Prophetic Insights For The Last Days: Beware Of The Gibeonites

In The Classroom Of James Hartline
April 24, 2007

- Prophetic Insights For The Last Days -

"Beware Of The Gibeonites"
How Deceivers And Political Schemers
Are Corrupting The Church In These Last Days

When the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to
the cities of Jericho and Ai, they resorted to deception and went
and pretended to be ambassadors. And they took old sacks on
their donkeys, old wineskins torn and mended, and worn-out and
patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes on themselves;
and all the bread of their provisions was dry and had become
crumbled. And they went to Joshua to camp at Gilgal and lied to him
and the men of Israel, saying "We have come from a far country; now
therefore, make a covenant with us."

So the men of Israel took some of the Gibeonites' provisions,
and did not ask for counsel from the Lord.

Joshua proceeded to make peace with the deceiving Gibeonites
and made covenant with them, to let them live; and the leaders of the
congregation swore an oath to them.
Joshua 9:3-5,14-15

Over twenty years ago when I was still in bondage to sexual immorality, drugs and thievery, I had a tremendous visitation from the Holy Spirt that would initiate the long battle for my deliverance from satan. This experience also revealed to me key components for the ministry that I am now involved in. It is always worth noting that God may reveal our future assignment years before any actual manifestation of that assignment. In the years of waiting between revelation and actuality, satan will come to get us off God's course by sending to us deceiving ambassadors. In this study, we will learn about the Gibeonites, a deceptive people who lied to the leaders of Israel to get God's chosen family to make some very bad deals. I have learned that we all are vulnerable to such deceptions. Hopefully, this study will teach us all how to detect and protect ourselves, our families and our churches from falling into one of satan's oldest tricks in his black book.

Over the last five years, I have repeatedly seen the manifestation of the call of God upon my life as revealed in that experience those many years ago. In recent years, God has had me investigating the root causes of much of the evil in our culture. Of all the matters that I have uncovered in my investigations there is none that has caused me more pain and grief then to see modern day Gibeonites coming into our churches. These new Gibeonites are deceptive and they are corrupt. They have covertly invaded our churches and infested our flocks. It fills me with tremendous sadness to watch as the very things that I have been fighting against in our secular culture are now being paraded right in the midst of our own churches. A way of visualizing this sad picture is this example: Imagine if you were preaching in your church against the sins of drugs or sexual immorality and then you find out that your very own spouse or children are doing those sinful things in your own home. You can imagine then, how I feel on this matter.

The Gibeonites lied to get favor with the Israelites. They falsely presented themselves as foreigners. The Israelites had been ordered to kill off all of the inhabitants who were dwelling in the land of promise. The lie worked and the Gibeonites, who actually lived nearby, were spared. Israel had locked themselves into a permanent contract of compromise. Today, there is a whole new army of Gibeonites who are gaining favor in our churches by acts of deception and trickery. We are in for a very rough war with these deceivers as you will learn in this study.

Open Doors For The New Gibeonites

In 2004, my church, Mission Valley Christian Fellowship (www.mvcf.com), realized that we had to engage our culture if we were going to impact the future of our nation. With the possiblity that anti-christian bigots might successfully remove the cross that sits atop the Mt. Soledad War Memorial, MVCF Pastor Leo Giovinetti sparked a national fire to bring America back to its original godly roots. His historic sermon series "Righteousness Exalts A Nation" can be heard by going to the website, America Bless God, (www.americablessgod.com/index.asp). Our church proceeded to begin a multi-prong war on many fronts. From saving the Mt. Soledad War Memorial Cross to ending a massive effort by homosexual activists to hold a World Gay Pride Festival in the holy city of Jerusalem, Mission Valley Christian Fellowship began to have a real impact on America.

