Insight for your “Journey across the Sky”
A View from the Nest www.eagleviews.org
Random Ramblings from the Resident Raptor

Do not move an ancient boundary marker that your ancestors set in place.
Prov 22:28 (GW)–

Many cell phone plans offer unlimited usage without occurring additional cost. You pay one fee each month and use your phone as much as you want throughout that month without any additional cost. I am not exactly sure how the phone companies figure usage costs in order to properly charge everyone for the use of their system, but in any case these plans are out there.

I however have a plan which offers me unlimited nights and weekends but during the day I am limited to the number of minutes I may use. My service provider recently came out with a plan that allows me to call any cell phone on any plan free. WOW that is almost like getting unlimited minutes without having to pay the additional monthly fee. Considering most of the people I actually call all have cell phones it would appear I hit the jack pot with this new pricing plan.

Not being a person who really spends a great deal of time talking or texting on the phone anyway I hardly ever used up my allowed minutes which kept my phone plan reasonably priced. However I recently purchased a new phone which required that I upgrade my service to an unlimited data plan in order to fully utilize the phone’s features. At first I was concerned about what the company meant by UNLIMITED. In today’s world we always need to define terms in order to be sure we are getting what we agreed upon.

I long for the days when a man’s word was his bond. You could actually trust the information people were giving you as factual and honest. Today it seems everything is subject to redefining. We have those who are attempting to redefine what marriage means and what freedom means. We have those in government who are determined to redefine what the limits of the constitution are. Free is not always free, and something for nothing usually has strings attached so you understand my hesitancy to accept, at face value, an unlimited plan from my phone service provider.

After reading most of the fine print I felt reasonably confident that my current service plan will provide me with the service that I need at a price I am comfortable paying. Until l actually get my first bill under this new plan I still reserve some trepidation.

No limits, a world without boundaries sounds good under certain circumstances but is a “no boundaries” policy a good one to implement across the board? Is it wise to bring up our children, for example, without giving them limits to what they can and can not do? Is it prudent to offer no money down and no interest financing plans for major purchases? Is it considered good financial policy to continue to rack up debt? Is it good policy to allow anyone and everyone to enter your home without permission? Does it seem prudent to allow strangers to enter into your home without some kind of verification that they mean you no harm? How can it be determined you are engaging in proper conduct if there are no limits or guidelines? How can you tell in what direction you are going if there are no landmarks?

Could it be said then that when it comes to cell phones, no limits may be a good thing but when it comes to life having limits, it is not only wise, but necessary?

How can a society function without the “Rule of Law “? The United States of America was established with the constitution being the LAW OF THE LAND. It was required that everyone, rich or poor, great or small, would all be subject to the rule of law. This principle can be found in the Judeo-Christian beliefs the founding fathers brought to the table when they drew up the plans for this country. Having grown up where the government had no boundaries or limits, they knew the dangers of limitless power held by a central government. Tyrants love it when there is chaos and confusion. They love to stir up factions within a society. They love passing restrictive rules and regulations upon the governed in order to control their every aspect of life.

Then there is the other extreme where lawlessness runs wild. We see this in Afghanistan, a nation that has been run by MOB RULE for many generations. Maintaining a civil society under such conditions is practically impossible. So which do you suppose is better? A society where there are no limits or one where there are agreed upon limitations? There exists a third way which is a mixture of the two extremes. A society where there are very restrictive limitations for a select few and a differing set of rules for those setting the rules.

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees teach with Moses’ authority. So be careful to do everything they tell you. But don’t follow their example, because they don’t practice what they preach. They make loads that are hard to carry and lay them on the shoulders of the people. However, they are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Matt 23:1-4 (GW)–

Jesus addressed this issue when he preached against the Scribes and Pharisees of his day. To these ELITE he spoke most harshly primarily because they did not practice what they preached. They exempted themselves from the rules they imposed upon those who elected them as leaders. Sounds familiar does it not?

Christianity stands opposed to both extremes. In fact a truly moderate person could be considered a Christian. Of course the word moderate has a different meaning today then in Jesus’ day. To be moderate in Bible times meant to not go to any extremes. You set limits on yourself. You would not allow yourself to go without boundaries. You were in control of your passions and desires. You considered the welfare of others and not just your own.

