The recent collapse of major financial institutions, the intensification of natural disasters, the never-ending acts of terrorists, the attempt of Russia to control former Soviet territories, are causing many Bible students to look at these developments as signs of the fast approaching End. There is no doubt in my mind that we are witnessing an unprecedented fulfillment of the End-time Signs that point to the fast approaching Return of Christ… Are we prepared for this time of crisis prior to Jesus’ return?
On a cool October day, 79 years ago, the stock market crashed. There had been a period of high stock prices and many had invested by borrowing large sums of money to buy stocks. When the market declined suddenly, their wealth was erased; their speculations were shown to be misguided. Vast fortunes were wiped away in a matter of days. It took a quarter of a century for stock prices to return just to pre-1929 levels.
Today we are in another period of economic turmoil. The terms used by media and the officials are intended to be disarming. “Conservator-ship,” “bail-out,” “state-loan,” “cash-injection,” etc. Every time a failing financial institution is “rescued” by the infusion of the state’s money (money removed from us or our children’s pockets), it is, in literal terms, being nationalized. When the state intervenes and owns businesses like this, there is another word for it: socialism. You and I are now, in theory, the owners of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, AIG and other financial institution. That is, their 5.4 trillion in debt is now our 5.4 trillion debt.
Almost every week now, other banks close their business… The automakers in Detroit are in a risky situation, and our own state has a budget shortfall of hundreds of millions. Hundreds of thousands of home makers are jobless.
A year ago, the Outstanding Public Debt rose to... let me see if I can pronounce it: $9,2663,897,406,911 - an astronomical number. But by now is more than 11 trillion… A guess, because no official is willing to give as the whole picture. But this is nothing comparing with Social Security and Medicare financial disaster…
Earlier this year, Richard W. Fisher, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas offered the following:
Fast forward 70 or so years and ask this question:
"What is the mathematical predicament of SOCIAL SECURITY today? Answer: The amount of money the Social Security system would need today to cover all unfunded liabilities from now on - what fiscal economists call the ‘infinite horizon discounted value’ of what has already been promised recipients but has no funding mechanism currently in place—is $13.6 trillion, an amount equal with the annual gross domestic product of the United States.
MEDICARE. As you may know, the program comes in three parts: Medicare Part A, which covers hospital stays; Medicare B, which covers doctor visits; and Medicare D, the drug benefit that went into effect just two years ago. The shortfall for Medicare twenty years from now? $85 trillion. It is many times the annual output of the entire U.S. economy"...
His conclusion? I see a frightful storm brewing in the form of government debt. I choose the words—“frightful storm”—deliberately to avoid a general panic.
Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd said on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” some days ago that “we’re literally maybe days away from a complete meltdown of our financial system, with all the implications, here at home and globally.” An extraordinarily costly plan was voted that is intended to address just the current crisis… but it is not working yet as the President reasured us.This is the world that we live in. This is the world that our children are growing up in.
Several years ago Allen Greenspan, the President of Federal Reserve Bank, in a CNN Larry King talk show said: “I encourage all Americans to tide their belts, spend less, borrow less, and save more, work hard because we are in recession, and we can pull out of it”… At that time, the national debt was equivalent with the all national assets. If you have $10,000 in your pocket, cash, and $ 10,000 debt, how much money do you have? ZERO.
Two years ago, in 2006, the same Allen Greenspan, while talking for reforming Social Security… using words very cautiously said: “Evidently, in America they are any politicians or average Americans, willing to tide their belt. Everybody wants to live as if they can afford everything. Borrowing more and more, spending more and more… which means that the future is uncertain”… (the use of this word - uncertain … good politician….
The US Government don’t have enough money to pay for everything; SS, Medicare, the war, federal institutions... And no politicians dare to raise the taxes. So it is only one way to get money: beginning with February 2006 they print money without releasing the information to the public… Nobody really knows how much money is printed anymore… this is considered top secret information for the security reasons… This means suicide for our economy…
I mean we will never be able to pay the interest of what we borrowed so far. The interest only – I am not talking about being debt free. Because things are coming as an avalanche… Trillions and trillions… interest only… At this point is just a matter of time until total collapse. Raising taxes? What politician will do this? No one. So, printing more money.
