Companion website: "Separation of Church and State Law Blog" (left click to go directly to blog) - this website has many articles and audio teachings concerning the issue of separation of church and state.
Below are links to certain very insightful articles which you may read on the internet. Click the link (the title of the article) to go to the article. I first quote two very important articles in their entirety, because they are so important. Then, I have links to other articles below.
I suggest the following article first "THE QUESTION that CHANGED MY LIFE" by David Ryser. To see the article, click the title in the last sentence. The article is quoted on the "Welcome" page of this website.
I cover the subject of Internal Revenue Code § 501(c)(3) in some detail in Section VI of God Betrayed, and in the article, "The Internal Revenue Code § 501(c)(3) Exemption-Definition-Control Scheme" (Click to go directly to that article which also accesses a more in depth audio teaching.). The sodomites understand what 501(c)(3) for churches means, yet pastors and other Christians continue to ignore the issue because they, like lepers to whom the leprosy has spread to the head, have "their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness" (Ephesians 4.18-19). Here is a link to a sodomite article on this issue: "Equality is what we're all about in Maine" ((They have taken the article offline, but this link will now take you to their homepage.)
From the "Wake-Up Herald," the entire article entitled "No Fear" is reprinted below. You can e-mail Dr. Bob McCurry at "[email protected]" should you desire to subscribe to his e-mail of the "Wake-Up Herald." After reading this article, go on to click links to other articles below it such as Coach Dave Daubenmire's article "Fear, Price, and Greed" which explain why there is no fear of God and why "Christians" are no different from the lost.
“There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans 3:18)
Circa 600 B.C. Indicting the people of his day, Jeremiah described that they, “swear falsely,” “refused to take correction,” “refused to repent,” “do not know the way of the Lord or the ordinance of their God,” “were well-fed lusty horses, each one neighing after his neighbor’s wife,” “bend their tongue like their bow,” that “lies and not truth prevail in the land,” that their “sons have forsaken Me and sworn by those who are not gods” and that “every brother deals craftily and every neighbor goes about as a slanderer” (See Jeremiah 5:1-9, 26-28; 9:3-6). Déjà vu! Any reader of Jeremiah and the other prophets cannot help but notice the uncanny resemblance between the society of Judah then and the evangelical sub-culture now. Fast forward to . . .
2009 A.D. In their book UnChristian, two authors from the Barna Research Group describe behaviors evident among today’s pan-evangelical culture. They write:
In virtually every study we conduct, representing thousands of interviews every year, born-again Christians fail to display much attitudinal or behavioral evidence of transformed lives. . . . the lifestyle activities of born-again Christians were statistically equivalent to those of non-born-agains . . . . born again believers were just as likely to bet or gamble, to visit a pornographic website, to take something that did not belong to them, to consult a medium or a psychic, to physically fight or abuse someone, to have consumed enough alcohol to be considered legally drunk, to have used an illegal, nonprescription drug . . . .
No difference.
The two researchers then go on to illustrate:
In statistical and practical terms, this means the two groups [i.e., those claiming to be born again as opposed to those making no such claim] are essentially no different from each other. If these groups of people were in two separate rooms, and you were asked to determine, based on their lifestyles alone, which room contained the Christians, you would be hard-pressed to find much difference.
David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons, UnChristian, What a New Generation Thinks About Christianity . . . and Why It Matters ( Grand Rapids : Baker Books, 2007) 47.
After more than three decades of “user-friendly” Christianity that has been peddled by schmoozing preachers, their publishers, and publicists to the grand evangelical sub-culture, should we be surprised at what the research reveals? The chickens have come home to roost. But what might be the cause of there being “no difference” in the lifestyles of bornagains and non-bornagains?
The cause is that the evangelical sub-culture apparently no longer stands in awe of God. As Jeremiah spoke: “Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not: Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, (Jeremiah 5:21-22).
