Issue number 1

Just a Worthless Tramp!! by Leo Tolstoy, translated by Mrs. Louise Maude
The following story is an excerpt from the Russian novel, RESURRECTION, published in 1899. When this novel first appeared, it was banned in Russia as both a threat to the church and state. It presents a revealing look at the techniques used by lawyers, courts, the prison system, and the state church to keep the people enslaved. Though the novel takes place in Russia in the late 1800's, there is much similarity to the United States today.

Just a worthless tramp

As the story begins, a man name Nekhludoff is being ferried across a broad river. He is listening to a conversation the ferryman is having with an old man who has no name.

"And have you long held this faith?"

"I? A long time. This is the twenty-third year that they persecuted me."

"Persecute you? How?"

"As they persecuted Christ, so they persecute me. They seize me, and take me before the courts and before the priests, the Scribes and Pharisees. Once they put me into a madhouse; but they can do nothing because I am free. They say, 'What is your name?' thinking I shall name myself. But I do not give myself a name. I have given up everything: I have no name, no place, no country, nor anything. I am just myself.

'What is your name?' 'Man.' 'How old are you?' I say, 'I do not count my years and cannot count them, because I always was, I always shall be.' 'Who are your parents?' 'I have no parents except God and Mother Earth. God is my father.' 'And the Tsar? Do you recognize the Tsar?' they say. I say, 'Why not? He is his own Tsar, and I am my own Tsar.' 'Where's the good of talking to him,' they say, and I say, 'I do not ask you to talk to me,' and so they begin tormenting me."

"And where are you going now?" asked Nekhludoff.

"Where God will lead me. I work when I can find work, and when I can't I beg."

The old man noticed that the raft was approaching a band and stopped, looking round at the bystanders with a look of triumph.

Nekhludoff got out his purse and offered money to the old man, but he refused, saying:

"I don't use this sort of thing, bread I accept."

"Well, then, excuse me."

"There is nothing to excuse, you have not offended me. And it is not possible to offend me." And the old man put the pack he had taken off again on his back. Meanwhile, the post-cart had been landed and the horses harnessed.

"I wonder you should care to talk to him, sir," said the driver, when Nekhludoff, having tipped the bowing ferryman, got into the cart again. "He is just a worthless tramp."

Later that day, Nekhludoff visited the prison in regard to other matters. In one of the exiles' cells Nekhludoff, to his surprise, recognized the strange old man he had seen crossing the ferry that morning. This old man was sitting on the floor by the beds, barefooted, with only a dirty, cinder-colored shirt on, torn on one shoulder, and similar trousers. . .

As in all the other cells, so here also the prisoners jumped up and stood erect when the official entered, but the old man remained sitting. His eyes glittered and his brows frowned with wrath.

"Get up," the inspector called out to him.

The old man did not rise and only smiled contemptuously.

"Thy servants are standing before thee. I am not thy servant. Thou bearest the seal--" The old man pointed to the inspector's forehead.

"Wha-a-t?" said the inspector threateningly, and made a step towards him.

"I know this man," Nekhludoff hastened to say; "what is he imprisoned for?"

"The police have sent him here because he has no passport. We ask them not to send such, but they will do it," said the inspector, casting an angry side look at the old man.

"And so art thou, too, one of Antichrist's army?" the old man said to Nekhludoff.

"No, I am a visitor," said Nekhludoff.

"What, hast thou come to see how Antichrist tortures men? There, look, he has locked them up in a cage, a whole army of them. Men should eat bread in the sweat of their brow. And he has locked them up with no work to do, and feeds them like swine, so that they should turn into beasts."

"What is he saying?" asked the Englishman.

Nekhludoff told him the old man was blaming the inspector for keeping men imprisoned.

"Ask him how he thinks one should treat those who do not keep to the laws," said the Englishman.

Nekhludoff translated the question. The old man laughed in a strange manner, showing his teeth.

