Response:Should you blame God for the Subprime Crisis?

As I get older, I find myself looking more into the news and current events. I am not sure how many of you have seen this article. (http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1847053,00.html?cnn=yes) . The time magazine website has an article discussing the mortgage crisis blaming preachers that are preaching and teaching the prosperity gospel. First, I would like to say that I don’t really care for the title of this article, “Maybe you should blame God for the Subprime Mess”. This is crazy. Everyone is trying to point fingers except to the people that actually desire the blame, but why God. I have an issue with people blaming God for random things. In “Skinny Dipping with the Savior”, I discuss that just because a person (or group of people) in the church does something wrong, that does not mean that you blame God. Personally, I would like to blame the people that want God out of the picture. Have you noticed that it has been a degradation of our prosperity as a nation since we started taken God out of the picture? Think about when we took prayer out of school and we took the power for parents to properly discipline their children. Since then, there has been a major problem with our children, but….that is a different blog entry. Back to the actual article that I read. David Van Biema highlighted some very interesting things in this article. I have been having issues with this doctrine for awhile. Now, I have been at churches that have definitely made statements similar to those that are in the article, however I do believe that God can bless this way. There are two main thoughts of the blessings of God that I have seen within the church. One, is that if you believe God and have faith, then ask, he will give it to you. That is the doctrine that is in the article, the other is that God is complete Sovereign and he is going to do whatever he chooses. I see both of these doctrines as one sided. God is Sovereign (Acts 4:24) and His thoughts are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:9), there are going to be things that you ask for and God is going to tell you NO. He is going to say that you can’t have certain things. You have to be mature and be able to handle the no. God is also a Father that want to have His children ask for things (Mark 11:23-25). There is definitely truth to this doctrine, but the doctrine is not completely true. There is a level of maturity that the church needs to have concerning this. For example, is God going to get the glory and is it going to help people to know (or trust) him more. Are you seeking the gift or the gift giver? God can bless you with anything that is in this world. Houses, Cars, Money, etc….but these things are extra things. God did not call his people to drive around in luxury cars and live in big houses. That is extra! He called us so that we can tell others about Him and disciple them. Christians should be praying for and telling people about Jesus wherever they are. The BIG issue with the prosperity doctrine is that it takes the focus off of God and onto self. Some people grab a hold of this and do not think about how they can bless God, but how God can bless them. Another thing is that Christians should not abandon basic biblical principles, such as being a good steward with what He has given us. God can bless those with poor credit with a house; however they must be good stewards with their money. The American way is to borrow to get whatever you want, but that is not the Godly way. Please do not use God’s grace, mercy and blessings as an excuse to against other financial principles that the bible established.

The True Bailout

Every day I get up and start my day. Take my shower, get my work items together. Talk to my wife and head out to work. Once I get into the car, I turn on the news and listen to events that are going on in this nation and around the world. This week, the buzz has been on the 700 Billion dollar bailout that the Senate wants to give Wall Street to jump start the economy. I am not sure about where you are from and the background that you have, but 700 Billion dollars is a lot of money where I come from. Really the figure will possibly be more. If you have a governed body over Wall Street, then who are paying these people to govern it? There are alternatives to this plan that are all over the internet that I have been reading. I am not an economist and I am not a Congressman. I cannot say that we are receiving all of the information that is available about the future of the American economy and ultimately the American Dream. What does this Bailout means if it passes. I would guess that Congress would need more money and try to stimulate the economy again. The reason is because God wants us to be good Stewarts of our money but the American way is to borrow to live the dream. No one tells you that one day, someone will collect the debts that you owe. If the bailout does not go through...well...we saw the nose dive that the market took dropping 777 points after the House of Representatives said no to the plan. It is time to face the facts. America is in a bad spot and if you have more faith in the Economy then God, you are too. The Kingdom of Heaven has its own Bailout plan. God looked at the Earth and all of the people upon it. He saw mankind and knew that there was a debt that we could not pay. We were slaves to the law of sin and doomed to die...but then Jesus came. He paid a debt that we were not and never would have been able to pay. (John 3:16) It is time to turn back to the God that made us a great nation in the first place. It is time to honor and trust him. Have you been bailed out?

Is it Time to Pray Yet!

I remember going to grade school and goofing off in the morning time. Everyone was around and talking about whatever was going on in our world. Once the bell rung there was order and structure. We knew that it was time to learn and handle business. Recently I have been reading newspapers more and being more conscious of what is going on in America. Now I am wondering...when is the bell going to ring concerning prayer? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that 1 out of 4 teenage girls have an STD. In Chicago students in the Chicago Public School system have been marching downtown in support of gun control because their fellow students are being killed by gun fire. Kids do not seem to respect their parents in today's world. There has been a degradation of values in our youth since prayer was taking out of schools. It is shocking to me...I am only 28 years old, but the climate in schools have changed drastically since I was there only 10 years ago. Do you hear the bell? Let's stop talking about the children, let’s talk about the nation. We as a nation are slowly walking away from being a Nation under God. I know...there have been people that claimed the name of God and acted contrary to their claim. People have misrepresented God. I know...but even simple principles such as economics we are getting wrong. We are a nation of debt. The average college graduate has too much debt and barely able to support themselves. The nation borrows all of its money to the point that we are about 9 trillion dollars in debt. This is not a sustainable state. There is murder, war, rumors of war, economic hardship, value decline, etc... Going on in America! When is the bell going to ring? When are we going to stop and evaluate our position with God and responsibility to pray?

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14

A Mile In Your Shoes

When I was growing up, the misfortune of other people was humorous to me. I know that is not Good Christian behavior, yet I never stated that I am/was perfect. I remember laughing at someone in front of my parents. They were upset at me and embarrassed at my behavior. I was then told, “Before you judge a man, try to walk a mile in their shoes”. I was then told stories of people that my parents knew that were in similar situations and the stories that resulted in tragedy. Wow! I felt really terrible about what I have done and had compassion for those people. Can you imagine walking in the shoes of Christians being persecuted because of their praise to God? Could you imagine being in a place with no clean water? No matter your circumstance, there is a person in the world that have it worse then you. Would you trade places with them? What if God asked you before you were born to trade places with them, would you have done it? What if He told you all of the injustices that you would have to face, would you trade places? What if He you when and how you would die…would you have traded places? Imagine that you lived in a place that was the most beautiful place ever made and you lived like a King…would you trade places now? That is the power of Love! Think about it. Jesus is a King, yet He decided that he would leave a place that was Holy, beautiful and set apart to come here to Earth. He would leave His throne to become a carpenter in Nazareth. He would labor and work for thirty-three years with a people that did not even understand the basic concepts of faith. He knew no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21) but became sin. He was not a liar, but was treated like one. He was not a murderer, but was treated like one. He was not an adulterous, but was treated like one. Jesus was willingly punished for the things that we do wrong (John 10:17-18). We do not serve a High Priest that does not know what it is like to live here (Hebrews 4:15). Whatever your circumstance or situation, Jesus walked a mile for you so that you may be free from sin, because YOU ARE WORTH IT! Worship in him today, for He is worthy. For there is no greater Love than a man that lay down his life…for you! (John 15:13)

©2008 Eric B. Blackwell
http://www.skinnydippingwiththesavior.com/