Jesus Christ and Money with Integrity

Leviticus 19:35,36 - King James Version

35 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure.

36 Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt.




Not a lot of Christians think in terms of money or currency in relationship to the Bible or Jesus Christ, as most of us operate under certain assumptions concerning it, and really don't understand the underlying factors affecting the money we used on a daily basis for the transactions we make in our lives.

But the Bible actually has quite a bit to say about money that has integrity, and the passage above encapsulates that very well.

Most of us, when we think of money from long ago, understand historically that people used gold and silver coins as part of the medium of exchange. That's why the reference to just weights and measures are mentioned by God in the passage above.

What we don't understand is even though we mostly use paper or digital currency these days, there is still the principle of the fact that money must have integrity if it is to be something we can predictably trust as a medium of exchange.

In other words, money shouldn't be allowed to be created out of thin air by central banks around the world (which is called fiat money), because it has a strong, negative impact on the value of the currency that is being printed, or these days, digitally added to the marketplace.

Before we touch on this, don't get overly concerned about what a "just ephah, and a just hin," means in the scriptures. The point isn't what they specifically were, but the fact that there was a standard that was understood by the people of that time, and that standard was to be adhered to by the order and command of Almighty God.

I say this because some people easily get sidetracked by this to the detriment of missing the point of the command of God, which was that money was to have integrity to it, and anything that undermines that integrity is disallowed by Jesus Christ.

That means people must be able to confidently engage in financial interactions where they can trust that the money is exactly what it is supposed to be. Fiat money, or money created by central banks around the world disrupt that confidence and predictability, whereby people and businesses are hurt by it because of the fact that just weights and balances are not being used.

How is that the case?

I'm not going to get into every probability and possibility concerning money and the forces bearing on it, as it would confuse most of you, and the frustration would probably cause you to abandon the idea of even trying to understand the basic premise behind central banks using unjust weights and measures in the eyes of God.

Instead, will look at what is the most important part of the equation, and that is when money is printed by central banks, including the Federal Reserve in America, it debases or weakens the U.S. dollar, resulting in less buying power by those using the currency.

Consequently, over time, inflation rises and rises, coming about from the release of money into the economy that is created out of thin air; money that has no backing or support whatsoever, other than people unfortunately trust in it because of the promise that it has the full backing of the U.S. government. Other governments around the world make similar promises, with many reneging on them after they basically destroy their currencies.

So every time a central bank releases money that isn't backed by anything such as gold, it effectually is participating in the unjust act of disrupting the weights and measures required by God. It does that be lowering the value of the currency in question. That's sin.

Period.

The majority of people don't understand this, including Christians, so they support the actions of central banks, or at minimum don't oppose or pray against them, as we should.

Why this is important is because the central banks give governments and corrupt politicians a blank check to spend whatever they want to, which not only adds to the national debt, which in the case of America is unsustainable, as well as other regions of the world, such as the euro zone, bringing the economies crashing down on the heads of unsuspecting people,

who don't understand the forces being applied upon them. They know something is wrong, but they don't know the why of it.

As sheep being led to the slaughter, and because governments and central banks have socialized people into accepting their actions as those that will save them, they continue to call for more spending and stimulus, even though that is one of the major reasons for the sick global and national economies.

What a gold or combined metal or commodity standard does is force governments and politicians to spend within their means. For Christians, that points to the government being kept very small and focused on its only God-given function, which is protection and the court systems.

For example, if there was a gold standard, or a gold standard combined with another commodity like silver or other metals, there could be no more spending than what the currency is backed up with. The result of that would be money that could be counted on to hold its value, and a more predictable outcome in the future.

Notice in the scripture above how God equates just weights and measures to the children of Israel, or the Old Testament church, being delivered from bondage out of Egypt. The result of the abandonment of money with integrity is bondage, and that's what we see today as money is created and thrown around by central banks.

