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.

MURDER, UNINCORPORATED, PART THREE

The Destruction of the U.S.A.

My dad and I used to debate each other about the Democrat Party. He said that they were willfully trying to destroy the United States. I said that they did not know what they were doing. Then while watching Rush Limbaugh on television he showed a short segment of John F. Kennedy’s speech to the New York City Economic Club. I watched as President Kennedy said that the way to increase revenue to the Federal Government was to decrease the income tax rate. On the other hand increasing the tax rate would decrease revenue to the Federal Government. Then I thought, they do know what they are doing. Dad is correct. They are deliberately working to destroy this country through the laws and policies they enact as well as through the people they put into influential places of authority in various agencies and in the judiciary.

Congress follows a budgeting procedure where by the budget is automatically increased by a set percentage every year. If this base percentage increase is reduced then the budget is said to be reduced even though more is actually spent in the budget than in the previous year. The Democrats press Congress to spend more than the United States Treasury receives in income. Then they want to increase taxes which tends to lower revenue to the U.S Treasury. Solomon wrote that “the rich rule over the poor. So also the borrower is servant to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7). This makes for an ever increasing debt which in time will destroy the country.

The Democrats are against companies and individuals earning profits. God’s word says that the Redeemer teaches a person to profit (Isaiah 48:17). The Redeemer of course is Jesus of Nazareth. He is not against profit.

The American dream of those who first came to America was to worship God as they choose. They wanted individual liberty for each and every person. Today the American dream is a job and a place to live. The American people, today, have turned away from honoring the Lord Jesus Christ. Scripture says that the wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God. America has trashed God.

In schools children are not allowed to talk about Jesus Christ or bring their Bibles to school. Children are reprimanded for it. Teachers are fired if they talk about Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ and the Bible have been taken out of the text books. Our students are being taught to be fools by being taught not to believe in God. Actually God says, “The fool has said in his heart that there is no God” (Psalm 14:1).

Often, I hear that secular government as the way to govern. Secular means without God which is godlessness, immorality, profane, and without moral restraint.
 
King David said, “The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and His word was on my tongue. The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me, He who ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God” (II Samuel 23:2, 3).

More people have been murdered by secular government than by any other. Mao Tse-tung murdered over sixty million of his own countrymen. Today the Obama administration considers Mao’s example of leadership as the ideal form of leadership.

Joseph Stalin murdered tens of millions of people. Adolf Hitler murdered millions of people.
I notice that the Democrats celebrate the visit of dictators to America. These would include Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, Ahmadinejad, Daniel Ortega, Kim Il Sung, Bashar al-Assad, and Muammar Gaddafi. It would appear that a dictatorship is what the Democrats desire for America, with themselves in charge.

The Vietnam War ended when the Democrats in Congress failed to fund the government of South Vietnam, which would have given them the ability to fight the war. Systemically, the North Vietnamese, after winning the war, killed the mountain tribesmen who were Christian. Democrats are antichristian as well as against national defense. Jimmy Carter while President of the United States stopped the building of the B-1 bomber. He also removed American control of the Panama Canal which later has come under the control of China. Democrats constantly like to defund American National Defense. Barak Husain Obama stopped the deployment of an anti missile shield in Europe and stopped the building of the new F-22 fighter at Boeing. He stopped the development of a missile shield for the United States which leaves America vulnerable to missile strikes. He wants to rid America of its nuclear arsenal.

Lyndon B. Johnson enacted a bill which took away the nontax status of churches, which spoke against politicians. This hindered the free speech of pastors and church leaders, who were in opposition to the liberal power leaders. What about the first amendment rights of pastors? Johnson’s bill is unconstitutional and remains in need of challenge.

The Democrats support homosexually, abortion, embryonic stem cell research, growing human body parts, and cloning of humans. Furthermore, for the most part unions are not-for-profit like churches. However, they are permitted to support and promote secular, immoral and socialistic and communistic causes.  Why are they exempt, while churches cannot speak freely?

Those societies which allow homosexuality, and the killing of children will be cast out of the land in which they live by the land where they live (Leviticus 18:21, 22, 24, 25, 28).

“Righteousness exalteth a nation but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34).

Is your life style exalting to America or does it bring a reproach to the United States of America?

Obituary of Common Sense

I work for a public institution. Someone at this institution (it was not me) was brave enough to send the following opinion essay to everyone in our entire department.

Obituary of Common Sense

I am 72 years old. My parents told me about Mr. Common Sense early in my life and told me I would do well to call on him when making decisions. It seems he was always around in my early years but less and less as time passed until today I read his obituary. Obituary - Common Sense

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life isn't always fair, and maybe it was my fault. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not children are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job they themselves failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer aspirin, sun lotion or a band aid to a student; but could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar can sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement. Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason.

He is survived by three stepbrothers; I Know my Rights, Someone Else is to Blame, and I'm a Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.


Author unknown

Churches Should Consider Unincorporation

Most churches, including my own, are incorporated by the government under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. This allows our church to free from having to pay property taxes, sales tax, and allows donations to be tax deductible. There is a price to pay, however, for this incorporation. My church has a proposed amended constitution which would continue this status. It states:

“No substantial part of the activities of the Church shall be in the attempting to influence legislation, and the Church shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.”

It’s wrong to make a deal with the government that you will keep quiet about politics in exchange for tax breaks. The Church should not be run like a business. The IRS is right in saying that churches who have 501(c)(3) status do not have the right to speak to political issues. It’s the law. When a church that supports a particular political point of view is given tax breaks, this effectively forces taxpayers to support a point of view that they don’t necessarily agree with because they have to pay a greater share of the tax burden.

In an ideal world, no one would have to pay any income tax or property tax. These are tyrannical government intrusions. (In the case of property tax, police and fire department levies are reasonable exceptions.) Sales taxes, head taxes, and tariffs on imports are fairer. But it’s not right to make the system fairer for a church at the expense of the general taxpayer.

It is fair, however, for members of an unincorporated congregation to give money to the ministers, pastors, and other workers in the church without them (the ministers, etc.) having to pay income taxes on it. This is a step of faith, however, because the ministers, etc. are then not guaranteed a salary. They simply get whatever is put into the offering plate. Anyone can legally give up to $10,000 per year per individual without the recipient having to pay any income taxes. Beyond that, the giver would have to pay additional taxes. This giving is NOT tax deductible, but at least the recipient does not have to pay income taxes on it as they would if the church were incorporated.

Any properties controlled by the church are, believe it or not, owned by Jesus Christ under the law. Trustees of the church are responsible for overseeing such property, but no one but Jesus Christ owns it.

Incorporation causes all kinds of other legal entanglements. The 501(c)(3) status allows the government to interfere with the inner workings of the church which should be under Christ alone. You can read about one such case on the website of the Ecclesiastical Law Center. The process of disincorporation is a very difficult legal process. I would encourage all churches to consider this and to contact Dr. Ben Townsend at the ELC for help in doing this. See also this article.

The use of 501(c)(3) status by the government is an attempt by them to silence the Christian Church. It is just another example of a law that can be bent or broken by the powerful at the expense of weak, making this nation more of a lawless nation.