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2020 has been one crazy year. It began as we watched the a presidential impeachment trial unfold. We heard about murder hornets and the potential for asteroids to impact Earth. We were hit with the news of a new virus, called COVID-19, that was spreading around the globe and which quickly changed the way we live, work, and worship. Some lost their jobs or have experienced financial hardships because of COVID-19. Sadly, many lost their lives to this virus, some in our own communities. Others were diagnosed with cancer. Some faced a variety of unforeseen tragedies. We are even now steeped in the uncertainty of the results of the recent presidential election and increasing political division that is threatening to tear our nation apart at the seams.

However, with all the bad and evil that has taken place in 2020, we still have so much to thank God for! Instead of focusing on all the negative, let's focus on what God has done for us. The fact that you are reading this article and have breath in your body is enough reason to be thankful and praise the Lord (Psalms 150)! But God has also done so much for us and our church family than just give us breath.

God was miraculously with Chris Gill during and after a horrible automobile accident. God has miraculously healed Johnny Brinkman, who fought COVID-19, was on a ventilator for nearly three weeks, and spent a total of 50 days in the hospital! God miraculously saved the life of eight-year-old Joshua Shirk after he drown was unconscious and not breathing for nearly 45 minutes! These are just a few examples. Think about all the prayers that God has answered for us in 2020! Think about all the times that God has been with us, protected us, delivered us, healed us, watched over us, and blessed us! We truly have so much to thank Him for!

Let's be thankful unto God and bless His name (Psalm 100:4) this Thanksgiving season! Let's thank Him for our families! Let's thank Him for our health! Let's thank Him for our finances! Let's thank Him for a beautiful church facility where we can worship Him! Let's thank Him for the freedom we still have in America to worship! Let's thank Him for all the times He was behind the scenes working everything out for our good (Romans 8:28)! Let's thank Him for all His blessings upon us!

What do you have to be thankful for this year? Don't miss the opportunity to give God the thanks for what He's done in your life. Also, don't miss the opportunity to share your testimony with others. Don't be ashamed to tell others about what God has done for you and for our church family. This world could use some good news and needs to see the light of Christ in us!

Regardless of political affiliation or beliefs, we probably would all agree that the upcoming election is, at a minimum, one of the most important elections in recent memory, if not our nation's history. Our country is reeling from months of social unrest, partisan politics, and a global pandemic. We've seen things happen recently that many of us never thought we would witness. We are certainly living in unprecedented times in our nation's history.

That is why this election is so important. The decisions that are made in the ballot box on November 3rd will determine the trajectory of our nation for at least the next four years. However, as Christians, there is something that we can do to influence the election before all the ballots are cast and the results are reported.

We can pray. We can intercede on behalf of our nation. We can pray for God to set up the right leaders in the right positions for such a time as this. We can pray for God's will to be done through this election. We do not know how recent events and the results of this election might play into end times events and fulfillment of biblical prophecy. However, we can pray for God's will to be done and for the Christian values of our nation to be preserved.

Let's unite in prayer for the election. Let's pray for:

1. God's will to be done in this election.
2. A valid election process.
3. Leaders to be elected who will stand up for traditional biblical values.
4. Our Constitutional rights to be protected.
5. No violence to ensue following the election.
6. The current pandemic to come to an end.
7. America to turn back to God and for a spiritual awakening to spread across our nation.

Let your voice be heard in the election by casting your vote on November 3rd. But more importantly, let your voice be heard in heaven by lifting up a prayer to God for this election.

COVID-19 has brought many changes to the United States of America. This pandemic has also revealed the true state of our union in regards to religious freedoms. As the COVID-19 statistics began to rise earlier this year, many states required churches to close their doors. Most churches complied with these requirements out of a sense of duty to protect public health and because we felt like it was the right thing to do.

Many of these states have since relaxed these requirements and have allowed churches to reopen again. However, there are still some states, like California, that are continuing to prohibit in-person religious services. They also go a step further and specifically prohibit "singing, chanting, or shouting." They even take another step to prohibit private Bible study in a person's individual home.

While church buildings are closed, other businesses are considered "essential" and are open for business. You can shop at Walmart. Liquor stores are open. Abortion clinics are still open. Thousands are allowed to gather for violent protests and riots and social distancing requirements are not enforced. All the while, churches are considered "non-essential" and must remain closed.

The question is how much, if any, control should the government have over churches? Do they have the right to prohibit in-person church services? Do they have the right to prohibit singing? Do they have the right to stop someone from holding a Bible study in their own home? I hope you agree that the answer to those questions are a resounding "NO!"

Several pastors in California do not agree with their Governor's orders to close churches. The most well known of these is probably John MacArthur. However, there are other pastors and their congregations who are also refusing to just give in to the Governor's mandates regarding religious services.

Pastor Rob McCoy of Godspeak Calvary Chapel Church in Thousand Oaks, California is one of those pastors. Now, he and his congregation have received a temporary restraining order, essentially forcing them to shut down their worship services. Not only does this restraining order apply to the Pastor, but to every congregant that attends the worship service. The church can still perform non-religious functions, but cannot have worship services. They can give out food to the hungry, but they cannot preach the gospel. They can house the homeless overnight, but they cannot hold a worship service, Bible study, or meet for prayer. You can read an article regarding this on Charisma News here: https://www.charismanews.com/us/82170-california-church-ordered-to-stop-worship

Religious liberty is quickly being eroded away. What is taking place in California can be described as nothing short of religious persecution. This has been occurring slowly for a long time, but COVID-19 is the catalyst that has simply brought it to surface. The church needs to wake up and recognize what is taking place. This is not a problem that only Christians in other parts of the world face. This is happening in the United States of America. Preachers have been warning us for years about this day. Well church, this day has arrived. Religious liberty is quickly transforming into religious persecution. We can either sit back and simply watch it happen, or we can stand up and do something about it. Which one are you going to do?

