Arbitrage

In arbitrage, you profit from a scam. Our blessed lord has been aware of arbitrage since the world was formed by the manipulation of his hands. Those who have been transformed have known all along, those who conform are realizing it. (Romans 12:1-2)

The Universal Life Church in California licenses 3,000-5,000 ministers each month, simply through a process of filling out an application and paying a fee. One out of every seven weddings is performed by such a “licensed minister”. The tax authorities are well aware of these counterfeits, people love counterfeits, you only recognize counterfeits by knowing the real thing.

Mr. Lash Larue was a famous western movie actor of the 1940s and 1950s, known for his skill with a bull whip and his cowboy persona. This supposed Christian activist speaker was able to give a very effective Christian testimony. Mr. Lash Larue spoke at a local baptist church one Sunday night, reportedly and allegedly, later the same night at a downtown Holiday Inn, he was arrested for drunkness and disorderly conduct. Allegedly, he was given the choice to leave town or go to jail.

In the gospels of John (John 8), we find Jewish religious leaders bringing to Christ a woman caught in the very act of adultery. I've asked the question many times, “what happened to the man?” Anyway, Christ said to the woman, who never denied her sin, who would have been stoned to death, “go and sin no more.” Christ told us, “he who is without sin, let him cast the first stone.” I have never known a sinless person, certainly not this writer, but if you are going to walk in the sun, don't transport butter on your head.

It is strange that so many notables can give a testimony, when convenient. A Christian is someone who can live at midnight, in a foreign city, where no one knows him, the same way he can live in midday in his hometown where everyone knows him. Your family or friends do not know what you watch on television or read in a magazine or book, but the all-seeing eye of God knows and cares...more than they do.

God's obsession is with order, not with evangelism, not with rituals, god wants the real, not an imposter, the genuine not an imitation. Abraham was probably the world's richest man, like Moses, he had talked face to face with God. He knew the value of the real, so he sent his trusted assistant Eleazar to find a wife for his son Isaac. Eleazar knew how to trust, knew how to pray, and immediately knew the answer to prayer when Rachael at the well, not only drew water for him, but spent many hours drawing water for all of his camels. Do you have any idea how much water many camels can drink?

When will we learn to recognize the real from the counterfeit? Propriety from the parasite? Success results from studying and learning, we have seen what political appointments, people who nothing of a subject, can do for your country. We expect those who have put us in a financial mess to correct the financial mess: Barney Frank, Dodd, Obama, Geithner (people who have never run a business know nothing of finance). The only thing politicians know how to do is run for reelection, they have a license to deceive (The stadium at the World Cup matches have a license to serve alcohol to the crowd).

The bible contains 788,000 words, 319 times we find the word “if”, always with a promise from God. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land (Isaiah 1:19). 700 years before the birth of Christ, the nation of Israel was given the same assurance the gentile church is given today.

1But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
 2When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
 3For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
 4Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.
 5Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; (Isaiah 43:1-5)

In these days when God talks with us through earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis and every form of discourse. I know of no more precious words than these: ours is not a cheap faith, if you have something better, please let me know what it is.