DEVOTIONAL

And behold, a man came up to him, saying, "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?" And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments."  He said to him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, "You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself."  The young man said to him, "All these I have kept. What do I still lack?"  Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." (Matthew 19:16-22)

Not too often do we hear people talking about eternal life outside the church but when we do, it probably has to do with what I need to do to obtain it.  The rich man in this passage has this question and Jesus tells him to "keep the commandments".  Seeming vague to the rich man, he pressed Jesus further to tell him specifically "which ones".  How often do we do this same sort of thing?  Instead of obeying God wholeheartedly, we ask how far we can go before we are "sinning".  Jesus answers his question by listing specific commandments:

• Don't murder [6th Commandment];
• Don't commit adultery [7th Commandment];
• Don't steal [8th Commandment];
• Don't be deceitful [9th Commandment];
• Honor your mother and father [5th Commandment]; and
• Love your neighbor as yourself [10th Commandment].

The rich man claims that he has kept all these commandments, but deep down he knew there was something else he was lacking in order to obtain eternal life and asked Jesus what it was. Jesus answered and told him to go and sell all he possessed and give it to the poor. But having great wealth, the rich man went away "sorrowful" because he was unable to give up all he had to follow Jesus. 

If we take a closer look at the command Jesus gave the rich man we see that it dealt with the first 4 of the 10 Commandments given to Moses. These first 4 Commandments deal with our relationship with God; the last 6 deal with our relationship with man. Most of the time it is easy to work on and perfect our relationship with others (at least in outside appearances) but it is much more difficult to perfect our relationship with God.  Elsewhere, Jesus commanded that His followers "...love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (Matthew 22:37).  This is not an easy task at all because there is so much in this world that we have a vested interest in: our careers, our hobbies, our projects, etc.  These activities tend to creep into every aspect of our lives and cause us to lose our first love (Revelation 2:1-7).  As we see the day approaching of our Savior's retur, we need to continually be reminded that we need to store up our treasure in heaven (Matthew 6:19-20) and we do this by ultimately loving the Lord our God with all our heart soul and mind.

JOURNAL: The Deepwater Horizon catastrophe

On April 20, 2010 an oil rig of the coast of the Gulf of Mexico exploded killing 11 people and causing billions in damage.  The mess that this oil rig has caused will be greater than the Exxon-Valdez oil spill that occurred in 1989; not in quantity but in quality. It is causing the Gulf States to declare states of emergency and calls to bring up the National Guard, not to mention what it is doing to the fishing industry. 

And although this story has been all over the news and continues to be all over the news, one piece of information has not been revealed yet...how did it happen (What caused the offshore oil platform to explode?)?  In fact, it wasn't even supposed to happen if you believe the head of BP Oil (the company who is responsible for the leak), who was giving an interview on NPR May 3, 2010.

I find it interesting that this explosion occurred several weeks after Obama announced his off-shore oil drilling plan on March 31, 2010 (Obama Unveils Offshore Oil Drilling Plans; Auto Regulation on the Horizon).  And of course, last week, Congress put an indefinite hold on all offshore oil drilling until this investigation is complete.  Reports have also come out stating that there was no safety measures complied with before this happened even though it is a standard requirement...hmm interesting. 

Although this story is ongoing, I would bet that this event did not accidentally happened, it was too convenient.  But of course, I could be wrong, only time will tell....

RELATED ARTICLE(S)

Burning oil rig sinks into Gulf; 11 still missing [Source AP via Breitbart, April 22, 2010]

