Showing posts with label Religious Ponderings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Religious Ponderings. Show all posts

19 March, 2012

If You Were Curious About Antichrist...

This is not a typical post for me but Mike & I heard such a great show on exposing the Antichrist I wanted to link to it. It's nearly 2 hours so appropriate your time accordingly. Wed. nights show is on Daniel, 7 pm cst. I'm not great at hyperlinking, sorry.


Bush bows to the Antichrist


Obama bows to the Antichrist

"And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication" (Revelation 17:4)


Arrayed in Scarlet and Purple... The Pope and The Archbishop of Canterbury
of the Church of England.

Having a Golden Cup in her Hand


The Beast with 3 crowns. Vicarius Filii Dei
(Instead of, or "in the place of" the Son of God)



Opinion of the Reformers on the Identity of the Antichrist

The Doctrine of the Papal Antichrist


The Testimony of History Against Antichrist
The Catholic Origins of Preterism & Futurism
Early Church Fathers on the Timing & Advent of Antichrist

23 June, 2011

A Humbling Fieldtrip

I don't think many people have ever taken their children to a Holocaust museum & were surprised at what they found. I kind of did that by taking a field trip 2 weeks ago to the town of Valdese for their Trail of Faith celebration. Have you ever heard of them? I had heard that they were persecuted but due to my lack of exposure or background, I was thinking more like Richard Wurmbrand; the Catholic church made Nazis look like kindergarten teachers. Valdese was founded by the Waldensians, a little known Christian remnant that God was gracious enough to preserve until the reformation came about. This post, like most of my posts was getting unwieldy, so it shan't be as thorough as I'd have liked, but check out this link for eye witness accounts of the times; turn the pages.
They immigrated to America to start a new life after the atrocities inflicted by the Catholic church ended & the land would no longer support their numbers. Quite a few reproductions & original pieces are included in the year-round display we visited. My camera was on internal memory mode for some reason, rather than memory card so I didn't get the number of pictures I wanted. We started at the end of the trail because the children were not as initially enthused over the field trip as I was & the entrance & engines were at the end of the trail so that's where we gravitated.


The actual beginning was their seminary, much of it was locked up. They did have the illustrations from the above link however. We are not big criers at our house, maybe on an annual basis for me, depending on if I'm carrying at the time. Reading all of those descriptions in the olde engliſh & their illustrations was more than enough to make me tear up. I know a lot of people like to change the subject or only think of happy things or the bright side or whatever it takes to stay in their comfort zone & keep their sensitivities anesthetized. For my part, I think that's a grave mistake, as bad as over exposure & callousing them. People never change & are always capable of these things. Total depravity is total.


Charlotte is a week or two away from her 3rd birthday in this picture. Can you imagine being an old man, or pregnant woman crawling in to worship on your hands & knees? Or crawling to fresh air to be shot coming out. It's not a smooth wall either but as this was a reproduction, a door was put in on the side for convenience.

The ceiling.


This picture is taken from the platform where the preacher would stand.

So, they left. If you click on the picture it ought to be readable.


The 26th NC Regiment was present & handing out Stars & Bars. The sesquicentennial is big here.




There was another model of house w/ walls 3' thick & the stable underneath for warmth. They didn't realize that winter in the Carolina's isn't nearly as severe as in the Alps. So enough untreated lumber for a 15x15 house for each family was allotted for the winter no matter how many members came over. This is the original half, another 15x15 section was added on later. These little houses can still be seen dotting the area. A deal was made to the group to give them a huge tract of land & a sawmill to sell lumber to other settlers & so pay for the land. They turned out to not be very good w/ the sawmill however & got into debt.


A hit & miss engine, kind of like a huge table saw, but w/ the intent to cut wood like a chainsaw. That nice man was sawing off thin rounds of cedar for free souvenirs to keep in the closets. This was our second stop after the old timey tractors. A LOT of older farm equipment was around & I was pleased that I was able to tell V& C what 90% of it was. Since I couldn't get pictures of everything, that cement structure w/ the spire was the gift of a fountain to the Waldensians from King Charles Albert, so pleased was he w/ their hospitality when he visited. The field stone building is a little one room school & the untreated building is the Tron House, which is pictured above.

V&C holding their rounds watching the sawmill in action. Victor is thrilled, Charlotte nervous because of the noise. Victor is definitely more mechanically inclined.





The original sawmill still in use!


Their church building. Steeples at the time were outlawed. I'm not a big architecture geek but I love the simplicity & thought it was neat to see the Italian influence. A sign out front claims it to be the oldest Protestant church in America. I don't remember if I read that means it was brought over or what.





So, all in all, they ended on a good note after centuries of persecution which, from what I've read the Catholic church has yet to apologize for. I encourage you to look a little deeper, it was a pretty moving field trip & should it still be going on as the chickens grow up, we'll definitley return. They do guided tours throughout the year if you call ahead. Some links:

Their heinous "crimes"

Atrocities inflicted


Inquistion Info.

Valdese site

The movement

Timeline1

Timeline 2

Wikipedia

Milton's poem & synopsis


Of the Sects of Modern Heretics, 1254














04 June, 2010

Prayer Closet/ Quiet Time


One of my favorite privileges as a housewife are the unexpected pockets of prayer. Right now, I am not up to waking up at 5:30 to read & pray. When I did do this I would usually fall asleep & feel angry & disappointed at myself. To escape the negative feelings, I pretty much just gave it up, this being before my conversion. Ironically enough, the more time saving inventions we've done away w/ the more time I have to pray. I have seen some people take literal closets & rooms & convert them for the sole purpose of prayer. I need all of the closet space I can get so I have not one, but two main prayer spaces. See top & my favorite:

I'm seldom alone out there as the baby seat testifies but she doesn't mind as long as I throw in a song, lol. And I'm sorry, the top picture means that any prayer time is prayed away & scrubbed up; this is what is usually going on if there is any praying to be done:



Have you got a spot?

02 May, 2010

What Kind of Church do You Belong to?

theAntiChurch.org
...not affiliated with the antichrist!

Why Not 501c3

There are many, many reasons why no true Christian church should become a "501c3 tax-exempt religious organization." If the average pastor, deacon board, or professing Christian knew these reasons, those who love Jesus (opposed to those who merely practice religion, or a profession) would likely "tear their robes" and RUN NOT WALK out of such institutions.

However, the revelation of these facts is usually a slow process. This page is not exhaustive, but covers the main points in brief, and contains many links you may use to study the issue more thoroughly. Even a "partial revelation" of the information here should be enough to make the case why no true Christian should attend a 501c3 "church," and especially why they might never want to give money to one again. Acting on this information is, of course, a different matter. May God grant you grace to wrestle with and rightly act upon this information in His time.

In overview, these reasons can be listed under these headings:

1) 501c3 "churches" attempt to serve two masters, but their true and legal head (or "lord") is the State, not Jesus Christ

2) 501c3 "churches" sign a waiver to forfeit their 1st Amendment Freedom of Speech rights, and therefore are legally and honor-bound (by their oath) to NOT teach or preach the entire Word of God

3) Money given to all 501c3's (with paid employees) funds abortions and all manner of ungodliness, and may be an unclean offering before God

Are you willing to examine these claims? Read on...

1) 501c3 "churches" attempt to serve two masters, but their true and legal head (or "lord") is the State, not Jesus Christ:

It may surprise many to know that there is no such thing as a "501c3 church." TITLE 26 section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code (below) does not even mention churches. There are only "501c3 tax-exempt religious organizations" and they are ALL - by legal definition - "corporations," NOT churches. True churches are outside the scope of the law in this regard, because of the 1st Amendment and section 508c of the IRS code (see below). Legally, ALL corporations are creations of the State, and can exist solely by the State's permission. Their right to exist and practice charitable cause(s) - including religion - derives solely from the State granting the applying "charitable organization" the requested permission and requested legal authority to function.

