Countdown to The Economic Crash — Are You Prepared?
2. "Progressive" politicians advocate more social programs (In 1970 they accounted for 32% of federal expenditures; in 1990 — 44%; in 2000 — 54%). Today they're snowballing while unauthorized immigration surges with promised welfare benefits for all. Laws aren't enforced. Scores of "undesirables" join legitimate cases to reap welfare benefits and escalate drugs and crime.
3. When Ronald Reagan was president in 1980, our debt was less than $1 trillion. Today it is $19 trillion ($56,000 for every man, woman and child) and this does not include unfunded liabilities like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, unemployment compensation, food stamps and more. This brings our total indebtedness to $210 trillion. That brings it to the frightening level of $658,307 per person! It's unbelievable!
4. Our debt grew by more than $1 trillion in the last year ($33,000 a second). It increased more last year than it did in our first 200 years as a nation!
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5. When Barack Obama became President in 2009 our debt was $10 trillion. By 2012 it exploded to $15 trillion. Now it's $19 trillion. By the time he's finished, our debt will have exploded from $10 trillion to $20 trillion under just one President! Congress and this administration's policies of reckless spending, borrowing, financial bailouts and ever-expanding social programs have brought our nation to the brink of disaster. The day of reckoning is right around the corner. This is not hyperbole.
To help us comprehend what 1 trillion means, think of the following: 1 million seconds was 12 days ago. 1 billion seconds was 31 years ago. 1 trillion seconds was 31,000 years ago! Thank you Mr. Davidson for your helpful analogy!
5 Areas to Address with the Approaching Calamity
The book of Daniel lays out a frightening vision of end-time events. Jesus Himself quoted from this Old Testament book. It also reveals that certain insights are reserved for us at the end of the age. Let's look heavenward for this direction and consolation now. "But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end" (Dan. 12:4). In the meantime, we need to address these areas.
1. Prayer
Jesus told us in Luke 21 that certain things ("persecution ... betrayal … Jerusalem surrounded by armies … great distress … fear ….") precede His Return. Why are we surprised when they occur? And when I cite "persecution" I'm referring to ISIS barbarism, not a snicker we experience at work. He concluded His prophetic signposts with these words, "Watch and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen" (v36).
2. Proclamation
Proclaiming the Gospel and biblical truth is the prescription to the coming crises. We are highlighting symptoms and diagnosing the real problem, which is a moral one! Those who are deceiving and lying to people; stealing from children; irresponsibly borrowing and spending; engaging in undisciplined and corrupt conduct; promising and providing entitlements to lawbreakers and lazy freeloaders; yielding to fraud and greed; exploiting the unsuspecting; and, stubbornly refusing to repent, can all change but only when hearts are changed by the living God and a humble response to the Gospel.
When I spoke to 300 Christian leaders in Cleveland before the first presidential debate, I was preceded by Senator Ted Cruz's father. He once was a selfish, drug-taking, alcoholic deadbeat dad until the gospel transformed his life. He then returned home to his family, later entered the ministry and helped raise a son now running for President of the United States!
Sports icon, Frank Gifford, died recently and his wife Kathy Lee shared for 15 minutes on the Today Show how Jesus Christ transformed his entire life. "He knew what hard work was. He never had an entitled moment in his life!" How different from the socialistic lifestyle promoted and embraced by many politicians and gullible people today.
3. Partnership
Our young people, especially those 18–31 years old, are the main victims of the economic collapse looming on the horizon. They are manipulated and easily seduced by the lies, coolness factor of politicians and the appeals to social justice, income inequality and grandiose utopian causes. We must partner with them to expose the immoral, pernicious plans that are undermining their entire future.
Thomas Jefferson emphasized there must be an intergenerational bond where our children and grandchildren are provided for, not exploited. "We shall all consider ourselves unauthorized to saddle posterity with our debts, and morally bound to pay for them ourselves."
18th century statesman, Edmund Burke, also underscored this intergenerational "partnership". If the older generation violates this (as is the case today), he warned of "destroying at their pleasure the whole fabric of society, hazarding to leave to those who come after them a ruin instead of a habitation."
4. Portfolio
With the coming economic crisis, ponder Greece recently when banks and ATMs were closed. Are you ready for similar civil unrest and food shortages? When people are angry, frustrated and desperate, remember what happened in Ferguson and Baltimore. Imagine trying to withdraw your savings when masses are attempting the same. With a market crash resulting in investments plummeting 60-70%, government setting restrictions and panic sets in, it's not the time to hastily try to figure out what to do when the National Guard moves in.
Far-fetched? Remember between October 2007 and March 2009, the United States stock market dropped in price by 57%. When the dominoes start falling and the IOU bubble bursts, will you be ready?
Now is the time to prayerfully and calmly review your finances and plans for a time of crisis. Diversify your financial portfolio and make sure you have sufficient funds for an emergency. Ecclesiastes 11:2 instructs us, "Give portions to seven, yes to eight, for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land."
5. Preparation
"A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences" (PR. 22:3 NLT).
Joseph was alerted to the coming calamity in the Old Testament and followed God's leading in preparation, saving an entire nation! Granted, some may go to extremes as "end-times preppers," but don't let that deter you from seeking God in a faith-filled way so He can guide your steps.
"Anyone who does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an infidel" (I Tim.5:8).
Our Founding Father's Closing Counsel
It would do us all good to heed the wisdom of our first President, George Washington, who urged Americans in his day, "Avoid … the accumulation of debt not only by shunning occasions of expense but by vigorous exertions to discharge the debts, not throwing upon posterity the burden which we ourselves ought to bear."
The countdown continues.
Are you prepared?
