| Years
ago I wrote a book on what the church, or to be specific, the
believers will go through in the last days. This was part of
what to expect from the beast. Most of the churches that I sent it to
rejected it outright. Now we will see what is called a time of
purification when gold meets the fire.
Most of the big TV preachers have sold there soul
to the god of money. Keep an eye on the churches. You will see
the ones who believe in there hearts will make a stand the others who
play at believing will turn on those who speak the truth. This will be
a most interesting time.
Source: IndianapolisBaptistTemple.com
IRS: ''We must ordain pastors.''
Posted on Sunday, December 30 @ 21:23:17 EST by editor
The most prominent and successful certified public
accountant firm in the nation today, that specializes in keeping
churches out of trouble with the Internal Revenue Service, is now
boldly saying to the pastors of America that they not only have to be
"ordained by God, but also the IRS."
They also say that the IRS is dictating terms to the
churches by declaring in clear and no uncertain terms that, "The
government doesn't want your Bible, they want your checkbook!" In
seminars all over the US, Chitwood and Chitwood of Chattanooga,
Tennessee, is repeating this startling announcement to pastors and
church leaders. Without so much as a blush, Michael Chitwood, the main
speaker, says besides the above quotes, "Pastor, if you don't
get your house in order, get ready, you are going to have a jail
ministry" as he practically screams out to those present as
to what pastors and church leaders must do to
avoid jail time and the confiscation of church property by the federal
government.
Besides giving the pastor his job description, which
is based on the Roman Catholic model of worship and polity, the IRS is
demanding many other things that are clearly designed to make the
IRS Commissioner the new head of the churches in America.
Some of these demands are as follows:
The church must collect a Federal ID (Social
Security) number from visiting evangelists, missionaries, preachers
and singers before they invite them to the pulpit.
They must give a Form 1099 to any minister who
receives up to $600 in a years time, which includes missionary
support. If the ID is not received, the church leaders must withhold a
jeopardy assessment of 39% on the spot and send it to the IRS. They
must agree to the IRS definition of benevolence.
They cannot deal in cash at any level, but
must deposit all offerings into a checking account and write checks
for every purpose. This means, of course, that the church, in order to
conduct its ministry, has to have an Employer Identification Number
which must be provided by the IRS by filing Form SS-4 which a true New
Testament church could never do and remain obedient to her Lord. In
fact, church leaders would have to misrepresent the church as a
religious organization rather than a N.T. Church to do so.
Other things that pastors and church leaders are
required to do are to be an informer against their members and also to
preach only IRS prescribed sermons. Also,
all fund raising material must be submitted to the IRS for their
approval.
The job description for pastors is a list of nine
specific sacerdotal duties which again is a Roman Catholic definition
meaning sacred. The Catholic church teaches that these sacraments,
when administered by a priest, are essential to ones salvation. This
is totally opposite to the Bible definition which states that baptism
and communion are memorials of the death, burial and resurrection of
our Lord Jesus Christ, and that they follow salvation.
The nine duties are: baptisms, weddings, serving the
Eucharist (the Catholic sacrament of communion), teaching , spiritual
counseling, christenings or baby dedications, administration of church
affairs and the regular conducting of worship services. If the pastor
does a substantial number of these things, he will receive very
lucrative tax breaks. This is in clear violation of the scriptures
concerning the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes which the Lord Jesus said
that He hates (Rev. 2:6, 2:15). It is the setting up of a privileged
class of clergy with benefits from the state that lay members do not
receive.
Others who minister to the church in the area of
music, youth, children, education and other areas of responsibility
don't qualify. This is consistent with what officials of the IRS told
Attorney David Gibbs of the Christian Law Association (CLA) in 1984
when they said that their definition of church is "once per week
adult worship." They said that they did not consider such
ministries as Sunday school, Christian school, busses, youth camp,
vacation Bible school, nursing home, etc., to fall within their
definition of the word "church". This Gibbs/IRS meeting took
place in Washington, DC at the time that the so called champion of
Christian liberty was hammering out a compromise with the Dole
Committee (Sen. Bob Dole-R-Kansas) in the US Senate to bring the
churches into compliance with the FICA tax (social security) laws. This
was the deal that would eventually cause the raid and seizure of the
Baptist Temple 17 years later. It's too bad that Gibbs didn't
sound the alarm at that time and call the Bible believing pastors
together for a summit meeting to map out a strategy that could have
possibly saved our churches and ministries. The unregistered church
pastors tried, but unfortunately our words fell on deaf ears. The so
called "big" preachers were too busy receiving their tax
deductible gifts and building their empires to be concerned over the
future of God's work. Now the enemies of Christ have sprung the
trap and it is too late.
These requirements should be intolerable enough by
just the fact that the IRS would even dare to suggest duties for
pastors, but to impose under the penalty of imprisonment and
confiscation of property the same responsibilities of Roman Catholic
priests is nothing short of naked tyranny.
