Jesus Christ is building an administration. He is calling us to be kings and priests, and we will reign on the Earth with Him (Revelation 5:10). God is organized. We can look all around us and see symmetry, coordination, and interdependence. Throughout His Creation, from the planets and stars of galaxies beyond, to the smallest of bacteria and living organism in between, there is synergy. Why then, do some think it odd and unnecessary for God to build His body a living spiritual organism through an organizational structure for achieving the Christian objective of spiritual growth?

For some, the problem with belonging is that it requires sacrifice, interaction, and teamwork. Unfortunately, today there are fewer people in God’s Church who want to be part of a collective team.

Many believe it suits them just fine and is more spiritually comfortable to be disassociated, detached, and disconnected from any organizational associations. In other words—to be ‘independent.’

There are a variety of reasons for this, but two very common ones are: to minimize, if not eliminate, commitments, obligations, pressures and/or personal identification with any particular group; and secondly, to be in the forefront: to be heard, to run the show, or to get and receive all of the credit, the accolades, and of course the money.

Independence Can be Selfish

Admittedly, some fail to recognize the problem with not belonging is that it can be a selfish approach to Christ’s calling.

The reason? Our calling includes and demands more than just receiving or getting personal salvation. There is a work to do, which requires us to put our personal learning into real interaction with others! In other words, it’s a work that should be larger than us.

It’s larger than our families, our friends, and our lives. It has everything to do with personal sacrifice and fellowship for a collective Christian purpose.

Christ Himself said that we must love our families and friends less than we love Him to be worthy to serve Him.

“If any man come to me, and hate not [love less] his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26-27)

Yes, we are absolutely expected to provide for our families and to grow personally in grace and knowledge. But in addition, there is a collective reason and purpose for our calling:

“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matthew 24:14)

“And the gospel must first be published among all nations.” (Mark 13:10)

Organizations are for Team Players

As melodramatic as it may sound, some of us may be required to lay down our lives in martyrdom (Luke 21:12-19). Dying for our faith is a great honour. Consider the historical records of Christians throughout the centuries, the apostles, and Christ Himself.

Unfortunately, today many of us have lost that connection in the quagmire of our politically correct society. Many are far more concerned with serving their own personal agendas than sacrificing for their country, political purpose, corporate goal, or team objective.

So it is in God’s church. We find Christians who are more concerned about what they can do independently, or how they can help themselves or improve on how they personally feel. So many today are only concerned about what they can do for themselves, completely forgetting the value of fellowship, which results in mutual benefiting relationships. Sadly, they fail to recognize the importance that comes with working with others, and the long-term value it has in the actual development of learning how to become a king and priest. It’s one thing to read and understand the ‘theory and idealism’ of becoming a world ruler (Revelation 2:6), but quite another to actually inter-act presently with others, promoting the Christian way.

Are We Team Players?

Not all of us are evangelists. Not all of us are teachers or pastors. We are not all writers or scholars. As in many areas of life, not all of us are capable or qualified to lead in every area. But we can be part of a collective movement by using the God-given talents/gifts we have for the benefit of the whole. We call this, first among equals. However, first among equals can only be understood in the context of being a team player.

Organizations are for team players. They require the spirit of cooperation for a common cause. They are not for the self-serving, self-oriented, self-interested or self-promoting. People like this are not well suited for an environment requiring sacrifice for a collective objective. That is too ambiguous for those who are self-serving; besides, it requires faith and trust in others beside you. This is difficult to understand and accept for those who have personal ambitions or agendas.

The Bible says to trust no man (Psalm 146:3). This is true. But we are not talking about trusting an organization with our personal salvation. We’ve been through that. Don’t get confused. We’re simply talking about trusting an organization enough to voluntarily participate in a particular evangelistic work. In our case, that work centers on sounding a clear and concise warning to a derailed and dysfunctional world while making disciples for Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19-20). This is not hard to understand unless you are strapped with suspicion, distrust, or perhaps, just simply an ample amount of selfishness.

Building Faith

Doing such a work requires faith. But faith (belief and trust) develops and matures only when we are committed to something outside ourselves, be it our business, our family, or our church.

With that consideration in mind, a spiritually healthy Christian faith should generate outreach. Unobstructed, this outreach generates selflessness and compels one to repent, get baptized, and proceed to overcome while committing to share the Good News (the Gospel).

It’s not difficult to recognize the need to connect and network with others when one has this mindset and outlook. By networking, we can enhance our personal growth and positively impact the world around us. There is strength in numbers and our personal effectiveness is multiplied by these efforts towards others.

“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke [encourage] unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching…. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.” (Hebrews 10:23-25, Hebrews 10:38)

Holding the profession of faith firmly and encouraging one another as we “see the day approaching” demands a team effort framed in fellowship. We are required to get along, work with one another, interact with each other and trust and depend on one another. It requires the ability to trust each other’s judgment, thoughts, advice, and leadership. In other words, we should have some type of relationship with each other.

Mutual trust with inter-personal functions, while each of us trusts our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: this is fundamental to our preparation for positions in Christ’s government and administration. Under these conditions, camaraderie occurs and the attributes of faith and trust become a real living experience that metabolize as part of our spiritual make-up.

Benefits of Organizations

An organized effort that requires mutual trust and cooperation creates an ideal environment for developing faith and other attributes of godly character that are intrinsically real because they’re derived from living the experiences. At the same time, it enables us to contribute to a larger work, resulting in greater impact for Christ throughout the world.

It’s much like the principle found in 1 John 4:20. If we can’t love those whom we see, work, and talk with now, how can you say we really love God, whom we don’t see? This is very profound! It’s quite a statement and simple equation to consider, especially when applying the same principle to organizations and/or organized Christian efforts.

