I just finished working 14 hours on my own and over an hour with my accountant trying to comply with today’s tax laws, so I am a little irritated at the level of corruption and power our current government wields in the form of taxation. Inevitably, my accountant and I begin to rant over the abuses of the tax system and how we work non-stop so others may live comfortably off our labour. I told her about my best friend’s recent experience.
My friend was in line at the grocery store, and the man in front of her had a cart packed full of hot dogs and buns. Curious my friend sparked a conversation to find out that this man had a hot dog stand on the beach and invited her to come sample his cooking. The conversation ended and the man began to purchase his hot dogs and buns, and much to the amazement of my friend, he pulled out an EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer-welfare assistance) card to pay for goods. In absolute shock, my friend realized this man is running a full scale business using the welfare system. My accountant had several stories of her own and I am sure that many have similar experiences to share.
In light of tax season and the frustrations that we, the productive portions of society, have, I am sharing with you an article written by my husband. This is my first “guest” post, so I hope that you enjoy it. Remember, our founders were not just Taxed Enough Already, they were above all, Tyrannized Enough Already!
Happy April 15.
By Pastor Chris Hall http://www.irbconline.com
Having been asked a question about taxes in Mark chapter 12, Jesus tells the Pharisees “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s
While declaring the government’s right to collect tribute, it is clear in Jesus’ statement that some things DO NOT BELONG TO THE GOVERNMENT. I’d like to suggest to you that THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT CAESAR CANNOT HAVE.
Caesar cannot have our religious Liberty. Our Liberty is a gift from God and was purchased by the blood of our forbearers throughout the centuries. Our religious Liberty cost too much and we will not surrender it. Not now, not ever.
In the 1630’s religious wars heated up all over Europe. Believers were murdered and executed for having opposing religious views. Charles I, going against the 500-year-old Charter of Liberties of 1100 and the Magna Carta of 1215, was trying to bend the Church to his will and a ragtag band of the persecuted made their way to the shores of America. And, as reflected in nearly every Charter and every State Constitution, they settled this land for the Glory of God.
The problem was that they brought the Old World model to these shores and set up State Churches. Not all faiths were represented in the State churches and some ministers who would not take a license were beaten, tarred and feathered, fined and imprisoned. Some even died because of their ordeals. Obadiah Holmes is said to have spent seven days on his hands and knees due to his public beating; simply because he would not submit to the state in religious matters. Our forefathers lived through the devastation of having the government in control of religion. Even on the soil of America blood was spilled as the government attempted to enforce religious dictates.
So when Virginia had to ratify the Constitution, demands were made by John Leland and others that religious liberty be protected. The Constitution was ratified and the First Amendment was adopted with the Bill of Rights, putting the government on notice that it had no authority to force churches or individuals to go against their conscience in matters of religion.
2 John 1:8 says “Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.” We have lost our history and our morality and as a result America has lost its way. Today we must renew our commitment to stand for the Liberty of ALL Americans to practice their faith – free from government intrusion or coercion.
John Adams said “Liberty must at all hazards be supported. We have a right to it, derived from our Maker. But if we had not, our fathers have earned and bought it for us, at the expense of their ease, their estates, their pleasure, and their blood.”
Caesar did not purchase my Religious Liberty therefore Caesar CANNOT HAVE my Religious Liberty.
In Matthew 25 the Bible says the master delivered to his servants his goods. He gave one: 5 talents, one: 2 talents and to the other: 1 talent. The first two prospered what the master had given them. The last servant buried what the master had given him in the sand.
Upon the master’s return, he demanded that the servants give account as to how they had prospered the master’s goods. The servant who let the talent sit idle in the dirt was told by the master that he was a wicked and slothful servant. The one talent he had was taken away and given to another.
Liberty is a gift from God and the Bible says we are to be good stewards of God’s gifts – to whom much is given, much is required. We cannot stand idly by while the gift of Liberty that God has given us is attacked and eroded. We must protect and prosper this precious gift; else it will be taken away and we will never get it back.
One day the Master will return. One day we will give an account.
Thomas Jefferson, in hisNotes on Virginia, writes “Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the men that these liberties are a gift of God?”
Our founders understood that God is the Author of Liberty and that its fate rests on the people’s awareness that of that fact. Let us, as did our founders, pray to God for His providential deliverance and guidance. Let us pray for boldness to stand for the precious and precarious gift of Liberty.
Our founders did their part, let us do our part. Our forbearers sacrificed life, fortune and sacred honor to preserve Liberty for us. What will we sacrifice to preserve Liberty for future generations?
If we will not stand for our Faith, what will we stand for? Rest assured, that as Mercy Otis Warren declared before the revolution of 1776, “If we do not stand against tyranny today, our children will bow tomorrow!”
Caesar can’t have our Liberty! And Caesar can’t have our children! The Bible says, Children are a heritage of the Lord. It is my responsibility to raise my children, not the government’s. Today because of immoral and irresponsible leadership, the government is spending our children into slavery. They are destroying the future we had hoped to provide for them. This must stop. We must stop it, because there are some things that Caesar just cannot have.
Caesar can’t have our children And Caesar can’t have us; we belong to God! We are enjoined by Scripture to obey and submit to legal authority, but in the same context the government is given the duty to be a minister of good. This government is pursuing unrighteous ends and is rewarding evil. We will work within the system to correct this wrong. We will not go along with evil because we belong to God. And there are some things that Caesar just can’t have.
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