Unfortunately, when we enter into battles to reclaim territory long held by satan, we also open the door for Gibeonites who are looking for any opportunity to infiltrate the vessels that God has chosen for his missions and assignments. In the last three years, I have watched as political schemers and deceivers have repeatedly entered our church to get members of our flock to make covenants with their wicked political agendas. We are certainly aware that we take risks when we go out to make a difference in our culture, but it has been a trying time for me personally, as I have watched these Gibeonites feed on my fellow brothers and sisters. Reporting on these Gibeonites has not been easy for me. These new Gibeonites have viciously targeted me to silence me. Like Joseph, son of Jacob, the bad brothers hate when a man of God reports on their wicked schemes:

And Joseph brought back a bad report about his brothers to their father.
And his brothers saw that their father loved Joseph more than all of his
brothers; and so they hated him and could not speak to him on friendly terms."
Genesis 37:2,4

God told me several years ago to start reporting on all of the evil that I observe. That is really how my successful internet newsletter, The James Hartline Report, got its start. Today, it is read by thousands of people everyday. Everyday, I also receive emails from many Christians thanking me for the information they are receiving. Unfortunately, there are some who hate what I am doing, just like Joseph's brothers hated him. I think that the Gibeonites have infected every church in San Diego where I live. And the Gibeonites will try to destroy you if you reveal their schemes and plans. Take for example, the case of Foothills Christian Church in El Cajon, California (www.foothillschurch.org).

Foothills is one of the great churches in San Diego County. Some of the finest Christians I have met attend Foothills. And I am convinced that Foothills is destined to raise up an army of youth who will reclaim our culture for the Lord Jesus Christ. With a tenacity rarely found in today's "take the easy way out" culture, Foothills Christian Church has fought many uphill battles just to obtain church property. When many churches would have given up, Foothills said, "Press On!" Yet, Foothills Christian Church has a terrible Gibeonite problem and if they do not rid their church of this problem, they will quickly succumb to a terribly tragic future.

For over a year, I have written the church leaders about cleaning up the political corruption that is attached to their church. The response from these leaders: "Don't email us anymore." On one occasion, a powerful community leader associated with this church actually called me and threatened me if I didn't back away from exposing this situation. I have stored and hidden all of the correspondences and responses which document the terrible way I have been treated by those tied to this very corrupted situation. It is really hard to believe that God's people can go down such dark paths while claiming to be doing "the Lord's work."

Part of the problem at Foothills Christian Church relates to campaign contributions being given by some who are associated with the church's building fund (www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20020206-9999_2m6taxcode.html). Take the case of John Gibson, an advisor to the Foothills fundraising campaign (www.foothillschurch.org/fcf_Campaign/cabinet.html). John Gibson is employed with Hamann Construction. John Gibson gave thousands of dollars to help elect one of the most evil candidates in the 2006 California State elections: Joel Anderson. Anderson worked for the city council campaign of Phil Thalheimer in 2004. Anderson and his company earned over $400,000 from Thalheimer during that campaign.

During that 2004 campaign, Thalheimer participated in the pornographic San Diego Gay Pride Parade and Festival. Additionally, Thalheimber told the Gay and Lesbian Times that he has a man with a sex-change operation working for his company. Anderson worked for Thalheimer, a man who fully supports homosexual unions and giving syringes to drug addicts. Repeatedly, I informed John Gibson about Anderson. What was Gibson's response: he and his wife gave even more money to Anderson's campaign. In fact, on October 31, 2006, just days before the election, Gibson and his wife gave Anderson another $5,000 in campaign contribtutions. It was as if the spiritual air was just sucked out of the church when I found out what the Gibsons had done. To make matters worse, one of the lead pastors at Foothills also gave money to Anderson after this immoral politician had worked for Thalheimer.

During this same period of time, Joel Anderson was filling his campaign coffers with thousands of dollars from pro-homosexual GOP leaders like Steve Francis and a multitude of donations from individuals tied to the embryonic stem cell industry and the gambling industry. I know that the Bible warns our churches not to be yoked to ungodly people. I know what the consequences are for churches that allow ungodly influence in our midst. I repeatedly pleaded and begged the pastors of Foothills Church, as well as John Gibson, to not support Joel Anderson. They soundly rebuked me and told me to get lost. In this instance, the Gibeonites had their way and got their deal.

There are literally, dozens and dozens of other examples that I have uncovered over the last five years where San Diego County churches are compromsing with rotten politicians. Our entire county is polluted because church leaders are making backroom deals under the guise that they are helping their church with property deals, school permits, fundraising schemes, etc. etc. etc. There is a reason we have completely lost our culture to ungodly leaders. The Gibeonites are surely having their day.

Catastrophic Compromises

While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in
sexual immorality with Moabite women. These Moabite women
then seduced the Israelites to make sacrifices to their gods. The
people proceeded to eat and bow down to these foreign gods.
So Israel joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor.

