Investment Advice

by Aaron Hecht

EDITOR'S NOTE: Aaron Hecht is a freelance writer living in Israel and a contributor to the Jerusalem Post Christian Edition. CSWI welcomes the addition of Mr. Hecht to its literary panel, and fully endorses the content of the article found below.

November 23, 2008 - The crisis facing the worlds economy just seems to be getting worse and worse. I have a few thoughts on this subject, and here they are, for what they're worth.

1) This will not remain solely an economic crisis. This will very
quickly become a political and social crisis. There have already been
food riots in several countries by desperate, starving people. In the
very near future, because of crop failures, religious tensions and the
continuing financial crisis, there are going to be much larger and
more dangerous socio-political disturbances all over the world,
including in the West.

2) As bad as things are now financially, there is the potential for
things to get catastrophically worse. If the US Federal Government
ever defaults on its debt (which it seems inevitable that this will
happen someday) then what we're seeing in the global banking industry
in these last few months will look like a day at the beach. If there
is another serious crisis, like a major hurricane, earthquake,
terrorist attacks or a large outbreak of flu or other infectious
disease, the governments of the world will be to overwhelmed to deal
with it effectively.

3) This isn't just a recession. This is the end of an Era in human
history. Things will never be the same for anyone anywhere. The sooner
you get your head around that fact, the better for you and everyone
who depends on you.

4) It is during times of severe economic and political instability
that despots and tyrants find it the easiest to subvert and destroy
democratic governments. Because the people are hungry, desperate and
frightened, they are most likely at times like this to be willing to
trade their freedom for security. This has already happened in Russia,
which had a brief flirtation with democracy and is now almost
completely all the way back to being a dictatorship.

5) There is only one safe place to invest, and that's to put your
money, your time and your efforts into the Kingdom of God.

Some of you might be tempted to neglect your prayer and Bible study
time, stop attending church and concentrate as much as you can on your
job so you can earn the money you think you need to maintain your
lifestyle.

That is exactly the wrong thing to do.

Your lifestyle is over!

It's time to get serious about Eternity. Actually it's long past time,
but that's why God is allowing all these things to happen. He's trying
to get our attention, trying to get us to let go of all our idols and
focus on Him. We should be grateful for His mercy and love in doing
this.

How does one go about investing in the Kingdom?

First, find a church that teaches sound Biblical doctrine and give
that church as much of your time, money and effort as possible.
Involve your entire family in this process, so that the time you spend
with your church is also time you spend with them. Follow the example
of Jesus and forgive anyone in your family or at your church who has
ever hurt you. It is only by first getting rid of all the bitterness
in your heart that you can start to build something positive for the
future.

Get involved with the other people in your church and help each other.
Share whatever you have with everyone who needs it. Do with as little
as you personally can, so that as many others as possible can have
what they need. You'll be pleasantly surprised to find out how easy
and gratifying this is, and how much that you think you need that
actually you don't.

As Jesus said in Matthew 5:42, "Give to him who asks of you, and do
not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you." And Paul
exhorted us in 2 Corinthians 9:7 "Every man according as he purposes
in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for
God loves a cheerful giver."

Every penny that you give to God and the work of His Kingdom will be
returned to you, with interest, in this life and in the next life. So
don't be stingy or greedy. This life will end someday and you'll have
to stand before God and the only thing you'll have is what you gave to
Him.

How else can you invest your time in the Kingdom?

Pray!

Buy a notebook and write in it the names of every single person you
love, and every day at least once, go through that list of names and
ask God to protect those people physically and to bring them to
spiritual salvation. Prayer time should also be together with your
family. The family that prays together stays together.

Pray for the political, economic and spiritual leaders in your
community and your country. Pray for your pastor and his family. Pray
for revival worldwide. Pray for God to take out all the anger,
bitterness, despair and rage in your own heart and replace it with the
freedom, confidence and joy which comes from His love.

But most of all, pray for Israel and the Jews.

Why?

Israel and the Jews are not just a nation-state like France or Japan.

The Jews are Gods chosen people, the group of people that He in His
sovereign wisdom designated to be His representatives on this earth,
and through whom he has used throughout history and even until this
very minute, to work out His Plan and Purpose for the entire Human
Race.

The country of Israel is not just a piece of real estate governed and
controlled by a certain government unit. It is the Embassy of the
Kingdom of God on planet earth. It is the physical manifestation of
the Kingdom.

As God said in 1 Kings 11:36 ;

"And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may
have a light always before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have
chosen me to put my name there."

Jerusalem, the political capital of the State of Israel, is also the
only city in the world where God, the ruler over all the Universe, has
chosen to put His NAME, His throne, to be the capital of His Kingdom.
It is a capital in every sense of the word, physical, spiritual and
political.