How can we say we are on “God’s team,” yet not have enough faith to commit to an organized brotherhood, sharing ourselves, our talents, and skills with a ‘work’ that is bigger than us; a work of witness and warning to our troubled, failing, and violently agitated world? After all, isn’t Christ going to require us to work with others in a coordinated effort during the millennium? It’s something to think about and consider when and if we are hesitating to fellowship with others.

Clarify Our Work and Calling

When suspicion and distrust are abundant, Satan the Devil can scatter the power of God’s holy people and cause the love of many to wax cold (Matthew 24:12-13).

God’s Church needs to have a very pointed, focused, and concise message. It needs to be laser-sharp! But with all of us being scattered, fractured, and split, we have effectively allowed Satan to defuse our efforts and blunt our proclamation of the true Gospel and warning of the coming destruction to our own cultures within the Christian world, and other parts of the world.

Consequently, many today are focusing on more customary and traditional subjects of Christianity with minimal emphasis on the distinctions of God’s Truth. This obviously is less likely to generate criticism from the public. Failure to emphasize our distinctions is unfortunate for God’s Church. We are all aware of Christ’s warning, found in Luke 6:26, about His true called out ones:

“Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.”

In light of this world’s destructive trends and the continued demise of our Judeo-Christian values, God’s Church cannot afford to take a lukewarm approach towards our responsibilities as an evangelistic trumpet. The nations of this world need God’s team to be committed, clear, and concise in message, and dedicated to the work of witnessing, warning, and making disciples for Jesus Christ. As a culture and nation, we are facing impending national calamities and destruction. And Christ’s return to re-institute our Father’s government on this planet is our responsibility to announce and “cry aloud.” So what are we doing about it?

We should ask ourselves, what are the present levels of our participation in advancing the gospel of Christ crucified and the announcement of His coming world-ruling government? Are we involved? Are we contributing? Be honest with yourself: are you doing all you can in these troublesome times to contribute toward opening up more opportunities to help save someone? Are we part of an organized team that is actively witnessing and warning, and building God’s Gideon’s army in these latter times? Are we proactively involved in preparing to be future kings and priests by working within an organized effort bigger than ourselves? The choice is ours. We need to get real and be urgent because the times, brethren, are upon us!

Other articles you should read

• The First Failure, The Second Triumph
• What is Our Desire?
• The King is Coming
• Storm Troopers
• Behold He Comes

Other articles you should read

• The Road Not Taken
• The Pursuit of Happiness
• The First Failure, The Second Triumph
• Borrowed Time
• The Evolution of Christmas

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

I’m sure there have been times in your life when you’ve felt like giving up or letting go of some ethereal dream. A time that finally causes you to admit it will never come to pass. Perhaps God has revealed to you, through His Word, some promise you grasped onto at a desperate moment. However, you’ve waited so long for its fulfillment that you begin to believe you must have misunderstood God’s intentions.

There must have been times when the patriarchs, after hearing from God, waited so long that they contemplated giving up too. Abraham comes to mind when he took Sarah’s handmaid to bear his promised son. Joseph waited years for his God-given dream to transpire. Noah stuck to the instructions God gave him even though he saw no sign of rain for decades.

The Hebrew word for ‘hope’ is often translated tiqvah. The first time this word is used in the Bible is in Joshua 2:18, 21. It’s not translated ‘hope’ here, but line or cord, referring to the scarlet rope hanging in Rahab’s window. Isn’t it interesting that Rahab’s future was dependent upon that scarlet rope? You could say her whole family’s future was hanging by a thread. You see, she had heard about the God of Israel and she believed. Her confession of faith, as recorded in Joshua 2:11, was the source of her hope. When she is spoken of in Hebrews 11, her lies were not mentioned, just her faith.

Let’s focus on the phrase, ‘a future and a hope.’ These encouraging words are found together a number of times. In Jeremiah 29:11, God says when we begin to seek Him with all our heart not only will He listen to our prayers, but He will reveal Himself to us and restore us from our losses (Jeremiah 29:12-14).

Again, in Jeremiah 31 the same combination of words is recorded. In verse 16, God says to quit emoting and start believing that He will reward your faith. Verse 17 says there is hope in your future. The word ‘future’ is the same word used in Jeremiah 29:11—it can be translated reward. The phrase, ‘a future and a hope,’ or ‘hope in your future’ can be translated, ‘the things hoped for as a reward.’

In Proverbs 24:14,

“So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul; If you have found it, there is a prospect [reward], And your hope will not be cut off.”

Here again is the same combination of words, tiqvah and achariyth, meaning future or reward. God is good and He is faithful. He’ll give you a new heart and place new desires or hopes in that heart (Psalm 37:3-4). Not only that, but when you choose to trust and hope in Him, He will also perform those desires for you (Psalm 37:5).

When we get sick, we often put our trust in doctors, hoping that medicine or surgery will save us. Likewise, when financial problems overtake us, we often combine all our debts into one—refinancing seems to be the right solution. To be safe, we put our trust in home security or a firearm. Looking to God for a solution to these problems is not part of most of our plans. And that is where the problem lies. Too many of us have no hope in God. We would rather trust in what we can see.

The Lord says that His people are destroyed because of a lack of knowledge, and an avoidance of addressing His law (Hosea 4:6). God’s blessings are linked to obedience (Psalm 112). He will give revelation to those who obey Him (1 Corinthians 2:9-10; Acts 5:32). Yet God says that the priests and shepherds have violated His law (Ezekiel 22:26).

How?

Many teach that the Commandments are no longer valid and that grace replaces obedience. But He didn’t say it was alright to steal, kill, and destroy. These spiritual leaders teach that, with grace, anything goes. This false teaching actually causes crime and violence to run wild (Ezekiel 13:22). They don’t make a clear enough distinction between right and wrong, good and bad. How can you hope in God’s promises if you’re not keeping His Word?

The words ‘hope’ and ‘trust’ are sometimes interchangeable. Trusting in God and hoping in His Word are closely linked. That’s how you can check to see if you’re hoping in/for the right things. If “it is written,” or the principle is in God’s Word, you’re on the right track.