Conversely, the true church is called into existence by Jesus Christ, who is its sole head (Col 1:18) and Sovereign. The church is mandated by God to meet, worship, preach, teach, evangelize, and to collect and distribute funds to the needy, etc, regardless of whether earthly authorities want or permit the church to function or exist. But by incorporating as a 501c3, a group of leaders asks the State's permission to exist, binds themselves by an oath, and effectively renounces Christ as its head...

The following quotes come from a multi-page article Woe To State Churches:

"A corporation is a creature of the state... Its rights to act as a corporation are only preserved to it so long as it obeys the laws of its creation..." (Hale v. Henkel, 201 U.S. 43)

"[A corporation is] an artificial person or legal entity created by or under the authority of the laws of a state."
Black's Law Dictionary West Publishing Company, 1991; 6th Edition, page 340

"A corporation derives its existence and all of its powers from the State and, therefore, has only such powers as the State has conferred upon it. ... the source of this power is the charter and the statute under which the corporation was organized." Len Young Smith and G. Gale Roberson, Smith and Roberson's Business Law, West Publishing Company, 1966, page 796

"A corporation derives its existence and all of its power from the State!" The church on the other hand was created by and is the body of Christ. We belong to Him and we are subject to Him and His Laws. The source of any church's power is supposed to be the Holy Spirit; it's authority to function solely from God... Why would you bring in a "fictitious entity" no less created by the state and man i.e.: corporation, to run and regulate something that belongs to the Lord? To become a corporation in effect divorces the church from Christ. We also commit idolatry by putting something before Him."

Read much more relating to the legal definition of a corporation, versus the nature of a true Christian church operating with Christ as its Sovereign at this multi-page article Woe To State Churches:

The "church" (ecclesia, meaning "assembly" or "called-out ones") as defined by scripture is called out of both the world's political and religious systems. By incorporating, Christian leaders turn their backs on Jesus' headship of His Bride, and wander right back into the religious system of the world. Is "adultery" or "harlotry" too strong a term to describe the church that does this? Probably not.

While of course not intending anything wrong, most churches today usually apply for 501c3 due to ignorance (or, "lack of knowledge" - Hosea 4:6) . "They think they have to," or a lawyer recommended that they do so, but most lawyers simply don't understand that churches are (or that anything could be) outside the scope of the law. Most also think they need to become 501c3 in order to be "tax exempt" (love of money), but in fact (!) churches in the United States of America are already tax-exempt, and donations to churches are tax-deductible already, without ever becoming a 501c3!

More from Woe To State Churches:

According to the Internal Revenue Code, "a church, its integrated auxiliaries, and conventions and associations of the church are excluded from taxation." United States Code, Title 26, 508(c)(1)(A).

Section 508(c) of the Internal Revenue Code provides that churches are not required to apply for recognition of Section 501(c)(3) status in order to be exempt from federal taxation or to receive tax deductible contributions. Churches are automatically exempt from Federal income tax, and contributions to churches are deductible by donors under section 170.

See also Facts About 501c3 Tax-Exempt Status for churches at Heal Our Land Ministries, which states:

"...note what the IRS says regarding churches and church ministries, in Publication 557:

Some organizations are not required to file Form 1023. These include:
Churches, interchurch organizations of local units of a church, conventions or associations of churches, or integrated auxiliaries of a church, such as a men’s or women’s organization, religious school, mission society, or youth group. These organizations are exempt automatically if they meet the requirements of section 501(c)(3). "
There is more than enough information out there to convince anyone that churches do not have to incorporate to apply for tax-exemptions, and that - even if the tax exemptions were not automatic - it is spiritual adultery for them to do so because all such religious corporations accept The State as their head. Only the State can give permission to incorporate, and this new legal entity is under the jurisdiction of the State alone the minute it incorporates; under U.S. law, all of a corporation's rights, powers and authority are granted by the State and subject to the State. However, when Christians regularly assemble for worship, teaching, preaching, etc, they automatically meet the IRS definition of a church without incorporating under State power, or requesting State permission for (and therefore scrutiny of) such activities. There is simply no U.S. law requiring churches to incorporate with The State, and churches are still obeying the "law of the land" by doing all of the above without incorporating. There are, however, many scriptural prohibitions to God's people "joining," "covenanting" or being "yoked with" pagan powers and unbelievers - which is the exact definition of 501c3 incorporation of a church.

But these are not the only relevant issues. Those that form such a covenant with the State enter into an oath ensuring their silence on many scriptural issues...


2) 501c3 "churches" sign a waiver to forfeit their 1st Amendment Freedom of Speech rights, and therefore are legally and honor-bound (by their oath) to NOT teach or preach the entire Word of God

Most believe that churches (501c3 organizations, that is) are limited merely from endorsing or opposing political candidates. However, that is only the last line of Title 26 Section 501 (c) (3). The full text which "pastors" (aka "employee agents" / CEOs of the 501c3 Corporations) are required to sign also prohibits "carrying on propaganda" - i.e., public discussion of issues that might at some time, by somebody, be deemed "political."

Question...
Is the word "church" mentioned anywhere in
Title 26 501(c)(3)
of the IRS Code?

NO. 501c3's are ONLY granted to corporations, community chests, funds & foundations organized for any variety of non-profit purposes. But "churches" are mentioned as automatically "exempt from taxation" under
Title 508(c)(1)(a)
-see above.

If you attend or "belong to" a 501c3 organization, you are NOT in a church, but a religious corporation that "belongs to" and is ruled by "the State." It is neither the creation, property, or agent of Jesus Christ, as HE is not it's rightful head or Sovereign - your 501c3 paperwork says so!

TITLE 26--INTERNAL REVENUE CODE
Sec. 501. Exemption from tax on corporations,
certain trusts, etc.
(c) List of exempt organizations

(3) Corporations, and any community chest, fund, or foundation, organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, testing for public safety, literary, or educational purposes, or to foster national or international amateur sports competition (but only if no part of its activities involve the provision of athletic facilities or equipment), or for the prevention of cruelty to children or animals, no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual, no substantial part of the activities of which is carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting, to influence legislation (except as otherwise provided in subsection (h)), and which does not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.
See Southern Illinois Patriot League's Deal With The Devil for more

Ask yourself - in today's world is homosexuality a political topic? Is abortion? What about euthanasia? These are only among the topics which 501c3 organizations and their "mouthpieces" are promising by their signature never to speak on! Pastors (as well as employees - and possibly, in the future even members of 501c3's who claim tax write-offs) cannot attempt even "to influence legislation" on any issue! America would never have even been founded if earlier churches had signed 501c3 agreements.



In 1954, Lynden B. Johnson introduced the 501c3 system (as documented by Peter Kershaw of Heal Our Land Ministries) in order "....to silence the church and eliminate the significant influence the church had always had on shaping "public policy." Kershaw continues,

"One need not look far to see the devastating effects 501c3 acceptance has had to the church, and the consequent restrictions placed upon any 501c3 church. 501c3 churches are prohibited from addressing, in any tangible way, the vital issues of the day.

"For a 501c3 church to openly speak out, or organize in opposition to, anything that the government declares "legal," even if it is immoral (e.g. abortion, homosexuality, etc.), that church will jeopardize its tax exempt status. The 501c3 has had a "chilling effect" upon the free speech rights of the church. LBJ was a shrewd and cunning politician who seemed to well-appreciate how easily many of the clergy would sell out. "
In Caesar's Grip , by Peter Kershaw

While the IRS has not yet been "pulling these chains" by punishing pastors and churches who speak against abortion and homosexuality (i.e., revoking tax-exempt status and seizing their property), rest assured, that the chains are in place. Even if the IRS never yanks that chain, the problem lies in the fact that a pastor (or organization) who signs a 501c3 application, then speaks on these issues, is breaking his word! He made an oath not to, even though he may not have understood the legal jargon or full implications of his oath. 501c3 pastors have promised not to discuss political issues (including those relating more properly to issues of morality).

