Only the Beginning - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

Only the Beginning

Now Think On This

Steve Martin

“The end of something is better than its beginning, so the patient are better than the proud.” (Ecclesiastes 7:8, Complete Jewish Bible)

There are times the Lord will give me a word that I “hear” in my head, and I know He has something for me to share in writing. At other times I will ask Him for a word, and then He tells me. This time He gave me the words, “Only the beginning.”

Now I know that that is in the lyrics of the song Beginnings, sung by the band Chicago in the 1970’s. But I don’t think it has anything to do with that. I believe there is something else the Lord wants to speak at this time.

My sense is that there are some of us, myself included at times, who may think our “assignment”, whether it be on a job, in a particular situation we have been in for a period, or even near the completion of this life, is done. We get the feeling that it is over, the season has passed, and now it is time to move on. For some it may be we are wanting it over, out of discouragement or disappointment. We may really hope it is.

That may be true. That aspect of your life, or mine, may be done. But it does not mean that our long term purpose and plan of the Lord is over. It may be it is only the beginning of something new; the next challenge we are to face and be as a conqueror in and through it. We may be close to finishing the one assignment. We have gone through it in preparation for the next.

When I meditate on the ways of the Lord, and read of His actions in the many lives of the biblical characters, I find peace and hope that He fully knows the beginning and the end for each of us. As we put our trust in Him, we can be certain that what may have been seen as bad will prove in the end to be good.

The Word does say clearly, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.” (Romans 8:28-30, NASU)

When I consider the works of His hands, such as how a mountain stream begins as a small trickle and gathers momentum as it works its way down the slope, I am confident of this. Those things which may seem unimportant at first, due to lack of size or notice, will one day be the full, finished product the Maker had in mind all along.

Look at how many times a large corporation “started off in the garage” of its founder.

Whether you are hoping to finish something now in your life, and glad it is almost over, or just beginning something new, be reassured that the Lord has promised to be with you every step along the way. In good and in bad, in sickness and in health, our Bridegroom will remain steadfast to see us through. He has promised to be there, from the beginning to the end.

Now think on this,

Steve Martin

Founder

Love For His People, Inc.

P.S. I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. They might need it. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve

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Now Think On This - In the Year of our Lord 04.22.17 - #280 – “Only the Beginning” – Saturday, 1:40 pm

All previous editions of Now Think On This can be found on this Blog, and on the website: Now Think On This

Again, I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve

The Real Reason for America's Looming Retirement Crisis - MICHAEL SNYDER CHARISMA NEWS

If we had tens of millions more taxpayers, pension funds all across the country would be much more solvent. (Public Domain)

The Real Reason for America's Looming Retirement Crisis

4/21/2017 MICHAEL SNYDER  CHARISMA NEWS

Did you know that approximately 40 percent of all American workers have absolutely nothing saved for retirement?

And did you know that pension funds in the United States are currently underfunded by about $6 trillion? Social Security is supposed to be the underlying safety net for our entire retirement system, but it is essentially just a massive Ponzi scheme that everyone agrees is heading for a major disaster. Now that the Baby Boomers have started to retire, it is becoming clear that our society simply does not have the resources necessary to keep all of the promises that we have made to them. We are facing a retirement crisis of epic proportions, and by the end of this article you will understand the real reason why we have gotten into this mess.

Like so many other industrialized nations, America's population is rapidly aging. In fact, in some rural areas of the country entire towns are in the process of slowly disappearing as their populations literally die off. The following is an excerpt from an outstanding article that was published by The Atlantic:

It can be a pretty depressing proposition to start counting the deaths in this tiny town set among the hills and buttes of central Oregon.

Sherian Asher, 74, began keeping track a few years ago, despite herself, until she realized the tally: four deaths a month, in a town of 450. Then she stopped counting.

Fossil, Asher said, is "just going to die out."

Businesses are disappearing, too. There used to be four gas stations, three grocery stores, three car dealers and a lumber mill. Now, there's just one restaurant in town open at night. The nearest hospital is more than an hour away, the nearest city, Bend, is two-and-a-half.

The Baby Boomers in particular pose a unique challenge for our society, because they represent a massive demographic bubble that has fundamentally altered our culture as they have passed through each stage of life. Now they are retiring in extremely large numbers, and many of them are completely unprepared for retirement.

Of course, most of those coming after them are not preparing for retirement either. In fact, the executive director of the National Institute on Retirement Security says that 40 percent of all American workers have nothing saved up for retirement at all:

"We have a lot of individuals who have nothing saved for retirement, about 40 percent of the workforce," said Diane Oakley, executive director of the National Institute on Retirement Security. When her organization used census data to assess whether households were saving enough to retire with eight times their projected income, a very conservative estimate of retirement preparedness, "we found that 60 percent of households weren't on track."

