NOW WHAT DO WE DO?
By Paul Proctor
October 7, 2009
NewsWithViews.com
Many, both here and abroad, are wondering now what will become of America. There’s a lot of intense speculation going on these days as to whether we should expect renewal, revival, revolution or the wrath of God.
People are losing their jobs, their businesses, their homes, their families, their pensions and everything they’ve worked a lifetime for. And because the problem is so profound and systemic, there’s really nothing the public or private sector can do to stop our economy from collapsing around us in spite of all the disinformation and outright propaganda to the contrary being manufactured by the government’s mainstream media machine and all those who have a vested interested in keeping the illusion of prosperity alive.
Even the money we use to buy and sell with – the world’s reserve currency – is an illusion that is quickly losing its appeal in the global marketplace. Americans may soon be the only people on earth that take U.S. dollars for goods and services – but for how long is anyone’s guess.
As I write, the Independent is reporting "the demise of the dollar" – that “Arab states have launched secret moves with China, Russia and France to stop using the US currency for oil trading.” Japan and Brazil are reportedly following suit. And, there’s no reason to believe it will stop there.
Because the dollar has long been the world’s reserve currency, most of it has been in circulation and in storage overseas. Imagine what will happen to its value when all of that unwanted currency comes back home to America from the countries that no longer want it or need it.
Remember; the more there is of something, the less it’s worth. An item’s rarity and desirability are what determines its value – not the numbers printed on it.
Take a rock from your front yard down to McDonalds and see if they’ll give you a hamburger for it. My guess is, they won’t since the owner of McDonalds can’t buy more hamburger meat and buns from his supplier with rocks that customers offer him over the counter because rocks are not rare and therefore aren’t valuable. A homeless man can fill his pockets with rocks off the street – but they won’t buy him a hamburger no matter how many he gives the guy behind the register or what numbers he scratches on the rocks that he offers. They’re still just rocks.
When Americans wake up and realize that the dollars they have in their wallets and purses and on account at the bank are little more than surplus paper, they’re not going to desire them anymore than China, Russia, France, Japan or Brazil. When this happens, it’s going to be like shopping with rocks.
The day is coming when food is going to become a lot more rare and desirable than green paper with numbers on it. Even though I’ve never tried it myself, I’m quite sure that money is not very tasty, nutritious or sanitary, for that matter, though it could be filling, I suppose, if you ate enough of it. And, if the gas and electric company quit taking dollars, we could always burn them in our furnaces and fireplaces, if we had to, to stay warm in the winter.
As if our declining economy and currency weren’t enough to bear, we Americans are losing our country as well, along with all the rights, freedoms, privileges and responsibilities that came with being a citizen. In fact, it would appear the United States no longer belongs to its citizens. Even the word “citizen” has lost its meaning here. No, our country belongs to men of great wealth, power and privilege who rule from the shadows, recognize no borders and fear little in life but the light of truth.
From the pew to the pulpit – from Main Street to Wall Street and from the voting booth to Capitol Hill – it’s mostly a charade now – driven by “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” (1st John 2:16)
Should we be surprised? After all, this isn’t the Garden of Eden – nor is it the Promised Land. That means we have no eternal guarantee from God that He’ll sustain us as a nation indefinitely though He did give warning long ago about the hell that awaits nations that forget Him. But, as great and powerful as America once was, I have yet to find any mention of it in scripture. That ought to be humbling and a little disquieting for professing Christians here.
You see, empires come and go. History has taught us that their “15 minutes of fame” is a little over two hundred years which means America has statistically run its course.
So, what do we do now?
Do we take up the sword and our own perceived morality to exact vengeance on those we believe are to blame for the fall of our kingdom or do we take up our cross and follow Jesus to His?
This is the controversial question before us.
America is collapsing not because we have failed to fight our enemies, but because we have forgotten God, and in doing so, have made Him our enemy. Sure, we vehemently claim Him as our own but live day to day like He’s not there or doesn’t care what we think or say or do – like America is God’s home and we have some divine right to reside here forever.
But, that home has become a vain, vulgar and violent place under the throne of a righteous and holy God whose kingdom is not of this world. And, foreclosure is coming friends, because we’ve been living large on borrowed money, borrowed blessings and borrowed time.
“…Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” – Matthew 4:17b
Related article:
1. The demise of the dollar
© 2009 Paul Proctor - All Rights Reserved
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul Proctor, a rural resident of the Volunteer state and seasoned veteran of the country music industry, retired from showbiz in the late 1990's to dedicate himself to addressing important social issues from a distinctly biblical perspective. As a freelance writer and regular columnist for NewsWithViews.com, he extols the wisdom and truths of scripture through commentary and insight on cultural trends and current events. His articles appear regularly on a variety of news and opinion sites across the internet and in print.
