April 12, 2026 • 28 mins
Taxes
Prayer
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
If you look around, it's interesting how in life some
things change you see change all the time, and some
things don't seem to ever change no matter how long
it's been. Certain things seem to stay the same. In
my day two thousand years ago, the term tax collector
(00:31):
was a pejorative of sorts, almost a dirty word, synonymous
with sinner. I bet if you went around and asked
today what people thought about the tax collector, they'd probably
still think that the word or the term tax collector
is synonymous with sinner. As tax day approaches, I'm sure
(00:57):
you're not pleased or thinking happy thoughts about tax collectors.
You're not pleased about the thought of handing your hard
earned money over to the government. But how do you
think God feels about that? How do you think God
feels about taxes? You may think God opposes you paying
(01:21):
taxes because you read verses like Matthew eighteen fifteen through
seventeen that says, if your brother sins against you, go
and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
But if he does not listen, take one or two
(01:43):
others along with you, that every charge may be established
by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he
refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church.
And if he refuses to listen to even the church,
let him be to you as a gentile and tax collector.
(02:05):
How could you could you not think of tax collectors
as outcasts when you read a verse like that, That's
one of many. You can read many in scripture where
it seems that tax collectors even I was mocked by some,
(02:25):
but by saying that I ate with tax collectors, that
I broke bread with them, somehow automatically made me bad. However,
in scripture, tax collectors weren't told to stop collecting taxes.
When the opportunity arose to be able to teach them something,
(02:47):
they were told to do it in a particular way.
And you can read this in scripture. While John the
Baptist was speaking to the crowds, he was approached by
a tax collector who wished to be baptized. As many
people of different walks of life would come up to
John the Baptist to be baptized. Luke three twelve and
thirteen says this tax collectors also came to be baptized
(03:11):
and said to him, speaking to John teacher, what shall
we do? And John replied to them, collect no more
than you are authorized to do. Collect no more than
you are authorized to do. That is what John the
Baptists taught. If taxes were somehow inherently sinful, or they
(03:36):
were a sin just by the very nature of being taxes,
then the advice that John the Baptist gave in this
case would not be godly at all. This would have
been a perfect time for John to condemn what the
tax collector was doing, but he didn't. All he said
(03:58):
was collect no more than you're authorized to do. Be
fair about it, be balanced about it. Don't use it
as an opportunity to swindle somebody or to squeeze more
than you should. But just because you despise paying taxes
of any kind, whether it's federal, state, property, or sales tax,
(04:22):
doesn't mean that they aren't important, or that they're somehow
not in line with the will of God. There's a
place for them. God knows that there's a place where
taxes are needed. The more you delve into scripture, the
more you'll see God is not against you paying honest taxes.
(04:44):
As a matter of fact, God commands you to pay
honest taxes to the government. Romans thirteen one through seven says,
let everyone be subject to the governing authorities. For there's
no authority except that which God has established. The authorities
that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels
(05:09):
against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted,
and those who do so will bring judgments onto themselves.
For rulers hold no terror of those who do right,
but for those who do wrong. Do you want to
(05:29):
be free from fear of the one in authority, then
do what is right and you will not be condemned.
You will be commended, for the one in authority is
God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong,
be afraid, for the rulers do not bear the sword
for no reason. They are God's servants, agents of wrath
(05:50):
to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary
to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment,
but also as a matter of conscience. This this is
why you pay taxes. For the authorities are God's servants
(06:11):
who give their full time to governing Give to everyone
what you owe them, And this is important. Listen to
this last part of verse seven, give to everyone what
you owe them. If you owe taxes, pay taxes. If revenue,
(06:32):
then revenue, If respect, then respect, If honor, then honor.
And it's very important there that it says, if you're
resisting governing authorities, you in fact are resisting God because
God instituted them, and you will be judged for it.
(06:54):
And even when Ponscious Pilot and I were talking at
my arrest prior to being crucified, he was trying to
get me just to give it all up and just
just say these words, do this, jump through these hoops,
and we'll let you go. It'll be fine. And when
(07:16):
I would respond in the negative, he looked at me
and said, don't you know that I could crucify you
right now? And my response was, what don't you know
that that authority comes to you from the Father. Even
misused authority is still from God. The key is for
(07:42):
all parties, whether you're a tax collector taxpayer, to act
appropriately and honestly according to the laws when it comes
to collecting, when it comes to paying, the key is
to do it righteously and honestly. Does that mean that
you are to take a deep gulp and give every
(08:04):
cent up. No, Because the laws are there in your
favor as well. The laws are there for you to
take honest deductions to find where the balance is in
all things. You're perfectly within your right, legally, spiritually to
take advantage of tax deductions that are legal, tax breaks,
(08:26):
tax shelters, as long as they're honest and they're legally allowed.
But it's the balance of all these things that are important.
You may be frustrated with the government at times. That's okay,
and that's normal, but there are many things that you see.
