As I write this post, waves are as high as 46 feet in the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane Gustav looks as if he wants to make a name for himself like Katrina, Rita, and Wilma did in 2005 and others like Hugo, Floyd, David, Bob, Camile and Bob did in the past. Who’s next? Hanna, Josephine? Time will tell. But one thing is for sure, it appears that people will be talking about Gustav for years much like we all know what Katrina means nowadays.

But one name still remains the only name by which anyone can be saved. Jesus Christ is the name that has meaning in any language and in any culture. Sometimes this name brings hope but sometimes it brings hate. Gustav will initially bring despair, he will bring much needed rain to northern states. But Jesus Christ always brings hope and when His name is hated, it is always because those that hate are of the world.(Isaiah 66:5, Luke 6:2)

Let’s pray that Gustav not be what he could be and pray that in our lives, Jesus is all that we often won’t let Him be.

You may like Barack Obama, I am not sure.  If you do, that’s fine. I will never look down on you for supporting him, nor John McCain.  Personally, I don’t want to vote for either of them this fall. 

But I have got to stand up and speak out against Obama.  Tonight, he will speak to the nation and it is being labeled as “The Speech Of A Lifetime”.  Ok, yes, this is the first black man to be nominated for president.  For that, I am truly thrilled.  America has come a long way, no doubt about it.  But this man is a man.  He is as much a sinner as I am or you are.  He is not the messiah.  He is not a god.  If he thinks he is a god, which I don’t think he thinks that, then he has a real problem that goes beyond tonight’s show.

I saw this morning the greek temple that has been erected for him to speak at tonight.  I have one question:  WHY? 

Why does he have to have a special stage.  What’s wrong with the stage at the arena where both Clintons spoke, where Ted Kennedy spoke, and where his Vice Presidential candidate selection spoke?  He is not the president yet, why does he need a special stage? 

If he is elected, will he demand that we all bow down to him?  Will he wear a crown?  Is he that arrogant? 

Also, there are millions of people in America living paycheck to paycheck and many more living in poverty and he wants those people to vote for him yet he is spending probably hundreds of thousands of dollars to give one speech.  It’s like he is saying to all of us “Let them eat cake”.

If you ask me, the only thing Obama wants to change is that which is not in need of changing.  He scares me.  I will not vote for him.   If he is elected, I pray for God’s mercy when America falls apart, because yes, we will fall apart.  We may fall apart if McCain is elected too, but there’s no doubt in my mind if Obama is elected we will fall. 

In the books of the Law, the Torah, the pentatuch, whatever you want to call it, God specifically dictates that in all situations equal measures must be used.  Proverbs again gives warnings for those who use unequal scales.  In the literal interpretation, it could be said that a man that sells a pound of flour to his neighbor for $1 and then sells a pound to another neighbor for $2 is not using equal scales.  Likewise if both are charged $1 but the first neighbor receives a full pound and the second neighbor receives 3/4 of a pound, this seller is not using equal scales if such a deed is done knowingly with the goal of gaining more for himself.

This application can be applied to just about everything in life too.  For example, if a man treats his neighbor with respect simply because that neighbor is wealthy and turns around and treats his other neighbor with contempt because he is less fortunate, with no regard to how each neighbor may have treated the person in question, this man is not using equal scales.

If you hold back something for yourself when you should have given it up, not only does it show a lack of faith, but it is not using equal scales.

God holds our lives in the balance and He is always equal.  He will not compare us with another person, but He will compare us against what He has called us to do, has told us to do in His word and has commanded of our lives.  God will not grant salvation to anyone that does not call upon His Son, Jesus Christ, for their salvation.  For there is no other name under heaven by which a person may be saved.

In weightier matters (no pun intended), God will put a nation in the balance and see if they measure up against His commandments.   He will put the entire world in the balance eventually and God is always just.

Knowing that we will some day be in the balance, wouldn’t it be wise of us to take steps now to correct where we are wrong?  I am not saying live by legalism and live by trying to earn God’s favor, I am saying live by faith and correct yourself when the scales tip.  Allow God to correct because the same God that corrects is the same God that forgives.  Be balanced, but use God’s scale.

Back in action.  I do not know if I will be able to keep up the daily postings as I have tried to do in the past, nor do I know if I will be able to balance between computers and Christianity, which the balance has clearly tipped to the Christianity side.  But I feel refreshed and am  ready to get back into it.  Thanks for sticking beside me during my short break. There may be more in the future, only God knows for sure.

I pray you all are blessed for reading this blog and may you be enlightened and enriched in your walk with God.

I am taking a few days off from writing so that I can focus on a few other matters.  I will be back shortly.

God Bless and Happy Computing.

I sold my van and bought my friend’s Jeep Wrangler. I had no idea that it came with a certain responsibility. It’s called “The Jeep Wave” and there are even websites that tell you all about it. The concept is similar to that of motorcycle riders. If you pass someone in a Jeep, you are supposed to wave to them. If you pass someone in a different vehicle, waving is optional and encouraged if waved to first.

This requires me to take notice of other vehicles and recognize if someone is in a Jeep, especially a Jeep Wrangler. Given the body style of these vehicles, it’s not too difficult to do. The same should be for us as Christians. It should be easy to recognize us as Christians. Jesus said that if we loved one another, people would know that we are His disciples. Paul encouraged us to bear one another’s burdens, especially for those in the household of faith. (Galatians 6:10). So, If I am going to do the Jeep Wave, I need to recognize Jeeps. If I am going to bear the burdens of members of the household of faith, I sure I hope I can recognize them.

