tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19834333159636345192024-03-13T17:12:47.732-04:00Shepherd News Trust BlogKurt Koppetschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13279340337623846239noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983433315963634519.post-15849219962840784292011-07-13T22:26:00.046-04:002011-11-11T23:34:25.193-05:00ECONOMIC REMEDIES GUARANTEED TO WORK. To implement remedies, go to "Prayer" at top of blog.<div align="center">By Kurt <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Koppetsch</span>, Publisher<br /><span style="font-size:0;"></span><span style="font-size:0;"></span><span style="font-size:0;"></span>Shepherd News Trust, Inc.<br /><a href="http://www.shepherdnewstrust.com/">http://www.shepherdnewstrust.com/</a></div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">The economy is an integral part of God's domain. And economics is God's way of managing it. The spiritual treatment of the economy and economics, therefore, is essential for a clearer understanding about our involvement and is also critically important for the survival of humanity as spiritual beings in the image of God. The leitmotiv in this writing about the economy and economics is the spiritual connection.</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">The economy and economics is not a free-for-all the way greedy people in the secular world would like to have it. The economy and economics are of God, and God is in control. God has definite expectations of people. He expects top performance according to his will and purpose. Indeed, there are obligations in economics, similar to other obligations that we experience in our relationship with God.</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">Economics is stewardship of God's wealth to a predestined end. God provides the means, and he defines the outcome. The means is the economy, and the predestined end is quality of life. Our performance, therefore, will determine our destinies. Ultimately we will be asked to give full account of our use of time, talents and resources.</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">In this understanding, trust and faithfulness are words of spiritual importance. As citizens of the world we compliment these spiritual components with civility, honor and respect; our behavior then identifies us as decent human beings in the secular world. As practitioners of the Golden Rule, therefore, we look to our partners in economic matters to have integrity, ethics, respect, honor and commitments that are similar to what they expect of us.</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">America's current economic difficulties are self-inflicted by a service economy that had its start in the early 1970s.</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">Low-paying service jobs make it difficult for American families to make ends meet. Two incomes are now essential to support a family. Often parents are forced to work two jobs. The constant loss of manufacturing jobs is wiping out any hope in the future for decent wages with associated benefits.</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">Whereas manufacturing jobs have a ripple effect on the economy of nations, a lopsided service economy consumes the wealth of nations. A service economy does not contribute to the building of highways, bridges and schools. A service economy offers little support to pay for police and fire protections. And deficit spending in a service economy <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">squanders</span> the future of children.</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">Compounding the problems of the flimsy service economy is the lack of hope for a better future. Job security has become a foreign concept, but families need a dependable income to prepare their children for the future.</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">America's economic situation has taken a turn for the worse. Huge corporations continue to wipe out the local manufacturing base that once provided reliable income for many families. In its place we now find these same large corporations peddling foreign-made goods at high profits. They charge the consumer whatever the traffic will bear. In this modern dilemma, trade deficits and foreign investments threaten the future freedom of American children.</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">The well-being of individuals and families is at the mercy of corporate peddlers of foreign-made merchandise. The citizens of the once most prosperous nation in the world are now trapped in a silly numbers game played by financial manipulators. Financial gurus in control of huge corporations are mercenaries without mercy. Their sole compassion is money. "Paper barons" have replaced the visionary entrepreneur-managers.</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">"Paper barons" now run huge enterprises in insidiously hidden ways to make high profits for themselves at the expense of consumers. For example, while the contents of food packages are getting smaller, frequent increases in the price of these smaller-sized goods are quite common. While the weekly income of working families diminishes or remains flat, the salaries of "paper barons" are increasing at immoral rates.</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">The world revolves around economics. Therefore, we rightfully ask: "What is good economics? This is the key economic question for the modern world, as good economics is the criterion for quality of life. Good economics is our statement of faithful stewardship.</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">A good economy respects the life, liberty and happiness of each individual in his or her search for the way of God. Good economics recognizes that all resources on Earth belong to God, and we are but stewards of his creation. We honor God as supreme reality. And we love him for what he is, and for what he is doing for us in our short pilgrimage on Earth. Good economics is synonymous with a prosperous life on Earth.</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">Political meddling in economic matters is just a license for greedy people to do as they please. In these aberrations of God's way, the rich get richer, and the poor are being pushed into the bottomless pit. The children of America must pay in the future for the folly in leadership now.</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">Unscrupulous operators, in America and throughout the world, manipulate supply and demand to their advantage. We see this especially in Third-World nations that depend on goods and services from their more highly developed neighbors. For the residents of Third-World countries, like those in Africa, economic fairness is a matter of life or death. We see death from starvation in many African countries where opportunists have unfairly exploited a nation's natural resources without fair compensation. On top of this evil are power-hungry tyrannical rulers in underdeveloped nations who are in collusion with ruthless global conglomerates and their political cohorts to fill their own pockets.</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">Huge corporations have created woes for innocent people as never before. To correct this great evil of huge corporations taking advantage of poor people in the modern world, God is encouraging each person to become self-sufficient. And, by the grace of God, "individual economies" will take root and grow.</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">In this new approach to economics, pioneers--inventors and innovators--are driving forces. God will help each person in sundry ways to nurture individually owned enterprises, while economies of scale are doomed to failure as a direct result of uncontrollable size. Though the evil may always try to gain the upper hand in controlling the lives of people through large-scale economic oppression, God as the champion of ethics, justice and faith will bless individual entrepreneurs who operate their business according to the Golden Rule.</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">Some of the tactics of ruthless governments and large scale corporations are not always obvious. The unsuspecting minds of trusting citizens are too innocent, and a gentle citizenry may not immediately come to grips with the antics of economic greed by politicians and their financial backers. Even though we feel the pain of injustice and inequality in the distribution of the national wealth, often they are so overwhelming that we seem helpless and give up. Economic evildoers and their lobbyists seem more powerful than all the citizens of many nations combined.</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">God expects us to clip the wings of powerful "paper barons" in the community, the nation and the world. God sees our needs, and he wants us to bring about change and correct an evil situation. The masses of American consumers have greater power than all the powers of "paper barons" in the world combined.</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">About global economics. In the modern concept of global economics, a few select nations control the rest of the world as a matter of greed. Global economics is colonization in disguise. The "paper barons" of international conglomerates and ruthless politicians may temporarily fool the public with their business glamour. In the Era of Faith, God is not interested in business glamour, but God expects our trust and faith through the spiritual connection with God in our consumption of his wealth on Earth.</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">More than in any other human discipline in the world, economics is full of wolves in sheep's clothing. Christ has warned us about greedy people whose <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">modus</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">operandi</span> is the promotion of falsehoods through misleading statements or selfish business practices. Peers in commerce, industry and financial institutions have coined the phrase "hockey stick cowboys" to identify co-workers whose ambition is rise to power through the promotion of falsehoods. Hockey stick cowboys are ruthless "paper barons." They talk fast. They talk smooth. They want full control of the global economy.</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">"Hockey stick cowboys" force themselves onto center stage by criticizing conservative management as not aggressive enough for growth. Their growth charts always start out flat to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">criticize</span> past performance. But once they are in charge, their hockey stick theories of growth opportunities turn into projections, and the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">exponential</span> growth opportunities that a hockey stick implies never materialize. Hockey stick cowboys take advantage of style without substance. Style without substance has ruined many established businesses, and the employees of defunct enterprises suffer the consequences of folly in leadership when the business fails.</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">The evil in economics is commonly the fruit of indifferent business leaders, whose prime qualification for dealing with God's wealth is not rooted in the wisdom of God but is based on a piece of paper that bestows on them the secular title of master in business administration. "Paper barons" arrogantly believe that a master's degree from a business school entitles them to rule over God's wealth.</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">God says: "Wisdom comes with experience. Wisdom is not book knowledge. Wise business leaders are entrepreneurs with vision. They build on their vision, and they know how to correct evil situations. They maintain what they built. On the other hand, book-smart business leaders tear things down. And they flee the scene to pursue other opportunities when chaos confronts them."</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">Whereas "paper barons" fight for their power, God honors his inspired stewards with dignity and respect, and common people also honor and respect faithful stewards as they have demonstrated responsible leadership in commerce and industry for the well being of all.</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">The global economy is the supply engine for food and medicine in underdeveloped countries. The pressure is now on inspired leaders in successful economies to be compassionate and attend to the needs of starving and sick people. Any failure to meet the physical needs of suffering people spells disaster for the global economy--and the global supply engine will sputter or may even explode.</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">People who live according to worldly standards will want to push spiritual involvement aside. So we hear the scornful, though seemingly logical question: "What does the spirit have to do with the price of bananas?"</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">But as quickly as green bananas ripen and spoil, so will the short human pilgrimage on Earth come to a sudden end.</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">This sad result will come about because people have failed to realize their spiritual identity. They have failed to recognize God's purpose for their lives. What must we do? This question implies desperation. Seekers of truth will have their answer in the spiritual connection with God.</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">If as responsible citizens we fail to speak up and defend what is right, we are guilty of contributing to the tensions of others. For instance, this is the case when economic hardship is caused by deficit spending. We are involved and responsible when we approve the action of government to pay for any programs that may benefit us now but whose debentures have dire consequences on the livelihood of future generations.</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">We rob our children of their potential in the future by tapping this potential to pay our commitments. We are guilty of dragging future generations, not at all connected with our difficulties, into our predicaments.</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">It is known that deficit spending transfers purchasing power to higher income groups and those who cannot afford to buy bonds must pay the taxes for retiring a debt issue.</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">God looks with compassion at modern America, and he suffers with the victims of economic abuse. With scorn he addresses the arrogant and seemingly invincible "paper barons" and impulsive politicians: "You have become too big for your breeches. All the world's resources are mine. Your greedy appetite and lust for power are wasting what belongs to me and all my people."</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">And God continues: "I have made America the bastion of free enterprise. You have eliminated your competitors by swallowing them up one by one, not with your own money but at the expense of my people. You have borrowed money and then passed on the cost of your insatiable growth to the consumers. They carry the burden of your grandiose scheme through higher costs of the market basket or smaller food packages. In your grandiose plots you start new ventures with borrowed money and then fold them up when things do not work out. Who do you think is absorbing the loss? Surely it is not your financial backers. They are even greedier than you are. They are in business to make money no matter what. And look at your accounting schemes. Suddenly you play the fool, claiming that you do not know what is happening. You know how to give yourselves huge salaries, bonuses and generous pensions. My people must pay for them by your denying jobs, health coverage and pensions for my hard-working people."</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">God's voice now thunders: "By what rules do you gamble the hard-earned savings of my working people in 401(k) plans? Who decides that you have the right to declare a stock under value or encourage companies to dilute the number of shares? Who do you think is picking up the tab when your schemes fail? Unscrupulous institutional managers of the public trust are great evils in modern times. A lot of money is changing hands without control and without consideration of the needs of the owner."</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">God says: "You pay obnoxiously high salaries in professional sports. Whose money is it that you are wasting? You recover every penny through advertisements of the products my people must buy in order to live. But it is my people who must swallow with each spoon of food the bitterness of your schemes. I, the Lord, have spoken."</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">Subtle changes gradually appeared on the horizon. "Efficiency experts" entered the scene. There were shifts away from the personal relationship workers enjoyed with entrepreneurs. Professional managers appeared to run the business on a new and impersonal platform. The new focus was on the bottom line. Ethics was put into the back seat, and the once-vital work ethic slowly faded into oblivion. The 1960s saw the beginning of the end of manufacturing in America.</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">This shift broke the backbone of the American economy. Cheap labor overseas overpowered the American workforce with the approval of management. The American workforce in textiles, shoes and eventually high technology was hung out to dry by its business leadership. Besides the loss of jobs, America is losing all rights to genuine American technology. Business leaders claim to need the technology transfer to manufacture their products overseas. God is troubled.</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">God says: "My wealth in America belongs to the American people. It is my gift to them." God admonishes America's leadership--business leaders and politicians alike--concerning job losses: "When you scorn the American workforce as an expense that is prohibitive, you are attacking the foundation of the American dream that I put in place for a bright future of job stability and family income. You are attacking me when you take work away from my people. Your cheap labor tactics are now the cause of many social ills in America. Your greedy appetite is placing the American family in jeopardy. Your greed is a monster that gnaws at the hopes and dreams of my people. And that is not all. You now sell in America for dollars what you have manufactured offshore for cents. Your exploitation of cheap labor markets is slavery. Your greed is responsible for hatred and wars because exploited people feel the injustice done to them. You are fools if you think that I will let you get away with it. Beware of your greed. Greed is a killer. I will not stop your greed, for eventually your own greed will destroy you in due time. Repent therefore. I, the Lord, have spoken."</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">Copyright (C) 2003 by Kurt <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Koppetsch</span>/Shepherd News Trust. All rights reserved. Excerpt from the book "Era of Faith" by Kurt <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Koppetsch</span> and published by Shepherd News Trust, Inc.</div>Kurt Koppetschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13279340337623846239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983433315963634519.post-52689053231154487912010-08-03T14:12:00.006-04:002018-10-13T13:09:42.494-04:00HOPE: The story of eternal life<div align="center">
By Kurt Koppetsch, Publisher</div>
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Shepherd News Trust, Inc.</div>
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<a href="http://www.shepherdnewstrust.com/">www.shepherdnewstrust.com/</a></div>
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A world without hope is hell on Earth and the future is contentious and grim.<br />
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Hope is divine medicine against insidious stress, as human stress is an acute spiritual problem. Hope laughs at stress, and stress flees the scene. God is laughing with us, for hope is of God, and so is laughter.<br />
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Young people need hope to spiritually mature in faith for quality of life--predicated by spiritual wholeness, health, food, shelter and freedom from stress. Hope also is a necessary spiritual diet for inner peace. Hope and peace are means of grace for making life spiritually whole. The spiritual application of hope is prayer and listening to the Word of God, as God is telling us over and over again, saying, "I love you!" It is my hope that this message of hope will inspire every reader to see how God may be working in our lives in the modern Era of Faith.<br />
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I believe that we are spiritual in character but secular by makeup. God created us whole beings for the purpose of serving him and people. God supports us in every task that brings glory to his name as we help family, friend and neighbor improve their quality of life; our service to God and people are relationships. I further believe that respect, trust and hope define the commonality of human beings.<br />
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I experienced trustworthy hope when my family and I were refugees at the end of World War II in 1945 and running for our lives. God showered us with hope when we were facing death in the ravages of war. I further experienced his gift of hope as a cancer survivor--God stood by me during my prostate surgery and two subsequent skin cancer operations. I know for certain that he continues to bless me with hope in every hardship.<br />
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I am writing this blog about the story of eternal life to encourage young people to nurture hope and the spiritual connection as their blessings from God, as hope is a continuing process of change for improving quality of life. These changes are <em>From/to</em> transformations, <em>from</em> chaos <em>to </em>harmony and <em>from</em> stress <em>to </em>inner peace. God saved me and now I pray for like blessings of inner peace for all people, especially for our young people who must battle life's tough choices. I experienced the God of grace and hope as true love, may they experience the same.</div>
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And he continues to bless me with his presence in my trials, as he did when I was a young boy on September 1, 1939--my fourth birthday--the infamous day that started World War II. And I now encourage all young people who face fear, stress, terror and uncertainties because of the conflicts in today's consuming world to learn all about hope. My testimony to the Word of God about hope in disaster and tragedy for a new beginning in the ERA OF FAITH is Gospel truth.</div>
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<strong>Spiritual Hope</strong></div>
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Spiritual hope is an ongoing process of happenings and the wonders are always new. I learned that trustworthy hope is the soul's reward in the spiritual connection with God; therefore, sharing our life with him is indeed an exciting experience. Once a hope is fulfilled, God keeps reminding us over and over again, saying, "I love you." Consequently, new avenues of hope open up and wait to be explored. We rely on his promise and together we look forward to the spiritual wonders of the good and beautiful. Simply put, trustworthy hope--spiritual hope--makes us children of God.</div>
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Hope, indeed, brings out the child in us in all manner of adverse conditions. God lets our imagination run wild and vision and dreams are abundant. God is telling us that we can be what we want to be. Visions and dreams are his ways to enliven future prospects with the eyes of our soul; and hope is always there to make sure that these dreams and visions come true.</div>
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Whereas hopelessness is a muddy path of ruin, trustworthy hope is God's way for spiritual wholeness and abundant life.</div>
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Furthermore, trustworthy hope facilitates spiritual solutions to the world's physical ills. God leads us to his rainbow bridge of grace, and he invites us to go across into the future for a glimpse of Heaven. God walks with us and together we watch worldly troubles vanish. We now have the opportunity to improve the quality of life for friend and neighbor.</div>
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Biblical stories inspire us with faith to be bold in the hope that God provides. In every instance, he is speaking and assuring us "I love you" and things happen. Stories in conventional literature do not have similar inspirational value.</div>
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<strong>Secular Hope</strong></div>
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Equally important but less dramatic is secular hope; but there are problems. We find legions of experts--academic, ecclesiastical, political, independent thinkers, unbelievers, doubters and skeptics--who are promoting mountains of theories about hope. Unfortunately, the majority of these proposals on secular hope are unfounded; they are full of controversy, small talk and empty promises. Such environment is not conducive for relief to innocent victims of terminating circumstances who desperately long for help from the burden of oppressive stress, anxiety, pain and even death. In their desperation, despairing souls will call for legislated remedies to social ills; but legislators, politicians and greedy leaders in the community are not always there to lend a helping hand or, very often, they get mired in political bickering and partisan politics. This makes secular hope the crisis in modern life.</div>
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Compounding the issue further are selfish passions, the outcomes of which are keyed to aspirations in search of human greatness. Individuals aspire for themselves the benefits of respect, recognition, honor and success. But such egocentric wishes are boorish endeavors whose sole objective is success at any cost. Individuals possessed by greed and lust for power will ultimately resort to extremes in behavior to have their dreams come true; for example, Cain killed Abel. The negative side of secular hope continues to be widespread: Politicians, economic and financial opportunists will manipulate the world's resources and use falsehood, cheap rhetoric and wicked party politics to seize control without considerations to solving social problems for the common good.</div>
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My challenge to activists of secular hope is to restore what has been squandered and lost and start building a new hopeful environment for future generations using integrity, ethics and justice.</div>
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<strong>Future glory</strong></div>
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Future glory is the eternal life of souls as life in union with God in Heaven. We have lived the spiritual hope on Earth, and now we are prepared to cross the rainbow bridge of grace where God will welcome home his faithful pilgrims after their pilgrimage on Earth of 70 years, more or less. We have labored in faith and our Father in Heaven welcomes us home with open arms according to divine promise. But the laborers of secular hope are destined to wait at God's judgment seat for their final destination. When all is said and done, eternal life is peace. Saints will live the joy of God's glory where timeless relationships are praises of thanksgiving to God for letting us share his life. God has won the victory for the saints who are in Heaven; but those still remaining in the world must continue the struggles and strive to make it a better place for future generations.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 85%;">Copyright (C) 2010 by Kurt Koppetsch/Shepherd News Trust, Inc. All rights reserved.</span> </div>
