E-Letters

Friends,

We have been enjoying sending out these e-letters and even more that that, we have loved the feedback we have received in response to them. I encourage you to send us your comments and thoughts as you read these.

In this e-Letter, my friend, Mark (a UVA professor) talks about what we are all watching; the economy. I hope you enjoy his honest relections and thoughts about God's economy.

Jeff

THE True Bailout and Stimulus

By Mark Haskins
Jul 09, 2009

The economic news these days is so depressing. Regardless of politics, the prospects of greater unemployment, looming inflation, government bailouts of failed companies, the U.S. beholding to China for billions of borrowed dollars, a strategy of spending money to kick start an economy initially sunk by too much debt spending, the buying and selling of pollution rights, and the courts setting aside mortgage contract law have all created an Alice in Wonderland like world where up is down and right is left. As one old timer once said, "Who'd've thunk it?"

Well, as I think about such factors and forces, I can feel myself sink into a funk. I have mostly quit watching the news and I avoid the topic in conversations. This morning, however, I had a totally uplifting take on it all. I woke up thinking about God's bailout and His stimulus. From the beginning, our fantastic Heavenly Father desired to be loved for who He was and is. Our Garden of Eden ancestors, however, did exactly what we would have done-they sought to be like Him (Genesis 3:5). All we have done ever since, left to our own devices, is to become even more independent-minded and self-absorbed, failing to earn any merit on our accord (Romans 3:10, 23 & 28; Ephesians 2:9). Prior to salvation, we haven't just failed in living a meaningful life, we were but scenery in His cosmic story...we were loved by Him, but scenery nonetheless. How do we move from scenery to important actors in His cosmic story?

First comes the realizations. We are incapable of love, without Him...we are incapable of glory, without Him....we are incapable of righteousness, without Him...we are incapable of contributing to His kingdom, without Him...we are incapable of making a true difference in His story. Then, something happens...we embrace a huge, undeserved, unmerited, perfectly effective bailout transaction that took place, one born of a desire for relationship. We know the story-Jesus became man, died for us (me!), and rose again for us (me!). When we accept Him as our personal savior, we are capable of all those things we were previously incapable of, and more (John 15:5; Philippians 4:13). Most importantly, the divine bailout opened the gate for us to enter into a love story, a deep and warm relationship with a Heavenly Father who first loved us. And as a result, and this is really true, all things become right and good.

I don't know about you but I need reminding of that latter point because to my eyes, in my life, in my world, it does not always appear to be so. But, He promises (not just opines, or suggests, or muses), He promises that all (not just some or a few), indeed all things are known of Him and have a glorious, positive purpose (Romans 8:28; II Corinthians 4:15; Ephesians 1:11; Hebrews 2:8; II Peter 1:3). His bailout is perfect and it is working towards His eternal, purifying purposes.

As wonderful as His bailout was (is), His stimulus is just as great. He has made available to each and everyone one of us who call Him Father, a 24/7 righteous, truthful, loving, relational stimulus-the Holy Spirit...His Spirit (John 14:16-18, 16:13-15; Galatians 4:6-7)! That life-giving Spirit is Jesus, and He is in us (II Timothy 1:14; I John 4:12-13; Galatians 2:20)-a constant and close companion, comforter, and counselor (John 14:26, 15:26). The Spirit is our source of joy, peace, love, gentleness, faith, and humility (Galatians 5:22). That Spirit propels us towards the Father, towards His purposes, and towards others (Matthew 10:20; Mark 1:17; Ephesians 2:18). It is the Spirit in us that testifies of God to the world around us (John 17:16-26). What a stimulus! What a catalyst for what is right, good, purposeful, and lasting. What a galvanizing force for directing my eyes, ears, mind, and heart towards a Heavenly Father who delights in me and wants me to be in close, very close communion with Him.

To use the terms of the day-we have been blessed with the biggest, most undeserved bailout of all time and we have been given the most perfect, ever-present stimulus imaginable. REMINDER TO SELF-I want to walk through today in this reality and see, just see what He might do through me for His purposes.