Theology leads the believer away from a personal experience based in the Word of God
in the light of the King James Bible

EDITOR:
Steve Van Nattan

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TAX REBELLION: Part Two

Ironically, we all want better highways. We scream, "where is the Highway Department?" whenever we hit a pothole. We all get in line for Social Security, even though we all prophesied it would go belly up and disappear. Taxes are here to stay. Who invented them anyway? Well, no doubt Nimrod invented taxes. He built the first big cities. Or, possible Cain did-- he too built cities. What a nasty heritage, right?

Whoa! Whose idea was it to take a tithe, ten percent, off of all the Jews in Israel? Who made rules about giving tax into the Temple treasury? Who told the Jews they had to feed the Levites? Answer: God!

Did you ever see a Baptist preacher who was bored to death with taking an offering? Come now, friend. You never heard better emotional appeals and proof texting than at offering time. I recall Roy McKewen of Youth For Christ, during the 1950s, giving a 45 minute offertory one night-- To teen agers! What zeal some men have in collecting our cash, right?

I was asked, during my college days, to give the offertory during a missions conference. I was a missionary's kid, and they figured I could lay it on. There was a Cessna out on the grass oval only half paid for, and MAF was to get it for their missionary flying ministry. Well, I sure did rise to the occasion, and I was famous for some time as the character who hauled in the cash for the Cessna. Was it God's will? I doubt it, but you should have heard the passion I rallied. Didn't give a nickel to the project myself. Raising funds and taxes is a pretty suspect vocation folks. But, do you know what? It ain't gonna go away.

Taxes are not evil. But they are also never fair. By the way, who told you life would ever be fair? No one said it would be. It wasn't fair to Able.. Pretty unfair to Joseph... And, what a bum rap Jesus got! It is only a bunch of blithering fools and bumbling babies who think taxes will ever be fair. They won't. I have lived in African countries, and I have friends from all over the world. I can safely say that there is no nation where you get your money's worth from your taxes better than the USA. I like the system we have. It works, it is full of all manner of little loops holes I can use to legally avoid the worst of it, and it is NOT loaded toward the rich. I am lower middle class, and I had to pay a tax man this year to figure out my taxes-- I had so many ways to avoid paying... legal ways that Caesar made for me.

So, you see that I am not mad at Caesar. His tax system is as illegal as it can be... Never passed through Congress... Enforced sometimes brutally... Supports queer art and cross eyed space telescopes. Uh huh. But, you know what? This morning the cops were out and about. The ambulance and fire trucks were standing by. The new highway running by our home doesn't have a pothole in 50 miles. Not a bad life all in all. So, I pay my share, and I gripe a bit I suppose. But, I like the tax assessor-- very fair guy. Democrat at that! I like the dumpy little civil servant in the deeds office. I am glad he is at least working somewhere and not on welfare... He's happy, and he can file deeds... I'll keep paying his wages. Called the dog catcher the other day, and he was here within ten minutes. It really is a pretty good life on a day to day basis.

Now, if you want to stop paying your share buster, get out of here. Go try your tricks in Cuba or Bangladesh, but if you want to be my neighbor, you better pay up. And, don't ever tell me you don't pay your taxes because the Holy Ghost and the Word of God lead you into it. You are the scum of the earth... The ultimate free loader. And, given half a chance, I will turn you in to the Feds, you four flushing blight. You are like natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed. I am deeply grateful to Janet Reno for slapping you back into the system to pay your share. I commend her for at least trying. Any judge or jury who stands up for you deserves to be trashed.

HERE IS PROOF THAT TAX COLLECTING IS NOT A SIN

Luke 19:1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.
2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.
3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.
4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.
5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.
6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.
7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.
8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Editor--  Zacchaeus was NOT convicted by Jesus of collecting taxes for the Roman government.  He was only convicted by his conscience of fraud.  Tax collecting, and conversely, paying Caesar his "due" tax out of ones increase (income tax) is clearly part of acceptable life to Jesus Christ. You may not like this application, but you CANNOT talk Jesus out of this, for Jesus would have certainly NOT let Zacchaeus do half a job of repentance. That would be a sin for God who knows what sin is and is not.

TAX REBELS SUFFER, NOT FOR CHRIST AND THE GOSPEL-- THEY SUFFER FOR THE US CONSTITUTION.  

1 Peter 4:14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.
16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

Editor--  It is high time that Bible believers make a clear break with tax rebels.  They need to be set outside the Lord's church fellowship.  To allow them inside is to invite the Feds to case out our churches to see who all is with them. And, if I were an IRS agent, I would be in a church where tax rebels hung out every Sunday to see who to go after on Monday.

