who is in control the elephant or the rider ?

Title: Who’s In Control: The Elephant Or The Rider?

Author: Wesley G. Shaw: PhD

In their recent best seller, “Switch: How To Change Things When Change Is Hard,” behavior economists, Chip Heath and Dan Heath, make a unique presentation on the factors necessary to achieve positive change in a persons life. They begin their illustration with the metaphor of the elephant and the rider from the book, “The Happiness Hypothesis,” by Jonathan Heit.The elephant represents our emotional side while the rider is the rational side. Sitting on top of the elephant, the rider holds the reins and seems to be in control, however, his position is precarious at best. The elephant’s appetite is insatiable, and when ungoverned may express itself in compulsive unplanned behavior such as uncontrolled impulsive buying.According to “About.com,” advertising research, approximately 66 percent of all purchases are made in the store and 53 percent of those purchases are made on impulse. The Heaths maintain that for positive changes to occur in our financial and other behavior, we must develop a three part frame work.Firstly, direct the rider–there must be provision for a plan with crystal clear direction (budget in the case of finance). Secondly, motivate the elephant–the rider cannot forcefully get his way long term, the emotional side must be engaged in the plan (deferred gratification and reward). Thirdly, shape the path–you must make adjustments along the way to balance and harmonize the temperament needs of both the rider and the elephant (synergism of the rational and emotional sides).Of this dual phenomenon, the philosopher Plato said that, “In our heads we have a rational charioteer who has to rein in an unruly horse that barely yields to horse whip and goad combined.” Psychiatrist, Sigmund Freud, wrote about the selfish Id (base emotion) and the conscientious super ego (rational), with the Ego as the mediator between the two.More recently, behavioral economists have defined the two systems as the planner and the doer. The late Christian Psychiatrist, M. Scott Peck, Md., in his best seller, “The Road Less Traveled and Beyond,” observed that our thought processes are ten percent conscious and 90 percent unconscious.While the 10 percent is the rational side, the 90 percent unconscious is the deep emotional reservoir and memory bank of life experiences having inestimable impact on our behavior. Perhaps it is that unconscious area that the Bible speaks of as the heart and says that, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9 In Romans Chapter 7:22,25 the Apostle Paul speaks of this dual phenomenon as a continuing battle between the law of his mind (rational) and the law of his members (emotional) concluding that deliverance and victory over this struggle comes only through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. David in Ps. 119:11 said, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”Speaking of the heart in the Beatitudes, Matt.5:8, Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.” The blessedness comes not simply in knowing about the Lord but in seeing and knowing him on a personal level. Speaking of Himself, Jesus said that, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).In defining the impact of His light on our total being He concludes, “If thy whole body (being) therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light” (Luke 11:36). When the light of His countenance permeates our whole being (both heart and mind) we will be at one in His spirit. At that point, neither the rider nor the elephant will be in control. Control will be in the hands of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Heath, Chip & Dan, Switch; How To Change Things When Change Is Hard, Broadway Books, New York, 2010

Peck, M. Scott, The Road Less Traveled and Beyond, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1998

Compassionate Conservative: An Oxymoron?

