Rooted Dominion Over Debt

For the greater part of recorded history the most successful and powerful states were autocracies; yet now the world is increasingly dominated by democracies. In A Free Nation Deep in Debt, James Macdonald provides a novel answer for how and why this political transformation occurred. The pressures of war finance led ancient states to store up treasure; and treasure accumulation invariably favored autocratic states. But when the art of public borrowing was developed by the city-states of medieval Italy as a democratic alternative to the treasure chest, the balance of power tipped. From that point on, the pressures of war favored states with the greatest public creditworthiness; and the most creditworthy states were invariably those in which the people who provided the money also controlled the government. Democracy had found a secret weapon and the era of the citizen creditor was born. Macdonald unfolds this tale in a sweeping history that starts in biblical times, passes via medieval Italy to the wars and revolutions of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and ends with the great bond drives that financed the two world wars.

Offering a revision of the understanding of the rise of the American regulatory state in the late 19th century, this book argues that politically mobilised farmers were the driving force behind most of the legislation that increased national control.

Is debt sinful? Will riches draw us further away from God? Is money really “the root of all evil”? Being raised in the church, entrepreneur, and critically-acclaimed author, Ryan Mix, grew up thinking the answer to these questions was ‘yes’ – that the Bible and money simply do not mix. But after business success showed him how money worked and how it can be used to create jobs, fund charities, and improve lives, he began to wonder whether the Bible really warns us against it or whether it has just been misunderstood. Through in-depth research and interviews with Biblical experts, Ryan set out on a spiritual journey to discover what the Bible actually says about money. His ground-breaking findings and perceptive, real-world insight have transformed his life, and are sure to revolutionize yours, as well. You will discover: • Age-old Scriptures revealing how money works in today’s economy • Why poverty is not a virtue and there is nothing wrong with being rich • An ancient Bible story illustrating how to use debt to your advantage • An answer to why the rich are getting richer while the poor get poorer • Why we will never have to choose between “God or money” • A radical mindset shift that unlocks the key to cheerful giving With a bold and humorous style, Ryan investigates some of the Bible’s most cited, and often misunderstood, money-related verses, revealing their original meanings and connecting them to today’s economy. Referencing and analyzing over 100 different Biblical passages, this extraordinary study could change the way you view money and life.

Lee bedient sich der historischen Exegese, um zu erklären, wie sich die reformierte Bundestheologie entwickelt hat. Diese exegetische Methode zeigt die Schwächen aktueller dogmatischer Erklärungen zum Ursprung der Bundestheologie auf und liefert dabei neue Einsichten zur Lehre vom Bund.Der reformatorische Wende hin zu den Quellen warf neue Fragen zu der Bedeutung der biblischen Begriffe vom Bund, berith und diatheke, auf und führte zu der Entwicklung einer eher technischen lateinischen Terminologie, die zwischen foedus, testamentum und pactum unterschied. In diesem Kontext erlangte auch die Beziehung zwischen den Testamenten wieder mehr Bedeutung. Hebräer 7–10 versammelte diese verschiedenen Lehrmeinungen um sich, die im Laufe der Zeit zu einem dezidierten theologischen Bundestopos wurden. Der Hebräerkommentar von Johannes Cocceius von 1659 spiegelt beide Interpretationsanliegen wider. Er bedient sich typisch föderaler Terminologie, die erst im Laufe des 16. Jahrhunderts Eingang in den Sprachgebrauch der Theologen gefunden hatte. Cocceius betont sowohl eine testamentarische Kontinuität als auch den soteriologischen Bruch (er spricht von zwei Formen der Rechtfertigung, eine vor und eine nach Christus). Über die Untersuchung der älteren Hebräerkommentars von Cocceius sticht die hohe Bedeutung der testamentarischen Beziehungen in Cocceius' Denken hervor. Dadurch stellt sich heraus, dass seine Bundestheologie stärker als bislang angenommen in den Entwicklungen des 16. Jahrhunderts wurzelt. Ferner treten die zentralen Kontinuitäten in der reformierten Bundestheologie stärker hervor.

In this book John Avanzini shows from Scripture that God does not want you burdened with the responsibility of debt and points the way to breaking out of the debt cycle.

A TALE OF THIRTY THREE TREES If you go down to the woods today You’re sure of a big surprise If you go down to the woods today You’d better go in disguise For every tree that ever you knew Will be gathered there for certain Because today’s the day all these trees Will tell their tales so Sylvan Tales of good and bad times Prompted by sunny and shivery times Tales of flood and drought From which trees can hardly clear out Tales of viruses, bacteria and mistletoe That so often act as friend or foe Tales of darkest dangers and sad times Tales of brightest joy and happy times If you go into this book today You’re sure of a big surprise If you read through its leaves today You’ll be sure to become so wise

What the law did to and for Abraham Lincoln, and its important impact on his future presidency