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Covid Vaccine … Yes or No?

27 Tuesday Apr 2021

Posted by in emergency room, Politics

≈ 35 Comments

There are a lot of questions surrounding the various Covid Vaccines and how a person of faith should approach them. I fully realize as I speak to people in the lobby at church on Sundays that several people have gotten their vaccine already. Some greet me with a, “Hey, we’re back, we’ve got our vaccine … so we’re out in public again.” 

I suppose for some people the vaccine has been a mental relief from fear of Covid. I must admit, it saddens me that fear was so propagated and still is, that people were not willing to go out except with a vaccine now. I’ve already stated my view on Covid, Mask Mandates, and other agendas forced upon us. 

My goal of writing this is not to get people fired up on either side of the vaccine debate. I’m going to answer some of the frequently asked questions I’ve received about the vaccine and look at it from a couple of different angles as well as just give you my personal opinion based on my own research. So, take my opinion but check it against your own research. And please, do not go blindly by what you are told in the media. You must research both sides of the vaccine debate and draw your own conclusion based on sound research.

Fetal Cell Tissue

One of the biggest debates is over the use of fetal cell tissue in the vaccines. Of the four vaccines available to the public, two have fetal cell lines and two do not. The two that do not are Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna/NIAID. The two that utilize fetal cell lines are Astrazeneca/University of Oxford and Johnson and Johnson. The debate centers on the ethics of using an aborted or miscarried child’s cell line. The two vaccines that utilize aborted or miscarried fetal cell lines use the cell code to help produce the vaccine. The cell code is replicated as many times as needed year after year. These cell lines were taken from an aborted or miscarried fetus in 1973 and in 1985. See this illustration for more information on fetal cell line usage in vaccines. I do not agree with the use of fetal cell tissue period.

https://lozierinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/09.17.20-Fetal-Cell-Line-Fact-Sheet.pd

The Mark of the Beast

Is the vaccine the Mark of the Beast? The answer is NO. This is not a secret way to inject the Mark of the Beast into your system. Let me give you some clear biblical reasons why it is not the Mark. You can also read Revelation 13 for more information or go to my sermon series from last Summer and Fall on The End Times. Click here: The End Times Series.

1. The Mark of the Beast will be required when the Beast shows up. The Beast is not on the scene leading anything at this point (although I understand that is debatable based on our current circumstances). The Beast as scripture describes him has not revealed himself as of yet.
2. The timing of The Mark will be deep into the Tribulation period.
3. The Mark will be on the forehead or right hand and not injected into your system.
4. The Mark is a token of worship. People will have to pledge allegiance to the Beast in order to receive the Mark. People will literally be lining up to pledge allegiance to the Anti-Christ (the Beast). A person will not accidentally take the Mark of the Beast nor will a person be tricked into taking the Mark. 
5. As Christians, we will not be here when the Beast arrives on the scene. As I taught in the End Times series, the overwhelming evidence in Scripture favors a Pre-Tribulational Rapture of the Church (Christians). That means we will be with Jesus in Heaven BEFORE the Rule of the Anti-Christ takes shape and the Tribulation is unleashed on the earth.  

Vaccine Side Effects

There have been widely reported side effects of the Covid vaccine. Of course a regular google search will not produce these reports except on page 12 or 13 of the search. They have absolutely buried the statistics. A better search is by using a browser like duckduckgo which puts the most relevant research at the top of the page regardless of political affiliation.

According to investigative reporter James Grundvig when describing comments from one expert and advocate for the vaccines said,
The author neglects to explain that mRNA vaccines are only “authorized for emergency use” and not approved by either the US FDA or the UK’s NHS. She further downplays the 929 deaths and the nearly 16,000 adverse events that have been reported to VAERS in the first few months of administering the experimental vaccines. 

See full report here https://vaxxter.com/the-signals-for-covid-vaccine-mandates-emerge/ 

We also know that recently the Johnson and Johnson version of the Covid vaccine was withdrawn from use after reports of deaths from blood clotting associated with the vaccine. I believe it is back in circulation now. 

Is Your Job Requiring You to Take It?

