It's been pretty quiet this summer here at our family kingdom - living in the liberty of Jesus Christ. But then the fun started again last Friday. The dog started barking so I looked out the window. Traveling down our wooded canyon was a state car marked with Oregon public vehicle plates. "Now which state agency has descended so unexpectedly upon us?" I murmured to myself. "Which branch of state government has not heard us speak the word of God?" I put on my jacket, told Rachel we had visitors from the state and walked outside to greet them.
Two fine looking gentlemen in their mid-twenties got out of the car and introduced themselves. They offered my wife and me their business cards and claimed to be from the state Children's Services Division. With a very confident air about them, they asked for Mr. 'Paul De Revoire.'
"He has died a civil death. I'm Paul Revere, can I help you?"
The young social workers glanced at each other with a skeptical look that said, "this guy is more of a kook than we thought."
"How do you know he died a civil death?" asserted the man named Tom.
"Do you know what the term 'civil death' signifies in law?" I asked. "It means the person is cut off from the rights and benefits of civil society. You see, I am not a member of your club. I belong to another. My King is Jesus Christ, and I obey His commands."
"We're very happy you have found Jesus Christ," they agreed. Then they proceeded with their agenda as if I had said nothing.
"Do you have a child named Brooke?" asked Larry.
I saw no need to answer their questions because they had not established a foundation. What relationship do I have with them?
"Listen, I don't know what your purpose is for coming here. Are you here to save my life or destroy it?"
They wouldn't answer the question, though I asked them half a dozen times during the course of their visit.
They thought that they needed to warm up to me so they changed the subject.
"Sure is a nice place you have here. Did you build your own house?"
I didn't answer.
"Is that your backhoe over there? Do you use it to make a living? How do you support your family? Are you employed?"
"God has blessed us very well," I said. "I am going about my Father's business, not yours. I take Jesus Christ very seriously. He is not a baby lying in a crib on Christmas Day. He has risen and sits at the right hand of the Father, above every power and authority."
"Are you aware of the state's mandatory school attendance laws?"
"I am not under the laws of the state of Oregon because I serve another master. Since Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior, only Him do I obey."
"All of us living in the territory of Oregon have an obligation to obey the state. You can't have your own set of laws," interjected Larry.
"Have you forgotten that my Father created the heavens and the earth and He also created Oregon. Just because I live here does not mean I am under the laws of the state or that I must obey you. I am in the world for Christ, but I am not of the world. I, like Jesus Christ, have died to the basic principles of this world. Why, as though I belonged to the world, would I submit to its rules? Jesus Christ forgave my sins and canceled the written code. Because I am doing righteousness from a good heart, I fulfill the purpose of the law without being put under the law."
"You say you're not under the law," said Larry in a very authoritative voice, "just try telling that to a black-robed judge. How far do you think you would get? We know you fear us, now open up and answer our questions. You know if you don't cooperate with us you may find yourself in a lengthy courtroom battle."
"In the first place, I fear my Father - I don't fear you or what you can do to me. He is my Lord and Protector, not you. Secondly, as far as scaring me with the courtroom scene, I've already been there. I'm fully aware of their magnificently executed deception. Did you know Oregonians have been robbed of their constitutional courts?"
"We don't care about that, we're not lawyers. Now, how old is Brooke?"
"You're on my place, you're taking up my time. You're going to listen for a few minutes to what I have to say."
"Remember back in good old public school," I began, "we were taught the separation of powers doctrine? There are three separate but equal branches of government, the judicial, the legislative and the executive. The Oregon constitution says that no person charged with official duties under one of these branches shall exercise any of the functions of the other. The separate branches were to be a check and balance so that no one branch could rise above the others and control them. When all three branches of government are under one authority, you have a kingdom or a dictatorship. In 1910, the Constitution was amended so that the courts were created by law, instead of by the Constitution. Case law says the legislature was given the authority to change the entire judicial system of the state - and they have.