The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, and Christ who is the Wisdom of God, and the Spirit of wisdom will enable us to walk in obedience to the Lord’s commandments (See Colossians 2:2-3, 6; Isaiah 11:2; Ezekiel 36:26-27). The fear of the Lord will be exhibited in the lifestyle of a believer “who walks in His ways” and “who greatly delights in His commandments” (Psalms 128:1; 112:1). There will be a difference!
A few years ago I heard of a respected news commentator who stated, “I don’t believe in God, but I fear Him.” The double entendre was tragically humorous. Yet in looking at the current moral state of the pan-evangelical movement, I am forced to ask, who is better off—the atheist who doesn’t believe in God, but fears Him, or the mass of evangelicals who after a generation of listening to “user-friendly” religion, believe in God, but, as indicated by how they live, apparently don’t fear Him?
-Pastor Larry DeBruyn
A True Disciple
“A disciple is someone who so identifies himself with Christ and so reflects Him in character, word, and deed that he shares in Christ’s fame or infamy. The disciple’s identity in society will be determined by society’s view of his Master. Those who esteem, love, and admire Christ, will show the same affections toward his disciple. Those who hate Christ and are hostile to His cause, will hate his disciple, despise his lifestyle, oppose his proclamation, and seek to alienate him from society. This definition reflects not only meaning of a disciple, but that of a Christian – belonging to Christ.” -Paul Washer
True Christianity
True Christianity! Let us mind that word true. There is a vast quantity of religion current in the world which is not true, genuine Christianity. It passes muster, it satisfies sleepy consciences; but it is not good money. It is not the authentic reality that called itself Christianity in the beginning.
There are thousands of men and women who go to churches and chapels every Sunday and call themselves Christians. They make a profession of faith in Christ. Their names are in the baptismal register. They are reckoned Christians while they live. They are married with a Christian marriage service. They mean to be buried as Christians when they die. But you never see any fight about their religion! Of spiritual strife and exertion and conflict and self–denial and watching and warring they know literally nothing at all.
Such Christianity may satisfy man, and those who say anything against it may be thought very hard and uncharitable; but it certainly is not the Christianity of the Bible. It is not the religion which the Lord Jesus founded and His apostles preached. It is not the religion which produces real holiness. True Christianity is a fight.”
-J.C. Ryle, from the book Holiness
Articles by Coach Dave Daubenmire:
Fear, Pride and Greed (Why preachers won't get involved).
And the Pulpits Are Silent.
Christian Pimps. Excerpt from the article: "Oh, my intentions were good. I had hoped that as I exposed the 'unfruitful works of darkness' that the churches would eventually awaken and begin to push back against the enemy. After ten years of trying to awaken 'The Church' to the problem I have finally mustered the courage to say what I have known all along. “The Church” IS the problem. It has become a pimp, selling the works of 'the body' for personal satisfaction. Most of the pulpits are filled by 'hirelings' (more on that in a future commentary), men and women who stand in the pulpit without a calling, without an anointing, and without courage. They are man pleasers, living off of 'the Body' as they sell it out for their own whims and pleasures. Greedy Dogs, Isaiah called them. Blind watchmen…loving to sleep…leading the flock astray."
Hired Shepherds. Excerpt from the article: "How can we possibly restore righteousness to this nation when we can’t even get those who stand in the pulpit to honor the Word of God? How can we expect our elected officials to stand publicly against evil when the 'men of the cloth' are too cowardly to do so? ... Jesus’ anger was not directed towards the secular government but towards those who changed his house of prayer into a 'den of thieves.' (There are those thieves again) He cleaned the house and today we need to do the same.Christians have lost all credibility with the world. For the most part the public image of Christian leaders is money grubbing, hypocritical, and Republican, a far cry from the Christ we claim to serve. America is in dire need of a revival. It will never happen with the hirelings currently occupying our pulpits. It is at their feet that we must lay the killing, stealing, and destroying of the Christian heritage from this nation. It is time for a reformation. Instead of all of this talk about 'reclaiming America' perhaps we should refocus on reclaiming our faith. Has there ever been an institution with more pathetic leadership than we see today in American Christianity? Nothing is more debilitating to an army than cowardly leadership."
