The Fiscal "Cliff" and the Prophetic Voice

 

First...read this:

Link

Dear friends, what is going on financially in America is MUCH bigger than a "cliff."  The numbers in that linked article stagger the imagination.  Truly.

I don't know what is going to happen financially as America tries to dig out of this mess, but I do have a bit of humble knowledge on how to help God's people prepare to be Kingdom savers and givers in the days ahead.  It doesn't take a prophet to see that taxes will likely go up (on everyone) and entitlements need to be reformed over the next decade or so.  This WILL mean less government services and benefits for future generations at some point.  It has too mathmatically.

God's people must return to God's Word on handling money.  The essence of the prophetic voice is "turn, repent, God back to God's Word!"  That is what we must do with money.  One of the "planks" of our strategy of Restoring the Prophetic Voice of the Church in America is:

Readying the Church through Stewardship

In addition, please read A Biblical Perspective on Wealth.

IMHO, here is the bottom line:

  1. We must get out of debt (Prov 22:7)
  2. We must see the multigenerational aspects of work (Deut 8:18; Prov 13:22), and think again of how to include family (Deut 6:1-12)
  3. We must save (Prov 21:20) without making idols of the savings (Matt 6:19-20)
  4. We must give (Prov 3:9-10; 2 Cor 9:6-7; 1 John 3:17)
  5. All of this takes contentment (1 Tim 6:8), realizing that "rich" isnt the goal (1 Tim 6:9), but being a blessing to family and others is the goal (1 Tim 6:17-29).

Christians, we must break the cycle of "stuff and more stuff" and get our financial houses in order.  Now.  :)

Deception...with a Shout

 

I tweeted recently that some of us unknowingly work towards our own pain, misery, and destruction.  I said this: "The definition of deception: working hard to destroy yourself...then shouting Amen!"

It was kind of a humorous take on so much of culture...but sometimes I make jokes to keep from crying.  Seriously.  Look at the things many people work hard FOR that hurt them and their families and dishonors the Name of our King....and work AGAINST that actually blesses them and their families and upholds God's righteous standards!  Look at the things people are fighting for that keep people in poverty, in marital dysfunction, dying in the womb, taught paganism, exposed to lusts, fornications, and adulteries, in debt, and families separated. 

It's as if our consciences have become so deadened to right and wrong that we are walking in one of the woe's of Isaiah....

  • Isa 5:20-21 ESV - Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! (21) Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!

And speaking of consciences (Con = with, science = knowledge)...

  • 1Ti 4:1-2 ESV - Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, (2) through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared...

Scripture declares that on our consciences is the Law of God...the knowledge of right and wrong...

  • Rom 2:14-15 ESV - For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. (15) They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them...
  • Rom 3:20 ESV - For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
  • Rom 7:7 ESV - What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, "You shall not covet."

Deception is a mean and vicious enemy.  It causes one to think they are right when they are wrong.  As this continues, hearts become hard to righteousness; deception deadens one to sin.  When the mechanism God designed in us to steer us towards righteousness becomes "callous," running hard towards more sin is the result....

  • Eph 4:18-19 ESV - They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. (19) They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.

It can also bring divine judgment, where God Himself "gives them up":

  • Rom 1:21-26 ESV - For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. (22) Claiming to be wise, they became fools, (23) and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. (24) Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, (25) because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. (26) For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions....
  • Rom 1:28 ESV - And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

May the Lord keep raising up a holy standard through His holy church...and may the eyes of many come open by His grace and mercy...

Luk 4:18-19 ESV "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, (19) to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

Let it be so Lord Jesus!

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