Some have reached out and said their place of employment is requiring employees to be vaccinated in order to come to work. First of all, this is illegal. The vaccine is only approved for emergency use and it is NOT FDA approved. You would have a very strong lawsuit if they force you to take it. I was thinking about this today, imagine that … in America, we are being threatened with our jobs, our entertainment (sports stadiums requiring vaccines) etc … and on and on, and if we don’t take the vaccine we are on the outside of society. This is wrong in so many ways. I was glad to see someone finally take a stand and say we are not requiring vaccinations…. And that was … NASCAR … which just might be my new favorite sport. 

If you’re being required to take the vaccine, have a serious sit down conversation with your boss and tell him/her you are a person of faith and you cannot take it based on the fact that it contains fetal cell tissue from an aborted baby. Perhaps you can use a religious exemption. Or, tell them your concern over the possible side effects. If they still force you, speak to legal counsel. This puts you in a tough spot no doubt. Pray and ask the Lord to lead you. 

My Personal View

In my research, I see the Covid vaccine as an unproven experiment. We have no idea what the long-term effects could be. We truly do not even know if it is effective. Yet, it is being pushed on us as a MUST. Not only is it a problem for me ethically (especially considering the two vaccines that used aborted fetal cell lines), it is a problem for me as a person who does not like being told what to do by someone I do not trust. The very fact that they are saying, “You must take it” causes me to automatically push back and say, “Oh yeah, watch me NOT take it just because you are forcing it down my throat as if I live in China!”

Furthermore, censoring on social media continues. Facebook, Instagram, and other social platforms take the liberty of adding links when buzzwords are recognized. These links are not synonymous with the views of posts such as my last blog, “Un-Masked.” When our voices are silenced, it raises questions and violates our trust in the mandates being enforced.

Covid is not and was not what it was reported to be, then as soon as Biden is in office the PCR tests are changed (see above link on vaxxter) and the numbers are reduced as vaccines are rolled out and championed as the savior. Even though there are two vaccines that do not have the fetal cell line, I still will not be taking those. As a healthy individual who exercises and eats right (most of the time) there is no need to inject my body with an experimental cocktail of mRNA.

Vaccine Anti-Faith?

Taking the vaccine is not necessarily anti-faith. I would discourage anyone from just blindly going and getting the vaccine just because they can. Sometimes vaccines are required in places to move the gospel forward. There are vaccines that missionaries have to take in order to bring the gospel to disease-infected parts of the world. I know many missionaries that are full of faith and they take these vaccines so they can bring the good news to the “least of these.”  

At the end of the day, I do not know of many vaccines that are good at all. I believe they have done a lot of harm to kids especially. Each year the list of required vaccines for a child to go to school continues to grow.  

I believe this is a personal decision that you must make based on your own research. I have given you my research and my opinion on the matter. But, I do not think a person is of lesser faith if they have taken the vaccine. I am just of the opinion that it is not necessary based on the evidence and the limited time the vaccine had to come to market and the limited proof of effectiveness among other reasons. 

For more information read https://www.drtenpenny.com/ who does a good job of laying out vaccine information that you will not get in the MSM. 

I would love to hear your comments and get your thoughts (your measured, researched thoughts) don’t be a jerk. Did you take the vaccine? Did you have any side effects? Are you going to take the vaccine? Are you not going to take the vaccine?

Monkeypox: Here We Go Again

04 Thursday Aug 2022

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ 11 Comments

Here We Go Again

You’ve probably seen the news that the monkeypox virus is causing all kinds of problems across our country. However, the reality is that this virus is occurring mostly in men (98%) and in lesbian, gay, transgender communities in San Francisco and Los Angeles (95%). When this was pointed out to California State Governor Gavin Newsom, he shrugged off the majority of our state’s population by saying we shouldn’t stigmatize the LGBTQ community. His solution? A State of Emergency across all of California.  

San Diego

Additionally, San Diego’s Board of Supervisors chair Nathan Fletcher (who will do whatever Gavin Newsom says regardless of its impact on San Diegans ) has followed suit by calling a Public Health Emergency in San Diego County. In a county of over three million people, forty-six people have gone to the hospital with Monkeypox. This hardly sounds like an emergency to me. This begs the question … why?

