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Church is ESSENTIAL

10 Thursday Sep 2020

Posted by Jeremy McGarity in emergency room, leadership, mission, Uncategorized

≈ 22 Comments

If you’ve been to any of the Skyline Church campuses, you’ve probably heard me recite our purpose statement, “Helping people find and follow Jesus seven days a week.” That’s because the pastors, staff, volunteers, and members believe that the idea of “faith” is more than a weekly check mark on our to-do lists. We believe that following Jesus isn’t just for Sunday mornings, but a transformation from old to new life that can be built upon daily. It is unequivocally essential. 

At Skyline Church, we emphasize FINDING people because Jesus did. We see it all throughout Scripture but especially in Luke 19:10 where Jesus said, “I have come to seek and save the lost.” Another phrase you may have heard around Skyline is, “NO PERFECT PEOPLE ALLOWED.” In other words, everyone is welcome! No one needs to clean up their life, put on a tie, or have it all figured out to walk through our doors. That includes you! It includes that difficult family member, co-worker, driver that cut you off yesterday, and yes, it even includes Raider fans (I really had to pray about that one). 

In Luke 15:7, Jesus says, “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” Found people find people. Once people are found, it’s imperative to teach them. Not every church reaches and teaches people the same way. It takes a lot of different churches to reach different kinds of people. But here, this is how we do it … SEVEN days a week! We’re relentlessly dedicated to teaching the truth in love, sharing the relevance of scripture, and passionately spreading the Good News of Jesus with others in our community. Every week we want to make sure people have hope to cope. Whether it is through our various worship services, small groups, classes, online devotionals, or providing meals, we’re here for our community. These are just a few of the reasons why Church is Essential. 

Vice vs. Virtue 
When the health mandates shut down churches but left other places open, they delineated that liquor stores, strip clubs and casinos were “essential,” but churches were not. In other words, the things that tend to be vices in our culture were OK, but the thing that teaches virtues was not. The things that could ruin your life should remain open, but the thing that could save your life was mandated closed. It was a clear Vice vs. Virtue statement. The Bible gives a stern warning to those who make these kinds of statements: 

“How terrible it will be for people who call good things bad and bad things good, who think darkness is light and light is darkness …” 

Isaiah 5:20 (NCV)

I’ve written previously about the tragic and massive increase in drug and alcohol relapses, overdoses, suicides and abuses caused by the lockdown. These tragedies continue today as our Governor refuses to make the necessary changes in the health orders to allow churches to fully minister to those in need. 

While the mandates have changed slightly, and limited attendance is now “allowed” these mandates are a blatant disregard for the centrality and essentiality of the church in the life of our culture. Many people need church, millions of people across our great country attend church every weekend, and even every day. The connections made to the Word of God and to the family of God, the practical help received and the hope that is given infuses energy to, at a minimum, get through another week. For the vast majority of church goers, it is indeed ESSENTIAL.

Hypocrisy 
These facts are completely lost on Governor Newsom whose self-interest is put before his constituents. Instead of serving those in the state he leads, he is causing great harm to those he has sworn to serve. His hypocrisy continues to be revealed on a seemingly daily basis. After announcing in May that he would be taking a pay cut of 10% and leading the way as all state workers would be taking that cut, he did NOT take a pay cut and received his regular pay while all the state workers took the actual pay cut.[1] When he was called out for not taking the cut, his spokesperson said it was an “oversight.”  

Another “oversight” has to do with the wineries Newsom owns or is a shareholder in. While his wineries remain open, he has mandated that other wineries be closed.[2]At least one quality a leader must have is credibility. Credibility includes integrity which means a leader should be void of hypocrisy. Governor Newsom has lost his credibility.  

Governing officials are called “Public Servants” and they are sworn in to among other things lead the way in sacrificially serving the public good. I think Governor Newsom believes the Public should serve him. The point being, these supposed Public Servants[3] act as though they are above the rest of us. They can continue to live their lives the way they want, free from all restrictions, while the foolish peasants obey and get in line. These mandates are especially frustrating in light of the actual Covid numbers. 

The Reality of Covid Deaths
Newsom has said he is doing what is best for California. We are expected to believe this. Just like we are expected to believe the numbers of Covid cases and just like we are expected believe the number of deaths because of Covid and on and on … When will people realize this is not about safety?

