T. he Lord of Sabaoth
And Precious Stones
When it comes to investments should Christians get involved ? Is it right for us to gamble ? After all isn’t the stock market glorified casinos. Investing in commodities weather they rise or fall isn’t it speculating. Back in 2002 I had the pleasure of being the
Chaperone for a Prophet Van-Johnson from the states, I asked him his opinion on investing
In Gold he not only told me it was a good thing but also mention Google and one other ‘’G’’
I could not remember the third ‘G’, none the less I never had the finances to invest in either.
Years later gold has sky rocketed from $120 an ounce to almost $1000 and Google has gone through the roof.
The talk now is that silver is the next big thing. I have known for quite a few years now that
Investing in Commodities is a good thing, in 2002 an organization of ex bankers drew up a port folio of best investments and what to look out for.
They first focus on China and what she had been purchasing. They stated that China was buying up as much metals as they could get there hands on. Iron, copper, silver, gold what ever company had these commodities would be sound investment because they were supplying China.
China has been missing out the middle man and has gone straight to the source.
China owns \South America’s and Africa’s most precious mineral resources It has also purchased huge amount of Australia’s coal and Iron riches.
She has also bought large amount of western industrial brand names, with China’s new economic power she will be able to manipulate currency rates when ever she likes.
With many economic analyses stating that the dollar will crash and is almost worthless because the US has been printing billions of dollars the fear of inflation is rising more every day.
With gold reaching what many believe to be it’s peak the next big thing is Silver.
Here are a few quotes from well respected investors on You tube and other outlets
* Silver there is very little of it but we need it for everything.
* ’’ Silver is grossly under priced, it should be selling at $100 dollar’’
* ’’ The price is going to sky rocket ‘’
* ’’ silver is the poor man’s gold’’
There is no doubt that having watched the footages I was looking for my credit card.
But I had to pause for thought.
Why is this information being pushed on us the ordinary investors? When I looked at the you tube video viewing numbers for example, Buy silver- the China Factor it had 20,00 viewers another had 63,000, another 28,000 and another had 92,000. There is no doubt that a % of those will go on to invest in silver. When I looked at how well silver had been performing
Over the last 10 years, those that invested in it would have made a good return.
What does the bible say about Silver & Gold ?
I will be looking at this question from an end time biblical point of view. I will not
Cast a judgement on weather one should buy or sell commodities.
We are all aware that Solomon was rich in gold and many other precious stones. 1 kings 6 & 7.
Was Jesus preaching a totally different message in the new testament about wealth and riches.
Peter and John was never well off but they certainly was not pursuing riches. Acts 3 vs. 6 then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none…
In Matthew chapter 6 Jesus gives us a clear picture of were our focus should lie.
Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters, he will hate one and love the other, or he will stand by one and be devoted to the other and despise and be against the other. You cannot
Serve God and mammon [ deceitful riches, money, possessions, or whatever is trusted in.
To put it simply you cannot serve [ be a slave to, be subjected to, be under the power of ] God and mammon [ treasure or riches ] it’s love money or love God, it can not be both. The love of one has to go.
What the Gentiles [ none Jews seek ]
Matthew 6:25-31, Jesus tells us not to be anxious and worried about our lives, what we eat, drink and how we clothe our bodies.
He told us to consider the birds and the lilies of the field, and how King Solomon in all his magnificence excellence was arrayed like any of them.1 king 10:4-7
For we the Gentiles [heathen] wish for and crave and diligently seek after these things.
Two thousand years later we seek more than food, clothes and drink.
We crave fast cars, huge mansions, boats, planes, you name it if we can think of it we desire to have it.
We are advised in Matt. 6:19-21
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth , where moth and rust doth corrupt , and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven , where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt , and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is , there will your heart be also.
Are we building treasures in heaven where it would be safe or are we investing in earthly
Treasures where the thieves can steal it.
What we invest in will determine weather the moth rust and worm can consume it.
Some years ago a two young boys ask me if they could look after my car, for a price whilst I visited a friend near to where they lived. I told them that they loved money too much, they replied that it wasn’t the money but what they could buy with it. I found that interesting coming from too boys so young.
1Tim 6:6-9 But godliness with contentment is great gain . For we brought nothing into [this] world , [and it is] certain we can carry nothing out .
And having food and raiment let us be therewith content .
But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare , and [into] many foolish and hurtful lusts , which drown men in destruction and perdition
1Tim 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after , they have erred from the faith , and pierced themselves through with many sorrows .
To desire money, crave it pursue after it is to fall into it’s snare.
Is it possible to pursue wealth without falling in love with money or what it can buy with it.
Are we satisfied with, God’s righteousness clothes on our back and food.
Dictators, Politicians and Pastor’s television evangelist have all fallen prey because of the power of money.
