The news media and political pundits have been throwing around terms like socialism, communism, and capitalism with quite a bit of regularity lately. With the hope of clarifying some things, I begin my article with some simple definitions
Socialism: You have two cows. The government takes one of your cows and gives it to your neighbor.
Communism: You have two cows. The government seizes both and provides you with milk. You wait in line for your share of the milk, but it's so long that the milk is sour by the time you get it.
Capitalism: You have two cows. You lay one off, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows. You are surprised when she drops dead.
I’m not sure if these definitions adequately describe for us these governmental and financial systems. Truth be told, most people are more concerned with whether or not they can make ends meet than with the definitions regarding their economic systems. However, I am sure that the Scriptures give us sound advice regarding our finances no matter the economic system and no matter the economic circumstances we find ourselves in.
As we scan the headlines on the worldwide web or in the local newspaper we need to remember that the Bible speaks to our world and to our personal situations.
As we read “Stock Market loses 50% of It’s Value Since Last Year” we are reminded of Proverbs 23:4-5 which admonishes us, “Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease! Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; They fly away like an eagle toward heaven.”
Biblical Headline: The only thing we can count on in regard to money is that it will fly away.
As we try and get our arms around “401K’s Causing Many to Reconsider Retirement Plans”, we note Matthew 6:19-21 - “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Biblical Headline: Our treasure must be in heaven not on earth.
It is alarming to read “Unemployment Could Go Above 10%”, therefore, we must embrace Matthew 6:25 & 33 - “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?.... But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Biblical Headline: We’ll have what we need as we put Him first.
It is somewhat apocalyptic to see, “California Drought May lead to East Coast Food Shortages”. Therefore, we must be find comfort in the words of David in Psalm 37:25 - “I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.
Biblical Headline: God will take care of His children.
Sadly we read, “12% of Borrowers Behind on Mortgages or In Foreclosure”. We know from Proverbs 22:7 that, “The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender.”
Biblical Headline: Understand the consequence of debt.
It is troublesome to be informed that, “Decline in Charitable Giving Hits Non-Profits”. In this light we must live out 2 Corinthians 8:2-3 - Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality.
Biblical Headline: God wants us to be generous in spite of, not because of, our circumstances.
Finally, it may be true for some that “Individuals in Depression Over Recession”. However, this need not be the case for us. We can claim Hebrews 13:5-6 – “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’. So we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’”
Newsflash: What we have or do not have does not define us. God’s presence in our lives is what makes the ultimate difference.
Dave Watson
An Urban Christian
Friday, March 13, 2009
Recent Prophecies
A recent posting on the blog of Rev. David Wilkerson has caused a great stir among believers and non-believers alike. In his blog, Wilkerson warns of coming social unrest that will result in riots and fires. He attributes these to America being under the wrath of God. He tells us that "God is judging the raging sins of America and the nations. He is destroying the secular foundations."
Those who have responded to this blog have tended to fall into three camps. There are those who completely reject Wilkerson as having no credibility and write him off as a kook. I assure you, that is not the case. He actually has a bit of a track record in the prophecy arena.
Others have completely embraced his recent words almost uncritically. Wilkerson's words are taken almost as Gospel. This group would believe that Wilkerson is, after all, a man of God in touch with God. Thus, what he says must be accepted and we must be careful what we say against him because the Scripture says "Touch not the LORD's anointed or His prophets."
A third response is the "I don't know" approach. This, "I hope he's wrong but maybe he's right -- but I don't know so I'm going to freak out a bit" methodology probably is not that helpful. Certainly, there must be a more reasoned perspective.
Believe it or not, the Bible is very helpful in clarifying matters such as this. 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 speaks to us as believers saying, "Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil." A few words of explanation and application are in order.
Quenching the Spirit means "to extinguish a flame." We should not be those who simply pour cold water on something someone says is Spirit-led just because we don't like it.
Despising prophecy means "to look down on or ridicule." We should not reject out of hand a message someone claims to be from God just because it doesn't jive with our thinking.
