The Big Gamble

I, like every other American, have been watching what is happening with the economy. Will the government perform an act of socialism and bail out Wall Street? Or will capitalism and free markets correct the problem on its own? We live in interesting times. For some people, these are uncertain times.

I have two things to say about the stock market and the state of the economy:

1). For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

2). And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Stupidity

Lately on the blog, we've been trying to avoid being useless, unfruitful, blind, short-sighted and forgetful. Today we're trying to avoid being STUPID. Nobody wants to be accused of being stupid.

We try to teach our kids not even to say the word because it doesn't sound dignified coming out of little children. It sounds even worse coming from an adult. But of course context matters. There are times when we must use the word. The word actually occurs in scripture and you can probably guess where... Proverbs. In Proverbs 12:1 we read "Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid". My boys memorized that verse in about 9 seconds... because they knew they could use that word 'stupid' without getting in trouble, because they were quoting scripture!

But what is that verse telling us? The love of discipline and correction leads to knowledge! But the one who despises correction is.... everybody say it now... STUPID!

Loving correction, discipline and reproof is not easy... but leads us out of stupidity.

They Don't Hate Sarah, They Hate Trig

Short-sighted and Forgetful

In the last blog entry we saw that not heeding the advice in the first chapter of 2 Peter led to being 'useless and unfruitful'. In addtion to such unattractive qualities, we may also be 'blind, short-sighted and forgetful' if we lack those Christian graces mentioned in this chapter.

Blind to the truth. Blind to spiritual guidance.
Short-sighted. Seeing our own small space. Having no vision.
Forgetful of our purification. What person who is cleansed from head to toe forgets his purification?! I guess 9 out of 10 lepers forgot.

God forbid that we'd forget. And God forbid that we would have spiritual myopia. Our prayer should be that we would see clearly, think clearly, remember our purification clearly. And then we can earnestly pray that we'd have the strength and diligence to 'make certain about His calling and choosing us... for as long as we practice these things (from 2 Peter 1:5-7) we will never stumble'.

Useless and Unfruitful

How would you like to be 'useless' and 'unfruitful'. Well you can be if you don't follow the advice from the first chapter of 2 Peter. Through Jesus Christ and through the Word, God has given all things pertaining to life and godliness. That's God's part. We have a part in being useful and fruitful too - its called our 'responsibility'. I like to think of 'responsibility' as our response to God's ability. So what is our response to what God has given us in respect to life and godliness?

2 Peter 1:5-10 - "Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble."

Toothless

My oldest son lost one of his front teeth yesterday... you know, the whole growing up thing. So the 'tooth fairy' coughed up a crisp Abraham Lincoln to put under his pillow last night. Inflation, I guess. But I think it was well worth $5.00. He took good care of that tooth.

Well, today he runs out to the car after school with this big toothless grin... "hey Dad, look!"... He had apparently taken a short break from arithmetic and pulled the other front tooth out.

That tooth fairy is going to be suffering some serious economic problems if this continues.

Isn't there a rule somewhere that says the tooth fairy doesn't stop by two nights in a row?

A Must Watch Video

Bush Derangement Syndrome

I am in a bad mood today. I have had it up to here with all the Bush-bashing. I can’t take it any more. I’ll feel a lot better getting this off my chest. Here’s an open letter to all you unpatriotic, ungrateful, whining president-haters out there:

Dear Bush Haters;
What makes you so bitter?
The fact that you’re reading this is evidence enough that you haven’t been murdered by a terrorist in the last seven years. OK, so the border we share with Mexico needs a fence and we need more security there, but call your do-nothing congressman – don’t blame Bush. You were all on Bush’s side on September 12, 2001. Who changed? Did Bush ever give up his resolve to go after anyone that intended to harm you?

So you think the so-called bad economy is Bush’s fault too? Are you better off than you were eight years ago? Of course you are! You’re driving a newer and better vehicle than you were at Y2K. You have more electronic gadgets than you can shake a stick at. Who even heard of an iPod eight years ago? You’ve probably gone through four or five cell phone plans, you’re still buying internet access, going on vacation and have 500 channels on your TV. Your economy must not be doing too poorly. Oh, your stocks and 401K’s aren’t doing too well? Don’t blame Bush. You don’t have anyone else to blame but yourself. Pick better stocks. Pick a better broker. Better yet, invest in something that has guaranteed returns, like time with your family, reading books, studying your Bible, sending money to a missionary - but don’t blame Bush.

