Don't Feed The Beast: A Biblical Economic Plan For Overcoming Evil In America
In The Classroom Of James Hartline
A Virtual Bible School For Christian Warriors
January 4, 2007
Don't Feed The Beast !
A Biblical Economic Plan
For Overcoming Evil In America
The Godly Boycott:
A Righteous Plan For Christians
To Overthrow Ungodly Economic Enterprises
Revelation 18:1-4
After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven,
having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory.
And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying:
"Fallen! Fallen! is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons
and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison for every unclean and hateful bird.
For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality,
and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and
the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality."
I heard another voice from heaven, saying,
"Come out of her, my people
so that you will not participate in her
sins and receive of her plagues."
I have had many discussions with pastors on the issue of boycotting. Many of those discussions did not end on a positive note. The pastors that have opposed my involvement in boycotting have claimed that the Bible does not support such activities. When talking with these types of pastors, I generally got the impression that they could not back up such claims with any real Biblical evidence. Rather, it seemed that most of these pastors simply did not want to be involved in controversy, or they did not want to draw their churches into a fight with business owners. I find this pacificist attitude among these pastors to be slightly distasteful and incredibly contradictory to the lifestyle of Jesus and most other heroes in the Bible.
In fact, one church that I attended years ago, has a pastor that condemned me for leading Christians to boycott Starbucks Coffee. In fact, this pastor was rather unkind to me when speaking to me on the issue. Why would any pastor be so upset about my confronting a company like Starbucks which is one of the biggest promoters of homosexuality in the United States?(www.jameshartlinereport.blogspot.com/2006/12/starbucks-is-major-funding-source-for_10.html) I found out later that this pastor's church was receiving financial donations from Starbucks via a company employee, thus his opposition to me was not based on the Bible, but rather his church's finances. I think that Jesus responded to this kind of financial compromise this way:
And Jesus found in the temple those that were selling oxen and sheep and doves,
and the money changers seated at their tables. He proceeded to make a scourge
of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and
He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; And to
those that were selling doves He said, "Take these things away; stop making My
Father's house a place of business. His disciples remembered that it was written,
"Zeal for Your house will consume Me."
John 2:14-17
Jesus Chasing The Money Changers
Out Of The Temple
So who is right? Is there an appropriate time for Christians to forgoe a company product because of harmful or immoral actions on the part of that company? Or should we just assume a passive attitude, letting the company do whatever they want to do, and in the process, just let our financing of such companies with our Christian dollars help propel an ungodly agenda? What does the Bible have to say on this matter? Is the Bible silent or opposed to boycotting?
The Bible actually has a great deal to say about the subject of boycotting. There is a tremendous reservoir of examples in the Bible, where God's people rose up and took appropriate actions to oppose evil. Such actions are sound Biblically-based examples of boycotting. Here are a few such examples:
Abraham's Boycott of Sodom's Merchandise
The First Godly Boycott in the Bible
Genesis 14:21-23
Abraham Preparing For The Destruction of Sodom
The King of Sodom said to Abram, "Give the people to me
and take the goods for yourself."
Abram said to the King of Sodom, "I have sworn to the Lord God
Most High, possessor of heaven and earth,
that I will not take a thread or a sandal thong or anything that is yours,
for fear that you would say, 'I have made Abram rich.' "
In this tremendously significant passage, we see Abraham conducting the very first godly boycott of the world's merchandise. Abraham had made a commitment to God to follow the Lord, and that commitment would not allow him to compromise his moral values, even though he had earned the right to take liberty with the world's economic system. Abraham had won a great battle. He had retrieved Sodom's stolen goods from the enemy who had kidnapped Lot and his family. Abraham had worked hard to win that battle and he certainly could have claimed rights to Sodom's wealth. But Abraham was determined not to compromise his allegiance to the Lord, his God. The modern homosexual movement is offering the same corrupted deals to corporate America that the ancient king of Sodom offered to Abraham. "Give us the souls of people, and you can keep our money!"
Each Christian is being offered that same deal -- buy products from pro-homosexual companies like Ford, Starbucks, American Airlines and Wal-Mart -- take the goods and give us your souls and the souls of your children. In other words, the corporations will promote homosexuality to America in exchange for the money promised by the gay agenda's thirst to possess more human souls. Christians who have placed convenience over commitment to Christ are easily swayed to bite into such bait. Like Abraham did those many thousands of years ago, we must reject these vile deals with the devil and his corporate taskmasters, and remain faithful to the Lord God, Most High. Following Abraham's example, we too, must boycott Sodom's goods. In the end, Abraham received far more material wealth and eternal blessings, by initially saying no to the King of Sodom. The Christian today, who makes the same decision as Abraham, will be greatly blessed and honored by God.
