More money has been lost during the recent stock market crash than it took many years to make. Trillions of dollars have been lost worldwide. People who have their life savings, retirement, hopes for the future and their children invested in the market have seen their life savings disappear.
There are those, particularly the 49% of the population who do not pay income taxes who depend on government entitlements and say very casually, “the stock market does not affect me.” This is crazy talk! The stock market affects everyone. Taxes on profits become losses for the government. Every time a commercial business loses money, there are fewer jobs, fewer buyers and and an economy in decline.
God has made us for Himself, more important than money, power, good works, political elections... Salvation of those He has chosen.
One does not go far in reading the Gospels until he is slammed with the word greed. Of all of the seven deadly sins, anger, envy lust, gluttony, laziness, pride, perhaps greed in the most damnable. Every human being is born with greed. The most innocent child, knowing nothing of the other sins, says immediately “mine, mine, mine”.
Wall street, like “K” street in Washington, DC, is a place of greed. Many have never learned to separate investing from gambling. This writer has been involved in stock market investing, the buying and selling of shares since 1960. I know of no place where you can make money as quickly or lose money even faster. Securities investing is the most interesting, fascinating career one cold possibly contemplate... if you have the nervous system to handle it and, as in every other vocation or profession, you have your share of the shysters. (I think in my life I have dealt with most of them, they love to pick the pockets of a blind man.)
Recently, on a talk show, a caller was waxing fervently about national problems. The host said, “do you contact your representative?, what is your representative's name?, the irate caller could not even tell the host his representatives name. Has it ever occurred to most of you how the 435 congresspeople would spend such tremendous amounts money to get elected to a job that pays $154,00 per year. A senator must raise millions. In fact, even in state and local elections it is almost sickening to think of the cost of running for public office. BUT ,they know the rewards. They know that once elected, and the main thing is to be reelected, it is then heaven on earth. ALWAYS, if defeated an after retirement big pay, big appointments to boards of trustees, etc. I know a retired, defeated senator, only serving one term, now getting full pay and benefits, who makes more sitting on boards than most people could ever dream of making. Rep Billy Tauzin, democrat, defeated, now makes $2.5 million dollars a year as a big Pharma lobbyist. Think how much defeated senator, Chris Dodd makes using his influence as a lobbyist for communist China.
There is nothing wrong with money or the making of money. Money is discussed in the Bible more than heaven. I have walked by the dead, Lenin corpse in Red Square, Moscow. I understand he now has a smile on his face knowing that America has become communist, particularly with a “communist president”. Everywhere communism has been tried, it has failed. It was even tried by the early pilgrims landing in this country. They decided to share and share alike. The problem, the lazy ones just lived off the others' labor. Margaret Thatcher said, “socialism is good until the producers' money gives out”. The early church (Acts) decided to sell everything and share. The two shortest funerals on record Ananias & Sapphira sold their property and brought the proceeds to lay at the feet of Peter. Their sin, leading to immediate death, was not that they had kept part of the proceeds of their sale, but that they both lied about it. In every economic activity, worldwide, Wall street, Federal Reserve, etc. all try to thrive on lies. New audit of the Federal Reserve reveals that $16 trillion, more than the total national debt is unaccounted for, lied about.
God only had to say in once, the love of money is the root of all Evil (1 Timothy 6:10) One must learn the separation of making money from the love of money. What would this world be like, what would America be like, those who build industry providing jobs, philanthropy providing hospitals, libraries, colleges, etc.
Paul speaks of the mystery on iniquity. Many persons of the greatest greed do not have money.
God created and chose this writer to be a consecrated conservative. From my youth., I have been a saver. I have saved and invested .50 per every dollar I have ever made, Investing, .25 in real estate and .25 in the stock market. If not for excessive taxation, I could give much more to God's work than I do and I give far more than the tithe.... Money for scholarship, rewards, memorials. I live frugally. Most say miserly. The real Christian is responsible for every dollar he makes. Everything in God's word tells us that God holds him responsible for his blessings. True worship is giving. You can give without loving but you cannot love without giving, you cannot out give God. He will suffocate you if you dispute and question His plan.
