Living Hand to Mouth

You've probably heard the expression "God helps those who help themselves..." at least once in your life. Evangelical Christians are usually quick to retort with "...but you can't find that in the Bible!" They are correct... in that they are usually defending the biblical truth of justification. That is, being judicially absolved from our wrongdoing through Christ's substitutionary payment.

An interview with Thomas Sowell, a well-known independent-thinking economist, got me to consider this. He made a statement regarding social welfare funded by taxation. His comment was, "Why should I be required to provide for others what they are unwilling to provide for themselves." Sowell is big on personal responsibility -- and so is the Bible.

There is ample biblical support for both the cliche phrase ("God helps those...") and Mr. Sowell's comment -- speaking in terms of practical, everyday living.

First, I think of two Proverbs:

19:24. The sluggard buries his hand in the dish, But will not even bring it back to his mouth.

26:15. The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; He is weary of bringing it to his mouth again.

Next, Paul speaking to the Thessalonians (2 Thess. 3):

10. For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.

12. Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread.

There are some who would use the Bible as an escape from responsibility. Truth is, on balance, it helps us face responsibility head-on. If we were all more responsible, wouldn't the world be a better place?

Getting "Spare Change" From My Spare Time

It has been my habit – one I am breaking myself of – to print article after article from the web and carry them along in my hopelessly overloaded brief case. I did this in case I might have a few minutes here or there to pull one out and read it.

Then there was the issue of what to do with all the paper copies when I was finished.

The alternative was to read them in electronic form on my PC screen. I found that to be a difficult assignment. It might be okay for short articles, but for multi-page pieces or even book-length writings, like those found at www.freebooks.com, much too cumbersome. It is also not nearly portable enough.

What to do? For years, I have been a handheld user (a Palm, in my case.) I have used my handheld for many things, but never as a document reader. I have recently begun to change that. I decided to download a couple of free programs to get me started.

One program runs on the PC and is called Clipboarddoc. It converts information from many PC-accessible sources (web pages, word processing files, pdf files, for instance) into a form that can be uploaded to the handheld.

The generic name for these files is “DOC” files. These are not the same as the “.doc” files produced by Microsoft Word compatible word processors. The similarity of names is an unfortunate source of confusion.

Clipboarddoc can be found here .

It also requires a free Java runtime to be installed on the PC. There is a link for that download on the website.

The other program runs on the Palm handheld. It's generic name is called doc reader. There are several to choose from. I chose to use one called TiBR. This program allows me to open any “DOC” files on the handheld and read, put bookmarks in the text and much more.

TiBR can be found here.

I have begun creating a library of handheld readable versions of many things I want to read, including the complete volumes 1 and 2 of Jay Abraham’s Incredible Case Studies, a number of the Reality Check archives and many other articles of interest.

So far, I have been pleased with my test drive. It is much easier on my brief case, my arm and my limited filing space. I would urge anyone who has a handheld that is not being used for this purpose to give it a try.

Sober.X

As a tech support provider, it is amazing what happens when otherwise intelligent people sit down at their computer and open their inbox. Rather than examine the sender and subject of mail messages and do a little bit of "why would I be getting a message like this?" they blunder ahead and open virus laden messages.

The news channels are reporting that messages from the FBI and the CIA are showing up in inboxes everywhere. Rather than deleting them immediately, may people will fall for them and launch the Sober.X virus. Sober.X will then set up shop, scan their email address book and send copies of itself off to the user's friends and associates to spread the joy.

People may not know that when a large scale outbreak occurs, there are free tools available for download which can scan their computers and disable the virus(es). One such tool for Sober.X can be found at Symantec. Just download the tool and follow the instructions.

Whenever you hear of an outbreak such as this one, be proactive and get the tool. Once downloaded you can scan your PC with it as often as you feel necessary until the threat has subsided.

Excellence by any other name...

Posted on my Faith & Culture link today.

Some Post-Rita Thoughts

We are far enough inland that we rarely have to tangle with hurricanes. Katrina showed that they can truly do some damage as they move inland -- Jackson MS is only about three hours to the east of us. There was plenty of Katrina left over after New Orleans to deal some pain in Jackson and northward.