Daniel's Boycott of Babylon's Beef
The Obedience of God's Man
Daniel 1:4-16
Daniel would not compromise his commitment to God. He stood strong in the lions's den.
The king appointed for them a daily ration from the king's choice food and the
wine which he drank, and appointed that they should be educated three years, at
the end of which they were to enter the king's personal service.
But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's choice
food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander
of the officials that he might not defile himself.
One of the most significant parts of this passage in the Book of Daniel is the statement, "Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food." Daniel was so determined to serve his God and remain obedient to his commitment to the Lord of heaven and earth, that he refused to take the easy way out, even on matters of his diet. Daniel could have had all the wonderful delicacies, the foods, and the drinks, that the wealthy elite in Babylon gourged upon. Daniel said, "No!" He wanted no part in anything that would display compromise to his commitment to God.
In today's self-indulgent world, can we Christians claim that we do not compromise our faith when we eat, drink, or purchase the world's merchandise? Do we still go to the "R" rated movie on Monday, after sitting in church on Sunday? Do we booze it up and go to the casinos to gamble right after we witnessed for Jesus on our jobs? Do we go to Starbucks for coffee, even after we have been told that the Starbucks Company is spending corporate money to promote homosexuality and lesbianism among our own kids? Are we as courageous as Daniel was in the dangerous kingdom of Babylon? If not, why not?
Daniel was one of the great prophets in Biblical history. We believers today, are still reaping the benefits of his prophecies that were written for our generation in these last days. We are, indeed, benefiting from Daniel's obedience to God. That is what made him an available prophet to be used mightily by God. Daniel boycotted the king's meat. Daniel made a predetermined stand in obedience to God, that he was not going to partake of Babylon's ungodly produce. And God rewarded Daniel, raising him up to the position of Prime Minister of Babylon. Oh, that we today, would take that same bold stand for God, and I believe He would raise up enough modern American Daniel's to reclaim the entire government. But, that cannot happen until God's people demonstrate a willingness to say no to the ungodly merchandise of our enemies.
Let us begin today, to stand like Daniel did. Let us boycott all merchandise that causes God's will and plan for America to be diminished. Like Daniel did in Babylon, let us rise up with a renewed commitment to righteousness, both in the church and in the supermarket.
The Rechabite Boycott of Wine
A Godly Family Equals a Blessed Family
Jeremiah 35:1-19
The Rechabites In Obedience To God, Refused To Drink Wine, A Truly
Holy Boycott in Ancient Israel By Obedient men Of God.
And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites, pots full of wine, and cups,
and I said unto them, "Drink ye wine."
But they said, "We shall drink no wine: for Jonadab, the son of Rechab our father
commanded us, saying, 'Ye shall drink no wine, neither you, nor yours sons forever.
Neither shall ye build house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor have any:
but all your days you shall dwell in tents; that you may live many days in the land
where you will be strangers.' Thus we have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of
Rechab our father in all that he has charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we,
our wives, our sons, nor our daughters; nor to build houses for us to dwell in; neither
have we vineyards, nor field, nor seed."
Then Jeremiah said to the family of the Rechabites, "This is what the Lord Almighty,
the God of Israel, says: 'You have obeyed the command of your forefather Jonadab
and have followed all his instructions and have done everything he ordered.
Therefore, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: 'Jonadab son of
Rechab will never fail to have a man to serve me.' "
The Rechabites were not your average Israeli family. They were obedient to God when other families rebelled. When they made a vow to the Lord, they kept it. They were determined to keep drunkeness out of their house. The Rechabites were a righteous family, not just because they were in the temple every week, but because their deeds demonstrated a real allegiance to God the rest of the week. They had taken a Nazarite vow in obedience to God. This meant, they would never drink alcohol. God's Spirit was their drink. The Lord was enough for them. When the rest of the nation was filled with drunkeness and adultery, the Rechabites held their heads up and remained loyal to God. And the prophet Jeremiah brought a word directly from God to the Rechabites that said, "You will always have a member of your family serving God because of your commitment to the Lord!"
