From: REXLEX@linac.fnal.gov
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Re: Christianity and economics
Date: 10 Oct 92 06:16:08 GMT
Organization: FNAL

In article <Oct.8.01.11.15.1992.12752@geneva.rutgers.edu>
Amy.M.Marshall.1@nd.edu writes:
>>As for Chris Boswell's comments on Larry Burkett, I agree. I have
>>persoannly spoken with people who were crushed by the declarations in The
>>Coming Economic Earthquake.  

>If I were to take to heart all of the many different
>things he has adviced folks writing in to do, I would insist that our church
>collect all the money it needed for major rebuilding (in excess of $450,000)
>prior to starting.  Re: Larry Burkett's insisting that basically, if you don't
>have the money now, you shouldn't borrow the money unless you can get it given
>to you (as in: NO Interest).  We don't have that kind of money in our church,
>but the last 200 years of financial history states that we have always paid
>off loans early.
>
Moody Bible Institute has *ALWAYS* had the policy that the money is in the bank
*BEFORE* one buys the land, before one builds the building.  They now own maybe
12 square blocks in down town Chicago!  My church is talking of a building
program.  We simply don't have the money to build unless we mortgage.  We have
been out of dept (paid off our mortgage) for more than 3-4yrs now.  We were
able to hire a full time secretary and a full time youth pastor, plus send him
to college by not having this mortgage.  I am vehimately against remortgaging
for many reasons.

1) the principles that I saw *WORK* at MBI
2) the principles put forth by LBurket
3) the oposite principles have disasterous effects in my father
4) we would be naive to deny that hard times are coming, and that we
   had better get our households in order if we are not to be served
   instead of being in a possition to serve!

I'm taking every extra penny I have to pay off my mortgage.  

1) so that when hard times come, I will still be able to provide for 
   my family
2) so that when hard times come, I will be able to provide for those 
   less fortunate in my local church and community


the question comes down to, and I being a good steward?

>Mr. Burkett's concepts have to apply to folks who are struggling and live from
>paycheck to paycheck.  It is the rare person who has enough financial
responsi-
>bility to take care of bills each month in full or without pushing the limits
>on financial margin for emergencies. 

   I don't know why people have to be otherwise.  My family lives on one
income.  There are 3 children, two cars, an 80 yr old house that has consumed
nearly 25 wks of my vaction in the last 12 years!  But we have no bills other
than a mortgage.  One car was bought new in '87, the other used in '86 (a '79
model). We too use credit cards (card) but only to pay them off immediately.  
   We have a garden, we do nearly all our own house repairs, we try & buy
appropriate clothing from 2nd hand shops, and we do not live beyond our means. 
We are able to save 10-12 grand a year from a 40 grand (-/+) annual income. 
For 10 years I cut my own wood to heat our house. We don't buy much processed
foods.  We give more than 10% to God.  on and on.

the point is that if Xians are faithful stewards, God will supply.  I'm not
saying you will have all your wants met, but if faithful, you will have your
needs met.  There are those in our church who make 2 to 3 times what I make and
yet they sometimes have to take from our church food pantry instead of giving
to it.  They're terrible stewards.  They buy new cars and new cloths and their
kids have the best tennis shoes money can buy.  They pay for large additions on
their homes and go on only dreamed of vactions.  Sometimes either I or my wife
sit back and wish we had such freedom with our money, but we don't simply
because it isn't ours!  The reason people are in trouble, even Christians, is
because the have become conformed to our materialistic world views instead or
being transformed by God's worldview and transforming the views of our
communities.  

I think LB is right on.  I have a friend (a VERY close friend)  who is worth
over $500,000,000.  Even back when he was only worth a measly $2-3 million, he
gave more than half his annual income to missionaries and seminarians.  Today
the gov't has seen fit to lock all his finances so that he can't touch them,
while they investigate someone else!  (This was in wallstreet J and on CNN;
also they were constantly investigating him because his taxable income was so
small because of his charitable giving)  Many missionaries and many seminarians
are now in trouble because of this.  (We even started to support his boy in
seminary).  Yet, he hasn't gone hungry in these last 2 years, though he has had
to sell his house & all.  (Please pray for Mr. Tracy and his wife who has
cancer)

>Take Mr. Burkett's advice with all the same spirit you accept....
>....., what a preacher says, and what you have contentment in your heart
>as to what the Lord wants you to do.