Kurt Koppetschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13279340337623846239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983433315963634519.post-59100519592713976382010-05-08T10:26:00.036-04:002011-09-06T23:38:55.582-04:00I.D. CRISIS--Series 10 of 20--Government<div align="left">Author: Kurt <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Koppetsch</span>, Publisher, Shepherd News Trust<br /><br />PURPOSE:<br />This blog is designed to examine the performance of Congress, the Executive Branch and the Judiciary in light of the Constitution of the United States. The "government by the people for the people" is charged to serve the present and future generations in a just and compassionate manner. Furthermore, government shares with all Americans the monumental task of defending freedom and justice as spelled out in the Constitution of the United States of America. Additionally, the leitmotiv in this blog is the spiritual connection as a timeless relationship of trust with the living God.<br /><br />GOAL:<br />The goal of the Shepherd Blog is to help people secure quality of life as prefaced by truth, justice, peace, health, shelter, economic independence and by resolving human stress as the acute spiritual problem that overwhelms people and nations.<br /><br />BACKGROUND:<br />The book <em>I.D. Crisis</em> by Kurt <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Koppetsch</span> deals with the spiritual, intellectual, and social conflict in modern times. Confusion about the past and uncertainties in the present prevent us from knowing our true nature. As a direct consequence of such confusion, visions of the future are clouded. Some of the diversions that prevent us from realizing our true identity as children of God are philosophies, politics, economics and falsehood such as religious cults. The solution is remembering that human beings are dependent creatures of God.<br /><br />HOPE FOR THE FUTURE:<br />Each series of the book <em>I.D. Crisis</em> will conclude with the poem "Rays of Hope and Freedom" to assure readers that God cares about our lives and we are his children of hope. Hope is the From/to process at work in the modern Era of Faith repairing life and circumstance. Hope is making the impossible come true.<br /><br /><strong>GOVERNMENT</strong><br /><br />1. The role of Government<br /><br />"And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Herodians</span>, to entrap him in his talk. And they came and said to him, 'Teacher, we know that you are true, and care for no man; for you do not regard the position of men, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?' But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, 'Why put me to the test? Bring me a coin, and let me look at it.' And they brought one. And he said to them, 'Whose likeness and inscription is this?' They said to him, 'Caesar's.' Jesus said to them, 'Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.' " (Mark 12:13-17)<br /><br />And Jesus plainly told Pilate: "My kingship is not of this world; if my kingship were of this world, my servants would fight, that I might not be handed over to the Jews; but my kingship is not from the world .... For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice." (John 18:36,37)<br /><br />Government is an institution of the world. It exists by authority of the people it represents. Its function is to preside over the affairs of society so that order is maintained through a system of law and justice. Government further administers the responsibility of the people and provides for public welfare for those in need.<br /><br />The laws that government rules by are commonly derived by from experience of problem situations. These are mostly written to correct the shortcomings in social behavior. The intent of these laws is to project a better life for the future.<br /><br />Laws are designed to give all people in a democratic society equal opportunity in the sharing of rights and obligations. Whereas the world depends on physical strength to make its system work, God's Commandments override human wisdom (Exodus 19-24).<br /><br />For example, God's rescue of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt has prompted Covenant and Law. Because of people's failure to live by God's standards, God intervened again. And the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ are now part of humanity's history. Through them we also now have the model of the godly life before us. And the teaching about how believers are restored for sharing life with each other in God's presence (Romans 5:1-11) is God's message in the Gospel.<br /><br />Through this knowledge of divine expectations and similar appreciation of civil laws, people within a given society can then adjust their behavior. An orderly people conforms to accepted norms and standards.<br /><br />Enlightened government envisions a better way of life through the laws that it dictates. Its laws establish rules for relationships. They appropriate resources wisely. And they look protectively after the people, environment, and material blessings.<br /><br />On the other hand, a bad government reacts to the matters at hand irrationally. Its laws reflect panic and confusion. In the following chaos, the most severe laws are selected as the instrument to rule people in tyranny. Confusion and chaos are the breeding grounds for conversions from democracy to autocracy.<br /><br />A beneficent government knows how to maintain order through its laws by enforcing them justly. It recognizes the value of justice as a mechanism for controlling human behavior. Any enlightened society then becomes a dynamic force that establishes its own sphere of influence so that other societies will want to follow its model. When this happens, its status increases and the security of its people is strengthened.<br /><br />The ideal rule by government has yet to be demonstrated in the world. Daily struggles toward this goal make up the crucial difference between "should" and what is. Even the most advanced democratic state--where citizens enjoy freedom of expression and find appreciation for excellence--look at utopia as a far-out concept.<br /><br />Nevertheless, good government should strive to provide order through justice according to laws that are an agglomeration of the best available knowledge. These must be considerate and protective of the future. Good laws should incorporate all experiences of human behavior to prevent undesirable repercussions.<br /><br />The complement of good laws and good government is necessary for the future and growth of any society This comes about when laws are evolutionary. Stability and progress provide the foundation for closing the gap between what is ideal and current fact--progress transforms the "should" in government action to the reality of daily life.<br /><br />Built into the laws, and standing behind the enforcing government, is the authority of the people. Government and law are inseparable. One is the other's disciplined complement. Both should be established for the sole purpose of serving the people. The definite function of government is to maintain order by providing justly for all people.<br /><br />2. Public Trust and Definition of Purpose<br /><br />Law, order, and justice are the prime functions of any government.<br /><br />A government's strength rests in the pertinence of the laws to the problems at hand. As the responsible authority to provide order through justice, government must stay dynamic by virtue of evolution in its systems of laws.<br /><br />But as society progresses to new norms of behavior and updates its laws, government must act to protect the fundamental rights that are basic to ensuring human dignity. Because these are God-given rights, any government that recognizes the authority of God as the fundamental responsibility of its people is ruling according to wisdom and will be blessed with power.<br /><br />Inasmuch as people have the responsibility to submit themselves totally to the authority of God, government has no right to dictate to its people anything that will affect, or can influence, spiritual performance or eternal destiny. The Kingdom of God and human organizations in the world are two separate entities. They are not only separate, but they are diametrically opposed to each other. The spirit indeed has superiority over the flesh. And the immortal prevails over the mortal.<br /><br />Law, order, and justice, as incorporated in government, are to the world what the grace of God is to the Kingdom of heaven. As an institution of the world, government is the instrument of people. The people are responsible for government. And the government is accountable to the people, for it has received their authority as a matter of public trust.<br /><br />Because government is a dominant force in contemporary life, it will benefit everyone to study its role and our involvement in it. We soon will discover that common to both people and nations is self-preservation. Modern man is not exempt from basic animal instincts. And neither has humanity suffered throughout the ages from a shortage of greed and lust for power.<br /><br />In writing to the Church at Rome, Saint Paul gives a cursory review of a Christian's duties toward state authorities (Romans 13).<br /><br />Paul speaks about personal behavior in any orderly society. He deliberately avoids fixing a burden of proof--with regard to responsibility and accountability--on those who govern. Saint Paul points to the performance of people.<br /><br />Paul discusses a Christian's involvement in government in terms of the consequences of good and evil behavior. But our compliance to his warning that we must "show respect and honor" toward those who govern suddenly shifts responsibility and accountability from a believer's role to a servant's status.<br /><br />Saint Paul writes: "Therefore he who resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment, for rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of him who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain; he is the servant of God to execute his wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore, one must be subject, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience." (Romans 13:2-5)<br /><br />Honor and respect extended by God's chosen people according to divine decree has suddenly turned into the "double-edged sword" over those in authority. What is freely given must be responsibly administered.<br /><br />God complied with the wishes of Israel for a king (1 Samuel 8:22). Does this mean that God did not care any more? Far from it. God tolerates coexistence of good and bad people. But at the end of time all people must stand before God in judgment. Christ's parable about the Kingdom of Heaven exemplifies this point (Matthew 13:47-50)<br /><br />Saul was an expert in the ways of the world. He knew what pleased people. For the sake of popularity, he sacrificed spiritual integrity and the authority of God's prophet (1 Samuel 13:7b-14). Saul's roller coaster performance met God's judgment as he and his sons died on Mount <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Gilboa</span> (1 Samuel 31:1-6).<br /><br />By the example of Saul, we are again shown that God's interest is not embodied in the charisma of people, but in faithfulness and obedience to his will and purpose: "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king." (1 Samuel 15:22-23)<br /><br />The strength of any nation is the wisdom of its people. Governments are not made by wishful thinking or meaningless rhetoric. Never-ending promises seldom see the light of day.<br /><br />People must learn to protect themselves from political theatrics and not become gullible to such trickery. We have been blessed with the truth about God through the Holy Spirit living in us for the purpose of doing the will of God. How, then, can we be faithful and obedient to God when we allow ourselves to be swayed by human nature? We must control human nature and not make it our master. For this very reason we have received newness of life in the Spirit to properly use the power of God.<br /><br />The power of God is made available to us by the revelation of the Holy Spirit. Christ said that the Holy Spirit "will take what is mine and declare it to you." (John 16:14) The authority that we yield at the ballot box to elect our government is a definite part of this God-given power.<br /><br />Our responsibility, then, definitely is to God. We are in no way accountable to man for something we have received from God. The right definition of authority in government then is authority by the people. When all realize this obligation, then government works on behalf of the people, doing exactly what they dictate.<br /><br />3. Our Burden of Responsibility<br /><br />Whenever people neglect their God-given responsibility, they similarly abdicate their authority to govern themselves. This change can take place through action or inaction at the ballot box, and the function of government can become changed from service to rule.<br /><br />Our responsibility in the election process is just one part of our overall obligation as children of God. There are many lessons in the Bible to show how Israel's survival depended on loyalty to God, while disloyalty always led to disaster. The stories of Judges show the disaster that came when God's people turned away from him.<br /><br />Let us review the instructions to the Israelites concerning the type of life God expected them to lead in the Promised Land: "Take heed to yourself, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither you go, lest it become a snare in the midst of you. You shall tear down their altars, and break their pillars, and cut down their <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Ashe'rim</span> (for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God), lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and when they play the harlot after their gods and sacrifice to their gods and one invites you, you eat of his sacrifice, and you take of their daughters for your sons, and their daughters play the harlot after their god and make your sons play the harlot after their gods." (Exodus 34:12-16)<br /><br />But the people did not take their burden of responsibility seriously, and the beginning of disaster shows Israel's indictment. The angel of the LORD went from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Gilgal</span> to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Bochim</span> and said to the Israelites: "I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you into the land which I swore to give to your fathers. I said, 'I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.' But you have not obeyed my command." (Judges 2:1-2)<br /><br />National disaster came upon the Israelites when they stopped worshipping God after the death of Joshua and began to serve local pagan gods. "So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them; and he sold them into the power of their enemies round about, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies." (Judges 2:14)<br /><br />And the continuous story shows that Israel forgot God again and again. But in the same accounts we also read how the Israelites cried out to God and on every occasion "he sent a man who freed them." The writing in Judges gives valiant account about <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Othniel</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Ehud</span>, Deborah and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Barak</span>, and some more popular heroes like Gideon and Samson.<br /><br />But the book of Judges also contains the dedicated efforts of eleven tribes and their fight against evil. The nation rightfully assumed the sexual abuse and murder of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Levite's</span> wife as a national problem when they set out to rid the land of this evil and purified the faith. Commitment to God overshadowed their sorrow of having totally destroyed the tribe of Benjamin--save for 600 men--and it guided them in making provision so that the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Benjaminites</span> would not become extinct (Judges 19-21).<br /><br />Today's Christians also know of their responsibility to God because of Christ's teaching, but we have an additional obligation to society because our freedom is based on a system of law which all people must uphold and support in order to benefit from this freedom.<br /><br />The point that must be raised is whether individuals in a free society of God-fearing people have the right to abdicate their responsibility and give away their authority. As God-fearing people, do we have a right to deprive government leadership of best available talent and elect as leaders people who have many shortcomings? Let there not be any doubt, the burden and the responsibility is ours.<br /><br />We have looked at the method by which government operates as a matter of public trust. Its nature is definitely a reflection of the character of its people. If the government looks sick, then the people surely require healing.<br /><br />But we are too quick to explain our shortcoming by claiming that we were misled by false promises. Thus, we help set our own trap and then complain when we fall into it. Because we live in the world, we are wise to the world. Surely, we are familiar with the old tricks of stealing from Peter to pay Paul. But this is exactly the essence behind smooth-talking rhetoric that contains promises without any substance. It is our duty, therefore, to clamp down on any irresponsible actions, those in word as well as those in deed. But we don't. We overlook them, simply because by chance we may benefit by them.<br /><br />Freedom degenerates as people wrongly think that they can afford it because they enjoy prosperity. But was we allow this to happen, government will claim credit for accomplishments, while at the same time flexing its muscle to show the world that it is in full charge. It alone has the authority and the power to rule. And the people will face very convincing arguments that a particular government should continue because it has all the necessary expertise in dealing with the wealth and the power of its people.<br /><br />It is during these times of false prosperity that the nation will sink to its lowest level because power becomes abused. The consequence is that the poor in the land lose all support. The prosperous do not care, as long as they are taken care of. They do not suffer, although they wish some of the burdens to be lighter. Additionally, there is then no concern for future generations. Selfishness only strives to satisfy immediate demands.<br /><br />Let us now clear up one of the greatest misconceptions since free society has been ruling itself. This is the notion that government is power and wealth. This is absolutely not true.<br /><br />Government does not create power and wealth. If anything, it dilutes it.<br /><br />Power and wealth are the resources of people. But because government is very arrogant, it wants to claim credit during times of prosperity. It readily reacts to praise. And it even more quickly responds when it comes to denying any responsibility for bad times. So we see politicians reacting whenever the floodlights are on problems.<br /><br />Especially is this the case when these problems were created by the very acts of government and for which those in ruling authority should stand up as being responsible. It is easier to take credit than to accept blame. And the ruling body that once pretended to be so powerful now manufactures whimsical excuses as explanations why certain things happen the way they do.<br /><br />Government is strong by virtue of the strength of the nation. But the strength of government is not at all a reason for its existence. Power and strength are only useful when wisdom to use them rightfully is present. It is a true saying that wisdom is power and knows how to handle it--but power without wisdom can bring about oppression and tyranny.<br /><br />The public trust as the authority that people give their elected representatives should be a matter of wisdom and should not be acquired on the basis of cheap rhetoric and empty promises. The authority that rules under the umbrella of wisdom rules also in humility. Wisdom and humility should be partners! Only when they are does representative government provide service that is beneficial to its people.<br /><br />There is nothing magical about this. This is exactly the objective for electing the government in the first place: To serve its people!<br /><br />It must not be otherwise. Election to public office is an honor to serve all people justly in the confidence of humility, thus not taking anything for granted in return. Election to public office is an honor that costs dearly. It carries the burden to serve wisely, for the decisions of government have far-reaching consequences into the future.<br /><br />The government must protect all its people. Through its system of laws it provides order as it justly administers the behavior of people. But a government's responsibility does not extend outside its own society.<br /><br />Neither does government have any authority to regulate, by law or suggestion, the important relationship of God and man. Government rules in the world. But God, as the Creator of heaven and earth, is ruler of all. All matter concerning the spirit come under the authority given to Christ. Our resurrected Lord clearly assumed all responsibility on behalf of believers: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me" (Matthew 28:18) was Christ's confirmation to instill hope in apostles and disciples. And Christ substantiated the words of hope with the promise to guide our lives: "I am with you always, to the close of the age." (Matthew 28:20)<br /><br /><br /><strong>RAYS OF HOPE AND FREEDOM<br /></strong><br />My life was in chaos.<br />Darkness clouded my senses.<br />My heart trembled in fear.<br /><br />I prayed to God:<br />"Father, help me!"<br />And God transformed my life.<br /><br />The world is still the same.<br />But I am now secure.<br />Christ is my Savior!<br /><br />His love fills my heart,<br />His faith is my faith.<br />Rays of hope now light up my soul.<br /><br />Rays of hope and freedom<br />Show me the way to God,<br />And where Christ lives I too will live.<br /><br />Copyright (C) 2009 by Kurt Koppetsch/Shepherd News Trust. All rights reserved.<br /><br />(Excerpts from the books I.D. Crisis and Era of Faith by Kurt Koppetsch, published by Shepherd News Trust, Inc.--www.shepherdnewstrust.com<br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><div align="justify"></div>Kurt Koppetschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13279340337623846239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983433315963634519.post-15776410253671352362010-04-21T12:18:00.006-04:002010-04-25T00:10:34.986-04:00I.D. CRISIS--Series 9 of 20--God's Prophet Elijah and his challenge<div align="left">Author: Kurt Koppetsch, Publisher, Shepherd News Trust<br /><br />PURPOSE:<br />The purpose of this blog is shedding light, i.e. truth, on contemporary religious views.<br /><br />The goal of the Shepherd Blog is to help people secure quality of life--as prefaced by truth, justice, peace, health, shelter, and economic independence--by resolving human stress as an acute spiritual problem that overwhelms people and nations.<br /><br />BACKGROUND:<br />The book <em>I.D. Crisis</em> by Kurt Koppetsch deals with the spiritual, intellectual, and social conflict in modern times. Confusion about the past and uncertainties in the present prevent us from knowing our true nature. As a direct consequence of such confusion, visions of the future are clouded. Some of the diversions that prevent us from realizing our true identity as children of God are philosophies, politics, economics, and falsehood such as religious cults. The solution is remembering that human beings are dependent creatures of God.<br /><br />HOPE FOR THE FUTURE:<br />Each series of the book <em>I.D. Crisis</em> will conclude with the poem "Rays of Hope and Freedom" to assure readers that God cares about our lives and we are his children of hope. Hope is the From/to process at work in the modern Era of Faith repairing life and circumstance. Hope is making the impossible come true.<br /><br />Topic for April 21 through April 28: GOD'S PROPHET ELIJAH AND HIS CHALLENGE<br /><br />If our desire to overcome the current identity crisis is at all sincere, spiritual reawakening must become the order of the day. Good intentions alone never accomplish anything.<br /><br />Newness of life and restored fellowship with God are based on God's righteousness. It is, therefore, important to thoroughly comprehend Old Testament writings.<br /><br />Biblical stories are a distinct part of our Christian heritage. But Old Testament literature must be read and understood in terms of Cross and Gospel. The revealed meaning of these writings completes the total presentation of the truth about God.<br /><br />We must recognize God's sacrifice on the Cross as the fulfillment of Law and Prophets. Christ's teaching confirmed this eternal truth. And through God's action on the Cross, we can now experience salvation by grace through faith.<br /><br />This gift has its firm foundation established on the righteousness of God. Its reality in daily life is demonstrated through an intimate working relationship with the living God. Christianity details this opportunity from God for spiritually enslaved people to become free again through a life of union with Christ. Christ says, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." (John 8:31-32)<br /><br />However, as a free people of God, we can choose the quality of our life. We have the option, for example, to seek or reject God's purpose for our life. We also have the freedom to receive God's blessing in Biblical literature as a matter of faith. Or, we can study the Word of God judicially from a strictly intellectual point of view, where critical scholarship is like an investigative tool.<br /><br />Each approach has its own merits. But only when we commit ourselves to learn the truth about God with a dedication that demands faith will we benefit from God's blessing when reading the Bible.<br /><br />The function of theology is to help faith appreciate what God through Christ has done.<br /><br />God has demonstrated divine power in action for billions of years. Specifically we are forced to admit perfection in the movement of the planet Earth within the constellation of the heavenly bodies for over four-and-one-half billion years. New discoveries of scientifically documented facts serve as additional evidence that even the smallest particle is pertinent to the perfect motion of the universe.<br /><br />With this knowledge, we have no choice but to suddenly feel humbled. Humility compels us to acknowledge our privileged status as redeemed people of God. We are blessed to know, worship, and serve the Almighty God of Creation, who, in His wisdom, also saw to it that every part of the human body is functional and unique.<br /><br />Let there be no doubt, the eternal power of God is truly visible in the exactness that sustains the performance of the universe as well as in the perfection of grace that provides care for human beings on earth. The supplement of grace to the miraculous space-time continuum is beyond all descriptive language, even the words of Babylonian mythology. It requires faith to experience God in personal life and see God in all that exists. We must yield to eternal truth.<br /><br />There is no theology in existence that can fathom God's eternal power. Nor are there adequate words in any language to fully describe the divine will that Christians know and witness to as the grace of God in Cross and Gospel.<br /><br />Thus, full appreciation and revealed understanding of eternal truth and universal salvation is a matter of faith. All meaningful relationships with the living God are a matter of faith and dedication.<br /><br />So we find that within this context of a faith relationship--though in the setting of the legalistic covenant--the prophet Elijah confronted Israelites in the Northern Kingdom: "How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him." (1Kings 18:21)<br /><br />Let us explore some of the background leading up to this encounter. About 1,200 years before Elijah's challenge, the covenant of faith and promise with Abraham was the means by which God had chosen to make Himself known. God's offer to relate to people on earth was consummated when Abraham "believed the LORD; and he reckoned it to him as righteousness." (Genesis 15:6) Abraham had responded to God's expectation by giving up his old identity. Because of it, he subsequently found perfection through his new relationship to God. Abraham lived in God's presence.<br /><br />As time went on divine promise was fulfilled some 400 years later when on Mount Sinai God declared a covenant with Abraham's progeny.<br /><br />A nation was born!<br /><br />All the reasons for everlasting celebration were contained in God's covenant that crowned Israel's miraculous rescue from bondage and slavery in Egypt. Though the conditions for sharing God's blessings were clearly defined, pride and outright rejection immediately separated God and people. The evil in human nature surfaced on so many occasions that God punished the evil generation of the newly formed nation by denying them the blessing of the promised land.