"WHY We NEED A CRASH" - Andrew Strom - COMMENTS?

"WHY We NEED A CRASH"
-by Andrew Strom.

-AND ARE WE DUE for ONE?

Recently we published again the facts about the great 1857 Prayer
Revival - and how it began. You will remember that it started with
a huge financial crash in New York - which caused the businessmen
to begin to PRAY. Suddenly the idol of Money was dethroned in
their lives - and God could burst through. That was one of the
greatest Revivals that this country has ever seen.

If you ask an expert about busts and recessions, they may tell
you that these are painful things - but also "useful" in a way. A bust
tends to correct all the excesses and distortions that have occurred
in the boom years - washing them away so that the economy can
begin to grow again from a healthy foundation. The busts can be
just as important as the booms for keeping the economy stable
and robust.

But what has happened in America and other countries in recent
years is that the Fed and the Central Banks have gone to enormous
lengths to avoid a 'bust'. They have flooded the economy with easy
money every time, in an attempt to avoid a proper 'correction'. So
the distortions in the economy just get worse and worse. Since
1995 it has been particularly bad. But all of this is just "postponing"
the day of reckoning. -It is simply ensuring that when the bust
does come it will be particularly bad.

By pumping all this easy money into the economy, the result has
been a number of enormous "bubbles". You may have heard about
the "dot.com" bubble that burst in 2000 - almost taking the economy
with it. Now we have the Housing bubble which likewise has
recently burst - and this one really is a whopper. The effects are
only just beginning to take hold.

Of course, at the end of the day, a lot of this is about selfishness
and greed, "consumerism" and idolatry. It is about a whole
generation of Westerners who refuse to let go of their "lifestyle" -
and who are willing to go into enormous debt to keep it up. In fact,
many of them have even been willing to sell their children's legacy
down the toilet by taking every last drop of equity out of their homes
to spend it on cars and improvements and overseas trips, etc. This
is complete madness. Have you ever heard of a generation that has
done that with their house equity before? -It is called "selling your
future down the river".

The circus of selfishness and consumerism just goes on and on.
We become little "clones" who exist only to consume. What is
every TV commercial about? -It is about getting you to buy yet
another "thing" that you don't need. -And our entire culture revolves
around this stuff. We have become the very thing that Paul warned
about - "lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God."

And so God in His mercy is going to put a stop to the circus. He
is going to cure us of consumerism by the "cold turkey" method -
because we will not listen to His warnings nor heed His commands.
Jesus said, "Do not lay up treasures on this earth". In fact, He
said, "Sell what you have and give to the poor." -What part of this
do we not understand?

And so the circus is going to end. -In fact, it already is.

For the first time since the Great Depression, house prices have
now fallen for over a year. In some places they have fallen off a cliff
-
and still dropping. For the first time since the Great Depression
our savings rate in America is negative - yes, that's right - a
negative savings rate. Auto sales are in steep decline and sub-prime
mortgage lenders are going belly-up one after the other. But this
is only the beginning of sorrows. The "bite" of this thing will be
felt in future months. We ain't seen nothing yet.

One of the few things that has been going up, in the face of all
of this, is the stockmarket. -This happened in the last recession
also - but it cannot continue forever. Unless the Fed finds some
miraculous way to flood the economy with easy money YET
AGAIN, expect it all to come tumbling down. (-This time they
seem to have run out of bullets).

Let me be very clear on this- It will be an absolute MIRACLE if
we do not find ourselves in virtual "depression" conditions sometime
within the next three years. We have never seen anything like that
before in our lifetimes.

So what are we supposed to do about this? If I were a financial
advisor I might tell you to "buy gold" because it usually does well
in troubled times. But I am not - so I am going to tell you the
exact opposite. We need to get RID of the ways our lives revolve
around Mammon. And we need to do what those businessmen
did in 1857 - we need to PRAY. We need to REPENT to God on
behalf of our culture - our love of money and our selfish lifestyle.
We need to cry out to Him for MERCY for our land.