In 2000, the then candidate for president, George W. Bush, used the label, “compassionate conservative,” to describe his personal approach to governance. He proposed it as an innovation as if it was somewhat contrary to the conservative tradition.The media immediately labeled the term an oxymoron and proceeded to vilify conservatives in general and the so called, “religious right,” in particular for what it deemed their collective lack of compassion and charity for the less fortunateIn his new book, “Who Really Cares,” Professor Arthur Brooks of Syracuse Universitydispels the media statements as completely inaccurate and unsubstantiated, revealing and validating the surprising truths about compassionate conservatism. Professor Brooks has been researching the data on charitable giving for about ten years. Raised in a liberal home, he attended liberal Ivy League schools. He assumed that the incoming data in his research would surely substantiate his liberal views on compassion.To the contrary, he found that although liberals spoke much about compassionate giving, their idea of charity was, in fact, government redistribution of income. This giving through forced taxes, he says, is not compassionate charitable giving. He says that the true flag to identify compassion is self sacrificial charitable giving, in which conservatives surpassed liberals on average with thirty percent more money ($1600.00 to $1227.00 per year average).Conservatives gave more not just for religious causes but also to secular charities like United Way and Red Cross and also gave more blood. Brook points out that this charitable giving added immensely to the well being of the nation in many and varied ways. The charitable acts such as giving and volunteering tended to strengthen social networks between people, providing employment possibilities, business opportunity, and access to financial capital.The research showed that the social networks were important to health, and the more people socialized with each other, the happier they were. Jesus spoke about the dynamic reciprocal aspect of giving when he said, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give onto your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” (Luke 6:38)It wasn’t necessarily the size of the gift that impressed Jesus, as demonstrated in the story of the widow and the two mites. He said, “Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.” (Mark 12:43.44)Her gift represented total sacrificial giving of what she needed for her provision. While the subject of giving is extensively mentioned in the Bible, there is one act of giving that was so profound that Jesus said is would be mentioned as a memorial wherever the Gospel was preached. The gift was multifaceted including deep soul searching contrition and repentance, extravagant emotional expressions of love, extravagant praise and worship, and extravagant giving of material possessions (approx. $30,000 content value in alabaster box), and including the life of the giver.This act of giving recorded in Matt. 26:7 represented by the sinner woman and her alabaster box was memorialized possibly because it so parallels the extravagant giving of Jesus. During his life, Jesus gave extravagantly of his love and his healing virtue. On the cross he gave extravagantly of his blood and ultimately his life. The word of God says that in eternity the Lord will give extravagantly to his children.As heirs and joint heirs with Christ in everything that he possesses, those who have suffered with him, will also be gloried with him. (Romans 8:17) We also, in our life time have the opportunity, like the woman memorialized, to give extravagantly to our Lord.Our charitable giving can be expressed in compassionate extravagance; extravagant praise and worship, extravagant financial giving, extravagant love, extravagant ministry and service, extravagant testimony, extravagant life, etc. etc. etc.

gambling

Gambling: Breaking the Chain of Financial Bondage

In past generations, public opinion in the United States was not favorable towards gambling. However, recent polls have shown that the majority of Americans now favorlegalized gambling. The argument that legalization would limit and control gambling while providing a windfall of finances for public education has proven fallacious. The net income after expense has proven minimal and illegal gambling has increased rather than diminished alongside legal gambling.Gamblers Anonymous states that there are now ten million compulsive gamblers in the United States. Gamblers Anonymous has shown itself unable to mitigate this growing gambling problem, as have most of the American churches. Some churches believe that the Bible does not give a clear message on Gambling. Other churches have in fact, used gambling in the form of raffles and Bingo to raise money.As we search the word of God, we can see clearly that the Bible is against gambling. While the specific word gambling is not mentioned in the Bible, He does say, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.” Psalms 24:1. “For every beast of the forest is mine and the cattle upon a thousand hills.” Psalms 50:10. “The silver is mine and the gold is mine.” Haggai 2:8.In other words, everything belongs to Him and we are His stewards. His standard of righteous stewardship stands in opposition to gambling which is symptomatic of a compulsive satanic spirit. While compulsive gambling is recognized as a sickness, this same satanic spirit of greed is pervasive in the life of mainstream America. It is the spirit of “striking it rich” winning exponentially without effort of work and stewardship. The false illusion of this spirit is that if you strike it rich, your problems will be over. However, the bible says that money made this way will not last. Proverbs 28:22Satan works against financial stewardship because the child of god takes the unrighteous mammon out of Satan’s kingdom and presses it into the kingdom of God, where it has miraculous exponential impact. One example is the tithe. The Lord said in His word that the tithe would be the gateway to a miraculous opening of His kingdom pouring out blessings that could not be contained. Malachi 3:10.While righteous stewardship by the child of God can bring miraculous blessings, unrighteous stewardship can bring disastrous consequences. Unrighteous stewardship imbedded in this gambling spirit has resulted in the perilous state of the United States andworld economies. This unrighteous stewardship was present in government, Wall Street, banks, as well as the population at large. The easy money, Satanic gambling spirit was represented by no money down mortgages, interest only loans, and second mortgages written to the full value of the property and beyond.  The adjustable rate mortgages seemed to be a striking it rich windfall for banks and Wall Street until the housing market declined, mortgages defaulted and the system collapsed….all of those that gambled on easy money lost. Their actions have precipitated one of the deepest recessions since the great depression.Jesus considered stewardship so important that He asked, “If you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon who will commit to your trust the true riches?” Luke 16:10. He set righteous stewardship as a precursor for spiritual maturity. Simply put, you will either take control of money and material things in your life or they will control you.He said you cannot serve God and mammon. If we are bound by chains of indebtedness and financial bondage, we are servants of mammon and not God. The Bible says that “the borrower is servant to the lender.” Proverbs 22:7. Our society and World is debt driven and will attempt to draw us into their chains of financial bondage. It progresses from credit cards and installment debt, student and bank loans to car payments, home mortgages, second mortgages, add infinitum.If we are a good credit risk, they will loan us more than we should borrow sometimes more than we can pay back. Although, as a child of god we would never gamble at a casino, many of us have gambled with debt. So, what happens if we have gambled with indebtedness and find ourselves bound by chains of bondage, head over our heels in debt? As the unrighteous steward in Luke 16 was deemed righteous in developing a plan of debt reduction, we too must develop a plan to reduce and ultimately eliminate debt.We must develop a budget plan seeking to cut expenses while applying savings toward debt reduction. If the debt load seems impossible instead of going to a bankruptcy attorney, we should go to the creditors and work out a plan. For those that are under employed or unemployed, Jesus spoke about provision in Matt. Chapter 6, when He said, “Behold the fowls of the air.” Matt 6:26. The fowls obtain adequate provision because of three factors: great intuitive faith, strong work ethic, and God’s love. It is what we call “sparrow faith.” Sparrow faith says if you want a 40 hour a week job, you should look 40 hours per week.With these three factors working in our lives we will be able to obtain adequate provision. In the next verse Jesus tells us to, “Consider the lilies of the field.” Lilies have two major qualities: They are tough and they are tenacious. No matter in what soil they are planted, they thrive. These inherent qualities will help us to succeed and prosper in obtaining continuing provision and stepping up to our debt.There are times, however, in our lives when we have tried to do the right thing and circumstances beyond our control come and our financial world seems to collapse: what do we do then? In times like these, the Lord gives us the example of the ant, He says, “Go to the ant, thou sluggard consider her ways and be wise.” Prov. 6:6. In consideration, we see a tremendous steward, who when her colony is decimated and theprovisional savings are destroyed, goes to work with a renewed vigor and determination to rebuild what was lost. With that kind of work ethic, we can also rebuild our lives.The bottom line is that we must look to God and his word for deliverance from gambling and other types of financial bondage. He says, “Without me you can do nothing.” John 15:5.  our lives must grow and mature in all areas of faithfulness including finance. This maturity will exhibit itself in a desire to eliminate debt and develop righteous stewardship. We will be living epistles known and read of others who being bound by sin such as gambling seek to find their way to a loving god,one who is able to set them free.

