Spiritual Speculation and the Prophetic Credit Crunch
 
By Terry Somerville

I believe the financial crisis in the United States has a prophetic message and warning for the church. It is a simple one, but easy to miss.

Here are a few prophetic points to ponder in understanding the times!
 

The Church Has Borrowed From The World

The world now realizes that the housing and stock markets have been driven more by credit than real wealth. The growth "balloon" is bursting. Unfortunately, the solution being offered is more borrowing. But the problem IS borrowing. This is a prophetic signs for the church!

For nearly two thousand years the church has borrowed from the world and we keep looking for new ways to build and grow the church. What do I mean? Simple. After Constantine the church adopted Roman institution and buildings, government dress and processionals, and Greek oratory and philosophy. While choirs and clergy robes may be out of sync today, we've certainly tried to keep up, with worship bands, feel good ministry and high tech presentation! In the last few decades it reached a frenzy! We've implemented ever more seeker friendly methods and marketed ever more intense spiritual experiences with the hope of making it big with "THE Revival!"

This is not our true nature. Jesus is. What we've borrowed looks good, but the "fundamentals" are not sound. There is now a desperation and hunger to get back to Him!

Spiritual Credit Has Run Out

In the world markets, extreme borrowing has led to a credit crisis. It's been like an international "ponzi scheme" - where old investors are paid out by subsequent investors while the price goes up. There's no real business in it. Now we are on the edge of panic, where everyone wants out with what ever they can salvage, and no one will lend. The same features are true in borrowing from the world to build the church. Christians are realizing (prompted by the Holy Spirit) that we are not experiencing the life Jesus paid for. Fancy buildings, great music, great church events and anything else from the world, just don't cut it any more. This "debt load" has reached a tipping point. Christians are waking up and 'cashing out" of the whole system by the thousands!
The answer is not more "borrowing" from the world. Christians won't stay in a church because we "juice it up". The problem IS the borrowing. We need to get back to the economy of Jesus.

For of him, and through him, and unto him, are all things. To him be the glory for ever. Amen.
Romans 11:36

Speculation Has Inflated Spiritual Commodities Beyond Reach
 
In the stock market, investor speculation (fueled by borrowed money ) has driven up the price of basic commodities. Oil, housing, wheat and rice are rising beyond the reach of many consumers and has caused much of the current crisis. It's a sign of the times.

Similarly, "spiritual speculation" has inflated spiritual expectations (the commodity) beyond the reach of the average Christian. Prophetic ministries have established a new "gold standard" of spiritual authenticity. Ordinary supernatural life with Jesus has been inflated to include gold dust, feathers, gems and third heaven experiences with instruction from dead patriarchs. How can the average Christian reach such lofty heights? The only way to achieve this "spiritual wealth" is a conference with the investment brokers of the faith! Don't miss it or you won't have it!

This lofty speculation reached it's zenith in Lakeland with false claims of revival, gold, glory, angels, heaven and resurrections before world wide "investors". (Yes, many went for Jesus alone, praise God.) But when the truth came out on this and other speculation, Christians lose faith even in what is genuine - their "life savings" (how many want nothing to do with Jesus because of these debacles?) Lets hope this "junk bondage" has a HUGE recession and we can return to the "ordinary" ministry of Jesus thats available to every Christian.

THE CHURCH HAS BEEN ON STEROIDS,
AND IS ABOUT TO HAVE A HEART ATTACK!

The Church Is Looking For A Divine Bailout!

In the world of finances, leaders want to resume business as usual. This means injecting more credit into a debt ridden system! Unfortunately credit is what's causing the problem in the first place and the people know it! But everyone's got their hand out, so against great pressure from ordinary Americans, the US government approved the 700 BILLION dollar bailout! HA! This will pass through the system like eating 700 plums at harvest! ( we just picked our plum tree ..... plums are a laxative) A bailout doesn't solve the underlying problem. There needs to be massive change in debt and spending. This is prophetic for the church as well! Many Christian leaders are teaching about a divine bailout. I recently read a conference brochure with major prophetic leaders. It advertised "strategies to connect heaven on earth" and "open the supply gate for the great wealth transfer". Christians who borrow their methods from the world system are looking for the worlds wealth to bail out the church! Money from God won't solve the underlying problem! We must live by what God has done at the cross! The truth is heaven is already here on earth! It's called the "the kingdom of God has drawn near". We don't bring it, we announce it! Jesus already opened the supply gate. It's called "my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory." Jesus is already Lord of the earth and all wealth. The bailout has already been accomplished. It's time to live in heavens economy and not the worlds!

Jesus Has A Balanced Budget

The audit is completed. The Holy Spirit is sounding the alarm! The prophetic signs are all there for us to read. The present church systems are spiritually bankrupt because we have been borrowing from the world ways, speculating and now looking for a divine bailout! But hungry Christians are looking for another way to live. It's time that we live according to the Divine plan for His church.

First of all, Jesus has already balanced the books! He paid every debt and owns everything! Our account is paid in full. We don't need to borrow from the ways of the world to attract people. It's our freedom that attracts people! We have been reconciled to God and have a ministry of reconciliation! "Reconcile" is a financial term for balancing the books.
But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave unto us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not reckoning unto them their trespasses, and having committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
2 Cor.5:18,19

Secondly, the divine life in Gods people will build the church in a genuine way. Gold dust and feathers have not matured us one bit! We are a spiritual house, the Body of Christ, the Bride of Christ, It's Jesus living in us corporately that makes us the church! We don't need "spiritual speculation" to move it forward. We need Jesus. He said "I will build my church". When each part functions properly the Body of Christ grows!

The present economic crisis is a prophetic alarm, if we have eyes to see. It's time for the real economy of Jesus to be lived out in Gods people.

Terry Somerville
www.totalchange.org

CG