Another day another triple digit loss in the stock market. My 401K is down about 30% in two weeks. It seems like every where you look there’s bad news. Food prices are going through the roof, gas prices are still high, house values are plummeting and companies are starting to lay off workers.

While there are a lot of complex facets to this problem, the root cause is simple. We have grown used to living beyond our means and buying virtually everything on credit, including homes that are out of our price range. When home values began to drop below what was owed, people defaulted on their mortgages. This caused banks to fail and started a chain reaction that is still rippling through the economy.

God calls on us to be wise with our money. By following Biblical principles in handling our finances we can avoid the pain that the economy is going through right now.

With the future of our economy more uncertain than any time since the 1930’s I urge you to make sure your finances are in order. Take this opportunity to examine your budget and see where you can save money and pay off debt. If you don’t have a budget, START ONE NOW!

There’s a lot of good financial programs out there and I’ve reviewed several, including Larry Burkett’s Crown Financial Ministries. My favorite is Christian Financial Freedom by Terry and Julie Dean. This is a step by step course that will guide you through the process of becoming debt free, while still saving for retirement.

Christian Financial Freedom also shows you how almost any family can save $200 per month overnight! This course is only $37, one of the cheapest I have seen, but still packed with tons of material that will help any family manage their finances based on Biblical principles. You will easily save more than the cost of this package the very first month you start using it.

Let the current economic situation serve as a wake up call. Prepare yourself for the future now by getting your finances in order.

Back in July I made a post about McDonald’s support of gay activists groups, specifically a $20,000 donation to the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) and the Vice President of McDonalds, Richard Ellis, serving on the NGLCC board.

Initially McDonald’s stood by their support of the NGLCC. CEO Jim Skinner said “Being a socially responsible organization is a fundamental part of who we are. We have an obligation to use our size and resources to make a difference in the world … and we do.”

What a difference a three month boycott can make. The American Family Association announced today that McDonald’s has reversed it’s position and agreed to remain neutral on social and political issues. McDonald’s announced that Vice President, Richard Ellis has resigned from the organizations board and that membership in NGLCC will not be renewed once it expires in December.

McDonald’s sent an email to it’s franchise owners saying, “It is our policy to not be involved in political and social issues. McDonald’s remains neutral on same sex marriage or any ‘homosexual agenda’ as defined by the American Family Association.”

Let’s face it, Pastors have extremely busy schedules and preparing the weekly sermon is sometimes pushed to the side until Saturday night. Then the rush is on to quickly research your sermon topic, put together your notes and prepare the Power Point slides while hoping to get a few hours of sleep before Sunday morning. That’s where sites like SermonWorld.com come in.

This site offers a new sermon each week, complete with detailed notes in both Microsoft Word or RTF format and a set of Power Point slides. All, or most of the research has been done for you. Simply take the notes, modify them to your style and add or remove any material as God leads you.

Here’s a sample from one page of a six page set of sermon notes.

A RENEWAL OF OUR MINDS
1 Cor. 2:16; Rom. 8:6; 12:1-2;

• The average brain weighs about three pounds – It contains 12 billion cells.
• Each one of these cells is connected to 10,000 other brain cells, totaling 120 trillion brain connections.
• Dr. Duane Gish has observed that “the human brain is the most complex arrangement of matter in the universe.”
• Some have compared the brain to a sophisticated computer, but technology still has a long way to go before it can duplicate the brain’s capabilities.
• The brain is not only the most complex mechanism in the world; it is the most influential organ in your body.
• It accounts for your ability to think, remember, love, hate, feel, reason, imagine and analyze.
• Everything we see, hear, touch and smell is recorded on the lobes of the brain.
• Your brain elevates you high above the animal kingdom – It literally sustains your life.
• If you are brain dead, you are dead because the brain supervises everything you do from the involuntary beat of your heart to the conscious decisions of daily life.
• It both houses and actually constitutes the mind.
• Proverbs 23:7 summarizes so well the over-arching significance of the mind as far as God is concerned in this poetic declaration: “For as he thinks within himself, so he is. – Proverbs 23:7a (NASB)

An annual subscription to SermonWorld.com is $99.95. With 52 sermons included in the subscription, that’s only $1.92 per sermon. The Power Point presentations alone are worth that much. Think about how much time is spent just setting up Power Point files for sermons.

