How to Survive the Current Economic Crisis

November 19, 2008
By Steve Strang

The financial crisis that developed on Wall Street in the fall of 2008 is unlike anything I’ve seen in my career. No one seems to have the answers, even though everyone is trying to figure out what the crisis means.

A new book, Financial Armageddon by Pastor John Hagee, provides answers from the Word of God. Hagee is a powerful minister whose preaching and teaching put difficult times into perspective for Christians, and he has great insight into the meaning of current events from a biblical view. For example, when oil prices skyrocketed in mid-2008, Hagee prepared a teaching series titled “The Oil Crisis and the Road to Armageddon.” The response to the series was more than double what is usually expected. Why?

Because people want answers, and Hagee gives them. As a bonus to the Strang Report readers, I am providing a link to two chapters. If you’d like to read them, click here. You can buy the book on Amazon.com by clicking here or from John Hagee Ministries by clicking here.

I believe the existing crisis is so important that I encouraged our Strang Book Group to rush this book into print. It appeared on bookstore shelves only six weeks after we conceived the idea—a time frame that is almost unheard of in publishing circles. It went on sale in Wal-Mart on Tuesday and in other chains last week. It's so important that I encouraged our team to rush the book out in a record amount of time.

Before I get into my own observations about the financial situation, I want to call to your attention to a report at the end of this e-newsletter from Janet Folger Porter, founder and president of Faith2Action, who is calling on Congress to answer the question of where Barack Obama was born. I tend to discount her claim that he is ineligible to serve as president due to his place of birth because I don't feel Obama could have gotten this far and been elected if he were not an American citizen. But there are persistent questions about it that could be put to rest if Congress would investigate as they investigate many other important issues. I'm passing the report along mostly for your information.

The financial problems we are currently experiencing have a greater significance than a typical credit crunch or mortgage crisis. They are a precursor to a tremendous battle that will take place at what the Bible calls Armageddon (see Rev. 16:14,16). In order to understand them, we must learn to discern the times, as the sons of Issachar did in biblical days (see 1 Chron. 12:32), and view them in light of the Word of God.

As a businessman, I take great interest in Hagee’s book. What happens on Wall Street or in international markets affects me and those who work with me. Plus, I have some investments in the stock market for my retirement years, and I don’t want to see them wiped out. Whether you own a business as I do or work for someone else, I know you too want to understand what is going on.

Let me give you my perspective. I may be able to help you comprehend something about what the media sometimes hysterically call a financial meltdown.

The stock market has plummeted before, and I believe it will recover. So I’m not planning to revamp my stock portfolio. I expect the value of the stocks to increase in the future. I still remember the dot-com bubble that burst a few years ago, the recession of 1992, and the terrible “stagflation” of the 1970s when I was just beginning my career.

Our current situation has come as no surprise. Considering some of the bad loans that were made, the creative instruments Wall Street created, and the overblown real estate market, it was only a matter of time until something drastic happened to correct the mistakes. But the panic that has set in has made the problems worse, even though our federal government has spent billions of dollars to try to stabilize the market.

I think we can expect that America will come out of this bear market and financial slump just as it has before. But every time we experience a downturn, people want our government to do more. Year by year we become more of an international market, depending on international banks to help stabilize the financial situation. If it doesn’t improve, people panic.

When people panic, they look for a strong leader who will give them what they want and make their financial problems go away. Do you see the pattern that develops? A global economy and global crises make people yearn for a global leader to solve their problems. Suddenly you have the scenario the Bible says leads to the rise of a man called the Antichrist, who leads us into the Battle of Armageddon!

If you don’t think this is possible, look at history. It was the terrible inflation and financial problems after World War I in Germany that made the people turn to Hitler. Not only could it happen again, but according to the Bible, it will happen again.

That’s why it’s important to understand what is going on. All of us are at risk because we live in a complex, world-financial system that causes us to be dependent on others to provide the groceries we buy and deliver the gas we put in our cars. We are dependent on others to have the money to buy the goods and services we sell or to pay our paychecks. When any part of the system breaks down, we are vulnerable like everyone else. Period.

