God Is Saying Something
Today as I write to you billions or trillions of dollars will be lost in stock markets. Predictions are that home values will further fall and interest rates will rise.
Global leaders are meeting to determine reaction to fallout of the United States‘ lowered credit rating from AAA to AA+. It does not matter that AA+ for most countries of the world would make for happy faces. America hiccups, the rest of the world gets a headache.
We are only 300+ million people out of over 6 billion (@3% of the world's population) in one of the largest land areas of any country. Yet we possess over half of the world’s wealth. We throw away more than many countries consume.
China has about 1.2 billion people---four times the population of the United States. The number of recreational vehicles in China is about 5,000. The number of recreational vehicles in the United States is 8,600,000.
A study by the World Institute for Development Economics Research at United Nations University reports that the richest 1% of adults owned 40% of global assets in the year 2000, and that the richest 10% of adults accounted for 85% of the world total. Fifty percent of the adult population of the world (the poor) own ONLY 1% of global wealth. Moreover, another study found that the richest 2% own more than 50% of global household assets.
Remember the 1990’s? We were all going to be rich. Banks were loaning money like there was no tomorrow. High-rolling we staked faith in better things to come. Folks commonly talked of retirement by age 50, 55.Then came 911. Then came other events. Then came the credit downgrade.
God is trying to awaken his people. The message has not changed. It is the same message delivered long ago to wise people who would listen: He is God. There is none other. We are dependent upon God for life, for health, for salvation, and for the hope of the resurrection. Ephesians reminds us that "in Him we live, and move, and have our being."
Job reminds us that naked we came and naked we will go (1:21). The naked refers not only to going without clothes, it means we did not bring things. We will not take things. We will have no earthly gifts to present of gold, silver, stocks, bonds, deeds, etc. We shall only present ourselves on Judgment Day.
The Holy Spirit is awakening the Body…the Church. We are being called to repentance, to renewal, to refreshment, and to serve. We are being reminded that the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof [I Cor. 10:26].We are being reminded that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind [II Timothy 1:7].
God is calling us to the fields of harvest. We must not act like the world acts in times of distress. Sinners are watching us to see how our faith holds in times of testing. We kneel down, we look up, we take up our cross, and we follow Jesus. No detours.
We believe He is faithful. We are His children. He is watching over us. He loves us. He has designed good things for us. He will bring us to the desired destination of presenting us before the Heavenly Father and giving us a Crown of Everlasting Life.
Listen to the Spirit. God is saying something to us that can save our joy and our lives. And, He is saying that we are His witnesses to share the message of Jesus with those who have no hope without Christ.
Make a choice. Get in a Body of people of strong faith. Choose to be where you can grow...not float. Choose a place of discipleship and service...not where you just feel good. It really is not about you...but HIM!
Pastor Bare
John 1:1-4