<br /><br />The historian of Deuteronomy framed the rocky start of Judaism in the words of God's unforgettable challenge. In it blessing and curse are equated to life and death: "I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice, and cleaving to him; for that means life to you and length of days...." (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)<br /><br />Life on earth is a matter of priorities. This message was explicitly given in Deuteronomy and again vociferously proclaimed by Elijah on Mount Carmel: "If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him." (1 Kings 18:21)<br /><br />The ultimate question as to "how long will you go limping with two different opinions?" (1 Kings 18:21) culminated the three years of drought that Elijah had previously predicted. Starvation, physical as well as spiritual, produced the agony that set the stage for exposing apostasy in Northern Israel.<br /><br />The prearranged marriage between King Ahab and the Tyrian princess Jezebel was but a minor detail in the long events of rampant faithlessness in Northern Israel. The marriage only served to magnify the ongoing problem of rebellion against God.<br /><br />Through heinous manipulation of power, Jezebel returned idol worship, specifically the worship of the Phoenician fertility god Baal, to the land that God had previously destined for the Israelites because of the very fact that its earlier inhabitants had lavished in idol worship. Jezebel's vicious threats intimidated the residents of the urban centers. She had succeeded in imposing her version of Baal worship. Hindrances were solved by a very efficient process--which, unfortunately, has carried over into modern times in the form of character assassination. Jezebel was determined to destroy the Israelites' orthodox view of dependence on God. Death was the ultimate enforcer of her ambition.<br /><br />But during the heat of conflict, God stood by His prophet. God answered Elijah's prayer for mercy on the people and the LORD sent fire down in approval of Elijah's sacrifice offering. The event on Mount Carmel was not intended to teach people conversion through fear, although this was precisely the result: "And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, 'The LORD, he is God; the LORD, he is God' " (1 Kings 18:39)<br /><br />God's eternal lesson through this incident on Mount Carmel was to expose the futility of idol worship. The language used by Elijah to lead on the prophets of Baal excels satire and comedy, especially because of its Biblical setting: "At noon Elijah mocked them, saying, 'Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is musing, or he has gone aside, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.' " (1 Kings 18:27)<br /><br />Now about 800 years later, roughly 2,000 years from the present time, the Elijah of Christianity was pointing to the Master we all must serve. John the Baptist opened the prelude to the Gospel. And Jesus Christ preached the Good News from God: "I have come in order that you might have life--life in all its fullness." (John 10:10)TEV<br /><br />Christians have reason to bask in the promise of the resurrected Christ: "I am with you always, to the close of the age." (Matthew 28:20)<br /><br /><strong>RAYS OF HOPE AND FREEDOM</strong><br /><br />My life was in chaos.<br />Darkness clouded my senses.<br />My heart trembled in fear.<br /><br />I prayed to God:<br />"Father, help me!"<br />And God transformed my life.<br /><br />The world is still the same.<br />But I am now secure.<br />Christ is my Savior!<br /><br />His love fills my heart,<br />His faith is my faith.<br />Rays of hope now light up my soul.<br /><br />Rays of hope and freedom<br />Show me the way to God,<br />And where Christ lives I too will live.<br /><br />Copyright (c) 2009 by Kurt Koppetsch/Shepherd News Trust. All rights reserved.<br /><br />(Excerpt from the books I.D. Crisis and Era of Faith by Kurt Koppetsch, published by Shepherd News Trust, Inc.--www.shepherdnewstrust.com)<br /><br />This blog will be the primary text from April 21 through April 28, 2010.<br /><br />Starting on April 29, 2010: Government</div>Kurt Koppetschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13279340337623846239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983433315963634519.post-13654229283282492262010-03-15T17:15:00.008-04:002010-03-29T03:10:18.190-04:00THE SERENE EXPANSE--A faith relationship specialAuthor: Kurt Koppetsch, Publisher, Shepherd News Trust<br /><br />PURPOSE:<br />The purpose of this special Shepherd Blog is to help people appreciate the Serene Expanse as a gift from God for securing quality of life--as prefaced by truth, justice, peace, health, shelter, and economic independence--by resolving human stress as an acute spiritual problem that overwhelms people and nations.<br /><br />This Shepherd Blog special will run from March 15, 2010, to April 19, 2010<br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><strong>The Serene Expanse</strong></div><br /><div align="center">Everybody owns a Serene Expanse,</div><div align="center">It is our gift from God for peace and tranquility.</div><div align="center">Peace and tranquility are important as life itself,</div><div align="center">They are essential for a healthy body, mind, and spirit.</div><div align="center">The serene expanse serves as a refuge for spiritual renewal,</div><div align="center">Against the stress and pressures of an uncertain world,</div><div align="center">God is overly generous with gifts of the Serene Expanse.</div><br /><div align="center">Every person needs shelter for sorting out issues and facts,</div><div align="center">Nature caters to human needs in all faith relationships.</div><div align="center">Nature is a mighty fortress for reflective meditations--</div><div align="center">Truly, nature is a reliable friend.</div><div align="center">All people are offered this haven of security,</div><div align="center">It is our birthplace of oneness with God.</div><div align="center">The Serene Expanse is a birthright!</div><br /><div align="center">God is with us at the Serene Expanse,</div><div align="center">And creation, evolution, creed, and enlightenment unfurl before us.</div><div align="center">Centuries of human wisdom and controversy melt before our eyes,</div><div align="center">As we come to realize that strength is in diversity and tolerance.</div><div align="center">The Serene Expanse is more than an experience in time.</div><div align="center">This earthly replica of a perfect form in Heaven</div><div align="center">Is truly inspirational.</div><br /><div align="center">The Serene Expanse</div><div align="center">Is grace in action,</div><div align="center">For God meets his pilgrims face to face.</div><div align="center">He inspires the faithful with faith,</div><div align="center">And we appreciate spiritual freedom.</div><div align="center">We thank God for the Serene Expanse,</div><div align="center">Where the beauty of nature is ours and we are his.</div><br /><br /><div align="left">Copyright (C) 2003 by Kurt Koppetsch/Shepherd News Trust. All rights reserved.<br /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">(Excerpt from the book <em>Era of Faith</em> by Kurt Koppetsch, published by Shepherd News Trust, Inc.--www.shepherdnewstrust.com)</div><br /><div align="left">This special Shepherd Blog will run from March 15, 2010 to April 19, 2010</div><br /><div align="left">Starting on April 19, 2010, return to <em>I.D. CRISIS</em>, Series 9 of 20--God's Prophet Elijah and His Challenge.</div><br /><br /><div align="center"></div>Kurt Koppetschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13279340337623846239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983433315963634519.post-80351547161521338742010-03-02T20:56:00.009-05:002010-03-03T01:54:47.636-05:00I.D. CRISIS--Series 8 of 20--The Bible<br /><br />Author: Kurt Koppetsch, Publisher, Shepherd News Trust<br /><br />PURPOSE:<br />The purpose of this blog is shedding light, i.e. truth, on the contemporary view of the Bible.<br /><br />The goal of the Shepherd Blog is to help people secure quality of life--as prefaced by truth, justice, peace, health, shelter, and economic independence--by resolving human stress as the acute spiritual problem that overwhelm people and nations.<br /><br />BACKGROUND:<br />The book <em>I.D. Crisis</em> by Kurt Koppetsch deals with the spiritual, intellectual, and social conflict in modern times. Confusion about the past and uncertainties in the present prevent us from knowing our true nature. As a direct consequence of such confusion, visions of the future are clouded. Some of the diversions that prevent us from realizing our true identity as children of God are philosophies, politics, economics, and falsehood such as religious cults. The solution is remembering that human beings are dependent creatures of God.<br /><br />HOPE FOR THE FUTURE:<br />Each series of the book <em>I.D. Crisis</em> will conclude with the poem "Rays of Hope and Freedom" to assure readers that God cares about our lives and we are his children of hope. Hope is the From/to process at work in the modern Era of Faith repairing life and circumstance. Hope is making the impossible come true.<br /><br />Topic for March 3 through March 14: THE BIBLE<br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><strong>Preface and contemporary assessment</strong></div><div align="left"><br />The Bible in the Era of Faith is the story of relationships according to God's plan for human life. The mission is to fill spiritual needs by means of the connection with God. The goal is to experience the presence of God in all that we do.<br /><br />Once spiritual needs are met, the physical needs will also be met. God is out in the world. Christ says: "Come and see!" (John 1:39) He wants us to see God in him. And God wants us to experience the spiritual connection as the permanent bond with the Creator of all that is and in whom we have our true being. The Era of Faith is God's gift of hope for a new beginning to make our life spiritually complete.<br /><br />To know God as our Father in Heaven is to love, honor, and respect him on Earth with the same intensity and commitment that Jesus Christ demonstrated during his earthly life. Jesus gave the world a foretaste of spiritual things to come when he told the Samaritan woman: "God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:24) Within this context of spirituality, the Holy Spirit widens our horizons for the purpose of seeing God, whom we now love, honor, and respect.<br /><br />God is providing ample time for reflection and study of all the aspects of our relationship with him. We search his will. We examine the purpose of our creation. And we plan our behavior around the purpose of our creation: As children of God we are his voice and his hands in the world. God initiates this process of learning about him by setting the stage for a new beginning. The Era of Faith is the new beginning. It is absolute reality in which God supports our lives with his presence. This new beginning is his permanent gift by the power of the Holy Spirit for all generations to come. We all have now the opportunity to see God. This was precisely what Job experienced about 3,500 years ago when God came to him personally. An awestruck Job experienced eternal truth as the presence of the all-powerful Creator: "I heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees thee." (Job 42:5) God was speaking with Job face to face.<br /><br />This demonstrates that God calls each of us in person. He personally invites us to represent him and be "the salt of the Earth" and his "light of the world." Our light therefore must "so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in Heaven." (Matthew 5:16) Faithful believers heed his call and summarily yield to the authority of God and submit to his guidance. God subsequently empowers the faithful by the power of the Holy Spirit with faith, hope, and love. Together we then build fortresses of truth from which the light of God in Christ shines piercingly bright and penetrates even the farthest corners in the world of doubt and disbelief. The Era of Faith is God's way of helping us to make the world a better place. God invites us to work with him to take back what is his own by witnessing to the world that the transformation of life from imperfection to perfection is by grace in faith! The Word of God defines the perfect life as the spiritual life in union with God.<br /><br /><strong> The Bible<br /></strong><br />The Bible details the pilgrimage of mankind as a life of choice between two opposing realities. As such, it demonstrates the ongoing conflict between the cosmic power of light and darkness.<br /><br />As people of God living in the world, Christians are part of the continuous battles between good and evil. We are exposed to suffering and pain as we struggle to overcome the conflict within our lives.<br /><br />Accordingly, Biblical literature serves to remind people that life in all its relationships--with God and with other people--is precious to God. Our behavior is important to spiritual survival.<br /><br />The control of emotions and physical aggressiveness is so crucial to personal well-being that God is specifically reminding people through Biblical literature about imminent judgment. Individuals will be held accountable for all actions on earth. Our failure to honor the sanctity of human life will influence the outcome of Christ's judgment and determine spiritual destiny. Life in all its relationships is sacred to God.<br /><br />Jesus Christ has demonstrated the model of the godly life for us. Believers will become disciples when they follow Christ's example of faithfulness and obedience to God the Father.<br /><br />What will often appear like a seemingly confusing future of chaos and despair are nothing more than misleading impressions to discourage the uncommitted. Satan works to destroy the hope of those with little faith by keeping from them the penetrating rays of God's glory at the end of the tunnel of darkness. Discouragements are very effective tools of evil.<br /><br />God has distinctly provided direction by means of the Bible's inspirational message. Its timeless truth is a matter of revelation through the Holy Spirit. But to make use of comfort and help from God requires that we accept God offer of guidance. We must keep our lives in harmony with God's objectives.<br /><br />Under the guiding support of God's Holy Spirit, faithful believers may draw on God's never-ending power for finishing Christ's work in the world. This life-sustaining blessing is recorded in the Bible as Christ's promise.<br /><br />The Bible shows that the will of God on earth is accomplished through people. Thus, the relationship between God and people demands that believers become fruitful in their work on behalf of God's Kingdom, for the mission of human life on earth is to bring glory to God.<br /><br />Christ's prophetic declaration identifies Christians as the visible means of God's glory--we are "like light for the whole world."<br /><br />Hence restored fellowship with God is a divine gift that is unique to Christianity. Through it Christians contribute to the Kingdom of God on earth. We are taught that restored fellowship is established for the purpose of sustaining a faithful witness. God's saving presence strengthens believers so that the will and purpose of God in creation can be properly fulfilled.<br /><br />The Bible tells about relationships. It talks about rebellion, rejection, greed, anger, and hate. But the Bible also tells us about love, precisely the love of God for sinful people: "For a brief moment I forsook you, but with great compassion I will gather you. In overflowing wrath for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you, says the LORD, your redeemer." (Isaiah 54:7-8) The Bible makes the hope which grows out of repentance meaningful and real.<br /><br />Repentant sinners can count on this assurance, because God's grace is based on divine righteousness alone and made available as a gift in fulfillment of God's promise: "For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the LORD, who has compassion on you." (Isaiah 54:10)<br /><br />God has reached out to sinful people solely on the basis of grace. But this divine offer for salvation requires that believers have faith in Christ as God's anointed Savior. This faith in Christ is made real and visible when contrite hearts urgently want to learn the will of God and then follow up all good intentions with commitment and dedication.<br /><br />Biblical literature shows that the love of God has constantly reached out to people, independent of the many shortcoming of human nature. Repentant sinners can now share salvation through God's promise in Cross and Gospel, God's promise takes care of even the worst of sinners.<br /><br />Consequently, the writer of the Gospel according to Saint John describes the love of God as the force that alone can propel the human spirit into eternity: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)<br /><br />And Christianity, as the one form of universal salvation, teaches that eternal life is ordained by God as spiritual union with Christ and communion with God through Christ. For in God's Kingdom, Christ commands the rightful place as the authority of beginning and end: " 'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." (Revelations 1:8)<br /><br />Contrary to popular notions, the Bible is not a book of magic for making people religious. Nor is the Bible a weapon of doctrine or traditions for controlling human behavior to make people conform to ecclesiastical policy.<br /><br />If anything, the revealed message of Christ's teaching declares war, figuratively and in reality, on legions of people who are complacent with sinful traditions. Christ's prelude to the Gospel is a call for repentance: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel." (Mark 1:15)<br /><br />Speaking by the authority of the Holy Spirit, Saint Peter set forth Cross and Gospel as the one eternal truth and the one universal salvation: "Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified ... And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 2:36, 4:12)<br /><br />Long before Christ's sacrificial death on the Cross, God's call for repentance and spiritual renewal went out through the prophet Habakkuk. But the summons to a life of faith also contained God's message of hope: "Behold, he whose soul is not upright in him shall fail, but the righteous shall live by his faith." (Habakkuk 2:4)<br /><br />This very same life-giving truth of the Word of God was picked up by Saint Paul. Christ's dedicated servant to Jews and Gentiles alike heralded God's eternal plan of salvation by grace through faith as the power of the Gospel: "For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, 'He who through faith is righteous shall live.' " (Romans 1:17)<br /><br />The Bible focuses on how people manipulate their spiritual similarity with God for personal gain. It exposes the sin caused by humanity's failure to use the power of God for establishing and advancing the Kingdom of God on earth. It declares the proper uses of God's power, the way God intended it to be used when divine power was made available as the great blessing for all human creation.<br /><br />Christ told the Samaritan woman that "God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:24) Renewed emphasis is directed toward spiritual oneness with God in preparation of a new type of covenant relationship between God and people. The center and cornerstone of this relationship is Jesus Christ. Its worldly manifestation is Cross and Gospel.<br /><br />Through God's act of redemption in Jesus Christ, the Bible has suddenly changed from a lexicon of law to the encyclopedia of faith. In it we find information for spiritual growth. The lesson on truth starts with Abram, who "believed the LORD; and he reckoned it to him as righteousness." (Genesis 15:6)<br /><br />Throughout the Bible's inspirational teaching, faith is presented within a covenant relationship of trust, justice, and love. Love is given priority as a mutual and reciprocal commitment of faithfulness between God and people. "For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God, rather than burnt offerings." (Hosea 6:6)<br /><br />This type of love is the direct result of true repentance, as God demanded through the prophet Amos: "Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." (Amos 5:23-24)<br /><br />As the literature of faith, the many "context stories" in the Bible require objective examination. Cultural background and living conditions are always unique to specific environments in time and place. What may have been readily obvious to people in Biblical times may be totally unknown in the present age.<br /><br />Thus, proper comprehension of the Bible's content requires thorough study with a dedication that is typical of critical scholarship. But the prime factor in learning the truth about God is faith.<br /><br />The necessary commitment for Bible study is different from any of the commitments that people must make in the world, if they want to succeed in what they are doing. Though the logistics may be similar, the concern for the Kingdom of God is above everything else we may think of in the world. The effort spent in sorting and weighing of the many variables in Biblical literature--of which time, place, and method of presentation are but a few--is then part of the investment for discipleship.<br /><br />When under the guidance of the Holy Spirit grace and faith combine, then the Word of God as a divine message in the Bible becomes active and alive in the believer's heart. The written word, indeed, is human, but its inspirational message is divine.<br /><br />As we look at the humanity of Biblical literature, we find, first of all, that the written word revolves around oral tradition for long periods of time. Secondly, composition and authorship is a matter of scholarly debate.<br /><br />For example, The Torah, or Pentateuch, is judged by many scholars to be the work of three, possibly four, literary traditions. The oldest of the documents may have originated about 1,000 years before Christ. Newer writings in the Hebrew canon may have been compiled around the fifth century B.C.<br /><br />Yet independent of authorship and composition, Old Testament literature is credited as the single most important factor in the survival of Judaism. And its contribution to Christianity, and the quality of Western life per se, must be acknowledged in praises and thanksgiving to Almighty God.<br /><br />Thus, all readers of Biblical literature should recognize that of ultimate importance to human life is God's inspirational message through revelation by the Holy Spirit. Revelation alone makes the Word of God become active and alive in people. The written word--whether executed by hand as in ancient times or mass-produced by printing machines--is but a vehicle, by means of which the Holy Spirit makes known to faithful believers the truth about God.<br /><br />Eternal truth and universal salvation as the essence of Christianity is God's message in Biblical literature. The written word continues to preserve hope for all generations, because God's love for people is the eternal truth of Cross and Gospel.<br /><br />Biblical literature is a blessing from God to strengthen and purify the faith, and the means by which the Holy Spirit inspires people. Its narrative must not be misused.<br /><br />For example, the Bible is not a weapon to enforce doctrine or a tool to manipulate behavior in people for getting a certain response. The Bible does not relate to goal-oriented psychology and its many schemes and mechanisms to control people by playing on their emotions.<br /><br />The truth about God is not enhanced even by the most noble of human intentions. Dedication to God must have Christ as its foundation. Our faithfulness and obedience alone will prove the pertinence of Biblical literature in the affairs of daily life.<br /><br />The world's best effort is not good enough when we mix worldly ambitions with eternal truth, however sincere our intentions may be in creating dogmas, developing theological precepts, or even employing creative energies to speculate about the future. All human manipulation of the truth about God is evil, for the pertinence of Biblical literature in the affairs of daily life is a matter of revelation by the Holy Spirit.<br /><br />God has always made his will known for any specific needs at hand. So let us live in faith and put the future in God's hands. The relationship between God and people requires faith, dedication, trust, but most of all love--love for God and people around us.<br /><br /><strong>RAYS OF HOPE AND FREEDOM</strong><br /><br />My life was in chaos.<br />Darkness clouded my senses.<br />My heart trembled in fear.<br /><br />I prayed to God:<br />"Father, help me!"<br />And God transformed my life.<br /><br />The world is still the same.<br />But I am now secure.<br />Christ is my Savior!<br /><br />His love fills my heart,<br />His faith is my faith.<br />Rays of hope now light up my soul.<br /><br />Rays of hope and freedom<br />Show me the way to God,<br />And where Christ lives I too will live.<br /><br />Copyright (c) 2009 by Kurt Koppetsch/Shepherd News Trust. All rights reserved.</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">(Excerpt from the books I.D. Crisis and Era of Faith by Kurt Koppetsch, published by Shepherd News Trust, Inc.--www.shepherdnewstrust.com)</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">This blog will run from March 3 through March 14, 2010.</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">Starting on March 15, 2010: God's Prophet Elijah and his challenge </div><div align="center"> </div><div align="left"><br /><br />-</div>Kurt Koppetschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13279340337623846239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983433315963634519.post-38082964574416651982010-01-05T13:10:00.023-05:002010-01-22T00:44:17.365-05:00I.D.CRISIS--Series 7 of 20--The Economy<span style="font-family:arial;">Author: Kurt Koppetsch, Publisher, Shepherd News Trust </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><img class="gl_size" alt="Font size" src="http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif" border="0" /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">PURPOSE: </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The purpose of this blog is shedding light, i.e. truth, on the current economic dilemma and fixing it.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The goal of the Shepherd Blog is to help people secure quality of life--as prefaced by truth, justice, peace, health, shelter, and economic independence--by resolving the 2 major social concerns that overwhelm people and nations: (1) The economy and (2) human stress as the acute spiritual problem. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">BACKGROUND: </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The book I.D. Crisis by Kurt Koppetsch deals with the spiritual, intellectual, and social conflict in modern times. Confusion about the past and uncertainties in the present prevent us from knowing our true nature. As a direct consequence of such confusion, visions of the future are clouded. Some of the diversions that prevent us from realizing our true identity as children of God are philosophies, politics, economics, and falsehood such as religious cults. The solution is remembering that human beings are dependent creatures of God. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">HOPE FOR THE FUTURE: </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Each series of the book I.D. Crisis will conclude with the poem "Rays of Hope and Freedom" to assure readers that God cares about our lives and we are his children of hope. Hope is the From/to process at work in the modern Era of Faith repairing life and circumstance. Hope is making the impossible come true. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Topic for the entire month of January 2010: THE ECONOMY<br /></span><br /><br /><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">Preface</span></strong></div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The economy is an integral part of God's domain. And economics is God's way of managing it. The spiritual treatment of the economy and economics, therefore, is essential for a clearer understanding about our involvement and is also critically important for the survival of humanity as spiritual beings in the image of God. The leitmotiv in this writing about the economy and economics is the spiritual connection.