And the Lord's anger burned against them and a plague broke out.
Numbers 25:3

Those of us that have been great sinners before coming to the Lord are keenly aware of the terrible price that we have paid for our rebellion to God. As a result of my many years in homosexuality and drugs, I was infected with AIDS and hepatitus a, b and c. I know all to well, that the wages of sin really is death (Romans 6:23). God habitually warns us in His word, that if we allow ungodly influences and behaviors into our lives or our churches, we will pay dearly. In the Book of Numbers, God warned His people not to intermingle with the foreign nations, but rather, they were to completely destroy them.

God knows human nature. Our sin natures are prone to bond with ungodly people and their seductions. The Moabite culture was full of paganism and political darkness. Despite being warned by God, the Israelite men allowed the Moabite women to mingle in their midst. The result was catastrophic. Within a short period of time, the Moabite women had seduced Israel to bow to their foreign gods. God, disappointed and angry, struck His own people with a plague.

Contrary to the unbalanced opinions of many American Christians, grace is not an excuse to sin. Grace is also not a protection against the consequences for rebelling against God. So many churches today are allowing bad political advocates to come into their congregations and seduce congregants to participate in outright rebellion against the will of God. There are pastors that believe that if we just get these people into their services that their preaching will change the bad people into good ones. It might work once in awhile, but in most cases it is like playing spiritual Russian roulette with the flock because most of these bad political advocates go on to corrupt the sheep.

Many women's ministries love preaching about the Song of Solomon and the beautiful verses of song, love and relationships. Solomon had it all. Great wealth, good looks, security, servants and military superiority. Much like modern America. Yet, we must also be reminded of the dark path that Solomon eventually embarked upon.

But King Solomon loved many strange women, together
with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites,
Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and the Hittites;
Of the nations which the Lord said unto the children of Israel,
"Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you:
for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods."
Solomon did indeed fall in love with these ungodly women.
And he had 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines.
And his wives turned his heart away from the one true God.
1 Kings 11:1-2

The same foolish and horrific path that Solomon needlessly walked down, has been built into most of the churches in the United States. In San Diego where I dwell, I see it happening. Every week, I personally observe deceivers entering into the churches in San Diego. These deceivers have come to steal the hearts of the pastors and his church members. We must be awfully arrogant to think that we can allow such deceivers into our midst and remain immune from the same terrible compromises that finished off Solomon's reign. God will never allow His people to rebel against Him and remain penalty-free.

Last year, God allowed me to observe a truly toxic script being played out during the 2006 elections. A particular husband and wife in the real estate industry had, for many years, devoted themselves to politics. It really seems like this couple's consuming interest in politics borders on idolatry. This couple was particularly engaged in a campaign to help elect a very corrupt group to a local school board. The outcome of this particular school board race was critical for those that want to make money on land and construction deals. You see, this particular school board will vote on the location of a new high school in Alpine, California. Construction companies stand to make new fortunes based upon the construction of this school and all of the accompanying infrastructure roads, water systems, and housing projects.

While this couple claims to be committed Christians, I personally watched them conduct some of the most corrupt actions I have ever seen in a political race. Sadly, this husband and wife team will not repent and they will not cease their reprehensible actions. Yet, I know of a church that is allowing this couple to have full access to ministry meetings where they continue to lure church members into traps of compromise. Again, the Gibeonites are having their day.

I have seen examples, like that of this husband and wife, played out over and over again in San Diego County. I'm sure that it is also happening all over the United States. It is one thing for this type of behavior to occur in the secular arena, as terrible as that is, but the fact that it is tolerated inside of our churches, brings the situation into an entirely different level of moral darkness. Everyday, I wake up and fearfully ponder, "Is this the day that God allows a plague to break out in the churches where corrupt political forces are at work?"

I know the poison being created by these types of compromises is working its way deep into the corporate mindset of the church. Rather than heeding my warnings to clean up the political corruption that is weaving its way into the local churches of the San Diego area, the pastors are beginning to attack me more and more. Instead of focusing on those that are using our churches for ungodly deeds and financial gain, many are instead, pointing to me for being "judgmental" and "critical". And Joseph brought back a bad report about his brothers to their father. And his brothers saw that their father loved Joseph more than all of his brothers; and so they hated him and could not speak to him on friendly terms."