EXAMPLE (from David Gates - Gospel Ministries International): Look at this paper in my left hand and at this bottle of water in my right hand… Supposing this water is the most valuable thing here, is the currency. If I need food, or electricity, I carry my water and I drop some… But instead of this inconvenient method, my bank is taking the bottle to keep it safe and gives me some paper instead. Four pieces, eight smaller ones, or more… Very convenient method… And now everybody is using paper to pay or to be paid… Including the government…
-How much money do I owe you, soldier? OK… Money (some paper). And how much do I owe you on your tax return? OK, here you are some paper… Everybody is happy. Because everybody trust this system… Bust some day, when I will want back what left from my water, I will realize that is no water anymore… It was consumed all for long time ago for other things, buying TVs from China and cars from Germany, financing the war, while I thought that I still have it in the bank…
-And everybody will be nervous about the real value of paper money…. And one day I will try to pay as usual and I will be rejected (sorry, I will not accept paper; I will accept only food or gas)… And people will panic, government will have to reinforce the law, any law voted by a frightened mob… It will be the end… The whole system will collapse… We are not far from that day.
Today we still using dollars, paper money or plastic… And this is because we believe money still having value… But this cannot last forever… A rumor and bam!… everybody will try to get rid of their money, and savings, and will precipitate to change their paper in something else. But will be too late. Revelation 18… our Scripture Reading…
By the way, some put in the bank this (big paper) for retirement, and they will receive this (a small one)… Loosing value…
Just some basic principles - economy… This is not a lecture in economics. But we need this in order to understand something… Come on Pastor, you are an alarmist… Everything is fine, the crisis is over, they voted a plan and that’s it! Let’s here some nice things about Jesus love and forgiveness…
No, I am not an alarmist, I am a realist… And I now Jesus loves me and loves you, because this is the reason He is warning us today! I was watching this crisis very cheerfully, with Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy on my desk and CNN and Fox News, on my screen… It is the wake up call… The end is here, and the forces behind the scene will come forth openly, because they know also that the time is short… A year, two, three, I don’t know.
My prayer is: "Lord, please, give us little more time because we are not prepared and because they are so many people out there to be saved… Let us do one more crusade… Please Lord!"
I don’t know how much time. But we can see trough the alarming news that something big is going on. I mean pumping one trillion dollars just to keep the banks open… National debt, Social Security, Medicare, the war, expenses eroding, day after day… And eventually the country will become bankrupt. I anticipate that US will walk away from its debt. New rules will be voted overnight and an authoritarian government will be ready to enforce them… Sounds impossible? A year ago it was unthinkable to conceive how the Democrats and Republicans will come together, in unity to vote a law nationalizing the banks, a law that 80% of citizens is against it. Revelation 13 is right here… Embargo; nobody sell or buy without belonging to their system.
And what we are doing? Planning as usual? We have choices to make… And if we are not include Jesus in our plans, we will be in terrible danger… If we ask Him, He will tell us what to do, when and how, because the Revelation time of trouble is near…
For now, still time to use our assets for the Gospel… Our time, our intelligence, our money, yes paper-money but for now they still having value. Every time when we put in the envelope our tithe or an offering, or make a donation for the Evangelism, is preaching… Is letting God to use what we allow Him to use, for advancing the Gospel… We need to serious talk with Him about the present and the future… About our money… Keeping everything, to have more when we retire… Retire?… Ha, ha!
ILL. Ha, is like the story my grand father told me about of Nicole, one his neighbors. In 1946, after WW II, the Russians were the masters of Eastern Europe. And they nationalized the banks, flooded the marked with endless paper money. Nicole sold a property and my grandfather asked him to give something for the church building project… in Prahova county. He declined and he deposited the whole amount to the bank. In a month on June 30, 1946, the government seized the banks, changed the money and everybody received the new ones… millions and millions of lei – local currency, worth of nothing. Nicolae came to my grand father with a big sac of paper money, brand new… “take all of them for the church”… And he was refused… because they were worthless.
JESUS OUR ASSET. JESUS OUR SECURITY.
In a time of rapidly increasing gloom and trouble, when problems come in train, each seemingly larger than the one before, when the largest institutions and corporations known to our society are uncertain an almost daily basis, and even the state seems incapable of effecting solutions, then who or what will we trust in? In this kind of a setting, where does our security come from? The answer? Jesus must be our security.
Financial Principles From Inspiration. Here is one advice from the Wisdom:
1. Avoid debt as you would the smallpox (AH 393).
Although smallpox was virtually eradicated by 30 years ago, it is estimated that during the 20th century it was responsible for 300-500 million deaths. Avoid debt as you would avoid a fatal disease. Here again we should be careful. We need to differentiate between needs and wants. Food is a need; a nice cell phone with 100 ring-tones is a want. Avoid debt.