That is why the country of Israel is so maligned and hated in this
world, and why it is under constant and never ending attack, not only
the physical attacks of missiles and suicide bombers, but the verbal
attacks on university campuses, newspapers, and governments all over
the world.

These people don't hate Israel and the Jews, they hate God. But they
can't get at Him, so they attack His embassy and His ambassadors on
this earth.

As the Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 6:12 "For we wrestle not against
flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against
the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness
in high places."

The main reason things are so rough in Israel is not because Hizbollah
has 40,000 missiles in South Lebanon. It's not because the Palestinian
terrorist/mafia groups ship thousands of tons of narcotics into Israel
every year, and use the money to finance their terror operations. It's
not because the governments of Iran, Syria and other Arab countries
are arming themselves to the teeth and backing terrorist groups who
wage a constant, low intensity (but high cost) conflict with Israel.
It's not because of anything the ironically named Non-Aligned movement
does at the United Nations, or because of the Arab boycott against
Israel which they only harm themselves by maintaining. It's not
because of the anti-Israel sentiment at the British Foreign Office or
the US State Department.

All of those things can and have been overcome by Israel.

Things are rough in Israel because there are almost a billion Muslims
on this planet who pray five times a day, and a lot of them are
praying for Israel to be destroyed.

The war against Israel and the Jews is not just a war fought with
tanks and missiles on the battlefield, it is a war fought with prayer
and fasting and the weapons of the spirit on the spiritual
battlefield.

The War against you and your family that Satan the Devil and his
demons are fighting every day, to cause problems in your marriage, to
cause problems at your job, to cause problems with your church, and to
rob you of the time and energy to deal with those problems, are also
being fought on the spiritual battlefield.

That is why we, the Believers, need to be fighting back.

In 2 Timothy 1:3 the Apostle Paul said; "I thank God, whom I serve
with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly
remember you in my prayers night and day."

Paul was praying night and day for the Body of Believers and the
people he loved. We must follow his example.

In 1 Samuel 12:23 the Prophet Samuel, speaking to the People of
Israel, said "Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin
against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you
in the good and right way. "

Samuel considered it to be a sin against the Lord to cease praying for
Israel. We must follow his example.

Finally, in Matthew 5: 43-44 our Lord Jesus Himself said "But I say to
you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that
you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun
to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and
the unrighteous."

The lesson I take from this is that we need to be praying for the
Muslims, for the Atheists, for the pagans, and for all those who are
unsaved. Pray for the United Nations, and the anti-Israel NGO's etc.
Pray that God will replace the anger and hatred they have in their
hearts with love for Him and His plan and for His people and His
Nation.

The only way that there is ever going to be peace in the Middle East
is when the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, is living in the hearts of
those who currently hate Israel so much. It is only by replacing the
hatred in their hearts with love, and thus winning the spiritual war
in the heavenly places, that we can have any hope of peace, and
respite from the physical war on the battlefield.

The only way there is ever going to be peace in your life and the
lives of your family is when there is peace between you and God, and
when you've reconciled yourself to living for Him and serving Him and
His Kingdom and not yourself or your lifestyle.

There is much more, but that's why you have a Bible of your own.
You'll find the rest of what you need in its pages.

God bless you.

Encouragement for Perilous Times

by Dana Halliday

EDITOR'S NOTE: Dana Halliday is a highly regarded theological scholar and writer, as well as an educator in the US. CSWI welcomes the addition of Mrs. Halliday to its literary panel, and fully endorses the content of the article found below.

November 23, 2008 - The Church as we know it has come to a cross-roads. The Body of Christ is now being polarized, shaken to remove the chaff from the grain. Once upon a time, it was quite easy to go between churches and denominations, and while there were slight differences, the main Truth of the gospel could be found, and the main principles for living a Godly life. Now, the Body is broken over matters of great consequence...matters which should be the foundations of all who are in Christ. Many churches have departed to the wide road, teaching a very social gospel...teaching there are many roads to heaven, not just through Christ, or teaching there are many roads to Christ, not just through belief in His death, burial and resurrection. Other churches have resorted to appealing to the flesh to attract the numbers, while never once appealing to the soul...making us who are steeped in sin feel comfortable, never having to feel that desire or need to change ourselves, sending us happily on the road to hell, never feeling the need for a Savior. Subsequently, the Church as a majority has fallen asleep at the wheel...not feeling compelled to be the salt and light Christ calls us to be, desiring what the world has to offer rather than Heavenly riches.