But the spiritual nature produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Gal 5:22-23 (GW)–

All things are legitimate [permissible—and we are free to do anything we please], but not all things are helpful (expedient, profitable, and wholesome). All things are legitimate, but not all things are constructive [to character] and edifying [to spiritual life]. Let no one then seek his own good and advantage and profit, but [rather] each one of the other [let him seek the welfare of his neighbor]. 1 Cor 10:23-24 (AMP)–

Although I am permitted to use my phone for as long as I want without limits, I choose to place limits upon my own usage. I refrain from making unnecessary phone calls and keep text messages to a minimum. Without limits it is easy to get sucked up into the world of excess. It is easy to forget that somewhere, in someway, somehow, those excesses are going to have to be paid for. Whether they are paid for by you or by someone who comes after you, because the old adage still holds true, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Our actions affect others. For an example, when using a cell phone, just because you may have unlimited minutes it does not mean that the person you call has the same advantages you have. They may be on a limited plan to save money and every minute you talk to them counts against they own minutes. For every minute you use of their time the less time they have to use themselves.

Our actions affect those around us. Our excesses can overflow to our neighbors, that is why it is wise to do everything in moderation. Keep the excesses to a minimum, or better yet eliminate them. And remember that just because you can, it doesn’t mean you should. Set up some boundaries, God did, he called them commandments. His laws were not supposed to enslave us but rather steer us clear of the entrapments and allures of excess. His intent was to have a civil society set within reasonable boundaries. Remove these boundaries at your own risk.

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)

Along for the journey

Today I hope you enjoy this guest post from Alan Allegra. If you enjoyed it or find it offensive or have any other comment be sure to let Alan know how you feel. From time to time I like to post articles from fellow authors at Faithwriters.com. We can learn a great deal if we take the time to read what others have to say. So without further delay on with this weeks quest article.

Is America a Christian Nation?

Religion and politics are the two most incendiary topics of conversation imaginable. Everything we think, say, and do is influenced by our view of God and government. President Obama’s observation that we are not a nation beholden to any particular religion has struck the match of ardor and ignited the debate over whether America is a Christian nation.

Let me clarify that there is no such thing as a Christian nation. A Christian, by definition, is an individual follower of Christ. No nation can be “a” Christian, although we understand that those who debate the question mean our law is based on Christian (or “Judeo-Christian”) principles. Without floundering in a sea of theology, let’s just say that the principles in discussion predate Christianity and Judaism. They were incarnated in the very womb of Creation.

Some tell us we need to “embrace universal principles that emphasize our common humanity and promote greater understanding and appreciation of different cultures.” This sounds well and good and politically correct, but is it practical or possible?

The Book of Judges is a horror story right out of a Gothic novel, except it’s all true. It honestly and almost matter-of-factly documents scenes of rape, murder, dismemberment, unbridled lust, idolatry, robbery, economies of truth, betrayal, assassination, warfare, torture, suicide, filicide, and other best-seller fodder. The key verse and epilogue are identical summaries of the culture of the time: “In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6, 21:25). In other words, every person followed the dictates of their common humanity, unfettered by government standards.

If we are to appreciate different cultures, then we need to embrace them uncritically lest we offend. We were wrong to interfere with Nazis, and must appreciate Holocaust deniers. Beheading and terror are innate to some cultures, and we need their cooperation to make this a better global village. Forced abortion is practiced by a country with over 20% of the world’s population. Genocide rules in many countries, and a caste system in others wears a heavy boot that keeps the people crushed and oppressed. So we wonder: Whose principles of common humanity should we embrace and cooperate with?

A cursory consideration verifies God’s view of common humanity: “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). Jeremiah reminds us, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (17:9). God ordained human government, based on His righteous character, to rein in man’s evil: “For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil” (Romans 13:4).

Are there “good” common principles of humanity and culture that we can embrace? There are values that are shared by humans that manifest themselves in almost every culture, such as private property and the right to life. But these are not beliefs that evolved or sprang up from the fertile soil of man’s own heart. “Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them” (Romans 2:14, 15). God has written His standards in every heart, and we either live by them or make excuses to go our own way.

Founding Fathers [VHS],

The Federalist Papers

Founding Faith: How Our Founding Fathers Forged a Radical New Approach to Religious Liberty

It is historical fact that the founding fathers based the nation’s laws on the Bible. They were not all Christians or Jews but recognized the wisdom of having a righteous standard of law, a law that respects life and encourages true freedom.

Alan Allegra, Executive Administrative Assistant of Faith Church in Allentown, Pa. More devotionals at http://www.faithefc.com/includes/Alan-Devotionals.htm. More articles at Lifestyles Over 50: http://www.lifestylesover50.com/ and the Morning Call: www.mcall.com. Available for writing.