At the end of the road, the Rechabite's allegiance to God and their boycotting of wine products, resulted in great blessings from the Lord.
In today's world, many Christians drink and they justify it under the "legalism vs. grace" argument. Yes, we are not under the law. We certainly do not want to turn our walk with the Lord into a bunch of do's and dont's. However, some of the biggest corporate sponsors of the homosexual agenda and gay pride events are beer and liquor companies. When we, as Christians, use our liberty to drink beer and buy liquor produced by companies that are taking our money and sponsoring sexually destructive events that promote homosexuality, what is that saying about our witness for Jesus Christ. Are we as commited to the Lord as the Rechabites? If not, why not?
Look at some of the companies on the sponsorship list of the San Diego Gay Pride Festival from 2006:
http://sandiegopride.org/12/Sponsors.htm
From the San Diego Gay Pride 2006 Event:
Starbucks, Bud Light (Beer), Smirnoff (Liquor)
Travelocity, Vitamin Water, Avis Car Rental
Viejas Casino Enterprises, Wells Fargo,
Cox Communications, Sempra Energy
What is it saying about our faith in God and our commitment to Christ and our kids, that we would still buy and drink beer and liquor, particularly when those profits are being used to promote homosexuality among kids? Look at this vile press release that was just put out by the San Diego Gay Pride organization (http://sandiegopride.org/news/26/San_Diego_Pride_Announces_Internship_Opportunity.html):
San Diego Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride has established a first-ever, paid internship position for a high school senior as part of its resolution to further involve LGBT youth into the long-term planning of Pride's annual celebrations. The position, which partly involves direct outreach into the youth community, sponsorship involvement and volunteer training, begins in January and runs until the end of August with the possibility of an extension.
Qualified candidates must be in their senior year in high school and able to work through the Pride office for up to 30 hours per week in late spring and early summer, and 5 to 10 hours per week in winter and fall.
Pride's board of directors recently passed a resolution that reaffirms its commitment to take on additional youth representation within the organization to increase wider youth involvement.
"The voice of teenage youth is an integral part of the everyday planning process for our annual events," said Ron deHarte, executive director of San Diego LGBT Pride. "The internship program is yet another growth step of the organization."
This evil organization is actually recruiting young teenagers to help promote homosexuality among kids. This is the same group that had five registered pedophiles working for its organizagtion in 2005 (www.10news.com/news/4773115/detail.html). When Christians continue to buy Starbucks and beer and liquor and other merchandise from companies sponsoring this terrible group, what value is our public profession of Jesus Christ?
Boycotting the Mark of the Beast
Will Today's Compromising Christian Resist The 666 Tattoo?
Revelation 13:16-18
And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond,
to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads. And that no
man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast,
or the number of his name.
We recently informed Christians around America, that Starbucks Coffee continues to be one of the biggest promoters of homosexuality in America. Many of the Christians that we informed about Starbucks have young kids in public schools and those same kids are being indoctrinated by the radical homosexual agenda. Despite this information, some of these same Christians continue to buy Starbucks Coffee. Why? Mostly, they simply don't want to be inconvenienced. It is easier for them to continue going to Starbucks for coffee, even though their money is eventually helping to fund homosexual indoctrination programs that are harming their own kids and grandchildren.
If these Christians cannot change their coffee drinking habits in a time of ease, will they really make more serious decisions in defense of the gospel when it gets harder and harder to do so in the dark days ahead? Will some of these compromisers eventually take the mark of the beast as described in the Book of Revelation because it easier for them to do so, then to actually fight the anti-christ's economic system? I fear for those who compromise, because I know that if they are not willing to even switch coffee brands now, they certainly aren't going to lay down their lives in the future when it will be much more difficult to do so.
The Book of Revelation says that a time is coming on the earth when those who refuse to take the mark of the beast will not be able to buy or sell anything. Only true Christians will boycott the mark. Only true Christians are willing to lay down their lives for the cause of Christ and stand up to the gross economic immorality that is sweeping America. How many Christians in churches today are compromising on basic immorality? Do we really believe that such compromisers will refuse the mark under pressure?