We look bad in the eyes of the rest of the world because of the Bush policies? Who cares. Do you think the world might be a little jealous of our prosperity? I don’t care what France, Germany, Spain or Timbuktu thinks about the U.S.A. They didn’t have hijacked airplanes flying into their buildings and killing their comrades.

Is George Bush perfect? Not by any means, but he is not deserving of all the crap he gets from you either. I’ll say it: you are unpatriotic. United we stand, divided we fall. People like you make our whole country look bad.

So, why is it that you’re so bitter again? Is it just that you’re not content with anything? Is it that you just like to complain? Don’t you like living in the safest, richest, freest, most beautiful country on the planet?

Have you ever considered praying for your president? Maybe all the energy you spend in bashing would be better spent on your knees praying for God to give him wisdom and strength and courage. Maybe all the backbiting could be replaced with kind, strong, proud-to-be-American words. Maybe you could get off the couch and turn off your favorite liberal CNN and MTV friends and volunteer in your community, get involved in church, or run for political office yourself. (Well, better not run for office. You might see it’s harder than you think – ask Sarah Palin).

So, why are you bitter? Maybe because you’re just not thankful for any of the blessings of freedom and stability that God has bestowed upon you.

I know why you hate him so badly. Because George Bush is clearly to blame for everything… wars, hurricanes, gas prices, backaches, dog bites – even your own raunchy attitudes.

Voted for Bush twice and would proudly vote for him again if I could,
Mark

A Good Conscience

But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

- 1 Timothy 1:5

This morning's Sunday School had us discussing 'conscience' - that inner knowledge, that little voice that God gave us all to know right from wrong.

We can sear our conscience and then the lines between right and wrong become very blurry. Or we can cultivate our conscience by staying saturated with the Word and confessing our sins regularly. Thinking on good things helps us in purity of heart and cultivating a good conscience.

Along with a steady diet of Bible study and the habit of confession, reading good Christian books helps us in this endeavor. Consider the following paragraphs that I quote from a book called 'A Sure Guide to Heaven', written by Puritan author Joseph Alleine. Reading things like this help us in our self-examination, making us think through issues like sin, salvation, purity, cleanliness and conscience.

When a man is converted, he is forever at enmity with sin; yes with all sin, but most of all his own sins. Sin is now the object of his indignation. His sin swells his sorrows. It is sin that pierces him and wounds him; he feels it like a thorn in his side, like a prick in his eyes. He groans and struggles under it… he cries out ‘O wretched man!’ He is not impatient of any burden so much as of his sin. If God should give him his choice, he would choose any affliction so he might be rid of sin; he feels it like the cutting gravel in his shoes, pricking and paining him as he goes.

Before conversion he had light thoughts of sin. He cherished it in his bosom. But when God opens his eyes by conversion, he throws it away with abhorrence. When a man is savingly changed, he is deeply convinced not only of the dangers but the defilement of sin; and O, how earnest is he with God to be purified! He loathes himself for his sins. He runs to Christ and casts himself into the fountain set open for him and for uncleanness. If he fall, what a stir is there to get all clean again! He has no rest until he flees to the Word, and washes and rubs and rinses in the infinite fountain.

The sound convert is heartily engaged against sin. He struggles with it, he wars against it; he is too often foiled, but he will never yield the cause, nor lay down his weapons, while he has breath in his body. He will rather throw his gain down the gutter, see his credit fail, or the flower of his pleasure wither in his hand, than he will allow himself in any known way of sin. He will grant no indulgence, he will give no toleration.

Reader, has conscience been at work while you have been looking over these lines? Have you pondered these things in your heart? Have you searched the book within? Make your conscience speak, whether or not it is thus with you.

Offering

In the morning, we'll get up and head off to church. During the service, the gold-colored, felt-bottomed plate will pass by us and people will put in their 'offering'. Then we'll all think we have given something to God and we'll move on with the rest of the worship service. Regardless of how much we plunked in the plate, did we really give an 'offering'? I recently heard this song by Third Day that sums up my feelings about offerings:

Magnificent Holy Father
I stand in awe of all I see
Of all the things You have created
But still You choose to think of me

Who am I that You should suffer
Your very life to set me free
The only thing that I can give You
Is the life You gave to me

[Chorus]
This is my offering, dear Lord
This is my offering to You, God
And I will give You my life
For it's all I have to give
Because You gave Your life for me

I stand before You at this alter
So many have given You more
I may not have much I can offer
Yet what I have is truly Yours
[Chorus]

This is my offering...