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The Illuminati and the House of Rothschild
http://www.silverbearcafe.com/private/rothschild.html
Pile of debt would stretch beyond stratosphere
By Emily Stephenson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Ronald Reagan once famously said that a stack of $1,000 bills equivalent to the U.S. government's debt would be about 67 miles high.
That was 1981. Since then, the national debt has climbed to $14.3 trillion. In $1,000 bills, it would now be more than 900 miles tall.
In $1 bills, the pile would reach to the moon and back twice.
The United States hit its legal borrowing limit on Monday, and the Treasury Department has said the U.S. Congress must raise the debt ceiling by August 2 to avoid a default.
The White House is trying to hammer out a deal with lawmakers to cut federal spending in exchange for a debt-limit increase.
Most people have trouble conceptualizing $14.3 trillion.
Stan Collender, a budget expert at Qorvis Communications, said the biggest sum most Americans have ever handled -- in real or play money -- is the $15,140 in the original, standard Monopoly board game.
The United States borrows about 185 times that amount each minute.
Here are some other metrics for understanding the size of the national debt and United States borrowing:
* U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has said the United States borrows about $125 billion per month.
With that amount, the United States could buy each of its more than 300 million residents an Apple Inc iPad.
* In a 31-day month, that means the United States borrows about $4 billion per day.
A stack of dimes equivalent to that amount would wrap all the way around the Earth with change to spare.
* In one hour, the United States borrows about $168 million, more than it paid to buy Alaska in 1867, converted to today's dollars.
In two hours, the United States borrows more than it paid France for present-day Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa and the rest of the land obtained by the 1803 Louisiana Purchase.
* The U.S. government borrows more than $40,000 per second. That's more than the cost of a year's tuition, room and board at many universities.
"That usually gets their attention," Doug Holtz-Eakin, who was chief White House economist under President George W. Bush, said in an email. "I have two kids, so every 10 seconds, the feds borrow more than I paid lifetime."
* The Congressional Budget Office projects the total budget deficit in fiscal 2011 at about $1.4 trillion.
"The net worth of Bill Gates, roughly around $56 billion, could only cover the deficit for 15 days," said Jason Peuquet, a policy analyst with the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. "The net worth of Warren Buffet, roughly around $50 billion, could only cover the deficit for 13 days."
(Editing by Mohammad Zargham)
Corrects last paragraph to say Jason Peuquet, not James Peuquet
Wow. That is a rant indeed. Aside from being hilarious, what strikes me about that kind of anger is that is makes the writer seem just as emotionally dependent on a "properly" operating government as the 'gullible' and 'dependent' folks that he's berating. For me, the collapse of governments and empires is not surprising or infuriating in the least. It's simply the cyclical pattern of human history... the nature of moral sin and the emptiness of human autonomy playing out yet again, for the whole world to see and marvel at, not with fury, but with a sense of awe and wonder that humanity is exactly what the Lord God says it is, fallen, broken, and blind.
I'll jump into this one headfirst, because hey, what do I have to lose! :) I think as Christians, there is what I call a 'spiritual tension' that exists in how we should feel about evil people being destroyed because of their wickedness. As PC says and I think most would agree, there is a law of 'sowing and reaping' that will always stand... because God will not be mocked... this is the way He has designed the universe to function. And so we celebrate the fact that God is just and sovereign and that he keeps his promises, "uprising against the house of the evildoers". And yet our theology makes it clear that in our fallen state, we are all just as far from a Holy God as was bin Laden or anyone else in this broken world, and so we are all just as deserving of eternal destruction as anyone else. In other words, the entire human race is on the same playing field morally with respect to the deserved judgment of God. This is of course where Christ comes in and saves us from the wrath that we justly deserve, if we put our faith in Him. So yes, celebrate the justice of God. But if it's not done with an awareness that we all live with the same potential for darkness as Osama bin Laden, then we are in danger of suffering the same fate eternally as I believe he is suffering now. We should celebrate, not death, but justice, and do so with quaking knees before the righteous Judge of the Universe. This is not j.m.o. nor my opinion at all. This is the simple, incontrovertible reality proclaimed by the Word of God.