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com <a href=”http://www.faithwriters.com“>CHRISTIAN WRITERS</a>

010001000110111100100000011101000110100001100101001000000111011101101111011

10010011010110010000001101111011001100010000001100001011011100010000001100

101011101100110000101101110011001110110010101101100011010010111001101110100*

see end of article for translation of this binary string

“Tell me the weight of a snowflake,” a coalmouse asked a wild dove.

“Nothing more than nothing,” the dove answered.

“In that case I must tell you a marvelous story,” the coalmouse said. “I sat on a fir branch close to the trunk when it began to snow. Not heavily, not in a raging blizzard. No, just like in a dream, without any violence at all. Since I didn’t have anything better to do, I counted the snowflakes settling on the twigs and needles of my branch. Their number was exactly 3,471,952. When the next snowflake dropped onto the branch–nothing more than nothing — as you say — the branch broke off.”

Having said that, the coalmouse ran away.

The dove, since Noah’s time an authority on peace, thought about the story for a while. Finally, she said to herself, “Perhaps there is only one person’s voice lacking for peace to come to the world.”

Binary code is the language of computers. A series of instructions that tells the CPU how to handle the data stream. If you were to simply look at a binary code string you would see nothing more than zeros and ones. Unless of course you understood the basic language of a computer. 01000001 does not mean anything to the average person but in the hands of a computer programmer those ones and zeros spell out the capital letter ‘A’. To think a digital picture is simply a series of zeros and ones, on or off, yes or no, true or false. These are the basic instructions utilized by a programmer to get the desired output.

As Christians, we are part of a master plan much like those zeros and ones are a part of the binary code of a computer program. When lined up in the right sequence wonderful things can happen. What happens when one of those lines of computer code becomes corrupted? The whole program comes to a crashing halt. If a zero is supposed to be a one then instead of the predicted results you will get unpredictable outcomes.

Just like one snowflake alone does not seem to make much difference when joined with other snowflakes, their combined weight of ‘nothing more than nothing’ can cause a pine branch to break. Zeros alone will not cause a computer to operate, but when you add just a single one you begin the journey toward a positive output.

As for you, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist (be the one), fulfill your ministry. 2 Timothy 4:5

Timothy admonishes us to endure hardships, to put up with opposition, to withstand the storms and fulfill the ministry set before us. Each of us, who have been redeemed from the curse of sin and death, have been placed in the body of Christ to do our part. We have gone from a zero to a one. It might appear that by yourself you seem so small and unable to accomplish much, but together with the rest of the body of Christ you are able to accomplish greater things than you could have imagined. Evangelism is simply each “one” making another “one”. Each on fire Christian ignites another. Simply turn an off to an on, a zero to a one.

How could one person chase a thousand or two people make ten thousand flee? Their rock used these people to defeat them and the Lord gave them no help. Deut 32:30 (GW)

Where else besides binary code can 4 = 100 or 27 = 11011?  In scripture we find similar arithmetic where God was able to route thousands of the enemy by a few men of God because he fought with them. In His math 2 = 10000. So you do not have to be many, just be a one in the right place and God can do great things through you. Now if we all line up in our rightful positions in the body of Christ and be ‘THE ONE’ we will see great things of God accomplished for and through us.

I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. Revelation 3:15

God does not want you to be a ZERO but to be number one. To be number one you simply have to be “turned on”. God desires for us to be hot not cold. He wants us to be “on fire” for Him and the work He has set out before us. Be the “one” placed where God can use you and watch how much happens when we hold our ground as “one”  in the binary code of life. Or do nothing and be a zero, a place holder, turned off, and tuned out. The choice is yours, choose to be a “one”.

* translation to above binary code string is: do the work of an evangelist.

6 Take to heart these words that I give you today. 7 Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you’re at home or away, when you lie down or get up. 8 {Write them down, and} tie them around your wrist, and wear them as headbands as a reminder. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. _{Deut 6:6-9 (GW)}

Save, Back-up and restore are three terms familiar to every computer IT tech, especially those who working in a ‘Microsoft Windows ™’ environment. With all the malicious malware circulating over the internet and hackers sending out viruses and denial of service attacks, it is not a matter of if, but when a computer will crash. Firewalls and virus protection can only do so much, therefore it is important that when your computer is running smoothly, you take the time to back it up.