Many in the American culture have become lazy self indulgent gluttons devoid of all discipline.  Many people seek a quick fix for the lusts of their flesh, fears, and desires.  Doctors do not hesitate to prescribe drugs for almost anything and our culture gobbles them up in order to fix depression, anxiety, or whatever acronym they or their children have been loosely diagnosed with. 

It has become a contest between trendy restaurants to see which one can pile the most food on a plate.  The plates seem to get bigger every year.  A family of four is served enough food to sustain a family of twelve. 

We are called to take up our cross and follow Christ, not ourselves.   

Who is as sick as I am of hearing politicians blurt nonsense out of their mouths?  These people are really dumb or think the people they are talking to are really dumb.  Personally I think it is both.

Here is the latest coming from Washington.  “Speculators are driving up the price of oil”.  Once again I am surprised that no one is articulating common sense.  Here is mine.  I have not heard anyone say this.

Anyone that understands the futures markets knows how a commodity like oil is purchased.  Anyone speculating that the price of oil will go up, must buy oil contracts and sell them before the oil is actually delivered to their doorstep.  The only way to affect the price of oil is to affect supply or demand.  People who consume oil or store it indefinitely affect the supply.  They have taken supply out of the market.  If demand remains constant or increases, this will drive the price up.

Speculators are not consuming or storing oil because they have to sell it back into the market before the contract expires.  If they do not sell it, the barrels of oil will be deliver to their doorstep.  When a speculator buys, the price goes up.  When a speculator sells, the price goes down.  Speculators must buy and sell before the contract expires.  1 – 1 = 0.  GET THE PICTURE WASHINGTON?

“All In” is a term used in poker.  It means a player is putting all the chips they have, in the pot.  They do this because they believe they have the best hand. 

My hand is Jesus.  I have the best hand.  Nothing can beat my hand.  I want to be “All In” for Jesus.  That means every chip.

I wonder just how rich the rich man described in Mark chapter 10 was.  Jesus said it is harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God than it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.  I am not sure what this man had, but I do know some things he did not have.  He did not have a television, ipod, mp3 player, computer, cell phone, automobile, or central air in his home.  This man did not even have running water or electricity. 

In today’s age we have many more luxuries than he did.  We also know from 1 Timothy chapter 6 that there were people rich in this present world who were believers.  So what determines who will have a more difficult time entering the kingdom of God than it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle? 

In my view it is not how much we have.  Most Americans obviously have more than the rich man described in Mark chapter 10.  The question is not how much do we have, but is it an idol in our lives?  If we take ownership of our stuff and put our trust in it, “stuff” becomes an idol and a god in our lives.  If we put stuff before God, it is harder to enter the kingdom of God than it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.