Take a look at the latest CDC charts[4] and you’ll notice that deaths from Covid-19 are actually 6% of the total number of deaths that are being reported as Covid deaths. So, currently we are being told that Covid has caused 174,470 deaths in the United States. Yet, when you dig into the actual numbers on the CDC website you see they have listed that over 94% of those people had approximately 3 other significant health conditions or “co-morbidities.” 

The actual number of deaths caused by Covid is 6% of 174,470 or 10,468. While every death is tragic and we grieve for those families that lost loved ones, this is in NO WAY anywhere near the average number of flu deaths or many other causes of deaths I’ve written about before. According to the CDC, there is NO PANDEMIC. Yet, we’ve shut down our Nation, State, Businesses, Schools, Churches, and Communities and many more people have died from these shutdowns compared to Covid. 

Church is essential, people’s businesses are essential, putting food on the table is essential, schools being open for our kid’s health, well-being and education are essential. Enough is enough, we need to open up fully. Let’s pick up the pieces, hold those responsible for this huge mistake, accountable, and get our lives moving forward.   

Nothing to Fear
You truly have nothing to fear.If you are a fearful person or concerned about the virus and you just don’t believe the actual numbers, by all means wear a mask, you’re welcome at Skyline Church. We won’t judge anyone on the basis of a mask or social distancing or anything else. My job is to shepherd the flock God has given me. That means pointing out darkness and showing the light. Darkness continues to be perpetrated throughout these last six months. Fear mongering continues until people refuse to listen. How many times does theboy have tocry wolf before we ignore that cry? So far, for six months we’ve heard “wolf” folks, there is no wolf. There will continue to be cries of “wolf” from our California Governor and officials, but you can be assured there is no wolf. 

This does not mean there is not some kind of virus called Covid that if it is contrasted by a compromised immune system it could be harmful. If you have a compromised immune system or significant underlying health issues, it is NOT a death sentence, but you should take precautions, not just because of Covid but because of your health in general. The point being, you should do this during flu season too. If your health is compromised, by all means, be cautious. But, that doesn’t mean everyone in the world should wear a mask and social distance from now on and forever.  

Conclusion
What do we do, where do we go from here? I suggest you live your life in freedom and in freedom from fear. Memorize verses like this that speak directly to our current time:

“Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked.” 

Proverbs 3:25

“For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease.” 

Psalm 91:3

 “Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you.” 

Psalm 91:6-7

 Put your confidence in the Lord, not in falsified statistics, fear mongering, or in cries of a wolf at the door. Pray that this disaster will be behind us shortly and those who would lead our great state would put the interest of the people ahead of their own. For this is Essential.   

footnotes 

[1]https://nypost.com/2020/08/21/ca-gov-newsom-didnt-take-pay-cut-after-cutting-workers-wages/
[2]http://sjvsun.com/california/sour-grapes-emerge-as-most-calif-wineries-close-while-newsoms-winery-remains-open/
[3]https://www.foxnews.com/us/pelosi-caught-getting-hair-done-at-coronavirus-shuttered-sf-salon
[4]https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid_weekly/index.htm#Comorbidities

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Misery is Optional

20 Thursday Aug 2020

Posted by Jeremy McGarity in comfort, grow, Uncategorized

≈ 9 Comments

We need to realize that suffering is unavoidable. In fact, we need to be prepared to suffer. While it’s true that suffering is unavoidable, misery is optional. We don’t have to be miserable when we suffer, it’s all in how we choose to see things.

Since the day you said that you’re a Christian, you were put on trial. Non-believers everywhere raised an eyebrow and put your life under a microscope. And you don’t need me to tell you that these people are going to push your buttons. There are preconceived notions of what a Christian should or should not talk about, post online, or do. These people are going to question your integrity. They’re going to question if this “faith” is real to you.

While it’s true that our faith should be tested in order to strengthen it and the more outgoing you are with your faith the more you are likely to deal with various tests from people. On the contrary, if we’re never challenged for our faith, what does that tell us about our faith? 

Notice in James 1:2, it says, “When you face trials of various kinds” … it doesn’t say IF you face trials. WHEN you face trials, because we all will,James goes on to say, “Consider it joy.”  I’m not talking about masochism and hoping for pain. I’m talking about having faith regardless of the circumstance. James says you can have joy in the midst of suffering. Suffering doesn’t have to produce misery.  