I commend a fantastic article on this subject:
desiringgod.org/blog/posts/is-god-glad-osama-bin-ladens-dead
...and I am so grateful for the selfless and fearless warriors that God has given us in this country. What an awesome display of the ability and might of our military to have executed this mission so flawlessly. They deserve our praise and our constant prayers.
May God bestow his true blessings on America. -268
Very powerful video post 96. I agree with PC. Although we can, and for the sake of our families, we must prepare, the only thing we can do to be truly prepared and ready for what is coming, is to be totally submitted to the rule and Lordship of God in our minds and hearts. He alone holds the past, present and future in His hands. The future is not something He just knows about, it is a place where He IS. If we are depending on our own intellects and planning, we will find ourselves eventually overcome by the same fears that will be gripping the world, no matter what we do to prepare. But, "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you". -Isaiah 26:3. It's only when we can finally arrive at the end of our plans and hopes, that we will find our true hope, founded on the "Rock of Ages". I've heard it said, "I am not, but I know I AM". Let's put our faith and hopes in the I AM, who alone holds the winds, waves, nuclear power, governments, rulers, terrorists, and every plague in the palm of His hands:
"Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,
and are accounted as the dust on the scales."
AND
"Our God is in the Heavens. He does whatever He pleases".
AND
"from the rising of the sun
and from the west, that there is none besides Me;
I am the LORD, and there is no other.
I form light and create darkness,
I make well-being and create calamity,
I am the LORD, who does all these things".
Scriptures like these may offend some, but until the power and majesty and supremecy of God Almighty weighs on us like this, the suffering coming upon the world will simply make no sense to us.
May the Eternal Provision and Shalom of Jehovah-Jireh be with all of you. -268
[
2010 Year in Review December 2010/January 2011
Precious Metals Year in Review 2010
Demand for precious metals among investors continued to be strong in 2010, as fiat currencies continued to be undermined by inflation fears and successive financial crisis, causing investors to flock to the perceived safety of gold, silver, platinum, and palladium as a hedge against uncertainty and instability.
The falling values of both the U.S. Dollar and Euro have been attributed to expansionist monetary policies of the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank. The month of November was significant in regard to precious metals. At the beginning of the month, the Federal Reserve announced a further $600 billion injection of money into the economy. This move had been anticipated among investors since August, as reflected by the uptrend in precious metal prices that month.
Also in November, the sovereign debt crisis in the European Union gained new traction. Earlier in 2010, Greece had to be rescued. This time Ireland was in need of a bailout, and speculation has been widespread that other nations on the periphery of the Eurozone are also in danger.
The rising interest in owning precious metals in China has also been an important story in 2010. The rules and regulations that surround precious metals sales are being relaxed, allowing private Chinese citizens greater access to the precious metals market. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Shanghai Gold Exchange, trading volume increased 43%, to 5,014.5 tons, in the first 10 months of 2010.
2010 Spot Price Summary (U.S. Dollars)
Silver Gold Palladium Platinum
High $30.96 $1423.25 $804.50 $1774.20
Low $15.08 $1068.00 $405.74 $1470.50
Open $16.93 $1098.70 $410.50 $1470.50
Close $30.96 $1423.25 $804.50 $1772.50
Gold and Silver
by Dan Proctor, Northwest Territorial Mint Staff
In 2010, both gold and silver have maintained their traditional roles as safe assets in times of economic distress. Interest in each has grown over the year as fiat currencies continued to decline in value.
The demand for gold in 2010 was quite strong. Already benefiting from the economic instability coming into the year, an increasing number of individuals turned to gold as the value of the U.S. Dollar continued to spiral downward.
Gold, up 30% for the year, began a steady ascent upward during the month of August in anticipation of further monetary easing by the Federal Reserve. As a result, gold prices broke through the $1,400.00 per ounce mark in both November and December. Gold began the year trading at $1,098.70 per ounce, and finished at $1,423.25 per ounce.
