Tower of Babel

Genesis 11:1-9

"11 Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. ² And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. ³ Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. ⁴ And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

⁵ But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. ⁶ And the Lordsaid, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. ⁷ Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” ⁸ So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. ⁹ Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lordscattered them abroad over the face of all the earth."

For the first time, since the time of the Tower of Babel construction, the world is beginning to speak one language: technology. The worldwide web is far from completely worldwide. There are even some in this country without it, but we are well on our way.

This is a map of IP addresses. Cool, huh?

If you can't read it, the key says, 

White: many people, many IP addresses
Red: few people, many IP addresses
Blue: many people, no IP addresses

What makes us want to connect? What makes us so upset when the government threatens to control our ability to connect? People connect via the www for many reasons: business growth, knowledge sharing, charity work, mission work, culture, a strange fascination with others' mundane Facebook updates...


God shut down the construction of the Tower of Babel because of the peoples' purpose: power and pride.  They wanted to make a long lasting name for themselves. 


Is it possible, that if we as humans work together to create a global network, reaching all countries both advanced and behind, could once again speak one "language"?


I believe so. I think, if our intentions are pure and we use it for good, we could do one of the greatest things the earth has ever seen. If we use our technology to educate those in countries far behind ours, to teach the word of God to those who would have never heard of Him otherwise, we can do such amazing things that our grandparents would have never dreamed of. 


Tell me, what have you used your power for today?

(This video does not belong to me. It was taken from:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8KUALGMISM)

In God I Trust

In God I Trust

A friend from work sent me an email about a very rich man. Someone who knew him, saw that he always picked up pennies anytime he saw them. When asked why he would pick up such an insignificant coin, when he already has so much, he responded, "See, it says, 'In God We Trust' on it. Every time I see a penny, I am reminded to trust the Lord and that I should thank God for even the tiniest of blessings. So, I pick it up and say a silent prayer each time."

Recently, I've been doing the same thing. You know what? I've been finding pennies everywhere! (And no... I'm not talking about the coins I see in my drawer at work.) Every time, I pick it up, remember to trust in God and say a prayer to thank Him for what He's given me. 

Here are some of the reasons why I trust my Lord.

1. He knows my name. (Isaiah 43:1)

I am not kidding. The Almighty God knows my name and loves me.

2. Everywhere I go, He is with me. (Psalms 129:7 and Matthew 28:20)

In fact, He even goes before me. I have nothing to fear.

3. The Lord will fight for me. (Exodus 14:14)

This is a good one when the world seems as if it is coming down on me. I just need to be still and trust God, and let Him do the fighting. God always wins.

4. He created me in His image. (Genesis 1:27)

Even on my "fat days" I am beautiful, because God made me in His image. I will remember this and thank Him for it.

5. He has a plan for me. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Sure, I am a college student who has switched majors a half a zillion times. I'm not really sure of my plan for myself, but I know that God has a plan. I just need to prayerfully listen and follow His plan.

Why do you trust God?

Phrase for the day

Congratulations! If you are reading this, God has blessed you with another day on this Earth! What you do with it is up to you. God has given you the freedom of choice. Today, you can choose to serve Him, bless others, and be a shining example to those around you. I pray that you and I will do just that. 

Dear God, 

Thank you for giving me a good night's rest. Thank you for waking me this morning. Thank you so much for giving me another day on this earth. I pray that I will use it for your glory. I love you, Lord.

In Jesus's name, Amen.

Different Colors on the Same Spectrum

There are some key issues in the Bible that God is clear about. 


1. Love God.
2. Love one another. (Mentioned at least nineteen times in the New Testament.)
3. Repent and be baptized. 
4. Teach others about Christ. 
5. Use your talents.




There are other issues that cause great disunity, that I cannot seem to find a reference to.


1. Is it okay to have a time set aside for donuts and coffee with other members before or after services?
2. Could God create a rock so big that even He could not lift it?
3. Where should I draw the line on instrumental music?
4. There is no example of the use of electricity in the Bible. Is it okay to use in services?
5. Should you always dress up for church? "Sunday Best"


I think, that there are issues that God was clear about and others that he was not. Is it possible that two people can look at the same bible and see different ways of interpreting it? I see turquoise, you see blue. Neither of us are wrong. I think, that if it were a matter of salvation, God would say it, he would make it clear, and he would say it again. These things are not arguable. There are other arguments that come up, that almost need a lawyer to find scripture to support or refute. I do not believe that God wanted this. I believe that this is similar to what the Pharisees were doing. 


I believe that we should focus much less on the trivial arguments that separate one congregation from another and start focusing on benevolence, encouragement, evangelism and love. I believe that these are the things that will be brought up on the day of judgement.