I remember my old baseball coaches with the St. Louis Cardinals telling us, “Boys, you want us yelling at you, you want us on your case because that means we believe in you and we think you can be even better! However, if we stop yelling at you and ignore you, you can bet your days as a Cardinal are numbered.” 

When it comes to suffering as a Christian, often times we wonder how to discern whether it is the kind of suffering that is intended to grow our faith or the kind of suffering that is just plain suffering.

The reality is that at any point in time, you are going to be experiencing one of three types of sufferings …  

1. Common Suffering: We’re all human and we’re all in this together. (The Coronavirus is affecting us all.) Some suffering is common to all mankind. No one escapes some kind of suffering on this earth. It’s one of the reasons we, as Christians, look forward to heaven where there is no sorrow, no pain, and no suffering.

2. Carnal Suffering: We make bad choices. We bring plenty of suffering on ourselves by the poor and unwise decisions we make. If I ignore my health and eat poorly and never exercise, I shouldn’t get mad at God if I were to develop health issues. It reminds me of this verse, “People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the Lord”Proverbs 19:3 | NLT.

3. Christian Suffering: You did the right thing. Now what?
Christian Suffering is where I want to focus today. The book of first Peter can be summarized in three words; Faith, Obedience, and Patience. It’s a story of faith through difficulty, obedience through pain, and patience through suffering. Peter doesn’t shy away from the topic of suffering when he says, “Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in His suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing His glory when it is revealed to all the world …” 1 Peter 4:13 | NLT
Peter says there are three positives for Christians when they struggle.

A. It draws us closer to Jesus. 
 “… these trials will make you partners with Christ in His suffering, and afterwards you will have the wonderful joy of sharing His glory …” 1 Peter 4:13b | LB 

Notice the word partners. This means you’ll get to know God up close and personal. There’s a special kind of depth a relationship gains when people suffer together. Just ask any war veteran. Suffering together for the right cause is what bonds people to one another. The same goes for families that endure hardships together. There is a bonding that can take place as you recognize you are in this together.

B. God can be seen in our life. 
“When people insult you because you follow Christ,you are blessed … because the Spirit of God is with you.”1 Peter 4:14 | NCV

If nobody ever challenges you, then maybe you’re not living a Godly, Christ-centered life. I’m not talking about all the time, like you’re obnoxious so people are constantly upset with you. But, a Christian, according to the Bible should be challenged from time to time because you stand in direct contrast to the values of the world. Remember, you’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything. So, if you’re suffering, congratulations, you’re standing for something! You’re standing for Christ! and God can be seen in your life. Jesus Christ was not ashamed to die for you, so don’t be ashamed to live for Him. 

C. It means God trusts us. “The apostles (were) happy, because God had considered them worthy to suffer disgrace for the sake of Jesus.” Acts 5:41 | GN

On average 100,000 Christians are killed around the world because of their faith every year. While nobody will put you before a firing squad in America, sometimes I wonder if God trusts American Christians. Most Christians want Jesus as long as it’s comfortable and convenient for them. 
So often we think God is punishing us when we’re suffering, you need to remember that God is not punishing you He wants to promote you. Trials have a way of purifying us for greater service. There’s a difference between knowing about God and knowing God. That difference is lived out when you go through the fire with Him. If nobody knows you’re a Christian or where you stand on anything, and you’re a people pleaser, you have to realize that you’re not pleasing God.  

When the rubber of your faith meets the road of reality, that’s when your faith becomes real. It becomes real for you AND your Oikos (those 8-15 people in your relational world).

Life is really pushing our buttons right now during this quarantine. Coming up on 6-months and let’s just be honest, IT IS RIDICULOUS. There is plenty of suffering to go around. Maybe you’re facing all three types of suffering right now and you’re experiencing a stretch in your faith. Take heart, friend! Being a believer in Jesus Christ is not about perfection. It’s about progress. God has not lost sight of you and He is walking through the fire with you. 

Stay strong. Stay faithful. And remember that suffering is unavoidable but misery is optional.

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6 Week Challenge

13 Thursday Aug 2020

Posted by Jeremy McGarity in grow, Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

The best things in life come through a commitment. One of my main goals in life is to help people get into the Word of God more and more. I’m confident in the power of the Word and I know how it has changed my life and I want more people to experience it as well.  That’s why I became a pastor, my life was changed because of the Word and I started seeing more and more people’s lives changed through the Word. Seeing lives changed has become an addiction of mine. 

