I have been more and more mindful of the changes in our world around systematization and corporatization. I had a front seat to the Great Financial Crisis of 2008, and I’ve been very mindful of the trends since then. The collective response in my industry to the 2008 financial crisis was a greater degree of government involvement, consolidation of financial institutions, and stronger regulations. The banking system was more systematized through regulation. What we saw was this regulation … [Read more...] about Systematization, Powers, & Living Apart
Morality
Freedom to Choose
I was talking with someone who was struggling to believe in the existence of God. His main arguments were regarding the sovereignty of God: “If God is an all-powerful, all-knowing God, then why didn't He know that Satan, or Lucifer at that time, would rebel and cause so much trouble for Him? And why did He allow Satan to pull so many spirit beings down with him. And why did He allow him to deceive mankind and mess up God's plan?” The broad answer is critical to understanding both how … [Read more...] about Freedom to Choose
When Leaders Are Lawbreakers
The world is a mess. It's a sentiment that I believe we could all readily agree with. There are reasons why the world is a mess and we need to be very clear about them. We are certainly experiencing a crisis of leadership. And there are ramifications when leaders are lawbreakers. They bring upon their nations self-inflicted destruction. I want to address the reality of what it means to have leaders who are lawbreakers and to reinforce a Christian’s responsibility to become leaders who are law … [Read more...] about When Leaders Are Lawbreakers
Why Not Steal?
We think there's a growing sentiment in the world that the idea of right and wrong is somewhat arbitrary. Our institutions have failed us in many ways, and it seems that society is throwing out both the ideas that they represented and those institutions. And we're left with the idea that morality is really just a cultural concept. It's culturally defined, and if one is truly enlightened, it's somewhat irrelevant, right? So, if morality is not defined by our institutions, it's defined by … [Read more...] about Why Not Steal?
The Garden of Eden Prototype
When God created mankind there was a strong bond between the Creator and the Created. This bond extended to the rest of the earthly creation that God had made. Man was to work with the environment to subdue it and have dominion. In other words, he was to dress and keep it. God and man walked together, they talked together, and they worked together. All of those things are contained in the first chapters of Genesis. The Creator, Man, and the environment all worked … [Read more...] about The Garden of Eden Prototype
The Missing Dimension in Morality
We have a very real problem that pervades our world – and that problem is the missing dimension of morality. As one political commentator noted, “This is not a constitutional problem. It is a moral crisis.” The lack of morality is a disease of the mind, and one definition of madness is “extremely foolish behavior.” Why do so many of society’s influential people do things that leave us shaking our heads in bewilderment and asking the question, “What were they thinking?” What characterizes … [Read more...] about The Missing Dimension in Morality
Choose Life
As God prepared Israel for its occupation of the land of Canaan – the land He had promised them – He firmly reminded them of the centrality of His law to their existence. He told them that His commandments were near to them – in their hearts (Deuteronomy 30:11-14). God’s law set two clear and distinct ways of life before them. On the one hand was life and good, while on the other was death and evil. The law defined these two ways, so they were clearly discernable. The assault on God’s law … [Read more...] about Choose Life