It amazes me how God chooses to bless some businesses with such phenomenal success in such a short time. He uses these companies to enrich the world, and especially His people, with goods and services that they people may not otherwise be able to have. Amazon.com is providing so many things for so many people at such good prices that I feel it worth taking a moment to acknowledge God’s goodness to His people through this means. I know this seems a bit strange. But think about it – Isn’t it good and proper to be thankful at all times for how God blesses us? I have no idea if the founders and leaders of Amazon.com are Christians – but all blessings that come to us are from the hand of God.

This visually represents the tremendous growth and reach of Amazon.com in their short 17 years.

I still like to order books, more often than not, from my favorite local Christian book store (brick and mortar & online), Exodus Books so that I can be a blessing to my friends. I would encourage everyone to check them out by clicking their link to the right in the side bar. They are wonderful people and are providing an excellent service to the Christian and homeschool community.

Pastor Dennis Tuuir

In last Sunday’s sermon at Reformation Covenant Church, Pastor Dennis Tuuri provided the most insightful evaluation of the OCCUPY movement that I’ve seen to date. He shined the light of Christ’s Word on the problem, with a view to how we, as Christians, can speak to the issues that the world is struggling with economically right now.

The sermon, The Tenth Word, Social Policy and Politics, is part of a long series on the 10 Words (Commandments).

As the OCCUPY movement continues to play out in the social consciousness of our city and country, it is important to think biblically about how to respond to it. Peaple painfully feel that our society is broken and in need of serious repair – but know not what to do. For most in the OCCUPY movement there are no real agendas, solutions or hopes apart from change for change sake. This revolutionary spirit is a hope that is based on a faith that once the existing social order is destroyed, a new and better society will emerge for the good of the world. But such an evolutionary faith is no hope at all – for apart from God there is no reason to suppose that man will be better off than he was before.

⁶ Now godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷ For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. ⁸ And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. ⁹ But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. ¹¹ But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:6–12 (NKJV)

I was listening to one of my Pandora stations and heard the old 1967 Buffalo Springfield song, “For What It’s Worth”

I was struck by how this poem describes the same phenomenons of “pretesting” we see today in the OCCUPY movement. The continuity of wisdom is fascinating.  In the midst of the excitement that something good may be happening, so often in these protests there is confusion, conflict, miscommunication, lack of coherency, and self-righteousness. What is interesting to me is that for some in the OCCUPY movement it is a way to relive the glory days of the 60′s protests. But it is mostly a new generation of activism that has failed to see that unity is not the general outcome of such protests. It may produce some noise and interest, but not solidarity and meaningful and lasting changes. Those are the gifts of God who transforms both hearts and minds to conform to His Word.

Take the time to read the lyrics while enjoying a trip back into the 60′s style of music.

There’s something happening here
What it is ain’t exactly clear
There’s a man with a gun over there
Telling me I got to beware

I think it’s time we stop, children, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down

There’s battle lines being drawn
Nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong
Young people speaking their minds
Getting so much resistance from behind

I think it’s time we stop, hey, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down

What a field-day for the heat
A thousand people in the street
Singing songs and carrying signs
Mostly say, hooray for our side

It’s time we stop, hey, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down

Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you’re always afraid
You step out of line, the man come and take you away

We better stop, hey, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down
Stop, hey, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down
Stop, now, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down
Stop, children, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down

As it becomes increasingly clear that the OCCUPY protesters (everywhere) have little or nothing to say that is meaningful, and can’t seem to come to any consensus about what they want to see changed or how to do it – It has become obvious that most of what they are about is motivate by simple envy and selfishness.

I’m not saying by this that there is nothing wrong in our country, or that all is good and righteous on Wall Street, Pennsylvania Avenue or Main street. What I am saying is that we need to be thankful for the blessings given to us by God, and that carping about how much more we want from the rich and the government (which is perceived to be the source of our well being) will result in nothing more than resentment between each other and judgment from God. The United States of America has been uniquely blessed with wealth and the ability to help those in need. Those considered poor in our country are wealth by the standards of many in the world. If the same activism and energy were applied by these protesters to the problems of world hunger true poverty – more of the world could also enjoy higher standards of living.

May God grant to all of us a sense of perspective, which causes us to truly, from the heart, love our neighbors as ourselves. The Church needs to stand up and be counted as the ones that are doing what it takes to meet the real needs of people – motivated by the love of Jesus, who self-sacrificially laid down His life for us!

Herman Cain

Evangelical Christians long for the day when they can, in joy and a clear conscience, cast a vote for a presidential candidate that they fully endorse. With each election they look to see how faithful the professing Christian candidates are. But seldom do they find a man that enables them to check off everything on their list of essential and hoped for reasons for voting. One by one, election after election, the Christian candidate becomes the one that they “have to” vote for to keep the really bad candidate from the other party out of office. The lesser of two evils dilemma.

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