God warns of great spiritual blindness that comes upon Christians who hate their fellow brothers. As church leaders demonstrate more and more disdain for God's call upon my life, they are actually sowing more spiritual blindness into their own minds. Look at what John wrote about this:

"But he that hates his brother is in darkness, and walks in darkness,
and does not even know where he is going, because the darkness
has blinded his eyes."
1 John 2:11

God explicitly warns us not to partner with those who engage in ungodly enterprises. And yet, when I have warned the church leaders of such ungodly works, they have chosen to attack me rather than addressing the compromise.

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:
for what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness?
And what communion has light with darkness?"
2 Corinthians 6:14

The Apostle Paul was very clear when he wrote 2 Corinthians 6:14. We, as Christians, are not supposed to allow our churches to be breeding places for ungodly political agendas. There are people right now, that are inside of our churches plotting and planning how to seduce our fellow Christians to support and vote for morally rotten candidates. Moses warned his people in Deuteronomy to beware of such seducers.

"Beware, lest your hearts be deceived and you turn away
and serve other God's and worship them. And the Lord's
wrath be kindled against you, and He shut up heaven,
that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit;
and ye perish quickly off the good land which the Lord giveth you."
Deuteronomy 11:16-17

What is the problem in all of this compromise? I have spent hours, days, months seeking God for the answers to why there are so many who are compromising the word of God. I think there are some answers that I have learned in this journey of inquiry. I do believe there is an epidemic of fearlessness in the Body of Christ. And I don't mean fearlessness in a good way. What I mean is that there is no fear of God in much of the Body of Christ. Christians don't fear God anymore. Why else would a man claim to be a Christian, but then watch pornography? Why else would a woman claim to be a Christian, but then cheat on her husband? Why else would a man claim to be a Christian, but then campaign to help elect candidates who support the murderous procedure called embryonic stem cell research? Why else would a woman go to church and then give money to candidates who support the murder of abortion? People simply don't fear God anymore.

Then, there is the matter of greed. There are people claiming to be Christians, yet they are just plain greedy for material goods. And they are teaching their children to be just as greedy. Everytime their child wants something, the child just throws a temper tantrum and, bang! the parent gives them whatever they want to calm them down. Not only is this not Biblical, but it is the foundation for raising up a generation of youth who are consumed with materialistic anti-christianity.

Paul countered the culture of corruption and greed when he wrote young Timothy in his letter: But godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Timothy 6:19). Our churches seem as if they are never satisfied with the great wealth and blessings that God has already given them. We wan't bigger buildings and bigger stages, more cars, larger houses, more clothes, tickets to concerts, football jerseys, and on and on and on. This mentality is the environment that is fermenting a church that allows corrupt politicians and their advocates to set up shop in our congregations. These corrupt people come into our churches and they feed on the materialistic hunger of the flock. They promise property deals and big money and access to elected officials. Thus, we give these new Gibeonites places of exposure and access in our churches that they should have never, ever been given.

Paul gives us a stark warning about not doing this terrible political and materialistic dance in our churches:

"But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare,
and into many foolish and hurtful lusts,
which drown men in destruction and perdition.
For the love of money is the root of all evil:
which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith,
and pierced themselves through many sorrows."
1 Timothy 6:9-10

We Must Be Vigilante

The Book of Proverbs give us critical yellow lights when we need to slow down and assess our spiritual condition. It also gives us some flashing red lights when we need to stop all together.

"My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not."
Proverbs 1:10

"My son, walk not thou in the way with them;
refrain thy foot from their path, for their feet run to evil,
and make haste to shed blood."
Proverbs 1:15

I believe God is flashing an eternal and bright red light for our churches to stop! and hault! We have allowed too many ungodly political spies and their plans to enter into our midst. God is calling for us to renew our eternal priorities. If we continue on the path of intermingling with these ungodly Gibeonites, we will be hindering the work of the Holy Spirit. Our time on this earth is short. We must clean house. What if we die today? What if we die in the midst of doing deals with these new Gibeonites? What excuse would we give to the Lord? God is calling us to go over the Jordan. And the Gibeonites cannot go over with us.

Thank You For Spending Time In The Classroom Of James Hartline.

Preparing For My Departure:
But Running My Race
Until I Leave!

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