fast enough. 2325 01:54:12,725 --> 01:54:14,393 We opened too quickly. 2326 01:54:14,518 --> 01:54:16,854 We didn't require masks and social distancing. 2327 01:54:16,979 --> 01:54:18,314 We're disobeying the government. 2328 01:54:18,439 --> 01:54:19,690 We're arrogant. 2329 01:54:19,815 --> 01:54:23,277 -That actually brought the greatest turmoil, 2330 01:54:23,402 --> 01:54:25,654 The greatest emotional pain, and difficulty. 2331 01:54:25,780 --> 01:54:27,656 -There were people that called me saying 2332 01:54:27,782 --> 01:54:28,991 They were leaving Grace Church. 2333 01:54:30,493 --> 01:54:32,661 I would ask them every time, "Have you been back 2334 01:54:32,787 --> 01:54:34,497 To Grace Church since we reopened?" 2335 01:54:36,374 --> 01:54:38,292 Typically they would say no. 2336 01:54:38,417 --> 01:54:39,960 I would beg them 2337 01:54:40,086 --> 01:54:40,669 to come. 2338 01:54:40,795 --> 01:54:42,546 I said, "Let me know you're coming. 2339 01:54:42,671 --> 01:54:46,133 You tell me if you want to be inside or out in the tent. 2340 01:54:46,258 --> 01:54:47,426 I will set up chairs 2341 01:54:47,551 --> 01:54:50,096 so that you are socially distanced, 2342 01:54:50,221 --> 01:54:51,889 but you cannot make this decision 2343 01:54:52,014 --> 01:54:53,182 without coming to Grace Church 2344 01:54:53,307 --> 01:54:54,725 At least one more time." 2345 01:54:58,437 --> 01:55:00,856 Most of the people that I laid that challenge down 2346 01:55:00,981 --> 01:55:05,736 To did not accept it and left Grace Church. 2347 01:55:05,861 --> 01:55:07,905 -However when restrictions finally went away here 2348 01:55:08,030 --> 01:55:09,573 or loosened up, 2349 01:55:09,698 --> 01:55:11,951 that's when we saw a whole number of folks join 2350 01:55:12,076 --> 01:55:13,077 our church. 2351 01:55:13,202 --> 01:55:14,620 -We had people starting to come back 2352 01:55:14,745 --> 01:55:17,206 With some resolve and conviction that, "No, we need to be here. 2353 01:55:17,331 --> 01:55:19,166 We want to stand with these guys." 2354 01:55:19,291 --> 01:55:22,795 -What the Lord provided was a whole bunch of new people. 2355 01:55:22,920 --> 01:55:24,880 -They were not necessarily our people. 2356 01:55:25,005 --> 01:55:27,216 They were people we were not familiar with. 2357 01:55:28,592 --> 01:55:30,678 -I was struggling 2358 01:55:30,803 --> 01:55:32,430 during COVID lockdowns, 2359 01:55:33,556 --> 01:55:40,396 ended up getting into alcohol 2360 01:55:40,521 --> 01:55:42,106 A lot. 2361 01:55:42,231 --> 01:55:45,609 -My dad was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer 2362 01:55:45,734 --> 01:55:48,195 And he only had six months to live. 2363 01:55:48,320 --> 01:55:50,781 -I've never ever dealt with anxiety and depression 2364 01:55:50,906 --> 01:55:52,408 Until the lockdowns happened. 2365 01:55:52,533 --> 01:55:56,495 -I came under quite intense, 2366 01:55:56,620 --> 01:55:58,414 I think spiritual attack. 2367 01:55:58,539 --> 01:56:00,624 I had been on psychotropic medicine. 2368 01:56:00,749 --> 01:56:03,711 -I came pretty close to the end of my life. 2369 01:56:03,836 --> 01:56:06,922 -We didn't have physical connection 2370 01:56:07,047 --> 01:56:09,633 And face-to-face connection with believers. 2371 01:56:09,758 --> 01:56:11,677 I felt disconnected 2372 01:56:11,802 --> 01:56:13,971 And so therefore it affected my mind. 2373 01:56:14,096 --> 01:56:21,187 -I needed to find God and find a meaning for what was going on, 2374 01:56:21,312 --> 01:56:22,021 what was happening. 