But the apostle Paul stated that he did not fail to teach "all the counsel of God" (Acts 20:27). Scripture calls God's people to "love justice" and to "defend the rights of the poor" (legal issues), ensure "honest weights and measures" (economic issues) and decry evil (even in moral and political realms). Jonah preached to an entire city to repent of their sins. Samuel rebuked a king to his face over adultery and murder. If the Bible has information or The Holy Spirit gives revelation about any topic, the man of God is called to speak it!

The question is not whether the IRS (or any government agency, the ACLU, etc) chooses to sue or enforce the pastor's 501c3 oath - the question is How could any true Christian (pastor or otherwise) sign an oath to remain silent on any issue? The Biblical mandate for leaders is to "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season (i.e., popular, politically correct or not); reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine (2 Tim 4:2)."

But today's 501c3 churches cannot only not speak to their own people about these issues (legally, or morally, due to their oath). A 501c3 "employee agent" can't even use church stationary to write his congressman, much less rebuke a political figure personally. Antichrist could rise to power and today's church could not oppose him.

Forget homosexuality - if you do not see the day coming when it will be a "hate crime" to "damage someone's self-esteem" by telling someone what's wrong with being a Hindu, then your head is clearly in the sand. And your heart is clearly serving mammon, and fearing the IRS, not God.

The "law of our land" is clear about this however:

The 1st Amendment states that

"Congress shall make no law regarding an establishment of religion,
or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"

The 1st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution made certain that "religious establishments" (including but not limited to Christian churches) could practice, say and do whatever they pleased, without government interference or regulation. By law, any unincorporated religious establishment can (still!) speak on issues of politics and morality, mobilize for any cause, and even finance the election or opposition of any political candidate. But by applying for and receiving a 501c3 "license to preach" pastors and churches have unwittingly signed away both their legal rights and their God-given responsibility to teach and preach "all the counsel of God." Just to receive a tax-exemption (that they already possess - Title 508(1)(a) - and some sort of unneeded recognition from the State, our "churches" sign away their very fundamental right to speak freely.

Many, many Christians often say that we should always vote, "because someone died to give us that right." Is the Bill of Rights any different? Our Christian forefathers fought and died to secure the Right to Free Speech for the church (establishments of religion), and today's religious leaders are duped into signing it away. Just as a criminal might "waive his right to an attorney" and sign a confession of guilt in order to plea bargain, today's pastors of 501c3 churches waive their right to free speech by applying for 501c3 status.

Consider the moral decline of America since 1954's inauguration of the 501c3 system, and know that this is largely because - as Kershaw states - the clergy have sold out. I ask again, "Is harlot too strong a word?"

What's worse is that due to the IRS's claim on earnings of 501c3 church employees, not only are the people of God unable to condemn the antichrist system, they are actually funding it through their tithes and offerings...


3) Money given to all 501c3's (with paid employees) funds abortions and all manner of ungodliness, and may be an unclean offering before God

Under construction

In the beginning of the 501c3 system, pastors and other church workers were legally classified as "ministers" and were exempt from taxation on gifts derived from their service to God and His church. However, in 1984 IRS law changed to require that even so-called "churches" must withhold income taxes from these otherwise sacred positions. All of its workers came to fall under the legal, secular designation of "employees" (of their tax exempt religious corporation) - rather than "laborers," "workers," "ministers," "pastors," etc, of Christ's church. In keeping with their scripturally prohibited covenant with earthly power, all 501c3 religious organizations must play the additional role of "tax collector" and IRS informant.

What this means financially - in short -is that a significant portion of a 501c3 member's gifts, tithes, offerings, etc goes directly to the Federal government, rather than to the house of God.

Say a religious worker earns $100 per week in salary (for example). Usually 15-20% of that is taken out before he receives it, as well as the 501c3 employer's additional contribution to Social Security, Medicare, FICA, etc - an additional 15-20%. So in order to pay a pastor or other worker approximately $80 net income per week, approximately $115-120 has to be taken from the "church coffers" - i.e., from donations intended for God's work. For every salaried "pastor" who earns $30,000 per year, the Federal Government receives approximately $9,000-12,000, taken directly from what 501c3 institution members (believe they) have sacrificed to God.

$100 salary = appx $120 expenses from religious institution's funds, or $80 (net) to income earner, while up to $40 goes to the federal government, taken directly from tithes, gifts, offerings, etc
$1000 salary = appx $1200 expenses from religious institution's funds, or $800 (net) to income earner, while up to $400 goes to the federal government, taken directly from tithes, gifts, offerings, etc
$30,000 salary = appx $36,000 expenses from religious institution's funds, or $24,000 (net) to income earner, while up to $12,000 goes to the federal government, taken directly from tithes, gifts, offerings, etc
(All figures here are approximate, and used for illustration purposes only. Check with your local 501c3 corporation for the exact percentage of your offering that is not going to God's work. Particularly large "churches" however - with over half a dozen employees - may be giving over $100,000 per year of God's money to fund unreligious and perhaps even unholy acts.)

Earthly government of course does many good (or at least benign) deeds with the money derived from collecting taxes, such as building roads, schools, libraries, paying congressmen and senators' salaries, defending borders, on so on. However, they also do many things that perhaps a Christian individual may not sanction or willingly fund according to their conscience, such as go to war and kill other people, and provide funding for abortions, "sex education" or even arts programs that desecrate or blaspheme Jesus Christ.

Note that there is nothing wrong with individuals paying taxes, if you owe them (Romans 13:1-8; this is not a "tax protest" stance). The issue raised here is to inform those who give regularly to a 501c3 institution that your gifts and sacrificial offerings are being perverted when your "priesthood" (church board, accountants, etc) willingly turn over such a large portion of your offering to non-kingdom activities (benign or otherwise). In short, your tithes are not going fully to God, His kingdom, His workers, His ministries, or His eternal purposes for The Church. IF your "church" pays "employees," and IF taxes are taken from their paychecks, the point of this writing is to inform you that your offerings to God are possibly unclean, because of the nature of the 501c3 system and your institution's penchant for rendering unto Caesar that which belongs to God.

A true detail of the antichrist nature of the Federal Reserve is beyond the scope of this article - perhaps only the more "conspiracy buff" individuals reading this have gleaned an understanding of that issue. We cannot help but pay taxes on our own personal income (which God also endorses when the government requires tribute), but as a matter of conscience - if not common sense - no true church or individual should additionally fund the world's system via offerings sacrificed to God. In fact, no true church does, only 501c3 religious corporations with paid employees do! True churches are not under the State's power to legislate or to tax. Only 501c3's are.

Note that there a few rare groups of Christian workers organized as a 501c3 that do not pay salaries - these groups would be okay to give to in the sense referred to here, but note that they are still "religious corporations," and subject to all which has been said here in points 1 and 2. Otherwise, the only way to protect your offerings to the Lord from such desecration is to give non-income gifts directly to individuals in need (alms), directly to those who teach or minister to you, and only to organizations that do not pay salaries to their workers and/or withhold tax. While well-intentioned, 501c3 corporations fund (via withholding taxes) whatever earthly government sees fit to spend your offering on - good, bad, or evil - and the sad fact is that the corporation's "ministers" are the ones who are contractually bound to the State and the IRS to defile the offerings.

How the sacred financial gifts of a Christian's worship can be so freely given to the profane is but another inherent snare of being - or belonging to - a 501c3 institution.



Conclusions
The Church of Jesus Christ is a living organism, called into existence by Jesus Christ. Her mandate to meet and to function is a divine mandate, outside the scope of earthly powers to permit or deny. Just as God instructed the Israelites to "make no covenant" (Ex 23:32 ; 34:12) with the members of other lands, the early church likewise "took nothing (such as tax-exemptions) of the gentiles" (3 John 1:7) "for His name's sake"! True churches functioned (flourished!) throughout history and in America for centuries before the 501c3 system was ever introduced, and no true church needs to be a 501c3 to be legitimate in the eyes of God, OR in the eyes of American law. We affirm that individual believers must obey the all the laws of the land (including paying taxes). However, the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution places The Church as a corporate entity outside the scope of legislation. Even if it did not, there is no law that requires churches to become 501c3 religious corporations anyway, so no one is "obeying the law of the land" by incorporating as a 501c3. They are instead simply voluntarily subjecting Christ's church to pagan rule.