The Reality of Monkeypox

Newsom's Second State of Emergency: Monkeypox

Here we go again. The vaccines.  Here we go again. A virus. Newsom wants total control over Californians because of a virus that doesn’t have incredibly harmful effects. Thus far, there have been zero deaths from this virus. The side effects include a rash and flu-like symptoms. So why a State of Emergency? If this virus is as serious as Newsom says it is, why isn’t he putting all the available resources into the very communities that need attention, namely the LGBTQ communities where this is clearly coming from? Instead, Newsom is using this micro issue as a way to exercise macro control over Californians. He hides behind the claim that declaring a state of emergency will “help produce vaccines quicker.” Here we go again, more vaccines… could we be seeing another vaccine mandate for the Monkeypox virus? I certainly wouldn’t be surprised, this is the road he’s on. And, who is in his pocket? Big Pharma. Why not? of course, the Covid vaccines are fading. Less and less people are getting the jab, especially after actual scientific reports show their complete lack of effectiveness and that they actually cause way more harm than good. 

Monkeypox Virus Vaccine

The reality is that in a state of emergency, he can make up his own laws and completely ignore our legislature, implementing new laws for his own political benefit and not for the benefit of Californians. His agenda that, by the way,  has nothing to do with the communities in need of medical attention. It’s plain to see Newsom’s true intent. Let’s not forget how seriously he took his own COVID mandates.

If 95% of Monkeypox patients were from church-goers, I guarantee we’d have Cease and Desist notices on our windows as we saw during the Corona Virus. 

What do we do?

I want to give you some encouragement. Don’t believe the lie. Don’t get caught up in the hype. Stay rooted in truth. You’ll never go wrong by staying close to the Word of God. We know what Newsom is doing as he positions himself to run for President of the United States, despite the fact that multiple entities are currently suing him for his last power grab. Newsom’s so-called “effort” not to stigmatize the LBGTQ community conveniently creates a stigma against anyone that does not comply with the Monkeypox vaccine. He’s partnered with Big Pharma and the far left radical agenda. Newsom is relentless in his pursuit of creating issues in one hand so that he can wave a so-called solution in the other. Meanwhile, we see right through the entire magic act.  Here at Skyline Church, we’re relentless in teaching the truth and relevance of Scripture. 

We can not acquiesce to the nonsense. You can’t trust what comes out of Gavin Newsom’s mouth. But you CAN trust what comes out of the mouth of God. 

Don’t believe the lie, folks. Stand up. Stand out. And fight back. 

Inconsistency

12 Wednesday May 2021

Posted by in emergency room, leadership, Politics, Uncategorized

≈ 9 Comments

Inconsistency is one of the most frustrating things about people and life in general. I was driving on the freeway the other day and I was behind a car in the fast lane (surprisingly it was not a Prius) that had no one in front of them and was going 75mph or so. This was great until they slowed down to 60 then sped up to 70, then down to 55, then up to 75, then down, and this continued for several minutes as I was boxed in with cars behind me and on my right. I could do nothing about the inconsistent vehicle in front of me.

It became frustrating not because the person was driving 75 in the fast lane or even 70, the frustration came when they would slow down and then all of the sudden speed up and the line of cars behind them would get up to speed only to have to put on the brakes again because of the sudden slow down. As a driver in the fast lane or a person in general, we value consistency. We need some element of predictability to get where we’re going in life.

Inconsistency is what we’ve been dealing with as people, especially in California, since 15 Days to Slow the Spread has become 15 months to keep the people under the thumb of an increasingly socialistic governmental rule. Let’s take a look at just some of the many inconsistencies that have cropped up over the past 15 months or so. This is by no means an exhaustive list. Links are provided for all articles mentioned.

Respirator Shortages

When we first started hearing about Covid there was news that if it becomes a national emergency we would be short of the needed resources to effectively manage the virus. It all started with the alarming news that Americans would not have enough respirators. You may recall that in March of 2020 we were told we must shut everything down because there is a dire respirator shortage in America. It was predicted that hundreds of thousands of people would flood the hospitals with Covid and not survive due to the respirator shortage. See article here from April of 2020.

The Shortage That Wasn’t

The inconsistency baffled us as the ventilator shortage never materialized. Rather quickly we were told we were actually in good shape with ventilators. We expected the shutdown to be over and things would begin to get back to normal. But hold on, it wasn’t ventilators, it was hospital’s becoming overwhelmed. Cue the Mercy Ship and Comfort Ship arriving in New York and Los Angeles and Christian organization Samaritan’s Purse pop up hospital in Central Park, New York with the capacity to handle thousands of critical Covid patients. Hold on… neither the ships nor Samaritan’s Purse were needed.

