Perilous times... Our Redemption draws closer

While I am not one to set dates I do know that God is coming back to rescue his own. The unrest and turmoil of the masses and the wars and rumours of wars all point to a central event. The coming of Jesus Christ to rapture his own.  We are comforted by this in Matthew 24, He tells us, "When you see these things come to pass look up for your redemption draws night!"  Wow what a  promise!  Never in the history of man has the convergence of things (events technology, and natural events). have led us to today.
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The Bible tells us that famine, pestilence, natural disasters, would accelerate toward the end. People tell me that they are worried about the world, and our country. The media assaults us every day with bad news, cataclysms, disasters  so it is imperative that we do a mental cleanse. We cant insulate ourselves from  events, but we can exude an outward calm that teaches the world that we have  a hope. A hope that  is every bit as sure as the  sun rising tomorrow morning. Many people express fear and anxiety about the future and who can blame them.  The good thing is that we can have the bedrock certainty of a bright and glorious future. A future that not only is peaceful in heaven, but a Comforter that is with us during the interim.

Matt 24 is an expose of the modern times,  I Peter 1:4. We have a inheritance that fadeth not away. we also have reason to be glad today. Times like these drive people to know and hunger for the truth, a truth that we can use to inform them about the truth.

Review of the movie Limitless

The other day I had the chance to go watch Limitless, a movie starring Bradley Cooper and Robert Deniro. The basic theme of the movie was that Cooper, a broke and down on his luck writer ran into an old childhood buddy, who introduced him to the "break" of his life, or so he thought.

This wonder drug was supposed to dramatically improve the memory and recall of his brain, and open up the floodgates of his memory. He had nothing to lose so he tried it, and shazzam he was transformed into superman overnight. He was able to write books in days what it  might take him a year, learn piano in days, languages the same. It all came to him effortlessly.

Only problem was, the drug wore off within a couple of days, and he was always in need of replenishment. One thing led  to another, and he developed a craving  for it, so much that he borrowed money from a loan shark/mobster. It was a  wrong move and one he would regret later. After a meteoric rise to the top of the trading world, he discovers Mr Koon a Wall Street legend who wants to meet him, He signs on with Koon as his adviser, and together they build a monopoly on the Street. Only problem is that his powers desert him when the drug runs out of his system.. During the movie powerful questions emerge about power and its nature that most peope never really think about.

At the beginning Cooper stands on the ledge of a high rise ready to take his life, at the end he looks at his life from the same vantage point only for a different reason. Life as we perceive at the top is not the same as it is really is.

What would you do if you had access to all that money and power?

If you had that power how would you use it?

Would you have safeguards in place that would or would not reinforce your belief system?

Would you use that same power to enrich yourself and bank account or would you choose nobler goals?

Do you think that Bradley Cooper could have anticipated all the problems his decisons brought him?

Drug addiction issues are front and center here

Doesnt money power and drugs bring dangerous bedfellows?

At the end of the movie he ran for Senate and his Wall St pal  shewd up (ostensibly to donate money tohsi campaign) trying to blackmail him. In the end was he able to overcome his demons, if so how?

How does genius, power and success blind us to the truth about reality?

What does this tell Christians about the deceitfulness of riches??

IN summary, the quest for power and its attainment is rife with its own pitfalls. What we say we want or yearn for is sometimes not what we want at all.

Solomon, said paraphrased, I pursued and explored it all, and said it was all vanity.

The conclusion of the movie was refreshing, for it showed a man that had kicked the opressive hold that the drug had on him, and gained back his "right" mind.

Tiger by the Tail?

It seems only yesterday that Tiger Woods was the toast of the golfing world. Kids wanted to be like him, fellow PGA golfers stood in awe of him, or at least had a healthy respect as this kingpin of the golfing universe. Not so anymore.. if anybody has been remotely up on PGA these days, (which I am not), they know that Tiger appears to be a broken man.

Several months ago, he confessed to having muliple affairs with other women. He turned his back on the beautiful Ellie         and their marriage and now is quite a different man. No longer the threat he once was, it appears that the scandal did more than break up his marriage. It also broke up his golf game!  Now am I saying that just because he has an affair, he loses his edge?  No.. but one cant argue that Tiger Woods has been very unremarkable since he was a married man.

I am not saying he didnt have respect for his marriage and his wife, but somewhere along the way, he thought he could lead a double life and get away with it. He tried to convince us that what he did had nothing to do with the public and was his private business, True Tiger, BUT when you are one of the richest ever to play professional sports, you pay a much higher price than your average Joe!

First insight:  When you are in a very visible position, you fall much harder. The higher you are, the harder you fall.

Second insight:  When you see celebrities that fall take note, that they are going through a adjustment period . their value system is being recalibrated .. I bet Tiger misses his wife, and the relationship they had badly; he cannot get it back with all the money in the world! He has passed the point of no return. Learn that with choosing your actions that consequences will come it is just the severity of it that may surprise us!

Third insight  Tiger life has been irrevocably changed, it is up to him to reframe his life in the best possible ways. He has nearly unlimited financial resources has his disposal,but all that aside he still has the power to inspire many people. This is the same with us; no matter what has happend to you. It is not what happens to you, it what you do with it that matters!!  Christians have the additional comfort to know that God is soverign in their life, and will work things out for their own good and His glory, if we remain flexible to His guidance.

Presidents Day

My Presidents Day is one day late, sorry nevertheless, lets reach into the distant past to find a president that very few people (save history buffs and professors) know about. On Presidents day many yearn for the days of Reagan and his no nonsense approach  and calm steady hand at the wheel. However there were other presidents  that were very instrumental in shaping the country that we now live in.

Lets move away from Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Reagan, to our 11th president. This man came into office with four clearly defined goals. At the time our country was mostly east of the Missippi river and James Polk was poised to dramatically expand it!

Among some of his favorite quotes were: "Foreign powers do not seem to appreciate the true power the true character of our government."  While in that day he was referring to Britain and Mexico, it couldnt be more true today. Our country power and respect has declined in the world, and many will continue to challenge it, not the least of which are the followers of Islam.

"There is more selfishness and less principle among members of Congress...than i have had any conception of, before I became president of the United States. "TRUE AGAIN. human nature hasnt changed at all, there are more self serving, egocentric people in Congress than anywhere else in the world.

Polk believed in being a one term president and stuck to his word,.More Congressmen and woman ought to follow the same lead. Congressmen go into Washington with the idea of changing it, instead it forever changes them!

He also said, "No president that preforms his duties faithfully and conscientiously can have any leisure"  While i do not totally agree with this, his point is clear. His focus was on being a servant to the people, not a demagogue or celebrity to the masses. Today our presidents  recline in luxury and take long extensive vacations, Polk was dedicated to the issues of state.

Among his goals were:

The expansion of Oregon territory, which included California, a vital acquisition for westward expansion.

the expansion of Texas and  New Mexico, He established dominance with Mexico, which went to war with the country over New Mexico and California.

The lowering of tariffs, in the Walker tariff act of 1846, that opened up free trade.

He also consummated the Louisinia Purchase which articulated the "Manifest Destiny" so crucial to the growth of our nation, and the opportunity for each citizen to find his own place in the  West.

These goals were essential to the continous  growth and prosperity of the nation, and James Polk was front and center. He spoke and then delivered on those lofty goals.

Lastly Polk also oversaw some of the events;

The opening of the Naval Academy

The opening of the Smithsonian

The Washington Monument

The issuance of the first postage stamps.

The country by our standards was still raw and untamed, but Polk went a long way to moving America along to the country that it was bound to be.

 On his deathbed he told his wife, Sarah Childress, which lived to be 88, "I love you sarah, for all eternity I will love you." Passing on early due to cholera, he embodied as steadfast love that is become rarer by the day. She never married again, and dressed in black until she died in 1891. Our country could learn something from this man.

We salute James Polk on this President day, long gone but not forgotten.

MENTAL STATES

Learning to speak well in public is a wonderful skill that can pay off handsomely if you use it well. I have made this one of my goals, yet since the start of the New Year have yet to start it. I went with a friend to check it out, and what do you know they ask me to do one of their table topics.

Now I wasnt feeling all that well, and said to myself, this is  not one of those nights i want to give any kind of speech..It is  just hard to flip a switch and feel good and on your toes, when you have told yourself "bad day"  The body follows the mind, so I got up there to opine on FB and had precious little to say and no humor to add with it. I felt awkward and somewhat disappointed with myself...

Learning to deal with your awkward moments is even more important. One of the most important thing to do is to learn how to change your mental state. Not easy but possible. Thinking on your feet and pulling stuff out of the air even when it isnt your favorite topic, is hard, but it i a good exercise.  Instantly i started critizing TM and how they evaluate everything to death. However most of it is positive feedback, and it helps people feel like have a peer group upon which to lean on as they strive for personal and professional growth.

I have felt that awkward moment with sale calls, socializing, and being put on the spot; if we let it spur us on to greater development and mental flexibility we get stronger and more confident in the long run.

Dont let awkward moments where you didnt look the way you wanted, let it be a CATALYST. Tony Robbins has some excellent work on managing your mental states for success.http://www.affirmations-for-radical-success.com/mental-techniques.html

Unstoppable Force!

A small part of the universe exploded in the New Mexico desert near Los Alamos, the explosion of the nuclear bomb. the weapon the ended WW II and kept the major powers at bay. In 1945 man was able to exploit in miniscule form, the mighty  energy of the universe, locked up in the atom. In short the Gamma Ray burst was a microsm of the awesome energy unleashed from a supernova. This dying star has the power of all the energy ever produced by the sun in its 15 billion year lifespan. (evolutionary time scale of course)

Think about that for a moment, and then think about the coming apocalypse when God decides to create a new heavens and a new earth. As he says in Peter that "the elements shall melt with a fervent heart"  He also hints at the intense heat that will plague the earth's inhabitants during the tribulation period. Im no scientist, but in listening to the History channel I am awestruck by the killer radiation that is released by these stars. An unstoppable force is coming to stop Satan  and his principalities in their tracks and Im so glad that I am on the winning side!

Did you know that gamma rays (electromagnetic radiation) are used to kill cancer cells?  The higher end of the electromagnetic field are the gamma rays that emanate from dying stars.  We experience radiation from the sun and have to put on sunblock to protect ourselves. One day man will "cry for the rocks and the mountains" to crush him to hide himself from the judgements from the heavens. (matt 24:29) and Rev 6, as the power of the heavens will be shaken. Dear friends, Christians are not going to be here, but alas for the poor souls that will!! Whose side will you be on?  Are you part of God's family?

As I watched this history channel programhttp://www.history.com/shows/armageddon/videos/gamma-ray-burst#gamma-ray-burst  it became painfully clear that there are forces in the universe that we are just beginning to discover..man is just a babe when it comes to understanding divine power!  If the power of life and death can be tapped by using  gamma rays to kill cancer, and kill human beings (atomic bomb), imagine what will happen when the fury of GOd is unleashed??

Two things came to mind. First I am happy that God has designed this earth the way he has, because most of the radiation and gamma rays from the sun and other stars are absorbed by the earth's atmosphere. ( no accident) However all God has to is explode one star a few million light years away and the earth is vaporized!  Secondly, I am glad that God has given us a way of avoiding the judgement of the seven seals found in Revelation. He gives us a glimpse of the horrors to come to befall the earth's  inhabitants; the earth could literally burn up with radiation, (protection removed) or a star could shower our planet with killer gamma rays, and toast the earth. However God chooses to do it, is up to Him. He has offered a way out of this carnage on planet earth..and stands at the door of our heart knocking.. Rev 3:20.. Will you listen?

Thank God I will be a spectator to witness this awesome display, wher will you be>

Crystal Ball of Change? What will happen in the New Year?

Well here we are at the helm of a New Year, the year 2011, the beginning of a new decade.  I am reminded of what happened this weekend over at my parents place for New Years dinner, one of my nieces comes up to me and complains that the video games that I bought for Christmas, only a week after, had already outlived its usefulness. She had already maxed out the levels and was fairly bored with it. I thought my how things have changed; When I was a kid Tonka trucks, hot wheels, and race tracks were in, and we could derive many hours of fun, from simple things. Things like cowboys and indians, and regular sports. Today kids, get bored and restless if they're not wired into a video game, and that enhances their cycle of excitement and subsequent boredom.  That is an entirely different topic that I could go on and on about it.

What will happen in the new year? Everybody likes to predict, like mini prophets, but change is elusive as it is unpredictable.

In light of the New Year, I wanted to pose a different topic, change, and the cycles of life. All much too vast to cover in a blog post but sufficient to help us as we take on the new year.   Emerson one of my favorite authors had this to say, "The eye is the first circle, the horizon which it forms is the second. This primary figure is rpeated without creed. We are all our lifetime reading th copious sense of this first of forms.

Life is a circle. We progress rise to new heights, and come full circle, then expand. This year I am challenged to dramatically expand my circle. Inherent in that circle is relentless and the incessant beat of change. The only question is whether we can adjust to it. Technology has taken over our society, but do we know how to really harness it to meet our goals, and satisfy our inner longings?

How will this change affect our jobs our occupation and economic security? http://www.coasttocoastam.com/show/2011/01/01

Technology has changed the way we work,the way we network and communicate, and the way we play. Ae you thinking out the implications of this in your business, and personal life? If your job is going to be outmoded by technology have you adjusted to that? I found an good blog that helps us to survive maybe even thrive on that change. Hope you willl go to.http://www.livingorsurviving.com/

We may not have a crystal ball, but we certainly have trends, and those that study  and apply those are personally are apt to benefit the most.

"Our life is a apprenticeship to the tuth, that around every circle another can be drawn. There are no fixtures n nature, the universe is fluid and volatile. Permanence is but a word of degrees"   (Essay First and Second Series) Ralph Waldo Emerson

This year I resolve to use the internet to help power some of the changes in business and networking, I hope you will do the same.