True followers of Christ must reject the State and its enforcement agents, who are regularly involved in oppressive and violent systems that contradict God's principles. Mere verbal claims of faith are insufficient proof of one's allegiance to God; genuine faith necessitates a transformation in behaviors, including a complete renunciation of roles that perpetrate systemic injustices. Repentance and a commitment to righteousness are essential for the servant of the Lord.

Many who profess to be followers of the Lord have drawn illegitimate exceptions to their faith when it comes to worldly institutions. Thinking of the Lord as nothing more than their soul-saver, they find it acceptable to turn to human rulers and soldiers to protect them, when this is actually a rebellion against God. God’s true people should trust in the Lord as their “national defense.”

Those who know just how much God hates statism are well aware of the anxious citation of Romans 13 by Christians to justify their own statolatry. This scripture has been historically manipulated to support tyranny. But did you know that church leaders have been trained by the government to use it as a weapon for gaining obedience from believers?

All States are born in sin and rebellion to God. When the definition of statism is arbitrarily limited to include only those political systems that exceed some arbitrary bounds for what a State is “supposed to be” doing, they ignore the inherent sin-nature of these systems and seek to reform them to their alleged bounds, rather than repent from them altogether and seek the Kingdom of God.

Although the prosperity of inflationist regimes may mask their underlying destruction and plunder for some time, all empires inevitably fall and come under judgment for their sin of theft, inflation, murder, and oppression. Those who want to survive the collapse must seek the Kingdom of God as the only alternative to the failing systems of men.

It is easy for men to be lured into the illusion of prosperity under man’s political systems, given that inflationary regimes may appear to offer great prosperity for some time. Since true prosperity and economic stability requires patience and faith in God, many people end up forsaking God for the perceived prosperity of Egypts and Romes, under the delusion that these plunder regimes can last forever.

The Israelites' longing to return to Egypt during their exodus parallels modern trust in the State. Those who lack faith in God turn back to human rulers to provide for them at the cost of their enslavement, and this lack of faith helps to empower the systems of man. Political bondage is made possible by men who believe socialist systems are the way to secure liberty and prosperity.

The temporary comforts of Egyptian-statist systems are usually sufficient to make men complacent to their bondage. Just as men before had failed to trust in God to provide for them, looking back to the alleged benefits of Egypt, so today they find it preferable to trust in States to deliver peace and prosperity than to put their faith in divine deliverance and providential provision, even though man’s systems are unsustainable.

Human government operates as a parasitic entity that thrives on wealth extraction through taxation that ultimately destroys economies and societies. Despite appearing prosperous due to its global economic dominance and the status of the U.S. dollar, the system is built on unsustainable practices of plunder and debt. Though a false prosperity masks underlying destruction for now, which has kept men hopeful, the U.S. faces an inevitable day of reckoning.

Sometimes the Spirit of the Lord has it that a long winded cry comes upon a man at the condition of political bondage which he lives under, and the longing to see the Kingdom of God appear.

It is foolish to think that political intervention stems from ignorance rather than malice. We are ruled by men who intentionally enact harmful policies to expand their power and enrich themselves, using deceptive narratives about the "common good” to do so. Understanding economics won't change the actions of the men who rule over us, as their actions are driven by calculated exploitation. True change requires rejecting these inherently corrupt systems.

As the apostle James says, true Christianity is not just being a hearer of the word but a doer. The true followers of Jesus Christ must not only hear His words, but actively follow them and seek the Kingdom of God. We must seek to live separate and apart from the unrighteous ways of the world and dedicate ourselves to the calling to serve God as citizens of His kingdom.

Many secular advocates of liberty reject God in their vain attempt to get free from human rulers, thinking that being ruled by men or God is one and the same. They fail to recognize that statism is a result of rejecting God and that true liberty is only achievable under God's sovereignty, and by rejecting God’s rule themselves, they inadvertently fall into the hands of tyrants.

Though few professing Christians would like to admit it, the very job of policing—using violence to enforce the edicts of politicians—involves behavior and acts that God detests, such as pride, deceit, violence, and discord. The role of “law Police are men who serve the State, rather than God.