This weekend was our turn. Like everyone, we frequently looked at the projected storm track on the internet, watched the developing land fall on TV and all.

The winds were gusty Friday afternoon and you could go out and observe the sweep of the outer bands of Rita overhead. Saturday morning we woke to even stonger winds and rain. I was the "on call" person for our network and desktop group. This includes the email servers. I got a call that our mail gateway was not responding at about 8:30 a.m. After attempting to revive it remotely, I got in the car to make the 30 minute drive to the office.

That was a drive through gusty wind and sometimes torrential rain. I got the problem resolved and headed home. About noon, I got a call from a retail division guy who was headed to South Texas to clean up our retail stores after the hurricane. He was leaving Sunday morning and had some crippling issues with his laptop. I agreed to meet him at the office at 3:oo p.m.

I had promised Cindy that I would grill her a steak, so I rolled out the gas grill and fired it up under our back patio cover. At 1:00 p.m., the power went out. Given the deteriorating weather conditions, it was hard to know how long we would have to deal with it. We opened as many windows as we could and let the moist breeze blow through the house. Not so bad at that time.

I made the trip to the office again at 3:00 p.m. and after doing my duty there, I went to pick up some "no preparation needed" edibles, batteries and other things that we might need if the power was off any length of time. By the time I finished shopping it was getting pretty harsh. I made it home safely and we settled in for a candelight evening. We called the energy company numerous time through the evening in hopes that we would get power restored, but the recording said there was widespread damage and no estimate as to how soon. The cool moist wind made sleeping fairly easy through the night. We got about 4.5" of rain Saturday.

Sunday was a lot less "fun". It was warmer, much more humid and not any significant wind. I went to the local store and bought bags of ice to try to keep the freezer and refrigerator cold. We went to church in the country -- also without electricity. I bought more ice, but we seemed to be fighting a losing battle. My brother-in-law loaned us a spare generator, but we couldn't get it to work properly, so we had to empty our fridge and freezer and take the stuff to their home -- which was being entirely powered by generator.

Through all this, it was a hot, humid, sweaty mess. This was definitely no fun. I was beginning to empathize much more with those souls in New Orleans who went for days before getting help. I found that I am not a very good sufferer. You can think about it, talk about it and all. Until you have a situation to test the mettle of your character, you really don't know.

Thank God, at 5:00 p.m. Sunday -- 28 hours after it went off -- the power was restored. I hope I learned some valuable things through it all.

More Hurricane Surreality

My company has been very severely affected by Katrina, as many have. It will be months before our New Orleans offices and facilities are operable. Most of our NOLA operations have been moved to Lafayette, LA or Houston, TX or Dallas TX. Some have moved in with us at our South Arkansas headquarters.

It has been utter chaos, from an Information Technology perspective, getting all these folks back in operation. Most of the hundreds of displaced employees had to leave their PCs behind in now uninhabited facilities. We have had to provide replacements and bring replacement servers up to accomodate their domains.

Now we have Rita! Our Houston offices are evacuated and headed north. We may have to do it all over again for those folks. The NOLA people who headed to the Houston area are now having to evacuate again!

What is even more surreal... I watched the whole Katrina thing unfold and there were hurricane force winds as far up as Jackson, MS... pretty far inland. The latest storm tracks for Rita could have it doing the same thing toward us! Someone said we could have 70 mph winds and rain this weekend. So... I watch even more intently.

Being a Statistic... The Dubious Honor

Several weeks ago... around Labor Day... we had one of our not too infrequent power outages caused by a severe thunderstorm. It was night, we had the windows open, but the air was not moving through the bedroom enough to go to sleep comfortably. So, I got up... several times.

To keep cooler, and to keep an eye on the power crews so that they didn't leave our area without getting our power back on (which has happened before), I sat on the front porch. My wife, Cindy, and I talked about putting some insect retardant on. It was dark in the house and we couldn't find it with the flashlights, so we sat out there and I got bit up by mosquitos.

About four days later, I started getting chills, fever, headache and body ache. This lasted all weekend and into the beginning of the next week. What was more strange was that I broke out in a rash. We joked about getting West Nile Virus. I looked up the symptoms on the web and, sure enough, they matched what I had.