Old man who has no name"The laws?" he repeated with contempt. "He first robbed everybody, took all the earth, all the rights away from men, killed all those who were against him, and then wrote laws, forbidding robbery and murder. He should have written these laws before."

Nekhludoff translated. The Englishman smiled. "Well anyhow, ask him how one should treat thieves and murderers at present?"

Nekhludoff again translated his question.

"Tell him he should take the seal of Antichrist off himself," the old man said, frowning severely; "then there will be no thieves and murderers. Tell him so."

"He is crazy," said the Englishman, when Nekhludoff had translated the old man's words, and, shrugging his shoulders, he left the cell.

"Do thy business and leave them alone. Every one for himself. God knows whom to execute, whom to forgive, and we do not know," said the old man. "Every man be his own chief, then the chiefs will not be wanted. Go, go!" he added, angrily frowning and looking with glittering eyes at Nekhludoff, who lingered in the cell. "Hast thou not looked on long enough how the servants of Antichrist feed lice on men?
Go, go!"

Social Security Numbers for Children?

Q. Should we obtain Social Security Numbers for our children? If so, when?

SSN for Children?

No. Neither our children nor ourselves are eligible to receive a Social Security number (SSN) from the United States.

When does a child become eligible? Does it happen when they start working? Does it happen when they start school? Or does it happen when they are born? None of the above are valid reasons.

Eligibility requirements do not depend on age. The requirement to secure a Social Security Number is dependent upon one's status.

For instance, if you plan on being in the United States, you might want to acquire a Social Security Number for many aspects of life. Schooling, employment, military service, retirement, banking and credit applications are just a small example of the necessity of SSNs.

However, since we are in the Kingdom of Heaven, rather than in the United States, we do not need a SSN to conduct our affairs. Remember, as citizens of Heaven, we are members of the government that Jesus Christ established on earth 2,000 years ago (Luke 22:29). We are called to be separate from the world system and its privileges and benefits (2 Corinthians 6:17). "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people" (1 Peter 2:9).

The United States is an idea which men have invented. These men are very aggressive in promoting and defending such an idea. They even claim territory for their idea. If you believe in the United States, then you are in the United States.

On the other hand, by believing upon the Lord Jesus Christ our King, we are in the Kingdom of Heaven and its territory is anywhere we are located. For the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof (1 Corinthians 10:26).

As long as we remain in the Kingdom of Heaven, we do not need a Social Security Number from the United States. At any age, everything we do is in the Kingdom of Heaven and does not require the use of SSNs. Our help is the Lord God Almighty and we look to Him to provide for our every need.

Taming the Wild Boars
A parable about taming a freedom-loving people
Many, many moons ago there lived a wise farmer who noticed that wild boars roamed freely in the woods behind his farm. "If I could just capture some of those wild boars, I could fatten them up and have them work for me," he mused.

Taming Wild Boars

The wild boars proved to be quite easily frightened and were very suspicious of any advances by the farmer. The farmer was a very patient man, though, and knew the rewards were great if he could just gain the boars' trust. The farmer set out with his plan to tame the beasts.

He took corn and threw it out in the woods where the boars could safely feed under the cover of darkness. Gradually, as the boars grew less cautious, the farmer scattered the corn in a pasture located just a few yards from the farmhouse. Next, the farmer started building a fence around one side of the pasture. That night, the boars noticed this fence with some curiosity but were eager to eat the big pile of corn the farmer had left them. A few nights later, the boars noticed a second side of the fence had been erected and then a third, but the corn inside was so tempting and delicious that they gobbled it up boldly, forgetting any apprehension they had about the fence.

Then one night the boars saw that there was a fence around the entire pasture with a large open gate leading into where the corn was piled. Some boars became suspicious and would not go in at the gate. A few of the bolder ones did go in, and after several nights, when no harm came to them, the others decided to join in the feast. Finally one night as the boars were busy feeding, the farmer softly walked up to the gate and closed it...

