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Hey everybody, Pastor Steven Anderson here from Faithful War Baptist Church in Tempe, Arizona. I just want to put in my two cents on this whole mask issue and right now it's a big thing because a lot of cities and businesses are requiring this and first of all, let me just say that personally I find it annoying to wear a mask. I think most people are annoyed or irritated by it. It's a nuisance. Last week when I flew to Los Angeles, I had to wear a mask in the airport. On the airplane they said you have to wear a mask the whole time unless you're eating or drinking. So I just got a really big bag of popcorn. I pretty much just ate almost the whole time just so that I didn't have to wear the mask the entire flight because it is a little bit annoying but I want to say this don't make this into a moral or a spiritual issue. I can't believe how so many people are turning this into some kind of a stand for God or something if they don't wear a mask. I think that's just ridiculous. People are comparing, you know, wearing the mask to taking the mark of the beast or worshiping the Antichrist or all these stupid things like that. Folks, no, this is not a dress rehearsal for the end times. It has nothing to do with something spiritual. Okay, this is just a totally unrelated issue. Look, like I said, I find it irritating. I don't prefer to wear it. But if I'm required to wear it at a restaurant or a business or on an airplane or whatever I'm just gonna put the stupid thing on and comply with it. You know, I went out to eat with Brother Bruce Mejia and to walk into the restaurant. We had to wear a mask. I put on the mask and I walked in I took it off. I ate my food. Whether I agree with it or not that's their policy but then people would turn around and say that that's like, you know, you're just giving in to the New World Order. You've just accepted the one world government and the mark of the beast and the Antichrist, you know, you're just worshiping Satan with your mask. It's crazy. Okay, this is not a moral issue at all. Show me chapter and verse that says anything about how we need to refuse to wear this mask. That's not what the Bible teaches. There are plenty of verses in the Bible that would tell us not to worship the Antichrist, not to take the mark of the beast, not to compromise on spiritual issues that matter. You know, look, I'm not gonna be tolerant of Sodomites. I'm not gonna give in on, you know, what the world says about how to raise my children or whatever. But to sit there and make this a moral issue, you know, the Bible says not to teach for doctrines the commandments of men. You can't just have your own personal preferences or personal opinions and then just make that a spiritual moral issue and say that people who are wearing masks are sinning or something. And that's how people are acting all over social media. And here's another thing that I have to say about the the face masks is that a lot of people are just saying, oh, it's so stupid. It doesn't work at all. It's not gonna prevent any germs. Well, stop and use a little bit of common sense. Okay? Obviously spit comes out of your mouth when you talk, okay? And when I was a kid, we used to have a saying, say it don't spray it. And I personally have a really bad habit of spitting when I talk. I probably do this more than most people and so I have to be really careful of this when I'm talking not to spray it. And so obviously if you don't have the mask on and you're talking and spit is coming out of your mouth then that spit is carrying the virus. And if you have the mask on the spit's not gonna come flying out of your mouth. Snot's not gonna come flying out of your mouth. It's all gonna hit that cloth and stop. Now people are saying, well, yeah, but the virus can go through that cloth. Of course, the virus can get through and permeate this little non-medical mask, this little cotton mask or bandana or whatever. But it's going to keep the large particles such as spit and snot from flying around. So to say that it does nothing is pretty ridiculous. Obviously, it's not just a hundred percent effective because you see people in the hospitals that are wearing these things all day long and some of them end up coming down with coronavirus anyway. Obviously, it's not just a guarantee that you're not gonna spread it to anyone else or that you're not gonna contract this thing. But, of course, wearing the mask is going to reduce your likelihood of receiving or transmitting this virus because of the fact that let's say somebody's talking to you and obviously a little microscopic spit particles are coming out of their mouth while they talk to you. Those things could hit the outside of the mask. But even more so when you're wearing the mask, the spit is not even gonna make it outside the mask. So, yeah, I think that people are getting a little wild and Overboard in their reaction to these masks, even though like I said, I think it's annoying. I think it's a nuisance. I would prefer not to wear it and you know some some of my decisions that I make about where I go out to eat or where I go shopping are probably gonna be based on the fact that you know I might not choose to go somewhere where the mask is required if it's not. But if I really want to go there I'll just put on the mask like, you know, when I wanted to go to the airport and fly somewhere I wore the thing and to compare that to you know compromising your spiritual beliefs and you know, you're compromising with the devil and you're Accepting the New World Order is ludicrous. Okay, and you know what? Everybody's talking about, you know, preparing for the end times. Well, here's some good preparation for the end times. Maybe you should learn to differentiate between what is actually a spiritual battle and what is it? Okay, what is actually standing up for God and what is just you standing up for your preferences and your personal opinions? Because it's not necessarily Just a contest to see who can take the strongest stand on whatever God wants us to take a strong stand on The Word of God on things that the Bible actually says on things that he actually commanded not just well I'm standing up for stuff you know stand up for what God has told you to stand up for not just what Fox News is telling you to stand up For or what your Republican friends are telling you to stand up for, you know We need to go to the Word of God and you know what? You're not gonna find anything in the Word of God You know patting you on the back For being a spiritual mask warrior. Okay, so you need to learn as we approach the end times to know what is a spiritual battle what is a biblical conviction and What is just your preference or your opinion or just an amoral? Unrelated issue that has nothing to do with Christianity or spiritual things So don't just fight every battle fight the good fight fight the right battle and and by the way everybody's acting like it's the end of the world just because a lot of weird stuff is happening in 2020 and certainly there are a lot of weird things going on and it and it's very possible that the weirdness will probably go All the way through November because it could be related to the election But the bottom line is we do not know when Christ is going to return and it's possible that Christ won't return For another hundred years. It might not even happen in our lifetime I think it's very likely to happen in our lifetime, but no one knows the day or the hour We don't know it could be 20 years from now 50 years from now 100 years from now We have no idea. It could be 200 years from now Or you know, obviously the tribulation could start later this year. No one knows So don't just always be on Just the highest red alert. It's happening. This is it you know, we obviously want to be ready for Christ coming and We want to meditate upon his coming and and look forward to it and expect it and desire his coming but we don't want to just always be Panicking and saying this is for sure it and and and just claiming that it's for sure happening Because the stuff that's happening now is super mild Compared to what's gonna happen in the tribulation frankly, it's a joke compared to what's gonna happen in the tribulation the stuff We've experienced this year The first world problems that we've been experiencing this year are nothing compared to what's going to happen now Look, maybe the real stuff will happen soon. We don't know maybe it'll happen Soon or maybe in 20 years 200 years. We don't know But here's a good way to prepare Learn What is actually a hill to die on? Learn what is actually a spiritual battle worth fighting that God has commanded us to fight and differentiate that from just your own political views your own preferences your own opinions and quit making this mask wearing issue some spiritual issue of right and wrong and Mocking people who wear these masks people are required to wear them for work. Maybe their parents are requiring them to wear them Whatever the maybe they're particularly vulnerable and they're just trying to be careful not to pick up this deadly virus That's killing over 5,000 people per day worldwide right now but you know what quit mocking them and Saying that they're unspiritual Because they're wearing the mask because you know what you made that up that is not in the Bible And you need to stick to what the Bible says god bless you have a great day