Here is how I deal with issues that come up:


1. What is my motivation for doing so? (If it is to please God, move on to #2. If it is any other reason, cease and desist.)
2. Can I find scripture to refute my actions? (If yes, cease. If no, move on to #3.)
3. What do the elders in my congregation think of this? (If they oppose, cease. If they support, move on to #4.)
4. Would my actions offend another Christian? (If no, go for it! If yes, either cease or talk to that brother/sister. One or both of you may end up changing your opinion.)


I could be wrong. If I am, please let me know. I just think that there are more important issues at hand, and fighting over silly things is counterintuitive. It causes undue disunity in the church and discourages non-Christians from joining the church.

Modern Contract Law

What if things were different? Imagine, at the end of your life, you were called to a dark court room with God as the judge, Jesus as the defense attorney, and modern American contract law as the enforceable law.

Imagine that the day you became a Christian, you signed a contract, stating that you agreed to do all of the things, in good faith, that the Bible commands, and agreed to refrain from doing all of the things God's word commands not to do. (Yes this sounds a little Old Testament like, but let's imagine that the New Testament is a tangible material law.) In exchange, God agreed to give you salvation, an eternal life in Heaven.

So, knees trembling, you are called up to the bench, to have your successes and failures read aloud to all of humanity. The list is long. You messed up. You've lied, been unkind, turned your shoulder to someone who needed it, been unfaithful for a time. The instances seem infinite.

But, there were successful moments in your life, too. You raised faithful children, loved your family and your neighbors, brought others to Christ, shared your joy with others, prayed endlessly, the list goes on.

What is the Judge to do?

Your Defense Attorney tries to help you out. He brings up Substantial Performance doctrine. Substantial performance doctrine, in a nutshell, is when, sometimes, parties enter a contract pursuing good faith performance, but now party cannot give perfect performance.

This is starting to sound good, right? It's not like you intended to mess up. You pursued a good faith performance. You tried to live a Godly life. By the end of your life, your children and grandchildren were pretty convinced that you were perfect. Age brought wisdom, but your youth... your youth was inexcusable.

The Defense Attorney continues. "the law recognizes a party's good faith effort to substantially perform his or her obligations.

This has you written all over it. You tried so hard to do God's will.

Substantial performance is recognized as performance of the essential terms of the contract. The contract is considered complete, less damages for anything you failed to perform.

What now? Damages for anything you failed to perform? How could you possibly come up with anything even slightly of worth to the Almighty God to cover the damages where you failed to perform. Yes, you're thankful that the contract is still valid, but really?

So the jury decides what your life was worth, and you owe half, which was lenient, because you performed less than half. The sentence is rendered, and you're left to foot the bill. How can you possibly come up with $10 million? You haven't worked in 30 years, and your retirement fund that was left when you died doesn't come close to that.


Thank you God, that our salvation is not like that. Thank you God for your grace, because even what is considered to be "leniency" in earthly courts, doesn't come close to your mercy. I pray that we will all strive to live a Godly life, but that we understand that You are there to catch us when we struggle and just don't measure up. I pray that all who are reading this will one day hear from You, "Well done, My good and faithful servant." Thank You for Your grace, Your mercy and Your love.
In Jesus's name,
Amen.

It's just a stupid shoe.

Some people have kids. Kids are cool. I have a dog, and he's awesome.  Luda is a ten month old puppy, which puts him at about 5 and three-quarters in human years. 

Before I rag on him, I must tell you he's a very good dog. Although he's a whopping ten pounds, when Marcus isn't home, Luda goes into "guard dog mode." He doesn't leave my side when I'm here by myself. He comes when I call, sits when I tell him to and stays when commanded. He's smart too. He'll do anything for a treat. (Speaking of guard dog, he is barking at a slammed car door as I write.)

When I started working full time, he was six months old. I thought six months was too young to be keeping him in a crate all day, so I put up a baby gate, and kept him corralled in a 4'x3' hallway plus bathroom full of toys, food, water and his bed. About a month or so ago, he was out when I got home. I assumed Marcus had let him out when he stopped by the house. Then it happened again and again on days I knew Marcus hadn't been home. 

As it turns out, this little puppy had been using all of his strength to jump over the baby gate and then couldn't get back in to his food, water and toys. So, we decided, since he hadn't destroyed anything yet, to let him stay out while we're at work. He made it nearly four months without getting into any trouble. No accidents. Nothing chewed. No messes. 

Then, this week came. Maybe he got too used to Marcus and I being at the house all weekend. (I had a weekend full of homework, studying and football.) 

Monday: I come home to find the sack full of potatoes Kroger had on sale, strewn across the floor. They all had teeth marks in them, but none of them were actually eaten. I guess raw potatoes just aren't his thing. The pair of shoes I keep for the door also had teeth marks in them. I walk in, see the mess, and Luda runs straight to his "room," without me even scolding him. He knew what he did was wrong. 