Making a bargain with-the devil

Title: Making a bargain with—-the devil

Author: Wesley G. Shaw, PhD

In a recent article in USA Today titled, “Fed expected to make big bond buy; what will impact be?” Ben Bernankil, chairman of the Federal Reserve, was quoted as saying, “Evidence suggests that our previous program of securities purchases was successful in bringing down longer term interest rates and thereby supporting the economic recovery.”

“The Fed,” is expected to give the economy the equivalent a B-12 shot. Many economists question whether it will be sufficient to invigorate the stagnant economy. Others are adamant in their pessimism that this action will accelerate inflationary conditions. In regard to inflation, Thomas Hoenig, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, expressed his trepidation saying, “When you try to accelerate job growth, with monetary policy alone, you are making a bargain, I am afraid, with the Devil!”

This action would be the Feds largest since it bought $1.7 trillion in bonds starting in 2009 in the financial crisis. The goal is to drive up the prices of long term bonds, which in turn pushes down yields. This action results in pulling down rates on mortgages, and other loans, activating consumers to buy homes and cars, and motivating businesses to invest, expand and hire workers.

Word of this action in the market place, has had the impact of raising stocks and lowering interest rates. The yield on the ten year Treasury bond fell from 2.86 percent to as low as 2.38 per cent. The S & P 500 stock index was up 4.7 percent. “The Fed” is under pres sure to act because the recovery from the recession has been so slow, and there is a prevailing fear that a failure to act might result is a “double dip” extension worsening the recession.

Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moodys Analytics says, “The Fed has little choice: the risk of slipping back into recession is uncomfortable high.” Zandi estimates five hundred billion in treasury purchases would boost economic growth next year to 2.7 per cent from 2.4 percent, create 250,000 jobs, and trim unemployment two thirds of a percentage point.

Brian Bethune, of HIS Global Insight, says it could have a greater impact by raising investor confidence, lowering the value of the dollar, and boosting exports. However, Mr. Hoenig, in his comment of bargaining with the Devil, submits that the probable modest gains are not worth the risk of the deleterious impact of hyperinflation.

