In the midst of the banking crisis, on the eve of a bailout to the tune of $700 billion dollars … $700,000 BILLION, with housing prices plummeting, crushing fuel prices, and with the sound of my 401K screaming “I’m melting, melting, melting…” I watched the first presidential debate. No disrespect to these two men vying for the right to take on this mess, but I don’t feel it is possible to for either one of them to save this country from the greed and corruption that got us where we are today. Makes me wonder if a sane person would be running for office right now. But someone has to be willing to try.
I have Christian friends who intend to vote for Obama and those who intend to vote for McCain and some who do not intend to vote at all. They all seem to have very well thought out reasons for the stances they have taken.
All I can tell you is that we – the USA as well as the rest of the world – we all need a hero – a real hero, like Superman. Someone unstoppable. Someone incorruptible. Someone with the power to change human behavior by changing the human heart.
We need Jesus. There is no other solution. I pray God will speed the day of His return to take over this mess and make sense of a world gone crazy.
You can vote for whomever you want or you can abstain, that is your right as an American citizen. But real, true change will not occur until Jesus returns. So, what is a Christian to do? Pray. Praying isn’t a “do nothing” position. It is, in fact, the best thing we can do. Praying for national leaders is addressed in I Timothy 2:2, where Paul encourages us to “pray for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace…”
Pray for Jesus to return and in the meantime, pray for our leaders, no matter who they are. God ultimately places them in office any way (see Romans 13:1-4). They need YOUR help. It is right and proper to pray for whoever becomes president of this country. I urge you to spend significant time each week, before and after the election, praying for the leaders of this nation and the world and praying for the coming of the one, true hero who will ultimately save us from them all: Jesus.
God speed that day. I need a hero. Don’t we all?
With love, Nancy
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Saturday, September 13, 2008
MORE THAN THE "BIG BANG" FOR YOUR BUCK
Sandwiched between articles on the political fray of the coming elections in the US, hurricane Ike and remembrances of 9/11/01, I found the extremely significant story of physicists trying to recreate the “god particle” – that initial particle that defined the start of life, from non-life. The physicists are trying essentially to recreate the so called Big Bang and the beginning of evolution.
I have one question for them. If you succeed in recreating the start of life, what are you going to do with it? I’m not talking about the obvious answer of using it to “prove” the theory of evolution. I’m asking, now that you have become a creator, what will you do with your creation?
After all, mankind has a history of creating things for one purpose and ultimately using it for another (and often more destructive) purpose entirely.
I am not an evolutionist. I am a creationist and very thankful to be a part of the creation of caring and thoughtful Creator God who planned every aspect of this life and the next prior to beginning the project. God knew what He intended to do with each part of His creation before He brought life to any of it. He did not make anything without a reason for its existence.
God also knew exactly what it would take to make that plan work and He has been working that plan ever since. I don’t know God’s schedule. I am not privy to exactly where we are on His timeline. But I can be confident that His timing will be followed, because He has always been a faithful Creator – always stuck to His own master plan.
What is that plan? “To bring many sons to glory.” (See Hebrews 2:10) God created us to be His sons, forever in His family as Spirit beings. His plan is drawn out for us in the Bible and those of us who keep the Holy Festivals outlined by God (Passover, Days of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day) are privileged to act out that plan in these annual observances.
I won’t go into the details of the plan of God here or the Holy Days and their meanings here. We have all sorts of booklets on the Dynamic Christian Ministries Web page that will explain them and answer any questions you might have about them or God’s plan and purpose for mankind.
However, while physicists work hard to reproduce the “god particle” that they hope to use to prove the evolutionist theory of creation without a creator, I will be observing the fall Holy Days, which actually give to all of us details of God’s plan and our purpose in that plan.
Eternal life in the family of God is way more exciting than life beginning with a sudden, scientific event. For me, it represents way more bang for my buck than anything man could envision for the new life these physicists hope to create.
With love,
Nancy
I have one question for them. If you succeed in recreating the start of life, what are you going to do with it? I’m not talking about the obvious answer of using it to “prove” the theory of evolution. I’m asking, now that you have become a creator, what will you do with your creation?