2375 01:56:22,146 --> 01:56:26,150 -I couldn't stand being alone and unaccountable anymore. 2376 01:56:26,275 --> 01:56:28,444 -I think when he finally realized 2377 01:56:28,569 --> 01:56:32,031 he was going to die, he was open to somebody coming 2378 01:56:32,156 --> 01:56:34,575 To speak with him. - Opened up the church again. 2379 01:56:34,700 --> 01:56:38,454 VBS started, Bible study started to open up again. 2380 01:56:38,579 --> 01:56:40,706 I found myself at everything I could get my hands 2381 01:56:40,831 --> 01:56:42,875 On or travel to. 2382 01:56:43,000 --> 01:56:46,170 -I needed a place to go for some answers. 2383 01:56:48,339 --> 01:56:50,841 I went to a little white Baptist Church 2384 01:56:50,966 --> 01:56:54,428 in my small community down the highway 2385 01:56:54,553 --> 01:56:55,513 who stayed open. 2386 01:56:57,139 --> 01:56:59,934 -Grace Church staying open 2387 01:57:00,059 --> 01:57:02,895 And there was Faith Bible Church near our house. 2388 01:57:03,020 --> 01:57:06,524 They directed us there and they were able 2389 01:57:06,649 --> 01:57:10,819 to send somebody to our house to witness to my dad before 2390 01:57:10,945 --> 01:57:12,238 He passed away. 2391 01:57:12,363 --> 01:57:14,615 -About a year ago, my dad would look at me and say, 2392 01:57:14,740 --> 01:57:16,200 "Chris, you don't look happy." 2393 01:57:16,325 --> 01:57:19,036 Now, just yesterday I hear my parents saying, 2394 01:57:19,161 --> 01:57:21,205 "Chris, you look really happy." 2395 01:57:21,330 --> 01:57:23,541 Things have drastically changed. 2396 01:57:23,666 --> 01:57:27,586 -I noticed that there was a massive change in our family 2397 01:57:27,711 --> 01:57:30,673 because the head of the household recognized 2398 01:57:30,798 --> 01:57:33,592 It and it trickled down to everybody else. 2399 01:57:33,717 --> 01:57:35,219 -I don't think 2400 01:57:35,344 --> 01:57:37,805 he would've been able to hear the Word if it wasn't 2401 01:57:37,930 --> 01:57:41,725 For churches like Grace and Faith Bible staying open. 2402 01:57:41,850 --> 01:57:46,564 -Really, if it didn't happen that I found this place 2403 01:57:46,689 --> 01:57:49,316 And they stayed open, I don't know where I'd be today. 2404 01:57:51,110 --> 01:57:56,532 -Our attendance went from 120 to 350 or to 400 people. 2405 01:57:56,657 --> 01:57:57,992 It's still at that level today. 2406 01:57:58,117 --> 01:58:00,953 -It was an explosive growth time. 2407 01:58:01,078 --> 01:58:01,912 In fact, 2408 01:58:02,037 --> 01:58:04,582 it's incomparable to any other period of time 2409 01:58:04,707 --> 01:58:06,959 in the half a century I've been at Grace Church in terms 2410 01:58:07,084 --> 01:58:09,837 of church growth and it's still reaping 2411 01:58:09,962 --> 01:58:13,591 that harvest of 30 to 100 new members 2412 01:58:13,716 --> 01:58:16,385 Every single month and it's been that way for two years now. 2413 01:58:22,224 --> 01:58:24,852 [music] 2414 01:58:24,977 --> 01:58:26,645 -Christ is the head of the church. 2415 01:58:26,770 --> 01:58:28,105 This is an absolute issue. 2416 01:58:28,230 --> 01:58:31,025 He's not 30% of the head of the church and we can let 2417 01:58:31,150 --> 01:58:32,985 The government do 20%. 2418 01:58:33,110 --> 01:58:35,613 He is the head of the church. 