The increase in demand for gold is coming from all corners of the globe. The unfolding sovereign debt crisis in the European Union has created yet another impetus to spurn paper money for gold. On the other side of the globe, Chinese investors are putting their money in gold as a store of value amid inflation concerns and artificially low interest rates. According to a report in Bloomberg, low interest rates are causing Chinese savers to lose $236 billion a year in lost income on their bank deposits.
As gold prices have risen to record highs in 2010, silver has emerged as an attractive option for those not entering the gold market, but still wanting to use precious metals as a hedge against the declining value of the U.S. Dollar.
Silver, up 83% for the year, has reached price levels not seen in 30 years. The fundamentals driving silver in 2010 have been strong. Demand has been up among investors as a less expensive alternative to the other precious metals, while at the same time benefiting from the increasing use of silver for industrial applications. As noted in a recent report by The Silver Institute, industrial demand is the most significant component of silver’s demand equation, totaling 352 million ounces last year. Respected precious metals research consultancy GFMS projected an 18 percent increase in silver industrial demand for 2010. Silver began the year trading at $16.93 per ounce, and finished at $30.96 per ounce.
...
- top -
Platinum and Palladium
by Dan Proctor, Northwest Territorial Mint Staff
Both platinum and palladium have benefited from the increased demand for automobile catalytic converters. The U.S. and European Union have enacted stricter emission standards for automobiles and trucks, while at the same time China has surpassed the U.S. as the world’s largest auto market.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Johnson Matthey, which supplies one-third of the market for platinum- and palladium-coated catalytic converters, reported a 72% rise in heavy-duty diesel catalyst sales. Reports indicate that Johnson Matthey believes that the market for heavy-duty diesel catalyst converters could be worth up to $2.5 billion over the next 5 years compared to just $600 million today.
The rise in sales can be attributed to increased catalyst demand, with U.S. truck sales up 17%. But nearly half was the result of tougher new U.S. regulations introduced in January. Following the U.S., the European Union is also imposing tougher heavy-duty diesel emission rules on a variety of engine sizes over the next four years.
For the first time in history, China sold more automobiles than the U.S., according to a report from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. Vehicle ownership has soared, from just 1 million in 1977 to over 51 million by 2008, according to Bloomberg.
Platinum, up 21% for the year, is more efficient in absorbing diesel-engine emissions than palladium, the catalyst of choice in the gasoline-dominated auto sector. Platinum began the year trading at $1,470.50 per ounce, and finished at $1,772.50 per ounce.
Palladium, up 96% for the year has benefited from the increase in automobile sales worldwide, as well as fears of a potential supply crunch amid speculation of depleted Russian stocks (Metals Mining News). Palladium began the year trading at $410.50 per ounce, and finished at $804.50 per ounce.
World Bank chief surprises with gold proposal
LONDON/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The world's largest economies should consider gold as an indicator to help set foreign exchange rates, the head of the World Bank said on Monday in a proposal that threw open the acrimonious currency debate just before a summit of G20 nations.
Writing in the Financial Times, World Bank President Robert Zoellick called for a new monetary system to replace the floating rates adopted in 1971 known as Bretton Woods II.
In typical Zoellick style, the proposal before the G20 leaders' summit in Seoul is aimed at fueling a broader debate on currencies that goes beyond competitive devaluation wars.
The price of gold powered to a record $1,410 an ounce on Monday during safe-haven buying after the U.S. Federal Reserve last week resumed buying Treasury bonds to inflate its money supply. Spot gold was last trading at around $1,406 an ounce.
Gold has risen nearly 6 percent since just before the Fed detailed plans last Wednesday to buy $600 billion in Treasuries to revive the economy, also stoking inflation fears.
The former U.S. trade representative, who served in several Republican administrations including Treasury, said the new system "is likely to need to involve the dollar, the euro, the yen, the pound and (a Chinese yuan) that moves toward internationalisation and then an open capital account".
"The system should also consider employing gold as an international reference point of market expectations about inflation, deflation and future currency values," he added.
