Antikythera Mechanism

I think this is really cool!

CNN: Antikythera Mechanism

WIKI: Antikythera mechanism

MSNBC: Antikythera mechanism

The ancients were SMART FOLK!

Space the final frontier?

Humans must colonize other planets: Hawking

"Sooner or later disasters such as an asteroid collision or a nuclear war could wipe us all out, ... But once we spread out into space and establish independent colonies, our future should be safe," said Professor Hawking, who was crippled by a muscle disease at the age of 21 and who speaks through a computerized voice synthesizer.

You can either buy this! Or look for the New Heavens and New Earth decribed in Revelation 21:1, "Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea"

Interested in Meteors? Check these verses out (will occur in the 7 year tribulation period):

Revelation 8:8-9, "Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed"

Revelation 8:10-11, "Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter"

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1. Another long day at the office ... I just made it through the skyway (111 Washington) with 3 minutes to spare before the doors locked at 6:00 p.m.
   
2. Today was our last day at the Imperial Parking garage in the old Federal Reserve building.
   
3. Tomorrow we commence the new garage contract at 100 Washington
   

Google www.sharperiron.org

Genesis 6:2

Here's a difficult verse: Genesis 6:2 "that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose"

The question is - who are "the sons of god"?

I have flip flopped in my view of this several times and today I just am not sure.

I thought it was settled (for me) that the "sons of god" were the godly line of Seth.

Tonight reading this section (Genesis 5 & 6) and then reading John MacArthur's commentary on this I am back to ground zero. MacArthur's view is that "the sons of god" are fallen angels who left their own domain (Jude 1:6, "And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day" & 2 Peter 2:4 "For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;")

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1. I left work early (at 4:10). Kathee had a late business meeting so we had separate vehicles.
   
2. Kathee came home at 9. She had a long day.
   
3. Nathan came by at 7 and we ordered pizza in from Papa Johns. This was the first time I have ordered pizza over the Internet. We ordered pizza at 7:33 and it was delivered at 8:00 p.m.). Roger arrived home from work late and had pizza with us.
   
4. Rachel accepted the job offer from 3M as an auditor. She will start after graduation from Mankato in May 2007
   

Protoevangelium

Genesis 3:15

"And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel."

The Protoevangelium, also known as the "First Good News" or "First Gospel," is found in Genesis 3:15, at the end of the first creation account. It is the first prophecy of a Messiah who will come to save the world from sin, and is the basis of Christianity.

Compare Romans 16:20, "And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen"

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The concept of Genesis 3:15 being the Proto-evangel, or "First Gospel" 7 is attributed to St. Irenaeus of Lyons [135-202] from his work Against Heresies : "For this end did He put enmity between the serpent and the woman and her seed, they keeping it up mutually: He, the sole of whose foot should be bitten, having power also to tread upon the enemy's head; but the other biting, killing, and impeding the steps of man, until the seed did come appointed to tread down his head, - which was born of Mary, of whom the prophet speaks: 'Thou shalt tread upon the asp and the basilisk; thou shalt trample down the lion and the dragon [Psalm 91:13].'"
- Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Chapter 23, Number 7 22



"Christ has therefore, in His work of recapitulation, summed up all things, both waging war against our enemy, and crushing him who had at the beginning led us away captives in Adam, and trampled upon his head, as thou can perceive in Genesis that God said to the serpent, 'And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; He shall be on the watch for thy head, and thou on the watch for his heel.' For from that time, He who should be born of a woman, namely from the Virgin, after the likeness of Adam, was preached as keeping watch for the head of the serpent. This is the seed of which the apostle says in the Letter to the Galatians, 'that the law of works was established until the seed should come to whom the promise was made [Galatians 3:19].' This fact is exhibited in a still clearer light in the same Epistle where he thus speaks: 'But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman [Galatians 4:4].' For indeed the enemy would not have been fairly vanquished, unless it had been a man born of a woman who conquered him. For it was by means of a woman that he got the advantage over man at first, setting himself up as man's opponent. And therefore does the Lord profess Himself to be the Son of man, comprising in Himself that original man out of whom the woman was fashioned, in order that , as our species went down to death through a vanqushed man, so we may ascend to life again through a victorious one; and as through a man death received the palm of victory against us, so again by a man we may receive the palm against death."
- St. Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book V, 21, 1 23

Work ... better

I am doing better at work. I met with the boss's boss today and things seem to have cooled down.

I submitted 4 communications today:

1. IE7 compatibility issues with 4 different products used in our company. We are recommending that users back off to IE6 or NOT install IE7 unless it is in a non-production function (like my beta Vista workstation)
   
2. Imaging issues with a Lenovo T60. Engineers need to image with the current release instead of the newest one.
   
3. Remote Desktop: we have some users who set this up and our new release locks them out of this function (which they should not be using anyways!)
   
4. Upcoming change activity for next week. We are down to the last 10,000 workstations and are targeting as many as we can.
   

Kathee had to join a teleconference at 6:20 and we were stalled getting out of downtown with traffic. We stopped at McDonalds on Medicine Lake Drive at 6 and just got home about 6:05. Kathee dropped the bag with the pop and pop spilled all over the garage floor. We wolfed down dinner so Kathee could join the call at 6:20 (she actually joined the call at 6:30).

Update on the MSP imams

How the Imams terrorized an airliner

Back to the Beginning

1. We had a long day at work. I left the office at 5:53 p.m. I just made it through the skyway at 111 Washington before the door locked at 6:00 p.m. The guard at 111 Washington ran ahead of my slow walking and braced the door open for me so it wouldn't lock me out.
   
2. Work was as bad as I thought it would be. I am still being blamed for the system issues of October 17th and it hangs over me like a dark cloud.
   
3. We met Kathee's Brother and Sister-in-Law, Dave & Colleen, at the Tea Garden in Plymouth for dinner at 6:20
   
4. We commenced Genesis tonight
   

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Genesis 1:31, "And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day"

What I believe about creation:

1. I believe in a literal six (solar) day creation.
   
2. I believe God created the heavens and the earth "ex nihilo" (Latin term meaning "out of nothing.")
   
3. I reject evolutionism
   
4. I believe that God created the first man and the first woman (Adam and Eve) in His image
   

Genesis 1:27, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them"

1. I reject the "day age" theory
   
2. I reject theistic evolution
   
3. I reject the "gap theory" and the so-called "soft gap" theory
   

A couple of good websites:

Answers in Genesis

The Institute for Creation Research

Sunday worship and fellowship

1. AM: Pastor Levy preached this morning on Romans 12:1-2, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
   
2. Fellowship: We had dinner with Jon and Cheryl T at their home in Plymouth. Jon grilled out large pork chops. Roger was with us.
   
3. PM: Dr. Bauder made a presentation on the Pilgrims tonight.
   
4. Folk from our former church were at 4th tonight
   

Back to work tomorrow. I am praying for wisdom as I know it will be a tough week.

I am watching the Indianapolis - Philadelphia game tonight, but Indy is already up by 21 at the half. I may shut it off.