To create money out of thin air is rebellion against God, and ever since the Federal Reserve was created in 1913, the value of the U.S. dollar has plummeted by over 95 percent. If the country you live in has had a central bank for decades, you could also check to see how the value of the currency you use has fallen as well. I guarantee it'll shock you when you find out what it is.

Fiat money, or money created by central banks without anything backing it up, is a devastating practice which is the major enabler of politicians trying to make a name for themselves in the earth. It corrupts them even further, and allows them to make the government into a healer and provider; something that is an abomination to God, and something He never intended.

Go and read the book of Daniel when he revealed and interpreted the dream of Nebuchadnezzar. It said that when Jesus Christ (identified as the Rock cut out of a mountain) would come, he would small the worldly kingdoms and empires. Anything that supports the idea of empire-building is a direct assault on the fact that Jesus Christ alone is king of kings and lord of lords. Anything supporting something contrary is an enemy to that reality. Central banks and money creation out of thin air falls within that category.

As for money, for it to operate as God intended, it needs to be backed up by something that provides a value to it. Anything else is a form of magic; only an idea or a thought - nothing else. The only thing allowing it to continue is because people who don't understand the mechanics behind money continue to have misguided trust and faith in it. They'll do that to their ruin.

Money is now flawed for the reasons mentioned above, and we need to pray for the return of money that actually has hard assets backing it. Anything else is built on shifting sand, and it will eventually come tumbling down.

That's not to say we are to trust in money in general. But we do need to be able to trust in the fact that money should be what it is asserted to be. It isn't.

It's like buying a car from someone who says it works great and has nothing wrong with it. We don't put our trust or faith in a car, but when we buy it for an agreed upon amount based upon its condition, we should be able to take possession of the car taking those assertions into account. We cannot do that with money, and the flawed U.S. dollar and many other currencies are a disaster that is no longer even attempted to be held in any type of check or balance.

Money must have integrity, and it no longer has any whatsoever. People, including Christians, will find that out to their ruin some day, as they continue to support the government and out-of-control politicians who believe they can continue to spend with impunity.

At its basic level, money needs to have something back it up. If it doesn't, it can be played with and manipulated by anyone who chooses to, and when you combine that with the governments around the world exceeding the mandate laid down by God, it's only a matter of time and when it'll come crashing down upon unsuspecting people.

We must pray that God will deal with central banks by removing them out of the world. We must pray for an honest currency; one that has substance and integrity to it and which holds its value over time.

Why Write on Federal Reserve and Less Government

Some of you have been concerned over the inclusion of thoughts on the Federal Reserve and less government on Acts29review, as it has been committed to the vision of Jesus Christ and His church; living out that life together on a daily basis ... focusing on encouraging and building up one another to reach the measure of the stature of the fullness or Christ.

What does that have to do with the Federal Reserve and government? History has proven that those who commit to Jesus Christ together in a real way will always be persecuted by governments. The bigger and more powerful the government, the more potential for effective persecution.

Also, the devastating effects of the costs of propping up big government beyond the mandate government has from God is staggering. It causes everyone to suffer, as well as result in many professed believers turning to the government in place of God to provide them with everything.

Many alleged churches even beg and extract from the government money to run their operations. This is the horror that came about from the merging of government and the church in the time of Constantine.

As for the Federal Reserve and central banking in general, this is the ultimate enabler of big government, as it can't grow and survive without money being printed or digitized out of thin air.

That means central banks will debase their currencies in order to create money to feed the gigantic government beasts so they can continue their endless programs to keep people dependent upon them.

The problem of course is other people's money eventually runs out, and you have a major crisis. That's what's happening in America and Europe at this time, as the demonic socialist policies or wealth redistribution have come to the place where the promises and programs are no longer sustainable or affordable.

But because the vast majority of politicians only think of getting re-elected in democracies, or holding power in dictatorships, they continue to kick the can down the road, hoping the collapse doesn't happen on their watch.