Obviously, the inquisition has returned and the
pastors and churches of America are not even aware that it has
arrived. The raid and seizure of the property of the Baptist
Temple is the direct result of the pastors and church refusing to bow
down to this new wave of Catholic terror that has come upon our land.
The issue in the Baptist Temple case isn't taxes as the IRS, with the
help of the media, has led the people of Indianapolis and nation to
believe. The issue is very simple. Will the churches of America bow
down to the IRS in violation of the first commandment, "Thou
shalt have no other gods before me," or will they bow down to the
Lord Jesus Christ? Our Lord said, "No man can serve two masters:
for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will
hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and
mammon" (Matthew 6:24). The purge is now on as we hear of
churches and ministries being closed on a regular basis. But there
is still no evidence that the pastors have awakened from their stupor.
The benevolent requirements for churches are beyond
atrocious. They are five in number: food, clothing, housing, medical
emergencies and utilities.
The church cannot help with transportation or auto
repairs and a myriad of other things that churches have historically
done on a regular basis. The church cannot make loans to the pastor,
members, or others which churches have always done. Obviously, they
want to make sure that the money lenders get their profits even from
the poor. Can you imagine the government of the US limiting a church
as to its duties in regarding charitable activity?
There is no subject in the Bible that is nearer to
the heart of God than charity. According to the apostle James, it is
the test of pure religion (James 1:27).
Paul the Apostle declares that charity is of higher
value even than preaching and sacrifice (I Cor. 13:1-3). For the
churches to debase such a high and noble service to Christ by
submitting its administration to the wicked IRS is beyond belief. How
will the preachers of America give an account of caving into this
coercion by an abusive Bush administration who is continuing with the
policies of those before him?
How will church leaders face the Lord Jesus at the
Judgment Seat of Christ when He asks them why they violated His clear
commands concerning alms giving? He said, "Take heed that ye do
not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no
reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest
thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do
in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men,
Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest
alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine
alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself
shall reward thee openly." But now the churches are required to
get the permission of the IRS before helping someone other than in the
manner and purpose that they approve. Then records will have to be
kept for the IRS so that the publicans can make sure that the church
is in fact following their guidelines. And, of course, they expect
church leaders to report this alms giving to the IRS so that they can
even gouge the poor for more tribute. And all of this so the churches
can keep their tax exemption and the people can get their precious tax
deductions for their tithes and gifts. As James Dobson's organization
said when challenged, "It's just good stewardship."
Thievery, good stewardship? How sad.
It may be that the churches have now gone too far.
When they begin building their dynasties on the backs of the poor our
Lord, no doubt, will be swift in His removal of their candlestick. He
said to the church at Ephesus, "Remember therefore from whence
thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works: or else I will
come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his
place, except thou repent" (Rev. 2:5).
All Churches Now Required to Join IRS Super
Church
Two other developments concerning IRS control of
churches has risen recently that should literally send shock waves
through the religious community.
First, while the churches are arguing doctrinal
positions among themselves, and won't even spit on each other for the
most part, the IRS has now developed its own super church. Independent
Baptists in particular pride themselves in their anti-ecumenism. No
fundamentalist preacher worth his salt would be caught dead at the
local church federation meeting where he has to rub shoulders with a
charismatic or liberal preacher. However, they don't think twice about
paying a large fee to go to a Chitwood or CLA seminar and sit next to
one of these religious outcasts to learn how to be a good IRS approved
church and pastor.
It is now a fact that in order to get and keep the
tax-exempt status a church must agree that all religions are equal.
The new Application for Recognition of Exemption Form 1023 Schedule A
for Churches (Rev. September 1998) demands a declaration to this
effect with the following words at point #3: "Does the
organization require prospective members to renounce other religious
beliefs or their membership in other churches or religious orders to
become members?
>Yes__ No__. If "Yes," describe."
It doesn't take much intelligence to figure out
where they are going with this. In order to be considered a legal
church (tax exempt) in America, the church or religious organization
will have to declare that all religions are equal.
They will also have to declare that they do not
believe that their doctrinal position only results in converts to
their faith having eternal life. They must renounce this narrow
inclusivist position. Maybe we now know why Billy Graham, Robert
Schuller, Pat Robertson, and other TV preachers have been making such
fuzzy remarks about adherents of other religions, though sincere,
going to heaven without receiving Christ. In that tax exemption is
government subsidy, according to the Supreme Court in the Bob Jones
University case, it is now clear that the US government will not
support any religion that clings to the narrow minded belief that
salvation is in Jesus Christ alone. Remember? "Come Shekels, Come
Shackles." The world church isn't coming; it is already here, and
the preachers don't have a clue as they go merrily along hand in
hand with the Great Harlot to the wedding with
the anti-Christ. (Rev. 17).