Though the kingdoms of this world have many supporters, often many who tend to see through them have taken a hopeless view of what to do about it, thinking that any action to change society is futile. These men should rise up from their slumber and begin seeking the Kingdom of God. They should follow up their apathetic rejection of statism with active work to establish a godly society.

Many like to argue that a mere profession that one is a “Christian” is sufficient proof that they are, thus allowing for discrepancies between words and actions, such as claiming Christ but pledging allegiance to the kingdoms of this world. But scripture well-supports the idea that many men falsely claim to be servants of the Lord, who say one thing but do another.

Statism is an ungodly ideology that arises as part of man's rebellion against divine order. The idea that human government is essential to social order does not come from God and demonstrates a total lack of faith in Him. True Christians reject statism, trust solely in God for all things, and pursue divine wisdom rather than follow the deceptive philosophies of the world.

Most modern churches not only fail to embody true Christian worship, which can be understood as serving one another, but they are even sinister institutions that exist to promote the worldly ideology of statism. They are nothing more than propaganda centers that pacify men into inaction. Far from idolizing the gods of this world, true Christian congregation actually serves one another and rejects political provision of goods.

Those who have had a fire lit inside them by the spirit of the Lord can’t help but to begin pondering ways to radically transform the society around us and wake others up from their slumber. Our people have idolized the men of the world and consequently have gone into bondage to them. But through awareness, agitation, repentance, and organization, it is possible to turn this Egyptian society upside down.

The problem with human government is not just that it has (expectedly) grown out of control. All degrees and forms of statism are inherently ungodly, rebellious, and plunderous. Seeking human rulers goes against the warnings in scriptures and ultimately leads to slavery. There is no hope in fixing the system from within. It needs to be abandoned as an evil false god. Statism must be abolished, not limited.

Though many “secularists” blame “theocracy” for the world’s problems, the social issues we face today are precisely due to humanity's rejection of God's true (anarchistic) theocracy in favor of man-made systems of governance. The tyrannies we face are a result not of “theocracy” per se, but forsaking divine rule for the false theocracy of statism. True liberty lies in embracing a God-centered order rather than a system of political gods.

By introducing anarcho-theocracy into the picture, we can challenge the notion that all theocratic systems lead to tyranny. While all social systems inherently possess theocratic elements, true theocracy, governed by God’s principles, promotes liberation rather than oppression. We have to distinguish between false theocracies, rooted in statism, and genuine theocracy. The latter—following God's commandments—leads to a non-violent, charitable society rather than tyranny.

If we are seeking to follow the ways of early Christians, we should be focused on building Christian communities. The call to love our neighbor means to actually serve them. The essence of Christianity lies in living the Gospel and building actual communities to carry out the ways of Christ. It is time to begin networking with our neighbors and live out our faith with intention and purpose.

True allegiance to God involves renouncing worldly powers and the statist ideologies that accompany these systems. Genuine conversion requires Christians to live distinctly from secular influences, rejecting nationalistic symbols and the glorification of earthly governments that they may have once fell for. Those who follow the Lord must be born again into a new kingdom. Those entangled with worldly systems lack true commitment to Christ's kingdom and need repentance.

Besides God's command that true allegiance belongs solely to Him, there is another reason believers must reject the idea of dual citizenship in the Kingdom of God and the kingdoms of men: The consequences of such divided loyalties bring great evils to society. Restoration is possible through sincere acknowledgment of sin and a commitment to serve only God.

There has been a persistent rebellion against God's guidance throughout the history of mankind in regards to the misguided belief that state systems offer security and order, when in truth a reliance on political leaders as saviors leads to oppression and idols contrary to divine rule. This rebellion has resulted in repeated historical cycles of political subjugation and spiritual disobedience.

True allegiance to God must be to God alone. Participation in earthly political systems and idolization of their leaders contradicts biblical teachings. Christians who engage in statist practices are falling to satanic temptation. Jesus made it clear that His kingdom is separate from those of the worldly powers. Believers must reject "dual citizenship" and refrain from alliances with the kingdoms of this world and those who pursue their causes.