From the Queens In The Kingdom Website
Promoting Homosexuality At Disneyland
(www.queensinthekingdom.com)
One of the biggest promoters of the radical homosexual agenda in the world is the Walt Disney Company. Every year, it gets worse and worse with Disney. Each year, Disney allows its parks to be polluted with "Gay Days" where homosexual activists parade their sexual immorality in front of families and their children (www.gaydays.com). Despite this vile corruption at these "family" parks, Christians and churches continue to spend billions of dollars at these amusement enterprises. Why are adult Christians so intent on seeing that their children, who they claim they are trying to raise as Christian kids, are amused and entertained? If Christians are still willing to fund the very mechanisms that are destroying their kids, what will they do when the mark of the beast is offered them?
Biblical Principles For Conducting A Boycott
"It is good to neither eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything
whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak."
Romans 14:21
Paul give us some very rich instruction when engaging in the restricting of our lifestyle choices, particularly in the arena of economic purchases. Too often, we give very little thought on how our spending habits affect the moral conditions of America, much less our fellow Christians. In this fast food society, it's all about speed and very little concern for anything else. Most of the time, we never even think about what our eating and drinking habits mean from a moral perspective. Yet, Paul spoke extensively about this very matter in the Book of Romans.
"Therefore, do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil."
Romans 14:16
Paul teaches us to not let what we are doing end up being something that is considered evil by others, particularly when it hurts a fellow Christian. Paul says in the preceding verse:
"For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking
according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died."
Romans 14:15
If we have been told that Starbucks is funding the radical homosexual movement and we continue to purchase those products, what does that say about our walk with the Lord? I have actually had some Christians convey the attitude of: "You're not going to tell me what to do, mind your own business." That's a Christian talking like that! What does Paul say about the believer who does not care that their financial purchases are helping to spread destructive enterprises, like the gay agenda, which is ensnaring more men to get AIDS and motivating more children to rebel against their parents and the Bible? Christians who spend money that is funding homosexual activism are actually helping to establish laws outlawing speech against homosexuality. Our financial spending habits are fast becoming our biggest enemy. The Apostle Paul conveyed to us in the Book of Romans: do not let your eating habits hurt another person!
What if there are people in our churches who are struggling with alcohol, perhaps to the point that they have lost jobs, families and children? And others in the church continue to buy beer and drink it in front of their wounded fellow Christians. Isn't that purchase hurting the brothers and sisters with alcohol problems? You see, our purchases are not just about us. We are one body, the body of Christ, and when one hurts, we all hurt. Our purchases affect our neighborhoods and our country as a whole.
Romans 14:20 states: Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense. Drinking coffee is not a sin. But if that coffee purchase from Starbucks is funding the promotion of homosexuality to young kids, then that purchase becomes a funding source for gross wickedness. And that is a sin!
Take Time To Consider The Matter
Our Nation's Future Depends On It!
Prove what is acceptable unto the Lord.
Ephesians 5:10
It is time for God's people to slow down. We do not need to be in a hurry when it comes to our economic purchases. There was time in this country, when all families slowed down, stopped what they were doing and gathered at the dinner table for supper. This was not a time for speedy meals at McDonalds. This was a time for everyone to check in with each other. Isn't it time that we went back to the days of checking in with each other? Isn't it time to slow down and consider where our spending habits are really taking us?
"Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness;
instead, rebuke and expose them."
Ephesians 5:11
The hour has come for the men and women who claim Christ in this nation
to rise up and make a true stand for righteousness.
The Bible says that "Righteousness Exalts A Nation."
It is time for a great shifting of the American economy from
the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of Heaven.
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge:
because thou has rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee,
that thou shalt be no priest to me:
seeing thou has forgotten the law of thy God,
I will also forget thy children.
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
Make a renewed commitment to gain knowledge about the companies
you are giving your money to. Never again, let us unknowingly give money
to ungodly enterprises.
Refuse to give your money to companies that are destroying our moral foundations.
Refuse To Feed The Beast!
Thank You For Spending Your Time
In The Classroom Of James Hartline
Director Of The Hillcrest Mission
www.hillcrestmission.org
A Virtual Bible School For Christian Warriors
January 4, 2007
Don't Feed The Beast !
A Biblical Economic Plan
For Overcoming Evil In America
The Godly Boycott:
A Righteous Plan For Christians
To Overthrow Ungodly Economic Enterprises
Revelation 18:1-4
After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven,
having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory.
And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying:
"Fallen! Fallen! is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons
and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison for every unclean and hateful bird.
For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality,
and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and
the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality."
I heard another voice from heaven, saying,
"Come out of her, my people
so that you will not participate in her
sins and receive of her plagues."