Zoellick did not spell out in detail how this system might work, but said it would help to rebuild the confidence of financial markets and the general public in the global monetary system after the financial crisis.
He first raised the idea at a G20 finance ministers meeting in Gyeongju, South Korea, in late October.
However, policymakers appeared cool to the idea on Monday and many analysts said they doubted it would be implemented given practical difficulties.
European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet said central bankers from around the world did not discuss returning to a gold standard at a meeting of the Bank for International Settlements in Switzerland on Monday.
"In my memory such an idea was mentioned a long time ago by Jim Baker when he was a (U.S.) Secretary of Treasury in the 1980s. I have no particular comment," Trichet told a news conference.
A German government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Zoellick was correct in worrying that currency values were becoming too vulnerable to the whims of governments.
"The diagnosis that Zoellick is making is correct: that monetary policy is becoming overly politicized," the official said. "The system, as it is, is not functioning well."
But he added that it would not be practical to use modern monetary policy tools in a system that was "based on a commodity whose availability is dictated by natural conditions."
SUMMIT ACRIMONY?
That Fed's policy of quantitative easing, or QE2, has fed acrimony among leading economies in the Group of 20 in the run-up to their summit in Seoul on Thursday and Friday.
China and Germany, major exporting nations, have both criticized the Fed's strategy -- effectively printing money -- which is weakening the dollar.
Investors are pumping dollars into emerging markets in search of higher yields, and the potentially destabilising impact of this, along with big current account deficits and surpluses as well as China's reluctance to let the yuan appreciate faster, are set to dominate the G20 debate.
France, which takes over the G20 chair after this week's summit, says it plans to work on a new international monetary system to bring greater currency stability.
French officials said Zoellick's ideas mirrored initiatives President Nicolas Sarkozy aimed to promote during France's 12 months in the G20 from next week.
Beijing's central bank chief has suggested an alternative monetary system based on using the International Monetary Fund's Special Drawing Rights, a notional unit of value based on a basket of major currencies, instead of the dollar as the sole global reserve currency.
Zoellick was a senior official in the U.S. Treasury at the time of the 1985 Plaza and 1987 Louvre Accords on rebalancing currencies among major industrialized nations. He noted that that phase of currency coordination helped launch the Uruguay Round of world trade liberalization negotiations.
While his opinion article in the Financial Times did not represent either U.S. or World Bank policy, it may reflect a greater openness in Washington than in the last two decades to some form of international currency cooperation.
"The dollar is losing its relevance especially with the emergence of Asia economies, so a more neutral benchmark may be required. Gold, amid all the recent uncertainty, is proving its worth," said ANZ's senior commodity analyst Mark Pervan.
Zoellick said a new monetary system would take time to develop and should be part of a package approach including possible changes in IMF rules to review capital as well as current account policies, and linking IMF monetary assessments to World Trade Organization obligations.
(Reporting by Lewa Pardomuan, Nick Trevethan, Paul Taylor and Paul Carrel; Writing by Paul Taylor and Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Ruth Pitchford, Andrew Torchia, Andrew Hay)
Shalom to you too brother. Let's rest in the peace of knowing our futures are gloriously secure. This world is "just a moment". To meditate on this truth puts current events in a totally new and refreshing and thrilling light. It lifts us out of fear and gives us the perspective of a visitor in a foreign land. It's all very, very interesting, but in the end, it really is of absolutely no concern. How wonderful and freeing that is!
"Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever".
Thanks P.C. for reminding us. -268
The news didn't make much difference... no spike like the P.M. bulls were anticipating, in fact they're down a little right now. I'm still bullish on the long side. Silver's lookin' better than gold... the ratio is 1:54 right now; best in years. It can only be upside for the metal longs. Any velocity behind all this accumulated cash and we'll see prices north of Santa.
I'm betting the dollar finds solid-ground soon after the Fed's "QE2" announcement this afternoon... it'll snuff the wick on the fear- bomb that's been depressing the greenback. Commodities and especially metals may see a serious correction. How low will they go??? :)
Well said 96! If we are to ever have a prayer at restoration, party allegiances must die, and we must become a people who see the truth for what it is, not for how we want to bend it to jive with some traditional, yet impotent partisan view of the political world.