RENDER TO ALL THEIR DUES

Romans 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

Editor--  What is due Caesar?  Answer:  TAX.  We shall soon see that Jesus did NOT teach tax rebellion, and Pilate found Him specifically NOT GUILTY of a charge of tax rebellion made by the Jewish leaders.  So, in that context, His teaching to "render to Caesar" is the ONLY commentary on this passage.  The US Constitution is a human and profane document which is loaded with anti-biblical content.  How utterly stupid to jump from the above passage to the Constitution in order to justify tax revolt.  You US tax rebels, tell me something-- How does a Kenyan or Chinese Christian handle this?  He has no US Constitution to answer his trick.  So, he has to pay tax, right?  So, the point of who pays tax is NOT a biblical one, rather; it becomes a geographical one.  Thus, the Word of God must be applied according to what country one lives in. This makes the Bible defective for all of humanity.  I would like to hear your answer to that one.  You weren't ready for that one were you.  Ha Ha!

JESUS-- "NOT GUILTY" OF TAX REBELLION

Luke 23:1 And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate.
2 And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.
3 And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it.
4 Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man.
5 And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place.
6 When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean.
7 And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time.
8 And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him.
9 Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing.
10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him.
11 And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate.
12 And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves.
13 And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,
14 Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him:

Editor--  Caesar did not fund the Roman Empire out of his own bank account.  He, like all rulers before and after, funded the good life of Rome by collecting taxes all over the Roman Empire. He had his Procurators and Governors in all Provinces who had this as their top priority.  Any Roman leader among local people, who taught and encouraged tax rebellion, could expect to be crucified or fight the lions.  Pilate HAD to be very interested in finding out if the charge of teaching tax rebellion was true in the case of Jesus.  His verdict of "not guilty" is very powerful stuff indeed.  Jesus in fact met the test in two ways:

1.  He was on record as paying His tax.
2.  Pilate, upon checking with witnesses, would have learned that Jesus taught men to pay tribute to Caesar.  See text below.

Tax rebels are NOT following the example of Jesus.  They are clearly out on a limb of pure rebellion, and they deserve to go to "the big house," which is where a number of them end up. We in the Body of Christ need not feel any great pain for them, nor do we have to assume they are even born again.  "Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft," Samuel told Saul.  And, that rebellion of Saul against God's command was the beginning of the end of Saul's victory.  Thus it is with ALL tax rebels.  A pathological mind, or devil torment, sets in, and they turn slowly to raving fools.  I have met a good number.  

MARY AND JOSEPH PAID TAX TO CAESAR

Luke 2:1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

Editor--  In looking for a parent for Jesus humanly, God would NOT choose a dead head who paid taxes to Caesar if that were a gross sin against God.  It is clear that if Joseph had been a tax rebel, Jesus would not have been born in Bethlehem, and prophecy would have been a failure in that regard.  Read that again please.

Joseph had no reason to take his very pregnant wife to another town, and away from home, for any reason other than a very urgent one.  Hey, you tax rebels, tell me about this will you?  Any suggestions why Joseph paid Caesar off?

BAD NEWS FOR THE TAX REVOLT

Proverbs 12:24 The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.

Editor--  This is ornery of me-- I admit it.  But, I had to do it. Retribution etc. Do you see who is the smart one in that verse?  It is the one who levies the tax on the slothful.  Do you see who the tax rebel is in that verse?  he is not even in the loop.  He is too dumb to find a way to levy the tax and benefit from it.  He is too stupid to even be the tax payer.  He is a beggar who can't even get into the system of survival at all.  Thus, the vast majority of tax rebels are beggars.  They live off of the sympathy of the saints who pay their taxes.  I have seen this over and over.  Are we who obey the Lord in taxation to feel bound to salvage the lives of these idiots?  I don't think so.

Indeed, TAX them and RULE them.

LEST WE OFFEND CAESAR, PAY UP

Matt 17:25 He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?
26 Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free.
27 Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

Editor-- The point is not whether we will go to jail.  The point is not to offend men if at all possible. So, even if the tax is illegal according to the US Constitution, we MUST follow Jesus' example in paying the tax so that we don't offend Caesar.  Is that so hard to understand?  Also, when we continue to reap the benefits of life in the USA, while we let our neighbours pay the bill on their 1040 form, what kind of testimony will we have with those neighbors? Lousy!

I am astounded at the small minded, feeble brained, diddle heads who cannot understand this simple statement of Jesus.  It is clear that Satan hath blinded them, and God has given them over to a reprobate mind and stong delusion. Any person with any mental capacity at all can see that Jesus paid up to avoid a bad testimony and stay out of Caesar's terror.

RENDER TO CAESAR

Matt. 22:15 Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.
16 And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.
17 Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?
18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?
19 Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.
20 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?
21 They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.
22 When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.

Editor--  It is startling that the Pharisees saw that they had been mastered by Jesus, yet, 2000 years later, Dr. Fat Scholar and his ilk are still trying to talk Jesus out of paying taxes to Caesar.  I somehow don't think Jesus is very impressed with their latter day revelation they use to slap Him in the face-- the US Constitution.  I am convinced that many tax rebels truly believe that the US Constitution is an inspired revelation which holds just as much weight as the words of Jesus Christ. So, God is now allowing men like Bill Clinton and the world elite, to destroy the rights we have in the US Constitution. We are losing our human rights due to high crimes against the Godhead by trashy rebels in the Lord's Church. So be it! 

