Obviously, I’ve been neglecting my MySpace page.  Sparing you the gory details, I’ve transitioned from hosting the Lucky Rock Show to consulting ministries and Christian businesses on their marketing, new media, etc. 

Check out my new Forward Thinking for Christ blog.  Also, if you’d like to know how to manage your money and your life God’s way, then check out the stories from folks just like you here.

All the best...

Lucky Rock

Check out this article about the possibilities of generating hydrogen from garbage.  Imagine that, researchers independently pursuing a potential alternative energy source and private companies are interested in investing in their research. 

What?!?  You mean we could end our fossil fuel dependence without a government boondoggle along the lines of Bush's Dept. of Homeland Security or Hillary's trillion-dollar health care proposal? 

I guess Adam Smith wasn't a complete idiot...

PS: The image above is a small version of the first HD image of the earth, taken by JAXA (the Japanese space agency).  See more pics here.

Today I rejoined my quest to conquer Churchill's The Second World War, for which he won the Nobel prize for literature and which spans six arduous volumes. As I read, I'm absolutely blown away by the parallels between the present war against Islamofascism and rogue nation-states and Churchill's fight against Fascist and Nazi aggression.  And one simple question comes to mind: where have all the Churchills gone?

W fancies himself a Churchill protege.  But unfortunately for Americans and the free world, President Bush values loyalty over competence and seemingly blinds himself to inconvenient truths.  On the contrary, Churchill bluntly assessed British, French, and German armaments and he dealt solely with the facts at hand. No, Churchill didn't get it right every time, but unlike Bush's keeping of incompetent Rummy for three years, Churchill sought the best real-world solutions to threats at-hand based on centuries-old principles of British opposition to the most powerful aggressor.

To Bush's credit, he recognizes the threat of Islamofascism in the wake of 9/11 and of rogue nuke-seeking states and Bush has attempted to swiftly squash those menaces.  Conversely, many fellow Republicans such as Chuck Hagel and most Democrats refuse to believe "the worst" about and move decisively against Islamic extremists and rogue nations, much as Baldwin, Chamberlain, the great majority of the British parliament, and French leaders in Churchill's day refused to act resolutely to confront Italian and German aggression.  

About this sort of inaction Churchill writes, "Virtuous motives, trammelled by inertia and timidity, are no match for armed and resolute wickedness. A sincere love of peace is no excuse for muddling hundreds of millions of humble folks into total war. The cheers of weak, well-meaning assemblies soon cease to echo, and their votes soon cease to count. Doom marches on."

Those opposed to the Iraq war respond with Howard Dean, "Wrong war, wrong place, wrong time."  Meanwhile those against taking a tough line with North Korea, Iran, Syria and others ask us to sit down with self-serving despots and negotiate in good faith.  Was this not the response of British and French politicians in the face of Mussolini's march into Abyssinia and Hitler's retrenchment of the Rheinland?  What then will result from the failure of our leaders, with Presidents GHW Bush and Bill Clinton before them, to decisively act against Islamic extremists and other aggressors today? 

As I scan the current political landscape the question remains: where have all the Churchills gone?

Scripture teaches us that God made the earth to inhabited.  It also calls for responsible oversight of land and animals. But just like the Prius is actually more enviro-disastrous than the Hummer (see our blog here), so we now learn that ethanol ain't the answer to our greenhouse gas blues.

An international group of researchers has concluded that ethanol and rapeseed (the most widely used biofuel in Europe), produce far more greenhouse gases than oil and petroleum.  Check out the London Times article on the study here.  Though one study scientific fact does not make, the most widely used biofuels continue to fall short of fossil fuels.

As our brilliant readers should know, many folks with a stake in the alternative fuels/environmental fight are more than willing to fudge the facts in order to pocket cash or prestige (see Al Gore).  As honest scientists keep digging, look beyond the hysteria over supposed man-made global warming and the hype over the next panacea for greenhouse gas emissions and keep reducing your use.

September 11th will always mean something to Americans and perhaps the world.  It certainly continues to mean something to me.

In fact, much like those from the WWII generation who remember exactly where they were when Pearl Harbor was attacked, so I recall exactly where I was when the Twin Towers fell.  I remember my shock, disgust, and dismay as I watched the second plane hit.  (I was in class when the first plane struck.)  I also remember thinking, as you probably thought, that the world would never be the same. Indeed, the world has changed forever.

