We are now seeing more and more the bald-faced evil of Babylon today… Not just the pseudo civil rights of “Choice” of the slaying of innocent children (ancient god Moloch) and the “Pride” of sexual preference (ancient god of Baal), now just straight up sorcery and witchcraft.
Babylon has become a haunt for jackals and demons
Revelation 18:2
straight up sorcery and witchcraftGoogle now has their OWN app for that
Sage words from my friend, statesman, and father to the New England Church, the late Dr. Roberto Miranda on money and career vs. the calling of God on people’s lives.
Is it a coincidence that the morning the Manatee County Storehouse was presented, the market dropped 5%?
What shall we do?
Trust God
I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world
John 16:33
He has given us a way forward.
In relationship with Him.
In relationship with each other.
In watering others we will be watered. – Prov 11:25
Being Jesus’ hands and feet. – Matt 10:42
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty” – Psalm 91:1
“The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” – Proverb 18:10
Does it take a crisis to enter into God’s Economy? While it is understandable that most people would prefer incremental steps, sometimes responding to the Lord’s invitation: ‘Will you follow me?’ requires a radical response. We examine what it means to follow Jesus as it relates to the issue of dependency on money / love of money. The way to enter into God’s Economy is saying ‘Yes’ to an invitation from the Lord.
We continue our discussion of inflation impact and preparation. Firstly spiritual preparation, then also natural preparation in heavenly wisdom. We also zoom back out and take a look at the macro geo-political picture again to understand the impact of foreign currency exchange, global trade, and supply lines which affect everything from cars to food.
Israel: The World’s Prophetic Clock
The Israel Factor
On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves.
Note that Israel is moving closer to Russia and China. This is different from its historically close ally, The United States. Israel may see some of the “writing on the wall” with respect to the US losing its favored position of the world’s reserve currency and sole military superpower.
Russia, Russia
Since Russia invaded the Ukraine, the Western coalition of nations sanctioning Russia for its unprovoked actions touted the decline in the Ruble as evidence that sanctions were working. However, since then Russian has played its commodities card, which is to say that it is willing to back the Ruble with gold, and since their oil must be settled in Rubles now, their oil as well. So its now become a preview of a coming economic and currency “arms race” of commodity based/backed currencies vs. fiat currencies. The trouble with the US and the Euro, etc. is the level of the Western nation’s indebtedness cuts against the USD based world reserve currency status. So USD has gone up against other pure Western fiat currencies, such as the Euro, Pound Sterling, and the Yen, but has gone down against the Ruble. And the Chinese yuan was about the same as before, but with the recent Chinese CV19 lockdowns, it has declined slightly against the Dollar.
Its important to understand that the Storehouse vision addresses the issue of inflation (even hyper inflation) and hedges against it using the concept of local currencies, backed by physical tangible goods, but importantly – the value of people working together in community – the power of unity of resources and workforce. When this is coupled with two factors/tools: Reshoring and Insourcing goods and services, as well as creative sourcing of goods and services across Storehouse networked communities, you have a functioning economy that can thrive in the face of these and other global economic troubles, famine, and scarcity. One Storehouse “Nation” Under God, if you will.
Last week we focused mainly on spiritual preparation as the necessary foundation:
You many never know that Jesus is all you need, until Jesus is all you have
Corrie ten Boom
Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God
Deuteronomy 8:1
If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us … But even if He does not, we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up
Daniel 3:17-18
There is no getting around these and other spiritual truths. No more than there is no effective strategy in the Lord in the absence of prayer. And sometimes that’s not only all we need, it is exactly what we need.
Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today
Exodus 14:13
Taking Action – Building and Warring
But do we stop at prayer? Of course not. We listen and obey and move out into whatever the Father is doing. Let’s listen to how David inquired of the Lord, heard the word and stepped out into battle, but in an unusual way:
Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; so David inquired of the Lord, and he answered, “Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the poplar trees. As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.” So David did as the Lord commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer
2 Samuel 5:22-25
We don’t prepare out of fear, we prepare out of listening and obeying by FAITH
Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of the Lord
Romans 10:17
Faith without deeds is dead
James 2:17
Faith into Action
Noah built an Ark over 120 years
Joseph built Storehouses and collected grain throughout Egypt for seven years, then masterfully administered their release over the next 7 years.