Perhaps you have heard or experienced that “hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Proverbs 13:12). However, the rest of that verse says that when the hope is fulfilled your strength is renewed. David said he would have given up; except he believed he would experience the goodness of God in his lifetime (Psalm 27:13-14; Psalm 31:24). When your hope seems to be hanging by a thread, remember Rahab and her scarlet cord. That’s all she had to hope in and her new-found faith in the God of Israel. God is good and He will deliver you too.

“Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!” (Psalm 27:14)

Other articles you should read

• An Invitation for True Knowledge and Wisdom
• One Wish and One Wish Only
• The Pursuit of Happiness
• Jesus Christ is Building an Organization
• God’s Plan of Supernatural Provision

Desire

Desire is fundamental to being human. We are made in God’s image and God Himself has desires. Our very existence is a function of His desire. God’s desire to have children was so great, He and Jesus Christ were willing to endure great suffering (John 3:16; Luke 22:15; Hebrews 5:8).

Like God, as a result of our desires, we are moved to action. Nothing happens without desire. The world runs on desire. The problem with the natural man is he is riddled with desires but lacks wisdom to guide and direct those desires. He is, therefore, governed and buffeted by impulses.

“Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” (Ephesians 2:3)

Fulfilling desires can be addictive. Accomplishing desires brings great fulfillment (Proverbs 13:19). When we are unable to fulfill our desires, we experience pain (Proverbs 13:12). Consequently, without God, we can easily fall into a trap of continually cultivating desires and pursuing them. We get on a treadmill where we never feel truly satisfied. When one desire is fulfilled, we develop another. Without God, we feel empty and inadequate and repeatedly chase the next desire hoping it will bring a more complete sense of fulfillment.

Our Minds at Work

This ongoing cycle may eventually cause some of us to examine ourselves. When we do, we tend to think of ourselves within an intellectual framework. That is, we tend to think of ourselves based on our conscious thoughts. A significant portion of our mind, however, predates conscious thinking.

Intellect requires language. It represents higher order processing and although we are all born with this capacity, we do not initially possess it; it must be developed. Prior to its development, our sophisticated minds are already at work. At this pre-language stage, they work with images. First we perceive images, and then we learn to create images (i.e., use our imagination).

For example, the toddler watches as those around him walk on two legs. He then imagines himself walking on two legs. He develops a deep desire for the image he has created in his mind and calls upon all of his resources to fulfill this desire. When he finally takes that first step, he and his parents are thrilled (Proverbs 13:19).

As we mature, this rudimentary image processing never leaves us. Instead, we lay on top of it more sophisticated ways of thinking. We gather knowledge with language; then we learn to reason with the body of knowledge we have gathered.

We learn to communicate in sophisticated ways with those around us and as we do, we become adept at fooling them and ourselves about our true state of maturity. Without God’s Spirit, we remain immature. Despite our sophisticated use of language, what really drives us is what drove us before we could speak: our imagination! We formulate images with our mind and we cultivate desires for those images. We then strive to fulfill those desires.

“But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.” (Jeremiah 7:24)

It’s the Economy

The western economy is built on the insight that we desire what we imagine. Without God, man suffers a deep feeling of emptiness. Mistakenly, he believes if he can only get something, he will feel fulfilled. Manufacturers develop products and advertise them showing us how fulfilled we will be if we acquire them. Advertisements are presented as images to bypass our intellect and trigger that base part of our minds. We put ourselves in the picture and the emotion of desire is aroused within us.

Once we finally acquire the desired object, its power to fulfill us quickly fades and we cultivate a new desire. Wash, rinse, repeat. The cycle continues ad infinitum—until another emotion kicks in— the emotion of fear.

Fear, like desire, bypasses all intellectual processing. It triggers imagination of negative consequences and results in immediate, split-second reactions that override all other actions. All of the advertising in the world won’t get people to shop if the panic button has been pressed.

Unfortunately, we must continue to engage in hyper-consumption if the economy is to have any hope. According to economists, we must cast aside rational thought and plunge deeper into debt and enjoy today’s fleeting sensations. However, as more bad economic news unfolds, we feel panic-stricken and spend less. As we spend less, the economy weakens further. This causes us to hear more bad news and we fear to shop. However, we are constantly encouraged to spend to ‘help the economy.’

How have we reached this state where failure to consume like impulsive children threatens the world economy?

We must realize that the foundation of the world’s economy is anti-God. For the economy to function properly, mankind must remain insecure and unsatisfied—ever seeking but never being content. Mankind must worship things and not God. When we worship God, we no longer feel insecure. When we worship God in spirit and in truth, we experience a great sense of contentment (Philippians 4:7, 11).

The Role of Desire

To come back to our original question, what is the role of desire in the Christian life? The scriptures tell us that without vision the people perish. When our future with God is clearly seen, it arouses desire within us. When desire is aroused, we set clear goals and we avoid distractions. It is only when spiritual desire is stirred within us that we will “mortify [subdue] the deeds of the body” (Romans 8:13).

An example of this is found in 2 Corinthians 7. The apostle Paul observed that the Corinthian church went from a state of harbouring sin to zealously driving it out of their midst. A key ingredient in their success was the deep desire they experienced:

“For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.” (2 Corinthians 7:11, emphasis added)

The term translated “vehement desire” is the Greek word epipothesis. It means to have a deep and earnest longing for something. The word “zeal” is translated from the Greek word zelos. Zelos is passion, ardour, or enthusiasm. The Corinthians desired to change with a deep passion and fiery enthusiasm. Once this deep desire was triggered, true change was inevitable.

Another example of this desire is written by the prophet Isaiah:

“Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.” (Isaiah 26:8-9)

Once the right desire is activated, we will be motivated to pray, study, fast, and meditate and to resist and overcome Satan. Desire is critical to our success as Christians, but that presumes we are cultivating the right desire. Oniomania, is not the type of desire a Christian should, or would pursue. Sadly, it’s nothing more than a form of idolatry and will only leave us feeling empty and unfulfilled.