Maybe not every pothole is filled. Maybe you're not happy
(08:48):
with some of the systems, whether it be the schools
or the libraries or what have you. And hopefully you
use your voice to make change or to raise concerns.
But being a part of a community, being a part
of a system that works, means sometimes paying into it
(09:09):
and being a part of it that way, So you
can take the time, hire somebody and learn as much
as you can about the tax system to find out
how it can work in your benefit as well. But
if you try and look spiritually to scripture. If you're
trying to find that loophole in scripture that says it's
(09:29):
okay not to pay taxes or somehow to lie or
do any of these things, you're not going to find it.
You can look high and low if you wish, and
try and find that one loophole that will get you
out of this time, which I know is not a
fun time. But you won't ever find a place where
God says that it's okay to not be a part
(09:53):
of the society this way, or to somehow reject the
governing bodies. It's not fun to think of out taxes.
That it's very easy to get upset and want to
raise your fist and say I'm sick of paying taxes.
I don't want to pay for anything anymore. I feel
like I'm being bled dry. But God does tell you
(10:16):
in scripture that taxes are important. God does tell you
in scripture that it's important for you to pay taxes.
God says that if in Romans thirteen one through seven,
that if you're not paying taxes, you're not doing the
right thing. You're rebelling against the very authorities that God
put there, and that you should give to everyone what
you owe them, whether it's taxes or revenue, or respect
(10:38):
or honor, that you should pass those things along. Taxes
have always been a hot button issue, and there have
been many that tried to use it to their own
political or even spiritual gain. In my day, the Pharisees
tried to trap me by asking me how I felt
(11:00):
about taxes. Of course, they were trying to get me
in a position where I would offend somebody or the other.
See if they asked me how I felt about taxes,
their whole hope was how am I going to answer.
If I answer one way, that it's going to offend
the Roman government. If I answer in a different way,
then I might offend the people. Matthew twenty two, fifteen
(11:20):
through twenty two talks about this and the Pharisees coming
out with their their plans to trap me. They sent
their disciples to me. It came and they said, teacher,
we know you are a man of integrity, that you
teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
(11:41):
You aren't swayed by others because you pay no attention
to who they are. Listen to the way they they
sweet talk. The situation and try and set me up.
Tell us, then, verse seventeen, what is your opinion? Is
it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?
(12:02):
Verse eighteen goes on to say that I knew that
their intent was not pure. I knew that their intent
was trying to set me up. So I said, you hypocrites,
why are you trying to trap me? Show me the
coin you use for paying taxes? And they brought me
the coin, and then I asked them whose image is
this and whose inscription? Caesar? They replied. Then I said
(12:25):
to them, so give back to Caesar what is Caesar's
and give to God what is God's. When they heard this,
they were amazed, and they left me and they went away.
So with tax season here as it rolls around every year,
and I know that it can be upsetting because of
what you have to pay out, remember Matthew seventeen twenty
(12:48):
four through twenty seven. After Jesus and his disciples arrived
in Capernaum, the collectors of the two drachma temple tax
came to Peter and asked, doesn't your teach you pay
the temple tax? And you know what he replied, yes,
he does. Michael Welcome to the Jesus Christ Show.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
How are you doing today?
Speaker 2 (13:17):
I am well, how are you?
Speaker 3 (13:19):
I'm wonderful. Thanks. I just got to ask you something
real quickly. For my question, Yes, everybody claims that your
middle name starts with an age, and I just need
you to clarify, what is your middle name that starts with.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
An age, that you know what that comes from, that
actually comes from sort of a using it as a
curse word. People say, Jesus, Holy Christ is what is?
What is where it comes from? And so people would
shorten it. It's not my middle name. It's no specific title.
Of course, Jesus or Yeshua is my name, and Christ
(13:51):
is the title. It means mashiak, it's the Messiah. So
it's so it's not it's not a full name. It's
not on it's not on an ID or social Security
card or anything like that. And what's your question for me?
Speaker 3 (14:05):
Yeah? My question is to start, I believe the word
of God, and I specifically believe everything that's written and read.
And one thing that you'd have said in the Bible
is that if you ask anything in my name, it
shall be done for you. So my question, as along
the line, was a prayer and unanswered prayer. I've prayed
(14:29):
for healing and restoration of marriage and things like that,
things that aren't greedy that I believe they're holy things
to pray for, that it's nothing that sinful in nature.
And I believe without doubting, and I truly do. And
I'm wondering why some prayers just don't get answered. And
(14:54):
you know, I've been praying for healing my whole life.
Anytime I get an injury, I'll pray and believe that
it heels on its own. And I think that's just
the course of nature. But I believe in miracles too,
and I just I'm struggling understanding what the missing element
is that I's something I'm not understanding with that scripture,
with the Word of God that says you ask it
(15:15):
shall be done. I'm having a problem that's really understanding
why things aren't getting done.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
When I asked, isn't it interesting that you quoted it
two different ways to me? The first way you gave
the long version and and the second way you edited
out almost the caveat or the secondary purpose or part
of the verse, which was to do it what.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
In in my name?