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">There are six sections: (a) Preface, (b) The spiritual perspective on the economy and economics, (c) Modern economics, (d) Global economics, (e) The human side of economics, and (f) The spiritual renewal of America for economic independence and freedom from stress.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The <em>Spiritual perspective on the economy and economics</em> details the spiritual connection. It sheds light on our responsibility as God's faithful stewards of his resources on Earth.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">In <em>Modern Economics</em> we look at the important three Ws central to all critical reviews: What, where, and when. What does the past tell us? Where do we stand in the present? When will we act to improve the human condition in the future? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">In <em>Global economics</em> we take a critical look at this relatively new phenomenon. We will review economic justice in the context of helping underdeveloped countries secure their independence through economic freedom. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">In <em>The human side of economics</em> we examine how the spiritual connection bears on modern economics in terms of the needs of the Kingdom of God on Earth. We will also review some of the major shortcomings in modern economics. We will focus on America. We will examine how political lobbyists influence the action of government and the creation of laws. We will further expose economic abuse by opportunists, manipulators, and self-styled "paper barons" who exploit the public trust for personal gain. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">In <em>The spiritual renewal of America for economic independence and freedom from stress</em> we see a concerned public rising up to regain control of jobs in manufacturing. This action "by the people for the people" asks for God's help to recover what has been squandered and lost.<br /></span><br /><br /><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">The spiritual perspective on the economy and economics</span></strong></div><span style="font-size:0;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The economy and economics is not a free-for-all the way greedy people in the secular world would like to have it. The economy and economics are of God, and God is in control. God has definite expectations of people. He expects top performance according to his will and purpose. Indeed, there are obligations in economics, similar to other obligations that we experience in our relationship with God. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Economics is stewardship of God's wealth to a predestined end. God provides the means, and he defines the outcome. The means is the economy, and the predestined end is quality of life. Our performance, therefore, will determine our destinies. Ultimately we will be asked to give full account of our use of time, talents, and resources. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">As citizens of the world we have the obligation to use God's wealth in ways that agree with his purpose for our creation. If we want to realize our hope of eternal life in the presence of God in Heaven, we must comply with God's way on Earth. Our independence on Earth is contingent upon the quality of our spiritual connection with God in Heaven. We are his children in the world to do our father's bidding. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Our father in Heaven is a loving God. And God trusts us to be faithful in managing his wealth on Earth. Economics and the economy are servant functions. Therefore, the role of faithful stewards over God's vast economic domain is precisely doing what God wants to get done. God trusts us with his wealth on Earth, and we have no choice but to respond to this trust with a commitment that love of God alone affords. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">In this understanding, trust and faithfulness are words of spiritual importance. As citizens of the world we compliment these spiritual components with civility, honor, and respect; our behavior then identifies us as decent human beings in the secular world. As practitioners of the Golden Rule, therefore, we look to our partners in economic matters to have integrity, respect, honor, and commitments that are similar to what they expect of us. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Economics is faithful stewardship. We prioritize available resources to fulfill human needs in a fair, just, and equal manner. Faithful stewardship implies responsible management of God's resources. Responsible management means the preservation of materials and responsible maintenance of the quality of the environment for future generations. This is our obligation to our children. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The story of good economics in the Bible is the stewardship of Joseph at the court of the king of Egypt around 1600 B.C. (Genesis 41:25-47) </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Bad economics, on the other hand, are multitudes of human aberrations of God's principles. Bad economics is driven by greed. Satan is the promoter of all kinds of greed. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The Bible indicts greed as the worst of human aberrations. God condemns the insatiable appetite of greedy people for the possessions of others. All types of greed are destructive. Greed kills relationships. Greed kills people in wars and in economic oppressions. Satanic greed will eventually consume the souls of greedy people. Wherever human aberrations of God's way promote greed, the consequences are chaos and human despair. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Singly against greed stands the Word of God. By the power of the Holy Spirit, God is telling us in plain language to shape up, change our evil ways, and accept his Word as the sole authority on economics. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><br /><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">Modern economics</span></strong></div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">America's current economic difficulties are self-inflicted by a service economy that had its start in the early 1970s. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Low-paying service jobs make it difficult for American families to make ends meet. Two incomes are now essential to support a family. Often parents are forced to work two jobs. The constant loss of manufacturing jobs is wiping out any hope in the future for decent wages with associated benefits. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Whereas manufacturing jobs have a ripple effect on the economy of nations, a lopsided service economy consumes the wealth of nations. A service economy does not contribute to the building of highways, bridges, and schools. A service economy offers little support to pay for police and fire protection. And deficit spending in a service economy squanders the future of children.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Today's service economy favors the rich in a two-tier society of the have and the have-not. Two tier societies threaten community life. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Two-tier societies are impersonal and pose a threat to the survival of families and communities. Overworked parents have little time left to raise their children. Volunteer work in the community is almost nonexistent. And there is little time left to converse with a neighbor. Families in neighborhoods were once supportive of each other, and we could count on each other in times of need, but this has now become a dream world for many people. The good times when we could call on our next-door neighbor and borrow a cup of sugar are gone. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The modern impersonal lifestyle created by the service economy has replaced relationships with concerns about money. Money wields power. Money now speaks. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The need for money is ever increasing to support the family. The cost of housing is alarmingly high. Health care consumes a major portion of the family's income. Everywhere we look in the service economy, people are driven by money needs. The modern service economy is a quagmire of debts. We need money--lots of money--to pay for the basic needs in life. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Compounding the problems of the flimsy service economy is the lack of hope for a better future. Job security has become a foreign concept, but families need a dependable income to prepare their children for the future. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">America's economic situation has taken a turn for the worse. Huge corporations continue to wipe out the local manufacturing base that once provided reliable income for many families. In its place we now find these same large corporations peddling foreign-made goods at high profits. They charge the consumer whatever the traffic will bear. In this modern dilemma, trade deficits and foreign investments threaten the future freedom of American children. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The well-being of individuals and families is at the mercy of corporate peddlers of foreign-made merchandise. The citizens of the once most prosperous nation in the world are now trapped in a silly numbers game played by financial manipulators. Financial gurus in control of huge corporations are mercenaries without mercy. Their sole compassion is money. "Paper barons" have replaced the visionary entrepreneur-managers. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">"Paper barons" now run huge enterprises in insidiously hidden ways to make high profits for themselves at the expense of consumers. For example, while the contents of food packages are getting smaller, frequent increases in the price of these smaller-sized goods are quite common. While the weekly income of working families diminishes or remains flat, the salaries of "paper barons" are increasing at immoral rates. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The world revolves around economics. Therefore, we rightfully ask: "What is good economics?" This is the key economic question for the modern world, as good economics is the criterion for quality of life. Good economics is our statement of faithful stewardship. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">A good economy respects the life, liberty, and happiness of each individual in his or her search for the way of God. Good economics recognizes that all resources on Earth belong to God, and we are but stewards of his creation. We honor God as supreme reality. And we love him for what he is, and for what he is doing for us in our short pilgrimage on Earth. Good economics is synonymous with a prosperous life on Earth. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Political meddling in economic matters is just a license for greedy people to do as they please. In these aberrations of God's way, the rich get richer, and the poor are being pushed into the bottomless pit. The children of America must pay in the future for the folly in leadership now. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Unscrupulous operators, in America and throughout the world, manipulate supply and demand to their advantage. We see this especially in Third-World nations that depend on goods and services from their more highly developed neighbors. For the residents of Third-World countries, like those in Africa, economic fairness is a matter of life or death. We see death from starvation in many African countries where opportunists have unfairly exploited a nation's natural resources without fair compensation. On top of this evil are power-hungry tyrannical rulers in underdeveloped nations who are in collusion with ruthless global conglomerates and their political cohorts to fill their own pockets. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Therefore, God condemns the evil antics of economic manipulators. God says: "The world is mine, and all that is therein is mine. Belief and trust in me is all my people need." And God continues: "I will take care of you. I will provide for your spiritual needs. And once your spiritual needs are met, your physical needs will also be met. Life is more than food. And your body is more than clothing. I care about your life. My Word alone can satisfy the needs of your soul. And my blessings shall be food for your soul and clothing for your body."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Despite God's support for less fortunate people, the exploitations by large international corporations keep growing, and the conflict of spirit over flesh seems like a losing battle, for God and people. It appears that the modern economic conflict is more severe than the plagues of the Dark Ages in which scores of innocent people died. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Huge corporations have created woes for innocent people as never before. To correct this great evil of huge corporations taking advantage of poor people in the modern world, God is encouraging each person to become self-sufficient. And, by the grace of God, "individual economies" will take root and grow. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">In this new approach to economics, the presence of God will help each person in sundry ways to nurture individually owned enterprises, while economies of scale are doomed to failure as a direct result of uncontrollable size. Though the evil may always try to gain the upper hand in controlling the lives of people through large-scale economic oppression, God as the champion of ethics, justice, and faith will bless individual entrepreneurs who operate their business according to the Golden Rule. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">God assures quality of life for workers and owners of local enterprises. God says: "The world is mine, and all that is therein is mine. Persevere in my way of life, and I will give you the Crown of Life in eternity! My faithful people will do extremely well in my presence, and I will let them bask in my glory. Therefore, choose life. Nurture your spiritual connection with me, and I will help you make good economics your quality of life."<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Some of the tactics of ruthless governments and large corporations are not always obvious. The unsuspecting minds of trusting citizens are too innocent, and a gentle citizenry may not immediately come to grips with the antics of economic greed by politicians and their financial backers. Even though we feel the pain of the injustice and inequality in the distribution of the national wealth, often they are so overwhelming that we seem helpless and give up. Economic evildoers and their lobbyists seem more powerful than all the citizens of many nations combined. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">When the American public needs replacement parts to fix the flimsy products, there are no replacement parts to be found in the large stores. The common reply to the search for replacement parts is that the new items are bigger and better than what is broken. The bigger and better, of course, refers to the peddler's profits; peddlers have little concern about the financial straits of their customers.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">God expects us to clip the wings of powerful "paper barons" in the community, the nation, and the world. God sees our needs, and he wants us to bring about change and correct an evil situation. The masses of American consumers have greater power than all the powers of "paper barons" in the world combined.</span><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">Global economics</span></strong></div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><em><span style="font-family:arial;">God demands first-class stewardship of time, talents, and resources.</span></em></div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">In the modern concept of global economics, a few select nations control the rest of the world as a matter of greed. Global economics is colonization in disguise. The "paper barons" of international conglomerates and ruthless politicians may temporarily fool the public with their business glamor, but God expects our trust and faith through the spiritual connection with God in our consumption of his wealth on Earth.<br /></span><br /><br /><div align="center"><em><span style="font-family:arial;">Hockey stick cowboys are the paper barons of global economics. They talk fast. They talk smooth to gain control.</span></em></div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">More than in any other human discipline in the world, economics is full of wolves in sheep's clothing. Christ has warned us about greedy people whose <em>modus operandi</em> is the promotion of falsehoods through misleading statements or selfish business practices. Peers in commerce, industry, and financial institutions have coined the phrase "hockey stick cowboys" to identify co-workers whose ambition is rise to power through the promotion of falsehoods. Hockey stick cowboys are ruthless "paper barons." They talk fast. They talk smooth. They want full control of the global economy.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">"Hockey stick cowboys" force themselves onto center stage by criticizing conservative management as not aggressive enough for growth. Their growth charts always start out flat to criticize past performance. But once they are in charge, their hockey stick theories of growth opportunities turn into projections, and the exponential growth opportunities that a hockey stick implies never materialize. Hockey stick cowboys take advantage of style without substance. Style without substance has ruined many established businesses, and the employees of defunct enterprises suffer the consequences of folly in leadership when the business fails.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Christ tells us how to identify "paper barons." Christ says: "Look at the fruit of their labor. Evil cannot grow good fruit."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The evil in economics is commonly the fruit of indifferent business leaders, whose prime qualification for dealing with God's wealth is not rooted in the wisdom of God but is based on a piece of paper that bestows on them the secular title of master in business administration. "Paper barons" arrogantly believe that a master's degree from a business school entitles them to rule over God's wealth.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">God says: "Wisdom comes with experience. Wisdom is not book knowledge. Wise business leaders are entrepreneurs with vision. They build on their vision, and they know how to correct evil situations. They maintain what they built. On the other hand, book-smart business leaders tear things down. And they flee the scene to pursue other opportunities when chaos confronts them."<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Inspired stewards of God work responsibly the stewardship role and provide justly for their co-workers in commerce, industry, and financial institutions according to the precepts of ethics, justice, and faith. Inspired stewards supply the needs of employees and customers as a matter of public trust, where justice and equality are prime movers for economic stability and growth.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Whereas "paper barons" fight for their power, God honors his inspired stewards with dignity and respect, and common people also honor and respect faithful stewards as they have demonstrated responsible leadership in commerce and industry for the well being of all.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">While the majorities of business leaders are faithful stewards of God's wealth and deal honestly with his people in economic matters, "paper barons" take advantage of doubts and then step in to commandeer a marginal economic situation to their personal advantage and gain. Their <em>modus operandi</em> are promises of unlimited growth and high profits. God calls it style without substance. They are the politicians who will promise anything that the public wants to hear. God has been impatiently watching how "paper barons" have bartered away a strong manufacturing base and subsequently eroded the quality of life for peaceable families and diligent workers in modern America.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The global economy is the supply engine for food and medicine in underdeveloped countries. The pressure is now on inspired business leaders in successful economies to be compassionate and attend to the needs of starving and sick people. Any failure to meet the physical needs of suffering people spells disaster for the global economy--and the global supply engine will sputter or may even explode.</span><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><em><span style="font-family:arial;">The mission of global economics is to fill physical needs.<br /></span></div></em><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The mission for the modern world is to fill needs--physical and spiritual. Economics is the business of filling physical needs. Life in the world revolves around basic needs. Global economics is a system driven by needs. Our way of filling these needs to God's satisfaction will determine destinies.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Selfish desires are as real as life itself. It is up to us to adjust our ambitions to God's satisfaction and his plan for creation. Any desires beyond the basics for quality of life are greed. Good economics is having enough resources for each day. Anything beyond that is evil. Therefore, we rely on God's wisdom to stop us when enough is enough.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">As human beings in the modern world we desire spiritual satisfaction without having to give up physical pleasures. But this cannot be. We can't have both. It is now up to us to prioritize and find the high ground for quality of life. The choice is ours. But so are the consequences of our decision. While God carefully watches our actions in this conflict of spirit and flesh, he will not influence our decision.</span><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">The human side of economics</span></strong></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><em><span style="font-family:arial;">Cain's calculating view of his relationship with the living God had become formalized into a simple formula of economics.</span></em></div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">We carry on as Adam did. He denied God's generosity of life in paradise. Adam rejected life in the presence of God. We too deny God in the modern world, though God made the world we live in. God beckons for an active role in our lives, but we refuse him entry.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Our failure to be grateful for the presence of God in daily life leads us astray. In the subsequent confusion, all uncommitted people, like Cain in Biblical times, are ideal candidates for God's concern.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Biblical literature has preserved divine truth to act as guidance and direction for life: "In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. The Lord said to Cain, 'Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.' Cain said to Abel his brother, 'Let us go out to the field.' And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him." (Genesis 4:3-8)<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">In the Biblical legend, Cain had great ambition to prove his humanity. He wanted to make it on his own; his human aspirations overpowered his senses. Ambition and aspirations condemned Cain to commit murder.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">In these modern times, we are even more blessed than Cain was. Yet many people reject God's offer of support. The Holy Spirit is our companion, counselor, and guide. By the power of the Holy Spirit, God is our friend. God in Christ is generously sharing his life with us. We are humbled to invite him into our hearts. In our relationship with God all other things are superfluous. We are indeed the choice of God's creation. Why, then, do many of God's people reject the presence of God in their lives?<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Despite God's assessment of the evil in envy and greed, there are legions in the world today who scorn knowledge and enlightenment through the truth of Christ's teaching. They continue a way of life similar to Cain's. Cain had chosen a life in total ignorance of his spiritual identity.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Cain's calculating view of his relationship with the living God had become formalized into a simple formula of economics.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Whereas Abel dedicated himself to God when he brought the first lamb born to one of his sheep, </span><span style="font-family:arial;">killed it, and gave the best parts of it as an offering, Cain considered some of his fruit harvest just fine for meeting the minimum requirement for assurance of God's blessing and favor. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">But God found only Abel's offering acceptable. Abel had truly presented himself and committed his entire future into God's hands.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The evidence indicates that Abel knew God as a matter of trust. Abel relied on God to provide for all his future needs. But we also learn from the demise of Abel that faithful and obedient people face danger whenever they make known their commitment. History has proven over and over again that the world has never suffered from a shortage of Cains.<br /></span><br /><div align="center"><em><span style="font-family:arial;">We find modern Cains exploiting family, friends, co-workers, the community, and the nation by working the rule of getting the most for the least.</span></em></div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Greedy and envious people are in the world wherever we go. They are part of a Christian's challenge to make known the living God to all people in the world. This also includes bringing the witness of divine grace in equal measure even to the Cains of this world.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Thus, Christ is telling all followers to carry their own crosses when doing God's work in service to God and people. The instructions are clear: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in Heaven." (Matthew 5:16)<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Yet despite knowledge of Christ's commands to change the self-destructive ways of the past and believe in the Gospel, people continue to choose living in the curse of Cain. Selfishness is driving these possessed souls to the idol worship of accumulated wealth. In their self-assertion, people work themselves to death.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">As a direct consequence of self-assertive obsession, greed makes people useless in doing the work of God, for there is not to be found among them even the slightest concern with the Kingdom of God and what he requires. In its stead we see ruthless wielding of power, whose foundation is not God but accumulated wealth.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">We find these modern Cains exploiting family, friends, co-workers, and the community by working the rule of getting the most for the least. They will remind those associated with them that it is a privilege to be working together. They are generous with sweet talk. It does not cost them anything. Some even do it in full knowledge of any oppressive burdens they themselves have placed on others.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The poor and the destitute are relegated to subhuman levels of existence. There is little or no hope for the better way of life for the less fortunate simply because all opportunities for advancement are viciously guarded, even the ones that people of influence and power administer as a matter of public trust.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Yet, like Cain, these arrogant "benefactors" of society scowl whenever they see the grace of God uplifting downtrodden spirits. They are jealous of happiness in others whenever the power of God's love is seen active and real. The glow of genuine brotherhood among poor but inspired people is seen in their sharing and caring for each other.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">As the love of God is real among the faithful and the obedient disciples of Christ, so is the anger of arrogant people, as they sense that their phony piety does not measure up to God's expectation that demands true love in return for Grace.