Thots & Ponderings – James & Carolanne

Is Zoom Safe?

Thu, 09 Apr 20 11:24:25 +0000

In this time of social distancing, many people are searching for ways to connect by video conferencing and Zoom.us has become one of the popular choices. However, lately there have also been revelations that Zoom security is a huge problem.

I have used Zoom for quite a while now, being part of a mostly web based team, and so I was both concerned and curious about the truth behind these bombshells.

I decided to do some research on my own and these are my personal opinions and understanding of the situation.

The China Connection

One area people have been REALLY concerned about is that the Chinese are stealing all our data and personal information through Zoom.

As far as I can tell, the likelihood of this being the case is pretty low. YES there is (was?) a connection to China in that previously in some very specific situations when the Zoom platform got overloaded, they rerouted the datastream through their datacenters located in China. This does NOT mean that the Zoom app was stealing your personal information and sending it to the Chinese authorities. What it DOES mean is that there is a very remote possibility that some Chinese authority might be able to watch you talk to your grandkids on Zoom. BUT that's only if they pressured the Zoom company to hand over the encryption keys and had tied in to the Zoom data stream for your conference. AND (I think) they would have had to show up as another participant in the meeting. (not sure on that one)

Suffice to say though, the Chinese authorities aren't stealing your credit card numbers and banking information through the Zoom app. (though it's entirely possible they could do it in other ways hitting you through far more vulnerable areas)

The Encryption Problem

They say the connection isn't encrypted. Isn't that bad?

Again, as far as I can tell, the key phrase here is "end-to-end encryption". Yes, as far as I can tell, the Zoom connection IS encrypted. However, it's not encrypted without gap all the way from you to your grandchild. Rather, it is encrypted between your computer and the Zoom server. And then also encrypted between your grandchild's computer and the Zoom server. Zoom holds the encryption keys to control the encrypted connection.

The ZoomBombing

This actually IS a problem, but more related to how people have been using Zoom, rather than an issue with Zoom itself. (ok, there are issues there too, but let me explain)

Zoom basically acts like a conference center. Anyone with the address could potentially come to the conference. The problem is, for most of the conferences, there was no receptionist (bouncer) at the door. So, people could just drive by, see that there was a conference, come on in and cause problems.

Zoom has fixed this issue recently by adding passwords to the rooms by default. So now you have to know the password to come into the conference.

The Conclusion

So, these are the issues I've identified so far. There may be others. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.

For myself, I'm not going to stop using Zoom. It's a very handy tool with very good video capacity for both small coding sessions as well as large scale conferences.

Of course, I'm not handling huge trade secrets or discussing the overthrow of govt's. I just want to talk to my coworkers and get work done together.

Our Father's Rich Mercy

Fri, 15 Jul 16 16:33:00 +0000

I took this panoramic shot recently while on a date night with Carolanne. The photo doesn't do justice to the color and grandeur of it. It was an amazing reminder to us of our Father's love for us.

And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” - Genesis 9:12-16 (NIV)

Scripture tells us that the rainbow is to be a reminder for us of God's restraint. Often I look around at the destruction and evil in our world today and wish for Jesus to return and "fix" everything. However I also have to remember that if He had not shown restraint at the flood, or during countless other evil periods since that time, I would not be here to rejoice in his mercy today. Only He knows what lives will be changed forever tomorrow because of His restraint today. With The Life Project we see somewhere around 1000 people each month who make decisions to be reconciled to God. That's an incredible number of people who will rejoice with me at His restraint and patience this month. Praise the Lord for His mercy and pray with me for these lives that are changed. To learn more about us and our ministry visit /about-us/

Happy Easter!

Sun, 05 Apr 15 09:25:11 +0000

Our family would like to wish you a very happy Easter celebration this year. For those who don't know, Easter is celebrated by Christians around the world in remembrance of Jesus' death and subsequent resurrection. As Christians, we believe that Jesus Christ was the son of God who came to earth, lived a life without sin or fault, was captured, falsely judged, tortured and crucified on what we now call "good Friday" even though He had done nothing deserving of death. On Sunday, as He had foretold during his life and as had also been prophesied in the Bible long before His birth, He rose again from the dead, spoke to and was seen by many over the next forty days, and then was visibly taken up to heaven to take His seat at His Father's right hand. Furthermore, we believe that He will return some day in power and glory as He promised, to take home to be with Him all who repent of their sinfulness and turn to believe in Him. He did all this in order to reconcile us to God in order that by simply believing in Him, we might be saved from God's destruction of sin. The Bible records in the book of John chapter 3 verse 16 that God loved the world SO much, He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life. It goes on to explain that "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son." - John 3:18 If you would like to make YOUR life right with God, the process is quite simple, though it will affect your entire life. You can start by praying this simple prayer.