Good links on the Pilgrims:

Pilgrims

Mayflower Compact

Myles Standish

Leftovers and Lingonberries

Kathee entertained again today - breakfast for 8 at 7:30:

1. Buckwheat pancakes with lingonberries and maple syrup
   
2. Mom, Roger and Kathy, and our family all around the dinning room table
   

We took Mom to the airport at 9 for her 11:30 flight

Kathee drove me through the 3M campus to see where Rachel will be working.

Rachel left for Mankato at 3:00. She has three weeks left this semester, and then 4 classes next semester and will graduate in May. She will be working at West Thompson for three weeks over Christmas.

This afternoon we went grocery shopping.

Kathee weighed the cats:

1. Blue = 18 lbs
   
2. Daisy = 16 lbs
   
3. Emily = 12 lbs
   

We had Thanksgiving leftovers for dinner and then finished Revelation (last three chapters) with Roger joining us.

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Some key verses from the last 4 chapters of Revelation:

Revelation 19:11 (Second Coming of Christ): "Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war"

Revelation 20:4 (the Millennium): "And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years."

Revelation 21:1 (the New Heaven and New Earth): "Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away"

Revelation 22:20 (He comes soon!): "He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"

The Draft (Reinstate it?)

I like this "art" from the Wall Street Journal!

The draft would weaken the world's best military

Son Roger (USMC Corporal) feels strongly that the draft would be a mistake! I agree!

Interested in the Selective Service System? Here's a link: Selective Service System

I was 311 in the 1969 lottery: THE VIETNAM LOTTERY 12/1/1969

Black Friday

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving in the United States, is historically one of the busiest retail shopping days of the year. Many consider it the "official" beginning to the Christmas season. Most retailers will open very early and usually provide massive discounts on their products, and offer doorbuster deals to draw people to their stores.

Black Friday

Shopping ... is what I did not do today! As I recollect, I have never shopped on the day after Thanksgiving!

We had Rachel's Saturn in to the shop ... has had some ignition problems. Saturn diagnosed and replaced (under warranty!)

1. Kathee, Mom, and Rachel dropped the Saturn off and then went shopping
   
2. Rachel showed Kathee and Mom the 3M campus in Maplewood
   
3. They shopped at Coldwater Creek: Kathee bought her Christmas present from me ... and it is now wrapped and ready for Christmas. Mom shopped for her Christmas present from us & Coldwater Creek wrapped and shipped it to her home in Dallas! (Great customer service!)
   
4. I took Eliot, Roger, and Nathan out to lunch.
   

Kathee is making healthy chili with left over turkey

Mom to fly home tomorrow.

We plan to watch The Phantom of the Opera on DVD tonight (I've seen this so many times I can practically sing all the songs! (If I could sing!!)

Thanksgiving 2006

It's quiet here this morning but it will be very busy later.

1. Kathee has the dinning room set for 9: (our family (5), Mom, Roger & Kathy, and Eliot
   
2. Roger (son) and Kathee will do the cooking later. Some dishes have already been prepared (e.g.: Kathee made a homemade pumpkin cheesecake!)
   
3. Guests should be arriving at about 1:00 and dinner is planned for 2:00
   
4. Men will probably watch football after dinner (I know I will be watching the Denver game at 7:00 tonight
   

I dreamed in the night that I called up George Schaut and asked for him to hire me back in Open Systems BCP.

Thoughts on Thanksgiving:

1. While I am thankful for family, a warm home, and material things (and I am!)
   
2. But the ultimate "thing" (not rightly a thing!) is my Savior!
   

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Psalm 100 - a Thanksgiving Psalm

1 Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!
2 Serve the LORD with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
3 Know that the LORD, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
5 For the LORD is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.

Brief thoughts on Psalm 100:

1. There is a true God who transcends the universe!
   
2. He is our Creator (It is He who has made us)
   
3. His character: good, merciful, and true!
   
4. Those who know this God declare: We are His people and the sheep of His pasture
   
5. He is worthy of our service!
   
6. He is worthy of our praise!
   

For Him I am thankful!

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Nathaniel Morton describes what he and other Pilgrims saw in 1620

Pics: animals in the womb

Animals in the womb <-------- more pics here!

Even the animals are "wonderfully made"

Of man, the Psalmist declares: Psalm 139:14, "I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well"

TEEN GOES NUCLEAR

Makes 99.9999% of other kids look stupid! (Note to Roger, Rachel and Nathan: while you have never done this ... you are in the .0001%!)

A good read: TEEN GOES NUCLEAR: He creates fusion in his Oakland Township home

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Kathee and I up waiting for Roger and Rachel to wake up for us to have breakfast together at 8:00. Kathee will be making cream of wheat.

We ordered a 36" Christmas wreath from the Boy Scouts. Last night Alex the Scout delivered it ... and it is about 50". Too big for the front door. I intend to enlist Roger to hang it on the front porch.

5 days off

I wasn't sure to call this post "a rough week at work" or "five days off"

Work:

1. I send a communications out (to 86 people) and it also went to one high level executive (who objected to it)
   
2. So this one communicated to my boss's boss's boss ... and then to me.
   
3. This was not pleasant!
   

How I handled this: I was angry, I was nervous ... finally I prayed. I commit this to my Savior. It is a mountain out of a molehill but still sifted out badly to me.

Roy Beacham's message on suffering (from Sunday) ministered to me.

Days ahead:

1. 5 days off
   
2. Prep for Thanksgiving
   
3. Rachel arrives tonight
   

Kathee and I read Revelation 13 & 14 tonight

Roger and I watched something interesting on PBS tonight: SS Normandie

Roger cooked tonight. Not sure what but I think cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving.

Rachel arrived home at 9:00 and we talked about the 3M job opportunity.

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666
Sometime in the future

Revelation 13:11-18, "Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666"

Heavy handed airport security

This seems excessive to me:

Six Muslim imams were removed from a US Airways flight

If I have the facts straight:

1. These guys have already been through TSA screening ...
   
2. Just because they are different (Muslims) and praying ...
   
3. They are taken away in handcuffs for questioning.
   

I sense someone owes them an apology!

Sunday

Eliot K. met us at 4th Baptist for Church this morning.

Dr Roy Beacham (Central Seminary) was the AM speaker (Dr Doug McLachlan is in Florida for three weeks ... this is the first of three Sundays with his being gone). The text of the morning was I Peter 3:18, "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,"

Dr Beacham mentioned the occurances of "suffering" in 1 Peter: Biblegateway search = Suffering in 1 Peter

We took Eliot out to The Big Bowl afterwards.

Kathee is getting the house set up for Thanksgiving. I am watching the Vikes losing to Miami.

My Alma Mater (University of Cincinnati) beat Rutgers last night in a surprise upset: Cincy ends Rutgers' perfect season.

Kathee and I continued our reading in Revelation tonight. I found this interesting:

Jerusalem's Old City at risk in earthquake

Compare:

Revelation 11:13, "In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven."

