Is COVID shifting people out of corporate slavery and into small business with the freedom to glorify God?
Is God answering our prayers of revival and reformation through the crisis of CV19?
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Great Resignation
or Big Quit [ greyt rez-ig-ney-shuhn ]
WHAT IS THE GREATRESIGNATION?
The Great Resignation is an informal name for the widespread trend of a significant number of workers leaving their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s sometimes also called the Big Quit.
The Great Resignation is typically discussed in relation to the US workforce but the phenomenon is international. It is thought to be the result of many different factors, notably workers’ dissatisfaction with current working conditions and personal reassessments of career and lifestyle due to the changes and hardships of the pandemic.
And the concentration of US GDP more and more into large publicly traded (no-place-for-God) business structures…
As contrasted with small/family businesses (with the freedom to worship God and expand His Kingdom) being on the decline?
But now, because of vaccine mandates. Because of lockdown policies. Because of facing the prospect of death. Because tech dictatorship and cancel culture have been exposed. People are starting to say “Enough is Enough”. And Christians are starting their journey to “come out of Babylon” as they leave career slavery, financial security and enter into entrepreneurial endevors – having to trust God. And while that in itself isn’t necessarily fully coming out of Babylon, it can start the journey for many into freedom and out of slavery.
Is CV19 an opportunity in disguise for the body of Christ?
Is God shifting the Church into a new wineskin and a new way of thinking?
Are these the business opportunities God has prepared the New Breed for?
Unconstitutional or Inconvenient?
Grant Berry brought to my attention yesterday morning that the Roundtable Doctors Discussion video we posted here was just deleted by YouTube for reasons of “violating community guidelines”. Of course, our reaction might be: “how dare they, they are violating our constitutionally protected free speech!”
However, there is a hole in that Constitutional argument, which is this: YouTube is a private platform where all users sign a user agreement. Therefore, Alphabet (the publicly traded parent of Google and YouTube), can just say hey – it’s our business, and therefore our decision as to what our own rules are. It’s a free country. You don’t like it? Use someone else’s platform.
So, technically, they are actually exercising their free-choice to create a business and run it freely. Just like creating a club and inviting in whoever the other club members allow.
So, that’s not really the problem.
The problem is actually our own convenience, complacency and complicity!
We think it’s great that YouTube is free, works well and has the most content.
But we – the people – created these platforms with our investment capital, our usage, our propensity to respond to ads and buy those goods and services. In other words, the irony of the situation we find ourselves in, is WE CREATED THE PROBLEM. And we continue the lemming march in doing so. Does not the bible teach us that we should judge ourselves before we are judged by God (1 Cor 11:31), and further that we reap what we sow (Gal 6:7)?
Opportunity Knocks
But, the solution is to see this as an opportunity: To create new platforms (social media, collaborative community, video, etc.) with our capital, starting with our users from our community – THE CHURCH.
What if we gave away a social platform without ads, for free? For example…
Citymatters.info is an example of just that. It’s a growing platform. Click the link, and signup for the New Breed Group!
So, what are some of the other emerging opportunities? We discuss…
Local goods and services
Greenhouses
Clean water
Electricity generation
Wholesome entertainment
Objective news media
And what are the differentiators between what God is calling the New Breed to do as a form of ministry vs. just an alternative copy-cat business that slaps a Christian label on things, runs it like Babylon (the way the world creates things for fame and fortune), and produces B grade products and services?
There has got to be more….we have got to do better…
We also will examine the need to not only come out of our comfort zones / convenience, but also to have the courage to try new approaches, that require trusting God more, having courage, creativity, boldness, being entrepreneurial, experimental, not just relying on money to solve things….
Its not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord
Zechariah 4:6
We need to enter into agreement with God’s heart for what to do and how to do it – a spirit of wisdom according to Isiah 11 and 1 Cor 12.
