by Rand K. Walden
Q. Are you a 501(c)3 recognized entity? A. Why, yes. Q. Who are you recognized by? A. The government of the United States. Q. Let me qualify what you're telling me here. You are telling me that you are recognized by this world system. Is that correct? A. I get where you're going with this but God told us to render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's. Q. Yeah? A. That's what He said. Q. That was for taxes right? A. Yes. Q. And you're a faith ministry, right? A. Of course. Q. Then why don't you go get some coins out of a fishes mouth and pay your taxes?
After all, that's what Jesus did. That's what he told his disciples to do, didn't he?
Q. Are'nt you a disciple of Christ? A. (aggravated silence) Q.Then why do you submit yourself to this world system? The only reason Jesus told his disciples to pay their taxes is so the world, who was watching them, would not get offended. Jesus told his disciples that he would make them fishers of men but he didn't tell em to go fishing for coins out of the mouths of men, did he?
A. It takes money to win the lost. Don't you know that? Q. No, the Bible doesn't tell me that. It tells me to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature but It doesn't tell us to take up offerings to do that, does it? This is what Jesus told his disciples on one occasion when he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. He said "Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor SCRIP, neither bread, neither money;... (What? No money?)... neither have two coats apiece." ( Luke 9:2-3 )
Why would he tell his disciples to take no money if it took money to win the lost?
No where in the Bible does it tell us to be a 501(c)3 entity or to be recognized by this world system. Jesus wasn't recognized by the world system of his day. I take that back. The religious called him a devil but they didn't recognize him as the Son of God. John 1 says "he came to his own but his own received him not".
In John 17:14, Jesus was praying to the Father and he said, "I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world." So you see, we are not supposed to be apart of this world or this world's system. Jesus said, "they are in this world but they are not a part of this world". I have said this before but I will say it again and again until it begins to sink in:
God's Church is not a move, movement or a denomination. It is not a "not for profit" organization. But it is the many membered body of Christ.