There is a reason why God is allowing our economy to go through
this. We have forgotten Him. We have become selfish and lazy.
The reason I believe we are getting this crash is because we
DESPERATELY NEED IT. Otherwise there can be no Revival. True
Awakenings only come to people who are hungry - who are 'poor in
spirit'.

My friends, it is time to pray.

God bless you all.

-Andrew Strom.

Brother Andrew wrote:

Of course, at the end of the day, a lot of this is about selfishness

The corporate machine has identified the source of what motivates this world and fallen man. They have convinced man that each of us has the power to create our own image by the things we buy. The clothes we wear, the cars we buy, the ever expanding sizes of homes, the entertainment we pursue, these are all 'things' that are available at a price.

Likewise democracy promotes the pursuit of the individual to secure his own rights in relation to society. The promotion of democracy promotes the empowerment of the individual.

These two trends synergistically expand the importance of 'self." Thus the fruit of this seed finds it's source in Lucifer.

In Christ
Jeff

We need to REPENT to God on behalf of our culture - our love of money and our selfish lifestyle. We need to cry out to Him for MERCY for our land.

There is a reason why God is allowing our economy to go through
this. We have forgotten Him. We have become selfish and lazy.
The reason I believe we are getting this crash is because we
DESPERATELY NEED IT. Otherwise there can be no Revival. True
Awakenings only come to people who are hungry - who are 'poor in
spirit'.

We need to REPENT to God on behalf of our culture - our love of money and our selfish lifestyle.

It's clear that between the Federal deficit, the enormous trade deficit, and the increased unfunded future liabilities suggest some very major economic problems for the United States. If anyone would believe otherwise, they clearly are not living in the real world. The consumer-based economy birthed at the end of World War II is about to end and I say good riddance.

I do believe that judgment is upon us but the church needs to cry out about our own sin before we start denigrating the world. The world is waiting to see a people again who are sold-out to Jesus Christ, who have no agenda other than His agenda.

The church in Laodicea was in danger of being vomited out of the mouth of Jesus because it was lukewarm. In other words, it was just like the world around it, there was no difference.

My prayer has been for the last several years has been something like this "Lord do whatever you need to do to wake me up, regardless of what it cost." I can candidly say that the Lord has been doing this and the cost humanly speaking has been quite high.

As to the poor in spirit, I love this explanation from Marvin Vincent

... [i]t is very graphic and appropriate here, as denoting the utter spiritual destitution, the consciousness of which precedes the entrance into the kingdom of God, and which cannot be relieved by one's own efforts, but only by the free mercy of God.

Philologos:
I have to agree with you. Cultural repentance is not scriptual. But I think, maybe he means, the church needs to repent of imitating the world's culture.

Still, I don't want to put words into anyone's mouth.

In Daniel 9, we find Daniel fasting, praying and confessing.

Daniel uses the plural 'we', most likely meaning himself and the children of Israel.

Simply because Daniel did this, doesn't mean the people returned to God.

There was a 'crash' in America in 1929, which brought poverty and high unemployment.

Men were committing suicide because their future was now non-existent, as far as they were concerned.

Was there a revival in America in the 1930's following this crash?

If so, I've never heard of it, and would like to know about it.

Recent disasters, Twin Towers, Katrina, didn't seem to make America more repentant.

As a matter of fact, in Revelation 18, it tells us that when the great city Babylon is destroyed
that 'they threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city...

They were weeping for Babylon, not God.

Still, if a collapse happens we need to heed it's warning.

God bless.

I think it is interesting the lengths to which folk have defied God even in the face of pending doom. Consider Lot's wife and Lot. They were in Sodom and Sodom was apparently in them. When they should have been hearing from God as was Abraham they were worn down and tormented by the unlawful deeds of the people whom they chose to make their neighbors. The angels near had to drag them out of the city. Once outside they were instructed to go to the mountain. Did Lot want the 'mountain'? No. He wanted a scaled down version of Sodom- Zoar (lit. Little). Nothing seemed to get Lot to the mountain where God wanted him. Not the vexation of Sodom, not being carried off by the enemy and near left for dead, and not the manifest judgment of God. The problem was not a need for more carryings off and firey judgments; the need was for Lot to abandon his love for what he had lifted up his eyes and saw in the cities of the plain and turn his love towards God.