A rebuilding of the old waste places; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; and you shall be called, the Repairer of the breach. The restorer of the streets in which to dwell
Isaiah 58:12
In a sense, we must shift to MacGyvering things out (euphemism for out of the box thinking, solving problems with whatever’s available – be it toothpicks and duct tape). Frontier style living. Like the pilgrims, the rugged but wholesome life. Jesus said…
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. … Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matt 6:34
You think you’ve got a thing figured out, but you don’t. You are going to have to “faith it out”
Bob Jones, God is Going to Shake the Devil Out of the Church 2012 Word
(for a good word watch below)
Finally, we also discussed that to endeavor to pursue these new opportunities, we can do them in parallel with continuing to interact with existing products and services where it does not cross over into partnership with them, which Paul warned us about:
Don’t become partners with those who reject God. How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong? That’s not partnership; that’s war. Is light best friends with dark? Does Christ go strolling with the Devil? Do trust and mistrust hold hands?
2 Corinthians 6:15-16
Joel Travis brought up the “Break Away” bridges strategy concept to illustrate this point. Some will pioneer, others will follow, but Christ is ultimately calling us completely out of Babylon, which is scheduled for destruction (Revelation 18:4) and into the Kingdom Coming ala The Promise Land.
Joel has tried to create an alternative video platform independently hosted as an experiment along these lines, and its NOT EASY to replicate YouTube’s ease of use, reliability and efficiency from an engineering standpoint. So, like we are using YouTube here, and we could also use Rumble, and we could also create our own platform. That’s the beauty of this opportunity – we still have the freedom to do both simultaneously, but then we are prepared for the coming flood, having EXERCISED our faith muscles.
While we are doing this, we also are learning how to come out of Babylon, which is to no longer trust in or depend on systems of this world which are not Christ centered. The key first step in this is to exit partnerships (co-ownership in the Babylonian system) or debt slavery (owing debt to the Babylonian system). This is why the New Breed of Business is encouraging believers to:
Get out of investing in publicly traded companies embracing Babylonian practices (stock ownership is partnership with a company’s business practices)
Move resources into investing in people and private businesses that have returned to practicing Judeo-Christian principals (i.e., returning to all scriptural truth, not just picking and choosing by the traditions of men), which is the “New Breed of Business”
Move out being employed by corporations that are becoming more and more Anti-Christ (career and income slavery)
Moving into being self-employed or employed by those Judeo-Christian run companies embracing the scriptural truth ala the “New Breed of Business”
Getting out of institutional debt, either by paying it down, paying it off through the sale of other assets, or trusting God for a miracle of debt forgiveness, or
Replacing that institutional debt with borrowing from fellow believers willing to lend in the biblical way, which is the way of the “New Breed of Investor”
The last two sessions, we touched on vaccine mandates – how they affect the supply chain, the economy and inflation.
We discuss the controversial topic of CV19 vaccines among the body of Christ. Some are for, some are against. Should we let this issue divide the Church?
Gary Crawford recommended a good video of a panel of doctors and scientists who discuss openly the various approaches to addressing the COVID virus and disease, including prevention, therapeutics, role of vaccines, the influences of government and the largest pharmaceutical companies.
If this gets censored, here is another copy of the video…
And what about governmental mandates and executive orders? Is it executive overreach?
Vaccine passports? Is it a violation of the Constitution? Should people lose their jobs over this? Is this bad economic policy? Is this a sign of further governmental tyranny to come?
Public Good Argument
Or on the other side, as Rick Warren says, is getting the vaccine a form of loving our neighbor? Is it good economic policy because it will expedite returning things more quickly to “normal”? And what about the argument of the public good outweighing individual freedoms?
Did you know the US Supreme Court upheld smallpox vaccine mandates in 1905 by a vote of 7-2? Read Jacobson vs. Massachusetts.
Our prayer time before the discussion this morning started in an unusual way, with Antoinette from the UK sharing a word she just received for the USA. She disclaims it as this is the first word she has received like this for a nation. But as she began to write, everything came out in a flow – 4 pages worth. Here it is below:
Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.
1 Thessalonians 5:21
A word from the Lord to America Given to Antoinette Anderson Intercessor. UK 20/10/2021
To the Jew First – A Key for the future
America your time of exploitation is up. Your season of abundance is over. It is NOW no longer…business as usual. I am lifting up your tent peg, your season of testing has come. Where will your heart be?
For many have said “Lord, Lord we have done much in your Name”. But I say…you have sewn much but will reap little, for like Saul you have acted in the strength of your own arm and have not obeyed my word ‘To the Jew First’.
You speak of ‘a perfect storm’ but you will reap an overwhelming scourge, for the nation is torn from its foundations. I alone am He who formed you. I have blessed you – but you have sold yourselves to slavery.
But to you, my faithful, true ones, to you who have not lifted up your hearts to idols, who even now stand in the gap least I destroy you completely, FEAR NOT.
Do you not know My Word which stands as a witness against you for the abundance of all I gave to you, you have squandered, to make your own name great!
Thus far and no further says your God. For you have not obeyed my command. You have lifted up your hearts against me and against my land and my people. You have treated my people lightly and not considered your ways before me. Have I not said to the Jew first? But you would not.
Have I not said your wealth is not yours to hold for yourselves, but mine to be a blessing for my people Israel, whom you have despised and detested in the haughtiness of your heart. Behold I am sending a winnowing fork amongst you, to uproot and to overturn. Hear O my people, you who fear me and hold fast to My Word and to My People. Do not be afraid in the shaking, for I will shake you, and shake you again and again, until you turn your hearts towards your elder brother. For I am a jealous God, and I am watching over My Word to perform it in your midst.
Have I not said the nation and kingdom that will not serve Israel My People will utterly be destroyed. Take heed my people, for once again I will shake the Nations – and the remnant of My People will come home. Where will you stand? For I am about to test your hearts.
You cannot serve two masters, for you do love one before the other. As surely as precious metals are tested in the fires, know for sure that your hour of testing is at hand. Will you stand O My Children, for I long for you to come to me, with one heart and one mind, My Children, My Bride; for the last shall be first, and the first shall be last. Have I not said it and will I not do it? For you surely will mourn and grieve before the hour of MY coming.
Behold I am standing at the gates, even now I cry out RETURN, return to me, rend your hearts and not your garments. For I am your God, faithful and true and I will not test you beyond what you can endure. So strengthen your stakes, secure your calling in me and in My Grace. For I am about to test your love and refine you as never before. For the the time of your abundance is over. It’s a time to weep and mourn four your hour of testing is near. Seek me with all your hearts and I will be found.
But to the hard hearted, the stubborn and rebellious – trouble and sorrow. I say REPENT repent while there is still time. For I will show you my mercy before the great and terrible day of my judgements, test me in this. For I am coming soon.
To the Jew First, for many will lay hands on a Jew and beg to go with him. For I am surely coming to judge the nations and bring my children back home, for I am their God and they are My People, whom I love with an everlasting, blazing love and will reward them double for their sins, which I will remove in a day – the day of My Glory amongst you, my faithful remnant Bride. Behold I stand at the door and knock. If any hear and obey my voice and do not harden their hearts to destruction, I will come in. To all who willingly TURN from your own ways, I will be your all sufficiency, I will be your strong tower and mighty defender.
As a bridegroom adorns his Bride so I too will adorn my beautiful spotless Bride prepared with Frankincense and Myrrh. To her I withhold no good thing.
But to the faithless, compromising and adulterous bride, the day of your travail is at hand. For I will no longer endure your adulterous ways, but you shall pass under My Rod. So be stiff necked no longer, for I am the Holy One of Israel, the coming King of Glory. Behold I bring ALL things into account on behalf of my Children Israel. All who are grafted into my commonwealth of Israel will surely arise and shine with her.
But all adulterers, liars, blasphemers whose hearts lust after evil, to your lusts you will be a abandoned.
For I am a Jealous God, so arise My Daughter, My Bride for I am A Great King who calls My People to hear My Voice and come follow My Lead.
Is it just the supply chain problems, or is it too much cash chasing too few goods?
Is printing US dollars finally catching up to us? Is hyper inflation next?
Why has the housing market boomed in the midst of high unemployment and economic contraction?
How are the financial markets at all time highs, in the midst of all this tumult and uncertainty?
Why are we having inflation issues, where we didn’t have them before? Is this a high-class problem?
Why have vaccines been mandated around the world, seemingly wiping away years of hard fought liberties?
Have such mandates backfired economically, but shutting down or impeding businesses (Southwest Airlines, NYC restaurants) ?
