Servias Ministries Blog

Prestitute: “A noun, referring to a person in power who "sells out" for some personal gain, betraying his/her supposed ideals”.  Treachery is a deliberate betrayal of trust, never intending to the right thing.  Simple betrayal refers to a change of intent from loyalty to disloyalty. 

When words become frequent additions to media interviews, we can see a trend developing.  Just as the protests of the late 60’s and early 70’s, and the greed of the ‘80’s, the latest trends involve betrayal and treachery.  The landscape is now reflecting the hearts of men and women who were given the stewardship of power over society.  In the largest of plans, they were given the power and authority of stewardship that would reflect the mass “heart” of their society.  In past blogs I have spoken of the attitude of entitlement that prevails in the western world.  This attitude culminates at the top of the political and corporate arenas.  Men actually believe the media press releases generated about them.  Some of them started out with a noble cause but then betrayed the public’s trust.  Others were simply treacherous from the beginning, but the result is the same.  Greed is at the root of their intent and it takes on many forms.  Whether it be the adrenalin rush of hopping a private jet to Paris or having young women swoon at the power-clothed politician, the particular stroke to the ego results in an even greater appetite for more.

The recent settlement of mortgage fraud with five major banks is an interesting example.  The $25 Billion deal is expected to only cost the banks $5 Billion in cash.  The average exploited ex-homeowner will only received about $2,000 in cash.  Will that smooth over the loss of a home?  NBC reported that the settlement represents only 50-60% of the total profit of those banks for one year.  The cash portion is closer to 10%.  We wouldn’t want those institutions to suffer too much for wrecking the lives of millions of homeowners, or should I say former homeowners.  Will any of the executives go to jail for the dastardly deeds?  I doubt it.  A few mid-level officers may take the “perp” walk.

The exposure of the hearts of men is preparing us for the judgment to come.  This exposure is necessary just as it happens in a court of Law.  The facts must be exposed so that the judgment can be understood and administered.  The end of the age is at hand.  An awakening is an act or moment of becoming suddenly aware of something.  A Great Awakening has occurred in Scripture many times.  It usually starts with the phrase “And suddenly”.  You can view it as a cycle, a tipping point, a saturation point, but however you describe it, Our Heavenly Father activates HIS plan and those who have been prepared are suddenly thrust into the fullness of their calling.  Joseph was in prison one day and the number two man in authority the next.  Mordecai was at expected to hang one day and was exalted the next.

Purim will be celebrated March 8th this year.  In John 5, it is believed that Jesus arrived at the Temple on the Feast of Purim.  This is where the man was healed after 38 years of an infirmity.  This span of time tracks with the extended time in the wilderness before the children of Israel would enter into the Promised Land.  This man received power for restoration on that day.  His body responded and he was completely healed.  This is also the day that the hearts of those in authority were fully revealed. “Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.”  The man with the infirmity for 38 years was spending just another day enslaved in his condition, then suddenly…

The world system is in dire straits from an economic point of view.  Right now, the Euro is the focus.  Financial institutions have embedded time bombs of derivatives in their balance sheets.  MF Global was a fine example of how quickly fortunes can reverse.  Once the dominoes fall in Europe, the focus will move to the U.S. Dollar.

Once the U.S. Dollar is in the crosshairs of the major financiers there will be volatility and fear will overtake greed.  There is no way out except by Divine intervention.  The U.S. Military are located around the world for the purpose of “National Security” or for the protection of our current lifestyle.  But as the global economic system deteriorates, desperation will replace common sense, especially among the poor and unemployed.  A simpler lifestyle will result from this crumbling system.  You can choose to accept it now or wait until it is forced on you.  The choice is yours.

Although governments and media have tried to convince us that gold and silver are barbaric relics of the past, none of them are selling their gold reserves.  Of all the known official gold reserves of governments around the world, 57-60% are stored in New York City Federal Reserve.  If things get dicey, President Obama may confiscated those reserves held for other governments and move them to a safe location such as West Point.  He would use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977 to accomplish this.

Other countries would not be happy with the forced conversion of their gold to be paid back in U.S. Dollars.  This is why  Venezuela’s central bank has requested its 99 tons of gold holdings from the Bank of England, according to a bank statement sent by e-mail (citing the institution’s president Nelson Merentes).

It might be time to take a refresher course on gardening and convert some of that bermuda grass beauty to tillable land.  I hope you haven’t put too much herbicide on your lawn.  The body doesn’t process it well.  This great chemical experiment of the last six decades will soon prove to be wrong.  Biblical-based farming techniques will replace chemicals as the farming method of choice.  Range fed cattle will return to become the preferential method of raising cattle.