"Jesus, I ask you to come into my life. Forgive my sin. Thank you for dying on the cross for me. Lead my life as you want. Thank you for coming into my life right now and giving me a relationship with you. Amen."

If you have prayed this prayer today, you can know that He has heard you and is willing to clear your debt from sin. He asks that you believe in Him and learn to trust in Him. The next step you should take is to tell someone. Tell us, or tell a family member. We would LOVE to talk to you further about this, or answer any questions you might have. Don't hesitate to reach out to us. If you would rather find out more on your own, this is a pretty good place to start: http://www.everystudent.com/wires/whydid.html

Easter... What's the big deal?

Sat, 30 Mar 13 15:37:32 +0000

You may be asking yourself... "What's the big deal about Easter?" I'd like to tell you what it means to me. Easter is the time when I remember the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus was born in Israel 2000(ish) years ago and claimed to be the son of God, come to save us from destruction. He backed that claim up by performing many documented signs and miracles in the presence of many witnesses. He also proved his claim by showing the people how his coming was clearly and specifically foretold in their own scriptures, written many years before his birth. While he was with them he taught his followers many truths about himself from their own scriptures and also proved his power by miraculously healing the diseases and sicknesses of all who came to him. He also occasionally spoke of the time when he would have to be killed in order that those who believe in Him might be saved from destruction. He taught that one day a time will come when all humanity will have to stand before the judgement seat of God and be judged based on our actions in life. The punishment for sin is death (that is final destruction by God, not just physical death) and all who have sinned in life will be destined for that eternal destruction. (unfortunately for us, there is no one who has not sinned) He explained that he had come to save us by dying in our place and taking the punishment that was intended for us. There were, however, many who did not believe his claims and who incited the religious and political leaders of that day and area (through a rioting mob) to have him captured, brought before judgement, and condemned to death by crucifixion. Their case against him was completely fabricated and (according to the recorded historical account in the Bible) even the witnesses brought against him couldn't agree on exactly what crime he had committed to deserve the death sentence. After close examination of the claims against him, the political leader of that area wanted to let him go, but gave in to the will of the mob to avoid a more dangerous riot. On that Friday, he was severely beaten, humiliated, and then taken to the place of execution where he was crucified on a wooden cross. A number of hours later, the Roman soldiers assigned to the execution pronounced him dead after having speared him in the side. His body was taken down from the cross and was laid in a borrowed tomb with a large boulder blocking the entrance, and a squad of soldiers guarding it in case of some deception. Early in the morning on Sunday (after the Jewish passover celebration) some women went to the tomb with spices to embalm the body. When they arrived, they discovered that the boulder had been rolled away and the tomb was empty. Two angels appeared to them and told them that Jesus had risen from the dead as He had foretold. In the following weeks Jesus himself appeared to many of his followers and reminded them of what he had taught them previously about his death and resurrection. He instructed them to go and tell the good news that there was forgiveness for sin and right standing with God available to those who are willing to accept it. During his life, he committed no sin and yet he took my place in death and judgement so that when I stand before God I can have the opportunity to be saved from final destruction. This is why Easter means so much to me. The way to receive that salvation is simple. Romans 3 in the Bible states the following:

²²We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. ²³For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. ²⁴Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.²⁵For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.

So, to be saved, you simply have to pray, confessing that you have sinned, asking for forgiveness and believing that Jesus Christ as the son of God has paid for your sin. If you don't know what to say, here is a sample prayer. It's not a formula ... you can use your own words, but it's a place to start...

Lord Jesus, I need you. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be.

If you have prayed this prayer, I'd love to hear about it and celebrate with you. If you have more questions, feel free to check out some of the resources we have at Power to Change. If you want to read about Jesus life and more detail of what I've written above, you could read the book of Luke in the Bible. Read it here online.

