Lone Star Bullion - Strategic Silver Investor Weekly Report

Just finished with this video for my friend Josh Renfro and his company Lone Star Bullion.

Enjoy!
-James
Stand Fast

Thanksgiving Thoughts

Well, its that time of year! It's Thanksgiving!

My sister and I are 14th generation direct descendants of Elder William Brewster the Leader and Spiritual guide of the Pilgrims.

Here are a few thoughts from Doug Phillips and William Bradford.

------

"The story of the Pilgrims is remarkable in the annals of Christian history because it is the real account of fathers and mothers who left the ease of the city in order to protect their children from the influences of an ungodly youth culture, and who risked their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor for the hope of building a multi-generational legacy of faithfulness. Theirs is the ultimate success story, and a testimony to the goodness of God and the wisdom of patriarchy."

-Doug Phillips

------

Excerpt from William Bradford's Pilgrim Vision

Having found a good haven and being brought safely in sight of land, they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of Heaven who had brought them over the cast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all perils and miseries of it, again to set their feet upon the firm and stable earth, there proper element. And no marvel that they were thus joyful when the wise Seneca was so affected with sailing a few miles off the coast of his own Italy, that he affirmed he had rather taken twenty years to make his way by land, than go by sea to any place in however short a time,--so tedious and dreadful it was to him.

But here I cannot but make a pause, and stand half amazed at this poor people's present condition; and so I think will the reader too, when he considers it well. Having thus passed the vast ocean, and that sea of troubles before while they were making their preparations, they now had no friends to welcome them, nor inns to entertain and refresh their weather-beaten bodies, nor houses--much less towns--to repair to.

It is recorded in Scripture (Acts 28) as a mercy to the apostle and his shipwrecked crew, that the barbarians showed them no small kindness in refreshing them; but these savage barbarians when they met with them (as will appear) were readier to fill their sides full of arrows than otherwise! As for the season, it was winter, and those who have experienced the winters of the country know them to be sharp and severe, and subject to fierce storms, when it is dangerous to travel to known places,--much more to search an unknown coast.

Besides, what could they see but a desolate wilderness, full of wild beasts and wild men; and what multitude there might be of them they know not! Neither could they, as it were, go up to the top of Pisgah, to view from this wilderness a more goodly country to feed their hopes; for which way soever they turned their eyes ( save upward to the Heavens!) they could gain little solace from any outward objects. Summer being done, all things turned upon them a weather-beaten face; and the whole country, full of woods and thickets, presented a wild and savage view.

If they looked behind them, there was the mighty ocean which they had passed, and was now a gulf separating them from all civilized parts of the world. If it be said that they had their ship to turn to, it is true; but what did they hear daily from the captain and crew? That they should quickly look out for a place with their shallop, where they would be not far off; for the season was such that the captain would not approach nearer to the shore till a harbour had been discovered which he could enter safely; and that the food was being consumed apace, but he must and would keep sufficient for the return voyage. It was even muttered by some of the crew that if they did not find a place in time, they would turn them and their goods ashore and leave them.

Let it be remembered, too, what small hope of further assistance from England they had left behind them, to support their courage in this sad condition and the trials they were under; for how the case stood between the settlers and the merchants at their departure has already been described. It is true, indeed, that the affection and love of their brethren at Leyden towards them was cordial and unbroken; but they had little power to help them or themselves.

What, then, could now sustain them but the spirit of God, and His grace? Ought not the children of their fathers rightly to say: Our fathers were Englishmen who came over there great ocean, and were ready to perish in this wilderness; but they cried unto the Lord, and He heard their voice, and looked on their adversity… Let them therefore praise the Lord, because He is good, and His mercies endure forever. Yea, let them that have been redeemed of the Lord, show how he hath delivered them from the hand of the oppressor. When they wandered forth into the desert-wilderness, out of the way, and found no city to dwell in, both hungry and thirsty, their soul was overwhelmed in them. Let them confess before the Lord His loving kindness, and His wonderful works before the sons of men!

-William Bradford

Pssst! Looky what I found ;)

Buy the Classic Mini Digital Camera at the Photojojo Store!

Interesting 63 Year Old Cartoon

I don't agree with everything in this video, but it certainly hits home with a lot of whats going on in America today!

Enjoy!!