I have had many discussions with pastors on the issue of boycotting. Many of those discussions did not end on a positive note. The pastors that have opposed my involvement in boycotting have claimed that the Bible does not support such activities. When talking with these types of pastors, I generally got the impression that they could not back up such claims with any real Biblical evidence. Rather, it seemed that most of these pastors simply did not want to be involved in controversy, or they did not want to draw their churches into a fight with business owners. I find this pacificist attitude among these pastors to be slightly distasteful and incredibly contradictory to the lifestyle of Jesus and most other heroes in the Bible.
In fact, one church that I attended years ago, has a pastor that condemned me for leading Christians to boycott Starbucks Coffee. In fact, this pastor was rather unkind to me when speaking to me on the issue. Why would any pastor be so upset about my confronting a company like Starbucks which is one of the biggest promoters of homosexuality in the United States?(www.jameshartlinereport.blogspot.com/2006/12/starbucks-is-major-funding-source-for_10.html) I found out later that this pastor's church was receiving financial donations from Starbucks via a company employee, thus his opposition to me was not based on the Bible, but rather his church's finances. I think that Jesus responded to this kind of financial compromise this way:
And Jesus found in the temple those that were selling oxen and sheep and doves,
and the money changers seated at their tables. He proceeded to make a scourge
of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and
He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; And to
those that were selling doves He said, "Take these things away; stop making My
Father's house a place of business. His disciples remembered that it was written,
"Zeal for Your house will consume Me."
John 2:14-17
Jesus Chasing The Money Changers
Out Of The Temple
So who is right? Is there an appropriate time for Christians to forgoe a company product because of harmful or immoral actions on the part of that company? Or should we just assume a passive attitude, letting the company do whatever they want to do, and in the process, just let our financing of such companies with our Christian dollars help propel an ungodly agenda? What does the Bible have to say on this matter? Is the Bible silent or opposed to boycotting?
The Bible actually has a great deal to say about the subject of boycotting. There is a tremendous reservoir of examples in the Bible, where God's people rose up and took appropriate actions to oppose evil. Such actions are sound Biblically-based examples of boycotting. Here are a few such examples:
Abraham's Boycott of Sodom's Merchandise
The First Godly Boycott in the Bible
Genesis 14:21-23
Abraham Preparing For The Destruction of Sodom
The King of Sodom said to Abram, "Give the people to me
and take the goods for yourself."
Abram said to the King of Sodom, "I have sworn to the Lord God
Most High, possessor of heaven and earth,
that I will not take a thread or a sandal thong or anything that is yours,
for fear that you would say, 'I have made Abram rich.' "
In this tremendously significant passage, we see Abraham conducting the very first godly boycott of the world's merchandise. Abraham had made a commitment to God to follow the Lord, and that commitment would not allow him to compromise his moral values, even though he had earned the right to take liberty with the world's economic system. Abraham had won a great battle. He had retrieved Sodom's stolen goods from the enemy who had kidnapped Lot and his family. Abraham had worked hard to win that battle and he certainly could have claimed rights to Sodom's wealth. But Abraham was determined not to compromise his allegiance to the Lord, his God. The modern homosexual movement is offering the same corrupted deals to corporate America that the ancient king of Sodom offered to Abraham. "Give us the souls of people, and you can keep our money!"
Each Christian is being offered that same deal -- buy products from pro-homosexual companies like Ford, Starbucks, American Airlines and Wal-Mart -- take the goods and give us your souls and the souls of your children. In other words, the corporations will promote homosexuality to America in exchange for the money promised by the gay agenda's thirst to possess more human souls. Christians who have placed convenience over commitment to Christ are easily swayed to bite into such bait. Like Abraham did those many thousands of years ago, we must reject these vile deals with the devil and his corporate taskmasters, and remain faithful to the Lord God, Most High. Following Abraham's example, we too, must boycott Sodom's goods. In the end, Abraham received far more material wealth and eternal blessings, by initially saying no to the King of Sodom. The Christian today, who makes the same decision as Abraham, will be greatly blessed and honored by God.
Daniel's Boycott of Babylon's Beef
The Obedience of God's Man
Daniel 1:4-16
Daniel would not compromise his commitment to God. He stood strong in the lions's den.
The king appointed for them a daily ration from the king's choice food and the
wine which he drank, and appointed that they should be educated three years, at
the end of which they were to enter the king's personal service.
But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's choice
food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander
of the officials that he might not defile himself.