This is why they rarely get specific when talking about making cuts. The opposing party would jump on it, making it look like they are heartless and opposing the poor.

So it goes on and on, with the Federal Reserve, in the case of America, printing out more and more money to prop up the irresponsible government.

Even in the Old Testament God said He would judge Pharaoh for extracting 20 percent in taxes from the people. And when Israel wanted a king, it was mentioned that he would end up taking 10 percent from the people to prop up growing government. That was also considered a very big negative.

All of you reading this would be thrilled to have taxes at those levels, which were considered outrageous by God.

We all need to understand the consequences of endlessly throwing artificial or fiat money into the economy. It weakens the U.S. dollar or any currency when a central bank does that, while also causing inflation to rise.

Since the creation of the Federal Reserve in 1913, the U.S. dollar has lost over 95 percent of its buying power. It's identified by some economists as the hidden tax, as very few people understand the devastation accompanying money created out of thin air.

All Christians need to understand, pray against, and oppose this practice. It's destroying the countries where this is done, and in the case of the United States, because the U.S. dollar is the reserve currency, it's especially devastating, having an impact on all countries around the world.

Now that the unbelievably ignorant and irresponsible actions of Ben Bernanke and the Federal Reserve have instituted another round of quantitative easing, one that is open-ended, we'll see the value of the U.S. dollar come crashing down again, and the exports in the U.S. begin to drop because of the higher cost of products.

That's because when the U.S. dollar falls in value, countries can buy up U.S. goods cheaper than before using their currencies, which have gained in value against the dollar.

It's a little complex for those that know little about the consequences of big government and throwing fiat money into the economy, but the results aren't complicated: it's a bad thing for everyone financially, and creates a power far greater than was ever meant to be, resulting in an antagonism towards Christians who understand, or at least suspect, something is wrong.

This is why God gave Nebuchadnezzar the dream which foretold when Jesus came He would smash these world empires and set up an everlasting kingdom. In other words, Jesus opposes countries attempting to build global empires, and He will fight against those attempting to do so. That brings us who truly believe in and are regenerated by Jesus Christ directly into the line of fire.

That's why we must pray against all of the central banks in the world, that God would remove these enablers of empire, and bring the focus back to His eternal kingdom as expressed in His people who live it out together daily.

Ask God to give you wisdom in this if you don't see it, as it's one of the crucial issues of our day; one that will effect every human being on the planet.

We shouldn't be terrified or afraid, but we also shouldn't be unwise and unprepared.

Obama's Economy in Shambles, Jobless Rate Rises

While the mainstream media continues in its outrageous behavior towards Obama, attempting to spin the rise in unemployment for Americans as positive news, choosing instead to focus on the 163,000 Nonfarm payrolls jobs added last month.

The jobless rate climbed to 8.3 percent for July, negating the slight bump up in jobs from the last several months, which stood at approximately 75,000 on average during that period of time.

Unemployment jumped because people stopped looking for work.

As for the labor force participation rate, it dropped from 63.8 percent in June to 63.7 percent in July. The rate measures the number of Americans who are looking for or have a job.

In other bad news for the inept Obama, the U.S. economy slowed to an annual growth rate of only 1.5 percent in the second quarter, far below the 3.5 percent growth rated needed to stabilize the unemployment rate.

I'm not sure how a rise in unemployment can be interpreted as good news, but the increasingly corrupt mainstream media is construing it so, as they feverishly work to put Obama back in the White House again, even in light of his inexperience and radical agenda, which has devastated the economy and is tearing apart the country.

It also appears the weak numbers could result in the Federal Reserve again attempting to stimulate the economy in September, as the election looms a couple of months later.

Again, somehow the lackluster jobs numbers and boost in unemployment is somehow being attempted to be made to look like positive events which could stay the quantitative easing hand of Ben Bernanke, the Chairman of the Fed.

