D.C. Insider: IRS Gone Wild
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D.C. Insider: IRS Gone Wild
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Analysis. Remember the Lois Lerner scandal? Who could forget?
During the Obama administration, the IRS was caught targeting conservative groups. The tax-collecting agency had targeted for audit organizations that used such phrases as “Tea Party.” Later on, the federal government paid out a large sum in settlements to hundreds of these conservative groups.
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That may seem like a one-time mistake. But it wasn’t.
Just last year the IRS came under fire after it denied nonprofit status to a conservative, Christian group (Christians Engaged, which has partnered with IFA to provide civic engagement training. Click here to find out more.). The reasoning? “Bible teachings are typically affiliated with the [Republican] party and candidates,” the agent wrote in his denial.
More from the denial letter:
“You instruct individuals on issues that are prominent in political campaigns and instruct them on what the Bible says about the issue and how they should vote. These issues include the sanctity of life, the definition of marriage, and biblical justice. These issues generally distinguish candidates and are associated with political party platforms. These facts preclude you from exemption under IRC Section 501(c)(3).”
Following major pushback, the IRS later overturned its ruling, but that was only after they were caught red-handed. The very fact that an employee felt bold enough to write that paragraph in the first place shows you where things may be going and what kind of people are scattered throughout the IRS.
Now, President Biden has pushed through a major expansion of the agency, hiring 87,000 new agents for one sole purpose: to raise more funds through auditing. Their target? Mostly individuals and small businesses.
In the early Church, Christians were violently and publicly killed, fed to lions as a spectacle. In these modern times, I fear that persecution will come, at least at first, under a crushing weight of bureaucratic delays, processing, investigations, frozen bank accounts, accusations, and paperwork.
Just consider Jack Phillips, the Christian baker who is facing yet another lawsuit for refusing to bake LGBT-themed cakes. He has now faced legal proceedings for literally a decade. He did not seek out any of these confrontations. Multiple gay and trans individuals targeted him for this very purpose.
Are you next?
Insider Intercessory Information
I can tell you from experience that the bureaucrats in D.C. tend to be more liberal than not. This city that I love is brimming with Democrats and liberals. Now, they are free to have their own political views, but it’s important to know exactly who will be filling the ranks of this coming army of IRS auditors.
Consider this: Washington, D.C., residents voted at a rate of 90.1% for Hillary Clinton in 2016, and only 4.1% for Donald Trump. In 2020, Joe Biden received 93% of D.C.’s vote.
Of course, some federal workers live in nearby neighborhoods in Virginia and Maryland, but this still gives you an idea of what kind of political views are held by the bureaucrats running things in D.C.
It only takes a handful of ambitious leftists with the full weight of the IRS behind them to go on a secular inquisition. Let’s pray that doesn’t happen.
With this in mind, let us pray:
-Father, protect us from persecution! Give us favor and grace with the IRS so that the agency will not target Christians.
-Lord, undo any efforts to bloat the IRS’ auditing capacity. Don’t let this plan be perverted to force an ungodly agenda.
-Father, give us a revival and reformation in the IRS! — heavenly visitations, radical salvation! We pray that You would bless and move upon the workers at the IRS so that they would come to know You, prosper in all they do, and become workers for Your kingdom.
Verses to press into as you pray over this issue:
… so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs (2 Corinthians 2:11).
“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14 NIV).
How are you praying for the relationship between the Church and our government? Please share below.
Casey Harper is a writer in the Washington, D.C., area, covering national politics. He has worked for The Daily Caller, The Hill, and Sinclair Broadcast Group. A graduate of Hillsdale College, Casey’s work has also appeared in Fox News, Fox Business, Washington Examiner, and USA Today. Follow him on Twitter: @CaseyHarper33. Photo Credit: Getty Images.
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Can we please stop using the term “liberals” when describing democrats. . Liberals left D.C. and our hometowns twenty years ago. They are now, and have been for a long time, fully on board with the socialist/communist party. So call them what they are, socialists or communists. There are no more liberals. It is a term that is in the past.