After all, mankind has a history of creating things for one purpose and ultimately using it for another (and often more destructive) purpose entirely.
I am not an evolutionist. I am a creationist and very thankful to be a part of the creation of caring and thoughtful Creator God who planned every aspect of this life and the next prior to beginning the project. God knew what He intended to do with each part of His creation before He brought life to any of it. He did not make anything without a reason for its existence.
God also knew exactly what it would take to make that plan work and He has been working that plan ever since. I don’t know God’s schedule. I am not privy to exactly where we are on His timeline. But I can be confident that His timing will be followed, because He has always been a faithful Creator – always stuck to His own master plan.
What is that plan? “To bring many sons to glory.” (See Hebrews 2:10) God created us to be His sons, forever in His family as Spirit beings. His plan is drawn out for us in the Bible and those of us who keep the Holy Festivals outlined by God (Passover, Days of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day) are privileged to act out that plan in these annual observances.
I won’t go into the details of the plan of God here or the Holy Days and their meanings here. We have all sorts of booklets on the Dynamic Christian Ministries Web page that will explain them and answer any questions you might have about them or God’s plan and purpose for mankind.
However, while physicists work hard to reproduce the “god particle” that they hope to use to prove the evolutionist theory of creation without a creator, I will be observing the fall Holy Days, which actually give to all of us details of God’s plan and our purpose in that plan.
Eternal life in the family of God is way more exciting than life beginning with a sudden, scientific event. For me, it represents way more bang for my buck than anything man could envision for the new life these physicists hope to create.
With love,
Nancy
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Smoke and Mirrors
It has gotten to the point that might cause us to wonder if anyone, anywhere can be trusted to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth about anything. Are we a world where “smoke and mirrors” are perceived as being necessary to success?
Forget athletes and their steroid scandals. Forget politicians, whom we have come to expect to lie, misdirect and hedge. Forget accused criminals who might lie to get out of trouble. In the same way that you might find fashionistas saying “grey is the new black,” I wonder if it has come to the point where the reality is that “perception is the new truth.” In other words, what we want the world to believe about us is as good as the truth.
In an August 11 article in Information Week, Thomas Claburn reported that China provided an altered video of the fireworks at the Olympic opening ceremony. Apparently, event organizers feared they would not be able to capture the pyrotechnics live on camera. In an August 12 Associated Press article, Cara Anna reported that a member of China’s Politburo asked for a last minute change to the Olympic opening ceremony that resulted in a “cute” girl lip-synching the “Ode to the Motherland” because the actual 7-year-old girl who sang it had crooked teeth.
Call me crazy, but I think China’s national reputation could have handled the “ill effects” of less-than-stellar footage of fireworks and a 7-year-old singer with crooked teeth. Considering their horrible record on human rights, China might actually have come out looking more genuine and less plastic if they had allowed these minor imperfections.
China may be an easy target to call out on this issue, but don’t think they are unique to the human race. I believe that each of us has to fight the tendency to white-wash our lives. After all, it isn’t easy to admit our flaws. But when we fail to be as open to criticism as we are to praise, we do two negative things.
First, we inhibit our own ability to change. I don’t like criticism any more than the next person; but you and I have to be open to seeing our flaws if we want to change. We have to be open to having our flaws pointed out by God’s word in our personal Bible study, from the pulpit, and one-on-one by friends and foes alike. It may be tough to swallow; but, if you are wrong you are wrong, even if the person pointing it out to you is doing it from a wrong motive. We have to be willing to accept accurate criticism, even if it comes out of the mouth of a proverbial donkey. We have to be willing to look at the validity of the criticism itself, regardless of the source.
Second, we inhibit our ability to help others see their own faults and make changes. When we go to others with faults and problems (even those that are not sins), we should be going out of love and genuine concern. We don’t want to be seen as the donkey used by God to call out another’s mistakes. However, if you cannot take criticism brought to you, others might have trouble accepting even the gentlest guidance from you.