E-Mail: watchman@usa.com
By Paul Proctor
October 7, 2009
NewsWithViews.com
Many, both here and abroad, are wondering now what will become of America. There’s a lot of intense speculation going on these days as to whether we should expect renewal, revival, revolution or the wrath of God.
People are losing their jobs, their businesses, their homes, their families, their pensions and everything they’ve worked a lifetime for. And because the problem is so profound and systemic, there’s really nothing the public or private sector can do to stop our economy from collapsing around us in spite of all the disinformation and outright propaganda to the contrary being manufactured by the government’s mainstream media machine and all those who have a vested interested in keeping the illusion of prosperity alive.
Even the money we use to buy and sell with – the world’s reserve currency – is an illusion that is quickly losing its appeal in the global marketplace. Americans may soon be the only people on earth that take U.S. dollars for goods and services – but for how long is anyone’s guess.
As I write, the Independent is reporting "the demise of the dollar" – that “Arab states have launched secret moves with China, Russia and France to stop using the US currency for oil trading.” Japan and Brazil are reportedly following suit. And, there’s no reason to believe it will stop there.
Because the dollar has long been the world’s reserve currency, most of it has been in circulation and in storage overseas. Imagine what will happen to its value when all of that unwanted currency comes back home to America from the countries that no longer want it or need it.
Remember; the more there is of something, the less it’s worth. An item’s rarity and desirability are what determines its value – not the numbers printed on it.
Take a rock from your front yard down to McDonalds and see if they’ll give you a hamburger for it. My guess is, they won’t since the owner of McDonalds can’t buy more hamburger meat and buns from his supplier with rocks that customers offer him over the counter because rocks are not rare and therefore aren’t valuable. A homeless man can fill his pockets with rocks off the street – but they won’t buy him a hamburger no matter how many he gives the guy behind the register or what numbers he scratches on the rocks that he offers. They’re still just rocks.
When Americans wake up and realize that the dollars they have in their wallets and purses and on account at the bank are little more than surplus paper, they’re not going to desire them anymore than China, Russia, France, Japan or Brazil. When this happens, it’s going to be like shopping with rocks.
The day is coming when food is going to become a lot more rare and desirable than green paper with numbers on it. Even though I’ve never tried it myself, I’m quite sure that money is not very tasty, nutritious or sanitary, for that matter, though it could be filling, I suppose, if you ate enough of it. And, if the gas and electric company quit taking dollars, we could always burn them in our furnaces and fireplaces, if we had to, to stay warm in the winter.
As if our declining economy and currency weren’t enough to bear, we Americans are losing our country as well, along with all the rights, freedoms, privileges and responsibilities that came with being a citizen. In fact, it would appear the United States no longer belongs to its citizens. Even the word “citizen” has lost its meaning here. No, our country belongs to men of great wealth, power and privilege who rule from the shadows, recognize no borders and fear little in life but the light of truth.
From the pew to the pulpit – from Main Street to Wall Street and from the voting booth to Capitol Hill – it’s mostly a charade now – driven by “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” (1st John 2:16)
Should we be surprised? After all, this isn’t the Garden of Eden – nor is it the Promised Land. That means we have no eternal guarantee from God that He’ll sustain us as a nation indefinitely though He did give warning long ago about the hell that awaits nations that forget Him. But, as great and powerful as America once was, I have yet to find any mention of it in scripture. That ought to be humbling and a little disquieting for professing Christians here.
You see, empires come and go. History has taught us that their “15 minutes of fame” is a little over two hundred years which means America has statistically run its course.
So, what do we do now?
Do we take up the sword and our own perceived morality to exact vengeance on those we believe are to blame for the fall of our kingdom or do we take up our cross and follow Jesus to His?
This is the controversial question before us.
America is collapsing not because we have failed to fight our enemies, but because we have forgotten God, and in doing so, have made Him our enemy. Sure, we vehemently claim Him as our own but live day to day like He’s not there or doesn’t care what we think or say or do – like America is God’s home and we have some divine right to reside here forever.
But, that home has become a vain, vulgar and violent place under the throne of a righteous and holy God whose kingdom is not of this world. And, foreclosure is coming friends, because we’ve been living large on borrowed money, borrowed blessings and borrowed time.
“…Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” – Matthew 4:17b
Related article:
1. The demise of the dollar
© 2009 Paul Proctor - All Rights Reserved
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul Proctor, a rural resident of the Volunteer state and seasoned veteran of the country music industry, retired from showbiz in the late 1990's to dedicate himself to addressing important social issues from a distinctly biblical perspective. As a freelance writer and regular columnist for NewsWithViews.com, he extols the wisdom and truths of scripture through commentary and insight on cultural trends and current events. His articles appear regularly on a variety of news and opinion sites across the internet and in print.
E-Mail: watchman@usa.com
posted by shummer60 at Thursday, October 15, 2009
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home