ECONOMICS AND ESCHATOLOGY

It is good to realize that life is not disjointed but connected together. All things in life have meaning and purpose because we live in a personal world. This means that things can be determined orderly. An impersonal world leads to a world of nonsense and yet the impersonal now pervades our culture. This has occurred through the acceptance of evolutionary presuppositions Atheism has consequences and these consequences are all bad.

Within the Christian community, eschatology has played a predominate role for the better part of 170 years. The major eschatological view is known as Pre-Millennialism. This has been in vogue for all these long years. It is true that what you believe about the future will determine what you do in the present. What is the future as proclaimed by Pre-Millennialism? They believe that the Lord Jesus Christ will return any moment. They proclaim the imminent rapture. Their view of the future is extremely short term.

Even though they hold this view, what has been the objective result? Has Christ returned or have those who advocate this doctrine gone the way of all flesh? When it comes to belief, it becomes obvious that objective evidence will be wholly ignored. With the acceptance of Pre-Millennialism comes the rejection of God’s law. Law works itself out over a period of time based upon future actions. If there is no future, who needs any law? This view of the future leads to rampant antinomianism. Antinomianism leaves a vacuum that is filled with man’s law as expressed by the increasing control of a central government. Wherever Pre-Millennialism flourishes, so will statism.

Another eschatological view is Amillennialism. This is the proverbial no man’s land. Amillennialists believe that God’s kingdom is wholly spiritual and has no effect upon public policy. The Amillennialist makes the church as the only manifestation of the kingdom of God in the earth. They believe the religion is wholly a personal matter and should be excluded from the public square. The Amillennialist believes in neutrality. He does not believe in the millennium. This means that he does not believe in the future. In this regard, he does not differ from the Pre-Millennialist with regard to the future.

The final eschatological view is Post-Millennialism. The Post-Millennial looks for Christ to return after the millennium. The Pre-Millennial believes that Christ returns before the millennium and it physically present during the millennium. The Post-Millennial believes that the millennium takes place during history and in fulfillment of the Dominion Mandate and the Great Commission. In other words, the Post-Millennial is forward looking. He works presently for future gains.

Eschatology has consequences. The Post-Millennial believes that we subdue the earth and have dominion by the institution of God’s law. The Post-Millennial believes the church will be successful in the conversion of the nations to Christianity. To be successful in the economic world, it takes being future oriented. Being future oriented means having foresight and using wisdom in every facet in life. Economics flourishes best under Post-Millennialism.

CREDIT COUNSELING

I have not owned a television in 16 years. This is a blessing. I have been asked how I could live without a television. My response is how can you live with one? Television watching is a wholly passive exercise. It will make your mind turn into mush. I would rather listen to the radio. I like the radio because I have to use my imagination when processing information. Someone that is successful in life will not be a big television watcher.

Unfortunately, there are advertisements on the radio just like television. Fortunately, I do not have to see them. I only hear them. It is interesting to hear what is being advertised. Like a steady drum beat, the advertisements are for credit counseling. The advertisements are aimed at those who are deep in credit card debt. The reason that these advertisements are effective with these people is because they are desperate.

Those who are in over their head with debt lack foresight. The appeal of these credit advertisements is that something can be done now to alleviate their credit card debt. These individuals want their credit card debt to disappear magically without any effort on their part. They do not understand the way to pay off debt. These people are putting themselves in the hands of charlatans.

Those deep in credit card debt lack the essential to getting out of debt, self-discipline. They refuse to restrain their spending. Even if they can reduce their credit card debt through these credit counselors, they will be right back in the same position unless they learn self-restraint and based upon their past record, this is not going to happen. These people are marks. This is why there has been a proliferation of credit card counseling advertisements on the radio.

These credit card counselors are really thieves. They advertise that the credit card companies are trying to keep these people in debt. These advertisements take away the personal responsibility of these people to stay out of debt. They put the blame on the credit card companies. Question who charged up the credit cards in the first place? What we have here is misplaced responsibility on the part of the credit card counselors.

These credit card counselors business depends upon people’s financial stupidity. They are con men. They want to help you stiff the credit card companies. How convenient to max out credit cards and then not have to pay them off. This is theft. Those who do this are what the Bible calls wicked. Psalm 37:21 says that the wicked borrows money but does not repay his debt. These credit counselors are wicked and God will hold them accountable for their thievery. Be honest and pay off your just debts.

