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    A Different Kind of Stock Market

    Posted on Wednesday 8 October 2008 by Greg @ 6:13 am
    Filed under: Rants

    The situation is serious. Many IRAs are shrinking. People are losing their homes, their jobs…everything. And it could get worse before it gets better. Some people are talking recession. A few are even alluding to the “D” word, the great “D” word.

    Let’s be honest. It is a scary time right now, especially if your used to the American way of $ life.

    Okay let me change the subject. Have you ever met a truly impoverished Christian in a 3rd world country? I have met several from India to El Salvador. It’s hard for me to remember one of them that seemed truly sad. There they were in their barely-scrape-by daily lives with huge smiles on their faces. Dirt floors in their one room huts…huge smiles. One or maybe two “meals” per day…smiles. No Wii, cars, designer clothes or thriving 401 Ks…smiles.

    What in the world were they smiling about? Maybe what many of the Old Testament saints were smiling about,

    “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.” Hebrews 11:13-16

    If you are a believer in Christ you can smile when this side of eternity falls apart because you are saving up riches in a different country…a heavenly one. And in this heavenly country the stock market can never crash. Here’s what Jesus said about it,

    “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21

    Let’s invest our treasure in the stock market that can never crash. Then let’s smile, knowing our investment is safe!

    Signed, Greg Stier
    8 Comments

    8 Comments for 'A Different Kind of Stock Market'

    1. On October 8, 2008 @ 10:28 am Barbara said:
      • My husband and I went on a trip to Peru this summer with our youth group. We saw unspeakable poverty in the area that we went to. One of the ladies in our group took a blanket to another lady in one of the villages we visited because she had nothing to keep her warm at night. When she received the blanket, she thanked and praised God for her gift. She didn’t thank us; she knew exactly where that blanket came from. Interestingly enough, she told the group later that they (those in her village) sometimes feel sorry for Americans. When asked why, she said it was because we don’t get to depend on God for our daily needs the way they do. She spoke of being blessed to be able to depend on Him for her everyday needs. That totally put things into perspective for us.

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    2. On October 8, 2008 @ 10:42 am Jay said:
      • Amen. Well said, thanks for the encouragement today. I remember on 9-1-1 feeling very scared at first that everything around me that I was trusting in was crashing….and then it hit me, not everything. I have put my faith and trust in Christ. I trust Him more than I trust in my government or personal safety. He is MY rock and MY high tower. He’s the lover of MY soul and nothing is going to happen to me without His knowledge and approval, just like Job. I read what you wrote and it took me back to that time. What am I trusting in? I trust in Him more than my finances, house, food, clothes. Matthew 6:19-21 hits the nail on the head. According to Luke 12:22-31, if we’re seeking the kingdom of God and the spiritual riches in life, he’ll add or give us the physical things.

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    3. On October 8, 2008 @ 1:01 pm Tim Schmoyer said:
      • Great perspective. Thanks for the reminder, Greg. See ya Friday!

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    4. On October 9, 2008 @ 1:41 pm Will said:
      • Amen, buddy. This situation is a pretty good litmus test for all of us who talk the talk. We’ll see how we all do as God calls us to WALK the talk. ARE we (AM I) willing to give it ALL up for His Kingdom? Pretty scary, pretty EXCITING….

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    5. On October 9, 2008 @ 7:20 pm Megan said:
      • i’m 17 years old and i also went on a missions trip this summer with my church, and i also was amazed by how much faith these people had. their houses had no doors, they had no clean water to drink, all of these children had been abandoned or abused in some way by their parents, yet they still lived for God. they never lose hope, and it’s incredible the way the walk by faith everyday. this trip taught me so much…we use our faith so our cellphones will work, that we can get the money to buy the $200 pair of shoes or that our GPS will provide us with the correct directions, these people walk by faith for water, for a place to stay, for food to survive. it’s just a real eye-opener to see their true smiles and happiness. these people are truely walking by faith and following Gods will.

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    6. On October 10, 2008 @ 7:44 am Josh Tapia said:
      • AWESOME!

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    7. On October 11, 2008 @ 12:11 pm Becky said:
      • Wow that is probably one of the better outlooks right now.I may be just be 17 but I know what’s going on.Thanks for writing this

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    8. On October 14, 2008 @ 10:14 am meghan said:
      • I JUST picked up an application for food stamps and was feeling pretty sorry for myself. Thank you for reminding me that I am indeed far from poor. God will provide!

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