Joshua took the promised land by warfare
David conquered the Jebusites to take Jerusalem
Moses confronted Pharaoh
Nehemiah rebuilt the wall
Zerubbabel rebuilt the Temple
Local Community / Currency / Banking / Agricultural Prep
Wine (Blood of Messiah) and Bread (Word of God)Oil (anointing of the Holy Spirit)Gold (refined in the fiery trials)
Chris Reed and Chuck Pierce Discussion
If you can take 15 minutes to watch this video clip from Chuck, we will use it as a basis for part of our discussion.
Full video below…
Here are some key points of their discussion:
Chuck affirms what Christ saw in the dream and agrees with the interpretation
Says that God showed him up to 23 aligned states (with heaven – sheep states)
20+ states had a policy supporting Israel – which will be key
He also connects his dream to Chris’ dream re a new “cell phone” digital currency (we touched on that last week)
Cindy asks Chuck – can Chris’ dream (and war) be averted through 2 Chronicles 7:14 prayer?
Chuck, Chris and Rick Joyner believe these things are inevitable and necessary (rise of China, decline of America, inflation, civil war / secession of states from Fed govt) in order to see the revival we seek
Chuck said a great threshing will happening over the next 10 Passover seasons, and to watch 3 years ahead for another great threshing (2025)
Chuck has been telling everyone to get out of debt
13 colonies more relevant to God’s plan for America than Washington DC
Chuck was shown a capitol of something in San Antonio, TX
Chuck noted the Ruble move to back by gold. He said that God showed him that payments backed by US Dollars and Euros will no longer be accepted in the days ahead
In the days ahead we will “do exploits” (Daniel 11:32). How? Through the power of God deploying the :
Law of Use
Law of Multiplication
Elijah and the Zarephath Widow
1 Kings 17:7
“The jar of flour will not be used up”
“The jug of oil will not run dry”
Elisha and the Widow’s Oil
2 Kings 4:1-7
Spiritual Prep
Greatest preparation is spiritual – to discover and strengthen our faith:
If our focus is only or primarily on physical prep, we will fail. Why? Because the point of God’s judgement is remedial, to humble us from trusting in idols or having other gods before Him, and return to dependency on Him.
Rev 6:6 In a time of famine and scarcity (inflation) the angels are commanded “preserve the oil and the wine“
What is the oil and the wine? Is it a stockpiling of crude oil and cabernet? No.
Matt 25:9 “…go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves“
Regarding wine – it is the blood of Christ in the Eucharist
The blood that washes us clean, cleansing our sin.
But how can we be washed clean if we remain in sin? And if we remain in sin, will we be preserved with the wine?
Repentance is KEY to preparation
“Come out of her my people, lest you be party to her sin and subject to her plagues” Rev 18:4
Oil -> the wise virgin’s oil of anointing only gathered in God’s presence
Gold tried in the fire vs. stockpiles of gold.
Rev 3:18 “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.“
Can gold save us or only God? Is this by design? If God wants to judge us for Golden Calves, do you think he can find us even if we have a horde of gold? Read Judges 7:5 about the sin of Achan.
Now, is there a place for physical prep? Absolutely. This is the Story of Joseph and Pharaoh. But before Joseph was ready, he had to “go through hell” of spiritual preparation. For 13 years. How long was it before Paul started his ministry? 14 years. How long did Moses dwell in the wilderness as a shepherd? 40 years. There are no shortcuts. There is no cheap price on buying “oil” or “gold”.
Physical/Natural Prep
Alternative Business Practices and Financial Systems
Like with Joseph, there is a time and season of physical preparation. It always must be built upon a foundation of spiritual preparation and prayer – seeking Yah. One goes hand in hand with the other.
Chris Reed (who is succeeding Rick Joyner) at Morningstar Ministries had a vivid dream up in Moravian Falls on March 25, 2022.
Interpretative Keys
$50 bill – Ulysses S. Grant; “Reconstruction” of America post the civil war and the next generation, “restoring” after the next American civil war / revolutionary war
50 states in the union
50 is Jubilee in the bible (slaves freed, lands returned), but in a judgment context it has the opposite meaning (Jonathan Cahn calls it the dark jubilee for instance)
1/3 tear is like the dollar will be worth a third what it was. 30% inflation headline
1/2 tear is like the dollar will be worth half again of what it was. Earthquake under my feet. Bob Jones prophesied a West Coast Quake tied to an economic quake (1. 1989 San Fran, 2. 2011 Japan, 3. ???? West Coast).
Israel / Palestine 2 State Solution. God will divide the land of whoever divides Israel’s land. Many have prophesied the San Madras fault earthquake along the Mississippi river. JPJ. Shane Warn. Others. Kushner’s peace plan also divided Israel.