"Today, the legislature, even though elected by the democratic process, acts as the king. They have taken over control of the other branches of government and so there is no check against their tyranny. Members of the democracy are expected to obey all the statutes the legislature makes for the society.
"The legislature makes the laws, they have a police force to enforce their laws and courts uphold their statutes. Do you think there is any possibility for justice with such a stacked deck? Now that the legislature has their kingdom, all they need are subjects and, sad to say, that is what you are. (See article entitled "WHO STOLE OREGON'S COURTS" for more information on the legislative courts, Embassy of Heaven NEWSLETTER, Issue No. 871, Winter 1992)
"I have removed myself from all the enticements of the legislature. I obey God rather than men. Since I am separate from the democracy, you'll have to find a court better than the legislative tribunals to adjudicate anything with me. Those administrative units are by and for members of the democracy and would not be qualified to render an impartial decision for someone outside their realm."
Of course, they were not interested in my discourse and were itchy to move on with their probing.
"Would you be willing to come to our office and sign some papers so we can grant you a waiver to teach your children at home?" asked Larry.
"My goodness, no," I replied firmly. "If I seek permission from you, then I am acknowledging your authority over me. Why do you want to oversee my activities when I already have my Shepherd? Don't you realize the early followers of Christ were thrown to the lions rather than being brought under the power of Caesar? For 200 years it was a crime punishable by death to verbally deny that Caesar was lord. The police were given the power to bring followers of Christ in to be executed just because they stated Jesus Christ was their Lord, not Caesar. Now I am telling you the same thing. What are you going to do with me? Do you think it is a crime for me to live in the Spirit of Jesus Christ and be separate from you?"
They did not answer me directly, but instead asked if there were many others like me out here.
"Now wouldn't that make your job interesting," I said with a grin. "I guess that's something you'll just have to find out."
"Let me demonstrate further that I belong to someone else.
"Do you see that pickup and car parked over there? Now look at your vehicle. Do you see any obvious differences? Notice the car you drove has state plates. I have no state vehicle plates or driver's license. I'm not marked by the state. My Father knows me and I know Him."
"Yes," Tom said, "but do you ever drive off your own property?"
"Sure," I said, "I go places all the time."
"Do you ever get picked up?" Tom asked in disbelief.
"Yes, and when I go to jail I fast and pray that those who are doing wickedness will see the errors of their ways and repent."
"Could we take a look at the curriculum you are using for your daughter?" Tom asked, attempting to get on with their goals.
"I am very pleased with the education my daughter is receiving. Thank you," I said.
"When did you start educating your child?" Larry inquired.
"Oh, I guess it was the day she was born," I replied.
"That's not what we mean and you know it," exclaimed Larry in an exasperated tone. "Why won't you be serious and tell us the things we ask you. Why are you keeping secrets?"
"I do everything in the open. I do not like dark alleys. But why should I tell you anything. I don't know what you're going to do with the information. You haven't told me whether you came to destroy my life or to save it. If we were friends, and I knew you very well, then maybe, I would want to talk with you and tell you these things. But you did not come here as a friend. You came here representing the laws of the state of Oregon. Because of your position with the state, you want me to tell you what I have been doing so you can report to your supervisors. But those people aren't my authorities. Look fellows, for me to answer your questions would be obeying you and I'm not one of your children.
"Before I can answer your queries," I continued, "you must establish the foundation of why you are here and what evidence you have that I belong to the state of Oregon. Now, let's start with this question, what brought you out here?"
"We received a complaint," answered Tom.
"Who complained about us?"
"Oh, we can't tell you that. By Oregon law, the identity of the complainant is kept secret," said Larry.
"Now wait a minute," I interposed, "You've been accusing me of keeping secrets, why are you keeping secrets from me? You want us to show you all our laundry, yet you won't so much as tell us the name of our accuser. Why is everyone acting like they don't want to come forward and testify of the crime - if there truly has been a crime committed?