Human Assembly Line

Mon, 15 Oct 12 16:23:50 +0000

Imagine with me for a moment, a scene in the heavenlies, where humans are BUILT before being born in long assembly lines worked by angels, not unlike the construction of a modern racing car. Of course, there would be multiple factories... one for the construction of brain tissue, another for building livers, and a special one near the center where hearts are developed and tested. In fact, all the various pieces (many thousands in total) are tested rigorously to maintain the highest standard of build quality. Plans are carefully examined and followed as each piece is slightly unique to the person being constructed with all instructions coming direct from the head office. The angels work tirelessly at their task, each a specialist in their own area, knowing that what they build will need to last for many years to come. At the center of the scene is the assembly plant, where all the bits and pieces are brought together to create the unified result. All the other factories feed into this massive central hub, and on this assembly line thousands of the most specialized angels carefully connect the organs, bones, tissues and ligiments together. Last of all the body is covered with a fine skin, prepared with special attention and care by a team of experts. The formal launch is attended by everyone who worked to create this masterpiece and the air is electric as everyone strains to watch for the first gasps of air. The body enters the final station where life is breathed into it's lungs and and the heart begins to pump on it's own. The brain starts up and the fingers and toes begin to tingle with new found sensation. The crowd roars with cheers and celebration, but then a hush falls as the announcer receives a note. The next step is crucial and here, often to the confusion of many in attendance, head office sends down the order: "Give it freedom to choose". The freedom to choose means that now this human may make any decision it wishes and it is a wonderful and terrible gift. It means the human can choose to see what surrounds it, to acknowledge it's creator and interact with the technicians and handlers. The freedom is given, and the human is taken to the test track for a trial run. Immediately, the crowd groans in agony as they watch the human begin making wrong choice after wrong choice. Most often the unit will launch onto the track and run away as far as possible from the technicians and handlers. Sometimes, in defiance, it will crash up against the sides of the track, trying to reach up and injure some from the audience. Eventually, most will begin to run as quickly as possible around the circular track, as if to pretend there is nothing else to see and the technicians don't even exist. Additional commands are received from head office and the handlers try desperately to get the attention of the mad beast on the track but to no avail. A great saddness sweeps over the crowd as the realization sinks in that another unit has turned it's back on it's creator. Slowly the audience dispurses, each back to their assigned station. The factories once again begin to hum and pieces again begin to form together. The defiant unit is left, temporarily, on the test track to see if it will eventually begin to function correctly. The initial power it had been given will only keep it running for a few short years and when it has run it's course the faulty unit will be removed to the scrap heap. In time more units are created, each slightly unique, with varying specifications in line with the complex and detailed plans from head office. In each case, the unit is given the freedom to choose, and in each case the choices are bad. The technicians take extensive notes on the behaviour of the units with the hope that some fault or detail may have been overlooked. Sometimes the unit simply runs around the track until exhausted, doing nothing particularly notable except for a complete disregard for it's surroundings or creator. In other cases the unit goes especially crazy and begins to attack and subjegate other units on the track, at times even torturing or killing them. Such is the nature of the power of choice which was granted at the launch. In the midst of it all, an extra special order comes down from head office. A king is to be built who is rumoured to be the solution to the "situation". The agenda's are cleared, and the tools are cleaned and serviced. Messengers sent from head office go to each of the factories to ensure that the plans are carried out exactly as specified. Initial construction seems routine... as though the body should not be any different from the rest, however in spite of this confusion, the plans are followed to the last and smallest detail. In the assembly plant there is yet more confusion. The assembled parts appear no more spectacular than any of the other masterpieces created. In fact, some minor deformations are detected (as many previous models appeared to have), but after comparison against that original plans, they were determined in fact to be part of the design. In the final station though, the air is alight with excitement. It seems that the Creator Himself, the CEO from the head office, has come and is going to breath His life into this unit. At the launch, the confusion in the arena is almost palpable. After all, this particular unit wasn't built with any special weapons or defensive mechanisms. By this time there are quite a number of faulty products on the test track and it is becoming a dangerous place to be, even for the technicians. What precautions would the Creator take to shield Himself from their onslaught? Would He be able to make a difference? How could His presence help these broken units? Would He even survive?

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

Wed, 21 Mar 12 11:24:43 +0000

I want to talk today about the pharisee and the sinner from Luke 18.

