Who Do You Serve?
I would like to introduce Taegan, our newest Liberty First intern. She describes herself as:
Who Do You Serve?
by Taegan James
We have a disproportionate view of authority in America. We think that just because someone is in a position of power over us, we must submit to them no matter what. People will say, “they know more than we do,” or “don’t challenge the status quo,” or even “there’s nothing we can do about, so just obey.” This is a slave mentality. Why would we simply submit to anything and everything just because someone in authority told us to? Churches teach and Christians believe that since Jesus said “render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s” that we must obey whatever government tells us to do (Mark 12:17). Wake up Christians. If your pastor teaches you the way to be subservient, he must not know how to read the Bible, or he is intentionally leading you astray.
I was fortunate to hear KrisAnne deliver her husband’s class on Righteous Resistance to Tyrannical Authority at the Anchorage Baptist Church. The building was huge. The sanctuary was full of believers who wanted to hear what the Bible really has to say about not yielding to tyranny. You’ll have to forgive me. I left my backpack and notebook in the foyer and was unable to take detailed notes, so this is from memory. KrisAnne went through at least 10 different stories from both the Old and New Testament where God either encouraged resistance to law, or righteous men found favor in God’s eyes by breaking the law. You may not realize, but if you know something about the Bible, you probably know almost all of these stories! Jochebed, Moses’s mother, refused to submit to the Egyptian law that required Hebrews to kill their sons (Exodus 2). The apostles were thrown in jail for spreading the Word, but “an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors during the night. The angel brought them outside and said, ‘Go stand in the temple and continue to tell the people the whole message of life.’ As soon as they heard this, they went into the temple and taught” (Acts 5:19-20). Daniel resisted tyrannical authority twice and God rewarded him. First, Daniel refused to eat the required food in the kingdom and ate the wholesome food God desired for him to eat (Daniel 1). Then, Daniel blatantly defies the law that prohibits prayer to anyone but the king. He prayed three times a day, facing Jerusalem, so that all may know he would not bow to tyranny. He was thrown into the lion’s den, but the Lord delivered His faithful servant (Daniel 6). Daniel’s protegés, Shadrach Meshach and Abednego, literally stood up in the face of tyrannical rule. They did not bow the statue of the king and were thrown into the fiery furnace. As you know, God again delivered His faithful servants (Daniel 3).
You do not have to submit to authority that is oppressive! If someone tells you that even Jesus said to “render unto Caesar’s what is Caesar’s,” they do not truly understand Jesus’s words. Watch this short video of KrisAnne on this topic. She puts it better than I could ever dream of writing.
This message is not just for the Christians! The examples here are from the Bible to show Christians that disobeying the law does NOT make you a bad Christian, but disobeying God in favor of man’s law will NOT be rewarded. Recognizing and resisting tyranny is something all people must know how to do. You do not have to send your children to Common Core schools. You do not have to sign up for the Afforable Care Act. You do not have to serve customers that violate the beliefs your private business was founded upon. You do not have to submit to federal infringements on ANY of the reserved powers of the States. Why? Because that is oppressive and tyrannical government, and we will not comply. Who do you serve this day? Regardless of religious beliefs, let it not be despotic authority.
Pursuing truth and defending liberty, always.
-A Devoted Patriot