From My Perspective - - -

There are dramatic events occurring in the world today. If one scans the current horizon of life and the world, what will be seen? What’s up and what’s down in the world and universe? The world’s horizon is cluttered with earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, revolution in Middle Eastern countries, economic peril, escalating prices and many things that are both unpredictable and yet unknown. The Headlines from April 17th, 2011 give a frightening report regarding 267 Tornadoes reported and 241 touching down in the span of three days. The report from Yahoo News summarizes: “From Thursday, April 14, 2011 to Saturday, April, 16, 2011, devastating tornadoes rampaged across communities of the southern United States. Cities and towns from Oklahoma to North Carolina were assaulted by the deadly twisters. The tornado outbreak led to a total of 267 tornado reports in 15 states over the three-day period. This will likely rank this tornado outbreak among the largest in history. Tragically, the death toll has risen to 45 people so far with dozens of others injured.”

In the area of Economics in America, most people are aware of the escalating prices for goods and services. Standard and Poor’s has now “…issued a warning to the nation’s leaders cutting its outlook on United States Sovereign debt for the first time and throwing more fuel on the raging debate over America’s swollen deficits. The Agency kept America’s Credit Rating at Triple A but for the first time since it started rating US Debt seventy years ago, cut its outlook from stable to negative…meaning there is a one-third chance of a downgrade in the next two years…” if current trends and expansion of debt continues. A lead Headline on the Drudge Report is terse in its estimate and states: “worst Since Pearl Harbor: Debt Blow for Economy…” These things should not be ignored – but they have been and will be by far too many politicians who believe that printing more money will solve the problem rather than sensing that inflation and higher interest rates are a nearing inevitability.

The United States has been a generous nation and has faced many financial challenges in the past. The nation has borne the brunt of costly wars, foreign aid, and emergency relief. There are limits with generosity and provision of entitlements for the needy. The old saying – “If your outgo exceeds your income, your upkeep will become your downfall!” – is the current reality. Other nations have already met and discussed using some other currency in place of the dollar for the economic standard. Some are bold in allowing that the United States is becoming a nation like Greece – a nation that is seriously considering default on all of its indebtedness. There usually is a “domino effect” and one can only muse regarding how many other nations will follow suit and declare a national bankruptcy.

When King David looked at and assessed his world, he penned his thoughts in Psalm 2:1-4, “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us. He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.” When Jesus Christ gave guidance to His followers about world trends and conditions, He shared with them in Matthew 24:27-35, “For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man…Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming…he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect…when you see all these things, you know that he is near…I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” It is vital to heed the warnings and to pay attention to what’s occurring around and about us. Each of us needs a clear perspective of what’s up and what’s down. These things must not be trivialized or politicized. Jesus Christ knows what He’s talking about. We should turn to and follow Him!  Consider these things with me!