So we must do what we can not only to survive but also to thrive in difficult economic situations such as the current bear market on Wall Street, which may be part of the bigger financial Armageddon that is coming.

The first step is to rein in our fear. Financial crisis can lead to collapse simply because people become afraid and panic. We must understand that God’s Word is true whether stocks are up or down and whether credit is tight or abundant.

Long before President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in his 1933 inaugural address, said in reference to the depressed economic condition of our nation, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” God Himself had given us the admonition not to fear. He said through the prophet Isaiah, “‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you. … When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. … Since you were precious in My sight, you have been honored, and I have loved you” (Is. 43:1–4, NKJV).

Next we must understand that there are different levels of economic problems. The first is a normal negative cycle in the markets. Such cycles come and go, and things usually get better. But at the same time, they set us up for a greater danger, what author Larry Bates calls “the new economic disorder,” in which world banks control the money, cartels control oil, and evil leaders set the scenario for the coming Antichrist.

When Armageddon comes, no one will escape it, because world events will crash together with biblical prophecy in the final conflict of the ages, as Hagee explains in his book. Ye there is hope for believers who understand that the Rapture will take away Christians “in the twinkling of an eye.”

Of course, it’s that knowledge that has also led generations of Christians to be passive and simply wait for the Second Coming to whisk them away from all the troubles of the world. Their attitude is like that of the preacher who joked, “It’s easier to think about the ‘sweet by-and-by’ than it is to deal with the nasty now-and-now.”

Maybe the problems we’re experiencing will wake up the church. Maybe godly leaders will emerge in government and the economic community to provide answers based on the principles of God’s Word that will change the tide or at least slow it down.

Some Christians in the world—believers in the Sudan, Communist China, or India, where there has been so much violence against Christians, or in the Muslim world where Christianity is banned—may think Armageddon has already begun. Americans, on the other hand, believe they are somehow immune. They think, Surely these problems won’t happen to us. We’ve been blessed with relative peace and prosperity so long we believe they are our rights. Yet bad things can happen and are happening. As the leader of the free world, America is not exempt.

Consider 9/11. We never thought we would be attacked on our own soil, but we were. I believe many other events that have been prophesied will take place, and we can only prepare.

As people the world over become more and more hostile to the gospel, and as those who are evil get into power and take away our freedoms, Christians must do what the Jews did in Europe, where they were persecuted for years—engage in professions and trades we can take with us when things get bad. The trend that developed during those years explains why many Jews are in banking, jewelry and so on rather than farming today.

So what can Christians do? Start businesses. Get involved in the process to change things rather than being subject to the whims of big business.

Then run your small business in a way that can handle a downturn. Have reserves; keep debt low; make fallback plans. In the process, be able to help others as the Bible says.

Too often Christians, like the men Moses sent to spy out the Promised Land (Num. 13:32–33), have seen themselves as grasshoppers in their own eyes—in this case, as being at the bottom of the economic totem pole just waiting for the Rapture. This image is not accurate, and the Bible has answers for the mess we’re in. That’s why Hagee’s book is so important. Read it and share it with friends. Follow the advice he gives.

Remember that, no matter what happens, we are to do as the nobleman in the Bible instructed his servants, and “occupy till [our Master] come[s]” (Luke 19:13, KJV).

As usual, I want you to post your comments on the blog, both to what I wrote, and also what Janet writes below. And let us know what you think of John Hagee's book. This wasn't meant to be a sales pitch, but I did want to make it easy for you to order from Hagee's ministry or from Amazon.com. I also hope we can get "word of mouth" going on this important message.

Steve Strang
Publisher, Charisma magazine

____________________________________________________

Report from Janet Folger Porter

This may be the most important thing we can do in the next four years. Fight for freedom while we still have it. Please spread this message far and wide.

And remember, Goliath lost.

God bless you,

Janet Folger Porter

"So have no fear of them; for nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, or kept secret that will not become known." Matthew 10:26

"We often pray in the place of risky obedience"

____________________________________________________

1 last chance to fight for our Constitution

Posted: November 18, 2008
1:00 am Eastern
© 2008

Former Deputy Attorney General Philip Berg filed a lawsuit addressing the citizenship status of Barack Obama before the Democratic National Convention and copied Democratic Chairman Howard Dean. It should have alerted them that there was a possible problem before they selected their nominee. But that problem was ignored. Other lawsuits filed before Nov. 4 were also ignored, placing us in what could be a constitutional crisis.

