Archive for 1 Timothy 6

Market Forces: Demand is the Problem

Posted in Christine "Clarity" McDonald, Culture with tags , , , , , , , , on October 6, 2018 by paulthepoke

1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

Christine McDonald

Featuring Christine Clarity McDonald

Christine works for legislative change in Missouri metro areas and across the state.

Regardless of how a person ends up in prostitution, one fact is for certain: the purchasers and predators possess the power. Prostitution exists because a demand for sex exists, because purchasers are willing to pay for it. And predators are willing to procure it.

Would you be surprised to know that the purchasers (commonly referred to as the “johns”) tend to be mostly upper middle class, married men? Most are educated. This stands in stark contrast to the position of those being sold. It is, no doubt, a power play.

It is not just the purchasers who are the problem. Ultimately, it’s a story of predators seeking the vulnerable, the weak, the impoverished—the ones others have forgotten. There is an equal evil in those who see people strictly as a product to be sold. These predators home in on their targets, invest time to build trust, and lay a foundation of control. They are often in no hurry, as they know it is an investment. Just as a hunter lies quietly waiting for his kill, a trafficker invests time waiting for the key moment to expose the reality of what he is. By then, it is too late for the prey.

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With all of these factors combined, once a person is in the world of prostitution, there is little chance of a way out. They are stuck, at the mercy of greedy individuals who look at them as objects of selfish pleasure and plump coffers. To be stuck in a situation with little (or no) power to get out is to be the victim, not the perpetrator,
regardless of how you arrived there in the first place.

“Love your neighbor, all of ’em.” -Christine Clarity McDonald

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Revelation: Laodicea…Pathetic

Posted in Prophecy, Revelation with tags , , , , , , , on February 3, 2018 by paulthepoke

Revelation 3:17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

It is contrast time. And Jesus Christ is the One making the observations. On one hand we have the church at Laodicea and their self-perception. On the other hand, we have Jesus and His views on the local church. We are about to find out, these two views are 180 degrees out of phase. This post will be a contrast in vision (pun intended to the local church).

Like the church at Sardis, the believers in Laodicea had a lofty view of themselves. The church proclaimed to be rich, prosperous, and without need.

Rich… πλούσιος/plousios: noun; wealthy and abounding in.

Prospered… πλουτέω/plouteó: verb; to become rich, am rich, abound in.

Need nothing…

“We are rich and getting richer! Buzz off, we don’t you or anything else!”

All of Christ’s observations hit the Laodicean church at their self-perceived strengths. Jesus makes the implication these folks are so sure of themselves. And He states they have no sense of awareness. Here’s how Jesus describes the church at Laodicea.

Not realizing… οἶδα/eidó: know, remember, or appreciate. There is also a literal and metaphorical sense of vision associated with the verb. Jesus is taking a shot at their medical and vision schools. Christ is telling them, “You don’t know and you can’t even see it.”

Wretched… ταλαίπωρος/talaipóros: afflicted, miserable.

Pitiable… ἐλεεινός/eleeinos: merciful, pitiful, miserable.

Poor… πτωχός/ptóchos: destitute. The church was like the homeless beggar standing on the street corner.

Blind… τυφλός/tuphlos: physically and/or mentally blind.

Naked… γυμνός/gumnos:  rarely stark-naked; generally wearing only the under-garment; bare, open, manifest. The best-case scenario, the church was standing at the town square in their underwear only.

The local body had no idea how desperately awful they appear to Christ. The church at Laodicea believed in the safety of their wealth. God’s word spells their outcome and offers some advice. Place your trust in the correct source of security.

Proverbs 11:28 He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like the green leaf.

Psalm 52:7 Behold, the man who would not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and was strong in his evil desire.

1 Timothy 6:17 Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.

 

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Money Troubles Breed Very Bad Judgment…Featuring Michael Douville

Posted in Michael Douville with tags , , , , , on December 26, 2017 by paulthepoke

1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

My Grandfather lived on a Farm in Minnesota. He grew his own vegetables and a raised a few chickens. He had a very limited Income, but had all of the money he needed. My Grandfather owned his Farm, did not have a credit card, nor a HELOC (Home Equity Line of Credit), nor a Margin Account; he was an extremely Happy Man!

moneytroubles

Do you find that you can’t sleep at night? Are you always on edge? Arguing with your spouse and yelling at the kids? Are you drinking more than you should, but need the alcohol to “take the edge off”. Financial stress is generally the root cause of Marital Discord, Child Abuse, Alcoholism, Drug Abuse, and Workplace Strife and Violence. Debt is the cause; the opium pervasive in our society. Credit can be a very useful tool to enhance and build Wealth; it can also destroy Families.

Debt is insidious and pervasive; there is enormous temptation to indulge today and book that lavish vacation or lease that expensive car to feel important and look successful. After all, you only pay and pay and pay for months or years. You can have all these things and more; just allow your work, your ingenuity, and your sacrifice to benefit you not the Bank! Get out of DEBT! Then use the money that is NOT going to the Banks for your Future! The Banks will Hate that!

Set a goal of Debt Freedom. Once started, the savings start to build quickly. Start by cutting expenses: clean your own house, eat meals at home with the family, rent DVD’s or online entertainment like Netflix or Amazon Prime to reduce the Cable bill, cut your own grass, clean your own car, downgrade your car to a good clean economy car like a Toyota Camry or Honda Accord rather than a Mercedes or BMW. Reduce or eliminate every expense and use the savings to start to pay down credit cards, student loans, HELOCs, and any personal debt. Review Investment debt and refinance for better terms. Sacrifice for just a few short years and the debt will go away. Once the Debt is gone, keep up the habits and start to build reserves; this was also known to the Ancients as “SAVINGS”!

Do not reward yourself with a renewed indulgence in Debt! You can reward yourself with Investments for your future. Investments that will PAY you; a big change from Debt! Accumulating cash flowing assets will become easier as they add to your Wealth. After you have been disciplined in your Financial Habits, you will recognize the moment you have earned the right to indulge, the right to upgrade to First Class or the Penthouse. At that moment, you will realize, you have all the money you need and you will sleep very well at night! If you are lucky, you might even be Happy!

 

 

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