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Christ's teaching is clear that only those who live in a state of sincere humility of the spirit will be able to share the Kingdom of Heaven as rightful heirs together with Christ.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ promises true happiness. Christ's promise is universal truth. It requires that we fully know our identity. We must recognize that the status of restored fellowship with God is based on the righteousness of God alone and handed to believers in Christ as a gift of grace. This eternal truth must be clearly established in our mind even before we attempt to refresh our memories about whose we truly are.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Only when Christians see each other as children of the true and living God can Christianity be acclaimed as containing the principles of the one eternal truth and the one universal salvation. Its followers are like "light for the whole world."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">People who live according to worldly standards will want to push spiritual involvement aside. So we hear the scornful, though seemingly logical question: "What does the spirit have to do with the price of bananas?"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">But as quickly as green bananas ripen and spoil, so will the short human pilgrimage on Earth come to a sudden end. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">This sad result will come about because people have failed to realize their spiritual identity. They have failed to recognize God's purpose for their lives. What must we do? This question implies desperation. Seekers of truth will have their answer in the spiritual connection with God.</span><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><em><span style="font-family:arial;">To realize God's blessing we must humble ourselves and, in the humility of our spirit, desire to put our lives in harmony with the will and purpose of God.</span></em></div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Because despair is an ultimate consequence of faithlessness, all hope for a better future has vanished. In their hopelessness people will see eternity fleeting by right before their eyes.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">There is no such thing as a second chance for recapturing time. Nor can the entries in the Book of Life be rewritten or amended by human effort.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Past experiences--good and bad alike--are history. Time is God's way of giving people a new beginning in preparation for meeting Christ on the Day of Judgment. Christians are told to let bygones be bygones: "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God." (Luke 9:62)</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Some people are more interested in raising their self-esteem within the realm of worldly affairs than being concerned with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires. They will protest that words with spiritual connotations are meaningless to them.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">People whose only intentions are worldly considerations want to see the power of the Word of God reduced to the level where it will serve them. This reasoning is the biggest excuse for not wanting to make a commitment of dedication to God through Christ.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Like all other self-serving approaches to life, so is this unwarranted demand to make religion understandable nothing more than a trick. It has been in existence ever since the church was formed; it wants to cheapen the grace of God by making religion worldlier. Yet there is no justification for lowering God's expectations of faithful witness to the Gospel. We must recognize that the Kingdom of God and the world are not meant to be reconciled and that the Spirit has authority and power of the physical and emotional being of man.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">In the parable of the rich fool, Jesus warns that accumulated wealth cannot be transferred to Heaven (Luke 12:16-20). True wealth is the hope of eternal life. All faithful and obedient people will share with Christ in the glory of God.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">If as Christians we fail to speak up and defend what is right, we are guilty of contributing to the tensions of others. For instance, this is the case when economic hardship is caused by deficit spending. We are involved and responsible when we approve the action of government to pay for any programs that may benefit us now but whose debentures have dire consequences on the livelihood of future generations.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">We rob our children of their potential in the future by tapping this potential to pay our commitments. We are guilty of dragging future generations, not at all connected with our difficulties, into our predicaments.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Deficit spending and inflation are the two major economic burdens in modern times. Even when inflation is at a low level, it diminishes the value of fixed assets and set income.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">People and institutions alike feel the effects of inflation. From 1953 to the 1970s people in America have seen the biggest inflation in its history. During this period creeping inflation of 1-6 percent per year--some years even higher--has raised havoc with the best of intentions in budgeting and planning. Grocery prices are constantly on the rise while the contents of packages are getting smaller. Families are hurting to keep up with the cost of living. The increasing cost of the market basket neutralizes raises in income, while those on fixed incomes see their purchasing power diminished.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">How does the high cost of living create family problems? the issue goes beyond basic survival of the family.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">We must look at the well being of children in households where both parents are forced to work in order to cover expenses. The immediate effect is a generation of youth that has to raise itself. Is it then any wonder that such children are full of frustration, because there is no family outlet for their adventures in life?</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Even if children manage to keep their stories bottled up till evening, they seldom will be heard as exhausted parents return from a hard day's work--and even two jobs--and don't want to be bothered with matters so seemingly insignificant as a child's discovery.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">We see the retired, whose savings have evaporated as inflation has reduced the value of money. We find homes being confiscated for taxes. People cannot afford to live in the residences they have legally paid for.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">One of the greatest economic injustices occurs in industrialized society. It is not right to force a dedicated breadwinner in the prime of life into unemployment because reorganization has eliminated senior positions.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Why focus on hard-working individuals and families during times of economic hardship?</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">If we don't, no one else will. Hardworking individuals always are forced to carry the burden of bad decisions. In searching for causes of economic disasters we must always keep before us the tired faces of people who are hurting by the actions of "paper barons" or impulsive politicians and governments. Economics is not just a numbers game. The human side of economics is a story of the oppression of ordinary, hard-working people.</span><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong>The spiritual renewal of America for economic independence and freedom from stress</strong></span></div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">God looks with compassion at modern America, and he suffers with the victims of economic abuse. With scorn he addresses the arrogant and seemingly invincible "paper barons" and impulsive politicians: "You have become too big for your breeches. All the world's resources are mine. Your greedy appetite and lust for power are wasting what belongs to me and all my people!"</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">And God continues: "I have made America the bastion of free enterprise. You have eliminated your competitors by swallowing them up one by one, not with your own money but at the expense of my people. You have borrowed money and then passed on the cost of your insatiable growth to the consumers. They carry the burden of your grandiose schemes through higher costs of the market basket or smaller food packages. In your grandiose plots you start new ventures with borrowed money and then fold them up when things do not work out. Who do you think is absorbing the loss? Surely it is not your financial backers. They are even greedier than you are. They are in business to make money no matter what. And look at your accounting schemes. Suddenly you play the fool, claiming that you do not know what is happening. You know how to give yourselves huge salaries, bonuses, and generous pensions. My people must pay for them by your denying jobs, health coverage, and pensions for my hard-working people."</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">God's voice now thunders: "By what rules do you gamble the hard-earned savings of my working people in 401(k) plans? Who decides that you have the right to declare a stock under value or encourage companies to dilute the number of shares? Who do you think is picking up the tab when your schemes fail? Unscrupulous institutional managers of the public trust are great evils in modern times. A lot of money is changing hands without control and without consideration of the needs of the owner."</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">God says: "You pay obnoxiously high salaries in professional sports. Whose money is it that you are wasting? You recover every penny through advertisements of the products my people must buy in order to live. But it is my people who must swallow with each spoon of food the bitterness of your schemes. I, the Lord, have spoken."</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">In the past, families envisioned great times as industries grew and so did employment, and the future was promising. Enlightened entrepreneurs looked protectively after workers; those leaders less inclined to share the wealth were obliged to sign labor contracts through unions. In either situation industry and the American workforce was a viable partnership, each partner benefiting through benevolent relationships. Even when work was slow during recessions or depressions, local employers cared for struggling families.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Unfortunately, it took wars to perk up sagging economies. Two world wars lifted industry out of the doldrums. During each national crisis the American workers were ready to pitch in and do their part. They did not debate. They simply helped. A job needed to be done, and they were there to do it.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Enlightened entrepreneurs remembered that each worker had to support a family, so they compensated their workers fairly. Quality of life in the early period of America's industrialization consisted of family, the church, and an unyielding faith in God. As the family enjoyed income security, they had time to share. And they shared laughter, often in the company of friends and neighbors. Because the employers were benevolent, there was great respect for business leaders. Business ethics were crowned with an unwritten commitment to look out for each other at all times. Accounting was simple and free of tricks. Honesty and fairness fostered respect in the workplace. God was happy because his people were satisfied.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Industrialization was conceived to make life simpler, more abundant, and more secure. America was producing things in large volumes to make them affordable. America had a sound manufacturing base, and America was making money. Sunrise and sunset defined the day for work and shopping. Evenings were for the family, and Sundays were days of rest for fun and laughter. God was the center of family life.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Subtle changes gradually appeared on the horizon. "Efficiency experts" entered the scene. There were shifts away from the personal relationships workers enjoyed with entrepreneurs. Professional managers appeared to run the business on a new and impersonal platform. The new focus was on the bottom line. Ethics was put into the back seat, and the once-vital work ethic slowly faded into oblivion. The 1960s saw the beginning of the end of manufacturing in America.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">This shift broke the backbone of the American economy. Cheap labor overseas overpowered the American workforce with the approval of management. The American workforce in textiles, shoes, and eventually high technology was hung out to dry by its business leadership. Besides the loss of jobs, America is losing all rights to genuine American technology. Business leaders claim to need the technology transfer to manufacture their products overseas. God is troubled.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">God says: "My wealth in America belongs to the American people. It is my gift to them." God admonishes America's leadership--business leaders and politicians alike--concerning job losses: "When you scorn the American workforce as an expense that is prohibitive, you are attacking the foundation of the American dream that I put in place for a bright future of job stability and family income. You are attacking the foundation of the American dream that I put in place for a bright future of job stability and family income. You are attacking me when you take work away from my people. Your cheap labor tactics are now the cause of many social ills in America. Your greedy appetite is placing the American family in jeopardy. Your greed is a monster that gnaws at the hope and dreams of my people. And that is not all. You now sell in America for dollars what you have manufactured offshore for cents. Your exploitation of cheap labor markets is slavery. Your greed is responsible for hatred and wars because exploited people feel the injustice done to them. You are fools if you think that I will let you get away with it. Beware of your greed. Greed is a killer. I will not stop your greed, for eventually your own greed will destroy you in due time. Repent therefore. I, the Lord, have spoken."</span><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong>RAYS OF HOPE AND FREEDOM</strong></span></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Arial;">My life was in chaos.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Darkness clouded my senses,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Arial;">My heart trembled in fear.</span></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Arial;">I prayed to God:</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Arial;">"Father, help me!"</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Arial;">And God transformed my life.</span></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Arial;">The world is still the same.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Arial;">But I am now secure:</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Christ is my Savior!</span></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Arial;">His love fills my heart,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Arial;">His faith is my faith.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Rays of hope now light up my soul.</span></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Rays of hope and freedom</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Show me the way to God,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Arial;">And where Christ lives I too will live.</span></div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Copyright (C) 2009 by Kurt Koppetsch/Shepherd News Trust. All rights reserved.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">(Excerpt from the books <em>I.D. Crisis</em> and <em>Era of Faith</em> by Kurt Koppetsch, published by Shepherd News Trust, Inc.--www.shepherdnewstrust.com)</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">This blog will run the entire month of January 2010.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Starting in February 2010 Series 8 of 20:</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">The Bible</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span>Kurt Koppetschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13279340337623846239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983433315963634519.post-86208482384275754132009-12-30T11:23:00.014-05:002010-01-03T01:46:04.379-05:00I.D. CRISIS--Series 6 of 20--Knowledge, truth, theories, and opinions<div align="left">Author: Kurt Koppetsch, Publisher, Shepherd News Trust<br /><br />PURPOSE:<br />The purpose of the Shepherd Blog is to help people secure quality of life--freedom, truth, justice, peace, health, shelter, economic independence--by resolving the 2 major social concerns that overwhelm people and nations: (1) The economy and (2) human stress as the acute spiritual problem.<br /><br />BACKGROUND:<br />The book <em>I.D. Crisis</em> by Kurt Koppetsch deals with the spiritual, intellectual, and social conflict of people in modern times. Confusion about the past and uncertainties in the present prevent us from knowing our true nature. As a direct consequence of such confusion, visions of the future are clouded. Some of the diversions that prevent us from realizing our true identity as children of God are philosophies, politics, economics, and falsehood such as religious cults. The solution is remembering that human beings are dependent creatures of God.<br /><br />HOPE FOR THE FUTURE:<br />Each series of the book <em>I.D. Crisis</em> will conclude with the poem "Rays of Hope and Freedom" to assure readers that God cares about our lives and we are his children of hope. Hope is the From/to process at work in the modern Era of Faith repairing life and circumstance. Hope is making the impossible come true.<br /><br />This week's topic:<br />KNOWLEDGE, TRUTH, THEORIES AND OPINIONS<br /><br />No models exist in the world to demonstrate inspiration. Even Christ's parables give only glimpses as to what heaven is like. Through them Christ just barely touches eternal truth to make things understandable. Whereas other people must speculate about what is important in life, in spiritual vision God invites believers to share divine inspirations.<br /><br />Spiritual matters cannot be comprehended in terms of conventional knowledge. Only the Holy Spirit of God can guide believers properly through moments of visionary truth whenever God's creation waits prepared to unfold it panoramic splendor.<br /><br />When Christ told the disciples, "I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now" (John 16:12), he was telling those who believe that there is no way for them to grasp and retain all at once what there is to know about the truth of the Word of God, but that the truth about God is given through continuous revelation by the Holy Spirit.<br /><br />We must recall that as instruments of the Holy Spirit, we are the means of God's grace to fill specific needs. Thus, we must be faithful and obedient in our service of making known the living God to all people in the world.<br /><br />God has not created humans to be intellectual geniuses or speculative philosophers. The mission of Christian discipleship is defined as faithful and obedient service. Believers are like light for the world and bring glory to God.<br /><br />But the curiosity in human nature always wants to venture out in search of answers. We are quickly intrigued by far-out subjects. There is no limit to fantasy.<br /><br />Despite a genuine desire to gain knowledge, we have less interest in a deeper appreciation of God's obligation for mankind. Faithfulness and obedience to God, therefore, are looked at from a distance.<br /><br />There is a general problem with organized religion. Throughout history, doctrines and dogmas were used as tools to force the membership to conform to church policy. And ecclesiastical theology has intimidated many gifted minds in the search for truth.<br /><br />It was quite common in history for the church to dictate truth. Sometimes those in control even compromised their spiritual dependence on God for the sake of satisfying personal ambition.<br /><br />History reveals the repudiation by the church of Copernicus' heliocentric theory. The events of that time specifically highlight the agony felt by gifted people, like Copernicus (1473-1543), who in addition to being an astronomer and mathematician also was a devout churchman.<br /><br />About a century later, Copernicus' propositions precipitated the clash between science and the church. Religious groups extracted Biblical "evidence" to back their claims that God had worked the creation of the universe according to a geocentric blueprint. The Roman Catholic Church rejected Copernicus' proposals. His writing "Revolutions" was declared as "false and altogether opposed to Holy Scriptures" and it was blacklisted in the church's "Index Librorum Prohibitorum."<br /><br />Copernicus' courage opened the way for in-depth study of truth which has carried over to this day as evidenced by scholarship in academia and objectivity in our dealings with everyday issues. But as with all acts of greatness, the fight against ignorance is also costly. Copernicus and works after him had to risk life, fortune, and exposure to ridicule.<br /><br />Such impact was felt by Galileo (1564-1642) who suffered the brunt of the church's wrath when he dared to stand up for truth. This practical man and a genius of mechanics was the perfect complement to the theoretical Johann Kepler (1571-1630) who, among other laws, also had formulated the harmonic law of planetary motion. Galileo's precision in experiment and observation confirmed him a champion of truth. But this dedication cost him dearly. In a statement prepared for him, he was forced to denounce his accomplishments before a tribunal of the Inquisition.<br /><br />These events in the development of planetary theories deserve our attention today because they exemplify the need for perseverance in the search and defense of truth. This is how freedom through knowledge is gained.<br /><br />Whenever the combination of knowledge and truth is manipulated, there is a tight control over the lives of people. Suffering and death because of poverty and starvation is the fruit of ignorance that is caused by ruthless individuals in control of so-called truth and right opinions. Economic pressure is used as a common tool to enforce conformity.<br /><br />But this is not the only problem in the world. Another form of chaos is generated by some people who are best described as preoccupied "scholars". These thinkers will influence social behavior with new speculations about the purpose and meaning of human life.<br /><br />Yet the life-long obsession of freethinkers has seldom produced a lasting contribution to society. If anything, their substitute for God's demand for faithfulness and obedience has impeded harmony among people.<br /><br />The freethinker is a modern product of sophistication and false teaching. Whenever human imagination stresses the truth about God, and subsequently insists on these ideas as doctrine, people will respond as skeptics, agnostics, and nonbelievers to question that particular ideology.<br /><br />Freethinkers live as if God did not exist--sometimes this also is true of people who claim to be Christians. Therefore, in terms of social behavior, the dividing line is not clear. Some freethinkers will consent to the existence of an "ultimate power" and unwittingly work the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12) with greater ambition than the lipservice of some "Christians". But the fact is that freethinkers live only for the satisfaction of earthly goals and then die.<br /><br />When those around us fail to see God in Christ, this is an indictment of Christian witness. Truth is further clouded by some "Christians"--mostly sectarian in character--who insist that their teaching is the only correct way of believing. Even the assertion about the infallibility of the papacy and worldly religious councils is diluting truth. As a modern concept, therefore, atheism will exist as long as there is an audience (2 Timothy 4:3)--and idolatrous Christianity keeps building the stage by neglecting sound doctrine (Titus 2:1-3:7).<br /><br />The Psalmist writes, "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God' " (Psalms 14:1), thereby pointing to the rejection of God as the highest folly. We must help people overcome this foolishness, for God is always near to take sinners back. Fear commonly prompts moments of truth. Soldiers tell us in stories about battlefield conditions that there is never an atheist in a foxhole.<br /><br />The failure of human ideas as a substitute for belief and trust in God is exposed in Marxist theories and their brand of socialism: Totalitarian governments must use force to subdue people in order to make communism work.<br /><br />Each generation has its share of imaginative people. There is never a shortage of dreams. But when unproven methods start to influence people, confusion is further compounded.<br /><br />We are reluctant to really seek the truth about God. We are too slow to increase in spiritual stature.<br /><br />Christ has clearly stated: "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." (John 8:31-32) But somehow it appears that the laws governing the ecclesiastical affairs of a Christian church have more power over people than the truth about God.<br /><br />As Christians we already know whose we are and what we once were. It behooves us, nevertheless, to refresh our memories concerning the truth of the Word of God. The writer of Proverbs offered advice to young men that is appropriate for all children of God: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Proverbs 1:7)<br /><br />He then continues to make truth applicable to real-life situations: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6)<br /><br />As we experience the love of God that is grace, the wisdom literature from Proverbs projects eternal truth as the reality of life: "My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights." (Proverbs 3:11-12)<br /><br />But such simple truth is not always satisfying to people. Human nature is more intrigued about the complex. Whatever sounds more complicated is more appealing. Far-out concepts invite speculations.<br /><br />Therefore, people will readily venture into classical philosophy in search of answers for their lives. This is done despite the fact that classical philosophy must be viewed within the framework of its ancient culture. But this is not at all upsetting to those who feel satisfied to borrow tidbits of information here and there and make certain catchwords their new theme.<br /><br />Against all these spiritual alternatives stands the Word of God. Its only demand is that we lose ourselves in Christ if we want to avoid an identity crisis in our lives.<br /><br />There is constant danger that we all may become exposed to spiritual degeneration at some point in our lives. Therefore, we must train ourselves to recognize pitfalls that could make us sin. The fact is that sin--missing the mark in our relationship with God--destroys spiritual discernment in the lives of people.<br /><br />Sin brought about the downfall of the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Sinful behavior also permeated the apostolic church. This happened despite the fact that the charge was clearly defined: "Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified ... And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Act 2:36, 4:12)<br /><br />Christianity, therefore, is not immune to attacks, even though Christianity is a covenant relationship with the living God. This new covenant was consummated by God at Golgatha and its essence is preserved for all posterity in Cross and Gospel.<br /><br />As Christians, we are individually responsible to carry on Christ's witness to make known the living God to all people in the world. In evidence of commitment and dedication to God, we must live a life of truth. Failure to do so carries dire consequences.