After the Ruling, part 3

This is part 3 in a series of articles about what to do in the wake of the wicked decision by the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) to force states to recognize same-sex unions as if they were marriages.  It’s time to stop compromising and get back to doing what is right.  It’s time to stop getting hung up on things that don’t matter and to prepare for what is likely to be a great persecution.

What can a church do in these times?

My advice for churches will be for naught unless the church repents of its wicked support of what Jesus calls adultery (remarriage after divorce under most circumstances).  So my advice is directed toward the few churches which do not practice this or any other perversion, yet are compassionate and forgiving of anyone willing to repent. 

Biblical church discipline must be practiced as described in Matthew 18:15-20, I Corinthians 5, 2 Thessalonians 3:14, Titus 3:10.  Put a certain distance between the church and the rest of the world (2 Corinthians 6:11-18 and 2 John 1:9). 

Make it clear that being a part of Body is not like being a member of social club.  Make the church a safe place for Christians to build one another up, not primarily an evangelistic outreach.  Evangelism should mainly be done on an individual basis.  Jesus sent out his disciples in twos.  Don’t leave it up to the church to do.  Don’t just invite a non-Christian to church hoping that the preacher will say something to grab their attention.  Give them the gospel, the whole gospel, yourself.  You don’t have to do it all at once, but try to give them as much of it as you can as soon as you can.  Don’t hide the fact that this is something urgent, a matter of eternal life and death!

Get out of any arrangement made with the government such as 501(c)(3)  status.  How can you think that the church of Christ should continue such a covenant with such a wicked institution as the federal government which murders unborn babies and subsidizes sodomy?  Get out of Babylon!  I anticipate that the next step down this wrong road we are on will be for the government to require all 501(c)(3)’s to have a non-discrimination policy towards sodomites.  I am further anticipating that the government will make 501(c)(3)  status mandatory for all churches.  If I am right, that means that the church must necessarily go underground.  Any church that does not will become a vassal of the state like in Nazi Germany.  The churches need to make a dramatic paradigm shift. 

To avoid paying income taxes, the church should stop hiring employees.  This will also prevent the government from forcing us to hire sodomites (at least temporarily).  There is nothing in the Bible that says that a church has to have paid employees.  Most churches hire one or a few individuals and give them a large amount of responsibility.  These are often called “lead pastor”, “the preacher” or “senior minister”.  These titles are not mentioned in the Scripture and are therefore completely unnecessary if not harmful.  There is nothing in the Bible that says that one person must do all of the preaching, visiting of the sick, funerals, weddings and all of the counseling. It is probably better to divide these responsibilities up among the congregation even when the church is not under persecution.  If you have to pay somebody for doing work in the church, it should be on a completely voluntary basis, such as is often done when a love offering is collected for a visiting music group.  Under current federal law, an individual can give up to $10,000 per year as a gift to another person tax free.

At some point the government is likely to disallow true Christian churches to meet publicly.  Christians should prepare now by starting to meet secretly in small groups in homes and at random times and places.  We need to get rid of this foolish, legalistic notion that churches must have services in a church building and that it has to be on Sunday.  There is no such commandment in Scripture.  Get rid of all such man made traditions but do not compromise on what is essential according the scriptures.  Upon dissolving their incorporation, churches should turn their property over to members of their congregations so that it is less likely that the government will confiscate it for “hate speech” or whatever else they can dream up to stop us. 

There is nothing in the Bible that says that a wedding cake is necessary for a marriage.  If you really want one, someone in your congregation should make it, rather than buying it from someone who is forced to sell cakes to same-sex couples for their ceremonies.  Apply this same principle to photographers, florists, etc.  Be willing to give up all these things for the sake of Christ.

There is nothing in the Bible that says that people should have to have marriage licenses issued by the state in order for their marriage to be recognized or proper in God’s eyes.  From the time of Adam and Eve to Abraham Lincoln, there was no such thing.  The idea that one must obtain a license from the state in order to do what is a God given right should be offensive to any Christian.  And since the state issues marriage licenses to same-sex couples, then of course such a license means nothing!  Therefore churches should stop this practice and simply require that a verbal covenant be made that satisfies the conditions for marriage which I have listed in part 1 along with all of the other biblical requirements that God has for an acceptable marriage.  If you really think you need a piece of a paper to make your marriage feel real to you, then have your church issue you a certificate of its own making.