Followers of the Lord were always to be a separate people from worldly political systems. The States of today are the same oppressive kingdoms like Egypt and Rome that God calls us to avoid. Allegiance to God alone requires rejecting the practices of statists and participation in their systems. Going after the man-made authoritarianism of the world is a betrayal of faith. Christians must seek God's kingdom instead.

Christians cannot simultaneously pledge allegiance to God and earthly governments. Such dual loyalty is spiritual adultery and betrays God. Men of God must choose God's kingdom over the statist kingdoms of the world, as these earthly authorities are false gods. True believers must renounce all worldly ties to faithfully serve the Lord alone.

Here are more details of the Samuel Eight Project that may be of interest to readers: how the project came about, the thinking of the public, more about the scripture itself, and instructions on making a submission.

An introduction the Samuel Eight Project. The scriptural background, man’s political rebellion against God, God’s warning of what it would mean, its pertinence today, and what we hope to achieve with the project.

The Samuel Eight Project is a project by our ministry to list crimes by government in order to show the people today that God's warning to the Israelites of the destruction that comes from king-seeking is still relevant today.

When men perceive that “their” guys are in power, they are likely to grow complacent with power itself as well as continue to forsake working on the advancement of God’s Kingdom, which they now figure is more or less being delivered by the government itself. After the 2024 election, there appears to be an unhealthy optimism toward the political system, which remains on God’s chopping block.

The political spectrum as commonly understood does not provide us with enough information once God is considered. Here we propose that the real spectrum is between anarcho-theocracy and statist theocracy. True liberty arises only when God governs society, and all human authority is ungodly. All forms of statism reject God's rule, leading to tyranny.

The basic Biblical instruction to reject earthly rulers and embrace Jesus Christ as the sole King provides us with a Christian politics. This political position might be called "Christarchism," where there is no King but Christ Jesus. A Christian social order is an "anarcho-theocracy" of sorts where God is the ruler of a stateless people. The worldly ideology of statism—the allegiance to human authority—is incompatible with Christianity.

Statism functions as a false religion, characterized by rulers acting as "gods" in opposition to the true theocracy of God. Christians who align themselves with statism therefore expose themselves as unfaithful to God, because there is inherent conflict between allegiance to God and earthly governments. Genuine faith demands rejection of state worship, which is unavoidable in the ideology of statism itself.

Contrary to those who make it out to be some innocent, secular “civic duty,” participating in voting is akin to making a vow to a false deity, undermining a Christian's faithfulness to God's kingdom. A basic look at the etymology of "vote” shows that it's a sacred commitment that contradicts Jesus' teachings against oaths. Abstaining from voting reflects true allegiance to God's authority.

The idea of theocracy has been ill-conceived by most people. It has been defined as the religio-political systems of the world. While we may call these systems theocracies too, true theocracy is diametrically opposed to statist systems. Theocracy in its truest sense is anarchist. Statism is a false religion, a 'false god' system that is completely at odds with God's theocracy, where He rules instead of men.

Jesus' statement regarding taxes illustrates a critical distinction between loyalty to God and earthly authority. His clever, almost ambiguous response the attempt to trap Him in His words emphasizes God as the true owner of all, challenging the legitimacy of Roman taxation. Ultimately, the choice is between allegiance to God or Caesar. In this view, avoiding taxes becomes a radical expression of discipleship and resistance to worldly tyranny.

Few Christians seem to recognize their authority to pray to God against the demonic forces of our world. But this theme of calling upon God to remove our enemies is all throughout the Psalms, and calls of repentance are found all throughout the books of the prophets. It would be wise for us to get back to this tradition as the evils advance.

The great, sinful idolatry towards the State isn't even realized by most Christians, who have been trained to think "God and country" are compatible ideas. And so they even mock those who don't take part in their idolatries, as was evident in a sports injury by someone who wouldn't kneel for the National Anthem.