Often times people ask, why doesn’t the Bible change some people’s lives? I believe there are a few reasons. It could be what I call the dilemma of difficulty. The Bible wasn’t originally written in English. If someone doesn’t understand the original languages, sometimes the meaning behind Scripture can get lost in translation. A lot of people give up in that moment and misunderstand who God says He is or how He’s called us to live. There’s also the factor of familiarity. Some people feel as if they’re familiar enough. Familiarity can breed contempt and cause us to check out or have a lukewarm faith. But perhaps one of the most common hurdles is the principle of priority. We live fast paced lives and our check lists are a mile long so we simply don’t make time in the Bible a priority.

Does your Bible time get pushed aside more often then you’d like? Let’s talk about how to get committed to making time with God’s Word a priority.

1. Crave. Think of something that you crave. You developed that craving over time and with consistency of use it became something you crave. That is the same idea Peter talks about in the Bible, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation” 1 Peter 2:2.

Maybe you’re someone who’s new to the Christian faith or you just can’t get the idea of craving something so new to you.  This next point is for you …

2.Consistency.  Have you ever heard the saying, yard by yard it’s hard but inch by inch it’s a cinch? The best way to develop the craving for the Word is to experience God’s Word consistently! If you’re not a reader, that’s okay. You can listen to it or even watch it on the YouVersion App or our own Skyline Church App. But consistency is key. Whether it’s for 1, 5, 10, 60, or 100’s of minutes a day, getting into Scripture will absolutely change your life.

If you’re trying to figure out this whole Christianity thing, you’re not alone. “The Bereans examined the Word daily to see if what Paul was saying was true” Acts 17:11. Do what YOU CAN DO consistently.

3.Discuss it. Whether its your kids or friends, share what you’re reading and learn about what others are experiencing with the Word. When you discuss it, you’ll start to see the Bible becoming more real in your life. This step is transformational!

4. Go from Obligation to Habit. Many things that are a habit, start off as an obligation. We all started off brushing our teeth out of obligation. Over time, as we stayed committed it became a habit (at least for most people).  Sometimes things we have to start doing become things we want to keep doing. The same principle is true in the Word of God.

Maybe you start off feeling obligated, but as you dig in for your minute or 5 or 10 or more, consistently, the obligation becomes more and more of a habit that you can’t imagine doing without. It may be as little as a verse a day, or more like a chapter a day, or even a book of the Bible a day … your commitment to consistency is key. Philemon is only 25 verses. There are 31 Proverbs. That’s a Proverb for each day of the month. If you miss a day you can easily get right back on track the next day.

There are so many ways to incorporate this habit into your daily routine, but I want to encourage you to start today! Join me for the next six weeks in taking time, whether it’s a verse or more a day to read God’s Word. Read at home or watch our Today Matters devotional Monday – Friday. Simply go to our Skyline Church App. or visit YouTube/Today Matters and start your day off with a quick devotional from myself and other pastors at Skyline Church. Each day I’ll give you at least one verse that you will be able to apply to your life immediately.

You become what you’re committed to. Tell me your commitments and I’ll tell you where you’re going to be in 5 years. Trust me, one of the most powerful commitments you could ever make is to the Word of God. It changed my life and it will change yours.

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It’s The End of the World as We Know It (and I feel fine)

06 Thursday Aug 2020

Posted by Jeremy McGarity in emergency room, Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

The great theologians, REM, penned the line which I borrowed for today’s blog (you’re singing it in your head now aren’t you?). This weekend at Skyline Church we’re beginning a brand-new teaching series. We’re talking about a very relevant subject. Many people are wondering what the Bible says about the End of the World.  

Questions abound when times get confusing like the times we are currently experiencing. Lock-downs and lock-outs, businesses suffering, people suffering, and new Marshal law-like draconian measures being forced on people without any real evidence for their necessity. 

It is always in times of distress and confusion that most people wonder … IS THIS THE END. Or, at least for many Christians, we wonder if these are the signs the Bible talks about when it comes to the End Times.  

Over the next several weeks, we’ll be looking at what the Bible says about the End of the World. Throughout history,  there have been wars, atrocities, earthquakes, famines, plagues, hurricanes and other disasters that have shaken the foundations of the earth and caused people to think about their own mortality.  