With an annual subscription you will have accress to a new set of sermons each month. Whether you use them now or save them for later reference, it’s an excellent resource to have at your fingertips when it’s needed.

This year I have seen more and more news stories that bring scripture to life like never before.

Bill Maher, a standup comedian, talk show host, actor, political commentator and agnostic, set out to mock God in his new movie, Religulous. But in so doing, he simply helped validate God’s Word.

2 Peter 3:3

Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts.

Isaiah 5:20

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Religulous challenges the existence of God as presented by Christianity and other major religions. In doing so, Bill Maher travels around the world mocking those that hold strong religious convictions. The film focuses on the most fringe elements of the various religions and attempts to depict them as the norm for those of us that worship God.

My first reaction to this film was anger. That’s not the reaction we should have as Christians. First, we should pray for Bill Maher. Not a patronizing prayer, but a sincere prayer for this man’s salvation.

Second, this is just one more sign that Jesus’s return is imminent. Instead of being mad, rejoice! And keep watching for the return of Christ. We’re one day closer than we were yesterday!

In light of this week’s economic events and the threat of a total collapse worse that the Great Depression, this prophecy could mean dire consequences for America.

Revelation 18:1-2

And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more.

15-16  The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, And saying, Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!

22-23 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.

One common question when it comes to Bible prophecy is “Why is America not mentioned in prophecy?”

Could Babylon the great be America? I sure hope not! But if so, that explains the absence of America in other prophecies. And how sad that a land settled by Christians seeking religious freedom and a nation founded on Godly principles has strayed so far away from the Word of God that it would be described as “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit…”

Read through Revelation 18 and let me know what you think.

Anyone who has ever taken the time to talk with and really get to know their pastor, has probably discovered that one of his greatest challenges is busyness and time management. During any normal week in the life of a pastor, there are things like committee meetings, hospital visits, counseling appointments, following up on church visitors, administrative duties, returning phone calls, planning for future ministries – some weeks the list can go on and on. All of that, is without even considering the time that a pastor spends each week preparing anywhere between one, and three sermons or Bible studies.

To sum all that up, most pastors face at least 2 common obstacles. Obviously, considering all the previously mentioned demands, time is always an issue. The next most obvious obstacle is money (most of us did not get into this with any illusion of becoming wealthy). If you’ve ever seen the libraries that most pastors have accumulated over time, you’ll recognize that they have invested quite a hefty sum of money in their books. I’d like to recommend to you a solution to both of these challenges – Logos Bible Software 3 on CD-ROM or DVD-ROM.

I am not the “computer dummy” I was a few years ago, but I am still no “techno geek” either. No problem for me, with Logos Bible Software 3. I have found it surprisingly easy to use. All you have to know how to do is type in a Bible reference, or a topic and click the “Go” button! Logos Bible Software 3 gives you an amazing wealth of resources at your fingertips, giving you everything you need for in depth and comprehensive Bible Study. The Logos Scholar’s Library edition, has resources equivalent to a printed library worth over $6,000. It is a value-priced collection of texts and tools for serious Bible study using Greek, Hebrew, and English resources with more than 330 Bibles and Bible Reference titles. The Scholar’s Library software does not only save time and money when compared to the process of studying with printed books, but it actually acts as your personal research assistant, doing everything from looking up relevant articles and automatically collecting material to generating tailored collections of content organized around the specific Bible passage you are working with.

There is a resource at your fingertips for anything imaginable – Greek & Hebrew helps for exegesis work, sermon resources (such as illustrations, quotations, and commentaries), historical & cultural background study, entire books on theology and apologetics, other books on pastoral care, leadership , and church administration, and a variety of ministry resources for things like small groups, discipleship, and even evangelism training. The Scholar’s Library actually offers more than most pastors would ever need. It includes tools that would meet the needs of any Bible Scholar on an academic level, with more than a dozen Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Latin texts with morphologies and a variety of other original language tools.