US Government Through the IRS Outlaws Preaching on
Second Coming of Christ. One of the reasons the IRS gave to Texe
Marr's Living Truth Ministries for removing their tax exempt status is
as follows:
"Much of the material you disseminate
promises to address possible conspiracies or threats, either from
individuals, groups or various agencies, against Christianity, freedom
or other rights. This is evident from a review of your newsletters and
order forms. The titles and promotional materials are designed to
sensationalize and grab the readers attention. They usually imply that
the works will expose certain prominent groups, individuals,
politicians or government agencies as being part, of or linked to,
some threat or conspiracy."
One of the titles that the IRS gave as an example
included "Bible Prophecy and The Conspiracy." Any grade
school child in Sunday School knows that you can't teach or write on
Bible prophecy without dealing with the second coming of Jesus Christ.
But just as the Russian pastors under communism were forbidden to
speak on this subject, we are now coming to the same place in our
beloved land.
It is obvious that if one believes in the literal
return of the Lord Jesus Christ that they will be considered a
domestic terrorist. In that the Lord Jesus will destroy wicked
government upon His return in great glory and break the back of
Gentile world rule, this message isn't popular with the in-for-hells
and the high-heeled-belles that run our country today. Of course, they
don't believe that He is coming, but they believe that we who do will
be involved in what they call self-fulfilled prophecies and try to
hasten His coming by blowing up everything in sight.
Further evidence of this type of anti-Christ
thinking surfaced recently when a brochure put out by the FBI in
Phoenix, Arizona, named "potential domestic terrorists" that
law enforcement should be aware of. One of those groups is
"Doomsday/Cult-Type." Obviously, this would include all
Bible believing preachers and churches in America. We not only believe
that there will be a literal doomsday, we believe that the Lord Jesus
Christ will bring the doom when He comes (Rev. 6:12-17).
It won't do any good to claim that your church is
not a "cult". The IRS definition fits the average Bible
believing church to a tee. Many have asked if we can actually
show them this in the law. Our answer is no, we can't because you
won't find a specific law that says that you can't preach on the
Second Coming of Jesus Christ in America today. That's because they
don't have to write a law to gain the same effect. All Congress has to
do is to give an outlaw agency like the IRS a carte blanche privilege
of making up their own so-called laws as they go along. The
churches agreed to this when they signed their tax-exempt contract.
They said that they would obey all laws, federal, state and local,
presently and in the future. But they apparently didn't read the fine
print. The new churches filing for tax exemption must agree to the
following: "The Corporation or organization shall have no power
to take any action that would be required for a tax exemption under
Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) and related regulations,
rulings, and procedures."
It is now the "procedure" of the IRS to
refuse tax exempt status to those churches that will not agree that
all religions are equal and who refuse to join through tax exemption,
the world church. Also, preaching on Christ's coming is taboo.
For those churches which are foolish enough to believe that Sec. 508
of the IRS code allows an automatic exemption for churches, need to
read it again. It doesn't say "exemption," it says,
"...churches have a mandatory exception." The exception is
from filing a Form 1023 to make application for not for profit status.
Here is the kicker. Churches have to abide by the same rules that
those that do file for this privilege. And if they do not, the IRS
can, and most assuredly will, remove their tax exemption. The only
thing missing is the annual Form 990 that other religious
organizations have to file. When this is required, the churches will
be under total control of the IRS with no wiggle room.
In the Baptist Temple court case, the church learned
that a New Testament Church does not legally exist in the US today
because there are no longer any First Amendment protections left. The
genius of the First Amendment and various religious freedom clauses of
the fifty states is that, for the first time in history, a N. T.
Church could exist legally without having in the words of the IRS a
"distinct legal existence." Now even a N.T. Church will be
assigned by force the legal status of an association and will be
expected to meet the same standards that the not for profits have to
meet. But, they still won't have their God given right of a
non-taxable status. This status is in contrast to an exempt status
which is a privilege not a right.
IRS Agent Says That Churches are Trapped.
The evidence as to what we are saying, though denied by most
preachers, was made clear on January 24 this year in Tampa, Florida.
IRS agent Melvin Blough testified in federal court that "once
a church obtains the status of 501(c)(3) under the IRC they are
trapped. The only way to be removed from a 501(c)(3) status is if the
IRS chooses to remove the exemption. So if you dissolve the
corporation and continue on as ABC church, an unincorporated church,
you're still trapped in their web and under their control."
He further testified that a church is
automatically exempt under federal law without a 501(c)(3)
designation. He also stated under oath that churches request the
status just to get the governments stamp of approval. Even though
Blough used the word "exemption" rather than
"exception," he is essentially correct in his assessment of
the plight of the churches of America. It is obvious that, regardless,
the result is the same.
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