Tuesday: I get home from work and find my bank statement and power bill shredded into pieces on the floor. (Funny, he left all the junk mail still sitting on the coffee table.) I'm wondering if Alabama Power will take the excuse that "my dog ate the bill." Again, shoes are in the middle of the rug... obvious that he's been chewing on them. I see the mess, he runs for his room. I call him out, scold him, swat him with the bill and send him back.

Wednesday: Nothing today. He gets belly rubs and a treat upon my arrival.

Thursday: He broke into our bedroom. I guess either one of us left the door open, or my dog is a ninja. He took most of my favorite shoes out of the closet, brought them into the living room and chewed them up. Now I was mad. He knew it. The second I walked in the door, he saw the stink in my eyes, his tail went between his legs and he ran for cover. 

Today: One of my shoes is hidden in his lair. Maybe he thinks if I can't find my shoes, I can't leave the house.

Luda knows he's not supposed to chew on shoes. He made this mistake before. He knows he's going to get in trouble, so why does he do it? It's just a stupid shoe! On top of that, if he is good while I'm away, he gets a treat. Is chewing on some nasty, sweaty shoe really better than a meat-alicious treat? I look forward to coming home to that wagging tail as I open the "T-R-E-A-T" bag. (Speaking of smart dog, he knows that T-R-E-A-T spells treat... guess we'll have to start using sign language.) I hate having to punish him when I come home.

I guess the problem is that Luda forgets the big picture. He's far too easily pleased. He trades in an hour of playing, belly rubs, and a treat for temporary pleasure from a stinky old shoe. 

I bet this is how God feels. We can't see the big picture. I wonder if he's up there saying "Ugh!! It's just a stupid shoe!!!" If we could focus on the big picture here and realize we are trading in stinky, sweaty, smelly sin for something so wonderful, we can't even fathom it. Won't it be grand to hear him say, "GOOOOOD boy!!! I'm so proud. Where's your toy?? Let's go outside and play!"

Where were you?

There are three big events that mark my childhood memories. 

The first was the birth of my sister. I barely knew my Mom was pregnant before, all of a sudden, three months too soon, I had a baby sister. It was March 5th, 1993. As much as my parents tried to keep me from knowing the details, I knew that my baby sister's life was in danger. I remember being so angry with the doctors for saying that a three year old was too young to be in the NICU. I was three. I wasn't a kid anymore. I remember praying to God that he would keep my sister alive, because I already loved her so much and I wanted to see her. 

The second was a Sunday night on March 8th, 1998. I had been thinking about it for a while. I talked about it with my Uncle Scott at their house on 13th Street in Niceville. I talked about it with my parents, who wondered if I was too young for such a big decision. I talked about it with Bob Lauderdale, an elder of our church at the time. I was seven. I wasn't a kid anymore. On March 8, 1998, I decided to become a Christian. After services, my dad baptized me, and my Uncle Scott led "I've been Redeemed," while my sister, my Aunt Amy and my mother sang along. I remember praying for God to lead me to make good decisions and to help me to be a good example to my friends at school. 

The third was September 11th, 2001. I was eleven. All morning I was worried about the midterm grades that were coming out. I was pretty sure that I was getting a B in my third period, Mrs. Johns's Ancient History class, and pretty sure my parents would kill me when I got home. I remember glancing up in homeroom at the screen of some boring news show about some building on fire, and turned back to my homework I was trying to finish before 2nd period English started. That's when it changed. My English teacher had the news on, told us what was going on and told us it was real. She didn't even collect the homework. In third period, Mrs. Johns let all of the active duty military kids use her phone to call their parents, just in case it was the last time. I remember sitting next to my best friend Jacquelyn and wondering if her dad would get deployed. I remember giving her a hug and saying a quiet prayer that she would get to see him before he shipped out. I remember hearing what seemed like thousands of planes flying in and out of Eglin Air Force Base. I prayed for our country and wondered what kind of hatred would cause such a thing to happen to innocent people. I attended a prayer service that night for our country, our leaders and our soldiers. September 11th, 2001 was the day my childhood ended. From that day on, I would choose CNN over disney channel. (And I finally had the choice, since that was around the time that my parents switched from 20 channels of basic cable to 72 channels.) It was the day I really became an American. At eleven years old I knew nothing would ever be the same. Instead of praying that  God would spare us from tornadoes (which I prayed every night ever since I saw the movie Twister...) I prayed that God would spare my family from nuclear war and my friends' parents from deployment. I remember being proud, when I saw yellow ribbons, when the Congress declared that they would back up President Bush 100% in his decision to go to war, and proud when I saw people showing off their patriotism with  American flags. I wondered what life would be like in ten years. 

Where were you September 11th 2001?