I told you that story so I could tell you this one . . .

Once upon a time, not so many moons ago, some great men laid down their lives to establish a country where the people could be free. But there were certain farmers of men who wished to fatten up these people and use them for their own -benefit. The farmers were very patient for they knew it would take many years to break down the strong Christian principles of these men. The strength of these people was in their love of God, their love for their neighbor, and their united family kingdoms. These farmers of men set out with the subtlety of a serpent to pervert the liberty wherewith Christ had made the people free. They wished to make the people weak and beggarly so that they would desire again to be put in bondage to men.

These farmers of men, who were really beasts in disguise, set out with their plan to tame these freedom-loving people. Wars from within the states, and wars from without, along with economic chaos and family degradation were perpetrated by the beast system. These crises were the beast's way of coaxing the people to come a little closer to it. By exploiting the people's fears, the weaker ones looked to the beast's promises of care and protection.

When the newfangled horseless carriage became the rage, there was much speculation about the dangers of this high-speed contraption. The beast, capitalizing on the moment, persuaded the people to seek it out to establish safety guidelines for this new hazard of the road.

The beast devised a licensing plan to establish driver competency and a registration scheme for marking vehicles. All this safety and protection would be afforded drivers for a very nominal fee. In return, the beast marked them and gave them its card and some metal plates for their car. These identification marks were for the mutual benefit of everyone who sought out the beast's care and protection.

A few years went by and then a great depression sent the economy plummeting to rock bottom. While some turned to God for His promise to take care of their every need, many others liked what the beast said.

The beast was promoting, with much fanfare, a "wonderful" new program that would take care of men in their old age. Some people were very suspicious of this government giveaway scheme. But, like the first wild boars who ventured into the farmer's fenced pasture, it wasn't long before a few workers started reaping the benefits from this new insurance plan. Several years went by and there were very few who had not been induced to go through the gate to participate in this planned bounty. As they entered at the gate, the beast gave them its mark.

The beast knew it could not have its herd running around with the power of spending real wealth. It spoke sweetly to them in a fatherly way. "You don't ever want the economic chaos of another depression, do you?" (The beast spoke with a forked tongue for it had instigated the chaos.) "Now, just trust me," said the beast. "What you need is an elastic monetary policy that will smooth out the economy and eliminate the boom and bust cycles. Just give me those heavy precious metals you've been carrying around and I will give you lightweight paper and plastic to spend. Just use your mark to put this paper in my depositories and you will receive periodic statements of your standing."

Now I want you to know that the farmer who tamed the wild boars took very good care of them and they were fed well and grew up fat and sassy. But they gave up their chance to roam freely in the forest. They were marked and controlled by men.

Now the farmers of men, the beast system, take good care of its once free people, too. The beast lets them work and roam quite freely as long as they carry its identification marks with them. And the people don't even mind the little marks. Why, they are backed up by some of the best arguments men have ever devised. In fact, the beast is so cunning, the people think they are still free. When the beast requires that they periodically come inside the gate to have their hides sheared, they do so dutifully. And what happens if one of these men decides not to wear the beast's marks? Then the beast's agents are sent out to prod the man back into the gate where he is locked up until he falls back into the beast's favor.

Now the people don't even think about the marks, such a small inconvenience, they say. But let me remind you - they are still marks - marks made by men. They show ownership by the beast who issued the marks. Do you really think the people who have been marked and numbered in the beast's book, also will be written in the Lamb's book of life? For it is written, "Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Matthew 6:24

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." John 10:27,28

Yesterday, the people looked to a great and mighty God for their every need. These righteous people had no use for a beast that offered to take care of them in their old age or who wanted to grant them a privilege to travel. Someday, the people of today will wake up and find they have been lured inside the gate. When that happens, the beast better hope it has built a very strong fence.