Pascal said: "Truth is so obscure in these times, and falsehood so established, that, unless we love the truth, we cannot know it". Indeed.
“Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule — and both commonly succeed, and are right.”
I LOVE IT... What a great quote!
My hope is that if there is a Republican landslide today, that it will be so overwhelming that even the newly-elect will see it as a wake up call to traditional, representative Constitutional conservatism. I know that's probably a 'pie in the sky' hope, but I do think it can make a difference. When our congressmen show up for work tomorrow and realize that a great many of their collegues will be vacating their offices, let's pray that it would serve as kind of return to reality... which is that We the People hold the keys to those offices, and if they ignore a clarion call from the masses, they too will be out on their ears in the next round. But I also agree that the whole system is on the verge of total collapse, and has in fact held together longer than the laws of fiscal and even political 'gravity' should allow.
Despite all this, I feel the need to lean against this panels' and my own tendency toward cynicism and ask that we all acknowledge that no matter how completely jacked-up our government is, we still live in the greatest, most blessed nation that has ever existed in the history of history. What it will become, only the God of history knows, and He ultimately controls it all, for His higher purposes. But right now, at this moment, I think we'd all agree that we love this nation and that its heart, revealed in our Constitution and shown in the freedoms that we do have are still worth fighting for.
"...stand beside her, and guide her, through the night with the Light from above".
-268
Thought you'd like this quote P.C.- More relevant now than ever. I really appreciate this forum. Thank's -96 for maintaining an atmosphere of respect and honesty in our dialouge. The truth must be paramount in all of our rhetoric and meditations. I do believe all present are crusaders for truth. God bless you all. -268
When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost.
-Billy Graham
Even a cursory examination of history shows that when the governing structures of cilvilized societies meet their end, the result is a power struggle. The absence of rule creates a vacuum that will be filled. The dark ages were a prime example of this. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, western Europe saw nearly 800 years of vying for power. And the same history can be seen everywhere from China's provincial monarchs and the Daimyos of Japan to the gangland turfs of L.A. and Capone's Chicago. And now humanity has weaponry that will make these old and ancient powergrabs seem like playing 'cops and robbers' with cap guns. World War III is on the horizon... what form it will take and how it will play out is still the question of the day.
...and on a side-note to Zacchaeus the taxman, it’s a very interesting historical study to look into exactly who the tax-collectors of the Roman Empire really were, and why they were so reviled. We modern folk see the injustices of our government confiscating and wasting our personal wealth, and it is a terrible and sad reality, and one that must be opposed at every turn. But these ancient men can be likened to your next door, IRS-agent neighbor stealing funds from you to empower Al-queda, who had just murdered your whole family, and pocketing the leftovers that they stole. These hated men were open traitors and supporters of domestic terrorism, in the highest sense possible. This fact really brings clarity to the love and forgiveness of Christ, and just one reason that He was such a scandal. Would we today accept a religious leader/teacher extending such grace to a regretful and repentant tax agent who was guilty of actions so despicable? What does this say about where Heaven places the importance of repentance over wealth, matters of the heart over matters of fiscal injustice. Something to think about anyway... I know this is a financial board, so I'll leave it at that for now. I just see these things as extremely relevant to all aspects of life. Finances are heart matters, and it's the condition of our hearts that determine our eternal legacy. -268
P.C.- I think I’ll never see the story of Zacchaeus in the same way again. He’s the perfect and historical example of the point I was trying to make. If we can all just put in a little effort to get our feet (and minds) off of ‘terra firma’ long enough to behold the Lord, we’d see how often our earthly ‘treasures’ are robbing us of a true, full and overflowing life. And we’d hear those beautiful words, “today, salvation has come to this house”. Thanks for shining new light on the story of the wee little man! :) -268.
