From My Perspective - - -
One
can look at our world, or our nation, and muse whether or not
government and rule has become the rule and government by Myrmidons (a
faithful follower who carries out orders without question; a person who
executes without question or scruple a master's commands; A member of a
warlike Thessalian people who were ruled by Achilles and followed him
on the expedition against Troy). Historically, we have seen it during
World War II and the rise and power of Nazism. We get a sense of this
type of commitment from the representations about the Taliban, Al Qaeda
and Radical Islam. It appears we have arrived as a nation at a similar
point of a nation that is euphoric about the possibilities of change to
the point of almost a lock-step approach to government by the elected
partisans.
In
the recent Stimulus Package that was presented and voted upon – no one
had time to read or study it. It was presented so that it had to be
enacted if catastrophe was to be averted. The result was the blind
passage of the Stimulus Package along Party lines (with the exception
of three Republican Senators). There has been a political advertisement
that suggests the following: If from the time of the Birth of Jesus
Christ there was the expenditure of $1,000,000.00 per day up to today,
it would not total or equal the amount of the planned Stimulus infusion
of cash based upon the passage of the Stimulus Package. Emboldened by
that approval, there is now the presentation of a 4 Trillion Dollar
Budget. The Hill has published an editorial by Dick Morris (February 24th)
in which he states: “There are bad loans, which became bad assets, that
lie at the root of the crisis. Through deregulation by the government
and the greed of financial institutions, they spread to every portfolio
in the world. But these basic facts have metastasized out of all
proportion to their real harm into job and financial insecurity for
every family on Earth…Previous panics have been global in impact, but
local in focus. The world panicked because of developments in Mexico or Argentina or Thailand or South Korea.
Now, with Collateralized Debt Obligations spreading the poison of a
bunch of bad loans all over the world, infecting every portfolio, the
panic is not only global in impact but in focus as well. Modern
communications have hastened the spread of the virus of panic
throughout the global bloodstream.”
In a Christian Post article (February 25th)
the following is noted: “Though a large portion of Americans are
cutting back on donations to non-profits amid tough economic
conditions, evangelical parachurch ministries have been among those
least affected by the cuts…According to the survey by the Evangelical
Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA), most evangelical
parachurch ministries exceeded, met or came very close to their 2008
fourth-quarter contributions goals. Many of the parachurch ministries
we surveyed reported small donations of $10 to $100 were relatively
unaffected, and in some cases, donations in this category increased…In
fact, some of our members had the strongest fourth quarter they've had
in years and ended the year debt-free. In a survey of ECFA members, 72
percent of responding organizations reportedly exceeded, met or came
within 10 percent of their goals. The remaining 28 percent said they
were more than 10 percent below their goals.
Consider
these things with me - - - The ECFA also noted: “The opportunities to
help those in financial need are greater than organizations can
supply…but I believe that Christians are stepping up and being perhaps
even more generous at this time when they consider the great need of
people today." The bottom-line for the Church and Professing Christian
is the implementation of James 2:14-18 (NLT), “Dear
brothers and sisters, what's the use of saying you have faith if you
don't prove it by your actions? That kind of faith can't save anyone.
Suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing, and you
say, Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well – but
then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does
that do? So it isn't enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn't show
itself by good deeds is no faith at all – it is dead and useless…” In
our day and time, this should be our on-going concern and sensitivity.
The need is great but the ability of our God to provide for and through
us is far greater. Do as much good as you can, for as many as you can,
for as long as you can!