Combating statism requires more than logical argumentation or economic education. Men need to undergo a spiritual transformation and truly come out of the world and all its lies. Men endorse statism more due to spiritual corruption rather than lack of understanding. We have to keep this in mind as we minister to men in the ways of the Lord.

The State functions as a false god, substituting itself for God's promises of protection and prosperity. The “joy” of the godless man is in these political systems and their figures. It only makes sense that a politician would say “we will vote with joy.” It is men and their systems that they trust in. True joy and security, however, come from trusting in the Lord, not in human institutions.

State holidays such as Veterans Day are a celebration of idolatry. The faith and trust many Christians place in the State and its military is misplaced and should be redirected towards God. This idolatrous veneration of the State contradicts biblical teachings about reliance on God for protection, salvation, and guidance.

Many Christians are misled to believe that voting for human rulers is necessary given the existence of even worse ones. But this merely showcases a lack of faith in God. Placing trust in man-kings is a rejection of divine authority and protection, no matter how many evil men there are. The true call for believers is to repent from supporting earthly governments and return to reliance on God for deliverance.

There is a pervasive theme in the Psalms that is almost always overlooked: the existence of evil conspirators, ie., government rulers, who prey on God's children. The Psalms call for divine protection from these wicked men and speak of God's eventual judgment upon them. The praise-oriented lessons typically taken from the Psalms is enriched by seeing that it is linked to God's justice against these enemies of humanity.

Christians should reconsider their participation in political voting, considering that it as a form of engagement with pagan-statist systems that perpetuate evil. Christians should question the legitimacy of human rulership and see that true allegiance belongs to Jesus Christ, who is the ultimate ruler, making voting unnecessary for Christians.

This is a short poem on God’s people coming out of the world, such as disengaging from the Egyptian political systems than have ensnared men into voting for them and cheering them on.

The modern intertwining of Christianity and political systems is a corruption. The many Christians today who mistakenly justify state violence and politics as essential for societal good are in error and out of step with earlier Christians. Many historical Christian teachings decidedly advocate against involvement in worldly politics, and preach a reliance on faith and non-violence rather than voting, campaigning, political power, or military might.

The biblical narrative of God's people seeking earthly kings to rule over them is easily likened to modern voters forsaking divine leadership for human rulers. No less than with a monarch, democratic voting represents a rejection of God, perpetuating a cycle of bondage while advocating for political systems rooted in violence and sin. True liberation lies in repentance and reestablishing God’s sovereignty, rather than seeking worldly governance.

Participating in politics, such as voting for politicians or supporting them, is to be aligned with worldly systems, which are fundamentally opposed to the teachings of Christ. The popular notion that Christians must vote to influence society denies the power of the gospel and only works to legitimize corrupt systems. True change comes from preaching the gospel and building community, not relying on political acts like voting.

Many people upon seeing the evils in the world are angered to the point of violent resistance. They want to fight back against the tyrants. But by doing so we inevitably adopt their means. It is arguably better, and more the Christian position, to be a martyr than a mini-tyrant.

According to many Christians, the prevalence of evils in our world strengthens the case for our political participation. But the truth is that political participation and the ideology and idolatry of statism that comes along with it is the very cause of our problems today. If we truly hated the evils, we would repent rather than vote, which is truly a mark of unrepentance.

Serving the State as a soldier, police officer, or tax-collector is not compatible with serving the Lord. There is an irreconcilable conflict between God and the State that means that Christians may not serve it. They have to decide whether they serve either the One True God or the false gods of the world.

There is a crucial distinction between "State" and "government.” While the State raises up men who coercively monopolize goods and services, genuine government, as prescribed by God, operates within family order. The State's agenda opposes God's family-centered social order. Thus, opposing the State does not equate to opposing government; instead, it aligns with returning to true governance under God. Statism is lawlessness, and there is order in God's government.

God is calling His people to restore a God-centered society free from the oppression of man-made political systems. Christians must reject statism and return to divine principles of organizing social order. We must advocate and practice voluntary charity and warn against the destructive nature of human governance that enslaves people and property.

