A Washington pastor scored a major victory last week after being arrested at least twice for preaching the Gospel in public.

Pastor Matthew Meinecke’s battle against officials in Seattle, Washington, recently came to a close, according to Nate Kellum, senior counsel at First Liberty Institute. The lawyer told CBN News how the situation began June 24, 2022, how it was resolved, and why it matters.

“What had happened was the city of Seattle effectively made reading the Bible aloud a crime,” he told CBN News. “And it first occurred on June 24, 2022. I don’t know if that date sticks out to you, but that was the date that the U.S. Supreme Court rendered the Dobbs decision. That was a decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.”

Meinecke was reportedly preaching during a huge protest against the decision in downtown Seattle, and Kellum said the preacher felt it would “be a perfect opportunity to share the Gospel.”

“So, he took his Bible and he goes out there to read the Bible,” he said. “He has very earnest pro-life beliefs, but that was not his purpose. He really just wanted to share the Gospel.

Meinecke started reading from the Book of John and “it was not received well.”

“Some protesters started to crowd in around him, started saying some inflammatory, derogatory things, [and] made him feel uncomfortable,” Kellum said. “So … he moved off a few feet away to a new spot, but then, at that spot, some protester grabbed his Bible and started ripping the pages out of it.”

And that’s not all. Kellum said the situation turned physical after Meinecke grabbed another Bible and resumed reading. That’s when he alleges “Antifa members got involved.”

“They started to pick up Pastor Meinecke,” Kellum said, noting they carried him around a block before dropping him on the cement.

Despite the pain and danger, Meinecke found another spot and started preaching once more. That’s when he was again confronted and reportedly knocked down. Kellum said the police intervened at that point, but, rather than helping Meinecke, they said “he was the problem.”

“Pastor Meinecke knew … he had a First Amendment right to share his views,” the attorney said. “And so he wasn’t just willing to walk away, [and] tried to reason with the police officers, but they arrested him, and they held him for several hours in a detaining cell until after the abortion rally had ended, really thwarting his opportunity to share the Gospel.”

Kellum said the reason for the arrest was based on a policy the police had that, if there was a hostile reaction to someone speaking, then that speaker would be asked to leave or stop their activity.

If the speaker refuses, as was reportedly the case with Meinecke, then the person is seen as “committing a crime,” he said.

“Instead of dealing with the individuals who are actually committing crimes, they were focusing in on a speaker who was really doing nothing wrong,” Kellum said. “And here [is] Pastor Meinecke doing nothing but reading the Bible.”

Two days later, Meinecke was again arrested at a separate event.

Since these occurrences, Meinecke has been challenging what unfolded, and recently scored what First Liberty is calling a “complete victory for the pastor.”

“Judge Barabara J. Rothstein granted him permanent injunctive relief from the unconstitutional police policy, compensatory damages for the wrongful arrests, and nominal damages for the constitutional violations, along with reasonable attorney fees and expenses,” a press release reads.

Kellum said Meinecke’s victory doesn’t only solve the problem for the preacher, but that police will also no longer be able to behave in similar ways in the future.

“Police have been put on notice that, if someone is peaceably speaking, you need to acknowledge those rights,” the attorney said. “You need to allow them to go forth with their First Amendment freedoms just like anyone else.”

CBN News reported on Meinecke’s plight after it began in 2022, explaining at the time that authorities purportedly deemed him a public safety risk for reading Scripture aloud near an event.

Meinecke discussed the alleged ordeal on X (Twitter at the time), with the faith leader explaining numerous police officers arrested him as he read the Bible in a park.

“SPD has enough resources to send 10 police officers to arrest a preacher reading his Bible in a public park,” Meinecke tweeted June 27. “Because it’s such a horrible crime now!”

The man, who goes by “The Seattle Preacher” on X, included a video along with these proclamations that shows Seattle Police Department officers standing by as someone — presumably Meinecke — reads Scripture aloud.

It’s unclear what happened before the clip, but one cop can be heard stating the individual reading Scripture can no longer stay in his location.

“So, at this point, we can no longer stand by the risk that you pose for public safety by remaining here, can be mitigated if you leave, your last chance,” the cop can be heard saying.

The preacher responds, “I don’t want to leave, because I’m not in danger.” That’s when authorities handcuff the individual, identified in the press as Meinecke, and the crowd erupts into cheers.

When reached by CBN News, the Seattle Police Department declined to comment on Meinecke’s recent court victory.
Sources:faithwire

http://theendtimeradio.com

Even in these digital days of Bible apps, many treasure holding the Word of God in their hand. These keepsakes can range from your very first Bible or one handed down through the generations. Depending on age and use, however they can wear out. That’s where artisans step in to restore these personal treasures.

Like many of us, David Duncan recalls loved ones whose Bible served as their most prized possession.

“Growing up, my mom, always had her white King James Bible,” he told CBN News.

In it, she recorded generations of family births, marriages, and deaths.

“My whole life growing up, that was the Bible that I remembered my mom carrying, and my mom using,” David said, “And the Lord took her home, it’ll be 17 years this coming December.”

David especially enjoys seeing his own childhood scribbles in it.

“Being a good mom, I think she let me draw over her notes on one page,” he said.

When the cover fell off, David took it to Daniel Thrailkill at Logos Rebinding for restoring. Thrailkill told CBN News why he named his business “Logos.”

“‘Logos’ is in the book of John. ‘The word became flesh,” he explained, “‘Logos became flesh and made his dwelling among us.’ The thing that I’m rebinding is the word of the Lord, and of course, His word endures forever, so it’s something special to work on always.”

Daniel seeks to glorify God through his Bible rebinding.

“If your Bible’s falling apart, it can definitely be a tough thing,” he said.