Make America good again! We ask for Your salvation to flood into this nation. Bring conviction of sin, a renewed hunger for You and an awakening of our corporate conscience. Turn this into repentance, resulting in a release of resurrection life. You delight in mercy and we will receive this mercy through Christ. Amen.
I agree with much in the article, although in all honesty, why does it seem that many Christians dont recall or practice this verse written by Paul to the Corinthians: 1 Corinthians 5:12, : “What business is it of mine to judge those OUTSIDE the church? Are you not to judge those INSIDE?” when it comes to Christian businesses refusing to serve gay and transgender people, I think those Christians are guilty of violating that verse and thereby becoming like the Phairsees of Jesus day, quicker to stone someone than to show humility for their own sins and demonstrate the common unconditional respect to all people that Jesus had. Jesus did not “condone” sin but he showed his humity and unconditional divine respect to the sinner…he showed it by being kind and not throwing the first stone although he could have and clearly Deuteronomy 22:22 and Leviticus20:10 called for it. Instead Jesus basically found a direct yet general and peaceful way of convincing the entire crowd to put down their stones down without pointing his finger personally in the face of each one exposing each personally for their individual sins although he could had, he obviously knew, he wrote them in the sand instead which was enough. John 12:47 Jesus says I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. Further,verse 48: He that rejecteth me, and RECEIVE NOT MY WORDS hath one that judgeth him: the WORD that I have spoken, the same (the WORD) shall judge him in the last day.49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, HE gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.
What Commandment? the same he gave us: Love God with all our hearts, souls, mind and strength and love your neighbor as ourself..
remember the story Jesus told that contrasted the Religious and the good samaritain? Who showed true love to his neighbor? The religious failed the test!
I do not feel that serving gays “condones” their sins…i am guessing the same business serves heretosexual couples who “lived in sin” for years before their wedding and even possibly serves couples who committed adultery and broke up a marriage with children so they could be together… these sins are also mentioned in the bible? So why the bias hatred toward homosexual by some self righteous people who themselves were or still are sinning against the word of God? Read your bible folkes. I repeat: Corinthians 5:13, : “What business is it of mine to judge those OUTSIDE the church? Are you not to judge those INSIDE?” As a Christian business you are providing a paid service to the general public, not a sermon and biased finger pointing…if you want to point fingers point them at yourself for Christian immaturity and not reading and following the word of the Holy Spirit spoken through Paul to the Corinthians in chapter 5:12. Jesus offered to give the woman at the well living water…basically he offered to SERVE her, a sinner and a Samartain! Do you truly think he would have refused to speak to her and serve her living water if she was gay? or allowed the phairsees to stone a gay caught in the act? Really, do you? Does it mean 5 marriages and living together isnt as bad of a sin? or adultery which is in the 10 commandments which fornication and homosexuality are not, yet are both clearly mentioned as sin in other parts of the bible. Does sparing the adulterer or offering to serve the woman at the well mean Jesus condoned their sins? Of course not! Jesus told the adulterer, in Joh 8:10-11 where are your accusers? Neither do I accuse you, GO AND SIN NO MORE.” clearly he showed her love and respect without condoning her sin! and an invalid man he healed at the pool of Bethsaida, John 5:1-15, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you” (verse 14). Christians who gay bash and finger point the world are as much sinners as anyone who hasn’t heard the goslel, in fact WORSE! Who did Jesus have the biggest beef with, the adulterer or the Phairsees? The Phairsees of course, pointing out their hypocrisy, which is why they hated him.
Until the Church “gets and preaches and practices” Corinthians we will remain ineffective and unregenerated and hated by the world as hypocrites. In John 13 Jesus said the world would know we were his by our love. So even judging those inside (not outside) as Paul instructs
, has to be done in love…13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.
15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you
16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. Jrsus demonstrated that when he called Judas, his betrayer “friend” a short time later.
