Daily Devotional for Tuesday January 14, 2014

God's Next Form of Judgment, a Huge Sell-Off of the Stock Market this Year

(Luke 12:16-21)

***ASK BILL: Pastor Bill, the man who buried his talents. I'm not sure what is meant by that?

ANSWER: It means that ALL we have is from God and is to be used for His Glory. That includes our time, our treasure, and our TALENT! God gives each of us different talents in order to serve Him. To NOT use what the Lord has bestowed upon us is a sin since we are not fulfilling our ultimate purpose to serve and glorify Him with our life.

God's next form of judgment on this nation will be a huge sell-off of the stock market THIS YEAR if we don't repent and turn back to Him! I warned you in late 2007 that we would soon see God's judgment fall on this nation, and in the first months of 2008 the housing bubble burst took trillions of dollars out of the economy and affected tens of millions of people. The ripple effects are still being dealt with today through the loss of value in real estate holdings most people have faced, and a record number not just unemployed, but those who have simply have given up looking for a job!

Having been heavily invovled in the markets in the '80s while running from God's call on my life, I can assure you that the financial markets, stocks, bonds, commodities, and futures, are ALL 60% to 100% smoke and mirrors. Companies that generate hundreds of millions, billions anually, have NEVER made one penny of profit yet are valued in the billions of dollars through their stock. The commodities and futures markets are no different than a casino!

Listen to me! It would take very little for God to allow the market to drop from the 16,000 level it is at today, all the way down to 6,000 or lower virtually overnight. This would drain trillions out of the economy, destroy the lives of tens of millions of people, and have a direct affect on every man, woman, and child in this nation!

WHY DO YOU THINK I HAVE BEEN WARNING YOU FOR OVER A DECADE THAT IF WE DON'T TURN BACK TO GOD AND HIS TRUTH, HE WILL DESTROY THIS NATION! THIS WOULD BE A VERY SIMPLE WAY TO DO IT, AND I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THE RUN-UP IN THE STOCK MARKET OVER THE LAST 5 YEARS HAS BEEN MOSTLY DUE TO THE FEDERAL RESERVE PRINITNG BILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT ENDED UP IN THE MARKETS. WE COULD SEE THIS DEVASTATION THIS YEAR!!!

Today, more people than ever own stock. Whether it is through online or more traditional brokerage accounts, through various mutual funds, or in a 401k or other retirement plan, never before have so many people owned stocks. For those who prudently and strategically invest long term, the stock market has been one of the most consistent ways to invest and get a respectable (7-12% a year) return on your money. Let me give you some advice to pray about.

If you have sat down with a competent broker or financial planner, you have created a long term investment strategy involving companies with solid track records of financial performance and stability, then don't allow the day-to-day, even month-to-month ups and downs of the markets scare you. The stock market is still one of the greatest places to invest your money long term, even if this meltdown occurs since there are still companies with real value. So regardless what your portfolio, or mutual fund, or 401k has done over the years, hang in there. After all, Jesus shared MANY parables of being a wise steward and investing a portion of what God has entrusted to us during this life.

Sadly, since 2008 I have spent some time with many people who have had their finances devastated by the ups and downs of the stock market, primarily due to a lack of diversifying in their portfolio. I get emails daily from people who have had their finances destroyed due to the economic problems our nation has been dealing with over these last few years.

Today I want to share with you a word of hope and encouragement. Especially if you have had financial problems lately, if you have lost money in the markets or in other investments, I want you to know today that God will not fail you! God will not forsake you! My bible says, "But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

What things is Jesus talking about?? Before that great verse in Mathew 6:33, He is talking about worrying about what we will eat, what we will drink, what we will wear. Jesus is talking about the day to day necessities of life. His message is simple. SEEK GOD FIRST. GOD KNOWS THE DAY TO DAY NECESSITIES OF LIFE THAT YOU HAVE, AND HE WILL MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE TAKEN CARE OF!

Let me also take this time to encourage those of you who are faithful in giving to your local church, to those works of God that He has laid on your heart to support like Liveprayer. I have said it before, the GREATEST INVESTMENT that there is in this world is investing in the eternal souls of people! There is no investment you will ever find that pays higher dividends than when you give to the work of God that is bringing the hope and love of Jesus, the gift of everlasting life, to the lost and broken hearted of our world.

It is wise to set aside a portion of our resources to invest, to make grow for the future. Jesus told us that we should do this. But we must also be sure that we are faithful to give back to God a portion of what He has entrusted to us to further HIS work. It will ALWAYS be the greatest investment you will ever make throughout your life.

I love you and care about you so much. I don't send a word like this to you lightly. My counsel to you is to pray, seek the Lord, ask for guidance, and He will show you what to do regarding your finances. As those who have read the Daily Devotional over the years, you know that am NOT a doom and gloomer! Quite the opposite. I will always point you to the REAL hope we have, not in the things of this world but in the Lord Jesus Christ!!!

My heart breaks when I hear of people who have had such devastation such as the loss of their financial security. I am so sad when I read the prayer requests from those who are struggling because money that they were counting on is no longer there. But let me encourage you today that Jesus loves you, and that God will always provide for your needs each step of the way. The verses in Matthew chapter 6 tell us NOT to worry about the day to day necessities of life, God knows we have those needs. It tells us to focus instead on Him, His Kingdom, on serving Him.

My prayer for you today is that God's peace will be with you this day. That the fear, the concern of finances will wash away and be replaced by His perfect peace. Never forget that He loves you, cares about you, and is with you always. Stock markets will rise and fall. Money will be made and lost. However JESUS, is the one constant that we can ALWAYS count on. HE WILL NEVER FAIL, AND HIS WORD IS THE ONE THING IN THIS WORLD THAT WILL NEVER CHANGE!!!

In His love and service,

Your brother in Christ,

Bill Keller