Does anybody believe we are headed to a financial crisis?

[Guest]

[Treasure_7]

I really think that we are experiencing a shaking in every area. Really personally my opinion it is what we do with these times, they can either draw us closer to the Lord or we can drift. I pray for the grace not to drift because these are challenging times in our nation, and around the world I agree when things get tough we do need to sow seeds and there are many different seeds that can be sown in times like this. I want to have an open heart to what the Lord wants me to sow.

[Guest bellashrew]

God gives us advice and guidelines to live our lives so we can avoid the pain off a mess like this! It's a typical parent-child relationship thing: Dad tells his kids not to do something so they will avoid making thier lives more difficult, the kids ignore dad and find themselves in a big mess!

Thankfully he is merciful and forgiving, and will make some good out of the messes we make!

Grace to you,Sure throws a wrench into the whole WOF thing doesn't it. I do believe that the vain attempts by the Leaders of this Nation will not help. I often feel like Isaiah.Isa

[Matthitjah]

God gives us advice and guidelines to live our lives so we can avoid the pain off a mess like this! It's a typical parent-child relationship thing: Dad tells his kids not to do something so they will avoid making thier lives more difficult, the kids ignore dad and find themselves in a big mess!

Thankfully he is merciful and forgiving, and will make some good out of the messes we make!

Grace to you,Sure throws a wrench into the whole WOF thing doesn't it. I do believe that the vain attempts by the Leaders of this Nation will not help. I often feel like Isaiah.Isa

[Guest Butero]

The news events of the last several months point to a downward spiraling economy. Do you believe that God in His Divine Design may be sending this to purify the Church and create one last opportunity for seeds to be sown on fertile ground.

All that it took to bring me to my knees was the threat of an Obama Presidency. I pray all the time that God will spare us from Obama ever becoming President, because I believe he will do irreparable damage to this nation. I could easily believe that if he wins, it is a punishment for our sins, and he is trying to purge the church.

That being said, I believe the economic problems we face are the result of out of control spending. We cannot expect that we can continue to spend more than we take in, and in the process, drive up the national debt, and expect no negative consequences. While I do believe God might punish us with a wicked ruler named Barak Hussein Obama, and that with him in place, the church will come under greater regulation and persecution than in this nation's history, I don't think the economic problems are the result of divine judgement.

Do I believe we are on the verge of a financial crisis? Absolutely. I don't think it will matter who becomes the next President. Hard times are coming. I do think it matters who the next President is regarding how long the crisis continues, and how bad it gets. If Obama wins, and has a Democratic Congress, ready to approve all of his programs, we will wind up in a depression worse than the one that took place under Herbert Hoover. If McCain wins, it will depend on whether or not he has the political will, and ability, to control spending. I expect economic turmoil to occur under Obama or McCain, but I believe it will be less damaging under McCain.

My solution to the economic crisis would never get done because those who are in elected office don't have the political will do deal with public outcry over lost government programs, but if we want a long term fix, we have to be willing to pay the price for years of excess spending. What I would suggest is that the next President demand a balanced budget from Congress, and tell them up front he will veto any budget that is not balanced. He should also demand that at least 5 percent of the budget include money to pay down the national debt. This will require steep cuts in spending, but if we want to prevent long term destruction to our economy, we need to start with a balanced budget. Our priority needs to be eliminating the national debt.

You brought up two differen't things in your question, one dealing with economic problems, and one dealing with spiritual problems. With regard to the question of the state of the church, and how much time we have to evangelize the nation unobstructed, it will be determined greatly by the outcome of the November Presidential election. If McCain wins, I forsee that we will have a 4 year window, because if McCain is not successful in handling the economic crisis, and explaining to the American public in a way they will respond favorably to why he is making serious cuts, the economy will continue to go south, and with Hillary waiting in the wings, she will probably become President in 2013.

If Obama wins, I see a very short window. Here is why. Obama is a Soviet style socialist. He doesn't believe in free speech, so he will attack anything outside the controled liberal media. He will use the FCC to attack Christian radio, by claiming that all of those stations at the lower end of the FM dial, known as the educational part of the dial, are not truly providing educational programs. They will lose their license, further limiting evangelistic opportunities. There will be an attempt to use the "fairness doctrine" to attack talk radio. There will be an attempt to regulate the internet. This has already been discussed by some liberals, in a further attempt to hinder free speech. Obama will expand faith based initiatives started by Bush, but unlike Bush, will require all churches that participate in the program to avoid hate speech as is determined by him, and that they will not be able to descriminate against homosexuals or even agnostics. Churches will get sucked in by the money, and once they are reeled in, they will be forced into compliance. The only churches that will be spared are those who don't take federal money, and even they will not escape attempts to attack "hate speech." I forsee the true church having to avoid any ties to the government, which will mean having to forsake tax exempt status. They may even have to go completely underground as we have seen in communist nations. How far Obama takes us towards communism will be determined by whether or not he is opposed by the American public, a handful of patriotic Democrats in Congress, and the results of the mid term elections. It will also be determined by court appointments.