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Now? So what does that mean. You remember the old
movies where you know cops and robbers and they'd say
stop in the name of the law. You know, stop
in the name of the law. And it's not in
the power of law. It's really talking about the power
of and the authority given to them by the principalities
or what have you, of the local government in which
(16:03):
they are fighting crime for. So when saying that, they're
saying that there is an authority given to me. When
used in its proper context, that doesn't mean that a
cop can say give me all your money in the
name of the law, because that would be outside of
the name of the law. Correct. So there's something about
(16:24):
saying it in God's name that is about the power
and authority and the righteousness and the will of God,
not just saying I want this in Jesus name and
then getting it. There's more to it than that. So
if you put that in the context of that verse,
and then you think about the best analogy for a
situation like this is if you when you were a
(16:46):
young boy and maybe you're in the grocery store with
your folks and you're going down the sugar asle and
you know sugar cereal aisle, and you're going, I want this,
I want this, I want this. That's your want and
your request. The reason and why you give that to
your parents is for your parents to filter them and say, no,
this is what you should have. It's not for you
(17:07):
to convince your parents that you need sugar cereal. It's
a process that your parents use to teach you what's
good for you. So you said that these things are
good for you just because they don't have a simple
good evil connotation, Like you're not saying, please, Lord, make
my hand swift when I murder this person. So it's
(17:29):
not always going to be so cut and dry and
so easy. There are going to be times when you're
asking for something that isn't inherently bad, a proper relationship
or a healing or something like that that's not inherently
bad in any way, shape or form, but it's not
necessarily God's will or part of his plan. So your
prayer is to fine tune your wants, needs, and desires
(17:51):
to God's wants, needs, and desires, not for you to
get what you want. So it confuses people because sometimes
God wants you to have something, but not now, for
whatever reason, you're to learn patience and learn understanding, or
you have to go through more of a healing process,
whatever it might be. So keep in mind when it
(18:11):
says that when you pray in God's name and you
ask these things, they shall be given, that's essentially saying
that when you pray along the will of God, you're
going to get it. As we talked about earlier, going
the difficult way for the easy path, God's path is easy.
It's just it may not be what you want and
(18:31):
or you may not understand it, and it's in it's timing.
So it's not about you not getting it. It's about
God trying to continue for you to see, well, if
it didn't come to me quickly and easily, then there's
something else there that you're missing that God wants you
to know, whether it's patience or understanding or seeing another
(18:51):
facet of it that would make you see it differently.
But it's not that Wow, I want something good and
God doesn't want it for me. It's it's that God's
saying no. In order to get this good and utilize
it properly in a healthy way. I can see all things,
and I could see if you got it, now this
is how you would use it, or this is where
(19:13):
it would go, or this is how it would pan out.
That you have called me into your life and said
that you want my will to be above your will,
and I'm going to try and teach you that. You know,
the world may be different. That's why the world seems
to get everything. You see these people because they're not
giving their life to God. They're just saying, I want
this stuff, and you're saying, I only want the stuff
(19:37):
you want me to have, and I want it in
the time you want me to have it. I want
it the way you want me to have it. Totally
different context. You're almost giving You're not giving up your
free will. You still have it, but you're giving your
will over to God to try and align it with God's.
It's all much longer process than just I want this, okay.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
So basically not putting God on my tideline. So the
prayers are okay, continue to pray and ask for things
that's like a restored marriage or absolutely something, but just
continue to believe no matter how long it takes that
you're saying there just.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Absolutely yeah, there's nothing wrong with that. The prayer of
Jabez was a book that was written about a prayer
in Scripture that was all about asking for things that
that most people would say, Oh, well, you're not supposed
to ask for that, you know, more land or more
uh wherewithal to do more things. That's that's not the
way God works. He doesn't have a problem with you
having things that can do better, or land that you
(20:35):
can use, or anything like that. It's God's not trying
to keep you down. It's a matter of being in
line with God. And I'll tell you something, Michael, the
majority of the time Christians have issues with prayers. I
assure you, it's not the subject of the prayer. It's
the timeline, and it's God saying, you know, because God
(20:55):
says in Scripture he wants you to reconcile in marriage,
he wants you to do these things are already there.
So usually it's the timing and something in the mechanics
of it that God sees that you don't that he says,
if done now, it won't work. So yeah, it's just
(21:15):
it can be a timing issue. But I don't want
you to think that the things you're praying for are
wrong because the way from what you've told me. It
sounds like you've you've thought it through and have been
praying about the things that are are most important of
you in your life. On another note, though, Michael, I
will say this that it's funny when things happen instantaneous
(21:35):
they're miracles. If they happen over a period of time,
it's nature. I'm not sure why people make that that
that distinction, But healing at all is fairly miraculous when
you think of what's taking place. A privation is happening
in your skin and your body in some way, the
absence of something that should be there, or cut a wound,
(21:57):
whatever it might be, and that the body in time
can reconstruct itself to a place of health and protection.
