Bouncing Water Drops

I just watched a 2 and a half minute video of slow motion photography of a drop of water bouncing. With all of the modern technology we are exposed to I supposed it's really nothing very exciting. What I find note worthy is that because of this technology we are able to see things we never knew existed. What else are we unable to see? Have our scientific advancements brought us to the place where we now can see and understand everything there is to know? Of course not. Then how is it we are so easily swayed by so called new scientific knowledge. Knowledge that just so happens to always support the evolutionist stand point. We do NOT have all the answers to life and the origins of man. There are plenty of things that our modern equipment still cannot reveal to us. Who would have thought that seeing a drop of water actually bounce would be surprising. So how do we know there is not a plethora of other wonders still hidden from the human eye that disprove evolution. Now I know that what I am saying may strike some as obvious. What does not seems so obvious is why we believe everything we are told concerning man's existence and how we came to this place in history. How are some Christians so ready to try and make Darwinian ideas fit into Creationist beliefs? Won't they be stunned if some day a bit of evidence gets by the highly biased liberal sensors and turns the entire theory of evolution on its head. There surely is plenty of holes in the theory now, strongly supressed by the reigning "scientific" community. Seeing this little drop of water bounce around on the surface of the water - a sight only possible with special photography techniques, reminds me that there are many mysteries in our universe that we may or may not discover that only scratch the surface of wonders in our God created world. Let us not abandon the rock of our faith in the Word of God to stand on the sand of scientific discovery.

Please, Iran, please listen to us, please.

“'VIENNA – In a blow to Iran, the board of the U.N. nuclear agency on Friday overwhelmingly backed a demand from the U.S., Russia, China and three other powers that Tehran immediately stop building it's newly revealed nuclear facility and freeze uranium enrichment.'”
Thus begins the almost half page report in my local newspaper about just how tough the U.N. is getting with Iran about it's nuclear program. Leave it to the United Nations and a liberal newspaper to take what could be the most serious issue of our time and make it into an outrageously ridiculous slapstick comedy with tragic results. Immediately following that bold beginning the very next paragraph begins, “Iranian officials shrugged off approval of the resolution...” Surprised? Yes, Virginian, Iran really doesn't care about the U.N.
The rest of the story goes like this. The U.N. basically begs Iran to stop with it's nuclear ambitions, even though they try to make it sound like a warning. While Iran, shockingly, gives the world the single finger salute. The entire report is full of begging and pleading thinly veiled in strong arm tactics. “'The next stage will have to be sanctions...'” Oooooh, I bet that got 'em! They're running scared now. Followed by “'Our hand is still held out...I hope Iran will take it.'” That they will, as long as you don't mind them returning a bloody stump. It was just the most pathetic example of an entire world of suits and ties locked up in political impotence.
The valiant efforts of the Associated Press to make these “threats” sound even slightly effective was beyond pitiful. The White House boldly side stepping the frightening sanctions approach simply states, “'Our patience...is limited...'” The French stepping right up to the sanctions line (careful you might touch!) said, “'...the international community will follow the second track of its “double approach”– shorthand for sanctions.'” “'We hope Tehran will treat this signal contained in the board resolution with all seriousness...'”said the Russian Foreign Ministry. Iran did indeed reel under this “blow” saying, “ 'neither resolutions of the board of governors nor those of the United nations Security Council...neither sanctions nor the threat of military attacks can interrupt peaceful nuclear activities in Iran, even a second.'" The “threat of military attacks”! Are they serious? Why no one in the civilized world can even stomach the thought of sanctions against Iran much less violence! Who said anything about violence?
So that worked. Thank God the U.N. is always quick to spot troubled areas and nip them in the bud. I feel safer. So there you have it. After years of talking and warning we are still talking and warning and all the while Iran does exactly what they want to do with no regard whatsoever to the weak words of a spineless world unwilling to stand up to international bullies. Anybody miss Ronald Reagan?

Women should be silent...

Watching our churches weekly prayer and worship service live on the internet I noticed women using the microphone more than men. Someone else noticed as well and said that the men should “rise up” and take more initiative and pray. A few more women came forward to pray and then a man stood up and read a passage of scripture. He asked God to forgive the men for sinning by not being leaders in spiritual things (specifically prayer I believe) and then he prayed a funny thing. He asked God to forgive the men for causing the women to sin by making them fill the void left by inactive men. At first I thought, “Are women sinning by pursuing God and praying?” It sounded preposterous. How could praying ever be a sin? But later I thought on this again. We do dominate the arena of prayer. We seem to dominate the area of “sharing” as well. It has to be intimidating for men who may lack the verbal confidence women seem more comfortable with to stand up after an eloquent sounding women and pray. Then this verse came to my mind,

“Women should be silent during the church meetings. It is not proper for them to speak. They should be submissive, just as the law says.” (1 Cor. 14:34)

Now I don't know anyone who really likes this verse. We tolerate it. We joke about it. Some people may feel strongly about it but I can't remember ever meeting anyone who actually liked this verse. We are rather embarrassed by it in our 21^st Century post modern world. Women be silent in church?! Preach that on a Sunday morning! Better yet preach that message on Mothers Day. Hey ladies, shut up. It's not “proper” for you to be talking here today. Hush. And of course we've all heard the sermons justifying the “real” meaning behind what Paul said. He didn't really mean that women were never allowed to speak in church, no, he... uhm he meant that they... uhm, shouldn't teach, yeah that's it, they shouldn't teach men. But it's ok of they have a word of prophecy or something like that because that's different. And certainly they can pray, and sing on the worship team or “share” something. But silence? No that's not what he meant.

I'm not doubting that there may be some validity to these lines of reasoning. Perhaps taking the whole counsel of scripture into account we could find that women did have a more equal share in public ministry and maybe that verse is in reference to teaching men. But something about what that man prayed and what we seem to see a lot of – women, women, women, praying, praying, praying, struck me. His prayer was to ask for forgiveness as a man (and for men in general) for causing women to sin by filling in the men's places. Do we do that? Do we stand in the way of our men leading? What would happen if the women all decided to be quite in church meetings. We refused to pray or prophecy or share or even to sing. The women were silent. Well, we'll never know because that would indeed be a major move of God to get women to be silent in church meetings. I'd love to find out. I'd love to see week after week the silence from the sopranos. Singing from our seats but not leading. Praying from our seats but not leading. Hearing the Lord and recording his message to take to our “husbands” later but not leading. I wonder if we women do sin by filling in this gap so to speak. Not allowing the men to come forward because we have monopolized the God arena. It's a very interesting thought to me. One I can only pray about and blog about. And perhaps if women were to take the lead we could start by leading in listening and allowing our men to come forth more boldly.

Full of the Holy Spirit and faith

It's not often that the word of God "arrests" me. I love to read the scriptures, to study them, to meditate on them and to pray over them. I love to speak them to my friends. But it's been a while since one of them spoke to me. Specifically to me. I was recently reading Acts chapter 11 looking for the reference to a school in Antioch a bible teacher had mentioned the night before. As I was reading along I came to the story of a man named Barnabas who was a companion of Paul's. Suddenly verse 24 reached out, grabbed my collar and shouted at me,

"Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith. And many people were brought to the Lord."

