Money – Part 2

Good day to each of you reading this column as I do hope you are staying safe and not effected by the COVID virus. This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. This virus is real, and we are to be very aware of this virus, but let’s use common sense—remember that—common sense. Part 1 of this series can be found here.

By the way, whatever happened to common sense? Here is something to ponder from Author Unknown–   Obituary—– Common Sense—–

My parents told me about Mr. Common Sense early in my life and told me I would do well to call on him when making decisions. It seems he was always around in my early years but less and less as time passed by until today, I read his obituary.

“Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in the bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in and out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life isn’t always fair, and maybe it was my fault. Common sense lived by simple sound financial policies (don’t spend more than you can earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not children are in charge). His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.”

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job, they themselves failed to do in discipling their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer Aspirin, sun lotion or a sticky plaster to a student; but could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He is survived by three stepbrothers; I Know my Rights, Someone Else is to Blame, and I’m a Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because, so few realized he was gone.

Gone, but not forgotten—Common Sense still has a remnant.

I have read various books on the subject of money and I have been sent some old pamphlets that break down money in a scriptural and constitutional sense.

Since I am writing in the USA, I will be referring to the USA Constitution and its leaders when referring to money, its origin and questions for the future.

Here’s a thought, support the constitutional money system where Congress and not the Federal Reserve would create money interest-free and debt-free, then place into circulation as a dividend to the people. Bernie Sanders, are you listening??

One of the books that I refer to is Pastor C.O. Stadsklev and in 1968, he wrote New Money for the New Age and right out of the gate (as if he were writing this today) came the following: ONE OF THE MOST SERIOUS AND DIFFICULT PROBLEMS facing our nation today is the problem of our medium of exchange.

Here is a quote from Thomas Jefferson that bears the thoughts of the writer in this turbulent time: “If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their money, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and the corporations that will grow up around them (around the banks), will deprive the people of their property until their children will wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.” So very true!

So the question comes up from various groups: Should we be under a gold standard? How will we ever be able to pay for the national debt? When money goes into circulation, why is it a debt? Which is better, financial or industrial capitalism? What is usury? What would happen if a constitutional money system were put into place and that money would be created debt free and interest free?

Should we be under the gold standard? Biblically NO! Do you remember the three young Hebrews (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) who defied the King of Babylon and would not fall down and worship the gold statute nor consent to the Babylon gold system.

Turn to Daniel 2:38 where Daniel says that he saw a great image, and he told King Nebuchadnezzar,” Thou art this head of gold.” God uses gold to symbolize pagan Babylon so if gold is something divinely appointed by God as a basis for money then why do we gold symbolizing pagan Babylon?

Now, think back, was this the first time the gold standard was introduced? If, at first, you don’t succeed, try again—Look at the Israelites who built a gold image when Moses was on the Mount—Moses, having lived in Egypt  for 40 years and very familiar with the evils of the gold money system, Exodus 32:19-20 (NIV) When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. And he took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it. NO Gold Standard & NO Gold Idol!

Wait! Compare the Israelites in Moses time and Solomon’s time—Look at 2 Chronicles 1:15(NIV) The king (Solomon) made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills. How would one like to have silver and gold as plenteous as stones?

Do you see the correlation between gold that God has made and the value that man has placed on gold? Man is placing gold as an idol and inflexible standard as men and nations, instead of opening the Bible to discover the answers to their problems, follow a cycle of experimentation such as the gold standard as the end all to be all.

The solution to the gold standard is simple: As a nation increases wealth and commercial activities multiplied, the medium of exchange is implemented and purchasing power stored for future use. As a result, the volume of that medium of exchange would control the price of goods and not gold.

I refer to Howard Rand’s Digest of the Divine Law on the issue of the gold standard—Barter, an increase in labor results in an increase of goods which could be exchanged for the increased wealth of others. Conclusion, the industrious through labor could increase wealth. As for the gold standard placing gold as the standard of value, the increased goods (the result of increased labor) may increase the poverty of the laborer through a sharp decline in values due to the result of the inability of the medium of exchange to expand in the same ratio as the increase in goods. The result, a vicious circle completed by making gold more valuable than the possession of property.

As I conclude this lesson, again I refer to Howard Rand’s book—The only foundation on which true prosperity can rest, with an unlimited expansion of industry and enterprise and an increase in production—without having a corresponding increase in poverty in the midst of plenty—is an adequate and equitable medium of exchange. This medium must be a perfect weight and measure regarding the value of goods. Please refer to Deuteronomy 25:15.

In the next lesson on money, we will tackle the waste or destruction of goods or curtailment of production in our country and how inflation would never occur under God’s economic system.

May God Bless you and may you Bless God in all things, all ways and all endeavors.

Jeff