Rain, Rust & Ruin

Been raining here almost constantly for the past three days, with a 40% chance of more rain through Saturday.

Naturally, you're always concerned with leaks in the hull because sinking would be, ah ... unpleasant.  But any kind of leak at all is bad because fiberglass will actually absorb water, blister, and lose its structural strength.   

The rain's been so intense recently, previously undiagnosed topside leaks have shown up ... like this one, below.  It's at the base of a bolt attaching the searchlight to Calypso's radar arch.  

I've heard that dampness attract spiders: for the first time ever, they're showing up inside the saloon.  I've seen four in the past 24 hrs. 

Spiders eat all kinds of bugs so spiders are our friends, right?  Spiders don't scare me; I just wonder if they bite (people, I mean.  Or through jeans.)  Hope neither one's poisonous.

Below is a Masai stabbing sword I brought back from Tanzania.  Last year I sharpened the blade, then stowed it away in its sheath for safe-keeping:

Apparently too much safe-keeping, and not enough diligence and inspection, is an open invitation to rusting.  Rust not only dulls the edge; left unchecked, rust will irreparably weaken and ruin the steel.

So in fair weather it's nothing to sit back, look around and think "Everything's staying sharp and weather-tight."  But ...

(1) Stormy weather is more likely than sunny skies to reveal leaks and defects

(2) Every surface exposed to the environment is vulnerable to leaking, not just those in constant physical contact with another surface

(3) Porous surfaces attract distracting and potentially dangerous pests

(4) Rust is the offspring of neglect and contentment  

(5) By definition, the consequences of ruin are permanent

When Jesus calls

Ever wondered why it seems like God doesn't do miracles, or speak to people, the way he does in scripture?  

So why doesn't God do miracles "like he used to back in Bible days"?

Ever wondered if maybe God looks down on the world and thinks, "Why don't people believe in me like they used to?"

--

What would happen if people did believe like they used to?  

What would happen if a church was dedicated solely to serving and honoring God ... and making the name of Christ famous around the world?

What would we see?  Would a miracle from God really take place ... in front of the whole world, where everyone could see it?

Don't miss the 6:00 PM web campus service and find out, no ... see for yourself.

CLICK HERE AT 6PM EASTERN TO ATTEND THE NEWSPRING WEB CAMPUS

... and come home.

An ineffective witness?

I was watching a crime investigation show on TV the other day and it occurred to me that if I was ever called in to court and ordered to testify, it's pretty clear that my testimony could be easily discredited on cross-examination by any attorney capable of scratching his or her head and wagging a finger in my direction.

The scene unfolds like this:

"Before we hear your testimony, is it true that you believe in the existence of a supernatural, infinitely powerful and invisible being called 'God'?"  Yes.

"Is it true that you also reject evolution and insist instead that life began, and the entire universe was created, as the result of the choice of this invisible being?"  Yes.

"You also believe that this invisible entity is "mighty to save" and even wrote a book, is that correct?"  Yes.

"Is it also true that you believe this invisible being became a man and actually lived on earth for approximately 33 years?"  Yes.

"Do you also believe that this man never committed any crime, and yet he was legally tried in a legitimate court, found guilty by his peers and lawfully executed by the state?"  Except for the parts about legally, legitimate, peers and lawfully, yes.

"I'm sorry, but would have us believe that this 'God man,' this so-called 'Son of God' then miraculously came back to life, appeared to his friends for over a month and then rode a cloud back up into heaven?"  I don't know if the clouds mentioned in scripture did the lifting  but otherwise, yes.

"Mr. Hall, do you believe invisible beings called angels exist in an invisible place called heaven?"  Yes.

"And that other invisible beings called demons exist in another invisible place called hell, that they serve an evil master called Satan, and that these demons roam the earth and interfere with peoples' lives?"  They do ... but only for the time being.

"That's interesting, because it's also your belief that the reason the 'Son of God' came to the planet and lived here for 33 years was to save people from being punished and burning in hell?  Yes.

"Even people who never heard of him will be punished?"  Yes.

"Mr. Hall, do you also believe that the 'Son of God' who magically came back to life and who then disappeared back into heaven also inspires, moves and speaks to people who're alive today?"  Yes.

"In fact, it's your position that another invisible being, called a 'Holy Spirit,' lives inside people who believe in the 'Son of God'?"  Yes.

"Do you believe that this 'Son of God' is coming back to earth?"  Yes.

"And that his eyes will be full of fire, with a double-edged sword coming from his mouth?"  Yes.

"Thank you, no further questions.  Your honor, obviously the witness suffers from delusions, paranoia and auditory hallucinations.   We move to strike the witness's testimony as unreliable, based on questionable mental competence."

So much for being an effective witness ... in court, anyway.

Get rid of those filthy flu bugs and germs!

- a quick follow-up to the previous post ...

Research shows flu germs can live on money for three days

Flu season is upon us and, while you may be doing your best to keep germs away, you might be surprised what's putting you at risk of getting sick. If you’re one of many people who’s been dealing with a case of the flu lately, you may have to look no farther than your wallet or an automatic teller machine to place blame.

Until now, medical experts only thought the flu was transmitted through the air. Now there's proof the virus survives on paper.

"We know obviously when someone coughs and covers his mouth and then touches other things, the flu virus may be on for some period of time,” said Dr. Marc Tribble, an infectious disease specialist.

"Whether it’s pieces of paper or dollar bills at the bank, you got to be aware that sick people may be passing around the virus,” he said.

- source and full story here

For crying out loud, can the news of this new health-associated risk possibly be any clearer?  Cash is filthy, germ and virus-ridden stuff.  Get rid of it ... and tithe heavy.

In fact,  Tithing and giving has never been easier.

Will folks stay home Sunday & skip church to avoid swine flu risk?

"I'm worried about catching swine flu, so I'm skipping church ... unless I can get Swine Flu-free worship services at my fingertips."

Ok, that's probably one of the silliest excuses I've ever heard.  In fact it's no excuse at all: you can still stay swine-flu free and worship, without having to disinfect every surface, cover your mouth when you cough ... or even wear a surgical mask to chase away germs.

NewSpring Church Web Campus

join hundreds of worshippers from around the world praising God online together every Sunday

11:15am Eastern, 11:00am Pacific (2pm Eastern) & 6pm Eastern

newspring.cc/webcampus

Not to make light of a potential H1N1 pandemic, but it's strange how we pick things to worry about, isn't it?  Two weeks ago today folks thought the world was coming to an end because of the sagging economy, and last year we were fretting to death over gasoline prices ... as if worrying ever gives us control or can possibly change the outcome.

[reminder: I am not employed by nor endorsed in any way by newspring church.  Any opinions, errors, or symptoms of foot-in-mouth disease presented here are strictly, wholly and entirely my own.]

Lucky Charm Christianity; Fortune-based Faith

I forget who, it may have been an 17th century philosopher, but "some famous guy"* made the point that logically it makes more sense to believe in God than it does to be an atheist, because if you believe in God and turn out to be mistaken, then you've lost nothing (and have probably lived a more benevolent, charitable life as a result). 

But, as the argument goes, if you're  an atheist and turn out to be wrong, then you've lost everything.  In fact you're lost, for all eternity.

So why not believe in God?

Makes a perfect kind of sense, so far as human sense goes, and that "just to be safe" approach to faith seemed pretty bullet-proof, at least in terms of logic, for about 400 years.  

Unfortunately, the argument makes so much sense, Play It Safe Christianity lasted, and expanded, well into the 20th century.  Get saved now so you don't go to hell forever.  Why take chances?

Nobody ... well, almost nobody, not even folks who don't believe in hell, wants to take chances when it comes to something as serious as spending the rest of eternity burning in a lake of fire ... so why not play life safe n' smart, and either believe in God, or accept Christ or adopt whatever religious approach fits best ... just in case it turns out that there actually is a divine being and an afterlife, after all?

Logically, what sense does it make to take needless chances?  Why not play it safe?

* Blaise Pascal; Pascal's Wager

--  --

What did Christ ask?  That we accept him based on probability theory, or that we believe in him with our hearts?  Did he command us to place our faith in him, or to hedge an everlasting bet in safety?

Safety and "not taking chances" didn't rank very high on Christ's list of worldly priorities: logically, "playing it safe" sorta contradicts allowing yourself to be flailed, humiliated and nailed to a cross between two thieves.

-- --

"Perfect sense" Christianity and "Play It Safe" faith is as close to knowing Christ as some believers will ever get.  

For those interested in their own well-being, faith in Christ translates to a fingers-crossed faith and a hope that Christ will intercede on their behalf to protect them from harm and keep them safe from all kinds of calamities and misfortune:  "Lord, let's make a deal. I'll believe in you if you believe in me. Wha'dya say?"

Lord, put me first and keep me in front of the line ... unless some kind of suffering, persecution or profession of faith is involved.

--  --  --

"But Joe, I believe the Bible teaches that God wants to reward me and make those who follow Christ rich!"

I believe that, too.  

But God's riches and rewards won't have anything to do with money, with having luck, with playing it safe ... or with being content and having lots of stuff.

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

- Philippians 4:12

My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

- Colossians 2:2-3

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

- Philippians 3:10-11

Hey you! Listen up and pray attention!

Don't know about you, but sometimes praying can be hard.