Those numbers are absolutely staggering.

What in the world are we going to do once all of those people hit retirement age?

401(k) plans were supposed to revolutionize the way that Americans prepare for retirement, but that simply has not happened. In fact, USA Today is reporting that those that are participating in such plans only "have an average of $14,500 in their retirement accounts":

The current retirement system in America hinges on the 401(k) plan, which replaced pensions as the go-to source of retirement income. But over the past 35 years that effort has been failing because participants are not contributing enough, asking for withdrawals and not repaying 401(k) loans. More participants are instead treating their 401(k) as a checking account and making very little effort to learn how to manage their investments. The chart below outlines how less than half of Americans now participate in retirement plans and those that do have an average of $14,500 in their retirement accounts, when they will need between 20 and 30 times that amount.

How long will $14,500 last you?

Perhaps if you are very thrifty, it might last you six months.

Of course, it is quite difficult to find money to put into your retirement account when you are living paycheck to paycheck, and some recent surveys have found that this is the case for about two-thirds of the population.

In the old days, many large companies offered pensions, but once 401(k) plans were introduced, that number dropped significantly.

These days it is mostly federal, state and local government workers that are covered by pension plans, but unfortunately many of those pensions are severely underfunded.

This is something that I covered in substantial depth on the Economic Collapse Blog recently. In my piece, I pointed out a Bloomberg article that stated that overall there would be a pension funding gap of somewhere around $6 trillion if honest numbers were being used. And that 6 trillion dollar shortfall would only apply if stock prices stay at current levels. If stock valuations simply returned to normal levels, pension funds would lose trillions upon trillions of dollars and we would very rapidly have a national crisis on our hands.

But if everything else fails, don't we at least have Social Security?

I wouldn't be so sure. Everyone knows that Social Security is essentially a Ponzi scheme living on borrowed time.

According to Reuters, one recent survey discovered that just 37 percent of all U.S. workers are "very or somewhat confident" that payouts from the system will continue at current levels in the future...

No surprise, then, that only 37 percent of workers are "very or somewhat confident" that Social Security will be able to maintain current benefit levels in the future, according to survey research by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI)—although confidence is much higher among older workers and retirees.

From a math standpoint, potential solutions to the problem are straightforward. The cuts can be avoided through increased revenue, benefit reductions or some combination of the two. But the politics are another matter.

Of course there are many reasons why we are in such a mess, but perhaps the biggest reason is because we don't have nearly enough young people in the workforce paying taxes to support all of the older people that are retiring.

If we had tens of millions more taxpayers, pension funds all across the country would be much more solvent.

If we had tens of millions more taxpayers, the Social Security system would be just fine.

But we don't have tens of millions more taxpayers, because we killed them.

Since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, we have killed close to 60 million children. Most of those children would be in the workforce today, but since they aren't we have a major financial nightmare on our hands.

Throughout human history, the next generation has always taken care of the preceding generation once they have gotten too old to work.

But we have forfeited that right because we committed mass murder. Now an unprecedented retirement crisis is looming, and nobody is going to have much sympathy for us when the whole system comes crashing down. 

Michael Snyder is the founder and publisher of End Of The American Dream. Michael's controversial new book about Bible prophecy entitled "The Rapture Verdict" is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.

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Pastor Holds Weekly Bible Studies With Trump's ENTIRE Cabinet - Will Maule HELLO CHRISTIAN

Pastor Holds Weekly Bible Studies With Trump's ENTIRE Cabinet

Apr 21, 2017 by Will Maule  HELLO CHRISTIAN

It has been revealed that cabinet officials attend a weekly Bible study group led by pastor Ralph Drollinger, who has said that he is committed to "making disciples of Christ in the Capitol," according to Fusion.net. The meeting was discovered when Fusion obtained a copy of Energy Secretary Rick Perry's daily schedule. Drollinger has praised the new administration for its power to “change the course of America in ways that are biblical.”

Drollinger, of Capitol Ministries, has also praised now Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who he says “hungers and thirsts for the Scripture," and who defended himself honorably in the senate confirmation hearings. “I’ve had the distinct honor of teaching him on this subject, and many others,” Drollinger said. “There’s nothing more exciting, when you’re a Bible teacher, to see one of the guys you’re working with—to see him or her articulate something you’ve taught them when they’re under the gun.”

Vice President Mike Pence, HUD Secretary Ben Carson, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Energy Secretary Rick Perry, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, CIA Director Mike Pompeo, nominee for Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, HHS Secretary Tom Price, and Scott Pruitt, head of the Environmental Protection Agency, have all sponsored the Cabinet Bible study.