I decided a couple of days later to get a blood test, just in case. Cindy called the doctor today and she nurse told her that the test came back positive for WNV. I am, thankfully, over the symptoms now. I had an elderly uncle who died from WNV. So, I have the dubious honor of being a CDC statistic... one of the "confirmed" cases in our area.

Surreality Check

The unfolding of the grim drama of Katrina is at once surreal and grittily real. Surreal because of some of the images seen on various media outlets. One I saw tonight was particularly so -- a blazing inferno surrounded by a sea of water as a structure was going to cinders in New Orleans. Other images, sound-bites and such add a frightening portent to what is playing out.

Looting is rampant. Those who have been ordered out of NOLA because of the rising flood waters and lack of drinkable water are stealing -- boxes full of athletic shoes! For what? How pointless! Law enforcement officers -- risking their lives for others -- are being fired upon with assault weapons. A city famous for revelry and lawlessness lives up to its reputation. We need to ask ourselves, "What are we becoming?"

The photo above shows the area around the NOLA facility of the company I work for (upper left hand corner). Yesterday, as I walked outdoors during the lunch break, the outer bands of Katrina streaked overhead. The breeze was gusty and I wondered what was happening a couple of hundred miles south as the storm was roaring northward. Later in the day, it seemed that perhaps the Crescent City might have been spared the worst. However, almost as if it was time-release medicine, the worst-case appears to be overtaking the city.

Pray for the Gulf Coast. Pray for New Orleans. Pray for a nation that thinks it is invincible. When Nora Lam was imprisoned in Communist China for her faith, the Chinese commanding officer told her that one day, her god would be found only in museums. She answered, "To do that, you would have to imprison the wind." A fitting reminder to a nation that has forgotten God.

Following the Dutch Lead to a Secular America

Al Mohler writes concerning voices of apprehension about what is called the Groningen Protocols. In a nutshell, these are "rules of the road" developed by Dutch medical professionals to implement euthanasia in their nation. These "protocols" are working their way outward to other (can we say "civilized"?) nations. As I mentioned in a previous post, there are nice folks out there who would like to "help" us experience the bliss of death -- for our own good and for that of society!

This is not the only Dutch social arena that U.S. progressives would like to mirror in our culture. Holland has long been a leader in progressive secular morality... lax treatment of drug use, prostitution, recreational sex and other matters. Everything America could be if only its invasive moralists would shut up and mind their own business. This is better?

Holland -- and America -- were not always that way. Alas, that would seem to be the cost of progress. One of my favorite movies is The Hiding Place. It is a true story about a Dutch Christian family hiding Jews and help them escape Nazi occupied Holland. Ironically, the Jews they helped all got away safely while all but one member of the ten Boom family died as Nazi prisoners. Few of their Dutch contemporaries were willing to put themselves in harm's way for the sake of others. In modern Holland, the exterminators would be the heros and the ten Boom family would be the villains. Go figure.

One of the forefathers of those Dutch Jews was a famous king of antiquity. He was renowned for his wisdom. In his writings, he said, "A wicked man hardens his face, but as for the upright, he understands and establishes his way." Modern progressives are determined, clenched-jaw determined, don't flinch or blink your eyes determined, to push their brave new world ethics even though they have no real certainty where it will lead. Hey, driving the bus over the cliff will give everybody one last thrill on the way to the bliss of death! On the other hand, a man who wants to know and do the right thing will make sure of the details and effects of the way he is about to go. Others lives depend on it.

All Who Hate Me Love Death

King Solomon, reputedly one of the wisest men of antiquity, was a prolific writer. He was also an astute observer of nature (isn't that a simple definition of what we now call "science"?) For Solomon, the seen and the unseen were not antithetical. If the seen led to the unseen, so be it. To begin with a presumption that only the seen was "real" is not science, it is secular faith. We have an abundance of that kind of faith today.

