I received a great question this week. A regular visitor wanted to know, Is evil a "thing" or the "absence of good"? The writer went on to say, “I understand how evil entered creation via the fall, but it seems to me that something (evil) that had never existed before suddenly came to be.”
It seems to her that this thing we call evil which didn't exist in God's perfect creation had to have an origin.
“Was that Satan?” she asked. “Did he/does he have a form of destructive de-creative power to bring something to be that wasn't?”
In essence, did Satan "create" evil? Let's find out.
In his Gospel, the Apostle John addressed the issue of whether evil is merely the absence of good. Speaking of Jesus in terms of light and darkness, he wrote;
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. (John 1:3-5)
The word translated understood here also means overcome, but either way if the darkness John referred to was simply the absence of light, as we know it to be, then by it's very presence the light would have replaced it. Darkness is not an entity or force and can neither understand nor overcome. It always yields to light, returning only when light is withdrawn.
And if John was talking merely in terms of physical life and death, as some understand the passage, the same would be true because by definition death is the absence of life. So John had to be speaking in the spiritual sense. The light represents the Lord Jesus, the personification of good. The darkness that cannot overcome Him represents Satan, the prince of darkness and the personification of evil. So evil is not simply the absence of good.
John 1:3-5 also contains the answer to another question. Did Satan create evil? Again, speaking of Jesus John wrote, Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
Paul confirmed this in his letter to the Colossians.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. (Colossians 1:15-16)
If you read these two passages as being all inclusive, as I do, then you have to conclude that Satan, who is himself a created being, did not create evil.
Where Did That Come From?
So where did evil come from? Ezekiel and Isaiah have the answer.
The word of the LORD came to me: "Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says:
" 'You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared.” (Ezekiel 28:11-13)
Through the first 10 verses of chapter 28 Ezekiel had been speaking to Ittobaal, the human ruler of Tyre, calling him the prince of Tyre. Beginning in verse 11 the Lord had him look past the the human figurehead to the power behind the throne, Satan, who Ezekiel addressed as the King of Tyre.
Some commentators see the mention of precious stones as representing the fact that Satan was clothed in light. But one fact is clear to all. Satan was created, confirming what John and Paul said. He was not created to be evil, and in fact was the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
“You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones.” (Ezek. 28:14)
Satan's original role was to head up the squadron of Cherubim who guard the Throne of God. Among men, those chosen for the palace guard are considered to be the most loyal, highly skilled, and trustworthy, the finest examples of the King's warriors. As the leader of such a group charged with protecting the Throne of God, Satan would have been among the most admired of all created beings.
“You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor”. (Ezek. 28:15-17a)
It Didn't Need To Turn Out That Way
Like I said, Satan was not created to be evil. But like all of us, he had the potential for choosing evil. He was the most beautiful, wise, and powerful of all God's created beings and became very proud of these things. It was this pride that caused his downfall , and when he was caught out his pride would not let him submit, so he rebelled. Isaiah 14:13-14 tells how he set out to elevate himself above the angels once again, to sit enthroned in the place of God, and become like God.
You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High."
In his pride Satan demanded that glory due only to God be redirected toward himself. In doing so he gave us the Biblical definitions of good and evil. Everything that yields to God or or glorifies Him is good, and everything that rebels against God or glorifies someone or something else is evil.
God Himself appears to hold this view. Look at Isaiah 42:8;
"I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols.
Shortly after the Creation, Satan introduced this evil into the world by convincing Adam and Eve to break the only rule God had given them. This seemingly minor act of rebellion caused all of mankind's potential for evil to be greatly magnified and made rebellion man's natural state. Paul called it our sin nature and it turned the Creation upside down. Where Satan had been made as the model of perfection with the potential for choosing evil, mankind would hereafter be predisposed toward evil with the potential for choosing to be made perfect. (In other words, Satan had to choose evil. We have to choose good.) And what's more Satan no longer had to personally see to every act of evil. By orchestrating that one act of disobedience he had set mankind on a downward spiral that soon resulted in a state where every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time (Genesis 6:5).
Things Are Not Always As They Seem
It's important to recognize that evil is not merely a type of behavior. In fact it's more a function of intent. That makes evil a motivating force behind behavior. It's easy for us to judge behavior that's obviously destructive, cruel, or immoral as being evil. But behavior that outwardly seems to produce much good can still be considered evil in God's sight unless it's undertaken in submission to Him for the purpose of glorifying Him. The end does not justify the means with God. Motives must be pure to make actions pure.
This is something most people simply do not understand. We think something that looks good or produces a good result must be good. But the Bible is clear. It's the motive energizing our behavior that really counts, no matter how good the result looks to us or to others. Like the Lord said, “A bad tree cannot bear good fruit.” (Matt. 7:18)
Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God. (1 Cor. 4:5)
So evil is a spiritual power, a motivating force that began with a choice. It originated when a created being demanded to be treated as if he was the Creator and went downhill from there. The consequences of that choice are suffered by each one of us every day. It took the death of God's own Son to reverse its effect on us, and then only if we choose to allow it.
For those who don't, God will again say;
“I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.” (Genesis 6:13)
The choice is clear and the time is near. Even so come Lord Jesus.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Dollar Demise: Prophetic Significance of a One-World Currency
On August 7, 2009 a significant event occurred. Did you miss it?
On that day, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) voted to increase the supply of SDRs by $250 billion. Shortly thereafter, on August 28, these SDRs were issued and redistributed to the 186 member countries of the IMF. What was so noteworthy about this? And, just what are SDRs?
Well, to begin, we should start with identifying the IMF’s role in the world. Quoting its website: “The IMF promotes international monetary cooperation and exchange rate stability, facilitates the balanced growth of international trade, and provides resources to help members in balance of payments difficulties or to assist with poverty reduction.”[1] This mission should cause us to sit up and take notice. This organization is one of the most influential in driving global financial and economic convergence. Bible readers know that since these are sub-trends of globalization and globalism, therefore we are dealing with a topic of prophetic significance.