Are vaccine passports a precursor to a global police state?
Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, “Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.” “I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ” Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, And rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.
Psalms 2
The Church’s Response
Again, what is God up to in this?
How does an economic slow-down instead of a shut-down redemptively help us?
Prepare us?
How do we the Church respond?
Recall and Upgrades Dream:
Saturday morning October 16
There is a massive recall of General Motors vehicles
Our family vehicle, a “Suburban” was part of the recall.
I saw a massive parking lot seemingly set somewhere in cape cod MA. Thousands of people were bringing in their vehicles.
The first step in an Assembly Line style process was the workers removing our hood from its hinges, exposing the engine.
The next step was the top-end of the motor was removed. The heads, the exhaust manifolds, the intake plenum and filter, the fuel injection system.
The “bottom-end” of the motor remained in the vehicle and did not need to be replaced.
I could see the pistons.
The removed parts were destroyed, such that they could not be used again. I specifically saw the exhaust manifold being crushed.
The whole thing reminded me of a war time effort, like the factories and assembly lines for tanks, plains and ships for World War II
Interpretative Keys:
Family vehicle = family ministry = house church, building block of local church
Thousands of vehicles = the US church = The Army of God
Cape Cod = foundation of Pilgrims = Beginning of USA
War Time Effort = Army of God
Heads = The Mind; renew your mind in Christ
Exhaust Manifold = What we speak
Exhaust Gasses = Toxicity of what comes out of our mouth; out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks
Recall, Rebuild = Church under construction; restoration of power; revival starting in families
Removing hood = transparency; vulnerability; humility; “under the hood”
Destroyed old exhaust manifold; heads = not to go back to that way of speaking, thinking (toxic, leaky)
Bottom-end not replaced, fine as is = fundamentals of Church’s faith are fine
Not enough computer chips. Not enough cars. Not enough TP. Not enough artificial Christmas Trees. What do all of these things have in common? Well, for one, they are driving inflation higher. But with the uncertainty of the future increasing (CV19, political instability, market volatility), the best laid logistical plans have been disrupted.
We take a look at what’s happening around the world and why?
What is God up to in this CV19 disrupted world?
And how should the Church, we the people of God respond?
There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD”
Proverbs 21:30
The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect.”
Psalm 33:10
Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails”
Proverbs 19:21
62 giant cargo ships waiting to unload outside Long Beach, CA
Good Background Reading and Listening
Trade Wars – We look at the future of global trade. Chuck Pierce on China, CV19, and the ports.
Inflation – Post-CV19 recovery inflation expectations of the Fed and Janet Yellen. True or false?
Inflation Prophecies – Inflation prophecies prior to CV19, including John Paul Jackson, John Mulinde, and Bob Jones
The debt trap of Student Loans the next generation find themselves in (fully recourse; high interest).
Educational inflation has outpaced the Consumer Price Index inflation by 4x!
The potential of various “Storehouse” solutions, including current implementation examples.
For example, Christopher Lucey will be with us to share about thegofund.com which he co-founded with Luke Womack.
The world of student loan debt has been with us and GROWING since the 1990’s.
Today, we are going to highlight an organization that has done something truly inspiring that not only tackles the issue – but is solving the challenge “the storehouse way” – TheGoFund.com. I’m honored to have been a mentor and encourager to Luke Womack – founder. The year before the launch we meet in my office on Saturday’s for 4-6 hours talking, brainstorming, praying, researching how we could tackle this issue and how we could design a way to release the next generation from debt to go to the UUPG’s – when the name Jesus had never been heard.
It is also an inspiration for what I believe other groups could be challenged to do for their own families and communities throughout the nation in the years ahead to free young people from debt and to unleash them to go to the nations and complete the task of the remaining mission.
The GO FUND
GO FUND Story…..from World Magazine
JOEL SUTTON BEGAN WORKING with the International Mission Board’s assessment and deployment team in 1999. Students had debt then too, but the average topped out at $17,000. Now, Sutton regularly talks to prospective missionaries who have between $60,000 and $100,000 in debt. “Those kinds of folks have really disqualified themselves for service,” Sutton said. “They’re living in the moment. They think they need the loan to get their education, but they don’t think about the ramifications down the road.”