Today's news featured stories from two courtrooms. One was the U.S. Supreme Court. A ruling was handed down that, in essence, displays of religious symbols are okay as long as they are totally divorced from the religions they symbolize. Confusing? You bet! This, in a courtroom where Moses and the Ten Commandments are displayed above the heads of the justices. I'm not the first to wonder what would happen if something like George Bailey experienced in "It's a Wonderful Life" took place in regard the the Judeo-Christian law. What if every vestige of the Law of God was removed from the public square -- not just the symbols, mind you -- but the content. Not pretty. The Law (God's, that is) defines evil and it defines what is right. It sets up boundaries that restrain evil and promote good. The Law of the Supreme Court seems intent on doing just the opposite. Modern law makes good evil and evil good.

A second scene comes from a courtroom in Wichita. Dennis Rader, the BTK killer, confessed in morbid details to the string of murders he committed. His murders were driven, by his own admission, by sexual fantasies. Here again, modern "law" refuses to connect the dots between moral causes and effects. How many Raders, Gacys, etc. does it take? Evil exists. It is not merely conceptual. King Solomon was not afraid -- no, more than that -- he was compelled to make the moral connections. He was not afraid to go where the facts led. Speaking as Wisdom personified, he wrote, "All those who hate me love death."

Missing the Point - Terri's Legacy

The results of the autopsy performed on Terri Schiavo are now public. As with the pre-death coverage, much of the media is trumpeting the autopsy results as a vindication of Michael Schiavo's (most recent) position. I say "most recent" because for several years after her mysterious fall into the abyss of brain damage, his position was that he did not know what her wishes about end-of-life were. Somewhere along the line, Michael "remembered" that she would have wanted to die if in that condition. His memory conveniently revived after shacking up with a new girlfriend and fathering a couple of children with her.

But that is all old news. The conservative right is not entirely blameless in this issue either. Their rhetoric centered on purported evidence that Terri was not in a persistant vegetative state. The autopsy results "seem" to contradict that. PVS should not be the clincher in this deal.

Consequent fallout from the autopsy shows test-which-way-the-wind-blows politicians shuffling their positions, so as not to be found on the unpopular side of the debate.

The medical examiner said very plainly that Terri's condition was not life-threatening. I even heard a talk radio show caller twisting his logic in a pretzel to avoid calling her death a "killing." What else could you call it? The medical examiner stated that she could have lived on a decade or more if cared for. She had a family willing to do that.

On the other side, you have a legion of "right-to-die" advocates who found an easy mark in Michael Schiavo to get their cause in front of a sympathetic news media. Schiavo's lawyer even wrote a book about the tactics. How much more bald-faced can you get? The "death is so blissful" descriptions of Terri's last hours were enough to make a calloused person wretch.

My wife and I care for her severely and profoundly mentally retarded brother. He has never been "normal." He is non-verbal. He can't tell us "where it hurts." He requires total care. He must be fed, diapered, bed-bathed, moved around in his bed to prevent bed sores -- he is 58 years old. In spite of that, there are crystal clear evidences of "personhood" in him. He never had an opportunity to "decide" if he wanted to live. Who will decide for him? Jesus gave a very compelling standard to us when he said "Whatever you have done to the least of these, my brethren, you have done to me." That is the way we treat him and he returns joy to us.

The upshot of media coverage and popular opinion is this: Michael Schiavo, the justice system, his lawyers all "did the right thing." If so, will our society begin systematically "helping" other non-persons enjoy the bliss of their right-to-die?

Tianamen, Havana and the Decentralizing World

One tenet of the Marxist/Leninist worldview is the need for revolution to bring in the socialist utopia. I am reminded of the Tianamen Square protests. I read an article recently, commenting on the anniversary of the deadly protests. The article was suggesting, rightly, that years later, we know hardly anything about the "true" numbers of the killed, the imprisoned and their fates. Revolution only seems to suit the envious when they are out of power.

Another tight-fisted dictator is Fidel Castro. It baffles me (well... not really) that the champions of freedom -- the American elite -- have such an incongruous love for this despot. Again, revolution suits him when he is the challenger, not the defender. Nat Henthoff comments in the Village Voice about a May 20 meeting in Havana:

You wouldn't know it from The New York Times or nearly all the media in New York (the purported center of communications for this nation), but in Havana onMay 20—for the first time in Fidel Castro's 46 years of brutal rule—there was apublic mass meeting, with subversive shouts of "Freedom! Freedom!"