Now that's pretty amazing. I guess if a baby is born.
If you make love with your husband or wife and
(22:20):
the next day you have a baby, that's pretty miraculous.
But I'm not sure why nine months in between those
two points of interest make it less miraculous. So I
know that in this particular world currently, having things immediately
seems to be so wonderful. But in God's world, outside
(22:41):
of all this, there is no time. God isn't working
with a big clock going in his ear. So the
Father is doing these things because they're right, or not
doing them because they're not right, okay, just or unjust.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
Period.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
God's not wondering, Oh well, I hope I get this
done in time. That's what you are feeling. God just
wants to see it done right, and man just tends
to want to see it done right. Now there in
lies the battle between even the believer, the Christian, and God.
(23:22):
Even the Christian is tapping their foot in front of
the microwave, going, really, I have to wait three minutes
for a full meal. You probably remember when things were
heated up in foil in the oven. After it the
oven preheated for fifteen minutes. But it's perspective. So you
(23:45):
can't ask for the fast food God and expect the
quality to be there. And God's just not going to
sit there and watch the clock. God is going to
say what is needed, and the right way it is needed,
and for what purpose and all of those things, and
go through that. And at the end of that is
when God will grant those things in the fullness of time,
(24:07):
in God's perfection, so that they will actually suit you
and God's will. But I assure you when you ask
a god for things and you send up prayers, it
is more like that child asking for sugar cereal. The
purpose not for the child to get what they want,
but for the parent to be able to teach the
(24:28):
child what they need and what they should be asking for. Jack,
Welcome to the Jesus Christ Show. How can I help you?
Speaker 1 (24:40):
Jack? I got the alga question about God's salvation plan.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
Okay, it's a big one, alrighty.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
I'm a Christian. My parents in the entire family are
not saved. So that's got sort of laid out on
my heart about you know, then saved in the lost
and reading the scripture, it shows you know, it says
unless you were born again, you're not into heaven, right,
and God's salvation plan. It seems to me that man
(25:08):
hasn't really accepted it. It this sounds kind of blasphemous,
and it sounds like it's it seems like it's it
just hasn't really worked. You know, the majority of human
beings man hasn't really accepted you, and they're you know, so,
I mean, you know, Jesus didn't say be human beings
and try your best, and you know you should be
(25:29):
with me, right, right, I mean you're so. I mean,
do you see a gray area in scriptures that will
allow other denominations and to enter into heaven or is
it really truly? I mean, I just see the majority
of man has not really accepted you.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
Well, your perception might be that way, But imagine, imagine
this Jack with Christmas comes the tradition of the movie,
it's a wonderful life, right, What a lousy movie that
would be if you turned it off right in the middle, right,
it just you know, everything's horrible. George Bailey's heartbroken looking
(26:15):
at committing suicide. That's that's a real downer, right, But
if you finish the movie, you can see that the
plan works out and ties into a greater good and
something is more beautiful than if it just went out
it just went well all along. You see the unity
of people, of groups of people coming together for a
(26:36):
common good, of people reaching deep into their pockets to
help someone else, and it shows a bigger picture of
beauty than just if George Bailey had a good life
and he went off and traveled and everything was fine
and dandy. So likewise, you are only getting a glimpse
of the entire process. You're getting a part of the story.
(26:57):
And although it may not look that way to you,
is a plan and everybody, everybody gets an equal opportunity
to hear the purpose and the plan and to make
a decision for or against it. Is never based on ignorance, Jack.
It's not whether someone knows or doesn't know or anything.
It's about whether someone accepts or rejects. And God has
(27:19):
a plan for all those things.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
And to.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
Look for that middle ground or that gray area you
were talking about is very human to kind of say, oh, well,
it's looking you know. It's almost like if you can't
beat them, join them. Well, if you know, if we
can't make more Christians, then why don't we just allow
you know, why doesn't God just allow anything any different
belief or anything focus of any kind. And and that's
(27:50):
that's really whittling God's plan down. I don't think it's blasphemous.
I think it's healthy that you ask the question. It's
just a matter of making it more about well, I
don't know if they're going to clear that bar. I
don't know they're going to clear that bar. Have faith
in people. It's not about a religion against religion. People
think that it's about looking and seeking the truth and
(28:13):
finding the truth. People make it about this or make
it about that, and scripture continues to bring people back
to the truth. God will give everyone, no matter what
faith or color, or even religion, they are on opportunity
to hear his truth, not sell them a religion, to
hear his truth, and they can accept it or reject it,
(28:36):
and upon that is the consequence or the victory
Speaker 3 (28:44):
On demand.