Wow Ticket... what an incredible, sobering and eye-opening video! To me, it just screams "foolishness". Our modern culture has become greedy to the point that nobody, and I include myself and every one of us, NOBODY has any idea how much our worship of the god of materialism has poisoned our worldview. We sit on these boards and we debate how foolish the fiat, fractional reserve monetary systems of the world are, and we are absolutely right to do so. But do we ever stop to consider that so much of what we all define ourselves with... our homes, toys, trips, food... that all of it enslaves us to empowering the very same ideal of worldly gain that drives the madness that we are witnessing? We've let this corrupt system blossom into insanity... why? Because it has let us live far above and beyond our means for generations now! Gordon Gekko echoes the spirit of the age, "Greed is good". I think we as a society believe that, I really do. Because if we didn't, our time and money and affections would be moving the world in a very different direction than it is, would it not?
Don't get me wrong, I live in a beautiful home, in a very safe and nice neighborhood, and love watching 1080p Blu-ray on my leather furniture. But I've searched my soul, and gazed into the collective soul of this post-modern culture, and I have a confession to make brethren... I'm spoiled rotten by it. I think that the entire western world is. And the bottom line is, should our wealth and identities really be so entirely external? Please understand, I'm not saying that none of us have values and morals and depth of character. I'm just on a journey to understand how much those internal qualities are dependent on our external lifestyles. And how much does that lifestyle show the world where our treasure is?
America arose to the superpower that she is because of her faith, and her desire to see that faith spread to the corners of the Earth. It is this faith, and only this faith, that has made us the most generous, freedom loving people in the history of history. But I am terribly afraid that the prosperity that has resulted from our liberties has led us into a false sense of security, where are no longer resting on the faith of our founders, but on the wealth that we've acquired from our freedom.
I apologize if I'm sounding anti-capitalism or anti-money or anti-anything, because I'm certainly not. I love freedom and the entepreneurial spirit of America and the beauty of capitalism that springs from it. But I love the foundation of America much more than these things. And that bedrock is the Christian faith. If we continue to forsake that faith, and put our hope in mammon, then we can, will and should lose all that we've worked and fought and bled for. It may in fact be our only hope at real restoration. j.m.o. -268
It is amazing to hear the stories. It's so incomprehsible to our 'safe' American existence. We support the Voice of the Martyrs, a worldwide organization that ministers to the persecuted church all over the world. So many of the stories that we read from them just seem surreal to us in our culture. They say that upwards of 150,000 people worldwide are martyred every year for faith in Christ. Hard to imagine. I truly think that if the blinders were lifted and secular Americans could see the worlds reglions for what they are, there would be a far greater appreciation for Christianity and the way that its message has brought relative peace and prosperity to the western hemisphere for centuries now. It sounds like you've traveled and seen a lot of this. Ever think of writing a book, or at least memoirs?
I highly recommend "Islam and Terrorism", by Mark A. Gabriel. Mark was a high-level professor of Islamic studies at the University of Cairo before converting and fleeing to the States from his father. He is a man who has cried oceans of tears for the bondage that Islam holds over so many. An amazing testimony, and a historically grounded eye-opener for anyone interested in the foundations and reality of the religion of Muhammad.
I get a sense that this entire 'burning' fiasco is an opportunity missed. It may sound cliche, but as Christians we are commanded to 'love our neighbor as ourselves'. Burning a book that outsiders reckon to be holy is not Christian love, and of course should be condemned. But there also seems to me a lack of love in ignoring the opportunity to expose the true nature of a book that unabashedly advocates brutal slaughter in the name of god (Allah). We can and absolutely must love Muslims... there will never be a change of heart if they don't feel Christ's love coming from us. And part of that love, when done with wisdom and appropriate timing, must be to unashamedly say to our Muslim neighbors, "Christ loves you and gave His life for you. And this book that you hold in high regard is a lie, and is robbing you, your family and your nation(s) of abundant life".