One of the most significant parts of this passage in the Book of Daniel is the statement, "Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food." Daniel was so determined to serve his God and remain obedient to his commitment to the Lord of heaven and earth, that he refused to take the easy way out, even on matters of his diet. Daniel could have had all the wonderful delicacies, the foods, and the drinks, that the wealthy elite in Babylon gourged upon. Daniel said, "No!" He wanted no part in anything that would display compromise to his commitment to God.
In today's self-indulgent world, can we Christians claim that we do not compromise our faith when we eat, drink, or purchase the world's merchandise? Do we still go to the "R" rated movie on Monday, after sitting in church on Sunday? Do we booze it up and go to the casinos to gamble right after we witnessed for Jesus on our jobs? Do we go to Starbucks for coffee, even after we have been told that the Starbucks Company is spending corporate money to promote homosexuality and lesbianism among our own kids? Are we as courageous as Daniel was in the dangerous kingdom of Babylon? If not, why not?
Daniel was one of the great prophets in Biblical history. We believers today, are still reaping the benefits of his prophecies that were written for our generation in these last days. We are, indeed, benefiting from Daniel's obedience to God. That is what made him an available prophet to be used mightily by God. Daniel boycotted the king's meat. Daniel made a predetermined stand in obedience to God, that he was not going to partake of Babylon's ungodly produce. And God rewarded Daniel, raising him up to the position of Prime Minister of Babylon. Oh, that we today, would take that same bold stand for God, and I believe He would raise up enough modern American Daniel's to reclaim the entire government. But, that cannot happen until God's people demonstrate a willingness to say no to the ungodly merchandise of our enemies.
Let us begin today, to stand like Daniel did. Let us boycott all merchandise that causes God's will and plan for America to be diminished. Like Daniel did in Babylon, let us rise up with a renewed commitment to righteousness, both in the church and in the supermarket.
The Rechabite Boycott of Wine
A Godly Family Equals a Blessed Family
Jeremiah 35:1-19
The Rechabites In Obedience To God, Refused To Drink Wine, A Truly
Holy Boycott in Ancient Israel By Obedient men Of God.
And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites, pots full of wine, and cups,
and I said unto them, "Drink ye wine."
But they said, "We shall drink no wine: for Jonadab, the son of Rechab our father
commanded us, saying, 'Ye shall drink no wine, neither you, nor yours sons forever.
Neither shall ye build house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor have any:
but all your days you shall dwell in tents; that you may live many days in the land
where you will be strangers.' Thus we have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of
Rechab our father in all that he has charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we,
our wives, our sons, nor our daughters; nor to build houses for us to dwell in; neither
have we vineyards, nor field, nor seed."
Then Jeremiah said to the family of the Rechabites, "This is what the Lord Almighty,
the God of Israel, says: 'You have obeyed the command of your forefather Jonadab
and have followed all his instructions and have done everything he ordered.
Therefore, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: 'Jonadab son of
Rechab will never fail to have a man to serve me.' "
The Rechabites were not your average Israeli family. They were obedient to God when other families rebelled. When they made a vow to the Lord, they kept it. They were determined to keep drunkeness out of their house. The Rechabites were a righteous family, not just because they were in the temple every week, but because their deeds demonstrated a real allegiance to God the rest of the week. They had taken a Nazarite vow in obedience to God. This meant, they would never drink alcohol. God's Spirit was their drink. The Lord was enough for them. When the rest of the nation was filled with drunkeness and adultery, the Rechabites held their heads up and remained loyal to God. And the prophet Jeremiah brought a word directly from God to the Rechabites that said, "You will always have a member of your family serving God because of your commitment to the Lord!"
At the end of the road, the Rechabite's allegiance to God and their boycotting of wine products, resulted in great blessings from the Lord.
In today's world, many Christians drink and they justify it under the "legalism vs. grace" argument. Yes, we are not under the law. We certainly do not want to turn our walk with the Lord into a bunch of do's and dont's. However, some of the biggest corporate sponsors of the homosexual agenda and gay pride events are beer and liquor companies. When we, as Christians, use our liberty to drink beer and buy liquor produced by companies that are taking our money and sponsoring sexually destructive events that promote homosexuality, what is that saying about our witness for Jesus Christ. Are we as commited to the Lord as the Rechabites? If not, why not?
