Priscilla Archangel

Want Insider Information?

The federal government is increasing its investigation into insider trading activities on the part of hedge funds and expert trading networks, according to an article on Marketwatch.com on November 23, 2010. They are concerned that these experts are providing investors with data that is significant enough to be considered insider information. ‘Expert Networks’ under microscope: Firms that connect consultants to investors hit by insider-trading probe also says that investors are increasingly concerned that the government may be changing its definition of insider trading and insider information.

According to the article, written by Alistair Barr and Sam Mamudi, expert networking firms “connect experts with investment firms that are trying to learn more about an industry or delve deeper into an issue or a company”. The firms generally have strict guidelines to ensure their experts comply with applicable laws on not providing non-public or sensitive information. This is part of the “mosaic” approach to investment research where investors gather many pieces of information that individually are not considered material, but collectively may provide valuable information without violating laws regarding securities.

When I think of the mosaic approach, I picture a stained glass window.  It’s comprised of many colored bits of glass that individually have no value or beauty, and provide no clue to what it could become. But when assembled to form a picture, and light shines through the colors in the mosaic; it tells a story, reflects its splendor onto that which is around it, and manifests the talent of the craftsman.

Investors want to assemble all the pieces of the mosaic and somehow put them together, like pieces of a puzzle, to see the entire picture of a company, and to understand what its future will look like. Very likely, we all want to gather pieces of expert information that we can assemble to show us things to come, so that we can make the right decisions today.  We want to optimize every possibility that our investments will have the highest returns, and get in on the leading edge of the next hot commodity or IPO.  We want anything that we spend our resources on — time, money, or energy – to yield positive results. We want to ensure we make the best personal and business decisions that will support accomplishing our objectives and achieving our future desired state.

Expert information is valuable in every aspect of our lives.  What business decisions should we make? Where should we invest our personal funds? Who should we hire? What job should we take? What career path will enable us to reach our goal? We research these issues; talk to “experts”; pay consultants for advice; work hard; work smart; and at the end of it all, try to assemble all these pieces of “mosaic” information to make the best decision possible.

But what if you had an expert network legally providing you with insider information to help you make the right decisions for every aspect of your life? What if you knew the craftsman who was creating your mosaic?  What if he revealed to what some of the pieces looked like and how they fit together, so that you could begin to understand the final picture?  This insider information would give you an understanding of your purpose in life, the decisions you need to make, and the actions you need to take.

Well I can introduce you to the master craftsman who can provide that insider information. You can have your own personal expert network to help you optimize how to manage your valuable resources. The only requirement is that you spend time getting to know this expert, and developing a relationship with him.  His information will require you to invest your time, it will require you to adjust your priorities, but this investment will provide increased returns in every area of your life.

This expert is none other than the Most High God.  His Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path (Psalm119:105).”The entrance of [His] words gives light. It gives understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:130 NKJV).  Choose to seek the insider information that God will provide to you.  He will guide your decisions in the right pathway to success in Him.

Who is the God of All Things?

The November 22, 2010 edition of Newsweek has a picture of President Obama standing on one foot, with six arms and hands holding a house, a dove, a stethoscope, a globe, a military helicopter and a wad of money.It looks to me like he’s juggling the housing crisis, peace, health care, world issues, the military, and the economy. The caption reads “God of All Things: Why the Modern Presidency may be too much for One Person to Handle”.

The article, by Daniel Stone, talks about how the demands on the role of the President of the United States have increased in recent years due to the many issues and crises he’s expected to address. Add to that the fact that the speed of communication with the internet and multiple 24 hour news outlets can quickly transform minor stories into major ones.It goes further to say that the pace at which the White House staff operates appears to be almost beyond the capability of any normal organization, and their bandwidth seems stretched to capacity.There’s never enough time to discuss all the issues that the staff would like to review with the President, and his nightly briefing book is sometimes the size of a telephone book.

Whew! I don’t envy his job, and whether you’re Republican, Democrat, Tea Party or Independent, it’s obvious that no single person or party has all the answers to the challenges in the U.S. or circling the globe. Unfortunately, many people do expect the President to be the god (or God?) of all things.They expect him to find a way to address all the issues listed above, in addition to crime, poverty, natural and man-made disasters, and many more.

But let’s be real, there’s only one person who can do that.The Most High God.There’s only one person who has the wisdom to know what to do in every situation. The Most High God. There’s only one person who can guide the nation, even the world to peace, and provision. The Most High God. The God of creation is the same God today who can reveal solutions to problems, change situations overnight, overcome enemies, and heal the nation.

Psalm 138:4-5 says”All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O Lord, when they hear the words of Your mouth. Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the Lord.”The rulers of nations praised God for His wisdom and instruction. There’s nothing too big for Him to handle.And the Lord particularly wants to provide instruction to rulers, because their decisions can impact so many people for good.”Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance.” Psalm 33:12.Our entire nation can be blessed when we submit to God. He’s promised us His inheritance. Everything He has including wisdom, understanding, insight, and instruction is for us.

Maybe you have days or weeks or months when the pressures of your role seem to be closing in on you.Others’ expectations of your performance, and your team or organization’s ability to deliver seem unreasonably high; and challenges press in from all sides. I invite you to recognize the God who organized all creation, who established the limits of the seas, placed nature in order, created the beasts of the field, the birds of the air and creatures in the sea, and the system in which they operate.This same God can make order out of the chaos in your world, place His wisdom in your spirit, and provide answers to the challenges you face.All of this is freely available to us as we develop a relationship with Him, seek to know and understand Him better.

So I know who is the God of all things. I know who has the bandwidth to handle our nation’s problems. I know who has the answers for the challenges we face. My prayer is that our rulers will know Him too, and turn to Him for guidance in every situation.

Foolishness or Wisdom?

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.   I Cor 1:25

As leaders, valuing wisdom comes naturally.  We want to make right decisions, possess good judgment, exercise discretion, and have extensive knowledge in our areas of responsibility.  We expect to establish solid strategies and plans to accomplish objectives.

But the foolishness of God is far greater than even the wisest man.  Imagine that in God’s weakest moment, He is infinitely greater than man’s strongest moment.  When we submit our lives and our plans to Him, we may at times think situations or decisions are moving in a direction opposite to what is right or necessary.  But God says He will destroy the wisdom of the wise and make the understanding of the prudent of no value (I Corinthians 1:19).

With all the economic challenges we’re currently facing, it’s easy to move into worry and fear, particularly if we’re depending on man’s economy.  But if you get a glimpse of God’s economy, God’s wisdom for our finances, business, and welfare we might realize that He operates with different laws and rules.  We might realize that God can take our man made situations and turn them into God sized opportunities for His will to be accomplished.  We might realize that God’s abilities are limitless and He can turn circumstances around in ways we never dreamed; using strategies we could never imagine; through situations that we could never think of.

Let’s learn to view the circumstances around us through His eyes, and look for His wisdom.  Let Him reveal His mysteries and His glory to us. Let Him reveal His power through our weakness.