SUBMIT TO EVERY ORDINANCE OF MAN

1 Peter 2:13 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.
17 Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
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:

Editor--  Now, like the tax rebels, I am going to get technical for a minute.  "Ordinances" are not necessarily laws.  A law may state one thing, while an ordinance may state a contradiction to the law.  This can only be worked out in higher court.  Peter clearly tells us NOT to contest the ordinances, even if we could beat them.  Why?  Answer:  Caesar, or his governor, may lose one round, but our testimony is shot,  AND, Caesar has a way, by and by, of making us pay the uttermost farthing.  

So, it is a "fault" to play games with Caesar, to refuse his number, to drive without his driver's license, to violate his seatbelt law, to reject his social security number, etc. Are they all nice clean and legal laws?  NO!  No government on earth ever has, or will have, a set of truly lawful ordinances.  Only Messiah will do this, and only HE knows how.  He has NOT given us the mandate to trash all the nasty ordinances in the land and start over.  That is not in the Bible for the Church Age.  

The key word for the saint, regarding human ordinances, is......... SUBMIT.  Now, that is really hard to understand, I realize-- It is a most obscure command by Peter, right.? Submit-- Archaic word of course. Needs some deep study to catch the subtle innuendoes. So, read it over and over, and when you finally realize you are NOT called to trash the ordinances of man, go pay your taxes, you jerk!

QUESTION:

Philippians 4:22 All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesar's household.

Editor--  Here is my question:  What if Paul had refused to honor Caesar?  What if Paul had refused to pay his taxes to Caesar, and what if he taught the saints not to pay taxes?  How many saints do you think Paul would have won in Caesar's household.  This is talking about Caesar's household-- inside the palace, and possibly some of the royals and elite.  Your tax rebel pastor will NEVER win a Senator or an IRS agent to Christ.  Indeed tax rebel groupies HATE tax collectors.  If Matthew came to their church, they would kick his hide out the door and scream curses at him.  

By the way, there is not one word about Jesus rejecting Matthew's vocation.  Indeed, on one occasion, Jesus was found with a bunch of Matthew's publican friends eating and having a good time.  Oh my, turn Him in to the Militia.  Bo Gritz should be told at once.

REFUSING TO SUBMIT CAN ONLY BE JUSTIFIED TO AVOID A SPIRITUAL COMPROMISE:

Daniel 3:17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
3:18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

Acts 4:1 And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,
2 Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.
4 Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
5 And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,
6 And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.
7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?

AND.... After Peter's sermon to the Jewish leaders:

Verse 15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,
16 Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.
17 But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.
18 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.

Editor--  In both cases above, the issue was NOT whether the Constitution or laws of the land were being violated by the king. The issue was exclusively that the command of God was being abrogated by the lower law of man.  God, in His Word, commands us to render tribute to Caesar.  No human document may be thus used to change that command any more than these men above could find some release from God's law through any human document.  AND, these men were ALL  prepared to suffer for their choices.  They did NOT appeal to some human document to get the Feds off of their backs.  They did not sit in a corner and discuss how to destroy the human authority and start over, as my friend heard Baptist pastors doing in one tax rebel church in a mid-western US state.

INCOME TAX COLLECTED BY GOD'S SERVANT:

Genesis 47:13 And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine.
14 And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house.
15 And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth.
16 And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail.
17 And they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year.
18 When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide it from my lord, how that our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle; there is not ought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands:
19 Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate.
20 And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh's.
21 And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof.
22 Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands.
23 Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land.
24 And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones.
25 And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants.
26 And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part; except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh's.

Editor--  You just read about the establishment of income tax, AND you also read about the civil government taking full possession of the people, body, soul, and spirit.  And, grab hold please, the servant of Jehovah did it for a pagan king as his civil servant. Genesis 50:19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?

Again, I shall have to leave off the actual names of the parties.  In some cases, I think it would be too harsh to name people, and in other cases, I figure that these scum might actually send the local version of their rebellion to attack me physically.  The Militia is an oath bound society, and they play hard ball.

"God's people don't need a church to pray in. In the final analysis, the church isn't a building," the elder Dixon said.

The Dixons don't seem to have been talking to each other well enough, for they seem to have two different stories.

"I have no concerns about administrations," US Marshall Anderson had said. "I am sworn to enforce court orders regardless of what administration is in."

Just doing my job sir, now please put your head on the chopping block. The US Marshall does NOT have to do evil just because some Gringo in Washington DC sends him a paycheck to do so. I want to go on record saying that the US Marshall is in this way still suspect for doing evil. Time will tell I am sure.

 

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