WARNING! WARNING! We face a great economic depression. The G-7 countries (The 7 largest economic nations in the world) met on November 08. They admit we have an economic crisis.
The world's debt far exceeds all the world’s assets. There is 1400 trillion dollars of world debt, but only 53 trillion dollars of world GNP (Gross National Product). It is estimated that the stock market has lost 8.3 trillion dollars in the past year.
Alan Greenspan told lenders to give a lot of credit no matter what. Many banks have already gone bankrupt. Iceland is close to bankruptcy. Thousands of companies are asking for financial help, and saying they are faced with laying off 40% of their employees.
Production by General Motors is down 45%. 11.8% of the working men and women in USA are looking for work. This will double. There will be unemployment levels equal to the 1930s and worse. Business in general is slowing down. Business for restaurants is down 50%, dry cleaners 45%. There were 106,000 people and businesses filing for bankruptcies in one month (2008)-the highest in USA history. World leaders admit that we are now in a deep recession, and we are going into a depression, and they estimate the stock market will drop perhaps 4000 points. This will create a lot of collective anger among the population in the USA - and in the world at large.
Large commercial companies are asking for financial help. China called for a new world currency in August 08. The American economy is still melting down. From August 08 to September 22, 08, trillions of dollars have “evaporated.” There is less and less money in the banks.
In many countries the trade markets are open only 50% of the time, to try to keep the markets from falling too low. Russia is one of them.
The destruction of demand for products is the largest in the world. (The people’s ability to buy products has been destroyed, to a large degree perhaps, by unemployment.)
Worldwide shipping is down 47 1/2 % – almost half of the ships are sitting idle, and transport by railroad is also suffering. Tens of thousands of factories in China have been shut down this year. The economists and governments don't see any turn-around.
We are now in the largest deflationary period in world history, with a huge decline in values. World leaders and leaders of cities, states, and countries are not sure whether they will be around in six months.
The G-7 and the G-20 countries met and consulted in the last part of 2008, and plan to meet again soon. World leaders are frightened by the serious implications of this crisis. This meeting is all about how to do economic stimulus packages worldwide. There will virtually be very little credit available. It is said the party is over. We have lived on credit and have been spoiled. We must now live within our means, live simply. Many will lose their homes!
(From Tim Walsh “The Financial Crisis … Is The World Trapped?”, November 8, 2008).
We now appeal to you most earnestly to move out into the countryside as soon as possible. Now - as soon as possible!! Find a peaceful place, away from the big cities, where you can live and grow your own food. This will be an advantage as the crisis becomes worse.
The Bible has foretold how this will end.
“And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore…
“The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing. And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! For in one hour so great riches is come to naught.
“And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein we were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! For in one hour is she made desolate.” (Rev. 18:11-19). (Emphasis supplied)
This great economic crisis has just started. It will get worse. It will get more and more serious.
Ellen G. White was used by God around a 100 years ago to write about what will happen in the future:
“Those who hold the reins of government are not able to solve the problem of moral corruption, poverty, pauperism, and increasing crime. THEY ARE STRUGGLING IN VAIN TO PLACE BUSINESS OPERATIONS ON A MORE SECURE BASIS.” Testimonies vol. 9 p 13.
As mentioned above, the depression that already has started, will be much worse. It is expected that this crisis will last many years. It will not just suddenly disappear and go away. Jim Rogers said on 10/10/08 that we are headed into a "massive inflation holocaust." The USA government is now printing billions of dollars, which will result in the decline of the value of the dollar.
There will be a scarcity of agricultural commodities – FOOD! Most likely a major shortage of food with starvation, even in countries that in the past has had enough to eat.
There will be a scarcity of many things. If you need parts, let us say, parts for an engine etc., you might not be able to get it. It seems that there will be martial law. We expect that there will be rationing, and they will decide where you can spend your money.
A 10,000-foot financial tidal wave is coming. In the near future millions of people are expected to lose their homes. 30 million homes are now worth less than what the owners owe. As a family you need to be thinking of a plan as to how you will survive.
Here some more words about how it will be with the gold and the silver: ”GO TO now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you. Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the eartly and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stabilish your hearts; for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” (James 5:1-8).
The global financial crisis shows us that we can not trust in or build our lives on success, career, business or money. They are as They are as a ship that is drifting away on a storm full ocean. The only solid platform we can build our lives is the word of God and Jesus Christ. ”He is the same yesterday, today and forever.” (Heb. 13:8). We can trust in Him!