-James
Stand Fast

On the Death of Steve Jobs

By Doug Phillips:

The fifty-six year life of one Steve Jobs has ended. What is the message?

First, this was the full life of one of the great innovators and marketing giants since Edison. He was a man who understood that the computer revolution provided an unprecedented opportunity in history to shape culture. Over the last twenty-five years American culture has been shaped by Hollywood, by music videos, by Madison Avenue, by the government schools and by Steve Jobs. It is time for Christians to take inventory of these influences and consider our response.

Second, Jobs lived the type of aggressive life that thrived in controversy. This may be one reason why public opinion of this man unwisely tends to run from gushing idolatry to utter detestation. He showed us that businessmen could have the popularity of rock stars and the contempt of fallen politicians. My perspective on his life is different—appreciation, gratitude, disagreement, sadness. His life is a reminder that whether your name is Alexander the Great, Leonardo DaVinci, or Steve Jobs, in the end, your physical body becomes food for worms. More importantly, your eternal soul faces the same Judge that every human must stand before. This is just one reason why human idolatry is folly. We must never worship men (future worm food), but only the Lord. But it is also folly to be unduly disgusted with leaders like Steve Jobs, especially if such disgust shows a lack of appreciation for the fact that God used this man who was made in the imago dei to accomplish His providential purposes.

Third, Jobs reminds us that men of influence must be creative, have some understanding of aesthetics, work hard, and take initiative. He was a college drop-out whose calligraphy-inspired love of minimalist art would help to shape the aesthetic tastes of an entire generation, not through art, but technologies—Steve Jobs made computers elegant. He was the Wunderkind who took a financially devastated company called Apple and turned it and the business world upside-down using innovation, moxie, and creativity. He was the CEO of Pixar who gave the world some of the more memorable digital films in history. He was even once a high school boy who demonstrated initiative by calling Mr. William Hewlett, of Hewlett-Packard, to ask for help on a science project. He not only got the help, but a job offer.

Fourth, Jobs gave us practical tools of dominion. That may not have been his purpose, but he did it nonetheless. For these tools, I am thankful. Creating clever tools was the mark of his life. Consider that long before Jobs gave the world iPods and iMacs, he was the visionary who introduced the world to the mouse. This being said, the coming of Steve Jobs’ wonderful machines did not mean that the world would become wiser or full of more knowledge. Society may have unprecedented access to information, but this does not mean it has a greater understanding. Only the fear of the Lord brings knowledge and wisdom. (There is a strong argument that we have become stupider and less wise because of our unprofitable use of these devices.) So while the world has changed greatly because of Apple and Jobs, we are not necessarily better off in any ultimate sense. It is righteousness and the very spirit of God, not the existence of technology, which ultimately prospers a people.

Fifth, when men take initiative, exercise diligence, and fight very, very hard, they are often rewarded with temporal success. Jobs did this. He was the beneficiary of what theologians describe as God’s common grace. Christian men can learn much, both about about what to do, and what not to do, from the life of this focused, hard-working visionary.

Sixth, the death of Steve Jobs reminds us that to be wise we must understand the times—our technological times. We live in a world in which technology tends to master men, not the other way around. Furthermore, technology is so ubiquitous that it is nearly inescapable. That means we better become the masters of it. Ironically, Jobs may not have written his own epitaph or obituary, but he made the tools for disseminating them. The death of Steve Jobs may be the first time in history when it could be said that most people on earth learned about the demise of a leader on a device created by the leader himself. In fact, at this moment I am writing you a blog on a computer that Steve Jobs designed, having just spoken to my wife on my iPhone 4, and having earlier today home educated one of my children with a teaching aid on an iPad which Jobs introduced to the world less than two years ago. His technological and marketing fingerprints have become ubiquitous.

Seventh, the life of Steve Jobs reminds us of one of the great fatherhood question of our generation: Is it worth it to win the whole world, but lose the hearts of the children that God has given to us? Now to be fair, little is know of Mr. Jobs walk with his children except what he said himself. But during one of his only and final interviews on his private life, Jobs offered some insights into his personal absenteeism as a father. Walter Isaachson, Jobs’ authorized biographer explained:

A few weeks ago, I visited Jobs for the last time in his Palo Alto, Calif., home. He had moved to a downstairs bedroom because he was too weak to go up and down stairs. He was curled up in some pain, but his mind was still sharp and his humor vibrant. We talked about his childhood, and he gave me some pictures of his father and family to use in my biography. As a writer, I was used to being detached, but I was hit by a wave of sadness as I tried to say goodbye. In order to mask my emotion, I asked the one question that was still puzzling me: Why had he been so eager, during close to 50 interviews and conversations over the course of two years, to open up so much for a book when he was usually so private? “I wanted my kids to know me,” he said. “I wasn’t always there for them, and I wanted them to know why and to understand what I did.

