Alas, where have all the experts gone? How positive now are the invincible Wall Street gurus who convinced wide-eyed investors that the "ride" would go on forever?

To be sure, the party is over and the alarm is buzzing with the kind of grinding irritation that would prompt one to slam it against the wall. For many the experience has been nothing short of a real-life nightmare. Like a drug-induced high gone bad, the unexpected market reversal has placed many in seriously precarious financial positions:

• Household debt (credit card, revolving credit, and home equity) has skyrocketed as "sophisticated" investors sought to increase their potential market gains by buying stocks on margin (borrowing) and lofty consumer expectations created by the "wealth effect" led many to go on spending binges.
• Personal tax liabilities are higher than many anticipate due to gains from stock sales.
• Home "upgrading" has caused many to incur greater mortgage debt.

Losses sustained from the market devastation have, in fact, brought about an awakening that life in the years ahead may not be as planned:

• Retirement plans must be postponed.
• Assets may need to be sold
• Home equity lost through refinancing may never be recouped.
• Living standards will change
• Taxes that are due on realized gains which cannot be paid because the money was reinvested in stock(s) that have since crashed may now require additional borrowing to avoid heavy IRS fines and penalties.
• Some will face bankruptcy

Others have reached the point of total despair.

A recent Business Week article entitled "After the Wild Ride" reports that: "Investors have lost $4.6 trillion (emphasis mine) in the tech debacle – and a lot more than money went with it." The article goes on to speak of a California man who, after seeing a $4,500 investment rise to $1.1 million in less than a year, quit his job as a computer programmer to concentrate on stock trading. Not long after, the stock reached $2.2 million. But more quickly than the stock rose, the tech bubble burst and his fortune virtually disappeared overnight. "A year after the peak of the internet-driven stock frenzy, what one psychologist calls, ‘the fear-greed roller coaster’ has drained bank accounts, delayed retirements, pulled marriages apart – and worse," the article reports.

The above example conjures up the image of the pounding headache on the proverbial "morning after." – followed by such familiar statements as: "NEVER AGAIN ! !" "WHY DID I DO IT?" "HOW COULD I HAVE BEEN SO STUPID?" "I’VE LEARNED MY LESSON ! !" "I’M TURNING OVER A NEW LEAF." – etc., etc.

Yet more often than not, it’s déjà vu. Nothing changes and the same mistakes are repeated.

So why does history repeat itself so frequently in our lives? Must this always be the case or can we, in fact, turn from our folly and learn new and true ways?

The scripture quoted in the article heading seems quite appropriate for the subject at hand. Further understanding comes as we read it in the context of the first five verses:

"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." 2Timothy 3:1-5

Verse 8 goes on to define such people as those who:
"resist the truth: men or corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith."

Verses 9 and 13 tell us the destiny of those who follow such paths:
"But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was." . . . "But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived."

Make no mistake about it. Our vulnerability to wicked financial schemes (yes – this includes the stock market) is specifically because we choose to heed the words of those who would seduce us rather than the word of God. We must be wise as serpents.

Understand that Wall Street brokers make their money when you buy stocks. Hell will freeze over before Wall Street runs out of glib phrases or convincing "buy" recommendations. The only time CNBC will voice concern that the markets are in trouble is after they’ve gone south. While fortunes were made as brokerage firms brought a long string of IPO’s (Initial Public Offerings) to the market, the only ones who didn’t lose money were the financial firms that got them there. The reason: they received their money up front. Many expectant investors watched with great anticipation as their fortunes grew, . . . and then vanished in smoke when the NASDAQ crashed.

1. Truth comes only by revelation. Seekers of God have been able to accept this and apply it in many other areas of life but, by and large, have failed to get hold of this vital point with regard to finances. The reason for this is clear from the Bible:

"For the love of money is the root of all evil." 1Timothy 6:10

In other words, greed is the most deep-seated part of our sinful nature that we must combat. It is also the most tightly guarded stronghold in the enemy’s sphere.

Here’s where we’ve missed it. The church has become so "friendly" with the world’s ways of handling finances that it has no clue that it has walked into the lion’s den.

"You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God." James 4:4

When we try to understand biblical teachings with the carnal mind and the natural senses they make no sense to us because they can’t be understood this way. They can only be understood by "revelation" or by the Spirit of God; i.e. supernaturally

But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them for they are spiritually discerned." 1Corinthians 2:14

But, as it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things that God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit. 1Corinthians 2:9-10

One of the most difficult things to accept – even for those who sincerely desire truth – is to recognize and admit that you have been seduced. Pride will keep us from walking in the blessings of God. Humility and the fear of God bring true prosperity.

"By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honor, and life." Proverbs 22:4

Seek God and ask him to show you if you are being deceived by the love of money.

Don’t trust your own thoughts or understanding. Only the word of God, revealed by his Holy Spirit, can be trusted to show us the truth.

3. Recognize and overcome ENVY and COVETOUSNESS

Everyone else seems to be making money so why shouldn’t I?

Too often this is the cause of investments moving from wisdom into foolishness. Consistent market rises over recent years were simply too tempting for many to maintain wise investment standards. Rather than stay with sound, proven, time-tested principals, the allure of quick gains drew many out into the open where they became prime targets for a fleecing. The "New Economy" rhetoric fueled this mentality

"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." Colossians 2:8

This is why there is so little recognition and acknowledgement of sound, biblical, financial teaching in the body of Christ today. For even many church leaders are convinced that the prosperity and blessing of Christian people and their churches will come from stock market gains. What folly – that Almighty God would need to employ the unjust money systems of this world to finance the work of His kingdom.

4. Accept only the full counsel of God. There is certainly nothing to stop us from picking and choosing those parts of God’s word that suit our fancy. But ignoring the full counsel of his word is like pulling the wool over our own eyes; - like sticking our head in the sand so we can’t see and understand everything that affects our lives.

The truth is that, by and large in the body of Christ, the teachings pertaining to money and finances that have been imparted to the sheep have been selective and incomplete. Much of what has been left out has not been deliberate but has been avoided due to lack of revelation. Some has been omitted because of the fear of man. A great deal of teaching has been directed at the importance of tithing – frequently in order to convince hearers to bolster a church’s or ministry’s finances.

What have you been taught? Do you believe that your participation in this world’s financial system is how God plans to prosper you and meet your needs? Have you honestly and sincerely asked God to impart truth and understanding to you in these matters?

The fact is that the world’s financial system is specifically designed to separate you from your wealth in a number of strategic ways:

Debt, taxes, hype, seduction, exagerations, lies, accounting manipulations, schemes, scams, flim-flams, etc., etc. They're all ways devised and employed to transfer your hard-earned money to those who don't want to work for it.

It’s time for God’s people to terminate the devil’s destruction of their finances. And the only way this will happen is for his people to "come out" from the wicked world financial system and administer their finances God’s way and no other.

We haven’t seen the end yet. A vital part of every worker’s future financial well-being is linked to Pensions, 401(k)s, and IRAs which are in no way immune from the economic calamities soon to come.

We won’t be protected by osmosis. Our only assurance of God's blessing on what he has put in our hands is for us to "come out" of this wicked system.

For a more in-depth discussion on this subject you are invited to review the

EDUCATION SERIES

articles in our reference section

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