For far too long we have looked toward the documents of men as our source of right and wrong. But the power to abolish human government is inherent in the individual. Real freedom comes from recognizing God as the ultimate authority. We need not bear the sword to be free. Personal revolutions, rooted in spiritual regeneration, should replace the reliance on institutional government. True governance begins within, not through reform.

Abbot Tryphon, an Orthodox Christian priest, argues that criticizing law enforcement and urging officers to quit signifies a Marxist stance, not godly opposition. But if we judge by looking at the lives of Jesus Christ and the Apostles, we see that serving the State is decidedly unchristian

As politicians call for legal penalties for desecration of the American flag, one of the “sacred” idols of this cult, now is a better time than ever for Christians to give up their mistaken idolatry for state symbols, which places their true faith in the false religion of statism. Christians should instead burn and renounce these idols, as such an act would express genuine repentance and allegiance to God.

We see in our world today that many men are complaining about the political state of things, but haven't yet seen that they stem from their faith in this inherently flawed system, that their own discontent arises from their failure to acknowledge their misplaced trust in a system that God warned us against, and that repentance and a return to the Lord's provision is the solution.

Many of the things that so many American Christians tell us we must be doing, like voting and being politically involved, are inconsistent with true Christian teachings. Advancing God's kingdom relies on preaching the gospel, making disciples, and community engagement, rather than reliance on flawed government systems, which ultimately reflect a misunderstanding of Christ’s message.

Statism is as a coercive system rooted in theft and violence that is opposed God’s natural order and law. Governments not only fail economically and morally and contribute to societal decay for this reason, but also because they are set out against God. True social harmony arises from voluntary relationships grounded in faith and obedience to God's commands, not from coercive political structures.

The existence of statism, with its inherent evils and societal decay, is evidence of God's judgment and presence. Historical and contemporary governmental failures reflect humanity's rebellion against divine authority, and show us the Lord’s hand in it. By bringing destruction upon people who choose the statist path, or liberty to those who don’t forsake God, the Lord reveals Himself to us.

It’s not easy preaching on the idolatry of statism in a world where it is a religion of men. It’s difficult to convince people to abandon their deeply-rooted belief in the state when it is their god, and so God’s message of liberty is usually rejected by men who like to remain in captivity to statism (both as an institution and ideology), and would rather serve false idols than repent.

In our times of division over various theological issues, there is a great need for the Church to function as a unified body, where we separate from worldly systems and engage in community-driven practices inspired by the early Church as described in the book of Acts.

The introduction by men of political violence into society is condemned in the scriptures, and for that reason alone cannot last. The man-made statist kingdoms are destined to fail and will be replaced by God's everlasting kingdom. Those who defend the permanence and necessity of the State are false prophets, or the fools of one. In the end, the kingdoms of men will be abolished by God's judgment.

The prioritization of guns over faith in the United States fails to see that the dangers of statism require a spiritual awakening more than armed men. The power to change our world is in God's word, and so we ought to advocate for divine wisdom and spiritual guidance over physical weapons in the battle against false ideologies.

The twentieth century was marked by a shift towards secular thinking, which was naturally accompanied by state power. But there appears to be a great awakening in our time. Men are seemingly realizing the need to rely on God to combat tyranny, and the potential for the victory of liberty. Here we discuss Murray Rothbard’s prediction of a failure of secularist statism and a revival of theologically-grounded liberty.

When men get their ideas from the world of ideas, rather than rely on the word of God, they inevitably find themselves buying into the statist philosophies of the world and helping to further the kingdoms of men. The way out of this bondage is to rely on divine wisdom once again.

The indulgence in many worldly distractions takes away from our need for a more somber and repentant approach to the evils around us. Men are eating up the “bread and circuses” all while we find ourselves occupied by a dangerous empire. To ever break out of this bondage, we are going to have to recognize the evils, repent of our participation in them, and seek refuge in the Lord.

