Months after the cancellation of their HGTV show because of their pro-life and pro-family views, Jason and David Benham aren't worried — even as their business suffers from the backlash. According to them, the greater opportunity to talk about God's Kingdom is worth the trade-off.
“Absolutely, the trade-off is worth it. And it's really not much of a tradeoff now, especially when you read Hebrews, Chapter 11. The men and women of faith who were sawn in two, boiled in oil, their children were taken from them. It says they refused to accept their release, than to deny the Lord. They really are the great cloud of witnesses who are cheering us on,” David told LifeSiteNews at the annual Values Voters Summit.
“It is an honor, with an eternal perspective, to lose anything for Jesus.”
Jason says that the brothers “do encourage entrepreneurs. When your business is really doing well, be smart with it.” He said that while “you make riches, which is money that you make one time. Convert that to wealth, which is residual means of income, so that you can actually go out and talk like we can talk” without fearing the loss of clients, of business, and of income.
“We don't have to be beholden to anybody.”
When it comes to how Christians should consider public policy, David says that all Christians should be involved in the political process. “The Earth is the Lord's,” he explained. “It's called the Lordship of Jesus Christ. He is now King over your finances, He is King and Lord over how you treat your wife, He is King over how you handle your children, King over what your eyes look at, what your ears hear. He's King of all.”
“It's the same way politically. You have fiscal responsibility — the Scripture is very clear about work ethic. It's very clear about individual responsibility to work. When it comes to your foreign policy, the Scripture is very clear, it says “Greater love has no man than this, to lay down his life for his friends.' So it's very important that we arm ourselves against evil,” continued David.
“Government is not the answer to man's problems. God is the answer to man's problems. And when you remove God, you have to replace it with something, and government will always replace that. So that's why we have this huge paradigm shift from little government, where God was very involved in our country's culture, to now big government, where God is removed and now government replaces God.”
“We definitely feel as though you need government,” explained Jason. “God's role is to provide and to protect. And that's what he does for us as individuals. And he does that through the government of the church. And the church is the legislative body of Jesus Christ here on Earth. So wherever Christ goes in the heart of the individual, this is where his rule is set up. And that's practical, in terms of business, in terms of education. So what we say is that the role of a physical government is to provide a basis of liberty through which we can then go out and restrain evil that good may flourish, then protect that liberty.”
David says that he believes it is up to pastors to provide for the protection of religious liberty. “They're the ones that are responsible to be the salt and light — well, all Christians, but especially pastors — so that those that are out in the marketplace, knowing that their job could be taken from them if they take a strong stand. If you've got an entire army of pastors correctly dividing God's Word on the issues, then those people are going to be protected and taken care of.”
“That's the role of a pastor, is a shepherd. He carries a staff in his hand for a reason — and it's to beat off wolves that come to take sheep. It's important that the shepherds of our nation beat off the wolves.”
And how do they feel about being called “the Benham Brothers?” According to Jason, “I'll always be a twin. You don't have to go out and find yourself. You just pursue hard after God, and he will reveal yourself to yourself. And then, you simply need to be content with where he's put you.”
“We used to be called 'the Benham Boys,'” says David. “I guess 'the Benham Men' doesn't really work.”
