 Good afternoon, Pastor David. Yes, it is. Nice and rainy. Nice and rainy today. Welcome everybody to a random moment with Pastor David unfiltered. Pastor, we all know that the Omicron variant has been, it's been spreading, per se, and there's no doubt that we have to have concern and take the necessary precautions to for our safety. I recently read today that the governor has mandated an indoor mask mandate for indoor venues. You have to wear a mask. Is this more about control and fear than it is about the awareness of our health and safety? I really believe it's more about control and fear. I believe it's a way for the governor and other political officials who have his same philosophy of government of the way to run government. I believe that it is a method to control people, to mask them and to isolate them in order to continue to keep them in fear, in order to be able to better control. You know, this is a man who gives mandates, you know, strong suggestions, basically, that it's not law. He didn't have the right to make law by himself. This is somebody who is using the position of governor to, um, to abuse, uh, Californians. And unfortunately quite a number Californians are very open to his, his tyranny. And so, you know, yeah, I believe that this mandate and and his way of regulation in terms of him stating that he's trying to do his best to to protect us is absolutely untrue. I was watching a news report just yesterday related to this variant, the Omicron variant. And, uh, there's been a handful really of Americans who have suffered with the, uh, with, uh, the virus. They, they were saying on the news and I was listening to a doctor from Stanford as well as another, uh, doctor, a pediatrician. And they were both saying that, that, uh, the statement that this, this variant is dangerous is absolutely not true. They said it's very, it's very mild. And I believe that out of the handful of Americans who have been diagnosed with this variant, one has died. And you never take a death lightly. One has died. And the, um, fact is that it's, uh, it's, it's not as, as as dangerous by any means from what I was hearing from those who are expert on the subject. It's not as dangerous by any means as the initial COVID, uh, virus, um, that we, that we originally dealt with. So I honestly believe John and, uh, have no reason not to because, uh, I know that once one has power, they want more. And that our governor who has flaunted his own laws, I mean, I guess people don't remember that he was saying wear masks and don't gather. And then there's a picture of him in the French laundry with his friends and political supporters maskless. I guess people have forgotten that Nancy Pelosi tells people what to do, but in fact doesn't do it herself, goes and gets a hair done, got caught doing it, and then says it's some kind of a conspiracy to make her look bad. John, um, I don't, I, I don't believe what they're saying is accurate. I don't believe what is being published is true. I do believe what they're saying is a method to keep Americans, Californians in fear and bondage. I really do. And, um, you know, I've heard people use very strong terms in speaking of them, uh, those who are mandating these things. And I haven't heard anybody say that they're heroic for doing so. Well, you know, even as we, and as you always mentioned from the pulpit, we never be want to be presumptuous in these things. But I've, even since the COVID first came out, there's been this fear even within the Christian community, a fear that has really paralyzed. And, you know, we hear things from Fauci, and then we hear things from, from, uh, Newsom, and then we hear things from Pelosi. And then there's all these mixed messages going on. And, you know, it's taken the voice, I believe it's taken, uh, the voice away from being led by the spirit of God. Well, there hasn't been a voice of reason, John. There hasn't been a voice of calmness. It's a voice of fear. It's a voice that's intending to bring people into the bondage of, of fear. And, and for people like us, Christians and people like myself, who we want to be balanced in the way we look at things. I mean, when, when you initially began to deal with this, you know, I told our church, you know, we're going to have to close down. We did not know what was taking place. And I didn't want my, my, my people who are members of our fellowship to be put in to any danger, um, simply because I had misgivings, which I did from the beginning. So we did what we felt was the best thing to do to protect the sheep that we love. And I have no, no regrets, but we did that for a relatively short period of time, you know, and then ultimately I felt that this is something that's not just related to a virus. This is something that is really an attack on personal freedoms and, um, the right to assemble. And when they began, as the government began to tell us that we couldn't meet, that we shouldn't sing, when they came up with all of these, these rules upon rules, it became, it became fairly obvious that, uh, the concern for us wasn't, wasn't really what was propelling this. You see, it's hard for me, John, to believe that a man who thinks an infant should be slaughtered in the womb, that that person that's going to think person my age