More than two years have passed since my blog "The Economic Meltdown: A Christian Perspective" was written. In that time many countries, in particular the United States, have avoided (or rather, delayed) economic calamity by inflating their money supplies. Debt levels are now out of control and unsustainable, as citizens struggle to comprehend the size of the looming disaster. A large part of the apathy that many people still have is due to a lack of numerical comprehension. Talk of "millions" has become talk of "billions" and now "trillions." Such numbers are meaningless to the average guy on the street, and so the government and Federal Reserve continue to create the illusion that the economy is improving and things are getting better! It is like someone who has fallen out of a high-rise building. At the start of their descent they are worried, but after falling 50 stories they start to think, "Well, this is not as bad as I thought."

In the last few months, monetary velocity has started to pick up. People are noticing their money is not going as far as it did just months ago. Prices are up, gas is up, and package sizes are shrinking in the stores! Inflation is coming, and is here. Economic historians point out that there is always a tipping point which triggers hyper-inflation. This tipping point occurs when people lose confidence in the value of their money, and they flee it for hard assets. It could get ugly.

Here are a few things to ponder, which illustrate the size of the debt of the United States....

The US national debt is currently at $14.3 trillion ($14,300,000,000,000). Let me ask you a question, and please contemplate an answer before reading on... Let's say a miracle took place and the nation's leaders suddenly decided to not borrow a single dollar from today. If America paid back $1 million per day of it's current debt (not counting interest), how many years do you think it would take to pay off the debt? ...... The answer is .... 39,178 years!!! If you don't believe me, find a large calculator and see for yourself.

If you include the US Unfunded Liabilities (Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security etc), the debt currently stands at $113.4 trillion. At a million dollars a day, it will take a mere 310,684 YEARS to break even!!! (A link you might find useful to keep track of this mess is: http://www.usdebtclock.org/ )

We share this message not to bring fear into your life, but to encourage you to seek the Lord like never before, and to consider ways you might respond in your own life to the coming collapse. While America (and probably the world economy) is on the brink of going off a cliff, the leaders continue to play silly games and ignore the problem. We believe it is already too late to turn around, and is only a matter of time before a lot of pain will be felt by all of us. It is also our prayer that you will not go into the bunker, but will continue to be salt and light to the world. The harvest is ripe. Thousands of people are becoming citizens of the kingdom of God every day, especially in those parts of the world where they had never before heard of Jesus.

Recently, a sincere Christian asked me, "Do you believe the Bible teaches that the end times will see a revival and a huge harvest of souls for the kingdom of God; or will the end times see a mass falling away from the faith?"

My reply was... "Yes!"

Both things are indicated in the Scriptures, and both are happening right now. Those parts of the world where Christ has not been named are now hearing the Gospel and multitudes are embracing Jesus as their loving Savior. On the other hand, all or most of the long-term "Christian" nations around the world are experiencing a turning away from the faith, as secularism, humanism, atheism, and a host of other "isms" erode people's faith, harden their hearts, and lock them in a prison of unbelief and sin.



In the meantime, we should continue to serve the Lord with all our heart and strength, while we have the opportunity. At the same time the world seems to be unraveling with new earthquakes, tsunamis, floods seemingly weekly. The Scriptures continually exhort us not to be afraid. The Lord Jesus clearly stated these things would increase in frequency just before His return. He said, "When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near" (Luke 21:28). The return of our King is a horrible day of wrath for those who refuse His rule, but those of us who trust in God for salvation are called to "wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead - Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath" (1 Thess. 1:10). Let's continue to serve the Lord together, until every person God calls to salvation has come into His family. We only have this life to reach souls for Him.