“And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” (Luke 12:15)

With the right desire in place, we will not suffer from recurring bouts of emptiness. We will be spiritually fulfilled. Moreover, with the right desire in place, we will not be troubled by a failing economy as we will know that our heavenly Father knows what we need.

“(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:32-33)

As we continue to hear news of a failing economy, let’s not panic and let’s not be fooled into thinking shopping for material things is the answer. Instead, let’s cultivate a compulsive desire, built on passion and enthusiasm for God and the things that we can do to please Him.

Other articles you should read

• Jesus Christ is Building an Organization
• Amid the Financial Chaos, Blessed Be the Name of The Lord
• The King’s Marine
• The New Morality
• When a Nation Repents

The Meltdown

Since the decisive defeat of Saddam Hussein’s army in March of 2003, the stock market had been on a roll in North America. By late 2007, the market had experienced about five and a half years of positive returns.

It was an unprecedented series of gains.

Statistically, the market was due for a breather; yet many optimists were eagerly calling for another year of positive returns. Only a few were hedging their bets.
A troublesome factor was an emerging, but little understood problem in the United States: sub-prime loans and its travelling companion, Asset-Backed Commercial Paper (ABCP). Some would later call these ABCP ‘assets’ liabilities.

Much later, many in the U.S. came to believe that the financial institutions which created these either lied, or completely misunderstood the risk associated with both toxic products. Nevertheless, it would take some time for the crisis to unfold, and the band, as they say, played on. At the beginning of the sub-prime mess, the fiscal problems associated with it seemed distant and unrelated to business affairs in Canada.

The first weak signal of trouble that I noticed occurred when my wife and I went out for dinner with a friend and his date in February 2008. During our time at the restaurant, my friend’s date complained bitterly about the losses she had accumulated in her mutual funds. At the time, I mentally assigned her losses to the bad advice of an inexperienced financial consultant.

When this same woman learned of my passion for the stock market, more questions followed. But I could not provide her with the comforting information she sought. Unbeknownst to me, the personal financial stress she was experiencing was intense. After hearing my negative take on the market, she immediately became agitated and sought comfort in another drink. Even now, I can still remember her anxiety when she realized that her losses would not be recovered easily.

Although I suspected that the near-term prospects for the market were not rosy, I never imagined the carnage that followed later in the year. No one, not even Warren Buffett, the ‘Oracle of Omaha’ did.

They couldn’t.

Only God knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10; Revelation 21:6). As I recall, it’s God who gives the power to get wealth, not the simple plans of men (Deuteronomy 8:18).

As I write this piece in early December 2008, the market is hoping for a powerful counter-rally from its autumn lows. This hope is based on statistical patterns and stock market history. Whether it will occur or not is moot. The underlying problems of the market will not be fixed by a simple rally, and the better market analysts and technicians know this, as do their bosses. Obviously, the first problem with the markets is paper fiat money. Simply put, this type of money is a non-gold-backed currency of which value rests in the confidence that pieces of paper can be exchanged for various goods and services.

Fiat money is produced by governmental decree and has existed in the U.S. since the creation of the Federal Reserve System. It has existed as a stronger more absolute form of currency as the world standard since President Richard Nixon closed the gold window to domestic and international markets in 1971.

The second problem is the greed and fear exhibited at times by various market participants. Fiat money allows the defacto agent of the government, the U.S. Federal Reserve, known as a central bank elsewhere, to create money, or liquidity, virtually out of thin air and worry about paying the bills later. The inflation associated with fiat money has been a concern for several decades, but massive Third World immigration and the import of cheap foreign goods have papered over the problems of inflation in North America.

Essentially, some of the First World inflation associated with fiat money has been exported to Third World countries in the form of excess liquidity, which has been used to build dynamic economies and raise the standards of living there. China and India have been two of the major Third World countries that have been blessed. They are now on their way to First World status and may reach it soon. I was truly amazed several years ago when my wife returned from a business trip to Shanghai. This region of China has become a showpiece of Chinese progress and rivals the position of business centers elsewhere in the world.

Up until recently, the only true negative for North America was the ever-declining manufacturing base and the loss of high paying manufacturing jobs. Later, some of the research and development jobs that congregate near manufacturing centers also began to disappear. As did the call center jobs. India was the net winner in this category. For the most part, Wall Street, Bay Street and North American governments seemed to care little. The rich got richer, workers were otherwise employed, and the various governments got their tax revenues. Even the unemployed got benefits, retraining, and handouts.

The trouble is that many of the financial tricks designed to mitigate the effects of inflation and clean up the problems of unemployment do not work over the long term. Eventually, inflation facilitated by fiat money works its way into the financial system as excess leverage or debt. At first, the effects are not noticeable, but at some point the toxic sludge builds and becomes very clear. The continued use of excess leverage or debt over decades produces profound credit inflation.

In other words, prices for financial assets rise dramatically and become unsustainable.

When credit is cut off, as it has been recently, asset prices financed by leverage (debt or credit inflation) sag, since buyers now must rely on their own resources or reduced credit to purchase items. Stocks, cars, houses, artwork, and the like, fall in price under these conditions.

This is what has happened.

Left unchecked, deflation in the form of a depression can follow the bursting of massive credit bubbles. This is what happened in the U.S. during the 1930s after the credit driven inflation of the 1920s. If the symptoms of credit inflation are treated incorrectly by means of massive trillion dollar bailouts, the credit bubble shifts to other asset classes and grows larger. The day of reckoning is postponed but not eliminated.

This is what may happen in most First World countries post 2008.