The week ahead:

1. Mom arrives tomorrow
   
2. K and I work Monday and Tuesday only
   
3. Roger to arrive back from Chicago tomorrow night
   
4. Rachel arrives home Tuesday night
   

lifting up holy hands

lifting up holy hands

The above link is an excellent explanation of "lifting up holy hands"

1 Timothy 2:8, "I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting"

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Saturday

1. Roger left for Chicago ... to come back on Monday night
   
2. Rachel received the official offer from 3M! She and we are excited
   
3. Today's activities
   
   
   
   1. Target, Petsmart (out of cat food!), Lunds
      
   2. Brother came by at lunch and we ordered in Jimmy Johns subways.
      
   3. Billiards ... we are rusty but I won
      
   4. I watched Ohio State beat Michigan
      
   5. Kathee made chili for dinner.
      
   
   

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Scripture from Revelation

Praise in Heaven: Rev 5:12-13

"Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
To receive power and riches and wisdom,
And strength and honor and glory and blessing!"

"Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!"

Thoughts on Worship:

1. We are commanded to worship corporately
   
2. "corporately" means that we are to worship with other people in an organized way
   
3. Worship means to "ascribe worth" to our Savior
   
4. "Church" is the English word for the Greek "called out assembly"
   
5. Some things can only be done effectively in groups.
   
6. I can personally and alone ascribe worth (worship) my Savior ...
   
7. But by gathering with others (the called out assembly), we corporately ascribe worth as a public testimony to others that we are saved.
   
8. Worship takes planning and energy: we have to purpose to get out of bed, drive to church .. etc
   
9. If God values and commands us to worship Him
   
10. We need to make it a priority
    

7 Churches of Revelation

Kathee and I completed this section last night.

Here's a good link on the seven churches (of Revelation 2 & 3): Gotquestions.org

Quote from this page:

Question: "What do the seven churches in Revelation stand for?"

Answer: The seven churches described in Revelation 2-3 are seven literal churches at the time that John the apostle was writing Revelation. Though they are literal churches in that time, there is also spiritual significance for churches and believers today. The first purpose is to write to the literal churches and meet their needs at that time. The second purpose is to reveal seven different types of individuals/churches throughout history and instruct them in God's truth.

A possible third purpose is using the seven church to represent seven different periods in the history of the church. The problem with this view is that each of the seven churches describes issues that could fit the church in any time in its history. So, although there may be some truth to the seven churches representing seven eras of the church, too many people go into far too much speculation in order to determine which church fits which era. Instead, our focus should be on what message God is giving to us through the seven churches

Here's my take:

1. The seven churches were 7 literal churches in the first century
   
2. They do not represent 7 ages of church history (a belief that I held 30+ years ago)
   
3. There are lessons for every church in every age and every Christian in the church age about rightly responding to Christ. Note the refrain of "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches"
   

The seven churches are:

1. Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7) - the church that had forsaken its first love (2:4).
   
2. Smyrna (Revelation 2:8-11) - the church that would suffer persecution (2:10).
   
3. Pergamum (Revelation 2:12-17) - the church that needed to repent (2:16).
   
4. Thyatira (Revelation 2:18-29) - the church who had a false prophetess (2:20).
   
5. Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6) - the church that had fallen asleep (3:2).
   
6. Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13) - the church that had endured patiently (3:10).
   
7. Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22) - the church with the lukewarm faith (3:16).
   

Where I don't want to be spiritually: "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love" (Revelation 2:4)

Father, help me to love my Savior wholely! Help me to worship and adore and serve and live for Him. This world has its temptations and its lures, but help my eyes to be fixed fully on my Savior!

Football Picks for this weekend

Game	Pick
Atlanta at Baltimore	Baltimore
Buffalo at Houston	Buffalo
Chicago at N.Y. Jets	Chicago
Cincinnati at New Orleans	Cincinnati
Minnesota at Miami	Minnesota
New England at Green Bay	New England
Oakland at Kansas City	Kansas City
Pittsburgh at Cleveland	Pittsburgh
St. Louis at Carolina	Carolina
Tennessee at Philadelphia	Philadelphia
Washington at Tampa Bay	Washington
Detroit at Arizona	Arizona
Seattle at San Francisco	Seattle
Indianapolis at Dallas	Indianapolis
San Diego at Denver	Denver
N.Y. Giants at Jacksonville	N.Y. Giants

There are 2 games I am interested in: Indy at Dallas and San Diego at Denver!

Friday @ work

1. Finally reached the threshold of 80% on the current release
   
2. I built Change Records for our final big distribution push (to 11,000 workstations) 12/6-10.
   
3. I also sent appropriate communications out to all impacted by this
   
4. My wireless keyboard / mouse died (probably the battery is dead).
   
5. Thankfully I have an old Dell keyboard and mouse and was able to connect up.
   
6. But in the connecting the power cord for the monitor disconnected (at the back of the monitor).
   
7. In the tangle of cords behind the PC, I missed this.
   
8. I took the laptop of the docking station ... the laptop was working fine
   
9. Fished all the cables and finally found it.
   

Weekend plans:

1. Kathee has a lot of shopping tomorrow in preparation for Thanksgiving. I'll go to Lunds with her.
   
2. Target & Petsmart
   
3. Sunday worship at 4th. Baptist
   
4. Eliot K. is meeting us at church and we are going to take him out to Big Bowl afterwards
   

Father is seeking such people to worship him

Worship in Heaven:

The four living creatures:

“Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is and is to come!”

Revelation 4:8

The twenty-four elders:

“You are worthy, O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they exist and were created.”

Revelation 4:11

Worship on Earth:

"But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." John 4:23-24

Question: Is worship a priority?

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1. We stopped by Sweet Taste of Italy (take out Italian) for dinner on the way home. We are going to have this company cater Rachel's wedding! (smile!)
   
2. Work: An application that is not compatible with I.E.7 was reported ... mtgs to discuss
   
3. Coffee with my friend Scott at 9:15
   

aut Deus aut malus homo

"aut Deus aut malus homo" is Latin for "Either God or a bad man"

In discussing his apologetic method, C. S. Lewis once stated that he usually found the aut Deus aut malus homo quite useful in demonstrating the validity of Christ's claims. (C. S. Lewis, "Christian Apologetics," in C. S. Lewis, God In the Dock, ed. Walter Hooper (Grand Rapids, Mich.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1970), p. 101)

C.S. Lewis quotes:

"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: "I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God." That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic--on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg--or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to." (C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: Macmillan Co., Inc., 1943), pp. 55-56)

Lewis said there are three options:

1. Jesus was telling falsehoods and knew it, and so he was a liar.
   
2. Jesus was telling falsehoods but believed he was telling the truth, and so he was insane.
   
3. Jesus was telling the truth, and so he was divine.
   

"There is no half-way house and there is no parallel in other religions. If you had gone to Buddha and asked Him, "Are you the son of Bramah?" he would have said, "My son, you are still in the vale of illusion." If you had gone to Socrates and asked, "Are you Zeus?" he would have laughed at you. If you had gone to Mohammed and asked, "are you Allah?" he would first have rent his clothes and then cut you head off. If you had asked Confucius, "Are you Heaven?", I think he would have probably replied, "Remarks which are not in accordance with nature are in bad taste." The idea of a great moral teacher saying what Christ said is out of the question." (C. S. Lewis, "What Are We to Make of Jesus Christ?" in C. S. Lewis, God In The Dock, ed. Walter Hooper (Grand Rapids, Mich.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1970), pp. 157-158)

Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6)

Jesus said: "He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?" (John 14:9)

Jesus asked: "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" (Matthew 16:13)

Jesus asks you! "But who do you say that I am?" (Matthew 16:15)

Liar, Lunatic, or Lord: you decide!

