Nothing Should Exist - Gene Edward Veith says “I hadn’t realized that science, despite all of the claims that it has all the answers, remains stuck at a very basic conundrum.” Science is still stuck on the problem that nothing should exist and yet, well, obviously plenty does exist.

Flooded - Jars of Clay has put together a benefit album to support the Nashville relief effort. At their site you can buy an EP for $1 with all proceeds going to that good cause.

Kindle’s Most Popular Bible Passages - Ray Fowler did some legwork and found out what Bible passages are the most commonly highlighted on the Kindle. Not surprisingly, a lot of the passages focus on trusting in God.

Arrested in Haiti - You remember the story of those Americans arrested and imprisoned on Haiti. Baptist Press has an article talking about how the story has wrapped up. The story they are telling is far, far different than the story we heard in the media, though that’s no great surprise to you, I’m sure.

Nicking Our Public Discourse - Mark Steyn, who has made a career out of being alarmist (and who does it so well), sounds the alarm about increasing capitulation to Islam. “At Ford Hood, Major Hasan jumped on a table and gunned down his comrades while screaming ‘Allahu Akbar!’ — which is Arabic for ‘Nothing to see here’ and an early indicator of pre-post-traumatic stress disorder. The Times Square bomber, we are assured by the Washington Post, CNN, and Newsweek, was upset by foreclosure proceedings on his house. Mortgage-related issues. Nothing to do with months of training at a Taliban camp in Waziristan.”

How Churches Invest Their Money - Mint.com takes a look at the way three different churches invest their money. “Though official records are scarce, the world’s major churches are all believed to collect annual revenues in excess of several billion dollars. Like any other institution, these churches work hard to earn the highest possible return on their investments.”

The Contemporvant Service - Bob Kauflin looks at a recent viral video and asks what we can learn from it. “Like most viral videos seeking to make a point, this one has its supporters and detractors. Some call it a brilliant parody while others are deeply offended by its supposed slap in the face at churches targeting unbelievers. I tend to side with the first group, and I think there are a few things we can learn from it.”

Why iPad Owners Need a Kindle Too - From Macworld: “Now that I’ve used an iPad for a month and a half, I’ve come to realize that I still want, need and love my Kindle. In a nutshell, the e-book reading on the iPad is generally great. But the list of things the iPad does badly is identical to the list of things the Kindle does well. And vice versa.”

Deleting Your Facebook Account - I find it fascinating to track this growing movement against Facebook. It’s an example of how quickly opinions change in our digital world and how quickly a company can find itself on the wrong side of popular opinion. If you want to learn how to shut down your account (it’s surprisingly tough to do) you may want to reference this article.

Divorce Statistics - TIME examines a popular statistic and asks whether it is accurate. “Do half of all marriages really end in divorce? It’s probably the most often quoted statistic about modern love, and it’s a total buzz kill, in line with saying that half of all new shoes will give you hammertoes or that 50% of babies will grow up to be ugly. Now the divorce stat is coming under scrutiny — and not just because of its unromanticity.”

The Ligonier App - iPhone users will want to check out the new, free iPhone app from Ligonier Ministries.

Of all the books I read I often feel that the biographies are most helpful to my Christian walk. I developed an early love of the genre from my mother who taught me the importance of reading about and understanding the lives of the great saints of the past, that we might be able to learn from their example. As a child I remember reading biographies of Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee, Abraham Lincoln, Eric Liddell and many dedicated but relatively unknown missionaries. I have little doubt that the lives of such people did much to shape my growing faith and I am forever indebted to them.

I was thinking recently about the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, that “hall of fame” of great men and women of the faith. The author writes about many Old Testament figures—Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and others. He seeks to encourage the readers of the epistle to be confident in the certainty of what God has promised but not yet actually given. He encourages his readers to learn perseverance from the examples of these saints. Having done that, he begins chapter twelve with these words: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses…” He paints a picture of the Christian as a runner. He is in a stadium surrounded by multitudes of people cheering him on as he runs a race. These people who are cheering him have already run and successfully completed this same race. They shout encouragement to those who are still running and encourage them if and when they stumble.

Today at my church home of Grace Fellowship Church I was ordained as an elder/pastor (we make no distinction real between the two). I share this with you because, well, because I’ve shared so much of my life with you and this is quite a significant event. Our pastor preached from Titus 2:15: “Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.” (If you’d like to hear the sermon, you can do so here)

Here are the notes my son took:

Dad = Titus

Dad Needs To:

• Speak the gospel to God’s people
• Make people remember God
• Preach the gospel to the pastors
• Preach the gospel to mom
• Preach the gospel to me and my sisters
• Be a model in his life
• Rebuke people if they do wrong
• Have patience and love