And as we memorialize the victims of 9/11 words like "evil" and "justice" get thrown around by politicians and moms & pops alike.  In the midst of this discussion of true evil and right and wrong, one shocking and uncomfortable truth often goes unmentioned: most of you are in the same boat as the folks that took down the Twin Towers in NYC on 9/11. 

No, you're probably not mass murderers.  But you are likely in the same predicament as Osama Bin Laden and friends in that you have fallen short of God's perfect standard.

Did you know, when you face God it will not matter that terrorists are cold-blooded killers and you are not?  It also won't matter that you've tried to live and let live.  It won't even matter if you've been to church more than once this year.

The reason all that won't matter is simple.  God is perfect and just and because he is perfect, God requires all those who come to him to be perfect.  Unfortunately for Mohammed Atta, the other hijackers, and us, "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Sin is missing God's mark like an archer misses the bullseye on a target. You, me and everyone else, in and of themselves, fail to measure up to God's perfection.

Come on, man?  I'm not perfect but I try to live a good life and help people.  Doesn't that count for something?

In a word: no.  In fact, you may not realize it but God sees you as a rebel fully deserving his punishment.  Paul, one of Jesus' early followers quoted the Old Testament when he said, "All have turned aside; all have gone astray...No one seeks after God, no not one." If God is knocking on the front door, you are running out the back.

And God also spoke through Paul saying, "The wages of sin is death."  As in, what you earn for your missing God's mark and not seeking him is eternal death--separation from God's presence forever.

Well, what kind of God is that?  He's perfect and he wants all of us to be perfect, and He's willing to send us to hell forever, even though he knows we can't measure up.  Is God twisted or something?

Nope.  While God knows that you can't meet his standard, the good news is that in addition to being the just Judge of all and in control of the entire universe, God is unbelievably loving.  In fact, God has graciously given His only Son Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for your missing God's mark.  In fact, God says through Peter, another of Jesus' first century disciples, "For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that he might bring us to God."

Even though the folks who blew up the Twin Towers, you, and me all deserve God's wrath, God decided to allow Jesus to take the place of all who simply believe in Him.  What a gift!

Fine, Bible boy. How exactly do you propose I accept God's incredible gift of His Son?

Believe.  That's it.  No doing a thousand good deeds that won't save you from God's punishment, anyway.  No going to church so that God will look the other way.  There is only one way to meet God's perfect standard and to know Him forever: simply believe in Jesus Christ and follow Him.

Believing in Jesus Christ entails accepting all that Jesus claimed about Himself and proved by rising from the dead--that he was the Messiah (or Christ) prophesied for thousands of years, that he was God in the flesh, and that he would return again to judge and to reign over his creation.  (Did you know that Jesus fulfilled over 300 specific prophecies when he came to earth, many of which he didn't have any control over?)

Believing in Jesus also means making him Lord of your life.  You must turn from your own path and follow him completely.  As Jesus said, "If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me."  Taking up your cross means you die to yourself. 

From here on, what you want is out the window.  The only thing that matters is what Jesus Christ wants from you.  This doesn't mean that you become a robot and cease to be you.  God made you wonderfully and he has designed you to specifically serve his purpose.  But you must first deny yourself, die to yourself, and follow God through Jesus Christ.

And what's the reward for simply confessing Jesus as the payment for your sins and following him as your Lord?  Life forever with him!  As God said through Paul, "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved." (If you don't believe that Jesus rose from the dead, consider this: he appeared to over 500 witnesses after he came back to life and Jesus even ate breakfast with some of his disciples after his resurrection!) 

Right now, you literally have the chance to know God and befriend Him forever. But only on His terms.  Being less evil than terrorists who blow up buildings will not change your status as a rebel from God nor will it help you when you face God after you die.  The only means by which you can know God is Jesus Christ, as Jesus himself said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father but by Me."

If you want to know God through Jesus Christ, simply talk to him today.  Even though you can't see God, He will listen and answer.  Confess that you haven't met God's standard and that you believe Him when he says that not meeting His standard rightly earns you eternal death--separation from God forever. 

Then confess God's gift of Jesus Christ--who was God in human flesh and God's promised Savior of mankind, proving it by rising from the dead. Tell God you believe what He said through Peter: that Jesus died and took on our sin so that we might know God.  And tell God that you want to do a 180 from the road you're on and make Jesus Lord of your life.