While Acts29Review opposes stimulus from the Federal Reserve in any form, it's still bizarre for the media to attempt to make the economy look better than it is in an attempt to prop up the empty suit occupying the White House.

Ron Paul on Competing Currencies

Ron Paul, among other things, has been a supporter of alternative currencies - which would compete against one another - being allowed to circulate among the American people, giving them other options than the failing U.S. dollar.

Before the United States House of Representatives, Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy, Hearing on Sound Money: Parallel Currencies and the Roadmap to Monetary Freedom, August 2, 2012, Paul said this:

One of the most pressing issues of our time is the push for monetary freedom. The only sound monetary system is one which protects sound money and allows consumers, businesses, and investors the freedom to transact in the currency of their choice. The importance of sound money is summed up nicely by Ludwig von Mises: "It is impossible to grasp the meaning of the idea of sound money if one does not realize that it was devised as an instrument for the protection of civil liberties against despotic inroads on the part of governments." It is no wonder that governments fight tooth and nail against sound money, as sound money protects the well-being of the middle class and the poor while preventing the expansion of government.

As we've talked here a number of times, Paul also noted that since the creation of the Federal Reserve, it has debased the U.S. dollar by 96 percent.

Over the past 100 years, the Federal Reserve has continually pumped new money into the economy, resulting in a 96 percent devaluation of the dollar. This devaluation does not affect everyone equally, as the banks who receive this new money first benefit from using it before prices rise, while average Americans suffer the price rises first and receive only a trickle of money well afterward. In this way the Fed enriches Wall Street while impoverishing Main Street, leading to a growing disparity of wealth.

Shaming the American government and the Federal Reserve by countries that already allow competing currency options in their countries, he cited Mexico, Singapore, and other countries in Asia as those already participating in the practice.

Mexican workers can set up accounts that are denominated in ounces of silver, and can take delivery of that silver whenever they want, tax-free. In Singapore and some other Asian countries, individuals can set up bank accounts denominated in gold and silver. Debit cards can be linked to gold and silver accounts so that customers can use their gold and silver to make point of sale transactions, a service which is only available to non-Americans. In short, Americans have far fewer options to protect their wealth than citizens of many foreign countries do.

The solution to this problem is to legalize monetary freedom and allow the circulation of parallel and competing currencies. There is no reason why Americans should not be able to transact, save, and invest in the currency of their choosing. Unfortunately, decades of government restrictions and regulations have hampered and prevented the circulation of parallel currencies and destroyed the familiarity of Americans with any sort of money aside from Federal Reserve Notes or bank deposits denominated in U.S. dollars. The thought of introducing parallel currencies undoubtedly scares many people who understandably wish to minimize their financial risk.

All financial activity is fraught with risk. Most people understand the risks inherent in stock or bond investment, but the risk of holding savings accounts or cash is still drastically under-appreciated. Everyone is familiar with the maxim "Don't put all your eggs in one basket" and investors and savers are constantly urged to diversify their portfolios, yet the U.S. government continues to set roadblocks that force Americans to transact and save in dollars that continue to depreciate.

Paul is absolutely correct in his assertions. Most Americans are subject to the strength or weakness of the U.S. dollar and interest rates in association with it.

Now people have their money in savings accounts that generate almost nothing in interest, while inflation continues to run at about a 2 percent annual rate. That means the average American, or anyone in a country with no competing currencies, are subject to the practices of the central bank, which in America is of course the Federal Reserve.

The more Americans and people around the world understand the inherent risk in relying upon a single currency, the more they'll work towards eliminating central banking and also for the adoption of alternative currencies in their respective countries.

Audit the Fed and Bernanke's Word Games

The legislation introduced by Ron Paul overwhelmingly passed the House on July 25 by a vote of 327 to 98. But as long as the Democrats control the Senate, there is little chance of seeing the Federal Reserve audited any time soon.

What Paul and millions of Americans want to know is how and what the Federal Reserve has been specifically doing when bailing out giant banks, and what it is it is doing in distributing funds to foreign nations that American citizens are on the hook for.