Tge church needs to be more CHRIST-like not phairsee-like, Jesus called the Phairsees sons of the devil. Their heritage or outward profession of loving and obeying God was an outward farce, not an inward reality manifested outward by TRUE obedience to the simple command to LOVE”13 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecyand can fathom all mysteriesand all knowledge, and if I have a faiththat can move mountains,but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship, but do not have love, I gain nothing.4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in partand we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes,what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.But the greatest of these is love.
Love is not RUDE, Not ARROGANT…a public business refusing to serve any sinner is both arrogant and rude, and the business would be a far more effective witness for Christ by showing the respect Christ would have showed and basically letting these people know: “Hey, as a true servant of Christ, I don’t condone your lifestyle, but as a SINNER MYSELF saved only by his grace, i dont judge you either…He came to save not to judge and his message to ALL of us, is to go and sin no more…a servant is not above his master. Jesus loves and respects your you and your Godgiven freewill to choose to love him and serve him or not, and so do I…”
That will rock their world for Christ far more than demonstrating selfrighteous phariesetical stone throwing refusing to serve them. That will elevate love and grace and Christ without condoning sin and line up with
Corinthians 5:13, : “What business is it of mine to judge those OUTSIDE the church? Are you not to judge those INSIDE?”
i think it is very sad for IFA to be condoning the business who refused to serve the gays and hold them up as suffering persecuted saints instead of instructing readers and intecessors in the truth of Corinthians 5:13, : “What business is it of mine to judge those OUTSIDE the church? Are you not to judge those INSIDE?”
God help us when our leaders are not teaching the FULL gospel, when they consider the speck in the eye of the world worse than the beam in their own and refuse to remove the beam.
just a point of clarification perhaps or a question. If I understand correctly, the baker is not refusing to “serve” gay customers wanting to buy cookies, bread, etc. or to make for example, birthday cakes for someone who is gay. Just wedding cakes, unless I misunderstand. To me, this is like a doctor, not wanting to perform an abortion, thus taking the life of a child, but would willingly provide any other type of medical care the woman needed. In both cases, it is a matter of conscience for the baker or the doctor involved – certainly not a sound business decision, as in both cases they are losing business, money, customers etc. if they refuse the request/business of the individual wanting the wedding cake or the abortion. It is the harder road, with much to lose in this culture and nothing to gain, when these individuals follow their conscience rather than their pocketbook and job security. In business, it makes no sense to turn away customers and most bakers wouldn’t do it. But if they feel they are dishonoring God by baking a cake for a “marriage” that is clearly according to God’s word not a marriage and not something that honors God, they are courageous to obey God and not man. They do pay a high price for their obedience. They gain nothing and risk everything, as far as their earthly situation is concerned. I don’t think the doctor or the baker are casting stones or passing judgement, they just don’t want to be forced to participate in something that goes against God’s word. We all have to find a way to love our fellow sinners while still recognizing sin as sin and refuse to embrace it. Truth and grace – that is the tightrope we are each called to walk as Christ followers – an impossible task – but with God all things are possible! http://www.mtothe5th.wordpress.com
it is written again:
Corinthians 5:12, : “What business is it of mine to judge those OUTSIDE the church? Are you not to judge those INSIDE?”