To do so reduces a body of believers to the designation of a State Church, rather than a true Church of Jesus Christ, and effectively (i.e., legally, on paper, via a signed oath) names the State as its Head and Sovereign authority. This oath prevents the free preaching of the entire counsel of God by the state-licensed "minister," preventing him from ever calling evil what the State calls good, or from calling good whatever the State may decide to call evil. And instead of the offerings of God's people going solely to the needy, to widows and orphans, and to funding church-planting missionaries, a huge portion of the people's offerings funds evil.

There is no reason why any true Christian believer should ever be a member of a 501c3 religious corporation incorrectly calling itself a church - and many compelling reasons why they should leave immediately if they are, and renounce such membership/covenant with the world.


Solutions
Any delegate of a 501c3 religious corporation may want to visit www.hushmoney.org for more info and resources pertaining to dissolving your corporation and functioning as a legitimate Christian church.

Any individual in covenant membership with a 501c3 religious corporation of the State (and therefore the world system) may want to share this information with those in your fellowship in hopes that they might change, but most importantly, harken to the words of Jesus Christ:

"Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." Revelation 18:6 (Consider also other "come out from among them" verses addressed to Christians practicing falsehood - 2Cor 6:15-18; 1Tim 6:5; 2Tim 3:5, etc. Take note that none of the above verses offer an immediate solution or "alternative," such as "come out and do what...?" - they only implore believers to turn away from those who practice falsehood, and to leave false practices behind. Be willing to "enter the wilderness" if required, and acknowledge God, asking Him to direct your steps.

Any individual wanting to practice non-501c3 Christianity, as well as church without unscriptural building expenses, salaried ministers, and a fully participatory meeting that encourages the maturing priesthood of all believers, may want to visit or start an AntiChurch -


FAQ, Related Topics, Common Objections...

My pastor / elders / church board say they will only bother to unincorporate from 501c3 status if "the State" asks them to do something unscriptural....
Your pastor / elders / church board have already committed the unscriptural act of entering into a covenant with pagan powers and receiving from Gentiles (cf Ex 23:32, 3 John 1:7), and have already committed idolatry by placing the State above Jesus Christ as the head of your church. He/they have already committed the unscriptural act of compromising their calling and ministry by swearing an oath to not teach or preach on certain topics. He/they are already poorly stewarding your donations to God by diverting a large portion of them out of God's hands via federal income taxes to employees. Also, if they report your donations to the IRS, they are disobeying the command to let your giving be in secret (Matt 6:3-4. In fact, you may be in violation of these scriptures as well, if you report such donations to the IRS ). EVERYTHING about the 501c3 system is inherently unscriptural to begin with - can you really trust such "leaders" to not ask "how high" the next time the State says "Jump?" Can you really trust those with this level of discernment to be your spiritual authorities in the first place?

Granted, most do all of the things listed on this page out of ignorance of the real issues (Hosea 4:6). We affirm that many in ministry today are sincere workers who love Jesus Christ and have every intention of obeying His Word. Share this information with them, and pray for them to receive revelation, and hope that they will repent. But do not ignore God's command for you to "come out" and "turn away" from those who love and practice falsehood in the meantime.

All this may be true, but my church still does wonderful things and I know God still uses us, despite our faults. Consider Jesus' words to the church at Ephesus: "I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience... and for my name's sake hast laboured... Nevertheless I have [somewhat] against thee, because thou hast left thy first love... Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent." (Rev 2) We do not deny that your group may have done many wonderful deeds for the Lord, or that He may be moving among and through you. However, Jesus often still "has issues" with those whom he loves and uses. What could be more akin to forsaking Him as first love than seeking State incorporation and full control of His church? His counsel is to repent. If the leaders of your church will not repent, you should probably leave (but see below*). You should embrace your rightful role as king and priest (and head of household, where applicable). You should follow God's commands without the interfering fog of mediators other than Jesus Christ between you and God. The only thing stopping you is the probable negative opinions of others, worrying about what they will say (fear of man). Didn't you leave all that behind at the cross anyway, when you first obeyed God's call to follow Jesus Christ? Again, His counsel from the letter to the church at Ephesus is to do your first works again.

* (On a personal note, it took this author quite some time of sorting through this type of information before becoming firm enough in my convictions to finally leave the institutional church. May God grant you grace to walk humbly and mercifully with those you share this information with, and may His Spirit guide you in your decisions.)

Teaching like this is more likely to destroy the church as a whole, rather than benefit it. On a personal note, don't you care about such things? Mark 14:58 says "We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands." I suppose that I too have "heard him say" such a thing, and frankly have no concern over whether or not man-made or institutional religion survives the wake of this article. (In fact, I believe it will survive just fine, as most 501c3 corporations would be able to financially weather the departure of any "remnant" that leaves based on this single article. I am fully aware that most people will not heed it anyway, but will remain in the system in which they are comfortable with and accustomed to.) Even if I did somehow manage to destroy the institutional system (doubtful), I am at worst following the example of Jesus, and the precedent of God's destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D. I am most concerned with the welfare and building of God's kingdom, which I do not believe is or can be rightly expressed through the 501c3 system. This article is intended only as my contribution to edifying those believers who truly wish to build Jesus Christ's church. Those who wish to build the State's church, I wish well, but don't have time for.

I don't know of a "free church" or antichurch in my area. Isn't it better to remain in some sort of church in the meantime? Yes, if you can find a true church. Odds are however, you only know of 501c3 religious corporations, and these are not churches - just see #2 above. "Come out" as the scripture commands, and follow the Holy Spirit from there. It's amazing what you will often see right around you once the scales have fallen from your eyes, and you've obeyed the last thing God made clear to you. Until you obey however, no further revelation or direction is likely to be given (but see God's promise in 2Cor 6:18, below).

What's stopping you from gathering two or three others and starting an antichurch in your area?

I don't like your attitude - who are you to say I'm not in a true church? I truly do not mean to be insulting or disrespectful to those brethren "in the system" when saying this. I especially do not mean that you (as an individual) are not part of Christ's invisible church of the ages (or His Body and Bride), but refer here to your local 501c3 incorporated institution. I know most are only there out of a sincere desire to serve Jesus Christ, and you are merely doing what we have all been told for decades to do. The facts are plain, however, due to your organization's signed paperwork : you are not in a church by legal or scriptural definition - you are in a State controlled "tax-exempt religious organization." You are in a corporation that has made covenant with an earthly kingdom and replaced Jesus Christ's headship with man's. The only way for you to exist and function as Christ's church (on earth, in a local assembly of other called-out ones) is to completely dismantle the organization you are in, or to leave it.

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?
and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God;
as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in [them]; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean [thing]; and I will receive you,
And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."
2 Cor 6:14-18

God's promise is IF you come out from "them," HE will be a Father to you.
Trust him to provide a proper "church home," fellowship, accountability, service to Him, etc
once you have done your part and obeyed the command to leave the corrupt system behind.


Copyright 2006 Guy Malone. All Rights Reserved
Disclaimers and Notices: All information presented here is done so under the protection of the First, Fourth, Ninth, and Tenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. No warranty of accuracy is intended or implied, but merely reflects the best of my current non-professional research into these matters, to date. Nothing here should be interpreted or taken as legal or tax advice, as the author is not an attorney nor tax professional, and the author assumes no responsibility for any actions resulting from believing or acting upon this material. Everything presented should be thoroughly researched against the Holy Bible, U.S. and State laws for your area, and with God and your conscience before taking any action from reading this material. Actually, I guess you could pray, since there's no law against that - unless of course you're in school right now.