Suddenly I realized that I was full of fear, doubt, and negativity. Even though I am full of the Holy Spirit, I am somehow not. What was wrong?
To my horror I began to realize that if I didn't begin to risk the service for the Lord that he, at that point in time, was challenging me too I would remain pathetically lost in the mire of apprehension and inaction. Sinking deeper and deeper into self protection and irrelevance. How would my faith grow if I refused to exercise it? How was I ever going to learn to trust the Lord if I never risked anything? My arguments no longer held water. Sure I was incompetent, but I was also full of the Holy Spirit. Sure I am scared and worried about so many things but I am also full of the Holy Spirit. Certainly I am not able to do anything of value for the Kingdom of God but I am full of the Holy Spirit. And the last time I checked He was not in need of anything. So I may not be able but he is. I may not be confident but He is. I may not be perfect but He is. I was greatly awakened by that little verse and greatly encouraged. Perhaps now that I have decided to step forward as Barnabas did so many years ago my results will be the same, that many people will be brought to the Lord.

Deep appreciation

So Obama goes to Turkey to politically pander to Muslims. I bet he thinks this will get us a gooder (yea, I know it's not a word but I like it) name among the “fringe” Islamic terrorists. Maybe they won't bomb the White House now since he lives in it. Robert Spencer wrote a poignant article about one specific statement the President made to the Turkish Parliament.

“We will convey our deep appreciation for the Islamic faith, which has done so much over the centuries to shape the world, including in my own country.”

Say what? And what exactly has Islamic faith contributed to the world, to America in particular? So the President is either mentally imbalanced (crazy as hell), intentionally manipulative (playing politics/sucking up – have you seen the picture of him “bowing” to the Saudi King )genuinely ignorant (duh), or speaking in code (I wish). Seriously, what has Islam contributed to America? Can you think of one thing? Just one? Ok, besides terror. Besides 911. Isn't it frightening that our new President is making these kind of ridiculous statements officially on behalf of the the American people? What IS he talking about? Just exactly what is he referring too? And just exactly how does the President intend for us to “convey our deep appreciation”? Is this for real? Deep appreciation? Over 3000 6 foot deep graves? Deeply frightened? Does anyone remember any deep apologies. I remember celebrations in the Islamic world because of 911.

Pretty much everything Americans know about Islam today we learned because of terrorism. When I was a kid no one even mentioned Islam. You never saw or heard about anything Muslim or Islamic. You just didn't, no one cared. There was nothing to talk about. Then we began to hear little by little about this or that lunatic radical Islam leader or group and what terrible act had been committed or inflammatory statements made, while the talking heads tried to figure out how much of a real threat this Islam was. Ok, they have camels and stones we have tanks, should we take this serious? But of course they were serious and maybe we weren't. One problem we still have today is that we think the Eastern half of the world thinks like the Western half. We think we're playing by the same rules. We think they think like us. They don't. Islam is not just a religion it's a way of life (there's a bumper sticker for ya). Since 911 the entire nation has been under the sway of 'help me understand Islam'. So because Islamists, in the name of Islam attacked us, murdering many thousands of our civilian population without cause, created millions (or is it billions?) in property damage we are now becoming familiar with all things Muslim. The funny part is if some Islamic American (and that would be the order of loyalty) wanted to participate in our government no one would question his or her faith and how much of a role that would play in decision making like they do with professing practicing Christians. That would be called discrimination. We Americans think the old adage “flattery will get you anywhere” applies to the Middle East. Obviously we still have a lot to learn.

Ok well back to President Obama's outrageous statement in Turkey. Now I'm not saying that the country of Turkey hasn't been an ally of the States for many years and that we haven't benefited somewhat from a relationship with them but that's not the same as saying that Islam has made contributions to America. In fact although Turkey is nearly 100% Muslim they boast about their secularism (charade). So in all honesty the only thing Islam has contributed to the United States is terror.

I think the best part of being a liberal is that you don't have to justify anything you say. You don't have to substantiate anything with facts or evidence. You can say whatever you want with impunity. Usually because what you say sounds either elitist - can't touch this - or just plain friendly. You will do what we say because we are smarter than you (used only among our own people) or we like you so much and we really want to be friends and can I try on a hijab and could you show me how to use that Kassam rocket launcher? So unless, Obama was sending a clandestine code to the Islamic world (now that would have been fun!) I'll be curious to see how our government intends on conveying it's deepest appreciation for the shaping of the New York City skyline.

Who is like the LORD?

“Who else among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is glorious in holiness like you – so awesome in splendor, performing such wonders?” Song of Moses, Exodus 15:11

“For who in all the heaven can compare with the LORD? What mightiest angel is anything like the LORD? The highest angelic powers stand in awe of God. He is far more awesome than those who surround his throne. O LORD God Almighty! Where is there anyone as mighty as you, LORD? Faithfulness is your very character.” Ethan the Ezrahite Psalm 89:6-8

“Who is like me?” God, Isaiah 44:7

“To whom will you compare me? Who is equal?” God, Isaiah 46:5

“Who is like God” is a different question than what skeptics ask today, which is “Who is God like?” The first question sees His wonder and is amazed. Who could possible compare to this God?! He is just so incredible. Wow. The second question tries to define his character. Is he like Santa, or the Grinch? Is prayer to him like hitting the lottery or making a wish? Is he like George Bailey or Mr. Potter? Jekyll or Hyde? The first question is asked numerous times in the bible. The Psalmists and the Prophets ask “Who is like the Lord?” God himself asks this question. Who is like me? Line me up with all the other gods of the world and compare us. Who is like me? It's a lovely question usually asked in the context of the wonders God has wrought. His amazing creation. His powerful redemption. His miraculous deeds. God is not afraid to stand up to other gods. He knows he wins this contest hands down. He's not being arrogant he just knows he's the only real contender here. There is one God and it's him. So we put him up against the god of humanism, man, and compare. And when we're done laughing we see that, yeah, he pretty much wins. Put him up against all the Hindu gods, the Muslim God, the spirits of Animism, any idol man can construct and He wins. But that question is no longer the one being asked. The new question is “Who is God like?” And the answers don't matter because the question says it all. We are looking to redefine who God is. Where not happy with what he's really like, so subtly, ever so subtly we rephrase the question until we can answer it in any number of wild and creative ways that diminish who he is in our eyes. The answers have really always amounted to the same shallow, why isn't God nicer idea but since they are reworded and sound new a few times each generation we think a new enlightened question has been asked. God's image has ranged from dowdy old Santa type man to angry venomous cruel old man. He could be like a wish giver, a lucky charm, a faithful pet, or a powerless out of touch grandfather. When we ask Who is God like instead of Who is like him we are judging his character. Why would he do this or that? Why would he let this or that happen? If there is a God then why, why why? So, we are questioning what he says about himself, forgetting the ancient truths passed down and exalting our knowledge above His. In essence we are saying that we have more mercy that the creator of mercy, that we know more than the creator of knowledge and that we would do a better job at being god than God. There will never be an end to the arrogance of man against God. Mankind will always be trying to diminish Him. Yet there are a few who can say with David,