But what are SDRs? It is an accounting unit for the financial reserves of the IMF and stands for Special Drawing Right. It serves as a type of currency for this transnational organization and its members. Technically, the SDR is not a real currency, as it cannot be spent in the marketplace. For example, today you cannot take an SDR coin and buy a coffee in a café in Brussels. All the same, as this accounting unit is defined as a basket of underlying currencies (the US dollar makes up about 44% of its value) it does carry real financial clout.
Due to the SDR’s rather specialized and obscure role, most people would not know that it has already functioned as a global monetary unit since its inception back in 1969. The recent issue of SDRs is the first in almost 3 decades (1981) … representing somewhat of an awakening. What is also significant is that this allocation has boosted the amount of SDRs by 7.5 times. Could an ascendant SDR someday dethrone the US dollar? What role will it play in a developing one-world currency? We want to address these urgent questions.
Move Over Dollar
Interestingly, the IMF’s new SDR issue has not caught the full attention of those who believe the world will soon have one-world currency. That may be due to the fact that the total value of SDRs still only represents a fraction of total world currency reserves (less than 1%), or that they are neither visible nor understood. Usually, every time an event occurs that could be construed as a step toward a one-world currency, one can expect a stream of hysterical reports and speculations. We will yet come back to address the legitimacy of “one-world currency” fears.
For now, keeping to our line of inquiry, any discussion of significant shifts in global reserve-currency supremacy must involve implications for the US dollar. In order for a one-world currency to emerge, we must also presume that the US dollar is on the wane and will be removed. Let’s then deal with this possibility first. It certainly is true that the US dollar is suffering an “image” problem today, as some analysts have put it. After about six decades as the world’s main reserve currency, many key nations have been intensifying their complaints that the US dollar is no longer suitable or worthy. The BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) have most brazenly been calling for a new global reserve currency.
China would dearly like its currency (the yuan) to play a role as a world reserve currency. It is the country that stands to lose the most should the US dollar falter, since it has accumulated large official holdings of US-dollar assets. Recently, the Economist magazine presented a picture of the dollar symbol morphing into a dragon (see inset on this page). The implication was that the world would some day be moving to a yuan standard. Could this happen? We will yet provide our opinion.
With respect to the dollar, even some prominent American economists are of the view that the U.S.’s role in world capital markets is on the wane. Quoting Joseph Stiglitz, a respected academic and former Chief Economist of the World Bank, “To be sure, our influence will diminish, as we are less likely to be held up as a role model, but that was happening in any case. America used to play a pivotal role in global capital, because others believed that we had a special talent for managing risk and allocating financial resources. No one thinks that now, and Asia—where much of the world’s saving occurs today—is already developing its own financial centers. We are no longer the chief source of capital. The world’s top three banks are now Chinese. America’s largest bank is down at the No. 5 spot.”[2]
The US dollar position as the major reserve currency is clearly under attack. It is true that US financial policies have often been criticized over the years, and sometimes without merit. Either the dollar was considered too high in value (i.e. a situation which led to the Plaza Accord of 1985) or too low (i.e. in recent years versus the Euro). But lately, complaints have had more to do with the huge international indebtedness of the U.S. and its reckless monetary policies.
Recent financial developments and geopolitical shifts likely signify a critical turning point for the dollar. Therefore, could U.S. currency trends of late be prophetically significant?
We provide answers to our questions first from a Biblical response, and then from a contemporary economic perspective. Let’s therefore examine the prophetic view next.
Prophetic Views on Currencies?
It must certainly be recognized at this stage of world history that any major and sudden development is likely to be prophetically significant … especially so were it to also to impinge upon Israel in some way or lead to a new consolidated global power structure centered around 10 countries. One of the most important markers of the endtimes has already been triggered—Israel has been reborn. If the US dollar were to topple suddenly, it most assuredly would be a development that hastens the arrival of endtime prophetic conditions.
But would that mean that a one-world currency is in the offing? This is possible … but not certain … or even highly likely. Many Bible prophecy scholars treat the one-world currency notion as if it were specific literal prophecy. It is not. Rather, it is a deduction. That is not to say that it would represent unreasonable conjecture. However, if we stick to what the Bible actually says, the correct and supportable response must be that a one-world currency cannot be either proven or disproved from the Bible. Scripture is silent on this specific idea.
What is clearly prophesied are the conditions of global convergence in commerce, politics and beliefs (i.e. religion). Midnight Call has carried numerous articles documenting these assertions biblically, especially in relation to globalization and globalism. (See this column in MCM May though August 2007).
That said, we still cannot prove that there will be a single, fungible world currency. Actually, we may be wasting our time being on the lookout for a one-world currency. It is not required to fulfill prophecy. Consider that while ecumenicism may ultimately achieve a one-world religious convergence—one big happy family of diverse religions that tolerate each other and ignore mutual inconsistencies—that this would not require individual religions to lose their independent identities. Likewise so in the financial world. One can have a one-world financial system that reflects similar protocols and conventions, but many individual currencies.
Tiring Speculations Without Sure Conclusions
I admit that I sometimes get a little tired of all the one-world currency speculations and sensationalizations. As someone who has worked on the frontlines of global money for almost three decades, to me the whole question denies the reality of what already has unfolded. A one-world capital market already exists. A one-world trading system of goods and services—though there is room for much more convergence—can also be said to have arrived. It is these developments that the Bible specifically prophesies … and not a one-world currency.
We have made the point frequently in our writings that the world’s capital markets are already on a de facto “one currency” standard. Professional money traders who work inside this system fully appreciate this state of affairs. Money moves fluidly across currencies around the world in the trillions. Sophisticated financial hedging instruments exist that in essence give security and mobility to global money. We acknowledge that there are more individual currencies in the world today than there were 20 and 50 years ago. Yet, this trend has not stopped global monetary convergence. Far from it.