As Anita Snow reported for the Associated Press, "A little more than half [of the 200] present [for the Assembly to Promote Civil Society in Cuba] were delegates from diverse opposition groups around the island. The rest were organizers, international journalists, diplomats and other special guests." The resident dictator was clearly concerned at the refusal by these Cubans to be silenced for fear of being thrown into his gulags. He tried to keep the resistance quiet. As
the Financial Times noted, "Cuba denied visas to dozens of European politicians and Cuban American leaders who sought to attend the meeting, and expelled four European deputies."

And, the AP added, "Cuba on Thursday expelled two European lawmakers who had planned to attend the gathering and refused entry to two others. . . . Six Poles—three journalists, a human rights worker and two students"—were also expelled.

Among the Cubans intending to come who were arrested beforehand were two independent librarians from eastern Cuba, Elio Enrique Chávez and Luis Elio de la Paz. In a quick, secret trial, they were charged and convicted for the crime of "dangerousness" (peligrosidad). They were a danger to his dictatorship. (Read the entire article)

The world is escaping the grasp of its overlords. Many commentators, including Gary North, have commented about the meltdown of the traditional press being faciliated by the decentralized media -- the internet and bloggers primarily. I work in the information technology world. In the last twenty years, there has been a back-and-forth move from centralization to decentralization and back.

Decentralization is great for freeing people to do things that they might not be able to accomplish otherwise. The "killer" for this tectonic shift -- wouldn't you know it -- is the individuals to whom the decentralization flows. Many are unwilling to take the initiative to learn the technologies that come to them in this newfound freedom. They are positively irresponsible in their dabbling with detrimental technologies (loading junkware on their PC and spreading their misery to other users). They fail to recognize the overriding business goals that govern their technological freedom.

I commented several days ago that one necessary ingredient for successful decentralization is self-government. It all comes back to character. The downside of decentralized computing is applicable to decentralized governments. If we don't want despots, we must have overriding agreed-upon principles which glue our individually free lives together. We must take responsibility for progress and shun the detrimental. What a concept!

Will The Real Gulag Please Stand Up?

It would be foolish to assume that the Gitmo facility is being run in a squeaky-clean fashion. Any statements made to that effect should be viewed with some reasonable suspicions. That said, recent statements by Amnesty International accusing the Bush administration of running a "gulag" are laughable. It seems like we can hardly have a bona fide disagreement over political issues nowadays without resorting to polemics.

Guess that's what happens when politics becomes your religion. Governments make bad saviors and politics makes bad religion. Many of the American founders, believed that self-government was essential to good government. NewsMax recently quoted a real (meaning: Soviet style) gulag graduate, Aleksander Solzhenitsyn. Speaking about Russian democratization, he made some statements that we could all learn from. Here is an excerpt:

"If they are going to take away our democracy, they can take away only what we have. But if we have nothing, then nothing can be taken away," he said. "We have already taken everything from the people. ... We have nothing that resembles democracy.

"We are trying to build democracy without self-governance," he said, according to a transcript of the interview. "Before anything, we must begin to build a system so that the people can manage their own destinies."

Solzhenitsyn, whose best-known works include "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" and "Gulag Archipelago," appeared thin, but he spoke energetically and gestured with emotion.

Solzhenitsyn spent a decade in a labor camp and documented life in the camps in his "Gulag Archipelago" trilogy. He won the Nobel Prize in literature in 1970 and was expelled from the Soviet Union four years later. He lived in Vermont until his 1994 return to Russia, three years after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

His profile as a moral arbiter and a literary star have declined since he returned to Russia, taking a train across the country and criticizing the corruption and poverty of post-Soviet Russia. He has kept a lower profile in recent years, giving few interviews and issuing few public statements.

Watch What We Do, Not What We Say

One of the memorable quotes from the Watergate moment was that of Attorney General John Mitchell, "Watch what we do, not what we say." It could be said that the reality of one's beliefs lies in what they do, not what they say.

I could profess my love for my wife very eloquently, but living in betrayal through infidelity or otherwise would nullify my loudest protestations. Likewise, one's worldview may be accurately determined by what they do, not what they say.