C.S. Lewis wikipedia

Common sense conservatives

McCain calls for "common sense conservatism"

I like the sound of this!

"We lost our principles and our majority. And there is no way to recover our majority without recovering our principles first ... We increased the size of government in the false hope that we could bribe the public into keeping us in office ... (Americans) still prefer common sense conservatism to the alternative."

"Common sense conservatives believe that the government that governs least governs best, that government should do only those things individuals cannot do for themselves and do them efficiently"

Thanksgiving Countdown - 7 days

My Mother is flying up to the Twin Cities to visit my Brother and me for Thanksgiving.

1. Mom arrives next Monday. Brother is picking her up at the airport.
   
2. I have to work next Monday and Tuesday but have the rest of the week off.
   
3. Rachel drives up from Mankato on Wednesday for her meetings at 3M, then will be home until Friday or Saturday.
   
4. Kathee is hosting Thanksgiving dinner and she always does a super job
   

TV: I watched a cool one hour program on PBS tonight on the Dambusters and Sir Barnes Wallace. These links are worth a look!

Work:

1. I had a little communications snafu today. My release communications (widely published in our organization) stated that the new workstation image was on the "distribution" servers, when if fact the image was on the "regional" servers.
   
2. This resulted in a lot of emails and calls.
   
3. I wrote a corrected communications and our communications organization sent it out with 2 significant typos (their fault not mine). This resulted in another rash of calls and emails
   
4. We had another hasty communications to correct. Thus I had 3 communications instead of one
   
5. This tends to make one look foolish!
   

Scripture:

1. Kathee and I commenced reading the book of Revelation tonight (chapters 1 & 2)
   
2. Roger and I read Proverbs 7 tonight.
   

Here is a simple (and Scriptural) outline of Revelation:

Revelation 1:19, "Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this."

1. The things you have seen (chapter 1)
   
2. The things which are (chapters 2 & 3)
   
3. The things which shall take place (chapters 4 - 22)
   

A vision of our Savior

Rev 1:12-18, "Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death."

Warnings about adultery (Proverbs 7:1,5)

"My son, keep my words, And treasure my commands within you ... That they may keep you from the immoral woman, From the seductress who flatters with her words"

My salvation - 3 Documents: Part 3

In my Junior year of college, I reconnected with someone I had known from High School.

Brenda was the friend of my H.S. sweetheart, Vicki. I knew her from H.S. but not well.

I was doing Freshman orientation (helping Freshman get oriented ... not taking it myself). In this function, I would tour groups of students around the University of Cincinnati campus. Brenda was in one of those groups. I had not seen her in two years and I had not even remembered her name.

Brenda and I began to date and she invited me to her Church - Westwood Baptist in Cheviot Ohio. She also gave me a small white King James version Bible. She encouraged me to read the Gospel of John.

God used this Scripture to work salvation in my soul. I saw myself as a sinner, I came to understand that Jesus is God, and I trusted Him as my Savior and Lord.

Here are some neat things about the Gospel of John:

I. It records the "I am" sayings of Christ:

1. John 4:26, "Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”"
   
2. John 6:20, "But He said to them, “It is I (lit. "I Am"); do not be afraid.”"
   
3. John 6:51, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven"
   
4. John 8:24, "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins"
   
5. John 8:28, "Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things"
   
6. John 8:58, "Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”"
   
7. John 10:7, "I am the door of the sheep"
   
8. John 10:11, "I am the good shepherd"
   
9. John 10:36, "‘I am the Son of God’"
   
10. John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me"
    
11. John 15:1, "I am the true vine"
    
    

Articles on the "I am" in John:
Catholic Resources
Leader U
Voice of Jesus

Here's the conclusion from the 2nd article: "Now that we have briefly examined both groups of the "I AM" sayings, from a historical, literary, lexical, syntactical, structural and theological approach, we conclude that the "I AM" sayings prove the deity of Jesus the Christ. And that when Jesus uttered these solemn words, He sought to convey the astounding fact of his divine nature--as did the Apostle John when he recorded these life-giving words."

II. John's gospel records 7 miracles:

1. The conversion of water into wine at the Cana wedding, Jn.2:1-11.
   
2. The healing the Nobleman's son, Jn.4:46-54.
   
3. The healing the paralytic man at the pool of Bethesda, Jn.5:1-39.
   
4. The feeding of the 5,000, Jn.6:1-14.
   
5. Walking on the sea, Jn.6:15-21.
   
6. The blind from birth healed at the pool of Siloam, Jn.9:1-41.
   
7. The raising of Lazarus, Jn.11:1-44
   

III. Christ's diety is clearly portrayed in the Gospel: John 1:1-3, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made."

IV. Eternal life is so simply stated in John's Gospel. See my earlier post The Certainty of Eternal Life

V. The purpose of the Gospel: John 20:30,31, "And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name"

I was not a student of the Scriptures in November 1969, but I read the Gospel of John. One night in my bedroom in Delhi Ohio, I believed on Christ as Savior and Lord. I claimed the simple promise of John 3:16 and was saved.

John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life"

My salvation: 3 Documents - Part 2

Here I Stand by Roland H. Bainton is a book I would have never picked and read for myself. Once again I read this as an assignment at the University of Cincinnati (A European History class).

How this book influenced my life:

1. Through the life of Luther, I understood what it meant to be a Protestant.
   
2. I understood (but at the time of reading did not accept (or appropriate) it for myself) the doctrine of justificaton by faith.
   
3. I understood the tremendous courage of Luther (and he has been my hero ever since
   

Be sure to read Five Solas

Martin Luther

The just shall live by faith <-------- The verse that transformed Martin Luther

Was there an immediate impact of this book in my life? Sadly no. God's Holy Spirit used the seed of this biography in my life as well as the seed of "Sinners in a hand of an angry God". For me, my Freshman and Sophomore years of college were about partying, drinking, etc. Neverthess, God did use these documents in my life. In my Junior year of college, I was converted. More on that later!

If you have not read this book, I highly recommend it.

4 lanes to 2

Downtown traffic delays about to end

We've been experiencing this contruction for weeks. We cruise on the I 394 HOV lane ... then crawl into downtown ... then dead stopped here.

4th Street - Minneapolis

Looks like will all be wrapped up after Thanksgiving!

Good news about Rachel!

Rachel got a job offer from 3M! I don't know a lot of details except that an offer has been made and that she will be up in St Paul next week to tour the 3M campus and have lunch with staff there.

Rachel: you got your brains and work ethic from Mom ... and your looks from me (too bad!). We are very excited for you and proud of you!

Dr Steele told me yesterday that 3M makes the glue used to affix crowns. Job one, Rachel, is to make the glue cherry flavored!

1. My sole(s) is/are not lost. My Filsons arrived in Chicago (why did it take 2 weeks?) for resoling. This will be the fourth set of soles on these chukka's (its a great boot!)
   
2. Work going well. I made several UAT presentations today.
   
3. As we drove to work, Roger was behind us. I think he drove through a yellow (or yellow turning to red) on Rockford Road by Cub foods. Another car was right behind Roger and the police pulled the guy over for running the red light.
   
