Understanding Derivatives

Here is an e-mail I received which I found to be very interesting and helpful. I hope you find it so also. (Can you tell I’m on an analogy kick lately?)  )  [The nature of the business that "Helga" runs is not of my choosing, but appears to be necessary for the analogy to work. I apologize.]

“Helga is the proprietor of a bar. She realizes that virtually all of her customers are unemployed alcoholics and, as such, can no longer afford to patronize her bar. To solve this problem, she comes up with a new marketing plan that allows her customers to

The Prince of Little Faith

Here is a short story that illustrates how many Christians live in bondage even though their identity in Christ is one of freedom from sin. I hope this is an encouragement to you.

Once there was an orphan who had lived a life of bondage and fear, deceived by his captors. As a beggar, he wandered the streets and wallowed in filth. He lived as a slave, at every beck and call of the heartless and unkind slave owners that imprisoned him.

Then one day messengers arrive with the news that this little orphan has finally been adopted. And not just by anyone, but by the King himself. For some reason the King has chosen to love this poor little boy and bring him into the family. It is an official and legal adoption. This orphan is now the prince of the land, with all the privileges and authority that go with it. He now has authority over his captors, and complete freedom and victory. After all, the victories that the King has won belong to his family also, as heirs.

Only this former-orphan has a hard time believing this is true.

For your entertainment…

Here is a link to a political cartoon I thought you might find entertaining….May God help us all!

Michael Ramirez Cartoons

Time for Truth

Have you ever had something important to say, or an issue of importance that needs addressing, but you really just can’t justify taking time away from the other urgent things to get those other comments made? Or maybe you just didn’t have the energy? *sigh*

God help us all to find He Himself, and not be so quick to attack. (I’m speaking to myself and my sharp tongue also.)

Father, defend those in need of it, reveal the Truth, tear down lies.

What Liberals really think about us

Here is a clip of Congresswoman Maxine Waters showing her true colors and the actual anger and hate she has for those conservatives who are committed to a limited form of government. (i.e. the Tea Party)  I would surmise that many of her liberal friends feel this way also, and it really shouldn’t surprise us. This is a battle of ideas, and they are diametrically opposed to each other. She can’t get along with limited, constitutional government ideas because all her ideas are based on something completely opposite, like “let the government make our lives better no matter how big it gets.” So here is just a taste of the anger that liberals have for people like me. It is telling about the nature of this battle.  (p.s. This clip includes one PG-13 word. Please filter for your family accordingly.)

http://dailycaller.com/2011/08/21/maxine-waters-the-tea-party-can-go-straight-to-hell/

The Accusation

I’ve heard the accusation all my life: “Isn’t that a cult?”  “[So-and-so] is a cult organization.” “Yeah, that’s just a cult.” To be honest, I’m sick of it. How is a cult defined? Why is this accusation thrown around so easily? It seems that when one side doesn’t have any logical argument to make, they just pull out the tried and true “that sounds a lot like a cult” line, and their opponents just cower and back off. Excuse me? *sigh* I’m just tired of hearing “cult” all the time. Let’s at least define it properly. That’s part of the problem. “Cult” is a word that can be loosely defined to mean whatever the user wants it to mean.

Here is an article that illustrates this, from Ken Ham’s blog.

Believing in a Literal Adam and a Literal Fall Makes Us a Cult? | Around the World with Ken Ham.

Spurgeon Quote

Found in a larger article by the late Dr. Henry Morris on the ICR website:

“We must defend the Faith, for what would have become of us if our fathers had not maintained it?…Must we not play the man as they did? If we do not, are we not censuring our Fathers? It is very pretty, is it not, to read of Luther and his brave deeds. Of course, everybody admires Luther! Yes, yes, but you do not want anyone else to do the same today….We admire a man who is firm in the Faith, say four hundred years ago;…but such a man today is a nuisance, and must be put down. Call him a narrow-minded bigot, or give him a worse name if you can think of one. Yet imagine that in those ages past Luther, Zwingli, Calvin, and their compeers had said, “The world is out of order; but if we try to set it right we shall only make a great row, and get ourselves into disgrace. Let us go to our chambers, put on our night-caps and sleep over the bad times, and perhaps when we wake up, things would have grown better.” Such conduct upon their part would have entailed upon us a heritage of error. These men loved the Faith and the name of Jesus too well to see them trampled on. Note that we owe them, and let us pay to our sons the debt we owe to our fathers.”

Amen, Brother Spurgeon. Amen.

The Movie of Great Importance

If you are breathing, you probably need to see this movie! I’ve mentioned this before, but maybe saying it again will add more emphasis to what I’m saying. These are serious days, and we must be aware of the dangers we face. Ultimately, I think God is judging our land for abandoning his principles. God help us all!

http://agendadocumentary.com/

A Preacher’s Defense

I wish to say a few words in defense of a man whom I love very much, and respect as a spiritually wise and loving minister. This man has been attacked in recent days, by the unrelenting “rumor mill”, as being “unloving” and a “cult leader”. I wish to address these accusations specifically, for I seem to hear them most often. (Unless it’s maybe “legalistic”.)

Before I get to his name or his defense, I wish to say that I am not aiming these thoughts at any one person or group of people. I do not even know the names of the people who have said he is “unloving”, etc. so I cannot be accused of specifically rebutting anyone. These rumors are only repeated (in my hearing) generally, and I must therefore respond generally. I simply wish to add my voice in a public way to his defense. It seems that no one else is doing so. (On the web at least.)  

The Hunt for Red Chicken

The kitchen area at our fast food restaurant is a lot like the submarines you see on Hollywood movies. You know, movies like “The Hunt for Red October” or “U-571″, or others. These are, I assume, accurate to the nature and procedures of real submarines and their crew.

In these movies the basic method for operating the submarine or it’s weapons is is always to have an order given (“10 degrees on the dive plain”) and then it is immediately repeated by the crew member responsible for carrying out that order. (“10 degrees on the dive plain, Aye.”) Sometimes it’s repeated three times. (Captain – “All engines ahead full!” First Mate – “All engines ahead full!” Lowly sailor assigned to unglamerous throttle control – “Aye! Engines ahead full, aye sir!”)