Some started of innocently but once money stuck it’s green back claw’s into them, that was it.
Money was not letting go and they was not letting go of money, it is said that the more money you have the more money you get because money follow’s money.
First the big car, then the expensive holiday, next the mansion, then another three car’s a yacht
and a private jet. [ isn’t that right Benni Hinn,] The amount of those who call themselves men of God who have bought the big house in the Caribbean and in the continent of Africa is astounding. Mostly off the back of taxing their congregation with un- biblical tithing.
Let’s get back to the subject matter.
The Last days
The bible declares in James 5:1-6 that there will be a time in the last days that the rich and wealthy who invest in silver and gold will be punished.
Go to now , [ye] rich men , weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon [you].
Your riches are corrupted , and your garments are motheaten
Your gold and silver is cankered ; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you , and shall eat your flesh as it were fire . Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days
Behold , the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields , which is of you kept back by fraud , crieth : and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth
Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth , and been wanton ; ye have nourished your hearts , as in a day of slaughter Ye have condemned [and] killed the just ; [and] he doth not resist you
I suppose the question is are we in the last days?
The disciples ask Jesus two questions,
1. What will be the sign of your coming?
2. And the signs of the end of the world ? Matthew 24:3
Matthew 24 and Luke 21 covers a great deal of end time information.
Jesus began by stating in Matt.24: 4-7 & Luke 21:9-11 that there will be a spirit of deception, wars rumours of wars, nations and kingdoms against each other, famine, earth quakes in diverse places,.
Although much of this needs to be put in some chronologic order we will just deal with two major events that puts us where we are today.
Matthew 24:32-35 ; & Luke 21:29-31, is commonly understood by many theologians as the birth of Israel a nation.
This took place in 1957, after the world war II.
Matthew 24:36-39; The days of Noah we are all aware of the major flood that covered the world.
The promise of God was that it he would place a rainbow as a sign to show that he would never again destroy the world by a flood. Genesis 9:11-15; There is however many continents on earth
That have suffered major flooding worst since 1957, {this very important as many non believers will say that there has always been floods but it’s the timing that is crucial. Australia worst flooding for 100yrs; Pakistan 2010 vast area larger than whales; Floods in China, India, UK etc.
We must ask ourselves why did God destroy the world by flood?
Gen.6:5-7 and 11-13 Man was wicked, corrupted and the imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually and the earth was filled with violence.
The LAST DAYS SHALL BE LIKE THE DAYS OF NOAH, 6,00 yrs later and what has changed ? if anything man is worst.
September 11th 2001 the day of the twin towers attack
Gold soared in bullion trading Tuesday amid a panicky grab for secure assets as global markets try to grasp the enormity of attacks which left New York's World Trade Center in flaming ruins and the world's main financial district in utter disarray.
The final price for the benchmark December gold contract was frozen at $280 an ounce, up $6.30, after the attacks.
In overseas bullion trade, gold soared nearly six percent, or $16 an ounce, after the attacks, with the London benchmark fixing price climbing to $287.00 in the afternoon from the morning's benchmark $271.40. { extracts from CNN Money }
Timeline of Events Leading to the Global Financial Crisis
On 7 September 2008, it was announced that two firms, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, would be nationalised to try to ensure the financial stability of the two firms.
One week later, on the 14th September 2008, it came to light that the financial services firm, Lehman Brothers, would file for bankruptcy after being denied support by the Federal Reserve Bank. Later the same day, the Bank of America announced that it would be purchasing Merrill Lynch.
On 28th September it was announced that Fortis, a large banking and finance firm would be semi-nationalized with Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands investing over 11 billion Euros into the company. On Monday 29th September, it was announced that the US bank Wachovia would be bought up by Citigroup (this deal fell through in early October 2008 and Wachovia opted for a more favourable offer from Wells Fargo) and stock market values fell dramtically in both the US and Europe. Later that day, Iceland nationalized the Icelandic lender Glitnir.
Finally, on Tuesday 30th September 2008, stock markets begain to rise again, although the credit markets remained very tight. It was also announced that 9 billion Euros was being made available for the bank Dexia by France, Belgium and Luxembourg.
Consumer spending has fallen, and banks a much less likely to approve loans, and with many countries now in a recession, there will me more hard times ahead.
The events described above started a plethora of problems in the economic and political world and continued through the end of 2008 into the beginning of 2009 and is likely to continue effect the world for months and years to come. [Extract from Suite 101.com]The advantages of buying Gold as the world's greatest-ever debt bubble explodes...
THIS WEEK Barron's magazine interviewed a couple of sages of finance, writes the ever-sage Bill Bonner of The Daily Reckoning.
