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Evil World Leaders, Taxation, Corruption, and so-called "Liberty"
We have had friends who were tax rebels-- they refused to pay their taxes. Some went to prison, while others run here and there avoiding the law. Their cars are not registered, and they need radar detectors to avoid being caught. Some actually arrange lawless acts to "prove the system is corrupt." Their copy of the US Constitution is far more dog eared than their Bible. They have a cause-- to save America from the nasties and political elite. They keep track of the Bilderburgers and the Council on Foreign Relations. They listen to talk radio right wingers, and they attend endless "Bible studies" taught by their favorite rebel gurus.
What does this mean to a Bible believing saint?
First, these people are not comfortable in Evangelical dead beat churches. They like the zeal of the King James Only Bible and Baptist churches. They want to be in a non-registered church. Many churches which are non-registered do NOT hold to these rebellious doctrines, but the tax rebel likes those churches for the nearness to their cause. This results in the Bible believing church having this nag factor in place all the time. At church dinners the tax rebel will bring up moderate versions of his cause. He will not tell all, but he will be a missionary for rebellion. The pastor is targeted heavily for "conversion" to tax rebellion, even if only to refuse to register his car and burn his marriage license. All of this tension will draw the local church away from Christ and the Gospel and land it squarely in politics. This is alien to the New Testament model.
Second, the saints in the local church will hear of the tax evils and the virtues of the US Constitution, and they will soon feel guilty for not revolting in some way. Guilt is good ONLY when it relates to REAL sins I have committed. It is a masterful tool of the devil when guilt is for things other people imply I have done or not done. Bible believers are these days accused of not being loving. Any saint who has never been accused of not being loving is probably not right with God :-) It just goes with the territory.
So tax rebellion and US Constitution Gospel makes us guilty. We can never feel we have done enough, for we could always write another letter of protest, we could visit another saints and drive them bonkers with rebellious religion, we could subscribe to another rebellion newsletter and fill our mind and home with black conversation. I am SOOOOOO tired of hearing how filthy Bill Clinton and Hillary are. Of course they are sex perverts. Of course Hillary has said, "God wants all the babies dead." So what? Did you ever hear Jesus quoting Caesar in His day-- Caesar was a queer just like the Clintons. Herod killed many of his family and was very wicked. He had no restraints on him like our leaders today. Did paul, Peter, James, Luke, Mark, John, Matthew, Jude, or the writer of Hebrews who understood law, ever say ONE WORD about nasty Caesar? Never.
So, I will now blast this troublesome mob to hell with the Word of God. Oh, you say I am too rough. Well, pray tell, where is a man going who preaches the gospel of the US Constitution? Is a man born again who says we have no liberty until we have destroyed the US Government and started a New Republic? You tell me friend. I think they at least ACT like they are on their way to hell. By their fruits ye shall know them. Judge righteous judgment.
Thus...
1Peter 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.
15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.
19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
The parenthetic item above was added by editor.
Here is an exercise that will cause most saints real stress. Try it anyway in your family devotions time.
1. US citizens: Honor Bill Clinton. What honorable thing can you say about him?
I can say that he refused to let England drive him deeper into war in Bosnia. That is good for my sons. I can say that he is by far the most handsome President we have ever had, and he smiles easily. I can say that he convinced his pushy wife to get out of our faces. I like him for that. I can say that he has done very little to really affect my life, in spite of the nasty rumors. For these and other things, I honor Bill Clinton. But, most of all, I honor him because he IS my "king."
2. Other nations:
Kenya-- Saints in Kenya should honor President Daniel Arap Moi because he DOES claim Christianity rather than Islam. Whatever corruption is in the Moi administration, you have MUCH to be thankful for. Would you like it better in Sudan? Can you not find room in your heart to honor Mr. Moi for retaining an image of Christianity in Kenya?
Great Britain-- So, you have a labor government. Can you find NOTHING to honor them for? Are they not keeping order in the UK is some form? Conservatives show little or no love for the poor. If you are poor in the UK, can you not say "honor the king" for some new benefit? Also, you can honor Queen Elizabeth I should think. You might have Chuck you know, and then Hinduism would be the center of thought.
Hong Kong-- Has life really changed? Are your leaders in Beijing really affecting your personal life? Honor them for the good they have done, not for the evil you imagine will arrive tomorrow. Capitalism is now very much in fashion in China. Thank God and the king for this, for it could have been a Mao who inherited your kingdom. Consider that please.
What about YOUR country? Can you honor the king in obedience to God. If not, you better think harder. Let us consider a tough case:
Iraq-- Now, that is hard to consider, unless...... you are Iraqi. Saddam Hussein has NOT got the reputation of raping Iraq to fill a bank account in Switzerland, like maybe every Western leader today. "King" Saddam has made Iraq a beautiful country compared to the past. If the West were not starving Iraq'a babies, the country would have no need of anything , for Saddam has learned how to make wealth work for the nation. Does he do evil? Of course, but he also does much "good" by the world's standards. Until the 1950s when Zionists terrorized Jews into leaving Iraq, they lived for hundreds of years in relative peace with their Islamic neighbors. Christians in Iraq have never been treated like they are in other Islamic nations. Iraqi Christians can thank God that the Baath Party is secretly made up of closet Orthodox Christians, of which "king" Saddam is one.
You saints of the Western world need to realize that Saddam Hussein is another case of propaganda by the news media. They keep us fed with hate mongering data on Iraq, most of which is a lie. You say, "NO?" Tell me, how many Arabs do you know? Have you ever sat in an Arab restaurant and asked about Saddam Hussein? Try it. You will be shocked at what you hear, even from those Iraqis who have fled to the West.
By blindly believing the lies of the media whom we ordinarily distrust, we will be psychologically ready to hate "the great Satan" when the war lords decide that the Chase Manhattan Bank needs a shot of cash from the war chest. Manufacture of war machines makes a river of cash flow up the elevators of the Chase. When our troops are again given the DIP (Die In Place) order to go inhale Saddam's nerve gas, we will encourage our young men and women to go inhale on cue.
Saddam Hussein may do evil, but he hasn't done great evil lately. Can you honor him for that? I may have to eat crow the day after I put this on the Web if he tosses some gas at Israel. But I do get tired of the disinformation we are getting when I have contrary reports from the people who LIVE with "king" Saddam. By the way, did anyone tell you about the oil pipeline Israel and Iraq are negotiating? You wouldn't even believe that if you SAW it would you? It's a great life if you don't weaken friends-- especially that weakness that softens the brain-- NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, TBN, Marv Rosenthal, Time, Jack Van Impe, Newsweek, Rush (lumphead) Limbaugh, The Manchester Guardian, The Daily Nation, The Jerusalem Post, The National Enquirer, The Tittilating Tattler, The State Department's official statements, etc, etc.
Now, go back and read the Scripture passage above, and see if YOU can thank god for something. See if you can find some reason to honor the king. Also, can you thank God for one good thing that the king does with your tax payments? How about the roads you drive on? How about the law enforcement you can call for help? How about the schools that at least keep the trouble makers occupied for nine months of the year? You see, there IS something the king does for you :-)
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