<br /><br />Even though we recognize the essence of Christianity as the one eternal truth and the one universal salvation, ecclesiastical religion, partly due to factionalism, has many times failed to live up to God's expectations. this is visible in the world whenever Cross and Gospel are separated in witnessing and teaching.<br /><br />In God's plan for human salvation, the Cross of Christ is the redeeming element of grace. Its reality is also the means by which God reminds believers that the curse of the law (Deuteronomy 21:23) is transformed into a blessing of faith. To this truth Saint Paul gives testimony: "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us--for it is written, 'Cursed be every one who hangs on a tree'--that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." (Galatians 3:13-14)<br /><br />The Gospel is the vehicle for proclaiming this truth and extends an invitation to all people to assemble beneath the Cross so that believers may by its light and shadow give proper witness in service to God and people. Saint Paul speaks of the power of the Cross: "Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:17-18)<br /><br />Christ suffered and died for the forgiveness of sins. And Christ died for the sins of people once and for all. This is the truth of the Cross. And the truth of the Gospel is the glorious Easter message in which God has declared that all who believe in Christ share through his death on the Cross his resurrection in the hope of eternal life.<br /><br />Any confusion created by overzealous ecclesiastical religion is due to the emphasis placed primarily on the Gospel. Apparently that is the easier sales pitch. People want everything that has to do with their well-being, without having to be reminded that the Cross made the Gospel possible in the first place.<br /><br />In other words, idolatrous Christianity wants to bask in the Gospel on Sunday without having to carry the Cross from Monday through Saturday.<br /><br />Under this set of circumstances, Christianity is courting idol worship. Christianity is drawn into this problem because of people who say they are Christians since they happen to go to church each Sunday. Yet during weekdays these people serve themselves instead of glorifying God in Christ.<br /><br />Christian conduct means that we are prepared to help people in need. If this is not so, we expose Christ to ridicule and scorn. Sometimes this is the case especially in the competitive atmosphere of the workplace. The sheep of Sundays are raving wolves on weekdays. In every instance where faith is not practiced, Christianity is victimized by hypocrites. As human needs are then satisfied by nonbelievers, worldly humanism gains and the Kingdom of God loses. Therefore, let all confessing Christians beware! Christ projects condemnation for our failure to take care of needy people (Matthew 25:31-46)<br /><br />This problem has existed throughout the ages. And it will not easily go away, however hard Christians may try in witnessing to the truth of the Word of God.<br /><br />God's charge to the prophet Ezekiel firms up the charge regarding our involvement in witnessing: "If I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you will have saved your life. Again, if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you have not warned him, he shall die for his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning; and you will have saved your life." (Ezekiel 3:18-21)<br /><br />Thus, Christians are individually responsible for the truth in witnessing and teaching. Christ said: "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the man by whom the temptation comes!" (Matthew 18:6-7)<br /><br />Whenever the truth of Cross and Gospel is split and our witnessing only emphasizes the truth of the Gospel, then the power of the Word of God is reduced to a weak appeal. An indecisive witness to the grace of God in salvation will mislead people by giving them the false impression that once the Gospel is received, people now have a license to do what they want because they believe that the grace of God is working for them. Nothing is further from the truth!<br /><br />To be sure, salvation is by grace through faith alone "and there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) But we must understand that this truth of the Gospel is dependent on the Cross. We find the combined truth of Cross and Gospel summarized in the prophecy of Ezekiel to the Israelites: "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, says the LORD GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions which you have committed against me, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of any one, says the LORD GOD; so turn, and live." (Ezekiel 18:30-32)<br /><br />And Jesus Christ confirmed the call of repentance by John the Baptist, saying: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel." (Mark 1:15) And Christ, indeed, has come to fulfill both Law and Prophets.<br /><br />Now we need not speculate further and follow ancient ways of thinking as passed down by classical philosophy, for the Holy Spirit of God is living among us to reveal the truth about God. Nor do we need a philosophy of human conduct--including the much-honored precepts of classical ethics--for the personal relationship of the redeemed with the living God has the Law of God imprinted on the believer's hearts in the form of the Cross.<br /><br />Therefore, with regard to human knowledge, let us use the mind to further the glory of God and be "like light for the whole world." We have the God-given obligation to be ambitious in the full development and utilization of God's power in creation through all the channels of science--physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, etc.--or industry in farming and manufacturing or life-supporting endeavors like medicine.<br /><br />Yet, in all these efforts, we must remember that the spirit has superiority over the flesh, for "God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:24)<br /><br />Thus we remember that our spiritual being started with Adam and was confirmed in Abraham. The Father of Many Nations, Abraham was the first to receive what God has promised, and he indeed is the father of faith for the three great monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. "And he believed the LORD; and he reckoned it to him as righteousness." (Genesis 15:6)<br /><br />But the evil in human nature is prominent whenever the truth about God is manipulated by worldly intelligence. These unfortunate happenings are truly trying moments for those dedicated to God as individuals or the church as the fellowship of believers.</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="center">RAYS OF HOPE AND FREEDOM</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">My life was in chaos.</div><div align="center">Darkness clouded my senses.</div><div align="center">My heart trembled in fear.</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">I prayed to God:</div><div align="center">"Father, help me!"</div><div align="center">And God transformed my life.</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">The world is still the same.</div><div align="center">But I am now secure:</div><div align="center">Christ is my Savior!</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">His love fills my heart,</div><div align="center">His faith is my faith.</div><div align="center">Rays of hope now light up my soul.</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">Rays of hope and freedom</div><div align="center">Show me the way to God,</div><div align="center">And where Christ lives I too will live.<br /><br /></div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;">Copyright Shepherd News Trust (c) 2009. All rights reserved.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span> </div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;">(Excerpt from the book <em>I.D. Crisis</em> by Kurt Koppetsch, published by Shepherd News Trust, Inc.--www.shepherdnewstrust.com)</span></div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="left"><strong></strong></div><div align="left"><strong></strong></div><div align="left"><strong></strong></div><div align="left"><strong></strong></div><div align="left"><strong></strong></div><div align="left"><strong>NEXT, January 4, 2010:</strong></div><div align="left">The Economy</div>Kurt Koppetschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13279340337623846239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983433315963634519.post-14883263386227271842009-12-20T10:06:00.000-05:002009-12-29T10:07:08.429-05:00I.D. CRISIS--Series 5 of 20--Surviving trials and temptationsBACKGROUND:<br />The book I.D. CRISIS by Kurt Koppetsch deals with the spiritual, intellectual, and social conflict of people in modern times. Confusion about the past and uncertainties in the present prevent us from knowing our true nature. As a direct consequence of such confusion, visions of the future are clouded. Some of the diversions that prevent us from realizing our true identity as children of God are philosophies, politics, economics, and falsehood such as religious cults. The solution is remembering that human beings are dependent creatures of God.<br /><br />HOPE FOR THE FUTURE<br />Each series of the book I.D. CRISIS will conclude with the poem "Rays of Hope and Freedom" to assure readers that God cares about our lives and we are his children of hope. Hope is the From/to process at work in the modern Era of Faith repairing life and circumstances. Hope is making the impossible come true.<br /><br />This week's topic:<br />SURVIVING TRIALS AND TEMPTATION<br /><br />There are no substitutes for faithfulness and obedience to God. Nevertheless, God has ordained universal salvation--the return to the proper place of eternal fellowship with God for all people--as a gift of grace. No one, therefore, will have valid reasons to try to outdo another person, deny equality to any people, or feel compelled to labor for salvation.<br /><br />All Christians are children of God through union with Christ. Since the foundation of divine grace is the righteousness of God, Jesus Christ is like a cornerstone in the believer's heart. Christians now have the perfect opportunity to build their faith and grow in the hope of eternal life.<br /><br />As part of potential and growth, we have the Holy Spirit of God living within believers. The divine Helper supports all efforts in faithfulness and obedience. Without the guidance from the Holy Spirit, faithfulness and obedience is more like a curse. It will enslave people in "good works".<br /><br />So let us remember that life in the presence of God--through Christian discipleship--is a matter of faith and trust in God alone. As we practice our faith in God, faithfulness and obedience prove a blessing.<br /><br />The Christian approach to life is faith and trust in God. We then follow up with good works, because we know to whom we truly belong.<br /><br />But there are definite expectations that God has of Christians. Demands of faithfulness and obedience as contained in the Law of Moses were not done away with. When Christ confirmed their continuity in the Great Commandment, he elevated faithlfulness and obedience to God to the highest level in relationships: "You shall love the Lord your God will all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." (Matthew 22:37) Christians are charged to live and work under the banner of love. Christ has given faithfulness and obedience a new meaning within the context of God's message in the Gospel. Christ's teaching about the Word of God now guides believers for attaining new heights in our appreciation of Gods's work.<br /><br />The meaning of truth within the Word of God is a matter of constant revelation by the Holy Spirit. We will receive guidance for specific needs as they arise--God has never been limited by time or place.<br /><br />Biblical literature provides continuity. It is the tool used by the Holy Spirit to make known the truth about God.<br /><br />But to share the Holy Spirit's revelation of divine truth demands a firm commitment. We must acknowledge our dependence on God the Spirit in order to overcome trials and temptations.<br /><br />Failure to recognize our spiritual oneness (John 14:20-26) with God only proves that a faith relationship with God has not been established. It shows that God is not acknowledged as the authority of all that exists.<br /><br />This sad condition, so prevalent among many people in the world today, relegates the subjects of faithfulness and obedience as abstract ideas to different schools in philosophy. But abstract thought has neither place nor value in the relationship with God.<br /><br />Thus, faithfulness and obedience are rewarding and meaningful only when confessing believers start and finish daily activities in full realization of spritual dependence on God. Any "good works" will automatically take on substance because we strive to bring glory to God.<br /><br />The meaning of faithfulness, obedience, trials, and temptations must therefore be viewed in light of God's message in the Gospel. Within this setting, we have a new "context story" about human behavior in spiritual encounters with the living God. New Testament writings in the Bible describe for Christians expectations and involvement.<br /><br /><br />The Bible details the dynamic relationship of a righteous God and sinful people. Christians live in obedience to the Holy Spirit, who alone can make known the truth of the Word of God for the specific need at hand.<br /><br />Because the interaction with God is an individual matter, Christians need not feel obligated to supply proof of faith to other people. Nor is there a need for Christians to explain their spiritual dependence on God for life and support. It suffices to state that the spiritual reality between God and believer is demonstrated in prayer, where matters of importance are dealt with on the basis of personal faith and divine promise.<br /><br />The makeup of the total person is the delicate combination of flesh and spirit. To understand ourselves more clearly, we must evaluate each other's contribution to overall well-being. When this is done in light of Christ's teaching, we will arrive at the conclusion that the spirit is in control despite selfish claims of human nature that only physical substance has meaning in the world.<br /><br />As practicing Christians, let us not fall victim to false appetites of satisfying only physical existence. A strictly worldly outlook on life will make people selfish, greedy, proud, arrogant, conceited, and boastful.<br /><br />Undoubtedly, there will always be huge audiences in the world to admire and applaud succesful achievers--independent of the cost of success. But the Word of God is clear that success in the world is worthless, and people oriented only toward materialism are an eternal failure spiritually. This message is given in Jeremiah's prophecy against Moab: "We have heard of the pride of Moab--he is very proud--of his loftiness of his heart. I know his insolence, says the LORD; his boasts are false, his deeds are false." (Jeremiah 48:29-30)<br /><br />Because uncommitted people already swim in everlasting despair--though physically this horror is masked by worldly comforts and pleasures--they have no remorse. Since there is no conscience left, pain and agony about straining the spiritual relationship with God do not exist. A relationship had either never been formed in the first place, or was destroyed when pride and arrogance hardened the grooves of sin.<br /><br />The temptation is there for our efforts to become diluted by arguments in logic or emotional issues. When this happens, our faith is on trial, and we must demonstrate what we believe. Friendships with humanistic-type people can be devastating to those who are weak in faith.<br /><br />Humanism and materialism are not the only concerns. Because of the false assumption that all outward human expressions are an indication of inner beliefs and commitments, Christianity has suffered its share of wolves in sheep's clothing. Even seeing a person going to church each Sunday and performing great religious theatrics in speech and manner during the week does not necessarily set that person apart as a Christian saint. Hypocrites have always existed. They were scorned by John the Baptist in the call to repentance, and they were condemned by Christ.<br /><br />Therefore, life in the real world is in constant danger. Foremost among them is lack of confidence. We are too polite in presenting those around us with God's truth in Cross and Gospel. And, of course, there are the hypocrites, who always manage to profess what they are not.<br /><br />But all is not lost as long as we recognize ourselves as Christian saints because of God's righteousness and grace. Then, by the power of God, we will survive all onslaught of evil in the world. As we additionally realize that we are real people in the world and not perfect saints, our humility as struggling sinners will help prepare the way for God's forgiveness and love.<br /><br />As long as there is a world, the people living in it will always be the explosive combination of saint and sinner.<br /><br />History has already proven this as a fact of life. Any realistic view of life, therefore, requires that we accept what we are, yet always remembering that we owe it to ourselves to strive for the better way of life ordained by God.<br /><br />Because the makeup of human beings, good and bad alike, is all part of God's creation, people will be able to achieve a spritually satisfying life in the presence of God despite the sinfulness of human nature. God made this possible through a life in union with Christ.<br /><br />But this newness of life that God has based totally on divine righteousness and provided as a matter of grace nonetheless demands our response and a firm commitment.<br /><br />Thus, whenever we find ourselves at the crossroads of life, we must resolve the personal challenge of declaring our allegiance, similar to the call for allegiance that God had demanded through Moses of the Israelites in their journey to the promised land: "I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice, and cleaving to him; for that means life to you ...." (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)<br /><br />But once the commitment to God is made, then trials and temptations will also start to set in. Satan, as a foe of God and the accuser of mankind, is determined to break the bond of restored fellowship with God, and prove to God, once again, that the sinfulness of mankind is not any different from the spiritual sinfulness of the first man Adam.<br /><br />There is no worldly comparison for a person's spiritual anguish of trials and temptations. For example, we may hear other people talk about being tempted to go to the races or finding themselves on trial because they have overspent their budget. All such concerns deal with temporal life. As Christians, however, we know that we exist beyond the immediate and don't belong to ourselves. When we leave this world, we live on because we are God's children. Trials and temptations involve us as a matter of doing what God wants.<br /><br />The makeup of the present day saint-sinner is similar to that of ancient mankind. But our spiritual opportunities are different, because of what God through Christ did 2000 years ago.<br /><br />For example, we see in Genesis that Abraham was an ordinary man. He put to use his multiple talents in the handling of many conflicts. But the truly outstanding feature in the life of Abraham was a wholehearted commitment to God.<br /><br />This gave him strength to cope when deciding many choices. It guided him in handling the boundary dispute with his nephew Lot (Genesis 13:8-9); it gave him courage to rescue Lot and his family from a raiding party (Genesis 14:1-6); it proved him compassionate as he bargained with God to spare the people of Sodom (Genesis 18:16-33); it gave him vision to see God in the visitation of three angels (Genesis 18:1-5)<br /><br />But in his weaker moment of a morality lapse, Abraham compromised Sarah in his dealing with the Egyptian Pharaoh to save his own life. God did not condemn Abraham in the Bible, but he uses the Abraham story to assure us that despite our moral weakness we are his children and, despite our character warts, God will forgive us as he forgave Abraham.<br /><br />The highlighted events in Abraham's life resemble the general nature of the conflicts which all generations commonly experience. We also have the best of intentions in overcoming evil and hardship, but we are not always successful in achieving this goal. And many times we must struggle to keep our priorities straight; undoubtedly Abraham must have felt similar frustrations.<br /><br />Yet, as Christ's followers, we live in the hope of eternal life, as God is presiding over the miracle that alone is capable of redeeming the worst of sinners.<br /><br />Therefore, let us thoroughly understand the nature of our being within the environment that God has placed us in, and examine our existence in terms of Cross and Gospel. Doing so will help us to better cope with the stress that any proof of our faith may force upon us.<br /><br />A thorough review will soon reveal that any direct involvement in trials and temptations is not necessarily a sign of weakness in faith or character of the person exposed to trial's anguish. Like Job in his trial, Christians may also find themselves just like an article of trade in the enmity between God and Satan.<br /><br />We must remain steadfast in our faith despite the cosmic conflict around us in which the forces of light and darkness battle for the souls of people. We will fail in our commitment whenever we decide to rely on our own strength to win the victory over trials and temptations.<br /><br />Thus, we must constantly keep before us the blessing of God's grace. Boastful self-reliance only proves our foolishness and will make us unfaithful and disobedient toward God. We will receive strength to survive trials and temptation by seeking God's help under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.Kurt Koppetschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13279340337623846239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983433315963634519.post-51295151628038911762009-12-13T10:06:00.000-05:002009-12-29T10:06:40.618-05:00I.D. CRISIS--Series 4 of 20--Life in the world despite the other personBACKGROUND:<br />The book I.D. CRISIS by Kurt Koppetsch deals with the spiritual, intellectual, and social conflict of people in modern times. Confusion about the past and uncertainties in the present prevent us from knowing our true nature. As a direct consequence of such confusion, visions of the future are clouded. Some of the diversions that prevent us from realizing our true identity as children of God are philosophies, politics, economics, and falsehood such as religious cults. The solution is remembering that human beings are dependent creatures of God.<br /><br />HOPE FOR THE FUTURE<br />Each series of the book I.D. CRISIS will conclude with the poem "Rays of Hope and Freedom" to assure readers that God cares about our lives and we are his children of hope. Hope is the From/to process at work in the modern Era of Faith repairing life and circumstance. Hope is making the immpossible come true.<br /><br />This week's topic:<br />LIFE IN THE WORLD DESPITE THE OTHER PERSON<br /><br />God has created the human race as the means by which the Holy Spirit can work his will on earth. Therefore, as people of God, we are instruments--in a real physical sense--of divine power for implementing and bringing about God's purpose for creation.<br /><br />Within this context, the most important issue concerning life and status in the world is remembering the fact that we are dependent creatures of God. We are mortal beings. We experience life as a gift. God who created life in us with the holy breath of His Spirit, continues to sustain this life as a matter of grace. Creation and redemption are God's mark of ownership.<br /><br />God cares for each person individually. There are no collective bargaining units in the Kingdom of God. Each soul must give its own account for stewardship in life.<br /><br />The intimate relationship between God and people is a personal matter. Responsibility and accountability is strictly an affair between an individual and God. God's expectations of faithfulness and obedience rule out apologies for poor performance or lack of faith. We will not get away with excuses like overwhelming pressures, overburdening circumstances, or pesty people to explain our ill behavior.<br /><br />The record book of life on earth does not have margings for qualifying our actions, for life is a gift from God. We must use it! Lamenting about unfortunate circumstances that may have "forced" us to react in a certain way will not work.<br /><br />At the Day of Judgment, Christ will review our life's journey in the world on the basis of our faith alone. When we receive the invitation to the eternal feast in heaven, only then will we know that our life of faithfulness and obedience has been blessed for the return to its rightful place among the heavenly host. The life we then will experience is restored fellowship with God.<br /><br />In the moment of our salvation, God's claim on our life is permanently secured. We have not earned this privilege. It is ours because of God's righteousness. It will be bestowed because we have lived by grace in the steadfast promise that God through Christ will save us.<br /><br />The fact of eternal peace in the presence of God rests on the promise by Christ that faithful believers already are united with him. Our presence before Almighty God is secured, for that is where Christ dwells.<br /><br />Our hope for eternal life, and the reality of a living relationship with God on earth, is anchored in the revealed truth of the Word of God that is made known to us in Cross and Gospel.<br /><br />As Christians, we are God's instruments to witness to the world about what God has done. In this mission, we are "like light for the whole world," and are told to let this "light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)<br /><br />There is nothing magical or mysterious about human life on earth. Nor need this life be confusing or darkened by fear or doubts. Spiritual needs and physical necessities are provided for by God. And the conditions for rewarding spiritual performance have been successfully demonstrated in the model of the godly life of Jesus Christ.<br /><br />As additional guidance, we benefit from Christ's summary of God's expectations. The essence of the two Great Commandments imply the commitment of love, faithfulness, and obedience: "You shall love the Lord your God will all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." (Luke 10:27)<br /><br />But the harsh reality of worldly existence proves life different from God's expectations. Unfortunately, only a few faithful and obedient believers remain for being chosen as instruments of the Holy Spirit. These will have to shoulder the load of giving continuous witness to the grace of God.<br /><br />As dedicated Christians, we are spiritually set apart from the rest of the sinful world, although physically we are an active part in the world. But we are not alone. God is fully supportive by providing means and message through the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we can survive the hazardous environment of the world. Endurance is the key.<br /><br />Christ forwarned the 70 disciples about hardships they would encounter in their witness on behalf of God's Kingdom: "I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves." (Luke 10:3) This realistic assessment serves as a warning. It corrects any anticipation we may have about glorious self-satisfaction when we let the Holy Spirit work the will of God through us.<br /><br />Living in the world today is not that much different from 2000 years ago when the Son of God walked the earth. The wickedness in the world continues despite the repeated lessons in history. Even though the world may violently reject our life of witness to the truth about God, we must remain steadfast and live in the fear of God and not be afraid of people.<br /><br />Therefore, let us always remember that we exist in the world to bring glory to God. And we must do this despite the other person.<br /><br />In our work of witness, we have only one obligation and that is to be completely faithful to the Lord. The rest of the unbelieving world is also God's creation, but as servants of God we have neither authority nor any need to speculate about God's purpose for other people around us. Preoccupation with personal views on life must not interfere with the work God wants to get done.