John Piper on the Economic Downturn

[BritneyAddicted4EVA]

Thanks a lot for the video! I only wish Pastor John talked about self denial more. I think it might be related to this topic. :)

[richjensen927]

I am someone who has gone through extended unemployment. After serving as an associate pastor for 10 years, in 2009 my position was eliminated for financial reasons. In this video Piper commented how God can "turn job loss for our good." This is the premise of the book I wrote, "Finding the Jewel in Job Loss." There are so many who need hope and encouragement; which can only be found in Christ - the ultimate jewel.

[messianicsephardi]

A good word, in due season

[Mojosbigstick]

That is one of the key teachings that keeps me from believing in God.

[DarrylsPLC]

Very Encouraging

[ak800]

where did this guy get all his info??

[sungmee45]

Truth is the Truth!...Father will provided, regardless of anyone view or their limited understanding...God mention what he say, one must walk by faith in order to really see the light of his words..Father always been their, it was we that abanded the truth and became soo doubtefull...stop doubting, start believing period...great video...

[HairyCheeseNuts]

What John forgets to mention. God laid the foundation of the world. Those foundations are based on laws and principles. The stock markets crashes are rational expressions of those laws.

It is not like some random natural disaster.

God never promises each individual employment or health. He says he has given enough to man to feed man.

[jdc4jesus]

To Non-Christians: I wouldn't let God into my life. Thought I had it all. But wealth, cars, bank accounts could not satisfy. And then, I was asked two questions:

(1) Assume God exists --- do you know for sure you are going to be with God in heaven?

(2) If God were to ask you Why should I let you into My heaven?- what would you say?

My only out was to say God doesn't exist. But I can't prove that. No one can. So if God exists, who is He & what does He expect from me?

[Metallica032693]

@jdc4jesus

Ok, you are correct that we cannot prove that he does not exist. However, that is not the problem. In statistics, one must analyze the data to see if it proves the original hypothesis, Ho. If there is not conclusive evidence to prove Ho, then we must reject Ho at a certain level of failure. Again, there is NO evidence for the existence of God, thus we must reject your hypothesis that God exists (If God exists).

[Metallica032693]

@jdc4jesus Also, what the wealth, cars, and bank accounts could not satisfy is your own faulty idea of self importance, worth, and value. Your artificially inflated ego sees itself as the center of the universe, and to think that you may not have some special purpose or quality which will make you special is absolutely debilitating to your ego. So you bolstered it up with concrete, material possessions. Thankfully you realized their flimsiness, but dropped them for a bigger ego boost, religion.

[tarnacle88]

Amen. John Piper is absoutly right.

[SilverRose09]

Thank you for your posting

[twopopsforsure]

God please dont let Jimmybeard spread his beliefs. They take a person to death. Let the world know You for who You are.

The one true God who with Jesus Christ and His death on the cross offers us eternal life and gives us His Holy Spirit to guide us and live inside us.

[jimmybeard]

... and don't make the oh-so-human mistake of choosing to say yours is the only way. That is merealy a way of aiding your ego in the battle with your conscience - a way of justifying a condenscending view of others.

Anyway, let's just enjoy things while we can, no? Each to their own! Live and let live, and all that ;)

[lastdaysguitar]

It's not Christian who are exclusivists... it's Jesus Christ Himself!

Jesus said "I AM The Way, The Truth, and The Life - no one comes to The Father but by Me". 

You can accept Jesus as Lord, or consider Him a crazed liar - but the fact is He SAID He was God - He alone is the saviour... there is no other name under heaven whereby we must be saved.

Narrow is the way to salvation, but broad is the way to destruction.

Don't be fooled by pluralism of this age - it's a lie of Satan

[JesusisPerfect]

Christians are hardly "justifying a condenscending view of others" since they want you too, to believe in the Truth . Those who point you to Jesus Christ are doing you an eternal favor.

We can philosophize all day, but in the end will you choose to follow Him?

[jimmybeard]

I am as close to agnostic as a person can get [leaning towards buddhism for the last few years, due to the focus on philosophy over theology], but this is alrigt. ... at the start. That said, it gets a little evangelical to the end, but hey, everyone needs to spread their beliefs :D

[Candy9355]

beautiful

[bsongie]

John has some wise words but I dislike that he doesn't mention at all the causes of the sub-prime mortgage crises and bad debt and perhaps from preventing it from happening again. He doesn't mention the tax payer money used to bailout the banks and corporations that should have died in a strictly capitalist world. Just a bit hard to swallow when you attribute everything to God without properly considering the reality.

[flaccidpackage]

You are delusional

The economic downturn is a test from god onto his people? Are you that satisfied without having a real understanding of the world?

"Finding that no religion is based on facts and cannot therefore be true, I began to reflect what must be the condition of mankind trained from infancy to believe in errors."

— Robert Owen

Bad economy: bad 4 your pocketbook, bad 4 your tummy, bad 4 your ego, good 4 your soul.

"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich." Napoleon

[jaguardrums]

you have no joy. you have no peace. you are empty. you have no God.

[kathleenhori]

Real promises and hope, not political promises or hope! God is good! I can testify to the truth of His provision and care!!

[thecrazedmd]

Thank you for this.

[maninthepew]

i pray for this to be real to me.

[EZEKIEL3622]

If the downturn purges us off our "golden calf" the idol of money, stuff & things, and replaces it with a greater revelation of Christ, then it's for our good! Christian don't freak out in bad times, this is all supposed to take place. Mark 4:38 "But Jesus was in the back of the boat, asleep on a cushion. So they woke him up and asked him, "Teacher, don't you care that we're going to die?... 'have you still no faith'..." Let's conduct our lives with peace & joy in bad times, and look unto Him!

[walksbyf8h]

Amen, EZEKIEL3622. And let us press on, knowing that He who shed His blood for us, promised 'never to leave us nor forsake us'.

The Lord bless you, EZEKIEL3622.

[soughtnsaved]

@EZEKIEL3622 Excellent reply but......THere are no buts!!!! Exceelent!! Thankyou not just for the encouragement but for the truth!!!

[vico100]

Great!

[robertpiercy]

"...not necessarily bad for our souls." God working it for our [believers'] good.

Thanks for reminding us of the text in Matthew. May we find our joy in Christ and not stuff.

Doing "all things" through Christ includes enduring hardship. Good stuff.