Trusting in Jesus Christ right now is the first step in a long and amazing road with God.  Next you'll want to head to a bookstore and pick up a New American Standard Bible. Or you can simply visit www.biblegateway.com. The NASB, as its commonly known, sticks closely to the original languages the Bible was written in (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek), and is easy to read. 

First read the book of John. It's a great intro to Jesus Christ--what He claimed about Himself, what His life meant, and what it means to you.

Never forget the folks who died on 9/11.  More important, understand that without Jesus Christ you are a rebel from God and fall short of his standard, just like the terrorists who struck on 9/11.  Then trust Jesus Christ and follow Him, with all the incredible, eternal rewards that come with it.

As you think about all this, feel free to drop us an email at info at myluckyrock.com.  We'll be happy to help you with any tough questions that you have and to encourage you as you seek God.

As the Dems consider how to respond the completely un-American MoveOn.org attack on General Petraeus which we blogged about in our last post, consider this quote from an anonymous Democratic Senator, which ran this week in the Politico newspaper:

"No one wants to call (Petraeus) a liar on national TV. The expectation is that the outside groups will do this for us."

Mission accomplished, Senator!

The uber-liberal MoveOn.org ran the following full-page ad today in the New York Times:




Look, if you're against the war in Iraq, though I disagree with you, I don't have a problem with you opposing the war in a civil fashion.  But the above ad is absolutely despicable.  Do the MoveOn folks not have enough brain power and decency to oppose a war without accusing a highly-decorated patriot of treason?

And for those of you who don't know, MoveOn.org is the elephant in the room when Democrats attempt to oppose the war while supporting the troops.  Now what?  That elephant just attacked the very leader of U.S. troops in Iraq in the middle of a war! Democrats in the House and Senate must stand up to MoveOn--easily one of the biggest sources of Democratic political cash.

Are you against the Iraq war yet you are still reasonable?  Contact MoveOn.org to let them know you think their tactics are as pathetic as Britney Spears' performance on the VMAs. Then take the time to drop a note to your Senator or Rep. to tell them to denounce MoveOn's tactics.

Civil discourse, anyone?!?

Last time we offered a few quotes representative of the Founding Fathers Christian beliefs and the belief in a very involved God, even among Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson--who many claim simply believed in a God that wasn't very involved in our daily lives.  These Christian beliefs, as John Adams put it, provided the basis for our Constitution.  In fact, Alexander Hamilton concluded in 1787 after the Constitutional Convention, that due to the many competing interests represented, our constitution would never have been formed, save the "finger of God."

But as we asked at the end of our last blog post: what about Jesus himself?  Was he just a great moral teacher whose lessons happen to provide a great foundation for a free country?  Or was he truly, as he claimed, the only way to God?

Before you put Jesus back in the "great teacher" box, consider this: he claimed to be not of this world; he claimed to be from God, he claimed to be God in the flesh, he claimed to be the only way to God, and Jesus claimed to be the fulfillment of hundreds of years of prophecy concerning the promised Savior of mankind. 

In the words of Chronicles of Narnia author C.S. Lewis, Jesus leaves us with three options about his true identity, none of which are great teacher.

1) If Jesus believed all the incredible things that he claimed about himself, and the New Testament is rife with examples of each assertion, and Jesus didn't know that he was wrong, then he was quite possibly nuts. Again, Jesus claimed to be God and from God and not of this world. 

Or, if Jesus claimed to be God in the flesh and from God and he knew it wasn't true, then Jesus was a liar and a charlatan who wanted a following. Therefore, Jesus fudged a few things and rode the backs of ignorant Jewish peasants into the history books. 

Or Jesus was truly everything he claimed to be, including the only acceptable payment for the judgment of God which we all deserve because of the many ways in which we miss God's mark.

But how could we know for sure?  Thankfully, Jesus offered one evidence above all else of what he claimed: he would prove what he said about himself by rising from the dead. 

In fact, Jesus did rise from the dead and was seen by over 500 witnesses.  Indeed, Jesus made many appearances after He rose from the dead, even eating with some of his disciples.

But what does all that matter?  Can't I just follow Jesus without believing he literally rose from the dead? Couldn't he have rose in the sense that he lived on in his followers' hearts, or that his teachings are still with us today?

Let's allow Paul, one of Jesus' first century followers and one the major authors of the New Testament answer that one:
  But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised;
and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.
  For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have died believing in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.
 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

God spoke through Paul very clearly. If Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead then Christians do not simply live with hope and then die in peace, without consequence.  No, if Christ did not literally, bodily raise from the dead proving he was God, then Christians die separated from God and are the most pathetic people of all.