4. Nice cool Fall day!
   

Dentist & Quiet Day @ Work

1. Dentist at 8:30 ... Dr Steele put new crown on. My Dental Assistant's name .. Tracy Driller! (Really)
   
2. At office at 10:15
   
3. Boss in San Fran all week
   
4. My 2nd boss has taken a different job in our organization.
   
5. Today announced that we have Internet Explorer 7 packaged and ready for installation.
   
6. Also our UAT (User Acceptance Testing) for our latest Windows XP SP2 closed, and this product is released.
   
7. Meanwhile we almost are at 80% (44,000 workstations) on the current release.
   
8. Kathee made pasta tonight
   
9. We read 3 John and Jude
   
10. John MacArthur had an interesting comment on Jude (in his introduction to the book in his study Bible): he called Jude the "Acts of the Apostates"
    
11. Roger just arrived home from work
    
12. K and I are reading the paper and drinking coffee (Rachel brought 2 lbs of Caribou coffee back with her from Mankato this weekend!)
    
13. Rachel got a call back from 3M and they want her to drive up to meet with them at the St Paul campus. Rachel interviewed for a job in corporate audit last week. Very good news!
    
14. My shoes that I shipped to a Vibram sole specialist 2 weeks ago, still have not arrived there!Are they gone for good?
    

Jude 3 & 4: "I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ"

Comments:

1. False teachers pervade this age!
   
2. Their motives and character are outlined in Jude.
   
3. The glorious Gospel of our Savior is worth fighting for!
   

John MacArthur notes this characteristics of false teachers:

1. Ungodly (v 1)
   
2. Perverted (v 4)
   
3. Deny Christ (v 4)
   
4. Defile the flesh (v 8)
   
5. Rebellious (v 8)
   
6. Revile holy angels (v 8)
   
7. Dreamers (v 10)
   
8. Ignorant (v 8)
   
9. Self-destructive (v 10)
   
10. Grumblers (v 16)
    
11. Fault finders (v 16)
    
12. Self seeking (v 16)
    
13. Arrogant speakers (v 16)
    
14. Flatterers (v 16)
    
15. Mockers (v 18)
    
16. Cause divisions (v 19)
    
17. Worldly minded (v 19)
    
18. Without the Spirit (v 19)
    

2 John: Balancing Truth, Hospitality & Discernment

Truth is mentioned 5 times in this 1 page epistle (all in the first 4 verses!).

Hospitality (especially towards other believers) is a Christian grace commended in Romans 12:9-13: "Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality"

In the first century church, itinerant preachers would depend upon the hospitality of God's people to assist them in their ministry. The aged Apostle commends and commands "the elect lady" to "love one another" (vs 5). Such hospitality is a manifestation of Christian love! Compare 3 John 5-7 "Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, who have borne witness of your love before the church. If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well, because they went forth for His name’s sake"

But that love (and hospitality) must not compromise truth - rather it must discern and reject those who herald falsehoods - especially about Christ and the Gospel of Christ.

In the 2nd Epistle of John, the Apostle John warns against providing hospitality to false teachers: 7-11, "For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. ... Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds"

What is truth (Pilate asked this of Christ as recorded in John 18:38)? A better question is "Who is Truth?". Jesus answers that question in John 14:6, "Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me". Not only is Jesus truth, but He declares that God's Word is truth (John 17:17: "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth").

The next time the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Mormons or other purveyers of falsehood knock on the door, don't let them in!

Celebrating Rachel's birthday

We celebrated Rachel's 22nd birthday after church:

1. Kathee made lasagna
   
2. Eliot joined us for dinner
   
3. Roger and Kathy came by for cake at 3
   

We worshiped at 4th this morning and tonight.

1. Pastor preached from Romans 5:3-5 this morning
   And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations,
   knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;
   and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
   Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God
   has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit
   who was given to us.


2. And from Philippians 1:3-6 tonight
   I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
   always in every prayer of mine making request
   for you all with joy, for your fellowship
   in the gospel


3. Rachel left for Mankato directly after church
   
4. Pastor and Marie leave for Florida tomorrow for 3 weeks
   

Armistice Day Blizzard - 1940

A great read from the Star Tribune: Armistice Day Blizzard - 1940

Winter 11 is coming up for us. We moved to Plymouth in June 1996

What will Winter 06-07 be like?

• Mankato has already have 9" of snow
• I'm ready ... got the snow plow on the John Deere!
  

Four Tasks for the New Congress

In ten years of living in Minnesota, I can count on one hand the times I have agreed with a Minneapolis Star Tribune editorial. Here's the one time!

What congress needs to do:

1. Restore fiscal discipline
   
2. Reform immigration and address the millions of illegal aliens living and working in the United States
   
3. Reform the entitlement programs (Medicare, and Social Security)
   
4. Define an exit strategy for Iraq
   

Here's the editorial: Star Tribune: Four Tasks for the New Congress

I'm cynical that the Democratic party can accomplish more than one of these things!

1. They have never been the party of fiscal discipline! Its too bad that the Republicans of late have not been either!
   
2. Immigration reform? This seems like a possibility for the Democrats to accomplish.
   
3. I don't see the Democrats reforming the entitlement programs! They were created by and expanded by the Democrats. And raising the taxes of the so-called "rich" is not necessarily the answer (a regular Democratic tune!).
   
4. A satisfactory exit strategy for Iraq is not "leave now" (as much as I wish we could!) My view is that the Robert Gates selection for Defense Secretary will result in an exit strategy to be defined well before the 2008 Presidential race kicks off!
   

My salvation: 3 documents - Part 1

I became a Christian in November 1969. My salvation did not just happen. There were people, events and documents that shaped my salvation. There were three documents that predicated my salvation experience. This blog is about document # 1.

Document # 1 is Sinners in the hands of an angry God

A sample (you are encouraged to read it in its entirety!):

The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked: his wrath towards you burns like fire; he looks upon you as worthy of nothing else, but to be cast into the fire; he is of purer eyes than to bear to have you in his sight; you are ten thousand times more abominable in his eyes, than the most hateful venomous serpent is in ours. You have offended him infinitely more than ever a stubborn rebel did his prince; and yet it is nothing but his hand that holds you from falling into the fire every moment. It is to be ascribed to nothing else, that you did not go to hell the last night; that you was suffered to awake again in this world, after you closed your eyes to sleep. And there is no other reason to be given, why you have not dropped into hell since you arose in the morning, but that God's hand has held you up. There is no other reason to be given why you have not gone to hell, since you have sat here in the house of God, provoking his pure eyes by your sinful wicked manner of attending his solemn worship. Yea, there is nothing else that is to be given as a reason why you do not this very moment drop down into hell.

Why did I read this? When did I read this? What was my reaction? Should you read this? This is the story.

Two full years before my salvation, I read "Sinners in the hands of an angry God". It was assigned reading in my Freshman English class at the University of Cincinnati. In the Fall of 1967, I was a Freshman at the University of Cincinnati. English was my least favorite class and the class in which I most struggled (as my "D","C","C" grades would testify). (For my blog audience, it may seem at times that English is my 2nd language!).

Why would "Sinners in the hands of an angry God" be assigned reading? It is great literature. It is historic (see the Great Awakening below!). It shaped the United States. And it is famous! I did not seek this document out ... it sought me out.