Articles by Dave Welch:
The Pulpit is Responsible (or Return Offensive Leadership to the Church). Excerpt from the article: "From the first century Christians on, the Cultural Mandate given by God to his stewards in Genesis was accepted to mean that everything on earth is under God's sovereignty, under our stewardship, and therefore 'our business.' As false teachings crept in over the last century, the church moved into a sacred-versus-secular separation that opened the door wide for many kinds of evil to triumph. ... Thankfully, there are many pastors and theologians who would say there is much more to Christianity than just preaching the salvation message, doing Bible studies and waiting for the rapture. Among them was legendary evangelist of the first Great Awakening, Charles G. Finney, who wrote in 'The Decay of Conscience' in 1873: "Brethren, our preaching will bear its legitimate fruits. If immorality prevails in the land, the fault is ours in a great degree. If there is a decay of conscience, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the public press lacks moral discrimination, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the church is degenerate and worldly, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the world loses its interest in religion, ..."
The role of Tiller's pastor. Every Christian should read this article. Dave Welch continues his remarkable insights. Excerpt from article: "The next critical point in the brutal end of this doctor who made millions by tearing apart babies limb by limb is the location of his demise. The frequency of shootings in or at churches has increased as the moral fabric of the nation unravels and the reverence for the sanctuary of the church does as well. Tiller should have faced justice through due process rather than at the hands of a lone gunman who violated the laws of man and God by taking them into his own hands. The incredible irony of this cannot be lost, however, that the most notorious abortionist in America was gunned down at a church where, as the New York Times reported, Tiller "had attended … for a long time, they said, and had contributed significantly to construction of the current facility, which was built in about 1996. Tiller was an usher, long-time member and major financial contributor to Reformation Lutheran Church."
Persecution - bring it on! Excerpt from article: "We have no idea in America what persecution is. Yes, we are closer than we have ever been to opening the doors for true persecution, but we have not even begun to see what it looks like. I had the joy of preaching both services last weekend in a Chinese church, and I am always horribly convicted whenever addressing this issue with our Chinese brethren. They know what real persecution is. Spend some time at Voice of the Martyrs or read 'Foxe's Book of Martyrs' to get a small glimpse. We read about it and we can now see images worldwide of Christians who have lost lives, family, property, businesses and freedom for simply being a Christian. Like combat, however, nothing is like experiencing it personally."
This article expresses sentiments that I have had for several years now. When I compare the state of Christianity in America today with what I read in the Bible, I am greatly vexed. American Christians, in general, have no concept of what biblical Christianity is all about.
Article by Michael S. Rozeff:
The Church's Losing Strategy (Some churches are joining the enemy they should be fighting).
Article by Bob Unruh:
Court: State trashed church's 1st Amendment rights . (In his concurring opinion in Canyon Ferry Road Baptist Church v. Unsworth, 2009 U. S. LEXIS 3693 (9th Cir. 2009), Judge John T. Noonan said, "An unregulated, unregistered press is important to our democracy. So are unregulated, unregistered churches. Churches have played an important - no, an essential - part in the democratic life of the United States.").
Article by Bob Welch:
The Church's Desertion in Time of War. My comments: America is where she is because pastors and churches dihonored the Lord soon after the ratification of the Constitution. Pastors in America took the first step away from the Lord Jesus Christ, their Husband/Bridegroom/Head soon after the ratification of the Constitution. When one takes the first step to dishonor her Head, additional steps follow. This is explained in God Betrayed.
Articles from "Prophecy News Watch":
Study: Mississippi is 'most religious' state. This article has interesting statistics on the various states such as: "The fourth question, measuring percentage of those who believe in God, had Mississipians at the top at 91 percent, followed by South Carolina and Alabama at 86 percent. States with the lowest belief in God are New Hampshire and Vermont at 54 percent and Connecticut and Rhode Island at 57 percent."
