First Baptist Church

In case you had not already noticed, the world economy is not good right now. The sharp drop in gasoline prices is vastly overshadowed by steep rises in unemployment, inability to get credit, foreclosures, etc. Anyone who has a 401k or any other investments dependent upon the stock market is hurting. The current financial crisis has often been compared to The Great Depression! The root cause(s) of this crisis have been, and will continue to be debated from now on.

We may struggle to understand the micro causes of the crisis but many of the macro causes we do understand. These include, the extremely high gas prices up until recently. Millions, if not billions, of dollars worth of costly gasoline are still setting on people’s credit cards remaining unpaid for at least the foreseeable future. Lenders lending money to home buyers, knowing the likelihood of the buyers being able to keep their homes was low. We have even learned a new term in recent months, “predatory lending” which seems appropriate. Another factor is certainly Americans living beyond their means. In 1980, for instance Americans averaged eating only 10% of their meals out but by 2000 it was 30%. Most of the restaurant chains we see today were not even around 30 years ago. Our expectations about a whole lot of things have changed.

I do have both good news and bad news for us. The bad news is things may not get much better, and if they do it may be a long time in coming, and even if it does, it will not last! The good news is that Christians should never feel dependant upon this earthly system of economics. Let us be reminded, and perhaps even be encouraged, by what God’s Word says concerning where our treasure lies:

• “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matt 6:21)
• Jesus spoke to The Rich Young Ruler, “If you want to be perfect, go sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” (Matt 19:21)
• In the Parable of the Rich Fool Jesus summed up His teaching by saying, “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:21)
• “…provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.” (Luke 12:33)

It has always been extremely tempting for Christians to drift into the world’s way of thinking and slowly lose consciousness of realities not so far away. Unfortunately the old quip, “out of sight out of mind,” fits all too well. The magnetic pull of sin and the world seem enormous. As a pastor, I watch families, individuals, teenagers, even senior adults at times, getting sucked in. It breaks my heart to see it happen, but sadly I cannot make people’s decisions for them. I have to rely on sharing God’s word and letting them deal with Him according to their own conscious. I do know for a fact that Paul wrote to the Philippian church, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ…” (3:20). In the midst of all the world’s economic woes and maybe even your own personal difficulties, just remember we are only here for a visit.

In Christ,

Pastor Allen Raynor