<br /><br />The evil in human nature always compels people to search for answers that are really none of their business; Christians are no exceptions. We also feel the urge to satisfy our curiosity by questioning God why "he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." (Matthew 5:45)<br /><br />Christ puts a stop to this by reminding us that a Christian's way of life deals with faithfulness and obedience to God. Toward this end Christ supports the believer with guidance: "You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:48)<br /><br />But such straightforward spiritual truth may not always be satisfying to human beings. In an attempt to vent frustrating emotions, people will press on with unwarranted demands to have a more decisive voice in God's plan for the universe. Sin is more enticing than recognizing the purpose of our creation and yielding to God in faithfulness and obedience.<br /><br />And this is precisely the dilemma of Christians, who are also emotionally charged human beings. Only when we as Christians realize that faithfulness and obedience to God implies that people have no choice in the matter of God's generosity and grace will personal frustrations and feelings of injustice vanish. Then within the fellowship of believers, we have ample cause to rejoice that God has chosen to treat all people equally.<br /><br />But our reluctance to witness to sinful people about the grace of God in Christ Jesus can complicate matters. The prophet Jeremiah bemoaned this particular problem: "Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I complain to thee; yet I would plead my case before thee. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive?" (Jeremiah 12:1)<br /><br />Christianity is not immune to attacks by ruthless people who work the rule of injustice, wickedness, and dishonesty. Therefore, as disciples of Christ we must speak out against these evils in the world. God demands our obedience by living the Gospel in a way that does not leave room for confusion but clarifies God's expectations in an affirmative way.<br /><br />Failure to proclaim Cross and Gospel as an inseparable entity--the way God has intended it--only adds to the severity of today's identity crisis. The real working relationship with God is undermined whenever ecclesiastical theology chooses to emphasize primarily the Gospel portion of God's redeeming grace without pointing to the Cross, which made the glorious Easter message possible in the first place.<br /><br />In Christ's call to follow him, the promise of new life depends on repentance, giving further proof of the Gospel's dependence on the Cross. Jesus Christ cried out: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel." (Mark 1:15) With the command to believe the Good News, we are specifically told to rid ourselves first from all sins so that we can become free in the Spirit, and then enjoy to our pure heart's delight the blessing of restored fellowship with God.<br /><br />Saint Paul addresses this specific issue of repentance and the subsequent commitment of faithfulness and obedience to God: "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life ... So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions." (Romans 6:1-4, 11-12)<br /><br />As we specifically look at the problem of the other person, we soon will learn that the "other person" really comprises all the forces of darkness. Rampant evil and raw sinfulness are only a few of the hindrances that Christians in the world must overcome in proving their steadfastness in the faith. Some of these barriers are prejudice and pride within ourselves, and we are confronted with the challenge to break them down.<br /><br />Or, as with the prophet Jeremiah, we may be asked to witness to the grace of God to all people, despite injustice, wickedness, and dishonesty.<br /><br />Christians have a duty to help correct these and other social ills. But we must also give support when integrity and dignity are attacked by ridicule, sarcasm, and scorn. And we are available to help ease the pain when relationships explode because of broken trust, rumors, or insinuations.<br /><br />We can go on with an endless listing of general examples, for evil does not recognize boundaries or limits. Some mental cruelty or physical abuse defies the vocabulary, as there are no words in existence to describe the evil that strains the human spirit to the breaking point.<br /><br />In all situations of human stress, the only constructive recourse in dealing with "the other person" is to remember that as Christians we live in the world by the grace of God despite the other person. Elisha's prophetic declaration of confidence in God is appropriate in the face of doom: "Don't be afraid ... we have more on our side than they have on theirs." (2 Kings 6:16)TEV<br /><br /><br />RAYS OF HOPE AND FREEDOM<br /><br />My life was in chaos.<br />Darkness clouded my senses,<br />my heart trembled in fear.<br /><br />I prayed to God:<br />"Father, help me!"<br />And God transformed my life.<br /><br />The world is still the same.<br />But I am now secure:<br />Christ is my Savior!<br /><br />His love fills my heart,<br />His faith is my faith.<br />Rays of hope now light up my soul.<br /><br />Rays of hope and freedom <br />Show me the way to God,<br />And where Christ lives I too will live.<br /><br /><br />NEXT, December 21:<br />Surviving trials and temptations<br /><br /><br />(Excerpt from the Book I.D. CRISIS by Kurt Koppetsch, published by Shepherd News Trust, Inc.--www.shepherdnewstrust.com).Kurt Koppetschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13279340337623846239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983433315963634519.post-19711158046269555172009-12-07T10:05:00.000-05:002009-12-29T10:06:06.524-05:00I.D. CRISIS--Series 3 of 20--Christianity, nice people, and the real worldBACKGROUND:<br />The book I.D. CRISIS by Kurt Koppetsch deals with the spiritual, intellectual, and social conflict of people in modern times. Confusion about the past and uncertainties in the present prevent us from knowing our true nature. As a direct consequence of such confusion, visions of the future are clouded. Some of the diversions that prevent us from realizing our true identity as children of God are philosophies, politics, economics, and falsehood such as religious cults. The solution is remembering that human beings are dependent creatures God.<br /><br />HOPE FOR THE FUTURE:<br />Each series of the book I.D. CRISIS will conclude with the poem "Rays of Hope and Freedom" to assure readers that God cares about our lives and we are his children of hope. Hope is the From/to process at work in the modern Era of Faith repairing life and circumstance. Hope is making the impossible come true.<br /><br />This week's topic: <br />CHRISTIANITY, NICE PEOPLE, AND THE REAL WORLD<br /><br /><br />Christianity provides a working relationship between God and people.<br /><br />Only within this framework is Christianity of value in the affairs of daily life. Christianity represents the new covenant, whose foundation is God's grace and righteousness.<br /><br />This covenant takes on substance when, by the power of God, faith moves people to share with God the opportunity of restored fellowship. Spiritual newsness of life is then experienced as togetherness with Christ.<br /><br />All groups of believers will be successful whenever Jesus Christ is at the center of activities. With their confession of faith, believers acknowledge God's concern for people. The public creed proclaims Jesus Christ as God's appointed Savior.<br /><br />Christianity represents the new form of life where God's gift of grace is openly welcomed. At the same time, restored fellowship with God is also faithfully practiced.<br /><br />As confessing Christians, we actively respond to God's offer of life. We do this by dedicating the total self to bring glory to God. Our whole being must become a demonstration that God's plan of salvation applies to all humanity.<br /><br />According to God's plan, Jesus Christ is the cornerstone. On Christ we build; and together we grow in faith. The authority of Jesus Christ over our lives is ordained by God. Christ's life has been established as the model of the godly life. As the living Word of God, Christ is the teacher of truth. Through the Holy Spirit, Christ lives in us as the source of revelation for the truth about God.<br /><br />Christianity is not an invention of the human mind. It was by the Holy Spirit of God moving among the people of the ancient Church that Christianity's meaning was established. As a fellowship of believers, we live out the powerful interaction of a righteous God and sinful people.<br /><br />The purpose of Christianity--as ordained by God--is described by Christ in terms of eternal life: "And this is eternal life, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." (John 17:3)<br /><br />The vehicle available to God for bringing this point across is then the fellowship of believers, better known as the Church of Christ.<br /><br />Though God uses people in this work of witness on behalf of God's Kingdom, the propagation of truth remains definitely a matter of the Holy Spirit. This is not at all the activity of the human mind.<br /><br />Human intellect is prone to manipulate truth through interpretation--even the truth of the Word of God. Therefore, God does not select people to become witnesses to the good news about the Kingdom according to cleverness and charisma. God chooses and calls believers on the basis of faith. Faithful and obedient people already have dedicated themselves for service to God. Only then can the Holy Spirit work God's will through them.<br /><br />Saint Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, defined the authority of Christ's Church and exemplified its mission: "Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified ... And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 2:36, 4:12)<br /><br />In a historic sense, Christianity traces its roots to a specific event in time and place, as God has chosen to reveal Himself in the person of Jesus Christ.<br /><br />Jesus Christ came, died, and was raised back to life for the purpose of redeeming sinners. God intervened in human creation to give all people the hope of eternal life.<br /><br />But full appreciation of the Gospel demands spiritual comprehension of our total heritage. Divine truth in Old Testament and New Testament alike is God's blessing for each day. Biblical literature, like the Book of Genesis, therefore, must be read and understood in terms of the Gospel. Similar considerations apply also to the prophetic writings and the Psalms.<br /><br />Our status as redeemed people is sustained by God's grace through Jesus Christ. Believers in Christ can claim this blessing because of God's righteousness. As part of God's steadfastness, grace is constantly renewing sinful people.<br /><br />This universal truth is captured in Christ's answer to Peter's question whether seven times seven is a good limit to forgive those who wrong us. Christ's reply, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven" (Matthew 18:22), points to the limitless love of God. Christ now wants believers to share this truth with other people. As we forgive those who have wronged us, in like manner will God forgive us our sins.<br /><br />But there are problems with this truth in the world. The act of God's grace is being tied to human performance. The merciless sarcasm of non-believers wants to indict God's chosen people as not being worthy of their calling because the fellowship of believers should consist only of "nice people".<br /><br />This is nothing but an evil diversion. It dilutes all effectiveness of the grace of God. It ridicules the love of God that is constantly working the spiritual regeneration of sinful people.<br /><br />As Christians, we must not feel intimidated by worldly opinions of people who are outside the fellowshiip of believers. Yet, it is a Christian's duty to witness to these people, even though they may reject our witness to God's truth by showing greater interest in the frailty of our human nature than for God's message in the Gospel.<br /><br />The evil in humanism surfaces when specific shortcomings among Christians are singled out as the reason for rejecting God's message of the Gospel and ultimately rejecting God.<br /><br />Christians live in the world to be "like light for the whole world" and not for satisfying worldly intellectual concepts or personal ambitions. Christ's teaching is clear on this subject. The charge is precisely stated that a Christian's "light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16) Thus, commission for Christian witness originates from God through Christ.<br /><br />Only uncommitted people, like those with a totally humanistic view of life, will want to shy away from making the necessary commitment of dedication to God. So they will select only those priorities that are to their liking.<br /><br />Jesus has told us that "each tree is known by its own fruit." (Luke 6:44). This message helps in identifying true believers, for Christians are set apart--even in the jungle of life that is the real world--as children of God.<br /><br />"The good man out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil man out of his evil treasure produces evil; for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." (Luke 6:45)<br /><br />Out of a fellowship of a few believers has grown the largest religion in the world. This was possible because the early Church served God in the unity of the Spirit. The Apostolic Church overcame "isms" and overwhelmed religious cults because it relied on Jesus Christ as its Lord and submitted to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.<br /><br />Different isms and even more sinister cults challenge Chrstianity now. Indeed this has been the case throughout the ages ever since the days at Antioch, for "in Antioch the disciples were for the first time called Christians." (Acts 11:26) As confessing followers we have no choice in the matter of faith.<br /><br />God has ordained spiritual salvation and restored fellowship for all mankind. With it a love relationship has been established between God and people in its most perfect and simplest form.<br /><br />But what had started out to be perfect and simple soon turned out to be very complicated. People started intellectualizing Christianity. Soon sophistication permeated the affairs of daily life. Concepts of "true philosophy", "correct way of life", "humanism", and more recently "fundamentalism" became like a non-functional appendix in the relationship of God and people.<br /><br />The present dilemma is frightening but definitely not hopeless. God already has acted. As believers, let us therefore refresh our memory as to whose we truly are. Then let us find refuge in the divine promise that Christ is with us. This is the only way we can learn to rely on God's message of hope.<br /><br />Ecclesiastical religion--acting strictly on the authority of its own doctrines and dogmas--has constantly been more eager to denounce and condemn rather than to demonstrate the truth of the Gospel. Even quite recently a theology professor from a major Christian tradition discussed the problem of fundamentalism in a way that focuses on exposure of the wrong instead of englightening people in the truth. (Fundamentalism: A Pastoral Concern. Fr. Eugene LaVerdiere, S.S.S. The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota, 1983) But the overriding issue in Christian witness is truth. Only truth can enlighten people.<br /><br />For example, ecclesiastical theology teaches human wisdom. It makes people appear wise and pious in the eyes of the world. But in divine wisdom God says, "Know that I am God and have faith. Faith makes a believer act to bring glory to God.<br /><br />Faith--the human response to God's grace--has been neglected for centuries as church doctrine placed greater emphasis on worldly accomplishments of good works. This and numerous other religious decrees--by the authority of councils or boards--had as their objective the control of the membership instead of concern for the Kingdom of God. Faith is a timeless relationship of trust with the living God.<br /><br />In other instances the church, as an ecclesiastical institution, has dictated scientific truth. And even today there are Christian groups who insist on teaching creation according to the Genesis account, despite best available knowledge that the planet earth has existed for 4 1/2 billion years.<br /><br />People are conditioned not to question anything declared sacred by the church. Because the general membership further assumes that its clergy have greater knowledge about church precepts, they dare not question what is being taught. History has shown that ecclesiastical rules have favord the church as an institution instead of addressing the needs of people and their relationship to God.<br /><br />Smoke screens conceal decisive issues. The world is full of programs that water down the truth. Somehow "nice people" do not wish to show their own true colors, as this declaration may demand a commitment of consequence. People prefer to hide behind a superficial image of neutrality with regard to their own affairs.<br /><br />But these very same people will manipulate and pull strings, as long as they don't have to show themselves during the process of exposing others. The "modus operandi" is to bring the point across by thoroughly exploring the other point of view. Subsequently it will be discussed in ways that generate confusion and doubt. Such behavior is typical of people who suffer spiritual agony.<br /><br /><br />Genuine search for truth respects other points of view. This is how foundations for deeper understanding are built. But at the same time we must beware of presumptuous teaching and claims which lack reality and evidence. This warning also applies to religion, where issues must be examined in light of Scripture and reason. Therefore, let us discuss new concepts, like fundamentalism, and not fear proliferation or division in Christianity because of them.<br /><br />God constantly reveals Himself through the activity of the Holy Spirit who, Christ says, "will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you." (John 16:14) Thus, the truth about God is a daily revelation.<br /><br />In this revelation of the truth about God, the Bible is a tool of the Holy Spirit. In its true spiritual sense, the Bible is a God-and-people book that relates the interaction of a righteous God and sinful people.<br /><br />The truth of the Word of God is so important that its purpose is made known by the Holy Spirit for any specific need at hand. This precludes all human ambition to manipulate Biblical literature for speculative purposes. Nor should it become a mechanism to control faith in people.<br /><br />Quite often, the sacred term "Word of God" is used interchangeably for Biblical literature. This substitution is wrong. The Word, or Logos, is the creative and sustaining Spirit of God as revealed in Jesus Christ (John 1). The Word of God is supreme. Within the doctrine of the Word, Biblical literature has a fourth-place position after the reality of God, Jesus Christ, and the revealed and spoken Word. For example, the Word of God demands faithfulness and obedience of people; Biblical literature tells about the results and God's intent in future dealings because of humanity's disobedience.<br /><br />Minor ecclesiastical problems--like fundamentalism--only point to the much bigger problem that affects the personal relationship between God and people. The overriding issue at hand is an identity crisis. This is a spiritual problem.<br /><br />We cannot hide from it by clouding the issue. Individuals, families, and even society as a whole have been reluctant or afraid for too long to find out the purpose of existence in light of whose we truly are.<br /><br />As long as people choose to live in a state of aimless drift, confusion will persist. This becomes further complicated when groups within the Christian confession fail to stand up and declare their faith in Christ or, worse yet, do not live up to what they confess.<br /><br />The relationship of God and people is not an issue of lofty philosophical precepts, but is a way of life for all people, as God has ordained it in creation and confirmed in redemption.<br /><br /><br />RAYS OF HOPE AND FREEDOM<br /><br />My life was in chaos.<br />Darkness clouded my senses,<br />My heart trembled in fear.<br /><br />I prayed to God:<br />"Father, help me!"<br />And God transformed my life.<br /><br />The world is still the same. <br />But I am now secure:<br />Christ is my Savior!<br /><br />His love fills my heart, <br />His faith is my faith.<br />Rays of hope now light up my soul.<br /><br />Rays of hope and freedom<br />Show me the way to God,<br />And where Christ lives I too will live.<br /><br /><br />NEXT, December 14:<br />Life in the world despite the other person.<br /><br /><br /><br />(Excerpt from the book I.D. CRISIS by Kurt Koppetsch, published by Shepherd News Trust, Inc.--www.shepherdnewstrust.com)Kurt Koppetschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13279340337623846239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983433315963634519.post-58009590746679845382009-11-30T10:04:00.000-05:002009-12-29T10:05:24.593-05:00I.D. CRISIS--Series 2 of 20--Are we existing in an identity crisis?BACKGROUND:<br />The book I.D. CRISIS by Kurt Koppetsch deals with the spiritual, intellectual, and social conflict of people in modern times. Confusion about the past and uncertainties in the present prevent us from knowing our true nature. As a direct consequence of such confusion, visions of the future are clouded. Some of the diversions that prevent us from realizing our true identity as children of God are philosophies, politics, economics, and falsehoods such as religious cults. The solution is remembering that human beings are dependent creatures of God.<br /><br />HOPE FOR THE FUTURE:<br />Each series of the book I.D. CRISIS will conclude with the poem "Rays of Hope and Freedom" to assure readers that God cares about our lives and we are his children of hope. Hope is the From/to process at work in the modern Era of Faith repairing life and circumstances. Hope is making the impossible come true.<br /><br />This week's topic:<br />ARE WE EXISTING IN AN IDENTITY CRISIS?<br /><br /><br />We live by priorities.<br /><br />The routine of daily life is subject to value judgments. Our decisions have far-reaching consequences on personal behavior and relationships. The quality of life on earth depends upon a successful balancing of priorities--with God and one another.<br /><br />Choosing priorities requires people to exercise their God-given freedom. Any outcome will necessarily be influenced by personal convictions and views about life. People decide to make materialistic greed or spiritual hunger their priorities. Blessing or curse of life on earth depends upon a thorough appreciation of the purpose of our creation.<br /><br />To help us live by the right decision requires that we become fully aware as to whose we truly are.<br /><br />Therefore, in light of God's purpose for human creation, let us ask: "Do we have an identity problem?"<br /><br />Because of its serious implications, this question certainly merits attention. So let us look at the problem with genuine concern and examine the quality of daily life. Let us expose all the consequences that result from spiritual neglect. Thus we must make our review a matter of personal involvement.<br /><br />As we commit ourselves to the search for truth, we seek to find the answers to understand the secrets of life. And any truth uncovered will hopefully guide us back on the right path of faithfulness and obedience.<br /><br />A potential crisis can be turned into the better way of life. Our quest for purpose and meaning on earth will also lead to a deeper appreciation of the nature of our being. A dedicated search will lead us to fundamental truth and point the way to whose we truly are.<br /><br />We are God's people!<br /><br />God's mark of ownership is the divine act of our creation. And on the strength of God's righteousness alone, this claim on our lives was renewed. God made it permanent through the divine act of redemption.<br /><br />God acted despite the sinfulness of people. Redemption--life in union with Christ as God's anointed savior--offers all people the opportunity to live by grace in the newness of life. It further secures for the faithful and the obedient a place of restored fellowship in the presence of God. For as grace and faith combine, then all people who believe in God's plan of salvation will experience the oneness that identifies human beings as the image of God.<br /><br />If our behavior in thought and deed is not in harmony with God's expectations for the purpose of our creation, then, we are in the center of an identity crisis. Our behavior--together with the fruits of our labor--is all the evidence needed to indict us.<br /><br />Whenever people as individuals, families, or societies that make up a nation continuously miss the mark of realizing the life-giving relationship ordained by God, God's expectations of faithfulness and obedience have become sidetracked. When this happens, devotion as well as service to God degenerates into a purposeless ritual. People will go to church once a week solely to satisfy the ego. The absence of any genuine sign of repentance will serve as additional proof that pride and arrogance have combined forces with selfishness and greed.<br /><br />Neither families nor societies benefit from the spiritual decay of their members. Satan is the only one to gain from any degeneration of the human race. Therefore, Satan will offer help to the wayward in making the final break from knowing God by severing any remaining strains of conscience. Thereafter evil can claim victory over the conflict in man.<br /><br />Sheer physical existence becomes the new order of the day. Without hope, life has already been shown to be very harsh. People compete for self-esteem, increase greed to remain above average, and excel in empire building to maintain an image.<br /><br />For people who live without hope, the world is nothing more than a jungle. This type of world consumes--energies and people. In it people will fight and kill in order to survive.<br /><br />Within it, people will tend to live in their own ocean of self-righteousness. Only the choking from the corrosive atmosphere of hate and greed will make them aware of spiritual blindness. Missed opportunity to overcome this way of life lead to deathbed despair in which the dying see the horizons closing in for the final curtain call.<br /><br />People have created their own death trap when they make the world a place in which ruthless ambition is the order of the day. In it we will constantly see people working extra hard to outsmart and outdo their fellow men.<br /><br />As people fight for supremacy, the tenderness of conscience becomes dulled in proportion to the fierceness of worldly struggles. Eventually the wayward will also become insensitive to the pain of slow spiritual death. As they compensate for this painless loss with overindulgence in the pleasures of materialistic gains, Satan waits prepared to reap the harvest in a field full of people who have lost all spiritual identity with God.<br /><br />Because human beings were created to be dependent creatures of God, an identity crisis is really upon us. We simply have failed to appreciate divine truth as the message that alone can satisfy the hunger of starving souls.<br /><br />What must we do?<br /><br />This is not just a cry of desperation of the humanly frail and physically weak. There are moments of truth in all people--good and bad alike. These times of root awakening are opportunities to change. It can be the beginning of the better way of life.<br /><br />Unfortunately, not all people will take advantage of the chance for a new beginning. We all know that the shedding of bad habits is good for us and there is even some honesty to our hidden desire for change. Yet this is seldom pursued with sufficient impetus to make a fresh beginning the new routine of daily life.<br /><br />We are not alone in this tragic situation. We share this dilemma with multitudes of people around us.<br /><br />Because pride makes us cry for even greater independence, we are slaves of our own pride. It makes us want to dictate the ground rules for communion and fellowship with God.<br /><br />Thus, the sin of rebellion, defiance, and independence is compounded by the greater sin of pride. Even though this conflict is harsh, let us not become overwhelmed by the fierceness of our own problems. Nor must we let ourselves become intimidated by the evil around us. There is nothing in the world that can destroy what God has ordained.<br /><br />At the same time let us also recognize that there are no alternate or substitute ways for God's plans for our spiritual well-being. For on the basis of God's righteousness alone, grace is the divine gift that secures salvation through Jesus Christ. Thus, the only proper reaction to God's offer of grace is to take refuge in God our Redeemer.