I see refusing them a cake posdibly akin to judging them, if you refuse one sinner why not another? Is their sin worse? Although i get your point which was well stated, and your comparison of the doctor, where are scriptures to back up your opinion? usually abortions are performed at abortion clinics not by the average local hospital surgeon. so it’s not a likely scenario for your favorite MD to be faced with a request for an abortion. Yes it is within the bakers right to respectfully refuse, and the motive or inspiration for that refusal is the headt issue question only God and the baker can answer…was the refusal stated with love and respect as defined in 1 Corinthians 13? Live is the only litmis test proving Christianity not judging those outside the church, not fingerpointing… i feel a cake is not condoning tge marriage but after giving time to pondrr your thoughtful reply I would further say that I forgot a verse that just came to mind… from Romans, that if the baker saw it as sin, then to him it was, Romans clearly covers sins of conscience, but it’s the immature and weak believers that Paul describes there as having weak consciences who would deztfoy another over matters of good and drink or holy holidays. 1Corinthians 13 talks about love and going on to maturity in love…leaving childishness behind. Love is the greatest of all, clearly stated, it is above maryterdom, above prophecy, above all spiritual understanding tevelations and such. I do not agree that the baker should be sued as the couple wasnt denied something crucial like medical care it was a cake…it’s just the point that the world sees this as hypocrisy…that many Christians are quick to judges everyones sins but their own, and lawsuits like that call the world’s attention to this sad fact. Does it truly demonstrate Godly love? Does it help anyone repent? I am not asking for a definitive answer as i realize my error initially was failing to see if the baker saw it as sin then to HIS conscience it was. So i will follow up with that.
In Luke 12 and 13 we see some interesting words of Christ.
Be careful of the leven of the Phairsees which is hypocrisy..
Jesus isnt out comparing sin to sin like they were, all along he tried to show them that it’s the hidden inward motives and desires of the heart, not just the outward behavior…You dont commit murder outwardly but he compared hatred to murder, vo.pared lust to acgual adultery. Fornication is lumped into the same category as idolatry. But remember Corinthians 5:12…we arent supposed to be judging the world the unbelievers for those things…
15:17 says John says ALL unrighteousness is sin..yours mine, theirs…believers, unbelievers, ALL, humans are sinners period, being saved by grace doesnt give us the right to fingerpoint the world, back but again, if felt like sin to the baker then he had the choice to obey his conscience but to hopefulky obey with love not a pointed finger. The job of bringing true conviction belongs to the Holy Spirit…who says through Paul that LOVE NEVER fails…everything else but Love and the WORD have limits…Romans tells us it is God’s mercy yhat leads us to repentance not his wrath.Maybe some are saved through hellfire and brimstone messages but it’s his LOVE, MERCY, and faithfulness that ulgimately changes them. We are not above our master. If he can love sinners like the adulterer and admonish others to put down their stones, so should we.
Unfortunately God doesnt offer an exact scenario in the word for this situation. It might be a question of the baker’s personal conscience and motive and how he expressed his decision to the gsy couples. That is all i can say…i am not here to argue with anyone…we are all to study to show ourselves approved and live in peace staying in unity with Christ and each other each other in our journey, but it is our responsibility to reach out in love to believers who we feel may be deviating from the word of God
many typos, apologies but i think people can manuever through those and get the point.
the verse quoted was a typo:
1 John5:17 ALL sin is unrighreousness.
sins of conscience are covered in Romans 14.
So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?” (Romans 2:3-4)
other food for thought:
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. (Mt 5:7)
Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ I did not come to call the righteous but sinners. (Mt 9:13)
Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. (Lk 6:36)
Victoria,
The rudeness and hate (and so-called “judgement”) are not originating with or from the Christian community toward those who promote, agrresively support, and Legislate perversion and sin. To position the degenerate as the “victim” and the “oppressed” is folly, is it not?
A penny for your exegetical interpretation of Romans 1 or something shorter like perhaps Proverbs 10:23 ?
News flash: All true Christians are sinners and we admit it, and we reject and abhor our sins and daily fight against our sins, or else we are not actually Christian. Make sense?
Victoria,
I appreciate your well though out response. Not only do I live in Colorado (and was less than 5 miles from Jack’s bakery for many, many years), but I am an EA, and my specialty is tax law.
Two things I would like to point out – in Jack’s case, he offered the couple ANY of the beautiful cakes in his store, he just refused to bake them a specific cake that glorified their union as a gay couple. As a free American citizen, he should have the option to say “yes” or “no” to business without threat of a lawsuit. After years of battling the first lawsuit, there are more now that are “targeting” him. Couples that are going in and demanding he go against his personal beliefs and more lawsuits have been filed. I have never seen Jack as judgemental, but rather someone that holds personal convictions and will stand behind them. That is MY conviction, and I should be free to hold that conviction if our country is still free. In my business, I will prepare tax returns for homosexual couples, but I will not prepare any tax documents that officially “marries” them because of my personal beliefs.
