Power Verses…… “Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying pray. Let God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the centre of your life" (Philippians 4: 6 - 7 "The Message" version.)

Most of us have been badly shaken by the tumultuous events in recent day in Wall Street, and around the world. If you are relying on investment income for living, or have some kind of retirement plan, or are hit by currency losses no doubt you're licking your financial wounds right now. You may even be fearful. I share your fears. I'm experiencing these apprehensions myself.

Look at how we reached this crisis……. Sensing easy money, Wall Street packaged mortgages without regard to risk, sold them off, and made a big fat profit. Risky, even dangerous mortgages were then being offered to people who had little chance of paying them off. And when the housing market slowed and house values went down, the mortgage market began to collapse like, dare I say it, a house of cards. The ‘fat cats’ obscene bonuses had now turned into ‘fool’s gold’.     The parable of Jesus comes to mind in Matthew 7 v. 24 – 27, about the wise man building his house on rock……
 
These past six months in my life, allied to the current financial instability, has brought to my remembrance, that fear is always the enemy of faith.    During those months in my devotions, and as I planned to re-launch Harness-the-Power, I had an especially strong awareness that my life was completely in God's hands.

“To live is Christ, to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)

Intellectually, I've known that for some time, but at last, it is now engraved in my soul. Now, when things go wrong, I turn with confidence to God, pray, read His Word, trust Him, and feel an amazing peace, a peace that the world certainly cannot give.    After all these years of intellectual faith, I finally moved forward and my faith has taken up residence in my heart and been birthed in the depths of my soul..........
It is such a burden-lifting, fear dispelling, spiritually enhancing experience!    I am His!
And there's more! The financial markets are His. The world is His. Our eternal destiny is secured by His love.

Here's something else that results from world insecurity……… God often uses adversity for His greatest blessings. Christians are called to do the best things in the worst of times. I was reading recently about the plagues that rampaged through the Roman Empire.  The politically powerful, the wealthy pagans, and the social elite fled the cities in total fear, but the Christians stayed and tended and ministered to the sick and dying. That sacrificial love, that was visible for all to see, fuelled the incredible growth of the Christian Church.

 Christianity today, has the perfect opportunity to show how the first Church, as recorded in Acts chapter 4 (it’s worth reading), really works, where Christians help one another through tough times and reach out lovingly to our neighbours. Perhaps in these current worrying days we should do a lot more ‘reaching out lovingly’, by picking-up the phone with a message of hope, sending an e.mail with a positive message, or calling on a neighbour to let them know you care.

There are those who are of the opinion that the financial turmoil we currently face is the direct result of our world turning its back on God. However, with everyone making up his own rules when it comes to right and wrong, is it any wonder our economic system is under stress?

Michael Novak, the respected theologian, said, “Western democratic capitalism is like a three-legged stool, resting on political freedom, economic freedom, and moral restraint. Take away moral restraint, and the stool collapses.”

The current troubles are not going to lead to the total collapse of the world economies, but I do believe that God is telling us to sober up and get serious about what we believe and how we live.

But above all this, remember: God is on His throne. Maybe the "eat, drink, and be merry" attitude of the western world needed a responsible adjustment, as does the spiritually casual attitude of the Church.

 Some who claim the name ‘Christian’ need to move from an intellectual knowledge, to a heart and soul experience. Acknowledging, that since all things work together for good and since God graciously gives all of us all thing, we are more than conquerors in all circumstances, and nothing in all creation can separate us from His love.

God is our All-in-All, our Almighty, all-embracing, all-encompassing, all-sufficient Saviour.