Many years ago, Dr. Paul Ackerman related related how he, as an ardent behavioral psychologist, came to that realization through an unfortunate event in his life. He related how he watched as his young child pedaled down the driveway into the path of an oncoming car. Through that fatal moment, he came to realize that his behaviorism and its attendant naturalistic underpinnings was at odds with the reality of love and loss. To hang everything on stimuli, hormones, genetics -- simply molecular things did not square up with real life.

Similarly, the ACLU is in the spotlight. According to a New York Times article, their internal practices betray their professed statements of purpose. If we were to pull off the covers, what other things might we find at odds with this organization?

Shoulda Seen It Coming

Last night, I was reading an old essay written in 1993 by Gary North. It had something to say about how the Islamic world would cope with the encroachment of Western culture:

The problem is, the likely Islamic defense will be military: terrorism. Islam will have to attack the source of the West’s technological superiority if it is to retain its leadership at home. The West will be challenged. Squads of dedicated terrorists will seek to bomb Western power stations and communications centers, or use biological weapons to kill hundreds of thousands of city dwellers. They will seek to create havoc in clandestine ways. Islamic nations cannot defeat the West on the conventional military battlefield, as Iraq learned in Kuwait in 1991. They will have to try to defeat the West on unconventional battlefields inside the West. To escape falling behind the West economically, the Islamic theocracies must bring down the West, even though the West has made them rich in the second half of the 20th century. The envy factor will combine with the Islamic theocracy factor: a highly destructive combination. A war is now in progress. It will almost surely escalate.

Terrorism was nothing new in 1993. I'm sure others could see this trend, as well. It was still an insightful comment, in light of events in the last decade, especially since 9/11/2001.

The Times They are A-Changin'

I can't think of a better way to kick off this publication but to quote Bob Dylan's 1964 anthem:

The Times They Are A-Changin' (1964)

Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'.
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'.
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly agin'.
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'.

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin'.
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'.

Forty-one years later, it's just as pointed as the day it was written. History is moving and, as they say, "Lead, follow or get out of the way."

U-571 and the Call of Duty

Joseph got me this movie for Christmas a couple of years ago. One of the things that impressed me in watching and re-watching it has to do with a pivotal scene near the end of the movie where a young crewman is ordered to swim in the bilge to shut off a leaking air valve which is endangering the whole crew.

As you will recall, young Lt. Tyler (portrayed by Matthew McConaughey) has been turned down for a promotion to skipper his own boat because his senior officer is unsure the younger officer can make life or death decisions on behalf of his subordinates when it is crunch time.

As the story develops, he is thrown into the position of skipper in the heat of battle when his own skipper is killed during their mission. In the ensuing attempt to get the boat and crew to safety, Tyler finds himself facing the demons that the older skipper warned him of. The situation with the leaky valve is one of the make-or-break decisions that "gel" him as the commander. After a failed attempt to find the valve, the young seaman complains to Lt. Tyler that he "can't do it." Tyler responds that he has to do it, that the lives of the entire crew depend on him doing what was ordered. I very well remember Tyler's order for the seaman to get back in the bilge and "do your job." The seaman obeys and his courage ends up saving the crew, though it cost him his own life in the process, drowning in the sub's bilge.

Duty has lost favor in our "do what floats your boat" world. Christians bend over backward to stress that we obey Jesus "because we love him... because we want to, not because we have to." I have heard duty talked down as a proper motivation for a follower of Jesus. In Jesus' world, love involves duty. It does not exclude it. Perhaps it is because of the absence of duty that today's "love" is so shallow.

U2: Still Humming After All These Years

I can remember hearing a young new band from Ireland years back and being intrigued by their sound. One of the intriguing things to me, as a musician, was how they effectively re-defined the guitar-bass-drums trio sound.

I had always been left a little empty by the previous heavyweights in that genre - Cream and the the Jimi Hendrix Experience, later the Band of Gypsies. Their guitar-driven sound was fronted by what was then considered "superstar" guitarists with decent chops as solo players, but the sound was thin and empty. It 's hard to have just bass and drums filling in behind a lead guitar excursion without sounding anemic. (I later had a trumpet-bass-drums bop trio named Boplicity-- even more difficult to get a "fat" sound! Ooof!)