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
If you look around, it's interesting how in life some
things change you see change all the time, and some
things don't seem to ever change no matter how long
it's been. Certain things seem to stay the same. In
my day two thousand years ago, the term tax collector
(00:31):
was a pejorative of sorts, almost a dirty word, synonymous
with sinner. I bet if you went around and asked
today what people thought about the tax collector, they'd probably
still think that the word or the term tax collector
is synonymous with sinner. As tax day approaches, I'm sure
(00:57):
you're not pleased or thinking happy thoughts about tax collectors.
You're not pleased about the thought of handing your hard
earned money over to the government. But how do you
think God feels about that? How do you think God
feels about taxes? You may think God opposes you paying
(01:21):
taxes because you read verses like Matthew eighteen fifteen through
seventeen that says, if your brother sins against you, go
and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
But if he does not listen, take one or two
(01:43):
others along with you, that every charge may be established
by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he
refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church.
And if he refuses to listen to even the church,
let him be to you as a gentile and tax collector.
(02:05):
How could you could you not think of tax collectors
as outcasts when you read a verse like that, That's
one of many. You can read many in scripture where
it seems that tax collectors even I was mocked by some,
(02:25):
but by saying that I ate with tax collectors, that
I broke bread with them, somehow automatically made me bad. However,
in scripture, tax collectors weren't told to stop collecting taxes.
When the opportunity arose to be able to teach them something,
(02:47):
they were told to do it in a particular way.
And you can read this in scripture. While John the
Baptist was speaking to the crowds, he was approached by
a tax collector who wished to be baptized. As many
people of different walks of life would come up to
John the Baptist to be baptized. Luke three twelve and
thirteen says this tax collectors also came to be baptized
(03:11):
and said to him, speaking to John teacher, what shall
we do? And John replied to them, collect no more
than you are authorized to do. Collect no more than
you are authorized to do. That is what John the
Baptists taught. If taxes were somehow inherently sinful, or they
(03:36):
were a sin just by the very nature of being taxes,
then the advice that John the Baptist gave in this
case would not be godly at all. This would have
been a perfect time for John to condemn what the
tax collector was doing, but he didn't. All he said
(03:58):
was collect no more than you're authorized to do. Be
fair about it, be balanced about it. Don't use it
as an opportunity to swindle somebody or to squeeze more
than you should. But just because you despise paying taxes
of any kind, whether it's federal, state, property, or sales tax,
(04:22):
doesn't mean that they aren't important, or that they're somehow
not in line with the will of God. There's a
place for them. God knows that there's a place where
taxes are needed. The more you delve into scripture, the
more you'll see God is not against you paying honest taxes.
(04:44):
As a matter of fact, God commands you to pay
honest taxes to the government. Romans thirteen one through seven says,
let everyone be subject to the governing authorities. For there's
no authority except that which God has established. The authorities
that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels
(05:09):
against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted,
and those who do so will bring judgments onto themselves.
For rulers hold no terror of those who do right,
but for those who do wrong. Do you want to
(05:29):
be free from fear of the one in authority, then
do what is right and you will not be condemned.
You will be commended, for the one in authority is
God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong,
be afraid, for the rulers do not bear the sword
for no reason. They are God's servants, agents of wrath
(05:50):
to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary
to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment,
but also as a matter of conscience. This this is
why you pay taxes. For the authorities are God's servants
(06:11):
who give their full time to governing Give to everyone
what you owe them, And this is important. Listen to
this last part of verse seven, give to everyone what
you owe them. If you owe taxes, pay taxes. If revenue,
(06:32):
then revenue, If respect, then respect, If honor, then honor.
And it's very important there that it says, if you're
resisting governing authorities, you in fact are resisting God because
God instituted them, and you will be judged for it.
(06:54):
And even when Ponscious Pilot and I were talking at
my arrest prior to being crucified, he was trying to
get me just to give it all up and just
just say these words, do this, jump through these hoops,
and we'll let you go. It'll be fine. And when
(07:16):
I would respond in the negative, he looked at me
and said, don't you know that I could crucify you
right now? And my response was, what don't you know
that that authority comes to you from the Father. Even
misused authority is still from God. The key is for
(07:42):
all parties, whether you're a tax collector taxpayer, to act
appropriately and honestly according to the laws when it comes
to collecting, when it comes to paying, the key is
to do it righteously and honestly. Does that mean that
you are to take a deep gulp and give every
(08:04):
cent up. No, Because the laws are there in your
favor as well. The laws are there for you to
take honest deductions to find where the balance is in
all things. You're perfectly within your right, legally, spiritually to
take advantage of tax deductions that are legal, tax breaks,
(08:26):
tax shelters, as long as they're honest and they're legally allowed.
But it's the balance of all these things that are important.
You may be frustrated with the government at times. That's okay,
and that's normal, but there are many things that you see.