Read our next post for the rest of the story...

I always get a kick out of folks who deny America's Christian heritage.  These perhaps otherwise very well-informed folks seem to think that the founding of the United States and the resulting republic were somehow religiously-based but certainly not explicitly Christian. 

Just for fun, let's check out the words of the so-called Deists among America's founder--Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin. Today many folks claim that  Franklin and Jefferson knew nothing of a personal God.  But Franklin and Jefferson's words tell a different story...

"God governs in the affairs of man. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured in the Sacred Writings that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. I firmly believe this. I also believe that, without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel," Ben Franklin, Constitutional Convention of 1787.

"God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift from God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, and that His justice cannot sleep forever," from Thomas Jefferson's Notes on the State of Virginia, Query XVIII, 1781.

Now let's move onto the unabashedly Christian Founding Fathers and the unmistakably Christian roots of the United States of America...

"It cannot be emphasized too clearly and too often that this nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason, peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here," Patrick Henry, May 1765 speech to the House of Burgesses--the first freely-elected legislative assembly in the New World, founded in the Virginia colony in 1619.

"The general principles upon which the Fathers achieved independence were the general principals of Christianity...[July 4th] ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty," John Adams in a letter to his wife, Abigail, on the day the Declaration of Independence was approved by Congress.

"We Recognize No Sovereign but God, and no King but Jesus!"  John Adams and John Hancock, April 18, 1775.

"For my own part, I sincerely esteem it [the Constitution] a system which without the finger of God, never could have been suggested and agreed upon by such a diversity of interests," Alexander Hamilton, after the Constitutional Convention, 1787.

These quotes may be eye-openers to many of you who, like me, grew up in public schools. Although I must admit a little attendance problem in high school. So maybe I missed the U.S. history class that mentioned our Christian founding.

Our Founding Fathers clearly declared that Jesus Christ and his teaching provide the basis for freedom and justice for all--Christians and non-Christians alike.  This does not mean that our founders perfectly meted out Christian justice in all cases, as the Civil War taught us the painful price of our Founding Fathers' failure to properly address slavery from Christian principles.  Just the same, the Christian foundation of our nation is certain, at least from the words and most of the deeds of Adams, Jefferson, and friends.

But what about Jesus Christ himself?  Was he just a great moral teacher whose lessons happen to provide a great foundation for a free country?  Or was he truly, as he claimed, the only way to God?  Read the next post to find out...

We began this three-part series with an admittedly brief look at America's Christian heritage.  Then we turned our attention to life and teachings of Jesus Christ himself, where we saw that Jesus said way too many things that, if not true, would disqualify him from being a great teacher. 

We also noticed that the truth about Jesus Christ hinges on his rising from the dead.  That is, if Jesus did not rise from the dead then he wasn't God, as he claimed, and that Christians, in the words of Paul the apostle, "are of all men most pitiable."

But Jesus did prove that he was from God and that he was actually God in human flesh by rising from the dead, just as he promised beforehand and just as the Old Testament Scriptures predicted hundreds of years in advance about God's promised "Messiah." Incredibly, when Jesus came to earth, he fulfilled 308 prophecies, many of which were completely beyond his control, including everything from where the Messiah would be born, his family line, how much money he would be betrayed for, and when, to the day, God's promised Messiah would publicly present himself!

So where does that leave you?

First, the bad news.  You may not realize it or feel like it's true, but you are a rebel from God and if you were to die right now, you would spend literally forever separated from God, as his perfectly legitimate punishment for the ways you've missed his mark, or sinned.  As Paul says in his letter written about 50 AD to Roman believers, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," and "for the wages of sin is death."  Because you've rejected God, you deserve nothing less than to spend forever without him in eternal torment.  Yikes! 

But I try to be good to others.  Surely that has to count for something?!?

Sorry. Our good works can never satisfy God's judgment because we can never measure up to God's perfect standard.  Paul even said that our good works are as filthy rags, literally menstruating cloths, before God.  One slip of the tongue. One cutting someone off in traffic.  One too many drinks...and you've fallen short of the perfect glory of God.  And we all know that we say or do much more than one wrong thing every day.  Heck, doing just one wrong thing per day would add up to thousands of crimes against God over a lifetime.