In reality, could Mr. Hoenig be correct in his assumption that inflation is somehow devilish of satanic in origin? One has only to look back in history to see the destructive impact of runaway inflation to come into agreement with Mr. Hoenig’s assertion.

Mental images come to mind of Germany’s demise after World War 1, where a wheelbarrow load of money would buy a loaf of bread.

Those perilous conditions gave rise to a demonic young dictator, named Adolf Hitler,

Who found a scapegoat and destroyed six million Jews. The word of God in 1 John 3:10 gives us a measure of understanding saying, “In this the children of God are manifest and the children of the Devil: whoever doeth not righteousness is not of God.”

Any decision that results in the propagation of something as sinister and destructive as inflation is unrighteous. The potential volatility and loss of worth of the dollar was understood by our Lord when He called money the ‘least of things.” In Luke 16:10, He said, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.”

Our stewardship is more important to God than money because money has no intrinsic value only the value placed upon it by men and their markets. The dollars value ebbs and flows daily in relation to other currencies and our leader’s stewardship. Accordingly, we should pray for our leaders to make proper long term decisions.

When the persecution intensified against the Jews in Germany, most lost all their earthly wealth and property. Those that were fortunate enough to escape left with three things that would help to sustain themselves: 1. Training in Old Testament principles of financial stewardship. 2. Strong work ethic and determination to succeed. 3. Intellectual wealth (training in trades and professions).

These same characteristic should help us in the most perilous of times should they come. The underlying strong faith of the Jews in the Jehovah in the Old Testament is intensified in us knowing that His spirit now resides in us and will sustain us where ever we go and what ever we face. Amen

USA Today

“Fed Expected To Make Big Bond Buys; What Will The Impact Be?”

Friday, October 29, 2010

 adjunct professor

International Biblical College, Jerusalem, Israel

Deficit Panel Pushes Cuts

The Leaders of a White House commission on deficit spending laid out a new proposal of austerity to reduce the federal budget deficit through target reductions in a variety of areas including: social security benefits, middle class tax breaks, and defense spending. Also included, would be the elimination of the deduction of home mortgage interest. Capitol gains and dividends would be taxed at the higher rates now levied on wage income.

Corporate tax would be reduced from a current thirty five percent rate to as low as twenty six percent while a broad array of deductions would be eliminated. The research and development tax credit would be made permanent. While the U.S. works in developing its plan to reduce the budget deficit, Europe is struggling to contain its own debt crisis.

Last spring it was the Greek government in crisis that received one hundred and ten billion aid package from the European union and the international monetary fund. Present fears are that the newest debt crisis in Ireland could spread to Portugal and Spain. Axel Weber, President of the German Bundes Bank, said that the cost of bailing out Ireland along with Portugal and Spain could exceed the lending power that European leaders built into the seven hundred and fifty billion, three year plan that was laid out after the initial one hundred ten billion bailout of Greece.

The economic rescue plan designed by the European union and negotiated earlier with Greece and recently with Ireland included budgets framed around severe austerity measures coupled with a variety of tax increases. The result with Greece and recently in Ireland has been violent confrontations in the streets. Over time, the lack of proper stewardship resulted in very painful mandatory measures of austerity along with increased taxes and other expenses.

In Jesus’ parable in Luke Chapter 16, the unrighteous steward was riddled with overwhelming debt, but deemed righteous when he sought to obtain debt reduction. Ultimately, however, the Lord wants more for his people than just a little debt relief. He says in Duet. 28, 9-13, “The Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways.

And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee. And the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers to give thee.

The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. And the Lord shall make thee the head and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shall not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them.”

The question one might ask is how do we become the head and not the tail, the lender and not the borrower? The steward in Luke 16 initially was the tail in that he was over his head in debt and definitely not in control of his situation. When he developed a plan (budget) and began debt reduction, he took control and consequently became the head.

When someone develops a budget and lives beneath their means, they are positioned to be a saver. With savings, they in turn can be a lender to banks in the form of certificates of deposit, and corporation and government municipalities in the form of stocks and bonds. Jesus said in the parable in Luke 16:11, “If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?”

When we become the head and not the tail, the lender and not the borrower, we truly can become righteous stewards demonstrating stalwart faith in support of the work of God….moving ahead in search of the true riches in His Kingdom.