9 Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: 10 “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! 12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ 14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Now, I know from Sunday school that I don't want to be like the pharisee. Jesus had a fair bit to say to them, reminding them that they really weren't any more spiritual or righteous than the tax collectors. In the Bible Study I attend, we've been going through the book “The Jesus I Never Knew” by Phillip Yancy. Recently, we've been talking about the sermon on the mount where Jesus gives us a whole bunch of rules about how to live a righteous life. The pharisees at that time had the law of Moses and in order not to break any of the laws, they had implemented a whole collection of additional laws. The idea was to to set the standard higher than necessary in order to avoid breaking the really bad stuff. For example, in the ten commandments, it talks about honoring the Sabbath and keeping it holy. In order to make sure they did that, the Pharisee's put in rules about what you could and couldn't do, even to the extent of how far someone was allowed to walk on that day. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus takes these rules and raises the standard even higher saying that hatred is just as bad as murder, and lust is the same as adultery. In doing this I believe he made the gap between God and man even more unattainable. He showed the Pharisees that they still weren't anywhere near “sinless” and more importantly, he showed each of us how much we need God's forgiveness and grace. Phil Callaway shares a funny story about being asked how he's doing at church. The truth, he says, is that when he hasn't been gossiping or lusting, he's been coveting, and frankly he enjoys all three... BUT in response to the question he simply says “Well, I've been struggling to memorize the gospel of John, brother. Now, according to Jesus standards, I'm no better than a murderer or a pimp. I'm pretty sure Power to Change doesn't hire murderers or pimps. Yet, God, in His mercy and grace, has given me the privilege of serving Him in spite of my failures. Because of Jesus, God considers me to be forgiven, pure and holy in His sight. My point today is that we remember, no matter how good we might think we are, we're really not any better than the drug dealer on the street. I don't hear it preached as much any more, but I still believe that all sin is equal in God's sight, whether you're jealous of someone's new iPad, or murdering prostitutes. The only difference is that as a result of Jesus death in our place and our trust in Him, we've been shown grace and mercy in spite of ourselves. So, live in the grace God has given you, and remember to forgive as you have been forgiven.

Trust in the Lord

Wed, 21 Mar 12 11:57:57 +0000

I was given a verse this weekend: Prov. 3:5 - Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. I often miss this verse in my hurry to get to the next one, but there's some profound truth here. Medical professionals tell us over and over again that stress is bad for your health. For me, stress is usually the result of worry over some trivial thing or another. When I worry, it usually means I'm not doing a very good job of trusting the Lord. But Jesus himself said: 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? [Matt. 6] The old hymn also comes to mind to remind us that we can hand all our worries, stresses and fears over to Him who made us. Day by day, and with each passing moment, Strength I find to meet my trials here; Trusting in my Father's wise bestowment, I've no cause for worry or for fear. So, this week as you walk the road God has given you, remember to trust Him, even with the small things. Remember that He loves you very much, and longs for you to live in fellowship with Him.

Isaiah 22

Wed, 21 Mar 12 11:57:35 +0000

I've been reading lately through the book of Isaiah. In the past I avoided this book due to it being among those classified as "Prophetic Warnings and Doom" in my head. Generally I try to avoid those due the danger of personal depression. :) However, I have learned to really enjoy Isaiah. There are some great nuggets in there, and a LOT of prophecy pertaining to the coming of Christ and His reign. There are also a number of places where Jesus Himself quotes Isaiah, and I figure if it was good enough for Him to use, I'd better pay attention to it. One of these prophecies is found in Isaiah 22. Now at the outset, this chapter does ring of the "doom and gloom" variety. It discusses the impending destruction of Jerusalem and how God is even more angered by the people because instead of mourning and repenting in the face of death, they are a) preparing for battle simply in their own strength and then b) leaving the result up to fate instead of asking God for His forgiveness and help.

You say, "Kill the ox and slaughter the sheep, eat meat and drink wine. Eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!" (v. 13b)

The passage that really struck me though was a little further on. Isaiah makes reference to a man named Shebna who supervises the palace. Apparently this Shebna had a very high opinion of himself and yet God says that he will throw Shebna away and replace him with another. This is where it gets interesting because in verse 22 God says this about the man who will replace Shebna, the palace administrator:

I will give him the key to the house of David—the highest position in the royal court. When he opens doors, no one will be able to close them; when he closes doors, no one will be able to open them.

THAT sounds familiar, doesn't it! This is exactly what Jesus said of Peter in Matthew 19.

Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven. (Matt. 19: 18-19)

There is also a warning here though. In the Isaiah passage, God talks about how the man who replaces Shebna will be fastened like a peg in a solid place and will gain honor and respect. In the analogy, all sorts of smaller containers will be hung off of this peg and "His father's family will gain increasing prominence because of him, including the offspring and the offshoots." The warning comes at the very end though where God says that "the peg fastened into a solid place will come loose. It will be cut off and fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut off." Now, in my mind, if we carry this analogy back over to the situation in the New Testament, we see Peter being set as the cornerstone on whom Jesus is going to build His church. He is the peg on whom the offspring and offshoots (the bowls and containers) are being hung. The question that comes immediately to my mind is whether the warning at the end has any connection to Peter and the church, or whether that part of the prophecy was simply for the Isaiah situation. If it was for the church, what does it mean? Is the church going to be "cut off" in some way in the future? There are a lot of possible situations and outcomes which can come to mind, but I'll leave the speculation alone for now. Suffice to say that we the church should be very careful in our actions and decisions in order that we NOT come loose and be cut off. Pauls seems to allude to this in Romans 11 where he says:

¹⁷ But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree. ¹⁸But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root. ¹⁹ “Well,” you may say, “those branches were broken off to make room for me.” ²⁰ Yes, but remember—those branches were broken off because they didn’t believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen. ²¹ For if God did not spare the original branches, he won’t^[f] spare you either.

If you have thoughts on this or any other insight, I'd love to hear it. I hope you have been challenged and blessed by this.

God Loves You

Thu, 01 Dec 11 14:46:43 +0000

God loves you. Revolutionary isn't it. It's so easy to say, yet so difficult to understand or comprehend. I've been reading in Daniel lately and one of the things that stuck out to me was the language that is used to describe God's feelings about Daniel. Daniel 9:20-23 says the following:

²⁰ I went on praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people, pleading with the Lord my God for Jerusalem, his holy mountain. ²¹ As I was praying, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, came swiftly to me at the time of the evening sacrifice. ²² He explained to me, “Daniel, I have come here to give you insight and understanding. ²³ The moment you began praying, a command was given. And now I am here to tell you what it was, for you are very precious to God. Listen carefully so that you can understand the meaning of your vision. (NLT)

The part I really noticed was how God felt about Daniel. "for you are very precious to God". The creator of the universe, the King of Kings, the Ancient One is known in heaven to care very dearly about Daniel. This is the same King of Kings that Daniel has a glimpse of a few chapters before as He sits as judge on His throne of blazing fire, with millions upon millions ministering to and attending Him. In verses as basic as John 3:16 we see that God loves us too. In fact, He loves us so much He gave everything to give us the chance to be saved from the situation we've gotten ourselves into. Jesus tells us that God knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows the number of hairs on our heads (let alone simple things like our names). He values us and longs for us to be restored to fellowship with Him. And yet He has also made what must be one of the most difficult choices of all, and that is to let us go. I'm sure you have heard the saying, "If you love something, let it go." Well, that's exactly what God did for us. He loved us so much that he let us go. He gave us the chance to make our own decision about Him, without pressuring us or forcing us into something, He gave us the chance to make up our own minds and choose to accept or reject Him.

The Disobedient Man of God - 1 Kings 13

Thu, 01 Dec 11 14:47:12 +0000

I just read the story of "the disobedient man of God" in 1 Kings 13 and I really don't understand it. In the story, king Jeroboam is offering sacrifices to golden calves he made at Bethel, and an unnamed "man of God from Judah" is sent by God to denounce him. The man of God does what he was told to do, and when invited to come and share a meal with the king, he refuses, saying that God told him not to eat or drink anything. All well and good so far. As the man is going home, another "old prophet living in Bethel" hears about it, and goes after the unnamed man to talk to him about it. The old prophet invites the man to eat with him and the man refuses, saying God told him not to eat anything. The old prophet then lies to the man, saying "an angel gave me this command from the LORD: 'Bring him home with you so he can have something to eat and drink.'"(NLT) At this, the man agrees and goes home to eat and drink with the old prophet. While they're there eating, the LORD speaks to the old prophet and has him condemn the man for disobeying God. He prophecies that the man will be killed and his bones will not rest with those of his ancestors. On his way home, the man is eaten by a lion. What's the moral here? If I had been in that situation, I can't say I wouldn't have done the exact same. Based on the information given, I don't see the reason why God would do this to what seems to be an unsuspecting victim. Furthermore, the old prophet seems to experience no consequences at all for his deception of God's messenger. So... maybe there is more to the story that we aren't told. Maybe the old prophet was actually secretly sent by the king to destroy the man. Perhaps the man had unwritten secret sins. Or maybe the moral is that if God tells you to do something, you'd better do it until God Himself tells you personally to stop. Can anyone give me a better explanation?

