Buzzardhut
July 20th, 2008, 10:06 PM
from Nearing Midnight: (http://www.raptureready.com/rap16.html)
The Bible repeatedly says we should never allow money to become a master of our lives. Apart from the fact that our eternal soul is worth more than all the riches in this life, there is a growing list of reasons not to place our trust in filthy lucre.
Not since the late 1970s have we seen so many key signs indicating the U.S. economy is in serious trouble. Oil has hit record highs, inflation is above 5 percent for the first time in 27 years, more than100 banks are at risk of failing, and the housing market is in its biggest slump since the Great Depression.
Another indication of the growing economic peril is how our nation is selling itself off piece by piece. So far this year, a host of giant financial institutions have sold their souls to investor funds--mostly from the Middle East. Last week, Anheuser-Busch, our largest brewery, was sold to Belgian brewer InBev. The iconic Chrysler building in New York City was sold to a United Arab Emirates investment group.
I could go on and on about all this doom and gloom creeping over the land. It does no good to endlessly grumble about how bad things are getting when we are warned by the Bible that economic conditions are preordained to get much much worse. The Book of Revelation says the ultimate point of capitulation will come when men throw their money into the streets.
We Christians who know what is happening should not be fixated on problems we have no ability to resolve. Our duty is to be about the Lord's work. In times of economic trouble, far too many believers become mesmerized by financial issues.
The Rapture Ready message board only sees about 5 percent of the site's traffic, but it causes 95 percent of our headaches. When people don't get their way on the board, they often go bonkers. One woman recently warned me that she was going to tell CNN that we were mistreating our members.
Last Thursday, one guy on the message board got belligerent with the mods when his favorite thread was closed. The thread was offering the type of economic advice that should only come from a professional financial advisor.
After questioning all the mods' salvation and branding me as Satan's servant, this person was removed from the board. To belittle the value of the board, he emailed me: "I really don't do anything productive with my life, so maybe it was a good idea you banned me."
I was flabbergasted that he could be so flippant about his own spiritual laziness. He has been visiting the site for years, and has probably read dozens of our appeals to be active in promoting the cause of Christ. In the end, all he wanted to do was just sit around, waiting for the rapture and possibly watching Rome (America) burn.
Folks, all these signs that Terry and I constantly point to in our Nearing Midnight articles are intended to help motivate you to becoming active in supporting this ministry and any other worthy Christian endeavors. We're not trying to inspire people to speculate on economic conspiracies or ways to preserve your earthly wealth.
On judgment day, anyone who has been focused on heavenly matters will receive an everlasting reward. All who have been knowingly unproductive will be without excuse for their poor report.
We won't be able to simply look at the Lord of Hosts and say, "I didn't know what to do." I can be assured from verses like Proverbs 3:5-6 and Psalm 32:8 that God's common reply will be, "You didn't know because you never asked me."
"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6).
"I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you” (Psalm 32:8).
-- Todd
The Bible repeatedly says we should never allow money to become a master of our lives. Apart from the fact that our eternal soul is worth more than all the riches in this life, there is a growing list of reasons not to place our trust in filthy lucre.
Not since the late 1970s have we seen so many key signs indicating the U.S. economy is in serious trouble. Oil has hit record highs, inflation is above 5 percent for the first time in 27 years, more than100 banks are at risk of failing, and the housing market is in its biggest slump since the Great Depression.
Another indication of the growing economic peril is how our nation is selling itself off piece by piece. So far this year, a host of giant financial institutions have sold their souls to investor funds--mostly from the Middle East. Last week, Anheuser-Busch, our largest brewery, was sold to Belgian brewer InBev. The iconic Chrysler building in New York City was sold to a United Arab Emirates investment group.
I could go on and on about all this doom and gloom creeping over the land. It does no good to endlessly grumble about how bad things are getting when we are warned by the Bible that economic conditions are preordained to get much much worse. The Book of Revelation says the ultimate point of capitulation will come when men throw their money into the streets.
We Christians who know what is happening should not be fixated on problems we have no ability to resolve. Our duty is to be about the Lord's work. In times of economic trouble, far too many believers become mesmerized by financial issues.
The Rapture Ready message board only sees about 5 percent of the site's traffic, but it causes 95 percent of our headaches. When people don't get their way on the board, they often go bonkers. One woman recently warned me that she was going to tell CNN that we were mistreating our members.
Last Thursday, one guy on the message board got belligerent with the mods when his favorite thread was closed. The thread was offering the type of economic advice that should only come from a professional financial advisor.
After questioning all the mods' salvation and branding me as Satan's servant, this person was removed from the board. To belittle the value of the board, he emailed me: "I really don't do anything productive with my life, so maybe it was a good idea you banned me."
I was flabbergasted that he could be so flippant about his own spiritual laziness. He has been visiting the site for years, and has probably read dozens of our appeals to be active in promoting the cause of Christ. In the end, all he wanted to do was just sit around, waiting for the rapture and possibly watching Rome (America) burn.
Folks, all these signs that Terry and I constantly point to in our Nearing Midnight articles are intended to help motivate you to becoming active in supporting this ministry and any other worthy Christian endeavors. We're not trying to inspire people to speculate on economic conspiracies or ways to preserve your earthly wealth.
On judgment day, anyone who has been focused on heavenly matters will receive an everlasting reward. All who have been knowingly unproductive will be without excuse for their poor report.
We won't be able to simply look at the Lord of Hosts and say, "I didn't know what to do." I can be assured from verses like Proverbs 3:5-6 and Psalm 32:8 that God's common reply will be, "You didn't know because you never asked me."
"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6).
"I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you” (Psalm 32:8).
-- Todd