What was my reaction to "Sinners in the hands of an angry God"?

1. It did not make me comfortable but did not move my heart immediately.
   
2. It seemed antiquated and irrelevant.
   
3. These concepts did not register with me: God is wrathful, God is angry, I'm a sinner, hell is real.
   
4. I read it simply as literature, as an assignment only, for a test, a quiz, a grade!
   
5. It was later that the Spirit of God used the truths of this message in my life!
   

Who was Jonathan Edwards? Read about him here!

What was the Great Awakening? Read about it here!

The Certainty of Eternal Life

1 John 5:10-11, "He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son"

Cf use of Eternal Life and Everlasting Life in the Gospel of John

Rachel's 22nd birthday

Today is my youngest child's 22nd birthday.

Rachel we are proud of you because:

1. You love Christ and want to live for Him
   
2. You have a delightful personality and are fun to be with
   
3. You have a strong work ethic and have paid your way through college
   
4. You take your college studies seriously are a straight A student
   

Birthday memories:

1. You were born on Sunday morning
   
2. I was the Pastor at Moorestown Bible Church
   
3. Glenn Koch preached in my place
   
4. I returned to the church and announced your birth at the close of the morning service
   
5. Aunt Colleen was at the house to help Mom after you and her returned from the hospital
   
6. Grandma and Grandpa Peet did not have a phone in their trailer in S Texas. I called the park office who sent news onto them to call me back to hear the news (Grandma reminded me of this today
   

I love you honey! Dad

2 John vs 4 "I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father"

My prayer for you, Rachel, is that you "walk in truth"!

Veterans Day thoughts

Veterans Day

Thank you for your service to our country:

1. My Dad (WW II)
   
2. My Son Roger (Iraq)
   
3. My Sister-in-Law Kathy Peet (Viet Nam)
   
4. Ian Klone (Iraq)
   
5. Joe Spontak (WW II .. shot down over Poland and was a POW)
   
6. My Sister's Father-in-Law (WW II bomber pilot)
   
7. My three Brother-in-Laws: Ed, Dan, Dave (US Navy)
   
8. And to the hundreds of others I have met in my lifetime!
   

Yesterday (11/10) was the birthday of the Marine Corps

A good read: Tun Tavern

Bland lifeless preaching

The above picture is Pablum and this represents the bland lifeless preaching that millions enjoy ??? every Sunday! Be sure to read the next article ... it's worth your time!

Jesus Christ is "Our Vehicle to the Divine?" The Episcopal Church is in Big Trouble

Here's a test for you. You think you attend a Christian church?

1. Is the Bible preached as the authoritative inerrant Word of God? (2 Tim 3:16, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness")
   
2. Is Jesus heralded as "the way the truth and the life" (John 14:6)
3. Is Jesus preached as Savior and Lord?
4. Is Christ presented as the only way of salvation? (Acts 4:12, " Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.")
5. Is Hell presented as a real place? And Heaven?
   
6. Is there a persuasive call for men to repent and believe the Gospel? 2 Corinthians 5:11, " Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men"
7. Have you ever heard the word "repent" in a sermon? Cf Acts 17:22-31 - "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent"

If your answers are "no" to the above, you are getting bland lifeless preaching!

Here's a warning to consider: I John 4:1-3, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world."

Weekend is here!

1. Picture above: Bet you can't guess what this is? See the end of this posting!
   
2. Work: We upgraded 5000 workstations in the last week. Upgrades continue tonight, Saturday and Sunday until midnight. I ended the week at 76%. Hopefully will be at 80% on Monday
3. Work: Had coffee with Larry N. today. Thankfully he bought as I am down to my last $ 5. and I want it to last until next Friday.
4. Work: I upgraded one of my two PCs at work to Internet Explorer 7 (on a Windows XP SP2 workstation). I also have a Vista workstation with I.E.7. For whatever reason I had problems with I.E.7 on the XP system (couldn't open up certain company websites) so I backed it off to I.E.6. Firefox is a much preferred browser to either I.E.6 or 7!
5. We stopped at Applebees on the way home from work.
   
6. Roger arrived safely back from South Dakota.
   
7. Weekend plans:

• Tomorrow to check out new garage .. best way to navigate too .. best way to exit downtown, etc.
  
• Rachel to arrive from Mankato ... tomorrow is her 22nd birthday.
• Kathee going shopping with Rachel
• I hope to see my brother
• Nathan to come for dinner
• Sunday church
• Sunday: Rachel's B.D. dinner at 2:00
• Sunday: Roger and Kathy coming by for cake at 3:00
• Sunday night church at 4th

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Tonight's Scripture: 1 John 3 & 4. Key verses

3:24, "Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us"

4:1, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world."

---

1. Jack Palance died ... the bad guy from Shane. A great western!
2. Uwe Reinhardt and his USMC son: Why can't an Ivy League military dad be proud of his own son instead of disparaging other young Americans? FYI ... I am the proud Father of a USMC Corporal!
   
3. The face bra

Moose in Minnetonka

A migrant moose meets his maker in Minnetonka
A moose on the loose that roamed across an interstate in Minnetonka eventually had to be killed for public safety reasons. Star Tribune Article

Snow in Mankato: Star Tribune Article

Empty Nest (just us and the cats)

Kathee and I are home alone tonight as Roger is on his way to Yankton SD for John Shuebeck's swearing in as a USMC officer tomorrow. He should be back tomorrow night.

1. Work: We had 1700 workstation upgrades overnight. The best 1 day in a long time. We are now at 75% on the current release.
2. Work: Our next release will be announced on Tuesday. After 1 month the current version will no longer be available for imaging. In January, I begin all over again upgrading the current release to the new release. (feels like a treadmill). The new release has Diskeeper disk defragmentation built into the image.
3. Dinner: Kathee was making omelets tonight but it ended up to be a skillet dinner (plan B)
4. Rachel: Job interview at 3M today. Sounds like it went well. She is coming home on Saturday to celebrate her 22nd birthday. We are proud of her!
5. Tomorrow: To have coffee with Larry, a friend at work.
   

---

Scripture tonight: I John 1 & 2

I John 1:5-7, "This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."

Election: the Brighter Side

1. Tim Pawlenty won reelection in Minnesota (Governor)!
   
2. Michele Bachmann won in the 6th MN congressional district.
   
3. John Kline won reelection in the 2nd. MN congressinal district.
   
4. Amendments to ban same sex marriage passed in Colorado, Idaho, Tennessee, Wisconsin, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia. (Failed to pass in Arizona!)
   

A good article from the Wall Street Journal: The Brighter Side of the Election

Here's one result we can gloat about: The Michigan Civil Rights Initiative passed overwhelmingly, 58% to 42% by the latest count. The MCRI bans "affirmative action"--that is, discrimination on the basis of race and sex--in public higher education and government contracting. Victory in Michigan is especially sweet, since it was in a case involving the University of Michigan that the U.S. Supreme Court said some discrimination is acceptable, at least until 2028, as long as the university isn't too honest about it. Anyway, just to be cruel, we'll quote from the DiversityInc report:

Michigan voted to ban affirmative action, 58 percent to 42 percent, with the majority of votes coming from white male conservatives, based on exit polls. Both men and women of color strongly opposed the so-called Michigan Civil Rights Initiative (MCRI), but lacking representation in the electorate diluted the power of their votes.