As the world engaged in the first World War people thought the world was ending. Then there was World War II. Again, people were sure this was it. Remember September 11? Everybody thought that was the beginning of the end. Since then, there have been more wars, terrorist attacks, natural disasters, plagues, and on and on … Whenever bad things happen, we tend think … is this it?

And this is certainly no different in our current state of affairs with a pandemic or plan-demic; however you want to view it. Riots, wars, division, and hatred are at a seemingly all time high. These certainly are ingredients that would cause any thinking person to wonder, IS THIS IT? 

We’re going to be looking at various Scriptures that speak directly to the fact that God wants His children to know about the End of the World. Maybe that’s a question that you need answered today. Is the world, as we know it, going to end some day. The answer is a resounding YES. The next obvious question is … WHEN?  

On Sunday, we’re going to start off our series in Matthew,  Chapter 24. In the evening service at 7:00PM on Sunday night, we’ll talk about Matthew 25.  I’ll help you see with clarity what the Bible says is going to happen. Not what might happen, but what IS going to happen according to Jesus Himself.  

I’m not going to give you speculation, but I’ll give you direct information from the Bible about THE END. You’ll learn overall as a big picture what that looks like, then you’ll learn the timing of the events that will eventually take place. There’s an order to what is happening, a process. I believe over the course of this series, lots of mysteries will be solved for you if you get the message each week. Each message builds on the other.  

I also want to encourage you to invite your friends, family, neighbors, etc.; those in your relational world the Bible calls your Oikos. You might simply tell them that “We are talking about what the Bible says about the End Times. I’d love to get your thoughts on it …”  A simple invite can change a life. 

Knowledge is POWER and when you get the knowledge of THE END, just like last week when I shared knowledge about the statistics of the Covid-19 virus … you can BE confident and LIVE confidently. Over the course of this series, we’ll talk about subjects like: THE TRIBULATION, ARMAGEDDON, THE RAPTURE, THE JUDGMENT, HEAVEN, We’ll talk about HELL, we’ll talk about God’s Will, and a lot of other key themes and Scriptures. 

The study of the End Times is known Theologically as ESCHATOLOGY. This word comes from the original Greek word: Eskhatos, which means “Last Things.” From time to time you’ll hear Pastors and Bible-teachers talk about Eschatology … it simply means the study of “Last Things.” 

There is a lot of speculation on what the End will look like and how it will come about. The reality is you can be confident of how it will end because the Bible has told us. It has given us instructions …

REMEMBER THIS: God didn’t speak about The End Times to SCARE us, He did it to PREPARE us. 
The first thing we need to look at is our Instruction book. If our instruction book spends time on it, we should spend time on it. If our instruction book spends a lot of time on it, it’s probably pretty important. So let’s look at …

I. HOW OFTEN THE BIBLE SPEAKS ABOUT THE END 
To give you an idea of how much God’s Word talks about this truth:  

  • 1 out of every 30 verses in the Bible mentions the subject of THE END
  • The Bible talks about End Times specifically over 329 times             
  • 23 of the 27 New Testament books mention THE END of the World.
    Some may see that and say, well it’s just a New Testament thing … NO!
  • There were 16 Old Testament Prophets and 10 of those 16 talk about this subject of THE END of the World. 

Did you know there are over 300 prophecies concerning Jesus’  first coming to earth and they were 100% accurate. Listen to the odds of this happening. Something predicted hundreds and even thousands of years before it happens and then it comes true: The odds of one person fulfilling just 8 of the more than 300 prophecies is:

  • 1 person fulfilling 8 prophecies: 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000
  • 1 person fulfilling 48 prophecies: 1 chance in 10 to the 157th power 
  • 1 person fulfilling 300+ prophecies: Only Jesus! 
    However, there are 8x more prophecies concerning His second coming. You can bet they will be 100% accurate as well. Jesus Christ is coming again. We as Christians, look forward to it.

So this is obviously one of the most often taught truths in Scripture. If God’s Word talks about it so much, why is it so misunderstood? I think if you’re going to understand this, the best place to start is with what Jesus had to say about THE END OF THE WORLD.  Jesus said the End of the World is coming, but as I’ll show you in this series, it’s not yet. But it may be really close.