Maybe not every pothole is filled. Maybe you're not happy
(08:48):
with some of the systems, whether it be the schools
or the libraries or what have you. And hopefully you
use your voice to make change or to raise concerns.
But being a part of a community, being a part
of a system that works, means sometimes paying into it
(09:09):
and being a part of it that way, So you
can take the time, hire somebody and learn as much
as you can about the tax system to find out
how it can work in your benefit as well. But
if you try and look spiritually to scripture. If you're
trying to find that loophole in scripture that says it's
(09:29):
okay not to pay taxes or somehow to lie or
do any of these things, you're not going to find it.
You can look high and low if you wish, and
try and find that one loophole that will get you
out of this time, which I know is not a
fun time. But you won't ever find a place where
God says that it's okay to not be a part
(09:53):
of the society this way, or to somehow reject the
governing bodies. It's not fun to think of out taxes.
That it's very easy to get upset and want to
raise your fist and say I'm sick of paying taxes.
I don't want to pay for anything anymore. I feel
like I'm being bled dry. But God does tell you
(10:16):
in scripture that taxes are important. God does tell you
in scripture that it's important for you to pay taxes.
God says that if in Romans thirteen one through seven,
that if you're not paying taxes, you're not doing the
right thing. You're rebelling against the very authorities that God
put there, and that you should give to everyone what
you owe them, whether it's taxes or revenue, or respect
(10:38):
or honor, that you should pass those things along. Taxes
have always been a hot button issue, and there have
been many that tried to use it to their own
political or even spiritual gain. In my day, the Pharisees
tried to trap me by asking me how I felt
(11:00):
about taxes. Of course, they were trying to get me
in a position where I would offend somebody or the other.
See if they asked me how I felt about taxes,
their whole hope was how am I going to answer.
If I answer one way, that it's going to offend
the Roman government. If I answer in a different way,
then I might offend the people. Matthew twenty two, fifteen
(11:20):
through twenty two talks about this and the Pharisees coming
out with their their plans to trap me. They sent
their disciples to me. It came and they said, teacher,
we know you are a man of integrity, that you
teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
(11:41):
You aren't swayed by others because you pay no attention
to who they are. Listen to the way they they
sweet talk. The situation and try and set me up.
Tell us, then, verse seventeen, what is your opinion? Is
it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?
(12:02):
Verse eighteen goes on to say that I knew that
their intent was not pure. I knew that their intent
was trying to set me up. So I said, you hypocrites,
why are you trying to trap me? Show me the
coin you use for paying taxes? And they brought me
the coin, and then I asked them whose image is
this and whose inscription? Caesar? They replied. Then I said
(12:25):
to them, so give back to Caesar what is Caesar's
and give to God what is God's. When they heard this,
they were amazed, and they left me and they went away.
So with tax season here as it rolls around every year,
and I know that it can be upsetting because of
what you have to pay out, remember Matthew seventeen twenty
(12:48):
four through twenty seven. After Jesus and his disciples arrived
in Capernaum, the collectors of the two drachma temple tax
came to Peter and asked, doesn't your teach you pay
the temple tax? And you know what he replied, yes,
he does. Michael Welcome to the Jesus Christ Show.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
How are you doing today?
Speaker 2 (13:17):
I am well, how are you?
Speaker 3 (13:19):
I'm wonderful. Thanks. I just got to ask you something
real quickly. For my question, Yes, everybody claims that your
middle name starts with an age, and I just need
you to clarify, what is your middle name that starts with.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
An age, that you know what that comes from, that
actually comes from sort of a using it as a
curse word. People say, Jesus, Holy Christ is what is?
What is where it comes from? And so people would
shorten it. It's not my middle name. It's no specific title.
Of course, Jesus or Yeshua is my name, and Christ
(13:51):
is the title. It means mashiak, it's the Messiah. So
it's so it's not it's not a full name. It's
not on it's not on an ID or social Security
card or anything like that. And what's your question for me?
Speaker 3 (14:05):
Yeah? My question is to start, I believe the word
of God, and I specifically believe everything that's written and read.
And one thing that you'd have said in the Bible
is that if you ask anything in my name, it
shall be done for you. So my question, as along
the line, was a prayer and unanswered prayer. I've prayed
(14:29):
for healing and restoration of marriage and things like that,
things that aren't greedy that I believe they're holy things
to pray for, that it's nothing that sinful in nature.
And I believe without doubting, and I truly do. And
I'm wondering why some prayers just don't get answered. And
(14:54):
you know, I've been praying for healing my whole life.
Anytime I get an injury, I'll pray and believe that
it heels on its own. And I think that's just
the course of nature. But I believe in miracles too,
and I just I'm struggling understanding what the missing element
is that I's something I'm not understanding with that scripture,
with the Word of God that says you ask it
(15:15):
shall be done. I'm having a problem that's really understanding
why things aren't getting done.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
When I asked, isn't it interesting that you quoted it
two different ways to me? The first way you gave
the long version and and the second way you edited
out almost the caveat or the secondary purpose or part
of the verse, which was to do it what.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
In in my name?