“Many, O Lord my God, are the wonderful works which You have done, and Your thoughts toward us; no one can compare with You! If I should declare and speak of them, they are too many to be numbered.” Psalm 40:5

Ode to a hero

Back in February the Smithsonian magazine ran a cover story on Darwin and Lincoln, “Their Genius, Their Legacies, Their Humanity”. The article on Darwin couldn't be more typical in it's purpose. Fool the common man once again, make your followers feel good that they believe, speak the party line, avoid real truth. Beginning with the title, What Darwin Didn't Know, you get this sense of fair play and open mindedness. See these scientists are questioning Darwin, they are in fact, revealing flaws and in the pursuit of truth they are making themselves vulnerable. How noble. And yet no such thing happens in this article. The title is in fact a hurrah for how amazing Darwin's ideas were with so little data. The entire piece is a praise for the man's impeccable character, his tireless scientific inquiry and the blinding brilliance of his evolutionary theories. Yet the claims Charles Darwin himself made in terms of macro-evolution (stay tuned for clarity on that) were not scientifically provable when he made them nor are they now. The author states with amazement that Darwin spent 20 years amassing his data, whereas I find it even more incredible that the ideas continue to be defended and propagated for even longer. Something like holding to the faulty teachings of Greek physician Galen for 1500 years. Which, as an aside, actually gives me hope for mankind today; we eventually got it right.

More than 7 pages are dedicated to extolling Darwin as the greatest man who ever lived. His new and revolutionary ideas astonishing, his book On the Origin of the Species, “majestic” and an “engaging work of literature” (I'm not making this up). Immediately we are swept up in the arms of confident propaganda, “...even the most unanticipated discoveries in the life sciences have supported or extended Darwin's central ideas – all life is related, species change over time in response to natural selection, and new forms replace those that came before.” Quoting pioneering geneticist Thoedosius Dobzhandsky, “ Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in Light of Evolution”, the article continues, “He could not have been more right – evolution is quite simply the way biology works, the central organizing principle of life on earth” No bias there! Just pure science! This paragraph alone utilizes a few brilliant avenues of propaganda (roads well traveled by proponents of naturalism), first blending something true with something false, mixing facts with assumptions and then completely ignoring valid contradictory arguments. These techniques are so commonly used in publications today we forget how effective they are. This article typically blends microevolution with macroevolution, assuming the reader will not detect the staggering difference. These two concepts are constantly, intentionally confused and interchanged by naturalists. Microevolution is introduced first, stated as observable changes within a species, the ability for living things to adapt to their environment, and variety within a species, what the bible clearly calls “kinds”, the famous finch beaks. No one argues with this. But then there is the brilliant blending in of macroevolution, the non-observable, non-reproducible idea that one species can change into another. It's very subtle and very effective. You're led to believe that they are one in the same. Couple that with absolutely no contradictory scientific voices and the public is properly intimidated. The fact that reputable scientist's in a variety of fields have and do question the validity of macroevolution and other ideas in Neo-Darwinism is completely ignored. And having no dissenting voice gives the author free reign to make all the typical statements about fossils and dating and such and such discoveries that have “proven” Darwin right.

The article gives a famous quote of Darwin's from The Origin of the Species, “I look with confidence to the future,to young and rising naturalists, who will be able to view both sides of the question with impartiality.” Expect they don't. The “both sides” Darwin spoke of have all but vanished. Neo-Darwin thinking is singularly taught in every government school in the United States. No one is allowed to question the theory unless they are willing to cower under ridicule and taunting or face million dollar law suits and career black listings. Ah for Darwin's dream of impartiality.

Along with no opposing view points the article uses the common technique of quoting from it's scientific proponents who emphatically state Darwin's theories as fact. Nothing new here. This is the way propaganda works. Tell the people what you want them to believe over and over again. Reduce the opposition by whatever means necessary, ignore it, mock it, outshout it. Limit it's voice. There is nothing but praise for Darwin and his ideas in this article. It's as though the messiah has been found.

The most frightening thing about this and other articles with the same agenda is the blatant lies. The outrageous claim that “the term 'missing link' has for the most part become as outdated as the idea of special creation for each species.” Hate to break the news but nothing of the sort has occurred except in the minds of these evolutionary proponent who outright ignore opposing views. Discoveries interpreted from a non creationist world view must fit the evolutionary mold, there is no alternative but a Creator, and so like the ugly step sisters, they force the shoe to fit. The article ends with a lovely amen to the genius of how astonishingly accurate Darwin was (according to their bias) with what little he knew. No worries or cares, all is right with the world. Since there is no God we can take down our crosses and hang our Darwin fish instead. And we'll not need our silly, outdated bibles any more with our creative “scientific” world forever evolving it's own stories of how the world began. There's only one thing the article forgot that Darwin didn't know - his Creator.

The Stations of the Cross

The other day I was listening to the local Christian radio station. This is not something I ever voluntarily do on my own. I was riding in a car with a friend who has it on all the time as background noise. Normally it's so low that our conversation drowns it out but this one day something came through loud and clear. I don't know if it was a lull in our gabbing or the volume was higher than usual but what I heard was disturbing. I guess that's the word. It was troubling enough to get me writing about it after a 3 month (or more) writing block.

Apparently I was listening to an advertisement for a business opportunity when this male voice states, “You can't depend on anyone else. Depend on yourself”

Well I wish I had a picture of the contortions my face went into after that. I kept asking myself if this really was the Christian radio station. I probably missed something my friend was saying after that, tuning her out to listen to what came next that might indicate that we were really on pagan radio W-HEL, 92.666. But alas, we were on the real “Christian” radio station.
“You can't depend on anyone else. Depend on yourself”

There you have it. The Neo-Christian philosophy. Short, sweet and to the point. Finally we've succeeded in eliminating Christ from Christianity. Who says religion causes all the worlds problems? Who says we should do away with it? Why not just suck the soul out of it, prop it up in a chair and slide it behind the desk. Place a mic and camera in front of it and run the tape. Religion isn't nearly as dangerous as Bill Maher would have us believe. Especially now in the post modern world. Why it really has a rather nice humanistic ring to it. “Depend on yourself”

And I thought it was just the music I didn't like.

Fast and pray

Our congregation is fasting today in preparation for two hours of prayer tonight for the upcoming election. It occurred to me at 5 o'clock this evening that technically I probably did not fast because I had several cups of hot green tea with splenda. Oops. Going without food for a single day isn't terribly difficult or uncomfortable but it is inconvenient. Just the mention of the word conjures up thoughts of headaches and dizziness. That might be from the times I have attempted a 3 day fast. Now there's real sacrifice. On one such occasion I was experiencing leg pains on day three while my husband insisted I eat. But one day? That's nothing, right? Unlike the lion in Madagascar I am not so famished as to see everything that moves as a t-bone steak but I am mindful of a little hunger and aware that I am skipping meals. Why is that? I mean some people skip meals all the time because of busy schedules. I know a few people who never eat lunch. But at least three times a day I am reminded that I will not be eating. I will go without. I will even prepare food for others but not partake. And I'm somewhat preoccupied by it, if even momentarily. That's a bit annoying to me. I want to be able to determine to fast and float through the day with a superior sense of spirituality, forgetting that I am mortal and susceptible to such temporal urges. I don't want to have a slight headache and have to remind myself that tomorrow I can eat.