2. Return a faithful tithe and give an appropriate offering. Consider Malachi 3:7-12: (read all)…
God considers unfaithfulness in this area to be no less than robbery. When we return His tithe, we are acknowledging His ownership of 100% of what we have. In returning to Him 10% of the total, we are reminding both Him and ourselves that He owns all and that He lets us manage the other 90%. Is just an exercise – exercising obedience and self-denying… OK Lord you own everything and as sign I gave you 10% and my request is to teach me what to do with other 90%...
3. Store your wealth with care. As Haggai said, we are prone to put our money into a bag with holes in it. While we are not to trust in our wealth, we should be wise about it. Store your wealth with care. Paper money? Letting the banks to have them, to decide for you? Not wise. Let me read something that Jesus said: Mathew 6:19-21 READ….
CONCLUSION. God is looking to the remnant church as His precious investment. And He is expecting a return. The saved ones will follow the Lamb wherever He goes. Are you ready to follow the Lamb… Oh yes, in heaven, during the millennium. No, no, but here first…
Did you know that after national ruin follows national apostasy? "The law of God, through the agency of Satan, is to be made void. In our land of boasted freedom, religious liberty will come to an end. When our nation, in its legislative councils, shall enact laws to bind the consciences of men in regard to their religious privileges, enforcing Sunday observance, and bringing oppressive power to bear against those who keep the seventh-day Sabbath, the law of God will, to all intents and purposes, be made void in our land; and national apostasy will be followed by national ruin". (GC 446)
National Ruin Follows National Apostasy… Do you thing it is impossible for this country to abandon the principle of God, giving up the first amendment? Look, in one session the Congress voted a very unpopular law… One trillion bail-out from our money… 8 minutes… bam! Both candidates united and saying yes… They are aware of what Main Street wants. But they ignored the voices… 1 trillion… After that, another unprecedented and unpopular measure: federal government ownership of a good chunk of banking system...
Did you heard that Jesus is coming as a thief in the night? Is that Biblical? Yes. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3, and now verse 4… Evidently, Jesus coming as a thief is only for the ones that are in darkness. Jesus Coming will not catch His people by surprise. Read verse 4 one more time. Because God will do anything without sharing His plan with His servants, the prophets… And we are warned trough God’s servants. For this reason, He is appealing to your heart today. We cannot say anymore: Jesus will come some day, soon… No, He is in His way… The events are unfolding right before our eyes. Speaking as a dragon: the most powerful nation ruined by greed and turning the back to the law of God, and the most influent spiritual power, hand in hand, supporting each other, finding a solution… The wrong solution… Two beasts, one goal, one fall…
What are we waiting for? Well, some of us will wait, and wait, until the crisis, and after that they will run and run, looking for lamp oil… Sorry, it will be to late… Fool virgins… If we cannot experience the reality of walking with Jesus now, sacrificing for His cause now, how we will imagine we will stand in the crisis?
They are a lot of Remnant-Club members today – the ones who are just having a habit to come to the church from time to timw to see what is new around and that’s all their spiritual experience – if you are one of them, listen: still time for a change. But hurry.
The window of opportunity soon closes. It will be turmoil in church as well, some will leave and that church will seams to disintegrate… but no, it will not fall because they will be faithful old ones and new ones, ready for a stand, ready to confront the beast in Jesus Name.
Jesus is our security. Our hope is not, is never, in ourselves. We are broken beggars, experienced rebels, starving in the streets of Sodom. We bring nothing to Jesus to recommend ourselves. We come heavy laden. Jesus knows. And His call is, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28). In Him we put off our burdens. In Him we find rest, and security. And all the stock market up and downs, THE ZOMBIFICATION OF THE GOVERNMENT and the selfishness of our leaders, the failure of all the idols which we have invested with power, is seen with new eyes.
Now is the time to place our treasures where they will be eternally secure. It is time for those who have large possessions to cut down the principal, that God’s work may be extended. That which we give to the cause of God becomes our own forever. Says Christ, "Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven."
Jesus is our Treasure, is our Security. If we invest in Him, spending time with Him, praying, studying, sharing Him with others, giving for advancing the Gospel, the Good News about His second coming – this is the best Security.
