Oops! Los Angeles County told Court would not find John MacArthur in contempt of court because no court order was in place to prevent indoor worship services at Grace Community Church.
The County of Los Angeles asked a Los Angeles Superior Court to find Pastor John MacArthur and Grace Community Church in contempt of court for holding indoor worship services. There was only one problem: there was no court order against indoor services. So, the court rejected this attack on Pastor MacArthur and Grace Community Church’s religious liberty.
This is the third time Los Angeles County has hauled John MacArthur and Grace Community Church into court, according to Thomas More Society Special Counsel Jenna Ellis and Charles LiMandri, who are representing the church.
Ellis accused Los Angeles County of continuing a policy of harassment against Pastor MacArthur and Grace Community Church.
Ellis responded to the judicial finding in a statement: “We are pleased with the outcome today. Judge Mitchell L. Beckloff correctly found there is no court order prohibiting Grace Community Church from holding indoor services. LA County continues to harass and target Pastor MacArthur. Having failed to get a court order to shut down the church they have sought three times, they’re going to try again by hauling us back into court. Ironically, LA County said in its application for contempt that, ‘Grace Church cannot thumb its nose at the court when decisions don’t go its way,’ yet that’s precisely what LA County is now doing themselves. We will simply continue to defend our client’s constitutionally protected rights because church is essential.”
12 thoughts on “BREAKING: John MacArthur wins another round in LA court”
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Interesting how they waste taxpayer’s money to do such sinister mess as this. What a waste. Continue to pray for all of our brothers and sisters being persecuted.
Hope join in vote president
It is axiomatic in the Marshal Arts that you cannot win a fight if all you do is defend yourself. The best defense is an offense, and until Mrs./Miss Ellis goes on the offense and seeks legal damages/attorneys’ fees, sanctions (for bringing baslelss suits) etc., LA will not stop.:-)
but that is the part that will mar the testimony.. .Blessed are you if you suffer for doing good. Do not return evil for evil. JMac is staying solid and biblical on this one. No court order means he is not disobeying the law or authority since LA has no authority to force churches to stop services, so that would be my guess as to why they dont retaliate.
Biblical Christians at Grave Community Church, LA county, and in California can go underground to worship.
I am so inspired by and proud of JM and his congregation. May they be very strong and courageous, for the Lord our God is with them. (Joshua 1:9) I am praying a and I know people around the world are praying also. Shame on the LA authorities for these evil actions.
I now see there is a consistency between John MacArthur’s normally correct exposition of Romans 13 — “Christians are to submit to civil government…whether it be a Nero or Hitler” — and his recent actions.
John MacArthur on May 23, 2020:
“We were elated yesterday morning when President Trump declared churches to be essential, asked us to open this very Sunday, and promised to fight any state government that tried to stand in the way. As I’ve said many times, the Bible would have us submit to the governing authorities, and in the United States, there is no higher human executive authority than the president, who was speaking on a matter of federal and constitutional interest, specifically the First Amendment.“
https://www.gracechurch.org/news/posts/1956
Perhaps like most, JM fails to understand the First Amendment was penned to appease Anti-federalists who demanded assurance that their State control of religion would not be infringed by the President or Federal government after ratification. They wanted it in writing. If this is true JM “thinks” he is still upholding his view of Romans 13.
Perhaps JM is being used unwittingly by the President to garner Evangelical support before the election?
To submit to any government is good until they begin persecuting. Jesus never said don’t speak out or take reasonable action in order to further the gospel.
Unfortunately you think Romans 13 means do whatever the government says no matter what the circumstances. You take things out of context. I doubt JM would ever have said that if Hitler told Christians to renounce their faith or die they should “submit.”
JM teaches obedience unless government commands to do something God forbids, or government forbids something God commands. Neither apply in the current situation. The government is simply banning situations they believe will spread Covid. It is not just GCC that is affected. Even Moses was to entreat Pharaoh for permission to “worship as God commanded.” The LORD made Israel wait until he gave permission. There was no civil disobedience. That said, God never commands assembling together during what the government perceives as a pandemic. JM is not the decision maker in determining this.
If God before you, who can stand against you.
Thats what the scriptures say and I beleive it.
I wrote a letter to the Editor in my local newspaper on the other side of America which will appear hopefully in next Thursday’s edition (8/27/20). I compared this situation to David vs Goliath. David said, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God.” Thank God for the courage of this man, and the people of Grace Community Church. I pray that the stone will sink deep into the forehead of the giant. I pray that their victory will embolden timid Christians who are afraid to put on the whole armor of God, and stand against the wiles of the devil.
We are not a communist country, yet! We have a constitution that prohibits government from inhibiting the free exercise of religion and preventing them from assembling in the 1st Amendment of the Bill of Rights.