From My Perspective - - -

Changing times require a change in thinking. When the financial “experts” state that this year the nation will add $1.5 trillion to the national debt that is already more than $14 trillion, one’s thinking needs to change – and – quickly. It is an impossible premise to think that an individual and/or a nation can continue to spend what one doesn’t have and where it is dubious at best to think that such enormous debt can ever be repaid or reduced. One of this nation’s founding fathers – Thomas Jefferson – wrote a letter to Nathaniel Macon in 1821 and stated: "There does not exist an engine so corruptive of the government and so demoralizing of the nation as a public debt. It will bring on us more ruin at home than all the enemies from abroad...I placed the economy among the first and most important virtues, and public debt as the greatest of dangers to be feared. To preserve our independence, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. If we run into such debts we must be taxed in our meat and drink in our necessities and in our comforts in our labor and in our amusements. If we can prevent the government from wasting the labor of the people, under the pretense of caring for them, they will be happy."

Much earlier than Thomas Jefferson, a philosopher who's full name was Marcus Tullius Cicero wrote in 55 BC, "The budget should be balanced, the treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of official government should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance."  Obviously, if “Rome” was removed from that statement and the “United States of America” was inserted, the same truism and reality could be said of us today that was said of Rome in 55 BC. What is true of Public Debt is equally true of Personal Debt. The average debt of individuals in this nation is appalling. Someone has wisely observed, “Sometimes when you whistle past too many graveyards you end up being buried in one of them.”

An underlying issue for the nation is that too many money managers are more willing to wager on failure than they are on success. Just as a case in point, The Wall Street Journal for January 28, 2011 comments in an article headlined: Report Details Wall Street Crisis in which they observed, “In an interview with the commission, former Deutsche Bank AG trader Greg Lippmann—who played a key role in facilitating short bets—told the commission that in 2006 and 2007 he handled trades for at least 50 hedge funds and ‘maybe as many as 100’ betting that mortgage-backed securities would fall.”  Predicting and Capitalizing on failure is difficult to comprehend and digest. It appears as though the financial gurus of this nation have allowed for a deterioration to a point where too many sense the need for greed.

John MacArthur in an online Bible Study on Expensive Blessings makes this observation: “Rich or poor…the Bible warns against the deceitfulness of riches – Mark 4:19,  and exhorts: Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, cease from your consideration of it. When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings like an eagle that flies toward the heavens – Proverbs 23:4-5. In Matthew 6:24, Jesus declared, You cannot serve God and wealth, while in Luke 12:15 He warned: Beware and be on your guard against every form of greed.” The word “Money” in the KJV was translated “Mammon.” In The Word Origin and History, Mammon is stated to be “personification of wealth.” Many religious organizations teach the Wealth and Health potential – if only, one sends $1,000.00 as seed money – a sign of your faith, etc. For many, it is appealing – but – is it accurate? Jesus allows it is fraudulent. Why? Because one is to look to Him alone – not to seed appealers or receivers.  The secret of reaping is one’s diligence in sowing – not to man but to God!  Consider these things with me!