The present financial carnage with more to come as the decades roll by is not unpredictable. The Bible hints at this. Scriptures in both the New and Old Testaments suggest this. Revelation tells us of a time when a day’s wages buy only enough wheat or barley (that is bread and by extension poultry and beef which are fed various grain stocks) to feed that same worker for a day, and nothing more (Revelation 6:6). This is inflationary, reminiscent of the problems in Weimar Germany back in 1923. It could also be deflationary, that is too many workers and people competing for limited resources force real wages down. This is like China’s market in 2008.

However, the second part of the verse suggests that wheat is harmed deliberately while other food items are left untouched (Revelation 6:6). As the supply of wheat and barley is decreased, inflation sets in if demand for grains (that is mouths to feed) is left unchanged.

Why is this?

War, famine and pestilence come to mind (Revelation 6), but I also suspect that fiat money has a role too. Isaiah states that men shall throw out their idols of silver and gold (Isaiah 2:20; Isaiah 31:7). Some say that this verse means exactly what it says and no more. Some say that these verses have implications for the future financial worth of precious metals. I agree. Erroneously, they say that gold will be rejected because it becomes worthless. I disagree.

I say that these verses describe a time when a generation will exist which cannot determine what is valuable, and will foolishly make paper fiat money their store of physical wealth. Inflation will result. Gold has been and always will be a store of physical value. Easily created paper and electronic money is not. The problems of the fiat money financial system that we live under today, demonstrate this fact.

Another problem with our financial system is the greed and fear exhibited by market participants. When an economy rocks along, as it did from 1993 until 1999, and again from mid 2003 until the fall of 2007, everyone wants more, gets more and then throws greater amounts of money at assets, whether it’s stocks, houses, or cars. They can do this because credit or borrowed money is plentiful. Everyone hopes for gain and pleasure. The attitude of something for nothing abounds. This is greed and it creates unhealthy asset bubbles as well as unhealthy spiritual attitudes of avarice and pride (1 Timothy 6:10).

How many families were unable to buy houses during the last housing bubble while others, who owned or built, demanded more and more? Even within the church during these times, greed can be present. Some imagine godliness as a means of gain (1 Timothy 6:5). This can feed the prosperity message taught by some and rebuked by the Bible (1 Timothy 6:10-11).

When fear sets in, as it did, during the fall of 1987, the summer of 1998, the period of 2002 to mid 2003 and again in the fall of 2008, people hold their money tightly and refuse to lend or give. When this occurs, business lending and charitable donations lock up. When business lending declines to unnaturally low levels, as is currently the case, businesses fold and unemployment increases. When tithes and charitable donations are withheld, the work of the church and charities remain undone. Those in need of spiritual and physical help suffer.

What is the end result? In this environment of fiat money and asset bubbles, greed and fear set in and the phenomenon of stock market volatility emerges. Large pools of money begin to slosh about from one asset class to another, distorting prices and causing financial chaos as the tide of cash ebbs and flows. The average citizen is unable to cope with the high level of asset price volatility and is unable to understand why.

One thing that many average investors do realize is this: money laboriously accumulated over many years can vanish quickly when market confidence sags as fear replaces greed. Following this, many workers will soon experience the same in the employment arena. Under these conditions, people suffer loss and retirement timeframes lengthen. Misery soon follows.

(To be continued in the next issue of Prevail Magazine, as I discuss the Government’s ‘Quick Fix’ versus God’s plans for the future.)

Other articles you should read

• What is Our Desire?
• The Consequences of Sin
• God’s Plan of Supernatural Provision
• No More Christmas
• Christmas Goes Overboard

The purpose of this article is to enable you to understand the relationship we should have with God and our money. From here, you can develop a financial plan for you and your family, based upon fulfilling God’s purpose for you. What we do with our money can reflect our level of obedience towards God.

In the very beginning of His dealings with His chosen people, God entered into a covenant with Israel, and promised to bless and prosper them above all other nations. 

Today, we who are in the Christian Church are spiritual Israel, and these same promises belong to us. As the seed of Abraham, we have inherited these promises and they are part of our covenant with God. 

In Deuteronomy 28, we see that God’s purpose for blessing and prospering His people is clearly revealed. Verse one states that God desires to set His people above all other people. He promises to  pour out His blessings to such a degree for our obedience that through our example the world will see how good life can be when we obey Him and acknowledge that He is the only true and living God.

In verses 3-7, God’s blessings are outlined, covering many areas of our lives. The listing illustrates that He intends for His blessings to be upon us wherever we go, for our children and grandchildren—and even blessings on the job. Everything we set our hands to do will be blessed, if only we obey Him. He promises that all these blessing will overtake us (verse 2). In other words, we can expect them to come running after us. In verse 11, again we see God’s promise of prosperity. God did not plan for us to barely survive, or to worry about how we will pay the bills barely making it from one paycheque to the next. He did not plan for us and our families to suffer from the lack of necessities of life. Quite the contrary, He wants us to live an abundant life.

God’s process of supernatural provision looks like this:

You give to God as best as you can through tithes and offerings, then you will receive more blessings (or increase) from God’s supernatural provision. You then give tithes and offerings to God from the increase and you will receive even more blessings from God (Mal 3:10-12). God does not lie.  If He promises increase in your life, you will receive it. 

In the cycle of giving and receiving God will meet both your spiritual and physical needs. He will give you an increase in what you have given so there will be additional funds to spend  for both you and your family. This will also help you to contribute more to do the work of God which will result in allowing the work to “freely give” to those seeking the Truth of God. This cycle is set in motion when we have God involved in our finances. 

It’s difficult to live a life free of financial woes. It sometimes feels like every step we make in the right direction, Satan the devil pulls us in the opposite direction. To experience financial deliverance and increase in God’s blessings during times of financial crisis, here are six major steps you can incorporate into your life:

1. Remove the spirit of fear, worry and unbelief from your heart and mind.
2. Take your eyes off your financial problems and focus on God. 
3. Stop depending upon yourself and rely on God as your source of total supply.
4. Do not hold from God your tithes and offerings; give liberally, expecting God to multiply it back into your life. (Mal 3:8)
5. Walk in faith. We must realign our thinking and walk in obedience to God. (Phil 4:13) 
6. Ask in faith without doubting God (Hab 2:4; Heb 11:6).