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FACE THE FACTS

29 Wednesday Jul 2020

Posted by Jeremy McGarity in emergency room, Uncategorized

≈ 30 Comments

Let’s talk numbers. Let’s talk data. Let’s get down to the science of what is going on and draw some conclusions based on the facts. There is a lot going on with the County of San Diego and its restrictions on what people can and cannot do. We want you to know that we take this very seriously and we are constantly trying to balance the FEAR that is being spread by some of our National, State and Local officials and the verifiable FACTS about Covid.  

Currently,  the Covid mortality rate is at 0.02%, according to an Oxford study that is updated monthly.[i] Some say 0.01%. The point is that it is very low, to almost non-existent. That means you are about as likely to be killed by an errant baseball as you are Covid. And when it comes to dying from the virus, that 0.02% is only if you have significant underlying health issues, or as they are often referred to as, co-morbidities. This low death rate is even inflated as many health officials around the nation have been documenting motorcycle and car crash victims as Covid deaths.[ii] 

I want to share some statistics with you to help alleviate the fears some of you may be dealing with concerning the Covid virus. I cite every statistic I share in the endnotes so you can look up the websites and the journal articles to do your own research and come to your own conclusions. You may not agree with me, and if not, please cite your sources so I can look up the information you are basing your opinion on. 

I believe one of the things Shepherds are supposed to do, is protect the Sheep. Pastors are supposed to protect the flock God has entrusted to us. Not only are we to spiritually nurture, feed, and help grow our flock, we are supposed to fight for our flock when wolves and other predators try to attack. We are to fight off enemies we can see and enemies we cannot see.  

Sometimes, as is the case here, there is fear from something that is actually not there. It has been an enemy in the dark, something we cannot see. So, we have all scrambled not knowing where the next strike was going to come from. Yet, for 99.9% of people, the strike from this viral enemy has never and will never come. It is a straw man of an enemy to be sure. But, we have to fight the narratives out there to give people hope. We cannot sit back and just wait for the OK from the Governor as more and more lives are ruined. 1 Peter 5:2 reminds us, “Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you …” 

Having said that, I’d like to give you some statistics to, hopefully, alleviate some fears that are constantly and consistently being spread.  Here are some statistics to give you some clarity on what is going on. Now, for my Kansas people, I’ll be specifically giving California stats from the CDC[iii] and then I’ll give some nationwide stats. Over 270,000 people die in California every year from various causes:            
·       65,000 die from heart disease 
·       60,000 die from cancer
·       16,000 from stroke
 ·       16,000 from Alzheimer’s
·       14,000 from respiratory illness—Covid is a respiratory virus, 14,000 people every year die from respiratory issues.

We don’t shut everything down because of that every year. Yet we have 8,700 Covid (supposed Covid deaths) in CA. I say supposed because a lot of fraud is now coming out that deaths are being labeled Covid. Hospitals are getting more money from Medicare when deaths at their hospital are labeled Covid. For example, if someone dies from straight forward pneumonia the payment to the hospital is $5,000. If they die of Covid-related pneumonia it’s $13,000, and if the Covid patient is on a ventilator and dies it goes up to $39,000.[iv] Continuing with the California causes of death: 
·       10,000 from diabetes 
·       5,000 from liver disease
 ·       14,000 from various accidents
·       3 Million from alcohol (USA) 
·       250,000 from cigarettes
·       5,000 from Suicide (and that number was from 2019 before Covid, we know it’s much higher this year as NATIONWIDE suicide ideation is up 600%).[v]

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, going to religious services helps lower the incidences of suicide, “Many Americans attend various community or religious activities. Weekly attendance at religious services has been associated with a 5-fold lower suicide rate compared with those who do not attend. The effects of closing churches and community centers may further contribute to social isolation and hence suicide.” [vi]

Why? Because you’ve got to have hope to cope. Every week we hand out hope at Skyline church and many other churches do the same. Yet, health officials want to keep churches closed or force them outdoors in 95-degree heat in the middle of summer (in East County San Diego). 

 The greatest killer in our state is by medical professionals who perform abortions. 364 abortions a day in California. That means 1 in 4 pregnancies are aborted. California has more abortions than anyone else and they are taxpayer funded.  Our Governor, Gavin Newsom, has decided that anyone who lives in a state where abortion is illegal or hard to come by, they can come to California and our taxpayers will pay for the abortion.  So, a woman can have a free abortion no matter where she is from or how she got here. We, as California Taxpayers will pay for the abortion.[vii] 

Meanwhile businesses are closing and many will not open again because they have been ruined by this lockdown, and there is no help in sight for them. People in our church are losing their life savings and their lifelong dream of having a thriving business, over a virus that kills less people than a thunderstorm. 