Sutton and his Southern Baptist Convention colleagues urge college students to think about what they want to do with their lives before taking out loans. If students can’t avoid loans altogether, missionary recruiters urge them to take on as little debt as possible, get jobs to help pay some of their expenses, and even take a little longer to get their degree, if necessary.
That’s a hard sell, especially for students at Christian colleges, which rely on tuition payments to survive and have little incentive to encourage students to take on less debt. “We’ve found schools are not really talking to students about this,” Sutton said. “It’s a real conflict because schools are a business. Loans mean more payment out of students, so they don’t discourage them from doing the loans.”
Expenses such as healthcare and housing continue to rise, so “simply owing on student loan debt — and, in particular, doing so for an extended period — makes it all the more difficult for borrowers to grapple with these growing costs,” the report says.
While after 20 to 25 years, the balances of these income-driven loans can be forgiven, they typically are not. The report points to a recent analysis by National Consumer Law Center that found only 32 borrowers’ loans have been erased in the time that these plans have existed. Two million federal student loan borrowers have been in repayment for 20 years, though this count includes those outside of income-driven plans.
Has the “leaven of the Pharisees and Herod” inhibited deeper repentance and reform from taking place within the Church, especially financial/economic ?
Jesus warned the disciples: “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” – Mark 8:15. What does Jesus’ warning mean for us today?
“Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him”. – Luke 16:14
“And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” – Matt 7:3-5
Herod = Government
Pharisees = Religion
Leaven = sin
Questions
What deceptions (falsehoods, conspiracy theories) have crept into the US Church today, which prevent or limit the church from transforming a nation and seeing the revival we all hope and pray for?
Who/What have we aligned with as the leaven of ‘Herod’?
What divides the US Church today?
Here is an interesting insight from the CEO of the Sentinel Group’s (George Otis Jr. Transformation Videos), Larry Page. He wrote in Jan 2019:
If Jesus gave a State of the Church in America address, what might He have to say?
Don’t worry, I have no intention of speaking for God in assessing the Church. But if you will indulge me, I will share some questions I would hope He would address in such a speech.
By the way, if you think this line of thought is foolish — i.e., Jesus’ giving a State of the Church address — re-read Revelation 2-3. Like that portion of God’s Word, I assume He would have some things to commend and some things to condemn.
I would ask Jesus these questions:
• Some have stated the condition of society is the report card of the Church. Is that true?
• So much prayer is arising from the Church in this hour, calling for revival. It has been going on for a number of years now. Why have we not witnessed the answer to those prayers?
• As I scan Your “State of the Churches” address recorded in Revelation 2-3, the church that most resembles the American Church is Laodicea. Are we as blind to our own faults as they were to theirs? And are You outside the Church, knocking to get in?
• What do You recommend to remedy our condition?
I missed last night’s State of the Union address. I am at a prayer summit with other pastors and Christian leaders. It is good, but I must say, I am curious about the circus that may have been displayed around that address. I doubt anything shared there will heal the great rift in our nation.
Our needs are far beyond the reach of politicians. The hope for our nation lies in the hands of the Church, the people of God.
Round Table Discussion: Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s
(Come Out of Babylon Part 2)
Emperor Tiberius Silver Denarius (or Tribute Penny)
Last week we started to discuss the difference between being in the world and being partnered with the world… (for context, its good to watch/read the notes from Part 1: Come Out of Babylon)
And Jesus answered and said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” – Mark 12:17
“… the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.” – John 17:14-15
In the context of God’s command for believers to come out of Babylon (Rev 18:4), how does paying taxes, using the world’s secular currencies, or even having a regular bank account (checking; savings; demand deposit) reconcile to this command?
“Come out of her, my people, so that you will not be a partner in her sins and receive her plagues“? Revelation 18:4
Jesus would never have told his disciples and the Pharisees it is permissible to use Caesar’s coinage if it represented a sin (or prohibited partnerships). In fact, it is indeed related to the scriptures about how God has instituted secular authorities to keep law and order, and we are to obey them (Peter 2:13-14; Romans 13:1).