U.S. backs plan to stop leaking Gulf of Mexico oil well [Source: Reuters, April 25, 2010]
Gulf of Mexico spill may hit coast this weekend [Source: Reuters, April 27, 2010]
Every branch of government investigating killer oil rig disaster [Source: Climate Progress, April 28, 2010]
Crews Start Burning Gulf Oil Slick [Source: CBS News, April 28, 2010]
State of emergency declared as oil spill nears Louisiana [Source: CNN, April 29, 2010]
Oil Spill Reaches Mississippi River [Source: CBS News, April 29, 2010]
Oil slick poses political peril for Obama [Source: Washington Times, April 29, 2010]
Flashback: Obama Says "Oil Rigs Today Don't Generally Cause Spills" [Source: Real Clear Politics, April 29, 2010]
Florida declares state of emergency for Panhandle [Source: AP via Breitbart, April 30, 2010]
Air Force gets order to help with oil spill [Source: AP via Breitbart, April 30, 2010]
White House Says No New Offshore Drilling Until Investigation is Complete [Source: ABC News, April 30, 2010]
Despite plan, not a single fire boom on hand on Gulf Coast at time of oil spill [Source: AI.com (Blog), May 4, 2010]
Obama biggest recipient of BP cash [Source: Politico, May 5, 2010]
Oil Starts To Wash Ashore Off Louisiana [Source: Sky News, May 6, 2010]
Gulf spill will "forever" change drilling-BP exec [Source: Reuters, May 6, 2010]
U.S. not accepting foreign help on oil spill [Source: The Cable, May 6, 2010]
Deepwater team attempts to put 100-tonne box over blown-out oil well [Source: Guardian, May 7, 2010]
Problem for Containment Dome in Gulf [Source: New York Times (Blog), May 8, 2010]
New scale of disaster looms in Gulf of Mexico [Source: The Free Library, May 9, 2010]
Natural Gas Slows Oil Leak in Gulf of Mexico [Source: ABC News, May 11, 2010]
Giant Plumes of Oil Forming Under the Gulf [Source: New York Times, May 17, 2010]
Ted Turner: Is God speaking in Gulf Coast spill? [Source: CNN (Blog), May 17, 2010]
Hopes pinned on Sunday attempt to stop Gulf oil leak [Source: CNN, May 19, 2010]
BP readies another attempt at stopping oil spill [Source: Reuters, May 26, 2010]
Regulators Accepted Gifts From Oil Industry, Report Says [Source: Wall Street Journal, May 26, 2010]
BP Well May Have Leaked More Than Twice Exxon Valdez [Source: Bloomberg, May 27, 2010]
Gauging Harm to Ecosystem Could Take Years [Source: Wall Street Journal, May 28, 2010]
BP Oil Leak May Last Until Christmas in Worst Case Scenario [Source: Bloomberg, June 2, 2010]
Slick Nears Florida Panhandle Beaches [Source: Wall Street Journal, June 3, 2010]
Ocean currents likely to carry oil along Atlantic coast [Source: UCAR, June 3, 2010]
Another Gulf oil spill: Well near Deepwater Horizon has leaked since at least April 30 [Source: AI.com (Blog, June 7, 2010]
Evidence Points To BP Oil Spill False Flag [Source: Prison Planet, June 8, 2010]
BP Oil-Leak Estimate Doubled by U.S. Science Panel [Source: Bloomberg Business Week, June 11, 2010]
President Obama finally meets with BP brass [Source: Politico, June 16, 2010]
The night the oil rig exploded: Escape from a fire-breathing monster [Source: CNN, June 18, 2010]
Hayward relieved of managerial duties in BP shakeup [Source: Yahoo News, June 18, 2010]
BP oil spill: leak found in rig weeks before blast [Source: Telegraph, June 21, 2010]
Federal Gov't Halts Sand Berm Dredging [Source: WDSU, June 22, 2010]
More oil gushing into Gulf after problem with cap [Source: AP via Breitbart, June 23, 2010]
Oil's fingers reach into Louisiana's inland waters [Source: AP via Breitbart, July 6, 2010]
BP Oil Spill: Containment Cap Installed on Leak, As Anger Surges Over Slow Claims Payouts [Source: ABC News, July 12, 2010]
No oil leaking as BP begins critical pressure tests in Gulf oil well [Source: CNN, July 15, 2010]
BP dispersant likened to ‘Agent Orange’ [Source: Press TV via Infowars.com, July 16, 2010]
Another Test Run For The Battle Of Armageddon? Space Based Weapon Used On Oil Rig? A Connection Between The Gulf Crisis And 9/11? [Source: Lookup Fellowship (Blog) July 20, 2010]
‘Static Kill’ Appears to Be Working in Well, BP Says [Source: New York Times, August 4, 2010]
Final Gulf oil well 'kill' plan on hold amid pressure fears [Source: AFP via Breitbart, August 17, 2010]
BP resumes drilling relief well in Gulf as step toward permanent seal [Source: CNN, September 13, 2010]

OTHER OIL SPILLS

Scope of oil spill's damage, cause still a mystery 

[Source: Houston Chronicle, January 26, 2010]

On Saturday, a oil tanker, the Eagle Otome,  spilled 450,000 gallons of crude into the country's busiest shipping channels, Port Arthur. At this time at least 220,000 gallons have been cleared and the oil slick has been contained to a 2-mile area.  The cause of the collision is still under investigation but officials consider this the worst oil spill in Texas since 1994.

Oil rig platform catches fire in Gulf of Mexico

[Source: WAFB.com, September 2, 2010]

Chevron's Oil Spill Hasn't Reached Great Salt Lake 

[Source: AP via CNBC, June 14, 2010]

Emergency workers believe they have stopped a 21,000-gallon oil leak from reaching the environmentally sensitive Great Salt Lake, one of the West's most important inland water bodies for migratory birds that use it as a place to rest, eat and breed.

