As believers, we see an emerging trend in our world–oppression by those who don’t believe as we do or live as we strive to.

The world, as Jesus predicted, would hate those who follow Him because the spirit of the Antichrist spirit has gone out into the world.

We also know Revelation’s prediction, speaking of the second beast to come:

“It was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.”

–Revelation 13

If we know what’s coming (!!) — God left no surprises here — then why do we continue to feed this beast, funding a broken system that’s goal is to lead us over a cliff to our own demise?

This unholy beast, which will have power for an allotted time on earth, will limit our ability to BUY OR SELL unless we bear its mark–killing those who don’t worship it. I don’t have plans to… do you?

The Bible is clear: the mark of the beast is ECONOMIC in nature! So why do we still participate in this world’s economic system alone? At times it may be unavoidable, but we are to pursue a better solution than our enemy’s!

Christians must start to think differently. There are MANY millions of us in the U.S. and billions globally, so we must stop believing the lie that we’re the minority. Let’s unite, stop supporting those who oppress/silence us, and work together to create new solutions! This means shifting our financial support away from many major brands and companies we currently use and develop new ways of trading and operating.

Believers need to create our own economy–not to segregate but to offer a better alternative to the world’s and bless the people in our country.

We have access to the Almighty’s power and unmatchable wisdom. Why aren’t we tapping into it more? Why isn’t EVERY CHRISTIAN asking Him to give us HIS solutions and blueprint to solve our country’s problems?

1 Corinthians 1 says, “The foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” God’s ways are higher and better than any manmade plans. We can outwit and outbuild anything the enemy could, with the Lord’s guidance.

God has plans and purposes for every person in this country. He wants to use us to improve life for other people… so we must do OUR part & discover our individual purpose, then pursue it!

Ask Him what He would have YOU do to bring cultural and economic freedom to those struggling and to be a solution to heal issues in the USA (and the world).

We don’t have to support ‘the beast’. The world may try to make life more difficult for Christians, so why wait ’til then? We already see it happening now… let’s not delay any further.

The Constitution has long been heralded as a divinely-inspired document that cut through the chaos and dysfunction of past world systems. Why not continue seeking His wisdom to solve the world’s issues? Are we not meant to be need-meeters and truth-spreaders? And when people WORLDWIDE are in dire need of provision due to gross economic oppression and abuses, are we not charged to help flip this dynamic and see people set free?

“Open your mouth for the mute,
for the rights of all who are destitute.
Open your mouth, judge righteously,
defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

— Proverbs 31

Why don’t we, as Christians, put our money where our mouth is and start supporting organizations that encourage our free practice of religion, free speech, free markets, and personal liberties? Better yet–let’s CREATE OUR OWN INSTITUTIONS, BUSINESSES, BANKS AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES to meet people’s needs, treat them equitably, and free them from governmental dependence under tyrannical rulers (as we clearly see happening in 2021).

This doesn’t mean we eschew capitalism (at all!). I’m a firm believer that capitalism and truly free markets are a God-inspired solution. I love that they empower and encourage people to work hard (not eat and live for free) and reward individuals for their efforts (as the Lord promises to reward the work of our hands). I also love that, by definition, they meet real needs in the community–and if they don’t, that venture will fail. Capitalism rewards both the producer and the consumer and improves communities all around.

I’m advocating for believers to stop relying so much on the WORLD’S WAY of trading goods and services, financing ventures, building, communicating, meeting needs, and more... and instead employing God’s solutions.

Great Christians Leading by Example!

Let’s take a few examples from our current culture.

Chick-Fil-A

Chick-fil-a did what every fast food restaurant wouldn’t: Closed on Sundays to allow workers to rest, worship, and spend time with family. They honored God’s Sabbath, and you know what? God honored THEM! They are the #1 fast food chain in the USA and 5th top restaurant in the country (wow!!), in spite of being closed 1/7 of the week.

It’s true: When you see a Chick-fil-a, expect traffic because those wraparound lines are LONG! They treat people with such excellence that they’ve become the industry standard for kindness (“It’s a pleasure to serve you!”), efficiency (in spite of the lines), and a positive experience (even for employees). Their Sunday policy seems to tap into something that works in their favor: the scarcity complex. Americans see Chick-fil-a as a more scarce commodity due to its weekly closure, so it motivates us to visit when they are open (which saves them on operating costs & encourages loyalty)!