The essense of all compromise is Just a Little Bit of Egypt. This is what we are dealing with and Lot is a wonderful picture of it. Judgment did not change Lot. The death of his wife did not change Lot. Being carried off by the armies as spoils did not change Lot. Seeing and hearing of Abraham's benefits of the Friend of God did not change Lot. His heart needed to be changed. He needed to turn his love towards God and want God for God. To desire a relationship with God like Abraham had.

Lot could have been the friend of God, but he chose a little compromise. There was something about him that he did not want ALL of God. Just enough to get me by. Just enough to rescue me if I am carried away when the enemy comes in like a flood. And after all you have done for me Lord- I'll just beg Thee bid me go to a 'scaled down' version of what almost took my life and killed my wife. I'll take just a little version of what corrupted my kids. I'll take just about anything Lord, but a close walk with you like Abraham has. This is the mentality of a person who does not want God as Abraham wanted God. Just enough God to get me by. And judgment and calamity will not fix this. I believe it is a picture of our times. The fact is, it was not until Lot was at the end of his rope that he finally headed off to the Mountain to be with God. It was not until he had been thoroughly tired of the cities of the plain and all he lifted up his eyes to- that he took to the Mountain.

Perhaps you think they lived happy ever after? But that's not true. Because he had two little daughters that were so influenced by all they had seen in those horrible places. So tell me Lot? WHY STAY? Why keep putting yourself through all this? Because this is the essence of all compromise, just a little bit of Egypt. And the only real hope we have, I believe, is for this generation to take a long hard look at Lot's experience and do some serious soul searching.

Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. (I Cor. 10:11)

Andrew or whomever,

Do you have an archive of all the posts or articles you have written on the impending doom of America?

Andrew's site is http://revivalschool.com

I understand how looking at the church from the natural eyes would appear to point to money, but thats kinda simplistic. I personally believe that the problem goes deeper than that. I believe that most pulpits are the problem and that the cause of that problem can be many sided. Here's what I mean, In church "A" there could be an ambitiuos pastor who sees people and the offerings they bring as a means to an end. So he institutes a user friendly church. This church would be money, maybe ambition, pride??? Greed? But in church "B" there's an elder who has much influence and has limited the direction and vision of the church. Here we have a power struggle among other things. Get where I'm going? Each church is different, The bottom line is that God the Holy Spirit wll not go where He is not welcome and He will not lead by force because He's so, so meek. Jesus said "and I , if I [b] be [/b] lifted up", it's our responsibility to do the lifting. I believe that the individuals in the body can pray an change everything.

As to America, America isn't going to see a sweeping national revival that transforms all of society. America will see pockets of revival one town or city or portions of a city at a time. Prehaps even an entire state, but I doubt that, unless it's a smaller populated state, like say S.Dakota. I know that that runs counter to everything all the prophets are saying across the land, and I hope I'm wrong, but I doubt it.

:-(

I do agree with Andrew on the point that America is not ready for a financial crash and many Christians are clinging to "mammon" and these unecessary things so when the crash comes they will be caught unawares and fall with it.

Andrew Strom posted

We have become selfish and lazy.
The reason I believe we are getting this crash is because we
DESPERATELY NEED IT. Otherwise there can be no Revival.

Dear RobertW,

I think it is interesting the lengths to which folk have defied God even in the face of pending doom.

This, and the word that you shared here brings to mind so strongly a verse which I first took notice of in reading one of the articles here at SI around the time I first joined. It is from the 110th Psalm, and it reads in part

[i][b][color=000000] Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power...[/color][/b][/i]

and of Whom it is speaking, of Whose power, of Whose day it says...

