Christians and their tools on Macs

OK, here's a beginning of a listings of a number of Christian and Mac related links.

1. Here's a reference aritcle concerning Greek and Hebrew LaTeX on Mac OS X
2. Here's a site concerning The XeTeX typesetting system
3. How about a free web site called The Blue Letter Bible that has free information and will never charge for what is available. I love the Greek and Hebrew linkages concerning the Bible information.
4. How about another free site of Biblical information called BibleNet that has a lot of info for sermons.
5. THE BEST Bible software for the Mac Accordance Bible Software
6. The Christian Mac Users Group
7. Go to Version Tracker for the most up to date software about the Bible.

Hope you enjoy these, I'll update and I find things.

Update #1: See Christian Web Masters where "Christian-Web-Masters is a place to fire the imaginations and the passions of Christian web masters, organizations, and churches with a vision for the web and cyberminstry." That says it all.

Christians: Called to be Squatters, Sin Less, or Sinless

When it comes to being a Christian, there are really three views of being one: being Carnal, Mature, or Arrogant. These three views are based on three perspectives on our lives concerning sin:

Carnal (Squatter) - dwelling in our sins.
Mature (Sin Less) - dealing with our sins.
Arrogant (Sinless) - denying our sins.

Now let's take a look at these three perspectives.

The difference between the Carnal and the Mature is the fact that the Carnal Christian has NOT come to the point of realizing they've been forgiven versus the Mature Christian acknowledges and confesses their sins and moves on. The Carnal Christian for whatever reason either has not been told that their sins are forgiven or does not believe their sins are forgiven. A Carnal Christian is a Squatter, which by definition is "a person who unlawfully occupies an uninhabited building or unused land", but in the Carnal Christian's perspective they are mentally in a place where they are "legally" not suppose to be. The Carnal Christian's verse to get our of their situation is Phl 3:13 - "Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of {it} yet; but one thing {I do:} forgetting what {lies} behind and reaching forward to what {lies} ahead,"

For the difference between both the Mature and Arrogant it boils down to two perspectives: either I sin less or I'm sinless. The difference between being sinless and sin less is that the Mature person that sins less has not reached perfection while the Arrogant, by virture of their position as a Believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, believe they are sinless, i.e. they believe they don't sin. Sinless perfection is "I don't sin!" whereas the sin less means I don't sin as much as the Carnal Christian, but I still sin and I have to watch out that I don't fall into the trap of thinking I'll sin no more. The Arrogant ones who believe they don't sin believe in this is a boat load of hogwash! The verse for the arrogant is Pro 16:19 - "It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud."

You can tell if someone is mature or not, if they leave an organization, church, business, or even an event of some sort and people miss them! As watching T.D Jakes today he states from his Mom that if you go to someones house for a visit you need to be missed because you've ADDED something to their life! You have not been a sponge and been there only for the taking. If you feel depleted, then those around you have only taken and have not contributed back.

So, which are you? A squatter, sin less, or sinless?

This is how we should support our troops!!!

After reading the last post, I thought I'd tell you what you SHOULD do.

When you see this video clip you'll notice that the troops do NOT act like what my previous post aritcle author had stated about our troops. Now where do you see anything like, it's like night and day. While on a occasion you make see a service member milk something like this for all it's worth, most do not.

As I sit here on a deserved day off, I can use this time to acknowledge some things regarding getting support. It's might be a long way around, but you'll see how it ends, so bear with me.

My sister, Jill, teaches high schools civics in Denver and she does a fantastic job of it. In fact, she was nominated for an award that the Daughers of the American Revolution gives to outstanding civic teachers. While she did not make the cut she still is outstanding in my book.

Another time just recently my sister Jill put together a Colorado Supreme Court event at her school that is recorded here and here concerning her event. Basically the Court showed up at her school and presented two real cases in front of the kids to show them how things are done. I was not able to make it but it was a sight to be hold for sure. More accolades for my sister were shown when they gave her a memento for her work. Good on ya, Sis!!!! You always make me proud!!