Here's the disingenuous and consistent argument of Bernanke:

"We fully accept the need for transparency and accountability, but it is a well-established fact that an independent central bank will provide better outcomes."

What's wrong with that statement? For one thing, there is no established fact whatsoever that the central bank operates better than one that is under the scrutiny of the American people.

More importantly, there is absolutely no connection between being transparent and what Bernanke calls an "independent" central bank. What does being independent have to do with transparency? Absolutely nothing. The words aren't even close in meaning. It's a play on words and ploy by Bernanke, which his media supporters grab onto in order to take away the actual meaning of the word transparency and completely change it into a completely different concept altogether.

Ron Paul concurs he says:

"When the Fed talks about independence, what they’re really talking about is secrecy. What the GAO cannot audit is monetary policy. It would not be able to look at agreements and operations with foreign central banks, and governments, and other banks, transactions made under the direction of the FOMC, and discussions or communications between the board and the Federal Reserve system relating to all those items. And why this is important is because of what happened 4 years ago. It’s estimated that the amount of money that went in and out of the Fed overseas is $15 trillion. How did we get into this situation where Congress has nothing to say about bailing out all these banks?"

The very secrecy itself confirms that Bernanke's statement is nothing more than a lie. His assertion that an "independent" Federal Reserve produces better outcomes is unprovable as long at the central bank is allowed to continue operating in secrecy. Bernanke is blowing hot air when he says the bank operates better when left alone.

From a point of view of Jesus Christ, everything is open before his eyes, and the transparency revealed throughout the Holy Scriptures concludes that transparency is part of His person hood, and by extension, to be part of the world we live in.

This is especially true when talking about an institution that has almost unlimited economic power (everything is limited under God), to do whatever it chooses to do.

We need to never stop insisting the Federal Reserve is audited. Eventually, we as Christians need to oppose central banking around the world, putting an end to these monstrosities that are attempting to control the fate of mankind in a move to subvert the Jesus Christ and His people.

There is a date the Lord has with central banks, and they will be facing a day when Jesus will put an end to this atrocious and brutal power which destroys the lives of people by debasing currencies, buying power and offering support to things we have no idea about.

The first step is to audit the Federal Reserve. There is no doubt the battle is over what is being done in secret and under the noses of the American people, and by central banks in other countries as well.

Once that is revealed, it is certain there will be an uprising against the Federal Reserve, which will ultimately lead to its banishment forever.

After all, it's the central banks of the world, and the Federal Reserve specifically, which give governments the capital to continue to expand and enlarge at the loss of liberty of people everywhere.

Christians need to know their unique position in the world of being a counterculture and testimony against these abuses, puts them squarely in the sights of power, as it has since the time Jesus Christ physically walked the earth.

Consequently, we all need to reject the central bank and large government as legitimate entities, and work and pray for the day when the Federal Reserve and other central banks around the world are abolished, and governments brought back to their very limited roles instituted by Jesus Christ for this world.

Communicating Jesus

Have you ever thought of the way the eternal, invisible things of Jesus Christ are best communicated for the purpose of being understood and seen by the hearer, reader or viewer?

Even though the Holy Scriptures are communicated in words, those words are full of imagery, types and shadows, and things that go beyond what is simply intellectually understood alone.

This is one of the reasons the religious leaders of Jesus' day knew the letter of the law but could at the same time influence the government of that day to unjustly crucify Jesus Christ; even when all the parties involved knew he was innocent of the charges placed against Him.

Jesus Christ entails all of what God ever wants to say and reveal to

man, and encompasses much that can only be understood through revelation and experience.

Simply knowing the scriptures intellectually is far from being enough to understand and take in all that God has revealed to us in Christ, which of course won't contradict the scriptures in any way.

In my experience, revelation and view of Jesus Christ, I've seen that there needs to be a much more comprehensive revelation of Christ that helps to shed light on who He is and what He is doing in His people. It also references what He expects of His people, and why they are a people in the first place.