Torn into little pieces. Division in USA. Further weakening / inflation of the Dollar. JPJ hyperinflation.
Man in black suit = Black horse = scarcity, famine, lack in the bible. The man in the black suit is like one of the 4 horseman riding the black horse Rev 6
“A quart of wheat for a days wage” Rev 6:6 is high inflation
Preserve the oil (anointing – 5 wise virgins) and the wine (Jesus’ blood). Goshen cities of refuge. Shane Warren saw similar
“Give us our entitlements” – Shane Warren heard same thing
Middle East oil deal with China and Russia – Shane Warren heard similar things. Like we have been discussing in Currency Wars
States seceding from the union – JP Jackson had a similar dream of the flags 50 stars in 3 dimensions (cylindrical), where some of the stars started to disappear by going lower (receding like seceding)
Wheat and bread shortage headline – Ukraine’s main crop is Wheat. They grow over 25% of the world’s wheat (and therefore bread). KC being a breadbasket for wheat like mid east oil
US citizens growing their own food. Yes, JPJ also saw this where they ripped up some city streets to grow veggies. Armed guards for food trucks. Revelation flying over CA glasshouses / self-sustained micro ecology environments.
New dollar was a cell phone. Digital Dollar. This reminds me of Chuck Pierce’s dream of shipping and ports where he had to use a cell phone like device to use a secret currency backed by gold somehow. Inflation gets so bad that the US will issue a new Dollar. JPJ prophesied this.
A prophetic sign from 2009?
“A new dollar for a renewed America”. Like Grant’s reconstruction after the civil war. Renewal = Reconstruction. “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act”
The Bank of England is also looking to implement their CBDC. They (BOE) have not been shy of their (UK government’s) intentions to turn people’s currency on and off based on social policy.
There are proposals on the table that would not only create a digital dollar, but also create individual accounts with the Federal Reserve. This is a new level of dependency on the Federal Reserve bank and its computer systems. This also would disintermediate many functions of local banks, credit unions, coop banks, and thrifts.
All of this points to the “new world” which we are financially and technically entering into. With “Babylon” imposing more and more sanctions and controls, and with more conflict coming on the earth, coupled with more scarcity and inflation – we The Church need wisdom and Godly solutions. Both to sustain us, and to provide refuge in a storm to those who do not yet believe. We find the answers in the bible, and as reflected in the new wineskin of the Storehouse vision and the New Breed approach of heavenly supply lines.
Russia’s war on Ukraine has kicked off a financial ‘world war’ / ‘cold war’ with one side being the “allies” of US, Europe, Japan and other nations putting on all sorts of sanctions that are US dollar and Euro based. Then on the other side you have “the axis” of Russia, and to a lesser extent China, Syria, Iran and North Korea. Russia formally asked China for financial and military assistance this week.
Then to complicate things, the OPEC nations are more aligned with Russia than the USA, because of the Biden administration’s “green” war on fossil fuels. So, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are not backing the sanctions, and they are not pumping more oil at the administration’s request. Furthermore, they are unhappy with the Biden administration’s big push to resign the Iranian nuclear deal, which those same countries are at war against Iran via the Yemeni civil war Houthi rebels (Iranian backed).
This is all critically important, because of the power of Petro Dollars, whereby the USD has dominated the settlement/payment of the global oil and gas markets. Critically, in 1973/4 the US promised to defend Saudi Arabia (and later other OPEC nations) militarily in exchange for imported oil and that the settlement currency for all nations would be in dollars. This coupled with the Saudi promise to invest excess proceeds for oil sales in US treasury bills, notes and bonds (US Debt).
Now all bets are off, as this week Saudi Arabia put a “shot across the bow” of the Biden administration by moving toward doing a “new deal” with China for oil exports that is settled in Yuan, which would be unprecedented.
Crypto and CBDCs
The next dimension of the currency wars is the “space race” for crypto and central bank digital currencies.
U.S. Roadmap to Digital Currency
There are proposals on the table that would not only create a digital dollar, but also create individual accounts with the Federal Reserve. This is a new level of dependency on the Federal Reserve bank and its computer systems. This also would disintermediate many functions of local banks, credit unions, coop banks, and thrifts.
One of the critical aspects of both are how payment systems of the world work. Crypto mainly relies on digital wallets for accessibility, which are regulated by the central banks as they interface between the banking system and the crypto world. This became apparent in the Canadian state of emergency where they froze the Trucker’s digital wallets which effectively locked-up any access to their crypto.