2419 01:58:35,738 --> 01:58:37,615 -A statement that was released from the legal team 2420 01:58:37,740 --> 01:58:39,241 at the Thomas More Society 2421 01:58:39,366 --> 01:58:41,493 "We're very pleased to see Pastor MacArthur 2422 01:58:41,619 --> 01:58:43,954 and Grace Community Church's First Amendment protections 2423 01:58:44,079 --> 01:58:46,457 Fully vindicated in this case." 2424 01:58:46,582 --> 01:58:50,336 -They were trying to have an injunction against the church 2425 01:58:50,461 --> 01:58:51,629 that we couldn't worship. 2426 01:58:51,754 --> 01:58:53,881 What we ended up with is an injunction 2427 01:58:54,006 --> 01:58:58,302 against them saying, "Sorry, you can't ever tell us ever 2428 01:58:58,427 --> 01:58:59,762 Again to close our doors." 2429 01:58:59,887 --> 01:59:02,514 -We basically operate as a church according 2430 01:59:02,640 --> 01:59:05,476 to the revelation of God, the Bible 2431 01:59:05,601 --> 01:59:10,773 and there's no room to share that headship 2432 01:59:10,898 --> 01:59:12,816 With any government agency. 2433 01:59:12,941 --> 01:59:15,569 -According to a legal summary that was presented 2434 01:59:15,694 --> 01:59:18,155 at yesterday's LA County supervisory meeting, 2435 01:59:18,280 --> 01:59:21,325 they spent so far, $950,000, 2436 01:59:21,450 --> 01:59:23,994 Nearly $1 million McKayla on legal fees. 2437 01:59:24,119 --> 01:59:26,705 -They have had to pay out a total of something 2438 01:59:26,830 --> 01:59:31,669 like $3.5 million across just the lawsuits 2439 01:59:31,794 --> 01:59:34,672 that Chuck LiMandri and the Thomas More Society 2440 01:59:34,797 --> 01:59:35,464 and I have handled. 2441 01:59:35,589 --> 01:59:37,758 -The government paid our legal fees. 2442 01:59:37,883 --> 01:59:39,927 That is an admission of guilt. 2443 01:59:41,178 --> 01:59:44,181 -When they asked us to do things 2444 01:59:44,306 --> 01:59:48,727 that violated biblical standards for the life of the church, 2445 01:59:48,852 --> 01:59:50,562 The answer was always going to be no. 2446 01:59:52,481 --> 01:59:54,024 -It would've been nice 2447 01:59:54,149 --> 01:59:57,653 For Grace to win their case at the US Supreme Court. 2448 01:59:59,446 --> 02:00:00,781 That's not what this case was about. 2449 02:00:00,906 --> 02:00:03,158 This case was about stopping the government 2450 02:00:03,283 --> 02:00:05,119 From steamrolling people. 2451 02:00:05,244 --> 02:00:06,370 This is the only case that did that. 2452 02:00:06,495 --> 02:00:07,871 This is the only case that was able to stop 2453 02:00:07,996 --> 02:00:09,581 The government. 2454 02:00:09,707 --> 02:00:11,917 In that respect, it was the most important case. 2455 02:00:12,042 --> 02:00:13,085 -We won a battle. 2456 02:00:13,210 --> 02:00:14,962 The opposition to the gospel 2457 02:00:15,087 --> 02:00:18,382 that created this crisis hasn't diminished 2458 02:00:18,507 --> 02:00:19,925 Just because we won this battle. 2459 02:00:22,219 --> 02:00:24,096 We'll face other battles in the future. 2460 02:00:24,221 --> 02:00:25,389 We need to be ready for it. 2461 02:00:25,514 --> 02:00:27,182 -We need to have a healthy detachment 2462 02:00:27,307 --> 02:00:30,102 from the things of this world if we're going to be faithful 2463 02:00:30,227 --> 02:00:32,604 In the days ahead. - God has strengthened us. 2464 02:00:32,730 --> 02:00:33,397 He has tried us. 2465 02:00:33,522 --> 02:00:35,983 He has tested us for the next battle. 2466 02:00:37,109 --> 02:00:39,653 -As the government gets more corrupt, 2467 02:00:39,778 --> 02:00:42,990 its totalitarian control has to increase, 2468 02:00:43,115 --> 02:00:45,993 and as they shut down any attacks against them, 2469 02:00:46,118 --> 02:00:50,122 The last thing standing is going to be the church. 2470 02:00:50,247 --> 02:01:29,036 [music].