When the spiritual and ideological aspects of liberty and bondage are emphasized, it’s easy to see the futility of relying solely on firearms for freedom. It is spiritual enslavement and idolatry that contribute to the empowerment of oppressive systems, and only God that provides true liberation. Thus, adressing the root cause of statism through repentance and spiritual awakening is more crucial than amassing weapons for resistance.

The ideas we commonly hear from most Christians—that we must get out and vote, that we need political rulers, that statism isn’t idolatry, that there’s nothing wrong with Caesar’s retirement programs—are highly at odds with what the true Kingdom of God looks like. Here we interview Michael Plaisted who helps present a very different picture of what liberty under God looks like than what most men tell us.

Man-kings are false gods whose earthly kingdoms are inherently sinful substitutes of men for God. They believe they are "gods" themselves and attempt to trick people into worshiping them instead. Though many people fall for these false god-men, true men of God must worship God rather than these human rulers who are merely pretending to be gods worthy of worship.

Many people mock and resist God's word and face the consequences of such rejection. They prefer to adhere to false beliefs and desire comforting lies over uncomfortable truths. They refuse to believe that politicians are not going to save them. We can only hopes for a change of heart in people and pray for a return to God's wisdom and a retreat of the evil political system.

Secular political economy is inadequate in combating statism, which is an evil and idolatrous ideology that lies in a rejection of God and demands spiritual repentance more than it does an economics lesson. But we can still appreciate the great insights from secular theorists such as Ludwig von Mises and Murray Rothbard, though their exclusion of God from their perspectives weakens their arguments and needs to be reconciled with theological perspectives to strengthen them.

The appropriation of religious teachings by law enforcement is illegitimate, but not a surprising attempt to present themselves as righteous peacemakers who serve God. Rather, police enforce man-made laws through violence, contradicting the teachings of Jesus they try to use. Being that policing is violent and oppressive, police are hypocritical to claim they serve the Lord and carry out His word. police do not bring peace, but terror and destruction.

While some assert that God is a tool for social control, the Holy Scriptures, contrary to human distortions, liberate humanity from man-made slavery. God's word stands against politically driven systems of human domination, and promotes freedom, justice, and righteousness. An intellectual and spiritual revolution from slavery is inhibited by the under-utilization and ignorance of the scriptures, not their full use being forced upon men as some sort of propaganda device.

Governments are not benevolent agents of the "public good," whether the overtly socialist "people's governments" or the covertly socialist "we the people" Republics. They are scheming entities that use propaganda and false pretenses to control and exploit the populations they have gained control over. The idea that they exist for “the common good” was something men were trained to believe to hide their true nature as evil, deliberate plunderers.

Here is our 8-part series on “pride in the scriptures” and how much it relates to the philosophy of statism in the world that is adopted by both rulers and those who think we need them.

Pointing out statism as a religion is not merely a secular tool for arguing against opponents, but is the very false religion and sin in the teachings of God. The State is a false god not only because it is worshiped and venerated by its followers, but because it is one of the very things that defines man's sin and rebellion against God.

Perhaps the majority of men hold the fallacy that "government is a necessary evil." But evil is never necessary for society. Order comes through submission to the Lord, not through governments. The belief in governments as "necessary evils" is false, and a reflection of the sin in men. The Christian has no basis for pursuing evils in the name of social order.

Here is our ten-part series on the concept of God-fearing or the “fear of the Lord” in the scriptures and how it relates to the kingdoms of men.

Modern Christianity's acceptance of statism is a betrayal of exclusive allegiance to Jesus Christ and His kingdom. The State's claim to "sovereignty" conflicts with the exclusive lordship of Christ. True Christians must reject the State as a false god and embrace Christ as the only true King.

The modern liberty movement has largely neglected the word of God, relying instead on secular reasoning to defend its doctrines. This is arguably to its detriment. The doctrine of liberty should be defended with scripture, as these ideas are God's work and wisdom. The progression towards atheism in the libertarian movement is a hindrance and is in great need of acknowledging God as the future path for promoting liberty.