The Logos Bible Software series offers a variety of sets on CD-ROM or DVD-ROM. The different sets are suited to all kinds of users – from the family who wants to provide quality Bible study for their children, to the Sunday School Bible teacher, to church staff persons and others in church leadership. The more advanced sets are perfect for Pastors, Conference Speakers, and Seminary Professors and Bible Research Scholars. The sets range in price and volume of content with the Christian Home Library, starting at around $150, to the Scholars Library Gold which sells for around $1,380. In between these two are the Bible Study Library, Leaders Library, and the Original Language Library, . The one that is right for your particular use depends on the depth of study desired and the amount of resources your particular ministry requires.

I’m pleased to announce the launch of HomeTubed.com, a video website for the home school community. As a home schooling Father, I’ve noticed how many home school kids and parents are constantly videoing everything, from social outings to sporting events to field trips. HomeTubed.com was created specifically for home schoolers to share these type of videos.

If you home school or if you are home schooled yourself, I invite you to upload your videos to HomeTubed.com. What type of videos should you upload? Almost any family friendly videos involving home schoolers or videos recorded by home schoolers.

Here are a few ideas… How to videos, Home School sports, Home School ceremonies, Home School fairs, video projects, field trips, Home Schoolers just hanging out, just for fun videos, practical jokes…. Just use your imagination.

So get your video camera or cell phone and start shooting videos. Then go to HomeTubed.com and create your free account so you can begin sharing those videos with the home school community.

I look forward to your feedback. Consider this HomeTubed.com 1.0.  The site will improve as I receive comments and suggestions from users.

Starting September 1, Coca-Cola will introduce a newly designed can featuring the Islamic crest and star as part of a month long celebration of Ramadan. The design will only appear on cans sold in Muslim countries.

Since 9-11 it seems like the companies and the media have done everything they can to embrace Islam, while at the same time slamming Christianity and Judaism every chance they get.

In the end, this raises an interesting question. Will Coke feature a Christian design with a cross this Christmas, or a Jewish Star of David for Hanukkah ? I think I know the answer to that but we’ll wait and see.

And for anyone that would try to make the argument that Coke already has a Christian design that features Santa and a polar Bear… Santa is not a Christian symbol. He is a secular symbol, like the Easter Bunny, that distracts people from the true celebration of Christmas.

I’m not calling on Coke to use a Cross on their cans. How about just selling COKE instead of targeting the terrorist market.

Do you remember how our nation responded in the days and weeks following 9-11. Although tragic, it was a time that made us all proud to be Americans.

Three weeks following 9-11 I was on vacation with my family in Myrtle Beach, SC. We were having dinner at Hard Rock Cafe, a rock & roll themed restaurant that plays music videos on multiple large screens. The restaurant was filled with the sounds of silverware striking plates, waitresses taking orders, children laughing, patrons chatting and of course, lots of loud music.

One song ended and as the next one started to play. It was obvious that it wasn’t the typical Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith or Van Halen type music you normally hear at a Hard Rock Cafe. The opening lyrics drifted throughout the restaurant… “If tomorrow all the things were gone, I’d worked for all my life…” Instantly, the entire restaurant fell silent, all but the voice of Lee Greenwood singing God Bless the USA. People stopped in the middle of their conversations, children sat quietly and waitresses stood still as everyone’s attention was entirely focused on the music video playing on screens throughout the restaurant. People were hanging on every word, as if for the first time they understood what was meant by “And I’ll gladly stand up, next to you and defend her still today.”

As the song ended… “‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land, God bless the USA”, customers and employees erupted in a cheer normally reserved for college football stadiums. The cheer eventually turned into a chant… USA! USA! USA!

At that moment there were no Democrats or Republicans, liberals or conservatives… only proud Americans… angry Americans… Americans ready to go after the enemy… Americans ready to support their President.

patriotism - love for or devotion to one’s country.

The previous week, on September 20, 2001, President Bush addressed Congress. At the same time In Philadelphia, the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers were tied at 2-2 and were preparing to start the third period. During the intermission the beginning of President Bush’s speech was playing on the big screens above the scoreboard. As the teams took to the ice the screens went blank and the game was set to resume. That’s went something unusual happened. 19,117 hockey fans began to boo. Then they began to chant… “Leave it on!”

