Money and Power

[Rose Garden]

In our current world, money is the main source of power. To put it simply, those who have the money, also have the power. Governments have the ultimate power because they control the money.

If we can truly understand power, then we can be prepared for all eventualities. At present, many store food and take other similar actions in an effort to prepare for difficulties that might arise. But they don't really know what to expect and so they can never be 100% prepared. If you know the true principles, though, you can conduct yourself through any eventuality with confidence.

True power is persuasion. Money gives us power because it allows us to persuade people. I can persuade a teenage boy to rake my yard far more easily with $20 than with nagging and threats to remove TV privileges. Furthermore, money allows me to persuade farmers, distributors, truck drivers, and grocery store staff to produce and deliver food to me. Without providing them money, most of these individuals would simply refuse to offer me their labor.

If the economy fails as many people predict, farmers, distributors, truck drivers, and grocery store staff are going to change their minds really quick about what they want to do with their time and energy. However, if we understand true power, we can weather these types of eventualities with greater ability. We will understand that it is simply a matter of persuading others to work together with us to provide everyone's needs and we will focus on ways to accomplish that.

Ultimately, all power originates from God. The farmers raise food only because the elements have been persuaded by God to work in ways that make plants grow. That process could stop in a second at a word from God. Those who will have the most power and most confidence will be those who have learned to rely on God and trust him. They will know that he has the ability to produce food instantly and they will also know that they can trust him to provide for their needs.

Money will not always remain the main source of power. There will come a time when it is necessary for God to remind us that we are actually reliant on him for our support. In that day, those who understand power and have learned to use it in righteous ways will stand in confidence in the face of hell. Those who haven't will fear.

[gclayjr]

Jezebel,

I'm not completely sure I understand what you are trying to say. Are you simply saying that the Sun rises in the East and sets in the West? (an obvious truth)

If we can truly understand power, then we can be prepared for all eventualities.

Are you simply saying that if we trust in God, he has ultimate power? You do seem to imply that he is not vigorously exercising his power at this time, but will in the future?

Truly, money is power in this Telestial world we live in. Truly those who have money often exercise this power in selfish unholy ways and will continue to do so until God decides that he has had enough, and will exercise his power as in the time of Noah.

You made a passing comment about those who prepare by storing food etc, but it doesn't seem to be the answer to you. So I guess are you saying that we need to get money to be able to wield power? Are you suggesting that we trust the Lord and just endure until his wrathful judgement comes or are you saying something else?

Regards,

George Clay

[Nan]

I would submit that if the good Samaritan hadn't had money he wouldn't have been able to help like he did.

[Rose Garden]

The main thing I am trying to pinpoint is the true principle: power is persuasion; and how important it is to understand that principle. Few if any people can get away from money in our present world but we do need to learn now to look past it right now so that when the time comes when money is no longer the prevailing influence over people, we understand what the true principles are and have the ability to adapt.

Food storage is an answer but it is not the answer. Storing food is one method that you can use to survive a crisis. But most people recognize that when it all falls apart, there is a good chance that their food storage will be stolen or destroyed or will run out before they have a new source of food. What then?

If you understand the underlying principle, you can find new methods of survival. Sometimes we get so caught up in the methods, treating them like principles, that we don't come to understand the true principles.

So for example, a principle would be: you have to keep ice cream below freezing.
A method would be: keep ice cream in the freezer.

If you understand the principle, then if the freezer goes out, you can find other ways to keep the ice cream below freezing. You might put it in a cooler with dry ice or leave it outside if the temperatures are freezing. But often we get so focused on a method that we don't even see the underlying principle and therefore when the freezer goes out, so to speak, we are stuck with melted ice cream.

So if we understand that power comes from persuasion, then we can better deal with the world. We can deal with it better now, and when things fall apart, we can deal with it better then. If you understand what's truly motivating people, then you can learn better to persuade them, even when there is no money and no one willing to cart food to the grocery store, and a mob of angry men roaming the streets willing to rob others at gunpoint to get their needs met. If you understand that God has the ultimate power, you will be the more equipped to deal with it all.

We need to learn now to trust God. We need to learn now to persuade others without violating their free agency. We need to learn these skills now while we can still go to the grocery store whenever we want or need to.

The Good Samaritan used money to help the man in need. But the Levite and the Priest probably had money as well. The Samaritan helped because of what was inside of him. He helped because he could not in good conscience walk past a man and leave him beaten by the wayside. It would have caused him a great deal of agony to do so. If he hadn't had money, he would have done something else. He would have found a way to help because that is who he was.

[gclayjr]

Jezebel,

If I understand you correctly, you are saying that since money is power, one way to fight evil is to obtain money, then use that power for good. I can't argue with that!

Regards,

George Clay

[Rose Garden]

Well, not exactly, but that certainly is one acceptable method.

[Darren]

If we can truly understand power, then we can be prepared for all eventualities.

Aristotle thought he understood power when he said that thinking is the metaphysical element for mankind. And in so doing he empowered the best thinkers, philosopher kings, to fabricate a control on the power as they saw it. His culture became the slave/politician culture, wherein the material things of this world became the controller's controlling element upon society.

Jesus knew true power when he said, "seek and ye shall find," seeking is the metaphysical element for mankind. And in so doing he taught us that the most driven intelligence, seekers of virtue, as manifest in their qualities, of their virtuous seeking, have the power of god. His culture became the virtuous committed, covenant keeping, seeker culture, The Freeman Culture, wherein trust and commitment are the controlling element of society.

After the Cleansing there will be no money used as a proxy for "commitment power," the true control upon society.