You've got to love that turgid, self-pitying prose: "lacking representation in the electorate diluted the power of their votes." That's the same thing that happened to Republicans all across the country. It's called democracy, baby.

Ladder of Christian Maturity

2 Peter 1:5-9: "But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. "

---

1. I finalized the garage contract today:
   
   
   
   • Three electronic badges: 2 pedestrian badges and 1 car badge.
     
   • I visited the garage and checked it out. They have 8 handicapped slips right by the door.
     
   • I canceled Imperial Parking.
     
   • We move to new garage 12/1.
     
   
   
2. Very nice weather today. I walked outside to and from the parking garage.
   
3. Rachel has a job interview with 3M tomorrow.
   

Election

I Thessalonians 1:4, "knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God."

We are ready to turn on CNN and watch the election returns at 9:00. I think it will be a big night for the Democrats.

For a mental and spiritual change of pace (from the political elections), check out this link on Biblical election:

Election in the New Testament

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Tonight's key Scriptures

1 Peter 5:5-9, "Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for


“ God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because[c] your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world"

2 Peter 1:20-21, "knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God[c] spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit"

100 Washington Square

100 Washington Square

I was able to rent a parking space in the underground of the building where I work. I've paid for the first month which commences December 1st.

Advantages (over the Old Federal Reserve where we have been for 3 years):

1. Direct access to my office via elevator. Elevator from the garage to either the 1st floor or to the 4th), then transfer to elevator to the office floors.
   
2. Open 24 x 7. Existing garage closes for entry at 8:00 p.m. This means that if Kathee needs to work at night, she can get access
   
3. Security. Must have a badge to access as a pedestrian (badge access by car too). Must walk by a guard to access the elevator
   
4. 24 x 7 Skyway access to the building Kathee is in.
   

Piper message on Truth

Watch Out for Those Who Lead You Away from the Truth

Worth a read!

The gospel in a nutshell

I Peter 3:18. "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,"

1. Christ's crucifixion - " suffered ... put to death in the flesh"
   
2. Christ's victorious resurrection - " but made alive by the Spirit"
   
3. Christ's Impeccability - "the just for the unjust"
   
4. Our sinfulness - "the just for the unjust"
   
5. Christ's substitutionary atonement (He died once! for our sins!) - "once for sins, the just for the unjust"
   
6. The purpose of His Holy life and substitutionary death and glorious resurrection - "that He might bring us to God" (a purpose clause in the Greek language of the New Testament!)
   

Areo: Flip 3D

I upgraded my work Vista PC with a new 256 MB graphics card.

I also reimaged my Vista PC (still in RC1 - Release Candidate 1).

With the new graphics card, the Areo graphics is enabled.

The Flip 3D is a neat feature. Caveat: Have plenty of memory (my work PC has 2 gig of real memory) and a powerful graphics card.

Don't by a new PC without at least 2 gig if you want to see this kind of functionality!

Vista Aero

Traction on Release Management

1. We were able to upgrade 1930 workstations to our current release over the weekend.
2. Because we do this remotely, workstations that are turned off cannot be upgraded
3. I think we targeted approx 6000 workstations, so the "workstation turned off" issue hurt us.
4. We are 72% on the current release. No pushes today or tomorrow. Upgrades restart again Wednesday through next Sunday night.

Last thoughts on Ted Haggard

http://fundyreformed.wordpress.com/2006/11/06/a-rugged-cross-a-glorious-gospel-and-the-ted-haggard-scandal/

http://theworldfrommywindow.blogspot.com/2006/11/whats-in-it-for-us-when-christian.html

Someone at work today said something about "evangelicals being hypocrites". I don't even consider myself part of the Ted Haggard "camp" ... I am not a pentacostal, and I am not a part of the National Association of Evangelicals. But from the perspective of an "outsider" ... evangelicals are hypocrites!

That comment hurts! But the reality is that each of us are fallen human beings. By the grace of God, I have been faithful to my spouse of 32 years. That does not mean I have not been tempted or that I will not be temped again. As soon I as say "it could never happen to me" ... it could! I must walk circumspectly and carefully in this world!

Our sinless Savior: 1 John 3:4,5, "Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness, And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin"

Three brief points:

1. All men are sinners: "Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness"
   
2. Our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, is sinless: "in Him there is no sin"
   
3. His ministry is to save men from our sins: "He was manifested to take away our sins"
   

Living victoriously in a culture of death

Our Pastor's message tonight was kind of a pre-election reminder without saying how one should vote. He provided these non-negotiables:

1. Abortion is murder
   
2. Euthanasia is murder
   
3. Fetal stem stell research (that requires the destruction of a fertized egg) is wrong as it human cloning
   
4. Marriage is defined Scripturally as only between a man and a woman
   

The Pastor's point is that we need to vote understanding that these issues are moral issues with a solid Biblical foundation that must not be negotiated away by the believer.

He then had 4 points about the election

1. God is sovereign!
   
2. The Christian is secure
   
3. Our mission is clear - to evangelize the lost with the Gospel of Christ
   
4. Christians must live lives consistent with the Gospel. The world yearns to see authentic Christianity
   

A good quote from Pastor McLachlan: "we pray 'Our Father who art in heaven' ... not 'Our Father who art in Washington'"

25 years ago I was naive enough to believe that government might help save America. My perspective now (I believe Biblically) is that while we must vote (it is our civic responsibility), that only Christ and the message of His Gospel can truly save America!

John MacArthur on Tithing

Does God require me to give a tithe of all I earn?
Two kinds of giving are taught consistently throughout Scripture: giving to the government (always compulsory), and giving to God (always voluntary).
The issue has been greatly confused, however, by some who misunderstand the nature of the Old Testament tithes. Tithes were not primarily gifts to God, but taxes for funding the national budget in Israel.

Because Israel was a theocracy, the Levitical priests acted as the civil government. So the Levite's tithe (Leviticus 27:30-33) was a precursor to today's income tax, as was a second annual tithe required by God to fund a national festival (Deuteronomy 14:22-29). Smaller taxes were also imposed on the people by the law (Leviticus 19:9-10; Exodus 23:10-11). So the total giving required of the Israelites was not 10 percent, but well over 20 percent. All that money was used to operate the nation.

All giving apart from that required to run the government was purely voluntary (cf. Exodus 25:2; 1 Chronicles 29:9). Each person gave whatever was in his heart to give; no percentage or amount was specified.

New Testament believers are never commanded to tithe. Matthew 22:15-22 and Romans 13:1-7 tell us about the only required giving in the church age, which is the paying of taxes to the government. Interestingly enough, we in America presently pay between 20 and 30 percent of our income to the government--a figure very similar to the requirement under the theocracy of Israel.

The guideline for our giving to God and His work is found in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7: "Now this I say, he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully. Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver."

For further study:
John MacArthur, God's Plan for Giving (tape series).

Hospitable

I Peter 4:8-9, "And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” Be hospitable to one another without grumbling."