Nearly 90% of the US Navy hospital ship in New York is empty amid coronavirus fight.

The Hospital Needs that Weren’t

More inconsistencies came to the surface. Frustrations mounted as more and more people were losing their jobs and businesses around what seemed, at the time, to amount to a typical flu season. Churches, schools, gyms, shopping centers, sports, and on and on were shut down. People were frustrated and confused as the predicted numbers were not materializing. Then, mandates for us “common folk” were not being followed by those who were forcing the mandates on us.

Inconsistent Messaging

California Governor Gavin Newsom Failed To Take Promised Pay Cut After Cutting State Workers’ Pay By 10 Percent

The Governor stood in front of cameras and boldly proclaimed a 10% pay cut for all California State workers due to the pandemic. Stating that many people in California were out of work due to the lockdowns and that he is “just like them” and needs to show solidarity.  He stated it “starts with me” and claimed he would be the first to take the pay cut. However, it turns out he did not take the pay cut. Inconsistent again. He mandated businesses be closed, yet his own business (a winery) remained open into July. Inconsistent again.  

Newsom Failed to Take Pay Cut or Close Business 

In California we were told we could not send our kids to school, yet our Governor decided it was appropriate to send his kids to school. Apparently, it was safe for his kids but not for ours. He told California parents that he was “like them” living through “Zoom school” yet he had been secretively sending his kids to in person learning for months. The inconsistency was evident. 

Newsom Sends His Kids to School

We were told not to go to restaurants and that restaurants were closed, even to outside dining for long periods of time. Yet, the inconsistency reared its ugly head again as the Governor decided it was a good time to spend taxpayer’s money inside a restaurant with over six different family households and not even go through the exercise of wearing a mask. Inconsistent again. I think former San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer actually said it best,  

“His kids can learn in person. But yours can’t,” Faulconer tweeted. “He can celebrate birthday parties. But you can’t. He can dine on a $350 meal at one of California’s fanciest restaurants during the worst recession in generations. But you definitely can’t. Can you believe this? I can’t.” 

Swanky Dinner

Governor Has Party During Stay At Home Order

Governor Ignores His Own Rules 

Or, speaking of inconsistency, let’s take Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. An aunt of Newsom’s through marriage, she told everyone it was not safe for salons to be open. Yet, as the lockdowns continued, she contacted her salon and made sure they would usher her in where she could receive special treatment.  Nancy’s Hair Day Apparently, it was safe for the Governor and the Speaker of the House to live in normalcy and go to restaurants and hair salons but for the rest of us, we needed to stay masked and stay home and just obey what the government tells you. The inconsistency of what was being said and what was being seen was and continues to be the cause of mounting frustration.  

Inconsistent Science

Fauci's biggest flip-flops and backtracks amid the coronavirus pandemic

We were told to “follow the science” and keep your distance and mask up. Yet, right away Dr. Fauci told America, “Masks don’t help against viral agents like Covid.” Later he flip flopped, and he continued to flip flop. As political pressure mounted on him, he changed his tune. We were initially told to social distance six feet, then three feet became the safe distance, then back to six …..Again, inconsistent. 

Fauci Flip Flops 

We were told that over 2 million people would likely die from Covid. Yet, when digging into the “science” we saw that every kind of death you can imagine was being labeled “Covid.” As I’ve already written about (see blog Face the Facts here), hospitals were paid more for Covid deaths than other deaths so there was an incentive in place to name deaths “Covid.” While there are still too many deaths listed (500,000+) it has never been near 2 million thankfully. The inconsistent science was and is driving people mad. 

False Covid Deaths

Motorcycle Death Listed as Covid 

Even with the Covid deaths listed falsely (the CDC website actually says “confirmed” or “presumed.”) How can it be presumed? It either was or was not due to Covid. They have incredibly inaccurate PCR tests for Covid. Again, this is one of the ways the numbers were and are inflated. The whole procedure for naming a Covid death was and is still wrong.   