So, when I get breathless questions about the Amero (a proposed American currency union), the khaliji (proposed, but currently sidelined currency for six Middle East countries), the Asian single currency project that has been accelerated… etc., I can’t help but feel that we are missing the forest for the trees. Yes, these currency unifications can and may very well move forward. But so what? It is much too late to become a monetary “single-currency” alarmist, and what would it accomplish in any case? Let’s wake up and pursue questions that are more relevant and practical, as we will note in the conclusions.
Contemporary Analysis of Future Currency Shifts
What is the economic case for a one-world currency? There would be both advantages and disadvantages. On balance, in the multi-polar world system that is developing today —one that is no longer likely to be anchored by one superpower—it would seem improbable that sufficient unanimity for such a development is on the near-term horizon. Of course, were a massive world financial crisis to erupt—one much, much bigger than the current Global Financial Crisis (GFC)—and a strong leader emerge who is influential and flattering enough to successfully force world consensus on such a question, conditions for the formation of a one-world currency would be more conducive.
But we need not preoccupy ourselves with this scenario. It would be a development involving the Antichrist that occurs inside the Tribulation period, and does not concern us today. Now, the more obvious outcome is that the world will move to a multi-currency reserve platform. Such a regime would be more in alignment with the Bible’s indications. After all, Scripture tells us that first a multi-polar coalition of nations will develop, shown as 10 separate countries (the “10 kings”). (See Daniel 2, 7 and Revelation 12, 13, and 17, which speak of 10 toes, 10 horns and 10 kings.)
A number of currencies together are therefore likely to supplant the US dollar’s lone reserve role in the world. The euro, yen and eventually perhaps the Chinese yuan, Russian ruble, Brazilian real and others could play a part. This is why the IMF’s SDR is likely to become much more important in the future. It is an inclusive financial structure, ideally suited to a multi-polar world. Though it is not a real currency itself, it yet facilitates power sharing and the mobilization of global money.
Thoughts to Ponder
With respect to the outlook for the US dollar that is cherished by so many, here is a fact that you may not have known: It was recognized long, long ago—in fact, right at the inception of the world’s current monetary regime—that the US dollar was fated to lose its central reserve role. Its eventual fall was anticipated by the very architects of the Bretton Woods system. (An important paper written by Robert Triffin in 1960 clearly underlined this conclusion.)
In order to provide the currency backbone to the world, the U.S. needed to run deficits (supplying US dollars to the rest of the world.) But this can be done only so long before mounting international debts would overwhelm the U.S. Indeed, in part, this is what has happened.
The bottom line? After 60 years of serving as the world’s reserve currency, the globe is swamped with US dollars. (Consider that some 70 percent of dollars in circulation are held outside the U.S.!) Even should a major currency crisis be avoided, it only stands to reason that the US dollar will continue to decline in influence. That could yet take a long time; or it may not.
As Christians, however, it is crucial that we not get distracted from the reality of what is unfolding. We should avoid fixations with misleading indicators and our hobbyhorse prophetic theories when they cannot be proven from the Bible. We need to keep watching … and learning. Jesus Christ implored the disciples many times to watch … at least nine times!
The one-world financial system is already here … the endtime money snare virtually complete. The more important questions are these: Just how can we remain separate and holy from the rampant religion of Mammonism that is enveloping the world today? How best can we be used in the task of snatching people from the fire?
Jude summarizes these directives, saying:
“Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh” (Jude 1:22-23).
There are initiatives in which Christians can safely be activists: Snatching people from the fire and hating the corruption of the flesh.
Maranatha! Oh, Lord, steel our resolve and equip us to do so in these “perilous” times (2 Timothy 3:1).
ENDNOTES
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] International Monetary Fund, http://www.imf.org/external/about/overview.htm. Accessed July 25, 2009.
[2] Joseph Stiglitz, “Wall Street’s Toxic Message,” Vanity Fair, June 11, 2009.
On that day, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) voted to increase the supply of SDRs by $250 billion. Shortly thereafter, on August 28, these SDRs were issued and redistributed to the 186 member countries of the IMF. What was so noteworthy about this? And, just what are SDRs?
Well, to begin, we should start with identifying the IMF’s role in the world. Quoting its website: “The IMF promotes international monetary cooperation and exchange rate stability, facilitates the balanced growth of international trade, and provides resources to help members in balance of payments difficulties or to assist with poverty reduction.”[1] This mission should cause us to sit up and take notice. This organization is one of the most influential in driving global financial and economic convergence. Bible readers know that since these are sub-trends of globalization and globalism, therefore we are dealing with a topic of prophetic significance.
But what are SDRs? It is an accounting unit for the financial reserves of the IMF and stands for Special Drawing Right. It serves as a type of currency for this transnational organization and its members. Technically, the SDR is not a real currency, as it cannot be spent in the marketplace. For example, today you cannot take an SDR coin and buy a coffee in a café in Brussels. All the same, as this accounting unit is defined as a basket of underlying currencies (the US dollar makes up about 44% of its value) it does carry real financial clout.
Due to the SDR’s rather specialized and obscure role, most people would not know that it has already functioned as a global monetary unit since its inception back in 1969. The recent issue of SDRs is the first in almost 3 decades (1981) … representing somewhat of an awakening. What is also significant is that this allocation has boosted the amount of SDRs by 7.5 times. Could an ascendant SDR someday dethrone the US dollar? What role will it play in a developing one-world currency? We want to address these urgent questions.
Move Over Dollar
Interestingly, the IMF’s new SDR issue has not caught the full attention of those who believe the world will soon have one-world currency. That may be due to the fact that the total value of SDRs still only represents a fraction of total world currency reserves (less than 1%), or that they are neither visible nor understood. Usually, every time an event occurs that could be construed as a step toward a one-world currency, one can expect a stream of hysterical reports and speculations. We will yet come back to address the legitimacy of “one-world currency” fears.
For now, keeping to our line of inquiry, any discussion of significant shifts in global reserve-currency supremacy must involve implications for the US dollar. In order for a one-world currency to emerge, we must also presume that the US dollar is on the wane and will be removed. Let’s then deal with this possibility first. It certainly is true that the US dollar is suffering an “image” problem today, as some analysts have put it. After about six decades as the world’s main reserve currency, many key nations have been intensifying their complaints that the US dollar is no longer suitable or worthy. The BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) have most brazenly been calling for a new global reserve currency.