Party in His Presence

Thu, 01 Dec 11 14:47:21 +0000

I (James) have been reading through the Bible from the beginning and have been really enjoying it so far. Recently, I was reading in Deuteronomy 14:22-27 and was surprised by something I had never noticed before. The verses are talking about how the Israelites are supposed to tithe 10%. I guess I've always glossed over those verses: "... tithe 10% ... sacrifice it to God ... give to the priests..." However, in reading it this time, I noticed a small detail. This is my paraphrased version:

22-23. Tithe 10% of your crops and new herds, taking it to the place of worship. 24. If you have too much to take or the place of worship is too far away, you can sell it, put the money in a pouch, and take the money to the place of worship.

Now, this is the part I noticed. This is a direct quote from the NLT, Deut. 14:26.

When you arrive, you may use the money to buy any kind of food you want - cattle, sheep, goats, wine, or other alcoholic drink. Then feast there in the presence of the LORD your God and celebrate with your household. (underline and bold added for emphasis)

Huh? Wait a sec. What happened to "sacrifice it to God"? I re-read the passage and realised it says nothing of the kind. They are simply to bring their tithes to the place of worship, and proceed to PARTY in God's presence, inviting the Levites to join in. Then, every third year, instead of partying, they are to give the tithe entirely to the Levites, as well as to any foreigners, orphans and widows. Kinda puts a different spin on tithing, doesn't it.

God of Genocide

Thu, 01 Dec 11 14:47:37 +0000

Is your Jesus capable of ordering the genocide of a people group or two? I've been reading through the Old Testament again recently and have been shocked by the violence that I read of God ordering His people to wipe out entire people groups. In the past I have read these passages and been pacified with the thought that "well, they were evil and deserved it" or "God was punishing them". While this is true, it is difficult to come to grips with the stark reality that our God, the kind, compassionate, loving Jesus that we worship, is also a God of destruction and absolute holiness. When we hear about the fact that God does not tolerate sin, it means He's the type that might just burn you to a crisp (literally and instantly) for making the wrong choice. (Lev. 10:1-2) But we don't do the things they did right? God wiped out the Canaanites as a result of their adulterous, homosexual, murdering ways. Not to mention their rejection of the true God and worship of false gods. But we don't do these things! We only told God he couldn't be in our schools (and courts, and families). And we don't worship other false gods and set up Asherah poles like the heathens. We just stick to our satellite receivers and sports heroes. (Maybe a little American/Canadian Idol too) We don't like to talk about this side of God's holiness much these days. After all, that was the Old Testament, and God isn't like that any more..... is He? * This article is in no way intended to say that genocide is a good thing.

Who do you smell like?

Thu, 01 Dec 11 14:47:45 +0000

During our recent time at the Power to Change biennial Zone Conference I had an interesting conversation with one of our newer staff members. He was telling me all about his favourite hobby restoring an old car. His wife, apparently, doesn't share his same passion, referring to the vehicle as his "mistress". She could always tell when he'd been spending time with "his mistress" because when he came in he brought with him a certain "aroma". (Eau de engine oil and axle grease) This was the comment that caught my attention and I spent most of the conference pondering it. As a follower of Christ, do I "smell" like I've been spending time with Him? I've been reminded recently that we can't say we have a relationship with someone unless we actually know them.

As a follower of Christ, do I "smell" like I've been spending time with Him?