I’m thankful. Chick-fil-a is a great example of putting God first, loving people, and seeing Him bless the rest. Not only do they do business with excellence, but they’ve also made an incredible impact on their communities through their many charitable efforts, including college scholarships, helping underprivileged children, donating food to area food pantries with each restaurant opening, and blessing communities during crises–such as feeding local workers in times of need.

Late founder Truett Cathy created the Winshape Foundation, which has created homes for hundreds of foster children, led events to build stronger marriages and organizational teams, and do more for communities.

What an amazing legacy he left–all because he wasn’t afraid to defy the “world’s system” and honored the Lord humbly and boldly with the way he operated his company.

Healthcare ministries (insurance alternatives)

Samaritan Ministries International is another excellent example of Christian innovation turning an industry on its head. We are SO grateful for healthcare alternatives like them and have used them (or similar ones like Christian Healthcare Ministries) for the better part of a decade.

These ‘healthcare insurance alternatives’ ask all members to donate monthly to a shared pool–then distribute funds as needed to meet fellow members’ healthcare needs (or encourage us to send money directly to those in need). They also encourage us to share cards, scriptures, and encouragement to lift their spirits. It’s so beautiful, and we’ve never been in want as members!

Because these aren’t seen as traditional insurance and don’t operate for profit, the medical community views them as “insurance alternatives” and charges members self-pay prices, which are MUCH LOWER than those covered by insurance (often 1/4 the price, due to our broken insurance system that makes getting payment a huge hassle and time expense). The medical community also wants to ensure they get paid by people without insurance, so they offer lower bills as incentives. And often, we have the added bonus of knowing the price of each medical procedure BEFORE we even use it because self-pay fees are straightforward.

These ministries encourage us to provide partial payments for bills to establish good will (or set up a payment plan) to medical offices, and within a few months, we are sent donations to cover the rest of our bill. The medical community is happy because they don’t have to haggle with insurance companies, and we are blessed because our needs are met in full.

For my entire pregnancy, we paid $0 out-of-pocket (except for a small fee for my doula). These ministries WANT to provide ‘coverage’ for each family’s medical needs, unlike standard insurance which seems to be looking to minimize liability and coverage for its customers (which we experienced before joining a Christian alternative).

Members sign a covenant, signed by a church leader, that verifies our adherence to biblical living, avoiding extramarital sex, substance abuse, abortion and the like — making members’ shared needs much lower than regular insurance companies. Ministry staff also pray over monthly needs, and the Lord miraculously continues to provide for each one 🙂

Healthcare ministries also give members freedom to choose ANY doctor/medical establishment they want–including holistic options! There are no “out of network” doctors or hospitals (except for uncovered procedures like cosmetic surgery). It’s encouraging that we don’t have to fund medical care that isn’t necessary or ungodly.

It’s an amazing system–so genius that even secular versions are popping up to duplicate what believers have created. That’s the way things should be: Christians should be showing our world a better way to live, help people, and influence culture, not the other way around.

These ministries remind me of the early Church:

“All who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.

So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”

–Acts 2

In this passage, do you see what opened the door for MANY salvations? A better economic way of life, where everyone’s needs were met! The Lord’s model of caring for every person exploded church growth, blessed the community, and ushered many souls into heaven. How simple and beautiful.

And remember what the book of James says:

“What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

–James 2

One note: God’s way of distributing wealth to meet people’s needs is through VOLUNTARY giving. Jesus and the early Church never forced compliance because that’s not a true gift by His definition (God loves a cheerful giver–not compulsory).

Based on these Scriptures, we can see that the Lord doesn’t condone an oppressive, forceful system that steals people’s resources to meet the bare minimum needs of others, while leaving all impoverished but the people “on top” (aka socialism). That is unscriptural and a twisted version of God’s plan! Acts 2 models a much better way — one that Christians opt-into and that benefit everyone (not just a few).

Because these first-century believers chose to meet people’s practical needs (not just spiritual), their local community flourished and the Church was at its most powerful, effective, and influential. I believe we can do this again and in even greater measure!!

GiveSendGo

I’m a huge fan of this Christian crowdfunding site, a way for groups to fundraise for causes reflecting our values. As opposed to well-known secular alternatives, GiveSendGo takes NO MONEY from each campaign. 100% of donations are given to the intended recipient, whereas others often skim between 5-10% off the top of each fundraiser. What a difference that makes!

Some secular crowdfunding sites have also chosen to deactivate certain Christian-led campaigns for going against the ‘rhetoric of the day’ and championing biblical causes.

Believers, wouldn’t you rather support Godly causes that bring true justice, freedom & help (not the world’s misguided version of it)? I would. Thankfully we no longer need to use secular crowdfunding services because GiveSendGo provides a much better option. Yay!

What do each of these organizations — both for- and non-profit — have in common? They put God’s ways first and meet people’s real needs. They provide countercultural, biblical alternatives that make a HUGE impact on people’s lives. How cool is that!?

** It’s Time to Build **

I recently felt the Lord speak this to me: It’s time to build. Today I was reminded of it again 🙂

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up…”

–Ecclesiastes 3

Whatever that entails… it’s time we build and establish new ways of operating. It’s time we create BETTER systems that don’t go against our beliefs and lead us down the path to Revelation. If we know what’s coming, we must take the Bible’s warning seriously and offer people real ALTERNATIVES for when that time comes... because it will directly compromise people’s eternities!

Let’s find solutions that meet MANY needs (including those who don’t share our faith), that provide an escape from an ungodly world system, and that are much better, more equitable and EMPOWERING to our fellow citizens (and the rest of the world) than the current model.

It’s time: to build our own platforms for free speech, for media, for education. It’s time to create our own technology that gives people privacy and refuses to store/misuse their information or encourage unhealthy online behaviors (like porn, gaming, and excess social media).

It’s time to create our own banks, financial systems, investment strategies and opportunities–an “economy within the economy”. My husband talked with me about this today: Imagine the Church seeking out Christian-led organizations to finance (or help pay off) their mortgages and ventures? We’d never have to rely on the exploitative lending industry that’s governed by the world.

Imagine having private, Christian-run utilities that don’t monopolize people’s water and electricity.

Imagine Christians launching our own credit cards or digital currency–where we aren’t indebted to strangers and entrenched in a system that capitalizes on our inability to repay our bills. Or what if we invented a system that people didn’t even require a credit score to function? (like Dave Ramsey preaches about cutting up our credit cards and using only CASH so we won’t need a credit score to buy in the future!)

Imagine if we launched our own airlines (and even airports?) to allow travel freedoms.

It’s time to pour into our faith-based schools and universities and create our own standards for educational excellence (our own certifications and accreditation system) based on God’s principles–not the world’s!

It’s time for Christians to take care of our own better (and others, too)! Let’s fund those who SUPPORT OUR VALUES and are guided by the same Holy Spirit we are–not the spirit of this age, with its wicked agenda to steal, kill, and destroy people’s lives.

It’s time for more Christians to actively engage in, pray about, and lead in the political arena–to ensure equity for us all.

It’s time we all prayed for God’s wisdom to flood down on our nation and give us solutions that truly meet people’s needs so every man and woman can thrive–not just the ‘elites’. We are far more numerous than they and can accomplish much if we start working together to come out from under their oppressive control and care for each other’s needs.

It’s time. It’s time to build. It’s time to establish a new way of operating economically and show the people of this world that our current system is grossly dysfunctional, misrepresenting Americans, distorting reality, and suppressing what is TRUE, RIGHT and FREEING.

Why do we keep allowing it? Why do we keep funding them?

We are a country that (currently) supports entrepreneurship and personal initiative. Let’s utilize this freedom! We don’t HAVE to rely on the world’s way of doing things, and we shouldn’t! The Lord is eager to give us HIS wisdom and incredible ingenuity to help pull people out of this world’s system and into a better one.

“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

‘I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.’

Therefore

‘Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you.’
‘I will be a Father to you,
And you shall be My sons and daughters,
Says the Lord Almighty.'”

–2 Corinthians 6

Let’s Create Better Solutions

Scripture strongly encourages us to use our money and resources for GOOD! Wealth opens doors to people’s hearts and can create a pathway to sharing the Gospel with them.

“I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of worldly wealth so that when it fails, they may welcome you into eternal dwellings.”

–Luke 16

It’s time, Americans. Let’s go!

Consider this when you begin your new venture, a conversation between Jesus and a scribe about the most important commandment:

“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” And the scribe said to Him, ‘You are right, Teacher… to love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.’ And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God’.”

— Mark 12