SUNDAY WORSHIP
On September 9, 2008 the Pope issued a statement calling for Sunday worship. Read more about this in the document ”The EU must keep Sunday, says the Catholic Church”. It seems that the mark of the beast will come as a consequence of this financial crisis…and other catastrophes – that will come like a whirlwind!
Ellen G. White has written: “We are living in the time of the end. The fast-fulfilling signs of the times declare that the coming of Christ is near at hand....Great changes are soon to take place in our world, and the final movements will be rapid ones." – Ellen G. White: Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, p 11.
Most of the worlds Christian leaders have not warned us of the coming crisis. We have hardly heard a peep. They must be in darkness and asleep, for the trumpet has not been given a clear sound.
The people must be awakened. A terrible crisis is upon us and will be getting worse. We are living in the end of time, in the end of this world’s history. Jesus’ return to this world - His Second Coming – is imminent.
He returns by travelling through space to our world from the Heavenly Courts above, from the Celestial city. Escorted by the Angelic Host, and, as King of all Kings – He arrives in our skies. Our firmament, our skies, are flooded with the Angelic glory and the Glory of our Heavenly Father, and the Glory of our Savior and King. (Matt. 24:30-31; Rev. 17:14).
This is the Glorious Climax of History that the coming events in this world are hastening towards, and God’s children of all ages have looked forward to. This is the moment when “every eye shall see Him” (Revelation 1:7), for He has come to gather his own to Himself (Rev. 14:15-16; John 14:1-3).
Let us prepare our lives for this event so we can be among the group that is ready for His appearing, ready to go Home with Him. If we have repented from our sins, then we will receive forgiveness. Repent therefore while there still is time, repent while probationary time still lingered. (I John. 1:9; 1 Thess. 4:15-17; Rev. 15:2).
When Christ ascended to Heaven from the Mount of Olives, He entered upon His ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary as our Advocate. We read: “If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.” “Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Heb. 9:24; 7:25).
Christ is not only our Advocate – read on: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” (2 Cor. 5:10).
So the Bible is telling us about a Time of Judgment in Heaven, before the Climax of History, Jesus` Glorious Second Coming!!
As the books of record are opened, during the Judgment in Heaven, the lives of all who have believed on Jesus will be investigated. According to Prophetic time in Daniel 8.14; 9:24-27 and 7:9-10, this Judgment started in 1844, beginning with those who first lived upon the earth (1.Pet. 4:17). Our Advocate presents the cases of each successive generation, and closes with the ones alive on the earth. (Read more about this from the webpage www.greatcontroversy.org chapter 23+24, or on this webpage from the document THE STRUGGLE BEHIND THE SCENES, under the headline THE HOUR OF HIS JUDGEMENT HAS COME).
Every name is mentioned, every case closely investigated. Names are accepted, names rejected. If any person have sins remaining upon the books of record, unrepented of and therefore unforgiven, their names will be blotted out from the Book of Life, and the record of their good deeds will be erased from the book. The Lord declared to Moses: “Whosoever hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book.” (Exodus 32:33).
And says the prophet Ezekiel: “When the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity,…all his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned.” (Ezekiel 18:24).
As we understand and accept the serious facts of world conditions – we have an opportunity now to seek the Lord, with all our heart and soul and mind, while probation still lingers, and He can still be found.
“All who have truly repented of sin, and by faith claimed the blood of Christ as their atoning sacrifice, have had pardon entered against their names in the books of heaven; as they have become partakers of the righteousness of Christ, and their characters are found to be in harmony with the law of God, their sins will be blotted out, and they themselves will be accounted worthy of eternal life.
The Lord declares, by the prophet Isaiah: “I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for Mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.” (Isaiah 43:25). — Ellen G. White: The Great Controversy, p. 483.
The Divine Legal System is so perfect! It is Just and yet Merciful and Generous, for God is Good. His character, Oh, so Glorious.
Let us avail ourselves now of His forgiving love and tender mercies, by confessing the sins we know have marred our life, and become clean in His eyes. Surrender all! God can handle it – all! He will make us His People Pearls. God’s People Pearls will soon enter through the Pearly Gates into the City of God. Let’s be among that happy group.
Friendly greetings from
Abel and Bente Struksnes