God’s promise to you today is that in the midst of your financial need you can come to Him and draw whatever you need from His storehouse. God promises that in times of famine you will be satisfied. The Lord will bless you abundantly (Prov 3:9-10).

Satan will try to attack our circumstances; therefore, it is very important for us to understand that our warfare is not with natural forces—it is a spiritual warfare. Satan attempts to discourage us in many ways. He is going to attack us with negative emotions such as stress, fear, worry, doubt, weariness, discouragement, depression, and so on. Let us not be ignorant of his devices because our battle is against spiritual forces in high places (Eph 6:12-13).

Satan can be violent, so we have to prepare for him. We must have the faith to tell the devil to get his hands out of our finances. Draw near to God and the devil will flee from you (James 4:7-8). 

The worst thing we can do when in financial difficulty is to dwell on our circumstances and stop paying our tithes. Satan’s strategy is to try to get us to forget God’s tithes and offerings. But God is always there to help us break the cycle of financial defeat. One of the strategies we should use to defeat the devil and our own fears and doubt is to remember the promises and actions of God (Deut 8:18).

To maintain continuous financial prosperity, we must continue holding on to Jesus Christ and never let go of Him. When things are not going well, He is our ultimate strength in times of difficulty. We must turn to Him for continuous support and guidance. 

The Bible says, 

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil 4:13)

In order to prosper, we must realign our thinking to God because everything that God has given to us is a resource. We just have to come to the Father and ask Him how to utilize such resources.

But remember the LORD your God is the one who makes you wealthy. He’s confirming the promise which he swore to your ancestors. It’s still in effect today.” (Deut 8:18)

Let us hear this word today. Let us heed it for as long as we live. We should always remember it is the Lord who gives the knowledge, wisdom, and understanding to attain wealth. Sometimes we interchange the term wealth with prosperity. Prosperity is not limited to monetary blessings (Deut 28:1-14). Clearly, our Lord reminds us to seek the Kingdom first, and then all those things will be added to us (Matthew 6:33-34). This perspective will help us to live balanced lives centered on God and His priorities in our lives; that’s what real prosperity is all about!

Sometimes Christians will use unethical means to achieve material riches, but we must remember that the love of money will lead us down an evil pathway (1 Tim 6:10). Prosperity does not just mean money. Do not limit God! When we limit the term, “God’s prosperity” to our financial blessings, we are limiting God (Deut 28:13).

When people do their financial planning, they often plan according to their current financial conditions. But God wants to take us beyond these limitations to a new spiritual dimension whereby we believe Him for those things that may seem impossible to us. He wants to open our spiritual eyes to see His unlimited resources that He has in store for us. As God’s plan of supernatural provision is revealed to you through His Word, you will have a better understanding of the new relationship with God.  You will no longer depend upon your own skills, abilities, limitations, or personal resources; instead you will begin to see God’s provisions for you.

Like anything else in our Christian life, we must be willing to manage our finances effectively. We must also allow God to bless and guide us in controlling our resources. When we are in control of our finances we can use God’s blessings for His glory. Do not let anything have control over you (Psa 119:133). We should involve God in all aspects of our life. Anything that has dominion over us will limit us from doing God’s work. Yet sadly, many of us have allowed our debt to bleed off revenues, tithes, and offerings from God’s Work (Deut 28:44; Prov 11:15, 22:26).  

We cannot prosper without God (Deut 8:18; John 10:10). Make use of God’s management system and techniques.  Don’t be afraid to use them (Joshua 1:7-9). Fear is a barrier to being prosperous. We should not be afraid of prosperity. Just stay in the Word.  Think it, read it, say it.

Finally it is God’s will for us to prosper in every area of life (3 John 1:2). That’s something we should never forget, especially when we are faced with financial difficulties.

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• What is Our Desire?
• Amid the Financial Chaos, Blessed Be the Name of The Lord
• An Invitation for True Knowledge and Wisdom
• Camp Moses and Camp Jesus

The storyteller looked at me intently and asked, “And what’s that?”

“Fool!” I responded.  

Wise people think before they act; fools don’t—and even brag about their foolishness.” (Prov 13:16, NLT) 

Many of us desire successful lives. We are hungry to know more, to make better decisions. But what exactly are we really asking for? What is knowledge or wisdom? Where does it come from?

Many Voices

Wisdom is the ability to know what, where, when, how, why, and with whom to engage in any crucial decision-making activity. We as human beings, look high and low for knowledge and wisdom in order to make better choices. We look anywhere and everywhere—to philosophers, psychologists, family members, friends, magazines—the list goes on. 

Some of the answers are similar—some contradictory—others are research-based, and still others (we suspect) are old superstitions. All competing for our attention and declaring to have ‘the secret’ for making the life-fulfilling decisions we seek. Unfortunately, they all have one thing in common: relying on yourself to determine if what you’ve been told is actually wise. 

But if our own personal decision-making abilities are part of our problem, how can we rely on ourselves  to be the solution, or source of determination? 

Herein lies our predicament, as it is written, 

I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.” (1 Cor 1:19, NLT) 

How to navigate through the maze of many voices is indeed a mystery, but there is one voice that shines like a diamond in the rough—that sheds a light in this area.

The Clearest Voice of Them All

The book of Proverbs personifies wisdom, presenting her as a woman with whom a relationship should be sought. Wisdom is not hidden in a dark corner; she raises her voice openly (Prov 1:21, Prov 8:3). 

She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her.” (Prov 3:18)

Since wisdom is readily available how can we engage her? What are the benefits of a relationship with her?