Let’s take a look at the current science. As of May 11, 2021 the United States has 596,874 Covid deaths. The US has a current population of 332,664,383 million people. That equals a death rate of less than 0.017%.  The number is calculated since the beginning of data collection in 2019. So, we are nearing two years of Covid data collection. If we were to cut that number in half by years, we would see about a 0.009% death rate. To put that in perspective, according to the CDC about 655,000 Americans die from heart disease every year. That is a death rate of .0019%. that is higher than Covid…every year. While that is still tragic, it puts it in perspective of what has really been happening in our country.  

We don’t shut everything down because of heart disease. We don’t stop eating, stop drinking, stop going to baseball games that serve hot dogs high in saturated fat and nitrates, we don’t stop living because heart disease is the #1 killer in America. We don’t shut everything down because people die of the flu or other viruses. We don’t lock people down because over 36,000 people die ever year in car accidents. We don’t keep people from living their lives because of a 0.009% chance (with inflated numbers) of dying from Covid…Except, that is EXACTLY what our government has done.  

Included in the inconsistencies of the scientific jargon that is out there is the fact that there is prophylaxis that actually work against Covid. And, if someone is symptomatic there are proven treatments that work against Covid. Why then the vaccine? More on that later…

 Covid Treatments 

 Prophylaxis 

Inconsistent Churches 

Churches, Pastors and Christians preach and live by faith. “God is bigger than the virus,” yet when their people tried to show up for church, they saw locked doors, Covid signs, and empty churches.  

To be clear, in the beginning, it was wise to close down. Nobody knew what this Covid thing was or would be. However, it did not take long to figure out the inconsistent messaging coming from the governmental leaders to realize, this Covid thing is not what it is purported to be.  A virus yes, but one that should cause churches, schools, and businesses to shut down, NO.  

Now, as I talk with pastors everywhere, it is clear, those that decided to remain closed for the longest periods of time are suffering the most now. We will see how this plays out over time, but initially these are the results of my informal survey. Many churches did not open until more than a year after initially closing. On average, those that remained closed and have now just recently opened are seeing about a 30% return rate. That means if the church was running 1,000 in attendance pre-covid they are seeing about 300 people now.  

Those that opened early on and remained open are seeing an incredible rate of growth, some even doubling their attendance from pre-covid numbers. Why are many of the churches that remained closed seeing such a low return rate? Because of the inconsistent messaging.  

As I talk with people who have changed churches the number one reason they changed is because their church remained closed week after week and month after month. At the end of the day, they could not reconcile how some churches were open and safe and their church decided to remain closed. It was hard for many churchgoers to comprehend that for years they were taught to live in faith over fear, but when it came down to it, their church leadership decided to live in fear over faith. They just could not identify with that kind of a church any longer. 

People want to be safe, yes, but they also want to see pastors and leaders living out their faith in front of them. Shepherds are to lead by example. For those that defied the governmental orders (many using the rallying cry to follow “Christ not Caesar”) they are currently reaping the benefits of that decision with record numbers of salvations, baptisms and attendance.  

Vaccine

Vaccine Yes or No? by Pastor Jeremy McGarity

I’ve previously written about the vaccine (Vaccine Yes or No?). The inconsistent messaging coming from governmental leaders continues to confuse. Does the vaccine work or not? The answer is a resounding…possibly. However, there are also variants to the Covid virus. Not only that but people that have been vaccinated are asked to continue to wear masks and social distance. Does the vaccine work or not? … the answer continues to be … maybe. Dr. Fauci said the risk is very small of contracting Covid after being vaccinated but you should continue to wear a mask and social distance. … because the vaccine works? Or wait, because it doesn’t work? I’m confused … it’s inconsistent messaging … again.

Fauci on Vaccine Masks

Vaccine and Covid Variant  

Sounds a lot like how every year there are variants to the flu virus. They say even if you get the covid vaccine you’ll need “booster” vaccine shots or entirely different covid vaccine shots every year. Wait, don’t they suggest you get the flu shot every year because there are variant flu strains each and every year? This couldn’t possibly be an attempt to keep people vaccine dependent, could it? 

Flu Shots Down 

To be clear, I am not against all vaccines for all reasons. There have been some beneficial vaccines over the years. Smallpox, polio and diphtheria vaccines, just to name a few, have given people the opportunity to live life over succumbing to disease. 