Look at some of the companies on the sponsorship list of the San Diego Gay Pride Festival from 2006:
http://sandiegopride.org/12/Sponsors.htm
From the San Diego Gay Pride 2006 Event:
Starbucks, Bud Light (Beer), Smirnoff (Liquor)
Travelocity, Vitamin Water, Avis Car Rental
Viejas Casino Enterprises, Wells Fargo,
Cox Communications, Sempra Energy
What is it saying about our faith in God and our commitment to Christ and our kids, that we would still buy and drink beer and liquor, particularly when those profits are being used to promote homosexuality among kids? Look at this vile press release that was just put out by the San Diego Gay Pride organization (http://sandiegopride.org/news/26/San_Diego_Pride_Announces_Internship_Opportunity.html):
San Diego Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride has established a first-ever, paid internship position for a high school senior as part of its resolution to further involve LGBT youth into the long-term planning of Pride's annual celebrations. The position, which partly involves direct outreach into the youth community, sponsorship involvement and volunteer training, begins in January and runs until the end of August with the possibility of an extension.
Qualified candidates must be in their senior year in high school and able to work through the Pride office for up to 30 hours per week in late spring and early summer, and 5 to 10 hours per week in winter and fall.
Pride's board of directors recently passed a resolution that reaffirms its commitment to take on additional youth representation within the organization to increase wider youth involvement.
"The voice of teenage youth is an integral part of the everyday planning process for our annual events," said Ron deHarte, executive director of San Diego LGBT Pride. "The internship program is yet another growth step of the organization."
This evil organization is actually recruiting young teenagers to help promote homosexuality among kids. This is the same group that had five registered pedophiles working for its organizagtion in 2005 (www.10news.com/news/4773115/detail.html). When Christians continue to buy Starbucks and beer and liquor and other merchandise from companies sponsoring this terrible group, what value is our public profession of Jesus Christ?
Boycotting the Mark of the Beast
Will Today's Compromising Christian Resist The 666 Tattoo?
Revelation 13:16-18
And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond,
to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads. And that no
man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast,
or the number of his name.
We recently informed Christians around America, that Starbucks Coffee continues to be one of the biggest promoters of homosexuality in America. Many of the Christians that we informed about Starbucks have young kids in public schools and those same kids are being indoctrinated by the radical homosexual agenda. Despite this information, some of these same Christians continue to buy Starbucks Coffee. Why? Mostly, they simply don't want to be inconvenienced. It is easier for them to continue going to Starbucks for coffee, even though their money is eventually helping to fund homosexual indoctrination programs that are harming their own kids and grandchildren.
If these Christians cannot change their coffee drinking habits in a time of ease, will they really make more serious decisions in defense of the gospel when it gets harder and harder to do so in the dark days ahead? Will some of these compromisers eventually take the mark of the beast as described in the Book of Revelation because it easier for them to do so, then to actually fight the anti-christ's economic system? I fear for those who compromise, because I know that if they are not willing to even switch coffee brands now, they certainly aren't going to lay down their lives in the future when it will be much more difficult to do so.
The Book of Revelation says that a time is coming on the earth when those who refuse to take the mark of the beast will not be able to buy or sell anything. Only true Christians will boycott the mark. Only true Christians are willing to lay down their lives for the cause of Christ and stand up to the gross economic immorality that is sweeping America. How many Christians in churches today are compromising on basic immorality? Do we really believe that such compromisers will refuse the mark under pressure?
From the Queens In The Kingdom Website
Promoting Homosexuality At Disneyland
(www.queensinthekingdom.com)
One of the biggest promoters of the radical homosexual agenda in the world is the Walt Disney Company. Every year, it gets worse and worse with Disney. Each year, Disney allows its parks to be polluted with "Gay Days" where homosexual activists parade their sexual immorality in front of families and their children (www.gaydays.com). Despite this vile corruption at these "family" parks, Christians and churches continue to spend billions of dollars at these amusement enterprises. Why are adult Christians so intent on seeing that their children, who they claim they are trying to raise as Christian kids, are amused and entertained? If Christians are still willing to fund the very mechanisms that are destroying their kids, what will they do when the mark of the beast is offered them?
Biblical Principles For Conducting A Boycott
"It is good to neither eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything
whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak."
Romans 14:21
Paul give us some very rich instruction when engaging in the restricting of our lifestyle choices, particularly in the arena of economic purchases. Too often, we give very little thought on how our spending habits affect the moral conditions of America, much less our fellow Christians. In this fast food society, it's all about speed and very little concern for anything else. Most of the time, we never even think about what our eating and drinking habits mean from a moral perspective. Yet, Paul spoke extensively about this very matter in the Book of Romans.