The Key

We are told that if we want to know, perceive, receive, or understand wisdom and desire instructions for making good decisions, there is only one way to begin. The key to this is to fear (or revere) the Lord. This is the beginning of true knowledge (Prov 1:2-7). To fear the Lord is described as hating evil, pride, arrogance, and perversity (Prov 8:13). In this way, you put yourself in a position where you become teachable. You are now humble and open-minded enough to receive wise instruction.

A Delicate Dance

The relationship with wisdom is like a dance that unlocks your heart and your mind, and enables you to take the necessary steps in the right direction. Fuelled by the reverence and attentiveness that you offer the Lord, true wisdom empowers you to avoid the pitfalls that lurk at every turn in life.

If your motivation does not come from honouring the Lord, it’s possible to ignore wisdom’s benefits. The steps in the dance look very much like this: wisdom calls; you search for her; the Lord gives her away; she enters your heart; her ways secure your path. She calls out to everyone to turn themselves towards her—for she will pour her spirit out and make her words known (Prov 1:23). 

If you take up her offer by seeking her with all your heart, then you will find the knowledge of God; because the Lord Himself gives wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. He is the Source (Prov 2:4-6). When wisdom enters your heart, the understanding she gives you preserves you (Prov 2:10-11). Isn’t this what we‘re looking for: the ability to make life-fulfilling decisions? (Prov 2:12-22). Fortunately, we are shown an even better way…

Wisdom Personified

God has made known the way to wisdom through Jesus, the Messiah. In His first letter to the Corinthian church, Paul says, for anyone who accepts Christ, He is the power and wisdom of God (1 Cor 1:24). Elsewhere Paul states, 

I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ Himself. In Him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Col 2:2-3, NLT)

Final Appeal

Undeniably, we arrive at God’s ultimate wisdom, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our answer to repairing the damaged relationships, destructive habits, missed opportunities, and any regrets we may have. Your life in His hands is the most moving dance of all. He calls; you answer Him; the Lord gives you His Spirit; He enters your heart; His ways secure your path. As Jesus said, 

I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)

Give your life to Jesus Christ, and by His wisdom, be truly empowered.

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• When Your Hope is Hanging By a Thread
• The 7 Attributes of Highly Effective Christians (Part 1)
• Jesus Christ is Building an Organization
• What is Our Desire?
• God’s Plan of Supernatural Provision

“For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” As a result the Judeo-Christian world is divided in two camps—Camp Moses and Camp Jesus. 

Now watch as the two contenders duel it out.

In this corner we have Camp Moses that is:

• Stuck in the past in the ministry of death and legalism (2 Cor 3:6-8)
• The Jews practicing the religion of their fathers, steeped in rituals and rejecting Christ as the Messiah (Rom 9:30-33; John 5:45-47)
• Modern day law-keeping Christians who hold so tightly to the Ten Commandments and Old Covenant that the grace of God eludes them (2 Cor 3:7-18)
• Treasure the truth of Scripture but negate or marginalize the leading of the Holy Spirit (John 4:24; Gal 5:18).

 
And in this corner we have Camp Jesus that is:

• Otherwise known as the “Jesus Only” Fan Club that elevates the Son above the Father (John 14:28)
• Champion faith alone claiming that all you need to do is believe, forgetting that demons believe and that faith without works is dead (James 2:17-26)
• Selectively reject the fourth commandment (Sabbath), Holy Day observance and dietary laws as Old Covenant, but embrace tithing because it is to their (especially the receiver’s) advantage. But they forget that the law defines sin (1 John 3:4); that an à la carte approach to the law is equivalent to rejecting the whole menu (James 2:9-11)

 
It’s high time we wake up and end the fight and truly dedicate ourselves to becoming disciples of Jesus Christ, the “Prophet like Moses” (Deut 18:15). There is no competition between the two. In Moses we see the letter of the law—the basic standard of righteousness.

In Christ the same law is not nullified but magnified and made more honorable and even more binding (Matthew 5:20). Christ showed the spiritual intent of the law and the embodiment of grace. In Him, we see the ultimate purpose of the law—the perfection of our character through embracing both the law and grace of God, not either one or the other but both. He calls us to worship Him in spirit and truth, not one or the other.

So what does God require of us? Micah 6:8 answers:

  …to do justly [that’s Law],  
       to love mercy [that’s Grace],  
       and to walk humbly with your God” [that’s Relationship].

Photo byTakenByTina

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The two men enter the city and spend the night at Rahab’s place. It is very important that we understand what the text really says about Rahab. It says Rahab was a harlot. What better place for the spies to hide out than at Rahab’s house? With all the comings and goings of a whorehouse, they could blend in easily. However, these men were on a righteous mission. 

Rahab gave the spies two things. First, she hid them from the King of Jericho. She saved their lives so they could complete their mission. Second, she told them what their report to Joshua would be.

And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.” (Josh 2:9-11)

From Rahab, the spies found out about the situation. Surely, they now  knew the Lord had given them the victory. They would take the city. When they replied to Rahab’s request that she and her family might be saved, they told her that the request would be honoured “when the LORD hath given us the land” (Josh 2:14).  Not if, but when.

In the whole of Jericho, the only person we know by name is the woman Rahab. We don’t know the names of the King  or the spies. Rahab has her parents, and siblings along with their respective spouses and children.  They are the ones who are saved. We can conclude from this that Rahab had great regard for her parents. But how could a harlot in a pagan country realize things were about to change in a big way?

She lived in a great walled city that had stood for hundreds of years. They had an ancient culture as a way of life, and worshipped many gods. How could all this come to such a violent end in just a matter of days? Rahab had heard what happened when the Hebrews left Egypt and how they fought against nearby nations, Sihon and Og—And she believed!

This is the whole story: 

I know that the LORD hath given you the land… for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.” (Josh 2:9, 11)

 At this point in time, her faith was greater than most of the Israelites. She had moved beyond the pagan gods of Jericho and embraced the Eternal, the real God of the Universe. 