29 April, 2010

We're Churched Again!

I don't do very many religious postings, but I'm excited to say that we've found a church home! After almost 4 years of being MIA it feels... I'm so grateful is all. The 4 years were not spent in complete idleness; I studied more intensly than I ever did before & I'm humbled to say that God saw fit to reveal Himself to me during this interim so I could have a true understanding of the most basic Biblical tenents that had been muddied up in the erroneous/ lukewarm churches I had been raised in.

It's almost everything I had prayed for but I did not realistically expect to find a body that would line up w/ all of my beliefs/practices. They've only been around for 2 years or so, so they're fairly new. There are not more than 10 family's & many of them do homeschool. It's only one room, there is just no space for a Children's Church or Nursery so Victor & Charlotte have learned to sit still, even during the 15-20 min. of opening prayer. This pleases me immensly.

They are heavy on prayer, community & doctrine. The doctrine! I love it. Verse by verse exposition for preaching, We've all been attending since around mid Jan. & we are not quite finished w/ I Tim. 4. No good feelings or pats on the back here, they preach a hard message but it's so tempered w/ compassion, a balance I need to strike. I asked the pastor/ elders if there would be any objections to us not participating in christ-mass; they said not at all, they knew of several families w/ such beliefs. There was never an Easter egg hunt for the children. Did you know your church is a chapter 55A?
55A (tax code) is a state instead of federal (501-c3) code. I explained why they were both bad & they were shocked. Like many they had left it up to their lawyer w/out finding out more. They scheduled to hold a meeting w/ him right in front of me. I'll post something about that tomorrow.

Their stance in a nutshell…

We believe the Bible is God's written revelation to man. It is verbally inspired in every word, and absolutely inerrant in the original documents. We affirm the infallibility, sufficiency, and authority of Scripture.

We believe that there is but one living and true God, an infinite, all-knowing Spirit, perfect in all His attributes, one in essence, eternally existing in three Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—each equally deserving worship and obedience.

We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His Virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and His personal return in power and glory.

We believe that the salvation of man, who is sinful and lost, is instantaneous and accomplished solely by the power of the Holy Spirit through the instrumentality of the Word of God when the repentant sinner—enabled by the Holy Spirit—responds in faith. This salvation is wholly of God by grace on the basis of the redeeming work of Jesus Christ, the merit of His shed blood, and not on the basis of human merit or works. All the redeemed are kept by God's power and are thus secure in Christ forever.

We believe in the Spirit-filled life. As the supernatural and sovereign Agent in regeneration, the Holy Spirit baptizes all believers into the Body of Christ at the moment of salvation. The Holy Spirit also indwells, sanctifies, instructs, empowers them for service, and seals them unto the day of redemption.

We believe in the bodily resurrection of both the saved and the unsaved; the saved unto the resurrection of life and the unsaved unto the resurrection of damnation.

There's more & they really break it down but this is the nutshell version. I'd post their website, but I don't want everyone to know where I live. You may have noticed some Calvinist tendencies in the statement. While I or they (I ought to start in with we I guess) don't proclaim to be Calvinists, something I never heard growing up were the doctrines of election or regeneration. When I did, wow! The Bible came together like a puzzle; verses I had never seen before were full of new meat. The fact that I was completely powerless to help myself attain salvation in any way was humbling & even devastating; I'd been fooling myself & had been puffed up in my pride of knowledge... & it had all been darkness & foolishness to God. I thank Him for revealing Himself to me after all these years. Seriously, I started around 11 & didn't discover this angle of God until I was 24. How many more are in the dark? Too, too many. I do thank God for His means of Grace, one of them the Providence of being obedient to His command to dwell in community w/ other believers.

05 January, 2010

New Year's & Victor's First Church Service

2010 & no more holidays at last! We didn't do too much for New Year's, I baked alot. The children napped until 5 & they stayed up until 9:30 on the eve. Victor thought that was the coolest, Mike had a fire outside w/ his friend & brother & Victor stayed out for quite a bit w/ the men. He shot his snowman (or the last remaining ball) & was very pleased w/ himself. We had home-made pizza for supper on the china. I bought a lemon & made a lemon chiffon pie, & lemon glazed butter cake. I love lemon deserts! They were for our breakfast. I also made a breakfast casserole during their long nap so it was ready to pop in the oven when we woke up. My letting them stay up late plan didn't work out, they were up at 7:30 w/out my having set their alarm. Excepting Mike, the rest of us stayed up to watch Zombie Land. I'm not a zombie movie fan, but they were more of a back drop to the story, it was mostly funny. We went out to shoot guns at midnight & immediately crashed. Ha, we're old.

Everyone ravaged my breakfast which does me good to see, & then went out for an FTX (field training exercise). They had scenarios & targets & 1 guy would set them up in different places for different missions, etc. They came in soaked & cold, silly men. Mike's friend is a Marine sniper (he is an ex-Marine but I write it like that because once a Marine always a Marine, right?) from the first Gulf War & I made fun of them for missing the service. He's really helped us out alot, running fence & helping us set posts. They had more coffee, the rest of the desserts & watched Zombie Land again, since Mike had missed it. It was fun!

Victor has been fascinated w/ all of the churches around here, there are alot everywhere. Most of them have steeples, so they're conspicuous. So I promised to to take him to one some Sun. I found a Mennonite church a town over & figured they wouldn't look askance at my head-covering, but I could not find the place. I wanted to try again next week, but he was so disappointed, I figured we would head to the little white 1 room country church right up the road from our house. They're Baptist & it's on our way home.

The parking lot was packed. It's a small lot to begin w/ but I was struck w/ how very nice alot of the cars were. Newer & very clean. We could hear the singing from the outside which excited Victor to no end. "Mommy, it's a usical church!" He always leaves the m off for whatever reason. We walked in from the tiny vestibule & found all of the black people. It was a bit of a shock, as we've been black deprived. I would say a good 50% of our old neighborhood & town was black w/ a good sprinkling of Korean. This place is pretty homogeneous. In order, I think it is predominantly white, Hispanic, black & Cherokee.

It was a very small church, very full up. It was not like the black church I attended back in Mo. w/ my dad. There the men wore purple & teal suits & the women all in hats. It was very intimate there, the preacher assigned us readings from the Bible & we had a discussion & review at the end. There were no flashy clothes here, but lots of shouting which reminded me of my Pentacostal upbringing. Everyone was very friendly in this church & made us feel welcome. They lined the songs which Victor had never heard of but we enjoyed. Then the sermon started.

I confess, I was disappointed in the sermon. The Bible wasn't opened & it was mostly a prosperity pep rally, which surprised me. I mean this was a tiny church, not more than 12 wooden pews. I hadn't wanted to take Victor to a big church because I hadn't wanted him to hear that God is nothing more than a name it & claim it wishing fairy. I expected more old time religion from its whitewashed facade. A bummer all in all, but it was nice to get out & meet people.

Mike is going crazy in the house & at times begs me to get out for my own good. He never realized that my leaving the house once a week for groceries or library books was just once a week, period. And all in 1 morning so we can be back in time for lunch & Charlotte's nap. That is how I would use up only 1/2 a tank of gas once a month in Va. We left early today because I had an extra store to squeeze in, the Wal-Mart. I've only been there once before so we had to look around a bit to find what we were looking for. From there to the library w/ dinosaurs as our objective & on to Aldi's from there. More later!

25 December, 2009

Something Sadly & Pathetically Funny

This was too funny, I found the link on Renee's blog,
http://reformingrenee.blogspot.com/


If Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians was Published in Christianity Today
Posted on 20 February 2009

LETTERS TO THE EDITORDear Christianity Today:

In response to Paul D. Apostle’s article about the Galatian church in your January issue, I have to say how appalled I am by the unchristian tone of this hit piece. Why the negativity? Has he been to the Galatian church recently? I happen to know some of the people at that church, and they are the most loving, caring people I’ve ever met.