Testing all things means that we "examine or take out for a test drive" the claims. We should not accept claims uncritically. Our testing should involve what we know about God -- our God sense; what we know about the Scriptures -- our Bible sense; what we know about the person -- our people sense; and what we know about what's going on in the world -- our common sense.
Holding fast to the good means that I "make my own that which passes the test, and believe it." We should not throw away the proverbial baby with the bath water. We must eat the meat and spit out the bones.
With these verses in mind, what do we do with David Wilkinson's recent prophecy? We can't dismiss it, we can't mock it or ignore it. What we can do is test it, throwing anything out that fails the test and believing and acting on what is found to be trustworthy based on our knowledge of Scripture, our knowledge of God, what we know about the speaker, and what we know about current world events. In other words, we should take seriously that which passes the test.
Rev. Wilkerson is not like the Old Testament prophets who spoke "Thus says the LORD." If anything, he is like those of whom Paul says "for we know in part and we prophecy in part" and "we see in a mirror dimly" (1 Corinthians 13:9 &.12) 1 Corinthians 14:29 says "let two or three prophets speak and let the others judge."
Because prophecy today is at best "in part" and at best, we see in glass dimly, it is necessary for what is prophesied to be judged, to be sifted through. Therefore we must follow through with the Biblical principles I have just outlined in evaluating Rev. Wilkinson's blog, as well as any others that may come our way.
Dave Watson
An Urban Christian
Those who have responded to this blog have tended to fall into three camps. There are those who completely reject Wilkerson as having no credibility and write him off as a kook. I assure you, that is not the case. He actually has a bit of a track record in the prophecy arena.
Others have completely embraced his recent words almost uncritically. Wilkerson's words are taken almost as Gospel. This group would believe that Wilkerson is, after all, a man of God in touch with God. Thus, what he says must be accepted and we must be careful what we say against him because the Scripture says "Touch not the LORD's anointed or His prophets."
A third response is the "I don't know" approach. This, "I hope he's wrong but maybe he's right -- but I don't know so I'm going to freak out a bit" methodology probably is not that helpful. Certainly, there must be a more reasoned perspective.
Believe it or not, the Bible is very helpful in clarifying matters such as this. 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 speaks to us as believers saying, "Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil." A few words of explanation and application are in order.
Quenching the Spirit means "to extinguish a flame." We should not be those who simply pour cold water on something someone says is Spirit-led just because we don't like it.
Despising prophecy means "to look down on or ridicule." We should not reject out of hand a message someone claims to be from God just because it doesn't jive with our thinking.
Testing all things means that we "examine or take out for a test drive" the claims. We should not accept claims uncritically. Our testing should involve what we know about God -- our God sense; what we know about the Scriptures -- our Bible sense; what we know about the person -- our people sense; and what we know about what's going on in the world -- our common sense.
Holding fast to the good means that I "make my own that which passes the test, and believe it." We should not throw away the proverbial baby with the bath water. We must eat the meat and spit out the bones.
With these verses in mind, what do we do with David Wilkinson's recent prophecy? We can't dismiss it, we can't mock it or ignore it. What we can do is test it, throwing anything out that fails the test and believing and acting on what is found to be trustworthy based on our knowledge of Scripture, our knowledge of God, what we know about the speaker, and what we know about current world events. In other words, we should take seriously that which passes the test.
Rev. Wilkerson is not like the Old Testament prophets who spoke "Thus says the LORD." If anything, he is like those of whom Paul says "for we know in part and we prophecy in part" and "we see in a mirror dimly" (1 Corinthians 13:9 &.12) 1 Corinthians 14:29 says "let two or three prophets speak and let the others judge."
Because prophecy today is at best "in part" and at best, we see in glass dimly, it is necessary for what is prophesied to be judged, to be sifted through. Therefore we must follow through with the Biblical principles I have just outlined in evaluating Rev. Wilkinson's blog, as well as any others that may come our way.
Dave Watson
An Urban Christian
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