The Storehouse Imperative
All of this points to the “new world” which we are financially and technically entering into. With “Babylon” imposing more and more sanctions and controls, and with more conflict coming on the earth, coupled with more scarcity and inflation – we The Church need wisdom and Godly solutions. Both to sustain us, and to provide refuge in a storm to those who do not yet believe. We find the answers in the bible, and as reflected in the new wineskin of the Storehouse vision and the New Breed approach of heavenly supply lines.
Roundtable Discussion: Financial Warfare – S.W.I.F.T. and Russian Sanctions
We discuss what is happening as part of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, specifically the financial sanctions and their implications and the first a no SWIFT ban, then some SWIFT bans, but not full. Some of this is carved out for oil and gas transactions, which somewhat defeats the purpose. It’s complicated, as is the global “net” of disparate payment systems. But like we talked about with Canada and the Truckers
We will go into the “bigger picture” geo-politically, biblically, and prophetically. And the implications. For example, prophetic voice Bob Jones spoke about a coming harvest in Russia and the former soviet union nations. God described this to him as “the greatest awakening”. He also separately showed prophetic voices Paul Cain and Bob Jones with Mike Bickle (founder IHOP) as scribe, that Communism and Islam would merge in the future and there would be a type of WWIII in the days ahead. Is this war related to both prophetic words?
Further, Bob Jones also prophesied great West Coast earthquakes, as well as limited nuclear exchange and fires on the East Coast, foreign soldiers on US soil, and many people moving to the middle of the country as a result. Kansas City and the surrounding 500 miles will become a bread basket for the world in a time of famine and drought.
God will put wheat in the Midwest like he put oil in the middle-east”
Bob Jones prophecy in the 1980s in Kansas City documented by Mike Bickle
SWIFT stands for Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (swift.com). It was founded in 1973 and started sending money electronically in 1978. SWIFT is structured as a cooperative organization owned by its members. It is headquartered in Brussels Belgium, but its members are global. It has 11,000 institutions operating in over 200 countries. In 2021, SWIFT processed 42 million messages.
Global payments systems are fractured into various sub-systems. One of the oldest and biggest alternatives to SWIFT is FedWire. Fed wire is run by the Federal Reserve and started shortly after the Fed was founded in 1913 (1915, 1918). There is also CHIPS, which is another US based system.
Russia and China are trying to create their own payment systems.
For more understanding, read a bit more here about Chuck Pierce’s Passover prophecies from last year, which gets into global trade flow and how payment systems will be changing. See Trade Wars here: https://newbreed.co/2020/08/03/trade-wars/
Bob Jones apparently had a prophetic word related to the Bride of Christ in the USA and awakening. Bob Jones said :
“The Honkers were going to start honking before the Eagles will fly.” – Bob Jones 2005 (as recalled by Rick Joyner in an interview below).
Now people at Morningstar and elsewhere in Christianity are connecting the “Honkers” to Canadian Geese and the “Freedom Convoy” up in Canada, preceding a similar move down in the “Eagle” the USA (similar persecution and rising up of people for freedom). Here is a video with an excerpt regarding this with Lance Wallnau interviewing Rick Joyner about this Bob Jones prophecy : https://www.facebook.com/LanceWallnau/videos/1608573396187231
Martin Luther called the Holy Ghost the “Wild Goose”.
Canadian Geese in “V” formation
Lou Engle spoke about how Bob Jones was also describing the geese as intercessors as part of the “Gulliver” prophecy of awakening the sleeping giant of the Church. When intercessors pray together (like geese in a V formation), they can assault the demonic principalities and powers. Allowing for the Eagles to fly (the prophetic words to come from heaven to earth). You can find that on “The Briefing” blog here: https://www.thebriefing.us/blog/2018/10/25/004-the-gulliver-prophecy
God is shifting the world:
We are starting to see judgment and revival happen simultaneously…
2. Bob Jones said “When the Chiefs win the Super bowl, it was a sign that revival was about to come. God is raising up his apostolic chiefs.” They won on Feb 2, 2020.
3. Pandemic hits literally days later in the USA (mid-Feb 2020).
4. Chuck Pierce said: “This is the Passover that the economic system of the world gets realigned” in March 2020 (see CV19 post here). And now we see that indeed, the pandemic has changed everything – and God is using it to re-align and shake up the Church as well.
5. Lou Engle and “The Send” are starting to bring prophecied stadium revivals to a reality. Watch for arrowhead stadium May 14, 2022 is “The Send” in KC.
