FROM ‘THE WASHINGTON STAND’
Three bold Christians who have taken a stand for their faith recently spoke at the US Family Research Council (FRC)’s Pray Vote Stand summit during a panel discussion entitled Profiles in Courage.
FRC President Tony Perkins explained the panel’s purpose:
“When men and women like this are attacked for standing for the Biblical truth, what are we to do? Stand with them? Absolutely.”
“Because when we stand with them, guess what? The Left is going to back off, because they’re hoping that we will shrink back into the shadows.”
“That we Christians will be intimidated because they put their target on individuals like this.”
He stressed: “We should boldly stand with men and women who come under attack for their stand for truth.”
THE PASTOR AND LIBRARY TECHNICIAN
One of those Christians was Luke Ash, a bi-vocational pastor at Stevendale Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
He was fired from his second job as a library technician when he refused to use a transgender-identifying co-worker’s preferred pronouns.
Mr. Ash likened his situation to that of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the Book of Daniel.
They were given the option. Nebuchadnezzar said, ‘Are you going to change course? I’m going to give you another opportunity.’
The Louisiana pastor loved their response which was: God is able to deliver us and He will deliver us. But even if He doesn’t, let it be known to you, O King, we’re not going to worship false gods and we’re not going to bow down to the idol that you’ve set up.
THE POLITICIAN FROM THE STATE OF MAINE
Another courageous Christian who spoke was Maine Republican State Representative Laurel Libby who was formally censured earlier this year after calling out the state’s Democratic leadership for allowing biological boys to compete in girls’ sports, even after President Donald Trump signed an executive order prohibiting it.
“It was just so incredibly unfair. And this has been going on in Maine for several years, and I just couldn’t stay silent,” Ms. Libby recounted.
She posted a photo of a biological male who had come in fifth in pole vaulting as a male next to a photo of him coming in first place when competing against females.
The Speaker of the House asked her to take down her post and apologise.
She refused and was silenced in the legislative chamber until the US Supreme Court intervened.
THE PASTOR, LOBBYIST AND FAMILY POLICY DIRECTOR
New York Families Action Executive Director and pastor Jason McGuire also faced the ire of the Left after campaigning against “a candidate who did not share our pro-life values.”
New York Democrat Attorney General Letitia James subsequently targeted him over a clerical error, issuing subpoena after subpoena, combing through millions of dollars of financial records, and even demanding copies of sermons McGuire had written.
Facing such lawfare, Reverend McGuire eventually agreed to accept the charge of two misdemeanors Ms. James had leveled against him and was sentenced to nearly 60 days of intermittent incarceration.
“This is a technical violation of the law. We’ll accept the two misdemeanors and hopefully this will all go away. That was our plan,” he recalled.
“LEFT WAS COMING AFTER CHRISTIANS AND THE VALUES THEY REPRESENT”
“I walked into the courtroom and no sooner had I signed the paperwork taking the two misdemeanors than they hit send on a press release out of the Attorney General’s office that accused me of a litany of things that simply were not true,” he continued.
I remember President Donald Trump once saying, “They’re not coming after me, they’re coming after you. I’m just in the way.”
“That became very apparent on that day, that they were coming after Christians and the values that I represent.”
Reverend McGuire refused a demand to turn over his sermons, lists of attendees and donors at public events he held, because “government does not have the right to restrict the free speech” of those who supported his organisation.
“WE MUST NOT LET LEFT SILENCE THOSE WHO SHARE CONSERVATIVE VALUES”
The Attorney General then subpoenaed bank records to target donors and New York Families Action in a “backhanded” way.
“That’s what the Left will do when given the opportunity. They seek to silence all of us who share conservative values and we must not allow it to happen,” declared Reverend McGuire.
The Department of Justice has since charged Ms. James with bank fraud and stories have emerged about her relatives’ criminal records, in a legal pursuit that could have been taken from her own playbook.
“THOSE STANDING FOR TRUTH SHOULD NEVER RUN FROM A FIGHT”
The FRC’s Tony Perkins observed “Those Christians I stand with, are those who are not looking for a fight, but they won’t run from one.”
“We should never start anything, but we should never run from anything when we’re standing for truth.”
Luke Ash said: What we have to remember is that if I don’t fight, my kids will have to fight, and I don’t want my kid to have to fight a battle that I cowered in.”
“COURAGE DOES BEGET COURAGE”
Laurel Libby observed: “After I took my stand, we saw young women around the state sharing their experience.”
“I had no idea there was a senior in northern Maine who had been forced to change with a biological male in her locker room in seventh grade five years ago, but she spoke up and talked about her experience.”
“Courage does beget courage. The folks standing with me made it possible for me to stand, to be encouraged, and then for others to stand as well.”
“GOD’S PEOPLE STOOD WITH US”
Jason McGuire shared that view.
His friends and supporters would gather outside the jail every Friday evening before his intermittent incarceration began and pray with him.
“God’s people stood with us.”
One particular episode impacted him deeply.
It was a man who would pray: “Lord, forgive us because we’re a part of the reason why Jason is here.”
“Our apathy, our failure to turn out in the elections, to vote for people who are righteous, has led people who are wicked to rule, and has led to where Jason is today.”
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