Mass transit rail systems will flourish as people reduce their automobile usage.  Europe figured this out decades ago.  The fat and happy American will slim down.  Hard assets will once again reign as stores of value.  I expect silver to return to its “Love” ratio of 16 to 1 with gold.  This convinces me that the average guy can do well by investing in silver and I am an average guy.  Gold may be subject to some type of restriction going forward so it is not as exciting as the prospects for silver.  Removal of all debt should be your immediate focus.  The fine print in many contracts is designed to protect the lender in case of extreme economic difficulties.  Keep some cash on hand in case a Bank Holiday is declared at some point.

Things were going so well in the 1960’s!

Gratitude is the key to the heart.  I would suggest that we expand Thanksgiving to 365 days per year and begin when we wake up in the morning.

The Psalmist agrees:

Psalm 18:49   Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the Gentiles, And sing praises to Your name.

Psalm 30:4   Sing praise to the LORD, You saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.

Psalm 30:12   To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

This was a wild week in the stock markets worldwide.  Ben Bernanke told us that he was going to keep interest rates low for another two years which does not bode well for retirees who have bank CD’s that they rely on for income.  Once again, savers are being thrown under the bus for borrowers, mainly banks.  The good news is that if you can lower your borrowing rate on an existing loan, do it.  Gold reached new highs this week but silver has not yet responded.  Not to worry, once the masses wake up to the fact that central banks will continue to depreciate their currencies, both gold and silver will skyrocket.  Mining shares will act like tech stocks in the late 90’s.  Unless the central bankers receive some revelation other than their current belief system, the globe is headed for some serious trouble.  Statistical manipulation only works so long before reality forces a day of reconciliation.  It is always my hope that my loved ones are spared tough economic times but frankly I don’t see a way out for them other than to be prepared for the upheavals that appear imminent.  Preparation includes getting closer to Our Heavenly Father as the first priority.  Hearing His Voice will allow us to navigate through the potentially treacherous times ahead.  Is it the end of the world?  No.  It is the end of an age of greed that will be replaced by the Age of Agape Love.  Mankind will cease to exploit the weak and instead minister to them and lift them up out of the ditch.  Man’s systems will give way to  Our Heavenly Father’s economy and methods of doing business.  Employees will no longer be discarded as unneeded expense.  Employees will utilize their gifts to enhance economic success.  Revelation will unlock new energy sources, healthcare costs will go down due to Divine intervention, and toxic exposures will be neutralized.  Drug addiction will cease once it is replaced by the Love that will fill the vacuum in that person’s life.

The Sabbath will truly become a day of rest for all.  Men will realize that working six days and resting one creates a rhythm that produces more than working seven straight days.  As we become united in honoring the Sabbath, healing will occur.  We will begin to understand the rhythm of the universe, the rhythm of the body, and the rhythm of society.  Magnetic attraction will replace force-based solutions.  Men will shed possessions that they cannot “Love” and those possessions will move to those in need.  Offsite storage businesses will lose customers as this balancing effect takes place.  As Love replaces force, peace will break out and the military-industrial complex will be dismantled.

I expect volatility to continue as the shaking of the current system continues.  Ben Bernanke’s job is to stabilize a system that inherently cannot last for much longer.  It’s like herding cats.

To: Servias Ministries, Inc.

PO Box 1471

Bethany, OK 73008

From: John Doe

12345 Maple Lane

Any Town, MN 12345

Subject: Charitable Gift

Date: 01/01/2011

Dear Sir or Madam,

Please accept the following asset described as my charitable gift/donation to Servias Ministries, Inc.:

As of this day, January 1, 2011, 100,000 Iraqi Dinar in Iraqi currency (cash IQD).

I purchased the above but want to give it to your Charitable Organization to use at your sole discretion, for the furtherance of God’s Kingdom and the benefit of all mankind. I understand that if you provide me goods or services that the fair market value of those goods and/or services will be deducted from my contribution amount. I also understand that non-monetary gifts are based on fair market value as of the date of the gift. Please treat this notarized letter as a transfer of title or ownership of the above listed asset.

Best regards,

____________________________________

John Doe

STATE OF _______________

ss.

COUNTY OF ______________

The foregoing instrument was acknowledged before me this 1st day of January, 2011, by John Q. Doe, Grantor.

NOTARIAL STAMP OR SEAL (OR OTHER TITLE OR RANK)

________________________________________

SIGNATURE OF NOTARY OR AUTHORIZED OFFICIAL

We have had recent inquiries concerning giving non-cash contributions.  The following should provide a guideline for giving.  As always, we suggest you discuss your contributions with your tax advisors.