"Therefore, do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil."
Romans 14:16
Paul teaches us to not let what we are doing end up being something that is considered evil by others, particularly when it hurts a fellow Christian. Paul says in the preceding verse:
"For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking
according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died."
Romans 14:15
If we have been told that Starbucks is funding the radical homosexual movement and we continue to purchase those products, what does that say about our walk with the Lord? I have actually had some Christians convey the attitude of: "You're not going to tell me what to do, mind your own business." That's a Christian talking like that! What does Paul say about the believer who does not care that their financial purchases are helping to spread destructive enterprises, like the gay agenda, which is ensnaring more men to get AIDS and motivating more children to rebel against their parents and the Bible? Christians who spend money that is funding homosexual activism are actually helping to establish laws outlawing speech against homosexuality. Our financial spending habits are fast becoming our biggest enemy. The Apostle Paul conveyed to us in the Book of Romans: do not let your eating habits hurt another person!
What if there are people in our churches who are struggling with alcohol, perhaps to the point that they have lost jobs, families and children? And others in the church continue to buy beer and drink it in front of their wounded fellow Christians. Isn't that purchase hurting the brothers and sisters with alcohol problems? You see, our purchases are not just about us. We are one body, the body of Christ, and when one hurts, we all hurt. Our purchases affect our neighborhoods and our country as a whole.
Romans 14:20 states: Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense. Drinking coffee is not a sin. But if that coffee purchase from Starbucks is funding the promotion of homosexuality to young kids, then that purchase becomes a funding source for gross wickedness. And that is a sin!
Take Time To Consider The Matter
Our Nation's Future Depends On It!
Prove what is acceptable unto the Lord.
Ephesians 5:10
It is time for God's people to slow down. We do not need to be in a hurry when it comes to our economic purchases. There was time in this country, when all families slowed down, stopped what they were doing and gathered at the dinner table for supper. This was not a time for speedy meals at McDonalds. This was a time for everyone to check in with each other. Isn't it time that we went back to the days of checking in with each other? Isn't it time to slow down and consider where our spending habits are really taking us?
"Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness;
instead, rebuke and expose them."
Ephesians 5:11
The hour has come for the men and women who claim Christ in this nation
to rise up and make a true stand for righteousness.
The Bible says that "Righteousness Exalts A Nation."
It is time for a great shifting of the American economy from
the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of Heaven.
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge:
because thou has rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee,
that thou shalt be no priest to me:
seeing thou has forgotten the law of thy God,
I will also forget thy children.
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
Make a renewed commitment to gain knowledge about the companies
you are giving your money to. Never again, let us unknowingly give money
to ungodly enterprises.
Refuse to give your money to companies that are destroying our moral foundations.
Refuse To Feed The Beast!
Thank You For Spending Your Time
In The Classroom Of James Hartline
Director Of The Hillcrest Mission
www.hillcrestmission.org
Preparing For My Departure:
But Running My Race
Until I Leave
Don't forget to get your copy of the awesome testimonial booklet:
"Broken Rainbow - After The Gay Life Isn't Gay Anymore."
By James Hartline
This 23 page booklet will help anyone understand the suffering involved
in homosexuality and the deadly struggle that James Hartline fought
to get set free.
For a copy send your $10 donation to:
The Hillcrest Mission
P.O. Box 632763
San Diego, CA. 92163
Comments
If what I have seen out in the field is any indication, homosexuals are some of the most brainy, overeducated, and talented people there are. Most Americans do not have college degrees. By contrast, most homosexuals have at least a BA or BS degree. This inevitably translates into far greater than average lifetime earnings potential. These people can buy power and influence while scores of heterosexuals struggle to survive with less than bright I.Q.s and no college degrees. The big business community would, I suspect, rather have a small number of homosexual customers than millions of heterosexual customers.
Conservatives must develop scrappy shoestring budget political strategy to defeat liberalism.
You have brilliantly summed up a great truth in your analysis. That is why the "playing the victim" to gain sympathy tactics used by the leaders of the radical gay agenda does not have a chance of being bought by America when it is confronted by this truth you have so accurately revealed.
Living inside of gay communities, I have seen NO persecution or discrimination or denial of services except by the homosexuals themselves who discriminate regularly against Christians who do not agree with their sins or agenda.