You might be thinking, "Why?  I've been praying my whole life, and nothing could be easier.  I just close my eyes, clasp my hands together (especially if anyone's watching), and jump right in.  I'm always ready when called on too, because I've memorized  five or six of my favorites and could recite them all day long with my eyes closed."

Yeah, that's the point: how much Thanks am I showing if I thank God by droning through the same 10 words three times a day, year in and year out?  After all, I'm not eating the same boring thing three times a day, so why was I falling back on the same (boring) prayers 3x a day ... not just at meal times, but also when praying to God ... about anything?

If I treat praying like an onerous chore, how can God think my prayers are anything but a tedious bore?

"Oh Lord, please guide and direct my life and bless me with wisdom and good judgement in every way. Thank you for everything. Amen.  Oh, and please also forgive me for all my sins.  And for the ones I forgot to mention and any leftover from yesterday. I think that's it, amen.  And help me to forgive others too, amen amen."

Uh oh, is prayer supposed to be a 24-hour request line ... or did I just hang up on God?

-- --

Why is it so easy to turn prayer into a tired recitation, instead of keeping prayer an on-going communication? 

Could be because it's more fun asking God for new things than it is finding new ways to express thanks for what we already have.  

And because recitation is easier than paying attention ... and listening.

White House Joins Facebook, Twitter, MySpace

White House joins Facebook, MySpace, Twitter

The official White House Blog calls it "WhiteHouse 2.0." The administration is unveiling its membership in a trio of the social-networking leaders today: Facebook, MySpace andTwitter. How do the accounts look shortly after launch?

The Facebook page already has more than 38,000 fans, and the number appears to jump another thousand every few minutes at this hour. The MySpace page is a highly stylized version of designs typically seen on the service, with 5,300 friends and counting. "A quick glance at the profiles shows that they mostly just link to or copy entries on the existing WhiteHouse.gov blog, but they welcome comments and are quickly gathering thousands of fans," PaidContent.org says.

-full story here

A tale of two groups

Just had a conversation with a friend (who was reared in a different denomination) about what Christ and my faith means when something troublesome occured to me: that no matter what their affiliation or denomination, there's really only two groups of believers after all.

There's one group who acts like they're saved: they love being important and are proud to have God on their side.  This group believes God's thrilled to reward them for their righteousness.

The other group's lives show that they're saved: they love their neighbors and are humbled daily by Christ's sacrifice.   This group is thrilled to serve God and praise him in his righteousness.

One group worships by dressing up their bodies, singing hymns and stresses the importance of "doing church the right way"; the other group worships Him, believes the church is His body and in the importance of doing right ... without stressing.

One group suspects, and loves finding fault with others; the other group forgives, and keeps no record of wrongs.

One group says "Sorry, we're full", closes their doors and then frets about church business and defeat; the other group expects joyous victory and to see hell's gates stamped "Closed" and "Gone out of Business."

One group is focused on rules and pointing out the sins of others; the other group is focused on the gospel and sharing it with others. 

One group can't wait for Christ to return and send all those wicked sinners to hell; the other group can't wait to fall on their knees before Christ and thank him for forgiving their wickedness and for saving them from hell. 

One group believes Christ's behind them in every situation; the other group believes in following Christ, no matter what the situation.

One group says that Jesus belongs to and works for them; by their works, the other group shows that they belong to Christ.

Woe to those who go to great depths 
       to hide their plans from the LORD, 
       who do their work in darkness and think, 
       "Who sees us? Who will know?"

- Isaiah 29:15

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

-2 Corinthians 4:6

SBS3

Spanish Bean Soup; attempt #3:

I ran out of olive oil, so I substituted butter instead ... and this time I pureed a full two cups of the beans (like the recipe says), but the result seems too thick. 

The onions were sweet vidalias (been using yellows) and overall, bean soup #3 tastes kinda bland and flat.

this should be easy to answer

You've heard folks say, "I've been feeling awful.  I think there's something wrong with me."

But why is it you never hear anybody say, "I've been feeling fantastic.  I think there's something right with me"?

idk ...

Venez m'aider!

- Welcome to May.  As of 6:59AM, there's 352,440 minutes left to go in 2009.

Ever wondered why airplanes or ships in emergency situations start broadcasting urgent "May Day" distress calls?  What does May Day mean?

"Mayday is an emergency code word used internationally as a distress signal in voice procedure radio communications. It derives from the French venez m'aider, meaning 'come help me'.

"The Mayday callsign was originated in 1923 by Frederick Stanley Mockford (1897–1962) .  A senior radio officer at Croydon Airport in London, Mockford was asked to think of a word that would indicate distress and would easily be understood by all pilots and ground staff in an emergency.  Since much of the traffic at the time was between Croydon and Le Bourget Airport in Paris, he proposed the word 'Mayday' from the French m’aider."

- wikipedia