Prayer…

I once heard a joke of sorts….that went something like this:

A Jewish man goes into the synagogue and prays. "O Lord, you know the mess I'm in, please let me win the lottery."

The next week, he's back again, and this time he's complaining. "O Lord, didn't you hear my prayer last week? I'll lose everything I hold dear unless I win the lottery."

The third week, he comes back to the synagogue, and this time he's desperate. "O Lord, this is the third time I've prayed to you to let me win the lottery! I ask and I plead and still you don't help me!"

Suddenly a booming voice sounds from heaven. "Benny, Benny, be reasonable. Meet me half way. Buy a lottery ticket!"

Which brings up the question…when you are praying…are you meeting God half way? If you are obese and pray that God will help you lose weight and yet don’t diet or exercise, what are you expecting? If you are unemployed and pray that God will open a door for you to gain employment…and yet put little effort into seeking work, what are you expecting? If your business is not doing well, and you pray that God will prosper you, but do nothing to address the deficiencies of the business, what are you expecting? That old saying ‘God helps those who help themselves’ rings a bit true. The Word of God paints a pretty clear picture about the benefits of hard work, of self discipline. It also paints a pretty clear picture of the pitfalls of laziness. Read the book of Proverbs closely and you will find many references. Does that mean, then, that whatever success you do achieve is purely by your own efforts? My Christian Interpretation would be that I don’t think so. God is still the great provider, but He also won’t be mocked…and a man truly does reap what he sows (excepting in regard to salvation itself).

Social Security…

I think most Americans know that the government has totally mismanaged the social security funds. After all, the baby boomers have been paying in tons of money for many years now. Any intelligent, responsible organization/business, would have been investing those funds so that they grew. Instead, the government tapped those funds and used them in other areas. Now that the baby boomers are (finally) getting close to retirement, we are hearing more and more comments about how the whole social security system is bankrupt (or close to bankrupt) and something needs to be done. One suggestion I’ve been hearing is raising the retirement age.

My personal opinion is that if the government wants to raise the retirement age, then that should only apply to the people who sign up for social security after that new contract is put into effect. In other words, those new to social security would be signing a different contract. They would know the new rules, what to expect from the start, and have time to plan accordingly. My Christian Interpretation would be that it wouldn’t be ethical or appropriate for the government to renege on the existing contract that so many people have been paying into, and making plans around, for all these years.

God couldn’t be more obvious…

I’m amazed at just how obvious God is in creation. There is a design to it all, and a ‘design’ speaks of a designer. Therefore, I’m even more amazed when people deny Him. This begs the question, what causes a person to deny God? Scripture speaks of men loving darkness more than light. I guess that would be one reason. They love sin more than they love God. They choose between the two and attempt to justify themselves by denying the choice even exists. Then there is the lack of humility. Sometimes people get mad at God and reject Him because He isn’t playing by their rules. I say ‘lack of humility’ because when you exalt yourself to the point of judging God, you surely are lacking in humility. It’s the old…if you are going to be that way…then forget you!

In pointing to a creator, I’ve been known to use the simple example of human hair. For instance, why do we have eyebrows? The obvious answer is to keep liquid (perspiration, rain, etc) from rolling right into our eyes. Why do we have eye lashes? The obvious answer is to keep things from getting in our eyes. There is a multitude of reasons for human hair in all its diversity. Every reason, though, speaks of a designer and a purpose. It’s so obvious that everything in creation was designed. The bible says that creation speaks of a creator and that on that day, men will be without excuse. In other words, God knows that you know He exists. You will not be able to make any excuses on that day and you will know that you have been purposefully denying and rejecting God.

Is choosing sin over God worth losing your life? Is rejecting God because of your anger, ignorance, and pride worth risking the loss of eternal life? Might not a God that has the wisdom, power, and knowledge to create the universe be worthy of your faith and trust in Him?

The issue of torture…

Noun: torture

1. The deliberate, systematic, or wanton infliction of physical or mental suffering by one or more persons in an attempt to force another person to yield information or to make a confession or for any other reason

2. Extreme mental distress

3. Unbearable physical pain

4. Intense feelings of suffering; acute mental or physical pain

5. The act of distorting something so it seems to mean something it was not intended to mean

Verb: torture

1. Torment emotionally or mentally

2. Subject to torture

So, using the definitions above, would water boarding be considered torture? Seems like it to me.

I have to admit, in a perfect world, torture of any kind would seem totally unacceptable. It’s a no-brainer. No one wants to be tortured, and therefore, if you don’t want to be tortured yourself, then you shouldn’t torture others. It does seem a bit contradictory, though, that in war…you can kill the enemy, but you can’t torture that same enemy to get information that might save others. Killing them on the battlefield…fine. Torturing them, not fine. Even if the torture doesn’t impose any real threat of death or physical harm, still not fine.

Imagine this scenario. Someone kidnaps your young children. The children are in a situation that promises they will be terribly abused and ultimately killed. You have captured one of the kidnappers. They have information that would likely save your children, but they aren’t talking.

In conflict…

Is it me, or is it the country working against itself? You have this flawed two party system wherein currently the democrats, led by President Obama, are desperately trying to raise confidence levels and thereby hopefully stimulate an economy that appears on the brink of complete collapse. Then along comes the freedom of the press/speech wherein the media and the republicans undermine any gain in confidence that the public might have realized. Under normal circumstances, this would all seem just fine. But what about under dire circumstances where time is of the essence? My Christian Interpretation would be that it would appear that human nature could interfere with the necessity of a quick response.

Not to be an alarmist, but…

I suspect that throughout the ages, there have been many occasions wherein people considered that the times they were living in were Biblical.  As the world economy staggers and talk of doom and gloom increase, it would be a good time to take stock of our lives and our relationship with our Creator.  I don’t think doing so is ever a bad idea no matter what the underlying motivation.  In that spirit, I present to you the following scriptures:

Revelation 18:1 ¶  After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendour.
2  With a mighty voice he shouted: "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird.
3  For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries."
4  Then I heard another voice from heaven say: "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues;
5  for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.
6  Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Mix her a double portion from her own cup.
7  Give her as much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, ‘I sit as queen; I am not a widow, and I will never mourn.’
8  Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.
9 ¶  "When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her.
10  Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry: "‘Woe! Woe, O great city, O Babylon, city of power! In one hour your doom has come!’
11  "The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no-one buys their cargoes any more—
12  cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble;
13  cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and bodies and souls of men.
14  "They will say, ‘The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your riches and splendour have vanished, never to be recovered.’
15  The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn
16  and cry out: "‘Woe! Woe, O great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls!
17  In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!’ "Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off.
18  When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, ‘Was there ever a city like this great city?’
19  They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: "‘Woe! Woe, O great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin!
20  Rejoice over her, O heaven! Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets! God has judged her for the way she treated you.’"
21  Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: "With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again.
22  The music of harpists and musicians, flute players and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again. No workman of any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again.
23  The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world’s great men. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray.
24  In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints, and of all who have been killed on the earth."

Stimulating the economy…

I touched on a version of this issue many posts ago, but it comes to mind again.  I’m wondering if every time the President mentions the word catastrophe, he isn’t also accomplishing more than just motivating politicians to get off the pot.  Is the mere mention of the word ‘catastrophe’ also stimulating people to start buying things to help them survive in case of an economic collapse?  Wouldn’t that, in itself, temporarily stimulate the economy to some degree?  Of course, that kind of buying would not signify confidence…though I suppose it could be misrepresented or misunderstood as such.