Daily Devotional for Friday January 16, 2009
After taking $350 Billion the Banks are Back Asking for $1 Trillion
(2 Timothy 3)
A follow-up on some recent Devotionals. Today's Daily Devotional is going to be a little different. I want to follow-up on recent Devotionals about the economic crisis as well as Rick Warren giving the invocation at President Obama's inauguration next Tuesday.
After taking $350 BILLION dollars with absolutely zero accountability of what they did with that money, the banks are once again back in Washington, only this time looking for over $1 TRILLION dollars. As I watch the markets continue to slump, see retail sales during Christmas worse than was even predicted (which means look for major retailers to start cutting back or going under), every new plan and idea the smartest economists alive come up with fail, I wonder when people will wake up and realize this is not really an economic crisis, it is a spiritual crisis!
I have news for everyone today. There are no quick fixes for our economic problems. There are no easy solutions. The government is not going to spend its way out of this, only spend its way into more debt. The ONLY answer for this economic crisis is to first ask God's forgiveness, repent of our sins, turn back to God, and in HIS wisdom instill sound BIBLICAL FINANCIAL PRINCIPLES to re-establish our economy on solid ground
Sadly, President Bush, Speaker Pelosi, Senate Leader Reid, didn't think a national day of prayer for the economy was a good idea. Maybe after a few more trillion dollars of debt, a few more failed plans, they might wake up and realize that God is our ONLY hope and our ONLY answer!!!
It was prophetic that a few weeks ago I shared a message with you on why Rick Warren should NOT have accepted the invitation to do the invocation at President Obama's inauguration, even though that was his payback for associating himself with an ultra liberal group to put on the Presidential debate last year. As I shared in that message, compromise will always destroy you.
Because of the outrage by the homosexual community, a community that Obama has always staunchly supported, he has named Bishop Gene Robinson of the Episcopal Church to do the invocation at a pre-inaugural event next Monday. If the name Bishop Gene Robinson sounds familiar to you , it should. I lambasted him and the Episcopal Church years ago when he was installed as a Bishop, despite the fact he is an unrepentant practicing sodomite!
His life makes a mockery of the church, church leaders, and the cause of Christ. To further "balance out" the selection of Warren, the benediction at the inauguration will be given by civil rights pioneer Dr. Joseph Lowery, a man who supports the killing of innocent babies as does our incoming President.
Now do you see why Warren is a fool for not only going there to bless a man who is a true enemy of God in every sense of the word, but is simply being used. As I said before, if Rick Warren is going to pray in the name of Jesus, pray for our new President's salvation, pray that this nation stops killing babies and condemns those who support this practice of legalized infanticide, pray that we stop making a mockery of God's Holy Institution of Marriage, THAN I will be the first to stand and applaud him. I promise you there are two chances of that happening, and slim just left town!!!
It is so-called leaders like Warren who live their lives compromising the Truth of God's Word and the Gospel to achieve their own agenda, that are largely responsible for the spiritual state of our nation being what it is today. People now call themselves Christians and have never even accepted Christ as their Savior by faith. Pastors who aren't even saved. Churches that embrace gross sins like homosexuality and abortion.
That is why when anyone goes into the marketplace to take a stand for God's Truth, for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they are not only hammered by non-Believers, but also from those who call themselves Christians. Some of the harshest emails I get each day are from people who identify themselves as Christians. They tell me to "chill out." They tell me to quit talking about sin. They tell me that I should use more "love."
These are the SAME PEOPLE who used to lambaste the Old Testament prophets. These are the same people who after hearing Jesus speak, left him because the things He spoke of were too harsh for them. These are the same people who no doubt scolded Paul for not being more loving with the people he preached to on his various missionary journeys.
My friend, never forget that the greatest act of love is to tell someone the truth. If I didn't love people, I would not be putting my life on the line every day to bring God's Truth to the marketplace. If I didn't love people, I would not have literally sacrificed my life these past 18 years serving the Lord 24/7/365. If I didn't love people, I could care less if people want to ruin their lives with sin, die and go to hell. I love people to tell them the Truth without compromise, regardless how they respond!
I love you and care about you so much. Listen my friend, the time is short, very short. Even though most are too blind to see it, I KNOW the economic crisis is simply the beginnings of God's judgment on this nation. So many people have been brought up by those who compromise the Absolutes of the Bible that they find the raw Truth of the Bible highly offensive.
As I watch the nation literally crumbling before my very eyes, as I watch the church in apostasy before my very eyes, I realize more and more each day that we really don't have much time left. I will keep doing everything I can each moment to call our nation to repentance, to lead the lost to faith in Christ, and I can only encourage you to do the same. The wrath and judgment fo God on this nation has begun. Hold on to Jesus tight. He is your only strength and hope in these final days.
In His love and service, Your friend and brother in Christ, Bill Keller