Made the Old-Fashioned Way

As an artist, Daniel does almost everything by hand, starting with repairing the pages, then removing the outside.

“I actually cut out the Bible,” he said, “We call it the Bible ‘block’. So the pages itself is called a ‘block,’ and I cut that out of the old cover.”

He reinforces the spine, adds custom ribbons, then fashions the new cover. He is able to use exotic materials like ostrich and python.

“I’ve also used shark skin, and that’s a fun one to use. It’s very interesting,” Daniel laughed.

However, most customers prefer goatskin or cowhide.

So the goatskins I use are, some of my favorites are ones called Sokoto goatskin. It comes from Sokoto region of Africa,” he said, “And the cowhide I use, it’s called Badalassi Carlo, which is an Italian leather. It’s kind of got this waxy, almost marbled look to it that people really like.”

Daniel prefers super-soft lambskin for the inside cover.

He hand-chisels tiny holes around the perimeter of the cover. Customers choose the thread color that Daniel then hand-stitches around the border. Despite the beauty of the finished product, Daniel says the last thing he wants is for his Bibles to sit on the shelf. So, he tells his customers the best way to show their appreciation is by reading it as often as possible.

“I definitely tell people, ‘Don’t abuse it, but use it,'” he said, “‘Don’t just let it sit.'”

The only modern piece of equipment Daniel uses is an electrically heated stamp machines to emboss words like, “Holy Bible” on the cover, or names, scriptures such as “The Lord Is My Shepherd” and designs like the Alpha and Omega.

“It can definitely be a meaningful thing for the right people,” he said.

In addition to his mother’s white, King James Bible, David also cherishes other family Bibles, such as his late grandfather’s old preaching Bible.

“I think there’s maybe 15 or 16 sermons that have been typed on Bible paper and inserted into the inner liner of the Bible in such a way that when you close the Bible you can’t tell there’s extra pages in there,” he said.

Sometimes customers ask Daniel to restore their own, personal Bibles that have special meaning, such as the ones used when the person first came to Christ or one that helped them endure hard times.

Making New Keepsakes

While Daniel rebinds lots of old Bibles almost half of his business involves rebinding new ones that were just purchased, for people who want to create new, personalized, family heirlooms, something David is taking advantage of for future generations.

“The Lord has been so kind. All of our children are believers,” he said, “So when certain blocks come out that I know this is a block I want to have, I want to use, I want to mark it up, and they can go back and see what was going on in dad’s life, in the life of our family where he was taking solace in the scripture.”

With Bible rebinding surging in popularity nationwide, Daniel has a long waiting list.

Meanwhile, more people are also choosing electronic versions of the Bible, like the CBN Bible App. It’s a convenient way to always have the word of God right at your fingertips.

Research shows Americans under age 60 report using digital Bibles nearly half of the time.

And while all Bible reading can improve our spiritual health, research shows comprehension is six to eight times better with physical books compared to digital.

So while some might gravitate toward the convenience of reading scripture on a phone, others find nothing can replace that keepsake of paper, ink, and leather, which in many cases only increases in value.
Sources:faithwire

http://theendtimeradio.com

Televangelist and Kingdom of Jesus Christ leader Apollo Quiboloy, who surrendered to authorities Sunday after a contentious two-week standoff with police in the Philippines, has pleaded not guilty to human trafficking and the sexual abuse of children as more alleged victims have come forward.

After his arraignment in Manila on Friday, the 74-year-old Quiboloy, who calls himself the “anointed son of God,” had a simple message for his loyal followers, “Stay strong, stay strong,” he told reporters, according to Reuters.

“He is innocent,” Quiboloy’s lawyer, Israelito Torreon, also told reporters.

Joahna Paula Domingo, a lawyer of one of the alleged victims, insisted in a statement that the truth about Quiboloy and four others charged alongside him will be revealed.

“It is our firm belief that the truth regarding the alleged criminal acts of Apollo C. Quiboloy and his co-accused will ultimately be disclosed,” Domingo said in a statement.

Colonel Jean Fajardo, a spokesperson for the Philippine National Police, told reporters Wednesday that several alleged victims of the megachurch pastor, which include minors, came forward with allegations while they were trying to arrest him at the Kingdom of Jesus Christ compound in Davao City.

“During the police operation at the KOJC compound, there were various individuals who approached the PNP, saying they were also victimized by Pastor Quiboloy,” Fajardo said.

PNP chief Gen. Rommel Marbil also praised the alleged victims for their bravery in telling their stories.

“These courageous victims have spoken up, revealing their harrowing experiences. The abuse they endured shows an alarming pattern of manipulation and exploitation. These so-called ‘inner circle pastorals’ were particularly vulnerable, with victims as young as 12 years old,” Marbil said.

In addition to his charges in the Philippines, an indictment from the U.S. Department of Justice in 2021 charged Quiboloy and two of his top administrators with trafficking young women and girls in the U.S. who were coerced into having sex with him under threats of “eternal damnation.” The controversial megachurch pastor allegedly claimed that sex with him was a “privilege” and “God’s will.”

Quiboloy is a longtime friend of former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte. He claims to have 4 million tithing followers in the Philippines, 2 million more overseas and reaches 600 million viewers worldwide through his TV station.

In a 2010 interview with ABC News, Quiboloy said every member of his kingdom shared his wealth and is welcome to stay at his mansion. He further noted that God revealed to him in 1983 that he should own a jet and argued that everyone should accept what they get from God in life, even if it is poverty.

“If it is not God’s will for me to have these things I have, you can take it away,” he said. “It is God’s will that we follow. … If he wanted me to live like a rat, if he wanted me to live in wealth or in poverty, it does not matter to me. Put me there, and I’ll be happy as long as it’s God’s will.”
Sources:Christian Post

http://theendtimeradio.com