There is evil in this world. At times it must be confronted, but it should never be done in the name of nationalism, or earthly gain, or power. It should only be done in the name of love and truth. And the hard truth is, the Koran and its product, Islam, are unquestionably evil, destroying the hearts and minds of countless millions of beautiful people, whom Christ seeks to shower with His love, through us. How to communicate both of these truths with wisdom and balance is what we must consider and pray for. We are all sinners, saved by grace. Salvation often must come from those who love us enough to tell us the hard truth. So let's tell the truth, but be sure that the Spirit is leading us in our words and actions. j.m.o. -268
...right on; "the blind leading the blind, and they all fall in the ditch"!
Indeed. It's seems like an inherent part of man's fallen nature to wallow in empty thinking and repeating foolish behavior. A wise-guy once said: "As a dog returns to its vomit,
so a fool repeats his folly". Sounds just like our nation's crazy, power-drunken Uncle Sammy!!! For me, I watch with utter amazment at how the very character traits that have always plagued men, tend to play out in society at every level... hamlet, city, state and nation.
P.C.- We need more folks like you in public office... ever considered a run? We live in Illnois, where Chicago cronies have been running things into the ground for generations. That's one potential good that could come from a deep depression... like a fever burns off the flu and fire burns the chaff, if the masses suddenly have to survive on pennies (or dollars worth pennies), we've got a chance at a return to sanity. -268
Wow! Great article 96! Hard to imagine at least some of those senarios not playing out. When Rome fell to the Visigoths, the resulting divided empire left western Europe in absolute ruin, politically, economically and geographically cut-off from the wealth of the eastern Empire... and so began the dark ages. We can see that happening before our eyes as the nations that we are beholden to, strengthen themselves and prepare for a dollar-less world. The recipe is brewing for our own 'dark age', where we are left, perhaps with more resources than circa 5th century eastern Europe, but with no economic infrastructure for the common man to exploit those resources. Biblically speaking, it sounds like a perfect environment for a "savior" to appear and make his "mark" on the world. Whatever path we may take, history is playing out according to the eternal plans of a Higher Sovereign. The idea of America being a Christian nation is past, at least as far as government is concerned. Our place as disciples is to make sure that we are on His side of history, and that means concerning ourselves with making much of Him and His value, above the temporary and passing 'value' of "mammon". In this worldview there is no fear. We plan, we prepare our homes and hearts for the worst, but in the end, we know who the victor of history is... and he sits eternally enthroned, above all kings and governments; that will be the final end of this whole human experiment.
Taj- The gold to silver ratio has historically averaged 1 to 15; going back to ancient times, this has been a constant. And no, there is not that much more of a supply of silver than gold, in fact the opposite is true. Almost all the silver consumed on an annual basis is used by industry, and little to none of it is recycled. Silver is used far more than gold in industrial applications. Most speculators believe that because of these as well as other factors, that silver is hugely undervalued... and is why silver-bugs like myself view it among the best investment in the world. Price manipulation is certainly occuring in the silver market, but like everything else, it will seek equilibrium, and eventually return to it's traditional 1/15 ratio to gold. At the current price of gold, that would put siver at about $82 p/oz, or +450% it's current valuation. j.m.o. -268
Got em all except 'the coalition of the willing', which kinda didn't really make sense the way it was worded. That whole thing really is very disturbing. Covers various races, genders and ages too. People and nations "perish for a lack of knowledge".
Great post NY. What a fantastic analogy. There's much talk in these circles about the fallibility of our fiat currency, and rightly so. There's a scripture that says:
"Be appalled, O heavens, at this;
be shocked, be utterly desolate,
declares the Lord,
for my people have committed two evils:
they have forsaken Me,
the fountain of living waters,
AND they have hewed out cisterns for themselves,
broken cisterns that can hold no water".
This 'appalling' and 'shocking' behavior seems to trickle down to every facet of human existence, not the least of which being how kings and governments and cultures view money. The footnote in my study Bible says: "Their covenant infidelity is not just ungrateful and unnatural; it is also foolish. It leaves them without help in the coming difficult days".
Indeed. Fiat money is like a broken cistern of muddy waters. It is inherently foolish, promising eternal refreshment and leaving us in terrible danger.