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Now? So what does that mean. You remember the old
movies where you know cops and robbers and they'd say
stop in the name of the law. You know, stop
in the name of the law. And it's not in
the power of law. It's really talking about the power
of and the authority given to them by the principalities
or what have you, of the local government in which
(16:03):
they are fighting crime for. So when saying that, they're
saying that there is an authority given to me. When
used in its proper context, that doesn't mean that a
cop can say give me all your money in the
name of the law, because that would be outside of
the name of the law. Correct. So there's something about
(16:24):
saying it in God's name that is about the power
and authority and the righteousness and the will of God,
not just saying I want this in Jesus name and
then getting it. There's more to it than that. So
if you put that in the context of that verse,
and then you think about the best analogy for a
situation like this is if you when you were a
(16:46):
young boy and maybe you're in the grocery store with
your folks and you're going down the sugar asle and
you know sugar cereal aisle, and you're going, I want this,
I want this, I want this. That's your want and
your request. The reason and why you give that to
your parents is for your parents to filter them and say, no,
this is what you should have. It's not for you
(17:07):
to convince your parents that you need sugar cereal. It's
a process that your parents use to teach you what's
good for you. So you said that these things are
good for you just because they don't have a simple
good evil connotation, Like you're not saying, please, Lord, make
my hand swift when I murder this person. So it's
(17:29):
not always going to be so cut and dry and
so easy. There are going to be times when you're
asking for something that isn't inherently bad, a proper relationship
or a healing or something like that that's not inherently
bad in any way, shape or form, but it's not
necessarily God's will or part of his plan. So your
prayer is to fine tune your wants, needs, and desires
(17:51):
to God's wants, needs, and desires, not for you to
get what you want. So it confuses people because sometimes
God wants you to have something, but not now, for
whatever reason, you're to learn patience and learn understanding, or
you have to go through more of a healing process,
whatever it might be. So keep in mind when it
(18:11):
says that when you pray in God's name and you
ask these things, they shall be given, that's essentially saying
that when you pray along the will of God, you're
going to get it. As we talked about earlier, going
the difficult way for the easy path, God's path is easy.
It's just it may not be what you want and
(18:31):
or you may not understand it, and it's in it's timing.
So it's not about you not getting it. It's about
God trying to continue for you to see, well, if
it didn't come to me quickly and easily, then there's
something else there that you're missing that God wants you
to know, whether it's patience or understanding or seeing another
(18:51):
facet of it that would make you see it differently.
But it's not that Wow, I want something good and
God doesn't want it for me. It's it's that God's
saying no. In order to get this good and utilize
it properly in a healthy way. I can see all things,
and I could see if you got it, now this
is how you would use it, or this is where
(19:13):
it would go, or this is how it would pan out.
That you have called me into your life and said
that you want my will to be above your will,
and I'm going to try and teach you that. You know,
the world may be different. That's why the world seems
to get everything. You see these people because they're not
giving their life to God. They're just saying, I want
this stuff, and you're saying, I only want the stuff
(19:37):
you want me to have, and I want it in
the time you want me to have it. I want
it the way you want me to have it. Totally
different context. You're almost giving You're not giving up your
free will. You still have it, but you're giving your
will over to God to try and align it with God's.
It's all much longer process than just I want this, okay.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
So basically not putting God on my tideline. So the
prayers are okay, continue to pray and ask for things
that's like a restored marriage or absolutely something, but just
continue to believe no matter how long it takes that
you're saying there just.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Absolutely yeah, there's nothing wrong with that. The prayer of
Jabez was a book that was written about a prayer
in Scripture that was all about asking for things that
that most people would say, Oh, well, you're not supposed
to ask for that, you know, more land or more
uh wherewithal to do more things. That's that's not the
way God works. He doesn't have a problem with you
having things that can do better, or land that you
(20:35):
can use, or anything like that. It's God's not trying
to keep you down. It's a matter of being in
line with God. And I'll tell you something, Michael, the
majority of the time Christians have issues with prayers. I
assure you, it's not the subject of the prayer. It's
the timeline, and it's God saying, you know, because God
(20:55):
says in Scripture he wants you to reconcile in marriage,
he wants you to do these things are already there.
So usually it's the timing and something in the mechanics
of it that God sees that you don't that he says,
if done now, it won't work. So yeah, it's just
(21:15):
it can be a timing issue. But I don't want
you to think that the things you're praying for are
wrong because the way from what you've told me. It
sounds like you've you've thought it through and have been
praying about the things that are are most important of
you in your life. On another note, though, Michael, I
will say this that it's funny when things happen instantaneous
(21:35):
they're miracles. If they happen over a period of time,
it's nature. I'm not sure why people make that that
that distinction, But healing at all is fairly miraculous when
you think of what's taking place. A privation is happening
in your skin and your body in some way, the
absence of something that should be there, or cut a wound,
(21:57):
whatever it might be, and that the body in time
can reconstruct itself to a place of health and protection.