The good news is the real election hasn't taken place yet. The Electoral College doesn't meet until Dec. 15. That gives us less than a month to find the answers to the looming questions regarding whether Barack Obama meets the constitutional requirements for the office of president.

The courts don't seem to be in any hurry to take up their responsibility as guardians of the Constitution, so now Congress must step in. You see, members of Congress are sworn to uphold the Constitution, and when they vote in January to confirm (or reject) the vote of the Electoral College, they can't very well do that unless they know for certain that the basic constitutional requirements for office have been met.

An ad running this week in the Washington Times Weekly asks three questions America needs to know: "Was Barack Obama really born in Kenya?" "Is he really a citizen of Indonesia?" And, "Does the Constitution still matter?"

As I wrote about last week, there are many reasons to doubt whether Barack Obama meets the requirements for the office of president. First, there's that pesky tape from Sarah Obama, Barack's grandmother, where she says, "I was in the delivery room in (Mombosa) Kenya when he was born Aug. 4, 1961." Secondly, there's the matter of U.S. law. If only one parent was an American citizen, as in Obama's case, the law at the time of Obama's birth required one parent to have been an American citizen for at least 10 years – five of which had to have happened after the age of 14. Since Obama's mother was only 18 at the time of Obama's birth, he would not qualify as an American citizen if his grandmother is right about him being born abroad.

Thirdly, there's no original birth certificate – just a "certification of live birth" posted on a website experts say is forged and altered. Fourthly, there's the issue of Indonesian citizenship, which is a prerequisite to attending school there. Add to that the fact that Obama's stepfather, Lolo Soetoro, is listed as his father on his Indonesian school records. If he had U.S. citizenship, according to Indonesian law, he would have lost it when he attended school there or if he was adopted by his stepfather as his records indicate.

As the ad proclaims, "The Constitution matters" and is still worth defending. All we are asking is that Congress takes their oath to defend it seriously. If Obama can prove he meets the basic but essential constitutional requirements, fine, he'll serve legally. But if he cannot provide simple proof, then he cannot. We're not asking for the world here, just the original birth certificate that each of us delivers when getting a passport, driver's license or Social Security card. If we can't tell the clerk at the post office to check out the digital photo of a certificate posted online, neither should the guy running for president. Members of Congress: If you have taken an oath to defend the Constitution, now's the time to keep it.

But I know the reasons for your hesitancy. I've faced them myself and have come to the conclusion that if one of our founders, Patrick Henry, could proclaim, "Give me liberty or give me death," we can face our fears and stand for the document they penned that outlines our God-given rights to freedom. What if we asked our Founding Fathers, many of whom lost everything in the battle for our nation, if they think the Constitution is still worth defending? They already answered that question with their lives.

But what about the objections?

1. "Obama won the popular election." So did Al Gore. But George W. Bush is still president. That's because the Electoral College decides – and in this case, it hasn't yet. In fact, the electors can't fulfill their solemn oath to uphold the Constitution unless they know the candidates meet the basic constitutional requirements for office.
   
2. "This should have happened long before now." That's true, but the cases filed before Nov. 4 were ignored by the courts, and the answers to these basic questions were never answered. There is still time for those answers since the real election has not yet happened.
   
3. "They'll be riots in the streets." This objection is much like the reaction of Kenya to Obama's candidate of choice, Raila Odinga, who incited violence and the burning of hundreds of churches (not a single mosque) when he lost the race. Obama raised a million dollars for this upstanding guy and assigned a Senate staffer to help him. To bring the violence to an end, the Kenyan government put Odinga – the guy who lost the election – in office to keep him from burning more churches. They failed the first rule of the playground: Confront the bully; don't appease him. Threats of violence must be met with fierce resistance, not appeasement.
4. "I better not be public on this because I'll become a target." News flash: If you believe in life, liberty and the family, you already are a target. The henchmen are selected; the gallows for our freedoms are already being built. And the only candidate in history to never move an inch to the center during the campaign has no intentions of changing his agenda of outlawing our viewpoint with the "unfairness doctrine," "thought crimes," "The Employment Non Discrimination Act" the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act and all the rest. As I wrote about in my book, "The Criminalization of Christianity" (which will surely come true if we don't act now), "Never fail to do the right thing for fear that the opposition will attack you in response. The other side can and will attack you anyway, at a time of their own choosing rather than yours, regardless of whether you act."
   