China would dearly like its currency (the yuan) to play a role as a world reserve currency. It is the country that stands to lose the most should the US dollar falter, since it has accumulated large official holdings of US-dollar assets. Recently, the Economist magazine presented a picture of the dollar symbol morphing into a dragon (see inset on this page). The implication was that the world would some day be moving to a yuan standard. Could this happen? We will yet provide our opinion.
With respect to the dollar, even some prominent American economists are of the view that the U.S.’s role in world capital markets is on the wane. Quoting Joseph Stiglitz, a respected academic and former Chief Economist of the World Bank, “To be sure, our influence will diminish, as we are less likely to be held up as a role model, but that was happening in any case. America used to play a pivotal role in global capital, because others believed that we had a special talent for managing risk and allocating financial resources. No one thinks that now, and Asia—where much of the world’s saving occurs today—is already developing its own financial centers. We are no longer the chief source of capital. The world’s top three banks are now Chinese. America’s largest bank is down at the No. 5 spot.”[2]
The US dollar position as the major reserve currency is clearly under attack. It is true that US financial policies have often been criticized over the years, and sometimes without merit. Either the dollar was considered too high in value (i.e. a situation which led to the Plaza Accord of 1985) or too low (i.e. in recent years versus the Euro). But lately, complaints have had more to do with the huge international indebtedness of the U.S. and its reckless monetary policies.
Recent financial developments and geopolitical shifts likely signify a critical turning point for the dollar. Therefore, could U.S. currency trends of late be prophetically significant?
We provide answers to our questions first from a Biblical response, and then from a contemporary economic perspective. Let’s therefore examine the prophetic view next.
Prophetic Views on Currencies?
It must certainly be recognized at this stage of world history that any major and sudden development is likely to be prophetically significant … especially so were it to also to impinge upon Israel in some way or lead to a new consolidated global power structure centered around 10 countries. One of the most important markers of the endtimes has already been triggered—Israel has been reborn. If the US dollar were to topple suddenly, it most assuredly would be a development that hastens the arrival of endtime prophetic conditions.
But would that mean that a one-world currency is in the offing? This is possible … but not certain … or even highly likely. Many Bible prophecy scholars treat the one-world currency notion as if it were specific literal prophecy. It is not. Rather, it is a deduction. That is not to say that it would represent unreasonable conjecture. However, if we stick to what the Bible actually says, the correct and supportable response must be that a one-world currency cannot be either proven or disproved from the Bible. Scripture is silent on this specific idea.
What is clearly prophesied are the conditions of global convergence in commerce, politics and beliefs (i.e. religion). Midnight Call has carried numerous articles documenting these assertions biblically, especially in relation to globalization and globalism. (See this column in MCM May though August 2007).
That said, we still cannot prove that there will be a single, fungible world currency. Actually, we may be wasting our time being on the lookout for a one-world currency. It is not required to fulfill prophecy. Consider that while ecumenicism may ultimately achieve a one-world religious convergence—one big happy family of diverse religions that tolerate each other and ignore mutual inconsistencies—that this would not require individual religions to lose their independent identities. Likewise so in the financial world. One can have a one-world financial system that reflects similar protocols and conventions, but many individual currencies.
Tiring Speculations Without Sure Conclusions
I admit that I sometimes get a little tired of all the one-world currency speculations and sensationalizations. As someone who has worked on the frontlines of global money for almost three decades, to me the whole question denies the reality of what already has unfolded. A one-world capital market already exists. A one-world trading system of goods and services—though there is room for much more convergence—can also be said to have arrived. It is these developments that the Bible specifically prophesies … and not a one-world currency.
We have made the point frequently in our writings that the world’s capital markets are already on a de facto “one currency” standard. Professional money traders who work inside this system fully appreciate this state of affairs. Money moves fluidly across currencies around the world in the trillions. Sophisticated financial hedging instruments exist that in essence give security and mobility to global money. We acknowledge that there are more individual currencies in the world today than there were 20 and 50 years ago. Yet, this trend has not stopped global monetary convergence. Far from it.
So, when I get breathless questions about the Amero (a proposed American currency union), the khaliji (proposed, but currently sidelined currency for six Middle East countries), the Asian single currency project that has been accelerated… etc., I can’t help but feel that we are missing the forest for the trees. Yes, these currency unifications can and may very well move forward. But so what? It is much too late to become a monetary “single-currency” alarmist, and what would it accomplish in any case? Let’s wake up and pursue questions that are more relevant and practical, as we will note in the conclusions.
Contemporary Analysis of Future Currency Shifts
What is the economic case for a one-world currency? There would be both advantages and disadvantages. On balance, in the multi-polar world system that is developing today —one that is no longer likely to be anchored by one superpower—it would seem improbable that sufficient unanimity for such a development is on the near-term horizon. Of course, were a massive world financial crisis to erupt—one much, much bigger than the current Global Financial Crisis (GFC)—and a strong leader emerge who is influential and flattering enough to successfully force world consensus on such a question, conditions for the formation of a one-world currency would be more conducive.
But we need not preoccupy ourselves with this scenario. It would be a development involving the Antichrist that occurs inside the Tribulation period, and does not concern us today. Now, the more obvious outcome is that the world will move to a multi-currency reserve platform. Such a regime would be more in alignment with the Bible’s indications. After all, Scripture tells us that first a multi-polar coalition of nations will develop, shown as 10 separate countries (the “10 kings”). (See Daniel 2, 7 and Revelation 12, 13, and 17, which speak of 10 toes, 10 horns and 10 kings.)
A number of currencies together are therefore likely to supplant the US dollar’s lone reserve role in the world. The euro, yen and eventually perhaps the Chinese yuan, Russian ruble, Brazilian real and others could play a part. This is why the IMF’s SDR is likely to become much more important in the future. It is an inclusive financial structure, ideally suited to a multi-polar world. Though it is not a real currency itself, it yet facilitates power sharing and the mobilization of global money.
Thoughts to Ponder
With respect to the outlook for the US dollar that is cherished by so many, here is a fact that you may not have known: It was recognized long, long ago—in fact, right at the inception of the world’s current monetary regime—that the US dollar was fated to lose its central reserve role. Its eventual fall was anticipated by the very architects of the Bretton Woods system. (An important paper written by Robert Triffin in 1960 clearly underlined this conclusion.)
In order to provide the currency backbone to the world, the U.S. needed to run deficits (supplying US dollars to the rest of the world.) But this can be done only so long before mounting international debts would overwhelm the U.S. Indeed, in part, this is what has happened.
The bottom line? After 60 years of serving as the world’s reserve currency, the globe is swamped with US dollars. (Consider that some 70 percent of dollars in circulation are held outside the U.S.!) Even should a major currency crisis be avoided, it only stands to reason that the US dollar will continue to decline in influence. That could yet take a long time; or it may not.
As Christians, however, it is crucial that we not get distracted from the reality of what is unfolding. We should avoid fixations with misleading indicators and our hobbyhorse prophetic theories when they cannot be proven from the Bible. We need to keep watching … and learning. Jesus Christ implored the disciples many times to watch … at least nine times!
The one-world financial system is already here … the endtime money snare virtually complete. The more important questions are these: Just how can we remain separate and holy from the rampant religion of Mammonism that is enveloping the world today? How best can we be used in the task of snatching people from the fire?
Jude summarizes these directives, saying:
“Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh” (Jude 1:22-23).
There are initiatives in which Christians can safely be activists: Snatching people from the fire and hating the corruption of the flesh.
Maranatha! Oh, Lord, steel our resolve and equip us to do so in these “perilous” times (2 Timothy 3:1).
ENDNOTES
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] International Monetary Fund, http://www.imf.org/external/about/overview.htm. Accessed July 25, 2009.
[2] Joseph Stiglitz, “Wall Street’s Toxic Message,” Vanity Fair, June 11, 2009.
Monday, October 5, 2009
The Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy
The Bible tells us that Satan is the "god of this world." He is the one guiding and directing the affairs of everyday life. Because he is a spirit, he lacks the ability to act in this physical realm. He uses men to carry out his will.
For several years, I have been pointing out that the liberal media is probably Lucifer’s most diabolical device for corrupting human society. He puts evil thoughts into their minds, and they in turn propagate this message to the rest of the world. You might be able to spot the liberal bias of a news report, but it can be very hard to identify liberalism that has been cunningly woven into the plot of a movie or sitcom.
This ploy works so well, it has been very difficult to point out even to Christians that their favorite journalist, actor, or comedian maybe an agent of the devil. The Word of God tells us we should question even people who appear as angels of light, so I don't see why the smiling face of someone from the mass media should have us letting down our guard.
The enemy is not timid. One of the bold claims being made today is the idea that conservatives are conspiring to take over our nation. We are told there is a "vast right-wing conspiracy." Last week, former President Clinton, asked on Meet the Press whether a vast right-wing conspiracy was involved in the attacks on President Obama, answered: "Oh, you bet. Sure it is."
The media also claims there needs to be a leveling of the playing field because outlets like Fox News and radio talk shows have an unfair bias. If they could just silence conservatives like Bill O’Reilly and Rush Limbaugh, equality in the mass media would return.
The truth of the matter is that liberals reign over the majority of the media. They control 100 percent of the major news networks, 90 percent of the newspapers, and 80 percent of the cable news outlets. They also have almost complete control of Hollywood movie production.
I can think of many examples that demonstrate the media’s liberal bias. CNN’s recent experiment with conservative host Glenn Beck is one of the best examples because it shows that ratings and money are far less important to them than liberal ideology.
For the past few years, CNN has been getting crushed in the ratings by Fox news. It’s very simple why this has happened. There are about a dozen cable network channels faithfully spouting the liberal message, and when you have a network come along with a conservative slant, they instantly have a monopoly.
Someone at CNN finally decided to hire Glenn Beck for the Headline News channel to get a piece of the conservative viewer market. Of course, Beck was an instant hit, but he didn't last long. The liberal culture at the network didn't like Beck, so this summer he decided to move over to Fox. Beck’s replacement at Headline News was, of course, a raging liberal.
I don’t see anything special about the conservative commentators of our day. Several of them I can’t stand because of their inflated egos. I see most of them as barking dogs that scare away robbers.
Liberals cry out against the "vast right-wing conspiracy" because despotism needs total control in order to take over. If you want to have absolute darkness, you need to extinguish all sources of light. The first thing any dictator does once he rises to power is to take over the part of the media he doesn’t already control.
The Democrats would love to implement something like the fairness doctrine. This is a rule that would force broadcasters to air contrasting views regarding matters of public interest. Since the liberal media claims to be agenda free, its members would be excluded from this guideline.
I think the hand of God is the only thing preventing us from seeing a left-wing rout of the media. The Democrats have control of the White House and of both house of Congress. They even have a filibuster-proof super-majority in the Senate. Some invisible force seems to be holding them back.
The day will come when the Lord lets the vast left-wing conspiracy run free. The rapture would the perfect time, but it can always come sooner.
For several years, I have been pointing out that the liberal media is probably Lucifer’s most diabolical device for corrupting human society. He puts evil thoughts into their minds, and they in turn propagate this message to the rest of the world. You might be able to spot the liberal bias of a news report, but it can be very hard to identify liberalism that has been cunningly woven into the plot of a movie or sitcom.
This ploy works so well, it has been very difficult to point out even to Christians that their favorite journalist, actor, or comedian maybe an agent of the devil. The Word of God tells us we should question even people who appear as angels of light, so I don't see why the smiling face of someone from the mass media should have us letting down our guard.