Charitable Reporting Requirements/Discussion

A donor cannot claim a tax deduction for any contribution of cash, a check or other monetary gift unless the donor maintains a record of the contribution in the form of either a bank record (such as a cancelled check) or a written communication from the charity (such as a receipt or letter) showing the name of the charity, the date of the contribution, and the amount of the contribution.

Written Acknowledgment Requirement

A donor cannot claim a tax deduction for any single contribution of $250 or more unless the donor obtains a contemporaneous, written acknowledgment of the contribution from the recipient organization. An organization that does not acknowledge a contribution incurs no penalty; but,

without a written acknowledgment, the donor cannot claim the tax deduction. Although it is a donor’s responsibility to obtain a written acknowledgment, an organization can assist a donor by providing a timely, written statement containing the following information:

1. name of organization

2. amount of cash contribution

3. description (but not the value) of non-cash contribution

4. statement that no goods or services were provided by the organization in return for the contribution, if that was the case

5. description and good faith estimate of the value of goods or services, if any, that an organization provided in return for the contribution

6. statement that goods or services, if any, that an organization provided in return for the contribution consisted entirely of intangible religious benefits (described later in this publication), if that was the case

It is not necessary to include either the donor’s social security number or tax identiication number on the acknowledgment.

A separate acknowledgment may be provided for each single contribution of $250 or more, or one acknowledgment, such as an annual summary, may be used to substantiate several single contributions of $250 or more. There are no IRS forms for the acknowledgment. Letters, postcards, or

computer-generated forms with the above information are acceptable. An organization can provide either a paper copy of the acknowledgment to the donor, or an organization can

provide the acknowledgment electronically, such as via an e-mail addressed to the donor. A donor should not attach the acknowledgment to his or her individual income tax return, but must retain it to substantiate the contribution. Separate contributions of less than $250 will not be aggregated. An example of this could be weekly offerings to a donor’s church of less than $250 even though the donor’s

annual total contributions are $250 or more.

Source: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1771.pdf

The following non-cash contribution points out the importance of proper paperwork when conveying an asset of notable value:

“The Tax Court has held that a donor is not entitled to an income tax charitable deduction because she failed to establish that she conveyed legal title of donated house to the charitable donee. Consequently the value of the house and costs incurred and related to relocating it may not be deducted.”

Citation: Bridgett Jeanette Bell v. Commissioner; T.C. Summ. Op. 2011-54; No. 8048-08S

Sample Letter:

To: Servias Ministries, Inc.

PO Box 1471

Bethany, OK 73008

From: John and Jane Doe

555 Anywhere Street

Somewhere, OK 73555

Subject: Charitable Gift

Date: xx/xx/xxxx

Dear Sir or Madam,

Please accept the following asset described as our charitable gift/donation to Servias Ministries, Inc.:

(Description)

We purchased the above but want to give it to your Charitable Organization to use at your sole discretion. We understand that if you provide us goods or services that the fair market value of those goods and/or services will be deducted from our contribution amount. We also understand that non-monetary gifts are based on fair market value as of the date of the gift. Please treat this notarized letter as a transfer of title or ownership of the above listed asset.

Best regards,

(signatures)

John and Jane Doe

(notarization)

The above chart provides us a view of who buys our debt.  The top two creditors have been China and Japan and both have separate reasons for reducing their holdings.  First, Japan’s recent disaster will cause them to focus their economic power in rebuilding and restarting their economy.  Secondly, China has been reducing their holdings because of the U.S. spending like a drunken sailor who just entered port (my apologies to the drunken sailor).

Who then will buy our debt?  Ben Bernanke and the Federal Reserve.  Where will they get the money?  They will create it out of thin air.  Sweet!  What will it do to yours and my money?  It will instantly devalue it.  Not so sweet.  The additional problem is that all of those creditors in the above chart will also have their holdings reduced in value.  With interest rates in the basement, their U.S. Dollar holdings don’t keep up with core inflation.

What will be the result of all this?  Either bond interest rates must go up thus further devaluing the current bond values and causing the U.S. deficit to increase in order to pay the additional interest cost, or the Federal Reserve must buy more debt with “funny money”.  This situation is the tightrope those in power are walking.  There is no apparent scenario without pain.  Bill Gross of PEMCO, the largest bond fund in America, recently reduced his holdings of U.S. debt.  He may be the canary in the mineshaft.

The earthquake and resulting tsunami in Japan may be the economic tipping point that shows up later this year.  Be vigilant.

Even the small house cats around here have grown weary of the snow.