The second thing I wanted to mention is, being in the tax world, as I am, I have seen IRS agents “target” people, and once you get under their microscope, they will not let you out until they have found something. I am, in the light of them adding 87k new agents, actually considering bowing out of my profession. I KNOW that they are going to target conservatives, I saw it from the inside during the Obama administration. There are many, many stories of donors to the Republican party that were targeted for audits, more than once, that was never reported by the MSM. I am a known conservative and I am concerned that they would start targeting my clients, because of my beliefs. This should not be allowed to happen in our country.
This is not a matter of “judging” in or outside the church, but rather a matter of each of us upholding standards and personal convictions. We absolutely CAN hold ourselves to a higher standard and do it in love. Just because someone doesn’t feel comfortable performing a service that is outside what they believe doesn’t mean they are “hateful” or a pharisee.
I agree with what you say. I’m not sure how my reply got attached to your comments because I agree with what you say. God bless you.
These businesses do not refuse to serve gays and transgenders. They serve them. They just do not feel they can apply their talents in a special way to make cakes, flower arrangements, etc. for celebration events when it is against their beliefs. So many people want to condemn Jack Phillips for not serving gays, etc, however, the truth is he did business with them on a regular basis. But he could not celebrate with them in their sin and so referred them to bakers who would. This is true of all those who are being persecutred for not doing special things to support life styles they feel are sinful. We are not judging to refuse to partake in sinful celebrations.
thank you, I agree with you and Carroll, “we are not judging by refusing to partake in sinful celebrations” as you said. exactly what I was trying to say in my reply above. sincerely, Barbara http://www.mtothe5th.wordpress.com
I sent a letter to 70 pastors and leaders of the bride end of April and May. Message was to exhort the leaders to call upon their flocks to implement fasting inclusion in their prayer lives for the church and the government.
One reply from Joseph Prince ministries. I occasionally get thank you notes from certain ministries after a donation. Make your own judgment. Thank you
so let’s see how many amens the tuth gets…i know the article deals more with Christian persecution in general by the IRS but the Christian business refusing to serve gays is a biblical example of pharsetical self righteous religion not the true love of Christ and frankley it hurts the cause of Christ more than helps…I am not ashamed to plead with Christian leaders and teachers to TRULY read the word and live it, not just blindly submit to the same old religion the phairsees had with a Christian label. if your christianity isnt about unconditiinal love and respect to ALL sinners, like Jesus had, even to sinners and his betrayers, then in all honesty, it’s nothing more than immaturity and religion elevating the same errors the phairsees made as Jesus clearly pointed out to them.
They do not refuse service to gays, etc. They deal with them on a regular basis. However, they do not feel they should participate in special efforts of celebration. They refer them to those who would do as they want. Jesus did not pariciate in sinful activity. He loved sinners and associated with them, but his messge was go and sin no more.
Lord I pray for all people who follow Jesus that they will not be afraid of our government and how they are treated. I pray for your protection over them when they turn in their taxes so the IRS will not sort them out to seek things wrong with their reports. All people need to be treated the same and I pray there will be officials who are honest and do this in according to our laws. I pray for your presence to manifest in the IRS workers, so they follow your teachings as they do their work.
Father, in the Name of Jesus, Lord of Lords and King of Kings, I say, “Amen” to prayer above.
The “Prayers of the Righteous avail much”. Your Church is righteous, solely, because Jesus’
sacrifice for “all sin” cover those who believe, trust, have faith in HIS WORD. It is ALL GRACE!!
Lord, thank you for the privilege of prayer. Thank you for anwered prayer. You hear us, Lord, always. Deliver us from any evil intentions by our government to use IRS against Americans, in Jesus’ Name. Amen