My issue is with the mandating of the vaccine. My issue is with the talk of vaccine passports which really amount to discrimination against healthy people. Not only healthy people but people in general who do not think it is a good idea to jab experimental mRNA into their bloodstreams. This should be a choice. This should be a free will choice in America where our freedom should still matter.  

There is no way an experimental vaccine, or any vaccine for that matter, should ever be mandated on the human race. You should not be forced to take a vaccine, especially not in America. I would expect this kind of rhetoric coming from China. They have plenty of medical mandates that leave their people no choice but to conform. But this is America where freedom is supposed to reign. However, the truth is our freedoms have been and continue to be reined in.

I continue to pray over more people each week at church who have had bad reactions to the vaccine and are suffering and are scared. At this point, the risks far outweigh the benefits in my opinion. 

Control not Covid

But here’s the reality, it’s not about Covid, is it? The Covid virus is certainly an issue in terms of its virulence and its ramifications on society long term. However, as the lockdowns and mandates unnecessarily continue, it becomes clearer and clearer that it is and has been about control. We have an entire governmental system that has been churning toward socialism for some time now. These mandates, including the mask mandates (Un-Masked) are about controlling your home, your business, your education, your church, your movements, your money, your future, and your life. Make no mistake, as more and more people blindly conform, we will continue to lose our way as Americans.  But that is a blog for another time. 

Accountability

Here’s my concern moving forward. Just like there is no accountability for that car in front of me as they finally moved over and exited (they will simply do it again at the next opportunity), there will be no accountability for the way our governmental leaders inconsistently led our state and country. They will simply do it again at the next opportunity.  

An over 8,000 percent increase ( 8,000% Increase) in suicide hotline calls in California due to the lockdowns should never be shoved under the rug. There must be accountability for these leaders that not only ignored the fact that there was an 8,000 percent increase but have ignored the fact that many Californians took their own lives because of the lockdown policies. We simply cannot stand by and allow politics to matter more than people. 

I am glad there may be some accountability coming for the California Governor. The recall measure has passed by validating over 1.7 million signatures, which exceeds the minimum amount needed by more than 500,000. Now, we wait for a date to vote. A date to finally let our voices be heard. A day where maybe, just maybe, the inconsistencies will come to an end.  

My guess is that you are even more frustrated with the inconsistencies of the last 15 months than I am following a car in the fast lane that can’t decide between 60 and 75mph. It’s time for the governmental mandates and control measures to move over into the slow lane. Better yet, they need to take the next offramp.

4 Common Questions from Skyline Visitors

05 Tuesday Oct 2021

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ 7 Comments

As a Pastor, I get A LOT of questions. And they are all good ones (well, most of them), so keep them coming. You can fill out a Connection Card, catch me in the lobby in-between services, or comment below and I’d be happy to answer that question you’ve been itching to ask!

You may have heard that our word of the year at Skyline Church is THRIVE––as we head into the final stretch of the year….man have we thrived as a church body over the past nine months. We recently had another Baptism and Membership Dinner.  Every week we are growing and reaching more and more people for Jesus Christ. It’s truly incredible. Which is why I wanted to touch base with you about some questions that I’ve received recently that include 10/10/10, Baptisms, Bible Translations, Vaccine Exemptions, and can a Raider fan get into heaven? (well most of these are addressed).

10/10/10

Q: I’ve been hearing about 10/10/10 what is it?

A: This weekend on October 10 we will be kicking off our Fall Campaign called 10/10/10. As part of this kickoff, we have a ton of fun planned for your kids this Sunday. It’s a huge celebration event this weekend as we embark on the vision for our church over the next 10 years. I’m excited to share the vision over the next six Sundays and I can’t wait to tell you all God has put on my heart for the future of Skyline Church as we embark on something that is so much bigger than ourselves. When Jesus said, “I have come to seek and save the lost….” He meant it…and so do we. 10/10/10 is all about the strategic plan to “Light up the Scoreboard in Heaven.“

Baptism

Q: Should I get baptized if I was sprinkled as a baby?