The enemy is not timid. One of the bold claims being made today is the idea that conservatives are conspiring to take over our nation. We are told there is a "vast right-wing conspiracy." Last week, former President Clinton, asked on Meet the Press whether a vast right-wing conspiracy was involved in the attacks on President Obama, answered: "Oh, you bet. Sure it is."
The media also claims there needs to be a leveling of the playing field because outlets like Fox News and radio talk shows have an unfair bias. If they could just silence conservatives like Bill O’Reilly and Rush Limbaugh, equality in the mass media would return.
The truth of the matter is that liberals reign over the majority of the media. They control 100 percent of the major news networks, 90 percent of the newspapers, and 80 percent of the cable news outlets. They also have almost complete control of Hollywood movie production.
I can think of many examples that demonstrate the media’s liberal bias. CNN’s recent experiment with conservative host Glenn Beck is one of the best examples because it shows that ratings and money are far less important to them than liberal ideology.
For the past few years, CNN has been getting crushed in the ratings by Fox news. It’s very simple why this has happened. There are about a dozen cable network channels faithfully spouting the liberal message, and when you have a network come along with a conservative slant, they instantly have a monopoly.
Someone at CNN finally decided to hire Glenn Beck for the Headline News channel to get a piece of the conservative viewer market. Of course, Beck was an instant hit, but he didn't last long. The liberal culture at the network didn't like Beck, so this summer he decided to move over to Fox. Beck’s replacement at Headline News was, of course, a raging liberal.
I don’t see anything special about the conservative commentators of our day. Several of them I can’t stand because of their inflated egos. I see most of them as barking dogs that scare away robbers.
Liberals cry out against the "vast right-wing conspiracy" because despotism needs total control in order to take over. If you want to have absolute darkness, you need to extinguish all sources of light. The first thing any dictator does once he rises to power is to take over the part of the media he doesn’t already control.
The Democrats would love to implement something like the fairness doctrine. This is a rule that would force broadcasters to air contrasting views regarding matters of public interest. Since the liberal media claims to be agenda free, its members would be excluded from this guideline.
I think the hand of God is the only thing preventing us from seeing a left-wing rout of the media. The Democrats have control of the White House and of both house of Congress. They even have a filibuster-proof super-majority in the Senate. Some invisible force seems to be holding them back.
The day will come when the Lord lets the vast left-wing conspiracy run free. The rapture would the perfect time, but it can always come sooner.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Kingdom Dollars
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matt. 6:19-20)
US dollars are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the United States government, not by the approximately 147 million ounces of gold in Fort Knox, like they used to be. (At $1,000 dollars per ounce that's $147 billion worth. The last reliable estimates put the total dollars in circulation or on deposit at $8.3 trillion, so even if the dollar was backed by gold there's less than 2 cents worth of gold behind each one.)
So the value of a dollar is determined by how confident the rest of the world is in the stability of the US economy. China holds the largest amount of dollars in reserve, about 2 trillion, and has about $800 billion more in bonds they hold. China has let it be known that their confidence in the dollar has been shaken by the recent economic turmoil in the US. Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and others feel the same way. And recently the UN has joined China and others in calling for a new, more stable currency to replace the dollar in world markets. Rest assured, if these countries can find a way to replace the dollar they'll do so, and the value of the dollar will decline even more rapidly.
They'll do this because they know the US has recently been flooding the market with money that isn't worth the paper it's printed on and sooner or later it will trigger an inflationary spiral that will further erode the dollar's value. In the current round of Economic Summit meetings other nations are insisting that the US agree to stop spending (printing money) and start saving. But they don't believe our government is willing to exercise the necessary restraint to make this action effective. Therefore their choice is to do something and lose a little now or do nothing and lose a lot later.
Meanwhile, Back At Home ...
At the same time experts in this country believe that unemployment will remain high for another year or so. They believe that many more homes, perhaps more than a million, will soon enter foreclosure. They know that the commercial real estate and credit card markets are still in trouble and could trigger another recession, even before we're out of this one. Lately, I've been seeing more references to “recession part 2” in financial commentaries as a possibility for 2010.
It's also been reported that a new phenomenon, called Strategic Default or “walkaway”, has come on the financial scene. It involves home owners with good credit scores who are often current on their payments deciding to just walk away from their mortgage obligations. They do this because they don't believe they'll ever get back to an equity position in their home. According to the LA Times there were over 580,000 cases nationwide last year, more than double 2007's total, and current indications are that this number is continuing to grow. (In California where the once booming market has gone bust, walkaways were 68 times higher in 2008 than in 2005.)
Because of all this uncertainty, some people look at converting their cash into other currencies, like Euros or Yen, to protect themselves against the possibility of the dollar's sudden demise, but quickly realize those currencies are just as volatile.
Still others enter the gold and silver markets, not understanding that this is just a place to temporarily park assets until the economy improves. You can't spend the coins you buy. No matter how much the gold in your five dollar gold piece is worth, your neighborhood grocer is only going to give you five buck's worth of food for it. You have to find a buyer who'll give you paper money for your gold before you can spend it. If the economy never rebounds, you might be out of luck.
According to Bible prophecy the world will get to a point one day where people will labor all day just to make enough money to buy their food for the day. (Rev. 6:6) There won't be any left over for rent, utilities, car payments, or anything else. This won't happen because food is so scarce, but because money will be worth so little. Therefore, trying to save up enough to get you through those times is an exercise in futility. In periods of run away inflation, savers are penalized by the consistent decline in the value of their savings.
For example, it takes 12 of today's dollars to equal the purchasing power one dollar had at the end of WW2, and over that time annual inflation averaged less than 4% per year. The dollar's purchasing power could erode that significantly in a matter of months during a period of runaway inflation.
But my purpose here is not to present a seminar on economics. It's to introduce the only investment strategy that can protect you against catastrophic loss if the bottom falls out from under us. It involves exchanging earthly dollars that, have steadily declined in value in both good times and bad, for Kingdom dollars that cannot decline in value, or be lost or stolen.
There are two goals in this strategy. The first is to comfortably survive the coming hard times in what's left of this life (Surviving), and the second is to create wealth for the next one (Thriving). You can do both starting today.