God Bless,
Darren

[Rose Garden]

Darren, Jesus' culture has often throughout history been the virtuous seeking society you describe. But Jesus' words have also been used to justify terrible evil as well.

When you understand that power is nothing more or less than persuasion, then you can understand how to use it. In our current world, the most frequent element used to persuade is fear. Fear of scarcity is the biggest problem. That is why money is so important. In our world, if you have money, you can buy food and shelter. If you don't it is very difficult to find someone willing to part with their food and shelter and share with you.

Fear of scarcity drives people to do the worst things here in our own society. "If I don't do it, I would lose my job," is not an uncommon justification for people to do things they believe are morally wrong. Those who can lose their fear of scarcity are able to gain power above what others can. They can move from power through fear to power through love.

I don't know about you, but I can think of examples where family members were willing to give up everything, all their dreams and ambitions, their livelihood, their health, and so forth to help someone they loved. Those people understand true power. Jesus understood true power. All those who come to understand what he did for them, have their hearts turned toward him and desire to do his will, even if it causes them difficulties in their lives. Jesus gave all and earned the ultimate devotion from many because of it.

[Darren]

When you understand that power is nothing more or less than persuasion, then you can understand how to use it.

Very good!

In Aristotle's Culture the persuasion comes from the group of "best thinkers" whose arbitrary thoughts define standards for those scarce material substances, for the purpose of collecting a usury, as payment for establishing, defending and maintaining those arbitrary standards.

In Jesus' Culture the persuasion comes from the Holy Ghost, about those "actions" (seeking) that will always go right in bettering man's life.

In our current world, the most frequent element used to persuade is fear. Fear of scarcity is the biggest problem.

Fear is a feeling of being lost. The opposite is Hope. Hope is a Germanic word that means that when all else fails "the system" will be there to help. Hope comes from realizing that others participate in the system, in the division of labor, and as all are engaged in their part of bettering man's life, one member cannot fail because bettering man is the purpose of the system (our part of Moses 1:39).

That is why money is so important. In our world, if you have money, you can buy food and shelter. If you don't it is very difficult to find someone willing to part with their food and shelter and share with you.

Money is a proxy for trust. In Jesus' moneyless society trust and commitment are of the immaterial substance that runs the economy of the system. The true proxy for trust is "the contract" backed by "the oath" to be good.

Fear of scarcity drives people to do the worst things here in our own society. "If I don't do it, I would lose my job," is not an uncommon justification for people to do things they believe are morally wrong. Those who can lose their fear of scarcity are able to gain power above what others can. They can move from power through fear to power through love.

When Noah got off of the boat, two cultures were set up among those fanning out generations of mankind.

The Apostate set up the crossroads city of trade, the "Tower of God" ("Bab-El" - the Greeks added the on ending, Babylon) as his system and culture's headquarters, and at the base of the tower he built a precursor to the modern university, a place for his managers to come up with the arbitrary standards and definitions that their control group agreed upon for all the physical and metaphysical elements as understood by mankind.

Noah and Shem moved to the rim of the same valley, in a defensible place, from their apostate posterity, at a place called Salem, the place of the Sale. And what do you buy at "the place of the Sale?" Well, they had this sacred bargaining table called an altar wherein you offered up your eternal element, your will or intelligence, and in exchange you were given eternal life. This is the beginning of the commitment keeping covenant society that operates upon trust.

Trust will replace money in the Millennium, as the contract economy.

I don't know about you, but I can think of examples where family members were willing to give up everything, all their dreams and ambitions, their livelihood, their health, and so forth to help someone they loved. Those people understand true power. Jesus understood true power. All those who come to understand what he did for them, have their hearts turned toward him and desire to do his will, even if it causes them difficulties in their lives. Jesus gave all and earned the ultimate devotion from many because of it.

Jesus operates everything upon the seeking of Intelligences, there is no greater power. And this true power will grind to pieces Satan and his fear operated world.

Thank you and God Bless,
Darren

[Rose Garden]

You know, Darren, I don't understand what you are saying a fair amount of the time, but I think we're saying just about the same thing.

[Darren]

You know, Darren, I don't understand what you are saying a fair amount of the time, but I think we're saying just about the same thing.

I think most members of the church have a common sense, and have paid attention to the bigger picture not necessarily taught in the Preach My Gospel or Gospel Principles manuals. As they contemplate the bigger picture they wonder why things in the church culture just don't seem to be going right, i.e. where is this Zion Culture I am supposed to be helping build, and why does Babylon rule the day among our people.

Sure we are saying the same things.

I get to say these Zion Culture truths from the perspective of the Scriptures of the lost tribes of Israel, that I have before my eyes.

And my understanding from those Scriptures, that one day will be part of our Canonized Scriptures, although seems to be a bit out-there for most members who have no idea about those ancestral things pertaining to their lost tribes of Israel heritage.

I am glad to be of service, and hope to be of help with this perspective.

God Bless,
Darren

[Rose Garden]

I get to say these Zion Culture truths from the perspective of the Scriptures of the lost tribes of Israel, that I have before my eyes.

That is my main difficulty. I don't know hardly anything of the cultures you are speaking of. I just have to take your word for it. Glad at least one of us is studying those things.

[Tony]

We know that God has all power, and Satan has power that is ultimately subordinate to God's power. Since money and everything else in life belongs to God, we need to turn to him to exercise a righteous stewardship over these things. Satan would have us exercise an unrighteous stewardship.

The eternal plan of salvation is all about making choices, and that includes how we use the power of money.

[Rose Garden]

Well said.