Phyllis Snodgrass; Ann Arbor, MI

————————————————————————

Dear Editor:

How arrogant of Mr. Apostle to think he has the right to judge these people and label them accursed. Isn’t that God’s job? Regardless of this circumcision issue, these Galatians believe in Jesus just as much as he does, and it is very Pharisaical to condemn them just because they differ on such a secondary issue. Personally, I don’t want a sharp instrument anywhere near my zipper, but that doesn’t give me the right to judge how someone else follows Christ. Can’t we just focus on our common commitment to Christ and furthering His kingdom, instead of tearing down fellow believers over petty doctrinal matters?

Ed Bilgeway; Tonganoxie, KS

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Dear CT:

I’ve seen other dubious articles by Paul Apostle in the past, and frankly I’m surprised you felt that his recurrent criticisms of the Church deserved to be printed in your magazine. Mr. Apostle for many years now has had a penchant for thinking he has a right to “mark” certain Christian teachers who don’t agree with his biblical position. Certainly I commend him for desiring to stay faithful to God’s word, but I think he errs in being so dogmatic about his views to the point where he feels free to openly attack his brethren. His attitude makes it difficult to fully unify the Church, and gives credence to the opposition’s view that Christians are judgmental, arrogant people who never show God’s love.

Ken Groener; San Diego, CA

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To the Editors:

Paul Apostle says that he hopes the Galatian teachers will cut off their own privates? What kind of Christian attitude is that? Shame on him!

Martha Bobbitt; Boulder, CO

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Dear Christianity Today:

The fact that Paul Apostle brags about his public run-in with Peter Cephas, a well-respected leader and brother in Christ, exposes Mr. Apostle for the divisive figure that he has become in the Church today. His diatribe against the Galatian church is just more of the same misguided focus on an antiquated reliance on doctrine instead of love and tolerance. Just look how his hypercritical attitude has cast aspersions on homosexual believers and women elders! The real problem within the Church today is not the lack of doctrinal devotion, as Apostle seems to believe, but in our inability to be transformed by our individual journeys in the Spirit. Evidently, Apostle has failed to detach himself from his legalistic background as a Pharisee, and is unable to let go and experience the genuine love for Christ that is coming from the Galatians who strive to worship God in their own special way.

William Zenby; Richmond, VA

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Kind Editors:

I happen to be a member of First Christian Church of Galatia, and I take issue with Mr. Apostle’s article. How can he criticize a ministry that has been so blessed by God? Our church has baptized many new members and has made huge in-roads in the Jewish community with our pragmatic view on circumcision. Such a “seeker-sensitive” approach has given the Jews the respect they deserve for being God’s chosen people for thousands of years. In addition, every Gentile in our midst has felt honored to engage in the many edifying rituals of the Hebrew heritage, including circumcision, without losing their passion for Jesus. My advice to Mr. Apostle is to stick to spreading the gospel message of Christ’s unconditional love, and quit criticizing what God is clearly blessing in other churches.

Miriam “Betty” Ben-Hur; Galatia, Turkey

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EDITOR’S NOTE: Christianity Today apologizes for our rash decision in publishing Paul Apostle’s exposé of the Galatian church. Had we known the extent in which our readership and advertisers would withdraw their financial support, we never would have printed such unpopular biblical truth. We regret any damage we may have caused in propagating the doctrines of Christ.

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Tags Apostle Paul, Christianity Today, Epistle, Galatians

24 December, 2009

Vain Customs & Following Not

Most of you know we don't celebrate x-mass. I know "X-mass" itself upsets a lot of people, & there are no end of church billboards calling for us to "Keep Christ in christmas!" But how many people ask themselves if Christ is happy being put where He never was?

Mike & I did grow up w/ the usual celebrations & did enjoy them when younger. After all it's pretty & you get new toys. The tree was my favorite. But no one ever taught or read to me Jeremiah 10:

Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:
Jer 10:2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
Jer 10:3 For the customs of the people [are] vain: for [one] cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
Jer 10:4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
Jer 10:5 They [are] upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also [is it] in them to do good.

While this chapter is mainly about the construction of idols, it goes on to excoriate the wisdom of men (8, 14, 21 & 23) & from what I've seen go on in many houses the tree is given such prominance & even deference so as to be idolish. I was doing the same myself up to the Dec. before Victor was born & I got into some serious study & research that lasted nearly a year.

I know many people feel that we are robbing our children by not lying to to them about Santa Clause, denying them gifts on a particular day or joining in w/ the usual traditions, but I do not apologize. We are to raise our children to walk in truth & the usual traditions are not God's Truth. They know the Nativity story, or at least Victor does. He knows we are to celebrate & remember Christ's death rather than His birth. They receive gifts through out the year & don't feel deprived or lacking in anything.

It was becoming a conscience test & compared to God's Word I felt we couldn't participate. I approached Mike w/ the idea 3 years ago & he assented even before reading anything I had gathered to back my position. Anyway, here are some excerpts for our reasoning.



"Why, you may ask, do I continue to term this “holiday”, X- Mass? Because it is a holiday of (and for) papists. Here is the definition of Christmas from the Catholic Encyclopedia: The word for Christmas in late Old English is Cristes Maesse, the Mass of Christ. A “mass” is the prayer for the soul of one who has died, it is a celebration of death. The Catholic Encyclopedia goes on to say, rather blatantly: Christmas was NOT among the earliest festivals of the church. In fact, one of the earliest of the Catholic writers said, “that in the scriptures sinners alone, not saints, celebrate their birthday.”- excerpt from Michael Bunker

XMAS by A. W. Pink

"Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen… for the CUSTOMS of the people are vain." (Jer. 10:1-3)

Christmas is coming! Quite so; but what is "Christmas"? Does not the very term itself denote its source—"Christ-mass." Thus it is of Romish origin, brought over from Paganism. But, says someone, Christmas is the time when we commemorate the Savior's birth. It is? And who authorized such commemoration? Certainly God did not. The Redeemer bade His disciples "remember" Him in His death, but there is not a word in Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation which tells us to celebrate His birth. Moreover, who knows when, in what month, He was born? The Bible is silent thereon. Is it without reason that the only "birthday" commemorations mentioned in God's Word are Pharaoh's (Gen. 40:20) and Herod's (Matt. 14:6)? Is this recorded "for our learning"? If so, have we prayerfully taken it to heart?

And who is it that celebrates "Christmas"? The whole "civilized world." Millions who make no profession of faith in the blood of the Lamb, who "despise and reject Him," and millions more who while claiming to be His followers yet in works deny Him, join in merrymaking under the pretense of honoring the birth of the Lord Jesus. Putting it on its lowest ground, we would ask, Is it fitting that His friends should unite with His enemies in a worldly round of fleshly gratification? Does any truly born-again soul really think that He whom the world cast out is either pleased or glorified by such participation in the world's joys? Verily, "the customs of the people are vain"; and it is written, "Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil." (Ex. 23:2)

Some will argue for the "keeping of Christmas" on the ground of "giving the kiddies a good time." But why do this under the cloak of honoring the Savior's birth? Why is it necessary to drag in His holy name in connection with what takes place at that season of carnal jollification? Is this taking the little ones with you out of Egypt (Ex. 10:9, 10) a type of the world, or is it not plainly mingling with the present-day Egyptians in their "pleasures of sin for a season"? (Heb. 11:25) Scripture says, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Prov. 22:6) Scripture does command God's people to bring up their children "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Eph. 6:4), but where does it stipulate that it is our duty to give the little ones a "good time"? Do we ever give the children "a good time" when we engage in anything upon which we cannot fittingly ask the Lord's blessing?

There are those who do abstain from some of the grosser carnalities of the "festive season," yet are they nevertheless in cruel bondage to the prevailing custom of "Christmas" namely that of exchanging "gifts." We say "exchanging" for that is what it really amounts to in many cases. A list is kept, either on paper or in memory, of those from whom gifts were received last year, and that for the purpose of returning the compliment this year. Nor is this all: great care has to be taken that the "gift" made to the friend is worth as much in dollars and cents as the one they expect to receive from him or her. Thus, with many who can ill afford it, a considerable sum has to be set aside each year with which to purchase things simply to send them out in return for others which are likely to be received. Thus a burden has been bound on them which not a few find hard to bear.