This all has to do with the eternal purpose of God, which existed before the creation of man, and stands outside of sin and the need for redemption - as important as understanding those things are.

The finality of God's eternal purpose is to have a mankind built in the image of Jesus Christ Himself. It is nothing less than that, and entails much with it.

All of that is important because communicating that reality and all that it entails is vitally important, and we need another side of the makeup of man to do that. And that's referring to the creative side, where Christ and who he is, what he wants, and what he expects of us, is expressed in a way different than simply the letter of the word, but also in the spirit of the word.

Contemplate the immense variety of the elements of the visible and invisible realms that are used to reveal something of Jesus Christ to His people. It boggles the mind what is available, and we've barely scratched the surface of all that is involved with that.

For example, you have various colors meaning certain things in the Bible, as well as numbers, rocks, mountains, rivers, trees, stars, moon, and a host of other interesting - but in some cases - baffling images.

Add to that the invisible things of heaven which interact with the things of the visible creation, and it adds even more to the extraordinary number of things used to reveal the amazing Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Okay. So what is the point of all of this? It's that we need to grab hold of the creative side of our humanity and allow the Holy Spirit to use it to uncover and express an entire other side of Jesus Christ that few people know, because few people have seen or experienced it. After all, you can't give what you don't have. You can only give what you have.

That's not to say there aren't teachings about all these things out there. But that's not what I'm talking about. We don't need more teachings about it, we need more ways to take what's already been said and weave it together in ways that will help the followers of Jesus Christ to see Him in a different light.

We need to see writers inspired to write about the Lord Jesus Christ in ways that tell a story using many of the tools used by the Holy Spirit in the Bible.

A few people have done this, but other than Bunyan, C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, Gene Edwards, and a few others, there has been little in the way of literature that has been produced to show us the majestic things of Jesus Christ expressed in creative but understandable ways which help us to reveal and know Him better.

There has been a quiet move in the speculative fiction Christian realm that has started to take hold, but it's in its infancy, and some of the more well-known writers in Christian fiction in general tend to wallow in the end-times stuff that has been regurgitated over and over again.

We need Christian fiction with some bite to it; something that people can use today, not created for the purpose of selling books because of the popular prophecy genre. Other than telling a decent yarn, there isn't much there to help believers in Jesus Christ where they are today.

Also important is the creation of video stories. But that must start with understanding a lot of the symbolism of the Bible, using that as a launching pad to create from the hidden, but invaluable characteristics of God revealed in His visible and invisible creations, i.e. heaven and earth.

Some good examples of this are a few books written by Gene Edwards. One named "The Day I Was Crucified," deals with the Lord going to the cross from the perspective of the heavenly realm, and what some of the things were that were ended and brought in with the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Others written in a similar style include "Christ Before Creation," "The Beginning," "The Birth," and "The Divine Romance," among others.

Christ Before Creation: Introducing Christ and the Unseen Realm

The Beginning

The Birth

The Divine Romance (Inspirational)

These are important because they open a door to a different way of writing about the things of Christ than most people are used to, drawing upon the Holy Scriptures and the Holy Spirit to express them in a much more creative and unique way than most Christians have experienced.

I would recommend getting hold of these books and others like them written by Edwards in order to get a feel for the writing style and so you can grow from there into your own.

Even if you're a published author, especially in the Christian fiction segment, it's worth reading the books of Edwards to see how he is able to take disparate themes and things about Christ and turn them into a compelling story that helps believers see their Christ from a different perspective.

As for storytelling, I believe we must go beyond the way we tell stories about Christ and Christianity, and bring it powerfully into the realm of fiction, where creative believers can, along with the help of the Holy Spirit, show forth Christ in ways and depths we have yet to see.