ECONOMICS AND TIME

Time is a non- renewable resource. Once it is gone, it cannot be gotten back. However, those who are Christians have eternal life. Their time is forever and blissful. The time that is being discussed here is what could be called physical time or historical time. This time could also be called temporal time. Once a day is gone, it is gone forever. It becomes a part of a record called history. Everyone is making their own historical record.

Most people do not think that they are making history. They think that it is only famous people who are historical figures. This is incorrect. If someone thinks that they are making history, it would hopefully ennoble them to be careful in their actions and yet there is an account of our actions being recorded in heaven. What we do with our allotted amount of temporal time tells us much about ourselves.

As always, there are two ways to view time. Time will be viewed childishly or maturely. These two different ways of viewing time will end up producing opposite results. A child has no concept of the future. To a child all that exists is the immediate moment. Children are impulsive. They lack the ability of restraint. In other words, they have not developed self discipline. Learning self discipline requires thinking about time, namely the future. Adults that are not future oriented are considered children spiritually.

Adults that are children spiritually have learned nothing from life. They do not know how the world operates. These adults do not understand time. These adults do not make provision for the future. Proverbs 6 has a message for these adults. The sluggard is told to go and learn from the ant. The ant uses her present time to make sure that she will have provision for the future and the ant does not need anyone to oversee her in this objective. Childish adults respond only to physical force. They have to have outward discipline placed on them to get them to do what they should do themselves. They lack internal self control.

The frugal man views time in a different fashion. He understands the relationship between economics and time. He makes the best use of his time in the immediate moment. He has an eye toward the future. He looks back on the historical record (the accounting statements) to help him to make progress in the future. The frugal man is future oriented and uses forethought. He is continually thinking about what he is going to do in the future. This is thinking in terms of cause and effect.

We work today for the future. We are made to move forward. Gary North said that time is linear. Time is progressive. Time is about the future. We are to be looking forward. By working today, we are taking care of our future needs. Buying quality products allows us to have something that will be of use for many years. Craftsmanship is related to time. It takes longer to make something of quality than something that is mass produced. Economics and time are inseparable.

BUYING AN INCOME STREAM

The goal of the frugal is to be wealthy. Wealth is a relative term. When we think of wealth, we think of a billionaire. Most people do not live in this kind of world. This is for an exclusive few. Most of us have to do the best we can with our limited resources. We can, however, build up our net worth from a small amount into a relatively large amount. Frugality, by definition, will ensure such is the case.

There are many ways of building wealth. Some ways will allow for building wealth quicker than others. Most people will end up working for wages. There is nothing wrong with this method because it is doing productive work and productive work is always virtuous. By limiting expenses, the wage worker will be able to build his net worth. He can then take his surplus and put it into an investment that brings additional returns on top of his wages.

Building one’s wealth is a good thing because it only comes by serving the needs of others. Productive work benefits both the supplier and the purchaser. Both get what they need in meeting their needs. Also, it helps to build cooperation and relationships. Wealth increases in times of peace, not war. Peace is brought about when people are focused on serving their neighbor rather than being at war with his neighbor.

Equity is a good way to increase wealth. With each payment that is made, the buyer owns more of what he has purchased, whether it be a personal residence or a business. The more that you own, the more wealthy you are. Being an owner changes your perspective towards material wealth. You will take care of your property better than if you were a renter or an employee. Equity means that property will be better maintained than otherwise.

I have just purchased a business that pays me 20% commission on net weekly sales. I have taken out three loans that means that the purchase is 100% financed. The interest expense is a business deduction. What I am essentially buying is an income stream. This is the way that I view it. With each week, I will be reducing the amount of the loans as the principal and interest of two of the loans are deducted from my weekly check.

I have purchased an income stream of an established brand. People recognize the name of what I sell. Some of this businesses’ products are the market leader. For instance, Thomas Original English Muffins are the market standard. This means that I have an established sales base. When purchasing an income stream, it is important to look at the numbers. The debt must be serviced and also provide for an income. If the numbers work out, then one should think about purchasing an income stream.