Goal 1. Surviving
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matt. 6:25,33)
A couple of years ago, I started warning people to either voluntarily change the way they live or wait till they're forced to change involuntarily. Since then many have been forced to significantly adjust their lifestyles, and many more are teetering on the brink. Yet I don't hear stories of churches filling up with people seeking after the Lord's righteousness.
If you survived the first round of financial turmoil unscathed, don't think you'll automatically be immune to the next one. I truly believe that the Lord is allowing every source of security to be systematically stripped from us until only He is left. Make it easy on yourself. Take the first step now. Seek His kingdom and His righteousness and begin to feel the burden of worry lifting from your back, and the smile returning to your face, as you let Him take responsibility for your well being. The Lord is the only one capable of carrying us through the difficulties yet to come.
Goal 2. Thriving
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (1 Cor. 9:6,8)
Waiting for the Lord to bless you before you start investing in His work is like waiting for a stove to give you heat before throwing in some wood. Sowing always precedes reaping, so start where you are. Recall how grateful you are that the Lord has saved you, and where you'd be heading had He not done so. Then express your gratitude by investing in His work. You don't have to look around for an area of need. Just find a place where it's obvious the Lord is already working and pitch in. Give gratefully and generously according to your ability. And remember, every time you do you're exchanging earthly dollars for Kingdom dollars.
Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. (1 Cor. 9:10)
Soon you'll see other areas where you could help and you'll find you have an increased ability as well. Where at first you only had a dollar to invest, you'll see you now have two. Fight the tendency to hold some back and increase your giving instead, always with an attitude of gratitude. The main thing to remember here is that giving with the expectation of receiving isn't being generous, it's being greedy. (That's the first fatal flaw in the so-called prosperity gospel.)
You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. (1 Cor. 9:11)
Most people worry that they'll never be able to afford giving even 10% to the Lord. But people who follow this strategy in good faith eventually find themselves giving 30-40% and still have more than enough for themselves. If you work for a salary, it's hard to imagine how this could work. But remember all money comes from the Lord, regardless of who signs your paycheck, and He has an unlimited amount. Show him you can be a good steward with what He's giving you now and you'll get an increase, because He promised that those who are faithful with a little will be given more. But for those who are not, even the little they have will be taken away from them. The evidence is all around us.
The first half of 1 cor. 9:11 is so exciting to us that we forget the second half. Yes, we can be made rich in every way, but it's so we can be generous on every occasion. And that's prosperity gospel's second fatal flaw. Wealth is not a gift to be wasted on indulgences for our personal benefit, it's a trust to be administered for the benefit of others. Spending money we don't have on things we don't need is neither an expression of gratitude nor a demonstration of generosity. On the contrary, it's evidence that if the Lord gave us more money, we'd just become greedier.
Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23)
No matter how far upside down you are financially, you're not beyond the Lord's help. The very day you determine in your heart to abandon your self indulgent ways and begin to express your gratitude and demonstrate your generosity, He'll go to work with you to help make the future different.
And remember, generosity is not a number, it's a state of mind. It's not how much you invest in His work that matters so much as the motive in your heart while you're doing it. Remember the widow's mite? (Luke 21:1-3)
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Luke 6:38)
The bottom line is that this investment strategy pays better than any other you can find. And it's also unbeatable for overall security. The Lord's bank can't fail, inflation will never erode your earnings, and nothing can ever cause the value of your investment to decline. Also, we can see from the examples I've cited that your returns are payable both in this world and in the next. What other investment do you know of that can promise that?
And talk about safe. The value of Kingdom dollars is backed by the full faith and credit of the Almighty Himself. The value of earthly dollars is only backed by the full faith and credit of the US government. Are you OK with that?
"Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." (Luke 12:15)
The only condition the Lord imposes on this strategy is that we stop conforming to the patterns of this world and allow our minds to be transformed where it comes to our relationship with Him. (Romans 12:1-2) That means we start giving Him the final say in determining the direction of our lives, and expressing our gratitude for what He's done for us by becoming a channel through which He can bless the world around us. When we do, we'll discover that we feel more gratitude, demonstrate more generosity, and in turn experience greater returns. We can't lose.
US dollars are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the United States government, not by the approximately 147 million ounces of gold in Fort Knox, like they used to be. (At $1,000 dollars per ounce that's $147 billion worth. The last reliable estimates put the total dollars in circulation or on deposit at $8.3 trillion, so even if the dollar was backed by gold there's less than 2 cents worth of gold behind each one.)
So the value of a dollar is determined by how confident the rest of the world is in the stability of the US economy. China holds the largest amount of dollars in reserve, about 2 trillion, and has about $800 billion more in bonds they hold. China has let it be known that their confidence in the dollar has been shaken by the recent economic turmoil in the US. Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and others feel the same way. And recently the UN has joined China and others in calling for a new, more stable currency to replace the dollar in world markets. Rest assured, if these countries can find a way to replace the dollar they'll do so, and the value of the dollar will decline even more rapidly.
They'll do this because they know the US has recently been flooding the market with money that isn't worth the paper it's printed on and sooner or later it will trigger an inflationary spiral that will further erode the dollar's value. In the current round of Economic Summit meetings other nations are insisting that the US agree to stop spending (printing money) and start saving. But they don't believe our government is willing to exercise the necessary restraint to make this action effective. Therefore their choice is to do something and lose a little now or do nothing and lose a lot later.
Meanwhile, Back At Home ...
At the same time experts in this country believe that unemployment will remain high for another year or so. They believe that many more homes, perhaps more than a million, will soon enter foreclosure. They know that the commercial real estate and credit card markets are still in trouble and could trigger another recession, even before we're out of this one. Lately, I've been seeing more references to “recession part 2” in financial commentaries as a possibility for 2010.