It's the story that helps bring these things to pass. I'm not talking about new revelation, I'm talking about new ways to communicate and explore that revelation through the telling of stories that intertwine disparate elements and make sense out of them in fictional worlds, fictional characters, and stories that are compelling to read.

The number of stories told can be endless, and we need to go beyond only the ways of everyday life all of us know and be taken to places and people that in the light of Christ are involved with all sorts of amazing journeys and experiences which help to show forth the great depth, width, height and length of the Lord Jesus Christ we serve.

That will be done when we go beyond the letter into the reality and then face the challenge of creatively expressing that in the spoken word, pen, photos and video.

But it all begins with a great story, and great stories of the Lord will only help if we steep ourselves in Biblical imagery so we can draw upon it to creatively make worlds, universes and characters which people learn to love and readily identify as one of the Lord's, while also expressing something of the purpose and nature of the Lord in all their fantastic escapades they participate in.

Anyone Out There?

Having said all this, are we at stage zero waiting for someone to take the first step in our generation, or has it already begun?

In fact it already has begun in the Christian fantasy and science fiction genres, with my favorite publishing house being Marcher Lord Press.

It's a boutique Christian publisher which understands the market very well, as well as the challenges faced in the current Christian fantasy and science fiction climate.

Most importantly, founder Jeff Gerke, who is an award-winning author in his own right, is committed to not only quality works, but more importantly, to keeping the novels represented by the imprint within the parameters of Biblical Christianity.

If you're wanting to explore this area and have a burden to write, this is one place you should check out quickly.

A secondary website run by Gerke called "Where the Map Ends," provides more in-depth material on Christian speculative fiction, fantasy and science fiction, with a list of authors, artists and websites related to the genre.

You can also read a bunch of interviews with close to seventy authors that are leaders in the field at the site.

With all the depths of Jesus Christ there is, there is a crying need for the people of God to step forth and bring wholesome and quality speculative fiction to the marketplace in a way that reveals something of who Jesus Christ is and what He is after.

Creative people need to rise and reveal Jesus Christ from the side of the symbolic, types, shadows, and ultimately, into the reality of who He is, using the specific creative tools of the trade.

Once this grows and expands, we'll then start to see movies and shows made from Christian fantasy and science fiction source material that sorely lacks at this time.

Other Creative Elements to Consider

Besides the type of fictional writing mentioned above, including the quasi-fictional writing of Gene Edwards, which wraps a story around the truth of the events that happened in the scriptures, there are other areas of creativity and importance that need to be explored.

For example, we're in the midst of some extraordinary events over the last century or so which includes the formation of the Federal Reserve, Keynesian economics, entitlements, socialism, fascism, and a number of other ideas that have made an amazing impact on the world, and by extension, the Christians living in it.

We need more people to develop a world view involving these types of things and weave them into amazing stories. These types of stories can have a terrific impact on those reading them, while at the same time being instructive while spinning a great yard.

Again, the stories must come first before the art and video, as the full impact is never felt unless it has a story, great characters, and a powerful lesson or lessons to be learnt in the face of powers pressing in upon us.

This article is a call for Christians to rethink where we've been creatively and delve into the many sided wisdom of God, one that is the very creative, which can be expressed in a myriad of ways.

Not only that, but to develop the art of drawing from the scriptures many of the symbols and shadows that express the underlying reality of Jesus Christ.

Finally, and probably most important, is the quest to know this other realm so often mentioned in the Holy Scriptures: a placed filled and permeated with the person of Jesus Christ. So much so, that we are exhorted to pray that His kingdom will come and will be done as earth in the same way it is in heaven. That demands creative people to search out and explore this invisible realm where everything is as it should be, and how we can mine the treasures from there and reveal them in our creative works.

All that we should do can be nothing less than that, and hopefully a growing number of people will heed this holy call and become part of those that follow the Lamb wherever He goes.

Tea Party and Economics

Whenever a grass roots movement starts to take shape, there are always vultures on the opposite end of the spectrum ready to swoop in and influence, and wishfully, co-opt the movement, or at least generate enough confusion so it takes its focus off the issues and begins to fragment.

