Faithful Word Baptist Church is not 501c3, but I am sick and tired of good men of God being falsely accused and railed on for something that is not mentioned in the Bible and doesn't matter. The legalities of running a church (or of running a business for that matter) are very complicated, and pastors are just trying to do the best they can to figure out all this complicated paperwork and run their church legally.
Contrary to what you will read on the internet, there is nothing about 501c3 status that hinders pastors from preaching any part of the Bible. Are there pastors that are afraid to preach some parts of the Bible? Of course. However, it is because they are cowards, not because of some paper on file with the IRS.
501c3 is just a certification that a church is really a church, and that 95% of its activities are religious, educational, and charitable, as opposed to political. A church that is 501c3 certified can influence politics, but they are only allowed to spend 5% or less of their money and resources on trying to influence elections. Why in the world would any man of God want to even spend that much time on it?! I personally don't even vote, let alone try and spend more than 5% of God's time and money trying to influence our country's fake elections between two candidates that are both of Satan.
Why don't people get fired up about something that is actually biblical? Don't believe everything you read on the internet, folks. Just because a church is 501c3 doesn't mean they are "controlled by the government, not a New Testament church, controlled by the IRS, etc." Those are all lies disseminated by cult-like churches that want to claim that they are the only legitimate churches, and that everyone else is of the Devil. If churches are censoring their preaching, that is a problem. Which chapter of the tax code they fall under is not the problem.
Although 501c3 tax status is not mentioned in the Bible, here is something that is mentioned: being a false accuser, which is a major sin. The word "devil" literally means "false accuser." People going around saying that any 501c3 pastor is a "creature of the state, government puppet, fema pastor, false teacher, IRS stooge, antichrist, etc," are false accusers who are bearing false witness against brothers in Christ. It is amazing to me how people have no fear of blaspheming, maligning, and falsely accusing men of God over a paperwork issue that is not even mentioned in the Bible! If they were actually reading their Bibles, they would be reading about how grievous it is to be a false accuser, not about IRS issues, which God doesn't even care about.
"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour." - Exodus 20:16
"Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness." - Exodus 23:1
"Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour." - Deuteronomy 5:20
"A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren." - Proverbs 6:19
"A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape." - Proverbs 19:5
"A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish." - Proverbs 19:9
"A false witness shall perish: but the man that heareth speaketh constantly." - Proverbs 21:28
"A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow." - Proverbs 25:18
"For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:" - Matthew 15:19
"He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness," - Matthew 19:18
"Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother." - Mark 10:19
"Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother." - Luke 18:20
"For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." - Romans 13:9
"Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good," - 2 Timothy 3:3
"The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;" - Titus 2:3
"And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night." - Revelation 12:10
6 comments:
Stop making Biblical arguments that challenge my worldview. It is so much easier to think I'm holier than thou, sit on my backside in front of my computer finding justification for my views on the internet written by some scorned individual, and not attend a church. I'm now confronted with a truth that makes me either rightly change my position or be gnawed in the conscience by my failure to hearken unto the truth.
Aw ... give us a clue who thou excoriatest.
re: "...and not attend a church."
Yeah, if you're not in your local church at least once a week (three to thrive of course), you're living in SIN and going to SHEOL where you'll need a shield from the heat (ha ha just kiddin' I mean ghenna, er, ha. Sowwy.)
But seriously, that's pretty much one of the unforgivable sins: not attending weekly local Bible-believing (of course) church?
Or at least if not losing ones salvation for the sin of not attending weekly church (i.e. the sin of: "forsaking the assembling of ourselves together"), then at least one will be naked as a jay-bird in heaven (not attending weekly local church means no righteous acts, thus Re16:15)?
I appreciate the KJV preaching - but find myself confused over this sin: the sin of not attending weekly meetings, which is the sin of "forsaking the assembling of ourselves together".
Or - might I have gotten it all wrong. Is not attending weekly sabbath, I mean Sunday church services, a sin?
If I go to church once every 20 years (yet read the AV daily) should I be convicted of some sin? I don't feel like I have forsaken anything including assembling. (Or is this just that old fleshy reprobate mind piping up - asking for scriptures to see if these things are so?)
That said I have prayed for God to send fiery ministers (Ps104:4) like Pastor Anderson and he did... and I am broken, singed, and chastised with nearly every one of Pastor Anderson's sermons. Ouch!
Apparently Mr. Anderson does not know the law. If he is collecting offerings at his rented building the IRS deems him a 501c3 organization by default. It is also an unequal yoke with unbelievers, with limited liabiliy insurance clause until you break the law. Under the hate-crime legislation Steve Anderson can be sued by a queer, and have his bank account emptied. If the fine goes over Steve's savings, all the member's bank accounts can be pilfered also. It has happened before. Pastor Everret Sillivan had his 'church' door padlocked because he broke a State Law in Kansas. He was 501c3 incorporated and spent jail time for it. If he had NOT been 501c3 incorporated his 'church' would not have fallen under the jusrisdiction of the State and they could not have touched him. The day is coming when the IRS will enforce every demand found in the 501c3 handbook and Steve will eat his words. Jesus never intended to "get recognition" 501c3 status from the world. The 'church' belongs to God not the state. "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's and render unto God that which is God's".
The IRS publications explain that Churches do not need to fill out form 1023 to become tax exempt--that they are automatically tax exempt. But making tax exemption easier by obtaining a "501(c)(3) status" is also a promise to obey all current and future regulations. These requlations are often somewhat unclear and selectively enforced. Most churches are never affected by them. Others are forced to change their message--or even disband! Should a church congregation place itself under state regulation when it can place itself directly under God? Remember the whole scripture:
And Jesus answered and said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they marveled at Him (Mark 12:17)
Do you marvel at the Lord when he says this--or do you just continue to ignore His warnings and injunctions?
Thank you! And now pastors are encouraged to jump on the FEMA bandwagon. FEMA, of course, has "guidelines" as to how they should "appropriately" minister. Isn't that the job of the Holy Spirit and the Word? ..if you give Satan an inch, he will take EVERYTHING. He is a patient adversary. We are at war. Wise up Pastor.
Yes! Thank you for posting. THIS is the truth!
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