Lots of books have been written about fasting. Why to fast, how to fast, who should fast, step by step plans and methods to encourage you to fast, medical reasons to fast (did you know it's the worst possible way to try and lose weight?) and medical reasons not to fast. Fasting is so undesirable we've created new ways to avoid the technicalities of biblical definitions. In fact we've borrowed from the bible to do so! Partial fasts, “Daniel” fasts, juice fasts. Daniel fasts? Seriously, could we just admit that we hate fasting so much and hate feeling guilty about it even more? No we need to make stuff up. If Daniels diet from Daniel chapter 1 can be considered a fast then what was his fasting called? The ultra-Daniel fast? The new and improved, medically approved, post-exile guilt free way to fast? And here I am feeling like, “technically”, I blew my fast with that first cup of tea this morning. All this and people speak of fasting in non food terms as well. Fasting T.V. (I've aced that one), fasting talking (I would have to be in a coma) and other such valiant efforts as these. I also wonder if fasting today, in America is so much harder because we are so unaccustomed to doing without a single thing, necessity or luxury. When I'm hungry I eat. When I'm tired I sleep. When I am bored I...whatever. I wonder if fasting was easier when food wasn't so convenient. You didn't just pop open a can or tear open a bag or box of food minutes after deciding you'd like to eat. There was no fast food. I often wondered how long the Lord and his two angels had to wait while Abraham ran around in a flurry slaughtering the fattened calf, while Sarah made bread from scratch.

To top off the whole day, I learned at 6 pm that the prayer meeting was cancelled due to weather concerns! So,do I continue to fast when I am clearly only doing it for the meeting that is now no more? Let the justifications begin! Well, the meeting is cancelled, technically I was only fasting for the prayer meeting. It's after sunset, doesn't that count? I really don't have to be legalistic about this. What is it about fasting that I find so distasteful (no pun intended)? Sigh. Maybe now I can understand why people have gone to such lengths to make fasting more appealing.

Jesus said, “...someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. “ (Mark 2:20, Luke 5:35)

In Matt 6:16-18 Jesus mentions fasting 3 times “when you fast”, “when you fast”, “you are fasting” It doesn't sound like the Jews were unaquainted with regular fasting. It was normal to fast for them. For us we say we're “starving” when we've had two meals and snacks already that day.

I know that fasting was something that was a given for the church. I believe our attempts at fasting, however lame, can only further us along on the path of living sacrifically in this way. That we will get better at whatever it is fasting produces in a person if we just continue to fast in some way. One thing I noticed tonight is that I appreciate my food more than usual. I might even stop complaining about not knowing what to make for dinner...right after I finish this turkey sandwich and chips.

Bible Reading Day 28

But the Lord is in his holy Temple; the Lord still rules from heaven.
He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth.

Psalm 11:4

Our ladies bible study is studying Revelation. Chapter four has brought us into an amazing look at the very throne of God in heaven. The throne itself, the One who sits on the throne, the beings around the throne, the fire, the thunder, the lightning, the praise. All of this we are studying in the midst of an unstable world economy, global terror and the U.S. worshiping a presidential candidate as savior. It seems fitting to remember that “the Lord still rules from heaven”. The verse just before Psalm 11:4 says; “The foundations of law and order have collapsed. What can the righteous do?” We find ourselves today in such a sad questioning state. What can the righteous do? Yes we pray. Yes we vote. And when that is done we pray more. In truth our relationship to the Lord is what will save us. No amount of money, or safety should ever satisfy us. No man should be worshiped as God. Yet people have to worship. We were created to worship. If we do not worship the Creator then we will worship the creation. Having a person to worship actually makes us feel better than say, worshiping our own selves or our stuff. It feels more outward, less selfish, righteous even. And so while it seems that the whole world has gone mad in pagan idol worship, we gaze into heaven. We allow ourselves to experience the wonder of amazement at the descriptions of the living beings worshiping our God around His throne. The power and majesty that surround Him. He is nothing like man. He far surpasses our most active imaginations. How can people be satisfied to rally around a single man as though he were any kind of answer to any kind of problem?

The Lord is in his holy Temple, He still rules from heaven. How comforting in such unsure times. Praise the Lord!

Joshua and a "Palestinian" State

Day 27 of my bible reading has brought me to Israeli cartographers heaven. The book of Joshua states clearly all the boundaries for all the tribes of Israel, including the outer borders of the entire land of Israel. Today's chapters are tedious in detail of the names of towns and villages, rivers and valley's and boundary lines.

Joshua 18:1-6

The whole assembly of the Israelites gathered at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting there. The country was brought under their control, but there were still seven Israelite tribes who had not yet received their inheritance. So Joshua said to the Israelites: "How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you? Appoint three men from each tribe. I will send them out to make a survey of the land and to write a description of it, according to the inheritance of each. Then they will return to me. You are to divide the land into seven parts...”

I don't know how long they had been in the land and had not taken full possession of it all, except that Joshua was old now. Wars and conquering take time but apparently they should have been further along by now. I'm intrigued by all the specifics even though most of it means nothing to me in terms of location (or even pronunciation!) except that it obviously means a lot to God. Joshua is sending 21 men out survey the land, write a detailed description and report back so that the land can be given to his people.

So, why now after all these years do people think they can divide up the land of Israel and give it to non-Jews? Why would bible reading people think its ok to do this? Just read chapters 13-21 in Joshua. Just read the subtitles. It's 9 chapters on the land of Israel belonging to the children of Israel. Not to Arabs. Sorry. And it's not just the book of Joshua. It's repeated again in Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Ezekiel and more. Not to mention the promise to Abraham in Genesis. Yet, we've got Christian people, prominent political policy-maker people, saying it's a good idea to give away part of that same land, that God, in very specific terms, has already given to His people, the Jews.

And yet here is what Micah also says;

In that day your enemies will make fun of you by singing this song of despair about you:
“We are finished, completely ruined! God has confiscated our land, taking it from us.
He has given our fields to those who betrayed us.”
Others will set your boundaries then, and the Lord’s people will have no say in how the land is divided.

(Micah 2:4-5)

This is saying that the enemies of Israel will divide up the land and do with it as they please. No nation that considers itself allied with Israel should have any conversations about dividing up that land. In truth it makes no sense to me whatsoever to be, on the one hand, fighting a war on terror and on the other hand, saying, gee I think giving some land of Israel's to terrorists might work for peace. The interesting thing about this line of thinking is that, after having forcibly removed Jewish families from their homes to give Gaza to the “Palestinians”, the peaceful reciprocation became the daily launching of Qassam rockets over the border. Nice. I think this is called Land for Peace. Apparently, the land allotment wasn't big enough or something. Unless the definition of peace changed recently without my knowledge. So, I guess we need a Joshua or two to step up to the plate. I don't know. But if the ancient Jews had trouble securing the land thousands of years ago it should come as no surprise that it's difficult today. I just don't like being under governmental leadership that advocates messing with those ancient boundary lines. That makes us as an enemy of Israel and not an ally. And if you think the scriptures are clear on boundary lines you should see what it says about Israel's enemies. Oy.