Fans that had paid over $50 per ticket to see their Flyers play hockey were demanding to hear the President’s speech instead. They got their wish. The speech was returned to the video screens and both teams returned to their benches.

In that speech, President Bush left no doubt about the path that America was about to travel.

“Our war on terror begins with al Qaeda, but it does not end there. It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped and defeated.” (Loud applause by both parties.)

“This war will not be like the war against Iraq a decade ago, with a decisive liberation of territory and a swift conclusion. It will not look like the air war above Kosovo two years ago, where no ground troops were used and not a single American was lost in combat.”

“Our response involves far more than instant retaliation and isolated strikes. Americans should not expect one battle, but a lengthy campaign, unlike any other we have ever seen. It may include dramatic strikes, visible on TV, and covert operations, secret even in success. We will starve terrorists of funding, turn them one against another, drive them from place to place, until there is no refuge or no rest. And we will pursue nations that provide aid or safe haven to terrorism. Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists. (loud applause from both parties.) From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime.”

Every time the President delivered a strong statement about going after the enemy, the fans erupted into cheers so loud that it drowned out the applause coming from the house chamber. But as soon as the President began to speak again, the crowd instantly became silent.

As the President concluded his speech 36 minutes later, the fans were chanting U-S-A and waiving American flags, a scene reminiscent of the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics when a young USA team shocked the world by beating a much more experienced USSR team to claim the gold. But on this night they were not cheering for a hockey team. They were cheering on their President and sending a message to the world that the United States of America will not tolerate an attack on our homeland.

The game was never finished. Players said it just didn’t seem right to play hockey that night.

Fast forward seven years to 2008 and we now have a country that is resentful of a President that has done exactly what he said he was going to do, a country that thinks we shouldn’t be at war with Muslim extremists, and a country on the verge of electing a president named Barrack Hussein Obama and thinks that we should end this war.

In 2001, Barrack Obama was unknown to most Americans outside of Chicago. What would you have thought, if on September 12, 2001, you somehow were able to peer into the future and see a newspaper from January 2009 with the following headline: “Barrack Hussein Obama Sworn In As 44th President of the United States”? I know what I would have thought. The terrorists have won.

So what happened between 2001 and 2008 that caused such a u-turn in the American psyche? Are we no longer the nation that fought for freedom from British oppression and defended Europe from Nazi and communist schemes to conquer the world? What happened to that America?

I would love you hear your opinion. Leave a comment below.

Everyone has a passion about something. Take a minute and think about yours. Some people struggle with this. Fortunately, this isn’t a problem for me. I have too many passions for my own good, so I’m always trying to pick the theme about which I am most passionate.

Go ahead and write down a few topics. Once you have come up with a few then go back and write reasons why you would or would not be qualified to write about each one. My list would look something like this:

Photography - I enjoy sports photography. It’s a fun hobby, I’m fairly decent at it but I’m by no means an expert. I’m not sure I could add a unique perspective to the photography blogs that already exist.

Coaching Basketball - I coach a varsity girls homeschool basketball team. I certainly couldn’t offer much advice from an X’s and O’s standpoint but I have learned a lot about organizing a new team, fund raising, scheduling, etc. Could work if written from a homeschool standpoint with advice on creating new teams. But is there a large enough market?

Politics - I have plenty of opinions to offer and I’m right about every one of them I love politics and there’s an endless supply of material in the news each day. There’s already a lot of political blogs, in fact that may be the single most popular blogging theme. To be successful I would need to find a unique slant to the site. This is a strong possibility.

Gadgets - I LOVE electronic gadgets. iPhones, PDAs, robots,  USB thumb drives that hold 64 GB of data! But what could I say that would be unique? I have no inside scoop on the latest tech toys. I don’t have access to pre-release gadgets in order to write reviews. This would be fun but I’m not sure I could attract visitors.

After writing down some topics I’m passionate about and analyzing the pros and cons it looks like a political blog may be my best option. It’s something I naturally keep up with on a daily basis (I’m watching Bill O’Reilly as I type this) and I believe I could do something a little unique that would bring people to the site.

Spend some time on this process. Think it through and then let me know what you come up with by leaving a comment below.

Next, we’ll look at choosing a domain name, another very important factor in the success of your blog.