But what are we to do? If we fail to send out "gifts" our friends will think hard of us, probably deem us stingy and miserly. The honest course is to go to the trouble of notifying them—by letter if at a distance—that from now on you do not propose to send out any more "Christmas gifts" as such. Give your reasons. State plainly that you have been brought to see that "Christmas merry-making" is entirely a thing of the world, devoid of any Scriptural warrant; that it is a Romish institution, and now that you see this, you dare no longer have any fellowship with it (Eph. 5:11); that you are the Lord's "free man" (1 Cor. 7:22), and therefore you refuse to be in bondage to a costly custom imposed by the world.

What about sending out "Christmas cards" with a text of Scripture on them? That also is an abomination in the sight of God. Why? Because His Word expressly forbids all unholy mixtures; Deut. 22:10, 11 typified this. What do we mean by an "unholy mixture"? This: the linking together of the pure Word of God with the Romish "Christ-mass." By all means send cards (preferably at some other time of the year) to your ungodly friends, and Christians too, with a verse of Scripture, but not with "Christmas" on it. What would you think of a printed program of a vaudeville having Isa. 53:5 at the foot of it? Why, that it was altogether out of place, highly incongruous. But in the sight of God the circus and the theatre are far less obnoxious than the "Christmas celebration" of Romish and Protestant "churches." Why? Because the latter are done under the cover of the holy name of Christ; the former are not."

But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day." (Prov. 4:18) Where there is a heart that really desires to please the Lord, He graciously grants increasing knowledge of His will. If He is pleased to use these lines in opening the eyes of some of His dear people to recognize what is a growing evil, and to show them that they have been dishonoring Christ by linking the name of the Man of Sorrows (and such He was, when on earth) with a "Merry Christmas," then join with the writer in a repentant confessing of this sin to God, seeking His grace for complete deliverance from it, and praise Him for the light which He has granted you concerning it.

Beloved fellow-Christian, "The coming of the Lord draweth nigh." (Jas. 5:8) Do we really believe this? Believe it not because the Papacy is regaining its lost temporal power, but because God says so—"for we walk by faith, not by sight." (2 Cor. 5:7) If so, what effects does such believing have on our walk? This may be your last Christmas on earth. During it the Lord may descend from heaven with a shout to gather His own to Himself. Would you like to be summoned from a "Christmas party" to meet Him in the air? The call for the moment is, "Go ye out to meet Him" (Matt. 25:6) out from a Godless Christendom, out from the Christ-deserted "churches," out from the horrible burlesque of "religion" which now masquerades under His name.

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." (2 Cor. 5:10) How solemn and searching! The Lord Jesus declared that "every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." (Matt. 12:36) If every "idle word" is going to be taken note of, then most assuredly will be every wasted energy, every wasted dollar, every wasted hour! Should we still be on earth when the closing days of this year arrive, let writer and reader earnestly seek grace to live and act with the judgment-seat of Christ before us. His "well done" will be ample compensation for the sneers and taunts which we may now receive from Christless souls.

Does any Christian reader imagine for a moment that when he or she shall stand before their holy Lord, that they will regret having lived "too strictly" on earth? Is there the slightest danger of His reproving any of His own because they were "too extreme" in "abstaining from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul." (1 Peter 2:11) ? We may gain the good will and good word of worldly religionists today by our compromisings on "little (?) points," but shall we receive His smile of approval on that Day? Oh to be more concerned about what He thinks, and less concerned about what perishing mortals think.

"Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil." (Ex. 23:2) Ah, it is an easy thing to float with the tide of popular opinion; but it takes much grace, diligently sought from God, to swim against it. Yet that is what the heir of heaven is called on to do: to "Be not conformed to this world" (Rom. 12:2), to deny self, take up the cross, and follow a rejected Christ. How sorely does both writer and reader need to heed that word of the Savior, "Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." (Rev. 3:11) Oh that each of us may be able to truthfully say, "I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep Thy Word." (Psa. 119:101)

Our final word is to the pastors. To you the Word of the Lord is, "Be thou an example of believers in word, in deportment, in love in spirit, in faith, in purity." (1 Tim. 4:12) Is it not true that the most corrupt "churches" you know of, where almost every fundamental of the faith is denied, will have their "Christmas celebrations?" Will you imitate them? Are you consistent to protest against unscriptural methods of "raising money," and then to sanction unscriptural "Christmas services"? Seek grace to firmly but lovingly set God's Truth on this subject before your people, and announce that you can have no part in following Pagan, Romish, and Worldly customs.

Christmas and the Scripture

Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (II Timothy 2:15).

Christians are to measure all things by the rule of scripture. Thus when we consider Christmas we should not hesitate to test its authenticity by God's word. One who seeks to do this is immediately met with a quandary. Where do we find this holy day in the Bible? What are our instructions with regard to this festivity? Where can we look for the authority for our involvement in the traditions intimate with it? Are there commands of our Lord and the apostles concerning it, as there are with the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper?

Christmas and the Scripture, by Joe Garnett

The scripture records the fact of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ in two of the gospels. Other than these and the prophecies concerning it, there is no big scriptural emphasis with regard to it. (Let it be understood that the incarnation and the birth are not one and the same. The incarnation took place about nine months prior to the birth). The one who would defend the festival of Christmas is left with no biblical basis with respect to a date, instruction or authority for its observance. At this point the proponent of Christmas will often assert that the Bible in no place commands us not to observe the holiday so we can do what we wish. The opponent is chastened to show scripturally why he would deny the "liberty" of others to do what they want to do. I believe those that bring pagan holidays, feasts, myths, etc. into Christ's Church are the ones that bear the burden of scripturally defending their actions. However, there is biblical teaching that shows their error in participation of such religiosity.

Before proceeding further I wish to point out that Christmas is a "christianized" pagan festival. It finds it origin in Babylonian mythology. The Roman festival of Saturnalia was celebrated during the winter solstice. This festival was incorporated into the evolving Roman Catholic religious system in its early days. There are those who will deny this, yet at the same time they cannot produce a Biblical origin or even another historical one. It is not our purpose at this time to deal with this aspect. The student is encouraged to read other sources. My first suggestion would be The Two Babylons by Alexander Hislop, published by Loizeaux Brothers, Neptune, New Jersey. The Lord Jesus Christ once rebuked the religious leaders of His day saying, "But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men" (Matt. 15:9). The sinful nature of men often leads them into pseudo worship of God in their own way and with their own devices. They believe they can add to or modify that which God has revealed and present to Him something better that will please him. However, God prefers obedience to His word rather than our "sacrifices."

Consider some selected portions from Deuteronomy 12 in which God instructed His people Israel:

And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place (vs. 3) Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes (vs. 8). What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it (vs. 32).The Lord God instructed his people to destroy all the items of heathen worship. They were not to be incorporated into the worship of the one true God. This instruction is seen also in the following portions of scripture:The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: Thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the Lord thy God. Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing (Deut. 7:25,26).

And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the Lord all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel (II Kings 23:4).

Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver (Acts 19:19).Thus we see that the accursed things were not to be saved and used in the service of God or for other purposes. Proper disposal involved burning them with fire.

My belief is that these "cursed things" are identical with or related to what is known today in the occult as "familiar objects." These objects which come from pagan and occult origins have evil spirits associated with them. For this reason they have influence when anyone partakes of them in any fashion. Mature Christians would never have a crystal ball, quija board or tarot cards in their home. But they would have numerous other items associated with paganism. These items have influence whether the item is there by ignorance or is known to be occultic (even though the consequences of its presence is denied). I have seen such items in various Christian’s homes, particularly at Christmas.

