THE ECONOMIC CRISIS - A GIFT FROM GOD
Ben Peters
Oct 8, 2008



THE ECONOMIC CRISIS – A GIFT FROM GOD



While speaking in Colgate, Wisconsin, during the height of the economic crisis, I made an unpremeditated statement that went something like this. “I’m not worried about the economy. This crisis is a gift from God. It is designed to turn the hearts of our nation and the world back to God.”

After having time to think about what I had said, that statement is making a lot more sense. I truly believe that God is doing the shaking He promised us in Scripture. See Haggai 2:7 and Hebrews 12:26.

In the Haggai passage God declares, “And I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory, says the Lord of hosts.”

In other words, “When I shake them, they will come.” Also, “When I shake them, I will reveal My glory in My house.”

IT’S GETTING VERY, VERY EXCITING!!!

God’s glory will be seen in His house. That’s us! We are His dwelling place today. We’ve prayed for revival. We’ve prayed for America and other western nations to come back to God, but we didn’t expect it to hit us in our wallets at the same time. Revival is supposed to bring more people (with their tithes and offerings) into our churches so we can build bigger churches and become more famous.

But God is answering our prayers His own way, and if we had understood Haggai 2:7, we may have been more prepared for it. The wonderful news is that people have actually been praying on Wall Street and in many places in the nation and the world, because of the financial crisis which followed close on the heels of the Hurricane Ike crisis, and then the California train crash.

The reason people are praying is that their other main source of security is being pulled out from under them. Christians and non-Christians alike have been operating under the same economic strategies for their own personal and family financial security. Various savings and retirement packages, insurances and investments composed of stocks and bonds, gold and silver, etc., have become our “rock”, our “fortress” and our “strong tower”. In themselves, they can be good things, but our human nature is to trust in these tangible commodities, more than in an invisible Being, with Whom we are not very intimate.

A HOLY SEPARATION

God is saying, “I want to show the difference between those who trust in Me and those who trust in the best strategies of men.” Those who trust in God will not be shaken, but those who have been trusting in man’s wisdom will be severely hurt. I have watched a lot of news in these election and economic crisis days, and observed the anger of those who have lost so much. They are feeling violated, betrayed and deprived of what they felt was rightly theirs, and they are seething with bitterness and rage.

God is simply pushing over the false Philistine gods in America and the world, because His glory is coming into the house of Dagon. It’s interesting that the two things that westerners trust in the most – investments and insurances have both been hit hard in this crisis.

SOMETHING “FISHY” IS GOING ON

Dagon was a “Fish God”. I think westerners have gotten “fished in”, thinking they have secured a comfortable retirement and future prosperity by investing the same way that the world does. These false gods cannot stand while God’s presence invades His house.

I have travelled a lot to other nations such as Mozambique and India and have seen the difference in lifestyle of the Christians there. Their only security and hope is in the presence and glory of God coming into their midst. That is all they have once they have renounced their idolatrous life. But in the west, we have divided our trust between natural gods and the One True God.

I believe God is saying that we should put away every idol and put our trust completely in Him. If we put first His Kingdom and His righteousness all the things the world seeks will be added on to us. We could invest a lot smarter than we do if we invested more into the spreading of the gospel, not just in making those already saved more comfortable. God will surely take care of us if we put His Kingdom first.

IT WORKS!

Brenda and I have had to put this to practice. We have been stretched but we are still going strong after leaving every natural means of security over nine years ago when we went on the road with a van and trailer and two pre-teenage boys. We had no life insurance or health insurance, no stocks, bonds or other investments, no savings account and no financial partners. But when the glory of God invaded a church or home meeting, the financial provision came as well.

The most exciting thing is that people have been getting revived in their spirit. They have come alive with a new hope, new vision, new awareness of value and worth and new zeal to serve the King with their gifts and talents.

WHAT’S NEXT?

I believe that this crisis is a wonderful opportunity for God to show that He is the Living God. He loves this nation, but He wants to remove our false gods in whom we trust. He wants us to practice what our money declares, “In God we trust.”

Very shortly God will reveal His secret strategy to fix our root economic problems and show us how much He loves us and the world. He will facilitate a great transfer of wealth that will bless America, Israel and the world, but it will take wealth from those who have seriously abused their stewardship of it. God’s plan is to reveal secret treasures which have been hidden from the eyes of men from before the foundation of the world. God will use them to fund the most immense and exciting time of harvest this world has ever seen.

A CRISIS WAS NEEDED

For maximum impact of God’s plan, the world needed first to be in a crisis to appreciate the solution to the problem that has been festering just under the surface. All those who love God more than their money will rejoice with this news. Those who love their money more than God will lose their joy.

What I have predicted above is a combination of personal revelation and inside information related to the revelation of other prophetic people, which I cannot share at this time. But I am confident it will soon be made manifest to the world and I am very excited about it.

Is the crisis hurting you? I am sorry for any suffering you are presently experiencing. If you have lost your income or home or business, I understand the pain. We have been very stretched ourselves in recent times. But hang on to God’s promises. You will not have to go begging if you trust Him with all your heart.

TIME TO PUT ON A FULL COURT PRESS

It’s time to take the ball away from the enemy. Let’s put on a full court press in prayer and intercession, and take charge of the financial ball game. We can do it. Our prayers are mighty in God and we can take dominion of every mountain of society in the next few years. It’s been our mandate since Genesis. It’s our mandate today. Don’t let any crisis shake you up. There will be more, but we will ride above the crises. It will be an adventure and it will be an awesome ride if we stay close to our Guide.



Ben R. Peters