Update on Bill AB 2943: This bill passed overwhelmingly in California. The good news is that Jesus is still on the throne. My heart is broken, and at the same time, I know that God must have something amazing in store for His church! We will continue to preach the truth that sets people free! Church, don’t stop praying, don’t stop loving, and don’t be afraid!

UPDATE on AB 2943: The CA State Assembly has not yet voted on AB2943 and may not until this Thursday, April 19th. So let your Assembly member know where you stand today.

What a week it’s been! Watching the things going on in our world right is like watching the Bible come to life. US and allied forces confronting Syria, Russia and China on the other side (BTW, you should read Isaiah 17:1 and Jeremiah 49:24-27). In addition to real military action, there are agenda wars going on, and political games afoot. Who knows what or who to believe in it all. It almost feels as though someone has their finger on the hairline trigger of WW3. Thankfully, we as Christians know how it all ends, and Who’s really sovereign at the end of the day. In the middle of so much chaos, it’s comforting to know that God’s Word and its prophecy can be trusted!

Not only is the world scene heating up, right here in California there is a political agenda that is subversively targeting those of us who hold a Biblical worldview. Now let me say, I’m glad that we don’t live in the Roman empire. There’s no doubt that the Christ-less agendas and difficulties we are experiencing as 21st century western Christians pale in comparison to the injustice and persecution that the apostles and the early Christians had to endure (or even modern day Christians in other parts of the world). Things could get much worse for us, and if they do we as Christ followers are called to endure. Having said that, we also live in a country that has afforded us the legal right to be part of choosing the laws and lawmakers that set the moral tone and legal standards for life in the US, and in California.

Right now there are a total of 5 bills in the California state assembly that are reprehensible from the perspective of protecting the rights of American citizens and allowing Christians to practice their convictions under the Constitutional protections of free speech and the freedom of religion.

The first two I’ll mention are AB 2756 and AB 2926:

• I’ve personally read these bills, and in short they allow a new level of intrusion into private family homes, and potentially create multiple new and challenging hoops for homeschool families to jump through .
• These bills allow for major data collection from homeschool families to be put in the California Department of Education’s system for random review. But most frightening, these bills allow for the full recommendation and implementation of new curriculum standards (decided by a state level board),  health inspections of children, safety inspections of private homes, and requiring homeschool teachers to become certified before they can homeschool their children.

As an American citizen this obviously bothers me, but politics aside, we really need to pray and do what we can to stay engaged in writing our local assembly person to stand up against these unlawful intrusions. Homeschooling, for countless families in our state, is an incredible and unique venue to instill a Christian world view into our children and educate them in various subjects with a biblical emphasis. It is our God given right to educate our children in the way that we believe is best for them in the sight of the Lord (Proverbs 22:6, Deuteronomy 6:6-7). As long as the law gives us the legal right to fight for that freedom, we should fight for it.

The last three bills (AB 2943, AB 1779, AB 2119) deal with the LGBTQ community and professional counseling services. UPDATE: AB 2943 goes to final vote as early as Monday, April 16. Call your representative today!Click here to find their contact information.

• These bills would make it illegal for any paid counselor or counseling service to provide counsel that seeks to change the mind or lifestyle of someone who identifies themselves within the LGBTQ community.
• This means that if a licensed Christian counseling service has a person come into their office who wants to pursue change, healing, or victory over a homosexual lifestyle, or is confused over gender identity issues, that counselor will be at risk of loosing their license/credentials if they offer any counsel for that person to change.
• Indirectly, the bill is written in such a way, that someone could easily make the case against a pastor who counsels someone or even preaches biblically about human sexuality to an audience where a LGBTQ person might be present.

While we might not see immediate ramifications of these bills passing, it is clear the there is a godless agenda that is slowly but surely pressing forward. If Christians sit by the wayside or run away, the next 5-10 years in California will hold some drastic and difficult changes. Honestly, its unfortunate that those of us who are looking biblically at these issues are a large minority in California. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep trying, but I believe we should really take advantage of the greatest weapons we have against such things. I believe that we as Christians have an unseen advantage: The power of God through a praying church (2 Chronicles 7:14-15, 2 Corinthians 10:4) . Oh that now would be the time for the halls of our churches to be overflowing with the fervent prayers of faith filled saints! Yes, call or write your local assemblyman*, make your voice heard, but more importantly, please pray! Go forth and preach the heart changing gospel of Jesus Christ! I exhort you to dedicate time in your prayer closets to intercede for our state, our nation and our world. May you and I, as the church of Jesus Christ, shine as a light for His truth in this present darkness. Amen.

Rom 12:21 NKJV – Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Click here to find your local assembly person.