Over the last 6 months, Parson Goat has proved his allegiance to Leviathan rather than the Lord. Mark Nicholson blames that on incorporation:
[Federal Elections] Commissioner Ellen Weintraub “warned that churches could lose their nonprofit status” for endorsing political candidates. “’Our elections are not spiritual wars,’ she told the Religion News Service.”
According to yesterday’s Washington Examiner piece, Trump has used an executive order to halt prosecutions under the statute prohibiting endorsements by nonprofits, but this could and likely would be reversed by a President Biden.
When churches incorporate, they know full well and willingly agree to this. Parson Goat is fond of saying that he is called to preach the gospel, not civics; he agrees with the Commissioner, siloing politics as the one area of life which, apparently, the Word has nothing to say about.
And that’s our greatest challenge: how can we convince the ol’ Goat that politics is morality writ large and that breaking the Commandments under color of government doesn’t negate the sin?
[Parson Goat] self-censors in order to assure the financial benefits of incorporation, among which are tax-exempt giving. (True, these funds are his source of income; but he is purely altruistic and only does it for the sake of spreading the gospel – incorporation helps him help God!) Some pastors of incorporated churches do yet vocally support or denounce politicians; but they are covenant-breakers, more naive than brave.
Ministers from a time of great awakening were more vigilant, and avoided the trap: “‘Tis a melancholy truth, confirmed by the history of all nations, that the rulers of this world have generally set themselves in opposition to the interest of true religion and the cause of Christ… And even to this day the religion of the gospel labors under much oppression from the greater part of civil rulers” (Edward Dorr, A.M., 1765 quoted in “They Preached Liberty” pub. 2000 by Coral Ridge Ministries). …
Most pastors I’ve talked with do not consider incorporation a serious concern. They say they will defy the state regardless of incorporation, if they are ordered to disobey the Word.
Right. And when they were ordered to disobey our Lord’s command about “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together” this past spring, you’ll recall the defiance we saw throughout the country. Gracious, all the Goats languishing in jail for violating the law…
Nor would I break fellowship over it; as Chuck Baldwin – who does take it seriously – wrote to my father, a church does not cease to be a church just because it incorporates.
But I do believe it represents an unequal yoke, and is analogous to Israel demanding a king. It’s an authority problem – the church is Christ’s and can have no other master.
“No other master,” huh? That’ll be news to Leviathan’s lackey, the Rev. Goat.
Every submission to state may be voluntary, guided by the Bible, Spirit, and conscience. The pandemic has been useful in showing us just how far the church will yield, and how the state will push.
Yep. And the herd failed. Horrifically.
It’s a sign of things to come.
May Jesus Christ have mercy on His bride.
8:00 pm on September 21, 2020
