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Side Business to Support Camp DePra
One of my patients, an experienced business man, introduced Becky and I to a business opportunity. I am always skeptical (and still am, a little) but after evaluating it carefully we decided to start. We've all been getting these calls to switch electric and natural gas providers after deregulation occurred. AMBIT ENERGY is the one of those companies. They have decided they want to be the best in the industry without sacrificing integrity. AMBIT provides a guaranteed savings of 2% in NY and 3% in PA (most often saving 6-8%) and a hard to believe referral system to get free energy by getting other people to switch. They also give reward points for trips - kind of like frequent flyer miles. NYSEG never gave me anything but a bill! It costs nothing to switch and there are no contracts. I have yet to find a catch or gimmick. Anyone interested in getting into this business or switching your electric and/or natural gas service, Please reply to this email. It seems too good to be true, but it really could be a once in a lifetime opportunity - like when your grandfather bought Coke stock for pennies or land for a dollar an acre. See the links below for more information.
- dr joe
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Food for Thought...
I believe our nation is headed for very hard, even disastrous times. I do not believe politics will fix our economy - it's too far gone - too much debt to ever pay back. We depend completely on our fragile technological infrastructure for food, water, shelter, transportation, and entertainment. Any number of events could cause a sudden collapse of our system e.g., electric grid collapse from terrorism, natural event like solar flare, simple breakdown from lack of modernization, or Israel attacks Iran and the price of oil skyrockets, or China stops buying our treasury bonds. I am feeling called to prepare for such disaster by working to be less dependent and more self-sufficient. If you have interest in or questions about this line of thinking, please e-mail me by replying to this e-mail. Below are some of my favorite links:
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Matthew 6:3-4
3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
It's easier to do what's right when we gain recognition and praise. To be sure our motives are not selfish, we should do our good deeds quietly or in secret, with no thought of reward. Jesus says we should check our motives in three areas: generosity (Matt 6:4), prayer (Matt 6:6), and fasting (Matt 6:18). Those acts should not be self-centered, but God-centered, done not to make us look good but to make God look good. The reward God promises is not material, and it is never given to those who seek it. Doing something only for ourselves is not a loving sacrifice. With your next good deed, ask, "Would I still do this if no one would ever know I did it?" I hate to admit this but I struggle with this a lot. I don't think I usually do things specifically for the recognition - I think often the Holy Spirit inspires the action. But my love language is words of encouragement and I think I often share too much of what I do in subconscious search of recognition.
Verse and commentary above is copied from the Life Application Study Bible Reading Plan on YouVersion. Check it out at: http://www.youversion.com/ .
Any Dr JOE comments will be in BLUE :0)
Acts 5: 32-37
1 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet.
3 Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God."
5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6 Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.
7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, "Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?"
"Yes," she said, "that is the price."
9 Peter said to her, "How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also."
10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.
Why would God strike someone dead who was giving to the Apostles? The early church? Seems a little harsh! The key here is the deception. They were not mandated to give all they had received for the land, they didn't have to give any of it. They gave some and tried to act as if they gave it all. Remember that God is perfectly just. He's got more grace and mercy than we could ever have. He knows our hearts and knew the hearts of these two deceivers. If He struck them down, there was no hope of their hearts turning to Him and being His. They were stinking pretenders. Here's a scary question. In what way are we pretenders? Do we really deserve the same fate. I don't want to spend too much time thinking on that one! Lord have mercy on me and lead me down the path you would have me go.
Here is a similar verse:
Galations: 7-10
7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
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Questions?
Please email me with any questions about today's scripture message or anything related to the Bible or Christianity.
I might not know the answer but I'll try real hard to find it.
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