is valuable. It's hard for me to believe that as a matter of fact, I don't. If you will kill the most vulnerable in society, which begins with the babies, you will not care about those of us who are older or also vulnerable. You won't, and they don't, they don't care, you know. And then when you look at the statistics related to the amount of children who've been infected with the virus and, and you see that there's a very small percentage of children once infected that have succumbed, you see that there are comorbidities that are associated with these deaths. Sometimes they have cancer, they have breathing problems or obesity. These are things they don't speak about. They just want to, to show you that children are dying and you don't care, which is, which is just not true. It's just not real. More children die of the flu than have died of the COVID virus. And, but you don't hear anybody saying that. And so Christians want to believe the government. We want to be the good citizens that we ought to be in. And, and I, and I as a pastor do not want to lead my sheep into a place of danger. And so that all plays upon our concerns and in some places fear. But in fact, I, I believe that it has been exaggerated to the point where people are beginning to wake up to it, John. I mean, there's, they said, you need to get a vaccination. Then they see, only you need a booster. Then they say, oh, you need a third booster. And let's just keep giving people shots, right? Let's, let's control them that way. Keep them afraid constantly. You know, you need a mask. Fauci originally said, you don't need a mask. Then he says, you need a mask. And then he says, you need two masks. And then when doctors debate him, people who actually know something of science that he is denying. And then they point things out to him. He gets all arrogant and says that he's the incarnation of science. I mean, this man, I'm sorry to have to say it, but this man is the incarnation of, of megalomania. And, and it's sad. I mean, when you put his picture as, as a most sexy person and this and that, this, this little old man thinks he's very powerful. I'm sorry, John, but I just don't go for that stuff. I don't, I'm not sorry for not going for it. I'm sorry that he believes those things and, and all. So getting back to it. Yeah, the governor wants to tell us not to meet. The governor wants to tell the church what to do. And the church doesn't take its orders from the governor. Amen. When you look at this pastor in a spiritual, even in a more spiritual level, this is demonic. Would you say it's absolutely anything that brings fear into your life is not of God. Fear has torment. Perfect love casts out fear. So no, anything that, that brings you into fear is not a godly fear. I mean, God says that we're to fear Him. Anything that brings you into fear of this nature is not of the Lord. Jesus Christ, according to the book of Hebrews came in order to release those who were in fear of death and the bondage of fear of death. He came to release us from that and release us from the power of the one who had the power of death. That is the devil. And so when, when the church is, oh, I, it's, it's not a matter of, of, I don't want to get John infected. Really. At the bottom line, it's, it's skin for skin. All that a man has, he'll give for a skin. It's self preservation. It's, it's not self denial. Oh, I'm going to love John and not get him infected. Therefore I know it's a matter of, I'm afraid that I'm going to die. And that I think is in some Christians' hearts and with no condemnation to those who are dealing with that, because there are those who have, have, have that situation they're dealing with. But God gives us grace and gives us strength. And I don't tempt the Lord, but I certainly don't, I don't allow myself to be under normal circumstances. I don't allow myself to be dominated by a fear. Because as I've told our fellowship, and again, this is not presumptuous, this is just true. I've said, you know, the worst thing that can happen to me is I go to heaven. So I'm not going to. That's a win-win situation. For me it is. There'll be those, perhaps, who would be sad to see me go. But I don't believe I'll be sad that I'm with Jesus. So amen to that pastor. Well, thank you. I, I was thinking as we're speaking, you know, what would be a good title for this? And I was thinking maybe fear has a voice on Macron or something like that. Because, you know, we hear COVID, we hear these words and it just, it does strike fear into the hearts. And, and God hasn't given us a spirit of fear. And so, well, pastor, thank you so much for sharing on this. And, and we look forward to having you guys join us on Wednesday evening, 7 p.m. And then on Sunday at 8 30 and 10 45 for tomorrow evening, pastor, you're taking us through the book of Titus. Titus chapter three. So we look forward to that and want to invite your friends and family to come out and join us. And we have Christmas Eve and Christmas morning services. So start maybe thinking about those who the Lord's put on your heart to invite to come join us for our Christmas season, the real reason for the season. So, pastor, thank you so much. God bless you guys for tuning in. Pastor, have a nice and dry evening. And God bless you guys.