Reading some bio material at http://www.threechordsandthetruth.net -- their beginnings were pretty rough. I even read there that they gave up trying to be a cover band because they were not good at it. So, they worked on writing their own material and, as they say, the rest is history.

The Edge's guitar work, which he described as "doing the work of two," was - to me - a major factor in their unique sound. It must be said that neither he nor any of the other members of the band are "virtuouso" musicians, but they are the typical "sum is greater than the individual parts." Larry Mullen and Adam Clayton lay down a solid bottom end while The Edge "does the work of two" on the guitar, with arpeggiated sweeps, lots of upper neck chording with inversions putting the fifth or third on top, ringing suspensions and choppy rhythm strumming with lots of effects. Plus, Bono is truly a fine front man, again, not a great singer as singers go, but just the right stuff for the band's chemistry.

Lyrically, U2 seems to have captured the spiritual yearnings of the last twenty years. I wonder if that, in part, is what has contributed to their longevity.

As U2 tours the US promoting their newest CD "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb" -- in your opinion, what makes them resonate with their vast and diverse audience for twenty-some years? What has been the secret of their success? Leave a comment and let me know!

Tolerance is a Two-way Street

I read a very interesting commentary today. It was relating to the hoo-haa surrounding the supposed desecration of the Quran. Interestingly enough, it was written by a muslim from Saudi Arabia. The gist of the commentary was this: Despite all the carping about the supposed lack of tolerance shown by red-state Bible-thumpers, this muslim said he could go to any number of bookstores here in the states, buy a copy of his holy book (the Quran) and read it here, there... anywhere in this country without so much as the slightest bother. Turning the tables, he said that in his home country, no one can purchase or possess a non-muslim holy book, such as the Bible. It is a crime. He recognizes the hypocrisy.

Before we mindlessly blather about how narrow-minded the right is, we need to pause for a reality check.

So What's The Difference?

I have seen a very interesting commercial for, 7-Up I think, where someone comes up to the snack counter and asks for a specific sparkling lemon-lime beverage (we'll just assume it's 7-Up due to poor memory) and the counter person says "We have Sprite... it's all the same." He then draws a Sprite and hands it to the customer and says, "That's a dollar." The customer wittily pulls out a small coin -- dime or penny or something -- puts it on the counter and says, "...it's all the same."

What a beautiful illustration of the fact that we may think and talk relativism, but in real life, we don't buy it.

We may think and say "whatever... one way is as good as another" but we know better.

Philippians - Being Right-Minded

Phil 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

Being “right-minded”: We have a choice about what we think on, what we read, what we watch and listen to. Our choices in these things matter much in experiencing God's best. A lot of the time, we -- sort of mindlessly -- ingest whatever is playing. Don't be mindless. If you want God's peace, dwell on the things this verse says and forego the mediocre.

Philippians – Being "Right-minded"

Phil 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Being “right-minded”: Guarding our minds by not bearing our own burdens. Take every need to God or you will be eaten up with overwhelming needs.

Philippians – Being "Right-minded"

Phil 4:1 Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved.

2 I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.

Being “right-minded”: Ah, Euodia and Synthche. These women obviously had some differences that they let come before or pre-empt the same-mindedness that God desires. They needed to put aside their differences and look out for each other.

Philippians – Being "Right-minded"

Phil 3:17 Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. 18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame--who set their mind on earthly things. 20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

Being “right-minded”: Having the temporary and the eternal in right perspective. Anyone who trades the eternal for the temporary is a fool. Earthly life and responsibility is not “bad” versus heavenly things “good”. That is Platonism. Rather, the issue is not banking on the temporary. Instead, use it for the eternal.

Philippians – Being "Right-minded"

Phil 3:12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. 16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.

Being “right-minded”: Mature thinking is not “having arrived.” It is continually growing and never going backward.

Philippians – Being "Right-minded"

Phil 3:1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.

2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, 4 though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Being “right-minded”: Credentials are okay. They're not bad or evil. I wouldn't want an uncredentialed brain surgeon operating on me. However, credentials only go so far. They are, in Paul's words, rubbish (literally dung) in comparison to a right relationship with God and experiencing, not just knowing about, his life and purpose. To be right-minded, keep it in perspective.