[i][b][color=000000]"Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek".[/color][/b][/i]

Hi Chris,

This passage is an interesting reminder of the events in which Lot and his family were carried off by the Kings in Genesis 14. I wonder if sometimes folk misinterpret God's goodness when He comes to their rescue in the midst of calamity? See how quickly Lot returned to Sodom with almost no compunction of conscience? He 'lingered' also when judgment was looming over the city. When asked to go to the mountain he begged to go to Zoar ('little'). His wife was killed and yet he [u]still[/u] went to Zoar. The man simply could not turn loose of his compromise.

But when Pharaoh [u]saw that there was relief[/u], he hardened his heart and did not listen to them, as the LORD had said. (Exodus 8:15 NASB)

This is the attitude that is so often recorded in scripture. And the question comes to this, are we 'Abraham's' or are we 'Lot's'? Abraham needed no such judgments and dangers to follow hard after God. He responded rightly to the word of the Lord. He made some mistakes and suffered from his little bit of Egypt also that he brought up from there when he mistepped into that land (Hagar). Noone who takes hold of even a little Egypt (as fire into the bosom) can walk away not having been burned (as it were). Hagar, Abraham's portion of Egypt, in the camp caused much grief. Tremendous lessons here.

I think that we need to preach the word of God with power. I think that the word of God preached with great unction has the greatest chance of changing people than anything. Not everyone is going to be saved. We have to come to terms with that and not get discouraged. We have to be willing at some point to allow folk to make their decision. We may grieve at their decision and even try to compel them to change their minds, but at the end of the day some folk are going to go out into eternity having rejected the Holy Ghost countless times. If folk knew hom many different means that God was employing at this moment to lead them to repentance they would be stunned.

Peter wanted to call fire down from heaven, but this was not the Spirit of our dispensation. The Holy Ghost is dealing deeply with folk. And we as ministers need to spend time in prayer and in the word of God and come away with a message that is sharper than any too edged sword. Not trying to be cute or any such thing. We need the full on revelation of the word of God brought to bear upon the hearts and minds of men- because it is the word of God that is able to save our immortal souls (James 1:21). Anything else is of limited use and we must not rely or wait on them.

I do believe it is apropriate to identify in repentance for the nation we live in, if only for the reason that had we fasted and interceded more the climate it might be much different. How seriously have we taken abortion, perversion, pornography, materialism, etc. etc.? To the point of grieving unto pouring out our lives to see a change? We have responsibility in all this. I dare to say, although I know there are those who bear these burdens, that the majority of the church is caught up in the materialism and excess and has not taken our responsibility seriously, myself included. Therefore we should repent for the condition and culture of our nation. Many of us have been asleep on our watch and the digression of morals is because folks don't stand up and push - Pray until something happens.

RobertW. That is an amazing word. I intend to share this with my email list. Excellent.

Dear JaySaved,

Andrew Strom has a web sit that has his articles on it:

www.revivalschool.com

Bro. Strom ...

When you post your threads and ask for "comments", does this mean that you're only interested in this aspect and have no intention of fielding questions?

If so i guess it's your prerogative, but i've found from personal experience that tackling the questions is oftentimes our Lord's place of refinement and drawing out and/or forward for me (especially those asked by bro philologos) ...

Our Lord spoke in my spirit a little while back that He'd not brought me to SI Forum to teach anybody anything (which was a real ego checker for me), but to teach me thru SI Forum ... In tackling the questions i have learned much more than i ever could just by reading comments ...

i for one would love to hear your answers, instead of suppositions on what you've posted by others ...

Lord bless you bro Strom ...

Bro R

Hi Goldminer,

I intend to share this with my email list. Excellent.

I was reading through and meditating on Abraham My Friend (Philologos; Ron Bailey) and the Lord began to deal with me about a statement he made. One of the many blessings of Ron's ministry and Sermonindex to me over the years. That statement "The essense of all compromise" became an entire message dealing with Lot's life and how it parallels with our times. If you are interested in the audio message it is titled [url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/viewcat.php?cid=306]"A Little Bit Of Egypt."[/url]