Friday, 3/13/2015

"The american dream never really existed, it was a marketing scam."
~ James Altucher

DEUTERONOMY 20-22

Very strict laws...leave no wiggle room.

18If someone has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him, 19his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his town. 20They shall say to the elders, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.” 21Then all the men of his town are to stone him to death. You must purge the evil from among you. All Israel will hear of it and be afraid. 

22If someone guilty of a capital offense is put to death and their body is exposed on a pole, 23you must not leave the body hanging on the pole overnight. Be sure to bury it that same day, because anyone who is hung on a pole is under God’s curse. You must not desecrate the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.

MARK 14:26-50

Jesus predicts his death and Peter makes great claims of all he will do...

27“You will all fall away,” Jesus told them, “for it is written:

“ ‘I will strike the shepherd,

and the sheep will be scattered.’^d

28But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

29Peter declared, “Even if all fall away, I will not.”

30“Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice^e you yourself will disown me three times.”

31But Peter insisted emphatically, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the others said the same.

JOURNAL

A world of scam artists.  When it comes down to it...that's really what we all are and what we long to be...recently we went to a presentation after we received a solicitation for a free cruise.  Turns out...surprise, surprise...it was a big scam.  Great promises for us to receive something for nothing when in fact it was a way to milk 9,000.00 for membership to a travel club.

Even though I didn't fall for it...I was pissed!  Here though, God has shown me that I am no better and continually do the same thing in my own life.  My desire is to extend as little effort as possible and get as big a reward as possible.  Isn't this the american dream...do a little work, come up with a good idea and then make billions and live off the interest in paradise.  Better yet, go play a sport, use a gift God gave you and reap hundreds of millions of dollars off people coming to watch you...play a game.  We glorify those people, we put them on magazine's and pay them millions of dollars just for them to sign a piece of paper.  

I'm not here to throw stones...I long for that just as much as the next person, yet when I look to scripture...those aren't the true heroes.  It actually is those whose lives are the opposite.

36Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37They were put to death by stoning;^e they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38the world was not worthy of them.  (Hebrews 11:36-38)