But by far the greatest thing my sister has done, at least from a personal perspective, was when I had a day off and her high school had a Veterans Day event she invited me to attend which the kids put on. They did a really outstanding job with the production. But either I forgot or she did not mention to me was that near the end they called out to each of the service veterans that were in attendance and asked them to come down and stand behind their respective flags of their services when they were called out. I was not expecting it at all, but when they finally called my service, the Air Force, I had a grin on my face as I walked down the bleecher steps and onto the basketball court to take my place behind the young person dressed the Air Force's military uniform and flag and the other AF vets. Needless to say, when all of the services were called the kids gave us a standing ovation for our service.

As I took in their clapping of thanks in a heart felt stride I looked around to see all of their faces and then caught my sisters face. She was wiping tears from her eyes as the kids were giving all of the Vets the standing ovation. That did it for me! My heart got so big in my chest that if I still had on my Air Force dress blues I probably would have popped a button or two off of the coat. When total strangers and your family are giving you their thanks for your service, especially from teenage kids, there is nothing like that feeling of pride and satisfaction of having served our great country.

I will never forget that moment when my efforts were respected by those I served and thanked, and neither will the kids that come home at the DFW airport in the video on the above web site.

Those thank yous mean the world to those that have sacrificed, but they mean a whole lot more to both the service member AND their famiies when thanks are given on the spur of the moment, especially for those that have made the greatest sacrifice, of giving of their lives, to serve others. May we acknowledge those more than those of us that are still living.

No mother would ever willingly sacrifice her sons for territorial gain, for economic advantage, for ideology. - Ronald Reagan

It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived. Gen. George Patton.

The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his. Gen George Patton

Update #1: From a post on a web site: Figures this [video] was in Texas, a red state. It makes me mad that the blue states (NJ, PA) I grew up in have shifted so far to the left that they oughta be in the Pacific Ocean. When I was in the military there were just as many Yankees as there were Southeners. But not anymore, it’s all based on party now. I spoke to a recruiter on my plane last week who said the red states were filling in the ranks and nobody from the blue states were joining up. Conservative America is fighting this war. The media should report THAT! Amen to that.

Update #2: While my previous post was about the less than stellar troops that go into the military, here's one who gives the more prevelant view: The immortal words of 2LT Mark Daily. There are a few young men, not kids, that understand the meaning of service and sacrifice.

Can we really support these troops?

After reading Can we really support these troops? I say, not these, but since this story is one sided toward and having served in our military as an officer, I say that most do not talk like this. But then I'd have to say, not all military personnel talk like this in as much that most businesses have some of their employees that talk different than the "party line" of an organization which you identify with in this article. What is interesting is that you could say the same thing about doctors, lawyers, politicians, etc and the list could go on and on as you do about these soldiers. Why? Read what the definition of mercenary is as an adjective:

mercenary |ˈmərsəˌnerē| adjective - derogatory (of a person or their behavior) primarily concerned with making money at the expense of ethics

While the noun is usually for military styled vocations, the adjective states it such as way as to include mercenary doctors, mercenary lawyers, mercenary sales professionas, mercenary teachers, mercenary CXOs (CEO, CFO, etc), anyone for that matter.

But the one thing that I will defend you, Ms. Terpstra is on that yes, it is your right to give both sides of the story regarding this War on Terror. Why? So we can discuss the ethics of what is being done as a country, a society, and our culture and to prevent our nation from becoming a form of Hitler's or Sadamm Hussein's former empire. But I don't think this will happen anytime soon in our country.

What I'll have you know Ms. Terpstra is that while I was in the military during the first Gulf War I was considered a "liberal," but now having been out and in some business workplaces I am considered a "conservative" regarding my views, even though they've changed little during all of these years. In fact, I see very little difference between the military, businesses, and the educational establishments. Why? Because you're dealing with people.

So, Ms. Terpstra, I can say the same thing about any other organization regarding these same "attitudes" As John C. Maxwell states in his book There's No Such Thing As "Business" Ethics: There's Only One Rule For Making Decisions there is only one rule: ethics!