When I was growing up as a child, I always listened with wonder to the scriptures concerning the last days and the rapture. I always wondered how the world could get to such a point, and I never dreamed I would see it in my lifetime. However, the signs are all around us now, and while I remain in a state of wonder, my eyes have been opened to the sheer urgency of our calling. What little time we have left!! And how sad that we are wasting it away over battles of basic morality and the gospel...fighting over matters of the bottle, when we should be discussing meat.

What are the signs of the times and the season? How do I recognize the lateness of the hour? Christ Himself spoke of the signs of the end times in Matthew 24. Here, it is important to understand the difference between the end times where the Church is the focus, and the Day of the Lord, where Israel is the focus. In this passage, Jesus spoke of both. His disciples had just asked him what would be the sign of His coming and of the end of the age.

"Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ, and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." Matthew 24:4-14

From this point on, Jesus turns to speaking of the Tribulation end times...the Day of the Lord, when the Anti-Christ is revealed and God's wrath is poured out over mankind. However, the above verses are for us now.

We are told in these verses the signs of the times will be false Christs, wars and rumors of wars, nations and kingdoms divided and fighting, famines and earthquakes in various places, persecution of Christians, some to the point of death, hatred of Christianity, an apostate Church, false prophets, an increase of wickedness, and a lack of love. I can personally check off every one of these as having happened, or happening as we speak, with the ever-growing lukewarmness of the Church at the top of my list. One needs only to read the news headlines to see the fulfillment of the rest.

Paul also speaks of the end times before the Tribulation. In his second letter to Timothy Paul writes:

"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth." 2 Timothy 3:1-7

How many of us can truly stand and say we are not seeing these character traits in people now? Even in the Church? There has never been such a demanding, ungrateful, conceited wealth and power-hungry generation as there is now. And America seems to be the forerunner of such character traits. We are more concerned with our pocketbooks than with our moral decay. We get what we want, when we want it, without caring about the consequences, and when the consequences catch up to us, we believe we are entitled to someone solving all our problems for us, rather than learning from our own mistakes and fixing our own lives. We love pleasure above all else, and if anyone gets in the way of our pleasure, we dispose of them, using whatever means possible. A great many people have a form of godliness, yet deny its power. What is the power? It is the power of the resurrection...that death was conquered, and our sins are forgiven...power over Satan, our accuser. It is interesting to note who people with these character traits are able to deceive...weak-willed women, loaded down with sins (full of guilt, and never believing their sins can be forgiven), swayed by all kinds of evil desires, learning, yet never able to acknowledge the truth...that their sins have been paid for, and all they must do is believe. I believe women are the first to be deceived because of their strong attachment to emotion, and when guilt is in the mix, we can be quickly turned down the wrong path by those who appeal to our emotions rather than our reasoning, believing that it will eliminate our guilt, rather than turning to Christ, in Whom we find all our answers, and all our forgiveness.

I see all of these scriptures fulfilled daily, in my dealings with believers and non-believers alike, in my family, in my friendships, in the world... What are we to do? Are we supposed to cower in fear, knowing that our time is short? Are we supposed to fear the world? Or are we supposed to be so concentrated on heaven that we neglect those in the world? Are we supposed to stop doing our jobs and spreading the gospel, because we know our Lord's return is near?

The answer to that is a resounding no! We have a job to do Christians! We must never give up, and never stop, until our Lord calls us home. How do we know who we will touch in our daily lives? And how are we to know just how much time we have left? While we recognize the season, we cannot know the exact time. Likewise, we must never grow fearful or worry. God is in control! The evidence is in the fulfillment of scriptures! If these scriptures are being fulfilled, the others will follow.

In Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians, he sums up clearly how the Body of Christ should be during these times. We should always encourage each other with the reminder that Christ is coming back for us.

"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words." Thessalonians 4:16-18

He later writes again of the importance of the armor of God, of which he spoke of in great detail in Ephesians. Faith and love, righteousness should be our breastplate, and salvation our helmet. The belt of truth should be around our waist, our feet shod with the gospel of peace, holding onto the shield of faith, which we use to protect ourselves, and carrying the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. We must be immersed in God's Word daily, memorizing and putting to heart scripture, be assured of our salvation, be strong in our faith, so that we can withstand Satan's attacks, show our love and faithfulness, the proof of our righteousness in Christ, and pray always for ourselves and each other. And above all, we must stand firm in our faith.

Keep looking up! Although we are most assuredly entering into perilous times, and the world is on a fast-track to fulfilling God's ultimate plan, we do not have an appointment with wrath. Be ever encouraged, and continue to spread the gospel, that others may have that assurance. We may be in the very presence of our Savior sooner than we all think! Be blessed!