❶ Dismal News
- Labor Department – In Nov. 533,000 jobs were lost – the most in any month since 1974.
- (Reuters Jan 7) - If the US Congress does not pass an economic stimulus plan soon the country will lose another 3 million jobs in 2009
- US News & World Report 1/7/09 - US government is now in debt over $10 trillion
- Each persons share of this debt is $34,844
- Interest rates keep going up
- Lower your debt as rates will keep going up
- Leap 2020 - A Global Europan Financial Anticipation Bulletin made up of Politicians, public servants, businessmen and investors
- A Global crisis – Predict a new tipping-point in March 2009:
- This is when the world becomes aware that this crisis is worse than the 1930s crisis
— Leap 2020 is predicting a US default on government debt sometime in the summer of 2009 It warns the present U.S. Dollar will stop being used and a new currency imposed. "Old dollars" will be devalued by ninety percent (90%)"
- Fri 1/9/09 - Merkel (German Chancellor) and Sarkozy (France President) call for a global ’economic security’ council not to be based on the US $
- We cry out we want the Lord to return
- These are the signs of His soon coming
❷ Sad News
- What do we do?
Sept 08
- Kirk Stephenson, 47 — Olivant (Investment comany) chief operating officer, made millions was married and had an eight-year-old son
Memorial Web Site
- His pursuits were summer villas all over Europe, parties, dinners and opera. A lover of fine wine and food, and luxury in general
- A dedicated father and a devoted husband, he valued his family above all else.
- He died in the path of a 100mph UK express train .
- He was troubled by the downturn of the economy
Dec. 23
- Frenchmen Magon De la (veel-ou-SHAY) Villehuchet, 65
- He can trace his lineage to the French aristocracy, and he hobnobbed with members of European high society and sailed around the world on fancy yachts.
- Was chief executive of Credit Lyonnais Securities USA
- Involved in fraudulent interments (Bernie Madoff)
- It is believed he lost about $1.4 billion.
- Police said he locked the door of his Madison Avenue office and apparently swallowed sleeping pills and slashed his wrists with a box cutter,.
Jan 5
-Steven Good 52
Was an executive of one of the largest real estate companies in the U.S
- He has won numerous awards
- His company produced more than $10 billion in sales."
- He wrote a book called "Churches, Jails and Gold Mines...Mega-Deals from a Real Estate Maverick."
- (Maverick one who takes an independent stand & takes chances) - He was found dead Tuesday in an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound inside his Jaguar in a forest reserve near Chicago
Jan 5
- Adolf Merckle 74
- German industrialist billionaire(worth an estimated $9.2 billion) was the world’s 94th-richest person in 2008 according to Forbes magazine, spent his life building a business conglomerate with about 100,000 employees.
- One insider said "Adolf Merckle collects companies like others collect stamps"
- He made wrong-way bets on skyrocketing Volkswagen shares and lost $539 million.
- Merkle on Monday threw himself in front of a train.
❸ Reflective News
- How is the health of our Spiritual Life
- Jesus asks question
Lk 18:5 .... when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
- Faith is continually being challenged to be demonstrated before our own selves
■ Faith moves a grave stone — Laz
John 11:39-41KJV
39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. 40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. ......
■ Faith casts the net
Luke 5:5KJV
5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.
■ Faith washes out the mud from the man born blind
John 9:7KJV
7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.
- It is having God’s authority in everything
- It is reflected in our attitude about money
❹ Biblical News
Biblical topics
- Baptism found in 40 v.
- Prayer is found in 275 v
- Faith 350 v.
- Love 650v.
- Money wealth & Possessions 2350v.
Jesus words
- 15% was on Finances
- Mt 88x
- Mk 54x
- Lk 92x
- That means there is a Spiritual connection with our faith and our money & possession-
- Our possessions is a barometer to what we really believe
Proverbs 3:9-10KJV
9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: 10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
Proverbs 13:18KJV
18 Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured.
- He asks for only a tithe 10%
❺ Action News
1. We Honor Him
- We make God first in our life
- People were giving the least 1:6-8, 14
2. We Believe Him
- 3:10 - He asks us to test Him
- Gideon wanted proof of God’s blessing
Judges 6:39-40KJV
39 And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew. 40 And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.
- Israel saw proof but did not trust
Hebrews 3:8-12KJV
8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. 10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. 11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) 12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
- Mal. 3:10 God asks us to Prove/Test Him
3. We Experience Him
- I promise blessing
- Personal Blessing - v.10
- God provides for our needs
Luke 6:38KJV
38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Philippians 4:19KJV
19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
2 Corinthians 9:6KJV
6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
2 Corinthians 9:8KJV
8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
- Material Blessing - v.11
- In the fruit & vine
Spiritual Blessing - v. 12
Prime the Pump
a man who was lost and wandering in the desert, dying of thirst. As he wandered in that terribly hot desert, he stumbled upon a ramshackle, dilapidated shack. There wasn’t much to it, but, at least, it would provide a little bit of shade and respite for him. So he stumbled into that shack and was enjoying the shade for a moment. He was looking around when he noticed about fifteen feet away from him a rickety, rusty old pump. His eyes brightened, and he thought, "I wonder." He staggered over to the pump and grabbed hold of the handle. He began to work that pump up and down, but nothing came out. He fell back to the ground, and as he fell, his hand landed on something. He looked over and saw it was an old jug covered with dirt and filth. He took the jug, and it felt like there was something in it ... sand, for all he knew. He began to wipe off what appeared to be a label or a note. He brushed away the dirt and began to make it out. It said: "You have to prime the pump with all the water in the jug. P.S. Be sure to fill the jug again before you leave." Wow! Suddenly, he was faced with this life-or-death decision. I mean, here’s the sure thing. Here’s a jug with some water. At least, if he drank that, he could live a little while longer. But if, indeed, it was true, he would have access to flowing, fresh, cool water ... as much as he could possibly want. He pondered that decision for a few moments. Could he really trust that set of instructions that was no telling how old? He decided to go for it. He popped the cork. Sure enough, it was almost full of water. He walked over to the pump, poured it all into the pump, and grabbed hold of the handle. He began to work that pump again ... squeak, squeak, squeak. Nothing came out. Squeak, squeak, squeak. Suddenly, there appeared a trickle of water. Squeak, squeak, squeak. It grew into a larger stream of water. Squeak, squeak, squeak. Suddenly, it was gushing all the cool, flowing, wonderful water he could possibly want. He filled the jug and drank it. He filled it and drank it again. He was marvelously refreshed. Then he remembered the note. He filled the jug again, put the cork back in place, and added his own little note to it: "Believe me, it really works. You have to give it all away to get it back."
