LayGuy

Something is a little odd in stock markets around the world. As yet, unconfirmed and yet attracting attacks from various “experts” and the source of ridicule.

But it seems like there are a few individuals putting their money where their mouth is. Or more accurately, putting their money in what they seem to know will happen before October 2007.

Anyone with half an eye on the stock markets have seen the indexes rise like crazy over the last few years. Now it seems as if someone is betting a whole stack of money that the market will crash by one third before the end of September.

Options trading allows people to trade on the rise and fall of shares. I’m no expert in these matters but have been following some stories over the last couple of days.

Someone has placed $4.5 Billion worth of options on stock that needs to fall by 30%-50% before any money is made. If it occurs, he makes $2 Billion. If it doesn’t, he loses $1 Billion. To complicate things further, this needs to happen by the third week of September.

As you can imagine, this is making some people scratch their heads and conspiracy buffs are getting all excited in their speculation as to what on earth is going on.

The last time something like this happened, was before 911. Someone had a bunch of options on the airlines which were involved in 911. After the attacks, as the stock on the airlines plummeted and someone made $50 Million.

Apparently the Securities and Exchange Commission knew who placed these trades. But their identities were suppressed – therefore fueling conspiracy theories even further.

Speculation about what’s going on is raging in two camps:

1. Will we see massive terrorist attack on US soil therefore crashing the stock market? After all, it did happen exactly like this before.
2. America’s “subprime” mortgage chaos (read as..”too many American’s with shonky credit ratings borrowing stacks of money which they can’t repay) is hitting Chinese banks big time. Some are speculating that China is about to dump the US dollar in favour of a “Communist Financial Revolution”. This would devastate the stock market.

Here in Australia, we are also affected by the “subprime” chaos originating from the US. Recently we had a roller coaster day like never before. Here’s what an analyst at Goldman Sachs JB Were said..

“I think I shall remember this day as the day that I saw the market go to hell, look into the abyss – didn’t like what it looked like and then came screaming back up as far away from there as it could get. … It was a truly spooky day and I’ve seen a lot over the last 20 years but today will be one that anyone who saw it will never forget. But this is what market bottoms are made out of.”

Market volatility is running around like a headless chook at the moment. The buzz word is “risk aversion”. Banks will start to collect on bad debt. Throw in a possible terror strike or a Chinese rebellion and the mystery speculator might just walk away $2 Billion dollars richer.

What infuriates me though, is that, if this all turns out to be true, there are those behind the scenes orchestrating these events. They delight in lining their pockets while watching the citizens of the world lose billions in stock market crashes. Then when people don’t have money, and they do, they buy stocks at bargain prices.

Like I have said, this is all speculation. If something does happen by the end of September, I think I’d freak out knowing that I had been looking into this before it happened.

And if this all turns out to be a false rumor, I’ll be relieved, as a major upheaval to life as we know would have been averted. Nevertheless, I will conclude by extending an invitation to all you American “subprimers” to watch the following clip. Your greed for material products is putting the world into a very dangerous position.

Tags: Stock Market, Stock Market Crash, Conspiracy Theory, subprime, China, Terrorism

“He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” Isa 53:3

Too many people delegate this verse to the suffering of Jesus during His betrayal and crucifixion – completely bypassing the thought that this was the summary of His entire earthly ministry.

He was hated by the religious freaks. His teachings stole their righteousness and authority from among the simple people. Sinners were consistently challenged by His insight into their souls and they turned away in droves as He challenged them time and time again.

The crowds hated hearing His more meatier teaching such as devouring His flesh and drinking His blood. Yet they failed in their understanding that He was using this as a litmus test to separate His true followers from those simply curious at the guy who did some pretty whacked out things.

His entry into Jerusalem as a King riding on a donkey, cheered on by vast crowds, was followed up seven days later by many of the same people shouting, “crucify Him!”. He experienced bipolar humanity during every breath of His ministry.

Yet I believe His sorrows and His acquaintance with grief was more than just all the above. Here we have God incarnated. The Spirit in an earthly vessel experiencing what you and I go through. Many times, Scripture records that He was moved by our predicament…

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Mat 9:36

“When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.” Mat 14:14

Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” Mat 15:32

“And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Luke 7:13

When His close friend Lazarus died, Jesus traveled to the region. Even though He had taught that He would be glorified through the event, when He was confronted by the mourning of humanity, He wept.