And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. Revelation 14:9-12

Who has marked you?
And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Revelation 13:16-17

It is critical to know what taking the "mark of the beast" means. Marks by people marking peopleThe cost of our souls is at risk if we receive it. We cannot just put it off as some future event. Taking the mark is no little thing. The penalty for receiving the mark is recorded at Revelation 14:9,10:

"If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God . . . and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone."

What is the "mark of the beast"? Is it already here? Is it coming in the future? Are we safe as long as we never submit to an implant?

First we need to know what a mark is. The dictionary gives many definitions, but the one that pertains to the book of Revelation is "a symbol used for identification or indication of ownership." (Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, 1972). When someone acquires something, he marks it and says, "That's mine."

The Greek word translated "mark" in the book of Revelation is "charagma" (Strongs No. 5480). It is "a scratch or etching, i.e. stamp, (as a badge of servitude)."

Even cows are marked by manWhat then is a mark? It is a device used by an owner to mark his property. Ranchers, for example, brand their cattle with a distinctive mark to show whom they belong to. The "mark of the beast" is that symbol, sign, or number used to mark that which belongs to the beast. It can be the mark itself, or the name of the beast, or the number of the beast's name. (Revelation 13:17)

The next question is, "Who is the beast spoken of in Revelation who causes all to receive a mark"? Cruden's concordance says that in Revelation, Chapters 13 and 20, "beast" means "antichrist." (See Revelation 13:2, 20:4)

The Bible provides a definition of antichrist at 1 John 4:3:

And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is in the world.

According to Apostle John's definition, if they do not confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh, they are antichrist. That is the case of the kingdoms of the world. They do not confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. Nor do they believe on Him or desire His rules or His commandments or His law. They do not acknowledge that He is sitting on the right hand side of the Father, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. (Ephesians 1:20,21)

Why don't the rulers of the nations acknowledge Jesus Christ is Lord? Because they themselves want to be lord. They want to be lord of all.

The Nation's gods
Kingdoms of this worldWe are deeply concerned about the people who have made statism, or the nations of this world, their god and their way of life. Everything they do, they do unto the "kingdoms of this world."

You don't believe us? Go downtown and take a look at what everybody worships. Let's take a trip into the heart of the city. Notice the fancy bank buildings and insurance towers. There is always a McDonald's restaurant close by. A few blocks away is the department of motor vehicles and a stately courthouse, often with a lion or other beast as part of the architecture. What are the people doing inside those buildings? Are you financing their activities? Wherever your monies are going, that is what you worship. Look inside. Within one skyscraper are people borrowing funds and becoming servants to "mammon," the money god. Inside the tower, we see big lines of people paying tribute to the "god of safety." Peek inside the fast food restaurant. Scores of people are laughing and gabbing as they greedily worship the belly gods.

There is a much more solemn mood inside the next structure where the gods make sure everyone is marked by them. Row after row of people appease the gods by making payments and filling out forms. In another building nearby, men are brought into large rooms in chains. The gods have taken them hostage and are demanding that they comply with their demands.

Inside all these buildings are men and woman busy paying homage to these "modern gods."

Who Owns You?
You say Jesus is your Lord and King. You have no other gods before Him. I doubt it. Take a look at your wallet. Pull it out. Inside are the documents you carry with you all the time. That should tell you where your allegiance and loyalty lies.

Man looking at his ownership cards in wallet.I notice you grabbed the wallet with your right hand. And it is in your forehead because you already know what's inside before you open it.

Let's see, here's a social security card. Where did that come from? Did it come from Jesus Christ who is an ever present help in times of trouble? No, it is a protection plan put out by the kingdoms of the world. Oh, and it is also a number so that the world system can keep track of you.

The next item in your wallet is a State driver license. You have obviously volunteered to have the world system regulate your traveling.