My daughter used to get a Christian magazine in the mail for young people, high school and college age. I absentmindedly flipped through a recent issue and found a misc. quiz entitled The Jesus Quiz. “How much do you really know about Jesus? Take this quiz and find out.” I had, at that time, also been thinking about the monumental question, “Who do you say that I am” from Jesus to his disciples, so I was intrigued. The question of who Jesus is, really is THE central question of our faith, our history, our lives – our eternal lives. I'd like to say that the quiz was challenging, thought provoking and conjured up images of the eternal God fully existing in the person of Jesus Christ. I'd like to say that quiz explored areas of theology and doctrine that can sharpen young peoples discernment and encouraged radical commitment in them. I'd like to say that I was not disappointed. But if I said any of those things I'd be lying. Here's a sample.

Question #1; “Which of the Gospels calls Jesus the 'Word'?” Ok, so this might be a warm up question right?

Question # 4; “What was the name of the demon that Jesus sent into a herd of pigs?” Would knowing that strengthen me against the barrage of lies about the identity of Jesus Christ from prominent cults of our day? Sorry but it doesn't get much better.

Question # 7; “Who was Mary and Martha's brother and what made him so special?” Would you believe these question even provide multiple choice answers? Ok, one more.

Question # 11; “Jesus saw a disciple by a fig tree. Who was it?” And my answer, strangely enough is not provided in the 3 multiple choice answers: “Who cares?”

Seriously, if this quiz was in a magazine for elementary school children, maybe, but for a high school, college crowd? Are you kidding me? I won't even go on to tell you what they say about how you rate depending on how many answers you got wrong. It's just plain empty, trivial fluff. Is this the best we can expect from our young people? Hey boys and girls, can you say irrelevant?

So, I am perplexed and a bit mortified that we have fallen to this place in our pursuit of God. What kind of people are we that these questions even appear in a magazine for people in this age group? Why not meaty articles on the deity of Christ? Who is he really? The Son of God? A created being? An angel? Why not reprint the early church fathers hashing out these questions and more about Jesus Christ? Even Jesus's teachings on any number of pertanant subjects; eternal life, the kingdom of God, forgiveness of sins. I mean I am barely scratching the surface here. There are just a gazillion topics that could be written on and taught in a format like this and we get kindergarten questions?! And we wonder why our young people go off to college and leave the faith?! What difference does it make if I know who's ear got chopped off when Jesus was arrested, or where he performed his first miracle at a wedding? But Is Jesus God? That one counts. It's a sad indictment against the church that we produce this kind of tripe and pawn it off onto the next generation of believers thinking they will be able to carry the precious banner of Christianity into the age of Apostasy to come.

“And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.” (Matt. 24:10-14)

Question: When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

Bible Reading Plan - Still Reading!

Day 15

Well, I did get behind on my bible reading plan I didn't quit. Catching up on all those chapters was quite the incentive to never let THAT happen again and I feel as though I am going strong. I am really enjoying this! Rather than still being in Genesis I have been in 7 different books of the bible. What fun! I've been in the Garden with the Eve, screaming “Don't listen to the snake!”, I've been in the land of Canaan with Joshua while he and his army kills everything in sight (eew), I've had to endure the first of the 3 worthless friends of Jobs, and much more. I've enjoyed remembering much of what I studied in my ladies bible study when we did the book of Isaiah too. I've stopped and cross referenced, stopped to meditate, stopped to pray. I feel good about my focus and consistancy. I know that if I stick with this I can say this time next year that for sure I've read the entire bible through. I'll no longer have even the shadow of a doubt that I've read every word of it. Very satisfying. I'm looking forward to that. Now if I could just find a plan that helps me get through all of my other reading as well, I could better justify buying all those new books I want...hmm.

Day 5 - still on my bible reading plan!

Just a quick update on my bible reading plan. I'm on day 5 today! For me this might be a record. Blogging has helped me stay on task. Thank you to my 5 readers! Well today I read the first 5 chapters of Joshua (there's that number again!). I could say much about a lot here but honestly there isn't really anything that zings a pertinent comment out of me. Yesterday I read Genesis 1-3 and I can't say that reading made me sit up and take notice either but reading this blog post, watching the video and reading the verse posted after it was beyond stunning in terms of our Creator and His love for us. I find it soothing to think about these kinds of things when there is so much in the world to weigh us down.

Bible Reading Day 2!

Ok, I'm only two day's into this bible reading plan and I've made a colossal blunder already. I absent-mindedly assumed today I would be reading Job 3 and 4 since yesterday's reading was Job 1 and 2. I was rather pleased with myself for doing my reading today, putting effort into analyzing what I was reading and taking note of the verses that impacted me the most. Only I was doing my reading for next week!

Today I am in the prophecy books and I've really got to hustle because it's not only late in the day but I've got 6 chapters to read! How on earth am I supposed to read 6 chapters in Isaiah and make comments on a small portion?! How can I ignore the throne room scene of chapter 6? And what about the beautiful song of chapter 5? Arg. But I'm committed to reading and journaling my journey, not writing novellas every day. Truly this is a difficult task.

The weird thing about reading Isaiah is that our ladies bible study did the entire book of Isaiah and I feel like I don't remember a thing! I will blame that on the fact that I was new to serious bible study and I was transitioning through some faith issues at the time. Still I have absorbed much more than I can articulate because as I read these chapters they seem to make sense in a way that only serious study could have grated me. Thank you Liz!

So I have chosen Isaiah 3: 18-23

“On that day of judgment the Lord will strip awayeverything that makes her (Judah) beautiful:
ornaments, headbands, crescent necklaces,
earrings, bracelets, and veils;
scarves, ankle bracelets, sashes,
perfumes, and charms; rings, jewels,
party clothes, gowns, capes, and purses;
mirrors, fine linen garments, head ornaments, and shawls.”

