THESIS: Nations hoping to bless people and grow the economy should draft laws that (1) help small businesses thrive, create jobs, and earn a profit for shareholders, (2) protect the nation from war and protect its citizens from crime, (3) use courts to protect the sanctity of contract and resolve conflicts between people and businesses,Continue reading “MONEY! Finance, Bankruptcy Protection, and the Economy. Nehemiah 5:1-11.”
Category Archives: Money/Riches
That One Distasteful Subject. Isaiah 48:17.
We don’t speak of it in polite conversation. We don’t think of it as a spiritual topic. No seeker climbs to the top of a mountain in the Himalayas to ask a Guru about it. Wall calendars with photos of sunsets and rainbows will never feature a poetic line on this theme. Yet, Jesus spokeContinue reading “That One Distasteful Subject. Isaiah 48:17.”
Job’s Friends Preached the Prosperity Gospel and God Rebuked Them. Job 42:7.
My friend Pete was rich. As a child, he had the newest, hottest, best bicycle around. In the mid-80s, he not only had an endless supply of Polo shirts, but was the only guy in our high school wearing Polo jeans. He had a car before anyone else. Sports cars. Spare cars. After a semesterContinue reading “Job’s Friends Preached the Prosperity Gospel and God Rebuked Them. Job 42:7.”
RICHES. Revelation 18.
Energy creates value. When man discovered oil and ways to reach it, mine it, refine it, and use it, the world instantly became fabulously wealthy. Imagine an animated graphic: as oil was brought from the depths to the surface, buildings rose from the surface into the clouds. Cities exploded. Trails became superhighways. The globe isContinue reading “RICHES. Revelation 18.”
CAMELS. Mark 10:17-25.
“As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before Him, and asked, ‘Good teacher, what must I do to be saved?’” Mark 10:17. Jesus eventually told him to sell all he had and give to the poor—“and the man went away sad, because he had many possessions”v.22. And JesusContinue reading “CAMELS. Mark 10:17-25.”
WHY IS THE BIBLE FILLED WITH RICHES? Esther 1:4; Luke 11:31.
People are poor. Many struggle to feed their children. Yet the Bible—a story about God’s compassion for the least of these—is filled with tales of the greatest among us. We meet Egypt’s pharaohs. Then God’s kings: Saul, David, and Solomon. Solomon builds a temple covered in gold. The nation splits. Nineteen of history’s richest menContinue reading “WHY IS THE BIBLE FILLED WITH RICHES? Esther 1:4; Luke 11:31.”
1 (800) TAX-1040: CUSTOMER SERVICE AND HOLD MUSIC. Isaiah 31:17.
Yesterday I spent 45 minutes on hold, waiting for a customer service representative to pick up my call to the IRS. Finally a man answered, told me his name and agent number, and then we were disconnected. Though I did not want to, I called back. After a 30-minute wait, a woman answered and sheContinue reading “1 (800) TAX-1040: CUSTOMER SERVICE AND HOLD MUSIC. Isaiah 31:17.”
Warning! There are Risks to Success.
Success comes with great risks. David would never have gotten in trouble with Bathsheba were he not the king. All of Solomon’s failures were tied to his royal crown. Many great people end up famous for great failures: Ken Lay, Richard Nixon, Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer. “When Rehoboam had established his sovereignty and royal power,Continue reading “Warning! There are Risks to Success.”
The Stress of Being Rich.
Saturday Twila said, “When I see places like this, I just think that inside these houses are all these rich people, just living their rich, happy lives, without any problems.” I mentioned an old cliché: Sometimes when you are wealthy, “you no longer own your stuff, but your stuff owns you.” Do you understand that?Continue reading “The Stress of Being Rich.”
Don’t Spread Yourself Too Thin.
Preparing for my father’s “Celebration of Life” service gave me a lot of time to reflect on his long and active life. But one truth came to me after the work was done and the service concluded: Grandpa was successful because he DID NOT SPREAD HIMSELF TOO THIN. He flew radio-controlled planes rather than earnContinue reading “Don’t Spread Yourself Too Thin.”
Household Words: 