Street Preaching Rogue Governors & the Law!

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By Tim Taylor, July 29, 2020 - After our house church service on July 19 we visited the Street Church who meets in PT Ruston in Tacoma.  They've been doing this every Sunday since Governor Inslee used the coronavirus as an excuse to trample on our First Amendment rights, Section 11 of the Washington State Constitution and HIPPA.  

Here is a quick civics lesson.  The Constitution describes what civil government can do.  The Bill of Rights describes what the civil government CANNOT DO because these are rights given by God.  Also note the following principle.  What you create, you have the right and the ability to legislate.  You have the right and responsibility to govern.  Make sense?  

Civil government did not create the Church.  Jesus did.  The truth is, civil government has no jurisdiction in the Church.  If you want to learn more about this concept I've devoted a whole chapter in my book Kingdom League International, Structures and Strategies available through Amazon.  Hence, it is truly up to the overseer, senior pastor, apostle, bishop, eldership, deacons, board or church leadership to decide whether to meet or not, how those meetings will be conducted, will they require masks, social distancing or do they choose not to meet for now.  It's OK for them to make that decision and it is absolutely wrong for the Govenor to abuse the emergency powers act to act like a tyrant who refuses to give up power.  Click here for an excellent opinion piece from a May 26 article in the Wennatchee World on this subject. 

The First Amendment was created with that understanding.  The President and his administration have done well.  They've offered strong recommendations.  Many Democrat govenors, with a socialist mindset and agenda have overstepped the bounds of jurisdiction and are trampling on the State Constitution (ie. there are 8 steps required to create a law of which none have been followed in Washington) and people's rights through their edicts. We are under martial law, at least they act that way, though they avoid using that term. The Governor has gone so far as to even mandate how many people can meet in a home.  In all my life, I've never seen such micromanagement on a macro scale.  

PT Ruston Street Preachers Encounter with Law Enforcement
So we arrived at the PT Ruston park which is by a shopping center.  When we arrived we saw a PT Ruston police officer speaking with Doug Basler, a minister, business owner and the guy running for Congress in the 9th District.  It just so happens he's been doing outreaches since the late 80s.  Anyway, the officer was engaging with Doug and other members of his team who were setting up their sound system on the park next to the water.   

One member of Doug's team has a laminated handout titled Free Speech Rights & Court Rulings Relating to Street Preaching.  It listed all of these rulings highlighting the following.  Doug was kind enough to share with me his handout. If you want the details providing the specific court rulings you can download by clicking here. 

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• Open air preaching is protected by the United State's Constitution
• We have the right to pass out literature, preach, and display signs on public areas
• We have the right to exercise our religion and speak in all quintessential public forums
• We have a “guaranteed access” to streets, parks, and other ‘traditional public forum” and mere inconvenience to the government will not outweigh our free speech interests 
• Our freedom of speech may not be prohibited merely because it offends some listeners
• A city may not consider the listener’s reaction when permitting free speech activity
• Hecklers do not have veto power over a speaker’s right of free speech
• We have the right to be loud enough to be heard and to use a PA System
• We have the right to be protected by law enforcement
• Permits are not allowed to be used to restrict a speaker’s right of free expression and permits may not be used as a prior restraint on free speech
• A free speech lawsuit is a Federal case and allows us to sue Policemen and guards in their official capacity and as individuals
• A freedom of speech lawsuit will subject them to pay our damages and all our attorney fee

Bottom line, someone from the shopping center complained.  Doug's team was prepared.  They knew the law and were better prepared than the complainer, the security guards and the police.  They held their service.  They have done this for the last 20 Sundays ever since the govenor issued the first edict. 

The results!  They exercised their First Amendment rights and as I understand many have been ministered to, prayed for, and some have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  

Be Prepared to Take a Stand for God's Will to be Done! 
What do I mean?  The Bible reveals that it is God's will that:

• We meet together regularly - Hebrews 10:23-25  
• We cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light - Romans 13:11-12
• Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords and the head of the Church - Ephesians 1:22, 5:23,  1 Timothy 6:15 & Revelation 19:16
• When civil government issues orders contrary to God's word then we ought to obey God rather than man - Acts 5:25 
  • God's word is a higher law and supercedes civil law in matters associated with the Church and God's moral laws otherwise we are to honor civil authorities as Romans 13:1-7 says.  In fact, Christans ought to be model citizens out of love.  But when civil law oversteps their bounds love for God requires a different response (Ephesians 4:15 & 1 John 3:8).
  • See my article Duty Bound for another look at this subject. 
• This is the Church's finest hour.  Click here. 
• This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations - Matthew 24:14

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Don't Waste Your Liberty Nor Our Sacrifice
We wanted to share some tools with you.  We find in Acts 22:25 Paul used his Roman citizenship to protect himself.  I would submit to you, it is wise to know what the law says and to exercise your rights.  Use them or lose them my friends.  

I am a minister and a veteran.  I took an oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic.  I risked my live along with many others in our military.  Some have paid the ultimate price and died for the freedoms we enjoy.  

My request firstly to ministers and then to the Church at large, don't waste our sacrifice out of fear. 

Pray and obey the leading of the Lord.  Be bold and very courageous in this day.  I'm praying for the remnant Church to arise and shine.  I am praying that we steward well this nation God delivered into our hands and that it would fulfill our heavenly Father's purpose in the end-time harvest.