Yet the abortion clinics remain open, the liquor stores remain open, the strip clubs remain open, the casinos remain open. And, you may have noticed, those of you here in San Diego, that according to our public health officials who report ad nauseam on the “outbreaks” that not one outbreak has been reported from those places. That is fascinating.  As we learn more about this virus, apparently the Covid virus is very virtuous and will not go near those places. You are expected to believe that. There is a clear problem here, it is one of hypocrisy and duplicity.   

There is no moral high ground with the leaders in our state who portend to have the public health in mind as these lockdowns drag on into the fifth month or 139 days since March 13 when we all heard the phrase, “15 Days to Slow the Spread.” The initial issues that caused the lockdown have been rectified yet we are still locked down and locked out.  Let’s go through the short list:           
1. Ventilators. We were told we need enough ventilators. Ventilators, check.
2. Flatten the curve. Then we can resume our lives, albeit with some changes. Curve flattened,check.           
3. Surge capacity in our hospitals. We need to make sure when the virus spikes, we have surge capacity in our hospitals. Most hospitals have less people this year, year over year.[viii] Surge capacity, check.      
4. Therapies and Prophylactics. We need to make sure we can treat those who get the virus and prevent it in those who are the most vulnerable. Therapies and Prophylactics, check.           
5. Kids are vulnerable. We must keep our kids safe. Kids are not vulnerable to Covid. As a matter of fact, the flu is more dangerous for kids.[ix] 

I could keep going but you get the idea. The point is the goal posts are constantly being moved to agree with a false narrative about this virus. 

Abortion clinics, liquor stores, strip clubs and casinos are all deemed essential during this time. But the Church, and many businesses that help our community, are not. Folks, if you are not already, it’s time to wake up to what is going on. I believe the tide is turning and many, many people are waking up to what is actually going on. You are not in danger of a virus called Covid. However, you are in danger of losing your great country to a radical agenda that will stop at nothing to destroy our economy, our freedom, and our faith. 

Knowledge is power. We have the knowledge of this virus. We know how to manage it, treat it, prevent it and even cure it. Unfortunately, we grieve for those 0.02% who have lost their lives to this virus. As small of a number as that is, it still represents lives that are lost and families that have been affected. We are not heartless in understanding that.  

However, don’t believe the nonsense you are hearing from godless news outlets and social media “influencers.” Whenever anyone comes forward with scientific evidence that clearly shows the virus is not as lethal as first thought, or that as we have seen from Frontline Doctors[x], there is an actual cure, these videos, evidence and research studies are pulled down from the internet source by Google. Your Free Speech and your Freedom of Religion is being trampled on.  We need to get up, take our masks off, and speak upwhile being fed up. 

Our San Diego public health official, Dr. Wilma Wooten gave her thrice weekly update on Monday and said she was “saddened” by the outdoor service that a church had at a beach in North County and that she was intent on cracking down on churches and egregious violators. It looked like a big crowd from the video I saw, but it was certainly peaceful as people sang to the Lord and heard a message from a pastor.  

Now, as a matter of comparison, when places in the county she represents as the public health officer were burning down at the hands of thousands of protestors and rioters, who were not social distancing and were not wearing masks (save a person here and there) she remained silent on the issue of public health at protests. She never mentioned the rioters, never mentioned the protestors, and never mentioned levying fines or “cracking down” on the obvious “egregious” violations.  

The only words about the riots came from Supervisor Nathan Fletcher a few days after buildings and businesses burned in La Mesa and vandalism took place in many locations all over San Diego. Supervisor Fletcher was asked the question from a news reporter about the dual messaging or hypocrisy of allowing protests but not allowing gatherings at churches or other places. Fletcher’s response was illusory, he said, “We agree with the protestors right to gather, we just want them to do it safely …”

That same right he says he agrees with is the 1st amendment right to “peacefully gather.” Religious freedom is under that same 1st amendment right. Churches peacefully gather as a religious freedom right covered by the Constitution of the United States of America. Rioting is not to be agreed to at any time. It is not covered in the Constitution. Burning down buildings and wounding our Law Enforcement officers is not a “Peaceful Protest” and should never be agreed to by a County Supervisor or anyone else in charge.