Here the Lord is speaking a metaphorical warning to the people of Judah using the actual appearance of the women of Judah. I was thinking recently how much time and money we put into nonessentials and how dependent we've become on them. I've noticed it more since having read Crazy Love by Francis Chan. We love to acquire things that are not necessary for survival or happiness. Can I live without jewelry? How about collectibles? Purses, Porcelains and Shoes. Ok, shoes can go under essentials but how many pairs? ipods, cellphones, magazine subscriptions, gps systems. How do I know when I've gone too far ? What about sports memorabilia? Season tickets? Hours spent watching games and following sports figures? Where does it end? In this passage God is saying to the women of Judah, “You're a perfect example of the waste and self interest that I am going to strip off of Judah for all of her sins. You are more concerned about looking good than about being good. You've got your priorities all upside down. And because you refuse to listen to me I'm going to have to change all of that - the hard way” We all own stuff. We all have stronger interests in some areas than others. And we are all susceptible to consumerism. How much money is wasted on all this stuff? Purse parties, jewelry parties, candle parties, little plastic trinkets that cost America's into the billions of dollars (I'm not kidding). Do we really need any of it? Maybe I've still got enough of the idealist in me to think that we could do a lot better with our money if we weren't such self indulgent consumers. I know I sound grumpy but what if we didn't buy anything that we couldn't honestly live without? Would we die? Would we starve to death? No ones going to do that but thinking that way opens our eyes, I think, to see where we have excess that needs to be trimmed. Maybe it would make a good experiment. Try not acquiring any more of what we don't really need and live as though we didn't own so much of it already for a time. Like say 4 hours. Like voluntarily stripping ourselves of our vanity and greed so that God doesn't have to do it for us.

I'll start right after I finish this blog, reply to that text message, gulp down a latte and powder my nose.

Bible Reading Plan Day 1

Today, I embark on my bible reading plan. Being the student of my realist husband and acutely familiar with my own lack of discipline and focus, I am less than optimistic about sticking with it even though I am inspired by the new yearly bible reading plan I discovered on the internet. I've tried reading programs in the past. They just didn't appeal to me. To dry. To boring. Who wants to spend weeks reading through genealogies or archaic laws about issues of blood? Combine that with the fact that routine and I don't mesh so beautifully. This new reading program shows promise, even for me. Rather than read straight from Genesis to Revelation or Genesis to Malachi and Matthew to Revelation, this plan has you reading different types of books each day. Sunday's are for the Epistles (another added bonus is that the plan sets Sunday as the first day of the week – very Jewish), Monday - The Law (Genesis – Deuteronomy), Wednesday - the Psalms, Thursday - Poetry, Friday - Prophecy and finally Saturday - the Gospels. I'm excited about this layout, so much so that I printed out three copies and foisted two of them on my children. They were equally thrilled as you can image. “You want me to read every day?!”

So already it's later in the morning than I'd like although I got up in plenty of time to read and sit with God. But of course I had to write this and putz with the dishwasher. Undaunted I begin my reading. Today's entry is Job 1-2. I am delighted because Job is one of my favorite books of the bible and I have been studying Job with a friend several times a month. There is so much in the first two chapters that I could write a book. I have so much to comment about. But I am determined not to babble. Just find one small thing that makes an impact on me personally and comment on it. Hmmm. Ok, I am honing in on verses 20 and the all famous 21. I really like verse 20 though, specifically the first three words. I don't know what there is about it that strikes me so.

“ Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground before God.”

Job stood up. Wow. I don't know if you've ever experience real grief and shock but standing up doesn't sound like something I'd be capable of after such news as Job received that day. In fact, I have received terrible news that struck close to home and I did just the opposite. I fell to the floor wailing. Job stands up, tears he robe (now I can relate), shaves his head (another sign of mourning) and then falls down. A very deliberate move to follow the proper mourning protocol of the day. Torn robe, shaved head, on the ground. I'm not sure why the phrase “Job stood up” strikes me as it does. But I think it has to do with acceptance. Job didn't succumb to the horrors around him based on his feelings or even his own imaginations. He heard the awful report and did what was expected of a man in mourning. Job is a man dedicated to the traditions of his faith. Providing sacrifices for his family as the priestly patriarch. Offering up prayers to the invisible God he loves. Obeying the oral law of this God with all of his heart. Helping the less fortunate, giving wise counsel, being completely honest in all his business transactions. This was the life of Job. It was programmed into him to follow the ancient paths (albeit rather young paths by our time frame). He found joy in following the Lord. Belonging to God didn't mean ease and comfort for Job, even though he enjoyed it for much of his life. As he states in verse 21, “The LORD gave me everything I had, and the LORD has taken it away. Praise the name of the LORD!” Job does not ascribe to the entitlement theory here. He knew he hadn't really earned his great wealth himself. He knew that riches were fleeting. He never trusted in them. He knew also that life is fleeting, as a vapor. And he ascribes the terror that has struck him as coming from the hand of the LORD. Verse 22 says “In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God”. In other words, Job knew God was responsible for his calamity but he didn't say “You have no right to do this”. Job was no Word of Faither. You can't talk like this in the Word of Faith camp. You cannot assign any blame for any evil to God. And you cannot accept a “bad report”. Today Job would have been instructed to ignore the tidings of the four remaining servants and continue to claim all his wealth as though it still existed. I'm not sure how they would have you speak of ten dead children, no amount of word gymnastics can bring them back, but you would not under any circumstance be allowed to say that God did this. Today's Word of Faith teachers would rebuke you soundly for even thinking such things. You would immediately begin “binding and rebuking” whatever spirit you had in mind to be angry at about this; “I rebuke the Chaldean spirit of death...I rebuke the wind” and then top it all off with those ever magical words “In Jesus name”. Perhaps Job would have said “In the name of the LORD”. Incantation complete. Then Job's friends would have coached him relentlessly to keep claiming his victory until such time as they tire with his stubborn reliance on the sovereignty of God and abandon him to his sorrows. Only to learn later that he triumphed over them without their help. I love the book of Job. I love the plan of God overarching our lives. I love living in the reality that bad things happen to all of us, not because Satan slipped in there but because God allowed it for His higher reasons. Sigh. Day 1 and I'm exhausted already.

The Year of Living Biblically

I just finished reading The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs. It was such a quick read that I hadn't time to add it to my blog list of “books I'm reading right now”. I began reading on Sunday afternoon and finished it Tuesday night reading nothing during the day. Delightful, informative, funny (laugh out loud funny in several parts), and well written, Jacobs embarks on a daunting experiment, mainly with the intent of writing the book, to live the bible literally. He grows a gigantic beard, wears interesting clothes, and eats a bug. He dances with Hasidic Jews in New York, tours the not yet complete Creation Museum in Kentucky and takes a pilgrimage to Israel. He learns what a compulsive liar he is, that resting isn't such a bad idea after all and that it really is possible to out talk a Jehovah's Witness (a feat he is rather proud of). I learned I still have an envy problem (wish I could write like this and had time to read this much!), that I am still sometimes confused about what parts of the first testament are fulfilled in Christ and which parts are to be practiced diligently, and that I am very very grateful for the love between God and myself which keeps me anchored against the storms of diverse doctrines, error and heresy. Not that I have God and the bible nailed down to simple formulas but I know that loving him and being loved by him is the bottom line whether or not I get sidetracked by contrasting beliefs within the Christian religion. Like when Jacobs visits a small bible study of homosexual evangelicals who call themselves Concerned Evangelicals. To me the term homosexual positively pared with evangelical is an oxymoron. I have always understood homosexuality to be a deviance from normal and natural. All religions across the globe, at least the major ones, have denounced homosexuality as sin. So to hear this rather learned bible study leader explaining away the most obvious verses against homosexuality makes me somewhat confused and rather saddened. Just read the prophets. Isn't that like what the Israelites where doing that forced our loving, patient and merciful God to bring judgment against them? Lying about who God is and forgetting his commandments. Couple this with the two “scholars” mentioned in the book who believe that historically no one took the biblical account of events literally and you've got quite a slippery slope to navigate. We would discount the entire bible as an analogy and have no foundation for truth of any kind. Apparently this is a relief to many moral relativist. I return to my Anchor and sigh my love for Him.

