FINANCIALCRISIS UPON US

Our freedom is the one thing that sets Americans apart from every other nation in the world.

But when it comes to finances, no one else is less free than the American citizen.

All of us desire to be financially free, but at what cost?

The financial crisis that has been revealed through the U.S. banking system and Wall Street financiers, will cost American taxpayers more that One Trillion Dollars, with many more Trillions of Dollars to be lost globally.

As families lose everything that they claim as theirs through foreclosures and bankruptcies, millions of children will be forced away from friends, schools, and needed services.

Many families will be left destroyed, and homeless.

The crisis in most part can be linked to moral failure

Mortgage lenders, who knew better, allowed greed to overrule sound judgment, and devoured the poor in the name of wildly soaring commissions, shutting out the knowledge that a bubble had formed and would rupture at the slightest touch.

Many want to blame the manipulators of the financial markets, or the corrupt political machine that answers to no man, that has ensconced itself in the marble buildings of Washington D. C.

The fact is that all of us are to blame for the global financial crisis that sets the stage for a One World Financial System.

We have allowed our elected officials to represent their own self interests, and the interest of organizations with bottomless pockets, while having no fear of the people who are paying them to do what is right for the greater majority.

They live and act like kings and potentates, while in the nations capitol, and then return to their constituents in small town America, declaring their innocence and asking for another chance to get it right the next time.

Our representatives are to blame. The American voter is to blame. Blindness and unconcern has overtaken both of them.

Here are a few facts.

If you made only $1500.00 in the last year, you have exceeded the total family income of more that 75% of the worlds population.

In the last year, the average American saved less that 2% of their income.

90% of the people in America buy items that they cannot afford and have no real use for.

97% of Americans age 65 and above have less that $600 available to them at any given time

The comedian Jackie Mason relates the story like this, “I have enough money to last me the rest of my life, unless I buy something.”

For millions of Americans financial ruin will hit them like the perfect storm--consuming them with personal shame, serious health problems, and family destruction.

In our self reliant society, many of us don’t even consider turning to God until we are neck deep in the crisis and have no other direction to turn.

Severe circumstances show how fragile we really are and urge us to humbly turn to God.

That’s what the prophet Jonah did when he was gasping for his last breath, “ I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction. And He answered me. Out of the belly of Shoel I cried. And You heard my voice.” (Jonah 2:2)

Gods love for us is far greater than we can imagine (Ephesians 3:20-21).

The Bible tells us that God desires to hear from us “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all he has done. Then you will experience Gods peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-8)

This in no means promises that God will remove financial challenges.

In all likelihood, the challenges were created whenever you made an agreement to fulfill an obligation to another person.

We all are responsible to complete our obligations, even the unwise ones.

He does however, promise us peace, no matter what the circumstance.

What then to do about the financial crisis:

Pray that God will allow you to have enough income to make adjustments in your budget so that the effects of crisis will be lessened.

Transfer all of your possessions to God (Psalm 8:6 and Deuteronomy 5:32-33)

Allow no more debt, including bank and personal loans, and cut up all credit cards that you cannot pay off at the end of the month (Proverbs 24:3)

Develop a realistic approach to a budget that will allow each of your creditors to receive as much as possible each month (Proverbs 16:9)

Begin to retire debt, starting with the smallest balance first. (Psalm 37:21 and Proverbs 3:27-28)

Once the smallest is paid off, then pay off the next amount using the combined payments and so on, until all obligations are gone.

The Bible promises Christians- those who know God personally- that God will listen to them at any time, in any circumstance, with any problem, no matter how large or small.

“casting all of your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)