Thousands of protestors burning down buildings and wounding our officers apparently is OK because Supervisor Fletcher agrees with their right to gather. But a church has a service on the beach and our public health officer is “saddened” by this activity and threatens reprisals. This, Dr. Wooten, is egregious. The hypocrisy has to stop and it only stops when people rise up and stop taking it.

I was told by one county official that Governor Newsom is holding potentially millions of dollars earmarked for San Diego hostage unless San Diego conforms to his mandates. He’s already withheld money from other counties that defied his orders. [xi] I understand our county leaders’ dilemma. That is much needed money for many community services that are severely underfunded at this point.

They have told me their hands are tied. I believe them. They are exasperated with the Governor. However, at some point our San Diego leaders have to say enough is enough and go against the Governor. I believe that time is NOW. If you look at the markers and triggers we must meet in order to begin to open up again, they are literally impossible to meet unless they are lowered significantly or removed entirely.[xii]

How do you beat a bully? You stand up to the bully. It is time to stand up to the bully. But, it will take everyone, grassroots, from start to finish letting your voices be heard. Be constantly and consistently inundating our representatives and health officials with a demand to open.

Our officials in San Diego have told many of us that there is nothing they can do because Newsom has so much power during this pandemic. That is not good enough. We have to march, we have to call, we have to utilize social media until it takes down the posts. And they will take down the posts if it doesn’t fit the false narrative. But the more we post the more likely some will last.

There are a few things going on that you can get involved in. Follow REOPEN.CALIFORNIA on Instagram and Facebook. There are several rallies and marches you can look into and consider being a part of. The larger these marches and rallies the more our voices will be heard. I don’t know a lot about the organization, so please do your research on who is running it and what exactly the messaging is, but at this point it looks like a solid organization that wants what’s best for Californians and our Nation.

I’m not an alarmist, but the alarm is ringing. I didn’t pull it, but I hear it, and it’s time to take action. The wolves have been ravaging the pen for too long. I personally cannot sit back and watch this happen. I am petitioning our representatives, I am on the phone, on zoom meetings with local and state officials and while there are many roadblocks at this point, there is an opening coming as more and more people rise up and stop putting up with these lockdowns.

Again, if the data showed this is a dangerous virus and I as a Shepherd was putting my flock in danger, that would be irresponsible and egregious. However, the facts are the facts and a 0.02% morbidity rate is not a reason to cause a 600% increase in suicide ideation and an 8,000% increase in suicide hotline calls.[xiii] 0.02% is not a reason to see an over 20% increase in domestic abuse worldwide[xiv] and 25% increase closer to home.[xv] Tens of thousands of drug and alcohol relapses and deaths and more and more lives are at stake the longer this lockdown continues. 

Let’s face the facts and beat the bully of fear.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Endnotes [i]https://www.cebm.net/covid-19/global-covid-19-case-fatality-rates/
[ii]https://cbs12.com/news/local/man-who-died-in-motorcycle-crash-counted-as-covid-19-death-in-florida-report
[iii]https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/states/california/california.htm
[iv]https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/04/24/fact-check-medicare-hospitals-paid-more-covid-19-patients-coronavirus/3000638001/
[v]https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2764584
[vi] VanderWeele  TJ , Li  S , Tsai  AC , Kawachi  I .  Association between religious service attendance and lower suicide rates among US women.    JAMA Psychiatry. 2016;73(8):845-851. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2016.1243
[vii]https://www.aclunc.org/blog/know-your-rights-abortion-access-california[viii]https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/hospital-ers-underwhelmed-as-coronavirus-fears-keep-patients-away-2014793/
[ix]https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/reopening-schools.html
[x] America’s Frontline Doctors transcript. https://www.rev.com/blog/transcripts/americas-frontline-doctors-scotus-press-conference-transcript
[xi]https://abc7.com/coalinga-atwater-merced-county-central-valley/6340709/
[xii]https://sdcounty.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/30b5e0fa2a5f4404b1219d8cd16b2583
[xiii]https://abc7.com/suicide-hotline-calls-coronavirus-covid19-los-angeles/6117099/
[xiv]https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-53014211/coronavirus-domestic-violence-increases-globally-during-lockdown
[xv]https://abc7.com/domestic-violence-coronavirus-stay-at-home-pandemic/6119703/

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