So, critically, how are these matters then any different from economic and business partnerships with unbelievers? (co-ownership of companies, signing debt covenants, etc.). Scripturally, we must understand that the partnership prohibition with unbelievers (and Belial, aka Satan) is directly tied to the command to come out of Babylon, for the one quotes the other (Isaiah 52):
“Do not be partnered together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God…Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.” – 2 Corinthians 6:14-17
In other words, “be in the world not of the world”, which is a paraphrase of John 17.
Also, as part of Coming out of Babylon we also take a fresh look at the practical utility of:
What does God mean by the statement: “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not be a partner in her sins and receive her plagues“? (Revelation 18:4 Amplified)
for more background reading (and video) about coming out of Babylon click here for article: Come out of Babylon
Key Questions and Scriptures that address
What is “Babylon” in the context of Revelation 18?
“The woman [Mystery Babylon] whom you saw is the GREAT CITY, which reigns over and dominates and controls the kings and the political leaders of the earth.” Revelation 17:18
What other city in Revelation is described as a great city?
“I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.” – Revelation 21:2
Ancient Babylon (the geographic center of which is in modern day Iraq) went away in 539 B.C. when it was defeated by Cyrus and the Medio-Persion empire. So is the “Babylon” John the revelator is speaking of represented by another nation today?
Is the United States still a Christian nation?
Is the United States the Babylon of Revelation?
“For ALL THE NATIONS have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries.” – Revelation 18:3
Or, has the United States’ helped develop and export the financial markets and capitalistic systems of commerce by which the whole world is getting drunk on the spirit of Babylon described in Revelation 18?
“…for [Babylon’s] merchants were the great and prominent men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived and misled by [Babylon’s] sorcery” – Rev 18:23
“The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.” – Rev 18:3
“And the kings and political leaders of the earth, who committed immorality and lived luxuriously with her, will weep and beat their chests [in mourning] over her when they see the smoke of her burning” – Rev 18:9
“And merchants of the earth will weep and grieve over her, because no one buys their cargo (goods, merchandise) anymore” – Rev 18:11
Discussion Notes
Do not be unequally bound together with unbelievers [do not make mismatched alliances with them, inconsistent with your faith]. For what partnership can righteousness have with lawlessness? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and Belial (Satan)? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?
2 Corinthians 6:14-16
There are two kinds of capital we need to consider in light of the above scriptures:
Debt (bank loan or bond issuance)
All institutional debts have “debt covenants” associated with them.
They are the legal agreement between the borrower and lender. These terms require the debtor to: make certain payments, pay interest (and fees), and repay the principal within certain timeframes set forth in the legal agreement. In the event payments cannot be made, the lender has certain rights that are triggered. This can include a demand to repay the enter balance, or the right to foreclose on any asset referred to a surety in the covenants. This is why Proverbs 27 teaches us that the borrower is a slave to the lender.
Does God want us in such covenants? Where we bind ourselves with an unbeliever? Or in today’s realm, unbeleiving and depersonalized banks and systems? These entities may even start off personally during the sales cycle (when one agrees to a take a loan). But on the back end, it is almost always a nameless, faceless, person-less interaction (for example the “bank” is often legally a trust (created to buy/sell or securitize a loan)
Equity capital (ownership)
Equity is a partnership.
If you and I own a company together 50/50, we are “partners.”
As such it is a type of “marriage”, as either partner has rights to make decisions, and are responsible for all of the company’s actions. Including a share of the profits, and responsibility for losses.
Owning shares of stock is likewise a partnership (all be it a minority ownership). Shareholders have voting rights. They share in the profits. They are also collectively responsible for the action of the company through its board of directors and governance. Because it is a partnership, are we not responsible to God for whatever that company is doing?
What’s the difference between using money (USD) in the banking system and having a bank loan, and/or ownership of stocks and bonds?
Big difference
When you hold money, you are actually lending to the Federal Reserve. They are called Fed Reserve “notes”. Its like you are holding the bond if you will, and the proceeds have gone to the central bank, and they ultimately “owe” you. Now, its a crummy deal, because instead of collecting interest, you pay a type of interest called inflation. In fact, you can’t even redeem the note for anything anymore. When the Fed pays you back (through someone giving you a good or service), that dollar may buy a lot less that when you took the “note”.
