There is something wrong with the world. disclaimers, funny or otherwise, should not be necessary. We all know it. We all see it every day. Death and sickness is all around us. What happened? The answer is that this world (including us) have fallen deep into a chasm and can’t clamber back up on our own strength.
“None is righteous, no, not one;
no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good, not even one.” Romans 3:10-12
no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good, not even one.” Romans 3:10-12
We are enslaved within this chasm with no escape route except one thin thread that extends upward. As we look up, the way seems endless and treacherous. The thread looks very weak and unable to hold our weight.
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Matthew 7:13-14
You have heard stories that one day a man came from above the chasm, suffered, and even died while hanging that little thread for those who would only believe in Him. The only escape route. Yet, believing in that thread is impossible! Or was it?
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
Yet, something grips your heart like an unbreakable iron clasp. All your disclaimers aside, you now understand that you are the reason this Man came. Shamefully, you look at yourself and realize that you are indeed broken and can’t do anything good. You plead for someone to stand in your place before the great Judge!
For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,” 1 Timothy 2:5
This force compels you to grab hold of the thread and climb up. The people around you mock you and utter profanities against you. Yet, you are incapable of turning back now. An irresistible force is pushing you up the thread, up out of the abyss. You can still hear the mocking but it is becoming more distant now. Now you see that others have gone up before you and have also had similar experiences. As you converse with them, you find out that this Man, Jesus Christ, died for you and has prepared a bountiful inheritance for you.
But wait? A inheritance, but I never knew this Man!
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. Ephesians 1:3-4
Ahh… you are right.
But he knew you! He chose you to and gave you this blessed inheritance!
What inheritance?
In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:5-6
So, this man that I have never known as adopted me into his family and rescued me from that abyss?
Yes, that is right! But that is not all.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:3-5
Wow! So, part of this inheritance is going to heaven! What did I do to deserve that?
Nothing! Don’t you understand? He was merciful to us and gave this gift to us.
Praise be to the God and Father who has chosen to rescue us and bless us!
haha... This is me again. I thought I would write a brief post describing a disclaimer I was required to sign before I could participate in my Information Security course here at the college. The following are some excerpts from this agreement.
It first mentions the consequences this class can have if the info is abused intentionally or accidentally. The consequences are: "breaches of security, damage to data or other undesirable results."
hehe... funny. It is sad that people must be told the obvious results bad decisions can produce. :)
And then it goes on and lists several rules that me, as a student, must obey.
1. Understands that any coursework, including lab experiments, may be carried out on a public/private network that is used by people in organizations to complete their work.
To put it in English, I must understand that all homework done for this class is being replicated and sent over insecure networks that are also utilized by many different individuals.
2. Examine/use specific assigned course accounts for privacy vulnerabilities.
Essentially, I may only use the class examples as resources for locating and exploiting security holes. Bummer!
3. Report any security vulnerabilities discovered to the course instructor(s) immediately, and not disclose them to anyone else.
This one is self-explanatory. Any security holes I find must be reported immediately to my teacher.
4. Maintain confidentiality of any private information learned through the course.
This one doesn't deserve an explanation, but the last two were my favorites.
5. Hold harmless and does not pursue any legal action against the course instructor(s) and Central Community College for any consequences of this course.
Essentially, the college is not responsible for when I am lugged off to prison for hacking the pentagon's website. hehe...
6. Do not attempt to perform any actions or use skills learned in this course in a malicious manner.
hehe... And I thought I had plans for all this new knowledge I would be gaining. Unfortunately, those plans have been dashed to pieces. :)
Over all, college is going well so far. One week down, 14 to go!