Trudeau – froze Canadian Truckers’ bank accounts, cancelled Canadian Truckers’ insuranceStripe – shut down President Trump Campaign payments
Glenn Beck is thinking along the same lines in this video here:
So, like China – the US, Canadian, Australian, UK leaders are finding “soft” ways as very attractive half-steps toward more control in order to manipulate people and companies into conformity of “doing the right thing” through the purse strings (you want the funds? they take the vaccine. want to keep your job? take the vaccine. want to keep your insurance? take the vaccine.), social pressure (shaming), relabling law abiding citizens as terrorists and perpitrators of hate crimes,etc.
By God’s mercy, there is still time. The Storehouse vision can be implemented now, while we still have the freedom to “choose another way” and not depend on governmental funding, banking, big tech, big health, big commerce, big ag, and so forth. If we have no alternatives, we will feel there is no choice in order to take care of our families but conform to governmental and corporate policies that go against our faith and freedom.
For example GiveSendGo.com, a Christian crowdfunding site has replaced GoFundMe to send money to the truckers. Lucienne Sawyer forwarded me an email about Gab doing a “Parallel Economy Fund” which seems like it has some parallels to the Storehouse… Perhaps you are aware of other Storehouse type initiatives?
Roundtable Discussion: Canadian Truckers, Tech, Banks, and Government
Headlines from North of the Border
“Truckers Protest of Vaccine Mandates in Freedom Convoy Continues”
“GoFundMe Shuts Down Truckers’ Freedom Convoy Fundraiser”
“Several people arrested for bringing gas to ‘Freedom Convoy’”
“Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Invokes Emergency Powers”
“Trudeau gives banks power to freeze funds without court order”
“Trudeau vows to freeze anti-mandate protesters’ bank accounts”
“Ottawa Chief of Police Resigns”
Look North to the events in Canada and we can see into the future, especially if “we the people” don’t turn to Jesus for help.
Arrested for gas cans?
Here’s a chilling video of PM Justin Trudeau’s admiration of China. China? Yes, China.
In 1986, God showed Chuck Pierce the rise of China and its relationship to the US and the rest of the world in decade increments. You can read about this in his book “The Future War of the Church” written 2000 which he published in 2007. He was shown these things through 2026.
2018 Chuck Pierce video on persecution of Christians in China coming to US:
In June 2019 GoFundMe terminated a $3 million fundraising for an Australian rugby player, Israel Folau, to finance a court case to appeal his multi-million dollar dismissal. He had quoted 1 Corinthians 6:9–10 on social media, which was said to be homophobic. An alternative fundraising site was set up by the Australian Christian Lobby with the public donating $2 million in 24 hours.
In January 2022, GoFundMe refused to release the CA$5 million funds raised for Freedom Convoy 2022. Then they said if you don’t ask for a refund they would ask the Freedom Convoy to choose a charity for people’s money. Then they ended up just refunding everyone’s money, refusing to release the funds to the Truckers.
(Elon Musk tweet)
Did you know that GoFundMe also joined Stripe and Shopify, turning off the Trump campaign websites funding after Jan 6th, etc.? How? They deleted fundraising campaigns for people to travel to DC for the Jan 6th rally.
Most Christians focused on the social media platforms freezing and deleting many people’s accounts, but the next frontier is the banks and banking system freezing and redirecting funds. Whether in Canada or the USA. It’s coming.
We need to pray, We need to repent. We need to prepare.
Here is a related take from Glenn Beck that is making very similar points to this week and two week’s ago Another Kingdom discussion:
Wherever the church leaves a moral vacuum, culture and society will fill the void.
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
Matt 5:13
Scripturally, the bible boils everything down to two Kingdoms: The Kingdom of Babylon (evil) and the Kingdom of Heaven (good). However, it is not always so obvious which Kingdom is which. Satan from the beginning said “Did God really say?” (Gen 3:1) There will always be confusion as to what is right and wrong once worship of and obedience to the true God is challenged.
And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness.
2 Cor 11:14-15
This topic came to light when praying for the Next Generation – Gen Z. Gen Z has been created by God as adventurers, pioneers, warriors, passionate for a cause. And what we prayed about was to expose the “false dichotomy” of independence and obedience. Meaning, God gives us the freedom and free-will to chose Him (or anything actually), but if we choose Him, we freely submit our free-will back to Him as “bond-servants”.
For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ.
1 Cor 7:22
This is also known as Permission and Prohibition. In Jesus, they go hand in hand. Back to the garden of Eden – “you are permitted to eat of any tree, except one.”