Here are a couple credit cards. You are apparently part of a banking system and you've been given the privilege of buying things before you have the funds to pay for them. So these cards are what you depend upon to take care of you in emergencies. But wait a minute, what about Jesus? I didn't see anything of His. When does Jesus Christ show up in all this?

It looks like you've done a fine job of becoming enslaved to men. Who owns you anyway? The real issue boils down to this: You are either marked by the Beast or you are marked by Jesus Christ. "No. I don't have the mark of the beast," you say. "Those things in my wallet are just numbers required by modern society." But why have you allowed the world system to mark you? Look deep into those documents. Do you see the symbols, seals and other marks on them? Have you mingled your mark with their marks? Whose marks are they? Who issued those numbers?

What do you think qualifies as the mark of the beast? Will you not consider yourself "marked" unless you are forced to have a microchip inserted under your skin? Wait a minute. I think men have been marked for a long time. Can you not see that you have already allowed yourself to be marked by the antichrist world system? Have you not already received the "name" and the "number of the beast"? You have obviously allowed unregenerated men to mark you with numbers that they have issued. You are known in their system and they claim you as one of theirs.

We are to keep ourselves "unspotted (unmarked) from the world" (James 1:27) and to be holy as He is holy. We are not to see how much we can be involved with the world system and not offend God. Instead, we are commanded to, "Come out of her my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." Revelation 18:4

If you confess Jesus with your lips, but have let the world system mark you, your heart is not with Him. You have gone whoring after other gods. You have committed idolatry. You are worshiping men who want to be your god.

The world system, which does not confess Jesus Christ, has succeeded in marking almost every one of us through birth certificates, licenses, permits, and social security numbers. Whether these marks of the world are "the mark" spoken of in Revelation, each one of us must decide.

We do know that those who are the "called out ones" by Jesus Christ must come out of the world system and be separate. And that means persecution by the world. But we, like Apostle Paul, desire to be marked by the Lord, not by the world. Apostle Paul says, "I bear branded on my body the marks of my owner, the Lord Jesus" (Galatians 6:17).

It is a tough time we live in. "All the world wondered after the beast . . . and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?" (Revelation 13:3,4) This is your hour of decision. It is important. If you yoke and bind yourself with the kingdoms of this world and with unbelievers and unregenerated men, the end is death. Eternal Damnation, Fire and Hellstorms await you. When someone receives the mark of the beast, the Bible says they are doomed to eternal damnation. That is mighty serious. There is another option and that is to have the name of Jesus' Father written on your forehead. "And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads" (Revelation 14:1). Isn't that the mark you want? Don't you want to be marked by the Lamb? Salvation is in Christ. Don't you want to be written in the Lamb's Book of Life? Take the mark of Christ now by giving your heart and mind and soul to Him and forsaking all other gods. Don't delay.

Sovereign Citizens Nation
The sovereign citizen Nation is a group of Christian activists who have privately seceded from the U.S. Government and live their own lives free of any government control. As a Christian group we are sovereign under the bible commandment: Exodus 20:3-6“You shall have no other gods before Me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. The U.S. Government is a king and entity of the earth which God says not to serve. We simply must abide by the ruling of God himself. Therefore we are sovereign under the name of Jesus Christ for he is the King of all Kings.
Sovereign Citizens Nation is not under the jurisdiction of the federal government and considers ourselves exempt from U.S. law. We believe that because the U.S. Government has become a corrupt Fascists dictatorship and the Government no longer recognizes God. We became a sovereign nation when the Government took God out of God and Country.
WARNING!!!! WE ARE NOT PART OF THE SOVEREIGN CITIZENS MOVEMENT. THE SOVEREIGN CITIZENS MOVEMENT IS A RADICAL GROUP WHO USE THE STANCE AS A WAY TO JUSTIFY CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES. THE SOVEREIGN CITIZENS NATION IS A CHRISTIAN ORGANIZATION WHO BELIEVES IN SOVEREIGNTY, UNITY AND WORLD PEACE IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST.