Biblical Living: Following Every Rule for One Year - Newsweek Beliefs - MSNBC.com

Okay, it's not that big of a deal, but in the article to follow you'll notice in the very first question that the fellow admits that he could not live a sin-free life. The (possibly eternal) tragedy is that he never understood that there is forgiveness and righteousness in Jesus Christ!

Biblical Living: Following Every Rule for One Year - Newsweek Beliefs - MSNBC.com

I also thought some of his ideas on living were queer - such as wearing white all the time. I didn't read the whole article (I have more important things to do ...) but that his first answer was instructive.

Does this sound familiar?

In reading my Bible, I came across the following verses. The older I get the more amazed I am at the similarities between Israel and Judah during the time of the prophets and the United States today.

Isa 56:11-12 Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter. (12) Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.

There are three things that are happening in these verses. First, the people are greedy and find that they are never satisfied. Second, everyone can only think in terms of what is good for themselves. They only are concerned about what will bring them personal financial gain. Third, they expect that the economic prosperity will last forever.

You do not have to look far in the United States to see these three things. Much of the worry about the financial markets and the impact of a slowdown from the housing market is because people are greedy, self-centered, and expect economic prosperity to last forever. A little bit of economic belt-tightening would help all of us Americans refocus on what is truly important.

See this article about being a millionaire and not being satisfied.

Earning our right to study

Recently, I was sent the following true story from someone whom I trust. I checked it out with a hoax e-mail site and found out that the story is true. Rather than send it out to scores of e-mail addresses, I've posted it here for those of you who would like to read it. The story follows:

Back in September of 2006, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School in Little Rock, AK did something not to be forgotten.

On the first day of school, with the permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks from her classroom. When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no desks Looking around, confused, they asked, "Ms. Cothren, where are our desks?" She replied, "You can't have a desk until you tell me what you have done to earn the right to sit at a desk."

They thought, "Well, maybe it's our grades." "No," she said. "Maybe it's our behavior." She told them, "No, it's not even your behavior." And so, they came and went, the first period, second period, third period; still no desks in the classroom.

By early afternoon television news crews had started gathering in Ms. Cothren's classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room.

The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the deskless classroom, Martha Cothren said , "Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he/she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you."

At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it. Twenty-seven (27) U.S. Veterans, all in uniform, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the wall. By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned.

Martha said, "You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now, it's up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get an education. Don't ever forget it."

Check this website for confirmation of this story