<br /><br />Life in today's world is a mixed blessing. Aimless drift and apathy is a predominant problem among the well-to-do. Hunger, disease, and death darken all signs of hope for the less fortunate. Though present in different ways, despair can touch rich and poor alike. Nonetheless, life continues to run its course because God sustains it.<br /><br />This world is the proving ground for Christian faith. The faithful and obedient are given the opportunity to live the faith that we as Christians have so readily professed. Life must be shared with zealots, opportunists, the confused, and even those who reject everything, including themselves.<br /><br />Yet the presence of God is evident. For from within this unlikely bundle of people, God continues to use individuals in many ways to accomplish divine purpose.<br /><br />Through his grace, God is providing ample help. Christians can draw on the power of God to let the Holy Spirit work his will through them. Thus, we do not live for ourselves but to the glory of God.<br /><br />Christ's prophetic words in the Sermon on the Mount serve to identify followers and their mission: "You are the light of the world ... Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:14,16)<br /><br />For a better understanding of "good works," let us keep in mind the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). God is glorified when we recognize the other person also as a child of God and give of ourselves.<br /><br />If Christians--as the body of Christ--are really concerned about their mission and work, they need not defend or be apologetic about their witness to the good news of the Gospel: Jesus Christ came, died, and was raised back to life for the forgiveness of sins--for even the worst of sinners.<br /><br />To end the identity crisis, we must yield to the Holy Spirit, who alone will reveal the truth about God.<br /><br />The flourishing of falsehoods--such as religious cults--during an identity crisis is alarming, but should not come as a surprise. Whenever people feel spiritually destitute, they will accept even their own manipulation for the sake of temporary relief.<br /><br />But false teaching will go on. Saint Paul mentioned that this will continue as long as there are people who like to promote human ideas: "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths." (2 Timothy 4:3-4)<br /><br />As people of God--our true identity through creation and redemption--we live in the world by the grace of God.<br /><br />This rules out all clever manipulation by the human mind to become giants in intellect and develop our own methods of pleasing God. Restored fellowship was provided by God two thousand years ago--despite sin--as a gift of grace.<br /><br />God has acted. We now must respond, faithfully and obediently, and live out God's plan of salvation.<br /><br /><br />RAYS OF HOPE AND FREEDOM<br /><br />My life was in chaos.<br />Darkness clouded my senses.<br />My heart trembled in fear.<br /><br />I prayed to God:<br />"Father, help me!"<br />And God transformed my life.<br /><br />The world is still the same.<br />But I am now secure:<br />Christ is my Savior!<br /><br />His love fills my heart,<br />His faith is my faith.<br />Rays of hope now light up my soul.<br /><br />Rays of hope and freedom<br />Show me the way to God,<br />And where Christ lives I too will live!<br /><br /><br />NEXT, December 7: <br />Christianity, nice people, and the real world<br /><br /><br /><br />(Excerpt from the book I.D. CRISIS by Kurt Koppetsch, published by Shepherd News Trust, Inc.--www.shepherdnewstrust.com)Kurt Koppetschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13279340337623846239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983433315963634519.post-64852215332914091282009-11-23T10:04:00.000-05:002009-12-29T10:04:46.763-05:00I.D. CRISIS--Series 1 of 20--IntroductionBACKGROUND:<br />The book I.D. CRISIS by Kurt Koppetsch deals with the spiritual, intellectual, and social conflict of people in modern times. Confusion about the past and uncertainties in the present prevent us from knowing our true nature. As a direct consequence of such confusion, visions of the future are clouded. Some of the diversions that prevent people from realizing their true identity as children of God are philosophies, politics, economics, and falsehoods such as religious cults. The solution is remembering that human beings are dependent creatures of God.<br /><br />HOPE FOR THE FUTURE:<br />Each series of the book I.D. CRISIS will conclude repeatedly with the poem "Rays of Hope and Freedom" to assure readers that God is in charge of human lives and we are his children of hope. Hope is the From/to process at work in the modern Era of Faith repairing life and circumstances. Hope is making the impossible come true.<br /><br /><br />This week's topic:<br />INTRODUCTION<br /><br /><br />I.D. CRISIS was written to alert all people everywhere about a better way of life, God's way. The purpose of the text is to help diligent readers get started on the personal road of discovery to eternal truth and universal salvation.<br /><br />No writing, however eloquent, can prescribe a step-by-step procedure for this search. People must learn to appreciate for themselves the way of truth. Such is the beginning of an everlasting relationship.<br /><br />And the authority for guidance belongs to God. In human ideas, what may be totally acceptable to some is highly objectionable to others.<br /><br />Even though attitudes and behavior may vary from culture to culture, the essence of life, nonetheless, is changeless. The model of the godly life has been given to the world. The message about the Kingdom of God and the will of God is clear in Christ's teaching.<br /><br />Much confusion is nourished by ignorance. And evil enters in when theories are declared as facts and dogmatic pronouncements attempt to protect doctrines and traditions. This is typical when ecclesiastical organizations feel threatened and try to perpetuate themselves. But such defensive moves are not always necessarily in the interest of truth.<br /><br />There is no need to speculate concerning the truth about God. The teaching of Christ is God's summary. The message given explains the Kingdom of God and the will of God. Nothing more is required for the short human pilgrimage on earth of seventy years more or less.<br /><br />Christ affirmed God's expectations of faithfulness and obedience. The call to worship and service--the ancient Shema Yisrael--is confirmed for all people everywhere as a primary event in everyday life: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." (Matthew 22:37)<br /><br />No additional explanations is needed. The human race is the height of God's creation. And God has definite expectations of people.<br /><br />Eternal truth is further enhanced by Christ summarizing the historic Law of Holiness and Justice. This divine command stands as the foundation of all human relationships: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:39)<br /><br />Prior to Christ's confirmation of these standards for human behavior, God's prophet Micah provided the divine reply to the age-old question as to what God requires of people. The subject again concerns holiness and justice: "He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8)<br /><br />The direction is straightforward. There are no hidden meanings.<br /><br />Yet Abraham Lincoln, one of the greatest Americans, lamented about the sad condition of ecclesiastical religion. The prophet Micah's detailed summary to "walk humbly with your God" was compared by Lincoln to the workings of the institutional church.<br /><br />This is how Lincoln saw the problem: "When any church will inscribe over its altar, as its sole qualification for membership, the Saviour's condensed statement of the substance of both Law and Gospel, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor, as thyself' that church will I join with all my heart and all my soul."<br /><br />What otherwise may appear as sarcasm on the part of non-committed people are actually cries of desperation--sometimes even calls for reform. The vacuum within an empty soul is the greatest imaginable abyss. It is as consuming as the bottomless pit.<br /><br />--Where is God in times of war?<br />--Why all the starvation in the world?<br />--Why do people suffer?<br /><br />These outcries are real. Death and suffering are in the world. Where is God in all this trouble? Assuredly, with the faithful believer! God is right in the center of war, starvation, and suffering to support and uphold the faithful.<br /><br />Faithful believers live in the world according to divine promise. What God ordains, God also sustains. This message of hope has been given many times. But it must be repeated again and again.<br /><br />God has already demonstrated his perfect record of performance. He has proven to be faithful and steadfast. Therefore, any demands for new themes in the teaching of eternal truth are mere tactics of arrogant people. With their demands they wish God's creation to march to their tune. Anyone more concerned about the ways of the world than the Kingdom of God does not have a working relationship with the Living God at heart.<br /><br />Biblical writings are sufficient evidence about the concerns of a righteous God for sinful people. The Bible, indeed, is a text on relationships. It is a true God-and-people book.<br /><br />But eternal truth is a matter of revelation by the Holy Spirit. The written word, indeed, is human, but its inspirational message is divine.<br /><br />God inspires believers by means of divinely ordained channels. The Bible is the means by which the Holy Spirit makes known the truth about God.<br /><br />Education is a continuous process of learning. But somehow people have conceived the unfortunate notion that formal education ends the learning process. Nothing is further from the truth.<br /><br />A worse situation exists in religious education. It is truly sad to see children elated at having been freed from the burden of learning about God at the day of their confirmation. They have learned fast to follow the example of elders.<br /><br />With the exception of some sporadic programs, no responsibility has been exercised by either teachers or adults to maintain the learning process of knowing all the truth about God.<br /><br />Good behavior is a matter of faithfulness and obedience to God. The quality of our response to God is not subject to human consideration, for the will of God is the purpose of our being. Christ taught and demonstrated God's intent for people. When people live and act accordingly, they have achieved true greatness. Then they also have something to boast about--because of what God through Christ has done--and not brag about worldly achievements.<br /><br />The Word of God in Jeremiah encourages our concern for the Kingdom of God. "Thus says the LORD: 'Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practice steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I delight, says the LORD.'" (Jeremiah 9:23-24)<br /><br /> RAYS OF HOPE AND FEEDOM<br /><br /> My life was in chaos.<br /> Darkness clouded my senses,<br /> My heart trembled in fear.<br /><br /> I prayed to God:<br /> "Father, help me!"<br /> And God transformed my life.<br /><br /> The world is still the same.<br /> But I am now secure:<br /> Christ is my Savior!<br /><br /> His love fills my heart,<br /> His faith is my faith.<br /> Rays of hope now light up my soul.<br /><br /> Rays of hope and freedom<br /> Show me the way to God,<br /> And where Christ lives I too will live!<br /><br /><br />NEXT, November 30: <br />Are we existing in an identity crisis?<br /><br />(Excerpt from the book I.D. CRISIS by Kurt Koppetsch, published by Shepherd News Trust, Inc.--www.shepherdnewstrust.com)Kurt Koppetschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13279340337623846239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983433315963634519.post-88997120311028160652009-11-18T10:03:00.000-05:002009-12-29T10:04:09.489-05:00The economy and the power to make things better--Part 5 of 5--A National PrayerPrayer by the power of the Holy Spirit is the most powerful force in bonding people and God; we pray to God for his presence, healing, spiritual renewal, and economic independence. Prayer awakens the conscience to become conscientious in our relationship with God.<br /><br />Dear God and Father:<br /><br />Jesus commanded us to pray in his name. Let your Holy Spirit guide us in everything you want done. Help us with confession and commitment, strengthen our faith and keep us united.<br /><br /> You have made us a nation of peers, rich in resources, and overflowing with talent. We decided to change all that.<br /><br />And now many unresolved ills are tearing us apart, straining the social fabric. We have acted willfully and tarnished our opportunities to excel in service to you. At times we are even harsh toward ourselves. You have given us humanity, yet we manage to treat family and strangers less than humanely.<br /><br />While you expect of us faithfulness and obedience to your will and the purpose of our creation, we have been busily building our own empires in a society of institutions. On these we depend to take care of us.<br /><br />We have exchanged the attributes of equality for all human beings--individual rights and personal obligations--in favor of a system of collective agents in our institutions. They are no substitutes, even though we believed these to be better qualified to handle our relationship with you and the relationships with one another.<br /><br />We let ourselves become saturated with information based on the bottom line of selling papers and air time, and we have neglected searching and listening to your Word.<br /><br /> We have become complacent when financial opportunists deal away our economic independence.<br /><br />We export manufacturing and import investments. We do nothing to prevent the prospects of our children becoming servants of foreign masters in their own land.<br /><br />We have relegated trust in you to a meaningless imprint on money, but as money decays, so will we, unless we change and return to you.<br /><br />These are crucial times. We cry out to you to awaken a slumbering giant. Renew our spirit and help us to seek the only peace of value, your peace, where the human spirit is at peace with you and one another in a world of uncharted space to allow for the expansion of tolerance, compassion, and the blessing of your promise to take care of us.<br /><br />O Lord, our God, act with haste and save us. Be once again our refuge and strength, for you are our God, and we are your people. Prepare for us your way to transform challenges into opportunities so that toward the end your name will be glorified in a new era in America, the Era of Faith.<br /><br /> In Jesus' name we pray: Your kingdom come. Your will be done. Amen.Kurt Koppetschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13279340337623846239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983433315963634519.post-72985575241485046082009-11-09T10:02:00.000-05:002009-12-29T10:03:33.756-05:00The economy and the power to make things better--Part 4 of 5--Hope and promiseGreat things always happen when we work the Golden Rule according to God’s plan for human life, be it in economics, finance, jobs, health care, education and respect for the other person. Let the power to make things better now be our commitment to work hard and do what is best in dealing justly in economic and social matters, for the world revolves around the economy. Yet we are not alone in this arduous task toward physical satisfaction and spiritual wellbeing. God inspires us with hope and the promise of his presence, and he expects us to apply the gift of hope to the fullest in evidence to show that we are truly his children of hope.<br /><br /><br /><br />Next: A National PrayerKurt Koppetschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13279340337623846239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983433315963634519.post-62462955530693498082009-11-02T09:48:00.000-05:002009-12-29T10:02:17.315-05:00The economy and the power to make things better--Part 3 of 5--The spiritual point of viewGod looks with compassion at modern America, and he suffers with the victims of economic abuse. With scorn he addresses today’s arrogant and inexperienced managers, the “Paper Barons” of modern times, as well as impulsive politicians: “You have become too big for your breeches. All the world’s resources are mine. Your greedy appetite and lust for power are wasting what belongs to me and all my people!”<br /><br />And God continues: “I have made America the bastion of free enterprise. You have eliminated your competitors by swallowing them up one by one, not with your own money but at the expense of my people. You have borrowed money and then passed on the cost of your insatiable growth to the consumers. They carry the burden of your grandiose schemes through higher costs of the market basket or smaller food packages. In your grandiose plots you start new ventures with borrowed money and then fold them up when things do not work out. Who do you think is absorbing the loss? Surely it is not your financial backers. They are even greedier than you are. They are in business to make money no matter what. And look at your accounting schemes. Suddenly you play the fool, claiming that you do not know what is happening. You know how to give yourselves huge salaries, bonuses, and generous pensions. My people must pay for them by your denying jobs, health coverage, and pensions for my hard-working people.”<br /><br />God’s voice now thunders: “By what rules do you gamble the hard-earned savings of my working people in 401(k) plans? Who decides that you have the right to declare a stock under value or encourage companies to dilute the number of shares? Who do you think is picking up the tab when your schemes fail? Unscrupulous institutional managers of the public trust are the great evils in modern times. A lot of money is changing hands without control and without consideration of the needs of the owner.”<br /><br />Furthermore, God says: “You pay obnoxiously high salaries in professional sports. Whose money is it that you are wasting? You recover every penny through advertisements of the products my people must buy in order to live. But it is my people who must swallow with each spoon of food the bitterness of your schemes. I, the Lord, have spoken.”<br /><br />God says: “My wealth in America belongs to the American people. It is my gift to them.” God admonishes America’s leadership—business leaders and politicians alike—concerning job losses: “When you scorn the American workforce as an expense that is prohibitive, you are attacking the foundation of the American dream that I put in place for a bright future of job stability and family income. You are attacking me when you take work away from my people. Your cheap labor tactics are now the cause of many social ills in America. Your greedy appetite is placing the American family in jeopardy. Your greed is a monster that gnaws at the hopes and dreams of my people. And that is not all. You now sell in America for dollars what you have manufactured offshore for cents. Your exploitation of cheap labor markets is slavery. Your greed is responsible for hatred and wars because exploited people feel the injustice done to them. You are fools if you think that I will let you get away with it. Beware of your greed. Greed is a killer. I will not stop your greed, for eventually your own greed will destroy you in due time. Repent therefore. I, the Lord, have spoken.”Kurt Koppetschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13279340337623846239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983433315963634519.post-33980532624425333442009-10-29T09:47:00.000-04:002009-12-29T09:47:50.260-05:00The economy and the power to make things better--Part 2 of 5--Past and present realitiesIn the past, families envisioned great times as industries grew and so did employment, and the future was promising. Enlightened entrepreneurs looked protectively after workers; those leaders less inclined to share the wealth were obliged to sign labor contracts through unions. In either situation industry and the American workforce was a viable partnership, each partner benefiting through benevolent relationships. Even when work was slow during recessions or depressions, local employers cared for struggling families.<br /><br />Unfortunately, it took wars to perk up sagging economies. Two world wars lifted industry out of the doldrums. During each national crisis the American workers were ready to pitch in and do their part. They did not debate. They simply helped. A job needed to be done, and they were there to do it.<br /><br />Enlightened entrepreneurs remembered that each worker had to support a family, so they compensated their workers fairly. Quality of life in the early period of America’s industrialization consisted of family, the church, and an unyielding faith in God. As the family enjoyed income security, they had time to share. And they shared laughter, often in the company of friends and neighbors. Because the employers were benevolent, there was great respect for business leaders. Business ethics were crowned with an unwritten commitment to look out for each other at all times. Accounting was simple and free of tricks. Honesty and fairness fostered respect in the workplace. God was happy because his people were satisfied.<br /><br />Industrialization was conceived to make life simpler, more abundant, and more secure. America was producing things in large volumes to make them affordable. America had a sound manufacturing base, and America was making money. Sunrise and sunset defined the day for work and shopping. Evenings were for the family, and Sundays were days of rest for fun and laughter. God was the center of family life.<br /><br />Subtle changes gradually appeared on the horizon. “Efficiency experts” entered the scene. There were shifts away from the personal relationships workers enjoyed with entrepreneurs. Professional managers—“Paper Barons”—appeared to run the business on a new and impersonal platform. The new focus was on the bottom line. Ethics was put into the back seat, and the once-vital work ethic slowly faded into oblivion. The 1960s saw the beginning of the end of manufacturing in America.<br /><br />This shift to a service economy broke the backbone of the American family. Cheap labor overseas overpowered the American workforce with the approval of management. The American workforce in textiles, shoes, and eventually high technology was hung out to dry by its business leadership. Besides the loss of jobs, America is losing all rights to genuine American technology. Business leaders claim to need the technology transfer to manufacture American-brand products overseas. God is troubled.Kurt Koppetschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13279340337623846239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1983433315963634519.post-89813965838133438022009-10-18T09:45:00.000-04:002009-12-29T09:46:40.094-05:00The economy and the power to make things better--Part 1 of 5--Assessment of contemporary lifeThe world revolves around the economy. Today’s economic and social ills—jobs, financial chaos, health care, education, lack of respect for the other person—raise havoc with the economy; correction requires spiritual renewal—i.e. we must do extremely well in service to God and country and work ethics as the Golden Rule; relying on the government to handle what are personal obligations will not do. Americans, like other members of the global economy, suffer an identity crisis as human desires and lust for power have overtaken us. To overcome the identity crisis, we must live according to whose we truly are; we are God’s people and his children of hope. God supports us; therefore let us make ample use of his presence in our lives. The spiritual connection is the most powerful force on Earth and is indispensable for overcoming human greed and lust for power. We believe that the current harsh and adulterated economic conditions demand changes in attitudes and behavior beyond ordinary means.<br /><br />We need divine help. Two devastating wars and unresolved conflicts in Palestine continue to drive the resources of America to the breaking point. Compounding America’s situation even further is a health care crisis that remains unresolved, and the outsourcing of jobs further complicates the economic hardship—this despite the fact that America has an abundance of talent.<br /><br />Helpful guides for achieving economic independence:<br /><br />1. Identify the shortcomings.<br /><br />2. Make the commitment to adjust attitudes and behavior.<br /><br />3. Explore solutions to overcome the problem of man-created disasters.<br /><br />4. Devise the plan for change and improving the current dire conditions.<br /><br />5. Provide the resources to implement the plan.<br /><br />6. Persevere. Since conquest in resolving overwhelming issues call for a firm commitment, let us ask: “Am I willing to make the necessary commitment to handle the present economic crisis and social ills?” Only a positive response will guarantee America’s future of hope.<br /><br />7. Important considerations for implementing changes<br /><br />7a. Many economic problems today are the result of lack of government scrutiny of questionable activities because laws, rules, and regulations to control irresponsible human behavior are not in place. Many lawmakers favor a free market economy, but a free-for-all greed and lust for power is not a free market economy.<br /><br />7b. Ultimately, economic issues are moral issues. And like all other moral situations, economic problems also call for spiritual solutions.<br /><br />7c. Therefore, it is up to us as spritual beings in the modern world to address moral decay and expose morally deficient leaders in business and finance: bankers, 401k managers, hedge fund operators, venture capitalists, private equity manipulators, and all others who deal with the resources of the general public in irresponsible ways. A 5% investment in a company by a venture capitalist will guarantee takeover and subsequent abuse of the public trust by cashing in the equity value of companies because irresponsible bankers and 401k managers, the pencil pushers of modern times, are partners for a fee with greedy takeover manipulators.<br /><br />7d. Let one thing be certain: Anyone more interested in personal greed and lust for power rather than the common good does not deserve the respect and the honors associated with ethics in active community life.<br /><br />7e. Good human conduct is watching out for the community and each other. This is the necessary first step in the healing of social ills as well as in providing a spiritual solution to today's economic ills. God expects us to build bridges for making the world a better place through job creation; thus we join forces, locally and globally, to condemn economic greed and personal lust for power. As we cry out for divine help in the present dilemma, God will surely guide us in working our economic needs to help families become economically independent. We believe that the solution to the moral decay that is responsible for current job losses through outscourcing demands a spiritual solution. And God is waiting to hear our prayers to help restore the job security of American families.<br /><br />7f. He will inspire and encourage seekers of truth for the common good with visions for solving our job woes. But we must act, locally, and collectively as a nation, to plan the future that will make us a better people.<br /><br />In this writing, past conditions and future expectations are looked at in detail in Part 2, 3 and 4, with Part 5 being A National Prayer seeking divine intervention. In every instance, the emphasis is on unity; unity alone will make certain a successful solution and prevent further damage to the American Spirit. Part 3 is especially important, for it shifts the current burdens into God’s hands where they belong; business leaders and ruthless politicians for too long have manipulated what rightfully belongs to the kingdom of God on Earth and all his people. The time is here and now to stop the hijacking of God’s wealth and overturn arrogant ideas about human greatness; disastrous wars already indict the falsehood of self-centered ambition, greed, and lust for power as the ongoing egocentric behavior keeps consuming resources and energies to serve God and country; therefore, only when we yield to God will things improve. Part 4 presents a future of hope as God’s way for quality of life. Part 5: A National PrayerKurt Koppetschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13279340337623846239noreply@blogger.com0