I am somewhat inspired by the journey the author takes and the format he uses to document it. He journals his days (not all 365) and begins each entry with a random scripture verse that he relates to for that day. I thought I might try the same method for myself here on my blog. Taking a verse that speaks something to me and write about how it has impacted me for that day or that week as the case may be. Just journal my life in terms of the bible reading I'm doing and how I'm wrestling with it. This is what Jacobs does for an entire year with the added purpose of living it all literally, with the sometime exception of overly obvious hyperbole which believe it or not some have applied jot and tittle.

Jacobs tells a very interesting story in The Year of Living Biblically. His journey begins a work of subtle transformation in his heart and mind that I believe will be with him the rest of his life, compelling him to further spiritual growth. I think he manages to enjoy the process and the outcome. I know the things I learned and the questions I was forced to ask myself will continue working in me especially as I take my own challenge to journal my bible readings on the world wide web. One thing remains unchanged, Jesus did the biblical living for me on the points where the law was unable to save me and he lives that biblical life through me today by my yielding to his Holy Spirit.

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are." Romans 3:21-22

"But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)" Romans 8:9

Hey I'm going politial - who can resist!

I think this photo pretty much speaks for itself. So who are YOU going to vote for in November?

The Trojan Horse

I can't seem to get this theme out of my heart. The get rich thing. I apologize for sounding the alarm repeatedly here but if the soldiers sleep while the enemy approaches then we're all at risk, are we not? Not only has the enemy been sighted but the Trojan horse is being dragged into the city now.

In the Trojan Horse story, the city is besieged for some 10 years. 10 years the Trojans keep the Greeks at bay. That's a long time to resist an army. In the end it was a simple trick that got them all the access they needed to enter the impenetrable city and concur the unconquerable. One day the enemy forces just up and retreat, leaving behind the Trojan Horse (most likely the seige tower/battering ram) on the open plain. A spy withing the city walls convinces them to go out and bring the horse in as a trophy of sorts. Once inside and under cover of darkness the Greek soldiers hidden inside, descend upon the sleeping Trojans.

The prosperity gospel heard from the pulpits of so many America churches and around the world today (God forgive us for exporting this) needs to be seen as what it really is – a Trojan Horse of Satan. The lure of earthly riches: large incomes, great monetary wealth, excessive possessions, temporal comforts and all the things that moth and rust destroy is just a trap. Nothing but the same technique the serpent used on Eve in the Garden of Eden. He's packaged it up nicely and dressed it up in Scripture – twisted, misapplied, out of context Scripture – and made it so appealing, thanks to our modern day “God Wants You Rich” preachers that we have no idea that this “gift” is NOT from God. Its a Trojan Horse from hell.

Look at this passage;

People who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. (1 Tim. 6:9)

I don't know, this passage seems pretty straight forward to me. What am I missing here? The people who long to be rich are the ones buying into (literally) the prosperity message. Making it's proponents very rich indeed. And in turn making themselves proponents. It seems from this passage that it's just the longing to be rich that causes the trouble.

According to this verse, you don't get freedom or happiness or peace or anything else good from pursuing riches. You get trapped. You begin to desire harmful and foolish things. You get ruin and destruction. How can this be made any clearer? How can this be a good thing? Are we just that stupid?

Lets go back and look at the verse just before this one.

True godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can't take anything with us when we leave it. So, if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. (1 Tim6:8)

Have you EVER heard anyone preach a message like that? Have you ever seen a book title like that? New York Times best seller: Food and Clothing Only: Be Content! No way! No one, and I mean NO ONE is going to buy that book!

So was Paul delusional? Was Jesus?

I don't know about you but I'm often discontent owning a ton more than just food and clothing. Here lies the key to discontentment. The more we have the more we want. It's like some law. The more we acquire the more we want to acquire. We find more ways to acquire and more ways to justify our acquisitions until...how did Jesus put it;

You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.

Could this be the trap?

Hey, lets get the next best seller on how to become a millionare. Let's get the CD set. Let's go to the seminar. Whatever it takes to get that income up, up, up. I am rich. I have everything I want. I don't need a thing. So we really don't need God but He does makes a great endorsement on the cover of our new book.

Now lets look at the rest of this passage.

For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wanderer from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

Only some people craving money have wanderer from the true faith. The others repented before it was too late. You just can't run after money and run after Jesus at the same time. You just can't.

Slowly and steadily the message to the church has been that getting rich was the answer to so many of our problems. It used to be that the lie sat outside the city limits, an enemy army, waiting us out. Then the message began to look appealing to a much larger number of Kingdom dwellers until the day came when the army vanished and all that was left was the amazing gift of the Trojan Horse. There is sat beckoning, “Take me as your prize. Come and get me. I will be the symbol of your great achievement.” So we've wheeled the monster past our safe and secure borders to the sounds of jubilant singing. Empty songs of battles won but never fought. Rejoicing over a victory that is never to come.

True godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can't take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wanderer from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. (1 Tim. 6:6-10)

Inspired

Waiting in the Dr. office today I noticed the cover of the Readers Digest someone was reading; “35 People Who Inspire Us”. It sent my thought processes churning about the word inspire. Inspiration always conjures up good feelings doesn't it? Inspired to achieve great goals in life. To 'become” somebody. To take that risk and venture into those uncharted waters. Accomplishing things we never dreamed possible. I mean you wouldn't ever want to be inspired to commit a crime or develop a character flaw would you? And yet we have people in our society (or in our small social circle) who do just that, intentionally or not. Take for instance, sex. Are we not bombarded daily with inspiration to sin sexually, whether it be premarital or extra-marital? And our appearance. Are we not inspired to “worship” our bodies and how we look? That's not exactly the noblest attribute to possess; vanity. Vanity that leads to sexual sin and self exaltation. Gang members inspire there “brothers” to commit crimes and live atrociously sinful lives. Friends inspire friends to drink, do drugs, lie, steal, fornicate (that's a very old fashioned word which here means “to fornicate”) and live generally self centered lives. So, what exactly should we be inspired to do? I think as Christians we often get 'inspired” by things that sound good but are not at all God's will for his people. Phrases like “be all you can be” “aspire to new heights” “become all you were made for” and my personal favorite “find your purpose in life” can certainly inspire us but to what end? Are we on this earth to find our life or to loose it? Yikes, if you really read the bible you'll see that many so called Christian people are inspiring us to nothing but secularism. We are told 5 times in the gospels to not cling to this life but to give it up.

“If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.”(Matt. 10:39 and 16:25, Mark 8:35, Luke 9:24 and 17:33).

I mean how many times do we have to be told, that this life is passing away?

Psalm 39:4
“Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is.