The final step, after accepting your faults, is occasionally that we have to admit them publically. Occasionally, we will have to openly say, “I messed up here. I was wrong and here is what I’m going to do about it.”
To be sure, we do not need all our sins and faults made public. I’m not advising we air dirty laundry as standard operating procedure. I am suggesting that there will be times these things need to be acknowledged and dealt with in a public forum. I am suggesting that being human, making mistakes and sinning is as natural to human beings as breathing. I’m saying that your good reputation can withstand the accurate criticism of others. I’m suggesting that your reputation can actually be improved by being willing to admit your mistakes and flaws. And I’m advising that the place to start is by being able to accept criticism and learn from it no matter what the source.
For Christians, reality is the only truth. We Christians don’t need smoke and mirrors to clean up our lives for the sake of standing in the community or ego or reputation. We need to be genuine – crooked teeth and all. For Christians, it is the only way to live.
With love,
Nancy
Forget athletes and their steroid scandals. Forget politicians, whom we have come to expect to lie, misdirect and hedge. Forget accused criminals who might lie to get out of trouble. In the same way that you might find fashionistas saying “grey is the new black,” I wonder if it has come to the point where the reality is that “perception is the new truth.” In other words, what we want the world to believe about us is as good as the truth.
In an August 11 article in Information Week, Thomas Claburn reported that China provided an altered video of the fireworks at the Olympic opening ceremony. Apparently, event organizers feared they would not be able to capture the pyrotechnics live on camera. In an August 12 Associated Press article, Cara Anna reported that a member of China’s Politburo asked for a last minute change to the Olympic opening ceremony that resulted in a “cute” girl lip-synching the “Ode to the Motherland” because the actual 7-year-old girl who sang it had crooked teeth.
Call me crazy, but I think China’s national reputation could have handled the “ill effects” of less-than-stellar footage of fireworks and a 7-year-old singer with crooked teeth. Considering their horrible record on human rights, China might actually have come out looking more genuine and less plastic if they had allowed these minor imperfections.
China may be an easy target to call out on this issue, but don’t think they are unique to the human race. I believe that each of us has to fight the tendency to white-wash our lives. After all, it isn’t easy to admit our flaws. But when we fail to be as open to criticism as we are to praise, we do two negative things.
First, we inhibit our own ability to change. I don’t like criticism any more than the next person; but you and I have to be open to seeing our flaws if we want to change. We have to be open to having our flaws pointed out by God’s word in our personal Bible study, from the pulpit, and one-on-one by friends and foes alike. It may be tough to swallow; but, if you are wrong you are wrong, even if the person pointing it out to you is doing it from a wrong motive. We have to be willing to accept accurate criticism, even if it comes out of the mouth of a proverbial donkey. We have to be willing to look at the validity of the criticism itself, regardless of the source.
Second, we inhibit our ability to help others see their own faults and make changes. When we go to others with faults and problems (even those that are not sins), we should be going out of love and genuine concern. We don’t want to be seen as the donkey used by God to call out another’s mistakes. However, if you cannot take criticism brought to you, others might have trouble accepting even the gentlest guidance from you.
The final step, after accepting your faults, is occasionally that we have to admit them publically. Occasionally, we will have to openly say, “I messed up here. I was wrong and here is what I’m going to do about it.”
To be sure, we do not need all our sins and faults made public. I’m not advising we air dirty laundry as standard operating procedure. I am suggesting that there will be times these things need to be acknowledged and dealt with in a public forum. I am suggesting that being human, making mistakes and sinning is as natural to human beings as breathing. I’m saying that your good reputation can withstand the accurate criticism of others. I’m suggesting that your reputation can actually be improved by being willing to admit your mistakes and flaws. And I’m advising that the place to start is by being able to accept criticism and learn from it no matter what the source.
For Christians, reality is the only truth. We Christians don’t need smoke and mirrors to clean up our lives for the sake of standing in the community or ego or reputation. We need to be genuine – crooked teeth and all. For Christians, it is the only way to live.
With love,
Nancy
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