The leak began Friday night when an underground Chevron pipeline in the mountains near the University of Utah broke. The breach sent oil into a creek that flows through neighborhoods, into a popular Salt Lake City park, and ultimately into the Jordan River, which flows into the Great Salt Lake.

Egypt oil spill threatens Red Sea marine life 

[Source: AFP via Google News, June 20, 2010]

 

An oil spill off the Egyptian Red Sea coast of Hurghada threatening to damage marine life in the area has prompted environmental agencies to demand tighter regulation of offshore oil platforms. Large quantities of oil have appeared in recent days around the resorts of Hurghada which draw millions of tourists who come to dive or snorkle, according to the Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Agency. "It started four or five days ago and the companies responsible didn't notify anyone. It is catastrophic," HEPCA Managing Director Amr Ali told AFP. The spill was caused by leakage from an offshore oil platform north of Hurghada and has polluted protected areas and showed up on tourist beach resorts.

Large China Oil Spill Threatens Sea Life, Water

[Source: AP via CBS News, July 21, 2010]

China's largest reported oil spill emptied beaches along the Yellow Sea as its size doubled Wednesday, while cleanup efforts included straw mats and frazzled workers with little more than rubber gloves.  An official warned the spill posed a "severe threat" to sea life and water quality as China's latest environmental crisis spread off the shores of Dalian, once named China's most livable city.

New Leak Found on Gulf Coast

[Source: Fox News (Blog), July 27, 2010]

The Coast Guard is responding to a new oil leak on the Gulf Coast. This spill involves a well in a portion of Barataria Bay known as Mud Lake, near Bayou St. Dennis about 10 miles south of Lafitte, Louisiana. Although this latest spill is unrelated to the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, it's blocking vessels of opportunity based in Lafitte from accessing the Gulf, as officials assess air quality and other health and safety issues at the site. (Boats staged in other areas are unaffected). "It's apparent that some type of vessel has hit the well head, has laid it over," said Donald Nalty, COO of oil spill cleanup contractor ES&H, who just returned from a flyover of the site in single engine seaplane. "It's probably about a four inch casing and it's spewing out oil and natural gas." Nalty said the oil was coming out as a mist and was dusting nearby marshes.

Health officials urge evacuations near Michigan oil spill

[Source: CNN, July 29, 2010]

[Calhoun County Public Health]Officials in Michigan urged residents living near the Kalamazoo River oil spill to evacuate the area...Oil leaked Monday from a 30-inch pipeline owned by Enbridge Energy Partners. The oil is moving from Talmadge Creek into the Kalamazoo River, which flows from near the city of Battle Creek into Lake Michigan. The pipeline normally carries 190,000 barrels of oil per day from Griffith, Indiana, to Sarnia, Ontario. The leak was stopped Tuesday, but not before an estimated 19,500 barrels of oil slipped out. The cause of the spill is under investigation.

*****************************************

Two Mysterious Deaths in the past 2 days; Both victims had connections with BP Oil.

1. Matthew Simmons, Who Said Global Crude Production Has Peaked, Dies at 67 [Source: Bloomberg, August 9, 2010]
2. Former Sen. Ted Stevens On Board Plane That Crashed in Alaska [Source: ABC News, August 10, 2010]

RELATED:

• Cold night crept by after crash killed Stevens [Source: Denver Post, August 11, 2010]

NOTES: McCain: 'Serious mistake' if car bombing suspect was Mirandized

It would have been a serious mistake to have read the suspect in the attempted Times Square car bombing his Miranda rights, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Tuesday.

_____

"Obviously that would be a serious mistake...at least until we find out as much information we have," McCain said during an appearance on "Imus in the Morning" when asked whether the suspect, 30-year-old Faisal Shahzad, a naturalized American citizen from Pakistan.

"Don't give this guy his Miranda rights until we find out what it's all about," McCain added during an appearance on the Imus show, which is broadcast by the Fox Business Network.

McCain's remarks echo Republican complaints in the aftermath of the attempted bombing of a flight en route from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas Day, when Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the suspect in that case, was immediately Mirandized and given full criminal rights.

Republicans say that suspects like Abdulmutallab and potentially Shahzad should be classified as an "enemy combatant," which gives authorities more leeway in seeking intelligence through interrogation and other methods[...]

         [Source: The Hill, May 4, 2010]:

NOTE:  Apparently, Senator McCain is glad that the terror suspect was not given 6th Amendment rights. McCain says that treatment of this suspect would be an example to "would-be" terrorists. Interestingly, the mayor of NY had stated earlier this week before the capture of the suspect, that the suspect could have been someone upset about Obamacare. So put 2 and 2 together and it's possible in the near future that if you don't like something the government is doing, you could be considered a terrorist suspect and relieved of your constitutional rights. Another interesting question regarding this event is found in a May 7, 2010 article published in a Wired magazine, entitled White House Denies Reports of Spy Planes Over NYC. The article states that the Government denies using spy planes but it gives a couple of examples of times when they have used spy planes on U.S. soil.