A sober look at efforts to advance liberty through philosophy alone shows the futility of trying to convert statists with logical arguments and economic education, when their adherence to statism and socialism is of a sinful and rebellious nature. What is really needed is for men to turn to God. A spiritual shift towards serving God is more important than secular reasoning in the fight for liberty.

The ideas of men, particularly in political philosophy, most often conflict with what is taught in the scriptures. The scriptures warn against embracing man-made ideologies like statism, socialism, or democracy. That men embrace these man-made ideologies that support political systems, and that they most often resist God's word, serves as proof of its divine origin.

In Ezekiel 9, God marks idolaters in Jerusalem for slaughter. Likewise, men today bear marks of blind obedience or extreme partisanship. They've exchanged the fear of the Lord for the fear of the State. Those still seeking truth beyond the political divide offer hope for a better way. The masses of sheep are lost.

There is an inherently ungodly nature to seeking power through state systems, and the scriptures show it's always based in a rejection to God's protection and provision. Those who believe political governments are necessary for security and protection have bought into the lies of false gods, and will endure the opposite. Statism is a substitute faith for trusting in God, and foreign sinners don’t justify it.

Governments use fear to control people, which is part of the satanic deception in our world. But Christians should not fear man-made institutions. A life without such fear is proof of being in Christ.

If the style of scripture isn't understood, it can cause people to think it's impossible to read or understand. Here, we have compiled a short guides for getting past some of these initial hurdles or ongoing struggles that men run into when it comes to taking on the Bible.

It is a mistake for Christians to think they can fear both God and men, which assumes that God is partially with us but that State are needed to protect us from other enemies. One has to make the choice to fear God or men, and believers should fear God alone and reject any dependence on man-made systems like governments and militaries, which show a lack of faith in God

Here is a summary of a three-part article series on the Book of Jonah. Part 1 discusses the courage needed to preach against idolatry. Part 2 explores the preference for repentance over destruction. Part 3 emphasizes God's mercy and patience in a society of wickedness.

The reliance on government systems for protection are deceptive tools leading to captivity and statism. This is the false god State substituting itself for God. Faith in God and following His ways is the true path to freedom, protection, and "national security." The military and police worship of our people has led to the opposite. They have relied on Egyptian systems to bring them what only God can deliver.

The common assumption that God is really only a spiritual matter and sits passively in the heavens leads people to rely on earthly systems such as government and military for protection. However, God's word abundantly promises protection from earthly enemies, and true faith in God means trusting Him for all needs, such as the “public safety” and “defense” that have been irresponsibly and rebelliously handed over to political rulers.

Political rulers have historically used fear as a control mechanism, leading people to submit to their political agendas. But true freedom lies in fearing, or trusting, God for protection rather than human-made systems, which are fallible and create the very threats they are ostensibly designated to combat. Fearing God is not a mere religious suggestion, but critical to avoiding societies that establish human rulers through inducing a fear of men.

There are serious implications for fearing God or fearing men. Those who fear men allow oppressive political systems to arise, leading to their own enslavement. This fear drives the creation of states, police, and military, believed to provide protection but who in reality serve the opposite purpose. Contrary to popular belief, true protection and freedom come from fearing and trusting in God, rather than in human-made systems.

The evils of statism are meant to correct societies that sinfully set up these systems and show men that these efforts were in error. These negative repercussions come to teach men how to fear God. But this fear of God needs to be coupled with sincere repentance from trusting in man-made systems. We need to abandon worldly power structures for a fear of God and divine guidance.

Statist systems of men are an abandonment of God's ways and come under judgment as a result. But even despite the various forms of corrections (tyrants, invasions) and societal failures (rising prices, shortages) that these systems inevitably bring, men remain insensitive to God's warnings, often deflecting responsibility to external factors. For millennia now have men failed to know God, repent of their evils, and avoid disaster.

Many Christians overlook the impact of their political beliefs on their faith, considering them separate. However, the Bible warns against placing faith in human rulers. True repentance involves rejecting idolatrous state-worship and trusting in the Lord, not in governments or their military power. Turning from sin includes turning from statism.