However, when the next generation looks back at how U.S. Christianity got syncretized with free-market capitalism and how the church looked the other way regarding: environmental pollution, exploiting the poor for profits, socio-economic inequalities, etc., THE CHURCH is now perceived as hypocritical. Against abortion, sexual promiscuity, for Israel, but greedy for profits.
When the Church pulled back from/got pushed out of government, business, economics in the United States, the cry was “separation” of “religion” from everything.
Yet, paradoxically, Judeo-Christian scripture was the very basis of our law, our morality, our ethics and our character. But once the “obstacle” of religion was removed, it left pure market-based capitalism in its wake. It also left a government hungry for money and power. And it also left a moral vacuum to be filled. A blank canvas. Filled with what? Well it certainly can’t be religion, so in the wisdom of man and the absence of God, we as a society started creating a hodge-podge, cottage industry of morality and ethics. Of what the new “right and wrong” are. A weird “politically correct” balancing act of worshiping fame and fortune – but feeling good about it in the process. We see this reflected now in Hollywood, Washington D.C. and Wall Street. There is a new hegemony emerging between these three camps.
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
Isaiah 5:20
Have you heard of “ESG” scoring? That stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance scoring for corporations and investments.
For example, “Social” was defined in 2017 as being computed using inputs from: Human Rights, Labor Standards, Gender Equality. Sounds good so far, right?
However, quickly revealed is ESG hypocrisy. For instance, Disney and Apple scored high in ESG, yet somehow these scores overlooked sweatshop Asian labor and Chinese persecution of those who believe in religion, such as Christians, Uyghur Moslems and others.
An interesting video on ESG hypocrisy:
Regarding environmental hypocrisy – this is sometimes referred to as “Greenwashing”, whereby the corporate citizen builds a marketing case for how they are “carbon-neutral”, when in fact underneath it is just a shell-game to avoid social shaming of politically correct critics.
This then all becomes about one “feeling good” about how people perceive their actions, as more important than actually doing good according to the Bible.
We already have extensively discussed the pitfalls of FICO credit scoring for consumers, masquerading as a pseudo-character score of how good of a slave you are in paying your debts.
Or how the Chinese regime uses a “social credit” system to reward and punish people in what it deems as good and bad behavior, thus the government redefining people’s morality.
Now, as we look toward Jesus’ return, we find ourselves in a time where the line is greatly blurring between right and wrong. We need to be vigilant. We need to be “watchmen” on the walls of our hearts. First, the Church must REPENT OF ALL OF ITS SIN THAT HAS LEFT THESE VACUUMS and return to its rightful place among a remnant of God’s people – God’s Israel. Second, we must become the “Two Witnesses” of Revelation 11, willing to stand up against (militant witness) and call out those who are calling evil good., lobbying for a “new morality”.
For what appears to be good at first, or for a season, can be a temptation to “bite into the apple” and then we are hooked into deception. This is how the Antichrist will fool the world, starting with a false peace masquerading as good:
He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.
Daniel 9:27
Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
Martin Luther King, Jr. – August 1963 on the Washington Mall
This week we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr’s life as arguably the Nation’s greatest civil rights leader. Have a fresh read of his most famous words, apparently extemporaneously spoken from the heart, from an economic perspective. Why is there still such great economic inequality and disparity today? We even have all the more economic slavery of debt, greed, fear and poverty? What can we do about it? Why can’t our Federal Reserve banking system and financial markets ever hope to deliver on the Dream? MLK’s dream? The Almighty’s dream? (Read Deut 28).
Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.
Prov 22:16
One Nation Under God. Where all men are created equal. Where none live in poverty (impossible? read Deut 15:4 and Acts 4:34). Where there truly is liberty and justice for all.
“I Have a Dream”
Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.:
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
But 100 years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself in exile in his own land. And so we’ve come here today to dramatize a shameful condition. In a sense we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check.
When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men — yes, Black men as well as white men — would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked insufficient funds.
But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt.
We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so we’ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.
We have also come to his hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism.
Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. 1963 is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual.
There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.
We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny.
And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back.
There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, when will you be satisfied? We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities.
We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: for whites only.
We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote.
No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our Northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.
Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.
So even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day down in Alabama with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, one day right down in Alabama little Black boys and Black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning: My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrims’ pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania. Let freedom ring from the snow capped Rockies of Colorado. Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California. But not only that, let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, Black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: Free at last. Free at last. Thank God almighty, we are free at last.