Let us turn our attention to verses 8 and 32 of Deuteronomy 12, cited above. We understand that each man was not to do what he felt like doing. He was to observe the command of the Lord, not adding to it or subtracting from it. Nadab and Abihu did not understand this. There came a time when they "offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not" (Lev. 10:1). The result of their act was death by toasting when fire from the Lord consumed them.

Saul also missed this principle as demonstrated by two of his acts of rebellion. First, he offered a burnt offering he was not to render (I Sam. 13:12). Secondly, he was instructed to destroy the Amalakites and all that belonged to them. However, he chose to spare "the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God" (I Sam. 15:15). How thoughtful of him. We might argue that he was sincere. But sincerity is not the issue and the Lord desired obedience and not a human initiated sacrifice using that which God had cursed.

Even David transgressed when he had the ark of God transported on a cart (II Sam. 6:1-7). It was supposed to be carried using the rings and staves (Exo. 25:12-15). The Levites were to be the carriers (I Chron. 15:2, 13-15). After the death of Uzzah, David came to understand that "the Lord our God made a breach upon us, for we sought him not after the due order" (I Chron. 15:13).

Don't you think it is important that we refrain from doing what is right in our own eyes and observe that which we are commanded, adding nothing and taking away nothing? If you concur, you must understand that you cannot take a pagan holiday cluttered with traditions and objects, incorporate it into biblical Christianity and please God.

Having searched the scripture for Christmas, I believe that it is found most prominently in the books of I & II Timothy and Titus. It is here that we are instructed concerning fables (myths), vain babblings, oppositions of science (knowledge) falsely so called, and foolish and unlearned questions.Using these three books, I & II Timothy and Titus, let us take a ten point true/false test concerning Christmas.Remember that Christmas has it origins in Babylonian mythology, the early church did not acknowledge it, there is no date given for Jesus' birth and there are no commands or instructions for celebrating such a festival. No cheating, you must look up the verses before answering.

I Tim. 1:4 We are to give heed to Christmas, which ministers many questions regarding the date of the birth of Christ, and the traditions associated with it.

I Tim. 1:5 Christmas is of faith unfeigned. It is genuine, supported by the scripture.

I Tim. 1:10 All that we practice with regard to Christmas is not contrary to sound doctrine because the Bible is full of instructions concerning it.

I Tim. 4:11 Christmas is among the things that Paul told Timothy (and others) to command and teach.

I Tim. 6:3 When one promotes Christmas, he is teaching according to the wholesome words of our Lord Jesus Christ and proper doctrine.

II Tim. 1:13 When Timothy was told to hold fast to the form of sound words which Paul taught, this included Christmas.

II Tim. 2:15 One who rightly divides the word of truth finds that Christmas is the greatest Christian holy day, worthy of musical productions, parties, candlelight services, etc.

II Tim. 2:23 Christmas never engenders strife among believers because of its unquestionable biblical support.

II Tim. 4:4 Some people have believed and incorporated fables into the church, but certainly this is not the case with us and our celebration of Christmas.

Titus 2:1 Because we are committed only to sound doctrine, we should talk about and do Christmas year round.

Christmas is a fable. It is pagan and extra-biblical. One involved with it is busying himself about past traditions. It does not represent factual truth. It is deceptive, pretending to be something it is not.

Don't learn the way of the heathen for their customs are vain (Jer. 10:2,3). Don't be spoiled "...through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world..." (Col. 2:8) Refuse profane and old wives fables (I Tim 4:7). Shun profane and vain babbllings (II Tim. 2:16). Avoid foolish and unlearned questions (II Tim. 2:23).Do worship God in truth (John 4:24). Glory only in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (Gal. 6:14). "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good" (I Thess. 5:21). Hold fast the form of sound words, that is, the words of Scripture (II Tim. 1:13). Rightly divide the word of truth (II Tim. 2:15). Continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, that is, the truth of Holy Scripture (II Tim. 3: 14,15). Speak the things which become sound doctrine (Titus 2:1).

I call upon Christians to reject Christmas as well as other extra-biblical traditions and pagan holidays. Earnestly contend NOT for this fable, but "for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3).Some facts for your consideration:Christ taught his disciples to avoid paganism, and never encouraged the celebration of his birth.The early Church knew nothing of Christmas, and rejected all such forms of idolatry. The Puritans and Colonials rejected and even banned Christmas as pagan, and offensive to Christianity.

01 May, 2009

My Veil

I don't think I've yet written of it but I do believe that the scripture commands women to cover their heads. I've been covering my head & not worn pants (w/ the exception of bicycling) for 3 years now. I started out wearing bandannas, then the square Jewish scarves, & now I only have a few. 2 bandannas, 1 cotton snood, 2 veil types & 1 gathered headband that will pull out until it covers my head entirely. I only mention it because where I live, there are so many people & different religions that no one will look twice at you for covering. Small town Mo. is a different story, a lot more same-ness pervades. This is the first time I've worn a headcovering regularly in front of my family, on their turf, & it raised a couple of inquiries. My aunt, who was very instrumental in leading me to some websites & learned men (Michael Bunker, Arthur W. Pink, Rand Winburn among others) wanted to know what article I had read specifically on BA ( http://biblicalagrarianism.com/index.php) that convicted me personally since she didn't feel convicted to cover. To this I didn't have an answer that I thought pleased her. I've read several very good articles & listened to a wonderful sermon by Michael Bunker, but ultimately I didn't come across those until after I had already donned a cover. The scripture itself convinced me. "But if a woman have long hair, it is a praise unto her, for her hair is given her for a covering."

Many people will point to 1 Cor. 11:15, that the long hair is the only covering required. I do think that the Bible intends for women to have long hair; it is a gift I've had the majority of my life & I am grateful for it. W/ my own personal experience though, uncovered hair just begs to be colored, arranged, defy gravity, poofed, decked w/ flowers & sparkly fasteners & in general just be in configurations God did not intend for me, all for the purpose of being attractive. I don't know of any non-sinful reason I would try to attract the attention of others, especially of the opposite sex. A girl about my age at the park came right up to me & asked if I was wearing a veil/covering. Jeans, t-shirt, ponytail w/ highlights & earrings, a pretty girl in a fairly standard mom uniform. We got to talking & she said that she attended a very small (10 or so) KJV, non 501-c3 church & was actually studying the covering issue w/ her mother who had decided to cover & was pressuring her, the daughter to cover as well, but she didn't feel convicted. Also her husband didn't want her to cover. I told her to follow her husband as it isn't a salvific item, I cover because of 1 Cor 11:5,6.

5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth bareheaded, dishonoreth her head: for it is even one very thing, as though she were shaven. 6 Therefore if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn; & if it be shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered." We are to "pray w/out ceasing" & I think myself that verse 6 makes a clear case for the covering. A thousand years of church history & even in art the women all cover almost up to the 1950's in the rural areas when attending church. These are things I didn't know or think to ask about, why was church suddenly different 100 years ago from the way it had been & that was ok? George Bush 42, was the most incurious president of all time. I think most of America has been cursed w/ that.

20 March, 2009

DV

I used to want to take latin, & even bought a "Latin for Dummies" book on a 3 month deployment to Ak. filled w/ aspirations of understanding the basic rudiments & improving myself thereby. Alas.

Anyway, this is one latin phrase that has caught & stuck to me. DV or Deo volente for Lord willing, or If the Lord wills it. Latin is funny like that, in English you would say "The life of the oyster" while latin does away w/ all of those extra words w/ a simple "vitae ostrea."

I think that was up to the 3rd chapter where I proceeded to get very muddled & despaired of ever learning latin.

Since learning of DV, I've made a concerted effort to drop the words "by chance, luckily, unfortunately, good luck" & the like from my conversations. "For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, & do this, or that." & "Boast not thyself of tomorrow, For thou knowest not what a day may bring." Jas 4:6, Pro 27:1. It's much more comforting to know that God is completely in charge & Fortuna (http://www.thaliatook.com/OGOD/fortuna.html) is not.