Furthermore, you can't really know someone unless you actually spend time with them, talk to them, hear their heart and passions. So using those criteria I've been challenging myself: "do I have a relationship with Jesus? Or do I just know OF Him?" When others interact with me, can they tell that I've been spending time with Him? Can they smell His presence on me? I have many struggles in putting this into action. I know that the most important way I can learn about Him is through reading about His life and ministry in His word, the Bible. I know that I always enjoy it and feel refreshed and renewed when I spend time reading and in prayer and yet it's so easy to postpone it due to the busyness that I create. It takes a lot of strength of will to stop and force myself to spend time in His presence, even though I know I always enjoy it. There are always other things I could do, or think about, or resolve. Another problem is that of superficial familiarity. "I've read it all before!" When I think about starting to read His word, my first thought is often "I already know how that story goes." I've actually found it really helpful recently to read other books ABOUT Him that perhaps have opened my eyes to see Him in a new light. One such book I read recently was "The Shack". After reading that, I couldn't HELP but go back to the Bible and read more about this Jesus, the man, the carpenter. The Gospels are also a fascinating read, especially when you focus on who Jesus was and what he was doing. It always makes me smile when He leaves the "religious leaders" speechless. You can't deny that He had a pretty decent sense of humour. Another way to find time to spend with Him is while commuting. (plus it may help combat road rage ;)) Buy the Bible on CD (or digital download) and listen to it on your way to work. When I drive to work, it's an hour each way and usually I can make it through more than one book of the New Testament per trip. (when I'm not carpooling) I'm starting to get preachy so I'd better stop. (that wasn't my intent) I hope you've found this inspirational. Maybe you have some ideas that I haven't mentioned on how to "keep it fresh". I'd love to hear them. Hope you have a great day and week.

Genesis 29-30

Thu, 01 Dec 11 14:47:54 +0000

I've been reading through Genesis the past few days and am currently on the story of Jacob in 29-30. Wow. What a hustler! The guy was a real player. Not only did he lie and cheat his way through most of the deals he was involved with, he also "got around". Just finished reading the story of Leah and Rachel. What a sordid affair! First he loves Rachel because she's beautiful and "has a sparkle in her eye", so he works for Label for 7 years so that he can pay for her as his wife. Then, on the wedding night in the dark, Laben brings Leah to him to sleep with instead, so he does. Wakes up the next morning to a surprise, gets mad at Laben, but then agrees to work for him another 7 years, if he can have Rachel also, once the honeymoon is over. So they spend a week together and then Laben brings him Rachel as well and he sleeps with her. Now he gets Leah pregnant and 3 kids later Rachel is getting pretty bitter. As a "solution" she gives her servant girl to him instead saying that if they have kids, then she'll be even with Leah. So, they do. A few. It goes on, and in the end he's sleeping with 4 different women and having babies all over the place. That's what it means when it says this guy was the father of the 12 tribes of Israel.

The Rapture is Coming!

Thu, 01 Dec 11 14:48:03 +0000

The rapture is coming tomorrow. At least, that's what some Christians believe and have been preaching. Officially, the Bible teaches that we don't know the day or the hour when Christ will return. It *could* be on May 21'st at 6:00 pm GMT, or it could be the day after, or next week, or in 2000 more years. What we DO know for sure is that Christ WILL return someday, those who believe in Him will be saved and those who do not will be judged. What makes me sad about all of this is the lack of God's love and passion for the lost seen in those who believe in Him. I heard a quote recently:

I've heard it said that something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. This is utter of rubbish. Things are worth what they are worth. What someone is willing to pay is merely the fastest way of figuring out what that worth has always been.

Jesus paid for us with His life so that we might have the chance to be saved from eternal death. I think that means we're worth a LOT. He loves each of us dearly, even those who don't love Him, and longs for us to have the opportunity to be saved. He made it as simple as possible for us, that all we have to do is believe in Him and we will be saved. If He loves each of us SO much, shouldn't we also follow His example and love each other? This is the message of the gospel! That He loved us SO much he died for us so that we could be saved. All we have to do is believe in Him. He also asked us to tell that message to others. Some have been discussing what they would do if today was their last day on earth. Some intend to relax and do nothing stressful. Others plan to go shopping or spend credit on themselves without regard for future consequences. After all, if Jesus comes tomorrow, I can buy stuff on credit today and never have to pay. The one thing I really haven't heard is the urgency of telling others about Jesus. If He comes tomorrow, that's it. Our opportunity to share the message of how He loves each of us is over. If we truly have the love of Jesus in our hearts, should we not take every opportunity to share the message of the gospel with those who don't know it? Now I realise that tomorrow may very well come and go and nothing rapturous or supernatural will happen. All that means is we really don't know the day or the hour. Maybe He will come on May 22'nd! We still need to live our lives in a way that shows God's love to those around us with the knowledge that He IS coming, and we need to be ready. If the rapture DID happen (on May 21'st or some other day) and you're reading this after the fact. I strongly recommend you pick up a Bible and start reading. You could start in the book of John (it's in the New Testament, see the table of contents). You may also want to read the book of Revelation. It's a crazy read, but might just give you some clues as to what steps to take next.