I agree P.C. "Suffering" tends to bring out the best in many people. It exposes what is real and eternal, and disposes of the temporal things that our culture furiously clings to. And while we have to prepare so that our families especially are protected, if our 'treasure' is in the right place, life these days is exhilarating, like swimming in a cold spring on a hot day! Things are being shaken, just like He said they would be. And it's only just begun! I love it. No anger or fear in camp 268... just exitement over the fullfillment of promises!!!
House churches?
P.C.- I noticed on an earlier post that you live in Washington, and on another you linked to a Mark Driscoll sermon. Are you by chance members of Mars Hill Church? Just wondering. My wife and I are in the midwest, but are devoted listeners of Mark's sermons. We thank God for the E-world that allows us to be so connected with excellent teaching from all over the world!
Gold/silver ratio has spiked hard in favor of gold. Get yer silver while its cheap!!!!
http://www.goldprice.org/gold-silver-ratio.html#60_day_gold_price
Wow. Thanks so much for listing those. There are several that I've never ever heard of, so I'll look forward to investigating them. So many treasures of the written word rest in the distant past. It seems a huge part of our fallen nature to think that a teaching is good just because it's 'new'... a mindset that C.S. Lewis called "chronological snobbery". I'm younger than you, and I see this everywhere in my generation. There is so much to be learned from the saints throughout time, provided that they are Cross-centered and biblically sound. Thank you sir... these resources are much appreciated.
P.C.- I'd love to know some of your favorite extra-bibilical authors and/or books. That Penn quote was just amazing and is so relevant to all that we are considering in this forum! One of the most difficult things to achieve in times like these is a balance between being educated, and trusting that our lives and times are in God's hands. And no matter what, we believe that the justice we seek now will one day be realized. Thanks for that great post!
"You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You."
We live in a culture where the spiritual reality of things is largely ignored. This higher reality is having a constant influence on us all, whether we choose to believe in it or not. All forms of media are powerful channels for spiritual forces. Today there is such a vacuum of spiritual truth that the masses are starving for any sense of spirituality, and that presents great danger. Everything is spiritual; the question is, are we aligning ourselves with spiritual truth or spiritual falsehood? I personally don’t see danger in someone who is grounded in the truth of the Bible, simply seeing a pagan-filled film like Avatar. And if fact I think families and churches especially should and must have intelligent discussion about the evil aspects of films such as this. We will all fill the God-hole inside of us with something… and if we aren’t grounded in the truth of God as revealed in Christ, something else will step in and fill that void for us, plain and simple. It is how we are created. I agree 100% with what Pastor Driscoll says in the article that P.C. posted. Let’s call a spade a spade, whether we like it or not. It’s all about truth vs. lies friends. The demise of biblical truth is the source and the root of the demise of everything good and just in our world.
Yes. A better translation is:
"In the way of Your judgments,
O LORD, we have waited for You;
The desire of our soul is for Your name
And for the remembrance of You."
It is the resounding message of the Bible that we were created by God to glorify Him, and that, quoting a famous theologian, "He is most glorfied in us when we are most satisfied in Him".
Thanks 96 for allowing differing views to be expressed here. For people of faith, all these things are certainly inter-related. Money, power and politics are matters of the heart.
Well said P.C. Our world today seems to turn its attention to everything temporal, and nothing eternal. Our problems are not political, or financial or even moral. Our problem is a worship problem. Even we conservatives seem to put our hopes in everything but God. Today it's Beck or O'Reily or Palin or whoever... all excellent people, but none of them capable of freeing us from the slavery to sin that is at the root of our collective woes.
Though it's imperative and wise to be prepared to weather the coming storms, if we put our trust or hope in anything other than the Lord, we make those things idols, and idols fail. What is coming is designed by God himself to sift out everything that competes for our affections, which he alone deserves.
God bless brother Graham for having the courage to speak the truth without fear. Political correctness is not love. Love is courageous, and it takes courage to proclaim that certain worldviews are poisonous.