When wrong becomes right and right becomes wrong, they ethics has been tossed out the window and any country will decline if it follows this path. When you read the Old Testament in the Bible you read that God judged Israel because their country was wicked in His Eyes and even those in power in Israel killed their Prophets of old for telling the truth about their wickedness and wanting them to change for the good.

So what would you think of these propoganda films put out by Palestine on their TV to their children which have been cataloged by the Palenstine Media Watch for those that do not have access to this info?

So, do I support these troops? Yes, when I compare our troops with what is being done by Islamic extremists around the world. But as a last resort, I pray that our nation wakes up to the injustices of those in our own country that believe in our own "superiority" as a nation is "guaranteed" by God BECAUSE we're American's, not by our character toward Him and others.

Loyalty! Loyalty to what?

I recently had a discussion with someone about loyatly. Now the dictionary describes loyatly as: the quality of being loyal to someone or something. If you are loyal to your county then it means that you'rel loyal to it's constitution and the priciples that it holds dear. But the sad part is that some in the business world want you to be loyal to their company and they misconstrue that disagreement with company leadership is being disloyal. But too often the label of being disloyal is really about disagreeing with the various aspects of decisions, policies, etc concerning a company, not being disloyal.

As has been bantered about in businsss magazines, if you begin to believe your own press releases, you're way too serious and are in danger of heading toward the "business loony-toon" of what people will believe about you and your organization.

I, personally, believe that we should be loyal to the Truth, and to our country and to an organization that follows ethical principles. I am a sinner just like the next person, but I try to maintain high standards and not to fall into the sinner trap of saving myself for myself sake and standing up for Truth. When our government or any organization seeks to deviate from these norms, I'll defend what is right and may not go on an offensive to right something, but at some point we all need to be counted for doing what's right.

Years ago, I got this revelation from a boss I had in the military. He expected loyalty from those that worked for him. Knowing what this person was about, his insecurity showed in everthing he did and to those around him. Loyalty is earned, just like respect. But understand, even if loyalty is earned be aware that loyalty that is earned can go wrong as time goes on. So, when those in authority expect you to be loyal, tell them that you are loyal to the truth and that being disagreeing is not being disloyal. Why? Because if I tell you what you want to hear I'll lying to you and if you make decisions about something based on my input, then you'll make good decisions on bad info. But once I've told you my thoughts and you understand them and you make a decision, I'll do my best to implement what you want done.

So, if you want me to be loyal to you, then make sure you want the Truth about things and don't "skew" what I'm telling you to try and trick me into what you're thinking. This is manipulation, not good leadership.

The Christian Church persecutes its own members

Mat 7:1-5 "Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye."

Too often Christians, while well meaning by those that are more religious than Christian, try and tell someone that they need help without seeing that they need help themselves. Imagine walking into a hospital and you see someone with a tumor on their face or someone limping with a broken leg and you tell that them that they have their specific problem and telling them they need help. Just telling someone they have a problem is not helping at all, it's only part of the solution. But it breaks down to these three steps:

1. Admitting the problem is the first part of the process of getting better, but that's where most people stop who view others and their problems, they only tell the other person they have a problem. But the key here is knowing EXACTLY what their problem is!! IF you don't know the whole situation you can make the problem worse much like a doctor who misdiagnoses a disease. You could cause irreparable harm if you don't understand the issue exactly and completely, and most do not even know the complete problem even though they've convinced themselves they do. You can't know everything about a person and what they are thinking and feeling although SOME of an issue may become apparent.
2. Providing help is the second step to getting better. This is where you get somewhat involved with that person. If you are blessed somehow and in some way, then you are to be a blessing to others by providing what you are blessed with to those that are without. To be stingy with what you have is to be selfish. Pointing out a problem requires dispensing encouragement or "soul salve" to the situation. If you don't provide that "soul salve" you do like 1 Cor 13:1-3 describes, lots of work without love makes your effort worthless.
3. Recognize you may have a different problem than the person you are helping. Just because you're helping out a person who needs your help such as a "tumor on their face", do NOT forget you have problems yourself such as "bone cancer"! Pointing out their problems without seeing yours makes you a hypocrite and to think that you don't have a tumor on the face makes you better than having bone cancer is to be short sighted.