Roundtable Discussion: Regional Digital Currencies
By way of background, you can view and listen to our previous discussion here: Alt Currency
BerkShares is a regional currency in Western Mass. It is going digital early 2022.
Yesterday (1/11/22), Merrick Finn, Chris Adams and I went on a field trip to the Schumacher Center for a New Economics in Great Barrington, MA. E.F. Schumacher was a German statistician from the UK who published a series of economic essays in his seminal book “Small is Beautiful”, which was a counterpoint to globalization and import/export economies and is considered by many to have helped inspire the locally grown, sustainable economics, and Fair Trade movements.
We met with Rachel Moriarity the coordinator of BerkShares and Fennie Wang the founder of HumanityCash – they are together piloting the digital rollout of BerkShares next month. Here is a good article in The Berkshire Eagle that encapsulates their progress and plan: What’s in your (online) wallet? On their 15th Anniversary BerkShares Will Go Digital
Rachel Moriarity and Fennie Wang
Interestingly, Schumacher became a Christian in 1971. Here is an excerpt of where his economic journey crossed with his spiritual journey (from Wikipedia)
As a young man, Schumacher was a dedicated atheist, but his later rejection of materialist, capitalist, agnostic modernity was paralleled by a growing fascination with religion. He developed an interest in Buddhism, but beginning in the late-1950s, Catholicism heavily influenced his thinking. He noted the similarities between his own economic views and the teaching of papal encyclicals on socio-economic issues, from Leo XIII’s “Rerum Novarum” to Pope John XXIII’s Mater et magistra, as well as with the distributism supported by the Catholic thinkers G. K. Chesterton, Hilaire Belloc, and Vincent McNabb. Philosophically, he absorbed much of Thomism, which provided an objective system in contrast to what he saw as the self-centered subjectivism and relativism of modern philosophy and society. He also was greatly interested in the tradition of Christian mysticism and read deeply such writers as St. Teresa of Avila and Thomas Merton. These were all interests that he shared with his friend, the Catholic writer Christopher Derrick. In 1971, he converted to Catholicism.
We compare and contrast to the Storehouse Vision of local currencies, and take a look at some of the pros and cons of the BerkShare digital dollars implementation.
Generational influences and how we think of finances, provision, and trust with Susan Totilo
Finances can have many subtle, subliminal, interesting and sometimes beguiling influences on our behavior and lives, but God! An important aspect to understand all of this, is the generational impact of how we were raised, how our parents handled financial issues and stress, either in extreme poverty, the middle class, or perhaps even great wealth.
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil… some have… pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
1 Tim 6:10
We will discuss with Susan her upbringing as she shares the story of being raised in an Italian immigrant household, how the death of her Great Grandfather and the demise of his business, impacted several generations of women in the Totilo household, especially her Mom and Grandmother. That plus the transformation God has taken Susan through in the past few years.
Susan Totilo
Hi! My name is Susan Totilo and I love Jesus!! I also love to talk. As I say all the time, “God gave me a big Italian mouth and a big Italian heart for a reason”.
I was blessed to pursue a teaching career in my home state of Connecticut for over 20 years. In recent years, I started feeling the tug to leave teaching but kept at it, as I had no back-up plan.After experiencing some deep, personal losses in 2019, I left the demands of the public education system soon after, entering into a long season of profound rest and healing. Early on in this season, I asked God, “What do I do now, Lord?” and He said, “Well…what do you want to do?”
I had always dreamed about becoming a radio D.J. or “Podcaster” and heard about the Connecticut School of Broadcasting (CSB). After much prayer, God gave me peace to resign from teaching and I went on to CSB, where I completed their certificate program in Broadcast Media. Following this, a vigorous job search led to ALL doors being closed to mainstream employment.
But God had the “one open door” I prayed for…which ended up being a home audio/visual studio, miraculously paid for through the generosity of dear friends. While I am presently enjoying the process of recording various content, my main focus is listening at the feet of Jesus, to seek what He wants to do through me. As I am learning to trust Him more, my prayer is to bring Him glory and to be an ambassador of His love and Presence to others through the use of media.
We in the Body of Christ have an opportunity to unleash heaven and “set the captives free” (Isaiah 61) with respect to any evil generational influences or curses.
Yet, 10 year market assumed inflation (10Yr Bond – 10 year TIPS) remains more subdued at 2.37% as of today (but up considerably from 2 years ago). This is why the Fed isn’t panicking yet.