Jobs won the world, but he needed a writer to reach out to his children on his behalf.

Finally, there is no evidence of which I am aware from the public record of Steve Jobs that he knew Christ or biblically sought to honor God. I hope that I am wrong. But if I am not, then this means that while he accomplished much in his life, none of it matters for eternity as far as his own soul is concerned. Zero. In other words, it is possible to lead a very successful life and even to be a tool of mercy for others used in the hands of God, and yet none of your philanthropies or business accomplishments earn you one moment in Heaven.

The death of all men remind us of the brevity of life, the lost condition of our souls, and the uselessness for earning eternal rewards through human accomplishments outside of Christ.

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

There is one life. It will soon be past.

Only what is done for Christ will last

180 Movie

Amazing short documentary from Ray Comfort. Parental guidance suggested.

Your Sins are Forgiven

Below is a short summery of what we are studying in church this past and present week. BTW: So sorry for not updating sooner! I have been VERY busy working on these two sites: IDS and North Wake Accounting and other things... like Smorrs :)

Anway, here tis! and enjoy!

Matthew 9:1-8

1 So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city. 2 Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”

3 And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!”

4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’? 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 7 And he arose and departed to his house.

8 Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.

We hear in v1 of Jesus' safe arrival after crossing the sea. This is after Jesus calms the waves and winds of the storms. We see that in v2 a paralytic was brought to Him on a bed. It is here interesting to note that although the other gospels go quite in depth about this encounter, we see here that all we know from Matthew about his being brought to Christ, is what it says in verse 2. "Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed…" We must here say that this encounter is in fact, the one in which the man's friends were bringing him to see Jesus, but the house was full, so that there was not enough room to stand inside. So the went on the roof, opened a spot in it, and lowered the paralyzed man down. This seems to be characteristic of Matthew, that, while the other gospel writers seem to go into detail, Matthew leaves out much of the details, making it in some of the encounters to seem like one man, while Luke etc say it is two or more.

This can easily be explained in saying that Matthew is focusing more on the man who the story is about, while the others add that there were possibly more than one man, but that they did not play as significant a part as this man.

In anyway, we see that the first thing Jesus does is the harder of the two. He forgives the man his sin. This out of the two notable things He does, is the hardest. He then goes onto heal his physical needs, but not until his spiritual ones are met. We see here an example of what our ministry should much be like. Yes, we are to give a cup of cold water in Jesus' name, but we must understand that however much a person may need physical help and food, he is in much more need of the gospel. For food lasts a little time, but the eternity we will spend, will last for ever.

Jesus first comforts the man and says to him "Son, be of good cheer…" to have that said to me, especially by the Lord, would seem to be healing enough! But to then go on and say that my sins are forgiven! is most overwhelming to any who's heart is, or is being turned to the right.

Now as we move on to verse three, we see that the scribes started speaking amongst themselves saying that Jesus was blaspheming. The reason for the saying this is that even they knew, that it was only God who could forgive sins, and they did not believe Jesus to be God.

We see then Jesus is truly God, and displays his omniscience, that He, knowing there very thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"—then He said to the man "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."

Jesus shows his power to save, and heal those who seek him, and also gives us a lesson to be careful of who we have as friends, and to rejoice when we have friends who are in the Way with Christ, and know God. Therefore, since this man had such friends, he was blessed by there knowledge of God, and the Faith they had, to not despair at the full house, but to find a different way.

Then we see that the man arose and departed from the house. Matthew here again leaves out a few things. One that the man immediately arose, and secondly, he picked up his bed and that which he had, and went away amidst everyone who were amazed and said "we've never seen anything like this!" But he does mention, that when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.

And there you have it. A happy day. A day that Jesus, by one small miracle, (small to Him) shows us His Love, Omniscience, Power to Save and Heal, and Sovereignty over every thing in our lives. Praise God for His word that He has given to us.

-James

Stand Fast