But, what is Jesus saying above? He's stating that you should work on yourself first and get your own self fixed before you fix others. In other words, those that look to others to fix them are those that are hypocrites and do NOT want to look at their own problems and have self justified their own actions as if there is nothing wrong with what they are doing themselves. Self righteous and scoffers are of a similar vein and they've come to believe that their shit does not stink!

So, what is the correct approach? Try reading 1 Cor 11:23-34, but especially verses 27-31 as well as James 3:11-18 "Does a fountain send out from the same opening {both} fresh and bitter {water?} Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor {can} salt water produce fresh. Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and {so} lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace."

So, if only criticism comes out of your mouth, you're like the well that brings out salt water, but if you dispense encouragement, then that's the fresh, cool, clear water that people need. But it also depends on the amount of salt versus fresh water that comes out of your mouth. If 80% of your words you speak are criticisms, then it gives a glimpse of what your heart is like, it contains salt water as well, because what comes out of the mouth is what is in the heart of the individual.

It reminds me of what my mother use to say, "If you can't say anything nice, do say anything at all." Good advice, and it provides cool, clear, refreshing water to a person's soul and allows them to move forward in life rather than being held back by their "sins" of their past.

As I saw on the show "Nanny 911" a couple of weeks back the nanny stated a rather interesting point of about a kid acting up: negative acting up by kids is the only way they get some attention and if parents would provide positive attention and encouragement to their kids, there will be a big reduction in negative acting out and will result in positive actions from then on by their kids.

It also reminds me of also of what Jesus states. In Matt 18:21-35 Jesus uses a rather interesting word in Greek. In verse 24 the Greek word is murioi or MURIOI and while translated $10,000, it probably really means $10,000,000 or the number is innumerable. But in the next verse Jesus states "But since he did not have the means to repay" really is best understood that while the servant would have LIKED to repay the King, the servants debt was so overwhelming him and his family and there is not WAY he could have repaid the King even though the servant WANTED to repay him.

This is also a picture of Jesus Christ's and each individual effort on our behalf toward God the Father's Judgement about our sins. There is NO POSSIBLE way to repay Jesus Christ for our sins, it is impossible!! But Jesus forgives us of our sins and as my wife explains that as Jesus has forgive each of us our innumerable sins, we are to forgive those around us, even though as Jesus stated about his own death in Luk 23:34 "But Jesus was saying, 'Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.'" because they THOUGHT they were doing right and were not. People's own additions prevent them from seeing the truth about themselves and others.

So, what you say to others really says a lot about what is in your heart and so that if criticisms and condemnation of others is your normal way of doing things then it says a lot about your heart toward others, either an arrogance or insecurities. The corrective actions then become, fix yourself first and then "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."

Telling the Truth

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else." - Theodore Roosevelt

Everyone should be told the truth, especially at the point at which it will change a persons direction in their life.

I'll have more on this later.

A Soldier's Response to the MSM and anyone else...

"It is proper to demand more from the man with exceptional advantages than from the man without them. A heavy moral obligation rests upon the man of means and upon the man of education to do their full duty by their country. On no class does this obligation rest more heavily than upon the men with a collegiate education, the men who are graduates of our universities. Their education gives them no right to feel the least superiority over any of their fellow-citizens..." - Theodore Roosevelt

Here's a snippet of what the soldier wrote, and I agree 100%:

I am tired of the Democrats whining for months on T.V., in the New York Times, and in the House and Senate that we need more troops to win the war in Iraq, and then when my Commander in Chief plans to do just that, they say that is the wrong plan, it won’t work, and we need a “new direction.”

Only those doing the work should speak up, not those in charge of them. You can't speak for those in the trenches unless you're there.