Gospel. Culture. Technology. Music.

Month: July 2010


The Wicked Shall Perish, And So Too Their Wealth

[5] Why should I fear in times of trouble,
when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me,
[6] those who trust in their wealth
and boast of the abundance of their riches?
[7] Truly no man can ransom another,
or give to God the price of his life,
[8] for the ransom of their life is costly
and can never suffice,
[9] that he should live on forever
and never see the pit.
– Psalm 49:5-9

Something I’ve struggled with for a while now in unrighteous bitterness is looking at how things are going in this country and in fact the world, how the mega-rich along with elitist politicians, make out like literal bandits, bankrupting an entire nation, profiting on the way up and on the way down, not giving one iota of gratitude to the God who grants that they should have what they have; how our democratic society largely isn’t engaged in what is going on at a local or national level, other than sound bites they hear through various propaganda machines; how politicians work in tandem with big corporations to mess the average person over for their own personal gain, all the while exempting themselves; how the middle class is quickly being sidelined into either the elites or the poor, and on and on. I’ve become discouraged and at times feel some sense of hopelessness when looking at the situation.

The Proper Confession and Acknowledgment of Sin

Reading Psalm 38 was extremely helpful today in considering the proper posture of our hearts when we come and confess our sins. We don’t say  merely, “Lord, I made some mistakes, but I know You still love me.” No, rather, in these verses read the way David speaks of his own depravity to the Lord, despite knowing the Lord is for him:

Westerfield’s Sweet Sangria

Update: here is a quicker, possibly more delicious recipe ?https://davidwesterfield.net/2019/06/easy-delicious-summer-sangria/

—————————————————————–

  • 1 Bottle Llano Sweet Red Table Wine (or comparable)
  • 1/2 Cup Vodka, or more to taste
  • 1 Bottle Pellegrino Sparking Water
  • 1 Large Orange (2 small)
  • 2 Limes
  • 1 Large Lemon (2 small)
  • 1 Green Apple
  • 3/4 Cup Sugar,  add more to taste after putting everything together before chilling.
  • A large, preferablly glass pitcher for presentation (you eat and drink with your eyes first :] ).

US in Depression and What it Means for the Church in America

The ‘D’ word is being uttered in the mainstream now. Despite whatever the media says concerning the ‘jobless recovery’ we’re in (which is a complete oxymoron) or the ‘summer recovery’ we’ve begun that Obama touted as truth last month, all indicators are pointing to the fact that the US is officially entering an era of economic depression, something not seen in my or my dad’s generation.

The numbers tell the story. A couple of articles in particular are pointing to this fact. One on CNBC, the other by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard of the Telegraph. In addition, even liberal, Keynesian economist Paul Krugman from the New York Times is calling this the beginning of the Third Depression, as I talked about in my last entry. He is dead wrong on how to fix it, but his diagnosis is correct.

Credit Crisis Was a Gigantic Ponzi Scheme, on the Scale of Enron x1000

It seems this message is becoming more mainstream these days. It’s about time. Max Keiser is right to call this financial terrorism, especially in light of the fact that we, the tax payers, have bailed them out while everyone else is suffering from their dealings, and as a result, they have had record profits this past year. Unbelievable. I’m pro-profit, pro-free-market, pro-conservative, but Max Keiser is also right to call this Rigged Market Capitalism. I can’t think of a better term for it.

Anyone else find it odd the “flash crash” (1000 point dow drop within a matter of minutes) happened right when Congress was negotiating rules regulating derivatives? Oh and oddly enough now, the rules around derivatives have been completely gutted as I understand it. There is rampant corruption and looting going on within the government and the larger corporate world, particularly the monolithic banks. This is not a free market but an oligarchy.

More generally, here are Davidowitz’s views on the economy at large. Even Paul Krugman from the New York Times is calling the Third Great Depression, though he’s completely wrong about the remedy (even more spending).

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén