Investment advice.

The crisis facing the worlds economy just seems to be getting worse and worse. I have a few thoughts on this subject, and here they are, for what they're worth.

1) This will not remain solely an economic crisis. This will very quickly become a political and social crisis. There have already been food riots in several countries by desperate, starving people. In the very near future, because of crop failures, religious tensions and the continuing financial crisis, there are going to be much larger and more dangerous socio-political disturbances all over the world, including in the West.

2) As bad as things are now financially, there is the potential for things to get catastrophically worse. If the US Federal Government ever defaults on its debt (which it seems inevitable that this will happen someday) then what we're seeing in the global banking industry in these last few months will look like a day at the beach. If there is another serious crisis, like a major hurricane, earthquake, terrorist attacks or a large outbreak of flu or other infectious disease, the governments of the world will be to overwhelmed to deal with it effectively.

3) This isn't just a recession. This is the end of an Era in human history. Things will never be the same for anyone anywhere. The sooner you get your head around that fact, the better for you and everyone who depends on you.

4) It is during times of severe economic and political instability that despots and tyrants find it the easiest to subvert and destroy democratic governments. Because the people are hungry, desperate and frightened, they are most likely at times like this to be willing to trade their freedom for security. This has already happened in Russia, which had a brief flirtation with democracy and is now almost completely all the way back to being a dictatorship.

5) There is only one safe place to invest, and that's to put your money, your time and your efforts into the Kingdom of God.

Some of you might be tempted to neglect your prayer and Bible study time, stop attending church and concentrate as much as you can on your job so you can earn the money you think you need to maintain your lifestyle.

That is exactly the wrong thing to do.

Your lifestyle is over!

It's time to get serious about Eternity. Actually it's long past time, but that's why God is allowing all these things to happen. He's trying to get our attention, trying to get us to let go of all our idols and focus on Him. We should be grateful for His mercy and love in doing this.

How does one go about investing in the Kingdom?

First, find a church that teaches sound Biblical doctrine and give that church as much of your time, money and effort as possible. Involve your entire family in this process, so that the time you spend with your church is also time you spend with them. Follow the example of Jesus and forgive anyone in your family or at your church who has ever hurt you. It is only by first getting rid of all the bitterness in your heart that you can start to build something positive for the future.

Get involved with the other people in your church and help each other. Share whatever you have with everyone who needs it. Do with as little as you personally can, so that as many others as possible can have what they need. You'll be pleasantly surprised to find out how easy and gratifying this is, and how much that you think you need that actually you don't.

As Jesus said in Matthew 5:42, "Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you." And Paul exhorted us in 2 Corinthians 9:7 "Every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver."

Every penny that you give to God and the work of His Kingdom will be returned to you, with interest, in this life and in the next life. So don't be stingy or greedy. This life will end someday and you'll have to stand before God and the only thing you'll have is what you gave to Him.

How else can you invest your time in the Kingdom?

Pray!

Buy a notebook and write in it the names of every single person you love, and every day at least once, go through that list of names and ask God to protect those people physically and to bring them to spiritual salvation. Prayer time should also be together with your family. The family that prays together stays together.

Pray for the political, economic and spiritual leaders in your community and your country. Pray for your pastor and his family. Pray for revival worldwide. Pray for God to take out all the anger, bitterness, despair and rage in your own heart and replace it with the freedom, confidence and joy which comes from His love.

But most of all, pray for Israel and the Jews.

Why?

Israel and the Jews are not just a nation-state like France or Japan.

The Jews are Gods chosen people, the group of people that He in His sovereign wisdom designated to be His representatives on this earth, and through whom he has used throughout history and even until this very minute, to work out His Plan and Purpose for the entire Human Race.

The country of Israel is not just a piece of real estate governed and controlled by a certain government unit. It is the Embassy of the Kingdom of God on planet earth. It is the physical manifestation of the Kingdom.

As God said in 1 Kings 11:36 ;

"And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light always before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there."

Jerusalem, the political capital of the State of Israel, is also the only city in the world where God, the ruler over all the Universe, has chosen to put His NAME, His throne, to be the capital of His Kingdom. It is a capital in every sense of the word, physical, spiritual and political.

That is why the country of Israel is so maligned and hated in this world, and why it is under constant and never ending attack, not only the physical attacks of missiles and suicide bombers, but the verbal attacks on university campuses, newspapers, and governments all over the world.

These people don't hate Israel and the Jews, they hate God. But they can't get at Him, so they attack His embassy and His ambassadors on this earth.

As the Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 6:12 "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

The main reason things are so rough in Israel is not because Hizbollah has 40,000 missiles in South Lebanon. It's not because the Palestinian terrorist/mafia groups ship thousands of tons of narcotics into Israel every year, and use the money to finance their terror operations. It's not because the governments of Iran, Syria and other Arab countries are arming themselves to the teeth and backing terrorist groups who wage a constant, low intensity (but high cost) conflict with Israel. It's not because of anything the ironically named Non-Aligned movement does at the United Nations, or because of the Arab boycott against Israel which they only harm themselves by maintaining. It's not because of the anti-Israel sentiment at the British Foreign Office or the US State Department.

All of those things can and have been overcome by Israel.

Things are rough in Israel because there are almost a billion Muslims on this planet who pray five times a day, and a lot of them are praying for Israel to be destroyed.

The war against Israel and the Jews is not just a war fought with tanks and missiles on the battlefield, it is a war fought with prayer and fasting and the weapons of the spirit on the spiritual battlefield.

The War against you and your family that Satan the Devil and his demons are fighting every day, to cause problems in your marriage, to cause problems at your job, to cause problems with your church, and to rob you of the time and energy to deal with those problems, are also being fought on the spiritual battlefield.

That is why we, the Believers, need to be fighting back.

In 2 Timothy 1:3 the Apostle Paul said; "I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day."

Paul was praying night and day for the Body of Believers and the people he loved. We must follow his example.

In 1 Samuel 12:23 the Prophet Samuel, speaking to the People of Israel, said "Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way. "

Samuel considered it to be a sin against the Lord to cease praying for Israel. We must follow his example.

Finally, in Matthew 5: 43-44 our Lord Jesus Himself said "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."

The lesson I take from this is that we need to be praying for the Muslims, for the Atheists, for the pagans, and for all those who are unsaved. Pray for the United Nations, and the anti-Israel NGO's etc. Pray that God will replace the anger and hatred they have in their hearts with love for Him and His plan and for His people and His Nation.

The only way that there is ever going to be peace in the Middle East is when the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, is living in the hearts of those who currently hate Israel so much. It is only by replacing the hatred in their hearts with love, and thus winning the spiritual war in the heavenly places, that we can have any hope of peace, and respite from the physical war on the battlefield.

The only way there is ever going to be peace in your life and the lives of your family is when there is peace between you and God, and when you've reconciled yourself to living for Him and serving Him and His Kingdom and not yourself or your lifestyle.

There is much more, but that's why you have a Bible of your own. You'll find the rest of what you need in its pages.

God bless you.