Now that's pretty amazing. I guess if a baby is born.
If you make love with your husband or wife and
(22:20):
the next day you have a baby, that's pretty miraculous.
But I'm not sure why nine months in between those
two points of interest make it less miraculous. So I
know that in this particular world currently, having things immediately
seems to be so wonderful. But in God's world, outside
(22:41):
of all this, there is no time. God isn't working
with a big clock going in his ear. So the
Father is doing these things because they're right, or not
doing them because they're not right, okay, just or unjust.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
Period.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
God's not wondering, Oh well, I hope I get this
done in time. That's what you are feeling. God just
wants to see it done right, and man just tends
to want to see it done right. Now there in
lies the battle between even the believer, the Christian, and God.
(23:22):
Even the Christian is tapping their foot in front of
the microwave, going, really, I have to wait three minutes
for a full meal. You probably remember when things were
heated up in foil in the oven. After it the
oven preheated for fifteen minutes. But it's perspective. So you
(23:45):
can't ask for the fast food God and expect the
quality to be there. And God's just not going to
sit there and watch the clock. God is going to
say what is needed, and the right way it is needed,
and for what purpose and all of those things, and
go through that. And at the end of that is
when God will grant those things in the fullness of time,
(24:07):
in God's perfection, so that they will actually suit you
and God's will. But I assure you when you ask
a god for things and you send up prayers, it
is more like that child asking for sugar cereal. The
purpose not for the child to get what they want,
but for the parent to be able to teach the
(24:28):
child what they need and what they should be asking for. Jack,
Welcome to the Jesus Christ Show. How can I help you?
Speaker 1 (24:40):
Jack? I got the alga question about God's salvation plan.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
Okay, it's a big one, alrighty.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
I'm a Christian. My parents in the entire family are
not saved. So that's got sort of laid out on
my heart about you know, then saved in the lost
and reading the scripture, it shows you know, it says
unless you were born again, you're not into heaven, right,
and God's salvation plan. It seems to me that man
(25:08):
hasn't really accepted it. It this sounds kind of blasphemous,
and it sounds like it's it seems like it's it
just hasn't really worked. You know, the majority of human
beings man hasn't really accepted you, and they're you know, so,
I mean, you know, Jesus didn't say be human beings
and try your best, and you know you should be
(25:29):
with me, right, right, I mean you're so. I mean,
do you see a gray area in scriptures that will
allow other denominations and to enter into heaven or is
it really truly? I mean, I just see the majority
of man has not really accepted you.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
Well, your perception might be that way, But imagine, imagine
this Jack with Christmas comes the tradition of the movie,
it's a wonderful life, right, What a lousy movie that
would be if you turned it off right in the middle, right,
it just you know, everything's horrible. George Bailey's heartbroken looking
(26:15):
at committing suicide. That's that's a real downer, right, But
if you finish the movie, you can see that the
plan works out and ties into a greater good and
something is more beautiful than if it just went out
it just went well all along. You see the unity
of people, of groups of people coming together for a
(26:36):
common good, of people reaching deep into their pockets to
help someone else, and it shows a bigger picture of
beauty than just if George Bailey had a good life
and he went off and traveled and everything was fine
and dandy. So likewise, you are only getting a glimpse
of the entire process. You're getting a part of the story.
(26:57):
And although it may not look that way to you,
is a plan and everybody, everybody gets an equal opportunity
to hear the purpose and the plan and to make
a decision for or against it. Is never based on ignorance, Jack.
It's not whether someone knows or doesn't know or anything.
It's about whether someone accepts or rejects. And God has
(27:19):
a plan for all those things.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
And to.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
Look for that middle ground or that gray area you
were talking about is very human to kind of say, oh, well,
it's looking you know. It's almost like if you can't
beat them, join them. Well, if you know, if we
can't make more Christians, then why don't we just allow
you know, why doesn't God just allow anything any different
belief or anything focus of any kind. And and that's
(27:50):
that's really whittling God's plan down. I don't think it's blasphemous.
I think it's healthy that you ask the question. It's
just a matter of making it more about well, I
don't know if they're going to clear that bar. I
don't know they're going to clear that bar. Have faith
in people. It's not about a religion against religion. People
think that it's about looking and seeking the truth and
(28:13):
finding the truth. People make it about this or make
it about that, and scripture continues to bring people back
to the truth. God will give everyone, no matter what
faith or color, or even religion, they are on opportunity
to hear his truth, not sell them a religion, to
hear his truth, and they can accept it or reject it,
(28:36):
and upon that is the consequence or the victory
Speaker 3 (28:44):
On demand.
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