In 1 Peter 3:15, Paul writes, "be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you." Now, more than ever, it is vitally important that every Christian knows what they believe so that they are not "tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine" (Ephesians 4:14). Just as important as knowing what we believe, we must also be prepared and ready to communicate our beliefs to others. You may get asked, "what do you believe" or "what does your church believe?" Are you ready to give an answer? On Sunday nights, for the next several weeks, we will be focusing on our Statement of Faith and hopefully providing you with the knowledge and confidence to give a "reason of the hope that his in you." You can download a copy of our Statement of Faith by clicking the link below.

Statement of Faith

The events of the last several days in America have been disturbing. George Floyd was needlessly killed while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This is a heartbreaking tragedy and we pray for his family and loved ones and for justice to be served.

But this event has become about more than just George Floyd. It has opened up the conversation again about civil rights and racism in America. These conversations need to be heard through peaceful protests or other methods provided for and protected by our Constitution. The unfortunate reality is that peaceful protest have been turned, by some, into complete anarchy. Looting, destroying public property, attacking police officers and other innocent people is not a form of peaceful protest. It is criminal activity. Now more innocent lives are being hurt and lost as the toll of this tragedy continues to grow.

Hatred, division, and racism have no place in our nation and certainly have no place in the Church or within the heart of a Christian. The Bible is clear that we are all precious in the sight of God; regardless of skin color or any other distinguishing characteristic. Jesus died for sinners. He died for the sins of the whole world, not just certain races, classes, or groups of people. We are all "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14) in the "image and likeness of God" (Genesis 1:26). John the Revelator saw a great multitude that could not be numbered "of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues" worshiping in Heaven before the Throne of God (Revelation 7:9). There is no segregation in Heaven and there is no room for hatred, division, or racism before His Throne or in His Church.

Sadly, the events of this past week demonstrates just how far America has fallen from the plan of God. We have become a Godless society. Instead of the Godly spirit of love, joy, and peace, our nation is consumed with hatred, anger, and division. And it is not just over this event. This event has just brought it to the surface.

What can we as the Church do? First, we can make sure that racism has no place in the Church or within in our individual hearts. We can reach out and share the love of Christ with everyone, regardless of our differences. Second, we can pray. We can pray for those who are affected by racism and other forms of hatred. We can pray that their voices can be heard peaceably. We can pray for the innocent who have been caught up in the chaos. We can pray for those who are continuing to hurt others. We can pray for the violence to stop. We can pray, "God, heal our families, our communities, and our Churches." We can pray, "God, heal our nation!"

This Sunday (May 31, 2020) is Pentecost Sunday. Pentecost, or the Feast of Weeks, in the Old Testament was held 7 weeks (or 50 days) after Passover. In the New Testament, Jesus was crucified during the week of Passover and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:1-4 occurred on the Day of Pentecost, during the Feast of Weeks. The same Holy Spirit baptism that was poured out in Jerusalem some 2,000 years ago is the same Holy Spirit baptism that is available to every born-again believer today. As we celebrate Pentecost Sunday this week, let's give thanks, praise, and glory to God for the gift of the Holy Spirit. If you have not received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, ask the Holy Spirit to breathe on you! Who knows? This Sunday might just be the day that you receive it!

We need to be in prayer for our religious freedoms. Last week, the Chicago Department of Health has issued a letter to a Romanian Pentecostal church stating that, if they were to open their doors, they would be considered a "public nuisance" and may be subject to "summary abatement." That's a fancy legal way to say that the government would have the right to forcibly close and even destroy the church if they deemed it necessary.

They have since retracted this statement and the governor has amended the requirements for churches in Illinois. Even still, I believe we are entering uncharted waters on the separation of church and state during this COVID-19 pandemic. We have a responsibility as a church to do the right thing, including closing the doors, if that is what it takes to keep our members and communities safe. But the government does not have the constitutional authority to forcibly require the church to do so. In fact, the First Amendment states that the government "shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." The Constitution does not have a pause button.

If the government can cross this line in the name of COVID-19, what is to stop them from telling us what we can preach or how we can conduct our services in the name of some other reason? The truth is that pastors are being arrested for holding church services while hardened criminals are being set free. Church members are being written tickets for attending drive-in and other religious services that are following the same social distancing and disinfection practices as restaurants and other businesses. Church doors are all but being chained and locked shut while businesses like home improvement and liquor stores are considered essential.

I believe, in addition to the physical battle, there is a spiritual battle being waged during this pandemic; the consequences of which may reach far beyond COVID-19. But we are not helpless just to sit back and watch it happen. We are a people of prayer. And we serve a prayer-answering God. We need to pray for the protection of our religious freedoms. The same religious freedoms that countless men and women died for in service to our country and that we just took time to remember on Memorial Day. We need to pray for pastors and churches that are facing persecution because they feel they can open their doors safely just like so-called "essential businesses." We need to pray for our leaders that they would make the right decisions. We need to pray for our politicians, regardless of party or affiliation, that the demonic ideology of freedom FROM religion would be uprooted. Most importantly, we need to pray that God's will be done.

You can read the original article on the letter from the Chicago Department of Health regarding the church in Chicago by clicking the link below:

https://lc.org/newsroom/details/052320-chicago-threatens-to-close-or-destroy-churches-1