A: If you’ve wondered about this as well, you are not alone. Did you know that about 30% of Skyline Church has a Catholic background? It’s important to know though, that sprinkling a baby is not a biblical baptism. It could be considered a child dedication, but it is not a baptism. The Bible tells us to “Believe and be baptized…” That means when someone actually knows what they are doing, they are to follow the Lord Jesus Christ in obedience and be baptized.

I also was sprinkled as a baby. But, I did not know what it was or what it meant and I certainly did not believe at that time. I didn’t grow up in a Christian home or even a religious environment –superstitious maybe, but not spiritual. Yet, after accepting the Lord as a young adult there came a time where I had to put on the team colors of Jesus Christ and say, “This is my team, this is who I play for!” A biblical baptism means that you made the conscious decision to choose Jesus as your Lord and Savior. 

Side note: With our Child Dedications coming just around the corner, I want to be clear that we do dedicate infants and children at Skyline twice a year (in the spring and fall). But this is not a decision made for the child, it is not a sprinkling, and it is definitely not a baptism. This is an opportunity for the parents to come before the church and make a public decision to raise up their child to know Jesus. This also gives the church an opportunity to see your family, pray for you, and acknowledge that as the body of Christ, we too are dedicated to helping you raise your child in the faith.

This year we have had the honor of baptizing over 235 people. Some of you have already started to sign up for our next baptism.  If you have any other questions about baptism and whether or not it’s the next step for you, we’d be happy to answer any of your questions.

And yes, if you’re a Raider fan, I will hold you under the water a little bit longer to ensure you’re washed clean of all sin and unrighteousness. The score from Monday Night in case you missed it:  (Chargers 28, Raiders 14) just sayin’. 

Translations

Q: What Bible translation do you use?

A:  You’ll notice on the sermon notes we pass out on Sundays that I may use several Bible translations. Typically, we use the New Living Translation, New International Version, Message Paraphrase, and New American Standard Bible among others. These give a good mix of Dynamic, Formal, and Paraphrase translations to help anyone at any level of their faith journey grasp the Word of God.

One of the reasons for this is because when I first started reading the Bible I was on the road with the St. Louis Cardinals in Georgia. A teammate of mine recommended that I start reading the Bible. The only Bible available to me was the one sitting on the nightstand in my hotel room. I picked up a King James version and was instantly turned away by the formal language. It was not a language that I spoke so I thought the Bible wasn’t for me. I never want that to be the case for a new person at Skyline. 

Did you know that the average reading level in San Diego is 4th grade? To use a translation that is too formal for the context of which it is being spoken is pastoral malpractice. Jesus always spoke in the Lingua Franca which was the “language of the day” or “bridge language.” As a pastor, I want to build bridges to help people grasp the Word of God and I want to make sure I’m communicating clearly and accurately to those who are listening to the Word of God. The Bible was not originally written in English. So I’m always looking for clear lingua franca translations of verses I’m using, without losing accuracy, so that it can be quickly applied to the listener’s lives.

Religious Vaccine Exemptions

Q: Is Skyline giving information on Vaccine exemptions?

A: Yes. At Skyline Church, we talk about hard topics because the Bible talks about hard topics. Every week, I am getting calls and messages from people in our church that are facing pressure for various reasons to get the COVID Vaccine. As I’ve already written about in previous blogs, the choice should be yours. Not the governments, not your employer, yours and yours alone. Many of you have followed up with us to let us know that your exemption has been approved! We have legal counsel in support of our stance and we are fighting the good fight for so many people who are being unlawfully threatened with the loss of their jobs. For those of you who are still going through the process, please let us know so we can be praying for you. If you’re needing additional information about Religious Vaccine Exemptions, you can call our offices at (619) 660-5000. 

So thankful for you! Let’s continue to light up the scoreboard in Heaven together!

Find A Church Family

09 Tuesday Feb 2021

Posted by in Church

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I am grateful for the recent Supreme Court decision calling the California ban on church gatherings unconstitutional. All the way back in June, after doing our research and understanding the data on Covid-19 we decided the risks of remaining closed far outweighed the benefits. We weren’t going to wait for a future Supreme Court decision to do what we knew was right for people. We decided the ban on church attendance was not only unconstitutional, but unspiritual, unhelpful and therefore it would go unheard as far as Skyline was concerned. We opened in June and have seen more people make decisions for Jesus Christ than any other time in our history. We decided to care for people over politics.