James 4:13-14

"Look here, you who say, ' Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.' How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog- it's here a little while and then it's gone."

That our lives do not consist of our possessions...

Luke 12:15
Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

Matthew, Mark and Luke all had this message in their gospels;

And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? (Matt 16:26, Mark 8:36 and Luke 9:25)

Is this not clear enough? He's talking about material possessions, power, and prestige. Things Christians should NOT be inspired to acquire.

But we are inspired to gain earthly wealth – by Christians, even though Jesus clearly taught us;

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

The kind of people who should inspire us are the ones who challenge us to live as close as possible to the true teachings of Christ. Not the ones who use the bible as some kind of tool to justify completely un-Christ like lifestyles. I just can't imagine a picture of Jesus on the cover of a book entitled “3 Simple Keys to the Life You've Only Dreamed Of” The inside flap reading something like,

“Ever wonder why life is so difficult? Why everyone else seems to be getting ahead and you, a child of God, are struggling? In his book, 3 Simple Keys to the Life You've Only Dreamed Of, best selling author Jesus Christ reveals the 3 simple keys to the “abundant life” you have always heard about but could never quite grasp. He will show you how to;

• double your income without doubling your work load

• speak the words that will get you anything you want anytime you want it

• get on the top of the heap and stay there

• realize all your dreams and your full potential

• live the stress free, overcomers lifestyle

• how to look good and feel great all the time!
  

• get the benefits of heaven, here on earth now!
  

So, I like to be inspired but I want to make sure that I'm inspired towards the life that Jesus has designed for me. The life of looking toward eternity, not living for the here and now. The life that goes against the flow of the “world” and strives towards holy living. The carry your cross lifestyle that Jesus embraced. I want to be inspired to read the Word, live it in it's simplicity and repent when I don't.

Hey, I wonder if Jesus was in that list of 35 people? Probably not.

The Prosperity Gospel

“Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.” (Col 2:8 )

When I hear people called Christians promoting prosperity, health, wealth and happiness, sometimes I am stunned. I see the banner for the prosperity conference, I see the website for millionaires for Jesus or the six figure people, and I tip my head to the side, furrow by brow and stare. I read about a million dollar wedding after reading about the subsequent divorce, I see preachers with jets and huge homes and expensive cars and I shake my head in wonder. Other times I see bible verses twisted out of context, misapplied to support anti-Christ teachings and my muscles knots, my teeth clench, my fury stirs. And then a great sadness washes over me when I think about Jesus. What he must be thinking as he watches his children. I read the bible and I cry. I tremble in fear at the wrath to come on such seemingly nice people. Such rich and beautiful people, teaching what they call freedom, what Jesus always called slavery. Finally I can't contain my sarcasm in the irony of it all when I read things from other followers of Jesus like,

“Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth.”
-The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Philippians

Paul was not rich. Jesus was not rich. None of the apostles were rich. None of them taught the prosperity gospel, none of them lived that way. They never, ever, ever raked in millions of dollars for any cause. Jesus never told any of us to do that either.

“What sorrow awaits you who are rich,
for you have your only happiness now.
What sorrow awaits you who are fat and prosperous now,
for a time of awful hunger awaits you. (Luke 6:24-25)

How do you fit THAT into a wealth and prosperity message?

Did you ever notice too, that the preachers preaching money riches are always saying give your money to them, partner with them, donate to them, sow into their ministry? What did Jesus tell the rich man to do?

Matt 19:21-23 says;

Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

Jesus repeated himself for emphasis. He said things twice to make sure he had people's attention. I guess He missed that “Empowered to Prosper” seminar. And the mega synagogue that taught regularly how to have a cushy life today being the best 'you' must have been too crowded the day he was in town. I guess he didn't really have a complete revelation about this issue of money, wealth and possessions. Just think of what Jesus could have done for the kingdom with that kind of money.

A few verses later he says

“And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then. (v. 29-30)

Silly Jesus. He was just a story teller. He didn't really mean anything by any of it. He was a good entertainer that Jesus but not real swift when it came to “claiming that inheritance”.

Here's a funny story he told.

“A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’
“But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’
“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

And just a few verses later;

“Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. (Luke 12:33-34)

Now isn't that silly? Did you notice that Jesus never said 'give ME money'? Did you also notice that he never said 'get yourself rich so you can have free time' or 'get yourself rich so you can do My work' or 'get yourself rich so you can be rich and everyone will want to be my disciples too so they can be rich''? Give to those in need?! Oh! Like give to the already rich preacher with her own personal jet? That ministry? Or the revival preacher who says he's not like ordinary people needing to have faith in God to pay a $500 dollar bill, he's got millions to deal with. That needy person? Or maybe it's the guy who stands on a platform among thousand of people chanting with them “Money-coming-to-me-now!” as some sort of incantation to produce wealth among the crowd. Wait I know, give to the needy...that must be the hugely famous (and need I say fabulously wealthy) evangelist who told a group of South Africans that God was going to make millionaires out of every $1,000 dollar donor to his ministry - but the offer was only good for 2 minutes - credit cards accepted. Yes those are the needy Jesus said to give to I'm sure. You think I'm making this stuff up?

Here's another example of what Jesus thought of rich people's contribution to the kingdom of God.

“Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins. Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.” (mark 12:41-44)

So here you have people saying they follow the teachings of Jesus, when they actually live, preach, teach and encourage others to do just he opposite of what Jesus taught. They teach you how to get rich so you can give more. Jesus honored those who gave it ALL away.

Here's a cute rich man, poor man story Jesus told.

“Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. (now he's preaching!) At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores. Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham.The rich man also died and was buried, and his soul went to the place of the dead.There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side. The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’ But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’

Finally, let's take a peek at the Old Testament wisdom book of Proverbs. Some prosperity teachers like to talk about rich Abraham or Job or Jacob. I don't know why those rich men were never teaching others the “secrets” to great wealth and financial success. (Wait I know, God was waiting to pour out the better wine later, right?)

Riches won’t help on the day of judgment,but right living can save you from death. (11:4)
Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears;wealth from hard work grows over time. (13:11)
The poor are despised even by their neighbors, while the rich have many “friends.” (14:20)
Better to have little, with godliness,than to be rich and dishonest. (16:8)
The rich think of their wealth as a strong defense; they imagine it to be a high wall of safety. (18:11)
Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit. (24:4)
Better to be poor and honest than to be dishonest and rich. (28:6)

Proverbs has a strange little prayer in chapter 30 verses 7-9

O God, I beg two favors from you;
let me have them before I die.
First, help me never to tell a lie.
Second, give me neither poverty nor riches!
Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.
For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?”
And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.

Give me just enough to satisfy my needs? What? If I grow rich I may deny God? That can't be right? What translation of the bible is that? That's just crazy talk. As one holy man of God recently said “Have I ever heard anyone pray that, in my life?”

It echoes more of what Jesus said in the famous "Lords Prayer", and how he said elsewhere, 'What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and yet lose his own soul"

Lastly, Jesus said “Be doers of the word and not hearers only”

So now then, in light of these things, how ought we to live?