What is one of the biggest signs of long-term or “non-transitory” inflation? Housing. Shelter.Rents. November housing (Shelter) CPI was at 4% YOY and climbing. Why? Because the pandemic drove people – especially the next generation – to purchase homes. And many of those (over half) were Millennials purchasing homes with record sized mortgage debt at historically low interest rates. And the housing market went through the roof. But that in turn has driven up mortgage payments which has driven up rents.
As of 2Q 2021, MBS outstanding is $11.7 Tn and climbing
Greed is a huge factor too, 2/3 of publicly traded companies are reporting fatter profit margins than pre-CV19 because they can get away with (people are willing to accept) once in a lifetime price increases. This is like eating ourselves for breakfast. It was also a big factor in the 70s. Once people are psychologically willing to accept and pay higher prices, it can become a downward spiral – one person raising prices because they paid more themselves. One’s perceived loss can be made up by charging someone else more. That too is greed.
In July 2020, recall we discussed the Inflation Prophecies where several modern day prophets have given prophecies of inflation, including John Paul Jackson and Bob Jones. Then in March 2021, as part of the National Debt discussion, we delved into the “what if” the US lost its place as the reserve and settlement currency of the world? And how that could lead to hyper-inflation. In May, we discussed Inflation again, and how the Storehouse Vision was designed to address the issue of inflation using “Break-Away Bridges”…
Yes, we need to come out of Babylon. We will further explore and brainstorm together how the Storehouse and local asset-backed currencies can potentially mitigate future inflation in tomorrow’s discussion. Land, food, water are all part of the potential solution.
Just this evening (12/7/21), Saule Omarova’s nomination for the Comptroller of the Currency (head regulator of the OCC – regulates majority of US commercial banks) was withdrawn by the Biden administration.
Bloomberg
Our friend Christopher Lucey brought to our attention (rightly sounding the alarm) to Omarova’s “People’s Ledger” proposal to completely revamp the banking system and Federal Reserve in the process of moving to Digital Dollars by essentially nationalizing/socializing it (“democratization” is code for government take over). The rationale? That the current system favors the rich and disregards the poor. And unfortunately, she’s right.
We need to Repent for our Financial System’s treatment of the Poor
The Lord will enter into judgment with the elders of His people And His princes: “For you have eaten up the vineyard; The plunder of the poor is in your houses. What do you mean by crushing My people. And grinding the faces of the poor?” Says the Lord God of hosts.
Isaiah 3:14-15
We cannot look the other way on this.
You may think: well, what’s the big deal with our banking system? I can get a reasonably priced mortgage. It’s relatively safe to keep my money on deposit there. We’ve got to put our money somewhere, right? You might argue, hey it’s not perfect, but it works and has worked well for over 100 years now.
But did you know this is only true for the wealthiest 60-80% of Americans with good credit scores? For those in the bottom 20-40%, the system is broken. The working poor turn to Payday and Hard Money lenders for short-term financial needs. The poor, illiterate and/or uneducated use cash and don’t have access to credit. They go to check-cashing stores and pay considerable fees. If you have a mortgage and can’t pay it, you might lose your largest asset – your house – and worse, risk homelessness. If you have a bad credit score, you may never be able to repair it. If you have a bank account with a small balance you might pay $40 overdraft fees, receive no interest and pay $20 in monthly fees on top of that.
Do we really want God to turn us over to the reprobate wisdom of man through Socialism? Marxism? Or do we want to respond to God, repent, be his hands and feet, and help bank the poor?
I will give children to be their princes, And babes shall rule over them. The people will be oppressed, Every one by another and every one by his neighbor; The child will be insolent toward the elder, And the base toward the honorable.
Isaiah 3:4-5
In other words friends, it’s far easier to point out and criticize the failings of socialism and how government control and government mandates stymies freedom (how dare they!), than to take the plank out of our own eyes, humble ourselves and repent of our own greed, fears, complacency, acceptance of exploitation of the poor through our nation’s financial markets and banking systems.
What? We have to repent of our free-market poor-exploiting practices of capitalism? Yes. Yes we do. And repentance means we have to come out of partnership with these practices.
If we don’t, God will judge us. How? By giving us bad government, and bad leadership (see above scripture). Hmmm. If the shoe fits, wear it.
Wait, so you are essentially saying: more effective than fighting against socialism, we must first repent of the sins of capitalism? Yes. This is the hidden truth of releasing God’s power to fight for righteousness, liberty, equality, freedom, and justice for all – One Nation Under God.
Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
Isaiah 58: 6-9
If we don’t want the “People’s Ledger”, we have to repent and reform (come out of Babylon):
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?
Getty Images
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.