Philippians - Being Right-Minded

Phil 2:25 Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to my need; 26 since he was longing for you all, and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. 27 For indeed he was sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 28 Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less sorrowful. 29 Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem; 30 because for the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me.

Being “right-minded”: Example two - Epaphroditus. He risked his life to be the Philippians' servant to Paul in Paul's time of need.

Philippians – Being "Right-minded"

Phil 2:17 Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.

19 But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state. 20 For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. 21 For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. 22 But you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel. 23 Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it goes with me. 24 But I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly.

Being “right-minded”: Example two - Timothy. He was like-minded with Paul (and Jesus) in that he didn't seek his own, but was concerned about the good of the Philippians. He served Paul the way Jesus served his Father.

Philippians – Being "Right-minded"

Phil 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

14 Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.

17 Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.

Being “right-minded”: Did Jesus complain about what he had to do? Do we trust that what God is working out in our lives is good? Don't be a whiner!

Philippians – Being "Right-minded"

Phil 2:5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Being “right-minded”: Supreme example number one is Jesus. When we talk about being one-minded, or ask whose “one mind” to centralize on, let His mind be in us. His mind was to not hold on to what was rightfully his at our expense, but to lay it aside and give up his life for our good. He had lowliness of mind in regard to Himself and looked out for others.

Philippians – Being "Right-minded"

Phil 1:27 Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. 29 For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, 30 having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.

Whose “one mind” do we centralize on? Mine? The preacher's?

2:1 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, (and there is), if any comfort of love, (and there is), if any fellowship of the Spirit, (and there is), if any affection and mercy, (and there is), 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Being “right-minded”: Full joy comes in us being like-minded, one-minded, of one accord, but this does not mean being cookie-cutter copies of each other. Looking out for others' interests does not have anything to do with embracing others' affinities, as in affinity-based groupings in the church. It has to do with seeking the well-being of others, as in “love your neighbor as yourself”. It involves lowliness of mind in regard to yourself and looking out for others.

Philippians – Being "Right-minded"

Phil 1: 19 For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 20 according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. 24 Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. 25 And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith, 26 that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again.

Being “right-minded”: Life is not about “me” it is about Christ. Our goal is not to escape or abandon. As long as He wants me to labor, I want to be here at the plow.

Philippians – Being "Right-minded"

Conventional wisdom says, “How can being 'tied down' allow for furthering the gospel?”

Phil 1:12 But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, 13 so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; 14 and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

15 Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: 16 The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; 17 but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.

We think that responsibilities and such keep us from being “free” to serve God.

Being “right-minded”: Paul says that (to quote Romans) God causes all things to work together for good.

Philippians – Being "Right-minded"

Reading the book of Philippians several times recently, I was thinking about the general "message" Paul was communicating to the believers. I landed on the characteristic of being "right minded" or as he says in several places, of one mind, like-minded, of one accord, and so on. I had a chance to speak about this book to a church gathering and will break it down over the next few postings.

Phil 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Paul's prayer was the their love would -> overflow -> in knowledge and discerment in order to -> approve excellent things with the effect of being -> filled with righteousness fruit.

Being "right-minded" is a result of love overflowing and results in right living for those around you.

What is "Grace"

This question was asked to a group of men this morning and the chorus of replies was typical: "unmerited favor." This may be true in part, but real grace has a purpose, a thorough definition of which can be found in Titus 2:11-14. It is as follows:

v12 - Grace not only brings salvation, unmerited as it is, it also teaches us to deny, to say "no" to, ungodliness and worldly desires. It teaches us to live sensibly, righteously and godly in this present age. You might say, grace does not just give to us, it expects something from us. If we think not, we are not talking about the grace of God that is defined here.
v13 - It also teaches us to look forward to the return of our King, Jesus.
v14 - Using a modern paradigm, grace is "purpose driven". Jesus gave himself for us to "redeem us from every lawless deed", to "purify a people for Himself that is zealous for good works." If our "grace" isn't about purity and zeal for what is right, it is not the grace of God. His grace is an enabler.

Another less common definition of grace is the "power and desire to do what pleases God". That comes closer to the purpose-driven grace of Titus 2:11-14.