5. "We'll just beat him in four years." In four years, we won't be able to recognize what's left of our country. And if you think taking on this issue right now is hard, try doing it when our radio airwaves are shut down and our freedoms are stripped from us, as he has promised to do. And with Obama's promise to pass the so-called Freedom of Choice Act as "the first thing" he does, you can say goodbye to the notion of protecting unborn children again – and goodbye to every law in all 50 states that notifies parents, keeps our tax dollars from footing the abortion bill and prevents even a single partial-birth abortion.
   
6. "They'll say I'm a 'racist' and call it 'sour grapes.'" Our Founding Fathers faced death, we face name-calling. Right now our U.S. soldiers are being shot at for the freedoms guaranteed in our Constitution. If the Constitution isn't worth undergoing some name calling, then the oath taken to defend it means nothing.
   
7. "Somebody else will do it." They haven't. And time is running out.
   
8. "It's not my responsibility." The lower court in Philadelphia threw out Phil Berg's case (which is now before the U.S. Supreme Court) based not on the merits, but on the issue of "standing," and pointed to the need for Congress to act. If the questions of constitutionality are not met before Congress is called upon to uphold the vote of the Electoral College, they cannot fulfill their oath and duty to uphold and defend the Constitution. If we are willing to ignore the constitutional requirements for the highest office in our land, what else are we willing to forgo? That part about free speech? Freedom of the press? Freedom of religion?
9. "We deserve what we got." That's true, so did the people of Nineveh who asked, "Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?" If you're unfamiliar with the story recorded in Jonah, God didn't give the Ninevites what they deserved; and even though the judgment was pronounced against them, when they fasted, prayed, sought God and turned from their wicked ways, God had mercy and spared them from judgment.
   
10. "It's impossible." With God, all things are possible. Eight years ago the election was called for Al Gore, and he never took office. If God is the same today as He was yesterday, He can still split the sea, raise the dead, stop the sun and reverse the results of the popular vote if the basic requirements of the Constitution are not met in the candidate.
    
11. "He's constitutionally qualified." Great. Then it won't be hard to prove it.

The Electoral College votes on Dec. 15 – we now have less than 30 days of freedom left. How will you spend it? Will you "safely" keep quiet about our nation's most important document, or will you step forward to defend it?

There's a replica of William Wallace's sword hanging on my wall. It reminds me of his words captured in the movie "Braveheart":

William Wallace: I am William Wallace. And I see a whole army of my countrymen, here in defiance of tyranny. You've come to fight as freemen, and freemen you are. What will you do without freedom? Will you fight?

Man: No … we will run … and we will live.

William Wallace: Aye. Fight and you may die. Run and you'll live – at least a while. And, dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies, that they may take our lives, but they'll never take our freedom!

Congress, you were elected for such a time as this. Don't miss your moment in history to defend the Constitution you were sworn to uphold. Not extreme. Not fringe. Just constitutional. A thorough investigation must be conducted to ensure the basic constitutional requirements for the office of president have been met. It is not just your right – it is your duty. And you have less than 30 days to act. You have the freedom right now that you will never have again. You can fight to defend the Constitution of the United States, or you can run. As William Wallace asked, the question is: Will you fight?

1. Call your representative in Congress at 202-224-3121 and ask them to hold immediate congressional hearings to investigate and ensure the basic constitutional requirements for the office of president have been met.
2. Fast and pray.
3. Place the "Three Unanswered Questions" ad in newspapers across the country and post it online everywhere.
4. Donate to defend the Constitution. We'll place more ads if you'll help: www.f2a.org.
5. E-mail this to everyone on your list, and call on the media to report this constitutional crisis.

This ad ran on page 5 of the November 17th, 2008 edition of the Washington Times National Weekly | Click to Download