My favorite investment plan has been around for a very long time, and I will tell you all about it. A co-worker recently asked me if I would ever consider investing in Gold? Thinking about, the way currencies fluctuate globally now days it probably not a bad idea, but I really don’t think I would do it. Actually, I think my reply to the co-worker was that I would invest in Gold if I had a good safe at my house with good guns for protecting it there. Now, if I was investing on paper or keeping it in a bank vault then I really doubt that I would do it. I really do not trust institutions that are constantly changing their rules. I mean you really never know when the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision will have a secret meeting in Basel, Switzerland and change the rules on everyone, although I really don’t know how much jurisdiction they really have anyhow. When it comes to investing, I do have a retirement pension type of account that is on an investment plan, and they have changed the rules on that a couple of times since I first got it. My suggestion for investing is the one Jesus endorsed. In Mathew 6:19-21, Jesus said:
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (ESV Bible)."
Now, if you cannot really grasp that whole concept of heaven, I can try to make it more tangible although as Christians we also do think of it as our eternal home. I mean, Jesus did say in John 14:2: “In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you (ESV Bible)? Ok, let me get back to another tangible way to view it. I was having a conversation with a very close friend of mine one day, and she said to me: “you know I raised my daughters telling them to lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” I said that I agreed, but then she said something really funny which was: “yeah, I told them to get a good education even if they had to get loans for it because once that information is in your brain; no one can steal it from you.” For some reason, my way of viewing the concept of heaven became broader after that. So, again, my suggestion for investing is really: “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” Moreover, if you have money or something, just give it away. Jesus also said in Luke 6:38: “give and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you (ESV Bible)."
Well, I can really give many other reasons why I agree with this concept for investing, but for now, I will let you meditate on what I have said thus far. Thanks for reading My Favorite Investment Plan posting.
References:
Holy Bible, ESV
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
The Light of Life
What is light?
"Light is a phenomenon that has particle and wave characteristics. Its carrier particles are called photons, which are not really particles, but massless discrete units of energy (www.thebigview.com)."
So light, pretty much, consists of photons, which are the units of energy and I guess everything that exists in our space-time comes from energy. We also know that atoms are held together into objects and planets and stars, etc. by photons....
In John 8:12, Jesus said:
"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
In the Epistle of Paul to the Colossians 1:16-17, referring to Jesus, Paul said:
"For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together."
A lot of this scientific stuff I mentioned was not really known back in the first century. I find it interesting how some of these verses from the Scriptures perhaps make more sense to someone reading it today than way back then.
References:
http://www.thebigview.com/spacetime/faq.html.
Holy Bible, ESV
"Light is a phenomenon that has particle and wave characteristics. Its carrier particles are called photons, which are not really particles, but massless discrete units of energy (www.thebigview.com)."
So light, pretty much, consists of photons, which are the units of energy and I guess everything that exists in our space-time comes from energy. We also know that atoms are held together into objects and planets and stars, etc. by photons....
In John 8:12, Jesus said:
"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
In the Epistle of Paul to the Colossians 1:16-17, referring to Jesus, Paul said:
"For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together."
A lot of this scientific stuff I mentioned was not really known back in the first century. I find it interesting how some of these verses from the Scriptures perhaps make more sense to someone reading it today than way back then.
References:
http://www.thebigview.com/spacetime/faq.html.
Holy Bible, ESV
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Martin Luther was an Anti-Semite
Lately, I have been giving much thought on issues revolving around the Church and Tradition. When I think of the Protestant reformation for some reason I see it as going against much of the Tradition which the Church held from its earliest days. I would like to believe that when Martin Luther wrote The Ninety-Five Theses back in 1517 that he had great intentions, but in reality just because someone writes something down it does not necessarily mean that they firmly believe it to its core. Martin Luther, indeed, made valid points and exposed the Western Roman Catholic Church of the time in its wrongdoings which needed correction, and many of these matters were corrected over time; therefore, it was a good thing that he took the risk and wrote The Ninety-Five Theses. Now, The Ninety-Five Theses’ was a good thing, but just because one does good it does not mean that all one does is good since Luther kept on writing more and more.
In 1543 Luther wrote On the Jews and Their Lies. One can buy this book today. You can get it at Amazon books or even downloaded in PDF form from the internet. I have a PDF file of it and it is about 77 pages long; however, I do not recommend reading it to anyone unless you like reading about racism and hate. In fact, to say that On the Jews and Their Lies is filled with racism and hatred could perhaps be an understatement. Moreover, Luther makes statements that are filled with so much hatred that I personally will not quote his word on this blog. Some people even believe that Hitler acted out many of the suggestions Luther made in this writing of his, and I wouldn’t doubt that it is true. Now, I wouldn’t be the first to say some of these things about Luther and perhaps wouldn’t be the last; however, Luther was wrong. In defense of Christianity, I have to say that Jesus himself never taught hatred. Jesus taught the hatred of evil. Jesus said things such as the following statement which promoted love and not hate:
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with your entire mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets (Holy Bible, ESV, Mathew 22:37-40).”
Christianity is about loving ones neighbor unconditionally, so perhaps the only good that comes from Martin Luther’s writing On the Jews and Their Lies is that I just had a chance to clarify that it does not teach what Jesus commanded us to do.
References:
Holy Bible, ESV
Luther, Martin. (1517) The 95 Theses on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences.
Luther, Martin. (1543) On the Jews and Their Lies.
In 1543 Luther wrote On the Jews and Their Lies. One can buy this book today. You can get it at Amazon books or even downloaded in PDF form from the internet. I have a PDF file of it and it is about 77 pages long; however, I do not recommend reading it to anyone unless you like reading about racism and hate. In fact, to say that On the Jews and Their Lies is filled with racism and hatred could perhaps be an understatement. Moreover, Luther makes statements that are filled with so much hatred that I personally will not quote his word on this blog. Some people even believe that Hitler acted out many of the suggestions Luther made in this writing of his, and I wouldn’t doubt that it is true. Now, I wouldn’t be the first to say some of these things about Luther and perhaps wouldn’t be the last; however, Luther was wrong. In defense of Christianity, I have to say that Jesus himself never taught hatred. Jesus taught the hatred of evil. Jesus said things such as the following statement which promoted love and not hate:
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with your entire mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets (Holy Bible, ESV, Mathew 22:37-40).”
Christianity is about loving ones neighbor unconditionally, so perhaps the only good that comes from Martin Luther’s writing On the Jews and Their Lies is that I just had a chance to clarify that it does not teach what Jesus commanded us to do.
References:
Holy Bible, ESV
Luther, Martin. (1517) The 95 Theses on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences.
Luther, Martin. (1543) On the Jews and Their Lies.