Survey: Churches Losing Youths Long Before College. Quotes from article: "The next generation of believers is draining from the churches, and it causes me great personal and professional concern," said Ken Ham, founder and president of Answers in Genesis and a Young Earth creationist.... "When we undermine the word of God, the next generation undermines it more and more," Ham said. The foundation of biblical authority and God's word is crumbling in America while human reasoning and man's word is being held high. There's a spiritual problem in America, Ham said, and sadly it is Christians who have dropped the ball and allowed moral relativism and secular worldview to rise. Churches have failed to raise the younger generation on the authority of God's word and to teach them how to defend their faith or give answers to secular attacks, Ham said. 'We let them (secular humanists) take generations of our kids and give them a different foundation,' he lamented. Christians have an epidemic on their hands and what they need now is a 'complete renovation,' not a mere remodel, Ham stressed. It's time to call the Church back to the authority of the Word of God. And for the Young Earth creationist, that call begins with Genesis." My observation: when churches in America started running down to incorporate soon after the ritificaion of the Constitution, they undermined the Word of God. The next generation undermined it more, etc. Look where we are today.
IRS threatens churches. See the following articles:
The IRS Threatens Church Leaders Who Talk About Politics. This is a comment by a person who is in favor of restricting the speech of church leaders. As God Betrayed explains in Section VI starting on page 385, when a church gets the 501(c)(3) exemption, she is agreeing to the rules which are clearly stated in 501(c)(3) (except the last rule which is from a court case). Those rules are:
“1. must be organized and operated exclusively for religious, educational, scientific, or other charitable purposes,
“2. net earnings must not inure to the benefit of any private individual or shareholder,
“3. no substantial part of its activity may be attempting to influence legislation,
“4. the organization may not intervene in political activity,
“5. the organization’s purposes and activities may not be illegal or violate fundamental public policy.”
"Free churches are a good idea that has worked before and needs to be widely implemented again. But big government, big business, big religion or big education will not promote them. A few individuals and independent church congregations are promoting free churches. Someday there may be hundreds of books, web sites and services helping local congregations form this way."
Fortunately, Jerald Finney has provided the resources on this website to get churches started on the path to organize under Jesus Christ and not under the federal and/or state governments. The books by Jerald Finney thoroughly explain all a Christian needs to know about the issues involved, theology, the relevant laws, and history. The Biblical Law Center helps churches organize under Jesus Christ.
Articles on Hate Crimes Legislation:
House agrees to muzzle pastors with "hate crimes" plan. Excerpt from the article: "The U.S. House today approved a federal 'hate crimes' bill that would provide special protections to homosexuals but leave Christian ministers open to prosecution should their teachings be linked to any subsequent offense, by anyone, against a 'gay'.... Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, charged the plan will divide America into groups of more favored versus less. He again cited USC Title 18, Section 2a, the foundation of H.R. 1913, which says anyone who through speech 'induces' commission of a violent hate crime 'will be tried as a principal' alongside the active offender.... Under the specifications of the law, a Christian needn't touch a homosexual to face charges, he noted.... 'If the homosexual merely claims he was subjectively placed in 'apprehension of bodily injury' by the Christian's words then, again, the Christian can be thrown in prison for a felony 'hate crime,' ' he said. WND reported previously that the plan was introduced by Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., who said, 'The bill only applies to bias-motivated violent crimes and does not impinge public speech or writing in any way.' Section 10 of the act states, 'Nothing in this Act, or the amendments made by this Act, shall be construed to prohibit any expressive conduct protected from legal prohibition by, or any activities protected by the free speech or free exercise clauses of, the First Amendment to the Constitution.' However, critics cite United States Code Title 18, Section 2, as evidence of how the legislation could be used against people who merely speak out against homosexuality. It states: Whoever commits an offense against the United States or aids, abets, counsels, commands, induces or procures its commission, is punishable as a principal."
Companion website: "Separation of Church and State Law Blog" (left click to go directly to blog) - this website has many articles and audio teachings concerning the issue of separation of church and state.