Hospitality is an area where my wife excels. This weekend illustrates this:

1. She prepared a chili dinner Saturday night and my older son dropped by for dinner.
   
2. She hosted a young man for a full pot roast dinner (with all the fixen's) after church.
   
3. She hosted two couples for dinner after the Sunday evening service
   

Mac OS X verses Vista

Brother came by today singing the praises of his new Macbook Pro with Mac OS X. His report after two weeks:

1. It worked right out of the box ... EZ setup ... so simple just a small book explains
   
2. He bought a new HP printer that connects wirelessly to his home network.
   
3. While he does not feel that he has mastered it, he is very pleased.
   

My experience with Windows Vista (after 4 days at work):

1. I am under-whelmed: What does it offer above Windows XP? Nothing that interests me!
   
2. Yes it has Internet Explorer 7. But if you have Firefox, I.E. 7 is nothing special!
   
3. I have not fully explored Office 2007, but this is not a killer application for me!
   

Roger loves the easy integration of digital photography with his Mac! This would interest me!

I've got to wait another 11 months (as my wife reminded me tonight). But my next laptop will be a Mac!

Saturday chill

Today's plans (or lack thereof): (I'm chilling ... and it is chilly outside!)

1. Decommission Dell desktop (really just unplug and remove KVM (keyboard - video - mouse switch). To go to Tom H. at church tomorrow. Has Suse Linux 10.
   
2. Have Roger program my new garage door remotes (on for my tractor, one for my truck)
   
3. Brother coming by at 11:00. We are going to hang out and I'm going to buy his lunch at Jimmy Johns
   
4. Kathee grocery shopping (now) and later to a women's fellowship at 4th.
   
5. Play pool? Watch football?
   
6. Kathee planning her famous "Ma's chili" for dinner (one of her half a dozen chili receipes)
   

Random thoughts for my readers (which as far as I know may be 2!)

1. I was perhaps a little harsh about Minneapolis yesterday. But I was not harsh about that police precinct (as the crime map illustrates!)
   
2. Minneapolis has some beautiful neighborhoods and a beautiful downtown. Minneapolis
   
3. Also Minneapolis has in the last 5 years developed the warehouse district into a neighborhood of upscale condos and lofts.
   
4. Without Minneapolis (a great place to work!), Plymouth would not exist
   
5. But I am glad to come home to Plymouth every night
   
6. I was not harsh about Ted Haggard! I think he is lying and I think he is a pitiful excuse for a so-called man of God! I pray for his congregation
   

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Scripture Reading: I Peter 1 & 2:

Key verses on Godly living:

1:13-16, "Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”" Lesson: Called to Holy living!

2:1-2, "Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby" Lesson: Yearn for and receive the Word of God!

2:11-12, "Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles" Lesson: Flee Lustful Living!


2:13-15, "Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God" Lesson: Obey the Law!

Our Savior: (2:24) "who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed."

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End of Day

1. Great time with my Brother. His trip to Iowa: Visited the John Deere Museum (Moline IL?), Rock Island Armory (IL), and the Herbert Hoover home and museum
   
2. Roger a big help: salt in water softener, programmed new garage door remotes, trimmed bushes
   
3. Brother brought me a USGS brass property marker. Very cool. On the mantel.
   
4. Kathee cooking for tomorrow. Entertaining Mark Stamper from the church after the AM service and another couple after the PM service. Kathee has the gift of hospitality (as did her Mother)
   

Life: "a vapor" (James 4:14)

Tonight's reading: James 3,4,5

Key verses from these three chapters:

James 3:13-17, "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy"

James 4:13-15, "Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” "

James 5:8-9, "You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. ... Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!"

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Comment: When I was hospitalized at Craig Hospital in Denver for 11 weeks, this was a verse I regularly contemplated: "life ... is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away". There was a sunny spot that I would park my wheelchair and look out over the Swedish Hospital power plant. I would watch the vapor rise from the power plant stack. As steam soon dissipates, so does life quickly pass. One never knows when this life will end!

Crime in Minneapolis

Today I had coffee with Steve, a co-worker, who lives in this Minneapolis Police District (4). This map displays violent crime for one week in this district!

This happens to be where 4th Baptist was before they moved to Plymouth 5 or so years ago.

Friends of mine (Mamie F and Dave Y) live in this neighborhood.

Many days, Kathee and I drive downtown through this area.

This week, Kathee interviewed teens at North High School in this neighborhood for an internship. One of the young men she interviewed lost a brother (murdered on June 19th of this year!) in this neighborhood!

Back to my coffee buddy today. His home has been subject to numerous property crimes and according to Steve, the Minneapolis police will not even respond to property crimes.

He regularly hears gun shots near his home. When Mayor Rybak took office, he closed a police station in this area.

According to Steve, the "Disciples" gang rules his neighborhood! His personal protection solution is to keep loaded shotgun by his front door.

This is why I live in Plymouth instead of Minneapolis!

It makes one wonder that somehow a new baseball stadium and raising taxes for this was somehow a priority for Hennepin County this year! They should raise taxes for an army to clean up this neighborhood.

My thoughts on Ted Haggard

Star Trib: Ted Haggard

OK ... who is naive enough to believe this?

Ted Haggard admitted Friday that he bought methamphetamine and received a massage from a gay prostitute but insists that did not have sex or did not do the drugs

I don’t find his story credible!

The seedbed for moral failure is:

1. Unaccounted money and
   
2. Unaccounted time and
   
3. Power and Pride
   

It will destroy any organization or man!

I personally cannot claim I am above temptation or will never fail morally but ...

If I gave anyone a $ 100, my spouse to whom I am accountable (and she to me) would soon know of it.

If I were not at work from 8 to 5, my spouse would soon know of it
If I were not at the dinner table at 6 ...
If I were not in bed with her at 10 ...

There is some safety in that accountability!

Texas Border Watch

I thought this was interesting.

If you cannot sleep at night ... sign up and log on and watch our borders!

Texas Border Watch Program

"As part of the Virtual Neighborhood Border Watch Program, the State of Texas has been testing video surveillance cameras in different environments along the 1240 miles of Texas/Mexico border using the internet to transmit the images."

Thursday - MWC

I was asked to serve on the board of Metro Women's Center and tonight was the first night. I've known Colleen T (director) for 4 1/2 years. She is doing a super job. I know about half the board members: Laura M from Parker's Lake, Diane E from Emmaus Baptist, and Bill and Virginia E from 4th Baptist.

Today's news:

1. Work: Boss's boss sent me an email of encouragement. I've had a very busy week and I am ready for Friday
   
2. Work: Next week the distribution team is targeting 16,000 workstations with the upgrade. I am skeptical of success because we cannot do any distributions during the day and we cannot do any distributions on Monday or Tuesday. Any workstation turned off at night is not going to get the upgrade. I have daily tracking meetings to review status and strategize the next days targets. I've quit worrying about this.
   
3. Short turnaound from work to board meeting. We got home at 6, Kathee quickly made pancakes, I took my shoes off and petted the cat and almost fell alseep. I left at 6:30 and drove past MWC in the dark by 3 miles. Then had to quickly do a U-turn and speed to make it on time
   
4. Roger's friend Shubeck is spending the night with us tonight. John Shubeck is an USMC officer. I am looking forward to meeting him at about 11 tonight.
   
5. Kathee and I read James 1 & 2 tonight
   

James 1:18, "Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures"

James 1:21-24, "Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was"