He was deeply moved in His Spirit twice by this event. Sorrow and grief hit Jesus like a tsunami as He absorbed human death and mourning. As creator God, He never designed mankind to deal with death. And yet here He was in the midst of it. And God cried.

It’s my firm belief that as we walk closer with God, we will be overcome by the same mindset of Jesus. When we encounter sin and death and the depravity of mankind, we too will be overcome by sorrow and grief. We will have a heightened sensitivity to the effects of sin all around us.

If we are not in this space right now, we need to re-evaluate where we stand in our faith for Scripture says that we have “the mind of Christ”. If Jesus was so acquainted with sorrow and grief in His experience of mankind, is it abnormal to ask that we also should also have the same mindset?

As followers of Jesus, we will be ridiculed for our beliefs. Adding to this, our souls will bleed with the sorrow and grief we encounter as Jesus makes us sensitive as He is to the fall of mankind. But..

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Thank You Jesus.

Tags: Jesus, Sorrow, Grief

I wonder what the difference is between the heart, soul, mind and strength? I wonder what the practical application of the heart, soul, mind and strength are.

I also wonder why we as humans really don’t give a toss about all this. And do so despite the fact that when God visited earth, He said that to love Him with all our heart, mind, soul and strength is the greatest thing a human being can do.

“And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Mark 12:28-30

He preempts this by declaring His unity with the Father and Spirit and then challenges us to focus on this fact with all that we are – from the four ways we can declare our allegiance to Him.

Heart – our emotions, our “gut feeling”, our passion and purpose

Soul – our thoughts, our being, our existence and collective being

Mind – our intellect, our thoughts, our reasoning and analysis

Strength – our might, our resolve, our determination and fight

Jesus is seeking in us a commitment far more then simply reciting the sinners prayer. He is asking us to consume Him from the pit of our existence – the core of who we are – our commitment to Him devouring our entire existence.

Wow! No wonder a lot of people simply resort to religion instead as religion is the easy way out. Then when they get burnt by religion they turn their back on Jesus and blame Him for something He never asked of them in the first place.

Instead Jesus asks for a 4 dimensional commitment to Him. Only in this mindset is it possible to ask, seek and knock and it will be given, you will find and the door will be opened.

I’m guilty of falling short of this commandment – big time! I’m kidding myself if I expect to see the abundant life Jesus promises to me based on my current devotion to Him.

I love the way Jesus’ words have the ability to strip all the pretence and crap we all stack up in our attempt to justify our actions and mindset. We do this to make us look good – to give us a veneer of righteousness we hide behind. Yet this veneer repulses God.

“We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.” Isa 64:6

Isaiah as referring to menstrual cloths as he penned that verse. I use this scripture to remind me that when I rely on my own righteousness, I am but a “walking tampon”. Sobering? You bet! Repulsive thought? Yeap – cause that’s what I am when I rely on my “goodness”.

Instead of relying on myself to be good, I am to look to Jesus and live a life characterised with a heart, soul, mind and strength which loves Him for who He is and for what He has done.

Tags: Jesus, Love, Heart, Soul, Mind, Strength

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Eph 6:12

A skit at a youth event, Winterfest 2007, captures the essence of this passage in a relevant and dramatic way.

“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” Eph 6:13

That verse is both encouraging and chilling at the same time. It demonstrates what is available to us through Christ – which is encouraging.

What chills me though is the thought that “the evil day” is implied onto every Christian life. A day when evil knocks on your door ready to ambush your faith and destroy you spiritually – rendering you dead in the physical also.

It also implies that some will fall if they don’t have the whole armor and deal with the onslaught, holding on to everything they have. Some will not stand firm and fall – their faith ship wrecked as they are inadequate in their warfare “on that day”.

I don’t believe in the concept of eternal security as I have seen so many people die in their faith. The Father has truly given the Son those predestined and the Son won’t let them go. But how many of us are sure we are in the Son’s hands?

Why did Paul say this…

“..work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”

Why did Peter say this…

“Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure..”

These guys knew about the spiritual forces hell bent on our destruction and some of us will fall. As people who have said yes to Jesus, we become a fat blimp on the enemy’s radar screen. The ultimate terrorist to the human soul is prancing around looking for victims.

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” 1 Pet 5:8

No wonder Paul, in his loving Pastor’s heart, spells out clearly what we need to do to ensure we are not snuffed out in our faith. I think we should all sit up, take notice, meditate on and implement his council to us. We are in a wrestle with an enemy we have no idea about. It took the death of Jesus to defeat the enemy. We can’t out fox a lion. Instead we need to put on the full armor of God.

“Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication”. Eph 6:14-18a

Tags: Ephesians, Winterfest 2007, Spiritual Warfare

Before you do anything else, I suggest you bookmark this post cause it will take you a good 4 hours to get through. Now don’t just close this window cause you’re lazy. I understand if you’re busy – but urge you to come back again and again till you have consumed the contents of this post.

I have links to two online videos below regarding the claims and, some would say, conspiracy theories, regarding 911 and subsequent attacks and wars which have happened since. I know I have posted on this before, but I feel almost obligated in sharing this as, if true, has significant implications for us all.

I have some questions…

• Why did the US military have war games operating on Sept 11 which included a plane hitting the World Trade Center?
• Why did this happen in London also on the morning of the London bombings – involving the exact same trains, buses and even times?
• Has anyone heard of the North American Union – US, Canada and Mexico – and the planned currency of the Amero?
• Do you know how the Federal Reserve Bank operates and who is behind it?
• Why was film maker and politician Aaron Russo told by Nick Rockefeller that something was going to happen in the US which would be the pre-cursor to invading Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran eleven months before 911?
• What do you know about WTC Building 7’s collapse?

For the sake of brevity, I wont go through all the questions in my head right now but introduce the first video.

9-11 Ripple Effect

Dave von Kleist has released the movie “9-11 Ripple Effect”. Although some parts of this movie have been heavily discredited, he does raise a number of questions in regards to the nature of the collapse of the towers and the lack of proof of any plane hitting the Pentagon.

One area of contention in his film is the issue of a “pod” being attached to the under belly of the planes hitting the WTC. This is where I have severe reservations against such films and conspiracy theories in general. They like to invent and dramatise anything which supports their “theory”. I’d rather let facts speak for themselves.

Nevertheless, I recommend you check out his film below. To make it easier, I have a YouTube player which has all 9 parts included.

Zeitgeist

The second movie “Zeitgeist” – German for “Spirit of the Age” is even more hard hitting. Broken into three parts, it’s a powerful look into the spirit of this age we find ourselves in.

What I can’t stand though, is part one – where it focuses solely on discrediting Christianity. The reason why it does this is unclear as it has nothing to do with the context of parts two and three.

In a nutshell, they try to discredit Christianity based on the myth that it resembles many pre-Christian religions based on astrological observations. Their assumptions are flawed on many different levels.

First of all, the heavens were given by God to mankind – like a gigantic Imax screen to tell of the story of redemption. The Zodiac in it’s pure Hebrew form, actually spells out the redemptive plan of mankind.

“And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. ” Gen 1:14-15

There is the story of a missionary journey to a remote part of a jungle where white man has never been. A tribe of natives was found which had never been exposed to white man. The missionaries learnt their ways and culture and began to tell them the Gospel. They were astonished at the natives knowledge of a messiah to come to save mankind. It was “written in the stars”.

• Virgo – depicts the virgin birth.
• Leo – depicts the Messiah will be from the tribe of Judah
• Gemini – depicts the first and second coming of Christ. First He comes as the suffering servant. He returns as King

There more examples with even stars in each sign having significant meanings. Furthermore the video discusses various other religious leaders having stories similar to Jesus. I entered various characters into Wikipedia and found no such evidence of the claims. So the scholarship on the religious side doesn’t stack up. It’s inclusion in this film is bizarre as you will see, it seems way out of place.

Like a “lets take a swipe at organised religion before we make the rest of our points” kind of agenda. Having said this, mankind has and is using religion as a tool to legitimise his wicked ways. I just look at how politics in the US appeals to the religious right and I freak out how gullible most of these people are.

Perhaps the producers of the film should focus more on the exploitation of religion rather then the message of Christ. After all, they do build this whole documentary up to the climax of the world being RFID chipped in order to participate in any activity. A secular conclusion of which the Bible is very clear.

“Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.” Rev 13:16-18

I have often wondered how the world would embrace the “mark”. Under the false pretense of “War on Terror” however, I gasp at how quickly we are moving towards this reality. And it’s in this context do I suggest you watch the following film.

Tags: 666, 911, Conspiracy Theory, New World Order, NWO, Pentagon, Terrorism, RFID, War on Terror, Zeitgeist, 911 Commision, Christianity