You don’t need to look for someone wearing a cross around their neck or their religion on their sleeve for that matter. But it is fascinating to “know” when someone is a Christian and telling that person you suspect they are is quite a complement to give and receive. I often can be around people for only a few minutes and tell if they are Christians or not. This doesn’t mean that the ones that I don’t know about are not, it just means they are not showing love as much as some. Love is what I look for and it was what the world recognizes us by. If someone passed you on the street today, would they be able to give you “The Christian Wave”? Let’s all work toward loving each other more. Then maybe someday we can start that Christian Wave. If nothing else, it will be a wave of love spreading across the world and more will come to know Him by name.

In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, he is warning against false teachings that are facing Timothy and explaining how the folly of men without faith will be their ultimate downfall. He implores Timothy to remain steadfast in the faith and endure persecutions. As a way of trying to strengthen Timothy’s faith, he then exhorts the authority of the Bible by saying that “all scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (NASB)

Paul was calling on the authority of the scriptures which at that time likely consisted of various scrolls that were yet to be canonized formally into what we know of as the Bible, but were no doubt complete as well. He most likely also gave authority to the gospels, which had been completed, and any of his writings that were considered acceptable reading in the church setting. The fact that they were inspired by God, gives credence to the words written down by humans and spoken by humans in oral tradition. If they were simply the wisdom or knowledge of men, their authority would not be as strong. But knowing that the prophecies spoken of had come true in Christ, Paul knew that without a doubt the scriptures were inspired by God to be written down by man. Peter affirms this belief in his second letter when he says “it was the Holy Spirit who moved the prophets to speak from God.”

It’s likely that Timothy was inspired by this statement and perhaps even strengthened to know that what he was preaching, the scriptures, were inspired by God and at the same time were there to help him become more prepared to continue to preach. Paul had a firm understanding of God’s grace and also of the human condition of sinfulness and spoke these words as a reminder that Timothy, as well as people of today, need to look to the authority of God’s inspired word for answers and discernment that we could not possibly ascertain on our own.
Earlier in the letter, Paul speaks of Timothy’s faith and encourages him to grow in that faith and in the grace that God has provided. He knows Timothy will be in a sense carrying on his ministry for the Lord and wants to encourage him. Therefore he says that all scripture is profitable or beneficial for teaching, meaning that Timothy could call upon the scriptures for his ministry and use the authority of these scriptures as a teaching tool as well as a tool for helping himself and the people he would minister to grow in righteousness and when necessary used for correction. It certainly is encouraging to know that we can look to the scriptures for answers that we could in no way accurately discern on our own because of our sinful natures.

We could say today in the year 2008, that the revealing of God’s words from His mouth to men’s hearts and finally written on paper are a wonderful gift because it teaches us the source of truth. The absolute authoritative truth from God’s breath to man’s hands. It can show us where we are wrong in our theological ideas and at the same time correct us with the truth. It can straighten us out by pointing out our sinfulness and the errors we so often make and in doing so; can help us to become more righteous.

Then and now, 2 Timothy 3:16 is inspiring and uplifting, along with the entire canonized scripture arrangement. Without it, we would be left to “think” we knew what God was trying to say to us. Now we can “know” by reading what has been given to us.

Do you ever feel like God has forgotten about you or that He is angry with you and find yourself seemingly trying to put the pieces together on your own?  Then consider His creation.  In Matthew 6, Jesus said to consider the lillies of the field and the sparrows gathering food.  God takes care of them and He will take care of you too. 

Consider Joshua, when he like all of us, felt that he was not worthy to be in God’s service.  God reminded him of all that He had done for Moses and promised to do the same for Joshua.  When David faced Goliath, he considered God delivering him from the paw of the lion. 

God keeps His promises and He has promised to never leave you nor forsake you.  At times it may feel like this life is too much of a burden to bear and it can be hard to make it through each and every day, but consider the lillies.  When the storms beat them down to the ground, they don’t stay there, they spring back up with the warmth of the sun.  The storms bring them needed rain and God knows that.  He knows also that the storms of your life may be bringing something you need. It’s hard to see this when you have been beaten to the ground, but to borrow a line from a famous musical “The sun will come out tomorrow.”

I started some pumpkin seeds in the house in the early spring.  When they were too large for the house anymore, I planted them outside.  Days later, I discovered that most had been eaten by the deer.  I was upset.  But I was delighted to see weeks later that they were still growing.  The roots had taken and new plants had grown.  The deer left them alone.

About 3 weeks ago I noticed a pumpkin growing and was excited.  Last week I saw that my now orange pumpkin had been eaten by deer.  I was upset of course until I discovered a new pumpkin and new sprouts.  Then I realized what was happening.  Without my knowing, God had fed the deer.  He used my first plants and my first pumpkin to feed the deer.  He then provided me with what I was looking for, more plants and more pumpkins. 

Next time, I think I will do what I should have done in the first place, I will offer up to God willingly my first fruits and wait for the reaping of blessings that will follow.

Senator Barrack Obama is promising change we can believe in. But what really changes? Will he really bring about some drastic change that will reshape America forever. Not likely. But there is a change you can believe in and it doesn’t come from a political candidate for president of the United States. It comes from God. 1 Corinthians 5:17 says “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” Now that’s a drastic change. Paul is urging us to be reconciled to God and put out our old ways and be changed. We change, but God doesn’t change.

The words of the Holy Bible are as true today as the day they were first written down. They have never changed but they have changed many lives. The words of the Old Testament have not changed, but people and circumstances have changed. The stories of David, Moses, Abraham, Gideon and others have not changed but the way we look at these stories has changed. People are still sinners, that has not changed, but when someone becomes a Christian, they change. They become a new creation and they have the power of the almighty God on their side. I am not saying you are not a Christian if you haven’t seen this change. The Bible says you are a new creation, whether you have come to realize and accept it is up to you, but you are a new creation. That’s about the only change you can really believe in.