It's also been reported that a new phenomenon, called Strategic Default or “walkaway”, has come on the financial scene. It involves home owners with good credit scores who are often current on their payments deciding to just walk away from their mortgage obligations. They do this because they don't believe they'll ever get back to an equity position in their home. According to the LA Times there were over 580,000 cases nationwide last year, more than double 2007's total, and current indications are that this number is continuing to grow. (In California where the once booming market has gone bust, walkaways were 68 times higher in 2008 than in 2005.)
Because of all this uncertainty, some people look at converting their cash into other currencies, like Euros or Yen, to protect themselves against the possibility of the dollar's sudden demise, but quickly realize those currencies are just as volatile.
Still others enter the gold and silver markets, not understanding that this is just a place to temporarily park assets until the economy improves. You can't spend the coins you buy. No matter how much the gold in your five dollar gold piece is worth, your neighborhood grocer is only going to give you five buck's worth of food for it. You have to find a buyer who'll give you paper money for your gold before you can spend it. If the economy never rebounds, you might be out of luck.
According to Bible prophecy the world will get to a point one day where people will labor all day just to make enough money to buy their food for the day. (Rev. 6:6) There won't be any left over for rent, utilities, car payments, or anything else. This won't happen because food is so scarce, but because money will be worth so little. Therefore, trying to save up enough to get you through those times is an exercise in futility. In periods of run away inflation, savers are penalized by the consistent decline in the value of their savings.
For example, it takes 12 of today's dollars to equal the purchasing power one dollar had at the end of WW2, and over that time annual inflation averaged less than 4% per year. The dollar's purchasing power could erode that significantly in a matter of months during a period of runaway inflation.
But my purpose here is not to present a seminar on economics. It's to introduce the only investment strategy that can protect you against catastrophic loss if the bottom falls out from under us. It involves exchanging earthly dollars that, have steadily declined in value in both good times and bad, for Kingdom dollars that cannot decline in value, or be lost or stolen.
There are two goals in this strategy. The first is to comfortably survive the coming hard times in what's left of this life (Surviving), and the second is to create wealth for the next one (Thriving). You can do both starting today.
Goal 1. Surviving
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matt. 6:25,33)
A couple of years ago, I started warning people to either voluntarily change the way they live or wait till they're forced to change involuntarily. Since then many have been forced to significantly adjust their lifestyles, and many more are teetering on the brink. Yet I don't hear stories of churches filling up with people seeking after the Lord's righteousness.
If you survived the first round of financial turmoil unscathed, don't think you'll automatically be immune to the next one. I truly believe that the Lord is allowing every source of security to be systematically stripped from us until only He is left. Make it easy on yourself. Take the first step now. Seek His kingdom and His righteousness and begin to feel the burden of worry lifting from your back, and the smile returning to your face, as you let Him take responsibility for your well being. The Lord is the only one capable of carrying us through the difficulties yet to come.
Goal 2. Thriving
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (1 Cor. 9:6,8)
Waiting for the Lord to bless you before you start investing in His work is like waiting for a stove to give you heat before throwing in some wood. Sowing always precedes reaping, so start where you are. Recall how grateful you are that the Lord has saved you, and where you'd be heading had He not done so. Then express your gratitude by investing in His work. You don't have to look around for an area of need. Just find a place where it's obvious the Lord is already working and pitch in. Give gratefully and generously according to your ability. And remember, every time you do you're exchanging earthly dollars for Kingdom dollars.
Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. (1 Cor. 9:10)
Soon you'll see other areas where you could help and you'll find you have an increased ability as well. Where at first you only had a dollar to invest, you'll see you now have two. Fight the tendency to hold some back and increase your giving instead, always with an attitude of gratitude. The main thing to remember here is that giving with the expectation of receiving isn't being generous, it's being greedy. (That's the first fatal flaw in the so-called prosperity gospel.)
You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. (1 Cor. 9:11)
Most people worry that they'll never be able to afford giving even 10% to the Lord. But people who follow this strategy in good faith eventually find themselves giving 30-40% and still have more than enough for themselves. If you work for a salary, it's hard to imagine how this could work. But remember all money comes from the Lord, regardless of who signs your paycheck, and He has an unlimited amount. Show him you can be a good steward with what He's giving you now and you'll get an increase, because He promised that those who are faithful with a little will be given more. But for those who are not, even the little they have will be taken away from them. The evidence is all around us.
The first half of 1 cor. 9:11 is so exciting to us that we forget the second half. Yes, we can be made rich in every way, but it's so we can be generous on every occasion. And that's prosperity gospel's second fatal flaw. Wealth is not a gift to be wasted on indulgences for our personal benefit, it's a trust to be administered for the benefit of others. Spending money we don't have on things we don't need is neither an expression of gratitude nor a demonstration of generosity. On the contrary, it's evidence that if the Lord gave us more money, we'd just become greedier.
Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23)
No matter how far upside down you are financially, you're not beyond the Lord's help. The very day you determine in your heart to abandon your self indulgent ways and begin to express your gratitude and demonstrate your generosity, He'll go to work with you to help make the future different.
And remember, generosity is not a number, it's a state of mind. It's not how much you invest in His work that matters so much as the motive in your heart while you're doing it. Remember the widow's mite? (Luke 21:1-3)
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Luke 6:38)
The bottom line is that this investment strategy pays better than any other you can find. And it's also unbeatable for overall security. The Lord's bank can't fail, inflation will never erode your earnings, and nothing can ever cause the value of your investment to decline. Also, we can see from the examples I've cited that your returns are payable both in this world and in the next. What other investment do you know of that can promise that?
And talk about safe. The value of Kingdom dollars is backed by the full faith and credit of the Almighty Himself. The value of earthly dollars is only backed by the full faith and credit of the US government. Are you OK with that?
"Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." (Luke 12:15)
The only condition the Lord imposes on this strategy is that we stop conforming to the patterns of this world and allow our minds to be transformed where it comes to our relationship with Him. (Romans 12:1-2) That means we start giving Him the final say in determining the direction of our lives, and expressing our gratitude for what He's done for us by becoming a channel through which He can bless the world around us. When we do, we'll discover that we feel more gratitude, demonstrate more generosity, and in turn experience greater returns. We can't lose.
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