"I think that whoever made the accusation must think I am still that old man who belonged to the democracy. But let me show you something. I'll be right back.
"Look in here," I said, as I returned with the phone book, "can you find the name of that person you came down here seeking?" I queried.
"You won't find that person listed. Now look under Paul Revere. See, there I am, right after Remington."
"You mean if we call you at this number or write to Paul Revere we'll get you?" they asked in amazement.
"You sure will," I said confidently, "and besides, you'll score a first. No government agency has ever written to me!"
Larry was quick to say, "I'll write you a letter outlining the Oregon statutes on school attendance and I'll highlight the pertinent parts."
"You're not hearing a word I'm saying, are you?" I exclaimed, "Let me illustrate my relationship to you.
"For this example, Larry, you be a Catholic priest."
"Oh no! I don't want to be a priest," protested Larry.
"You have no choice about it, Larry, you're on my place and for this moment in time you're going to be a Catholic priest. Now you come knocking at my door and when I open it you say, 'Mr. Revere, we've noticed you have not been attending Sunday mass and you haven't been tithing on a regular basis. We want you to come down to the church and defend yourself before our church council.'"
"Now two choices come to mind. Number one, I could seek out the Canon lawbooks, study them, and build my case. Then at the appointed time, come down to the church and defend myself. Do you like this approach?"
Larry nodded in agreement.
"There is a second choice available to me," I continued. "Right here and now I can tell you, Mr. Priest, (for the Bible says call no man father) I - AM - NOT - A - CATHOLIC!"
All of a sudden you could see it written all over Larry's face - he understood it, I AM NOT ONE OF YOURS.
"Now, Mr. Priest, why don't you visit John down the road. He tells me he's a Catholic, but I've seen him mowing his lawn on Sunday morning.
"In other words, just because there are Canon laws, doesn't mean they apply to me," I continued. The same thing is true with Oregon laws. Through the example I just gave you, I am trying to demonstrate that I am completely separate from the democracy of Oregon. I am responsible to another and He judges me, not you. Now the only time you could have a valid complaint against me is if I break my Father's commandments. In other words, if I am no longer showing that I love God and my neighbor."
Finally, when I could tell they were seeing a glimmer of the Light, they looked at their watches and Larry said, "It's very late. We're sorry we really have to get back."
It was now 6:00 p.m. and they had arrived about 45 minutes earlier.
"We'll do some more checking in the files and contact you next week," explained Larry as he quickly got in the state car. "Oh, by the way, we didn't realize you were so political. You must have really caused some turmoil down at the Senate. We can tell you this, the complaint that brought us here came out of the Senate. Good-bye now."
Larry didn't know it, but his last comment left no doubt in my mind who had originated the complaint. As is typical, the complaint came from a neighbor who has a working relationship with a particular senator. Apparently, the neighbor, who had recently talked with our daughter about her home schooling, felt compelled to have the state investigate. Consequently, he called on his friendly senator to get the action started.
We immediately wrote a letter to the administrator of Children's Services Division confessing that we were new creatures who belonged to Christ's kingdom. The people they were looking for have died a civil death. The new creatures have no birth certificates, licenses, social security numbers, bank accounts, credit cards, insurance policies or other evidence that they belong to the democracy. We are citizens of Heaven and under the separate government of Jesus Christ. We are not part of the state's lawmaking because Christ is the end of the law for everyone who believes (Romans 10:4).
We stated that the public schools were funded by and for members of the democracy and we do not qualify. To force someone from Christ's government to attend their government's schools is placing them into involuntary servitude to the will of the democracy. We must obey God rather than men.
Our letter apparently ended the investigation. We never received a response from the administrator or the two social workers who visited us. We welcomed the experience with Children's Services because it gave us another opportunity to testify of our King. As for our neighbor, we forgive him for he knows not what he does.
Reprinted from Embassy of Heaven NEWSLETTER, Issue No. 884, Fall 1988.