My suggestion is that the true church fast and pray that Obama doesn't win, and that we turn from our sins and fully towards God. We need to get busy while we have a chance with evangelistic campaigns, because we don't know what is going to happen, and even in a best case scenerio, I don't see the window of opportunity lasting beyond the next 4 plus years, baring divine intervention.

[tah]

We certainly cannot blame God for our moral failures and this economic disaster is our fault as a nation..

We are warned not to use the credit system...

I cannot remember the scriptures that talk about debt but "don't do it.."

so we did it and now we pay the piper..

as I said , not Gods fault ..

But I do believe He will bring us up short to show us we have been on the wrong path if we reuse His ways to begin with..

We are as a nation being brought up short..

If the government will stop pouring money into garbage cans of earmarks we might get out of this mess..

Without becoming a socialist nation..

God can work this mess toward good if we will turn from our wicked ways...

Otherwise we will continue to fall as a nation...

Praying here that in His mercy He will cause righteous men to rise up and fight for this country...

I am very very thankful McCain is fighting the dems in this bailout too..

[other one]

All that it took to bring me to my knees was the threat of an Obama Presidency. I pray all the time that God will spare us from Obama ever becoming President, because I believe he will do irreparable damage to this nation. I could easily believe that if he wins, it is a punishment for our sins, and he is trying to purge the church.

Maybe after they win, the Lord will see fit to take McCain home to heaven and we'll have a good president.

[Guest Butero]

All that it took to bring me to my knees was the threat of an Obama Presidency. I pray all the time that God will spare us from Obama ever becoming President, because I believe he will do irreparable damage to this nation. I could easily believe that if he wins, it is a punishment for our sins, and he is trying to purge the church.

Maybe after they win, the Lord will see fit to take McCain home to heaven and we'll have a good president.

While I don't agree with McCain on many issues, I do believe he is the right man for the job at this time. I am saying that today, in spite of the fact I did not support him in the primary season. Ideally, I want McCain to win and serve out one full term, and then I would like to see Sarah Palin become President from 2012 to 2020.

[irishcowboy]

The news events of the last several months point to a downward spiraling economy. Do you believe that God in His Divine Design may be sending this to purify the Church and create one last opportunity for seeds to be sown on fertile ground.

HEARD THAT WITH IN THE NEXT YEAR, THERE WILL BE A GOOD NUMBER ( BETWEEN 10 AND 20 ) MORE MAJOR INSTITUTIONS GOING UNDER.....

pushing the way for more government control.... the ones that are failing, the government is "loaning" them the money and then taking the control of the institution ( about 80% control )which means the government had the controling vote as to who, what, where, when, why and how things will be done with in that institution......

GOVERNMENT IS JUST TOOOOOOOOOOOO BIG FOR THEIR BRITCHES..........

time for revolution..... Jefferson even said a revolution is good for the country once in a while.....

mike

[nebula]

Someone tonight at a prayer meeting I was at mentioned something interesting.

Anyone here old enough to remember the financial situation in the 70's?

I was too young to know what was going on, but I recall huge price jumps in 3 consecutive years in the school lunches, milk and dessert. That reminds me of what's going on with the food prices now.

But anyway, apparently there were some bad shake-ups back then, too.

But in the 70's we saw a huge harvest of souls through such things as the Jesus Movement.

If we keep our eyes on Jesus, choosing not to fear but to have faith in the Lord, learn to listen and be directed by Him with our finances, invest in the Kingdom rather than the banks, we will see the glory and goodness of God working in our lives.

The Lord means for another huge harvest of souls, but it tends to take massive shaking up of the world and the things man relies on in order for hearts to be receptive to Him.

Let us choose not to whine, complain, bicker, point fingers, fear, judge, . . . . Rather, let us pray and praise and seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness!

Wouldn't you rather be in a position to be used of the Lord for the Harvest?

So please, prepare yourself for the Harvest.