Rahab had courage. Rahab stood up to her whole city and culture, at great peril to herself by hiding the spies. She told her king they were gone by the other way. You can just imagine what would’ve happened to Rahab if the king had found out she was lying to him. However, her faith was greater than her fear.

By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.” (Heb 11:31)

By this one act of faith, she joined the spiritual nation of Israel and lived. The Bible states that Rahab showed her faith through the “works” that she did. Faith must be shown through action. 

Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?” (James 2:23-25)

After Jericho was surrounded and fell, Joshua 6:25 says of Rahab, “she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day.”

Rahab lived the rest of her life in Israel, married and became an ancestor of Jesus Christ. She married Salmon, and her son was Boaz (Booz), who in time married Ruth (Matthew 1:4-6). Doesn’t it seem fitting that a former harlot should be related to Christ?  But, keep in mind, Rahab was a harlot who changed her ways and came before the living God in repentance. In like manner, have we not all played the harlot before God? We’ve all gone whoring after false gods. We’re all sinners at some time in our lives, and if sinners deserve one thing, it’s God’s judgment. 

Let us all have the faith of Rahab. Let us all learn from her example. She changed her ways and stood before the Lord in total faith and was saved. If we change our ways and have faith, we too can stand before God and obtain salvation (Eph 2:8).

Other articles you should read

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Sin should not be treated casually. Many times we see people of all ages, suffering and wonder what went wrong. The commandments of God should be in the hearts of the parents; yet, when parents have not been obeying and teaching their children about God, is it possible that God will forget their children? (Hosea 4:6).

The Ten Commandments were given to us to teach our children and grandchildren. David, although God had forgiven him, had to pay the penalty for his sins. God told David that his family would suffer because of his transgressions; and sure enough his son Absalom, ultimately killed his brother. David made a half-hearted effort to correct his children, but he did not punish Absalom.

A child has every right to disobey his or her parents when the instructions are against God’s law. For example, Asa removed his mother from being queen because she made an idol in a grove. Asa cut down the idol, stamped it and finally burned it. Another biblical example of a child righteously disobeying his parent is in 1 Samuel 19:1-3 when Saul told his son Jonathan and his servants to kill David. Saul was jealous of David. Jonathan disobeyed Saul and instead warned David about Saul’s vendetta against him.

Jesus warns children to honour their parents and have respect for them. While honouring parents, children must remember that maintaining loyalty to God is an even higher priority. If you have unbelieving parents, you should respect and honour them, but not allow them to alter your devotion to God. On the other hand, it is the parents’ responsibility to care gently for their children and instruct them, even if they are disobedient.

We are commanded in Deuteronomy 6:6 that these words should be in our hearts and we should teach them diligently to our children in every aspect of life.

You shall bind them as a sign on your hand.” (Deuteronomy 6:8)

This is telling us that we should love God, think constantly about His commandments and teach them to our children morning, noon, and night. Most importantly, we are to live our daily lives by the guidelines in His Word. God emphasized over and over the importance of parents teaching their children His ways. God-fearing parents instruct their children in faith and devotions, while teaching them to pray and read the Bible.

From time to time, you will come into contact with children who are not focused on Christ in their lives whether at home, school, church, or in the neighbourhood. We should steer them towards God by our examples and our words. We should never allow our children to follow the world’s standards. We have to set godly standards at home for them to take to school, on the playground, or wherever they go in life.

We have to coach them on how to dress, the language they speak, their behaviour, and friends they keep. This means we need to know who their friends are. Many times we allow our children to attend sleepovers without giving thought to the character of their friends, or more importantly, the parents. This is a very negligent and possibly dangerous action for a parent to take, concerning their children.

The first Commandment with promise is for children to honour their mother and father that they may live a long life (Exodus 20:12). We need to encourage our children to become wise, instructing them as David taught Solomon, his son, to seek after wisdom (Proverbs 4). This encouragement may have prompted Solomon to ask God for wisdom. All wisdom comes from God and can be passed on from parents to children, if we take the time to teach them.

We can expect conflict as believing Christians who keep God’s commandments and worship on the 7th Day Sabbath (Saturday). However, this should never lead us to compromise and encourage our children to break the Sabbath by taking them to sporting activities, or parties held by families and friends, school events, and other such functions due to peer pressure or some need we feel to make our children ‘fit-in’ with social expectations to please others. God should be pleased first because He is our priority.

From an early age, we as parents, must set the example and say no to our families and friends when their events prevent us or our children from obeying the commandments of God. If we allow ourselves or our children to participate in such activities on the Sabbath, or annual Holy Days, our children will want to take advantage of this ‘exception to the commandments’ from time to time and may continue this disobedience into their adulthood.

When children get older and begin to really listen to sermons at church, when they hear the teaching that the Sabbath Day is a holy day of rest, but see conflicting behaviour at home, they may begin to think there are double standards and become confused. This may contribute to them losing interest because the world out there is an easier choice.
Also, as parents we don’t want to pressure them, for fear of losing them, so we back off on instruction, leaving them on their own, living and dressing as the world. They pierce and tag their bodies in every possible place, which leads them to forgetting church and the Sabbath. These children are now thinking that going to church is their parents’ choice, which they don’t have to follow. We hope that we will not lose them to the world forever, and pray for God to save them before it is too late.

We are told in Proverbs 13:24 to discipline our children. As loving parents, it’s not easy to discipline our children; however, lack of discipline puts a parent’s love in question, because it shows a lack of concern for our children’s character development. If we don’t discipline our children starting from a young age, they will grow up without a clear understanding of right and wrong—with no direction to their lives. Discipline is an act of love.

Children trust adults and through that trust their capacity to have faith in God grows. God holds parents and adults who influence young children accountable for how they affect the little ones ability to trust. Three ways which we could cause these little ones to lose faith: tempting them, neglecting or demeaning them, and teaching them false doctrine.

Let’s be responsible parents and realize that if we want to have children who are responsible and put God first in their lives, as parents, we must put God first in our lives.

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