The words of the wise man state: "Be not rash with your mouth, and let not your heart be hasty to utter any thing before God," (Ecc.5: 2). Jesus said "Let your words be 'yes, yes and no, no;' anything more is evil" (Mt.5: 37, (Greek). It is simply this: if we promise and cannot deliver, we ask for trouble. In other words, we become a source of evil. And evil results in dire consequences. Politicians do it all the time and so do religious leaders. We make promises to the people that are not in our power to grant. Words can lift people to the gates of heaven, but we lack the ability and resources to unlock the door for them. Consider two examples.

Reading about the fall of Israel in the Bible, one wonders whether America is about to learn a similar lesson. Are the events that Jesus predicted soon to be upon the world (Mt.24: 21-22)? We could learn from Israel when it became unfaithful to God and His Laws, a foreign nation took the Israelites into captivity. Some were lost forever and some were allowed to return after seventy years. It is interesting that the nations were I was born were also enslaved for seventy years by the Soviets. It is even more interesting that nations where Christianity flourished have for the past fifty years turned away from the Hebrew-Christian God and His laws. According to the Biblical timetable, in twenty more years, a different system shall very likely take control of the U.S.A. and govern the world by the sword.

Reading about the fall of Israel in the Bible, one wonders whether America is about to learn a similar lesson. Are the events that Jesus predicted soon to be upon the world (Mt.24: 21-22)? We could learn from Israel when it became unfaithful to God and His Laws, a foreign nation took the Israelites into captivity. Some were lost forever and some were allowed to return after seventy years. It is interesting that the nations were I was born were also enslaved for seventy years by the Soviets. It is even more interesting that nations where Christianity flourished have for the past fifty years turned away from the Hebrew-Christian God and His laws. According to the Biblical timetable, in twenty more years, a different system shall very likely take control of the U.S.A. and govern the world by the sword.

When I was a boy, I dreamed about being a landowner, have six beautiful horses, an enviable carriage and several faithful servants. My dad intended for me to be a blacksmith. If nothing had changed, I would have followed my dad. War came and we lost everything. We became homeless refugees. I had no training but a pair of good hands. Then the impossible happened and I lost the use of my hands. A lengthy time of training enabled me to be a minister. The ministry left something to be desired and I got more training to be able to teach ministers. The economic crunch, fifty years ago, closed and merged Seminaries. I ended up serving Churches, teach part time and write for posterity. I learned that one specialization was not sufficient to earn my bread for my family.

Moses wrote: "Behold, you who have sinned against the Lord, be sure your sin will find you out (Nu.32: 23)." Sin, if it is not corrected, it shall hunt us and disclose us in public. There is no escape (Ps,139: 7-9). No matter where we go, it shall always be with us. That is why Christ has come, if we confess (I Jn.2: 1-2). If we sin against each other, then we must forgive each other (Mt.6: 14). What if we sin against the Lord, shall we be forgiven?

Power, without fixed principles, is not just threatening Christianity but also the world. Power, like anything else seeking advantage over others, must be controlled by a higher power. Even the highest of powers must be guided by principles that cannot be altered. For that reason, the Bible depicts God abiding always by His unshakable principles that are the backbone of individuals, groups and nations. It is also for that reason that unprincipled leaders and their followers have ousted the Bible from public life. Without the restriction of these principles, powers grow out of control.

Isaiah, long ago, wrote that the eye had not seen nor the ear heard what God had prepared for those that waited on Him (64: 4). Paul encouraged that God would supply all our needs (Phi.4: 1). Jesus promised that the disciples would be richly rewarded in this world for their service to Him (Mt.19: 29). What doe that mean for us?

The question that is at the heart of our economy is, “Do we demand or are we in demand?” Every one in the USA should ask, “Am I a problem solver or am I a part of the problem?” By the way, we are not unique at this. Jesus dealt with the issue in Matthew 20: 1-16, “Don't I have the right to do what I want with my money?”

Proverbs 03: 5-6 states: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your path.” To complete this thought add Psalm 146: 3-4, “Do not put your trust in princes (smart humans), in mortal men, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.”

We are learning the hard way that good people do things that turn bad for us. That is when the rule of mercy should kick in because mercy begets mercy (Mt.5: 7). We put people in charge with good intentions; but when they do not meet with our needs or even perceptions, we are quick to judge them. Also, we are guilty of pre-judging. Once I voted against a President that initiated policies that turned out right. We are facing a similar situation now and should give our new President a chance for his policies to work. Let us be merciful and not judgmental. Let us not patch a new system with old patches (Mk.2: 21).