Example: You burn 10 One Hundred Dollar bills. What happens? You are left with nothing, as you destroyed the “notes” that would have given you any redemption rights. So, you are not in debt to the Fed, the Fed is in debit to you. It’s your “bank note” (think of it as you are the lender – or the bond holder) to do with what you like.
Contrasting example: You burn your mortgage lending agreement (loan covenants) documents and say “I own this house”. You stop making payments. But because you signed agreement the loan covenant, the bank has rights to repossess your house. Depending on the state, they may not even have to go to court to “foreclose.” Understand, that a mortgage is a legal document recorded on the town/city land records that literally says the bank owns “your” property until you pay the loan in full. Until then you actually don’t own anything. Most people don’t understand this. But if you can’t pay, the lender takes over your homestead and land and kicks you out.
So realize the difference between the two. Ask the questions: Will this lead me into any form of slavery? Are there any strings attached to this financial transaction I am legally entering into?
Is it permissible to pay the poll-tax to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, asked, “Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the poll-tax.” And they brought Him a denarius [a day’s wage]. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “[The Emperor Tiberius] Caesar’s.” Then He said to them, “Then pay to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.”
Matthew 22:17-21
4 Drachma Silver Shekel (Peter’s coin)
Jesus forbid partnering with unbelievers, but he did not prohibit using Caesar’s money (an unbelieving Government). Jesus commands us to preach the good news to unbelievers and help them, bringing the Kingdom of Heaven near. This is very different to entering into a business partnership with an unbeliever who is doing business the “world’s way” (i.e., deceived by the Harlot according to Rev 18:3, or serving Mammon according to Matthew 6:24)
Peter’s miracle fish coin required to pay the Jewish temple tax was a four-drachma coin Greek coin with secular rulers and/or Greek gods.
The disciples money box held similar and other secular coins.
Meditate on the difference through these and other scriptures to understand the difference.
One last point – What does God think of me owning bonds?
Good question!
Basically it comes back to: what are in the bond covenants? Since through the ownership of bonds, we are partnered with the other bond holders and we are “lending” to an entity, we are responsible to God according to 2 Corinthians 6 (see above) and all the moral ethical scriptures of the old testament. In most circumstances (99%), bond issuers and institutional holders are by definition secular unbelievers / companies / person-less entities. If that partnership with the “world’s” bond covenants violates God’s principals (say, profits from the poor, or charges interest to those God prohibits, doesn’t return the pledge, doesn’t allow ‘gleaning’ the fields, violates the sabbath), we are responsible for all that too.
This all goes back to Rev 18:4 – come out of her my people, lest you be responsible for her sins and suffer from her plagues. We can no longer afford to rationalize away these issues before God. We will be judged along with Bablyon and receive of her “plagues”.
Challenge question: Is CV19 a plague of Babylon according to the prophecies of Revelation and the rest of the bible?
We discuss Co-ops (short for Cooperatives). What are they and how are they significantly different from publicly traded companies, non-profit corporations, and privately held for profit companies? We discuss their strengths and weaknesses. We look at biblical models such as Acts 2 and 4 and compare and contrast them.
Some History of Co-ops in USA:
Founded 1752 in Philadelphia, PA
Earliest known US co-op in the form of a mutual insurance company – owned by policyholders
Pool resources together to better achieve business objective / common goal
Mutual and broad ownership with “one man, one vote” governance structure
“Profits” are distributed back to owners based on various fairness metrics, such as policy value, agricultural output, deposit/loan amount, or sales volume
they are “Non-profit” in the sense that the income statement balances to zero after dividends and/or member benefits are paid out
Opt-in and opt-out provisions for agricultural / supplier co-ops
Lifetime membership for some consumer co-ops including credit unions and insurance cos
Avoids hostile takeovers, capital stripping, over use of leverage, etc. found in publicly traded cos.
Other types of “Co-ops”
Housing / Coop Apartment buildings / Condos
Student unions
Preschools / Child care
Utilities
Workers
Food / Farmers Market
Retail / Buyers Clubs
Business
Arts / Crafts / Performance / Theater
We compare the strengths and weaknesses of the cooperative structure to other equity ownership structures.
newbreed.co 