When Trump announced the nomination of so many Capitol Ministries students to Cabinet positions, Drollinger was delighted. “It follows then that the sudden rise of Pence, Sessions, and Pompeo—all men who are disciples of Jesus Christ—serve to vividly illustrate the truth of 1 Timothy 2:1-4!” he said. 

“Suddenly these men who have been discipled by the Church are in prominent positions of authority to change the course of America in ways that are biblical.”

Relive the Miracles of 1967! ✡ "If I Forget Thee, O Jerusalem" - ISRAEL365

If I forget thee O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its cunning. Psalms 137:5 (The Israel Bible™) אִם אֶשְׁכָּחֵךְ יְרוּשָׁלִָם תִּשְׁכַּח יְמִינִי תהילים קלז:ה im esh-ka-khaykh y'-ru-sha-la-yim tish-kakh y'-mee-nee

Shabbat Inspiration “We didn’t declare Jerusalem to be our capital city” former Prime Minister Menachem Begin would often say, “King David declared it 3,000 years ago! While Jerusalem and Zion are mentioned over 800 times in the Jewish Bible, the holy city is not mentioned even once in the Koran.” Nearly 50 years ago, Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria was once again brought under Jewish rule after 2,000 years of falling to foreign hands, an event regarded not only as extraordinary, but downright miraculous. Next month, Israel365 will be celebrating the golden jubilee anniversary since the reunification of the Land of Israel with a fantastic Gala Dinner in the heart of the holy city. Though you may not be able to attend in person, you can still be a part of this exciting celebration by contributing to our Jerusalem Journal. Learn How You Can Join Israel365 and Truly 'Rejoice With Jerusalem!' » We Are Celebrating 50 Years Since Jerusalem's Reunification! Countdown to Jerusalem's Golden Jubilee: 33 Days! Destroyed and rebuilt countless times over 5,000 years, Jerusalem’s enduring appeal remains a mystery. What made it so important to so many different cultures? How did it become the center of the world for three major religions? Watch now! » Host a Jerusalem at 50 Jubilee Party with Your Own Celebration Kit!. Learn More! » Show Your Love for the Holy City of Jerusalem With a Special Contribution. Donate! » Jerusalem: City of Gold A truly special love song for the Holy City, this beautiful melody will have you pining to touch the ancient walls of Jerusalem or simply to breathe the air of the Land of Israel. Watch now » 80,000 Gathered at Western Wall to Receive Priestly Blessing In a powerful display of the glory that once was the Jewish Temple, tens of thousands of worshipers gathered at the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City amid the Passover holiday to receive the biannual Priestly Blessing from hundreds of Kohanim (men of the priestly caste). Read more » Feel the Seven Species on Your Skin Wheat is one of the seven species native to the Land of Israel as mentioned in Deuteronomy 8:8. Wheat has been harvested for food and for religious purposes since the times of the Bible. In modern times, the health benefits of wheat and wheat oil have become more well known. Wheat contains 23 different nutrients including protein, vitamin B, iron, and calcium. As much as wheat is a great addition to any healthy diet, its oil are great for your skin! Shop Shivat Creams- Buy One, Get One Free!  » Today's Israel Photo Chief Military Rabbi Shlomo Goren at the Western Wall in 1967 shortly after the liberation of Jerusalem. It's said that Rabbi Goren was so overcome with emotion that he asked a fellow soldier to blow the Shofar at this miraculous moment. If you enjoy your Israel365 daily email newsletter, please consider donating to one of our causes or buying products from our store and blessing the Land and the People of Israel. Thank You to our Israel365 Store Customers "Todah Rabbah" to James Pendlay from New Mexico; Violet Hofman from Washington; Norma Dennis from Nevada; Valerie Kerton from the UK. Shop the Israel365 Store » Thank You to our latest Tree Donors "Todah Rabbah" to Morton Meltzer from North Carolina; Tom Collins from Florida; Janet Cappellanti-Adams from California; Rena Karas from Virginia. Stop the Land Grab! Plant a Tree in Israel » Thank You to our Holocaust Survivors Fund Donors "Todah Rabbah" to Lillie Scott from Texas; Mitchell Grayson from New Jersey; Viktor Wook from Germany; Tracy Mayberry from Illinois. Show Your Love for Holocaust Survivors in Israel »  Thank You Today's Scenes and Inspiration is sponsored by Espiranza Olivas from Colorado. Todah rabah! Sponsor a day in honor of a loved one » “Thank You for the Opportunity” It’s great to hear from you and make new friends from all over the world. Please send me an email and let me know how you are enjoying Israel365 (don’t forget to say where you are from!). Stay in Touch » I thank you for the opportunity to do something beautiful and spiritually significant in memory of my earthly father. Shalmom. --Vanessa Skjonnemand Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Tuly Weisz RabbiTuly@Israel365.com

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