There is another article in the “Economic Overview” called “Hold the line”.

It says also “Once credit eases and the worst of the housing market correction is over, we expect NZ to rocket out of the 2008 malaise”.

So, “Hold the line”. “Hold the line” has several meanings. I like the meaning keeping a telephone line open.

How do we face the future? With anticipation or with apprehension? Most people face the future with apprehension. For some children of God– born again believers– life is a short term pain or maybe even a long term pain. But it should not be so. It is a life full of the joy of the Lord when we are keeping the telephone line to our Heavenly Father open all the time. —  We can pray all the time.

We are on a pilgrimage. And I say it again, most of our problems can only be understood in the light of eternity. Read Deuteronomy 29:29!

All of us want to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die. Or do you want to die? Are we at all looking forward to the Lord’s return? He is coming soon! What does the apostle Paul say in Philippians 1:21? ” For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Read Philippians 1:21-26.

Let us hold the line and stand on the promises of God until we die or the Lord comes again. Here is a tremendeous promise: Isaiah 43:2. Waters are mentioned, rivers also and fire and flames.

— The Lord is with us when we pass through the waters.

— The rivers will not sweep over us.

— The fire will not burn us.

— The flames will not set us ablaze.

Westpac Bank is producing the little magazine called “Economic Overview”. It is “a quarterly overview of the NZ economy”.

I was surprised to find an article called “Keeping the faith” in the April 2008 issue under “Economic Outlook”. Usually you find articles with titles like that in Christian magazines. The article talked about the testing times the NZ economy has at the present time. It is a testing time because of the the credit conditions. Also house prices are falling and the cost of living is rising. But it is expected that the downturn is only for a short time.

So “Keeping the faith” is not only in Christian magazines and the Bible an issue. Keeping the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ is most important for Christians. And what does the Bible say about that theme?

But first of all, what is faith?

FAITH is reliance on the message of the Bible– all 66 books from the beginning to the end: The message of the mission of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The message of his atoning death. The message of the testimony of Jesus regarding himself. FAITH is a gift of God. FAITH in the redeemer is essential to salvation.

That’s why we are told in Hebrews 10:23 (KJV) “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering;…” The apostle Paul in the Bible had a tremendeous time of testing during his Christian life. Second Corinthians 6:3-10! But he endured to the end. Read Second Timothy 4:6-8. I am quoting here Second Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the FAITH.”

But in Second Timothy 4:8 he says that the crown of righteousness is in store for him.

The economy experts are expecting that the downturn of the economy is only for a short time, but they cannot be sure. But we can be sure that the crown of righteousness is in store for all those who are finishing the RACE.

So let is encourage each other to do just that.–

Proverbs 22:4

Humility + the fear of the Lord = wealth / honor / life