JOURNAL: Is Arizona's Immigration law a convenient opportunity?

Dems spark alarm with call for national ID card [Source: The Hill, April 30, 2010]

There is no question that the recently passed Immigration Bill (SB1070) by Arizona Legislators has caused quite an uproar not only in Arizona but in the entire country.  Call it my cynicism but I believe that this whole immigration issue has a deeper significance than what we see on the surface.  FDR once said "In politics nothing happens on accident.  If it happens you can bet it was planned that way." Although this thought was at the back of my mind, I couldn't quite figure out what purpose it served...until I came across the article above.  The article reports that Congress is trying to pass new legislation regarding a National ID card.  This is the same idea that they have been trying to pass for decades [http://epic.org/privacy/id-cards/].  Now it appears they may have another opportunity to finally push through this legislation.

According to the article, "Democratic leaders have proposed requiring every worker in the nation to carry a national identification card with biometric information, such as a fingerprint, within the next six years ... The national ID program would be titled the Believe System, an acronym for Biometric Enrollment, Locally stored Information and Electronic Verification of Employment." (emphasis mine).

 But Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.), who has worked on the proposal and helped unveil it at a press conference Thursday, predicted the public has become more comfortable with the idea of a national identification card.

“The biometric identification card is a critical element here,” Durbin said. “For a long time it was resisted by many groups, but now we live in a world where we take off our shoes at the airport and pull out our identification.

With that being said, here is my theory:

For years the Federal government does nothing about the illegal immigration problem.  They hope that this will "encourage" state government to become fed up with the national government not doing anything about it and pass strong and controversial legislation, which in turn causes quite an uproar from the people in the country.  The people in the country call upon the national government to step in and deal with the immigration issue in order to get rid of the tough legislation passed by a certain state or states.  So the national government does step in and in the legislation they pass they put in a section dealing with the national ID card.  And therefore, they finally get their legislation passed dealing with a national identification card!

This may be an extreme theory but I would bet that there is something similar to this happening with this immigration issue and the national ID card.

RELATED ARTICLE(S)

• Arizona Clears Strict Immigration Bill [Source: Wall Street Journal, April 14, 2010]
• Arizona passes tough illegal immigration law [Source: Reuters, April 20, 2010]
• Furor grows over Ariz. law against immigrants [Source: AP via My Way News, April 26, 2010]
• SF Calls for Arizona Boycott [Source: NBC Bay Area, April 27, 2010]
• City workers banned from official travel to Arizona [Source: San Francisco Chronicle, April 28, 2010]
• LA Could Pass Arizona Boycott [Source: Los Angeles, April 28, 2010]
• Rep Wants AZ Immigration Law in Texas [Source: NBC Dallas Ft. Worth, April 28, 2010]
• Business leaders: Immigration law costing millions [Source: KTAR, May 5, 2010]
• Napolitano Admits She Hasn't Read Arizona Law But Says She Wouldn't Sign It [Source: Real Clear Politics, May 17, 2010]
• Arizona Data Unclear Whether Arizona Law Driving Illegal Immigrants Out of State [Source: Fox News, June 11, 2010]
• Senior Official: Obama Administration Will Challenge Arizona Immigration Law [Source: CBS News, June 18, 2010]
• Mexico asks court to reject Ariz. immigration law [Source: AP via Breitbart, June 22, 2010]
• Feds sue to block Arizona illegal immigrant law [Source: AP via Google, July 6, 2010]
• Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah may follow Arizona's lead on immigration law [Source: Washington Post, July 8, 2010]
• National Guard to Deploy to Southwest Border Aug. 1 [Source: Fox News, July 19, 2010]
• Arizona immigration law: Key parts struck down by judge [Source: AZCentral, July 28, 2010]
• Mexican Drug Cartel Allegedly Puts a Price on Arizona Sheriff's Head [Source: My Fox Phoenix, July 29, 2010]
• Florida AG proposes tougher illegal immigrant curbs [Source: Reuters, August 11, 2010]
• Brewer Condemns Report to UN Mentioning Ariz. Law [Source: AP via Newsmax, August 27, 2010]
• Appeals court blocks Pa. town's immigration law [Source: AP via AZ Central, September 9, 2010]
• Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer slams 'foreign interference' in immigration lawsuit [Source: Politico, October 6, 2010]
• Judge questions Justice Department's lawsuit against Arizona immigration law [Source: The Washington Post, November 1, 2010]