But the good news is that God is good. In fact, the good news about Jesus Christ is that in him, God payed for the sins of all who believe in Jesus Christ. As John, one of Jesus' twelve disciples writes: "For God so loved he world that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in him will have everlasting life." 

The first step in accepting God's free gift of his son on your behalf is turning from your current path of rebelling against God. As Jesus said to his first century audience: "Repent or you will likewise perish." Repent simply means do a 180 from your current path.  In this case, turning away from your sin and toward God.

As you repent, you must admit to God that you have wronged him and that you deserve his punishment. You must also confess that Jesus Christ is both your savior and Lord. 

This means that you must admit to God that Jesus Christ, who proved he was God by rising from the dead, is the only possible payment to God for your sins and your only Savior from God's wrath.  As Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.  And as God spoke through Jesus' disciple Peter, "For Christ also died for sins, once for all, the just for the unjust, so that he might bring us to God." 

And you must declare that Jesus Christ is your Lord. Quite frankly, you must relinquish control of your life to Jesus Christ and to what he wants for you. 

I know this last one probably pounds against every American impulse you have to call your own shots and run your own show. But you need God to save you through Jesus Christ and the price of admission God has set is confessing your total dependence on his grace and giving the reigns to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Master, forever.  As Paul told the Romans, "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Bluntly put, Jesus is God and He created you.  You're giving the reigns to him is simply acknowledging and submitting to the sovereignty he already has over you.

If you would like to start down the road with God, simply call out to Him as outlined above.  He will respond.  In fact, He's already proactively and lovingly given Jesus as the payment for the wrongs of all who believe in Him.

Next, head to Barnes & Noble or your favorite bookstore and pick up a bible in the New American Standard version.  It's a readable, up-to-date translation that stays true to the original ancient Greek New Testament and ancient Hebrew/Aramaic Old Testament. 

Start your Bible reading in the book of John, one of the first books in the New Testament.  It'll give you a great intro into the life of Jesus Christ and many of the things he said and did.  In fact, John's stated purpose for writing his gospel, or good news account, is "that you may know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his Name."

If you want to drop us a note, feel free to email info@myluckyrock.com.  We'd be glad to talk with you and to try to answer any questions you have.  

All the best in your new adventure with God...

As we pass the two-year mark since Hurricane Katrina, it's appropriate to discuss the Biblical model of compassion and generosity...

The Scriptures are often invoked, and rightly so, to spur us to help the poor.  Yet contrary to the usual calls for Christian compassion, the Biblical model is to provide opportunities for the poor to help themselves, rather than spoon-feed them gifts from the public largesse.  Obvious exceptions for those who truly can't help themselves apply, but the general Biblical mandate is for a hand up not a handout (e.g. Exodus 23:11).

On the flip side, Scripture bluntly commands: "He who does not work, does not eat," (2 Thess. 3:10).  Contrast that with the American welfare system. 

As one who grew up on food stamps, I can attest that the "system" rewards those content to be fed rather than feed themselves.  Case in point, every time my mother received a college grant, the state of New Mexico cut our welfare check.  How difficult it is to swim to the other side when you're just treading water. 

Though I must say that the welfare to work reforms of the past several years, helped along by Bill Clinton (one of the only good things he did as President) and 1990s GOP-led Congress, have brought the welfare rolls down a bit.  Still, the problem of lazy beneficiaries and a blindly "caring" Uncle Sam remains.

Scripture balances compassion and accountability, just as God gave the payment for our sins in His Son Jesus Christ and God demands that all who come to Him, come through Jesus Christ.  The penalty has been paid, but you must accept His terms if you are to see and know God. 

Care for the poor and the widow, for that, as James said, is true religion.  But also call the poor to care for themselves.  That's the Biblical model.

Thoughts?

Just a quick update on the intelligent design film coming soon...

The website for the Expelled documentary featuring Ben Stein of Comedy Central fame is up and fully running.  Click the movie title above or visit www.expelledthemovie.com.

If you're looking for insight into the intelligent design controversy, check out Jonathan Wells' Politically Incorrect Guide to Evolution and Intelligent Design and Dr. Tom Woodward's Darwin Strikes Back.

Scientific thought police beware!  A new documentary highlighting the smear of scientists who dare to question Darwinian dogma is coming soon to a theater near you.

Go ahead.  Get it all out. 

Ohhhhhhhhh!  Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!  Noooooooooo!

Now check out Denyse O'Leary's post on the new Expelled documentary featuring Ben Stein of Comedy Central fame.