"In a total disaster," said Peter Bernstein, "where there is a run on paper currency, you'll get your biggest bang for your buck in Gold...if everything hits the fan, gold should be worth several thousands dollars an ounce."
Yesterday, at least some investors must have seen a total disaster headed their way. They started to Buy Gold.
But let us return to the big picture. For the last 13 years, the US money supply has been increasing at about twice the rate of GDP growth. This is known, to monetary sticklers, as "inflation". But the "inflation" that most people think of is the kind you see at the gas pump and supermarket checkout counter. Nobody squawks when the sticklers' inflation raises house and stock prices.
Nobody fails to squawk when it raise consumer prices, however.
The monetary inflation of the last 13 years caused only modest consumer price inflation – for many reasons simply put. To wit, China was making things cheaper. Wal-Mart was selling them cheaper. And the dollars spent by consumers in America tended to end up in the pockets of investors in Asia and Arabie, not in the United States' domestic money supply
But all good things must come to an end...especially things which are too good to be true. And now, the great bubble in credit has been popped – and everyone's squawking.
The financial industry is in decline – and will probably not recover in our lifetimes. Inflation has given way to deflation. Just look at what happened to Lehman Bros. Hardly more than a year ago, investors held it as an asset worth $45 billion. Now they have nothing.
What happened to that $45 billion? It disappeared.
In California, the average house has lost about $120,000 (we are just guessing, but probably not far off) in market value. What happened to that $120,000? It disappeared.
The Chinese stock market has disappeared half of investors' money. The oil market has disappeared nearly a third of producers' fondest hopes for future revenues. Jobs have disappeared. Sales are disappearing. Growth rates are disappearing. Bonuses have disappeared. And it is happening all over the world.
Thanks to a globalized economy, the entire globe gets to suffer a slump. But what's really new? This is what always happens when boom turns to bust. Asset values disappear. And with them, the money supply itself contracts. People spend less freely. They lend less recklessly. More money stays tucked away for longer periods in pockets and bank accounts. Prices fall. Many assets turn out to be worthless and many people go broke.
Investors Buy Gold to protect themselves.
Gold never overstates its earnings, understates its liabilities or declares bankruptcy. When everything else goes to hell, gold is still there...still doing its job.
Information from how to in vest today .com
One of the general rules of economy is that in periods when the value of the trade currency drops, gold prices increase. That is the direct result of people’s tendency of investing more in this metal in times of crisis. It offers them a guarantee against inflation.
During periods of war, of local or global restraint this theory proved to be true. In such situations objects like coins, jewels, watches or cutlery made of precious metals have turned out to be extremely useful. For that kind of events people tend to make a personal supply which in most of the cases is kept in their homes.
Our contemporary crisis has triggered the same mechanism. Analysts were amazed when, last year in November, the price of gold hit 1000 $ per ounce and then surpassed this threshold. At the beginning of this millennium, it was twice as small as it became in the past few years. This was considered an absolute record, unlikely to be broken.
But, this happened. A year later, in November 2010, gold registered a new record. You could buy and ounce of gold for 1424 $. According to an approximate mathematic calculus, this represents a value 50 % higher than a year before. The rapid increase of the price of this precious metal is one reason why.
Rich men invest in Gold and silver, this is written in a specific way, Gold has increased in value first now it is the time for silver. The bible is plainly telling us that in these last days in which we are living in that there riches are corrupted and moth eaten and fraudulent , and that we who call our selves Christian’s should invest in heavenly things. The cries of the innocent has gone up to the Lord of Sabaoth, the lord of armies or host .the Lord will avenge the poor
Is this why Jesus gave so many admonitions to the rich
Mathew 19:24
And again I say unto you , It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle , than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Luke 18:22 Now when Jesus heard these things , he said unto him , Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast , and distribute unto the poor , and thou shalt have treasure in heaven : and come , follow me.
Bill Gates 'will not leave a fortune for his children' London, Sept 20 (PTI)
Bill Gates, one of the world's richest men, has said that he is not interested in using his billions to launch a dynasty and would not leave his fortune to his children.
The 54-year-old father of three, worth an estimated 34 billion pounds, has unleashed his planetsized brain and the extraordinary dynamism that made Microsoft the all-conquering global software giant to defeat global poverty.
Gates and his wife Melinda, 44, have three children -- Jennifer, 14, Rory, 11, and eight-year-old Phoebe. "I knew I didn't think it was a good idea to give the money to my kids. That wouldn't be good either for my kids or society. So the question was, 'Can I find something that had incredible impact?' I knew I wanted to do that," Gates was quoted by 'The Sun' as saying.
So far, Gates and his wife, through their foundation, have given away 18 billion pounds which has helped deliver vaccines to more than 250 million children in poor countries,
If only their were more rich men like Bill Gates. first publish 2011
Click here for The Lord of Sabaoth part II