Because we decided to open, we’ve helped people overcome some serious darkness spiritually, mentally, emotionally, socially, physically, and even economically as the church pulled together to help our community members hardest hit by the lockdowns. And just last Sunday we saw 52 more people take a step of commitment to Jesus by being baptized!

Over the course of the last eleven months we’ve learned a lot about politics, political agendas, viruses and vaccines. But most importantly, we learned that when you do the right thing for your community, God blesses in ways far beyond what we could have hoped or imagined. We just cannot imagine ever closing the church again. 

One of my goals is to help others understand the value of the local church family. There’s so much that happens on a spiritual level when we come to church. Watching service online is valuable because you’re getting the Word of God. God can and does use the online church experience in so many ways. But, it is just not the same as in person services.

I realize many churches remained and continue to remain closed and utilize the online church experience. I don’t know what is going on within every church so I don’t know the reasons why so many remain closed these 11 months now, but it is not my place to determine when they open. I have very good friends that are pastors of many great churches, I love them very much, the fact that they remain closed does not affect my relationship with them. Whether they are open or closed is determined by each churches leadership and what they feel is best for their community. My own personal opinion is that all churches should be open because we are better together. There is incredible power in our communities when we’re all open, meeting people’s needs in person and reaching our communities with the Good News of Jesus Christ. But, that’s just my opinion.

The value of the church family cannot be understated.  Something much deeper happens when we gather to hear the Word of God and thank, praise and worship God together. That’s why Hebrews 10:25 tells us not to neglect our church meeting but to encourage each other when we gather. In fact, when this verse was written, God’s people were experiencing even harsher restrictive government regulations than we’ve been experiencing recently. Roman Emperor Nero and other political leaders were pushing anti-church gathering agendas and were trying to keep people from meeting. Believers were afraid to gather because the government put fear into the people, even threatening death. Yet, they were encouraged to not give up meeting together. To push back and operate out of faith, not fear.

When you dig into Scripture and read about the importance of the church family, you see another name for the church is the Bride of Christ. We can see how much Jesus loves His Bride, the Church, in Ephesians 5:25-27 among other verses. Like Jesus, we too should put a high value on the local church family. But I can’t tell you how often I hear people say that they’re Christian but don’t like “the church.” Maybe you’ve heard someone in your Oikos (which is your relational network, workplace, friend circle, neighborhood, relative, or a gym buddy) say something like that. 

Let me tell you something …
Saying you’re a Christian but that you don’t like the church is like saying, “Jesus, I like you, but I don’t like your wife.” Would you be friends with someone who invited you to hang out, but they started the conversation by insulting your wife?” That’s not okay with Jesus. Look, I get it… You may have had a bad experience at a church or multiple churches in the past. But, biblically, that is no excuse to let your faith fall to the wayside and undervalue the church family. 

There are imperfections in every church…mainly because the church is made up of people! Just like there are no perfect people, there are no perfect churches. But at the same time, we have to place a high value on the local church! At some point you have to say, “This is MY church.” Whatever church that may be. 
A Christian without a church home is a spiritual orphan. If that person doesn’t get adopted by a church family, they’ll never grow to their fullest potential in Christ. Why? Because that’s the way Jesus set it up.  He places us in spiritual families called the church.

Listen, we firmly believe that it takes all kinds of churches to reach all kinds of people. We hope Skyline is your church home, but we recognize there are different ways of “doing” church. At our church, the animal sacrifices don’t happen until the very end of service. No, I’m kidding. We don’t sacrifice animals… although cats… no, no, no, I’m kidding…

There are no perfect churches. If there was a perfect church out there, and you decided to go to it, as soon as you show up you’d ruin it, because you’re not perfect. In my professional, researched, and personally vetted opinion….The closest you’re going to come to a perfect church is Skyline. I believe this is the best church in the world! If it wasn’t, I’d be somewhere else. And guess what, there are no perfect people allowed here! so…you’ll fit right in!

Regardless of what you’re looking for in a church family, there is a church out there for you. Let us help you find that church. We know of so many churches literally around the United States and even the world. No matter where you live, we’ll help get you connected. We say it all the time, Your Growth is our Goal…even if that means it’s at another church.  We want you to grow spiritually. We want you to THRIVE in 2021.