OBAMA’s Education Speech

John Piper and Al Mohler give their evaluation of President Obama’s speech two weeks ago:

John Piper- “I’ve Read the President’s Speech: Amazing”

Al Mohler- “The Obama School Speech Controversy- What To Think?”

My Favorite Number

Just discovered a new fact about my favorite number, 26. The number twenty six symbolizes God’s true name. 26 is the gematric number of the true name of god – YHWH. According to Jewish chronology, God gave the Torah in the 26th generation since Creation.

This is all said knowing the real reason 26 is my favorite number is because for a good part of my pre-teens, I couldn’t remember whether my birthday was August 26 or 24. I remember that I had said the wrong date a few times, so I made 26 my favorite number. Then, low and behold, 24 became a great number in my life. Rhonda and I married on August 24th. (Prescient, prophetic, twilight zonish?)

Remember

Prosperity and Abundance

James K. A. Smith, Associate Prof at Calvin College in Philosophy, writes about the difference between abundance and prosperity. A comment by a reader says that Walter Bruggeman was asked the same question and responded simply, “Us and me.” After listening to a Joel Osteen sermon critiqued by Pastor Mark Driscoll about how God has made us victorious, and how we should have the same prosperity in our family relationships, health and finances, I found Smith’s article a well rounded and reasoned underpinning to the crazy factions on all sides of the issue.

Smith speaks of the difference the prosperity gospel makes to a Nigerian making $2/day and a mega church member in Atlanta. He makes the connection to the eschatological nature of the God’s promise of an abundance in heaven to the preaching of it now. He contrasts God’s concern for the poor with the structural injustices that yield abundance for only a few.