The Tea Party faces that in the area of economics, as they understand the dangers of big government, the Federal Reserve and giant banks, but they don't understand the why of it.

It's really quite simple. The advocates of big government interfering in the lives of its citizens by offering them goodies in the form of womb to tomb benefits, are empowered by the Federal Reserve (or a central bank in any country), which prints or digitizes money out of thin air, allowing, temporarily, the illusion it is a sustainable strategy.

Of course the problem is there's a huge cost to all of this, which is the debasing, or weakening of the buying power of the dollar. Since the founding of the Federal Reserve, the U.S. dollar has lost 95 percent of its value, and that's in less than 100 years.

What has also happened, is cushy government jobs are offered which pay far above market wages, which those who are the real producers, the private sector, must pay for through enormous taxes.

The ambitious but unsustainable promises of politicians has brought us to the place where we can no longer support their irresponsible behavior in order to get elected, under the guise of offering a safety net for the disadvantaged.

To simplify matters, those in the Tea Party, as well as anyone with an interest in fiscal responsibility, must oppose the growth of government, as well as the continuance of the Federal Reserve, which is the empowerer of all of those who have attempted to turn the government into a god.

The solution isn't that difficult. You cut back on the size of government by slashing the outrageous spending, cut taxes, and get out of the way of creative entrepreneurs, who are behind what has made America the economic power it has become.

Behemoth government now sucks the breath out of the economy by pillaging businesses and the productive with ever-increasing taxes and regulations which are destroying the country before our eyes.

It is a horrible and destructive idea to promote the idea of so-called shovel-ready jobs, as they're a form of entitlement, which only adds to the economic challenge we face, as it makes government even larger, the private sector smaller, and the debt we bear worse than it already is.

In other words, the Federal Reserve can just print out the money and we have the finances to support the jobs. At least that's what the faulty strategy is, and one that has failed to work after over $1 trillion has already been thrown at the economy with no effect but to make the national deficit even bigger.

The Tea Party must understand that the Federal Reserve is the enabler, and the government is the addict. We must work to rid ourselves of the central bank, as well as radically slash the budget of the United States. That's the only starting place to begin, and the only focus, as far as economics goes, we need to zero in on. From there the rest will take care of itself as we suck the oxygen out of this monstrous government spending and debt.

There is no other recourse. The handwriting is on the wall. There is no other solution. It can be done in a controlled manner, or it can be done through neglecting to deal with the problem by kicking the can down the road. Either way, the problem will only be resolved by taking some pain by Americans.

Don't get sidetracked by all the secondary issues, as they're endless and take our eyes off of the foundational solution, which is limited government and the shutting down of the out of control Federal Reserve.

Bernanke More Reckless Than Greenspan Says Schiff

In a recent interview on Breakout, Peter Schiff said Ben Bernanke has been more reckless than even Alan Greenspan in his role at the Federal Reserve.

Schiff said, "The whole financial crisis of 2008 has its roots in the cheap monetary policy of Alan Greenspan. We have to ask ourselves 'what is the looming crisis that awaits as a consequence of the cheap money policy of Ben Bernanke, because he's being even more reckless than Alan Greenspan?'"

The Federal Reserve is facing the most criticism it has in history, along with unwanted scrutiny, as it is increasingly being identified by the public as the major problem behind, not only the current recession, but for numerous recessions throughout the decades, based upon its loose money policies.

It has also wrongly encourage politicians to make promises that they cannot keep, as the out of control spending is no longer sustainable or affordable, and only the endless printing of money by the Federal Reserve has allowed it to continue on.

We need to end the Fed and embrace the concept of competitive currencies.

Jim Rogers on How the Fed Creates Problems

Jim Rogers talks on Breakout how the Federal Reserve doesn't solve problems, but rather creates even more of them, and bigger ones.